Matilda of Tuscany The Great Countess

Characteristics of a Classical Hero Demonstrated in The...

â€Å"The Labours of Hercules† introduces the most famous Greek hero in mythology, Hercules. He completes twelve immense tasks at an early age for killing his family while under a curse from Hera. The story of his labours contains many reasons why Hercules is classified as a classical hero. Hercules exhibits many of the traits of a classical hero, including numerous guides, hazardous journeys and several hardships and afflictions. Hercules demonstrates one trait of a classical hero by asking for or accepting assistance from other characters throughout the story. Two of his most obvious moments of assistance were when he asks the King of Thebes for his twelve tasks and when he needs help during the search for one of Hera’s treasures. He†¦show more content†¦Hercules demonstrates a second characteristic when he embarks on his twelve incredibly dangerous labours. By completing these tasks, Hercules would be forgiven for the killing of his family while under Hera’s spell. An instance of one of these tasks is when he must destroy Hydra, a creature with many heads, one of which is immortal. He fulfills this task by cutting off most of its heads and then laying its immortal head under a rock for eternity. On another labour Hercules is sent to retrieve Cerberus (the three headed dog of Hades) and bring him to the King then, return it to the post at the entrance to the underworld. These an d many other of Hercules immense tasks therefore display a vital quality of a hero in classical mythology. A third trait of a classical hero is demonstrated when Hercules experiences many afflictions and misfortunes during his journeys. Ever since Hera’s husband Zeus had an affair and gave life to Hercules, she has hated him and is responsible for most of his afflictions. One of these afflictions is when Hera drove Hercules mad and made him kill his wife and family. Another example of his misfortunes is when Hera sent two very dangerous snakes after him when he was only eight months old; luckily Hercules was incredibly strong and defeated the deadly snakes. The tremendous amount of hardships along his quest therefore reflects a third heroic quality in Hercules. Many characteristics of a classical hero are demonstrated by Hercules in

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 32~33 Free Essays

Thirty-two Catfish and Estelle â€Å"That was a good guitar,† Catfish said. He had his arms around Estelle, who had pressed her face to his chest when the monster attacked Winston Krauss. â€Å"I didn’t realize,† Estelle said. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 32~33 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I didn’t think it would do that.† Catfish stroked her hair. â€Å"That was a good car too. That car never broke.† Estelle pushed Catfish away and looked in his eyes. â€Å"You knew, didn’t you?† â€Å"What I knew is that boy wanted to get up close to a sea monster and that’s what he got. Case you didn’t notice, he was happy when it happened.† â€Å"What now?† â€Å"I think we ought to get you home, girl. You got some paintings gonna come out of this.† â€Å"Home? Are you coming with me?† â€Å"I ain’t got no car to go anywhere. I guess I am.† â€Å"You’re going to stay? You’re not afraid of losing the Blues and getting content?† Catfish grinned, and there was that gold tooth with the eighth note cut in it, glistening in the morning sunshine. â€Å"Dragon done ate my car, my guitar, my amp – girl, I got me enough Blues to last a good long time. I’m thinkin I’ll write me some new songs while you makin your paintings.† â€Å"I’d like that,† Estelle said. â€Å"I’d like to paint the Blues.† â€Å"Long as you don’t go cuttin your ear off like old Vincent. A man finds a one-eared woman stone unattractive.† Estelle pulled him tight. â€Å"I’ll do my best.† â€Å"Course, there was a woman I knowed down Memphis way, name of Sally, had only one leg. Called her One Leg Sally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don’t want to hear it.† â€Å"What you wanna hear?† â€Å"I want to hear the door closing behind us, the fire crackling in the stove, and the teakettle just coming to a whistle while my lovin man picks out ‘Walkin’ Man’s Blues’ on a National steel guitar.† â€Å"You easy,† Catfish said. â€Å"I thought you liked that,† she said, and she took his spidery hand in hers and led him up over the bluff to find a ride home. Theo and Molly Theo had never felt quite so overwhelmed in his entire life. He sensed that the excitement and the danger of it all was over, but he still felt as if a beast every bit as intimidating as the one that had just sunk into the sea was looming over him. He didn’t know if he had a job, or for that matter a home, since his cabin had been part of his pay. He didn’t even have his bong collection and victory garden to crawl into. He was confused and horrified by what had just happened, but not relieved that it was over. He stood there, not ten feet from where Molly Michon was standing in the surf, and he had no idea what the rest of his life had to offer him. â€Å"Hey,† he called. â€Å"You okay?† He watched her nod without turning around. The waves were breaking in front of her and foam and sea-weed was splashing up over her thighs, yet she stood there solid, staring out to sea. â€Å"You going to be okay?† Without turning, she said, â€Å"I haven’t been okay for years. Ask anybody.† â€Å"Matter of opinion. I think you’re okay.† Now she looked over her shoulder at him, her hair in a tangle from the wind, tear tracks down her face. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"I’m a huge fan.† â€Å"You had never heard of my movies until you came to my trailer, had you?† â€Å"Nope. I’m a huge fan, though.† She turned and walked out of the surf toward him, and a smile was breaking there on her face. A smile with too much history to it, but a smile nonetheless. â€Å"The narrator says you did good,† she said. â€Å"The narrator?† Theo found himself smiling too, as close to crying as he had come since his father had died, but smiling nonetheless. â€Å"Yeah, it’s this voice I hear when I don’t take my meds for a while. He’s kind of a prick, but he’s got a better sense of judgment than I do.† She was right there in front of him now – looking up at him, a hand on her hip, a challenge in that movie-star smile – looking more like Kendra the Warrior Babe than she ever had in the posters, the five-inch-long scar standing glorious over her left breast, seawater and grime streaking her body, a look in her eyes that comes from watching your future get nuked – repeatedly. She took his breath away. â€Å"Do you think the three of us could go out to dinner sometime?† â€Å"I’m on the rebound, you know?† His heart sank. â€Å"I understand.† She walked around him and started up the bluff. He followed her, understanding for the first time how the pilgrims had felt following the Sea Beast to the cave. â€Å"I didn’t say no,† Molly said. â€Å"I just thought you ought to know. The narrator is warning me not to talk about my ex over dinner.† His heart soared. â€Å"I think a lot of people are going to be talking about your ex.† â€Å"You’re not intimidated?† â€Å"Of course. But not by him.† â€Å"The narrator says it’s a bad idea. Says the two of us put together might make one good loser.† â€Å"Wow, he is a prick.† â€Å"I’ll get some meds from Dr. Val and he’ll go away.† â€Å"You’re sure that’s good idea?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said, turning back to him again before climbing up to where the pilgrims waited. â€Å"I’d like to be alone with you.† Skinner What the man in the driver’s seat didn’t seem to understand was that as far as this Mercedes was concerned, Skinner was the alpha male. The man smelled of fear and anger and aggression, as well as gunpowder and sweat, and Skinner didn’t like him from the moment he got into the car: Skinner’s new mobile territory. So Skinner had to show him, and he did so in the traditional way, by clamping his jaws over the Challenger’s throat and waiting for him to take a submissive posture. The man had struggled and even hit Skinner, but hadn’t said bad-dog, bad-dog, so Skinner just growled and tightened his jaws until he tasted blood and the man was still. Skinner was still waiting for the Challenger to submit when the Tall Guy opened the car door. â€Å"Good dog, Skinner. Good dog,† Theo said. â€Å"Get this fucking animal off me,† the Challenger said. Skinner wagged his tail and tightened his jaws until the Challenger made a gurgling sound. The Tall Guy scratched his ears and put some metal on the Challenger’s paws. â€Å"Let go now, Skinner,† the Tall Guy said. â€Å"I’ve got him.† Skinner let go and licked Theo’s face before the constable dragged the sheriff out onto the ground and stood on the back of his neck with one foot. The Tall Guy tasted like lizard spit. That was strange. Skinner considered it a moment, then his doggie attention span ran out and he bounded out of the car to go see what the Food Guy was doing in the back of the truck. The Tall Guy’s female was breaking out the back window of the truck with a metal stick. Skinner barked at her, trying to tell her not to hurt the Food Guy. Good Guys â€Å"Is the creature still there?† Gabe asked Molly as he climbed out of the back of the Suburban. Skinner was frisking and jumping on him, and with the handcuffs he couldn’t ward off the damp affection. â€Å"Down, boy. Down.† â€Å"No, he’s gone,† Molly said as she helped Val and Howard out of the Suburban. She nodded to Val. â€Å"Hi, Doc. I think I’ve had an episode or something. You’ll have to debrief me in session or something.† Valerie Riordan nodded. â€Å"I’ll check my calendar.† Theo came around the back of the Mercedes. â€Å"You guys okay?† â€Å"You have your key?† Gabe asked, turning his back to Theo to show the handcuffs. â€Å"We heard shots,† Val said. â€Å"Did†¦?† â€Å"One of the SWAT team is dead. Burton shot him. A few of your patients are scraped and bruised, but they’ll be okay. Winston Krauss was eaten.† â€Å"Eaten?† The color ran out of Val’s face. â€Å"Long story, Val,† Theo said. â€Å"Mavis set it all up after you guys left. Catfish and Estelle came in and drew the monster out. Winston was sort of the bait.† â€Å"Oh my god!† Val said. â€Å"She said something about my not being in trouble.† Theo held his finger to his lips to shush her, then nodded to where Sheriff Burton lay on the ground. â€Å"It never happened, Val. None of it. I don’t know a thing.† He spun her around and unlocked her handcuffs. Then did the same for Gabe and Howard. The gaunt restaurateur seemed more morose than usual. â€Å"I had really hoped to lay eyes on the creature.† â€Å"Me too,† said Gabe, putting his arm around Valerie. â€Å"Sorry,† Theo said. To Val he said, â€Å"The reporters from those helicopters are going to be here in a few minutes. If I were you, I’d get out of here.† He handed her the keys to the Mercedes. â€Å"The district attorney is sending a deputy to pick up Burton, so I’m going to stay here. Will you give Molly a ride back into town?† â€Å"Of course,† Val said. â€Å"What are you going to tell the reporters?† â€Å"I don’t know,† Theo said. â€Å"Deny everything, I guess. It depends on what they ask and what they got on tape. Having lived most my life in denial, I may be perfectly suited for dealing with them.† â€Å"I’m sorry I was – I’m sorry I doubted your abilities, Theo.† â€Å"So did I, Val. I’ll call you guys and let you know what’s going on.† Gabe called Skinner and they loaded into the Mercedes, leaving Theo and Molly facing each other. Theo looked at his shoes. â€Å"I guess I’ll be seeing you.† She stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. Then without a word she crawled into the back of the Mercedes with Howard and Skinner and closed the door. Theo watched them back away, then turn and head across the pasture and out of the cattle gate. â€Å"You’re going down with me, Crowe!† Burton screamed from the ground. Theo spotted something shiny lying in the grass near the back of the Suburban and went over to it. It was Molly’s broadsword. He felt a smile breaking out as he picked it up and went over to where Burton was lying. â€Å"You have the right to remain silent,† Theo said. â€Å"I suggest you exercise that right. Immediately.† Theo plunged the sword into the ground half an inch from Burton’s face and watched the sheriff’s eyes go wide. Thirty-three Winter Winter in Pine Cove is a pause, a timeout, an extended coffee break. A slowness comes over the town and people stop their cars in the street to talk with a passing neighbor without worrying about a tourist honking his horn so he can get on with his relaxing vacation (damn it!). Waiters and hotel clerks go to part-time shifts and money slows to a creep. Couples spend their nights at home in front of the fireplace as the smell of rain-washed wood smoke fills the air, and single people resolve to move somewhere where life is a full-time sport. Winter near the shore is cold. The wind kicks up a salty mist and elephant seals come to shore to trumpet and rut and birth their pups. Retired people put sweaters on their lap dogs and drag them down the street on retractable leashes in a nightly parade of doggie humiliation. Surfers don their wetsuits against the chill of storm waves and white sharks adjust their diets to in-clude shrink-wrapped dude-snacks on fiberglass crackers. But the chill is crisp and forgiving and settles in a way so that the town’s collective metab-olism can slow into semihibernation without a shock. At least that’s the way it is most winters. After the coming of the Sea Beast, winter was a juggernaut, a party, an irritation and a windfall. News footage from the helicopters was beamed out over satellites and Pine Cove displaced Roswell, New Mexico, as the number one crackpot travel destination. There wasn’t much on the tapes, just a crowd of people gathered on the shore and the fuzzy image of something large in the water, but with the footprints and the eyewitness accounts, it was enough. Shops filled with cheesy ser-pent souvenirs and H.P.’s Cafe added to the menu a sandwich called the Theosaurus, which was the official scientific name of the Sea Beast (coined by biologist Gabriel Fenton). The hotels filled, the streets congested, and Mavis Sand actually had to hire a second bartender to help serve the im-ported wackos. Estelle Boyet opened her own gallery on Cypress Street where she sold her new series of paintings enigmatically entitled Steve, as well as the new Catfish Jefferson CD entitled The What Do I Do Now That I’m Happy? Blues. As the story of the Sea Beast spread and was sensationalized, interest rose in an obscure B-movie actress named Molly Michon. Discs and videocassettes of the Warrior Babe series were remastered and rereleased to an enthusiastic audience, and the Screen Actors Guild came down on the producers like an avenging accountant angel to capture a piece of the profits for Molly. Valerie Riordan’s practice stabilized as she struck a balance between therapy and medication and she was able to schedule a sabbatical to join her fianc? ¦, Gabe Fenton, on an oceanographic expedition aboard a Scripps vessel to look for evidence of the Theosaurus in the deep trenches off California. After he testified against John Burton, putting him away for life, winter settled on Theophilus Crowe like a warm blessing. In the second month of his recovery, he realized that his addiction to marijuana had been nothing more than a response to boredom. Like the child who whines away a summer day because there’s nothing to do, but makes no effort to actually do anything, Theo had simply lacked the ambition to entertain himself. Sharing his life with Molly solved the problem, and Theo found that although he was often exhausted by the demands of his job and his lover, he was never bored. Molly’s trailer was moved to the edge of the ranch by his cabin. Every morning they shared a hearty breakfast pizza at her place. In the evening, they ate dinner on his cable spool table. She answered his calls while he was at work, and he ran interference with the geeky fans who were rabid enough to seek her out at the ranch. Not a day passed that he did not tell Molly how special she w as to him, and as time passed, the narrator in her head fell silent and never spoke again. There was no winter in the deep submarine trench off California, two miles down. Everything was as it had been: a dark pressurized sameness where the Sea Beast lay by his black smoker, grieving for love lost. He stopped grazing on deep water worms that grew on the rocks and his great body began to waste away under the weight of the water and the years. He had resolved never to move again – to lie there until his great heart stopped and with it the throb of heartbreak – when sensor cells along his flanks picked up a signal. Something he had not felt for half a century, the signature of a creature he thought he would never feel again. He flipped his tail and shook off the crust of loneliness that had settled over him, and that organ buried deep beneath his reptile brain picked up a message coming from the female. Roughly translated, it said, â€Å"Hey, sailor, want to get lucky?† How to cite The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 32~33, Essay examples

Business Communication Skills Global Market

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Communication Skillsfor Global Market. Answer: Introduction The success of business in the modern global market is highly dependable on the selling skills of the sales people that are working with the organization. For this reason, the ability to creatively pass the message to the consumer in a manner that helps the consumer by placing the sales person to seem like the problem solver is highly commendable as well as the channel that one uses to pass the message(Feldman, 2009). Many researchers have tried in many ways to explain the disparities that are noticed in the sales performances; this has led to many conclusions that are directed to the way the sales people are treated by the organization. In the recent years, the research has shifted to the sales person and the way he thinks to answer the performance question of individuals. It has indeed, turned out that the performance has subject to the sales person and therefore this paper will consider all the view of authors in the two articles to deliver a conclusive and reliable piece of infor mation? This paper will critically review two articles that have been written in light of understanding the business communication skills that lead to high sales performance (Foote, 2012). Authors Arguments The authors are explaining the reasons behind the sales performance shown by the sales team. Quesenberry, the author of How B2B can benefit from social selling', argues that the performance of the sales team depends on how the team can utilize the social media to reach its prospective customers. The author further advocates that organizations should focus on training its sales team on ways to exploit the potential on the social media platform to generate sales.Training the sales people on social media systems,practices, and processes, in areas such as corporate and special social media channels,will help them understand the social media business guidelines in a way that they can develop content that revolves around the needs and interests of the client. The training helps shift the focus from price, benefits, and brand. The author has highlighted that many customers nowadays dont like dealing with the sales representatives or business to business selling as the two are only oriented in closing sales rather than solving the client's problem. Moreover, he has highlighted that most clients are now relying on the social media to make their purchasing decisions. More than three-quarters of buying decisions (82%) relied on the social content which had the impact on their buying decisions." Mark D. Groza, author of Linking thinking styles to sales performance: The importance of creativity and personal knowledge, argues that the sales performance is highly dependent on the individual's creativity to solve a particular problem that a client is facing. The author classifies the sales personnel into three categories that he argues are because of various ways of doing and thinking (Groza, Locander and Howlett, 2016). He starts with the category of judicial thinking in which the sales people who have a judicial way of thinking have the ability to listen to the clients needs, and evaluate the alternatives that are already existing while being creative at the same time. The other level of thinking is the executive thinking in which sales people who have this kind of thinking perform well in a pre-existing structure that governs the way they execute their duties. Such people are good performers in scripted selling. They prefer pre-existing solutions. The third category is the le gislative thinking whereby they prefer to employ their thought out solution to try to solve the customers problem. This category of sales people value autonomy and exhibits an entrepreneurial character. The theory simulates the three arms of thinking to those on the three government branches (judicial, executive, and legislative), in a way that people do organizeand rule themselves The Different Views inArguments The authors have both shown significant efforts to show the reasons as to why the sales performance vary, however, the authors have used different approaches to proving their points. Quesenberry has preferred to assess the external environment that surrounds the sales person and the rapid changes that have occurred in the market such as, the advancement in technology. While, Mark D. Groza, choose to evaluate the sales performance at the individual level the sales person exhibits whereby he highlights the different ways of thinking that. According, to Mark D. Groza, the customers needs are well met when the sales person can carefully listen to the needs, analyze the situation, and evaluate the various alternatives that can be taken to solve the need. Salespeople are constantly dealing with organization changes, changing customer needs, regulatory influences, as well as the complex market competition. Coelho et al. (2011), states that creative sales agents can identify the customers' needs, create a good relationship with the customers, and offer a creative solution in an effective manner. On the other hand, Quesenberry argues that customers are looking to solve their needs through gathering related information concerning the product they are willing to purchase. As it is they are avoiding to deal with a sales person directly and prefer to source for information through social networks. a recent survey conclude that reaching for a prospect now takes more than 18 phone calls, with call backs rates below 1%. Moreover, only 24% outbound sales e-mails are ever opened. However, 84% of B2B buyers mostly purchase through referrals, and peer recommendation which is influencing more than90% of all B2B buying decisions." Moreover, as Mark D. Groza highlights that the creative selling will depend on the type of thinking, which is further influenced by age, tenure, firm size, as well as adaptive selling. Quesenberry advocates that, selling performance will depend on how well one can use technology especially the social media platform to reach prospective clients. The argument brought out by Mark D. Groza, shows that the sales person is to prepare himself or herself and go to the customer with customized information hoping to persuade the customer to buy their products. On the other hand, Quesenberry article shows that the sales person provides information concerning the product to the majority and position himself in a way that he deals with the question that is raised by random prospective clients. brand targets many customers, in a way that it increases the overall brand awareness or champions a specific product or service by serving content that users will share with their network. Recommendation The two authors, Quesenberry andMark D. Groza, have gone a long way to highlight the reasons behind the different performances in sales. One thing that is evident in the two articles is that, Sales hold a significant position in every organization, in particular on the revenue side. Therefore, there is a need to train the sales personnel regarding industrial knowledge, as well as creativity skill as the graph in the appendix, portrays that there is a positive correlation in sales performance and industrial knowledge that a sales person is aware of (Kim, 2011). Selling tactics are changing day and night, and for a salesperson and the organization as a whole to keep abreast with the changes in the market, there is a need to ensure that hitch their wagon to technology. Engaging on the social media platform and the development of content that aims to revolve around the customers needs rather than focusing on brand and prices of a product, will ensure that the sales performance is secure(Pride, 2017). Another thing that will improve the sales performance of an organization is the occasional exchange programs that allow the sales personnel to interact and share ideas among themselves. Such programs allow the sales team, which has various levels of thinking that,is the judicial, executive, and legislative thinking to interact and help each other in ways of handling the clients needs(Sales Performance in Benchmark-Check, 2013). This will be beneficial to the three types of thinkers can obtain new knowledge, as the author highlighted the type of thinking has more to do with how one has interacted with the environment. The surroundings at work may also contribute to the levels of creativity (Agnihotri et al., 2013; Wang Netemeyer, 2004). Conclusion The intelligence of a sales person is very crucial in aiding the performance in any particular field that a sales person engages. From choosing the channel to deliver the product message to listening to customers needs to proving alternatives, and finally closing sales requires a person who has not only the thinking skills but also emotional intelligence. For this reason, organizations that rely heavily on sales teams should ensure that they engage personnels who display certain levels of thinking, that is the categories highlighted in Mark D. Groza article, for better performance References Donelson, D. (2010).Creative selling. 1st ed. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Press. Feldman, B. (2009).Creative selling. 1st ed. Rockville Centre, N.Y.: Farnsworth Pub. Co. Foote, C. (2012).The creative business guide to marketing. 1st ed. London: W.W. Norton. Ford, N., Churchill, G., Walker, O. and Teas, R. (2015).Salesforce performance. 1st ed. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books. Groza, M., Locander, D. and Howlett, C. (2016). Linking thinking styles to sales performance: The importance of creativity and subjective knowledge.Journal of Business Research, 69(10), pp.4185-4193. Kim, S. (2011). Selling out: how impressions of materialism influence creative evaluations and performance.Academy of Management Proceedings, 2011(1), pp.1-6. Pride, W. (2017).Foundations of business. 1st ed. New york: Cengage learning. sales business. (2012).Sales Business, 21(1-2), pp.41-41. Shafique, N., Sajjad, M. and Rehman, H. (2015).Sales Performance. 1st ed. Saarbru?cken: LAP lambert Academic Publishing. Ward, R. (2014).High performance sales strategies. 1st ed. Harlow, UK: Pearson. Yager, J. and Flores, F. (2013).Relaciones productivas. 1st ed. Me?xico, D.F.: Editorial Trillas.

Twentieth Century Music and Its Reflection of History free essay sample

The Great Depression left its imprint on the music more than any other event Of that time. Most of the music of the 1 sass offered relaxation to the battered soul. Popular songs of the time brought the listener into the despair of the times apparent in songs, such as Stardust, Solitude, and Blue Lovebirds Die Alone. World War II brought along a new attitude in its music. Songs of the WI era showed split ideas about the war. Some works made the American People aware of the dangers of democracy while most songs emphasized its blessings, giving Americans a patriotic, anti-Fascist attitude.One popular song of the time was Earl Robinsons Ballad for Americans which emphasized the strongest support for the war at that time. In the mid-1 9505, a new style of music known as Rock n Roll became prominent. This music was a combination of all the popular styles of music that preceded it. We will write a custom essay sample on Twentieth Century Music and Its Reflection of History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Three styles of rock: RB rock, country rock, and pop rock; were evident at this time. Culturally, white teenagers were the dominant members of society, but the most popular form of rock was RB rock, which was performed mostly by African-American males.This caused social robbers because many upper class white American males labeled rock as African or race music. Some even charged that it was a conspiracy by the NAACP to corrupt white teenagers. To counter the popularity of RB rock, many record companies found white pop performers to cover popular songs recorded by African-American RB artists. When an African-American performer had a hit song, the record company would have it re-recorded by a white performer. Pat Boone had hits with Fats Dominos Anti that a Shame and with Little Richards Tutu Fruit.One record producer, Sam Phillips stated, If I could only find a white man ho had the Negro sound and the Negro feel I could make a million dollars. By 1 956, a young singer, Elvis Presley, padded Phillips a prophet with his hit song Heartbreak Hotel. Elvis Presley did more than any other artist to promote the style of Rock n Roll with fifty-two top thirty hits in less than ten years, earning himself the title of King of Rock and Roll. By the early sass Rock and Roll was a contributing factor to the Civil Rights movements bringing African-Americans to become equal to whites.White teenagers purchased records released by African-American performers and African-American teenagers did the opposite. Whites and African-Americans sat beside each other at concerts, enjoying music that may not be performed by people of the same race as they were. However, in a society dominated by white males, many minorities were mocked and treated cruelly. Women were looked down upon as second class citizens in the sass; treated as sex objects in songs such as Buddy Nooks Party Doll, Johnny Titillations Poetry in Motion, and Eddie Hedgehogs (Girls, Gi rls, Girls) Made to Love). African Americans were also viewed as comic figures in songs such as the Coasters Charlie Brown, Little Anthony and the Imperials Shimmy, Shimmy, OK-OK Bop, and Mongo Sanitarians Watermelon Man. Native Americans were also depicted as cartoon characters in Johnny Protons Running Bear and Larry Verses Mr.. Custer. The accents of Italian and Hispanic emigrants were made fun of in Pat Bones Speedy Gonzales and Lou Motes Opine the Italian Mouse. To many, the period of 1 964 to 1 974 is the most important period of American music in this century. Rock music reflected attitudes of the youth of that time, the Baby Boomers. In the early ass the youth looked up to President John F. Kennedy. His assassination on November twenty-second of 1963 sent shock waves throughout the country. The youth were disillusioned at this fact and had nobody to turn to. Quickly after, a new group came into the music scene from Europe. The Beetles offered American youth a new identity at the time when they needed it most. Songs of The Beetles such as Want to Hold Your Hand projected optimism, enthusiasm, and fun. The four members refused to take themselves seriously and offered American youth a new way to see their world.The Beetles new music was anything but new, in fact, it sounded more like the RB of the fifties. Rock music was the biggest promoter of the civil rights movement in the united States in the sass and sass. Bob Dylan put it best in his 1964 song The Times They are a changing. Many songs of that time period addressed social and cultural issues of the time in which they were written, in fact, many singer/songwriters Of that time period such as Joan Base and Bob Dylan were active participants and sometimes the main speaker in various political rallies.Bob Dylan, however, was probably one of the most important political voices in America from 1963 to 1969. Songs Dylan wrote such as Blowing in the Wind, later recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary; became the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights movement, while other songs such as Like a Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower voice d the dissatisfaction, anger, and concern of the troubled youth at that time period. Come writers and critics and prophesier with your pen. And keep your eyes wide, the chance wont come again. And don t speak too soon for the wheels still in spin.And theres no telling now where its leading. For the loser now will be later to win. For the times they are a changing. Bob Dylan The Times they are a Changing The mid-sixties also helped promote the civil rights of African-Americans with the introduction of Mouton Records established by Berry Gorky. One song, Retreat Franklins Respect expressed the demand for racial equality. While others such as the Impressions Keep on Pushing reflected the early civil rights movement of African-Americans and Say it Loud-Im Black and Im Proud by James Brown established African-American pride.Racial minorities were not the only groups preaching equality in America during the sixties. American women also obtained a better standing as their ole in society advanced beyond second class housewives. Songs like Roy Ribbons Pretty Women, The Rolling Stones Stupid Girl, and the Occasions Girl Watcher presented an image that many women resented. Women fought back against songs such as these with their own songs such as Leslie Gores You dont Own Me, Nancy Sinatra These Boots are Made for Walking, and Helen Redeyes l am Woman.Although there were many important events in the decade from 1 965 to 1975, none were more remembered than the Vietnam War. Many music artists, at this time began to write and sing songs about world peace and ending the Vietnam War. Many of these songs were very popular, in fact, the music performed at Woodstock was primarily protest songs such as these. Artists who stood out as the war protest singers were Bob Dylan; Country Joe and the Fish; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Janis Joplin; Joan Base; and Jim Hendrix.Artists such as John Lennox of The Beetles wrote and sang songs voicing world peace like Give Peace a Chance, Imagine, and Happy Christmas (War is Over). Well come on all you big strong men. Uncle Sam needs your help again. Got himself in a terrible jam Away down yonder in Vietnam Put down your books and pick up a gun Were goanna have a whole lot of fun. And its One, Two, Three, What are we fighting for? Dont ask me dont give a damn Next stop is Vietnam And its five, six seven, open up the Pearly Gates Well there anti no time to wonder why, Whoopee!! Were all goanna die. Country Joe McDonald The Fish Cheer During, and the time soon after, the Vietnam War many illegal drugs became very popular in the United States. Substances known as hallucinogens were pushed by a form of music called acid rock featuring lyrics about psychedelic hallucinogenic) drugs, mostly LSI (lysergic acid thalidomide). Artists who influenced the use of such substances were The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and Jim Hendrix. Until recently, with the death of their lead singer, Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead was the only acid rock band still performing.Some music of the past two decades has been a reflection on past events. Frankie Avail released a solo record GREASE in 1 978 which looked back on the past fondly. Other artists have written music which reflects on the past with bittersweet nostalgia such as Bob Eagers Against the Wind and Don Honeys End of the Innocence. Billy Joel looked at the Vietnam war in Goodnight Saigon and summed up forty years Of pop culture from 1949 to 1 989 in his song We Didnt Start the Fire. Eighties songs also viewed the social problems in America.Bob Eagers Making Thunderbird and Billy Joules Allentown drew attention to hard times in American manufacturing. Other artists helped out through benefit concerts such as Live Aid to help assist drought stricken African countries, Farm Aid to help farmers facing bankruptcy. Money from these benefit concert Band Aid was donated to combat hunger in Ethiopia. There are in the eighties and nineties very few songs which links to world events. Michael Jackson, though, through songs such as Heal the World, has been able to show how there are places in the world where people are going hungry.

Tale Of Two Cities Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

Tale Of Two Cities Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays Tale of Two Cities In the fictitious novel Tale of Two Cities, the author, Charles Dickens, lays out a brilliant plot. Charles Dickens was born in England on February 7, 1812 near the south coast. His family moved to London when he was ten years old and quickly went into debt. To help support himself, Charles went to work at a blacking warehouse when he was twelve. His father was soon imprisoned for debt and shortly thereafter the rest of the family split apart. Charles continued to work at the blacking warehouse even after his father inherited some money and got out of prison. When he was thirteen, Dickens went back to school for two years. He later learned shorthand and became a freelance court reporter. He started out as a journalist at the age of twenty and later wrote his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. He went on to write many other novels, including Tale of Two Cities in 1859. Tale of Two Cities takes place in France and England during the troubled times of the French Revolution. There are travels by the characters between the countries, but most of the action takes place in Paris, France. The wineshop in Paris is the hot spot for the French revolutionists, mostly because the wineshop owner, Ernest Defarge, and his wife, Madame Defarge, are key leaders and officials of the revolution. Action in the book is scattered out in many places; such as the Bastille, Tellson's Bank, the home of the Manettes, and largely, the streets of Paris. These places help to introduce many characters into the plot. One of the main characters, Madame Therese Defarge, is a major antagonist who seeks revenge, being a key revolutionist. She is very stubborn and unforgiving in her cunning scheme of revenge on the Evermonde family. Throughout the story, she knits shrouds for the intended victims of the revolution. Charles Darnay, one of whom Mrs. Defarge is seeking revenge, is constantly being put on the stand and wants no part of his own lineage. He is a languid protagonist and has a tendency to get arrested and must be bailed out several times during the story. Dr. Alexander Manette, a veteran prisoner of the Bastille and moderate protagonist, cannot escape the memory of being held and sometimes relapses to cobbling shoes. Dr. Manette is somewhat redundant as a character in the novel, but plays a very significant part in the plot. Dr. Manette's daughter, Lucie Manette, a positive protagonist, is loved by many and marries Charles Darnay . She is a quiet, emotional person and a subtle protagonist in the novel. One who never forgot his love for Lucie, the protagonist Sydney Carton changed predominately during the course of the novel. Sydney , a look-alike of Charles Darnay, was introduced as a frustrated, immature alcoholic, but in the end, made the ultimate sacrifice for a good friend. These and other characters help to weave an interesting and dramatic plot. Dr. Manette has just been released from the Bastille, and Lucie, eager to meet her father whom she thought was dead, goes with Mr. Jarvis Lorry to bring him back to England. Dr. Manette is in an insane state from his long prison stay and does nothing but cobble shoes, although he is finally persuaded to go to England. Several years later, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and Mr. Lorry are witnesses at the trial of Charles Darnay. Darnay, earning his living as a tutor, frequently travels between England and France and is accused of treason in his home country of France. He is saved from being prosecuted by Sydney Carton, who a witness confuses for Darnay, thus not making the case positive. Darnay ended up being acquitted for his presumed crime. Darnay and Carton both fall in love with Lucie and want to marry her. Carton, an alcoholic at the time, realizes that a relationship with Lucie is impossible, but he still tells her that he loves her and would do anything for her. Darnay and Lucie marry each other on the premises of the two promises between Dr. Manette and Darnay. Right after the marriage, while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon, Dr. Manette has a relapse and cobbles shoes for nine days straight. France's citizens arm themselves for a revolution and, led by the Defarges, start the revolution by raiding the Bastille. Shortly before the start of the revolution, the Marquis runs over a child in the streets of Paris. He is assassinated soon after by Gaspard, the child's father, who is

I need a review of the movie Go Tell The Spartans

I need a of the Go Tell The Spartans - Movie Review Example The men are inexperienced and have no real sense of what the war will entail. They are badly outnumbered by Viet Cong troops and there are reports of fighting in the area. Their commander is named Barker, and he is the heart and soul of the film. Barker has fought in many wars and is world-weary and wise. He knows his men are foolish and outnumbered. He does everything he can to teach them to prepare themselves for battle. But the men at Muc Wa are just one cog in a larger wheel. We see how the bureaucracy of the American armed forces slows things down and prevents soldiers from showing initiative. Even after numerous complaints, Barker is still undermanned. In a sense, he is only awaiting his own death. In order the fully understand this excellent film, it is important to understand America's role in Vietnam during the period. Unlike the Second World War, where the purpose of the U.S. was clear, and its vital interests at stake, the Vietnam War had an unclear objective. Americans ha d trouble understanding why it was in their national interest to send hundreds of thousands of soldiers to this far-away land. Some of the actions taken by their own soldiers ashamed them, and the losses of life were enormous. Many aspects of the war in retrospect seem surreal.

The Secret of Success of Wal Mart Research Paper

The Secret of Success of Wal Mart - Research Paper Example Wal-Mart’s large size and high purchasing power enable the company management to access customers from all over the world and the rest of the US. It also has an incredible team of executives who form its leadership. This has equipped Wal-Mart with the management of high caliber. The Company spends its resources carefully with the aim of maximizing their margins while reducing costs. The company focuses on strategies such as every day low prices that helped it stay ahead of its competitor. More so, the company’s retailer opened new small stores, which helped it overcome its competitors such as Amazon.com and dollar stores. It faced tough competition from these companies but it managed to make profits. The function of Wal-Mart’s reward system is to attract, motivate, and retain skilled and experienced employees. Wal-Mart’s reward is effective since it guarantees fair treatment of all employees. Wal-Mart management announced in 2012 that it was going to disburse close to one million dollars in benefits and bonuses to its workers within the United States of America. This shows a monetary reward that the company is able to give its employees in order to motivate them to work hard as the company continues to come up with new products for its customers. In addition to the total monetary reward system, Wal-Mart has come up with a unique social responsibility culture. Such sense of giving back to the community has been weakened by employee turnover rate. This reward system is effective since the company helps community directly without dishing out money. In addition, as part of Wal-Mart’s employee compensation program, the company pays or offers some premium for its employees or workers. This program aims to ensure that each employee is access to cheap healthcare despite the rising costs of health care. Wal-Mart uses employee compensation based control mechanisms in allevi ating possible employer and worker opportunism.

Discussion on Peet's coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion on Peet's coffee - Essay Example this matter, proper interest of customers is needed because company can attain its marketing goals with the support of professional persons and effective promotional plans. Cause of trends is different for various conditions because people are living with unpredicted financial and social conditions. Same condition is linked with Peet`s Coffee and Tea product as customers can attain this product after attainment of sensational status in the society. In case of trouble, people are unable to buy this product and this scenario is realizable for all humans without any complexity. So, companies should be careful in this matter and they should use proper marketing sources to gain attraction of people as customer to enhance the financial status. There are two common challenges which are faced in market by those firms which are offering already existing products. First challenge is linked with quality matter as it is basic element to enhance the financial power of any firm in the market. Accordingly, second challenge is linked with price adjustment that should be performed with observance of market and other relevant firms. This scenario is helpful to make Peet`s Coffee and Tea products successful in the market. Cash and capital resources should be used for promotion of firm and this technique is the cause of making financial tasks achievable and winning without any reservation. With these resources, companies can enhance attraction level of consumers and this scenario is supportive to achieve success in financial backgrounds without any intricacy in the communal way of life. Concern of latest technologies is sensitive in the present age because this is related with production of favorable results in the social and commercial surroundings. This is fact that Peet`s Coffee and Tea product can be made fame in the market by the use of efficient technological innovations that are reachable for all humans without any complexity. This scenario is realizable with the instance

Review On The Banc One Finance Essay

Review On The Banc One Finance Essay Banc One was founded in 1863 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The bank has accumulated a total of $76.5 billion assets and produced revenues of $4.3 billion by 1994, being the 8th largest in the country. Banc One can be seen as a three tiered organisation. The first tier controlling five state banks and holding 42 subsidiaries, the second being a regional affiliate group and holding 36 subsidiaries and finally ten non-banking organizations, varying from insurance to data processing. Its parent company employed around 100 workers, of which 12 were working in the Asset and Liability management which is going to be explored in this report. (Kusy et al., 1986) How does Banc One manage its interest rate exposure? In this question it will be necessary to determine how Banc One hedges itself against changes in interest rate levels and what the possible risks it faces from such changes. As a foreword, it has to be understood that if a bank was to be perfectly matched in terms of its assets and liabilities, then any change in the interest rates would have offsetting impacts on both the asset and liability side. Hence the bank would never feel the effect of changing interest rates. However, in a real world situation, especially for a bank this size with its big asset and liability portfolio (assets $76.5 billion), it is quite impossible to be perfectly matched, nevertheless this must be attempted. (Saunders et al., 2006) Prior to 1980, Banc One was seen to be improperly measuring its interest rate exposure by trying to add assets to its investment portfolio until it was felt that the fixed rate investments offset the fixed rate liabilities. As well as to this, they were evading long term investments, in the belief that such prolonged investments will bring pointless risks to its investment portfolio. (Esty et al., 1994) By 1980, when the second oil shock hit hard and volatility exceeded in the market, Banc One finally understood that they have to adhere to the task of measuring their interest rate risk due to some investments bringing losses to the organization. Hence in 1981, they started measuring their maturity gap, which grouped all of its assets and liabilities into categories, adjusted to their repricing-adjusted maturities (amount of time an interest rate remains fixed on a contract). The repricing-adjusted maturities was split (12 months) and a value of assets minus liabilities derived to. This was a key figure for the bank to understand their net interest margin, i.e. interest rate received on assets minus interest paid on liabilities and therefore earnings. This was great for the bank to play around with and to understand how interest rate changes could affect its earnings. However, a problem was faced, which was that this task was far too time consuming, taking a year to produce a single gap management report which by the time of publishing would be out of date already. (Esty et al., 1994) In the same year, Banc One was generating 13% in money market short-medium term investments, 21% in longer-term securities, such as municipal bonds, which had a larger spread due to no tax incurred. As of 1984, Banc One started using asset and liability simulations to improve its prediction for interest rate exposure. By indicating the exact asset and liability portfolios they were able to estimate how interest rate changes would affect their earnings. The procedure was that, firstly, a so called online balance sheet was created that contained the most recent information on its assets and liabilities, for example key features of each contract, the principal amounts, interest rates, maturity dates and amortization of assets and liabilities, as well as historic information. Finally, when the model was complete, they could simulate how an interest rate change would affect its balance sheet and earnings. These predictions were being run monthly and outcomes helped the bank to make changes in its interest rate positions. It was later developed further by introducing an automatic system which would download all of the available loans and deposits on each customer to derive to a better prediction on the banks exposure to interest rates. What role do derivatives play in its interest rate management? Banc One has been seen to start using interest rate swaps from the 1980s. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two counterparties in which one party swaps its fixed payment interest stream with the other party for a floating payment stream that is linked to an interest rate benchmark, usually being the LIBOR. From 1983, Banc one began using interest rate swaps, the procedure was that first they bought municipal bonds and received a 9.5% yield, after which entered into an interest rate swap which paid a fixed rate of 7% (LIBOR) and hence received a net position of LIBOR +2.5%. However, using interest rate swaps has caused some of the financial data to be distorted, for example if the derivatives were included in the balance sheet then their margin would have been 1.31% lower and their return on assets lowered by 0.2%. After they have started using interest rate swaps, it was seen that they would depend more on large short-term borrowings, also the swap positions affected the amount of risk-adjusted capital they held. The impact was also seen on the net interest margin, as well as the return on assets and equity. The bank presented a set of financials and compared these to two twin banks. One, which was exactly the same as Banc One except that it brought its swaps onto the balance sheet by replacing the notional principal of its receive-fixed swaps with investments in fixed-rate securities funded by variable-rate borrowings. This bank would differ in its accounting performance, dependence on large liabilities, and capital levels. First, swaps improved Banc Ones liquidity. They also freed up capital for short term investment which provided cash when needed to repay liabilities such as CD withdraws. Second, the off-balance sheet accounting of swaps increased ROA and ROE. The receive fix rate swaps did not appear as an asset or a liability, but were disclosed in footnotes to the financial statements. Yet gains and losses would still be placed on the income statement. If the bank were to use a traditional hedge, buying a fixed rate bond and selling a floating rate security both would appear on the balance sheet: the net result being to lower traditional profitability measures. Finally, the stress over meeting the minimum capital requirements was deduced as swaps did not use much capital. They started using swaps instead of conventional fixed-rate investments. swaps were attractive investments that lowered the banks exposure to movements in interest rates. Instead of investing in medium-term U.S. Treasury obligations, it could simply enter into a medium-term receive-fixed swap and put its money into short-term floating-rate cash equivalents. Interest rate swap in which it paid a floating rate of interest and received a fixed rate in return this would increase a banks fixed-rate inflows and reduce its periodic floating rate inflows The second would invest in floating-rate loans and investments (instead of fixed-rate investments) and in floating-rate assets financed by floating-rate deposits (instead of swaps). This bank did not manage its interest rate sensitivity. exposure to interest rate risk is determined by simulating the impact of the prospective changes in interest rates in the results of operations. Management seeks to insure that over a one year period, net income will to be impacted by more than 4 percent and 9 percent by a gradual change in market interest rates of 1 percent and 2 percent, respectively. The chief Investment Officer did not understand why everyone was unhappy about swaps which was an investment which lowered the banks exposure to movements in interest rates and in 1993, they held a In 1993, a meeting took place after the $10 drop in Banc Ones stock price. Banc one did not understand why everyone was criticizing their use of derivatives (swaps). Many of the investors and market players did not really understand how to use swaps and thought that this was a risky investment, however Banc One grasped this investment style and was using it very well to their own advantage in their asset and liability management. The bank was faced with three options. First, not to do anything and hope that share price will recover over time as investors would realised that derivatives were helping the bank manage interest rate and basis risk. Second, they could reduce their derivative position. Thirdly, they could attempt to educate investors about the use of derivatives by showing more of their positions. None of these three is what Banc One decided on, what they did was create a financial summary and presented it to the market presented on the next slide. Swaps instead of investing in medium term US treasury obligations it would enter into a medium term receive-fixed swap and put its money into short term floating rate cash equivalents. (this way they improved liquidity with stable principal values; also swaps are off-balance sheet transactions for receive-fixed swap this way banks return on assets would be overstated; also swaps reduce the amount of capital needed to meet regulatory requirements) Why is Banc One liability-sensitive? In the 1980s Banc One was seen to be asset sensitive which was mostly to do with its acquisition scheme, where their acquired portfolio reached more than 75 banks which were all high asset sensitive banks. Asset sensitivity is the name given to a position where the deposit (liability) is fixed, whilst the loan (asset) might be changing. In the 90s, this has changed and the bank seemed to have turned liability-sensitive due to the use of interest rate swaps in which a floating rate was paid and a fixed rate in return was received. These transactions were giving the impression on the balance sheet that the bank was earning a floating rate liability and at the same time investing into a fixed rate asset. Banc One, being a liability sensitive bank, indicates that their loans (assets) are fixed, whilst the deposit (liability) is moving up or down. Therefore only a drop in interest rate will bring a higher net interest margin, as the spread between the fixed deposit and the floating dropped loan would widen, creating more profit for the bank. However if an interest rate rise was to incur, then this would mean that its floating rate payments would alter its financial data by boosting the interest expense, and with interest income staying on the same level this would set Banc One as a liability sensitive bank. Should it be liability-sensitive? Banc One has turned liability-sensitive as it may have been anticipating that the interest rates would drop and thus profit could have been made, as is shown in the liability sensitive bank table in the last column where the interest rate has dropped. However, if their prediction is wrong and the interest rate goes up then they will make a loss, as shown in the same table, column 3 from left. A bank can restructure its position whichever way it wants, if a bank bets that interest rates will go up then it could turn asset sensitive and fix its deposits (liabilities) and use a floating rate for their loans (assets) in order to make profits. For a bank which bets the opposite, a liability sensitive position can be taken by using the same method described as for the asset sensitive, just reversed, such that was taken by Banc One. From the graph shown below (Interest Rate and Spreads) it is now clear why Banc One has become liability-sensitive from its previous position. This is due to the fact that prior to the 90s the bank would fix its deposits, either using the LIBOR 3 month or the 2 year US Treasury, however then it was more preferable to lock the deposits in the 3 month LIBOR as the rate was lower and a more liquid position could have been sustained. However, after the drop in the rates in 1984-1986 and 1989 and thereafter Banc One would have been facing problems if to continue sustaining its position at the fixed deposit level, as the loans were under the deposit level and the bank could not get out of its obligatory 3 month or 2 year position. Therefore it started using swaps, and with undertaking swaps, this has reversed its position to swapping its loans from floating to becoming fixed, as they received a fixed return or with deposits becoming floating, as they paid a floating amount, whichever was m ore preferable. In Banc Ones case it seemed that swapping the fixed deposit, into a floating deposit would be viable as they had to get out of a loss making position, if the market was dropping. Deriving from the above mentioned, Banc One should be liability-sensitive in the case where it is making a loss on its current positions due to changing interest rates and thus utilising a swap, however its original positions undertaken in the beginning (before the interest rate moved out of favour) might be still as of an asset-sensitive bank, therefore it can be said that swaps distort the banks image. (Esty et al., 1994) References Esty B., Tufano P., Headley J., (1994). Banc One Corporation, Asset and Liability Management, Harvard Business School. Saunders A., Cornett M. M, (2006). Financial Institutions Management: A Risk Management Approach, McGraw-Hill. Kusy M.I., Ziemba W. T., (May-June 1986). Operations Research, A Bank Asset and Liability Management Model, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 356-376, Informs. Bitner J. W., Goddard R. A., (1992). Successful bank asset/liability management: a guide to the future beyond gap, John Wiley Sons.

Mica and men review :: essays research papers

Of Mice and Men Review Of mice and men was such a great movie it was shocking that it didn’t receive any Academy Awards. Gary Sinise made a heart effecting very well done adaptation on Steinbeck’s classic novel. It is set in the great depression, where men travel around trying to get any work they can. It is based around two characters George (Gary Sinise) and Lennie (John Malkovich). Both characters care for each other deeply and take care of one another. Lennie has a mental disability but is very strong, whereas George is very intelligent and cunning and he does the thinking for both of them, while Lennie does a lot of the work. Both Lennie and George find themselves working on a ranch during harvest season with a variety of other quaint characters. The foreman of this ranch is named Curley and Curley’s unnamed wife who plays an important role. The life of these two men is held up by a dream of one day owning their own piece of land. Candy(Ray Waltson) is an old cripple and old ranch hand, he finds out about George and Lennie’s plan to buy land he wants to buy into it. Crook's is another character, a black labourer that is left lonely because he is excluded, and Slim who is a labourer who the others tend to look up to. Curley’s wife likes to show off the fact that she’s good looking and in turn, tends to get people into trouble. Sherilyn Finn quite convincingly plays the character of Curley’s wife. Unfortunately Curley’s wife can’t find anyone to pay attention to her leaving her lonely the same way some of the other characters feel. The film has some very strong acting throughout the film. The acting was led by the always wonderful John Malkovich as Lennie.

Difference in Metaphysics Between Aristotle and Kant

What is the central difference between metaphysics as Kant conceives it, and metaphysics as Aristotle conceives it? Argue in support of one or the other view. Metaphysics is usually taken to involve both questions of what is existence and what types of things exist; in order to answer either questions, one will find itself using and investigating the concepts of being.Aristotle  proposed the first of these investigations which he called ‘first philosophy’, also known as ‘the science of being’ however overtime his writings came to be best known as ‘Metaphysics’ in which he studied being qua being with a central theme of how substance may be defined as a category of being. Kant who is a nominalist criticized both Aristotelian and therefore realists’ ideas of metaphysics by suggesting that they seek to go beyond the limits of human knowledge.Furthermore Kant argued that the structure of the world as it is in itself is unreachable to us; me taphysicians must be content to explain the structure of our thinking about that world. In this essay I will examine the two main exponents of such a doctrine in favor of realists by looking at the main differences of Metaphysics as Aristotle and Kant conceive it, which is centered on the all important question of whether metaphysics is a science of mind or of being.There have been disagreements between philosophers about the nature of metaphysics; Aristotle sometimes characterizes the discipline as the attempt to identify the first cause or better referred to as the unmoved mover and other times as the very universal science of being qua being. It is however important to remember that both of these characterizations identify one and the same discipline. On the other hand the empiricists and Kant were critical of both Aristotelian and rationalist ideas of metaphysics, by arguing that both disciplines seek to exceed the limits of human knowledge.Kant argued that the structure of the world as it is in itself is inaccessible to us and that metaphysicians must be content to describe the structure of our thinking about that world. Realists such as Plato and Aristotle maintain that for language to even exist there must be some universal quality to phenomenon. To elaborate, human beings do not discuss each object as a completely independent entity to be analyzed but rather draw comparisons to other known objects to compile a series of properties to categorize it.Nominalists, on the other hand, while not denying that humans group things together by virtue of certain qualities, maintain that this is simply a convention of language based on people's perception of them. Just because two objects share the same perceptible quality does not necessarily warrant grouping them together in any real way; it's simply a human way of making sense of reality through the senses. As soon as one asks the most basic questions of ‘what is Aristotelian Metaphysics? What study does A ristotle believe himself to be undertaking in these essays? you find yourself, baffled immediately. ‘Metaphysics’ is in fact a compilation of a number of Aristotle’s writings that later on editors put together. It has a central theme of an inquiry into how substance may be defined as a category of being. Book Gamma appears to start on characterizing something which Aristotle calls ‘the science of being qua being’ and then goes on to a discussion of the principle of non contradiction. â€Å"There is science which investigates being qua being and the attributes which belong to this in virtue of its own† (Warrington, 1956, P116).In order to study being qua being, one has to simply study those qualities which hold of entities in virtue of the fact that they are entities. What sort of attributes are qualities of entities qua being? Aristotle insists on unity or oneness as such a feature, on the grounds that everything – everything which exis ts is one thing. However Aristotle’s characterization of the subject raises a few doubts: why is there a need to restrict logic to entities? Is the word ‘qua’ appropriate? No doubt each entity is one thing but is it one thing qua being, or insofar as it exists?Although book Epsilon is rather brief, it shows a return to the science of being qua being and also passes some remarks on truth. â€Å"If there any immovable substances, then the science which deals with them must be prior, and it must be primary philosophy† (Loux, 2006, p14). This shows that the immoveable substances are divinities. Book Zeta appears to restrict our subject matter in a rather different way: ‘the question which, both now and in the past, is continually posed and continually puzzled over is this: what is being? That is to say, what is substance? This question defines the nature of Aristotle’s inquiries, at least for a large part of the Metaphysics, and it thus offers a f ourth account of the study or science of metaphysics. â€Å"The science of first principles, the study of being qua being, theology, the investigation into substance – four compatible descriptions of the same discipline? Perhaps there is no one discipline which can be identified as Aristotelian Metaphysics? And perhaps this thought should not disturb us: we need only recall that the metaphysics was composed by Andronicus rather than by Aristotle.But the four descriptions do have at least one thing in common: they are dark and obscure† (Ross, 1996, p174). Books Zeta, Eta and Theta, together form the central part of the Metaphysics, with a focus on their general topic ‘substance’: its classification and relation to matter and forms, to actuality and to potentiality, to change and generation. According to Aristotle, there is one kind of being which is in the strictest and fullest sense, substance. What we don’t see in Metaphysics is Aristotle treating the categories as a whole.The substance is the whole thing, including the qualities, relations etc which form its essence and this can exist apart. Secondary substances being universals, cannot according to Aristotle’s own doctrine exist apart, but must be supplemented by the special qualities of their individual members. Substance is prior in definition; in defining a member of any other category you must include the definition of the underlying substance. Substance is prior for knowledge; we know a thing better when we know what is than when we know what quality, quantity or place it has.In this realist point of view substance is evidently being thought of not as the concrete thing but as the essential nature. And this double meaning spreads through Aristotle’s whole treatment of substance. The existence of substance and the distinction between it and other categories is for Aristotle self-evident. Kant on the other hand seems to suggest that the necessity for metaph ysics is a psychological one, arising out of men’s desires which is the main difference between Aristotle and him; however I would argue against Kant that this is not the case and it is a logical necessity.It arises out of the mere pursuit of knowledge thus that pursuit, which we call science, is an attempt to think in a logical and systematic manner. This involves unraveling the presuppositions of our thoughts. Furthermore it involves discovering that some of them are relative presuppositions which have to be justified and that others are absolute presuppositions, which neither stand in need of justification nor can in fact be justified; and a person who has made this discovery is already a metaphysician.Kant intends to defend metaphysic and scientific knowledge by providing an accurate analysis of human reason. His theory is based on his discovery of synthetic a priori knowledge, judgments that are both informative and necessary. However I would argue against this nominalis t point of you as there’s a problem with explaining how much judgment should arise, as well as to give an explanation of their truth.In other words The Critique of Pure Reason argues that the necessary metaphysical principles underlying all hypothetical knowledge originate in the pure forms of feeling and the intellect. Furthermore In Kant’s point of view, there are no universal concepts underlying reality, simply the phenomenon in front of us. Realists, on the other hand, maintain that all things that share the same property — for example, greenness for all things with the color green — are therefore linked by this property. Sharing this property implies possession of the same universal form.Nominalism posits that what is perceived is what exists in reality, whereas realists view a perceived object as the manifestation of a universal concept. Consequently, perception is not a one-to-one process of seeing something as it actually exists, but a synthesis o f the underlying concept and real phenomena. Kant wrote the Critique of Pure Reason not as a piece of constructive metaphysical thinking, but it was placed before the public in order to move away from errors which had obstructed and did obstruct metaphysical thinking.In his preface, he argued that his view of Metaphysics is concerned with God, freedom and immortality; however as well as dealing with these subjects, it also signified an inquiry to which men could never be indifferent and which they would never renounce thus the question was no longer about whether people should have metaphysics or no metaphysics but whether they should have good metaphysics or bad metaphysics. He also argued that metaphysicians were to blame for this state of things and that a sounder metaphysics was not to be looked for until those errors had been cleared away. Kant’s way of accommodating both the Aristotelian and Newtonian world pictures alike- both natural teleology and natural mechanism is to ground both in the necessary possibility of rational human nature. According to Kant, the natural world is an objectively real material world in which human persons actually do exist, and consequently in which human persons must also be possible† (Hanna, 2006, p15). Kant’s point is that if metaphysical knowledge is possible, it will share some of the distinctiveness of logic.For Kant, any science must be based on necessary principles as one would not be able to be certain of what theories are true if scientific principles were only contingent. However unlike logic, which is purely formal, metaphysics has content because it is the science of reality. For Kant, The Laws of logic are not absolute or universal they are in fact left with everything else knowable as phenomenal. ‘Nominalist is true’ and ‘A and Not A, cannot both be true’ are both true statements but only and only because this is the way our subjective minds structure and condition reality.They can never true in the universal and absolute sense without this phenomenological caution. For Kant these statements are not necessarily true (though it may be) outside of phenomenal experience. There is no question that Kant intends his theory of pure concepts to replace Aristotle’s theory of the categories. In his categories, Aristotle identified ten classes as the fundamental ontological types under which all things fall: substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, posture, state, action and passion.He thought that things falling under all categories could be subject of essential predications, but only substances can keep their identities while undergoing change in time. In general the categories express metaphysical principles that set limits on meaningful discussions. Kant’s idea of categories differentiated from Aristotle’s in the sense that, he argued rather being empirical, in order for the categories to be successful, they must sho w that the concepts are pure and have originated in understanding rather than sensibility.In addition the list must include only fundamental concepts, and it must be systematic to ensure completeness. Kant believes it is possible to obtain a complete list because pure concepts express functions of the understanding, thus the key to a complete list is to assume that the understanding has one function. It can be argued that this method is an improvement over Aristotle’s who merely conducted an empirical survey of concepts, which can never guarantee the systematic completeness of the list. In Aristotle’s case it is unclear whether he saw it as a doctrine about things and their basic properties or about language and its basic predicates; whereas  Kant  quite explicitly used his categories as features of our way of thinking, and so applied them only to things as they appear to us, not as they really or ultimately are† (Barnes, 1995, p75). In conclusion Aristotle a nd Kant’s metaphysics differentiate in the sense that one is arguing in favor of realism and the other is arguing in favor of Nominalism.Although there is no doubt that both ideas have faults, the account I agree the most with is indeed Aristotle’s conception of metaphysics as it focuses on the logical necessity of metaphysics rather than psychological. The main differences between the two accounts can be seen in their treatment of perception, treatment of universals and treatment of language. Bibliography Ackrill, J. L. 1995. Aristotle. London: Routledge. 161 Allison, H. E. 2012. Essays on Kant. Oxford: Oxford University Press Barnes, J. 1995. The Cambridge companion to Aristotle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Buroker, J. V. 2006.Kant’s Critique of pure reason: an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University press. Page 8 Collingwood, R. G, 1966. An essay on Metaphysics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hanna, R. 2006. Kant, Science and Human Nature. O xford University Press: Oxford. Loux, J. 2006. Metaphysics a contemporary introduction. London: Routledge Ross, D. 1996. Aristotle. London: Routledge Shields, C. 2007. Aristotle. London: Routledge Gardner, S. 1999. Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason. London: Routledge Smith, N. K. 2007. Critique of Pure Reason. London: Palgrave Macmillan Warrington, J. 1956. Aristotle’s Metaphysics. London: J. M. Dent & Sons

Ideal Gas vs. Non-Ideal Gas Example Problem

Ideal Gas vs. Non Problem This example problem demonstrates how to calculate the pressure of a gas system using the ideal gas law and the van der Waals equation. It also demonstrates the difference between an ideal gas and a non-ideal gas. Van der Waals EquationProblem Calculate the pressure exerted by 0.3000 mol of helium in a 0.2000 L container at -25  °C usinga. ideal gas lawb. van der Waals equationWhat is the difference between the non-ideal and ideal gases?Given:aHe 0.0341 atm ·L2/mol2bHe 0.0237 L ·mol How to Solve the Problem Part 1: Ideal Gas LawThe ideal gas law is expressed by the formula:PV nRTwhereP pressureV volumen number of moles of gasR ideal gas constant 0.08206 L ·atm/mol ·KT absolute temperatureFind absolute temperatureT  °C 273.15T -25 273.15T 248.15 KFind the pressurePV nRTP nRT/VP (0.3000 mol)(0.08206 L ·atm/mol ·K)(248.15)/0.2000 LPideal 30.55 atmPart 2: Van der Waals EquationVan der Waals equation is expressed by the formulaP a(n/V)2 nRT/(V-nb)whereP pressureV volumen number of moles of gasa attraction between individual gas particlesb average volume of individual gas particlesR ideal gas constant 0.08206 L ·atm/mol ·KT absolute temperatureSolve for pressureP nRT/(V-nb) - a(n/V)2To make the math easier to follow, the equation will be broken into two parts whereP X - YwhereX nRT/(V-nb)Y a(n/V)2X P nRT/(V-nb)X (0.3000 mol)(0.08206 L ·atm/mol ·K)(248.15)/[0.2000 L - (0.3000 mol)(0.0237 L/mol)]X 6.109 L ·atm/(0.2000 L - .007 L)X 6.109 L ·atm/0.19 LX 32.152 atmY a(n/V)2Y 0.0341 atm ·L2/mol2 x [0.3000 mol/0.2000 L]2Y 0.0341 atm ·L2/mol2 x (1.5 mol/L)2Y 0.0341 atm ·L2/mol2 x 2.25 mol2/L2Y 0.077 atmRecombine to find pressureP X - YP 32.152 atm - 0.077 atmPnon-ideal 32.075 atmPart 3 - Find the difference between ideal and non-ideal conditionsPnon-ideal - Pideal 32.152 atm - 30.55 atmPnon-ideal - Pideal 1.602 atmAnswer:The pressure for the ideal gas is 30.55 atm and the pressure for van der Waals equation of the non-ideal gas was 32.152 atm. The non-ideal gas had a greater pressure by 1.602 atm. Ideal vs Non-Ideal Gases An ideal gas is one in which the molecules dont interact with each other and dont take up any space. In an ideal world, collisions between gas molecules are completely elastic. All gases in the real world have molecules with diameters and which interact with each other, so theres always a bit of error involved in using any form of the Ideal Gas Law and van der Waals equation. However, noble gases act much like ideal gases because they dont participate in chemical reactions with other gases. Helium, in particular, acts like an ideal gas because each atom is so tiny. Other gases behave much like ideal gases when they are at low pressures and temperatures. Low pressure means few interactions between gas molecules occur. Low temperature means the gas molecules have less kinetic energy, so they dont move around as much to interact with each other or their container.

Symbiogenesis - An Evolution Definition

Symbiogenesis - An Evolution Definition Symbiogenesis  is an evolution term that relates to the cooperation between species in order to increase their survival. The crux of the theory of natural selection, as laid out by the â€Å"Father of Evolution† Charles Darwin, is competition. Mostly, he focused on competition between individuals of a population within the same species for survival. Those with the most favorable adaptations could compete better for things like food, shelter, and mates with which to reproduce and make the next generation of offspring that would carry those traits in their DNA. Darwinism relies on competition for these sorts of resources in order for natural selection to work. Without competition, all individuals would be able to survive and the favorable adaptations will never be selected for by pressures within the environment. This sort of competition can also be applied to the idea of coevolution of species. The usual example of coevolution typically deals with a predator and prey relationship. As the prey get faster and run away from the predator, natural selection will kick in and select an adaptation that is more favorable to the predator. These adaptations could be the predators becoming faster themselves to keep up with the prey, or maybe the traits that would be more favorable would have to do with the predators becoming stealthier so they can better stalk and ambush their prey. Competition with other individuals of that species for the food will drive the rate of this evolution. However, other evolutionary scientists assert that it is actually cooperation between individuals and not always competition that drives evolution. This hypothesis is known as symbiogenesis. Breaking down the word symbiogenesis into parts gives a clue as to the meaning. The prefix sym means to bring together. Bio of course means life and genesis is to create or to produce. Therefore, we can conclude that symbiogenesis means to bring individuals together in order to create life. This would rely on cooperation of individuals instead of competition to drive natural selection and ultimately the rate of evolution. Perhaps the best known example of symbiogenesis is the similarly named Endosymbiotic Theory popularized by evolutionary scientist Lynn Margulis. This explanation of how eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotic cells is the currently accepted theory in science. Instead of competition, various prokaryotic organisms worked together to create a more stable life for all involved. A larger prokaryote engulfed smaller prokaryotes that became what we now know as various important organelles within a eukaryotic cell. Prokaryotes similar to cyanobacteria became the chloroplast in photosynthetic organisms and other prokaryotes would go on to become mitochondria where ATP energy is produced in the eukaryotic cell. This cooperation drove the evolution of eukaryotes through cooperation and not competition. It is most likely a combination of both competition and cooperation that fully drive the rate of evolution through natural selection. While some species, such as humans, can cooperate to make life easier for the entire species so it can thrive and survive, others, such as different types of non-colonial bacteria, go it on their own and only compete with other individuals for survival. Social evolution plays a large part in deciding whether or not cooperation will work for a group which would in turn reduce the competition between individuals. However, species will continue to change over time via natural selection no matter if it is through cooperation or competition. Understanding why different individuals within species choose one or the other as their primary way of operating may help deepen the knowledge of evolution and how it occurs over long periods of time.

History of Iraq research paper proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of Iraq research paper proposal - Essay Example The federal government of Iraq defined as an Islamic democratic federal parliamentary republic. It is composed of the executive, legislative and judicial branches plus numerous independent commissions. The legislative composed of the council of representatives, the executive branch composed of the president, prime minister, and the council of ministers. The judiciary is composed of the higher judicial council, the Supreme Court, the court of cassation, the public prosecution department and judiciary oversight commission. Iraq was under the rule of native empires, Assyrian, Babylonian, Akkadian, Sumerian and foreign empires such as Median, Achaemenid, Persian and Sassanian empires. In the 16th century, Iraq fell under the Ottoman rule, which intermittently fell under Iranian Safavid and Mamluk control. After the fall of Saddam Hussein 10 years later, the country is full of lawlessness, autocracy, daily deaths and havoc. The country has rapidly declined economically unlike in the 1970s whereby it was named as the country of positive success, despite destructive groups among them. By marrying the infant of an uncle or a mothers sister, a husband and wife are of the same clan and their property. Their unity and their strength further strengthens the clan they are both from. The most basic and vital tribal structure is an extended family3. The Islamic political state of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a Sunni extremist, jihadist rebel group controlling territory in Iraq and Syria. This situation is a clear proof of Islamic dominance in Iraq. It is also shown by the use of the Sharia law in the country4. From 1980, the external relations of Iraq were influenced by the Saddam Hussein government. Iraq had good relations with the Soviet Union, France, and Germany, who provided advanced weapons systems. In 2003, the US and its allies invaded Iraq causing insurgency that deepened ethnic, tribal and sectarian divisions in

Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Terms - Essay Example For example Cool Sweats can refute the allegation by showing that George violated the company rules by charging personal expenses on the company credit card (Steingold, 2015). Accusation - It is closer to an allegation. An accusation is where one employee is said to have committed an atrocity again his company or fellow employee. It is closer to certainty even though just like an allegation, it requires verification. Ambiguity – It points not presented logically to necessitate understanding. A report by an employee may be ambiguous to mean that it does not clearly state or explain its intentions. Ambiguous laws often let the criminals off the hook. The burden of proof – It is the commitment to substantiate claims made in the court of law or employment disciplinary hearing. The accuser or accused is required to convince the panel of judges. In most cases, the person bringing forth the accusation has to prove by way of evidence that they are true, and the other party is guilty. The opportunity to present facts is the burden of proof. Coercion – It is the use of unethical means to find or receive what an individual wants. It is the convincing of one individual to issue information or material that was not intended. It is in intended to gain

Informative Speech about Apple Watch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informative Speech about Apple Watch - Essay Example Apple watch work like the iPhone, it allows one communicate and connect with other people with apple watches. This watch is the best companion for people who need large print options, mono audio, and speech output among other accessibility options. Apple watch is Quadrangular in shape with curved edges. The apple watch is worn on the left wrist. The left edge has a speaker slot and across the â€Å"friends† button, the microphone slit can be seen. At the right edge, the top has a round digital crown while at the bottom an oval sided â€Å"friends† button. The top face contains a touch screen with a screen editing feature at the curved sides. The back face has a magnetic charger and sensor devices. Pin holes (two) on each side to allow detachment of bands by simply pressing on them. The apple watch is smooth and fans to wear on the wrist. It looks more of a piece of glass. The Digital interface is easy to operate, by reading the documentation one can easily set it up. Most actions are accomplished by either turning or pressing. The â€Å"friends† button is operated by pressing. Connecting the magnetic charger of other Company watches is complicated than the Apple watch. By the help of the magnet, the connection can be corrected by being moved to the required position, the sunken edge at the side helps one identify the correct charging area. The touch screen is sapphire-glass protected and has resolution features with colorful exploration making it a fashionable piece to wear while the features enable the use of gestures to communicate. I direct my talk into Apple and sport watch dimensions. The apple watch sport is much lighter and the best for outdoor. It has leather loop band and a rubber band to hold tight but smooth without causing possible injuries to your wrist during a walk out, in athletics or even in the gym. The sizes vary, 38 millimeters and 42 millimeters and one can choose what he/she feels attracted. The

Using Social Networking Websites for Social Media Marketing in Fashion Industry Essay Example for Free

Using Social Networking Websites for Social Media Marketing in Fashion Industry Essay Social media is â€Å"the media that is published, created and shared by individuals on the internet, such as blogs, images, video and more† (Strokes, p. 350), as well as â€Å"online tools and platforms that allow internet users to collaborate on content, share insights and experiences, and connect for business or pleasure†. (Strauss Frost, p. 326). The term social media marketing describes the usage of blogs, online communities or social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook for marketing, sales, customer service and public relation in order to engage online communities for the purpose of generating the exposure, opportunities and sales. Social media marketing is a process where interest and excitement is generated in a service or a product through various online social outlets. Fashion industry is one of those areas which fly under the radar of a lot of social media marketers. Social media marketing in the fashion industry is a marketing style which allows brand to connect with their target audience through online outlets such as Facebook, Youtube, Blogger, Twitter,etc. The number of fashion insiders accepting social media has skyrocketed. Companies get to capture a larger target audience by becoming a part of the social media network. Since internet has become such an inexpensive and easily accessible tool, it has become an ideal platform to gain the loyalty and build consumer trust. It is the practice of expanding the number of one’s business and social connects by making connections through individuals online. The online promotions and discounts offered by a brand helps them to create customers and have them choose one brand over another. These online incentives also increase brand competition which in turn urges these brands to optimize their social media presence. From a brand’s perspective, fashion is an experience with very specific feelings and emotions they hope to create for the wearer. The idea of going social frightens quite many brands because they are not very sure as to how to translate these feelings online. Although many brands believe that this might weaken their relationship with the customers but it has proved to be a very healthy and genuine interaction between brand and client. The majority of the industry thought this would tarnish brand image, but American Apparel, TopShop and emerging independent designers were early adopters of social marketing. Once they started reporting positive results, other brands followed. Now almost every brand from Louis Vuitton to Victoria’s Secret have created a presence in several social communities, the most notable being Facebook. â€Å"Customers can feel like they are part of the brand’s extended family, and therefore the brand itself, while the interactive element further deepens that relationship,† said Alex Bolen, chief executive officer of Oscar de la Renta. The emergence of communities like social networks, forums, wikis and blogs made the brands aware that they need to participate and create dialogues with people online. The apparel industry being a product and service-based industry largely depends on the consumer needs and acceptance for growth, and therefore the customer is of prime importance. A one to one communication with the client, which is generally not achievable for retail organizations, can be increased as this medium can enable easy feedback, brands loyalty and personal attachment with the product. By implementing interactive strategies, video messages and blog contents every business type can interact and create a network of people interested in the services offered. While retailers and brands are still battling with social media to measure its marketing value, they have used Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social communities to develop digital marketing strategies to enhance online sales and increase retail store traffic. Gucci is doing it. Social Media Platforms There are various components of social media marketing solutions. These options also help in creating awareness and connecting with the user base. Social Media Marketing Platforms: 1. Blogs are a great traffic source. Popularly employed by businesses, it is a very effective method of marketing the services being offered by the firm. They allow companies to give a detailed description of their products and services. The description may include anything from its use to its justifications to links to other pages. 2. Applications, fan pages, groups and communities etc are great platforms for promoting the business and interacting with consumer groups. Facebook or Twitter for example give companies a chance to promote their services in an individual manner by the help of a separate page. They allow the brand to put up videos, images, detailed descriptions,etc. 3. Many businesses have made hay using online video sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Banking on the fact that e-commerce is scaling new heights, in the present time, substantial business with the buyer is done through the net. Keeping this in mind, a high-fashion garment exporter for instance can build a business page on facebook for his company. Catering to the fact that today even the buyers are active users of such sites, one can create a focused buyer group and though the page, can market his products to all potential buyers at the same time. This makes business easier, accessible to people worldwide and reduces travel time. Simultaneously by creating a Linkedin profile, the employer and all the employees can promote themselves making the company more reachable and in turn more sensitive to the needs and concerns of the industry. The designers can blog about the new trends and styles spreading a positive energy of fashion around the business, which will eventually mark a professional impression for the organization at large. Alternatively, one can use social media to simply spread awareness and exporter can create a buzz about what are they doing and what they wish to do in future.

Counseling And School Counselor Roles

Counseling And School Counselor Roles This literature review is divided into six subjects which started with the historical overview of counseling and school counselor roles, then followed by the American School Counselor Association National Model, ASCA National Model and Education Trust, self-efficacy, self-efficacy theory, and lastly research on school counseling and school counselor self-efficacy Historical Overview of Counseling and School Counselor Roles Within the educational framework, counseling and guidance are relative novel concepts, having developed in early 1900s with vocational guidance as its origins (Lambie Williamson, 2004). Instituted in 1915, the Department of Vocational Guidance was considered an education entity in the public schools of Boston. In connection, certification of school counselors also began in this same year (Smith, 1951). Pioneering efforts in the field of school vocational counseling were done by Frank Parsons (Nugent, 1994; OBrien, 2001). Parsons motivated career counselors to work towards social justice and social change prompting the youth to explore careers (OBrien, 2001). This same time period also coincided with Parsons work on vocational counseling which Adolf Mayer coined as mental hygiene which became the thrust of school guidance counseling. Smith (1951) described mental hygiene as the process school counselors were trained to better understand and work with individuals in coping with day to day stressors. Following the death of Parsons comes the emergence of vocational guidance; however, guidance in schools disappeared by the early 1930s (Nugent, 1994). By the later part of the 1930s, EG Williamson developed trait-factor theory of vocational and educational guidance along with the reappearance of guidance and counseling, and the 1940s saw the publication of the research of Carl Rogers (Gysbers Henderson, 1997; Gysbers Henderson, 2001; Lambie, 2004; Nugent, 1994). Since the time that school guidance and counseling emerged professionally during the 1940s, there were already efforts to have a clear definition and develop the standards set for school counselors (Gysbers Henderson, 1997; Nugent, 1994). The National Defense Education Act (NDEA), which took effect in 1958, rapidly affected school guidance and counseling through training and funding of individuals who are desirous in becoming school counselors. The advancement of school counseling as profession only began in the 1960s with the emergence of developmental guidance, the terminology utilized in describing how programs in school guidance and counseling needed to be developed (Gysbers, 2004). Ten years after the movement towards developmental guidance comes the movement for accountability (Gysbers Henderson, 1997; Lambie Williamson, 2004). During the 1980s, school guidance have become more integrated into schools slowly becoming a unique field of specialization then a foundation of education from the point of view of guidance-as-education and classroom teachers as teacher counselors (Gysbers Henderson, 1994, p. 11-12). As stated by Myrick (1997), there were numerous instances that the terms guidance and counseling are constantly interchanged in describing the roles and functions of a professional school counselor adding confusion between their roles and functions. Myrick (1997) clarified that guidance are program-based initiatives while counseling is founded on counselor-counselee relationship and provides a supportive net against anxieties and concerns. In the history of education, the school counselors role has evolved with each passing decade. During the first few decades of the 20th century, the focus of school counselors is the provision of academic placement, assessment and vocational guidance to students. Towards the middle, school counselors are responsible for providing social and personal counseling services at the same time support holistic student development. The recent years has seen the integration of student academic program coordination, teacher-parent consultation and special education services (Gysbers Henderson, 2002) into the responsibilities of a school counselor. Over the years, these changes in a school counselors role have resulted in ambiguity and confusion in practice. Development of this role evolution started with service-oriented traditional school counselors who assist students with their class schedules, employment preparation and college admission guidance to more contemporary data-driven role. In di scharging their contemporary role, school counselors made use of professional national standards so that student outcome competencies would be obtained, work in collaboration with teachers in the preparation of lesson plans and present and model teaching strategies that promote student success. Instead of school counselors taking control over how they define their roles, it is the local district level school administrators. As a matter of fact, Sears and Coy (1991) stated, School counselors appear to be reluctant or unable to convince principals that they should perform the duties for which they have been trained (p. 3). Roles of school counselors defined by school administrators include non-guidance-related activities like clerical staff members, detention room supervisors, testing coordinators, and master schedule builders. Moreover, school counselors likewise defined the responsibility of school counselors as the personnel providing students individual counseling services on both college and academic placement and a family liaison. While school counselors do not hold to these perspectives, conflict results in defining school counselor roles. Lambie and Williamson (2004) explained that role ambiguity likely occurs when the individual does not have sufficient information about his or her role at work, lacks clarify about his or her work objectives, and lacks understanding on how their work peers expect of them with their job responsibilities. The study of Burnham and Jackson (2000) compared the actual and prescribed responsibilities of school counselors. Very often, school counselors spend most of their time in bus duties, keeping records, attendance records, testing coordination, and multiple clerical tasks. School counselors are yet to come up with a concrete definition of what their roles are and how they will apply these roles to their jobs. The constant question has always been What do school counselors do?. To remove role ambiguity, it is necessary for school counselors to be provided with process data that describe practice and effectiveness. Gysbers and Henderson (1997) said, the purpose of evaluation is to provide data to make decisions about the structure and impact of the program as well as the professional personnel involved (p. 263). Research provides support for the implementation of counseling interventions in curriculum, counseling, coordination and consultation (Scarborough, 2005). Through available counseling task information, student success is promoted by school counselors in achieving the competencies described in the National Model for School Counseling Programs of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2003). The American School Counselor Association (2002) supports the roles and standards of school counselor practice and describes that school counselors are involved in systematic, development, and preventive methods of counseling. As insiders in the educational system, school counselors are advocates of families, students and teachers in enhancing the psychosocial, academic, and employment-related well being. The ever-changing formation of professional school counselors is described in 2004 by the American School Counselor Association in the following literature: Professional school counselors are certified/licensed professionals with a masters degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent. Professional school counselors deliver a comprehensive school counseling program encouraging all studentsacademic, career and personal/social development and help all students in maximizing student achievement (p. 23). The American School Counselor Association National Model The American School Counselors Association in 2005 enumerated the standards for appropriateness in school counselor activities. Generally speaking, ASCA has greatly specified how counselors should be utilizing their time in school based on Gysbers and Hendersons model of distribution of school counselor time (ASCA, 2003; Gysbers Henderson, 2006). Enumerated are activities considered to be appropriate as follows: planning of individual academic program, interpretation of scores obtained from achievement, aptitude, and cognitive tests, counseling students who are always absent, tardy or having discipline problems, counseling on appropriate school attire, collaborating with teachers in the presentation of guidance curriculum lessons, analysis of grade-point average in association with student achievement, interpretation of student records, provision of suggestions and recommendations to teachers on how to better manage study halls, ascertaining the maintenance of student records in adh erence to both state and federal regulations, working closely with students in providing counseling services for both small and large groups, and supporting students in their individual education plan meetings and student performance. On the other hand, the following activities are inappropriate according to ASCA: scheduling and registration of new students, coordination or administration of achievement, aptitude, and cognitive tests, signing of excuse slips for absent or tardy students, implementation of disciplinary measures, sending home students who violated school dress code, holding classes when the teacher is absent, computation of grade-point averages, maintenance of student records, supervision of study halls, clerical record keeping, assistance in the duties of the principal, working with one student at a time in a clinical, therapeutic setting, preparing individual student education plans, teams for student study, and school review boards, and entry of data. As earlier mentioned in the historical background, the role of school counselor is somewhat blurred because of the lack of clarity of what is proper and expected of the position (Huffman et al. (1993). Myrick (2005) asserted, history shows that unless the role of the school counselor is clearly established, the whims of the times can threaten the very existence of counselor positions (p. 6). Hatch (2002) pointed out that despite the listing of inappropriate activities by the ASCA, school counselors feel a great amount of frustration on their actual function and role. One respondent in the study mentioned that her daily school tasks as school counselor are those that are not related to counseling that she finds it difficult to change her role since she has become an expert in these tasks and showed concern over who would likely take over her position after her tenure. Dahir and Stone (2007) emphasized that it is the ASCA National Model that contemporized the expectations of 21st century centers of education with reference to how they will be founded, managed and how services will be delivered to their stakeholders along with accountability. The model provided the mechanism wherein school counselors and their teams can help in designing, coordinating, implementing, managing and evaluating their programs geared towards academic achievement. When the four components of the program starting with foundation, management, delivery system and accountability are integrated with skills in data usage, teaming, collaboration, leadership and advocacy along with the art and science of counseling, the school program of the 21st century is created. The ASCA National Model (2005) provided for a counseling program that is comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, and developmental in nature (p. 13). By comprehensive, ASCA meant that the counseling in school should be able to tackle healthy social/personal, career, and academic development of students from grades pre-K to 12. Preventive measures aim at proactively fostering adaptive skills and disseminating vital information through a curriculum in classroom guidance. Lastly, counseling in school should also be developmental as it is sensitive to the needs unique the student population being served a delivers programming that meets competencies and content standards specific to the age group of students. These competencies and content standards are summarized in the ASCA National Standards. These national standards provide the framework in the design of school counseling programs. Likewise the ASCA model listed down standards in the content of classroom discussion specific to age presenting what students ought to know and do after completion of the school counseling program and provide learning objectives designed to help students reach their highest potential. There are nine ASCA National Standards subdivided to three domains namely: academic, career, and personal/social development. Under academic are the standards that students should be able to: (1) acquire attitudes, knowledge and skills that impact effective school learning and in his or her lifetime, (2) complete school equipped with the necessary academic preparation in choosing from a variety of post-secondary school options which covers college, (3) understand the association between the workplace and home and community life. For career development, ASCA listed another set of standards: (1) acquire skills of investigating the workplace and relate these skills to the self so that informed decisions on career would be derived; (2) utilize the strategies in achieving career goals in the future successfully and satisfactorily; and (3) correlate personal characteristics and qualities, training, education, and the workplace. In the domain, personal/social development, the standards are the following: (1) acquire the knowledge base, attitudes, as well as interpersonal skills in respecting and understanding the self and others; (2) decide, set personal goals, and act upon those goals; and (3) understand survival and safety skills. A frequent way school counselors address the national standards defined by ASCA and emulate the national model in their schools is the adoption of guidance programs that are comprehensive and developmental in nature (Galassi Akos, 2007). Though these counseling programs are described to be efficacious by several authors like Lapan, Gysbers, and Petroski (2001), Lapan, Gysbers, and Sun (1997) and Sink and Stroh (2003), there is no outline constituting these programs. The ASCA National Model and National Standards set the direction in program structuring but the specific details and components of the program are left to the discretion of the school counselors. The ASCA National Model and the Education Trust The Education Trust, in coordination with the DeWitt Wallace Readers Digest Fund, provided support for a group of counselor educators and school counselors to reorganize school counseling training and practice. One aim of the DeWitt Wallace-Readers Digest Fund is the promotion of significant achievements on educational quality and career development among the youth. In addition, the funding is aimed at increasing access of disadvantaged communities to improved educational and social services (DeVoss Minnie, 2006). Areas of interest cover improvement of services delivered to individuals in the elementary and secondary levels as well as community-based organizations through the collaborative efforts of the school and the community. The contemporary role of this initiative defined school counseling as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a profession that focuses onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦reducing the effect of environmental and institutional barriers that impede student academic success. The profession fosters cond itions that ensure educational equity, access, and academic success for all students k-12 (Education Trust, http://www.edtrust.org). The Trust also solicits proposals that develop new training models in training school counselors from refurbishing the criteria in selecting candidates eligible for counselor education programs to the revision of the content in the curriculum, professional development, and field experience. It is crucial that education departments in states make sure that training programs are abreast with present changes and demands in society (ASCA, 2003; Education Trust 1999). The changes are now referred to as New Vision Counselor (DeVoss Minnie, 2006; Education Trust). In 2003, the Education Trust began with the movement transforming school counselors role from merely providing services to one that is more oriented towards student achievement and learning. During the same year, Reese House, the director of the National Center for Transforming School Counseling explained, This new Center will arm practicing school counselors with the data and knowledge to lead schools efforts to raise achievement of all students and close the gap between groups once and for all (Paragraph 6). When the teachers were surveyed by Clark and Amatea (2004), they had definite ideas regarding the services they wanted their school counselors to discharge. It was likewise noted that the school counselor is a valuable and significant player and resource not only to the student body but to the faculty force as well by giving support in their instructional endeavors. The teachers believed that the role of the counselor is the provision of direct services to students through the conduct of classroom guidance and individual student counseling. When their recommendations were asked, the students and teachers said they need additional school counselors so that the programs of the school counselors would be better communicated to the student body. Dahir (2004) mentioned that school counselors are continuously working toward adequately defining their roles and establishing program standards in the delivery of counseling services. In1990, Ginter and Scalise found that teachers classified the roles of elementary school counselors into two dimensions: first is the helper role and the second is the consultant role. In the former, the school counselor provides counseling for individual students, guidance for classroom and resolving concerns affecting students while the latter requires his or her professional expertise and guidance in helping teachers implement strategies that impact curriculum planning, classroom assessment, and student behavior. According to Stone and Clark (2001) and Ponec and Brock (2000), principals regarded school counselors as integral to the school system as they are collaborators and values formation advocates resulting in a more holistic academic school program. Beale (2003) expressed the need for school counselors as they aid principals in fulfilling their primary responsibility of helping their students achieve their full potential. So that this is achieved, counselors must directly serve the interest of students by working with small groups in counseling and in-service coordination with teachers at the same time, collaborating with the school and the community (Beale, 2003; Beman, 2000). Both principals and counselors shared the belief that if there is mutual respect and understanding towards the role of the counselor, the school counselor would be most effective. However, school counselors must continuously educate principals and teachers regarding their role as well as tasks which are appropriate and inappropriate for them (Beale, 2003; Perusse, Goodnough, Donegan, Jones, 2004; Ponec Brock, 2000). Numerous times has the school principals job involve the selection of a guidance counselor and it has also been the principals assignment to define and delineate the level in which the school counselor dictates the type of counseling program that will be implemented (Beale, 1995; Dahir, 2000). Though principals did not include specific administrative tasks in the manner with which they perceive the school counselors role, they have for numerous occasions regarded there is an overlap between the duties of a principal and a school counselor. These included coordination of the master schedule, teaching the class where a teacher was absent and acting as assistant to the principal in some instances (Fullwood, 2004). Myers (2003) described the presence of role confusion among school counselors since its foundation and has been compounded many times by school principals who misunderstood the role and function inherent of a school counselor. As stated by Stone and Clark (2001), school counselors occupy a distinct position of exerting their unique leadership style and take part in the leadership team that work in collaboration with the principal in driving a collective vision of student achievement and success. School counselors and principals can act as powerful allies in school r eform focusing on helping students access and be successful in more rigorous academic standards (Stone Clark, 2001, p. 46). All are in agreement with the observation that how the school counselor perceived his or her role in school is not in sync with his or her actual role; therefore much needed work has to be done for the school counselor to function in consonance with the professions guidelines (Myers, 2003). Feller et al (1992) expressed that although ambiguity is evident in the school counselors role, they stated: While it is unwise to assume that there is one right role for school counselors, it is clear that a stronger relationship between the tasks of the school counselor and the educational priorities of the nation will support the continuing evolution of the profession(p. 46) The American School Counseling Association and Education Trust advocated the enactment of comprehensive and consistent standards for school counselor training and teamwork among stakeholders in education consisting of leaders in the community, parents, school administrators, teachers, school counselors, and the departments of education together with university training programs and professional organizations (Dahir, 2004; Galassi Akos, 2004). For instance, some investigators revealed the need of counselors playing the role as consultants and advisors in leadership (Colbert et al., 2006; Amatea Clark, 2005; Martin et al., 2003). On top of universities the priorities seemed to be promoting professional accountability among school counselors and equip them with the required skills in support of each other while simultaneously encourage academic achievement among students in their school (DeVoss Minnie, 2006). Baker (2000) summarized these priorities of Education Trust and advised that for a university training program to be more viable, experts should trace back to the grass roots emphasizing on the following: (1) development and promotion of models specifically on collaborative training models tailor fitted to school counselors so they can better prepare in their function in the multidisciplinary team; (2) education on the significance of school counseling to the community and school personnel; (3) assessment of specific needs of the school or district; (4) development and implementation of programs addressing these concerns; and (5) conduct of regular and periodic assessments basing on the feedback of community partners, school personnel, students and parents to fine tune services offered. These are lofty yet essential goals. Literature has shown that school counselors should possess leadership skills in the school scenario and follow the standards set by the state and federal goverment . Universities and several boards of education have placed the New Vision school agenda as their first priority (Education Trust, 1999). Conversely, counselor educators should keep in mind that the greatest resources in a school rests in the efforts currently employed by the school counselors (Loesch Ritchie, 2004). Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy denotes to peoples beliefs about their capability to exercise control over their own level of functioning and over events that affect their lives (Bandura, 1991, p. 257). Belief of individuals regarding their self-efficacy is considered to be the result of deliberating, synthesizing and assessing information regarding individual capabilities, and consequently regulate choices and the total effort applied on a specific task (Gist, 1987). A persons judgment on his or her self-efficacy differs across time as he or she is exposed to new experiences and information (Gist, 1992). Therefore, the concept of self-efficacy is dynamic. Beliefs on individual self-efficacy are correlated with the conditions of specific tasks though it will be noticed later that there individual could generate generalizations on these beliefs in related tasks on the basis of the persons sense of efficaciousness in general (Bandura, 1991). Gist (1987) identified the three domains of self-efficacy: generality, strength, and magnitude. Generality is the level in which a self-efficacy belief applies in a variety of tasks; strength is the conviction that a specific task performance level is achievable; and magnitude is the extent of difficulty in a task that a person can accomplish. Of these three, generality is not measurable. Naturally, when an individual is asked what they feel towards the attainability of various task performance levels, he or she can answer it by a yes or no and when inquire about whether he or she is confident in reaching a certain degree of performance by assigning a number to it on a scale of 1 to 100. Thus, determination of magnitude is the aggregated sum of yes responses while strength is aggregated responses on confidence. Wood, Bandura, and Bailey (1990) described the four primary sources of self efficacy judgments and each is particularly significant when applied in work environments in an organization. The first source referred to as enactive mastery experiences implies that self-efficacy judgments become strengthened resulting from the accomplishment of tasks. According to the triadic reciprocal causation model, there is association between enactive mastery experiences and impact of behavior on individual perception of self-efficacy. The implication is that when there is a higher resilience in the persons sense of self-efficacy, it signifies that the person has overcome obstacles by being perseverant. This experience provides assertion of the individuals capabilities allowing the person to tolerate failures and setbacks without losing his or her confidence. Quick successes are the result of expecting short-term results which lead to fast discouragement when failure comes. It will be observed that w hen self-efficacy beliefs are strengthened or weakened by their experiences, it will have a major effect on their work especially with success or the lack of it in a person in his or her present position and conditions in the task which may be modulated and adjusted to facilitate success. Vicarious modeling or experience is the second source of beliefs pertaining to self-efficacy (Gist, 1987) and is mainly influenced by environmental factors. Modeling is the process of observing another person or the model who is performing a specific task. If a model is successful in his or her efforts, he or she is able to effectively convey to the observer plausible task strategies providing the basis for comparing and judging their individual abilities, and encourage the observer in believing on him/herself that with persistent efforts, in spite of setbacks, the task is accomplished successful. The effect of modeling is linked to the likeness of both model and observer in terms of age and capabi lity. Emulating models is a powerful desire. Modeling first started during childhood when the child tries to imitate significant others like parents or older siblings. In an organizational setting, the desire to model immediate supervisors or superior performers is likely strong in some. Definitely, when roles are taken in and previously observed behavior, these illustrate social learning (Vecchio Appelbaum, 1995). The impact of vicarious modeling or experience in an organization has repercussions in both daily uninhibited situations when a person examines another performing a similar task as part of normal routine work and with reference to training activities using modeling as a method of learning. Social or verbal persuasion though less efficacious than enactive modeling or mastery is regarded a significant source of self-efficacy judgments. The aim of verbal persuasion is communicate to the individual confronted with the activity of using his or her capability to succeed in the task at hand and not set high and unrealistic expectations which negatively affect the person if the task is a failure. Social persuasion is used widely on an ad hoc basis as if one is encouraging another; however, utilization of the form of persuasion would be strategic in a skill development context because it promotes higher task-directedness in the effort and this is useful during the initial phases of skill development. Another source is the physiological state perceived by the person. When the individual is in a state of fear, anxiety or tension, he or she may judge him/herself to be less competent in accomplishing a specific task. Pain or fatigue will adversely affect the individuals perception of his or her self-efficacy especially in tasks requiring physical strength (Wood Bandura, 1985). Efforts of improving either the psychological or the physical state of the individual by means of stress reduction interventions can potentially enhance self-efficacy judgments. Self-efficacy Theory The self-efficacy concept lies at the heart of the social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura. His theory highlights the role of reciprocal determinism, social experience, and observational learning in personality development. The theory defined the self-system is an individuals cognitive skills, abilities, and attitudes and it is said that this system plays a significant role in perceiving situations and behaving in response to various situations. An important element in the self-system is self-efficacy. Bandura (1995) defined self-efficacy as the belief in ones capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations (p. 2). This means that self-efficacy is the belief of the individual regarding his or her capability to successfully accomplish a specific task. Bandura believes that self-efficacy determines the thinking, behavior, and feelings of people. Since the publication of Banduras seminal work entitled, Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change, self-efficacy has ever since the talk of psychologists the world over. Why is self-efficacy considered an important subject matter in education and psychology? Bandura and other investigators have established that self-efficacy affect state of mind to behavior and motivation. School Counseling Research and School Counselor Self-Efficacy Young (2004) described the perceptions of the leadership of school counselors and the practices of a large university in midwestern US. The specific objective of this study is to answer how participation in The Ohio State University Transforming School Counseling Initiative (OSUTSCI) program affected the leadership perceptions of graduates in the said university. Qualitative approaches were employed in the collection and analysis of data. A purposive nonprobability sampling procedure was done where 19 graduates of the program were considered. The sources of data were field notes, structured individual interviews and focus group discussion. The team of researchers who were experts in analyzing qualitative data using the grounded theory gathered the data. There were four major and multiple sub-themes that emerged and indicated that program participation led to leadership practices and perceptions that positively change the servi