Sandro Botticelli The Renaissance Artist Essay - 1118 Words

Sandro Botticelli, born Alessandro Mariano Filipepi, was the son of a tanner. He was born in Florence around 1445 and showed a talent for painting at a very early age. Botticelli was first apprenticed under a goldsmith named Sandro, from whom it is believed he derived his nickname. At the age of sixteen, he served an apprenticeship with the painter Fra Filippo Lippi (Durant, 1953). From Lippi he learned to create the effect of transparency, to draw outlines, and to give his pictures fluidity and harmony. He also worked with painter and engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo, from whom he gained his sense of line. By 1470, Botticelli had his own workshop and had developed a highly personal style characterized by elegant execution, a sense of†¦show more content†¦Botticelli was influenced less by exciting scientific rules for drawing than by the thinking of humanists such as Ficino and the religious fervor that swept through Florence when the French invaded Italy. Botticelli’s brilliant drawings did not contain the grace and charm as those of Ficino, but were definite and strong. His paintings are not so much illustrations of his subjects as they are the subjects themselves (Magill, 1989). It is as though the apprehension of eternal beauty and perfection were itself a matter composed of his rhythmical lines, soothing colors, and elongated shapes. Botticelli’s allegorical paintings, including â€Å"Primavera† and â€Å"The Birth of Venus,† are his most successful and best-known works. These paintings are largely undocumented but can be dated in the late 1470s. Their exact meaning, as well as the circumstances surrounding their commissioning, is still uncertain. Precise identification of the figures is frustrated by the fact that Botticelli’s female types rarely change. This observation has lead critics to believe that the allegories were partially intended as exemplars. In the 1490s, Botticelli experienced a religious crisis. Around the year 1498, Florence was troubled by the violent words of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who spoke against anything that wasShow MoreRelatedEssay on Ancient Greek and Roman Art Styles in the Renaissance615 Words   |  3 Pages The â€Å"Renaissance† was an important time following the Middle Ages. Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman art styles and ideas were revived during this period of time. Extravagant and detailed paintings were commissioned and featured mythological creatures from Greek and Roman culture. It was similar to an artistic revolution. One of the most famous painters from this period was Sandro Botticelli. Known for his detail included in his paintings, Botticelli went on to create paintings for influential figuresRead MoreArt Appreciation : Sandro Botticelli1393 Words   |  6 PagesKaitlyn Cooper Artist Paper Art Appreciation 14 November 2016 Sandro Botticelli In 1445, Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi Botticelli, was born in Florence, Italy (Sandro Botticelli Biography | artble.com, n.d.). When first reading the lengthy name, most may dismiss the artist as unrecognizable. However, the name the artist is most commonly referred to as is Sandro Botticelli. There are very limited facts about Botticelli and his personal life, although it is rumored that Botticelli had an attractionRead More Sandro Boticelli Essay1017 Words   |  5 PagesSandro Boticelli Sandro Botticelli, (1445-1510) was a famous Renaissance arit. His real name was Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi; his nickname came from Botticello (little barrel), which was either the nickname of his older brother or the name of the goldsmith who first taught him. Botticelli was born in Florence to the tanner Marianno di Vanni and his wife in a small place called Smeralda which is now Borgo Ognissanti No. 28 in Florence. He was one of eight children born to his parents,Read MoreThe Essential Nature Of Art1440 Words   |  6 Pagesbeautiful, and valid. It expresses the emotions that the artists feel, and it provides decoration through his medium. During the Renaissance, wealthy families would contract artists to create works of art as a financial investment and also as a way to flaunt their wealth. Today, wealthy families purchase works of art in a similar manner; as a financial investment and as a way to show off their wealth. The difference between the Renaissance era and today is that the medium has changed. Although artRead MoreThe Birth Of Venus By Alessandro Di Mariano Filipepi1131 Words   |  5 PagesAlessandro Di Mariano Filipepi, or his most prestigious surname Sandro Botticelli, was born on March 1, 1455 in Florence, Italy. He woul d go to become of the most renowned painters of the early Renaissance period in Florence. One of his most sought-after paintings was that of the â€Å"Birth of Venus†, where he depicted a Roman goddess and the poetic movement of illustration and humanism. Botticelli would then go on to create over one hundred more paintings in his lifetime that are still the subject ofRead MoreSandro Botticelli1261 Words   |  6 PagesSandro Botticelli | Probable self-portrait of Botticelli, in hisAdoration of the Magi  (1475). | Birth name | Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi | Born | c. 1445[1] Florence,  Republic of Florence, (now  Italy) | Died | May 17, 1510 (aged  64–65) Florence,  Republic of Florence, (now  Italy) | Nationality | Italian | Field | Painting | Training | Filippo Lippi Andrea del Verrocchio | Movement | Italian Renaissance | Works | Primavera The Birth of Venus The Adoration of the Magi Other WorksRead MoreSandro Botticelli Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesBotticelli is one of the most famous artists during the Italian Renaissance. He was very well know for the portrayal of the female figure and his ability to incorporate femininity as a symbol of life itself and/or nature illustrated by the changes of seasons. Botticelli most famous figure was that of Venus, the goddess of love. She was incorporated into two of his most famous works, The Birth of Venus and Primavera. Most of Botticellis women had that typical hourglass figure to them . During theRead MoreRenaissance Art : The Renaissance Period867 Words   |  4 PagesRenaissance Art The Renaissance time period was home to many new ideas in art. This includes new artists bringing forth ideas that had yet to be discovered and made popular. New themes and types of art were also being brought forward during this period. Numerous artists had to of been present to make Renaissance art the way it is. Some of the world’s most famous artists were working during this time period, including Leonardo da Vinci, and other artists like Sandro Botticelli and Lorenzo GhibertiRead MoreEssay on Birth of Venus1018 Words   |  5 Pagestoward the farmland. †¢ Vertical balance can be seen with the firm horizon line that separates a bleak landscape with a bleaker sky, where most of the visual weight in the composition occurs in the lower half of the painting. Formal Elements: †¢ The artist uses lines to outline forms and evoke movement. In this painting, firm lines carve out the figures from the rigid horizontal of the horizon and the verticals of the trees. Straight lines carry the breath of Zephyr from the left and the curved linesRead MoreThe Birth Of Venus By Sandro Botticelli And The Poem Stanze Per La Giostra By Angelo Poliziano1651 Words   |  7 PagesBeholder The two works of art that I have chosen is the painting The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli and the poem Stanze per la Giostra by Angelo Poliziano. The Birth of Venus was created between 1484 and 1486 by Sandro Botticelli. It was created in the early Renaissance period and is currently located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Stanze per la Giostra was written between 1475 and 1478 by the Renaissance poet Angelo Poliziano. Its current location is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New

Global Poverty And The Dependency Model - 790 Words

My desire to see the prosperity of sub-Saharan Africa, has always propelled me to speculate how a continent abundant of natural resources, is the poorest inhabited continent in the world. The Millennium Development Goals, further stimulated my interest in international development as I began to ensue this progress during my undergraduate studies. Having made numerous visits to Ethiopia s capital Addis Ababa, or the African Tiger, I have witnessed deep socio-economic issues despite the increasing GDP (gross domestic product) due to the economic regeneration. Studying my Bachelors Politics degree, introduced me to inter-governmental institutions and government functions, which has supplied me with a solid background to infiltrate my study of international development. Throughout the course of my undergraduate studies, I discovered the Global Politics and Solidarity, Cosmopolitanism and Global Justice modules to be the most enlightening, heavily focusing on development issues such as po verty and climate change. For this purpose, my undergraduate research topic focused on Global Poverty and the Dependency Model. During this research, I sourced documents relating to dependency theorist, Andre Gunder Frank who argues that the developed states perpetuate the conditions of underdevelopment to promote their own development. My exploration into the development realm of global politics, enforced my 6-month internship at GOAL Ethiopia (an international NGO). During my position as aShow MoreRelatedThe Causes Of Poverty And Underdevelopment1564 Words   |  7 PagesThe causes of poverty and underdevelopment are related in both the theories of Modernisation and Dependency. These theories discover and explain views regarding the modern world, existing relationships and differences between the Third World and developing countries. Both theories have similarities and differences in their approaches to poverty and undeveloped countries. Both suggest solutions offering different strategies to improve the gaps and communication between developed and underdevelopedRead MoreThe Causes Of Poverty And Underdevelopment1563 Words   |  7 PagesThe causes of poverty and underdevelopment are found in both theories of Modernisation and Dependency. Both of the theories discover and explain their views regarding the moder n world, existing relationships and differences between the Third World and developing countries. The theories both have similarities and differences in their approaches to poverty and undeveloped countries. Solutions are suggested by both theories, giving different strategies to improve the gaps or connections between theRead MoreDependency Theory and World Systems Theory Can Contribute to an Understanding of Changing Patterns of Global Power1016 Words   |  5 Pagestheories, such as Dependency Theory and World Systems Theory can contribute to an understanding of changing patterns of global power. To understand changing patterns of global power is no easy feat, but several theories may give us an insight to the shift of power in our modern world, I wish to talk about these theories and how we can use them to better understand our past and present global power situations. The first of these theories is Andre Gunder Frank’s Dependency Theory, which revolvesRead MoreGlobalization Is Not Being Exploited By Capitalists Essay1615 Words   |  7 Pagestechnological advancements and greater influence on the global village. The second world is made up of later comers into the industrialized world and developing countries and are a marginalized, have little to no influence on the global village and are economically exploited leading to further exclusion and deterioration. This deterioration leads to an increase in poverty levels and the gap between the rich and the poor (Nayyar 2006, 4). Poverty is multifaceted and is linked to many insufficient levelsRead MoreModernization Theory : A Global Food Insecurity1304 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: There will be a global food insecurity cataclysm by 2050 if the way we produce and distribute food is not changed. According to the World Bank (2013) and the FAO (2012) â€Å" The future needs an agricultural system that produces about 50% more food to feed the world’s 9 billion people by 2050†. Scholars differ in their views, but the World Bank has adopted the approach prescribed by Modernization theory (sociologists Max Weber, Herbert Spencer, Émile Durkheim, and Talcott Parsons). ModernizationRead MoreIndividual Global Crises Are the Result of a Failing Global System747 Words   |  3 Pagespaper I am going to explore many issues of global crises. I will argue that global crises such as environmental degradation, the diminishing of fossil fuels, food shortages, economic instability, and international terrorism are all the result of a failed global system. In the first section of this paper I will define and connect all of these global issues and discuss why eac h is a social problem. This will be followed by a critical reflection of the failed global system. Ahmed (2012) states that, whenRead MoreMicrocredit and Social Business1873 Words   |  8 PagesFrom Microcredit to Social Business: Towards Making Poverty History Innovative ideas are not standstill, when ideas works they create attraction and developed gradually that microcredit did. In the process of advancement, idea continue to change, newer ideas emerge, sometimes it may outdo the original ideas and very different from the expectations (Mulgan, 2006, p. 154). In the course of time, Grameen Bank own by the ‘poorest of the poor’ who are mostly women becomes a giant that now has 31 differentRead MoreReducing World Poverty Through Micro Lending, Social Business and Government Intervention1373 Words   |  6 PagesShah claimed on the Global Issue website, â€Å"Almost half the of world’s population, which is over three billion people, live on less than two and half dollars a day† (Globalissue.org). This is the poverty level. To reduce poverty effectively many of us have donated money to aid the poor, the question arises weather there are other ways to reduce poverty effectively. Traditional approaches like charities , social programs and government assistance are conductors to reduce poverty levels. However, MohammedRead MoreGlobal Inequalities Essay2186 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction to Sociology Final Essay Which of the following perspectives offers the most convincing explanation for the existence of global inequalities: modernization theory, dependency theory or world-systems theory? 4 July 2012 Which of the following perspectives offers the most convincing explanation for the existence of global inequalities: modernization theory, dependency theory or world-systems theory? Globalization has had both a positive and negative impact throughout the world. An interconnectednessRead MoreWto Membership Opens The Market Of Developing Countries With Exploitation By Big Firms From The Industrialised Countries932 Words   |  4 Pages Student number: 6148366 Words: 784 Group 1: WTO membership opens the market of developing countries to exploitation by big firms from the industrialised countries. 1: Dependency on developed countries 2: Worker exploitation 3: Environmental damage 4: Privatisation of essential service 5: Inequality increasing 1: Dependency on developed countries one of the unsafe impacts of the WTO membership towards developing nations is the expanded defencelessness of these nations towards outer or local

Wild Horses free essay sample

On her article Stillman brings up the point of how â€Å"in the old days they (ranchers) hired contractors to gun down mustangs and bring them their ears. Today, Big Beef still hires guns- Politicians who set policy for the Bureau of Land Management†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stillman is clearly opposing to the bill signed by ex-president Bush, which left the wild horses unprotected. Throughout her article she talks about how government involvement might affect the icon that wild horses represent both ways, positively and negatively. The bill signed my ex-president Nixon protected wild horses and burros from those who wanted to take them to the slaughterhouses; however, the legislation passed my ex-president Bush made a turn around to what Nixon had done in benefit of the wild horses. Stillman opposes to our government’s way to handle the issue and is clearly stating that powerful beef companies are telling our politicians how to create public policy concerning this matter. We will write a custom essay sample on Wild Horses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The before mentioned quote makes a great comparison with ranchers and guns and indicates how things have not changed much over the years, it’s about the money and power. Although the mustang is one of the icons of American culture, it seems that the government has other priorities and protecting the wild horses is not one of them. I think that this is a very powerful article and maybe it does involve emotions to some extent, but saving this symbol of the American Western conquest is quite worth it. Perhaps, our government needs to focuses more on preserving American as once was and not make of the wild horses a story book to be read by future generations. Stillman, Deanne. â€Å"Thinking about Wild Horses† Critical Thinking. Boston, MA.

Pros and Cons of Online Dating for Teens Essay Essay Example

Pros and Cons of Online Dating for Teens Essay Essay 1. Why on-line dating is popular.Peoples presents have become so busy with their calling that there is small clip left for their societal life. They think that OD is safe as on-line dating bureaus run a background check-up on each and every member they accept. With the online dating services. there is no force per unit area as you go out with merely those you appreciate and would desire to cognize better. It is besides an cheap manner to happen a spouse as the traditional dating would affect many test and mistake methods where you would put clip. attempt and money. With OD. it is so convenient that you can make it at place or in the office to happen this particular individual during your trim clip. Possibly non all the people you may reach would be the best pick for your life spouse. nevertheless it can be a great manner to acquire to cognize several people in a short clip. Last. it covers the whole universe. people from all walks of life whom you would hold a opportunity to run into . 2. Why is it non a good medium We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Online Dating for Teens Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Online Dating for Teens Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Online Dating for Teens Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Merely because everyone else out there is making it. doesn’t make it a good medium to look for a spouse. Safety is a really serious concern and something that most of the people risk most when they meet people they have no hint approximately. Peoples can state anything they want about themselves online. But surveies have already proven that both work forces and adult females lie about different things on their profile. Another problem with on-line dating is that when you do eventually make up ones mind to run into. there can be so much accent on the whole looks thing. The meet-up tends to fall apart as worlds tend to hold certain outlooks and when those outlooks are non met. letdown is felt. In on-line dating. there is normally a impression that those who go on-line to happen a day of the month is merely looking for sex and merely desire good clip instead than serious relationships. B. Traditional dating 1. What is traditional datingIn the lexicon. a day of the month is â€Å"An assignment to run into at a specified clip ; particularly. a societal battle between two individuals that frequently has a romantic character† ( Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 2003. p. 317 ) . 2. Traditional dating vs online dating Online dating is easy. You fill out a profile and meet others on the web site you are utilizing. However. there is no initial face-to-face contact. and you may or may non be passing clip with person you would wish to be in relationship with. Traditional dating allows you to interact with your day of the month on a personal degree. As you spend clip with your day of the month. you see him in a assortment of different state of affairss and fortunes. Traditional dating can be dozenss of merriment making things together and cognizing each other deeper in a personal manner. As you day of the month. you get to go to films or music events. travel bowling or drama games. You besides can duplicate day of the month. acquiring to cognize two possible spouses alternatively of merely one. With traditional dating. you know where your day of the month lives. which is non ever the instance with online dating. Besides. it’s easier to experience â€Å"chemistry† on a face-to-face day of the month. When you online day of the month. you may non experience any chemical science until you meet. Argument: A. Sing the issue in both provinces1. Beneficial effects of online dating2. Support or presentation of instance surveiesB. What are the cons of online dating?1. Disadvantages of online dating2. Why do we antagonize online datingPeoples tend to lie online to box themselves beautifully. In fact. even the online dating bureaus tell you what to state or compose depending on what is most sought after. But this is non the right manner to get down a relationship. Nothing physiques love and trust like lying. It is difficult to cognize a person’s existent character online and the best manner is to see them interact with other people and in different fortunes. Besides. in OD people normally try to do a good feeling but there is a difference between looking your best and seeking to be something you are non. The online dating universe sends the message to people that you’re non good plenty the manner you are. Online dating besides promotes unfaithfulness. If the individual is used to dating online. he/she can still make this even if one is already in a relationship. The possibility of taking the relationship earnestly is low because it is easy to happen a replacing online. Internet unfaithfulness is comparatively easy to conceal as it is an easy medium for a disenfranchised spouse to seek outside satisfaction while being distinct. Wysocki ( 1998 ) found that most people who had an on-line matter logged on after their spouse went to bed or at work. There is no demand to go or necessitate for an alibi that is typically required if a individual is involved in a typical matter. Refuting the counter statement: A. Why on-line dating should non promote teens.1. Psychological effects of on-line dating on teens Aside from safety issues. lying and unfaithfulness in the on-line universe. OD tends to hold psychological effects on teens as they neglect duties and relationships in the existent universe. In fact. it can take to failed matrimonies because it builds a wont of longer clip spent online with practical spouse. Online dating besides distract teens from covering with jobs that may be in existent universe relationships because clip and energy that could be spent repairing the relationship is spent basking these on-line relationships. 2. Online dating leads to danger Safety for teens particularly female. becomes a cardinal concern online as profiles are easy to make from anyplace at any clip. This may be used by professionals in a unsafe manner like to double your individuality to happen out about your household. where you live. where your parents work. etc. B. Negative effects of online dating to teens1. Lack of societal accomplishments among people – teens tend to remain in the confines of their places to socialise with on-line friends or day of the months. 2. OD may take to wellness issues – There are wellness issues like carpal tunnel. asthenopia and loss of sleep. Emotional emphasis and psychological emphasis can besides construct up since you do non cognize much about your on-line spouses compared to traditional dating wherein you see their personalities face-to-face. Decision:A. Online dating will non assist you in your lovelife1. OD is non a good manner to happen true love2. OD would merely take to a failed relationshipB. Relevance of online dating in today’s society1. There are many ads online2. Peoples are now in a haste to happen a spouse C. Reinforce why online dating should non be encouragedD. SummaryPeoples are now in a haste and hold limited clip and resources to socialise. The media has influenced teen’s perceptual experiences of wooing and dating in the modern universe. With the coming of engineering. people are more open to information online and even online dating is now popular with teens. However. non all popular should be embraced. WE should believe about the safety issues which is the figure one hazard when you go on-line for a day of the month. Furthermore. how do you swear person you have non met? One can lie about anything when they are concealed or unobserved. The possibility of cognizing person you can swear and hold as a life-time spouse is really small compared to person you really run into and interact with. Beginnings: hypertext transfer protocol: //ezinearticles. com/ ? Why-Is-Online-Dating-Popular? A ; id=403737 hypertext transfer protocol: //hubpages. com/hub/6-Reasons-Why-Looking-for-a-Relationship-Online-Bad-Idea hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ehow. com/about_5421880_pros-cons-traditional-dating. html # ixzz2hFeohiWf hypertext transfer protocol: //webspace. ship. edu/jacamp/psyberpsych/Dating/Subtopic3. htm hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ehow. com/info_8076698_effects-internet-dating. html # ixzz2hFj90DPO ( Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 2003. p. 317 ) .

How to Restore a Vintage Guitar essays

How to Restore a Vintage Guitar essays There are many types and styles of guitar magazines to read out there discussing care and restoration, but are there any for vintage guitar enthusiasts? Maybe you have learned to care for your guitar on your own, or maybe you have come across an old guitar and wish to have it restored to its original state, or maybe you are just interested in learning how to care for vintage guitars; whatever the reason, this manual will provide you with the proper instruction for the restoration of a vintage guitar to its original state from what is generally considered to be "poor condition". Every now and then you may wonder if it is worth fixing something older and used. You have to ask yourself the question, "Do I want to do this for enjoyment, or for resale?" Restoring a vintage electric guitar can be tedious work but ultimately will pay off, in the end, no matter what the scenario and you will have enjoyed the outcome. When searching for a vintage guitar, be sure and understand that a guitar is only worth what you will pay for it. Many types of stores that carry vintage instruments will try to rip you off and get the most money from you for the instrument whether or not they understand the full value of the guitar, so be careful. Finding a guitar in an antique shop could be costly depending on whether or not the owner knows of its value, though rare instruments do show up in those types of places, so it is worth checking them out anyway; but be aware of guitars labeled "vintage" or "classic" due to the fact that there are many fakes out there. First, you must use common sense when looking at a vintage guitar and research a little information about it if you can use so that you can learn about its history, that will teach you how valuable the guitar is when it is in good condition. There are varying degrees of condition, and for the most part, the condition rating system is generally based upon common sense. For example, a guitar that has...

How to Become an Optician

How to Become an Optician There’s a famous episode of The Twilight Zone where a stressed man survives a nuclear apocalypse, and is thrilled to be left alone with nothing to do but read great books, only to have his essential reading glasses broken beyond repair. If you’re familiar with it, or you depend on your glasses and contact lenses, you might be extra thankful for your optician. Opticians are healthcare professionals who work with ophthalmologists, optometrists, and patients to make sure that glasses and contact lenses are exactly as prescribed and customized for the patient. Opticians are key players in helping us see the world clearly. Here are some information on how to become an optician. The Day-to-DayOpticians, also known as dispensing opticians, work in medical offices or retail stores. They take a vision prescription from a doctor (typically an optometrist or an ophthalmologist) and work with the patient to find and fit the correct eyewear. They may also perform eye tests that help the ophthalmologist determine a patient’s prescription. Once the prescription is established, the optician is usually the one to help the patient select and fit glasses or contact lenses, educate patients on follow-up care, and manage patient records. Informally, the optician may be able to provide you with good insight into whether that pair of glasses looks good on you, but formally he or she can also make sure that your prescription is accurate, that everything fits comfortably, and that your eyewear works with your lifestyle and needs. They serve an essential role in vision healthcare.Opticians typically work standard 40-hour workweeks, but this may include evenings and weekends, especially in retail eye clinics and stores. Also, because of the retail component, customer service is often a big part of the job.For more on what it’s like to be an optician, check out these videos:An Optician’s Main FocusOptometrist vs Ophthalmologist vs OpticianThe Requirement sBecoming an optician doesn’t require a specific four-year degree. Many enter the field with a high school diploma, though some have an Associate’s degree or a certificate from a community or technical college. On-the-job training is more of a focus in this field than a specific degree. About half of U.S. states require that opticians are licensed, so be sure to check your own state’s requirements.Opticians should have strong skills in customer service, management, communication skills, math, and basic anatomy.The PayAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), opticians earn a median salary of $34,280, or $16.48 per hour.The OutlookThanks to our electronic devices causing eye strain for the foreseeable future, the future is bright for opticians. The BLSÂ  expects demand for opticians to grow by 24% by 2024.

The Changing Geography of International Business Essay

The Changing Geography of International Business - Essay Example The political, technological and economic changes lead towards cultural diversities in the 21st century all around the world. The main objective of the paper is to consider the most significant characteristics of four regions namely Latin America, China, Russia and Africa that have shaped the business environment and that outsiders need to be aware of when initiating a new enterprise or while establishing operation there. The two significant characteristics that have been chosen for the study are culture and language, and politics. Culture and Language of Latin America The word ‘Latin America’ is used to explain the collection of 21 countries in the continent of South America. The language that is spoken is Latin. It has been observed that Latin America enjoys components of historical experience, culture and language. Latin America is an ethnically diverse region and is also deemed as a mounting political and economic force. The main languages that are spoken in this con tinent are Spanish, Portuguese and French (Teegan & Doh, 2002). Conventionally, the Hispanic family is a cohesive group and the most vital social unit. They generally believe in extended family. It has been observed that in Latin cultures, the familial group is quite crucial. In a few of the Latin American countries, peasants might leave their workplaces during holidays so that they can meet their relatives in other parts of the country. They also tend to attend the funeral, weddings of their friends, or distant relatives. A manager may be faced with greater difficulties related to non-attendance impacting the workplace to a major extent (Martinez-Calimano, 2006). According to a study conducted by Geert Hofstede for Latin American countries, it was noted that there is high power distance in Latin America. In Latin America, the people in higher level of authority expect to gain respect from others and are familiar to make decisions without taking into consideration the viewpoints of their subordinates. Latin America has low individualism rate. In Latin America gender roles become quite different in comparison to the United States, men hold the greater authority. There is high uncertainty avoidance in Latin America (Geert Hofstede, 2012). Politics of Latin America Latin America enjoys neither total-socialism nor free-market neoliberalism. The region has been ranked as the third most unbalanced region in the world in the context of post-war period. Political unsteadiness has been one of the most persistent issues in Latin America. It has been noted that from the year 1971-2000, three nations belonging to Latin America were consistently democratic within the thirty year phase, while the other countries have changed from democracy to autocracy and vice versa at least once during the time period. It can be analysed that such political instability tends to obstruct the economic development via its impact upon the accrual of both physical and human capital (Blanco & G rier, 2000). Culture and Language of China China has a prolonged history of cultural competence. China is considered as globe’s oldest civilisation among the culture that subsists today. The Chinese have been capable of preserving the old values still today. It is identified that when the Chinese entrepreneurs are operating their

Analyse the financial performance & position of Intercontinental Hotel Essay

Analyse the financial performance & position of Intercontinental Hotel Group plc and explain and evaluate the treatment intangib - Essay Example Background Information Intercontinental Hotel Group Plc. owns one of the leading brand and chain of hotels and resorts across continents. The group’s registered corporate office is located in Denham, United Kingdom and the group has a history of almost 60 years of delivering the highest level of quality of customer service which has permitted the group to achieve phenomenal growth over the last few decades. The group operates not only by owing hotels and resorts completely and also by entering into franchise agreements with other companies to operate hotels and resources The group has more than 4,500 hotels which are operating in different countries. The group operates hotels brands including Crown Plaza Hotel, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and others. These brands are arranged in a way that they reflect both luxury and budget hoteling facilities for guests. The group offers a hotel loyalty program through which it has achieved 63 million members wh o received updates and discounts on bookings and other privileges (Yahoo Finance, 2012). Financial Ratios Analysis For the purpose of analyzing Group’s financial performance in the last two years, following ratios have been determined and a discussion for them is presented while considering additional supporting information available in the Group’s annual report. It is pertinent to mention here that there are material exceptional items in the financial statements of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group, 2011). These exceptional items are not considered for the purpose of calculating ratios. However, the impact of these exceptional items has been evaluated at the end of financial analysis. Profitability of IHG Keeping in view the profitability ratios as calculated below for the Group, it is noted that the Group has improved its performance in terms of returns. Apart from the continuing effects of recent global financial distress, the Group has managed to report growth in its profits. As evidenced by the gross and operating margins presented below, the Group has been able to report considerable growth in its gross and operating profits. One of the main reasons for this growth has been increase in total revenues of the Group. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning here that IHG’s cost of sales declined in 2011 whereas revenues climbed up, thus signifying the level of operational efficiency reached by the Group. Following this improvement in cost of sales figure in 2011 and gross profits, the trend translated into operating profits also, due to which the Group has been able to report higher operating margin for the year ended 2011 (Peterson & Fabozzi, 2012; Warren et al., 2011; InterContinental Hotels Group, 2011). Profitability Ratios Ratio 2011 2010 Return on Capital Employed 17.35 % 12.29 % Return on Equity 67.93 % 97.59 % Operating Profit Margin 21.32 % 17.44 % Gross Profit Margin 56.39 % 53.75 % Source: (InterContinental Hotels Group, 20 11) In addition to this, the returns on capital employed and on total equity of the Group have also shown favorable changes. With the increase in profits attributable to shareholders of the Group, the return on equity and capital employed also increased, and this increase in net profits for the Group has been such that it overcame the impact of increase in capital employed

On Finding Nightingales in Human Voices Essay Example for Free

On Finding Nightingales in Human Voices Essay Anne Finch’s â€Å"To the Nightingale† is an ode to a Muse, which is represented by the nightingale. The poem is written in a series of rhyming couplets that provides it a singsong rhythm throughout, which is appropriate for its subject. When emphasizing the merits of being a nightingale, the speaker articulates the difficulties of being a human poet, subject to judgment by his critics. In â€Å"To the Nightingale†, though the narrator recognizes the significance of the nightingale and even bestows upon it affirmative adjectives such as â€Å"sweet† and lofty titles like â€Å"harbinger of spring† (line 1), he knows the limitations of the bird as a poet. The first four lines indicate the admiration of the speaker for the nightingale. â€Å"This moment I attend to praise† (line 3) refers to the moment in which the nightingale will sing to announce the coming of spring. The speaker wishes to be as free with expressing himself, like the nightingale. As the line â€Å"Free as thine shall be my song† (line 5) indicates, he believes that as a human being, his singing is more restricted by his audience. On the other hand, the nightingale sings according to its nature, whether or not it pleases anyone. There is no fear of being ridiculed, or anxieties about not being praised. Moreover, the beauty of the nightingale’s singing is in its freedom: â€Å"Poets, wild as thee, were born/ Pleasing best when unconfined/ When to please is least designed/ Soothing but their cares to rest† (lines 7-10). These four lines may also suggest that the speaker is hoping to experience the same â€Å"unconfined† performance. Indeed, if the nightingale is his muse, he is inspired by its sheer autonomy and being true to itself. Some artists need their personal pain in order to produce depth of feeling. An artist who is experiencing problems while composing sad ballads will create genuine emotion which will be felt by their audience: â€Å"Cares do still their thoughts molest/ And still the unhappy poets breast, /Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn† (lines 11-13). The three lines, however, may also signify the other way around – that when at his best, a poet may experience loneliness brought by success. The next few lines incorporate gold as a metaphor for the beauty and the effect of the nightingale’s song, after praising the sweetness of it. â€Å"Canst thou syllables refine/Melt a sense that shall retain/Still some spirit of the brain† (lines 18-20). The words â€Å"refine† and â€Å"melt† elucidate the worth of the nightingale’s song. It can create something equivalent to gold, which consequently leaves a mark in the listener’s mind. The poem starts to change its tone by line 21. The speaker seems to expect more out of the nightingale, by asking it to change its note. He further commands â€Å"let division shake thy throat† (line 22), longing for the joyous varying and fluttering of the golden voice. At this point, the human poet, though still admiring the singing bird, becomes aware of discontent within himself. The lovely song may not have changed its tune for some other listener, but for the narrator it has in some way for he says â€Å"cease then, prithee, cease thy tune† (line 26). He even calls his muse â€Å"trifler†, or someone who takes nothing seriously by being a constant dreamer. â€Å"Wilt thou sing till June† (line 27), he asks. He previously tags the nightingale as a â€Å"harbinger of spring†. He then wonders if it will continue its singing even when summer is near. It is as if the nightingale has been given an obligation to announce spring, and when that obligation has been fulfilled there is no need to keep on going. The speaker has started to question inspiration and leans toward practicality. The speaker believes that there is too big a difference between a nightingale and a human poet; he has stopped dreaming about attempting to recreate the singing of a nightingale through human voice. â€Å"Thus we poets that have speech/ Unlike what the forests teach† (lines 30-31). To ease this discouragement, he lifts the human advantage of being able to speak. â€Å"If a fluent vein be shown/Thats transcendent to our own/ Criticize, reform, or preach/ Or censure what we cannot reach (lines 32-35). Nevertheless, he discerns what he is trying to do; he can identify the human trait of disparaging a talent or a quality that he cannot achieve for himself. â€Å"To the Nightingale† explores the dilemma of exploring a dream and aiming to reach its zenith without any thought of its limitations and consequences, and of choosing practicality and realistic aspirations. The poem achieves a light, song-like rhythm which prevents it from being completely dreary even at its despondent but sensible end.

Life at an All Boys School Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about my

I hadn't planned on going to a private school; in fact the idea disgusted me. My sister tried it for an entire four days, then she quit and went to a public school with all of her friends and never looked back. I guess that I thought the same thing would happen to me if I ever went to a private school. Â   In the spring of seventh grade, my parents made me take the acceptance test for McCallie, the all boys private school full of rich snobs, nerds, and especially queers. I didn't know much about the school except that none of my friends went there and all of the gossip(which turned out to be false)from my friends about turnng gay from being around only boys and no girls. Nevertheless I took the test and was excepted much to my dismay. Â   The first question that came to mind was what it would be like to go through the entire school day without seeing a single member of the opposite sex. My entire career as a student involved girls, from when I was real little and hated being chased by them on the playground, until I was the one doing the chasing. Having a girlfriend meant seeing her all day, everyday. You could really tell the boys who had girlfriends because they always came to school looking their best for their girl, the single boys came looking sloppy. Â   Before school started, I went to a McCallie-GPS dance that an old friend invited me to. Here was my chance to meet the new set of girls that I would get to know for the rest of my high school life. What a disappointment. They were nothing in comparison to the pretty Signal Mountain girls that I had grown up with since I was three. Not that they were that much more unattractive, but that their personalities were so much dif... ... of gays at McCallie as there are at these other schools, but they keep it to themselves for their own good. I guess it's more excepted when you go to a co-ed school of thousands. Â   It's hard to imagine McCallie as a co-ed school. I would probably do more staring than studying. Boys would come to school actually caring about their appearance. Perhaps the worst that would happen would be that level of learning would go down. Â   Life at an all boys school is a real learning experience. Classes without girls, boys who are different from the excepted norm are afraid to be themselves because people like me wouldn't want to be around them, and an easier and better way of learning is what a boy will find at an all boys private school. So if your a boy who plans to attend an all boys private school, don't believe everything that people say.

Lacklustre Castle

When I entered the lacklustre castle , I came upon tangible hundreds of human skin plastered to the wall . The atmosphere was dozed of iniquity as the clock struck midnight and we planned to hunt the treasure located deep inside this isolated castle . † Hey Sam , my instincts had been telling me that this place isn't good for us † George yelled .†Don't be headstrong George ! We will never endeavour such extraordinary places ,† Sam said in his chill voice . † All right , let's begin the journey † Sam ‘s voice was tremblingWe strolled deeper into the castle and through the window . I could see that the sky was full of tumultuous and ominous black clouds that released a sudden shower . The waves rised as great mountains , anger in the form of water , unforgiving and turbulent . My senses believed that these were the first omens of the impending danger . We then walked further in and I was oblivious about the smell of the rotting meat from a corpse hidden under the cushion . We came to a halt in front of a narrow corridor and I was dumbfounded to discover photos of lovely family . Curiosity grew upon us to investigate this . Jane kindled up the candle and surprisingly found some sentences on the wall . According to her , it had said † The treasure has been my people's desire and only a truly determined person will obtain it . However , please do not take this very lightly as you have to face the unbearable challenges . Good luck .† I think the instructions are just fooling us as according to the book , we just need to solve this knotty puzzle † Jane said confidently † Yes , I believe it is a trap † Sam saidSam , behind you !The wall just suddenly came apart and it started falling over Sam and it had smashed him completely and the blood splattered everywhere . I was shouting over the top of my lungs calling for Sam and the wall had completely blocked him and he vanished like the ships passing through the Bermuda Triangle . I knew that the chances were going slimmer . All the buildings started collapsing and Jane and I both fell to the ground and the boulders had blighted the shelter and we could feel the rough waves on us . Jane was trying to stand on the unbalanced surface but † Jane , watch it !† Sam screamed Two enormous rocks had trapped and the chances to rescue her were decreasing . I was conscious about the scorching heat from the fire that had spread like scuttling mice over the carpet . I used my endless effort to push the rocks over her but was ineffective . † Jane , just leave me and tell mum and dad that I love them so much † she muttered softlyHer words splintered inside me causing more pain than a cancer .She inhaled her last precious breathe and stopped breathing . I sank to my knees and my gasping wails had echoed the ruined castle . Raw tears started falling across my cheeks as I placed a kiss on her delicate forehead . After all these fruitful reminiscence , my beloved sister was gone from this world . I believed it is destiny that separates between us . Two fled, one survived .

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- the Things They Carried

Taylor Lineberger Mrs. Eddins English 3 CP December 5, 2012 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. PTSD usually occurs after someone has seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury and death. It is commonly associated with the soldiers who have fought in wars or conflicts. All of the symptoms of PTSD are classified and categorized into three distinct groups: â€Å"reliving†, avoidance, and arousal. Some of these symptoms include flashbacks, repeated nightmares, detachment, hyper-vigilance, and being easily angered, along with many others. (PubMed Health, PTSD) (*1). According to a survey conducted by the Veteran’s Administration, some 500,000 of 3 million troops suffered from PTSD after the Vietnam War. The survey also states that rates of divorce, suicide, and alcoholism and drug addiction were higher among Vietnam veterans. † (History, Vietnam War) (*2). We may never fully know how much this disorder has truly affected our troops. Most veterans are not open about their condition, however some have accepted it and open up about it. So, how much does PTSD really affect someone? The trauma that causes PTSD is just as unique as the suffering individual themselves. Any fearful trauma can produce symptoms of PTSD. Being in the Vietnam War did not help any of this. These soldiers were torn away from the only things and the home they had ever known and dropped into a foreign place where the situation was â€Å"kill or be killed. † They had no other choice but to be exposed to the unimaginable horrors that awaited them. Cases of people with PTSD are famous for their abuse of drugs or alcohol; however, ex-soldiers have an additional addiction that often lands them in trouble, or jail: an addiction to adrenaline. The one thing that caused them to have this condition may very well be the one thing that decides their fate. Inside every person with PTSD is a time bomb. It is merely a matter of time before symptoms begin to show up. One may exhibit all manner of symptoms in nearly everything they do, and still live what appears to be a normal life. However, it doesn’t take much to bring out full-blown symptoms of a case of PTSD. Retirement and additional stress can be a catalyst to cause the occurrence of symptoms to appear sooner than they normally would. Wellness Directory MN, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) (*3). â€Å"The war was over and there was no place in particular to go† (O’Brien, 131). Thoughts of sorrow and loss overwhelm the Vietnam veterans upon their return back home. Crushed from the horror of war, they have to come back to even bigger disappointments and sadness. Instead of the calm lives they lead before they left their country and the presence of warm and caring everyday life, most of them encounter empty beds, a cold family and overall loss. Already physically and emotionally defeated, they find betrayal instead of recuperating trust. There is nothing to nourish them; they do not find anything to rely on. Even in instances of supportive partners, the inevitable horrors of the war haunt them in sleep or come back to them in daydreaming. They all came back with multitude of disorders, mostly with a post-traumatic stress disorder with the common symptoms of recurring nightmares, hypersensitivity, avoidance behavior, and intrusive thoughts, feelings and memories-commonly found in war vets. â€Å"The Things They Carried† is a documentary novel written by Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam War veteran. There are many stories within the novel that show various examples of post-traumatic stress disorder. According to O'Brien, upon their arrival home the veterans imagine, or even hallucinate, what things would have been like if they had not suffered through the war. Examples of such occurrences exist in the stories â€Å"Speaking of Courage† and â€Å"The Man I Killed. † Norman Bowker in â€Å"Speaking of Courage† dreams and fancies of talking to his ex-girlfriend, now married to another guy, and of his dead childhood friend, Max Arnold. He lives his unfulfilled dream of having his Sally beside him and having manly conversations with Max. He cannot stop day dreaming and dwelling in the past. Unemployed and overwhelmed by inferiority and disappointment, Bowker lacks a motivating force for life. Emotionally stricken, he only finds satisfaction in driving slowly and repeatedly in circles around his old neighborhood in his father's big Chevy, â€Å"feeling safe,† and remembering how things used to be when â€Å"there has not been a war† (O’Brien, 158). These recurring events also spring memories f the beautiful lake where Norman used to spend a lot of time with his now married ex-girlfriend Sally Kramer and his high school friends. The lake invokes nostalgic and sentimental memories both of his girlfriend and his long gone – drowned – best friend, Max Arnold. Nothing fulfills Norman Bowker anymore. Instead, a terrible confusion has taken over his mind in the form of blur and chaos. He d esperately needs someone to talk to. The guys go crazy in their unsuccessful attempts to maintain healthy balance of their minds and spirits. However, even though they might not realize it, or not at least at the time, most of the veterans end up losing sanity. They act upon and laugh at the most bizarre things. In â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† Rat Kiley thinks of â€Å"a gore of about twenty zillion dead gook fish† as the â€Å"the funniest thing in world history† (O’Brien, 65). The result of the post traumatic experience of seeing his nineteen-year-old best friend, Curt Lemon’s, body being blown up into pieces by a grenade, is that Rat Kiley takes his anger out on a baby buffalo by shooting him pieces by pieces multiple times. He shoots the animal, until â€Å"nothing moved except the eyes, which were enormous, the pupils shiny black and dumb† at which Dave Jensen, one of the two who collected Lemon's body pieces off of the tree, gets childishly amused† (O’Brien, 76-79). Not realizing his new condition of mental imbalance, Dave Jensen goes on to make jokes and sing about the â€Å"Lemon Tree. † This is a parallel to Dave Jensen's insanity, O'Brian, even after twenty years, still gets woken up by the memories of this event: â€Å"Twenty years later I can see the sunlight on Lemon's face† (O’Brien, 80). As a consequence of PTSD, O'Brien both despises and values the war. Even though Tim O'Brien might not sound very convincing with the credibility of his own memories as a narrative, the post-traumatic stress disorder remains a scientific certainty. The results of the trauma soldiers suffered in the war, along with the emotional baggage, (grief, terror, love, and longing) show of all of the veterans' post-war turmoil and heartache.Sources:*1: Vorvick, Linda J. and Timothy Rogge. â€Å"Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). † PubMed Health. N. p. , 13 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. . *2: â€Å"Vietnam War. † History. N. p. , 2003. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. . *3: â€Å"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. † Wellness Directory MN. N. p. , 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. .

Free Essays on The Role Of Recording Studio Technology

Studio technology has developed drastically over the years and has become ever more vital to the record producer within the music industry. Different producers make use of studio technology in different ways, often depending on the style of music that they are producing, their preferred method of production and the band’s preference of sound. The development of recording technology has run parallel to a reorientation in popular music production. The goal of getting a good sound is no different now than it was when the first recordings were made, but the idea of what a good sound is and how it should be achieved are radically different. The role of the recording producer in popular music is very important; the producer plays a very big part in the realisation of a composition by deciding what technology should be used and how to use it. Interplay between the musician, record producer and engineer is critical to the recording process. However, what is eventually fixed to tape must first be composed around the limitations of the available technology. Thus the most direct interactions between music and technology occur during composition and realisation. There are a number of record producers who have become famous for their distinctive sound and their particular techniques and application of varied developments of studio technology. Some producers take much advantage of the technology available to them, whilst others seem to prefer to employ more classical techniques of record production, tending to shy away from the increasing practise of digital studio technology. Ross Robinson, well known for producing ‘nu-metal’ bands such as ‘Korn’, ‘Deftones’, ‘Limp Bizkit’ and ‘Soulfly’, generates his own distinctive sound. Robinson focuses more on capturing the soul and spirit of the music that he produces. He does this by resisting the use of digital technology and continuing to use ana... Free Essays on The Role Of Recording Studio Technology Free Essays on The Role Of Recording Studio Technology Studio technology has developed drastically over the years and has become ever more vital to the record producer within the music industry. Different producers make use of studio technology in different ways, often depending on the style of music that they are producing, their preferred method of production and the band’s preference of sound. The development of recording technology has run parallel to a reorientation in popular music production. The goal of getting a good sound is no different now than it was when the first recordings were made, but the idea of what a good sound is and how it should be achieved are radically different. The role of the recording producer in popular music is very important; the producer plays a very big part in the realisation of a composition by deciding what technology should be used and how to use it. Interplay between the musician, record producer and engineer is critical to the recording process. However, what is eventually fixed to tape must first be composed around the limitations of the available technology. Thus the most direct interactions between music and technology occur during composition and realisation. There are a number of record producers who have become famous for their distinctive sound and their particular techniques and application of varied developments of studio technology. Some producers take much advantage of the technology available to them, whilst others seem to prefer to employ more classical techniques of record production, tending to shy away from the increasing practise of digital studio technology. Ross Robinson, well known for producing ‘nu-metal’ bands such as ‘Korn’, ‘Deftones’, ‘Limp Bizkit’ and ‘Soulfly’, generates his own distinctive sound. Robinson focuses more on capturing the soul and spirit of the music that he produces. He does this by resisting the use of digital technology and continuing to use ana...

Ten Things to Know About North Korea

Ten Things to Know About North Korea The country of North Korea has been in the news frequently in recent years due to its uneasy relationship with the international community. However, few people know much about North Korea. For example, its full name is The Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea. This article provides facts such as these to give an introduction into the ten most important things about North Korea in an effort to geographically educate readers on the country. 1. The country of North Korea is located on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula which extends the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan. It is south of China and north of South Korea and occupies roughly 46,540 square miles (120,538 square km) or is slightly smaller than the state of Mississippi. 2. North Korea is separated from South Korea via a ceasefire line that was set along the 38th parallel after the end of the Korean War. It is separated from China by the Yalu River. 3. Terrain in North Korea consists mainly of mountains and hills that are separated by deep, narrow river valleys. The highest peak in North Korea, the volcanic Baekdu Mountain, is found in the northeastern portion of the country at 9,002 feet (2,744 m). Coastal plains are also prominent in the western portion of the country and this area is the main center of agriculture in North Korea. 4. North Koreas climate is temperate with the majority of its rainfall concentrated in the summer. 5. The population of North Korea as of July 2009 was 22,665,345, with a population density of 492.4 persons per square mile (190.1 per sq km) and a median age of 33.5 years. Life expectancy in North Korea is 63.81 years and has fallen in recent years due to famine and lack of medical care. 6. The predominant religions in North Korea are Buddhist and Confucian (51%), traditional beliefs like Shamanism are 25%, while Christians make up 4% of the population and the remaining North Koreans consider themselves as other followers of other religions. In addition, there are government-sponsored religious groups in North Korea. The literacy rate in North Korea is 99%. 7. The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang which is also its largest city. North Korea is a communist state with a single legislative body called the Supreme Peoples Assembly. The country is divided into nine provinces and two municipalities. 8. North Koreas current chief of state is Kim Jong-Il. He has been in that position since July 1994, however, his father, Kim Il-Sung has been named North Koreas eternal president. 9 North Korea gained its independence on August 15, 1945 during the Korean liberation from Japan. On September 9, 1948 the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea was established when it became a separate communist country and after the end of the Korean War, North Korea became a closed totalitarian country, focused on self-reliance to limit outside influences. 10. Because North Korea is focused on self-reliance and is closed to outside countries, more than 90% of its economy is controlled by the government and 95% of the goods produced in North Korea are manufactured by state-owned industries. This has caused development and human rights issues to arise in the country. The main crops in North Korea are rice, millet and other grains while industry focuses on the production of military weapons, chemicals, and the mining of minerals like coal, iron ore, graphite and copper. To learn more about North Korea read North Korea - Facts and History on the Asian History GuideSite at About.com and visit the North Korea Geography and Maps page here at Geography at About.com. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 21). CIA - The World Factbook North Korea. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Korea, North: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107686.html Wikipedia. (2010, April 23). North Korea - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea United States Department of State. (2010, March). North Korea (03/10). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm

Literary Analysis Of White Teeth By Zadie Smith Essay

Literary Analysis Of White Teeth By Zadie Smith - Essay Example She is currently a Fellow at Harvard University in the US. Our children will be born of our actions. Our accidents will become their destinies. Oh, the actions will remain. It is a simple matter of what you will do when the chips are down, my friend. When the fat lady is singing. When the walls are falling in, and the sky is dark, and the ground is rumbling. In that moment our actions will define us. And it makes no difference whether you are being watched by Allah, Jesus, Buddha, or whether you are not. On cold days a man can see his breath, on a hot day he can't. On both occasions, the man breathes. -Zadie Smith, White Teeth If World War II and the knowledge of oppression it represents are absent from all too many postcolonial studies, fifty-five years after its ending, the event and its lingering effects have found a critical position in the remarkable novel White Teeth, by Zadie Smith, Britain's most celebrated postcolonial prodigy. In White Teeth, the last days of that war mark the beginning of an escape from the nightmare of belonging to someone else and chart a journey to somewhere else. White Teeth proclaims a declaration of independence not only from the haunting and constraining memory of the war's catastrophes and racist oppression, but from the very idea of belonging. After centuries of colonial oppression and decades of postcolonial depression and anger, White Teeth imagines the grand finale of Empire as the construction of a multicultural, multiclass British bazaar. Acknowledging its colonial history and debt to postcolonial studies, the novel creates a set of unanticipated mutating connectio ns among historical and imagined events and identities interwoven among first-, second-, and third-generation postcolonial citizens of Britain. (Mike Storry, Peter Childs 53) The end of World War II meets the creation of a new Britain when a younger generation seizes the monocultural ground of Englishness on which their racialized conditions originated. As this younger generation remaps the future of their interrelated history, the narrative and political effects of their takeover represent a response not only to postcolonial critics, but to British women writing the end of Empire. Born in 1975, of a Jamaican mother and English father, in the epicenter of "British racism of the 1970s and 1980s, "Zadie Smith writes White Teeth as a rebellion against her confinement in the role of marginalized victim in an ongoing history of oppression. Neither she nor her characters will accept their places as objects of an interminable and global racist plot. (Nasta 11) Instead, she insists that "her own education at a comprehensive school and then at Cambridge shows that"life changes, my family is a picture of change"). The novel's hyperkinetic romp across interracial, multiethnic London veers from the marriage of working-class Englishman Archie Jones to biracial Jamaican Clara, from his friendship with his Bengali Muslim army mate, Samad Iqbal, to their children's entanglements with the Jewish Chalfen family. As their children hip-hop unimpeded through London's jumble of social and cultural identities, White Teeth understands, toys with, and then refuses inclusion in the "official racism of Britain in the 1970s". These characters and the whole of White Teeth will not play into the hands of Enoch Powell's racist rhetoric-"the triumph of barbarism over civilization". Powell's rallying cry against the postwar waves of postcolonial immigration reverses that slogan used by colonial conquerors and also by the Allies in their war against Nazi conquest-th e triumph of civilization over barbarism. But Powell's slogan also exposes what all

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Management - Essay Example Refreezing is about eh stabling the change process. Mainly the organization looks to complete the refreezing stage through organizational norms, culture and structures (Carnall, 1994, p. 351). Organizational Level One of the most famous analytical models that describe the process of change at an organizational level has been developed by Harold J. Leavitt. According to Leavitt organizations are like multivariate systems that have four most important variables such as the structure, goal, technology and players (Moore, 1963, p. 141). According to Leavitt structure is the structure of authority, communication and responsibility and work relations. The players are the employees of the organization; Technology is the techniques and equipments that are used by the players or employees of an organization to achieve desired organizational goal. Leavitt considered goal as â€Å"la raison d’etre† of an organization. Leavitt believed that organizational goal is the rationale that complements the functioning and the existence of the organization. Leavitt believed that these variables lead to organizational change. The core concept model was represented by the strong relation and interdependence between the four variables leading to main consequences: One of the variables can be modified to inflict desirable changes in the other type of variable. The change of one variable may quite possibly lead to some unwanted and unexpected changes in the other variables (Ridley, 2008, p. 301). Researchers related to the field of organizational science and psychology however felt that the theory proposed by Lewin was a little dispersed and may require some modification so that the organizational... The study has been conducted in order to analyze the process of organizational change and development. Organization change can be defined as a transformation phase than an organization goes through when the structure and strategies of an organization is altered. The study looks to describe in the modern day business environment an organization has to go through a process of change not only to gain competitive advantage but also for ht mere survival. The study shows the role of the managers as a change agent. Organizational development can be defined as the answer to the organizational that is conducted to modify the norms, values and attitudes and structure of an organization. There are several inadequate processes of organizational change and development. Some of the essential factors need to be monitored before implanting organizational change within the firm. The present study looks to provide a brief over view of the organizational change and development process. During the course of study organizational change from and individual and organizational perspective has been analyzed. Theoretical and analytical models such as the Lewin’s three sate model, Harold J. Leavitt model of change and also model suggested by model suggested that Jeanne Watson, Ronald Lippit and Bruce Westley; which also happens to be a modified version of the three stage model proposed by Lewin has been presented. Also the process of organizational change implementation has been provided.

Sexuality and Middle Adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sexuality and Middle Adulthood - Essay Example According to Erik Erikson, the most important developmental challenge of middle adulthood is the conflict of generativity versus stagnation. Most people in the middle adulthood consider sexuality as essential component for physical and mental well-being. However, one of the basic issues concerning human sexuality during the middle adulthood is that there is a considerable decline in the frequency of sexual activity. According to Zanden, Crandell, and Crandell, "Frequency of activity and number of partners declines in middle adulthood ' Many healthy adults enjoy an active sex life into 70s and beyond' Medications for health problems often have sexual function side effects'. Lack of opportunity can be a factor... Time pressures of the job and family may leave couples with little time or energy for sex' Sexuality is refocused to sensuality for many middle adults." (Zanden, Crandell, and Crandell, 2000, p. 519). Therefore, human sexuality confronts serious challenges during the middle ad ulthood, although it is a highly essential component of human life during this period. Human sexuality during the middle adulthood confronts a basic issue with regard to the sexual activity of the individuals and most often there is an important decline in the frequency of sexual activity during this period.

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay Many years ago, people believed that women did not have the right to express their ideas and feelings. These people thought that women were born just to get married and become mothers, and if they considered going to school they were often punished by society. At that time, women were not allowed to go to school or to have a job because they had to be in charge of the house. At home, women had not only to take care of their children but also they had to satisfy their husbands, take care of the old and sick members of the family and do the housework. Something very important that we have to consider is that in those times the families did not have just one or two children, but six or seven. This made it even more difficult for them. Women of that time were discriminated against socially. They did not have the same opportunities as men. Women could not have important jobs, and if they had, they did not receive the same treatment and salaries as men. Women were the worst paid and the mo st exploited. Women had always a secondary role in the family and society. Fortunately now, the situation has changed and society has established more rights for the protection of the women. However, there are still some places where people continue to have the negative beliefs about keeping women always at home. Nowadays, women have rebelled against those who think they are just an object that can be bought and sold. Most of them are not afraid to fight for their rights anymore, they are now allowed to do everything they want; they can work, they can express their opinions, they can attend school, and they can even vote and have important jobs in our society. In our new society, women can have as important jobs as men. For example, in Germany, the citizens have a woman as president because now society supports them and believes in them. In this paper, the two stories that I am going to analyse are In The Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez and The Color Purple written by Alice Walker. My essay is going to focus on the role of the main women in each story. Celie, Nettie, Sofia and the Mirabal sisters. The reason I decided to talk about this topic is because even though I am a man, I think women should receive the same treatment and opportunities as us, men. And also because it is very important to know that women have an important and essential role not only at home but also in labour lives. In The Time of the Butterflies is a story that talks about the lives of the Mirabal family, especially of the Mirabal sisters. This story takes place in the Dominican Republic where each Mirabal sister narrates the story according to her point of view. The Mirabal sisters called Patria, Minerva, Dedà © and Maria Teresa. These women were involved in a movement against Trujillo, who at that time governed the Dominican Republic. This man was an oppressor and he governed the nation in a brutal and cruel way. This movement against Trujillo shows the Mirabal sisters as strong women, women who fought for their rights and who gave their lives in order to get the treatment any woman deserved. On the other hand, The Color Purple is a story about violence, oppression and discrimination against women. Celie, a little black girl, is raped by her stepfather many times. She had two babies by him. Celie receives discrimination from white people, who treat black people as animals or, at best, as servants. Celie is given to Mr Black by her stepfather. Mr Black forces Celie to have sexual relations with him. He beats her. The babies Celie has had from her stepfather have been taken away from her. Celie is just fourteen years old, but she has now to take care of Mr Blacks children. Celie knows nothing about love because she has never experienced that feeling. She has just received beating and oppression from everyone. Mr Black has a son, Harpo, who marries to Sofia. Harpo humiliates and hits Sofia. But he gets a huge surprise; Sofia will not allow it. Sofia is a strong and independent woman who fights for her rights. Nettie, Celie ´s sister, is discriminated against as well. As we see, these two stories have many things in common, and one of the most important is the role that women play in each novel. In The Time of the Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters grew up in an upper class because their father was a businessman. The Mirabal sisters were very close and they were expected to get married and to have babies, and that is what they did. The Mirabal sisters supported each other in any decision they made. Here we can find a clear similarity with The Color Purple; it is because in this novel the sisters Celie and Nettie were always very close as well. Even though these sisters were separated from each other, they were together their thoughts. Another similarity between these two stories is that in both novels women have very traditional roles. For example, in The Color Purple when Celie is taken to Mr Black ´s house, she has to take care of the children, do the housework and satisfy Mr Black. She has to do everything Mr Black wants; she was even forc ed to have sexual relations. Celie was hit by Mr Black and she received a terrible treatment. Even though Celie was just fourteen years old Mr Black did not allow her to attend school. Women at that time were expected to get married and become mothers and going to school did not make any sense at all. It is another similarity with In The Time of the Butterflies, people also thought that women should stay at home with the children. A clear difference between these women is that in The Color Purple Celie, the protagonist of the novel, and her sister Nettie, did not have the opportunity of attending school. They were poor and they did not have someone who could support them. On the other hand, In The Time of the Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedà ©, Maria Teresa and Minerva had the opportunity to study because their father, Don Enrique Mirabal, earned enough money to send them to school. However, these sisters suffered too, but in a different way. The Mirabal sisters suffered because of Trujillo. Trujillo was the government of Dominican Republic at that time. He was an oppressor and his dictatorship was brutal. Trujillo used to treat women as objects, he could have any woman he wanted because he had the power. Here, we have another similarity with The Color Purple, in this novel Mr Black was an oppressor and a dictator too. He forces Celie to do things she did not want to do. However, Celie had to ob ey him, and she did not have the opportunity to say what she really thought. Mr Black had Celie as a servant in his house while he spent time with Shug Avery, a woman who Mr. Black loved. Thats why Trujillo and Mr Black have many things in common. Both were machinists. In The Color Purple we have Sofia, character who for me is the strongest woman in the novel. Sofia married Harpo, Mr. Black ´s son. Harpo wants to treat Sofia, his wife; of the same manner, his father treats Celie. However, Sofia is a very intelligent woman and she does not allow it. On the contrary, Sofia takes control of the house and she does not allow herself to be insulted by anybody. She confronts even the white community, this community treated blacks as animals, but Sofia rebelled against that and she fought for her freedom. Unfortunately, she was taken to jail because she hits and insults a very important white man in the town. The similarity with In The Time of the Butterflies is that Sofia has the same courage that Minerva, one of the Mirabal sisters. For me, Minerva was also the bravest and strongest woman in this novel. I think these two women are similar. They have the same purpose in fighting; they wanted freedom for themselves and for their families. These two women did not really care if they lost their freedom in order to get their fights. Minerva Mirabal gave her life in order to have a better country and Sofia, from The Color Purple, lost her freedom in order to get a better treatment for her family and for the black community. Another similarity I found is that in each novel there is one woman who narrates or tells her story through writings. For example, in In The Time of the Butterflies Dedà © narrates her story through a diary, in which she wrote all that happened to her. On the other hand, In The Color Purple Celie tells her story through letters to God. In these papers, Celi and Dedà ¨ could write all their thought and all those things they could not say in front of people. In these papers, they expressed all they felt. And I could say that these papers were like a person they could talk to. In conclusion, I can say that these two stories made me think about the life I want for my daughters in a future. In these novels there was much tragedy but they showed me the value people should give to the women. I personally believe that all women have to have the same opportunities. The society should not distinguish between black and white women, because they are all equals. Consequently, they have to be treated in the same manner as the society treats men. Women have the same and even more capacity as men and sometimes they are stronger. Women have the power to sacrifice her life in order to save their relatives not matter what. The difference between genders is just an obstacle created by the human mind.

America Online Inc., Essay -- Business Case Study Marketing, solution

Strategy Analysis of America Online Inc. Prior to 1995, AOL was very successful in the commercial online industry relative to its competitors CompuServe and Prodigy primarily because of its pricing rate structure which was the easiest for customers to understand and plan for ahead of time. CompuServe and Prodigy offered the same pricing as AOL for its standard service, but, charged additional fees for premium services and downloading which made it more difficult for customers to anticipate their monthly spending. The key changes taking place in the online industry in 1995 are the introduction of the Microsoft network and the coming of use of the Internet World Wide Web which offered alternative channels to content providers that provided more control over their offerings and potentially higher revenues. Microsoft Network took only a 30% commission fee (versus 80% taken by AOL from its content providers’ revenues) from its content providers and offered providers the option of choosing any format and font to display their content (versus the standard screen displays offered by AOL and its rivals). Also, the per-hour pricing policy offered by Microsoft was superior to AOL’s. With the development underway of a way to provide on-line currency collection, the World Wide Web offered huge incentives for providers to start publishing material on the internet by their own means without having to go through a middle-man such as an online provider. Both of these offerings do not bode well f or AOL’s future prospects due to the huge incentives for customers and content providers to switch to these alternative distribution channels. Prior to 1995, there is substantial evidence in the case (Exhibit 2 in the case) to suggest that the benefits of the expense of the free-trial CD marketing programs in acquiring customers will accrue over multiple periods. The average lifetime of a user was projected to be approximately 32 months (prior to 1995) and this makes a strong case, in my opinion, for capitalizing these expenses, as AOL did. With the advent of competition, as discussed earlier, compounded with the difficulty of retaining retail customers, especially online, it is highly unlikely that AOL’s customers are likely to stay for an extended period of time just because of the initial inducements. Hence, I would recommend that the accounting policy be changed gradu... ... $87,471 Million Adjusted Book Value of Capital = Book Value of Capital – Value of Subscriber Acquisition Costs Asset   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   = $239,754 M- $130,473 M = $109,281 Million   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Subscriber Acquisition Costs Capitalized  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Subscriber Acquisition Costs Expensed Return on Assets (ROA)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (19,294)(1-.34)/406,464 = -3.13%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (70,131)(1-.34)/ 275,991 = -17% Return on Equity (ROE)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (33,647)/217,944 = -15.44%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (84,484) /87,471 = -97% Return on Capital (ROC)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (19,294)(1-.34)/ (21,810+217,944) = -5.31%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (70,131)(1-.34)/109,281 = -42% C.3 Differential Tax Benefit Subscriber Acquisition Costs in 1995 = $111,761 million Amortization of Subscriber Acquisition Costs in 1995 = $60,924 million Tax Deduction if Subscriber Acquisition Costs were expensed = $111,761 million * 0.34 = $ 37,999 million Tax Deduction if Subscriber Acquisition Costs were capitalized = $60,924 million * 0.34 = $ 20,714 million By expensing instead of capitalizing, AOL is able to derive a much larger tax benefit ($37,999 million instead of $20,714 million). The differential tax benefit can be written as: Differential Tax Benefit = $37,999 - $20,714 = $17,285 million

What is an educated Filipino Essay

The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in response to fundamental changes in the details and aims of society. In our country and during this transition stage in our national life, what are the qualities which an educated man should possess? Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last forty years. The contact with Americans and their civilization has modified many of our own social customs, traditions, and practices, some for the worse and many for the better. The means of communication have improved and therefore better understanding exists among the different sections of our country. Religious freedom has developed religious tolerance in our people. The growth of public schools and the establishment of democratic institutions have developed our national consciousness both in strength and in solidarity. With this growth in national consciousness and national spirit among our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception of education – the training of the individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not only for his own happiness and efficiency but also for national service and welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of private concern; now it is a public function, and the state not only has the duty but it has the right as well to educate every member of the community – the old as well as the young, women as well as men – not only for the good of the individual but also for the self-preservation and protection of the State itself. Our modern public school system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and dangers of a democratic government and democratic institutions. In the light of social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities should distinguish the educated Filipino of today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should first be distinguished by the power to do. The Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is the doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs more of his power to translate reflection into  action. I believe that we are coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and useful part in the work, life, and progress of our country as well as in the progress of the world. The power to do embraces the ability to produce enough to support oneself and to contribute to the economic development of the Philippines. Undoubtedly, a man may be, and often is, an efficient producer of economic goods and at the same time he may not be educated. But should we consider a man who is utterly unable to support himself and is an economic burden to the society in which he lives as educated merely because he possesses the superficial graces of culture? I hope that no one will understand me as saying that, the only sign of economic efficiency is the ability to produce material goods, for useful social participation may take the form of any of any of the valuable services rendered to society trough such institutions as the home, the school, the church and the government. The mother, for example, who prepares wholesome meals, takes good care of her children and trains them in morals and right conduct at home, renders efficient service to the country as well as the statesman or the captain of industry. I would not make the power to do the final and only test of the educated Filipino; but I believe that in our present situation, it is fundamental and basic. The educated Filipino, in the third place, must have ingrained in his speech and conduct those elements that are everywhere recognized as accompaniments of culture and morality; so that, possessing the capacity for self – entertainment and study, he may not be at the mercy of the pleasure of the senses only or a burden to himself when alone. There are, then, at least three characteristics which I believe to be the evidence of the educated Filipino – the power to do, to support himself and contribute to the wealth of our people; acquaintance with the world’s progress, especially with that of his race, people, and the community, together with love of our best ideals and traditions; and refined manners and moral conduct as well as the power of growth.

My aunt Gertrude is a rare gem.

My aunt Gertrude is a rare gem. She remains unmarried till this day, and has no desire to do so even though she is exiting the prime of her life in a few months’ time. I asked her once whether she ever contemplated being alone during her twilight years, without the comforting companionship of a husband or the dutiful doting by her children.She looked straight at me in a gaze that at once appeared as if she was reaching deep into the recesses of her being.She spoke in a barely audible whisper that she once had such a dream as I mentioned, but no longer. I was gripped with a curiosity that was tinged with a certain sadness, as I detected that within her voice and readily embraced it as my own in empathy and identification with this woman whom I love.She started tearing, and continued slowly the sad poetry that had haunted her for the past decade. When she was younger, just out of college, my aunt was engaged to a gentleman from Chicago, by the name of Mollier. He was a dealer in antiques, and had a thriving business by the time he became acquainted with my aunt Gertrude.They were a loving couple, always together, engaged in frequent intimate conversations and shared many common interests and tender moments. He was the man that my aunt was destined to marry, and to love and hold till eternity.Alas, one evening as he was making the trip home from California, he ran into a road accident and was tragically killed. My aunt did not receive the call from the coroners till a day later, after they had verified his identity and checked through their databases. Her life there and then was thrown into disarray.She left her newly-begun job, and hid in her parents’ home for the next five years. She had to learn how to live again. As she conveyed these to me, it was not her who sobbed and cried. It was me, one still young and too tender to know just what it meant and how she must have felt.She told me the pain that she carried within her heart, and how that very m oment she had died to her own ambitions, plans, and sensitivity.Her life as she knew it, was over. She had died with him. I learned from her that day what courage meant, and how with silent purpose and prayer, one can emerge from a forest of lost dreams and darkened hope still intact, at least in person. I also learned just how great love can really be, and what lovers go through each time their love disappears, even for a moment on an errand.Aunt Gertrude will never marry. She will live out the rest of her days as a spinster, having come so close to living her life with the man she truly loved and losing it all at once.She will still go about her days bustling about in a cheery manner, loving her nephews and nieces, tending to their moments of despair and immature concerns. She now lives outside herself; a woman constantly challenging herself to focus her love on others in order not to drown in the despair of her own unfulfilled love. She is a beacon of light and hope to us all in the family, and she is what makes us strong and secure.