Early Literacy in Education Essay

Introduction â€Å"Literacy learning has a profound and lasting effect on the social and academic lives of children. Their future educational opportunities and career choices are directly related to literacy ability. Since early childhood is the period when language develops most rapidly, it is imperative that young children are provided with a variety of developmentally appropriate literacy experiences throughout each day, and that the classroom environment is rich with language, both spoken and printed. Early childhood teachers are responsible for both understanding the developmental continuum of language and literacy and for supporting each child’s literacy development. Literacy learning begins at birth and develops rapidly during the preschool period. The main components of literacy—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—should all be encouraged and supported through conversations and activities that are meaningful to the child and that involve adults and peers. Each child’s interest and motivation to engage in literacy-related activities are evident before that child is able to read or write conventionally. Children should be provided with environments that encourage literacy exploration and their emergent reading and writing behaviors should be valued and supported by their teachers. Effective language and literacy programs provide children who do not speak English with opportunities for listening, speaking, reading, and writing in both English and the home language. It is important for the teacher to recognize the need to make modifications in the presentation of vocabulary, directions, storytelling, reading, and other oral language communication when working with children who do not speak English as their home language. These modifications may include the use of visual aids, scaffolding, repetition, rephrasing, and modeling. † (NJ Department of Education, 2009) Gone are the days in which manual labor was the backbone of our society. We are a people living in the information technology age. Everything that is done from brewing your morning cup of coffee to setting your I-pod to wake you up morning and everything in between requires reading. Without reading a person will face great adversity in day to day living let alone success. It is now critical that every child and adult be able to read and comprehend. Over the past ten years, the amount of information that requires one to read, utilize writing skills, problem solving, and critical thinking has grown enormously. Studies have shown that one of the strongest indicators of a child’s success in school is the educational attainment of his or her parents. As you can imagine, this can plainly effect more than the person who is illiterate. This can also be a death sentence of poverty and destitution as the child grows into adulthood just as doors open for the life-long reader. Today we will discuss: what is needed to prepare children to read, the methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers, and what can be done to encourage reading in the future. Preparation In order for a child to begin reading parents must begin assisting their child from an early age. â€Å"Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most children †¢Talk and listen. †¢Listen to stories read aloud. †¢Pretend to read. †¢Learn how to handle books. †¢Learn about print and how it works. †¢Identify letters by name and shape. †¢Identify separate sounds in spoken language. †¢Write with scribbles and drawing. †¢Connect single letters with the sounds they make. †¢Connect what they already know to what they hear read. †¢Predict what comes next in stories and poems. †¢Connect combinations of letters with sounds. †¢Recognize simple words in print. †¢Sum up what a story is about. †¢Write individual letters of the alphabet. †¢Write words. †¢Write simple sentences. †¢Read simple books. †¢Write to communicate. †¢Read simple books. Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading. † (Helping your child become a reader) While these ideas may seem structured, it is also important to allow children to be creative and use their imagination. Although reading is imperative, too many arrangements and rules can turn a child off and lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and resistance. Reading should be set to the tone and pace of the child. Emergent Readers As the standards of education change a consistent factor remains the focus on reading. Early childhood educators must provide an atmosphere that is both developmentally stimulating to the student while also meeting the standards of education. The methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers vary from student to student. Without the foundation of phonics research shows that a child will not learn to read. All children must know the alphabet in order to communicate effectively. Phonics cannot be drilled into the child. This will only produce memorization. Instead, educators must understand a child’s individual needs as well as balance. There is no true need to teach phonics as a separate subject. Most children will develop a sense of curiosity from their own knowledge, ideas, and interest. There will of course be a select few that may benefit from a more formal instruction. When children have a reason to know this will provide enthusiasm. For example: The first letter and sound a child typically learns may be his or her own name. A teacher may ask Billy to identify the first letter of his name. â€Å"B† replies Billy. â€Å"What sound does the letter B make? † â€Å"Buh-buh-Billy exclaims the child. Billy is now inspired and driven to want to learn the other sounds the letters make. Parents and teachers must also realize that reading will contrast greatly as children grow. Below is a list that may help each parent as well as teacher: â€Å"Infants †¢Talk, read, and sing to infants–they learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life. †¢Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people. †¢Always make books a part of your baby’s toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be able to name the pictures, too. †¢Encourage associations between symbols and their meaning–as they get closer to toddlerhood, children may begin to recognize familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants. Toddlers †¢Help toddlers make the transition from baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without reprimanding them. †¢Let toddlers â€Å"read† their favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word. This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains. †¢Provide magnetic and block letters to introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name. †¢Before you take your toddler on a new type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning. Preschooler †¢Add new books to your child’s collection, but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now–this represents an important step in learning about reading. †¢Continue to take children shopping with you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as you follow a recipe. †¢Take books on long trips with you to encourage reading as entertainment. School-age children †¢Continue to read to your child, even if she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books. †¢Encourage story writing by listening to the stories children tell. †¢Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles. † (NAEYC, 1998) Encouragement â€Å"The first step in teaching a child to read is encouraging them to read. † – Unknown. This is a proven fact in the development of children. A child that is encouraged has no limit on what he or she can achieve. As educators and parents the responsibility begins early. Reading will encourage children to develop a life-long love for learning. If knowledge is power, books are full of it. Why is reading so important to children? â€Å"The Media Awareness Network emphasizes the potentially negative effects watching television can have on kids. This includes increased exposure to violence, sexual content, and adversely affecting a child’s course of development. In addition, watching television teaches children habits that promote a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, reading has been proven to enhance a child’s life by assisting cognitive development and helping children build language skills. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization points out that reading helps children develop a sense of empowerment. It can also help children develop social and communication skills. Furthermore, good reading skills increase educational opportunities and may dramatically increase a child’s chances for academic and lifelong success† (Lendabarker, 2010) There is a vast assortment of options for parents to help encourage reading at home. One of the longest running programs to encourage reading is Pizza Hut’s â€Å"BOOK IT† program. â€Å"This provides an incentive to motivate children to read. BOOK IT! runs every school year from October through March. The teacher sets a reading goal for each child in the class. A tracking chart and reproducibles are included to make it that much easier. As soon as a child meets the monthly reading goal, the teacher gives him or her a Reading Award Certificate. † (Pizza Hut) Flexible BOOK IT! goals are based on reading ability. Number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes – they all work. BOOK IT! can also be used with the reading curriculum or as support for comprehension or intervention programs. For children not reading independently, the goal can be set where a parent or others read to the child. Fun Pizza Hut is proud of all BOOK IT! readers! The restaurant manager and team congratulate every child for meeting the monthly reading goal and reward them with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza, BOOK IT! card and backpack clip. Other ideas to encourage reading include: †¢Make a habit of reading to your child every day, whether she is a one-year-old or a 10-year-old. †¢When your child is able to, have her read to you. You can take turns reading chapters in a simple chapter book, for example. †¢Get a library card for your child. Go to the library every week and take out several books. †¢Be aware of your child’s interests and direct your child to related books. †¢Try to find a series that she really likes and will want to continue reading. †¢Provide a comfortable reading area, with good lighting, in your home. †¢Discuss books with your child. †¢Buy books for your children that are related to their special interests. †¢If your child is a reluctant reader and not reading on grade level, buy her hi/lo books (books with a high interest level, low vocabulary). †¢Talk to your child’s teacher and ask for suggestions. †¢If your child likes incentives and the computer, enroll in an online book group. †¢If your child really enjoys a particular author, check with your librarian about other authors or books she might enjoy. †¢Children also often enjoy the opportunity to read children’s magazines As parents and educators, it is more important to spend time reading with your child on a consistent on-going basis. The method you select is not nearly as important as the time spent actually reading together. Conclusion Show me a child that can read and research will show you a child on his or her way to succeed. Parents, educators, grandparents, aunts, uncles all need to take time to read to a child. All too often parents rush out to buy the latest video game or latest toy. Where is that enthusiasm for the love of reading? How many children even see their parents read? We live in an age where technology surrounds us at every given moment; that does not negate the need to read and to take an active role in the education of children. The research speaks for itself. Reading equals succeeding. Works Cited Bagert, B. C. (1993). Helping your child learn to read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Kids Source: http://www. kidsource. com/kidsource/content/learread. html Lendabarker, K. (2010, January 3). Encouraging Children to Read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Suite101: http://earlychildhood. suite101. com/article. cfm/helping_children_develop_good_reading_habits NAEYC. (1998). Phonics and Whole Language Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Education. com: http://www. education. com/reference/article/Ref_Phonics_Whole/ NJ Department of Education. (2009, Unknown Unknown). Retrieved February 16, 2010, from www. state. nj. us: www. state. nj. us/education/cccs/2009/PreSchool. doc Pizza Hut. (n. d. ). Pizza Hut. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program: http://www. bookitprogram. com/bedtimestory/ Uknown. (n. d. ). Literacy Guide. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from Bankstreet: http://www. bankstreet. edu/literacyguide/early2. html Unknown. (unknown, unknown unknown). Helping your child become a reader. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from Ed. gov: http://www2. ed. gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part4. html.

Growing Up African American

I am a member of the African American group and I would like to tell you a bit about the group of when I am a part of. Let me start by saying that my African American group originated from Africa and growing up in America can be tough for people of my race, the African Americans. My group’s history is wide ranging spanning for many years and varying from region to region within the United States. I remember when I was young I use to talk to my mother a lot and asked her many questions like â€Å"Why am I called an African American? She went on to explain that our race originally comes from Africa and we were part of a slave trade. From my mother I learned that we were slaves until a law was passed to give us freedom. I use to wonder when I was young if there were other people similar to me all over America. I also remember something my father told me once that African Americans live all over the country. My father told stories of how he used to go to an all black school could vote or sit in the front of buses. Being African Americans have faced several kinds of creation and consequence situations in the years they have been a part of the United States. In some places cheaper labor, longer work hours and terrible living conditions. Many people of the United States have made it almost impossible for groups of another race or Ethnicity to strive and live full happy lives. I have seen over the year’s situations of extermination in some parts, as well segregation, and expulsion. In school from some of my teachers, in social interactions like just walking through a store, and especially in the work place when they’ll even give me the chance to work because it doesn’t matter I go to get a job out here. There are some racist, even the Uncle Tom’s. I’ve done everything they ask and still I either get denied the job or they hire me and treat me like Growing up African American 3 trash until I quit, or they try to find a reason to get rid of me. Since, I don’t give them much reason to get rid of me due to my strong work ethic and performance; they usually try to break me down. Education plays an important role for most African Americans; however we are still way behind when compared to the White American which probably has a lot to do with the way some of us was brought up or our background. Regardless of the contributions made by the forefathers of black people, there is a hesitation of acceptance of the race that has been a focus of many groups the strive for freedom and justice for all, that has not yet been rectified. The same group of people was good enough to built the country is not always seen as good enough to live in the house next door. I believe because this country is made up of many different races and ethnic groups that are steadily growing in numbers. If different races are toco exist peacefully in the U. S. , it is vital that we all become educated on the history and culture of different races and ethnicities. According to the 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS the total population for 2000 were 2,025 male 965 and female 1,060 square miles 2. 45. Race: white (635); black or African American (1,362); American Indian and Alaska Native (1); Asian (13); and two or more races (14); and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) (40) (Fact finder Census 2000). Birthplace facts from the 2000 census data in Lexington born in the same state (1,706); born in another state (269); born outside the US (0); naturalized citizen (14); and foreign born, not US citizen (10). Some more 2000 census data in educational attainment population 25 and older was 1,206 in Lexington: high school graduates (299); some college, or associate’s degree (349); bachelor’s degree (111); and master’s, professional or doctorate degree (60). Some enrollment population 3 years and over Growing up African American 4 enrolled in school was 627: preschool and kindergarten (83); grades 1-12 (446); and college (98) (2000 census data).

Before the Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Before the Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example In another one of Harry Bloom’s books he reports on another famous black writer, Fredrick Douglass (â€Å"Major Black American Writers through the Harlem Renaissance† 34-35). Fredrick Douglass, like Phillis Wheatley, was born a slave. Unlike Phillis Wheatley, Fredrick Douglass’ owners treated him brutally. His owner shipped him from home to home working for cruel men. One of the mistresses he worked for taught him to read and write until she was ordered to stop by her husband. Fredrick wrote about what he knew about, slavery. His autobiography and speeches were published after his escape to England. His only fiction work was also about slavery. His need to document the plight of slaves and fight for the abolishment of slavery was apparent in all of his writings. Alexandre Dumas the writer of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers was from France (Goetz). Even though Alexandre had been born a freeman, his grandmother was a slave. Alexandre grew up in the world of his white father. Thus his writing reflected 19th century France. The revolution in France had redefined justice. You see in The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask the new democratic views sweeping France at Alexandre Dumas’ time. Even the black writers not mentioned in this essay wrote about their plight at the time. Before the Harlem Renaissance black writers faced hardship, whether they were slaves or not. Even the best master could not help a writer they did not see as an equal. Each writer before the Harlem Renaissance faced a bias audience.

Managerial Economics Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managerial Economics Assignment - Essay Example Given the implicit link that is found between market growth and the elements of well-being (e.g. levels of employment and consumption), GDP is often regarded as a proxy indicator for human development and well-being. However, this relationship between economic growth and social welfare is not straight. Soon after the inception of GDP, the interpretation and its use as a proxy for social welfare received much criticism which included some of the most established thinkers in economics such as Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen and Muhammad Yunus (Wesselink, et al., 2007, p.3). GDP is limited in the sense that it does not put in a number of factors that can determine the well being of the people and nature such as the value for non-market goods and services like an ecosystem services, for unpaid labor, and leisure or in distributional issues. Several measures like aggregated single number indicators, indicator sets, and satellite accounts have been formed that can act as the complements to GD P and in related economic indicators (Wesselink, et al., 2007, p.5). Standard of living and GDP GDP per capita is not a proper measure for the standard of living found in an economy (Economics, 1958, p.310). However, it is frequently used to be such an indicator based on the rationale that all people in a country would be befitting from their country's higher economic production. Similarly, GDP per capita is not an accurate measure for personal income (Eckes, 2011, p.7). GDP can increase while the real incomes of the majority decline. The major advantage of using GDP per capita to be an indicator for standard of living is that GDP per capita is measured frequently, widely, and consistently. It is measured frequently in several countries as they provide information on GDP on quarterly basis, allowing the trends to be understood by the analysts quickly. It is measured widely in the sense that some indicators of GDP are always available in almost every country of the world, which allow s inter-country comparisons. It is measured consistently as the technical definition for GDP is relatively same or consistent among the countries (Muljadi, n.d, p.14). Despite of these features, it is not considered to be a good measure for the standard of living. The argument favoring the use of GDP as a proxy for the standard-of-living is not that fact that GDP of a nation is a good indicator for the absolute level of standard of living, but the fact that the living standard tends to move with the per-capita GDP, so that the changes in the living standards are easily detected by the changes in GDP (Muljadi, n.d, p.14). GDP versus real GDP GDP = consumption (personal + government spending) + business (non-financial) investment + net exports (exports - imports). It is essential to know the real definition of GDP which is that it is used to measure the total production in a country. It is a metric for economic activity. As such, the exact value of GDP has very little relevance. Inste ad, the economy of a country is interested mostly in the changes in GDP, or in the comparisons between countries or in different time periods. As the change in GDP over a certain time is important, one has to carefully consider the impacts of inflation. An inflation rate of say 5% would automatically lead to a 5% increase in GDP (assuming the inflation metric is a reasonably representative of the prices for the entire economy)

Global Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Issue - Essay Example In the same cases, there is a reduction in the consumption and the ultimate increase in the savings as a share of GDP. The weakening in the rates of growth in the richest countries, and in parallel, the improvements in the rate of growths in the countries that are regarded as developing, automatically leads to a reduction on income inequality on the global scale. The inequalities between individuals within every country have a significant impact on a global level of inequalities. It is the degree of life’s variation including various levels of biological organization. Biodiversity considers several diversity existing among various species of plants and animals that live in a particular place. Biodiversity is necessary for the biological cycle in earth. Therefore, its existence is of great concern to humans. Humans should get concerned on biodiversity because the system is like a â€Å"chain creation†. If one part of the cycle goes wrong, then it puts the entire ecosystem in jeopardy, and the whole food web can be destroyed. Man is found at the top of the food chain, and if all other species below get affected or extinct in the process, the ecosystem will be hard for a man to survive. Therefore, biodiversity should be preserved in the environment. The use of rebel organism as an alternative source of energy seems the disastrous to the earthed ecosystem. The organism utilizes the nutrients that are underused thus shifting the environment away from the usual state that man has adapted. Climate change is very real in the modern world. Over several years, the climate of the earth has been changing throughout. Most of the variations seen in the global climate are linked to small variations in the orbit and accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The evidence indicating global changes of climate is compelling and includes the rising sea levels by approximately seventeen centimeters, global increase in temperatures, the ever warming of the oceans,

Iphone 5 Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iphone 5 Scenario - Essay Example With respect to the scenario under review, Apple is reportedly the first company to adopt and use relative technology, second generation LTE thin chips from Qualcomm Company. This has given it an upper hand and a competitive edge against its competitors in the telecommunications sector. Using the latest technology, it has been able to explore technological resources and use these in addressing wide ranging and emerging consumer needs. One of the devices that it has manufactured and which it wishes to sell includes the iPhone 5. The main aim for this is to present to the consumer base a smart telecommunication device with ideal features. The purpose of this paper is to undertake research regarding consumer perceptions and expectations of this product. Findings would be instrumental in ensuring that the product is customized to meet consumer needs. This will ensure that its performance in the market is optimal. In addition, the research would provide useful insights regarding consumer trends and changes in tastes and preferences. Based on this, Apple will be able to use its creativity in ensuring that relative needs and preferences and met accordingly. Besides this, market research will provide important information about the innovations of apple’s competitors. ... nship, Breen and Dukta (1998) found out that a significant percentage of the population fancy latest electronic products which meet their tastes and preferences. This can be used to explain why most of the users of iPhone 4S are not happy with the latest development. Ideally, they will be forced to purchase the new product in order to be at par with the market trends and lifestyle expectations. Previous trends regarding the performance of iPhone 4S in the market indicate that the sale of iPhone 5 would be a success. In this respect, a significant percentage of the population that purchased iPhone 4S had never used an iPhone before (Johnson, 2011). Market research ascertains that although iPhone 4 met most of the consumer needs, its low battery and storage capacity limits its effectiveness. Consumers are, thus, still searching for a product that would meet their needs, tastes and preferences in this respect. In their review, Hair, Wolfinbarger, Bush and Ortinau (2009) posit that iPhon e 5 provides the best opportunity for Apple to address these needs. Statistical evidence shows that a significant 35% of the consumer base has promised to buy the product immediately it is introduced in the market (Johnson, 2011). Aggressive marketing can go a long way in increasing this to a greater percentage. Previous trends indicate that consumers tend to gain confidence with a product after it is introduced and tested in the market. Research tools are instrumental in collecting vital data from the respondents. At this point, it is worth appreciating that the data collected is instrumental in credible decision making. It should therefore not only be comprehensive but also representative of the views of the consumer base. This would ensure that decisions made are based on informed

American Kitchen Revolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Kitchen Revolution - Research Paper Example The Architectural design upon which these works were laid depended on the North American basics and eclectic combinations of European architectural techniques, manipulations, and practices (Smith, 1976: 76). The preliminary commencement of American architecture dates back to the regal tradition of the United States and the practices that transpired as a result of the evacuation of European background. The American melting vessel grew and both the edifice and planning practices advanced. This in turn led to the dawn of the colonial style which became the cornerstone of the architectural progress of the United States. The outstanding consideration of these designs focus on the balance between classical and gothic ideals. Some of the common European monuments like Gloucestershire serve as benchmark for this piece of work. It therefore goes without objection that the kitchen is inextricably correlated to this discovery. The hearth remains in various historical sites helps to establish th e dating of this. Instead of the fridges of the 19th century, root cellars were used to maintain the cold temperature of foods during summers and offered a conducive environment for preservation of food stuffs during winter (Smith, 1976: 76). Another preservative method during the ancient kitchen era was the smoke house. It was very vital for preservation of both fish and meat. The early hearths invented were either of clay or stone origin. The hearths could either be deep or shallow, depending on the size of the homesteads. The fire places had fixed revolving spits and clips that could be used to hang meat. This had to be substituted with the wake of change though gradual. It came with the enactment of the sociological evolution which authorized the open air kitchen integrated with living room. Care was however taken not to contaminate the whole apartment. The later days ushered in the contemporary styles where a combination of the sobriety, clever storage solutions and cutting edg e technology was put in place (Smith, 1976: 76). Mr. Wright coined the word ‘’usonia’’ to guide the architectural designs in the USA as per the ideals of the American democratic ideals. This was meant for the vision of the moderated small and affordable houses then. These houses had in them central hearths, open kitchens, and window walls. They assumed the horizontal plan reminiscent of a storey building. The kitchen largely remained impervious by the many architectural plans and progress that there were during the middle ages. Only open fire places served this purpose. However old these kitchens may sound or look, the old kitchen houses were built together with the main house described as palace in Europe and had such inclusions as arms, flax, silver spoons, brass, pewter and iron among other stuffs and therefore served their intended role. They also had counter tops made from linoleum. They were superb structures compared to the small wooden houses that dotted some of the ancient fields. They had completed and well revamped gates, bright gardens, a fine canal, offices, orchards, and walks. Pertaining to this urge of putting up a desired kitchen, there emerged a major bottleneck which was the establishment of an appealing place for the location of a kitchen cabinet. This was meant for storage of food and pots away from sight. One known appliance of the time was the pantry dresser. The homes lacked modern pipes and thus forced

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, Essay - 1

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, and a short paragraph Evaluation of the text below - Essay Example According to Melissa, Obama does bear responsibility because he is a black in whom the African-American’s triumph is embodied. Therefore, the successes that are associated with his election can be accomplished if the blacks come out to protest the discrimination they are still subjected to by the whites. Indeed, this article can be a very invaluable resource. First, it was written by a reputable scholar who is so credible and has authored lots of books and articles and made imminent contributions to the field of journalism. Besides, it provides a lot of detailed information about the cases of alleged racism by the US police in different parts of the country. Indeed, it sensitizes me about the plight of the African-Americans who, despite constantly fighting race-based discrimination, still suffer in the hands of law enforcers. At the same time, the manner in which the author associates President Obama is challenging and thought-provoking. Since it provides all the necessary information about the plight of the blacks, the article becomes authoritative, valid and enjoyable to read. After all, the credibility of its author is not doubted at

Proposal for a problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Proposal for a problem - Essay Example The answer here is no. In order to solve this problem, The Food Gulf Processing is supposed to increase the number of the people to 2 per storage giving a total of 6 people, as well as purchase a scanner which is efficient and fast enough thus serving a much larger number of people than the three people would have served. Scanning will be effective and no one will escape the service making the company to realize lots of the profits and minimize the losses that were incurred during the period the 3 people were serving through registration of people manually. The manual registration is also a time consuming service as one has to keep the pen and the paper in touch which is tedious during the reviewing and the calculation of the accounting problems. It is such a daunting task to register one item after another and after these items are released outside to the food business they are not able to fetch the required profits. Three people serving in these stores are unable to meet the business objectives. These 3 people cause the company to lose almost  ¾ of the sales since the day ends before all the items are registered, which would mean a loss to the business since one item cost between $5 and $12. The slowness of the 3 people that are responsible for the registration would continuously bring in the losses to the business that might cause it to fail. This factor makes the workers confused and disoriented because of the inability to account for losses incurred due to poor register management. Adding 4 more people such that each storage would hold a total of 2 people as well as give a scanner for every storage would facilitate the service of registering the items and increase the rate at which the items are released to the consumers. The cost of production will definitely go down as there are higher experiences of the profits to the company. There is the need to have the good number of the service providers and the presence of the

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 2

Managing strategy - Essay Example The company’s maximum revenue is earned from the domestic streaming services, which accounts for $2.75 billion of revenue generation. Netflix is dominant in the American market, which generates almost 84% of its revenue (Marketline, 2014). This paper discusses the external and internal environment of Netflix, using theoretical models like PESTLE framework, porter’s five forces, VRIN framework, Value chain model etc. This is followed by the discussion of the challenges faced by Netflix along with the vantage point which the company has leveraged. The paper further discusses about the company’s strategic growth options which have been justified in the light of relevant facts and theories. Finally the paper will conclude with the summary of the major findings from the study, followed by recommendation on the chosen strategic decisions. Political influence: Netflix operates in the movie streaming and DVD rental business, which is rarely affected by the political scenario of a region. However, the political framework can impose certain regulations and ban particular movies with controversial content. Movies with political storyline often bring controversies and are eventually banned in several countries, which affect the business of Netflix. Economic influence: The economic condition of a region highly influences the business operation of a firm. The movie steaming and rental business is highly dependent on the disposable income of the consumers. Moreover, movies are considered to be leisure products and a customer will spend on watching movies only when his disposable income is in and above satisfactory level. The economic crisis of 2012 has impacted the sales of Netflix significantly as it has reduced the number of viewership and subscriptions (Li, 2013). Moreover, the economic crisis has also led to lower number of film productions. Social:

First Eclogue of Vrigil Essay Example for Free

First Eclogue of Vrigil Essay The first eclogue was written between 42 and 39 B.C.E. Two of the eclogues which are the 1 and 9 belong to the pastoral poetry. This eclogue is a 12 verses dialogue between 2 herdsmen: Meliboeus and Tityrus. The first eclogue is based on a personal experience. Virgil and his family had been evicted and this memory appears in the personality of Meliboeus. But the family got their rights back because of Octavianus and the personality of Tityrus reflects Virgil’s gratefulness. 1st stanza(Meliboeus): * it is a complaint * he called himself a kind of exile * he knew that his fortune is worse than Tityrus’s * he had to leave his â€Å"sweet fields† 2nd stanza(Tityrus): * the God is the one who can help * he helped him too 3rd stanza(Meliboeus): * Meliboeus is not jealous of Tityrus * he started to complain about his past * he asked a question about the God who was mentioned by Tityrus 4th stanza(Tityrus): * he praised Rome with the cypress-comparison * Rome is the King of cities for him 5th stanza(Meliboeus): * this is a question * why Tityrus wanted to go Rome 6th stanza(Tityrus): * freedom is an important thing for Tityrus * he wasn’t free with Galatea * Galatea is a mythological person who symbolises the social problems * in the mythology she was in love and she was killed by a jealous women. * Amaryllis symbolises the present who is his new love 7th stanza(Meliboeus): * he refers to Tityrus’s happy life 8th stanza(Tityrus): * maybe he mentioned the God who helped him 9th stanza(Meliboeus): * he said that Tityrus kept his field * it refers to Tityrus’s loyalty about his home * In spite of the social problems he didn’t leave his homeland 10th stanza(Tityrus): * he would never leave his home 11th stanza(Meliboeus): * Meliboeus wanted to find a new home 12th stanza(Tityrus): * Tityrus offers food and place to sleep to Meliboeus To sum up: Tityrus ‘s personality reflects the loyalty about his homeland. He tries to convince Meliboeous of this loyalty because he can’t ignore the problems of their home.

Things Fall Apart | Okonkwo

Things Fall Apart | Okonkwo Chapter 1 â€Å"He was a man of action, a man of warOn great occasions such as the funeral of a village celebrity he drank his palm-wine from his first human head.† (Page 10) This quote introduces us of to Okonkwos tradition to drink his palm-wine from a human skull. This shows us the difference between Okonkwo and Ibo. This also shows that Okonkwo admires men who are tough fighters as well. He rejected his father, a man who was afraid of the sight of blood, partially because he never became a fighter. Chapter 2 â€Å"Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.†(Page 13) The quote emphasizes that Okonkwo felt that his father was a failure. According to Okonkwo, his father possessed unsuitable feminine qualities. This is one of the fundamental causes which cause him to commit some silly acts. His actions also results in his eldest son in becoming a â€Å"failure† (in Okonkwos opinion) as well. His son possesses none of the qualities that Okonkwo admires. Chapter 3 â€Å"An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. Okonkwo remembered his own father.†(Page 21) This Ibo proverb shows how much Okonkwo hates his father. He felt that he was a failure and he basically rejects everything that his father stood for. He is ashamed of his father, primarily because of his coward-like qualities, his failure to rise up in society, and his failure to become a warrior. Chapter 4 But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said that his good fortune had gone to his head. (Page 33) In this quote, Achebe portrays Okonkwos character. Okonkwo clearly shows a lack of thought topped by his pretentiousness. He was not a very likable person. Thus, people hated him and his achievements and was respected by very few. Later on in the novel, we also see another characteristic develop in Okonkwo hypocrisy. In those later chapters, he will reject everything he and his tribesman stand for. Chapter 5 â€Å"The Feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honor the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan. New yams could not be eaten until some had first been offered to these powers. Men and women, young and old, looked forward to the New Yam Festival because it began the season of plentythe new year.† (Page 36) When we were reading Great Expectations, we were asked to carefully analyze the food present in the novel. The food present in Things Fall Apart is as significant. Yams was the main source of food. In fact, the yams were so highly regarded in the society that they were often called the the king of the crops. Further, people utilized the yams for all traditional celebrations. This food can be linked with the religious and ancestral societal spirits. Certain celebrations such as the New Yam Festival took place to honor certain foods. Chinua Achebe used agriculture to express certain characteristics of each festival and celebration of the Igbo society. Chapter 6 â€Å"The wrestlers were now almost stillin each others grip. The muscles on their arms and their thighs and on their backs stood out and twitched It looked like an equal match.† (Page 50) Although this chapter may seem significant it actually has a very significant common idea the wrestling match. Although wrestling may seem like a brutal sport, it was an integral part of the local culture and society. Tribal customs outline what every member is supposed to do. Without customs, a culture does not exist. Moreover, wrestling matches for the Ibo village signified a boy becoming a man. The only way to prove himself worthy to be a man is to wrestle. This shows the importance of physical strength in the tribe. Chapter 7 No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man. (Page 53) Okonkwo, the protagonist of the novel, is a very gender-role oriented man. When women gained the power to trade, we are made aware that their status in society is progressing upwards. Trade changed basic family relations and the ideas upon which Igbo culture was established. It seems the idea that a man should â€Å"rule his women and children† does not perhaps come from Okonkwo himself, but rather from the Igbo culture itself. Overall, however, this quote symbolizes that women were looked upon as being inferior to men at the time. Chapter 8 â€Å"When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed.† (Page 65) The Ibo culture is very different from modern culture as shown by the novel. One clear difference between most modern societies and the Ibo society was that warfare between different clans or tribes does not occur. The Ibo culture praises manliness and parades fighters. Today, society teaches us to honor warriors who fight against other countries, rather than with regional clans. This quote shows that vast difference between the two time periods. Chapter 9 â€Å"For the first time in three nights,Okonkwo slept.He woke up oncein the middle of thenightand his mind went back to the pastthreedays without making him feel uneasy. He began to wonder why he had felt uneasy at all.† (Page 75) In this quote, we see that Okonkwo is noticing something wrong. He feels that something is simply not right, yet he cannot figure what it quite is. Later on in the novel, we will learn that â€Å"things fall apart.† This quote is an indication that something wrong will happen. This shows Achebe using foreshadowing to provide insight into what might happen next. Chapter 10 â€Å"Okonkwos wives, and perhaps other women as well, might have noticed that the secondegwugwuhad the springy walk of Okonkwo. And they might also have noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row ofegwugwu. But if they thought these things they kept them to themselves.† (Pages 89-90) This quote portrays a scene in much detail while also using humor. The thoughtful silence of the women is extremely ironic. The quote reveals the attitude of women on the topic of power. Here, the women also reveal that they posses more knowledge of reality as compared to what they wish to reveal. Therefore, Achebe seems to recognize the importance and equality of women, something which was not usually regarded in a male dominant society. Chapter 11 â€Å"Go home and sleep, said Okonkwo. ‘I shall wait here.' (Page 108) Okonkwo seems to genuinely love his family. He also seems to have genuine concern over the welfare and wellbeing of his children. In this quote, Okonkwo demonstrates his concern over the safety of his family. Although some would argue that Okonkwos â€Å"iron fisted† rule clearly shows no love for his family, I would differ. Perhaps, these beatings, instead, represented the way people acted in the society at that time. Physical punishment was very common in the era. Therefore, it is possible that Okonkwo was only using the beatings as a method to teach his children discipline. Basically, Okonwo loves his family, however, he is afraid to show this quality since her fears that it might portray him as being feminine. Chapter 12 â€Å"Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not slept at all last night.† (Page 112) Chapter 12 marks the first time that Okonkwo seems to be tired. This was a quality that he detested. Achebe shows Okonkwos tiredness to conflict with his earlier beliefs. This shows Okonkwos hypocritical nature. The fact that Okonkwo broke his vow is crucial since they were the foundation of his life. This will cause problems for him further on in the novel. Chapter 13 â€Å"The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan.† (Page 124) In the second part of the novel, Achebe uses several incidents that hold back Okonkwo from the commendation of his tribesman, establishing asimilarity towards his own father. This was surprising considering his own hatred for his father. In this quote Okonkwo accidently kills the tribesmans son and then escapes from the village to hide from any punishment. This shows his cowardness, a characteristic possessed by his father. This also shows Okonkwos hypocrisy. After all, he, himself, looked down upon cowards. Chapter 14 It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age.(Page 131) Okonkwo, after noticing change in his society, felt difficult to go on with his life. He had to start a news chapter in his life. This quote illustrates Okonkwo as a person who seems to have lost his will to live life. Okonkwos qualitys and his goal in becoming a fighter, unlike his father, fade away and he becomes a different man. Chapter 15 Those were good days when a man had friends in distant clans. Your generation does not know that. You stay at home, afraid of your next-door neighbor. Even a mans motherland is strange to him nowadays. (Page 137) In this quote, Unchendu is telling Okwondo about the past. Although, the quote refers to men interacting within their classes, on a deeper level, it shows the change that has occurred within the society. People are changing and tradations are changing as well. The traditions that the people of the society want to stay the same are changing as well. This will eventually be the â€Å"things† that fall apart. Yet, all of this was expected. After all, the title of the novel is â€Å"Things Fall Apart.† Since everything was going so perfectly, something was bound to happen. Chapter 16 â€Å"The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding areas and villages.† (Page 143) The invasion of the Europeans of Africa was expected. Achebe mentions that the missionaries were moving there. Although, I do not endorse the Europeans coming into Africa, the Europeans coming into the village illustrated a very interesting idea the clashing of cultures. Their invasion of the villages illustrated how the traditional values of the Umuofia society could be so easily changed by this modern theology. This gives everyone a chance to think for themselves, rather than simply following what was traditionally thought of to be right. It gave the people a choice. This choice was taken by Nwoye who made his own path in life. Chapter 17 Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.(Page 153) This quote is metaphor for a very important idea. This comes after Nwoyesrejection of traditional Igbo values and conversion to Christianity. Nwoye, the oldest son of Okonkwo, is lazy and weak (according to Okonkwo). This quote emphasizes the realization of Okonkwo that his behavior leaves powerlessness in others, especially his son. Okonkwo believes the Nwoye and his father posses the same weakness. Chapter 18 In the land of his fathers where men were bold and warlike. In these seven years he would have climbed to the utmost heights. And so regretted everyday of his exile (p.163). This excerpt also emphasizes Okonkwos desire for power and status. During his exile, Okonkwo got in touch with the feminine side inside him. Okonkwo is a man who loves courage and Umuofia was full of men who fit that description. It seems that Okonkwo will go back to Umuodia and everything will have changed. After all, the title of the novel is â€Å"Things Fall Apart.† Nothing has â€Å"fallen apart,† yet so something is bound to happen. This idea shows that Achebe, like Charles Dickens, too, uses the idea of foreshadowing. Chapter 19 I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship. You do not know what it is to speak with one voice. (Page 167) This quote is told by an elder to Okwondo. Kinship and connections, which have been crucial parts of the Ibo culture, seem to â€Å"fall apart† as the novel progresses. This quote sparks questions in my mind. Was there any fragmentation amongst the Ibo people from colonization? The Ibo people gathered for wrestling matches and other festivities. Okonkwo clashes with his culture very often. Chapter 20 â€Å"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.† (Page 176) Obierika mourns over the white man coming to Africa. However, at the same time, he believes that it is the Africans fault for letting the white man come. Mr. Brown, the first white missionary, believes that it is necessary to act peacefully in order to convert people. When Reverend Smith replaces him, he goes against the indigenous tribes and treats them badly. Chapter 21 He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women† (Page 183) Okonkwo wanted that the ideology of his clan should survive. The society to have several violent attributes. By giving into the Christians, Umuofia broke up and fell apart and turned as â€Å"soft as women.† I believed that Okonkwo did not pay the consequences because he killed the messenger. Okonkwo had killed others before. Okonkwo died because he did it for himself and the beliefs of the clan.The quote above not only shows Okonkwos dismay at the fall of the clan, but also his hatred of feminine qualities, a controversial topic in the novel. Chapter 22 He saw things as black and white.And black was evil.He saw the world as a battlefield in whichthe children of light were locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness. (Page 184) Mr. Smith speaks against the god Baal. Many struggles against Baal have been mentioned in the Bible. This shows Achebes criticism of racism. Achebe criticizes the â€Å"black and white† idea. Most racism is based on stories rather than any practical events. Therefore, this view has modified reality, something which Achebe seems to be very against. Chapter 23 â€Å"For the first time in many years Okonkwohad a feeling that was akin to happiness. The times which had altered so unaccountably during his exile seemed to be coming round again. The clan which had turned false on him appeared to be making amends.† (Page 192) This quote symbolizes a change, something which has happened very rarely in the novel. The status of the clan remains somewhat the same in various portions of the novel. However, at this time, the tribe is prosperous which is unlike the norm. However, this happiness will not last for long. After all, the novel has to live up to its expectations which are clearly revealed in the novel something must fall apart. This indicates that perhaps the tribe will disintegrate in the last few chapters. This might lead to a drastic turn in the novel. Chapter 24 â€Å"He knew that that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape† (Page 205). Okonkwos suicide meant more than his own tragedy. It symbolized the finish of his society and all the values that prevailed. I think he killed himself because he felt there was no more hope in believing that his tribe would survive and defend itself. Okonkwo tried to represent that everything his tribe wanted. If the tribe wasnt going to survive with the way people were growing up, then he wanted to die too. If the societys life was going to be taken, his was going to be taken too. Chapter 25 â€Å"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought:The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.† (Page 209) This quote indicates the racist attitude that the District Commissioner has towards the local tribes. He is a pompous man who thinks he understands the indigenous culture and tribes, while he clearly does not. While he feels that he is bringing peace to the region, he is clearly doing nothing of the sort. He also seems to be very shallow. He makes remarks on â€Å"love of superfluous words† of the villagers. In this, he mocks the language of the villagers.

Fifth Business

Fifth Business In his novel, Fifth Business, Robertson Davies addresses the meaning of life by exploring Jungian archetypes. In the opening pages of the novel, Boy Staunton conceals a stone inside a snowball and throws it in anger at his friend Dunstan Ramsay. Ramsay ducks and the snowball goes on to hit Mary Dempster. Mary who is pregnant is brought prematurely into labor and delivers a grotesque unnaturally small child. The implications of this one single moment, forces the characters over the next sixty years to confront their personal devil. Likewise, in the movie, Frankenstein, Victor Frankensteins crowning achievement was to be the creation of his monster. However, once he succeeded in bringing the creature to life, Victor found that it was ugly and he abandoned it. The monster in reality is Victors â€Å"shadow† self. In each situation, these characters face their personal devil, their shadow. It becomes clear as you read through the novel and watch the movie in its entirety that in o rder to achieve the heroic life, one must face his personal devil. Dunstan Ramsay carries the weight of Paul Dempsters premature birth on his shoulders his entire life. If it was not for Liesl, an extremely elegant and intelligent woman confined inside a deformed and gigantic body, Dunstan would not have experienced happiness and ultimately a life well lived. Liesls surname is â€Å"Vitzliputzli†, which means â€Å"devil†. In Jungian terms, ones â€Å"devil† refers to ones shadow, the â€Å"suppressed part of the personality, the dark or more primitive side of the consciousness.† Thus, Liesl represents Dunstans shadow, all that he has suppressed from his ego; all that he has hidden from the public world. According to Jung, an â€Å"ego which refuses for long to recognize the existence and force of its shadow is inviting disruption.† Therefore, the shadow will invade the consciousness until the conscious recognizes the opposing force and comes to terms with it. This is one way of coming to know ones self. This is wh y Liesl is the most influential and important mentor, because she challenges Dunstan to stop suppressing his shadow so he can find out and come to terms with who he is. â€Å"But you there is a whole great price of your life that is unlived, denied, set aside. That is why at fifty you cant bear it any longer and fly all to pieces and pour out your heart to the first really intelligent woman you have met me†¦This is the revenge of the unlived life, Ramsay. Suddenly it makes you a fool†¦You should take a look at this side of your life you have not lived†¦But every man has a devil†¦you must get to know your personal devil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (230). It is clearly evident that Liesl wants to change Dunstan for the better and from the revenge of the unlived life when she tells him to come to know his devil. â€Å"Why dont you shake hands with your devil† (213). Padre Blazon functions in Dunstans personal groups of archetypes as the image of the Wise Old Man. He is present for a reason, to aid Dunstan in his quest for wholeness. Blazon asks Dunstan to analyze Mary Dempster and ask himself the question, â€Å"Who is he in your personal world? What figure is she in your personal mythology?† (179). Dunstan confides his belief that she is a saint. Blazons response is that if Dunstan believes she is a saint, then to Dunstan, she is a saint. Why should he worry what anyone else thinks? â€Å"If you think her a saint, she is a saint to you†¦That is what we call the reality of the soul; you are foolish to demand the agreement of the world as well† (175). Blazon also states that miracles are commonplace, not rare, and that life is a miracle by itself through the act of god. â€Å"I think you are a fool to fret that she was knocked on the head because of an act of yours. Perhaps that was what she was for, Ramezay†¦.Maybe God w ants you for something special. Maybe so much that you are worth a womans sanity† (179). Through this, Blazon attempts to diminish unjustified guilt that Dunstan has been carrying with him for so long. In turn, Blazon supplies Dunstan with another vital piece of advice that serves as a fundamental stepping stone to Dunstans wholeness. He tells Dunstan to forgive himself for being human. â€Å"†¦Forgive yourself for being a human creature, Ramezay. That is the beginning of wisdom; that is part of what is meant by the fear of God; and for you it is the only way to save your sanity† (180). Boy Staunton does not feel remorse for the snowball incident that caused the premature birth of Paul Dempster. This incident acted as a basis for Boys growing shadow, and contributed to the demise of his soul and in the revenge of his unlived life. When Boy was asked if he had any recognition of Mrs. Dempster, he replied: â€Å"None at all. Why Should I?(261). Although Boy only met her once, the guilt remained suppressed inside him for the rest of his life. Dunstan realized that to live a complete life, one must rid ones self of the guilt. Dunstan dealt with his guilt by supporting Mrs. Dempster in her later years. Boy on the other hand ignored the guilt he felt for Mrs. Dempster. When Dunstan reminded Boy about the snowball incident, â€Å"It is the stone you put in the snowball you threw at Mrs. Dempster† (250), Boy realizes what he is guilty of and what he repressed for so many years. Boy could not handle this and needed to get rid of his guilt and he needed Paul to help h im, help him run away from his conscience. Boy escaped his inner shadow by the only way he could, by taking his own life. When Boy was found the morning after, a stone was found in his mouth. Boy considered the stone to represent his guilt and in the end tried to swallow the stone and his guilty conscience. Suicide was the only way out for Boy, because his shadow was much too big to confront. Addressing Boys death, the Brazen Head states, â€Å"He was killed by the usual cabal: by himself, first of all; by the woman he knew; by the woman he did not know; by the man who granted his inmost wish; and by the inevitable fifth, who was keeper of his conscience and keeper of the stone† (252). Victor Frankenstein is depicted as someone who cannot deviate from the course that he chose. Although Victor initially dedicates a large portion of his life to creating his masterpiece, he spends more of his life fearing and fighting his monster. Some critics see the creature as Victors shadow self that part of each of us that we are not always consciously aware of that contains things that may be hidden. Victor appears to disregard any responsibility he has for his creation and only feels guilt in unleashing such a monster, rather than guilt in abandoning the monster. Throughout the movie, Mr. Frankenstein repeatedly attempts to forget about his creation and continue with his life, at which point the monster surfaces to wreak havoc upon his life. One wise old man points out to him that â€Å"man shouldnt live in the shadows† (Frankenstein, 2004), for the monster becomes Victors shadow because he continually ignores him. After the monster takes the first step of revenge by ki lling Victors family, Victors unconscious self becomes a reality. It is here that he comes face to face with the monster, the shadow, who explains, â€Å"You gave me all these emotions, but you didnt tell me how to use them† (Frankenstein, 2004). As the movie progresses Victor marries Elizabeth despite the brutes promise to murder her on their wedding night. After discovering the creature had fulfilled his promise, Victor Frankenstein pledges to dedicate the remains of his life to finding and destroying the monster. Once again, the monster has prevented Frankenstein from enjoying his life; a life unlived, and forced him to be as lonely and miserable as him. Boy Staunton childhood experience played a very important role in the stableness of his soul. Guilt can only be suppressed for a limited time before it comes out in unwanted ways. Ultimately Stauntons â€Å"personal devil† prevailed and his heroic life was lost, to suicide. The same can be said for Victor Frankenstein, for if he only acknowledged the feeling of guilt and gave the monster the attention, love and guidance he needed; he would not have encountered his shadow and would of lead a heroic life. With the help of Padre Blazon and Liesl, Dunstan ultimately decides that it does not matter if others share the meaning he has found in Mary Dempster, and thus Dunstan has found his â€Å"personal devil†. He realizes that life has a different meaning for everyone. For him, life is about the search for meaning, which he comes to believe is more important than meaning itself. Dunstan lives the heroic life. One mishap in a persons life can create a â€Å"personal devil†, the goal is to â€Å"revenge the unlived life†, in order to find ones true happiness in later life.

Early Christianity :: essays research papers

Christianity is now in our modern world one of the five major religions. The other major religions include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism from which Christianity descended. Christianity was practiced before Christ, During his life, and after his life. After Christ ¹s life Christianity spread to become a main world religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 63 B.C. Roman power spread to Judea, the Jewish homeland. At the time King Herod was the ruler of Judea, he accepted Roman rule and angered many Jews by doing so. After the death of Herod many Jews revolted against Roman rule for 10 years. At this time there were two main factions of Jews, one group, the Zealots wanted to rid Judea of Roman influence. The other group was waiting for a messiah as scripture had prophetized. The Messiah, or Savior would restore the kingdom to the Jews.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesus is said to have been born around 4-6 BC. When Jesus was 30 he began his ministry. Many of the reasons that his religion succeeded were that it treated everyone equally promised eternal life and was centered on on your personal relationship with God. Jesus ¹ teachings included love for God, neighbors, enemies and yourself. The ten commandments and the basic foundation of Judaism was included in his teachings as Jesus was born a Jew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesus had 12 disciples, disciple means follower or pupil, even long after the death of Jesus these disciples would continue teaching about Jesus. The first four books of the bible were written by the Disciple these books are called apostles they are as follows Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus became famous, because he appealed to the rich and poor alike, he had few or no possessions and he traveled all over what was then considered to be the world. Jesus attracted attention from both Jewish and Roman leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jesus visited Jerusalem around 29 AD, he found enthusiastic crowds greeting him as the messiah. However he was arrested for not worshiping pagan Roman gods and was sentenced to death on a cross. While he was hanging awaiting death he forgave those who had killed him and those who had worshipped him the day before were denying him. After his crucifixion he was placed in a tomb, on the third day he rose, and greeted his followers, further convincing them that he was the messiah.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul was originally a Jew by the name of Saul, who persecuted Christians.

AT&T Essay -- essays research papers

The dominant economic traits of this industry start with having an enormous amount of capital required for staying competitive. One is also required to spend lots of money on research and development, as the telecommunications industry seems to be the vision of the future. More and more companies like AT&T are trying very hard to combine their network services of phone line, video and data transfer, high speed internet access, and television cable via one line in the consumers homes. With a successful combination of the above stated services AT&T is hoping to be the industry leader in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s telecommunication market there is a lot of competition by industry giants such as Sprint, MCI, and AOL, but simultaneously the very high cost involved with entering and competing in this industry also makes it very unattractive for new entrants. These are just some of the big names who are planning to and are presently providing parts of the pipe dream that AT&T seems to seek. In this industry it is very important to have customer awareness of the line of products you carry. Most of the public hears the name AT&T or Sprint or MCI and they think telephone bills but many consumers do not realize that these companies have expanded their field of services from cellular phones to wireless web services. The reason mainly being the lack of marketing, and direct consumer advertising provided by these firms on the other line of p...

Voodoo Religion Essay examples -- Religious Religion Voodoo Research P

Voodoo Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Voodoo religion is one of the most, if not the most misconceived religions of our time. Often when Voodoo is mentioned, it is related to evil, black magic, devious sorcery, cannibalism, and harm. Although the Voodoo religion appears to the outsider as an illusion or falsehood, it has been an instrumental political force because it has helped the Haitians resist domination and form an identity of their own. Since the end of the 17th century, Haitian Voodoo has overcome every challenge it has been faced with and has endured. The religion is based on a polytheistic belief system and represents a significant portion of Haiti’s 8.3 million people. The engaging religion plays an important role in both the family and the community. Voodoo ceremonies allow participants to seek spiritual guidance, or help with their problems, making the religion a source of comfort. The main activity in Voodoo is the boundary between visible and invisible realities. Practitione rs believe that there are no accidents, everything affects something else, and the universe is all one. In Voodoo, reality and illusion are fused to make things happen. Voodoo cannot be explained.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Voodoo is a very promising religion. It offers comfort and support to practitioners while Haiti remains unstable. There is a strong sense of tradition, but it is a very unique sense of tradition. Voodoo has no formal dogma, no specific organization, and no written text. There is no right or wrong way to practice Voodoo. Because there was no formal history of Voodoo practitioners believed it was easier to form a bond with the supernatural world. Each individual has his/her own relationship with his or her specified god, and each relationship is unique. The religion is in the hands of the practitioner. People can choose how deep they wish to get involved in this religion. A practitioner of Voodoo decides for him or herself how to establish their personal bond with the supernatural. In comparison religions like Catholicism, have guidelines to follow and consequences for all your actions. Voodoo allowed Haiti to form an identity of its own. Voodoo has been instrumental in the survival of Haiti because of its individualistic way of thinking. It is important to keep in mind that Haiti has been, and continues to be one of the most impoverished nations is the world. The fact that Ha... ...on of the slaves of Haiti from who most black Haitians descended from. Philippe Casiera a Voodoo priest said, â€Å" In spite of our contribution to Haitian culture, we are still misunderstood and despised† (Okara, Origins of Voodoo). Voodoo helps and guides people who suffer and it serves as a comfort for those in need. Historically in Haiti Voodoo has and continues to be a very successful religion. Sources Cited Anderson, Michelle. â€Å"Authentic Voodoo is Synthetic.† The Drama Review Summer, 1982: 89-110. â€Å"Common Misconceptions About Vodoun† 20 May. http://pub47.bravenet.com/faq/show.php?usernum=3951612168&catid=104 Guynup, Sharon. â€Å"Haiti: Possessed by Voodoo.† National Geographic July. 2004. 20 May. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0707_040707_tvtaboovoodoo.html Hunte, Tracie. â€Å"UF professor: Haitian voodoo similar to western practices.† Alligator online 20 May. http://www.alligator.org/edit/issues/00-spring/000225/b08forum25.htm â€Å"Origins of Voodoo† 10 May. http://www.swagga.com/voodoo.htm Turlington, Shannon. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Voodoo. USA: Alpha, 2002. Webster’s Dictionary & thesaurus. â€Å"Voodoo.† New York: Shooting Star Press, 1995.

GE’s Talent Machine Essay

Leadership development is a heavy priority for GE. The company put a great emphasis on building leaders. Four successive CEO each made contributions to the development of management talent. The CEO Cordiner implemented a decentralization practice that broke the company into various departments. The new company structure was more manageable but required more delegation. As a result of the decentralized structure, GE put a great emphasis on developing organizational learning. GE spent a lot of money on management education to expand managers’ leadership ability and general management skills. Education is one of the three life and work experience that contribute to leadership development (P479). The first corporate university was built by Cordiner where provided programs on executive education and management training. Those learning programs focus on personal growth that help employees to improve themselves continuously in GE’s learning culture. GE had various programs for finding potential leaders and preventing brain drain. The Session C was a performance assessment process that implemented to promote â€Å"high potential† employees. It included the individual evaluations, the career forecasts, and the succession plans. Subordinates were placed on a six-point scale from â€Å"high potential† to â€Å"unsatisfactory†. This feedback-intensive program helped the potential leaders to understand their behavior patterns, and they were able to find more constructive ways of achieving their objectives (P488). Another GE’s leadership excellence named disciplined performance management analysis, also known as the â€Å"vitality curve† was added to Session C. The incentive ranking system help GE to seek the best talents and to sustain a high-performance workforce. In addition, the CEO Reg Jones initiated a more structured practice to strategic planning to make the review process more manageable- the strategic business unite (SUBs). All those programs help GE to build a results-driven workforce. That is why GE is a â€Å"CEO factory. The forced ranking system put much pressure on employees for improving performance and productivity. The system feed on favoritism, and managers as rankers may intentionally give the high assessment to the people who are close to them. My suggestion for the vitality curve is to add a peer  evaluation into the ranking system. However, fairness could also be questioned in this case, because some people end up at the bottom even thought their performance may be perfectly satisfactory when judged in isolation. Also, it is easy to present the blind competition because the success of one employee is a lost opportunity for others. Additionally, I suggest having the 20% highly progress reward from the highly valued 70%. Recognition and rewards for the top 20% should keep the same, but add more recognition to the average performers who improved a lot compared with last year. This practice will boost the confidence of average employees who think they will never be rewarded. On the flip side, it may be more complex and take longer time to evaluate the performance. Since GE conduct business all around the world, a more aggressive international approach is needed. I suggest GE to focus on global recruitment that can provide more opportunity to hunt talents. One thing GE could do is partnerships with universities overseas, and open training and developing programs in the universities to attract potential non-American young talents. GE could provide internships and jobs for high performers who enter the programs. The programs may require a lot investment, and the benefit is unknown. People may use the programs as stepping stones to their own career. Great leaders are great learners. Learning does not end when I get out of college. Learning is a life long process. As a potential future leader, I have to adopt continuous learning as my personal leadership priority. As I learned form the ITO (Individual, Team and Organization) class, knowledge could be classified into explicit knowledge and tactic knowledge. Explicit knowledge could be learned though training and books. It is beneficial for me to read more books to enrich the knowledge, and keep my knowledge updated to the current world. Also, I need to learn to be opportunistic, and take advantage of training programs. Tactic knowledge, in contrast, is what I can learn through experience. I could take advantage of networking, and meet new people to build week ties. Therefore, I could have more opportunities to experience different things though those week ties. Finding a good mentor in the organization is also good for my learning development. Also, ask for  feedback. Another thing I learned from GE is the goal orientation. The company set a clear objective of building leaders, and all the leadership development practice were build to fulfill that goal. I have to set both short term and long term goals that motivate me to achieve. Finally, be self-awareness. I need to take time to think about my strengths and weaknesses, and do self-evaluation regularly to summarize areas that I need to improve.

Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle Robert Craven and Stuart Chambers ‘Warwick Castle – the finest mediaeval castle in England. ‘ INTRODUCTION The Stratford-on-Avon and District Hotels and Caterers Association (SCATA) publishes a brochure which has described the Castle as follows; â€Å"This magnificent ancient Castle, situated at the very centre of England, is a treasure house of great beauty and splendid, rare quality collections of pictures, furniture, furnishings and an outstanding collection of arms and armour which bear witness to the power and influence of the Earls of Warwick down through the centuries.The beautiful grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, where peacocks roam freely, are a delight in all seasons. . . Excellent catering facilities are available all year round to suit every pocket and disposition, as well as several gift shops† Warwick Castle is less than two hours by road from London with easy access from all major cities by motorway, road and rail. This e xcellent infrastructure allows the area to be part of the itinerary of any visitor to the UK.The County of Warwickshire is lyrically described in the SCATA brochure: â€Å"Stratford-an-Avon and Shakespeare's Country. When you think of England, and the very best of England, you are probably thinking about this fascinating region. Here in this most English of English landscapes, the broad rolling sweep of the Cotswolds, the classic half-timbered villages of the Vale of Evesham and leafy Warwickshire, there is an unparalleled variety of attractions.The birthplace of the world's greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare; the finest mediaeval Castle and most-visited stately home at Warwick; England's most magnificent palace at Blenheim; and the world's most famous theatre in Stratford† THE CASTLE The Castle is part of the Tussauds Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pearson plc, which also owns the Financial Times Group and Royal Doulton among other varied interests.The Tussauds Gro up runs entertainment centres that include: Madame Tussauds, the famous waxworks in Baker Street, London; the London Planetarium and Laserium; the Royalty and Empire Exhibition at Windsor; Alton Towers, the UK's only world-rated leisure park; and Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo. The Castle's General Manager, Martin Westwood, works in the stately home, from a majestic suite of offices overlooking the grounds.He is enthusiastic about the Castle both as a building steeped in history and as a business. In the relaxed atmosphere of his office, where he is surrounded by portraits and old paintings of the Castle, he refers to it as ‘a brand leader' in stately homes for it is in the top five most visited historic sites that charge entry fees (see Table 1).Table 1 Historic sites attracting more than 300,000 paid admissions 1 Tower of London 2 Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath 3 State Apartments, Windsor 4 Stonehenge, Wiltshire 5 Warwick Castle 6 Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratfor d 7 Leeds Castle, Kent 8 Hampton Court Palace, near London 9 Tower Bridge, London 10 Blenheim Palace, Wood stock, Oxford 11 Beaulieu, Hampshire 12 Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London 13 St George's Chapel, Windsor 14 Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford 15 HMS Victory, Portsmouth 16 Mary Rose, Portsmouth 17 Royal Pavilion, Brighton 18 Chatsworth House, Derbyshire 19 Hever Castle, Kent 20 Fountains Abbey, North Yorks.Paid admissions (000s) 2298 950 855 703 685 604 540 525 528 517 493 411 372 365 340 333 314 306 303 300 As you pass through the ticket office from the large car park you catch your first view of the Castle. The view truly takes your breath away and fully warrants the description given by Sir Walter Scott in 1828: ‘the most noble sight in England'. MARKETING Marketing Manager, Sarah Montgomery, is another enthusiast of the outstanding beauty of the Castle.Discussing the marketing of the business she considers that the Castle's unique selling point must be that carried on al l the promotional material: ‘Warwick Castle – the finest mediaeval castle in England. ‘ But she does not discount the Castle's unique state of preservation, the breadth of attractions it offers, its location on the banks of the River Avon or its thousand-year span of history. In the year 1068 the first castle was built at Warwick and since that time it slowly developed into a mighty stronghold and later a grand mansion befitting the station of a high ranking nobleman. . In November 1978 the present Earl sold Warwick Castle and its contents to Madame Tussauds of London. The Castle's marketing team recognised that the Castle attracted a diverse audience, each segment of which wanted different things from a visit. So in targeting audiences the team had to decide whether it was trying to sell the Castle aspect, the stately home aspect or the gardens. It was felt that all three areas attracted different audiences and conjured up different expectations.Research had esta blished that from the public's point of view ‘castles' were not associated with grounds and formal gardens, and neither were they associated with the notion of being someone's home. On the other hand, stately homes were associated with grounds and gardens but were felt to be formal and museum-like, with ropes keeping the public away from the interesting areas. So, was the ‘most visited Stately Home in Britain' really a castle, or was the Castle also a stately home? This conundrum had to be solved.The Castle management has a deliberate policy of charging one overall admission charge for all areas of the Castle and Grounds open to visitors. In the past they had considered charging separate admission prices for the Castle and the Grounds but this, it was felt, would confuse the customer. (See Figure 1 for price and attraction details. ) The Castle regularly has detailed market research questionnaires compiled by an outside company. Sarah said that market research is taken v ery seriously by the team: â€Å"On average, overseas visitors represent 42 per cent of the total.Twenty-five per cent of our customers seem to come in groups of greater than 20 and these groups are predominantly from overseas. On the other hand, 58 per cent of visitors come from the UK, of which roughly half come from within a 100 km radius of the site. Another interesting point is that 25 per cent of all customers are repeat visitors which we feel reflects the popularity of the Castle. With UK visitors 33 per cent are repeats. Of the nonlocals, that is UK residents from outside the 100 km radius, 78 per cent stay overnight in the area and the remainder have travelled over 100 km to visit the area for the day.With the recent opening of the M 40 motorway into London (approximately180 km} it is felt that travel time may be a more important factor to consider than distance travelled in kilometres† Figure 1 Admission Rates and attractions at Warwick Castle The data are collected over a period of days, and the market research reports sent to Sarah include not only the profile of visitors but what parts of the Castle they visit. The popularity of various parts of the complex varies according to how busy the site is. For instance, on a quiet day 87 per cent might visit the Private Apartments, but on a busy day this igure drops to 68 per cent. Likewise, during one such busy period, the visitors to the Woodland Gardens increased from 17 per cent to 20 per cent, to the Mound from 46 per cent to 52 per cent, and to the River Island from 34 per cent to 40 per cent. On average, visitors stayed on the site for three hours. Coach parties tended to visit for three hours, probably because the Castle was part of a full-day, tightly scheduled excursion that included other nearby tourist attractions. Competition for the paying tourists' disposable cash was quite fierce in the area, it was felt.Other sites competing for the ‘leisure pound' were the Black Country Muse um, Drayton Manor (Adventure) Park, West Midlands Safari Park, Cadbury World, Blenheim Palace, Alton Towers Theme Park, Ironbridge, Stratford’s Shakespeare and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. In the Undercroft Restaurant marketing researchers overheard an elderly professor in conversation with a friend he had encountered in the Castle grounds: â€Å"I came early in the morning to avoid the rush. Any major historic tourist site is going to be heaving by midday in the summer and personally I hate all the queuing and tourists with cameras and all that.I got here at about 10 a. m. when the place opened this morning. I was able to enjoy the pure magic of the building with relatively few other people around. By lunch-time the queues were what I felt to be unreasonably long, but it is August and this must surely be their peak time here. I do wonder, for instance, should they not encourage more visitors out of season and what about allowing people to visit early morning or in the ev ening to avoid the lunch-time crush? † MANAGING DEMAND Warwick Castle brochures show a wide variety of activities that supplement turnover outside the peak season.According to Sarah, this literature was intended ‘to push up the shoulders of demand': Every Friday and Saturday evening the Undercroft provides the setting for splendid five-course mediaeval banquets recreating the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. . A special events calendar has been published (see Figure 2). The Warwick Arts Festival uses the Castle as a venue in the evenings for a week in July. Exclusive tours of the Castle, and separately of the Gardens, are run by experts for pre-booked groups.These are available during the periods October to March, and March to November respectively, except during school half-term holidays and bank holidays. †¢ †¢ As a profit centre for the Pearson Group, the Castle is given targets that increase at a rate exceeding inflation. From these, prices are derived based on product developments, the prices that competitors are charging and known external factors that may affect demand (such as exchange rates and elections! ). The Castle expected between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors in the next year and profit projections were made based on these estimates.All catering facilities are run by the Castle, recognising franchising to another company would result in lost control and reduce potential to participate in profitable activities. Martin Westwood commented on fluctuations in demand: â€Å"Staffing varies relatively little with demand. It is felt that once the basic positions around the Castle are attended by staff, there is little that an additional staff member can provide. Winter weekends attract more visitors than winter weekdays, such that Saturday and Sunday combined turnover is the same as the other five days of the week put together.In summer things are more even, a Saturday or a Sunday being equivalent to two weekdays, although Sunday is usually busier than Saturday† Figure 2 Warwick castle Special Events Calendar BUSINESS OBJECTIVES Martin is clear that the Castle's prime objective is ‘to achieve growth in earnings per share for its shareholders'. At the same time he emphasizes the sense of responsibility the management feels ‘as custodians of this precious monument' to work within it and use integrity and sensitivity at all times. Hence all signs, directions and facilities take a very low profile. Flashing neon lights are not the order of the day!Sarah Montgomery commented on the need to underplay the commercial side of the organisation: â€Å"Coca-Cola have offered us a sponsorship deal. They will give us money for a particular project which will increase our revenue and also the number of visitors we are getting. The problem is that Coke is the epitome of youth and fizz while the Castle's target market is adults ABC 1, average age somewhere around 45! So how do we pull this deal together? â⠂¬  It is the ‘integrity' of the business in which the management take pride. It is not any business site but a very special building that is loved and cherished by the staff.Their constant concern is how to run a business from the Castle without destroying the charm and romance of the buildings, and without covering it with obtrusive signs and facilities. All staff are very polite and courteous and, though they are available to the public, tend not to interfere with the customers' visit. In fact they blend in with visitors as they wear little that suggests they are actually staff. And when the Castle is relatively empty of visitors it has a really enchanting atmosphere. PERFORMANCE Evaluation of the performance of the business has difficulties.On the one hand, queues are an obvious problem (see Table 2) but then the customers do not seem to mind too much! Above all, the business is going from strength to strength, and achieving healthy profit performance. So, while the criti cisms have to be noted, management has been achieving the high returns and growth that the shareholders require. Table 2 Observations of queuing and flow, Tuesday afternoon Queue to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00pm 130 1. 20 147 1. 40 128 2. 00 153 2. 20 132 2. 40 119 3. 00 137 Flow through doors to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 104 1. 20-1. 40 113 1. 40-2. 0 107 Flow from Private Apartments and State Rooms (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 127 1. 20-1. 40 117 1. 40-2. 00 121 Queue to Rampart Walk 0-20 people at anyone time Number of people entering Rampart Walk 1. 40-1. 50 174 Queue at top of ramparts to get down (number of people) 6 minutes 63 Martin Westwood was defensive on the question of queues: â€Å"What popular tourist attraction doesn't have queues, and in any case, the queues here move pretty quickly. If we get queues for one part of the Castle we simply put out a sign suggesting people move on to the next attraction, although, to be frank, that doesn't really work.You see, the trouble is, that once people see a queue they don't want to miss out so they still join on the end of it. Our marketing questionnaires (see Appendix 1) suggest that we've got the operation about right, but there's always room for some improvement† The Professor in the Undercroft Restaurant had raised several issues connected with this: â€Å"The Castle really is in a unique condition of preservation. It's truly marvellous but I wouldn't seriously consider visiting it in the peak season. I just happen to be in the area because we're going over to Stratford tonight to see Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.I'm really looking forward to it! I wonder why they don't have off-peak rates for those not visiting around midday and maybe open earlier and close later. I would be more than happy to spend more time on the site if it weren't for all the other tourists everywhere. And another thing, couldn't they do a package deal with the th eatre at Stratford? I'm sure a lot of visitors here also go there. In fact, I would pay a premium price to have the Castle almost to myself. For instance, I'd find it simply delightful to sip a Pimms or a gin and tonic in the grounds as the sun went down.I know that I am rambling but I am sure there's a way to re-jig the prices so that the site basically generates more income throughout the year. And even if you say they do things out of season I've not heard about them, so what's the use of publicity if it doesn't reach the people that want to spend money? † Sarah Montgomery, mindful of the need to keep a close eye on customers' diverse requirements, often talked to individuals at the exit. A transcript of one such encounter is reproduced in Appendix 2.APPENDIX 1 MARKETING QUESTIONNAIRE OF RANDOM SAMPLE OF PEOPLE LEAVING WARWICK CASTLE Age range 0-5 6-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66+ 7 37 27 25 34 17 20 33 Area of origination Local (within 100 km) UK (outside 100 km) Euro pe (excl. UK) USA/Canada S. America Australia Africa Asia Other/unspecified Length of stay in area Day trip 1-3 days 4-7 days 8+ days Method of transport Coach trip Own transport Hire car Public transport Other (bicycles etc. ) 37 27 25 47 3 11 5 14 2 96 50 13 5 96 74 31 20 12 Did you find that you had to queue very much? Yes 186 No 12 No comment 2 Did you feel that the queues were the same as other large tourist sites?Same 190 Better 4 Worse 6 Did you visit†¦? State Rooms and Great Hall The Private Apartments The Watergate (Ghost) Tower The Armory The Dungeon The Torture Chamber The Gatehouse and Barbican 191 190 31 104 193 183 87 Guy's Tower, the Rampart Walk and Clarence Tower The Victorian Rose Garden The Peacock Gardens The Conservatory The River Island Foxes Study and Cedar Walk Pageant Field The Mound Refreshment Stall Stables Restaurant and Tearoom Undercroft Restaurant The Bookshop Did you.. .? Bring your own picnic Did you see the Red Knight Did you buy a brochure How long have you spent at the Castle? hours Is this your first visit? Yes No Would you visit again? Yes No Maybe Don't know 186 103 117 102 57 31 101 54 118 52 71 62 32 81 99 5 67 75 37 16 148 52 144 31 23 2 APPENDIX 2 TRANSCRIPT OF A CONVERSATION WITH A VISITOR Christabelle Trymko, Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucester ‘We got here at about midday. We came up for the day from Gloucestershire. It was quite a good trip and the kids behaved themselves in the car. We had heard a lot about the Castle from some friends who have just moved up to Stratford, which is just down the road from Warwick. ‘The Castle's in superb condition!You don't know what it's going to be like until you get past the ticket office and it really is amazing. It has been kept in impeccable condition, and the gardens are beautiful as well as being far less crowded than the Castle. ‘There were too many people in and around the Castle. The queues were an irritation but I parked my husband in the queue and too k the kids elsewhere until he was near the front and then we joined him. I think a few people got upset because we seemed to be pushing in, but I'm not prepared to wait with three children in long queues in the sun.Mind you, it's nothing like the queues at Madame Tussauds in London, they really are crazy. ‘I didn't realise quite how big the grounds were. If I had known I think we would have spent longer at Warwick Castle and made a full day of it. We should have come here at about ten and then spent the whole day here. That way the queues inside the Castle would have been shorter for us. The grounds are lovely and they've got special picnic areas which I thought was a nice idea. (I wish we'd brought a picnic. ) Mind you, it does seem to be more than a bit light on entertainment for the kids. Nicky loved the man with the wonderful moustache dressed up in full Crusader uniform on the horse. He was very good with the kids. Nicky also liked the waxworks in the Private Apartments p lace. The queue wound its way up, down and around the place but apart from mild feelings of claustrophobia (that's my problem, I suppose) it went at about the right speed and I guess it lasted a bit under an hour. Oh yes, the Rampart Walk, they ought to warn you about just how many stairs you have to climb. I mean, I know there is a sign but you don't take it seriously, do you!You go up and up and then there's that great spiral staircase up the inside of that tower, I won't do that again in a rush! But it was worth it for the view. ‘All in all it was a good day. More interesting than the average castle and not full of the usual touristoriented rubbish associated with tourist attractions. The commercial side is very much underplayed and I like that. You don't feel obliged to buy ice creams and tee-shirts and pencils and tea towels. Maybe some of the signs were a bit too discreet – we had to ask where the toilets were – but it makes a pleasant change. Also I like t he one price for everything. At other places, I object to paying an admission charge and then paying on top of that for particular attractions. You always feel mean if you don't pay up, and then you also feel that you might be missing something. No, I'd recommend the place and it's so much less hassle than the tourist places in London which you almost feel obliged to visit every so often. ‘ This case is from: Cases in Operations Management (Second edition) Johnston, Chambers, Harland, Harrison, Slack, FT Prentice Hall 1997

Thomas Jefferson report card

The Barbara Pirates are a great example as to how Jefferson dealt with problems with foreign people. The pirates would take crew members from ships and demand payment on behalf of America, after making the decision to put an end to the payments to the pirates Jefferson sent a naval to punish them; although semi contradicting his devotion to peace and economy. Later on after in 181 5 Stephen Decatur was sent to the Mediterranean to where a treaty renouncing both raids and tribute were signed.Although It wasn't something totally eliminating the racketeers from being wicked it still was a success on behalf of Jefferson; he was able to lead the world toward a path of free seas and peace for all nations. Jefferson so far was able to fulfill his promises to keep peace and friendship with other nations. The relations between the new United States and European nations were pleasant and the Barbara Pirates had compelled admiration for the American flag. Intense admiration should be given to J efferson for he was able to handle the impressments of American seaman In an appropriate manner.He was able to keep calm and not go to war with Britain even though there was a vast amount of anger In the United States towards the situation. Instead of going Into something more drastic such as war, Jefferson simply demanded the British to stay out of the U. G's waters and for an apology. Lastly In relation to foreign relations, In 1803 war between France and Britain was renewed. As a war tactic each nation attempted to affect their opponent's trade using neutral nations such as the United States.Jefferson saw this and In an attempt to keep peace between the United States and other nations, there was the Embargo Act which cut off the United States trade In hopes of getting Britain and Napoleon Into terms. (Embargo Act of 1802) Jefferson was unsuccessful when It came to the Embargo act; neither the French nor Britain needed the American trade as much as American trade needed them there fore not making a difference when It came to scaring the nations. What this would have done Instead of scaring Napoleon and Britain out of their conflict was, demolish theAmerican commerce which was what It was trying to protect. Jefferson as a president managed to fulfill a lot of his promises made In his Inaugural address regarding keeping peace and honest friendships with other nations. He was very successful and although he had a failure with the Embargo Act he still attempted to make a change therefore his grade of a B Is accurate due to his successful attempts and failure of the Embargo Act. Thomas Jefferson report card By watermelon United States at peace with nations in Europe during his first term, as wealth and tooth raids and tribute were signed.Although it wasn't something totally eliminating impressments of American seaman in an appropriate manner. He was able to keep calm and not go to war with Britain even though there was a vast amount of anger in the United States t owards the situation. Instead of going into something more waters and for an apology. Lastly in relation to foreign relations, in 1803 war Jefferson saw this and in an attempt to keep peace between the United States and other nations, there was the Embargo Act which cut off the United States trade in popes of getting Britain and Napoleon into terms. Embargo Act of 1802).