An Ideological Exploration Of Macklemore s Racial...

An Ideological Exploration of Macklemore’s Racial Redemption As a musical genre and cultural movement, Hip Hop and Rap have been both cultural phenomena and musical genres within the United States that have reached internationally and driven conversations on sociopolitical troubles such as war, violence, and racism. Hip Hop and rap which at times have been used interchangeably, have seen drastic changes in both their reception as musical genres and have garnered vast visibility within the United States. Hip Hop and Rap artists have been integral to driving conversations that are often ignored. As musical genres, Hip Hop and Rap create a space of situated knowledge and reveal the underlying dominant hegemonic ideologies within society. Whiteness as the modus operandi becomes a central place of questioning that music and specifically Hip Hop and Rap help put into question. Questioning of Whiteness through these genres of music help reveal the co-constitutive nature of music and ideology. My goals within this paper are not an attempt to explore musicality or the power of music; rather, I am interested in how ideology becomes constituted within lyrics and what they reveal about the intersections of identity, authenticity, Whiteness, and race. Within these intersections is where we are able to see meaning be negotiated, and through communication we are able to explore how different meanings get constituted as hegemonic. Nakayama and Krizek offer us a starting point for analysis

What happened to the Mt Helen Free Essays

Mount St. Helens, located in southwestern Washington about 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon, is one of many volcanic peaks that dominate the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest; the range extends from Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia, Canada, to Lassen Peak in northern California. Geologists call Mount St. We will write a custom essay sample on What happened to the Mt Helen? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Helens a composite volcano (or stratovolcano), a term for steep sided, often symmetrical cones constructed of alternating layers of lava flows, ash, and other volcanic debris. Composite volcanoes tend to erupt explosively and pose considerable danger to nearby life and property. In contrast, the gently sloping shield volcanoes, such as those in Hawaii, typically erupt nonexplosively, producing fluid lavas that can flow great distances from the active vents. Although Hawaiian-type eruptions may destroy property, they rarely cause death or injury. Before 1980, snow-capped, gracefully symmetrical Mount St. Helens was known as the â€Å"Fujiyama of America.† Mount St. Helens, other active Cascade volcanoes, and those of Alaska form the North American segment of the circum-Pacific â€Å"Ring of Fire,† a notorious zone that produces frequent, often destructive, earthquake and volcanic activity. (1) Basic Data Location: South central Washington State (Cowlitz County). Latitude: 46 °20†² N Longitude: 122 °18†² W. Type:Stratovolcano Size comparison: Mt. St. Helens is the smallest of the five major volcanoes in Washington State, and also the youngest of these. It’s last eruption was 123 years earlier. Elevation : 9,677 feet before; 8,363 feet after; 1,314 feet removed Main Eruption: May 18, 1980, 8:32 a.m. (Pacific time) Pyroclastic flow speed : at least 300 miles per hour (some material traveled much faster). Pyroclastic flow temperature : As high as 1,300 degrees F (700 degrees C) Energy released: 24 megatons thermal energy (7 by blast, rest through release of heat); 50 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic blast. Landslide note : The landslide is the World’s largest recorded event EVER! Ash plume height : Reached about 80,000 feet in less than 15 minutes Ash cloud dispersal : Spread across U.S. in 3 days; circled Earth in 15 days. Deaths : At least 60-65 persons, and thousands of animals, birds, and insects.(2) On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Mount St. Helens, releasing an enormous burst of energy, instantly transforming a peaceful wilderness into a hellish landscape. As soon as the eruption was over, the process of rebirth and renewal began. The mountain is still in the spotlight after 20 years. Come and see the story of this amazing wonder of nature in this commemorative of the anniversary of the day that chaos reigned. October 1, 2004: Mount St. Helens Activity Increases. We probably will not see an event to match the 1980 eruptions of this now-famous volcano, but recent activity has intensified and researchers are watching closely. What did we learn from it? We can learn some facts from it.(1) An active volcano can be destructive at any point of time. So you have to be very careful about that. (2) You just can not predict what exactly going to happen in nature. (3) We should except one thing: what ever we have achieved in science and technology or whatever, â€Å" NATURE IS THE BOSS AND WILL ALWAYS BE† Why earth science is important to people? Earth science affects all our lives. Our landscape has been shaped by natural processes such as tectonics, weathering, and biological activity over billions of years. We use natural materials everyday, everything from building stone and oil to metals such as iron, copper and gold, and even diamonds have all been extracted from the ground. Natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and droughts can dramatically affect lives. Earth science is the study of all these processes, put simply it is the study of our planet. Understanding how our planet works is essential if we are to properly manage our environment, and if we are to predict how the environment will change in the future. Earth scientists can monitor changes in our environment, model our impact on the environment and suggest solutions to our environmental problems. Environmental issues being studied by earth scientists include, the effects of water extraction from our rivers, the distribution of pollutants in the landscape and the environmental impact of industrial activity, such as mining and landfill. Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and floods are responsible for many deaths, and for the loss of many more homes and livelihoods. Increased knowledge of natural hazards will improve predictions of the occurrence and scale of these potentially life threatening events, giving people a chance to prepare.(4) REFERENCES: (1) The history of Mt Helen is taken from http://www.weathersage.com/storms/mthelen/ sited on May 18,2007 (2) Basic data of Mt Helen is taken from http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/msh.html sited on May 18,2007 (3) Why earth science is important to people? Is taken from http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/areas/earth/importance.asp sited on May 18,2007             How to cite What happened to the Mt Helen?, Essay examples

Strategic Human Management Organization †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Strategic Human Management Organization? Answer: Introducation Woolworths is one of the chief Australian companies with a wide retail interest across Australia and New Zealand. It is the second largest brand in Australia after Wesfarmers. Woolworths is known for the extensive retail services. Their broad range of goods includes food, clothing home ware and digital goods. Woolworths is also providing with financial services in association with Absa bank. The first store was opened in Pitt Street Sydney in the year 1924. The group is made up of familiar retailing deals with millions of customers in Australia (Woolworths, 2017). Background The brand is targeting the high income earners group through differential marketing strategy. Woolworths is known for supplying quality products in stores. The overall purpose is to match up with the customers expectations. The retail sector in Australia is very competitive. There is a huge competition not only from the local brands but also from the international brands. For the reason there is a continuous fight among the brand to gain a market stature. In such a condition it is necessary for a brand like Woolworths to be conscious about different marketing strategies. These marketing strategies will help them to stand against the local and international retailers. The report analyse the strategic issues faced by them and provides with a solution in order to remain competitive (King Thobela,2014). In the recent time Woolworths has faced problem related to a high employee turnover. In order to reduce the employee turnover ratio, the report furnishes effective training and developme nt tools. Adult learners program is an effective tool used to reduce the strategic impacts of high employee turnover ratio. The report provides current issues that can be resolved through a strategic implementation of training mechanism at Woolworths (Marketing Strategy,2017). Need for training to address current problem Training of employees is important for the business organization in order to carry out business orientation. Training is an important procedure for developing the skills, ability and awareness of employees for managing job. In order to manage the organization Training process it is important to shape up the learning behavior of the employees. It is permanent and never ending in nature (Hendry, 2012). Training is one of the vital and effective processes used by organizational development and achievement. Training is specified on four basic grounds: Training and development in an organization are given to enhance the overall productivity training. The training and development help in attaining requisite results. In this way the organization and employees can seek a long term bond. The overall purpose is to meet the organizational assignment, visualization, rules and regulations and the working conditions (Khanka, 2007). The existing employees are being trained to revive and improve their acquaintance. It is one of the important aspects for a team to develop itself in a well-organized way. In this manner they can improv knowledge of work (Armstrong Taylor, 2014). For an organization it is important to develop learning tools in order to implement any update and to amend any change in technology. Training therefore allows in developing a better understanding in the employees, it gives ample of chances to the employees to cope up with the changes. For instance, employees should be given proper training to use new equipments and work methods. In order to gain efficiency at work training act as an important tool in order to promote career growth. Training is considered as one of the important tool in meeting with employees expectations (Sparrow, Brewster Chung, 2016). Issues at Woolworths The organization is facing an issue of a high employee turnover. The Woolworth employee turnover is very high. Many people leave job and join another organization due to lack of growth opportunities. People are uncomfortable with the working condition at Woolworth. This has been creating a wide gap in achievement of goals. Poor working condition is one of the primary reasons for employees to leave the organization. This is because a lot of company employees part- time students who are in need of temporary job (Low,2017). They leave the job after completion of the course. This is eventually the reasons behind a high employee turnover. Very few people want to work on a continuous basis at Woolworths. This has raised a serious concern at Woolworths creating a need of a proper training procedure. The overall role is to develop an effective training mechanism by understanding individual characteristics. By analyzing the trends one can understand the reason behind the high employee turnove r. To reduce the outflow of labor, there is a need to implement an effective alternative learning program to lower the number of employees leaving the business. In such a scenario it is important to manage the employees in the best possible way through specialized learning procedure (Keith, 2012). Characteristic of adult learners to be developed Adult leaning is a process through which effective learning behavior in adults is developed. By understanding the problem adults are being trained in a well and effective manner. Maturity brings exceptional individuality that have an effect on how adults are provoked to learn. By tempting to the exclusive character of adult learners, one can design more effective and motivating learning program(Storey, 2014). Below mentioned are the list of characteristics that need to be developed in all learners in order to motivate learning and development. Woolworths is facing an issue of a high employee turnover. In such a situation it is recommended to develop an effective learner program for the employees in order to gain growth (Cameron,2015). self-sufficiency Adults typically favor a sense of organizing in nature . Employees at Woolworhs feel extreme pressure from the manager. They dont get autonomy at work. By developing autnomy at work employees will gain a sense of accomplishment. Goal-oriented. Many adults are having have specific goals. They prefer to contribute in learning activities that help them get to their objective(Knowles, et al 2014). sensible Adults in the office favor practical information and understanding that create work easier or give significant skills. In other words, it is significant for an individual to develop learning activities. Learning by experience It is important for an individual to develop an effectie adults prefer to learn by doing rather than listening(Aswathappa, 2013). Wealth of Knowledge An individual should be open to learning. He should be ready to accumulate a unique store of knowledge and experiences. In this way he is able to manage in different learning situation. Purposeful The training at work should meet all the grounds. For the pupose it is important to impart training and development . Workplace training is an important part of learning behavior. Adults desire to be acquainted with the reason of guidance and the incentive underlying an organizations training proposal. Emotional Barriers Adults have fear of subject, have nervousness about a subject or experience annoyance about compulsory changes in job tasks or rule. In order to gain competency it is essential to promote long term learning process in an individual. Learning can only be enhanced if an individual is eager to grab knowledge. Outside responsibilities Job security is one of the important factor that is increasing the employees Turnover. Most adult learners have frequent household tasks and commitments to family, friends etc. In case if they are unable to balance life and work, the productivity is been suffered. Big Picture Poor working condition is one of the primary reasons for employees to leave the organization. In such a condition it is relevant for the business organization to set a big picture view of what theyre learning. Responsible for Self It is an impotant exercise that need to be promoted at work. Employess should be responsible for self. beginner frequently take liability for their success or failure at learning. Strategies to implement proposed training program In order to gain long term sustainability at Woolworths it is essential to develop a proper training program. Training should be provided to workers to furnish them with multi skills. In this manner they will be able to match up with their expectations. This will eventually reduce the switch from one job to another. Employees will feel more motivated which will lead to employees becoming more provoked than before. This will benifit Woolworths in managing their targets. Employees at Woolworths would be eventually able to do more than one job. In order to match up with the expectations it is important to develop an effective plan. training program is a systematic process used to adopt sucess step-by step(Arli, et al 2013). In todays competetive scenario it is important to develop a coherent training procedure in order to meet both employee and employer expectations(Nickson, 2013). 1) Assess Training Needs: At an initial level it is important for an organization to develop a training program by identifying needs. Employee training need to be in a well established manner. It should be well-synchronized with the organizations strategic, human resources plans. Training assessment is an important part of overall success if one is developing a fresh plan. 2) Set Organizational Training Objectives: In order to gain success it is important to assimilate the training needs. This will recognize gaps in current training initiatives and employee skill sets. One should conduct a 360 degree evaluation inorder to understand the training procedure. 3) Create Training Action Plan: The next step is to generate a complete action plan. The plan includes learning theories, design, content, materials for training. The Resources are developed in order to create a better understanding. While developing the program, it is important to understand participants learning styles. For the purpose it is suggested to run a pilot project. Success of the training program in this case can be gathered by feedback to make alteration before initiation of program company-wide(Baum, 2016). 4) Implement Training Initiatives: the next step is to implement the training process.The organization need to make a decision one will get training in-house or outwardly coordinated. This includes the preparation of training program to be officially opened, promoted and conducted. 5) Evaluate Revise Training: the last step of the process is to evaluate the overall training and learning process. As mentioned, the training program is necessary to be monitored continually. At the end, the complete program should be assess to decide victory. Feedback should be attained from the stakeholders to decide program and coach efficiency and also information or skill attainment. Examining the feedback will permit the organization to recognize weaknesses in the program. At this point, it is importnat for the employees at Woolworths to be given with an effective training and development program. Timely revision of the learning program is important to meet the expectations. Evaluation method to be used to assess the effectiveness of the training program Visual confirmation In order to evalaute the overall learnng process it is important to assess the overall training nd development progra. Technology allows as an important tool to take role-plays a step further. The sense of accomplishment of the training program can be gained through an effective learners program. Visual confirmation is an effective method to seek confirmation from the employees. Visual confirmation doesnt only change learning but also impact the way training is been imparted in an organizaation. By taking a closer look at those initiatives one can measure the overall consequences. Social Ownership The other part is to understand the role of trainer in the form of highest mastery of a subject. Social Ownership creates an effective position by showing how the training process is been applied in their real world. This training process at Woolworths will foster peer-teaching by having peer-peer workshops. in the end a new way to get employees concerned and occupied can be gained. In this way one can establish effective relationship in the organization. Skill Assessments The next process is to Create a visual appraisal of an employees ability set and presentation Theis will enhance overall ability to clear picture of act and skill improvement. One can examine the training process by testing a sales persons present sales skills previous to training, then retesting the entity after the training in order to seek the changes . There are so many development going on in this area. By comparing it from the previous avialable data one can directly gain results on a long run. Strategic recommendations Conclusion In order to gain competency it is important for the Strategic HR professionals to implement an effective learning behavior in the employees. The SHRM is the modern agae tool that is been used by the employer to match up with the performance. By examining the operating models of other competitor companies, HR professionals can develop an effective training and development model. This will allow them to identify the gap in performance Then, they can design, develop and put into practice training programs to get employees on track. In the current situation, Woolwoths need to implement an effective adult learners plan to brings exceptional individuality that have an effect on how adults are provoked to learn. By tempting to the exclusive character of adult learners, one can design more effective and motivating learning program. in addition, there is a necessity to match up with the strategic decisions that are required to obtain an official recognition to ensure a smmoth road to the comp any's strategic goals.The only way to reduce the employee turnover is by developing an effective learning and development program. Refrences Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R. A Soldo, E., (2013). Woolworths Australia and Walmart US: Best practices in supply chain collaboration.Journal of Economics, Business Accountancy Ventura,16(1). Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Aswathappa, K. (2013). Human resource management: Text and cases. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Baum, T. (Ed.). (2016). Human resource issues in international tourism. Elsevier. Cameron, N.(2015). Woolworths details 3-year strategy to become customer centric. Online.Retrieved from: https://www.cmo.com.au/article/574302/woolworths-details-3-year-strategy-become-customer-centric/ Accessed on: 10 August 2017 Hendry, C. (2012). Human resource management. Routledge. Keith, S., (2012). Coles, Woolworths and the local.Locale: The Australasian-Pacific Journal of Regional Food Studies,2, pp.47-81. Khanka, S. S. (2007). Human resource management. S. Chand Publishing. King, L. Thobela, S., (2014). Woolworths farming for the future.International Food and Agribusiness Management Review,17(B). Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., Swanson, R. A. (2014). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Routledge. Low,C.(2017). Suppliers back Woolworths' brand strategy as Coles feels pressure. (Online).Retrieved from: https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/suppliers-back-woolies-brand-strategy-20170301-gunukx.html Accessed on: 10 August 2017 Marketing Strategy,(2017).(Online). Retrieved from: https://orreconomics.weebly.com/marketing-strategy.html Accessed on: 10 August 2017 Nickson, D., 2013. Human resource management for hospitality, tourism and events. Routledge. Riley, M. (2014). Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry. Routledge. Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. Chung, C.,( 2016). Globalizing human resource management. Routledge. Storey, J., 2014. New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Woolworths,(2017). (Online).Retrieved from: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/ Accessed on: 10 August 2017

Trends of Social Networking free essay sample

The Trends of Social Networking Social communication has always been a vital need to humanity. At its core, social communication did not change. People still exchange thoughts, feelings and news; however, the ways they socially communicate have radically changed. Online social networking is a recent form of social communication conducted over the internet. It witnessed a huge growth since 1997 with the first social networking website SixDegrees. com (â€Å"Boyd†). Social networking websites provide a great socializing capability for their members. Primarily, they aim at connecting people with their acquaintances from all places, at all times. Such websites attract more than 1 billion users around the globe (â€Å"List of social networking websites†). Beside for personal use, social networking websites are used for e-marketing and legal investigations. One of the most rapidly growing social networking sites is Facebook. com, with more than 80 million users and a 270% growth rate from 2006 to 2007 (â€Å"To facebook or not to facebook†). We will write a custom essay sample on Trends of Social Networking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was founded by an American Harvard Student, Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. Huge acquisitions offers were proposed for Facebook reaching as high as $1 billion. This big success may be attributed to Facebook’s ease of use and unique socializing features. Facebook allows users to connect to others by sharing pictures, blogs, videos, interests and more and has taken over American teens and even adults. There have been sites long before Facebook was created but this fairly new site has become the most popular today by far. Many people believe that Facebook is dangerous for users because of the amount of information that can be added on to one’s account. Also, those who oppose the use of the site feel that time should not be spent online because it takes time away from family and puts more emphasis on virtual rather than physical relationships. Others feel that this site allows for socialization and is just a way to have fun and keep in touch with others. Facebook should be allowed to be used by people under 18. It allows members to check students who are taking the same class, living within the same area, or coming from the same school. There are several reasons why Facebook should be used by teenagers. Facebook is well secured and organized website. Individuals who have an account in Facebook are now using more of their time to socialize with other people from far distance and lack of time. It makes easier to join groups having similar likes and dislikes, and can be used as a dating system. Facebook allows users to search for new and old friends, it makes less awkward when communicating with strangers or people we are not familiar with, and also why all of us should have Facebook is that it allows members to check students who are taking the same class, living within the same area, or coming from the same high school. What’s the first thing that pops in your mind when you think about MySpace? Is it friends, danger or is it drama? MySpace or facebook. com are often thought as dangerous websites because of the incidents that have happened or people have seen on TV like girls getting raped, kids getting kidnapped and teenagers getting killed because of MySpace. Now the big question is should myspace. com be restricted to people younger than 18 and only be used by people 18 and older? I personally think that it should not be because MySpace can be beneficial to all ages, a great way to keep in touch with old and new friends, and last but not least a great way to express yourself. Myspace is also another popular social network owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003. Their headquarters are based out of Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had a little over 33 million U. S. visitors. Myspace was founded in 2003. From 2005 until 2008, Myspace was the most visited social networking site in the world. In June 2006, it was the most visited site in the U. S. Despite a lot of changes the number of users decreased. Myspace. com is a very social able website and it’s not as bad as everyone tries to make it. This site is made for people to meet and find each other, listen to music, play games, write blogs and bulletins, and put up pictures within reason. When used properly, nothing bad can happen. MySpace isn’t bad for people under 18 as long as you can be smart about what you put on your MySpace and not give out too much of your information, and be careful with whom you talk to. MySpace can also be very beneficial in multiple ways. For example, if you miss a day at school and you need to get homework you can always ask a friend over MySpace what the homework assignment was or, your teacher can have a MySpace and she or he can post the assignment on MySpace that way every student knows what the assignment is another example on how MySpace can be beneficial to people. If you were like me when you heard about twitter, you probably thought it was pointless. I remember thinking â€Å"what can it do that facebook or MySpace can’t? It just seemed like another social media website to waste time on. I don’t know about you, but I waste too much time already on facebook. I assumed it was just like all the other social media websites that have come before it. Hearing of so many celebrities using it made me wonder what exactly the benefits of twitter are. Twitter lets you share information with people through short messages called â€Å"tweets. † An yone can read what you have to say by following you, or by viewing your profile. At first glance you may think it’s just a bunch of useless information that nobody would care about. When you look more closely at it you can see that there are a broad range of topics being discussed by millions of people. The information being exchanged can range from people just having a good time, to interesting and valuable information. It all depends on what you want to use it for. Twitter is especially valuable for businesses. Staying on top of the latest trend’s and what’s being said about them in real time is a very useful. It helps them more than any other social media website. They can better satisfy their customers if they know exactly what issues customer may have with their business. Being able to reach customers, and understand them so quickly makes twitter an invaluable asset to business. Catching on to twitter in the beginning can be somewhat frustrating. You look up people, or businesses you want to get updates on and follow them. It has a language of its own. You use @username to direct a message to someone, or to reply. Everyone can see this type of message. You can send a direct personal message to someone, but you both have to be following each other. Those are just the basics, and it gets even more complicated from there. It can all seem overwhelming at first, but after you get the hang of it you’ll be fine. Despite the success of online social networking, many opponents find social networking websites as great source of discomfort and risk. Social networking may lead to psychological and financial problems. But all in all as the internet becomes more of a friend then a foe we tend to rely on it from day to day. Maybe it’s because we are hooked on it, or maybe it is because in today’s society we need to have it. What will our next trend of the century be? Only one knows.

All About the Genre of Character Writing

All About the Genre of Character Writing A brief descriptive sketch of a class or type of person (such as a city slicker, a country bumpkin, or a grumpy old man) rather than of an individual personality. Character-writing became a popular literary form in England following the publication in 1592 of a Latin translation of Theophrastus, an ancient Greek writer of similar sketches. Characters eventually became more individualized and were integrated with the essay and the novel. Also Known As: character sketch Examples of Character Writing The Character of the Man in Black, by Oliver GoldsmithA Definition of a Gentleman, by John Henry NewmanGood Souls, by Dorothy ParkerThe Landlord, by Henry David ThoreauMr. Barlow, by Charles DickensThe Plumber, by Anthony TrollopeThe Satirist, by Robert Louis StevensonStatus Details in Tom Wolfes DescriptionsThree Characters by John EarleThe True Friend, by Joseph Hall Etymology From the Latin (mark, distinctive quality) from the Greek (scratch, engrave) Observations and Examples: The 17th of a Character: The AnchormanHe graduated from drama school and looked for parts in television. Because he had prognathous jaws like a cowboys and every cilium of his light-brown hair seemed to be nailed into his skull for keeps, he was steered into the news department. At first, like all beginning newscasters, he had to leave the building...He would stand in front of the building and hold a microphone covered in black styrofoam and recite AP or UPI copy about [an] event. He could do this without skipping a beat, and he maintained his head of hair nearly intact, and soon he did not have to leave the building anymore. He was promoted to the anchor desk of the stations six oclock news broadcast, where he reads the AP and UPI copy from the Teleprompter. Only two things stand in the way of his goal of reaching the network news desk. One is the Anchorwoman, a fireproof blonde who is so aggressive, such a nutcracker, that she terrifies him. His on-air Happy Hour Chitchat with her sounds as if it is being extracted by water torture. The other is the ever-so-imperceptibly widening part in his hair.(Tom Wolfe, Success Stories: The Anchorman. In Our Time, Farrar, 1980) The Theophrastian CharacterTheophrastus (c. 371 of a Character: The Penurious ManThe Penurious man is one who, while the month is current, will come to ones house and ask for a half-obol [a silver coin]. When he is at the table with others he will count how many cups each of them has drunk; and will pour a smaller libation to Artemis than any of the company. Whenever a person has made a good bargain for him and charges him with it, he will say that it is too dear. When a servant has broken a jug or a plate he will take the value out of his rations; or, if his wife has dropped a three-farthing piece, he is capable of moving the furniture and the sofas and the wardrobes, and of rummaging in the curtains. If he has anything to sell he will dispose of it at such a price that the buyer shall have no profit. He is not likely to let one eat a fig from his garden, or walk through his land, or pick up one of the olives or dates that lie on the ground, and he will inspect his boundaries day by day to see if they remain the same. He is apt, also, to enforce the right of distraining, and to exact compound interest. When he feasts the men of his parish, the cutlets set before them will be small: when he markets, he will come in having bought nothing. And he will forbid his wife to lend salt, or a lamp-wick, or cummin, or verjuice, or meal for sacrifice, or garlands, or cakes; saying that these trifles come to much in the year. Then, in general, it may be noticed that the moneyboxes of the penurious are mouldy, and the keys rusty; that they themselves wear their cloaks scarcely reaching to the thigh; that they anoint themselves from very small oil-flasks; that they have their hair cut close; that they take off their shoes in the middle of the day; and that they are urgent with the fuller to let their cloak have plenty of earth, in order that it may not soon be soiled.(The Characters of Theophrastus, edited and translated by R.C. Jebb. Macmillan, 1870)

Particle De in Japanese

Particle De in Japanese Particles are probably one of the most difficult and confusing aspects of Japanese sentences. A particle (joshi) is a word that shows the relationship of a word, a phrase, or a clause to the rest of the sentence. Some particles have English equivalents. Others have functions similar to English prepositions, but since they always follow the word or words they mark, they are post-positions. There are also particles that have a peculiar usage which is not found in English. Most particles are multi-functional. The Particle De Place of Action It indicates the place where an action takes place. It translates into in, at, on, and so on.   Depaato de kutsu o katta. I bought shoes at the department store. Umi de oyoida. I swam in the ocean. Means It indicates means, method, or instruments. It translates into by, with, in by means of, etc.  Ã‚   Basu de gakkou ni ikimasu. I go to school by bus. Nihongo de hanashite kudasai. Please speak in Japanese. Totalizing It is placed after a quantity, time or amount of money, and indicates an extent.  Ã‚  Ã‚   San-nin de kore o tsukutta. Three of us made this. Zenbu de sen-en desu. They cost 1,000 yen altogether. Scope It translates into in, among, within, etc.   Kore wa sekai de ichiban ookii desu. This is the biggest in the world. Nihon de doko ni ikitai desu ka. Where do you want to go in Japan? Time Limit   It indicates time consumed for a certain action or occurrence. It translates into in, within, etc.   Ichijikan de ikemasu. We can get there in an hour. Isshuukan de dekimasu. I can do it in a week. Material It indicates the composition of an object.   Toufu wa daizu de tsukurimasu. Tofu is made from soybeans. Kore wa nendo de tsukutta hachi desu. This is a bowl made of clay. Required Cost   It translates into for, at, etc.  Ã‚   Kono hon o juu-doru de katta. I bought this book for ten dollars. Kore wa ikura de okuremasu ka. How much would it cost to send this? Cause It indicates a casual reason or motive for an action or occurrence. It translates into due to, because of, owing to, etc.   Kaze de gakkou o yasunda. I was absent from school due to a cold. Fuchuui de kaidan kara ochita. I fell down the stairs due to carelessness.

Social Inequality and the Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Inequality and the Law - Case Study Example (ii) There is another matter that, both of them are black murder cases. The judgment and the subsequent actions are said to be based on the fact that the victims were blacks. It is another similarity with the two cases that no offender was found even after a very pinpoint search. As in accordance with the changes in British law that came as an effect of the case of Stephen Lawrence James' father would have aremedy. David Blunkett who was a Home Secretary of Bratain introduced that, the Parliament of Britain forfited the provision against double jeopardy that was previously a strict prohibition. If there is a new and compelling evidence, retrials are now allowed. This is a positive aspect of James father.After the passing of The Race Relations (Amendment) Act (RRAA) 2000,it is more easy for the father of James to go to the Court and get a remedy from the Government. Whether the poor people, women and those from Black and minority ethnic classes are often barred from accessing to justice that is totally dependent on the practice of a state and the people live there. By proven information it can be stated that there is a relation between the race people and the police regarding the combating against racism. Because of institutional racism, or by mixing with other people from other ethnic communities through social events, some of the institutions supply an environment where users can change themselves into basic stream of the society by entering the offices from which they have enjoyed less access. Social justice and Social inclusion is necessary to guarantee full citizenship. Shifting conditions and formative culture are the suggestion of removing entire impartiality. Privilege of every proceeds, fortification and other obligatory requirements; recompense and life likelihood for all; and falling or diminishing excessive inequalities are the keys to take the behind people ahead. The major conference summit of the equalities program has been to protect strict groups from grievance, domination or exploitation, and agonize. There have been groups with natural behavior to struggle against femininity, disability and sexual course. In this situation there is a problem to broaden the religious relationship, social source, tongue and political thinking and opinions - and to focus on celebrating diversity and understanding how inequality arises and how they can be discussed. Service, goods and services in restricted access, under-representation in political, economic and community decis ion making; grass root level people in society; separation, i.e., through restricted employment opportunities; express unfairness; as well as pestering, threats and aggression are aspects of variation in rights. Almost every people in white groups can not take help from full citizenship - they are socially disqualified. Discrimination is of the processes that deny people from full nationality. Social justice can be best acquired through considering the dissimilar wishes of white classes. The requirements of women using public convey, given private security concerns, may vary to the

The Role of Total Quality Management in the National Health Service Essay - 1

The Role of Total Quality Management in the National Health Service - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that in the last couple of decades, there has been an increasing interest in the application of quality management into healthcare organisations around the globe. It appears that the healthcare system, in general, have largely embraced total quality management. One of this organizations, that are aimed to improve themself is the National Health Service (NHS). It is stated that the drive for total quality management began early in the 1980s as a fall out of the Griffiths Report. Since then, and over the following years, ‘quality’ has become a buzz word in the NHS. This essay intends to look at this developing importance of total quality management in the healthcare sector. And using the NHS as a guide, this article reviews the critical elements of total quality management, the different factors that come to play in promoting these elements and how these can be better put to use to improve the overall quality of service delivery in the N HS. The next section of the essay attempts a detailed explanation of the term 'total quality management', to establish a background understanding of the topic at hand. This is followed by a look at the several elements of TQM, the factors driving these elements and how they inter-play to enhance service delivery and improve competitive advantage. In conclusion, the researcher discusses how total quality management has affected the National Health Service recently and what improvements were reached by it's managers.

Examine sociological explanations of the difference in the educational performance of ethnic minorities in Britain Essay Example for Free

Examine sociological explanations of the difference in the educational performance of ethnic minorities in Britain Essay The connection between ethnicity and educational accomplishment is very complicated as there is a great deal of difference between achievements between each of the ethnic groups. In previous studies, such as those carried out to compile the Swann report (1985), used very simplistic classifications of each of the ethnic groups, Afro-Caribbean, Asian and All others (including white). There was clear ranking between these groups with all others at the top, followed by Asians, and then Afro-Caribbean. Later on more complex classification systems were introduced and so a more detailed picture of the relationships between class and education emerged. For example, Kysel (1988) used eleven classifications to measure success at 16. This study placed Indian, African, Asian and Pakistani pupils at the top, followed by South East Asian and Greek students. Students of UK origin came in the middle of the range, followed by pupils from Turkish, Arab and Caribbean origin. At the bottom were Bangladeshi pupils. Most sociological explanations point to home back ground, educational experiences and factors to do with society. However studies dont usually apply such sophisticated classifications, as used by Kysel, so making it difficult to explain distinctions between the categories. There are three main reasons for different ethnicities achieving differently in the cultural factors, social class and school factors. Cultural factors are thought by sociologists to have a large influence on the difference in attainment of the ethnic groups. Findings of those such as Douglas have provided support for what came to be known as cultural deprivation theory. This theory states that many of the values, attitudes and skills needed for high educational success are missing in the culture of certain ethnic groups. This was a particularly popular theory in the 1960-70s, it was notably supported by the Swann committee (1985), however evidence can be seen as weak, even the Swann report said this argument was sketchy. Driver and Ballard adopted this explanation in their study of children with parents of South Asian origin. They found that these parents quickly developed high expectations of their childrens abilities and such attitudes may have attributed to their success. Ken Pryce rejected theory. He did a study of the Afro-Caribbean community in Bristol (1979) and although he described their way of life as turbulent he also said that Afro-Caribbean parents have great aspirations for their children, and that they were not socially deprived because their parents are supportive, interested and provide all of the educational aid the can. Rex and Tomlinson also rejected the cultural deprivation theory in their study in Handsworth. Their rejected the theory because the data they collected points to Asians achieving highest at school and yet their parents go into school the least, indicating that they are not as interested as Afro-Caribbean parents who go into school the most. In spite of their parents frequent visits to school Afro-Caribbean are achieving the least in school. Another important theory is cultural difference theory, this about children being disadvantaged because their culture differs from the schools, the main example of this is if a child go to an English speaking school and speaks a different language at home, this means that they will not be as practiced as the children for whom English is their first language, they will be subjected to constant correction by teacher and their confidence and self esteem may suffer as a result. This theory is rejected by Driver and Ballard who found that by sixteen Asian childrens command of English is at least as good as their class mate, and in some cases, much better. The Swann report also noted that linguistic factors held back some Afro-Caribbean students but most did not have a problem. Social class is another important factor to consider. Some research suggests that much of the differential educational advantage that Afro-Caribbeans face is due to the fact that most Afro-Caribbeans are working class, disproportionately so. Swann said social class adds up to half of the reason behind educational achievement. Smith and Tomlinson agreed with this with their study of inner city junior schools and found a large variation due to class but a much smaller discrepancy due to ethnicity. The only problem with this is Asian pupils are primarily working class yet they achieve better that their white middle class counterparts. Many researchers have looked at the impact a range of school factors; this idea takes the stance that the difference in attainment between the ethnic groups is due to school environment. In studying school factors researches may have looked at curriculum content, teachers attitudes, ethnocentric resources, banding, language and many other things. Mac and Ghaill found that there was no clearly defined relationship between students who have been the victims of racism and the ones who have been predicted a fail. What he found was how well students did was influenced mainly by the schools they had come from. Pupils from suburban schools did better than pupils from inner city schools. Most studies showed that teachers were not racist to ethnic minorities. Taylor saw that many teachers were very sensitive in their handling of cultural issues and Hammersley went on to say most racist teachers did not bring this into the classroom. Wright studied primary schools and noticed how Asian pupils were largely invisible to the teacher and was treated insensitively by both staff and peers. Coard said that institutional racism lead to ethic minority children having self-esteem problems, which developed into low achievement. This is extremely apt with Afro-Caribbean students who are seen as a threat to classroom management and because they have been treated like this they start to conform to the labels they have been given. The DfEE found in a recent study that Afro-Caribbean pupils were four times more likely be permanently excluded from school than white children. To conclude, the area of ethnicity is a very delicate one and it is important to view it in the context of individuals and not stereotype people. More research is needed in to the experience of small, specific racial groups, not just Asian or White. It is also important to note that it can never be seen as just one factor, it is always going to be a combination of factors and also age and gender can not be ignored, no one factor can never be measured accurately on its own.

Manage the Cultural Differences while Working with People from other Cu

Nowadays, as we all notice that the world is getting flatter. More and more people are getting the chance to work with people from other culture. It is not only limited to the people from the developed countries like Americans and Europeans. People in the developing countries are also open to the opportunity to work with people from other culture. Understanding that culture difference is heavily rooted in people’s everyday behavior is only the first step to get to work with people. Coping the way foreigners do with the local culture is the key point to be successful in working with people from other culture. Misunderstanding the culture and behavioral difference can lead to problems and alienation, even confrontation, between colleagues and ultimately the collapse of partnership. Being self-centered and refusing to social with the local culture would also lead to the failure eventually. When people from the different culture meet or a person goes to a different country, they are expecting to have a culture clash, which includes the communication, leadership and organization and etc. The communication problem would the language barrier, but most time it is more than just the language difficulties. How to get the message across can vary and greatly impact the communication. In the video, Building the Transnational Team, it clearly shows that everybody can speak the same international English, but everyone understanding one another is the challenge. First, when the native English speaker talking with another non-native speaker, if he or she speaks too fast and uses slang terms, the non-native speaker would totally get lost and feel frustrated. Like in the video, Luis from Spain who speaks English but has limited understanding of ... ... will help people from different culture work efficiently together. The change would be in communication, leadership and organization. In the video, five people finally realize that they have to manage the culture difference before they can talk about business. They figure out the way to have a better communication by using simple English and also they could like to phone call and fax both to satisfy people from different culture. Furthermore, strategic change will be implemented which means to adapt or create organization policies which take into account cultural differences. Particular attention should be paid to policies or programs that have been developed to meet the requirements of one culture and are then imposed internationally. The key thing to work with people from different culture is to manage the cultural difference and cope to different cultures.

Cloning Position Paper

The United States government should not fund cloning because cloning would not be an asset for the country right now. It would take a substantial amount funding away in having to accommodate both cloning research and regular scientific research. Looking at it as a whole, cloning is also a matter that a majority of U. S. citizens have not come to terms with. On a global scale, cloning would also create unnecessary competition between the U. S. nd other powerful countries. If the government were to support cloning research, research funds with either have to be split or added onto. With funds being split, progress and and vital advances would be deferred among research that is already going on today. Since our country is well into national debt, adding funds on to enable cloning research would not be wise. America, as one people, are not wholly agreed on the circumstances of cloning research.For some, cloning is crossing an important and moral religious line, let alone a scientific one . For others, cloning is seen as a threat to human and animal rights. If our country is not already equally divided on the issue of cloning, the majority is likely not for cloning. If the U. S. facilitates cloning research, it is likely that other powerful countries will follow lead. There are already many countries who do cloning research, so why make it even more of a global competition?I may also add that there is a wide range of international debt, the U. S. is not the only one experiencing deficit. If any countries should be allowed cloning research, it should be Canada or Sweden; countries that actually have stable economies. Realistically, the U. S. is not yet prepared to fund cloning research. Why can't we just give the glory to a country who could use it? We don't need to reign supreme over every notable advance ever made, or even try to.

Competitive Strategy Southwest Airlines Essay

The domestic US airline industry has been intensely competitive since it was deregulated in 1978. In a regulated environment, most of the cost increases were passed along to consumers under a fixed rate-of-return based pricing scheme. This allowed labor unions to acquire a lot of power and workers at the major incumbent carriers were overpaid. After deregulation, the incumbent carriers felt the most pain, and the floodgates had opened for newer more nimble carriers with lower cost structures to compete head-on with the established airlines. There were several bankruptcies followed by a wave of consolidation with the fittest carriers surviving and the rest being acquired or going out of business. Analysis of the airline industry To determine the profitability of the airline industry, we will do an industry analysis using Porter’s five-forces framework. This industry analysis will help us in understanding the size of the Potential Industry Earnings (PIE), and how much of this th e different participants can extract. Rivalry among competitors There is intense rivalry among different airlines. In the pre-deregulation days, airlines competed mostly on things like service, meals and in-flight movies etc., since prices were mandated by the Civil Aeronautics Board. In the post-de-regulation era, this rivalry has taken on the form of severe price competition, with airlines ruthlessly undercutting each other with fare promotions. There are a number of airlines making the airline industry fairly crowded. Even though the 3-firm concentration in 1992 was 50%, and the 8-firm concentration was 92%, the fact that the airlines competed on price made the industry much more competitive than the numbers might suggest. The service the airlines sell (air transport) is pretty homogenous, and there is not much product (in this case, service) differentiation. The major differences between the services offered by different airlines include the total time spent on an airplane and the number of connections. While time-sensitive business travelers may prefer shorter, direct flights, most leisure t ravelers don’t see this as a big differentiator when the price is factored in. Buyers (both business as well as leisure travelers) have low switching costs and there is very little relationship-specific investment that travelers make. Although the airlines made an effort to create customer loyalty by offering frequent flyer programs, most of the competitive advantage this provided was quickly eroded by almost all airlines offering such programs. Moreover, leisure travelers are motivated to shop around for the best price. The airline industry is also characterized by very high fixed costs. The majority of the operational costs (labor, landing fees, cost of aircraft etc.) are fixed regardless of how full the planes are, and the marginal cost of adding an extra passenger is almost negligible (just the cost of food plus an insignificant amount of extra fuel). Thus, on the margin, every extra seat sold contributes directly to the bottom line. This motivates airlines to undercut each other till price approaches marginal cost. Intense competition also lead to excess s eat capacity in several markets. This, combined with periods of declining demand because of macro-economic factors, and the high fixed costs and low marginal costs make the airline industry very price competitive. Things like access to Computer Reservation Systems and innovative pricing coupled with yield management were competitive advantages for a little while before they become a staple of being in business as an airline. Entry Entry into the domestic airline industry is relatively easy since there are no significant barriers to entry. Inputs such as aircraft maintenance, food service, ground services, reservations etc., could be outsourced. Airplanes could be leased, thereby defraying large initial capital investments, and rights to use gates could be leased at market rates. The minimum efficient scale was not very high since airlines could choose to compete in a few markets, and costs were more or less proportional to the number of flights offered and the number of markets the airline wanted to operate in. The main consideration for profitable entry seemed to be the ability of airlines to fill their airplanes above the breakeven point. In an industry fraught with price competition, brand identity and reputation did not have significant value either. In the airline industry, exit costs are not very high either. Planes could be easily redeployed to other markets, or sold off, and gates and landing rights could be sub-leased to other carriers. Substitutes There are a number of substitutes to air travel, especially over short distances. These include taking other modes of transportation such as driving, taking the train etc., or not traveling at all. The use of technology (like WebEx, NetMeeting, video-conferencing etc.) that facilitates remote virtual collaboration is becoming a good substitute for business air travel as well. Supplier Power The primary inputs to the airline industry include airplanes, labor and fuel. There are only two major manufacturers (three at the time of the case – Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas) for large commercial aircraft. This, along with the relationship specific investment t hat the airlines make in the form of trained mechanics, existing stock of aircraft etc., is likely to give the aircraft manufacturers some supplier power. A mitigating factor for this supplier power is the lumpy nature of aircraft sales, where there are a few high-value orders placed by airlines with deliveries spanning several years. Labor such as pilots, cabin crew, ground personnel, gate agents etc. are typically unionized and have some bargaining power. However, many airlines especially in the post-deregulation era have used the threat of Chapter 11 bankruptcy to re-negotiate unfavorable labor contracts. Aviation fuel is a commodity and its prices are determined largely by market forces and geo-political factors. Buyer Power The power that airline customers have varies based on the options available to them and the origin-destination city pair. As the General Accounting Office report in 1989 found, fares were 27% higher in monopoly or duopoly hubs than at competitive airports. Sophisticated yield management techniques and competitive pricing have allowed airlines to extract significant consumer surplus in smaller remote markets whe re travelers don’t have much choice and for direct long-haul flights that are preferred by business travelers. Even though there are pockets where some airlines have pricing power, the overall airline industry in characterized by significant buyer power stemming from the intense price competition among airlines. Industry profitability Exhibit 1 provides a summary of this industry analysis. As highlighted by the preceding analysis, the domestic US airline industry is not very profitable. Even though the Potential Industry Earnings seem high (given the volume of air travel and the higher willingness to pay and inelasticity of demand of business travelers), airlines are not able to capture much of these potential earnings. Several factors including intense price competition, excess capacity, high fixed and low marginal costs, along with low barriers to entry and exit, moderate supplier power and significant buyer power contribute to low industry profitability. Southwest’s success for twenty years In spite of a rather gloomy industry outlook, Southwest Airlines has managed to be successful for over twenty years. Southwest has outperformed its competitors by pursuing an operational model that is very different from the traditional larger carriers. Southwest was able to create a differentiated product in an industry dominated by undifferentiated offerings. Southwest took a simple, no-frills approach to flying with no meals and no assigned seating. It flew out of secondary airports where landing fees and costs of operation were much lower. These secondary airports also typically had less traffic so passengers could get to and from the airport with greater ease. Southwest broke the hub-and-spoke model and instead opted to fly frequent flights point to point. By avoiding the hub and spoke model, Southwest did not have to make the massive infrastructure investments that a lot of its competitors had to make. Not having to wait for feeder flights at hub airports, along with the 15-minute turn-around time of aircraft allowed Southwest to better utilize its fleet by keeping its planes in the air for a longer time (11 hours per day as opposed to the industry average of 8.5 hours per day). Southwest also owned only one model of aircraft – the Boeing 737, and was therefore able to achieve economies of scale in stocking components, and training mechanics. All of these measures gave Southwest the lowest cost per Available Seat Mile of 7.1 cents. As a consequence, Southwest had a much lower break-even point than it’s competitors and was able to make money even at lower load factors. With this unique operational model, Southwest not only kept costs down, but also provided customers just what they were looking for – cheap, efficient, timely transportation with high-quality service from a cheerful, motivated staff and without having to wait for connecting flights at hub airports. Southwest offered the lowest prices to price sensitive airline passengers for whom cost was a significant decision criterion. Southwest’s culture Herb Kelleher leveraged one of Southwest’s key resources- its employees to create a set of organizational capabilities, which in turn gave Southwest a competitive advantage. Kelleher institutionalized a culture of having fun while working, and inspired a deep sense of loyalty to the company fr om his workforce. Southwest’s workforce is 90% unionized, but owns 11% of the company. This led to compatibility in incentives between Southwest and its employees. Southwest’s employees did a variety of jobs in contrast to the other major carriers where employees had designated jobs and were reluctant to do anything beyond their strictly defined duties. Having a motivated workforce helped Southwest turn an aircraft around in a record time of 15 minutes. The beauty of Southwest’s operational model was in how each of their steps reinforced the other. A simple, no-frills approach with short haul flights and standardized equipment leading to lower costs, which in turn lead to lower fares in an industry which was extremely price competitive. A well-compensated, highly motivated workforce whose incentives were aligned with those of the company also ensured that things were operating at peak efficiency. A huge part of Southwest’s success in the 20 years since its inception can be attributed to this simple, but remarkably effective model. Threats to Southwest’s continuing success Threats to Southwest’s continuing succ ess include the threat of entry from other low-fare airlines and spin-offs from major airlines that seek to imitate Southwest’s model. With the airline industry bleeding with red ink, the government might step in and start reregulating the industry. In general, regulation and price-setting by the government interferes with free market forces, and breeds inefficiency by creating misaligned incentives and dead-weight losses. Any such re-regulation and government mandated prices would severely hurt Southwest. Other threats to Southwest include the loss of its existing competitive advantages. In particular, any event that triggers the loss of employee morale might lower the operational efficiency at Southwest and erode its cost advantage. Southwest’s go-forward strategy Southwest has designed its strategy around its most important resources and capabilities. It should thus limit its scope to those activities where it has a clear competitive advantage. Southwest should try to grow by replicating its success to new markets and achieving greater economies of scale and organizational learning. Southwest should not try to change its model and try to compete with other traditional airlines by flying long-haul flights and setting up hubs. Doing so would dilute Southwest’s focus and prevent it from leveraging the competitive advantages that have served it well for over two decades. In order to continue to succeed and grow, Southwest has to be able to sustain and build upon its existing competitive advantages. Southwest must focus on making its resources and capabilities (that give it a huge competitive advantage) durable, difficult to identify / understand, and hard to transfer and replicate. Durability: Southwest must focus on making its capabilities more durable than its resources. The airline industry is notorious for its back-to-back boom and bust cycles, and long-lasting advantages such as brand recognition and reputation just do not exist in this industry. Thus, Southwest must constantly focus on making its existing first mover and other advantages durable by keeping its employees motivated and keeping its focus on offering simple, no-frills air travel. Transparency: This refers to the speed with which other firms can imitate Southwest’s strategy. While running an airline is not rocket-science, Southwest does seem to have cracked the code in terms of figuring out the right mix of operational procedures and employee motivation to run a successful profitable airline. To enhance its competitive position, Southwest must focus on capturing and codifying its learning so that its formula for success is harder to identify and understand. Transferability and Replicability: Southwest must focus on making its capabilities less transferable and replicable. Thus, even if a competitor were to acquire the same resources (airplanes, employees etc.) that Southwest has, its capabilities must be hard to transfer and replicate. Southwest has created a unique organizational routine, and has acquired the ability to motivate its people to operate with consistently outstanding cost efficiencies and high levels of service. To build on this, Southwest must continue to focus on its core competencies, reinforce its core values and must continue to align the incentives of its employees with those of the company. In an industry with cut-throat competition and limited profit-making potential, Southwest has successfully pursued a resource based approach to creating sustainable competitive advantages. To continue to succeed and grow, Southwest must focus on identifying and filling resource gaps and continue to offer a differentiated product by exploiting its past organizational learning and its unique characteristics.

Guess Whos Coming to Dinner essays

Guess Whos Coming to Dinner essays The film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, written by Stanely Kramer reflects society's prejudices of the 1960's time period. This comedy explores the subject of interracial marriage, and the impact it has upon the parents of the bride and groom. This film definitely confirms the concepts of the 1960's, yet provides a new perspective on mixed marriages for years to come. The movie interprets the time period well, especially enlightening the ignorance and tension between African This movie tells of a dinner party given by a bride's parents to meet her fianc and his parents. The comfortable middle class, white parents of the bride are shocked when they find out that the groom is black. The groom's parents, are also in alarmed to find out that the parents of the bride are white. Surprisingly, the mothers seem to be more accepting of the proposed marriage than the fathers, who are very skeptical, and hold onto old traditions. The 1960's were a period of increased government intervention and reforms, as seen by the shocking message of the story. After the film, the number of interracial marriages in the U.S. increased dramatically since the 1960's both in numbers and in the percentage of total marriages. To 51,718 interracial marriages in 1990 compared to 40,491 in 1960. The results clearly show the changing mindset of the nation from prejudice, to open-mindedness. Although the 1960's was a time of great change, the hearts of many Americans were still unaccustomed to new ideals. The idea of interracial marriage was very new for the time. The progression of the nation becomes evident with the creation of: NAACP in 1909, struggling for civil rights for blacks; the construction of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960, for eliminating segregation by nonviolent means; the Civil Rights Acts of 19 ...

Solubility Product Constants at 25 Degrees Celsius

Solubility Product Constants at 25 Degrees Celsius The solubility product works as follows: In a water solution at equilibrium with a slightly soluble ionic compound, the product of the concentration of the ions, raised to the power of its coefficient in the solubility equation, is a constant. The solubility constant, Ksp, has a fixed value at a given temperature and is independent of the concentration of the individual ions. Here are values of Ksp for several slightly soluble ionic solids: Actetates AgC2H3O2 2 x 10-3 Bromides AgBr 5 x 10-13PbBr2 5 x 10-6 Carbonates BaCO3 2 x 10-9CaCO3 5 x 10-9MgCO3 2 x 10-8 Chlorides AgCl 1.6 x 10-10Hg2Cl2 1 x 10-18PbCl2 1.7 x 10-5 Chromates Ag2CrO4 2 x 10-12BaCrO4 2 x 10-10PbCrO4 1 x 10-16SrCrO4 4 x 10-5 Fluorides BaF2 2 x 10-6CaF2 2 x 10-10PbF2 4 x 10-8 Hydroxides Al(OH)3 5 x 10-33Cr(OH)3 4 x 10-38Fe(OH)2 1 x 10-15Fe(OH)3 5 x 10-38Mg(OH)2 1 x 10-11Zn(OH)2 5 x 10-17 Iodides AgI 1 x 10-16PbI2 1 x 10-8 Sulfates BaSO4 1.4 x 10-9CaSO4 3 x 10-5PbSO4 1 x 10-8 Sulfides Ag2S 1 x 10-49CdS 1 x 10-26CoS 1 x 10-20CuS 1 x 10-35FeS 1 x 10-17HgS 1 x 10-52MnS 1 x 10-15NiS 1 x 10-19PbS 1 x 10-27ZnS 1 x 10-20

Marketing campaigns of pepsi versus coca cola internationally Dissertation

Marketing campaigns of pepsi versus coca cola internationally - Dissertation Example However the weakened buying power of the consumer has also affected the consumer goods and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FRMCGs). This is because in general due to reduced jobs and lack of earning opportunities the consumers have reduced their spending on luxury items. This is even more evident in weaker economies and badly hit markets. As can be expected with an economic downturn, the reduced demand leads to more vigorous sales tactics. The companies try to increase sales or keep the sales levels on pre recession levels by introducing newer products. Many industries even face their worst nightmare of price wars. In order to increase sales the competitors try to reduce their gross profit margins. This strategy however mostly leads to suffering of the entire industry. The cola industry has evolved much over the last few decades. There was a time when the cola wars were in their full might. The competition between Coca Cola and Pepsi is an old rivalry. The battle for international domina nce is now not being fought in United States or Europe. This was the case during the cola wars. The new turf for this battle is none other than the emerging markets with their large populations and booming economies. The two giants have deployed interesting and diversified marketing strategies to dominate global markets. The term diversified here describes the unique strategies adopted for each different region. A very interesting example is the diversified portfolio of Pepsi China which will be studied and analyzed in detail. Literature Review Pepsi and Coca Cola (Coke) have always been at war with each other and this war has made their numerous encounters known as The Cola Wars. Today, both brands are well recognized all over the world where everyone has heard of the both brands at least once in their life. Whether its intense penetration strategy by flooding the market with their drinks or branding the logo on events and even celebrities, these two cola drinks have made sure peop le never get tired of them. It’s interesting to see how the two launched themselves initially and later transformed themselves into global warriors. Both used different strategies for this purpose and even though both of them have had their ups and downs, they have remained persistent which has left the brand impression on the minds of the masses. The very first marketing campaign in 1969 that Pepsi launched was based on the idea to attract youth and the young generation so that the drink would have something â€Å"cool† to associate themselves with (Bachmeier, 2009). The slogan â€Å"You’re in the Pepsi Generation† led the brand itself later on as well when the company continued to associate itself with the media and the popular entertainment figures so that it can maintain its hip image. Pepsi’s association with Michael Jackson and his famous Billie Jean song was one of the best decisions that the brand made which led the drink to be propelled to unlimited heights. The slogans of 1984 till 1997 which played on the notions of being young and hip made the brand launch itself with the same theme outside its physical borders as well geographically. With the logo of the â€Å"

Prevention of infection in IVC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prevention of infection in IVC - Essay Example These intravascular catheters usually terminate at or near the heart, or in one of the great vessels including vena cava among others (Cdc.gov, 2010). This paper looks into prevention of infection in Inferior Vena Cava (IVC). Before inserting catheters, the inserter and their assistant(s) should observe strict proper hand hygiene by washing hands either with alcohol-based hand rub or with conventional antiseptic-containing soap. They should also take maximal barrier precautions – use mask, head cover, sterile gloves and sterile gown. They should also drape the patient with the full body drape and maintain a sterile environment during the insertion. The inserter should perform a back-and-forth friction scrub on the site skin using chlorhexidine skin preparation, and then ensure that the solution dries utterly before attempting central line insertion. The drying time varies with the site of insertion. If possible, use antimicrobial-impregnated catheters. After initial insertion, they should apply occlusive sterile dressing per policy. Unless in emergencies, they should not perform any fluids/medications administration through the line prior to verifying the catheter tip placement. Most importantly, one should never connect previously used administration sets and fluids to central venous access lines (WHO, 2005).

A Profile of the Irish Republican Army Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A Profile of the Irish Republican Army - Essay Example Irish Volunteers used to be a militant nationalist group, which came into being in 1913. IRA claimed to represent the nationalist, Catholic community in Northern Ireland. The group is linked with the political party Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was formed in 1905 at Ireland. It is the oldest political party, whose name originates from the Irish Gaelic phrase for â€Å"We Ourselves.† Since its foundation, the party has strived for the right of Irish nationals aiming at attaining national self determination (Derkins 2002, p. 20). The Provisional Irish Republican Army was instituted in 1969 as the covert armed division of Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was a lawful political movement committed to confiscating British army from Northern Ireland and uniting Ireland. The group used violence as the tool of removing British authorities from Ireland. The differences arose within IRA regarding the widespread use of violence. As a result of the Sinn Fein conference in Dublin, in 1969, the IRA was split into two, Provisional and Official divisions (Derkins 2002, p. 22). Although both wings were dedicated to a unified socialist republic of Irish, the Official favored parliamentary strategies and shunned violence after 1972. On the other hand, Provisionals supposed that violence, especially terrorism, was a crucial component of the struggle to remove United Kingdom from Ireland. The group has received assistance from a range of organizations and states. The group has received substantial training and weapons from Libya and Palestine Liberation Organization. As a result of the similarities of IRA operations, there is the probability of links between IRA and Basque militant organization, ETA, and guerrillas FARC in Colombia (Shanahan 2009, p.12). Aims and Ideology As Derkins (2002, p. 32) observes, the main aims of the group were to establish an Irish republic, ending the British rule in Northern Ireland and the reunion of Ireland. This would then lead to establish a democratic socialist republic. The group claimed to be the Catholic republicans fightin g for the rights of the Catholics. The IRA purpose was to employ military to make British ruling in Ireland unsuccessful. This would then assist in attaining the broader goal of an independent republic, which Sinn Fein was pursuing at the political level. Since its formation, the group has functioned independently of political power. However, its membership overlaps with that of Sinn Fein. During the Anglo-Irish War, from 1919 to 1921, the IRA, under the direction of Michael Collins, used guerilla tactics, comprising raids, sabotage and ambushes, to force negotiations with the British government. The war led to an agreement that established two new political units; the Irish Free State and the Northern Ireland. The Irish Free State consisted of 26 counties and was given dominion status inside the British Empire. Northern Ireland, also known as a province of Ulster, comprised of 6 counties, and it remained a fraction of the U.K. Significant elements within IRA rejected this partition and started a civil war, eventually triumphed by the pro-treaty Irish army (Tugwell 1981, p. 13). In the 1970s, the relationship between Britain and Free State remained chilly. The old IRA sustained a low degree of campaign of violence intended at reuniting Ireland. However, in 1960s, its activities had diminished significantly. The developments in Northern Ireland, in the late 1960s, accelerated the diminishing influence of IRA. Civil rights activists engaged in civil defiance in reaction to discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland. The activists claimed discrimination in housing, employment, and voting by the dominant Protestant administration and population (Shanahan 2009,

Anti-money Laundering Systems in the UK

Anti-money Laundering Systems in the UK Introduction Money laundering is the term used to describe the process that disguises the (usually criminal) source of money.[1] The process of money laundering involves three recognisable stages. The first is the ‘placement’ stage when the proceeds of the crime, often in cash, are ‘placed’ into the financial system, for example, by being depositing in a bank. The second is the ‘layering’ stage whereby the proceeds are moved, usually through a series of transactions perhaps involving different entities, different assets, and different jurisdictions, in order to sever any audit trail and hence make tracing their origins harder. The third stage is ‘integration’ when the criminal resumes control of the proceeds, free from any link to their criminal source. An examination will be made of the statement that forms the subject matter of this essay. As an outline, this essay will contemplate the extent to which the United Kingdoms anti-money laundering regime seeks to address each stage of the process of money laundering. To conclude this essay will briefly reflect on the effectiveness of the UK regime. It must be emphasised that in an essay of this nature, large and complex topics will have to be reduced. The UK regime The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 Banks and other financial institutions facilitate the three stages of money laundering and lend an air of respectability to the proceeds when they eventually reappear, therefore the financial and related sectors have always been positioned at the forefront of the drive to combat money laundering. The UK regime – which implements the EU Money Laundering Directives, FATF international standards and UN anti-terrorist financing measures, comprises three main components as far as banks are concerned. First, there is the primary legislation, the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) which creates a number of ‘money laundering’ and related offences. The so-called relegated sector[2] is subject to additional offences to encourage its co-operation in reporting suspicious activities and transactions. Part 7 of POCA created three substantive money laundering offences, concealing[3], arrangements[4] and acquisition, use and possession[5]. The three offences are wide in a number of respects. First, the three principal money laundering offences must be related to ‘criminal property’[6] which is very broadly defined as any ‘benefit’[7] from any criminal conduct in any part of the UK or ‘would constitute an offence in a part of the UK if it occurred there[8]. The meaning of criminal property has been the subject of a number of Court of Appeal decisions, most recently R v Akhtar [2011] EWCA Crim 146, a mortgage broker who had allegedly submitted dishonest claims for and on behalf of his co-defendants, was not guilty of entering into or becoming concerned in money laundering arrangements. Clarke LJ submitted that the natural an ordinary meaning of s328(1) is that the arrangement to which it refers must be one which related to property at the time when the arrangement begins to operate on it[9]. Criminal property has the same meaning in respect of all three principal money laundering offences as set out in s340: â€Å"It does not embrace proper ty which the accused intends to acquire by criminal conduct†¦ Property is not criminal property because the wrongdoer intends that it should be†[10] Akhtar followed R v Loizou [2005] EWCA Crim. 1579, where the court ruled that no offence under s327 was made as the property was not criminal at the point of transfer. To say that it extends to property which was originally legitimate but became criminal only as a result of carrying out the arrangement is to â€Å"stretch the language of the Section beyond its proper limits†[11]. [analysis] [add facts of the case and relate to stages of ML) R. v Afolabi == re. s329 mention some of the facts Then conclude with test in Geary on part 7 and then further anaylsis on the extentof the act in stages of ML. Scope http://www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/clj-reporter/R-v-Geary-2010-EWCA-Crim-1925 Arguments that â€Å"criminal property† definition needs to be revised – Article:A suitable case for treatment: money laundering and knowledge Secondly, Liability arises if alleged money launder knows – see online book discussion between Hudson and Forston page 11 and 12 cases Thirdly, Drafted to cover every conceivable offence cases Mens rea cases Supplementary money laundering offences The ‘failure to report’ offences Tipping off As mentioned above banks and other financial institutions facilitate the three stages of money laundering, as such it is crucial to obtain the co-operation of those institutions who are essential for money laundering to occur at all. Section 330 and 331 of POCA create two new offences of failing to make a ‘required disclosure as soon as practicable’ after suspicion of money laundering is or ought to have been aroused. The term ‘required’ qualifies the disclosure in order to emphasise that the failure to report is a criminal offence. Slaughter and May – unregulated sector The Terrorism Act 2000 and related provisions The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 The Money Laundering Regulations 2007[12] require ‘relevant persons’[13] to operate their business in accordance with specified systems and procedures designed to combat money laundering and the finance of terrorism. The potential criminal liability laid out by the Supplementary money laundering offences discussed above together wit the regulatory requirements under the 2007 Regulations has caused the financial sector to introduce wide-ranging processes and procedures to ensure that its officers and employees fulfil these disclosure[14] obligations and hence that they do not fall foul of the criminal sanctions. The FSA Handbook Problems posed to banks by money laundering control Conclusion I [student number] declare that this piece of work contains # words. Bibliography Articles Shula de Jersey of Russell Jones Walker (2011). â€Å"Wide but not unbounded – the definition of criminal property† Money L.B. 2011, 186, 17-18. Money Laundering Bulletin CL J (2011) â€Å"Knowingly submitting a dishonest claim† C.L. J. 2011, 175(6), 78-79. Criminal Law Justice Weekly Kenneth Murray, (2012) A suitable case for treatment: money laundering and knowledge, Journal of Money Laundering Control, Vol. 15 Iss: 2, pp.188 197 Books Ellinger, E.P and Lomnicka, E and Hare, C.V.M Banking Law (Oxford University Press) The Law relating to financial crime in the United Kingdom / Karen Harrison and Nicholas Ryder Hudson, Law of Finance (first edition, 2009, Sweet Maxwell) Encyclopaedia of Banking Law (available via Lexis Library) Pagets Law of Banking (available via Lexis Library) Legalisation Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 Money Laundering Regulations 2007/2157 Other http://www.airant.it/pdf/MLB%20Sept%202011_0.pdf [Accessed 03 March 2014] http://www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/clj-reporter/R-v-Akhtar-2011-All-ER-D-214-Jan [Accessed 03 March 2014] http://www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/clj-reporter/R-v-Geary-2010-EWCA-Crim-1925 [Accessed 05 March 2014] http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1368-5201volume=15issue=2articleid=17031335show=html [Accessed 05 March 2014] Cases Allen v Gold Reefs of West Africa [1900] 1 Ch. 656 [1] Ellinger, E. P. [2011] Modern Banking Law: Oxford University Press. pp92 [2] Including banks, financial entities regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority such as accountants, lawyers, estate agents, traders in high value goods, casino operators. [3] s327 POCA 2002 [4] s328 POCA 2002 [5] s329 POCA 2002 [6] POCA 2002, s.340(3) [7] See provisions extending the meaning of ‘benefit’ in s.340(5)-(8)(including pecuniary advantage’) and those as to ‘property’ (s.340(9)). [8] No restrictions are placed on the ‘predicate offence’, as long as the conduct generating the property is regarded as an offence in any part of the UK, thus it does not need to be an offence in the country in which it is committed. [9] R v Geary [2010] EWCA Crim 1925 [10] Lord Justice Elias in Amir and Akhtar [11] Lord Justice Moore-Bick in R v Geary [12] S.I. 2007/2157 (as amended by S.I. 2007/3299 and S.I. 2009/209, in force on 15 December 2007 and replacing the 2003 Regulations. [13] Reg 3 – Application of the Regulations [14] More usually called ‘reporting’.

Organizational Leadership versus Management Essay -- Leader Manager es

When in a leadership role I don’t like to consider myself as a boss, but a mentor. I don’t want my employees to see me as a boss but as a guide for further learning and success. Today’s managers are not leaders, they are people in charge and nothing more. They don’t necessarily have the skills to lead, don’t get me wrong they may be a very good manager. However, they are only managing and not setting an example as a leader for the employees of an organization. An organization has the greatest chance of being successful when all of the employees work toward achieving its goals. Since leadership involves the exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership exhibited by supervisors is a critical determinant of organizational success. Supervisors study leadership in order to influence the actions of employees toward the achievement of the goals of the organization. Supervisors can learn about leadership through research. One of the reading assignments said leadership studies can be classified as trait, behavioral, contingency, and transformational. Earliest theories assumed that the primary source of leadership effectiveness lay in the personal traits of the leaders themselves. Yet, traits alone cannot explain leadership effectiveness. Later research focused on what the leader actually did when dealing with employees. These behavioral theories of leadership would explain the relationship between what the leaders did and how the employees reacted, bot...

Compare and contrast Essay

Everyday, stereotype is used in the society. Sometimes, when people use stereotype on other people, they don’t even recognize it because it’s so common and is ignored by the society. It’s a way to judge people through their common believes based on ethnicity, gender, skin color, appearance and language of the people who are being judged. For example, when people see a Vietnamese woman in her 20’s, 30’s and 40’s just migrated to America, they would assume that she will be working in a nail salon and flirt with some rich guys to get married with. Being stereotype is difficult deal with, and it’s really offended and hurtful. â€Å"The Myth of the Latin woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer and â€Å"Mother Tongue† by Amy Tan share some common and different stereotypes that they had to go through. In the story â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I just met a Girl Named Maria†, Judith Cofer wrote ab out her experiences being stereotyped as a Latin woman. In â€Å"Mother Tongue,† Amy shared her personal experiences being stereotyped with her language’s barrier. Even though the two female authors shared the similarity for being stereotyped by the society, they faced different situations on the way they were stereotyped. In â€Å"The Myth of The Latin Women†, there are numerous stereotypes that Latin women are judged for. Being a Latin woman, Cofer was judged falsely. Clothing in the Latin culture is a means of expression. Cofer explains that woman and girls often wear brightly colored outfits, specifically dresses and skirts. The clothing that Latin women wear also has an influence on how others might see them. Cofer describes that, â€Å"As young girls, it was our mothers who influenced our decisions about clothes and colors,† Unfortunately, the media twisted this tradition, making it translate into â€Å"Hispanic women as the hot tamale or sexual firebrand† (245). Another stereotype that Cofer experienced was that of the level and rate of her maturity. Latin women are often seen in a seductive way. Some people may mistake the way they dress as a sign as someone who is older, more mature, and more experienced than their actual age. â€Å"When a Puerto Rican girl dressed in her idea of what is attractive meets a man from the mainstream culture, †¦a clash is likely to take place,† (246). Cofer lived this and states how when a boy kissed her and she didn’t respond, â€Å"‘I thought you Latin girls were supposed to mature early,’† (246). Cofer speaks of this incident as another example as stereotyping by  the media. This boy was brought up believing that girls who dressed in a certain â€Å"sexy† fashion must be different and more mature. Latin women are also shown in a different light in the media as apposed to white women. You often see Hispanic women in domestic roles, which leads them being catalo ged. Another incident where Cofer was stereotyped took place when she was older. Cofer was at a restaurant where she was doing her first poetry reading. A woman called her over to her table and â€Å"she ordered a cup of coffee from me (Cofer) assuming I was the waitress,† (247). Cofer recognizes that Latin woman are often put into a box that limit them to domestic duties. It is a stereotype that most Latin women have jobs that are more in the service end of domestic duties, i.e. waitresses, laundresses, housekeepers. Cofer used her poetry reading as a way to show all that just because she was Latin did not mean that she was illiterate or uneducated. In this essay, Tan is likely to reach out to immigrant families that went through similar hardships on communication that she and her mother experienced. To many people, language was not seen as a form of communication, but as a barrier that cut them off from the world. This was a common problem for people coming from other countries or who grew up under privileged. In any society something that is common to one person can seem unusual to another. Because of this confusion, stereotypes and prejudice can be formed. Cofer wrote this essay â€Å"The Myth of the Latin woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,† as a way to expose the ongoing stereotyping Latin woman face. Cofer analyzes her experiences and shares her opinions on why they even happened. Cofer shared how the way Latin women dress is not to be â€Å"sexy† or to attract men. The women dress like that because thats is how there mothers dressed on hot islands. It was common to wear bright colored dress on a tropical island and not heavy clothing to stay cool. It is also a misconception that Latin girls are â€Å"fast† when it comes to their maturity. Because they are seen in an alluring way, some people maybe think they are more sexually mature. Cofer clarifies that this is not the case, Latin girls mature and grow at  the same rate as any other girl. Cofer also told a story of how because of her race a woman assumed she was a waitress in a restaurant. Another way of discrimination to Latin women, that all of them have jobs in the domestic field. Cofer really brings to light how easy it is to judge a person and use a stereotype against them. Cofer shows that if people took the time to talk and understand other cultures then all of these misunderstanding, wouldn’t be turned into stereotyping. Supporting Cofer in her efforts to stop this stereotyping from happening could make a big difference in how everyone will treat each other.

Cultural Event: Pan’s Labyrinth

XI LIU Cultural Event Paper: Pan’s Labyrinth I like watching movies, and I want to learn about different cultures from different countries. So I attended the cultural event of 2012 Foreign Film Series at 7:00 pm in October 9th. I was so excited that the Art History Organization gave us a chance to watch a Spanish film called Pan’s Labyrinth. I had heard of it before, but I had never watched it. This film combined the fantasy world and the real world perfectly. That is to say, it is a film of magic realism.I was attracted by the plot of the film, and I was astonished by the director’s conception and the visual effects even though a few scenes were a little bit disgusting and scary. The background of the story was traced to 1944, five years after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Spain was shrouded under the haze of fascist dictatorship. Those who were communist party members and the democratic persons were hunted down and killed savagely by the army. The plot of t he movie develops with resistance against forces of General Francisco Franco, whose leader was Captain Vidal and who ruled Spain as dictator.The protagonist Ofelia entered a magic world with three challenges that Pan gave to her. The film opened with the sound of a faint melody which was accompanied by the sound of Ofelia’s breathing and the frames of blood streaming from Ofelia’s nose while she was lying on the ground. With the background of white words showing on the screen and the voiceover telling us Ofelia’s status of princess in underground realm, the story started. Ofelia, who was twelve years old, took her pregnant mother to the north to rendezvous with her stepfather Vidal, whose real identity was a fascist officer responsible for repression of the local guerrillas.The purpose of Vidal’s living with Ofelia and her mother was his flesh and blood son to be born, and Vidal’s only pleasure was to study all kinds of ways to torture people who w ere caught. After watching her cold stepfather doing evil for fun, her sick mother and witnessing violence, Ofelia, who was surrounded by loneliness and fear, became addicted to fantasy for consolation. She was led to a deserted mill which was the entrance to the labyrinth by an insect elf, and the labyrinth porter who had long horns with goats and transparent eyes was waiting for her arrival.Pan told Ofelia that she was actually a lost princess from the underground kingdom and she had to accept three challenges and complete the tasks in order to go back to her kingdom. The first task was to save an old tree. Because there was a huge toad living in the root of the tree, the tree was on the edge of death. She had to take out a golden key from the toad’s stomach. The second task was to use the golden key to retrieve a dagger. In that room, there was an evil creature sitting at a table with a feast of beautiful foods which she could not eat.She was within an inch of her life aft er giving in to temptation. At the same time, her stepfather began more offensive activities of killing people above ground. Ofelia’s struggling with nightmares blurred the boundaries of reality and fantasy. The third task was to use her half-blooded brother’s pure blood to open the door of underground. Ofelia refused this requirement due to her virtuous heart. She didn’t realize that her stepfather had followed her, and she got shot by him.The scene was back to the initial scene of Ofelia’s streaming blood from her nose lying on the ground at the start of the movie. The ending of the movie can be interpreted in two ways. If it was real, she rejoined the kingdom using her own pure blood and opening the door of entrance. If not, then she ended the movie happy and certain that she was going to a better place, with the dictator powerless to stop her. Pan’s labyrinth is a movie based in a real historical background. It is clear to show us the antiwar a ttitudes with the development of the two main plots.However, it combines the cruel reality and the beautiful fantasy world perfectly to indicate the damages and hurt of the Second World War from the angle of a girl’s point of view. The role of Ofelia represents the whole group of children who were the victims who suffered most at that time. They were eager to live in a world of fairy tale. However, the war destroyed their real dream, leaving despair, hate and agony. One of the director’s obvious artistic characteristics is that he did well in applying contrasts to achieve great artistic effects.He uses the nice fairy tale to contrast the cruel reality and the darkness of humanity. The scene at the end of the movie, which was the same as the beginning, gives me a deep impression of an innocence girl. Thus it clarifies the abhorrence to the war and spiritual sustenance of longing for beauty. The question at issue that Pan’s labyrinth brings to us is whether fantas ies can rescue us from fascism. Around this theme, the director set out two main lines of the plot; one is the reality and the other is the girl’s fantasy world. Three challenges that the girl aced with and the atrocities of Captain Vidal which center on the question at issue reveal that fantasies cannot rescue us from fascism finally. In terms of importance, relevance and sufficiency, a very famous writer Justin Zhang for Slant Magazine stated that this film used a large number of symbolisms of blood to unveiled Pan’s labyrinth god’s mysterious veil (Zhang 24). This movie provides us sufficient and detailed content to reflect the inhumanity of Captain Vidal and the innocence of the little girl. The military executed justice with brutality, violence, cruelty, and no respect for civil rights.The examples of Vidal executing the man that was telling the truth about hunting rabbits, the doctor without any trial, and shooting Ofelia for no real crime, in addition to the brutal interrogation methods, embodies the inhumanity of Vidal. When Ofelia’s mother was in dystocia, he chose to save his baby son’s life but not his wife. These examples are important and relevant to reflect the character of Vidal. The example of Ofelia’s giving up using her half-blooded brother’s pure blood to open the door to the underground kingdom indicates her essence of innocence.All these examples of Vidal and Ofelia are important and relevant to the question at issue and the purpose. Pan’s labyrinth is a movie with deep understanding and implications. At first, it conveys a meaningful anti-war topic. The three tasks that Pan gave to Ofelia were to see if she dared to question when she realized that she was wrong. Eating grapes without resisting temptation in the second task and her refusal of handing over her brother indicates that she was an innocent girl with a rebellious spirit. All the settings of the roles and scenes have their u nique meaning.For instance, the scene of Vidal having his mouth cut open by Mercedes is derived from a tradition of Chelsea Smile. British people will cut the traitors’ or the enemies’ mouth as the shape of smile for punishment. The painting of Saturn Devouring One of his Children which was drawn by Spanish painter Goya, hung on the wall in the room where Ofelia finished her second task, is derived from a legend of Greek Mythology. It’s a painting with dark humor to interpret anti-war means. The design of the name of the leading role Ofelia is from Hamlet, written by Shakespeare. This may imply the tragic destiny of the little girl.In short, it is a film that has deep meaning regarding anti-war believing, rebellious spirit and challenges. Not only does it set out an issue that is worth thinking, but it also eulogizes justice and bravery. All these symbolism and settings reflect on its depth and make it a perfect film. However, Pan’s labyrinth does not exi st. It was made up by the director, but it is based on a real background. It is precise in describing all the characters of the roles in detail. And, also, it describes the violent scene more directly, such as the face with bloody pile of flesh and the scene of Vidal’s sewing his own mouth which was cut open.It has a visual power to make us know the cruelty of the reality. The scenes switch with accuracy and precision so that we do not feel the movie boring and long. It arranges all three challenges which interlace with Captain Vidal’s atrocities within two hours. So, I think that the movie is a success in its precision of characterization and mysterious scenes. In all, I like this movie. It gives me both visual impact and strong emotional shock. It’s a fantasy story based on the real history. The fantasy world gives me an illusion of beauty, but the cruel reality makes me sober enough to rethink profoundly and see the history clearly.This movie arouses peopleâ €™s thinking about whether fantasies can rescue us from fascism. The director used the deep symbolism and settings to make the film more thoughtful and have anti-war meaning in depth. The film also gives me a chance to do some research on the background and analyze the implications that the director made. I wish I could watch more movies like this in the future. Work Cited Zhang, Justin. â€Å"The Esoteric Interpretation of â€Å"Pan’s Labyrinth†. †Ã‚  Slant Magzine. 06 2006: 24. print