Bible Studies Analysis of Pauls Prison Epistle Books

Introduction Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon are prison epistle books that Paul wrote during his time when he was imprisoned in Rome. Lord brought Paul in a city called Rome to go and do the mission strategy which was given to the disciples by Jesus just before he ascended into heaven. Pauls task was to complete the mission of making the gospel to come to all corners of the world. Lord told him to take courage since he had testified many things about him in Jerusalem therefore he was in a good position of doing it once more in Rome. There could be evidences that, these books were written at the same time. Paul wrote these four books with intention of warning the members of the church to be prepared for the spiritual conflicts that will result in putting into practice the principle of Christianity. He also wrote the books to act as in exposition of the nature of universal church, and the body of Christ. For this case, various names were given to the church by Paul in relation to the prison epistles. The church was defined as the body of Christ, meaning that all those who believed in Christ were to be the part of the church and be considered a significant part of the church. The church was also described as the temple of God, which signifies the believers who wished to be in the house of God to pray making the congregation within a building that is set aside for the sole purpose of worship. This reflects back on the act of Jesus where He chased businessShow MoreRelated The Colossian Heresy Essay example2864 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Judaizing and early Gnostic influences (which will soon be discussed), he believes there to be a single group or culprit responsible for the religious heresy that is taking place . Lightfoot goes on to defend his theory with the ideas that the epistle shows no traces of multiple opponents being faced, and that in historical criticism the multiplication of persons is needless and should be downplayed . While this theory would also seem to be solid, it would still seem that there is more than a single

Starbucks Ethical Behavior - 1546 Words

Business Ethical Behaviour of star bucks Over the last two decades social corporate responsibility has become an increasingly important factor in the business world. Corporate Social Responsibility is concerned with treating the stakeholders of a company or institution ethically or in a responsible manner. â€Å"Ethically or responsible means treating key stakeholders in a manner deemed acceptable according to international norms â€Å" Hopkins (2011).By social corporate responsibility we mean that businesses and organization that reflect their ethical , legal and social consequences on their management decisions. Business ethics are followed by all organization globally. While some of them are ethically acceptable by society , the other are†¦show more content†¦While making sure that they buy coffee fairly, it also ensures that ecology is maintained. It provides the farmers resources which reduces cost of production and offers them loans to get products at right price. In some countries they provide sponsors hip of schools and hospital which would otherwise be inaccessible to poor farmers. These services are the basic right which the farmers are entitled to. How do Starbucks treat their Employees? One of the most important stakeholders of star bucks are the employees. An organization cannot function by itself. The people who manage the businesses and ensure that the business runs smoothly are employees. Starbucks(n.d) â€Å"Starbucks Coffee Company is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or marital status†. It treats all its employees equally. Ethics of rights and justice approach shows that it provides equal rights to all employees and it also ensures justice through fair treatment. It is also the only company to provide healthcare benefits to both part-time and full-time employees. â€Å"USLEAP believes that Starbucks is far ahead of any other major U.S. coffee company in developing a plan to address conditions and basic rights of workers on plantations that supply Starbucks† Sta rbucks Initiative ( n.d). Utilitarian view of star bucksShow MoreRelatedEthics and Compliance Paper Fin/3701357 Words   |  6 PagesPaper FIN/370 Starbucks Coffee Company â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time (Starbucks,  2012).† Starbucks mission is to not only provide the highest quality of coffee but also make a positive impact on the world. Ethisphere Institute over the last six years has selected the World’s Most Ethical Companies and Starbucks has made the list every year. What are the key components that make Starbucks one of the most ethical companies in theRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility1375 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Running head:( STARBUCKS) Starbucks Aneez Mohammed Columbia Southern University Starbucks. 1.Starbucks has worked hard to act ethically and responsibly. Has it done a good job communicating it efforts to consumers? Do consumers believe Starbucks is a responsible company? Why or why not? Starbucks opened up in 1971 in Seattle as the first Italian company in United States to have a coffee house for customers. The idea was to have a setting of Italian elegance, a personal treatRead MoreStarbucks Standards of Ethics and Compliance1647 Words   |  7 PagesEthics and Compliance Starbucks is a large organization that upholds many standards when it comes to their financial environment. Upholding ethical standards within a business is important if a business wants to become successful and maintains their credibility, Starbucks does not just operate on one ethical standard but eight different ones. They are all different sources that are used for different reason within the company. Starbucks has two specific organization standards they go by that dealRead More Starbucks Business Ethics Case Analysis Essay examples1451 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks Business Ethics Case Analysis INTRO Ethical issues in business are a common placed every day occurrence that will never cease to exist. We will discuss an ethical issue that involves a large American corporation and its practices when dealing with suppliers of produce that is essential but not solely used by this business. We will present several point of views backed by literary findings that suggest ethical practices may or may not be at hand. BODY Mr. DonaldRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Starbucks Corporation1256 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks Corporation is a globally well-known America company, who has been successfully maintained its stable loyal customer basis around the world. The company was initially established in Seattle, Washington, providing quality premium coffees with a superior level of customer service. The goal for Starbucks coffee is to grow under the highest standards of quality, using ethical sourcing practices, being dedicated in serving the world’s finest coffee and creating best customer experiences. StarbucksRead MoreBusiness Ethics Has Been Difficult For Me Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pagesother students, that I might not otherwise think about. The Starbucks case was one of my favorite cases we read because, for one, I am an avid Starbucks drinker, but I also had no idea of the background. The company had several problems and I think it was smart to close the company’s doors and re-evaluate the company and its stores. Starbucks also supports local farmers and uses quality food products. I believe Starbucks is an ethical company. They do a lot to help their employees, as well as theirRead MoreStarbucks vs. Ethiopia (Csr Issue)1383 Words   |  6 PagesIssue Two: Starbucks vs. Ethiopia In March 2005, Ethiopia filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark its coffee names, Harar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe, which are three coffee regions in the country. The Ethiopian government had hoped that by forcing coffee buyers into licensing agreements would lead to coffee farmers gaining more control over its coffee trade and earn a bigger slice of the pie by receiving a higher percentage of earnings from the retail priceRead MoreStarbucks as a Morally Responsible Company1420 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks as a Morally Responsible Company: Starbucks Coffee Company is an American coffee firm that operates globally and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Currently, Starbucks Coffee Company is the largest coffeehouse firm across the globe with over 20,000 chain stores in more than 60 countries. Generally, the company serves various brands of hot and cold beverages across its stores such as microground instant coffee, pastries, whole-bean coffee, and full-leaf teas. The success and productivityRead MoreFriendship1725 Words   |  7 Pagesprinciples? Describe how the company’s guiding principles would influence how a barista at a local Starbucks store does his or her  job. How these principle would influence how one of the company s top executives does his or her job. Answer:  Starbucks guiding principle clearly describes the mission and purpose of Starbucks existence. They describe that Starbucks is not just selling Coffee and  earning profit, Starbucks is all about providing people with a second place between their home and work where theyRead MoreEssay on Starbucks Visa Survey820 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Read the case titled Starbucks, Bank One, and Visa Launch Starbucks Card Duetto Visa in the Resources and address the following components in your assignment: †¢ Answer discussion questions 2 and 4 at the end of the case. 2. Build the management-research question hierarchy for this project. Step 1: Management Dilemma Is there a brand fit between credit card and Starbucks? How does the customer value the different benefits being offered by the Starbucks Duetto Visa card? How does the customer

Lenovo Case Analysis free essay sample

Case Analysis Situation Analysis Chinese super brand Lenovo, formerly formed as Legend, has seen itself rise from being a mere imported parts distributor into its country’s largest computer manufacturer as well as being the world’s fourth. The company now has branches world-wide and has experienced successful growths since its establishment in 1984. Lenovo SWOT breakdown: Strengths: Lenovo has a mass and strong relationship with their domestic customer base. Being a homegrown company certainly helped Lenovo in understanding and molding its computer lines into products that Chinese consumers loyally appealed to. The company also long established very efficient distribution and marketing functions. Weaknesses: In the end of 2003, they experienced a falling stock price, declines in PC shipments and managerial confusion. Albeit a strong customer relationship and distribution system, they still lag behind what Dell has specialized. Opportunities: Domestically, PC shipments in all regions of China is projected to increase so Lenovo can obtain those demands. Additionally, the medium to higher market segments such as medium businesses and the government continue to have a foreseeable increase in PC usage. Globally, there are substantial increases in demand and shipments of computers especially in Asia. Threats: The biggest threat the company has is facing increased competition from brands from both overseas and in China, especially from Dell where it held the second market share in the Chinese market. The market has become much saturated and the consumer perspective move from PCs being ‘luxurious’ to ‘commodities’ type products could turn risky to Lenovo. Problem/Key Issue The changing dynamics of the computer industry would be the basis of the problems experienced by Lenovo (and other firms in the market). Market saturation, entering and upgrading competencies of new and existing firms, the perspective of ‘commodity’ computers by consumers and the need to create new methods of selling and services all amount to the difficulties Lenovo is faced with a tougher market. Alternative Actions 1. Continue operating with innovations – As projected sales and shipments suggest that the company can still grow and gain more or at least the same profits, there is no rush for Lenovo to change any of their operating strategies for a period of time. 2. Modify the company’s product mix – In this suggestion, Lenovo would need to move from their major emphasis on computers to mobile handsets instead. 3. Consolidate its various businesses (focusing domestically) – By merging its different businesses of desktops, laptops, handheld computers and mobile handsets and focusing on only one main business. 4. Emphasize foreign operations (focusing abroad) – Lenovo would pool in resources to concentrate on foreign operations; entering, penetrating and gaining new market share or improving foreign existing market share. Evaluation of Alternatives 1. Continue operating without alterations – I) Advantages: Ability to maintain high profit levels, zero costs of change implementations, II) Disadvantages: Prone to future threats of consumer demand change or new competitors, would not be able to obtain new market shares, 2. Modify the company’s product mix – I) Advantages: Expanding businesses not specialized before (mobile handhelds), II) Disadvantages: Complications on deciding which products to specialize 3. Consolidate its various businesses (focusing domestically) I) Advantages: Lowering costs, emphasizing the strengths on manufacturing computers, lowers risks, pooling of resources II) Disadvantages: Lower risks means lower returns, 4. Emphasize foreign operations (focusing abroad) I) Advantages: Gaining new market shares II) Disadvantages: Uncertain market knowledge denotes risks Recommendation The next step from the above mentioned possibilities for Lenovo to choose best would be a mixture of the first and the fourth recommendation. I. Strategic Intent: To be proficient as a computer manufacturer domestically and internationally. II. Strategic Mission: A continuance on domestic domination by offering consistently up-to-standard products and to penetrate/garner a significant improvement in foreign markets. III. Key Result Areas (KRAs): A. International Department: Lenovo must ensure that this department is set up efficiently to conduct transactions, negotiations and sales abroad. They would need to separate their department into different divisions that specialize in locating, entering, penetrating, and gaining foreign knowledge. B. Research and Development Department: Since market saturation will cause problems to the firm, Lenovo’s RD department must be up-to-date, creative, innovative and would need to be pushing towards inventing new technologies. IV. Strategies: (Two alternatives are selected. The first alternative will continue in the background whilst the second alternative will be the method that Lenovo would carry out extensively. ) A. Initial Phase: The international department would first gather data and information of various countries then would nominate a country as the most possible candidate e. g. Thailand or India because of their PC usage growth. B. Product Modification: Once the target country is selected, the country and the consumer data would be collected. When gained, these data would be used to modify the computer models to suit the selected country. The process of entering would also be chosen. C. Foreign Phase: The modified product would be entered into the country and the international department would monitor its progress. D. Background Operations: Lenovo would still be creating and investing in research and development. They would need to ensure that they allocate appropriate funds and resources towards the RD department. V. Objectives: 1. To maintain significant market share in the Chinese domestic market. 2. To continue bringing innovative products into the market domestically. 3. To increase foreign to domestic sales ratio.

Red Essays - Industrial Workers Of The World,

Red Scare The Red Scare took place twice in American History. First in the period of 1919 to 1921 which was triggered by a Communist take over of Russia. The Red scare never really stopped since it's first appearance, but occurred again in the 1950's. It was a label given to the actions of legislation, race riots, and the hatred and persecution of revolutionary objectors during that period of time. After the war formally ended on November 18, 1918, there was an ideological war still going on in the US. It was a war which prompted mass paranoia and caused what would be known as the Red Scare, beginning in 1919 and ending in 1921. First period of red scare began in June 1919, when the newly appointed US attorney general, A. Mitchel Palmer, was waken up by the explosion on his door steps. A bomber tripped over something, blowing himself up. It was later found that additional bombs had exploded on the doorsteps of other high-ranking government officials in at least 8 more cities. This was the start of the first Red Scare throughout the country. The next day's New York Times newspaper reported that the attack was Bolshevik or W.W.I origin. After all the unfair legislation passed by the government, the scene was set for a disaster. Palmer used the laws set down in 1917 to deport members of the WWI. When the Palmer Raids began, its two main targets were the Communist Party, and the Communist Labor Party. In 1918, after the end of the war, all the groups which opposed the war came under fire. They were seen as destructive to the peace and security of the American nation. The focus of the attacks was no longer on the conscientious objectors, since many of them had already been jailed during the war, and were still in jail at the time. It was now switched over to the Socialists; they were still a viable target. Another reason for the Red Scare was the strike held by mine workers. They were thought to be making threatening moves against the Capitalist system through subversive Socialist organizations. These strikes were part of a series of events taking place in 1919. This strike, which occurred in February, consisted of 60,000 coal mine workers. In that September, steel workers were on strike. All of the available blame was put upon the American Communists, although many communists tried to oppose this strike. Nationalist Americans called for a halt to this "Bolshevik Revolution" which was taking place on American soil. As a result of this panic traveling through American society, a series of bombings occurred. The Socialists were immediately assumed to be responsible. Newspapers had a field day publicizing these bombings. Attorney General Palmer took advantage of the widespread panic of the public and media and asked Congress for fund appropriations to help avoid further danger. Congress obliged, not only supplying funds, but going one step further. The message was then made clear: foreign radicals were to all be deported. The Red Scare finally came to an end after a series of actions by high government officials, especially in the Justice Department itself, which showed dissent from Palmer's philosophy. Assistant Secretary of Labor Louis F. Post began to reject most of the cases brought before him concerning the immigrants. Even the Secretary of Labor himself, William B. Wilson turned against Palmer. Out of 6,000 warrants issued during the raids, less than 1,000 deportations resulted. Even with all this opposition to his actions, Palmer still aspired to the office of the Presidency. He was never nominated. By 1920, the Red Scare was dying down, and by 1921 it was virtually dead. It would have been much easier to overthrow the government or get a lot of support for Communist ideas during the first Red Scare rather then in the 1950's. After WWI was over, many people were coming home and there was a tremendous rise in unemployment. Industries that were working for the war had to change their products to meet piece time demands, which costed a lot of money. On the other hand, in the 50's, the economy started to improve and people finally gained some hope for a bright future. The Marshal plan, providing economical aid to any state which suffered from fascism, brought American goods into the world market. Big labor unions were also around, such as the Knights of Labor and the AFL, which wanted better working conditions, higher wages and a smaller work day. Also, no legislation regarding communism was

Line Item veto essays

Line Item veto essays When the House passed the Line Item Veto legislation, in a strong bipartisan vote of 294-134, it took great strides toward assuring the American people that the purpose of government is to serve the needs of all Americans. It also indicated its intention to seriously address the budgetary problems created by forty years of elitist pork barrel arrogance by the majority party in Congress. Congressional approval will also take away a sinister political weapon, designed to distort the images presented to the people. Without the Line Item Veto the President was forced to either accept or reject any legislative proposal as it was written. Congress learned the trick of tacking on extra money for special projects, ones that usually helped fellow Representatives or Senators get reelected. In more blatant times they have actually increased Congressional salaries. In the article one example is cited by Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Michigan. Added to a bill to provide California ! earthquake relief last year was $10 Million for a train station in New York and funds for sugar cane growers in Hawaii. The public is seldom aware of this extra spending. Without the Line Item Veto the President must either sign or veto the bill with the pork attached. This ploy thus becomes a political weapon. If the President vetoes it his opponents can accuse him of not wanting to help Americans in need. U.S. Presidents since Ulysses S. Grant have all called for the Line Item Veto. In the article the new Speaker of The House was quoted as saying President after president has said it was something that would be good for America because it would allow the president to cut out some of the worst in spending. Opposition to the Line Item Veto argues it would tip the balance of power too heavily toward the White House. Another point postulated by those concerned suggest the President could use this power to favor one politician over another by s ...

Parasitic Flatworms Essays - Parasitology, Digenea, Helminthiases

Parasitic Flatworms Essays - Parasitology, Digenea, Helminthiases Parasitic Flatworms INTRODUCTION Imagine going to the doctor for a simple check up. Sure you've had some minor problems- indigestion, lack of energy, weight loss, and a bit of gas- but that's not out of the ordinary....or is it? In most cases you would be correct...but today is your unlucky day. The doctor has just informed you that you have a tapeworm parasite. PARASITIC CHARACTERISTICS By definition, a parasite is an organism that lives either in or on another organism. Infected organisms that are carrying a parasite are called host organisms- or hosts. This parasitic relationship can vary from benign to harmful- and sometimes even fatal. There are two main types of parasites: endoparasites and exoparasites, however endoparasites will be the focus of this paper, and flatworms in particular. Endoparasites are parasites that live inside the host organism. Endoparasites that inhabit vertebrates or invertebrates live off the nutrients in the food host organisms eat as well as the tissue of the host. These parasites not only live in the cavities of hollow organs but can also live within the tissue. Endoparasites can range from microscopic in size to 25 feet or more in length. Many worms are antiparasitic. Some live in the host's digestive tract feeding off the host's blood. Others, such as trichinosis, enter the host through the digestive tract and then migrate throughout the body tissue. Most microscopic worms secrete toxins into the hosts blood stream which then circulates and often causes damage to surrounding systems and tissue. The life cycle of endoparasites is as varied as the parasites themselves. Some parasites are permanent fixtures in a host's body, while others only live within the host for a limited amount of time. For example, parasitic worms can live within a host for up to 30 years! The host not even being aware of this fact because there are little or no symptoms of the invasion. Not only are life cycles varied for parasites but the number of hosts they live in are as well. Sometimes parasites live in only one host for their entire life- known as autecious - while others change hosts- known as heteroecious. In relation to the life cycle of parasitic worms, there are also different reproductive methods. Many parasites do not reproduce within their host, or reproduce to a limited degree. They are more likely to reproduce eggs that enter another host before they develop in the final host. These parasites just use their fist host as an intermediatory step in completing their life cycle. The species schistosoma ( Refer to Figure 1 ) from the class trematoda is an example of such a parasite. These parasites go through a life cycle in which they use an invertebrate, usually a snail as an intermediatory host. ( Refer to Figure 1a ) FLATWORM CHARACTERISTICS Flatworms from the phylum Platyhelminthes, are parasites that live within the intermediatory host but usually complete their sexual maturity within a vertebrate. They are broken into three major classes: Turbellaria, the most primitive, free-living class that resides either in or on a host, they generally live in a marine environment. Trematoda which is the small parasitic flatworm ( most of which are called flukes) has disk like suckers which attach to the outside or internal organs of their host, and the class Cestoda which consist of the parasitic flatworm known as the tapeworm. ( Refer to Figure 2 ) Tapeworms have no true digestive tract, therefore they live inside the digestive tract of vertebrates and some invertebrates, absorbing food through their body wall. They latch onto the walls of their host's digestive tract with suckers and hooks, located at their head, which is called a scolex. The phylum platyhelminthes are one of interest when discussing parasitic flatworms that in fect vertebrates and invertebrates. INFECTION Humans and animals are in continuous contact with microorganisms, because of this relationship there are numerous ways in which infection of flatworms can occur. Organisms that transmit parasites are known as vectors. Some vectors transmit parasites when they are eaten by the hosts. An example of this would be a flea eaten by a dog or cat. When the animal eats the flea, the immature form of the tapeworm emerges from the fleas body and later develops

Autobiographical reseach paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Autobiographical reseach paper - Essay Example It is one of the three counties that form the region of South Florida Metropolitan Area. One can see people of different race, color and culture merge in the pool of one single community, forming the community of Miami-Dade County. The variety of languages which are spoken throughout the county is reflection of this existing variety. The three official languages which are spoken are English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Though besides these there are many other languages which can be heard while on the streets of the County, some of these are English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Some of the other languages spoken are Brazilian, Portuguese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian and Russian. Most of the people speak other languages at home, and English outside. So the County has largest percentage of population who are bilingual or tri-lingual. . I feel very special being part of the community where there is so much diversity and acceptance, and almost no feeling of racial discrimination in h uman interaction within the society. (Miami, 2007) The community in which I live have a very historic date with the evidence of Native American settlement in the region as far back as 12, 000 years ago. The influence of the Tequesta people, who control much portion of the Southeastern Florida, is very evident. The cultural influence of hunting, fishing and gathering fruits and roots of the plants for food , is still very much part of practice, rather than being involved in agriculture. The Tequesta people have deep impact on the lifestyle of people residing, and have been credited with making the Miami Circle. Today this County can be said to have people representing from different countries and cultures like Argentineans, Bahamians, Brazilians, Canadians, Colombians, Cubans, Dominicans, French, Haitians, Hondurans, Jamaicans, Israelis, Italians, Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Russians,

Learning and Development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning and Development - Coursework Example Another issue is the challenge of providing expert training from a centralized resource. There is need to centralize and diversify training programs from the headquarters to the branch offices. This will cut down on costs of training and effectiveness at the branch offices. Another issue facing the Ventura organization is the need to deliver training against very tight timetables. This is because when anew client is acquired there is a need to deliver the requirements needed by the customer in a timely manner without the client experiencing any level of uncertainty as relates to service provision according to Harrison (2009, p. 29) By allowing employees to attend conferences that focus on topics of relevance to their position and the organization and ensuring that the organization have the employee make a presentation to other staff as a way of promoting the individuals learning experience and as a way of enhancing the organization. This should act as some form of off-the-job learning. By selecting the best of these opportunities and coming up with critical incident notes for staff to learn from and apply in their daily work life. For example a case of a client complaint that was handled effectively. By writing a brief summary of the incident and identifying the employees actions that led to a successful resolution and then sharing the notes with the employee involved and with others as appropriate. Alternately, if the situation was not handled well, it is again important to write a brief description of the incident plus identifying areas for improvement. Fieldtrips can be seen as an off-the-job activity. It is important to do a follow up the field trip by having staff share and explain to the rest what they have learned and how they can apply that learning to the organization. There are several tools can be made available to employees to help them perform better in their jobs. These tools can range from; manuals, procedural guidelines,

The way America is a dominant force Essay Example for Free

The way America is a dominant force Essay In terms of national identity, identify and analyse some of the roles television plays in the processes of globalization and identity formation. Discuss with reference to at least two British TV programs. In this essay I will be looking at the way television has an impact on the way has an affect on the way globalization, culture and identity is formed. To look at this I will be looking at the way America is a dominant force when it comes to marketing there shows to other countries and the way British shows have difficulty being accepted and also how British shows manage to create an identity through they way they act. American sitcoms have been a constant success in this country with such successful imports such as Friends, Seinfeld and Frasier, but what is the reason for there success in this country, looking at globalization, culture and politics I hope to discover why this is. First I will be looking at what globalization is and how this affects the way different programs from around the world are received, I will look at the differences in culture between not just the UK and America but various other countries that there shows are exported to. What is globalization in television? Since the 1980s there has been a steady rise in the transnational television in terms of that more than ever people own television sets and the fact that new technology has such as satellite and cable has allowed access to a completely new market. This has then lead to questions being raised about culture and cultural identities due to the fact that programs are now being beamed from all around the world. To understand how global television works you must first understand society since global television has an impact on society because when shows are being shown to different societies that there is always a different reaction to them. According to Kellner (1990) there is in excess of 750 million television sets being used in over 160 countries that are being viewed by over 2. 5 billion people a day. No doubt these figures have reached even a higher number today due to the fact there is now digital television and cable. The main fact with television that it is always changing, and what is yesterday is not what it is today, and what it is today is not what it will be tomorrow. However with television continuing this change, and as it continues its global expansion that there has been an uneven shift towards the west and in particular the USA. With the television originally being developed in the west and especially in America this has caused a shift in Americas favor so therefore they have been able to dictate what is shown not only in there country but by exporting there products to the rest of the world. However even though this is the main trend at the moment of America one way influence over the rest of the world this is not what globalization is about, globalization is more about a multi-directional and a multi-dimensional set of processes. Global television although it has allowed the development of new technologies with the influx ok Sky television and cable, has also been met with skepticism due to the fact that some countries prefer that the majority of there programs are created from there own country however with the dominance of America in the television market and there technology especially with Sky TV, this has been hard to regulate. Most countries have described these as threats because they believe that within the economics of television, the regulation of television and the identities, especially national identities, which are deemed to be in part the product of national television services. In other word what they are saying is that the majority of shows on there national television should be produced from there own country, and not to be overawed by Americas dominance and say no to all there imports. However this is a hard thing to do, due to the fact of Americas power and there development of new technology that has helped bring forward the Television, so with countries accepting this new technology there are therefore also accepting the influx of America shows. Although there is a reluctance to accept these shows, Im not talking about a reluctance to accept one or two shows. Im talking about accepting a lot of shows that outnumber countries own creations., however when the shows are shown and they become a success the channels controllers decide then to import more and more shows therefore they will start to outnumber there own shows. But if they are so against then importation of these shows why do they import so many, its because they are a success and they attract viewers, this will now lead on to why are these shows successful in our country. In Britain the dominant television company was the BBC this had dominated the television scene since it was created in the 1920s, until 1954 when the television act brought commercial television into the frame. The first such television station set up was Independent Television (ITV). The 1954 act had obliged that the ITV adopt norms of quality and balance, which were in essence the same of the public service developed by the BBC. In the 1980s another channel was set this was, Channel 4, unlike both the BBC and ITV channel 4 was not a maker of programs but a publisher, programs that were watched on channel either came from a mixture of ITV companies, imports or independent producers, this allowed the channel to show a different variety of programs that would not follow the same pattern as a BBC show, another purpose with channel 4 is to experiment with shows to bring in something that is not the same trend and to play with form and content. With the introduction of BskyB and cable, there was a limited impact at first, however over the years the performance picked up due to the fact there were more people getting Sky and Cable, and also there was an even more diversity of shows coming from the USA. This was shown according to the magazine Screen Digest, that in 1994 there was a market penetration of 12. 4 per cent rising to 14. 8 percent and in 1992 the BskyB audience share 4. 8 per cent (the Guardian august 1992) but this had risen to 8. 5 per cent (screen digest 1995) this was showing that even though it was a slow and steady process but cable and sky where both starting to become dominant forces in the television markets. Comparing how we run and regulate our television companies to America is a good way of seeing how the different cultures accept the way there television Is run, already I have looked at the way the British television system is run, now I will look at the way the American television system is run. The way the American television is organized is very complex, there are many players as they call them, these are the television stations, the networks and the productions companies, at the moment there are over 700 television companies, these stations serve the area that they are in geographically by purchasing and transmitting programs. There are not many television stations that produce there own programs apart from the news, so the majority of programs come from either the networks such as FOX and HBO or from production companies. In America a majority of television is also filled with advertising, these adverts are a massive source of income for the networks, especially when there are huge events going on for example the superbowl, as this is one of the biggest sporting attractions in America and millions of people will watch it therefore there has always been a bidding war to get there adverts shown at this time. That is one major difference compared to the way television is run in Britain, the American television network is dominated by adverts where as we have channels such as the BBC channels that do not rely on adverts. Compared to British television stations, American networks are by law not allowed to produce any primetime material, therefore this stations rely a lot on production companies to make there shows, this is the complete opposite to the BBC, who will produce there own shows. But even though our stations produce our own shows, and American networks rely on outside productions companies, why is it that there shows are more successful in our country than our shows are in America? Is it to do with culture, already have I explained the difference in the way that the American and British television systems are different, but why is it that we easily accept these shows on to our channels. One reason I believe that these shows are shown over here and why there is so many is that fact that the majority of the American shows are shown on channel four, channel four being the channel that is most like a American network as it relies on independent productions and therefore will export shows that are successful in other countries. Looking at American shows compared to British shows, British shows tend to be more about there won culture and how Britain is, although there is a tendency to see that Americans are very patriotic, I believe that this is not represented in there shows compared to British shows.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay -- Papers

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by T.S. Eliot in 1917. When looking at the title, one can immediately assume that this poem is a love story or even an actual love song. Actually, after reading one will find a great struggle and in fact no love song will be sung. The poem begins with a short passage from Dante’s INFERNO. With this reference, it immediately gives an eerie feeling of something evil or possibly something related to the devil. Reading the translation of this passage though, it leads you into feelings of sympathy for the man. It concerns a man and his identity, much like the actual poem. This passage and its entire translation implies that in the poem Prufrock is only speaking because he is sure no one will stop and listen to him. Because we are reading the thoughts of the narrator in the first stanza the entire thing is very incoherent and it does not really make sense. As the poem progresses though, Prufrock continues to repeat ideas and phrases which brings a little more concreteness as to the path of the story. For instance, the usage of the phrase â€Å"you and I†. This line includes the reader into the poem, suggesting that by following along with him, one would better be able to understand his problems. The images of the opening lines portray a dreary neighborhood with cheap hotels and restaurants. This is where Prufrock calls home. He invites the reader along on his journey. Specifically, in line 12 he is making a visit somewhere. Immediately this conjures images of the places that he and the reader will go together. He gives ideas about occasions like an afternoon tea party where women talk about Michelangelo. The correlation betw... ...t his love to this woman. Many people have experienced situations in life where felt they wanted to speak out and speak up, but were fearful of the consequences therefore leaving nothing said at all. T. S. Eliot also was able to create a wide array of feelings for Prufrock. A more dominant feeling was that of sympathy for Prufrock. The great use of language encouraged the reader to want for Prufrock to sing to this woman. It involves the reader in the story. You feel as though you need to give him encouragement, or maybe a cheering section so he will go ahead and express himself to her. At the end of the story, I experienced anger towards this man because he put so much time and effort into planning his big approach, he completely quit. He decided that he would give up completely on this girl. Now he is old and does not have anyone to share his love with.

Decision Making for Behemoth Motors Corp

Business management has become one of the most popular jobs in the world . Wally Wizard, as GSPN manager, needs a keen eye to ensure that the business is running with no hitches, no obstacles to success and no decrease in revenues. First, it is important to define what Wally Wizard’s problem is. Superficially, Mr. Wizard has no problem with the outfit, because statistics show that only 2% of their products fail quality control. However, upon closer inspection, Mr. Wizard does have a problem: the direct materials that they utilize are acquired pursuant to monthly contracts.Even though there are no future obligations under the contracts, BMC is still vulnerable to his suppliers’ whims: sudden increase in rates or the possible non-renewal of their contracts the following month. Now that the problem has been identified, what alternatives do Mr. Wizard have? A perfect opportunity in an offer made by Far East Enterprises, Ltd. comes along. Although production costs are a frac tion higher than BMC/GSPN’s current operations, FEE offers a two-year contract that would presumably contain less risk than the current system.However, if Mr. Wizard opts for the outsourcing, what to do with their 100 strong employees? Mr. Wizard already has the relevant information he needs so that he can make a viable, intelligent and profitable decision. Behemoth Motors Corp. 2 (1) FEE assures the same quality as the current BMC/GSNP quality. (2) The FEE outsourcing is covered by a contract. (3) The factory floor space vacated by the business operations can be a source of savings. (4) FEE’s delivery schedule is as reliable as BMC’s. (5) BMC’s supervisors can be absorbed by other BMC units.Therefore, the only problem is the laying off of 100 laborers. The solution to this would be intense collective bargaining agreements with the union. The FEE contract will commence on July yet, buying time for the company to make negotiations. Labor standards and regu lations do not enjoin employers from discharging or laying off employees (Kim 2003). The employees may be given three months’notices of their discharge. In lieu, Mr. Wizard can monetize the three months notice, which will provide ample support and time for the employees to gain employment.Unions are amenable to notices specially if the workforce to be discharged is paid off. This is an opportunity cost for BMC/GSPN, wherein Mr. Wizard quantifies the cost of sacrificing his workforce, in favor of obtaining the benefits of the FEE contract (Jay 2004). Mr. Wizard will wake a sound managerial decision by opting for the FEE Behemoth Motors Corp. 3 Contract. Why? Most of the qualitative factors in making decisions are soundly met (Relevant Costs): (a) Quality is assured; (b) Delivery schedules will be met;(c) FEE is a reputable outsourcing company which will in turn uphold the reputation of BMC/GSPN; and (d) As result, customer opinion will be high and their satisfaction guaranteed . To conclude, studies have shown that outsourcing benefits include better planning, higher points of operational consistency, and faster implementation of new techniques and strategies (Ferrell 2003). Behemoth Motors Corp. 4 References Relevant Costs for Decision Making, Retrieved May 27, 2008 from: http://www. mhhe. com/business/accounting/garrison/Student/olc/garrison9emgracct_s/chapterindex13.htm Jay, B. (2004). Relevant costs for decision-making, Retrieved May 27, 2008 from: http://www. accademy. com/students/publications/student_accountant/archive/2004/47/1163453 Ferrell, Keith. Outsourcing Benefits May Be More Than Monetary, Retrieved May 27, 2008 from: http://www. informationweek. com/news/services/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=15200441 Kim, Wang Bae. Economic crisis, downsizing and â€Å"layoff survivor’s syndrome†. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 2003. Retrieved May 27, 2008 from: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_go2234/is_200310/ai_n9366529

Case Study Formula 1

Q1. What do you need in order to succeed in Formula One? The case studies emphasise that all three racing teams focussed on different strategies. Their strategies changed within the environment and circumstances, but what is overwhelmingly evident is that a team needs all the elements to be in synergy and for focus to be on every aspect of the strategy. As the old adage, ‘A team is only as strong as its weakest link. This means that in order to be successful and to maintain success, you’ve got to get all the elements right, the overall package, the budget, the designer, the engine, the drivers, the organisation and every aspect, from what is deemed most important to the least important, all play an essential part of sustaining a winning team. The strategy employed has to be all encompassing and must definitely not rely on any one aspect only, as this has proven to be short lived, and cannot sustain long-term success. A distinct advantage is for these racing teams to be afore with latest technology and to ensure a good relationship with its sponsors and suppliers especially the engine suppliers, as was evident with the Honda partnership in supplying engines. Another dimension is the attitude, drive and enthusiasm of the team. Their desire to win and the extra effort they put in, not just to rely on a fast car or good driver, but also to have a focussed mindset and good inter-relationships. 2. Why do you think your team were successful during this period? The Ferrari team was successful during this 2000 –2004 due to them changing their mindset from the conventional and adapting to the rapid advancement of technology. Even though they had the money, resources and discipline they lacked the innovation to move forward and keep up with the rest of the world with respect to technology. By recruiting John Bernand the top technical designer and setting up the GTO plant in Guildford gave Ferrari the edge they needed. This plant focused on long term R & D and the Marnello plant concentrated on the current design and activities. Both long term and short term strategies were being fulfilled and a synergy was formed. The death of Enzo Ferrari gave rise to a new management team with a different management style. This created some problems/shift within the organisation but it also gave way to benefits, as the saying goes, â€Å"Change is as good as a holiday†. The new management team was able to amalgamat the human resource plan, marketing plan and financial plan to ensure sustainability of the organisation. They recruited the right people to compliment the business and take their business to new heights. The new team helped Schumacher to world titles. In addition Schumacher’s talent as a driver coupled with his motivating skills provided a base for an excellent performing team. Ferrari’s supply chain was critical for the sustainability of their company. Long-term commercial and technological partnerships were set up with Marlbaro and Shell which maximised the benefits of Ferrari’s investments. These partnerships provided the technical and financial support needed. 3. Why were they unable to sustain this success? One of the key reasons that Ferrari was unable to sustain their success was as a result of complacency. The developers at Ferrari lack the foresight to acknowledge that the design of the product i. e the F1racing car. The strategy that was adopted by Team Ferrari focused primarily on the engine that ran the car, this owing largely to the fact that this was the ideology of it’s chairman Enzo Ferrari, this strategy was entrenched in the technical development team. Ferrari believe that by building better faster engines that their cars would remain unbeatable. This strategy was effective however only for a period of time. Other teams had realised that there were other aspects of the cars design that contributed to it’s performance. As result the strategy of these teams shifted from finding the perfect engine to designing the perfect race car that was aerodynamically efficient, who’s chassis were lighter and therefore sought to find an engine that compliment these new designs, this was achieved with the use of the V12 engines which perfectly. Whilst all of these technological developments were taking place in the F1 arena, Ferrari chose to focus on it’s long term strategy which focused on the development of the V6 turbocharged engine. This essentially meant that their drivers were now competing with cars that no longer held a competitive advantage, in fact the cars were now considered inferior. The fundamental flaw in this instance was that Ferrari had ignored the change in trends in the immediate environment and stuck to what they felt worked. The strategy was to exploits their strengths but neglected the opportunities that presented themselves. They had failed to respond to an immediate threat, thus exposing their weaknesses and allowing themselves to retrogress to the extent that Ferrari was no longer considered a threat. This was further compounded by the problems that were being experienced between Audetto and Laude, Ferrari’s strength was derived somewhat from the relationship between Team Boss and Driver and with Audetto not being able to accomplish this, it impacted on the performance of the team. In addition, the heavy reliance on the driver, meant that the team was left at the mercy of it’s driver, this was evident when Laude was unable to compete for six weeks, this allowed the competition to close in on the lead that Ferrari had established. What this showed was Ferrari’s inability to adapt to a change in circumstances. The strategy that it had employed during this time did not include contingencies. What could they have done to sustain their success further? A key consideration for Team Ferrari should have been the technological advancements that were taking place in terms of the design of the vehicle. It was undoubted that Ferrari had the necessary resources at their disposal to have developed a car that other manufacturers would have envied which in fact they did manage to do. However their strategy should have been innovative to have explored a more integrated approach to the design of the car. They should have exploited the opportunity of forming alliances with key design engineers that specialised in the field of aerodynamics as that was a growing trend in the F1 arena. Management should have been more in tune with the immediate environment and had the foresight to have identified the shifting trends and re-strategized to accommodate the trends thereby ensuring that they remained more competitive. Further, the changes in the management team should have been limited to allow for the team to adapt to the technological changes that were taking place around them. The strategy of Ferrari should have focused on fully utilising its strengths to exploit the opportunities that presented themselves thereby addressing the threats imposed by it’s competitors. 4. Conclusion: In order to have remained competitive or in fact dominant Ferrari should have adopted a more entrepreneurial approach to it’s business and seized the opportunities to be innovative to point of being the benchmark in Formula One racing. The strategy should have been influenced more by the technological environment in which it competed as a opposed to the historical goals of a single individual. It should have sought to make it offerings to the F1 world current and innovative, resourced should have been channelled towards an integrated approach to the manufacture of a Formula One car that was both innovative yet extremely competitive, thus ensuring that Ferrari remain at the forefront of innovation and Formula One racing.

Product Mix of Johnson Johnson Essays

Product Mix of Johnson Johnson Essays Product Mix of Johnson Johnson Essay Product Mix of Johnson Johnson Essay Nirma is one of the few names which is instantly recognized as a true Indian brand, which took on mighty multinationals and rewrote the marketing rules to win the heart of princess, i. e. the consumer. Nirma, the proverbial ‘Rags to Riches’ saga of Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, is a classic example of the success of Indian entrepreneurship in the face of stiff competition. Starting as a one-man operation in 1969, today, it has about 14, 000 employee-base and annual turnover is above Rs. 25, 00 crores. India is a one of the largest consumer economy, with burgeoning middle class pie. In such a widespread, diverse marketplace, Nirma aptly concentrated all its efforts towards creating and building a strong consumer preference towards its ‘value-for-money’ products. It was way back in ‘60s and ‘70s, where the domestic detergent market had only premium segment, with very few players and was dominated by MNCs. It was 1969, when Karsanbhai Patel started door-to-door selling of his detergent powder, priced at an astonishing Rs. 3 per kg, when the available cheapest brand in the market was Rs. 13 per kg. It was really an innovative, quality product – with indigenous process, packaging and low-profiled marketing, which changed the habit of Indian housewives’ for washing their clothes. In a short span, Nirma created an entirely new market segment in domestic marketplace, which is, eventually the largest consumer pocket and quickly emerged as dominating market player – a position it has never since relinquished. Rewriting the marketing rules, Nirma became a one of the widely discussed success stories between the four-walls of the B-school classrooms across the world. The performance of Nirma during the decade of 1980s has been labelled as ‘Marketing Miracle’ of an era. During this period, the brand surged well ahead its nearest rival – Surf, which was well-established detergent product by Hindustan Lever. It was a severing battering for MNC as it recorded a sharp drop in its market share. Nirma literally captured the market share by offering value-based marketing mix of four P’s, i. e. a perfect match of product, price, place and promotion. Now, the year 2004 sees Nirma’s annual sales touch 800,000 tones, making it one of the largest volume sales with a single brand name in the world. Looking at the FMCG synergies, Nirma stepped into toilet soaps relatively late in 1990 but this did not deter it to achieve a volume of 100,000 per annum. This makes Nirma the largest detergent and the second largest toilet soap brand in India with market share of 38% and 20% respectively. It has been persistent effort of Nirma to make consumer products available to masses at an affordable price. Hence, it takes utmost care to provide finest products at the most affordable prices. To leverage this effort, Nirma has gone for massive backward integration along with expansion and modernization of the manufacturing facilities. The focal objective behind modernisation plan is of up gradation with resource-savvy technology to optimise capabilities. Nirma’s six production facilities, located at different places, are well equipped with state-of-art technologies. To ensure regular supply of major raw materials, Nirma had opted for backward integration strategies. These strategic moves allowed Nirma to manage effective and efficient supply-chain. Nirma has always been practiced ‘value-for-money’ plank. Nirma plans to extend the same philosophy in categories as commodity food products, personal care products and packaged food. Distinct market vision and robust infrastructure allowed Nirma to have cost leadership. Apart from this, lean distribution network, umbrella branding and low profile media promotions allowed it to offer quality products, at affordable prices. In present scenario, an inspiring 59-year-old persona, Dr. Karsanbhai K. Patel, leads Nirma, playing role of key strategic decision-maker, whereas his next generation has already skilled management capabilities. Shri Rakesh K Patel – a qualified management graduate, is spearheading the procurement, production and logistic functions, whereas Shri Hiren K Patel – a qualified Chemical engineer and management graduate, heads the marketing and finance functions of the organisation. Shri Kalpesh Patel, Executive Director, leads the professional organisational structure. The man behind the success of Nirma phenomenon – Dr. Karsanbhai Patel is a recipient of various awards and accolades. He has been bestowed with various awards like†¦ ? Udyog Ratna by Federation of Association of Small-Scale Industries of Gujarat, New Delhi. Outstanding Industrialist of Eighties by Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ahmedabad (in 1990). ?Gujarat Businessman Award in 1998 by Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ahmedabad. ?Excellence in Corporate Governance Award by Rotary International District 2000. ?AM Hall of Fame, _______. Shri Karsanbhai has been awarded an Honorary Doctora te by Florida Atlantic University, Florida, USA in the year 2001 in recognition of his exceptional accomplishments as a philanthropist and businessman. This world has also recognised his ability, acumen and wisdom and in recognition of the services rend

Why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned

Why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned A 16-year-old young man watches Jerry Springer as the hostile Ku Klux Klan shout racial slurs at African-Americans in the audience. His mother walks in the room, snatches the remote control all tells him he is not to watch such shows; then, she changes the channel to CNN and watches a black farmer beat a white landowner over a land dispute in Africa. However, as much as the mother tries to cover her sons eyes and ears, she cannot shelter her son from reality forever because no matter what channel-on television or in life-reality will blow the roof of the shelter that she continues to construct. Similarly, the board of education in California tries to shelter their students as they continue to ban the controversial novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. In his satire, Twain provides students with American History when he exposes the way his society treats African-Americans prior to the Civil War. Cosmopolitan California fears this exposure as the readers! learn about the brutal real world. Comparatively, students learn from Hucks trials and tribulations about their own true morals. Thus, Huck Finn should not be banned from a high school curriculum because it would deny a student: factual history of American society, harshness of our society, and the chance to develop morals and a conscience that is needed in society. Today, California tries to shelter their students from the novel because it severely exposes the way society treated African-Americans prior to the Civil War: as insignificant property rather than people. Hucks shameful father, Pap, talks about a well-dressed black professor, There was a free nigger there, from Ohio...I says to the people, why aint this nigger put up at auction and sold? (Page 32-33) Paps reference to a black man as a nigger, the racist term for blacks, automatic...

Negative Shopping experience assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Negative Shopping experience - Assignment Example Ignorance from the staff when trying to enquire about something also makes it uncomfortable when shopping in a given store. The presence of these experiences tends to make shoppers shy off from visiting a given shopping store for their shopping. Lack of the customers preferred item on a particular shopping center makes the experience more frustrating. It always feels good for any shopper to find his or her preferred item with ease, when the process of obtaining the item becomes tedious, then the experience is always not good as the shopper has to move from one shop to the other wasting lots of his or her time. Shopping together with irritating shoppers who usually dont care what they do in the shops may be a bad experience too. Some shoppers are always not patient, and some tend to overrun the queue to do their payment acting as if the other shoppers are not in any hurry. Such shopping habits are so irritating and make the experiences too bad for some of the shoppers. Some of the malls usually insist on their customers to carry out their shopping online, and the retailers will in turn organize for the delivery of the goods. The problem with this type of shopping is that, there will always be late deliveries, the customer care number indicated may fail hence the customers may fail to ask some important questions before shopping from the store. A study carried out to know why some clients are not comfortable with this type of shopping has identified that the shopping method is very demanding as the potential customers are bound to take lots of time trying to browse through the net and the information given to describe the products is very minimal. The result of this is the delivery of low-quality goods that do not meet the expectations of the customers and affect the experiences of the customers negatively. Again, most of the online shoppers have complained of clicking through many pages that makes the whole process

Analysis of the Movie The Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of the Movie The Women - Essay Example The major technicalities that will be studied in the paper from the source of the Crystal Allen character are presentation and representation acting, personalization, emotional life of the character and importance of casting etc. Presentational and Representational Acting The role of Crystal Allen in the story can be presentational acting at the second interval of the film. The technicality of presentational and representational acting has a variance in its context. Representational acting is merely noted in plays where the actors have to play more than one role. This is associated with the simple background and context to the story. In the presentational acting, it is quiet evident that the actor plays a single role with a customized setting. As studied by the authors Hagen and Frankel, â€Å"Formalized, external (Representational) has a strong tendency to follow fashion. Internal acting presentation rejects fashion and consequently can become timeless as human experience itself (H agen and Frankel, 2nd Chapter). This clarifies the position of characterization of Crystal in the movie. It should be noted that the character of Crystal has shown vibrancy by appointing villainous role. The nature is practical in real life and, thus, it does not challenge the conscience of the audiences. The director projects a different view of the character by appointing her villainous side mentioning a setting which is real. The audiences of the movie are able to witness the reality of relationships which might miss out on trust. There is no representational acting done so far by Crystal as the role remains customary where she is depicted as a vamp of the story. The change or transition in the context of her character becomes obvious when the director presents Crystal to become consciously unfaithful to her husband despite knowing that he divorced her wife in order to marry her. This shows that the presentational acting is up to the mark and indicates the audiences about the rea l slot which they might have around them. This is how audiences relate their lives with the stories of film (Cukor). Emotional life The character of Crystal Allen is relatively strong in the movie because she has a dilemma of keeping sincerity with her partner. On the front, it can be observed that she is a bad woman in the story but it should be noted that the negativity of her character in the film is merely because of emotional imbalance in her life. As per analysis of the character, it can be said that she was nothing in terms of personalization as she has been depicted to be a perfume stall sales girl who cannot have a true relationship with a rich guy. Seemingly, it’s her emotionally imbalanced life that she gets involved with a man who is already married to someone. This imbalance of her emotional life continues to affect other characters of the story making it easy to notice that, being an emotionally imbalanced woman, she is not accepted by the audience (Cukor). Furt hermore, the emotional imbalance in her life is noted to become severe when she gets involved in a relationship with Buck after marrying Steven. This clarifies that she is not satisfied at all being married to Steven. She seems to be satisfied emotionally with the materialistic environment. Her desires and aspirations are greatly materialistic making it evident that the role of Crystal is of the typical women who want to have all the comforts

Segmentation Variables for the water market in the UK. Coca-Cola in UK Assignment

Segmentation Variables for the water market in the UK. Coca-Cola in UK - Assignment Example Dasani failed in the UK market because unlike most of the bottled water which were obtained from precious natural spring or alpine glaciers, Dasani was obtained through local tab water which the company put in the purification process and added mineral salt to it. Within just five weeks of its launched Dasani was withdrawn from the market resulting in financial loss, created a bad image in the minds of the customers reducing the brand value. Bottled water is the fastest growing product in the soft drink category and Coke needs a successful bottled water to capture the UK and European market (Garrett, 2004). Segmentation Variables for the water market in the UK The benefits of market segmentation are highly recognized by the marketing practitioners. With more advanced and sophisticated technology the consumers have become more sophisticated in their shopping behavior and so it becomes important for the marketers to consider the potential market segment and introduce the product. The p rinciple assumption lies on the fact the consumers are numerous and are varied in their product needs and requirements and are not satisfied by single offering, thus market segmentation is required to satisfy the different needs and demands of the customers. ... The UK soft drink sector has showed a growth rate in the year 2010 and is expected to grow in the future. The soft drink market registered an impressive 4.1% of growth along with 5.8% increase in the value and stood at 14585 million litters in 2010. UK soft drink sector is divided into five segments comprising of carbonates (44%), dilutables (24%), fruit juice (8%), bottled water (14%) and still and juice (10%) respectively. UK water markets are segmented into three types of water which includes natural mineral water comprising of 61%, spring water comprising of 28% and bottled drinking water which comprises of 11% (BSDA, 2011). Segments for bottled water UK soft drink sector consists of five different segments in which the bottled water compromises of 14% of the market share. Consumption of bottled water in UK was highest in 2006 where consumption amounted to 2240 million liters and in 2010 consumption of bottled water amounted to 2055 million liters. UK bottled water falls under th ree segments, still bottled water comprising of 72%, sparkling bottled water accounting for 14% and still water cooler comprising of 14% in the bottled market sector (BSDA, 2011). UK bottled water market continued to recover and grew by 0.7%in volume. With promotional activity along with few lucky breaks experienced in the weather kept the market share of bottled water rising. Segment targeted by Coke The target audience segmented by Coke was similar to the soft drinks, Diet Coke one of the most popular and famous product of Coke. The target customers were all those people who wanted to a product that would quench their thrust and at the same time is healthy. It can also be said that

Anne Franks Post Capture Diary Essay Example for Free

Anne Franks Post Capture Diary Essay The following all takes place between the time of Anne Frank and familys capture and her death in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp  4th August 1944  I dont know what happened. I just dont know. There is no way they could have found without some despicable, racist and selfish person turning us in. Margot hasnt stopped crying. She is depending on me. I have to put on a brave face no matter how terrified I am of our destination and what awaits us there. The truck we are on smells of urine and something else disgusting I cant imagine what is secreting out. They tell us that we are going to a prison where we can meet other scum like us. I think it is them who should be locked up. After all it is they themselves who are the scum 5th August 1944  We have arrived at our destination. I caught a glimpse of the name. We are in Weteringschan Prison. It means the prison of death. I can see why. Rotting corpses are all around. Many of us have vomited at the mere sight. However we have been told there is worse to come. I cant imagine a worse place than this. I am beginning to feel an illness about me. If I am sickening for something this early on, I will never survive. Soon they are shipping us off to Westerbork. I assume that where I will perish. Im so scared. I dont know how much longer I can bear this August 8th 1944  This is it. I cannot go on living anymore. They separated myself and Margot from Mummy and Pim. I kicked up such a fuss that Margot had to pull me back to keep the guards from shooting me there and then. There are no words to describe how melancholy I am feeling right now. I just have to sleep and hope that this fiendish life is all just a nightmarish dream  September 3rd 1944  I was shaken awake by guards early this morning. I was not awake enough to catch all of what they said but I caught the gist of it. Auschwitz Death Camp. Those words stroke fear deep into my heart. All hope of survival drained instantly from my body. I didnt have the energy to fight back, so I stumbled onto the train with what few belongings I had left and watched my screaming tearful mother reach out to us. I couldnt stop crying for the whole journey. Why are the Nazis doing this to us? What have we ever done to upset anyone? Ive tried to lead a good life but obviously god needs to make Jews repent for something. Maybe this is like Noahs Ark. God is cleansing the Earth of all bad things. Maybe we are bad. Maybe we do deserve to die September 5th 1944  Westerbork isnt as bad I thought. Apparently the Germans just let the Jews run the place as long we work hard. Me and Margot have been sentenced to potato peeling. There are worse jobs out there! I still miss Mum and Pim so much though. I hope theyre okay  October 19th 1944  My hopes lifted when we were sent away form this horrible place. They descended back down again as soon as I realised we were just being transported to the worst place I had ever heard of. Bergen Belsen December 24th 1942  What a way to spend Christmas. Crammed in a dark dank hole with hundreds of others like us. There appears to be an outbreak of a disease with yellow pustules oozing blood in the rest of the tents. It is only a matter of time before it reaches me and Margot. Speaking of Margot, she is sickening a lot worse than me. She is as pale as a ghost. I dont know how likely it is for her to pull through January 12th 1945  The Germans might as well have abandoned us. There is no food or water. Everyone is covered in mud and scars. We only have bits of cloth to cover ourselves with. Worst of all Margot is taking a new turn for the worse every day. She cant even walk anymore. She spends all day in bed, just coughing and spluttering. The little food I get goes to her. Im so cold. We cant last much longer  19th March 1945  I cant go on. I woke up this morning. Margot didnt. I cant even walk as I am so grief-stricken. All hope is lost. Hitler will conquer the world and it shall perish at his hands  It is believed Anne died within a few days of Margot. They both perished of Typhus in March 1945.

The Clouds :: essays research papers

CLOUDS Production The setting of the Clouds requires two doors in the skene, one representing Strepsiades's house and the other, the Thinkery, both in the city of Athens. The play begins with Strepsiades and Pheidippides sleeping in their beds. Since the ancient Greek theater had no curtain, these two men in their beds had to be carried out in full view of the audience by stagehands (probably slaves) and placed in front of one of the doors of the skene representing Strepsiades's house. The audience was no doubt expected to imagine that this was an indoor scene, because it was not usual for Greeks to sleep outside. This assumption is strengthened by the fact that, since Pheidippides is sleeping under five blankets, the weather is cool, which would make it even less likely that this was intended as an outdoor scene. The method of presenting the scholarly activities that go on inside the Thinkery is by no means certain. K. J. Dover (Aristophanic Comedy, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1972, 107) suggests two possibilities. The students could come out of the door of the skene carrying their apparatus with them, which they could leave behind when they go back inside. Another possibility is that a screen made of canvas and wood with a door, held from behind by stagehands, could conceal the students until Strepsiades asks that the door be opened. The stagehands then could remove this screen revealing the students and their equipment. When the students are ordered to go back inside, they could go through a door of the skene which then would become the door of the Thinkery for the rest of the play. One other aspect of production needs to be mentioned. Socrates first appears in the play suspended in air. The means of his suspension is undoubtedly the mechane, which in tragedy is mostly used for gods, but in comedy is used for any character who needs to fly or just be in the air. Aristophanes's Comic Portrait of Socrates Although there is something of the real Socrates1 in the character of the same name in the Clouds, it is clear that Aristophanes's depiction of Socrates in the Clouds is in good part a comic distortion. Socrates was a well-known figure in Athens who was popularly perceived as an intellectual. Aristophanes, taking advantage of this popular perception, arbitrarily places him at the head of the Thinkery, in which subjects such as rhetoric and astronomy are taught.

The Life of Sculptor Constantin Brancusi

Our simplest words are often the deepest in meaning: birth, kiss, flight, dream. The sculptor Constantin Brancusi spent his life searching for forms as simple and pure as those words—forms that seem to have existed forever, outside of time. Born a peasant in a remote village in Romania, he spent most of his adult life in Paris, where he lived in a single small room adjoining a skylit studio. Upon his death in 1957, Brancusi willed the contents of his studio to the French government, which eventually re-created the studio itself in a museum (1. 1). Near the center of the photograph are two versions of an idea Brancusi called Endless Column. Pulsing upward with great energy, the columns seem as though they could go on forever. Perhaps they do go on forever, and we can see only part of them. Directly in front of the white column, a sleek, horizontal marble form looking something like a slender submarine seems to hover over a disk-shaped base. Brancusi called it simply Fish. It does not depict any particular fish but, rather, shows us the idea of something that moves swiftly and freely through the water, the essence of a fish. To the left of the dark column, arching up in front of a patch of wall painted red, is a version of one of Brancusi's most famous works, Bird in Space. Here again the artist portrays not a particular bird but, rather, the idea of flight, the feeling of soaring upward. Brancusi said that the work represents â€Å"the soul liberated from matter. †1 A photograph by Brancusi shows another, more mysterious view of Bird in Space (1. 2). Light from a source we cannot see cuts across the work and falls in a sharp diamond shape on the wall behind. The sculpture casts a shadow so strong it seems to have a dark twin. Before it lies a broken, discarded work. The photograph might make you think of the birth of a bird from its shell, or of a perfected work of art arising from numerous failed attempts, or indeed of a soul newly liberated from its material prison. Brancusi took many photographs of his work, and through them we can see how his sculptures lived in his imagination even after they were finished. He photographed them in varying conditions of light, in multiple locations and combinations, from close up and far away. With each photograph they seem to reveal a different mood, the way people we know reveal different sides of themselves over time. Living with art, Brancusi's photographs show us, is making art live by letting it engage our attention, our imagination, our intelligence. Few of us, of course, can live with art the way Brancusi did. Yet we can choose to seek out encounters with art, to make it a matter for thought and enjoyment, and to let it live in our imagination. You probably live already with more art than you think you do. Very likely the walls of your home are decorated with posters, photographs, or even paintings you chose because you find them beautiful or meaningful. Walking around your community you probably pass by buildings that were designed for visual appeal as well as to serve practical ends. If you ever pause for a moment just to look at one of them, to take pleasure, for example, in its silhouette against the sky, you have made the architect's work live for a moment by appreciating an effect that he or she prepared for you. We call such an experience an aesthetic experience. Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the feelings aroused in us by sensory experiences—experiences we have through sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Aesthetics concerns itself with our responses to the natural world and to the world we make, especially the world of art. What art is, how and why it affects us—these are some of the issues that aesthetics addresses. This book hopes to deepen your pleasure in the aesthetic experience by broadening your understanding of one of the most basic and universal of human activities, making art. Its subject is visual art, which is art that addresses the sense of sight, as opposed to music or poetry, which are arts that appeal to the ear. It focuses on the Western tradition, by which we mean art as it has been understood and practiced in Europe and in cultures with their roots in European thought, such as the United States. But it also reaches back to consider works created well before Western ideas about art were in place and across to other cultures that have very different traditions of art. THE IMPULSE FOR ART No society that we know of, for as far back in human history as we have been able to penetrate, has lived without some form of art. The impulse to make and respond to art appears to be as deeply ingrained in us as the ability to learn language, part of what sets us apart as humans. Where does the urge to make art come from? What purposes does it serve? For answers, we might begin by looking at some of the oldest works yet discovered, images and artifacts dating from the Stone Ages, near the beginning of the human experience. On the afternoon of December 18, 1994, two men and a woman, all experienced cave explorers, were climbing among the rocky cliffs in the Ardeche region of southeastern France. From a small cavity in the rock, they felt a draft of air, which they knew often signaled a large cavern within. After clearing away some rocks and debris, they were able to squeeze through a narrow channel into what appeared to be an enormous underground room, its floor littered with animal bones. Pressing farther into the cave, the explorers played their lights on the walls and made an astonishing discovery: The walls were covered with drawings and paintings (1. 3)—more than three hundred images as they eventually found—depicting rhinoceroses, horses, bears, reindeer, lions, bison, mammoths, and others, as well as numerous outlines of human hands. It was evident that the paintings were extremely old and that the cave had remained untouched, unseen by humans, since prehistoric times. The explorers agreed to name the site after the one in their number who had led them to it, Jean-Marie Chauvet, so it is called the Chauvet cave. What they did not realize until months later, after radiocarbon testing had accurately dated the paintings, was that they had just pushed back the history of art by several thousand years. The Chauvet images were made about 30,000 B. C. E. and are the oldest paintings we know. The paintings date from a time known as the Upper Paleolithic Period, which simply means the latter part of the Old Stone Age. Archaeologists have formed some tentative conclusions about how the paintings were done. Pigments of red and yellow ochre, a natural earth substance, along with black charcoal, could have been mixed with animal fat and painted onto the walls with a reed brush. In powdered form, the same materials probably were mouth-blown onto the surface through hollow reeds. Many of the images are engraved, or scratched, into the rock. More intriguing is the question of why the cave paintings were made, why their creators paid such meticulous attention to detail, why they did their work so far underground. The paintings clearly were not meant to embellish a dwelling space. The cave artists must have lived—slept, cooked their meals, mated, and raised their children—much nearer to the mouths of these caves, close to daylight and fresh air. Until the Chauvet cave was discovered, many experts believed that ancient cave paintings were done for magical assistance in the hunt, to ensure success in bringing down game animals. But several of the animals depicted at Chauvet, including lions and rhinos and bears, were not in the customary diet of early peoples. Perhaps the artists wished to establish some kind of connection with these wild beasts, but we cannot know for sure. Fascinating as these mysteries are, they pass over perhaps the most amazing thing of all, which is that there should be images in the first place. The ability to make images is uniquely human. We do it so naturally and so constantly that we take it for granted. We make them with our hands, and we make them with our minds. Lying out on the grass, for example, you may amuse yourself by finding images in the shifting clouds, now a lion, now an old woman. Are the images really there? We know that a cloud is just a cloud, yet the image is certainly there, because we see it. Our experience of the images we make is the same. We know that a drawing is just markings on a surface, a newspaper photograph merely dots, yet we recognize them as images that reflect our world, and we identify with them. The experience was the same for Paleolithic image-makers as it is for us. All images may not be art, but our ability to make them is one place where art begins. The contemporary British sculptor Anthony Caro has said that â€Å"all art is basically Paleolithic or Neolithic: either the urge to smear soot and grease on cave walls or pile stone on stone. †2 By â€Å"soot and grease† Caro means the cave paintings. With â€Å"the urge to pile stone on stone† he has in mind one of the most impressive and haunting works to survive from the Stone Ages, the structure in the south of England known as Stonehenge (1. 4). Today much ruined through time and vandalism, Stonehenge at its height consisted of several concentric circles of megaliths, very large stones, surrounded in turn by a circular ditch. It was built in several phases over many centuries, beginning around 3100 B. C. E. The tallest circle, visible in the photograph here, originally consisted of thirty gigantic upstones capped with a continuous ring of horizontal stones. Weighing some 50 tons each, the stones were quarried many miles away, hauled to the site, and laboriously shaped by blows from stone hammers until they fit together. Many theories have been advanced about why Stonehenge was built and what purpose it served. Recent archaeological research has confirmed that the monument marks a graveyard, perhaps that of a ruling dynasty. The cremated remains of up to 240 people appear to have been buried there over a span of some five hundred years, from the earliest development of the site until the time when the great stones were erected. Other findings suggest that the monument did not stand alone but was part of a larger complex, perhaps a religious complex used for funerary rituals. What is certain is that Stonehenge held meaning for the Neolithic community that built it. For us, it stands as a compelling example of how old and how basic is our urge to create meaningful order and form, to structure our world so that it reflects our ideas. This is another place where art begins. In our society, we tend to think of art as something created by specialists, people we call artists, just as medicine is practiced by doctors and bridges are designed by engineers. In other societies, virtually everyone contributes to art in some way. Yet no matter how a society organizes itself, it calls on its art-makers to fulfill similar roles. Stonehenge was erected in the Neolithic era, or New Stone Age. The Neolithic era is named for the new kinds of stone tools that were invented, but it also saw such important advances as the domestication of animals and crops and the development of the technology of pottery, as people discovered that fire could harden certain kinds of clay. With pottery, storage jars, food bowls, and all sorts of other practical objects came into being. Yet much of the world's oldest pottery seems to go far beyond purely practical needs (1. 5). This elegant stemmed cup was formed around 2000 B. C. E. in what is now eastern China. Eggshell-thin and exceedingly fragile, it could not have held much of anything and would have tipped over easily. In other words, it isn't practical. Instead, great care and skill have gone into making it pleasing to the eye. Here is a third place we might turn to for the origins of art—the urge to explore the aesthetic possibilities of new technologies. What are the limits of clay, the early potters must have wondered. What can be done with it? Scholars believe such vessels were created for ceremonial use. They were probably made in limited quantity for members of a social elite. To construct meaningful images and forms, to create order and structure, to explore aesthetic possibilities—these characteristics seem to be part of our nature as human beings. From them, art has grown, nurtured by each culture in its own way. WHAT DO ARTISTS DO? First, artists create places for some human purpose. Stonehenge, for example, was probably created as a place where a community could gather for rituals. Closer to our own time, Maya Lin created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a place for contemplation and remembrance (1. 6). One of our most painful national memories, the Vietnam War saw thousands of young men and women lose their lives in a distant conflict that was increasingly questioned and protested at home. By the war's end, the nation was so bitterly divided that returning veterans received virtually no recognition for their services. In this atmosphere of continuing controversy, Lin's task was to create a memorial that honored the human sacrifice of the war while neither glorifying nor condemning the war itself. At the heart of the memorial is a long, tapering, V-shaped wall of black granite, inscribed with the names of the missing, the captured, and the dead—some 58,000 names in all. Set into the earth exposed by slicing a great wedge from a gently sloping hill, it suggests perhaps a modern entrance to an ancient burial mound, though in fact there is no entrance. Instead, the highly polished surface acts as a mirror, reflecting the surrounding trees, the nearby Washington Monument, and the visitors themselves as they pass by. Entering along a walkway from either end, visitors are barely aware at first of the low wall at their feet. The monument begins just as the war itself did, almost unnoticed, a few support troops sent to a small and distant country, a few deaths in the nightly news. As visitors continue their descent along the downward-sloping path, the wall grows taller and taller until it towers overhead, names upon names upon names. Often, people reach out to touch the letters, and as they do, they touch their own reflections reaching back. At the walkway's lowest point, with the wall at its highest, a corner is turned. The path begins to climb upward, and the wall begins to fall away. Drawn by a view of either the Washington Monument (as in the photograph here) or the Lincoln Memorial (along the other axis), visitors leave the war behind. In a quiet, unobtrusive way, the place that Maya Lin created encourages a kind of ritual, a journey downward into a valley of death, then upward toward hope, healing, and reconciliation. Like Stonehenge, it has served to bring a community together. A second task artists perform is to create extraordinary versions of ordinary objects. Just as the Neolithic vessel we looked at earlier is more than an ordinary drinking cup, so the textile here is more than an ordinary garment (1. 7). Woven in West Africa by artists of the Asante people, it is a spectacular example of a type of textile known as kente. Kente is woven in hundreds of patterns, each with its own name, history, and symbolism. Traditionally, a newly invented pattern was shown first to the king, who had the right to claim it for his own exclusive use. Like the Neolithic vessel, royal kente was reserved for ceremonial occasions. Rich, costly, and elaborate, the cloth distinguished its wearer as special as well, an extraordinary version of an ordinary human being. A third important task for artists has been to record and commemorate. Artists create images that help us remember the present after it slips into the past, that keep us in mind of our history, and that will speak of our times to the future. Illustrated here is a painting by a 17th-century artist named Manohar, one of several painters employed in the royal workshops of the emperor Jahangir, a ruler of the Mughal dynasty in India (1. 8). At the center of the painting we see Jahangir himself, seated beneath a sumptuous canopy. His son Khusrau, dressed in a yellow robe, offers him the precious gift of a golden cup. The painting commemorates a moment of reconciliation between father and son, who had had a violent falling out. The moment did not last, however. Khusrau would soon stage an armed rebellion that cost him the throne. Although the intricate details of Mughal history may be lost on us today, this enchanting painting gives us a vivid glimpse into their vanished world as they wanted it to be remembered. A fourth task for artists is to give tangible form to the unknown. They portray what cannot be seen with the eyes or events that can only be imagined. An anonymous Indian sculptor of the 10th century gave tangible form to the Hindu god Shiva in his guise as Nataraja, Lord of the Dance (1. 9). Encircled by flames, his long hair flying outward, Shiva dances the destruction and rebirth of the world, the end of one cycle of time and the beginning of another. The figure's four arms communicate the complexity of this cosmic moment. In one hand, Shiva holds the small drum whose beat summons up creation; in another hand, he holds the flame of destruction. A third hand points at his raised foot, beneath which worshipers may seek refuge, while a fourth hand is raised with its palm toward the viewer, a gesture that means â€Å"fear not. † A fifth function artists perform is to give tangible form to feelings and ideas. The statue of Shiva we just looked at, for example, gives tangible form to ideas about the cyclical nature of time that are part of the religious culture of Hinduism. In The Starry Night (1. 10), Vincent van Gogh labored to express his personal feelings as he stood on the outskirts of a small village in France and looked up at the night sky. Van Gogh had become intrigued by the belief that people journeyed to a star after their death, and that there they continued their lives. â€Å"Just as we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen,† he wrote in a letter, â€Å"we take death to reach a star. †4 Seen through the prism of that idea, the night landscape inspired in him a vision of great intensity. Surrounded by halos of radiating light, the stars have an exaggerated, urgent presence, as though each one were a brilliant sun. A great wave or whirlpool rolls across the sky—a cloud, perhaps, or some kind of cosmic energy. The landscape, too, seems to roll on in waves like an ocean. A tree in the foreground writhes upward toward the stars as though answering their call. In the distance, a church spire points upward as well. Everything is in turbulent motion. Nature seems alive, communicating in its own language while the village sleeps. Finally, artists refresh our vision and help us see the world in new ways. Habit dulls our senses. What we see every day we no longer marvel at, because it has become familiar. Through art we can see the world through someone else's eyes and recover the intensity of looking for the first time. Ernst Haas' photograph Peeling Paint on Iron Bench, Kyoto, 1981 (1. 11) singles out a small detail of an ordinary day and asks us to notice how rich it is if we really take the time to look. Rain has made the colors shine with fresh intensity, brilliant red against deep black, and the star-shaped leaves could almost be made of gold. After seeing through Haas' eyes, we may find ourselves—if only for a few hours—more attentive to the world around us, which is stranger, more mysterious, more various, and more beautiful than we usually realize. CREATING AND CREATIVITY Out walking on a rainy day in Kyoto, Ernst Haas could have noticed the park bench, smiled with pleasure, and continued on his way. Standing in a field over a century ago, Van Gogh could have had his vision of the night sky, then returned to his lodgings—and we would never have known about it. We all experience the moments of insight that put us where art begins. For most of us, such moments are an end in themselves. For artists, they are a beginning, a kind of raw material that sets a creative process in motion. Creativity is a word that comes up often when talking about art, but what is creativity exactly? Are we born with it? Can it be learned? Can it be lost? Are artists more creative than other people? If so, how did they get that way? Many writers and educators have tried to analyze creativity and determine what makes a person creative. 6 Although the exact nature of creativity remains elusive, there is general agreement that creative people tend to possess certain traits, including: †¢ Sensitivity —heightened awareness of what one sees, hears, and touches, as well as responsiveness to other people and their feelings. †¢ Flexibility —an ability to adapt to new situations and to see their possibilities; willingness to find innovative relationships. Originality —uncommon responses to situations and to solving problems. †¢ Playfulness —a sense of humor and an ability to experiment freely. †¢ Productivity —the ability to generate ideas easily and frequently, and to follow through on those ideas. †¢ Fluency —a readiness to allow the free flo w of ideas. †¢ Analytical skill —a talent for exploring problems, taking them apart, and finding out how things work. †¢ Organizational skill —ability to put things back together in a coherent order. We might bear that list in mind as we look at Tim Hawkinson's Emoter (1. 12). Like many of Hawkinson's works, Emoter looks like a do-it-yourself science project that has gotten a little out of hand. The stepladder on the floor houses a black-and-white television monitor tuned to a local broadcast station. Rows of light sensors attached to the monitor's screen react to changes in the moving image, sending signals through a tangle of cords, cables, and wires up to a large photograph of the artist's face. The components of the face—eyes, nostrils, eyebrows, and mouth—move continuously in response to the signals they receive, generating expressions that are as extravagant as a mime's. Certainly, sensitivity made Hawkinson a keen observer of faces, and originality suggested to him that such unlikely material as laboratory experiments monitoring brain waves, or antiquated scientific theories linking specific facial expressions to specific emotions, could inspire a work of art. Playfulness, flexibility, fluency, and productivity set him to exploring ways in which his project could be given form, while analytical and organizational skills allowed him to carry it to completion. The profession of artist is not the only one that requires creativity. Scientists, mathematicians, teachers, business executives, doctors, librarians, computer programmers—people in every line of work, if they are any good, look for ways to be creative. Artists occupy a special place in that they have devoted their lives to opening the channels of visual creativity. Can a person become more creative? Almost certainly, if one allows oneself to be. Being creative means learning to trust one's own interests, experiences, and references, and to use them to enhance life and work. Above all, it means discarding rigid notions of what has been or should be in favor of what could be. Creativity develops when the eyes and the mind are wide open, and it is as important to looking at art as it is to making it. We close this chapter by exploring what looking creatively might involve. LOOKING AND RESPONDING Science tells us that seeing is a mode of perception, which is the recognition and interpretation of sensory data—in other words, how information comes into our eyes (ears, nose, taste buds, fingertips) and what we make of it. In visual perception, our eyes take in information in the form of light patterns; the brain processes these patterns to give them meaning. The role of the eyes in vision is purely mechanical. Barring some physical disorder, it functions the same way for everyone. The mind's role in making sense of the information, however, is highly subjective and belongs to the realm of psychology. Simply put, given the same situation, we do not all notice the same things, nor do we interpret what we see in the same way. One reason for differences in perception is the immense amount of detail available for our attention at any given moment. To navigate efficiently through daily life, we practice what is called selective perception, focusing on the visual information we need for the task at hand and relegating everything else to the background. But other factors are in play as well. Our mood influences what we notice and how we interpret it, as does the whole of our prior experience—the culture we grew up in, relationships we have had, places we have seen, knowledge we have accumulated. The subjective nature of perception explains why a work of art may mean different things to different people and how it is that we may return to a favorite work again and again, noticing new aspects of it each time. It explains why the more we know, the richer each new encounter with art will be, for we will have more experience to bring to it. It explains why we should make every effort to experience as much art in person as possible, for physical dimensions also influence perception. The works reproduced in this book are miniaturized. Many other details escape reproduction as well. Above all, the nature of perception suggests that the most important key to looking at art is to become aware of the process of looking itself—to notice details and visual relationships, to explore the associations and feelings they inspire, to search for knowledge we can bring to bear, and to try to put what we see into words. A quick glance at Juan de Valdes Leal's Vanitas (1. 13) reveals a careless jumble of objects with a cherub looking over them. In the background, a man looks out at us from the shadows. But what are the objects? And what are the cherub and the man doing? Only if we begin to ask and answer such questions does the message of the painting emerge. In the foreground to the left is a timepiece. Next to it are three flowers, each one marking a stage in the brief life of a flower across time: budding, then blossoming, then dying as its petals fall away. Then come dice and playing cards, suggesting games of chance. Further on, a cascade of medals, money, and jewelry leads up to an elaborate crown, suggesting honors, wealth, and power. At the center, books and scientific instruments evoke knowledge. Finally, back where we began, a skull crowned with a laurel wreath lies on its side. Laurel traditionally crowns those who have become famous through their achievements, especially artistic achievements. Over this display the cherub blows a bubble, as though making a comment on the riches before him. A bubble's existence is even shorter than a flower's—a few seconds of iridescent beauty, and then nothing. Behind the books, a crystal globe resembles a bubble as well, encouraging us to see a connection. When we meet the man's gaze, we notice that he has drawn back a heavy curtain with one hand and is pointing at a painting he has thus revealed with the other. â€Å"Look at this,† he all but speaks. The painting depicts the Last Judgment. In Christian belief, the Last Judgment is the moment when Christ will appear again. He will judge both the living and the dead, accepting some into Paradise and condemning others to Hell. The universe will end, and with it time itself. We might paraphrase the basic message of the painting something like this: â€Å"Life is fleeting, and everything that we prize and strive for during it is ultimately meaningless. Neither wealth nor beauty nor good fortune nor power nor knowledge nor fame will save us when we stand before God at the end of the world. † Without taking the time to perceive and reflect on the many details of the image, we would miss its message completely. Vanitas is Latin for â€Å"vanity. † It alludes to the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, a meditation on the fleeting nature of earthly life and happiness in which we read that in the end, â€Å"all is vanity. The title wasn't invented or bestowed by the artist, however. Rather, it is a generic name for a subject that was popular during his lifetime. Numerous vanitas paintings have come down to us from the 17th century, and together they show the many ways that artists treated its themes. Closer to our own time, the painter Audrey Flack be came fascinated by the vanitas tradition, and she created a series of her own, including Wheel of Fortune (Vanitas) (1. 14). Knowing something of the tradition Flack is building on, we can more easily appreciate her updated interpretation. As ever, a skull puts us in mind of death. An hourglass, a calendar page, and a guttering candle speak of time and its passing. The necklace, mirrors, powder puff, and lipstick are contemporary symbols of personal vanity, while a die and a tarot card evoke the roles of chance and fate in our lives. As in the painting by Valdes, a visual echo encourages us to think about a connection, in this case between the framed oval photograph of a young woman and the framed oval reflection of the skull just below. Flack may be painting with one eye on the past, but the other is firmly on our society as we are now. For example, she includes modern inventions such as a photograph and a lipstick tube, and she shuns symbols that no longer speak to us directly such as laurels and a crown. The specifically Christian context is gone as well, resulting in a more general message that applies to us all, regardless of faith: Time passes quickly, beauty fades, chance plays a bigger role in our lives than we like to think, death awaits. Despite their differences, both Flack and Valdes provide us with many clues to direct our thoughts. They depict objects that have common associations and then trust us to add up the evidence. At first glance, a contemporary work such as Jim Hodges' Every Touch seems very different (1. 15). Every Touch is made of artificial silk flowers, taken apart petal by petal. The petals were ironed flat, intermingled, then stitched together to form a large curtain or veil. Yet although Every Touch may not direct our thoughts as firmly as the other works, we approach it in the same way. We look, and we try to become aware of our looking. We ask questions and explore associations. We bring our experience and knowledge to bear. We interrogate our feelings. We might think of spring. We might be put in mind of other art, such as the flowered backgrounds of medieval tapestries (see 15. 24) or the role of flowers in the vanitas tradition. We might think about flowers and the occasions on which we offer them. We might think about the flowers we know from poetry, where they are often linked to beauty and youth, for all three fade quickly. We might think about petals, which fall from dying flowers. We might think about veils and when we wear them, such as at weddings and funerals. We might notice how delicately the work is stitched together and how fragile it seems. We might think about looking not only at it but also through it, and about how a curtain separates one realm from another. The man in Valdes' painting, for example, draws back a curtain to reveal the future. Every Touch is not as easily put into words as the vanitas paintings, but it can inspire thoughts about many of the same ideas: seasons that come and go, how beauty and sadness are intertwined, the ceremonies that mark life's passing, the idea of one realm opening onto another, the fragility of things. In the end, what we see in Every Touch depends on what we bring to it, and if we approach the task sincerely, there are no wrong answers. Every Touch will never mean for any of us exactly what it means for Hodges, nor should it. An artist's work grows from a lifetime of experiences, thoughts, and emotions; no one else can duplicate them exactly. Works of art hold many meanings. The greatest of them seem to speak anew to each generation and to each attentive observer. The most important thing is that some works of art come to mean something for you, that your own experiences, thoughts, and emotions find a place in them, for then you will have made them live.