Saturday, August 31, 2019

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-five

Catelyn It was too far to make out the banners clearly, but even through the drifting fog she could see that they were white, with a dark smudge in their center that could only be the direwolf of Stark, grey upon its icy field. When she saw it with her own eyes, Catelyn reined up her horse and bowed her head in thanks. The gods were good. She was not too late. â€Å"They await our coming, my lady,† Ser Wylis Manderly said, â€Å"as my lord father swore they would.† â€Å"Let us not keep them waiting any longer, ser.† Ser Brynden Tully put the spurs to his horse and trotted briskly toward the banners. Catelyn rode beside him. Ser Wylis and his brother Ser Wendel followed, leading their levies, near fifteen hundred men: some twenty-odd knights and as many squires, two hundred mounted lances, swordsmen, and freeriders, and the rest foot, armed with spears, pikes and tridents. Lord Wyman had remained behind to see to the defenses of WhiteHarbor. A man of near sixty years, he had grown too stout to sit a horse. â€Å"If I had thought to see war again in my lifetime, I should have eaten a few less eels,† he'd told Catelyn when he met her ship, slapping his massive belly with both hands. His fingers were fat as sausages. â€Å"My boys will see you safe to your son, though, have no fear.† His â€Å"boys† were both older than Catelyn, and she might have wished that they did not take after their father quite so closely. Ser Wylis was only a few eels short of not being able to mount his own horse; she pitied the poor animal. Ser Wendel, the younger boy, would have been the fattest man she'd ever known, had she only neglected to meet his father and brother. Wylis was quiet and formal, Wendel loud and boisterous; both had ostentatious walrus mustaches and heads as bare as a baby's bottom; neither seemed to own a single garment that was not spotted with food stains. Yet she liked them well enough; they had gotten her to Robb, as their father had vowed, and nothing else mattered. She was pleased to see that her son had sent eyes out, even to the east. The Lannisters would come from the south when they came, but it was good that Robb was being careful. My son is leading a host to war, she thought, still only half believing it. She was desperately afraid for him, and for Winterfell, yet she could not deny feeling a certain pride as well. A year ago he had been a boy. What was he now? she wondered. Outriders spied the Manderly banners—the white merman with trident in hand, rising from a blue-green sea—and hailed them warmly. They were led to a spot of high ground dry enough for a camp. Ser Wylis called a halt there, and remained behind with his men to see the fires laid and the horses tended, while his brother Wendel rode on with Catelyn and her uncle to present their father's respects to their liege lord. The ground under their horses' hooves was soft and wet. It fell away slowly beneath them as they rode past smoky peat fires, lines of horses, and wagons heavy-laden with hardbread and salt beef. On a stony outcrop of land higher than the surrounding country, they passed a lord's pavilion with walls of heavy sailcloth. Catelyn recognized the banner, the bull moose of the Hornwoods, brown on its dark orange field. Just beyond, through the mists, she glimpsed the walls and towers of Moat Cailin . . . or what remained of them. Immense blocks of black basalt, each as large as a crofter's cottage, lay scattered and tumbled like a child's wooden blocks, half-sunk in the soft boggy soil. Nothing else remained of a curtain wall that had once stood as high as Winterfell's. The wooden keep was gone entirely, rotted away a thousand years past, with not so much as a timber to mark where it had stood. All that was left of the great stronghold of the First Men were three towers . . . three where there had once been twenty, if the taletellers could be believed. The Gatehouse Tower looked sound enough, and even boasted a few feet of standing wall to either side of it. The Drunkard's Tower, off in the bog where the south and west walls had once met, leaned like a man about to spew a bellyful of wine into the gutter. And the tall, slender Children's Tower, where legend said the children of the forest had once called upon their nameless gods to send the hammer of the waters, had lost half its crown. It looked as if some great beast had taken a bite out of the crenellations along the tower top, and spit the rubble across the bog. All three towers were green with moss. A tree was growing out between the stones on the north side of the Gatehouse Tower, its gnarled limbs festooned with ropy white blankets of ghostskin. â€Å"Gods have mercy,† Ser Brynden exclaimed when he saw what lay before them. â€Å"This is Moat Cailin? It's no more than a—† â€Å"—death trap,† Catelyn finished. â€Å"I know how it looks, Uncle. I thought the same the first time I saw it, but Ned assured me that this ruin is more formidable than it seems. The three surviving towers command the causeway from all sides, and any enemy must pass between them. The bogs here are impenetrable, full of quicksands and suckholes and teeming with snakes. To assault any of the towers, an army would need to wade through waist-deep black muck, cross a moat full of lizard-lions, and scale walls slimy with moss, all the while exposing themselves to fire from archers in the other towers.† She gave her uncle a grim smile. â€Å"And when night falls, there are said to be ghosts, cold vengeful spirits of the north who hunger for southron blood.† Ser Brynden chuckled. â€Å"Remind me not to linger here. Last I looked, I was southron myself.† Standards had been raised atop all three towers. The Karstark sunburst hung from the Drunkard's Tower, beneath the direwolf; on the Children's Tower it was the Greatjon's giant in shattered chains. But on the Gatehouse Tower, the Stark banner flew alone. That was where Robb had made his seat. Catelyn made for it, with Ser Brynden and Ser Wendel behind her, their horses stepping slowly down the log-and-plank road that had been laid across the green-and-black fields of mud. She found her son surrounded by his father's lords bannermen, in a drafty hall with a peat fire smoking in a black hearth. He was seated at a massive stone table, a pile of maps and papers in front of him, talking intently with Roose Bolton and the Greatjon. At first he did not notice her . . . but his wolf did. The great grey beast was lying near the fire, but when Catelyn entered he lifted his head, and his golden eyes met hers. The lords fell silent one by one, and Robb looked up at the sudden quiet and saw her. â€Å"Mother?† he said, his voice thick with emotion. Catelyn wanted to run to him, to kiss his sweet brow, to wrap him in her arms and hold him so tightly that he would never come to harm . . . but here in front of his lords, she dared not. He was playing a man's part now, and she would not take that away from him. So she held herself at the far end of the basalt slab they were using for a table. The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood. It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be. â€Å"You've grown a beard,† she said to Robb, while Grey Wind sniffed her hand. He rubbed his stubbled jaw, suddenly awkward. â€Å"Yes.† His chin hairs were redder than the ones on his head. â€Å"I like it.† Catelyn stroked the wolfs head, gently. â€Å"It makes you look like my brother Edmure.† Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire. Ser Helman Tallhart was the first to follow the direwolf across the room to pay his respects, kneeling before her and pressing his brow to her hand. â€Å"Lady Catelyn,† he said, â€Å"you are fair as ever, a welcome sight in troubled times.† The Glovers followed, Galbart and Robett, and Greatjon Umber, and the rest, one by one. Theon Greyjoy was the last. â€Å"I had not looked to see you here, my lady,† he said as he knelt. â€Å"I had not thought to be here,† Catelyn said, â€Å"until I came ashore at White Harbor, and Lord Wyman told me that Robb had called the banners. You know his son, Ser Wendel.† Wendel Manderly stepped forward and bowed as low as his girth would allow. â€Å"And my uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, who has left my sister's service for mine.† â€Å"The Blackfish,† Robb said. â€Å"Thank you for joining us, ser. We need men of your courage. And you, Ser Wendel, I am glad to have you here. Is Ser Rodrik with you as well, Mother? I've missed him.† â€Å"Ser Rodrik is on his way north from White Harbor. I have named him castellan and commanded him to hold Winterfell till our return. Maester Luwin is a wise counsellor, but unskilled in the arts of war.† â€Å"Have no fear on that count, Lady Stark,† the Greatjon told her in his bass rumble. â€Å"Winterfell is safe. We'll shove our swords up Tywin Lannister's bunghole soon enough, begging your pardons, and then it's on to the Red Keep to free Ned.† â€Å"My lady, a question, as it please you.† Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, had a small voice, yet when he spoke larger men quieted to listen. His eyes were curiously pale, almost without color, and his look disturbing. â€Å"It is said that you hold Lord Tywin's dwarf son as captive. Have you brought him to us? I vow, we should make good use of such a hostage.† â€Å"I did hold Tyrion Lannister, but no longer,† Catelyn was forced to admit. A chorus of consternation greeted the news. â€Å"I was no more pleased than you, my lords. The gods saw fit to free him, with some help from my fool of a sister.† She ought not to be so open in her contempt, she knew, but her parting from the Eyrie had not been pleasant. She had offered to take Lord Robert with her, to foster him at Winterfell for a few years. The company of other boys would do him good, she had dared to suggest. Lysa's rage had been frightening to behold. â€Å"Sister or no,† she had replied, â€Å"if you try to steal my son, you will leave by the Moon Door.† After that there was no more to be said. The lords were anxious to question her further, but Catelyn raised a hand. â€Å"No doubt we will have time for all this later, but my journey has fatigued me. I would speak with my son alone. I know you will forgive me, my lords.† She gave them no choice; led by the ever-obliging Lord Hornwood, the bannermen bowed and took their leave. â€Å"And you, Theon,† she added when Greyjoy lingered. He smiled and left them. There was ale and cheese on the table. Catelyn tilled a horn, sat, sipped, and studied her son. He seemed taller than when she'd left, and the wisps of beard did make him look older. â€Å"Edmure was sixteen when he grew his first whiskers.† â€Å"I will be sixteen soon enough,† Robb said. â€Å"And you are fifteen now. Fifteen, and leading a host to battle. Can you understand why I might fear, Robb?† His look grew stubborn. â€Å"There was no one else.† â€Å"No one?† she said. â€Å"Pray, who were those men I saw here a moment ago? Roose Bolton, Rickard Karstark, Galbart and Robett Glover, the Greatjon, Helman Tallhart . . . you might have given the command to any of them. Gods be good, you might even have sent Theon, though he would not be my choice.† â€Å"They are not Starks,† he said. â€Å"They are men, Robb, seasoned in battle. You were fighting with wooden swords less than a year past.† She saw anger in his eyes at that, but it was gone as quick as it came, and suddenly he was a boy again. â€Å"I know,† he said, abashed. â€Å"Are you . . . are you sending me back to Winterfell?† Catelyn sighed. â€Å"I should. You ought never have left. Yet I dare not, not now. You have come too far. Someday these lords will look to you as their liege. If I pack you off now, like a child being sent to bed without his supper, they will remember, and laugh about it in their cups. The day will come when you need them to respect you, even fear you a little. Laughter is poison to fear. I will not do that to you, much as I might wish to keep you safe.† â€Å"You have my thanks, Mother,† he said, his relief obvious beneath the formality. She reached across his table and touched his hair. â€Å"You are my firstborn, Robb. I have only to look at you to remember the day you came into the world, red-faced and squalling.† He rose, clearly uncomfortable with her touch, and walked to the hearth. Grey Wind rubbed his head against his leg. â€Å"You know . . . about Father?† â€Å"Yes.† The reports of Robert's sudden death and Ned's fall had frightened Catelyn more than she could say, but she would not let her son see her fear. â€Å"Lord Manderly told me when I landed at White Harbor. Have you had any word of your sisters?† â€Å"There was a letter,† Robb said, scratching his direwolf under the jaw. â€Å"One for you as well, but it came to Winterfell with mine.† He went to the table, rummaged among some maps and papers, and returned with a crumpled parchment. â€Å"This is the one she wrote me, I never thought to bring yours.† Something in Robb's tone troubled her. She smoothed out the paper and read. Concern gave way to disbelief, then to anger, and lastly to fear. â€Å"This is Cersei's letter, not your sister's,† she said when she was done. â€Å"The real message is in what Sansa does not say. All this about how kindly and gently the Lannisters are treating her . . . I know the sound of a threat, even whispered. They have Sansa hostage, and they mean to keep her.† â€Å"There's no mention of Arya,† Robb pointed out, miserable. â€Å"No.† Catelyn did not want to think what that might mean, not now, not here. â€Å"I had hoped . . . if you still held the Imp, a trade of hostages . . . † He took Sansa's letter and crumpled it in his fist, and she could tell from the way he did it that it was not the first time. â€Å"Is there word from the Eyrie? I wrote to Aunt Lysa, asking help. Has she called Lord Arryn's banners, do you know? Will the knights of the Vale come join us?† â€Å"Only one,† she said, â€Å"the best of them, my uncle . . . but Brynden Blackfish was a Tully first. My sister is not about to stir beyond her Bloody Gate.† Robb took it hard. â€Å"Mother, what are we going to do? I brought this whole army together, eighteen thousand men, but I don't . . . I'm not certain . . . † He looked to her, his eyes shining, the proud young lord melted away in an instant, and quick as that he was a child again, a fifteen-year-old boy looking to his mother for answers. It would not do. â€Å"What are you so afraid of, Robb?† she asked gently. â€Å"I . . . † He turned his head away, to hide the first tear. â€Å"If we march . . . even if we win . . . the Lannisters hold Sansa, and Father. They'll kill them, won't they?† â€Å"They want us to think so.† â€Å"You mean they're lying?† â€Å"I do not know, Robb. What I do know is that you have no choice. If you go to King's Landing and swear fealty, you will never be allowed to leave. If you turn your tail and retreat to Winterfell, your lords will lose all respect for you. Some may even go over to the Lannisters. Then the queen, with that much less to fear, can do as she likes with her prisoners. Our best hope, our only true hope, is that you can defeat the foe in the field. If you should chance to take Lord Tywin or the Kingslayer captive, why then a trade might very well be possible, but that is not the heart of it. So long as you have power enough that they must fear you, Ned and your sister should be safe. Cersei is wise enough to know that she may need them to make her peace, should the fighting go against her.† â€Å"What if the fighting doesn't go against her?† Robb asked. â€Å"What if it goes against us?† Catelyn took his hand. â€Å"Robb, I will not soften the truth for you. If you lose, there is no hope for any of us. They say there is naught but stone at the heart of Casterly Rock. Remember the fate of Rhaegar's children.† She saw the fear in his young eyes then, but there was a strength as well. â€Å"Then I will not lose,† he vowed. â€Å"Tell me what you know of the fighting in the riverlands,† she said. She had to learn if he was truly ready. â€Å"Less than a fortnight past, they fought a battle in the hills below the Golden Tooth,† Robb said. â€Å"Uncle Edmure had sent Lord Vance and Lord Piper to hold the pass, but the Kingslayer descended on them and put them to flight. Lord Vance was slain. The last word we had was that Lord Piper was falling back to join your brother and his other bannermen at Riverrun, with Jaime Lannister on his heels. That's not the worst of it, though. All the time they were battling in the pass, Lord Tywin was bringing a second Lannister army around from the south. It's said to be even larger than Jaime's host. â€Å"Father must have known that, because he sent out some men to oppose them, under the king's own banner. He gave the command to some southron lordling, Lord Erik or Derik or something like that, but Ser Raymun Darry rode with him, and the letter said there were other knights as well, and a force of Father's own guardsmen. Only it was a trap. Lord Derik had no sooner crossed the Red Fork than the Lannisters fell upon him, the king's banner be damned, and Gregor Clegane took them in the rear as they tried to pull back across the Mummer's Ford. This Lord Derik and a few others may have escaped, no one is certain, but Ser Raymun was killed, and most of our men from Winterfell. Lord Tywin has closed off the kingsroad, it's said, and now he's marching north toward Harrenhal, burning as he goes.† Grim and grimmer, thought Catelyn. It was worse than she'd imagined. â€Å"You mean to meet him here?† she asked. â€Å"If he comes so far, but no one thinks he will,† Robb said. â€Å"I've sent word to Howland Reed, Father's old friend at Greywater Watch. If the Lannisters come up the Neck, the crannogmen will bleed them every step of the way, but Galbart Glover says Lord Tywin is too smart for that, and Roose Bolton agrees. He'll stay close to the Trident, they believe, taking the castles of the river lords one by one, until Riverrun stands alone. We need to march south to meet him.† The very idea of it chilled Catelyn to the bone. What chance would a fifteen-year-old boy have against seasoned battle commanders like Jaime and Tywin Lannister? â€Å"Is that wise? You are strongly placed here. It's said that the old Kings in the North could stand at Moat Cailin and throw back hosts ten times the size of their own.† â€Å"Yes, but our food and supplies are running low, and this is not land we can live off easily. We've been waiting for Lord Manderly, but now that his sons have joined us, we need to march.† She was hearing the lords bannermen speaking with her son's voice, she realized. Over the years, she had hosted many of them at Winterfell, and been welcomed with Ned to their own hearths and tables. She knew what sorts of men they were, each one. She wondered if Robb did. And yet there was sense in what they said. This host her son had assembled was not a standing army such as the Free Cities were accustomed to maintain, nor a force of guardsmen paid in coin. Most of them were smallfolk: crofters, fieldhands, fishermen, sheepherders, the sons of innkeeps and traders and tanners, leavened with a smattering of sellswords and freeriders hungry for plunder. When their lords called, they came . . . but not forever. â€Å"Marching is all very well,† she said to her son, â€Å"but where, and to what purpose? What do you mean to do?† Robb hesitated. â€Å"The Greatjon thinks we should take the battle to Lord Tywin and surprise him,† he said, â€Å"but the Glovers and the Karstarks feel we'd be wiser to go around his army and join up with Uncle Ser Edmure against the Kingslayer.† He ran his fingers through his shaggy mane of auburn hair, looking unhappy. â€Å"Though by the time we reach Riverrun . . . I'm not certain . . . â€Å" â€Å"Be certain,† Catelyn told her son, â€Å"or go home and take up that wooden sword again. You cannot afford to seem indecisive in front of men like Roose Bolton and Rickard Karstark. Make no mistake, Robb—these are your bannermen, not your friends. You named yourself battle commander. Command.† Her son looked at her, startled, as if he could not credit what he was hearing. â€Å"As you say, Mother.† â€Å"I'll ask you again. What do you mean to do?† Robb drew a map across the table, a ragged piece of old leather covered with lines of faded paint. One end curled up from being rolled; he weighed it down with his dagger. â€Å"Both plans have virtues, but . . . look, if we try to swing around Lord Tywin's host, we take the risk of being caught between him and the Kingslayer, and if we attack him . . . by all reports, he has more men than I do, and a lot more armored horse. The Greatjon says that won't matter if we catch him with his breeches down, but it seems to me that a man who has fought as many battles as Tywin Lannister won't be so easily surprised.† â€Å"Good,† she said. She could hear echoes of Ned in his voice, as he sat there, puzzling over the map. â€Å"Tell me more.† â€Å"I'd leave a small force here to hold Moat Cailin, archers mostly, and march the rest down the causeway,† he said, â€Å"but once we're below the Neck, I'd split our host in two. The foot can continue down the kingsroad, while our horsemen cross the Green Fork at the Twins.† He pointed. â€Å"When Lord Tywin gets word that we've come south, he'll march north to engage our main host, leaving our riders free to hurry down the west bank to Riverrun.† Robb sat back, not quite daring to smile, but pleased with himself and hungry for her praise. Catelyn frowned down at the map. â€Å"You'd put a river between the two parts of your army.† â€Å"And between Jaime and Lord Tywin,† he said eagerly. The smile came at last. â€Å"There's no crossing on the Green Fork above the ruby ford, where Robert won his crown. Not until the Twins, all the way up here, and Lord Frey controls that bridge. He's your father's bannerman, isn't that so?† The Late Lord Frey, Catelyn thought. â€Å"He is,† she admitted, â€Å"but my father has never trusted him. Nor should you.† â€Å"I won't,† Robb promised. â€Å"What do you think?† She was impressed despite herself. He looks like a Tully, she thought, yet he's still his father's son, and Ned taught him well. â€Å"Which force would you command?† â€Å"The horse,† he answered at once. Again like his father; Ned would always take the more dangerous task himself. â€Å"And the other?† â€Å"The Greatjon is always saying that we should smash Lord Tywin. I thought I'd give him the honor.† It was his first misstep, but how to make him see it without wounding his fledgling confidence? â€Å"Your father once told me that the Greatjon was as fearless as any man he had ever known.† Robb grinned. â€Å"Grey Wind ate two of his fingers, and he laughed about it. So you agree, then?† â€Å"Your father is not fearless,† Catelyn pointed out. â€Å"He is brave, but that is very different.† Her son considered that for a moment. â€Å"The eastern host will be all that stands between Lord Tywin and Winterfell,† he said thoughtfully. â€Å"Well, them and whatever few bowmen I leave here at the Moat. So I don't want someone fearless, do I?† â€Å"No. You want cold cunning, I should think, not courage.† â€Å"Roose Bolton,† Robb said at once. â€Å"That man scares me.† â€Å"Then let us pray he will scare Tywin Lannister as well.† Robb nodded and rolled up the map. â€Å"I'll give the commands, and assemble an escort to take you home to Winterfell.† Catelyn had fought to keep herself strong, for Ned's sake and for this stubborn brave son of theirs. She had put despair and fear aside, as if they were garments she did not choose to wear . . . but now she saw that she had donned them after all. â€Å"I am not going to Winterfell,† she heard herself say, surprised at the sudden rush of tears that blurred her vision. â€Å"My father may be dying behind the walls of Riverrun. My brother is surrounded by foes. I must go to them.†

Friday, August 30, 2019

Sample Autobiography

When I sit back and consider the significant events in my past, the important aspects of my current life, and my future goals, the underlying theme is one of appreciating diversity, especially across ethnic and socioeconomic class lines. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the product of a Catholic father with roots in Italy and a Jewish mother of Russian and Austrian ancestry. In my early years of education, the frustration with teachers mispronouncing my last name seemed as though it might never end. I remember how my father would approach the administrators of my elementary school before Honor Roll ceremonies to be sure they would pronounce it correctly as I walked across the stage for my moment of glory. The terror did not end until the seventh grade when I had my first course in Spanish, at which point my teacher had some experience with â€Å"exotic† names and got â€Å"you-zee-nee† correct on the first try. I believe that I grew more, emotionally, socially, and intellectually, during my four years of high school than during any other period of time thus far. Midwood High School at Brooklyn College attracted students from every part of New York City. Indeed, it provided a rigorous academic environment, and with one college advisor for each graduating class of nearly 700 students, I managed to learn some important lessons about dealing with â€Å"the system. Midwood continues to prepare its students well; it has consistently placed among the top 50 in national rankings of high schools. It was at Midwood that I found my academic strengths and was given the tools to pursue them to the fullest extent possible. Because I was placed in a situation with few of the resources many students had in other better-funded schools, I learned how to make the best of the situation. I began to search for a way to address my own concerns about the racial tensions. Within a few years I would find myself at Texas A&M University, bringing another drastic change in my lifestyle and the culture I would have to adapt to. The past few years have been a very enjoyable experience, satisfying all of my intellectual and social needs. I have focused the next few years on developing a solid research program dealing with I have also put forth as much effort as possible in attempting to diversify the future of our profession. social psychological approaches to social issues, especially racial and ethnic relations.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Aims and Objectives of a Business Essay

Strategic aims and objectives of two different organisations * Aims are just general statements briefly outlining what a business plans to achieve. * Objectives are much more specific and should clarify the aims in more detail. * A Business Strategy is the conduct of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term objectives. Aims are broken down into individual objectives which are SMART; Specific – the objective will have a purpose Measureable – growth can be measured Achievable – It will not be impossible to achieve Realistic – It Time specific – It will be able to be achieved within a certain time frame Strategic plans enable a business to achieve its Objectives. They are based on what is happening in current marketplace. So a business must do research and find lots of different information about its, customers, competitors, sales, market shares, price, costs and profits. This information is found by doing Market Research. This information can either be Quantitative or Qualitative. Quantitative data – information easily gathered by numbers. Qualitative data – information based on opinion, beliefs, feelings. A strategic plan considers the future of current decisions, overall policy, organizational development, and links to operational plans. . It establishes imperatives, goals, strategies, and performance measures for the organization that can be used as a management and communications tool. Strategies for the Public Sector A hospital may have the aim to provide better customer service. Their objectives; * Make sure all patients in A&E are seen within 15mins * Always having ambulances ready * Answering all phones within ten seconds Plans to achieve this: * Constantly checking the quality of customer service * Buying more ambulances and hiring more ambulance staff * Provide services at cost, below cost or free where appropriate It is then up to the management to ensure that these plans are executed properly so that taxpayers’ money is well spent in providing these health services. There most important stakeholder is us. Strategies of the Private Sector The most important stakeholder in a Private Sector organisation is the owner. They would aim to; * Maximise profit * Increase sales * Cut costs * To survive * To breakeven * To expand To maximise profits the long term strategy would be to; * Increase prices * Reduce costs * Increase sales Sometimes in order to make money you have to lose money first. A business might reduce its prices to gain more sales and customers and in order to do this their profits have to fall. However, a business must make a profit in the long term or it will go bust. A Short term strategy to maximise sales would be to; * Reduce prices * Improve product quality * Add new products * Spend more on advertising * Spend more in market research Cutting costs * Reduce number of employees * Reduce wastage of materials * Conserve energy If a firm decides to get rid of employees it has to be careful not to get rid of staff who might be needed in the future or even be hired by a rival company. It is also important to keep the standard of quality high, if you choose to go to a low cost supplier you might lower your standard of quality and customers might go to a rival store. Survival * In this economic climate the main aim of a business may be to survive. They may have to drop prices drastically and cut costs. Breakeven * All businesses must at the very least cover all their costs in the short term * Their revenue must cover their fixed and variable costs * Fixed costs are those unaffected by sales; e.g. rent, rates, insurance etc. * Breakeven can be measured using a graph, chart or formula Growth * In order to become a market leader a firm has to grow * Growth can be internal or external * There are three ways to measure growth; profit, sales, and market share Private Sector Objectives > Maximising profits – may benefit shareholders and managers but at the expense of employees, customers and suppliers if the business decides to increase prices and/or reduce costs. > Maximising Sales – to maximise sales a business may have to reduce prices, increase quality, or even introduce a new product. Public/Voluntary Sector Businesses in these sectors usualy serve the public in some way. Their aim is to help people. They may have different objectives than a private sector business as a business in the public/voluntary sector does not aim to make a profit. For example a charity may want to increase the amount of aid it gives to a third world country. So they will try to raise more money to be able to send things to them. This will benefit the people of the third world country, however the people that are giving the donations may then have to so without something else because they have gave their money to the charity. P3 Boots mission is to become the world’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty group. They seek to develop their core business of pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling across the world and become a significant player in many major international markets. Boots aims to; * Be the place for health and beauty customers. * Secure market leadership in the UK. * Build on their brands’ growing success internationally. * Create shareholder value by investing to become a more modern, efficient and competitive health and beauty retail business. Objectives Their strategy is underpinned by their continued focus on patient/customer needs and service. The key steps Boots are taking in the UK to execute their strategy are: * Making Boots more convenient and accessible for customers. They are re-branding over 1,000 outlets into â€Å"your local Boots pharmacy† and relocating more Boots stores/pharmacies to improved locations. * Improving customers’ in-store shopping experience by consistently providing best in class customer care and service. This being achieved by operating efficient walk-in prescription services staffed by friendly, knowledgeable and accessible pharmacists, and faster till service. * Creating a compelling multi-channel health and wellbeing consumer offering. Initiatives include making shopping at boots.com easier, expanding product ranges available on-line and rolling out their â€Å"order on-line collect-in-store† concept. * Continuing to provide customers with excellent value by providing trusted ranges of Boots branded products, executing strong promotional offers and rewarding customer loyalty with Boots Advantage Card points. The key steps Boots are taking in their International health and beauty markets to execute their strategy are: * Opening new stores in markets where Boots is already well established, including the Republic of Ireland, Norway and Thailand. * Selective franchising of the Boots pharmacy-led health and beauty retail proposition in areas such as the Middle East. Boots aims for Alliance Healthcare to be the world’s leading wholesaler and distributor of pharmaceutical products. To make this possible they have come up with a number of Objectives to make this possible, including; * Ensuring that they continue to deliver an excellent core service to all customers. By delivering prescription medicines to pharmacies at least twice a day on a just-in-time basis to meet patients’ needs. * Differentiating their product offering. They are achieving this through a series of initiatives which include the development of Almus, their exclusive range of generic medicines, and the extension of Alvita, their branded healthcare product range. * Entering new geographical markets where stable regulatory environments, large populations, growing healthcare expenditure, scope for wholesaler consolidation and the right management can be found, such as in Russia and China. Stakeholders Shareholders – an individual or company (including a corporation) that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a joint stock company. Shareholders would have particular interest in the aim ‘Secure market leadership in the UK’, because to secure Market Leadership in the UK would mean the company is expanding and making more capital. A Shareholder in any Business is mainly interested in the company making a profit so that their shares go up in value, therefore they get more money. Customers – someone who pays for goods or services. Customers would have a keen interest in the aim ‘Ensuring that they continue to deliver an excellent core service to all customers’. This is because when a customer goes into a shop they expect there to be great customer service, they are there spending their money on that companies goods so they expect the highest standard of customer service. Otherwise they would take their custom elsewhere. Suppliers- someone whose business is to supply a particular service or commodity. Suppliers would have a keen interest in the aim ‘Differentiating their product offering.’ This is because if Boots want to offer new products to their customers they will have to buy them off their suppliers. This means the Suppliers would be making more money. Making a profit is the Suppliers main aim. Boots order on-line collect in-store strategy would affect the following stakeholders; Customers – would be winners, as it makes shopping more convient for them. They can shop 24/7 and they don’t even have to leave their own homes. Shareholders – would be winners because when shopping is more convienent for customers sales will go up therefore shareholders will make more profit. Older Customers – would be losers, because some older people may not own a computer or even know how to use one. So it would not make shopping more convienent for them at all. Boots strategy of Differentiating their product offering would affect the following stakeholder; Customers – would be winners as they would have a wider and better range of products to choose from. Suppliers – would benefit as they would make more money because boots are buying more of their products. The Environment – may suffer though. Because new products have to be devloped and tested, some may harm the environment. Boots Strategy of Opening new stores in markets where Boots is already well established would affect the following stakeholders; Shareholders – would be winners because if new stores were opened they they would gain more service and customers and therefore make more money. Suppliers – would be winners as they would be gettingg more business as they would have to supply for the new stores. Customers – would be winners and losers. The customers that are getting the new shops in their area would be winners but customers that live in more isolated areas and will not benfit as they would not be able to use the store. Oxfam International is an international group of independent non-governmental organizations dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. The Oxfams work together internationally to achieve greater impact by their collective efforts. Oxfam Aims to: * To Aid third world countries in any way they can * To relieve poverty, distress and suffering * To educate people about the nature, causes and effects of poverty * To campaign for a fairer world * To work with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering. * Help people to help themselves, supporting local organisations in poor parts of the world. * Campaign for national and international policy changes that will help the world’s poor. Though Oxfam’s initial concern was the provision of food to relieve famine, over the years Oxfam has developed strategies to combat the causes of famine. In addition to food and medicine Oxfam also provides tools to enable people to become self-supporting and opens markets of international trade where crafts and produce from poorer regions of the world can be sold at a fair price to benefit the producer. Oxfam’s program has three main points of focus: * development work, which tries to lift communities out of poverty with long-term, sustainable solutions based on their needs; * humanitarian work, assisting those immediately affected by conflict and natural disasters (which often leads in to longer-term development work), especially in the field of water and sanitation; * lobbying, advocacy and popular campaigning, trying to affect policy decisions on the causes of conflict at local, national, and international levels. Oxfam works on; * trade justice, * fair trade, * education, * debt and aid, * livelihoods, * health, * HIV/AIDS, * gender equality, * conflict (campaigning for an international arms trade treaty) and natural disasters, * democracy and human rights, * climate change Another of Oxfams Aims is to ensure Women have the same rights as men. Project aims During 2007-8, people from 30 remote districts of Nepal will participate in Oxfams WE CAN campaign. The campaign is based around volunteer Change Makers: men and women who pledge to change their own attitudes and practices and to spread the message that women deserve equal respect and rights in society. Change Makers tell others that violence against women is not socially acceptable. WE CAN’s long-term aim is to challenge and change attitudes. In order to generate support for their campaign and to recruit male and female Change Makers in Nepal, members of local organisations will arrange 60 community-based events and one national event in 2007/08. By the end of the year, 35,000 new Change Makers will be active in Nepal. And because each Change Maker pledges to influence at least ten people, more than 350,000 people in Nepal will have heard the WE CAN message. The aim is to recruit five million Change Makers across South Asia by 2011. Another of Oxfams Aims is to Improve Health Care in Rural Georgia. This project will ensure that 50,000 people in the isolated and impoverished regions of Ajara and Samegrelo can receive local, affordable health care. Project aims The aim of the project is to improve the health of people in Georgia. It will: * Implement community-based health care schemes * Improve health awareness and practice among the wider communities * Help people to know and demand their patient rights and state health benefits * Influence the government to fulfil its commitment to provide basic health services nationwide . Another part of the Oxfam group is Oxfam International Youth Partnerships. Their Mission The Oxfam International Youth Parliament (Oxfam IYP) is an initiative of Oxfam International, managed by Oxfam Community Aid Abroad. IYP mobilises a global network of young leaders and activists to bring about positive and sustainable change. It does this through supporting youth led initiatives, facilitating skills and capacity building programs and supporting young people to advocate for their rights and freedoms and those of their communities. Aims Oxfam IYP encourages and supports young people as leaders in developing positive, sustainable, innovative and community oriented change initiatives. IYP aims to support youth led initiatives that will make a significant contribution to: * An increase in the number of people who have a sustainable livelihood. * An increase in the number of people who have access to social services. * an increase in the number of people who have an effective voice in decisions that affect their lives. * An increase in the number of people who are live free from fear and discrimination, especially those who are currently oppressed or marginalized due to their gender, ethnicity, Indigenous status or cultural identity. * An increase in the number of people who are safe from conflict and disaster. Objectives To achieve these ends IYP has the following objectives: Support youth led initiatives: To support Action Partners in the development, implementation and evaluation of social change initiatives (individual and collective action plans) through the provision of strategic and financial support. Skills development and capacity building To increase the effectiveness of Action Partners as social change leaders through further developing skills and knowledge necessary for implementing positive and sustainable change. Networking and Alliance Building To encourage and support action partners to exchange information and learning, build alliances and partnerships amongst themselves and with others to support their work for change. IYP Sittings To inspire, empower and grow the next generation of young leaders and activists. IYP sittings are international meetings between action partners that are convened every 2-3 years. Through IYP sittings action partners build skills, networks and develop social change initiatives. IYP sittings launch a cycle of activity and programs to be implemented over the next two years. Research and information exchange To establish a significant exchange of learning, information and research relating to the issues that face young people and the actions they have taken for the positive and sustainable change locally, nationally and globally. Youth Participation To actively promote the right of young men and women to meaningful participation in the decision making processes that affect their lives. IYP empowers Action Partners to participate in policy development and decision making at all levels. Oxfam International To facilitate and enhance the work of Oxfam International and its affiliates with young people around the globe. M1 Stakeholders A key Stakeholder in Oxfam would be The Third World Countries that it helps. They are probably the most important stakeholder as their lives often depend on the goodwill and charity Oxfam provides for them. Third World countries would have an interest in all of Oxfams aims, ‘To relieve poverty, distress and suffering’, ‘To campaign for a fairer world’, etc. Another Stakeholder would be the Employees (Volunteers). Oxfam employees do not get a Salary; they work for free (volunteer). This means they will have a keen interest in helping the business provide aid for third world countries. So they will have particular interest in aims such as ‘to recruit five million Change Makers across South Asia by 2011’. The Government would also have a keen interest in the aims of Oxfam. They would in particular be interested in the aim to ‘stop conflict (campaigning for an international arms trade treaty). They would be interested in this as international arms would be very important to the Government.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Family Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Communication - Essay Example When considering verbal messages, which helps family members to understand each other in a better light, it helps to build better relationships within the family. Current research carried out utilizes first person narratives and other family functions to analyze patterns of interactions carried out within the family.It also examines the communication processes of different family members in relation to its ethnic patterns, structure, and their progressive experiences which in turn affect and is affected by the society at large. Understanding the patterns of verbal messages within the family is a great asset to its members and this is partly achieved by understanding communication within the family because it is the communication that shapes and is shaped by family relationships. For example, a couple who attends marriage education classes would be in a better position to communicate with each other on a much better level both verbally and non–verbally. Therefore by changing th eir communication habits after marriage, it would have a major positive effect on their relationship, not only with each other but towards other members in thefamily. Another example of this would be of siblings growing close to each other when they lose both parents. They learn to communicate with each other verbally by sharing all their joys and sufferings even after they marry and move away from each other.Non-abusive parents use more verbal â€Å"time-outs, privilege denials, and explanation of consequences to discipline their children.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Evolution of Modern Corporate Marketing Departments Essay

Evolution of Modern Corporate Marketing Departments - Essay Example In other words, we can say that last year at least, these top companies did a good job of marketing. â€Å"Marketing is so basic that it is not just enough to have a strong sales department and entrust marketing to it. Marketing is not only much broader than selling; it is not a specialized activity at all. It encompasses the entire business. It is the whole business seen from the point of view of its final result, that is, from the customer’s point of view. Concern and responsibility for marketing must therefore permeate all areas of the enterprise† (p. 36). Drucker predated Levitt (1960) in defining how the marketing function involves understanding and anticipating future customer needs while satisfying today’s customers who determine what a business is, what they consider â€Å"value† for which they are willing to pay the right price, and what the business should produce. In the over half a century since, marketing has evolved to be a highly, if not the most, important component of running a business successfully. Every profitable and sustainable business, from small enterprises to charities, has a marketing component tasked with finding out what sells (Gummesson, 2002). The American Marketing Association (AMA, 2004) defines marketing as â€Å"an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.† That most of the companies in the Fortune 500 list (though some like GM decreased their revenues and suffered a $10 billion loss) were able to sell products and services profitably showed that the organizational function of marketing delivered on its promise, helped the business fulfill its purpose, and satisfied its stakeholders. Higher record sales and

Virginia Slims Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virginia Slims Advertising - Essay Example This is the marketing thrust of Virginia Slims to induce women to smoke by inducing anxiety among its target market then later provide Virginia Slims cigarette as the panacea to relieve the women of its distress through the use of beautiful images in their advertisements. As a product, without the gloss and twist of advertising, Virginia Slims was really nothing but just a cancer-inducing tobacco which causes bad breath, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. But with the fuzzing or altering of the target market’s perception, the product suddenly became desirable where its smokers became an epitome of class, sophistication, confidence and seem to be happier. Virginia Slims does this by distorting reality through the use of beautiful images in their promotional campaigns whereby they associate that such beauty, class and sophistication can be achieved by smoking their product of which we know to be untrue. It is an unhealthy advertising because it creates discontent to make or induce the market to become receptive to its harmful product. The pervasiveness of this kind of advertisement that uses beautiful images of men and women to sell harmful products lowers the self-esteem of the target market. It is because the audience of these idealized beauties inadvertently compare themselves to these images that are unrealistic where the models themselves will have a hard time achieving without the aid of computer enhancement. It also makes the audience frivolous because these idealized images inadvertently make an individual tie up his or her self-worth to the physical appearance which is not a healthy gauge of one’s sense of self. It is also unhealthy because it makes the audience strive for an idealized concept of beauty that has no other value than its aesthetic worth. It benefits none except those who purvey that idealized beauty because they profit from it. It also breeds discontent and unhealthy personal disposition because it induces its audience, men and women, to strive for something that is not only unrealis tic but also of no use to better one’s life, society nor does it contribute to a common good except to enhance the profit the client of the advertiser. This idealized concept of beauty that advertisers capitalized on can even be used to manipulate one’s psychological make-up to serve a particular end that does no good to an individual.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Parthenon, Acropolis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Parthenon, Acropolis - Essay Example The construction of the building began under rules and orders from Pericles to illustrate the wealth, mighty and exuberance of the Athenian authority in managing their issues. The structure derived its name from a cult effigy of Athena Parthenos that is normally in the eastern room of the structure. The elegant and magnificent design was erected of ivory and entailed gold and was initially sculptured by a renowned sculptor and designer Phidias during his hey days. The sculptor derived his skills from the intense faith and beliefs the Greek dedicated most buildings and structures to gods. For instance, the Acropolis based structure as it was dedicated to Athena to be grateful the Goddess for their continuous prosperity and success (Peter et al., 254). The construction and finishing of the Parthenon were lastly finished around 432 BC. Significantly, the structure proved to the world the domination and supremacy of Athens. This is because, during that time structure illustrated development of regions (Korina et al., 78). The cosmic preponderance of the money applied on the construction was collected from the established Delian League funds. The league was an accord between the Greek various states in league designed against the Persian Empire, which was enormously controlling the close by territories (Clair, 84). To create a favorable environment for the erection of the building two years prior to the beginning of construction of the Parthenon, the larger Athenians struck a peace accord with their adversaries the Persians ending the war. From there, the League continued with its existence and afterwards the league stopped assuming the roles of mutual defense on Persia but became a portion of the Athenian larger Empire. The theory w as properly reinforced after the Athens decided to move the Leagues reserves from the Pan-Hellenic haven at Delos to the Parthenon called Opisthodomos room. The piecework was highly magnificent construction to look at

Sunday, August 25, 2019

According to the existing material, to write a report to the Essay - 2

According to the existing material, to write a report to the management team to address the strategic issues facing the company as it embarks on expansion including international expansion - Essay Example The company is teaching martial arts to more than 300 primary and secondary schools and had a membership of more than 20000 people. Nippon UK having different brands such as Nippon UK Martial Arts, Nippon Retreats and Martial Arts Holiday, Nippon Uk Presents and Nippon Professional Development (Prestonmartialarts, 2012). Brand identity can be defined as the outer expression of a brand. Brand identity mainly includes trademark, name, visual appearnce and communication. In addition, brand identity helps in identifying a brand and distinguishing it from the other brands. Nippon UK Martial Arts offer their customers the opportunity to practise, learn and understand the martial art skill. The services provided are self defense, children and adult jujitsu, ladies and mixed kick boxing, little ninjas and judo (University of Texas, 2012). Hence the brand identity should reflect its dedication towards their target customer base. In accordance with the vision of Nippon UK martial arts following brand logo has been designed. Weaknesses – Nippon UK Martial Arts goes in a traditional way. The way they follow to teach the students is not fully advanced. So in this case any other school of martial art can take the advantage of using modern and technology based methods to operate. Hence the company has failed to set barriers of entry for new players. Opportunities – The biggest opportunity of the company lies in international expansion. Initially it can expand to the European Union countries. Apart from that the company also has the opportunity to make use of modern tools and techniques for training. Threats – The threat for Nippon UK martial arts comes in the form of intense rivalry within the industry. Training schools such as Freestyle Kickboxing, Red Dragon Martial Arts and Shinobi Kai Basingstoke offer stiff competition (Martialartsclubs, n.d.). The decresing popularity of martial arts can also be

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Is the Latest Technology Crane ALII Worth Buying Essay

Is the Latest Technology Crane ALII Worth Buying - Essay Example The second option looks more feasible given the current situation. Although both projects are yielding a negative NPV, but the second option is giving a smaller negative number, hence we can safely conclude that the company should wait for 5 more years before buying the latest technology crane ALII. NPV shows us that the project would yield more cash inflow than outflow, but the negative number shows us that the outflows would be greater than the inflow. The best option for the company is trying to increase its revenue base in order to improve the situation. Just having two or three projects supporting such a large purchase is not feasible and hence the company should market more often to attract more customers. In case these are two exhaustive options, the company should clearly select the option b because it is yielding a lower negative number and hence if the company wants to save its position it should try to adopt the option b. Money rates of returns do not reflect the time value of money. All economies face the phenomenon that the purchasing power of money constantly falls with the passage of time. Hence, inflation is needed to be taken into account in order to arrive at the real rate of return or rate of returns that are adjusted against inflation. The discounting factor of 23 percent has been adjust by multiplying it by 104 in order to arrive at the inflation adjusted discount rate to give better idea regarding the position of the company and how much it should earn in order to safeguard its position against falling value of a dollar due to inflation and alternative projects that are available to a company. This way the money return has been adjusted to real return and provides a better picture of how much return the company needs to earn on its projects to safeguard the value of its wealth in real terms and to make sure that it is not losing money. If a company does not pay heed to the time value of mo ney it cannot tell whether it has made or lost money and hence it is considered one of the fundamental concepts of finance and needs to be taken into account every time the company needs to make an important decision.  

Friday, August 23, 2019

Outbound Tourism from China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Outbound Tourism from China - Essay Example Furthermore, the number of Chinese traveling to other abroad grew by over 25 per cent between 2000 and 2006 "BNET". For instance, in the year 2005 the Chinese made 31 million overseas trips (Cochrane 2008). The current high figures of outbound tourism from China did not grow overnight. China's policies in the past were restrictive and this minimized the number of travels by the Chinese in years before 1990 (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). For example, before 1990, the Chinese's travel abroad was mainly restricted to official visits or commercials functions rather than for holiday or leisure (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). Good tidings came in 1990 when China began relaxing its policies on outbound travel, first allowing visits to Southeast Asian counties for tourism purposes (Gu & Ratliff 2006). Perhaps this is the reason why outbound travel by the Chinese to the countries in this region is high. Along this line, "BNET" noted that the vast majority of overseas trips made by Chinese in 2005 were targeted for Hong Kong and Macau. In the 1998, the total number of Chinese who made overseas trips was 8.4 million, of which 5.2 travellers were doing business while the rest were on private functions (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). China's rising middle class income and an increasing crave to see the rest of the world make the country a significant outbound tourism market (Wen & Tisdel, 2001).. As cited above, China is progressively easing foreign travel policies and this adds impetus on the need to travel abroad. The rising levels of disposable income among the Chinese and constant exposure to foreign countries through television and the Internet have greatly contributed to the increase in outbound tourism from China (Prasad & Barnett 2004). The increase in number of travel agencies is indicative of the increase in number of outbound tourists. As an illustration, the number of travel agencies rose from 6,222 in 1998 to 11,552 in 2002 (Prasad & Barnett 2004). That a rise incomes among the Chinese and outbound travel policies have been phenomenal in promoting China's outbound tourism cannot be gainsaid. However, the two factors per se cannot be acclaimed to be determinants of outbound tourism. Other factors such as government limitations on the countries to which to travel come into play. For example, there is a list of countries that have an "Approved Destination Status" to which Chinese can freely travel (Lew et al 2002). Outside these countries, Chinese towards are perceived to be risking their lives (Lew et al 2002). The above factors and many others such as personal preferences and choices affect China's outbound travel. A discussion of the same and appraisal of relevant statistics forms the basis of discussion of this paper. Factors that have promoted China's outbound travel and tourism Changes in outbound travel policy China had a strict outbound travel policy that barred the Chinese from traveling overseas until 1983 (Zhang, Pine & Lam 2005). The Chinese government

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Compare and Contrast of Short Stories Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast of Short Stories Essay In â€Å"The Ones That Walk Away From Omelas† and â€Å"The Lottery†, Ursula Le Guin and Shirley Jackson portray a supposedly perfect society built on clandestine secrets. In the short story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas†, Omelas’ inhabitants are smart and cultured, and it seems like a utopian city of happiness and delight. Everything about Omelas is your every desire, disregarding the secret of the city: the good fortune of Omelas requires that a single unfortunate child be kept in never-ending filth, darkness and misery, and that all its citizens should be told of this when they come of age. After the truth is told to the people of Omelas most are initially shocked and disgusted and somehow manage to live there life and make it worth it for the child’s existence; others just walk away from the city of Omelas. In the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, a small village of about 300 have an annual lottery; women, men, and children participate, to see who will be the chosen one to guarantee enough rain for the corn crops. The winner is to be stoned to death. The way the authors use irony to depict the story societies as wonderful and perfect then towards the end the dark secret is discovered is very intriguing and captivating, which makes you want to keep reading. In the story, â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas†, Omelas seems to be this beautiful and cheerful place. The story takes place during a festival and there are children running around laughing and there is music. It talks about a race and how the horses are excited, â€Å"(the horses) flared their nostrils and pranced and boasted to one another â€Å" with silver, gold, and green braided into their manes. The story has and air of excitement and celebration that is soon questioned when the author begins to talk about the child.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Health Prevention of Heart Disease for Plano Texas Essay Example for Free

Health Prevention of Heart Disease for Plano Texas Essay Due to the increase risk for Heart disease in Plano, the population is Risk for developing Hypertension which in turn could result in decreased cardiac output, activity intolerance, imbalanced nutrition by taking more than body requirements, and a learning deficient in regarding condition, treatment plan to include, diet, exercise, follow up, Untreated Hypertension potentially puts them at risk for Congestive heart failure, angina, or myocardial infarction. These in turn can result in severe pain, decreased cardiac output, ineffective tissue perfusion, and again a learning deficient in regard to condition, treatment plan and self-care after discharge. Development of any of the above puts the patient at risk for potential anxiety and depression which may be a result of changes in role, particularly for the male bread winner, thus resulting in a threat or change in socioeconomic status, changes in environment and routines or threat or perceived threat to self-concept and Interpersonal conflicts. In assessing readiness to learn in Plano, Texas it is important to note over 53% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher (more than twice the national average) (Demographics). This population is in a better place to absorb knowledge. Typically, young and middle-aged adults participate more than older adults, and the average age in Plano is 37. 2 so this is a positive for learning as we move forward on our Health Promotion plan (Adults). The population more at risk for difficulty in learning is the homeless. The total number of homeless as of September 2012 is 291; this is a 55% increase since last year (Conrad, 2012). Although this is not a huge number comparatively it is significant in evaluating readiness to learn. Homeless people are at a great disadvantage for receiving access to education because it is not as easily readily available to them. There are a number of community resources for the homeless, and it is important we work with The Samaritan Inn, The Family Promise Network, My Friend’s House as well as the Collin County Homeless Coalition, and the Metro Dallas Homeless in presenting the education materials we stand a better chance of the material being received, absorbed and applied by the homeless population. It is also important to work with these programs to see if the education is being implemented within the facilities by evaluating meal selections, access or encouragement of exercise. This can serve as not only physical by emotional advantage to all at risk patients.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest

Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest Biblical references in Shakespeares The Tempest So much concerns, so much has been said, done, or written about William Shakespeare and his works; there are memorials, museums, theaters in his honor, full actors and actresses companies dedicated to perform only Shakespearean drama, there are even lots of â€Å"Shakespearean scholars†, biographers, etc. He had been given the title of â€Å"The Bard of Avon†, because of the old English word which means â€Å"Poet†, and also because of the Avon river which flows through his hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon, in which he was born and baptized in April 1564. Notwithstanding, Shakespeares reputation is nowadays so huge among English poets that hes often called just The Bard; the one and the only English poet who has transcended so many generations and has served as a source of inspiration for so many writers throughout history. His life has been subjected to deep research, analysis, and infinite speculations with many different points of view. One of the fields in which one can go through (and which it will be certainly done) is Shakespeares religion and the influence this could have had into his life and works. So many scholars have dared to give their opinions and make judgments of Williams religion according to his life, his family, and by analyzing his works as well. Some of them adjudicate him as a Catholic, regarding specially his origins and Catholic backgrounds; According to Peter Ackroyd (2005) in Shakespeare the Biography, Shakespeares mother, Mary Arden, was the member of a noticeable and firmly Catholic family in Warwickshire. Other scholars and biographers say that William Shakespeare was actually a Protestant. The Shakespeare editor and historian A. L. Rowse (1963) firmly assures that Shakespeare was baptized, grew up, married, and buried into the arms of the Orthodox Church.(p.43). And finall y, the most common trend among modern scholars is that of Shakespeares atheism, based on absence towards two different conceptions; absence of direct references to any sacred book or verse; and absence of Shakespeare himself at the religious services. According to Joseph Pearce (2008), there was a man called John Payne Collier, (a notorious forger of historical documents) who examined the records of St Saviours, South wark Cathedral, and found that Shakespeare, alone among his fellow actors, was not shown as regular attendant to the church. (p.126). Thomas Carter in Shakespeare and Holy Scripture argues that no writer has assimilated the thoughts and reproduced the words of Holy Scripture more copiously than Shakespeare.(Carter, 1905, p. 3) The following paper argues the fact that William Shakespeares Biblical knowledge has had a deep and clear influence in the writing of â€Å"The Tempest†. Three main aspects are going to be considered: The references to Ariel in the books of Isaiah, Psalms, and proverbs; and the story of Joseph, the later leader of one of the Tribes of Israel, in the book of Genesis which inspired Shakespeare order to shape the plot line and development of the character Prospero, in The Tempest.For this purpose, The Tempest, The Holy Bible (in the Geneva Version), the comic The Tempest by Gaiman are going to be the resources to be cited, among others. ADD MORE INFO ROAR OF LIONS=ARIEL= Psalm 22:12-13= Proverbs 19:12, 20:2 WOE TO YOU ARIEL=Isaiah 29= LION OF GOD? Joseph Prospero The Bible tells us in Genesis 39-47 about the story of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Hebrews living in the land of Canaan. He was the favorite son among his brothers, and they were so jealous because of that, that they plotted to kill him. However, they did not fear to kill him and decided to throw him into a pit, and then sell him to some Midianites merchants on their way to Egypt. The merchants finally sold him to the Egyptians, and once there, even though Joseph went through some distress (getting in jail for example), Gods favor was always with him. This made him able to interpret the Pharaohs dreams, and due to that, they could predict and get prepared for seven years of hunger, and Joseph won the Pharaohs trust. He finally had the possibility to meet with his brothers again, and forgive them for their betrayal. Now, in which way can these events and facts be related to the ones which Prospero had to go through? A step to step analysis is going to be developed. First of all, Joseph and Prospero parallel each other as victims of jealous siblings. Unfavored siblings in both works cannot stand the fact that the protagonists are receiving special privileges and that potentially (in the case of Joseph) or actually (in the case of Prospero) are ruling them. The narration in Genesis states, â€Å"So when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, then they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.† (37:4 Geneva Bible) They hate Joseph even more after he tells them of dreams suggesting that someday he will rule over them. â€Å"[†¦] shalt thou reign over us, and rule us? Or shalt thou have altogether dominion over us?† (37:8) In The Tempest, Prospero did not need a dream to reign over his brother Antonio; he actually was the original ruler of their home city-state, Milan. But Prospero, as well as Joseph,was somehow a dreamer too, more interested in books rather than in the affairs of the government, giving Antonio the opportunity to plot with Alonso, King of Naples, and overthrow Prospero usurping the dukedom for himself. (Shakespeare, 1611. Act 1, sc, 2, 66- 132). Since Prospero was popular with the common people, they did not dare to kill him. Instead, they put him and his daughter Miranda in a boat, and leaving them adrift in the sea, leaving their fate to the mercy of the elements: In few, they hurried us aboard a barque, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast—the very rats Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us, To cry to th sea that roared to us, to sigh To th winds, whose pity, sighing back again, Did us but loving wrong. (Act I, sc 2, 144-151) These harsh conditions can be clearly compared to the ones in Genesis, as something very similar happens to Joseph; when the opportunity is given, his brothers â€Å"conspired against him for to slay him.† (37:18) but then they decided to â€Å"Shed not blood† (37: 22) and throw him into a pit without any food or water for then selling him to Midianite merchants, leaving his fate to the mercy them (37:23-28). Later on then, in both works, Joseph and Prospero use their ingeniousness to success in an foreign and unknown land. Actually, they both become rulers of their new land, by using their wisdom and abilities combined with supernatural forces (magic, Gods favor) to gain power. On one hand, Joseph is sold again, this time in Egypt, where he is imprisoned on false charges. But â€Å"the LORD was with him; for whatsoever he did, the LORD made it to prosper.† (39:23) Joseph was given the ability to interpret dreams, and this talent calls the Pharaohs attention; Joseph interprets Pharaohs dreams which no other wizard or soothsayer could, foretelling seven years of plentiful harvests followed by seven years of hunger, and suggesting a plan for crop rationing in order to save food for the famine times. This impresses the Pharaoh so much, that he gives Joseph domain over the whole land of Egypt (41: 41). On the other hand, Prospero comes ashore on a unknown island, in his own words, â€Å"By Providence divine† (Act. I, sc 2, 159) and there, he uses the magic he has learned from books to overthrow the witch who had ruled and become ruler himself—although the island is so desolate that as Caliban points out to him, â€Å"I am all the subjects that you have† (1.2.344). Joseph and Prospero eventually achieve positions of power over their former betrayers. Both can choose from a variety of actions: seek revenge, test for signs of repentance, or offer forgiveness. Both men eventually choose all three, in the aforementioned order. -By the time Joseph and Prospero confront their former betrayers, years after the betrayal, the onetime conspirators are helpless, having been humbled and unknowingly brought to the protagonist by what appear to be forces of nature but are actually supernatural forces. In Genesis, when the famine comes—reflecting Gods will, given that Joseph, the man favored by God, could predict it—Israel and his sons are starving, while Joseph and the Egyp- tians have plenty. Thus, Josephs brothers—all except Benjamin, the youngest and the new favorite of the father—must go to Egypt and beg to buy corn from Joseph. Although they do not recognize him, he recognizes them, and he real- izes, as they bow helplessly before him, that his earlier dreams of ruling over them have been fulfilled (41.50-42.9). Prospero, in turn, after twelve years on the island creates his own â€Å"supernatural nature†: when a ship carrying his former enemies passes near, Prospero conjures up the tempest that gives the play its name, and his enemies are washed ashore after a shipwreck, with Alonso disconsolate because he thinks his son Ferdinand has drowned in the storm. Although they cannot see Prospero unless he chooses, he can see them when he chooses (3.3.17-93), and he realizes, as they struggle helplessly before his magic, that his longtime dreams of repaying his enemies can now be fulfilled. Initially, Joseph and Prospero make their former betrayers squirm and regret their past cruelty, even associating that cruelty with the possible death of a beloved child. Although Joseph provides his siblings with the corn they seek, he employs subordinates to confuse and torment them by planting circumstantial evidence suggesting they are thieves (42.24-28). He also briefly imprisons them on false charges, thus making them undergo what he suffered after their transgressions in the past. He leaves one brother imprisoned, so that their father thinks he may be dead (42.36), and pressures the others to produce Benjamin, the youngest brother, moving the remaining brothers to say to each other, â€Å"No doubt we deserve to be punished because of our brother [Joseph], whose suffering we saw; for when he pleaded with us we refused to listen† 226(42.9-21). In The Tempest, Prospero employs spirits to confuse and torment his former betrayers, and has his supernatural servant Ariel remind them of their past transgressions until Alonso laments that the thunder proclaimed his transgressions against Prospero, transgressions for which he believes he has been punished by his sons death (3.3.97-100). But Joseph and Prospero do not simply torment their former betrayers into repentance; they also test them by virtually replicating the circumstances of the original betrayal, in effect giving the betrayers a second chance. Joseph manipulates the brothers into agreeing that if one of them can be proven to have stolen from Joseph, he should become Josephs slave; he then uses planted evidence to frame Benjamin. Thus, the brothers face essentially the same question they faced years earlier when they sold Joseph: Will they be party to the enslavement of their younger brother, their fathers favorite, despite his innocence? They redeem themselves by pleading Benjamins case, one even offering to take Benjamins place as slave (44.1-34). While The Tempest resembles the Joseph account in replicating the circumstances of the initial betrayal, the guilty brothers response is much different—a contrast contributing to the unstable nature of the ending to Shakespeares play. Prospero causes Alonso and his guards to fall asleep, while Antonio and Alonsos brother Sebastian remain awake, unaware that Prospero is alive and following their actions. Thus, the earlier situation is replicated: An oblivious ruler could be supplanted by a conspiracy between that rulers brother and the ruler of another Italian city-state. But far from redeeming himself, Antonio suggests to Sebastian that the two of them should kill the sleeping Alonso, thus allowing Sebastian to usurp his brothers kingdom (2.1.205-98); they even explicitly compare this with Antonios earlier overthrow of Prospero as they prepare to carry out the murder (2.1.271-76, 292-94). Prospero must employ Ariel to save Alonsos life (2.1.299-307). Unlike Josephs brothers, Prosperos brother Antonio remains a dangerous man, one to be watched closely. Despite Antonios unrepentant nature, in both works the protagonists eventually forgive their brothers—although they do so from a position of absolute power. His torments and tests of his brothers complete, Joseph finally reveals his identity to them (45.1-4). And although his brothers fear further reprisals and beg forgiveness (50.15-18), Joseph magnanimously tells them, â€Å"Do not be distressed or take it amiss that you sold me into slavery here . . .† (45.5)—a statement made easier by his brothers groveling before him in his role as virtual ruler. Similarly, Prospero eventually decides to act â€Å"in virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28) and reveals himself to Antonio and Alonso. He also tells his brother, â€Å"I do forgive thy rankest fault†Ã¢â‚¬â€although he forgives only on the condition that he be restored to his former, and rightful, position as Duke of Milan (5.1.131-34).227Last, in their entire experience with betrayal, exile, redemption, and reconciliation, Joseph and Prospero are instruments of a divine plan to save not only the current generation but also its descendants. Moreover, through forgiving those who betrayed them, Joseph and Prospero not only unite families but also unite states that had been historically unfriendly to each other. Joseph invites all his brothers and their father, Israel—effectively inviting â€Å"the twelve tribes of Israel†Ã¢â‚¬â€to live with him in Egypt, and they accept (45.9-13, 46.1-7). Joseph explains to his brothers that the reason they should not feel guilty about having sold him into slavery is that if they had not done so, many people would have starved and the â€Å"tribes of Israel† would have been wiped out: â€Å"[I]t was God who sent me ahead of you to save mens lives. . . . [and] to ensure that you will have descendants on earth, and to preserve you all, a great band of survivors† (45.5-7). In addition, Joseph has by now married and had sons by the daughter of an Egyptian priest, giving Jews and Egyptians a shared set of descendants (41.45, 50-52). Thus, Josephs early misfortunes were part of a divine plan for the future state of Israel. In The Tempest, Prospero has arranged that his daughter (the rightful Duchess of Milan) and Alonsos son (the heir to the throne of Naples) should fall in love with each other, and as the play ends, the lovers imminent marriage promises to unite the formerly hostile Italian city-states and give them a shared set of descendants. This conclusion supports Prosperos earlier observation that although he and Miranda were exiled from Milan through foul play, they were â€Å"blessedly† helped onto the island (1.2.62-63). And Gonzalo, a courtier and an old friend of Prosperos, states on learning of the upcoming marriage of Prosperos daughter to Alonsos son that it is the gods that â€Å"have chalked forth the way / Which brought us hither† and that Prospero was â€Å"thrust from Milan, that his issue / Should become kings of Naples† (5.1.2058). Although Shakespeare perhaps had to refer to â€Å"the gods† rather than â€Å"God† because of a 1606 law banning r eferences to â€Å"God† onstage (Bevington 1204), the play suggests that Prosperos earlier misfortunes were part of a larger divine plan for â€Å"descendants on earth.† In Genesis, however, Gods divine plan for Josephs descendants has a darker side. Many years earlier, God had told Josephs great-grandfather Abraham, â€Å"[Y]our descendants will be aliens living in a land that is not theirs; they will be slaves, and will be held in oppression there for four hundred years† (15:13). Years after Josephs people were reunited in Egypt, the Egyptians enslaved the Jews, treating them â€Å"with ruthless severity† and subjecting them to â€Å"every kind of hard labor† (Exod. 1.13-14). It is here that a typological reading destabilizes the optimistic ending of The Tempest. While Shakespeares play seems to end with a vision of perfect order and reconciliation, the forces of disorder remain intact and largely unrepentant. For Prospero and his people, as for Joseph and his, the â€Å"reconciliation to a 228richer and fuller life† may be only temporary (Traversi 269-70). Shakespeare may have at least subconsciously created a level of religious allegory that undermines the â€Å"brave new world† (5.1.185) and subtly questions the wisdom of Prosperos decision to act in â€Å"virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28).

Essay on Rationality in Homer’s Odyssey -- Homer Odyssey Essays

The Importance of Rationality in Homer’s Odyssey In the epic poem, Odyssey, Homer provides examples of the consequences of impulsive and irrational thinking, and the rewards of planning and rationality. Impulsive actions prove to be very harmful to Odysseus. His decisions when he is escaping the cave of the Cyclops lead to almost all his troubles through his journey. As Odysseus flees the cave, he yells back "Cyclops - if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so - say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out you eye." This enrages the giant, and he prays to Poseidon "grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca, never reaches home. Or if he's fated to see his people once again, let him come home late and come a broken man - all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger's ship - and let him find a world of pain at home!" In the end, all these things the Cyclops asks come to pass. Odysseus also makes the mistake of ignoring Circe's command. Circe had said to forgo putting on fighting gear, or the monster Scylla will cause his crew harm. "But now I cleared my mind of Circe's orders - cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all. I donned my heroic armor, seized long spears in both my hands and marched out on the half-deck." Because he ignores those orders given by Circe, the six headed monster Scylla snatches six of the crewmembers and eats them alive. The impulses of Odysseus' crewmembers also impede his journey. The ship had reached the Aeolian Island, home of Aeolus the master of all winds. He gave Odysseus a bag "binding inside the winds that how from every quarter, with the power to calm them down or rouse them as he pleased... ...cates stories of his journeys for them. He even fools his son, Telemachus, for a time, all to ensure that his plans are not compromised. Eventually he reveals himself to his son, saying, "No other Odysseus will ever return to you." Odysseus carries out his plans carefully and methodically. He even has the gall to speak to his own wife, never telling her of the truth. He plans the suitors' deaths, first to surprise them when he strings his own bow, much to the surprise of the suitors. Odysseus quickly and brutally kills the suitors with help from Athena and Telemachus. He covers up the slaughter inside his house by dancing and singing, and people who walked by outside thought "A miracle - someone's married the queen at last!" It is easily seen that throughout Homer’s Odyssey, rationality and crafty thinking prevails over impulse and irrationality.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Risk Management Essay -- Business Management

Risk is a commonly used term and its usually liked with bad impacts on our objectives. The Oxford English Dictionary define risk as â€Å" a chance or possibility of danger, loss, injury or other adverse consequences†. There is no agreeable technical definition of risk as it went through many developments. The first stage was the management of threats only then the term is extended to cover the threats and the opportunities which face the organisations. The latest stage which is the management of the threats, opportunities, uncertainties and its sources. Of uncertainty (Ward and Chapmen, 2003). Therefore, Dowie argues to banned use the term â€Å"risk† in the risk management because of its misleading. The definition will be used in this paper is the Australia/New Zealand standard definition which is "The chance of something happening that will have an impact on objectives" (Australia/New Zealand Standard, 1999). The reasons of using this definition are the simplicities and the coverage of the negative and positive effects on objectives. Risk management has been done for thousands of years (Bernstein, 1996). The Risk management term was first introduced in the 1950s by the insurance industry. The first text book published about risk management in 1963 titled Risk management and the Business Enterprise by Robert I. Mehr and Bob Hedges (D’Arcy and Brogan, 2001). Risk management is a integrated process and risk manger need to assist the company’s business process are constant with its strategies, and the what is the relation between risk management and the investment and performance choices (Nocco and Stulz, 2006). Organisations should develop a risk management long term strategies depending on the business environment and shareholders an... ...ment guide 2001. London: White Page. Hodgkinson, R. (2001). Enterprise-wide risk management . Risk management guide 2001, London: White Page. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO), (2004). Enterprise Risk Management—Integrated Framework. New York: COSO. Beasley, M. Clune, R. And Hermanson, D. (2005), Enterprise risk management: An empirical analysis of factors associated with the extent of implementation. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 24. pp. 521-531 Kleffner, A., Lee, R., McGannon, B., (2003). The effect of corporate governance on the use of enterprise risk management: evidence from Canada. Risk Management and Insurance Review 6 (1), pp.53–73. Liebenberg, A., Hoyt, R., (2003). The determinants of enterprise risk management: evidence from the appointment of chief risk officers. Risk Management and Insurance Review 6 (1), pp. 37–52.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

An Analysis of The House on Mango Street :: House Mango Street

An Analysis of The House on Mango Street In the novel, The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros describes the problems that Latino women face in a society that treats them as second class citizens. A society that is dominated by men, and a society that values women for what they look like, and not for what is on inside. In her Novel Cisneros wants us to envision the obstacles that Latino women must face everyday in order to be treated equally. In the Book women are looked upon as objects by men whether they are boyfriends, friends fathers or husbands. The girls in the novel grow up with the mentality that looks and appearance are the most important things to a woman. Cisneros also shows how Latino women are expected to be loyal to their husbands, and that a husband should have complete control of the relationship. Yet on the other hand, Cisneros describes the character Esperanza as being different. Even though she is born and raised in the same culture as the women around her, she is not happy with it, and knows that someday she will break free from its ties, because she is mentally strong and has a talent for telling stories. She comes back through her stories by showing the women that they can be independent and live their own lives. In a way this is Cinceros' way of coming back and giving back to the women in her community. The Latino women and girls in the novel are extremely concerned about their appearances, because they feel that if they aren't attractive then they won't be noticed by men, and they are raised to believe that they need a man to fulfil their life, and that they need a husband to support them, and if they don't look attractive then they are not going to be noticed, and if they are not noticed, then they think they won't end up getting married. A good example of this is Marin. When Marin talks about a real job Marin says that the best place to work is downtown, not because of the work that is there, but because "you always get to look beautiful and were nice clothes." She also tells the girls that the only thing that matters is if your skirts are short, and your eyes are pretty, so that you are noticed by guys.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The benefits of learning english

Many people see the ability to communicate and talk with others as one of the major benefits of learning English. Even outside of a professional environment, people often Ilke to be able to talk to individuals from around the world. Many people find great social and cultural benefits in having pen pals from other countries, and the Internet makes such communication fast and easy. Knowing English can broaden the types of people you can speak to, whether Its via email or on an online discussion forum.A tremendous number of websites are available primarily In English, and anyone who oes not understand the language may have difficulty using them. For anyone Interested In traveling to countries In which English Is the primary or common language, It Is often essential to understand and speak It. Throughout the LJK, US, and Canada, traveling and shopping are often made easier by speaking the language since many individuals may not speak any other language. ne of the most important benefits of learning English is the ability to explore these regions and more easily communicate with locals to learn about places and events that might otherwise remain unknown. Many people in European countries learn English in school, so nowing it can also be of benefit when traveling in locations even where it's not the native tongue. Learning a language can also be a great way to meet people, even if you never plan on leaving home.A class at a local community center or college can introduce you to a wide variety of people who are also interested in English, and give you the opportunity to interact with them in a controlled setting. Language courses often encourage students to carry on conversations with each other in the language being learned, and this can be a great way to break the ice with new people. Immigrants to English-speaking countries who do not speak the language are often at a serious disadvantage economically.It's much more difficult to get and hold a job, find a place to live, and even do everyday tasks like grocery shopping if you don't understand the language. Learning English not only benefits immigrants themselves, it also helps families by allowing parents to be involved more fully in their children's lives and education. In addition, these children dont have to translate for their parents, allowing them to be kids instead of interpreters. A huge amount of popular ntertainment comes out of Hollywood, and nearly all of It Is produced In English.American movies and TV programs are distributed all over the world, and are often subtitled for people who don't speak the language. Knowing English can allow you to better understand the subtleties of dialog that subtitles frequently miss. It can be a challenge to translate concepts and terms that don't match one-for-one between languages, and nuances of meaning can be lost. Language is an inherently cultural construct. How people speak, the words they cnoose, ana tne toplcs unaer Olscusslon are deeply t lea Into tne culture 0T a place.By learning English or any other language, you are putting yourself into the mindset of a native speaker and are introduced to many of the concepts that he finds important. Gaining a better understanding of other cultures can help you to enrich your own understanding of the world and how others see it. Many of the most prominent and well known publications throughout the world are written and printed in English. Scholars interested in doing research at an academic level, or working on new scientific developments, should consider the benefits of learning English to read these periodicals and publish their own work.Publication in peer-reviewed Journals is often required for someone who wishes to remain in academia, and the ability to read and write in English may be necessary to maintain such a position. Even learning about current events often requires an understanding of the language, since so many global publications and news websites use it. Because English is a first language for many countries, many other nations teach it as a requirement in schools. It is estimated that over a billion people in the world speak English on at least a basic level.For many people, the benefits of learning English involve the new pportunities that become available to someone who understands it. Anyone interested in attending a university in the US, for example, needs to speak it or be able to pass a test proving that he or she is fluent. People who do decide to learn English may need to consider what type of English is best for them to know. The two most common forms are British English and American English, and they can be quite different in some respects.The fundamental underlying language is the same, and people who learn one are likely to still be easily understandable by someone who peaks the other, but there will be instances in which words are phrases don't mean the same thing. Much of the decision about which type of English to learn wil l depend on where a student is learning it and what his or her ultimate goals are. To understand the language generally, any type of class will be of help. Many people dont have a wide variety of options to choose from, and a local college may only teach British English, for example.Someone who lives in Europe is more likely to be taught this form simply because he or she is closer geographically to the United Kingdom. Individuals who are learning English for a Job, however, might want to seek out a class that is specifically tailored to business language or to the form spoken in the country they will be doing business with. A person who will be regularly working with an American company, for example, may better understand the nuances of her coworkers if she is familiar with the terminology and idioms of that country.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Antigone Aristotle

Samaritan Albert Mr.. Jordan Antigen Fear/ Pity Fear and Pity Shown In Antigen The Greek Philosopher Aristotle defined tragedy as a form of drama that evokes fear and pity in the audience. The tragic play Antigen conflicts that definition because although pity Is evoked throughout the play, modern audiences have difficulty experiencing fear because they fail to acknowledge the role fate plays In their everyday lives. At the end of the play pity can be felt towards Croon because his wife and son died and It was his fault.When Croon finds out they died he exclaims, â€Å"Oh pity! All true, and more than I can bear. Oh my wife, my son† (109-111). Both Creek and modern audiences can relate to the pain, sense of loss, even guilt felt when a loved one dies. Pity could be evoked in either audience through this relation. Although pity can be felt for Croon by either audience, modern audiences have a hard time experiencing fear while reading Antigen. When Croon realizes his downfall ha d come, he says, â€Å"Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing.Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust† (137-138) The mention of fate causing the ruin of a rueful man would have caused fear in Greek audiences because they realized the role fate played in their lives and that everyone is destined to a certain fate that is uncontrollable. Modern audiences often feel as though they can control their own fate, which is why they often have trouble realizing the fear any tragedy is supposed to evoke in them. Pity can be felt for Antigen when Screen's men found Policies body and took Antigen to Croon.When the sentry takes Antigen back to Croon he says, â€Å"Just so, when this girl found the bare corpse, and all her love's work wasted. She wept, and cried on heaven to damn the hands that had done this thing. And then she brought more dust and sprinkled wine three times for her brother's ghost† (38-42). This can absolutely cause any audience to feel pity for Antigen because she put her family over the state, knowing she could get in trouble, and because she does get In trouble, pity Is elicited in either audience.Pity could also be felt for her because she burled her brother and it was ruined. Despite the fact that pity can certainly be felt for Antigen by both modern and Greek audiences alike, fear for her cannot necessarily be felt by modern audiences. Near the end of the play Antigen says, â€Å"You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on Oedipus: I cannot Imagine any grief that you and I have not gone through†(2-5) This would evoke fear In a Greek audience because they believed more In curses and fate than a modern audience would.Greek audiences would feel fear for Antigen because they believe that the curse of Oedipus would lead to her demise. Modern audiences believe less n curses and fate than a Greek audience would so they would not feel the same fear a Greek audience would feel while reading Antigen. Hansom's situation could evoke pity throughout modern and Greek audiences because he fought to save his arms about her waist, lamenting her, his love lost underground, crying out that his father had stolen her away from him† (6(:)-63) Either audience could relate to the feelings Hammond is experiencing.Even if they can't relate exactly, they still feel sorrow for him because he is obviously very upset. While Hammond evokes plenty of pity throughout the play, he does not evoke fear into the audience. Fear might be evoked into a Greek audience when Croon says to Hammond, â€Å"Let her find her husband in hell. Of all the people in this city, only she has contempt for my law and broken into it. Do you want me to show myself weak before the people?Or break my sworn word? No, and I will not. The women dies† (23-28) This may have evoked fear in Greek audiences because Croon is getting angry and refuses to let Antigen live. This would concern a Greek audience more tha n modern audiences because the curse of Oedipus would cause Antigen to die anyway, and Greek audiences would acknowledge that her death would be the fate predestined because of the curse.Modern audiences would not acknowledge that her fate would be the cause of her death due to the curse and that Screen's decision sealed her fate, so they wouldn't feel fear. In summary, Aristotle definition would be correct for the Greek audiences of his time, but not for modern audiences. While Antigen evokes pity in either audience, it does not elicit fear into modern audiences because of their lack of acknowledging the role fate plays in their lives.