Impressions †art Essay

The ballet paintings of Degas featured women in a variety of intimate moments, so to speak. It is at this point that after trying out a variety of techniques, mediums and themes that his work takes on a completely Impressionist image. Paintings done during his early years turn out to have little resemblance in terms of style and composition to the artwork he did later on. Nevertheless, certain features of Degas’ painting methods remained the same regardless of the many modifications and adaptations to this styles and mediums. For one, he always painted indoors. This remains in effect a testament to his derision at the en plein air technique of the Impressionists; he would always prefer to work in his studio instead, relying on memory or live models for his paintings. This was what he did during some of his paintings on dancers, where he would get a female ballet dancer to act as a live model in his studio. His subject too, remained the primary focus, and the landscapes and background were simply reproduced from memory or created from his imagination. In general, one can say that aspects of Degas’ work carry an element of sensuality, perhaps even hyper-sensuality, in them especially during the paintings of the nudes. It is crucial to know that understanding this is important to be able to successfully analyze, comprehend and appreciate his other works. A blatant example of one of Degas’ works that has clear elements of sensuality is Four Dancers. In this painting, Degas arouses a variety of sensual responses based on the primary visual image, to the eroticism exhibited by the female models. Degas did not only reveal his artistic and personal introversion through linear revelation but also through the use of color and light. The dancers stand in muted quite with earth tones while their outfits have small hints of brilliant color with blue or pink sashes. The stiff form of the skirt while a dancer is standing still and straight as can be witnessed in Four Dancers in the forefront dancer’s position is easily transformed into a fluid myriad of colors whenever a dancer takes movement and Degas reveals an asymmetry with color, line, and the imbalance of the two. Theatre Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus is in summary about the ‘feckless’ artistic genius of Mozart pitted against the mediocrity of Antonio Salieri whose jealousy over Mozart’s success in the play lends itself to murder. The play was an in depth exploration of Mozart as a man and not just as a genius composer; the director Kent Thompson brought Mozart’s humanity to the stage as well as accurately portraying the script composed by Shaffer. The elements of fear in failure and ebullience in joy were the true rivals in the play, and the way in which the audience relates to these characters was extraordinary. The magic, as it were, of the play was the way in which both Shaffer’s ideas and Kent’s ideas bred a new life into the classical artist Mozart; he was not only a composer by the end of the play but the audience was so engrossed in his life that he became a person to them, relatable with his life, his marriage, his children and his music. The play by Shaffer introduced to audiences a psychological background that was highlighted in Kent’s portrayal by lighting and theme background. The stages were generally a dark atmosphere which juxtaposed Mozart’s own emotional allegiance to failure, but also the lights were introduced in brilliant colors when Mozart’s psyche was enjoying a brief happiness. Kent made the lighting a major part of Shaffer’s script. Kent did a lot of spotlighting, or mood lighting in which only a few characters on stage were illuminated to show their importance. The corners and niches of darkness were the psychological equivalent to the turmoil that Mozart was going through not only in his composition powers, but also in his relationship with his mother, his wife, his rival, himself. Therefore, it was not just the use of lighting but the introduction of shadow that enabled Kent to deftly portray Mozart’s emotional being. Also, Kent incorporated into the design of the show six luxury pendant lamps above the audience members. This allowed the action and the scenery of the stage to overlap the audience so that the actions on stage would be more realistic since the audience was almost part of the play with the same scenery above their head. When the pendant lamps turned on during a palace scene or a scene calling for luxury the audience members were being incorporated into the play by the extension of the stage design into the seats. This is not the only technique Kent used in allowing the audience to become part of the actions on the stage. The way that Shaffer wrote the script, in plot, Salieri is in a wheelchair, and the action is taking place 32 years after Mozart’s, ‘assassination’. Salieri lets out a very penitent dialogue in which he asks the audience to be his confessors. In this action, both Kent and Shaffer are introducing that the suspension of disbelief does not exist at the proscenium, but at the entrance to the audience since the audience itself is asked to become characters, or confessors in the play. The life of the play, the essence that Shaffer had imagined it to be, was aptly give in Kent’s direction. The actors, the plots, the dialogue all gave Amadeus the possession of a reality given in psychological torpor by Salieri and Mozart. Not only was the costume impeccable in portraying 1781, but the props themselves gave the play an extra touch of reality in their presence on stage. The sound in the background, the classical music notes, the rendition of specific Mozart pieces added to the ambiance of the play and the inclusion of the audience members into the action on stage. The lighting however was one element that was very unique in its rendition and aided in the audience’s understanding about characters, setting, and their own inclusion in the play. The lighting was a major part of the success of the play, not only its highlighting of certain characters but in the use of shadow as well; there was a very chiaroscuro effect that Kent employed, that worked for the extra drama of the Amadeus. Dance Gina Pane was able to transform performance art to be inclusive of pain as a gateway of understanding life, and for the audience to understanding of that pain was exhibited through art. Gina Pane would, during her performances, burn her limbs and slice herself with sharp razors. During multiple performances she would take her own blood and outline her physiognomy on the plane of a mirror, at which she was peering. She would take blood from her sliced open eyelids and trace her face in the glass. By performing in this fashion Gina Pane was able to visually and metaphorically re-engineer the product of artistry in her shedding of her own blood which in turn become a dichotomy of both process and product (Hewitt 1997; 103). Thus, not only was the performance geared toward the audience but the act of bloodshed was art, thereby attributing self-mutilation as a genre in performance art. Often times this sacrifice of the performer’s blood is equated with Christ’s sacrifice for redemption of humankind, thus, the performer is acting out self-mutilation thereby cleansing the audience of their sin (Hewitt 1997; 104). The artist is using this pain and sacrifice for the importance of self expression. Gina Pane utilized this masochism in order to save the audience from the din of inexcusable art and thus she saw herself as a scapegoat that eventually rescued the audience from the cultural retardation of art from the perspective of art being disembodied and mundane because of its equaliency of being inhuman or at least no longer defined through human qualities. Gina Pane’s onstage sacrifices were a tribute to her faith in that art was not only for expression but salvation. She believed in the body, and had faith in that art through masochism was a way in which she could associate herself as an artist through recognition of the human as blood and in this was found a truth she wanted to relay to the audience (Hewitt 1997; 104). Art should not be devoid of human life and experiences and thus Gina Pane placed much importance on her shedding of blood as performance. Pane perceived the body as a vehicle, a tool of expression through pathological masochism. Thus, when Pane includes these self-mutilation acts in her work she is making a succinct statement to the audience not only of sacrifice and redemption but also in an egotistical fashion she is stating that her arms are hers to do with what she pleases. If she wants her arms to be scarred then that is how they will be and this message is delivered to the audience as control. Gina Pane’s performances are about control of the body. Music. Gangsta rap originated from the blues as well as poetry since rap in essence is poetry put to a beat just as most African American music derives itself in some form from the Deep South’s work music, so does gangsta rap originate from the hardship of the rappers’ lives, and they lived, where they lived and how they survived which is all put into the lyrics of the gangsta rap song. In gangsta rap, it is with the Blues that it is attributed to adhering to, and it is with the Blues that the cadence and lyrics gangsta rap can be found with regard to the artist and how they wrote blues as a new age rhythm in rap. In the following essay, cultural, economic, and social factors will be explored as to their impact on gangsta rap and the artist. The lyrics and the artist will be compared and contrasted and the difference between the two, will be the focus of the following pages. Also, in the music production, business will be considered, and the aesthetic aspect of production will be examined, both monetarily, and otherwise. Gangsta rap takes its cue from the Blues. The gangsta rap artist illustrates life in the hood; thus they lyrics do not propagate the problem but merely report about the problem. In this fashion gangsta rap artists are more like journalists instead of musicians as most of their lyrics are fueled from poverty stricken lives, doing drugs or selling drugs just to make money or seeing their family and friends to the same thing. All of these issues are written into the gangsta rap lyrics. As mentioned prior, the Blues was a musical form founded in the Deep South, both rooted in spirituals, and labor (Gospel Music Association). The Blues became more sophisticated as the music, and musicians moved from rural landscape to cityscape. It was within the urban environment that the Blues found its voice (Dean, 1998), as it is true that gangsta rap found its voice in the over urbanization of a culture. One of the central figureheads of gangsta rap is Tupac. His blues mixed with voice, lyrics, and the slow acceptance of depression and love in his song are reminiscent of blues, but his strict adherence to the lyrics and the politics in the lyrics made him the transcendental leader of gangsta rap. Gangsta rap is a genre of hip hop which also is heavily influenced by politics. The focus of gangsta rap and the artist was one concerned with inner-city living or ‘da hood’. Thus, the attention to gangs and gang members as part of the lyrics of gangsta rap become synonymous with this type of policy; chaos. Crime and violence are a large part of the lyrical side of gangsta rap because of its origins in the city. The artist writes what they know and it is with lyricists such as Ice-T, and 2Pac that the illusion of the nuclear family was put to waste and the creation or rather recognition of America’s streets was brought to the forefront of society. Gangsta rap is known as a realistic sound, typically associated with the angst filled lyrics of the rising rock and roll sound emerging at the same time with hip hop. Due to the eclectic influence of gangsta rap, the sound was much misinterpreted, or hard to pinpoint as a genre, and thus the inclusion of the advocacy of drugs was initiated into this musical genre. This however is not the case. Gangsta rap is anything is a narrative, and as a narrative the lyrics reflect what the artist is living or already seeing. The artist then becomes a surrogate for the rest of society in understanding life on the street and the real America. Work Cited Hewitt, Kim. Mutilating the Body: Identity in Blood and Ink. Bowling Green State University Popular Press. 1997.

Negative Views Concerning Video Game Violence

There are many different views about video games and the effects violence has on children and society as a whole. Many feel that games are harmful and have no purpose but to serve as an unintelligent and wasteful medium of entertainment. Others feel that games have plenty to offer and will one day be as respected a medium as television, radio or books. Input from both sides of the issue was gathered and a conclusion was drawn based on various studies and opinions. Throughout The course of this report, the issue of violence in video games and the overall worth of games in general will be addressed. There are a lot of negative views concerning video games, particularly of the violent variety. Critics say that violent games are a pretty poison for society, fancy blood and fireworks with no redeeming value. They say that video games take innocent young children and taint them with images of fiery destruction. Many of these critics also see that most of the games on the market are violent and bash the industry for it. Video games are one of the most engaging form of media on the market, there's no denying that. But does the immersiveness of games make them more apt to blur the line between fantasy and reality? Some people say so. At the very least, it is desensitizing, so there can't really be anything good about it. And yet, marathon sessions of Quake have not made the author of this essay into a raging mass murderer, or even any less squeamish at the sight of real violence. Perhaps one may become desensitized to artificial violence, but at the same time not to real world violence. Just how do games effect impressionable young children? Do they effect them at all? No studies seem to be decisive on this issue, but it would seem that upbringing plays a major role in how a video game effects a child's life. Other important factors are the kind of game that is being played, and how â€Å"wholesome† the motives and rewards for killing are. How a parent raises a child really determines everything about a child's young life, and much of what that child will grow to become. If the child can't determine fantasy from reality because they haven't been taught the difference, it doesn't matter whether there is a single video game on the face f the Earth. It is inevitable that some form of media will eventually have the same sort of effect on them that video games would. Rich Fleider of Rogue Entertainment puts it this way: â€Å"Video games are only an extension of human's innate desire to play. Without video games, that desire would only express itself in a different fashion in another medium. † There is no excuse and no remedy for poor parenting and it is wrong to use games or movies or anything else as a scapegoat. Mark Dochtermann of Ritual Entertainment believes that â€Å".. he only thing that can corrupt a young mind is an unhealthy environment in which to grow. Parents who blame their problematic children on Dungeon and Dragons and video games are just beating down the wrong door. † Paul Jaquays, a level designer for gaming industry superpower id Software had this to say about the types of video game violence: â€Å"Although I'm certain I'm doing my share of rationalizing here, I tend to categorize it into two distinct classes: A) Violence against the enemy: War in the name of self defense, necessary actions against violent criminals. B) Violence against the innocent: Acts of violence against non-aggressors, bystanders, children, or those committed as a part of a game which glorifies crime, etc. The former, in game terms, is acceptable to me. The latter is not. Some recent games such as Carmageddon, Postal, and Grand Theft Auto fall into the latter. † Most people find the irreverent treatment to innocent people in these games quite offensive, and for good reason. If any kind of video game violence is harmful â€Å"Type B† violence is definitely that kind of video game What is the worth of video games? â€Å"I just don't understand the point of those games,† many say. Well, that's a valid comment from someone who has never played a game. Anyone who had played a game for any decent amount of time would understand their appeal. They provide hours of entertainment, improve hand-eye coordination, act as a form of communication and help people learn helpful skills. On top of that, many people believe that games provide a positive way to purge anger and frustration. The entertainment value of some video games is tremendous. Just ask anyone who has played Threewave Capture the Flag for Quake, or spent sleepless nights feeding their chronic addiction to Civilization. Raven Software's Jon Zuk had this to say about video games as entertainment: â€Å"Some games are time-wasting entertainment, and that's not a bad thing. The people who complain loudest about games should probably sit down and play one. They might (GASP! ) actually enjoy it,†. Games are a good way for kids to develop good hand-eye coordination and good timing. Without killer reflexes and good aim, one will find some difficulty trying to conquer any action game. Killer reflexes and good aim not only serve to make you better at video games but can help in sports Video games are a good way for people to communicate and make friends. In the words of Dave Taylor, owner of Crack dot Com, â€Å"You can make friends. Ever played a net game and then told stories about how you managed to sneak the commando in unseen and blow up their power plant in C&C? Or retold the beautiful long-range kill you made with a rocket from high atop a ledge in Quake? You can also make friends by going out and drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and partying all night, which can lead to liver disease, lung cancer and depression. As stupid and worthless as some people make games sound, I think games are a more intellectual alternative than the standard way to make friends. † Games can also provide a lot of valuable skills that are transferrable to every day life. With the exclusion of learning how to circle strafe and rocket jump, games can teach you a variety of useful tidbits. Dave Taylor has this to say about the kind of things you can pick up by playing games: Adventure games can teach problem solving skills, useful for learning how to research and how to â€Å"get things done†. Strategy games can teach the value of resource management a skill valuable in all sorts of leadership positions. Action games can improve your reflexes, a skill valuable to the military and to athletics. † Games are a method of eliminating stress and anger in a productive and harmless way. Video games may actually be part of the solution rather than the problem. Richard P. Gray a. k. a Levelord says â€Å"†¦ I don't take any grand pride in enjoying the misfortune of others, even if â€Å"they† are â€Å"evil†, but I can not deny this passion is there and I think ignoring it may even be worse than riding it down abstract, non-damaging avenues. † There are many different types of games, and not all of them are violent in the slightest. Why then, do violent games make up the majority of games on store shelves? The reason is not necessarily that game companies are trying to capitalize on violence (Although sometimes that is the case), but that they are limited by design to create violent games. In the words of master game designer Warren Spector, â€Å"We're doing the best we can with the tools available to us in an infant medium. The fact is, it's insanely hard to mimic human behavior on a computer. Heck, it's almost impossible to make a character walk in a convincing manner. It's really hard to create a world simulation deep enough to allow players much freedom to choose how they're going to react to a situation – it's pretty much limited to kill that thing over there, or talk to it (And even talking is way hard†¦ ). On the other hand, it's really easy to put a monster on the screen, tell it to dodge around a bit and let the player kill it†¦ † â€Å"†¦ I guarantee you will see games where the layer can do more than kill things – we're getting closer every day. † In conclusion, the research done in this project suggests that games are slightly more (To paraphrase the old Transformers cartoon) than what meets the eye. Like Shakespeare was persecuted for his works and like movies and television took their share of heat, video games are simply the newest thing to have all of society's ills piled on top of them. In the future, things will change.

The Idea of a Traditional Musician in Western Culture Essay

The Idea of a Traditional Musician in Western Culture - Essay Example The idea presents us important information that being a traditional musician means bringing exactly the things from the past at present and initiate them how the ancestors would have done them. The case of Krzysztof is an example of how one might bring the old traditions effectively at play even at present and making them alive just as how the people exactly performed them from the past. This means that Krzysztof is the best example of what a traditional musician is. We can observe from his life how he wants the old tradition that he witnessed from his grandfather to stay at work at present as it was from the past. This probably will bring us another idea that Krzysztof has exactly a great affinity for traditional music that his grandfather introduced to him when he was younger. To become a traditional musician is therefore important because as already stated, it allows the traditions to stay alive at present. 2. Why is Ganga singing important to Bosnia/Herzegovina? Why it is still p racticed? (4 points) There is a strong socio-cultural implication linked to Ganga singing among Bosnia/Herzegovina for it presents the status of friendship in the society and including the associated privilege given to men over women. For example, it is known that boys or men are free to sing Ganga with different groups or singers from other villages, while girls or women will have it exclusive among themselves who have close friendship right from their childhood days and until they get married (Tipton 174). In other words, Ganga singing is a cultural heritage and a significant part of the Bosnian/Herzegovina socialization that eventually defines their actual culture, which is a clear reason why it is still practiced at present. Ganga singing, therefore, depicts the status of men and women in society and potentially illustrates the mark of friendship among individuals. This is another reason why it is still alive at present, as we all know that friendship is a fundamental component of one’s life story or journey from childhood and even at the individual’s coming to maturity of age. 3. Why do you suppose that the communist government banned jazz? What elements of jazz are similar to the music of the Turks and Romani? Why do you suppose the Balkanski Dzhaz was worth the risks that the musicians took to perform it? (8 points) Jazz combines complex and varied thoughts, which people recognize as significant components of technique as a way of forming music (Tipton 117). For this reason, there are many reasons to use jazz simply as a way of conveying varied feelings and emotional appeal. Black Americans have formed jazz as a way of providing an outlet for various issues they are facing in society. For this reason, it is easy for them to express themselves with this form of entertainment, which at the bottom line is not only to entertain but to present a remarkable message that could spark varied feelings and emotional appeal. In the US, jazz could be a form of music that has an underlying message of rebellion, as especially common among young people who definitely have the underlying thoughts that most probably they could effectively express through this music style.  

Employment Relations in the United Kingdom Essay

Employment Relations in the United Kingdom - Essay Example In fact, by 1910, trade unions had the authority to engage in strikes, industrial actions and mass protests, without running the risk of prosecution for any damages resulting from such acts. At the time, there was minimal regulation of safety and health standards for workplaces, with trade unions taking up the role of championing for such rights. With European nation having colonies around the world, the economic context was quite favourable (McCrudden, 2007:259). Acquisition of raw materials, cheap labour and a huge market for industrial products was the defining feature of the European economy at the time. As such, the rise of trade unions, with minimal control from the respective central governments was a common figure. In the United Kingdom, the law at the time allowed for industrial action between employers and their employees, without any interference by the state (Nick, 2010: 111). Perhaps, this was a sort of â€Å"immunity† from the provisions of the prevalent common l aw, which does not recognise such rights. The United Kingdom was among the very first countries to institute industrial relations in its systems (Lewis, 1983: 271). Since this development, the UK has seen a major turn of events over the time, to the present day state of affairs, in the employment and labour market. Perhaps, modern day industrial relations have their basis and growth in the Great Britain, dating back to the early twentieth century. Right from the start of the industrial revolution, the UK has played a great role in modelling labour and employment relations around the globe. In fact, any literature or study, which does not refer to the industrial revolution, will have difficulties in explaining labour relations in any part of the world. In the early parts of the twentieth century, the relations in the industrial sector relied on regulation for the purposes of controlling the wage conflicts between employers and their staff, and the steep competition between industry p layers as well. The result was creation of the first industrial relations regulation, primarily focusing on addressing the twin problems above (Darlington & Lyddon, 2001: 53). After the world war, there was an increase in the need to produce more for the war-ravaged economy. However, pertinent issues around wages, extraneous working conditions, and deteriorated working environments were a major concern among many industries. With this scenario, in 1968 trade unions came into play, as a channel through which employees in all industries and firms could have level bargaining grounds (Singh, 2005: 165). With these unions, the landscape of industrial labour relation begun to change dramatically, as employees got more power to champion for their rights, especially on wages and working conditions. Trade unions played a major role in determining employment relations in the United Kingdom. The British labour relations fall under three categories, over the last century. Firstly, the volunteer philosophy is an integral aspect of the growth of collective bargaining for workers. Secondly, there was the establishment of trade unions, whose mandate was to champion for the wages, and minimum responsibility of the employers to their employees (Heery, 2010: 80). This was particularly crucial in creation of an independent entity, free from state influence on the affairs of the work place. This development kept the state away from active engagement in the employment

An Animals Place by Michael Pollan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An Animals Place by Michael Pollan - Essay Example The paper tells that Michael Pollan introduces the interesting case of animal liberation at a time when eating animals, wearing animals, experimenting on animals, killing animals for sport etc have become common practices for humanity. The author has been highly effective in introducing the arguments of the people working for the liberation of animals. In a profound investigation of the arguments of people who plead for animal liberation, the author maintains that the most difficult animal rights challenge is posed by the killing of animals for meat and clothing. To Michael Pollan, the vexed question of animal suffering is whether human interest in eating animals outweighs their interest in not being eaten. â€Å"Whether our interest in eating animals outweighs their interest in not being eaten (assuming for the moment that is their interest) turns on the vexed question of animal suffering. Vexed, because it is impossible to know what really goes on in the mind of a cow or a pig or even an ape. Strictly speaking, this is true of other humans, too, but since humans are all basically wired the same way, we have excellent reason to assume that other people’s experience of pain feels much like our own.† Therefore, a reflective analysis of the article by Michael Pollan confirms that the author has been effective in examining the various aspects of the arguments made by the supporters of animal liberation and his major counter argument is that they reveal a profound ignorance about the workings of nature.

First Amendment Protection for Spam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

First Amendment Protection for Spam - Essay Example The concern for spam is however growing all around the globe. Around forty percent of bulk e-mail consuming is posing problem for the internet users along with internet service providers. They complain of having their mailboxes full of annoying e-mails or mails that are offensive. However, a number of users refer spamming to the commercial advertising. 3 Since internet is the fasted way to contact people all around in the world with millions of people, internet advertisers has realized for using internet as a tool for advertising through spam. They choose many different ways for advertising such on the World Wide Web, but the easiest way for them is to advertise through e-mail spamming. Internet advertising are divided into two groups, either they can be intrusive or passive. Passive way for advertising is the most common way of advertising on internet. It is a way on which the internet user seeks out for the advertisement and accesses it himself. Though, the most widespread passive advertisement is done on the websites. On the other hand, intrusive advertisement is one on which the user receives e-mails from the seller for example posting electronic mails. Intrusive advertisement is also known to be an unwanted advertisement and will be discussed in this paper. All together, the concern for spamming has grown to compromise the valu e of e-mails and finally towards the internet.4 Section one of this paper will examine details and problems held by intrusive or unwanted advertisement/spamming together which the current laws to solve this problem. Section two of this paper will discuss the standards of First Amendment, applicable to the problem. Finally, the third section will highlight whether the Congress pass on other constitutional laws to protect users from internet spamming. Issues and Problems Related to Intrusive Spamming/Advertising In this section, the question arises of how to define spam Spam is described as the most unwanted or unsolicited electronic mail which is usually delivered in bulk form to millions of internet users. However, due to the unlimited debates held in the online community, a series of rules on how to use internet was introduced which was known as "Netiquette quickly developed". It established that the advertisers who are willing to advertise online should detain their activities on the websites that welcomes advertisements. Unfortunately, as the online internet community was small, the violators of Netiquette were punished. Intrusive spam has been mostly been associated with schemes such to get rich in a quick manner, is changing by time. As more and more e-businesses are getting involved in cyberspace, major advertisers and other organizations have started to rely on bulk e-mails or have created their own web sites on World Wide Web for the reason to sell out their products as quickly as possible. Vendors who rely on spam maintain that this storm as a whole is blown out in parts by perfectionists who really want to see spamming out from the internet. However, the opponents of spam argue that in some way, spam robs the internet users from the resources and dishonors the internet just a piece of litter found in the physical environment. There are number of examples that portray about the problems created by spamming. Such as, the most disastrous was the one which

Personal Criminological Theory Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Criminological Theory - Term Paper Example To my mind, these factors are of crucial importance. Even if a person does not have in-born factors influencing on his deviant behavior in the future, people around him may reshape his way of life. At this point I would focus my attention on districts, where poor people leave. Another determinant factor, suggested by the Chicago School is appearance of a potential criminal (Garland & Sparks, 2000). Physiology of criminals may be differentiated from physiology of non-criminals. It is claimed further on that the abovementioned factors are relevant both to differentiate criminals from poor people and from a more privileged class. In the modern context it is relevant to analyze behavior of potential criminals among white-collar workers. Still, a growing number of crimes among criminals from poor families cannot be denied. Why people commit crimes? Therefore, I would collect data about potential criminals basing on their environment and their appearance. Under unfavorable social condition s, it is hard for a weak-willed person to stay aside. There are exceptions from this rule, when in the family of alcoholics are good children, but it is a small per cent of such kind of cases. There are two basic assumptions: crime is inherited in the society; the roots of crime are in unfavorable environment and among socially degraded people (Biglan, 1995). Referring to the modern statistical data of a number of crimes, it is relevant to focus on the percentage of criminals, who live in the suburbs. Then, it is possible to choose some of them at random and look at their environment and families. It is also necessary to talk about personal concerns of a criminal, who committed a crime. It is very important to see whether he protected his own interests or acted and followed his closest social group. In case a criminal’s actions are not unintentional, then we can refer to Larry Cohen and Marcus Felson (1979), who suggested that the closest environment of a potential criminal d irects his further actions (Kraska & Neumann, 2008). For some criminals there is no need to work, it is the easiest way to reach a goal if to commit a crime. Having committed numerous crimes, potential criminals develop their inner deviant behavior. Therefore, to my mind, a crime should be considered not as a spontaneous social phenomenon, but as an outcome of social challenges (joblessness, divorce, neighborhood etc). Still, if I had to develop my personal criminological theory in the modern context, I would refer to Routine activity theory. There is a growth of crimes among businessmen, white-collar workers and other â€Å"not-degraded† individuals. It never occurred in earlier years that upper layers of the society had committed so many crimes, as they do now. It is a new form of deviant behavior. Still, I would focus on environmental, biological and psychological concerns in this case as well. A potential criminal form a privileged family, supposedly, found the roots of h is further criminal behavior among his family members or his closest environment (Williams and McShane, 2009). So, I would like to focus on some cases of white-collar crimes and consider environment of a criminal in details. Conclusion The modern globalized world with an overall hazard of potential terroristic attacks makes people more hostile and they neglect morals and laws. Consequently, in spite of different social theories directed on deviant behavior exploration, there are no effective

Business process mapping analysis for achiffa snack foods Essay

Business process mapping analysis for achiffa snack foods - Essay Example The company management has come across a number of gaps within the various systems and operations associated with the production, logistics, supply and warehousing departments. The management had in the past focused on increasing the product line by adding new products to its portfolio, and did not stress on improvement and service. Presently, there are a number of issues that are being faced the company on various fronts. There is an urgent requirement for changes in the facilities and the marketing fronts, customer handling, product pricing, product line system maintenance, packaging and storing of products. The image of being a quick service and supply chain of Achiffa Snack foods has been diminished of lately, resulting in losses to the profit margins of the organization. With pressure to get back on track with better profit margins, it is time that the Achiffa management thinks about implementing changes and improvements and devise a proper improvement strategy that focuses on e nhanced operations and better customer satisfaction. SECTION 1 BUSINESS PROCESS MAPPING ANALYSIS FOR ACHIFFA SNACK FOODS Business process mapping is related to identification of activities that are involved in the business of Achiffa Snack Foods. The process map clearly defines what the business does, the various procedures that are involved. The business process mapping of Achiffa clearly defines the various tasks involved throughout the whole supply chain of the company, from the order placement to the final delivery of the order to the customer. Business process mapping will help the company to identify where the gaps exist within the chain and which task needs more attention from the management and whether or not improvements can be made to the current process, (Kim 2006). Below is the business process mapping for Achiffa Snack Foods. The entire business of the company is divided between six departments which are identified as below – 1. Customer department – This department is in charge of functions likes order generation and collecting payments from customers on time. 2. Sales Department – This is concerned with maintaining the sales of the company at competitive levels. 3. Credit and Invoicing department – This is concerned with the accounts of the entire business. 4. Production Control Department – This is concerned with the production management of the products manufactured by Achiffa Snack foods. 5. Copying Department – This is concerned with the production scheduling and warehousing and logistics scheduling of the final delivery product. 6. Assembly and Shipping – This department is concerned with proper packaging, labeling and shipping of orders on time. PARETO ANALYSIS FOR ACHIFFA SNACK FOODS One of the recommended quality tools for Achiffa Snack food case study is the Pareto Analysis that has helped in identifying and solving the most common problems and concerns within the Achiffa

Packaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Packaging - Essay Example It has been recognized that this particular activity i.e. Community Engagement Activity is very much effective for performing various works related to community due to its feature of interactive procedure and it is less costly to operate various significant functions (Gottlieb, 2006). The paper broadly aims towards highlighting the activities conducted for a community engagement activity in relation to packaging for a bottled water organization i.e. New York Springs which is a United States based organization, execution of several actions along with the description of the feelings while performing the activity has been depicted. Moreover, the paper also includes strong concern towards various environmental issues and concerns and the broader necessity to perform these sorts of activities in future. The Community Engagement Activity in relation to packaging is mainly undertaken with a bottled water organization i.e. New York Springs which is a business organization based in the US. While performing this particular activity, certain aspects were considered largely that generally relate to several environmental issues along with significant effects upon social responsibility. The vital aspects about which greater awareness was intended to be created include recycling, reducing and reusing components in relation to packaging. These important facets were emphasized largely while executing the Community Engagement Activity. In this connection, the initial activity was performed to minimize the wastes that are generally produced while making the products of the bottled water organizations such as New York Springs. Apart from minimizing the wastes, the activity also comprised recycling or reusing the wastes that would eventually diminish the environmental issues along with posing adverse effects in the community by a considerable level. The main problem regarding the idea of packaging is that

Coporate Governance & Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Coporate Governance & Globalisation - Essay Example The troubles in the entire conglomerate culminated in the sale of this subsidiary. This report analyzes problems leading to the collapse and recommends relevant corporate governance measures, which would have prevented such managerial malpractices. Introduction Daewoo is a South Korean company founded in the late 1960s. It represented pioneering entities in the automobile sector in not only South Korea but also Asia. Kim Woo Choong played a vital role throughout the early years of the corporation. The entity benefited massively from the government’s goodwill. The government enacted policies, which ensured that the entity did not face major competition. Additionally, it offered credit to the entity at friendly rates. This reduced the overall cost the entity incurred. The reduction of cost gave the entity a massive competitive edge over rivals. This shows the impact of government’s goodwill on the entity’s fortunes. The success of the entity did not last long since it encountered major managerial problems. This write-up will analyze problems which this entity encountered culminating in its sale. Furthermore, it will propose corporate governance measures that would have impeded the chaos that emanated and led to its collapse. Daewoo’s history and managerial problems Daewoo is a conglomerate with numerous subsidiaries, which included Daewoo Motors, Daewoo Bus Company, Daewoo Electronics, Daewoo Heavy Industries and Daewoo Securities. This was a huge corporation with several subsidiaries and joint ventures. The sheer size and complexity of this entity made its management challenging. Managers in such an entity encounter countless constrains. The multinational had diversified its operations into several industries. Diversification enabled the entity to sustain its financial stability (Lopez 2000). The collapse of this entity resulted from some diverse factors. The government’s policies were key to the collapse of the entity. The gov ernment enacted protectionist policies. Such policies ensured that the entity got cheap raw materials. This reduced the entity cost allowing the entity to make phenomenal profits. Additionally, the entity got cheap financing from the government. Similarly, this reduced its costs availing more funds for further investment. The government also focused on policies, which favoured one entity. Therefore, the government failed to support emergence of other smaller entities. Therefore, such policies shielded Daewoo from competition, costly raw materials and high cost of credit. This provided a perfect market for the entity to succeed. The government seemed not to have a clear policy to ensure fair trade in its economy either. These policies were friendly to the entity since the entity gave political support in exchange for such skewed governmental strategies, which favoured the entity (Lopez 2000). The expansion of the entity entailed several five-year plans. These plans would outline what the entity should accomplish within the period. Daewoo Motors commenced operations in the early 1980s. Daewoo Group acquired an entity that was failing in the automobile sector owing to competition from Hyundai. Using its massive resources, Daewoo Group turned around the fortunes of this entity and renamed it Daewoo Motors. This acquisition added another subsidiary to the already expanding corporation. The Daewoo conglomerate seemed to be undertaking an expansion strategy. However, such a strategy

The Black Cat and The Tell-tale heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

The Black Cat and The Tell-tale heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay Compare the two nineteenth century horror stories The Black Cat and The Tell-tale heart by Edgar Allan Poe, showing how Poe uses a range of techniques to make his stories dramatic and effective. Edgar Allan Poe was an American author who wrote The Black Cat and The Tell-tale Heart. The Black Cat written in 1845 depicts a supposedly animal loving man who becomes addicted to alcohol which eventually gets out of control and he ends up killing his cat and wife. The Tell-tale Heart was written in 1950 after Poes wifes death in 1847, portrays a madman who becomes paranoid about an old mans vulture like eye and similarly to The Black Cat he kills the old man. In both stories Poe uses a variety of techniques to convey his dramatic version of the gothic horror genre. He uses repetition through the rule of three, punctuation and simple sentences, settings and pathetic fallacy, the main homodiegetic narrator and innocent side characters as well as some significant supernatural events. These all help achieve the effective, dramatic gothic horror story. Another technique used by Poe is repetition including the use of the rule of 3. In the tell tale heart the pace of the story quickens when Poe used the repetition in the rule of three. Louder! Louder! Louder! this is said repeatedly at the end to insinuate the narrators panic and quickening velocity. This technique also works with the slow build of tension at the beginning of the story and the haste filled confession at the end. In an early paragraph the narrator describes himself to possess sagacity and throughout the story he praises his actions and reassures himself and the reader, how calmly I can tell you the whole story but towards the end he begins to lose control over his calmness and starts shouting (showing signs of madness). In the black cat Poe uses repetition in anaphora sentences I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse this gives a different thrilling and effective use of the narrators need to reiterate his emotions in an order, I think this can be linked to my previous mention of his possible OCD. Another technique Poe uses to make his stories dramatic and effective is the setting and pathetic fallacy. In the Black Cat Poe sets the beginning of the story as bright and sunny to portray a much happier, normal life and during the darkening times, the weather changes to dark, dangerous ad sombre. One night, returning home, much intoxicated, this supports the idea that Poe has used weather set the tone of the scene. During the deaths in the Black Cat the setting appears quite gloomy and dark like when the wife is killed in the cellar. In the Tell tale heart the narrator says that Every day at midnight which helps develop the idea that the time of day i.e. very dark, cooler which could affect the response from the reader. Poe also takes the setting (inside the old mans bedroom) as a tool to create that odd difference with the mad narrator and his fairly normal life. The way in which Poe takes the bedroom which is where people would often feel safe and uses it as the base for the murder should evoke an emotional response of unease from the reader. He has managed to turn a safe place into a sinister and dangerous place. This makes his stories dramatic and effective by exploring different aspects of normal every days lives and making them creepy and weird. This fits in with the Gothic genre by invoking terror and featuring terrifying experiences in a place where the reader should feel safe. Overall Poe uses a variety of techniques to create an effective and dramatic story which can make the reader feel un-easy. His use of the narrator, other characters, punctuation, repetition and the setting fulfil all the elements to create a dramatic and effective gothic horror story.

John Nash and paranoid Schizophrenia Essay Example for Free

John Nash and paranoid Schizophrenia Essay Thomas Szasz once said, if you talk to God, you are praying; if God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. It is a terrible disorder that affects many people around the world. Arguably the most famous person with schizophrenia is Nobel Prize (1994) and American Mathematicians Societys Leroy P. Steel Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research (1999) winner, John Nash. Paranoid Schizophrenia can be a crippling illness. Its sufferers may not be able to determine what is real and what is not. According to Dr. Paul Ballas (2006: Internet) of the Department of Psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University, the individual has feelings of being persecuted or plotted against. Affected individuals may have grandiose (over-the-top) delusions associated with protecting themselves from the perceived plot. The key symptoms are delusions and auditory hallucinations. Paranoid schizophrenia usually does not involve the disorganized speech and behavior that is seen in other types of schizophrenia. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia typically are tense, suspicious, guarded, and reserved. There are no physical tests being used in mainstream medicine as yet to diagnose schizophrenia. However certain tests are performed to eliminate other disorders or illnesses that have similar symptoms. Schizophrenia.com (2007: Internet) states these possible disorders include seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, thyroid dysfunction, brain tumour and drug use. Currently, there is research being performed in various Universities in the United States into new physical tests to confirm schizophrenia. They are experimenting with blood tests, special IQ tests, eye tracking, brain imaging and smell tests. It will be a few more years before the results can be confirmed. For now a Psychiatrist must diagnose a person with schizophrenia. Usually a person suffering from the disorder will exhibit positive (hallucinations), negative (poor social functioning) and cognitive (difficulty concentrating) reactions. To diagnose a person with schizophrenia, a person must display:†¢Characteristic symptoms: Two or more of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less, if successfully treated)odelusionsohallucinationsodisorganized speech (e.g., frequent  derailment or incoherence; speaking in abstracts). See thought disorder. ogrossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavioronegative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation). Note: Only one of these symptoms is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of hearing one voice participating in a running commentary of the patients actions or of hearing two or more voices conversing with each other. †¢Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset. †¢Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less, if successfully treated). Additional criteria are also given that exclude the diagnosis; thus schizophrenia cannot be diagnosed if symptoms of mood disorder or pervasive developmental disorder are present, or the symptoms are the direct result of a substance (e.g., abuse of a drug, medication) or a general medical condition. (American Psychiatric Association, 2004).Statistically speaking, the earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome in the long run, but here in Queensland there is only one registered Early Psychosis Centre, it is located at the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus. Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia have four, six and one centre respectively. Here in Australia there are two websites, one run by the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre in Melbourne, www.earlypsychosis.org, and http://auseinet.flinders.edu.au/index.php which is maintained by Flinders University in Adelaide. Also www.Schizophrenia.com has an online early detection test for schizophrenia that is for either family members of those  that might be affected or for individuals who are trying to understand what is happening to them. There are three stages of schizophrenia; they are acute, stabilization and residual. In the acute phase, the patient has a clear break from contact with reality usually displayed by a psychotic episode. This will usually lead to intervention and treatment. The second stage, the stabilization phase, is when the patients symptoms have been brought under control but the treatment must be continued to avoid a relapse. The residual stage, is where the patient is moderately stable and usually kept on anti-psychotic medication however relapses can occur. John Nash first began to show signs of entering the acute stage of schizophrenia in early 1959 when his wife Alicia, was pregnant. †¦as a consequence I resigned my position as a faculty member at M.I.T. and, ultimately, after spending 50 days under observation at the McLean Hospital, traveled to Europe and attempted to gain status there as a refugee (John Nash, 1994). For some time after that he would be in and out of hospitals. At times his involuntary admission to hospitals would last up to eight months. Eventually he began reject his delusions and return to mathematical research. This period of time, John Nash himself refers to as enforced rationality. He may have been thought to be the entering the Residual stage however this would turn out to be incorrect. In truth it can be said he had not completed the Stabilization period. In the late Sixties, he returned to what he described as a dream-like delusional hypothesis, however managed to avoid being admitted to hospital by behaving as normally as he could. This can be said to be his transition into the Residual stage. Although he had a slight relapse, he himself began to understand on an intellectual level that his delusions were exactly that, delusions. He is now thinking rationally and continuing to further his studies in mathematics with the hope that he can provide something useful to the field. Many people, including John Nash himself believe that his schizophrenia in one way or another actually aided his work, thinking outside the box so to speak. John Nash once said: I would not dare to say that there is a direct  relation between mathematics and madness, but there is no doubt that great mathematicians suffer from maniacal characteristics, delirium and symptoms of schizophrenia. It is suggested that the fragmented mind allows and concocts irrational ideas that can become rational solutions. Many great people with great ideas and influences have been affected by the illness. Some of those include Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac, Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, Vaclav Nijinsky the Russian dancer and Jazz musician and composer, Tom Harrell. Some people even refer to Tom Harrell as the John Forbes Nash, Jr. of Jazz. Treatment for paranoid schizophrenia and other mental disorders has changed greatly in the last Sixty years. In the early Nineteen-fifties, Chlorpromazine was developed. It was a phenothiazine antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar and as an Anti-emetic which is used for vomiting and nausea. The side affects of a phenothiazine based drug include acathisia, which is basically restlessness, tardive dyskinesia, which is a neurological disorder which affects voluntary movement that can continue after treatment has ceased, and weight gain (Wikipedia, 2007). The use of Chlorpromazine has been discontinued however John Nash would almost certainly been treated with it. He was also exposed to insulin shock therapy. This was a method used to induce a coma. He stopped taking drugs in 1970 and recovered slowly without them over the next twenty. According to the World Health Organization, the long term outcomes of schizophrenia are far worse in United States than they are in countries such as India and Nigeria where antipsychotic medication is not as readily available. There is more. In 1987, psychologist Courtenay Harding reported that a third of chronic schizophrenia patients released from Vermont State Hospital in the late 1950s completely recovered. Everyone in this best-outcomes group shared one common factor: All had weaned themselves from antipsychotic medications. The notion that schizophrenics must spend a lifetime on these drugs, she concluded, is a myth (Whitaker, 2002). In 1994, Harvard Medical School researchers found that the outcomes for U.S. schizophrenia patients are no better now than they were about one hundred years ago when they would simply put patients into bathtubs for hours on end. There has also been  reasonable success in Finland where doctors have used counselling, community support and little or no antipsychotic medication. John Nashs recovery is nothing short of remarkable but many people say that his constant occupation with mathematics and the support or rather that he was allowed relative freedom at Princeton aided his recovery without medication. There is has been a shift in mentality towards the treatment of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. A growing wave of professionals are starting accept that there is merit to the at least partial abandonment of antipsychotic drugs. John Nash may be the figurehead for the movement, but more conclusive research is needed to detect whether the disuse of anti-psychotic is subjective to select patients or can be applied to a more widespread group of sufferers of this mental disorder. Bibliography American Psychiatric Association, 2004, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0890420246. DSM-IV DSM-IV-TR Schizophrenia criteriaBallas, Paul, 2006, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000936.htm, [6 September 2007]Gulli, L.F., 2007, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://www.answers.com/topic/schizophrenia?cat=health, [6 September 2007]. Nash, John, 2004, Autobiography, (online) available from: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/1994/nash-autobio.html [6 September 2007]. Schizophrenia Symptoms and Diagnosis, 2004, (online), available from: http://schizophrenia.com/diag.php#diagnosis, [6 September 2007]. Whitaker, R, 2002, Recovery without Drugs, (online), available from: http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/February02/JohnNashDrugFreeRecovery.htm[6 September 2007]. Wikipedia, 2007, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia, [6 September2007].

Strategic change management of British American Tobacco

Strategic change management of British American Tobacco British America Tobacco (BAT) was formed over 100 years ago, as a joint venture between the UKs Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company in a bid to end an intense trade war. James Buck Duke founder of America Tobacco Company became the first chairman. Despite deriving its name from the home bases of its two founding companies, British American Tobacco was established to trade outside both the UK and the USA; the two companies  will not  trade in each others domestic markets and acquire the right to use each others brands and trade marks in their own territory. The early period of the company formation saw a lot of expansion, consolidation, merging and de-merging until resent past when the 1902 agreement was revocated and BAT gains exclusive rights of is original brands. The company vision to achieve leadership of the global tobacco will be based on Growth, Productivity, Responsibility and building a Winning Organization. (BAT, 2008) PRODUCTS OVERVIEW Cigarettes; This account for about 95 per cent of the company product Smokeless snus; Swedish-style snus is a form of tobacco that isnt smoked, usually placed under the lip, chewed or in the nostrils. It is reported to be much less harmful than cigarettes. Cigars; British American Tobacco produces wide range of various shapes, strength and flavors. Roll-your-own; the oldest form of smoking sometimes referred to as hand-rolling tobacco or fine cut. Pipe tobacco; is aged, A pipe like tube for smoking tobacco. Global Drive Brands: Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall are marks. International brands Rothmans, Kool, Benson and Hedges, 555, Peter Stuyvesant and John Player Gold Leaf. The company is also improving the sales of Vogue and Viceroy. MARKETING STRATEGY Strategic management for most organization is a way of thinking and a term used in everyday conversation. A market generally is made up of sellers/producers/suppliers of Products/ services and buyers of these products/ services. Key to this exchange between buyers and sellers is the concept of needs and wants which marketers must strive to satisfy. Marketing is all about getting the right products and services to customers who want/need them. Strategy is looks into the future then develops and implements the plans that will drive the organization in the right direction; it presents the broad marketing approach to meet the marketing plan objectives. The marketing planning should be aimed towards designing marketing strategies that are efficient, effective, flexible and adaptable. According to (Brassington and Pettitt 2000), marketing strategy cannot be design in isolation, it has to include the objectives of the organization and take into consideration other strategies of the organiza tion. Competition British America Tobacco faces competition from many international and local players in the industry. Notable among them are; Imperial Group, Gallaher limited, Tltria, Japan tobacco, Altadis. They all compete in sharing the Global volume. Marketing Three stages of marketing techniques 5Ps (Adapted from the Times 100) Market research enables the organization to identify the most appropriate marketing mix for effective promotion. (The times 100) Successful marketing is the bedrock of growth for any fast moving consumer goods business. The company strategy to build its Organization. Growth, according to Marketing Director, Jimmi Rembiszewski does not mean increasing the number of smokers rather it means increasing the company share of those adult who have chosen to smoke there by increasing the value of share. Marketing in many businesses is based on the fundamental 5 Ps:   product, price, packaging, promotion and place.   For BAT, promotion is now much more limited and very carefully controlled due to increasing regulations. Product Product value and quality are high on company agenda. The company first Chairman once said to achieve success there need to be a quality product and right people. BAT also offers consumers smokeless Swedish-style snus, considered to be less harmful than cigarette. Price Pricing is one of the most important marketing strategies employed by tobacco companies all over the world. The rise of America Tobacco Company was largely due to aggressive pricing strategies used by James Duke led to the rise of American Tobacco Company, this was made possible by the cost advantages derived. This forced competitors to join him or leave the market. (Chaloupka et al, 2002) BAT is prided for quality, choice of flavors, diversified, segmented global brands at the super premium, premium, mid-price and value-for-money price points. Promotion Tobacco companies all over the world use myriad activities to promote their products. Laws governing tobacco brand advertising mean that promotion now has far less relevance than the other 4 Ps, and that mass media promotion is going or gone. As traditional marketing avenues have closed, tobacco industries now use other marketing strategies. One such strategy is the use of advertainment, possibly derived from two words advertisement and entertainment. This is a way of trying to link brand image to an entertainment event. Some of the Activities use by tobacco companies to promote their products includes: Event sponsorship For many years Tobacco companies have been using event sponsorships to promote their products, by sponsoring an event, a brand ties that events image to its own. While the parameters within which they can pursue this strategy are narrowing due to legislation, tobacco marketers continue to find ways to make connections between the images of events and the images of their products. Bars and Clubs Tobacco companies host high concerts and budget parties, which target a particular group. Tobacco products posters and signs are also used to promote the bars. Direct Mail Advertisement / Direct Marketing Tobacco marketing has in recent past shifted from traditional method of advertising to developing relationships with individual customers. (Anderson, et al). A major element of direct marketing is direct mail targeted to individuals on tobacco companies extensive mailing lists. Direct mail was found to be a major distribution channel for coupons, sweepstakes offers, brand-loyalty program catalogs and event sponsorship notice. (Delnevo, et al 2004). Point Of Sale Advertisement Advertising at the point of sale remains a major component of tobacco marketing. Places where cigarettes are sold are packed with promotional messages. Companies compete for trademark presence and best shelf space. Successful retailers are also rewarded sometimes. (Physicians for a smoke-free Canada 2002). Other methods commonly use by tobacco companies include; distribution of Giveaways and Print ads at events. Place The target group must be aware of the existence and availability, should never be out of stock and be at the right outlet. SWOT Analysis This part depicts opportunities and threats faced by BAT caused by the external environment Strengths The Community and BAT: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ worlds second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ products released under an open-source license meaning it is free to acquire and distribute à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the licensing structure means can benefit from Community involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global tobacco market with largest market in china where around 2,100 billion cigarettes are consumed by about 350 million smokers annually development team and other support for the Community and products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A very broad geographic base, well placed to meet the changing environment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Portfolio of some 300 brands based on distinct must-win consumer segments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 47 cigarette factories in 40 countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ providing farmers with a welcome alternative crop.   In many cases, it provides a higher income than any other smallholder crop.   It integrates well into environmentally friendly crop rotations, benefiting subsequent crops like maize. Weaknesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tobacco consumption poses real risks to health, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ illicit tobacco trade à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inability to totally eliminate non target group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Child Labour in Tobacco Growing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ black market driven by ever higher taxes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Weak criminal penalties, poor border controls, low arrest rates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-Compliance Strategy e.g. selling in unlicensed establishment Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delivering innovations and refinements to our products across leaf blends, finer cut tobacco, new filters, new formats such as slimmer products and improved tastes in segments such as menthol. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Able to innovate constantly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Over 100 countries grow tobacco à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Largest leaf supply chain having no match in the industry of tobacco à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ This industry is possessed with the ability to rescuing itself for a long term Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Price competition in tobacco industry can be fierce.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the presence of many brands products in the marketplace à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the open-source license regime means anyone can re-brand and redistribute under new name à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Laws governing tobacco brand advertising and company restrictions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Counterfeiting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smoking and health litigation (third party reimbursement, class action, individual action) The success of marketing activity should be monitored. General criticisms Tobacco use has been found to be harmful and addictive product that has huge health and economic impact for the users and passive users. It was found to be a single most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in most developed nations and addiction is one of the greatest threats facing young people (British Columbia Ministry of Health Services, 2003) Tobacco use has huge economic, social and environmental consequences. Some of which are highlighted in the table below: Direct Health Social economic Environmental Disability Reduced productivity Fire damage Premature death Worker absenteeism Liters from cigarette buts Lost income due to premature death direct health care costs Studies also found a link between advertising and promotions and encouraging adolescents to initiate smoking, and that point-of-sale advertising influences youths intentions to smoke in the future (Chaloupka et al, 2007). RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSSION Several studies have found tobacco product to be harmful to health with enormous economic and incalculable social impact. Reducing its use has also been found to improved general health and wellness. Government has always been torn between forfeiting a large sum derived from Tobacco industry through tax and job creation, and listening to the voice of experts who are determine to see that tobacco usage is banned. Tobacco companies all over the world use all sort of tactics, including lobbying, campaigns aim at health improvement, looking for allies to ensure they have a free market. It is identified in this report that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tobacco industries will use any means of publicity to reach their target group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ increasing global share value (profit) and tax are key strategic elements defining battlefield for the industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Costs and impacts of smoking are misinterpreted, and Tobacco companies will always found allies in stakeholders (Ross 2008)) This report suggests that any form of advertisement or promotion that has a large percentage of spilling over to non target group should be restricted e.g. point-of-sale advertisement. Authorities should put more effort in helping people to quit and protect passive smokers. There should be a clear definition of where smoking is allowed or not, it is not uncommon to see smokers smoking at bus stop or on the street. More research needs to be done on the effect of Nicotine, main component of tobacco products. Where products are found to be extremely harmful, companies should be mandated to withdraw such products.

Abraham Lincoln, Adelicia Acklen and Harriet Tubman Essay -- articles

The time of the American Revolution was the birth of America. During this period of time the Revolutionary war was fought and America gained its independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1976 giving the 13 colonies freedom to govern themselves and shortly thereafter in 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. These articles empowered the federal government to conduct foreign affairs, make treaties, and declare war, which had been essential in the struggle for independence. In 1787, The Constitution of the United States further strengthened our laws. During the next 100 years Americans continued to build communities and wealth based on the principles and laws contained within these documents. During colonial America and the period leading to the Civil War slavery was the foundation of the socioeconomic system. This topic created an ongoing debate between the north, south and free states. The Declaration of Independence declares, â₠¬Å"That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (Foner, 2013, A-18).† Abraham Lincoln President of the United States of America, Adelicia Acklen plantation owner, and Harriet Tubman, abolitionist define what these unalienable rights meant to them in the 19th century, the period that created an opportunity for change and a rebirth for America. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. He had two siblings, sister Sarah who was older than him and younger brother Thomas, who died during infancy. The family was eventually forced to move out of Kentucky to seek other opp... ..., 692-696. OBAMA, B. (2013). Proclamation 8943--establishment of the Harriet Tubman underground railroad national monument. Daily Compilation Of Presidential Documents, 1. Ranney, J. A. (2010). In praise of whig lawyering: a commentary on Abraham Lincoln as lawyer and politician. Marquette Law Review, 93(4), 1325-1331. Rowland, T. Rowland, E. (2013). Maryland memorializes: Harriet Tubman.history. The reference center. 26(3), ISSN: 1046-2899, Scott, K. & Collins, S. (2010). Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln on black equity in the civil war: a historical-rhetorical perspective. Black History Bulletin, 73(2), 8-15. The Belmont Mansion. (2014). Retrieved from thebelmontmansion.com The Examiner. (2011). Woman play dramatic, if unheralded roles in the civil war. Retrieved from www.examiner.com/.../adelicia-acklen-belmont-mansion-and-women-

Essay --

Question 1: Answer each of the following questions in MSWord a) Why is email an important toll in modern communications? Emails are important because it’s very fast, no need wait for answers, it’s in no time. It is good choice because it’s online. You can send text messages, attached file, even you can communicate face to face that’s using microphone and web camera. You can use emails in every place that have WiFi. b) What components make up an email message? Email components are recipient address, CC (carbon Copy), subject, editing tools, text editor, and attachment. CC means if you put another people email address in this line they will get email copy as well. Attachment – you can add and send files like pictures, sound files, signatures etc. c) What email account should people consider using? There are a lot of email providers. I will show 10 most popular. †¢ Google GMAIL †¢ Microsoft Hotmail †¢ Yahoo †¢ Outlook †¢ GMX †¢ Mail.com †¢ AOL †¢ Inbox.com †¢ Zoho †¢ Lycos mail These emails providers are free and provide much more than just send and receive messages. d) What is good email etiquet...

The Odyssey, by Homer, is an Epic Essay -- Epic Narrative

An epic is a long, episodic narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a historical or mystical hero. Episodic narratives have a larger story broken down into closely connected, but individual and separate sections. Some important qualities that distinguish an epic are unrealistic antagonists, the Gods and Goddesses playing important roles, and a story involving the re-establishment of a proper leader. â€Å"The Odyssey†, by Homer, is an epic because Odysseus (the hero) faces supernatural antagonists, the gods and goddesses play an important role, and Odysseus is being restored as a rightful leader. Throughout the story, Odysseus faces several supernatural antagonists. One of these antagonists is a creature named Scylla. In a daring and dangerous section of the epic, the story mentions, â€Å"He and his crew must pass between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla is a terrifying monster with six heads. She dwells in a high rocky cave, devouring sailors in ships that pass close by.†(Homer 617) Scylla is a supernatural monster because no large creatures have been identified in the world to have six heads. She is Odysseus’ antagonist because in this particular section, Odysseus must challenge the monster by sailing close by, without losing sailors. However, Scylla devours six of his men, one for each head. Therefore, by losing his men to Scylla, the monster is noticeably an antagonist. Prior to the encounter with Scylla, Odysseus faces a one-eyed monster named Polyphemus. Polyphemus lives in the land of the Cyclops, and Odysseus is eager to meet this â€Å"mountai n king†. An excerpt from the story of the Cyclops Odysseus reports, â€Å"†¦but in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies t... ...raits. By learning from his mistakes, Odysseus will be more knowledgeable of how a king would act. The development of leadership traits is the final point that makes â€Å"The Odyssey† an epic. â€Å"The Odyssey†, by Homer, is an epic because Odysseus (the hero) faces supernatural antagonists, the Gods and Goddesses play an important role, and Odysseus is mortal and possesses flaws and imperfections. Odysseus encounters monsters such as the Cyclopes, and Scylla and Charybdis. He interacts with the Gods Zeus and Poseidon. Odysseus is also in the process of gaining leader-like traits such as judgment and cautiousness. â€Å"The Odyssey† is an epic journey full of Odysseus’ quests and adventures. Works Cited Homer. "The Odyssey." Adventures in Reading. Ed. Dorothy Diemer Hendry. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989. 599-653. Print.

Book Reviews Essay

1. To what does the title of the book refer? Having a detailed and well-constructed setting in Packingtown, Chicago, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle can easily be mistaken as a story that has its central on the setting. Therefore, it is but natural to point out that the title is referring to Packingtown itself. Reading thoroughly into the book, though, one is led to realize that the jungle actually refers to something larger than just the city where the story happens. Aside from a vivid description of the setting, which greatly resembles the darkness and gloominess of the jungle, a reader has to note what the characters in the story have to go through. The novel depicts scenes where characters do everything in their power to survive the cut-throat environment in which they live in. These scenes point to what the title actually refers to: the concept of survival of the fittest. Much as the most cunning animals in the jungle are those who survive, The Jungle reflects that those who are devious reign supreme. 2. What is the main point(s) of the book? Why did the author write it? Did the author achieve his objective? Upton Sinclair wanted to reveal the evils of the meat-packing industry during his time. But more than just wanting to abolish the barbarity of the meat industry, Upton Sinclair wanted to take a jab at the evils of capitalism and the meat industry was just a start for him. Being a socialist, the author wanted to show how capitalism is detrimental to the poor as it only makes the rich richer. Though Sinclair was not totally successful in abandoning capitalism, he was, at the very least, successful in urging the government to take a look at the meat-packing industry and take steps in bettering the said industry. To date, The Jungle remains one of the most influential books in American history. 3. When was the book written? Is that relevant in this case? The novel was written in 1906, which holds significance as to why the story was written. The setting depicted in the novel is one that Upton Sinclair has experienced, urging him to write the book. 4. What do you know about the life of the author that would have led him to write The Jungle? Upton Sinclair was born to a family who once enjoyed aristocratic status but was thrown into the binge of poverty towards the end of the 1870’s. Growing up in a poor environment and hearing stories of the rich lifestyle from his once wealthy grandparents had its mark on young Sinclair. This contrast between the rich and the poor greatly affected his writings. Aside from this, though, something that led him to write The Jungle was the introduction to the socialist philosophy during his college years. Not only did the philosophy instill the principles that were apparent in The Jungle, it literally pushed Upton Sinclair into the industry he represented in the novel. Being an avid fan of socialism, the author became a writer for a socialist paper that sent him to investigate the lives of stockyard workers – those working in the meatpacking industry included. 5. How well does The Jungle reflect political, urban, business and immigrant life in America in the early twentieth century? Do you think it is an accurate reflection? Why or why not? Upton Sinclair is often criticized for his tendency to exaggerate; hence, it can be assumed that his portrayal of what was happening in the meat-packing industry is sort of larger-than-life. Assuming that this is true, one can still not deny that The Jungle still is a reflection of the political, urban, business and immigrant life in America during the early twentieth century. Despite whatever embellishments were written in The Jungle, Upton Sinclair still truthfully revealed the atrocities regarding the capitalist society – how the immigrants have to fight for their lives in order to ensure survival in the city and how the authorities turn a blind eye to industries that have the capacity to â€Å"pay†. 6. What were the problems immigrants faced at the turn of the twentieth century? Are those problems still evident? How or how not is that the case? That is, what has changed or not changed in the last hundred years for immigrants? The face of immigration in the United States has changed several times in the past decade. Towards the end of the 19th and during the earlier parts of the 20th centuries, immigrants faced numerous kinds of discrimination. Coming to America under circumstances where the country was riddled with poverty, crime, and disease, the immigrants in this period were feared and ridiculed. They were seen by the majority as the source of everything bad in American society during that period. Also, the growing number of immigrants has led the U. S. government to take some steps to curb the entrance of more people into U. S. shores. Positive changes have occurred for immigrants as well. The quotas were eventually removed, welcoming more immigrants to fulfill their â€Å"American† dream. Also, the concept of white ethnicity shifted from scientific evidence to common knowledge – making race dependent on social boundaries rather than scientific definitions. 8. What did you like most and least about the book? I could have done without the overly vivid depictions of the meat-packing industry, though I also have to admit that it was those depictions that made the novel deliver an effective message. The fact that the book spoke truthfully of the anomalies in the food industry and urged changes that up to now I am benefitting from is what I loved most about it. Rarely do we come across a literary piece that affects lives as much. 9. What was the most important and/or interesting thing(s) you learned from reading the book? The most important thing I learned from the book is the beauty of socialism and an appreciation for the kind of capitalism that America has at the moment. I also found it interesting how a literary fiction greatly affected one aspect of corruption in the country. 10. Are there any other comments you would like to make that were not addressed above? Whether or not socialism would have been a better system for the United States is something that we all have to just imagine. I guess despite the evils that capitalism may present, one cannot deny that capitalism is not such a bad thing, considering how much growth it has brought to this country. We all just have to be wary of possible corruptions and act upon these when spotted. QUESTIONS FOR GRAPES OF WRATH 1. Who was John Steinbeck? Why did he write his book? What was there in the author’s background or the time period of the book’s writing that might have led him to write the book? Living in California most of his life (with just a brief stay in New York), John Steinbeck has been exposed to the events that went down in Californian history. Grapes of Wrath was a direct result of the happenings that transpired in America during the 1930’s. With the Great Depression dawning over the â€Å"Dust Bowl† states of Oklahoma and Texas, many of the farmers migrated to California. Steinbeck was a witness as to how California became crowded, making job and food scarce for the migrant farmers who became known as ‘Okies’. 3. What is the time period of the book’s action? The book’s action occurs mostly in the 1930’s – mostly 1930’s when the migration of the ‘Okies’ to California and when the discrimination occurred. 4. What were the attractions of California? Are there any parallels today? California was seen as the ‘salvation’ of the Okies farmers. It was a land that promised fertile lands which equated to jobs. Though California is no longer the agricultural land that it once was, it still is a refuge for people who want to get good employment. Instead of lands to till, California offers movie studios that equate to jobs for aspiring actors and actresses. 5. What was the opposition to the Okies? Was any of it valid? The ‘local’ Californians were greatly opposed to the Okies because they saw the migrants as threats wanting to take over the land as they once had over the Mexicans. Though total land domination was not what the Okies intended, 6. When was the book written? Why is that relevant? First published in 1939, Grapes of Wrath was penned in 1938. The time period is relevant as it tells a lot as to why Steinbeck chose the subject matter for the novel. 7. To what does the title of the book refer? Grapes of Wrath refers to the fruits of wrath. John Steinbeck wants to communicate the good thing about maintaining a sense of anger towards people who intend to clip your wings or who attempt to trample your dignity. There’s this line in the novel that clearly depicts this: â€Å"as long as fear turn to wrath† – when fear turns to wrath, self-respect is maintained. 9. How well did the book expose what some would call the social ills of the nation? Many have criticized the book to be merely a sentiment rather than a true exposure of the social ills of America during the time of its publication. However, its continuing popularity to date – not just with casual readers but with students as well – reflects just how effective Steinbeck was in exposing the ills of society. Even though the story was something central to the setting, the morals and themes exposed still rings true at present times, making Grapes of Wrath a truly classic story. 10. Do you think the book is an accurate reflection of America at that time? Why or why not? I guess even with the contention from some Americans, Grapes of Wrath is an accurate reflection of 1930’s America. With the Great Depression dawning over America, one cannot blame the people for being selfish and doubtful of other people. And though Steinbeck’s novel is considered fiction, the stories depicted in it are those that have been painted in history books as well. 11. What have been some of the racial criticisms of Steinbeck? Why? In this novel, John Steinbeck focuses on â€Å"white† racism. He mostly deals with a rich white to poor white discrimination. He wanted to paint the discrepancy between the rich and poor at that time. Though he also touched on discrimination of the black Americans in Chapter 19, â€Å"Why, Jesus, they’re as dangerous as niggers in the South! If they ever get together there ain’t nothin’ that’ll stop ’em. † Steinbeck wanted to reiterate the fact that racism exists and that it is still an issue Americans have to address. 12. What does the book say about the state of socialism or communism in America at that time? What are the author’s greatest criticisms of capitalism? Are they valid? Explain. John Steinbeck portrayed America in a state of unrestricted capitalism. His greatest critique of this kind of philosophy is that the â€Å"haves† continually drive the â€Å"have nots† into extreme poverty. Because of inconsideration and a desire to constantly acquire more wealth, the landowners and bank people deprive the small landowners and share-croppers of the basic needs of survival, such as the case with oranges being spilled with kerosene. Basing on accounts of the Great Depression, one can say that Steinbeck did paint a realistic picture. Given that, one can say that his criticisms are valid in that they needed attention from the people and action towards change. 13. If the author’s points are valid regarding problems depicted in the book, then why weren’t there more violent uprisings? Violent uprisings were not possible given the fact that most of the poor people have survival as their primary concern. With families starving, small landowners and share-croppers worry more about where their next meal will come from rather than how they can better their lives through insurgency. 14. Do you think Steinbeck supported or rejected the New Deal? Explain. Explain what the book has to say about the effects of technology, both negative and positive. Though the ending of Grapes of Wrath shadows Steinbeck’s belief that communism may be a better way of living (the breastfeeding scene tells that sharing of resources is a better option as compared to capitalism), I think Steinbeck may have accepted the New Deal in that it aimed to put a control over capitalism. 15. How did the philosophy of Jim Casey, who some critics say embodied the ideas of Steinbeck more than any other character, fit the philosophy of the New Deal? Jim Casey was the voice of reason in Grapes of Wrath. His philosophy meshes well with the New Deal as it speaks of how Steinbeck wanted ‘structure’ in the capitalism ruling over America. New Deal streamlines programs that will attempt at balancing the scale that at that time favors the rich and tip it to favor the oppressed. 16. What did you like most and least about the book? Steinbeck’s novel had too many characters that one needs to keep track of. However, his point of view and manner of narration was effective, making one crave for the pages to come. 17. What was the most important and/or interesting thing(s) you learned from reading the book? Much like Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, The Grapes of Wrath makes one see into commercialism as not entirely the evil that everyone may lead to believe. Proper control of the businesses and willingness in everyone to help each other out is just what we need to make capitalism work and to have it fair for all involved. 18. Why did some Americans not like the book? Some, if not most, Californians and Oklahomans at the time of publication did not appreciate Grapes of Wrath because of the thinking that they were poorly – if not wrongly – represented in the novel. They argue that the books’ depiction of the events were not true to life. 20. Are there any points you would have liked to see developed more in the book? I would have liked to see more of what kind of steps Steinbeck wanted America to partake. It would have been a more effective read had there been more suggestions as to what the citizens or government needed to do to alleviate poverty. 21. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not? I would certainly recommend this book to others because I enjoyed reading it. It gave me a look into American history that I never would want to be repeated in present times. Given this, it made me realize what I need to do to prevent history from repeating itself. 22. Are there any other points you would like to make that were not addressed above? I guess all points have been discussed in the above questions. QUESTIONS FOR IN RETROSPECT, The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam 1. Who was Robert McNamara? Why did he write his book? Robert McNamara was the United States’ 8th Secretary of Defense. The book IN RETROSPECT: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam was born out of his experiences as the Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. 2. What are topics covered in the book? What is the book’s time period? Why? After a brief autobiography of his life up to the point when he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara went on to discuss everything he knew about the Vietnam War. In each chapter, he outlined how America came to a point of deep involvement with South Vietnam’s fight against succumbing to communism. He detailed JFK’s decisions and on to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s plans on Vietnam. Since this is mostly about the Vietnam War, the book covers the 1960’s. 3. What were the arguments for staying in Vietnam during the 1950s and ‘60s? JFK’s reason for involvement in Vietnam is containment, suppressing communism and ensuring American influence in Asia. When JFK started to withdraw U. S. troops in Vietnam, he was shortly assassinated. When LBJ took over, U. S. troops were still highly visible in Vietnam. On top of pressure for more military support, LBJ’s reason was that he wanted to retaliate for attacks on the American presence in Vietnam. 4. What does McNamara say are the false assumptions the U. S. had about the Vietnam War in the early and mid 1960s? Being a strong to reckon with, America has falsely assumed that it can – single-handedly – prevent communism and help South Vietnam fight off the force of the North. What America failed to see was that it needed the support of other nations regarding the causes being fought in the Vietnam War. Also, America thought South Vietnam needed Americans to fight their war when in fact all they would have needed was mere aid. 5. Why did the U. S. escalate the war in the mid 1960s? The attacks on the U. S. troops at the Tonkin Gulf led to the escalation of the war in 1965. 6. What does McNamara say were some of the basic questions we failed to ask and answer before committing U. S. forces in Vietnam? McNamara listed the following basic questions that we failed to ask ourselves before involving ourselves deeper into the Vietnam War: (a) Was it true that the fall of South Vietnam would trigger the fall of all Southeast Asia? (b) Would that constitute a grave threat to the West’s security? (c) What kind of war — conventional or guerrilla — might develop? (d) Could we win it with US troops fighting alongside the South Vietnamese? And (d) Should we not know the answers to these questions before deciding whether to commit troops? 7. Why does McNamara feel that a greater U. S. military effort in Vietnam would have been disastrous? McNamara felt that escalating war in Vietnam will have its grave effects mostly because the effort will not be something that the Congress has agreed upon, leading to unrest from the American people. Also, the fact that America has failed to answer the â€Å"five basic questions† prove that America really is yet unready to take things a step further in Vietnam. 8. Are there any lessons from the Vietnam War that might have significance for America’s current policy in Iraq? Though unified agreement on a looming war is impossible, America should have learned from Vietnam the lesson that the nation needs to be unified in the causes of a war. Also, America should wholly ready in facing any impending war instead of making head-on collisions without any preparations. 10. What is the most important thing you learned from the book? The book taught me about a period in my country’s time that I was not able to bear witness to. It made me understand as to why Americans had the sentiments about Vietnam and why the same sentiments are being applied to Iraq. 11. Did you like the book? Why or why not? Though the book was a historical account rather than a fictional stab at past events like the books above, I did enjoy reading it. It also made me look into events that have unfolded as of late. 12. What sources did the author use to make his points? McNamara pointed to his own experiences to drive his point. 13. Does the author achieve what he set out to do? I think Robert McNamara was fairly effective in opening the eyes of the nation to the truths about the Vietnam War. The objective was achieved because for the first time, Americans were able to get a perspective from an insider. It was a relief to actually get an admission of the mistakes of the Vietnam War straight from the â€Å"author of the Vietnam War† himself. 14. Are there any points you would have liked to see developed in the book more? I guess the book pretty much covered all bases, especially since we were getting an â€Å"insider’s perspective†. 15. What have you learned from reading this book? I have learned that by looking deep into the inner workings of the Vietnam War will prevent America from making the same mistakes over again. Also, I learned that a deliberation of the nation’s actions will yield better results than making hurried decisions. 16. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not? To any American who cares to have a glimpse of one of the most eventful periods of America, I will recommend this book because this is a really good insight to the Vietnam War. Also a lot of lessons can be learned from it. 17. Are there any other comments you would like to make that were not addressed above? None, everything has been said above. QUESTIONS FOR THE KITE RUNNER 1. What is the time frame and location of the book? Kite Runner takes us to Afghanistan during the last days of monarchy (1973) into recent times. We also get glimpses of America but the story mostly occurs in Afghanistan. 2. What did you learn about the history of Afghanistan from reading the book? Afghanistan’s history is very much described by socioeconomic class, with the lower classes having little to almost no hope of moving up the ladder. Discrimination was central to the poor and this discrimination led to uprisings and upheaval of monarchy. I have also learned how the history of Afghanistan was riddled with a lot of turmoil such as civil war and the Soviet invasion. I also got a glimpse of how the Talibans started to try and take control. 3. What did you learn about the Cold War? The Cold War left Afghan in a more turbulent state, having been in the center of two superpowers’ desire to take over. Having acquired help from Soviet Union, Afghanistan became sort of a target for the U. S. , who saw an opportunity to bring down the communist country. 4. What did you learn about the immigrant experience from reading the book? Did it support or change your views about immigrants? The book supported my view about immigrants. Immigrants are not entirely a trouble to a country, as one may have been led to believe by previous media works. Immigrants, who have as much difficulty leaving their homelands as settling in a new place, can actually contribute something good to the country. Amir, in one hand, lived in America righteously. 5. What part of the book was the most memorable or meaningful to you? For me, the part where Amir tells Sohrab about his father Hassan is the most memorable part of the book. Not only was it emotionally-laden but any child who has had a good relationship with his/her father can relate to it. It proves that bonds within families are the most important of all. 6. Farid (Amir’s driver) tells Amir that Amir has always been a tourist in Afghanistan – he just didn’t know it (page 323). Do you agree or not? Why? Do you think it’s true for you in your country? I do agree with what Farid told Amir. Amir’s story is not a story that tells what a normal Afghan will go through during the time of the story’s writing. Amir was born of money, something that only a few Afghans have the privilege of having. I don’t think I am like Amir though, because my lifestyle and family stature are what one can describe as being in the middle spectrum of American society. 7. What did you learn about Afghanistan and the Middle East from reading this novel? I learned that the turbulences that we hear in the news of Afghanistan and the Middle East are something that has deep roots in the nations’ histories. 9. Were you surprised to read about the racial tension between the Pashtuns and Hazaras? Why do you think the oppression existed? Does it have parallels in America? I guess I can say that I was surprised to read about the racial tension between Pashtuns and Hazaras. I think the oppression came from the fact that the majority group (Pashtuns) wanted to eliminate the minority (Hazaras). This was mainly because they had different beliefs and they wanted one belief to reign supreme. Though in present-day America, this kind of oppression no longer exists, one can recall the kind of racial tension during the American Civil War. 10. Did the end of the book express hope for the future? Why or why not? The ending, for me, presented a lot of hope as I think Sohrab’s little smile is a step towards achieving better things not only for Sohrab himself but for Afghanistan and the Afghanis. Amir allowing a link of the past and the present and a reversal of roles symbolizes the fact that if one is willing to give way, things will eventually be better. 11. How did the book get its title? Who was the kite runner? The original kite runner was Hassan. The act of flying a kite expresses â€Å"controlled† freedom as flight is controlled by that string that binds it. 12. What did you like most and least about the book? The book was generally a sad one, painting stories that are almost heart-wrenching. But since it was a book that presents hope and is a book that has great potential to move people into action, I loved reading it. 13. Why did Baba like Ronald Reagan? Why do you think the neighbors disliked the president? Known for his acceptance of immigration, it was but natural that Baba liked Ronald Reagan. The neighbors, though, disliked the president because he was known to have passed policies that sank America into greater poverty. Baba’s neighbors blamed the president for the oppressed state they were in. 14. Who are the Taliban and how are they portrayed in the book? Do you think the portrayal is accurate? The Talibans were portrayed as the â€Å"bad people†, being shown to do random killings and unjust executions. If one is to believe the things being aired in the news, one can say that the portrayal was accurate. Given that the story was written by an Afghan, one may also assume that the portrayal can only ring the truth. 15. The book talks a lot about courage. Cite some examples of how courage was displayed. Who do you think was the most courageous character? I think the most courageous character was Hassan. His acts of covering up for Amir and standing up against the Talibans are prime examples of courage. 16. With which character did you feel the greatest attachment? Why? I had the greatest attachment to Hassan. He was a real friend and a real admirable character, making him someone that people easily want to know. Please let me know if you have any further question.