Who Was Briseis in The Iliad

In the Warner Bros. movie Troy, Briseis plays the love interest of Achilles. Briseis is portrayed as a war prize given to Achilles, taken by Agamemnon, and returned to Achilles. Briseis is a virgin priestess of Apollo. The legends say slightly different things about Briseis. In the legends, Briseis was the wife of King Mynes of Lyrnessus, an ally of Troy. Achilles slew Mynes and the brothers of Briseis (children of Briseus), then received her as his war prize. Even though she was a war prize, Achilles and Briseis fell in love with each other, and Achilles may have gone to Troy intending to spend much time in his tent with her, as was portrayed in the movie. But then Agamemnon took Briseis from Achilles. Agamemnon did this not merely to make an arbitrary statement about his superior power—as shown in the movie, but because he had been obliged to return his own war prize, Chryseis, to her father. Chryses, the father of Chryseis, was a priest of Apollo. In the movie, Briseis is a priestess of Apollo. After Chryses learned of his daughters abduction, he tried to ransom her. Agamemnon refused. The gods responded ... The seer Calchas told Agamemnon that the Greeks were suffering from a plague sent by Apollo because he wouldnt return Chryseis to Chryses. When, reluctantly, Agamemnon agreed to return his prize, he decided he needed another one to replace his loss, so he took Achilles and said to Achilles: Go home, then, with your ships and comrades to lord it over the Myrmidons. I care neither for you nor for your anger; and thus will I do: since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me.Iliad Book I Achilles was enraged and refused to fight for Agamemnon. He wouldnt fight even after Agamemnon had returned Briseis—untouched (as was shown in the movie). But when Achilles friend Patroclus died, killed by Hector, Achilles went mad and determined to get revenge, which meant going to war. Briseis and Achilles may have intended to marry.

Same Sex Marriage Should Be Legal - 1799 Words

Same-Sex Marriage According to the late Nelson Mandela â€Å"To deny people their human rights is to challenge their humanity†. Should same-sex couples have â€Å"the right to marriage† ensures that all citizens are treated equally. For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing on the constitution, the religious defense, and the effects of same-sex marriage on society and applying moral theories to same-sex couple’s marriage stance. The issue of same sex-marriage has always been a sensitive debate with my family and close associates for several years. As a former citizen of a country that the government blatantly states to the citizens that same-sex marriage is illegal. I have taken the stance that same sex couples should be allowed to get†¦show more content†¦It is interpreted to the common man as all the benefits that come with freedom; every citizen of the United States is entitled to it. Same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into marriage base on this ri ght. The Constitution states that the right to marry is†inalienable†; it should be construed that a lawful marriage must be obtained by all petitioners. â€Å"Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity† (preamble), our forefathers’ main goal when writing the constitution was to ensure that all will have the same rights. Same-sex couples seek the â€Å"right to marry† this right which is currently recognized in all states for heterosexuals is only recognized by 36 States for same-sex couples. When I look at the constitution, I am happy to support the fact that the deep value of in evenhandedness and egalitarianism of the constitution embodies everyone. It is on this fact that the federal government in 1996, when President Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which states, â€Å"No State or territory, or possession of the United states, Or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, r ecord, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory,

Malungay Powder free essay sample

Malunggay Powder, A Solution for Nutritional Diffeciencies I. Background of the study Health awareness is the prime investment, ingenuity is the investor’s joining effort, and wellness is the net gain. Most people think that adapting a healthy and well conditioned life is expensive and difficult to achieve. The significance is just how one resourcefully utilizes the cheap, the natural abundance of nature, and the untiring quest to alternatives and remedies. Malunggay is a kind of vegetables that is enrich with vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are needed for optimum health. The importance of this vegetable particularly its leaves serve as a food supplement, Malunggay touted as â€Å"All- around miracle tree or Nature’s medicine cabinet† contains a wide variety of nutrients in high amounts. This powderized form vegetable add nutrition to our deficient diet due to modern food preparation, lack of family food budget, and busy lifestyles that make it hard to prepare a healthy and balanced diet food. We will write a custom essay sample on Malungay Powder or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It acts as an inexpensive insurance against nutritional deficiencies. II. Significance of the Study This study will promote awareness on the relevance of serving vegetable meals, soup, bread, dessert, shakes, juices and mixes with Malunggay powder. It encourages households to plant Malunggay in their backyards for personal consumption. Furthermore, it supports the Department of Agriculture on their program of propagating vegetable garden e. g. Malunggay and other nutritional vegetables as a revenue-generating industry? under its biotechnology program where it currently enjoys wide array of Malunggay and other vegetable based products manufactured in the Philippines and being sold in local and international markets. Finally, it inspires people to study and research all the benefits of vegetables and other agricultural products. II. Scope and Limitations of the Study The study focused on the specifications of how to procure the major quality ingredients, the Malunggay leaves and conscientiously observe the proper preparation and storage of the produce product. It took a month to got the final result of the research work using the method of experimentation. As Malunggay leaves is readily cultivated in the backyard and easily harvested. The study undergo three (3) repeated experimentations to come up with the reliable and factual results. Firstly, the outcome of the Malunggay leaves harvested at noontime when the sun is intense. Secondly, the primary ingredient, malunggay leaves will be hang outside with moderate exposure to sunlight. And lastly, the recommended procedure wherein the malunggay leaves is harvested in early morning was followed closely to yield the desired result. III. Methodology In acquiring the study of Malunggay powder, constant research was done. Facts were gain from books and computer resources. The abundance of the said vegetables which most of the time left out wilted encouraged our curious mind, thus this investigatory and research was done. The accessibility and availability of this Malunggay vegetable inspired us, the Biology Group 1 of II- Zatti where an actual and continuous propagation was made to ensure freshness of harvest during the several process of experimentation. The materials used in this study were (1. ) 3 Bundle of Malunggay leaves (approximately 1 kilo) (2. ) clothes pin (3. ) mortar and pestle or blender (grinder) (4. ) Brown paper bag or empty box with wide opening (5. ) sealed container or ziplock The preparation or procedures of Malunggay powder were as follows

United by Income Divided by Race Essay Example For Students

United by Income Divided by Race Essay America has been described as a â€Å"melting pot† a land full of diversity. With that diversity comes a full range of income levels and statuses of its inhabitants, from the very, very rich to the destitute. Ronald Taylor’s article entitled â€Å"African-American Youth: Their Social and Economic Status in the United States† focuses on the issue of polarization. Polarization occurs when an increase of the percentage of people in poverty coincides with an increase of the percentage of people with higher incomes. Fewer people are considered ‘middle class’, but are either rich or poor. This paper will focus on the poverty-stricken youth of America. How are today’s poor white and poor non-white youth alike? How do they differ? Sociologists and researchers have found evidence to justify both, and I hope to focus on major points for both issues. We will write a custom essay on United by Income Divided by Race specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Whether you’re white, African-American, or Hispanic, poverty for today’s youth has many recurring themes. A recent article by Duncan and Brooks for The Education Digest points out some very discerning facts that face today’s poor youth. â€Å"Low Income is linked with a variety of poor outcomes for children, from low birth weight and poor nutrition in infancy to increased chances of academic failure, emotional distress, and unwed childbirth in adolescence.† (Duncan Brooks, pg. 1). They also claim that low-income preschoolers show poorer cognitive and verbal skills because they are exposed to fewer toys, books, and other brain-stimulating items at home than their higher-income classmates. Low-income adolescents, in later years, will experience conflict between their economically stressed parents, as well as lower self-esteem than other teenaged children. An article from the Ojibwe News, a Native American Magazine, gives a startling statistic discovered by research analysts for the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation. They found that a child from a family earning $25,000 or less annually is only one-half as likely to enroll in college as a child from a family with an annual income of $50,000 or more. Both white and non-white youth in poverty experience a higher rate of teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and tend to live in single-parent homes. There are several differences that exist between white and non-white youth that live in poverty. Recent research for low-income youth has shown that the most important factor that contributes to the gap between employment rates of minority and white youth can be attributed to their social network. Three reasons were cited in lecture as to what lead to the declination of life chances among African-American youth in poverty. They are as follows:1.â€Å"Affirmative Action† primarily helped better-educated, especially professional workers. 2.Relocation of industry to suburbs or abroad reduces â€Å"living wage† jobs for non-college educated. Lack of network contacts, plus continuing discrimination, puts minorities last in line. 3.Concentration of poverty in center cities. Higher income black families go to the suburbs for jobs. Therefore, loss of network contacts, community organizations, and the like. These reasons attribute to the starling fact that Black poverty rates and unemployment rates remain at approximately 3 times the white rate. Israel and Seeborg in their article entitled â€Å"The Impact of Youth Characteristics and Experiences on Transitions out of Poverty† state that â€Å"†¦being black increases the probability of exposure to adverse social and economic conditions (i.e. underclass environment)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which, in turn, reduces the chance that new generations can get out of poverty. This leads us to another point—if African-Americans experience the highest rates of teenage pregnancy, which perpetuates continuing generational poverty, will there ever be a time when African-American adolescents get out of poverty?It is not only African-Americans that feel a more pronounced state of poverty. The Ojibwe News, a native American newspaper, focuses on the plights of Native American youth in Minnesota, as well as statistical evidence of other minorit y students. â€Å"Divided We Fall: The Declining Chance for College Among Minnesota Youth From Low-Income Families and Communities of Color† is based upon information from the Census Bureau, the Minnesota Department of Education and other sources, and examined high school dropout and college participation rates and how they are affected by such socioeconomic factors as race, family income, and parental education (Laird, pg. 2). The Ojibwe News showed a strong correlation between education and earnings. Considering that the present funding system for public schools usually provides from two to five times as much money for wealthy school districts as for the poorest, and that whites are twice as likely to have good access to computers, it is no surprise that this correlation exists. According to projections by the Minnesota Department of Education, 62% of all black students and 56% of all Native American students who entered public high school in the fall of 1991 will drop out by 1995. Nearly 50% of Hispanic students and 21% of Asian students were projected to drop out as well. The rate for white students? Only 16%. The article also explains how those 18 to 24 year-old dependents with at least one parent who had completed four years of college were twice as likely to enroll in college than those peers who parents had no post-secondary education (Laird, pg. 1). .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .postImageUrl , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:hover , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:visited , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:active { border:0!important; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:active , .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6c1d525985e927f824a63b5b1df3296f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cultural Analysis EssayIn summary, there exist many similarities and differences between white youth and non-white youth in American cities. A recurring solution emphasized by researches and in lecture is the idea of socialization. By integrating poor minority and poor white students with their wealthier peers, as done in the Gautreaux program, the continuation of poverty can be decreased. Bibliography:WORKS CITEDDuncan, Greg. J. and Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne. â€Å"Consequences of Growing Up Poor†. The Education Digest March 1999 Vol. 64, No. 7. pp. 77. Israel, Mark and Seeborg, Michael. â€Å"The Impact of Youth Characteristics And Experiences on Transitions Out of Poverty†. The Journal of Socio Economics. 1998 pp. 1-6. Laird, David B. Jr. â€Å"Minority Students from Low-Income Families Face Huge Hurdles in Advancing to College†. The Ojibwe News: Ethnic News Watch. May 1994 Vol. 5, No. 45. pp. 2.

The Case Against Giant Sharks

The Case Against Giant Sharks Does anyone remember when Shark Week used to be about sharksthe biology of sharks, the lifestyles of sharks, fun facts about sharks and the people who watch them? Well, those days are long gone: now we have made-up documentaries about giant prehistoric sharks like Megalodon and endlessly recycled exposes of humongous, mythical, 40-foot-long Great Whites that swallow other sharks practically whole. (Lest you think  Im unfairly picking on The Discovery Channel, bear in mind that no less an eminence than The Smithsonian Channel has aired dreck like Hunt for the Super Predator.) But before we go any further, heres an important caveat. There are, in fact, gigantic predators lurking beneath the oceans depths, some of which have only rarely been glimpsed by humansthe classic example being the Giant Squid, which can grow to over 40 feet long. But even the Giant Squid isnt as giant as its cracked up to be: this elongated invertebrate weighs only a few hundred pounds, and its cousin, the Giant Octopus, is only about the size of a well-fed fifth-grader. If these real-life cephalopods are nothing like the monsters depicted in movies and unscrupulous TV shows, imagine how much license producers take when it comes to the long-extinct Megalodon! Everyone clear on this? OK, time for some questions and answers. Q. Isnt it conceivable that a Great White Shark could be 30 or 40 feet long? After all, there are well-documented examples of 20-foot-long Great Whites, and 30 feet isnt that much bigger. A. Lets put it this way: the late NBA star Manute Bol was one of the tallest human beings who ever lived, at seven feet and seven inches. Does the fact of Manute Bols existence mean that human beings can potentially grow 10 or 11 feet tall? No, it doesnt, because there are genetic and physiological constraints on how large any given species, including Homo sapiens, can grow. The same logic applies to all animals: there are no 40-foot-long Great White Sharks for the same reason there are no five-foot-long house cats or 20-ton African elephants. Q. Megalodon swam the worlds oceans for millions of years. Why is it so impossible to believe that a small population, or even one individual, has survived into the present day? A. A species can only prosper as long as environmental conditions are conducive to its continued existence. In order for, say, a population of 100 Megalodons to thrive off the coast of South Africa, their territory would have to be stocked with the kinds of giant whales these sharks feasted on during the Pliocene epochand theres no evidence for the existence of these giant whales, much less for Megalodon itself. As for the persistence into modern times of one lone, ornery individual, thats a tired cultural trope directly traceable to the original Godzilla movie, way back in the 1950sunless youre willing to believe that Megalodon has a million-year life span. Q. Ive seen reasonable-looking people on nature shows who insist theyve seen 40-foot-long sharks. Why should they go out of their way to lie? A. Well, why would your Uncle Stanley lie when he said that Bluefin Tuna ​that got away was seven feet long? Human beings like to impress other human beings, and they arent very good at estimating the sizes of things that lie outside a human scale. In the best cases, these people arent intentionally trying to deceive anyone; they just have a misplaced sense of proportion. In the worst cases, of course, they are intentionally trying to deceive the public, either because theyre sociopaths, theyre out to make a quick buck, or theyve been instructed to misrepresent the truth by TV producers. Q. The Loch Ness Monster surely exists. So why cant there be a living Megalodon off the South African coast? A. As Lois Griffin once said to Peter on Family Guy, Hold on to that thought, because Im gonna explain to you when we get home all the things that are wrong with that statement. There is absolutely no reliable evidence that the Loch Ness Monster (or Bigfoot, or Mokele-mbembe) actually exists, unless you want to credit the kind of fuzzy, forged photographs that shows like Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives traffic in. In fact (and Ill probably be wildly misquoted here), Im inclined to say that theres LESS evidence for the existence of Megalodon than there is for the Loch Ness Monster! Q. How can the Discovery Channel lie about the existence of Megalodon, or giant Great White Sharks? Isnt it legally required to state the facts? A. Im not a lawyer, but based on all the available evidence, the answer is no. Like any TV channel, Discovery is in the business of making a profitand if hogwash like Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives or Megalodon: The New Evidence brings in big bucks (the former shows 2013 premiere was viewed by five million people), the networks executives will gladly look the other way. In any case, the First Amendment makes it nearly impossible to hold broadcasters like Discovery to account: they have a constitutional right to spew half-truths and lies, and the public has the responsibility to doubt all of the evidence presented on these shows.

Thanking in French - Merci et Les Autres Remerciements

Thanking in French - Merci et Les Autres Remerciements You all know â€Å"merci†. But there are different ways to say thank you in French, as well as different meanings to the word. Merci: The Common Way of Saying Thank You in French â€Å"Merci† is ‘thank you’. Its pronounced â€Å"mair see† with an open ‘ay’ sound not a closed ‘ur’ sound. You can make it stronger by saying â€Å"merci beaucoup† – ‘thank you very much’. Note that the very is included, you cannot say â€Å"merci trà ¨s beaucoup†. To say ‘a thousand thanks’ we say â€Å"mille mercis† or â€Å"merci mille fois†. It’s pretty common in French as it is in English. You usually accompany a vocal â€Å"merci† with a smile, and it implies that you accept whatever is being offered to you. However, if you want to refuse something, you could say â€Å"non merci†, or even just say â€Å"merci† with a hand gesture, showing your palm to the person in front of you in a kind of stop gesture.  You make shake your head â€Å"no† at the same time. You may smile or not, depending on how firm you want the  refusal to be. When you thank someone, they may answer merci toi / vous - in English, youd say thank YOU, with the emphasis on the you, meaning I am the one thanking you. Je Vous/Te Remercie Pour... I Thank You For in French Another way to say ‘thank you’ is to use the verb â€Å"remercier†. â€Å"Remercier†, ‘to thank’ is followed by a direct object (so it will take the pronouns me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les), and then by â€Å"pour† ‘for’, just as it is in English. Je vous/te remercie pour ce dà ©licieux dà ®ner. I thank you for this delicious dinner meal. Note that the verb â€Å"remercier† has a stem in â€Å"i†, so the final sound will often be a vowel, just like the verb â€Å"à ©tudier†. Je vous/te remercie pour les fleurs – I thank you for the flowers.Je voulais vous/te remercier pour votre/ta gentillesse – I wanted to thank you for your kindness. Using â€Å"remercier† is very formal in French, much less common than using â€Å"merci†. Click here for more ways of expressing gratitude in French. Les Remerciements - The Thanks When talking about the thanks, the noun, you’d use the noun â€Å"le/les remerciement(s)†, usually used in the plural. Tu as les remerciements de Susan – you have Susan’s thanks.Je voudrais lui adresser mes remerciements – I would like to send him/her my thanks. No Thanksgiving in France Thanksgiving  is not a French holiday at all, and most French people have never heard of it. They may have seen some Thanksgiving dinner on a sitcom on TV, but probably discarded the info. There is no Black Friday sale in France either.   In Canada, Thanksgiving is called â€Å"l’Action de Grà ¢ce(s)† with or without an S and is celebrated pretty much in the same fashion as in the US, but on the second Monday of October. Thank You  Notes in France Its somewhat less common in France to write une carte de remerciement. I mean, its not uncommon, and its very polite, but its not like in the Anglo-Saxon countries  where Thank You cards are a huge market. If youve been treated to something really special, you can absolutely send a thank you card or a handwritten note, but dont expect your French friend to necessarily reciprocate. Its not rude of them, its just not that deeply rooted in our politeness.

Microtubules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Microtubules - Essay Example aments, which demonstrate diverse turnover rates, are closely associated with actin binding proteins which differ, and it has been postulated that they determine the differences in turnover rates. This plasticity of the internal structure of the actins is responsible for the difference in filament turnover rates in different cellular locations. This is accomplished through direct control of the filament stability and through modulation of protein binding affecting the stability of the filaments (Kueha et al., 2008). These, therefore, are mechanoskelatal proteins which convert energy released by hydrolysis of ATP or from ion gradients and generate mechanical forces. The most important feature of these proteins that while they bind, they carry their own cargo, and hence movement at a specific direction of this protein as a result of microtubular shortening would result in movement of the cargo from one location to the other within the cell. This allows an avenue of movement of the cellular proteins to the target area where further chemical reaction may take place. Thus, this is an example of accessory protein which in association with the cellular microtubules can cause sliding movement between the microtubules that are adjacent and at the same time causes movement of the cytoplasmic particles along a single microtubule to its target (Gibbon, 1988). Recent studies on accessory proteins associated with microtubules demonstrate that cytosolic dyneins are associated with retrograde transmission of intraxonal vesicles within neural tissues, and the forward motion of such vesicles is effected by another accessory protein, namely, kinesins. At the same time, within the brain neural tissues accessory proteins have been located which vary in molecular weights and binding... This essay focuses on the discussion of the microtubules, that on the molecular level comprise of tubulin molecules, which in turn are a heterodimer comprising of globular polypeptides, alpha and beta tubulin which are closely related and tightly linked. Many cellular functions are controlled by these microtubules which essentially are mediated through polymerisation and depolymerisation, which are controlled by nucleotide GTP. Following synthesis, there are molecular rearrangements within these microtubules are stabilized with accessory proteins, which are specific for particular tubulin. In this assignment from different cellular examples, these interactions between the specific accessory proteins and the microtubule molecular structure will be examined in order to describe the structures and functions of these specific accessory proteins. It has been demonstrated in the essay, that within the cell, there is continuous modification of microtubules which is conferred through a proce ss of binding to other proteins. These are known as microtubule associated proteins or accessory proteins. The two main roles that these microtubule-accessory protein complexes perform are stabilization of the microtubular molecular structure against disassembly and more importantly mediation of their interactions with other components of the cell. The most significant and ubiquitous protein associated are ATPases which transduce energy also known as microtubule motor proteins which induce a sliding between adjacent microtubules.

Bell Chemicals Desicion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bell Chemicals Desicion - Coursework Example The solution is to chart out a decision that works best for the company's reputation and growth. Here the approach should be to take the sum total of the senior management group's (SMG) knowledge and intuition and work around it for the best results. My decision is to go for the Chemex machine. The characteristic of this decision can be termed as a rational approach to decision making. I have tried optimising in order to reach to this decision. In the words of Rue and Byars, "One rational approach, called optimizing, involves following six steps: (1) recognize the need for a decision; (2) establish, rank, and weigh the criteria; (3) gather available information and data; (4) identify possible alternatives; (5) evaluate each alternative with respect to each criteria; and (6) select the best alternative." (1992, p.73) This approach can be linked to the normative decision-making model, on which I have based the explanation of my decision or in other words the main body of my report. The company accountant has revealed that the company had recently financed nearly all its recent capital investments from its own retained profits for products and capital investments in other parts of the firm. ... Mr. Bell himself is not interested in much of outside funding. Capital required to install a new Chemex machine is much lower than the AFU unit. Internal funding will be a major issue for the firm in this financial year, as the company has exhausted accrued profits for expansion and developments in other parts of the firm. This will affect the funding of regular operations of the firm throughout the year. Operating cost of AFU unit is more than double of Chemex. The company is not in a position to cover additional cost of 18000 as operating cost against advantages, which are hardly visible or relevant to the firm at this market stage. Through the facts and assumptions given by the marketing manager - an experienced old timer of the Bell Chemicals, following information on current & expected market can be derived: Table 1: Bell Chemicals Ltd: Comparison of Current & Expected Market Curent Market Expected Market Annual Market Requirement 200000 Kg 250000 Kg Firm's Production Requirement 90000 Kg 100000 Kg There is no indication of any upsurge in market demand. With new competitors in the market, retaining present market share should be the aim. Research activities of the chief chemist in modifying the Preserve so that it can be used in wider range of food products has not given any fruitful result uptil now. Hence increase in demand of production is not predicted. Thus increase in production capacity by installing a new Chemex machine will be sufficient to cover the market growth for next two years. Production and selling cost estimate of 320 per Kg for AFU unit is advantageous as compared to 350 for Chemex machine. The AFU unit can reduce production and selling cost by 2700000 a year at current production rate (30 on 90000 Kg produced) but this

The United States Beer Industry Essay Example for Free

The United States Beer Industry Essay 1.The U.S. brewing industry has become more concentrated over the last two decades for several reasons. a.The consumption of beer has been slowly declining, in order for companies to gain market share, they have to take customers from other companies. This would then lead to some companies to go out of business due to the lack of customers. b.Brand loyalty also increased. Advertisement played a large role. Larger companies were able to spent $0.40 per case of beer sold. Smaller mass-market brewers could not afford to spend near that amount. c.Technological change in canning and distribution lead to the concentration of the brewing industry, as well. The size that a mass-market brewer has to accomplish to acquire all economies of scale has grown. They must produce more beer and achieve more market shares. Not all companies reach minimum efficient scales of production. 2. The competitive structure of the brewing industry using Porter’s five forces model. a.Risk of entry by potential competitors. New micro brewing companies have low barriers of entry. New micro brewing companies do not rely heavily on brand loyalty or economies of scale. Mass market brewers our faced with higher barriers to entry because of brand loyalty of customers and absolute cost advantages. b.Intensity of rivalry of previously established companies new customers are always entering the market as they become legal age and the willingness to consume beer, so mass market brewers try to appeal to them to get their business, minimizing the competition to take other companies competitors. Demand has also been growing, making them less competitive. c. Bargaining power of buyers (buyers may be the individual customers who consume it product) this is low for mass market brewers because there is a large number of buyers available for High microbrewers. d.Bargaining power of suppliers (the organizations that provide input into the industry, such as materials, services and labor) the brewing industry has medium to low bargaining power of suppliers. e.Threat of substitutes is a threat because there are other alcoholic beverages that can be a direct substitute for beer, such as spirits and wine. 3.Small mass market companies in the brewing industry are looking for high barriers of entry, strong bargaining power from suppliers and strong bargaining power from buyers. To reach economies of scale, they would need a lot of money in production volume, causing a high barrier of entry. Suppliers can charge the new companies higher prices because they are also selling to other mass market companies and do not need or depend on the new companies for orders. Buyers are strong and can drive down prices because they do not need to sell the new firms product. There are other mass market beers that already have strong brand loyalty that their customers are purchasing. 4.There are two different strategic groups in the brewing industry: mass market brewers (Anheuser-Busch, SAB-Miller, and Molson Coors) and premium micro brewers. The rivalry is different in both groups. Mass market brewers are more competitive, and focus on getting as much of the market as possible by brewing a beer liked by many. Microbrewers products are focus towards smaller customer by who like distinctive tasting beers.

Jilting in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and Katherine Anne Porte

Jilting in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Katherine Anne Porter's "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" Webster’s dictionary defines the word â€Å"jilt† as the act of rejecting a lover. So to be deserted by another, left at the altar, or unwanted by another, is to be jilted. In William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and in â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† by Katherine Anne Porter, Emily and Granny Weatherall throughout the course of their lives experience jilting several times. In turn, this rejection places a significant emphasis on both of their lives. After Emily’s father passes away in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Emily’s sweetheart rejects her. The only man that her father must have approved of ran out on her, leaving her all alone. It must have been unbearable for Emily, to loose the two most important people in her life within such a short time of each other. Emily’s father, Mr. Grierson sent away all of the young men who had come to court her. They were not â€Å"quite good enough† for his little girl. He shut her off from society by standing in the front door â€Å"clutching a horsewhip.† He did not allow Emily to go into town to see how people lived their life. Nor did he allow her to meet people and make friends. Instead, Emily’s father kept her in the house and isolated her from society. This isolation caused Emily to become resistant to change. With no one to turn to in her time of need, Emily was forced into a period of isolation. Because her father had isolated her for the first thirty years of her life, being secluded from the community was all she knew. The narrator (the town) points out, â€Å"After her father’s death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all.† By iso... ...gain no bridegroom and the priest in the house. She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away. Oh, no there’s nothing more cruel than this ¾I’ll never forgive it. She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light.† This second jilting at death makes the first jilting by George more moving and intensely powerful. The light, which she blows out, represents her life and she descends into the blackness of death, jilted again. Being rejected by a lover can have a major impact on one’s life as it did for Emily, in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and as it did for Granny, in â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.† One must find it in their heart to forgive and forget and move on with their life. The jilting of Emily and Granny Weatherall shows how time changes and how it must be embraced, for better or for worse, because the past is no more.

Cash flow stream Essay

?1. What is the present value of the following uneven cash flow stream ?$50, $100, $75, and $50 at the end of Years 0 through 3? The appropriate interest rate is 10%, compounded annually. PV=190.46 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) 2. We sometimes need to find out how long it will take a sum of money (or something else, such as earnings, population, or prices) to grow to some specified amount. For example, if a company’s sales are growing at a rate of 20% per year, how long will it take sales to double? It would take about 3.801784 years before the sales double. (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) 3. Will the future value be larger or smaller if we compound an initial amount more often than annually— for example, every 6 months, or semiannually—holding the stated interest rate constant? Why? It will be larger because it’s basically like adding on interest on top of interest as the frequency increases. 4. What is the effective annual rate (EAR or EFF %) for a nominal rate of 12%, compounded semiannually? Compounded quarterly? Compounded monthly? Compounded daily? EAR = (1 + Nominal Interest/Number of Period) ^Number of Period -1 SEMI ANNUALLY= (1+.12/2)^2-1=12.36% QUARTERLY= (1+.12/4)^4-1=12.55% MONTHLY= (1+.12/12)^12-1=12.68% DAILY= (1+.12/365)^365-1=12.75% 5. Suppose that on January 1 you deposit $100 in an account that pays a nominal (or quoted) interest rate of 11.33463%, with interest added (compounded) daily. How much will you have in your account on October 1, or 9 months later? OCT 1ST= 100*(1+.1133463/365) ^ (365*.75) = $108.87 6. What would be the value of the bond described above if, just after it had been issued, the expected inflation rate rose by 3 percentage points, causing investors to require a 13% return? Would we now have a discount or a premium bond? PV= $837.21 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) It would be considered a discounted bond because the present value is less than its face value. 7. What would happen to the bond’s value if inflation fell and rd declined to 7%? Would we now have a premium or a discount bond? PV= $1210.71 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED)Â  It would be considered a premium bond because the present value is more than the face value. 8. What is the yield to maturity on a 10-year, 9% annual coupon, $1,000 par value bond that sells for $887.00? That sells for $1,134.20? What does a bond selling at a discount or at a premium tell you about the relationship between rd and the bond’s coupon rate? RATE = 11% for a bond that sells for $887 and the RATE = 7% for a bond selling for $1134.20 9. What are the total return, the current yield, and the capital gains yield for the discount bond in Question #8 at $887.00? At $1,134.20? (Assume the bond is held to maturity and the company does not default on the bond.) The return for the $887 bond is 11% and the yield is 90/887 which equals 10.15%. The capital gain would be 11% – 10.15%= .85% The return for the $1134.20 bond is 7% and the yield is 90/1134.20 which equals 7.9%. The capital gain would be 7% – 7.9%= -.9%

Dividend Policy and Share Prices

Introduction In this paper the impact of dividend policy of the companies on the firm’s share prices is analysed and different views in the context of the semi-strong form of the efficient market hypothesis are contrasted. The overview of the traditional and most recent empirical investigations of the stock market reaction to the dividend announcements is provided and different findings are discussed and compared. Three companies have been selected from the FTSE All share price index. These companies are Tesco, Burberry and Vodafone. These firms belong to different sectors of the economy.Tesco is the largest retailer in the UK, Burberry is a fashion firm and Vodafone is the telecommunication services company. The dividends and accounts have been retrieved from annual reports of the companies (Tesco, 2011; Burberry, 2011; Vodafone, 2011). The share prices were sourced from Yahoo Finance (2012). The copies of the company accounts are provided in the appendices. Dividend Policies of Companies These three companies were chosen for the following reasons. Firstly, it was intended to choose large companies that have an established dividend policy and revenue of more than ? billion a year. Secondly, the companies from different industries had to be analysed. Thirdly, both services sector and goods sector were intended to be analysed. Finally, it was interesting to compare both pro-cyclical firms (e. g. Burberry) and counter-cyclical firms (e. g. Vodafone). The former are very sensitive to the effects of the economic recession whereas the latter are less sensitive because consumers would still have to use mobile phones and services regardless of their financial position.The dividend payout ratio has been calculated for these companies for the period from 2007 to 2011. The following formula was used: Dividend payout ratio = dividends per share / earnings per share The results are summarised in the following figure. Figure 1 Dividend Payout Ratios Source: Annual Re ports of Tesco (2011), Burberry (2011) and Vodafone (2011) The payout ratios indicate different dividend policies adopted by the three companies. Tesco’s policy is aimed at maintaining a constant dividend payout ratio, which is very common for mature industries such as retailing.In these industries the majority of the large companies are â€Å"cash cows† for the investors and therefore the dividend policy tends to show constant payout ratios, which inspires trust in the company and expectation of future stability. In contrast, the dividend policies of Vodafone and Burberry are not aimed at a constant payout ratio. In fact, as the following figure demonstrates, the policies of Vodafone and Burberry are aimed at dividend growth. Figure 2 Final DividendsSource: Annual Reports of Tesco (2011), Burberry (2011) and Vodafone (2011) However, whereas Vodafone demonstrates a â€Å"steady dividend growth strategy†, Burberry demonstrates the a strategy that does not show a specific pattern but can be interpreted as a signal to the market because in 2009 the company announced the dividends that were equal to the dividends announced in the previous year in spite of the accounting losses suffered by the firm which were reflected in negative earnings per share (Appendix C).This move can be interpreted as a sign that the management attempted to signal the market that the losses are temporary and the company was expected to recover quickly. It is interesting to note that the latter policy is inconsistent with the position that dividends should be paid out of earnings rather than accumulated capital or reserves. Furthermore, the companies could undertake an alternative dividend policy which would imply linking the dividend payout to the investment opportunities that could be managed by firms (Brealey and Myers, 2003).If the company has many projects that offer positive net present value, then it would be recommended that dividends could be retained and reinv ested in the firm. Only residual earnings, which are left after investments in all positive NPV projects could be distributed as dividends (Bodie et al, 2009). Dividend Announcements and Share Prices Dividend announcements and their impact on share prices can be explained by the semi strong form of the efficient market hypothesis (EMH).Efficient market hypothesis implies that the only thing that may impact the stock prices is new information, since all other possibly influencing parameters are already included in the firm’s stock price (Palan, 2004). The efficient market hypothesis may be divided into three forms: the weak form, the semi-strong form, and the strong form. The weak form implies that share prices bear or reflect the past prices and trade volume information, the semi-strong form adds publicly available information to the weak form, and the strong form adds even insider information to the efficiency approach (Harder, 2008).Empirical evidences show that successive changes in stock prices are independent and this independence is in line with the efficient market hypothesis, as markets promptly react to the new information (Fama et al. , 1969). In this context it may be assumed that dividend announcements convey particular positive information about the company and provide signals about future performance of the firm. The decision about paying dividends is made by the firm’s managers and often supported by shareholders’ voting.Since dividend announcements bear useful information, from the efficient market hypothesis view point this information is reflected in the share price changes immediately after the public announcement (Bodie et al, 2009). The three companies that were chosen have been used to test the semi strong form of the EMH and whether the dividends announcements made by Tesco, Vodafone and Burberry had a significant impact on shareholder returns and share prices. So, the null hypotheses of the analysis are the followin g:H0: Dividends have a positive and significant effect on the share prices H0: Dividends have a positive and significant effect on the weekly stock returns. The alternative hypotheses are the following: Halt: Dividends do not have a significant effect on the share prices Halt: Dividends do not have a significant effect on the weekly stock returns. According to EMH in its semi strong form, the information on dividends should be quickly absorbed into the stock prices during the first week and hence the acceptance of the null hypotheses will be consistent with the semi strong efficiency.However, if abnormal returns persist in the longer run, e. g. three months, the EMH in the semi strong form can be rejected. Empirical evidences also provide support for the semi-strong efficient market hypothesis, implying that stock market efficiently and quickly adjusts to new information about dividends (Aharony and Swary, 1980). However, the research of Amihud and Li (2006) finds that the reaction of stock market to dividend announcement is not constant. It is concluded that cumulative abnormal returns promoted by dividend announcements decline to zero in due course.The findings suggest that dividend announcement are less informative over time, and this may be related to the reluctance of managers to pay extra expenses related to dividends (Amihud and Li, 2006). Moreover, the recent decrease in propensity of companies to pay dividends is sometimes related to the lower informational contend of dividend announcements. Since institutional investors are normally better informed and tend to play key roles in public firms, the costly dividends have become a less popular way to provide information (Baker, 2009).The study of Asquth and Mullins (1983) also suggests that stock prices and shareholders’ wealth are impacted by initiation and increase of dividends. Moreover, the effect of dividend increase is stronger than the influence of dividend initiation. The results are in lin e with assumption that dividend announcements bear valuable information for investors. Dividend policy may be used as a simple way to signal managers’ view of the company’s recent and future performance (Asquth and Mullins, 1983). However, it must be stated that dividend policies are not directly influencing share prices and lead to their changes.Instead, dividend policies are changed by managers when some fundamental developments in company’s performance are expected, and these developments cause the change of the share prices. Thus, dividend announcement is only the way for investors to obtain information about these fundamental developments. Similarly, there are no evidences that a company value may be increased through increase of dividends, since dividends only convey signals about fundamental changes in the company and are viewed as only by-products of the changes (Moles et al. 2011). Nevertheless, the study of Shiller (1981) challenges the efficient marke t hypothesis suggesting that the volatility of stock prices are too high to be explained by the future dividends. A more recent investigation of Mehnidiratta and Gupta (2010) supports the semi-strong form of efficient market hypothesis concluding that stock prices promptly and accurately react to the publicly available information, particularly to dividend announcements. The two-stage study tests the share prices response to dividend announcement.The first stage included the evaluation of beta based on post facto returns on stock and market index and predicted returns on every of the stocks. The second stage these values were used to calculate abnormal returns around the day of announcement. The results provide information that though investors do not obtain significant value prior to the dividend announcement day or on the event day, they do gain value after the announcement. Investors move their security positions on the announcement day which implies that after the event day ther e is informational value in dividend announcement.The evidences prove that the increases in dividends imply more positive abnormal stock returns, and this supports the efficient market hypothesis (Mehnidiratta and Gupta, 2010). But there are also empirical evidences of little stock market reaction to dividend announcements at some periods (Hasan et al. , 2012). The event study methodology was used to evaluate the effect of cash dividend announcements on the share prices. The data about abnormal returns around the event day was analysed and the events before, on, or after the announcement day were pooled.The tested assumption states that payment of cash dividends is the most significant factor that impacts all prices around the event days (Hasan et al. , 2012). In the following figures the results of the regression analysis and statistical tests applied to the regressions are presented. Table 1 Effects of Dividends on Investor Weekly Return Coefficientsa Model Unstandardized Coeffici ents Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) .012 .009 1. 375 .175 Dividend -. 002 .002 -. 143 -1. 030 .308 Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate imension0 1 .143a .020 .001 .03489 a. Predictors: (Constant), Dividend According to the first regression, dividends do not have a significant impact on the weekly stock returns and hence the null hypothesis related to stock returns is rejected. However, the output from the regression of share prices on dividends demonstrates that the former have a statistically significant positive influence on the share price performance. This was evidenced with the t-test. Table 2 Effects of Dividends on Share Prices Coefficientsa Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 151. 362 47. 949 3. 157 .003 Dividend 45. 955 9. 186 .574 5. 003 .000 Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate dimension0 1 .574a .329 .316 191. 66266 a. Predictors : (Constant), Dividend Thus, the null hypothesis related to the effects of dividends on the share prices is accepted. R-squared test has revealed that the second regression had a better fit. Conclusion As the semi-strong efficient market hypothesis suggests, new information including dividend announcement is quickly reflected in the company’s stock prices.Some empirical evidences support the hypothesis (Fama et al. , 1969; Aharony and Swary, 1980). Other findings suggest that the impact of the announcements may decline in the course of time (Amihud and Li, 2006). The recent empirical studies that were reviewed support the semi-strong efficient market hypothesis and find that dividend announcements produce abnormal returns and are positively related to the share prices (Mehnidiratta and Gupta, 2010). But another event study displays different reaction of stock prices to dividend announcement in different years (Hasan et al. , 2012).The analysis in the paper was conducted in th e context of three UK based companies from different sectors. The dividend policies of these companies have been analysed. Furthermore, the relationships between the share prices and the dividends were tested. It was found that the dividends produced a positive and statistically significant effect on the share prices but no significant effect on weekly returns. References Aharyny, J. and Swary, I. (1980) â€Å"Quarterly Dividend and Earnings Announcements and Stockholders’ Returns: An Empirical Analysis†, The Journal of Finance, 31 (1), pp. 1-12. Amihud, Y. nd Li, K. (2006) â€Å"The Declining Information Content of Dividend Announcements and the Effects of Institutional Holdings†, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 41, pp. 637-660. Asquith, P. and Mullins, D. W. Jr. (1983) â€Å"The Impact of Initiating Dividend Payments on Shareholders’ Wealth†, The Journal of Business, 56 (1), pp. 77-96. Baker, H. K. (2009) Dividends and dividend po licy. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Bodie, Z. , Kane, A. and Marcus, A. (2009) Investments, Hoboken: McGraw Hill Professional. Brealey, R. and Myers, S. (2003) Principles of Corporate Finance, New York: McGraw Hill.Burberry (2011) Annual Reports and Accounts, [online] Available at: www. burberryplc. com/bbry/results-centre/respre/rep2011/ [Accessed 6 February 2012]. Fama, E. F. , Fisher, L. , Jensen, M. C. and Roll, R. (1969) â€Å"The Adjustment of Stock Prices to New Information†, International Economic Review, 10 (1), pp. 1-21. Field A. (2005) Discovering Statistics Using SPSS, London: Sage Publications. Gujarati, D. (1995) Basic Econometrics. 3rd ed. , New York: McGraw-Hill. Harder, S. (2008) â€Å"The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Application to Stock Markets†, Scholarly Research Paper, Germany: GRIN Verlag.Hasan, S. B. , Akhter, S. and Huda, H. A. E. (2012) â€Å"Cash Dividend Announcement Effect: Evidence from Dhaka Stock Exchange†, Research J ournal of Finance and Accounting, 3 (2), pp. 12-24. Maddala, G. S. (2001) Introduction to Econometrics. 3rd ed. , Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Mehnidiratta, N. and Gupta, S. (2010) â€Å"Impact of Dividend Announcement on Stock Prices†, International Journal of Information Technology and Knowledge Management, 2 (2), pp. 405-410. Moles, P. , Parrino, R. and Kidwell, D. (2011) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance – European Edition. UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Palan, S. 2004) â€Å"The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Validity in Today's Markets†, M. A. Thesis. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Shiller, R. J. (1981) â€Å"Do Stock Prices Move Too Much to be Justified by Subsequent Changes in Dividends? †, NBER Working Paper No. 456. Tesco (2011) Annual Report and Accounts [online] Available at: ar2011. tescoplc. com/ [Accessed 6 February 2012]. Vodafone (2011) Annual Report and Accounts [online] Available at: http://www. vodafone. com/content/index/investors/reports/ann ual_report. html [Accessed 6 February 2012]. Yahoo Finance (2012) Weekly Share Prices [online] Available at: finance. yahoo. co. uk [Accessed 6 February 2012].

How to Be an Anti-Racist Ally

How to Be an Anti-Racist Ally Do you feel overwhelmed by the destructive power of racism, but unsure of what to do about it? The good news is, while the  scope of racism in the U.S. might be vast, progress is possible. Step-by-step and piece-by-piece, we can work to end racism, but to begin this work, we must truly understand what racism is. First, review how sociologists define racism, then consider ways that each of us can work to end it. What Is Racism? Sociologists see racism in the U.S. as systemic it is embedded in every aspect of our social system. This systemic racism is characterized by unjust enrichment of white people, unjust impoverishment of people of color, and an overall unjust distribution of resources across racial lines (money, safe spaces, education, political power, and food, for example). Systemic racism is made up of racist ideologies and attitudes, including subconscious and implicit ones that might even seem well-meaning. It is a system that grants privileges and benefits to whites at the expense of others. This system of social relations is perpetuated by racist worldviews from positions of power (in the police or news media, for example), and alienates people of color who are subordinated, oppressed, and marginalized by such forces. It is the unjust costs of racism born by people of color, like denial of education and employment, incarceration, mental and physical illness, and death. It is racist ideology that rationalizes and justifies racist oppression, like the media narratives that criminalize victims of police and vigilante violence, like Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Freddie Gray, as well as many others.​ To end racism, we must combat it everywhere it lives and thrives. We must confront it in ourselves, in our communities, and in our nation.  No one person can do it all or do it alone, but we can all do things to help, and in doing so, work collectively to end racism. This brief guide will help get you started. At the Individual Level These actions are mostly for white people, but not exclusively. Listen to, validate, and ally with people who report personal and systemic racism. Most people of color report that whites do not take claims of racism seriously. It’s time to stop defending the idea of a post-racial society, and recognize instead that we live in a racist one. Listen to and trust those who report racism, because anti-racism begins with basic respect for all people.Have hard conversations with yourself about the racism that lives within you. When you find yourself making an assumption about people, places, or things,  challenge yourself by asking whether you know the assumption to be true, or if it is something you have simply been taught to believe by a racist society. Consider facts and evidence, especially those found in academic books and articles about race and racism, rather than hearsay and â€Å"common sense.†Be mindful of the commonalities that humans share, and practice empathy. Do not fixate on difference, though it is important to be aware of it and the implications of it, particularly as regards power and privilege. Remember that if any kind of injustice is allowed to thrive in our society, all forms can. We owe it to each other to fight for an equal and just society for all. At the Community Level If you see something, say something. Step in when you see racism occurring, and disrupt it in a safe way. Have hard conversations with others when you hear or see racism, whether explicit or implicit. Challenge racist assumptions by asking about supporting  facts and evidence  (in general, they do not exist). Have conversations about what led you and/or others to have racist beliefs.Cross the racial divide (and others) by offering friendly greetings to people, regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, ability, class, or housing status. Think about who you make eye contact with, nod to, or say â€Å"Hello† to while you are out in the world. If you notice a pattern of preference and exclusion, shake it up. Respectful, friendly, everyday communication is the essence of community.Learn about the racism that occurs where you live, and do something about it by participating in and supporting anti-racist community events, protests, rallies, and programs. For example, you could: Support voter registration and polling in neighborhoods where people of color live because they have historically been marginalized from the political process.Donate time and/or money to community organizations that serve youth of color.Mentor white kids on being anti-racist citizens who fight for justiceSupport post-prison programs, because the inflated incarceration rates of black and Latino people lead to their long-term economic and political  disenfranchisement.Support community organizations that serve those bearing the mental, physical, and economic costs of racism.Communicate with  your local and state government officials and institutions about how they can help end racism in the communities they represent. At the National Level Advocate for Affirmative Action practices in education and employment.  Countless studies have found that qualifications being equal, people of color are rejected for employment and admission to educational institutions far greater rates than white people. Affirmative Action initiatives help mediate this problem of racist exclusion.Vote for candidates who make ending racism  a priority; vote for candidates of color.  In todays federal government, people of color remain disturbingly underrepresented. For a racially just democracy to exist, we must achieve accurate representation, and the governing of  representatives must actually represent the experiences and concerns of our diverse  populace.Combat racism through national-level political channels.  For example, you could: Write senators and members of Congress to  demand an end to racist practices in law enforcement, the judiciary, education, and the media.Advocate for national legislation that would criminalize racist police practices and institute ways to monitor police behavior, like body cams or independent investigations.Join the movement for reparations  for  the descendants of African slaves and other historically oppressed populations within the U.S., because theft of land, labor, and denial of resources is the foundation of American racism, and it is on this foundation that contemporary inequalities thrive. Keep in mind that you dont have to do all of these things in your fight against  racism. Whats important is that we all do at least something.

Surprising or Not Surprising

Surprising or Not Surprising Surprising or Not Surprising Surprising or Not Surprising By Maeve Maddox Ive become aware of the inexplicable use of the phrase not unsurprising in contexts in which a simple unsurprising is called for. For example: Unpresidential, But Not Unsurprising Its extremely unfortunate yet not unsurprising that such an attack occurred. Annoying but not unsurprising. In each of these examples, the sense is that something might have been expected and is therefore not surprising. Placing not in front of unsurprising garbles the meaning. Something is either surprising or not surprising. surprising: adj. Causing surprise or wonder by its unexpectedness The word unsurprising may be used instead of the phrase not surprising. The OED doesnt bother to define unsurprising as not causing surprise, but it gives this illustration of its use: Adaptations of Dickenss works..are meant to make you feel good. This is unsurprising, as..it could be argued that this is exactly how Dickens intends you to feel. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesUsed To vs. Use ToUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

California Alcoholic Beverage Control Research Paper

California Alcoholic Beverage Control - Research Paper Example The fact limits the restaurant for both drink in the restaurant and take away drinks. Application of the liquor license is at the department that deals with alcohol and beverage control in Bay area (Califonia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 2014). During this period of application, the following has to be met by the applicant. Apply and get the sales and tax permit. The permit is obtained at the sales and tax division in California ( Sate of California, 2014). The registration can be done online on their website. The applicant then registers with Board of Equalization online on their website (Califonia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 2014). The next step is to obtain the Federal basic permit at the alcohol and tax bureau. The timeline to obtain the license varies depending on the number of the applicant and an average of 45 to 60 working days. In the restaurant business, have a premise and ensure the all the application requirements are met. Possible technicality includes the zoning by the local government might hinder the choice of the

Methods of Research in Media and Communications Essay

Methods of Research in Media and Communications - Essay Example This paper aims at evaluating the perception that the Greek had during the economic crisis, which threatened to paralyse their economy due to its incapacity to pay its debts. The study utilises an interview form of research to get the views from various individuals with respect to the information they got from the media during the crisis. The information obtained from the interview was then analysed, and findings used to ascertain the perception of the people. Background Information People all over the world have different reactions in relation to the news and reports relayed unto them (Corner et al., 1997). According to European Journalism Centre (2010), the press is the second-most imperative source of information after the television. The news and reports are relied on heavily by the public for any eventual news either in the country or abroad. Therefore, with respect to the economic crisis, the media channels and information sources did their best to bring out the situation exper ienced economically both at home and at the international level (Mullen and Klaehn, 2010). The manner in which news and reports are relayed to the public has a considerable impact to individuals and the implications are dependent on the perception taken by the public (Priest, 2010). Undertaking a research study in the field of media, has positive implications in the sense that it will help in ascertaining the constructive measures to be undertaken by the media bodies, in the kind of news or reports they air, and the manner of delivering the same (Fernandez, 2008). The upsurge and demonstrations portrayed by the public during the Greek crisis can be ascribed to the discernment of the debt crisis as prescribed by the media. This is through the public concept of encoding and decoding what they heard or watched as discussed by Stuart Hall. Various mass media concepts and theories are very crucial in understanding the study undertaken. With respect to the propaganda concept, it helps und erstand and expound on the development, stratification and functioning of communities and how the members interact via communication. The classical Marxist thinking on ideology paved the idea for developing new concepts to understand and explain the role of the media in the contemporary democratic world. According to Herman and Chomsky (2000), the mass media serve as a means for communicating information and symbols to the public. Further, in a world of intense wealth and major conflicts of classes of interest to realise set roles entails the systematic propaganda (Herman and Chomsky, 2002). Political economy entails a fundamental theoretical framework employed in the media studies research. This entails the attempts to understand the power relations that determine distribution, consumption, and production of communication resources (McQuail, 1994, p. 82). This is very relevant to this study as the Greek crisis was national and constituted the authorities. Media has been transformed by technology to be the most crucial a rapid influence on opinions and indulgent in the current world (Wimmer and Dominic, 2011). Chandler (2000) argues that media possess a powerful tool and capacity to encourage global awareness thus, promoting economic trends, cross-cultural understanding,

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Personal Statement Example I may not be the brightest student, but I have always been especially proud of the dedication and fervor I possess for my study and work. My parents were an inspiration for me in my selection of area of study due to the fact that they are businesspeople. They are both engaged in business activities. I was exposed to the business world since a very young age. For me the study of business has been a very rewarding experience. My job experience includes doing auxiliary accounting work at my sister’s jewelry store. I was responsible for preparing the all four major accounting statements which include the income statement, balance sheet, statement of retained earnings, and statement of cash flow. At this job I was exposed to the entire accounting cycle. Two of the extracurricular activities that I have done during my tenured at University of Keele include Ping Pong Society and Start Britain Up which is business investment club. I have successfully organized many extra-curricular ac tivities. For example, I organized a ping pong society that has been profitable in University of Keele. There are lots of international students in my society. I also got lots of friends from different countries that speak different languages such as English, Spanish and Japanese. Being surrounded by a diverse group of people helped me improve my creativity, networking abilities and people skills. I’ve successfully organized ping pong matches twice. I learned how to coordinates different activities using theories from class. During my time at University of Keele I joined the club Start Britain Up. This club will invest in your concepts if a person has a good idea. I proposed an idea about a new toilet paper. My idea was to put liquid medicine ink on the toilet paper. Doing so can treat anal itching due to the liquid medicine. Even thought the idea did not get funded because it brought more pollution to the environment than regular toilet paper, I will continue to try to bring new ideas to market in the future. I am applying to study a master’s degree in business administration in either accounting, finance, management, or marketing. I selected the University of Queen Mary as my top choice because this academic institution has a great reputation. University of Queen Mary has an excellent business program. The school has a good environment and a good location. It’s located near London, the biggest city in the United Kingdom. I’m eager to start the next phase in my education by becoming a graduate student of business at University of Queen Mary. I’m an excellent candidate for the business graduate program. During my lifetime I’ve demonstrated that I am a hard working and dedicated student. I have excellent communication skills, analytical skills, and teamwork capabilities. In the business environment of the 21st century it is of utter importance to be able to work well with other employees. My desire to pursue a graduate degree occurred because I realize that the business world has become more competitive than ever before in the past. To be able to compete in the job market a professional has to pursue better educational credentials. One of the goals in the future upon graduation is to reach the managerial level. It will be easier for me to become a manager if I have a master’s degree in business. An MBA can help me greatly because I will learn how to solve complex business program, analyze vast amounts of data, and

Example Essay on CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Example Essay on CHANGE MANAGEMENT Q) What are the strengths and weakness of Kotters 8-stage model, Lewins Planned Change Model, and the Positivist Model? Change management is a planned process for changing a core function or organization of an enterprise. Interestingly, the process of developing taxonomy can result in the need for change. See Quality Assurance (www.twason.com/glossary.html) Change management is important in every project and this change management will help the project to be successful in any business or organization. There are three models which help change management to be successful in an organization or business and further help them to handle them carefully. The three models which explain about the change in an organization are: Lewins model. Kotters 8-stage model. Positive model. Lewins model There three steps of change management in the Lewins model. Unfreezing. Change. Refreezing Unfreezing is a starting process in an organization in which we determine the need of the change, understand and explain why the change is going on and communicate the vision in order to handle change in an organization. In this starting stage of change, the organization should explain the employees why the change is taking place. When this process starts there may be a crisis in the company and the company should balance everything and it is difficult to maintain it among the employees. The second stage is Change and this is a process in which the employee tries to look forward for new ways to do their work and try to accept the new change. This entire change cannot be done overnight and this is a long process. The third stage is Refreeze which helps to re-shape the organization and employees and also find new ways to work in the organization and it also help the organization to gain a change in every- day business life. There should be benefits to the employees who are trying to find new ways to work and the feedback should be taken from the employees regarding the change in the company. Strengths and Weaknesses of lewins model are. The main strength of the lewins model can be specified as easiest and simplest model to implement in any organization. It also helps employees to face new problems and to overcome those. When the change is taken place, the communication between every individual will increase and they work in teams in order to overcome the problems. The weaknesses of this model lead to the crisis in the company and the entire change cannot be done overnight and there may be lot of confusion in the employees and they need to find new ways to do their work. The weaknesses of this model are not in detail. Kotters 8- stage model The 8- stages of kotters model are Create urgency. Form a powerful coalition. Create a vision for change. Communicate the vision. Remove obstacles. Create short-term wins. Building on the change. Anchor the changes in corporate culture. These are 8-stages of kotters stage model. The first stage of kotters helps the organization to find out the changes to be taken place in the organization and helps to find the threats and defaults in the company and also rectify them and this stage shows the opportunities to overcome these. Finally this stage helps the organization in becoming strong. In the second stage, form a powerful coalition which helps to build teams or groups to lead the changes in the organization and also helps to encourage the teams. The third stage creates a vision of change. That is to Create a vision to help direct the change effort (MINDTOOLS, 2006). This also helps to develop the strategies for achieving the goals. The fourth stage is communicating the vision. This stage shows how to communicate the new strategies and new ways to every individual in the organization. The fifth stage is removing obstacles. This stage shows how to remove the obstacles when changes take place and helps to Change systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision. (MINDTOOLS, 2006). The sixth stage shows the Plan for visible performance improvements and creates those improvements (MINDTOOLS, 2006). There should be rewards and benefits to the employees who perform well in the organization. The seventh stage is same as the Change in lewins model. The eighth stage is same as the Refreezing in the lewins model. Strengths and weaknesses of the kotters 8-stages are Strengths: The strengths of the kotters 8-stage is model is very simplistic and easy to understand rather than lewins model. The strength of this model is, it can easily identify the problem and it also helps to clear the problem in very short period. This can be successful when all the employees are communicated well in all the stages. Weaknesses The major weakness of this model is that it may lead to wrong assumptions. Another weakness of this model is, the model itself. This model is not flexible once this model starts its process than it is difficult to change its way. This model is difficult to communicate to the employees and which may lead to frustration among the employees to find the new ways to handle the change occurring in the organization. POSITIVE MODEL Change models are not only having high success in implementing but also have the failures equally. They also have the negativism in planning their organizational change. The positive model helps to criticize the negativism in the organizational planning. This positive model also guides the organization whether it is going in a right way or not and helps the organization to develop. There are 5 stages in this positive model. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Initiate the inquiry: In this phase the organization team finds out the issue which is going to be change in the organization. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Inquire the best practices: In this phase the organization team gathers the information about which is the best policy to implement the change. The organization team members collect the information from every individual of the organization and choose the best one to do. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Discover the themes: In this phase they gather information and stories from each and every employee about their experience this is done by interviews and meetings. This kind of information helps the organization to overcome all the obstacles. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Envision a preferred future: In this phase the gathered information from the employees is taken into consideration and then the organization support these ideas into the program. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Design and deliver to create the future: In this phase, the design and deliver for the future is processed. In this phase, slight changes can be made in order to achieve the goals of the organization. (Thomas G. Cummings, Christopher G. Worley, 2009) Strengths and weaknesses of the positive model: Strengths: The strength of this model is, it helps to find out the negativism in the organization when the change is taken place. The employee satisfaction is taken as a main theme in this model. This model is flexible and slight changes can be done during this process. Weaknesses: The weakness of this model is that it will not create urgency in the change process. There may be conflicts between the employees in decision making. There is no specialty in this model. It is same as the remaining models. Conclusion I finally conclude that all the models have their own strengths and weaknesses. The lewins model is the easiest model but it is not explained in detail and it is complicated. Positive model is same as the remaining models and it is slightly different when compared to remaining models. I strongly recommend that kotters 8-stage model is the best model among all the change models as it is explained in detail and it is flexible in changing process and the communication between the employees when compared with the other models. So I finally conclude that, though all are the best models according to my research, but I strongly say that kotters 8-stage model is the best model.

Lawrence Ferlinghettis Politics :: essays research papers fc

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's Politics I hope I won't seem too politically incorrect for saying this but after immersing myself in the writings of the guilt-obsessed asexual Jack Kerouac, the ridiculously horny Allen Ginsberg and the just plain sordid William S. Boroughs... it's nice to read a few poems by a guy who can get excited about a little candy store under the El or a pretty woman letting a stocking drop to the floor (â€Å"Literary Kicks†). For casual reading, Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poetry is cheerful and humorous. At best it is a welcome break for the mainstream of the â€Å"beat generation.† Inside his poetry, deep rooted criticisms of the United States exist. Ferlinghetti has had an anti-government attitude since the 1950's. His beliefs strengthened when he was put on trial for publishing a highly controversial collection of poems written by Allen Ginsberg. Lawrence Ferlinghetti has chosen to express his political views through his poetry. Additionally, Ferlinghetti became more vocal with the use of protests and further publication of controversial and/or anti-government materials through his publishing house, New Directions. By using poetry, Ferlinghetti was able to reach a vast audience including those whom he was criticizing. Through his poetry, Lawrence Ferlinghetti blatantly and subtly criticized the American democratic system and politicians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1957, Ferlinghetti received his first national attention. Ferlinghetti was arrested and brought to trial as the publisher of a collection of obscene poetry, Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (Alspaugh 1148). Eventually he was cleared of the charges of â€Å"publishing and sale of obscene writings.† Since his involvement in the obscenity trial, Ferlinghetti became quite cynical of the government. After the trial ended, Lawrence Ferlinghetti canceled all government grants coming to him and to any writers under his publishing house. Currently he still disallows the acceptance of government grants to any of his writers (Alspaugh 1146). Economically speaking, Ferlinghetti did benefit from the trial. The publicity created by the trial attracted new names to New Directions Publishing. The publicity also was great enough to propel Lawrence Ferlinghetti's image to the degree where he could successfully release his second collection of poetry, A Coney Island of the Mind. In most of Ferlinghetti's work, he has shown a concern with political issues. â€Å" His poetry often addresses political subjects...† (Nasso 196). The Kennedy Assassination, McCarthyism and the Vietnam conflict were all topics in several Ferlinghetti poems (Oppenheimer 136). Lawrence Ferlinghetti's past incidents involving the government influenced his poetry and consequentially he has little respect for government. â€Å"Ferlinghetti's... poetry offered blatant tirades against the destructive tendencies of America's political leadership† (Trosky 136).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politics are themes in virtually all of Ferlinghetti's works.

Srs for Bank Management

EXPERIMENT NO: 2 AIM: To document Software Requirement Specification for Dance Academy. THEORY: 1) Introduction: 1. 1) Purpose: This document gives detailed functional and non-functional requirements for Dance Academy. The purpose of this document is that the requirements mentioned in it should be utilized by software developer to implement the system. 1. 2) Scope: This system allows the bank employee to maintain a record of all the customers who have account in the bank.With the help of this system, the employee should be in a position to search the records of a particular customer, provide him detailed account information and delete and update the customer information as and when required. 1. 3) Overview: This system provides an easy solution to the bank employee to maintain customer as well as employee records and maintaining a record of all the transactions that take place. 2) General Description: This Bank Management System replaces the conventional, traditional file and record based system with the help of which a lot of paper work will be reduced.Thus the manual work of maintaining files which are subjected to physical wear and tear can be avoided. The employee must be able to view all the information of customers such as name, account number, date of birth, gender, address, initial balance. Also it must be able to record different transactions such as withdrawal, deposit or transfer of funds from one account to another. The employee can also add new staff members to the system providing them direct access to the database and thus enabling them to provide services to the users.The employee can also change his password to follow security constraints. 3) Functional Requirements: 3. 1) Description: The identity of each customer is verified and only then changes are made to the records each customer. After proper verification, the bank employee can bring proper changes to the database as per the requirements of the user. Also the system maintains an employee database thus keeping a record of all the members of bank as well as keeping the records of the transactions which take place daily. 3. 2) Technical issues: The system should be implemented in .NET. 4) Interface Requirements: 4. 1) GUI: GUI 1: The first form provides login page for the employee. GUI 2: After successful login, there are different actions that can be performed i. e. change password, sign-out, add customer, delete customer, add details, view details etc. GUI 3: For adding customers, all the required information is taken and the submit button is selected for making corresponding changes into the database. GUI 4: Once the changes are made into the database, on clicking the view details icon, the details of the customer can be obtained.GUI 5 and 6: The details of the customer can be updated with the help of form 5. A particular customer can be removed with the help of delete customer option. GUI 7,8 and 9: These forms record the different transactions such as withdrawal, deposit, transfer. 4. 2) Hardware Interface: Hardware Interface 1: The system should be embedded in each PC of the bank and in all of its branches. 4. 3) Software Interface: Software Interface 1: Bank Management System. Software Interface 2: The staff and employee database should maintain necessary records. ) Performance Requirements: The system should work concurrently on multiple computers during the working hours of bank. The system should support 50 users. 6) Design Constraints: The system should be designed in 2 months. 7) Other Non Functional Attributes: a) Security: Each employee is provided with a user ID and password to log into the system. Only then he can manipulate the database. b) Availability: The system should be available during bank working hours. c) Maintainability: There should be a facility to add or delete customers as and when required. ) Reusability: The same system must be used in every financial year. 8) Operational Scenarios: There will be an employee data base and customer database. The employee database contains personal information of all the employees. The customer database contains personal as well as account related information. 9) Preliminary Schedule: The system has to be implemented in 2 months. CONCLUSION: Thus we have documented Software Requirement Specification for Bank Management System (BMS).

How We Market your Products

Our vision is that every business and organization will eventually have a web site to market their company, products, and services. Users will migrate from the off-line yellow pages to the web to find and contact local businesses. Current online search tools do a good job of indexing the web, but finding location-specific businesses is haphazard and inaccurate. We focus on cataloging every business and organization web site into a single commercial database so that users can quickly and easily find local, national, or global businesses online. 1. Become the definitive source for listing & displaying business & organization web site information. Similar to the off-line yellow pages, we want to be the single source of information about every commercial web site and keep it the most current and up-to-date. 2. Instead of becoming a destination site, we deliver our robust database to navigation sites (search engines & directories), media companies, local portals & government sites, and any other web property that want to help their users find a complete source of business web sites in one spot. 3. Help manage the navigation tools at the smaller sites by delivering navigation data and allowing them to outsource their search engine content maintenance to create a network of smaller portals that share navigation content and resources. We have developed technology to spider the web and categorize & database commerical sites. The technology is similar to a search engine spider in that it gathers the URL and description of sites by following links. But we use a process that assigns each link to one of our 15,000 yellow-pages type categories by using specific keywords and comparing where it is categorized in other online databases. Also, our spider gathers business contact information, such as address, phone numbers, and email information. This allows us to follow-up our efforts with a direct contact to each business to ensure their listing information and category is correct. Our active technique ensures we gather 5 times more web sites in each category than the average online directory maintains. By categorizing each listing and recording the contact data, we provide much-needed â€Å"periphery† for the web: our technique allows the user to see all of the particular businesses in a particular geographic location. It is a cross between the yellow pages and an online search engine of web sites. The process of updating our data is one the most robust on the web. First our spider revisits each site at least once every quarter to verify the information. Unlike other services & software that just check if a link is â€Å"live,† we can tell if the site is under contraction, or the domain name is for sale, or other signs that the business is unavailable although the link remains active. More importantly, we e-mail the business at least once a year for changes, and reward companies that respond with a higher ranking. This gives us a good repsonse rate and ensures a proactive interest from each company to keep their data up-to-date. The primary targets are those established portal and navigation sites online that have a need to deliver this content. These include: Web-based directories and search engines, such as yahoo, excite, lycos Business directories and smaller search portals Industry-related sites & portals (apparel.net, lawyers.com, etc.) Media sites (newspapers, television stations, radio) Direct mail services & mailing list providers Content providers & other infomediaries Together I have databased 500,000 web sites so far, and many of them are businesses in these categories. Each listing includes a link, business name, address, phone numbers, and email. For our meeting next week, I will provide an Access database of all the companies I have categorized in these fields. I want to see if there is a need for my product in any of the markets that I†ve described above. My biggest concern is finding a market for the product I†ve developed, and these questions might help answer that. What is their biggest need in terms of their site? Do they maintain a listing of links to web sites relating to their field? How do they add new information and keep existing information current? How much time and money is spent on managing this data? Would they be willing to share this data with us, in return for receiving the information shared by other sites in our network? If we could save them time and money, would they be willing to outsource the management and upkeep of this information? Do they have a need for the type of data we†ve gathered and services we provide? Do they think their users would benefit from being able to find a complete listing of other web sites related to their subject matter? Would they be willing to pay to use our current and complete database at their site? Who else would be willing to use this data? What other types of businesses have I†ve missed? For an example to goal #3 above, it takes a lot of time & energy for a local portal to gather the links of businesses in their area. They only catch the ones that are submitted to them, or the ones they find using their human editors. Likewise, a site focusing on the apparel industry can use a lot of energy & effort to record and display links to clothing & fashion sites in its industry. On the maintenance side, it can be time consuming to categorize their listings, check them to make sure they are current, and modify/delete old & dead links. We want to partner with each site and provide the infomediary to exchange data: since they both share data with Speedy Pete†s database, they have access to not only our spider†s adds, but the other site†s listings, as well. The local portal may have listings related to the clothing industry that the apparel portal does not have and vice versa. We keep the data current and updated using our technology, and deliver a robust database of â€Å"shared† navigation data to each site.

Zoo Paper essays

Zoo Paper essays On my visit to the Zoo their were many interesting animals that grabbed my attention. The first animal was the Black Necked Swan which is also known by its scientific name Cygnus Melan Coryphus. This bird appeared to be very comfortable in its new environment at the Zoo. Their were two of these magnificent birds for me to observe. Both of them had snow white bottoms, with dark black necks and a red orange colored bill. The male swan is known as a cob and the female a pen, the males are usually a bit larger than the females. The areas of origin are in open lakes and marsh lands in the Southern parts of South America, including Chile, Argentina, and Falkland Islands. The black necked swan feeds on Aquatic plants in the zoo, and as wild swan they typically feed on vegetation, insects, and fish spawn. The black necked swan is not in any danger of being extinct. The swans seem to some how stay close to each other and their behavior was calm. I find the black neck on the swan to be very i nteresting, I had never known of a black necked swan until my recent visit to the zoo. The swans neck was very long it seems at times to wrap around the bottom of its body, as it dives its head into the pond. I think that the black necked swan is a must see bird. The gracefulness and common behavior makes it one of my top birds to purchase and put into a private pond. The multi color of this bird gives it a very complex, but different style that sets it in a class of its own. According to research these birds rarely are on land they are known to say in water, maybe this is some sort of instinct, which allows them to stay out of harms way. What ever the case, I hope these birds survive a long time so that others can view them as I did. The zebra is one of the most distinctive looking animals in the world, also known by its scientific name Equus burchelli bohmi. The zebra can usually be found in the grass lands and lightly wooded areas of eastern A...

Stream of Consciousness Writing

Stream of Consciousness Writing Stream of consciousness is a  narrative technique that gives the impression of a mind at work, jumping from one observation, sensation, or reflection to the next seamlessly and often without conventional  transitions. Although stream of consciousness is commonly associated with the work of novelists including James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner, the method has also been used effectively by writers of creative nonfiction  and is often referred to as freewriting. The metaphor of the stream of consciousness was coined by American philosopher and psychologist William James in The Principles of Psychology in 1890 and has been perpetuated to this day in the modern literature and psychology fields. Urgency and Presence in Stream of Consciousness Often used by creative writing teachers as a means to get the creative juices flowing for their students at the beginning of classes, a stream of consciousness writing exercises often ground writers in the presentness, the importance of a given subject or discourse. In creative fiction, a stream of consciousness may be used by a narrator to convey the thoughts or feelings going on in the head of a character, a writers trick to convince the audience of the authenticity of thoughts he or she is attempting to write into the story. These internal monologues of sorts read and transfer thought more organically to the audience, providing a direct look into the inner workings of a characters mental landscape. The characteristic lack of punctuation and transitions only furthers this idea of a free-flowing prose wherein the reader and speaker alike jump from one topic to the next, much like a person would when daydreaming about a given topic- one might start with talking about fantasy films but end up discussing the finer points of medieval costuming, for instance, seamlessly and without transition. A Notable Examplein Tom Wolfes Nonfiction Work Stream of consciousness writing isnt only for fictional works- Tom Wolfes memoir Electric  Kool-Aid Acid Test is packed full of beautiful, eloquent stream of consciousness which provides insight into the protagonists journey and story. Take this excerpt for example:   - Kesey has Cornel Wilde Running Jacket ready hanging on the wall, a jungle-jim corduroy jacket stashed with fishing line, a knife, money, DDT, tablet, ball-points, flashlight, and grass. Has it timed by test runs that he can be out the window, down through a hole in the roof below, down a drain pipe, over a wall and into thickest jungle in 45 seconds- well, only 35 seconds left, but head start is all that’s needed, with the element of surprise. Besides, its so fascinating to be here in subastral projection with the cool rushing dex, synched into  their  minds and his own, in all its surges and tributaries and convolutions, turning it this way and that and rationalizing the situation for the 100th time in split seconds, such as: If they have that many men already here, the phony telephone men, the cops in the tan car, the cops in the Volkswagen, what are they waiting for? why havent they crashed right in through the rotten doors of this Rat building In The Mythopoeic Reality: The Postwar American Nonfiction Novel, Masud Zavarzadeh explains Wolfes above use of stream of consciousness as the dominating narrative choice for this section of the nonfiction novel, saying the technical rationale for the use of such narrational devices in the nonfiction novel is the treatment of the subjectivity of the situation or person portrayed, as distinguished from the projected subjectivity (empathy) of the fictive novelist.