Thursday, October 31, 2019

[ Art ] Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

[ Art ] Assignment - Essay Example Sobek is also known as the god of the crocodiles. The people pray to Sobek to protect them as they travel towards the Nile river to fetch drinking water. As time went on, Sobek’s powers included other matters, not only protecting the people from the sudden deadly attacks of the crocodiles. Egyptian Mythology states that Sobek, not another popular god, Nun, created the world. Sobek was depicted as the god who rose from within the River Nile to take the form of a man having a distinct crocodile shape. Specifically, the people of the Fayoum (Arsinoite nome), Kom Ombo, and parts of Thebes worshipped the crocodile god Sobek. The numerous temples were erected to pay religious homage to Sobek. The people prayed to Sobek to give them plentiful harvest. The farm lands were dependent on the Nile River. The Nile River’s drought would reduce the Egyptian Nile River lines’ farm crop outputs. The people pray to Sobek to keep the Nile River flowing. With the Nile River’s flowing, the farm lands have a steady supply of irrigation water. In the temples, the priests would bring a live crocodile into the temple. The people would take care of the crocodile’s every need until its death. After the crocodile’s death, the crocodile is mummified. In Egyptian history, the pharaohs were considered as gods. Consequently, the pharaohs are mummified after their death. Just like the Pharaoh gods, the mummified body of the crocodile is buried in special â€Å"god† tomb (Verhoogt 8). Later, Sobek became the patron of the Pharaoh’s army. Sobek was described as either a crocodile or a man with a crocodile head. Sobek is described as holding an ankh. The ankh is the symbol of Sobek’s power to destroy or reverse evil acts. In addition, the ankh was described as having the power to bend knives in order to protect the king from life-threatening danger. Sobek was described as having the speed and strength of a crocodile. Sobek was not selfish.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

See order instructions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

See order instructions - Case Study Example Whichever way the debate goes, the obvious fact is that in manning the college sports, the NCAA earns a lot of revenue and as such, a little token of appreciation would be necessary to the contributing athletes. This paper will argue that the NCAA has been unfair to college athletes, and since it benefits in many ways from college games, college athletes should receive part of the income just like employee athletes of the body do. The tussle between the NCAA and the college athletes make headlines in April when the Northwestern University Basketball players presented the National Labor Relations Board with a proposal to form a union. The idea of the union is to protest against the NCAA which does not treat them like employee athletes. The debate was further ignited by government officials stating that the NCAA was in no way liable to the students since they were not recognized as employees of the body. The reiterations further claimed that the students should be awarded by their colleges since it is they who benefit most from participating in the games. Normally, the only rewards offered to successful college athletes are scholarships, medical covers, and expert coaching. According to Bowen (n.p.), the students’ demands are deep-rooted, largely being influenced by the fact that schools themselves have to struggle much to make more money out of sports. Again, it seems like coaches of college teams are t he biggest beneficiaries, reaping from the students’ games more than they do. For instance, the coach of the University of Kentucky basketball team makes approximately $5.5 million every season. Broadcasters on their part make an approximate $1 billion off the games. This happens even as schools try to accommodate more tournaments and games every season just so their athletes can be better exposure and earn some rewards from their skills. One

Sunday, October 27, 2019

International Marketing Plan For Allianz Marketing Essay

International Marketing Plan For Allianz Marketing Essay Allianz is an international company specializing in the provision of financial services, and the companys headquarters is in Munich, Germany. In the global business world of today, companies cannot afford to just remain domestic, as this could lead to a decline in the companys reputation and business. Serious companies have to work hard on their international presence, to ensure that their stakes in the market are maintained and increased. Founded in the year 1890, Allianz has branches in more than 70 countries and more than 180,000 employees worldwide. The company has acquired about 60 million customers to whom it provides property and casualty insurance services, health insurance, life insurance asset management and banking services. Allianz started to go international in the late 19th century when the company opened a branch office in London. Allianz now also has branches in Paris, Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, and USA. Allianz hopes to expand into Eastern Euro pe and establish branches either in Hungary or turkey. Since international marketing plans revolve around certain factors, the company will have to complete a thorough analysis of the countries in question, so as to determine the feasibility and viability of international services in these countries. This report will also discuss the viability of establishing branches in the Turkish or Hungarian market place. The Company is aiming to establish the organization in a global market. In order to do this an effective international marketing plan would have to be developed. Situation analysis The goal of this international marketing plan is the provision of specific directions for the companys marketing activities. Research will be carried out in various areas like segmentation, marketing, pricing strategy, targeting and positioning, promotional strategy, control and implementation, in order to achieve set goals. This marketing plan will also detail what the company can achieve with such an international marketing strategy and hoe this plan will help in realizing company objectives. When an organization has decided that it is beneficial to go international and start operations in another country, it is necessary to define company policies on international marketing and the companys objectives for creating promotional campaigns that are efficient. As long as Allianz continues to offer superior services that are efficient, then the company will be better than a domestic company. As the global market continues to grow bigger and population increase continues, the company must engage in effective international marketing, in order to acquire and maintain more clients. (An in depth analysis of Insurance Industry) Interest in Hungary and Turkey Numerous variables function within an international company such as this, which deals in a global market. These variables can influence the companys strategy either directly or indirectly. Being well implanted in various parts of the world Allianz seeks to invest other markets in Europe. Marketing strategy At Allianz, the goal of business is the acquisition of clients and maintaining these clients as customers. The companys international marketing strategy should reflect this, as the company continues to build its reputation. The strategies that would be used for this international marketing will be a push/promotional strategy and pull/selling strategy. The push/promotional strategy will use the companys trade promotion activities and sales force to create consumer demand internationally. The pull/selling strategy involves expenses on promotions for consumers and advertising in order to build up consumer demand for services SWOT analysis The sections highlighted below constitute the most relevant issues for Allianz, and the success of the company. Strengths The companys strengths include: a brand new international approach, staff experience, targeted focus and marketing prowess. Allianz would have to take advantage of these strengths in order to utilize the companys opportunities and also manage threats effectively. Possible weaknesses to the companys international campaign are basically those problems inherent in new product and financial services marketing. Allianzs Strengths also include Product differentiation Superior experience: since the Allianz team is quite experienced in marketing, the company has to capitalize on this experience and bring it to bear on the international market Popularity of the company: strong companies like Allianz tend to have a kind of cult or customer loyalty for many years, which will be brought to bear on the international scene Weaknesses Launching new products and services internationally brings disadvantages of having to build a whole new market structure Opportunities A growing international market Potential for continued improvement Vertical integration: Allianz also has the potential to integrate more services into its international presence and add more branches in various parts of the world Threats The latent competition ensures that there would be other companies who will begin to offer similar services internationally. Unforeseen economic downturn may also reduce fluid/disposable income in spite of a strong domestic economy and anticipated continuous growth. Marketing mix The company should Endeavour to employ a wide range of advertising promotions and communications in order to achieve set out international marketing goals Marketing budget The companys marketing budget must be reviewed and the marketing director would assume responsibility for the budget, excluding the budget for developing the company website. The budget for the international marketing campaign needs to be evaluated on a quarterly basis, with adjustments made to media vehicles, advert schedules, and effective frequency as required Promotion As part of international marketing promotions, there should be grand PR parties and sports events held and organized for prospective clients. Local, national and international media will also be used and sales personnel will be stationed in target market locations like shopping malls and concerts and other related events Financial projection In order to make Allianzs financial services more appealing internationally, the company will have to look towards market segmentation. In looking towards market segmentation, the company will be able to identify specific customer characteristics of interest in specific financial services. As noted on the website of the Center for Business Planning, the purpose of for segmenting a market is to allow the sales/marketing program to focus on the subset of prospects that are most likely to purchase what the company offers, and this can help to ensure the highest yield/return for sales/marketing expenditures, if done properly. (Center for Business Planning, 2009) The international marketing plan developed by Allianz must make a careful analysis of market research to lead to useful decisions regarding the nature of the market in hungary, and of the potential clients in that country. To be able to satisfy the needs of these customers, the company must identify ways to understand its internal and external situation, including the market environment, the customer and the capabilities of the company PEST Analysis Political Factors Increased service tax on premium 5% discount on corporate premium Hike in FDI limit Pricing control in general insurance Favorable regulation for rural insurance Economic Factors Increase in Gross Domestic Savings Social Factors Low insurance coverage Rise in elderly population Growth of insurance Technological Factors Automation of processes Increase in CRM solutions Internet driven information era (Insurance Industry: An Analysis) Implementation and control Allianzs international marketing efforts will be designed to launch and provide sales of goods and services. The marketing director will be in charge of tracking the various programs and changes might be made to the marketing mix if there are no appreciable results. Attention should also be given to some other factors like economic recession, extremely low sales, and the expensive nature of certain types of media that will be used for the international marketing plan, as these factors might influence the budget and marketing mix. The companys international marketing efforts will be reviewed quarterly. Differences between revenue and sales goals during the first year of operation will be the main source of comparison. Customers feedback will also be sought on marketing efforts and there will be surveys and focus groups organized to evaluate the efficacy of adverts. Conclusion Assessment of external factors can help a company to position itself within the environment in which the company operates. Although there are various macroeconomic factors that can affect a company like Allianz, the direction and strength of major industry shaping trends can be gauged by environmental factor assessment. This type of assessment may seem to pose a threat on some occasions but on the other hand, this assessment can create new opportunities. During the environmental assessment, it is vital to seek out new opportunities for business, feasible market places and other companies with which some form of cooperative arrangement can be built. In order to be successful internationally, Allianz needs to understand, anticipate and take advantage of the changes in the business environment. The international environment does have a big impact on the determination of market decisions. A large part of international marketing requires the scanning of the external environment that affec ts Allianz, so that the company can respond profitably to the trends and market requirements of the targeted market. Allianz hopes to expand into Eastern Europe and establish branches either in Hungary or turkey. Due to Global currency issues and the effects of previous economic recessions which have created problems for the company and the services it renders, I believe that Hungary will be a more viable location for the company to invest internationally, as this country is more open to foreign investment. Industries in this country are also expanding and this represents more opportunity for the companys financial services. The firm has also been advised to take a long term view. This is a good strategy for the company, as most emerging markets are long term based, to guard against the negative effects of economic downturns

Friday, October 25, 2019

Business Ethics :: essays research papers

How to behave toward oneself and toward other individuals is a matter of making choices: whether to be friendly or unfriendly; whether to tell the truth or lie; whether to be generous or greedy; whether to study in order to pass an exam or to spend valuable study time watching television and cheat to pass it. These, and all other questions about how people act toward themselves and one another are dealt with in a field of study called ethics. Another name for ethics is morality. Because both words suggest customary ways of behavior, they are somewhat misleading. It had to do with what should or should not be done. Divide practical wisdom into two parts: moral philosophy and political philosophy. They’re defined together as a â€Å"true reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good or bad for man† (Drucker, 1996). One statement of the problem is business organizations, as well as members of society in general, are plagued by the fact that there are liars, cheats, and thieves among us. Liars, cheats, and thieves are not new nor are they likely to disappear. People will do anything and go to whatever extent to get what they want. This is why there’s a lack of ethics. Definition of terms: The word ethics is derived from the Greek ethos, meaning â€Å"character,† the pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group; moral constitution, moral strength, self discipline and fortitude (Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia). The other is from the Latin mores, meaning â€Å"custom† (Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia). Business Ethics refers to what is right or wrong, or good or bad, human behavior. The concept of business ethics is â€Å"being able to look at your face in the mirror†(Drucker, 1996). Ethics is a code of conduct and values that is accepted by society as being right and proper. Code of ethics is simply a compilation of the rules that are meant to govern the conduct of members of a particular organization or profession. Moral philosophy and political philosophy is true and reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good or bad for man. In the daily scramble to get ahead, earn a profit, and outwit competitors, some people don’t play by the rules. Sometimes the culprits are respected and ordinarily well-behaved persons even though they are accused of a crime or offense. Business Ethics :: essays research papers How to behave toward oneself and toward other individuals is a matter of making choices: whether to be friendly or unfriendly; whether to tell the truth or lie; whether to be generous or greedy; whether to study in order to pass an exam or to spend valuable study time watching television and cheat to pass it. These, and all other questions about how people act toward themselves and one another are dealt with in a field of study called ethics. Another name for ethics is morality. Because both words suggest customary ways of behavior, they are somewhat misleading. It had to do with what should or should not be done. Divide practical wisdom into two parts: moral philosophy and political philosophy. They’re defined together as a â€Å"true reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good or bad for man† (Drucker, 1996). One statement of the problem is business organizations, as well as members of society in general, are plagued by the fact that there are liars, cheats, and thieves among us. Liars, cheats, and thieves are not new nor are they likely to disappear. People will do anything and go to whatever extent to get what they want. This is why there’s a lack of ethics. Definition of terms: The word ethics is derived from the Greek ethos, meaning â€Å"character,† the pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group; moral constitution, moral strength, self discipline and fortitude (Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia). The other is from the Latin mores, meaning â€Å"custom† (Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia). Business Ethics refers to what is right or wrong, or good or bad, human behavior. The concept of business ethics is â€Å"being able to look at your face in the mirror†(Drucker, 1996). Ethics is a code of conduct and values that is accepted by society as being right and proper. Code of ethics is simply a compilation of the rules that are meant to govern the conduct of members of a particular organization or profession. Moral philosophy and political philosophy is true and reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good or bad for man. In the daily scramble to get ahead, earn a profit, and outwit competitors, some people don’t play by the rules. Sometimes the culprits are respected and ordinarily well-behaved persons even though they are accused of a crime or offense.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Twilight 4. INVITATIONS

4. INVITATIONS In my dream it was very dark, and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Edward's skin. I couldn't see his face, just his back as he walked away from me, leaving me in the blackness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to him; no matter how loud I called, he never turned. Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time. After that, he was in my dreams nearly every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach. The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and, at first, embarrassing. To my dismay, I found myself the center of attention for the rest of that week. Tyler Crowley was impossible, following me around, obsessed with making amends to me somehow. I tried to convince him what I wanted more than anything else was for him to forget all about it – especially since nothing had actually happened to me – but he remained insistent. He followed me between classes and sat at our now-crowded lunch table. Mike and Eric were even less friendly toward him than they were to each other, which made me worry that I'd gained another unwelcome fan. No one seemed concerned about Edward, though I explained over and over that he was the hero – how he had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. I tried to be convincing. Jessica, Mike, Eric, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away. I wondered to myself why no one else had seen him standing so far away, before he was suddenly, impossibly saving my life. With chagrin, I realized the probable cause – no one else was as aware of Edward as I always was. No one else watched him the way I did. How pitiful. Edward was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for his firsthand account. People avoided him as usual. The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, especially Edward, glanced my way anymore. When he sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up – skin stretched even whiter over the bones – did I wonder if he wasn't quite as oblivious as he appeared. He wished he hadn't pulled me from the path of Tyler's van – there was no other conclusion I could come to. I wanted very much to talk to him, and the day after the accident I tried. The last time I'd seen him, outside the ER, we'd both been so furious. I still was angry that he wouldn't trust me with the truth, even though I was keeping my part of the bargain flawlessly. But he had in fact saved my life, no matter how he'd done it. And, overnight, the heat of my anger faded into awed gratitude. He was already seated when I got to Biology, looking straight ahead. I sat down, expecting him to turn toward me. He showed no sign that he realized I was there. â€Å"Hello, Edward,† I said pleasantly, to show him I was going to behave myself. He turned his head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way. And that was the last contact I'd had with him, though he was there, a foot away from me, every day. I watched him sometimes, unable to stop myself- from a distance, though, in the cafeteria or parking lot. I watched as his golden eyes grew perceptibly darker day by day. But in class I gave no more notice that he existed than he showed toward me. I was miserable. And the dreams continued. Despite my outright lies, the tenor of my e-mails alerted Ren? ¦e to my depression, and she called a few times, worried. I tried to convince her it was just the weather that had me down. Mike, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my lab partner. I could see he'd been worried that Edward's daring rescue might have impressed me, and he was relieved that it seemed to have the opposite effect. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring Edward as completely as he ignored us. The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. Mike was disappointed he'd never gotten to stage his snowball fight, but pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed. Jessica made me aware of another event looming on the horizon – she called the first Tuesday of March to ask my permission to invite Mike to the girls' choice spring dance in two weeks. â€Å"Are you sure you don't mind†¦ you weren't planning to ask him?† she persisted when I told her I didn't mind in the least. â€Å"No, Jess, I'm not going,† I assured her. Dancing was glaringly outside my range of abilities. â€Å"It will be really fun.† Her attempt to convince me was halfhearted. I suspected that Jessica enjoyed my inexplicable popularity more than my actual company. â€Å"You have fun with Mike,† I encouraged. The next day, I was surprised that Jessica wasn't her usual gushing self in Trig and Spanish. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. If Mike had turned her down, I was the last person she would want to tell. My fears were strengthened during lunch when Jessica sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike was unusually quiet. Mike was still quiet as he walked me to class, the uncomfortable look on his face a bad sign. But he didn't broach the subject until I was in my seat and he was perched on my desk. As always, I was electrically aware of Edward sitting close enough to touch, as distant as if he were merely an invention of my imagination. â€Å"So,† Mike said, looking at the floor, â€Å"Jessica asked me to the spring dance.† â€Å"That's great.† I made my voice bright and enthusiastic. â€Å"You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He floundered as he examined my smile, clearly not happy with my response. â€Å"I told her I had to think about it.† â€Å"Why would you do that?† I let disapproval color my tone, though I was relieved he hadn't given her an absolute no. His face was bright red as he looked down again. Pity shook my resolve. â€Å"I was wondering if†¦ well, if you might be planning to ask me.† I paused for a moment, hating the wave of guilt that swept through me. But I saw, from the corner of my eye, Edward's head tilt reflexively in my direction. â€Å"Mike, I think you should tell her yes,† I said. â€Å"Did you already ask someone?† Did Edward notice how Mike's eyes flickered in his direction? â€Å"No,† I assured him. â€Å"I'm not going to the dance at all.† â€Å"Why not?† Mike demanded. I didn't want to get into the safety hazards that dancing presented, so I quickly made new plans. â€Å"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday,† I explained. I needed to get out of town anyway – it was suddenly the perfect time to go. â€Å"Can't you go some other weekend?† â€Å"Sorry, no,† I said. â€Å"So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer – it's rude.† â€Å"Yeah, you're right,† he mumbled, and turned, dejected, to walk back to his seat. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to push the guilt and sympathy out of my head. Mr. Banner began talking. I sighed and opened my eyes. And Edward was staring at me curiously, that same, familiar edge of frustration even more distinct now in his black eyes. I stared back, surprised, expecting him to look quickly away. But instead he continued to gaze with probing intensity into my eyes. There was no question of me looking away. My hands started to shake. â€Å"Mr. Cullen?† the teacher called, seeking the answer to a question that I hadn't heard. â€Å"The Krebs Cycle,† Edward answered, seeming reluctant as he turned to look at Mr. Banner. I looked down at my book as soon as his eyes released me, trying to find my place. Cowardly as ever, I shifted my hair over my right shoulder to hide my face. I couldn't believe the rush of emotion pulsing through me – just because he'd happened to look at me for the first time in a half-dozen weeks. I couldn't allow him to have this level of influence over me. It was pathetic. More than pathetic, it was unhealthy. I tried very hard not to be aware of him for the rest of the hour, and, since that was impossible, at least not to let him know that I was aware of him. When the bell rang at last, I turned my back to him to gather my things, expecting him to leave immediately as usual. â€Å"Bella?† His voice shouldn't have been so familiar to me, as if I'd known the sound of it all my life rather than for just a few short weeks. I turned slowly, unwillingly. I didn't want to feel what I knew I would feel when I looked at his too-perfect face. My expression was wary when I finally turned to him; his expression was unreadable. He didn't say anything. â€Å"What? Are you speaking to me again?† I finally asked, an unintentional note of petulance in my voice. His lips twitched, fighting a smile. â€Å"No, not really,† he admitted. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth. He waited. â€Å"Then what do you want, Edward?† I asked, keeping my eyes closed; it was easier to talk to him coherently that way. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He sounded sincere. â€Å"I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really.† I opened my eyes. His face was very serious. â€Å"I don't know what you mean,† I said, my voice guarded. â€Å"It's better if we're not friends,† he explained. â€Å"Trust me.† My eyes narrowed. I'd heard that before. â€Å"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier,† I hissed through my teeth. â€Å"You could have saved yourself all this regret.† â€Å"Regret?† The word, and my tone, obviously caught him off guard. â€Å"Regret for what?† â€Å"For not just letting that stupid van squish me.† He was astonished. He stared at me in disbelief. When he finally spoke, he almost sounded mad. â€Å"You think I regret saving your life?† â€Å"I know you do,† I snapped. â€Å"You don't know anything.† He was definitely mad. I turned my head sharply away from him, clenching my jaw against all the wild accusations I wanted to hurl at him. I gathered my books together, then stood and walked to the door. I meant to sweep dramatically out of the room, but of course I caught the toe of my boot on the door jamb and dropped my books. I stood there for a moment, thinking about leaving them. Then I sighed and bent to pick them up. He was there; he'd already stacked them into a pile. He handed them to me, his face hard. â€Å"Thank you,† I said icily. His eyes narrowed. â€Å"You're welcome,† he retorted. I straightened up swiftly, turned away from him again, and stalked off to Gym without looking back. Gym was brutal. We'd moved on to basketball. My team never passed me the ball, so that was good, but I fell down a lot. Sometimes I took people with me. Today I was worse than usual because my head was so filled with Edward. I tried to concentrate on my feet, but he kept creeping back into my thoughts just when I really needed my balance. It was a relief, as always, to leave. I almost ran to the truck; there were just so many people I wanted to avoid. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. I'd had to replace the taillights, and if I'd had a real paint job, I would have touched that up. Tyler's parents had to sell their van for parts. I almost had a stroke when I rounded the corner and saw a tall, dark figure leaning against the side of my truck. Then I realized it was just Eric. I started walking again. â€Å"Hey, Eric,† I called. â€Å"Hi, Bella.† â€Å"What's up?† I said as I was unlocking the door. I wasn't paying attention to the uncomfortable edge in his voice, so his next words took me by surprise. â€Å"Uh, I was just wondering†¦ if you would go to the spring dance with me?† His voice broke on the last word. â€Å"I thought it was girls' choice,† I said, too startled to be diplomatic. â€Å"Well, yeah,† he admitted, shamefaced. I recovered my composure and tried to make my smile warm. â€Å"Thank you for asking me, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day.† â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"Well, maybe next time.† â€Å"Sure,† I agreed, and then bit my lip. I wouldn't want him to take that too literally. He slouched off, back toward the school. I heard a low chuckle. Edward was walking past the front of my truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed together. I yanked the door open and jumped inside, slamming it loudly behind me. I revved the engine deafeningly and reversed out into the aisle. Edward was in his car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of me, cutting me off. He stopped there – to wait for his family; I could see the four of them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria. I considered taking out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. I looked in my rearview mirror. A line was beginning to form. Directly behind me, Tyler Crowley was in his recently acquired used Sentra, waving. I was too aggravated to acknowledge him. While I was sitting there, looking everywhere but at the car in front of me, I heard a knock on my passenger side window. I looked over; it was Tyler. I glanced back in my rearview mirror, confused. His car was still running, the door left open. I leaned across the cab to crank the window down. It was stiff. I got it halfway down, then gave up. â€Å"I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen.† I was annoyed – obviously the holdup wasn't my fault. â€Å"Oh, I know – I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here.† He grinned. This could not be happening. â€Å"Will you ask me to the spring dance?† he continued. â€Å"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler.† My voice sounded a little sharp. I had to remember it wasn't his fault that Mike and Eric had already used up my quota of patience for the day. â€Å"Yeah, Mike said that,† he admitted. â€Å"Then why -â€Å" He shrugged. â€Å"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy.† Okay, it was completely his fault. â€Å"Sorry, Tyler,† I said, working to hide my irritation. â€Å"I really am going out of town.† â€Å"That's cool. We still have prom.† And before I could respond, he was walking back to his car. I could feel the shock on my face. I looked forward to see Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo. In his rearview mirror, Edward's eyes were on me. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler had said. My foot itched toward the gas pedal†¦ one little bump wouldn't hurt any of them, just that glossy silver paint job. I revved the engine. But they were all in, and Edward was speeding away. I drove home slowly, carefully, muttering to myself the whole way. When I got home, I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, and it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, the phone rang. I was almost afraid to answer it, but it might be Charlie or my mom. It was Jessica, and she was jubilant; Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly while I stirred. She had to go, she wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them. I suggested – with casual innocence – that maybe Angela, the shy girl who had Biology with me, could ask Eric. And Lauren, a standoffish girl who had always ignored me at the lunch table, could ask Tyler; I'd heard he was still available. Jess thought that was a great idea. Now that she was sure of Mike, she actually sounded sincere when she said she wished I would go to the dance. I gave her my Seattle excuse. After I hung up, I tried to concentrate on dinner – dicing the chicken especially; I didn't want to take another trip to the emergency room. But my head was spinning, trying to analyze every word Edward had spoken today. What did he mean, it was better if we weren't friends? My stomach twisted as I realized what he must have meant. He must see how absorbed I was by him; he must not want to lead me on†¦ so we couldn't even be friends†¦ because he wasn't interested in me at all. Of course he wasn't interested in me, I thought angrily, my eyes stinging – a delayed reaction to the onions. I wasn't interesting. And he was. Interesting†¦ and brilliant†¦ and mysterious†¦ and perfect†¦ and beautiful†¦ and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand. Well, that was fine. I could leave him alone. I would leave him alone. I would get through my self-imposed sentence here in purgatory, and then hopefully some school in the Southwest, or possibly Hawaii, would offer me a scholarship. I focused my thoughts on sunny beaches and palm trees as I finished the enchiladas and put them in the oven. Charlie seemed suspicious when he came home and smelled the green peppers. I couldn't blame him – the closest edible Mexican food was probably in southern California. But he was a cop, even if just a small-town cop, so he was brave enough to take the first bite. He seemed to like it. It was fun to watch as he slowly began trusting me in the kitchen. â€Å"Dad?† I asked when he was almost done. â€Å"Yeah, Bella?† â€Å"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday†¦ if that's okay?† I didn't want to ask permission – it set a bad precedent – but I felt rude, so I tacked it on at the end. â€Å"Why?† He sounded surprised, as if he were unable to imagine something that Forks couldn't offer. â€Å"Well, I wanted to get few books – the library here is pretty limited – and maybe look at some clothes.† I had more money than I was used to having, since, thanks to Charlie, I hadn't had to pay for a car. Not that the truck didn't cost me quite a bit in the gas department. â€Å"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage,† he said, echoing my thoughts. â€Å"I know, I'll stop in Montesano and Olympia – and Tacoma if I have to.† â€Å"Are you going all by yourself?† he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was suspicious I had a secret boyfriend or just worried about car trouble. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Seattle is a big city – you could get lost,† he fretted. â€Å"Dad, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle – and I can read a map, don't worry about it.† â€Å"Do you want me to come with you?† I tried to be crafty as I hid my horror. â€Å"That's all right, Dad, I'll probably just be in dressing rooms all day – very boring.† â€Å"Oh, okay.† The thought of sitting in women's clothing stores for any period of time immediately put him off. â€Å"Thanks.† I smiled at him. â€Å"Will you be back in time for the dance?† Grrr. Only in a town this small would a father know when the high school dances were. â€Å"No – I don't dance, Dad.† He, of all people, should understand that – I didn't get my balance problems from my mother. He did understand. â€Å"Oh, that's right,† he realized. The next morning, when I pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right next to me, leaning casually against my truck. â€Å"How do you do that?† I asked in amazed irritation. â€Å"Do what?† He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it, he dropped it into my palm. â€Å"Appear out of thin air.† â€Å"Bella, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant.† His voice was quiet as usual – velvet, muted. I scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey color. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts. â€Å"Why the traffic jam last night?† I demanded, still looking away. â€Å"I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death.† â€Å"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance.† He snickered. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should physically burn him, but he only seemed more amused. â€Å"And I'm not pretending you don't exist,† he continued. â€Å"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?† Anger flashed in his tawny eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone. â€Å"Bella, you are utterly absurd,† he said, his low voice cold. My palms tingled – I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned my back and started to walk away. â€Å"Wait,† he called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace. â€Å"I'm sorry, that was rude,† he said as we walked. I ignored him. â€Å"I'm not saying it isn't true,† he continued, â€Å"but it was rude to say it, anyway.† â€Å"Why won't you leave me alone?† I grumbled. â€Å"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me,† he chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor. â€Å"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?† I asked severely. â€Å"You're doing it again.† I sighed. â€Å"Fine then. What do you want to ask?† â€Å"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday – you know, the day of the spring dance -â€Å" â€Å"Are you trying to be funny?† I interrupted him, wheeling toward him. My face got drenched as I looked up at his expression. His eyes were wickedly amused. â€Å"Will you please allow me to finish?† I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash. â€Å"I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride.† That was unexpected. â€Å"What?† I wasn't sure what he was getting at. â€Å"Do you want a ride to Seattle?† â€Å"With who?† I asked, mystified. â€Å"Myself, obviously.† He enunciated every syllable, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped. I was still stunned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it.† â€Å"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern.† I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger. â€Å"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?† He matched my pace again. â€Å"I don't see how that is any of your business.† Stupid, shiny Volvo owner. â€Å"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business.† â€Å"Honestly, Edward.† I felt a thrill go through me as I said his name, and I hated it. â€Å"I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend.† â€Å"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be.† â€Å"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up.† Heavy sarcasm. I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I could more easily look at his face. Which certainly didn't help my clarity of thought. â€Å"It would be more†¦ prudent for you not to be my friend,† he explained. â€Å"But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.† His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe. â€Å"Will you go with me to Seattle?† he asked, still intense. I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded. He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious. â€Å"You really should stay away from me,† he warned. â€Å"I'll see you in class.† He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Jacobean Reading of King Lear Essay

King Lear was written around 1603-06. A contextualised political reading interprets King Lear as a drama that gives expression to crucial political and social issues of its time: the hierarchy of the Jacobean state, King James’ belief in his divine right to rule, and the political anxieties that characterised the end of Queen Elizabeth’s reign: fears of civil war and division of the kingdom triggered by growth of conflicting fractions and a threatening underclass. Like all writers, Shakespeare reflected the world he knew. The ancient Britain the pseudo-historical Lear lived in contained anachronistic references to aspects of Jacobean life, such as eel pies and toasted cheese. Kent calls Oswald a ‘base football player’, evoking the class assumptions of the times. More significantly, King Lear reveals the conditions and preoccupations of Jacobean England in terms of politics, social change, justice, religion, madness, and the natural order. Politics Watching the play, Jacobean audiences would detect many resonances with their own socio-political climate: troubled and uncertain times as Elizabeth’s reign draws to a close and James ascends the throne – as the Tudor dynasty gave way to the Stuarts. Poverty, food shortages and unemployment were commonplace; Bedlam beggars were troublesome, roaming the countryside pleading for charity. These social features are explored by Shakespeare via Lear’s madness and the character of Edgar-turned-poor-Tom. The Cordelia-led French invasion may have sparked memory of the Spanish Armada of 1588. Lear’s character contains parallels to King James’s. James, like Lear, believed in his own divine right to rule, and deemed it blasphemous to question the King’s action. The divine right of the King was the prevailing sentiment reinforced by law, and Lear’s unwitting decision to abdicate  ruptures the divine and natural order Shakespeare makes subtle allusions to James’ profligate behaviour – which held significance for Jacobean audiences. James had proved susceptible to the flattery of ambitious courtiers. Lear’s belated recognition of the conventions, flatteries, and corruptions by which he has long been deceived provides sharp reminder to James that a king is only man like other, subject to the same human frailties: â€Å"they told me I was everything; ’tis a lie, I am not ague-proof.† James, with his intention to unite England and Scotland, would have welcomed the play as a validation of his unionist views. The doomed Lear shown to have â€Å"divided in three our kingdom†; this brusque cutting-up of a kingdom would have appalled the audience (who would share Kent’s horror), warning against partitioning of a state. Monarchs have a sacred duty to keep their kingdom intact, it was a sin to abdicate or divide their country. The divided coronet is a striking visual image, symbolising the political dysfunction, chaos, civil war and personal tragedy that follows the division of the kingdom. Social Change Both Lear and James rules societies characterised by its distinct hierarchical order – but also in the process of social change. A stable feudal society wit its strong allegiances and rigid hierarchy had crumbled in the wake of new scientific discoveries and global exploration. Increasing wealth from commerce fostered new ideas about value and status, as James made social mobility a reality with the selling of knighthoods for cash. A prosperous commercial gentry challenged the King’s power and divided the aristocracy, giving rise to difference political fractions – reflect in the rivalry between Albany and Cornwall. Newly acquired power and property gave rise to a new kind of individual – those who felt no obligation to the old feudal loyalties, filled with the spirit of radical individualism, driven by self-interest. Edmund,  Gloucester’s unscrupulous illegitimate son, refuses to â€Å"stand in the plague of custom† and seeks to thrive by his own cunning – mocking the superstitious beliefs of his father (an upholder of the old feudal loyalty to the king). Another is the corrupt, self-serving Oswald, who is ridiculed by the nobleman Kent. But he represents the emerging class of thrusting individualists in Jacobean England, motivated by self-interest, not loyalty to the traditional order. In their acquisitiveness, Goneril, Regan and Edmund flaunt the â€Å"offices of nature, bonds of childhood, effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude† within the old order of human relationships. Social Preoccupations/Values: How Jacobeans would have responded to these themes/motifs Justice – King Lear reflects the passionate interest of the Jacobeans in justice – both process of law (human justice) and justice meted out by gods (divine justice). The play’s many trials would strike a familiar chord in its contemporaries. There are five trials: 1. Love trial 2. Trial of Kent, whose bluntness earns him instant punishment 3. Improper trial of Gloucester by Cornwall and Regan 4. Lear’s hallucinated ‘mock trial’ of Goneril and Regan 5. Trial by combat where Edmund is destroyed. In each case, the play raises questions as to whether justice has been done. In his madness, Lear becomes obsessed with bringing his daughters to justice, while losing faith in human justice, asking â€Å"which is the justice,  which is the thief?† He reveals the inherent hypocrisy in judgement itself as he imagines a beadle (Jacobean figure of legal authority) punishing a whore despite how he â€Å"hotly lusts to use her in that kind for which thou whippst her†. The concluding lines â€Å"through tattered clothes great vices do appear: Robes and furred gowns hide all† – is a damning indictment of human justice, where possession of power is more important than fairness, where the fallibility of judgement present itself as a searing criticism of Jacobean society. Divine justice, although unmotivated by tangible influences, is equivocal – and their effects equally devastating. Although Albany claims Cornwall’s deserved disgrace of being killed by a servant as proof of divine justice, the death of Cordelia is a bolt from a sky cleared by the vanished storm, demonstrating that there’s no simple scheme of rewards or punishments, earthly or divine. Both are equally wanton, confirming the bleak views of human predicament expressed in â€Å"like flies to wanton boys are we to th’gods; They kill us for their sport†. Religion – Adapted from old play: King Leir, which is pre-Christian. Shakespeare gave his play a pagan setting, which allowed greater freedom for him to present ticklish theological issues, in particular the question of providence, without falling foul of the strict Jacobean censorship. Jacobeans would be shocked by the image of a son assisting his father to attempt suicide, which is a sin. Audience may detect the Christian theme of a journey through pain, suffering and humiliation to love, forgiveness and wisdom. There are obvious biblical echoes, like as Cordelia’s â€Å"O dear father, / It is thy business that I go about†, and the apocalyptic nature of the storm. Thus, its bleak, almost sadistic ending diverges from Jacobean expectation. It doesn’t fit the tragedy trajectory that moves from order to disorder and eventual restoration and fulfilment – Hence, a modified version by Tate containing a happy ending had replaced Shakespeare’s original on the stage for few centuries. Madness – Jacobeans’ attitudes to madness were harsh and unsympathetic (bedlam beggars were believed to be possessed by devils). They may have been startled by the proliferation of madness within the empowered individuals of society: Lear’s madness is that of a selfish, autocratic old man whose will is thwarted, whose moral blindness, misjudgements and lack of understanding of himself and others inevitably lead to breakdown: â€Å"O Fool, I shall go mad† Cornwall and Regan seem to become mad in their obsession with Gloucester’s punishment. Gloucester thinks it better to be ‘distract’ and lose his sorrow in ‘wrong imaginations’. He views madness as a privilege, bestowing innocence upon the insane person. Ironically, the madness of Poor Tom, and archetypal image of insanity, is put on. The Fool’s ‘madness’ is professional, witty, exposing the weakness and folly of his ‘reasonable’ superiors. Human madness is reflected as disturbance in nature and society. Lear’s inner torment is externalised by the violent storm. Lear’s tearing up of the kingdom is political madness, kindling a storm of social frenzy that precipitates cruelty, blindness, madness and death. These incidences of madness demonstrate the vulnerability of those in whom we entrust power, and thus how fragile the fabric of Jacobean society was. The Natural Order – Jacobeans would have viewed the play, especially its characters, through notions of what’s ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ instilled into them by their paradigm. This paradigm advocates hierarchical order enforced by God – with King fixed at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy, and the father at the family’s – both charged with the duty to maintain their state in harmony. The perversions that occur to this order are unnatural: Lear’s division of the kingdom according to daughters’ protestation of love violates a monarch’s duty to keep his kingdom unified. This act allows evil to breed, resulting in personal and social madness in the form of suffering, civil war, self-destruction. Children revoking their filial duty also violate natural order. Being female, Goneril and Regan’s usurping of the patriarchal status quo induce particular shock and horror in Jacobeans. Their self-destruction is expected repercussion of their double felony against the natural order. A Jacobean reading interprets King Lear as a vivid social portrait, featuring aspects of social conditions, depicting social change, and voicing the beliefs of its contemporary audience. Its story teaches a moral lesson against the shirking of responsibility and division of one’s state. Its characters represent social groups- their actions and interactions parallel the ebb and flow of social forces.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Diary entry on a Homeless person Essays

Diary entry on a Homeless person Essays Diary entry on a Homeless person Paper Diary entry on a Homeless person Paper It was another cold, damp night. I sat under the bridge listening and hearing every noise. I could her animals and people muttering in the dark misty night. The wind was getting fiercer now, whistling between trees as it started picking up the leaves of the floor. The stars in the sky were brighter then usual, they were shining and twinkling in the clear black sky. It was like glitter on a black piece of paper. Time was going very slow, I didnt know how to pass time. It was starting to get very cold now, so I curled up into a ball to make sure I stayed warm. As I lay there my mind blank my eyelids started to get heavier and heavier and before a realised I fell into a deep sleep. I woke up in a king size bed; I looked up at the ceiling and smelt burnt toast. It can only have been the misses again as she was late for work. I herd the door slam; the car start and she had gone. We were really happy together, but I dont know what happened, weve been arguing a lot lately and I dont know why. She always wants her own way in life, and she thinks that everybody else is wrong and shes always right. We have been ignoring each other for the past 6 weeks; it was getting out of hand. She always said she is going to move about but I dont know what will happen. I threw my head back on to the pillow and dozed tried to get back to sleep, but it was no use so I got up and did my usual routine. This was to wake up get ready for work and come home and go back to sleep, but todays routine was different everything went as normal so far but when I came home, nothing was there everything had gone such as the furniture and the nearly everything else. There were only two things left. One chair which had a broken leg and a little note on it, saying leave house by 7pm new owners moving in. I walked straight out didnt even lock the door behind my and went to my best m8es house, but he didnt even want to know me. Even my own brother he said nothing nobody wanted to know me at all. Since all my money was in my wifes account I had nothing I even got the sack from my job since I had no home. Next morning I was woken by the community around me, who were on their way to work. Cars zooming past and leaving the horrible whiff of petrol behind polluting the air. I still lay on the floor, not wanting to face his miserable day. At the end I had to get up as my stomach started to churn and grind inside me I was feeling quite hungry. I slowly leaned against the cold rough surfaced wall, and made my way on my feet. I walked on and on until I herd many cars, people making noises in the distance. I was getting closer to the main area of the town. As I approached these smartly dressed people in their flash cars I felt myself sinking inside, as thought I am not welcome here. I slowed my stride and now walking slowly, I looked around to see the others around me. As I walked along the hard surface I could feel the floor, as there was a hole at the bottom of my shoe, it was wet from the little showers last night. I slowly walked on the side of the pavement grazing my wall by accident it was really stinging and I could feel it really starting to burn. I pulled a scruffy white bandage out of my pocket and warped it around my arm. My stomach still churning and grinding I was after some food. I digged my hands deep into my pocket and o only found a couple of pounds as there was once again a hole in my pocket. As I looked up again to see where I was walking I realised I came the centre of attention. I felt a shiver go down my back. Nearly evry1 around me started at me as I went past. I felt scared and angry, angry because people shouldnt stare its rude and scared because I thought they were going to hit me or shout. I quickly scurried past like a mouse tying to avoid a cat, and went into an Asian takeaway. I bought some food and as it was a Wednesday I set of to do my lottery, I did this only once a month, as I couldnt afford it. It was nearly early afternoon and I smarted my self up before I entered the shop and walked up to the counter. I had my lottery numbers and I passed it to the cashier and she grabbed the ticket right from the corner as though it had a disease on it. She kept looking at me from the corner of her eye, thinking I was going to steal something. As soon as I got my ticket I walked straight out of the shop and by now it was spitting so I went to the bridge I lay last night and snuggled up. It was boring sitting there but it I couldnt do anything else as by now it was totally chucking it down. I was just staring into mid air and herd the town clock ring and then a further 8 bells after that. This meant it was 8 oclock. Then I remembered the lottery ticket. I quickly got up, put my jacket over my head and walked on towards one of the TV shops. I walked in the rain it was coming down really fast my jacket was dripping; it must have soaked enough water to fill a pint glass. I quickly walked on it was only around the corner. As I walked faster the rain seemed to get heavier and heavier I couldnt see anything in front. It felt as though my eye sight was getting blurry I nothing was coming out clear bang! I hit something I fell to the ground. My head was thumping as though it was about to burst. The rain trickled from the end of my nose as I lay there it felt as though it was a dream. I shuck my head a couple of time then realised. I jumped to my feet and walked towards the window of the shop. As I looked at the TV then to my ticket several times I realised nothing had changed I didnt win anything it all, my head started throbbing even more now. I felt really lonely didnt care about nothing I just wanted to win really badly. I walked slowly towards the bridge not bothered about anything just really disappointed. As I made my way to my shelter I stamped through puddles make my feet wet and my cloths. The rain was stopping now and I could see the sun peeping out from the clouds. I could even see a rainbow in the distance. As soon as I got to the bridge, I slumped my self down onto the floor. I leaned against the wall whilst I could see little raindrops falling from the top. All the little birds had sat in the corners using it as a shelter too, so I wasnt alone. I lay there my head still throbbing, my mind blank. Time was ticking by so slowly; I didnt know what I could do. I then started to think how long could I last like this living on the streets. It was getting darker very minute now and was getting really tired. I found a blanket next to me, which I covered myself in and eventually I fell asleep. Another day was over.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Veldt

In America today, people usually have simple lives. There have been many inventions in the past century that help us live our everyday life. In the story, â€Å"The Veldt†, there are inventions that seem unimaginable just as a dishwasher might have been inconceivable a century ago. Americans are also â€Å"big† on trying to make raising children easier on parents. It almost seems as if our goal as Americans is to make life easier. â€Å"The Veldt† shows that simplicity in life does not necessarily make life easier. I think that the situation in â€Å"The Veldt† is slowly evolving in today’s world. Soon, humans will have the knowledge and technology to own a house that will act as a â€Å"wife and mother now and nursemaid† (Bradbury, p.199). The house in â€Å"The Veldt† is actually a character. The house sweeps the floors, does the laundry, cooks the food, sets the table, brushes teeth and hair, ties shoes, and bathes its occupants. The children growing up in this house are completely spoiled. How can these children learn responsibility if they don’t even have to clean up after themselves? Even though there is no house such as this currently in existence, children today are becoming more and more lazy. Young people in America today don’t understand how easy they have life. Children are always complaining about having to do dishes or cleaning the house, but these actions help build character and prepare for their lives as adults. Wendy and Peter probably don’t even know how to tie their own sho! es because they have a machine that has always tied shoes for them. Peter is so spoiled he is complaining about having to do simple things that we do everyday. â€Å"That sounds dreadful! Would I have to tie my own shoes instead of letting the shoe tier do it? And brush my own teeth and comb my own hair and give myself a bath†, asks Peter when his father threatens to turn off the house. When this child becomes an adult, he w... Free Essays on The Veldt Free Essays on The Veldt In America today, people usually have simple lives. There have been many inventions in the past century that help us live our everyday life. In the story, â€Å"The Veldt†, there are inventions that seem unimaginable just as a dishwasher might have been inconceivable a century ago. Americans are also â€Å"big† on trying to make raising children easier on parents. It almost seems as if our goal as Americans is to make life easier. â€Å"The Veldt† shows that simplicity in life does not necessarily make life easier. I think that the situation in â€Å"The Veldt† is slowly evolving in today’s world. Soon, humans will have the knowledge and technology to own a house that will act as a â€Å"wife and mother now and nursemaid† (Bradbury, p.199). The house in â€Å"The Veldt† is actually a character. The house sweeps the floors, does the laundry, cooks the food, sets the table, brushes teeth and hair, ties shoes, and bathes its occupants. The children growing up in this house are completely spoiled. How can these children learn responsibility if they don’t even have to clean up after themselves? Even though there is no house such as this currently in existence, children today are becoming more and more lazy. Young people in America today don’t understand how easy they have life. Children are always complaining about having to do dishes or cleaning the house, but these actions help build character and prepare for their lives as adults. Wendy and Peter probably don’t even know how to tie their own sho! es because they have a machine that has always tied shoes for them. Peter is so spoiled he is complaining about having to do simple things that we do everyday. â€Å"That sounds dreadful! Would I have to tie my own shoes instead of letting the shoe tier do it? And brush my own teeth and comb my own hair and give myself a bath†, asks Peter when his father threatens to turn off the house. When this child becomes an adult, he w... Free Essays on The Veldt The Veldt The story The Veldt touches on a lot of topics that are happening right before out eyes in today’s society. Although they may not be as extreme as the Veldt, there are similarities that we can closely relate to. Ray Bradbury’s attempt to foresee the future of where our society was heading was closer than anyone could imagine in his era. He predicts our society becoming so dependant on technology that will forget how to do the simplest things and eventually the technology that we have created will overcome us. The way that Mr. Bradbury describes the lifestyle that the Hadley’s have is exactly what we as a society are looking for now. We all want to make things a little easier for ourselves, but are we going to far? Precooked meals, electronic toothbrushes, dishwashers, videogame systems, and remote control vacuum cleaners are making. These are the things that are becoming the norm in our society. We are all becoming dependant on technology to do many things for us. Even go as far to occupy our children so we don’t have to deal with them that extra hour of the day. This is not a healthy lifestyle that we are heading towards. Our society is becoming increasingly overweight and out of shape. What kind of examples are we setting for the next generation, is it going to turn on us in the end? The children Peter and Wendy in The Veldt have become so accustomed to a lifestyle that requires them to do nothing but breathe and eat. I know that this is an exaggeration of what is, but throughout this story they seem to be the ones in charge with no boundaries or discipline in their lives. George and Lydia Hadley thought that by giving Peter and Wendy what they wanted growing up in their lives would enrich their lives. â€Å"Nothing is too good for my children† George stated. But is having everything besides human/parental interaction and involvement really the â€Å"best† thing? George and Lydia soon learn that...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Biography of Kerry James Marshall, Contemporary Artist

Biography of Kerry James Marshall, Contemporary Artist Kerry James Marshall (born October 17, 1955) is a prominent contemporary African-American artist. He broke ground for black artists by rising to the upper echelon of the art world while remaining steadfastly dedicated to presenting work that explores the black experience in America. His experience growing up in the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles profoundly influenced his art. Fast Facts: Kerry James Marshall Occupation: ArtistBorn: October 17, 1955 in Birmingham, AlabamaEducation: Otis College of Art and DesignSelected Works: Voyager (1992), Many Mansions (1994), Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of His Master (2011)Notable Quote: One of the reasons I paint black people is because I am a black person. Early Life and Career Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Kerry James Marshall moved with his family to the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles as a young child. He grew up surrounded by the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s. He was an eyewitness to the Watts riots that occurred in August 1965. As a teenager, Kerry James Marshall took part in a summer drawing class at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles after a teacher nominated him for inclusion. There, he was shown the studio of artist Charles White who later became his instructor and mentor. Kerry James Marshall enrolled as a full-time student at the Otis Art Institute in 1977 and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978. He moved to Chicago in 1987 after completing a residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City. Marshall began teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1993, and he earned a genius grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1997. History as Subject Matter Many of Kerry James Marshalls works reference events from American history as primary subject matter. One of the most prominent is 1992s Voyager. The boat featured in the painting is named Wanderer. It references the story of the former yacht that was the last ship to bring a large number of African slaves to America. In violation of a 50-year-old law prohibiting the importation of slaves, the Wanderer arrived at Jekyll Island in Georgia in 1858 with over 400 slaves on board. It was the final event in the history of the African slave trade in America. In 2011, Marshall painted Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of His Master. It is a nearly full-length portrait in the manner of traditional portraiture, but the grisly image of a man slaughtered in his sleep lying behind Nat Turner is chilling. The historical event referenced is the two-day slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1831. Housing Projects In 1994, Kerry James Marshall painted a series titled The Garden Project. He depicts life in public housing projects in the U.S. inspired by his own experience living in Nickerson Gardens, a 1,066-unit apartment complex in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. His paintings in the series explore the dichotomy between the imagery evoked by the names of the projects using the word Gardens and the reality of harsh life in public housing. It is a metaphor for the lives of African-Americans in contemporary America. One of the key pieces is 1994s Many Mansions. It shows three black men in formal clothing performing the manual labor of planting flowers for a housing project. Their depiction is at the center of Marshalls juxtaposition of the ideal evoked by the concept of a public housing project with the reality of the residents experiences. Another painting in the series, Better Homes, Better Gardens, shows an idyllic young black couple strolling through a brick housing project. The inspiration for this piece is Chicagos Wentworth Gardens. It is notorious for a history of gang violence and drug problems. Concept of Beauty Another frequent subject of Kerry James Marshalls work is the concept of beauty. The people depicted in Marshalls paintings usually have very dark, almost flat black, skin. He explained to interviewers that he created the extreme to specifically draw attention to the distinctive appearance of black Americans. In a series of 1994 paintings of models, Marshall depicts male and female black models. The male model is shown against a mostly white background that emphasizes the blackness of his skin. He is lifting his shirt to presumably share the power of his physique with viewers. He painted a topless female black model with the names Linda, Cindy, and Naomi inscribed in the upper right. They are the iconic supermodels Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell. In another model painting, Marshall juxtaposed the image of the female black models face with those of blonde white models. Mastry In 2016, Kerry James Marshalls work was the subject of the historically significant retrospective Mastry at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The exhibition covered 35 years of Marshalls work with nearly 80 pieces displayed. It was an unprecedented celebration of the work of an African-American artist. In addition to its overt celebration of the black experience in America, many observers saw Kerry James Marshalls work as a reaction to the movement of much of the art establishment away from traditional painting. Unlike celebrated experiments in minimalist and conceptual art, Marshall creates his works with an eye toward arranging his subject matter in ways that stretch back to the traditions of art from the Renaissance era. Kerry James Marshall has explained that he is more interested in being a painter than creating art. When the Mastry exhibition traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Kerry James Marshall selected 40 works from the museums permanent collection that he particularly valued as inspiration. The exhibit within an exhibit was titled Kerry James Marshall Selects. Public Works Controversy In 2018, Kerry James Marshalls paintings made headlines in two controversies over the value of public art contrasted with the benefit of public services that could be provided with money earned from sales of the art. In May, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority of Chicago sold the monumental piece Past Times to rap artist and entrepreneur Sean Combs for $21 million. The original purchase price was $25,000. The piece previously hung in the McCormick Place convention center on public display. The money earned from the auction provided a windfall to the budget of the public agency. Even more controversial was the announcement by Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel that the city would sell the 1995 Kerry James Marshall painting Knowledge and Wonder. It hung on the wall in one of the citys public library branches. Commissioned for $10,000, experts pegged the value of the painting at somewhere near $10 million. Emmanuel planned to use the funds from the sale to expand and upgrade a branch of the library on the citys west side. After intense criticism from the public and the artist himself, the city withdrew plans to sell the work in November 2018. Source Tate, Greg, Charles Gaines, and Laurence Rassel. Kerry James Marshall. Phaidon, 2017.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Development of Rural Economy Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Development of Rural Economy - Thesis Example Economic growth is believed to be evenly distributed when it helps both the rural and urban areas of a country. In this, the economy of USA is taken as model for development that could be used by Australia and Iraq to develop their rural side. It is believed that although Australia and Iraq are among the richest nations of the world but they have failed to develop their rural areas and there is large disparity of income and standard of living between people of rural and urban areas. The paper does not only talk about economic issues related to the lack of growth of rural areas in the countries mentioned above but also talks about the social issues and social changes that are needed to be imposed by the governments of respective nations in their search of achieving balanced economic growth. This paper has also suggested a new theory of rural vs. urban trade-off to explain how investment could result in growing both the rural and urban areas of any economy. Economic growth is a field of Development Economics that shows the growth in GDP or annual out of a economy over a period of time which is usually taken as a year. An economy is said to be growing if the output in the current year is greater than the previous year. For example, if the GDP in current is $120, whereas in the previous year it was $100, then one can safely that the economy is growing by 20%. Economists usually prefer diffused growth in the economy rather regional growth. The reason behind this is that region growth leads to disparity between different region of a country and can lead to urbanization and problems that coincide with it. Economic growth is usually brought about by following factors or by the following conditions: Output is growing: This implies that output in the current year should be greater than the output produced in the previous year. Output should be greater than inflation and population growth: Some times price increases also tend to move up the value of output. However, any value increase of GDP due to inflation is not considered as an economic growth of a country. Economic growth occurs when there is physical increase in the quantity of goods and this increase should also be greater than increase in population growth for an economy to grow. United States of America meets these conditions better than Iraq and Australia and that is why American economy has grown so much relative to these economies. Labor Productivity increases: If Labor productivity increase, they will be able to produce more output in the given production hours. This will result in economic growth of an economy and the United States of America is a prime example of this. Investment in Capital Goods: More capital means that the economy

Friday, October 18, 2019

Role of Barriers and Technology in Globalization Essay

Role of Barriers and Technology in Globalization - Essay Example The gradual reduction of these barriers has helped lead to the process of globalization by allowing for a more free flow goods & services across boundaries. However, according to Micklethwait and Wooldridge (2003) the reduction of barriers is not an easy process. Often times it requires the passing of serious legislation and laws over long periods of time. From this perspective one could argue that globalization does not occur in leaps and bounds, rather it is a slow and arduous process insofar as there is not one moment that could be pinpointed as the catalyst for globalization. Moreover, the process requires a great deal of goodwill from nations to help ensure that nations remain in good standing with each other, such as the U.S. passing of the Mashall plan to help build Europe as a strong trading partner. Another major contributing factor of globalization is the role of technology. Much like the reduction of trade barriers there is no one single source of technological innovation that is the sole contributor of globalization. Rather it is a series of several new technologies that contribute to globalization. One of the major new technologies is improved communication channels. By having access to telephones, fax machines, email, the internet, instant messaging, mobile telephone devices etc., there comes an increased transparency.

Fingerprinting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fingerprinting - Essay Example The use of fingerprints is primarily important in identification of criminals in forensic sciences who has to have their fingerprints saved in the criminals database, but the drawback is the crime's scene prints distortion and difficulty in retrieval. Fingerprints are also an important asset to highly secure companies and banking systems. Such identifications with many others such as eye scan and voice recognition are used to verify a person's identity and cross-reference him. Finger Identification can be used on a more sophisticated level of security as mentioned by Tom Gillespie 2005; a fingerprint reader used as a switch, a standalone lock that uses a fingerprint instead of a keypad and a security case opened by a fingerprint reader. It is also was a suggested to use those identification marks present on the finger prints to help track kids when they are lost, though some parents do not agree on the principle of using the same technology used for criminals identification. This must not be an issue when the safety of the children is the main concern of all parents. (Lisa P. White) Many scientists came across finger prints discussing their presence and describing them in different manners, and some describing the patterns of them, but it was not till 1880 that Faulds had described their importance as personal identification marks through his studies and research. On 1882 Thompson was the first U.S citizen that has printed his thumb print to ensure ethnicity of a paper. And on 1883 Mark Twain identified the first criminal using fingerprint identification. Types & methods of obtaining finger prints According to Eric Brown, 1990, there are three types of finger prints; visible (also called patent prints), impression (also called plastic prints), and latent prints. All can be obtained but in different methods. Visible can be photographed directly, impression need special lightning to make it visible, latent need special methods to become visible by physical , chemical, and instrumental techniques. Latent finger prints are composed mainly of sweat and other organic compounds like amino acids, glucose, lactic acid, peptides, ammonia, riboflavin, and isoagglutinogens as well as inorganic chemicals like potassium, sodium, carbon trioxide, and chlorine. It is those chemicals that react by one of those techniques to help make the latent finger prints visible. (Eric Brown, 1990) A person with no prints Researchers recently unraveled two diseases that can actually cause a person to be finger print-less. The two diseases are Naegeli syndrome and dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis (DPR) both caused by a defect in the keratin protein number 14. "The defect induces the body to mark cells in the upper layers of the skin for death. As a result, people with these afflictions lack fingerprints.." Those results were published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. (Scientists Unravel Mystery of People with No Fingerprints) Where does finger printing stand in the forensic sciences Finger printing left its impressions in forensic sciences over the years to be a helpful aid to humanity in many aspects. Many crime scene investigators start with this basic information collection as a start to help them have an initial starting point to their investigations. Finger printing was the first to

Family Related Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Related Issues - Essay Example The act classifies a parent as either biological, adoptive, step or foster parent or any other individual who took care of the employee when he/she was a child. The act further recognizes a son or daughter by biological means, adoption, foster, stepchild or legal ward child. The act does not imply that for a person to qualify leave under FMLA, to cater for his parent that the parent must have cared for the workers when he/she was a child (Effland & Kelly, 2009). The act recognizes a natal father as a parent even if the person did not bring up the child. A person also qualifies as a parent if the brought up the child, but they are not the biological parent. Tony was, therefore, qualified for the leave he had requested. It did not matter whether his biological father took care of him as a child; he qualifies as a parent. Q2. Explain whether the size of the business can have any effect on whether Tony is eligible for family leave under the FMLA According to FMLA, an eligible employee is an employee of a covered employer who has been in employment for a minimum of 12 months and has worked for a minimum of 1,250 hours during the 12-month period (ECFR, 2012). The employee also needs to be in employment at a worksite where the company sustains a staff of 50 or more on the payroll, and are within 75 miles of the worksite. The act does not discriminate on whether a person works part time or full time; as long as they have worked for the hours specified. For casual laborers, 52 weeks count as 12 months. The business needs to have at least 50 workers within 75 miles of the work site. The work site may be a single location or a variety of locations. Separate buildings may pass as one worksite if the buildings are close to each other; serve the same purpose and share staff and equipment. The size of the business may affect whether Tony qualifies for leave. The business need to have, at least, 50 employees in its payroll, whether they are permanent or casual. Herman’s business has over 50 employees, though not all of them are fulltime employees. The size of the business is, therefore, not a valid reason for denying Tony leave; additionally the reason that Harman gives that others will ask for leave if Tony gets leave is also not valid. Q3. Explain whether Herman can or cannot imply that if Tony takes a leave of absence under the FMLA, he may not have a job when he returns Since Tony qualifies for leave under FMLA, Tony has rights to several privileges. On return from leave, Tony should return to his previous post, regarding pay and other terms of employment. The act, however, foresees situations in which a business may restructure in order to accommodate the absence of an employee, or the employer may replace the worker (ECFR, 2012). In such cases, the employer has to reinstate the worker to a position identical to his previous place in terms of pay and terms. The duties must be similar, requiring the same skill, and bearing the same authority a nd responsibilities. The employee is also entitled to any pay increases in salary that happened while on leave; however, in the case of bonuses, it is dependent whether the bonus has ties to any achievement. In such a case, the employee will be under evaluation for qualification for the bonus. The only exemption from fulfilling these requirements is concerning aspects of the job that are not measurable or tangible. Harman is not justified in threatening to fire Tony

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes Speech or Presentation

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes - Speech or Presentation Example A graphical depiction of the said areas is shown below: Knowing the value of the area B, the area A may also be computed. Instead of integrating the function, it is simpler to subtract the area below the curve from the total area of the rectangle. This results to area A as shown: By comparing the plots of two curves, it can be seen that the area under the curve decreases as the exponent increases. Consequently, the ratio of the two areas also increases. This trend supports the calculated data. This shows that for the section of the curve from x = 0 to 1, the ratio is just equal to the exponent. However, does this conjecture hold true for all ranges? To examine this, we reevaluate the generic function y = xn with various ranges: With a range of 0 to 2 for x, the ratio of the areas remains equal to n. However, only the upper limit has been changed in this particular case. By adjusting the lower limit, a certain area is removed from the rectangle as depicted in the following graph. Again, the resultant ratio is simply equal to the exponent n. In fact, it can be proven that the ratio will remain constant despite any changes in the limit. With a lower limit of a and an upper limit of b, the proof will appear as shown. Now that it is clear that the ratio of the two areas will remain constant, it is possible to extend the analysis to a three-dimensional one by revolving the surface around a specified axis. First, we will investigate the effects of a revolution around the x-axis. Since the area being revolved is that of B, the resulting volume is taken by evaluating the previous expression. The radius in such a case would be equivalent to y or generally xn. Using this, the volume can be determined in a straightforward manner. The remaining volume is that of the revolution of surface A. However, instead of integrating, it is

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

See attachment Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See attachment - Movie Review Example We are led slowly into the past. For an American audience, this is especially useful, as Sophie’s story is a trans-Atlantic one that takes place in both Europe and America. This deeply personal focus is another way in which this film differs from other miniseries. Part of the success of this focus comes from Meryl Streep’s performance. The film is virtually unimaginable without her presence. She manages to bring to life the central heroine. This deeply personal story of a woman and her choice sets this film apart from other miniseries. One of the most striking aspects of the cinematography focusing on the Holocaust is that it is in black and white. The colour is sapped from this world. Sophie, whose lips are usually red, has virtually no colour in her face in these scenes. She is living in a nightmare of death and despair, from which there is no real exit. The filmmakers are very careful to create this sense of claustrophobia, and it is very effective. Rather than show huge acts of violence, the filmmakers are content to let much of this happen off screen. The filmmakers also film a lot of scenes indoors, with Stingo, Nathan, and Sophie all very close together. This indicates how trapped each of them is in the worlds they have created for themselves. It is a curious and effective trick. Each of the choices that the characters make—when to act and how to act—have limited their lives in some way. The filmmakers communicate this by filming scenes indoors and in small rooms. There is also a theatrical element to the acting—especially Kevin Kline’s performance as Nathan. It is almost as if he is always on stage. This is an interesting choice in direction as it suggests that Nathan is a man who has dramatized himself. Perhaps he only wants to be with Sophie because of the sense of drama that she offers to him. Like

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes Speech or Presentation

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes - Speech or Presentation Example A graphical depiction of the said areas is shown below: Knowing the value of the area B, the area A may also be computed. Instead of integrating the function, it is simpler to subtract the area below the curve from the total area of the rectangle. This results to area A as shown: By comparing the plots of two curves, it can be seen that the area under the curve decreases as the exponent increases. Consequently, the ratio of the two areas also increases. This trend supports the calculated data. This shows that for the section of the curve from x = 0 to 1, the ratio is just equal to the exponent. However, does this conjecture hold true for all ranges? To examine this, we reevaluate the generic function y = xn with various ranges: With a range of 0 to 2 for x, the ratio of the areas remains equal to n. However, only the upper limit has been changed in this particular case. By adjusting the lower limit, a certain area is removed from the rectangle as depicted in the following graph. Again, the resultant ratio is simply equal to the exponent n. In fact, it can be proven that the ratio will remain constant despite any changes in the limit. With a lower limit of a and an upper limit of b, the proof will appear as shown. Now that it is clear that the ratio of the two areas will remain constant, it is possible to extend the analysis to a three-dimensional one by revolving the surface around a specified axis. First, we will investigate the effects of a revolution around the x-axis. Since the area being revolved is that of B, the resulting volume is taken by evaluating the previous expression. The radius in such a case would be equivalent to y or generally xn. Using this, the volume can be determined in a straightforward manner. The remaining volume is that of the revolution of surface A. However, instead of integrating, it is

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Captain My Captain by Walt Whitman Essay Example for Free

Captain My Captain by Walt Whitman Essay This poem filled my mind with great memories snd make think of my loved ones who are now Angels. I am still feeling the connection. In my opinion, I can say that peopleare physically dead be we can keep them in our mind alive as long as we want them to be part of our lives. Father and I had different character. We had the same interest such as reading, watching news, assisting on conference-debates. We had the same taste but we were hardly shared our opinion. This was because of me, I was very shy when I was a teenager. That makes our relationship† very special† and I miss it deeply. We did many things together that help us to become good friend such as driving. When I was 19 year old, my captain taught to drive and new situations always make me bit nervous, and my first drive was no exception. Things were not quite easy for me, but my captain was very patient. This driving session brought us very close to each other because I could not avoid him like I used to do before. I had at least 6 hours a week for my driving lesson. My late father there for me every time I needed him. When I started the University, he was driving me to school like a little girl who starts a kindergarden. I was not the only child in the house but I was so special. Life then was stress free because everything has been taking care of me. My only sadness is that my son will never meet his grandfather spending time together, playing around, but I know even from Heaven he is watching over us. He is now my angel and he is very proud of me because I am following his paths.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Determining the Success of a Project

Determining the Success of a Project Success has always been the ultimate goal of every type of project. Many specialists in the field have performed extensive researches in an attempt to try and define what projects success is. Judging the success of a project is rather an elusive concept since most projects we hear may be a failure to one set of stakeholders while others may consider it to be a success. This article makes an attempt to define success in projects based on the work of experts in this field of study. Introduction A project can be defined as a unique venture with a beginning and an end conducted by people to meet established goals within a parameter of cost reduced and quality increased (Field Keller, P.2). furthermore a project has the following characteristics such as specific objectives, required resources, have a budget and schedule, and requires effort of community, measures quality and finally functions within a life cycle. On the contrary, project management can be defined as the way of controlling the success of the project objectives, by the use of existing managerial structure and capital to manage the project by linking a compilation of tools and skill without interrupting the regular function of a company. The word success is a fascinating word as its is known universally and is broad in character; defining it is not easy, because if asked from different individuals its meaning would change according their perceptions. Project success can be considered as one of the indistinct concepts of project management. Since each stakeholder of a project has different needs and expectations, it is common to anticipate them defining project success in their own way of understanding (Cleland Ireland, 2004, p2). The Sydney Opera House project is a typical example of how different stakeholders have different perspectives of a project. The Opera house (Thomsett, 2002) took 4 times more of the original time to finish and its cost went 16 times over budget. But the final impact the Opera House created was so immense it simply made people overlook the projects original unmet goals. The project was a huge hit for the general public even though it was considered as a failure in the view of project management. On the contrary, the construction of the Millennium Dome in London was a project that was completed on time and on budget but the British public considered it a failure because it didnt deliver the glamour that it was originally expected to make (Cammack, 2005). Since there is widespread variance of opinions in the study of success in projects, many learned writers seem to have given diverse views on this topic based on extensive research and surveys. Their works differentiate among project success, project success criteria and project success factors. Project success Jugdev and Muller (2005) in their article pointed out that in order to identify what success means in a project framework is like obtaining consensus from a group of individuals on the explanation of Good Art. Project success is a subject matter that is commonly talked about and yet very hardly settled upon (Baccarini, 1999). Commonly, the attitudes on project success have developed gradually over the years from simple explanations that were restricted to the implementation phase of the project life cycle to explanations that reflect gratitude of success over the whole project and product life cycle (Jugdev and Muller, 2005). Cleland (1986) suggested that project success is significant only if measured from two vantage points: the extent to which the projects technical performance objective was accomplished on time and within budget; the contribution that the project made to the strategic mission of the organization. According to Pinto Slevin (1988) in their research after sampling over 650 project managers concluded that, Project Success is something difficult than just meeting cost, time, and performance specifications. As a matter of fact, clients contentment with the final result has a great deal to do with the perceived success or collapse of projects. Baccarini (1999) discovered two different components of project success: Project Management Success This concentrates upon the project process and specially the successful achievement of cost, time, and quality. Also the way in which the project management process was performed will be considered. Product Success This deals with the effects of the projects final product. A clear difference should be made between product success and project management success, in order to properly identify and evaluate project management success and product success, as they are differ from each other. According to Baccarini (1999), Project success can be summarized as Project success = project management success + project product success With this definition in mind, it is also important to comprehend what measures enable us to judge whether a project is successful or not. These measures are termed as Project success criteria. Project success criteria Crawfords (2002) view is that project success is an important project management issue and also in discussions, a frequently discussed topic is, it is difficult to find an agreement on the criteria by which success is judged. (Pinto and Slevin 1988; Freeman and Beale 1992; Shenhar, Levy, and Dvir 1997; Baccarini 1999). A study of literature also reveals that a greater level of agreement with the definitions given by Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1988) that project success is a subject of perception and it is considered to be an overall success if the project meets requirements such as technical performance specifications, mission to be performed. It also needs a high degree of satisfaction about the project results among the key people of the project team and the key users of the project effort The renowned and famous criteria to measure project success have been known as Golden Triangle or Iron Triangle. Hence Cost, time and qulity is referd to as the central criteria of the Golden Triangle (Atkinson, 1999, p338). Atkinson continues that this method of measuring project success have not been changed or developed in almost fifty years (1999, p338). According to Stuckenbruck (1986), assessment on project success should be done by different stakeholder groups such as customers, managers, employees, stockholders, etc. Thus it was proposed that the criteria for assessing project success should reflect different stakeholder views. Freeman and Beale (1992) presented an appealing example of different perceptions of people. According to their study: An architect may consider success in terms of aesthetic appearance, an engineer in terms of technical competence, an accountant in terms of dollars spent under budget, a human resources manager in terms of employee satisfaction, and chief executive officers rate their success in the stock market. In their study Freeman and Beale (1992) identified and proposed seven main criteria for measuring success of projects. Technical performance Efficiency in project execution Managerial and organizational implications Personal growth Project conclusion Technical innovativeness and business performance Manufacturing feasibility Wideman (1996, p3-4) believes that project success is time dependant and therefore it should be assessed with time taken into consideration. The reason behind time dependency is based on the fact that project success varies with time. Wideman(1996) illustrated four time dependant groups as mentioned below. Internal project objectives efficiency during the project Benefit to customer effectiveness in the short term Direct contribution assessed in the medium term Future opportunity assessed in the long term Shenhar, Dvir and Levy(1997) constructed a universal multidimensional framework that would help in assessing project success. In their methodology, project success is perceived as a strategic management concept where the end result of the project would fit with the strategic direction of a company whom the end result of the project is originally intended to serve. Their study also revealed that project success is time dependant and thus they identified four groups and translated them into measurable criteria. Internal Project Efficiency (Pre-completion) Meeting schedule Completing within budget Other resource constraints met Impact of the Customer (Short term) Meeting functional performance Meeting technical specifications standards Favorable impact on customer, customers gain Fulfilling customers needs Solving customers problem Customer is using product Customer expresses satisfaction Business and Direct Success (Medium term) Immediate business/commercial recognition Immediate revenue profits enhanced Larger market share generated Preparing for the Future (Long term) Will create new opportunities for the future Will position customer competitively Will create new market Will assist in developing new technology Will add/has added capabilities competencies Project success factors As defined by Cooke-Davies Success factors are those inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project or business (Cooke-Davies, 2002, p185). In practice, some project managers instinctively determine their own project success factors. However, most of these factors are not clearly documented, thus are not considered to become a part of formal project management literature or historical project data (Rad Levin, 2002, p18). From the 1980s to 2000 many researchers have attempted to identify success factors for projects. Kerzner (1987), Pinto and Slevin (1987-1989), (Sadeh, Dvir, Shenhar, 2000), Cooke Davis (2002) and Muller and Turner (2005) are among the top researchers who have conducted extensive researches in this area of study. The table below (Table 1) points out critical success factors that were identified by specialists, and were later reviewed and tabulated by Belassi and Tukel (1996). Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1983) Clear goals Goal commitment of project team On-site project manager Adequate funding to completion Adequate project team capability Accurate initial cost estimates Minimum start-up difficulties Planning and control techniques Absence of bureaucracy Lock (1984) Make project commitments known Project authority from the top Appoint competent project manager Set up communications and procedures Set up control mechanisms (schedules, etc.) Progress meetings Cleland and King (1983) Project summary Operational concept Top management support Financial support Logistic requirements Facility support Market intelligence (who is the client) Project schedule Executive development and training Manpower and organization Information and communication channels Project review Pinto and Slevin (1989) Top management support Client consultation Personnel recruitment Technical tasks Client acceptance Monitoring and feedback Communication Trouble-shooting Characteristics of the project team leader Power and politics Environment events Urgency Table 1 Critical success factors tabulated by Belassi and Tukel (1996). Belassi and Tukel (1996) in their study, analyzed the above mentioned success factors and grouped them into four areas. Factors related to the project Factors related to the project managers and the team members Factors related to the organization Factors related to the external environment. It is evident that whatever critical success factors that are known, can be grouped under these four areas identified by Belassi and Tukel (1996). Dvir, Raz, Shenhar (2003) conducted a survey among 100 Israeli defense projects, and their findings pointed out a noteworthy positive connection between the projects success and each of the factors listed below. The amount of effort spent in defining and identifying the goals of the project The functional requirements Technical specifications of the project According to Verma (1995, 1996) communication, leadership and teamwork are essential for efficient management of project human resources and are vital to achieve project objectives successfully. Murray, J.P. (2001) identified nine factors that could drive an IT project into success or failure. Proper senior management commitment to the project Ample amount of project financial support A well defined set of project requirements and specifications Cautious development of a all-inclusive project plan that incorporates enough time and flexibility to foresee and deal with unanticipated difficulties as they arise A proper commitment of time and attention from the client, combined with a enthusiasm to see it through to the end Frank, accurate reporting of the status of the project and of potential complexities as they arise A critical assessment of the risks inherent in the project, and potential harm associated with those risks, and the ability of the project team to manage those risks The development of appropriate contingency plans An objective evaluation of the capability and enthusiasm of the organization to stay on the project course Turner MÃ ¼ller (2004, 2005) conducted studies on the impact of project manager and his/her involvement and leadership style on project success. Turner MÃ ¼ller (2005) believe that past literature on the subject of Project success factors, have ignored the impact of a project manager on project success. However, Turner and Muller (2005, p59) has rather given a contradictive conclusion that the leadership style and competence of the project manager have no impact on project success. In concern to project management, project success also relies on the capability to systematize, coordinate, and support a diverse group functioning towards a common target. Project success factors may differ depending on the type of project. Thus it is important to have a clear idea on what factors drives each type of project toward success. This would enable the project stakeholders to accomplish what they perceive as success. Conclusion In the past it was believed that if a projects completion time exceeds its due date, or expenses overran the budget, or its results did not satisfy a companys preset performance criteria, the project was considered to be a failure. At present it is understood that determining whether a project is a success or failure is far more complex. It is important for a project manager to be aware of what the stakeholders consider as a successful project. In order to avoid any surprises at the end of the project, it is important to identify the different perspectives of what success means before the project begins. It is generally agreed that schedule and budget performance may be considered as insufficient measures of project success however they are still important components of the overall constructs. Quality is interconnected with issues of achievement of functional objectives, specifications and issues of technical performance. It is also understood that a projects success varies with time and varies in the eye of various project stakeholders. Thus, a criteria used to assess project success should be time dependent and should be using multiple perspectives of stakeholders. However, future studies may reveal other successful means of success criteria. As for success factors, they can be generally grouped into four distinct sets. General management literature shows how effective leadership is a success factor in organizations, and has revealed that a proper leadership style can lead to better performance. However studies on leadership in project context are contradicting with this perception. A common factor pointed out by many authors is that senior management support is one of the most important factors that can drive projects toward success or failure. Success factors may vary depending on the project type. In conclusion, early classification of success criteria can ensure a definite view of how the project will be judged and early detection of success factors will assure a safe path to deliver success.