‘Manhunt’ written by Simon Armitage Essay

Introduction: In the poem ‘manhunt’ written by Simon Armitage, the poet uses form, structure and linguistic devices to convey the meaning of the poem. As the title of the poem suggests, the poem is written from the perspective a woman trying to find the person her husband was once, before he got injured. This poem explaines how War can cause Physical, emotional and psychological pain and how that can affect an intimate relationship. Structure: 13 stanzas of couplets each with irregular rhyme and rythm, which emphasises how mixed up and irregular their lives are as a result of the war. Structure: The poet also uses structure effectively to convey the meaning of the poem. As he introduces Different injuries in each couplet. Structure: The reader explores the husband’s body and mind the same way the wife has done. Each stanza consists of only two lines, this could represent how carefully the wife has to be around the husband in order not to hurt him, or to trigger a horrific memory of the past. The repetition of ‘and’ in several stanzas shows that this is an active process and only can the wife try and help her husband a little. The repetition of ‘only then†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ suggests the slow painstaking process of trying to mend his wounds. Language: Armitage uses imagery effectively to portray the meaning of the poem, this is done by the use of metaphors , ‘the damaged, porcelain collar-bone’ this quote is saying how precious his collar bone is, and how breakable it is. The ‘porcelain’ emphasises how fragile her husband is and how careful she has to be around him.The poet cleverly uses a recount style that allows the speaker to reflect on her relationship with her husband. Evidence to support this is when she speaks of â€Å"the frozen river that ran through his face† the use of metaphors is powerful and emotive and highlights her feeling at this time.‘The parachute silk of his punctured lung’ is another metaphor used to describe the man’s injuries. Parachutes are used in military, a punctured parachute will be useless as it will not do its job. This could suggest that the man is now, in this state, no use as he feels nothing, againg going back to ‘the frozen river which ran through his face’ indicating everything has stopped and not moving – he has no emotions. My personal Opinion: In conclusion this poem makes me feel sympathetic because of their situation. A quote to support this is: â€Å"the hurt of his grazed heart† which conveys pain to the reader.

The Host Chapter 58: Finished

I was so tightly wound that I shrieked in terror; I was so terrified that my shriek was only a breathless little squeal. â€Å"Sorry!† Jared's arm went around my shoulders, comforting. â€Å"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"What are you doing here?† I demanded, still breathless. â€Å"Following you. I've been following you all night.† â€Å"Well, stop it now.† There was a hesitation in the dark, and his arm didn't move. I shrugged out from under it, but he caught my wrist. His grip was firm; I wouldn't be able to shake free easily. â€Å"You're going to see Doc?† he asked, and there was no confusion in the question. It was obvious that he wasn't talking about a social visit. â€Å"Of course I am.† I hissed the words so that he wouldn't hear the panic in my voice. â€Å"What else can I do after today? It's not going to get any better. And this isn't Jeb's decision to make.† â€Å"I know. I'm on your side.† It made me angry that these words still had the power to hurt me, to bring tears stinging into my eyes. I tried to hold on to the thought of Ian-he was the anchor, as Kyle somehow had been for Sunny-but it was hard with Jared's hand touching me, with the smell of him in my nose. Like trying to make out the song of one violin when the entire percussion section was bashing away†¦ â€Å"Then let me go, Jared. Go away. I want to be alone.† The words came out fierce and fast and hard. It was easy to hear that they weren't lies. â€Å"I should come with you.† â€Å"You'll have Melanie back soon enough,† I snapped. â€Å"I'm only asking for a few minutes, Jared. Give me that much.† Another pause; his hand didn't loosen. â€Å"Wanda, I would come to be with you.† The tears spilled over. I was grateful for the darkness. â€Å"It wouldn't feel that way,† I whispered. â€Å"So there's no point.† Of course Jared could not be allowed to be there. Only Doc could be trusted. Only he had promised me. And I wasn't leaving this planet. I wasn't going to go live as a Dolphin or a Flower, always grieving for the loves I'd left behind me, all dead by the time I opened my eyes again-if I even had eyes. This was my planet, and they wouldn't make me leave. I would stay in the dirt, in the dark grotto with my friends. A human grave for the human I had become. â€Å"But Wanda, I†¦ There's so much that I need to say to you.† â€Å"I don't want your gratitude, Jared. Trust me on that.† â€Å"What do you want?† he whispered, his voice strained and choked. â€Å"I would give you anything.† â€Å"Take care of my family. Don't let the others kill them.† â€Å"Of course I'll take care of them.† He dismissed my request brusquely. â€Å"I meant you. What can I give you?† â€Å"I can't take anything with me, Jared.† â€Å"Not even a memory, Wanda? What do you want?† I brushed the tears away with my free hand, but others took their place too quickly for it to matter. No, I couldn't take even a memory. â€Å"What can I give you, Wanda?† he insisted. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady. â€Å"Give me a lie, Jared. Tell me you want me to stay.† There was no hesitation this time. His arms wound around me in the dark, held me securely against his chest. He pressed his lips against my forehead, and I felt his breath move my hair when he spoke. Melanie was holding her breath in my head. She was trying to bury herself again, trying to give me my freedom for these last minutes. Maybe she was afraid to listen to these lies. She wouldn't want this memory when I was gone. â€Å"Stay here, Wanda. With us. With me. I don't want you to go. Please. I can't imagine having you gone. I can't see that. I don't know how to†¦ how to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice broke. He was a very good liar. And he must have been very, very sure of me to say those things. I rested against him for a moment, but I could feel the time pulling me away. Time was up. Time was up. â€Å"Thank you,† I whispered, and I tried to extricate myself. His arms tightened. â€Å"I'm not done.† Our faces were only inches apart. He closed the distance, and even here, on the edge of my last breath on this planet, I couldn't help responding. Gasoline and an open flame-we exploded again. It wasn't the same, though. I could feel that. This was for me. It was my name that he gasped when he held this body-and he thought of it as my body, thought of it as me. I could feel the difference. For one moment, it was just us, just Wanderer and Jared, both of us burning. No one had ever lied better than Jared lied with his body in my last minutes, and for that I was grateful. I couldn't take it with me, because I wasn't going anywhere, but it eased some of the pain of leaving. I could believe the lie. I could believe that he would miss me so much that it might even mar some of his joy. I shouldn't want that, but it felt good to believe it anyway. I couldn't ignore the time, the seconds ticking like a countdown. Even on fire, I could feel them dragging at me, sucking me down the dark corridor. Taking me away from all this heat and feeling. I managed to pull my lips away from his. We panted in the dark, our breath warm on each other's faces. â€Å"Thank you,† I said again. â€Å"Wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can't. I can't†¦ bear any more. Okay?† â€Å"Okay,† he whispered. â€Å"I just want one more thing. Let me do this alone. Please?† â€Å"If†¦ if you're sure that's what you want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off, unsure. â€Å"It's what I need, Jared.† â€Å"Then I'll stay here,† he said hoarsely. â€Å"I'll send Doc to get you when it's over.† His arms were still locked around me. â€Å"You know that Ian is going to try to kill me for letting you do this? Maybe I should let him. And Jamie. He'll never forgive either of us.† â€Å"I can't think about them right now. Please. Let me go.† Slowly, with a palpable reluctance that warmed some of the cold emptiness in the center of my body, Jared let his arms slide away. â€Å"I love you, Wanda.† I sighed. â€Å"Thanks, Jared. You know how much I love you. With my whole heart.† Heart and soul. Not the same thing, in my case. I'd been divided too long. It was time to make something whole again, make a whole person. Even if that excluded me. The ticking seconds pulled me toward the end. It was cold when he no longer held me. It got colder every step I took away from him. Just my imagination, of course. It was still summer here. It would always be summer here for me. â€Å"What happens here when it rains, Jared?† I whispered. â€Å"Where do people sleep?† It took him a moment to answer, and I could hear tears in his voice. â€Å"We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He swallowed. â€Å"We all move into the game room. Everyone sleeps in there together.† I nodded to myself. I wondered what the atmosphere would be like. Awkward, with all the conflicting personalities? Or was it fun? A change? Like a slumber party? â€Å"Why?† he whispered. â€Å"I just wanted to†¦ imagine. How it will be.† Life and love would go on. Even though it would happen without me, the idea brought me joy. â€Å"Goodbye, Jared. Mel says she'll see you soon.† Liar. â€Å"Wait†¦ Wanda†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hurried down the tunnel, hurried away from any chance that he might, with his grateful lies, convince me not to go. There was only silence behind me. His pain did not hurt me the way Ian's had. For Jared, pain would be over soon. Joy was only minutes away. The happy ending. The southern tunnel felt only a few yards long. I could see the bright lantern burning ahead, and I knew Doc was waiting for me. I walked into the room that had always frightened me with my shoulders squared. Doc had everything prepared. In the dimmest corner, I could see two cots pushed together, Kyle snoring with his arm around Jodi's motionless form. His other arm was still curled around Sunny's tank. She would have liked that. I wished there was some way to tell her. â€Å"Hey, Doc,† I whispered. He looked up from the table where he was setting out the medicine. There were already tears streaming down his face. And suddenly, I was brave. My heart slowed to an even pace. My breath deepened and relaxed. The hardest parts were over. I had done this before. Many times. I had closed my eyes and gone away. Always knowing new eyes would open again, but still. This was familiar. Nothing to fear. I went to the cot and hopped up so that I was sitting on it. I reached for the No Pain with steady hands and screwed the lid off. I put the little tissue square on my tongue, let it dissolve. There was no change. I wasn't in any pain this time. No physical pain. â€Å"Tell me something, Doc. What's your real name?† I wanted to answer all the little puzzles before the end. Doc sniffed and wiped the back of his hand under his eyes. â€Å"Eustace. It's a family name, and my parents were cruel people.† I laughed once. Then I sighed. â€Å"Jared's waiting, back by the big cave. I promised him you'd tell him when it was over. Just wait until I-until I†¦ stop moving, okay? It will be too late for him to do anything about my decision then.† â€Å"I don't want to do this, Wanda.† â€Å"I know. Thanks for that, Doc. But I'm holding you to your promise.† â€Å"Please?† â€Å"No. You gave me your word. I did my part, didn't I?† â€Å"You did.† â€Å"Then do yours. Let me stay with Walt and Wes.† His thin face worked as he tried to keep back a sob. â€Å"Will you be†¦ in pain?† â€Å"No, Doc,† I lied. â€Å"I won't feel anything.† I waited for the euphoria to come, for the No Pain to set everything glowing the way it had the last time. I still didn't feel any difference. It must not have been the No Pain after all-it had just been being loved. I sighed again. I stretched out on the cot, on my stomach, and turned my face toward him. â€Å"Put me under, Doc.† The bottle opened. I heard him shake it onto the cloth in his hand. â€Å"You are the noblest, purest creature I've ever met. The universe will be a darker place without you,† he whispered. These were his words over my grave, my epitaph, and I was glad that I got to hear them. Thank you, Wanda. My sister. I will never forget you. Be happy, Mel. Enjoy it all. Appreciate it for me. I will, she promised. Bye, we thought together. Doc's hand pressed the cloth gently over my face. I breathed in deeply, ignoring the thick, uncomfortable scent. As I took another breath, I saw the three stars again. They were not calling to me; they were letting me go, leaving me to the black universe I had wandered for so many lifetimes. I drifted into the black, and it got brighter and brighter. It wasn't black at all-it was blue. Warm, vibrant, brilliant blue†¦ I floated into it with no fear at all.

New Labour claims to be ‘tackling domestic violence on every front’ (Home Office 2000)

In 1999, the Government published ‘Living Without Fear: An Integrated Approach to reducing domestic violence', outlining their commitment to reducing the incidence of violence against women and the strategy for accomplishing this. Safe housing is a basic human need. As many women are dependent upon a man for this necessity, the choice between unsafe housing or homelessness is often unrealisable. The majority of safe accommodation for women escaping violent relationships is provided by the voluntary sector with little support from the state. Safe housing is a crucial element for women leaving violent partners. ‘The need for both temporary and permanent secure accommodation for women and children who have left home because of violence must be paramount' (Harwin and Brown 2000 p219) In this essay, I plan to review the history of safe housing provision for women in the UK and look at the influence of the Women's Aid movement, the role of local authorities and the influence of the Conservative governments. Then I will assess the welfare needs of vulnerable women and children – what housing support do women escaping violent relationships need? Do different ethnic groups have different needs? Following that, Labour's focus upon domestic violence will be analysed and I will assess whether this emphasis has produced any real changes for women in terms of housing and homelessness. In term of housing, Dobash and Dobash (2000) developed four conditions under which an abused woman is able to be safe: 1. Her male partner ceases his violence and lives peacefully; 2. The woman escapes to refuge where she can live free of violence, albeit only temporarily; 3. The man is successfully evicted from the matrimonial home, remains away and does not harass her, or; 4. The woman is safely rehoused in another home and is not pursued or harassed in her new location. (Dobash and Dobash 2000 p200) The Government's pledge represents significant statutory commitment to this issue for the first time – do Labour's promises reflect real change? Firstly, to look at the history of safe housing provision for women in the UK. Traditionally, it has been thought that the state ought not to interfere in family life; domestic violence therefore raises questions about the position of the state in the private sphere of the family (Wasoff and Day 2000). Even relatively recently, the prevalence of this attitude can be identified. During the thirteen years of Conservative government during the 1980s and 90s, an emphasis was placed upon the important role played by the nuclear family unit and policy encouraged ‘traditional family values' and stigmatised groups such as single parents. Policy objectives of the time were directed at ‘tackling the problem' which tended to express a ‘problem family' orientation towards reducing recurrences of abuse of violence. Consequently, this approach underplayed policies aimed towards prevention or the enforcement of victim's rights. The feminist refuge movement was established in the 1970s, previous to this there was no provision and women leaving a violent partner had to rely on the informal sector for support from family or friends. Domestic violence was not regarded as a sufficient reason for homelessness and any input from statutory agencies such as the police or social service departments was geared towards reconciliation (Morley 2000). The women's refuge movement began with a few houses offering sanctuary to women organised on ‘self-help' principles. Somerville (2000) notes the influence of the movement upon public perceptions of domestic violence that led to major changes in public policy. Consequently, there has been a huge amount of legislative change. This began with the Domestic Violence Act (1976) which allowed a woman to obtain a court order to excluded her violent partner from the home and the Housing (Homelessness) Act (1977) made it a duty for local authorities to house women made homeless as a result of domestic violence. However, whilst this was an enormous step forward, in reality women had a difficult time ‘proving' violence. Due to the nature of domestic violence, there are rarely witnesses. The wording of the1977 Act was ambivalent and open to misinterpretation, less than half of refuge groups felt that it had improved women's housing prospects (Morley 2000 p233), this was largely due to inconsistencies in legislative interpretation. Surveys such as Jayne Mooney's study into domestic violence in North London (1994) revealed high levels of domestic violence, this put pressure on the government to make more legislative changes. Changes in policing emphasised the importance of protecting the victim and taking strong positive action against the perpetrator. Similarly, social service departments made an ‘about face', recognising the importance of empowering mothers, rather than threatening them with the removal of their children. However, whilst the 1990s have been regarded as a period of significant development in terms of public awareness of domestic violence (Hague 1999), The Housing Act (1996) has been seen by some as a step backwards. This legislation removed the right of those defined as ‘statutorily homeless' to be housed permanently. Local authorities can only offer permanent accommodation to those registered on the council housing list; those escaping domestic violence are now merely entitled to temporary accommodation. The legislation gave local authorities the power to refuse housing to any person believed to have suitable accommodation elsewhere, this especially affects women from ethnic minority groups who could be assessed as having access to housing in another country (Harwin and Brown 2000). Obviously, this had consequences for many made homeless as a result of violence. Section 180 of the 1996 Act made local authority funding for refuges a duty. As a result, an average 37% of refuge income is received from this source but has brought with it its own disadvantages. Women's Aid (2000a) note that some local authorities fail to comply or set conditions which ‘undermine strategies for ensuring the safety of abused women and children' as well as putting pressure upon refuges to only take local women. That aside, as mentioned earlier, the trend towards appropriate intervention and support for those escaping violent relationships has been upwards. A 1992 Home Office Enquiry resulted in a co-ordinated national response and emphasised multi-agency co-operation. There are now over 300 refuges throughout the country offering a wide range of services with specialist provision for women and children from differing ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Before I move on to examining the role New Labour have played in terms of safe housing provision it is important to look at exactly what it is that is needed by women and children escaping violence from men. The Conservative government's introduction of the ‘right to buy' programme has resulted in depleted council housing stock and social renting has developed into a residual sector (Conway 2000). Local authority housing has increasingly catered for a smaller range of people marginalized from mainstream society. Combined with the fact that households headed by women are at a disadvantage as a whole in the UK this results in further social inequality for those escaping domestic violence. Women need good quality housing in a safe environment with a responsive housing management. Access to suitable housing would include: ? A sensitive response to all applicants ? Day-to-day management support ? Specialist support staff ? Liaison with other services and agencies ? Benefits advice/debt counselling (Adapted from Conway 2000 p102) McGee (2000 p91) identified three main areas of support wanted by women escaping domestic violence: 1. Easily accessible information regarding sources of support. 2. Counselling. 3. Help for mothers in supporting the children to deal with their experiences. This final point is a particularly important one. Refuge financing does not take into account the numbers of children using refuges. There is no recognition of the existence of children, and the cost of providing for children, when there may be up to 18 children in a six-bedroom project (Women's Aid 2000a). Additionally to this, children are often extremely disturbed by the violence they have witnessed and the disruption in their lives, yet a quarter of all refuges have no funding for a specialist children's worker. Women from minority groups can face increased difficulty when escaping a violent partner. Racism especially plays a large part in dissuading black women from taking action to address violence from a partner. The reputation of the police is a significant factor in this. Mama (2000) notes that the police appear more ready to investigate cases of illegal immigration than to respond to cases of domestic violence. Despite attempts to challenge racism within the police force, officers on the ground have still been found to perpetrate the abuse via racism. The belief that violence against women is part of the black culture is one that appears especially resistant (Mama 2000). In terms of housing it is imperative for black women to be housed in an area which not only places her in an area away from the perpetrator but also ensures her safety from racism. Women, especially those with children, are more likely than men to be dependant upon social housing; for women from ethnic minority backgrounds this is even more so. The most crucial need of women, overwhelmingly in evidence, is that of safe permanent housing. The refuge movement has improved service provision for women considerably, but is limited by their ability to solely provide temporary housing for women and children. Only by statutory provision can this need be met. This would necessitate significant statutory change. Women who continue to live with a violent partner often give their fear of being homeless as their reason for remaining (Mama 2000), a valid one as evidence suggests. If New Labour is ‘committed to tackling domestic violence on every front'; this is the key area they need to be addressing. So, to evaluate the progress being made. Since coming to power, Labour have been keen to adopt a more progressive stance towards domestic violence than the Conservative rhetoric for supporting traditional families that arguably promoted male control over women. Publications such as ‘Living Without Fear' (1999) and the ‘Break the Chain' (1999) campaign were some of the platforms used by the Government to address this issue and encourage people to access help and support. Early evaluations of Labour's policy response to domestic violence have been cautious in supporting the Government's proposals. Hague (1999) acknowledges that both before and after election, Labour have been clear in their commitment to improving services for victims of domestic violence. However, she notes that there have been contradictions and lack of consistency in policy. Both Hague (1999) and Harwin and Barron (2000) draw attention to the fact that there are discrepancies between local authorities in terms of practice guidelines. There is no national policy to govern their practice and whilst many local authorities have recognised the serious nature of domestic violence, some less liberal authorities adopt a harsh view of the law, leaving many women and children in insecure and vulnerable positions in terms of housing. There is no single government office directly responsible for policy in this area; it falls between the Home Office, the Department of Environment and the Department of Health. A clear example of this is the research discussed later in this essay. This reiterates the findings published by the Government in ‘Tackling Domestic Violence' (1998) which considered how local authorities dealt with domestic violence and partnerships with other agencies. Based on evidence from local authorities it discovered evidence of inadequate funding and incomprehensive coverage (Wasoff and Dey 2000). In the publication ‘Government Policy Around Domestic Violence', little attention is paid to housing and accommodation despite the actuality it is recognised as a key issue. The key point states the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has worked with other Government agencies to commission research into accommodation and support services available to those suffering domestic violence. Harwin and Barron (2000) assessed the research in terms of accommodation provision; their key findings, published by the Home Office, include: ? Leaving the family home is a last resort and some would have stayed if security was improved ? Good practice by local authorities needs to be examined and assessed ? Problems with service provision still exists ? Official figures on homelessness due to violence are inaccurate and underestimate the extent of the problem ? In term of temporary accommodation, much is not appropriate for women with children and the length of stay in temporary accommodation is unacceptable The paper concludes that monitoring of domestic violence need to be improved in terms of how many applicants for housing as a result of violence are rejected and support services need to be improved, particularly resettlement services. A key area only to be addressed this year has been that of the Housing Act 1996 in relation to homelessness. Hague stated ‘If it [the Housing Act 1996] remains on the statute book under Labour, [it] is a license for less liberally-minded authorities to adopt harsh measures.' (Hague 1999 p144) With the Homelessness Act 2002, Labour has brought major changes to the statutory program of help for women who are homeless as a result of domestic violence (Delahay 2002). Whilst it makes no new environment for homelessness or housing allocation, the Act does contain some tangible revisions to the terms of the Housing Act 1996. Introduced is a new category of priority need for housing for ‘a person who is vulnerable as a result of ceasing to occupy accommodation by reason of violence from another person or threats of violence from another person which are likely to be carried out' Homelessness Act 2002 s10 Additionally, the proposed Code of Good Practice emphasises the safety of the applicant and maintaining confidentiality. The need to ‘prove' violence has been repealed and it has been accepted that the impact of violence or threatened violence can be cumulative. The impact of this legislative change is impossible to evaluate at present but it does represent a significant shift towards supportive measures for those experiencing violence. The Government has placed a great deal of focus upon developing a co-ordinated response towards domestic violence in terms of multi-agency partnerships. ‘Our overall goals are†¦to see effective multi-ageny partnerships operating throughout England and Wales' Living Without Fear (1999) Local authorities have been particularly responsive to these initiatives (Hague 1999) Examining the wider picture, increasing women's eligibility for housing will not have a real impact if this is not backed up by addressing the problem of residualisation. Labour is doing little to address this (Morley 2000) and could even be seen as exacerbating the issue by announcing in Autumn 2002 their intention to grant housing association tenants the right to buy which will further deplete social housing stock. In conclusion, there have been huge improvements in terms of support for women experience violence in the home, much of this directly attributable to the work of Women's Aid and other feminist groups. The Government's commitment to addressing this issue can only be positive but the overall picture remains one of ambivalence and lack of consistency in policy implementation. Continued lack of funding appears to remain the key issue in terms of housing and is holding back comprehensive intervention. Domestic violence is about control over women, a sentiment that thrives within the larger system of patriarchy within our society Our social order is antagonistic to the female gender. If domestic violence is about control, then our society enables men's control over women. As a whole, Labour's policy has a tendency towards liberalism (with a small ‘l'!), thereby neglecting policies that might encourage equality. It is important to acknowledge the increased prominence of domestic violence, however, fundamentally the Government falls short on its claim to be ‘tackling domestic violence on every front'. When a woman makes the important step of leaving an abusive relationship she faces a society that opposes her at every turn – lower pay, little accessible childcare, and significantly inadequate housing – no wonder the relationship begins to look attractive again.

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Value of Music - Essay Example Music listening is such an involvement that facilitates a healing environment. Music allows people to relate their emotions with themselves and gives them a feeling of self-awareness which leads to a better life overall. Music is a safe, cheap and easily used tool for helping people to manage pain, confusion, and other such issues that are wrongly interfering in their lives. Music sure can lead to an emotional response and arouse certain emotions in a person; however, it can also form emotional habits in a person and when he listens to a certain kind of music his emotions do not need another stimulus to arise. Aristotle wrote about this phenomenon in these words â€Å"by music a man becomes accustomed to feeling the right emotions† (Marshall, 1953, p. 229). If music is used in healing environments it would prove to be helpful and would assist in the promotion of mental as well as physical health. It is said that music is a universal language that allows understanding among dif ferent cultures; similarly, music is also a universal language within the body and it leads to better living (Gardner, 1990). Several genres of music exist all around the world. One such is hip hop which reflects the feel that women are objects to be used and disposed of; they do not have any value. It is assumed that anyone who would listen to such music would get against the female population since music does affect the emotions and habits of the listener. Powell has argued that such sexism exists in hip hop in order to â€Å"silence feminist critiques of the culture† (McLune). However, what about the fact that the females grow up in such an environment as well yet their character is not questioned like that of black men? If we look at Powell’s argument it would be very apparent that it is perfectly okay for sexism to exist if there is the phenomenon of poverty. This, however, makes no sense because whites can also do what black men do, there being no difference betw een them besides the colour of their skin. If there is no such difference where does the difference occur in sexism in music? And then there is the fact that female rappers also exist. How can a person go against his own kind like these women who talk shit about the rest of the female population? Of course, they mean it for the actual bitchy women, and not everyone. But is this excuse even valid? Music has a psychological aspect to it and it can affect an individual very positively or negatively, depending on the kind of music being listened to. It can improve a person’s mental health, calm and relax him and prove to be intellectually stimulating. Such is the case with adults, teens and children alike. Music has an effect on our emotions and affects the way we think. Through music we can successfully communicate and discuss concepts. Music is a way of life. It even unites people and bridges gaps among those who may not have anything else in common. It soothes us and conveys a message of brotherhood. Music is something which awakens from the extreme depth of a person’s soul, his emotion and thus it is an important aspect to be studied in emotion psychology. Every kind of music has its own way and thus a distinct interpretation. It all depends on the composer that is how he chooses to convey his message, whether it is in sadness, loyalty, anger or any other emotion. In fact, music has proven to be a very emotional communication tool. The kind of music we listen to can have a great effect on the kind of person we are and the type of personality we adopt. The intensity and frequency of music can surely affect our mental health, whether it is positively or negatively since that depends on what kind we are listening to. However, an argument presented by (Jones) says that violent media is good for kids. We just talked about the different genres of music affecting people in different ways, with the violent, negative and strong music disturbing individual s and negatively affecting their habits and

Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Hinduism - Essay Example Although I have always been interested in this subject but never had the time to learn more about it from books. This visit gave me a short course on the history of Hinduism. My expectations were met, and I had a fun learning time. I want to find out more through this interactive way about every topic. I took notes while I was there. They will surely help me in my studies. The hierarchical structure of Hindu Gods surprised me. I was aware that there are many Gods in Hinduism, but ranks and power structures came to me as a surprise. In addition, I was also interested in the use of colors in pictures and statues of Hindu Gods. For instance, blue color is extensively used. Hindus paint their idols (statues) blue or make their paintings and images. Their Gods also transform into other creatures or appear in some other manner than the regular ones. For instance, the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection has a painting by Catherine Roche (see figure 1) where Vishnu, is painted blue, in the form of a boar and holding Lakshmi on his tusks. The sounds of temple bells and chanting of religious heads were the most prominent sounds. The mood of the gathering was very serious. Some people seemed to be meditating while some were whispering prayers. It was clearly visible how much they believed that their Gods were listening to their prayers. It was evident to see that their religion meant so much to them. They seemed to find comfort in their chanting. My personal reaction to Hindu practices and rituals is very objective. Religions, belief systems, self-esteem, and opinions are very sensitive subjects. They hold very high values for their followers. I observed Hindu practices and paintings as if I am discovering a new culture. Their philosophy of life and their Gods stand different from the Greek mythology. For instance, Hindus worship many idols. There are Gods with different powers and appearances but in the end they are all part

The assignment is in the PDF format which I will be upload Research Paper

The assignment is in the PDF format which I will be upload - Research Paper Example While this evolution has brought in many ways or ideologies of perceiving the world and humanity, the civilization has both gained and lost in the spheres of family values and social commitment. If these technological advancements provided us with opportunities to establish stronger familial and social bonds, how would you make use of them? When such an evolution pushes you towards the boundaries of ethical deliberations, how do you intelligently direct yourself on the path of conscience and prudence? How does the media evolution contribute or contradict the evolution of civilization? A.A Campbell Swinton, being a prominent British electrical engineer, was on of the many visionaries to predict a ‘Distant Electric Vision’ by discussing a fully electronic video system in 1908 (Webb, 2005). The possibility of executing Swinton’s narrations was not realized until the second half of nineteenth century. Nonetheless, the first device for scanning and transmitting images through wires was constituted by Paul Nipkow, a twenty three year old German engineering student, in 1884. This concept established to inspect a scene sequentially point by point from top to bottom and left to right. It will further be transmitted through telegraph lines using the pulsating electric current generated from the time-varying brightness after every successive point (Webb, 2005). It was the fundamental system on which today’s televisions are based on. Television started to gain a place in the general household by 1960s. As the device developed technically, it brought tremendous changes in the attitudes of masses to absorb the advent of a mass media. â€Å"The introduction of the machine into the home meant that family members needed to come to terms with the presence of communication medium that might transform older modes of family interaction† (Spigel, 1992, p.238). Social

The Squid and the Whale (2005) directed by Noah Baumbach case Study

The Squid and the Whale (2005) directed by Noah Baumbach conceptualization - Case Study Example There were a lot of emotional changes and the behavior of the family members changed. There was a lot of animosity and anxiety as well as tensions. Whenever there is animosity over a divorce, the family becomes disintegrated and divided. However, this type of stress was managed through various methods that included paying attention to the emotional needs, staying active and fit. The management helped in relieving anger and anxiety and also letting go the problems that were beyond our personal control. The most affected people in the family were the children because we had so much attachment to our parents but on learning that was a planned divorce, attitudes and behavior changed. Another strategy was allowing permission to feel since emotions are normal. Doing things that were emotionally and physically healthy helped us overcome the trauma and experience of divorce. The most important was avoiding making hasty decisions especially after such a traumatizing experience. When the decision came up, we took time to rethink over and over about the consequences. The social systems theory will be appropriate in explaining the divorce to the parents and to the kids as well. The theory postulates that the society is a composition of different systems that are socially brought together.   According to the social systems theory, everything that human beings do, and every emotion human beings experience involves a concept. The concept in the theory is the one of doing things with affiliation to a group of some organization in the society. The structure of today’s family is in nuclear type that is a system within the main society. The children and parents will be guided to understand that the resources they have is because of the structures in the society. Basing on the theory and what the family was undergoing, the theory was applicable in a way to prevent the destruction of the

E-bay Essay Example for Free

E-bay Essay Through the centuries, technology has changed people’s way of life, playing a main part in developments of the 21st century. There has been a change from the old economy to the new â€Å"digital† economy, such as the transition from manufacturing to service, and physical resources to knowledge resources (Human Resources Development, n. d. ). New products and services have changed many aspects of how the world works. Further, innovative kinds of trades and businesses are being available for people to utilize. One example is the availability of products and services through e-commerce. The growth of the Internet has caused venturing into e-commerce. Nowadays, the Internet is not only a means of acquiring information and leisure; the Internet has become a medium for business transactions and profit. E-commerce describes how the Internet has become a â€Å"global electronic marketplace† (Rodman, n. d. ) where people can sell and purchase items and have them shipped to their locality. There are countless of online shops selling different kinds of products to people who surf the Net. Perhaps, one of the most popular and successful ventures operating under this system is E-bay. E-Bay is one of the world’s largest online shopping portals (James, 2006), having generated incomes excess of 10 billion USD last year. The company was established during the dot com era with a unique business model of bringing shops to the homes. Based in the United States, it markets its products globally based on the bidding system and couriers the items to the customers (Hamel, n. d. ). E-bay is one of the companies that led the way for enabling websites to be transformed into business ventures (Epstein, 2004). Advertisements helped in the promotion and eventual purchase of the products of sellers. The customer has an advantage, as the price of the goods is dependent on the bidding (highest) amount and the excess of shipping costs to be borne (Hamel, n. d. ). The introduction of an online market has brought both advantages and disadvantages in businesses worldwide. These next paragraphs will elaborate on these said pros and cons. Technological innovations were developed and intended to bring a level of convenience, to make people’s lives easier. In this manner, trends that include online companies like E-bay, brought about by technology, share in this cause. The main advantage of E-bay and e-commerce is convenience. In particular, online companies such as E-bay have saved customers the hassle of going out of their homes to be able to purchase items of use. Because E-bay is accessible through the website, the website has become the endpoint of all the aspects of business. Buyers and sellers can communicate effectively through the website, as electronic communication is one of the fastest forms of communication. According to Rodman (n. d. ), the â€Å"Internet is ideal for encouraging customer communications. This helps in knowing more information and feedback from the customer. According to Huba McConnell (2003), E-bay is very fervent on this aspect, even creating a â€Å"Voice of the Customer† program. Further, all advertisements and promotions concerning the products can be placed and easily updated in the same website. Sellers, and especially buyers, are able to access it in any time of day regardless of the location of the person so there is no worry about distance and time differences (Rodman, n. d. ). All of these contribute to effective and convenient dealings. E-commerce, which includes E-bay, creates opportunities for many people with talents and skills all over the world (Human Resources Development, n. d. ). Anyone who has something to sell, as long as it condones to the terms that E-bay has created, upon the presence of an interested buyer, can profit from selling his or her item over the Internet. Despite the convenience that E-bay brings, there are also drawbacks that come with the system. Because online markets rely on the Internet, certain weaknesses of the Internet and e-commerce in general, also affect companies such as E-bay. The main reasons for failures in systems of E-bay include power failure, data corruption, disk failure and network failure (Hamel, n. d. ). These can threaten sales as E-bay has experienced in the past (Huba McConnell, 2003). There can also be problems with cost. Equipment, as well as the service and technology required to maintain the equipment can be costly. Convenience also has a price as there are certain extra â€Å"hidden† costs, (such as shipping, other taxes) that when applicable, must be arranged and paid. The fact that e-commerce has a tendency to be impersonal also has its effects. Although anyone can sell anything on E-bay, there are certain people who sell things that do not abide by E-bay terms. Moreover, buyers could not easily check if the items that they are selling are of good condition. These impersonal implications can socially have an impact because people would be more inclined to stay at home instead of interacting with others (About e-commerce, n. d. ). If more and more people will resort to online shopping, actual shops may lose returning customers and their business may be affected. Sales personnel may lose their jobs and businesses may close. Other factors such as challenges in areas of online security and identification that can lead to fraud can contribute to its limitations as well. Because the Internet does not necessarily require face-to-face transactions, many sellers with harmful intentions can take advantage of the certain level of anonymity they have and manipulate the system or mislead and trick customers. Online identification for financial transactions also poses a threat. Computer security is an issue that has been dealt with in e-business such as e-Bay. To avoid any problems, computer knowledge for understanding hardware and cyber security is of utmost importance for individuals (Hamel, n. d. ). Crimes involving illegal system access and use of computer services are also a concern. Hackers make use of their computer knowledge to gain access to others computers to get valuable information such as access to credit card accounts. Sometimes, files, passwords, programs, or processing power are stolen. An intruder may alter the data or destroy the data making it unusable and useless. A hacker writes a small password snifter that that can steal passwords and gain access to data and files (Hamel, n. . ). Despite these drawbacks, there are systems that E-bay has implemented in order to safe guard its business and the interests of its customers. Activity of employees can be recorded and this data can be used to monitor employees, such as in estimating the number of breaks an employee takes and the time they use to concentrate on work. There are Antisniff Programs used by E-Bay to detect and block a password snifter and protect the identity so that hackers are prevented and neat trading of goods and bids takes place (Hamel, n. d. ) E-bay also acts on the prevention of unauthorized use as well. E-bay makes use of data and information for this. Moreover, the use of biometric is of strategic importance in e-Bay. The fingerprint identification has been extended to identify authorized users. Iris and retina scans which use to be part of science fiction movies has now become part of sophisticated identification methods. The latest is use of magnetic card that is checked by a magnetic card reader to allow entry. To address the problems due to natural disasters or technology failure that can cause the hardware to be unusable, E-Bay provides a hot site that has an operational ready to use system. This is an expensive option, as the system is kept up to date, usually in different seismic zone. A cold site provides the infrastructure but not the processing power and data. In case of a problem, the backup system is made operational (Hamel, n. d. ). E-bay has opened many doors and lifted barriers for buyers and sellers worldwide. E-bay is constantly catering to the needs of their buyers and sellers and with the continual rise of technology and the Internet, more and more people will avail of their service.

Adolf Hitler Essay Example for Free

Adolf Hitler Essay Adolf Hitler was a notorious dictator over Germany during World War II. Hitler was a unique but complex individual that was heavenly influenced by his upbringing. Hitler became the dictator over Germany during the years of 1933 to 1945. During his dictatorship, Hitler participated in the World War II and was the cause of the Holocaust. The Great Depression provided Hitler with an opportunity to rule. Once Hitler realized the opportunity to overtake Germany, he began to run for fuhrer. Hitler was elected fuherer over Germany in 1933 and began the rise of the Nazi party. When the year of 1935 came around, Hitler had complete power. He started by beginning the Nazi army and separating the Jews from everyone else. The Jews were sent to very brutal concentration camps where they were held hostage and faced with death. At this time the genocide was in full attack. The mass murder of the Holocaust lasted for approximately four brutal years and ended when the American troops invaded Germany and over powered Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau, Austria, a small town across the Inn river from Germany. (Hoffmanl). Hitler moved to Germany in 1893 and remained there until his death. As Hitler grew up he began to have many feuds within his household. Hitler mainly argued with his father, Alois Hitler. His father did not agree with his interest in art and German nationalism. His interest fueled his evil ways. During Hitlers earlier years as a child his younger brother, Edmund Hitler died. When Edmund died, the family had a falling out and resulted in many problems throughout the family. When Hitler grew up, he moved out of the house and had major money problems. When World War II broke out, Hitler Joined the army and was present in multiple battles. Adolf Hitler pointed out the Jews out of everyone in Germany. Hitler was very active in the German army and participated in World War l. World War I

A Nutrition Health And Wellness Company Management Essay

A Nutrition Health And Wellness Company Management Essay Nestle is a nutrition, health and wellness company which was formed by the merger of Anglo-Swiss milk company and Farine Lactee Henri Nestle. Currently, this multinational Swiss company which operates in 86 countries with 443 factories globally has the largest revenue compared to other food companies. Nestle has approximately 8000 brands which consist of a widespread of products including coffee, confectionery items, instant noodles and many more. Sales at the end of 2011 were CHF 83642 million with a net profit of CHF 9804 million. Nestle has formed several joint ventures such as forming the Beverage Partners Worldwide  with  The Coca-Cola Company. Management structure Being a decentralized organization, Nestles operating decisions involving pricing, distribution, marketing, human resources and so on are made by local units. At the same time, Nestle is organised into seven worldwide strategic business units (SBU) which are responsible for high-level strategic decisions and business development. One SBU would focus on coffee and another on ice cream. These units focus in overall strategic development which includes acquisitions and market entry strategy. Nestle uses local managers in uniting worldwide operations, as well as managers who work overseas. Lastly, Nestle used management development programmes as a strategic tool to create one spirit among managers. The Research and Development comprises 18 groups which operate in 11 countries. Nestle spends approximately RM30 million annually on RD and has over 3000 employees involved in this function. Contents Planning Mission Nestle is a people-oriented system, which means that they believe in people rather than systems. Moving on, Nestle holds strong to the commitment of creating value for their shareholders. Nestle also strives to decentralize wherever possible to develop relevant products to meet specific needs of different cultures. Last but not least, the company is committed to continuous improvement rather than one off changes. SMART Goals and Objectives Nestles primary objectives are to be recognized as the world leader in nutrition, health and wellness, trusted by all its stakeholders and to be the reference for financial performance in its industry. To accelerate the achievements of these objectives, Nestle has provided a set of strategic priorities, which are to create shared value for both the shareholders and the society while being successful in the long term, implement the Nestle culture, values and principles in managing the company, and create sustainable plans that complies with the law. These goals are specifically stated, measurable in terms of the annual revenue compared with other companies, attainable as Nestle is to date still leading in the nutrition industry and relevant as there are over 283,000 employees worldwide operating Nestle Global. Lastly, the time-bound aspect only applies to objectives of various projects in Nestle such as The Nescafe Plan which aims to invest CHF 500 million in coffee projects by 2020. Action plans (strategies) Nestles strategy was to enter the market much earlier than competitors, and narrow down the initial market focus to a few strategic brands which consisted of basic food items like infant milk powder, noodles, etc. Such an approach concentrated its marketing resources and managerial efforts on a limited number of key niches. Thus a strong market position was built in each niche product. By doing so, Nestle conquered 85% of the market for instant coffee in Mexico, 66% of the market for powdered milk in the Philippines, and 70% for soups in Chile. The company then progressed to introducing mire upscale products into the market. The second strategy Nestle uses to penetrate emerging markets is through customization instead of globalization. Nestle owns as many as up 8500 brands, but only over 800 are made available in more than one country, which means Nestle ensures that only products with ingredients which suit the local conditions are made available to that particular country. Other than that, the growth of Nestle is also contributed by several strategic initiatives such as the creation of Nestle Health Science, formation of two major partnerships in China, investments in different country and acquisitions of other companies one of the most critical factors which led to the companys growth. S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths Nestle able to leverage strong brand name to generate sales, able to customize products to the local market conditions, has research and development capabilities. Weaknesses Nestle is introducing too many products too quickly may affect the brands value. Opportunities Nestle now focuses on developing economies worldwide. Threats Nestle had been allegedly charged of unethical business activities, such as indirectly supporting child trafficking. Organizing Nestle is a decentralized and aligned organisation which shows an organic design instead of mechanistic. As Nestle is a multinational company which operates in more than 80 countries and employs more than 328,000 employees, it is impossible for the Headquarters in Switzerland to keep track of all the departments performances across the globe. Thus explains why decentralised power has been brought down to lower level employees. This means that Nestle encourages lower-level managers to provide input or make decisions in the company. Nestles organization designs are flexible for employees as they are not subjected to a high number of rules as well as high direct supervision from the top management. Besides, time saving as decision making can be done quickly without seeking permission from the higher authorities. Other than that, highly adaptive to the competitive and unpredictable external environment. Nestles organizational structure is hierarchical, meaning there is a chain of command that extends from the upper management to the lower management and clarifies who reports to whom. Orders are given by the upper management to the lower while suggestions are given by the lower to the upper. This structure encourages employees to share new ideas. Formalization Jobs at Nestle are formalised as there are specific job descriptions, many organisational rules and defined work procedures. Nevertheless, Nestle constantly keep a pace with the changing external environment while adapting to the changes.Therefore the organisation is strict but not rigid. Functional Departmentalisation At Nestle, tasks are divided into separate jobs and then grouped under different departments. Each department is managed by a manager who specialises in that particular field. For example employees whose specialisation is in psychology or sociology would work in the human resources department with a HR manager in charged. Leading At Nestle, managers aim to be leaders who not only lead but inspires their employees to gear towards results which would in turn add value to the company. Thus, Nestle leaders are required to understand and practice the following concepts. First, each leader leads to win. A leader is expected to display exemplary leadership and achievements as well as innovation in thinking and be willing to take risks. Second, leaders must manage for results. They must be courageous in facing problems and give proactive cooperation to create synergies among employees and themselves. Third, a leader should help employees discover and use their talents. Lastly, leaders should continuously look for ways to satisfy customers and engage with external parties such as the stakeholders, community, authorities and so on. Besides that, Nestle motivates their employees by giving rewards and benefits. Those awards included Long-service Awards, Passion to Win awards and Nestle Idea Award. These awards are specialized to recognize employees. For example, rewards are awarded to employees who have been the company for more than 30 years, achieved targets or came up with relevant and innovative ideas. Nestles philosophy is to provide and maintain disciplined compensation programs which value long-term relationships with employees while recognizing individual performance. Nestle is also  committed to offering compensation packages, including base pay, short and long-term incentives and  benefits such as the Children Education Assistance Scheme. Communication is also important. Nestles management has worked honestly in dealing with people for  efficient communication. Transparency through sincere dialogue is the only basis for boosting continuous improvement in any aspects. Every employee has the right to converse with superiors or  colleagues. This motivates supervisors and employees to exchange opinions while influencing each other to complete a task. Furthermore, there will be no room for intolerance, harassment or discrimination of any kind  or lack of respect. This  principle has no exception and is to be applied at  all levels and under all circumstances in the company. Controlling Quality control One of the successes behind this company is the high quality sustained by the company over the years. Nestles product quality gives confidence to the customers and consumers in buying Nestle products and brands throughout the years. Nestle measures the performance and satisfaction by listening to customers feedbacks. When mistakes and shortcomings are analyzed, prompt action will be taken for correction and improvement. Besides, understanding customer needs and meeting the satisfaction of the customer leads to the high quality of the products. Adequate resources, equipments, procedures and systems are provided to sustain the high quality of the product. The company never compromises on food safety and always complies with all applicable regulatory requirements. Nestle strive for zero defect and no wastage when it comes to quality. They focus on zero defects while seeking opportunities for continuous improvement of quality standards delivered to the customers and consumers. Cost control Nestle sources their agricultural raw materials directly from farmers, thus reducing the cost of production. The raw materials that they obtain from the farmers are required to meet the quality and safety standard which has been set by Nestle. Nestle reduces the consumption of water by reusing the fresh water and treated water which is eco-friendly to the environment. This in turns reduces costs of the company. Workforce control Workplace is also crucial for the employee to perform their tasks at the optimum level. Nestle encourages their employees to further improve themselves in terms of professional skills and knowledge in all levels of organization through training provided by the company. It treats its labourers and employees with respect and dignity by providing reasonable yet competitive pays, bonuses, overtime pays and other benefits. Overtime is given until an extent where it is reasonable and complies with local laws and regulations. Key Success Factors of Nestle Quality Nestles success would not happen without excellent quality control of their products. For example, Nestle follows the specific steps of a milk collection system, which shows how dairy products are made and brought to the consumers table from the initial stages in the farm. Nestle also strives for zero error and continuously improve towards better quality to satisfy customers needs. Research and Development At Nestle, RD is a key competitive advantage which positioned Nestle as a world leader. In fact, Nestle has the largest  RD network than any food company in the world. Every year, Nestle invests about __% of their revenue in RD. At each stage of the product development process, Nestle further strengthens its  RD  capability through Innovation Partnerships to come up with more innovative ideas which can further improve the existing products. Innovation Nestle continuously tries to improve their existing products with more innovative ideas. For example, dry pet food (Purina Petcare) now comes with a side opening and a side-carrying handle to give more convenience to customers who are pet owners. Product Variation Nestle has more than 8000 brands which consists of various product categories such as dairy products, coffee, cereal, instant noodles and many more. This gives customers a wide range of choice to choose from thus attracting more customers. Packaging At Nestle, products and packed in a way to suit the needs of different people. For example, cereal like Coco Crunch is available in big boxes for families and smaller boxes for little children to bring to school. Nestle also uses their packaging to market their products and attract customers. For example, Milo packaging displays pictures of young athletes in order to give the youngsters the mindset that drinking Milo gives extraordinary energy and performance to them. Major Challenges Nestle May Face In The Future With the rise of sicknesses and diseases in this world, people are becoming more health conscious. Nestle, which claims to be a wellness and nutrition company must decide whether they want to take the risk by modifying products such as Maggi instant noodles by substituting MSG with organic ingredients. Secondly, Nestle will face the challenge of maintaining its position as the world leader in the food and nutrition industry. This is due to the possibility of incoming new competitors in the market. New companies which sell organic products at lower prices may be a great threat to Nestle. Besides that, as Nestle introduces more and more products, maintaining the quality of the production would be more difficult. Nestle would require better technology as well as employ more skillful and knowledgeable employees which could be a challenge as hiring good manpower requires money and time. Global warming and other environmental issues are worsening each year. Industries of any kind are expected to work towards green technology in order to sustain the environment. Currently, Nestle is slowly growing towards this aspect. However, in the future, Nestle needs to decide whether they want to invest even more in technology in this area.

Uniting the Nation: Everyone Needs a Tattoo :: Solutions Papers Proposal Essays

Uniting the Nation: Everyone Needs a Tattoo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I think I was sixteen when I first wanted to get a tattoo, but then again I also wanted to get my ear pierced and die my hair blue. Well I'm eighteen now, my hair is red, well the red it’s been since I've had hair and neither of my ears are pierced but I did end up getting that tattoo. In fact I also got him a friend. Now I'm stuck with two of them, but I don't have any regrets, not yet anyway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The plan for getting a tattoo was mine and my friend's. We said that on graduation night we'd do it, but I wasn't eighteen yet so we never did. My friend’s desire faded, but mine seemed to stay constant. I always planned on it but never had the bucks or the time. That's what I said atleast. The truth was I never had the nerve. But who can blame me? That's quite the plunge. There is no going back with this one. So I came up with a plan. A plan to make sure I wouldn't back out again. I told a girl. I invited her to come and ogle me while I get my body marked for life. With a chick looking on what am going to do? "No I'm sorry. I decided not to purchase." I don't think so. So I picked her up and we were off to the tattoo parlor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We got in and looked around for a good long while. Finally some one came up and asked if he could help us. It was pretty good customer relations for the type of business. I told him that I wanted to get a tattoo, and had a design that I drew up. The day before that same guy gave me an estimation of eighty dollars for my design, so I made sure to mention that so that the price wouldn't rise while he was looking at it. He said okay, and went behind the counter to trace the design on special paper that puts an ink on your skin. When that happens the artist can trace the pattern instead of just doing something free hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My pattern was something very close to me. Something that I thought about long and hard. Its a red spider on a black web.

The Miller Essay -- essays research papers

The Miller The Miller is not in the tale, but is as vivid a creation of Chaucer as characters that are. The Knight presents us with an ideal to which he probably aspires; the Miller presents us with the real everyday world. While the Knight stresses the nature of romantic love, the Miller considers love in sexual terms. Neither view alone is wholly true. Each is a corrective to the other: love embraces both of these elements. This paper will describe The Miller’s characteristics, his humor, his education level, and his habits. Like the Wife of Bath, the Miller is a character of commanding physical presence: he is a massive man who excels in such displays of strength as wrestling matches, and breaking doors "at a renning with his heed". He is a bearded, strong, working man. By stressing the Miller's physical attributes, Chaucer suggests to the reader the idea of a down-to-earth man who takes pleasure in satisfying basic appetites. Though the Miller is a man of down-to-earth outlook and physical pleasure, he is a very intelligent man. His narrative style, if less complex and conventionally sophisticated than the Knight's, is superb in its realism, economy and control, especially of the humorous elements. The Miller is an educated man, and able to describe the paraphernalia of Nicholas's astrological activities. This rather unexpected subtlety is indicated in the final lines of the description in the General Prologue. These are introduced by "And yet..." sh...

Sexism, Prejudice, and Racism in Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird Lee discusses the effects of ignorance and the toll it takes on people such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout herself, and many more. Through her examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the populist of poverty stricken Southerners, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of ignorance are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story. A good example of this injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white girl and is found guilty. The book is from the point of view Scout, a child, who has an advantage over most kids due to her having a lawyer as a dad, to see the other side of the story. Her father tells her in the story, â€Å"you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.† (Lee 200). The most apparent theme of discrimination in To Kill A Mockingbird is racism, however there is more than just that. Other types of discrimination exist in To Kill A Mockingbird such as prejudice towards women, sexism. For example, Scout says, â€Å"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing anything that required pants† (Lee 59). This part of the book shows the views of how a woman should be and the importance of the female voice. The Pulitzer prize winning novel, published in 1960, To Kill A Mockingbird is written through the eyes of a young girl and follows her through the experience of childhood growing up in the racist, prejudice, and sexist south during the great depression. This serves as a platform for the guidance of her father, who she looks up too, to combat the judgment of oth... ...14 Jan. 2014. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA149353018&v=2.1&u=avlr&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w&asid=419f38ec5c9b18412ef244089f43a576 Flynt, Wayne. "The enduring legacy of To Kill a Mockingbird: universal values: a half century after its first publication, Harper Lee's only novel continues to shape character and touch lives the world over." Alabama Heritage 97 (2010): 6+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA233291611&v=2.1&u=avlr&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w&asid=3ffaf2f71f7f67751e3729418514353a Metress, Christopher. "'To Kill a Mockingbird': Threatening Boundaries." The Mississippi Quarterly 48.2 (1995): 397+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA17534671&v=2.1&u=avlr&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w&asid=a34c43e478e4bcd8fc6f50ed438b281d

Mock Exam, English by Norwegian Student.

Mock Exam 1stc 7th of December 2012 By Gard Detlev Oksendal Task 1 1B 1. The three most important differences between the writing styles in the two texts (Appendices 2 and 4) Difference one: The biggest difference between Appendix 2 and 4 is the fact that Appendix 2 is a short novel, which we don’t know if it’s true or not compared to Appendix 4 who is an informative text with clear fact and reasoning. App 2 is taken from the book â€Å"the house on mango street†, which clearly is a novel in contrast to App 4 which is an article from Newsweek, 2011. Difference two: App 2 is written in short sentences with many stops.The text is actually written a bit mysterious way. App 4 on the other hand is a coherent text, where the message of the text is clear. Difference three: In App 4 they use real – life stories to underline their facts. In contrast, App 2 is written out of Sandra Cisneros free fantasy and thoughts. Maybe this story is based on some kind of truth, but it doesn’t say anything about it. 2. The advantages as well as the disadvantages of moving abroad, seen from a young person’s point of view. Here are some of my arguments whether I think it is a good choice or not to move abroad as a young person.As far as I can think, there are much more advantages by moving abroad as a young person, rather than not moving. I have made two lists, one with advantages the other one with disadvantages: Advantages * You learn to know other cultures, which can be really positive. Not just for the knowledge, but also the fact that you as a human really can grow by knowing and accepting foreign cultures. * Of course it depends on the place you go, but let`s say for example that you are an American, who is considering moving to Asia, there are many good reasons to do so: * Asia is the up and coming in the world these days.If you are able to communicate with them in their native language, they often go in with more will in for example a ne gotiation, or simply just a small talk, getting to know the cute girl you saw at the club last night. Another language you might want to learn is German. Germans are some of the most organized and economic people in the world. If you know their native language, most people will meet you with open arms. * When I read through Appendix 4 in the booklet you handed out, I held on to one sentence which describes the situation in the world today in a very good way.Let me quote Jim Rodgers from the text â€Å"How to Raise a Global Kid† by Lisa Miller: â€Å"The money is in the East, the Debtors are in the West. I`d rather be with the creditors than the debtors. † * Even tough, English is becoming bigger and bigger as a second-language despite the big debt problems they have in the US. 200 million Chinese Schoolchildren are studying English, and in South Korea many parents lost their temper recently. The reasoning behind was that they wanted their kids to learn English at first grade, rather than in second as they practice today. Yes, English is really important as a world language up to this date, despite the fact that Asia is growing bigger and bigger, US drowning in their enormous debt that only increases with millions each minute you read this text. So your English will definitely help you when moving abroad. * Asia is just an advice to where you could move, but there are many different places you can go. So my advice to the youth out there who is considering moving abroad: Go for it! Disadvantages: * One of the disadvantages by moving abroad as young is the fact that you don’t get as much safety as you would get growing up in your own country.On some children, this can make a huge impact and even damage to them later in life. * Other cultures may get a bit too exotic, crazy and alien in some ways. You can get shocked; some are able handle it and even learn from it, some people are definitely not. So if you are a bit weak, a bit afraid of the u nknown and other cultures, maybe you should consider it two times before moving abroad. * If you come to another country and don’t know the language, it can be a huge problem. You can’t assimilate and feel as comfortable as in your home country.You don’t get included in the community and you can feel a bit alone at school etc. * Another concern is the money. If your trip goes wrong, something happens, you may be loose a year of school and lots of money. Is it worth taking the risk? * Earlier today, I saw an example of how difficult it could be coming to another country, another culture. The movie â€Å"Bend it like Beckham† by Gruinder Chadha impart this in a beautiful and touching way. And for any of you who haven’t seen it, I’d like to recommend it strongly. Task 2 2BThere are two main historical reasons of why English is the most wide – spoken language today. The first reason is the power of the US – not only in terms of war and economics, but also technology, movies, the internet and science. The other reason is the time where Queen Elisabeth 1st (1558 – 1603) and her England conquered the world. She established a global colonial empire, and introduced English as a world language. English is today the language which by far is the most used as a lingua franca. In more than 60 countries English is the official second language, but that is not the whole truth.The world today is very much based on the internet, and more than 80% of the information stored on computers around the world is in English. Despite the fact that 350 million people use English as their first language today, it is by far not the most spoken first language. However, English today is the most important language in the world because of the simple fact that almost â€Å"everyone† knows a few worlds in English. I can’t stress it enough; English is by far the most important language today. Mandarin is really catching up, but English is still dominant. Mandarin is almost explicit used in China, and not so much as a lingua franca.The biggest factor of why English is as dominant as it is must be the internet. The internet is very much based on English. And the world is based on the internet. I addition to this, it is also used in many other important arenas. My task today is to present to you some of these arenas. * When it comes to business and matters of trade, the English language is really important. By studying English through a respected old school like Cambridge or Oxford, you can expect to be able to easily handle emails, memos, contracts, agreements and other resembling themes.The matter of fact is that when you have an education In English, you are more likely to easy pursue a to a business career. * Probably the greatest advantage of studying English would be in job matters. People who can speak English fluently, In addition to speak their native language are extremely attracted by compa nies of many types, especially the international ones. Courses with at least some quality in it, offer their students the opportunity to improve job prospects, the opportunity to communicate with others as well as the access to information all around the world. Another arena where English can be very useful is when movies or TV-shows. Most of the films made today are made in English, at least the ones from Hollywood. Understanding the plot will be much easier when knowing English. Subtitles in Norwegian or other languages can sometimes cause the meanings of words to be lost in the translation, and they can be a distraction to the action taking place on the screen. In addition to this, movies in other languages are often subtitled by English. * The fourth arena where English very much can be useful is when traveling.Most workers in the tourist line of business know at least a couple words English. From that platform it is much easier to communicate with other people when travelling. * Concerning the education arena, English is not only useful, it is almost necessary to know at bit English. According to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, there are more than 800 courses taught in English, just at the University of Oslo. There are lots of books in Norwegian. However, in college or university many of the books you have to read are written in English.According to the book â€Å"Gateways† by Eva Ulven and Audun Raugset two thirds of the world scientific findings are published in English. * The last thing I want to mention is that many manuals are written in English. Let`s say that you have bought a new TV for 30  000 dollars from America, and you don’t understand the manual, it will take a lot more effort and time to get your TV working. The world today is very much based around the mass – media, and most of the mass – media is written, spoken or sung in English. Yes, I repeat; sung. One of the main factors influencing us is the music.American rappers dominate the hit- lists today, and if anyone is even close to their dominance it must be the Englishmen. They aren’t just on the hit lists in their own country, but also in foreign countries like Norway. Another factor is that the community of YouTube and the social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are very much based on – and ruled by the English language and culture. Parallel to the growth of the internet, the power and importance of English is increasing every minute. In my eyes, Norway is one of the countries who are the most influenced by the American culture.We have taken lots of different American traditions, and made them ours. For example Halloween and Valentine’s Day are American traditions we are practicing here in Norway. I my opinion, that is really sad. Before kids used to go â€Å"julebukk†, but now a days people just don’t do â€Å"Julebukk† anymore – just because Hallowee n and other American traditions have taken over. American music is also really big in Norway, and artists like Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and Rihanna is what most of the Norwegian youth enjoy listening to. Gaming and internet is big part of our Norwegian community, and both are very much based on English.The two most played videogames in Norway, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and FIFA 13 are both on English, and have to say that I have learned much English from it myself. In Norway, people watch TV-series a lot, and most of them are in English. Most of them with Norwegian subtitles, but again the fact that they even showcase American series show us how important English is in Norway. So my conclusion based on what I have written, thought and read goes like this: English today is by far the most important language in the world, concerning business, travelling, education, culture and much, much more.However, languages like Mandarin and Indian is starting to catch up, just because of the simple ma tter of fact that the Chinese and Indian are increasing rapidly when speaking of population.. On the other hand, English is still increasing, just because of the western pop-culture. All the things I have mentioned – all the things we base our international community are based – and ruled by English. English is the dominant language in the world today, and I think it will be continuing as consistent as it is today at the top for many, many years in the future.

Americanization Versus National Culture Essay

Changes are realities of life regardless of one’s origin, skin color, beliefs and traditions. These are unavoidable facts that affect all living creatures on earth in both ways-good and bad. Like all other changes, globalization is one concept born as early as 1960s and has rapidly influenced literally all peoples even those at the edge of the world. In fact, the United Nations Organization (UNO) declared the 1960’s as the dawn of global development (Dass, Rakesh 2008). Drivers of globalization include economic, political, cultural and social factors that eventually led to the spread and elimination of traditions and practices in all aspects of human life. The bottom line is that globalization has two faces: the beneficial and the devastating one. One’s point of argument will depend on which side is he in at the moment. Although the reality that globalization has been advantageous in some ways, this paper would try to prove that globalization has more devastating effects especially on human culture and identity. In particular, this paper would like to point out the multi-faceted risks posed by globalization trend in South East Asian nations. Cultural differences are sacred things that each person is required to respect. It is this culture and tradition that South East Asian nations are rich of and their individual history will prove this argument right. â€Å"Culture is used by the organizers of society – politicians, theologians, academics, and families – to impose and ensure order, the rudiments of which change over time as need dictates† (Rothkopf, David 1997). It is this culture that identifies Asians from the Americans and the Europeans. The differences should not however be treated as walls that hinder other nation to relate with others because the significance of international relations for national development should also be acknowledged. It happened however that globalization forced each nation to open not only their doors but also their windows to let the influence of the Western culture peep in and eventually seep deep into its culture and tradition. Globalization and the technological revolution will also have a significant impact on the diversity and convergence of cultures (Huntington, Samuel 1993, p. 22). We can take culture in its two meanings. The first meaning encompasses a people’s lifestyle, folkways, traditions, art, literature, dance, music and so on. Culture by this definition has to be preserved, nurtured and enriched. It links people to the origins of whom and what they are. It is what binds them together. It gives them their identity beyond the family. It is the source of their sense of self-worth. It imparts meaning to their lives. The diversity of people’s cultures and the interaction among them enrich the human race. Culture comprehends a people’s set of values and attitudes, their outlook on life, their ways of thinking and working, and their mindsets. It is people’s cultures in this sense that globalization and technology are disrupting. In this sense, cultures have to adjust in order for people and nations and regions to be competitive in the global economy (Achenbach, Joel 2001, p. 17). If science and technology, especially information and communications technology and biotechnology, are the arena and weapons for global competition, nations and companies have to undertake a massive re-allocation of resources to education, training, research and development, and the infrastructure for the knowledge industries. National and corporate priorities have to be reset. Legal assumptions and institutional arrangements have to be re-examined. Just as importantly, people’s mindsets have to change. They have to acquire a scientific bent, develop a certain rigor in their thinking, and cultivate the capacity and inclination to turn knowledge into practical applications. People have to develop the willingness to question knowledge that is handed down and challenge intellectual authority – and be allowed to do so. Personal relationships have to be tempered by the objective application of law and rules in the conduct of government and business. In sum, the proverbial paradigm shift must take place. â€Å"Language, religion, political and legal systems, and social customs are the legacies of victors and marketers and reflect the judgment of the marketplace of ideas throughout popular history† (Rothkopt, David 1997). Rothkopt also stressed that culture is often seen as living artifacts, bits and pieces that are being passed from generation to generation through the processes of indoctrination, popular acceptance, and unthinking adherence to old ways. This way, cultural differences lead one nation to consider globalization a threat to one’s culture and eventually to one’s identity. Whether it is the rapid proliferation of Starbucks in Tokyo, changing realities of the real estate market in Greater Vancouver, the recent boom in Korean popular music and TV dramas in Taipei, or the widespread employment of Filipino maids in Hong Kong, the fabric of everyday life in many cities in the Asia Pacific region are comprised of increasingly transnational elements. Intensification of foreign direct investment, trade, cross-national corporate alliances and mergers, cultural exchanges, and university tie-ups have fortified world-wide links between people, organizations, regions, and governments of various nation-states. Terms such as â€Å"global economy,† â€Å"cultural diversity,† and â€Å"global environment† have wended their way into the lexicons of major business schools, while at the same time, a constellation of demonstrations and discontents have been stuffed into the category of â€Å"the anti-globalization movement. † Observing these trends and changes is an easy enough task, requiring little more than a walk along any major commercial street in any major city, or a casual perusal of university course catalogues. How one analyses and understands the changes associated with â€Å"globalization† are another issue, one that presents a considerably more complex intellectual problem. Does â€Å"globalization† writ-large promote greater understanding of cultural similarities and differences, or does it merely diffuse a wider array of simplistic and essentialist stereotypes? Does globalization propagate exploitation and income disparity, or does it offer the individual freedom of choice and convenience of standardization? Do these shifts bring the world closer together, consuming the same hamburgers in a new global community, or is this a homogenizing cultural imperialism, obliterating local cultures in MacWorld synchronicity? How does the nexus of global and local inform individual and collective identities and cultures? First, the historical context behind globalization needs to be kept in mind. While there are some obvious discontinuities as well as continuities, European expansion, modern colonialism, modernization, and globalization constitute different media for the intensification of global ties. For example, certain clothing practices for men in the Asia Pacific (such as wearing ties in suffocating humid midsummer heat) were initially disseminated via Western European imperialism and colonialism. The use of modern statistical methods to measure economic output is yet another example of a â€Å"global† standard originally propagated through the practices of colonial administrations throughout the region. This is not to suggest that the process of globalization can be explained solely by tracing the expansion of European notions of â€Å"civilization† and â€Å"modernity† (both terms which need to be examined critically before blind invocation) or that there is a universal teleology that history must inevitably follow, but to point out that the decoupling of cultural experience from particular geographic locales is not an unprecedented phenomenon. By acknowledging the historical precedents, we may focus our analysis on what might be different or new about the term â€Å"globalization† or whether we ought to discard the term entirely due to the absence of any meaningful conceptual or descriptive value-added. For example, some scholars have argued, however vaguely, that the speed, scale, and scope of these changes and flows have accelerated over the last fifty years. The oft-cited acceleration in the development and diffusion of communication technologies has facilitated the dissemination of information and intensified financial transactions. Thus, while commodity trade may be less global than in pre-1945 years, the amount of money traded in foreign currency exchange dealings or the capital flows through various investments is more intense now than before. Second, it is important to examine the underlying assumptions and operating definitions undergirding much of the debate. The ways concepts such as â€Å"culture† or â€Å"global† or â€Å"local† are defined invariably affect the analytical approach taken. For example, â€Å"culture† is a frequently contested term. Many disciplines such as anthropology, having devoted considerable efforts to grappling with the concept, consider it a central analytical issue. Conversely, some approaches in other disciplines might exclude it from analysis, feeling that â€Å"culture† is too vague a black box to constitute a meaningful independent variable. If one takes the former view, cultural industries and exchanges are central to any understanding of any economic, political, social, and technological change. If one adheres to the latter approach, then it makes sense to distinguish between â€Å"globalization,† confined to economic activities, and â€Å"internationalization,† applied to ‘cultural’ interactions. In another example, some scholars invoke Manichean contrasts between an idealized â€Å"local† or â€Å"traditional† culture and a menacing â€Å"global† or â€Å"modern† culture. If one associates â€Å"local† with sites of national purity and resistance to rising tide of global capitalists, â€Å"local† culture should presumably be protected and maintained. If one defines â€Å"local† culture as reactionary, ignorant, and parochial, than one would presumably wish that â€Å"global† culture ‘enlightens’ â€Å"local† culture. Such latent normative values need to be fore-grounded for any meaningful discussion to occur. Further complicating the issue is the fact that there are increasingly fewer pockets of isolated, undiluted fonts of â€Å"local† identity left, at least in the major urban centers. For example, some commentators in Korea assert that McDonald’s is undermining traditional Korean culinary culture, and promoting obesity in young Korean children. However, the employees and managers of McDonald’s in Korea are Korean, as are its customers (Choe, Yong-shik. 2001). For better or for worse, the reality is that to make it more essential the visions of ‘good’ â€Å"local† and â€Å"traditional† cultures elide the fact that cultures — at the global, national, regional, local, and individual levels — change over time, and are often retroactively reconstituted to serve political interests of a particular moment, place, or institution.

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay

Introduction Mystic Monk coffee company is a cloistered monastic environment where monks from the Carmelite monastery of Clark, Wyoming spend their daily manual labour hours roasting coffee (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420). The monks are a religious sect of the Catholic church and are fully dedicated to their religious and spiritual side, which requires most of their daily hours, be spent praying or contemplating in silence; this leaves little time to spend on coffee roasting productions, especially due to the small population of monks that are able to live at the Carmelite monastery. There were many restrictions that the Carmelite monks faced with their coffee productions such as having restricted roasting capacity, inadequate land and partial workers. Father Daniel Mary, the prior of the Carmelite order, had a vision of expanding the small monastery of 13 monks, by creating a new Mount Carmel in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. There is a nearby location called the Irma Lake Ranch that would include a large house, caretaker house, guesthouse, a gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, a hunting cabin and a dairy and horse barn; this would allow the monks to expand their opportunities, as well as expand their Carmelite monk residents (Thompson, 2012, pg. 421). This vision is everything that Father Daniel Mary ever dreamed, the only thing prohibiting the change, is that the Irma Lake Ranch will cost the monks $8.9 Million. The Mystic Monk coffee company only earns money based on their coffee sales (11% of revenues) and donations from private donators; the Carmelite monastery received a $250,000 donation which they can use at their discretion (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420,423). The following report will take a look at the options that are available to the Carmelite monks and what would be the most strategic plan that should be enforced in order for the monastery to be successful. External and Internal Analysis S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths * Fair trade/ Organic Arabica beans * Variety of coffee flavors * Accessories (t-shirts, cups, CD’s) * Online shopping is available * Tea has been added to selection * Free labour/ No wages paid * Affordable/ reasonable retail price * Membership â€Å"coffee club† * Favors catholic market (large)| Weaknesses * Limited roasting capability (540 lbs/day) * Limited production due to worship * Cant expand due to limited land * Coffee is not a necessity (trend?) * Caffeine is highly addictive (health) * Purchase beans instead of growing * No business expertise/ experience * No absolute competitive advantage * Poor earnings (11% of revenues)| Opportunities * Expand availability into grocery stores * Collaborations (Keureg, Tassimo) * Other purposes (weight loss, bio fuel) * Increase advertisements * Expand into international market * Start a franchise * Open coffee shops (Starbucks, Tim’s)| Threats * Poor coffee growing season * Natural disaster/ weather * Eco nomic Conditions (recession) * Established competition (Folgers, nabob) * Others’ personal religious beliefs * Dependant on donations/ revenues| (Mystic Monk, n.d., pg. 1) Alternatives The Mystic Monk coffee company has to look at their options before they are able to make a decision regarding the continuation of their business. The two options that are available to the Carmelite monks at this point in time are: 1) stay at the current location of Clark, Wyoming, and continue operations as they are and use some donation money to purchase another roaster to help increase production or 2) see if the owners of Irma Lake Ranch would â€Å"gift† them a portion of the ranch without monetary repayment, as a donation, and they would pay the owners as a lease to own the remaining balance of the land, until a breakeven point has been reached. Discussion of Alternatives The first option is to stay at their current location to continue operations as they are. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) retaining their donations and revenues to improve their current monastery, 2) there is little to no risk involved. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is little opportunity to expand the Mystic Monk Company, 2) they cannot easily increase their Carmelite population. The second option is to move to a nearby area, which would involve purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) the Mystic Monk Coffee can increase production easily, 2) there is a large opportunity to expand, 3) the new Carmelite monastery would allow its population to double. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is a tremendously high level of risk involved, 2) the owners may not gift the monks any land. Recommendation After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, a decision has been concluded that the most practical and strategic option would be to receive a portion of the Irma Lake Ranch, as a â€Å"gift† without monetary repayment, then pay the land owners on a lease to own schedule with the increased earnings projected from the new Mount Carmel location. This is the most logical selection if they want to expand and improve their Mystic monk coffee brand, as well as their community; the Carmelites will have no opportunity to grow or expand if they choose to stay where they are and continue on as they have been, as well as soon they will not be able to keep the supply at an adequate level to cover the demand for their products. The Carmelite monastery would have more financial opportunities available with this purchase, such as milk production from the dairy cows, horse rides on the trails through the forest, increased population to help roast and package the coffee. Also, the monks would have sufficient land to be capable of growing and producing their coffee beans without the need of suppliers, which in turn will decrease the cost of goods sold and drastically increase the Mystic Monk’s net profit margin from the current 11% of the sales revenue. The risk on this investment is exceptionally high, but if it is successful, the reward and pay off could be far greater than projected. Action Plan A realistic action plan must now be devised, to ensure that the previous decision is executed correctly, otherwise the Carmelite monks and the Mystic Monk coffee company will not be successful. The monastery is incapable of affording the Irma Lake Ranch with the funds that they currently have, including the $250,000 donation. The Mystic Monk coffee company should confront the current owners of the Irma Lake Ranch and see if they would be willing to â€Å"gift† them a portion of the property without monetary repayment, which could be considered a donation; the remaining balance owing on the land could be contracted as a lease or rent to own situation, where a breakeven point would be reached in a reasonable time frame. Also, because the property has been â€Å"gifted† to the Carmelite monks, they would be eligible to receive a tax break, which would significantly affect their financial status. The new property would be able to offer the monastery an opportunity to expand their brand by introducing tourism, sustainability and other financial opportunities. If the Mystic Monk coffee company decided that they would be capable or growing their own beans on the new land, they would be able to drastically cut costs on the cost of goods sold and eliminate suppliers, which in turn will increase their marginal earnings from the sales revenue. All of these new opportunities are realistic and show that the increased earnings would rapidly and effortlessly be able to pay off the remaining balance owing to the original Irma Lake Ranch owners. Conclusion In conclusion, the Mystic Monk coffee company has been successful with its entrance into the coffee market, however demands are increasing and new opportunities are being presented to the Carmelite monastery. If they wish to grow and expand their business and community, they are going to need to take the risk which is to relocate to a more practical location, ideally the Irma Lake Ranch. Irma Lake Ranch offers many new prospects to the Carmelite monks, which they would not be exposed to if they stay at their current location. This property can allow them to be independent from suppliers and venture into new venture projects such as introducing horse trail rides and milk from the dairy cows. Although the monks are a non-for-profit group, the sales revenue will mostly be paid to the original property owners until the principal amount is depleted, the rest of the money from earnings and donations will be put towards building, growing and maintaining the new Mount Carmel Monastery. References Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. (n.d.). Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/storefront.php Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., & III, A. S. (2012). Case 1. Crafting and Executing Strategy (18th Edition ed., pp. 420-424). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.