Wednesday, October 30, 2019
How Thomas Church and Andrew Jackson Downing were from two different Essay
How Thomas Church and Andrew Jackson Downing were from two different eras but both were influential in establishing the pattern - Essay Example Both men shared the opinion that gardens should be for everyone; indeed, the title of Thomas Church’s book, Gardens are for People, seems to say everything about his philosophy on gardens, believing that they are for people to enjoy, not just look at (Tilston). Downing, as well, thought that gardens should be accessible to all, not just the well-to-do members of society, and lobbied hard with politicians to create a space of greenery in New York City, accessible to all (R.). Though working in different time frames and with different areas of the country, both Downing and Church have had a lasting influence on gardens seen by those living in the present-day era, mainly due to their willingness to go against what was considered â€Å"conventional†at the time during their work, but also because they believed that gardens, plants, and greenery should be accessible to all, not just the wealthy. Andrew Jackson Downing was born on October 15, 1831, in Newburg, New York. He fi nished his schooling at the age of 16, and came by his love of landscaping and gardening honestly, as his father ran a nursery in which he worked after finishing school (â€Å"Living Places†). ... udson River, those with money to spend immediately bough trade gardening books from merchant-class England, where they were popular (â€Å"Gardenvisit.com†). Gardens of the working class, or â€Å"those raised between the plow handles†(â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†) were limited to functionality. They were not interested in growing a beautiful plant or flower to look at, but how many vegetables could be grown to feed the usually ever-growing family. Downing had an undeniable and lasting effect on American landscape and gardening with the publishing of his first book, A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America, published in 1841. The book, the first of its kind to be published in North America, brought immediate fame and recognition as people realized, perhaps for the first time, that they did not have to have large gardens filled with exotic plants; their style could be more of a simple taste. People also realized, as pro moted through Downing, that they could use the natural beauty of their surroundings and plants that were native to North America to define their style (â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†). Though Downing was a follower of the English style of gardens, as well as the Greek Revival style of homes, he carefully tailored his book to the needs of North Americans, recognizing several key points (â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†). First and foremost, Downing recognized that the soils of North America were different from that of Europe, and therefore would need plants and flora that grew and prospered in North America, not imports from Europe, along with the belief that Americans were not aristocratic like most of Europe, and therefore should celebrate their republicanism, hence his designs for middle and lower class cottages and gardens
Monday, October 28, 2019
Tuesdays with Morrie Paper Essay Example for Free
Tuesdays with Morrie Paper Essay Tuesdays with Morrie is a classic piece of literature that depicts an atypical student-teacher relationship. An unusual twist of fate takes the student and this book’s author, Mitch Albom, to once again cross the path of his college professor, whose terminal illness brings both of them to compose their final thesis.            Morrie Schwartz started out as Mitch’s sociology professor back in Brandeis University, Massachusetts. Mitch could be described as the typical college student who hid beneath his tough impression in order to compensate for his being a year younger to be a freshman. Mitch was a good student and in the long run, despite his initial impression of Morrie, took to the professor’s classes and belief that educating was experience over theory. With their classroom and one-on-one discussions coupled with the number of sociology classes that Mitch took under Morrie, the professor finally encouraged Mitch to write an honors thesis, a year-long task which Mitch proudly submitted to is teacher by spring of that year.            Sixteen years after, life has drastically changed for both of them. Mitch became the career-chasing sports journalist, a job he had traded for his dream to become a piano player. Morrie, on the other hand, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a brutal illness of the neurological system. It was a typical night in the life of Mitch, as he was changing channels when he heard the once familiar Morrie Schwartz named in one of the popular nighttime shows on television. It featured his old professor, now stricken with the illness, and all their memories back in college came rolling back to him, including the promise he made during graduation that he would keep in touch with his once favored teacher, one that he never fulfilled.            Back on campus, the relationship of Morrie and Mitch’s as professor and student proved promising. One was a very dedicated teacher, the other, a willing student. Their initial acquaintance was concluded with Morrie hoping that one day, Mitch, as many of his friends called him, would also be his friend.            With most of our generation being in school at one time or another, it would be a truthful observation to say that the relationship between Morrie and Mitch is not the typical teacher-student relationship that we know of. In this time and day, students come and go, and seldom do teachers have the steadfast dedication that Morrie maintained to leave a lasting impression on his students. Although their relationship started out in academics, it eventually developed into a friendship where the old professor became a mentor of life to the young student. They sometimes sat together to eat, had lively discussions about human relationships, and through all these Mitch had agreed to become the player of Morrie, whom he started to call â€Å"Coach.†Despite the need to make up for lost time, the time they met once again, and the Tuesdays after that defined a relationship that was unquestionably one that naturally became a continuation of the friendship they once had.  That reunion after 16 years marked a renewed beginning of a deeper relationship between the two. Both had agreed to meet on Tuesdays immediately after making the pact that the remaining days of Morrie would be devoted to the composition of the â€Å"literature of death.†This would discuss what Mitch pertained to as the issues of his generation such as death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness and a meaningful life.            The tape recorded topics of the â€Å"Tuesday people†started with a discussion about the world. Morrie described it as a world where dreams were traded for bigger paychecks, something which Mitch was very guilty of. The culture that the world has generally does not make people feel good about themselves. Morrie suggests that if this is what culture sells you, then you don’t have to buy it. But because of the daily exposure of people to these ads and their promises of beauty, fame, or fortune, they are lured to thinking that being themselves is not enough. As such, each day they fall prey to this very culture that promulgates that what is trendy is equivalent to â€Å"normal.†In the long run, people walk around leading meaningless lives, busy doing things they believe to be important. In their desperation to put meaning in their lives, they chase the wrong things. After chasing these wrong things and end up finding out that they too, are empty, they keep running. And unfortunately this goes on until the day they leave this world.            Each morning that Morrie wakes up and feels sorry for himself, he cries for a few minutes and then moves on, deciding that wallowing in self-pity would not be the way he wanted to live his remaining days. This is what he calls detachment, learning to let go after feeling the moment. Dying is about accepting it as a natural phenomenon in this world. Humans should not be thinking that they are above nature but rather, a part of it. As one of Morrie’s favorite stories said, the wave is not going to crash into the shore and die. Instead, it had to remind itself that it was part of the ocean.            When asked about the regrets he had in life, Morrie simply said that it is about vanity and pride. He regretted losing a friendship because of pride. This is where the topic on forgiveness comes in learning to forgive yourself, and then forgiving others before you die. Most important of all, despite his impending death, Morrie faced it with the acceptance of a child. Instead of letting the terminal illness disintegrate his spirit, he enjoyed his dependency on other people as a baby would on a nurturing mother. Ironically, awaiting his death ultimately served as their biggest lesson about living. As Morrie put it, â€Å"once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.†           Topics in their Tuesday sessions dwelled on the importance of love, spirituality, responsibility and awareness. Morrie pointed out that the most important thing in life is learning how to give out love and letting it come in. Quoting his favorite poet, Auden, Morrie frequently told Mitch, love each other or perish. Over and over throughout the book, Morrie emphasized the importance of love and that it would be the only way for your memory to be alive when you’re gone. If the people you leave will remember that feeling, even if you die, you will never really go away. Although death puts an end to life, it doesn’t end a relationship. The only reason people wished to stay young, as the professor said, was because they never had satisfied and fulfilled lives. It is only when one was able to find meaning in life that they were able to move forward and look forward to their destiny.            What Morrie wanted Mitch to learn was to live a life that was devoted to loving others, the community around you, and being able to create something that gave you meaning and purpose. After loving others, one needs to be able to love the community they live in. Even if every society has its own problems, Morrie proposes that the answer is not about running away but about creating your own culture and embracing your community like your own family. Morrie taught about investing in the human family, in people, by building a community of those you love and those who love you. Showing off to people above you is futile because they will always be looking down on you while showing off to those in the bottom will only cause them to envy you. Status, according to Morrie, gets you nowhere. As the professor once exclaimed, there was nothing wrong with being number two. Who cares?            Other important values during the final days of Morrie were about being compassionate and taking responsibility for each other. He rationalized that the world would be a better place if people had learned these basic lessons in life: regrets, acceptance of death as part of nature, the importance of family, showing emotions, love, and forgiveness. In fact, when Mitch asked Morrie how he wanted to spend his â€Å"last day†on earth, it was neither about being able to experience the exotic nor being a VIP. Surprisingly, it was just about getting in touch with nature, with the people he loved, and enjoying the simple things that truly mattered in life.            Among all the things that Mitch has learned from Morrie during his final days, it is the importance of love that proved very essential for me. Even if one had all the riches in the world, clichà © as it may sound, material satisfaction is never enough. Morrie in his final days, as he was stripped of his independence, had learned to be more alive in giving himself, his ideas, to those who wished to hear him outâ€â€family, meditation teachers, discussion groups, old students, and friends. He had found more meaning in being able to listen to the problems of other people and contributing in whatever way he can to its solution. He had achieved what he had aspired for in life by having his loved ones surround him in death, rather than hearing of praises when he was on the grave. Morrie imparted the basic idea that indeed, death was not the end of a relationship.  Death was just a phenomenon of nature that we had to understand, that life was not about what society dictated. Life was about living in the moment, being happy with the simple things in life. Not running after the next job, or the next big thing. Paycheck was never in Morrie’s equation of living a happy life. A meaningful life was more about being in touch with those you love, and manifesting that love through affection and uninhibited communication.            As life comes to an end, you only cared about the legacy you leave in this world. How far has your influence gone? Have you told people you cared about that you loved them? Do you want to leave with regrets? Seemingly mediocre to many, these are questions that Morrie challenges us with. As we are posed with these questions, Morrie leaves us the inspiration that we ought to deal with life as if we were dancing with it. Dance with all your heart, with all your might, as if nobody’s looking. If Morrie Schwartz only had the chance, he would have danced his life away, until his last step, until his final breath.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Julius Caesar - Theme Of Friendship :: essays research papers
Friendship is a wonderful part of life, but it can unfortunately be used to deceive, for it is easy to manipulate with it, but only true friendship cannot be defeated, even after death. This element could well likely be the very thing that had sealed the fate of Julius Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, and all the other conspirators knew that they could use this to their advantage, and to Caesar’s disadvantage. Friendship, was what the conspirators used as a cover to blind Caesar from the truth, just as a hunter uses camouflage to keep the animals from seeing what he is up to. The conspirators also used camouflage, but they used flattery along with manipulation as a way to soothe any feelings of doubt that Caesar may have had about their sincerity. These essentials would gain trust, which is the key to all friendships. This trust would be lost and transform into betrayal, with the murder of Caesar. Even though Caesar was plotted against and murdered by Brutus and Cassius, friendship still proved a strong theme because it would falsify the conspirators intents. Caesar was susceptible to the power of friendship just as any normal person would be and his friendship for the conspirators unfortunately blinded him until Brutus’s final blow, by which time it was too late for him. An example of how the conspirators used their friendship with Caesar against him was when Decius, who is one of the conspirators, came to the house of Caesar on the Ides of March. The first thing that Decius says when he walks into Caesar's house is "Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar."(2.2. 58-59) Decius also referred to Caesar as "most mighty". This only made Caesar become more comfortable with Decius, and trust him all the more. The conspirators had already decided how and when they would kill Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, along with Decius, knew they had to lure Caesar close. They had an advantage at this because they knew that all they would have to do was prove to Caesar that they had a good, solid friendship, and this would help their situation and leave Caesar completely sightless to the fact that his situation had grown dire. So they decided to use their friendship with Caesar in a horribly deceptive manner, effectively, in order to kill him. Decius managed to start this off well by using flattery and quick wit in order to trick Caesar into going to the senate house, despite the fact that Caesars wife, Calpurnia had dreams of Caesars murder the night before. Julius Caesar - Theme Of Friendship :: essays research papers Friendship is a wonderful part of life, but it can unfortunately be used to deceive, for it is easy to manipulate with it, but only true friendship cannot be defeated, even after death. This element could well likely be the very thing that had sealed the fate of Julius Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, and all the other conspirators knew that they could use this to their advantage, and to Caesar’s disadvantage. Friendship, was what the conspirators used as a cover to blind Caesar from the truth, just as a hunter uses camouflage to keep the animals from seeing what he is up to. The conspirators also used camouflage, but they used flattery along with manipulation as a way to soothe any feelings of doubt that Caesar may have had about their sincerity. These essentials would gain trust, which is the key to all friendships. This trust would be lost and transform into betrayal, with the murder of Caesar. Even though Caesar was plotted against and murdered by Brutus and Cassius, friendship still proved a strong theme because it would falsify the conspirators intents. Caesar was susceptible to the power of friendship just as any normal person would be and his friendship for the conspirators unfortunately blinded him until Brutus’s final blow, by which time it was too late for him. An example of how the conspirators used their friendship with Caesar against him was when Decius, who is one of the conspirators, came to the house of Caesar on the Ides of March. The first thing that Decius says when he walks into Caesar's house is "Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar."(2.2. 58-59) Decius also referred to Caesar as "most mighty". This only made Caesar become more comfortable with Decius, and trust him all the more. The conspirators had already decided how and when they would kill Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, along with Decius, knew they had to lure Caesar close. They had an advantage at this because they knew that all they would have to do was prove to Caesar that they had a good, solid friendship, and this would help their situation and leave Caesar completely sightless to the fact that his situation had grown dire. So they decided to use their friendship with Caesar in a horribly deceptive manner, effectively, in order to kill him. Decius managed to start this off well by using flattery and quick wit in order to trick Caesar into going to the senate house, despite the fact that Caesars wife, Calpurnia had dreams of Caesars murder the night before.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Patrick Combs Self-Help Guide for Needful College Freshmen
If there is a recipe for self-help books, two of the necessary ingredients are an endorsement from a â€Å"name†self-help or motivation guru/author and trotting out the old Teddy Roosevelt â€Å"man in the arena†mantra. Combs has both: Tom Peters’ kudus on the cover and The Roughrider on page 28. What’s missing is a touch of truth and reality. Nowhere does Mr. Combs describe his own success (perhaps â€Å"I knew I’d never be happy until I got a self-help book published!†) or many student’s real world (perhaps a chapter on majoring in the success of your dysfunctional family, lack of money for traffic fines, broken or stolen personal property, drugged-out roommate and boy/girl friend issues). Instead, Mr. Combs supplies his readers with 154 pages detailing and expanding on a single maxim: figure out what you want to do it life, and do it. Major in Success has some major flaws as well as some great advice. Nonetheless there is a great deal to be gathered from Major in Success, but probably not in the manner Mr. Combs planned. Some great lessons can be learned from understanding not just what is in the book, but what it is that makes the book successful, despite its shortcomings. There are several flaws in Mr. Combs’ advice. First and foremost, the text is replete with anecdotal â€Å"evidence†and devoid of meaningful, quantifiable facts and statistics, and those used are rather disingenuous. In the chapter â€Å"Never Mind the Grades†he cites â€Å"a recent study by the College Review Board†indicating GPA is below ten other factors considered by employers (47).  He uses this â€Å"fact†to buttress his argument to â€Å"never mind the grades†. He fails to mention that in a very competitive job market when ALL of the applicants have those first ten factors, it will likely be factor 11â€â€GPAâ€â€that makes the difference. The second glaring discrepancy relates not only to grades but also his contradictory attitude towards the significance of grades. His theory â€Å"college is for developing your talents to learn and do, so that you can learn and do anything you like†(20) begs the question â€Å"then how is that measured?†Most people, including employers, will use grades as the yardstick for learning ability. Mr. Combs fails to address the significance of a student’s â€Å"focus†or major in college. He claims if time spent on â€Å"extracurricular activities is having a negative impact on your grades, don’t panic†(50). He advises telling the prospective employer to the effect â€Å"sure my grades were mediocre, but various club memberships and internships were my priority.†Ask yourself if you would like to say that on a job interview, or â€Å"I managed to knock down a 3.7 GPA with a major in math and a minor in history while working 25 hours a week to help pay tuition and board†? Throughout the text Mr. Combs offers a â€Å"follow your inner voice, go for happiness, not money†philosophy. Goals change, life events come unexpected and being prepared to shift gears quickly is a key asset. A student may regret having used his college time to develop his knowledge and skills in an area of particular interest only to be caught short later when his interest, income needs, or location changes. The â€Å"follow your passion regardless of income†theory works well for those without monetary needs, retirees, and even second or third career adults capable of turning a hobby into a profitable business. However, the practicality of the theory may come into question years later, when either a more fundamental education (liberal arts) gives flexibility or a mainstream â€Å"certificate†program (nursing, teaching) provides job security. There are no less than three very good reasons to read this book. Mr. Combs has filled the margins with hundreds of â€Å"hot tips†and quotations. Included are a large number of references to other texts and sources. He also provides an excellent chapter entitled â€Å"Classes Worth Their Weight in Gold†, detailing almost a dozen courses with universal value. A concentration on these classes will do wonders for marketplace flexibility. The chapter â€Å"Really Get Into It†provides a detailed list of seventeen items designed to turn interest into expertise. There are less obvious lessons to be learned from Major in Success that are arguably just as important as the ideas expressed in the text. Mr. Combs has a â€Å"Special Thanks†page listing probably a hundred or more persons who assisted him. Success is usually a team sport, and the value of associating with mentors and goal-oriented people is invaluable. The book is very well organized; the Table of Contents lists three major sections divided into twenty-nine succinct chapters. If there is ever a life lesson to be learned, particularly for a college student, it is the value of organization. Additionally the text is filled with lists. Making lists is essential for planning, organizing, and tracking in college and throughout life, for anyone.  Finally, the format of the text is very effective, with graphics, margin notes, and lists in a unique and â€Å"out of the box†manner. Individuality cannot be overemphasized. Today there is no typical college student, and whether the reader is an eighteen-year-old freshman or an older adult returning for a second career they will find something in Major for Success applicable to their specific situation. Works Cited Combs, Patrick. Major in Success. California: Ten Speed Press, 1998.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Impact of Electronic Media Advertising
Some examples of electronic media can be television, radio, and Internet. Consumerism can be defined as a fact or practice of an increasing consumption of goods. Since the beginning of society has relied on advertising to publicly promote a product or a specific service. Advertising has impacted consumers in many different ways. People believe that advertisements brainwashes the consumer into purchasing unnecessary items. Other people believe that advertising does not sell any products, but it will convince the people who desire certain product to purchase it.Advertisements affect sports as well, without companies sponsoring these events they would disappear due to lack of funding. Advertising Is everywhere People see celebrities In their new trendy outfits on TV shows or commercials and want to Imitate their fashion statement. Health and weight Is another trend that the electronic media uses to reach the public. A large amount of celebrities Americans seen on television shows or mov ies are in a perfect shape.This role makes an important impact on American culture because it makes Americans think that the celebrities seen in music videos or movies are the body shape everybody should be. People today are also gaining new outlooks towards situations or people. Americans are watching television shows called â€Å"reality shows. †These shows are letting Americans see how celebrities behave in their daily lives. In some ways this shows are causing Americans to think and act differently of what they thought a celebrity live should It be.Americans are Imitating these attitudes that before middle and poor Americans would not know. Electronic media has propagated new trends that Americans would never thought It could It exist such as Internet blobbing, online shopping, and cell phone testing. Internet blobbing Is In the popular American culture. Most Americans use some kind of blob web page to communicate to his friends or any one that wants know about them. Blo bbing can be used as an advertisement. Celebrities use blob pages such as twitter to promote a new movies or just a product they use.Online shopping has become a trend in the past 10 years for the popular culture. Online shopping has given the consumer the convenience to decide if he or she wants the item ship or pick it up at the store. Testing was not even a word back 15 years ago and in the present time is a large trend in pop culture. Testing is being used to communicate with friends and business also used his to trend in a form of advertisement to companies and television shows. Television shows use testing as way to promote their businesses.A famous show call American Idol use testing to decide what contesters should be eliminated or stay on the competition. These three trends have an Impact on American views and values concerning consumerism and work. The Consumerism causes these trends to promote over ten world For example, elegant would not work walkout consumerism. The soc iety is the main reason the chain keeps moving and advertising works well for companies or television show such as American idol. These trends also have an impact when speaking of work.For example, online shopping has caused some problems of unemployment because it reduces the personal customer service that a salesperson can bring to the customers. The impact of electronic media advertising on consumerism make Americans have a reaction to purchase or not products offered in media. Electronic media has developed new trends in the popular American culture and has an impact in Americans' views and values in consumerism and work. The trends have increased consume of products by Americans, and work has unemployment problems cause by the technology.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Appearence Vs. Reality In Hamlet Essays - Characters In Hamlet
Appearence Vs. Reality In Hamlet Essays - Characters In Hamlet Appearence Vs. Reality In Hamlet Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, tells the story of a young prince who's father recently died. Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, marries Hamlet's mother, the queen, and takes the throne. As the play is told, Hamlet finds out his father was murdered by the recently crowned king. The theme that remains constant throughout the play is appearance versus reality. Things within the play appear to be true and honest but in reality are infested with evil. Many of the characters within the play hide behind a mask of falseness. Four of the main characters that hid behind this mask are Polonius, Rosencrantz (Guildenstern), the king Cluadius. From behind this mask they give the impression of a person who is sincere and genuine, in reality they are plagued with lies and evil. There appearance will make it very difficult for Hamlet to uncover the truth, the characters hide behind. Polonius the kings royal assistant has a preoccupation with appearance. He always wants to keep up the appearance of loving and caring person. Polonius appears like a man who loves and cares about his son, Laertes. Polonius speaks to his son with advice that sounds sincere but in reality it is rehearsed, hollow and without feeling. Polonius gives his advice only to appear to be the loving caring father. The reality is he only speaks to appear sincere as a politician, to look good rather then actually be good: And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell; my blessing season this in thee! Act 1 Polonius gives his son Laertes his blessing to go away, he sends a spy to follow him and keep an eye on him. This shows his lack of trust for anyone, he gives the appearance of a confident father who trusts his son to go off on his own. In reality he lies about his trust for his son by sending a spy to watch him. His advice he gives his son is rehearsed and only said to give the appearance of a loving father. Polonius further adds to the theme appearance verses reality by ordering Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. He lies to her telling her that Hamlet does not love her, he only lusts for her, in truth he does love her: Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns , how prodigal the soul Through the play Polonius hids behind his mask appearing to be honest loving parent. In reality Polonius lies, manipulates people and eavesdrops on peoples conversation. Polonius helps contribute to the theme appearance verses reality by showing how his appearance is not his true nat ure, behind the mask there lies someone totally different. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two of Hamlets childhood friends who when asked by the king, try to find out what is troubling the young prince. Both help to contribute to the theme by showing there appearance of being Hamlets friends. The pair go to Hamlet pretending to be his friends when in truth they are only there because the king asked them to find the truth. There is some irony within the twins, they are asked by the king to find out the truth by hiding within a lie, by pretending to be his friend: A dream is but a shadow Act II. Hamlet knows there purpose for their visit is to dig into his soul to find the real reason for his actions as of late. As the play continues the twins are asked again by the king to go to Hamlet and try again to find the real reason for Hamlets behavior. Hamlet insults them at every chance knowing they are lying to him about there purpose of the visit: Tis as easy as lying; govern these ventages with you finger and thumb, give it breath with your mouth...Act III As the melodrama continues Hamlet goes with the twins to reclaim money that another state owes Denmark. Hamlet is sent by the king to retrieve the assets. In actuality Hamlet is sent off to wither because
Monday, October 21, 2019
Nonsense and Absurd Literature Essays
Nonsense and Absurd Literature Essays Nonsense and Absurd Literature Essay Nonsense and Absurd Literature Essay Essay Topic: Waiting for Godot Similarities between non-sense and absurd literature: challenge, deny and even deride reason, rationality and the quest for meaning. Differences: both existentialism and absurd literature is historically more recent in British culture, whereas non-sense is at least a century older and is a local tradition of British (L. Carrol, non-sense verse-limericks). Nonsense is mainly a comic genre, a form of humor, whereas existentialism and the absurd have a tragic extent to it, are depressive. Nonsense literature apparently constructs the same meaningless literature, but it is done while still preserving a concern for humanity, for a good-natured attitude. There is a sense of social criticism for turning them into caricatures. The excess imposed by the non-sense literature has a complex role: the tension of being British is released through non-sense literature: a form of excess accepted. The British eccentricity is another form of realizing this tension. Absurd literature has been greatly developed in the 20th-century British literature especially through plays, for example, â€Å"Waiting for Godot†by Samuel Beckett. Based on the ideas of existentialism, this play is characterized by a lack of coherence where characters are full of despair, anxiety, having no meaning or purpose in life. They are confused and they spend their time doing nothing. They have a circular life, repeating the same actions each day; there is a lack of communion. They suffer from amnesia: memory is also absent, which is one of the characteristics of the traditional theatre. Another difference between the absurd theatre and traditional theatre is represented by the structure of the play: the characters do not evolve; we have no climax and no conclusion. Time passes, but nothing happens and nobody comes. They do not know where they are or what they are waiting for. They do not know who is Godot or if he will certainly come (â€Å"He did not say for sure he’d come†) but
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Johnnie Johnson - World War 2 Johnnie Johnson
Johnnie Johnson - World War 2 Johnnie Johnson Johnnie Johnson - Early Life Career: Born on March 9, 1915, James Edgar Johnnie Johnson was the son of Alfred Johnson, a Leicestershire policeman. An avid outdoorsman, Johnson was raised locally and attended Loughborough Grammar School. His career at Loughborough came to an abrupt end when he was expelled for swimming in the school pool with a girl. Attending the University of Nottingham, Johnson studied civil engineering and graduated in 1937. The following year he broke his collar bone while playing for Chingford Rugby Club. In the wake of the injury, the bone was improperly set and healed incorrectly. Entering the Military: Possessing an interest in aviation, Johnson applied for entry into the Royal Auxiliary Air Force but was rejected based on his injury. Still eager to serve, he joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry. With tensions with Germany increasing in late 1938 as a result of the Munich Crisis, the Royal Air Force reduced its entry standards and Johnson was able to gain admission into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. After undergoing basic training on weekends, he was called up in August 1939 and sent to Cambridge for flight training. His flying education was completed at 7 Operational Training Unit, RAF Hawarden in Wales. The Nagging Injury: During the course of training, Johnson found that his shoulder caused him great pain while flying. This proved particularly true when flying high-performance aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire. The injury was further exacerbated following a crash during training in which Johnsons Spitfire did a ground loop. Though he tried various types of padding on his shoulder, he continued to find that he would lose feeling in his right arm while flying. Briefly posted to No. 19 Squadron, he soon received a transfer to No. 616 Squadron at Coltishall. Reporting his shoulder problems to the medic he was soon given a choice between reassignment as a training pilot or undergoing surgery to reset his collar bone. Immediately opting for the latter, he was removed from flight status and sent to the RAF Hospital at Rauceby. As a result of this operation, Johnson missed the Battle of Britain. Returning to No. 616 Squadron in December 1940, he began regular flight operations and aided in downing a German aircraft the following month. Moving with the squadron to Tangmere in early 1941, he began to see more action. A Rising Star: Quickly proving himself a skilled pilot, he was invited to fly in Wing Commander Douglas Baders section. Gaining experience, he scored his first kill, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 on June 26. Taking part in the fighter sweeps over Western Europe that summer, he was present when Bader was shot down on August 9. Scoring his fifth kill and becoming an ace in September, Johnson received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and made flight commander. Over the next several months he continued to perform admirably and earned a bar for his DFC in July 1942. An Established Ace: In August 1942, Johnson received command of No. 610 Squadron and led it over Dieppe during Operation Jubilee. In the course of the fighting, he downed a Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Continuing to add to his total, Johnson was promoted to acting Wing Commander in March 1943 and given command of the Canadian Wing at Kenley. Despite being English-born, Johnson quickly gained the Canadians trust through his leadership in the air. The unit proved exceptionally effective under his guidance and he personally downed fourteen German fighters between April and September. For his achievements in early 1943, Johnson received the Distinguish Service Order (DSO) in June. A slew of additional kills earned him a bar for the DSO that September. Removed from flight operations for six months at the end of September, Johnsons total numbered 25 kills and he held the official rank of Squadron Leader. Assigned to No. 11 Group Headquarters, he performed administrative duties until March 1944 when he was placed in command of No. 144 (RCAF) Wing. Scoring his 28th kill on May 5, he became the highest-scoring British ace still actively flying. Top Scorer: Continuing to fly through 1944, Johnson kept adding to his tally. Scoring his 33rd kill on June 30, he passed Group Captain Adolph Sailor Malan as the top-scoring British pilot against the Luftwaffe. Given command of No. 127 Wing in August, he downed two Fw 190s on the 21st. Johnsons final victory of World War II came on September 27 over Nijmegen when he destroyed a Bf 109. During the course of the war, Johnson flew 515 sorties and shot down 34 German aircraft. He shared in seven additional kills which added 3.5 to his total. In addition, he had three probables, ten damaged, and one destroyed on the ground. Postwar: In the final weeks of the war, his men patrolled the skies over Kiel and Berlin. With the end of the conflict, Johnson was the RAFs second highest-scoring pilot of the war behind Squadron Leader Marmaduke Pattle who had been killed in 1941. With the end of the war, Johnson was given a permanent commission in the RAF first as a squadron leader and then as a wing commander. After service at the Central Fighter Establishment, he was sent to the United States to gain experience in jet fighter operations. Flying the F-86 Sabre and F-80 Shooting Star, he saw service in the Korean War with the US Air Force. Returning to the RAF in 1952, he served as Air Officer Commanding at RAF Wildenrath in Germany. Two years later he began a three-year tour as Deputy Director, Operations at the Air Ministry. After a term as Air Officer Commanding, RAF Cottesmore (1957-1960), he was promoted to air commodore. Promoted to air vice marshal in 1963, Johnsons final active duty command was as Air Officer Commanding, Air Forces Middle East. Retiring in 1966, Johnson worked in business for the remainder of his professional life as well as served as Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Leicestershire in 1967. Writing several books about his career and flying, Johnson died of cancer on January 30, 2001. Selected Sources James Edgar Johnnie JohnsonAir Vice Marshal James Johnnie JohnsonCentury of Flight: Johnnie Johnson
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Research and Opinion Paper- On Organizational Culture Paper
And Opinion - On Organizational Culture - Research Paper Example The aim was to help learners have a better understanding of the diverse organizational traditions. A set of semi structured questions on matters related to organizational culture and its consequences on the society were presented to different employees in the selected industries. The deductions discussed in this survey paper were made. Introduction Culture is defined as a set of traditions or beliefs that dictate the way of life of a group of people. On the other hand, organizational culture is the set of values that define the collective behavioral orientations of humans in a given setup (Hofstede, 2012). These components of organizational culture range from the institutions’ past to the contemporary issues. Most of the institutional traditions are based and established on common customs, attitudes and laws. It was, therefore, apt to conduct this cross-sectional research considering the said significance. Objectives of Organizational Culture Basically, organizational culture is normally established with the aim of improving the affairs of the company and defining its success. The institutional culture aims at maintaining and improving employee business conduct, as well as checking on better ways of employee treatment (Devis, 2007). The employee unit is a vital sector in each organization. The performance of the employees dictates the success of each company. A company that has an environmental culture which supports result oriented efforts is destined to thrive in its endeavors. It is, therefore, necessary to treat the employee cultural practices with a lot of care. Moreover, institutional customs also focus on defining proper channels through which authorities and information flow within the company. It also emphasizes on the importance of rewarding employees through promotions and salary increment based on their past performance records rather than social connections. Creating a culture that appreciates the employees’ individual efforts to impr ove company issues builds strong relations between the employees and their employees (Evans, 2012). This contributes to the overall performance of the industry. Moreover, it is encouraged to let the entire fraternity of a given organization to understand channels of communication and responsibility. Impacts of Culture on Various Organizations Organizational culture is one the most talked about issues in the contemporary world. In every field, there is always a given set of beliefs and customs that members have to bend to in order to thrive. Different fields have various cultural practices associated with them. In the school setting, there are a number of traditional practices that influence the performance and success of such institutions. For instance, students are subjected to a set of norms that dictate how they carry out themselves within the institution. At the same time, teachers and tutors too have preset norms to guide them in creating better learning conditions to the stude nts. It is the various composites of the schools’ customary practices such as the missions, visions and ways of operations that determine the institutional performances (Evans, 2012). The business realm is no exception. It is, for instance, based on capital generation and profit making as the cultural basis. Those who venture into the business field, therefore, have to put up with the traditions. In addition, there are
Friday, October 18, 2019
Leadership Communication Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Leadership Communication Presentation - Essay Example To counter this argument, another manager may say, â€Å"Removing all our fringe benefits would result in low morale for the employees.†Obviously, the second manager was using the straw man fallacy by restating what the other manager said, and saying â€Å"removing all our fringe benefits†when the first manager actually said a reduction in the fringe benefits. These conversations are typical in organizations especially when meetings are held to find solutions for problems that confront the company. There are several ways to overcome or prevent a straw man fallacy in an organization. First, in making vital decisions for the company, it is better to put the arguments for each position or alternative in writing; rather than having a face-to-face debate with the proponents of different sides. In this way, the possibility of misinterpretation and misrepresentation is eliminated. Another way to prevent a straw man fallacy is to show proofs, data or statistics in presenting alternative solutions to organizational problems. If these information are presented, it would be hard to refute by just a straw man fallacy. Lastly, it is suggested that to overcome a straw man fallacy, those involved in making major decisions for the firm should be well-informed. According to Talisse and Aikin, the success of the straw man fallacy depends on the ignorance of the audience; thus, if the people responsible for decision-making are well-informed of the various positions, then they can have an intelli gent and reasoned discourse without being swayed by fallacies
How can a BMW franchise create Customer Engagement through Social Research Paper
How can a BMW franchise create Customer Engagement through Social Media - Research Paper Example According to the research findings the reasons behind the utilisation of the social media sites depend upon multifarious factors. Its utilisation may depend upon components such as company profile, products and customers that the company is serving. Social media websites can be considered as a good way through which the dependability as well as the goodwill of a company can be enhanced. People make use of social media sites for certain reasons such as for the purpose of interacting, collaborating, looking for counsel from the experts, disseminating of the multimedia, looking for opinions, contributing reviews as well as entertainment. Most of the people argue the fact that social media tends to bring a new sense of community by permitting them to connect with those who are similar to themselves i.e. like-minded people and people with similar tastes and preferences. A number of people are making use of the social media while initiating purchase decisions. The figure below demonstrates the use of social media by BMW and others and the benefits obtained by it in order to gain higher return on investment. The figure makes it apparent that BMW scores high in terms of revenues earned by making use of the social media. It is a well known fact that the new media environment is featured by interactivity and multi-dimensional communication flows. With the pace of time, the marketing functions have also started incorporating social media in its campaigns. (Yamamichi, 2011). The increased utilisation of social networking sites such as Facebook as well as Twitter in order to market the products as well as the services is gaining huge attention in the recent times. The companies make use of the social media sites as one of the significant communication channels so that they can gain feedback of the consumers. It has been recognised that on-line communities are considered as a vital component of social media since they offer the companies with cross-selling opportunities to v arious user groups sharing the similar platform (Donath, 2004). Social media can offer BMW with immediate feedbacks and present the company with quick indications regarding what is required in order to resolve pertinent issues. In the present times, the companies make use of the social media so that they can improve their marketing schemes. The purpose of social media must be to improve branding of the business of BMW and to increase the popularity of the product. It can be mentioned that the social media must also be utilised for the purpose of tracking the presence of the business online in order to ensure that the clients are not deteriorating the value of the brand (Zwart, Lindsay, Henderson, & Phillips, 2011). Certain authors have stated the fact that one of the main benefits of social media is to identify precisely regarding what the customers are thinking. Businesses also make use of the social media sites in order to increase the sales of the products and the services and in turn to increase the market share (Ali, 2011). Social media makes it easier for the companies to create relationships, position the brand properly and share exciting experiences and information with their customers (National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2011). Web Users Frequency It has been found that the rate of internet penetration in Europe in the year 2011 had been 61.3% while the world average was 32.7%. Internet penetration in rest of the world has been 28.9%. The figure presented below helps
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Introduction to Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Introduction to Computing - Essay Example A wireless network is defined as the type of telecommunication network whose nodes are interconnected without any wires and the remote transmission of information takes place by means of radio waves at the physical level. Wireless networking has helped the consumers get rid of bundles of cables and wires so that they can benefit from countless services of the internet without having stuck at one place because of wiring. Wireless networking has made possible quick and reliable file and internet connection sharing. To begin with wireless networking, the first thing needed is a â€Å"high speed internet connection at the place where you want to use wireless networking†such as digital subscriber line (DSL) or WI-FI (Software Reviews). Other requirements include wireless networking adapter or a PC card adapter, a modem and a network hub. In case of wide-ranging wireless networking, it is always sensible to use an HP Network Assistant â€Å"to validate your wired and wireless network settings†(Hewlett-Packard Development Company). Wireless networks are based on IEEE 802.11 standards which is a set of standards developed by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) to carry ou t WLAN technology with specifications or protocols like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n having frequency bandwidth of 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) enable a user to connect to a local area network through wireless networking, like a small network in a house or an office. As compared to conventional wired networks, the user just has to put on the computer system and enable the ‘connect to the network’ option to connect to the network. It is that simple. The user does not have to waste time in adjusting wires, cables and plugs. He can take the system he is working on anywhere he wants inside the house or inside the range of access points. Thus, setting up a WLAN saves time and money wasted on setting up cables. Computers inside WLAN can be
Project Management Best Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Project Management Best Practices - Essay Example Though PM inherits many methods and features of general management, but that does not indicate that it is similar to dealing with general management. Practical PM skills helps in completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner and encompass proven strategies for clarifying project objectives, avoiding serious omission errors and eliminating costly mistakes. PM encompass two dimensions, project planning and project execution. Each of these dimensions consists of five activities. "Project planning consists of subdivision of work into smaller chunks, quantification, allocating appropriate sequencing of work, proper funding and scheduling" (Howes 2001, p. 15). "Whereas project execution entails costing, measuring project scope, variance tracking and change control, evaluating performance and measuring the extent to which the outcomes are productive" (ibid). Project planning involves breaking down any project into smaller chunks or groups, and then analyse it in the light of its complexity how long each task will take and how each of these activities relate to one another. These relationships serve as the backbone of the proje ct from which we can calculate the timing of each element, and anticipate the activities which seem vital to the success of the project (Reiss 1995, p. 46). Project management comprises of techniques and methods that are based on practical implications and are effectively planned and controlled by project coordinators or managers. The framework within which each of the business activities take place illustrate practical work environment based on the practices that are proven essential in the application of methodologies of modern PM. This is to ensure that credibility establishes and retains between a project manager and a client in such a manner that manager escorts the team to interact with client, so as to understand client's objectives, responsibilities and the need for consistent planning. The technical features of PM helps the managers to learn through trial and error that PM is an integrated series of processes and activities. When applied in a repetitive manner for more than single projects, helps managers to successfully escort a project to its completion. The need for integration among various project processes is evident wherever interfaces must be established for various subtasks to interact with each other. Various subtasks integrate in a situation when a project is required to be assigned to a specific delivery date without any regard for the overall project scope. In the meanwhile project manager identifies any risks or flaws resulting from the chosen approach and communicate that specification to the stakeholders. The project manager along with the stakeholders utilise that information to negotiate and reach to a conclusion on whether the schedule should be extended or it would be better to reduce the product scope to meet the original schedule (Dinsmore & Brewin, 2006, p. 70)2. Timed-Box Scheduling: This approach is used when results are required to produce in a short time span. It emphasises on the notion that projects can be scheduled faster if customers and developers are forced to produce results quickly. This is done by reanalysing deliverables and cut out
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Introduction to Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Introduction to Computing - Essay Example A wireless network is defined as the type of telecommunication network whose nodes are interconnected without any wires and the remote transmission of information takes place by means of radio waves at the physical level. Wireless networking has helped the consumers get rid of bundles of cables and wires so that they can benefit from countless services of the internet without having stuck at one place because of wiring. Wireless networking has made possible quick and reliable file and internet connection sharing. To begin with wireless networking, the first thing needed is a â€Å"high speed internet connection at the place where you want to use wireless networking†such as digital subscriber line (DSL) or WI-FI (Software Reviews). Other requirements include wireless networking adapter or a PC card adapter, a modem and a network hub. In case of wide-ranging wireless networking, it is always sensible to use an HP Network Assistant â€Å"to validate your wired and wireless network settings†(Hewlett-Packard Development Company). Wireless networks are based on IEEE 802.11 standards which is a set of standards developed by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) to carry ou t WLAN technology with specifications or protocols like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n having frequency bandwidth of 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) enable a user to connect to a local area network through wireless networking, like a small network in a house or an office. As compared to conventional wired networks, the user just has to put on the computer system and enable the ‘connect to the network’ option to connect to the network. It is that simple. The user does not have to waste time in adjusting wires, cables and plugs. He can take the system he is working on anywhere he wants inside the house or inside the range of access points. Thus, setting up a WLAN saves time and money wasted on setting up cables. Computers inside WLAN can be
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Personal Response of The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Assignment
Personal Response of The Piano Lesson by August Wilson - Assignment Example In fact, it was confusion that I experienced for I could not understand why keep a thing that makes one suffer and that one does not use at all. In addition to this, Doaker mentions that â€Å"she [Bernice] say it [the piano] got blood on it†(Wilson 10). It is obvious Bernice does not play it because of some superstitions she has and keeping the piano at home seems to be unreasonable. Moreover, Bernice’s brother needs the money that could be obtained if the instrument is sold for a good purpose. Of course, he wants to buy the land to be a master there; he also wants to buy it, however, to be the master of the land on which his ancestors were enslaved. When the long and tragic story of the piano was revealed to me, I experienced a belief conflict as I understood the actual value of the musical instrument. It appears to be both a symbol of both a family reunion and a reminder of slavery. Thus, it is more than an instrument: â€Å"[Boy Charles] Say [the piano] was the story of our whole family and as long as Sutter had it†¦ he had us. Say we was still in slavery†(Wilson 45). On the one hand, the idea of buying Sutter’s land is the way to pay tribute to the ancestors and the opportunity to create happier future. On the other hand, selling the piano may be compared to selling the family’s past. I hesitated whose side to take almost to the very last scene of the play, in which the author of the piece himself suggests what is right. The character that appeals to me is Boy Willie. It is mostly so because of his practical and somewhat down-to-earth view on life. He is the character that introduces the conflict into play saying he plans to sell the piano to buy the land. He says, â€Å"The only thing make the piano worth something is them carvings Papa Willie Boy put on there. [†¦] Papa Boy Charles brought that piano into the house. Now, I’ m supposed to build on what they left me†(Wilson 51). In other words, for Boy Willie, selling the instrument to buy the
Investigative Report on Interviewee Essay Example for Free
Investigative Report on Interviewee Essay The interview is of a former police officer who is now undergoing a course in criminal justice psychology. The interviewee is a 57 year old separated man who has been a professional policeman with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and has also had a second career as a laser technician. The interviewee has a strong experiential exposure to criminals during his career in the CHP. He is a multi dimensional personality pursuing art as well as computer 3D art and painting. Presently he is looking forward for a graduate degree in criminal justice psychology followed possibly by a doctoral degree in psychology. He thus has innate interest in human psychology and is willing to learn. The individual is concerned about the suicide rate for CHP officers and feels that by combining knowledge of psychology with practical experience in policing he would be able to contribute to improvement of quality of life and thus possibly bring down the suicide rate. The interviewee has a strong feminine bondage in the family being a father of four daughters aged 17 to 35 years and is also a grandfather of 5. Thus while he has been separated there is possibility of adequate empathy for women borne out of this innate connectivity. 2. Describe the elements the interviewee possessed. The individual has good knowledge of policing and is interested in psychology. Despite his relatively short tenure in the police due to medical reasons, he is committed to policing and criminology. The biggest asset of the person is his willingness to learn and experiment. Thus after his policing career he has been in a most unusual job as a laser technician and now is pursuing a career in criminal justice psychology. His interests in inter related fields of crime and psychology make him an ideal combination for mentoring and providing psychological assistance to police officers. While he has had a good exposure to policing, he has not had any experience with women officers as during his period of service, women police officers had not been inducted in the force. His knowledge of women police officers is thus limited to anecdotal inputs provided by his colleagues and short social exposure to daughters of police presently working in the force. There is thus a strong element of doubt of capability of women officers in the harsh environment of beat policing in the individual. He has on the other hand a strong sense of values and character, based on his experience in policing and he sees these as prime assets in a police personnel. He also tends to rely on experience and personal knowledge in making judgments. 3. Describe the elements that might lead to advantages or disadvantages for women officers. The interviewee has a strong female empathy factor in the family, being the father of four daughters and one who is open to the girl child take up a policing job; which will certainly work to his advantage. Another issue is his understanding of the criminal policing system and interest in psychology which will provide a strong backdrop to all aspects related to mentoring of police officers. He is willing to learn and is a multi skilled person interested in arts. These elements provide him the motivation as well as the ability to learn new skills and adapt to varied surroundings. The strong sense of values and character that he possesses will surely be an advantage. The interviewee has had no experience of working with women officers earlier which could be a serious disadvantage as he would not be able to correlate to problems, pressures and the difference in environment in which male and female officers in the force have to work. Being a separated person there could be a disadvantage of greater mistrust, though this will depend on intrinsic reasons for separation which are not known at present. The interviewee’s opinions of the competence of female officers is based on dated information when there were limited numbers and their role was also restricted, this may necessitate a longer learning period for him to adjust to an environment required to support women. The interviewee also is not confident of the role that women officers can play in the police force and honestly doubts their capabilities. However this may be due to lack of exposure to women officers during his career. He may be willing to change his opinion once he is exposed, given his family background and learning motivation. 4. Explain why these elements might prove beneficial or problematic when working with women officers. A general empathy for women in general which the individual possesses will prove beneficial along with basic grounding in psychology as well as criminal justice system. Adaptability and willingness to learn may also prove beneficial when working with women officers. His emphasis on values, character and respect will also be useful to motivate women officers as they are more idealistic and moved by demonstrated ethical characteristics. In working with women police officers, it would be essential to understand their special needs and differentiate the manner of their working with that of male officers. The interviewee lacks exposure and appears to be opinionated in this regard which would be problematic. The interviewee is also not very comfortable with the idea of women in policing which may again be due to his lack of experience in this regard and this would be problematic at least in the initial stages. Reference 1. Interview Record. (No Date). Copy of proceedings attached in original.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
A SWOT and marketing analysis of Virgin Media
A SWOT and marketing analysis of Virgin Media Services marketing are a form of marketing which focuses on selling services. Services can be tricky to sell and the marketing approach for them is much different than the approach for products. Some companies offer both products and services and must use a mixture of styles; for example, a store which sells phone also tends to offer services such as helping people select phone as contract and providing broadband service and phone repair. Such a store must market both its products and the supporting services it offers to appeal to customers. When people market services, the goal is not to get customers to buy a product, but to get people to do business with a particular company, often in a specific location. For example, virgin media offers broadband and internet service: It provides phone, internet and TV service for the customers, both on-site and in to-go form in many cases. When the company markets itself, it must convince people that it is preferable to other broadband and that its facility is worth the trip. Virgin Media is an innovative new media company that was formed as a result of a merger between NTL and Telewest and then a re-branding as Virgin Media. Its main strength lies in the branding and the innovation that the name Virgin offers. Internally, Virgin Media is the only company in the United Kingdom that offers all four of the main media services, i.e. digital television, broadband, fixed line telephone and mobile phone packages. The ability to offer these products all together in one bundle is the unique selling point of Virgin Media and clearly sets the company apart from its competitors. Swot analysis Swot analysis is the most important and first stage of planning. It is a feedback mechanism to make new strategies for any organisation. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are the four components of a swot analysis. Weaknesses and Strengths are correlated and examine the internal part of the business analysis whereas Opportunities and Threats deal with the external environment of business operation. Weaknesses and strengths refer to aspect of marketing, finance, manufacturing or organisational structure. Swot analysis helps clarifies the objectives of the organisation Strengths In offering these combined services, the company has substantial economies of scale as it is able to combine many of its generic roles such as administration and finance, thus allowing the company to price more competitively for the benefit of its customers. Due to its perceived leading brand name in the media, Virgin Media has managed to secure an ongoing contract with Sky, extending further still its inclusive offering to its customers. Technical ability and infrastructure are also two of the key internal strengths of the company, which have been exploited to produce a market leading position. Weaknesses Despite this, the company does have some internal weaknesses that need to be managed. The merger between NTL and Telewest is still relatively new and there are cultural clashes between the two styles and the emerging Virgin style. In recent years, there have been several redundancies and outsourcing of customer services, in an attempt to bring down costs. This has resulted in a degree of unsettled behaviour and lack of loyalty from staff. Due to the size and complexity of the growing organisation, there are likely to be ongoing conflicts which will need to be managed if this cultural shift is not to impact on the customer experience. Opportunities and Threats Externally, the opportunities and threats facing Virgin Media are ever changing. The media sector is developing an exceptionally fast pace, resulting in both opportunities and threats for companies such as Virgin Media. Opportunities are widely available for Virgin Media, predominantly in offering value added services such as online gaming or more reliable broadband connections. Bundling these media services together, as Virgin Media has already done offers yet further opportunities within the media sector, in terms of grasping greater market share. Consumers like simple, one-stop shopping when it comes to the media options available; this is something that Virgin Media can continue to exploit, particularly now that it has signed an agreement with Sky. Threats to Virgin Media come from other similar media companies such as Orange or BT who remain as large players in the market. In particular, Virgin Media is rumoured to have difficulties with its infrastructure reliability, which could potentially allow competitors such as BT to increase market share. The media sector as a whole is extremely fast moving; therefore, the main threat is that Virgin Media may fail to keep pace, thus losing its customer base to another more innovative company. The flower of service Facilitating elements(services) Information: Customers often require information about how to obtain and use a product and services. They may also need remainders and documentation. Example, Of virgin broadband information services are: Direction to service site and using instruction, warning and insurance, terms and condition of services. Order taking: Many goods and services must be ordered or reserved in advance. Customer needs to know what available and may want to secure commitment to delivery Billing:How much do I owe you? .Customers deserve clear, accurate and intelligible bills and statements. Payment: Customer may pay faster and more cheerfully if Virgin makes transactions simple and convenient for them. 2) Enhancing services: Consultation: Value can be added to goods and services by offering advice and consultation. Safe keeping: Customers prefer not to worry about looking after the personal possessions that they bring with them to a service site. Exceptions: Customers appreciate some flexibility in a business when they make special request. They expect it when not everything goes according to plan. Hospitality: Customers who invest time and effort in visiting a business and using its services deserve to be treated as welcome guests. User Preparation When implementing new system, it is important that personnel, employees, managers and others in the organization are prepared for it. This process is also called process of readying the decision makers, managers, employees, and stakeholders for a new system. In this regard, user training becomes very essential, because without it the success of the system cannot be guaranteed. This process of user preparation is planned and executed properly and involved a lot of arrangement, and consideration (Stair Reynolds, 2008). Virgin Media, the UKs leading fibre-optic broadband provider currently has almost 60,000 SME and public sector broadband clients, but has announced that it is looking to grow this significantly. Virgin Media has unveiled plans to target the small and medium business customers of its rival broadband giant BT. The move comes soon after BTs commitment to undercut Virgin Medias residential super-fast broadband prices, with its new fibre-optic broadband service which BT is rolling out this year. There is a very big market up for grabs, as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) spend about  £18bn a year on IT and telecoms. Virgin Media currently have revenues of about  £600m pa from business broadband customers and this is forecast to rise to about  £1bn pa in three to five years. Virgin Media chief operating officer Andrew Barron said: This is another step forwards. Weve been working in the business division for 18 months on getting the business processes to the right level. Weve improved it dramatically. We can use the fibre-optic network to differentiate ourselves. Marketing communication Mix: The marketing mix is the set of controllable tacticle marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the Response it wants in the target market (Melewar. T.C., Saunders.J, 2000) Marketing communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers directly or indirectly about the products and brands that they sell. A company s total marketing communication mix also called promotion mix (Kotler, 2005) consists of specific blending of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing tools that are used by company to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives. The marketing communication activities which contribute to the marketing of any new or existing product: by creating awareness of the brand; linking the right associations to the products image in the consumers memory, facilitating stronger consumer-product connection etc. Current extended marketing mix marketing mix. People People is one of the elements of service marketing mix. People define a service.. In case of service marketing, people can make or break an organization. Thus virgin media nowadays are involved into specially getting their staff trained in interpersonal skills and customer service with a focus towards customer satisfaction. In fact many companies have to undergo accreditation to show that their staffs are better than the rest. Definitely a USP in case of services. Process Service process is the way in which a service is delivered to the end customer. The process of a service company such as virgin media in delivering its product is of utmost importance. It is also a critical component in the service blueprint, wherein before establishing the service, the company defines exactly what should be the process of the service product reaching the end customer. Physical Evidence The last element in the service marketing mix is a very important element. As said before, services are intangible in nature. However, to create a better customer experience tangible elements are also delivered with the service. Physical evidence is used as a differentiator in service marketing. This is the service marketing mix (7p) which is also known as the extended marketing mix Position Positioning in different areas is not always easy (I can say it is too difficult). Virgin Group was aware of the difficulties so they had to think about the Virgin brand name. They have never entered in a business before doing solid researches and analysis. They have reviewed the industry and tried to look from customers eyes. They were aware of the trade-offs they had to think before entering a new business venture and they have never underestimated the risks behind new entrance. Advertising Virgin Media launched to much fanfare in February 2007, with a public relations event and an expensive advertising campaign which covered major UK television channels, newspapers and billboards. In an effort to increase awareness of the group and its services, Virgin Medias campaign used bright red colours to portray its brand image. Recent[update] television advertising featured actress Uma Thurman and comedienne Ruby Wax, and currently[update] features actor Samuel L Jackson, whilst the print advertising features bold typography. Virgin Media also sponsored the Channel 4 reality TV show Big Brother until the end of the ninth series. Virgin Media Business/ On Thursday 11 February 2010, Virgin Media announced that its business division would be rebranded as Virgin Media Business with immediate effect. The company, which had been operating as ntl:Telewest Business, is now the largest B2B brand in the Virgin Group. This marked the end of the NTL and Telewest being used by the company. Virgin Media Business is the UKs only telco with a national fibre optic Next Generation Network. Organisations working with Virgin Media Business include London City Airport, Arqiva, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership and South West Water. Consumer behaviours Understanding how consumer behaviour is changing will be an important requirement of Virgin Medias upcoming music offering and, should they become law, the Governments legislative proposals will also require measurement of the level of copyright infringement on ISPs networks. Deticas CViewà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ technology potentially offers a non-intrusive solution which enhances our understanding of aggregate customer behaviour without identifying or storing individual customers data. Consumer Segment We face intense competition from a variety of entertainment and communications service providers, which offer comparable broadband internet, television, fixed line telephony and mobile telephony services. In addition, technological advances and product innovations have increased, and will likely continue to increase, the number of alternatives available to our customers from other providers and intensify the competitive environment. See Risk Factors-We operate in highly competitive markets. However, we believe that we have a competitive advantage in the U.K. residential market due to the superior technical capabilities of our cable network over the network of the incumbent BT, which many of our competitors rely on to provide their services. We also face intense competition in the mobile telephony market, primarily driven by increased pricing pressure from both established and new service providers, evolving customer needs and technological developments. We offer most of our products on a stand-alone basis or as part of bundled packages designed to encourage customers to subscribe to multiple services. We offer broadband internet, fixed line telephony and mobile telephony and data services throughout the U.K., and currently offer television services exclusively in areas served by our cable network Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (STP) Before start think about marketing (4P), you must understand what is STP. Terms of STP include : market strategy; target markets; positioning; market segmentation and target markets; market segmentation and demographics Segmentation Segmentation : Identifying all segments for the product/service. Many of the resources listed in module 3 will be helpful to you when you develop segments. To be useful, segments should be: Measurable Accessible (can you reach them) Profitable Distinct from one another the objective of segmentation is to find attractive markets. Strategies include Break market into components Regroup into market segments Select which segment to target Targeting Virgin Media is currently number two in the home broadband market in the UK, but it obviously doesnt want to be left behind when it comes to broadband on the move. The company has its own-brand mobile phone service, so its wasnt that much of a leap for it to add mobile broadband into the mix. Virgin is offering mobile broadband via a number of different deals. For example, if youre already a Virgin customer using its XL (20Mb) or L (10Mb) cable broadband packages or its ADSL Bundle 1 offering, you can get mobile broadband with a 1GB usage allowance for an additional fiver a month. If youre on one of the lower-end home broadband deals you can get the same package for a tenner a month. However, for this review were looking at the standard retail pack which targets people who dont already have a Virgin service. This deal costs  £15 a month on an 18-month contract for a 3GB monthly download allowance and a free USB modem Positioning. Positioning is an essential component and skill in good marketing. Perceptual maps are used to determine the position of a product, firm, person, service or idea. Positioning maps or perceptual maps can be simple, yet very effective marketing tools. One definition of Positioning Theory is: the science of perceptual strategy. It is based on a theory that strategy can only be planned in the mind of the consumer, not the marketplace*. It is important to understand the levels of competition because positioning applies at all levels of competition. For example: Product Level Corporate Level Industry Level The STP Process The growing use of the STP process has occurred as a direct result of the prevalence of mature markets, the greater diversity in customer needs, and the ability to reach specialized or niche segments. As such marketers are increasingly segmenting markets and identifying attractive segments (i.e. who to focus on and why?), in order to identify new product opportunities, develop suitable positioning and communications strategies (i.e. what message to communicate), and effectively allocate resources to key marketing activities (i.e. how much should we spend and where?). Organizations will often commission segmentation research when they want to re-scope their marketing strategy, investigate a declining brand, launch a new product, or restructure their pricing policy. Organizations operating in highly dynamic environments seek to conduct segmentation research at regular intervals, to keep in touch with changes in the marketplace. STP refers to the three activities segmentation, targeting, and positioning SOURCES 1. Virgin Media, fourth quarter 2007 results presentation, February 2008. 2. Carphone Warehouse Plc fourth quarter trading update, April 2008. 3. Domestic Competitive Market Review, 2004, Ofgem.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Digital Piracy :: essays research papers
All around the world people connected to the internet are downloading free digital content through P2P file sharing software. Intellectual property rights are being broken as people are downloading free content through P2P (Peer 2 Peer) networks, and illegal websites online. Production companies can’t do anything about that because developers of this type of software can’t be blamed for what people share. And no one can track the people behind the illegal websites. Production companies took a bold step forward by uploading their content online. People now are not obliged to buy a full album to listen to one song, for a minimal fee you can buy the track you want, the same goes for movies and electronic publications. The downloaded files though will be digitally protected so that only the person who downloads them can use them, and he can’t share them at home or with friends. Even with this step from production companies, a large portion of people who download music still do it for free. Moreover hackers came up with new ways to remove the digital copyrights so the same as before one downloads music and distributes them around. The Industry gets its revenue from selling this content whether it’s online or in stores, this funds new projects and allow for better products in the future. The public should be aware of this, downloading the content for free, and not buying it will decrease revenue for the companies stopping them from undertaking future projects. â€Å"Production companies should lower the price on their products, I can’t buy music for at least 20$ per album and DVDs for 30$, I only make 200$ per month,†said George Issa a music fan who spends most of his nights downloading music from the internet, â€Å"when there is an album or movie that I really like, I try to buy it legally, I don’t think I am doing anything wrong, they are wrong
Friday, October 11, 2019
George Orwell Stories Review
In the story â€Å"On the Rainy River†a 20-year old named Tim O’Brien is about to be given the freedom to go anywhere in life until he receives a draft notice requiring him to join the army in the Vietnam War. Tim O’Brien is tested both physically and mentally. He has the option to flee to Canada or go to the war. Each option would result in abandoning family, friends, and fond memories. In his essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†reminisces about a bad decision he made earlier in life, just like Tim. Reflecting on his experience, Orwell has also identified the reasons why he did it: â€Å"I could get nothing into perspective.I was young and ill-educated and I had to think out my problems in utter silence,†Tim O’Brien also dealt with his problems alone, â€Å" I felt isolated; I spent a lot of time alone. †Both Tim and George are struggling to deal with their problems and it’s eating away at them. In â€Å"On the Rainy River,à ¢â‚¬ having a good education doesn’t have much on an impact on Tim’s life, because if your nation calls on you to defend your country, you’re going to have to make a difficult decision on whether you’re going to flee or going to war.Being educated makes Tim more open-minded, and prevents him from indulging in the nationalism that was sweeping the nation during that time. Although Tim may have good reasons we shouldn’t be in the war, the nation was depending on men like him. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†George Orwell says â€Å" †¦I could get nothing into perspective. I was young and ill-educated and I had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East.†George Orwell is trying to say that when you’re young and inexperienced you’re bound to make a lot of mistakes. When you’re young your family, peers, and own country have influenced your opinions. Many indivi duals are afraid and unwilling to deviate from the norm. George is an anti-imperialist at heart, but puts on an officer uniform and represents imperialism because that is how the European nation is viewed to the rest of the world. Based off of Orwell’s ideas, you should think individually so you won’t regretthings later on in life as George and Tim do. Your conscious would show you wrong from right. George Orwell’s ideas can also be applied to â€Å"On the Rainy River†. Although Tim is educated on the war in Vietnam, he does have to deal with his problems in utter silence because he’s afraid that the people he can talk to will tell him to go to the war and he doesn’t want to be called a coward, which takes a toll on his body. â€Å"How at work one morning†¦I felt something break open in my chest†¦it was a physique rupture.†So not only is Tim losing sleep and becoming paranoid, but now the stress is affecting Tim’s ph ysical health as well. If Tim had talked to Elroy Berdahl he would have been much better off. The guilt and stress has been eating away at Tim all summer, and will continue to get at him until he can speak to someone about what he’s going through. If Tim had vented to Elroy, his physical and mental health might have returned to normal, which would have helped him to make his decision. George faces being ill educated along with dealing with his problems.George is an outcast in the native village. He is supposed to be striking fear into these people, however he is against the brutality and injustice that imperialism instills on its subjects. If only George had had the courage to tell the natives who he really was, he might have had an easier time being accepted by them. If George had been better educated, he might have known how to think straight when surrounded by two thousand people; he might have also known where to shoot the elephant so it wouldn’t have to suffer the way it did.To conclude, both Tim and George tried to run away from the inevitable. You can’t escape who you are, and that is what Tim and George tried to do. Tim was an American citizen who was caught up in the draft for the Vietnam War, and George was a citizen of an imperial nation. Tim couldn’t face leaving his friends and family behind so he ended up damaging himself both physically and mentally without even trying to talk this out with his family and friends.While George an anti-imperialist at hear must enforce it upon this Asian country. Both decisions were forced by others whether it is Tim deciding to go to the war due to the devastating fact that if he were to go to Canada, he would never see his family again and if George didn’t shoot that elephant, the tribal people would be more disrespectful than ever. George Orwell wants us to be individuals and think for ourselves. We shouldn’t be influenced by others to make decisions we wouldn’t n ormally do.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Everyday Learning vs. Scientific Learning Essay
There are many tasks that a child learns in their early life. Some of which include learning how to crawl, then walk and learning how to talk. I think a child learning how to talk and communicate is very important. That alone will shape them and how well they will communicate later in their life. Our system of language and the process of communication are closely linked. Communication can be described as any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms and may occur through spoken or other modes. Children learn communication from their parents. Communication is not something that can be studied; it is something that people have to learn by doing. As a parent, good communication needs to be emphasized as they are talking and listening to the child. A child can tell when a parent is not really listening to them, and this can create a big problem in the relationship. Children who feel misunderstood or feel like they aren’t being listened to will start to hold their feelings inside. This is the exact opposite of what good communication should be. Communication is necessary for everything we do in life and we learn it while we are children. The communication skills learned by children from their families will stick with them throughout their lives. In order to have a society of good communicators, it needs to start in the home. Parents need to start communicating with their children and need to show them how to communicate with others. This is a skill that will be valued all throughout life and is something that shouldn’t be ignored. The skill of communication will be valued in every relationship throughout life. It is a necessity.
Hard Work Is the Key to Success
I am writing this content only those who are fresh graduate and wondering full time or part time work. First of all, I say that graduation is not top part where you have reached. It is just first step. You should study post-graduation. If you do not do it regularly, you should study it through correspondence. Master degree is must before wondering full time work because next two years will give you more learning skills.Now, when you go for wondering work, you should remember that your hard work is the key of your success. No work is bad. There may be more quality in small work. Education increases our power to give better service. So, you can do your work from any small service. It may be the duty of salesman. It may be the duty supervisor or tutor. You do that duty with full of hard work. Sweat from your body is the sign that success is very near to you. It may be possible that your family's financial condition is not good.I ask one question from you whether only to say this to othe r is sufficient. No, never! Nobody will give you any financial help. Nobody will give you money. Yes you can do labor. Yes you can sell the small products. Yes, you can do duty and earn money. This earned money can only support your family. This earned money can power to your family. Why are you wasting time just telling your weak family condition. Use same time to get new idea for hard work.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Competitive Advantage, disadvantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Competitive Advantage, disadvantage - Essay Example as a one (1) year fellowship in a hospital; the nursing college not only offers degree certificates in nursing but it also offers masters degree in areas such as Nursing Administration and Education; Medical Surgical Nursing; Community Health, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and Maternity & Paediatric Nursing. Internal resources: The Nursing College has an internal Nursing Research Centre which has all the needed resources and/ or equipment for nursing studies. As such, students do not need to travel to different hospitals or research centres in a bid to carry out their experiments. Internal job placements: The Nursing College not only offers their students a four (4) year degree course but they also offer their students a one (1) year fellowship program in a hospital. As such, this helps the student to avoid the hustles of seeking internship and/ or fellowship programs in other institutions outside the College. Culture: The Nursing College has a very open culture that seeks to accommodate students from all walks of life. In addition, the College highly values female students in a bid to encourage education among the girl child. Innovating Degrees and Master’s programs: The Nursing College has evolving Nursing degrees which are best suited to the market. These programs are strategically aligned to upcoming nursing technologies so as to ensure that once the student has completed their degree course, they can be in a better place to stay competitive in the existing job market. Self motivation: The members of staff as well as the students are self motivated to achieve their goals and desires. In addition, the school environment is very conducive for learning as well as doing scientific research. As such, this also helps the students and the staff to feel motivated to work and progress to better heights. Leadership: The leadership at the College is a mix of democratic and bureaucratic leadership styles. This is because the management at the Nursing
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF GREEN CONCRETE AS A BUILDING MATERIAL Essay
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF GREEN CONCRETE AS A BUILDING MATERIAL - Essay Example Green construction looks to balance resource efficiency, social and health issues all through the life cycle of a structure. Among them, green concrete many benefits that help in achieving this objective. This article offers an overview of the contemporary state of green concrete, which have reduced ecological impact. It is also stressed here that the use of green concrete has low energy cost, lower green house gas emissions, as well as low maintenance cost, which, in the long run, leads to sustainable construction materials. In addition, in terms of resource preservation, reuse of industrial byproducts and post-consumer wastes used as a partial replacement for Portland cement clinker, makes green concrete much more durable and eco-friendly. The overall change in the economic landscape and resource utilization factors is at the forefront of many green building movements. The research broadly focuses on the benefits of green concrete in achieving the sustainable and environment friendly construction goal. In regard to the use of concrete in construction, a number of questions arise; would the green concrete alleviate environmental pollution caused by the normal cement? Might there be any compromise in the quality and sustainability of green concrete structure? What are other social and economic contributions of green concrete relevant to the bodies advocating the green concrete? The buildings we reside in have an overreaching effect on our environment. Green building, otherwise referred to as sustainability, seeks to balance health, resource efficiency, as well as social concerns, all through the life cycle of a structure (Penttala 2004, p. 409). Green concrete has a couple of benefits to present in attaining this objective. Cement is a gray powder, which, when added to water, binds stone and sand together to produce concrete. Concrete is the worlds number one building material because of its durability and strength (Hendriks
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