Friday, November 29, 2019

The Secret in Their Eyes

History usually forces itself into the present in Juan Jose Campanella’s film â€Å"The Secret in Their Eyes†. Set in 2009, the film is an attempted memorization of the violent 1970s Argentina, an era in which the country was fast sinking into military rulership. The director offers flashbacks into Argentina’s dark days, days when violence murder, rape and false general injustices ruled.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret in Their Eyes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through memory, the director presents a period in which it was impossible to be an innocent person in this country as the innocent were falsely accused, tortured and even murdered for crimes they never committed, all these for the whims of those in power. Even though the movie is set in 1970s it is barely about events that happened then. However, through memory Campanella is able to portray an almost exact image of what happened in 1970s Argentina. Memory is a tool through which Campanella attempts to reveal the dark days in Argentina’s political past. The movie is set in the 1970s Argentina a period in which the country was fast sliding into military rule, despite there having been a democratically elected president in Mr. Perà ³n[1]. Through memory, the film becomes a political narrative of the terrible violence, murder rape and other forms of injustices associated with military rule. â€Å"The Secret in Their Eyes† is particularly important as it is among the fewest forms of art, including existing literature that peeks into the Argentina’s dark past. Within this movie the horrors and mysteries of the military rule are captured effectively in the unsolved murder of â€Å"the woman.† Campanella uses the murder of the woman in a symbolic way. First, the investigation of the murder goes from one obstacle to another, mostly through a jaundiced judicial system, that is ak in to military justice, where crime is committed and covered to protect those in power. Through Benjamin the investigator, Campanella employs the use of memory as the woman, who Benjamin encountered years back, is now part of his (Benjamin’s) imagination[2]. Through memory, the audience is able to peek into Benjamin’s past fantasies and the Argentina’s dark past. As such this film becomes a point of clarification about Argentina’s infamous past[3]. There are other events in the film that offers a glimpse into some of the characters past. One of the themes of this film is conceit, a sense of the vanity of personal pleasures and justifications especially seen in Benjamin’s intentions. Benjamin has a romantic relationship with Irene, a conceitous woman. However, this relationship is founded on many obscurities and soon dissipates and fades fast into the back of his memory.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help y ou! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This affair takes the audience into Benjamin memory and into his past to a time when he encountered the dead woman in her home, her naked body decoratively arranged. This lead Benjamin to fall in love with her image, an image he is not able to remove from his memory. As such Campanella uses Benjamin’s memory to take the audience back into 1970s Argentina’s. Memory this exhumes some basic truths about the past[4] The ending of the story is an attempt to make the film have a happy ending and offer literary relief. This is captured by the discovery that Mr Colotto, the husband of the murdered women had actually captured the woman murderer and kept him in his house for 25 years. This discovery depicts two things about Argentina’s in famous 1970s. One that military rule is founded on instant justice. Mr Colotto’s kidnapping of the murderer is seen as sense of instant justice. Secondly, it also mirrors t he lack of justice during this period of Argentina’s past[5] The fact that the Argentina’s government cold not investigates the murder effectively portrays an unjust military rule. But it is the act of keeping the murderer captive by Mr Colotto that Campanella’s use of memory comes to the fore. By keeping the murderer captive for such along time, Mr. Colotto is imprisoned in his past. This portrays Mr Colotto as unable to get over his wife’s murder and as such his wife, and her murder, still lives in his memory. To protect his prisoner, Mr Colotto has to literary camp in his house, not able to leave for long periods. This is also a depiction that he has been unable to get out of his past. Furthermore, Mr Colotto actions are not a portrayal of his sadistic tendencies but how the Argentine government failed to provide justice. Through Mr Colotto’s memory, Argentina’s dark past is revealed. Thus memory becomes a tool, through which the past is made relevant[6] The film uses instances of flashback to reveal what happened in Argentina in the 1970s. As such most of what â€Å"The Secret in Their Eyes† depicts about that period in Argentina’s history is borrowed from memory. In this film, the influence of memory is captured through certain important events, characters as well as their imagination. Because these historical events are narrated from memory, they indicate passage of time and as such underline the social political transition that this country has undergone. Bibliography Cixous, Hà ©là ¨ne. Rootprints: Memory and Life Writing. New York: Routledge, 1997.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret in Their Eyes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More King, John. Magical reels: a history of cinema in Latin America. London: Verso, 2000. Losada, Matt; â€Å"The Secret in Their Eyes: Historical Memory, Production Models, and the Foreign Fil m Oscar†, Cineaste, XXXVI, (1) 2010. Footnotes King, John. Magical reels: a history of cinema in Latin America. (London: Verso, 2000) 39 Matt Losada.â€Å"The Secret in Their Eyes: Historical Memory, Production Models, and the Foreign Film Oscar,† Cineaste, Vol. XXXVI, No. 1, 2010 King, John. Magical reels: a history of cinema in Latin America. (London: Verso, 2000) 39 Hà ©là ¨ne Cixous, Rootprints: Memory and Life Writing. (New York: Routledge. 1997) 120 King, John. Magical reels: a history of cinema in Latin America. (London: Verso, 2000) 39 Hà ©là ¨ne Cixous, Rootprints: Memory and Life Writing. (New York: Routledge. 1997) 124 This essay on The Secret in Their Eyes was written and submitted by user Kathleen Watts to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Monday, November 25, 2019

Desirees Baby essays

Desirees Baby essays The 19th century was a difficult time for many women and blacks because of the domination of white men over them. The social and economic hardships they faced in day to day life was a constant reminder of this domination. The social ideology in the story Desirees Baby was powerful and dangerous and held no escape for any character. A woman with small children who lost her husband would face extreme hardships without the support of close family members. One who happened to be down on their luck would not find much sympathy among their peers even with children. Kate Chopin was one of these individuals who was down on her luck with six children. But fortunately had the support and comfort of her mother for a short period before her mother passed away. A friend advised this mother of six children that writing was a way to solve her problems concerning money and help deal with her grief. Maternal love and all the grief from losing loved ones were to be an attribute to the writing proficiency of this literary artist. This period in Louisiana was not tolerant for mixed ancestry and one found to be non-white would be ostracized from the white community. There were some whites in Louisiana who was not racist but they would still have to follow a strict code of segregation and social guidelines or risk social or bodily death. Kate Chopin was born fourteen years before slavery was abolished so must have had strong feeling on the subject. She no doubt saw mixed ancestry in the black communities and realized the cause of it. This story crosses the line into the covert world of mixed ancestry and the problems it produced. The racism in the story is not discussed openly but is prudently mixed in with Armands atrocious character and his evil soul. Armands evil was deep as he forsakes his loving wife, infant son, and God. The story some proclaim contributed to Chopins early success was Desirees ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Color of Paradise and Other Movies Movie Review

The Color of Paradise and Other Movies - Movie Review Example The film â€Å"Paradise Now » develops into a thriller when something goes wrong during the early stages of the plan’s execution. Said and Khaled become separated and Jamal is convinced that Said may be betraying the cause. This movie is a tough film because of what it attempts to do, which is in regards to the fact that it is a rare thing for a movie to present events of the Arab/Israeli struggle from the Palestinian side, where terrorists are viewed as ‘martyrs’ and ‘freedom fighters’ instead of killers. This movie is certainly one of speculation and possible great controversy, and yet regardless is brave for dealing with such sensitive and so-called ‘faux-pas’ issues. Trois Couleurs: Bleu is a movie of great interest. The director and writer, Krzysztof Kieslowski, tells the story in this film from the perspective of Julie (Juliette Binoche), which necessarily makes the film very dark and introspective. Overall, in the end, the story of this film isn’t a terribly ambitious one, but at the same time it remains devilishly interesting and enjoyable and maintains a slow burn throughout which leads to an explosive finale. This movie is one of a complex psychological study of emotional liberty. The plot is that Julie, wife of the famous composer Patrice de Courcy, must cope with the death of her husband and daughter in an automobile accident which only she herself survives. While recovering in the hospital, Julie even attempts suicide in her distraught stage. For the remainder of the film, she devotes herself to mental suicide, disassociating herself from all of her past memories and distancing herself from former friendships. Visually, the director uses many techniques in order to properly portray the sense of loss and Julie’s internal conflict – both of which are primary topics of the issue in this film. As Julie watches the funeral for her husband and daughter from her hospital bed, the dark shadow of her finger caresses the tiny casket on the screen. This movie is one of a certain emotion, and a number of critics rate this film as one of the great motion pictures of all time.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Coming Anarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Coming Anarchy - Essay Example Kaplan argues that all these developments which are a result of natural resource scarcity and overpopulation will lead to a global anarchy where war and crime are indistinguishable. Kaplan cites loss of power of central governments, political borders becoming obsolete and transfer of power to security firms and private armies as the reason for the rise of global anarchy (Kaplan, 1994). Kaplan’s thesis of the coming anarchy has great support not only from other scholars and experts in the field but also from general public and political community. The support for the thesis mainly rises by the fact that it has been very accurate in predicting the current events in Africa. Also it has been praised for its broad range of reasoning and thought provoking style. The thesis is not free of criticism. It has attracted a lot of criticism for its unscholarly presentation and unprofessional approach. It is argued that there are many flaws in the argument along with poor interpretation of the findings and methodological errors. This paper is an argumentative essay that refutes the claim that resource scarcity will lead to anarchy. The supporters of the thesis believe in it for the logical explanation that is used to prove it. The environmental scarcity of resources which is due to increased demand as a result of overpopulation, degradation of resources, unequal distribution, etc will result in civil violence. Ecological marginalisation and resource capture will be the causes behind civil violence and this in turn will lead to social effects such as migration, legitimate institutes become disrupted and agricultural production is constrained (Barbier & Homer-Dixon, 1996). The supporters agree with the end result of these will be the one predicted in â€Å"The Coming Anarchy†. Further explanation is that convinces many of its supporters is that as scarcity of natural resources

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Contemporary Implications of Downsizing and Globalisation for the Essay

The Contemporary Implications of Downsizing and Globalisation for the Global Company and Workforce - Essay Example But downsizing might be unsuccessful if applied without consideration of globalisation. Integrating a global culture into the organisational foundation is the task confronting all companies wanting to survive in the contemporary global economy (Marmolejo 2012). A number of firms with extensive experience in the global economy, such as Gillette, have gained knowledge of making global culture an element of the company’s standard operations (Hassard et al. 2009). This essay discusses the reasons companies employ downsizing and integrate globalisation into their operations, and the implications of these strategies for work and daily life in economically developed countries. Downsizing and Globalisation in Organisations Even for the highly developed organisations on the international arena, the growth of major economic organisations creates concerns, like how to successfully bring together downsizing and globalisation. Can a downsized company, for instance, cope with technologies i nclined towards globalisation? For every company, the development of the markets continuously renews concerns for global integration. In a thriving economic state, the movement towards globalisation necessitates a focused and sustained willpower. ... one of the fundamental premises of globalisation, the capacity to downsize globally or, more specifically, the justification of downsizing by a global perspective. Developments with regard to global integration and competition, industrial streamlining, and trade agreements have permanently transformed business activities for the almost all managers. A particular implication for managers is the currently widespread adoption of organisational downsizing. Downsizing has been especially widespread among electronic or technology firms nowadays (De Meuse 2004). Nevertheless, downsizing affects every venture that aims for competitive advantage through cutting of costs. There are two main situations where downsizing could be essential. The first takes place in organisations that are burdened with unproductive assets or constantly failing units. They must figure out whether to sell them to those who can transform these assets into something productive (Gandolfi 2006). The second situation tak es place when jobs depend on obsolete technology, such as newspaper companies. Nevertheless, wholesale ‘slash-and-burn’ strategies, like blanket employee downsizing, rarely result in lasting advantages in profits, efficiency, etc (Gandolfi 2006). Downsizing-- which started in the latter part of 1980s as a desperate, never-to-be-repeated strategy to significantly reduce costs to aid companies in competing globally or in surviving major failures in their operations-- has currently become a mainstay in the global economic arena. There exists a strong interconnection between the three major motivators for downsizing, namely, customer demands, latest technology, and global competition, as well as customer-oriented policies and information-based marketing (Blackburn 1999). Particular

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Internet Addiction Media Essay

The Internet Addiction Media Essay In recent years, internet addiction has been a world-wide problem among the youth. Many of them may sit in front of the computer to play online game; chat with others for the whole day without resting. Those prolonged activities bring a lot of destructive effect to them both Internet can be very constructive, but we must be conscious how much time we spend on it on a daily basis. People are addicted to the internet since they do not control the amount of time they spend on it. It is important to have other interests apart from the internet. Today, surfing the Web has become a hobby as social and marketable as bar hopping or going to the movies. As the web has become a part of mainstream life, some mental health professionals have noted that a percentage of people using the web do so in a compulsive and out-of-control manner. In Japan (Aril 2010), a 30-year-old man who is addicted to internet killed his father and his 1 year-old niece because of his father terminated the contract of internet broadband. He then set up a fire and burnt his house. In this case, 2 people died and 3 people injured. This phenomenon of obsessive Internet use has been termed Internet Addiction based on its similarity to common addictions such as smoking, drinking, and gambling. Internet Addiction has even been championed as an actual disorder, notably by some psychologists. Nevertheless, at this time the true nature of Internet Addiction is not yet determined. Because the Internet is used by many people as a normal part of their career or education, knowing how to separate excessive from normal use becomes difficult and cannot using simple measures such as amount of time spent online in a given period. Most fundamental in distinguishing normal from problem Internet use is the experience of compulsion to use the net. Normal users, no matter how heavy their usage, do not need to get online and do not neglect their occupational duties or their relationships with family and friends to get online. Mental health professionals are split as to whether Internet addiction is real or not. No one disputes that some people use the Internet in an obsessive manner even to a point where it interferes with their ability to function at work and in social relationships. What is doubtful is whether people can become addicted to the Internet itself, or rather to the stimulation and information that the web provides. The argument surrounding Internet Addiction is precisely whether people become addicted to the net itself, or to the stimulation to be had via the net, such as online gambling, pornography or even simple communication with others via chat and blogs. Some psychologists do not consider in addiction to the Internet itself, but rather in addiction to stimulation that the Internet provides. They propose that new Internet users often show an initial fascination with the innovation of the Web, but eventually lose interest and reduce their time spent online back to a normal, healthy amount. Those abuser who do go on to show obsessive Internet utilization, for the most part become compulsive only with considering to particular types of information to be had online, mainly often gambling, pornography, chat room or shopping sites. This is not an addiction to the Internet itself, but rather to risk-taking, sex, socializing or shopping. In real meaning, the main addictive characteristic of the Internet is its capability to enable instant and relatively social stimulation. Addicted Internet users are addicted to a favored kind of social stimulation and not to the Internet itself, although it is also true that the Internet has made it easier a nd more convenient for someone to develop such a compulsion. Why peoples especially youth have internet addition? There are some reasons to explain it. By Internal Factors-The background of growth, the family is believed to have a fundamental influence on the developing child. A caregiver who is emotionally and physically available is essential for healthy child and adolescent development. Besides, dysfunctional caregiving, lack of positive parenting skills, and poor family management are strongly associated with substance use and delinquency in youth. Therefore, the youth growth up in poor family will seek alternative to fulfil their psychological needs, it is compensation. The level of compensation is depending on the individual factors such as the degree of self control, emotional control, ability of problem solving, anxiety management. When over compensation, addition will occur. There are some reasons that people choose internet for compensation. From social learning, when adolescents strong developmental needs, such as personal identity, autonomy, and relationships with peers may not be fulfilled through physical activities, t hey may then shed social inhibitions, which leads to Internet addiction (Lin Tsai, 2002), also when they are dissatisfied with their leisure time, they may be motivated to seek excitement and pleasure from cyberspace and therefore raise their level of Internet addiction. Besides, encourage of society and the common use of Internet activities raise the level of Internet addiction. Furthermore, the traditional activities are perceived to be boring and fails to satisfy expected optimal experience, the youth may be motivated to seek another alternative-the Internet. Internet not only fulfills youths psychological needs but also entertainment needs. Lastly, Internet dependency was burden and the youth become habituated by using. Internet addiction is not recognized as a formal mental health disorder. However, mental health professionals who have written about the subject note symptoms or behaviors that, when present in sufficient numbers, may indicate problematic use. These include: Obsession with the Internet: User often thinks about the Internet while he or she is offline.   Loss of control: Addicted users feel unable or unwilling to get up from the computer and walk away. They sit down to check e-mail or look up a bit of information, and end up staying online for hours. Inexplicable sadness or moodiness when not online: Reliance on any substance often causes mood-altering side effects when the addicted user is separated from the substance on which he or she depends. Distraction (Using the Internet as an anti-depressant): One common symptom of many Internet addicts is the compulsion to cheer ones self up by surfing the Web. Dishonesty in regard to Internet use: Addicts may end up lying to employers or family members about the amount of time they spend online, or find other ways to conceal the depth of their involvement with the Internet. Loss of boundaries or inhibitions: While this often pertains to romantic or sexual boundaries, such as sharing sexual fantasies online or participating in cyber sex, inhibitions can also be financial or social. Online gambling sites can cause addicts to blow more money than they would in a real-life casino because users never actually see their money won or lost, so it is easier to believe the money is not real. Chat rooms can incite users to reveal secrets they would not reveal in face-to-face or phone conversations because of the same separation from reality. Also, addicted users are much more likely to commit crimes while online (e.g., hacking) than non-addicts. Creation of virtual intimate relationships with other Internet users: Web-based relationships often cause those involved to spend excessive amounts of time online, attempting to make connections and date around the Net. Loss of a significant relationship due to Internet use: When users spend too much time on the Web, they often neglect their personal relationships. Over time, such relationships may fail as partners simply refuse to be treated badly and break off from relations with the addicted individual. Internet Addiction is not an official disorder, and many mental health professionals are not certain if it ever should be considered a real disorder. Nevertheless, compulsive Internet use is a serious problem for some people, and there are methods that can be helpful in alleviating this problem. Discussion below will describe some of these methods. Internet addiction is a problem of compulsive stimulation, much like drug addiction. Because of this similarity, well studied treatment procedures known to be useful for helping drug addicts towards recovery are adapted for use with Internet addicts when the need arises. The techniques we describe below are drawn from a popular school of therapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral forms of therapy are well studied and known to be helpful as applied to many different mental and behavioral difficulties. They are also very practical and focus directly on reducing out of control addict behaviors, and preventing relapse. They are not the only valid forms of therapy, however. In treating drug addiction, frequently the goal of therapy is abstainence. An alcoholic, for example, is often best off if he or she ceases to drink alcohol entirely and to maintain a sober lifestyle. While this makes sense for a drug like alcohol which we might argue is a at best a luxury recreational indulgence and not a necessity, but it doesnt necessarily make sense for Internet over-usage. Much like the telephone, the Internet has become an essential part of modern business. To ask people to not use the Internet at all could be a significant burden for them. Instead of abstainence, then, a reasonable goal for Internet addiction therapy is a reduction in total use of the net. Because Internet addicts by definition will have difficulty moderating their use on their own, therapy techniques can be employed to help them to become more motivated to reduce their use, and to become more conscious of how they get into trouble with the Internet. Motivational Interviewing may be employed to assess how motivated Internet addict may be to change their behavior and to help addicts to increase their motivation to make a lasting change. To accomplish the latter, a therapist may help addicts to develop genuine empathy for the people who are hurt by their addiction (e.g., family and friends, employers, etc.). By helping addicts to see how their actions affect others they care about or are dependent on economically, therapists can help increase addicts motivation to change. Therapists will also generally help addicts to identify triggers that lead to episodes of uncontrolled Internet use. Naive addicts of any type typically believe that their indulgences just happen and that they played little or no role in an episode happening. A more realistic appraisal of an addicts true situation will often reveal that a particular unconscious set of events occurred involving triggers that prompted an addict to binge. Like a noun, a trigger is a person, place or thing that is a step in a chain of events that leads towards a relapse into addict behavior. To provide a fictitious but realistic example, a first trigger might be boredom, or horniness, or even a bad mood brought on by a fight. Addicts seek out their stimulation of choice in response to these triggers, most of the time without ever being all that aware of why they are acting as they do. Therapists will often discuss in detail episodes of indulgence with addicts so that they become conscious of their trigge rs and can choose to act in an alternative fashion when they next become vulnerable. They will also help addicts to generate lists of safer, more functional alternative behaviors they can engage in when they realize they are in danger so that they do not default to their addictive behavior. Part and parcel with identifying triggers, is helping addicts to set realistic goals for their Internet use. It may be that Internet use is important at use, but needs to be restricted at home. It may be that particular websites need to be avoided, but other uses of the Internet are okay. Therapists work with their patients to set realistic and measurable goals for their Internet usage. Patients are then asked to actually record their Internet usage in a log which is used in therapy to track progress. For example, to help reduce the amount of time spent of the Internet, or one specific portion thereof, a user will set a maximum allowed time per day or week. The goal is to keep under this maximumthe farther under, the better. To ensure this goal is met, users can rely on timers or alarms, to monitor how long they have spent online. For example, if an Internet user feels he is spending too much time in chat rooms, he may set a goal to spend no more than two hours per week using the Int ernet for this purpose. He sets a thirty-minute timer for each of the four times per week he wants to use the Internet for chat rooms, and as soon as his timer goes off he exits the chat room. He also records his actual usage on the log so as to see how well he is able to conform to his goal. As anyone can quickly surmise, conforming to goals and logging your behavior is hard, disciplined work that is difficult for many people to sustain on their own. Therapists help patients to sustain this disciplined work by having them give weekly progress reports (either in individual or group therapy settings), or setting up (healthy) rewards that patients can earn when goals have been met for an agreed upon amount of time. Since one of the main draws of the Internet is the secrecy it appears to give, sharing online experiences in the context of offline relationships may discourages a user from hiding in the Internet. Sharing progress in a group therapy session, with a therapist, or with a family member can help motivation to cut back on Internet time. Even with the best intentions, it is easy for an addict to forget to record a lapse, or to simply not bring it up in sessions. Denial and peoples desire to please can be powerful forces to overcome. Objective monitoring can be useful when self-discipline and self-reporting are not enough to keep an addict on the straight and narrow. Regular urine, blood and hair samples are used for this purpose when dealing with drug addicts. With regard to Internet addiction, it is possible to install computer programs designed to monitor where someone surfs and how long they spend there to provide an accurate and objective report of someones surfing behavior. PC software will monitor the kinds and number of websites a person uses and the amount of time spent Web surfing or checking e-mail. Such programs can help compulsive Internet users supervise their own Internet use, but only if they are installed so as to be hard to tamper with. The therapy techniques described above are best delivered by a trained mental health professional in the context of a therapy relationship. A fair amount of self-help literature in the form of books and websites are available for those whose problems are not so demanding, or those who simply wish to be more educated about this problem. See the reading suggestions below, or the Links section of this topic center for suggestions. The bottom line when dealing with Internet Addiction is to identify triggers that lead to problematic use, to set realistic goals for reducing use, and to then stick to and monitor conformance with those goals, sharing this conformity data with someone else to encourage honesty and sticking to the plan.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Graduation Speech: God has Blessed Us Richly :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As springtime fades to summer and my years in high school draw to a final end, I have often felt within me a gentle beckoning to moments of quiet and thoughtful repose. Here memories of times long past, of friends new and old, of dreams born and forgotten, of affections kindled and discarded so deluge my mind that I am thoroughly overwhelmed by their sweetness so curiously mingled with their sorrow. Then often I turn to gaze pensively at the future, clouded and unsure, yet gloriously bright with hope and expectation. And in these blessed times of sweet recollection and ready anticipation, I have found one enduring joy, one unshakable rock, one sure haven in the unending faithfulness and love of my Lord and my God. Truly, His mercies have been new every morning. He has upheld me with His righteous right arm. "He [has led] me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." He has broken me that I may delight in Him alone. And when I have fallen, He has clothed me in the garb of His clemency; washed me in the sea of His grace. I know He will keep me in the years to come. Oftentimes in these last months, when I wonder about the future -- where I will go, what I will do, who I will become -- I find a solace in the words of Paul: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ... to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." I cannot fathom the depth of such a statement -- that He can carry me exceeding abundantly beyond all my greatest dreams, all my highest aspirations, all my wishes and desires and hopes. He can give my life meaning beyond what I could ever imagine. What a glorious hope, what a bright future there is for those in Christ! Yet so many have not found this future. Tonight I feel a tinge of fear, a chill of imminent peril for myself and for you, my dear class. I have no doubt that your discipline will earn great success, for God has blessed you richly with many gifts and talents. Nor do I fear that you will fail in this life or slip into any great evil. I do not even doubt that most of you will remain in the blessed ways of our Lord, learning to love and cherish Him more and more.

Monday, November 11, 2019

John Sutter and the Western United States Essay

During the mid-1800s, people were eager to explore most of the United States in search for a better place to live in. Those who came from Europe settled in most parts of the Eastern United States. But there are those who ventured further, going deeper into the West. One of them is John Sutter, born in Germany and of Swiss descent. He became a captain of the Swiss Army, and was driven away from his family because of debts, going to the United States to look for a greener pasture. According to Albert Hurtado in his book, John Sutter: a Life on the North American Frontier, John Sutter deserves to have a title of an entrepreneur. All his achievements were the product of his hard work and entrepreneurship (Hurtado). He roamed the United States by using these characteristics to earn enough money to fund his ventures. The Eastern part of the United States at that time were already populated, where trade and commerce is flourishing all over the place. He joined a trading venture to New Mexico, where he was successful enough, returning with wine, several mules and money. When he celebrated the Independence Day of 1839 in Monterey California, he met Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. This meeting paved the way for a settlement grant of more than 48,000 acres of land for Sutter, the start of the monumental â€Å"New Helvetia Settlement† which pioneered American life in the Western United States. One of the few requirements for John Sutter to be awarded the land grant was to become a citizen of Mexico. This would give him thousands of acres of land where he can establish a pioneering settlement. In less than a year after becoming a Mexican citizen, he was awarded the vast lands in the central valley of California. In order to properly run this vast acreage of agricultural lands, he employed various Native Americans, as well as welcomed immigrants from different places. John Sutter’s Fort became a famous stop-over for those wishing to venture into new lands. With this account from Albert Hurtado’s book, we can see that the Western part of the United States at John Sutter’s time promises new beginnings to those who wish for a different life. The East was somehow been congested with various people migrating from other nearby countries. Because of this, some wanted, and even dared to explore other parts of the â€Å"foreign land† they have settled in. But not all parts of the west are conducive for living. In the account of John Bidwell, he describes most of the west especially California as â€Å"the country was brown and parched; throughout the State wheat, beans, everything had failed†¦cattle were almost starving for grass, and the people, except perhaps a few of the best families, were without bread, and were eating chiefly meat, and that often of a very poor quality† (Bidwell). This means that the west may promise a good life, but there are also risks in living there. It is still an uncharted territory for the migrants, and that they were all going to start from scratch. They have no clear idea on how to handle things at first, especially because they did not originate in the area. However, it is also filled with resources just waiting to be exploited. According to Bidwell, the place also has some good points, â€Å"there were no other settlements in the valley; it was, apparently, still just as new as when Columbus discovered America, and roaming over it were countless thousands of wild horses, of elk, and of antelope† (Bidwell). The Western part of the United States was truly a place of uncertainty, wherein you’ll have to risk everything if you choose to settle in the area. John Sutter was able to survive and was successful in establishing a settlement in the area. In a sense, we could say that Sutter was successful in taming the Wild West. Sutter’s Fort housed a number of people ranging from natives to settlers, even those who were lost in their way, and these people contributed well enough in cultivating the vast lands of the settlement. In a few years time, John Sutter became a major supplier of horses, cattle, and wheat (Doti). The Western United States became a melting pot of different cultures. These cultures blended well with each other despite of their differences. This is essential for the success of the settlement, where everyone has to do their part in order for their efforts to flourish. John Sutter bridged the gap between the settlers, the natives and even the bordering Mexicans. Sutter’s works not only gave rise to a new settlement, but also to a new world found in the West. This is a very important contribution in the history of the nation, as it expanded the country’s influence across the borders. The culture in the Eastern United States at that time was generally influenced by the countries which they came from. Most these are European countries that are why they have developed mixtures of various European cultures. On the other hand, the Western United States is not only a mixture of European cultures, but also accompanied by various customs of the Native Americans and the bordering Mexican culture. This diversity has proven great importance in the formation of the Western United States, because western settlements were the products of various cultures cooperating with each other in so that they would achieve peace and order in their respective communities. Works Cited: Bidwell, John. â€Å"Life in California before the Gold Discovery†. 1890. The Century Magazine. November 19 2007. . Doti, Lynne Pierson. â€Å"John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier Book Reviews†. 2006. Chapman University. November 19 2007. . Hurtado, Albert L. John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier. 1st edition ed: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Essay about change management

Essay about change management Essay about change management The background to change facing business that exists in todays Economy. Everything except change itself is changeable in this world. The features we experience today, may undergo change simply, organisation is a group of people working together for achieving certain goals and objectives which may be common in terms of their interest and level of satisfaction. Certain level of amendments or change tomorrow or after some fewer days. If to talk of the business perspectives, they are more prone to changes because of the development of new and more advance technologies. Newer technologies may come to ensure more efficiency, comfortable, Sustainable and environmental friendly. Business modernization and diversification may lead to the business towards further additional changes. The national carrier of the UK, British Airways, popularly known as BA, is also the largest airline in the country. It flies to more than 550 destinations worldwide from airports across the UK, and operates more transatlantic flights from Europe than any other airline. Its hubs are London Heathrow and Gatwick airports. In 2008, BA moved to capitalise on the liberalisation of transatlantic air travel between Europe and the US by launching its new subsidiary Open Skies, which takes its name from the historic EU-US aviation treaty. On November 13, 2009, British Airways and Iberia Airlines made a preliminary agreement to merge. Obviously, after merger or acquision of the businesses, there arise the need of some significant changes in management in terms of its staff, goals and objectifies, pattern and presence of its customers and competitors and the aspect of strategic alliances as well. In case of British Airways too, as a national flag carrier of the UK, it had been facing numerous challenges which ultimately led it to the merger with Iberia Airlines. In the context of merger with Iberia Airlines, there appeared the various changing issues to be settled in time so as due effect could be given to the new alliances. Change management is a basic skill in which most leaders and managers need to be competent. There are very few working environments where change management is not important. When leaders or managers are planning to manage change, there are five key principles that need to be kept in mind: Managers or leaders are to bear in mind some key principles as they are intended to manage the change. The way of making reaction to the changes differs head to head. Every people have their specific need s that to be met in different way and style. Still ahead, it should be borne in mind that generally change may involve some loss and people are to go through loss curve. In the name of change, expectation of the people should not be exaggerated rather it should be met in a realistic way. After change, what new scenario would be developed and it may impact the whole system established. Such fear in mind of the people should be avoided so as people can trust and accept the change wholeheartedly. In case of British Airways, there work force is made up of people injected with independence and freedom of choice as governed by their own culture. This implies that if the employees are asked their involvement in the decision making role and status, they feel themselves great in the sense that their ideas and views too have been honoured and the same fact would fuel them with the internal motivation and in future they would perform the job wholeheartedly. Satisfied work force is the valuable asset of the organisation and they give their hand and mind for the effort of the organisation to adopt new changes and amendments. If they are running with complaints and grievance in themselves, it would come as a serious loss to the company and prove very expensive in long run. Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of bureaucratic organisations. Evaluation is the measuring effectiveness of the performance by

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Full Review Stanford Online High School

Full Review Stanford Online High School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're reading this article, you've probably heard of Stanford Online High School, but you may not know that much about it. In this guide, you'll find information on what Stanford Online High School is, who it's meant for, and some of the pros and cons of attending. What Is Stanford Online High School? Stanford Online High School, or Stanford OHS (formerly Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University, or EPGY OHS) is an accredited, independent school for students seventh through twelfth grade, founded by Stanford University. As its previous name suggests, its target audience is gifted youth- those who excel far beyond what their local schools can offer. The curriculum is extremely rigorous in keeping with that mission: the school offers a high number of accelerated, AP, and university-level courses. There are approximately 650 students, 44% of whom attend full-time.The intention is that students will attend at least four years, though there are exceptions to the rule. The price tag is nothing to scoff at: $19,950 for full-time enrollment. The teaching is, by all accounts, top-notch: over two-thirds of Stanford OHS teachers have doctoral degrees, and many of them formerly taught as university professors. Classes are available to students around the globe and are conducted online, in a virtual classroom, in real time. It's a little like a group Skype session, only with more features (like electronically raising hands). You can see and hear the teacher, and you turn your own mic and video on when it's your turn to address the class. You can also message the other students in the classroom as you go. Stanford OHS offers academic advising, counseling, and college counseling to its students. There's also a number of other features presented either online or in-person. Certain academic clubs and extracurricular activities are conducted over the web, like the Ethics Bowl and the Tolkien C.S. Lewis Club. Students are also encouraged to make use of the activities offered locally to them, ranging from club sports to in-person meet-upswith otherstudents attending Stanford OHS. There's even an optional two-week, in-person session at the campus of Stanford over the summer. Students may, as I mentioned before, take classes at Stanford OHS full-time, or they can take classes part-time or on a single-course basis. In this article, we're mostly going to look at full-time students who expect to graduate with a Stanford OHS diploma. And "full-time" here meansvery full-time. More on that below. Who Is Stanford Online High School For? According to the Stanford OHS website, the school seeks "intellectually curious and motivated students with a record of achievement inside and outside the classroom." That's all well and good, but it's pretty vague- let's take a look at what that means in a practical sense. To accept or reject an applicant, Stanford OHS looks at a student's transcript, test results, teacher recommendations, work samples, and personal essays, as well as parent questionnaires. In other words, it's almost like a college application, and the school is looking for the same qualities that colleges are: the desire, motivation, and skills necessary to excel in advanced academics while also maintainingwell-balanced personal development. That being said, that acceptance rate was 70% as recently as 20, according to the New York Times' website- perhaps the result of the schoolnot yet being very well known. Stanford OHS's excellent track record is a testament to the caliber of students it attracts. That excellent track record involves a 2175 mean SAT score and a 32.5 mean ACT score for the class of 2015 (a mere 49 students). Not to mention, 89% of students who took AP courses passedthose courses with a 4 or 5. In other words, Stanford OHS caters to students who are willing and ready to put in the work it take to see results. Students attend Stanford OHS for a variety of reasons. For some, their living situation makes it difficult or impossible to attend a brick-and-mortar high school (one student on the website mentioned living in a houseboat in the middle of the ocean). Others have alocal high school that is not a good fit- perhaps they experience bullying or other social problems. For many, it's a matter of seeking the extreme rigor that Stanford OHS provides. For students whowant a real challenge, Stanford OHS may be the answer. What's It Like to Attend Stanford Online High School? Every student at Stanford OHS adheres to a slightly different schedule. Classes are seminar-style, with groups of roughly 15 students meeting twice a week for 75 minutes. There are a few exceptions to this rule; languages, for instance, meet three times a week. Courses are offered anywhere from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Pacific time, and there's no class on Fridays. The gist of the number of hours of academic work required of students is relatively stable. High school students take, on average, five classes, each requiring eight to ten hours of time a week between attending class, watching recorded lectures, and doing several hours of reading and writing assignments. The average student is expected to put in 40-50 hours of work a week. There are also things like assemblies and homeroom to attend, though these do not add significantly to the workload. All classes are conducted online, as mentioned earlier, and students need to find approved proctors to oversee their testing in person. Some students report that this online experience makes it difficult to get time to chat with classmates outside of school activities, though the hope is that students will get more deeply involved in their own communities to resolve this social deficit. Who has time for forming human friendships when you're doing 50 hours of schoolwork a week? Pros of Stanford OHS Stanford OHS, by all accounts, does an excellent job of preparing already-stellar students for college. Remember the test results I quote earlier? They're not a fluke. Classes are designed to recreate college as nearly as possible, and they cover some very advanced topics. The school is flexible for those who live around the globe or who are farfrom a school with rigorous academic options. If you're living in the middle of the woods, that's fine, as long as you have internet access. The school provides a platform for high-performing students to gather and feed off each other's skills and inspiration. "By far one of the most important aspects of OHS," says an anonymous reviewer on quora.com, "is- other OHSers! If you're the smartest one in the room, you need tofind another room. OHS is an awesome answer to that call..." The school is well-loved by attendees, earning ratings of 4.9 out of 5 on multipleschool-rating websites for parents and students. Cons of Stanford OHS At $19,950 a year, full-time tuition is prohibitive for many students. At $4,150 a year, even single-course tuition can be out of reach. (About 15% of students do receive financial aid.) Additionally, despite the school's best efforts to make sure students get appropriate social interaction, this doesn't change the fact that students are dedicating roughly50 hours a week to school and only ever interacting with classmates online. The same anonymous reviewer quoted above says, "My impression is that useful and deep social interaction at OHS is pretty difficult for many (maybe most) students," and, "My impression is that not enough OHSers (me included, last year) get outside or exercise or interact socially..." Also, Stanford OHS is currently a school with low visibility and low recognition. One student expressed that many college admission officers were skeptical at first, though it also turns out that this point was a good conversation-starter. Finally, courses are extremely rigorous which can add a lot to a student's stress level. In many ways, attending Stanford OHS islike starting college early.That's a great way to be prepared, but you also lose the days of your high school experience, and that only comes around once. Is Stanford Online High School Right for You? Stanford OHS is a great option if you are unable to attend a brick-and-mortar high school for reasons ranging from your living arrangements to the difficulty of navigating the peculiar social world of your local school. It can also be agreat optionif you want anunusually rigorous experience to prepare you for the demands of college. If IB and AP don't sound like enough, Stanford OHS may be the way to go. That being said, you need to have a good session of soul-searching before you apply to Stanford OHS. Ask yourself some tough questions.First, can you afford the high tuition costs? Are you going to become socially isolated without daily in-person interaction with classmates? Are you, quite honestly, disciplined enough to deal with the relative flexibility of a Stanford OHS schedule and the lack of constant supervision? Are you earnestly excited by the prospect of Stanford OHS, despite the cons discussed above? Really think about your answers before you begin the process of applying. Stanford OHS is a great path to learning, but it's not the only one. Find what's right for you. Conclusion Stanford OHS is a rigorous independent school with a number of great features. By all accounts, it does an excellent job of preparing outstanding students for topuniversities around the world. That being said, there are some downsides, including the cost, the possibility of social isolation, and the stress of taking on so much so soon. Stanford OHS is an excellent option for students who are fully committed to getting everything possible from their academic careers (and who have already proventhemselves to be academically gifted). It's less ideal for students who enjoy the full experience of socializing with classmates in the halls, playing school sports, and enjoyinga few last years at a relatively slower pace before the pressures of adulthood take full hold. What's Next? If you're pondering whether online high school is the right option for you, read our article on that very topic. If you're going for an IB education, you may also want to read about the possibility of taking IB classes online. On the other hand, if you're going the AP route, we've got information on taking AP classes online. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, November 4, 2019

Sales and marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales and marketing management - Essay Example Gathering of information using primary method is the best way because there is interaction with a client (Baker 2008). Primary methods to be used can be observation, networking, interviewing and focus groups. This paper will put forward an in-depth assessment of cause related marketing, its benefits to involved partners and application of various theories Cause Related Marketing Does Cause Related Marketing aim to Generate Resources for Specific Concerns? Starbucks and Nike are one of the few companies that engage in cause related marketing. Companies partner with non-profit making organizations with various purposes. Apart from marketing their products, they raise awareness and offer support and some give donations to hunger stricken people. Other purposes include enhancing a company reputation, to gain financially and to enhance a customer loyalty. This proves that Cause Related Marketing has an aim of generating resources for specific needs (Dibb 2000). Yoplait Yogurt is another g ood company that did Cause Related Marketing in 1997. This company formed a partnership with Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to promote their yogurt and at the same benefit the cancer foundation. The partnership had been successful because the Cancer Foundation used to receive 10 cents for a cup of yoghurt bought. The brand image of Yoplait was promoted and this led to increment of their sales. It also created a public awareness concerning breast cancer which is a killer disease. Differences between Cause Related Marketing and Social Marketing Cause related marketing has its main focus on benefiting partners involved. It is used to generate resources, create awareness of a situation and improve the image of a company. There is marketing involved. Products of a company are marketed while trying to raise awareness of a social situation. The organization involved get financial help while companies increase their product sales. Social marketing is taking advantage of social media t ools to do marketing (Keller 2008). It enables customers to be informed, make better decisions and view products in a wider perspective. Through this way, a company is able to increase its sales and revenue. It is an old strategy of marketing. Benefits of CRM for Both Parties The primary goal for companies that engage in cause related marketing is to increase their revenue and promote their image. This type of marketing enhances brand building. Customers prefer companies or brands that associate themselves with donations. Companies that engage in charitable activities are preferred more than those that do not. Organizations benefit when they are funded by companies. Non-profit making organizations have more sources of funding when they partner with companies that engage in Cause Related Marketing. Companies known to donate to non-profit making organizations include Coca Cola and McDonalds among others (Kotler 2009). Cause-related Marketing generates goodwill for a company and create s organization awareness. Conclusion Cause-related marketing benefits all the parties involved. There is increase of sales because customers like to be associated with companies that engage in charitable activities. Both the images of businesses and organization are enhanced. There is awareness of a social phenomenon and organizations benefit financially. Brand Development Introduction Branding is always in a form of a logo which is designed to convey a certain message

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Social Security Program Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Social Security Program Issues - Research Paper Example Governments, particularly in the developed countries, are spending huge amount of resources on the social security programs offered to their citizens (Gruber and Wise). These social security programs provide health facilities, income support in case of unemployment, education facilities to the offspring and in some cases, special gifts and bonuses during national festivals etc. The facilities are generally offered to the unemployed, physically disabled due to accidents etc. and senior citizens who have retired from their jobs. History: Human beings have always faced economic uncertainties triggered by war, calamity, famine, physical disability and old age. Different traditions have been developed by human beings since ancient times to deal with the impact of such economic turmoil. The most common and obvious is the stocking of food and resources during the days of high yields so that they can be utilized later when required. The evidence of storage of grain can be found from the arch aeological discoveries about Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Indus Valley Civilizations. The Greeks used to stock olive oil which could later be used as a food in tough times and as a currency as well to buy other goods in exchange of the oil. Traditionally, bondage between families has existed that honors the elder members of the family. It puts responsibility on the younger, more energetic members to take care of the needs of those who are in their declining years. Similarly, the concept of charity has existed in human beings since times unknown and in fact is a part of human nature. The institutions of charity as we know them today (hospitals, old age homes etc.) have also existed since the later periods of Roman empires and the Islamic empires of Arabia and Egypt. The rich and affluent segments of society provide financial support for food, health and shelter for the poor especially the old or disabled. This form of social security plays a major role even today in most of the develop ed and under developed countries. Hence, the traditional means of social security are the concept of charity, the family structure, and the storage resources for future use (US Social Security Administration). The first ever appearance of formal institutions with the objective of providing social security to its members were the trade unions or guilds that appeared in the medieval times. The basic objective of these organizations was to improve the condition of labor through skill development and productivity enhancement (Stephen). However, by time these guilds developed into organizations that provided financial support to its elderly or unemployed members in case of any financial trouble. These societies took more formal form in the USA with proper titles such as Freemasons, Fraternal Order of Eagles etc (US Social Security Administration). As the democratic governments became more powerful in the civilized world, new programs for public welfare found their way in to the governmen t policies. The so-called ‘Poor Laws’ promulgated in England are the first record of legislation which resembles the social security program as we know it today (Sutherland). These laws stated that it was state’s duty to care for the wellbeing of its citizens. They also set forth a taxation mechanism to provide financial support for a welfare program and also defined the eligibility criteria for the beneficiaries of this program. Although