Wednesday, October 30, 2019

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST - Essay Example The article is well written and presents its argument in a logical manner. First, Cloud (2008) presents the idea brought forward by John McCardell Jnr. that the drinking age should be lowered after several conditions have been met. He also presents McCardell argument that restricting alcohol to those below 18 years old raises its appeal thereby encouraging binge drinking. After presenting these views, Cloud (2008) begins his arguments using statistics. He notes that data provided shows that there has been no major shift in binge drinking since the age restrictions were put in place. He argues that binge drinking has in fact dropped from 40.7% in 1984 to 38.1% in 2006. In response to McCardell’s argument of unsupervised drinking, Cloud (2008) notes that even if the drinking age was to be lowered, there would be no one to supervise the 18-21 year olds. His final argument is that while lowering the drinking age may end infantilizing of college students, it may increase deaths on highways. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities and accidents connected with drinking have improved considerably since the restrictions were put in place. Sunders (2008) holds a different view and believes that college students between the ages of 18 and 21 are mature enough to drink. She also looks at McCardell’s argument that the drinking age should be lowered and that Washington should open the debate to look at amending the minimum drinking age. Her main argument is that the law is null and void since most people do not believe that the minimum drinking age works. Her arguments are also based on statistics and she argues that half of those between 18 and 21 year old have consumed alcohol despite the prohibitions placed by the law. She presents an argument forwarded by MADD that the minimum drinking age saves lives through the reduction of traffic accidents. She also notes that this fact has been supported by

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Advantages of Metamaterials

Advantages of Metamaterials Juan Castellanos The future is here and you wouldn’t believe how far research has come. Through countless experiments and hard work scientists have expanded the limits on what we thought to be impossible via advances in metamaterials. These so called â€Å"metamaterials† are artificially constructed improvements over naturally occurring materials commonly used in inventions. These metamaterials are altered at a Nanoscopic scale to give them new properties. Advances in the field of metamaterials could impact many aspects of life including: technology, medicine, and military combat. To fully understand what metamaterials are, we need to completely understand how they work. Metamaterials are created on a small scale in order to manipulate or alter incoming waves, causing them to behave differently than they normally would. This can include light, mechanical, sound, or electromagnetic waves. Through the use of metamaterials you could conceivably â€Å"stretch the law of refraction to its limits because you could make light bend in any direction you liked†(Grant Hapgood). For example, water has standard refraction, which produces a bent image since light travels throughwater at a different speed than it does throughair while â€Å"Metamaterials can make objects in waterappear to angle in the opposite direction, whichis known as negative refraction† (Clark). Metamaterials normally acquire their properties from structure rather than composition since they are engineered to have different properties than those found in nature. Metamaterials are going to innovate the next wave of technological advances that could make life easier. For instance, metamaterials can have a major impact on the commercial market by making wireless charging a possibility, affecting millions around the world that are in constant need of a convenient method to charge their portable devices. According to Business Insider major companies such as Samsung, Hewlett-Packard and Panasonic have cited metamaterials in recent patent filings (Wagstaff). Furthermore, metamaterials could potentially keep families in touch by enabling access to the Internet in areas around the world where it is currently unavailable. This is achieved by â€Å"an antenna on a moving object, such as a plane or automobile, to a satellite, facilitating a constant connection† (Clark). This antenna generates a connection that enables satellite-connected Internet to exist anywhere in the world. In addition, Metamaterials can save lives and prevents catastrophes b y being able to shield and redirect seismic waves away from buildings and other important structures. Researchers conducted an experiment in 2013 where seismic waves were artificially produced in soil and in the presence of metamaterials; probes determined there was a â€Å"modification in seismic energy distribution† (Brule, Javelaud, Enoch, Guenneau). The cloaking of seismic waves can be a bit more complex than say that of acoustic waves due to the nature of the medium (Sheng) but the benefits of such an advance could limit damage from natural disasters by protecting important structures such as power plants, residential buildings, and hospitals. Just in recent memory, seismic cloaking could have benefited Japan when their power plants were struck by a tsunami resulting in nuclear meltdowns and a 2010 earthquake crippled Haiti leaving millions of people devastated. These are just few examples of how metamaterials are revolutionizing the world we live in. Secondly, the military is also investing in metamaterial research in order to gain an advantage on the battlefield. As previously mentioned, metamaterials are designed to have characteristics their counterparts would not normally have, a prominent example is the ability to â€Å"produce plastic metamaterials that are superconductors of electricity† (Scharrett, Garrison). Replacing electric conducting metals with plastic conductors would result in less electrical resistance and â€Å"large drops in electrical resistance translate directly into reduced thermal buildup and major increases in the meantime between failures of electrical components† (Scharrett, Garrison). Moreover, a naval research program is funding a prototype that bends sound around a submarine in order to make it invisible to enemy sonar through the use of metamaterials that can manipulate sound waves. In addition, Army is researching metamaterials to build biological and chemical detectors. These metalli c nanostructures react electromagnetically to incoming molecules detecting single molecules that could be of great use for passenger or cargo screening (Hambling). The Holy Grail in all the research being poured in to metamaterials is the development of â€Å"invisibility cloaking†, the type we have only been able to imagine in movies and comic books. Duke University’s Yaroslav Urhumov says the U.S. Department of Defense is a â€Å"major sponsor of metamaterials and invisibility research and backing this up further is Miguel Navarro-Cia of Imperial College London who claims the military’s primary interest was in â€Å"making a cloak†(Wagstaff). Besides the obvious goal of being able to approach and attack enemies sight unseen, there are other possible functions for the military that could also be applied to civilian use such as â€Å"rendering parts of an aircraft invisible for pilots to see below the cockpit, or to rid drivers of the blind spot in a ca r† (Wagstaff). All these improvements and advances could potentially save casualties and be the difference between victory and defeat. Perhaps the most important utilization of metamaterials will occur in the field of medicine where it can directly help treat and save millions of patients. As opposed to bending light waves in order to make something invisible, metamaterials could also potentially lead way to a super microscope that can view objects as small as a singular strand of DNA. As Discover magazine puts it, this could â€Å"turbo charge biological research† (Grant, Hapgood). Conventional optics are hindered by the refraction limit, only allowing objects to be viewed up to a certain resolution, meanwhile â€Å"metamaterials having negative refractive index is theorized to create a lens having better capabilities beyond conventional lenses. A British scientist, Sir John Pendry, proposed that a thin slab of negative metamaterial might overcome the problems with common lenses to achieve â€Å"a perfect lens† that would focus entire spectrum† (Pendry 3966). One of the biggest tools against ca ncer is early detection; the difference between life and death is often determined by the stage the cancer is discovered. â€Å"By developing microwave devices and combining it with structures inspired by metamaterials, it can lead to a very cost effective device that can localize with high precision an abnormality within the human body† (Raghavan, Rajeshkumar 368). Moreover, In the future metamaterials could â€Å"absorb all light, to create heat to destroy cancerous tissue† (Tufts University). The researchers at the Tufts University School of Engineering and Boston University concentrated on metamaterial silk composites that are resonant at the terahertz frequency. At this frequency many biological and chemical components could be possibly used for biosensing in the human body. According to this research â€Å"The silk metamaterial composite is sensitive to the dielectric properties of the silk substrate and can monitor the interaction between the silk and the local environment. For example, the metamaterial might signal changes in a bio-reactive silk substrate that has been doped with proteins or enzymes (Tufts University). All these potential advances show how metamaterials will impact the medical field with great importance. In conclusion, metamaterials can have a advantage over naturally occurring materials due to alterations made at a small scale that allow for manipulation of any incoming waves that come in to contact. Metamaterials have introduced a wide array of possibilities previously thought unreachable. The use of metamaterials will be widely used in different fields and will result in beneficial developments for humanity. Therefore, metamaterials will have an impact on the future of humanity and the perception of what we know. Works Cited Clark, Marjorie. Metamaterials Are Quietly Shaping the Future of Radar 425 Business. 425 Business. N.p., 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. http://425business.com/metamaterials-quietly-shaping-future-radar/>. Hambling, David. 5 Metamaterials That Make Matter Invisible, Silent or Blindingly Fast. Popular Mechanics. Hearst Digital Media, 05 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. Luan, Pi-Gang. The Physics of Metamaterials. N.p.: National Central University, n.d. PDF. Metamaterials. Metamaterials. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. http://www.iop.org/resources/topic/archive/metamaterials/>. Tufts University. Implantable silk metamaterials could advance biomedicine, biosensing. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 August 2010. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100812135938.htm>.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Attila The Hun: One Of Historys Great Leaders Essay -- essays researc

Barbarian is defined as, "a rude, coarse or brutal person"(Funk & Wagnalls 50). When one hears the name, Attila the Hun, one tends to think of him in such a negative way. Contrary to this popular belief, Attila the Hun was not a barbarian, but one of history's great leaders. The Hun kingdom was in modern-day Hungry. The Huns were a Turkish-speaking nomadic people. Attila and his brother Belda succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434 A.D. Attila was in the junior role, until his brother's death 12 years later. It is often said that Attila murdered Belda to obtain the throne. When Attila became leader he found a rusty old sword; he said it was the sword of Mars. The empire which he inherited was dependent on tribute, without it, the Huns could not survive. Attila brought about a turn of events for his people. To ensure the survival of his people, in 447 AD, Attila launched an invasion of Eastern Europe. Attila created an empire that reached from the Black Sea to Germany. He was known in the west as ‘The Scourge of God'. . Compared to the leaders who had ruled before him, he was aggressive, ambitious, shrewd, intelligent, charismatic, and arrogant. Attila showed his great leadership by his army of magnificent proportions. It is thought to have been the largest army of the late fifth century. Attila also showed his leadership abilities by his motivational speaking. Attila was able to speak to his soldiers before battle, inspiring them to fight even harder. Finally, Attila revealed himself as a great leader in his ability to be a military strategist. The battle of Chalons, in which Attila fought, was one of the most decisive battles in history. One of the most important factors in Attila being a great leader was his army. Attila had an army of amazing proportions for the fifth century. Attila was able to make his army so large by taking the men from conquered cities and forcing them into his army. His army grew so large it invoked fear throughout the people of Europe. Ancient accounts from the time say that the number of men in Attila's army, " range between 300,000 and 700,000 for the army of the Huns. Whatever the size, it was clearly enormous for the fifth century AD" (I'm a Barbarian). Other accounts say that the size of Attila's army at the battle of Chalons was actually half a million men in... ...p; "Attila The Hun." COSMIC BASEBALL ASSOCIATION-1997 ATTILA THE HUN. 23 Oct. 1999. http://www.clark.net/pub/cosmic/attila7.html "Attila The Hun (aka The Scourge of God) (406-453)." Malaspina.com. 23 Oct. 1999. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~mcneil/attila.htm "Attila the Hun." How Not To Die: The Dumbest Deaths in Recorded History. 23 Oct. 1999 http://www.alink.net/~tomki/Funnies/death2.txt "Barbarian." Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. 1984. Ferrill, Arther. "Attila the Hun and The Battle of Chalons". Medieval Sourcebook. 1999 http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/scholarship/attila.art (23 Oct. 1999). Furnival, Mark. "The Huns." The Huns. 1998. http://www.btinternet.com/%7Emark.furnival/huns.htm (23 Oct. 1999). "Medieval Sourcebook: Pricus on Attila the Hun 448." Medieval Sourcebook. 1999 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/attila1.html "The Huns." I'm A Barbarian. 23 Oct. 1999. http://art1.candor.com/barbarian/attila.htm Attila The Hun: One Of Historys Great Leaders Essay -- essays researc Barbarian is defined as, "a rude, coarse or brutal person"(Funk & Wagnalls 50). When one hears the name, Attila the Hun, one tends to think of him in such a negative way. Contrary to this popular belief, Attila the Hun was not a barbarian, but one of history's great leaders. The Hun kingdom was in modern-day Hungry. The Huns were a Turkish-speaking nomadic people. Attila and his brother Belda succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434 A.D. Attila was in the junior role, until his brother's death 12 years later. It is often said that Attila murdered Belda to obtain the throne. When Attila became leader he found a rusty old sword; he said it was the sword of Mars. The empire which he inherited was dependent on tribute, without it, the Huns could not survive. Attila brought about a turn of events for his people. To ensure the survival of his people, in 447 AD, Attila launched an invasion of Eastern Europe. Attila created an empire that reached from the Black Sea to Germany. He was known in the west as ‘The Scourge of God'. . Compared to the leaders who had ruled before him, he was aggressive, ambitious, shrewd, intelligent, charismatic, and arrogant. Attila showed his great leadership by his army of magnificent proportions. It is thought to have been the largest army of the late fifth century. Attila also showed his leadership abilities by his motivational speaking. Attila was able to speak to his soldiers before battle, inspiring them to fight even harder. Finally, Attila revealed himself as a great leader in his ability to be a military strategist. The battle of Chalons, in which Attila fought, was one of the most decisive battles in history. One of the most important factors in Attila being a great leader was his army. Attila had an army of amazing proportions for the fifth century. Attila was able to make his army so large by taking the men from conquered cities and forcing them into his army. His army grew so large it invoked fear throughout the people of Europe. Ancient accounts from the time say that the number of men in Attila's army, " range between 300,000 and 700,000 for the army of the Huns. Whatever the size, it was clearly enormous for the fifth century AD" (I'm a Barbarian). Other accounts say that the size of Attila's army at the battle of Chalons was actually half a million men in... ...p; "Attila The Hun." COSMIC BASEBALL ASSOCIATION-1997 ATTILA THE HUN. 23 Oct. 1999. http://www.clark.net/pub/cosmic/attila7.html "Attila The Hun (aka The Scourge of God) (406-453)." Malaspina.com. 23 Oct. 1999. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~mcneil/attila.htm "Attila the Hun." How Not To Die: The Dumbest Deaths in Recorded History. 23 Oct. 1999 http://www.alink.net/~tomki/Funnies/death2.txt "Barbarian." Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. 1984. Ferrill, Arther. "Attila the Hun and The Battle of Chalons". Medieval Sourcebook. 1999 http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/scholarship/attila.art (23 Oct. 1999). Furnival, Mark. "The Huns." The Huns. 1998. http://www.btinternet.com/%7Emark.furnival/huns.htm (23 Oct. 1999). "Medieval Sourcebook: Pricus on Attila the Hun 448." Medieval Sourcebook. 1999 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/attila1.html "The Huns." I'm A Barbarian. 23 Oct. 1999. http://art1.candor.com/barbarian/attila.htm

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Who Is Katherina Minola

Saunders 1 Kim Saunders 18 April 2013 Katharine the crust! A title for a maid of all titles the worst. Grimier Who is Katherine Manila? As I sat listening to the first read thru of Taming of the Shrew I started hearing answers to this question, through the descriptive words of the other characters. The words were not complimentary. This led to my next question†¦ Why is she perceived this way and is it true? This complicated lady I was about to play shows her true nature in her own words (if you listen closely) The story is that of the wealthy Manila family.Senor Baptists has 2 daughters Katherine the eldest who is known for her bad temper and sharp tongue and the youngest Bianca known for her beauty and sweet nature. Bianca has several suitors but Baptists will not let her marry till the eldest is married first. Enter Epithetic a friend of one of the suitors who is looking for a wealthy woman to marry. This is the main plot with a subplot where the various suitors for Banana's h and vie for her affection. Saunders 2 The first thing I noticed was the lack of a mother.It is left to the actors and director to decide how long the mother has been dead. This would leave Katherine with the responsibility of the household as well as the rearing of the younger sister. Also in many households when a younger child is born the elder child feels abandoned and acts out. If the younger child has a more moderate temperament that might cause a parent to become more distant from the one acting out and it becomes a vicious cycle. We see how others (mostly men) see Katherine through their conversation. Grimier calls her â€Å"a fiend of hell† and says â€Å"she's too rough for me†.He also does not believe anyone could love her as he says in these next 2 statements. L say, a devil, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell? † and â€Å"l had as life take her dowry with this condition, to be whipped at the high cross every morning†. Horniness con firms this when he tells her: â€Å"no mates for you, unless you were of gentler, milder mucous†. He also calls her a devil and though he believes someone will marry her it is only for her money as in this statement† â€Å"though it pass your patience and mine to endure her them, would take her with all faults, and money enough†.To add insult to injury Gathering's own father calls her: â€Å"thou welding of a devilish spirit† and at our first eating of this family we find Baptists trying to foist Katherine onto one of Banana's suitors in this quote: Saunders 3 â€Å"Gentlemen, importune me no farther, For how I firmly am resolved you know; That is, not bestow my youngest daughter Before I have a husband for the elder: If either of you both love Katharine, Because I know you well and love you well, Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure. Katherine expresses Jealousy about her father's treatment of her sister† Katherine What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see she is your treasure Also the fact that â€Å"he rosier about Banana's studies when he desires to hire schoolmasters for her but neglects to mention Katherine. Later in the story Epithetic compliments her, something she is not used to and proposes to her. Epithetic Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded, Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs, Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.And Saunders 4 I am a husband for your turn; For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty, Thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well, Thou must be married to no man but me He is also able to keep up with her quick mind and a flirtation develops between hose two. Gathering's intelligence and quick wit are evident throughout in the clever verbal exchanges and repartee between them. This is most evident in Act 2 scene 1 . EPITHETIC KATHARINE Moved! N good time: let him that moved you hither Remove you hence: I knew you at the first You were a movable. Why, what's a movable? Thou hast hit it: come, sit on me. Katherine is looking for love as well as a way out of her current situation. If this were not true why in act 3 SC 1 would she be waiting for him on the day they are to be married in wedding attire and so distraught? Saunders 5 Katherine Manila is a perceptive, clever and shrewd woman. She is emotional and responsive to others around her.Due to circumstances within the family structure she has armed herself with a wall of antagonism and resentment and uses her violent behavior to keep everyone removed from her. She has withstood deprivation from her family and her desire for affection, appreciation and respect will continue until someone can see past this barricade she has constructed. Works Cited Morris, Brian. The Taming of the Shrew: The Arden Shakespeare, Britain, Methuen & Co. Ltd. 1997 print Bloom, Harold.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Characteristics of the Market Essay

a. National market Processing the small specialty foods with a broad product line and sales of $300 million per year which a food brokers represent the company to the retail food chains by the network. This company more focused on ethnic food specialties which including salad dressings, sauces for Italian pasta and condiments such as specialties pickles. b. Two plants produced product One in the Central Valley of California at Fresno and the other in Illinois south of Chicago which they buy the ingredients from other foods suppliers to avoid the peak seasonal characteristics encountered by food packers. The company production has take place in large quantities to maintain low production costs and assure consistent product quality. c. Generally order on small quantity Company has ordered from supplier amounting to five to six cases per order only or about 150 to 200 pounds at a time. d. Poor delivery However, customers have commented that the company have a poor delivery services because of many of ingredients are shipped over long distances and it has depending on the season. e. Two major department management This is include the Marketing and Sales and also has Production department and several staff units for personnel, purchasing and finance. Both of departments are responsible for marketing the product lines such promotion, product inventory at the public warehouses, providing sales support and also merchandising. There is also a national sales manager who responsibility for maintaining contact with food brokers, coordinating public warehouses and arrange for delivery 1) Case Summary (What’s the issue?) Horizon Foods Corporation (hereafter â€Å"Horizon†) is a still-growing, nationwide foods organization that is widely known for its high quality products. With $300 million sales each year, the firm has been relatively successful so far, gaining good reputation and arousing much interest of the public through its brokers and local retailers. However, as the company prospers and customers demand more, Horizon foresees a coming crisis. The distribution issue, which the company has faced for a while, is now causing stock-outs, and increasing competition in the market is threatening the company’s market share. Authorities involved fail to scrutinize the issue and its cause, and they are eager to blame each other for the problems. The division of labor between two major departments – Marketing and Sales, and Production – seems to need a complete rearrangement for a more efficient process. Horizon should also analyze its current brand positioning in the market and rework its strategies if needed. 2) Q1. What are the characteristics of the market served by the Horizon Foods Corporation? Horizon is a specialty foods processor. It has served a national market composed of food brokers who represent retail store chains. The food brokers make orders to Horizon. Generally, the orders are small. The production is done in two different plants thanks to the ingredients from some food suppliers. The plants are located in agricultural areas to reduce the cost of transportation. Moreover, Horizon produces in large quantities, and the food produced is very good in quality. The production is dispatched to several public warehouses. Then, these warehouses use contract carriers to deliver the products to the customers. Because of the small orders, the transportation cost to retail stores can be high. The market is very competitive since many of Horizon’s food competitors also offer a complete production line

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Sophists Definition and Observations

Sophists Definition and Observations Professional teachers of rhetoric (as well as other subjects) in  ancient Greece are known as Sophists. Major figures included Gorgias, Hippias, Protagoras, and Antiphon. This term comes from the Greek, to become wise. Examples Recent scholarship (for example, Edward Schiappas The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece, 1999) has challenged conventional views that rhetoric was born with the democratization of Syracuse, developed by the Sophists in a somewhat shallow way, criticized by Plato in a somewhat impractical way, and rescued by Aristotle, whose Rhetoric found the mean between Sophistic relativism and Platonic idealism. The Sophists were, in fact, a rather disparate group of teachers, some of whom may have been opportunistic hucksters while others (such as Isocrates) were closer in spirit and method to Aristotle and other philosophers.The development of rhetoric in 5th-century B.C. certainly corresponded to the rise of the new legal system that accompanied the democratic government (that is, the several hundred men who were defined as Athenian citizens) in parts of ancient Greece. (Keep in mind that before the invention of lawyers, citizens represented themselves in the Assemblyusually i n front of sizable juries.) It is believed that the Sophists generally taught by example rather than precept; that is, they prepared and delivered specimen speeches for their students to imitate.In any case, as Thomas Cole has noted, its difficult to identify anything like a common set of Sophistic rhetorical principles (The Origins of Rhetoric in Ancient Greece, 1991). We do know a couple of things for certain: (1) that in the 4th century B.C. Aristotle assembled the rhetorical handbooks that were then available into a collection called the Synagoge Techne (now, unfortunately, lost); and (2) that his Rhetoric (which is actually a set of lecture notes) is the earliest extant example of a complete theory, or art, of rhetoric. Platos Criticism of the Sophists The Sophists formed part of the intellectual culture of classical Greece during the second half of the fifth century BCE. Best known as professional educators in the Hellenic world, they were regarded in their time as polymaths, men of varied and great learning. . . . Their doctrines and practices were instrumental in shifting attention from the cosmological speculations of the pre-Socratics to anthropological investigations with a decidedly practical nature. . . . [In the Gorgias and elsewhere] Plato critiques the Sophists for privileging appearances over reality, making the weaker argument appear the stronger, preferring the pleasant over the good, favoring opinions over the truth and probability over certainty, and choosing rhetoric over philosophy. In recent times, this unflattering portrayal has been countered with a more sympathetic appraisal of the Sophists status in antiquity as well as their ideas for modernity.(John Poulakos, Sophists. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) The Sophists as Educators [R]hetorical education offered its students mastery of the skills of language necessary to participating in political life and succeeding in financial ventures. The Sophists education in rhetoric, then, opened a new doorway to success for many Greek citizens.(James Herrick, History and Theory of Rhetoric. Allyn Bacon, 2001) [T]he sophists were most concerned with the civic world, most specifically the functioning of the democracy, for which the participants in sophistic education were preparing themselves.(Susan Jarratt, Rereading the Sophists. Southern Illinois University Press, 1991) Isocrates, Against the Sophists When the layman . . . observes that the teachers of wisdom and dispensers of happiness are themselves in great want but exact only a small fee from their students, that they are on the watch for contradictions in words but are blind to inconsistencies in deeds, and that, furthermore, they pretend to have knowledge of the future but are incapable either of saying anything pertinent or of giving any counsel regarding the present, . . . then he has, I think, good reason to condemn such studies and regard them as stuff and nonsense, and not as a true discipline of the soul. . . . [L]et no one suppose that I claim that just living can be taught; for, in a word, I hold that there does not exist an art of the kind which can implant sobriety and justice in depraved natures. Nevertheless, I do think that the study of political discourse can help more than any other thing to stimulate and form such qualities of character.(Isocrates, Against the Sophists, c. 382 BC. Translated by George Norlin)

Monday, October 21, 2019

History of the Sacco and Vanzetti Case

History of the Sacco and Vanzetti Case Two Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Batolomeo Vanzetti, died in the electric chair in 1927, and their case was widely seen as an injustice.  After convictions for murder, followed by a lengthy legal battle to clear their names, their executions were met with mass protests across America and Europe. Some aspects of the Sacco and Vanzetti case would not seem out of place in modern society. The two men were portrayed as dangerous foreigners. They were both members of anarchist groups, and faced trial at a time when political radicals engaged in brutal and dramatic acts of violence, including a 1920 terrorist bombing on Wall Street. Both men had avoided military service in World War I, at one point escaping the draft by going to Mexico. It was later rumored that their time spent in Mexico, in the company of other anarchists, had been spent  learning how to make bombs. Their long legal battle began following a violent and deadly payroll robbery on a Massachusetts street in the spring of 1920. The crime seemed to be a common robbery, not anything to do with radical politics. But when a police investigation led to Sacco and Vanzetti, their radical political history seemed to make them likely suspects. Before their trial  even began in 1921, prominent figures declared that the men were being framed. And donors came forward help them hire competent legal help. Following their conviction, protests against the United States broke out in European cities. A bomb was delivered to the American ambassador to Paris. In the United States, skepticism about the conviction surged. The demand that Sacco and Vanzetti be cleared continued for years as the men sat in prison. Eventually their legal appeals ran out, and they were executed in the electric chair  in the early hours of August 23, 1927. Nine decades after their deaths, the Sacco and Vanzetti case remains a disturbing episode in American history. The Robbery The armed robbery which began the Sacco and Vanzetti case was remarkable for the amount of cash stolen, $15,000 (early reports gave an even higher estimate), and because two gunmen shot two men in broad daylight. One victim died immediately and the other died the next day. It seemed to be the work of a brazen stick-up gang, not a crime that would turn into a prolonged political and social drama. The robbery occurred on April 15, 1920, on a street of a Boston suburb, South Braintree, Massachusetts. The paymaster of a local shoe company carried a box of cash, divided up into pay envelopes to be distributed to workers. The paymaster, along with an accompanying guard, were intercepted by two men who drew guns.   The robbers shot the paymaster and the guard, grabbed the cash box, and quickly jumped into a getaway car driven by an accomplice (and said to be holding other passengers). The robbers managed to drive off and disappear. The getaway car was later found abandoned in a nearby woods. Background of the Accused Sacco and Vanzetti were both born in Italy, and, coincidentally, both arrived in America in 1908. Nicola Sacco, who settled in Massachusetts, got into a training program for shoemakers and became a highly skilled worker with a good job in a shoe factory. He married, and had a young son at the time of his arrest. Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who arrived in New York, had a more difficult time in his new country. He struggled to find work, and had a succession of menial jobs before becoming a fish peddler in the Boston area. The two men met at some point through their interest in radical political causes. Both became exposed to anarchist handbills and newspapers during a time when labor unrest led to very contentious strikes across America. In New England, strikes at factories and mills turned into a radical cause and both men became involved with the anarchist movement. When the United States entered the World War in 1917, the federal government instituted a draft. Both Sacco and Vanzetti, along with other anarchists, traveled to Mexico to avoid serving in the military. In line with anarchist literature of the day, they claimed the war was unjust and was really motivated by business interests. The two men escaped prosecution for avoiding the draft, and after the war  they resumed their previous lives in Massachusetts. But they remained interested in the anarchist cause just as the Red Scare gripped the country.   The Trial Sacco and Vanzetti were not the original suspects in the robbery case. But when police sought to apprehend  someone they suspected, attention fell on Sacco and Vanzetti nearly by chance. The two men happened to be with the suspect when he went to retrieve a car, which the police had linked to the case. On the night of May 5, 1920, the two men were riding a streetcar after visiting a garage with two friends. Police, tracking the men who had been to the garage after receiving a tip, boarded the streetcar and arrested Sacco and Vanzetti on a vague charge of being suspicious characters. Both men were carrying pistols, and they were held in a local jail on a concealed weapons charge. And as the police began to investigate their lives, suspicion fell on them for the armed robbery a few weeks earlier in South Braintree. The links to anarchist groups soon became apparent, and searches of their apartments turned up radical literature. The police theory of the case was that the robbery must have been part of an anarchist plot to fund violent activities. Sacco and Vanzetti were soon charged with murder. Additionally, Vanzetti was charged, and quickly put on trial and convicted, of another armed robbery in which a clerk was killed. By the time the two men were put on trial for the deadly robbery at the shoe company their case was being widely publicized.  The New York Times, on May 30, 1921, published an article describing the defense strategy. Supporters of Sacco and Vanzetti maintained the men were being tried not for robbery and murder but for being foreign radicals. A sub-headline read, Charge Two Radicals Are Victims of Department of Justice Plot. Despite the public support and the enlistment of a talented legal team, the two men were convicted on July 14, 1921, following a trial of several weeks. The police evidence rested on eyewitness testimony, some of which was contradictory, and disputed ballistics evidence that seemed to show a bullet fired in the robbery came from Vanzettis pistol. Campaign  for Justice For the next six years, the two men sat in prison as legal challenges to their original conviction played out. The trial judge, Webster Thayer, steadfastly refused to grant a new trial (as he could have under Massachusetts law). Legal scholars, including Felix Frankfurter, a professor at Harvard Law School and a future justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, argued about the case. Frankfurter published a book expressing his doubts about whether the two defendants had received a fair trial. Around the world, the Sacco and Vanzetti case turned into a popular cause. The United States legal system was criticized in rallies in major European cities. And violent attacks, including bombings, were aimed at American institutions overseas. In October 1921, the American ambassador in Paris had a bomb sent to him in a package marked perfumes. The bomb detonated, slightly wounding the ambassadors valet. The New York Times, in a front-page story about the incident, noted that the bomb seemed to be part of a campaign by Reds outraged about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial. The long legal fight over the case went on for years. During that time, anarchists used the case as an example of how the United States was a fundamentally unjust society.   In the spring of 1927, the two men were finally sentenced to death. As the execution date drew near, more rallies and protests were held in Europe and across the United States.   The two men died in the electric chair in a Boston prison early on the morning of August 23, 1927. The event was major news, and the New York Times of that day carried a large headline about their execution across the entire top of the front page.   Legacy of Sacco and Vanzetti The controversy over Sacco and Vanzetti never entirely faded away. Over the nine decades since their conviction and execution many books have been written on the subject. Investigators have looked at the case and have even examined the evidence using  new technology. But serious doubts still remain about misconduct by the police and prosecutors and whether the two men received a fair trial.   Various  works of fiction and poetry  were inspired by their case. Folksinger  Woody Guthrie  wrote a series of songs about them. In  The Flood and The Storm  Guthrie sang, More millions did march for Sacco and Vanzetti  than did march for the great War Lords.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Sociological Perspective - How to Think Like a Sociologist

The Sociological Perspective - How to Think Like a Sociologist Sociology can be defined simply as the study of society, but the practice of sociology is much more than a field of study it is a way of seeing the world. The sociological perspective involves recognizing and evaluating the effects of social relationships and social structures and forces, considering the present day in historical context and takes for granted that society is socially constructed and thus changeable. It is a perspective that fosters critical thinking, the posing of critical questions, and the pursuit of solutions. Understanding the sociological perspective is crucial to understanding the field itself, social theory, and why and how sociologists conduct the research they do. Examining Social Relationships When sociologists look at the world and try to understand why things are the way they are, they look for relationships, and not just those between people. They look for relationships between individuals and the social groups they might identify with or be identified with, like those of  race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality, among others; connections between individuals and the communities they live in or are  affiliated with; and, relationships between individuals and institutions, like media, religion, family, and law enforcement. Within sociology, this is known as looking at the connections between the micro and the macro, or the  individual aspects of social life, and the  large-scale groups, relationships, and trends that compose society. Considering the Effects of Social Structures and Forces Sociologists look for relationships because they want to understand the causes of trends and problems in society so that they can make recommendations on how to address them. At the heart of sociology is the recognition that social structures and forces, like those described above and others too, shape a person’s worldview, beliefs, values, expectations, sense of what is normal, and right and wrong. In doing so, social structures and forces shape our experiences, how we interact with other people, and ultimately, the trajectories and outcomes of our lives. Most social structures and forces are not immediately visible to us, but we can find them when we look beneath the surface of everyday life. Introducing students to the field, Peter Berger wrote, â€Å"It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is this- things are not what they seem.† The sociological perspective urges us to ask the unasked questions about the things we consider normal, natural, and inevitable, in order to illuminate the underlying social structures and forces that produce them. How to Ask Sociological Questions Sociologists seek complex answers to what many would consider simple questions. Berger suggested that there are four key questions at the heart of sociology that allow us to see the connections between everyday life and social structure and forces. They are: What are people doing with each other here?What are their relationships to each other?How are these relationships organized in institutions?What are the collective ideas that move men [sic] and institutions? Berger suggested that asking these questions transforms the familiar into something otherwise unseen, and leads to â€Å"a transformation of consciousness.† C. Wright Mills called this transformation of consciousness â€Å"the sociological imagination.†Ã‚  When we examine the world through this lens, we see how our current moment and personal  biographies sit within the trajectory of history. Using the sociological imagination to examine our own lives, we might question how social structures, forces, and relationships have given us certain privileges, like access to wealth and prestigious schools;  or, how social forces like racism might make us disadvantaged as compared with others. The Importance of Historical Context The sociological perspective always includes historical context in its view of society, because if we want to understand why things are the way they are, we have to understand how they got that way. So, sociologists often take the long view, by, for example, looking at the shifting nature of the class structure over time, how the relationship between the economy and culture has evolved over centuries, or, how limited access to rights and resources in the past continues to impact historically marginalized people today. The Empowering Nature of the Sociological Perspective Mills believed that the sociological imagination could  empower people to make change in their lives and in society because it allows us to see that what we often perceive as â€Å"personal troubles,† like not making enough money to support ourselves or our families, are actually â€Å"public issues†- problems that course through society and are a product of flaws in the social structure, like inadequate minimum wage levels. The empowering nature of the sociological imagination points to another fundamentally important aspect of the sociological perspective: that society and all that happens within it is made by people. Society is a social product, and as such, its structures, its institutions, norms, ways of life, and problems are changeable. Just as social structures and forces act on us and shape our lives, we act on them with our choices and actions. Throughout our daily lives, in mundane and sometimes momentous ways, our behavior either validates and reproduces society as it is, or it challenges it and remakes it into something else. The sociological perspective allows us to see how both outcomes are possible.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Principles of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Principles of Finance - Essay Example The effective annual rate computations below show that issue 7.375s19 has generated an effective annual rate of twenty one and 852/100 percent. The issue that generated the lowest effective annual rate is issue 7.375s20 which generated a very low seven and 37.5/100 effective annual rate. Thee lowest annual percentage yield, this is similar to Effective Annual Rate, comes from issue 7.375s20 with the annual percentage yield of only seven and 37.5/100. he yield to call resulted to the following computations. There are many mathematical business tools that finance uses to help us in our decision making processes. Some of the tools used are the Annual Percentage, the Period Rate and the Effective Annual Rate. The many computations below will show how they are made useful. The annual percentage rate is computed by multiplying the periodic rate by the number of periods. For example 10% quarterly is really equal to 40%. The annual rate is stated as the yearly cost of a mortgage that includes interest, Mortgage insurance, and the origination fees which is shown in percentages. Based on the above computation, issue 7.375s20 has annual percentage rate of 7.375 percent. The issue 7.375s19 was computed to generate annual percentage rate of 14.75 percent. The next issue, 8.250s28, when computed had generated the annual percentage rate of 8.25 percent. The next issue, 6.730s17 when also computed generated annual percentage Periodic rate rate of 13.46 percent. The last issue, 6.850s32 generated an annual percentage rate of 13.70 percent. PERIODIC RATE: 7.375s20 7.375 % x 1 = 7.375 % 7.375s19 7.375 % x 2 = 14.75 % 8.250s28 8.25 % x 1 = 8.25 % 6.730s17 6.73 % x 2 = 13.46 % 6.850s32 6.85 % x 2 = 13.70 % Periodic rate is the effective interest rate. To explain further, when the periodic rate on a credit card is 2.5% per month on the outstanding balance, the annual periodic rate is 2.5% x twelve months which is equal to thirty percent. When computing

Friday, October 18, 2019

Integrated Communication Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Integrated Communication Marketing - Assignment Example hat can compel me to participate is that I will get a bonus point for sending an email to a prospective customer who in turn will also pass on the message. These bonus points can be redeemed for a product that is being marketed. I think viral marketing campaigns are effective with customers given that the recipients of messages are likely to respond if they realise that the information is coming from their peers. The consumers become anxious to read the message if they realise that it is coming from a close friend. When they find the message appealing, they are likely to pass on to their peers and friends. This means that viral marketing becomes inexpensive because the customers pass along the message to others. This is a very effective marketing strategy among a targeted market segment given that the consumers will get information about a product which compels them to respond. They can do this by trying the product and once satisfied, they can also convince their peers to purchase

Doesn't Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doesn't Matter - Essay Example ly problematic world is the main purpose of the poet who skilfully illustrates the universal characteristic of the human condition in the modern world through the geographically, historically, and linguistically wide variety of cultural, literary, and spiritual settings. Thus, the poem attains a universal appeal and nature which mainly worked in favour of the piece which is now considered as the most effective touchstone of modern literature. The poet resorts to a complex method of incorporating culturally, geographically, historically, spiritually, and linguistically distinct settings to deal with the most complex theme of the modern world. The essential method used by Eliot in The Waste Land, according to Cleanth Brooks, is â€Å"the principle of complexity. The poet works in terms of surface parallelisms which in reality make ironical contrasts, and in terms of surface contrasts which in reality constitute parallelisms.† (Brooks) The employment of such a wide variety of set ting can be best comprehended as part of the poet’s specific method of illustrating the complex nature of the modern world through a complex method. In The Waste Land, Eliot concentrates on dealing with the primary theme of the modern world situation and the particular settings, images, and symbols used by the poet help him in this attempt. Rather than demonstrating the thinner side of the modern situation of the world, offering a single, unambiguous meaning to the poem, the poet provides opportunity for multiple interpretations and meanings. The various symbols, which are drawn from a variety of settings, correspond to the dramatized instances of the theme, exemplifying in their own nature the basic paradox of the theme. Therefore, the manifold settings and symbols of the poem help in the development of the basic themes of the poem. Eliot’s themes are drawn from the various ages, settings, and contexts, and, hence, the use of various settings enhances the appeal of the themes.

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

Healthcare Spending - Essay Example In order to achieve desired health outcomes, there should be a systematic approach that addresses staff competence, health care financing, and emphasis on quality. System theory offers a guide health care towards the desired direction by employing evidenced-based management practices to enhance quality, accessibility an equity as fundamental elements of health care systems. The theory envisions use of a systematic guideline in practice to ensure health care emans such as quality, affordability are met. One of the fundamental concepts of system theory is system thinking. Wiegerinck, Kappen, & Burgers (2010) stated that the application of system theory in the health care system can have an incredible achievement in streamlining operations towards the desired standards. With system thinking, health care quality would greatly improve because the conceptual framework would help in building health care as a system with several subsystems. This theory emphasizes six critical cornerstones that apply well to the health care system. Firstly, it higlightes improving communication among subsystems within a larger system. Certainly, communication is an important asset in health care reforms. Communication allows for nursing, and medical staff strives towards the same direction by employing uniform quality care. Quality health care standard is, therefore, an important feature in the health care system (Bhandari & Snowdon, 2012). Secondly, the social theory, a fundamental component of the system theory, premises teamwork as a success strategy in any task undertaking. Evidently, achieving health care standards that quality-based, cost-effective and appropriate to the community culture requires interdisciplinary collaboration. In contemporary health care system emphasizes on teaming up with the community members in the identification of health care needs, this is emphasized in system theory

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Maritime low Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maritime low - Essay Example This means that in order for there to be grounds or justification for a salvage operation, or effort, it is imperative that a vessel be identified as confronting imminent pr potential peril. The danger, or peril, referred to here implies the actual, imminent or potential confrontation of conditions which would, or already have, exposed the vessel to the threat of loss, destruction or deterioration. Not only that but, for salvage to be justified, the vessel in question cannot have the situation under control. Quite simply stated, if the supposedly endangered vessel has threat under control, then there are no grounds for salvage. Hence, salvage is predicated on the presence of a risk to all that which is on board the vessel. As pertains to the concept of danger, it is necessary to highlight the importance of English case law as regards its precise meaning and implications. This is because, even though the Merchant Shipping Act, 1995, sections 224 and schedule 111 have ratified the Salvage Convention, 1989 and, in so doing, conceded t its supremacy, the fact is that many terms remain undefined in the mentioned convention. Among these terms is that of danger which, although mentioned in Article 1(a) of the Convention is not defined by it. Precisely because of this, case law emerges as important. In the matter of Sem... In this instance, it is apparent that the term, as used in the context of the law of salvage, is encompasses varying degrees of threat/peril. The identification of the degree of danger which a vessel was confronting, or could probably confront prior to the salvage effort is, as outlined in Semco Salvage & Marine Pte. Ltd. v. Lancer Navigationessential for the determination of he amount of the salvage reward. Prior to defining the other components of the law of salvage, it is necessary to explain the precise nature of the services referred to. Under the law of salvage, and as Friedell (1979) explains, the referred to services are generally, and most commonly, towing services, as entails towing the imperiled vessel away from the endangering situation to safety. Apart from that, however, services further include any form of assistance rendered to an endangered vessel, including but not limited to, standing by the vessel until assistance arrives or moving persons on board the endangered vessel for the purpose of saving both life and maritime property (Friedell, 1979). Although the meaning of services is straightforward, it would be informative to turn to case law for determination of its precise implications. In the matter of Tavoulareas v Tsavliris & Ors [2003] EWHC 550 (Comm) (21 March 2003), the court reiterated the fact that within the context of salvage operations, services referred to any acts which were executed for the purpose of alleviating the danger confronting the vessel in question and, included both services which were contracted for and services which were not contracted for. In other words, services could be extended by any

Southwest Airlines Marketing Plan Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Southwest Airlines Marketing Plan Report - Essay Example The company encourages the employees to be creative in their own way while performing at the workplace. Goals and Objectives The company has the goal of ensuring that there is no compromise on the quality when the people fly in Southwest Airlines. The employees are to be trained in such a way that they always come forward to address the needs of the customers whenever required. Safety of the travelers during the flight time is also one of the aspects that South-western Airlines wants to ensure on a day to day basis. The company is popular for its low cost Airline services. South western intends to retain this strategy in the future course of its business as well. Thus it would want to increase the frequency of the flights and would try to maintain the prices at the low cost segment so that it is able to retain a larger market share (Lauer 218). SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is an important marketing analytical tool that helps an organization to determine its key internal strengths, wea knesses and external opportunities, threats. Southwest Airlines is known as one of the leading low cost airlines. This part of the marketing plan will conduct a SWOT analysis for southwest Airlines. Strengths Southwest Airlines is one of the leading and successful low cost airlines around the globe. The organization implemented several key and effective business strategies in order to achieve potential competitive advantages and maximize the business profit. Marketing The organization has a strong General Counsel Department in marketing in order to review each and every marketing material in order to maintain potential target customer base. Effective promotional strategy helped the organization to create huge brand awareness among the target customers. Product The organization uses Boeing 737s as its products. The organization always tries to ensure the quality of the product. As all the planes are Boeing 737s; the turnaround, training and maintenance costs are contained. In additio n to this, the organization has no meals, central reservations, baggage handling and assigned seats (Gittell 137). Financial The financial position of the organization is quite strong with 3 billion US dollar in cash. The organization generates 716 million US dollar in free cash flow in the tear 2012. Figure 1: Free Cash Flow (Southwestonereport 33) In addition to this, the organization returned 422 million US dollars to its stakeholder. Technology Integration of advanced and modern technology increased the business perform ace of the organization. In addition to this, utilization of several modern technological equipments in each and every business operation process helped the organization to reduce its business operation cost. Management It is important for a service providing organization to ensure healthy work place environment in order to enhance effective business performances. Southwest Airlines has an effective, fun loving, strong and employee oriented culture that helps the organization to focus on several business aspects. Synergy Effective customer service helped the organization huge customer preference. 28 years of long reliable and safe operation increase the brand loyalty of the airlines. In addition to this, the route systems of Southwest Airlines have grown significantly. Effective environmental sustainability training program in employees program helped the organi

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Maritime low Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maritime low - Essay Example This means that in order for there to be grounds or justification for a salvage operation, or effort, it is imperative that a vessel be identified as confronting imminent pr potential peril. The danger, or peril, referred to here implies the actual, imminent or potential confrontation of conditions which would, or already have, exposed the vessel to the threat of loss, destruction or deterioration. Not only that but, for salvage to be justified, the vessel in question cannot have the situation under control. Quite simply stated, if the supposedly endangered vessel has threat under control, then there are no grounds for salvage. Hence, salvage is predicated on the presence of a risk to all that which is on board the vessel. As pertains to the concept of danger, it is necessary to highlight the importance of English case law as regards its precise meaning and implications. This is because, even though the Merchant Shipping Act, 1995, sections 224 and schedule 111 have ratified the Salvage Convention, 1989 and, in so doing, conceded t its supremacy, the fact is that many terms remain undefined in the mentioned convention. Among these terms is that of danger which, although mentioned in Article 1(a) of the Convention is not defined by it. Precisely because of this, case law emerges as important. In the matter of Sem... In this instance, it is apparent that the term, as used in the context of the law of salvage, is encompasses varying degrees of threat/peril. The identification of the degree of danger which a vessel was confronting, or could probably confront prior to the salvage effort is, as outlined in Semco Salvage & Marine Pte. Ltd. v. Lancer Navigationessential for the determination of he amount of the salvage reward. Prior to defining the other components of the law of salvage, it is necessary to explain the precise nature of the services referred to. Under the law of salvage, and as Friedell (1979) explains, the referred to services are generally, and most commonly, towing services, as entails towing the imperiled vessel away from the endangering situation to safety. Apart from that, however, services further include any form of assistance rendered to an endangered vessel, including but not limited to, standing by the vessel until assistance arrives or moving persons on board the endangered vessel for the purpose of saving both life and maritime property (Friedell, 1979). Although the meaning of services is straightforward, it would be informative to turn to case law for determination of its precise implications. In the matter of Tavoulareas v Tsavliris & Ors [2003] EWHC 550 (Comm) (21 March 2003), the court reiterated the fact that within the context of salvage operations, services referred to any acts which were executed for the purpose of alleviating the danger confronting the vessel in question and, included both services which were contracted for and services which were not contracted for. In other words, services could be extended by any

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Innovation and The Sustainable Organisation Individual written Essay

Innovation and The Sustainable Organisation Individual written assignment - Essay Example cance to these aspects, this paper intends to explain the green technologies strategized by Toyota along with a literature review on the stated area of research. This paper also deals with fruitful ranking of the industry compared to its rivals from the global market based on the sales of the company. Toyota is currently reputed as among the most competitive business, which provides variety of vehicles with new models linked but entirely differentiated on dimension of financial services. The company is much credited for its ability to meet the needs of the customers, which has also empowered its competitive advantages, brewing talented employees valuing their innovative ideas. In its recent endeavors, Toyota has implemented an advanced set of green technologies for improving the lifestyle of the customers by providing them better eco-friendly services. The products produced by Toyota are also preferred for their good quality and new design approach, without compromising the comfort needs of its customers. Overall, these features help in grabbing the attention of customers (Deeppa & et. al., 2012). A major feature providing differentiating advantages to Toyota products is its use of green environmental technologies that also display the responsible attitude of the company towards its stakeholders. The company is also attaining competitive advantages by providing vehicles or cars based on the lifestyle choices of the modern environment and the market structure. Green technologies are thus required for the economic development of the company as well as to attain competitive advantages through greater sustainability of the products (Deeppa & et. al., 2012). Green technologies applied by Toyota also involve durable and comfortable designs, innovations and greater viability of the products that has significantly contributed to the overall development of the company. In accordance with several subject areas, green technologies can be identified as environmental science,

Monday, October 14, 2019

Aegon Group International: Change Management Strategies

Aegon Group International: Change Management Strategies INTRODUCTION TO THE CHOOSEN ORGANIZATION: AEGON Group (AEGON N.V.), an international provider of life insurance, pensions and other long-term investment products. Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, AEGON has around 40 million policyholders and approximately 28,000 employees around the world. It has assets, including all revenue-generating investments, of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬405 billion ( £348 billion).* AEGONs mission is to help customers secure their long-term financial futures. AEGON has three main established markets: the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Recently, AEGON has expanded its international presence, pushing into new growth markets in the Americas, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. At present, AEGON has businesses in more than 20 markets across the globe. AEGON has a clear, well-defined strategy, aimed at creating long-term value for all the companys stakeholders. Committed to its core businesses (life insurance and pensions), AEGON seeks profitable, sustainable growth and pursues a multi-channel approach to distribution to give customers access to products and services in the way that best suits them. AEGON was created in 1983 the result of a merger between two Dutch insurance companies AGO and Ennia. And many of the companies who form AEGON have a long history. For example, in the United States, Monumental Life based in Baltimore has been insuring people since 1858, while in the United Kingdom, AEGON (a brand name of Scottish Equitable plc) has been in existence since the early 1830s. *Source: AEGON N.V. quarterly results, 30 September 2010 TASK 1; EXPLORE THE BACKGROUND TO CHANGE AFFECTING THE ORGANIZATION. (A) IDENTIFY A RANGE OF MODELS OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND EXPLAIN THE ANY THREE OF THESE MODELS IN DETAIL. McKINSEY 7-S MODEL: The McKinsey 7-S Model was created by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman whilst they were working for McKinsey Company in 1978 (12Manager, 2007. According to this model there are seven different factors that are a part of the model: Shared values Strategy Structure Systems Style Staff Skills Shared values are the centre of the model because it is what the organization believes in and stands for, such as the mission of the company. Strategy represents what the company plans to do react to any changes of its external surroundings (Recklies, 2007). The structure refers to the organizational structure of the company. Systems are the portion of the model that represents the procedures, processes and routines that characterize how the work should be done. Staff is quite obvious in the fact that it is a proper representation of who is employed by the organization and what they do within the organization (12Manage, 2007). Style signifies the organizational culture and management styles that are utilized within the organization (12Manage, 2007). Skills indicate the abilities and competencies of either the employees or the organization holistically. LEWINNS CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODEL: This model was developed in early 1950s by Kurt Lewin a psychologiest. Lewin recognized following three stages of change (Syque, 2007), Unfreeze Ttransition Refreeze The majority of people tends to stay within certain safe zones and is hesitant of change (Syque, 2007). These people tend to become comfortable in this unchanging environment and become uncomfortable when any change occurs, even if it is a minor one. In order to overcome this frozen state, we must initiate an unfreeze period, which is done through motivation (Mind Tools, 2007). Motivation is important in any organization, even when it is not changing. The transition period is when the change is occurring, which is a voyage and not a step.. The transition period takes time because people do not like change. At the end of the transitional voyage, comes the next stage: refreeze. This is the stage where the company once again becomes stable. Kotters Eight Step Change Model; According to this model there are eight steps that must be followed for successful change. Step One: Increase urgency for change Step Two: Build a team for the change Step Three: Construct the vision Step Four: Communicate Step Five: Empower Step Six: Create short term goals Step Seven: Be persistent Step Eight: Make the change permanent The first step is to create urgency for change. This means that we have to convince the employees that this change is necessary for the company to survive. This also means that we must communicate that the change is achievable without any detrimental effects on their jobs. The next step is to build a team for the change, which has to be of some respected employees within the company. The third step is to construct the vision, which will show clear direction to how the change will better the future of the company and their jobs (Rose, 2002). The fourth step is to communicate this vision. In order for the vision to work it must be fully understand by the employees, which means that it is necessary for the leaders of the change group to follow this vision. The fifth step it to empower the employees to execute the change. It is still important that the management follow the same guidelines as the employees are too. By creating short term goals, we assist the employees to accept the chang e by showing them progress. Rewards are very important at this step also. The seventh step is about persistence because we should influence more change even after the short term goals are met or the original plan for change will cease and die (Rose, 2002). The final step is to make the change permanent by moving fitting it into the companys culture and practices, such as promotion (Chapman, 2006). (B) IDENTIFY AND LIST THE FACTORS THAT ARE DRIVING YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZATION TO CHANGE, AND SUGGEST AN APPROPRIATE MODEL OF CHANGE FOR YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZAITON WITH REASONS FOR SUGGESTING THE MODEL. In case of AEGON UK following are the deriving forces for organizational change. Financial restructuring in the United Kingdom. Growth in population and changes in demographic attributes. Cultural diversification in the UK. Changes in social dimensions of the United Kingdom. Evolution of political orientation and policies. Increase in the domestic purchasing power. Institutional and policies neglect regarding the financial products. High competitiveness and consequent challenges. Deficient Management practices. Inefficiency in processes. In the personal opinion of the researcher the best choice of change model that should be applicable in case of AEGON UK is Kotters Eight Step Change Model. The researcher believes this is the best choice because it is simple mode. Researcher thinks in this way because it fully prepares the employees of the company before the vision is even created, which means that the actual transition will be much easier in the long run. There are fewer disadvantages to this model than others. Overall it is the best fit for most companies because substantial change is needed for the divisions because its history. This will also help ease the transition because the division has quite a history compared to the rest of the company, so people are not as set in the ways, as they would be if the division had been around longer. (C) IDENTIFY THE VALUE OF STRATEGIC INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES AND WHAT INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES WOULD YOU APPLY IN INTRODUCING CHANGE INTO YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZATION; There is no question that some form of strategic planning is key to an organizations future performance. However, there are several challenges to implementing this type of planning in an organization. Large group interventions are one set of methods for addressing these challenges. In case of AEGON UK strategic planning implies planning for the long-term. The time frame associated with this type of planning is from three to five years into the future. Due to this timeframe, there are several challenges associated with long-range planning. These include: creating a plan that is breakthrough in its orientation rather than more of the same, getting all stakeholders to commit to the organizations strategies and to follow through on implementation of critical activities, and decreasing cycle time in the planning process. In todays world, organizations cannot afford these challenges. To survive, they must be able to quickly create, deploy, and implement breakthrough strategies that help them to continually anticipate and meet current and future customer requirements. In doing so, they must be able to align all internal and external resources around the plan. This sort of orientation necessitates approaches to strategic planning that involve all employees and stakeholders in the planning process and a planning process that can occur within a shortened time frame. The researcher will prefer to adopt Large Group Interventions Technique to address the proposed change in the chosen organization AEGON. LARGE GROUP INTERVENTIONS: Over the past 20 years, a number of large group intervention techniques have emerged that more quickly effect large-scale change. As such, they have been effective tools in dealing with some of the issues associated with strategic planning. These intervention techniques include: Design, Participative Design, Simu-Real, Work-outs, and Open Space Technology. As summarized in the book, Large Group Interventions, by Barbara Benedict Bunker and Billie Alban, these approaches allow organizations to involve anywhere from 30 to hundreds, if not a few thousand, individuals in working together to accomplish a common outcome. They may come together for a single day or multiple days or events. In the process of working collaboratively, the organization can more quickly achieve what Kathleen Dannemiller has coined one heart and one mind-a key factor in organizational alignment. These approaches have several defining characteristics. They are best used when: Time is of the essence. The issue is complex. The purpose of the intervention is clear. There is committed and involved leadership. Benefits can be reaped from stakeholder involvement and ownership. A design team that is representative of the whole is engaged to develop the content and process pieces of the intervention as well as its follow-up, support, and communications plan. Real work occurs during the event. Large group interventions have been used successfully in diverse industries hence the researcher believes this type of strategic intervention technique will be effective for AEGON UK. TASK 2 UNDERSTAND ISSUSES RELATING TO STRATEGIC CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATION (A) DISCUSS THE GENERIC BACKGROUND TO CHANGE THAT EXISTS IN TODAYS ECONOMY, AND THE SPECIFIC DRIVES THAT MOTIVATED YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZATION TO CONSIDER CHANGE. World appears to be integrating economically, politically and culturally. Irrespective of the national boundaries huge developments in information, communication and technology has taken place. Ownership patters of corporate sector all over the world have become more complex like joint ventures, cross-border acquisitions etc. Global strategies have emerged in the production of goods and services, distribution and management of labour. These have had an immense impact on business activities. The world economy is now more closely interlinked and the finance has become a global resource. In the current economic circumstances organizations are facing both external and internal forces that ultimately make change unavoidable. External forces such as new work force demographics; changing expectations about quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction; and new technologies are dramatically affecting the operating environment in organizations globe wise. Internally, financial limitations, the condition to do more with less, cross-functional groups, mergers and acquisitions and empowered employees all influences organizations position to compete in the global marketplace. Outsourcing, automation, best practices, downsizing, globalization, repositioning, re-engineering, and all other such terms refer towards change to your work force. It does not matter how do you define this change the fact is that challenge to the organization is inevitable; balancing the demands and hopes among the stakeholders including customer, employees, management and shareholders. Without balance, an organization risks an anxious work force that may yield declining output. The magnitude of the success of the organization depends how an organization decides to motive, correspond and incorporate change into the work force. So we can say that change is a process not an event. In the corporate world, when any or all of the factors such as; environment, technology, task, structure or people are altered fully or partially, the phenomenon is called as change. Whenever in the corporate environment deriving forces and restraining forces are not in equilibrium, there is a need for the change. In case of the AEGON UK there were many deriving forces that caused the background of change in AEGON UK. AEGON UK was although was bearing international repute but still it didnt had band awareness by the name of AEGON in the United Kingdom. The philosophy of the financial services products that were being sold by AEGON UK or its competitors were quite difficult to understand by the potential customers. Life expectancy in the United Kingdom has increased in the recent years so people can expect to be retired for longer age and similarly many individual never think it worthy to plan about their retirement properly, on the other hand there was a derive from the government to reduce dependency on the state in old age so there was a need to make a social awareness among the people for the benefits of having the financial products sold by the AEGON UK to secure there future because benefit of these investments usually realised in later years. AEGON was not well recognised in the areas ot her than pensions. Above stated reasons are the few of those that lead management to introduce change in the corporate structure and strategy of the AEGON UK Limited. (B) CONSIDER THE IMPLICAITONS IN TERMS OF RESOURCES, FOR YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZATION IF IT FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE NEED FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE. Human and other Capacity Requirements The human capacity and skills required to implement the strategy, current and potential sources of these resources. Also, other capacity needs required such as internal systems, management structures, engaged partners and Network NOs and POs, and a supportive legal framework etc. Financial Requirements The funding required implementing the proposed management strategy, current and potential sources of these funds, and the most critical resource and funding gaps. Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategy What risks exist and how they can be addressed. Estimate of Project Lifespan, Sustainability, and Exit Strategy How long the strategy will stand implemented, after how long and why strategy will require modifications (if feasible to do so), and how it will ensure sustainability of the corporate objective achievements. Strategic Change Management Plan may only be considered complete when these components have been defined, at least in broad terms. As the project moves into change implementation, several of these components are then defined in more detail and tested in reality. TASK 3 DEVELOP SYSTEMS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND INVOLVING OTHERS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE (A) IDENTIFY THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZATION AND PROPOSE SYSTEMS TO INVOLVE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PLANNING OF CHANGE. Stake holders are the people who are directly affected by the decisions of an entity. Stake holder may be internal (management, employees etc.) or external (government, suppliers, banks, media, shareholders etc). Different stake holders have different expectations from the organization. In the process of change, stake holders can be involved in a number of ways suck as; Involve them in problem solving. Keep them up to date of standing towards corporate objectives? Take actions on feedback received by them? Mobilize the correct resources at the right moment to recognize the implementation plan? In order to involve the stake holders to the process of change the new chief executive officer of AEGON carried out the following actions; Simplification of Financial Services; for the purpose of involving the customers to the process of change the Chief Executive Officer of AEGON adopted a customer focused approach. The CEO simplified the ever complex financial services in terms of their understanding and it was now made very simple to understand. Now the customers know that what they are investing into and what return their investment is expected to yield at the end of the contract. Earlier customers have always been confused between the complex calculations. Now the customers are happy because they dont need any financial interpreter to understand the ins and outs of the products offered by the AEGON. Workforce Development; An-other very important stake holder of the organization is the employees. These are actually the people who are practically responsible for to make the change process successful or not. Before implementing the change the new CEO took the employees in confidence and brief them about the fact that what AEGON stands today and what AEGON wants to stand in the future and he also address the forces reasoning this change. Next step is to develop the new skilled required to implement the change, the CEO introduced job rotation which involves progression from one job to the other job. Hence it provided individual employees with a coherent career path. CEO also arranged a Management Development Programme in collaboration with a leading management college for the training of the workforce. Creating Distinct Market Place; To refresh the brand identity of AEGON into the minds of the people the CEO carried out an external promotional campaign to highlight the relationship between the locally famous Scottish Equitable and AEGON. Also the CEO spoke to the media stating the reasons for the change and how the change will be useful for the stakeholders. (B) ANALYSE AND EVALUATE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THESE SYSTEMS. The systems stated above in part (A) were used to involve the different people into the process of change. The need for this change was actually those external and internal forces that were affecting the performance of the AEGON. The AEGON business was not going well due to a number of key issues. Due to those issues the Chief Executive Officer had to bring some changes into the line of operation and the way of operations by AEGON. The Chief Executive Officer related this change programme being fully customer focused and associated this whole change project with certain behaviours which are; think customer; embrace change, encourage excellence, act with integrity, decisive action, work together, learn and grow relate and communicate. The employees were trained about these behaviours by a leading management institute. Another reason for this system of change relating to the problem that AEGON was facing was that the consumers were not aware about the products and services provided by AEGON. The customers had always been confused about understanding their investment policy. They had never been able to make comparison among the services provided by AEGON neither about the possible outcome if they invest into them. As to the reaction of the fact the Chief Executive Officer simplified the description of the product to the extent that every person could understand and calculate the financial flows regarding the products offered by AEGON. This strategy really worked and AEGON have a very positive response from its customers. The other system that the Chief Executive Officer developed was to train the workforce. First the employees were addressed about the need for the change and the possible proposed changes and before implementing the change it is very essential that the workforce is capable enough to perform their duties into the new environment. For the purpose workforce was developed with rotating job descriptions and Management Development Programme was conducted by a leading management college to train the employees about how to respond to the change. Finally the Chief Executive Officer had to respond to the most vital reason for the change that is the fact that AEGON was trading under many different trade names into the same geographical location. This was the greatest reason because of which AEGON had not taken a distinct market place despite of such a historical background and multinational presence. The CEO for the purpose spoke to the media and addressed the whole situation, besides that many others measures were taken to establish a brand position, for instance Scottish Equitable was changed to AEGON Scottish-Equitable representing the repute of the local company and the brand of AEGON similarly external promotional campaign was incorporated into the system. (C) EXPLAIN HOW WOULD YOU DEVELOP A CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS. Stakeholder management is critical to the success of introducing change in the organization .The more people are being affected by change, the more likely it is that your actions will impact people who have power and influence over your projects. These people could be strong supporters of your work or they could block it. Stakeholder Management Strategy is an important discipline that successful people use to win support from others. It helps them ensure that their projects succeed where others fail. Stakeholder Analysis is the technique used to identify the key people who have to be won over. You then use Stakeholder Planning to build the support that helps you succeed. The benefits of using a stakeholder-based approach are that: The opinions of the most powerful stakeholders to shape change implementation at an early stage. Not only does this make it more likely that they will support you, their input can also improve the quality of your project Gaining support from powerful stakeholders can help you to win more resources this makes it more likely that your projects will be successful By communicating with stakeholders early and frequently, you can ensure that they fully understand what you are doing and understand the benefits of your project this means they can support you actively when necessary By anticipating what peoples reaction to your project may be, and build into your plan the actions that will win peoples support. (D) WHAT WOULD BE YOUR STRATEGY FOR MANAGING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN THIS ORGANIZATION? The researcher has developed following strategy for managing resistance to change in the AEGON. There will be a workflow process in order to achieve results for mutual benefits for employees and organization. There will be an Authority Process in order to direct behaviour in the interests of the organization and its participants. There would be a Reward and Penalty Process to induce people to behave in a way required by the interests of the organization and its participants and / or to behave in a way making associated activity possible. There will be a Perpetuation Process to maintain, replenish, and make adequate the quantity and quality of social and natural resources utilized by the organization and its participants. There must be an Identification Process to develop a concept of the wholeness, uniqueness and significance of the organization. This is usually accompanied by efforts to select and define clearly understood emotionally toned symbols, concepts, or other such factors which will help individual participants identify the uniqueness of the organization as a whole, which in turn automatically helps to define the uniqueness of the organization in the larger environment in which it is embedded. There will be a communication process to provide for the exchange of information, ideas, feelings and values etc utilized in all activities to the stake holders. There must be an evaluation process which establishes criteria for and defines levels of utility and value for people, materials, ideas, and activities and which rates them and allocates them to these levels. TASK 4 PLAN TO IMPLEMENT MODELS FOR ENSURING ONGOING CHANGE (A) IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE MODELS FOR IMPLEMENTING CHANGE THAT SUITE YOUR CHOSEN ORGANIZAITON. Model for change refers towards the overall strategy to incorporate change into the organizational environment. A model of change is usually implemented into the following steps; Access the necessity of change Forming a powerful alliance Creating an idea for change Communicate the vision Remove barriers Incorporate the change into organization The Chief Executive Officer implemented the same model to incorporate change into the organization. The CEO realised the need for the changed and he came to know that company is not doing well as compared to its competitors, the legislative restriction of price has decreased the profitability lack of brand awareness getting worst and difficulty of the customers understanding the soul of the services offered by the AEGON were the factors that required an immediate change into the organization at a large scale. It was what AEGON was at the moment. The CEO conducted a SWOT analysis of the firm. After getting the situation the CEO decided to develop a new behavioural framework for the staff which was known as 8 behaviours framework and also arranged managerial training for the workforce. The CEO further addressed to the stakeholders of the organization to communicate his vision to them by simplifying the financial services, developing a workforce and arranging a brand awareness campaign. The CEO also spoke to the media about this change process and the reasons for the change. Hence model implemented by the CEO of AEGON UK brought about considerable positive change to the organization and gave it a new line of direction towards the desired goals and objectives. (B) HOW WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT THIS MODEL IN CHOSEN ORGANIZATION WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU EXPECT TO ACHIEVE BY IMPLEMENTING YOUR CHOSEN MODEL AND HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE THESE? The plan for the change was implemented into the various steps such as discovery phase to analyze where the AEGON is right now, where it wants to be and what actions are required to meet the objectives set by the Chief Executive Officer to become the best long term saving and protection business into the United Kingdom. Discovery phase revealed the reasons for changes and weaknesses and strengths of the organization. After the discovery phase the next step was to involve the appropriate stake holders into the process of change. The chief executive officer involved various stakeholders in different effective manner as discussed previously. The CEO further redeveloped the organizational behavioural framework and arranged the training of the staff members. The outcomes of the efforts made by the CEO were extremely encouraging and rewarding for the company. Before the change there was confusion among the people about the recognition of AEGON but after the heavy promotion of the brand AEGON with Scottish-Equitable created a more reliable image of the AEGON into the minds of the people. Further to that the brand carried a new more powerful and prestigious look as AEGON Scottish-Equitable. The behaviour of the employees changed altogether, now they behave with more customer focused approach. Now the employees are concern to provide useful and relevant services to their existing and potential customers and the organization is always doing its level best to do what is really important to their customers. By the change into the structure of AEGON now the customers are being offered more choices of services. AEGON launched new and ground-breaking products like the 5 for Life annuity has facilitated to change the way in which consumers can look at their retirement income. AEGON providing the levels of return promised and being responsible for any risks associated with doing so it provides more certainty about levels of income for the consumer. In short as the result of the change implement by the CEO of AEGON the company rebuilt its brand reputation, became more customer focused, started to provide more innovative products and became more popular among the consumers and ultimately the business has grown to a gigantic extent. In order to become more customers focused the new Chief Executive Officer decided to develop a new organizational behaviour framework to support the brand values of AEGON. Behavioural framework is the structured pre-defined codes of behaviour how the individuals working within the organization are suppose to behave among themselves and to the people outside the organization. Presence of the behavioural framework gives rise to the similar behavioural and ethical values of all the individuals at all levels with in the organizational. Behavioural framework developed by the AEGON was mainly focusing 8 behavioural values which are; THINK CUSTOMER; EMBRACE CHANGE; ENCOURAGE EXCELLENCE; ACT WITH INTEGRITY; DECISIVE ACTIONS; WORK TOGETHER; LEARN GROW; RELATE COMMUNICATE As the part of their strategy AEGON also undertook an audit to look at the two aspects which were the internal position of the company and how AEGON was positioned internally into the market respectively. The audit revealed that AEGON was firmly positioned within the market. Its workforce was known for their considerable expertise, innovation and clarity of communication. The external audit also helped to determine where AEGON was placed in relation to its competitors. This audit provided a very important vision to the decisions that were needed to initiate the change process.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Medea :: essays research papers

Medea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medea is a Greek tragedy which was written in 431 BC by the Greek philosopher Euripides. The story of Medea is one filled with anger, jealousy, and death. The main character, Medea, has to overcome the personal heartache of seeing her husband, Jason, marry another woman. The ensuing struggle she has with this notion is the focus of this play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a very important scene, Medea hatches her plan to murder the princess, who is Jason’s new bride, as well as Jason himself. She says that first, she will pretend to beg for Jason’s forgiveness, and then she will have him bring the children back to the palace. At the palace, the children will present gifts to the princess from Medea. The gifts of a veil and bridal robe were covered with a poison that is designed to melt the skin from her body, as well as anyone who touched her. When the children give the gifts to the princess, she cannot resist putting them on immediately. After she put them on, the gifts begin to work as Medea had hoped. The skin begins to melt from her body and her hair begins to fall out. She also bursts into flames. Upon seeing this, a servant goes to fetch the king and Jason, and when he saw his daughter, King Creon collapses helplessly on the body, and as a result died from the same poisons. Jason returns to the place where Me dea is staying and insists to see his children. But he is too late, as Medea has killed them as well. Her reasoning was that she hates Jason more than she loves her children. The sheer cruelty of this scene illustrates Euripides’ point that a clever woman with enough time to hatch a plan is a very dangerous woman indeed. Medea :: essays research papers Medea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medea is a Greek tragedy which was written in 431 BC by the Greek philosopher Euripides. The story of Medea is one filled with anger, jealousy, and death. The main character, Medea, has to overcome the personal heartache of seeing her husband, Jason, marry another woman. The ensuing struggle she has with this notion is the focus of this play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a very important scene, Medea hatches her plan to murder the princess, who is Jason’s new bride, as well as Jason himself. She says that first, she will pretend to beg for Jason’s forgiveness, and then she will have him bring the children back to the palace. At the palace, the children will present gifts to the princess from Medea. The gifts of a veil and bridal robe were covered with a poison that is designed to melt the skin from her body, as well as anyone who touched her. When the children give the gifts to the princess, she cannot resist putting them on immediately. After she put them on, the gifts begin to work as Medea had hoped. The skin begins to melt from her body and her hair begins to fall out. She also bursts into flames. Upon seeing this, a servant goes to fetch the king and Jason, and when he saw his daughter, King Creon collapses helplessly on the body, and as a result died from the same poisons. Jason returns to the place where Me dea is staying and insists to see his children. But he is too late, as Medea has killed them as well. Her reasoning was that she hates Jason more than she loves her children. The sheer cruelty of this scene illustrates Euripides’ point that a clever woman with enough time to hatch a plan is a very dangerous woman indeed.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Florida State, First Impression :: Essays Papers

Florida State, First Impression When I decided to come to Florida State, surprisingly enough it wasn't for the parties. I was actually excited about coming here and studying (don't ask me why). Every other school I looked at I judged them according to how much of a party school they were and what the girls looked like. Then I end up at the #1 party school with a 5:1 ratio of girls to guys. In fact when I came here I wasn't even planning on rushing a Fraternity. When I got here though it was a whole different story. I can remember the week before school started, walking down the hall of my dorm and seeing newspaper clippings on all the doors. After a few days I got curious and decided to read one of them. It was an article about how our University was named the #1 party school for 1999-2000. The last time we had this title was in 1996. Our school has ranked in the top five biggest party schools four times in the last six years, and in 1996 it was ranked #1. For those first one or two weeks of school, everyone was making a big deal about it. I even saw it brought up on MTV News, and Comedy Central. Both shows were ripping on Sandy D'Alemberte about the comments he had tried to make to save the face of his school. His comments about the title were that it was unfair because it was not done in any type of scientifically correct manner. Another one of his arguments was that an interviewer from the Princeton Review had not been to the campus since 1997 so there was no definite way th at they could have information from students about the present social life at the school. The only information the media had to judge this on was feedback they got from student surveys, which are not the most dependable way to get information. So how exactly is this title decided? Does someone go around to different parties and decide it based on how good the parties are? Is it decided by the number of kegs bought in a set amount of time in Tallahassee?