Gore-Tex Case Study

Questions 1. Explain what happened to the Gore-Tex brand after the patent expired. What activity can firms use to try to maintain any advantage developed during the patent protection phase? -When the patent to a company expires, the company would no longer hold the exclusivity of the item’s format. The creators of it gives up the right to ownership of it and other companies are allow to replicate and compete with them on the same product lines. Firms can stay ahead of the game by trying to improve on the foundation of the designs and further advanced their products for future uses. . List some of the wide range of products where the Gore-Tex fabric has been applied. -Gore offers raincoats, shoes, backpacks, pants, jackets, hats and many other types of apparel. 3. It seems that Gore Associates is heavily oriented towards technology; what are some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology? -Focusing too much on technology can limit a company’s potential to strive towards other goals. It can set them back by having them spend too much money on R&D for lost purposes instead of focusing on becoming innovated and creative with new things.A well-rounded company should find common ground on innovations and refine the scope how technology can help better them. 4. Cooperatives and share-ownership schemes provide many attractions and benefits, but there are also limitations; discuss these. -The issue with this is that there can be too many people trying to fight to take charge and lead with what they feel is the best route to take with a company. This will limit the scope of the business since nothing is really being done but clashing of superiors. Companies can be torn in various ways because of this cooperative and share-ownership schemes. . What has been the Gore strategy to achieving success in its markets? How is this strategy now being challenged? -I think a great strategy for their success is that they had been able to keep up with the times that they were trying to achieve business in. Such as the demand to be in the outdoors of the mid 90’s, their products like backpacks and hunting gear were greatly accommodating to their consumers. The issue is now their competitors have also been successful at getting through to the customers and they accumulated too much competition.

Graffiti & art Essay

The word graffiti is basically used to refer to a form of art that involves making of images, scrawls, scratches or painting letters on surfaces in various ways. It has been in existence for years. The use of graffiti has sparked debate from two camps. It is regarded both as unsightly and unwanted by critics who claim that defacing anything under the pretext of graffiti is simply a form of vandalism while its supporters claim that it is a worthy way of displaying their messages. Introduction Graffiti traces its history to the ancient Greece and the Roman Emperor. It has since evolved from a simple scratch to the modern spray paints and markers. Graffiti has been used to pass social and political messages for quite along time. But though used as such, it still remains an illegal practice in most countries in the world. This has led to a lot of protests and debates from simple artists and scholars alike on whether to legalize it or not. Questions on the safety of the society with legalized graffiti form headlines in such debates. This essay will therefore try to state reasons why graffiti should be left to be in our societies due to its numerous positive impacts that surpass the negatives. Reasons to Support Graffiti †¢ To Preserve Memories The graffiti that are put on stone carvings can stay for years and years to help pass a message to the future generation on how the history of some ancestral practices. A massage that could have required several words to explain can just be put in a single drawing using graffiti. These practices helped revolutionary soldiers to curve their names as well as those of them who died during the war on monuments for remembrance. Cultures have developed and traditions have been preserved, thanks to the graffiti practice. To add onto this it is also reported in (Reda Joseph, 2006) that those countries that are actively involved in the promotion of graffiti have even earned themselves international recognition for example Brazil, which boasts of unique and rich graffiti scenes This has made the country to be considered a centre of inspiration for modern graffiti artists (Lost Art & Caleb Neelon, 2007, 7). †¢ Source of Income The art has been used for decades and decades for the economic advantage of its players. Those individuals that need to have some information sent to the public, or want to uplift the facial look of their premises, cars or any other asset of theirs have to part with some money in return for the services done to them. The artists in this case have therefore benefited a great deal from such payments. There have been reported cases of schools being established to teach those who aspire to have graffiti as a professional course. This has in turn made the instructors to change the societal perception of graffiti apart from gaining from the payments of the courses. The spread escalated in the years 1960s when it was incorporated in the hip hop, rap and rock culture by the then artist (Peter Shapiro) . With this positive reception of the graffiti culture, a lot of exhibitions have been organized leading to staggering sums of money for the artists as well as organizers. Graffiti culture has been picked up by almost everyone in the society. Reported of late in most if not all countries is the graffiti sported on buildings, trains and cars. This shows that the business is not just about to fade away, but needs to be embraced in the modern society then defined well enough to fit perfectly in any given modern setting. This spread has also led to a newly founded wave of creativity and a more professional approach to graffiti. Graffiti also sparks innovation. With the emerging nature of competition in the practice, only technology can help one artist to ride over the others. Modern experimentation has seen the incorporation of some additional arts and technologies as those seen in the graffiti writers in the latest media, where they use projected images and magnetic light emitting diodes (K. Varnedoe and A. Gopnik, 1991). †¢ Radical and Political Use For the voiceless, the oppressed, the socially challenged and all these people who feel disadvantaged in one way or another, graffiti offers a way out to help them address their views. Graffiti is just one tool of expressing resistance to a system of for example governance. In 1990s, graffiti resurfaced with a new look and a refreshed objective, it became more focused on political matters more than social oppression. †¢ Academic and other Uses of Graffiti Contemporary analysts as well as art critics both agree on the artistic value of graffiti and are acquainted with it as a public art which making it a basic necessity for social emancipation or for achievement of a political goals. In case of a conflict in the society, graffiti can be used to bring dialogue and address cleavage between the warring groups. The Belfast and Los Angeles murals have been used to this effect to offer a mode of â€Å"communication and self expression† for those who feel ethnically, socially and racially alienated. Campaigns against moral degradation or any other unaccepted social practice can easily be done using graffiti. When coupled with a bit of stenciling of one or more colors the, the message appears more concrete. This form of advance graffiti was used by artists like Mathangi Arulpragasam, John Fekner and Lucy Lippard, to address decaying environmental concern, political and social issues in their times. Conclusion The life of all human beings is influenced by three main factors: that is, the need to act in a socially accepted manner, to do what one feels good about at that particular time and to maximize ones resources. Without motivating people to act responsibly in any social setting, the first two factors become top priorities. These are the reasons why graffiti has taken a strong root in the current society and has made a stable foundation; instead of just fading away it is seen to be spreading with time. Graffiti has helped people who seek anonymity, but want to give out an opinion to the public on a sensitive matter. Since permanent graffiti is considered a criminal offense, one can resort to the use of non-permanent paints to make it hard for the police to apprehend. Because after all there is a possibility that such temporary graffiti can as well last for a long time than even the permanent works depending on how the community view the artist’s work. Graffiti has evolved to an elaborate painting of letters which is taken as a complete art form with its own aesthetics, particularly the graffiti murals. But it still faces a major opposition from several quarters, from those who treat it as public nuisance†¦to them; it means to deface the good landscape and degrades the community. And the fact that it is illegal makes it unpopular in the eyes of the public. The commercial billboards and numerous advertisements that are spotted in the public space have to be considered if graffiti should be banned. And if the relevant authorities claim that such companies who own them pay tax, then they need to allow graffiti on walls if graffiti artists can find some sponsors like stores, restaurants and other businesses. Or alternatively, such authorities should just let the so called â€Å"public spaces† be made use of by graffiti without charging them. As a final remark, it can be said that, yes! Graffiti is a revolution, and just like any other revolution it might be taken to be a criminal offense. But it also has to be in everyone’s mind that people who are oppressed, depressed or suppressed require an outlet, and graffiti offers them this. So let these people write on walls. Just like clearing the homeless off the streets is not sustainable solution homelessness, erasing graffiti in itself is an act in futility. (Sara Rudin) Work Cited â€Å"Art Crimes† by Sara Rudin: http://www. wm. edu/so/jump/spring96/graffiti. html. â€Å"Is the Writing on the Wall for Graffiti†, PR News Wire (2004-07-28). And â€Å"Jail for leader of graffiti gang†. BBC News (2008-07-11). Retrieved on 21st November, 2008. En Cams â€Å"A History of Graffiti in Its Own Words†, New York Magazine: Press release. K. Varnedoe and A. Gopnik. â€Å"High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1991. Lost Art & Caleb Neelon: â€Å"Graffiti Brazil†. London: Thames and Hudson, 2005, 7. Peter Shapiro: â€Å"Rough Guide to Hip Hop†, 2nd. ed. , London: Rough Guides, 2007. Reda, Joseph (April 25, 2006). â€Å"Bill/Resolution: O06037†. County Council: Passed Legislation. Council of New Castle County, Delaware: Retrieved on 21st November 2008. Thematic strategy on the urban environment — European Parliament resolution on the thematic strategy on the urban environment (2006/2061(INI))

The American Revolution

The American Revolution Women's lives began to change significantly with the American Revolution. Every war means more women taking charge during the absence and after the deaths of husbands and fathers, their active role in the war was very important. After the war, talk of rights raised issues of women's rights education. Religions also play an important role for women in the American Revolution. Women's roles were limited in the colonial times. Marriage and motherhood were the primary goals for women. They lost property and legal rights upon marriage; therefore, women were not expected to participate in the war. Despite their low positions in society, women did participate. One example was Pennsylvania Mary Hays McCauley carried water to troops in battle. When her husband fell at the battle, New Jersey, in 1778, she took his place. For this action, she receives a pension from the state of Pennsylvania for all the services rendered in the revolution war. On the home front, they sewed uniforms and knitted stockings for the soldiers. With their husbands away fighting, some women had to take over as weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, or shipbuilders. Women had to adjust to be alone and to handling the day to day affairs of running a farm or managing a business in a husband’s absence. Their independence management proved to be one of their most significant roles in the revolution era. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005). â€Å"Through women's eyes†, page 80- 84. The revolution affected the lives of Native American women. They gained some independence from their confining roles because of their efforts in the war and in maintaining their communities in the men’s prolonged absences. The necessity to improve education accelerated after the war, for practical and ideological reason. The American believed that a new republic needed an educated people. As the new nation began the long process of industrialization, this complex economy required to have better skills. Some critics disagree with the education for women since they believed that fully educated women would make them less feminine, but others agree that women needed for education was very important because of the vital roles in educating their children. The new thinking about the importance to educate women was very important; many different schools were design for middle class. They agree that education for women could help them to instruct their son in the principles of patriotism, could make a better home, better wife for a happy marriage. Some women became writers, missionaries and even teachers. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 95-96. For African American women, the revolution left a differently legacy. At the end of the war, many slaves were sold into slavery again. For some African American who had not joined the British, the most important legacy was the freedom. The ideological issue at the center of the revolution encourages some whites American to examine the institution of slavery. African American were active participants in the emancipation process. In 1781 Elizabeth Freeman petitioned a Massachusetts county court for her freedom. She suit, combined with several others. In others places like Vermont provide immediate emancipation. Still discrimination limited their opportunities. Most women work at jobs similar to those they had when they were salves. As they worked at their job and cared for the family, many free black women participated in building their church. These institutions were a source of strength and pride for the community. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 88-90. In addition to education, religion plays an important role in white women in the eighteen century. The Great Awakening established churches with different denomination like Methodist, Baptist and others. Women voices were heard in their churches, they also made their presence known by their physical manifestations of the spirit. Little by little women were able to speak openly in the churches. In the South the separate Baptist permitted women official roles appointing them as deaconesses and eldresses, their role in churches were very important. Throughout her life, she continued to exert considerable influence within her congregation. For African American religion also touched the lives of many women. Yet during and after the revolution, the Great Awakening had an impact on slave’s women lives. A few evangelical churches condemned the institution of slavery. In the eighteen-century evangelical churches, black women were not permitted to be preachers; they were able to create a sphere of influences and power for them. This role was very important in the nineteenth century when the majority of slaves had adopted Christianity. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 99-101 In conclusion, women contributed a great deal to the American Revolution. Their actions on the home front and on the battlefields relieved the men from the extra planning, mobilizing, and combating that they would have had to execute without the help of the women. This allowed the Continental Army to fully concentrate on defeating the British and acquiring sovereignty. America could not have been the powerful independent nation it is today without the service of the women. The truth is, women were fiercely active in the independence cause and made gains for themselves. Nguyen, T, A. â€Å"Women in revolution†. Women in the eighteen century have played an important role of ideology, work and sacrifice. Their roles help to expand more opportunities for a better future. Reference: Dubois, E, C (2005). Through women's eyes. Boston, NY: Bedford/ST. Martin. Nguyen, T, A. Women in revolution, from http://www. americanrevolution. org/nguyen. html The American Revolution The American Revolution was a period in American history that caused controversy even amongst the most dedicated Colonists. The question of whether or not America should free itself from British rule and become it’s own nation, independent of the Crown, was a major issue that came to the forefront in the late 1700's and it was during this time that the colonies were split into two very diverse groups: the Colonists who wished to create an independent American nation, and the Loyalists who wished to remain a part of Great Britain.The reasons for each were widely varied depending on the individual, but Edmund Burke is best known as one of the strongest supporters of reconciliation with Great Britain and the avoidance of war through political means and a meeting of the minds between Great Britain and its colonies in the New World that would one day become the United States of America.Edmund Burke was a leading member of the British Parliament who remained on the side of the colon ists in that he believed the British should try to work with the American colonists to create a better relationship, and these beliefs are seen within his writings from the period of time in American history that is known as the Revolutionary period.The works written by Burke in the 1770’s share a glimpse into the world and thoughts of the man, and give historians the ability to get a strong sense of this differing opinion on the Revolutionary War that existed at the time, as it is often the fight for independence that is mostly studied as our country did become an independent nation free of British rule, but men like Burke and his ideals were also prominent and that is why his writings are so important to the understanding of Revolutionary history.The viewpoint of Edmund Burke is best summed up as the hope for peace between Great Britain and its American colonies. He does not seem to believe that revolution is necessarily a sure thing for the American people and, in fact, ur ges against it. In his Speech to Parliament on March 22, 1775 Burke said, â€Å"My proposition is Peace† (Johnson 111). Burke did not feel that a war was the answer to the problems plaguing the American Colonies and their continuing struggle over taxation with Great Britain.He reminds the British that â€Å"America†¦ is an object well worth fighting for† but that war is not â€Å"the best way of gaining them† (Johnson 112). Within his speech on reconciliation, Burke mimics this opinion by claiming that the goal for the American colonies must be peace, and he explains this by saying, â€Å"It is peace sought in the spirit of peace, and laid in principles purely pacific (Burke)†.This clearly means that war was becoming a major issue on the minds of everyone in the American colonies and it was beginning to become a focal point of many important men, both loyalists and patriots. Burke’s solution is the exact opposite that which men such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were hoping for and worked towards, of course, because it meant that they would always be connected to Great Britain; however, Burke’s solution was meant to please both parties if put into practice.It appears, from his opinions stated in his speech on conciliation, that he saw value in not pursuing the types of taxation that the British government was seeking to impose on the Americans, because in doing so it was losing the support and loyalty of the American people. This clear fact meant that if Great Britain were to find a way to please the American people, they would not only benefit by keeping the revenues produced by the colonies, but also their loyalty and support that would only grow over time as the population across the ocean grew in size.Burke states in his defense of developing a relationship with their counterparts in American that would foster loyalty and love of the Crown, â€Å"It is the love of the people; it is their attachmen t to their government, from the sense of the deep stake they have in such a glorious institution, which gives you your army and your navy, and infuses into both that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble, and your navy nothing but rotten timber(Burke).† In essence, without the fostering of good relations between Britain and her colonies, they would lose a chance at a peaceful and powerful ally in the New World that was growing each year.It seems that when Edmund Burke viewed the American colonists, he was not surprised at all by their conduct, because he recognized that â€Å"in this Character of the American, a love of Freedom is the predominating feature which marks and distinguishes the whole†, and goes on to say that, â€Å"This fierce spirit of Liberty is stronger in the English Colonies probably than in any other people of the earth and this from a great variety of powerful causes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Johnson 112).He also says, in his concili ation speech, that â€Å"the more ardently they love liberty, the more perfect will be their obedience. † He believes the two go together–liberty given to them would result in obedience to the Crown and the Empire. He is adamant that the Colonists are this way because they left England when the English were dedicated to freedom: â€Å"The Colonists emigrated from you when this part of your character was most predominant; and they took this bias and directions the moment they parted from your hands† (Johnson 112).He views the problem as being taxation, and seems to think that peace would be easy to obtain and war easily averted if not for the imposition of taxation on the American colonies. He believes that American revenue should not be ignored as important to the British Empire because it was financially beneficial to keep the American colonies underneath the umbrella of British rule for many various reason. Burke states, â€Å"Let us get an American revenue a s we have got an American empire. English privileges have made it all that it is; English privileges alone will make it all it can be (Burke).† By this he means that Americans want to be treated with the same respect and given the same privileges as their British counterparts, and therefore, if they treat them that way, war could be averted. It is obvious from the letter and speech written by Burke and quoted within this paper that the man was staunchly dedicated to the British Empire and the idea of conciliation, and it makes sense from his way of thinking because it would benefit both countries to give the colonies the benefits of being British while still retaining the good relations between the two.Yet, it was not to be and without men like the Founding Fathers who would urge for independence, America and Great Britain would certainly have just continued to have disagreements because the way of life developing across the ocean was vastly different from what existed in Engl and, and that would eventually have led to war, not over taxes, but over the desire to be masters of their own destiny. Works Cited Burke, Edmund. Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America. Project Guttenberg. Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past. Vol. 1. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. 108-114.

MGT Week 4 SA DB Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT Week 4 SA DB - Case Study Example The kid needed love and support. Sometimes people have biases when dealing with family members. The nephew was bounced around family members and did not receive the discipline, encouragement and love he needed. The entire ordeal was an unfortunate situation. In the future instead of avoiding situations it is better to deal with them head on. Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. The approach used by this person of relying on word of mouth was not well thought out. Word of mouth is a good method to evaluate products, but is not well suited for selecting a university. This technique is susceptible to bias opinions. Being overconfident in the decision making process is also not good. Overconfidence can lead to mistakes (Swedroe, 2010). This person should have looked for the advice of counselors, teachers, and other professionals. Doing research online would have also

To what extent has globalisation changed the nature of work Essay

To what extent has globalisation changed the nature of work - Essay Example Globalisation refers to spread as well as connectedness of communication, technologies, and production across the world. This spread has encompassed the interplay of cultural and economic activities. Some people argue that globalisation entails the efforts of World Bank and international Monetary Fund to create a global market, which will ensure the free flow of goods and services.  Because of globalisation, the interdependence and connectivity of the world’s businesses and markets has become a reality. In the last two decades, globalisation has witnessed a dramatic alteration, with advances in technology making it possible for people conduct international business, communicate, and travel. Some scholars argue that the principal driving forces of globalisation in the recent past include the rise of the internet, as well as the massive advancements in telecommunications. This has seen the alternation and numerous changes in the nature of work (Morgan 2001, p. 33). This essay supports the argument that globalisation has indeed brought many changes in the nature of work. In the first part of the essay, the impact of globalisation on the nature of work at the macro level and the broad context will be analyzed. In the second part, the essay will discuss how globalisation has affected the nature of work through communication and transport. Thirdly, the essay will look into the impacts of globalisation on the nature of work in terms of employment, trade unions, as well as traditional industries. Further, the essay will focus on the impacts of globalisation on human resources, working conditions in developing countries, and the impacts on human work. The impact of globalisation on the Macro level One of the changes brought about by globalisation in the nature of work includes the impact of globalisation at the macro level. In the global context, the intensification of social relations across the world has linked distant localities. As a result, the local event s borrow much from the events taking place worldwide. At the macro level, the arena of work has witnessed numerous changes as a result of globalisation. Globalisation has interlinked the world economy; this has had impacts on the mobility of labour and capital. With globalisation, it has become possible to move capital from one place to another. Likewise, globalisation has affected the mobility of labour across the world. This has led to the emergence of new jobs in places where they never existed. In addition, the movement of capital has led to the introduction of new industries, which have changed the work done in such places (Morgan 2001, p. 35). Another change of globalisation on the nature of work is that it has led to changes in the global exchanges, especially in the arena of financial exchanges and world trade. This has resulted to the acceleration in the liberalisation and deregulation of trade, which has been aided by transfers of capital and currency exchange. Internation al trade has opened up the market to market forces; this has seen the reduction in tariffs, control of exports and imports, as well as other means of protection. Consequently, this has affected the nature of work done by the people across the world. States have also weakened their regulations, leading to an increase in market competition. As a result, traders have had the opportunity to change the nature of work since they can deal in goods, which their countries do not produce (Morgan 2001, p. 36). Globalisation has also altered the nature of work with the rise in the number of multinational corporations acting worldwide. With little reference to national boundaries, multinational corporations have organized themselves. As such, they have designed

Technology and Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology and Nursing - Research Paper Example Technology and Nursing- Computer Charting There is no denying the fact that the usage of computer systems is becoming ubiquitous in the area of healthcare and nursing. In the healthcare the manual charting of the patient data and information was not only time consuming and laborious, but was open to a range of flaws and constraints. In the recent times, many hospitals and healthcare institutions have evinced a trend towards the exploitation of technology and computer systems for patient charting. Computer charting happens to be a useful technological development in the area of nursing which has obliterated the need for manual documentation by nurses, which has predominantly been replaced by computerized documentation. It goes without saying that the trend towards computer charting has facilitated the healthcare with multiple advantages and has made the work of nurses relatively easy and more accurate (Aktan, Tracey & Bareford, 2011). One distinct advantage of computer charting is tha t it has made the process of nursing documentation quiet hassle free (Aktan, Tracey & Bareford, 2011). Computer charting allows for more accurate and complete nursing documentation, thereby minimizing the scope for errors, misinterpretations or misunderstandings. Computer charting has totally obliterated the scope for any redundancies in the nursing documentation. The technological provision for computer charting has automated the collection and reuse of the patient data, setting aside the laborious and less accurate manual processes (Aktan, Tracey & Bareford, 2011). Besides, computer charting not only allows for the sharing of the patient data across platforms and departments in a healthcare institution, but also allows for a timely and accurate analysis of patient data (Hakes & Whittington, 2008). The other big advantage of this technology is that it has facilitated compliance with the state and federal legal requirements and statutes in the nursing profession. Being digital in it s scope and relying on computer software, electronic charting makes it feasible to assure consistency with the state and federal legal statutes and requirements (Waneka & Spetz, 2010). Computer charting with its provision for the collection and sharing of data across multiple platforms has indeed given a flip to the technology of nursing informatics (Waneka & Spetz, 2010). The other thing is that computer charting has really revolutionized the healthcare with the doctors and specialists being able to access the patient’s paperless charts, no matter in whichever part of the world the patients are admitted. On the one side the provision of computer charting curtails the paper work, allows for accurate and legible patient records and facilitates the sharing of data, and on the other side, computer charting makes the job of nursing more organized (Hakes & Whittington, 2008). Thereby it requires much less overtime. This influx of technology in the arena of healthcare also makes th e patients and their family members feel more confident. Also, some costly and state of the art computer charting systems like Omnicel and Pixis could also help the nurses in giving medication to patients and some of them even have the capability to digitally chart the medication in the computer memory as it is dispensed (Waneka & Spetz, 2010). However, the thing that needs to be understood is that it would be wrong to assume that computer

English literature on poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English literature on poetry - Essay Example As the second stanza begins, the relater strikes a chord that all thoughts of her are still far-flung as the young woman in the photograph goes dancing ‘in the ballroom with the thousand eyes’: it gives the impression as though all the eyes were on her future mother. She envisions how her mother must have danced, and can comprehend that if the right person walked her house, she would have been in a daydream the next day: ‘those fizzy, movie tomorrows’ juggle up the miraculous feeling flawlessly. The daughter also knows that her grandmother would have been waiting with a thrashing if her mother was behind schedule home, but that this would have been a tiny cost to pay for such a nighttime out. In the third stanza, the daughter passes on to the moment of her birth with the expression ‘my loud, possessive yell’, handing over the thought that this was a crucial, life-changing split second. She becomes conscious that the ten years earlier her birth, as her mother moved toward parenthood, must have been the unsurpassed ones. She can consider playing with an elderly pair of her mother's ‘high-heeled red shoes, relics,’ and films her mother walking in them, bizarrely referring to her ‘ghost’ as she approaches. Her mind's eye takes on the senses equally on picture and odor as the picture becomes more glowing: ‘till I see you, clear as scent’; she thinks of her mother as ‘darling’, and envisions that she would have had love bites on her neckline. The fourth and final stanza begins with an animated Cha Cha Cha! in italics, and the daughter girl retains information on how her mother trained her to dance on the way home from cathedral. There is the wisdom of the outlawed here, rumbling the thought of her mother going home late to a penalty conceivably. These dancing coaching seem to have been in practice when the daughter was still a kid, as she says ‘Even then / I wanted the bo ld girl winking in Portobello’. The final two lines of the poem portray the mother's adobe as enchanting, and in the concluding one, the daughter incarcerates the quintessence of her mother's teenage years where she used to 'sparkle and waltz and laugh', fashioning a picture of a full of life, lighthearted, blithe young woman. Duffy compares the young woman's dreamy fantasies with the actuality of motherliness, which will come ten years later: â€Å"The thought of me doesn't occur/in...The fizzy, movie tomorrows/ the right walk home could bring...’’ hence, making it a very admiring, light-hearted beautiful piece of poetry. Activity 2 The poem is a four-canto one, each stanza comprises of five lines, with a little deviation in measurement lengthwise of line. The first two stanzas highlight solely on the life of the mother before the offspring was born, at the same time the third stanza unlocks with an indication to the daughter's delivery and then shifts to the daughter's mental picture of her mother in her past life, thus connecting a bond with the preceding stanzas. The fourth stanza starts on with reminiscence from the daughter's younger life with her mom, and then takes us backside once more to the mother's days of passion for dancing. The outward appearance of the poem is predictable: empty verse (unrhymed pentameters) stanzas, all of

Intervention and post-conflict growth (Has to be more specific) Essay

Intervention and post-conflict growth (Has to be more specific) - Essay Example Consequently, the structure of the economy can also be affected by conflicts, and I shall feature the case of the two Latin American countries; Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Furthermore, I shall feature on the causes of conflicts and alternative ways of conflict resolution. This is because, in a conflict situation there has to be a consensus to resolve conflicts for the economy to return normalcy. Instability is one of the factors that have serious adverse effects on the economy. Conflicts have serious consequences on the economy because conflicts, usually, destroy the wheels of the economy one of them being the destruction of the human capital. In post conflict situations, the economy can take a relatively short or long time to recover depending on the measures undertaken to curb the situations in post conflict situations. In the Basque Country case study shows that the GDP dropped by 10% between since the start of the insurgent 1n 1960 (Abadie and Gardeazabal, 2003). The economic growth can be explained from two theories i.e. neoclassical growth theory that predicts that after the conflict the economy recovers quickly. On the other hand, another alternative model explains that the economic recovery may take a long time because the human capital takes a long time to recover (Serneels and Vapoorten, 2010). In some post conflict situations, some countries may fail to progress due to the poor economic performance. Additionally, some of the conflicts inflicted countries experience economy recovery few years after reconciliation (Serneels and Vapoorten, 2010). If physical capital is destroyed during conflicts then an economy is likely to converge quickly but if the human capital is destroyed during the conflict then it will take a relatively long time for the economy to recover to its normal state. According to Serneels and Vapoorten (2010), a civil conflict is less detrimental than an international conflict in terms of physical infrastructure

The Historyof the Calendar Then and Now Research Paper

The Historyof the Calendar Then and Now - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, history reports that the Romans were the first to use the calendar. The Romans painted the calendar on their house walls (Timeline: Ancient Rome). Roman calendars were commonly called the fasti, which means a list of court sittings. The name calendar was from the word, â€Å"calendarium,† which originally meant a list of debts owed. The term relates to the word â€Å"kalendae or calendae,† which referred to the first day of the month when loans were issued and interest payments were due. During the reign of Romulus, the Roman calendar consisted of ten months, and the number of days varied from twenty to thirty-five days. There was quite a mess in the use of the original Roman calendar (Timeline: Ancient Rome) in that they had no knowledge of the motions of the moon and the sun, and they knew that there were 360 days in a year. As such, they observed the so-called intercalary month to fill in the gap between the seasons. Moreover, according to Rupke (31) an d the web site, Timeline: Ancient Rome, Numa was the first one to calculate the eleven-day difference between the lunar and the solar years, and he was the first to note that the moon completed its cycle in 365 days. In addition, Numa was the one who added the two months, namely, January and February, and altered the order of the months, making March the third month instead of the first and January as the first instead of the eleventh month. Later on, the Julian calendar, which was designed by Julius Caesar, replaced the Roman calendar. All the months in the Julian system had either 30 or 31 days, except for February or Februalia, which had either 29 or 30 days depending on the leap year. July was named after Julius Caesar himself, and August took from the Octavian ruler, Augustus. The latter made August consist of 31 days, thus taking one day from the month of February (Who Invented the Calendar We Have Today?). The Julian Calendar was used until 1582, when the Gregorian calendar r eplaced it. The Gregorian calendar that was designed according to Chrisian tradition is what is commonly used now in the West. This calendar was named after Pope Gregory XIII who approved it during his reign, whereas the calendar was originally designed by Aloysius Lilius. Lilius was an Italian astronomer, physician and chronologist from Ziro in Calabrio, Italy (Who Invented the Calendar We Have Today)? He was fascinated by timekeeping and noted some problems with the Julian calendar, thus made his own version of it, and submitted for the approval of the pope. The Gregorian calendar corrects the mistakes of the Julian Calendar by adopting the four-year leap cycle. In the modern world, the calendar serves as an important material for keeping records or documentation in all fields such as education, business, government, and practically all human transactions. Almost every event requires the use of the calendar to calculate the length of time needed in every endeavor. In the school, c alendars serve various functions. In the field of education, calendars are used as an important tool for holding important reminders as for

Organisational Transformation Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Organisational Transformation - Dissertation Example A 7S framework furnishes a method for accomplishing essential change and involves managers and companies to manage their hard work around seven major elements which include structure, systems, style, staff, skills, strategy and shared values. It essentially offers a manager with a procedure to ensure that all these essentials are carefully thought of and that they are in their accurate structure (Amelio & Simon, 1995, pp.173-175). If these seven elements are considered and related to the given case study, then it can be understood that the emergence of modern technologies has impacted these elements leading to employee dissatisfaction. Owing to the introduction of new technologies, there have been changes in the system and style of working, change in the structure of procedure that was earlier followed, which in turn affected the skills of the staff, ultimately impacting the overall strategy and the shared values in the organization. A SWOT analysis being a â€Å"comprehensive inter nal analysis instrument to process company internal and external information† brings out a company’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external business opportunities and threats (Bohm, 2009, p.1). Conducting a SWOT analysis on the current situation of the Health Clinic, the major strength of the organization is found to be the availability of modern technology. It can also be considered as an opportunity for the organization to utilize this strength for better performance. However, the major weakness for the clinic lies in the inability of the management to introduce such technology, thereby explaining its rationality so that employees are able to accept it creating greater job satisfaction. As from the case study, it can be realized that the major reasons for employee dissatisfaction included underutilization of their work, insufficient communication, uneven distribution of work, and improper treatment. These are different weaknesses on the part of the mana gement which impacted the technologists. PESTEL is another model that provides a useful analytical framework to identify and examine the environmental impacts of political, economic, sociological, technological, ecological, and legal factors on an organization (Campbell & Craig, 2005, pp.501-502). The case study clearly reflects the impacts of the technological factors on the organization as new and modern technologies leading to job changes have created job dissatisfaction among the employees. The report would give a detailed analysis on the introduction of the Organizational Development Program to overcome such problems, the methods applied, and the outcomes thereof, thus trying to recommend certain steps for betterment. Literature Review: Organizational Development (OD) Defined: Organizational Development covers a broad variety of activities. Henceforth, there are a number of definitions of OD that exist. For example, according to Warner Bruke, OD is a â€Å"planned process of c hange in an organization’s culture through the utilization of behavioral science technology, research, and theory†. Wendell French focused on long term interests and use of consultants and defined OD as a â€Å"long range effort to improve an organization’s problem-solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its external environment with the help of external or internal behavioral-scientist consultants, or change agents†

Addiction Studies Final Study Guide Essay Example for Free

Addiction Studies Final Study Guide Essay 1. List and describe five (5) of the eleven (11) relapse warnings signs that were discuss in class. 1. Change in Attitude may occur and the recovering person may stop attending meetings or have lack of participation at their meetings. They may engage in addictive thinking (stinkin thinking). 2. Elevated Stress may happen if little things begin to build up over time, especially if they are not handles with healthy coping skills or are all together overlooked or ignored. This can also happen when a recovering person choose to over react to life changes. 3. Reactivation of Denial happens when stressors begin to take root ad get to the recovering person back into feeding their old ways of thinking. They could begin to think they need their substance(s)every once in a while or tell themselves they CANT stay sober all the time, or even lie to themselves and let themselves think a little won’t hurt, or one time wont make a difference etc. (feed into denials). See more: Social process essay 4. Recurrence post-acute withdrawal symptoms might begin to surface again and a recovering person may experiences sleeplessness, increased anxiety, and even memory loss. Depression usually can continue long after abstaining from drugs/alcohol. 5. Behavior Changes such as slight changes in the routine or altering the already established method that had previously been working without real reason for making such changes. 6. Social breakdown is when the recovering person may start to feel uncomfortable around others. They may see or call their sponsor less to prevent anyone from noticing these changes. They may avoid family or friends who may try to intervene or just feel like the are unable to relate to people the same not that they have experienced so much. They may have fears of letting others in or telling too much and this can cause somewhat of social isolation with gives more opportunity for the recovering person to lie to themselves. 7. Loss of Structure is once the recovering person completely abandons the daily routine that they had developed during their early sobriety as ways to keep themselves sober and on the right track. This could also happen is some major event such as losing a job or having to move or loss of an apartment or current living situation. 8. Loss of Judgment is seen when the recovering person has trouble making decisions and has a difficult time managing feelings and emotions. 9. Loss of Control is when the individual makes irrational decisions choices an is unable to interrupt or alter the choices they are making. They may start to cut off people who were once positive persons or would be able to offer help and may think he/she can return to social drinking or minimal rug use recreationally. 10. Loss of Options is seen once the recovering person begins to limit their available options and stops attending meetings with counselor and support system. Addicted person may have feelings of loneliness, frustration, resentment and anger. 11. Relapse is when the individual actually attempts reusing/substituting use. The addict may think this is controlled social or short term alcohol/drug use but ultimately is still a relapse in recovery. Disappointment at the results follows almost immediately and the individual experiences shame and guilt and may even use these feelings as an excuse or reason to continue using if they do not seek out help. 2. Identify six (6) client engagement/counseling techniques discussed in class and discuss how they could potentially increase the client counselor relationship. 1. Establishing the relationship may be one of the initial barriers you may have to overcome. This can be done by having authentic conversations or using a sense of humor to help the client relax. Listening is the counselor’s main focus and primary role though. Listening to a client may be something they are not always use to. Many people probably tell them what they should be doing or how they are doing things wrong; but they might not often get the opportunity to think for themselves. When it is not the drug/alcohol controlling them, it is often others around them. Use the opportunity to ask your client what they think of things and asking them what they want or what is their perspective. Taking the time to invest in your client by considering their response gives them time to discover for themselves what are issues they may have or want to work on. Be careful to remember it is about them, not you. Once the client sees they can trust you they will begin to open up and this p otentially is the very beginning or real change and becoming accountable for their own story (if you listen without being judgmental). 2. Empowerment is felt by the client if the counselor helps find was or the client to take power over their own actions. Helping the client see they are not being forced to do anything, and they can ultimately decide what they want to do creates a feeling of being in control. Sometimes a client may be court ordered and if they dont want to talk and dont make them, let them sit there and they may begin to have a conversation out of bored. Letting them know they get to decide to do whatever it is that they want to and they can make the most out of it if you want to. One the client begins to see they are responsible for their own outcomes they become more accountable and more involved in their own recovery. The harder they work for it, the more motivated they will be to keep up with all their hard work because they earned it and it wasnt given to them. 3. Helping the client discover their vulnerabilities (times they may feel most weak such as when they are hungry, angry, lonely, tired etc) and triggers allows the client to identity a time they may need to have a support plan for. One a problem area is discover the client can begin to make a plan as to what they can do to over time these times which will help them get better results. Each occasion they are prepared for will help them be more successful at overcoming and thus building up their own belief in themselves. 4. Helping the client gain positive support is curial for recovery. Just by investing time in your own client you become a part of this support system. Also helping them find other groups that appeal to them (not every meeting is right for everyone and being understanding when they have negative feed about one group, being sure not to punish their feelings but to encourage searching for another group etc) may give them the added support they need in between sessions and may also help with finding new friends who have similar goals at achieving sobriety is great reinforcement. 5.Helping the client establish goals for themselves help gives short term objectives to not only keep them working the program (even when theyre not in the meeting or in sessions) but keeps their brain focusing on treatment. Helping and encouraging the client to make realistic and achievable goals that they are likely to be successful with is helpful in feeling empowered and builds self-esteem and self-worth along with adds to feelings that sobriety is possible (if you take one step at a time, one day at a time etc). 6. Assisting the client in further development with life skills such as stress or anger management help gives the client alternatives and healthier coping skills. Giving the client the ability to make good decisions by advancing their knowledge and education often increases the likeliness they will make positive decisions. This often acts as a coaching mechanism and teaches the client there are other options and reinforces they have choices are responsible for their actions. 3. Discuss the advantages of the group modality of treatment? The advantages of group treatment is they often instill hope by hearing other success stories or even hearing others having similar struggles and knowing that they are not alone is helpful. They help individuals accept themselves for who they are or what life they have and give strength to one another in a group effort. The shared experiences add effectiveness and make the struggles seem more normal or manageable as you see everyone work on similar goals. The group meetings usually offer education and support and because there is no hierarchy or leader and they are self-governing; there are roles of group responsibility. Every person then becomes equally important and serves a purpose. Because most groups are free they are available to anyone and because they are offered just about everyone (including online) they are accessible to everyone regardless of income or having insurance or a vehicle. The group setting promises anonymity which opens the doors to being more honest without fear of reprimand or condemnation. This can help reduce level of shame in knowing there are others who have mad the same mistakes and are working toward resolving them and still have hope. 4. When is individual counseling a preferred modality of treatment? Individual counseling is available and is recommended as another element of therapy and recovery for each individual, but is not necessary or required in order to recover. Individual counseling is often a preferred modality of treatment for those whose demographic (are minorities: teens, women, bi, lesbian, gay, transsexual communities, particular religious groups/extremes etc) can have a profound impact upon the patient’s ability to confront underlying problems (social acceptance, past physical/emotion/sexual abuse, traumatic experiences etc) and establish a solid foundation for recovery. At times courts also offer individual counseling in order to determine if there are underlying issues (such as mental health/ developmental disabilities). Clinicians who work with specialty programs should have training in the issues pertaining specifically to that population and should be trained in different specialty programs that will have sensitivity to those issues that the majority and average clinicians may not have. 5. List five (5) mental health disorders that are commonly associated with addictive disorders? The most common mental health disorders that are commonly associated with addictive disorders are antisocial personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenic disorder, and bulimia. 1.Anxiety Disorders (ADHD, generalize anxiety)2.Psychotic Disorders (schizophrenia)3.Mood Disorders (bipolar and major depression)4.Personality Disorders (borderline and antisocial) 6. Give five (5) reasons that persons with mental illnesses might stop taking their medications. There are many reasons why someone might stop taking their prescribed medication, but especially those with mental illnesses seem to struggle with regular medication maintenance for reasons such as simply forgetting to take their medications, the cost of their medications (especially if they have no health insurance or are in poverty), they may even have he distorted perception and the belief that they are cured or may simply miss the positive symptoms (such as the manic phases of bipolar) or sadly, may have gotten misguided advise from others in recovery that medication is not needed. 7. What are the family rules, identified by Claudia Black, that have been associated with families that have been impacted by addiction and the purpose they serve? Dont talk, dont trust, dont feel, are common rules for children in families with addicts. These rules are often not written or verbalized (unspoken), but work almost like understood laws known by the family of those suffering from addiction. They know better than to talk about someone illness in their family, including talking to others within the family about the family problems. Silence is learned as demonstrated by these who serve role models in the family and the children learn to minimize, discount, rationalize, and pretend things are different than how they really are and often dont learn how to express themselves. The reasons behind learning these unspoken rules serves as a way to hide shame, embarrassment, protection from being blamed for something they didnt do, and almost serves as a way of loyalty to the family unit. These children often experience many disappointments that results in learning not to count on others or believe promises made anyone. Children are not given a way to express the feelings the stem from this environment and ultimately learn its better not to have feelings to talk about. Sadly, this is often a cycle and often times, these children, end up the addicts of the next generation. 8. List and describe the family roles that have been associated with addiction and other high stress family dynamics. Addiction is a disease the effects the entire family, not just the addict themselves. Often times, those within the family take on certain roles if struggling with dysfunction or addiction; some of those role are: The â€Å"star†-who is the addict themselves and is often controlling the entire family, the enabler-who is often the spouse of the addicted person and act dependently with them, the hero-often times is the oldest or older child who tries to help the family by being perfect and over achieves to make up for the lack of others, the scapegoat-often acts as a person to blame for the problems in the family and may often cause trouble to draw attention away the bigger issues of the family, the forgotten child-often is the younger child who doesn’t get the attention that they need because of the bigger issues taking priority, and the clown can be any person in the family who tries to make light within the stressful times as a way for everyone to cope. 9. Discuss why Harm Reduction as a concept that is somewhat controversial in the treatment /recovery profession. Harm reduction is the concept of no longer attempting to help the individual abstain from chemicals (after years or multiple failed intervention/recovery programs based on the assumption that it is possible to change behaviors over time) but immediately help reduce consequences of their continued substance abuse (until, hopefully, the individual accepts abstinence as a goal) meanwhile reducing the damage being done by their continued use of chemicals. Examples of such models are nicotine replacement therapy, needle exchange programs, and methadone maintenance programs. These programs are considered providing replacements chemicals in a controlled manner so that the individual is less likely to share or reuse dirty needles or engage in criminal behaviors and activities in order to obtain the substances to abuse which ultimately is thought to help reduced the spread of infectious diseases as well as reduce some cost to Medicare/Medicaid and other insurance premiums of users who destroy their health as well as abuse ER/hospitals as a way to get prescription etc. Harm reduction does have some obvious advantages, but likewise also had the potential to be an enabling way for users to continue use. Many 12 step programs teach about the important of consequences serving as motivation for change and believe harm reduction serves as a way to prolong the user’s efforts to get the help they need. Others argue that this serves the community more so than the addict, while helping the addict continue to kill/hurt themselves for the benefit of the community by hoping to decrease (unpreventable/uncontrollable) criminal behaviors. It is argued that addicts will still continue to use dirty needles, get additional drugs, and also participate still in illegal activity and that harm reduction just adds to the addiction.

The paradox of omnipotence, and Mackie`s solution Essay Example for Free

The paradox of omnipotence, and Mackie`s solution Essay Omnipotence is inexhaustible, unlimited power. The attribute of omnipotence (being all powerful) is generally a quality of the God of monotheistic religions. There exists an argument, however, that the concept of an omnipotent being is paradoxical, meaning that it is logically impossible that an omnipotent being can exist. One of the more well-known renderings of this paradox goes: Can God create a rock that would be too heavy for him to lift? What this question is asking is essentially â€Å"can God can create something that he cannot subsequently control? This question presents a dilemma. If the answer is yes (because God can do anything, after all), it would mean that he is not actually omnipotent, for how could there exist something that an omnipotent being cannot control? If the answer is no (because how could God not be able to lift a stone—he’s supposed to be all-powerful), then he is not actually omnipotent, because here is something he cannot do after all (he cannot create something that he cannot control). Thus, with either answer, the conclusion is that God is not omnipotent. In his answer to this problem, John L. Mackie says that if an omnipotent being creates an uncontrollable thing, then controlling this thing would mean controlling an â€Å"omnipotently-made-uncontrollable† thing, which is logically impossible. Thus even the omnipotent being will not be able to control it, and his failure to control it would actually be an affirmation rather than a refutation of the his omnipotence. Rigid designator and non-rigid designators The concept of rigid and non-rigid designators is somewhat akin to the concept of proper nouns and common nouns. A rigid designator is a term in philosophy that â€Å"designates [or defines] the same object in all possible worlds in which that object exists and never designates anything else† (LaPorte, 2006). Inversely, a non-rigid (or flaccid) designator is a term that does not refer to the same object in all possible worlds. For example, the sentence â€Å"Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon† contains both a rigid designator (Neil Armstorng) and a non-rigid designator (first man on the moon). If events had been different, Neil Armstrong might not have been the first man on the moon, but Neil Armstrong (not just as a name, but as it refers to the man himself) will always be who he is.

The Critically And Financially Successful Neorealist Film History Essay

The Critically And Financially Successful Neorealist Film History Essay The movies involved in this essay tell us two different stories during the War. Yet, they share one thing in common: they both happened in Italy. Roma, città   aperta means Rome, open city. This film was directed by Roberto Rossellini. The picture features Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani and Marcello Pagliero. It is set in Rome during the Nazi occupation period. The film won several awards at different film festivals and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. La vita à ¨ bella means life is beautiful. The film was directed by Roberto Benigni, who was also the actor of the hero, Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian. It is set in the time of WWII and tells the story that lasts for several years. The film was cast at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, and went on to win the Grand Prize (festival-cannes.com). At the 71st Academy Awards, the film won awards for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, and Best Foreign Language Film. Benigni won Best Actor for his role as the funny father. The film also received Academy Award nominations for Directing, Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). First of all, some background information about WWII will be introduced; the part for Italy will be emphasized. The main part will argue on the representation of the period of time in WWII in both movies then contrast the difference in the ways of the representation. The essay will prove that the story in Roma, città   aperta took place in the year 1944 while the story in La vita à ¨ bella took place during the years of 1939-1945. The contrast of the two films argues that Roma, città   aperta is a movie that is realistic while La vita à ¨ bella tell the story in a tragedy-comic way. Some additional thought will be cast on the representation of history at the end of the article. Background and supporting facts This part mainly introduces some background information of WWII. Although the Empire of Japan which was one Fascism country at that time, was already at war with the Republic of China in 1937, (David P, Barrett. Lawrence N Shyu, 2001, p.6.) the War is generally said to have begun on 1  September 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Germany, and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth. Acutually, historians have different points of view towards the starting date of the war. Other dates for the beginning of war include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7  July 1937.( Roger Chickering, 2006, p. 64.) Sometimes the starting point is said to be the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935 (Hevrah Mizrahit Yisreelit,1965, p. 91.). British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of the Second World War as the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in August 1939(Antony Beevor, 2012, p. 10). The exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It has been suggested that the war ended at the armistice of 14  August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan (2  September 1945);However, in some European histories, it is said to be ended on 8  May 1945. For the purpose of argument, it is best that the history of WWII concerning the fact of Italy be introduced in this part. The belligerents were basically divided into two sides:Allies and Axis. The Axis comprised mainly of three nations: Germany, Japan, and Italy. In WWII, Kingdom of Italy was allied with Axis countries during 1940-1943. At that time, Italy was controlled mainly by National Fascist Party rule from 1922 to 1943 with Benito Mussolini as totalitarian leader. The fascists imposed totalitarian rule and crushed the political and intellectual opposition. The Fascist regime passed through several relatively distinct phases, says Payne. The first phase 1923-25 was nominally a continuation of the parliamentary system, albeit with a legally organized executive dictatorship. Then came the second phase, the construction of the Fascist dictatorship from 1925 to 1929. The third phase was 1929-34. The fourth phase, 1935-40, was characterized by an aggressive foreign policy, the invasion in Ethiopia, confrontations with the League of Nations sanctions, growing economic autarchy, and semi-Nazification. The war itself (1940-43) was actually the fifth phase, and the final stage was the Salo regime(1943-45) (Stanley G. Payne, 1996, p.212). The surrender of Kingdom of Italy in 1943 took place, after which the Nazi Germany invaded and controlled the northern and central Italy. The city of Rome was taken over by Germany army.This is closely related to the story in Roma, città   aperta. Another important set of events that is related to the story of La vita à ¨ bella is the Holocaust.The Holocaust was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, throughout Nazi-occupied territory(Donald L Niewyk, 2000, p.45). Extermination camps (or death camps) were built to systematically kill millions of victims mainly comprised of Jews by gassing and extreme work under starvation conditions. This genocide of the Jewish people was the Third Reichs Final Solution to the Jewish question.(Franà §ois Furet,1989,p.182) Arguments on the representation Given the background introduced above, we can discuss the representation of period of WWII in the two movies. Analysis of representation At the beginning of the movie Roma, città   aperta, the subtitles tell us about the source of the story: the tragic but moving story that happened during nine months of Nazi Germanys occupation of Italy in 1943. The story begins with the search for a hero named Giorgio Manfredi who was the head of the resistance force. The search by the Gestapo was in vain. After that the scene moves to an office of a German Gestapo. It should be noted that in this scene, there is a man who speaks German while the two men in the room are talking in Italian. This reflects the reality at that timethe city was controlled by both Italian and German authorities, i.e. it was open to foreign invaders. Other details in the film also reflect the reality. For example, this scene is directly shot in the real place. Similar scenes include the street and the old houses made of bricks. The emphasis on the details is the important feature of the film. The story line goes to a tragic part as the hero Giorgio and the priest Don Peitro who helped him were both captured by the Gestapo. Gestapo tried to use Pietros religious beliefs to convince him to betray his cause, Pietro answered that those who strive to help others is on the path of God regardless of their beliefs. They forced Pietro to watch Giorgio being tortured to death. When Don Pietro still refuses to tell Gastapo any useful information, he was executed. The death of the heroes and many other plots in this movie are depicted in a close-to-real style. The purpose of this approach was to tell the truth of peoples suffering under the pressure of Nazi Germany with a very real sense. It looks like part of the actual history although the story and characters are claimed to be unreal. In the movie of La vita à ¨ bella, first of all we know that its the year 1939 and the location is Arezzo, in the central part of Italy. The story begins with a sense of humor in that the brake cant work and the car dramatically drove through a welcoming crowd which was meant to welcome the King of Italy. We can find that people in the crowd give a Roman salute (the gesture adopted by Fascists to express their commitment to the Party and respect for the head of the Party). This sends a signal that Italy was broadly influenced by Fascism. Another important scene in the movie takes place in a school where the Jewish hero Guido pretends to be the inspector from Rome. In the course of the so-called education about the superiority of German races, Guido makes some weird jokes. This is sarcasm of the racism point of view propagandized by Facists. However, this reflects the social reality at that time. At the wedding, there comes an interesting scene: the presentation of Ethiopian cake. Carried by four Ethiopian waiters, the giant cake with an artificial cream ostrich on it was presented to the guests. We should note that the colors of feathers of the tail of the ostrich and those above the waiters hats reflect the fact that Ethiopian was invaded occupied by Italy since white, red and green are the colors on Italys national flag. Several years after the hero and heroine were married; they had a child called Giosuà ¨. Before long, the book store of Guido was shut down due to the racism. Soon after that the Nazi came to capture Guido and his son since they are Jewish people. From this scene, we can find that the Nazi army has actually occupied Rome, indicating that this year is at least 1943.In the scene shown below, the sign reads No Jewish and dogs allowed, reflecting the wide spread anti-Jew atmosphere in Italy. Later in the story, Guido and his son had to live in the extermination camp. The environment was tough but Guido did not want to ruin his sons young mind so he told him a lie about a game, which may win his son a real tank if they succeed in the game. At the end of the story, Guido was killed by a soldier in the camp while his son escaped after hiding for the whole night. In the morning, a funny and inspiring piece of news came: the Allies reached the camp. Giosuà ¨ saw a real tank as he had wished. It should be the year of 1945 since in that year the Allies pushed forward in Italy. Contrast of the Representation Albeit the movie tells two different stories that happened in Italy, the approaches in representation are quite different. The main differences between the approaches of representation lie in two aspects. The first one is the style of telling the story. The second is the configuration of plots. The style of the movie Roma, città   aperta is called neorealism. It uses real places for some of the filming. The action by the characters and the setting of clothes of characters are close to real. The details of life of people reflect directly the true situation they were facing so that the documentary style presents the truth of suffering at that time. This is contrary to the Hollywood movies which were dramatic and idealistic at that time. In La vita à ¨ bella, the entire story is basically set in a relatively easy and entertaining atmosphere. The sense of humor is broadly spread throughout the plots. Although it employs some realistic style in representing the historical environment surrounding the main heroes and heroines, it mainly looks like a light fairy tale. The only tragic plots are presented near the end of the story where Guido was killed (it was even not directly depicted to the audience). However, the stressful and uneasy atmosphere was presented to the audience in Roma, città   aperta throughout the movie. The arrangement of plots was also very different. The story of Roma, città   aperta is mainly about the heroic resistance movement against the fascism while the story of La vita à ¨ bella concentrates on a group of small characters that lived in the era of WWII. The former ends in a total sadness while the latter generates a sense of hope and pity. While they share the two differences in the style of telling the story and the arrangement of plots, the two movies have a lot in common. They are both directed by Italians and represent the same spirit which is anti-fascism. Roma, città   aperta tries to encourage people to fight against fascism in the tragic fate of heroes, being unable to tell people how to fight. La vita à ¨ bella tells a sad story of a Jew reflecting the social reality of Holocaust and racism, the severely committed crime by fascism, while entertaining the audience with a good sense of humor. They both remind people of the truth of history in that very era. Conclusions As the argument above proves, the representation of historical periods in the two movies is in different styles while they have some features in common. The conclusion is that the first movie mentioned, Roma, città   aperta, tells us a story in 1943 during the Nazi Germany occupation in Italy while the second movie, La vita à ¨ bella, shares a story of a normal Jewish guy and his son in the Holocaust in Italy during WWII; The former one employs more realistic approach in the representation, a style which is called neorealism while the latter uses a good sense of humor in telling the story that is less realistic and more dramatic with some parts being indicative of the historical periods. It is with Rossellinis Roma, città   aperta that we find the first and only critically and financially successful neorealist film.(Ben Lawton, 1979, pp 8-23) The movie itself is a good example of neorealism. While the wave of neorealism faded gradually a few years after the movie was made, the documentary approach used in it was employed more often in some historical movies. The best example in recent years might be the Oscar-winning film Schindlers List directed by Steven Spielberg, the story about a Nazi party member and merchant Schindler who protected 1,100 Jews from the Holocaust. This movie can be deemed as neorealism style movie to some extent. In this movie, the story in the main body was depicted in black and white to create a stressful and miserable atmosphere to the audience. The documentary approach employed is adequate and impressive. One can see from the scenes the real misery of Jewish people in the special historical era. The movie is classical in almost every respect: its story, its background music, its actors and actresses, its technique of filming. Schindlers List is unprecedented yet deeply rooted in neorealism. In contrast, the movie La vita à ¨ bella is not really a great movie, but is also an excellent work of art.

Essay --

Jacksonian America was known as a form of democracy that was based on the interest of the common man, limitations of the federal government, the western expansion and settlement. It was named after President Andrew Jackson and purposed to form a democracy party which would make the state more of a republic then a monarchy. Jacksonian America had brought major changes to society and politics by creating a modern democratic party. When in office, Jackson and his governments view on native people had become the foundation of the Indian removal. This removal within states was known as the Indian Removal Act in 1830. This removal had disregarded Washington’s policy which aloud Indians to settle in the southeast as they were considered American Indian. As the Cherokee vs. Georgia case confirmed that natives were dependent people who needed protection, the act had been put into practice. When the act was passed Jackson had believed that the lands which once belonged to the Indians could be used by his benefit, which can provide future votes during elections. Jackson’s form of democracy produced many reforms which confronted the social ills of the day because he made some political changes which were very contradicting. In example, He was concern for the interest of man but not every man held the same rights as others due to social classes. As the new republic began to form many indentured apprentice were signed in covenant to their master which came with many trainings. These training consist of practices that were meant for economic livelihood which would help give the apprentice experience. Some people however did not have any assurance in the way the government set up these principles. Since Americans started to resist working for f... ...s Congress called for union with the United States" (Liberty, p.497). Once Houston was elected president, Texas had ended their disputes and joined America. The invasion of Texas would soon put Mexico on alert and lead to another dispute for America. Another dispute led to the beginning of the Mexican War, which took place in the mid nineteenth century. While most American’s supported the war due to the interest in gaining more land by expanding westward, they also faced their first war on other land outside of the United States (Liberty, p.499). Although Mexico was willing to stand their ground and fight for their rights, in the end they were quickly defeated and Americans were victorious in this war. Once they took over Mexico they began to expand further. This expansion led to a lot of changes which benefited America but caused a lot of destruction for others.

The Rise Of Women In France Essay -- essays research papers

The Rise of Women in French Society During the Middle Ages, French society, along with the rest of Europe, revolved around the warrior class. In order to gain land and power nobles gave their services in the military and lived violent lifestyles. Treatment toward women during this period was harsh. "In a society of landed nobility dispersed fairly loosely across the country in their castles and estates, the likelihood of a preponderance of the man over the woman and thus of a more or less unconcealed male dominance, is very great." (Elias, Page 325.) Men beat their wives and typically had little respect for them. Marriage was based not on love but on increase in influence and wealth. "But often enough we hear of the other side, of a warrior, whether a king or a simple seigneur, beating his wife. It seems almost an established habit for the knight, flying into a rage, to punch his wife of the nose till blood flows." (Page 324.) However, from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries dramatic pol itical changes emerged throughout Europe and a high court system developed in France. Power shifted to revolve around the monarch who created palace life. "By and large it can be said that a more peaceable social life formed about the lady of the court†¦" (Page 325.) When feudalism ended, so did the glory of battle. France was in a relatively peaceful state. Thus, in order to gain favo...

On Images :: Senses Philosophy Papers

On Images Concrete images are like pictures in the mind's imagination which have been transferred from real objects through the eyes. Abstract images also exist in the imagination, but are not easily described or communicated. Both images interplay in various ways as a person experiences emotional, dream and pure thought states of consciousness. Despite the interplay, the two kinds of images do not merge or meld into a third image type as a graduation between the two. Concrete images change, sometimes drastically. They never become abstract images, however deformed they are. Abstractions are somewhat assumed and exist as spontaneous and at times irrational images in the mind's eye. Light, reason, infinity and nothing are examples of abstract images which cannot be given accurate visual representation. Images take on different meanings with regard to language, death, prayer and society or politics; but the two types remain distinct. All human beings experience both concrete and abstract imagery . However, the level of ability to think abstractly varies from person to person. For Aristotle, the most important and most enjoyable of the senses is the sense of sight. (1) The human eye receives an image with the use of light. Vision of the physical world outside ourselves occurs as light reflects off objects, passes through the eyes, and presents an image to the mind. It is believed that these images are not unique to any single person because they are communicated and described back and forth, thus weakening the solipsist's struggle. In this paper, abstract and concrete images will be defined by way of discussion of the imagination and the mind. Apparently the mind functions in such a way that many images happen without any mechanistic equation to tell us how. The imagination is familiar and so are the images, but it is the wonder and challenge of how they interact that deepens our understanding. It is contended here that the line between the two types of images is stark and obvious, and not a graduation. Images are either concrete or abstract, without any i n between. By concrete image we understand a sort of picture present when we are seeing something or as we close our eyes and remember it. The image seems to be present as a form outside ourselves in the object and in our mind simultaneously. It is an image which has color and real properties like shape and texture. On Images :: Senses Philosophy Papers On Images Concrete images are like pictures in the mind's imagination which have been transferred from real objects through the eyes. Abstract images also exist in the imagination, but are not easily described or communicated. Both images interplay in various ways as a person experiences emotional, dream and pure thought states of consciousness. Despite the interplay, the two kinds of images do not merge or meld into a third image type as a graduation between the two. Concrete images change, sometimes drastically. They never become abstract images, however deformed they are. Abstractions are somewhat assumed and exist as spontaneous and at times irrational images in the mind's eye. Light, reason, infinity and nothing are examples of abstract images which cannot be given accurate visual representation. Images take on different meanings with regard to language, death, prayer and society or politics; but the two types remain distinct. All human beings experience both concrete and abstract imagery . However, the level of ability to think abstractly varies from person to person. For Aristotle, the most important and most enjoyable of the senses is the sense of sight. (1) The human eye receives an image with the use of light. Vision of the physical world outside ourselves occurs as light reflects off objects, passes through the eyes, and presents an image to the mind. It is believed that these images are not unique to any single person because they are communicated and described back and forth, thus weakening the solipsist's struggle. In this paper, abstract and concrete images will be defined by way of discussion of the imagination and the mind. Apparently the mind functions in such a way that many images happen without any mechanistic equation to tell us how. The imagination is familiar and so are the images, but it is the wonder and challenge of how they interact that deepens our understanding. It is contended here that the line between the two types of images is stark and obvious, and not a graduation. Images are either concrete or abstract, without any i n between. By concrete image we understand a sort of picture present when we are seeing something or as we close our eyes and remember it. The image seems to be present as a form outside ourselves in the object and in our mind simultaneously. It is an image which has color and real properties like shape and texture.

Identify the characteristics beliefs and practises associated with Krishna Essay

And what is the significance for a devotee of Krishna. Krishna is believed to be Vishnu’s eight incarnations. Vishnu represents the â€Å"preserver† status in the Trimurti but is more frequently appreciated in his incarnation as Krishna. Krishna appears in many mythological stories but is most famously remembered for his part in the Bhagvad Gita. This scripture is believed to have been spoken by Krishna himself. Krishna is seen as a king and a conqueror of demons but his followers appear particularly fond of his childhood and youth. His love affair with the beautiful cowherdess, Radha is immensely popular with his followers. In many Indian temples dedicated to Krishna, his followers visit (Darshan) his images and present water for washing, drinking, clothes, flowers, incense and offer praise during their puja. Chanting and singing the Hare Krishna mantra is a very popular activity found in temples. The maha-mantra is a transcendental sound vibration which awakens love of God in the heart and mind. As with all other activiti es, music is considered a sacred offering to God. Murti’s of Krishna are ritually installed temples, as it is believed that it is actually full of divine spirit of Krishna. Krishna’s pictures often portray him as the young flute player, surrounded by cows, teasing the gopi girls, or occasionally as the mischievous friend and even as the charioteer who accompanies Arjuna. These different images illsurate the different forms of relations a Hindu can have with god, either as best friend, a lover or mischievous son. To achieve an understanding of Krishna it important to be aware of the events in the Bhagvad Gita. Arjuna is preparing for a battle in which he will be fighting against his own members of the family. He feels that this is morally wrong and has conversation with his charioteer. His charioteer, Krishna is the supreme lord in disguise. It is here; Krishna explains the path to self liberation and to discovering the inner atman. Krishna points out that the soul does not die in battle, but moves into a new one. â€Å"The soul can not be pierced, it can not be parched, it can not be wetted, it is everwhere, immovable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reminds Arjuna of his dharma and the effects of Karma. Krishna goes further on to state that is not action itself that should be avoided but the results of it. One should not think of particular rewards for their actions but offer selflessly to the Lord. This is the function of Karma yoga. Having taught this he goes onto mentioning different paths such as jnana and yoga and presentating the need for reaching a state of samadhi through knowledge and devotion. The festival calendar varies region to region throughout India. The festival to celebrate the birth of Krishna is held between August and September and is called Janammastami. The bhagvad Purana which focuses on how to be yogi is often read out. Krishna unlike some of the other supreme deities, acknowledged that there were those who were marginalized such as the low caste and women and therefore highlighted that there were many different paths for each Hindu to reach liberation in his own way. Krishna is encompasses the perfect balance between performing his dharma in such a way that good karma is continually repeated. Through performing jnana and bhakti yoga, a devotee can offer selfless acts, which will be received with Krishna’s grace and blessings. Therefore Krishna’s love for Radha is the perfect example for any Hindu to achieve a harmonious union with the Lord and achieve moksha.

Midterm Exam Business Valuation and Stock Valuation Essay

It is generally more expensive to form a proprietorship than a corporation because, with a proprietorship, extensive legal documents are required. (b) Corporations face fewer regulations than sole proprietorships. (c) One disadvantage of operating a business as a sole proprietorship is that the firm is subject to double taxation, at both the firm level and the owner level. (d) One advantage of forming a corporation is that equity investors are usually exposed to less liability than in a regular partnership. If a regular partnership goes bankrupt, each partner is exposed to liabilities only up to the amount of his or her investment in the business. (2) (TCO G) A security analyst obtained the following information from Prestopino Products’ financial statements: Retained earnings at the end of 2009 were $700,000, but retained earnings at the end of 2010 had declined to $320,000. †¢ The company does not pay dividends. †¢ The company’s depreciation expense is its only non-cash expense; it has no amortization charges. †¢ The company has no non-cash revenues. The company’s net cash flow (NCF) for 2010 was $150,000. On the basis of this information, which of the following statements is CORRECT? (Points : 10) (a) Prestopino had negative net income in 2010. ( b ) Prestopino’s depreciation expense in 2010 was less than $150,000. (c) Prestopino had positive net income in 2010, but its income was less than its 2009 income. (d) Prestopino’s NCF in 2010 must be higher than its NCF in 2009. (e) Prestopino’s cash on the balance sheet at the end of 2010 must be lower than the cash it had on the balance sheet at the end of 2009. Which of the following is most likely to occur? (Points : 10) (a) The required rate of return for an average stock will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (b) The required rate of return will decline for stocks whose betas are less than 1. 0. (c) The required rate of return on the market, rM, will not change as a result of these changes. (d) The required rate of return for each individual stock in the market will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (e) The required rate of return on a riskless bond will decline.

Marco Polo in Renaissance

Born in 1254 in Venice, Marco Polo is today a well-known figure of pre-Renaissance travels, and for his ground breaking travels to lands never before Journeyed by Europeans. He was an Italian traveler and author, and spent the majority of his life traveling and exploring. His father Nicola and uncle Miffed, both merchants, had conducted business and trade in Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) and the Crimea. However, when Genoas merchants, rivals to the Italian Polo's, took over trade in Constantinople, Nicola and Miffed were forced to find alternative trade opportunities.Thus, in 1260, they set out to the north of the Caspian Sea and reached Babushka (which was on the caravan route to China) and remained there for 3 years. Thereafter, in 1263, Joining the Persian envoys, they made their way to visit the Mongol Emperor Kabuki Khan in Changed (near present Beijing). To arrive there, they traveled the Silk Route via Samara Sand, the Northern Tibetan desert and the Mongolia Steppes. Upon their arrival, Kabuki Khan commissioned them to return with 100 missionaries to convert his nation to Christianity in opposition to the heartening Islamic armies.Over the next 3 years the Polo brothers traveled via Babushka, Persia, Syria and Acre (near Jerusalem) to arrive back home in Venice in 1269. The return to China In 1271, at the age of 17, Marco Polo accompanied his father and uncle back to China, visiting Acre to collect a letter from the newly elected Pope Gregory X for Kabuki Khan. They also collected a flask of oil from the Holy Land and 2 Dominican monks (who were later to desert the Pools) from Gregory X to deliver to the Khan. In the hopes of revealing to India by sea, the Pools traversed Persia to the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Horror.Yet, unsuccessful at finding a suitably safe boat, they continued traveling by land in a North-Easterly direction through Persians deserts and mountains to Karakas (now Khakis), on the Chinese border. As Marco Polo was ill, they waited here for a year to rest, after which they continued Journeying up the River Ox's (now AMA Dairy). They traveled through the Hindu Cush and Pamper mountains, (home of the large horned sheep that now bear Marco Polo's name), after which they traveled along the ringer of the Take Make desert to the region of Lop Nor in Sinking Province, China.Finally they crossed, by meaner of camel caravan, the Gobi Desert to reach (3 and a half years after leaving Europe) Kabuki Khan's court in Changed in 1275. The Pools were the first Europeans to reach most of the territory they had covered, particularly the Gobi Desert and Pamper mountains. Marco Polo's experiences in the Orient Marco Polo became an agent on numerous missions to various parts of the Mongolia Empire for 17 years as a part of the Khan's diplomatic service.As part of his duties, he Journeyed through Tibet as well as along the Yanking, Yellow and upper Mekong rivers. He was probably also the first European to set foot on Burmes e soil. It is believed he visited countries as far field as Siberia to Indonesian archipelago. He also visited the Mongolia capital at Khartoum. It is also believed that Marco Polo was city governor for Yanking (now Honchos) for three years from 1282 to 1285. During all this time, Marco's father and uncle served as military advisors to the Khan.As the Khan aged, the Pools were uneasy as to the Empire's soundness. In 1292 the Polo's escorted the Mongol princess to Persia, where she was to be married to the Persian Khan. They traveled for two years, having to use a sea route as war prevented the use of the land route. With a crew of 600 and a 14-ship fleet, they sailed from Sustain (today known as Quantico) on China's coastline to Horror. On their way to Horror they Journeyed through Sumatra, the Strait of Malice, past Sir Lankan, past the Madman and Nicolai Islands, reaching the city in 1294.By this time, however, only 18 of the original crew had survived, and the Persian Khan had di ed a year earlier, leaving the Mongolia Princess to marry his son. Finally, 24 years after the commencement of their travels, the Pools returned to their hometown of Venice in 1295. By that stage they were very wealthy, as they had sewn precious gems and stones to their clothing for safekeeping. When Venice went to war with Genoa, Marco Polo was a captain in the Venetian fleet. However, he was taken prisoner by theGenomes in 1298, and during his imprisonment dictated the history of his travels to inmate Rustically of Pisa, a writer of romances. When he was released from prison in 1299, he returned to Venice where he married, had 3 daughters, and later died in 1324. He was buried next to his father in the church of Lorenz. Polo's Legacy The account of Polo's travels, first brought to light in French as Liver De Marseilles du Monde, later translated to The Travels of Marco Polo, is most probably the most influential travel book in history.Providing the reader with distinct description s and orphic detail, this account provided pre-Renaissance Europe with an influential and revolutionary knowledge of the geographical make-up, history and life of the Orient. Although known to be somewhat exaggerated with fabulous extravagances, this book became the foundation for the first correct maps of Europe and Asia. The Polo's ultimately inspired Christopher Columbus' interest in the East and spurred him on to set off on a new west-ward route to the Orient in 1492, and later spurring Vases dad Gamma to round the Cape of Good Hope in another new voyage in 1497.

Definition of art Essay

A number of people have asked about the value of addressing aesthetics, the philosophy of art, or the definition of art. The reasoning is that if it is so difficult to define, it must therefor be ultimately subjective, and each person should just determine for herself what it is. Perhaps we all do determine for ourselves the meaning of anything. Because, as in the â€Å"tree falling in the forest† example, the meaning does not exist if it does not exist for me personally. I am allowed to define â€Å"table† or â€Å"chair† any way I wish for myself, but if I hope to communicate with others about tables and chairs, the meaning or definition must be shared. And that shared meaning derives from a combination of (a) acquired meanings from those whom we give credibility and (b) connotations developed from our experiences with tables and chairs. If there were really no way to define art, there would be no way to determine what is art, and art could be anything. Fortunately, art can be defined, although not succinctly in verbal form, as we might define â€Å"table† or â€Å"chair. † We learn the definition indirectly through understanding why works have been labeled art by critics and artists in the past, and directly by understanding the perspectives of those critics and artists. From the standpoint of complete subjectivity, if art can be anything, it is meaningless as a term == art is everything and nothing. There is nothing that is not art, so everything is art. The term â€Å"art† has no shared meaning and has no value in communication, and yet we use it all the time. By what criteria do you determine what is art for yourself? Because it pleases you? Because it pleases your friends, or someone you respect, or most people around you? What criteria constitute pleasing? What does it do to please? From another perspective, other than pragmatic needs, by what criteria do we select a season? Or what material we place in museums? By what criteria do we judge quality? How do we determine â€Å"good† from â€Å"not good? † Whatever criteria we use become our criteria for our aesthetic, which then become, in fact, our definition of our art. It is useful and valid for us to question what those criteria are, to challenge the validity of those criteria, and to constantly explore new criteria to define the art experience. In order to comprehend the options of criteria, the kinds of questions to ask of our criteria, the possible limits of our personal vision, it is worthwhile to explore the explorations of others. Understand that the definition of art and the determination of quality are linked and mutually affected. Alter one and the other is changed. One additional concern is the value in trying to understand how art works have meaning. Once we begin to explore this as artists, our work instantly changes dimension. It moves from the surface to the soul and allows us to refocus on the meaningful.