Friday, December 27, 2019

Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Book Review

Lord of the Flies, a 1954 story of savagery and survival by  William Golding, is considered a classic. Modern Library rates it the 41st best novel of all time. The story, which takes place during an undefined war, begins when a group of English schoolboys survive a plane crash and find themselves stranded on a desert island without any adults. This might seem like an enticing opportunity for any teen seeking freedom, but the group soon degenerates into a mob, terrorizing and even killing each other. The Plot Without the usual authority figures to direct the boys, they must fend for themselves. Ralph, one of the boys, takes on a leadership position. He knows little more than any of the others, but he manages to gather them in one place and is voted leader. At his side is the compassionate, clever, but fatally clumsy Piggy, a nicely rendered character who serves as Ralphs conscience.Ralphs election is contested by Jack, a cool customer with his own squadron of followers, a former choir under his leadership. Jack is a force of nature with intentions of leading hunting parties deep into the primordial jungle. With Piggys planning, Ralphs reluctant leadership and Jacks energy, the castaways establish a successful, thriving village, at least for a day or two. Soon, the few sensible efforts -- such as keeping a fire burning at all times -- fall by the wayside.Jack grows bored, restless and resentful of Ralphs leadership position. With his hunters in tow, Jack splits off from the main group. Fro m there, the rest of the book consists of the descent of Jacks tribe into base brutality. As Jack successfully recruits more boys, Ralph becomes more isolated. Then, Jacks tribe kills Piggy -- his glasses smashed in a moment of symbolism, signaling the end of rational thought and civilized behavior. Pig Worship Jacks tribe hunts and kills a real pig, and sticks the head of the animal on a spear. Group members paint their faces and begin a frenzied worship of the pigs head, including sacrifices to the beast. Golding later explained that the pigs head -- the lord of the flies -- is literally translated from the biblical Hebrew, Beelzababug, which is another name for Satan. During this satanic worship, the boys kill one another of their own, Simon. The Rescue Jacks troop having honed their hunting skills move in on Ralph. There is no use appealing to their better nature now. They have abandoned all compassion. Ralph is cornered and seems a goner when suddenly an adult -- a naval officer -- arrives on the beach, with his uniform gleaming. His appearance puts everyone in a state of shock. The officer is disgusted with the savagery of the boys, but then he eyes his cruiser in the distance. He has saved the children from their violent world, but hes about to pile them onto a military vessel, where savagery and violence will ostensibly continue. Goldings description on the final page of the novel clarifies the symbolic overtones: The officer ... prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting its enemy in the same implacable way. And who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Essay on Conflict in Othello - 877 Words

Othello is a play which contains many conflicts between the characters. The main conflicts in ‘Othello’ are between friends and foes. Othello’s inner conflict, cultural and racial differences which lead to racial judgement and discrimination, to express these conflicts; Shakespeare uses many techniques such as soliloquies, dramatic irony, imagery foreshadowing and symbolism. Amongst the main characters there are many conflicts, however the main reason for most of the conflict if Iago and Shakespeare use the techniques to show us how Iago causes the conflicts. This also analyzes Othello’s pride, his self conscious nature, his jealousy and his rash behaviour. Conflict between the characters especially Iago and Othello is partly†¦show more content†¦INTERNAL CONFLICT - JEALOUSY, HATE IDENTITY. Why else do men hate each other? Ego Envy. Othello picks Cassio for promotion instead of Iago which hints Iago is jealous of Cassio. Iago is the embodiment of pure evil, and enjoys having power over others, which also makes him jealous of Othello; his life, his position, his beautiful wife. It is also been said that Iago was a homosexual, and that he hates Othello because he couldn’t have Othello to himself. Iago frequently declares his ‘love’ for Othello by stating that he is ‘bound to (Othello) forever’ by ‘heaven’s light’. EXTERNAL CONFLICT RACISM Othello was ‘dark/swarthy’ and other characters looked down on him for this. He was a black man from Northern Africa and his status in Venice is complicated as both an insider and outsider. However, even though he is from a foreign culture he is the commander of the Venetian military system which is where he gets his respects from. Iago’s comments against Othello are racist and denigrating. â€Å"The old black ram is tupping your white ewe’ refers to the eloping of Othello and Desdemona as both degrading and racist. Iago also refers to Othello as a ‘Barbary Horse’ in other words an ‘uncontrolled sexual beast’. INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT Iago vs. Othello The conflict between Iago an Othello is many between the two but only one person can see what’s happening. Iago constantly manipulates, lies and plots to ensure that heShow MoreRelatedConflict is a Major Issue in Othello1173 Words   |  5 PagesConflict is a major issue in Othello, the source for all the problems in the story all lead back to love and jealousy. Love can be an extremely powerful thing in life. It can easily draw two people closer together or simply destroy something that could have been great. Ironically similar, jealousy can tear something apart just as fast as love can. This timeless tragedy starts out in Venice, with a plot to attain revenge on Othello. Iago and Roderigo are simply jealous with the fact that OthelloRead MoreIn many of his plays, Shakespeare demonstrates ideas of gender and racial stereotypes. Othello, a1100 Words   |  5 Pagesstereotypes. Othello, a play in which characters are judged based on sex and appearance, is an example of these stereotypes. Othello’s non-white ethnic background provides a platform for racial conflict. The characters of Desdemona and Emilia allow for sexism and gender conflict. These themes of Othello are closely related because of the similar prejudice and stereotypes. The sexism and racism in Othello allow for racist tones and ethnic conflicts. Women play an important role in Othello. The chastityRead MoreOf Mice And Men And Othello Analysis1530 Words   |  7 PagesImpossibility of Ideals in Othello and Of Mice and Men It is a celebrated part of human nature to dream big. All too often, these idealistic dreams become too big, and as demonstrated in Othello by William Shakespeare and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the harsh reality will always catch up. Othello is the story of a successful venetian general who, despite being a moor, marries Desdemona, a beautiful woman whom he loves with all his heart. Through a jealous ploy by Iago, Othello begins to doubt theRead MoreShakespeare s Othello As A Tragic Hero1517 Words   |  7 Pages Some may wonder, who is Aristotle and why does he label Shakespeare’s play, Othello, as a tragedy? Aristotle is a famous Greek philosopher who defines Shakespeare’s character, Othello, as a tragic hero. Many parts in Othello tell the readers that the play is a tragedy, such as jealousy, arguing, and death, which makes the play famous and delightful to read. Aristotle has identified many common traits or characteristics that a tragic hero requires. In Shakespeare s play, Aristotle defines manyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Othello 1119 Words   |  5 Pagesplay â€Å"Othello†, by William Shakespeare and film adaption by Oliver parker explores the idea of how an individual’s sense of identity affects their actions and how this can be manipulated to create conflict. Shakespeare uses techniques such as soliloquies, dramatic irony, imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism to show us how tragedy occurs from counteracting to patriarchal rules and stereotypes. Identity is a very key, important thematic issue in William Shakespeare s tragic play, â€Å"Othello†. IdentityRead MoreThe Role Of Race In Othello And Huckleberry Finn941 Words   |  4 Pagesneighborhood. These are examples of how race affects our daily life. In the play Othello written by William Shakespeare and in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, race is challenged through conflicts in the plot, social class, and character relationships. The idea of race is challenged by conflicts on the plot of Othello and Huck Finn. Race is challenged by the conflicts of Othello. Brabantio accuses Othello of putting a spell on Desdemona to make her fall in love with him. BrabantioRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare s Othello1603 Words   |  7 PagesMAJOR WORKS REVIEW GENERAL 1. Title - Othello 2. Author - William Shakespeare 3. Date of Original Publication - 1622 4. Novel Type - Play STRUCTURE 1. Point of View - Iago 2. Relationship to meaning: The reader sees things the way that Iago sees them. This gives the reader an inside look on Iago’s evil plans, which also leads to a better understanding of all of the other characters, but Iago especially. The reader sees how Iago manipulates so many of the characters, like Roderigo and MontanoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Oedipus And Othello 982 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus and Othello are two of the most known tragic heroes throughout all of literature. While there are some noticeable differences between the two there are also many similarities between the two characters. With the amount of similarities between the two plays Shakespeare must have been inspired by Oedipus and Sophocles when he was writing Othello. Oedipus the king’s main conflict is based around Greek mythology in that from the time Oedipus is born it is prophesied by the Gods that he is goingRead MoreWhat is the importance of setting and geography in William Shakespeares Othello?1685 Words   |  7 Pagesjealousy, deception and passion interwoven through the text of Othello make the story riveting. But before we can understand why events take place and characters motivations it is important to analyse the geographical arena in which the story of Othello and the moral struggles of the characters are brought to life. By including real locations, which Elizabethans would have herd of, the play appears to be more realistic. Othello is reasonably geographically accurate and this helps to make theRead More Othello, The Moor of Venice Essay examples1319 Words   |  6 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello through his trials a nd tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare’s other tragedies and follows a set of specific rules of drama. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, definition of tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune, and a descent from happiness. William Shakespeare fulfills Aristotle’s requirements

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Motivation Crowding By Economic Incentives †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Motivation Crowding By Economic Incentives? Answer: Introducation With the increasing ramification of economic changes and complex business conditions, motivation of employees is very core intents for the effective business. In this report, critical viewpoints of this article have been taken into consideration. This article provided that efficiency in business production that can give better result and through motivation power and with the help of motivation power company could do any kind of work and implement effective business functioning. After evaluating this give article it could be considered that Efficiency is a technique which so far helps to achieve the objective of the organization. This article has shown how a company could create synergy after implementing proper level of efficiency and effective business functioning. It may gain ground production of the company. The efficiency is core object of the organization that makes work smooth and solve hurdles easily of the company. It is considered that with a view to enlarge the production o f the organization, all the work implemented in value chain activities should be done efficiently so that no room of doubt available under the process of working. The thesis statement of this article is related to how an organization in todays world could create synergy after implanting proper level of business functioning in determine approach. As the thesis concerned motivational work help and enhance the ability of work in the organization (Wigfield Guthrie, 2013). After analyzing the article there are some operations which gives better way to expand the business opportunity through efficiency. Efficiency can give many business opportunity and also eliminate many problems which may on the of business process. There is no specific department only where efficiency needed but all the environment as well as in micro or macro economy, its necessity is require (Wigfield Guthrie, 2013). The organization may also focus on only effective process of the business and the sectors which are less important to the organization automatically cancel from the business environment. It also shows the capabilities of the organization and shows how far it will go. Efficiency is the relationship between the final product and raw material. In this thesis there is many way to know the meaning of the efficiency and some of that easy to understand when it apply to a business. Such article shows that many factors are also require to complete the efficiency process in any type of business like goods, related equipment, capital, material, property and know how. It shows that efficiency helps to an organization to maximize its profit and maintain its cost by accounting all targets of the business. It is considered that if organization could have experts in their value chain activities then it will increase the overall productivity and effectiveness of organization in determined approach. These experts increase the overall productivity in determined approach. Organization is accompanied with complex set of activates in which various functions are performed. Company cannot achieve success in world only by achieve in certain goals and objectives but it also have to achieve synergy in its business process. This has shown that company could either adopt innovative ERP system or new re-engineering its existing working process. This level of changes of the business organization result to increment in overall productivity and effectively achieve the certain g oals and objectives (Csikszentmihalyi Wong, 2014). In the mid-level of this article, management functioning and impact of their strategic planning on the efficiency of business has been given. Management of the organization cannot set aside the importance of the efficiency and it is important to every level of the business whether top, middle or bottom (Desbonnet, et al. 2014). The thesis state that there are many factors of efficiency which may influence the environment of the enterprises. The article divide the factors of efficiency into two parts first one is Intra business factors and second is Extra business factors. There are many types of benefits in every area of business which develop the capacity of the business. The article provides different method to compel the better and effective efficiency. The main motive of the business is to grow and develop its business so that implementation of good working efficiency may grow their business from any other competitor. Role of both managers as well as of the employees are very imp ortant. Various responsibility of the business must be complete by the employees that may help to enlarge the enterprises. Study of every content must be take into account by the management team of the organization. It also improves the confidence level of the employees time to time (Donche, et al. 2013). The article also shows that there are many reasons thats why implementation of efficient business functioning is not working in the organization. Mutual understanding between the workers and workers and managers not considered properly. Lack of confidence in the workers of the business. Ailing environment of the business. Low job satisfaction is one of the main reason why efficiency not implemented. The work must be satisfactory to the employee and payment of that must be equal to his work. In the mid half of this article it is given that organization should adopt innovative business ideas and new sophisticated technologies to create synergy in business. However, it is critically e valuated that employees are the key pillars and if company wants to achieve its objectives effectively then proper level of hiring and employment of efficient staffs should be done (Demil, Lecocq, Ricart, Zott, 2015). The motivation which comes from the organization or from their colleagues gives close attention to the employee. There are many technique of motivation provided in the article. Which applies to every person of the organization individually. Motivation helps the employee in many different ways that may build the confidence level in the workers of the organization. The article stated many concepts of motivation. The motivation gives that essence which shows the quality of work of every employee of the company. The technique of motivation must be in the very well understandable to the manager of every type of business (Aristovnik Obadic, 2015). The performance of the worker also increases day by day when regular dose of motivation given to them. Motivation less organization can never be achieve its object and always try hard to revive its business. It is the responsibility of the organization the good motivation must be given to their employees to work for the benefit of the company (E ngelmann Pessoa, 2014). Every employee has its own quality and to keep in mind that potential of the employee, manager should work in that way. Environment of the operations may also affect the grabbing motivation power in the enterprises. A proper list and format of company structure that may work on the weaker section of the organization helps to solve problems easily. There are so many methods in the article which contains technique to implement it (Rode, Gmez-Baggethun Krause, 2015). This article has shown the impact of motivation on the employees and their productivity in the business functioning. It is evaluated that there are several motivation theories such as Henry Fayol, Taylor and Virgin media reward theories. If company follows these theories then it will increase the overall efficiency of business. The motivation shows is the relationship between its manager and workers. It is direct relation to the profitability index, core development and environment of the business (Kusurkar, et al. 2013). In this thesis there are many benefit of motivation like it built competitive environment, mutual understanding between the workers, built qualities of work, individual welfare of the worker. The objective of the motivation is clear that it is for develop and built quality and efficiency of work in the employee of the company. To give some motivation to their employee first manager require to understand the inner quality of the worker. There are some speeches or act which totally affect the employee as motivation but some are that type of motivation which not properly affect the employee so that proper study of that must be taken by the management. There are also some factor describe in the article which may motivate the employee that totally depend on the behavior of the manager. Proper listening and such kind of environment must be develop which is not make hurdle in the way of understanding the act of motivation by the employee. Working talent of every employee can also be shows when the may give proper opportunity and motivation (Parker, 2014). Now in the end of this article evaluation, it could be inferred that if company wants to achieve success or create competency in its business functioning then company has to implement proper efficient value chain activities. Efficiency is the core factor in achieving the business success. However, efficiency in business is completely depends upon the services provided by employees in organization. References Aristovnik, A., Obadic, A. (2015). The impact and efficiency of public administration excellence on fostering SMEs in EU countries.Amfiteatru economic,17(39), 761. Csikszentmihalyi, M., Wong, M. M. H. (2014). Motivation and academic achievement: The effects of personality traits and the quality of experience. InApplications of flow in human development and education(pp. 437-465). Springer Netherlands. Demil, B., Lecocq, X., Ricart, J. E., Zott, C. (2015). Introduction to the SEJ special issue on business models: business models within the domain of strategic entrepreneurship.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,9(1), 1-11. Desbonnet, L., Clarke, G., Shanahan, F., Dinan, T. G., Cryan, J. F. (2014). Microbiota is essential for social development in the mouse.Molecular psychiatry,19(2), 146. Donche, V., Maeyer, S., Coertjens, L., Daal, T., Petegem, P. (2013). Differential use of learning strategies in first?year higher education: The impact of personality, academic motivation, and teaching strategies.British Journal of Educational Psychology,83(2), 238-251. Engelmann, J. B., Pessoa, L. (2014). Motivation sharpens exogenous spatial attention. Kusurkar, R. A., Ten Cate, T. J., Vos, C. M. P., Westers, P., Croiset, G. (2013). How motivation affects academic performance: a structural equation modelling analysis.Advances in Health Sciences Education,18(1), 57-69. Parker, S. K. (2014). Beyond motivation: Job and work design for development, healthcare, ambidexterity, and more.Annual review of psychology,65, 661-691. Rode, J., Gmez-Baggethun, E., Krause, T. (2015). Motivation crowding by economic incentives in conservation policy: A review of the empirical evidence.Ecological Economics,117, 270-282. Wigfield, A., Guthrie, J. T. (2013). Motivation for reading: An overview.Motivation for Reading: Individual, Home, Textual, and Classroom Perspectives: A Special Issue of Educational Psychologist,32(2), 57-58.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Music and Its Impact on People of Different Ages free essay sample

Read this term paper and over 1 others like it now. Because they really do not want to listen to anything else but Rap, Pop, and RB. It is sad that it has come to this but parents need to look more into their childrens education instead of letting them listen to cursing and other subjective things in music. Finally, the impact of music gives people of all ages to dress a certain way. In the music industry artists have their own sense of style. Everyone is always trying to follow the styles they see of different music artist.For example, the kinky jeans and tight t-shirt look. Many rap artists are into the skinny jeans and tight t-shirts and as I can see so are the ones who are not celebrities. The styles of all music artists change up in many different ways. People of all ages are trying to keep up with them. We will write a custom essay sample on Music and Its Impact on People of Different Ages or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are cheap ways to keep up with the look but it can get expensive. People have to the right to dress anyway they want but at the same time they are copying their favorite rapper or singer. To summarize, music does have an impact on people of all different ages.Music has changed over the years and now it has become more aware for the younger generation. Music gives a broader impact on what is being played. The beats of music are the money maker and they have a bigger impact than the lyrics. Children from ages one and up are mostly listening to the same music as their parents. Children Can sing Songs for different artists but they cannot sing their Abss. The impact of music gives people of all ages to dress a certain way. The skinny jeans and tight t-shirt look is a trend that everyone is following because they see on their favorite rapper or singer.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Why should people allow marrying only after age 30

Why should people allow marrying only after age 30 Introduction One of the mainly sure ways to progress the physical condition and well-being of the world’s inhabitants is to hearten and shore up the thought of marriage.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why should people allow marrying only after age 30? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The continued researches divulges that, the married people are normally bodily healthier, more contented, survives longer, enjoys enhanced mental health, are more satisfied and less expected to suffer corporeal abuse. Premarital cohabitation does not convey the equal advantage nuptials do. As a substitute, it conveys amplified variance and hostility as well as amplified probability of break up in later marriages. Dr. Robert H. Coombs, one of the researchers, showed that, â€Å"married people live longer and generally are more emotionally and physically healthy than the unmarried. If this is the case, why should there be a fixed age of marriage and yet marriage brings total happiness, good healthy, mental health and extended life span in human being? According to Dr. Robert H. Coombs research, he totally disagrees that people should be allowed to marry only after the age of 30. To start with, he quotes a verse in the bible that says, â€Å"It’s better to marry than to burn up†. According to the verse, he noted that, this verse was not there for the people over thirty years but for the people who could not resist sexual behaviors. Nowadays, the high rates of sexual transmitted diseases are highly spread by the youths who are have not attained the age of thirty and not married. If age is put aside, and every one who cannot withdraw his/her sexual temperature by the help of the people is allowed to marry, this would reduce the rate of sexual transmitted diseases. Another reason as to why I disagree on marriage after the age of 30 is that, many psychological related problems are experienced by th e people who are not married. If any one who feels ready to marry regardless the age is given the access, then the rate of deaths relating to psychological problems will be reduced. Dr. Robert H. Coombs, in his research, commended that, if age was not the key factor to marriage, then the high rate of deaths caused by; alcoholism, suicides, loneliness, Psychiatric problems, and Morbidity and mortality would be highly reduced. He also said, if anybody who felt like marrying regardless the age was genuinely given the opportunity and backed by the other members, then this would lead to happiness hence kicking out the high chances of psychological related problems.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, the reason as to why I disagree on marriage after the age of 30 is that, it brings about use of drugs. As a result of the latest science and technology, people are getting a lot of money while still young and not married thus indulging to some drug behaviors like the use of cocaine’s, alcohol among others. If the freedom of marriage regardless the age is unrestricted and people marrying, the time of using all these drugs will not be got because of the many responsibilities of a family thus bringing about raising a good generation without contractions. Conclusion One of the mainly sure ways to progress the physical condition and well-being of the world’s inhabitants is to hearten and shore up the thought of marriage. Marriage brings about happiness, enhanced mental health, and long life span among others. If this is the case, I disagree with the statement that says that, people should be allowed to marry only after the age of 30. The essay puts across that, marrying after 30 years; there would be likely cases like psychological related problems, use of drugs and high sexual behaviors. Giving access to every one who feels like marrying an d supported by the other people would lead to the global expansion.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Texas essays

Texas essays Texas is the second largest state after Alaska. The first man who ever explored it was a man named Pineda. When he arrived there the only humans there were the Native Indians. He conquered it for Spain. Then later on the Mexicans came along and conquered it. Then after that the white men came and decided that they wanted Texas so they fought the Mexicans for the land and won it. So if you live in Texas I am pretty sure youll see a very large amount of Spanish and Mexicans. The reason that they live here is because they still think that it is there land. So how about we talk about the population of Texas. Say you came to Texas one day and you thought that it was all white cowboys saying howdy. Well I bet you thought wrong because Texas has a very large variety of different people like, Arabs who speak Arabic and English, Mexicans who speak Spanish and English, Chinese who speak Chinese and English, Africans who speak Swahili and English, etcetera. So I hope that now you know that Tex as isnt all white and cowboys, its every thing. Well I got to go for now but we will talk again, I hope. Bye. Oh wait I forgot to tell you about the four regions of Texas, they are the, great plains, central plains, gulf costal plains which is the biggest, and mountains and basins. The mountains and basins have one sub region. The Great Plains has five, the gulf costal has three or four, and the central plains have four. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Images of Los Angeles presented in What We Do Is Secret Essay

Images of Los Angeles presented in What We Do Is Secret - Essay Example The scenarios and images describe surroundings and the state of life in Los Angeles. With that respect, this paper will base arguments and comparison of images of Los Angeles in the film ‘what we do is secret’. To begin with, the writer of the film what we do is secret Michelle Baer chooses words as infamous and legendary to describe Darby but rationally the words reflect on the image of the city of Los Angeles in the 1970’s. This shows that, even though the city of Los Angeles was infamous, it was also a legendary city. In the film, Darby and the rest of the Germ rock band crew present issues related to naivety, peculiarity, feebleness, as well as brilliance. These characteristics ultimately depict presence of real and true misfit of the city of Los Angeles. To some extent, the city appears to have some degree of negligence as showcased by the wretched life of young adults (Samudio and Lee 57). This is because, the Germs are cognitively high school dropouts, bad behaved, and careless drug users. Secondly, the images in the film are photographic tribute paid to the city of Los Angeles. It provides a fascinating journey through the cultural, sociological, political, and the industrial history of the city of Los Angeles. ... Additionally, this book gives a stern representation of the city of Los Angeles in all its grits and glory via events that made the world such as the two Olympics, the Rodney King riots, and the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. All these events reveal that Los Angeles is a city of many dimensions. Moreover, the film describes the city of Los Angeles as the world’s entertainment capital, Hollywood, and showcases a variety of celebrities along with a number of notable residents that include architects, musicians, and artists. The film highlights in-depth condition of pop cultural movements of Los Angeles together with the state of music (Banham 168). The Germ bandleader, Darby knows not his biological father. On the other end, his mother is an alcoholic and his elder brother dies from heroin overdose. His school life portrays him as an avid reader who against all odds comprehensively develops into a frighteningly intelligent student. Presumably, the overall life feature of Darby displays and compares the state of art and the status of education system within the city of Los Angeles. The book ‘what we do is secret’ depicts the city of Los Angeles through contrasting points of view. For instance, it covers the city’s state of social life in conjunction with its status of its pop cultural movements. These conditions display contradicting issues since the book stretches its length to show presence of the city’s state of music, state of food fads, gangs, surfing, and hot rods. In short, it portrays the condition of food, which is healthy, state of music however associated with behaviors that lead to drug abuse, as well as the city’s

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Deriving a Utopia from Dystopia in Nineteen Eighty-Four Essay - 1

Deriving a Utopia from Dystopia in Nineteen Eighty-Four - Essay Example The argument is placed in deriving utopia from a system of dystopia. In a society that has achieved utopia, the will of the people prevail, and their actions is governed by their opinions, as they are comfortable with the decisions made (The Greenwood Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy 223). However, the state of dystopia has threatened the prevalence of a stable society. This is evident in the desire of the ruling opinions to exert their rule on the society that desires freedom. The ruling party, through Big Brother, proves to be an example of a dystopia system that limits the freedom of Winston Smith. He believes that there is the need to be expressive on the community and achieve a system where power is delegated upon the people, who hold the majority of decision-making process. Although there is limited progress in dystopia, nineteen eighty-four proves that, from the system, there can be an achievable form of utopia. The ruling party has declared a system that limits the freedom of individuals within the society and checks on the actions issued through monitoring behavior in screens. The member of their party in Winston has been used to highlight the limited freedom available in Oceania. The limited freedom that has been imposed upon the people has been highlighted in the form that the citizens are closely monitored to reduce the justice system. Orwell develops the plot to suggest that the system introduced within the society fails to allow expression. Of the greatest example of injustice issued, the people of Oceania are not allowed to be rebellious and the thought is termed illegal. The rule of the leading party should prevail without witnessing a resistance in the societal members. Winston explains that he recent the system imposed within the Oceania society. The people are not allowed to express their opinions freely, limited sex

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ethic Essay Essay Example for Free

Ethic Essay Essay Assume that Mark pledge to look after his sister’s son while she goes to the grocery store to buy some food. Instead, he goes to a computer shop to play poker in the internet. Supposedly, Mark should find another person to baby-sit the son of his sister. This is the moral responsibility of Mark for his obligations to the child and his mother. Secondly, Mark’s sister has also a moral responsibility in circumstances when it would be right to ethically commend or hold responsible Mark for his actions. If Mark failed to find a baby-sitter, he is morally responsible for the failure of his sister to buy some food in the grocery store. Mark’s actions are reflected to moral agents. Agents are reflects to situations and intensions of actions (Q1 Q2). I found my self altruistic to other people. If I have something (i. e. some money, food, clothes, etc. ), I intend to give it to other people. I didn’t count those things but I just want to help other people even at small things. Altruism in ethical concept in psychology is the purposeful pursuit of welfare of other people and/or public interest. In layman’s term, the concept of altruism is the unselfishness of one person for the welfare of other people (other than his/her family). I find it odd since I’m attracted towards helping other people like beggars and street people and charities rather than giving help my family’s lives (Q3 Q4). The top three values I have are being altruistic, kind, and serious. I think these values came from my family and the culture we have. I also think that being altruistic and kind are some of the professional ethics in psychology that are most compatible with my personal values. The notion of psychological egoism I believed is the notion where people are inspired by self-interest and concerns to others for the reason that this kindness will be returned back to them and will benefit them. (ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE OF CONDUCT, 2002). Conversely, this is only a viewpoint of how things are but not what is expected to happen or ought to be (Q5 Q6). References ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE OF CONDUCT. (2002) American Psychological Association.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Democracy And Electoral Process In Nigeria Politics Essay

Democracy And Electoral Process In Nigeria Politics Essay The wave of decolonisation after World War II has led to a number of Third World nations, attempting to govern themselves through Western-style democratic Institutions. Almost all of them have failed. There have been various theories of democratic stability and explanations of democratic failure. In general, these theories agree that poor nations, with massive socio economic development needs and high popular expectation: as poorly integrated nations, with deep ethnic divisions; and as politically underdeveloped nations, with fragile party system, weak administrative bureaucracies, and little experience with the give-and-take of large representative institutions, Third world nations, at their present levels of development, have little realistic hope of sustaining democratic institutions. According to Diamond (1988) the democratic renaissance in Africa has been led by the continents wealthiest and most populous nation, Nigeria. There was huge expectation after the return of power to civilian elected government in 1979, after thirteen years of military rule. This was to be a crucial test of liberal democracy in Africa (Sklar 1982). The system collapsed in less than four years as a result of massive corruption, mismanagement and electoral violence and fraud. This led to the military coup of 1983. Democracy is defined as a political system which meets three essential conditions, namely, meaningful and extensive competition among individuals and political parties; a highly inclusive level of political participation in the selection of leaders and policies; and a level of civil and political liberties sufficient to ensure the integrity of political competition and participation. Other concepts related to these are democratic stability, the likelihood of its enduring over time, particularly through periods of unusual conflict, strain and crisis. Democratic theorists stress the peculiar degree to which the stability of democracy depends on a widespread belief in its legitimacy. Democracy as it is practised in Western nations such as the united States usually involve a thorough process of contestant selections. This culminates in the primaries within individual parties. In this system, the party candidate is picked based on the acceptance of the individuals manifesto. There is also party loyalty and candidates do not defect to other parties or form entirely new ones if they do not win the primaries. In such systems, the total funds raised by each candidate are also monitored. This system is also transparent and voters are confident in the system to ensure that the best candidate wins. Democracy and Electoral process in Nigeria According to J. Herskovits (1979), Nigeria rejected Britains parliamentary form of democracy which they had continued after independence in 1960 and chose the first wholly Nigerian-made constitution, to follow the American model instead. This choice was made with characteristic pragmatism: Nigeria, like the United States, is large, complex, and heterogeneous. There was therefore the notion that What works for America may work for Nigeria. Nigerias form of government looks familiar to the American style as the president has a four year term and has a possibility of a second term. The national assembly is bicameral, with a senate and a house of representatives distributed among the states by population. There is also the apex judiciary court known as the Supreme Court. Nigerias transition towards democracy has only begun. The re-establishment of an elected government after decades of military rule in 1999 formed merely a starting point in a transition process towards a democratic society-a transition that can be expected to take many years. Democratic government in its full sense comprises a wide area of issues; a very important one among them is the creation of accountable institutions (Harneit-Sievers 2004). Political parties form another core group of institutions in any functioning democratic system. Under current Nigerian conditions, however, most political parties are merely zero-issue alliances of influential individuals and small groups who are able to control; and, often enough manipulate party structures, candidacies and even the electoral process itself. In Nigeria, a major issue impeding democracy is the selection process of political office holders. This is because so far, the country has been unable to hold free, fair and credible elections. The 2003 elections were billed as a landmark as it was the first time since independence in 1960 that political leadership changed hands from one civilian to another (Herskovits 2007). The election results showed overwhelming victories for the ruling party, PDP as the presidential winner received 70 percent of the votes. According to international and domestic observers alike, the elections themselves were disastrous with even more rigging and violence than during the previous presidential elections in 1999. The run up to the elections also witnessed the assassination of two gubernatorial front runners and violent election related incidents. Based on how expensive partisan politics is in Nigeria, governments at all levels will rather starve other sector than lave their electoral ambition to suffer funding. This is apart from the fact that in most places, governance has almost been suspended for scheming ahead of the polls. As a result, Nigerians may therefore have to wait till elections are completed to enjoy several social amenities promised during the last tenure. The electoral process has also witnessed legal challenges as contestants take election winners to court to contest such results. A memorable case of this is the Osun State elections which were overruled after three and half years. The election result stated that the incumbent governor, Oyinlola won the elections. The opposition took the election result to court. During the investigation process, it was discovered using biometric machine that several people has voted up to 30 times each for the incumbent governor. The court therefore asked that this votes be cancelled. This led to the opposition candidate Raufu Aregbesola becoming the governor. As a result of almost four years of uncertainty in the state, local and foreign investors lost confidence in the state. As a result, several companies already operating in the state closed and moved to other states. This led to massive retrenchment and increased unemployment in the state. It also caused a reduction in state revenue generated. The electoral process in Nigeria has a negative impact on the country in general. This is because revenue that could be used to provide infrastructure needed by business are used for funding elections. This has led to continuous borrowing and deficit budget for year 2011. The total budget for the 2011 elections released by INEC was put at N89billion ($659million). In the federal budget for 2011, another N46.4 billion has been allocated to the same elections. Indeed, the total budgetary allocation for elections is about N133 billion naira. It is important to state that INECs budget for 2011 dwarfs the budget of most states of the federation. Osun state has budget of N88.1 billion, Kwara state N68.6 billion and Edo has a budget of N106 billion. It is also important to note that this would be funded by government borrowing. When compared to other developing countries such as Bangladesh, India and Ghana, the cost on per capita basis in Nigeria was more than double. INECs N74 billion on v oters register amounts to N1, 138 per capita for 65 million registered voters. Ghana conducted its 2008 elections at the cost of $40million which amounts to $3 per capita. The instability caused by flawed elections has led to a threat to foreign investment. As a developing country, Nigeria required foreign investment to survive. The use of large sums of revenue for funding elections rather than developing infrastructure necessary for investment makes the country less desirable to investors. As a result, there is lack of confidence in the country. The political violence and killings have also affected the countrys image abroad. There is also a threat to security as assassination of political aspirants and kidnap of their families is becoming rampant. Recently, the government has taken various measures to ensure free and fair elections in Nigeria. This was affirmed by the sack of former INEC boss, Maurice Iwu who was widely accused of corruption and complacency in electoral result manipulation. The new INEC boss, Jega has committed to ensuring a free and fair election in the country. There has also been the amendment of the electoral law in Nigeria in order to further curb the widespread election rigging in the country. Conclusion The issue of political instability has affected the activities of multinational companies in Nigeria; the oil companies in the oil rich delta where kidnap is rampant have been seriously affected. Most multinational companies are currently closing their business and relocating to other countries with more favourable environment and required infrastructure. The level of uncertainty and instability disrupts the profit hunt and causes inability to meet corporate targets. In the political foyer, some groups have been neglected which is not a practice of true democracy as power is been controlled by the dominant party with large resources. In order to reduce the problem of election rigging, Nigeria has to be firm in its commitment to providing free and fair election. This goes beyond paying lip service. The INEC also should be given more powers in order to prevent it been manipulated by the government. There is also the increased need for foreign observers to train and sensitise INEC officials and also to monitor elections.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

My Life in the Future Essay

I am really excited because my life is spectacular, living here in the earth is very different from my life in 2012; my habits have changed a lot; but I can state that even though my life has changed a lot; I live better and don’t have too many concerns. Firstly, I can say that living in 2175 is awesome because I have some robots that do the housework for me; so I don’t have to clean and do the dishes anymore. Also there are cars that are able to fly, they are amazing and since I have a lot of money, I could afford buying the car. Furthermore I have studied many careers, and have changed my job many times. As you know, I went under the process, so I am able to live longer; so I had the opportunity to study five careers at university. I studied medicine, law, international business, mechanic engineering and industrial engineering. I have worked in many factories and right now I have a lot of experience. Talking about marriage; I have gotten married three times and I have eight kids; it’s so nice to have too many kids because they had their kids and now I know them; so I can say that at this time there are five generations of my family living at the same time. It seems to me that living in 2175 is better than my life in 2012; I remember when living in 2012 and it was not very nice. On the other hand, now I don’t have to worry about the housework and other duties.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Ancient Religions Essay

The ancient Norse religion was commonly followed and practiced by people in northern regions of the world, such as Scandinavia, Norway, Iceland and surrounding countries. It was believed that the world first came about when a northern and southern land, Niflheim and Muspellheim, both joined together. Niflheim (â€Å"house of mists†) , an extremely cold, icy land and Muspellheim (â€Å"home of desolation†) the seemingly opposite of Niflheim, a hot, fiery land. As both lands joined together, the reaction of the contrasting temperatures caused the ice of Niflheim to melt creating the first two living creatures Ymer, the giant and Audhumla, a female cow. From these two the first Gods were created (Odin, Vile and Ve), and from them the first human beings were created by Odin from an elm and ash tree. Due to a disagreeance between Ymer and the God’s, the giant was killed and from his body, landforms and other living races were created. The gods were revered by many as they were the creators of the races and established the different parts of the world, the world tree or Yggdrasil included. The Yggdrasil is one of the principal beliefs in Nordic religion as it was known as the centre of their nordic universe, the world tree was said to have held nine different realms within its branches. The realms were situated in different areas of the tree at the top, within the canopy; Asgard (heaven) was located. This is where many gods lived including Odin in Valhalla. In addition to Asgard two other realms Vanaheim (home of the fertility god) and Aflheim (home of light elves) were located at the highest level of the world tree. These realms were known as â€Å"divine†. Norse folk believed that Midgard, the middle section of Yggdrasil held the human world. Along with midgard, Nidavellir, Jotunheim and Svartalfhiem, home of the dwarves, giants and dark elves were also present here. At the third and bottom level of the tree the two lands that created the first living beings are found. It is believed that Hel, the place of death, is part of the harsh, destitute lands of Niflheim. Hel is connected to one of the three main root of the world tree and it is known as the underworld, the second root leads to Jotunheim( realm of the giants) and the third is connected to the divine realm, Asgard. The roots linked together the different levels and realms of the tree, likewise Bifrost, a magical bridge located between Asgard and the human world, Midgard was another connection between realms, allowing gods an entrance into the mortal world. The Influence of the Nordic beliefs in society was great as followers of the ancient religion could identify with the extreme life conditions and harsh weather that was also portrayed in the Nordic creation story. The Norse saw their conditions of life as a blessing from the gods and often used these gifts to the greatest advantage for example men often became farmers, cultivators, tradesmen or traders. Women in Nordic society also searched for meaning and insight from the gods as they held powerful positions in the religion. Women played a strong part in the community and often had to run the villages when the Viking warriors were away. The Norse strived to maintain a balanced lifestyle from the influence of what they had learned and incorporated from the gods. Odin was known as a wise and great warrior and many Viking men chose to follow the same path by becoming a warrior also. I was believed that one of the only worthy ways to die was to die in battle. This factor greatly contributed to the decisions of the Norse men. When a warrior died in battle he would go on to Valhalla, in the divine realm, if not they would go to Hel. The Norse people not only sought meaning from the gods, but from the actions and rituals they performed.

Friday, November 8, 2019

NAFTA Regional Brief Explanation. Writen for University of Phoenix MGT 448

NAFTA Regional Brief Explanation. Writen for University of Phoenix MGT 448 Week Two Individual Assignment: Regional PaperWhen it was first being debated, NAFTA's effect on its member countries was anticipated to be enormous. Advocates said that it would create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the United States due to vastly increased exports to member countries. Opponents claimed that NAFTA would destroy jobs rather than create them, due to a massive influx of imports and an exodus of United States firms to Mexico to take advantage of lower wages. In actuality, although NAFTA has had undisputed effects on all member countries, these changes have come nowhere close to where it was predicted. (Griswold, 2003)However, NAFTA has accomplished its main objective of more trade. Trade of merchandise between the United States and Canada at twice the rate as before NAFTA, and with Mexico, trade has grown three times as fast. The trade of services has not grown at such an exponential rate, but, even still, has contributed about two-thirds of the total increase betwee n the United States and the rest of the world.(Garten, 2003) In fact, Canada and Mexico are now the United States number one and two trading partners, respectively. Japan follows in a distant third. (Griswold, 2003)That being said, while NAFTA has had an amazing positive financial effect on Mexico and Canada, for the United States, NAFTA was primarily about foreign policy, rather than about the domestic economy. To this point, the largest benefit to the United States has been to nudge Mexico away from centralized protectionism and towards democratic capitalism. Mexico has continued to make drastic changes in its political and economic policies. For the first time since the 1970s, Mexico avoided an economic crisis due to the election cycle, and has successfully moved beyond the traditional boom-and-bust, high-inflation, and debt-ridden model that characterized it,

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

What is Christian ethics Research Paper Example

What is Christian ethics Research Paper Example What is Christian ethics Paper What is Christian ethics Paper The term ethics deals with what is morally right or wrong. Christian ethics therefore, deals with what is morally right or wrong for a Christian. There are several distinguishing characteristics of Christian ethics, each of which play a vital role to its analysis. Some Christians will base their ethics solely on the Bible and its teachings, others will base their ethics on the biblical teachings but also on Church tradition and Natural Law, others will follow a Situation or virtue ethics approach and others will look to their conscience as a guide. Christian ethics is based on Gods will and is a form of divine command position. However, God never wills anything contrary to his unchanging moral character. The ethical imperatives that God gives are in accord with his unchangeable moral character. That is, God wills what is right in accordance with his own morals Be Holy because I am Holy. Christians believe the scriptures transmit the Word of God: this gives them authority. The weight of authority given to the Bible is dependent on what exactly a Christian believes about the books. Some Christians believe that humans were inspired by God to write down the scriptures which means the writings are related to the time and culture when they were recorded and may contain human errors. This makes them a useful source of guidance to people but does not make their contents absolute. Others believe the Bible contains Gods words handed down directly to humans. This makes these writings divine and makes them the highest authority their rules and codes are absolute. The New Testament has particular importance for Christians because it records the teachings of Jesus, whom Christians regard as Gods Son sent to earth to save humanity. They also believe it is essential to follow Jesus teachings if they are to be saved. The Divine Command theory is a strong part of Christian ethics as it poses a vital belief the argument is that something is good simply because God commands it and for no other reason. This is one side of Euthyphros dilemma and states that we cannot apply reason or verify it in any way. For example, if God were to command a cruel dishonest action such as murdering an innocent man then it would be right simply because he commanded it. Many Christian thinkers, including Aquinas and more recently William Temple, have rejected the Divine Command Theory because they say some things are innately good or bad. Temple said, In its nature, the moral judgement is quite wholly independent of religion. The Roman Catholic Church accounts for the majority of Christians in the world, and is the largest religious organisation of any religion. Within Catholic theology, Natural Law holds a dominant position. Aquinas has emphasised reason as a tool for showing that certain acts are intrinsically right or wrong, as they go against true purpose; certain absolutes, such as sanctity of life, cannot be changed by the circumstances. The Church encourages a range of different approaches, but when it comes to official church teaching, the vast majority of statements, encyclicals etc. are strongly in-line with Natural Law. Within other denominations, Natural Law theology still has a significant impact. Many Christians adopt deontological positions and think we should act according to Gods design or purpose for our lives. They may be less influenced by Aquinas in this, and Protestants tend to be less sure about moral absolutes. However, there is still a strong sense of following rules within most Christian denominations. Christians believe Natural Law is God-given and as such has authority in the formulation of an ethical code. Catholics also consider that conscience plays an important part in Christian ethical decision-making. Here conscience is not seen as some inner voice which will point us in the right direction but something of reason and judgement. Christians regard their conscience as the ultimate guide for making moral decisions because it was given to them by God and represents the voice of the Holy Spirit within them. Prayer worship and the teaching of the Church also assist the conscience, which Aquinas described as reason-making moral decisions. Very liberal Protestants may have a situationist approach to Christian ethics. Situation ethics presumes it is not necessary to abandon moral autonomy, nor is it necessary to act in an antinomianistic or legalistic way. In any situation people need to avoid subjectivism and individualism, and to use the moral rules of the community, but they should set these aside if love is better served by doing so, therefore being based on the Christian principle of agape unconditional love. Joseph Fletcher explained this theory in his book about situation ethics and it became apparent that he believed that love always takes the priority, even over laws against lying, stealing, adultery and murder. For example, this could be applied in a situation where it would be wrong to use someone for sexual pleasure as there was no love involved. Virtue ethics is also an important source for Christian ethics. Instead of focusing on acts or ends, virtue theory holds that people should think about becoming better people, and prescribes qualities which constitute goodness. So while a utilitarian seeks to bring about the end with the greatest good for the greatest number, and Aquinas encouraged people to do actions which accorded with the natural law and avoid those which didnt, virtue theorists encourage people to look to self-improvement. This links to love as being the highest of all virtues and also the rationale for all virtues but just in different circumstances. The virtues, for Christian ethics point towards the goal for which we aim, even if we do not achieve it in life. In conclusion, it is evident that Christians set out to follow the Will of God. They use various sources of authority to discover what the Will of God is and I have mentioned these different types of foundations of the religion in my essay which has proved that whilst most Christians would recognise them as sources of authority, they are likely to place a different emphasis on their relative importance.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Questions about Asia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Questions about Asia - Assignment Example In a family, it is the number of persons divided by the available arable land. Rate of natural population increase refers to the total birthrates minus the total death rates in a given population. In a family setting, the rate increases with a figure and decline if the figure is negative. Doubling time refers to the period required to achieve a double population growth rate. Doubling time involves dividing the growth rate percentage into 70. A growth rate of 3.5 shows a doubling time of 20 years. Gobi desert, a cold desert and the fifth largest in the world is Asia’s largest desert (Man 8). The desert constitutes of bare rocks unlike many other deserts that are sandy. The desert has a historic treasure for fossils, pre-historic tools and early dinosaur eggs. Gobi desert has extreme environment with temperatures of over 100 degrees in summer and below – 40 degrees in winter. The desert has rapid climatic changes and little rainfall. The desert homes many animals and drought resistant shrubs. Gobi is semi desert and desert and is expanding at a high rate. The desert has a history of human habitation by mostly nomads. The desert has strong dusty winds during the fall and spring and has a water oasis. Gobi is a Mongolian name which means ‘very large and dry’. The Himalaya Mountains block the desert from receiving enough rainfall (Man 10). Taklimakan desert is a dry and hot desert. It is the largest in China and has vast salt accumulation. The desert is sandy and contains crescent shaped sand dunes that can reach 300 meters high. This desert is one of the world’s largest shifting sand deserts. The desert has frigid temperatures. The desert is moving to the neighboring areas due to a shift in the sand caused by strong winds. South Asia has several mountains examples being Himalayas and Mount Everest. The Himalaya Mountains are the highest in the world. The

Friday, November 1, 2019

LOVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LOVE - Essay Example The implementation of Adam Smith’s ideas of a free market economy, where the invisible hand would determine how, what and how much to produce in what quantities was a radical concept, as was his assertion that saving is better than consumption, giving rise to a capitalist economy. It was supported by David Ricardo’s Theory of Comparative Advantage as the basis for international trade and exchange. Modern societies depend on elected leaders and thinkers as they try to find solutions to our communal problems and bring a sense of order and belonging to our daily lives. This involves the formulation of policies that are in the public interest. In fact the degree of evolution of society can be traced to the quality of its laws, policies, procedures, ethics and morals that define and perpetuate its existence. A qualifying criticism that can be leveled against policy makers is that they tend to act in their own self interests rather than in the public interest. In other words, power tends to corrupt the best of individuals as they tend to seek what is best for them rather than society at large. F.A. Hayek saw these deficiencies in the mechanism of socialist economies as well as a capitalistic system. He argued that it was liberalism that needed to be included in the system to make it work better (Hayek, 23). Ronald Coase would interject that social costs would also enter into the equation of deciding the price of a good, as few entrepreneurs or capitalists have the capacity or talent to produce goods themselves (Coase, 12). The answer to this quandary would therefore lie in public and private watchdogs, professional and private agencies that make it their duty to point out the good and bad points of evolving laws and policies- much like a Board of Governance in a modern organization. The only caveat is that they should be answerable to no one but society at large. If we truly acted principally in the public interest and not just our own, we would soon realize that

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Essay Example This again depends on the accuracy and pure knowledge of that language. The health professionals will only depend on what they are told by this third party and not the victims or patient herself. The same applies to the other party (the family of the patients). So the blame is hard to precisely put on anybody because one is not sure about who failed in his/her task. The same thing is true for the MCMC Case as it is not easy to pin point who did wrong as three parties were involved. Besides the chart was so hard to understand something that even the author of the article attests to yet it was the only way to understand Lia and her family. He confirms how hard reading this chart was by confessing to have read it more than a hundred times. However, a psychological doctor of all the people should not use this as an excuse but should be knowledgeable about the different kinds of patients he/she can meet as well as the degree of probing that is required to break through the patient’s mind. It is true that everybody comes from a background that is based on certain culture and however much somebody is deeply entrenched in it, still there is always a possibility to accept the universally and scientifically proven conventional medical practices. This however, depends on the approach that is used to introduce such topics to the person in question here being the patient. For a doctor, giving up on the patient sooner is not always the best thing as evidenced in the way Dan Murphy had given up on the Lees family just after meeting Lia. Dan Murphy in his assertion that the relationship between the Lees and the doctors was spoilt beyond repair was quite judgmental. He is even quick to distance themselves from the mistake as well as vindicating the interpreters of any wrong doing. He appears to level the blames on the Lee’s family. According to the author, even Dan Murphy himself seems to contradict himself by

Monday, October 28, 2019

Kudler Fine Foods Computer Information System Essay Example for Free

Kudler Fine Foods Computer Information System Essay Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is a California-based provider of a variety of high end foods, both local and from around the world, founded by Kathy Kudler in 1998. Since the opening of the first location, Kudler has opened two more locations in the San Diego area; Del Mar in 2000 and Encinitas in 2003 (About, 2011). As a growing business, Kudler’s needs are constantly changing, especially in terms of the company’s information technology and information systems. This paper will discuss the needs of the company in regards to business operations and accounting, as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the systems currently in place. Based on the current technological opportunities, suggestions will be made to further improve these systems, and evaluate any threats that may affect these systems. Primary Findings Business and Accounting Needs Business Needs As a retail company, Kudler Fine Foods needs to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Kathy Kudler budgeted over $50,000 for Smith Systems to select and install the existing finance and accounting system, called Retail Enterprise Management System (REMS). REMS provides an Point-of-Sale module, or POS module, to automate all retails sales made, in detail. This system automatically reports this data to the accounting modules, as well as manages all credit/debit card transactions made in the stores. This helps to eliminate data entry errors by limiting the amount of data requiring manual input by employees (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Accounting Needs REMS also addresses the accounting needs of KFF, by providing applications for the general ledger, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, asset management and accounting modules. Each of these modules is interconnected with the POS, which allows for direct transfer of data between modules (Accounting System Overview, 2011). General Ledger Module. The General Ledger module includes the chart of accounts, and transaction details transferred y the POS system. This data is used to create the company’s budget and financial reporting. Due to the electronic transfer of data from the POS to the general ledger, this module requires minimal manual data entry (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Accounts Payable Module. The AP module allows for the check disbursement portion of the business to be done electronically. This module holds vendor data, tax and freight data, and accepts data from other modules that directly affect purchasing (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Bank Reconciliation Module. Data from the accounts payable, accounts receivable and purchase order modules are compiled automatically by the bank reconciliation module. This data is used in cash flow analysis for financial reporting (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Asset Management and Accounting: There was no module created for this portion of the business. Kudler needs to develop an efficient and economical way to track inventory and other assets, other than relying on the leasing company and spreadsheets (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Strengths and Weaknesses in the Current System Strengths The strength in the existing information system is that the modules that are installed reduce the manual data entry, thus eliminating unnecessary errors to the information, by allowing the modules to share information provided by the point-of sale machines. The POS system itself is a major benefit to the IT system as a whole, due to the number of transactions it is able to detail, catalog and parse to the interconnected modules. Secondly, the network set up at each location supports 3-4 POS terminals, an inventory terminal and a server terminal. Each individual network, for each store is providing enough storage power for the needs of each location (Information Technology, 2011). Weaknesses As previously discussed, the network setup has benefits on an individual store basis. However, the system as a whole is not sufficient in running a cohesive, multi location business. Kudler’s inventory systems are completely separate from one another, which could cause a serious issue in asset management within the company. A second weakness is the lack of policy regarding security within the system. This could lead to vulnerability to an internet attack for customer personal information and identity theft. Also, without back up procedures, there is no way for Kudler to prevent data loss, should the network(s) fail. Recommendations Based on the information above, the recommendation for Kudler and KFF would be to first, establish a set of security policies and back up procedures, in order to prevent hacking and data loss, respectively. In order to do so, Kudler would best benefit by reestablishing a working relationship with Smith Systems. Smith would then set up and maintain an offsite server that will service all three KFF locations, and allow the company to consolidate the three separate inventory systems. The offsite server would then serve as a repository for all accounting, inventory and human resources related items. Doing so will cut down the potential staffing and duplication in the inventory system. Additionally this would reduce the number of servers required, and thus reduce the potential of IT related hardware issues. Conclusion To conclude, Kudler Fine Foods uses and information system established by Smith Systems that sufficiently handles point-of-service retail sales receipts, and disburses the information to the appropriate accounting software modules. The modules receive the financial data from the sales to create financial reports, budgeting reports, and analyze accounts receivable and accounts payable. The system also maintains ordering and purchase order data, however, it does not maintain a single inventory module, which could track the sales of these items after the goods are received in the individual stores. In order for this to occur, Kudler needs to establish a solid set of security measures and procedures in the case of data loss. To address this, Smith Systems can be contracted to maintain an offsite server with security maintenance. This will help to prevent internet attacks by hackers searching for customer identification and credit card information. Once these changes are in effect KFF should see an increase in efficiency in the current systems in use.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Comparison Between Sculpture in Kuwait and Australia Essay -- Art

Comparison between Sculpture in Kuwait and Australia Research Objectives There have been significant differences between the sculptures in Kuwait and those in Australia. The research will evaluate the weaknesses in Kuwait sculptures in terms of funds accessible, available galleries and the public awareness on this artistic works. In addition, the research will evaluate ways of strengthening the sculptures in Kuwait. Synopsis The difference between contemporary and traditional art can be demonstrated by analyzing the sculptures in Kuwait. This is because the available sculptures have been neglected and the artists remain unappreciated despite their amazing talent and dedication. This paper will analyze the galleries in Kuwait, the art schools, funds allocated and the existing sculptures, and compare these factors with those in Australia. The differences to be realized after the analysis will be used to develop a strategy aimed at improving the sculptures and other artworks in Kuwait. Background Information The sculptures available in Kuwait have been long forgotten, especially those in public places. The sculpture in Rumaithiya is one example of sculptures that have been neglected, as demonstrated by the rust and cracks in the sculpture (Modeen 2009). For a very long time, many people have ignored artworks and sculptures across Kuwait. The government has also not been vibrant enough to promote sculpture making. This has made individuals to take to other jobs, hence reducing the number of artists willing to engage in sculpture making. The artists who have concentrated in sculpture making have been reducing in numbers given that in this era developed computer software is being used to generate virtual designs. Graphic design ... ...ill take another seven days after which the renowned artists and sculptors will be contacted. Depending on their schedules, the study will give each individual an allowance of ten days, and since the artists will be three, one month will be used to conduct the interviews. Works Cited Art Kuwait 2011, Spatial sound sculpture – new generation of art, viewed 29 August 2011, Drury, N 1993, New sculpture: Profiles in contemporary Australian sculpture, Craftsman House, Sydney. Lumley, A 1990, Sydney's sculpture, Longman Cheshire, Sydney. Modeen, T 2009, Public sculpture in Kuwait – Rumaithiya, viewed 29 August 2011, Sturgeon, G 1991, Contemporary Australian sculpture, Craftsman House, Sydney.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Media studies †Life on Mars Essay

How does life on mars (2006) use visual codes, technical, audio and narrative codes to create a sense of excitement and encourage the audience to watch. In this first episode of Life on Mars there are many different codes and conventions used to make this series instantly appealing to the audience. The episode is excellently paced and smartly directed, getting us into 1973 within 10 minutes and introducing new characters effortlessly. Sequence 1 of life on mars gets the audience instantly familiar with the genre, the episode begins with a police car chasing down a suspect which quickly shows us this is a hybrid police crime drama. The diegetic sounds of police sirens and dogs along with the non diegetic music, a heartbeat which is corresponding with Sam the detective in the police car creating suspense as we get a feel for how Sam is feeling as the heartbeat signifies his nerves also introducing the audience to protagonist Sam Tyler, these audio codes add up to create an exciting police chase which again expresses the genre of ‘Life on Mars’. Once out of the car Sam is forced to chase his primary suspect down an ally way in a council estate in the city giving the audience a feel for the setting. The music isn’t as dramatic while the chase is happening but speeds up during more dramatic parts of the chase which creates suspense. Cinema-verte is used when filming the chase which makes the audience feel almost part of the chase, this entertaining filming technique and creative use of music makes Life on Mars exciting to the audience creating enigma and encouraging them to watch on. This chase takes us up to Colin Raimes arrest bringing us to sequence 2. In sequence 2 Sam’s colleague and girlfriend, Maya, are interviewing suspect Colin Raimes. Sam and Maya facing Colin and his lawyers, which creates tension between these two sets of people. During the interview there is a close up of Colin Raimes which engages the audience creating tension and increasing the viewers curiosity as to what this suspect has done and makes them wonder has he done it or not? The diegetic recording sound in the background shows the viewers the interview is being recorded and shows the viewers the seriousness of the situation, the room is dark with little light which creates a professional mood, the dark setting is a technique used to scare the suspect in to talking, perfect for the situation. The narrative codes in this sequence reveal allot about Colin Raimes as he gets upset by the images he is being shown, we learn Colin sees a psychiatrist and his lawyers talk about how kids would throw fireworks at him on his estate. This is evidence to show that Colin is vulnerable and is possibly mad, the audience may take pity on him or take a different view on the suspect, this makes the viewers curious and increases their want to watch on. After the interview in sequence 3, Maya isn’t done with the suspect and decides to follow him on her own, only to be kidnapped. Once Maya is kidnapped Sam becomes sad and heads out looking for her, there is a close up of Sams face and he is distressed with tears running from his eyes. This visual codes will make the audience feel sympathetic towards Sam and shows us perhaps he is feeling stronger than just friendship for Maya. Sams nerves eventually get the better of him when he has to stop the car to refresh himself, standing there half-heartedly he says into himself,’ The world is a scary place’ again this shows the audience he is thinking about Maya and wants to find her increasing their sympathy for him and overall making the viewers want to continue to watch to see the conclusion. The different audio codes used express Sams feeling for Maya as the non diegetic music plays softly whilst he cries and thinks about her, this corresponds with the visual codes creating a sympathetic feel for the protagonist making the audience pity him. Sam is unexpectedly struck by a speeding vehicle which brings me to sequence four. Sam is struck very unexpectedly and this may have came as a shock to the audience, the accident is very unexpected and this is done deliberately to shock the audience as this scene is key to the viewers as it is where the storyline unfolds as after this it is based in 1973, where Sam time travels back in time. The diegetic sounds used are very impacting, when the car hits Sam, initially there is a loud sound to signify he has been hit, after this all that can be heard is silence which corresponds with how the audience will feel, as they will be shocked at what has just happened. This creates enigma and increases the viewers curiosity to keep watching and they are now introduced to how Life on Mars is going to take place. (back in time) will Sam be okay? what will happen next? are few of the questions the audience will be asking making them exciting and encouraging them to keep watching. Once Sam is hit and the audience are aware of what happened there is a close up of him laying vulnerably on the ground, this close up shot shows his eyes, wide open but yet not moving, with only police sirens and a heartbeat which is corresponding with Sams as he lays on the tarmac, creating tension and making the audience question if he is even alive. This close up then changes to a high shot as the camera slowly moves up, looking down on Sam which shows how empty the road is, no traffic just him. This suggests a change in time and expresses to the audience what has happened introducing them to 1973. These visual and technical codes all raise the audiences awareness causing them to ask questions and want to know the conclusion. Sequence five is the most important as, Sam wakes up to find himself in 1973, complete with 1970s era clothing and an 8-track playing â€Å"Life on Mars† in a car. Dazed and confused, Sam wanders back to the police precinct he works at, only to find it filled with cigarette-smoking, gum-chewing strangers he’s never seen before. The music is significant as before the crash David Bowies 1970’s song â€Å"Life on Mars† was playing on Sams ipod in the car. This is strange as he has travelled back in time to when this song was just out and extremely popular. Sams feeling are conveyed in different ways, with voices in his head from when he was a boy repeating,’ where are you?’ as he wakes up in a forest, obviously not where he was before. Creating enigma for the audience and making them aware of the time change increasing their excitement and want to continue watching. When Sam stands up in 1973, with no clue as to where he is the camera is low angled and is circling him while â€Å"Life on Mars† plays which really creates a confusing atmosphere showing that Sam does not know what is going on. This technical camera work helps to express Sams feelings and shows the audience a broader understanding of what’s going on. Everything has changed in Sams world, The set designs and costumes effectively evoke the era, as well as the grittiness of the run-down neighbourhood and police precinct. Everything feels straight out of the 70s, from the clothing to the cars to the horridly ugly decorating in Sam’s apartment. Throughout the episode, Sam hears hospital noises and doctor voices and at one point sees a person on late night TV talking like a doctor describing Sam being in a coma. Sam becomes increasingly convinced that he truly is in a coma, and that none of this world is real. he believes it is all part of his imagination. These are some of the ways in which Sam portrays his feelings to the audience during this sequence. Which allows the audience to get to know Sam and begin to have a feel for his character encouraging them to continue to watch Life on Mars. Later Sam meets a young police officer named Annie Cartwright who he begins to open up to and express his opinion and at one point tells her â€Å"I had an accident and when I woke up, I was here. Only here is 33 years in the past. Now, that either makes me a time-traveller, a lunatic, or I’m lying in a hospital bed in 2006 and none of this is real.† This quotation of what he says gives the audience insight into how he feels about the whole situation, this again allows the audience to engage with Sam and feel what he is going through, the audience will grow a certain like for Sam and this creates a sense of excitement and encourages the audience to continue to watch â€Å"Life on Mars†.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Nordstrom vs. Macy’s

Nordstrom's vs. Macy's Future Challenges Historically speaking, Canada has never been a great market for American retailers. The Canadian dollar was weak, costs were higher, and with limited real estate development, it was difficult to find space. Not anymore, now the door to Canada is opening wider than ever thanks to a stronger Canadian dollar, a relatively robust economy, and a loosening of the commercial real estate market, in part because of the downsizing of some longtime retailers like Sears Canada.For American retailers, Canada’s allure is simple; sales per square foot at Canadian malls were almost 50 percent higher in 2011 than sales per square foot at American malls. This is a budding market that Nordstrom will need to act towards if they hope to keep up with the competition in the future. Important Decisions Nordstrom’s has made many very important decisions in the past that have shaped them into the company they are today. The first and most important came i n 1901 when founder John W.Nordstrom decided to use the money he had left from the gold rush to open a shoe store in Seattle with Carl Wallin, called Wallin & Nordstrom. The next big decision came in 1966 when it was decided that the Nordstrom's shoe store in Portland would begin selling clothing as well. This marked a pivotal change in direction for Nordstrom’s. After the success of the Portland store, it was decided to implement the idea in the other stores. In the 1980’s Nordstrom’s experienced a boom. This was due to many factors but one of the most prevalent was their amazing use of customer support.Over almost anyone else Nordstrom’s prides itself on having some of, if not the best, customer support. This is helped by them recruiting managers from the ranks of salespeople thereby encouraging their employees to work harder while maintaining high moral. Nordstrom, along with the retail industry, sources products from around the world, and this means t hey encounter a wide range of global challenges. Many of these challenges—such as forced labor and health and safety issues—are cause for very real concern for all retailers. To address these concerns, Nordstrom created the Nordstrom Social Responsibility team in 1994.This team works closely with their Nordstrom Product Group (NPG) manufacturers and vendors to ensure that Nordstrom-label products are made in accordance with all applicable laws and ethical labor practices. Past Challenges Single-digit growth became the norm for Nordstrom throughout the early and mid-1990s. Sales grew sluggish thanks in large part to fluctuations in demand for women's apparel and the severe recession in southern California, where more than half of the company's total store square footage was located in the early years of the decade. The double-digit growth of the 1980s was gone.The sales increases of the 1990s were largely attributable to new store openings. By 2003 after several changes in management Nordstrom appeared to have regained its lost luster through cost containment, technology initiatives, and a refocusing on its niche: luxury goods at affordable prices. Some analysts considered technology to be the key component, particularly a new state-of-the-art merchandising system, which began to be rolled out in 2002. The system could track sales minute by minute throughout its stores, enabling Nordstrom to reduce markdowns and better target its offerings to customers.On the merchandise side, the retailer began introducing edgier fashion offerings in a department called â€Å"via C,† in an attempt to leverage its core customer base, which was younger and had a wider age range than its main competitors, Neiman-Marcus Co. and Saks Incorporated. Nordstrom enjoyed its most profitable year ever in 2003. Nordstrom’s continued reliance on aggressive sales tactics came around to bite them in late 1980s. The employees' union (which was later decertified) com plained about the pressure on employees to sell.In late 1989 a group of unionized employees charged that they were not being paid for performing extra services to customers. In February 1990, after a three-month investigation, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries alleged that the company had systematically violated state laws by failing to pay employees for a variety of duties, such as delivering merchandise and doing inventory work. The agency ordered Nordstrom to change its compensation and record-keeping procedures, and to pay back wages to some of Nordstrom's 30,000 employees.Soon after, the firm created a $15 million reserve to pay back-wage claims. The company, however, remained a target of class-action lawsuits on these matters, which were finally settled out of court in early 1993 when Nordstrom agreed to pay a set percentage of compensation to employees who worked at Nordstrom from 1987 to 1990. The settlement cost the company between $20 million and $30 mi llion. Specific Competitive Advantages One specific competitive advantage Macy's holds over Nordstrom's is its target demographic.While Nordstrom's focuses mainly on career moms between the ages of 35 and 50, Macy's recently launched â€Å"Millennial strategy† states that its merchandise areas primarily serve ages 19-30. The millennial generation (ages 13-30) is now America's largest and most diverse generation, spending an estimated $65 billion each year for the type of merchandise sold at Macy's. A much larger demographic gives Macy's a competitive advantage. On the other hand, Nordstrom's has a distinct advantage over Macy's when it comes to customer loyalty and social-oriented traffic.Macy's and Nordstrom's have been largely based in malls for decades, but recently, malls have become less popular in the United States. As a result, both companies have been forced to open free-standing stores in scattered locations in a community. Since Nordstrom's has a slightly older demo graphic with more buying power and need for social status through brands, loyal customers of Nordstrom's will be more willing to travel to shop there. Macy's, who targets a younger demographic, has less loyal customers with buying power and relies more on impulse buyers and young mall-goers looking to spend a little extra money.Comparative Statistics In 2011, Macy's boasted $26. 4 billion in net sales. That figure has grown steadily since the economic crash of 2008. Nordstrom's showed $10. 8 billion in net sales in the same year. Again, this figure has grown steadily since the economic downturn. Macy's has a whopping 171,000 employees. Nordstrom's has only 52,430 employees as of 2011. With Macy's being a much larger chain, this difference is to be expected. Macy's operates 400 stores in 33 states as of the year ended 2012. Currently, Nordstrom's operates 109 stores in 28 states.In May of 2007, Macy's reached its pinnacle of prosperity in terms of market shares value and profitabilit y. Its common stock price was valued at 45. 05 and business was looking up. Surprisingly, by October of the next year, the stock price had plummeted as low as 7. 42 as the company struggled to stay afloat and fight through the crippling recession. Today, the stock has recovered to 41. 71, and is predicted to continue its growth. Nordstrom's, however, has shown more resilience through the recession. While it still fell from 55. 1 to 11. 37 in 2008, it has shot up to rates above its previous record. With the stock price as high as 57. 2 in the past year, Nordstrom shows a stronger trend of increase than Macy's. Summary We recommend investing in Nordstrom over Macy’s. With Nordstrom’s forecasted growth and success in Canadian markets, we expect Nordstrom to grow consistently for years to come. While Macy’s size and net income are attractive, we feel that Nordstrom has a better management structure and potential for growth in coming years.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

An Online MBA During Trying Times Essays

An Online MBA During Trying Times Essays An Online MBA During Trying Times Essay An Online MBA During Trying Times Essay The rhythm of life ebbs and flows; the most we can sincerely count on is the fact that nothing will ever remain the same for too long. While we all surely wish that we could live a life that is predominately smooth and enjoyable, we recognize that we are going to face trying times here and there throughout our lives. Often, the only way that we can see our way clear to finding our way out of turmoil is to be proactive and aggressively seek out those things that will help us find ourselves again. There is a particular time in our lives during which we may feel exceptionally unfulfilled with where we are and what we have accomplished; a feeling of overall dissatisfaction and the general malaise that come with feeling there is little time or options to change that which has already been done. Some people refer to this time as a â€Å"mid life crisis† but the fact is that such feelings can come at any age. For those of us who may be particularly dissatisfied with our careers, we may consider this the time to pursue a higher education so as to further our opportunities in the industry of our choosing and perhaps change the course of our lives. But while this may be the desire, the reality is that with a job already in place, and other responsibilities holding our attention, it is challenging at best to fit more schooling into the equation. Subsequently, this may be the time to pursue an online degree such as an online MBA. Many people pursuing a higher education often look to the MBA – a powerful degree that can open many career doors. But with life being as harried as it often is – and in the midst of an already emotional time – most people would find the prospect of traveling to and from campus unthinkable. An online MBA allows students to earn the degree from the comfort of their homes – and within the timeframe that is convenient for them; which means the work required to earn an online degree can be done at night, in the mornings, on weekends, or whenever is best suited for the student.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Jodi Picoult Bio

Jodi Picoult Bio Jodi Picoult is a bestselling author of literary fiction, although many have called her books womens fiction. Shes an unusually  prolific author, having written over twenty novels. Jodi Picoults books are quick paced and controversial. Is the woman behind the books as provocative?   Born: May 19, 1966, in Nesconset on Long Island in New York. Family Life: Picoults family moved to New Hampshire when she was 13. Although she left New Hampshire for college and her early jobs, she settled there again as a married woman. She currently lives in Hanover, New Hampshire with her husband, Tim Van Leer, and their three children, Sammy, Kyle and Jake. She was raised in a non-practacing  Jewish household.   Education: Picoult studied writing at Princeton University, where she earned her bachelors degree. She also earned a masters degree in education from Harvard University. Writing: Picoult wrote her first story, The Lobster which Misunderstood, when she was five. While at Princeton, she published two stories in Seventeen magazine. She wrote her first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale, while she was pregnant with her first child, and published it in 1992. Picoults novels usually deal with ethical issues and are told from a variety of viewpoints, with each chapter written in a different characters voice. Picoult uses this technique to show multiple sides of a situation and underscore areas of moral ambiguity. She has several reoccurring  characters, who have appeared in multiple books. While characters may make cameo appearances the books are not part of a series. All of her novels are stand alone titles.   She is known for her incredibly researched plots, many of which involve some kind of courtroom drama. As she usually writes roughly a book a year, Picoult is always researching one book while completing work on a previous title.   Here is a complete list of all Jodi Picoults books. Movies: Picoult writes stories that are heart-wrenching and full of family drama. It should be no surprise, then, that several of her books have been adapted into films for Lifetime, a TV network for women. Her first feature film, My Sisters Keeper, was released in theaters in 2009. It starred Cameron Diaz and Abigail  Breslin. Here is a complete list of all Jodi Picoults movies. Jodi Picoult Trivia: Picoults family has two Springer spaniels, two donkeys, two geese, three ducks and six chickens.When her oldest son finished reading My Sisters Keeper, he broke into tears and wouldnt speak to his mother for a while because he was so mad about the ending.Picoult has had personal experience with the sort of medical drama she writes about. When her middle son, Jake, was six he was diagnosed with cholesteatoma in his ear a benign tumor that can grow into your brain and kill you. He had 10 surgeries in three years and was partially deaf until recently.Picoult likes to read Alice Hoffman.Picoult has also written one book titled  Off the Page  with her daughter. Sammy chose to write under the name Samantha van Leer. It is considered a young adult novel.   Jodi Picoults Official Website: jodipicoult.com

Sunday, October 20, 2019

7 Writing Warm Ups for More Productive Writing

7 Writing Warm Ups for More Productive Writing Wonder how to stimulate and encourage your brain to simply dive into the writing process? A few warm-up activities will help to get your words and ideas flowing. Why is it important to warm up? The answer is quite predictable: to avoid the writers block and start writing right away. You would be surprised at how much writing will come from you once youre warmed up. Youll easily banish all distractions and get down to putting the words on paper. Here are a few proven ways to make you think and force your brains into action. 1. Describe Whats Going On Outside Your Window It is the easiest writing warm up ever! You just to have look out your window and write down your observations. Try not just to focus on people, buildings and weather, think what else is there. Do you see something unusual? Consider the peoples emotions and imagine what they may be talking about. Try to be specific to make sure that your description takes no more than 5 sentences. Its just a short warm up that shouldnt last more than 15 minutes. 2. Write Imaginary Definitions of Unknown Words Take a dictionary and open it on a random page. Find a word you are not sure how to define. Then create an imaginary definition for it. Play with words and youll discover new ways of saying old things. Be inspired and your imagination will help you produce the most vivid descriptions. Repeat this exercise for several times until you feel that your brain is warmed up enough to proceed with your main task. 3. Describe Your First Experience Describe your first. Your first day of school, first kitten, first job, first car, first yoga class, first date, it doesnt matter – all will make excellent stories. The first time of doing something is always an exciting experience, so youll easily find the right words to describe it and avoid that situation of staring at a blank sheet of paper. Concentrate on your emotions and start developing them in full – get the creative juices flowing! 4. Pretend Youre a Travel Writer Find a world map and blindly put your finger somewhere. Then pretend you are a travel writer and tell about the weird experience in that particular country. What happened? How did you behave in that unusual situation? How did you solve the problem? You may include anyone and anything you want into your story – locals, taxi drivers, bartenders, random people. Youll get a killer piece of content, just take some inspiration and put your pen to paper. 5. Create a Half-Page Monologue Creating monologues is a great way to warm up, so get in the habit of writing them. Take a newspaper or go to google news, find an interesting headline, then decide on a character who comes from that headline and write a short monologue for that character. Be specific, it is just a warm up and you dont have to create a long piece of writing. A half-page monologue will be more than enough to get your brain into the writing mode. 6. Write a Letter to Your Future Self Writing a letter can be a really wonderful experience. There are no restrictions on how old you should be – one year, five years or 10 years from now. What would you say? What kind of person would you be? What goals would you want to have achieved? Think about your place in life, your achievements or fails. First of all, identify the period of time to write about and start writing. Dont pay much attention to the letter format as its just a quick warm up. 7. Consider a Free Writing Session Give yourself a time limit and go. Dont stop, just get the words on a page. Write about everything that comes to your mind. Dont give your brain a moment to stop or evaluate your ideas, set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and write without interruption. Free writing is not the time for editing or judging, you need to keep your pen moving. You will see that a free writing session is beneficial for more productive writing.