Monday, September 30, 2019

Global warming Essay

Persuasive Speech Good day everyone, today I admonish about global warming. As we know that global warming is on the rise and worsen our planets condition, and as a concern citizen to our environment we should make an action to fight global warming, we should have maintenance and changes to our surroundings to help our dying planet; wake up to reality and be part of the preservation of our mother earth. Global warming has started since the late 19th century and still continues to the present time. According to studies global warming is getting worst through the years and even we can feel the changes in our climate. The melting of North and South Pole are some evidence of the rising temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and ocean caused by the increasing concentrations of green house gases produced by human activities. And since 1980 the rise of temperature increases two-thirds from the preceding. For now we know how global warming mount and on its greatest. We should be concern to life, to our future, to our children’s children and to all living things in our planet. And I also predict if global warming still prolong and influence our planets worsening condition, 5000 years is the remaining time to our planet that life can exist for even us could imagine what would happen to the upcoming years if global warming still continues. Today there are lots of people producing actions that battle global warming but still they are lacking, they still need more or else all people to be a component of the conservation of our planet. Even there are many citizens saving the earth but the more citizens killing our planet, it is useless. I hope that you will realize the effects of global warming and be more concerned to our environment .To have the sense of discipline to do the right things for the goodness of our planet, so that we won’t suffer. And once again I’m knocking on you to wake up and be part of the preservation of our planet. Thank you. God bless!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Legal System Essay

â€Å"World order† is the term given to the balance of power among the nation states of the world. Differences between these nations can lead to a power imbalance, which affects world order. It can best be achieved through agreements between states and other international instruments that set out the ideal international standards of behavior for states on a number of issues. But conflicts arise between countries due to differences in cultural attitudes and the desire for extra territory. In order to settle such disputes the international community has legal bodies such as the United Nations to cooperate with countries to find solutions and be a leader in settling and spreading ethical standards. Their prime aim is to promote world order. But for society not only the autonomy of nations and the lack of enforcement power but also a range of other factors limit the effectiveness of such an organisations. Each country has its own perspective on world order and not all meets eye to eye. But it can be argued that world order is a necessity in today’s society. There are many conflicts between majorities and minorities or nation against nation that can take many forms such as guerilla, military and nuclear warfare. An example of a military conflict was the Gulf war between Iraq and the UN lead forces concerning the occupation of Kuwait. But not all conflicts fit into the category of direct confrontation; some arise when a group ignores the needs of another or exploits them. For example after a long civil war in 1996 when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Many measures severely restricted women’s rights and alienated other Afghans. Due to an imbalance of economic power further conflicts can arise such as when a third world country cannot compete with developed nations because of the lack of capital they possess. When a dominant group expands its power by taking over territory and increasing its population and its resources, it is called expansion, which affects the international power structure that can possibly threaten world order. Even though it can be achieved through peaceful practices it mainly takes form in a conflict. In a stable global environment, interdependence, this means that nations rely upon others, can have favorable outcomes. But in an unstable world order, it can lead to conflict and the possible subjugation of weaker nations. Throughout history, local communities and indigenous people have suffered dramatically from conflict and expansion as more dominant groups have both directly and indirectly damaged their culture through the loss of customs, social structure and language. International crimes are criminal acts that have international repercussions on people, state, peace, law and enforcement of international law. The ICC has the jurisdiction over some international crimes. Such international crimes include apartheid (South Africa), genocide (Rwanda), Crimes against humanity (Former Yugoslavia), war crimes (Kosovo), piracy and hijacking. In the international sphere, force plays an important role in maintaining law and order which are critical in the success of world order. The use of force is seen as the most obvious way to maintain order and prevent or resolve conflicts. But it comes with such negatives as being highly expensive and costly in terms of the civilians and soldiers lost. Over the last century two world organisations have been established to prevent war and have legal authority to use force in certain circumstances. After World War One in 1920 the League of Nations was created as a place where governments could bring their disputes. But the L of N had no automatic right to intervene and most governments didn’t agree in bringing disputes before it. With limited membership and those that were members weren’t accustomed to working together, it was flawed. It was however able to make progress in the suppression of slavery, world health, the protection and care for refugees and settling minor disputes. But once the 1930’s began it cease to have any political relevance. After the failure of the League of Nations the United Nations formed, which founded a charter that outlined its purpose and methods of achieving it’s goals. The Un charter (1945) enshrined the idea that force or the threat of force should not be the norm in international relations. Although they were realistic enough to realise that force would sometimes be used. The UN was deliberately created as a more ambitious organisation and has six main organs: The Security Council, the General Assembly, Secretariat, the Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice and Trusteeship Council. Membership is based on whether the nation state is â€Å"peace loving† and willing to accept all the obligations of the UN Charter. The Security Council consists of fifteen member states with only five permanent members, which have the power to veto majority decisions. These five permanent members are Britain, France, USA, China and Russian Federation, which reflect the dominance each has in the world order (except Russia). The UN gives the Security Council, which is responsible for international peace and security, two ways of dealing with a threat to world peace. The first involves the use of peaceful methods such as economic sanctions. The second involves the use of armed forces. Peacekeeping is defined by as: The maintenance of international peace using formed troops under UN control to prevent the outbreak or renewal of fighting or by stabilising a situation sufficiently to promote peace. † – Butterworths Australian Legal Dictionary. The Un Peacekeepers are an assembly of a very diverse, international group of soldiers and civilians, which assists in settling disputes that restores the peace in an area. However it doesn’t constitute an army as often they are made up of doctors, nurses and pilots. In many situations UN peacekeepers help clear landmines, train civilians and even monitor elections. For example in Namibia, the UN peacekeepers supervised a democratic election, which lead to the county’s sovereignty. The presence of peacekeepers can have positive affects such as the limit in the spread of violence in Haiti and Cyprus, but in other places they have been less successful i. e. the UN peacekeeping in Somalia in 1992. As Somalia fell into clan-based civil war, the country collapsed and the UN was unable to restore peace and eventually departed as Somalia remained in chaos. Originally the five permanent members of the Security Council were meant to coordinate the peacekeeping forces. But in reality they are conducted outside the UN’s regular budget, where national governments deployed troops to the peacekeeping efforts. Much of the peacekeeping is done by Ireland, Sweden and Australia. Australia has contributed either military forces or police to 54 peacekeeping forces and in 1999-2000 Australia played a leading role in reestablishing order in East Timor. Australia has also conducted peacekeeping efforts outside of the UN’s operation in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. On the other hand the UN peacekeepers are limited in their effectiveness as they can only use force in self-defense, therefore they cannot directly intervene unless they are shot at and made themselves targets of conflict. Due to the dominance of some states in the world order, there is no equal treatment between nations states, which are members of the UN. Even though the UN charter states that there must be equality, in practice it does not exist. Due to the nature of certain UN bodies it is inevitable that smaller states are marginalized. However the situating of the United Nations in New York enables every member to sit side by side and have an immediate translation of languages, which breaks down barriers to communication. The UN has successfully raised the conscience of human rights through its conventions and the attention to specific abuses through its resolutions. But its ability to function is hampered by its financial problems as it is expected to govern the country on $8 billion per year, which is less than the amount of money the world spends on defense each week. It is resource ineffective as it ahs gone deeper in to debt as countries are slow to pay. Its enforceability is limited as it lacks the power to sufficient apply equal force to every nation should members ignore UN resolutions. War is not the only means of ending a conflict; a more peaceful method is through international tribunals. The International Court of Justice is an arm of the UN and is therefore one of the worlds main judicial bodies. Established in 1946, it is sometime referred to as the ‘world court. With its jurisdiction applies when it is in accordance with international law. Its primary role is to decide matters submitted by countries and to advise on the matters. It can also apply its authority when there is a special agreement about a dispute in which the parties to a treaty nominate the ICJ as the mechanism for resolution. The ICJ is a permanent court where 15 judges are elected by the UN Security Council and the General assembly. Not only can the ICJ resolve disputes by making a ruling, it can also generate political pressure to persuade countries to alter their behavior. In theory, the courts decisions are binding and without appeal. However in practice the losing party unwilling to abide by the ruling and the Security Council often limits its effectiveness is restricted to enforce the ruling. For example in the case of the US versus Nicaragua (1984), the decision stated that the US had to cease unlawful terrorist activities against Nicaragua and ordered that the US pay reparation. However they refused to pay and subsequently withdrew from the ICJ. But one of the main limitations the ICJ has is that only states can be parties to cases before the court. No individual, organisation or company can bring forth a matter. Plus both parties need to agree to have the court hear the matter. This is a dilemma in itself as the rulings are final and no country is going to openly dispute the matter where there is a possibility of losing. Its restrictive power reduces its ability to take initiatives and its lack of power to enforce and police its decisions has become a major criticism. The International Criminal Court ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for committing genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes. The ICC is a treaty based, legal entity independent from the UN. Despite this autonomy it works closely with the UN to promote the rule of law. The ICC has the power to imprison the offender if found guilty for life but does not offer the death penalty. One of the main objectives to the ICC is that some countries believe that there is little supervision of the court’s apparatuses and the verdicts may become subject to political matters. For the ICC, it has taken four years for the required sixty signatures to be gained and the treaty ratified. The United States of America can undermine the proceedings of the court by refusing to supply evidence and witnesses, like any other country can. During the 1990’s several atrocities where occurring in the Balkans and Africa. This resulted in specialist tribunals developed to deal with the specific investigations. War crimes and crimes against humanity were happening in former Yugoslavia. Thus in 1993 the UN Security Council created a new war crimes tribunal. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) had the jurisdiction over breaches of the Geneva Conventions and international customary law. On 12 February 2002, Slobodan Milosevic, the former president of Yugoslavia was charged of the planning and implementing, on a widespread and systematic scale and attack on the civilian population of Kosovo. Kosovo, which was a province of Serbia, had a majority population of Muslim Albanians and Slobodan was accused of leading a campaign of â€Å"ethnical cleansing†. This was the first time a former head of state had faced charges of crimes against humanity. Unfortunately Milosevic died in 2006 before his trial concluded. The fact that the ICTY tried Slobodan, illustrate that justice can be achieved when nations cooperate with the international community. In Africa, more specifically Rwanda, genocide was occurring between the two main ethnic groups the Hutu and Tutsis. Based on the ICTY model in 1994 the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established to prosecute those responsible for genocide in the republic. This tribunal was instated in response to over whelming pressures and has started a series of trials. These Ad Hoc tribunals have one specific purpose and may take time to be established which could mean the loss of thousands of lives. It is not a permanent body and will disband once trials have concluded. Sometimes as in the case with the ICTY where the main target is one person, it can suppress other investigations as most of its resources may be deployed in trailing that one person. The nature of Ad Hoc has proved to be cost ineffective and time consuming. International instruments such as treaties and customary law form the principle source of international law and are some measures of achieving world order. Treaties, which can also be called conventions, statutes or charters, are binding agreements. They formalise the process where by governments through international agencies work together on common problems. The two types of treaties are bilateral and multilateral treaties in where states agree on terms and the parties are therefore bond by it. Since 1945 there has been some significant treaties signed that are an indispensable part of the current world order

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Dust storms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dust storms - Research Paper Example On the other hand, global warming is also playing a vital role in heating up the world terrain to a high extent through deforestation and discharging of industrial elements, where the climate and the environment has come under a major catastrophe. The environmental hazards and the natural disasters have covered the whole world along with the entire populace, civilizations and ecosystems with its drastic effects, that includes â€Å"dust storms, windstorms, sea storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, flood, volcanic eruption, cyclone, tsunami,  and many more† (Webster, pp. 358). Dust storm is a meteorological event that comes under definition as â€Å"A severe windstorm that sweeps clouds of dust across an extensive area, especially in an arid region† (Webster, pp. 358). In other words, a storm that carries clouds, which comes under formation by dust through a very powerful unsettled and destructive wind, travels numerous miles in a region that tends to be dry and infertile. P arched and warm air comes under frequent alliance with the sand storm that is obvious and noticeable by massive pressures. A dust storm varies through their volume and the larger storm may engross and occupy pace of the particles that depend upon the wind haulage. One of the biggest calamities of dust storm that came under the experience by the inhabitants of United States occurred in the decade of 1930s, which brought mammoth corrosion to the soils and farms, and caused material hardships as well that made a big faction of the population to relinquish their homes. The blending and amalgamation of environmental aspects with human activities results in the happenings of dust storms. In general, the storm leave drastic affects on to the people as it breach and create obstruction in the air, road, and rail transportation, which compel the denizens to go in the house in order to get protection from the dangerous dusty air. These storms have such a strong impact that often, people come u nder coercion to depart from their residence and go through the course of sand and grime came with the storm. The strong dust cloud welcomes the natives who are outside due to work or other reasons and they experience the consequences of the storm (Heinrichs, pp. 4-9). The contributions of two factors that include the transfer of coarse that is flat and parallel; bits and pieces of dust sized; and the fluctuation of excellent minute elements that is upright makes up the course of action of the sand release and discharge. The small elements come under emission into the air in the form of nano-elements that erodes from the coarse elements such as the face of water bodies, where it comes under interruption by the hauling of meteorological turmoil that can be for thousands of miles. The impact of the dismissal or ejections of dust particles are significant on the marines and the output or the yield of world as they endow and enrich the environmental supplements and food. The containeriz e of coarse also has an effect on the conditions, attributes and elements of air moving. The assimilation and dispersion of the radiations from the sun through inorganic droplets, brings a change to the

Friday, September 27, 2019

Strategic management ..case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic management ..case analysis - Essay Example account the stability in the firm’s profits – the years 1998-1999 was a period with no increase in the firm’s profits despite the facts that the investment on the firm’s units remained high. The plan of Brenda Barnes was based on the ‘divestiture of weak-performing business units and product categories accounting for $8.2 billion in sales’ (case study). The specific strategic decision could be characterized at a first level as risky – the business units involved in the plan represent the 40% of the firm’s revenues. In this context, the firm’s profitability would be reduced; however, Barnes believed that the specific initiative would lead shortly to the increase of the firm’s profitability. In accordance with the above, the retrenchment strategy suggested by Barnes has changed the firm’s existing line up. Up to the introduction of Barne’s strategic plan the firm was based on the simultaneous promotion o f various products/ services but also the continuous expansion of the firm’s operational activities through the acquisition of competitors; Barne’s strategic plan has led to the limitation of expansion of the firm’s activities but also to the increase of its strength regarding specific products/ services – those with strong brand names. The effectiveness of the specific strategy will be analyzed further on taking into consideration the market conditions and the position/ power of competitors. The products offered by Sara Lee represent a wide range of industries. At its beginning (1939) the firm was related with the distribution of specific products (sugar, coffee, tea). Gradually, the firm’s activities were expanded to many different industries (selling of meat, canned products, vacuum cleaners, personal care products, household products, athletic wear, grocery, bakery products, coffee brands and so on). The long – term attractiveness of these brands cannot be guaranteed; because all these products need to be equally promoted, the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Response and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Response and Analysis - Essay Example â€Å"Somewhere his family is weeping for him. His friends call for my blood. Maybe he had a girlfriend who really believed he would come back† (Collins 240). However, at the beginning of the game she thought that he is a enemy for her, that she will have to kill him to live. And after the claim that both of tributes can win the game, pace of the book suddenly speeded up. And the fight against the powerful tributes began. We can consider Catone as a negative character to be one of the tributes, despite the fact ,that he had the alliance with other experienced in killing tributes, he also didn’t have understanding of respect to the groupmates. He was cold-blooded killer and he left the Glimmer dying from the bites of insects. He didn’t want to help her, probably because she will fight with him when all other tribute will die. â€Å"Glimmer and another girl, the one from District 4, are not so lucky. They receive multiple stings before they’re even out of my view. Glimmer appears to go complete-190 ly mad, shrieking and trying to bat the wasps off with her bow, which is pointless. She calls to the others for help but, of course, no one returns.† Moreover, he was very sadistic and cruel for other tributes, even helpless and weak. He had no mercy towards the people who were less experienced. And after betrayal of Peeta, Cato has hate to everybody. â€Å"What are you still doing here?† he hisses at me. I stare uncomprehendingly as a trickle of water drips off a sting under his ear. His whole body starts sparkling as if he’s been dipped in dew. â€Å"Are you mad?† He’s prodding me with the shaft of the spear now. â€Å"Get up! Get up!† I rise, but he’s still pushing at me. What? What is going on? He shoves me away from him hard. â€Å"Run!† he screams.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Find a small company that does not have a website and writing about Research Paper

Find a small company that does not have a website and writing about the benefits of a website for this company and the benefits of other uses for the the internet for this company - Research Paper Example It is essential for any business to have a website especially at this era of globalization and industrialization so as to be able to compete with the rapid changing world. Most companies have however embraced this type technology, because this is where they communicate their business mission or rather their business requirement. It enables an organization to make information about their business easily available to people and as well as their services offered and products available. Additionally, increased competition among companies producing products that satisfy the same need, has made entrepreneurs look for all possible ways so as to enjoy customer share (Diamond, 2008). A website designed professionally is necessary for such a case. In the following text am going to discuss on a sole proprietorship company. It is an auto repair and tire shop town outside Chicago in a small town (Tire Inc). When the shop was being started, the primary aim was to make it known for its quality repair. However, along the way the owner felt it would be better to satisfy customers need by selling tires. The shop has a wide variety of selection for tires so that the customer can never lack tire there. The staffs are trained and knowledgeable about tire. Therefore, they offer quality services; hence the business of tires has turned out to be more profitable than the initial business. As much as the owner wants to maintain the repair work he also wants to expand the tire business. He believes if he uses the internet he will expand his sales and also benefit from the understanding of his staffs on customer need. The management believes that the right web strategy will help the shop to improve on customer service, increase sales and also create retail outlets in other locations. It is crucial for a business to know what internet business model that is appropriate for them, so as to be able to select right internet business

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

General Principles of Criminal Liability Assignment

General Principles of Criminal Liability - Assignment Example And, anything that does not match with such goodness is evil or crime deserving punishment. Such a belief is followed by the society as a whole and such moral thoughts consider crime as evil, reflecting a direct association of the criminal law and morality (Gilly, Gilinskiy and Sergevnin 2009). Jurisprudential positivists have tried to focus on the fact that law and morality are separated. The connection between law and morality was mainly supported by the classical natural law thinkers. However positivism reflects a theory that criminal law is not associated with moral. The positivists tried their best to distinguish between law and morality but it could be obtained that if the two were separated then all intersections of criminal law and morality would be rejected. Thus the concept of positivism in relation to cause a separation between law and morality was found to be confusing and hence eventually unacceptable (Legal Positivism of Law 2012). The inherent relation between law and morality has become more prominent. This is reflected in issues of homosexual marriage or rights of abortion where the criminal law based on English law can be seen to be supporting issues based on the moral principles carried by the society since the early times. One of the most common cases in the English law that reflects on the relation between the criminal law and mortality is the Regina v. Dudley & Stephens Case. The case reflects upon two men and a boy who became stranded at a sea, and when they were almost dying, the two men decided to kill the boy and eat him up, considering the fact that the boy did not have a family like they did, and also was starving. However, post their rescue, the two men were charged by the court as guilty of the murder and the law does not have support for the excuse they presented (Regina v. Dudley & Stephens: Morality, Murder and the Criminal Law 2009). In the above mentioned cases, the decisions of the legal system have significantly been based o n the moral beliefs of the society. Thus it can be said that although the positivists tried to distinguish the two considering the fact that the nature of the law needs to be different and irrespective of the moral beliefs of the society; however, it could not be achieved and hence the inherent relation of law and morality is prevalent and can be significantly seen in several criminal cases in the present times. Solution 2: As far as legal certainty with regard to English law is concerned, there are laws that determine the laws in the system. There are particular discipline and approaches of all lawyers that they use for resolution of legal issues. One of the main aims of the system of precedent is to establish legal certainty. Considering the law of precedent, the legal system should stand by what it has decided on any particular issue. This is also known as the doctrine of stare decisis, where for example, the decision taken by a High Court is imposed upon the lower courts. Howeve r, such a legal system would only mean that in certain cases, the treatment for same crimes or acts might become different thereby raising the question of injustice, if the precedent cases are not highlighted or overviewed while considering a current case (Perell 1987). As could be observed in the case of Bell v Lever Brothers Ltd, the judgment was based

Monday, September 23, 2019

Precision Pricing for Profit in the New World Order Essay

Precision Pricing for Profit in the New World Order - Essay Example This report discusses the concept of sprint selling by illustrating its basic elements and ways companies can implement this innovative sales approach. Sprint selling is a business technique that focuses on speeding up the time to close in order to increase efficiency and achieve better results for a company. To understand speed selling one must comprehend the consequences of going the opposite direction. All companies depend on having a cash flow in order to keep a business going. If it takes a company more than a year to close out its sales leads the firm is operating in a risky environment because overhead and operating expenses may eat up a company budget prior to achieving the sale. In the process of going for a home run customer that can bring high amounts of the revenue the company, basic necessities must be met, thus this is where sprint selling comes to the rescue. Sprint selling is a process that increases the chances of longevity because it ensures a quick sales turnover where a company obtains many closed sales in short periods of time. Spring selling works best a part of the integrated plan in which sprint selling is ut ilized as a combined strategy that involves the creation of a diversified customer portfolio. The responsibility of obtaining sales for a company is shared by the marketing and sales team. The marketing team concentrates on attracting new customers and sales leads, while the sales team has to follow up on those sales leads and are the ones that must close the sale. This means that the salespeople are the ones that have a greater influence on the total elapsed time of a sale cycle. The sales team has to incorporate a selection strategy of customer prospects that reduce risks associated with both extremes. Sprint selling works best for smaller accounts that require less hassle implying that a company can not solely survive with these accounts in the long term. Bigger accounts require more time and a sprint selling approach realizes the need of having a balance between smaller and larger customer. The approach does encourage to find ways to shorten the overall closing time for big accounts as part of the company overall strategy. Â  

Sunday, September 22, 2019

My granddad who is in his 60s Essay Example for Free

My granddad who is in his 60s Essay Childhood in its simplest term is defined as the period of time that a person is a child, for a something that sounds so simple childhood is an extremely complex concept. No-one’s childhood is ever the same, similar, yes! But our childhood experiences are unique. Affected by many factors such as; personal experiences, personality, restraints (money, rules, laws) , period born, place that we were born, gender etc†¦ . Childhood is understood to be social constructed, therefore the definition of an ‘ideal’ childhood never says the same for long even in the same society expectations of childhood is constantly evolving, circumstances change; new laws are passed, enhancements in science and technology, war all contribute to the social construction of childhood. It is thought as years have passed that the childhood has improved; more toys, more places to go, better education, entering a technological era, greater understanding of health, all are a part of the life we all now know. However, no matter how many toys, recent gadgets, new clothes a child is given is it really any consolation to the loss of quality time with their parents? Money does not grow on trees, and in recent years percentage of both parents having to work has increased dramatically, you are far less likely to see a stay at home mum but two working parents that won’t even be home by the time their children get home from school. It is said that children have become more independent? Partly I agree children do have to spend more time without the company and influence of their family, however, everything else is handed to them on a plate, children now no longer have to work for what they want but get given it as compensation by their parents who no longer have time for their children, does this really show childhood has improved? To investigate how the ideology of childhood has changed over the years, I interviewed my granddad who is in his 60’s, he began to explain how him and his siblings had a structured up bringing parents were strict but reasonable, they all respected each other and his father was the dominant in the household, they all knew there place. He lived in a 2 bedroom house; mum and dad in one room and him and his two brothers in another. Everything was basic, clothes where either second hand or more often than not hand me downs from his elder brother . Toys were not like they are now you had the choice of small figurines or marbles he’s favourite was a small teddy knitted by his mother. However, the majority of the time they entertained themselves by playing with the other children that lived on their street, he stated games are not what they are now you had to use your imagination and be social to have a good time, you could not just sit in front of a computer screen talk to your all friends. His mother was a stay at home mum, she was relied on to keep the house in order and make sure dinner was on the table as their father got in. Every night they would sit around the table to eat and be thankful for whatever they were given, he made it quite clear there was no snacking so you’d saver every last bit. He did go to school, it was small but education was taken seriously by all the students even though it was basic. He had his first job at the age of 16 and had to use the money he earned to buy himself the things he wanted, which taught him at a young age how important the concept of money is. Overall his memories as a child were extremely happy and family orientated. It is clear when comparing the information given in the interview, to the expectations of what childhood is meant to be like in the twenty-first century, peoples childhoods have changed significantly over the years. Although who is to say this change is for the better? Admittedly children now have a much better education and health care but is that really important when they are taken for granted by most. Even though we have progressed greatly in our understanding of science and technology, as well as being given a wider range opportunities and the freedom to express ourselves. We have lost what was once the most important parts of society and that’s family values, no longer is quality time thought of as important, in fact no one, not even children have time for it. Or do they? is the reason our children are so corrupt and confused, is it because they are begging for the attention of their parents who don’t have the time for them. It seems to me even children now are no longer brought in to this world because couples wanting a family but babies are just another step to having this materialistic ‘perfect’ life everyone is now striving for. I have been focusing on the stereotypical childhood of a child in a more economically developed country, I have concluded that childhood has both progressed in a positive as well as negative way. But what about in other countries? How have their children’s childhood changed? In Asia children are used as slave labourers, and for what exactly? To fulfil the wants of others in more economically developed countries. Children are taken away from their families and made to work in sweatshops to produce the materialistic possessions that apparently have improved other children’s childhood so greatly. Children in these countries are made to grow up so quickly that it can be said they have no childhood at all, they are seen to be young adults, they have to; provide for their family, work before they are even given a proper or any education, the eldest children are made to care for their younger siblings, becoming parents before they even have children of their own. Seems childhood is slowly disintegrating our corrupt and colluded world has forgotten about its children that now even the child protection laws are no longer abided by.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Niche Bakeries Essay Example for Free

Niche Bakeries Essay Niche bakeries are becoming more popular though the last few years. These types of bakeries specialize in a certain type of baked goods and showcase them for their customers as well as having other types of more common baked goods available. This is the type of business that I would create. My niche bakery would specialize in individual cupcakes and pies as well as baking larger cakes and pies to order. Local customers will consist of area residents, business owners and students that can easily walk over to the bakeries location while on lunch break or after school and work to purchase what they want, and with the Internet available, I can expand my consumer base and ship my goods all over the United States. Customers can place their orders online, and I will be able to ship the product to their door. The area in which I reside does not have a type of bakery like this. We currently have a Wal-Mart and a Kroger’s Grocery if we want to purchase baked goods. While they are both good and they are also cheap considering their product, my bakery would offer a fresh home baked quality of product that could offer them some competition. I would say in this area, my niche bakery would be a monopoly market as that it would be the only one in this location. I would be able to set the prices for my product but would still need to keep in mind that if the price is too high, my potential customers will go back to purchasing their goods from the grocery chain bakeries. Looking at a broader area as with the Internet, I could say that I am in a monopolistic competition. Each niche bakery that sells baked goods such as this have relatively the same pricing, no one business sets the price for the other businesses. It is still a smaller industry but there are others in which I must compete for business. So advertising and a well made website will figure prominently in showcasing the goods I am selling in the best possible light. Elasticity of demand in a bakery is very important to know. If the price of ingredients goes up, the bakery owner must adjust for this increase. The higher the price elasticity of the product the less volume of the product that will be output, if for instance the demand for the product was highly elastic, then it wouldn’t make sense to increase the price of the product. The company would lose business because of this. Below in figures 1A and 1B is data that has been taken from the Bureau of Economic analysis from three different industries that are related to the niche bakery business. Between the years of 2007 to 2011, there shows a decrease in the earlier years but an increase within the year of 2011of growth in the food service and food and beverage industries. The retail industry has show a sharp increase and decrease in these years. Taking into consideration the growth in each of the food industries though, I can make the assumption that this is a business that could flourish and grow with the right type of marketing, promotion, and sales products. In looking at this type of business for my area, I have talked to some of the local residents and have found that they were amenable to a new specialty bakery in the area. This impromptu survey showed that the residents in the area expressed an interest in purchasing baked goods that were of homemade quality rather than mass produced market products. Increasing Revenue In order to increase revenue in this business, there are several things that would be necessary. Below are charts and tables regarding costs and revenues showing where breakeven points are and where profits can be made. However, one way to increase revenue, is to offer something the bigger superstores in the area are not. Make the product stand out by creating those special items like fruit compote filled cupcakes, special flavors not normally offered by the larger stores like Orange flavored cupcakes. Even offering some gluten free and vegan types of baked goods can bring in increased  revenue. Another way to increase revenue is to offer free samples; welcome customers in with a smile and offer them a free sample of some of the products available. By doing this, the customer can get an idea and a taste of the product and if they like it they may turn into a return customer and bring others with them. Also, offering a loyalty program can help to keep repeat customers coming in. Using a stamp card that offers a free product after so many purchases is one such loyalty program that other bakeries have used in the past that have worked. And in a small town region such as the one I live in, being a part of the community can go a long way to getting the name of my business out there and creating a customer base that can increase my revenue. People are more apt to purchase products from someone they know in order to help support businesses in the community. Profit maximizing Determining the profit maximizing quantity shows the incremental changes in profit for a company’s product. In calculating the profit maximizing quantity I will need the sales and expense reports for my proposed business. From this is can gather the profits at each level of sales. These numbers can then be calculated to show the marginal profit for each incremental change in profit. The marginal profit is defined as the change in profit for each additional unit sold. We can then use this information to determine the maximizing quantity. This is the amount that can be sold before the marginal profit starts to recede into the negative. By doing this I can figure out how much of a discount I could give on my products if they were bought in a bulk batch. For example if someone wanted a several dozens of cupcakes or miniature pies for a party. Marginal Costs and Marginal Revenue Marginal costs and revenues are used to find out how much it will cost to product additional units of goods for a company. I could use this as a way to figure out my total costs I would need to produce a product in my bakery. For instance below in Figure 1C I have created a chart to calculate the total revenue, marginal revenue, marginal cost and profit of different quantities of one type of cupcake. For this data I used a fictional total cost of 0.91 cents. This is what I figured it would cost to make just one  cupcake. From there I was able to calculate each of the columns using the formulas in Figure 1D. Figures 1E shows the startup costs and the estimated monthly costs of running a niche bakery of this kind. Figure 1F and 1G show the total fixed costs, total variable costs, the total cost and total revenue as well as the profits to be made in a table and a graph. The chart and graph also show the breakeven point. This is the point where that the production of a certain quantity of cupcakes will allow me to break even and then after that be able to show a profit. The breakeven point for the quantity of cupcakes is 6.5 cupcakes which means a profit will start showing at 7 cupcakes with a profit of 31 cents. Pricing and Non-pricing Strategies Pricing strategies that I could use for my bakery would be to offer lower prices on my website to customers that I will be shipping my product to, in location I can keep my prices competitive with other bakeries that are in larger cities. As a way of keeping waste to a minimum I can offer goods that are left over to the next day at half the original price. This was something I saw as a child at a local doughnut shop. The proprietor offered the day old goods at a fraction of a price. He was still making a profit,  but also there was less unnecessary waste because people would buy these up quickly. For non-pricing strategies I would rely on advertising of my product as one that is made with quality ingredients. As well as letting the customer base know that each of the goods available are made from scratch. I do not believe that a barrier can be created or increased because the bakery business has been in the market for a number of years. Also, because it is a niche bakery, it is a branch off the traditional type of bakery. Product Differentiation Some ways to introduce product differentiation would be to make my product with seasonal items and local produce. Where I live we have raspberry and strawberry farms as well as apple, and other fruits. It would be easy to have the produce shipped to the store when it was in season from the local farms, or even picked up to create fillings, jellies, and other sundry items that I could sell in my bakery to the local residents. Cost Minimization Cost minimization would be hard to do in this instance, because I want to retain a quality product from good quality ingredients. I could minimize cost by purchasing my ingredients in bulk. This would give me a lower price per unit of measure. I could also purchase lower end products. However, if I were to purchase lower end products like margarine instead of real butter, this would be a significant drop in cost; however it would also be a significant drop in quality. I believe minimizing cost may not be feasible given the quality of the product. Conclusion Creating a business is a large endeavor not to be thought on lightly. There are many avenues to pursue in order to figure out and find the data needed to find out if the business a person wants to create is the right one for their location and meets the needs of their community. If they do create a business, there are different ways to figure out how to keep revenue coming in and finding ways to create more revenue. Each of the sections of this proposal allowed me to take a better look at the type of business I would consider opening. References Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=5step=1 Gaines, M. (2012). Guide to the Bakery Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/guide bakery-business-2400.html Isidro, I. (2009). Starting a Bakery: Success in the Niche Food Business. Retrieved from http://www.powerhomebiz.com/blog/2009/10/starting-a-bakery-success-in-the-niche-food-business/ Kimmons, R. (2012). Pricing Vs. Nonpricing Strategies. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/pricing-vs-nonpricing-strategies-14166.html moffatt, M. (2012). Marginal Revenue and Marginal Cost Practice Question. Retrieved fro http://economics.about.com/od/coststructure/ss/revenue_costs.htm

Friday, September 20, 2019

Requirements of a Job Description

Requirements of a Job Description Shari M. Kern Dental Assistant A job description allows an organization to put up boundaries for a purpose and assists as an interaction tool between the employer and the employee to make sure of a clear understanding of expectations. According to Youssef (2015), a job description identifies characteristics of a chore to be done in terms of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities to be fulfilled. A job description has three chief functions. The first component of a job description emphases on key roles and the purpose of the position within the organization (Youssef, 2015). The second component of a job summarizes the job (Youssef, 2015). The third component of a job description gives a detailed list of the functions, tasks, duties, and obligations associated with the business, and the final item is other duties as needed, that communicates the need for flexibility and adaptability. (Youssef, 2015). The following is a sample job description for a Dental Assistant. Position Summary Under the direct oversight of the Dentist, the Dental Assistant will perform a range of responsibilities that will be approved by the Dentist. The Dental Assistant will assist the Dentist with all clinical procedures. The Dental Assistant will abide by current OSHA regulations and guidelines related to infection control and universal precautions. The Dental Assistant will also assist in some front desk responsibilities for the Dental Receptionist. Tasks Prepares dental instruments and materials; cleans and sterilizes instruments. Keeps track of inventory on all dental supplies. Greet patients in the reception area and accompanies patients to the operatory. Reviews patients medical and dental history. Reviews the daily schedule to set up dental trays and instruments. Assists the dentist with all dental procedures, including periodontal charting, taking impressions, and pouring models and other chairside tasks. Keeps track of incoming and outgoing labs. Responsible for keeping operatory stocked with dental supplies. Delivers dental hygiene instruction. Provides any support needed to the front office; pulling charts, filing, answering phones, collecting payments, scheduling appointments. Perform additional duties as delegated by the Dental Office Manager or the Dentist. Tools and Technology The Dental Assistant will be knowledgeable in Dentrix, or other dental software programs. The Dental Assistant will also be familiar with Schick Digital x-rays, Panoramic x-ray, and AED. Knowledge The Dental Assistant is required to be knowledgeable in all matters of the dental office and procedures including dental health issues. Skills and Abilities Takes and reads digital x-rays, including panoramic images (NC x-ray certification required). Certified in CPR (Current CPR certificate required) and is trained in all emergency procedures including AED. (Office defibrillator). Teamwork Creating a safe and effective work environment. Dental health promotion and maintenance. Education Requirements High School Diploma or GED. Minimum of five years experience in a dental office, and have a Certified or Registered Dental Assistant Certificate. Proof of CPR certificate, North Carolina X-ray safety certificate required. Previous Dental Assistant experience in implant placement and Periodontics greatly recommended. There are various methods an organization use to begin the recruitment process to fill an open position. Organizations can find talent internally and outwardly. Internal recruitment can include promoting within, employee referrals, and lateral transfers. Externally recruitment can include advertising, employment and temporary offices, web recruiting, business fairs, college, and universities and so on (Youssef, 2015). For filling a dental assistant position, placing an ad on a career website is the common method that it is utilized to fulfill a spot. Some other method that is usually used is contracting a dental assistant on a temporary basis with the option to hire through a dental agency that is exclusively geared towards dental personnel. Two methods of assessment for a dental position that are commonly used are structured interviews and work sample tests. Structured interviews are interviews that consist of a specific set of questions that are designed to assess critical KSAs that are required for a job. The author also states, Work sample tests consist of tasks or work activities that mirror the tasks that employees are required to perform on the job. Like job knowledge tests, work sample tests should only be used in situations where candidates are expected to know how to perform the tested job tasks prior to job entry (Pulakos, 2005). In conclusion, preparing a job description is vital to an organization to put up boundaries for a role and helps as an interaction between the employer and employee to make sure of a clear understanding of expectations. A task description should be clear, concise and define a specific job function and expectations that gives the potential employee a sense of the priorities involved. It not only offers a readable image of the situation for potential candidates, but is likewise a utilitarian instrument for appraising performance and a critical reference in the consequence of disputes or disciplinary matters.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun †Freedom :: Raisin Sun essays

A Raisin in the Sun – Freedom Have you ever found money coming between you and your family and disrupting love and life? Money can destroy families and change them for the worse. In the Raisin in the Sun, the author Lorraine Hansberry, uses events of her life to relate and explain how the Younger family, of Chicago's South side, struggles and improves throughout the book. One main cause for their family's problems is because of money and how it causes anger to control the family. The play deals with situations in which the family is dealing with unhappiness from money. Walter, the man of the house in the Younger family, tries impressing Travis, his son, too much with money instead of teaching him the more important lessons of life. Walter also dreams to invest in a liquor store and make a lot of money and becomes overwhelmed and badly caught up in his dream. Lastly, the Younger family is much too dependent on the check their Mama is receiving. The family has lost the fact that their mama tries to tell them, before, freedom was life but now money seems to have the controlling factor in life. When money becomes an obsession for a family, problems occur. Walter seems to be a good father to Travis, but starts to lose control by the end of the play. When with Travis, Walter relates too much to money, instead of focusing on their family fun in life. Walter tries to impress Travis with money and thinks that teaching Travis to be rich is the happiest way to go. In the play, it shows that Travis is becoming like his father and is starting to think about money at too young of an age. In scene two in Raisin in the Sun, Travis complains to his mother, Ruth, that he wants to work so he can earn some money. His father responds by giving Travis money and trying to impress him. Walter says to Travis, "In fact, here's another fifty cents... Buy yourself some fruit today or take a taxicab to school or something!"(Page 30). It is all right to be happy with money but it shouldn't be the reason to be proud of your family.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Amazon PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL

AMAZON. COM PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL Bargaining power of suppliers The power of suppliers is medium-high. Suppliers have a medium power in the sense that much of Amazon’s own inventory could be obtained from numerous suppliers across the country or even across the globe. Suppliers have a higher power given that Amazon. com cannot compete with suppliers. Amazon. com does not run any production plants. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers is high. Amazon. com’s customers have the option of buying the products and services they desire on the hundreds of thousands of other retail web sites on the internet.If Amazon. com does not offer low prices to satisfy the customer then the customer will search the Internet until they find that low price. Rivalry among competing firms Despite Amazon. com is one of the first companies into the e-commerce field, rivalry is high (Barnes and Noble  , Google, Walmart, Ebay etc. ) Threats of substitute products Amazon. com has innovated their services and products along the years and the name of amazon. com is well recognized and trusted into the field, but still the threat for substitutes is high (Books can be purchased at Barnes and Noble Books, Books-A-million, and Half Price Books.Books are additionally sold at newsstands, drugstores, and discount stores. Books can also be borrowed for free at university libraries, music can also be purchased at discount retailers) Threats of new entry Threat of new entrants is low. It would be virtually impossible for a new company to reach the magnitude of inventory and status that Amazon. com maintains. Amazon. com has been in the internet marketplace for about thirteen years now- it would be extremely difficult for a start-up company in the industry to raise enough capital to even compete with Amazon. com on a lower level.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Theatre of the Absurd

THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD The dictionary meaning of the word ‘Absurd’ is unreasonable, ridiculous or funny. But it is used in a somewhat different sense when we speak of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’, or more commonly known now-a-days as ‘Absurd Drama’. The phrase ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’ was coined by the critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his book on the same subject, published in 1961. Esslin points out in this book that there is no such thing as a regular â€Å"movement† of Absurd Dramatists. The term was useful as ‘a device to make certain common fundamental traits that were present in the works of a number of dramatists’. Esslin saw in the works of these playwrights as artistic co-relation to Albert Camus’ philosophy that life is inherently without meaning as is described in his work ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’. In this essay Camus has described the situation of the human beings as one out of harmony with its surroundings. The Theatre of the Absurd, today, can be considered as a designation for particular plays written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and also, along with that, to the style and form of theatre which has evolved from their work. A short but true story narrated in the beginning of Martin Esslin’s book The Theatre of the Absurd provides the best commentary on the significance of the Absurd, and also helps in understanding the human values of Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, which is famous as an Absurd Drama par excellence. This is the story as told by Mr. Esslin – â€Å"On 19th November 1957, a group of worried actors were preparing to face their audience. The actors were members of the company of the San Francisco Actor’s workshop. The audience consisted of fourteen hundred convicts at the San Quentin penitentiary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The curtain parted. The play began. And what had bewildered the sophisticated audiences of Paris, London, and New York, was immediately grasped by an audience of convicts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The trio of muscle men, biceps overflowing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. parked all 642 lbs on the aisle and waited for the girls and funny stuff. When this didn’t appear they audibly fumed and audibly decided to wait until the house lights dimmed before escaping. They made one error. They listened and looked two minutes too-long-and stayed. Left at the end. All shook. A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle who was present noted that the convicts did not find it difficult to understand the play. One prisoner told him ‘Godot is Society’. Said another ‘He’s the outside’. A teacher at the prison was quoted as saying: They know what is meant by waiting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and they know if Godot finally came he would only be a disappointment. † This story is helpful in understanding the genre of the Absurd. Playwrights commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd include Samuel Beckett from Ireland, Eugene Ionesco from Rumania, Jean Genet from France and Harold Pinter of Great Britain. The Absurd in their plays takes the form of man’s reaction to a world apparently without meaning, or man as a puppet that is controlled or threatened by an invisible outside force. Though the term is applied to a wide range of plays, some characteristics coincide in many of the plays. For instance broad comedy is mixed with tragic images where the characters are caught in hopeless situations and are forced to do repetitive or meaningless action. Even the dialogues are full of specialized jargons, and wordplays and cliches and even nonsense. Even the plots are mostly cyclical or absurdly expansive. Regarding the story, it is either a parody or a dismissal of realism. The Theatre of the Absurd is commonly associated with Existentialism, and Existentialism was an influential philosophy in Paris during the rise of the Absurd Theatre. However, it is not exactly correct. Historically Existentialism grew with the nineteenth century writings of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. On reading Nietzsche’s Zarathustra published in 1883, the readers come across a startling phrase that God is dead! According to Esslin, since then for many more people, God has died. He says; â€Å"And so after two terrible wars, there are still many who are trying to come to terms with the implication of Zarathustra’s message searching for a way in which they can with dignity, confront a universe, deprived of what was once its centre and its living purpose, a world deprived of a generally accepted integrating principle, which has become disappointed and purposeless. The Theatre of the Absurd is one of the expressions of this search; it seeks to re-establish an awareness of man’s situation when confronted with the ultimate reality of his condition. For the people, in between the two World Wars, the world seemed to be falling apart. Disintegration of the society, the menace of the unknown and utter loneliness of man, all this and many more made human beings look upon life as useless and futile. The world had become a place where man continues to waste, and pine and, and degenerate. In Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, the situation of man in this universe is summarized by Pozzo’s outburst in the second act of the play: â€Å"One day we were born, one day we shall die, the same day, the same second, is that not enough. They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more. † A most poignant image of death comes out in these lines. Esslin feels that in Beckett’s plays physical nature follows its own cycle, birth – growth – degeneration – decay and death. Seasons follow each other but there is hardly any escape The origin of the Theatre of the Absurd is rooted in the new pioneering experiments in the art of the 1920s and 1930s. The aim of these experiments was to do away with art as a mere imitation of appearances. It was after the First World War that German Expressionism attempted to project the inner realities and also tried to objectify thoughts and feelings. At the same time, the Theatre of the Absurd was also strongly influenced by the traumatic experience of the horrors of the Second World War, which showed the total impermanence of any values and shook the validity of long time held conventions. It also highlighted the precariousness of human life and also its fundamental meaninglessness and unpredictability. The trauma of living from 1945, under the threat of nuclear annihilation also seems to have been an important factor in the rise of this new theatre. At the same time, the Theatre of the Absurd also seems to have been the reaction to the disappearance of the religious dimensions from contemporary life. Absurd Theatre hopes to achieve this by shocking man out of an existence that has become overused, mechanical and self satisfying. It aims to startle the viewer, shake him out of this comfortable conventional life of everyday concerns. The Theatre of the Absurd highlights man’s fundamental bewilderment and confusion originating from the fact that man has no answers to the basic existential questions like why we are alive, why we have to die, why there is injustice and suffering. Playwrights share the view that man is inhabiting a universe with which he is out of key. Its meaning is indecipherable and his place within it is without purpose. He is bewildered, troubled and maybe even obscurely threatened. Man’s tragedy is that he is not aware of his problem. Man is always trying to seek some purpose in life by getting involved in trivialities and superficial pursuits. This is one reason why tragedy and farce are closely interlinked in the Theatre oh the Absurd. Even at the moment of the tragic climax in Waiting for Godot, farce enters the moment. Estragon’s trousers fall in attempting suicide and the chord breaks, when thy try its strength, making Estragon and Vladimir almost fall. The comedy here illustrates their life’s hopelessness and the futility of all their efforts to end them. The perfect statement of the philosophy of the Theatre of the Absurd as defined by Martin Esslin, is in which the world is seen as a hall of reflecting mirrors, and Reality merges gradually into fantasy. If God is dead, then surely the Theatre of the Absurd is looking for an alternative spiritual goal, i. e. making man aware of his lost moorings and trying to make him feel what he has to regain. Plays within this group are absurd in that they focus not on logical acts or realistic occurrences or even traditional character development. They instead focus on human beings trapped in an incomprehensible world facing incidents which are illogical. Mainly the theme of incomprehensibility is coupled with the inadequacy of language. Basically there is no story, no dramatic conflict and nothing really ever happens. Mostly there is repetitive action and circular arrangement of events. Devaluation of language is also an important trait of the Absurd Drama. Esslin says that Absurdism is the inevitable devaluation of ideals, purity and purpose. Absurdist drama asks its viewers to draw his own conclusions and make his own errors. Though Theatre of the Absurd may be seen as nonsense, they have something to say and can be understood. Even regarding plots, traditional plot structures are rarely considered as good plots in the Theatre of the Absurd. Plots usually consist of Absurd repetition of action as in Waiting for Godot or The Bald Soprano. Often there is an outside force that remains a mystery like in The Birthday Party or A Delicate Balance. Absence, emptiness, nothingness and unresolved mysteries are central features in many Absurdist plots, for example, in The Chairs an old couple welcomes a large number of guests to their home, but these guests are invisible so all we see is empty chairs, representing their absence. Another example is where the action of Waiting for Godot is centered on the absence of a man named Godot, for whom the two characters keep waiting till the end of the play. Plots are also cyclical like in Endgame, it begins where the play ended in the beginning. One of the important aspects of Absurd Drama was its distrust of language as a means of communication. During those times language had become ‘a vehicle for conventionalized, stereotyped meaningless exchanges’. Words usually failed to express the fundamental nature of human experience because it was not able to penetrate beyond its surface. So the playwrights of the Absurd Theatre constituted first and foremost an onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and insufficient tool of communication. During those times language had become ‘a vehicle for conventionalized, stereotyped meaningless exchanges’. Words usually failed to express the fundamental nature of human experience because it was not able to penetrate beyond its surface. So the playwrights of the Absurd Theatre constituted first and foremost an onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and insufficient tool of communication. Absurd Drama uses conventionalized speeches, cliches, slogans and technical jargons, which it distorts and breaks down. It is by ridiculing the ‘conventionalized and stereotyped’ speech, that Absurd Theatre tries to make people aware of the possibility of going beyond everyday speeches and communicating more authentically. The theme of the Absurd play is the purposelessness of human life. Albert Camus in his essay ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ has described the situation of human beings as one out of harmony with its surroundings. The Theatre of the Absurd is one of the ways of facing the life that has lost its meaning and purpose. As such, it fulfils a double role. Its first and more obvious role is satirical where it criticizes a society that is petty, superficial and dishonest. Its second and more positive aspect is that it highlights the basic absurdity of the human situation. It showcases the condition of human beings in a world in which man has lost all his faith. Here he is presented in his basic situation where he is left with no choice and desperately searches some refuge or heaven. Such a play produces the effects of alienation. We find it very difficult to identify ourselves with the characters in the Absurd Drama. Even though their situation is very painful and violent, they are presented to us in such a way that we tend to laugh at them and their condition and behavior. Esslin feels that this kind of drama speaks mostly to the deeper level of the audience’s mind. In a way it challenges the audience to make sense of the nonsense. It urges them to face the situation consciously and along with that, to laugh at this fundamental absurdity of such situations. So, the dominating theme of the absurd playwrights is man’s loneliness, despair, and desperation when he finds that his faith in God is declining. In all the writers of the Absurd Drama, the common traits are usually the devaluation of language, absence of characterization and motivation and search for meaning in a basically absurd situation. But each of them has his own style of presenting these traits. For example Ionesco presents absurdism through hilarious and outrageous farce. In Beckett’s works, absurdism is presented by depicting a world which is devoid of God, where life is full of anguish and despair. In the plays of Harold Pinter menace and terror surrounds people. His plays, famous as comedy of menace, are basically funny up to a point. The most surprising thing about plays of this group is that in spite of their breaking of the rules, they are very successful. In his book, The Theatre of the Absurd, Esslin says, â€Å"If a good play must have a clearly constructed story, these have no story to speak of; if a good play is judged by subtlety of characterization and motivation, these are often without recognizable characters and present the audience with almost mechanical puppets; if a good play has to have a fully explained theme, which is neatly exposed and finally solved, these often have neither a beginning nor an end; if a good play is to hold the mirror up to nature and portray the manners and mannerism of the age in finely observed sketches, these seem often to be reflections of dreams and nightmares; if a good play relies on witty repartee and pointed dialogue, these often consist of incoherent babblings. † To conclude, the Theatre of the Absurd presents anxiety, despair and a sense of loss at the disappearance of solutions and the illusions of life. Now facing all this means that we are facing reality itself. Thus, is can be s aid that Absurd Drama becomes a kind of a modern mystical experience. It aims to shock its audience out of complacency, to bring it face to face with the harsh facts of the human situations as the writers see it. It becomes a kind of a challenge to accept the human condition as it is, with all its mystery and absurdity, and to bear it with dignity, because there are no solutions to the mysteries of existence. That is because ultimately man is alone in this meaningless world. To accept all this freely and without fear may be painful, but doing so brings a sense of freedom and relief. And that is why we say that the Theatre of the Absurd does not provoke tears of despair but the ‘laughter of liberation’. Bibliography PRIMARY SOURCES 1. Martin Esslin, The Theatre of the Absurd SECONDARY SOURCES 1. Martin Esslin, Introductin to The Theatre of the Absurd 2. Arnold P. Hinchliffe, The Absurd 3. Ronald Gaskell, Drama and Reality 4. Eva Metman, Reflections on Beckett’s Plays

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Information Based Decision Making Essay

Summary The objective of this report is to look at information based decision making and demonstrate how the decisions have been made. I will look into what sources of data is needed to generate the information required for effective decision making. The information gathered is then analysed and presented. The investigation is based on the effectiveness of student use or training within in the educational environment of purchasing a Pacojet. Pacojet is a professional kitchen appliance that micro-purees deep-frozen foods into ultra-fine textures (such as mousses, sauces and sorbets) without thawing â€Å"(Wikipedia, 2012). The recommendation which will be made to the Hospitality Head of Department where the decision making process responsibility lies is; Pacojet is a modern piece of equipment used in restaurants worldwide. Students with access or experience with a Pacojet would be beneficial in the hospitality industry as the students’ knowledge would enhance creativity within themselves and in the long run save their future employers training costs. Pacojet is versatile with ingredients, produces a superior end product, saves time with labour, raw material and if operated efficiently the Pacojet would pay for itself within three months. Introduction â€Å"Pacojet is a dynamic professional kitchen appliance that makes it easy to prepare high-quality dishes while saving time, labour and reducing food waste. Tens of thousands of chefs worldwide rely on Pacojet to produce exquisite mousses, sauces and ice creams at the press of a button. No matter what the season, your culinary creations will be complimented for their intense, natural flavours.† (Studios, 2012) As gaining personal experience with the Pacojet while working within the industry, sharing my experience with the students during practical classes verbally and with diagrams does not effectively engage the students with the learning experience. Having comparable products within the practical class where the students could make the items themselves using two processes, one being the Pacojet. The products would then be compared visually, taste and the cost effectiveness thus enhancing the learners experience with in the practical kitchen. The data sources used were chosen because as the information needs to be fit for purpose. It needs to be relevant, current, adequate, timely, reliable, and of course cost effective. There are two types of information that can be collected; primary and secondary. Primary information is data collected first hand whilst Secondary information is published data and the data collected in the past or other parties. The primary information selected in this report is survey replies from experienced Head Chefs working within various areas in the industry, as well as information gathered from the manufacturer and suppliers. The secondary information that has been collected are various types of media releases related to the year 2012, also articles discussing key equipment changes within the kitchen when updating or starting new. Additionally case studies and personal recommendations on purchasing Pacojet equipment have been resourced as well. Quantitative information is data that is numerical information (numbers). The Quantitative data gathered is the data gathered from the survey replies, also the data on the Pacojet cost, as well as the pay back calculation in relation to sales and profit. The qualitative information is, â€Å"data that approximates or characterizes but does not measure the attributes, characteristics, properties† (Dictionary, 2012) The qualitative information collected is the non-numerical details such as the survey results before being graphed and just based on an individual opinion. Also the operation information on the Pacojet and additionally case studies and personal recommendations While collecting, analysing and storing data legal requirements must be adhered to. The key principles in the Data protection Act are; †¢Data will be processed fairly and lawfully. †¢Personal data gathered for specific and lawful purposes. †¢Data will be adequate and relevant. †¢Personal data will be accurate and in date. †¢Personal data shall not be kept for longer than necessary. †¢Personal data if used unlawfully will have consequences. †¢Personal data should not be transferred outside the European Economic area. Further information on the Data Protection Act can be found at www.ico.gov.ik The methods of communicating the information found are a PowerPoint presentation, following a practical demonstration within a classroom. â€Å"Some people are auditory learners, and some are visual learners, which simply mean they process and retain information better by either hearing it or seeing it. One of the advantages to PowerPoint is that it presents information simultaneously to both styles of learners† (Dowell, 2012) The practical demonstration will provide a hands on approach to show the ease of operating a Pacojet, as well as offering a comparison of products produced be the Pacojet. The practical demonstration consisted of comparing ice cream, sorbets and a variety of savoury sauces made the traditional method the Pacojet. The outcome was favourable towards the Pacojet. Recipe costings, tasting and presentation were all succeeded towards the Pacojet. â€Å"A high-quality decision helps an organization accomplish its strategic goals and also meets the needs of the organization’s employees, executives, stockholders, consumers, or suppliers† (Unknown, 2012) The decision making models applied during this report were the Decision Tree, and the OODA Loop Sequence. The Decision Tree â€Å"provides a highly effective structure within which you can lay out options and investigate the possible outcomes of choosing those options. They also help you to form a balanced picture of the risks and rewards associated with each possible course of action.† (Anon., 2012) In creating the decision tree, this allows thought and reflection regarding the Pacojet and the data that will be collected. This also acknowledges the visualisation on outcomes or solutions that have not been considered, as well as the areas focused on. The benefits of constructing a Decision Tree are the clarity of the problem is focused on as well as providing a framework to determine the values of outcomes and the possibilities of achieving them. The OODA Loop sequence: 1. Observe – collect current information from as many sources as practically possible. During this stage looking out for new information is required. The more information gathered will result in being more precise in your observation. 2. Orient – analyse the information, and use it to update your current reality. This is the interpretation of the situation. Each individual is influenced when analysing the situation. â€Å"John Boyd former US Air Force Colonel identifies five main influences. †¢ Cultural traditions. †¢ Genetic heritage. †¢ The ability to analyse and synthesize. †¢ Previous experience. †¢ New information coming in.† (2012) 3. Decide – determine a course of action. As cycling the OODA Loops new information or decisions made can change past decisions and actions. The outcome is that learning occurs during the orient stage, in which influences the decision making process. 4. Act – follow through on your decision. The decision is applied and the cycle repeats back to the observe stage where the effects of the decision making can be observed. The OODA Loops sequence is a fast paced decision making model. Here you should have a fast momentum in which you orient and reorient based upon new information coming in. There should be a smooth transition between the stages. This allows you a proactive approach in quick decision making which is beneficial in keeping on top of your competitors. Conclusion/Recommendation In conclusion the information gathered and presented will not have a formal decision made upon by myself. The information is presented and passed on the Head of the Department. Here a decision will be made and then a purchased order place. The information selected in this report is survey replies from experienced Head Chefs working within various areas in the industry, as well as information gathered from the manufacturer and suppliers. The information that has been collected are various types of media releases related to the year 2012, also articles discussing key equipment changes within the kitchen when updating or starting new. Additionally case studies and personal recommendations on purchasing Pacojet equipment have been resourced as well. The information collected though not all stated within the report gave a solid background and self-confidence within when presenting the PowerPoint and practical presentation. The final recommendation remains; Students with access or experience with a Pacojet would be beneficial in the hospitality industry as the students’ knowledge would enhance creativity within themselves and in the long run save their future employers training costs. Pacojet is versatile with ingredients, produces a superior end product, saves time with labour, raw material and if operated efficiently the Pacojet would pay for itself within three months.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Relationships at all levels involve complex powerplay

Present this task in the form of a discussion between two personalities. Base your response on your prescribed text and at least three other related texts of your own choosing. Introduction music to ‘Oprah' plays. Oprah Winfrey walks onstage, waving to the audience. Oprah: My my my, how are you today ladies and gentlemen? Well don't I have a special show for you today! An uninterrupted special of Oprah, that's right no advertisements, no newsbreaks, we have a delightful guest and I'm just so, so pleased that she could join us! Now as you know, I'm an open minded person and I just love talking to people, sorry, make that personalities, from all walks of life. This lovely girl has an amazing personality, and faced with a crisis, she remained dignified. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Clover! Clover trots onstage to a hearty round of applause. Oprah: Clover, how are you girlfriend? Clover: I'm great Oprah! Just glad to be away from Animal Farm. Whoops! I still call it that after all these years! Manor Farm it is now. Oprah: Well just to update our audience, Clover has been one busy babe. After leaving Manor Farm, Clover has gained her doctorate in psychology! You go girl! Interrupted by round of applause from audience And today she's hear to talk to us about powerplay. Clover: That's right Oprah. Back at Animal Farm, I guess I was a little slow to learn but they underestimated me. Since I found who I really am, it's just so refreshing! And studying psychology, I became very interested in power and how people gain power. Oprah: So do you have a hero, or heroine? Someone who you look at, as the epitome of power? Clover: Well not so much a hero. But I think Shakespeare was amazing, the way he portrayed power play. I mean, look at Othello. Iago is basically a slimy worm, but he gains so much power because he's so intelligent and confident in himself. He plays Othello and as Othello weakens, his strength just grows. It's fascinating. And Julius Caesar. Oprah: Tell us more about Caesar. Clover: Well Julius Caesar happens to be a personal favourite of mine actually. Caesar himself was a powerful man. He'd proved himself in battle, sucked up to the leaders of the time, even helped Pompey at one stage to gain power. By getting his foot in the political door early, he was paving his way into power. And oh, was he arrogant! But it was arrogance bred of power. The man spoke of himself in third person â€Å"†¦Caesar commands thy to speak!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So forceful! He instantly commands power and elevates himself to others by speaking of himself in third person. Oprah: So you like a dominant man? Clover: Oh much more than that. I mean, even the very first act, I laugh every time! Marullus is like the majority of the Roman upper class, he sees the mob as a pack of sheep. The bastard even refers to them as â€Å"†¦you blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!† His metaphor, alluding to ‘dumb' stones is funny in itself. He thinks the crowd is brainless and nothing more than rocks and stones! But when you think about it, the whole city is built on stones and blocks- the important buildings, the roads and streets. The crowd, the mob, is the foundation of the city on which those in power must sit. So the crowd really does posses a lot of power! They just aren't aware of how to use it. Oprah: Hmmm, so you're saying the mob could make or break a guy in power? Clover: Well yes. When Murellus and Flavious encounter a couple of tradesmen in the first scene, the tradesman mocks them and hence gains power through their discomfort. There's Murellus and Flavious, speaking at the workmen â€Å"†¦what trade art thou? Answer me directly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and calling them â€Å"†¦knave†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , so the cobbler tells him he's a â€Å"†¦mender of bad soles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Quiet laughter in the audience. But Cassius is more than just a commoner, he has ambition, therefore the powerplay that Cassius and Caesar engage in yields much bitterness from Cassius. I mean, Caesar at the beginning is absolute ruler â€Å"†¦He doth bestride the narrow world; Like a Colossus, and we petty men; Walk under his huge legs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Dramatic, emphatic language is used even by Cassius here†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦doth bestride†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦Colossus†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , emphasising his power and strength in the society. Whereas Caesar strides, the rest of the â€Å"†¦petty men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  only walk. However Cassius can identify that Caesar is powerful only because the rest of Rome has allowed themselves to be â€Å"†¦underlings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Like the Chinese Communist Party, Cassius believes those who have proven themselves within the political class should be in power. Oprah: So the cobbler gets power over the senators by, well ripping them off? Wow, there you have it ladies and gentlemen, those smart remarks you've been saying in your head, let 'em rip! Clover: Well, you have to remember that these commoners were pretty darn clever. They gained power by punning their words. But then, Murellus pulled some back soon after. He throws rhetorical questions at the â€Å"†¦naughty knaves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It's pretty well done on Murellus' part, he fires seven questions at them like â€Å"†¦wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  before anyone else can get a single word in! Oprah: So he has power cause he's the one speaking? Well, lord I must have a hell of a lot of power! Clover: Pretty much. He's asserting himself again. A lot of stuff can be said through the spoken word. There's this commentator in Australia, Alan Jones. He's a very powerful man down there. I saw a documentary about him. Through his speeches and comments, he gains so much power. His medium is radio, and there are definitely people who call into the show to voice their opinions, but for a large part of the time, Alan Jones speaks uninterrupted. He himself is a gifted orator- he was the speech writer for an Australian Prime Minister even! Oprah: So what about at Manor Farm? Or Animal Farm? Who won in the talking steaks there?! Groan from audience. Clover: Well actually, that's a very interesting question. The pig who dreamed up the Rebellion, old Major, he drew an audience and we all used to listen- his word was law instantly. It was his quiet way, the regal way he â€Å"†¦sat ensconced on his bed of hay†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . But later, Napoleon of course was the public speaker. And he enforced it- with his damn dogs. They had us all scared half to death! His was a physical powerplay, intimidation. And because he used the crowd so to speak, he knew that we would all follow him, he wasn't questioned. But Squealer, well he operated differently. He was a suck up, that's for sure. But we believed him, listened to him, he â€Å"†¦could turn black into white†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Squealer was like an advertisement, a living, breathing propaganda machine. Propaganda in itself is powerplay though. The Times magazine ran an article about the Chinese Communist Party, demonstrating how it uses a great deal of propaganda. Back to Squealer though, he managed to make everything sound very convincing, he exploited our naivety. One particularly vivid, emotional moment for me was when Boxer was injured. Squealer appeared to be â€Å"†¦full of sympathy and concern†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and he said all these nice things. He told us that Boxer's last wish was to see the â€Å"†¦windmill finished†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . That his last words were â€Å"†¦Forward comrades!†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He used every chance he could to turn the situation around through his clever words to be in favour of ‘Comrade Napoleon'. He used us. We weren't the most educated animals, I mean, I admit it. Like Stalin led the uneducated , we never doubted the system because we couldn't fathom any other way. Oprah: Sounds like a nasty piece of work, doesn't he ladies and gentlemen? Kind of like those men who whisper sweet nothings and then drop you like a hot potato! Clover: Someone who did use the spoken word well though was Mark Antony. And he knew how to run the crowd as well. Unlike the senators, he didn't abuse his power over the crowd, well not in an insulting manner anyway. Antony respected the crowd and the power they held, but in his own way, he still played them. â€Å"†¦Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gets their attention and draws them all together. By getting the crowd on his side, he has power behind him. And oh, he does play Brutus too! â€Å"†¦Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Well doesn't that just drip with sarcasm! Clover: It sure does Oprah. And Antony dishonours Brutus, ridding him of his power because he has dishonoured him in the eyes of the crowd- where the real power lies. I mean, politicians need the crowd, they are only in power when they have the power of the people supporting them. Alan Jones, he had the admiration and loyalty of his students and his team and â€Å"†¦it was a hypnotic power of a charismatic man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . As much as I hate to admit it, Napoleon had us under his command, through intimidation. And trickery too I might add. The Chinese Communist Party has an uncanny likeness to Napoleon and his way of running things. They play the crowd through intimidation and their hold over the Army, well let's say guns make sure that hold remains firm. Sorry Oprah, I've digressed again! Antony has something the crowd wants. Well he doesn't really, but he knows the crowd will be pleased with gifts and such- through Caesar's will. He leads the crowd to think what he wants them to think by teasing them, with the promise of reading the will. It's a subtle exploitation and goes to show how much power comes with knowledge! He ensures that the plebeians remain loyal to Caesar â€Å"†¦they were traitors!..† the crowd cries. And then â€Å"†¦The will! The testament!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and so Antony tells them what they want to hear. And he did a good job of it too. Alan Jones, in his early days as a teacher gained his power through his crowd, but unlike Antony, Jones was able to choose his crowd to some degree. He valued â€Å"†¦more highly those who were prepared to follow an established game plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This in itself is very demanding and forceful. He gains power through establishing a clear set of rules- his own rules. Jones went through a tough time, he was in trouble because it was alleged he accepted endorsements. However, he remained as powerful as ever. It was said in the documentary that if Jones â€Å"†¦didn't lose his audience, he didn't lose his power†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This acknowledges to an even greater extent just how important the crowd is in giving power. The powerful know how to work the crowd in their play for power. And particularly in Julius Caesar, we can see that power often corrupts. Powerplays are about power transferring from one party to another. When this balance of power inevitably becomes unequal, corruption and evilness often creep into the equation. Even Antony, after gaining the crowd's support with Caesar's will, manipulated them to his own advantage, calling Lepidus an â€Å"†¦ass†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and likening him to a horse. Although I myself believe that this is a great compliment! Actually, in Rome at this time it seems that likening one to an animal inflicted a great deal of insult. In Brutus and Antony's exchange animal imagery shows just how fundamental power plays are- within nature and within human nature â€Å"†¦you showed your teeth like apes and fawned like hounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Yes even those who posses great power can stoop to childish name calling! Oprah: They seem to be very strong, very forceful. Clover: Jones in particular was. He â€Å"†¦didn't accept fence sitters†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were either on his side, or against him. By defining those clear boundaries, Jones is commanding power from those who are with him, because they support his opinion and their loyalty lies with him, and from those against him, because they are still playing by his rules, he forces them to make a decision and lets them know that he's not afraid of it. However, in Julius Caesar, Cassius isn't so forceful with Brutus. He is quite gentle, very subtle and strokes Brutus' ego to win him over. â€Å"†¦no man here; But honours you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  says Cassius to Brutus. Cassius does actually recognise that the power in politics lies with the people, as does Cinna â€Å"†¦O Cassius, if you could; But win the noble Brutus to our party†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He knows that Brutus' reputation precedes him and basically, wants a piece of it. If Brutus is on his side, then Cassius is going to look a wh ole lot more reputable. Brutus' honour will garner the crowd. Oprah: well it sounds to me like the people in power get all the perks! But if there's so much power in the crowd, then how come it's the leaders that get all the glory? Clover: Cause they've won the war. Won the powerplay, the struggle. In reality, the power of the crowd disseminates to support the ruling class, ruling party. The most powerful. Like I said before, the Chinese Communist Party are alike Napoleon and his pigs. Napoleon stopped the Sunday meetings, he wouldn't let us in on anything, wouldn't let us have a say anymore. The Chinese Communist Party are insiders, â€Å"†¦picked, then rotated through a series of jobs to test their loyalty. They use secrecy as a weapon, â€Å"†¦part of an old fashioned weapon of rule†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . If no one knows anything, then they have the advantage of the element of surprise, if it is others trying to discover their secrets, then the power is shifted to the Communist Party- power lies with knowledge. At the farm, Moses was asleep in the barn when Major first told us of the Rebellion. He didn't approve because he didn't have in. Like the church when communism was introduced- they missed the boat and hence the communists had the power. Oprah: So what if two big names clash? Like the Sunday night movie and you're trying to figure out whether to watch Mel Gibson or Tom Cruise? What happens then? Clover: Well personally I prefer Mr Ed†¦ Oprah: Hey, whatever floats your boat hun! Clover: But the answer to your question is simply, one of them has to go. Just like Stalin ousted Trotskey, Napoleon got rid of Snowball when he became too much. Napoleon was smart, he knew the windmill would be a great idea. He knew that this would make us look at Snowball more favourably, and Napoleon couldn't afford to lose the support of the crowd! We all â€Å"†¦came to look at Snowballs drawings at least once†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . â€Å"†¦Only Napoleon held aloof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It even came to the point where half of us where in full support of Snowball- we wanted him in power. â€Å"†¦Vote for Snowball and the three day week!†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . So he got rid of him- powerplay using force. Snowball was a better orator than Napoleon â€Å"†¦in a moment Snowballs eloquence carried [us] away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . And it was then Napoleon knew he was in trouble, so out came the dogs. It was terrifying we were terrified and â€Å"†¦scared†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Napoleon's answer to any threat to his power was simple- force. Like the Communist Party. The magazine article left no question as to the forceful nature of the group: â€Å"†¦Whatever the leadership lineup that parades before the cameras this week, the message will be the same: leave the driving to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Do all people who gain power tend to have this group mentality? You know, strength in numbers? Clover: Well Caesar didn't need anyone but himself! But neither does Allan Jones really. I mean, they all use other people to gain power. But it has been said of Jones that he was able to â€Å"†¦polarise people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , that he was very much a â€Å"†¦solo performer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: All this talk about all these men! What about our sistas hun, there has to be some powerful girlfriends in this men's club! Clover: Brutus' wife Portia, she's a woman and a half. Now, I don't know about you Oprah, but I'd do nearly anything to get the truth outta my hubby. I'd willingly kick him in the leg, you know, throw a feed bin at him, that kind of thing. She doesn't think much of her sex â€Å"†¦I grant I am a woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Oprah: Wow those hunnies really needed someone like me around, right ladies?! Cheer from the audience Clover: But instead, she gave herself â€Å"†¦a voluntary wound†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Hell, now wouldn't that make the hubby shake in his boots! Clover: Yes, it did! But it worked, Portia gained power in Brutus' entrusting her with his men's secrets by this act of, well I like to call it insanity but some would say determination. Oprah: Well if that's that kind of guy Brutus is, I don't think I'd want to know his secrets! Clover: Brutus is a very complex man. His was of having power is by being unemotional†¦he holds his passion at bay and tries to rely on reputation and form and nobility rather than feelings. He is â€Å"†¦vexed†¦with passions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Although Brutus tries to regain some power in his exchange with Cassius â€Å"†¦Would not; Be any further moved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  by detaching himself from his emotions, Cassius appeals to Brutus' sense of personal worth â€Å"†¦Men at some time are masters of their fates; The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars; But in ourselves, that we are underlings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . However, the guy is only human, and Cassius knows that he can seduce Brutus into complying, he can flatter his way into gaining power over Brutus â€Å"†¦Who is so firm that cannot be seduc'd†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: It's fair to say Clover hun, that you've had some well, quite negative encounters with leaders and power in your lifetime. What are your views on it all now? Clover: It's human nature Oprah. And animal nature too I guess. I mean, out in the wild it's survival of the fittest, but in this day and age it's survival of the fittest, smartest, best talker, the one who can get into the head of the crowd. We need leaders. Hell, even a farm of animals need a leader! I mean, under Jones, we were miserable. He was someone in a position of power who exploited us. We weren't as educated as he, hence less powerful and his routine made the farm like a well oiled machine- at our expense. On our own, it would have been fine, except Napoleon became corrupted also, by power again exploiting us. The Chinese Communist Party, they are a self perpetuating group who breed their own leaders- sacrifices made by the party for the party. Alan Jones tended to apply favouritism to his students, selecting the strong and talented and dedicated. There are flaws in all these powerful people, even Caesar's arrogance and Antony, his manipulation of the crowd. But powerplays are exchanges I guess, and power is gained by exploitation of the opposition's weaknesses. By reducing the power of one, your own is strengthened. That's just the way it is I guess. Old Major, he wanted a perfect place, his own version of ‘Sugarcandy Mountain' I guess. â€Å"†¦Above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . All that said, I'll repeat- it's human nature. At the conclusion of Julius Caesar, we can know as an audience that this scenario will repeat itself. More people will suffer, sacrifice, die for power, it is the nature of humanity. Oprah: Well Clover, that's about all we have time for. It's just been an amazing story you've had to tell, you've certainly opened my eyes. I'd like to thank you for coming on the show today†¦ Clover: It's my pleasure Oprah. Thankyou for having me! Oprah: You're welcome, you're welcome darling, now ladies and gentlemen let's thank Clover! Round of applause from audience Music plays and credits roll.