Many violent films are box office hits Essay Example

Many violent films are box office hits Essay Between 2000B.C. and 44 A.D., the ancient Egyptians entertained themselves with plays re-enacting the murder of their god Osiris, and the spectacle, history tells us, led to a number of copycat killings. The ancient Romans were given to lethal spectator sports as well, and in 380 B.C. Saint Augustine lamented that his society was addicted to gladiator games and drunk with the fascination of bloodshed. Nowadays, before the age of eighteen, the average American teen will have witnessed eighteen thousand simulated murders on TV, it is to no surprise that First Lady Laura Bush, said that American children, Im afraid, are addicted to television. And it has been considered that TV is the single most significant factor contributing to violence in America (Ted Turner). Violence in the media and particularly in film is not always considered a negative aspect since some think that it benefits people in ways that is hard to do in everyday life, especially young people, in everyday situations. T he reason for violent films being box office hits could be for a variety of reasons, but one thing is for sure, people enjoy watching the downfall of others.Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior (2005) was designed to showcase as much action as possible. There are fixed fights, double-crosses, and city-wide chases and that makes the film have a charm that is winning. Lines like Dispose of them and meet me in the cave will encourage a mixed reaction and this allows different viewers to see the film in different ways. This is done due to the way in which the line is put across. It is done in a relaxed manor and could suggest the character is sadistic, or the tone could suggest that it is not the first time that he has effectively sentenced someone to death. This ambiguity could be drawn from the experience one has in the particular genre. The particular selling point of this film is that it is advertised to have No Stunts, No Wires, No CGI. This unique selling point will attract an audience to go and see the film, particularly audiences that are already fans of the martial art genre. The sort of martial arts in the film is such that has not been seen before which gives it a break from the conventional martial arts used in these sorts of films. This could contribute to why violent films become box office hits.The director, Prachya Pinkaew, uses many different media institutions to help the audience to really get involved with the film. Using these allows not only regular martial arts genre viewers to enjoy the film, but people who are new to it. One of these techniques is to use different camera angles. In countless moments in the film, low-angle shots are used on Ting (lead character) to represent the power and presence that he has. There is one instance when he is about to fight against a character who could be characterised as Tings rival and these shots are used a lot in the build up to the fight. This is to make the audience feel confident that he will win. In this part icular moment, the equilibrium is broken because he actually loses the fight. This shows a new side to Ting and shows the audience that he is, like everyone else, only human. The fact Prachya Pinkaew (director) shows that Ting can lose makes the audience sympathise with him more when he fights from then on. The lighting used in the film also shows the audience something that one might not notice if the low-key, high contrast lighting was not used.The fact that this lighting is used, and usually only before and during a fight scene, emphasises certain minute details. At one point in the film, when Ting is about to fight his rival for the second time, there is a close up of his body and low-key lighting is used. This lets the audience see the definition of his body and appreciate the extent to which he is strong. Another way in which the audience may be attracted to seeing his muscles is that this is homoerotic. Assuming that the audience is going to mostly be male to this violent mar tial arts film, his muscles will allude to the ideology of toughness. Especially in this film also, the violence which is displayed throughout could be a brutal representation of sexual release. Furthermore, the viewing of his muscles and the definition of them will allow the audience to understand the control he must have needed to get that body. It would have taken training for hours and eating correctly. This control could be something that the men in the audience, primarily, could be envious of. These techniques allow the viewer to understand more about the situation and thus let them enjoy it more than they may have without such techniques.One negative view that an audience has of the effect of violence in film is the hypodermic needle model. This is when it is believed that the violence the people see in the media encourages viewers to imitate what they see. Jeffrey McIntyre, a legislative and federal affairs officer for the American Psychological Association, said The evidenc e is overwhelming. To argue against it is like arguing against gravity. and there is a lot of evidence that supports this view. The only problem is, is that the only thing someone can do is assume that it was violence in films that provokes certain crimes. The most famous example would be the murder of James Bulger. Two children, both 11, abducted and killed the two year old boy. It is believed that the boys had access to one of their fathers violent film collection and watched them regularly. One of the murders on one of the films is allegedly very similar to the one committed by the boys.Theres nothing wrong with adults having access to adult entertainment, but theres a problem when kids do (Bakari Kitwana) This would support the argument that violence does cause people to imitate what they see but as is argued against this, despite what films show, the bottom line is that people have the ability to think for themselves. If people do imitate what they see, it is down to the person , not the indoctrination by media violence. The idea that one might imitate what they see around them is shunned in Ong Bak when the helper of Ting suggests that he fights for money but Ting, despite the fact that it was happening all around him, says no. This denial, to what could be seen as a form of peer pressure, from the hero passes a message to the audience that even if everyone is doing something, or someone you might look up to, this does not mean you have to do it. This sort of message in the film and similar films in the genre, could account for some of the popularity of them due to the subliminal messages in them, thus leads it to be box office hits.All films nowadays come with a certificate and details of what is in the film, written by the British Board of Film Classification. With this, one can determine what is in the film before hand so is not forced to watch it. It is up to the consumer to decide what they want to watch and if they decide to watch it, they should fe el that they are able to see violence in film and not be affected in a negative way. People cannot see the type of violence that they see in films, in everyday life and, even if it sounds sadistic, this is a release for people. This just means it is something different that one can basically only experience through the media. Ong Bak has a different fighting style than your conventional martial arts film and therefore allows people to see something different. This difference to the norm and the release that violence in film may bring could contribute to the fact that a lot of violent films are box office hits.The way in which the actual martial arts are presented to the audience is different also. The majority of films in this particular genre just show the fights as the come. Ong Bak experiments with different techniques to emphasise what has just been done. One such example of this is the use of slow-motion. After Ting does a particularly hard bit of fighting skill, it will show i t again in slow motion and in some instances, repeats it several times. This will allow the audience to really get a feel to what has happened and just how hard it is to do. When asked, the director said that the reason this was done was to show off what Tony Jaa (Ting) could do. The convention of using slow motion opens up many opportunities for director to emphasise not only the achievement in the film, but Tings body as well. Yet again, this is homo-erotic and the audience will take pleasure in seeing the muscles work and the strain and stress of the action performed. There is one scene in the film that is actually only put in so that the audience could see the extent of Tony Jaas abilities.This scene is a chase through market and Jaa is seen to be jumping over cars and through loops of barbed wire. This scene brings a lot of action early on so that the audience will stay interested throughout. During this part, slow-motions and repetitions of the action is used somewhat excessiv ely to highlight to the audience what they have just seen. When a feat is seen again, it is usually from different angles as well which shows the audience certain aspects of it that they may not have picked up on the first time around. This bombardment of action would be likely to entice the audience to pay much more attention to the film than they might usually do. This increased attention would be needed in violent films as violence itself is very simple. If someone annoys someone, they hit them. This is something that can be done in film but life is not like that and there would be consequences. This simplicity could lead to them enjoying it more, promoting it through word of mouth and thus accounting for the popularity of the film.There are other arguments against violence in film and one such argument is that it de-sensitises the audience to violence in general. This is called the culmination effect. According to this theory, violence in film excites children but the more they see, the more they need to excite them, this result in them becoming less shocked by real life violence. Donald Roberts, a professor at Stanford, disagrees with this and says that the industry insisted that viewing had little or no effect on youngsters. Having said this, the CBS (popular television channel) President, Les Moonves, says that Anyone who thinks the media [have] nothing to do with [youth violence] is an idiot. This is a very bold statement from someone of his position and someone who has his influence is likely to be listened to and he is suggesting that violence in film does have a negative affect on society in general and thus makes it debauched.Even with all the evidence against violence in film, arguments still exists to protect media violence and one of these is the argument that it is a form of free expression. It is a common view that even if all media violence was censored, it will not solve the root causes of violence in society. Deciding what is acceptable con tent is a subjective exercise and should not be done by the government but by the parents of, or the people who watch the films. Many of the films banned in the past are considered classics today. This could be because the audience has been de-sensitised to the violence over the years, however, this does not change the view that one should be offered free speech. If media violence is one such free speech, then it should be allowed. The fact that these previously banned films become popular in the future could be because of the fact that they were banned. It is human nature for people to want what they cannot have and by banning the films; it entices people to see it. This could explain the popularity of some violent films.Despite the arguments that violence in film de-sensitises the audience, some say that it actually sensitises people to the effects of violence. Some violence in film can be so horrific that it actually puts people off violence and makes them more aware of its conse quences. Some people relate to this theory and could go and see violent films for this reason, thus making them box office hits. To further this idea, the majority of violence in film is done against the bad people in the film by the heroes. Ong Bak is filmed in this way and shows the lead character, Ting, only using violence when he feels he has to. This judgement, some might argue, cannot be made by someone, but since the audience becomes so well acquainted with Ting and his apparently selfless ways, we accept his decision to be correct. At first he refused to fight but does so after the man taunting him hits a woman.He does not go as far as defending her because it was only when he hit her he helped, before that he was throwing her around and Ting did not bat an eyelid. Throughout the film, Ting is constantly faced by people who are trying to kill him but when we see him defending himself, he does so in a manner that merely neutralises the enemies. This is another element of fant asy because when faced with someone who wants to kill someone else, just neutralising them would very likely be difficult to do, to say the least. Through this, he is not justifying that knocking someone out is the right thing to do because he only fought when he had to, like at gun point and for the fate of his village. This represents that killing is an act done by evil people and is not a good thing. After he has succeeded in what he set out to do (save his village), Ting returns home and becomes a monk. We see him as a monk and accept that he has become a better person due to saving the village. This shows that even though he has committed acts of violence, he has become a better person.This is another idea of fantasy that he can just return from all the violence and go back to being a monk. This shows composure and independence on Tings part but if prevoked, can defend himself. This fantasy could be another appealing factor of violent films. This brings back the idea of control . In order to become a monk would take years of discipline and training, like learning the art of Muay Thai would be, and this control could be an attractive attribute for the audience. On top of the representation of killing as a negative thing, the fact that the type of fighting used is unique and has rarely been seen before, it may make people more interested in the particular culture. Muay Thai, which is the fighting style used, is a big part of Thai monk lifestyle and this film is educating the audience about this. This is a type of free speech as it is allowing the directors and writers to tell a story to educate. The Director himself, Prachya Pinkaew, said that he made the film to not only show the unique and magnificent art of Muay Thai, but to teach people about the beliefs that the Thai community encompass. Even though not all violent films do this, the fact that this film does, could account for its popularity, along with other martial arts films, or violent films in gene ral.Whether the violence in films is presented as a good or a bad act, it is very rare, if ever that the film shows the consequences of the acts of violence. This theory suggests that inhibitions about violent behaviour are broken down due to the fact that it goes unpunished in films on the most part. It is not just a punishment that is lacking in the films but when someone gets shot, that someone is paralyzed, that these people have families. Theres no one, unless theyre totally isolated, who isnt affected by that. (Robin Williams) This would not make the audience, especially children, aware that there are any consequences and make them more likely to be violent to others.Media violence is qualitatively different to real violence and this is the view of people who see violence in film as a type of artistic expression. Gerard Jones, a comic-book creator, says that violent films allows people to pull themselves out of emotional traps integrating the scariest, most fervently denied fr agments of their psyches into fuller sense of selfhood through fantasies of superhuman combat and destruction. What this means is that people can relate to the hero in violent films and by relating to them, or as a child, pretending to have superhuman powers, could help them conquer many different aspects such as the feeling of powerlessness or social competition. Children need violent entertainment in order to explore the inescapable feelings that they have been taught to deny (Melanie Moore, Ph.D., psychologist) This makes violence in films very beneficial and helps both adults and children in events that they may have felt uncomfortable doing beforehand. This would defiantly work with Ong Bak as Ting uses his violence only for good and as a necessity or defence to achieve his aim. The audience could relate to this character. This help that this, and likely, many other martial arts films and violent films brings, could be another factor to why this genre of film is particularly po pular and are successful as box office hits.As in every film in this genre, there are characters that are delineated to be bad. These characters are represented, through obvious techniques to be evil so that the audience can identify them easily and know who to dislike. The techniques that they use are that they simply contrast the character of Ting onto another. Everything that Ting is good for, (honour, loyalty, selflessness) the bad characters are the opposite. They are presented to be hurting innocent people, performing acts of meaningless vandalism and most of all, hating and hurting the character that the audience feel connected to the most, Ting. If the hero in any film is hurt by another character (the villain) then this character will be disliked by the audience. This technique is used most but more subtle techniques are used as well. When the villains are seen, they are seen to be obviously different from the hero. One villain is British, for example, and starts to taunt t he art of Muay Thai.This character also has long black hair that covers the majority of his face. This technique of hiding the characters face suggests he has something to hide which is usually an attribute to a villain. There is another character that is presented to be evil by his fighting style and the way in which people react to him. When the character is seen, others move away and cower as they are afraid of him. The reason for this soon becomes evident as he fights viciously with broken bottles and chairs. Unlike the previously mentioned villain, this character is not shown to be British, or anything else for that matter as all he does is scream and growl. This simple technique of not giving a character lines and simply making him scream will automatically give the audience the impression that he is evil. The fact that Ong Bak, and martial arts films in general, are made so that the evil characters are easily identifiable, will not force the audience to consider the ulterior motives of characters that appear quite often in modern films, and just enjoy the martial arts action that people would have gone to see.Even considering that violence in films may help some people by relating to the hero in the story, there are still many negative effects it can bring, and not all of them are violence based. Racism can also be brought about by the violence that is seen in some films. Some of these films focus on crime committed by black people and lead people to believe, especially in America, that it is all true, that black people are the sole reason for crime and that they all carry guns. This leads to racism by the people who believe this and could even lead to more violence. Actor Tim Reid says that hes not sure black folks fully understand the power that media has in our life. He is talking about the power of indoctrination that it has. The fact that people will see violence being committed by a black person in a film and assume that that is what they are like .There is neither substantial evidence for or against the accusation that violence in film has a negative effect on its audience but there are many reported incidents that appear to have been the result of witnessing violence in film. It has been said that consistent exposure to stories and scenes of violence and terror can mobilize aggressive tendencies, desensitise some, isolate others, intimidate many and trigger violent action in a few. (George Gerbner, Author of Terror in the Mass Media) On top of this, it can help some through difficult times and give others confidence to act on something they felt intimidated by previously. One cannot place a label on violence in film being a good or a bad thing, but each individual person is entitled to their opinion on the matter.David Link, for example, says What is really the issue here is the war within human nature, the conflicts between what we know to be the law and what we feel. This suggests that some people watching media violence might not appreciate what they feel within themselves, they could be worried about there own violent feelings. However, others might have enjoyed it for what it was, a simple film with inconsequential violence. Violence affects everyone differently and could be bad for some, but good for others. It would be safe to assume that the majority felt it as a positive thing and this could account for the popularity of violent films and explain why they are commonly box office hits.

DISC Platinum Ruleâ„¢ Assessment Paper

DISC Platinum Ruleâ„ ¢ Assessment Paper Free Online Research Papers I took The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment test this week. Behavioral styles are an integral part to the dynamics of team or group and in order to have effective team, individual must understand personal behavioral style to make up with others in organization or team. DISC Platinum Rule primary behavioral styles have four different styles that are The Dominance style, The Interactive style, the Steadiness style and The Cautious style. Each style has four substyles. Substyles of dominance styles are The Director, The Adventurer, The Producer and The Pioneer. Substyles of interactive styles are The Socializer, The Helper, The Impresser and The Enthusiast. Substyles of steadiness styles are The Relater, The Specialist, The Go-Getter and The Harmonizer. Substyles of steadiness styles are The Thinker, The Master-Minder, The Assessor and The Perfecter. My main behavioral style is interactive style, substyles of interactive style is the Helper. Interaction style is quick rhythm and humanist. They are also public, direct, characteristic, participation, animation, intuitiveness and vigor. Interactive styles’ actions and decision are spontaneous. They are seldom concerned about facts and details and try to avoid as much as possible. Interactive styles are idea people. They have can get others caught up in their dreams because of their good persuasive skills. They influence others and shape their environment by bringing others into alliance to accomplish results. They seek approval and recognition for their accomplishment and achievements. They have that dynamic ability to think quickly on their feet. Interactive styles are true entertainers. They love an audience and thrive on involvement with people. They tend to work quickly and enthusiastically with others. Interactive styles are stimulating, talkative and gregarious. They te nd to operate on intuition and like to take risks (Alessandra, T, 2007). Summary of the interactive style strengths are persuading, optimistic, motivating and enthusiastic; weaknesses are disorganized, careless, exaggerates and poor follow-through. I agree with strengths but I disagree with weaknesses. I am persuading because I am good at changing others’ opinion by communication. For example, I would persuade team member or coworker to change their opinion or thought for project, give team member or coworker about my thought with better solution. I do not force people when they do not want to change their mind. I would use positive attitude talk to people for persuading, most time people would change their decision. I am optimistic because I always think everything will be fine also moving on in my life. For example, I lost my father when I was ten, I almost lost my husband in February 2007. My father has suffered from sickness for two years. I thought he would be happy in the heaven without suffering. My husband have get lose in snow in the mountain for three days, I thought about many things when he was lost that he would come back to us to spend time play with our son, teach him how to fishing and all kind of interesting thing. Police found him after three day because hi s friend walked out from the mountain. I believe my husband will always come back to me no matter how far he goes. My life is happier because of optimistic. I am motivating because I am stimulated by the positive response such as applause, laughter, compliments and so on. For example, I tend to be very receptive to change, I like to be part of new, varied or different experiences, especially if I will benefit. I am enthusiastic because I would help others if I know someone need help. For example, in my previous organization that has new employees in training. I would help them even without asking. I think I am organized persona because I organize all my school works such as I prepare school tasks as early as I can, set up schedule for my school works and daily life. I organized my work environment such as I organize all the employees’ file for a holder, I organize accounting documents for a holder, I organize bills document for a holder. I keep my desk neat and tiny. I think I am caring person because I care about everything around me; I care about others’ feeling; I care about others who do not get hurt from me; I care about my friend whose personal life; I care about tiny think such as everyone likes my dinner or not. I am not exaggerates because I always tell people truth. I do not make thing up such as I brought TV on sale which hundred dollars cheap than normal price, I would not tell other that I get two hundred cheap on the item. People is exaggerates that would not let others trust them. I would not tell people acknowledge that I do now know. I also thin k I am good follow-through because I would follow-through from my managers’ orders in my last organization. I notice that is important to lead people and follow people. I am quite uncomfortable with conflict, aggression and anger; I would focus on follow-through process for project without conflict. Weaknesses of interactive are not my predominance behavioral style. The reasons maybe are that I did not answer the question correctly and behavioral styles do not include my weaknesses. I believe DISC platinum rule should have more behavioral styles, if not which means people’ behavioral style would be bored; behavioral styles should more than sixteen substyles. The test result just let people know basic what kind of behavioral style people has. People know their predominance behavioral style that will help people to avoid weaknesses and improve the weaknesses at team or group. People should know others’ predominance behavioral style in the team or group in the organization that will decrease conflict and increase quality of project, speed and cooperation. The result would build relationship between employees with employees, employees with management and managers with managers. The interactive styles thrive on personal recognition. Support personal ideas, goals, opinions and dreams. Help interactive styles person to prioritize and organize, see tasks through to completion, view people and tasks more objectively, avoid overuse of giving and taking advice and write things down at work. In social settings that focus on a positive, upbeat, warm approach, listen to their personal feelings and experiences, publicly and privately acknowledge and focus on how glad when interactive behavioral style person succeed (Alessandra, T. 2007). Everyone have own personal behavioral styles. The work environment would be easy to control and organize if everyone knows personal behavioral styles and others. Reference Alessandra, T. (2007). The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment. Retrieved May 11, 2008, from University of Phoenix rEource MGT 344. Research Papers on DISC Platinum Ruleâ„ ¢ Assessment PaperThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Project Managment Office SystemResearch Process Part OneComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoTrailblazing by Eric AndersonAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New Employees

Definition and Examples of Red Herrings in Logic

Definition and Examples of Red Herrings in Logic In logic and rhetoric, a red herring is an observation that draws attention away from the central issue in an argument or discussion; an informal logical fallacy. Also called a decoy. In certain types of fiction (especially in mystery and detective stories), authors deliberately use red herrings as a plot device to mislead readers (metaphorically, to throw them off the scent) in order to maintain interest and generate suspense.The term red herring (an idiom) supposedly arose from the practice of distracting hunting dogs by dragging a smelly, salt-cured herring across the trail of the animal they were pursuing. Examples and Observations A red herring is a detail or remark inserted into a discussion, either intentionally or unintentionally, that sidetracks the discussion. The red herring is invariably irrelevant and is often emotionally charged. The participants in the discussion go after the red herring and forget what they were initially talking about; in fact, they may never get back to their original topic.(Robert J. Gula, Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language. Axios, 2007)Some analysts even question the widespread assumption that rising consumption in developing nations will continue to force up food prices. Paul Ashworth, senior international economist at Capital Economics, calls that argument a red herring, saying that consumption of meat in China and India has reached a plateau.(Patrick Falby, Economy: Panicked About Expensive Food And Oil? Don’t Be. Newsweek, Dec. 31, 2007-Jan. 7, 2008) Alastair Campbells Red Herring Credit where credit is due. In the space of a couple of days, Alastair Campbell has managed to turn an argument about the way the government presented its case for war in Iraq into an entirely different dispute about the way the BBC covered what was going on in Whitehall at the time. As a piece of news management, it has been brilliantly done. Hats off to Mr Campbell for the way he pulled the trick. It is easy to imagine, in years to come, how a new generation of trainee spin doctors will be raised on this case study of how the master was able to wrongfoot his tormentors so successfully.Brilliant or not, what Mr. Campbell has achieved is largely a classic use of a very pungent red herring. The BBCs reporting, though important, is not in fact the real issue; that is the strength of the case for action against Iraq. Nor is the red herring within a red herring about single sourced stories really relevant either; if your source is good enough, then the story is too.(Labours Phoney War, T he Guardian [UK],  June 28, 2003) Red Herrings in a Henning Mankell Mystery Novel There is something in the report that disturbs me, [President de Clerk] said. Let us assume there are red herrings laid out in appropriate places. Let us imagine two different sets of circumstances. One is that its me, the president, who is the intended victim. Id like you to read the report with that in mind, Scheepers. Id also like you to consider the possibility that these people intend to attack both Mandela and myself. That doesnt mean Im excluding the possibility that it really is Mandela these lunatics are after. I just want you to think critically about what you are doing. Pieter van Heerden was murdered. That means there are eyes and ears everywhere. Experience has taught me that red herrings are an important part of intelligence work. Do you follow me?(Henning Mankell,  The White Lioness, trans. by Laurie Thompson. The New Press, 2011) The Lighter Side of Red Herrings What about Red Herring, maam?Im not sure. Is Red Herring a red herring?  Or is it the fact that were meant to think  Red Herring is a  red herring that is actually the red herring?Or perhaps the fact youre meant to think Red Herring isnt a red herring is what makes Red Herring a red herring after all.Were talking serious metaherrings here.(Jasper Fforde, One of Our Thursdays Is Missing. Viking, 2011)

Evaluation of the Visual Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Evaluation of the Visual Environment - Essay Example Knowledge of these properties makes it possible for people understand, analyze and design interactions between objects, surfaces and light. The difference in the behaviour of light on different surfaces defines its properties. While discussing the various properties of light, this essay will consider a bathroom and how light behaves on different surfaces in the bathroom. Bathrooms differ according to people’s tastes and preferences; while some are small, others are large. However, a typical bathroom approximately measures 2.5 meters in length by 1.5 n in the breath. Although the finishing of bathrooms differs substantially, this paper will consider a standard bathroom with white walls, furnished with white tiles and a grey floor. From the ceiling is gypsum fitted with warmly lit bulbs to offer adequate light for the person bathing. A door made of transparent glass opens to a hallway fitted with a dressing table made of marble on one side, with a huge mirror standing on one side of the table. Different things stand on the table, with a glass vessel holding a couple of bathing soaps, ointments and apparatus. A dark curtain ensures the privacy of the person bathing. In the bathing cubicle, fitted on three walls are mirrors standing from the floor to the top of the ceiling. Light naturally travels in straight lines and as such behaves differently whenever it lands on different surfaces (Vandergriff, n.d). While some reflect light in the bathroom, others absorb it, others refract and others transmit light. Mirrors are made of extremely smooth surfaces and as such, they reflect light at the same incidence at which it lands on the mirror. Whenever light hits a mirror, it bounces off, and as such, this forms the image that people see whenever in front of a mirror. While the mirror reflects light due to its smooth surface, tiles do not form images since their surfaces are not as smooth.  Instead of tiles reflecting light at the same angle at which it lands on their surfaces, they reflect it at different angles, a reason why there is no resultant image from these surfaces.     

Budgeting Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budgeting Memo - Assignment Example Upon questioning, I learned that people in charge of budgeting and procurement have to spend all of their budgets for fear of losing it the next year. Perhaps you got that idea from government spending which has a totally different setting with a non-government agency such as ours. It is widely known that most government agencies are under pressure to fully expend budgets that are set to expire (Boris Angelov, 2014) I am not happy with this situation because you have the wrong notion of budgeting. The rush of spending at the end of the fiscal year is only costing the organization unnecessary expenditures and wasteful. Budget is supposed to be an allocation to ensure that there are enough resources to accomplish set of goals. It is defined as an estimation of revenue and expenses over a period of specified time (Investopedia). For instance, if you have budgeted, $30,000 for training of personnel, and at close of the fiscal year, you have spent only $20,000 for the actual training; this does not mean you have to think of ways to spend the balance of the budget. Necessarily, it should be treated as a savings and be returned to the Treasury. An approved budget does not mean that you have to spend it to zero. We should form the practice of returning balances because as you contribute to our fund balances, you are adding to the health of our company. From now on, the practice of spend all will not be tolerated. Each manager has to explain why there are balances/deficits from the budgeted amount, and if there is a balance, the need to spend it should be rightly justified. Please be informed that I will not approve expenses not tied up with our goals but will commend managers who are efficient in their surpluses. If you fear of losing your budget for next year, I will propose to our Board of Directors to use Zero budgeting wherein every expenditure is justified, or each spending starts with an assumed value of 0 (Accounting Tools, 2014).

Young Goodman Brown Essay Example for Free

Young Goodman Brown Essay The people living in the United States of America are some of the most liberated people in the world. The majority of the people living in this country are well aware of their religious freedom and human rights. It is therefore hard to imagine that more than 300 years ago, there was a group of people living in Massachusetts who could not tolerate others; especially those whose views are not in conformity to their own. The Puritans were both celebrated and reviled in history. But for Nathaniel Hawthorne the way they persecuted non-conformists made him loathe them. The only problem is that he is related to some of the most notorious figures of that era. He wrote a significant number of works to help him deal with his connection to this men and the Young Goodman Brown is one best example of how he tried to exorcise the demons of the past. The Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804. He was born in a place used to be called Salem, Massachusetts. His hometown was later renamed to Danvers, Massachusetts and probably for good reason. In 1692 there was a real witch hunt in this town. Suspected witches were hanged and burned. His ancestors were leading men of Salem. One of them was William Hathorne who settled in the colony in the early part of the 17th century and then went on to become one of Salem’s spiritual builders and made a significant contribution in creating a theocratic society (Meltzer, 10). William Hathorne held many offices including magistrate and as a military leader who forced the Indians out of their homeland. Later on Nathaniel Hawthorne will use some of his exploits and misdeeds as the background for his stories. In order to have some perspective, in the year that Nathaniel Hawthorne was born, it was also the same year that Thomas Jefferson was reelected president of the United States and about the same time when Lewis and Clark set out on an expedition to explore the West (Meltzer, 15). It means that when Hawthorne wrote Young Goodman Brown America was still a relatively young country and thus the lessons of the past are still fresh in the memories of many most especially those who came from the primary settlements such as in Massachusetts. For Nathaniel Hawthorne his darkest secret lies in the fact that his ancestors â€Å"†¦earned the reputation of chasing down the wicked like a bloodhound† (Meltzer, 12). The following best describes the situation in the Salem witch trials: While the witch-hunt craze lasted, men and women, young and old, were jailed, their property confiscated and they were forced to invent testimony against innocent others. The court’s central aim was to get a confession out of the accused. About fifty people gave in to the intense pressure and some were executed (Meltzer, 11). It will become apparent later on that Nathaniel Hawthorne made a realization; that he could do something about the dishonorable actions of his ancestors by becoming a writer. But as mentioned earlier American in the mid-19th century was not exactly a highly industrialized nation. This is bad news for an aspiring writer like Hawthorne because this means that it is extremely difficult to earn a decent living writing short stories and novels. He had a rough start as a writer. But then he found his niche, he found his own unique style and the rest is history. The Story The Young Goodman Brown is one of the more important works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and it is about the religious experience of a young man named Young Goodman Brown. The main character was married to a young woman named Faith and one day decided to take on a strange journey deep into the woods right after sunset. It is a curious time to start traveling to another town or to any particular location. It turns out that Young Goodman Brown was invited to attend a clandestine meeting in the darkest part of the woods. The story took a sudden turn when the highly religious Young Goodman Brown was discovered to be meeting with the devil incarnate (McCabe, par. 1). Hawthorne made a cryptic introduction of the devil when he wrote the following: But the only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake. So curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wiggle itself, like a living serpent. This, of course, must have been an ocular deception, assisted by the uncertain light. Hawthorne did not elaborate why the pious young man consented to a meeting with the devil. This difficulty is exacerbated by the declaration of Young Goodman Brown who said: We are a people of prayer, and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness. The abovementioned excerpt may help answer that question – Young Goodman Brown was deceived and did not realize at first that he was talking to Satan. But that is not the most interesting part of the story. The tale became more complicated when Young Goodman Brown saw the most highly respected people in Salem village taking part in the said devious meeting. The young man could not believe his eyes when he saw Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin, and the old minister of Salem. The confusion was made more intense by the presence of known sinners including the hated sorcerers from the heathen tribes. The religious people of his village spoke against their kind and yet all are gathered under the trees, seeming to enjoy each other’s company. It was also revealed to Young Goodman Brown that the prim and proper ladies in Salem village are guilty of either murder or unbridled lust. He was shocked to find out about the hypocrisy and the deception. But his life was about to be destroyed by what he saw next. In the beginning of the story Hawthorne made it clear that aside from religion Young Goodman Brown’s purpose in life is to love and cherish his wife, Faith. He was not only madly in love with his young and beautiful wife but he considered her as his anchor and helps him keep focus. At the climax of the story however, Young Goodman Brown saw his wife in the meeting and willingly participated in the demonic rituals. Needless to say, the young man was crushed and he would never recover. He went on to live for a long time. At his funeral he was survived by an older looking Faith, by his children and grandchildren. But he died a broken man full of gloom that his family never bothered to inscribe anything in his tombstone. It seems that it is best for him to die rather than live. The Context As they say it is all about context. The story can be interpreted different ways but the correct interpretation will have to have an understanding of the context. One critic provided the initial foray into the study of context when he wrote, â€Å"Despite Hawthorne’s reputation as a romancer who preferred to create a ‘neutral territory, somewhere between the real world and fairy-land’ †¦ he paid careful attention to historical settings for most of his literary works (Person, 16). Hawthorne based his story on historical facts but most importantly he based it on the actions of his ancestors. A deeper examination of his lineage will reveal that, â€Å"Puritanism and the history of early Massachusetts settlements – Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Salem – form one important context in which to understand Hawthorne’s writing† (Person, 16). It must be noted that Nathaniel Hawthorne’s great-great-great grandfather was William Hathorne. William Hawthorne was well known for ordering one Quaker woman – Ann Coleman – to be whipped while walking the streets of Salem. John Hathorne the son of William Hathorne was also made notorious by presiding in the equally infamous Salem witch trials in 1692. One should also note that the letter â€Å"w† is missing from the last names of the aforementioned ancestors. This could mean that the author was less than thrilled to be associated with these men. In fact, â€Å"†¦Hawthorne referred to each of these ancestors as a ‘bitter persecutor who possessed all the Puritanic traits both good and evil. Hawthorne felt haunted by these ancestors and took shame upon himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Person, 17). It can be said that Nathaniel Hawthorne had to rectify what was done in the past through his stories and novels. The link to the Salem witch trials and the plot of Young Goodman Brown can be seen in how Hawthorne used details from the trial and incorporated it into the story. The most important aspect of the Salem witch trial that Hawthorn used was encapsulated in a concept called â€Å"specter evidence† (Person, 18). This is the belief that people could give Satan permission to mimic them in a supernatural way and then using that likeness, the devil could then move freely within the community to tempt others. In Young Goodman Brown the concept of â€Å"spectral evidence† was used to the hilt. Critics assert that the people that Young Goodman Brown encountered are the specters of everyone he knew (Person, 18). Unfortunately, the young man believed the specter to be the real thing and as a result his life was turned upside down. The sense of gloom felt by Young Goodman Brown is but a reflection of what Hawthorne felt because what his ancestors did he could not forget, â€Å"It was a family bloodstain Nathaniel Hawthorne could never rid himself, of even after more than a hundred years had passed since those ancestors died† (Meltzer, 14). But he tried his best. The Intentions of the Author Based on the preceding discussion and based on a careful analysis of Young Goodman Brown it would appear that Hawthorne had at least three intentions when he began to write this piece of literature and these are listed as follows: 1. Hawthorne wanted to show that it is counterproductive to have legalistic communities; 2. Hawthorne wanted to show that religious bigotry accomplishes nothing of long lasting significance; 3. Hawthorne wanted to show that some of the religious people in the past are guilty of hypocrisy and if truth be told they deserved to be hanged and burned just like the suspected witches in the Salem witch trials; and finally 4. Hawthorne tried to demonstrate that suspicion can lead to distrust and paranoia. Nathaniel Hawthorne was able to accomplish all of the above by creating a great work of fiction. In this work of fiction he used the aforementioned concept called â€Å"spectral evidence† to make Young Goodman Brown believed that the people he saw were indeed acting on their own free will. It was an improbable story but worked well to develop the ideas of Hawthorne. It was the contrasting subplots; the first one shows a group of pious people living in Salem village, the second one shows the same group of people living a double life by being true worshippers of the devil. In Hawthorne’s storyline he was able to criticize and make fun of the religious order of yesteryears. He also made no qualms in exposing the excesses of the Puritans. He was also able to show that if people isolate themselves by persecuting others – especially the nonconformists – and driving them out of the community then they will lack the necessary feedback mechanism that will tell them they are living in excess. The tragedy of Young Goodman Brown is the lack of communication and the inability to reach out to others as shown by the behavior of the main character. Conclusion In Young Goodman Brown the story can only be understood by examining the historical background of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne’s ancestors participated in the violent persecution of those who failed to conform to the standards set forth by the Puritans. This means that those who disagree can leave anytime but for those who wanted to stay, they must learn to live by the rules. Those who will not conform will have to suffer by flogging, hanging, and burning. For Nathaniel Hawthorne building a highly legalistic society can backfire and instead of creating a harmonious community the byproduct is hypocrisy and secret sins. But most importantly if people isolate themselves then they are impeding progress in their spiritual journey. By erecting a facade of religiosity or by not opening up and reaching out to others, people will become paranoid and die with an unresolved inner turmoil. In the case of Young Goodman Brown he made a mistake of judging the specters as real and so he decided not to be in communion with his own people. There could also be another interpretation, that what he encountered were not specters and that what really happened is that he fell asleep and dreamt that he was in a demonic meeting attended by religious leaders and his wife. Irregardless of which one is truth, Young Goodman Brown could have fixed everything if only he reached out to his wife, to his pastor, to the elders of the church and initiated dialogue. But unfortunately Young Goodman Brown took the easy path and it is to build a high wall made out of pride and the erroneous thinking that he alone knew the truth. Works Cited Alkana, Joseph. The Social Self: Hawthorne, Howells, William James, and Nineteenth-Century Psychology. KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 1997. Demas, Corrine. Great American Short Stories. New York: Barnes Noble, Inc. , 2004. McCabe, Michael. Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown. 27 July 1998 Florida Gulf Coast University. 26 October 2008 http://itech. fgcu. edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/Hawthorne. htm. Meltzer, Milton. Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Biography. MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2007.

Educacional Video Games :: Education, Classrooms

In recent years the video game market has been rising. With the new advancements with technology the limitations are slowly disappearing, what was once unimaginable is now possible. Today’s youth is playing video games for enjoyment more than ever before. The market has even started making its way into classrooms, in the form of instructional mediums. These games are specifically made to increase knowledge and skills, some are even meant for enjoyment but double as educational. The marketers of video games have picked up on this fact and have been working on making more suitable games. There are many different aspects of this new technique of teaching that still needs to be discovered. There are many different reasons as to why educators are supplementing games into their classrooms. Simpson & Clem (2008) stated that the reason as to why this generation learns differently is because they have grown up in a digital world. This has influenced students to learn and think differently than the previous generations. Simpson (2006) stated that 92% of children between 2 and 17 play video games. Also stated is that video games are used on a daily basis in children’s lives. Gordon (2010) wrote that students are lacking motivation to learn, causing them to fail state tests. Also stated by Gordon students were more engaged in class, practiced more skills, and completed their homework. As stated before students use video games in their daily lives, which is related to the way they learn. Simpson (2008) stated that students lean more if they are actively engaged. This in fact has been proven through an increase of test scores. According to Din & Calao (2001) wrote that students who had low focus were less focused when a teacher was teaching, and more focus when computers were used. Rice (2007) wrote that educational video games increase team building, experiential learning, and understanding of abstract concepts. As society, education, and technology change video games for educational purposes will be more prevalent in classrooms. The key to using video games in the classroom is proper implementation. Gordon (2010) gave tips as of how to properly implement games into a school environment. Also stated was that the right game must enforce what students need to learn and should be parallel to the state standards. According to Gordon (2010) there are many questions that need to be answered for proper implementation; these questions are who, what, when, and where. Educacional Video Games :: Education, Classrooms In recent years the video game market has been rising. With the new advancements with technology the limitations are slowly disappearing, what was once unimaginable is now possible. Today’s youth is playing video games for enjoyment more than ever before. The market has even started making its way into classrooms, in the form of instructional mediums. These games are specifically made to increase knowledge and skills, some are even meant for enjoyment but double as educational. The marketers of video games have picked up on this fact and have been working on making more suitable games. There are many different aspects of this new technique of teaching that still needs to be discovered. There are many different reasons as to why educators are supplementing games into their classrooms. Simpson & Clem (2008) stated that the reason as to why this generation learns differently is because they have grown up in a digital world. This has influenced students to learn and think differently than the previous generations. Simpson (2006) stated that 92% of children between 2 and 17 play video games. Also stated is that video games are used on a daily basis in children’s lives. Gordon (2010) wrote that students are lacking motivation to learn, causing them to fail state tests. Also stated by Gordon students were more engaged in class, practiced more skills, and completed their homework. As stated before students use video games in their daily lives, which is related to the way they learn. Simpson (2008) stated that students lean more if they are actively engaged. This in fact has been proven through an increase of test scores. According to Din & Calao (2001) wrote that students who had low focus were less focused when a teacher was teaching, and more focus when computers were used. Rice (2007) wrote that educational video games increase team building, experiential learning, and understanding of abstract concepts. As society, education, and technology change video games for educational purposes will be more prevalent in classrooms. The key to using video games in the classroom is proper implementation. Gordon (2010) gave tips as of how to properly implement games into a school environment. Also stated was that the right game must enforce what students need to learn and should be parallel to the state standards. According to Gordon (2010) there are many questions that need to be answered for proper implementation; these questions are who, what, when, and where.

Beowulf and Illiad Essay

Stories like Beowulf and the Iliad seem hard to believe, far-fetched, and exaggerated even though they can relate to a cultures past. Even so, both stories have great examples of fighting, victory, and glory. â€Å"Now though I may win my perfect glory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Line 64 Homer) This quote helps show the desire Achilles has for glory. â€Å"I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me. (Line 607-611 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows Beowulf has a similar desire for fame and glory, along with the confidence to be victorious. Both relate the tales of a hero, and as we follow them, we learn about them in the process. The story of Beowulf seems too good to be true in a sense. As you read, you notice that every woman is beautiful, every warrior is good and every cause is worth risking life and limb for. What is realistic is that every human being wants to be loved and accepted while also being the hero. King Hrothgar is a fatherly example that deserves the love that Beowulf has for him. Hail, Hrothgar!†¦ My youth have been filled with glory. Now Grendel’s name has echoed in our land: Sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best†¦When the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. † (Line 140-148 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows the fondness that the king and Beowulf have for each other, and it shows a comparison of light and life. In the case of Achilles in the Iliad, everything is a bit more believable. The theme of life and death is brought to the reader’s attention when Patroclus is killed. As a result, Hector is also killed because of Patroclus’s death. Achilles isn’t perfect, along with other characters such as Hector and King Agmemmon. These faults make this story more realistic and believable, while also adding truth to the story. Bad decisions are made, such as Achilles allowing his good friend, Patroclus, to enter battle and be killed. â€Å"My greatest friend is gone: Patroclus, comrade in my arms, whom I held dear above all others- dear as myself – now gone, lost; Hector cut him down, despoiled him of my own arms, massive and fine, a wonder in all man’s eyes. (Line 13-18 Homer) In this quote is an example of life and death and how it made Achilles wants revenge on Hector. This also gives Achilles a type of â€Å"power† to choose whether to take Hector’s life. Beowulf is humble, and although he has the personality of a hero more than Achilles, he does not see his own value or his own significance. Achilles, on the other hand, could not be more proud. His awareness and consideration of his own skills and his own value are an obvious difference to the humility and mildness of Beowulf. Do not attempt to keep me from the fight, though you love me; you cannot make me listen. † (Line 70 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows an example of Achilles attitude toward himself and others when it comes to a fight. This also shows how Beowulf has more good in him then Achilles. Beowulf having a personality with great goodness, makes the decision to fight the greatest evil (Grendel) with only his hands. â€Å"My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip. (Line 172-175 Beowulf Poet) This quote supports Beowulf’s fight against evil, and how the fight will determine life and death. Beowulf and the Iliad are stories of great heroes. They take us through their stories and battles while teaching the reader about them along the way. The Iliad is easier to believe, while Beowulf seems too good to be true. Both stories relate to the cultures past and teach us about each character. Beowulf and the Iliad battle through evil and relate to each other through life and death.

How Globalization Can Affect International Business Essay

In today’s ever globalizing economy, global managers must utilize specific skills in order to navigate and overcome the cross-cultural situations which affect international business practices. Dependant upon the situation, both native and expatriate managers can be qualified to handle these cross-cultural challenges. There are a plethora of cultural differences that can have an affect on how business is done internationally. These differences can be any number of actions that we take for granted when interacting in one’s own culture. Every culture has deep structures built upon religious, social and ethical values which will influence the way in which another will reason and react as well as how they will listen or what they will expect from us (Burnam 1998). An example of a cultural difference that could affect international business is the misinterpretation of hand gestures. In the United States the â€Å"thumbs up† hand gesture is a common sign relaying a positive meaning usually meant to convey the message â€Å"good† or â€Å"OK†. This is different than in the Arab culture where the same hand signal is the equivalent to one of our more negative hand gestures here in the United States. Therefore using this signal with someone from an Arab culture would most certainly not produce the desired positive effect but rather a negative one. One skill a manager could develop to combat the ignorance of another culture with whom he is doing business with is to immerse himself into that culture and learn their customs through observation and interaction, becoming aware of how to adapt to the situation. This developed ability to observe and adapt would no doubt aid a manager in future cross-culture settings. This type of adaptation is evident in Cassandra Hayes’ article â€Å"The Intrigue of International Assignments†. One of Hayes’ subjects in the article, J. Eric Wright, describes how by immersing himself into the South African culture, he was able to learn through observation one of the local customs concerning respect for elders, which was detrimental to his success while there (Hayes 1996). This communication hurdle is better suited for a native manager as they already possess the knowledge of the local customs, traditions and social norms. They would be better equipped to handle challenges in which  proper and appropriate communication are paramount to an organizations success. Another example of a cross-cultural conflict is the overstepping of boundaries involving another culture’s code of etiquette. The social interactions we take for granted in our own culture may be considered rude or out of line in another culture. Hayes’ article also touches upon a situation relevant to this. Another of Hayes’ subjects, Belinda Miller, received a shocking reaction from an employee after giving advice. Miller was transplanted in China and received a first class education in cross-cultural differences and how they could affect working with someone from another culture. After greatly upsetting her employee by offering criticism in a direct manner, Miller learned that this situation was very different than dealing with an American employee and that advice or criticism must be subtly given in this culture. Having awareness and being culturally sensitive are extremely pertinent to an overseas assignment (Hayes 1996). Again in this situation it seems that a native manager would be much more prepared and able in preventing cross-cultural conflicts such as this, the reason being that they are already engrained into the culture and possess a working knowledge of social and professional do’s and don’ts. One more example of how a cross-cultural difference can affect how an organization’s success internationally is the improper translation of language. In an example cited in the Touro University International’s College of Business Administration MGT 501 CD-ROM mistranslation is demonstrated. The Intercultural Communication page states that, â€Å"One American airline operating in Brazil advertised that it had plush â€Å"rendezvous lounges† on its jets, unaware that in Portuguese (the language of Brazil) â€Å"rendezvous† implies a special room for having sex.† (Intercultural Communication). It is Obvious to see the fundamental lapse in meaning, which could be interpreted quite inappropriately. Skills that a good manager could develop in an attempt to prevent these type of mistake is to develop good habits of researching another culture and its language translation as well as always possessing the awareness of the message being conveyed. Proficiency in another foreign language would be an important  critical skill a global manager could add to their improvement. Yet again this looks to be another cross-cultural situation in which the native manager is favored as a result of his already being fully aware of the cultures norms and language. The native manager would possess the knowledge to identify the misinterpretation before it was too late. Cross-cultural differences can affect doing business internationally in a number of ways. Through misunderstanding, misinterpretation and being unaware, cross-cultural differences can affect organizations business across borders by causing a deal not to be finished, accomplishing an agreement without establishing a long-term relationship and by causing an escalation in tension or confrontation while negotiating. It is evident that in today’s world, globalization demands cultural awareness and the ability to adapt in the international business world. This can be perfectly summed up in a saying used by Josephine Song in her article â€Å"Transcending Borders†. It says, â€Å"If you are going to do business with people who are in different parts of the world, you had better understand and speak their language†. A better understanding of these cultural differences can be reached with the aid of the Hofstede Model. The Hofstede Model helps to explain some of the discrepancies inherent when comparing respective culture values to one another. Four of these variables are masculinity/femininity, tolerance or avoidance of uncertainty, power distance and individualism versus collectivism (Louis). Masculinity and femininity deal with the values of achievement, material possessions or wealth and aggression as opposed to relationships, compassion and quality of life. Tolerance or avoidance of uncertainty is the extent to which people must have certainty in order to feel secure. The less tolerance a culture has for uncertainty the more likely they are to have and maintain a rigid structure of rules establishing a code of conduct. Power distance is the level of acceptance that a culture has for its social, economic and political separation and power distribution. Individualism versus collectivism is exactly what it sounds like, the extent to which a culture is concerned with individual achievements or collective success (Beebe, Beebe and Redmond 1996). Through the juxtaposition of these different degrees of values in international  business, inefficiency is created which must be bridged by cultural awareness and adaptation in order to achieve success. There are many specific skills that global managers could utilize in order to address these differences. Cultural awareness training could be the most relevant and most helpful aid to global managers in overcoming cultural divides through the development of pertinent skills. A program like this could help global managers train for specific scenarios and common pitfalls met in cross-cultural situations (Burnam 1998). Foreign language proficiency is definitely a skill that would greatly benefit global managers, allowing them to better communicate with their counterparts and help to avoid awkward misinterpretations or misunderstandings that could make or break a business relationship. A high tolerance for the unknown and curiosity to learn is detrimental to a global manager’s growth as a professional in the international business community as they will no doubt encounter many new customs and situations. This will enable a global manager to use patience to understand and adapt to his surroundings. This can be associated with the extremely important skills of being generally aware and having keen observation. A global manager could avoid awkward or potentially relationship ending situations solely by picking up on them beforehand. Perhaps the most important skills for a global manager to possess are the abilities to be both flexible and adaptive. As the global manager is continually introduced to new experiences they will be able to overcome cross-cultural differences in order to cement a new relationship or deal. Although in the three specific examples of cross-cultural differences cited above native managers were favored, it is probably more important than ever that organizations send expatriate managers out across borders to gain experience and knowledge. This is truly the most effective way to secure the globalization of an organization. Expatriated managers can return to train other members of the organization. This in turn will allow an organization to utilize loyal employees who most likely bear greater allegiance to them rather than a native homeland (Burnam 1998). The organization would also have a manager with a better knowledge and understanding of the organization embedded in the culture. An organization that could train the majority of  its managerial workforce to become more aware and sensitive toward other cultures would be heavily prepared for the continual evolvement of globalization as well increasing its effectiveness in the global market. Both native and expatriate managers are well equipped to handle an organization’s international business. Whether native or expatriate managers are more qualified or better equipped depends on the situation and an organization’s goal. By utilizing specific skills which pertain to enhancing cultural awareness and communication barriers, today’s global managers can better prepare themselves to meet the challenges of the many cross-cultural situations in our ever globalizing economy. References: 1. Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (1996). Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 345-365. 2. Burnam, E. â€Å"Managing Cultural Diversity in a Global World†. Workinfo.com, 1998. http://www.workinfo.com/free/downloads/299.htm3. Hayes, C. (1996) â€Å"The Intrigue of International Assignments†. Black Enterprise, (26)10, 98

Pius II essays

Pius II essays Pius II was born in the Sienese territory on October 18, 1405. Pius studied at the universities of Siena and Florence. He stayed in the city of Florence to become a teacher, although in 1431 he excepted the inventation to be the secretary to Domenico Capranic. Domenico Capranic was the bishop of Ferno and was on his way to the Council of Basel to protest against Eugenius IV. After going to Basel Pius accompanied Capranic on many other adventures. Pius was also sent by Cardinal Albergata on a secret mission to Scotland, and while in Scotland also visited England. When he returned he sided with the council about its conflicts with the Pope. Although he was still a layman he still played a huge role in the direction of the council's decisions. Pius was a very easy going person, he had no strict morals and he wasn't very consistant with politics. In 1445 he went to Germany to assist the pope. He was very sucessfull in this, he helped to resolve the differences between the papal court of Rome and the German imperial electors. In 1447 Eugenius died and his sucssesor was Nicholas V. Nicholas' first act was to make Pius the bishop of Trieste. In 1450 he was sent ambassador by the emperor Fredrick to negotiate his marriage with the princess Leonora of Naples, which was very sucsessfull. Then in 1452 he went with Fredrick to Rome where the emperor married princess Leonora of Naples and was crowned the king of the Romans. On Decemeber 18th 1456 he was created cardinal by Calixtus III. Two years later; 1558 Calixtus III died and on August 10, 1558 Pius became his sucsessor. As pope Pius served the best interests of the church. He was constantly trying for the peace of Christiandom against Islam. He also started a commission for the reform of the Roman court. Even though he was extremly busy he still found time for his literature. He had two major works during this time. His geographical and ethnographical de ...

Word Choice Born vs. Borne - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Born vs. Borne - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Born vs. Borne The words â€Å"born† and â€Å"borne† are spelled almost the same but differ in meaning. Getting these terms mixed up can therefore impact upon the clarity and accuracy of your written work. To help you avoid this kind of mistake, we’ve compiled a guide on how these terms should be used. Born (in the USA) When Bruce Springsteen sang that he was â€Å"born in a dead man’s town† he was using the word in its literal sense, meaning â€Å"existing as a result of birth.† This is why we say that someone born in a certain place was place-born (e.g., German-born, Canada-born, etc.): New Jersey-born soccer player Carli Loyd was instrumental in the USWNT’s World Cup victory. In a more figurative sense, we sometimes use â€Å"born† to mean â€Å"arising from/of†: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was born of a competition between Shelley and her companions to see who could write the best horror story. Furthermore, if someone has undergone a major change in their life we might say they have been â€Å"born again† (such as a â€Å"born again Christian†). Borne The word â€Å"borne† is the past participle of the verb â€Å"bear.† It therefore means â€Å"to have carried†: On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem borne on the back of a donkey. This is why we use adjectives like â€Å"waterborne† or â€Å"current-borne† when describing something carried by something else (e.g., â€Å"an airborne virus†). Another way in which we use this term is to indicate that someone has taken responsibility for something: The upgrade had been expensive, but the company had borne the brunt of the costs. The term â€Å"borne out,† meanwhile, means to corroborate or confirm something: The scientist’s hypothesis was not borne out by the experiments she conducted. Borne vs. Bore It’s worth noting that the verb â€Å"bear† has another past participle: bore. The difference between â€Å"borne† and â€Å"bore† is that the former is passive and the latter is active. So if we’re using the active voice, in which the subject of the sentence is actively bearing something, we use â€Å"bore†: The palm tree bore coconuts. But when using the passive voice the subject of the sentence is not doing anything, so we use â€Å"borne†: The coconuts were borne by the palm tree. It’s therefore important to remember the distinction between â€Å"bore† and â€Å"borne,† as well as the difference between â€Å"born† and â€Å"borne.†

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 28

Economics - Essay Example An isocost line is a line showing combinations of inputs that would yield the same cost. Therefore, the word isocost implies that the cost of the given factors of production are constant along the certain activity level and thus can be used for the planning and decision making purposes. In the above figure, L denotes the amount of labor utilized by the producer and K denotes the amount of capital utilized by the producer. It is evident from the figure that along the line the cost of both of the factors of production is same and the total cost of production is also shown on the graph for different cost lines. With the help of isocost lines, most economic and cost beneficial decision can be made for getting the desired output. This graph also shows that isocost lines are the straight lines and the only different in them is that they shift up or down the graph showing the same pattern for different activity levels. These isocost lines are parallel because each reflects the same relative resource price. Given a  production function, an isoquant is "the locus of input combinations that yield the same output level." (Chiang, p. 360) There is an isoquant set for each possible output level. Mathematically the isoquant is a  level curve of the production function. Isoquants is a concept relating to the quantity of input required to produce a certain level of output. For a given level of output, there are certain levels of input of production factors that yield the same level of output. If the ratio of two or more of the factors of production is changed then the resulting yield of those input factors can be same for all of the combinations of factors. This implies that the concept of isoquant deals primarily with the cost minimization problems of producers. The above figure shows different levels of labor and capital required to produce a certain output of a particular product and the curve shows that different combinations of input resources can be made to