Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Response - Essay Example ation from the news article proves to be true, the reporters responsible can be said to have snooped around the company and gathered that information from people in that company before the company’s CEO officially released the information to the media. If the information was from press release, then all the news articles and even the company’s website should have the same reporting date. The reporting could not be fairer because the reporters of this information did not follow the correct, reliable and verifiable route of gathering information and it could have been misreported because the sources of the information were not credible. It is also not fair that the reporter of this news article get to snoop around and get this information earlier than other reporters. This is more so because it casts doubt to the credibility of other news articles on this website and on the internet in general. The credibility of the company is also put to test and this is not fair. If the source was to be an academic study, then issues of scientific review should have been considered. This means that credibility of the article should be able to be verified by other sources and that every part of that article should be matching with the original source of the news and with other sources and news articles as well. An academic study news report should also be reliable. This means that there should not be any doubt of the information when its source is scrutinized by other academicians who are mostly scientifically granted the authority to render the information reliable. If reliability and validity of the information casts a shadow of doubt as to it being scientific and peer reviewed, then it can qualify to be academic study information. The article does not explain on detail the reasons why the companies which were to merge decided to pull out of the deal in the last minute despite the deal having been formulated and agreed upon over several months before the news. The article

Transforming Monocots Using Agrobacterium

Transforming Monocots Using Agrobacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is said to infect dicots naturally. What are the potential obstacles in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of monocots? Discuss how did the breakthrough (success in transforming monocots using Agrobacterium) come about? (60 marks) Gene transfer using Agrobacterium is a method of transferring genes by using a carrier to insert the gene of interest into the recipient host plant cells. This technology is based on the discovery of infection tumor in the dicotyledone plants caused by a bacterium, named Agrobactertum tumerfaciens. The species Agrobacterium is a soil bacterium which is capable to infect and caused plant wound and then developed into crown galls, normally formed at the trunk of many types of dicot plants. This Agrobactereium spp. has a special DNA, which has a small ring inside the cytoplasm called Ti plasmid (tumour inducing plasmid). On the Ti plasmid, there is a DNA fragment called T-DNA (transfer DNA) which contains the gene causing crown galls development. Plant cells have genes to code for the production of auxin and cytokinin, the two plant hormones which are used as energy sources by Agrobacterium. The use of Ti plasmid in gene transfer into plants is done by replacing the gene related to plan t hormone production and the gene producing opine substance with the desirable trait gene on the T-DNA and then using the Agrobacterium to transfer the gene to the plant chromosomes. Transformation of dicotyledenous plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been well established and widely used but not so in the case of monocotyledonous plants. The potential obstacle in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of monocot plants includes: Agrobacterium is responsive to phenolic compounds such as acetosyringone which are produced when the plant was wounded. The released phenolic compound from the wounded plant cells will stimulate the performance of vir gene on the Ti plasmid, leading to the transferring T-DNA to the plant chromosome. Most of the dicot plants produced this phenolic compound. On the other hand, most monocot plants did not produce the compounds or produced it in a smaller quantity, therefore resulted in the low efficiency of the Agrobacterium attachment. Furthermore, the wounded cells in the monocot plants multiplied less than in dicot plants. Tissue browning and necrosis following Agrobacterium infection is still a major obstacles especially in cereals. For example in case of wheat, following Agrobacterium infection, wheat embryo and root cells may produce hydrogen peroxide, which altered cell wall decomposition and resulted in a higher level of cellular necrosis and subsequently caused cell death. However the improvement method to resolve the cell death and to improve the transformation efficiency has been demonstrated in cereals (Frame et al., 2002) Apart from necrosis, physical characteristic and genotype, other factors affected transformation efficiency are strains of Agrobacterium used, binary vector, selectable marker gene and promoter, inoculation and co-culture conditions, inoculation and co-culture medium, osmotic treatment, desiccation, Agrobacterium density and surfactants, tissue culture and regeneration medium (Cheng et al., 2004). The Agrobacterium has specificity in attaching monocot plants. Most of monocot plants with important economic value are not hosts of the Agrobacterium, therefore the transformation efficiency involving them is low (Lippincott, 1978). Explants type, quality and source also affect the transformation efficiency foe example embryogenic callus derived from mature seed of rice was reported to be the best explant for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of rice due to its active cell division (Hiei et al., 1994). The breakthrough on the transformation of monocot plants using Agrobacterium started when Hiei et al. (1994), done a research on Japonica rice. They reported a stable transformation of Japonica rice by using Agrobacterium. They reported results of evaluations using molecular and genetic analysis on the R0, R1 and R2 progenies. The LBA 4404, the super-binary vector of Agrobacterium strain was demonstrated as the most effective vector for the transformation of three Japonica cultivars tested. Their success has open up the possibility of using Agrobacterium for transforming monocot plants such as maize, barley and wheat. In 1996, Ishida et al., has done a transformation research on maize by using a similar approach as developed by Hiei et al (1994). Their transformation efficiency was further improved by the addition of silver nitrate in the culture medium. Other factors that may influence transformation efficiency were also investigated that included incubation time and co-cultivation period. Zhao et al. (2002) optimized the transformation conditions based on Ishidas protocol and it was demonstrated that maize can be transformed with high efficiency by using Agrobacterium method. The gene transfer was done by using a combination of standard binary vector with the addition of antioxidant cysteine in the co-culture medium. In the same year, other researchers included had demonstrated that elite maize cultivars could also be transformed by using Agrobacterium-medated transformation method. Soon after maize, the successful Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of wheat and barley was reported (Jones H.D, 2005, Tingay et al., 1997). Compared with rice and maize, progress with wheat and barley has been slower. Various factors that influence the transformation efficiency have been further investigated. It was reported that the use of surfactant such as Silwett L-77 and desiccation treatment during co-cultivation increased the transformation efficiency of wheat. In the case of barley, since the success of Tingay et al., (1997) in transforming barley by using Agrobacterium, a number of other researchers around the world have reported the successful production of transgenic barley plants. However majority of the successful reports of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley are restricted with model genotype golden promise and igri. Therefore, optimizations of parameters are required to extend the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in other elite barley cultivars. The transformation of sorghum is the least successfully manipulated. Zhao et al. (2000) developed an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for sorghum and from the research it showed that the embryos from the field had higher transformation frequency than those from the greenhouse. Other transformation of monocotyledon plant reported such as Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of turfgrasses, such as creeping bentgrass (Yu et al., 2000), Italian ryegrass (Bettany et al., 2003), and tall fescue (Wang and Ge, 2005) were also reported. Although the delivery of foreign gene into several monocot species via Agrobacterium tumefaciencs has now become a routine technique, there are still serious limitations on the used of this technology on other major monocots. In order to achieve better success in transforming monocot using Agrobacterium, many factors and conditions were being investigated, such as selection of which target tissues which are highly responsive, adjustment of gene transfer conditions to increase the possibility of Agrobacterium attachment into the cell by adding phenolic substances such acetosyringone during co-cultivation period or in co-cultivation medium, that are similar to the substance released by plant cells when they are naturally wounded, using efficient promoter gene to stimulate the expression of the gene in monocot plants and the used of super-virulent of Agrobacterium strains to increase the transformation efficiency (Cheng et al., 2004).

American Foreign Policy Caused the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Ess

War in Vietnam is the longest military conflict U.S. were involved in during 20th century. However, 20 years before the official war declaration, in 1944, no one would have ever guessed that the area of South East Asia is going to experience such development. Having approached the Vietnam situation with wrong policy, underestimating the motivation and determination due to historical memory, in the hostile conditions caused US were unable to suppress the communist insurgency in South Vietnam, which later turned into a David vs. Goliath type of conflict. Origins of Conflict In the colonial era, the world was divided into the colonies of European empires. France, among others, used military force and presence to rule in Vietnam and bordering countries, at that time called French Indochina. The French ruled with its army between 1854 and 1884 in the country, and about this time the aversion and disgust of Vietnamese people initiated against the French and other supremacy powers. One of the many effects of World War II was that European states, lost its imperialist and superpower status, as the World slowly shifted into the bipolar era - United States contra Soviet Union. As a consequence, September 2nd, 1945, Vietnam declared independence from French imperialist and the Japanese military, which invaded Indochina (Vietnam) during the World War II. Kevin Reilly in his Readings in the World Civilizations recorded Ho Chi Minh’s speech while declaring the independence of Vietnam in 1945, where Ho Chi Min captured the frustration Vietnamese felt over the 80 years of French dominance. Ironically, Ho Chi Min, out of respect started his speech with the citation of American declaration of independence. He talked about unequal laws, role in ... ...d perhaps applied more reunification talks, consensual & diplomatic politics combined with economic aid and cooperation and tried to persuade Vietnamese just like they did in Western Europe (even though Europe was probably the easier case), instead of supporting undemocratic means of French puppet regime, there might as well would never been a communist insurgence to suppress and Vietnam war to fight. Bibliography Akins, John. Nam Au Go Go, 2005 (1-10). Grantham, Dewey W. Recent America: The United States since 1945, 1998. Herring, George C. â€Å"The Nightmare of Vietnam,† in Oates, Stephen B., Portrait of America, 1987: 410 – 425. Ho Chi Minh, â€Å"The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence,† in Kevin Reilly, Readings in World Civilizations Vol 2., 1992: 278 – 281. Verrone, Richard Burks, Voices from Vietnam: Eye-witness Accounts of the War, 1954- 1975, 2005.

The Pervasive Impact of Culture on International Negotiations

The pervasive impact of culture on international negotiations The primary purpose of this section is to demonstrate the extent of cultural differences in negotiation styles and how these differences can cause problems in international business negotiations. The reader will note that national culture does not determine negotiation behavior. Rather, national culture is one of many factors that influence behavior at the negotiation table, albeit an important one. For example, gender, organizational culture, international experience, industry or regional background can all be important influences as well.Of course, stereotypes of all kinds are dangerous, and international negotiators must get to know the people they are working with, not just their culture, country, or company. The material here is based on systematic study of international negotiation behavior over the last three decades in which the negotiation styles of more than 1,500 businesspeople in 17 countries (21 cultures) were considered. The work involved interviews with experienced executives and participant observations in the field, as well as behavioral science laboratory work including surveys and analyses of videotaped negotiations.The countries studied were Japan, S. Korea, China (Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong), Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Russia, Israel, Norway, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Canada (English-speakers and French-speakers), and the United States. The countries were chosen because they constitute America’s most important present and future trading partners. Looking broadly across the several cultures, two important lessons stand out. The first is that regional generalizations very often are not correct.For example, Japanese and Korean negotiation styles are quite similar in some ways, but in other ways they could not be more different. The second lesson learned from the research is that Japan is an exceptional place: On almost every dimension of negotiation style considered, the Japanese are on or near the end of the scale. For example, the Japanese use the lowest amount of eye contact of the cultures studied. Sometimes, Americans are on the other end. But actually, most of the time Americans are somewhere in the middle. The reader will see this evinced in the data presented in this section.The Japanese approach, however, is most distinct, even sui generis. Cultural differences cause four kinds of problems in international business negotiations, at the levels of: Language Nonverbal behaviors Values Thinking and decision-making processes The order is important; the problems lower on the list are more serious because they are more subtle. For example, two negotiators would notice immediately if one were speaking Japanese and the other German. The solution to the problem may be as simple as hiring an interpreter or talking in a common third language, or it may be as difficult as learning a languag e.Regardless of the solution, the problem is obvious. Cultural differences in nonverbal behaviors, on the other hand, are almost always hidden below our awareness. That is to say, in a face-to-face negotiation participants nonverbally—and more subtly—give off and take in a great deal of information. Some experts argue that this information is more important than verbal information. Almost all this signaling goes on below our levels of consciousness. When the nonverbal signals from foreign partners are different, negotiators are most apt to misinterpret them without even being conscious of the mistake.For example, when a French client consistently interrupts, Americans tend to feel uncomfortable without noticing exactly why. In this manner, interpersonal friction often colors business relationships, goes undetected, and, consequently, goes uncorrected. Differences in values and thinking and decision-making processes are hidden even deeper and therefore are even harder t o diagnose and therefore cure. These differences are discussed below, starting with language and nonverbal behaviors.

In Man and Superman Shaw Was Not Writing a Regular Play Essay

In Man and Superman Shaw was not writing a regular play; he only united up dialogue, discussion, arguments for the purpose of making them appear as plays. Still the incidents of situations in the play do in one way or the other perpetuate the pursuit of man by woman—of Tanner by Ann. The most interesting is the Hell Scene where the traditional Don Giovanni motif is most comically inverted in the spirit of parody to substantiate Shaw’s thesis that it is the woman basically who is boa-constrictor from whom the new Don Juan flies away to save his person. The Hell Scene has been grafted on the plot from outside and it does not grow from the soil of the story. Its central business is to highlight the central motive of the play—the chase of man by woman as part of the process of Creative Evolution as well as the edification of hell as a most dynamic, therefore desirable condition of existence which ensures happiness of humanity. The metamorphosis of the characters like Tanner and Ann suiting the atmosphere is amazing; but soon the dramatic interest wanes as the arguments start rattling the pros and cons of the Scene. From the point of view of the force of the arguments the Hell Scene has significance, otherwise it looks just bizarre and from the point of view of the force of the plot extraneous. It cannot be denied that the Hell Scene is a most powerful tour-de-force of Shaw’s imagination. Shaw had added to the play a lengthy Preface, rich in thought and content and at the end we get the Revolutionist’s Hand Book and Pocket Companion. The overriding Shavian pre-occupation with his philosophy gets to be continued in Hell Scene. Whenever Shae has an opportunity, he expresses his views (although comically) on happiness, love, marriage, sex relations, women, art, socialism, democracy, industrialisation, religion, morality, virtue, sin, death, peace, war, slavery and a host of other topics. Shaw has been impartial enough to allow even the Devil to have his say and freely express his point of view. The spur behind all this is the assumption that woman is far from weak and helpless and that sexually woman is Nature’s contrivance for the perpetuation of human race. A more intimidating fact is, sexually man is woman’s contrivance for fulfilling nature’s behest in the best possible way. Possessed by the blind fury of creation, woman searches for a male biologically most desirable and when she finds him, she is most ruthless in her pursuit of him. The Don Juan in Hell Scene lifts up this basic theme of life-Force and Creative Evolution with Superman and Superwoman into the realm of Shavian-Socratic dialogue. Shaw comically swaps the Superman of Nietzsche (who was a ruthless being and an embodiment of might! ) by a new Don Juan; Tanner who sees life as co-operation with woman in its upward struggle. If the evolutionist’s account is accurate, life has developed in the waters of the ocean and the slime of the beaches until it reached the gigantic and long since extinct creatures that peopled the earth in pre-historic times. In his vision Tanner hears Don Juan say this to him. Life is a force which has made innumerable experiments in organising itself. He further tells him that as long as he can conceive something better than himself, he cannot be easy unless he is striving to bring it into existence or clearing the way for it: â€Å"That is the law of my life. That is the working within me of life’s incessant aspiration to higher organisation, wider, deeper, intense, self-consciousness and clearer self-understanding. † The Devil in his turn expresses himself eloquently and forcibly about man’s conduct in the world and takes a pessimistic view of him. He holds that human beings are both stupid and evil and on the road to utter destruction. Shaw makes a firm distinction in the process between his two functions as writer: the function of an essayist on the one hand and on the other, that of a playwright. The important difference is that a playwright has to put on the stage a number of characters whose opinions differ and clash for the vital element in drama in conflict. It may be physical conflict, the conflict of emotions, of ideas or even of beliefs. The audience watches and hastens to the conflict; it hears the characters putting forward opposing views; and having heard the arguments the members of the audience use their own thinking powers and reach their own conclusions. Much of what is said by the Devil in Man and Superman is fair statement of the parts of human behaviour is endorsed in other plays by Shaw. What is in doubt is the conclusion the Devil draws from the facts. Can man be saved from his own destructive tendencies? The Devil declares that he cannot. Don Juan believes that he can if he is given the great idea to live for—the great idea, for example, that man can, if he wills, can carry out the divine purpose (read the purpose of Life-Force). The brain will not fail when the will is earnest to Life, the force behind the Man, and intellect is a necessity because without it he blunders into death. Just as Life, after ages of struggle, evolved that wonderful bodily organ, the eye, so that the living organism ould see where it was going and what was going and what was coming to help or threaten, and thus avoid a thousand dangers that finally slew it, so it is evolving to date in mind’s that shall see, not the physical world, but the purpose of Life, and thereby enable the individual to work for that purpose instead of thwarting and baffling it by setting up short-sighted personal aims as present: â€Å"I sing not arms and the Hero but the philosophic man; he who seeks in contemplation to discover the inner will of the world, in invention to discover the means of fulfilling that will and in action to do that will. The supreme triumph of Shaw’s dramaturgical dialectics is to be found in the renewal of renovation of the 18th century image of Don Juan or rather the Spanish Don Giovanni. It is important because Tanner receives the mantle of the incendiary from this super human image. Of course, the method has been one of conversion of old materials in to 19th century terms, both thematic and technical. He rejects altogether the schism oIn Man and Superman Shaw was not writing a regular play; he only united up dialogue, discussion, arguments for the purpose of making them appear as plays. Still the incidents of situations in the play do in one way or the other perpetuate the pursuit of man by woman—of Tanner by Ann. The most interesting is the Hell Scene where the traditional Don Giovanni motif is most comically inverted in the spirit of parody to substantiate Shaw’s thesis that it is the woman basically who is boa-constrictor from whom the new Don Juan flies away to save his person. The Hell Scene has been grafted on the plot from outside and it does not grow from the soil of the story. Its central business is to highlight the central motive of the play—the chase of man by woman as part of the process of Creative Evolution as well as the edification of hell as a most dynamic, therefore desirable condition of existence which ensures happiness of humanity. The metamorphosis of the characters like Tanner and Ann suiting the atmosphere is amazing; but soon the dramatic interest wanes as the arguments start rattling the pros and cons of the Scene. From the point of view of the force of the arguments the Hell Scene has significance, otherwise it looks just bizarre and from the point of view of the force of the plot extraneous. It cannot be denied that the Hell Scene is a most powerful tour-de-force of Shaw’s imagination. Shaw had added to the play a lengthy Preface, rich in thought and content and at the end we get the Revolutionist’s Hand Book and Pocket Companion. The overriding Shavian pre-occupation with his philosophy gets to be continued in Hell Scene. Whenever Shae has an opportunity, he expresses his views (although comically) on happiness, love, marriage, sex relations, women, art, socialism, democracy, industrialisation, religion, morality, virtue, sin, death, peace, war, slavery and a host of other topics. Shaw has been impartial enough to allow even the Devil to have his say and freely express his point of view. The spur behind all this is the assumption that woman is far from weak and helpless and that sexually woman is Nature’s contrivance for the perpetuation of human race. A more intimidating fact is, sexually man is woman’s contrivance for fulfilling nature’s behest in the best possible way. Possessed by the blind fury of creation, woman searches for a male biologically most desirable and when she finds him, she is most ruthless in her pursuit of him. The Don Juan in Hell Scene lifts up this basic theme of life-Force and Creative Evolution with Superman and Superwoman into the realm of Shavian-Socratic dialogue. Shaw comically swaps the Superman of Nietzsche (who was a ruthless being and an embodiment of might! ) by a new Don Juan; Tanner who sees life as co-operation with woman in its upward struggle. If the evolutionist’s account is accurate, life has developed in the waters of the ocean and the slime of the beaches until it reached the gigantic and long since extinct creatures that peopled the earth in pre-historic times. In his vision Tanner hears Don Juan say this to him. Life is a force which has made innumerable experiments in organising itself. He further tells him that as long as he can conceive something better than himself, he cannot be easy unless he is striving to bring it into existence or clearing the way for it: â€Å"That is the law of my life. That is the working within me of life’s incessant aspiration to higher organisation, wider, deeper, intense, self-consciousness and clearer self-understanding. † The Devil in his turn expresses himself eloquently and forcibly about man’s conduct in the world and takes a pessimistic view of him. He holds that human beings are both stupid and evil and on the road to utter destruction. Shaw makes a firm distinction in the process between his two functions as writer: the function of an essayist on the one hand and on the other, that of a playwright. The important difference is that a playwright has to put on the stage a number of characters whose opinions differ and clash for the vital element in drama in conflict. It may be physical conflict, the conflict of emotions, of ideas or even of beliefs. The audience watches and hastens to the conflict; it hears the characters putting forward opposing views; and having heard the arguments the members of the audience use their own thinking powers and reach their own conclusions. Much of what is said by the Devil in Man and Superman is fair statement of the parts of human behaviour is endorsed in other plays by Shaw. What is in doubt is the conclusion the Devil draws from the facts. Can man be saved from his own destructive tendencies? The Devil declares that he cannot. Don Juan believes that he can if he is given the great idea to live for—the great idea, for example, that man can, if he wills, can carry out the divine purpose (read the purpose of Life-Force). The brain will not fail when the will is earnest to Life, the force behind the Man, and intellect is a necessity because without it he blunders into death. Just as Life, after ages of struggle, evolved that wonderful bodily organ, the eye, so that the living organism could see where it was going and what was going and what was coming to help or threaten, and thus avoid a thousand dangers that finally slew it, so it is evolving to date in mind’s that shall see, not the physical world, but the purpose of Life, and thereby enable the individual to work for that purpose instead of thwarting and baffling it by setting up short-sighted personal aims as present: â€Å"I sing not arms and the Hero but the philosophic man; he who seeks in contemplation to discover the inner will of the world, in invention to discover the means of fulfilling that will and in action to do that will. † The supreme triumph of Shaw’s dramaturgical dialectics is to be found in the renewal of renovation of the 18th century image of Don Juan or rather the Spanish Don Giovanni. It is important because Tanner receives the mantle of the incendiary from this super human image. Of course, the method has been one of conversion of old materials in to 19th century terms, both thematic and technical. He rejects altogether the schism of Byron and Tanner can be the rake or a mindless Philanderer as Byron’s Don Juan has been. Shaw’s claim to be returning to a pristine Don Juan is valid to the extent that the theme had originally been less of psychological than of philosophical or even indeed theological interest. It is true that Don Juan runs away from them only after possessing them. Tanner in Shaw’s play runs away rather to prevent them from possessing them. That old motif has been deliberately turned upside down in a vein of parody, embodying Shaw’s standard new motif. Shaw substituted an utterly Scribean closed structure. The Don Juan episode in Act II is neither a well-made play, nor a portion of a well-made play. It stands out apart as something appropriately more austere and august. As Eric Bentley points out, â€Å"It is not a traditional work of any kind, not even a Platonic dialogue, the relation between Socrates and his interlocutors being quite different. † Nor is it s debate for two of the speakers, the Commander and Ann hardly present arguments at all. They simply represent a point of view. Do even the Devil and Don Juan discuss anything between them? A Devil is scarcely a being one can convert to a cause: â€Å"and if the Don is busy convincing anyone it is himself. † Certainly it is the philosophy of Bernard Shaw that he parrot-preaches. But one doubts if persuasion is exercised by that on the audience. Rather, the contribution of the four presences come together as a vision of life and an intimating of super-life—Man and Superman. The comedy of John Tanner of the vision of Don Juan Tenoria—Shaw and counter-Shaw thesis and antithesis are to be sure, of separate interests, and yet, as usual, the great Shavian achievement is to have related one to the other. Tanner seems a wise man, proves a fool. Don Juan passes for philanderer but proves an explorer and a missionary of the truth. In our trivial, tawdry, clever, Scribean world intellect is futile and ever at the mercy of instinct. Take away the episode in Hell and Shaw has written an anti-intellectual comedy! The episode assigns to the intellect the highest role. No longer, therefore, is Ann the centre and source of things—only a possible mother for Superman. Here Don Juan dominates. Here (or rather in Heaven) intellect is at home, and the Don is cured of that occupational disease of Shavian Heroes of homelessness. â€Å"He comes to a good end†Ã¢â‚¬â€only it is not an end, it’s an episode, and from these celestial infernal heights we must descend to earth with the shock of Shavian anti-climax, to earth and to tanner, from Superman. f Byron and Tanner can be the rake or a mindless Philanderer as Byron’s Don Juan has been. Shaw’s claim to be returning to a pristine Don Juan is valid to the extent that the theme had originally been less of psychological than of philosophical or even indeed theological interest. It is true that Don Juan runs away from them only after possessing them. Tanner in Shaw’s play runs away rather to prevent them from possessing them. That old motif has been deliberately turned upside down in a vein of parody, embodying Shaw’s standard new motif. Shaw substituted an utterly Scribean closed structure. The Don Juan episode in Act II is neither a well-made play, nor a portion of a well-made play. It stands out apart as something appropriately more austere and august. As Eric Bentley points out, â€Å"It is not a traditional work of any kind, not even a Platonic dialogue, the relation between Socrates and his interlocutors being quite different. † Nor is it s debate for two of the speakers, the Commander and Ann hardly present arguments at all. They simply represent a point of view. Do even the Devil and Don Juan discuss anything between them? A Devil is scarcely a being one can convert to a cause: â€Å"and if the Don is busy convincing anyone it is himself. † Certainly it is the philosophy of Bernard Shaw that he parrot-preaches. But one doubts if persuasion is exercised by that on the audience. Rather, the contribution of the four presences come together as a vision of life and an intimating of super-life—Man and Superman. The comedy of John Tanner of the vision of Don Juan Tenoria—Shaw and counter-Shaw thesis and antithesis are to be sure, of separate interests, and yet, as usual, the great Shavian achievement is to have related one to the other. Tanner seems a wise man, proves a fool. Don Juan passes for philanderer but proves an explorer and a missionary of the truth. In our trivial, tawdry, clever, Scribean world intellect is futile and ever at the mercy of instinct. Take away the episode in Hell and Shaw has written an anti-intellectual comedy! The episode assigns to the intellect the highest role. No longer, therefore, is Ann the centre and source of things—only a possible mother for Superman. Here Don Juan dominates. Here (or rather in Heaven) intellect is at home, and the Don is cured of that occupational disease of Shavian Heroes of homelessness. â€Å"He comes to a good end†Ã¢â‚¬â€only it is not an end, it’s an episode, and from these celestial infernal heights we must descend to earth with the shock of Shavian anti-climax, to earth and to tanner, from Superman.

Inventor of the Mechanical Television System John Baird

Inventor of the Mechanical Television System John Baird John Logie Baird was born on August 13th, 1888, in Helensburgh, Dunbarton, Scotland and died on June 14th, 1946, in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England. John Baird received a diploma course in electrical engineering at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College (now called Strathclyde University) and studied towards his Bachelor of Science Degree in electrical engineering from the University of Glasgow, interrupted by the outbreak of W.W.1. Early Patents Baird is best remembered for inventing a mechanical television system. During the 1920s, John Baird and American Clarence W. Hansell patented the idea of using arrays of transparent rods to transmit images for television and facsimiles respectively. Bairds 30 line images were the first demonstrations of television by reflected light rather than back-lit silhouettes. John Baird based his technology on Paul Nipkows scanning disk idea and later developments in electronics. John Baird Milestones The television pioneer created the first televised pictures of objects in motion (1924), the first televised human face (1925) and a year later he televised the first moving object image at the Royal Institution in London. His 1928 trans-Atlantic transmission of the image of a human face was a broadcasting milestone. Color television (1928), stereoscopic television and television by infra-red light were all demonstrated by Baird before 1930. He successfully lobbied for broadcast time with the British Broadcasting Company, the BBC started broadcasting television on the Baird 30-line system in 1929. The first simultaneous sound and vision telecast was broadcast in 1930. In July 1930, the first British Television Play was transmitted, The Man with the Flower in his Mouth. In 1936, the British Broadcasting Corporation adopted television service using the electronic television technology of Marconi-EMI (the worlds first regular high-resolution service - 405 lines per picture), it was that technology that won out over Bairds system.

Coronary Artery Disease Essays - Medicine, Circulatory System, RTT

Coronary Artery Disease Essays - Medicine, Circulatory System, RTT Coronary Artery Disease Student's Name University affiliation Course Instructor Date Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common of the known heart diseases. This disease develops when the arteries that supply the heart with blood, nutrients and oxygen are damaged. Coronary Artery Disease is characterized with hardened and narrowed blood vessels as result of the buildup of cholesterol and other materials known as plague in the arterial walls (Wessel, 2004). Plague and cholesterol block the arteries making it hard for them to transport blood, nutrient and even oxygen to other parts of the body where they are needed. The heart muscles fail to get blood and oxygen and can lead to a severe heart attack or angina. If this problem continues for a long time, a person can suffer from a heart failure and/or arrhythmias. These two conditions are fatal if not treated as soon as they are detected. The development of the coronary artery can be a gradual process. There are a number of risk factors that are associated with CAD such as the height of a person, obesity, body m etabolic index BMI, physical fitness, and lifestyle. In most cases, it starts from the young age and develops slowly up to the old age. When the arteries are narrowed, they tend to develop new blood vessels as a way of trying to get the blood to the heart. However, the mushrooming blood vessels do not manage to supply the required blood to the heart. Instead, what happens is that they cause more blockage of the main artery. Sometimes, because of increase blood pressure, the plague raptures and blocks the blood supply to the heart. Coronary artery disease is a serious disease and can be avoided only by practicing a healthy lifestyle. It is the most common heart disease in the United States affecting more than 15 million Americans (Borgeraas et al., 2014). In the United Kingdom, Coronary Artery Disease is the most feared human killer among the known diseases. Over 2.3 million people, comprising 1.4 million and 0.85 million men and women respectively are living CAD in the United Kingdom (Borgeraas et al., 2014). In this paper, I will p rovide a comprehensive review of two research papers related to the coronary artery disease. In each paper, I will look at the hypothesis of the study, population used in the research and the study design of the article. The two research papers are: Relationship of Physical Fitness versus Body Mass Index with Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiovascular Events in Women by Wessel. The other research paper that I will review is, Genetically Determined Height and Coronary Artery Disease by Nelson et al. Relationship of the Physical Fitness vs. the Body Mass Index (BMI) with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Cardio Vascular (CV) Events in Women Study hypothesis - The authors of this study hypothesized that there exist a relationship between obesity, waist circumference, waist height ratio and waist-hip ratio and the physical fitness and the postmenopausal estrogen with coronary artery disease risk factors, adverse cardiovascular and angiographic coronary artery disease events in women evaluated for suspected myocardial ischemia (Colombo et al., 2015; Wessel, 2004). Population-Multicenter prospective cohort study - 936 women were enrolled at four US academic medical centers at the time of clinically indicated coronary angiography (Wessel, 2004). Study Design-Among the adult women and men in the US, close to two-thirds are overweight and also more than one-third are obese, and these proportions are rapidly increasing. There have been previous studies that show physical activity, and fitness is predictive of Cardio Vascular risk. However, many studies of physical activity and fitness have excluded women with known or suspected Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The Roles of obesity and fitness as independent risk factors for CHD and adverse events in women remain unresolved (Wessel, 2004). This study was observational in nature, across four years 936 women were enrolled in this study. Enrollees were initially assessed, and a follow-up was conducted six weeks after enrollment and then yearly. The Participants were questioned about the occurrence of adverse events, and if they responded with any adverse events physicians were reached out to for confirmation, dates, and any documentation available (Wessel, 2004). To evaluate physical fitness, the

Mood vs. Tense

Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense By Maeve Maddox Judging by comments I’ve read on this and other language sites, many people are not quite clear as to the difference between the grammatical terms mood and tense. For example, I’ve seen such expressions as â€Å"subjunctive tense† and â€Å"progressive mood.† Because both tense and mood have to do with verbs, the confused terminology is understandable. Tense, however, refers to time, whereas mood refers to manner of expression. Tense The three possible divisions of time are past, present, and future. For each, there is a corresponding verb tense: Present: He walks now. Past: Yesterday he walked. Future: Tomorrow he will walk. Each of these tenses has a corresponding complete tense: perfect, past perfect (pluperfect), and future perfect: Perfect: He has walked every morning since Monday. Past Perfect: He had walked a mile by the time we joined him. Future Perfect: By tomorrow, he will have walked twenty miles. Each of these tenses has a continuous or progressive form: Present Continuous: I am still walking. Past Continuous: I was still walking when you phoned. Future Continuous: I shall/will be walking when you reach town. Perfect Continuous: I have been walking since early morning. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been walking for an hour when you phoned. Future Perfect Continuous: When you see me, I shall have been walking for six hours. Mood Mood is the form of the verb that shows the mode or manner in which a thought is expressed. Mood distinguishes between an assertion, a wish, or a command. The corresponding moods are: Indicative (assertion), Subjunctive (wish), and Imperative (command). Note: Unlike some languages, English does not have an â€Å"Interrogative Mood†; questions are formed by changing word order and not by altering the verb. The word indicative derives from Latin indicare, â€Å"to declare or state.† Indicative Mood expresses an assertion, denial, or question about something: Assertion: I liked him very much before he did that. Denial: He is not going to remain on my list of friends. Question: Will you continue to see him? The word imperative derives from Latin imperare, â€Å"to command.† Imperative Mood expresses command, prohibition, entreaty, or advice: Command: Go thou and do likewise. Prohibition: Stay out of Mr. MacGregor’s garden! Entreaty: Remember us in your prayers. Advice: Beware of the dog. The â€Å"true subjunctive† equivalent to the Latin Optative Mood (opare, â€Å"to wish†) is rare in modern English. Examples of the â€Å"true† subjunctive: â€Å"If I were king,† â€Å"God save the Queen!† In most contexts dealing with unreal situations, speakers used a mixed subjunctive. The use of the auxiliaries may, might, should, and would creates a mixed subjunctive in which one verb is in subjunctive and another in indicative mood: If I should see him, I will tell him. He came that they might have life. According to the Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar, The distinctive subjunctive forms are now confined to the verb be and to the third-singular forms of other verbs; they are still common in American English, while in British English they are confined to very formal styles. In American English, the subjunctive often occurs with the following verbs: suggest: I suggest that she refuse his offer. demand: They are demanding that he go to London for an interview. propose: The father proposed that his son be locked up to teach him a lesson. insist: We all insisted that he accept treatment. British usage tends to use should in such constructions: I suggest that she should refuse his offer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireList of Greek Words in the English Language8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors

Leo Tolstoy and Kurosawa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leo Tolstoy and Kurosawa - Essay Example The movie revolves around the protagonist’s enlightenment and passion towards life. Both the works (novel and movie), deal with the same theme, but differs in treatment. Thesis statement: The novel The death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy and the movie Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa are two sides of the same coin, fear of death and passion towards life. Compare and contrast The techniques used by Kurosawa in the film Ikuru which differentiates his work form Tolstoy In the film Ikiru, Kurosawa made use of a number of techniques like flash backs and narrative ellipse which differentiates his work from Tolstoy. Yoshimoto makes clear that â€Å"Second, the film presents this story in a complex narrative structure created by flash backs, voice-over narration, and narrative ellipses† (194). Apart from Ivan Ilyich, Watanabe does not try to keep himself aloof from his personal life. When Watanabe came to know that he is going to die due to cancer, he did not try to retrieve from the pr ocess of socialization. Instead, he decides to change his attitude towards life and to enjoy the remaining days. The director made use of the protagonist’s mind and deeds as a mirror which reflects his feeling and emotions. Besides, the protagonist’s enlightenment or self-realization is not a gradual process. ... The element of enlightenment in Ivan Ilyich and Watanabe The enlightenment or self-realization acquired by Ivan Ilyich does not help him to accept his illness. Instead, he considers the truth about life as a wrath exerted upon his life. He was not ready to give up his life. This affected his emotional equilibrium and his remaining days were painful. This negative feeling began to affect his relationship with his family members. Gradually, his anger towards his illness transformed into anger towards others including his co-workers and others. This negative attitude towards life and death did not help him to enjoy his remaining days in his life. His self-centered attitude forces him to think that he will be uprooted from his life. This attitude towards death was not helpful because he was not ready to cope up with death. On the other side, Watanabe was practical because he was aware of the fact that death and life are two different sides of the same coin. His philosophical attitude hel ped him to keep his illness as a personal secret and to enjoy the remaining days with happiness. To be specific, enlightenment in Ivan Ilyich’s life was a gradual process. On the other side, enlightenment was a rapid process in Watanabe’s personal life. Common struggles faced by Ivan Ilyich and Watanabe Both the characters were forced to fight against death and life. Ivan Ilyich hesitated to accept the truth but Watanabe was ready to accept death as the part of his life. Ivan Ilyich was not ready to give up his bureaucratic style of life. But Watanabe was ready to his give up his mechanical life. The struggles faced by Ivan Ilyich and Watanabe were same. Watanabe was ready to accept the same, but Ivan Ilyich was not ready to do so. This transformed their

Marketing-5 types of customer markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing-5 types of customer markets - Essay Example Consumer durables are another subtype. Converse to the characteristics of FMCGs, these goods have low volume but high unit value. This can further be categorized into white goods and brown goods. Refrigerators, pressure cookers, dishwashers, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc are primary examples of white goods. Electronic items such as personal computers, video game consoles, multi-media players, etc are good examples of brown goods. Consumer Products Market are characterized by aggressive marketing campaigns, for consumers tend to be disloyal to brands and can easily switch from one to another. Also, competing companies are focused on innovating and improvising their products and production models to garner greater market share. Another customer market is the Food and Beverages Market. Although some of the products in this group overlap with Consumer Products Market, there is sufficient distinction between the two. The Food and Beverages Market "consists of the sub-markets like markets for dairy products, bakery products, packaged food products, Beverages, Confectionary, Beer, Alcohol, meat and poultry products. This type of Consumer Market is full of growth opportunities because of changing lifestyle of present era.

Organisational Behaviour (OB) Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational Behaviour (OB) Assignment - Essay Example He tried to change the organizational structure to modify the corporate culture of the company. The company formed corporate tie ups with many companies to build its brand and increase exposure. These features introduced several forms of changes in the company. Firstly due to the redesigning of the product lines the patterns of work system in the company changed drastically. This began with the changes in the job description and skills and techniques of the workers as more emphasis was laid on the electronics goods and products. Changes in the organizational structure were seen in the form of centralizing the electronics department. The hierarchy of authority was modified. Division of labor was re-introduced with more emphasis on the R&D field. The hierarchy levels were reduced and more interaction was provided between the managers and front line mangers of the company. More hierarchy levels mean greater complications which would disrupt the decision making process gradually. The com pany previously had each unit with its own planning, human resources, finance, and sales functions and operated with considerable autonomy. This was not a very feasible strategy as it led to more troubles than solutions. Firstly, providing each unit with separate departments increased the cost of the company as it would be hiring many employees for each department. The autonomy offered to each unit would further increase the gap between the inter departments as there would be lack of communication. The span of control was reduced with Stringer laying off 10,000 jobs which comprised of 7% of Sony’s global workforce and shut down 11 out of 65 production units across the world (Howard Stringer: Turning Sony Around, 2003). This helped in reducing operation costs, reduced levels in hierarchy and better control by the managers. Sony was not advanced in technology and was redundant in its product designs. With the introduction of Apple iPods, the company felt the need to bring in ch anges in its working culture. Stringer who had introduced the changes believed that the new structure would streamline and speed up decision making across Sony’s product lines. It permitted uniform software development across the lines so that the products of the company would operate seamlessly with one another. This in turn eliminated the design and product redundancies and optimized the firm’s Research and Development spending. Apart from this, the corporate culture also saw changes in the company. sonSony had been long exposed to its conservative culture. When Stringer decided to introduce change in the company he faced oppositions as the cost of change was thought to be unnecessary by many people in the organization, stringer incorporated the idea of increasing the R&D area. He made them realize that R&D could save the company and it would attract customer attention. He made them realize that the problem with Sony products was not with its technology alone but als o the product utility. The change plan also affected specific technologies. For example, Sony executives declared that television was of the utmost importance to the company. The firm scraped the production of cathode ray tube (CRT) television sets and focused on LCD and rear-projection TVs and technology. Also, Sony focused on self-luminous flat –panel organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, on high-definition technology, Blu-ray, and

Select a social injustice occurring in the United States today and Essay

Select a social injustice occurring in the United States today and answer, Which mode of change-making would best correct your c - Essay Example The Concept of Marriage The Law of God, as well as the law of the land, strongly holds that marriage is a sacred ceremony; a union that ties the knot between couples. It has been established in the society of America, and all over the world that marriage is between a man and a woman. Today, there has been a controversy where the gays and lesbians are involved--that same-sex marriage is a form of immorality and in religious view, an abomination. It is true that many of the homosexuals were asking the government to legalize the so called--same sex marriage. In fact, there were many â€Å"gay rights movement† moved and sentiments aired. This had been regarded as social injustice, thus needed to be addressed. Traditional couples enjoy marriage privileges and benefits like procreation, known, or at least presumed paternity, child and spousal support, stability in family life, and survivor’s rights, as far as the U.S Constitution is concerned (â€Å"Constitutional Topic†). Same-sex couples also wanted to enjoy those benefits. According to some of them, they could also feel the same level of personal commitment the way the traditional couples do. Morally speaking, this had really created a smoke of non-acceptance and discrimination towards the society because this kind of set-up--gay men and women marriage was not acceptable. Some of the religious denomination discriminated such kind of marriage, but the homosexuals still urge the government for its implementation. Sometime in 1990, homosexual advocates protested for their ‘constitutional right’ to have a marriage license, and be accepted in the community. Although, there were religious leaders that stood against this ‘immoral activity,’ it was still accepted by the government. They sought to modify the civil marriage for them to be included. Indeed, many religious groups have shown their views and sentiments regarding this issue. They see marriage as based on sacred prac tice; they argue that if the government would change the definition of marriage it is equivalent to reducing its sacred value (â€Å"Constitutional Topic†). The Controversies Homosexuality has gained different labels such as ‘immoral,’ ‘improper,’ ‘unacceptable,’ etc. In early 1956, a pioneering national lesbian organization was established known as the The Daughters of Bilitis. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from official list of mental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. Also, the state of Wisconsin prohibits the discrimination against gay men and women on the basis of sexual orientation. In addition, gays were permitted to serve in the military provided that no homosexual activity should be done, through the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tel† policy as instituted for the U.S military. In effect, there was opposition to the said enactment; thousands of men and women in the armed forces were discharged. Mode of Change-Making: Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage It was reported that gay couples have been fighting for the legalization of same-sex marriage. In fact, some of them in Washington DC have been waiting for the government to issue them marriage licenses since March 3, 2010 (â€Å"Tying the Knot†). In spite the discrimination from the society and other religious group, in December 2010, same-sex marriage proposal has

Foreign direct investment and Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign direct investment and Employment - Essay Example Mirza (1998) states that movement of labor and links with domestic subcontractors enable transmission of business culture, which involves corporate values, organizational structures and management practices (qtd. in Mickiewicz et al. 2000, p. 5). Michalet (1997, p.1) tells that over the last two decades, more and more developing countries have changed their attitude towards foreign direct investments that instead of fearing, limiting or even banning the entities, they have not only welcomed it but are competing to attract them. Foreign direct investment is an important source of external finance in transitional economies particularly those in Central Europe (Lansbury et al. 1996, p.104) as it helps to cover the current account deficit, fiscal deficit [in case of privatization-related FDI], and supplements inadequate domestic resources to finance both ownership change and capital formation (Krkoska 2001, p.1). Since 1988, around 70 per cent of FDI in transitional economies has been channeled into these countries. Deutsche Bank Research (EU Monitor 2005, p.14) reports that foreign direct investment in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) rose almost tenfold between 1994 and 2003 - from USD 20 bn to USD 197 bn. It also reported that in terms of FDI in relation to GDP, there was an impressive increase from 6.9 per cent to 33.2 per cent.1 Lansbury et al. also contend that FDIs may have played an important role in transforming the formerly centrally planned economies of Central and Eastern Europe as FD Is provide an important source of investment for modernizing the industrial structure of these countries and improving the quality and reliability of infrastructure. Sader (2000, p.2) states that because public industrial structure have relatively low priority for cost-effectiveness and profit generation [which is the opposite for private firms], excess staffing and low-quality service provision results. FDIs, through private lenders and equity investors, provided infrastructure services around the world through full-scale privatization of public sector entities, the construction of new facilities with private capital on the basis of build-operate-transfer (BOT)-type investments, lease arrangements, and operation and management (O&M) contracts (Sader 2000, p.2). A study done by Dimelis and Lauri (2004) using Greek firms as samples confirms that an effect of foreign direct investment on host economies is increases in productive efficiency. Lansbury et al. add that new investments may also bring badly needed skills and technologies into the host economy. Evidences compiled by Lane (1994) in Hungary show that multinational firms had a higher propens ity to trade and invest than purely indigenous ones (qtd. in Lansbury et al. 1996, p.104). Foreign direct investment is important not only as generator of new employment but also as agent that can change the structure of employment in the direction that would be more favorable for a long-term growth of CEECs, that is, more likely to happen if FDI is diversified, according to Mickiewicz et al. (2000, p.7). In their study on the employment effects of FDI on four sample CEECs2, Mickiewicz et al. found out that foreign direct in

Focus Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Focus Strategy - Essay Example case, when a business decides to venture into a new and unique line of products or services, the initial costs incurred in developing them does not affect the overall returns. This suggests that the consumers may be willing to pay a premium price for the differentiated products and services that will help offset the costs incurred in making the new products. Furthermore, is because the uniqueness of the products and services allows the firm to enjoy a large percentage of the market share, allowing for immediate returns. The results also indicate that the focus strategy in itself is sufficient to generate returns to the business. This view actually contradicts what was suggested by Michael Porter, who claimed that the focus strategy is not sufficient to assure returns to the business. Therefore, a business may decide to use either the differentiation or the focus strategy or both and still be assured of returns in the short and long term. Secondly, it is clear from the article that when a firm explores strategies that represent unique and rare resources, it is likely to gain a competitive advantage. This is based on the idea that the resources cannot be duplicated by the firm’s competitors. Furthermore, such resources cannot be substituted, making it difficult for other firms to match the competition. If a firm makes use of a resource that is possessed by its competitors, it is likely that the competitors will exploit that resource in a similar way, making it difficult for the firm to use it to gain a competitive advantage. This suggests that for a business to use this strategy, it is important to understand the resources that exist in the business and understand how these resources can be made more profitable by either improving them to make them unique or exploring a completely unique set of resources. This calls for a careful examination of the market trends and the needs of the customers. This will help un derstand the unique products and services that can be

Foreign direct investment and Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign direct investment and Employment - Essay Example Mirza (1998) states that movement of labor and links with domestic subcontractors enable transmission of business culture, which involves corporate values, organizational structures and management practices (qtd. in Mickiewicz et al. 2000, p. 5). Michalet (1997, p.1) tells that over the last two decades, more and more developing countries have changed their attitude towards foreign direct investments that instead of fearing, limiting or even banning the entities, they have not only welcomed it but are competing to attract them. Foreign direct investment is an important source of external finance in transitional economies particularly those in Central Europe (Lansbury et al. 1996, p.104) as it helps to cover the current account deficit, fiscal deficit [in case of privatization-related FDI], and supplements inadequate domestic resources to finance both ownership change and capital formation (Krkoska 2001, p.1). Since 1988, around 70 per cent of FDI in transitional economies has been channeled into these countries. Deutsche Bank Research (EU Monitor 2005, p.14) reports that foreign direct investment in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) rose almost tenfold between 1994 and 2003 - from USD 20 bn to USD 197 bn. It also reported that in terms of FDI in relation to GDP, there was an impressive increase from 6.9 per cent to 33.2 per cent.1 Lansbury et al. also contend that FDIs may have played an important role in transforming the formerly centrally planned economies of Central and Eastern Europe as FD Is provide an important source of investment for modernizing the industrial structure of these countries and improving the quality and reliability of infrastructure. Sader (2000, p.2) states that because public industrial structure have relatively low priority for cost-effectiveness and profit generation [which is the opposite for private firms], excess staffing and low-quality service provision results. FDIs, through private lenders and equity investors, provided infrastructure services around the world through full-scale privatization of public sector entities, the construction of new facilities with private capital on the basis of build-operate-transfer (BOT)-type investments, lease arrangements, and operation and management (O&M) contracts (Sader 2000, p.2). A study done by Dimelis and Lauri (2004) using Greek firms as samples confirms that an effect of foreign direct investment on host economies is increases in productive efficiency. Lansbury et al. add that new investments may also bring badly needed skills and technologies into the host economy. Evidences compiled by Lane (1994) in Hungary show that multinational firms had a higher propens ity to trade and invest than purely indigenous ones (qtd. in Lansbury et al. 1996, p.104). Foreign direct investment is important not only as generator of new employment but also as agent that can change the structure of employment in the direction that would be more favorable for a long-term growth of CEECs, that is, more likely to happen if FDI is diversified, according to Mickiewicz et al. (2000, p.7). In their study on the employment effects of FDI on four sample CEECs2, Mickiewicz et al. found out that foreign direct in

Company Profile of Sony Essay Example for Free

Company Profile of Sony Essay Company Profile Sony is synonymous with consumer electronics. Its especially big in TVs and game consoles like PlayStation3. Officially named Sony Kabushiki Kaisha, the company designs, develops, manufactures, and sells a host of electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for consumer, professional, and industrial markets. Professional products include semiconductors and components. A top global media conglomerate, Sony boasts additional assets in the areas of music (Sony Music Entertainment), film (Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Digital Production), DVDs (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), and TV (Sony Pictures Television). Sony also has several financial services businesses and an advertising agency in Japan. History Sony found its beginning in the wake of World War II. In 1946, Masaru Ibuka started an electronics shop in a bomb-damaged department store building in Tokyo. The company had $530 in capital and a total of eight employees. The next year, he was joined by his colleague, Akio Morita, and they founded a company called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The company built Japans first tape recorder, called the Type-G. In 1958 the company name was changed to Sony. In the early 1950s, Ibuka traveled in the United States and heard about Bell Labs invention of the transistor. He convinced Bell to license the transistor technology to his Japanese company, for use in communications. Ibukas company made the first commercially successful transistor radios.According to Schiffer, Sonys TR-63 radio cracked open the U.S. market and launched the new industry of consumer microelectronics. By the mid-1950s, American teens had begun buying portable transistor radios in huge numbers, helping to propel the fledgling industry from an estimated 100,000 units in 1955 to 5 million units by the end of 1968. Origin of name When Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was looking for a Romanized name to use to market them, they strongly considered using their initials, TTK. The primary reason they did not is that the railway company Tokyo Kyuko was known as TKK. The company occasionally used the acronym Totsuko in Japan, but during his visit to the United States, Morita discovered that Americans had trouble pronouncing that name. Another early name that was tried out for a while was Tokyo Teletech until Akio Morita discovered that there was an American company already using Teletech as a brand name. The name Sony was chosen for the brand as a mix of two words. One was the Latin word Sonus, which is the root of sonic and sound, and the other was Sonny, a familiar term used in 1950s America to call a boy. The first Sony-branded product, the TR-55 transistor radio, appeared in 1955 but the company name did not change to Sony until January 1958. At the time of the change, it was extremely unusual for a Japanese company to use Roman letters to spell its name instead of writing it in kanji. The move was not without opposition: TTKs principal bank at the time, Mitsui, had strong feelings about the name. They pushed for a name such as Sony Electronic Industries, or Sony Teletech. Akio Morita was firm, however, as he did not want the company name tied to any particular industry. Eventually, both Ibuka and Mitsui Banks chairman gave their approval Vision To create exciting new digital entertainment experiences for consumers by bringing together cutting-edge products with latest generation content and services. Mission As a mission and goal, Sony is dedicated to providing innovative products and multimedia services that challenge the way consumers experience digital entertainment. As a digital entertainment service provider Sony wants create  new worlds via their products to give consumers new experiences that can stimulate their senses. For their computer entertainment sector their mission and goal is to find the most talented developers to produce caliber products that continually raise the standards. The firm wants to create family products that change the way they experience home entertainment such as television, gaming, and movies. To change the way families enjoy home entertainment Sonys PlayStation 3 integrates all aspects of home entertainment. The gaming console is a versatile machine where consumers can play video games, watch movies through the Blu-ray player and stream movies and shows through Netflix. The PlayStation 3 has changed the way individuals enjoy digital entertainment. Boosting Sony’s Electronics Business A key focus for Sony is to strengthen its all-important electronics business and maintain market leadership in high profile areas such as televisions, digital imaging, home video equipment and portable audio. To achieve this, Sony is pursuing three corporate initiatives: The Customer Viewpoint Initiative emphasizes the importance to staff of viewing Sony, its products and services from a customer perspective. The Technology Nr. 1 Initiative focuses on reinforcing Sony’s cutting-edge technologies in the areas targeted for maximum investment of resources, including televisions, home video equipment, digital imaging equipment and Walkman ®. The Genba Initiative aims at strengthening frontline operations (‘genba’ in Japanese) such as design locations, manufacturing facilities and sales offices. Formats and technologies Sony has historically been notable for creating its own in-house standards for new recording and storage technologies, instead of adopting those of  other manufacturers and standards bodies. Sony (either alone or with partners) has introduced several of the most popular recording formats, including the floppy disk, Compact Disc, and Blu-ray Disc. Sony delivers thrilling digital entertainment experiences by capitalising on the synergy between its electronics business, content creation capabilities and movie, music, mobile and computer games interests. As a world leader in high definition, Sony already offers an exciting range of broadcast and consumer HD products, as well as content assets that are driving the industry towards HD digitization. Sony is the only company that can deliver complete, end-to-end solutions for todays HD World. We provide the tools for our customers to create, edit, store, share and enjoy High Definition content. Sony Pictures and Sony Computer Entertainment create movies and games that maximise the full power and potential of HD while independent film makers and programme producers are encouraged to realize their unique creative vision in full Sony HD. Business units Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world. Sony has developed a music playing robot called Rolly, dog-shaped robots called AIBO and a humanoid robot called QRIO. As of 1 April 2012, Sony is organized into the following business segments: Imaging Products Solutions (IPS), Game, Mobile Products Communications (MPC), Home Entertainment Sound (HES), Devices, Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other. The network and medical businesses are included in the All Other. Sony Corporation Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group. It primarily conducts strategic business planning of the group, research and development (RD), planning, designing and marketing for electronics products. Its subsidiaries such as Sony EMCS Corporation (6  plants in Japan), Sony Semiconductor Corporation (7 plants in Japan) and its subsidiaries outside Japan (Brazil, China, England, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Ireland and United States) are responsible for manufacturing as well as product engineering (Sony EMCS is also responsible for customer service operations). In 2012, Sony rolled most of its consumer content services (including video, music, and gaming) into the Sony Entertainment Network. Medical-related business Sony Mobile Communications AB (formerly Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB) is a multinational mobile phone manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation. In 2001, Sony entered into a joint venture with Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson, forming Sony Ericsson. Initial sales were rocky, and the company posted losses in 2001 and 2002. However, SMC reached a profit in 2003. Sony Ericsson distinguished itself with multimedia-capable mobile phones, which included features such as cameras. These were unusual for the time. Despite their innovations, SMC faced intense competition from Apples iPhone, released in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, amid a global recession, SMC slashed its workforce by several thousand. Sony acquired Ericssons share of the venture in 2012 for over US$1 billion. In 2009, SMC was the fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world (after Nokia, Samsung and LG). By 2010, its market share had fallen to sixth place. Sony Mobile Communications now focuses exclusively on the smartphone market. Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment is best known for producing the popular line of PlayStation consoles. The line grew out of a failed partnership with Nintendo. Originally, Nintendo requested for Sony to develop an add-on for its console that would play Compact Discs. In 1991 Sony announced the add-on, as well as a dedicated console known as the Play Station. However, a disagreement over software licensing for the console caused the  partnership to fall through. Sony then continued the project independently. Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (SPE) is the television and film production/distribution unit of Sony. With 12.5% box office market share in 2011, the company was ranked 3rd among movie studios. Its group sales in 2010 were US$7.2 billion. The company has produced many notable movie franchises, including Spider-Man, The Karate Kid, and Men in Black. It has also produced popular television game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Sony entered the television and film production market when it acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989 for $3.4 billion. Columbia lives on in the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of SPE which in turn owns TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures. SPEs television division is known as Sony Pictures Television. For the first several years of its existence, Sony Pictures Entertainment performed poorly, leading many to suspect the company would sell off the division. Sony Pictures Entertainment encountered controversy in the early 200 0s. In July 2000, a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation created a fictitious film critic, David Manning, who gave consistently good reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures that generally received poor reviews amongst real critics. Sony later pulled the ads, suspended Mannings creator and his supervisor and paid fines to the state of Connecticut and to fans who saw the reviewed films in the US. In 2006 Sony started using ARccOS Protection on some of their film DVDs, but later issued a recall. Environmental record In November 2011, Sony was ranked 9th (jointly with Panasonic) in Greenpeaces Guide to Greener Electronics. This chart grades major electronics companies on their environmental work. The company scored 3.6/10, incurring a penalty point for comments it has made in opposition to energy efficiency standards in California. It also risks a further penalty point in future editions for being a member of trade associations that have commented against energy efficiency standards.Together with Philips, Sony receives the highest score for energy policy advocacy after calling on the  EU to adopt an unconditional 30% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Meanwhile, it receives full marks for the efficiency of its products. In 2007, Sony ranked 14th on the Greenpeace guide. Sony fell from its earlier 11th place ranking due to Greenpeace’s claims that Sony had double standards in their waste policies.[ Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference. Sonys policies address their effects on global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their suppliers in a process that they call green procurement. Sony has said that they have signed on to have about 75 percent of their Sony Building running on geothermal power. The Sony Take Back Recycling Program allow consumers to recycle the electronics products that they buy from Sony by taking them to eCycle (Recycling) drop-off points around the U.S. The company has also developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works similarly to the way living creatures work. This is the most powerful small biobattery to date.

Modern Sedentary Lifestyle On Overweight And Obesity Physical Education Essay

Modern Sedentary Lifestyle On Overweight And Obesity Physical Education Essay Currently, obesity and overweight is a main global health problem plaguing almost the whole planet. Studies show that in 2005 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million adults were obese. As it is portrayed, obesity and overweight is a problem of the contemporary societies that cannot be confronted. According to a recent study of the World Health Organisation, it is predicted that there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults by 2015 in the world and more than 700 million of them will be obese. Also it is important to realise that obesity and overweigh are modern problems of the societies since statistics referring to these problems did not exist 60 years ago. Therefore, it is clear that obesity and overweight apart from genetic predisposition and psychological disorders might derive as well from the modern sedentary lifestyle that is highly affected by the recent technological development and from poor nutrition as there is an increase in convenience food. However in order to understand the extent and significance of the problem it is important to define and analyse overweight and obesity. Obesity can be defined as a medical condition in which body fat has accumulated to the extent that it has a negative effect on health. A healthy body requires a minimum amount of  fat  for the proper functioning of the  hormonal,  reproductive, and  immune  systems, as  thermal insulation, as  shock absorption  for sensitive areas, and as  energy  for future use. But the accumulation of too much storage fat can impair movement and flexibility, can alter the  appearance of the body and cause health problems. Obesity increases the likelihood of  various diseases like heart disease,  type 2 diabetes,  breathing difficulties during sleep (pulmonary diseases), hypertension, certain types of  cancer, and  osteoarthritis. In particular, cancer of the colon as well as prostate in men and cancer in breasts, ovaries and cervix in women have been found to be related to obesity. Furthermore, hypertension has been found to be related CHD and strokes. As a result, obesity has been found to reduce  life expectancy and be one of the leading  preventable causes of death  worldwide. Investigators have estimated that if everybody had the optimal body mass there would be 3 years added to life expectancy, 25 percent less coronary heart disease and 35 percent less congestive heart failure and brain infection. Overweight is generally defined as having more  body fat  than is optimally  healthy, without reaching the body fat value for obesity. The generally accepted view is that being overweight causes similar health problems to obesity, but to a minor degree. It is estimated that the risk of death increases by 20 to 40 percent among overweight people and that being overweight at age 40 reduces life expectancy by three years. Being overweight or obese has been identified also as a cause of  cancer. Psychological well-being is also at risk in the overweight individual due to social  discrimination. However, children under the age of eight are normally not affected. The prevalence of obesity and overweight is strongly related to age. The 16 to 24 years age group (for both men and women) is substantially less at risk of  becoming obese than older age groups. Those aged between 25 and 34 have the second lowest rates of obesity and overweight. Middle aged people are those who are in the most risky position of becoming obese or overweight. In order to further understand obesity and overweight it is important to analyse the methods used in order to classify and tell the degree to which a person is overweight or obese. The most popular method used is that of  the Body Mass index  (BMI), or  Quetelet index. The Body Mass index is a statistical measure of body weight based on a persons weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the  percentage of body fat, it is used to estimate a healthy  body weight  based on a persons height. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most popular diagnostic tool to identify weight problems within a population, usually to classify adult underweight, overweight and obesity. Body Mass Index is found by dividing the body mass in kilograms by the square of height in meters. This technique can also act as a health since it appears to provide relative results concerning the degree of risk associated with overweight or obesity. Mortality and morbidity start increase at high rates at a BMI of more than 25. Therefore the desired levels of BMI are those below 25. Below there is a table of the BMI classification according to the World Health Organisation confirming what was previously stated. Classification BMI(kg/m2) Underweight

Euthanasia is the Best Option :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia is the Best Option    Euthanasia is a very controversial topic. People argue as to whether or not a person who is terminally ill, or handicap, should have the right to die by euthanasia.   People say that dying by euthanasia is to die with dignity,  instead of living an artificial life on respirators and other life support machines. If a person is terminally ill, and there is nothing anyone can do for them, why should they have to suffer?   Not only do they suffer but their family does also.   They will watch as their condition gets worse, and then the vision in their head of the loved one who has finally died many months after they were diagnose as terminally ill, is a memory of a person lying there helpless, not able to feed themselves, get out of bed, or talk to you.    One notable euthanasia case would be Sue Rodrigous.   She had a disease known as Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS, which is a rare incurable disease of the nervous system. ALS gradually destroys the nerves that control the muscles.   The results of which are weakness, paralysis, and eventually death.   That is what Sue Rodrigous was suffering from for well over a year.   Knowing that her condition was only going to get worse, and eventually, after the pain and suffering, would result in death, Sue wanted to die. She wanted people to remember her as a lively healthy woman, not just a body lying helpless in a hospital bed. With that thought in mind, Sue went to court to fight for right to die by euthanasia. The courts did not agree with her though.    Dr. Jack Kevorkian, proposed the creation of a new medical specialist, the "obitiarist," who would assist terminally ill patients to take their own lives, subject to strict guidelines.    His patient also suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease.   She was in bad shape, struggling to hold her head up, could not talk, and had to communicate using a computer keyboard.   She was deteriorating quickly.   "She was very smart," he said, a note of sadness entering his voice.   Kevorkian built a machine called the "mercitron," a jumble of tubes and bottles that would allow patients with little mobility to inject themselves with a lethal cocktail of drugs.

Explore the different types of leadership Golding and Garland present E

Explore the different types of leadership Golding and Garland present in Lord of the Flies and The Beach. In Lord of the Flies and The Beach many leadership qualities are shown. These qualities are shown in different ways for example one leader is elected by democracy, another is self-appointed and lastly there is the destructive leader. Lord of the Flies was written in 1954. A time when commercialisation was not an issue and media hype only had subtle effects of society. The Beach was written in 1996, American globalisation has begun and the media played a massive part in society. I will look at how the different time may affect the way in which a leader reacts. The most obvious resemblance between the novels is the setting and the isolation of the islands yet there is a differentiation in that the boys in Lord of the Flies are stranded and are forced to try and survive where they don’t really want to be. The Characters in The Beach have chosen to be isolated in such surroundings and don’t want to leave. For them it is not a matter of survival. In both novels the leadership and order of their close-knit communities is similar, the way both societies morals decline and the introduction of violent behaviour is the start of their destruction. Although they bare resemblance they are very different. I will look at how the leaders affect this. Firstly I will look at what makes a good leader, I will then look at each character in turn and establish the different types of leadership Golding and Garland present in Lord of the Flies and The Beach. What makes a good leader? It has been said that some are born with the right qualities and some develop them. Whether nature or nurture a good leader should alwa... ...le attributes for a leader only this is the only leadership quality Jed holds. In conclusion, I believe that Sal was the most suitable leader although being selfish at heart, all she cared about was the beach, which in effect was a good thing. Bugs simply did as Sal said so I doubt in a tough situation alone Bugs would be able to make calm and good decisions. Richard obviously is not really a contender for any type of leadership because of his childishness and uncaring nature. After comparing and analyzing the leadership in both novels I have evidence to believe that a personality such as Ralph’s would always be best for a leadership placement. He is compassionate, forward thinking and loyal. Both novels show mans natural instinct to resort to destructive violence, Ralph is the only exception to this and is the most focused character from both novels.

Marketing Reasearch Topshop Essay

Many organisations use marketing research to contribute to the development of their businesses because Market research can improve marketing strategies. Market research gives you concrete feedback regarding the product or service. You can use the information from market studies in your marketing strategy to define your target market, position your product, and price it appropriately. TOPSHOP is one of the world’s most internationally recognized fashion design talent schemes its part of the Arcadia Group, which owns a number of other retail outlets, it seems to be the single biggest supporter of emerging design talent in the UK. Arcadia Group ones over than 500 stores in more than 30 markets, supporting franchisees. Retail is a popular market as many new designers and stores are always popping Using marketing research is the most common kind of research as you can determine your market how you need to brand your product. Also finding competitors can be very useful when selling similar products for example a very popular fashion necessity like leggings. These leather leggings are popular in London at the moment and many stores are selling them however as TOPSHOP is such a popular brand people would rather spend  £33 at TOPSHOP then  £12.99 at a more basic store even with the significant price difference. This shows the importance of market research and branding, TOPSHOP’s reputation and brand awareness allows them to sell product at a higher price than other market competitors. Both products are made from the same material 100% Polyurethane but TOPSHOPS modifies the basic shape by adding multiple seams and a metal zipper, this adds a more fashionable twist then other companies which then allow TOPSHOP’s marketing team to increase the price to beat competitors. Topshop is a British clothes retailer specialized in women’s clothing and fashion accessories. Topshop started life in 1964 as Peter Robinson’s Topshop. By the 1970s Topshop had the first stand-alone store which was opened in 1974 however in 1994 the brand began to grow and set up at 214 Oxford Store. TOPSHOP first had a reputation of being a tacky low price clothing outlet. As the brand started growing they created TOPSHOP ‘plus’ to appeal to a larger market and compete with potential market competitors, which has now earned the fame of now leading fashion retailer. This success is owed to market strategy made in 1994 by going upscale. TOPSHOP ‘plus’ products will arrive first in the market and will be of high quality and very low comparative price. TOPSHOP plus stock up to date fashion clothes and accessories before any of its competitors does in the market because of the brand status many sellers want to work with TOPSHOP as they have so much publicity and celebrity endorsement. The endorsement from the British super model Kate Moss acted to strengthen Top Shop’s image as being first class in fashion clothing additionally the collection arrived in stores, designed to capture the models’ unique sense of style, Kate Moss for Top shop was one of the most hotly anticipated high street collaborations. Over time, TOPSHOP will come to be known not only as just the fashion accessory provider but much rather a trend setter especially with its in-house designer brands and those exclusively introduced and introduced by fashion industry leaders. Due to its various marketing efforts, innovations in the business and exclusive services for its customers, it is now the biggest and the most differentiated name in the fashion industry especially when it comes to retailers in the field.

First-person Narrative and Destroying Avalon

Tuesday, 5 March 2013 Themes in Destroying Avalon 1. Define the term ‘theme. ’ * Underlying message portrayed/explored by the composer in any body of work. * Composer’s intended message. Theme| Elaboration| Evidence (technique)| Explanation| Link to social issue| The negative influence of social hierarchy | Unequal distribution of power determines status, whether it be in a group or society. (Pg 48)â€Å"Alice and the bitches rule the school †¦ [A group]†¦ B group †¦ relatively friendly bunch†¦ considered cool†¦ C groups †¦ freaks and retards †¦[Z group] â€Å"weirdos and queeros† (pg 40)- Accumulation (listing)-Connotations | In the novel Destroying Avalon, McCaffrey positions Westerley High as a microcosm for greater social inequality within society.This is clearly evident in the opening sequence of the novel when Marshall, through accumulation of groups and sub groups poignantly outlines the existing social hierarchy à ¢â‚¬Å"Alice and the bitches rule the school †¦ [A group]†¦ B group †¦ relatively friendly bunch†¦ considered cool†¦ C groups †¦ freaks and retards †¦[Z group] â€Å"weirdos and queeros. † Here, McCaffrey’s careful use of diction highlights how language stigmatizes individuals. A key example is the connotations of the word â€Å"queeros† which affects both Marshall and Tamara, though Marshall more drastically, who eventually falls into depression followed by suicide. Youth depression Bullying| Isolation and alienation | Those who are viewed as different by their peers are ostracised and excluded from their social groups. | (pg 53)â€Å"Well our team is really good. And Alice is the captain, so if you know what’s good for you, you might want to leave now. †-threatening tone(pg 45)A: â€Å"What position do you play? † †¦ Av: â€Å"Anywhere †¦ goal attack †¦ shooter, centre, whatever† â₠¬ ¦ A: â€Å"you can be the wing defence† †¦ Av: â€Å"I might as well have sat on the bench†¦ no one passed me the ball†-dialogue/direct speech-Tone-Connotation(pg 44)â€Å"It really worried me I wasn’t sure what reason anyone would have not to like me.I hadn’t done anything wrong- though it felt everything I did was wrong. Why don’t they like me? †Use of first-person| The novel demonstrates the isolation and alienation of several characters. Many people are ostracised by their peers and usually this leads to sever depression. McCaffrey uses this isolation of the protagonist, Avalon to give a first person point of view on what really happens to someone when they are alienated from a group or bullied by others. â€Å"It really worried me I wasn’t sure what reason anyone would have not to like me.I hadn’t done anything wrong- though it felt everything I did was wrong. Why don’t they like me? † The continu ous use of the first person language is to make the responder realise the different thoughts that the character is going through and how the issue of depression begins to kick in. The tone of the antagonists really highlights the way they incessantly condemn and undermine others. During their hockey tryouts the threatening tone of Courtney is shown when she tells Avalon that â€Å"our team is really good, and Alice is captain, so if you know what's good for you, you might want to leave now. The use of â€Å"if you know what's good for you† in reality is telling her that she is positioned under Alice and the bitches in terms of a hierarchical system. It then goes on to say â€Å"you might want to leave now† indicating that no matter how hard she tries to fit in Avalon will always be harassed and discriminated against. This build up of thoughts, anger and depression is a toxic mix as we see eventually Avalon snaps and she loses Marshall who is one of her most dearest fr iends to suicide. Discrimination Bullying Harassment | The misuse of technology Importance of friends and family| Technology is used for malevolent and devious acts that have fatal consequences. The influence of family and friends can often provide people with helpful information. | (117)†If only I had done more†Marshall's mother â€Å"But he did find comfort in his friend's†| The use of technology hinders the reality of many characters in the novel. McCaffrey demonstrates how the internet is a place that can change a person's real personalities into a disturbing contradiction.Throughout the novel the victims who suffer from bullying constantly are to be comforted by friends, who play an integral part in their fight against bullying. Once the loss of Marshall became evident his mother depressingly said â€Å"if only I had done more† not only did Marshall's mother know about what was going on, she did not what do inflict damage on Marshall by telling teacher s. Later at Marshall's funeral we learn the importance and comfort friends give to him † but he found comfort in his friends† shows how important his friends were during his time of despair. | |

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 26

I spent the night at the lake again, but this time I didnt sleep. Instead I sat along the bank, listening to the world hum around me as though I was an audience member at a musical show. Frogs croaked melodically, blowing out their chests with proud puffs. Fish swam to the lakes surface to gulp down the water bugs that hovered there, then dived back down to the depths with soft flips of their tails. Birds flew overhead in V formation, and small animals rustled through the reeds, chasing one another as they ferreted out their next meal. Then came the grand finale as the sun, an enormous, watery orb, rose to its place of prominence in the sky, signaling that it was the all-powerful king and Earth was its subject. As I sat there, watching the one thing that could kill me in an instant if it werent for the ring Katherine gave me, a sense of calm rippled through my body. The world was beautiful and magical and I was lucky to still have a place in it. Grabbing a perfectly round, flat stone, I stood and looked out over the water. I closed my eyes.If it skips four times, everything will be okay.Then I let the stone soar. It skipped once twice three times â€Å"Four skips! Impressive!† a voice cheered, followed by enthusiastic clapping. I turned around just as Callie leaped into my arms. â€Å"Youre in a good mood,† she said with a smile. â€Å"I am. And its all thanks to you.† She tucked her arm through mine. â€Å"In that case, I know just how you can thank me!† I felt her pulse beating through my coat, and her blood smelled nearly irresistible. But the stone had skipped four times, so I bent down to kiss her. Callie and I spent all day together, and then I slept at the lake again. When I arrived home the following day at dusk, I found a pile of clothes, including the black trousers and gray coat Id modeled for Lexi, on the floor outside my room. On top of the pile was a note, written in block handwriting. Follow your heart. You're lucky you still have one. I scooped the bundle up into my arms, touched, relieved, and a little bit sad all at once. I changed into a blue chambray shirt and white trousers and slicked my hair back in the mirror. I looked like any young man preparing for a rendezvous with a pretty girl. I just wished it were that simple. I crept down the stairs, waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows to stop me–to tell me my plan would never work. But I made it all the way down and then through the kitchen and out the backdoor without that happening. Once outside, I walked the two miles to Laurel Street with my hands in my pockets, whistling the strains of â€Å"God Save the South.† I paused to pick a white magnolia from a bush in front of a peach-colored mansion at the bottom of Callies street. â€Å"Stefan!† an urgent whisper came from behind the tree at the bottom of the Gallagher driveway. Callie stepped into view. Her hair was loose and flowing down her back, and she was wearing a white nightdress trimmed in eyelet lace, just like the first time Id seen her, except that this time she was standing close enough to me that I could see that although she was wearing a heavy gray woolen shawl, she wasnt wearing a petticoat. I turned away, suddenly shy. â€Å"Stefan,† Callie murmured, brushing my arm with her fingers. â€Å"Are you ready?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. I took the flower and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled. â€Å"Youre such a gentleman.† â€Å"And youre beautiful,† I responded, reaching out to push a strand of hair behind her ear. Her tresses were as soft as rose petals and smelled of honey. I wanted to stay there forever, watching her breath form puffs of air in front of me. â€Å"Callie † I began, when the bells of a distant church chimed suddenly into the frosty air. Twelve bells. Midnight. The witching hour. â€Å"Its time,† Callie said. â€Å"Jaspers shift lasts until twelve thirty, but I can tell him youre there to relieve him early. That will buy us some time. Once the second guard shows up, youll be long gone. But we have to hurry.† She sounded very sure of herself, but her trembling lip gave away her emotions. I wanted to throw my arms around her, tuck her into bed, and whisper â€Å"sweet dreams† in her ear. But I, a vampire, was relying on this child to protect me. Callie knit her fingers together as if in silent prayer. Then she nodded and gave me a wan smile. â€Å"Dont be scared,† she said, pressing her palm into mine. But I could feel her heart thumping at a gallop from the pulse points in her palm. She led me through the iron gates and around the gravel driveway, and opened a nondescript door on the side of the house. â€Å"Be quiet,† Callie commanded, as my eyes adjusted to the dark. Unlike the rest of the house, with its polished marble and gleaming oak, this entrance was strictly utilitarian, designed for servants to have easy access to the storage space in the attic without disturbing the residents of the house. A steep staircase, made of unfinished walnut beams, loomed in front of us. Callie cocked her head, listening for something. I followed suit, although my thoughts were buzzing too loudly for me to hear specific words. Suddenly, I heard a scraping sound from the floor above us. Callie glanced at me; shed heard it as well. â€Å"Jasper,† Callie explained. â€Å"We should go up.† She walked up the rickety steps, as I followed quickly behind her. Once we got to the cracked, whitewashed door, she knocked–two quick raps followed by a pause, then a longer one. A lock clicked, and then we heard the scratch of metal against metal as Jasper undid the bolt. Finally, he opened the door, wedging his body next to the edge so we couldnt see inside. â€Å"Well, well, well. Callie and the man who staked the vampire, then ran for his life. To what do we owe the pleasure?† Jasper leered. I shifted uncomfortably, trying to get a glimpse inside the room. â€Å"Hello, Jasper,† Callie said, brushing past him and motioning for me to follow. In the darkness, I could just make out a sizable cage in the corner. A large, unmoving lump lay inside. â€Å"Father needs you in the study. Stefan will take over until the next shift arrives.† â€Å"Meet Jasper in the study?† a loud voice boomed. â€Å"But Im right here.† I froze.Gallagher. Callies father was perched at a rickety table behind the door, a hand of cards laid out in front of him. In the center of the table, a single candle flickered. â€Å"Oh, Father.† Callie giggled. The sound felt forced, out of place. â€Å"I must have been confused. I know youd wanted to play cards tonight, and I suppose I thought youd be more comfortable in the study or † she began, her voice wavering. She licked her lips and sat down at the table across from Gallagher. â€Å"Youre kind to think of me, girl,† Gallagher said gruffly. â€Å"Mr. Gallagher,† I said, bowing slightly. â€Å"I was told to report for duty, but perhaps Im mistaken?† The confusion wasnt hard to feign. Callie had sworn her father would be out of the house. â€Å"Is that right, Jasper?† Gallagher asked. â€Å"Guess it is. He aint bad, that one. A little nervous, but when he sticks em, he sticks em good.† Gallagher nodded, taking in the information. â€Å"And this is that boy you trust, Miss Callie?† Gallagher asked his daughter. Callie nodded, her cheeks reddening under her freckles. Then finally, thankfully, Gallagher stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. â€Å"Well, then, Ill leave you boys to it,† he said, taking his whiskey and following his daughter downstairs. â€Å"So youre Gallaghers guy now, aint you?† Jasper asked, shoving a vervain-soaked stake in my hands. My skin burned, and pain shot through my arms. I fought the urge to growl and clamped down on my tongue. Tensing, I felt the stake with only two fingers, trying to minimize the contact the poisoned wood had with my body. â€Å"Well, I aint going to stick around,† Jasper continued. â€Å"The vampires hungry tonight. Hope he eats you. And while he does that, Im going to spend some time with Miss Callie and her daddy. Show em youre not the only man who can be all friendly and genteel-like,† Jasper said. His movements were loose, and I could smell whiskey on his breath. â€Å"Brother?†I whispered. Damon reared up, fangs bared, causing me to jump back in surprise. He laughed, a hoarse chuckle, then collapsed against the side of the cage, exhausted from the exertion. â€Å"What, brother? Scared of a vampire?† I ignored him as I began wresting the door off the structure. Damon watched in curiosity and then slowly crawled over toward me. He was just reaching out when I felt a searing pain radiate from my spine through my entire body. â€Å"Gotcha!† a voice yelled.