Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics - Assignment Example Obama never hesitated to introduce domestic economic initiatives that would check the economic issues. He requested Congress for an economic stimulus package that is worth more than 800 billion dollars. He requested this grant for dealing with the economic crisis. This grant became an integral part in the President’s economic policy for the nation. As a part of Obama’s economic policy in the United States, he had a discussion with the banking sector to bring new banking policies so that the customers will be benefited. He formulated economic policies that help US come out of the recession. However, certain resources say that no international policies have been started by him. He has also been silent in the topics of world recession. First preference of the president’s economic policy is to upgrade trade relations with other nations. Economic conditions of America went through a difficult phase. Even though US economy has faced a constant  economic  growth, th ey encountered financial crisis before few years. Its economic growth had severely impeded by the recession. Economy of US is considered as the healthiest and fast developing economy. US economy is one of the fast growing economies of the world. US government developed several monetary and fiscal policies that made the nation come out of the grave economic problem. Several actions have been taken to stabilize the economic crunch. Several new economic policies are introduced by the government so that the financial sector is steady enough to handle the nation. New economic policies of the nation are intended to solidify and build up economic growth and productivity. However growth and development are not always evenly distributed in the United States. The economic policy of US strains the equality in healthcare and financial access. Several health insurance programs have been initiates to ensure better healthcare facilities for US residents. The economic policy of the nation is target ed towards making the nation a market oriented economy. In a market oriented economy majority of the decisions are made by private business firms and individuals. Business firms enjoy a great amount of flexibility in the United States. Even the business firms of Japan and Western Europe enjoy such flexibility. Introduction of new products is expected to bring economic growth. Big developments are expected in the fields of aerospace, computers, medical equipment and military equipment. Per capita gross domestic product may experience growth according to the new American economic policy. Underemployment and unemployment rates are expected to decrease. Exports also expect a rise because of the new economic policy. The economic recovery started by the middle of 2009. It got strengthened in the following months. However, the development has not been fast enough to bring a major progress in the job market. The first phase of the economic recovery, in the later months of 2009 and in the ea rly months of 2010, included the stabilization of the financial system and the different effects of the expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. The economic recovery also witnessed a strong boost to production from the various ventures that build their depleted inventories. But economic growth slowed down at a big rate as the impetus from inventory building and fiscal stimulus diminished. Moreover, the debt problems of Europe disturbed the global

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay The Four Arena analysis and Four Lens analysis are based on a simplification of the dynamics of competitive interactions that breaks reality into it component pieces. In reality, the arenas are not quite so distinct, the progression is not quite so clear, and the nature of dynamic strategic interaction is not so predictable or easily labeled. DAveni, R.A. (1994, p. 180) Strategic management theories and methods are indispensable in todays economy. Regardless of their origin, dynamics or focus they are designed by scientific logic to understand the complexity of reality, to analyze the focused conditions (i.e. market, power, relative positioning and so on) and to cope with competition to achieve an advantage or to sustain the economic performance of a company. Combined with an insightful execution they strengthen the profitable existence of organizations within a competitive environment. However even the most successful companies which implement the most paradigmatic strategy methods by the rulebook fail. This raises the question of whether contemporary strategy can, in fact, provide such consistent insights for strategists or rather bias the perception of reality. This chapter is dedicated to a critical analysis of the predominant strategic research streams in order to locate their structural weaknesses. A symptomatic case study will introduce/illus trate the issue. The Textbook Example The Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corporation (stylized as HTC) was founded 1997 as a producer of notebooks and became one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world in just over a decade. It is best known for its wide consumer smartphone portfolio ranging from mid- to high-priced models. With a market growth of nearly 100 percent in 2011 and a skyrocketing sales growth of 229 percent, HTC held the title of the most profitable stock at the Taiwanese stock exchange from 2007 until 2011 (cf. HTC Investor Relations; Bloomberg 2011). But as of today, the tables have turned on High Tech Computers Corporation. In the second quarter of 2012, the company had shown substantial revenue losses of 3.35 billion Dollars resulting from a slump in sales and profit in the first quarter (cf. Reuters 2012; HTC Investor Relations). Its stock plummeted from an all-time high of 35 euros (1300 Taiwan Dollars in April 2011) to now 7,5 Euros a share (277 TWD as of August 2012; this signifies loss es in the amount of more than 3 billion US Dollars). In conclusion, HTC cut its expansion program by closing its offices in Brazil and South Korea, and sold half of its stake in its main acquisition of high fidelity headphones (cf. Kan 2012). What began as a yearlong success story for the innovative smartphone manufacturer is turning into a failure, putting HTC in the same declining market share position as Nokia. But what went wrong? The answer might be found in the strategies and the business model adopted by the Taiwanese company to assert their place in such a dynamic industry as the smartphone market. According to the empirical analysis of the High Tech Computers Corporation by Chi-Ho Chiou (2011), its general corporate strategy was based upon a threefold approach. The first strategy, Development and Reconfiguration of Dynamic Capabilities, includes the implementation of both the core assertions of the first-mover advantage theory, as well as the methods of the Configurational school of thought. The concept of the first-mover explains the advantage a market pioneer can successfully live off, if he is the first one to establish himself in a niche (Robinson 1988, p. 92ff.). Through expanding the scope of the product, establishing effective response barriers for competitors, creating proprietary and innovative products, exclusive production skills, vertical integration and securing the best areal locations, a co mpany as a first-mover could create powerful entry barriers as well as high switching costs (MacMillan 1983, pp. 22-25). In addition to this proceeding, the Configurational school describes the relations between periods of stability and transformations a corporation might undergo to adapt to new environmental changes. To sustain equilibrium of its organizational characteristics (and therewith its success), there is the important need to acknowledge change and to embrace it through appropriate strategizing (Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 305ff.). Thus HTCs strategizing originated with the early insight (presumably because of the production volumes of the Iphone) that consumer matched smartphones will induce a state of market change the company has to adapt to. Against this background, HTC, as one of the first manufacturers, switched the focus from business-tier phones to cheaper mid-tier handhelds, bundled its distinctive competencies of technological advancement and into the development of these products, and defended its advantageous position with the buy-in of skilled professionals. To enhance its performance within the state of reconfiguration, HTC incorporated additionally the strategy of Collaborative Networks which is essentially the optimization of the value chain and the domain of the Power school of strategic management. As mentioned before, the benefits of the early-mover might stem from the vertical integration of business units. This approach was elaborated and explained by Michael Porter within the Generic Value Chain. A company can be disaggregated into its primary and support activities which, taken together, generate the profit margin (cf. Porter 1998a, pp. 36-52). By optimizing the management of the value chain and an efficient expansion strategy, a company is able lower its production. These strategies go hand in hand with the principles of the Power school. This school of thought is divided by perspective. On the one hand, there is the perspective on the inter-organizational issues subsumed under the term of Micro Power, and on the other there i s the Macro Power concerning the political processes in between several corporations. The latter perspective includes a cluster of different concepts which outline either the importance of strategic alliances and cooperational networks (Hamel et al. 1989, p. 134; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, pp. 255-260), or the influence of the external control an organization can achieve through planned strategizing (cf. Pfeffer/ Salancik 1978; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 248f.). By creating strategic collaborations with Microsoft and Google in its early days as a smartphone parts supplier (first contracts being made in 1997), HTC was able to improve its value chain by reducing the total cost of its technological development, firm infrastructure, and human resource support activities in its value creation process. It simply used the provided operating systems as Android or Windows Phone, instead of investing assets and resources into own research. HTCs strategic alliances began to manifest itself in the 2001-2003 time periods as the company collaborated initially with such European telecommunication providers as Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and O2. As it built up favorable reputation and its brand image in a low competition market as Europe, High Tech Computers entered the US Market in 2005, signing exclusive hardware deals with providers AT and T, Sprint, Verizon and Cingular. Finally, dominating its niche of mid-tier smartphones, the corporation collaborated with Japanese providers including NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile to enter the most competitive smartphone hardware market in the world (all data taken from Chiou 2011, p. 301f.). Step by step, HTC incrementally developed a brand image and established itself in the world market through regional maneuvers, strategic alliances, as well as technical partnerships. Finally, HTCs product strategy and its radical transformation are based on the third strategy named Dynamical Product Diversification. It was, as Chiou points out in the African Journal of Business Management (2011, p. 302), derived from Porters Five Forces analysis and the resulting Generic strategies matrix strategy (at this point, this paper will refrain from explaining these basic concepts due to their prominent nature). As Apple changed the mobile communication market in 2007, HTC must have recognized the chances and the potential of this newly established market by shifting its own production towards the masses demanding similar products as the Iphone. Yet the Taiwanese analyzed the competitive forces and realized that they should not compete against Apple and mimic its differentiation strategy, but choose the focus approach instead. Hence, each year since 2007, High Tech Computers released approximately ten to fifteen different smartphones with the goal to capture and capitali ze on the niche left by Apple (cf. Areamobile.de 2012a; HTC Portfolio 2012). The Iphone was considered an unchallenged luxury good available only to consumers who were capable of either spending almost a thousand Dollars or binding themselves to year-lasting provider contracts. HTC became the alternative with a diverse product portfolio of less expensive phones for the mainstream, adopting Porters focus (or segmentation) strategy. All in all, it should have become evident that HTC incorporated a range of paradigmatic theoretical concepts of strategic management in its endeavor of competition analysis and strategy creation. Despite of being a textbook example of applied strategic management theory, the company struggles the second quarter in a row to operate in the black. The reason for their failure is, from the corporate point of view, the loss of revenue due to lower sales and therefore less net profit and an impaired market growth (cf. HTC Investor Relations 2012; Whittaker 2012). Yet analysts claim unanimously that these lower sales result from an overloaded and simultaneously dull product portfolio which lacks a distinct competitor to Apples Iphone or the even more successful Samsung Galaxy product line (cf. ibid.; Shimpi 2012; Milett 2012; Luk/ Poon 2012; Bertolucci 2012; Lunden 2012). But why does HTC need to have such a competitor, in spite of choosing the segmentation product strategy and having a portfolio of 96 different mid-price smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012b)? This companys failure implies that the company had to complement its strategy with the same cost focus endeavor as Apple. Ac cording to Porter, the positioning school, and every SWOT analysis, HTCs managers planned everything in accordance with the textbook and the double strategy its competitors pursue should be essentially wrong because: [a] firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is stuck in the middle. It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. (Porter 1998a, p. 16) Samsung Electronics did exactly that. It is indeed stuck in the middle having approximately 380 low- to mid-price phones and 11 high-end smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012c). And its consolidated operating profit soaring to 4.8 billion Euros shows a 79 percent increase year-on-year since it implemented this double strategy (cf. Samsung Investor Relations 2012). It appears that the most paradigmatic strategy analyses reach their limits in the face of contemporary figurations of competition. Hence, HTCs strategic failure is symptomatic of a large part of the normative and descriptive strategic management research. Normative/ Prescriptive Research Streams Over the course of the last century, the term competition passed through different stadiums. In the war torn European economies of the 1950s, competition did barely exist due to an unmet demand for reconstruction and food supplies. Only two decades later, the competitive dynamics in the US transformed the rapidly expanding seller markets into the saturated buyer markets of the late sixties and seventies (all data cf. Chandler 1990). In the nineties, competition once again hardened in the face of globalization and the more complex nexuses of interconnected global market forces. And as of the digital markets of today, Hypercompetition represents the paradigmatic concept for the scientific community characterized through: [an] accelerated change in technology or regulation, low entry and exit barriers for competitors, uncertain and volatile consumer needs and demand situations, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] leapfrogging of existing standards, blurring of boundaries between competition, substitution and market entry and continual attempts to outmaneuver each other and to usurp entry barriers (Ortmann 2010, p. 24, also cf. DAveni 1994; Brown/ Eisenhardt 1997; Gottinger 2006) In regard to the continuous historic transformations and the volatile nature, competition is therefore understood by the scientific community as a dynamic, evolving concept. In contrast, concepts of the modern schools of thought of strategic management remained surprisingly static. The Design, Planning and Positioning school of thought represent, according to Eden Ackermann (1998, p. 25ff.), the prescriptive and rather normative side of strategizing. They consist of deliberate analyzing, planning, and strategic creation methods, and describe how things ought to work under ideal conditions. Until today they remain the predominant strategy concepts taught in nearly every book on this topic (insert Fig. 1 here) and their use continues to permeate the academic peer-reviewed literature (for a detailed description cf. Helms 2010). Though HTC claims to be an innovative company, they chose prescriptive analytic models which represent somewhat of an outdated perspective on strategizing. They are characterized through an inflexibility of their frameworks, because they base on the economic situation in the eighties and were developed for managers of large and mature corporations. Furthermore, this period was characterized by strong competition, cyclical developments and relatively stable market structures (Niehans 1990, p. 315f.). For instance, the generic strategies matrix cannot be modified within its framework. Instead of observing the changes of market conditions in correlation to ones own company as a complex adaptive system, and to adapt to the prevailing degree of competitive complexity (as for instance within the framework of the complexity theory determined by McKelvey 1999 or Kappelhoff 2002), the Five Forces analysis and the strategy matrix are based upon the assumptions of perfect competition, that structure determines strategy (structure-conduct-performance-paradigm), and that market growth is continuous. If there were any problems or divergence from one of the questionable assumptions, then Porters whole theoretical construct would be rendered implausible because of its inflexibility as pointed out in HTCs case (for a more detailed critique and analysis of the rather basic paradigmatic concepts concerning HTCs performance cf. App. 1). But beyond the concepts of Five Forces, Portfolio Analyses or Planning procedures, the normative or prescriptive stream of research underwent several paradigmatic changes ever since which spawned more sophisticated iterations of strategic concepts (as depicted in Fig. 2.). These were subsequently modified to improve their performance, as well as their consistency until they became highly complex. But even more elaborated concepts as Game Theory (cf. Shapiro 1989; Nisan et al. 2007), Blue Ocean Strategies (cf. Kim/ Mauborgne 2005) or the shift to the Resource-Based View (cf. Wernerfelt 1984; Prahalad/ Hamel 1990) continue to analyze competition with only a few set variables and static frameworks which represent rather theoretic enclosures than reality depicting mental models. For issues of scope and continuity, this subchapter will focus exemplary on Porters dynamic progression in the field of normative positioning. After severe criticism on the account of neglecting external forces ( as e.g. the government, cf. Brandenburger/ Nalebuff 1996), missing viable middle ground strategies (known as Outpacing-Strategies, cf. Gilbert/ Strebel 1987; Miller 1992), and concentrating too much on the positioning instead of addressing the competencies of the firm (Prahalad/ Hamel 1990), Porter complemented his strategic research by integrating the generic methods into two frameworks driven by causality. The first one, termed as The Determinants of Success in Distinct Businesses (or Chain of Causality Framework) focuses mostly on the industrial level from a cross-sectional perspective. It integrates the industry structure analysis (Five Forces) and the value chain into a framework itemized into abstract basic units which represent predetermined variables linked by a chain of causality (cf. Fig. 3 in Porter 1998b, pp. 87-92). Therefore, a proper choice of strategy and a sustainable competitive advantage rest on a set of interconnected company inherent activities (discrete process es of the value chain) whose performance in turn depends upon structural determinants of differences among competitors named drivers (e.g. scale economies, learning curves, location, timing etc.). Ultimately, Porter argues that the cross-sectional part of the causality chain of a company starting with the drivers and ending with a successful positioning strategy attains its quality over time through managerial choices and an advantageous initial condition a company may inherit (ibid. p. 92ff.). With this link to a longitudinal business level perspective, Porter addresses the criticism invoked by the advocates of the resource-based view. Still, this framework becomes dynamic in the first place with the addition of the Diamond of Environmental Influences which focuses on environmental factors on a broader national level. This framework represents a departure from Porters early static template-like models and stresses the reinforcing relations of four interrelated attributes. These att ributes represent local, environmental conditions which influence the competitiveness of a company. Factor conditions as skilled labor, infrastructure or raw materials are provided by the nation. Demand conditions result from the pressure and needs of home market consumers which determine the degree of innovation and advancement of products. Related and supporting industries characterize the presence of rivaling or supporting industries and their linkage to ones company in terms of innovation pressure, cost-effectiveness, short lines of communication, etc. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry determines the market structure set by competitors. The way competitive advantage is achieved by management practices, organizational modes, and the utilization of (local) resources of rivaling enterprises, affects the degree of the external pressure a company has to deal with. Additional parameters of influence are historical chance and the government (ibid. pp. 99-106). Since all these exogen ous factors affect the corporate strategizing and resources a company starts with, the diamond can be linked below the managerial choices and the initial conditions (van den Bosch 1997, p. 98). Both frameworks address a certain degree of flexibility and changing environmental factors. However, despite the efforts made to understand the basic conditions of financial success of corporations through strategic analysis of their presumed influential factors, the Diamond and the Chain of Causality remain extended frames of the initial generic positioning. Each link of the chain can be challenged in terms of its determinism. Thus, from a academic point of view, the main critique of Porter is that his principles are solely based on macroeconomic conditions which he analyzed within longitudinal studies of successful corporations, local governments and whole trade nations. Albeit these cases provide sophisticated sources of reliable information, they only represent conditions of their particular era, which cannot be extrapolated into changing future markets. Moreover, macroeconomics functions within its own frame of scientific reference and is seldom open to modification that is not based upon empiric evidence. It takes time to gather such evidence and it is per se impossible to modify these concepts in order to make them fit a problem-related context, which requires a different set of variables. Additionally, strategic researchers criticized the general application of the Diamond framework on business models. As Porters previous methods, the determinants of the Causality Chain and the environmental attributes of the Diamond are seldom applicable to small businesses or digital enterprises. The scope of the highly complex and national attributes does not really affect the infrastructure of small companies dependent on exports, as well as having menial cash flows (cf. Cartwright 1993; Grant 1991). Neither local infrastructure, nor demand conditions of local customers affects digital businesses, because the internet provides a network structure which is independent from geographic or national boundaries (though, in some rare cases national regulation restrictions indeed apply to digital shops). On a broader scale, critics pointed to the inflexible state of the Diamond framework, because it is only valid for the operational scope on a national level and nothing below or beyond that. For international relations of companies it was proposed to enhance the flexibility, by adding another modified diamond (cf. Rugman/ DCruz 1993; Moon et al. 1995). Such businesses do not depend much on local resources and can allocate them in a decentralized manner. Thus, competitive advantage may also result from outbound foreign investments, as well as from foreign-owned companies which add value to distinctive competencies required for the home market, effectively strengthening the competitive position. On the business level of strategy which is addressed by the managerial choices, initial conditions, drivers and activities, it is Porters empiric-based determinism that constraints the adaptive nature of the causality framework. Even though he is asserting that [e]ach model abstracts the complexity of competition to isolate only a few key variables whose interactions are examined in depth and that [t]he normative significance of each model depends on the fit between assumptions and reality (Porter 1998b, p. 84), he does not try to excel in these statements. With the creation of his basic meta-units of activities and drivers, he establishes a solid foundation just to ruin it with the integration of his outdated models of Five Forces, the Value Chain and Generic Strategies. It is impossible to include components such as the predominant cultures of countries, the type of market (digital, industrial, service based etc.) or the customer based preferences, which are vital drivers of comple xity in international markets into the Chain of Causality framework. Speaking in economic terms, his framework assumes a classic and perfect market. Therefore, the more a market is influenced by customer uncertainty or the domestic culture, the less meaningful insights the framework can deliver. That is why these frameworks are suited best for analyzing mature, industrial, western markets or national economies with stable market structures. Evolutionary/ Descriptive Research Streams As a result of strategies based upon a prescriptive approach, an organization might develop too sharp an edge. A strong focus on a successful method by optimizing the value chain and activities for a certain business offering, results inevitably in narrowing down other competencies and strengths in a normative approach. Thus, initial success with a product can be disrupted quickly by exogenous changes in customer preferences as it happened within a short time span with HTC. If that is the case, then the organization is missing a requisite variety of alternative options it can exploit (cf. Beer 1981). Therefore, it is expedient to shift the perspective to the other predominant stream of research which endeavors to grasp the processes of change and to include them into a flexible strategy creation process. Hence, the evolutionary or descriptive theories operate from a retrospective point of view, by trying to capture the emergent processes, to reflect them and finally learn to modify the status quo of strategizing. In comparison to the previous research stream, the descriptive branch is a rather heterogeneous collection of concepts which encompasses more than seven different schools of thought (cf. Eden/ Ackermann 1998, pp. 24-28, Mintzberg 1998). Moreover, chronologically, they have not gone through the same evolution as the normative schools, as they simultaneously began to gain academic traction in the late eighties (cf. Mintzberg 1998, p. 352ff.). The common denominator of all theories is the reflection upon incremental change within the company, as well as the exogenous competition and its impact on the organizational performance. Two of the most prolific examples will illustrate both perspectives: Theorists of the Environmental school argue that businesses are part of a natural selection mechanism. Hence, the environment, presenting itself to the organization as a set of general forces, is the central actor in the strategy making process. The company must respond to and include these forces continuously in its strategic analyses, in order to adjust its relative competitive position (cf. ibid. p. 288ff.). Executives, thus, choose from a variety of options provided by the environmental context, adopting those that not only suit their environments but also reflect their personal motives, predilections, and capabilities (Miller et al. 1988, pp. 544-548). Other important aspects are share- and stakeholder relationships, which are emphasized by the Power school (already covered in Chapter 2.1, p. 5). This research branch focuses solely upon the non-material assets of power and highlights its impact on strategy making. Whether inside the company or as an essential part of the environmental influence, stakeholders represent an influential factor on business performance as e.g. a (de-)motivated workforce, beneficial government parties, visionary managers, and, of course, customers. To address these parties, theorists developed a wide array o f approaches ranging from early empathy based models (cf. Freeman 1984) to almost guerilla tactics-based ideology studies on lessons how social movements mobilize workforce (cf. Ruhland 2006) to computerized benchmarking tools for measuring stakeholder value (cf. Figge/ Schaltegger 2000). Nevertheless, the main flaw with these theories lies within their fragmented nature and the resulting inconsistency. Undoubtedly, the Entrepreneurial school has the best research on successful executives, and their visionary ways of dealing with innovations; the Cognitive school delivers the best insights in their minds and how strategic processes are being constituted. But all aforementioned schools deal with complexity by fragmenting it into thematic clusters and unraveling the separated fields of knowledge. This might be a scientifically valid method of dealing with hypotheses, but concurrently it becomes gradually more difficult for companies to deal with a fast-paced analysis of emerging probl ems. As mentioned earlier, each fragmented school of thought in the evolutionary research stream is composed out of hundreds of different methods and models. Thus, it takes not only time to analyze the situation within the frameworks, but it also costs theoretical effort to interconnect the fundamentally different tools and methods. Though Mintzberg addressed this problem within his books by creating a unifying approach to adapt to environmental change, known as the Configurational School (cf. Mintzberg et al. 1998; Miller/ Mintzberg 1983), it would take a considerable amount of time to apply all frameworks and empirically validate the inter-correlations of each theory. Due to this fact, Osterwalders interdisciplinary method is better suited for the demonstration of the remaining problems (cf. Osterwalder 2004; Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010). His Business Model Canvas and its methods can be loosely sorted into the Learning/ Environmental/ Power schools (cf. ibid. p. 110f., p. 130ff., pp.181-189, pp. 200-212.). Though, the model also draws heavily upon Porters (Five Forces) and Penroses (Resource-Based View) normative concepts, as well as the paradigms of the Planning school (Scenario Techniques). Yet it offers a more sophisticated approach to analyzing strategies behind the business model than proposed by Mintzberg , covering the most important factors of the prevalent schools of thought. The basic canvas is composed out of nine sections for analyzing the key components of the business offering (cf. Fig. 4) and can be divided into four main intersecting groups. On the right side of the canvas there are industry based components, including factors of competitive analysis, production activities, the actual microeconomic cost structure and internal resources basing on the aforementioned normative methods. The upper side of the canvas entails the components of product analysis, including the description of the actual product features, distribution channels, quality management and customer preferences based upon T.Q.M. frameworks, Six Sigma analyses etc. The right side depicts all activities involving customer analyses and market demand. Lastly, the lower side represents microeconomic and financial considerations regarding the product/ service, based upon the most generic economic units, e.g. cash flow, EBITDA metrics, asset pricing and revenue streams. Additionally, Osterwalder and Pigneur include such basic analytic tools as SWOT, Blue Ocean Strategies, Long Tail and some sort of self-composed competitive environment map to round off their model and make it compatible to other frameworks. Despite the apparently light approach towards creating business models, reflectively understand the core processes of an organization and including emergent change into corporate strategy (judging from the visual context and the non-existent academic aspirations of the book), the canvas was conceived as a doctoral thesis and is based upon scientific research. Overall, the Business Model Canvas represents an emphatic concept for identifying the main processes and business units, upon which a corporate strategy can be based or modified. Despite the inclusion of many perspectives and improvements towards the normative concepts, this seemingly reflexive and holistic approach has to deal with strong criticism. Rosenberg et al. (2011) argued that the canvas dealt with substantial problems emphasizing the processual focus and thus lacking structural and goal-oriented performance representations (p. 310ff.). Moreover, due to its simplistic design, the model lacks consistent causality between each of the nine proposed blocks. Because of that, it is difficult (if not impossible) to determine a valid strategy and to manage the continuous adjustments of the business model (cf. ibid. 312ff.). In general, it becomes apparent that Osterwalder et al. do not provide the deep insight into the macroeconomic context as e.g. does Porter. The processes and the effects between each canvas-block are only explained within case studies. In its methodology, the Business Model Canvas misses the questions why? and the answer because. The best example is found with the explanation of the Freemium business model (Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010, pp. 96-106). Instead of introducing the basics or referring to explanatory books, there are roughly eight examples of canvases with a lot of colorful arrows, which point to the main connections between each block. But the model itself does not explain anywhere how to determine, understand and use these connections for strategic analysis or strategy creation. On top of that, some cases analyzed are assessed inherently wrong as in the case of Nintendos Wii (ibid. p. 230f.).

Harry Potter :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling, are fun filled books with werewolves, wizards, and witches. It is a series of seven books total. The books mainly are about Harry and his ongoing conflict with becoming a wizard and dealing with his arch nemesis, Lord Voldemort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These books would be classified as fantasy, but could be classified as also romance, action, adventure, mystery, and sci-fi. It has romance when Harry falls in love with Cho Chang, a girl in Ravenclaw, another house at Hogwarts, Harryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s school. There is action and adventure in every book (Harry fights Voldemort, discovers a werewolf, joins a tournament, etc,). Mystery rises when a mysterious person rights with blood on the wall about murder. It has a lot of sci-fi like dragons, trolls, werewolves, and dementors (soul-sucking demons).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first book, The Sorcererà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Stone, Harry first finds out heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a wizard and finds out his parents were killed by Voldemort. He also firsts goes to Hogwarts, and defeats the spirit of Voldemort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the second book, The Chamber of Secrets, Harry goes back to Hogwarts for the second time and then a finds a diary, sees weird writing on the wall, and battles Lord Voldemort as a kid (his name was Tom Lorov Riddle).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the third book, The Prisoner of Askaban, Harry finds out about Sirius Black, an escaped convict. He then finds out his teacher is a werewolf and Ronà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rat is actually an animagus, a person who can transform into an animal (Ron is Harryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s best friend and the youngest of 5 brothers).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the forth book, The Goblet of Fire, Harry returns to school and joins the tri-wizard tournament, a contest that only happened 100 years ago. He then gets transported in the middle of the final round to a cemetery where he sees Lord Voldemort get resurrected from the dead and Cedric Digory get murdered by Wormtail, Ronà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s rat in human form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix, Harry gets a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge, a teacher who is as sour as a pickle. She then takes over Hogwarts and bans Harry from playing Quiditch, a sport on broomsticks. Then Harry and his friends travel to The Department Of Mysteries, the place where a prophecy about him and lord Voldemort is kept. He then battles Lord Voldemort and his death eaters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last 2 books have not been released yet but the 6th book is to be called The Half Blood Prince.

Humor and Irony in British Literature

The comic novel is a very English kind of fiction and does not always settles down in other national literatures well. Certainly the English novel tradition is remarkable for the number of comic novels among its classics from the work of Fielding, and Sterne and Smollett in the eighteenth century, through Jane Austen and Dickens in the nineteenth to Evelyn Waugh, Arnold Bennett and David Lodge in the twentieth.Even novelists whose primary intention is not to write funny novels such as George Eliot, Thomas Hardy and E.  M. Forster have scenes in their fiction which make us laugh aloud. In this work we will define on the example of literary texts of British literature the notion of humor and irony both of which are based on the comic element.Comedy in fiction would appear to have two primary sources, though they are intimately connected: situation (which entails character – a situation that is comic for one character wouldn’t necessarily be so for another) and style.Bot h dependent upon timing, that is to say, the order in which the words, and the information they carry, are arranged. The principle can be illustrated by a single sentence from Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall. At the beginning of the novel, the shy, unassuming hero, Paul Pennyfeather, an Oxford undergraduate, is divested of his trousers by a party of drunken aristocratic hearties, and with monstrous injustice is sent down from the University for indecent behavior.The first chapter concludes: â€Å"God damn and blast them all to hell,† and Paul Pennyfeather meekly to himself as he drove to the station, and then he felt rather ashamed, because he rarely swore. (Waugh, 1929) We laugh at this because of the delayed appearance of the word â€Å"meekly†: what appears, as the sentence begins, to be a long-overdue explosion of righteous anger by the victimized hero turns out to be no such thing but a further exemplification of his timidity and passiveness.Lucky Jim of Ki ngsley Amis exhibits all properties of comic fiction in a highly polished form. As a temporary assistant lecturer at a province university, Jim Dixon is totally dependent for the continuance of his employment on his absent-minded professor’s patronage, which itself requires that Jim should demonstrate his professional competence by publishing a scholarly article. Jim despises both his professor and the rituals of academic scholarship, but cannot afford to say so.His resentment is therefore interiorized, sometimes in fantasies of violence: â€Å"to tie Welch up in his chair and beat him about the head and shoulders with a bottle until he disclosed why, without being French himself, he’d given his sons French names† (Amis) and at the other times, as here, in satirical mental commentary upon the behavior, discourses and institutional codes which oppress him. The style of Lucky Jim is full of little surprises, qualifications and reversals which satirically deconstru ct cliches. Jim’s powerlessness is physically epitomized by his being a passenger in Welch’s car, and a helpless victim of his appalling driving.The banal and apparently superfluous sentence â€Å"Dixon looked out of the window at the fields wheeling past, bright green after a wet April† (Amis) in fact proves to have a function. Looking from the same window moments later, Jim is startled to find â€Å"a man’s face staring in his from about nine inches away† Surprise is combined with conformity to Welch’s incompetence. â€Å"The face, which filled with alarm as he gazed, belonged to the driver of a van which Welch had elected to pass on a sharp bend between two stone walls.† (Amis) A slow motion effect is created by the leisurely precision of the language: â€Å"about nine inches away†, â€Å"filled with alarm†, â€Å"had elected to pass† contrasting comically with the speed with which the imminent collision approa ches. The reader is not told immediately what is happening, but made to infer it, re-enacting the character’s surprise and alarm. Another stylistic device based on humorous effect it creates is irony. Irony consists in saying the opposite of what you mean or inviting an interpretation different from the surface meaning of your words. Unlike other figures of speech – metaphor, simile, metonymy, synecdoche etc.– irony is not distinguished from literal statement by any peculiarity of verbal form. An ironic statement is recognized as such in the act of interpretation. When, for example, the authorial narrator of Pride and Prejudice says â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune, must be in want of a wife,† (Austen, Chapter I) the reader, alerted by the false logic of the proposition about single men with fortunes, interprets the â€Å"universal† generalization as an ironic comment on a particular social group obsessed with matchmaking.The same rule applies to action in narrative. When the reader is made aware of a disparity between the facts of a situation and the characters’ understanding of it, an effect called â€Å"dramatic irony† is generated. (Lodge, 179) Arnold Bennett in his The Old Wives’ Tale employs two different methods to put his characters’ behavior in an ironic perspective. Sophia, the beautiful passionate but inexperienced daughter of a draper in the Potteries, is sufficiently dazzled by Gerald Scales, a handsome commercial traveler who has inherited a small fortune, to elope with him.The embrace described in the passage below is their first in the privacy of their London lodgings. Her face, view so close that he could see the almost imperceptible down on those fruit-like cheeks, was astonishingly beautiful; †¦[and] he could feel the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him. She was very slightly taller than her lover; but somehow she hung from him, her body curved backwards, and her bosom pressed against his, so that instead of looking up at her gaze he looked down at it. He preferred that; perfectly proportioned though he was, his stature was a delicate point with him.(Bennett, 278) What should be a moment of erotic rapture and emotional unity is revealed as the physical conjunction of two people whose thoughts are running on quite different tacks. Gerald in fact intends to seduce Sophia, though in the event he lacks the self-assurance to carry out his plan. Even in this embrace he is at first nervous and tentative, â€Å"perceiving that her ardour was exceeding his. † (Bennett, 278) But as the intimate contact continues he becomes more confident and masterful: â€Å"His fears slipped away; he began to be very satisfied with himself† (Bennett, 278).There is probably a sexual pun hidden in â€Å"His spirits rose by the uplift of his senses†, for Bennett frequently hinted in this fashion at things he dared not describe explicitly. Gerald sexual arousal has nothing to do with love, or even lust. It is a function of his vanity and self-esteem. â€Å"Something in him had forced her to lay her modesty on the altar of his desire†. Like â€Å"the secret loyalty of her soul ascending to him† (Bennett, 279) earlier, this florid metaphor mocks the complacent thought it expresses.The use of the word â€Å"altar† carries an extra ironic charge since at this point Gerald has no intention of leading Sophia to the altar of marriage. Up to this point, Bennett keeps to Gerald’s point of view, and uses the kind of language appropriate to that perspective, thus implying an ironic assessment of Gerald’s character. â€Å"So he kissed her yet more ardently, and with the slightest touch of a victor’s condescension; and her burning response more than restored the self-confidence which he had been losing.† (Bennett, 279) The description of his timidity, vanity and complacency – so very different from what he ought to be feeling in this situation is enough to condemn him in reader’s eyes. In the next paragraph Bennett uses the convention of the omniscient intrusive author to switch to Sophia’s point of view, and to comment explicitly on her misconceptions, adding to the layers of irony in the scene. Sophia’s words are more creditable than Gerald’s, but her words, â€Å"I’ve got no on but you now† , are partly calculated to endear him to her.This merely reveals her naivety, however. â€Å"She fancied in her ignorance that the expression of this sentiment would please him. She was not aware that a man is usually rather chilled by it, because it proves to him that the other is thinking about his responsibilities and not about his privileges. †¦ [He] smiled vaguely. † (Bennett, 279) As the â€Å"burning† Sophia utters this sentiment in a â€Å"meltingâ₠¬  voice, Gerald is â€Å"chilled† by the reminder of his responsibilities.He responds with non-committal smile, which the infatuated Sophia finds charming, but which, the narrator assures us, was an index of his unreliability and a portent of disillusionment to come: â€Å"A less innocent girl than Sophia might have divined from that adorable half-feminine smile that she could do anything with Gerald except rely on him. But Sophia had to learn. † (Bennett, 279) The reader is supplied with knowledge that helps to feel pity for Sophia and contempt for Gerald. This type of irony leaves us with little work of inference or interpretation to do; on the contrary, we are the passive recipients of the author’s wisdom.To conclude it is necessary to note the main difference between humor and irony. These two devices while both based on comic element apply different approaches to their object. Irony the funny object is hidden beyond the mask of seriousness, and the negati ve, derisive attitude to the object is expressed. The different is humor, where the serious thing is hidden beyond the mask of ridiculous and the attitude to the object of derision is predominantly positive. Works Cited List: Amis, Kinsley. Lucky Jim. London: Gollancz, 1954.Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Reissue edition, Bantam Classics, 1983. Bennett, Arnold. The Old Wives’ Tale. New York Hodder & Stoughton, 1909. Carens, James F. , The Satiric Art of Evelyn Waugh. Seattle and London, University of Washington Press, 1966. Lodge, David & Wood, Nigel Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. Harlow: Pearson, 2000 Nilsen, Don L. F. Humor in Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century British Literature. A Reference Guide, 1998. Waugh, Evelyn. Decline and Fall. London: Chapman & Hall, 1928.

Why I should go to the promotion board

Here are a couple of reasons why I believe I should be go to the promotion board. First, I'm ready to further my career as a Non Commissioned Officer. Being the best I can be is all I've ever wanted and I'm ready to take the next step in the Army with being promoted to Staff Sergeant. Secondly, I'm ready to take on more responsibility as that shows that I'm becoming a better leader because with more rank comes more responsibility.I feel that I am more than qualified to attend the promotion board. I have more than enough experience as an NCO that this would be a prominent move In the right direction. In these current times I feel that by going to the promotion board upon passing It I will be able to Impose my will as a Staff Sergeant and lead more soldiers to becoming great leaders themselves. I am deserving of this opportunity and have been waiting my chance for a great while now.This is the time and this is the season or a break through. In closing, I'm not asking for too much but t o be afforded the opportunity to at least have a chance to attend the promotion board. I will be well prepared and motivated to do my best at the board. This will be a great step towards my career progression. My family would be proud of me, and this would be one of my most recent accomplishments, among many. I want to do so much more for the Army, but I feel limited at the level I am at this moment.I would greatly appreciate this opportunity ND once I've gone to the board, you will understand why I feel the way I feel about why I should go to the board. Thank you. Why I should go to the promotion board By AP_daddy SST Phillips, Antennae. Can be is all Vive ever wanted and I'm ready to take the next step in the Army with than enough experience as an NCO that this would be a prominent move in the right passing it I will be able to impose my will as a Staff Sergeant and lead more soldiers and once Vive gone to the board, you will understand why I feel the way I feel about.

Introduction to Financial Markets

Introduction to Financial Markets Global Financial Centre The term Global Financial Centre has been widely used but it has not been well defined. There are several definitions to the term Global Financial Centre which refers to the link between financial service industry and the real economy which has to give a reliable system for the supply of capital.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Financial Markets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is also defined as the hinge between the various central banks and other players in the provision of financial services in the local economy in terms of employment, tax revenues, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) foreign debt among others (Farrugia, 2012).. There are a number of reasons why financial centers in some parts of the world like Africa, Ex-Soviet Union Territories, Middle East, South America and India Sub-Continent will ever become Global Financial Centers. This is because of the following reaso ns; Internal Factors National Economic Development Policies. Most of the governments have poor policies on attracting the best performing firms and financial institutions. This has made the diversification of the economy a difficult task and the regional governments are unable to develop their cities and country into global financial centers. Participation. There has been massive reluctance by governments to facilitate and provide resources for the growth of regional market for financial services. The development and investment strategy employed by governments. Governments have failed to deepen the financial service sector. They do not use the financial sector to develop and improve the broader development and investment strategy. There has been a shortage in the supply of skilled human capital to provide expertise in the financial sector. There has been a tendency of the GDP contribution in these countries shifting from developed markets to emerging ones (Lannoo, 2012). Size and s cale – shift to simple and transparent products will impact margins and necessitate higher volumes (Farrugia, 2012). External Factors The economic crisis facing the already developed countries of the world. There has been an outspread reduction in the economic activities and growth in the developed countries of the world which provide a ready financial market for the developing countries. This means that there will be a reduction in the opportunities for financial services in the developing countries. Arab spring. Most of the countries in the Middle East such as Syria and in Africa such as in Egypt and Tunisia have been faced with political instability which has shifted investment from these countries in the region to other regional financial stable centers. This has led to slow development of transparent and robust financial systems. Existence of rules that weaken the Global Financial Centers. This includes rules that require financial centers to have a centralized trading block. The trading block may be challenged by the non-existence of a common currency and different foreign currency regime. There has been increased cases of tax avoidance and lack of enough liquidity which hits these markets. There have been a lot or regulation and deregulation. Protectionism – This is where these countries are faced by extraterritoriality, and trading blocks having limited access to third country funds. Compliance – Most of the countries that aim at being Global Financial Center are faced with the challenge of compliance in terms of their quality of legal framework where they have very rigid laws and regulations, lack of transparency in their dealings and change in government statutes (Lannoo, 2012).. Global currency – Lack of a globally acceptable currency has been a major hindrance to these countries in becoming Financial Centers. References Farrugia, K. (2012). Exploring the rise of regional financial centres. Retrieved from https://www.e iseverywhere.com/file_uploads/eb9e64372a1c0a1db8c37df560376507_KennethFarrugia.pdf Lannoo, K. (2012). Financial Centre Competition. Retrieved from https://www.eiseverywhere.com/file_uploads/f6888394c2ff79c00a43a75b28a29349_KarelLannoo.pdf

A Streetcar Named Desire Essay Example

A Streetcar Named Desire Essay Example A Streetcar Named Desire Paper A Streetcar Named Desire Paper Essay Topic: A Streetcar Named Desire The Glass Menagerie Many definitions of tragedy claim that at the end of the play positives have emerged. Is it possible to see anything positive in the ending of A Streetcar Named Desire? Many definitions of a tragedy claim that by the end of the play positives have emerged, Im going to investigate whether this can be said for A Streetcar named Desire. I want to look at the outcome of the play for each of the main characters and see who, if anyone came out on top. A Streetcar Named Desire is considered by many to be a modern tragedy, this genre differs from a Greek or Shakespearian tragedy in that its protagonists are not usually great people from noble backgrounds who suffer an epic downfall that has drastic consequences but ordinary people, in domestic settings whos downfall although tragic for them has no real impact on anyone other than themselves and those close to them. Streetcar centres around three main characters Blanche, an aging southern belle, her sister Stella who has shook off her gentile, southern upbringing and settled into a simple life in run down New Orleans and Stanley Kowalski, Stellas husband, a man of Polish decent that seems to represent the new America. Blanche disrupts the lives of the Kaplowskis by turning up to stay with them claiming shes been given leave from her teaching job in Laurel, where the sisters grew up. We later learn however this is not true, she has been fired from her job for sexual liaisons with a student and has been made a pariah in her home town for her promiscuity. Stanley finds out the truth about Stella and does his best to get rid of her and keep his friend Mitch, who Blanch set her sights on marrying, away from her. The ending of the play, although tragic and moving seems to me somewhat ambivalent, the audience are left to wonder, to some extent what will become of all the characters, this is the area that I am going to analyse. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers (scene 11, 11) possibly the most famous lines of the play, and the last words we hear Blanche utter. She is being lead away by a doctor to a mental institution after suffering a complete mental breakdown culminating from the traumas of her past, her alcoholism and her treatment at the hands of Stanley Kowalski. Blanches final words summarise her own tragic flaw; dependence, on strangers, on men, on alcohol, on anything but herself. The flaw, it could be argued landed her in such a tragic position. From our first introduction to Blanch we can tell she is not someone used to looking after herself, when she arrives at Elysian Fields despite the haughty air she puts on when speaking to Stellas neighbours she has no qualms about letting Eunice and the black neighbour take control of the situation, taking her into the Kowalskis apartment and offering to go and fetch Stella for her, then rudely asking Eunice to leave her alone. We are also immediately introduced to her dependency on alcohol; she takes a quick drink getting rid of the evidence before her sister arrives. Straight away the audience are aware that Blanche is not a woman in control of her situation A Streetcar differs from what many would class as a tragedy in that nobody actually dies in the end, however it could be argued that Blanches future in a mental asylum is as bad as, of even worse than death. If one was to try and put any sort of positive spin on Blanches fate we could say that she is finally free of the real world which she was obviously finding increasingly difficult to cope with. She says to Mitch I dont want realism. Ill tell you what I want. Magic! (9,6-8), maybe now she will be free to live the life she feels she should, if only in her mind. However, before jumping to this rose tinted conclusion we must acknowledge Williams own experience of the mental institutions of his day. His sister Rose, to whom he was very close, was institutionalised after a failed lobotomy, and Williams was said to be totally guilt ridden by this state of affairs. In an obituary to Rose Williams in the Independent Newspaper the author writes: The troubled life of Rose Williams haunts the work of her brother Tennessee. Like a fading Southern Belle, eternally deserted (Hoare, P. (1996). Obituary: Rose Williams. Available: independent. co. uk/news/people/obituary-rose-williams-1362925. html. Last accessed 27th Feb 2011. ) So it is probably fair to assume that Institutions did not hold positive connotations for Williams so it may be unlikely that this is the impression he intended his audience to get. What of the other characters, Stanley and Stella. It appears now with Blanche out of the way, life can go back to normal for them both. However as we know, Williams deals very much in realism and it would be naive to assume that the events of the last few months will not have impact on their relationship. From the beginning Stella appears to have accepted her lot when it comes to Stanley, she knows he isnt perfect but their passion makes it worthwhile in her view; there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark-that sort of make everything else seem-unimportant. (4, 29-2) and she has embraced her new life, even claiming to be thrilled (4,21) by some of Stanleys violent outbursts. It is clear though that Stella isnt stupid, Williams has given Stella an air of maturity and quiet composure that is in great contrast to Blanches manner. I find it hard to believe that she could completely dismiss Blanches claim that Stanley raped her as just her desperate last attempt to get Stanley out of the picture. I feel that on some level she believes her sister, in scene 11 she says to Eunice; I dont know if I did the right thing (11,12) And; I couldnt believe her story and go on living with Stanley (11,15) Eunice replies; Dont ever believe it. Life has to go on. No matter what happens, youve got to keep on going (11,17-18) It is pointedly never said that she is doing the right thing, only that she is doing what she has to do. Stella sobs with inhuman abandon as blanch is being led away, betraying her real feelings even more than the text, she is devastated to see her sister in this situation and no doubt feels hugely guilty for allowing it. In my opinion Stella made the decision to side with Stanley out of what she thought was necessity, she couldnt bare the thought of losing the security that Stanley offers, especially now they have a child to think about so she has turned her back to the horrible truth, just as she turned her back on her old life in the plantation when things started to go wrong, she wasnt there for her sister then and she wont stand by her now. For me though it begs the question how long will Stella be able to continue the fai ade. The animal passion she enjoys so much with Stanley is unlikely to sustain her forever and is no substitute for a trusting healthy relationship. I feel eventually the cracks will begin to show, Stellas guilt over Blanch will grow and she will increasing resent Stanley. He may be able to pacify her for now with a sexual advance; He kneels beside her and his fingers find the opening of her blouse (11,4-5) but I think in the long run she is trapped it what is ultimately a doomed relationship. This brings us to Stanley, it appears that he is the only one who got something positive from blanch being institutionalised. He can once again go back to his old life, with his doting wife and now a newborn child to further cement his position as head of the household. However by raping Blanch he has betrayed his true character, before although it is unlikely anyone could feel any sympathy for him it did seem that Stanley really did love his wife, even showing odd moments of tenderness. Now however we see how cruel he can be and how insatiable his lust really is. He even implies that the rape was not a heat of the moment decision saying weve had this date with each other from the beginning (10,25-26). He shows no remorse for his actions and if he has no qualms having sex with his sister in law while his wife is in hospital having their child, it does not say much for his general fidelity. Before the rape Stanley could be considered if not a likeably character at least a complex one. The audience could appreciate that he didnt have the genteel upbringing of Stella and Blanche but he was a hard worked trying to provide for his family. We could even sympathise that his already cramped home had been more of less taken over by his sister in law, allowing him and his wife virtually no privacy, Id even go so far as to say there would be very few men who would not be frustrated by that situation. But the rape shows him to be a true, unquestionable villain. So, although things seem to be going pretty well for him at the moment, Id say his future looks pretty bleak, a wife that may be harbouring deep resentments, uncontrollable sexual urges, that although havent got him into trouble yet are likely to in the future and a violent streak that will surely loose its thrill for Stella. I find this view on Stella and Stanleys future particularly interesting; We may be permitted to wonder whether the semi-comic characters of Eunice and Steve were introduced to foreshadow the Kowalskis in years to come- Stella slovenly, fat and blowzy after too many pregnancies, and Stanley no longer the gaudy seed barer but a corpulent, wheezing patron of the local prostitutes. (Sambrook,H (2010). York notes Advanced,A Streetcar Named Desire. 9th ed. London: York Press. 58. ) Obviously all the above ideas are merely that, ideas, these are characters in a play, which have no future once the curtains come down. But what a testament to Williams writing, and the realism of his characters, that we have became so emotionally attached to the characters that we crave an answer to what will become of them. This brings me to my final question, what prompted Williams to end his play in such a melancholy, unhopeful way? In an interview with Tennessee Williams by Robert Berkvist in 1974 Williams said of his plays; They reflect somehow the particular psychological turmoil I was going through when I wrote them (Berkvist, R. (1975). An Interview With Tennessee Williams. Available: nytimes. com/books/00/12/31/specials/williams-interview75. html. Last accessed 27th Feb 2011. ) We know Williams had his fair share of troubles, he suffered with depression, was tormented over his homosexuality, lived with the guilt of his sister being institutionalised. His plays have been thought to mirror aspects of his life. Sparknotes on A Streetcar Named Desire agree that many of his female characters contain elements of his mother and sister and his male characters were based on his brutish father and childhood bullies (SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on A Streetcar Named Desire. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. sparknotes. com/lit/streetcar/ (accessed February 24, 2011). ) It seems to me that Streetcar in particular does support this theory, as does The Glass Menagerie. Maybe Streetcars ending was simply Williams alluding to the fact that in real life, there is not always a happy ending, we dont always come away having learned something of even with a brighter outlook for the future, so why should the characters in his play. To conclude, I cant say that any positives have emerged from the ending of Streetcar, but I do not believe that this detracts in any way from the play being one of the great modern tragedies. Williams talent for creating believable characters his audience form attachments too is illustrated in the compulsion we feel to cultivate our own conclusions, and fill in the blanks that he didnt. This only added to my enjoyment of reading the play and I can only assume, from the plethora of different interpretations of the text I read on the internet when researching for this piece, that I am not the only person to feel this way.

Why Lanthanides and Actinides Are Separate on the Periodic Table

Why Lanthanides and Actinides Are Separate on the Periodic Table The lanthanides and actinides are separated from the rest of the periodic table, usually appearing as separate rows at the bottom. The reason for this placement has to do with the electron configurations of these elements. 3B Group of Elements When you look at the periodic table, you will see strange entries in the 3B group of elements. The 3B group marks the beginning of the transition metal elements. The third row of the 3B group contains all of ​the elements between element 57 (lanthanum) and element 71 (lutetium). These elements are grouped together and called the lanthanides. Similarly, the fourth row of group 3B contains the elements between elements 89 (actinium) and element 103 (lawrencium). These elements are known as actinides. The Difference Between Group  3B and 4B Why do all the lanthanides and actinides belong in Group 3B? To answer this, look at the difference between group 3B and 4B. The 3B elements are the first elements to begin filling the d shell electrons in their electron configuration. The 4B group is the second, where the next electron is placed in the d2 shell. For example, scandium is the first 3B element with an electron configuration of [Ar]3d14s2. The next element is titanium in group 4B with electron configuration [Ar]3d24s2. The same is true between yttrium with electron configuration [Kr]4d15s2 and zirconium with electron configuration [Kr]4d25s2. The difference between group 3B and 4B is the addition of an electron to the d shell. Lanthanum has the d1 electron like the other 3B elements, but the d2 electron does not appear until element 72 (hafnium). Based on behavior in previous rows, element 58 should fill the d2 electron, but instead, the electron fills the first f shell electron. All the lanthanide elements fill the 4f electron shell before the second 5d electron gets filled. Since all the lanthanides contain a 5d1 electron, they belong in the 3B group. Similarly, the actinides contain a 6d1 electron and fill the 5f shell before filling the 6d2 electron. All actinides belong in the 3B group. The lanthanides and actinides are arranged below with a notation in the main body cell rather than making room for all these elements in the 3B group in the main body of the periodic table.Because of the f shell electrons, these two element groups are also known as the f-block elements.

Understanding Mystery from the Perspectives of the Bermuda Triangle Research Paper

Understanding Mystery from the Perspectives of the Bermuda Triangle - Research Paper Example The mystery surrounding this busy sea-route derives from the fact that many ships, as well as airplanes, passing through this, have been reported to have disappeared without a trace. Thus, it becomes an intriguing proposition to evaluate the mystery that surrounds the Bermuda Triangle to understand the term mystery. The subject of the mystery is not the Triangle as such, which is naturally formed and is a physical place, not a figment of the imagination. Due to the mysterious incidents of disappearances that occurred in the area, some people also call it the Devil’s Triangle. No US government file has identified the location of Bermuda Triangle or for that matter, the Board of Geographic Names. However, the name continues to serve as a synonym for mystery, due to various instances of reported missing of ships entering the area of airplanes flying over the triangle. It adds to the element of mystery that no probable logical cause can be assigned to such disappearances. Thus, from the episodes of disappearances attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, which are beyond any reasonable explanation, it can be construed that a mystery is something that is beyond the scope of logical explanations. The geographical positioning of the Bermuda Triangle, as per existing interpretations, is off the Southeastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean, with its vertices touching Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, roughly grounded in 500,000 square miles (Obringer, 2012). The name â€Å"Devil’s Triangle† is associated with Bermuda because once it has been known as â€Å"the Isle of Devils.† The reefs surrounding the area are quite tricky to the sailing ships, resulting in the wreckage of many and, thus, the place acquired the notoriety associated with its name.  

Baroque Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Baroque Art - Research Paper Example The term Baroque is French for the English â€Å"irregular, and consequently, flawed pearl.† Baroque paintings and sculptures are usually strongly emotional, passionate, stormy, and had a flair for the theatrical. Most depictions were dramatic, engages the viewer, speaks to users physically and psychologically, are usually extravagant and ornamental, they use color, contrasts between light and dark, and overlapping figures and elements to further add drama to their art. Most themes were about visions, ecstasies, conversions, martyrdom, death, and intensely emotional moments. Other events happening in the era also influenced the art. In this age, new concepts of physics and astronomy introduced by Galileo and Newton made the artists interested in the concept of space. Descartes’s philosophy I think therefore I am also redefined â€Å"the attribute of being.† Science redefined nature as motion in space and time. Light was demystified by Pascal’s discovery of the materiality of light. These preoccupations of scientists and philosophers also became the preoccupation of the artists of the time. One of the greatest Baroque artists ever was Bernini. His full name was Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and he dominated the Roman art world during the seventeenth century. He still retained a semblance to his Renaissance predecessors in the sense that he was a universal genius who practiced architecture, sculpture, painting, stage, design, and being a playwright. He was a prodigy. He began his training under the teachings of his father.

Measuring development is an arbitrary process since all summary Term Paper

Measuring development is an arbitrary process since all summary statistics in this area are trying to evaluate economic inputs rather than economic outputs - Term Paper Example as of economic development include; health rates in a country, people life expectancy rates, unemployment and rates of poverty that are characteristic of a particular country. In actual practice, economic growth is narrow in its scope as compared to economic development. Economic growth solely takes into account the total increase in a country’s real level of national output that is often because of a boost in the quality of resources applied, for instance, education, an increase in the number of resources and the quality improvements that have been done in technology. In another words, to measure economic growth, economists make use of the GDP statistics, which shows the contributions of each country’s sector towards the overall national output. On the other hand, economic development can be said to be a normative concept, which only exists in the citizen’s sense of morality, i.e, the knowledge of something good and bad. In a general sense, economic development of a country can be explained though an increase in peoples standards of living and general way of life. Economic development ensures that people make proper decisions about their wealth creation and improves their way of life. This is done only when people realize the value of involvement in different economic activities. The best approach in the measurement of economic development is the use of human development index that gives due consideration to a country’s levels of literacy, people’s expectancy rates and how they affect overall productivity in a country. Economic development is an important concept since it often leads to creation and establishment of important institutions that determine the quality of human life like education and health care. In addition, it also contributes to establishment of important employment and environment policies. Economic development in a country means the increase in per capita income out of a single individual. When computing the levels of economic

Summary of the books of the Bible Part II (New Testament Books) Essay

Summary of the books of the Bible Part II (New Testament Books). (Matthew to Revelation) - Essay Example This book has a great emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry. In Matthew chapters 5-7, there is a collection of teachings called The Sermon on the Mount. In this great sermon are The Beatitudes, which is a list of heart attitudes and character qualities that bring blessings, as well as The Lord’s Prayer. Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and tells the story of Jesus in a style that is simple and concise, yet detailed. It focuses on facts more than on themes and on actions more than attitudes. Because of Mark’s straightforward and unadorned approach, many believe this book gives a much more vivid account of Jesus’ life and ministry than the other Gospels. Scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written during a time when Christians were viciously persecuted and killed for their faith. This may be the reason for the sense of urgency we feel in Mark and for its emphasis on the cost of following Jesus. Luke’s Gospel is the longest of the four Gospels and presents Jesus as the Savior of the world; it highlights the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and it pays particular attention to women, children, the poor, and the oppressed. Luke contains many wonderful stories and lessons, including one of the greatest and most important truths for any Christian’s life: â€Å"For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment† (1:37). In Luke 4, it is seen that the devil is tempting Jesus in the wilderness and every time the devil says something, Jesus immediately responds, â€Å"It is written, †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and fights back with a verse or passage of Scripture. This is one of the most important passages in the whole of the New Testament, as it is the passage that shows Jesus fighting, and winning over, temptation. One of the themes in John is love – loving God, receiving His love and loving others. In John 13:34, Jesus says: â€Å"I give

Paper 1 edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paper 1 edit - Essay Example As a result, the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S) was established in 2002, to protect the American citizens from terrorist threats (Koestler-Granck 67). However, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the definition of threats shifted from focusing merely on terrorist threats to include the threat of catastrophic natural events (Koestler-Granck 55). Therefore, the DHS works with other agencies to ensure that all American safety is assured whether emanating from natural calamities or threats from terrorism. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security multitasking mission and with it different agencies that come from a different culture, aim to protect, reduce and recover American from unsafe conditions. Indeed, the Department of Homeland Security became the heart and the mind that deal with issues of national security. This paper illustrates the reason the United State is attached to DHS by demonstrating the important role DHS plays in protecting the U.S from threats (terrorist attac ks and natural disaster). The Department of Homeland Security contains 22 federal entities. Therefore, despite their different duties and tasks, these entities are tasked with specific roles that help prevent, counteract and mitigate terror threats (Koestler-Granck 67). Based on the activities each entity performed in the past and the event of 9/11, the DHS role was identified to assist national effort to prevent, minimize and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States. Moreover, DHS is tasked with reducing the U.S weakness against terrorism. Later on, and specifically after Hurricane Katarina in 2005 the role of DHS increased to include protecting the homeland from terrorism, human made calamities and natural disaster. In fact, the DHS role focused on five main missions, which include, preventing terrorism, enhancing security and securing and managing the U.S borders. Moreover, the body also enforce and administrate immigration law, safeguard and secure

INTRODUCTION of FRIEDEL-CRAFTS ACYLATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

INTRODUCTION of FRIEDEL-CRAFTS ACYLATION - Essay Example e clemmensen reduction route normally hinders secondary alkyl substitution that results from corresponding carbocation on rearrangement (Klein, 195-269). Nevertheless, in direct alkylation, the underlying ratio of the primary to secondary alkyl substitution can differ depending on the existing aromatic substrate and reaction conditions. Acyl halide first reacts with the underlying Lewis acid resulting to formation of more electrophilic C, an acylium ion. The n-electrons of the underlying aromatic C=C which act as nucleophile then attack the electrophilic C+ thereby destroying aromaticity resulting to the cyclohexadienyl cation intermediate. Finally proton is removed from sp3 C bearing the acyl-group reforms the corresponding C=C and the required aromatic system resulting to the creation of HCl and regeneration of the active catalyst. The reaction commence with the generation of methyl carbonation from the corresponding methyl bromide. Carbonation then reacts with underlying n electron system of the benzene in order to form a nonaromatic carbocation that subsequently loses a proton to in order to regenerate aromaticity of the system (Klein, 53-134). The reaction takes place in steps with an electrophile formation via reaction of the methylchlorine and aluminium

Paper 1 edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paper 1 edit - Essay Example As a result, the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S) was established in 2002, to protect the American citizens from terrorist threats (Koestler-Granck 67). However, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the definition of threats shifted from focusing merely on terrorist threats to include the threat of catastrophic natural events (Koestler-Granck 55). Therefore, the DHS works with other agencies to ensure that all American safety is assured whether emanating from natural calamities or threats from terrorism. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security multitasking mission and with it different agencies that come from a different culture, aim to protect, reduce and recover American from unsafe conditions. Indeed, the Department of Homeland Security became the heart and the mind that deal with issues of national security. This paper illustrates the reason the United State is attached to DHS by demonstrating the important role DHS plays in protecting the U.S from threats (terrorist attac ks and natural disaster). The Department of Homeland Security contains 22 federal entities. Therefore, despite their different duties and tasks, these entities are tasked with specific roles that help prevent, counteract and mitigate terror threats (Koestler-Granck 67). Based on the activities each entity performed in the past and the event of 9/11, the DHS role was identified to assist national effort to prevent, minimize and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States. Moreover, DHS is tasked with reducing the U.S weakness against terrorism. Later on, and specifically after Hurricane Katarina in 2005 the role of DHS increased to include protecting the homeland from terrorism, human made calamities and natural disaster. In fact, the DHS role focused on five main missions, which include, preventing terrorism, enhancing security and securing and managing the U.S borders. Moreover, the body also enforce and administrate immigration law, safeguard and secure

Inventory Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inventory Management - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the definition of consumerism as a phenomenon where there exists a never-ending and never satisfying hunger for the consumption of goods and services. Economists term consumerism as the dynamics or symbol of a progressive and booming economy. The basic concept in economics is when consumption, that is the purchase of goods and services in an economy, is increasing then the economy is on the verge of a boom and if things are the other way round than the economy is in recession. There is sound economics basis behind the concept of consumer culture. In economics terms, consumer culture is synonymous with market culture. In such a situation the prices of commodities are determined solely by demand and supply factors. To understand this we can simply say that when demand of a particular commodity is high in the market than its price will go up., but if supply exceeds the demand of the commodity in the market than the price of the particular commodity will go down automatically. In such a case the choices or buying decisions that consumers take independently, serve to define the structure of the market. The marketers and entrepreneurs have used this concept of consumer culture greatly to their advantage. Consumer culture has provided marketers and entrepreneurs, means to understand the needs and wants of a particular market better and then cater these needs and wants in a profitable manner. We can understand this with the help of an example. Supposing you have to travel o a particular country where your in-laws are living, you will find out about the culture of that country such as local customs, the way they dress, local cuisine and common linguistics etc. so once you enter that country you will be able to interact with the locals in an improved manner and they would be pleased to host you. In a similar manner when entrepreneurs are about to take on a particular market segment, they study the consumer culture of that market. Studying th e consumer culture includes looking at the trends of the market in terms of profitability, analyzing demand, consumer behavior, the satisfied and unsatisfied needs and wants of the market. Once these rules are learnt than the marketers chip in and play their game. (Birchal 2010) The Need for Inventory Management The entrepreneurs, having studied the market trends and being well acquainted with the consumer culture, can determine certain variables that are almost impossible to discover otherwise. The entrepreneurs can determine future demand of a particular product that they are selling to a particular segment. Having talked about consumer culture we must not forget to mention the changes that have taken place in the market over the period of time. With the introduction of more and more products by the companies and entrance of giant companies that offer products that serve to cater to similar needs and target the same set of consumers have actually helped to make the market place a battle field. Today customers have so many options and choices to choose from. In fact making a buying decision has become a Herculean and specialized task for the customer. Where on one hand intricacies at the end of consumer have increased then on the other the customer has become very powerful as well, and one cannot repudiate the fact that products and brands that do not meet customer expectations are either ousted or kicked out of the market and become forgotten history. Here inventory management becomes a key concept that needs to be discussed and highlighted to limelight. As we talked about the concepts of â€Å"customer expectations† and â€Å"consumer culture† so we also need to understand that they are very closely linked to inventory management. Finding the product on the shelf is one of the most significant customer expectations, significant yet basic. â€Å"Finding the product on the shelf† implies that the product must be available to the customer at the right place in the right quantity at

Input and Output Devices in Computer

Input and Output Devices in Computer Name: THENG WEI JUN Question 1 A computer receives incoming data, processes them and produces an output. Hence, in a typical computer, there is An input device i.e, a key board A Central Processing Unit (CPU) I.e, a box and An output device i.e, a monitor or a Visual Display Unit (VDU). Discuss in detail how these devices work together to produce information. Introduction A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations. The computer is one of the 20th centurys most advanced sciences and technology invention, for the production of human and social activities had a very important influence, and the rapid development of a strong vitality. Its applications extend from the initial military research applied to all areas of society, has formed a huge computer industry, led the worldwide technological progress, which triggered a profound social change, computers throughout the school in general, corporate institutions, into the homes of ordinary people, become an indispensable tool in the information society. It is an important symbol of mankind has entered the information age. With the proposed development of the Internet, computers and other technologies once again set off a revolution in information technology, according to the definition of Chinese school-enterprise networking Union, alm ost all things technology and computers, combined with the current Internet technology, between the object and the object to achieve environment and real-time status information sharing and intelligence gathering, transmission, processing. Components of Computer Input Device The input device is any hardware device that sends data to the computer, without any input devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow users to interact with it, much like a TV. Examples of input devices are keyboard, webcam scanner, video capture device and mouse. When the people use keyboard to typing, the keyboard will send the data to computer, the word will be show into the monitor. Output Device Output devices such as a monitor or printer make information you input available for you to view or use. A display device is an output device that visually conveys text, graphics, and video information. Information shown on a display device is called soft copy because the information exists electronically and is displayed for a temporary period of time. Display devices include CRT monitors, LCD monitors and displays, gas plasma monitors, and televisions. System Unit System unit is the main part of a desktop computer and it is also known as â€Å"chassis† or â€Å"tower†. It is the housing that is used for protecting and organizing all the components in the system unit that makes up a computer. System unit includes Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Hard Disk, Video Card, Sound Card and other components but does not include keyboard, mouse and other peripheral devices. In this section, I will explain and illustrate the electronic components in the system unit along with their functions. Working in computer The computer does its primary work in a part of the machine we cannot see, a control center that converts data input to information output. This control center, called the central processing unit (CPU), is a highly complex, extensive set of electronic circuitry that executes stored program instructions. All computers, large and small, must have a central processing unit. The central processing unit consists of two parts: The control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit. Each part has a specific function. Like input devices are used to input information to computers. Generally, the input devices send information to memory (RAM) and the processor or central processing unit processes the information and output devices shows it. Conclusion In my opinion, I think all the unit of computer component are important and their own role in getting a computer system unit to function. Input devices are used to input information to computers while output device transmit information to one or more users. Central processing unit carries out the basic operations or processes. Finally, all components are required for a system unit to function. All the components are connected to the motherboard which is mounted on the casing. If one is missing, the computer will become the system error or cannot working at anytime. Question 2 The Internet is a range of space where computers are connected to each other and they can access to information from ONE (1) place and apply that information to another place. Discuss in detail the advantages and disadvantages of internet in the education field. Introduction The Internet is a network of several computers communicate with each other using a common language connection is made, ie WAN, LAN and stand-alone international computer network communication protocol in accordance with certain composition. Internet began in 1969 in the United States is the carrier of a global network and a public information, which the mass media faster than any previous one communication medium. Advantage First point is encyclopedia, sometimes an encyclopedia may not always be available to students and they may have difficulty in gaining access to the books in the library. In that case, the encyclopedia of various subjects available on the Internet can be helpful. This is more useful for students who belong to communities not having English as their mother tongue. Kids and teenager can also be benefited by the Internet by using the pictures, videos, which is one of the major advantages, when comparing textbooks versus computer teaching or learning. Next, all the latest news constantly updated on the Internet on news sites. Students learning politic, can have an access to all the current affairs through the Internet in the college, at home, or at any other place. Example, if student want to know or search about historical accounts like speeches, biographies, etc., are also easily available on the Internet in detailed and accurate versions. No need to waste time or money finding in book shop or other place. In addition, another positive effect of Internet in education is the onset of distance education or online learning. With this facility, you can take up short-term courses with the course material available online, learn, and give exams. One of the benefits of online learning is that people from any part of the world can gain knowledge on different subjects, complete courses. Disadvantage One of the disadvantage of online learning is that Instructors will not be on hand or on campus and easily accessible to answer questions. While they may be available on email, thats not the same as having access to a living, breathing person and to be able to ask questions during a break or after class. While technology tools and the Internet infrastructure are becoming more and more stable, there are still instances when technology fails. Servers may be down, or you may experience periods when your connection to the Internet is interrupted. Hard drives fail, and email may get caught in spam filters and never be delivered. Its important to backup important class information and make certain that you have alternative ways to communicate. Working alone can isolate a student, making it easy to put off or neglect course work or drop out of an online class completely. It takes a certain amount of internal motivation to continue when youre pressed for time and dont have fellow students to talk with and help to motivate you along the way. Conclusion On my opinion, I think the invention of the Internet has both disadvantages and advantages. The disadvantages of using internet are that it has caused a lack of privacy and it has made it easier to commit crimes. The advantages of the internet are that it can be used for learning purposes and that it connects the world. Reference No.1 Jones, P. E., Wall, R. E. (1989). Components of computer anxiety.Journal of Educational Technology Systems,18(2), 161-168. Musen, M. A., Gennari, J. H., Eriksson, H., Tu, S. W., Puerta, A. R. (1994). PROTEGE-II: computer support for development of intelligent systems from libraries of components.Medinfo. MEDINFO,8, 766-770. Heninger, A. G. (1997).U.S. Patent No. 5,659,751. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. No.2 Hashim, F., Alam, G. M., Siraj, S. (2010). Information and communication technology for participatory based decision-making-E-management for administrative efficiency in Higher Education.Int. J. Phys. Sci,5(4), 383-392. Hsu, J. (2008). Innovative technologies for education and learning: Education and knowledge-oriented applications of blogs, wikis, podcasts, and more.International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies (IJWLTT),3(3), 62-81. Wright, K. B. (2005). Researching Internetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ based populations: Advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services.Journal of Computerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Mediated Communication,10(3), 00-00. Page 1

Philosophic Principles of Creativity :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Philosophic Principles of Creativity ABSTRACT: The principle of universal significance of the creative process is promoted in this thesis. The principles of the ecology of creation and of the subject's humanistic orientation of the cognitive and practical activity, will also be investigated. 1. Nowadays the promotion of a new world outlook paradigm of global creativity has a place. The understanding of the nature of creation in the history of philosophy has always been connected with the explanation of the substance and of the mechanisms of creative activity. If asked - how creation in general is possible, what are its necessary premises and impulses - the answer was given aut of the trinity: God /Plato, G.W.F.Hegel, N.Berdyaev/, Nature /Epicurus, B.Spinoza, H.Bergson/, Human Being /C.A.Helvetius, K.Marx, J.P.Sartre/. Such abilities of the human beeng as intuition, imagination and fantasy have been united in the mechanisms of creation. Some thinkers have been explaining them through perceiving using "the eyes of mind" of evidently clear true ideas /R.Descartes, I.Kant, E.Husserl/, some others - just vice versa - opposed those concepts of mind and logic, finding in them the way to some instant perceiving of the essence of things - a sign of divine revelation and beneficy /St. Augustine, A.Shopenhauer, E.H.Gilson/. The principal difference in the idea of global creativity consists in the admission of the ontological status of creative processes, of their quality of being primary as some maximum totality. The attention is drawn to the subject's purpose - considering activity considered as a certain stage /link/ in the global teleological processes of the universal. Considering the metaphysical point of view, creation is a fundamental process of spontaneous transcendence of potentials and virtualities, of permanent development in the field of universal posibilities. All of the existing material, semiotic and ideal structures expose themselves as certain products /events/ of creative processes. Their former, actual and future existance finally depends on the different direction and on the forms of realisation of the potentials of creativity. 2. The new world outlook paradigm of global creativity correlates harmoniously with the fundamental principles of modern natural science. It is worth mentioning that the understanding of physical reality as a set of different assemblies of events and relations, having as a result, the appearance of separated substantial material objects /N.Bohr, K.Hubner/. An important methodological role in modern cosmology is played by the so called antropic principle. According to that principle the significance of the universal physical constants - and that means all the outlook of the Universe known to us - is the only one possible for the appearance and existence of the human being in it /S.

Isolation Form Love In The Film east Of Eden :: essays research papers

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is an optimistic film about a boy becoming a man and trying desperately to earn the love of his father and mother in the troubled times of the Great Depression. Cal, the main character is a troubled teen who lives with his entrepreneur father, and a brother who is following closely in his fathers steps. Cal’s mother left him and his brother to become a madam of a whorehouse. The struggle takes place between Cal and his father due to his fathers lack of compassion for his son. The conflict rises further when Cal tries to help his father repay a debt, his father further isolates his son and this turns to violent outbursts. Steinbeck focuses on Cal in order to suggest the theme that without love people become violent and mean. Steinbeck shows Cals isolation from love and its aggressive results when Cal angrily throws stones at his mothers house. When Cal first learns of his supposedly dead mothers existence he is outraged and goes to seek her. When he is not allowed to see her he violently throws stones and yells "Why can’t a kid see his own mother?" and "Why cant I see my mother". This is the first of several violent actions taken by Cal in an effort to be redeemed by his parents affections. His actions, although violent, are a symbol of his not being loved and the isolation he feels towards his family. In the scene where Cal tries to confer with his mother it is also learned that his mother does not want to have any contact with her children. Steinbeck shows Cals isolation from love, and its violent repercussions again when Cal reacts to his brothers lack of compassion for him with violence and destruction. In the scene when Cal is spying on his brother Aaron and his brothers girlfriend, he is outraged by the things his brother has to say and he decides to throw large blocks of his fathers ice out of the barn. This sole action shows how childlike Cal has remained due to his isolation from his families love. His unassuming father only says "that boy is out of control" not even acknowledging that there is a greater problem at hand, and even less does he understand the fact that it is partly his fault. Steinbecks theme of isolation form love is greatly illustrated because his father does not even take to scolding Cal, which shows no feelings what so ever.