Great Gatsby Essays (1465 words) - The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan

Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about one man's disenchantment with the American dream. In the story we get a glimpse into the life of Jay Gatsby, a man who aspired to achieve a position among the American rich to win the heart of his true love, Daisy Fay. Gatsby's downfall was in the fact that he was unable to determine that concealed boundary between reality and illusion in his life. The Great Gatsby is a tightly structured, symbolically compressed novel whose predominant images and symbols reinforce the idea that Gatsby's dream exists on borrowed time. Fitzgerald perfectly understood the inadequacy of Gatsby's romantic view of wealth. At a young age he met and fell in love with Ginevra King, a Chicago girl who enjoyed the wealth and social position to which Fitzgerald was always drawn. After being rejected by Ginevra because of his lower social standing, Fitzgerald came away with a sense of social inadequacy, a deep hurt, and a longing for the girl beyond attainment. This disappointment grew into distrust and envy of the American rich and their lifestyle. These personal feelings are expressed in Gatsby. The rich symbolize the failure of a civilization and the way of life and this flaw becomes apparent in the characters of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, quickly became disillusioned with the upper social class after having dinner at their home on the fashionable East Egg Island. "Nick is forced unwillingly to observe the violent contrast between their opportunities- what is implied by the gracious surface of their existence- and the seamy underside which is it's reality" (Way 93). In the Buchanans, and in Nick's reaction to them, Fitzgerald shows us how completely the American upper class has failed to become an aristocracy. The Buchanans represent cowardice, corruption, and the demise of Gatsby's dream Gatsby, unlike Fitzgerald himself, never discovers how he has been betrayed by the class he has idealized for so long. For Gatsby, the failure of the rich has disastrous consequences. Gatsby's desire to achieve his dream leads him to West Egg Island. He purchased a mansion across the bay from Daisy's home. There is a green light at the end of Daisy's dock that is visible at night from the windows and lawn of Gatsby's house. This green light is one of the central symbols of the novel. In chapter one, Nick observes Gatsby in the dark as he looks longingly across the bay with arms stretched outward toward the green light. It becomes apparent, as the story progresses that "the whole being of Gatsby exists only in relation to what the green light symbolizes This first sight, that we have of Gatsby, is a ritualistic tableau that literally contains the meaning of the completed book" (Bewley 41). A broader definition of the green light's significance is revealed in Chapter 5, as Gatsby and Daisy stand at one of the windows in his mansion. "If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay," said Gatsby. "You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock." "Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it has seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed so close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects has diminished by one" (Fitzgerald 94). Gatsby had believed in the green light, it made his dream seem attainable. Upon meeting Daisy again, after a five-year separation, Gatsby discovers that sometimes attaining a desired object can bring a sense of loss rather than fulfillment. It is when Gatsby makes this discovery that the green light is no longer the central image of a great dream, but only a green light at the end of a dock. The most obvious symbol in The Great Gatsby is a waste land called the Valley of Ashes, a dumping ground that lies between East and West Egg and New York City. Symbolically "the green breast of the new world" (Fitzgerald 182) becomes this Valley of Ashes. As the illusions of youth give way to the disillusionment of the thirties, so green hopes give way to the dust of disappointment. Certainly Gatsby's dreams

Creative Writing Activities for College Students

Creative Writing Activities for College Students In their academic career, every student will need to employ creative writing at one point or another. Creative writing, by definition, is any writing that is not academic or technical. Essentially, everything that is considered literature, in the narrow sense, is creative writing – even nonfiction. Though you might not be planning to become a professional writer, creative writing is an important skill to hone if youre planning to have any occupation that requires you to think – which is pretty much all of them. Its a muscle that can and should be developed with the right exercises. Going to the gym, as we all know, is no fun, but creative writing doesn’t have to be a chore – treat it as an opportunity to show off your creativity and inventiveness. So with that said, lets delve into some writing exercises that are sure to get those creative juices flowing. 1. Write a Personal Essay When you‘re just starting to develop as a writer, you’re faced with a tough choice: what do you want to write? Will it be a novel? A screenplay? A poem? Well, novels are a little too much even for experienced writers, so try writing something short to start off. An essay, for instance. Essays are a great place to start, since, in terms of literary genre, they are essentially â€Å"everything that’s not something else†, so the pressure is off to adhere to some vague standard of form, structure, etc. Try writing a personal essay. Everyone, as they say, has a story to tell. Why not mine your life for writing material? You’re sure to have experienced or witnessed something worth writing about. If you’re still miffed, try writing about a â€Å"first time†. First kiss, first time you went on an airplane, first time you were disappointed at a gift and had to pretend you liked it in front of your family; they all make for great stories. If you’re worried about being boring, don’t be – every story can be a good story if it’s told well. 2. Take a Short Story and Turn It Into a Screenplay Is there a particular short story that you’ve read in the past and loved? A great writing exercise is turning one form of literature into another, and the short story into screenplay is one of the easiest conversions. The screenplay doesn’t have to be very long to be a â€Å"proper screenplay† and since you’re a beginner who doesn’t have to show the work to anyone, you can ditch the standard formatting and stick to writing what you want. One thing to remember about screenplays is that they’re not meant to be read, they’re meant to be performed. This frame of mind will be useful to any upstart writer, since it forces you to think how it will sound, and don’t be afraid of sounding it out yourself. In fact, get up and perform to an empty room if you have to, it’ll make your characters sound all the more real. For an extra challenge, think about how your characters talk and whether it matches their personality. Accents and affectations are obvious, but would a princess actually talk like that? What does a waitress say after she’s been stiffed on a tip? How does she say it? 3. Go To a Public Place and Listen To Conversations There’s nothing like listening to real people talk to inspire characters. Go into a park or a bar, somewhere you’re sure to overhear someone’s conversations, and write down snippets from it. You don’t have to listen from start to end, just write down whatever strikes you as interesting. After collecting a few (pages of) notes, go home and review them. Pick one that strikes your fancy, and write a dialogue around it – treat it either as a beginning or something in the middle. Here’s the important part, though: the dialogue shouldn’t be aimless, and that goes for all your writing. Every character, at all times, must want something – that’s what compels them to action and what moves the story further. So when you’re inventing that dialogue, try to envision characters that both want something from each other. What do they want? That’s up to you to decide. With this exercise, try and establish the following for both characters in a single dialogue: what they want, why they want it, what they’re willing to do to get it, their relationship to each other. It must have a beginning, middle and end, have stakes, motivation, and, finally, conflict. If it seems like a lot of work, it’s because it is. Any good writer knows to include all of these seamlessly. Let’s hope you will one day, too.

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Religion - Essay Example The four types of ground described by Jesus were the wayside (or roadside), stony places, thorns and good ground (13 Matt. 4-8 King James Version). Each one of these different seed-beds results in a very different experience for the seeds that land in them. The seeds that fall among the wayside are immediately devoured by birds. The seeds that fall in the stony places sprout up immediately but soon whither because their roots are not firmly established. Seeds that fell among the thorns begin to develop normally, but are then chocked out as the thorns spring up and outpace their growth. Finally, the good ground that the Lord mentions in the parable provides all the elements necessary for the full maturation of the crop. From that one seed, the fully mature plant can â€Å"†¦bring forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some thirtyfold.† (13 Matt. 8 King James Version) In clarifying his use of parables to the Apostles, Jesus explained that he did this so the people would understand. Understanding the teachings of the Gospel were important because Jesus likened the seeds that fell on stony ground to people that heard the Gospel and did not understand it. Their maturation was stopped even before the seed could germinate. This lack of progress was due to ignorance even after receiving the word. In a way, Jesus was expressing to the Apostles the need for clear and succinct teaching of Gospel doctrine. The second group of individuals take root but can not make it through the trials and temptations inherent in daily living. They cannot withstand the heat of these trials and so are scorched as if by the sun. Their faith withers and their maturation ceases. The third group to receive the word are described as landing among thorns. Maturation progresses as expected among the thorns but the good crops are soon outpaced by the bad. The tender growth

Medical Care in the United States Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Care in the United States - Assignment Example That said, the cost of providing that care that falls upon the government will always be a consideration and cannot be disregarded. Finding a balance that is pleasing both to the healthcare need and to the country’s costs will be extremely difficult to achieve. A solution that will be successfully pleasing to all parties involved will be even harder. There will always be a level of imbalance present given the numbers of Americans who are financially unable. This will leave a perpetual area of imbalance in the need for and the economics of healthcare. The healthcare system that currently exists is definitely flawed and positive change can only benefit the country. However, unless the replacement is more functional and provides better outcomes for both the application of the healthcare system and economic cost to the country than the changing would be expensive to implement to have little change and therefore pointless results. Obamacare is hugely different from what Americans a re currently accustomed to in that it will require individuals to obtain health insurance or be fined for not doing so at tax time. Americans will find that insurance costs will rise. The cost will be even higher for Americans with pre-existing conditions previously denied by insurance companies. Again, I am not saying the reforms are not in order or that Americans do need to take a more responsible role in their own healthy living and healthcare, but Obamacare is simply not the reform that will succeed in the United States.

The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry Research Paper

The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry - Research Paper Example According to Rhandawa et al (2009), Blackberry was founded in 1984 and it is headquartered in Waterloo, Canada. Blackberry’s strategic plan is to target professionals through the provision of a range of activities such as push email, mobile telephony, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and additional wireless information services (Moro, 2007). Jim Balsillie, co-founder of RIM, sums up the strategic plan for RIM â€Å"easy in, impossible out† which implies that it is very easy for corporations to install their email system, but because the way the proprietary RIM software and servers work, it’s almost impossible to extract (Harnish, N.D). Thus, the strategic plan is based on the notion that the products are strategically designed to appeal to the interests of the targeted customers and it is almost impossible for rival competitors to imitate the same strategy. It can be seen that RIM is at the forefront of designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovat ive mobile communication devices. This strategy makes it clearly different from other rival competitors in the market for Smartphones and is mainly based on productivity and utility in terms of the services offered. However, the industry itself is highly competitive where there are companies like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson as well as Apple competing for the same customers in this particular Smartphone industry. Research has however shown that if RIM wants to continue its dominance in the market, it needs to market its devices moreover in Asia and Europe (Rhandawa et al, 2009). However, Blackberry of late has come under the spotlight for firing influential people who are seen as suggesting ideas that are within the scope of its strategic plan. For instance, the CEO was fired in 2011 though it was popularly stated that it was a resignation (Yarow, 2011). There have been some reports that anyone who goes against the culture of the organization with regards to its strategic plan is o ften viewed as a villain. The organization does not see itself in a position where it diverts from its outlined strategic plans. Such a stance has drawn criticism from other quarters and this is the reason why there is need to develop a Human Resources strategic plan for Blackberry which is based on its overall strategic plan. Thus the following section of the essay seeks to develop a strategic plan for Blackberry as well as to outline how it will be aligned with the organization’s plans organization’s plans as well as the measures that can be taken to implement the HR strategic plan. Strategic HRM for Blackberry Currently, the HRM strategy for RIM is mainly concerned with the optimum performance of the employees whereby the interests of the employees are not given due consideration (Harnish, N.D). Priority is given to the overall goals stated in the strategic plan of the company and this is the reason why the company has been criticised for bad HRM practices. As such, a strategic human resources management (SHRM) plan ought to be implemented. Basically, SHRM can be defined as the combination of human resources management with the strategic aims and objectives/plans in order to enhance business performance as well as the culture that promotes innovation, flexibility as well as the competitive advantage (Becker & Huselid, 2006).

Strategic marketing management for Boots the pharmacy

Strategic marketing management for Boots the pharmacy Boots is the largest pharmacy chain in Europe with an with an excellent reputation for differentiated health and beauty products and customer care. Our strategy is to develop Boots into the worlds leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retail brand,focused on healping people look and feel their best. Alliance Healthcare is the backbone of Alliance Boots wholesale and distributions service with twice daily deliveries to around 5,700 pharmacy shops in the UK alone. Internationally,Alliance Boots distributes drugs and cosmetics to around 150,000 outlets and operates from 360 delivery depots.In addition to supplying Alliance pharmacies ,the Alliance Healthcare distribution subsidiaries also deliver to NHS central warehouses and hospitals in the UK,alone with private hospitals, GP surgeries,local health centres and private pharmacies throughout Europe,Asia and Australia. Marketing Strategy Options. Boots is a member of Alliance Boots, an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. Our purpose is to help our customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible. Our customers are at the heart of our business. Were committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare, offer innovative products only at Boots, with great value our customers love. Our people are our strength and they tell us that Boots is a great place to work. We are always be the employer of choice, attracting and retaining the most talented and passionate people.The strategy is to focus on its two core business activities of pharmacy led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution,while increasingly developing and intenationalising our product brands to create a third dimension.growing the core businesses in existing markets,continuing to deliver productivity improvements and other cost savings,pursuing growth opportunities in selective new high growth markets and launching our product brands in new markets. This strategy is underpinned by our continue focus on patient or customer needs and services selective partnerships and our strong financial diciplines.we are commited to providing exceptional customer and patient care be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare offer innovative products only at Boots,with great value our customer love. Pharmacy-led health and beauty strategy : Boots is the largest pharmacy chain in Europe with an excellent reputation for differentiated health and beauty products and customer care.Our strategy is to develop Boots into the worlds leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retail brand,focused on helping people look and feel their best. The key steps we are taking in the uk to execute our strategy are:- -Making Boots more convenient and accessible for our customers. -Developing our people to be at their very best for our customer -Improving our customer in store shopping experience -creating a compelling multi-channel health and wellbeing consumer offering -Increasingly differentiating our product offering -Continuing to provide customers with excellent value -Opening new stores in markets where Boots is already well established -Developing new store in markets where Boots is already well established -Developing country specific Boots branded trading formats to meet local needs. SWOT analysis STRENGTHS Boots as being one of the bigest UK pharmacy-led health and beauty group market, its brand has been well-known and already built up its reputations over Healthy and Beauty Product retailing. Under the leadership team with Alex Gourlay, the chief executive of Health Beauty Division it is showing tremendous increase in its profit. It also keeps into account the green and environmental issues. As a result it has a positive impact on consumer brand especially the green activists consumers. Strengths Weaknesses Strong Brand Equity Low profitability Store Network Lack of International Presence Opportunities Threats Store expansions in UK Intense price competition Expanding product offerings High regulatory oversight Reference: Data monitor, 2006 WEAKNESSES Boots is only presented in UK. Therefore there can be an issue if the company wants to have growth in the retailing Health Beauty Division sector. Declining Reputation OPPORTUNITY Boots alternative business, investing in properties can have major growth in the future. Staff which works at Boots are essential buyers, administrators, systems designers, finance workers and so on all are part of the whole team that must work together to make things operate smoothly and efficiently Online sales are a great opportunity for future growth. THREATS Boots operations have become a topic on various issues like environmental, planning and other factors. As a result there needs to be investment related to environmental and green issues. Porters 5 forces analysis Competitive rivalry The retail market is filled up with high competitors as more and more companies are trying to step into the Health Beauty industry All the other retailers have different competitive advantages. Boots reach in different stores allows it to reach large number of customers. The other factors which compete with the Boots bank is different banks and building societies Barriers for entry Barriers to entry is high due to a number of factors: Firstly, company looking to set up its business in UK requires lots of investment, brand development, which takes years to establish. Secondly, company in retail sectors are increasing, which itself means there is very less chance for any new entrances. Local knowledge is required for a new business in order to establish, which is highly difficult for new firms to replicate. Threats of Substitutes The threats for newcomers or substitutes is less, as the consumers views that as a necessity, especially in the developed world. The retail market is always trying to look around for new innovations with respect to Health Beauty products, alternative businesses. As a result of which it is difficult for substitution. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat, wherein one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Buyers power Because of the presence of too many competitors in the retail Health Beauty sector selling the same product, buyer power is high in the industry. During the time of recession consumers wants are taken into more demand, thereby increasing their power. Supplier power Suppliers in itself is huge company providing products to the supermarkets. If the products are not sold, consumer will shift loyalties, making suppliers more powerful. And also when the products do not reach the supermarket, sales do get affected hugely. Competitive strategy by Michael Porter MARKETING STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES The main aim of Boots is to provide Health Beauty Product to the consumers, delivering the products of outstanding quality and great service. It always looks for profit growth through a balance of strong sales growth, reduction in cost and continuing margin improvements. There are many techniques in order to achieve its aims and goals PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY MARKET MATRIX PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY: Michael Porter had argued that a companys strength depends on two headings: cost advantage and differentiation. By applying these strengths three generic strategies result: Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Target scope Low cost Product uniqueness Broad (industry wide) Cost leadership Strategy Differentiation Strategy Narrow (market segment) Focus Strategy (low cost) Focus Strategy( differentiation) Cost leadership strategy: Cost leadership is a strategy built on offering a customer a lower pirce than competitors and maintaining an advantage by ensuring the cost are lower than those of competitors. Factories are built; labor is recruited and trained in all sorts of knowledge for the lowest cost of production. In the process cost advantage is the focus. However low cost not always allows low price. Producers could price at competitive parity, other than the competitors. For example, such as Toyota, are good in producing autos at a low price, but have the brand and marketing skills. Differentiation strategy: It is a strategy that involves offering a product which is different to, is differential from, those of competitors. The advantage of the product will appeal to the whole market and not in a narrow segment. The company that succeeds in differentiation strategy often follows the internal strengths Access to scientific research Highly skilled and creative development team. Strongly sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths of the products. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation. Focus: The focus strategy strives on a narrow segment and within that segment tries to achieve either a cost advantage or differentiation. A company following the focus strategy often enjoys a high degree of customer loyalty, and this in turn leads to more customer lifetime value. The focus strategy has two variants. In cost focus a firm seeks a cost advantage in its target segment, while in Differentiation focus a firm seeks differentiation in its target segment. Cost focus exploits differences in cost behavior in some segments, while differentiation focus exploits the special needs of buyers in certain segments A company following narrow market focus and pursuing a focus strategy, have lower volumes of bargaining power with their suppliers. A company following differentiation focused strategy may be able to pass higher costs on to customers since close substitute products would not exist. Firms that succeed in a focus strategy are able to lead a broad range of product development strengths to a relatively narrow market segment Finally, other focusers may be able to carve out sub-segments that they can serve even better. Industry Force Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Entry Barriers Ability to cut price in retaliation deters potential entrants Customer loyalty can discourage potential entrants It develops core competencies that can act as an entry barrier Buyer Power Ability to offer lower price to powerful barriers Large buyers have less power to negotiate. Large buyers have less power to negotiate Supplier Power Better insulated from powerful suppliers Better able to pass on supplier price increases to customers Suppliers have power because of low volumes Threat of Substitutes Can use low price to defend against substitutes Customers become attached to differentiating attributes, reducing threat of substitute Specialized products and core competency protect against substitutes Rivalry Better able to compete on price Brand loyalty to keep customers from rivals Rivals cannot meet differentiation-focused customer needs TASK2 MARKETING ENVIRONMENT Using of PESTEL analysis, marketing mix elements can be produced to contribute the goals and values of Boots, after analyzing the current marketing environment. PESTEL analysis: Political factors: Increasing globalization, gives challenges and opportunities to Boots. Using this company can enter into new markets through partnerships. The ongoing investigation of price fixing among the UK retailers which can have a negative impact to the industry which can make the consumer feel cheated and my lead to a negative impact on the reputation of the company. Economic factors: Because of the food crisis all over the world, can result in the purchasing cost of the company, which in turn can increase the Health Beauty Product prices which affects the purchasing power of the consumers. Because of credit crunch, the consumers purchase power would decrease, but they would still consider that as its basic necessity. Lot of incentives is given to the consumers. This affects Boots as prices have to be reduced most of the times. Social factors: There seems to be more attention on fresh and easy style cooking. This gives Boots an opportunity to encourage new Health Beauty Product. Recently government has given more emphasis to promote healthy eating because of the increasing obesity. As a result the consumer would move on to healthy eating which in turn will be an opportunity to Boots to stock in more of healthy Health Beauty Product and as a result of which there would be an increase in consumers number. Technological factors: The internet phenomenon seems to be growing more rapidly. Boots can use internet for its advantage. Standing in the queue system for few items in the shopping market is time consuming. By installing the self checkout machines it can reduce the queue system for which the customer would not have to wait for few items which in turn will increase the sales for Boots. Environmental factors: It should be mandatory to reduce carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency. One of the important and ethical issues is, like sales of organic food and ethical treatment of animals, this can clearly affect Boots on various levels. This is a sensitive issue. This can be done by maintaining on the public stand and environment. Legal factors: The current UK grocery market is highly regulated in many aspects, which is commonly in the developed countries. The recent inquiry by OFT could act as one example, which would potentially reduce the profitability of the supermarkets. Moreover, Trade Union would also protect employees to receive lack benefits, and this would make the grocers difficult to lay off employees. Marketing audit: Mckinseys 7-S framework can be used to design an internal appraisal of an organization. The 7-S framework of Mckinsey is a management model that describes 7 factors to organise a company in a holistic and effective way. They are Strategy Plans for the allocation of firms scare resources, overtime, to reach identified goals. Structure The way in which organisations unit relate to each other centralised, de-centralised and matrix. Systems The procedures, processes and routines that characterise how the work is to be done like financial systems, recruiting and performance appraisal systems. Staff Number and types of personnel within the organisation. Style The style of organisation and how key managers behave in achieving the organisations goals. Skills Distinctive capabilities of personnel or of the organisation as a whole. Shared values What does the organisation stand for and its central beliefs and attitudes. Conclusion To survive in such a competitive market place, Boots must continue to build a strong brand in order to create a strong differentiation in the market, attract customers with a credible value proposition and to constantly engage customers in ways that would endear them to the brand and to the company. This can help improve their market share especially during periods of recession when lower priced private brands are sought by consumers. And thereby achieve competitive advantages and long-term growth.

Zen and the Transcendent Art Of Mowing Grass :: Example Personal Narratives

Zen and the Transcendent Art Of Mowing Grass As a youth, I hated to mow so much that one day I left our push-mower in the yard to rust and became an expatriated Texas writer. My first story was about an alien being who, in the end, turned out to be a lawnmower. By the time I came home again, I had spent so much time in the East that my Texas friends expected me to move into a highrise in downtown Dallas. But instead we settled sixteen miles to the south, in Cedar Hill. We surprised everyone by buying a place with an eight-acre yard. It was during the summer, and I had to start mowing immediately. "You just stay inside where it's cool," I told Norma, who is afraid of grass. "I'll take care of the yard." As I spoke, I was gazing out at more grass and weeds than I'd ever seen in my life, except at a cemetery. Now whenever anybody from Dallas comes out to see our spread for the first time, they remark on the seclusion, the spaciousness, the scenic beauty. Then they ask uneasily, "Do you MOW all this?" People don't like it when I say yes. They don't understand it. Old friends say I've changed, implying for the worst. But there is a difference between what I do today and the mowing of my youth. Mowing a little patch of front yard is typical outdoor city work: boring, undistinguished, pitiable, drone-like activity. But getting astride a John Deere tractor and spending twenty hours in two days tackling tough thistles, high Johnson grass, giant sticker weeds, and creeper so tough it copulates with barbed wire is the kind of intense activity that, if you survive it, eventually transcends itself. Like Zen or long-distance running, it becomes a path to wisdom. I've been at it three years now, and it's no accident that I don't write as I used to. All I really want to write about is mowing-and then for only an hour or so at a time between whole days on my tractor. The fact is, mowing and writing fill the same needs, only mowing does it better. Mowing eight acres every week would drive some kinds of people mad, but it has served to make me feel in harmony with the flux of the heaving earth as it hurtles through time.

What is Diversity?

Diversity: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements: variety; especially: the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. United States of America is a country that many people from around the world. Underneath every culture, the people remain the same; they experience the same tragedies, sufferings, and triumphs that every other person does. We are living and working together. That is what I like about its diversity. When we see other people that have different race, different culture on the streets we get a good feeling. A felling of being different but it is yet important. We get to know their feeling and they get to know ours. We try to help them recover from their past and they try to help us understand how they suffered among million of other people. We should live together in peace and respect one anther. Respect ours own culture and their culture. We have strong power when individuals unite work together. Diversity is what makes our country unique; diversity in the United States has brought not only people together but has also brought a world of ideas, beliefs, and cultures. With diverse ideas, we can get engaged in a dialogue with many view points and come up with solutions for solving problems across the world. Diversity is not our challenge but it is our blessing. It is the most wonderful thing in America. We have a change to learn good things about other culture and apply them to ours real life. And we also have an opportunity to exchange ours culture to them. Recently, for an example, there are many Non American's restaurants opened to serve in the area. It would be so boring if we just eat only American foods all the time. There are Chinese, Thai, Italian, Japanese restaurant in this country so you can taste and eat your favorite foods without traveling internationally to other country. If there was no diversity, we would be trapped on stupidity and selfishness. We need to open up ours country, ours hearts in order to do ours exploration and exchanging our culture to all country around the world. Diversity is the essence of evolution. Right from the ancient times, it has been clearly evident that various races of the world interacted and traded with each other. Calling diversity as one of the leading survival tactics of the human race won’t be an anomaly. â€Å"A lot of people in our industry haven't had very diverse experiences. So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one's understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. † –Steve Jobs. What Is Diversity Diversity in its simplest terms means variety. Diversity is everywhere, in neighborhoods, our workplace, schools, and communities. To address diversity in relation to people would be to say that diversity is a variety of characteristics that make an individual unique. According to the University of Tennessee (2003), these characteristics consist of a person’s age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical traits, language spoken, relationship status, cultural and economical background, level of education, religious beliefs and political affiliation. People are characterized by many things, more often their appearance; unfortunately, it is my belief that society has placed stigmas on people who do not conform to what is considered the norm. Admittedly so, I judge others by superficial characteristics. For instance, if a person’s clothes look disheveled and their hair unkempt I assume that they are not trustworthy, unclean and probably on drugs. In contrast, when I see a person who is dressed neatly and drives a nice vehicle, I assume they are educated, have a high paying job and own a home. Week one’s assignment was to view a multimedia analysis and try to match pictures of people based a provided profile. In my opinion, the multimedia analysis confirmed again that people are first characterized by superficial characteristics, Tammy is an example such characterization. Her profile stated she was born in Syracuse, NY on August 7, 1975, and lived in an upscale suburb of Rochester NY during her childhood. She graduated high school at the age of 17, moved to Ohio and attended Miami University of Ohio to study political science, upon her graduation moved to Phoenix AZ where she is now attending the University of Phoenix obtaining her master’s degree in education. The profile pictures show three different women, the first profile picture is of an attractive woman who is neatly dressed in casual chic clothing, sitting in front of a flowered bush smiling confidently. The second profile picture is of a woman wearing glasses who is dressed frumpy standing in front of a building with her hands crossed and what seems to be an unconfident smile. Lastly, the third profile picture is of a woman who appears to be in her twenties, she is dressed very casual and sitting at a table holding a coffee. Tammy’s background of living in an upscale neighborhood when she was a child and that she moved out of state to attend college led me to assume she is financially stable. Based on that perception alone, I looked at the three women and observed their outer appearance to determine which woman looked the most stable financially. My assumption led me to choose the first profile picture when in fact the second profile picture was the correct one. Another example would be of Michelle. Michelle was born in 1981 in Belfast Northern Ireland, she moved to Arizona when she was three, returned to Ireland when she was five, and finally, when she was 10, moved back to Mesa, Arizona. Her profile states she does not have an Irish accent because she was taunted when she was a child. Again, the instructions were to select the profile picture that best fit the profile description. Of the three profiles one stood out the most, the first one. It is of a red haired woman wearing what appears to be an after five dress, pearl necklace and bracelet with a black shawl resting upon her shoulders. Her head is tilted to the right and she has a very peculiar smile. I chose the first profile picture based solely upon superficial characteristics like her red hair, her odd smile, and her style of dress. The reasoning is most people of Irish decent have red hair, and in my opinion, she looks as though she likes to partake in drinking alcoholic beverages. To prove my assumption her life story stated she can be found hanging out with her friends at concerts and bars. The last profile I selected is Katrina. Katrina, born in Brazil, has been residing in the United States for the last nine years and is a self proclaimed goof. Katrina has dual citizenship with Brazil and the United States. She is educated, and married with a three year old son. The profile pictures provided were of three women, the first one is of a tan woman with reddish hair, the second is a woman with olive toned skin and dark hair and the third woman is very fair skin with brownish hair. I selected the second woman because in my opinion Brazilian women have dark hair and have olive toned skin. The first woman looked Hispanic while the third woman appeared to be Caucasian. Diversity is everywhere; it is a variety of characteristics that make a person unique. Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. † Diversity is everywhere; it is a variety of characteristics that make a person unique. What Is Diversity Diversity in its simplest terms means variety. Diversity is everywhere, in neighborhoods, our workplace, schools, and communities. To address diversity in relation to people would be to say that diversity is a variety of characteristics that make an individual unique. According to the University of Tennessee (2003), these characteristics consist of a person’s age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical traits, language spoken, relationship status, cultural and economical background, level of education, religious beliefs and political affiliation. People are characterized by many things, more often their appearance; unfortunately, it is my belief that society has placed stigmas on people who do not conform to what is considered the norm. Admittedly so, I judge others by superficial characteristics. For instance, if a person’s clothes look disheveled and their hair unkempt I assume that they are not trustworthy, unclean and probably on drugs. In contrast, when I see a person who is dressed neatly and drives a nice vehicle, I assume they are educated, have a high paying job and own a home. Week one’s assignment was to view a multimedia analysis and try to match pictures of people based a provided profile. In my opinion, the multimedia analysis confirmed again that people are first characterized by superficial characteristics, Tammy is an example such characterization. Her profile stated she was born in Syracuse, NY on August 7, 1975, and lived in an upscale suburb of Rochester NY during her childhood. She graduated high school at the age of 17, moved to Ohio and attended Miami University of Ohio to study political science, upon her graduation moved to Phoenix AZ where she is now attending the University of Phoenix obtaining her master’s degree in education. The profile pictures show three different women, the first profile picture is of an attractive woman who is neatly dressed in casual chic clothing, sitting in front of a flowered bush smiling confidently. The second profile picture is of a woman wearing glasses who is dressed frumpy standing in front of a building with her hands crossed and what seems to be an unconfident smile. Lastly, the third profile picture is of a woman who appears to be in her twenties, she is dressed very casual and sitting at a table holding a coffee. Tammy’s background of living in an upscale neighborhood when she was a child and that she moved out of state to attend college led me to assume she is financially stable. Based on that perception alone, I looked at the three women and observed their outer appearance to determine which woman looked the most stable financially. My assumption led me to choose the first profile picture when in fact the second profile picture was the correct one. Another example would be of Michelle. Michelle was born in 1981 in Belfast Northern Ireland, she moved to Arizona when she was three, returned to Ireland when she was five, and finally, when she was 10, moved back to Mesa, Arizona. Her profile states she does not have an Irish accent because she was taunted when she was a child. Again, the instructions were to select the profile picture that best fit the profile description. Of the three profiles one stood out the most, the first one. It is of a red haired woman wearing what appears to be an after five dress, pearl necklace and bracelet with a black shawl resting upon her shoulders. Her head is tilted to the right and she has a very peculiar smile. I chose the first profile picture based solely upon superficial characteristics like her red hair, her odd smile, and her style of dress. The reasoning is most people of Irish decent have red hair, and in my opinion, she looks as though she likes to partake in drinking alcoholic beverages. To prove my assumption her life story stated she can be found hanging out with her friends at concerts and bars. The last profile I selected is Katrina. Katrina, born in Brazil, has been residing in the United States for the last nine years and is a self proclaimed goof. Katrina has dual citizenship with Brazil and the United States. She is educated, and married with a three year old son. The profile pictures provided were of three women, the first one is of a tan woman with reddish hair, the second is a woman with olive toned skin and dark hair and the third woman is very fair skin with brownish hair. I selected the second woman because in my opinion Brazilian women have dark hair and have olive toned skin. The first woman looked Hispanic while the third woman appeared to be Caucasian. Diversity is everywhere; it is a variety of characteristics that make a person unique. Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. † Diversity is everywhere; it is a variety of characteristics that make a person unique.

Free Essays on Bill George

William H. George Bio: Bill George speaks with the authority that comes from extraordinary business success. He built Medtronic- already a good company- into a great company whose stock returns outperformed the market by spectacular margins during his tenure as chairman and CEO. He helped grow the company from a market capitalization of $1.1 billion in 1989 to more than $60 billion. Quarterly returns rose steadily from 1993, peaking above 1000% in 2001. They have stayed above 750% since, defying the pressures that have degraded the value of so much of the market in the past couple of years and reflecting a legacy of strength that has continued at Medtronic since he retired as Chairman in 2002. Bill George’s message is that the key to success is authentic leadership. He describes how mission-driven and values-driven companies outperform those that are driven primarily by financial performance. Authentic leaders have a deep sense of purpose and are true to their core values. They are committed to building enduring organizations, they have the courage to build their companies to meet the needs of all their stakeholders, and they value service to society. Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company, is famous for its innovation and solid financial performance, and also for its commitment to integrity and community service. As a seasoned CEO, Bill George understands the pressures on CEOs to perform. He knows that leadership is a crucible in which character and values are tested to the utmost. He speaks from experience about the hard work that makes an authentic leader. George was selected as â€Å"Director of the Year – 2001-02† by the National Association of Corporate Directors, â€Å"Executive of the Year – 2001† by the Academy of Management, and â€Å"Legend in Leadership 2002† by Yale University. During the corporate governance crisis in 2002, George’s articles were published in Harvard Business R... Free Essays on Bill George Free Essays on Bill George William H. George Bio: Bill George speaks with the authority that comes from extraordinary business success. He built Medtronic- already a good company- into a great company whose stock returns outperformed the market by spectacular margins during his tenure as chairman and CEO. He helped grow the company from a market capitalization of $1.1 billion in 1989 to more than $60 billion. Quarterly returns rose steadily from 1993, peaking above 1000% in 2001. They have stayed above 750% since, defying the pressures that have degraded the value of so much of the market in the past couple of years and reflecting a legacy of strength that has continued at Medtronic since he retired as Chairman in 2002. Bill George’s message is that the key to success is authentic leadership. He describes how mission-driven and values-driven companies outperform those that are driven primarily by financial performance. Authentic leaders have a deep sense of purpose and are true to their core values. They are committed to building enduring organizations, they have the courage to build their companies to meet the needs of all their stakeholders, and they value service to society. Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company, is famous for its innovation and solid financial performance, and also for its commitment to integrity and community service. As a seasoned CEO, Bill George understands the pressures on CEOs to perform. He knows that leadership is a crucible in which character and values are tested to the utmost. He speaks from experience about the hard work that makes an authentic leader. George was selected as â€Å"Director of the Year – 2001-02† by the National Association of Corporate Directors, â€Å"Executive of the Year – 2001† by the Academy of Management, and â€Å"Legend in Leadership 2002† by Yale University. During the corporate governance crisis in 2002, George’s articles were published in Harvard Business R...

History is only recorded through a historian essays

History is only recorded through a historian essays History is only recorded through a historian. Without historians, there is no history. If compared to a household item, a historian is like a tap so the water is the history that the historian is recording. This comparison is very much the structure of history in real life. Like the tap, the historian has control over what he says and control of his ideas and has full knowledge of his impact whilst making sure that his perspective is understood through his writing. In this article, the historian has chosen to take an extreme perspective on what history is quoting History is deeply male, history is essentially non young, history is about the rich and famous. The grass roots of his arguments are understood as basically all the historians in the modern and classical Era are well educated and come from aristocratic families if in the classical Era or a very well educated family as in Karl Marxs case. Karl Marx quoted the history of all existing societies is the history of class struggles. This is not a very educated opinion as history is most certainly not centred on the class struggles as some of the greatest documented history is on the topics of wars and great leaders, but coming back to the point of about history being for the rich, it has to be understood that no rich man will ever mention his personal demise with other classes and will never make himself look as though he is an unfriendly character. In general, historians will always look to glorify themselves and others in their social caliber so the mention of history being based on class struggle is seemingly an obnoxious idea. This is relevant to this original idea in the way that in this case the rich and famous were the historians of that time, and for Karl Marx to suggest that a rich man will write his situation to be a struggle is questionable. The writer of the article continues on by saying history is about assessing ...

Human Dignity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Dignity - Essay Example Facts and discussion presented in this critical analysis are basically meant to support the claim that â€Å"denying human dignity which is one of the biggest ideologies of human nature through some notorious genetic advancements like cloning and assortative mating can lead the world down a very dangerous path.† This complication is well highlighted and explained by the author by way of judging the valid importance of human dignity against genetic advancements in the chapter. First, the author strives to explain how the concept if human dignity holds importance and should be respected by way of mentioning Factor X and what it professes. Factor X is identified as the basic reason why every human being should be credited with a certain level of respect and dignity. The author justifies his argument by smartly associating Factor X with the need to preserve human dignity by discussing that violating Factor X is like committing a crime against humanity which should be detested. However, many practical examples can be found even in the present world regarding how many times, certain humans are ripped off of their natural rights including dignity only because they belong from a lower class or have a different racial or ethnic background than the ruling class of a society. â€Å"We accord beings with Factor X not just human rights but, if they are adults, political rights as well† (Fukuyama 3). It is claimed in the chapter so as to support the main argume nt that why every human should be considered worthy of a certain level of respect is because Factor X is assigned by God to all humans and also because a human being is able to develop many complex relationships in life with the natural intellect god blesses him/her with which makes human beings become far superior than the rest of natural creation. Secondly, a very important disadvantage is mentioned by the author after discussing Factor X in the

Cost method Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost method - Research Paper Example It is crucial for managers to comprehend the merits and demerits of the two systems to satisfy the needs of their business operations. The budget presented entails schedules that raise various concerns leading to the recommendation that the company should switch to the activity-based costing system of accounting. The first concern is the quarterly budget that in my opinion requires further subdivision to generate quarters. Mainly, cycling takes place in temperate weather conditions. Buying materials for bicycle production for the start of sales hikes demand therefore, requires the producer to incur a quarter before the demand. Another concern regards accounts that remain uncollectable. The master budget for the company is not specific it its cash budget line. It closely refers to the uncollectable receivables. Variable factors in this context emanate from economic features among them limited sponsorship and thus resulting in wrong accounts (Gazely & Lambert, 2006). From the budget, the company is setting aside a budget for 140 bikes inclusive of labour costs. It is appropriate to cut down on the level of production of extra parts in the inventory. The viability of any business can be measured by how the company effectively utilizes its resources while plummeting unnecessary costs hence Competition Bikes Inc. should strive to avert extra discretionary costs. The method of distributing manufacturing overhead by activity-based costing (ABC) to products is efficient compared to the traditional method of costing. Precisely, activity-based costing assigns the right percentage of resources to particular products. While monitoring and allocating organizational costs to products and objects, activity-based costing remains a more sophisticated and logical method as opposed to the traditional costing system (Bragg, 2001). It is possible to distribute