American Psycho Book to Movie Essay

Allister Baudoin Mr. Jason Raush Lit. of Extreme Situations 8 April 2013 American Psycho Novel and Movie Comparison After the release of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, and the critical response that soon followed, many would believe that a film version of such a creatively gruesome novel would be an impossible task to undertake. The extended seemingly endless descriptions, stream of conscious narrative, countless scenes of grotesque violence, and not to mention a literary ban in both Germany and Australia are just a few reasons why so many believed a movie could never exist.However in the spring of 2000, director Mary Harron defied the odds and transformed this controversial work from hardcover to the big screen. Remarkably a huge success, the film captures the weaving, often-satirical, themes of the book, while staying true to the not so hidden horrors of a 1980’s New York yuppie turned serial killer Patrick Bateman. Where the book gave readers the eyes and insigh t of a warped Patrick Bateman, the movie displayed a more outward perspective, balancing the darkly comical with hints of insanity that built toward the unraveling of this American Psycho.Some may argue that serial killers are born with the inevitable urge to murder, while others believe these actions are a direct result of environmental culturing. The character of Patrick Bateman would justly cause anyone to question this notion. In the film, Mr. Batman, ingeniously portrayed by Christian Bale, begins the film with a seemingly levelheaded temperament. This illusion is short lived however and is broken when a scene, mirroring that of the second chapter of the book, shows Bateman’s obsessively thorough morning routine.The film quite accurately depicts the various products and processes that were read as lists upon lists of description within the novel. Another point in which Mary Harron illustrates the maddening obsessive tendencies of Bateman occurs during the often one-sided dialogues about his favorite musical artists. Full chapters of the novel are dedicated these shallow ramblings that send readers into an almost absorbed state of psychosis.Although the film could not hold this exact effect, many of these lines were straight from the novel, except for the Phil Collins references, and were stated under a comical tone that stayed true to the satirical nature of the work. Each of these scenes shows the progression of a Patrick Bateman that has become less of a human and more a product of society. The greatest difference from book to film lies in the scenes of abundant violence.Although the film had to alter certain portions to receive an â€Å"R† not â€Å"NC-17† rating, the movie, even with the old cuts in place, would still not even scratch the surface of the horror and revolting actions found within the novel. Events like the killing of an innocent child at a zoo, the pieces of body left in his Hell’s Kitchen apartment, cannibal ism, and other more disgusting ways of torturing women were not visually placed in the movie.Nevertheless many of them were hinted at throughout which allowed audiences to imagine the terrifying acts that Bateman partook in themselves, actors the ability to play with dialogue, and readers to notice the inner most references to scenes from the book. Not all violence and gore was left to the imagination however, but were subtly shown for example by a scrape on a women’s back or by the image of a severed head tucked away inside of Bateman’s fridge until the climax where shots of former bodies are exposed during a chase seen with a women desperately trying to escape.All of the shots are creatively angled to show just enough violence to make you feel the impact of the act while crafting an air of tension that increases until he cracks. The progression of Patrick Bateman’s mental dysfunction and the unreliability of the main characters perspective, hit its peak at the end of the film. Surreal scenes of confusion and dialogue began to cloud the interactions that Bateman had with those around him. A growing sense of urgency in his demeanor countered by the cold glare of the other characters gave a perfect bridge to the theme of the novel.Now that we see Bateman shocked that his sick acts have gone with out consequence, the audience begins to question whether or not his horrid acts are only mere imagination. The end of the book, and most of the novel, give readers the assumption that these acts must be too extreme to have actually happened. The conclusion of the film lets the wall reliability crash down with the realization that you may have just glimpsed into the mind of the main character. Just like in the book, audiences grasp that Bateman may just simply be more psychotic than first perceived.The unraveling of his sophistication being the first sign brings question to the events that occurred and further notions of insanity. Although much of th e story may have been in the mind of Patrick Bateman, the ideas and fantasies that were birthed their and why they came about, are the root of what both Bret Easton Ellis and Mary Harron are trying to being to question. Was it instilled in a man to have these desires, or was it a society that brought him to it?

A Separate Piece; Guilty or Not

Bertrand Russell said, â€Å"Envy is one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. It is a universal and most unfortunate aspect of human nature because not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but also wishes to inflict misfortune on others. † This is displayed perfectly in A Separate Piece by John Knowles, where green with envy, Gene jounces the limb in hopes to hurt Phineas. He is jealous of Phineas’ charisma, upset that Phineas keeps putting him into situations he doesn’t want to be in, and Gene also knows he isn’t as good a person as Phineas.Not only is Phineas impulsive and daring, he is also very charismatic. Gene is jealous of Phineas’ charisma and ability to talk himself out of trouble. As Gene states in chapter two, â€Å"I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn’t help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a lit tle,† (Gene, 19). â€Å"He had gotten away with everything. I felt a sudden stab of disappointment,† (Gene, 22). In both cases above, Gene himself states that he is envious of Phineas and is disappointed that Phineas didn’t get into trouble.Phineas’ charisma not only causes jealousy in Gene, but also puts him into possibly harmful situations. Phineas always shames Gene into doing something Gene doesn’t want to do. On top of that, Phineas, on occasion, puts Gene into harm’s way, with or without knowing it. â€Å"Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn’t have been on that damn limb except for him. I wouldn’t have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn’t been there,† (Gene, 26). â€Å"Then in the everyday, mediocre tone he used when he was proposing something really outrageous, he added, â€Å"Let’s go to the beach. The beach was hours away by bicycle , forbidden, and completely out of bounds. Going there risked expulsion, destroyed the studying I was going to do for an important test the next morning, blasted the reasonable amount of order I wanted to maintain in my life, and it also involved the kind of long, labored, bicycle ride I hated,† (Gene, 38). These two examples show that Phineas can talk Gene into doing something he doesn’t want to do, as well as things that can later harm Gene, such as climbing the tree, or get him into trouble, such as going out of grounds.Phineas may or may not be trying to hurt Gene or get him into trouble, but none the less, it is always a possibility with the schemes Phineas comes up with. Even though Phineas is putting Gene into dangerous situations he is still a better person than Gene. Gene knows that Phineas is a better person than he is. â€Å"He was never going to accuse me. It was only a feeling he had, and at this moment he must have been formulating a new commandment in hi s personal Decalogue: Never accuse a friend of a crime if you only have a feeling he did it,† (Gene, 58).Gene, of course, being impulsive as he is, would accuse Phineas of something even if he only has a feeling. â€Å"He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he,† (Gene, 52). Gene who has stated before that he was jealous of Phineas realizes in the quote above that he isn’t as good a person as Phineas because Phineas was never jealous of Gene, nor did he ever want a rivalry between the two of them, as Gene thought he did. Of course, some people may think that Gene wouldn’t push Phineas out of the tree, as they are best friends.Well, let me ask this, would someone accuse their best friend of trying to destroy something they were better at? â€Å"Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies. That explained blitzball, that explained t he night meetings of the Super Suicide Society, that explained his insistence that I share all his diversions,† (Gene, 46). Gene does just this in the above quote. Without any real evidence of such, Gene believes that Phineas is trying to destroy his studies, the one thing he is better than Phineas at. One would not go around accusing their best friend of trying to destroy something they were better at.Now, Phineas may believe they are best friends, â€Å"I hope you’re having a pretty good time here. I know I kind of dragged you away at the point of a gun, but after all you can’t come to the shore with just anybody and you can’t come by yourself, and at this teen-age period in life the proper person is your best pal, which is what you are,† (Phineas, 40-41). Yet, Gene says nothing. In fact, he admits he may have been stopped by his subconscious telling him Phineas isn’t his best friend, though he is Phineas’. â€Å"I should have told him then that he was my best friend also and rounded off what he had said.I started to I nearly did. But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth,† (Gene, 41). I’ll give everyone the fact that one would probably never cause harm to their best friend on purpose, but with the evidence I have brought up, does it seem like Phineas is Gene’s best friend? Not really. Gene himself states that he is envious of Phineas and is disappointed when Phineas gets away with everything. Along with that, Phineas put Gene in danger of falling out of the very tree Phineas does, for Gene wouldn’t have been up there if it wasn’t for Phineas.Phineas also puts him at risk of being expelled by insisting they go to the beach. Gene, who accuses Phineas of trying to destroy his studies due to jealousy without any real proof, realizes Phineas would never accuse Gene of something based on a feeling, and besides, Gene admits that he realizes Phineas is not jealous of him. Gene also realizes that though he may have thought there to be some rivalry between them, there isn’t for he was not of the same quality of Phineas. With these reasons, it is clearly evident that Gene pushed Phineas out of the tree because of jealousy.

Russian 20th Century History Post WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russian 20th Century History Post WWII - Essay Example The city dwellers also experienced food supply crisis forcing most of them to starve (Zubkova and Hugh, 1998). Many ex-soldiers and young civilians served in the red army while others worked in labor battalions to rebuild infrastructure destroyed during the Second World War. Following the massive loss experienced by Russia during the war, Russia developed reconstruction programs to overcome these losses and rebuild itself just like other countries affected by the war. The reconstruction program focused more on the industry and the loss of agriculture and consumer goods, and as a result, the steel production was doubled. Some of the major events that have positively affected Russia’s development include strengthened ties between Russia and China. The China-Russia cultural and people-to-people exchanges have assisted in promoting the development of bilateral relations. This has led to better trade relations between the two countries, which have in turn enhanced Russia’s development. Further, Russia’s Prime Minister claims that the major sports event in the country will trigger the country’s development. According to him, there have been major developments particularly in infrastructure because of the Olympic Games. Olympic Games provide Russia with an opportunity to develop its territories including building proper roads, housing, and airports. Truly, one of the most important factors in development of any country is geography, that is, where the country is located in the world. It has been noted that geographical location plays a significant role in access to markets, and that all great countries are based around trade routes. Undeniably, Russia’s geographical location has helped in enhancing the country’s development. Russia’s remoteness ensured that the government was not tampered with by a European-style renaissance or a religious reformation

Management, Leadership and Skills - Planning and Control Assignment

Management, Leadership and Skills - Planning and Control - Assignment Example Project management is incomplete without a good leader and project staff. These people combine their skills with technology and communication infrastructure to achieve project goals. However, increasing global competition has created multiple problems for project managers. Some of these problems include changes in goals, breakdowns in communication, unrealistic schedules, improper planning, ambiguity in goals, non-motivated and uncommitted workforce etc. In this fast-paced environment, it is therefore important to have good project managers who can overcome such issues. Project management is an integral part of the business entities now and organizations need strong project managers to lead various projects. The effectiveness of projects depends on the quality of management which is achieved by the hard work of people. In the field of project management, the workers and the staff associated with the project play an integral role in making it a success or a failure. In this research paper, project management has been discussed with in-depth details. Moreover, the role of project leaders and the impact of their leadership style on the motivation of people has also been analyzed critically. Theories related to leadership and motivation would add more value to the topic and make it more credible. Furthermore, the impact of good infrastructure in terms of smooth communication between project leaders and the project staff would also be studied deeply. The role and characteristics of project leaders heavily influence project management. According to Riaz et. al, literature has usually ignored the impact of project manager’s leadership capabilities on the success of projects as one of the most significant success factors. The authors have argued that project manager’s effective leadership style is vital for the success of projects.  

The importance of multicultural managemnt in hotel industry in sudan Essay - 2

The importance of multicultural managemnt in hotel industry in sudan to sustain a competitive advantage - Essay Example The study scrutinizes Staff' Perceptions of Hotel industry of Sudan. Consequences of dynamic analysis specify that hotel organization profession organization can be established by four proportions: fair encouragement, paying concentration to train, profession self-cognitive and information simplicity. Normally in words, the foreign-owned hotel has a benefit above the other types of hotels in the four dimensions. The organization profession management has extra constructive control on Staff behavior.The manager’s questionnaire gives much insight into the various managerial experiences, multicultural analysis, various attitudes and the diversification at the workplace. In the cafà © industry, as privileged, the managers are supposed to trigger the individual relational and combined uniqueness of the supporters to explicate the fundamentalInfluence process based on the change. It is frequently implicit that the effectiveness in the hotel industry is reliant principally on the em ployees. As the questionnaire is measured, Open-ended questions are cautiously worded to be as impartial as probable without generating uncomfortable circumstances or aberrant interviewees. Interview questionnaires for managers were pilot tested for checking for any vagueness or perplexity of questions.The research findings point out that in order to create multicultural change flourishing in the hotel industry, the managers were supposed to be attentive at all times to employee’s response to change.

The Life of Pi book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Life of Pi book review - Essay Example The story is basically about a boy who is on a boat that is sinking, and escapes to a lifeboat with several zoo animals, who eventually all get eaten by a tiger. I think that one of the main reasons that I liked this book so much is that for a long time I identified with the main character, and felt that I was like him. I think the fact that I enjoyed this book so much, and read it several times in a few month span tells me several things about myself. First I think it tells me that I felt lonely, because I could identify with the main character, and that main character spends most of the book alone on a raft with only a vicious tiger for company, and possibly because the book is also a story about immigration, about leaving a home you know to go to a home that you do not, and that is something that I enjoy thinking about. But I think that this book also indicates that I am thinking too much on the past, and am feeling sorry for myself, and should move on to something else. I do not think that I have fully put this book in the past, but I hope to soon. I hope to put the part of me that it represents in the past as well. One of the most important ideas to this book is probably the idea of loneliness, and of feeling alone when you are not in a place that you are used to. When I first came to this country, I felt very alone because I did not know very many people, and my move to this country had put a large amount of strain on my relationship with my family. There are a few lines from The Life of Pi that I have underlined more than the rest as I read them. On page 163, the main character is starting to think about what he must do to survive, and says these words: â€Å"There was so much I had to do. I looked out at the empty Horizon. There was so much water. And I was all alone. All alone. I burst into hot tears. I buried my face in my crossed arms and sobbed. My situation was patently hopeless† (Martel, 163). I believe that these lines are probably the mos t important of the book in some ways, and are probably the reason that I enjoyed the book so much and why I have read it so many different times. There are many ideas in this lines that I can understand and identify with, and that make me see now that I was probably not doing the things that were best for me when I first came to this country from my homeland, away from my friends and family. I think that, when I first was arriving at this country, there were many things that I felt that I had to do all at the same time. I had to start preparing for school, had to find place to live, had to find friends, had to meet new people, had to start learning where everything is, where to get groceries, where to have dinner, where to have fun. But I also think that I could not do these things. I always had some excuse, and I was so tired, and everything was so hard, so much harder than it probably actually was. And now, reading these lines, I think everything was hard because I felt alone, str anded away from everything I knew. In The Life of Pi, the main character is not actually hopeless here, he can survive for a very long time afterwards, and does survive for such a long time, â€Å"227 days† at sea, and then decades and decades more once he gets back to land (205). But he feels hopeless, because there is no one to share his burden, no one to distract him, no one to help

Terrorist group Al Qaeda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Terrorist group Al Qaeda - Research Paper Example Many claim that the origins of the group go back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, giving us a glimpse of the basis for the group from its inception. It is basically a stateless army made up of mostly Sunni Muslim’s who are willing to die for their cause. This paper is designed to explain Al Qaeda and to educate the reader about the dangers of the organization and what the global community is doing to protect itself from the radical group moving forward. Numerous attacks have been attributed to Al Qaeda, including embassy bombings, that attacks in Bali, and the horrific events that occurred on September 11, 2001. These, and other events like them, were brazen attacks that the organization proudly took credit for. There have been hopeful signs in recent years, however, of a weakened organization in light of numerous leaders being killed by enemy forces, such as Osama bin Laden. Whereas previously Al Qaeda had a strong leadership at the top that directed nearly movement of its followers, the group today lacks strong top-down management, resulting in many splinter groups that are formed in response (Fariborz, 2010). In addition, many members of Al Qaeda have branched off on their own, opting to carry out their own ideological principles that might be in conflict at some level with the organization as a whole. With all of the signs pointing to a weakened Al Qaeda today, the possibility exits to think that the danger is over, but this would be a mistake. Let us now take a look at the historical basis of Al Qaeda and why the future will most likely see a resurgence in the group purporting acts of terror throughout the world. Going back to the beginning, we know that Al Qaeda began largely as a result of Afghans rising up to fend off the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. In order to win this war, multitudes of volunteers from across the Middles East arrived to fight in Afghanistan. These individuals were known at the Mujahideen, and they were known to be f ighters that would go to any length to defend their Muslim brothers. Naturally, a movement like this need tremendous capital resources, chief among them money. This is where Osama bin laden entered in. He quickly rose up to the person primarily responsible for bankrolling a new organization whose primary responsibility was infiltrating Mosques around the world to recruit Muslims to join the cause. The Mujahideen, then, more than any other factor, was largely responsible for defeating the Soviets and keeping Afghanistan a sovereign nation (Jones, 2012). With the war over, Osama bin Laden did return to Saudi Arabia, which is where he is from. While there, he worked feverishly in establishing a group that was designed to aid the veterans of the Afghan War. Many of these individuals had now moved on from Afghanistan as to fight in other wars that were going on around the world, all of which was viewed as a fight for the Muslim cause. As Osama bin Laden began to develop this organization , the need for recruiting more fighters and to raise more money became apparent. Out of this resolve was the basis for forming the organization we know today as Al Qaeda. While back in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden began studying on an even deeper level with various radical Islamic thinkers in the region. Many of these clerics and leaders were very interested in what he was doing, and indications are that he was starting to grow an elaborate organization even before the Iraq invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Intro Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intro Communication - Essay Example There are many reasons for studying communication across cultures that include global diversity trends, domestic diversity trends and interpersonal learning opportunities. Global trends signify the importance of intercultural communication through understanding the world political, cultural and business environment, developing multiple cultural perspectives, being skillful in diverse cultural environment, adapting to living in different cultures and learning to interact with international colleagues. Apart from this, an increased number of individuals are employed in overseas assignments such as government service, humanitarian service, peace-corps service, and international education for which cross cultural communication is critical to success (Ting-Toomey 4). In domestic perspective, there are two sets of dimensions that contribute to the ways groups of people communicate intercultural. One set, the primary dimensions of diversity, refers to those human differences that are inborn and that exert an important impact on our early socialization and an ongoing impact throughout our lives, for example, ethnicity, gender, age, social class, physical abilities, and sexual orientation. The secondary dimensions of diversity, refers to conditions that can be changed more easily than the primary dimensions, including mutable differences that we acquire, discard, and modify throughout our lives, are less salient than those of the core, for example, educational level, work experience, and income (Ting-Toomey 5). Each intercultural contact can bring about identity dissonance or stress because of attributes such as an unfamiliar accent, way of speaking, way of doing things, and way of nonverbal expression. In a global workplace, people bring with them different work habits and cultural practices that present interpersonal learning opportunities (Ting-Toomey 7). Therefore,

Reading response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Reading response - Assignment Example headedness† and â€Å"handedness† the author notes how contemporary scholars in psychology have come up with various categories of intelligence, which provide better insight into what aptitude constitutes. These intelligence types include logical, musical, linguistic, spatial, bodily, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. These intelligence classes are not distinctive and most often individuals possess several in tandem. The second article titled â€Å"The Narrative Construction of Reality† by Bruner (2-21) denotes how extensive the focus on the manner through which human beings achieve true knowledge has been since time immemorial. According to the author, the quest for understanding this has brought about immense development in the field of psychology attempting to explain people’s acquisition of knowledge. The article emphasizes that the traditional explanations for knowledge were unilinear, either rationalist focusing on the mind’s internal power or empiricist on the ability to learn from externalities. The principle argument supported by the article is that man’s knowledge capacity is a combination of several factors and is neither strictly unilinear not logical. For this reason, individuals must not only strive to be rational, but also embrace symbolic external factors to gain knowledge. The final article â€Å"Science and Linguistics† by Whorf (69-70), begins by providing description of what the author refers to as "natural logic". This is a concept suggesting that every person beyond infancy talks and has deeply embedded ideas regarding speech and its connection to thinking. The author’s principal assertion is that thought and language are autonomous and that thinking is the same for virtually everyone, with the only slight distinction being in language. All of the articles point towards the psychology of learning, knowledge, or overall intelligence. These scholarly works also show that human intelligence cannot be considered to be as a result of

The Burkean Parlor Essay Example for Free

The Burkean Parlor Essay In an ideal world, a Burkean Parlor writing center, whether the collaborative type or in its own pure or hybrid form should be capable of seamlessly merging with the control kind and even harmlessly synthesized with the Storehouse and Garret models. In contrast with the pure Storehouse and Garret models, or the individual and the exterior genre, a Burkean Parlor is dreamed to be an open-ended knowledge center where there is individuality of the genius as there are collaborative knowledge processes. It can also be the interior type blending perfectly well with its own anti-thesis – the Storehouse exterior concept. This is the new hybrid Burkean Parlor writing center – a composite of the Storehouse and the Garret models metamorphosing both as a collaborative and control knowledge center. The knowledge and writing center as envisioned here recognizes and anticipates the varying needs and psyche of the scholar. The current pragmatic and philosophical needs of the writers everywhere demand the most motivating atmosphere that will encourage a spontaneous, prolific and imaginative flow of creativity. This flow of knowledge, although extremely fluid as it is rigid, demands a new form of writing center. Call it a hybrid Burkean Parlor or a new form of intellectual hub where every genius can be his own individual or in collaboration as well as in caution as a control button; where knowledge can be both sourced internally and externally. This neo-Burkean Parlor can be ideally called the Hub. Andrea Lunsford would be glad to join it as she must admit that in the scheme of linearity, her Burkean model could be slowly being rendered redundant and restrictive the way it did with the Storehouse and Garret models. It is as open as any knowledge center and can be as private as a virtual online writing domain. The Hub recognizes the various forces within the universe that creates or brings knowledge constructs to those who become congruent with the forces that make writers write well and thinkers think well. The Hub in any university is the brain as well as the heart of the intellectual interfacing with the school community or anyone who happens to exude the radio frequency of the Hub. It is the former student lounge as well as the internet cafe without the walls that divide the knowledge of the elite or the masa, the common man. It is equipped with the latest communication gadgets and circuitry that shames the traditional classroom: in fact, the Hub is the reason to come to school (Glasser. 1990). Its emptiness is a reason to move out of the school to find another Hub elsewhere. In the Hub, one can commune with oneself and bring out the most intriguing electronic autobiography for every one to read and develop a sense of belonging. As most schools turn to exclusivity, the Hub recognizes no special talents – it is an inclusive school; only for those with a clean heart to write and the need to discover knowledge without the academic compulsion to do so. Freedom is the pervasive atmosphere, but discipline is sharp and vigilance foremost. Here, order is non-existent but the Hub is not chaotic. The Hub graduates students as many times as the students want, as well as it elevates writers to the next level of knowledge and writing. The Hub would look like heaven on earth. Each one talks the same language despite the highly diverse backgrounds with each move and gesture of the writer giving a message of peace and quiet to allow knowledge and scholarly work to evolve in pure immaculate fashion – plagiarism free. The place is a real hub – teachers freely imparting knowledge and learners interfacing with other learners to collaborate and accumulate knowledge from within and without. It is freedom without the control and there is control without the pressure. New learners develop as they are inspired by the oneness in the Hub. While there are many voices, there is only one song sung in the Hub – creative writing? The Hub would hire only people who believe in the richness of culture, the phenomenon of collaboration, the variedness of the sources of knowledge whether the internal Garret type or the Storehouse kind. Here, the manager is the chief motivator, the philosopher of the writing center and the only person therein who can write the best about the smallest thing on earth and lead the reader to strongly believe that it is the biggest thing on earth. Lunsford would have loved the place to tickle her into creating the new Burkean Parlor once more. Inside the Hub, the students would be taught on stabilizing ethics even in the most trying times; on critical thinking without the excesses of rhetorics; writing skills that can move the heart to tears and chuckles no end; and, an on sustaining an imaginative mind to create a peaceful written or online virtual world where the ideal is just a pen stroke away. The lessons here are endless and borderless. Everyone is welcome to be one among them. It is a university within a university. No encroachment here; only an existence arising out of another’s existence: a university creating another university: a university that has not lost its soul. (Lewis, 2006) The Hub will make sure that students are guided into maturity and wisdom without the painful experiences of everyday life. For them, life is both pain and pleasure and one cannot exist without the other. Acceptance here is academic, hence pain is predictable but bearable, but it becomes truly excruciating as he beings to write. Here, the students are given a tour of life itself, and the crossroads available to each. Everything is there: the experiences, all of them, at the push of a button. The student is given the rare experiences of his lifetime: in physical as well as virtual realities. Inside the Hub, there is no difference between virtual pain and physical pain. Both are felt. The writers and knowledge worker in the Hub learns to be surprised at his own writing skill – able to grapple with the exact word and the best adjective fit for the scenario. Indeed, the Hub is a writers’ paradise where awareness (Clark, 2002) is knowledge itself It would not be difficult to relate to the students because the Hub creates the mood for the writer. Anyone can come at any phase of the activity within without feeling like a stranger and still come out with all the stories that abound. List of References Lewis, H. R. Excellence without a soul: How a great university forgot education. NEW York, Perseus Books, 2006. Glasser, W. , The quality school: Managing students without coercion. New York, Harper and Row Publishers. 1990. Clark, R.. Global awareness: thinking systematically about the world. New York. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. , 2002. Glasser, W. The quality school: Managing students without coercion, New York: Harper Row Publishers, Inc. 1990. Villa, R. , Thosuand, J.. Creating an inclusive school, Alexandria, Virginia, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1995.

Accounting Rules and Joint Ventures in Europe

Accounting Rules and Joint Ventures in Europe Bridging the GAAP The International Accounting Standards (IAS) was supposed to be a unifying conceptual framework which would bring accounting practices of various firms and industries under a single umbrella of standards. No matter if it is a Greek shipping magnate or an Italian fish processing plant, the EU envisioned that they would work within a single standard to better facilitate trade amongst various nations. Indeed, the EU attempted to achieve this through the means of directives, which were soon abandoned. Directives, aimed at forcing compliance with EU accounting standards and practices were discarded because of complaints such as those voiced by the 2003 Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes with regards to the Czech Republic that â€Å"The wording of primary and secondary legislation suggests that the Czech Republic’s real priority is compliance with EU directives, rather than adoption of IAS.† Indeed, these two seemed to be not only different goals, but mutually ex clusive ones- companies could either sate the directives issued or the requirements of the IAS, but rarely both, especially in Eastern Block nations where both concepts were fairly new. Now, however, a new complication is on the horizon in the form of bilateral trade with the U.S. and U.S.-E.U. joint ventures. Obviously the directives, which have been scrapped in any case, would have no force of law in U.S. courts. But nevertheless, there has been considerable movement on this issue as of late. In 2006, the IASB issued a paper called â€Å"A Roadmap for Convergence between IFRSs and US GAAP- 2006-2008 Memorandum of Understanding between the FASB and the IASB†. The memorandum, based upon work done during a 2002 meeting between the FASB (U.S.) and the IASB, as well as subsequent meetings in 2005, stated that â€Å"the FASB and the IASB reaffirmed their commitment to the convergence of US generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).† Nevertheless, this is bound to be a complicated venture because it can not be resolved by boards or government agencies. As the memorandum itself recognized, â₠¬Å"the ability to meet the objective set out by the roadmap depends upon the efforts and actions of many parties—including companies, auditors, investors, standard-setters and regulators.† In other words, bridging the gaap is not merely a matter of ironing out a combined framework of accounting practices. It is a matter of a company in Los Angeles following the same accounting standards and practices that a company in London would. It is also a question of training assessors and auditors in this new standard so that they can ensure compliance with it. For these reasons, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently put forth a proposal which would allow U.S. listed companies to choose between IFRS and the U.S. GAAP. While some in Europe and the U.S. fear that allowing companies to make this choice would hinder the process of converging the two systems (Johnson, 2007) it is nevertheless a practical solution which should be given serious thought and consideration. The European Union, an offspring of NATO, was fifty years in the making. The idea that uniform standards can be achieved on both sides of the pond between thousands of individual companies is fanciful. As a pragmatic matter as well, people are often leery of change- especially change that is being forced upon them, which was another reason the Directives approach previously discussed failed. While the ultimate goal of uniformly adopting the IFRS may well be desirable, it is certainly not something that can or will happen overnight. Allowing a choice between GAAP and IFRS for U.S. companies should not be viewed as an effort to â€Å"halt or slow the convergence process† (Johnson, 2007) but rather as an acknowledgement of the real world difficulties inherent to any large-scale transitions. To understand the scope of the proposed transition, it would be helpful to recall why and how the EU adopted the IAS. As mentioned before, the IAS replaced Brussels-originated Directives which were spottily enforced and which were perceived to unduly burden companies and nations less equipped to handle said requirements. Thus, it can fairly be said that the success of the IAS was born of the failure of the Directives-based approach. However, as with all births, it was hounded by complications and proved to be not an easy task. A 2004 ROSC/World Bank report mentioned that not only were there problems with having individual companies follow the requirements of International Auditing Standards, but even government enterprises and governments themselves were struggling. In reporting this, the Board noted another issue- the fact that IAS standards are not appropriate under all circumstances and that regulators ought to specify when IAS should be implemented and when it is not appropriate or expected. If even individual governments do not know or can not discern which events merit IAS use and which do not and how to properly use IAS in order to meet the goal of financial transparency, it may well be too much to ask of individual businesses, especially smaller ones or those in less-fully developed countries. None of this is meant to say that the IAS is a bad idea- after all, it is based on sound accounting practices and principles and has proven easier to follow than Directives, due to its more cohesive and simplified nature. Nevertheless, it is an idea which has taken time to implement. It is the recognition of this transitional time that drove the SEC proposal to allow GAAP filings alongside IFRS ones- and on those grounds, the proposal should be accepted. The IAS sprung from the 1957 Treaty of Rome and the 1970 EU Common Industrial Policy initiative, both of which had harmonization of accounting practices as the goal. The implementation of IFRS continues this trend with the goal of having all companies within the EU report under the IFRS standards by 2007.To be sure, the foregoing is a quest for the harmonization of details. The essential accounting methods are the same, whether they concern a potato farm in Boise or a windmill operator in Rotterdam. For instance, the most basic and fundamental accounting rule- that Assets-Liabilities=Capital, is unchanged by new rules. The same can be said for the calculation of net assets or the definitions of income and capital and the distinctions between the two including the fundamental relationship that capital is an asset which generates income. In a sense, these competing views of filing standards are really about the rules which govern that most fundamental of all business necessities- an ac curate and honest appraisal of a company’s worth- in other words, their asset valuation. This is not a simple task- not merely a question of adding up the profit and loss sides of the ledger- rather, it involves considerations of what to designate as capital maintenance, which amounts can be heralded as operating profits- and why all this is so. In that sense, asset valuation is really a series of judgment calls. If I own a shoe store and I purchase shoe leather, could that be an operational expense? Can it be justified? Is it a personal expense instead? What will I use it for? How will I account for its use? All of these are questions which need to be answered for an asset valuation to be prepared. At times, the answer is obvious- if I own a bookshop and decide to splurge on a Bentley, I can hardly claim that the Bentley is a business-related expense. After all, what use would my bookshop have for it? But many times, indeed most times, it is a more complicated line of enquir y, such as the one regarding the shoe leather. It could be for my personal use but could also be used on the inventory. Perhaps I have overstock that is merely collecting dust and need to be cleaned. As mentioned, the FASB and the IASB are working on a conceptual framework for uniting these two accounting standards. In closing of this paper, it would be prudent to discuss some of the sticking points at this juncture, having just reviewed and emphasized that the nature of asset valuation- indeed of accounting itself- is the use of independent, though guided judgment calls. One example of the conflict is one of expectations- should the entity in question report what the entity expects to occur or what the contract requires? As a pragmatic example, let’s return to our shoe store. Imagine that the shoe store enters a contract with a supplier and as part of the contract, the shoe store must prepare a table showing how many shoes it purchased each month and how many it expects to sell. The goal would be to show that the store is a viable enterprise. And yet, what if the store has purchased 100 pairs of shoes and is required to report the sales for the quarter in the middle of th e third month? The store knows how many shoes it has sold in month one and month two- but does not have the complete figure for month three even though a deadline looms. Should the store estimate the number of sales through the use of current figures? Or should the store be prudent and delay reporting, even though the contract is violated through the stores’ untimeliness? Consider the below sales figures: Week One: 23 pairs    Week Two: 23 pairs    Week Three: 23 pairs    Week Four: 27 pairs Week Five: 23 pairs    Week Six: 23 pairs    Week Seven: 21 pairs    Week Eight: 23 pairs Week Nine: 19 pairs    Week Ten: 18 pairs The store can reasonably expect to sell twenty-three pairs of shoes in week eleven and twenty-three in week twelve, since six of the ten weeks show twenty-three shoes sold. On the other hand, weeks nine and ten have seen a slump and that slump may well continue. Thus, estimating the sales figures for weeks eleven and twelve are tricky at best. Perhaps weeks nine and ten are the start of the summer season and sales will be sluggish throughout. But perhaps weeks nine and ten are anomalies. This is one of the real world difficulties presented by the attempt to reconcile standards and expectations. Another of the many issues on which FASB and IASB differ is whether conservatism conflicts with neutrality in financial reports. The goal of all financial reporting is to be neutral. An asset valuation is not an advertisement- it is an honest statement of your inventory. It may make your company look good or look bad, but it can not be altered in content for the sake of appearances. At the same time, auditors and governments encourage companies to practice conservatism in their estimations. The reasoning for this is that it is always better to err on the side of safety. How do these two goals- conservatism and neutrality- mesh in the real world? Lets return to our shoe store, whose sales figures are above. Weeks nine and ten show declines with fewer shoes sold in week nine than in week eight and fewer shoes sold in week ten than in week nine. These figures hardly lend an air of optimism to the auditing process. If we combine that with conservative accounting principles, we would be well advised to project that sales in week eleven will decline. After all, they have been declining for two straight weeks, something that is unique to this quarter. Additionally, there has been a decline that is steeper than anything encountered this quarter. As such, if we were conservative, we would surely predict further, possibly steep declines. However, notice that there was a strong decline from week four to week five as well, yet figures stabilized. Based on that limited history, is conservatism really pessimism? Thus, does conservatism in this instance deviate from neutrality? The goal of achieving uniformity in accounting practices is a worthy one. In an integrated world where economies and businesses have come to depend on one another, it makes sense that expectations be harmonized. Moreover, it is not as difficult a task as it may seem, given that the basics of sound business and accounting practices are fairly uniform throughout the world. The principles governing accounting also have a high degree of uniformity. However, this is still a matter of aligning different businesses, cultures and even continents along a single fiscal path. The goal is a worthy one and may well be achieved. But, like Rome, it wont be done in a day. Or even a year. Bibliography: Hegarty, J. and Gielen F. and Barros A.C.H. (2004) â€Å"Implementation of International Accounting and Auditing Standards: Lessons Learned from the World Bank’s Accounting and Auditing ROSC Program,† September 2004, accessed via http://www.worldbank.org/ifa/LessonsLearned_ROSC_AA.pdf on 16 November 2007. IASB (2006) â€Å"A Roadmap for Convergence Between IFRSs and U.S. GAAP 2006-2008 Memorandum of Understanding Between the FASB and the IASB† 27 February 2006, accessed via http://www.iasb.org/NR/rdonlyres/874B63FB-56DB-4B78-B7AF-49BBA18C98D9/0/MoU.pdf on 16 November 2007. IFA (2003) â€Å"Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC): Czech Republic,† accessed via http://www.worldbank.org/ifa/czerosc_aa.pdf on 16 November 2007. Johnson S. (2007) â€Å"What if IFRS Replaced GAAP?† CFO.com, accessed via http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/9634508?f=rsspage on 16 November 2007.

The Future of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Expository Essays Research

Any time in this modern era where one talks about the science of genetics, it is nearly impossible to think about the moral implications and ethical decisions that the future possesses. Currently, there aren’t many laws that govern this field of science, and one must wonder what will happen and how genetics will be governed. Two articles that I have recently read gave me a better insight on what to expect. In one article, the author, Deborah Gridley, discusses the heated topic of genetic discrimination. Genetic discrimination is defined as â€Å"discrimination against an individual or against members of that individual’s family because of real or perceived differences from the ‘normal genome† (Gridley 973). The benefits of genetic advances are quite clear. â€Å"As the genetic causes of many diseases are found, effective treatments and cures may be developed† (Gridley). However, with genetic benefits come risks – many of which are evident in America’s history of genetic discrimination (Gridley 974). Exclusionary immigration laws, forced sterilizations, employment and insurance hardships, ... The Future of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Expository Essays Research Any time in this modern era where one talks about the science of genetics, it is nearly impossible to think about the moral implications and ethical decisions that the future possesses. Currently, there aren’t many laws that govern this field of science, and one must wonder what will happen and how genetics will be governed. Two articles that I have recently read gave me a better insight on what to expect. In one article, the author, Deborah Gridley, discusses the heated topic of genetic discrimination. Genetic discrimination is defined as â€Å"discrimination against an individual or against members of that individual’s family because of real or perceived differences from the ‘normal genome† (Gridley 973). The benefits of genetic advances are quite clear. â€Å"As the genetic causes of many diseases are found, effective treatments and cures may be developed† (Gridley). However, with genetic benefits come risks – many of which are evident in America’s history of genetic discrimination (Gridley 974). Exclusionary immigration laws, forced sterilizations, employment and insurance hardships, ...

The Connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People Essay example

The Connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People In the essay The Chosen People, Stewart Ewen, discusses his perspective of middle class America. Specifically, he explores the idea that the middle class is suffering from an identity crisis. According to Ewen’s theory, â€Å"the notion of personal distinction [in America] is leading to an identity crisis† of the non-upper class. (185) The source of this identity crisis is mass consumerism. As a result of the Industrial Revolution and mass production, products became cheaper and therefore more available to the non-elite classes. â€Å"Mass production was investing individuals with tools of identity, marks of personhood.† (Ewen 187) Through advertising, junk mail and style industries, the middle class is always striving for â€Å"a stylistic affinity to wealth,† finding â€Å"delight in the unreal,† and obsessed with â€Å"cheap luxury items.† (Ewen 185-6) In other words, instead of defining themselves based on who they are on the inside , the people of middle class America define themselves in terms of external image and material possessions. A Bug’s Life is an animated Disney film that tells the story of how a colony of ants fight back against and overcome the domination and oppression of the bullying grasshoppers. When looking at the movie through the lens of Ewen’s theory about identity, several connections concerning identity are found between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People. Furthermore, by looking at identity issues in A Bug’s Life under this new light, Ewen’s theory becomes incomplete. In the Chosen People, Ewen fails to explore the positive aspects of conformity, gender in relationship to identity or the correlations between tradition and identity. Under the microscope of Ewen’s theory, A Bug’s Life changes from an everyday kid movie to a film riddled with identity issues. The first connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People occurs when Ewen is explaining the rise of industrialism in the United States. He asserts that â€Å"For those laboring in many of the factories, industrial conditions systematically trampled upon their individuality and personhood† and that â€Å"artisan craft and small-scale manufacturer fell to an emerging economy of larger scale.† (187) The ants of the colony can be seen as beings who have had their â€Å"individuality and personhood† trampled because of the grasshop... ...nd less likely to change. Ewen does suggest that the trends of the middle class are becoming increasingly ingrained in the values and mindset of the middle class because of World War II and the â€Å"yuppie culture of the 1980’s.† (196) Yet, Ewen’s trends, fashions and styles that could be appropriately deemed traditions, are not explored from the perspective of tradition. Upon comparing the issues of identity crises suggested in A Bugs Life with those in Stewart Ewen’s The Chosen People, the sources and characteristics of identity crises in Ewen’s essay are found incomplete. Ewen limits his exploration of the sources and characteristics of identity crises of the middle class to consumerism and materialism as well as the obsession with image, style and fashion. By restricting his analysis to these issues, Ewen overlooks the perspectives of identity crises in relationship to tradition, the positive aspects of conformity and gender roles. Bibliography: A Bugs Life. Walt Disney and Pixar Productions. 1998. Ewen, Stewart. â€Å"The Chosen People.† Literacies. Ed. Terence Brunk, Suzanne Diamond, Priscilla Perkins and Ken Smith et al. New York:: Norton, 1997. 183-97.

The NCLB Act Essay -- essays papers

The NCLB Act History The NCLB Act was created from initiatives originally introduced in the Elementary and Secondary School Act. The Elementary and Secondary School Act designed by then Commissioner of Education Francis Keppel and was passed on April 9, 1965. This was less than three months after the bill was first introduced. President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the 'War on Poverty' this being the most important educational component of the war. (Schugurensky, 2002) Through special funding this act allowed underprivileged and impoverished children a chance to receive education that met up to national standards. The special funding allotted more than 1 billion dollars to low income families to receive education that compared to affluent families. The Head Start program quickly grew out of this Act. In the Head Start program preschoolers received education that would prepare them for the challenges they would face in elementary schools the following year. (Amis, 2001) The ESEA was amended in 1968 to include the needs of children that had limited English speaking ability which eventually became the Bilingual Education Act. The NCLB presents a sweeping overhaul of federal efforts to support elementary and secondary education in the United States. The NCLB Act is built on four pillars, accountability for results, emphasis on doing what works, expanded parental options and expanded local controls and flexibility. (Toolkit, 2003) Standards criteria established by an educational institution to determine levels of student achievement.† (EBSCOhost Thesaurus) Each of these sets of standards may vary slightly state by state. A school that does not meet the criteria laid out by the state for two years running is labeled as n... ...n, L. S. and Owings, W. A. (May 2003) The Politics of Teacher Quality. Volume 84 pp. 687-92 Retrieved: May 1 2004 From: EBSCO Amis, K. (2001). Bush says reading is first. Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. Retrieved: Feb. 16 2004 from: www.edexcellence.net U.S. Department of Education (2004) No child left behind overview. U.S. Department of Education, Retrieved: Feb. 16, 2004 from: www.ed.gov What Works Clearinghouse (2002) Retrieved April 15 2004 from: www.w-w-c.org Schugurensky, D. (2002) History of Education Retrieved: April 22 2004 from: http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/assignment1/1965elemsec.html (2003) The Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Washington An overview Retrieved: April 22 2004 from: http://www.k12.wa.us/ESEA/ U.S. Department of Education (2003) A Toolkit for Teachers. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Essay

Before investing time, money, and resources into new product development, every company must fully understand the existing market competition. Analyzing competitors in depth will help a company determine future potential success of the new product segment. Though Keurig is the industry leader in coffeemakers and coffee portions, they too experience factors affecting supply and demand. In addition, Keurig often sees many attempts to compete with their product. However, it is important to note that even the competition has great potential. The critical points of researching the current market include knowledge of any issues that may affect long-term profitability as well as how the company can compete in the market. With successful research and analysis, the company can consider ways in which they can maximize their success and profit-making potential in their new market. Keurig Products Founded in 1992 by John Sylvan and Peter Dragone, the Keurig leads today’s market with a single brew technology that revolutionized the way many people drank morning coffee (McGinn, 2014). The chosen name â€Å"Keurig† means a form of excellence and is a name Sylvan found in a Danish-English dictionary (McGinn, 2014). The company took years to develop with minimal success and changed hands in 2006 (McGinn, 2014). Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. purchased Keurig in 2006 and turned the company into a multi-billion dollar company (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). In the 2010 fiscal year, Keurig sold more than $330 million worth of single-cup brewers and more than $800 million worth of the single K-Cups (McGinn, 2014). What began as an office-based machine is now available in more than 9,000 retail stores for the home (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). The Keurig is a single-portion machine that brews a consistent single cup of coffee every time the machine runs a cycle. Through patented technology, the Kuerig system includes three components unique to the company (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). The three components include their unique single-cup brewer, the patented K-Cup, and one of the largest selections of gourmet  teas, coffees, and hot cocoas (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). First, the brewer combines the precise amount of water with temperature and water pressure for consistent flavor every brew time (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). Second, the K-Cups combine roaster specifications with filters and barriers to produce the most flavorful and consistent cup of coffee with every brew (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). Last, the Keurig system offers more than 170 varieties with blends from 12 brands (Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., 2014). Defining the Market According to Mifflin (2014), the Keurig system offers something that many of the competitors do not. Keurig offers the ability to brew fresh cups and blends for less than ten cents per cup (Mifflin, 2014). The savings with this system is significant in that competitors cost around $.45 to $.50 each with similar types of single coffee pods and capsules (Mifflin, 2014). Because of this cost saving, yet advanced technology, Keurig’s target market includes both employees of the corporate world and households. The methods and strategies of their market include not focusing solely on the commercial office segment, but including the household as well as the home office segments. The Keurig plans included a successful rollout into the commercial and home office segments, which then can provide a springboard for the launch into the household segment. Keurig has many competitors but Starbucks seems to be the biggest threat. Starbucks is known for their gourmet coffee. Starbucks provides up scaled fresh vanilla bean coffee along with other wonderful brands. With this economic state Starbucks prices has caught up with them which caused the demand to decrease. Starbucks was forced to face reality and lower there price and even close a couple of stores along with reducing staff. This proves that the cost of the coffee is elastic and if the price is too high then the demand will decrease. Even with success there are factors that affect demand such as availability, competition, developments and costs. Due to the increasing demand for the Keurig system, consumer prices continue to rise. Many consumers argue that a case of 15 K-Cups cost an inexpensive $9.99, while others argue that one can purchase a 31.5oz of Colombian ground coffee for the same price. To stay ahead of the competition and attempt to fight some of the arguments, Keurig also produced the My K-Cup product. The My K-Cup product allows the consumer  to use the machine without purchasing standard K-Cups and instead use store-bought grounds to brew a single cup of coffee. In addition to the factors affecting demand are the factors affecting the supply. Neejan (2014) speaks of economics in general in that when the supply will increase if and when foreign producers enter the market. Just as well, Nee jan (2104) speaks of technology in that with the improvement of technology, productivity will rise because production can become robotic. Neejan (2104) concludes that for the same amount of costs it is possible to supply more of the product, thus the supply curve will shift to the right. This effect Keurig because if the supply decrease then the demand will increase. It the product is not present the consumers will shop where the supply is this means a lost in revenue. According to â€Å"Market Equilibrium† (N.A), â€Å"graphically, changes in the underlying factors that affect demand and supply will cause shifts in the position of the demand or supply curve at every price. Whenever this happens, the original equilibrium price will no longer equate demand with supply, and price will adjust to bring about a return to equilibrium.† This relates to Keurig given the scenario the outcome could be the same .Keurig has a lot of competition everything about the product Keurig has to be aligned. The competition lies with the store who can prepare the coffee and have it readily available. Also, the machine is not portable, and the competition could have an advantage for convenience when it comes to outside the home workers. Issues and Opportunities That Affect its Competitiveness and Long-Term Profitability Price elasticity of demand is an important factor for any firm’s profitability. It measures the responsiveness of consumers to a change in the product’s price (Colander, 2013). If consumers are very responsive to a change in price demand is elastic, while demand is inelastic if consumers are relatively unresponsive to a change in price (Colander, 2103). The more inelastic the demand is, the higher prices companies can charge for the product with higher profits. A key factor in determining the price elasticity of demand is the availability of substitutes. Some available substitutes include Mr. Coffee, Bunn, and Bloomfield Because of multiple  substitutes, technological innovation is critical. Through technological innovation, Keurig can differentiate its product from substitute products. By differentiating with new technology, Keurig can reduce the price elasticity of demand and make demand inelastic. Doing so allows for an increase in profits and works in direct relat ion to the creation of the K-Cup technology. With the cost effectiveness and reliability of the Kuerig, issues can arise that will affect the long-term profitability of the product. For example, in 2009 alone, the Kuerig coffee maker sold well over 2,000,000 units, equaling to significant labor costs associated with the product (CITATION). The amount of physical labor required to build the units, coupled with the multiple variations of models, proves high capital costs within manufacturing. For example, in initial years temporary workers constructed the K-Cups (CITATION). After Green Mountain Brewing Coffee Brewers acquired the company, a top priority became hiring full time employees to produce K-Cups at a much faster rate (CITATION). Additional issues with the Keurig product include the waste of K-Cups and an increase in competition. According to one consumer, the K-Cup is producing a significant amount of waste for landfills (Gordon, 2014). The products are not biodegradable or recyclable and any means of trying to do so comes with a price from Keurig (Gordon, 2014). Though the company is addressing some of the economic concerns, many consumers feel that the company focuses more on profits than sustainability (Gordon, 2014). Also, as new Keurig systems enter the market with an attempt to address specific issues, consumer prices only continue to rise. Simple and basic competitive systems such as the Mr. Coffee brewing system range around $75 to $100 (CITATION). Howeve r, competitive Keurig models can cost as much as $250.00 (CITATION). When considering future challenges of Keurig, there is an issue of cost in comparison with competitive models, but also with the concept that kitchen appliances come and go as a fad product (McGinn, 2014). The real strength of the Keurig system in terms of revenues is in fact not the brewing system, but instead the continued sales of the K-Cup (McGinn, 2014). Factors Affecting Variable and Fixed Costs Variable costs are those costs that change as the output changes (Colander, 2013). In contrast, fixed costs are those costs that remain constant and are  not affected by production volume. As the total cost of brewing a Keurig cup of coffee can range from ten to fifty cents, this cost is a fixed cost that remains constant in total. This cost is not affected by volume of production, but vary on a unit basis. The base unit saves ten cents by one brewing their own grounds (Mifflin, 2014). As consumers consider costs, one can calculate that with brewing 200 cups per day, the consumer will save $20 per day, $140 per week, totaling $7,280 per year. By using individual blends, Keurig provides a significant savings to the consumer. Labor costs are variable depending on a number of factors, including the number of brewers and number of K-Cups. Labor costs may increase to meet supply and demand of the units. To offset some of the labor costs, Keurig introduced the My K-Cup to the market, the refore decreasing the labor costs for standard K-Cups on the market. Controlling some of the labor cost will have to be born at the market and choosing to use your own blend as shown above will save a significant a lot in return to offset labor cost (THIS REDUCES CONSUMER COSTS, NOT THEIR LABOR COSTS). Supply and demand comes into play when you sent wages, just as it does when companies determining the price of products. If there is a shortage of workers unfortunately, wages will have to go up to attract a good worker, but if there is not the shortage wages, labor will be reasonable, and the cost of productivity will go down. (twist, 2010) (THIS SITE DOES NOT LOAD PROPERLY AND RELATES TO THE HOUSING MARKET) Recommendations on Maximizing Profit-Making Potential Perfect competition refers to markets that do not have participants large enough to have the market power to set the price of a homogenous product (Colander, 2013). There is always room for growth and changes to increase the profit making potential for companies and still stay competitive in the market. In order to compete successfully and remain profitable, a company must have a competitive strategy. A critical step in the strategy is having a lower cost producer, meaning that the company will produce or manufacture their product for the lowest possible cost without losing any of its value. This type of strategy will provide the company with a cost advantage that is comparable or relative to its competitors. The results of Keruig utilizing these recommendations will provide the Keurig with two options. First, they can undercut their competitors, thus resulting in the increase of their  share on the market. Second, they can continue selling their products at a price that is similar to their competitors, which would result in them having a higher profit margin. Keurig does not need to limit or sacrifice the quality of their product which may lead to a decrease in sales. Rather, Keurig can reduce their costs with a few options. Keurig can purchase more efficient production equipment, purchase other fixed or capital assets to increase efficiency, or do away with one or more of their cost producing activities. In addition, Keurig can source less expensive raw material suppliers, reduce employee overtime costs, or reduce the amount of waste in their products. Conclusion References Colander, D. C. (2013). Microeconomics (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Gordon, A. (2014). Opinion: Keurig needs to brew up solutions for wasteful K-Cups. Retrieved from http://thelantern.com/2014/02/opinion-keurig-needs-brew-solutions-wasteful-k- cups/ Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.. (2014). Corporate profile. Keurig. Retrieved from http://www.keurig.com/in-the-news/2010/~/media/Files/News%20And%20Media %20PDFs/keurig_CoProfile.ashx McGinn, D. (2014). The buzz machine. Boston.com. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/ business/articles/2011/08/07/the_inside_story_of_keurigs_rise_to_a_billion_dollar_coffe e_empire/ Mifflin, M. (2014). Single serve brewer buying tips and Keurig brewer features. About.com. Retrieved from http://housewares.about.com/od/coffeemakers/qt/Keurig-Brewers-and-Single-Serve-Buying-Tips.htm Neejan, S. (2014) What are the factors affecting demand and supply? Answers. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_factors_affecting_demand_and_supply

Personal Health Assessment Essay

Overall, there are six dimensions of health that can be examined to determine if a person is healthy and fit or to see what area in his or her life needs improvement. This includes physical, psychological, spiritual, social, intellectual, and environmental dimensions. â€Å"When all of the six dimensions are at high levels and in balance, we have optimal health and well-being† (Blonna & Watter, 2005, p. 5). The three dimensions of health that I feel I am strongest at are the physical, sscial, and intellectual dimensions. Physically, I am contented with how I look and feel. I believe that I am healthy and that I take the proper precautions to take care of my body. Being free from any illnesses does not mean that a person fulfils the physical dimension of health. I think that one has to be satisfied about his or her overall health and body in order for him or her to say that he or she is physically healthy. In addition, being positive about how a person sees his or her body contributes to a better physical health. I would also like to indicate that I fulfil the social dimension of health since I do not have a problem reaching out to people. I have excellent relationships with my friends and family and this helps me grow as a person. I believe that keeping this dimension healthy is important because having people that would support you greatly contributes to a person’s well-being and improvement of the other five dimensions. The third dimension of health that I think I am strongest at is the intellectual dimension. I believe that I think clearly and that I can understand things the way they should be understood. I am very open-minded when it comes to arguing and accepting things that are not in line with my beliefs. I can argue with other people rationally and with the right common sense. On the other hand, I feel that my spiritual dimension needs improvement. â€Å"Spiritual wellness is the state of harmony with yourself and others. It is the ability to balance inner needs with the demands of the rest of the world† (Edlin, Golanty, & Brown, 1999, p. ). With our fast paced world, it is very hard for one to sit down and think about these kinds of things. There are so many distractions around us that we forget to think about our spirituality. I think that it is important for me to address this issue at this time because it would help me improve my overall well-being. I understand the importance of spiritual life and I would like to engage myself better with this area. For a person to impro ve, he or she needs determination and commitment. Improvement, especially in the area of spirituality, would not mean anything if there is no purpose behind it and if the person is doing it just for the sake of saying he or she has improved. I would like to start off by trying to learn more about what I want in terms of spiritual fulfilment. I would then gradually engage myself in my religion and take small steps to improve my inner self. I think that I would have to get to know myself better in order for me to realize what I want and need. Personally, I expect to learn from this course ways on how to know myself better, how to improve myself completely, and how to determine which areas in my life need improvements the most. Although determining is easy, it is better to learn through a knowledgeable instructor and through related materials and activities. Taking this course would also make it easier because I will be able to learn with a group of other people and not just by myself.

Hi About That

Katienagler Just another WordPress. com site Home About Introduction MAR 21 Mike Rose Annotated Bib and Summary Posted on March 21, 2012 by naglerk11 Standard Rose, Mike. â€Å"Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language: A Cognitivist Analysis of Writer’s Block. † College Composition and Communication 31. 4 (1980): 389-401. Print. Mike Rose brings all the chapters of this book together by not just researching how writers write, produce, plan, revise, etc. ; but instead he is asking what physically and mentally keeps a writer for be unable to write the next sentence.He said that the â€Å"writer’s block† could be due to â€Å"anxiety, fear of evaluation, insecurity, etc. ; he decided to dig deeper and come up with the best reasoning. He came to find out that the five sstudents he studied who experienced writer’s block were all using rules and/or planning strategies that had been embedded into their heads that may not be compatible w ith their composing process, therefore hindering their writing rather than improving it. This relates to my question because there really are aspects to writing that we have been told are helpful but may actually keep us from excelling.Rose states that sometimes less is more. Sstudents who did not experience blocking had an outline, but they were very vague. They were each open to change tthroughout their composing process, unlike the five other sstudents. Berkenkotter, Carol. â€Å"Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer. † College Composition and Communication 34. 2 (1983): 156-69. Print. Berkenkotter mainly focused on the writer’s planning, revising, and editing approaches. She wanted to see how much time sstudents spent on each of these procedures of writing.She wished to learn about the different planning and revising strategies of a good writer in order to correlate this with what we already hold to be true of how a skilled writer plans and revises. She believes that it is important for us to â€Å"pay close attention to the setting in which the writer composes, the kind of task the writer confronts, and what the writer can tell us of his own processes. † Fitzgerald, Jill. â€Å"Research on Revision in Writing. † Review of Educational Research. 4th ed. Vol. 57. American Educational Research Association. 481-506. Print.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 10

Jez held herself perfectly still, keeping her face expressionless. Her mind was clicking through strategies. Two exits-but to go out the window meant a three-story drop, and she probably wouldn't survive that in her condition. Although, of course, she couldn't leave anyway without doing something to silence Morgead-and she wouldn't survive a fight, either†¦. She suppressed any feeling, returned Morgead's gaze, and said calmly, â€Å"And why is that?† Triumph flashed in his eyes. â€Å"Jez Redfern. That's the key, isn't it? Your family.† Ill have to kill him somehow, she thought, but he was going on. â€Å"Your family sent you. Hunter Redfern. He knows that I've really found the Wild Power, and he expects you to get it out of me.† Relief spread slowly through Jez, and her stomach muscles relaxed. She didn't let it show. â€Å"You idiot! Of course not. I don't run errands for the Council.† Morgead's lip lifted. â€Å"I didn't say the Council. I said Hunter Redfern. He's trying to steal a march on the Council, isn't he? He wants the Wild Power himself. To restore the Redferns to the glory of old. You're running errands for him.† Jez choked on exasperation. Then she listened to the part of her mind that was telling her to keep her temper and think clearly. Strategy, that part was saying. He's just handed you the answer and you're trying to smack it away. â€Å"All right; what if that is true?† she said at last, her voice curt. â€Å"What if I do come from Hunter?† â€Å"Then you can tell him to get bent. I told the Council my terms. I'm not settling for anything less.† â€Å"And what were your terms?† He sneered. â€Å"As if you didn't know.† When she just stared at him, he shrugged and stopped pacing. â€Å"A seat on the Council,† he said coolly, arms folded. Jez burst out laughing. â€Å"You,† she said, â€Å"are out of your mind.† â€Å"I know they won't give it to me.† He smiled, not a nice smile. â€Å"I expect them to offer something like control of San Francisco. And some position after the millennium.† After the millennium. Meaning after the apocalypse, after the human race had been killed or subjugated or eaten or whatever else Hunter Redfern had in mind. â€Å"You want to be a prince in the new world order,† Jez said slowly, and she was surprised at how bitterly it came out. She was surprised at how surprised she was. Wasn't it just what she expected of Morgead? â€Å"I want what's coming to me. All my Life I've had to stand around and watch humans get everything. After the millennium things will be different.† He glared at her broodingly. Jez still felt sick. But she knew what to say now. â€Å"And what makes you think the Council is going to be around after the millennium?† She shook her head. â€Å"You're better off going with Hunter. I'd bet on him against the Council any day.† Morgead blinked once, lizardlike. â€Å"He's planning on getting rid of the Council?† Jez held his gaze. â€Å"What would you do in his place?† Morgead's expression didn't get any sweeter. But she could see from his eyes that she had him. He turned away sharply and went to glower out the window. Jez could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he looked back. â€Å"All right,† he said coldly. â€Å"Ill join Hunter's team-but only on my terms. After the millennium-â€Å" â€Å"After the millennium you'll get what you deserve.† Jez couldn't help glaring back at him. Morgead brought out all her worst traits, all the things she tried to control in herself. â€Å"You'll get a position,† she amended, spinning the story she knew he wanted to hear. She was winging it, but she had no choice. â€Å"Hunter wants people loyal to him in the new order. And if you can prove you're valuable, he'll want you. But first you have to prove it. Okay? Deal?† â€Å"If I can trust you.† â€Å"We can trust each other because we have to. We both want the same thing. If we do what Hunter wants, we both win.† â€Å"So we cooperate-for the time being.† â€Å"We cooperate-and we see what happens,† Jez said evenly. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room. It was as if the blood sharing had never happened. They were back to their old roles- maybe a little more hostile, but the same old Jez and Morgead, enjoying being adversaries. Maybe it'll be easy from now on, Jez thought. As long as Hunter doesn't show up to blow my story. Then she grinned inwardly. It would never happen. Hunter Redfern hadn't visited the West Coast for fifty years. â€Å"Business,† she said crisply, out loud. â€Å"Where's the Wild Power, Morgead?† â€Å"Ill show you.† He walked over to the futon and sat down. Jez stayed where she was. â€Å"You'll show me what?† â€Å"Show you the Wild Power.† There was a TV with a VCR at the foot of the bed, sitting on the bare floor. Morgead was putting a tape in. Jez settled on the far end of the futon, glad for the chance to sit. â€Å"You've got the Wild Power on tape?† He threw her an icy glance over his shoulder. â€Å"Yeah, on America's Funniest Home Videos. Just shut up, Jez, and watch.† Jez narrowed her eyes and watched. What she was looking at was a TV movie about a doomsday asteroid. A movie she'd seen-it had been awful. Suddenly the action was interrupted by the logo of a local news station. A blond anchorwoman came on screen. â€Å"Breaking news in San Francisco this hour. We have live pictures from the Marina district where a five-alarm fire is raging through a government housing project. We go now to Linda Chin, who's on the scene.† The scene switched to a dark-haired reporter. â€Å"Regina, I'm here at Taylor Street, where firefighters are trying to prevent this spectacular blaze from spreading-â€Å" Jez looked from the TV to Morgead. â€Å"What's this got to do with the Wild Power? I saw it live. It happened a couple weeks ago. I was watching that stupid movie-â€Å" She broke off, shocked at herself. She'd actually been about to say â€Å"I was watching that stupid movie with Claire and Aunt Nan.† Just like that, to blurt out the names of the humans she lived with. She clenched her teeth, furious. She'd already let Morgead know one thing: that a couple of weeks ago she'd been in this area, where a local news station could break in. What was wrong with her? Morgead tilted a sardonic glance at her, just to show her that he hadn't missed her slip. But all he said was â€Å"Keep watching. You'll see what it's got to do with the Wild Power.† On screen the flames were brilliant orange, dazzling against the background of darkness. So bright that if Jez hadn't known that area of the Marina district well, she wouldn't have been able to tell much about it. In front of the building firefighters in yellow were carrying hoses. Smoke flooded out suddenly as one of the hoses sprayed a straight line of water into the flames. â€Å"Their greatest fear is that there may be a little girl still inside this complex-â€Å" Yes. That was what Jez remembered about this fire. There had been a kid†¦. â€Å"Look here,† Morgead said, pointing. The camera was zooming in on something, bringing the flames in close. A window in the pinky-brown concrete of the building. High up, on the third floor. Flames were pouring up from the walkway below it, making the whole area look too dangerous to approach. The reporter was still talking, but Jez had tuned her out. She leaned closer, eyes fixed on that window. Like all the other windows, it was half covered with a wrought-iron screen in a diamond pattern. Unlike the others, it had something else: On the sill there were a couple of plastic buckets with dirt and scraggly plants. A window box. And a face looking out between the plants. A child's face. â€Å"There,† Morgead said. The reporter was speaking. â€Å"Regina, the firefighters say there is definitely someone on the third floor of this building. They are looking for a way to approach the person-the little girl-â€Å" High-powered searchlights had been turned on the flames. That was the only reason the girl was visible at all. Even so, Jez couldn't distinguish any features. The girl was a small blurry blob. Firefighters were trying to maneuver some kind of ladder toward the building. People were running, appearing and disappearing in the swirling smoke. The scene was eerie, otherworldly. Jez remembered this, remembered listening to the barely suppressed horror in the reporter's voice, remembered Claire beside her hissing in a sharp breath. â€Å"It's a kid,† Claire had said, grabbing Jez's arm and digging her nails in, momentarily forgetting how much she disliked Jez. â€Å"Oh, God, a kid.† And I said something like, â€Å"It'll be okay,† Jez remembered. But I knew it wouldn't be. There was too much fire. There wasn't a chance†¦. The reporter was saying, â€Å"The entire building is involved†¦.† And the camera was going in for a close-up again, and Jez remembered realizing that they were actually going to show this girl burning alive on TV. The plastic buckets were melting. The firemen were trying to do something with the ladder. And then there was a sudden huge burst of orange, an explosion, as the flames below the window poofed and began pouring themselves upward with frantic energy. They were so bright they seemed to suck all the light out of their surroundings. They engulfed the girl's window. The reporter's voice broke. Jez remembered Claire gasping, â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and her nails drawing blood. She remembered wanting to shut her own eyes. And then, suddenly, the TV screen flickered and a huge wall of smoke billowed out from the building. Black smoke, then gray, then a light gray that looked almost white. Everything was lost in the smoke. When it finally cleared a little, the reporter was staring up at the building in open amazement, forgetting to turn toward the camera. â€Å"This is astonishing†¦. Regina, this is a complete turnaround†¦. The firefighters have-either the water has suddenly taken effect or something else has caused the fire to die†¦. I've never seen anything like this†¦.† Every window in the building was now belching white smoke. And the picture seemed to have gone washed-out and pale, because there were no more vivid orange flames against the darkness. The fire was simply gone. â€Å"I really don't know what's happened, Regina†¦. I think I can safely say that everybody here is very thankful. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camera zoomed in on the face in the window. It was still difficult to make out features, but Jez could see coffee-colored skin and what seemed to be a calm expression. Then a hand reached out to gently pick up one of the melted plastic buckets and take it inside. The picture froze. Morgead had hit Pause. â€Å"They never did figure out what stopped the fire. It went out everywhere, all at once, as if it had been smothered.† Jez could see where he was going. â€Å"And you think it was some sort of Power that killed it. I don't know, Morgead–it's a pretty big assumption. And to jump from that to the idea that it was a Wild Power-â€Å" â€Å"You missed it, then.† Morgead sounded smug. â€Å"Missed what?† He was reversing the tape, going back to the moment before the fire went out. â€Å"I almost missed it myself when I saw it live. It was lucky I was taping it When I went back and looked again, I could see it clearly.† The tape was in slow motion now. Jez saw the burst of orange fire, frame by frame, getting larger. She saw it crawl up to engulf the window. And then there was a flash. It had only showed up as a flicker at normal speed, easily mistaken for some kind of camera problem. At this speed, though, Jez couldn't mistake it. It was blue. It looked like lightning or flame; blue-white with a halo of more intense blue around it. And it moved. It started out small, a circular spot right at the window. In the next frame it was much bigger, spreading out in all directions, fingers reaching into the flames. In the next frame it covered the entire TV screen, seeming to engulf the fire. In the next frame it was gone and the fire was gone with it. White smoke began to creep out of windows. Jez was riveted. â€Å"Goddess,† she whispered. â€Å"Blue fire.† Morgead ran the tape back to play the scene again. † ‘In blue fire, the final darkness is banished; In blood, the final price is paid.' If that girl isn't a Wild Power, Jez †¦ then what is she? You tell me.† â€Å"I don't know.† Jez bit her lip slowly, watching the strange thing blossom on the TV again. So the blue fire in the poem meant a new kind of energy. â€Å"You're beginning to convince me. But-â€Å" â€Å"Look, everybody knows that one of the Wild Powers is in San Francisco. One of the old hags in the witch circle-Grandma Harman or somebody- had a dream about it. She saw the blue fire in front of Coit Tower or something. And everybody knows that the four Wild Powers are supposed to start manifesting themselves around now. I think that girl did it for the first time when she realized she was going to die. When she got that desperate.† Jez could picture that kind of desperation; she'd pictured it the first time, when she'd been watching the fire live. How it must feel†¦ being trapped like that. Knowing that there was no earthly help for you, that you were about to experience the most terrible pain imaginable. Knowing that you were going to feel your body char and your hair burn like a torch and that it would take two or three endless minutes before you died and the horror was over. Yeah, you would be desperate, all right. Knowing all that might drag a new power out of you, a frantic burst of strength, like an unconscious scream pulled from the depths of yourself. But one thing bothered her. â€Å"If this kid is the Wild Power, why didn't her Circle notice what happened? Why didn't she tell them, ‘Hey, guys, look; I can put out fires now?'† Morgead looked annoyed. â€Å"What do you mean, her Circle?† â€Å"Well, she's a witch, right? You're not telling me vampires or shapeshifters are developing new powers like that.† â€Å"Who said anything about witches or vampires or shapeshifters? The kid's human.† Jez blinked. And blinked again, trying to conceal the extent of her astonishment. For a moment she thought Morgead was putting her on, but his green eyes were simply exasperated, not sly. â€Å"The Wild Powers†¦ can be human?† Morgead smiled suddenly-a smirk. â€Å"You really didn't know. You haven't heard all the prophecies, have you?† He struck a mocking oratorical pose. â€Å"There's supposed to be: One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.† The Day World, Jez thought. Not the Night World, the human world. At least one of the Wild Powers had to be human. Unbelievable†¦ but why not? Wild Powers were supposed to be weird. Then she thought of something and her stomach sank. â€Å"No wonder you're so eager to turn her in,† she said softly. â€Å"Not just to get a reward-â€Å" â€Å"But because the little scum deserves to die-or whatever it is Hunter has in mind for her.† Morgead's voice was matter-of-fact. â€Å"Yeah, vermin have no right developing Night World powers. Right?† â€Å"Of course right,† Jez said without emotion. I'm going to have to watch this kid every minute, she thought. He's got no pity at all for her-Goddess knows what he might do before letting me have her. â€Å"Jez.† Morgead's voice was soft, almost pleasant, but it caught Jez's full attention. â€Å"Why didn't Hunter tell you that prophecy? The Council dug it up last week.† She glanced at him and felt an inner shiver. Suspicion was cold in the depths of his green eyes. When Morgead was yelling and furious he was dangerous enough, but when he was quiet like this, he was deadly. â€Å"I have no idea,† she said flatly, tossing the problem back at him. â€Å"Maybe because I was already out here in California when they figured it out. But why don't you call him and ask yourself? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.† There was a pause. Then Morgead gave her a look of disgust and turned away. A good bluff is priceless, Jez thought. It was safe now to move on. She said, â€Å"So what do the ‘two eyes watching' mean in the prophecy?† He rolled his own eyes. â€Å"How should I know? You figure it out. You've always been the smart one.† Despite the heavy sarcasm, Jez felt a different kind of shiver, one of surprise. He really believed that. Morgead was so smart himself-he'd seen that flicker on the TV screen and realized what it was, when apparently none of the adults in the Bay Area had-but he thought she was smarter. â€Å"Well, you seem to be doing all right yourself,† she said. She had been looking steadily at him, to show him no weakness, and she saw his expression change. His green eyes softened slightly, and the sarcastic quirk of his lip straightened. â€Å"Nah, I'm just blundering along,† he muttered, his gaze shifting. Then he glanced back up and somehow they were caught in a moment when they were just looking at each other in silence. Neither of them turned away, and Jez's heart gave a strange thump. The moment stretched. Idiot! This is ridiculous. A minute ago you were scared of him-not to mention sickened by his attitude toward humans. You can't just suddenly switch to this. But it was no good. Even the realization that she was in danger of her life didn't help. Jez couldn't think of a thing to say to break the tension, and she couldn't seem to look away from Morgead. â€Å"Jez, look-â€Å" He leaned forward and put a hand on her forearm. He didn't even seem to know he was doing it. His expression was abstracted now, and his eyes were fixed on hers. His hand was warm. Tingles spread from the place where it touched Jez's skin. â€Å"Jez†¦ about before †¦ I didn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly Jez's heart was beating far too quickly. I have to say something, she thought, fighting to keep her face impassive. But her throat was dry and her mind a humming blank. All she could feel clearly was the place where she and Morgead touched. All she could see clearly was his eyes. Cat's eyes, deepest emerald, with shifting green lights in them†¦. â€Å"Jez,† he said a third time. And Jez realized all at once that the silver thread between them hadn't been broken. That it might be stretched almost into invisibility, but it was still there, still pulling, trying to make her body go weak and her vision blur. Trying to make her fall toward Morgead even as he was falling toward her. And then came the sound of someone kicking in the front door.

Symbolism in Packer's Drinking Coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Symbolism in Packer's Drinking Coffee - Essay Example ous efforts to distance herself from the pain-giving experiences of her life, like her devastating relationship with her Dad, grudging interview sessions with the psychiatrist imposed on her by the college administration, and suspicious interactions with counselors and study-buddies, take her to the portal of happiness? Dina’s cherished dreams do not fructify, she looks out for alternative avenues, to forget the pain. The mention of revolver as the inanimate object she’d most like go transform, on the eve of Yale University freshmen orientation, says a lot about her grudge against her past life and her future plans.(of revenge?) It is easy to say that life is to be lived in its trials, tribulations, duty and beauty. But when it comes to practical applications, the unforgettable incidents of the past continue to torture the inner core of an individual, who has faced the wrath of the society on many counts. Dina is one such individual, who has to cope up with lots of maladjustments. In the story â€Å"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere†, Packer provides enough homework for the reader’s imagination. She concludes the story without providing firm conclusions. The reader has to view the situation from own perspective. But her writing has the cordiality and grace to draw the reader to mainstream of the story. The ‘not so gentle’ gentleman with whom Dina has strained relationship is Dr. Raeburn. But one can not blame the Doctor. He is a psychiatrist and he is expected to do his professional job to treat the fresher. If the revolver is ‘triggered’ by Dina, he will be held responsible by the University authorities. He tries his best to probe the hidden layers within her mind and unearth the real Dina! When she expresses contempt for her father, the ‘shaken’ Doctor reaches out for a cigarette and Dina’s protests instantly. She says, â€Å"You can’t smoke in here.† She gives clever answers to his questions but the professional psychiatrist is able to isolate

San Andreas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

San Andreas - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that when a beautiful woman, a mother of a teenage daughter, leaves her handsome and extremely brave husband working as a firefighter to live with some cunning and extremely wealthy city architect it is no wonder that skyscrapers start falling and the earth literally cracks down.   That is how ancient Greeks would probably perceive the movie â€Å"San Andreas† because they believed in Gods and their ultimate revenge for human mistakes.   The slogan of the movie is more than eloquent: â€Å"Who you will be with when everything falls apart† and it makes viewers believe that this is more than just a family drama and more than just a disaster film. Being a disaster film â€Å"Sa Andreas† seems to be based on a drama of a good quality. Unfortunately, the plot cannot impress viewers with its originality but this fact must be attributed to the genre of disaster film in general. â€Å"San Andreas† does what a good mo vie of this kind must do: impress viewers, evoke fear and loath, bring in life apocalyptic sensations and images.   Despite such seemingly unpleasant characteristics disaster movies remain really popular, especially among Americans. It is because disaster films prove to be very successful at the box office, and â€Å"San Andreas† is not an exception.   It depicts a nuclear family on the edge of divorce being caught in the area struck by a series of natural catastrophes.  Ã‚