Future Outlook and Raising Capital in the Sports Drink Market

The approach and obstacles to raising capital and managing future change can make or break a new company that is trying to compete for market share in the sports beverage industry. According to a recent monthly labor report, most new businesses have the best chance of surviving during the first two years (Knaup, 2005). The young company must also determine how to best utilize legal services. It is one thing a new business venture should not only consider but plan for. Another area of concern and attention must go to the issue of raising money to fund the business. The competitive and lucrative sports drink market has in the past been dominated by two main players, Gatorade and Powerade. Together they have long held over two thirds of the market share. However, the future outlook shows that the market is starting to include a wider variety of sports drinks that are targeting a broader range of personal needs. LJ Enterprises will utilize more than one avenue in raising capital. This will help to ensure the new company is funded well from the start in order to give it the best chance to succeed. 1. Discuss the future outlook and industry trends related to the new venture. Future Outlook and Industry Trends The future outlook for the sports drink industry involves many new companies entering the market and offering different types of non traditional sports drinks. Gatorade has been leading the market for years but has yet to really come out with a new product. They have pushed different marketing campaigns and tried to repackage their product a bit, but the formula and product remain fundamentally the same. This is where new companies are able to gain ground against the bigger and more established market leaders. One new trend in the industry is to target a specific segment of the market such as kids or athletes. The now discontinued product Gatorade Tiger was one way the market leader and our competitor tried to innovate and take advantage of this trend. This product was heavily marketed to the endurance athlete and team sports. Powerade is now targeting the kid segment of the market with their product called Powerade Play for kids. This product contains 20% of the Daily Value (DV) of four B vitamins, 100% DV of vitamin C, 20% DV of zinc, a trademarked electrolyte system and 25% less sugar (Spano, 2005). Another industry trend being seen involves the concept of ‘nutrient timingâ€Å". This involves drinking certain nutrients around the time of physical exertion or exercise to allow for shorter recovery time and for specific needs such as strength training or endurance. So far, this practice has focused mainly on carbohydrates and protein but in the future the trend will be nutrient timing for non-nutrients. The most well known sports drink currently involving nutrient-timing are protein based recovery drinks or Ready-to-Drink beverages. LJ Enterprises new product offering, Sore-B-Gone will be a perfect fit for this emerging market trend. 2. Discuss the legal or concerns related to the venture idea Legal Services and Industry Concerns In most cases the entrepreneur will need to protect his or her intellectual property. The practice of acquiring patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets will ensure this property is protected by the courts and through the services of an attorney. An attorney can be specialized in one area such as patents or real estate. It is important for the attorney and the client to develop a good working relationship. This can help to give the entrepreneur much needed confidence and help to ease some of the risk launching a new venture. One if the first things a new company will want to do after hiring the services of an attorney is to have a conversation about patents. Most of the work will be done by the lawyer who will work to secure a patent for the new company. In doing this, the entrepreneur gains exclusivity regarding his or her invention for a limited amount of time. The time that the invention or product will be patented depends on which type of patent is acquired. A Utility patent will grant the owner protection for twenty years from other people or businesses making, using, or selling the invention that has been patented. This type of patent usually involves a process such as the mixture of ingredients. It is this type of patent that LJ Enterprises will seek in order to protect its intellectual property, such as our drink mixture. Another type of patent is called a design patent. This one has a term of fourteen years and involves the appearance of an object. For example, if a company wanted to protect a product or container configuration, this would be the type of patent that would be needed. It will be very important for any company looking to sell internationally to file for an international patent. This will protect the company from unforeseen laws or taxes involving the many different countries. 3. Discuss the approach and obstacles to raising capital for the new venture. Approaches to Raising Capital In the beginning stages of starting a new business venture, the entrepreneur will face many difficult tasks. One of these tasks will be deciding how to raise the necessary funds in order to get their product or idea off the ground. The best course may involve one or many sources depending on the business needs and initial capital already available. One easy and logical first step would be to ask friends and family. In most cases this group is excited about their relatives or friends taking on a new venture with the chance of making a lot of money. However, this approach can damage relationships if certain expectations are not met and/or investments are not paid back as promised. Another problem is that the capital borrowed is often small and not enough to cover all the initial costs. Another more effective approach is through Angel investors. This group has more money available to give the new business but one of the downsides is they may want a stake in ownership, stock options, or some other kind of compensation up front. This will not be an ideal option for the owner who wants full ownership of the company. Yet another option is the standard bank loan. The two key elements to obtaining this type of loan is the business owner’s personal credit history and having a soild bsuiness plan. It is the ntention of LJ Enterprises to first enlist the help of a wealthy uncle with very deep pockets. This initial investment from Uncle Taylor will be around $30,000. A decent sum of money but not enough to do all the things the company initially wants to do. The company will also need to try and secure a small business loan from a bank. We will ask for $50,000 in order to cover all the start up costs and to help out with daily living expenses while getting the product launched. Obstacles to Raising Capital One of the major setbacks to getting capital for a new business venture is the huge risk involved with such an undertaking. However, this risk can be somewhat averted if the business owner can create a good pitch to lenders and managing the money effectively once the loan is secured. Another obstacle to raising capital is not asking for enough money in the first place. In a 2004 U. S. Bank study of reasons for small business failures, 79 percent cited â€Å"starting out with too little money† as one of the causes of their collapse (Sugars, 2007) . Other barriers to getting the amount of capital needed are failure to get the proper legal documents, poor cash flow management, having too many lenders, and focusing too much on the idea and not enough on management. LJ enterprises has considered all of these factors and intends to due the following to increase its chances of being properly funded. First off, we intend to limit our lenders to only two. Secondly, an accountant will be hired to manage the cash flow and overall record keeping. Lastly, the services of an attorney will be utilized from the beginning so that no important legal documents are missed. The company hopes to maximize the chances of gaining its initial capital by following these guidelines. Conclusion Currently one of the most important trends in the sports beverage market is the concept of nutrient timing. It is for this reason that we feel our product, Sore-B-Gone, is being introduced at the right time. It is vitally important to the health and future on the company that the services of an attorney are obtained right from the start. An attorney can not only assist but increase the changes of the new venture obtaining much needed initial capital. If the new company can avoid some of the obstacles to obtaining capital such as managing money effectively and following the advise of the attorney, the company may just survive and thrive in the marketplace.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 58~59

58 Malink's Song â€Å"They're flying the new pilot in tomorrow,† said Sebastian Curtis. â€Å"I told them that Tucker wouldn't fly, so he had to be eliminated. They weren't happy about losing the heart and lungs.† Beth Curtis sat at her vanity, putting on her eye makeup for the appear-ance of the Sky Priestess. The red scarf was draped over the back of the chair. â€Å"Did you check the database? Maybe we can send another set of or-gans back with them. I can pick the chosen tonight and keep them in the clinic until tomorrow morning.† â€Å"The customer already died,† Curtis said. â€Å"Well, I guess he really was sick, then.† She laughed, a girlish laugh full of music. Sebastian loved her laugh. He smiled over her shoulder into the mirror. â€Å"I'm glad you're not concerned about Tucker Case. I understand, Beth. Really. I was just jealous.† â€Å"Tucker who? Oh, you mean Tucker dead-at-sea Case? ‘Bastian, dear, I did what I did for us. I thought it would keep him under control. Write it off as one of life's little missteps. Besides, if he's not dead now, he will be in a day or so.† â€Å"He made it here on the open ocean. Through a typhoon.† â€Å"And with the navigator. Remember, I've seen him fly. He's dead. That old cannibal is probably munching on his bones right now.† She checked her lipstick and winked at him in the mirror. â€Å"Showtime, darling.† Malink trudged through the jungle, his shoulders aching from the basket of food he was carrying. Each day he had been taking food to Sarapul's hiding place. It was not that he didn't trust his people, but he did not want to burden any of them with such a weighty secret. The last of them to see the cannibal saw him covered with blood, gasping in the sand. Malink had told them that Sarapul was dead and that Malink had given his body to the sharks. A chief had to carry many secrets, and sometimes he had to lie to his people to spare them pain. After the third day, Malink was ready to let the cannibal go back to his house on the far side of the island. The guards were no longer searching, and the Sorcerer had stopped asking questions. Perhaps things would go back to the way they were. But maybe that wasn't right either. Malink didn't want to, but he believed the pilot. The Sky Priestess and the Sorcerer were going to hurt his people. He was too old for this. He was too old to fight. And how do you fight machine guns with spears and machetes? He paused by a giant mahogany tree and put the basket down while he caught his breath. He saw smoke drifting in streams over the ferns and looked in the direction it was coming from. Someone was there, obscured by a tall stand of taro leaves as big as elephant ears. There was a rustling there. Malink crouched. â€Å"You're not scared, are you, squirt?† Malink recognized the voice from his childhood and he wasn't scared. But he knew he didn't have to say so. â€Å"I am not a squirt. I am old man now.† Vincent swaggered out of the taro. His flight suit and bomber jacket looked exactly as Malink remembered. â€Å"You're always gonna be a squirt, kid. You still got that lighter I gave you?† Malink nodded. â€Å"That was my lucky Zippo, kid. I shoulda hung on to it. Fuck it. Spilt milk.† Vincent waved his cigarette in dismissal. â€Å"Look, I need you to build some ladders. You know what a ladder is, right?† â€Å"Yes,† Malink said. â€Å"Of course you do, smart kid like you. So I am needing you to build, oh, say six ladders, thirty feet long, strong and light. Use bamboo. Are you getting this, kid?† Malink nodded. He was grinning from ear to ear. Vincent was speaking to him again. â€Å"You're talkin' my ear off, kid. So, anyway, I need you to build these ladders, see, as I am having big plans for you and the Shark People. Large plans, kid. Hugely large. I'm talking about substantial fuckin' plans I am having. Okay?† Malink nodded. â€Å"Good, build the ladders and stand by for further orders.† The flyer began to back away into the taro patch. â€Å"You said you would come back,† Malink said. â€Å"You said you would come back and bring cargo.† â€Å"You don't look like you been shorted on the feedbag, kid. You got your cargo in spades.† â€Å"You said you would come back.† Vincent threw up his hands. â€Å"So what the fuck's this? Western Union? Don't go screwy on me, kid. I need you.† The pilot started to fade, going as translucent as his cigarette smoke. Malink stepped forward. â€Å"The Sky Priestess will tell us orders?† â€Å"The Sky Priestess took a powder fifty years ago, kid. This dame doing the bump and grind on my runway is paste.† â€Å"Paste?† â€Å"She's a fake, squirt. A boneable feast to be sure, but she's running a game on you.† â€Å"She is not Sky Priestess?† â€Å"No, but don't piss her off.† With that the pilot faded to nothing. Malink leaned back against the mahogany tree and looked up through the canopy to the sky. His skin tingled and his breath was coming easy and deep. The ache in his knees was gone. He was light and strong and full, and every birdcall or rustle of leaves or distant crash of a wave seemed part of a great and wonderful song. 59 Call in the Cavalry They had missed Guam and Saipan (passing at night) and all the Northern Mariana Islands (drifting in fog) and Johnston Island and all ships at sea (no reason, they just missed). The sunscreen had run out on the seventh day. The drinking coconuts ran out on the fourteenth. They still had some shark meat that had been smoked and dried, but Tuck couldn't choke down a bite of it without water. They had had nothing to drink for a full day. They were at sea for three days before Sepie came out of her catatonia, and after a day of sobbing, she started to talk. â€Å"I miss him,† she said. â€Å"He listen to me. He like me even when I am being mean.† â€Å"Me too. I treated him badly sometimes too. He was a good guy. A good friend.† â€Å"He love you very much,† Sepie said. She was crying again. Tuck looked down, shielding his face so she couldn't see his eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry, Sepie. I know you loved him. I didn't mean to put him in danger. I didn't mean to put you in danger.† She crawled to his end of the canoe and into his arms. He held her there for a long time, rocking her until she stopped crying. He said, â€Å"You'll be okay.† â€Å"Kimi say he would sail me to America someday. You will take me?† â€Å"Sure. You'll like it there.† â€Å"Tell me,† she said. She grilled Tuck about all things American, making him explain everything from television to tampons. Tuck learned about men, about how simple they were, about how easily they could be manipulated, about how good they could make a woman feel when they were nice, and how much they could hurt a woman by dying. Telling the things that they knew made them each feel smart, and sharing the duties of sailing the boat made them feel safe. It was easier to live in the little world inside the canoe rather than face the vast emptiness of the open ocean. Sepie took to curling into Tuck's chest and sleeping while he steered. Twice Tuck fell asleep in her arms and no one steered the boat for hours. Tuck didn't let it bother him. He had accepted that they were going to die. It seemed so easy now that he wondered why he'd made such an effort to escape it on the island. Roberto hadn't spoken since the first night. He hung from the lines and pointed with a wing claw when Tuck called to him. When Tuck was still reckoning, he reckoned that they were traveling at an average speed of five knots. At five knots, twenty-four hours a day, for fourteen days, he reckoned that they had traveled well over two thousand miles. Tuck reckoned that they were now sailing though downtown Sacramento. His reckoning wasn't any better than his navigation. On the fifteenth day Roberto took flight and Tuck watched him until he was nothing but a dot on the horizon, then nothing at all. Tuck didn't blame him. He accepted his own death, but he didn't want to watch Sepie go before him. At sunset he tied off the steering oar, took Sepie in his arms, and lay down in the bottom of the boat to wait. Sometime later – he couldn't tell how long, but it was still dark – he woke with a parched scream when a tube of mascara dropped out of the sky and hit him in the chest. Sepie sat up and snatched the tube from the bottom of the boat. â€Å"To make you pretty,† she said. Her voice cracked on â€Å"pretty.† Tuck was too disoriented to recognize what she was holding. He took it from her and squinted at it. â€Å"It's mascara.† â€Å"Roberto,† Sepie said. Tuck looked around in the sky, but didn't see the bat. It was beginning to get light. â€Å"You brought us mascara? We're dying of thirst and you brought us mascara?† â€Å"Kimi teach him,† Sepie said. Tuck didn't think he had the energy left for outrage, but it was coming nonetheless. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sepie put a finger to his lips. â€Å"Listen.† Tuck listened. He heard nothing. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Surf.† Tuck listened. He heard it. He also heard something else, a rhythmic stirring in the water much closer to the canoe. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw something moving over the water toward them. â€Å"Aloha!† came out of the dark, followed by a middle-aged white man in an ocean kayak. â€Å"I guess I'm not the only one who likes to get out early,† he said. In their first hour at the Waikiki Beach Hyatt Regency, Sepie flushed the toilet seventy-eight times and consumed two hundred and forty dollars' worth of product from the minibar (five Pepsis and a box of Raisinets). â€Å"You poop in here and it just goes away?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"In this big bowl?† She pointed. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You poop?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you push this?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And it goes away?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"To the next room.† Plumbing. They hadn't talked about plumbing. â€Å"And they push this and it goes away?† â€Å"Look, Sepie, there's a TV in here. You push this and it changes the picture.† Tuck couldn't be sure because they'd never had sex and because she'd told him about how she could fool a man, but he thought she might have come right then. He made her promise not to leave the room and left her there flushing and clicking while he went to the police. The desk sergeant at the Honolulu police department listened patiently and politely and with appropriate concern right up until Tuck said, â€Å"I know I look a little ratty, but I've been at sea in an open boat for two weeks.† At which point the sergeant held up his hand signifying it was his turn to talk. â€Å"You've been at sea for two weeks?† â€Å"Yes. I escaped by boat.† â€Å"So how long ago did these alleged murders happen?† â€Å"I don't know exactly. One about a month ago, one longer.† â€Å"And you're just getting around to reporting them now?† I told you. I was trapped on Alualu. I escaped in a sailing canoe.† â€Å"Then,† the sergeant said, â€Å"Alualu is not a street in Honolulu.† â€Å"No. It's an island in Micronesia.† â€Å"I can't help you, sir. That's out of our jurisdiction.† â€Å"Well, who can help me?† â€Å"Try the FBI.† So Tuck, on the cab ride to the FBI offices, changed his strategy. He'd wait until he got past the front line of defense before spilling his guts. The receptionist was a petite Asian woman of forty who spoke English so precisely that Tuck knew it had to be her second language. â€Å"I'm sure I can help you if you will just tell me what it is that you'd like to report.† â€Å"I can't. I have to talk to an agent. I won't be comfortable unless I talk to a real agent.† She looked offended and her speech became even crisper. â€Å"Perhaps you can tell me the nature of the crime.† Tuck thought for a moment. What did the FBI always handle on television? Al Capone, Klansmen, bank robberies, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Kidnapping,† he said. â€Å"There's been a kidnapping.† â€Å"And who has been kidnapped? Have you filed a missing persons report with the local police?† Tuck shook his head and stood his ground. â€Å"I'll tell an agent.† The receptionist picked up the phone and punched a number. She turned away from him and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke into the mouthpiece. She hung up and said, â€Å"There's an agent on his way.† â€Å"Thanks,† Tuck said. A few minutes later a door opened and a dark-haired guy who looked like a mobile mannequin from a Brooks Brothers window display entered the reception room and extended his hand to Tuck. â€Å"Mr. Case, I'm Special Agent Tom Myers. Would you step into my office, please?† Tuck shook his hand and followed him though the door and down a hallway of identical ten-by-twelve offices with identical metal desks that displayed identical photos of identical families in identical dime-store frames. Myers motioned for Tuck to sit and took the seat behind the desk. â€Å"Now, Rose tells me that you want to report a kidnapping?† Special Agent Myers unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. â€Å"You allowed to do that?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Casual Fridays,† the special agent said. â€Å"Oh,† Tuck said. â€Å"Yes. Kidnapping, multiple murder, and the theft and sale of human organs for transplant.† Myers showed no reaction. â€Å"Go on.† And Tuck did. He began with the offer of the job on Alualu and ended with his arrival in Hawaii, leaving out the crash of Mary Jean's jet, the subsequent loss of his pilot's license and pending criminal charges, anything to do with cargo cults, cannibals, transvestites, ghost pilots, talking bats, and genital injuries. As he wrapped up, he thought the edited version sounded pretty credible. Special Agent Myers had not changed position or expression once in the half hour that Tuck had talked. Tuck thought he saw him blink once, though. Special Agent Myers leaned back in his chair (casual Fridays) and templed his fingers. â€Å"Let me ask you something,† he said. â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"Are you the Tucker Case that got drunk and crashed the pink jet in Seattle a few months ago?† Tuck could have slapped him. â€Å"Yes, but that doesn't have anything to do with this.† â€Å"I think it does, Mr. Case. I think it affects the credibility of what is already an incredible story. I think you should leave my office and go about the business of putting your life in order.† â€Å"I'm telling you the truth,† Tuck said. He was fighting panic. He worked to stay calm. â€Å"Why would I make up a story like that? As you pointed out, I've got enough on my plate just rebuilding my life. I'm not so stupid that I'd add charges for filing a false crime report to all the others. If you have to take me into custody, do it. But do something about what's going on out on that island or a lot more people are going to die.† â€Å"Even if I believed your story, what would you like me to do?† And there Tuck lost it.† ‘Special agent.' Does that mean that you had to take the little bus to the academy?† â€Å"I was at the top of my class.† A rise. â€Å"Then act like it.† â€Å"What do you want, Mr. Case?† Tuck jumped up and leaned over the desk. Special Agent Myers rolled back in his chair. â€Å"I want you to stop them. I want covert action and deadly technology. I want Navy SEALS and snipers and spies and laser-guided smart stealth gizmos out the ying-yang. I want surgical strikes and satellite views and a steaming shitload of every sort of Tom Clancy geegaw you got. I want fucking Jack Ryan, James Bond, and a half-dozen Van Damme motherfuck-ers who can jump through their own asses and rip your heart out while it's still beating. I want action, Special Agent Myers. This is evil shit.† â€Å"Sit down, Mr. Case.† Tuck sat down. His energy was gone. â€Å"Look, I'm giving myself up. Arrest me, throw me in jail, beat me with a rubber hose, do whatever you want to do, but stop what's going on out there.† Special Agent Myers smiled. â€Å"I don't believe a word you've told me, but even if I did, even if you had evidence of what you're claiming, I still couldn't do anything. The FBI can only act on domestic matters.† â€Å"Then tell someone who handles international matters.† â€Å"The CIA only handles matters that affect national security, and frankly, I wouldn't embarrass myself by calling them.† â€Å"Fuck it, then. Take me away.† Tuck held out his arms to receive handcuffs. â€Å"Go back to your hotel and get some rest, Mr. Case. There are no outstanding warrants for your arrest.† â€Å"There aren't?† Tuck felt as if he'd been gut-punched. â€Å"I checked the computer before I brought you in here.† Myers stood. â€Å"I'll show you out.† After another cab ride and another truncated telling of his story, Tuck was also shown out of the Japanese embassy. He found a pay phone and soon he had been hung up on by both the American Medical Association and the Council of Methodist Missionaries. He found Sepie curled up on the king-size bed, the television still blaring in the bathroom, three minibottles of vodka empty on the floor. Tuck considered raiding the minibar himself, but when he opened it, he opted for a grapefruit juice instead of gin. Getting hammered wasn't going to take the edge off this time, and at this rate, the money he'd left on deposit at the desk in lieu of a credit card – the money that Sarapul had found in Tuck's pack – would run out in two days. He sat down on the bed and stroked Sepie's hair. She had put on mascara while he was out and had made a mess of it. Funny, she'd walked into the hotel wearing one of Tuck's shirts – the first time she'd worn a top in her life – looking very much the little girl and now she had on makeup and was passed out drunk. Tuck had a feeling that coming to America was not going to be easy on either of them. He kissed her on the forehead and she moaned and rolled over. â€Å"Perfume tomorrow,† she said. â€Å"You get me some, okay?† â€Å"Okay,† Tuck said. â€Å"A woman who smells good is a woman who feels good.† The phrase rattled off the walls of his brain. He snatched up the phone and punched up information. When the operator came on, he said, â€Å"Houston, area code 713†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Admissions essay

â€Å"l want to become the greatest engineer in the world†, said a 5 year old boy named Phone. That seemed to be a little dream of a child which he would forget soon. However, for 1 1 years since his saying, that boy had been still continuously following his dream. With remarkable ability of science, Phone was admitted to the physics department of HUSH High School for Gifted Students.In there, he got to know about Nanning Technological university from a senior. Phone was very impressed by the way this university inspired students and its extremely competitive educational environment. His love for .NET started then. Therefore, he challenged himself on the university entrance examination of .NET. Unfortunately, he was rejected. It was the very first big failure and Phone was deeply shocked. He avoided everyone and became more reserved.However, his passion was greater than anything else. Phone quickly overcame this grief, and started acquiring knowledge, to provide himself anothe r chance in the following year. Len addition to participation in an intense A-level program, he also did not forget to improve his soft skills and social knowledge by spending time on some extra-curricular activities such as movie making, volunteering ND being a technician for some events.Thanks to his efficient working method, Phone obtained a few amount of achievements like becoming an youth partner, and a film producer of a volunteer group. Those experiences, which made him more optimistic, sociable, responsible became unforgettable memories In his life. At this moment, when you are reading this essay, Phone had succeeded In completion of his changeable and had a great time before becoming a student In his dream university. I believe that as long as he maintains his passion, he can successfully pilot his own life. Admissions Essay After serious investigation and reflection I am convinced my educational goals will be far better achieved at NYU than at any other university. It is not an easy decision for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Villanova and made the most of it. One of the many wonderful concepts I have learned from my parents is to strive for academic excellence while balancing life with other activities and contributions. I am proud of my academic record at Villanova, as well as my extracurricular involvement in campus activities, part-time employment and community service. Through the efforts of my parents I have enjoyed a great deal of cultural and educational diversity. I was born and raised in Taiwan, and moved with my parents to Shanghai, China, where I attended high school. Within a very short time I advanced from speaking virtually no English to first place in my class, and then on to Advanced Placement classes. My secondary education in Shanghai was instrumental in the development of my interest in business and finance, and my goal is to be become expert in the area of financial analysis. NYU is a perfect match for me. NYU Stern is one of the finest business schools and enjoys a global reputation. I have learned from my parents two â€Å"laws†: the law of learning and the law of giving. I believe the more you learn the more open you become for learning. I am convinced NYU Stern is a great fit for â€Å"the law of learning† and by achieving academic excellence at NYU I will be in a position to choose career opportunities for continued growth not available at any other university. I have learned from my parents the critical importance of the law of giving, and I am both attracted and committed to the Stern model of community service, particularly that â€Å"students apply business skills to effect social change.† I will bring to NYU a variety of assets and commitments. I have benefited in the past from having â€Å"mentors†, particularly in Shanghai, and I look forward to being able to mentor Chinese and Asian students at NYU. I have always been committed to community service and campus government, and plan on continuing these important activities. I will bring to the campus what others have considered in me an infectious â€Å"joy of learning, excitement for the future, and need for world contribution.† That is in essence my philosophy and I believe it will contribute to the NYU community. The time is right in my life to appreciate and take full advantage of all that NYU offers. I look forward to being a part of a university which has the city itself as part of the campus. While touring NYU I felt at once comfortable and energized, I feeling I never had at Villanova or any other university I have visited. I am fully aware of the significance of being considered for acceptance, and I am sincerely grateful for your time and consideration of my application. Admissions Essay After serious investigation and reflection I am convinced my educational goals will be far better achieved at NYU than at any other university. It is not an easy decision for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Villanova and made the most of it. One of the many wonderful concepts I have learned from my parents is to strive for academic excellence while balancing life with other activities and contributions. I am proud of my academic record at Villanova, as well as my extracurricular involvement in campus activities, part-time employment and community service. Through the efforts of my parents I have enjoyed a great deal of cultural and educational diversity. I was born and raised in Taiwan, and moved with my parents to Shanghai, China, where I attended high school. Within a very short time I advanced from speaking virtually no English to first place in my class, and then on to Advanced Placement classes. My secondary education in Shanghai was instrumental in the development of my interest in business and finance, and my goal is to be become expert in the area of financial analysis. NYU is a perfect match for me. NYU Stern is one of the finest business schools and enjoys a global reputation. I have learned from my parents two â€Å"laws†: the law of learning and the law of giving. I believe the more you learn the more open you become for learning. I am convinced NYU Stern is a great fit for â€Å"the law of learning† and by achieving academic excellence at NYU I will be in a position to choose career opportunities for continued growth not available at any other university. I have learned from my parents the critical importance of the law of giving, and I am both attracted and committed to the Stern model of community service, particularly that â€Å"students apply business skills to effect social change.† I will bring to NYU a variety of assets and commitments. I have benefited in the past from having â€Å"mentors†, particularly in Shanghai, and I look forward to being able to mentor Chinese and Asian students at NYU. I have always been committed to community service and campus government, and plan on continuing these important activities. I will bring to the campus what others have considered in me an infectious â€Å"joy of learning, excitement for the future, and need for world contribution.† That is in essence my philosophy and I believe it will contribute to the NYU community. The time is right in my life to appreciate and take full advantage of all that NYU offers. I look forward to being a part of a university which has the city itself as part of the campus. While touring NYU I felt at once comfortable and energized, I feeling I never had at Villanova or any other university I have visited. I am fully aware of the significance of being considered for acceptance, and I am sincerely grateful for your time and consideration of my application.

Evolution of Ireland Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evolution of Ireland Education System - Essay Example The first steps towards inclusion and excellence in education had been taken. Ireland was looking towards its future - the children. Traditionally much of the Public school system in Ireland was reflective of the culture of the nation. The separation by religious affiliation was widely accepted, not just within the school system but within every day life. "State-funded and administered national school system was established in Ireland in 1831. This provided universal access to primary education. By the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, the administration and business of primary education were entrusted to a Department of Education, the head of which was the Minister for Education" (UNESCO, 2000, 1). Although public ally funded these schools, they were run by individual church denominations and exclusion of other faiths was the norm. Prior to the 1980's schools were traditionally Catholic or Protestant schools. Although historically some schools had been considered integrated prior to the 1980's, in fact, the term was loosely used to denote a once catholic affiliated school had become a protestant affiliated sc hool. The cultural differences precluded multi faith attendance by students within the state run school system. The 1980's through the 1990's saw the most sweeping changes in the Irish educational system. The main focus centered on inclusion of all citizens' educational opportunities: from primary education, to post primary, to advanced degree programs, to adult education and training, and to attract back youth who were no longer attending school. The emphasis on expanding the role both of government and other agencies to provided the best possible education to each person became the target of the Department of Education. The former restrictions of limited opportunities because of religion, gender, and economically and socially disadvantages became an imperative. The Department of Education began restructuring itself to meet the demands of its new philosophy. "The Irish educational system operates in a complex and changing environment, which features many different partners - parents, students, teachers, patrons, managerial authorities, the Department of Education and Science, and other speci al interest groups, such as employers and community organisations. All of these partners have played a part in the major developments in Irish education within the last decade" (UNESCO, 2000, 1) During these formulative years the Department of Education has established specific divisions within the department to focus on specific areas including: curriculum development, Vocational and Technical training, Information Technology, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). YOUTHREACH, and Gender Equality Unit to cite a few. The transition from exclusion to inclusion, although not complete, has been a remarkable accomplishment brought about by a unified effort of government, the public and community groups to improve the overall life of Irish citizens. The most important piece of legislature to affect the educational system

The Objectives Of The Spanish And British Colonizers Case Study

The Objectives Of The Spanish And British Colonizers - Case Study Example Comparisons made between the two as far as patterns of colonization demonstrate the existence of significant differences. There were similarities, such as the use of the New Lands to further their mercantile ideologies. Both also ravaged the native peoples of the Americas, which set on course cultural destruction and disruption. However, both nations would lose their colonies by the early 19th century as independent settler communities were established. How were their objectives for finding these settlements similar or different? The objectives of the Spanish and British colonizers were starkly different apart from their goal of advancing their mercantile ideologies. The Spanish colonized and settled in the New Lands primarily as conquerors with the political system that they set up being entirely autocratic and centered on furthering the Spanish motherland (Elliott 37). After they had conquered the lands, they proceeded to loot vast resources. Spain viewed the new lands that it colo nized as an object whose only use was for the furthering of its mercantile objectives. This was evident in a large number of ships that traveled from Spanish America to Spain laden with gold, silver, and other valuables. Since it was their sole objective, Spain gave minimal rights of self-rule to their colonies, instead of dictating the policies governing them from the Spanish mainland (Elliott 38). The British settled peacefully rather than as conquerors into the new Lands. They migrated to these lands with the sole objectives of economic opportunity, political freedom, and independence. Because England had a long tradition of partial representation, their colonies were able to achieve some self-government with a form of assembly that was representative of the settlers.

Recommendation memo for business trend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Recommendation memo for business trend - Essay Example Starbucks' clients have less money in their pockets than they used to. They may have lost their jobs or cut back on consuming luxury coffee like Starbucks. Furthermore, as the housing bust has unwound, whole neighbourhoods have changed. They will want to reconsider the placement of cafes. These are just several of a number of recommendations included below to help Starbucks weather this storm and once again get back on top of the coffee world. Starbucks is a very strong brand with a loyal following. They are well positioned to storm back to the top of the charts. Over the years, Starbucks has proved itself to be a very successful company. It is has expanded substantially and is a recognized brand. But the financial crisis and economic downturn had a severe impact on its revenue (see figure 1, appendix). Now is the time to consider a number of steps which can help Starbucks restore itself to its former glory. It is not a matter of simply returning Starbucks to the position it held bef ore the crisis. Many things have changed in the marketplace since then. Success may well mean something different now. Starbucks must look around at a changing marketplace and seize new opportunities. In some cases it may have to shift its focus in order to maximize returns. What follows are five recommendations to ensure the Starbucks does not become a relic. The recommendations aim to help Starbucks focus on its customers and its future. Lower cost and rebrand The era of conspicuous consumption is over. The economic crisis made sure of that. It resulted in serious damage to national economies worldwide and the cuts that will have to result to bring down the deficit have not yet been made. Things are going to get worse before they get better. This is a problem because the price of Starbucks coffee is too high. Competition with MacDonalds may be negatively impacting Starbucks sales (Ordonez). The truth is that the climate has changed and cost is a big factor for many people these da ys. We need to see a small reduction in the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks. That alone will be worth media attention and will be a kind of signal to consumers that Starbucks takes this issue very seriously. A lot of the coffee is overpriced and this overpricing is not sustainable with new competition in the market. Reducing the price even ten or fifteen per cent will show consumers that Starbucks is willing to change and adapt to new economic realities. This can be part of a rebranding that will make Starbucks more appealing to a larger audience. The communications element of branding is key to attracting more customers (Capon, 296). Currently, Starbucks is seen as a hipster place where the elites go to sip an expensive latte. There is no reason to lose this cache, but it makes sense in this economic climate to try to create a larger tent in which many different types of people can come and enjoy themselves. Starbucks needs to think long and hard about who it wants to attract in 2012 and beyond. The larger the customer base the more stable the company. It is important to remember that rebranding can be a risky proposition (Muzellec, et al, 802). Approach it with caution. Expansion into new markets Starbucks is seen primarily as an American company, with most of its cafes in North America and Western Europe. These generate a lot of

The Power Of Music In Literature Research Paper

The Power Of Music In Literature - Research Paper Example This close connection helps to create a very solid understanding of the literature itself and can bring the audience’s own feelings and emotions deeply into the action. Music in literature can often be used to express mood in literature, and this expression can be stronger than using the written word alone. Examples of music’s strength can be found in drama, especially Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. Shakespeare often uses music to create a strong emotional tone. By implementing music in his plays, Shakespeare was able to transcend his mood from the action and characters into his audience. His technique was quite successful, and besides his fantastic writing skills, this ability to combine literature and music allowed him to successfully demonstrate the feelings of his characters to his audience. Music, therefore, can be more powerful than the written word alone in literature, and by taking a close look at Shakespeare and the way he both used and understood music, we can gain a solid understanding of how music can create a strong feeling of emotion in the audience, backing up the action set in the play or piece of fiction. â€Å"Music oft hath such a charm to make bad good,† Shakespeare states in Measure for Measure. Shakespeare, therefore, realized the power of music and its ability to create and stir emotion in his audience. Shakespeare also realized that music could make something that seemed otherwise bearable quite bearable. In fact, the bard was so fascinated by music that many of his characters mention its power in his plays. He often uses music as a metaphor to compare its power to certain feelings, and it seems that the mere mention of music helps to make the words spoken even stronger.

Argument against Tax Bailouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argument against Tax Bailouts - Essay Example Advantages to be discussed are: bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive; bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy; Bailouts are essentially government loans which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned; Disadvantages to be discussed are: bailouts use taxpayer money, which diverts much needed funding from other government programs and institutions; bailouts are band-aid solutions as they deal with the symptoms, not the main problems and do not always work; bailouts are against the free market principals and promote an environment where big corporations can take reckless risk knowing the government will pull them out. Despite the perceived advantages, tax bailouts are a major cost to tax payers and should not be used as a solution to prevent corporations who have placed themselves in difficult positions through mismanagement. As of July 24, 2011, t he United States government has handed out tax bailouts totaling well over $2.5 trillion with a commitment to provide further support of $12.2 trillion (The New York Times). These funds can be directed to improve the government’s social services and infrastructure. However, large corporations, who are at the brink bankruptcy due to mismanagement and high risk taking, will end up receiving these funds. However, some would argue that these bailouts are necessity in order to prevent limit the ripple effect from the collapse of big corporation. Bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive. These too big to fail corporations, if they were to collapse the, system would not be able to hold up against such a significant jump in unemployment numbers. Given the cross-functional nature of corporations today, the impact would have been felt in other industries; job losses would mean a drop in consumer spending, which would impact the retail industry (as an example) and so on. In order to prevent such a ripple effect, bailouts are necessary. Bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy. By implementing a bailout, government can prevent loss of jobs, which means that consumers will continue to have disposable income to spend. This will boost the industries that manufacture the goods and services thus stimulating the economy and keep it steady. Consumers without any source that provides them with disposable income, example jobs, will hold back the spending. This will cause lower retail expenditures thus resulting in slow economic growth, which can lead to a recession. Thus, to prevent such dangerous movements, the bailout is required. Bailouts are essentially government loans, which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned. The government has the upper hand in dictating the conditions upon which the bailout is issued. In the case of the auto makers, governments, in exchange for the bailout, received an ownership stake in the company, for example General Motors, thus will receive dividends and interest once GM starts generating revenue. Part of the deal with the big corporations is that the bailout money has to be returned once the crisis has been averted and

Sexual Predators in Cyberspace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexual Predators in Cyberspace - Research Paper Example The consequences of such events on the web can lead to catastrophic dangers. (Cheney) Children are particularly vulnerable in this regard and face a lot of cyber dangers. Child sexual exploitation spans across every economic, social, ethnic and religious group out there. They span beyond geographical boundaries. Pedophiles and sexual predators are on the rise. They make use of internet without regard of any precautions, exchange personal information of their co-pedophiles and potential child victims. They have hidden behind various screen names, where they come together online and exchange child pornography with speed and efficiency that’s beyond our mental capacity. This in turn excites them to molest further. This is a grave problem that needs to be resolved. I t can be solved by sending police men in chat rooms to track down on predators and by promoting awareness among children The dark side of the internet and World Wide Web puts young innocent minds in a lot of dangers. The sexual predators exploit chat rooms to target youngsters. As useful as the internet maybe, it has its own disadvantages too. Some of the harms it can inflict can put a child into grave danger and take his childhood away from him. Daily Telegraph is of the view that internet makes it possible for children to end up anywhere without leaving their home town. This can eventually land them into places where they can be abused, stalked and conned by sexual predators. (Hatch) Most of the sexual predators work in online chat rooms and have already gotten in touch with a lot of kids. They look out for children who can be easy convenient targets for them. Most of the time they seek sexual abuse, bullying and divorce. In other words, they look for anything that can emotionally captivate the child and hamper his confidence. Such victims are their main targets. After they have triggered the initia l

Repealing the Jones Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Repealing the Jones Act - Research Paper Example This historical act can be found in Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The act professed that goods & passengers transported by water between US ports must be done in US made ships, owned by US populace & crewed by US citizens. The Jones Act also provided sailors with supplementary rights, including the facility to look for reparation from the crew, captain, or ship owner in the case of an injury. The Jones Act generally deals with ‘cabotage’ (i.e. coastal shipping) & requires that all goods transported by water amid US ports be carried in US flag ships, constructed in the united states, owned by US populace , crewed by US people & US permanent inhabitants. This unique act was framed with the purpose of sustaining the US merchant marine industry, but agricultural welfare by and large opposed it for the reason that, they contended it raised the expenditure of shipping their commodities, making them less competitive against foreign sources. The great Gulf oil spill raised serious questions on the implications of this draconian act. The oil which had been squandering & demolishing aqua habitat could not be stopped for the sole reason of the legal bindings of this law. The US alone never possessed the arsenal of cleaning up this catastrophic mess. Yet, it remained reluctant when foreign nations repeatedly suggested utilizing their ships to meet this disaster. Thus, 2 010 witnessed this cruel drama while the endangered ecological equilibrium slowly drifted into the abyss of oblivion. This implied that foreign owned, built, & manned vessels could not assist in the oil spill cleanup mess unless of course President Barrack Hussein Obama waived or altered the Jones act. During the Katrina storms, the former president Bush decided to waive the laws of Jones act as a requirement of national emergency. But Obama opted to remain frigid & witness the blunders rather than becoming pro active & deciding according to the needs of the hour.

Winter Fashion Story Essay Example for Free

Winter Fashion Story Essay The Winter season may be over, but its trendy styles won’t be. Attention grabbing attire from chunky and bright jewelry to classical pencil dresses have become quite prominent. And, yes, even though it is winter , don’t let your dresses linger in the back of your closet! Mix and spice it up with scarves, hats, and vibrant jewelry. Just because winter is notorious for its freezing weather doesn’t mean you have to wear six layers of warm clothing that may not even be fashionable. So take this fashion report to your ultimate benefit and gain some valuable tips and pointers that may bring out the fashionable pizzazz within you. Pea coats If you truly crave to stand out from the winter crowd, pea coats are coming to the rescue. Venture for bright colors such as green, yellow, red, or even a neutral colored plaid for an extraordinary winter look that will pop. Not only can pea coats be very sleek and edgy, but they can also be comfy and warm, an element that can come in handy for the cold weather that the winter season invites with utmost pride. Hats â€Å"OH! LA! LA! † Ever dared or been courageous enough to wear a beret? The Frenchmen style has become immensely unique for its numerous variety in colors, designs, and savior from a bad hair day. The patterns are countless. Hats may not be such a crucial accessory, but imagine yourself one Saturday too lazy to look your utmost cutest. Slip on one of those berets and your attire will fit right into place. And who knows how many envious glances you got just because you wore a rare accessory that gave you that extra flavor and essence that was necessary to make you outfit shine? Vibrant Jewelry Aqua. Neon orange. Lime green. These are colors that desire attention. But don’t you too? A simple outfit can be elevated to a more beaming couture just by wearing an eye catching accessory. The winter season is embracing anything encompassed in glamour, and accessorizing is the perfect technique to show yours. Jeans Skinny jeans are extremely bizarre is a myth. Learn to praise skinny jeans. They are the gateway to loving and respecting your body even more. So if you think you have chicken legs, or curvy thighs, skinny jeans will hug to your figure in a way that will make you want to worship them because they try to make the good parts of your body stand out. Skinny jeans will assist in alleviating that self conscious persona of yours whenever you’re shopping for jeans. They even come in different colors from royal blue to washed out gray, there is a pair made especially for you. This winter season fashion 411 emphasizes modernizing trends while still having a touch of sophistication and classiness. Fashion is all about echoing your personality with utmost pride. So, do you have the courage to find your precious touch?

Elementary school Essay Example for Free

Elementary school Essay 1. 1 Age 1. 2 Gender 1. 3 Family income 2. What are the effects computer online games on the study habits of selected grade VI pupils at San Gabriel Elementary School? 3. Is there any significant difference on the effects of computer online games to the respondents’’ study habits in terms of their profile? HYPOTHESIS This study tested the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference on the perception of the respondent between the effects of computer online games and the study habit of grade VI pupils of San Gabriel Elementary school. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY. This research is important to the Parents of the youth. For them to know what are thing that influence using online games. Also to prevent the bad influence of online games to their children, for parents to be able to protect their children from influence of online games. To the youth, they should know the effects of online games to their study habit. Children should know the limitation of using online games and set their priorities. To the teacher, the second parents of the youth. This research is important to guide them to handle this kind of situation and to know how to assess their pupils. Future researchers can make use the results of this study as a basis for them to conduct similar studies of the effect of the computer online games on the study habits. SCOPE AND DELIMINATION OF THE STUDY This study was conducted at San Gabriel Elementary school to find out the effects of the study habits games on academic performance at selected grade VI pupils for the second semester year 2013-2014. The study made use of descriptive correlation method utilizing the questionnaire checklist to gathered data on the respondents. The respondent of this study were (100) selected grade VI pupils of San Gabriel Elementary school. This study focused only on the perceptions of the respondent who were being engaged in computer online games. DEFINITION OF TERMS Age is the length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to: Computer an electronic device designed to accept data, perform prescribed mathematical and logical operations at high speed, and display the results of these operations. Effects a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause: Elementary Education is used for schools where children from the age of about five receive primary education in some countries. Euphoric characterized by or feeling intense excitement and happiness Games this is the way of entertaining oneself; Internet is an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world. Pupils a student in school Questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case. Selected carefully choose as being the best or most suitable Study habits are defined as the regular tendencies and practices that one depicts during the process of gaining information through learning. Your study habits play a big role in determining your success in the learning process. Survey a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population. COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE QUEZON CITY 362 Quirino Highway, Sangandaan Quezon, City 1116* Tel. No: 330-4883/330-3620 CHAPTER 2q REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents review of related literature and studies that were utilized to strengthen the conceptual background of the study including those conducted in the Philippines and abroad. QUESTIONNAIRE DIRECTION: Please fill in the needed information below. Check the ( ) the corresponds to year answer. Name: ________________________________________ Age : ________ sex: ( ) male ( ) female 1. How much your penetration (â€Å"baon†) 10-25 Pesos ( )30-40 Pesos ( )50-100 Pesos ( ) 2. How much your budget to play online games. 10-25 Pesos ( )30-40 Pesos ( )50-100 Pesos ( ) 3. how much you spend time using online games. 1-2 hrs ( )2-3 hrs ( )4-5 ( ) 4. What type of games you like to play the most? ( ) action game ( ) adventure game ( ) racing game ( ) counter strike ( ) DOTA ( ) puzzle and soduko QUESTIONS YES NO 1. Do you love playing computer games? 2. Do you think playing computer games is easily addicted? 3. Do you think addicted to computer games will change your personality? 4. Do you think addicted to computer games brings negative impacts to our daily life? 5. Do you think obsessed on playing computer games will affect your academic results? 6. Do you think we can achieve a balance between playing computer games and studying? 7. Do you think addicted to computer games will affect the relationship with your family members? 8. Do you think discussing computer games always be the topic between you and your friend? 9. Do you think discussing computer games will enhance the relationship between you and your friends? 10. Do you think computer games addiction is a serious problem?

Satisfaction Motivation Hygiene

Satisfaction Motivation Hygiene True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction and recognition. This statement constitutes the core proposal of the important theorist we will be discussing. Frederick Herzberg was an important psychologist who became one of the most significant names in management on the 60s. His theories are still recognized as having been crucial to the development of the managerial sciences. The purpose of this paper is to analytically discuss the impact and consequences that his theories have had in the field of modern management. He is most recognized for his work on job enrichment and for his Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Frederick Herzberg was born on April, 19th of 1923 in Lynn, Massachusetts. Herzberg was a student at the City College of New York. He interrupted his studies midway to enlist in the army, returning to graduate in 1946. He died in Salt Lake City in early 2000. Witnessing a concentration camp in World War II, as well as talking with Germans he encountered during the War, were the catalysts he believed to be responsible for his interest in motivation. He expressed this interest in motivation by considering the factors that influence peoples behaviour in organisations. His Motivation-Hygiene Theory or Two Factor Theory of Job Satisfaction was published in 1959. The two factors influencing people according to his theory were: Satisfaction as a result of motivating factors such as: achievement, recognition, promotion, responsibility, growth. Dissatisfaction as a result of hygiene factors including: pay and benefits, company policies, relationship with co-workers, the work environment, job security, employee status, supervision, company assets. (Herzberg, 1959) He deemed that motivating factors will improve satisfaction, but their impact on dissatisfaction will be insubstantial. (Herzberg, 1959) On the other hand, if hygiene factors are not present they will cause dissatisfaction, yet their presence does not significantly affect satisfaction in the long-term. Central to the interpretation of this theory will be the recognition of the existence of factors that truly motivate (motivating factors) and others that could lead to dissatisfaction (hygiene factors). Herzberg considered human needs on two levels: the animal instinct of avoiding pain, and the necessity of personal psychological development. Similarly, long ago, Maslow understood perfectly and endeavoured to instruct managerial principals that even today, many organisations have failed to institute. Herzbergs theory remains as relevant now as it was when it was first published. Excepting the fact that responsibility, justice, fairness and compassion are global standards in contemporary business. Apart from his main theories, it is important to understand that Herzbergs primary concern was the well-being of organisational workforces. He was determined to introduce more humanity and caring principals into the workplace. He focused on explaining how to manage people humanely, in the interest of their comfort. So the question we could pose is: How important are high wages for us to feel satisfied? Intriguingly, the answer will be that although people complain about their earnings constantly, surveys and research have proven that there are factors that have more motivational power than money when making decisions concerning the workplace. In surveys, the reasons that tend to top the list are lack of job stimuli and poor prospect of advancement. Herzberg believed that these motivators would generate positive work attitudes because they satisfy one of Maslows hierarchical needs: the need for self-actualization the ultimate human need (Maslow, 1954). However, the presence of these factors can cause satisfaction, yet when they are not present, it does not lead to dissatisfaction. By contrast, hygiene factors which simply cause temporary results, posses the power of creating great dissatisfaction, but lack of these factors in the workplace does not cause a large degree of satisfaction. For Herzberg, the opposite of satisfaction in the workplace will not be dissatisfaction, just simply lack of satisfaction. Likewise, the opposite of dissatisfaction in your job will not be satisfaction but no dissatisfaction. As a practical example of this assumption: if the college water were to stop running for a week, this would represent a work conditions hygiene factor, and it would give cause for our professors to feel very dissatisfied. However, since our professors are normally accustomed to the water running and working properly, it does not give them reason to feel particularly motivated or satisfied. In 1968, Herzberg presented a work called KITA (a polite acronym for â€Å"kick in the ass†), where he differentiated between motivational and movement factors (Herzberg, 1968) He classified KITA into three different possible types: Negative physical KITA Negative physiological KITA Positive KITA Certainly, in modern society, managers infrequently deal with their employees using negative KITA, which is the use of physical contact on a member of the staff to enforce work. Negative KITA is indeed fairly useless as a tool to motivate workers. Positive KITA conversely can be summarised in the word reward. It is the act of rewarding an action with bonuses or incentives. Although this is a common practice for modern managers, according to Herzberg, positive KITA is not motivational. Positive KITA will make movement much faster, encouraging the worker to perform at his best in a certain task. However, he considered that there were no facts to prove that the effects of this reward were going to have long-lasting results. He believed that individuals were not actually motivated to work harder after completing the task, as a consequence of a reward. He judged that the workers were merely temporarily moved, and hence their performance did not persist once the bonus was received. So he considered rewards to be a mere movement factor. Referring to the motivational factors previously cited in this essay, he concludes that only the achievement of these factors can create long-lasting satisfaction for the employees, and therefore a better work attitude. Additionally, when the workforce finds this stimulation internally in the workplace, they will perform more efficiently. Herzbergs theory has been criticized by the theorist, Locke. (Locke, E. 1976) He proposed alternate sources for the generation of job satisfaction. He believed the mind and the body to be inextricably related. And therefore, the objective should be to satisfy them both. As an example, he gives the biological need of hunger, and he specifies that an act like eating can serve not only to quell hunger pangs, but also as pleasure for the mind. Herzberg placed emphasis on the number of times a particular factor was cited in reaching his conclusions, believing that those more encountered on the lists were the most satisfying or dissatisfying factors. However, even if a dissatisfying factor was registered numerous times, it does not necessarily follow that this was a major problem or even that the employees found it more irritable than infrequent problems, which tend to create higher levels of dissatisfaction for them. Conversely, Locke suggests the prioritisation of intensity over frequency. He recognized that an employee could reach his maximum levels of intensity when either achieving or failing a task. (Locke, E. 1976) Analysing the statements in Herzbergs theories, it becomes clear that they are rather simplistic. One might easily imagine that what gives cause for motivation to one person, could well be the cause of dissatisfaction in someone else. For example, the enlargement of responsibilities can be a clear motivator for some people as they can thereby develop in their careers. At the same time, it can be dissatisfying for other people, especially if their wages are not proportionally linked to the responsibilities that they have assumed. It might be necessary to consider the reality that employees should not be seen as an homogeneous group, but as a compilation of individuals, of whom only a proportion will be motivated by any given factor. It will therefore be prudent upon every manager to take the time to try to determine the unique characteristics of each member of his workforce. Thus, will he comprehend what is necessary to gain the satisfaction of his employees. Although Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory, when analysed deeply, might seem somewhat incomplete or basic, it is impossible to disregard that it is given credence and has been studied from shortly after its initial publication up until the present day. Consequently, it can be affirmed that, even with its faults, there is a lot of truth in the theory, and that the different factors he cited are generally more likely to cause satisfaction/dissatisfaction to the workforce of an organisation. Undoubtedly, Frederick Herzbergs main contribution to modern management has been his recognition of the factors that could motivate or dissatisfy a workforce. It was through his ideas and research that we now know that people endeavour to get â€Å"hygiene needs† merely as a reaction of discomfort, caused when the factors to achieve those needs are absent. Then and now, unsuccessful organisations fail to understand that it its very difficult to truly motivate their staff by concentrating on meeting their hygiene needs. At the same time, people are truly motivated, and hence perform at their best, when the motivational factors are achieved (i.e.: personal growth, development, etc.) which come to differentiate themselves from the hygiene factors because of the self-fulfilment they create for individuals. In the analytical study of the details of Herzbergs theory, we might consider an actual example drawn from daily life. Lets take the example of someone who inherits a large amount of money from a relative, enabling that person to live a comfortable life thereafter. For some people, this will represent the opportunity of a lifetime, since they can stop working and start enjoying a pleasant lifestyle, making use of their new wealth. However, there will be other people who, though giving-up their old jobs, will take the opportunity to create their own business. According to Herzbergs theory (and not really questioned today), these people who begin working on perusing their own desires will be satisfied and truly motivated, regardless of the money which they make, or that which they have already. People achieve these kinds of goals when they are truly motivated by factors such as: personal growth, responsibility, attainment, etc. If we examine the situation, it appears most certain that these people are not solely motivated by mere monetary desires. Since the venture of creating a new business, especially when you do not need it, involves persistent effort and a considerable level of commitment. Following the logic that the project has no guarantee of success, it would be erroneous to believe that they were motivated by potential income alone. Without resting importance on the value of money, we would consider it highly probable that the life of the person who stopped working would become rather empty and monotone. And at the same time, if the person does not know what to do with their money, it could easily vanish. On the other hand, if someone takes the opportunity to do whatever he enjoys or is good at, it is likely that he is going to achieve success. So based on this example, we can opine that the money itself will not be a significant motivator. Also for us as students, Herzbergs theory provides a pattern for us to follow. We certainly need some sense of satisfaction in order to be interested and feel motivated in our studies. It is always fulfilling when professors (our managers technically) endeavour to implement factors which might encourage motivation (i.e. feedback, advice, etc.) In opposition, when our hygiene needs are not meet: (i.e. deteriorated classrooms, unusable computers, etc.) , it can be a great cause of dissatisfaction. However, when these factors are in order, it is not a cause for us to show appreciation. In conclusion, at first glance it might appear that Herzbergs theory is simple and rather incomplete. Yet all critics agree that his theory encompasses a number of facts that were ignored before Herzberg came into play. He discovered certain fundamental problems that needed to be addressed in order to maintain employee well-being in a company. Herzberg contributed tremendously to the understanding that managers could create an hygienically effective environment, and he provided them with the important factors that he considered to be fundamental to the pursuit of improvement in staff performance. Even though his theory is a general one, focusing as it does on the frequency rather than on the intensity of problems, it certainly provides an excellent guide for managers in their aim of discovering and setting standards in factors that, if present, would benefit their business. Obviously, as discussed earlier, each person or company will react differently to any given action or situation. For this reason, rather than applying Herzbergs theory textually, managers should dedicate some time to investigating and understanding the individual reasons that might motivate or could cause dissatisfaction to a member of their staff. Putting this strategy into practice, managers could easily identify the problems that might be affecting the staffs well-being, as well as directly make use of those factors which they reckon might improve employee performance. Following on from this idea, it should also be easy to satisfy the hygiene needs of their employees. In case of a shortcoming in these f actors, managers should work together with their staff to address and resolve these deficiencies. Equilibrium and well-being is best achieved through striving always for a constant balance when making our decisions. Hence, every person must evaluate their own individual reasons and fulfilment factors to give a meaning to their lives. Managers, in addition to finding these individual meanings, must in order to be successful, take-on the responsibility of establishing the best possible working circumstances, both for themselves and for their employees. Applying the basis of Herzbergs theory, certainly has the potential to create harmony, and hence a workforce motivated and satisfied with their jobs. It is highly probable that the output of the organisation will thereby be optimised as well. References Ajzen, I. Fishibein, M (1980), Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behaviour, Pentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ Hertzberg, Frederick (1959) The Motivation to Work, New York. Herzberg, F. (1987) ‘One More Time: How do you motivate your Employees? New York. Locke, E.A. (1970) ‘The supervision is a motivator, Washington DC Locke, E. A. (1975) ‘The nature and cost of job satisfaction Chicago, Illinois. Maslow, A.H (1954) ‘Motivation and Personality, Harper Row Publisher, New York, NY. www.businessball.com 04 Nov 16:30 www.mftrou.com â€Å"Management for the rest of us† 15 Nov 12:00 www.emeraldasight.com 26 Nov 14:30

The Spread of Television in 1950s, in America Essay -- Television

The ‘Golden Age of Television’ is what many refer to as the period between the 1950s and 60s when the television began to establish itself as a prevalent medium in the United States. In 1947, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and the Du Mont Network were the four main television networks that ran stations with regular programming taking place. (Television, 2003) While regular television programming was a new innovation, the television itself had been commercially available for over twenty years prior to the 50s. It was conceived by many worldly innovators and went through several testing stages before it was finally completed in the late twenties. The three main innovators were Niplow - who first developed a rotating disk with small holes arranged in a spiral pattern in 1884, Zworykin - who developed the Iconoscope which could scan pictures and break them into electronic signals (a primi tive form of the Cathode Ray Tube) in 1923, and lastly Fansworth - who demonstrated for the first time that it was possible to transmit an electrical image in 1927. (Rollo, 2011) However, one of the many reasons why this medium was successful in the 50s was due to the fact that it became more accessible to the public. Television sets were more affordable to middle class citizens which created further interest in the new technology. Through an historical account of the medium, the spread of television across America throughout this particular decade will be examined. Firstly, for the purposes of illustrating the cultural context of this decade, I will refer to Lynn Spigel’s writing entitled â€Å"Welcome to the Dreamhouse: Popular Media and Postwar Suburb†. After WWII... ...t has not stopped television from being one of the most successful mediums for the dissemination of information. Works Cited Paul S. Boyer. "Television." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-Television.html Bretz, Rudy , 1957 â€Å"Video Tape: A TV Revolution† The Quarterly of Film Radio and Television , Vol. 11, No. 4 pp. 399-415 Published by: University of California Press Article Stable URL: www.jstor.org/stable/1210000 Ganzel, Bill. (2007). Television during the 1950s and 60s. Retrieved from http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/life_17.html Rollo, Mike. 2011  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Video History† Film/Video I Lecture Notes Spigel, Lynn. 2001 Welcome to the dreamhouse : popular media and postwar suburbs / Lynn Spigel Duke University Press, Durham, N.C. :

Fear in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and The Scarlet Letter :: comparison compare contrast essays

Fear in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Scarlet Letter To live with fear and not be overcome by it is the final test of maturity. This test has been "taken" by various literary characters. Chief Bromden in Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter both appear to have taken and passed this test. It first seemed as though the Chief was going to fail this test of maturity in the mental ward that he was committed to. He had locked himself up by acting deaf and dumb. He had immense fear of the "Combine," or society, that ruined things and people and treated them like machines, giving orders and controlling them. Soon enough to "save" the Chief, McMurphy arrived. He was lively, and not scared; the complete opposite of the Chief. This courage eventually passed on to the Chief. At a meeting, when McMurphy was holding a vote to prove that the patients wanted to see the World Series, the Chief voted for it. At first he said that McMurphy controlled his hand. Later on he admitted that it was he who raised it. He even talked to McMurphy one night, and began laughing at the situation at hand. One day when McMurphy and the Chief tried to help another patient who was being taken advantage of by orderlies, they were caught and sentenced to electro-shock therapy (EST). The Chi usually blacked out in a fog when confronted with problems; however, this time (he had endured over 200 EST sessions previously) he did not. However, McMurphy was deteriorating, and the two seemed to be reversing positions. McMurphy eventually was sentenced to a lobotomy, which left him as a helpless, pathetic person, as the Chief had once been. The Chief now had the courage to put McMurphy out of his misery, despite what the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, the symbol of the combine to the Chief, would do to him. He smothered McMurphy, and afterwards, escaped by lifting the control panel, which McMurphy told him that he could lift but the Chief saw himself as "small," a symbol of his strength against the combine, and breaking a window with it. The mere fact that the Chief could lift the panel was

Global Warming Essays -- Environment Global Warming Climate Change

Global Warming Climate change is neither new nor unusual. Throughout the history of the earth, the average surface temperature, climate and greenhouse gas concentrations have changed, sometimes gradually other times quite sharply. During the past 10,000 years the earth has been in an interglacial period with a fairly stable climate, surface temperature, and greenhouse gas concentration1. The problem that has arisen in recent times is when scientists analyze the past 150 years, especially the last 50. Scientists have found an increased greenhouse gas concentration, making the 20th century the hottest in the last 10,000 years. Although the earth has undergone periodic changes known as global cooling and global warming, today’s global warming is unique, due to human influences. The greenhouse effect is essentially gasses in the atmosphere trapping heat, rather like a car window does in the summer. The major heat trapping gasses found in the atmosphere are; CO2 and water vapor- which are found in large quantity, 03(ozone), ch4(methane), and N2O(nitrous oxide)-which are better heat trappers but found in smaller quantity, CFC’s and PFC’s- which are very potent and destroy ozone. The rapid elevation of these gasses in the past fifty years have been the cause for concern of scientists calling it a global warming problem. Global warming is a natural process as well as a human assisted process. Solar flares and sunspots along with natural elevation of greenhouse gasses due to volcanic activety are the natural causes for global warming. Dr. Judy Lean, a leading astrophysicist, looked at global warming trends from 1860 to the present day. Her research has found from 1860 to 1970, global warming was largely due to natural sources. But from 1970 to the present natural sources accounted for only one-third the increase while human influence accounted for the remaining two-thirds of the increased greenhouse effect. The increase in greenhouse gasses from human sources comes from a variety of things. Elevated Co2 levels, which have been increasing at a rate of 0.5% per year, largely come from the burning of fossil fuels(70-75%), especially coal. Deforestation and plant burning account for the remainder. Increased Methane and Nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are mostly due to agriculture; rice patties, cattle, termites and decomposition of dead... ...ns in order to stop the increase. In order to slow the increase, the efficient use of fossil fuels must be adapted. Natural gas gives off very little co2 and methane if burned properly. Deforestation must also be stopped in order to give natural co2 scrubbers, plants, a chance to aid in the process. Governmental programs have also been implemented. A carbon tax has been considered along with the passing of the 1990 Clean Air Act, aimed at lowering emissions and cleaning air pollution. On a world wide scale, the Kyoto Accord in 1997, in which 159 nations agreed to work together to decrease Co2 emissions by 5.5% by 2012. The United States agreed, since it accounts for 25% of the worlds total emissions by 1990 figures, to cut its emissions by 7%. Global warming is still a major issue in world and U.S. politics. Conservatives argue for more market-orientated solutions, resulting in the imposition of taxes, resulting in higher prices for environment polluting goods. Liberals on the other hand advocate stiffer industry regulation and more direct controls. Any action taken, whatever the ideology, can only help to solve an increasing problem but at what cost to the consumer?

Catherine Triangle Essay

Overlooking the docks area of Brooklyn is the massive Brooklyn Bridge, which spans New York’s East River and which joins the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the title, Miller suggests he is giving the audience a view of the community which lies below the bridge. The title also suggests that the audience is given a panoramic view of the scene, much as a captain of a ship has an all-round view from the vessel’s bridge. The action of the play takes place largely in an apartment in a tenement block in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn. In the play, Alfieri, the lawyer, describes the area as: â€Å"the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge† and as â€Å"the gullet of New York swallowing the tonnage of the world. † It was a socially deprived area, where succeeding generations of immigrants from Europe, both legal and illegal, found a home and work. There was a long-established Italian community in the area. The Culture and Society of Red Hook. Given the rather traditional values of Italian-American society in the middle of the twentieth century and the fact that most of the men earned their living from hard physical labour in the dockyards and elsewhere, it is not surprising that Red Hook was quite a raw, masculine and even macho society. Manhood, which involved strength and aggression (and proving it) was very important. Women were expected to conform to an image of purity and domestic virtue and, as Beatrice does, gain most of their satisfaction from cooking and maintaining the household. The men expected to be respected and obeyed as of right and the women had to submit to them in decision- making. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church was strong and most people had traditional moral views. The family and the extended family were of major importance as was the community. Many of the families were recent immigrants from Southern Italy, the original home of the Mafia, and family and blood ties were often demonstrated through the practice of vendetta, that is the obligation on the rest of the family to take revenge on anyone who insulted or harmed any of its members. It was, therefore, a culture in which a man’s reputation (for strength and honesty, for example) was crucial to him and where any affront to a person’s honour had to be avenged. This may help you to understand the pressure that Eddie and Marco are under at the end of the play. The Legal Background. In the first 20 years of the Twentieth Century, over three million Italians emigrated to the U. S. A. to escape from the poverty of their homeland and in the hope of a better life in America. These were legal immigrants to America, but the local population grew increasingly hostile to the Italian community. In the early 1920s the American government passed laws to restrict immigration and afterwards only four thousand Italians were allowed to enter the U. S. A.  legally each year. Far more than this number were desperate to escape the poverty of their own country. Two such were the ‘submarines’, Marco and Rodolpho, cousins of Beatrice, who enter America illegally on the evening the play opens. One of the few ways an illegal immigrant could gain the right to remain in America legitimately was to marry an American citizen. This sometimes meant that illegal immigrants married not for love, but simply to remain in the country. We can perhaps better understand Eddie’s fears about Rodolpho when we know this 7. The Carbone Family’s Background. A playwright, unlike a novelist, cannot describe characters and situations to an audience. Details about characters and their relationships have to be revealed gradually and subtly. What, then, do we know about the Carbone family and the relationships within it? The Carbones live in an apartment in a tenement building, at 441 Saxon Street, Brooklyn, which Miller describes as a ‘worker’s flat, clean, sparse, homely. ‘ Eddie, aged 40, is a large, strong man who enjoys male pursuits and going bowling with his friends. He is a longshoreman (i. e. he works in the docks). Beatrice is a traditional 1950s housewife. She keeps the flat looking immaculate, cooks and, at least in the early part of the play, dutifully defers to Eddie in everything. She stands up to Eddie much more as the action unfolds, and objects to his overprotective attitude to Catherine. Catherine, Beatrice’s attractive 17-year-old niece, had been adopted by Eddie and Beatrice when her parents died. Catherine is very fond of Eddie but there is growing tension between them because of Catherine’s wish to start work and Eddie’s desire to protect her from, as he sees them, the dangers of the adult world. The Eddie – Beatrice – Catherine Triangle. The relationship between these three is the fOcus of Act I. Eddie and Beatrice have obviously had a warm, loving relationship but there are currently stresses. In Catherine’s opinion, and in Eddie’s too, Beatrice nags her husband. Catherine tells Rodolpho: â€Å"If I was a wife, I would make a man happy instead of going on at him all the time† (Implying that Beatrice does ‘go on’ at Eddie. ) Eddie certainly agrees with Catherine’s view. He tells Beatrice: â€Å"You didn’t used to jump on me all the time about everything. The last year or two I come in the house I don’t know what’s gonna hit me. It’s a shooting gallery in here and I’m the pigeon. † Part of the tension is caused by Eddie’s belief that he should be the master in the house and Beatrice’s increasing wish to express her own view. This leads Eddie to say, â€Å"I don’t like the way you talk to me, Beatrice†, whenever Beatrice disagrees with him. The Catherine – Rodolpho – Eddie Triangle. When Eddie first hears that Beatrice’s cousins have arrived he says it would be an ‘honour’ to help them, despite the obvious risks involved. He knows how important it is to give the men a chance to work to send money back to Italy. There is no doubt that Eddie understands the poverty they are escaping as his own father had come to the U. S. A. from Italy. Eddie’s willingness to offer hospitality shows that he is a good man, aware of his responsibilities to others in the Italian-American community. This makes his later actions an even greater shock. Eddie is immediately impressed by the quiet dignity and maturity of Marco, but he is equally quickly irritated by Rodolpho. This is partly because of Rodolpho’s personality, for he is an extrovert, quite loud, showy, lively and fun- loving, but also because of his appearance. Eddie’s stereotyping of Rodolpho because of his blond hair and his voice shows prejudice, which reflects not just Eddie’s attitudes but those of his time and culture. . The Catherine – Rodolpho – Eddie Triangle Things which irritate Eddie These are the things about Rodolpho which irritate Eddie: His appearance; especially his blond ‘wacky’ hair. Eddie says of Rodolpho: â€Å"he’s like a chorus girl or sump’n†. His abilities and talents, e. g. dressmaking and cooking, which Eddie thinks are things only a woman should do. This leads him to doubt whether Rodolpho is a ‘real’ man. His fondness for singing out loud in his high tenor voice, even on the ships. Eddie is embarrassed that other men laugh at Rodolpho for this. He is particularly angry when Rodolpho sings ‘Paper Doll’ because he thinks the words may be related to Catherine and he becomes aware of the growing romance between her and Rodolpho. The stage directions state that Eddie is ‘puffed with trouble’ when he notices the growing affection between Catherine and Rodolpho. These are the things that annoy Eddie at first, but annoyance becomes hate when he realises that Rodolpho is a rival for Catherine. In Act II, Eddie is furious with Catherine and Rodolpho for going to the cinema and staying out late. Eddie believes that Rodolpho is deliberately dating Catherine in the hope of marrying her and being able to stay in America. It is difficult to decide whether this is a genuine concern or whether Eddie is using it as an excuse to cover his real feeling which is sexual jealousy. What do you think? It is unlikely that a man like Eddie would consider Rodolpho as a suitable partner for Catherine, even if there was no sexual jealousy involved. . The Catherine – Rodolpho – Eddie Triangle Eddie’s motives Whatever his motives, be they genuine concern to protect his niece or sexual jealousy, Eddie tries his hardest to turn Catherine against Rodolpho and split them up. He tries to humiliate Rodolpho in front of Catherine in the following ways: He cleverly introduces the subject of boxing (a suitably masculine activity for Eddie) and, while pretending to teach Rodolpho how to box, hits him in the mouth. For Eddie, this demonstrates to Catherine what a weak man Rodolpho is and what a strong one he (Eddie) is. It also shows that Eddie thinks women are more attracted to strong, aggressive males.

Hubris in Time of the Hero and Thing Fall Apart Essay

In the novels The Time Of The Hero (TTOTH) by Mario Vargas Llosa and Things Fall Apart (TFA) by Chinua Achebe, both writers focus on the idea of hubris and the excessive pride of powerful characters. In fact both the Jaguar (TTOTH) and Okonkwo (TFA) are characters, which represents this idea of Hubris, as they’ve been shaped by their social environment and the notion of manliness and hierarchy. In TFA, Okonkwo respond to the Igbo society through his obsession of being hyper-masculine. In TTOTH, the Jaguar adapts himself to the violent environment of the academy and the struggle to survive, and even raises himself above the other cadets. In both cases, the writer shows to the reader that the characters’ manliness leads him to the idea of â€Å"hubris†, by creating the illusion of an extreme power base around the Jaguar and Okonkwo. However in both novels, the writer also use the idea of femininity as an obstacle for both character’s pride. Furthermore, hubris is also linked to the idea of determinism, as the extreme pride of each character leads him to his own downfall. In TFA and TTOTH, The idea of Hubris seems to be linked to the pressure of society. In both cases, characters are born into a hierarchical society in which the glorification of manliness and the passion of survival, leads some male characters to excessive pride. In TFA, Chinua Achebe shows the hierarchical spirit between genders in Igbo society. This idea of hierarchy between genders is shown with the distinction between crops, as the â€Å"yam†, which is exclusively grown by men, symbolising the tribe’s respect for men’s physical strength. This same idea of separation of genders is also shown with the difference between men and women crimes, which shows the distinction between powerful men and â€Å"weak† women. This clearly shows a hierarchical society in which women are seen as weaker, and men are defined by their physical prowess. Therefore Okonkwo’s obsession for masculinity shows the inescapable force of society in shaping a human character. Okonkwo then seems to be linked to the idea of hubris, as his perception of manliness is far more extreme than the clans’, as he links masculinity with aggression, and devalues everything feminine. This shows that through his excessive perception of manliness, Okonkwo’s expectations of himself as a masculine power, far exceeds the scope of one being. In TTOTH, the violent environment of the academy is also linked to the glorification of manliness. Like in TFA, there is the idea that one man is respected for his physical prowess, and his will to survive in this vicious hierarchal system, which is foreshadowed by the metaphor of the â€Å"Circle†; One â€Å"dog† as to survive the ill-treatment of older generations, to finally express his own frustration over the next generations. In fact the metaphor of young generations to â€Å"dogs† is itself relevant of the need that one has to show and to prove his power. This hierarchical system seems to be related to the idea of survival of the fittest, as the Slave’s lack of manpower results in his death. However, the example of the Jaguar in TTOTH is quite similar to Okonkwo’s in TFA, as the Jaguars’ needs to hold power over the other cadets is more extreme than it is for his â€Å"comrades†. In fact the Jaguar is clearly linked to hubris through his need to expand his power in the whole academy; over the â€Å"dogs†, the older generations or his own comrades. The notion of pride also seems to be fairly influenced by the paternal relation that characters have with fathers. In TFA, Okonkwo’s relationship with his father surely shapes his violent and ambitious spirit. Okonkwo’s fear of becoming as weak and effeminate as his father, clearly influences the character to become the complete antithesis of all that his father was, making him the extreme hyper-masculine figure. In TTOTH, the writer uses a different image of the â€Å"father†, which is more the symbol of authority, and of the pressure that society has over male characters, to make them grow as men. However the fact that the Jaguar is the son of a poor widow, shows how his relation with Skinny Higueras, is used as a substitute for the paternal relation he didn’t had. This shows how his relation with Skinny and his criminal past, has an influence on his rather violent temperament, and his need to feel superior. It seems that both writers attempt to show the Jaguar and Okonkwo’s extreme pride, to the reader by putting in place an illusion of supreme power. In TFA, the writer seems to show the idea of hubris by putting the reader into an illusion in witch Okonkwo is seen as superhuman, or above other human characters. This is shown through the association of Okonkwo to â€Å"burning fire†, and â€Å"flame† throughout the novel. This creates an illusion as the reader then associates Okonkwo to the idea of extreme power, and dissociates him to other human characters. In fact the â€Å"fire† clearly symbolizes Okonkwo’s destructive and animalistic personality, as he destroys everything he consumes. In TOOTH, the metaphor of the â€Å"jaguar† is used as an illusion to the reader who no longer sees the character as purely human. This dehumanisation of the character is at some point like Okonkwo in TFA, as the reader sees the character as an emotionless, powerful, destructive figure. Furthermore, the writer’s use of the first person singular, and the fact that it is the jaguar who â€Å"named himself† that way, highlights to the idea of hubris, as on some level, its seems like the illusion of extreme power is in fact the perception that the character has of himself. In both novels, the writer demonstrates at some point that each man has something feminine inside him, which in the case of a hyper masculine figure, acts as a threat to his extreme pride. In TFA, Okonkwo’s exile to his motherland, in response to his â€Å"women crime†, clearly represents an obstacle to the character’s pride. This is not only an issue for Okonkwo’s image as a virile warrior; this is even more a threat to the characters’ personality, as it is the opportunity to get in touch with his feminine side. In fact Okonkwo’s pride in his masculinity, seems to be challenged throughout the novel, by his hidden femininity. In fact his son Nwoye, is used by the writer as a constant reminder of Okonkwo’s feminine part that he cannot get rid of. In TTOTH, the Jaguar’s weakness also seems to be symbolised by the feminine figure of Teresa. In fact the scene on the beach is relevant to the Jaguar’s true personality, as he is no longer seen as an emotionless character, but rather as a more human character, through the jealousy he feels toward Teresa. Therefore the writer uses the female figure as a rupture between the image of the powerful â€Å"Jaguar† of the academy, and the sensible teenager. However when the Jaguar insults Teresa after he sees her with some other boys, this also shows how the jealousy he feels is in fact seen as an enormous threat to his pride. Therefore both writers use the idea of femininity as a constant reminder of the hidden weakness that the character tries to reject. Finally, in both novels there is the idea that hubris is linked to determinism, as both characters seems to lead themselves to their own downfall. In TFA, Okonkwo’s choice of a life of anger, dominated by his obsession of being a hyper-masculine figure, is what makes him a character, which is quite unbalanced. In fact in chapter 17and 24 the writer shows that Okonkwo is not blind but rather conscientious as he acknowledge that the fire inside him destroys everything it consumes, including him. Furthermore, by destroying himself physically at the end of the novel, it can be argued that on some level he has also destroyed most of his pride, as the act of suicide shows the emasculation of the character on some level. In TTOTH the Jaguars’ tyrannical behaviour over the other members of the academy, is finally reflected on himself at the end of the novel, as he is beaten by a group of cadets. Therefore there is an idea of a reverse situation in each case; on one hand, Okonkwo’s act of suicide is quite surprising and deceiving for such a character who kept showing himself as the extreme figure of manliness. On the other hand, there is the imagery of the tyrant being overthrown. However, even though that both characters seems to end up revealing their secret and truer nature (in comparison to the image that they have of themselves), they still keep most of their pride. In TFA, Okonkwo’s suicide can be seen on one side as an act of emasculation, however on the other hand Okonkwo still keeps most of his pride by refusing to submit himself to the Christians until the end of his life. In TTOTH, the Jaguar never submits himself to the other cadets, even when everyone is against him. In fact when the other cadets falsely accuse the Jaguar, he still keep his pride, and still sees himself as better than them, even know that he no longer has power over the others. Furthermore, it can be argued that the final act of both characters has a heroic dimension, which still makes them proud character until the end. In conclusion, in both novels the writer focuses on the idea of hubris by showing characters whose expectations of themselves far exceeds the scope of one being. In fact both, Okonkwo and the Jaguar are characters shaped and extremely well adapted to their social environment, which is surely a main cause of their excessive pride. However, both writers also seems to link the notion of hubris to determinism as the choice of both characters to live in hubris, leads them to their own social downfall, and in the case of Okonkwo; to his own destruction. Nevertheless, both characters still hold to their pride, as they remain faithful to their own opinion, even during their downfall.