My Antonia Essays (1081 words) - My Ntonia, , Term Papers

My Antonia At the age of ten, Jim Burden travels by cross-country train to live with his grandparents on the Nebraska frontier. He has just recently lost both his parents, and he is accompanied by a farmhand named Jake. On the same train is a Bohemian family that barely speaks English and that is going to the same place. When Jim arrives at the station, he is greeted by Otto Fuchs, an Austrian desperado cowboy. Jim's grandparents are kindly people with simple religious beliefs and very generous natures. Jim enjoys the wide expanses of the frontier, with all its insects, prairie dogs, and vegetation. At this point in the year it is still summer. Soon the Burdens go to meet their Bohemian neighbors, the Shimerdas, who were forced to pay too much for their farm by the only other Bohemian man in the country, Peter Krajiek. Jim meets Mr. Shimerda, an educated musician who is very kindly; Mrs. Shimerda, a shrewish woman who is complaining and demanding; the oldest son Ambrosch, who is a stubborn, stingy brute; Marek, a mentally challenged boy; and Yulka, a young and pretty girl. The oldest daughter ?ntonia also comes running up to him, grabs his hand, and they go sprinting into the fields. ?ntonia and Jim instantly become friends, and they spend a lot of time together outdoors, with Jim teaching her English. The Shimerdas are not doing very well in their new country, but they do become friends with two Russian men, Peter and Pavel. The Burdens try to help out as much as they can. One day during the end of summer, Jim kills a huge snake and impresses ?ntonia, who had been treating him with condescension. Soon, winter comes. Jim gets very sick, and Pavel dies, after unburdening his heart with a horrible story from his past. Mr. Shimerda becomes depressed after Peter moves away. The Burdens celebrate Christmas at home and make presents for each other since they cannot get into town to purchase some. Mr. Shimerda comes to thank the Burdens for his family's gifts and ends up spending the day with them. In the middle of the biggest snowstorm in ten years, Mr. Shimerda shoots himself after arranging himself neatly in the barn. Jake suspects that Krajiek killed Mr. Shimerda, but nothing is ever proven. The day afterwards, Jim is left in the house by himself, and he senses Mr. Shimerda's spirit resting on his way back to his homeland. The Shimerdas insist that Mr. Shimerda be buried at the corner of their property, where eventually a crossroads will be. The funeral ceremony is very moving though somewhat disorganized. Afterwards, the Burdens and other neighbors make a concerted effort to help the Shimerdas. ?ntonia begins farming in the fields like a man and gives up going to school. Jim is resentful that ?ntonia no longer spends as much time with him, and the Burdens and the Shimerdas get into a little feud because of Ambrosch's bad behavior. The Shimerdas do not act very grateful for the help that they receive from their friends. Eventually, however, everyone is reconciled. After three years in the country, Jim's grandparents move to the town of Black Hawk so that Jim can go to school. ?ntonia also comes into town to work for the Harlings in their home. Other immigrant country girls also start working in the town, and they become known as the hired girls. Jim spends a lot of time with ?ntonia and the Harling children, who form a happy household. Dancing becomes the craze in Black Hawk, and ?ntonia starts going all the time. When the Harlings ask her to stop going because she is getting a bad reputation, ?ntonia quits and starts working for Wick Cutter, a notorious philanderer. During this time Jim is antisocial and only spends time with ?ntonia and the other hired girls. He studies a lot in preparation for college and wants to leave Black Hawk as soon as possible. At college in Lincoln, Jim becomes very close to his Latin instructor and mentor Gaston Cleric. They spend a lot of time talking intimately, although Jim realizes that he is not an academic as Gaston is. One

buy custom Search Engine Technology essay

buy custom Search Engine Technology essay Search engines are tools that are widely used to search information on the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is the most single important source of information in the 21st century, and users search for such information through the use of search engines. Search engines are regarded as the best search tools that can query the World Wide Web for pertinent information, which are then presented to users as search results (Babin Weiss, 2009). Search engine technology is at the kernel of web search as it allows search engines to locate information in the internet, index them and serve them to users who query them. This paper will address the origin of the search engine technology; evaluate its benefits and disadvantages, not to mention highlighting on various competitors using this technology. Origins of search engine technology Today, search engine technology, has gained significant milestones in the technology arena because of some historical development in technology. The search engine technology has evolved to a position where it has transformed how information in retrieved in the internet. The first search engine is believed to be the information retrieval systems that were used by the International Business Machines back in the 1950s. Luhn was in charge of developing this technology while he was working with IBM. Search techniques were later improved in the 1970s by refining them further. The concepts and technological processes used by the IBM have since been used as the background for search engine technology. The advances that had been made in the search systems were the background for the search engine technology. With the birth of the World Wide Web, the stage was set for the search engine technology that would later be used to power search engines such as Google (Gay, Charlesworth Esen, 2007). In 1990, the HTTP programming language was developed and it led to the development of a small program called Archie. This program was written for the purpose of retrieving information from the internet. Whereas Archie was limited in its functions, it was able to provide basic search for the internet users at that time. The success of archie sparked immense interest in the search technology with new search programs being developed. Wandex a Web search software called was built to capture uniform resource locators in the World Wide Web and index them in a database. This program was followed by a robot called WebCrawler, which then became a search engine that would be the first to enter the search market. This background thus provided a launching pad for the success of various search engine products that improved on the initial search engine technology that were already in place. How search engine technology works Before looking at how search engines work, it is essentil to mention what search engine technologies do. Search engine technology allows users to search information over the World Wide Web. The search engine technology searches the information on the internet and archives them in order to serve them when users request for them (Levene, 2010). Because of what they do, search engines have built indexes of information that are found on the World Wide Web. The role of the search engine is accomplished as a result of how search engine technology works. According to Babin and Weiss (2009), search engine technology relies on robots that crawl on the World Wide Web in search of information. With the World Wide Web made of websites that are on the increase, robots continue to collect and index information into databases. These indexes are often updated and used to provide users with information according to the keywords that are used during the search. The search engines use the search engine technology to collect the address of information in the internet by analyzing their title and their uniform resource locator. Other information such as Meta data are also analyzed to determine what is contained in the web pages, which are then indexed in a database. When a user makes a search using a preferred search engine, the keywords used in the search are compared to what has been indexed in the database. Relevant information is then served to the users. All search engines do no use robots or crawlers. Some search engines use indexes that are entered by human, but it still works like the rest of the search engines. By serving a web page to a user, search engines have changed made location of information be easy on the World Wide Web. Benefits and disadvantages of search engine technology The search engine technology has made use of search engines possible. Nonetheless, the use of search engines, which are powered by search engine technology, has a mix of advantage and disadvantages. There are several advantages of search engine technology that have popularized their use as tools for locating information on the World Wide Web. These advantages are: a) Search engine technology provides an efficient way of indexing information on the World Wide Web. With the World Wide Web having a vast amount of information, the use of search engine technology provides an effective way of organizing information. Because of this advantage, it is possible to represent the vast information available on the World Wide Web. b) Search engine technology allows information to be described with precision. When locating the information on the World Wide Web, search engine technology provides users with means to describe information in keywords that helps in locating information that are rrelevant to the users. c) Search engine technology allows the World Wide Web to be organized more effectively that it appears. With search engines that use the search engine technologies, it has been possible to organize the World Wide Web into a structure that can allow information to be located when need arise. Despite the advantages of search engine technology, there as several disadvantages that are associated with this technology. These disadvantages are: a) The search engine technology can produce endless list of information that have little relevance to the users. For instance, searching for some keywords can yield thousands of web results that are not relevant all. b) The use of search engines can be discouraging for first-time users. This is because users have to learn how to generate effective search results when using these tools. Being that some users find this process tedious, some people may feel that this technology is cumbersome. Major competitors in the marketplace Despite the challenges of developing search engine technologies, there are many technology firms that have entered the market with novel search engines. These firms are increasingly developing cutting edge solution that provides many corporate firms, organization and individuals with search solutions. In the search engine arena, there are many competitors such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, All the Web, and AltaVista just to name a few. Google is considered the most used search engine given its focus on relevant results. Bing is owned by Microsoft and is touted to have a large search share after Google and Bing (McCormick, 2010). These competitors have strived to create novel solutions that are aimed at edging out their competitors. For instance, Google has been praised for using the least approach to searching of data and presenting the search results in a relevant way. AltaVista has also adopted this approach. Apart from Google, Yahoo is one of the popular search engine technologies available today. Since its establishment, Yahoo has grown into a search engine that boast of one of the largest search index in place. A few years ago, Microsoft Corporation expressed interest in buying Yahoo, but it offered a lower bid (McCormick, 2010). Nonetheless, Yahoo has continued to be a preference for many people because of its variety. When Microsoft failed to acquire Yahoo, the firm decided to engineer a new search engineBing. The unveiling of Bing took the search technology to a new level as Google and Yahoo vowed to enhance their service better. The presence of these competitors has made the search technology continue to growing into new heights. Buy custom Search Engine Technology essay

A Full Strategic Appraisal of NETFLIX Case Study

A Full Strategic Appraisal of NETFLIX - Case Study Example The report will analyze the external and internal environment affecting Netflix, through identification of the strategic models and ‘Critical Success Factors’ (CSFs). Models such as VRIN framework will be used to analyze resources possess by the company. The next part of this appraisal will elucidate the current issues and challenges faced by Netflix and will attempt to generate successful strategies that will be helpful for the company to attain growth in future. Models such as SAF Framework will be used for the evaluation of the strategy and its growth opportunities. Finally, the study will provide summarized information that will briefly elucidate the major factors discussed throughout the study. PESTEL Framework. From its inception, Netflix has been highly affected by the political environment of the nations that fall under its service distribution network. Nationally, the company has been affected by the laws of copyrights on variety of contents including documentaries and series because of political changes in the operational countries. The amendments made in the existing copyright law can be observed to hamper the ability of Netflix in delivery of content. The strategy of the company is also affected by the economic factors of a nation. To maintain the topmost position in the global market, Netflix needs to set the price of the product that is competitive in nature and can easily attract the potential customers by outweighing their expenses. In addition, the competition is another major factor that has significantly influenced its operation in the global arena. It can be derived from the case study that Netflix incurred high amount of losses when the company expanded outside the U.S. for attracting more customers and expanding their reach (Thompson 475-498). In case of Social factors, Netflix must gather knowledge of the moral and religious issues

Comparison of Two Types of Operational Budgets Assignment

Comparison of Two Types of Operational Budgets - Assignment Example Alternatively, variable costs can be stated as cost of every unit activity measure. Actual activity measures are then fed into the model after the accounting period. After this, the flexible budget is updated automatically by the variable costs. The resultant flexible budget is ten entered into the accounting system in order for comparisons to be made. These comparisons produce variances more relevant than those produced under a static budget. These variances are especially because the expenses involved are based on an activity. This accounts for the small variances registered in this comparison than those registered under static budget. Flexible budget can range across levels of sophistication. In basic flexible budget, alterations are recorded where there is a direct variation between certain expenses and revenues (Hope & Fraser, 2003). Under intermediate flexible budget, there are certain expenditures that will change with other activity measures and not with revenue. Advanced flexible budget deals with expenditures that vary only at given ranges of other activities and revenue. Master budget is a planning document that brings together all the budgets. It matches the beginning of a company’s fiscal year and be organized in quarters or months. The operating and financial budgets are the two parts of a master budget. It helps in judging the performance of company and its centers. The management makes modifies the master budget until it allocates funds to all set goals. Direct labor, direct materials, sales, manufacturing overhead and production are some of the budgets that show on a master budget (Finkler & McHugh, 2008). After preparation, the master budget is fed into the accounting system and financial reports are generated. Comparisons are then drawn between actual results and the budgeted amounts. There are spreadsheets that can help produce master budgets but they can have errors. A master budget appears

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example My group identified the huge potential in this sector. We plan to establish a company which deals with selling game prepaid cards to Chinese players. Why the Chinese? This card, which is top up for Chinese internet games, helps Chinese players who are out of their home country to access a reliable payment method in order to access their favourite games just as if they were in China. The Chinese internet banking needs are cumbersome unlike payment methods such as VISA. Our prepaid card makes the whole process of accessing one’s favourite game so much easier when the player is in a foreign country. There are a number of other companies providing a payment method though not exactly the same as ours. We will compete with them due to our projected lower price. This lower price is as a result of operational efficiency and cost associated with a smaller workforce capable of multitasking in different departments. We plan to retain all our customers due to our honesty policy by which w e work for the best interest of our customers. The staff should have good knowledge of internet gaming and online transactions. The company should create a website to facilitate online payments and also set real world stores. There are more than enough suppliers who would be willing and ready to increase our penetration into the target Chinese market via internet. Process of Idea Initiation The process of idea initiation was quite interesting. Each and every member of my group had an idea to propose. Some of the ideas were quite interesting but were quickly objected due to the existence of highly effective competitors. Other ideas were ruled out due to varied reasons such as lack of enough information about how prospective the to-be proposed business would be and lack of originality. After intense discussion on which idea our group would embark on, the group did not come up with a final decision. We decided to dismiss the group and meet on a later date. Every member of the group was supposed to refine his or her idea before the next meeting. On the following meeting, all members showed up. Some dismissed their previously proposed ideas due to reasons such as lack of enough information, them being not practical and low success potential. The group was left to choose between three ideas. Members of the group discussed on the specifics of the ideas before voting for the best idea of them all. A clear majority of the group members agreed on the game prepaid cards as the most lucrative and potentially successful business idea. The occurrences of the process of idea initiation match content of literature. Brainstorming is one of the most common ways of coming up with new ideas. Pinson (2008, p. 21) advises that immediate decision on the best business idea should not be immediately made since brainstorming lacks the virtue of enough information. Group members should dig deeper into knowing facts and other relevant information of their proposed ideas before reaching a n agreement. Making a decision straight away after a brainstorming process may result to the dismissal of the idea due to poor project fundamentals later on after time and other resources have been invested in developing the business plan. Team Work I enjoyed the level of cooperation and the group’s synergy. Majority of the tasks assigned to group members were completed on time. This shows the dedication of individual in making the team work come out successful. Team members contributed in form of

Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism Essay

Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism Essay Ecotourism can be summed up as a responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. More and more people have become conscious about the fact that environment needs to be protected. That’s why the concept of ecotourism has been received well by many. Ecotourism basically focuses on environmental conservation and sustainable development. Through eco tours one tries to save forests and bring a win-win development strategy for undeveloped rural areas† to life. The basics of eco tourism are same everywhere. The foremost of the rules are that the tourism advises to minimize impact, spread awareness about the environment and the harm caused to the it due to lack of cultural. The eco tourism spreads a sense of respect amongst all the people who undertake tours for environment. The basic idea behind conducting and promoting such tours is that it empowers each individual to take steps towards conserving the Mother Nature. For locals too, such steps are important to provide them with financial stability and provide them with livelihood. In terms of eco tourism destinations in India, Kerala has gained a lot of momentum. It happens to be the greenest part of India, which until the recent times was unexplored by people and has now suddenly gained a lot of fame and popularity amongst travellers from all across the globe. Geographical topography of this place is so varied that the people all around the world come here just to be close to the nature. Kerala boasts of beautiful beaches, backwaters, beaches and the life giving sunshine. The best thing is that the tourism department of Kerala is aware of Kerala’s potential as a tourist destination and its natural wealth as well. It has taken important steps towards maintaining ecological balance amongst people. The coconuts trees growing here and the paddy fields spread in acres and acres of land and the banana plantations fill up the mountain ranges with their green blanket. To promote more eco tourism Kerala tourism has taken steps to organise tours and travels which broaden the horizons of people. There are several attractive packages designed to lure the visitors. Kerala’s western zone is being projected as the eco tourism zone. It specially caters to the foreing tourist who are looking for an experience where they can enjoy wildlife, some nature, have the thrills of adventures like trekking all combined into one. WIlflide sanctuaries like Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, Chimmini, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary are some well known Eco-Tourism destinations in Kerala. There are other places like Bhoothathankettu, Komarakom, Nelliampathy, Munnar and Kuruva islands which are can be preferred for eco tours. The flora and fauna of Kerala is abundant and diverse. The landscapes are equipped with backwaters, paddy fields, hills and hamlets. Kerala has a forest area of approximately 11,125 sq km, which makes up 28.90 % of the total land area. The western ghats is where all the forest area is located. Western Ghat is also one of the world’s 18 hotspots of bio diversity. Besides luxuriant and flimsy bionetwork of sultry rainforests, Kerala as well has some extraordinary eco-tourism destinations in the form of its thriving emerald backwaters, palm-fringed sea-shores, rambling tea and spice plantations on mount gradients and many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries heaving with remarkable assortment of wildlife. While on an eco tour here, one can prefer a homestay which includes staying with local people. One can stay near the paddy fields or tea plantations and take regular hikes in these places. One also gets a chance to indulge in eating organically grown fruits and vegetables. The typical way of eating which on a banana leaf can be experienced if one decided to try out the home stays. For eco tourists, Kerala has no dearth of activities. One should visit the place once and experience the beauty and tranquillity.

U.S./Mexico Relations: Surviving the War in Iraq? Essay -- Essays Pap

U.S./Mexico Relations: Surviving the War in Iraq? In the United States’ current state of war with Iraq, its relationships to other world powers have become increasingly important. The U.S.’s relationship with Mexico, in particular, has emerged as one of the most crucial relationships that the U.S. must work to maintain in this state of war. In recent years, the U.S. and Mexico have established and developed a famously strong relationship, and the friendship between U.S. President Bush and Mexico President Vicente Fox has continued to solidify the connection between the two countries. Bush was quoted in the Economist as saying, back in 2001, â€Å"America has no closer relationship† . The closeness of this relationship has placed both countries in precarious, high-pressure positions relative to one another with regard to the war in Iraq. In particular, negotiations between the two leaders on issues of trade and immigration laws have shaped the current relationship between Mexico and the U.S. and have consequ ently contributed to the strain that both leaders have felt, and continue to feel, as they struggle to maintain this close relationship in the face of the war. More specifically, recent developments, or lack thereof, with regard to these issues have significantly influenced Fox’s decision of whether or not to support the U.S. in the war against Iraq. Furthermore, media portrayal both of negotiations between the two countries and of the effects that the negotiations are having on U.S./Mexico relations is influencing public perceptions of the relationship in both countries, and, as a result, may even be affecting the relationship itself in the process. As America prepared to attack Iraq, Mexico faced the difficult decisio... ...urrent issues that strain the crucial bond between Mexico and the United States. Works Cited 1.) http://www.economist.com/cities/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1608395 2.) http://aztlan.net/mexicounsc.htm 3.) http://larouchein2004.net/pages/interviews/2002/021119excelsior.htm 4.) http://www.rense.com/general48/tue.htm 5.) http://english.pravda.ru/world/2003/01/07/41704.html 6.) http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/04/13/venezuela/ 7.) http://www.socialistaction.org/news/200207/show.html 8.) http://usembassy.state.gov/mumbai/wwwhwashnews810.html 9.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/wto/article/0,2763,1019250,00.html 10.) http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03172003/utah/38978.asp 11.) http://aztlan.net/mexicounsc.htm 12.) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/05/national/main604190.shtml 13.) http://eatthestate.org/07-19/ItsAboutMexicos.htm U.S./Mexico Relations: Surviving the War in Iraq? Essay -- Essays Pap U.S./Mexico Relations: Surviving the War in Iraq? In the United States’ current state of war with Iraq, its relationships to other world powers have become increasingly important. The U.S.’s relationship with Mexico, in particular, has emerged as one of the most crucial relationships that the U.S. must work to maintain in this state of war. In recent years, the U.S. and Mexico have established and developed a famously strong relationship, and the friendship between U.S. President Bush and Mexico President Vicente Fox has continued to solidify the connection between the two countries. Bush was quoted in the Economist as saying, back in 2001, â€Å"America has no closer relationship† . The closeness of this relationship has placed both countries in precarious, high-pressure positions relative to one another with regard to the war in Iraq. In particular, negotiations between the two leaders on issues of trade and immigration laws have shaped the current relationship between Mexico and the U.S. and have consequ ently contributed to the strain that both leaders have felt, and continue to feel, as they struggle to maintain this close relationship in the face of the war. More specifically, recent developments, or lack thereof, with regard to these issues have significantly influenced Fox’s decision of whether or not to support the U.S. in the war against Iraq. Furthermore, media portrayal both of negotiations between the two countries and of the effects that the negotiations are having on U.S./Mexico relations is influencing public perceptions of the relationship in both countries, and, as a result, may even be affecting the relationship itself in the process. As America prepared to attack Iraq, Mexico faced the difficult decisio... ...urrent issues that strain the crucial bond between Mexico and the United States. Works Cited 1.) http://www.economist.com/cities/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1608395 2.) http://aztlan.net/mexicounsc.htm 3.) http://larouchein2004.net/pages/interviews/2002/021119excelsior.htm 4.) http://www.rense.com/general48/tue.htm 5.) http://english.pravda.ru/world/2003/01/07/41704.html 6.) http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/04/13/venezuela/ 7.) http://www.socialistaction.org/news/200207/show.html 8.) http://usembassy.state.gov/mumbai/wwwhwashnews810.html 9.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/wto/article/0,2763,1019250,00.html 10.) http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03172003/utah/38978.asp 11.) http://aztlan.net/mexicounsc.htm 12.) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/05/national/main604190.shtml 13.) http://eatthestate.org/07-19/ItsAboutMexicos.htm

Mental Duality Essay

Everyone is familiar with the famous Rubin face-vase drawing, a black and white print in which one can simultaneously perceive faces by focusing on the black ink or a vase by focusing on the white. If I announce that this is a picture of a vase, am I right? However you announce you see a picture of two faces, are you right? Who’s right? Are we both right? Or are we both wrong? Is it right and wrong; good and evil? I believe neurobiological research, as well as personal anecdotal study; have demonstrated that dichotomous thinking, (mental duality) is an appropriate expectation for developing brains. However an evolved adult brain has developed the ability (free will) to reconcile their emotional reactivity with reality to understand that there are very few absolutes in life. The picture is both face and vase. You and I may only see one figure; however that does not mean the other does not exist. To see the truth one must integrate the entire picture, black and white, good and evil. In studying Roger Sperry and A.L. Wigan’s work on mental duality, Roland Puccetti believed there were two people inside each human organism. By saying there were two people; Puccetti believed there were two minds with separate streams of consciousness that were therefore capable of separate volitions, or courses of action. Puccetti was attempting through science to justify dichotomous thinking, and therefore indirectly justify dichotomous concepts of good and evil. Critics of Puccetti often pointed to an introspective argument to counter his ideas. This argument was based on someone looking within oneself and realizing they had only one mind because they did not feel two streams of consciousness or separate volitions. This was based on the idea that at one exact point in time, a person seemed capable of realizing and reacting to only one stream of thought. Likewise, there was also a behavior-based argument to reject Puccetti’s hypothesis. This objection, unlike the introspective, asked the reader to examine the behavior, more specifically the volition, of others. In looking at others, it appeared fairly simple for the reader to reject dual minds, because, anecdotally, it never seemed like people behaved with two different minds and decision-making centers. To the onlooker, it never seemed that a person had one decision-making center fighting to act over the other. Ultimately, these introspective and behavioral arguments created a lot of doubt about the idea of dual mindedness and by extrapolation cast doubt on simplified concepts of good and evil. There is reassurance in the certitude of a definitive right and wrong. People, including myself, like to believe they are right and good. Ironically, it is in the believing that I am right that makes me wrong! We mortals have the capacity (free will or volition) to be infinitely right or wrong. However, if God is right and evil is wrong, and this dichotomy exists, then I (and Pucetti) want to be â€Å"right†. In response to the introspective argument, Puccetti looked to the distinction between persons and human organisms to explain his reasoning. He defined a person as a complex minded entity that actually had experiences, whereas a human organism was the combination of the biological substrate of two persons, each of which had one mind. In his view, the human organism did not see or experience anything so therefore the human organism was incapable of being conscious. Puccetti, however, believed there was interconnectedness between the left and right hemisphere in which the left hemisphere received a stream of stimuli or experience from the right side of the body and through the corpus callosum this signal went to the right hemisphere. This connectedness worked both from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere and also right to left. The two hemispheres were able to create their own consciousness through the unique capabilities of each hemisphere once this stream of experience was shared from one side to the other. This idea ultimately allowed each person and corresponding mind to know what was happening to the other side of the body, without being conscious of the experience in the other. While introspection argued that we only received one stream of experience or stimuli at a time, this idea put forth by Puccetti offered a union of two streams of experience before the conscious state. Therefore, while introspectively it seemed there was only one stream, there quite possibly were two conscious streams that joined together through the complex network of commissures. While Puccetti was convinced of dual mindedness, Thomas Nagel suggested that our idea of â€Å"single mind† precluded this possibility in normal functioning humans. Nagle believed that if a single mind did not apply to ordinary individuals with intact brains then the idea of a single mind should be scrapped altogether. For his argument, Nagle relied heavily on paradigm, or model, examples. Nagle compared how the mind was defined to the idea of how colors were assigned. When we were all young, we learned the concept â€Å"red, the color† likely by being shown an object that was red and taking it as fact. However, the world presents with much more complexity. Even when examining color, few things are absolutely 100% red. The human eye sees red when it looks at light with a wavelength between 620-740 nanometers. In the 1600s, people were wrongfully accused of being witches (evil) after people (presumably people who were struggling with mentally duality) went out looking for them and pointed them out. They were identified as witches, and therefore 100% evil. The definition of a witch implied evil, magical powers, and witchcraft; however, the identification of these individuals was made on an emotional and unfortunately finite basis. Similarly, in ancient times, an element was thought to be the most basic material that could not be broken down. Examples of such eleme nts were earth, wind, fire, and water. We now know, however, that this was not true and that these elements were not the most basic building materials. Seen through both witch and element, dichotomous thinking or mental dualities are extremely difficult to support by simple paradigm example. These two examples hardly defined themselves because they were not correct examples only perceptions. In these cases the examples did not match what they were intended to; they were misapplied concepts. Likewise, this idea would be useful in describing a â€Å"single mind†. Just like the aforementioned examples, one could be drastically misapplying the concept of what a single mind is. While we may see what appears to be a single mind and call it a single mind, the question of whether or not we know what that concept truly encompasses comes to issue. Nagle showed the complexity of the mind as he somewhat contradicted himself when he described simultaneous attention to two incompatible tasks; perhaps similar to our vase and our faces. The threat to the absolutes implicitly calls into question our perception of our internal absolute. Are we good, intelligent, strong?, absolutely? As he threatened assumptions about the unity of consciousness, he also hindered understanding and empathy of another individuals. Puccetti’s belief of â€Å"no-creation-by-splitting† implied that if Sperry’s split-brain patients were thought to have two minds, then one must also assume normal functioning individuals had two minds. If we assumed that brain-splitting could not create two minds, however, and believed that Sperry’s patients actually had two minds, then we needed to conclude that normal functioning humans with intact brains still had two minds. While Puccetti did not provide concrete reasoning to why he believed splitting a brain could not create two minds, he did believe it made more sense to assume the two minds existed prior to surgery. To Puccetti, it is more believable that such a condition was present to begin with than gained through such a procedure. As put forth by Nagle, however, an explanation of mental unity, a capacity to accept the co-existence of complexity, helped to explain the â€Å"split minds†. Nagle stated that we subtly ignore the possibility that the unity of our mind was not actually absolute, but rather another case of integration to one’s control system. Nagle believed the unified brain was made through numerous functional connections across itself. These connections ultimately could be rerouted and cut to create separate minds. Modern research on brain plasticity certainly validates portions of Nagle’s premise. Therefore, while we often think of this unity as numerically absolute, the number of minds was likely relative and performance a function of integration. Through this thought of unity, it was clear why Nagle believed that it was possible to create separate minds through brain splitting and disconnection. †¦ And when I was a child, I thought that God was the God who only saw black and white. Now that I am no longer a child, I can see, that God is the God who can see the black and the white and the grey, too, and He dances on the grey!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ― C. JoyBell C. There are not two minds. While I do believe there are two parts of the brain connected by certain commissures and connections, I do not believe there are two separate streams of consciousness. Never have I seen someone strain and fight between two different minds. However, often have I witnessed and felt the strain between good and evil and the struggle to understand the grey. Name one premise that every single person in the world would absolutely agree is absolutely positive and has absolutely no negative consequences? There is scientific research to show the interconnectedness of the brain. In previous articles the brains were often manipulated to act independently from one another. Current science details physiological processes and peripheral cues between the two parts of the brain resulting in one conscious mind and an individual in full control of his decisions. I believe much of the search for the dual-minded, was to alleviate the discomfort of moral ambiguity and organic comp lexity.

Phoenix Advertising Essay

Our success in the past has been largely due to out of the box creativity and qualitative team work which has resulted in high standards of performance. It is now time to put in a dose of brainstorming and lateral thinking to recognize the internal hassles that are affecting the general scheme of work. When things are not moving smoothly it’s essential to revisit the existing system and find out the root cause. The careful strategy planning that we use to create winning campaigns for our clients has to be brought in to solve the present impasse. Before an outsider tells us that we have a problem, we need to put our house in order. To find the solution we need to agree on two things. First, we have to accept the fact that there are problems which are affecting the performance of the employees. And second, work up a mutually beneficial solution that will have long term benefits. We can start with the question, WHAT? What is the cause of the trouble? We always focus on client satisfaction as the crucial aspect of agency survival. What we often tend to forget or disregard is the question of employee satisfaction. Effort recognition and sincere appreciation goes a long way in creating a positive environment that is conducive to excellent performances. The disagreement between the servicing teams and the creative teams is as old as advertising itself. Every firm will have its own strategy on how best this can be dealt with. The need of the hour is communication. The management has to sit down and talk it out with the team on a more frequent basis. This will foster a more personal relationship which will result in better levels of understanding that is lacking at present. The next question is HOW? The answer is simple. The accounts crew which serve as contact points between the company and the client usually get the laurels for a successful campaign. This leaves the rest of the team in disappointment which translates as frustration with the next job. Perfect servicing is nothing without innovative ideas and vice versa. Similarly, a sound idea may fizzle away with bad design execution and unimaginative copy. The question is not whether a copywriter is more important than the art director. We believe that every individual has a share in creating good work. This recognition of the importance of everyone in the team is crucial to boosting the team spirit. A sense of give and take is essential between the accounts and creative teams. If the servicing people stubbornly insist that the client is king and expect the copywriters and designers to make constant changes according to the whims of the client, there is bound to be trouble. Working with yesterday’s deadlines and unnerving pressure can bring the creative team to a quick burnout. To avoid this, a daily schedule is absolutely essential. What happens in most cases is that the workload is not evenly distributed. A daily preview of who is expected to do what will give everyone a clear idea of how much work is on the anvil and how best to meet the deadlines. A weekly review of work which will involve every person in the company is the first step. The meeting can be held at the end of every week, at a given time which should be convenient for everyone. The agenda will be an update of the work that has been done during the week, an overview of new jobs, client feedback, possible pitches and a personal comments session where everyone can speak about what they feel is important for the success of the company. Such an open platform will not only bring a sense of transparency to the agency but also create a sense of confidence in the minds of the employees because they will understand that their opinions also count. A feeling of belonging is integral to the very idea of team work. To make this happen, we have to foresee the obstacles we will certainly have to face. Initially there will be some wrangling about the need for such meetings and any given time will be inconvenient for every other person. The word â€Å"compulsory† works magic when it comes to finding time for something. But setting a time and place and sticking to it against all odds is equally important. The next question is WHY? Though everyone in the company is working hard enough, the joint effort is not very visible. To create a sense of unity and to pep up the team’s spirits, an interactive workshop must be conducted every three months which will again involve everyone in the company. In the advertising industry, changes take place on an overnight basis. There is always something new to learn. Keeping up with the flow is possible only when there is a frequent discussion of every issue. Be it new soft wares, award winning ads, fresh perspectives from the creative angle, what the competition is up to etc. Like Burnett once said, creative ideas flourish only in places which have a sense of fun. Workshops are very effective in both cases. Inspiring speeches and group activities will help remove the sense of separateness that the employees now feel. Of course, we don’t need another Ogilvy to tell us that job hopping is part and parcel of every advertising firm. But we should get a revitalizing shot right away to ensure optimal performance. It is only when an employee puts in his/her resignation letter that the management begins to ask whether there was a problem. Instead, there should be a system in which the management is closely aware of every individual’s level of satisfaction within the company. This will help forestall problems and help retain the work force. This leads us to the question WHEN? There’s no time like now to start anew. Every department can review their internal issues and learn to take responsibility for success and failures instead of playing Passing the Buck. Change need not come from the grassroots. It can start at the top. The management can lead by example, and rest assured that everyone will follow. A clear agenda need to be drawn up immediately. To surmise, we need Daily meetings with accounts and creative teams. Weekly round up of work with the entire agency. At least three workshops a year. To encourage people to voice their views. Deal with disproportionate recognition of efforts. Hold the team together at all cost. And above all, we need to do this right away. I sincerely hope that we can make a difference to how things are run, enhance our professionalism and strive towards a better tomorrow for ourselves and the company. Thanking you, Place Date (This is just for your perusal) References    Ogilvy David Confessions of an Advertising Man Garba Kabir Alabi, The Trouble With The Advertising Industry, The Guardian, (24th March 2008)

Free Essays on Fahrenheit 911

Fahrenheit 911 Fahrenheit 911 is a one sided political film. The issues revolving in film are very controversial. In this report I will review some issues Michael Moore raised in this movie, and how he uses this film by criticizing President Bush in order to not to get him re-elected. Michael Moore made this film timing its release in the year of re-election. I know everyone is entitled to free speech but broadcasting it in the theaters is going too far. This film starts out pointing out issues revolving around the way our country and our ties with Iraq were handled before September 11th. The first issue was about the 2000 election in which all the news networks called Gore the winner in Florida early in the evening, but by 2:16am Fox called Bush as the winner in Florida & Presidency then all networks then followed. Michael Moore then pointed out that the call at Fox news was made by John Ellis (Bush’ first cousin) who ran the ‘decision desk’ during this election. He admitted that he was in touch with George W. Bush and Jeb Bush by phone that evening but denies breaking any rules. He then points out that Bush had ties in the certification of votes in Florida. Moore proceeded to say â€Å"that make sure the chairman of your campaign is also the vote counting women and that here state has hired a company that’s gonna knock off the rolls who aren’t likely to vote for you (Katherine Harris head of the Bush campaign)†. But other agencies with ties investigating the votes declared Gore as winner. And congressional Black caucus members tried to object the election outcome on the floor of the House of Representatives. The points brought up by Moore on this issue I agree with. I feel that the news networks did call the election too early and the points that he raises that there is always a ‘Bush’ tie with all of these issues. There should be some type of policy in place where family can’t be involved in certain ... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 911 Free Essays on Fahrenheit 911 Fahrenheit 911 Fahrenheit 911 is a one sided political film. The issues revolving in film are very controversial. In this report I will review some issues Michael Moore raised in this movie, and how he uses this film by criticizing President Bush in order to not to get him re-elected. Michael Moore made this film timing its release in the year of re-election. I know everyone is entitled to free speech but broadcasting it in the theaters is going too far. This film starts out pointing out issues revolving around the way our country and our ties with Iraq were handled before September 11th. The first issue was about the 2000 election in which all the news networks called Gore the winner in Florida early in the evening, but by 2:16am Fox called Bush as the winner in Florida & Presidency then all networks then followed. Michael Moore then pointed out that the call at Fox news was made by John Ellis (Bush’ first cousin) who ran the ‘decision desk’ during this election. He admitted that he was in touch with George W. Bush and Jeb Bush by phone that evening but denies breaking any rules. He then points out that Bush had ties in the certification of votes in Florida. Moore proceeded to say â€Å"that make sure the chairman of your campaign is also the vote counting women and that here state has hired a company that’s gonna knock off the rolls who aren’t likely to vote for you (Katherine Harris head of the Bush campaign)†. But other agencies with ties investigating the votes declared Gore as winner. And congressional Black caucus members tried to object the election outcome on the floor of the House of Representatives. The points brought up by Moore on this issue I agree with. I feel that the news networks did call the election too early and the points that he raises that there is always a ‘Bush’ tie with all of these issues. There should be some type of policy in place where family can’t be involved in certain ...

Customer Service Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Customer Service Excellence - Essay Example This gradually led to the awareness that employees are the contact point and they need to be fully taken care before expecting them to take care of the customers. This gave rise to the term internal customers (employees) and hence the term internal marketing or IM came into existence. Today organizations use different techniques to keep the internal customers happy as a long-term strategy. Internal marketing, according to Kotler (1991) includes successful hiring, training, motivating and remunerating able employees (cited by Vella, Gountas & Walker, 2009). Thus to achieve the service quality the internal customers should be developed effectively first. It is assumed that effective internal marketing will lead to employee satisfaction which in turn impacts the service quality. If the staff are friendly, helpful and generally agreeable it influences customer views of service quality. Internal marketing (IM) is viewed as the application of all external marketing orientation philosophy t o all internal organizational and HRM processes. IM is the activity that connects internal customer or employees with all external service activities. Employees are not merely part-time marketers but they are the first set of customers that need to be satisfied fully. IM was considered as a possible solution to the challenge of delivering consistently high service (Khan & Matlay, 2009). IM is a business philosophy which lays emphasis on developing, encouraging, understanding and valuing the employees. Internal customers’ needs must be first met before a firm can successfully satisfy the external stakeholder needs. The concept and practice of internal marketing is based on the premise that employees as customers would feel committed and motivated, cooperative and enthusiastic (Mudie, 2003). Service quality can be impacted by three service factors – service orientation, service adaptability, and flexibility to manage service demand with frontline staff supply (Vella, Gou ntas & Walker, 2009). Adaptive and flexible organizations can create better work environments leading to higher job satisfaction and stronger customer relationships. If the employees are not treated well many IM strategies such as service orientation may fail. Since the service brand depends upon employees’ attitudes and behaviours, investment in internal service factors (ISF) should not be compromised as this could negatively impact the achievement of customer service excellence. To keep the internal customers satisfied reward systems, motivational techniques, training and recruitment policies should exist because these enable the external customer oriented marketing to succeed (Vella, Gountas & Walker, 2009). Customer service excellence can be achieved by allowing individuals and teams within organizations to explore and acquire new skills in the areas of customer focus and customer engagement (CSE, n.d.). This suggests that internal customers or employees should be focused upon; their skills need to be enhanced. This is known as internal marketing where the internal customers are first satisfied because it has strongly been advocated that satisfied employees can deliver enhanced service to external customers. To deliver excellent service requires focused and effective organizational and institutional processes. Employee training can lead to prosocial behaviour, which Chebat, Babin and Kollias (2002) consider essential because the front line staff are the first customer

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparison - Essay Example Virtue ethics written by Aristotle emphasize that a person is deemed to be of an upright character if the choice he or she makes or if his or her actions display a morally virtuous character. This implies that for a person to develop the right moral virtues, he or she must mull over his or her thoughts, feelings and attitudes. Confucian ethics, on the other hand, are defined as kinds of virtues. Some people have described them as the virtues of virtues. This is because they are the virtues that are in a much defined and detailed manner. Confucius expounded on the virtue ethics, adding his own principles and integrating them with the religious views of the Chinese people. Confucian ethics mostly focus on humanity of a person. This is where he explains the need for compassion among human beings, good heartedness, and altruism. Confucian ethics also focus on the morality of a person, which he describes as righteousness. Since the Confucian ethics are not bound by any law, he also articu lates the fact that morality comes by reason and differentiating between what is good and what is wrong. In the Confucian ethics of humanity, the ethics have a characteristic of placing human beings before property. Confucius elaborates clearly that humans are to be more valued than property such as horses. He focuses on the generosity on fellow humans but not on property. The virtue ethics, on the other hand, describe a moral person as one who will treat all things within his reach with care and concern. Virtue ethics are meant to change person’s overall character traits, not only towards humans but also towards other things, as long as they are of importance to him or her (Shun and Wong 23). One more difference that comes out in analyzing Confucian and virtue ethics is that virtue ethics consider a person as being responsible both to himself and to the community. The Confucian ethics, however, give a different view concerning the duty to the community. Confucius points out that a person’s self and his or her family should come before the community. In his definition of virtue ethics, however, Aristotle emphasizes that good morals shape persons’ character traits, thus helping them make the right decisions. And, in turn, these decisions will affect the community as a whole. Value of the comparison Looking at the above comparison, one understands that virtue ethics help us in decision-making. According to Aristotle, it is virtue ethics that shape our thinking and our emotions, thus determining the decisions that we make (Carden 20). Virtue ethics, when well applied, also assist us in solving difficult life situations. When a person is faced with difficulties in life, he or she is able to solve them having other people in mind, so that his or her decisions do not affect the community negatively. In this case, I would say that the comparison is important, since, unlike what the Confucian ethics say, the community is of great importance to our thinking. The same applies to our property. In my opinion, we should also have our properties at the back of our minds when we are making any decisions. Confucian ethics, on the other hand, guide us in our relationships with our fellow human beings. By applying the ethics of humanity and compassion, human beings are able to co-relate well with each other. Thus, by combining the two