Procurement Ethics Practices Essay

All persons in society, whether in private or public sector, product or services industry are concerned with ethics, Ethics is defined as the discipline dealing with what is good or bad and moral duty and obligation. Thus personal ethics has been referred to as the rules by which an individual lives his/her personal life. Business ethics is concerned with truth, fairness and justice and accounting ethics pertains to the code that guides the professional conduct of aspects such as the expectation of society and customers, social responsibility, consumer autonomy and corporate behavior in the home country as well as abroad (koontz et al 1994) Business ethics has become a well recognized aspect of managing firms today . Due to an increasing interest of ,many are nowadays concerned about values like integrity and honesty and developing ethical codes to foster responsible behavior of their employees. Ethically therefore, managers must produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people in these days of pervasive globalization of business. Manager should recognize that customers and all other stakeholders of their companies have aright to quality products and services, to meet their existing and emerging needs, at affordable prices, all times, and should be guided by fairness and equity, as well as imparity. Managers must institutionalize ethics in their decisions and daily activities thus applying integrity and integrating ethical concepts with daily actions. This can be achieved by: Establishing an appropriate company policy or code of ethics, so as to institutionalize ethics, sin organizational behavior both at management and board of director’s level, using a formally established ethics committee, teaching ethics to employees. It has been established that ethical standard vary from society to society and from country to country and should therefore be taught to ensure uniformity in understanding and applicability across the world, particularly in these days of increasing and pervasive globalization. In procurement office or department the following ethics should be followed for better running of the organization. All officers who are in charge must follow some ethics for good purchasing and supplying, this will include: Honesty: People who procure on behalf of organizations cannot afford to give anyone cause to believe that their procurement behavior is not completely ethical. Spending millions of shillings for their organizations, they are exposed to temptations that most of their colleagues face. Therefore, they have to be honest when procuring goods on behalf of the organization. Enhancing Integrity :Procurement officials should never use their authority or office for personal gain and shall seek to enhance their integrity by: maintaining unimpeachable standards of integrity in all business relationship both inside and outside the organizations in which they are employee, fostering the highest possible standards of professional competence amongst those for whom they are responsible, optimizing the use of resources for which they are responsible to provide the maximum benefit to their employing organization. Conflicts of Interest: When dealing with suppliers potential conflicts of interest can sometimes arise. Instances where relatives or friends are employed by the supplier company should be notified to the Service Unit Manager. This will not prevent the Council trading with the supplier though the Council may arrange for the procurement to be handled by another officer. In instances where Members or former employees are potential suppliers it is important that they do not receive or expect to receive special consideration. If their inside knowledge appears to give them an unfair competitive advantage it may be desirable to take steps to ensure fair competition amongst all suppliers. Rewards to employees: Members and officers should avoid as far as possible dealing with our suppliers in their private affairs, particularly if this is likely to put them under some obligation to the supplier. Where such arrangements are unavoidable it is essential that they ensure that they are not offered any sort of deal which is not commonly available and which could be construed as a reward for actions taken in the course of the employment. Principles of Professional : Seeks or accepts a position as head or employee only when fully in accord with the professional principles applicable thereto, and when confident of possessing the qualifications to serve under those principles to the advantage of the employing organization, believes in the dignity and worth of the services rendered by the organization and the societal responsibilities assumed as a trusted public servant, so that organization is governed by the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order to merit the respect and inspire the confidence of the organization and the public being served. Confidentiality and Accuracy of Information: The confidentiality of information received in the course of duty should be respected and should never be used for personal gain; information given in the course of duty should be true and fair and never designed to mislead hence making personal profit obtained through misuse of public or personal relationships is dishonest and not tolerable. Business gifts: Business gifts, other than items of very small value such as business diaries, calendars, should not be accepted, members of the staff should at no time or under any circumstances accept directly or indirectly, gifts, gratuities, or other things of value from suppliers which might influence or appear to influence purchasing decisions. Hospitality: Modest hospitality is an acceptable courtesy at a business relationship. However, the recipient shall not allow himself to reach a position whereby he might be deemed by others to have been influenced, in making a business decision as a consequence of accepting such hospitality. The frequency and scale of hospitality accepted shall not be significantly greater than the recipient’s employer would be likely to provide in return. Proper communication: Keeps the governmental organization informed, through appropriate channels, on problems and progress of applicable operations by emphasizing the importance of the facts. In case of any information which is unclear so be discussed with relevant officer without making uninformed decisions which may cost the organization. Proper control of personnel: Resists encroachment on control of personnel in order to preserve integrity as a professional manager, handles all personnel matters on a merit basis. Politics, religion, ethnicity, gender, and age carry no weight in personnel administration in the agency being directed or served. Disciplinary Action: Seeks or dispenses no personal favors, handles each administrative problem objectively and emphatically without discrimination. Any mistake committed should be dealt with without favor and the correct measure should be applied. Purchasing and supply procedure: Officers shall always seek to uphold and enhance the standing of the Purchasing and Supply profession and will always act professionally and selflessly by: maintaining the highest possible standard of integrity in all their business relationships both inside and outside the organizations where they work, rejecting any business practice which might reasonably be deemed improper and never using their authority for personal gain, enhancing the proficiency and stature of the profession by acquiring and maintaining current technical knowledge and the highest standards of ethical behavior; fostering the highest possible standards of professional competence amongst those for whom they are responsible. Competition – The nature and length of contracts and business relationships with suppliers can vary according to circumstances. These should always be constructed to ensure deliverables and benefits. Arrangements which might in the long term prevent the effective operation of fair competition should be avoided. Conclusion Managerial and appropriate ethical behavior is central to the success and effectiveness of organization anywhere in the world today. Business are so interconnected ,in terms of products and information flows, that ethical behavior in one country or in one part of the globe has an immediate impact in other countries or parts of the globe. Consequently, attempts should be made by governments and business leaders to incorporate standard management practices in their operations to enhance the efficiency of these flows. Ethical standards and codes are in this process because of the globalization of e- world business today. There is an urgent need to develop and adopt international ethical standard and codes to guide and regulate managers, globally, in running their organization effectively. These codes should include corporate governance and social responsibility practices. Reference: 1) Codes of Professional Responsibility– by Rena A. Gorlin – 1149 pg 2) Management Reform – by DIANE Publishing Company – 539 pg 3) News line KASNEB (July-sep2004) 4) Koontz et al management (1994)

Jeffersonian Republicans vs. Federalists

In regards to the United States constitution, Jeffersonian Republicans have been known as strict constructionists who had a narrow interpretation of the constitution following it to an extreme power. This was in opposition to the Federalists who had often followed a loose construction policy. And to a certain extent, the characterization of both of these parties was for the most part accurate during the presidencies of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Though these parties stay pretty true to popular beliefs, with Jeffersonian Republicans being strict and Federalists being loose, at time this was proven to be in fact false.Thomas Jefferson and the Jeffersonian Republicans had become widely known as a strict constructionists even prior to the election of Jefferson. This is shown in a letter that Jefferson wrote to his colleague, and future cabinet member Gideon Granger which shows his true support for power to the states (Doc A. ) The letter states his strong feelings against t he power that the federal government held because he was fearful that if the federal government gained too much power and the states had too little power, then we would almost be creating a monarchy in the United States like Great Britain had done.Another prime example of his ideas of stronger state governments were stated in his letter to Samuel Miller in 1808 (Doc B. ) Jefferson firmly believed that he had no business in involving himself with religious activities as president as the Constitution had made no mention of such activities and therefore followed his strict construction principle by delegating those powers to the states. However, though Jefferson was a man who was mostly stuck to his principles of strict construction, there were often times were he would abandon his beliefs for what he believed was better for the nation.A prime example of such was during the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson had to make the final call on whether or not to take this giant mass of land and do uble the size of the United States, though he faced one major problem. Nowhere in the constitution did it state that Jefferson could solely purchase land for the country without consent, which forced him loosely interpret the constitution and use the â€Å"elastic clause† because this was believed to be necessary and proper for the nation.During Madison’s presidency, he also was able to stick to his principles of Jeffersonian Republicanism to a certain extent. In 1817, James Madison had addressed Congress following his vetoing of an Internal Improvements Bill due to his views of strict construction (Doc H. ) He believed that though this bill would in some respects help the country, the president was not given direct consent by the constitution to create roads and canals and control commerce.His belief in strict construction had forced him to make the ultimate decision of vetoing the bill. Henceforth, though Jefferson and Madison did mostly follow closely to the beliefs that Jeffersonian Republican party were founded on, they did not fully carry them out with some actions not corresponding to the initial ideals. The Jeffersonian Republican party was not the only party that had to wiggle their way around their initial ideas as the Federalist party was also partially facing difficulties at times.In 1814, when Congress was discussing a conscription bill that would enforce a draft of all men into the army, Daniel Webster (federalist) had violated his loose construction policy in an effort to fight this bill (Doc D. ) Webster had argued that nowhere in the constitution was it stated that a draft could be created and if such a law was passed, Congress would also have the power to create a dictator as well.Though he did believe in the idea that all Americans followed that went against a dictatorship, he abandoned his federalist ideas of loose construction in order to avoid a draft, even though it may have been â€Å"necessary and proper†. Federali sts were also having troubles in their party when they publically made their troubles clear during the Hartford Convention in 1815 (Doc E. ) Federalists had almost clearly trashed their party ideas and sided with the Jeffersonian Republicans when in many of their remarks they had called for a weak central government.For example, when the Embargo Act was destroying the American economy, the Federalists wanted to take away power from Congress by creating an amendment which would take away all embargos and any trade with any foreign country without a two-thirds majority of both houses. Usually they would be against this as they believed in a strong central government, but they completely contradicted themselves at the Hartford Convention making no progress and eventually the downfall of the Federalist party.Therefore, the Federalists had an extremely hard time staying true to their own ideals. The Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans had developed a polar opposite view of the const itution and government. One had devoted their views to strong state government and the other to strong central government. Jeffersonian Republicans (led by Jefferson and Madison), though wanting to stick to their ideas, faced much adversity when wanting to remain strict constructionists.Yet fortunately for them they proved the characterization of their party to be for the most part accurate. The Federalists did face much more problems as they would often contradict themselves and abandon their policies of loose constructions as shown during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. It is almost impossible to follow a party’s principles to an extreme extent, as seen by both parties, so it is necessary for both to adjust to find a balance that would ultimately benefit the people of the nation.

The Alltel Pavilion Case: Strategy and Cvp Analysis

ISSUES IN ACCOUNTING EDUCATION Vol. 19, No. 4 November 2004 pp. 555–561 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis Edward Blocher and Kung H. Chen ABSTRACT: The ALLTEL Pavilion case is intended for the undergraduate management accounting or cost accounting course and the M. B. A. management accounting course. It provides an excellent context in which to examine strategic issues in using cost volume profit (CVP) in a service business.Based on an actual entertainment pavilion, the case develops many factors unique to a service business and illustrates how pavilion management can use CVP analysis to determine which artists to attract and what kinds of contracts to have with these performers. The Pavilion has two types of customers (paying ticket holders and free ticket holders) and earns profits from three types of revenues (ticket revenues, concession revenues, and parking fees).The case requires you to identify the best strategy for different types of artists, conduct cost-volume-profit analyses, consider the strategic issues related to operating leverage and how this affects the choice of performer and contract, and assess pricing strategies. O ne day in early November, Pam Berg, Manager of the ALLTEL Pavilion, was reviewing the operating results for the year just completed in preparation for the executive board meeting the following Friday. While the year ended in the black, she was disappointed that the ALLTEL Pavilion failed to earn the budgeted profit goal.This was the second year since Ms. Berg assumed the manager’s position at the ALLTEL Pavilion. After the somewhat disappointing first year, she was determined to exceed the budgeted profit in the coming year. While not all events developed exactly as expected at the time of preparing the budget for the year, there were no major surprises during the year. Yet, the operating results are below the budgeted goal. In addition, Pam was frustrated by the lack of clear guidelines for contra ct negotiations with artists, for setting ticket prices, and in dealing with unexpected low ticket sales for certain concerts.THE ALLTEL PAVILION FOR LIVE ENTERTAINMENT The ALLTEL Pavilion in Raleigh, North Carolina (http://www. alltelpavilion. com/) is an outdoor amphitheater that provides live concerts to the public from April through October each year, hosting as many as half a million patrons a year. The seven-month season usually hosts an average of 40 concerts, and 12 year-round staff plan and manage each season. SFX Entertainment Inc. (http://sfxyes. liveonline. net/) operates the pavilion. SFX is one of the largest diversified promoters, producers, and venue operators for live entertainment events in the United States.It has 71 venues either directly owned or operated under lease or exclusive booking arrangements in 29 of the top 50 U. S. markets, including 14 amphitheaters or pavilions in 9 of the top 10 markets. Edward Blocher is a Professor at The University of North Caro lina at Chapel Hill, and Kung H. Chen is a Professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 555 556 Blocher and Chen ALLTEL Pavilion wants to be the nightlife for the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC) and eastern North Carolina, and one of the most beautiful, technologically advanced, and successful amphitheaters in the world.It features the most modern state-of-the-art acoustics and video of any facility of its kind. In the last few years, ALLTEL Pavilion staged shows by the Dave Matthews Band, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Santana, Tim McGraw, Aerosmith, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, and many other national, regional, and local artists. The Pavilion claims, â€Å"There isn’t a bad seat in the house. Whether you choose to spread a blanket on our gently sloping festival lawn or select a reserved seat in our pavilion seating area, you are guaranteed a great view of the action on the stage† (ALLTEL Pavilion website).Exhibit 1 shows the stage and seating of the amphitheater. History/Development The city of Raleigh and Pace Entertainment Company of Houston, Texas jointly built the ALLTEL Pavilion in 1991. Pace Entertainment and Cellar Door Inc. of Raleigh, NC had the initial contract to manage the Pavilion. Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. of Rocky Mount, NC, the original sponsor of the amphitheater, paid an annual fee to carry its name and logo on all signs and ads regarding the amphitheater. On February 3, 1999 ALLTEL Corp (http://tel. com) became the title sponsor for the amphitheater.The demand for the outdoor facility came about because the rapidly growing city of Raleigh lacked a major entertainment complex. In the late 1980s Pace Entertainment and the city of Raleigh came to an agreement to build the facility. The city of Raleigh would own the land while Pace Entertainment would own the facility and assume sole operations of the facility; Cellar Door would do the booking for all the concerts. Pace Entertainment would pay income taxes on earnings from the use of the facility. In 1998, SFX Entertainment Inc. acquired Pace Entertainment Inc.The amphitheater facility and its employees became part of SFX Entertainment Inc. Also, in 1999 SFX Entertainment Inc. acquired Cellar Door Inc. and merged with Clear Channel Communications Inc. , one of the largest owners of radio stations in the country. This move brought together both worlds of the entertainment business. While the company has diverse holdings, the philosophy of SFX is â€Å"One Company, One Mission. † Many companies that are now owned by SFX were at one time bitter rivals in the concertpromoting business. These companies now maintain good working relationships within SFX.A key goal for SFX is for the net operating income of each of its holdings, including the ALLTEL Pavilion, to grow 5 percent each year. The Pavilion competes with the RBC Center (http://www. rbccenter. com) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh (NCSU), the De an Smith Activities Center (http://tarheelblue. ocsn. com/genrel/ 092301aad. html) at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC (UNC), and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, NC (http://www. verizonwirelessamphitheater. com/charlotte/), among others.In contrast to the facilities at NCSU and UNC that offer only indoor events, the Pavilion offers outdoor as well as sheltered seating for its events. Marketing, Operations, and Accounting When the marketing department plans a promotion for an upcoming event, it coordinates with the sales department to see if there is a conflict in sponsorship. Marketing also coordinates with the operations department to effectively manage the activities on show days. Finally, the budget of each department (sales, marketing, and operations) is reviewed by the accounting department, which provides overall financial anagement of the project. Bringing Concerts to Reality A concert becomes reality in many steps. First, a group or perform er with an interest in performing at ALLTEL will discuss with Cellar Door, Inc. and the Pavilion the possibility of performing at Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 557 the Pavilion, and look at the open dates. Upon reaching an agreement, Cellar Door, on behalf of the Pavilion, signs a contract with the booking agent for the performer.A time is specified for gate openings, and once the gate is opened the show is underway. The job of the staff during a concert is to make sure every customer of the ALLTEL Pavilion has a pleasant experience and that the mission of the company is clearly seen by everyone that â€Å"a concert †¦ it’s better live. † Clean Sweep Inc. of Raleigh handles the cleanup after a show. Key Business Issues Marketing has an important role in the success of the ALLTEL Pavilion, but marketing expenditures are carefully watched. For every show, the marketing budget is limited to $20,000.F or many shows it is difficult to stay within the budget, since the Pavilion serves a five-market region consisting of Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Greensboro, and the Carolina Coast. Most of the marketing budget is spent on advertising with radio, TV, and print media in the designated regions. Prior to developing advertising plans, the marketing staff analyzes ticket sales geographically over the five-market region. It is important to know the demographics of the five regions and compare them with the profile for each performer. The more ALLTEL Pavilion can know about the fans, the more they know where to spend the $20,000.SFX develops measures of performance and profitability for each advertising media, by region. This type of analysis is important to the ALLTEL Pavilion because increased ticket sales, through effective advertising, not only affect ticket revenues, but also revenues from parking, merchandise, and concessions. It is also important because of the increas ed cost of advertising. The advertising rates in the Raleigh-Durham region are comparable to the rates in Washington, D. C. The rates are up 200 percent over the last five years, while the budgets per show are only up 15 percent over this time.The cost of the performing artist has also increased dramatically. The average fee for an artist is approximately $160,000. Some artists are paid on a fixed-fee basis, while others are paid on a per capita basis. Generally, the most popular artists seek a per capita contract because they are confident of a high level of attendance. In contrast, the artist paid a fixed-fee is guaranteed the same fee whether 100 or 20,000 people attend (the capacity of the Pavilion is approximately 20,000 attendance). On average, the total number of paid tickets per fixed-fee concert is 7,000.The role of marketing and advertising is especially important for fixed-fee shows. One method the Pavilion uses in addition to advertising is to distribute â€Å"comp† tickets (comp tickets are free tickets distributed throughout the community) to build interest in the Pavilion that will later be realized in paying customers. Comp customers also bring in revenue for parking, concessions, and merchandise sales. In a fixed-fee concert, the number of comp tickets is approximately 25 percent of the number of paying tickets, while a per capita show has no more than 2. 5 percent.Because of the increasing cost of the performing artists, ALLTEL Pavilion tries to reduce nonartist costs. Nonartist costs at ALLTEL Pavilion include expenses for sales, marketing, parking, security, concessions, and merchandise. Since assuming the manager position, Pam has developed several avenues to reduce nonartist costs and/or increase revenues and profits, including reducing expenses, having the parking service pass out flyers for upcoming events, trading â€Å"comp† tickets for online spots in the radio industry, and giving local businesses tickets in exchange f or advertising on their premises.Revenues, Costs, and Flash Report for the KFBS Allstars Concert Exhibit 2 is a mock flash report for an illustrative fixed-fee show, the KFBS Allstars. A flash report is a projection of costs and revenues for a scheduled concert. The guarantee/talent cost ($160,635) is the amount the KFBS Allstars are guaranteed for the show. Projected sales is the number of projected paying ticket holders, while the â€Å"drop count† is total attendance, including both Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 558 Blocher and Chen paid and comp tickets.Setting ticket price is often done together with the performer, taking into consideration SFX’s national and regional pricing policies, prices of comparable venues, and the Pavilion’s desired profit for the concert. Pam uses the flash report to plan potential concerts and to evaluate the success of concerts already presented. The report shows the variety of revenues and costs for a concert, an d the projected profit for the concert. The flash report projects total revenues including ticket sales, parking, food, and merchandise based on per capita (drop count) rates.Ticket sales are in four ticket categories: A seats and B seats are regular price tickets for the reserved and lawn seating sections respectively; C and D seats are promotional (discount) price tickets for reserved and lawn seating, respectively. Other revenues include per capita facility charges paid by the sponsoring corporation for naming rights (based on paid ticket holders) and a per capita service charge paid by the performer for food, transportation, and other services. Not included are the annual lease payments for VIP seats at $10,000 per year.Patrons to the VIP seats also have to pay the ticket price of A-level seats. Reserved and lawn seating areas are shown in Exhibit 1. The parking, food concession, and merchandise operations are outsourced to other service providers, so the direct costs for parkin g, merchandise and concessions are determined based on contracts with the service providers that include both a percentage (10 percent) of applicable revenues and a fixed fee. Operating expenses include an allocation of the total of fixed production and operations costs for the season, the advertising expenses for the KFBS Allstars event, and other variable expenses.These are then added to the direct costs for concessions, merchandise, parking, and insurance to determine total operating expenses. REQUIRED How would you describe the competitive strategy of the ALLTEL Pavilion? Given the firm’s strategy, what are the critical success factors for the Pavilion to achieve its goal of continuous annual growth in operating income? 2. Complete two selected cost-volume-profit analyses for the show illustrated in Exhibit 2, the KFBS Allstars: a) How many tickets must the ALLTEL Pavilion sell to break even? ) How many tickets must ALLTEL sell to earn $30,000 operating income after taxes , assuming a 40 percent tax rate? 3. What should be the average ticket price for the KFBS concert if the fixed-pay fee is $200,000 and the Pavilion expects to sell 7,000 tickets and wants to earn $30,000 after 40 percent in taxes? 4. Negotiating the fee for the KFBS Allstars: fixed-pay or per capita contracts? a) What is the maximum fixed fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars if the Pavilion wants to earn $45,000 after 40 percent tax and expects the show to have an average ticket price of $22. 12?Assume the show is expected to draw 6,000 paying ticket holders. b) What is the maximum fixed fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars if the Pavilion wants to earn $45,000 after 40 percent tax and expects the show to have an average ticket price of $22. 12? Assume, including 25 percent comp tickets, the show is expected to be a sell-out. c) Independent of (a) and (b), what is the maximum per capita fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars, whose concert is expected to be a sellout, if the Pavilion wants to earn $180,000 after 40 percent tax from an average ticket price of $22. 2 per ticket? 5. What role does CVP analysis and operating leverage play in contract negotiations with different types of performers (fixed-fee or per capita)? 1. Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 559 EXHIBIT 1 ALLTEL Pavilion Stage and Seating The Pavilion can accommodate 20,000 fans with 7,000 reserved seats directly in front of the stage (covered seating in sections 1 through 9 and VIP seating) and another 13,000 on the spacious lawn. It has 78 theater-style VIP boxes that can accommodate 4, 6, or 8 people.In addition to positioning for prime viewing, patrons in VIP boxes also enjoy amenities such as wait staff service at their seats, personalized parking, and exclusive membership to the VIP Bar & Grill. Directly in front of sections 4, 5, 8, and 9 is seating with an elevated floor that provides excellent views of the stage for patrons with disabilities and additional seating for the hearing or visually impaired. Lawn Seating Reserved, Covered Seating Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 560 Blocher and Chen EXHIBIT 2 Flash Report for the KFBS Allstars ConcertARTIST NAME ACTIVITY/EVENT NUMBER EVENT MONTH EVENT DATE Projected Sales (Number of Seats) A Seats B Seats C Seats D Seats TOTAL Number of Seats Projected Ticket Price A Seats B Seats C Seats D Seats PROJECTED NET AFTER TAX ADMISSIONS AVG TIX PRICE NET OF TAX PER PAYING PATRON TALENT % GUARANTEE/TALENT COSTS NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES DROP COUNT (includes comp tickets) Other Ticket-Related Revenue FACILITY CHARGE Per capita SERVICE CHARGE Per capita REVENUE FROM TICKETING Per capita ANCILLARY REVENUES PARKING Per capita FOOD CONCESSION Per capita MERCHANDISE Per capita RENTALS REVENUE FROM ANCILLARIES Per capita TOTAL REVENUE Per capita The KFBS Allstars 10310001 7 7/31/04 2,778 2,845 1,747 881 8,251 $36. 29 $22. 22 $11. 3 1 $ 4. 92 $182,479 $22. 12 88. 03% $160,635 1 10,349 $24,010 $2. 91 $16,172 $1. 96 $222,673 $26. 99 $19,767 $1. 91 $79,273 $7. 66 $36,428 $3. 52 $0. 00 $135,468 $13. 09 $358,141 $34. 61 (continued on next page) Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 561EXHIBIT 2 (continued) Other Direct Costs PARKING CONTRACT CONCESSION CONTRACT MERCHANDISE CONTRACT TOTAL DIRECT COSTS Per capita PERCENT OF SALES TOTAL REVENUE (from above) TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (from above) GROSS PROFIT Operating Expenses TOTAL PRODUCTION EXPENSE TOTAL OPERATIONS EXPENSE TOTAL OTHER VAR. EXPENSE TOTAL ADVERTISING EXPENSE TOTAL OPERATING EXP Per capita PERCENT OF SALES OPERATING INCOME Per capita PERCENT OF SALES Detail: Other Concert Variable Expense Insurance Expense per person COGS—Concession per person COGS—Merchandise Inventory per person COGS—Parking per person Other Variable Concert Expense per person TOTAL OTHER VARIABLE EXPENSE $0. 1 7 $0. 35 $1. 12 $0. 08 $0. 02 $14,323 $4,448 $43,356 $17,826 $226,265 $21. 86 63. 2% $358,141 $226,265 $131,876 $15,506 $14,991 $14,323 $20,030 $64,850 $6. 27 18. 1% $67,026 $6. 48 18. 7% Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004

The Gray Rider Real Estate Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Gray Rider Real Estate Company - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that with Over 100 new graduate entrants every year, The Gray Rider Real Estate Company has been Voted the most admired construction company in the 2005 Management survey and is Winner of many Quality in Construction Awards(http://www.worldrealtynews.com). Thus, the success of an organization like The Gray Rider Real Estate Company has been on account of the apt application of the various concepts of organizational behavior like Motivation, Decision Making, Group Behavior, Communication, Power and Politics, Organizational Structure, Organizational Culture, Human Resources Practices and Change Management. Specific employee's attitudes relating to 'job satisfaction' and 'organizational commitment' are of major interest to the field of organizational behaviour and Human resource management. This is because of the fact that only a satisfied employee can have organizational commitment. Incidentally, Organizational commitment can be expected only f rom a satisfied worker and a satisfied worker is always a motivated worker. If there is no conflict between group goals and personal goals of a member of a group, i.e. goals of an employee and an organization in which he/she works are complementary and not contradictory, then the employee is motivated to work for the goals of the company, because, by doing so, he will be achieving his own personal goals. Organizational behavior is interdisciplinary in its nature with deep roots in psychology. The concepts of Motivation in The Gray Rider Real Estate Company have been elaborated in this study. Motivation refers to the way in which wages, drives, desires, aspiration, strivings, or needs, controls or explains human behavior. Motivation is the core of management. Motivation can be defined as a process, which begins with a physiological or psychological need, or deficiency, which triggers behavior or a drive that is aimed at a goal or an incentive. Motivation is a phenomenon by which 'Mot ives' based on 'Needs' will condition individual's behavior. Therefore, if there is no conflict between group goals and personal goals of a member of a group, i.e. Goals of an employee and an organization (in which he works) are complementary and not contradictory, then the employee is motivated to work for the goals of the company, because, by doing so, he will be achieving his own personal goals.

Assignment 1 health and health professional Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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International financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

International financial management - Essay Example Most investors in the UK and other parts of the world choose to place a portion of their portfolios in foreign securities. The decision, however, should involve an analysis of various mutual funds, exchange traded funds and bond offerings. To be successful in this venture of overseas investment, the company must begin first by determining the risk that characterizes the investment climate of the countries under its consideration. This would involve a careful analysis of both the economic, political and business risks associated with such investments in these countries (Michalet, 1997, p.19). The main factor to be considered by the company before investing overseas would be the types of the markets to be penetrated. There exist the developed, emerging and the frontier markets. The developed markets are those that consist of the largest and most industrialized economies whose economic systems are well developed, with politically stable environments and where the rule of law is well ent renched. These markets are considered by several economists to be the safest investment destinations, but with lower economic growth rates often trailing those of countries in earlier stages of development. An investment analysis of such markets would concentrate more on the current economic and market cycles and less by the political considerations. This would be the situation when the firm decides to invest in the United States of America (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2011, P.77).

Management Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management Information System - Essay Example Advantages presented by IOS systems Advantages of IOS include: it allows the flow of information in an automated manner between organizations so as to attain the desired supply-chain management system, thus enabling the development of a more competitive organization. Secondly, it forecasts the needs of the client and the delivery of services and products. Thirdly, IOS is helpful in better management of buyer-supplier relationships by incorporating the full depths of the tasks that are linked with the business processes company-wide. By engaging in these activities the organization is able to increase the production rate automatically; thereby, optimizing communication within all levels of a firm as well as between the supplier and the organization. As cited by Haag, Cummings and McCubbrey (26-27) to the other advantages of using IOS include: it reduces the risk in the organization; encourages global communication; overcoming the barriers that are associated with investment; benefits from the exchange of technology; it raises the levels of competitiveness; pursues economies of scale; it reduces the communication cots while at the same time extending the possibilities of coordination; and lastly, benefit from the exchange of technologies. ... The use of the internet in downstream manufacturer and customer brings a number of benefits, for instance, increased productivity, improved profits, and allows the organization to customize their customer services which will improve the overall value and competitive position. The use of the internet upstream of the supply chain leads to increased coordination, movement of goods from the supplier, and communication. Internet use allows the clients to order personalized products. It also makes it possible for the information to be readily available along the distribution chain. The challenges unique to inter-organizational systems On the other hand, the challenges associated with IOS include: data insecurity by intruders hacking into the organizations’ databases and having access to confidential information in relation to their operations. This would jeopardize the operations of the effected parties. The partners are usually concerned with if their competitors would have access to the information about the business dealings in the organization. Secondly, mismatch of skills for the people that are working in IOS enabled organization. The other challenge is inadequate technology infrastructure. Fourthly, the other challenge is that internal control systems and audit measures for IOS are usually not well developed. This is because it involves a lot of contractual procedures and legal aspect which need to be considered so as to evaluate the risk of information exposure and fraud. The other challenge according to Turban, Volino and Wood (87) found out that in spite of the clear benefits of the supply chain integration, its adoption is not widespread, and has even decreased in some organizations. IOS adoption usually take place as a response

Critique of the article Overpopulation threatens the environment Essay

Critique of the article Overpopulation threatens the environment - Essay Example The author brings to fore a grave problem that faces the modern world today, by seeing it in a different perspective. He points to the fact that in order to sustain the environment, human beings have to control the birthrates and take immediate action so that the environment is protected for all living beings, including humans to survive. According to him, the best means to achieve this objective is to refrain from producing more children and he considers vasectomy as a noble mission of the modern day man, in the face of the current situation. The article, published in the Opposing Viewpoints Series by Green Haven Press, deals mainly with the problem that over population of the earth by the human species has a lot of â€Å"far-reaching and overwhelmingly destructive impacts on many other animal and plant species† (Cascadia 22). The author claims that overpopulation destroys biodiversity on earth to such a extent that it will become impossible for life to sustain on the planet in the long run. The author also argues that â€Å"The entire history of humanity is one of environmental destruction and the eradication of other species† (Cascadia 22). ... Human encroachment of the environment, and the dire consequences that await them due to over exploitation of the resources, remains a topic of engaging debates across the globe. In this scenario, Cascadia attempts to reemphasize this concern, in a bid to make his audience take cognizance of the problem. The author uses the literacy devices of logos, pathos, ethos and logical fallacies as well as statistical data, to put his point convincingly across to his audience. The title itself, simple and precise, communicates the essence of the essay directly to the readers. The author then introduces the topic, referring to the impact of overpopulation and its exponential growth, by referring to the data of births and deaths. In any major mishap such the Asian Tsunami or 9/11, the death toll is much less than the birthrate in a day. By citing statistics such as this, the author illustrates a logic that controlling birth rate is a significant concern for humans in order to protect the environm ent whose resources are already over consumed. The very logic of the situation amply convinces the readers of the essay about the gravity of the situation. Cascadia appeals to the emotions of his audience by referring to historical context of human migration to different landscapes. By specifically citing the instance of the â€Å"extinction of mega fauna† in North America as a consequence of human influx in the area over 10,000 years ago, the author deftly illustrates the impact excessive human concentration can have on the environment. Again, the author’s dexterity in deploying the literary elements of pathos and rhetoric becomes evident when he refers to the example

Event Risk management (Summer Olympics in Brazil) Assignment

Event Risk management (Summer Olympics in Brazil) - Assignment Example Moreover, Al-Qaeda continues its underground operations. In the meantime, it is hard to know where these groups will hit next. Brazil is one of the countries with the highest number of Christian. Majority of the local population are Catholics. Terrorist groups have been using the religion aspect to try and widen the gap between the Christians and Muslim. Olympics attract people from different parts of the world. These are people who emanates from different cultural and religious backgrounds (Liotta & Miskel, 2012). This provides a platform for the terrorist group to stage an attack in order to drive a message to the whole word. The Olympics games are attended by high-level dignitaries who come from different parts of the world. Therefore, if the terrorists are able to stage an attack in such games, they can bring the whole world into a standstill due to the number of people who are likely to be affected. As a result, the organizing committee will be faced with a major problem of ensu ring that security of all those who will attend this noble event is guaranteed. Rio de Janeiro is a city that has one of the largest populations of people living in slums. In favela, drug abuse is a common practice. These are areas that are so insecure. Olympics will bring a lot of tourists in the country. Many of these people are likely to spend their time in tourist destinations such as beaches. The residents in favela are likely to take up this opportunity to rob these tourists as majority of them believe that they will have carried with them a lot of wealth. Currently, the government is already strained having spent a lot of money to host the World cup. In addition, the security apparatus are strained by the wave of violence and robbery in different parts of Brazil. Therefore, the number that can be committed to secure the areas that are likely to be visited by the tourists is very low. Therefore, problems of robbery, murder, rape, etc are likely to

COMMERCIAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COMMERCIAL LAW - Essay Example According to sections 171 and 192 of the Sale of Goods Act, 1979, Daniel can claim the identifiable part because it is unsold and is not mixed with any other goods. In Clough Mill v Martin3, the seller had retained the title to the goods and when the buyer became insolvent before paying for the goods, the goods were identifiable. It was held that the seller had the title to the goods and he was also entitled to damages. Therefore, Duncan can claim this part of copper wires because he retains the title to them and this part does not form the assets of Craftit Ltd and would not be appropriated in settlement of its claims. Larry, the liquidator, would not be able to withhold possession of them. The part that has been wound into coils around cardboard spools is not identifiable because it now forms a part of a finished or a semi-finished good. Duncan’s title in respect of this part of copper wires is lost. In Borden (UK) Ltd v Scottish Timber Products Ltd4 and Re Peachdart Ltd5, the buyer had used the resin that he had bought as an ingredient in the manufacture of chipboard. He became insolvent before payment. It was held that the seller had lost the title to the resin as it was mixed with other goods. The wound copper wires cannot be returned to their original form. It may be argued that the parties to the contract had agreed on the terms that the title was to be retained by the seller even if the goods were processed. This term poses a problem in reality. If the supplier of cardboard spools also had supplied them on the retention of title clause, it would be quite a conundrum. Therefore, the courts might apply Re: Bond Worth Ltd6 hence allowing property in the good s to pass to Craftit Ltd and resulting in a charge being granted back to Duncan. However, the courts would first make certain whether such a charge is allowed to exist.

Auditory Attention Essay Example for Free

Auditory Attention Essay The ability to localize sound sources is of considerable importance to both humans and animals; it will determine the direction of objects to seek or to avoid as well as indicating the appropriate direction to direct visual attention. The precision of sound localization is remarkable, particularly for brief sounds or for those occurring in noisy or reverberant surroundings. While the most reliable cues used in the localization of sounds depend upon a comparison of the signals reaching the two ears, there are also phenomena of auditory space perception which result from monoaural processing of the signals. Localization refers to judgments of the direction and distance of a sound source. Like when headphones are worn, the sound image is located inside the head. Headphones allow precise control of interaural differences and eliminate effects related to room echoes. Using two ears we are able to selectively attend to sounds coming from a particular direction while effectively excluding other sounds. This ability is particularly important in noisy surroundings or when there are several sound sources competing for our attention. Our acuity in locating sounds is greatest in the horizontal dimension, fairly good in the vertical direction and least good in the depth dimension. Aside from this ability we are also able to judge the direction of a sound source and to some extent estimates its distance. Many everyday experiences indicate that auditory localization can be influenced by conflicting visual cues. At a cinema for example, the loudspeakers are usually placed behind the screen or in its center yet the sound still appears to come from the actor’s mouth as he moves about the screen. Similarly, the loudspeaker in a television set is located to one side of the screen but the sound does not appear to be detached from the visual image. Thus, it might be possible that exposure to conflicting auditory and visual cues for a period of time may lead to an after-effect in which the localization of sounds is systematically displaced. This may occur during experiments wherein sound may be generates from one area but a cue may say otherwise and given the effects of practice and priming, experiment results into auditory localization may not be valid. Early findings on the study of orienting pure auditory attention have yielded no significant change in performance. Posner (1980) did not find any advantage in the use of auditory pre- cueing of auditory targets. Others have failed to find a benefit for the detection of sounds coming from expected vs. unexpected locations (Scharf, Quigley, Aoki, Peachey and Reeves, 1987). Buchtel and Butter (1988) found that informative auditory cues provided a benefit in the detection of visual targets; however they failed to find a benefit from cues on auditory targets. Klein, Brennan and Gilani (1987) also found no benefit in the detection of auditory targets with the use of uninformative cues using both visual and auditory cues. However, the use of auditory and visual cues together on tasks has been promising. Previous researches on multisensory instruments have found that it can optimize performance rather than using one sensory modality. Recently Duncan, Martens and Ward (1997) found evidence of restricted attentional capacity within but not between sensory modalities. They presented streams of visual and or auditory inputs containing occasional targets to be identified and recalled, for two visual or two auditory streams they found that the identification of one target produced a sustained reduction in the ability to identify a second target. In contrast, when the streams were from both modalities, there was no such reduction in the identification of the second target. The results suggest a modality-specific restriction to concurrent attention and awareness. The results of this study have important implications for the design of complex human machine interface systems. Systems should be designed to take advantage of the spatial presentation of information to the human operator to enhance the detection rate of critical information (i. e. ; warnings). This findings support Rhodes (1987) earlier work on auditory attention where he reported that auditory attention has spatial constraints. He found that time linearly increased to localize a sound as a function of distance from the point of attention; he further proposed that even for sounds, localization is shifted through logical and topographical representations. Information presented in locations where spatial attention has been allocated has both faster and more accurate response in both visual and auditory modalities (Posner, 1980, Ward, 2000, Spence driver, 1996, 1997a, 1997b). Moreover, even if there is a limited human attentional capacity the nature of spatial attention across modalities suggests that if one modality is overloaded the attentional capacity of other modalities are not adversely affected (Duncan, Martens Ward, 1997). Thus, the best way to maximize this modality-specific restriction is to present information using both the visual and auditory modalities. Flanagan, McAnally, Martin, Meehan Oldfield (1998) found evidence of the usefulness of using both modalities. In their study, they reported that visual search times were reduced when spatially informative auditory information was supplied. They used a spatial localization task in which the search for a visual target was aided by either a visual arrow or an auditory cue. They found both the visual and the auditory cues aided in significantly reducing the search times when compared to unaided search. It is however important that the visual and auditory information presented are detectable and localizable. Hence a signal should be localizable when information presented is critical (i. e. ; location of threats such as enemy fighters, missiles etc. ) and that information presented is expected in that location will improve response time and accuracy (Posner, 1980, Spence and Driver, 1996).

Program Design and Narrative Essay Example for Free

Program Design and Narrative Essay To achieve the objectives for our Healthy Pomona Kids Partnership program, the city of Pomona will utilize the methods outlined below. These methods have been proven effective by the Healthy RC Kids Partnership for the city of Rancho Cucamonga, where their client population is Latino. Representatives from this organization assisted in the development of this project and we have also provided an in depth timeline to this proposal. Objective One See more: how to start a personal narrative essay examples Ensure that children from low income families have access to fresh and nutritious foods in before and after school programs. †¢Healthy Pomona Kids Partnership will hire a program supervisor and two fulltime bilingual program assistants to establish a community outreach committee. †¢Appoint four community outreach committee leaders that are culturally competent, with two of the leaders needing to be bilingual. †¢Staff will develop a plan for local farmers markets and community gardens. Objective Two Educate families on the importance of good eating habits and the dangers or risks pertaining to childhood obesity; to promote healthy eating and reduce childhood obesity. †¢Staff will coordinate weekly health classes to educate and promote healthy living. †¢Staff will develop a formal feedback system so voices and concerns can be heard. †¢Staff will track participant’s progress on a weekly basis. Objective Three Engage community leaders and local police to help residence feel safer in their community to encourage exercise. †¢Staff will develop group walks within the community to meet three times a week. †¢Encourage local leaders to build walking trails.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Meet with local schools to educate students about the benefits of exercise.

The Portrayal Of Female Characters In Films

The Portrayal Of Female Characters In Films Films have long been used as a tool to portray human imaginations and ideas that are sometimes deemed impossible in reality. The characters in films have had a huge impact, with regard to gender stereotype, on audiences of all ages (Neuendorf et. al., 2010). Though there have been debates of how female characters are being portrayed in films, from being submissive to hyper-sexualised and lately, adopting more dominant roles in films, has there really been a change in male characters in films instead (Gilpatric, 2010)? Have male characters in films adopt female traits like how the female characters have adopted manly traits? This paper looks into how the portrayals of male characters in films have changed or are changing and how they affect gender construction. The feminist movement has constantly fought for womens right and equality so as to place women on equal standing to men in the society. This revolution has since been translated onto the silver screens as films depict women playing prominent and dominant roles in films (Gilpatric, 2010; Neundorf et. al., 2010) which is a stark contrast to the past when women played a submissive and subservient roles to the male character. Furthermore, films mirror the changing nature of our society, expecting men to behave in accordance to societal expectations deconstructing the male stereotype. Thus, the increasing trend in films shifting away from portraying men as having the traditional masculine trait, reconstructing it to more what termed today as the New Age Men (NAM) has been a result of the increasing prominence and dominance of females in films and the evolving nature of the society. The NAM is thus seen as a fusion of having both the traditional traits of males and females, embracing both masculine and feminine traits. Here, masculinity is defined as having the size, physical strength, rejection to authority and the use of physical force (Eschholz and Bufkin, 2001). Along with those masculine traits, the NAM are also expected to have traits like caring and being able to handle housework. The birth of the NAM has been heavily attributed to the rise of females in films and the changing nature of the society. Men today feel there is a need to differentiate themselves from females in films to assert their dominance in the industry and to reintegrate into the society, deconstructing the male stereotype. Female Characters in Films Today. Male characters in films are moving away from having masculine traits due to the rise of female prominence and dominance in the roles they play by adopting those masculine traits. Female characters like Lara Croft and Kill Bill highlights the point that traits like submissive and subservient are no longer being associated with female character. The casting of the Bond girl character is as equally important, receiving just as much attention as the casting of James Bond himself, and though a Bond film may lack the innovative gadget, never has there been a Bond film without a Bond girl (Neuendorf et. al., 2010). This accentuates that the womens roles are equally important to the Bond character. Men, who relate closely to Bond who usually portray masculine traits, view this as a challenge to their masculinity as the Bond character is dependent on the female character. The lack of innovative gadgets also portrays a crisis in masculinity since men regard these technologies as macho (Neuend orf et. al., 2010). This is further amplified with female characters playing main characters in films being created with complex and enthralling personalities relative to male characters who are rather one-dimensional and are of minor interest (Russell-Watts, 2010). Women are also selected to play roles previously played and deemed suitable for men. Though Lara Croft and Kill Bill props to mind, the Hamlet by William Shakespeare is another example. Despite Hamlet being a male character, women have been manifesting their interest to play the role and there has been an increasing trend of women getting selected to personify Hamlet (Howard, 2007). Moreover, the Hamlet is known to be involved in violence as portrayed by the character Alexandra Tranda, who parallels the happenings of Hamlet to the events occuring in her life and ends up killing her father (Howard, 2007). Violence is defined as any intentional infliction of physical pain or harm (Eschholz and Bufkin, 2001) and has a positive correlation to masculinity (Eschholz and Bufkin, 2001; Neuendorf et. al., 2010; Gilpatric, 2010) thus proving an increase in violence equates to in an increase in masculinity. Men feel the idea of a women hamlet as unhealthy and feel ashamed for a woman to take th e Hamlet role (Howard, 2007). This is an indication to men that women are challenging their masculinity and dominance in the film industry especially in roles crafted for men. The rise of females in films adopting a more masculine nature and playing characters deemed more suited for men resulted men to feel challenged in their masculinity and has since led to a crisis in it. Men feel there is a need to differentiate themselves from the female characters and assert their masculinity and dominance within the society, re-constructing the gender stereotype to create the NAM. The Dynamic Nature of the Society. Films impact audiences (Gilpatric, 2010) and may portray a reflection of the society. The dynamic nature of the society portrayed through films has been a contributing factor to the deconstruction of the male gender stereotype to form the NAM. Relative to the past, women today are generally more educated, enabling them to take up jobs also held by men (Buchbinder, 2008). Accelerated by the feminist movement, women today are equally as likely as men to be casted to play professional roles and jobs like doctors and lawyers (Gilpatric, 2010). There is an increase of female characters holding major roles from 12% in 1960 to 32% in 1990 (Neuendorf et. al., 2010) and female characters in films can be a true representation of their position in the society as 51% US workers who hold high-paying management and professional jobs are women (Gilpatric, 2010). Similarly, most young man today expects to go through at least three major career changes in his life (Buchbinder, 2008). Also, improvemen ts in the economy have enabled both women and men to spend on luxury items. Narcissistic concern with ones look and body, traditionally marked as feminine are being linked to men, making it harder to comply with the traditional masculinity trait of a man (Buchbinder, 2008). There has also been a shift in the portrayal of men in films today. In the past, men have always adopted the central figure but roles recently played by men and women in films have been blurred as the gap between masculinity and feminity. According to Breillat, There is no masculine psychology in my cinema. They contain only what women feel and desire. Therefore, men must not try to recognise themselves in my male characters (Russell-Watts, 2010, p. 72). This shows that men play secondary roles to women in todays films restricting them to relate to the traditional male masculinity. Moreover, men are also increasingly portrayed in films as the figure of the schlemiel. Schlemiel is a Yiddish word which means a foolish personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a social misfit (Buchbinder, 2008, p. 228) and is unable to meet the performance and attitudinal requirements of traditional masculinity (Buchbinder, 2008, p. 230). For instance, Bond girls have been known to play independent and intelligent roles eve n outwitting Bond himself in the latest Bond movie. Despite Bond films representing Bond as having a chauvinistic persona (Neuendorf et. al., 2010), this places Bond in the Schlemiel category of a foolish character causing men to view this as a crisis to their masculinity. These factors when combined has resulted men to lose its masculine traits and restricted them to conform to the traditional masculine traits deconstructing the traditional male stereotype and reconstruct the NAM to help them assimilate back into society and be of an equal standing or higher to the women. Stereotypes Still Prevails. Some might argue that despite the rising prominence and dominance of women, the subservient and submissive nature of womens portrayal still prevail while mens masculinity are still confined to the traditional stereotype. Women in films are still regarded as subservient and submissive as the dominance exerted is based on a maternal motif, creating a stereotype of mothers or wives to save her child or loved ones (Gilpatric, 2010). Moreover, the societal movement of feminism is lacking, as women in films today still report to a more dominant male character (Neuendorf et. al., 2010), acting as a sidekick to a male character and getting involved in a romantic relationship with them (Gilpatric, 2010). Male characters though may have less masculine traits as portrayed by Robert in the movie Romance, his masculinity is emphasised through his occupation, being the boss of the main female character (Russell-Watts, 2010). This proves that despite being portrayed as dominant character in films t oday, women still conform to the gender stereotype of the traditional feminine traits of reporting to a more dominant male character. Some may argue also that films may not be a true reflection of society hence the portrayal of men as less masculine are not true. Films portray women as successful only when they are thin and attractive (Neuendorf et. al., 2010) when in fact, success is judged based on merit and not only looks. Building on, by showcasing one man as less masculine in the form of the schlemiel figure, subtly it provides a foil for other male characters to stand out, bringing out the masculine traits in the other male characters, (Buchbinder, 2008) indicating that male characters in movies still conform to the male gender stereotype of masculinity. New Age Man is the New Man. Despite the portrayal of women as subservient and submissive, women are still just as likely as men to commit violent acts in films. Presently, women are more likely to show acts of aggression (Neundorf et. al., 2010) and masculinity levels in male and females have increased (Eschholz and Bufkin, 2001). Though many may argue that the feminist movement may not have reached its promised desire, it cannot be regarded as a failure. Womens role in movies has since increased transcending the traditional feminine traits (Gilpatric, 2010). No longer women are being portrayed as one-dimensional who plays stereotypical female characters. Moreover, men today are unlikely to conform to the traditional form of masculinity although they may still hold superiority over the female characters as masculinity portrayed by men in films today is excessive in nature and something that men cannot relate to. The rugged masculinity shown through characters played by Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger is being described as a fantasy (Eschholz and Bufkin, 2001). Men feels there is a need to form a new identity something that they can relate to and has slowly since give rise to the birth of the NAM. Though portraying men as less masculine or as the schlemiel figure helps to bring out the masculinity in other male characters (Buchbinder, 2008), this very need has proved that there is a decreasing trend in films, which showcase men as masculine. Conclusion. Films have evolved tremendously down the years and will continue to do so at such rapid rate. As womens roles in films continue to rise and take centre stage, male characters in films have since taken steps in the opposite direction, adopting lesser of the traditional masculine traits but instead adopt more feminine traits. This has not being helped by the changing nature of the society where women continue to rise in status at workplaces challenging men for jobs. The birth of the NAM has been heavily attributed to the rising dominance and prominence of female characters in films and also the changing nature of the society. As the world become more globalized, womens status in society is also expected to improve and NAM may well form a new stereotype for men in times to come. (1996 Words)

My First Visit to Nigeria Essay -- Personal Narrative Traveling Essays

My First Visit to Nigeria In this essay I will reconstruct my first visit to Nigeria. The journey took place when I was seventeen in early 1993, during which time Nigeria was under the military rule of General Sanni Abacha. For the most part of my trip I stayed in Lagos, former capital state and still highly recognised as the commercial capital of Nigeria, although I did visit other parts of the country including Ondo State and Jos. Between this time and the time I left, in early 1994, I experienced and learnt a lot about the Nigerian culture. My main focus will be on the particular aspects of Nigerian culture that I saw as relevant to me as a teenager at the time, and also on my views before and after the journey. Up until the point of this journey I had lived most my life in the city of London and my cultural views were very much British. I was not very familiar with Nigerian culture, and the parts I was familiar with, which came mostly through my parents and other family members, were not very appealing t o me. Thinking back now I imagine that one of the reason things like that did not appeal to me was because it went so much against the British culture which I had already related to; fully accepted as my own; and deemed as ‘normal’. For example eating certain food, not including chips, with your right hand instead of with a knife and fork. Leading up to the time I left for Nigeria, I had never really identified myself with the Nigerian culture even though both of my parents where originally from Nigeria. I was the first born of my mother followed by my two younger brothers, Steven and William. We were all also given Nigerian names along with are English ones; mine was Femi and my brother’s were Ayo and Bayo. My father was still studying along with working when I was born and my mother was working also, when I was about three years old I was sent to live with a white middle class nanny in a town called Warminster in Wiltshire. It was a common phenomena in Britain in that period to see West African being bought up by Foster parents while their parents worked or studied (Groody and Groothuues, 1977). I did my first two or so years of primary school in Warminster before my parents decided it was time for me to return to live with them in London. I was one of very few blacks in Wiltshire at the time, so apart from the occasional rare visit made by my par... ... you is to experience it first hand. I found it much easier to accept traditional aspects of Nigerian culture when there where others, who like me were also infected with western popular culture, around me who appreciated also. I do not feel that this acceptance came from any sort forced group conciseness, but more from having the ability to choose aspects of the culture which I liked in an environment where my choices were more sociably accepted. While in Nigeria I also met a reasonable amount of other Nigerians who had had similar experiences while growing up as I did. Meeting with such people was one of the significant aspects of my journey as it enabled me to talk and laugh about some of the things I went through as a child which originally made me feel socially excluded. It also helped me to discover my cultural identity as a British born Nigerian. Bibliography Bammer, A, (1994), Displacements, Volume 15, Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana University Press Kureishi, H, London and Karachi, in, Patriotism: The Waking and unmaking of British National Identity, Volume 2, Minorities and Outsiders Watson, J.L,(1977), Between Two Cultures, Oxford, Basil Blackwell

The Atomic Bomb :: American America History

The Atomic Bomb The atomic bomb is a powerful, explosive nuclear weapon. It is fueled by the fission of the nuclei of specific amounts of plutonium or uranium, in a chain reaction. The strength of the explosion created by one of these bombs is equal to the strength of an explosion created by thousands of tons of TNT. To detonate one of these bombs, enough mass of plutonium or uranium must be provided to reach what is known as "critical mass." Critical mass is the mass at which the nuclear reactions going on inside the material can make up for the neutrons that are leaving the material through its outside surface. These materials are usually separated within the bomb so that critical mass cannot be reached until the bomb is ready to explode. Once the chemical reactions within the bomb begin, the neutrons released by each reaction hit other atoms and create more fission reactions until all the material is scattered, or completely exhausted. This process releases enormous amounts of energy in the form of extreme heat and a massive shock wave. These nuclear explosions, in addition to their pressure waves, high winds, and flash burns, produce deadly radiation that contaminates soil and water, and destroyed living matter. The atomic bomb was first created in the early twentieth century. Physicists in the United States and Europe had discovered that the fission of uranium could be used to create a deadly explosive weapon. A letter was sent to U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt by Albert Einstein that described this discovery and warned him of its potential dangers if developed by other nations. The Manhattan Project was established by the U.S. government in 1942 so the country could develop an atomic device. A team under the command of United States Army Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves designed and built the first atomic bombs, directed by J. Robert Oppenheimer. This type of bomb was first tested at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The amount of energy that was released by this explosion alone was equivalent to twenty thousand tons of TNT. Many nations have tested nuclear devices, in the atmosphere, under the earth, and under the oceans. Only the United States of America, Russia, Great Britain, France, and China openly admit to possessing these nuclear weapons. Many other nations, however, are thought to have the capability to assemble these items quickly.

The Diverse Roles of Women in Movies Essay -- Film Essays

The Diverse Roles of Women in Movies In society we have a lot of women actresses. Some tend to play the motherly type, some play the manipulator type and some even play the victims of abusive relationships. No matter what women seem to be coming up in the industry of movies in more ways than before. The three movies I have chosen to analyze in my critique are Heartbreakers, Baby Boy and Stepmom. These three movies all have women in them that either play a major role or the main role. All their roles are very different in character and none of the women in these three movies play a similar role. In the movie Heartbreakers the two main women are Jennifer Love Hewitt (the daughter) and Sigourney Weaver (the mother). These two women act as â€Å"manipulators or conartists† the whole time. The whole point of the movie is for them to make different men (of age and class) to believe that they (as attractive as they are) actually love them for who they are. Throughout the movie they scam all different types of men to basically get them for their money. At one point in time Sigourney Weaver even marries a man who is madly in love with her just for his money and then she divorces him shortly after. The story continues as they use and abuse these men. Then Jennifer Love Hewitt starts to actually like one of the guys she is suppose to be scamming and her mother gives him a test to see if he actually likes her back. She tries to seduce him and she even gives him some sort of intoxicant to make him more susceptible to her. He ends up kissing her mom because he is under the influence and Jennifer sees the whole scene. She later on finds out that her mom was trying to make it seem like this was not the right one for her, but in a... ...s ex-husband. She is such a wonderful lady and the audience feels for her when watching this movie because she faces so many problems with her new step-children. Almost throughout the whole movie they are very cruel to her and sometimes even their own father. The kids cannot grasp the whole divorce situation and they have a lot of anger towards their parents for breaking up their happy home. Most of the anger is taken out on Julia Roberts because the kids see her as the â€Å"other woman† in their Dad’s life. They eventually come to realize she is a very sweet lady and all she wants to do is to get along with them. They accept her as a part of their family and they live happily ever after. Moral of the story: With a little love and understanding any relationship whether between a man and a woman or between a woman and children can eventually work out for the best.

Remembering a Life Essay

I remember him in the misted vision of toddler years and again in girlhood, the booming voice on TV, someone grown-ups talked about, eyelids flapped wide. Elders huddled ’round the screen enraptured, in fear for him, in awe. In her â€Å"Remembering a Life,† Nordette Adams describes the black pioneer, heartthrob, charming, charismatic and inspirational leader; Martin Luther King. Although the main purpose of this paper is to speak about the immense power of the audio/visual media as well as identify its tools and spots of power, and according to essay writing rules, the introductory sentence should include the formal goal exposed; the writer finds it more appropriate and even attracting to start by the most important tool in visual media; the presenter. In the globalization era, media is the number one intercontinental tool. It has different types; starting with the written media represented in newspapers and journals, audio media represented in the radio, and finally and most influential the audio/visual media represented in speeches and TV shows. Obviously, the audio/visual media attracts the highest number of audience for its wide-spread and easy access features. â€Å"Sound and visual ‘illustrations’ are no longer mere minor complements to thought but they directly influence the thoughts and the very conduct of millions of individuals. It was therefore inevitable that a desire should spring up to master such a powerful instrument, to discipline it for better (education) or for worse (advertising, for example). † (pp. 1) Thence, the important elements that constitute any powerful piece of news item are: the effective words, charismatic presenter, as well as the use of intonation, gestures and above all the strong meaningful cause. A close look into the successful speech â€Å"I have a dream† presented by Martin Luther King can show the effective and successful elements of a media news item. As well-known to everyone, Martin Luther King is a revolutionary man who devoted himself to pursuing the case of the black, and defending their rights against oppression and discrimination. He is such a charismatic leader and talented speech presenter whose characteristics are essential to any media man. He was such an eloquent man who inspired many people. In this regard, Oprah Winfrey says: Nothing that has happened in my life since I was 16 years old would’ve been possible. I wouldn’t have been in radio, I wouldn’t have been on television, I would have been have been who I am †¦ I just wouldn’t have the life that I have without Martin Luther King Jr. , To have been a living witness to the changes his vision and his dream have brought – not just for me personally but for me personally – it really is amazing grace. He possessed wisdom of thought and strength of cause; and for his beliefs he said many philosophical quotes that can inspire any person wherever he is. To exemplify, he pleaded for work until the final breath â€Å"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree,† he even cared for schools â€Å"When schools flourish, all flourishes,† and above all, he detested war â€Å"War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. † In fact, it is no wonder he became the nowadays well-known Martin Luther King. In his speech â€Å"I have a dream,† Martin Luther King speaks it all loud in fluent, strong and coherent chosen words. He speaks the cause, history, acknowledgment, union, and requests. At the very beginning, he exposes the cause and history for the march and his speech; Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. From the very beginning, the listener can highly sense the strong articulation of every word, as if Martin Luther King does not want the listener to escape a letter denoting the gravity of his cause. The brilliance is not merely in the choice of the eloquent words, or in the smooth flow of sentences, but it is clearly shown also in his mild intonation; for he uses a stable tone rising at certain points of needed assertion. For example, he emphasized the injustice done to the Negro by straining his vocal cords reflecting his pain and strong belief in his cause. Upon this pattern, he continues to unfold his reasons. Actually, Martin Luther King uses variable styles incorporating even ironic and literary images that enriche his speech turning it into a beautiful piece of art achieving amusement for any listener. He believes that God is just and that a discrimination free atmosphere is urgently needed for both Blacks and Whites. He states in rather an ironic image that â€Å"we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt† moving the crowds to laugh at his simple, yet, powerfully righteous note. One more time, his intonation rises, but this time while talking about the present; Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand’s of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. He speaks about the urgency of having real democratic and free country. However, he is also very reasonable. He refuses the black to obtain their freedom on the bodies of the white. He refuses violence thoroughly. Therefore, he gives credit to the white who support him in his cause; The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. Briefly, Martin Luther King exposes calmly his stance and asserts his beliefs before he reaches his climax. The climax of the speech exposes the ultimate strength of the words and performance. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. † I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! Without taking a course in presentation skills, and without having training for an interview, Martin Luther King manages to use a firm and strong voice, in addition to his gestures that make the audience soar with his words. Watching this speech is indeed a pleasure because it bears within the meaningful message of a leader transmitted through media. The injustice done to any person in this life, and the discrimination against any person, all echo in this speech. The cause is so clear in the words, the presenter’s belief, and the crowds aggregated around him believing in his cause. In a nutshell, today’s democracy, freedom, peace and coexistence were built upon the shoulders of inspirational leaders such as Ghandi and Martin Luther King. ? Works Consulted: Adams, Nordette. Remembering A Life: A Poem Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. authorsden. com/categories/poetry_top. asp? catid=69&id=109389 King, Martin Luther. (1963). I have a Dream Speech. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. mlkonline. net/video-i-have-a-dream-speech. html King, Martin Luther. Martin Luther Quotes. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_3. html Lestage, Andre. (1959). The Use of Audio-visual Aids in Education. UNESCO Chronicle. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. unesco. org/education/nfsunesco/pdf/LESTAG_E. PDF Winfrey, Oprah. (2008). Oprah Winfrey: How Martin Luther King Changed My Life. Retrieved on March 30, 2010 from: http://www. people. com/people/article/0,,20172797,00. html

In what ways do poets portray the exprience of war in ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and in ‘For the Fallen’ Essay

Laurence Binyon wrote ‘ For the Fallen’ in 1914, at the beginning of the Great War, while Wilfred Owen composed his ‘ Dulce et Decorum Est’ in 1917-18, by the end of the conflict. This difference in time means that there might be inconsistencies in the portrayal of the war, due to the changing perspectives of the fighting, which in turn would provoke irregularities in the purpose, style and nature of the two poems. In ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, Owen tries to prove us that war has no mighty purpose behind it and that it is just a waste of lives. He describes one soldier dying with verbs such as ‘guttering, choking, drowning’ and gives an account of the blood which came ‘gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs’. This strikingly visceral portrayal of loss of life suggests that he sees nothing spiritual or divine in the sacrifices that the soldiers make for their country. He prefers to depict the experience of the war as true and cruel as it is in reality without sparing the reader. In the poem we are informed about two deaths. The first is due to harsh conditions, when some soldiers ‘dropped behind’, while the second is caused by lethal gas that one of the soldier inhales. In both of these cases, the young men’s deaths didn’t contribute in any way to the protection of their country and they weren’t even fighting when they passed away. This suggests that war is just a waste of human life which won’t secure England’s peace. In ‘For the Fallen’, Binyon tells us that the soldiers have ‘fallen in the cause of the free’, thus suggesting that they try to make the world a better place, that they fight for something good. This gives war a mighty purpose and to the deaths meaning. This idea of ‘for the greater good’ is further highlighted in the phrase ‘a glory that shines upon our tears’, which conveys the idea that the sacrifices of the soldiers contribute to the welfare of society and that’s why everybody should be proud of those who are fighting. It is clear that the two poems depict the meaning and purpose of the war very differently. While Owen indicates that war is a meaningless and cruel waste, Binyon tries to cast a better light upon the deaths of the soldiers, giving their sacrifices a higher significance and thus implying that war – with all its faults – is for the greater good. In Owen’s poem the soldiers going to the fight are ‘like old beggars under sacks’, ‘coughing like hags’ ‘blood shot’ and ‘drunk with fatigue’. ‘Many had lost their boots’, implying that they cannot face the harsh conditions of the war and that they are even unable to look after their essential belongings. The description of bootless ‘beggars’ is humiliating, while their tiredness and the hag simile suggests that there are lethargic and hopeless. Their physical appearance isn’t attractive either. All these depict the soldiers as tired, old and humiliated men who are unable to face life and are completely incompetent in war. However, in Binyon’s version the soldiers ‘went with songs to the battle’, suggesting their fearlessness and gaiety. ‘They were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow’. This phrase conveys an admiration for the almost divine soldiers who seem to be the incarnation of some hero from a child’s tale – powerful, handsome and determined men who save the world. This image of glorious warriors seems to be taken out of a happy-end story – rather than the realism – to satisfy the audience. Once again the dissimilarity between the two accounts is obvious. Owen sticks to the merciless truth, while Binyon sees something beyond the harsh experience of the war. Actually, he seems to use the brutality of the fighting and the deaths to emphasise the greatness and divinity of the soldiers. In ‘Dulce et decorum Est’ soldiers die either to the harsh conditions of the war, or due to poisonous gas. The soldier who experienced the later, plunges at the nearest men choking and drowning – an image of a helpless, suffering person. Unlike the soldiers in Owen’s poem, in ‘For the Fallen’, the fighters ‘fell with their faces to the foe’, – not to their companions – in the middle of the battle, fearless and brave. The determination which they seem to possess suggests that they believe that their deaths have a higher purpose. This encourages the reader and the mourning families to have faith that their loved ones’ lives weren’t wasted, but contrarily represented a salvage for humanity. It seems that the greatest difference between the two poems lies in the way they portray death and their significance. In ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ the dying soldier’s face is ‘like a devil’s sick of sin’ with ‘writhing eyes’. The phrase implies that the soldiers committed the greatest sins, most probably killing, which this altered the way they viewed life forever. They seem to be ‘sick’ not only of the war, but of the persons in which the war transformed them, into devils. The ‘writhing eyes’ suggests the violent ending that they had, and it possibly implies that they never found peace. The mention of the devil together with this, insinuates that they will never go to heaven, but rather to hell. The phrase ‘incurable sores on innocent tongues’ further emphasises the idea that the experience of the war severely damaged their character in a negative and irredeemable way. ‘Incurable sores’ implies that the greatest wounds were not physical, but psychological, and this might be the reason why they will never find peace, not even the moment they die. In ‘For the Fallen’ death is ‘august and royal’, thus dignified and splendid, something rather positive and good. This is because the sacrificed soldiers’ songs go to up ‘into immortal spheres’, suggesting the place where the dead soldiers found peace. This idea is repeated throughout the whole poem. The phrase ‘they shall not grow old, as we that are left to grow old’ implies that the deceased soldiers are divine, angelic and eternal beings. Due to their valiant death, their gift is that of eternity, as if their vibrant, determined and brave souls were immortalised, and thus they will be forever young, forever in the best of their condition. The deceased soldier’s march in the ‘heavenly plains’ is ‘as the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness’. ‘Heavenly’ and ‘stars’ suggest that the divine fighters will always light upon the mortal humans, guiding and pr otecting them. ‘Time of our darkness’ refers to the war, and how young men, in the hardest periods of their life, left their homes to save their loved ones, as they will always do from heaven. Binyon sees a continuation of life after death, and that’s why the choice of the word ‘fallen’ in the title, because the sacrificed young men never die. Contrarily, they seem to receive a better, divine existence, incomparable to that of their living fellows. This idea might very well surprise Owen, who suggests that the experience of the war turned the innocent soldiers into devils, who will never find peace in heaven, but will burn in hell – thus the violent death of the soldier and the ‘obscene cancer’ which infects him. The differences between the portrayals of the experience of war in the two poems in striking. Binyon’s account is patriotic one, which glorifies the fallen soldiers and gives meaning and divinity to their deaths. However, considering the time when it was written – at the beginning of the Great War – we can get a better understanding of the poet’s reasons for such an idyllic portrayal of the fighting. At the start of it, the government needed to make the idea of warfare an appealing one in order to have young men risking their lives in the battle . Thus the attractive and heroic depiction of the combating soldiers. At the same time, the poem tries to soothe the mourning families, and this explains the almost holly aura that encircles the deaths on the front. However, as time went on, people got tired of the war and the increasing number of deaths. Soldiers returning from the battle spread the world about appalling conditions and cruel, meaningless deaths. O wen, who wrote the poem by the end of the conflict, seems to be well informed about the direct experience of the war and at the same time he is aware of the patriotic and idyllic accounts that existed at the beginning of the fighting. This explains the angry, visceral and meaningless deaths which he depicts in his poem, almost as if he was angry about people lying and making war seem a worthy, purposeful thing. And indeed, his poem ends with a call to other people not to ‘tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some glory, / the old Lie: Dulce et decorum est/ Pro patria mori (It is sweet, and honourable to die for one’s country). Owen wrote as an answer to other poems such as Binyon’s which glorify the experience of war, and this is why he chose the title ‘Dulce et decorum est’, to arise the memory of the patriotic accounts from the beginning of the war, and then throughout his poem to shatter ‘the old Lie’. He personifies this lie with the capital letter, making it seem as a destructive, evil person. This is the reason why Owen sticks to visceral descriptions – he prefers not to spare the reader, because he believes that the Lie is even crueller than th e merciless reality of the war.

Cause and Effect Essay Essay

As a child my mom always taught me to be proud of who I am; to disregard all the negativity that was sure to come my way. As a constant reminder she bought books like Black Beautiful Me and Strong and Black to keep up my self-esteem. It was a good reminder, but because of all the negativity that surrounded me I started to feel bad about who I am. I never thought that I would have been a victim of discrimination moving to such an isolated place, but it comes to show that you will never be rid of the negativity in the world. Moving to a small town where African Americans are hard to find; a lot of racism was always targeted towards my sisters and I. Attending School was the hardest part; I always saw myself as being beautiful, but walking down the hall being called â€Å"that ugly black girl† started to take its toll on my self-esteem. Everywhere I went I ran into discrimination and stereotypes; I was constantly asked if I wanted fried chicken or watermelon, I would have guys tell me â€Å"I would date you if you had lighter skin,† or walking in the store and have the word â€Å"nigger† shouted and not know where it originated from. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t liked or given the chance to prove myself, but I felt unwanted, like I didn’t belong. When I had read â€Å"The Myth of a Latin Woman† I found it quite relatable to my situation when I had first moved to Cortez. Cofer talks about how she was stereotyped when she moved to America; how she wanted to fit in, but found it difficult because of her traditions and culture. She stresses the fact that nobody really understood her, that movies about Latin and Puerto Ricans were the closest understanding people got to her culture. Cofer then states that all the hard times that she had growing up made her stronger, and more successful. She tells the reader to take all the negative experiences and turned them positive so that nothing is stopping one from being successful. The negativity was a struggle for me, I wanted to quit public school and start homeschooling. But, I began to learn how to ignore people and not care how or what anybody thought of me. With that idea I became more at peace with myself. I started to look up when walking down the hallways, I learned  to just smile and at the negativity. Instead of the hurtful words putting me down I used it as fuel to my flame, motivation in other words, to do better and be successful.

Characterization in Canterbury Tales Essay

From cover to cover, Geoffry Chaucer’s late 14th century collection of short stories, Canterbury Tales, provides readers with a unique literary experience. Chaucer compiles twenty-four short allegories of no relation, yet all of the narrators know eachother. Another interesting trait of Chaucer’s masterpiece takes place in the beginning as he dedicates over twenty pages just to characterization of the story tellers. Chaucer takes about a page to deeply introduce the reader to each character who tells their own fable. It has been said of Chaucer’s characterization that â€Å"the sheer variety of wealth of detail creates the impression of a specific person. And yet, taken together, it all adds up to a comparatively simple stereotype† (Prompt) Chaucer goes into such detail in his prologue that he almost seems to create real people. For the most part, Chaucer stereotypically characterizes each character, but in the tale about another person of their same type, he satirically and indirectly characterizes them contradictary to the reader’s initial impressions of the equatable narrating characters. Chaucer creates these contradictart characterizations to show the flaws in society. Chaucer sets up the reader with a stereotypical description of each character showing them what characteristics the characters should possess, then simulatenously in the tales points out traits that one would view as corrupt and ironic. In the â€Å"Shipman’s tale†, a monk goes behind his best friend’s back and sleeps with his wife. Ironically not something a stereotypical monk should do. In the â€Å"Friar’s Tale†, a summoner corruptly blackmails people to keep from summoning them. Lastly in the â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale†, a knight rapes a women which contradict’s Chaucer’s initial noble description of the Knight. In the â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale†, a â€Å"lusty† knight sees a maiden â€Å"alone as she was born†, and despite her refusal â€Å"by very force he took her maidenhead† (282). This Knight contradicts Chaucer’s initial direct characterization of the Knight in the prologue having â€Å"truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy† (4). Chaucer describes the Knight in his prologue as the stereotypical â€Å"distinguished†, â€Å"modest†, â€Å"perfect gentle-knight†(5). The â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale† could not portray the knight in any more ironic of a light. The knight’s brutal rape of the maiden creates situational irony as it completely contradicts the description of Chaucer’s â€Å"gentle† knight (5). Chaucer points out that even the most noble and respected men can committ cruel acts of violence that go against their expected values. But even men who do not have the same class rank as the knight can still committ immoral acts that go against their expected actions. In Chaucer’s prologue, he characterizes a Summoner. He does not necessarily portray the Summoner as a noble man, but respected as â€Å"children are afraid when he appears† (20). A respected Summoner that society expects to do his job right, the â€Å"Friar’s Tale† describes a Summoner who does everything but do his job moraly and respectfully, â€Å"he was a theif, a summoner, and a pimp† (295). The â€Å"Friar’s Tale† exposes a Summoner who â€Å"rode forth to catch his prey† as he would blackmail people ruthlessly for money in order to not Summon them to court (295). Chaucer victimizes the people the Summoner takes advantage of by lableing them as â€Å"prey† and indirectly characterizes the Summoner as heartless and manipulative. Society expects a Summoner to truthfully do his job without stealing people’s money in exchange for a court release. The â€Å"Friar’s Tale† portrays a dirty Summoner which contradicts the stereotypical Summoner Chaucer describes in his prologue. This unethical Summoner shows the ill in society that many Summoners exploit people in the same way the Summoner does in the â€Å"Friar’s Tale†