The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King Essay Example

The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King Paper The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King Oedipus the King is a dramatic tale of a great king brought down by â€Å"fate† and the destiny of the gods. It is a story of strife over events that were out of one’s control but mainly handled in a way that only caused further destruction and heartache. There are many universal lessons to be learned by Oedipus and his tragic story; lessons that every man today could benefit from, such as the downfalls of arrogance and selfishness, the grave mistakes in being judgmental and sanctimonious, and the repercussions of being quick to act without sufficient knowledge. Now, I am here. I will begin the search again, I will reveal the truth, expose everything, let it all be seen† (160-163). This line spoken by Oedipus toward the start of the play clearly demonstrates his tendencies toward arrogance and insolence. He boasts of his abilities above others previous and states how he will come to find the truth when they could not. He g oes on to reveal that he is doing so mostly for selfish reasons. â€Å"Justice and vengeance are what I want. [†¦] Family, friends—I won’t rid myself of this stain, this disease, for them—they’re far from here. I’ll do it for myself, for me† (165, 167-169). Oedipus allows his selfish ego to get in the way of him here. The people are in need of help and he claims to be the only one who can provide it. He takes matters into his own hands and decides that for his own glory he is going to discover the secrets of the past and lives before his arrival in Thebes. He then reveals that he is doing so mostly for his own benefit. I think he proves himself haughty in his claims to be able to uncover the truth and such actions and attitude prove to be met with unpleasant ends. We will write a custom essay sample on The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Universal Lessons of Oedipus the King specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After Oedipus makes these bold claims that he and he alone can uncover the culprit he seeks, he compiles his mistakes by being smug and quick to judge. He proclaims his unquestionable innocence and quickly denounces whosoever is the guilty party. â€Å"I know nothing about the murder, I was alone, how could I have tracked the killer, without a clue, I came to Thebes after the crime was done. [†¦] these words come from and innocent man. One of you knows who killed Laios (294-296, 298-299). After quickly announcing his own innocence, Oedipus goes on to condemn the guilty. My power is absolute in Thebes, my rule reaches everywhere, my words will drive the guilty man, the man who knows, out of this city, away from Thebes, forever. [†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦] Drive him from your homes. Let him have no home, nothing. No words, no food, shelter, warmth of hand, shared worship. Let him have nothing. Drive him out, let him die. He is our disease. [†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ] let my hatred burn out his life, hatred, always. Make him an ember of suffering. Make all his happiness ashes (313-315, 324-327, and 335-338). Oedipus publicly makes these statements, arrogantly exiling the culprit, all the while ignorantly condemning himself. Once he states his ability to be the only savior of Thebes and promises to weed out the â€Å"disease† of the city, Oedipus wraps himself too far up in his own boastful quest that he cannot even see when other are trying to turn him off his path of self destruction. Teiresias warns Oedipus that his pursuance of the past will only bring him sorrow but he ignores these warnings, forcing Teiresias to speak. â€Å"Stubborn old fool, you’d make a rock angry! Tell me what you know! Say it! † (449-450). Jocasta, his wife, even begs Oedipus to leave these pursuits once she learns the travesty of the truth and Oedipus ignores her as well. JOCASTA. Oedipus, you must stop. I beg you—stop! OEDIPUS. Nothing can stop me now. I must know everything. Everything! JOCASTA. I implore you, Oedipus. For your own good. OEDIPUS. Damn my own good! (1329-1334) Oedipus does exactly that. He damns his own good by being overtaken by his selfish arrogance, self-righteous judgment, and his quick action in ignorance. Oedipus turns out to be the murderer he seeks. He unknowingly is the â€Å"disease† he speaks of expelling from the city. All of these events come together to reinforce age-old life lessons. One should never bask in his own abilities and be boastful of his capabilities, but rather be humble and hardworking towards any success. One should not be quick to judge others when they are ignorant of the facts. This also reflects the saying, â€Å"people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. † Oedipus was unknowingly living in a giant glass house that inevitably came crashing down on him. He mocked the blind Teiresias, just to end up blind himself in the end. He slandered his own name by slandering that of a culprit he sought out. He condemned his own life by condemning another. He didn’t heed the advice of others but instead pushed on his own selfish path to what unknowingly led to his demise. The lessons of Oedipus are truly universal. What one wishes to receive, one should give. People should act with compassion and understanding and be sure to have all the facts before making judgments. Selfishness will only lead to loneliness and despair. In the end, though Oedipus’ tale is more dramatic than most modern day situations, one could end up exactly the same as he if they do not heed these lessons. Nothing, nothing is left of me now—no city with its high walls, no shining statues of the gods. I stripped all these things from myself—I, Oedipus, fallen lower than any man now, born nobler than the best. Born the king of Thebes! Cursed with my own curses, I commanded Thebes to drive out a killer. I banished the royal son of Laios, the man the gods revealed is stained with the awful stain. The secret stain that I myself revealed is my stain. And now, revealed at last, how could I ever look men in the eyes? Never. Never.

Scott Kelly, Astronaut Who Spent a Year in Space

Scott Kelly, Astronaut Who Spent a Year in Space On March 2017, Scott Kelly, astronaut, blasted off to the International Space Station (ISS) on his fourth flight to orbit. He spent a year aboard, racking up a record total of 520 days in space over his career. It was both a scientific and personal achievement, and his time on orbit continues to help scientists understand the effects of microgravity on the human body. Fast Facts: Scott Kelly Born: February 21, 1964 in Orange, New JerseyParents: John and Patricia KellySpouses: Leslie Yandell (m. 1992-2009) and Amiko Kauderer (July 2018-present)Children: Charlotte and Samantha (with Yandell)Education: United States Merchant Marine Academy, University of Tennessee (MS)Published Works: Endurance: A Year in Space, My Journey to the Stars, and Infinite Wonder: An Astronauts Photographs From a Year in SpaceAccomplishments: Spent a year in space as part of the Twins Study of long-term effects of microgravity on humans Early Life Astronaut Scott Joseph Kelly and his identical twin brother Mark (who also served as an astronaut) were born on February 21, 1964, to Patricia and Richard Kelly. Their father was a police officer in Orange, New Jersey. The twins went to school at nearby Mountain High, graduating in 1982. During high school, Scott trained and worked as an emergency medical technician. From there, Scott went to college at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. In his memoir Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery, Kelly wrote that his early college years were difficult, and he lacked direction in his studies. By his own admission, his high school grades were bad and his SAT test scores werent impressive. He wasnt sure what to do with himself. Then, he picked up a copy of Tom Wolfes The Right Stuff and the words he read impressed him deeply. I felt like I had found my calling, he wrote about that time in his life. I wanted to be a naval aviator...The Right Stuff had given me the outline of a life plan. To pursue that plan, Scott transferred to the New York Maritime Academy, where his twin brother Mark was already attending college. He graduated in 1987 with a degree in electrical engineering and went on to earn a masters degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee. As a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, Kelly attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and later flew jets at various duty stations. In 1993, he attended Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent in Virginia, and over the course of his career amassed more than 8,000 hours of flying time in dozens of different aircraft in both land and carrier landings. Astronauts Scott Kelly (right) and Mark Kelly (left) in an interview about their work with the Twins Study and as astronauts. NASA   NASA and Dreams of Flight for Astronaut Kelly Scott Kelly and his brother Mark both applied to become astronauts and were accepted in 1996. Scott was trained in caution and warning systems for the ISS. His first flight was aboard space shuttle Discovery on STS 103, a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. His next assignment took him to Star City, Russia, where he served as Director of Operations there for joint Russian-American flights. He also served as backup for crew members on several ISS missions. Due to the Columbia accident in 2002 (for which he flew search and recovery operations), flights were postponed until NASA could investigate the causes of the tragedy. Scott next worked as the Astronaut Office Space Station Branch Chief in Houston before doing a stint on the NEEMO 4 mission. That underwater training laboratory in Florida was developed to study the similarities between living in space and underwater for long periods of time in enclosed quarters under simulated space conditions. Kellys next two flights were to the International Space Station for STS-118, and Expeditions 25 and 26, where he worked for several months. He participated in installing instruments for the station, as well as a variety of science experiments. Astronaut Scott Kelly in the cupola section of the international Space Station. NASA Scott Kelly and the Astronaut Twins Experiment The final mission for Scott Kelly was part of the famous Twins Study. For that, he spent nearly a year in microgravity while his brother Mark, who is now a retired astronaut, stayed on Earth. Scientists devised the experiment to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on Scott, and compare changes in the two over the course of the mission and beyond. The study also provided valuable information about how astronauts living and working in space on long-term voyages to the Moon and Mars can be affected. The mission began for him on March 27, 2015, when he blasted off from Earth with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Korniyenko. Kelly was on for two missions and was commander for the second one. He returned to Earth on March 11, 2016. In addition to the Twins Study, Mark worked with Russian colleagues aboard the station and was commander for the mission during part of his stay. He traveled to and from the station aboard a Russian rocket and capsule. Among other activities, Kelly performed an extravehicular activity with fellow astronaut Timothy Kopra to repair a mobile transporter aboard the station. He also did an EVA with Kjell Lindgren to service several parts of the station, including the Canadarm 2 and installation of docking equipment for future missions by SpaceX and NASA crew vehicles. Scott Kellys personal living quarters aboard the International Space Station were quite small and include a sleeping and personal work area.   NASA The ongoing research into changes in both men has uncovered some significant effects of space flight. During his time in on orbit, Scott grew two inches in height due to weaker gravitational pull on his skeleton. Upon return to Earth, his skeletal structure returned to nearly the same as it was before the mission. Genetically, the men remain the same, but scientists noted some ways that his bodys gene expression had changed. This is not the same as his actual genes changing, but has more to do with how they prepare the body to respond to changes in the environment. In addition, Scott participated in research to help doctors understand why astronaut eyesight can change drastically over time in space. He, like many other astronauts, noted a distinct change in mental viewpoint and also how personal relationships are affected by lengthy stays in space. Kelly noted that one unique aspect of the mission was that time on the station flowed at a slightly different rate than it did for his brother on Earth. It made him slightly younger than Mark and medical scientists are still assessing the effects of his trip on his body. He wrote that his part as a scientific lab rat never ends. I will continue to be a test subject for the rest of my life, he wrote. I will continue to participate in the Twins Study as Mark and I age...for me, its worth it to have contributed to advancing human knowledge, even if its only a step on a much longer journey. Personal Life Scott Kelly married his first wife, Leslie Yandell in 1992 and they had two daughters, Samantha and Charlotte. The couple divorced in 2009. Kelly married his second wife, Amiko Kauderer, in 2018. Scott Kelly retired from NASA in 2016 and has worked with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs since that time. The memoirs of his time in space were published in 2017, and he spends time giving public talks about space and space travel. Ive been traveling the country and the world talking about my experiences in space, he wrote. Its gratifying to see how curious people are about my mission, how much children instinctively feel the excitement and wonder of spaceflight, and how many people think, as I do, that Mars is the next step. Honors and Awards Scott Kelly received many medals and much recognition for his work, among them the Legion of Merit, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Medal for Merit in Space Exploration from the Russian Federation. He is a member of the Association of Space Explorers and was one of Time Magazines Influential 100 in 2015. Sources Kelly, Scott, and Margaret Lazarus Dean. Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery. Vintage Books, a Division of Penguin Random House, LLC, 2018.Mars, Kelli. â€Å"Twins Study.† NASA, NASA, 14 Apr. 2015, www.nasa.gov/twins-study.Mars, Kelli. â€Å"NASA Twins Study Confirms Changes to Mark Kellys Genes.† NASA, NASA, 31 Jan. 2018, www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-twins-study-confirms-preliminary-findings.Northon, Karen. â€Å"NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly Safely Back on Earth after One-Year Mission.† NASA, NASA, 2 Mar. 2016, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-scott-kelly-returns-safely-to-earth-after-one-year-mission.â€Å"Scott Kelly.† Scott Kelly, www.scottkelly.com/.

Derivatives and Alternative Investments Assignment

Derivatives and Alternative Investments - Assignment Example First, if management understands about the corporation’s risks better than shareholders, the corporation, not its stakeholders, can hedge. Subsequent, corporation could be capable to hedge at a lower cost. Corporate hedging can be justified if default costs are significant, since it reduces the possibility of default (Johnson, 2010). Lastly, if the corporation encounters progressive taxes, it can decrease tax accountabilities by hedging which steady corporate earnings. To calculate the appropriate number of bonds and equity futures that should be sold the following are considered and done. Bond estimation is a technique used to establish the predictable trading price of a bond. The anticipated trading value is computed by adding the total of the current values of all coupon costs to the current value of the par value (Johnson, 2010). German federal state bonds with a minimum issuing volume of EUR 1 billion. FDAX = opening price 8,218.50 Low price 8,164.00 High 8,259.00 Daily s ettlement price 8,197.50 Bond face value = â‚ ¬ 1 000 000 000 Annual coupon rate = 3.723% Maturity in years = 1 year Market interest rate = 7.2% Future Bond Price = 3.723% * 1000 000 000 * 1-(1+7.2%)-10/7.2% + 1000000000/ (1+7.2%)10 =32,230,000*6.94 +1000000000/2.004 =223676200+499001996 =â‚ ¬ 722,678,196 Future Equity Present value = â‚ ¬50,000,000 Question 2 Interest rate swap amount = â‚ ¬5,000,000 Term: 5 year fixed rate payer The risks of the interest rate swap To explain the risks of the interest rate swaps position taken by the European asset manage the following are considered. In addition, the possibilities of hedging the scenario are also explained. Management decisions relating to a bank’s interest rate risk challenge should consider the risk or reward swap of interest rate risk positions. This is why the trade-off, in form of interest rate swaps, is necessary in this scenario (Corb, 2012). Management must compare the possible risk such as impact of unp leasant rate actions of an interest rate risk situation or approach against the possible reward (impact of positive rate movements).To assess the potential impact of interest rate danger on a corporation’s operations, a well-managed company will reflect on the affect on both its incomes (the profits or accounting viewpoint) and fundamental economic worth (the capital or economic perspective). Both perspectives must be evaluated to establish the full scope of a corporation’s interest rate risk vulnerability, particularly if the company has significant long-term or multipart interest rate risk positions (Corb, 2012). The current situation warranty interest rate swaps consideration so as to avert too much risk exposure. An interest rate swap is an accord by two entities(the European asset corporation and the central Bank) to swap or exchange floating rate interest compensations for fixed rate interest compensations and vice versa. It is significant for the European asset manager to appreciate that swaps are between corporations and not between personal investors; however, the outcome of these swaps may influence his/her job activities or the cost he/she may pay for a bond. The most ordinary kind of swap is a vanilla exchange in which fixed rate interest compensations are swapped for floating rate interest payments according to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (Corb, 2012). The London Interbank Offered Rate is the interest rate that financials institutions with high credit ratings from ratings organizations charge one another for

Festivals of Greece & Rome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Festivals of Greece & Rome - Essay Example The Romans theatre history shows that they had several problems especially the stage craft and the imbalanced concept of drama with stage performances. As a result the stages in the beginning were constructed based on Greek models. In fact the concept of drama was introduced to Romans only from the Greeks. In this instance Romans stand next to the Greeks not equal to Greeks. The Greeks have a mythological background for all its religious festivals. Greeks’ strong faith in the supremacy of God is evident from the worship of each God and the reason they associate with their Gods. They honored their Gods through these festivals and had a faith that they could be punished in terms of earthquake or war if they don’t honor Gods. A festival according to both Greeks and Romans is not only for them but also for other visitors and participants from other countries to take part in competitions and contests. Especially sports, music and games. The course of the festival is declared as holiday. Greeks declare their festivals honoring their Gods such as Zeus, Olympia, Hera, and Dionysus who symbolize health, fertility, vegetation etc. The Greeks looked at their Gods as personifications of spring and periods. Where as most of the Roman festivals are celebrated during summer. Women were treated with equal importance as a result a special festival is organized for women honoring the Goddess Olympia, where sports events were conducted for women. The Panathenic festival in honor of the Goddess Hera, contained contests for singers, poets and playwrights. The Athens festival was considered as the most interesting event of the year, where series of operas, symphonies and ballets were performed at the theatre of Herodes Atticus. The influence of Greek drama could be seen in all the plays of all the times. Greeks performed plays in other religious festivals also especially the Church quoted dramatic scenes to explain religious

Management of Information systems Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management of Information systems Unit 5 - Essay Example Pure play companies are able to focus their investments on their on-line storefronts than brick-and-mortar companies, and positive shopping experience is a come-on for the generation of repeat business. These online retailers enjoy reduced unit operating costs, and lower levels of customer acquisition costs. A transactional database is a transaction-based, relational database with a normalised table. It is highly volatile and designed to maintain transactions of the business with immediate updates. Transactional databases also allow for online transaction processing, and thus maintains functional data. In the case of Overstock, the overload on their systems has forced them to suspend internal applications and use their capacity to accommodate the main sales transaction function. For this reason, managers could not make real-time inquiries. This is not advisable because in an online sales business such as Overstock, management must be informed at all times about the volume and nature of transactions in real time, so that they may make informed decisions as soon as possible. Transactions occurring over the internet are still legally binding contracts, and Overstock might commit itself in sales transactions that it might not be able to fulfil. In pure play businesses, close monitoring in r eal time is essential. With the increased investment in hardware, software and database technology, and with the additional complement in skilled labor, management is able to do faster real-time analysis of sales transactions, monitor volume movement of products, and check current inventory levels. Managers can thus make spot decisions concerning critical issues that require immediate resolution. Furthermore, the inclusion of warehoused data capability could provide invaluable collated data over a period of time, for the purpose of managerial decision making. According to the facts of

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay The Four Arena analysis and Four Lens analysis are based on a simplification of the dynamics of competitive interactions that breaks reality into it component pieces. In reality, the arenas are not quite so distinct, the progression is not quite so clear, and the nature of dynamic strategic interaction is not so predictable or easily labeled. DAveni, R.A. (1994, p. 180) Strategic management theories and methods are indispensable in todays economy. Regardless of their origin, dynamics or focus they are designed by scientific logic to understand the complexity of reality, to analyze the focused conditions (i.e. market, power, relative positioning and so on) and to cope with competition to achieve an advantage or to sustain the economic performance of a company. Combined with an insightful execution they strengthen the profitable existence of organizations within a competitive environment. However even the most successful companies which implement the most paradigmatic strategy methods by the rulebook fail. This raises the question of whether contemporary strategy can, in fact, provide such consistent insights for strategists or rather bias the perception of reality. This chapter is dedicated to a critical analysis of the predominant strategic research streams in order to locate their structural weaknesses. A symptomatic case study will introduce/illus trate the issue. The Textbook Example The Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corporation (stylized as HTC) was founded 1997 as a producer of notebooks and became one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world in just over a decade. It is best known for its wide consumer smartphone portfolio ranging from mid- to high-priced models. With a market growth of nearly 100 percent in 2011 and a skyrocketing sales growth of 229 percent, HTC held the title of the most profitable stock at the Taiwanese stock exchange from 2007 until 2011 (cf. HTC Investor Relations; Bloomberg 2011). But as of today, the tables have turned on High Tech Computers Corporation. In the second quarter of 2012, the company had shown substantial revenue losses of 3.35 billion Dollars resulting from a slump in sales and profit in the first quarter (cf. Reuters 2012; HTC Investor Relations). Its stock plummeted from an all-time high of 35 euros (1300 Taiwan Dollars in April 2011) to now 7,5 Euros a share (277 TWD as of August 2012; this signifies loss es in the amount of more than 3 billion US Dollars). In conclusion, HTC cut its expansion program by closing its offices in Brazil and South Korea, and sold half of its stake in its main acquisition of high fidelity headphones (cf. Kan 2012). What began as a yearlong success story for the innovative smartphone manufacturer is turning into a failure, putting HTC in the same declining market share position as Nokia. But what went wrong? The answer might be found in the strategies and the business model adopted by the Taiwanese company to assert their place in such a dynamic industry as the smartphone market. According to the empirical analysis of the High Tech Computers Corporation by Chi-Ho Chiou (2011), its general corporate strategy was based upon a threefold approach. The first strategy, Development and Reconfiguration of Dynamic Capabilities, includes the implementation of both the core assertions of the first-mover advantage theory, as well as the methods of the Configurational school of thought. The concept of the first-mover explains the advantage a market pioneer can successfully live off, if he is the first one to establish himself in a niche (Robinson 1988, p. 92ff.). Through expanding the scope of the product, establishing effective response barriers for competitors, creating proprietary and innovative products, exclusive production skills, vertical integration and securing the best areal locations, a co mpany as a first-mover could create powerful entry barriers as well as high switching costs (MacMillan 1983, pp. 22-25). In addition to this proceeding, the Configurational school describes the relations between periods of stability and transformations a corporation might undergo to adapt to new environmental changes. To sustain equilibrium of its organizational characteristics (and therewith its success), there is the important need to acknowledge change and to embrace it through appropriate strategizing (Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 305ff.). Thus HTCs strategizing originated with the early insight (presumably because of the production volumes of the Iphone) that consumer matched smartphones will induce a state of market change the company has to adapt to. Against this background, HTC, as one of the first manufacturers, switched the focus from business-tier phones to cheaper mid-tier handhelds, bundled its distinctive competencies of technological advancement and into the development of these products, and defended its advantageous position with the buy-in of skilled professionals. To enhance its performance within the state of reconfiguration, HTC incorporated additionally the strategy of Collaborative Networks which is essentially the optimization of the value chain and the domain of the Power school of strategic management. As mentioned before, the benefits of the early-mover might stem from the vertical integration of business units. This approach was elaborated and explained by Michael Porter within the Generic Value Chain. A company can be disaggregated into its primary and support activities which, taken together, generate the profit margin (cf. Porter 1998a, pp. 36-52). By optimizing the management of the value chain and an efficient expansion strategy, a company is able lower its production. These strategies go hand in hand with the principles of the Power school. This school of thought is divided by perspective. On the one hand, there is the perspective on the inter-organizational issues subsumed under the term of Micro Power, and on the other there i s the Macro Power concerning the political processes in between several corporations. The latter perspective includes a cluster of different concepts which outline either the importance of strategic alliances and cooperational networks (Hamel et al. 1989, p. 134; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, pp. 255-260), or the influence of the external control an organization can achieve through planned strategizing (cf. Pfeffer/ Salancik 1978; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 248f.). By creating strategic collaborations with Microsoft and Google in its early days as a smartphone parts supplier (first contracts being made in 1997), HTC was able to improve its value chain by reducing the total cost of its technological development, firm infrastructure, and human resource support activities in its value creation process. It simply used the provided operating systems as Android or Windows Phone, instead of investing assets and resources into own research. HTCs strategic alliances began to manifest itself in the 2001-2003 time periods as the company collaborated initially with such European telecommunication providers as Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and O2. As it built up favorable reputation and its brand image in a low competition market as Europe, High Tech Computers entered the US Market in 2005, signing exclusive hardware deals with providers AT and T, Sprint, Verizon and Cingular. Finally, dominating its niche of mid-tier smartphones, the corporation collaborated with Japanese providers including NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile to enter the most competitive smartphone hardware market in the world (all data taken from Chiou 2011, p. 301f.). Step by step, HTC incrementally developed a brand image and established itself in the world market through regional maneuvers, strategic alliances, as well as technical partnerships. Finally, HTCs product strategy and its radical transformation are based on the third strategy named Dynamical Product Diversification. It was, as Chiou points out in the African Journal of Business Management (2011, p. 302), derived from Porters Five Forces analysis and the resulting Generic strategies matrix strategy (at this point, this paper will refrain from explaining these basic concepts due to their prominent nature). As Apple changed the mobile communication market in 2007, HTC must have recognized the chances and the potential of this newly established market by shifting its own production towards the masses demanding similar products as the Iphone. Yet the Taiwanese analyzed the competitive forces and realized that they should not compete against Apple and mimic its differentiation strategy, but choose the focus approach instead. Hence, each year since 2007, High Tech Computers released approximately ten to fifteen different smartphones with the goal to capture and capitali ze on the niche left by Apple (cf. Areamobile.de 2012a; HTC Portfolio 2012). The Iphone was considered an unchallenged luxury good available only to consumers who were capable of either spending almost a thousand Dollars or binding themselves to year-lasting provider contracts. HTC became the alternative with a diverse product portfolio of less expensive phones for the mainstream, adopting Porters focus (or segmentation) strategy. All in all, it should have become evident that HTC incorporated a range of paradigmatic theoretical concepts of strategic management in its endeavor of competition analysis and strategy creation. Despite of being a textbook example of applied strategic management theory, the company struggles the second quarter in a row to operate in the black. The reason for their failure is, from the corporate point of view, the loss of revenue due to lower sales and therefore less net profit and an impaired market growth (cf. HTC Investor Relations 2012; Whittaker 2012). Yet analysts claim unanimously that these lower sales result from an overloaded and simultaneously dull product portfolio which lacks a distinct competitor to Apples Iphone or the even more successful Samsung Galaxy product line (cf. ibid.; Shimpi 2012; Milett 2012; Luk/ Poon 2012; Bertolucci 2012; Lunden 2012). But why does HTC need to have such a competitor, in spite of choosing the segmentation product strategy and having a portfolio of 96 different mid-price smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012b)? This companys failure implies that the company had to complement its strategy with the same cost focus endeavor as Apple. Ac cording to Porter, the positioning school, and every SWOT analysis, HTCs managers planned everything in accordance with the textbook and the double strategy its competitors pursue should be essentially wrong because: [a] firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is stuck in the middle. It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. (Porter 1998a, p. 16) Samsung Electronics did exactly that. It is indeed stuck in the middle having approximately 380 low- to mid-price phones and 11 high-end smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012c). And its consolidated operating profit soaring to 4.8 billion Euros shows a 79 percent increase year-on-year since it implemented this double strategy (cf. Samsung Investor Relations 2012). It appears that the most paradigmatic strategy analyses reach their limits in the face of contemporary figurations of competition. Hence, HTCs strategic failure is symptomatic of a large part of the normative and descriptive strategic management research. Normative/ Prescriptive Research Streams Over the course of the last century, the term competition passed through different stadiums. In the war torn European economies of the 1950s, competition did barely exist due to an unmet demand for reconstruction and food supplies. Only two decades later, the competitive dynamics in the US transformed the rapidly expanding seller markets into the saturated buyer markets of the late sixties and seventies (all data cf. Chandler 1990). In the nineties, competition once again hardened in the face of globalization and the more complex nexuses of interconnected global market forces. And as of the digital markets of today, Hypercompetition represents the paradigmatic concept for the scientific community characterized through: [an] accelerated change in technology or regulation, low entry and exit barriers for competitors, uncertain and volatile consumer needs and demand situations, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] leapfrogging of existing standards, blurring of boundaries between competition, substitution and market entry and continual attempts to outmaneuver each other and to usurp entry barriers (Ortmann 2010, p. 24, also cf. DAveni 1994; Brown/ Eisenhardt 1997; Gottinger 2006) In regard to the continuous historic transformations and the volatile nature, competition is therefore understood by the scientific community as a dynamic, evolving concept. In contrast, concepts of the modern schools of thought of strategic management remained surprisingly static. The Design, Planning and Positioning school of thought represent, according to Eden Ackermann (1998, p. 25ff.), the prescriptive and rather normative side of strategizing. They consist of deliberate analyzing, planning, and strategic creation methods, and describe how things ought to work under ideal conditions. Until today they remain the predominant strategy concepts taught in nearly every book on this topic (insert Fig. 1 here) and their use continues to permeate the academic peer-reviewed literature (for a detailed description cf. Helms 2010). Though HTC claims to be an innovative company, they chose prescriptive analytic models which represent somewhat of an outdated perspective on strategizing. They are characterized through an inflexibility of their frameworks, because they base on the economic situation in the eighties and were developed for managers of large and mature corporations. Furthermore, this period was characterized by strong competition, cyclical developments and relatively stable market structures (Niehans 1990, p. 315f.). For instance, the generic strategies matrix cannot be modified within its framework. Instead of observing the changes of market conditions in correlation to ones own company as a complex adaptive system, and to adapt to the prevailing degree of competitive complexity (as for instance within the framework of the complexity theory determined by McKelvey 1999 or Kappelhoff 2002), the Five Forces analysis and the strategy matrix are based upon the assumptions of perfect competition, that structure determines strategy (structure-conduct-performance-paradigm), and that market growth is continuous. If there were any problems or divergence from one of the questionable assumptions, then Porters whole theoretical construct would be rendered implausible because of its inflexibility as pointed out in HTCs case (for a more detailed critique and analysis of the rather basic paradigmatic concepts concerning HTCs performance cf. App. 1). But beyond the concepts of Five Forces, Portfolio Analyses or Planning procedures, the normative or prescriptive stream of research underwent several paradigmatic changes ever since which spawned more sophisticated iterations of strategic concepts (as depicted in Fig. 2.). These were subsequently modified to improve their performance, as well as their consistency until they became highly complex. But even more elaborated concepts as Game Theory (cf. Shapiro 1989; Nisan et al. 2007), Blue Ocean Strategies (cf. Kim/ Mauborgne 2005) or the shift to the Resource-Based View (cf. Wernerfelt 1984; Prahalad/ Hamel 1990) continue to analyze competition with only a few set variables and static frameworks which represent rather theoretic enclosures than reality depicting mental models. For issues of scope and continuity, this subchapter will focus exemplary on Porters dynamic progression in the field of normative positioning. After severe criticism on the account of neglecting external forces ( as e.g. the government, cf. Brandenburger/ Nalebuff 1996), missing viable middle ground strategies (known as Outpacing-Strategies, cf. Gilbert/ Strebel 1987; Miller 1992), and concentrating too much on the positioning instead of addressing the competencies of the firm (Prahalad/ Hamel 1990), Porter complemented his strategic research by integrating the generic methods into two frameworks driven by causality. The first one, termed as The Determinants of Success in Distinct Businesses (or Chain of Causality Framework) focuses mostly on the industrial level from a cross-sectional perspective. It integrates the industry structure analysis (Five Forces) and the value chain into a framework itemized into abstract basic units which represent predetermined variables linked by a chain of causality (cf. Fig. 3 in Porter 1998b, pp. 87-92). Therefore, a proper choice of strategy and a sustainable competitive advantage rest on a set of interconnected company inherent activities (discrete process es of the value chain) whose performance in turn depends upon structural determinants of differences among competitors named drivers (e.g. scale economies, learning curves, location, timing etc.). Ultimately, Porter argues that the cross-sectional part of the causality chain of a company starting with the drivers and ending with a successful positioning strategy attains its quality over time through managerial choices and an advantageous initial condition a company may inherit (ibid. p. 92ff.). With this link to a longitudinal business level perspective, Porter addresses the criticism invoked by the advocates of the resource-based view. Still, this framework becomes dynamic in the first place with the addition of the Diamond of Environmental Influences which focuses on environmental factors on a broader national level. This framework represents a departure from Porters early static template-like models and stresses the reinforcing relations of four interrelated attributes. These att ributes represent local, environmental conditions which influence the competitiveness of a company. Factor conditions as skilled labor, infrastructure or raw materials are provided by the nation. Demand conditions result from the pressure and needs of home market consumers which determine the degree of innovation and advancement of products. Related and supporting industries characterize the presence of rivaling or supporting industries and their linkage to ones company in terms of innovation pressure, cost-effectiveness, short lines of communication, etc. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry determines the market structure set by competitors. The way competitive advantage is achieved by management practices, organizational modes, and the utilization of (local) resources of rivaling enterprises, affects the degree of the external pressure a company has to deal with. Additional parameters of influence are historical chance and the government (ibid. pp. 99-106). Since all these exogen ous factors affect the corporate strategizing and resources a company starts with, the diamond can be linked below the managerial choices and the initial conditions (van den Bosch 1997, p. 98). Both frameworks address a certain degree of flexibility and changing environmental factors. However, despite the efforts made to understand the basic conditions of financial success of corporations through strategic analysis of their presumed influential factors, the Diamond and the Chain of Causality remain extended frames of the initial generic positioning. Each link of the chain can be challenged in terms of its determinism. Thus, from a academic point of view, the main critique of Porter is that his principles are solely based on macroeconomic conditions which he analyzed within longitudinal studies of successful corporations, local governments and whole trade nations. Albeit these cases provide sophisticated sources of reliable information, they only represent conditions of their particular era, which cannot be extrapolated into changing future markets. Moreover, macroeconomics functions within its own frame of scientific reference and is seldom open to modification that is not based upon empiric evidence. It takes time to gather such evidence and it is per se impossible to modify these concepts in order to make them fit a problem-related context, which requires a different set of variables. Additionally, strategic researchers criticized the general application of the Diamond framework on business models. As Porters previous methods, the determinants of the Causality Chain and the environmental attributes of the Diamond are seldom applicable to small businesses or digital enterprises. The scope of the highly complex and national attributes does not really affect the infrastructure of small companies dependent on exports, as well as having menial cash flows (cf. Cartwright 1993; Grant 1991). Neither local infrastructure, nor demand conditions of local customers affects digital businesses, because the internet provides a network structure which is independent from geographic or national boundaries (though, in some rare cases national regulation restrictions indeed apply to digital shops). On a broader scale, critics pointed to the inflexible state of the Diamond framework, because it is only valid for the operational scope on a national level and nothing below or beyond that. For international relations of companies it was proposed to enhance the flexibility, by adding another modified diamond (cf. Rugman/ DCruz 1993; Moon et al. 1995). Such businesses do not depend much on local resources and can allocate them in a decentralized manner. Thus, competitive advantage may also result from outbound foreign investments, as well as from foreign-owned companies which add value to distinctive competencies required for the home market, effectively strengthening the competitive position. On the business level of strategy which is addressed by the managerial choices, initial conditions, drivers and activities, it is Porters empiric-based determinism that constraints the adaptive nature of the causality framework. Even though he is asserting that [e]ach model abstracts the complexity of competition to isolate only a few key variables whose interactions are examined in depth and that [t]he normative significance of each model depends on the fit between assumptions and reality (Porter 1998b, p. 84), he does not try to excel in these statements. With the creation of his basic meta-units of activities and drivers, he establishes a solid foundation just to ruin it with the integration of his outdated models of Five Forces, the Value Chain and Generic Strategies. It is impossible to include components such as the predominant cultures of countries, the type of market (digital, industrial, service based etc.) or the customer based preferences, which are vital drivers of comple xity in international markets into the Chain of Causality framework. Speaking in economic terms, his framework assumes a classic and perfect market. Therefore, the more a market is influenced by customer uncertainty or the domestic culture, the less meaningful insights the framework can deliver. That is why these frameworks are suited best for analyzing mature, industrial, western markets or national economies with stable market structures. Evolutionary/ Descriptive Research Streams As a result of strategies based upon a prescriptive approach, an organization might develop too sharp an edge. A strong focus on a successful method by optimizing the value chain and activities for a certain business offering, results inevitably in narrowing down other competencies and strengths in a normative approach. Thus, initial success with a product can be disrupted quickly by exogenous changes in customer preferences as it happened within a short time span with HTC. If that is the case, then the organization is missing a requisite variety of alternative options it can exploit (cf. Beer 1981). Therefore, it is expedient to shift the perspective to the other predominant stream of research which endeavors to grasp the processes of change and to include them into a flexible strategy creation process. Hence, the evolutionary or descriptive theories operate from a retrospective point of view, by trying to capture the emergent processes, to reflect them and finally learn to modify the status quo of strategizing. In comparison to the previous research stream, the descriptive branch is a rather heterogeneous collection of concepts which encompasses more than seven different schools of thought (cf. Eden/ Ackermann 1998, pp. 24-28, Mintzberg 1998). Moreover, chronologically, they have not gone through the same evolution as the normative schools, as they simultaneously began to gain academic traction in the late eighties (cf. Mintzberg 1998, p. 352ff.). The common denominator of all theories is the reflection upon incremental change within the company, as well as the exogenous competition and its impact on the organizational performance. Two of the most prolific examples will illustrate both perspectives: Theorists of the Environmental school argue that businesses are part of a natural selection mechanism. Hence, the environment, presenting itself to the organization as a set of general forces, is the central actor in the strategy making process. The company must respond to and include these forces continuously in its strategic analyses, in order to adjust its relative competitive position (cf. ibid. p. 288ff.). Executives, thus, choose from a variety of options provided by the environmental context, adopting those that not only suit their environments but also reflect their personal motives, predilections, and capabilities (Miller et al. 1988, pp. 544-548). Other important aspects are share- and stakeholder relationships, which are emphasized by the Power school (already covered in Chapter 2.1, p. 5). This research branch focuses solely upon the non-material assets of power and highlights its impact on strategy making. Whether inside the company or as an essential part of the environmental influence, stakeholders represent an influential factor on business performance as e.g. a (de-)motivated workforce, beneficial government parties, visionary managers, and, of course, customers. To address these parties, theorists developed a wide array o f approaches ranging from early empathy based models (cf. Freeman 1984) to almost guerilla tactics-based ideology studies on lessons how social movements mobilize workforce (cf. Ruhland 2006) to computerized benchmarking tools for measuring stakeholder value (cf. Figge/ Schaltegger 2000). Nevertheless, the main flaw with these theories lies within their fragmented nature and the resulting inconsistency. Undoubtedly, the Entrepreneurial school has the best research on successful executives, and their visionary ways of dealing with innovations; the Cognitive school delivers the best insights in their minds and how strategic processes are being constituted. But all aforementioned schools deal with complexity by fragmenting it into thematic clusters and unraveling the separated fields of knowledge. This might be a scientifically valid method of dealing with hypotheses, but concurrently it becomes gradually more difficult for companies to deal with a fast-paced analysis of emerging probl ems. As mentioned earlier, each fragmented school of thought in the evolutionary research stream is composed out of hundreds of different methods and models. Thus, it takes not only time to analyze the situation within the frameworks, but it also costs theoretical effort to interconnect the fundamentally different tools and methods. Though Mintzberg addressed this problem within his books by creating a unifying approach to adapt to environmental change, known as the Configurational School (cf. Mintzberg et al. 1998; Miller/ Mintzberg 1983), it would take a considerable amount of time to apply all frameworks and empirically validate the inter-correlations of each theory. Due to this fact, Osterwalders interdisciplinary method is better suited for the demonstration of the remaining problems (cf. Osterwalder 2004; Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010). His Business Model Canvas and its methods can be loosely sorted into the Learning/ Environmental/ Power schools (cf. ibid. p. 110f., p. 130ff., pp.181-189, pp. 200-212.). Though, the model also draws heavily upon Porters (Five Forces) and Penroses (Resource-Based View) normative concepts, as well as the paradigms of the Planning school (Scenario Techniques). Yet it offers a more sophisticated approach to analyzing strategies behind the business model than proposed by Mintzberg , covering the most important factors of the prevalent schools of thought. The basic canvas is composed out of nine sections for analyzing the key components of the business offering (cf. Fig. 4) and can be divided into four main intersecting groups. On the right side of the canvas there are industry based components, including factors of competitive analysis, production activities, the actual microeconomic cost structure and internal resources basing on the aforementioned normative methods. The upper side of the canvas entails the components of product analysis, including the description of the actual product features, distribution channels, quality management and customer preferences based upon T.Q.M. frameworks, Six Sigma analyses etc. The right side depicts all activities involving customer analyses and market demand. Lastly, the lower side represents microeconomic and financial considerations regarding the product/ service, based upon the most generic economic units, e.g. cash flow, EBITDA metrics, asset pricing and revenue streams. Additionally, Osterwalder and Pigneur include such basic analytic tools as SWOT, Blue Ocean Strategies, Long Tail and some sort of self-composed competitive environment map to round off their model and make it compatible to other frameworks. Despite the apparently light approach towards creating business models, reflectively understand the core processes of an organization and including emergent change into corporate strategy (judging from the visual context and the non-existent academic aspirations of the book), the canvas was conceived as a doctoral thesis and is based upon scientific research. Overall, the Business Model Canvas represents an emphatic concept for identifying the main processes and business units, upon which a corporate strategy can be based or modified. Despite the inclusion of many perspectives and improvements towards the normative concepts, this seemingly reflexive and holistic approach has to deal with strong criticism. Rosenberg et al. (2011) argued that the canvas dealt with substantial problems emphasizing the processual focus and thus lacking structural and goal-oriented performance representations (p. 310ff.). Moreover, due to its simplistic design, the model lacks consistent causality between each of the nine proposed blocks. Because of that, it is difficult (if not impossible) to determine a valid strategy and to manage the continuous adjustments of the business model (cf. ibid. 312ff.). In general, it becomes apparent that Osterwalder et al. do not provide the deep insight into the macroeconomic context as e.g. does Porter. The processes and the effects between each canvas-block are only explained within case studies. In its methodology, the Business Model Canvas misses the questions why? and the answer because. The best example is found with the explanation of the Freemium business model (Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010, pp. 96-106). Instead of introducing the basics or referring to explanatory books, there are roughly eight examples of canvases with a lot of colorful arrows, which point to the main connections between each block. But the model itself does not explain anywhere how to determine, understand and use these connections for strategic analysis or strategy creation. On top of that, some cases analyzed are assessed inherently wrong as in the case of Nintendos Wii (ibid. p. 230f.).

Roman Entertainment :: essays research papers

Roman Entertainment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many things the Romans did for entertainment. Even though this entertainment was cruel and brutal it satisfied the Roman's need for excitment and relaxation. In Rome most people loved to watch others suffer and fight to their death. While others loved to go and get a good laugh at the theater or relax and talk about politics at the baths. In the city the state provided most of the entertainment. Outside of the city the people made their own entertainment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the places that the state provided for entertainment was the Colosseum. The Colosseum could seat up to about 50,000 people, upper and lower class. The lower class and women had to sit in the highest level of the Colosseum. The rich and upper class had the best seating and the easiest access to the Colosseum. Even though many people think that the Colosseum was used just for gladiatorial battles, the Colosseum was also filled water so the navy could work on its strategies. The gladiatorial battles usually took place from sunrise to sunset. The gladiators not only fought against other gladiators but also against wild beast such as lions, tigers, and many other dangerous animals. In the beginning, slaves were the main fighters in the arena. Then they realized that the slave population was not enough to continue the battles; so many criminals were sent to the gladiatorial schools. Since the criminals were getting sent to the gladiatorial schools to become a gladiator, criminals thought twice before commiting a crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another state provided form of entertainment was chariot racing. The chariot races were held in what was called The Circus Maximus. The chariot races held in the Circus Maximus were considered the most popular form of entertainment. The Circus Maximus' entertainment was much like the Colosseum, a visitor could come and stay all day. The Circus Maximus could seat as many as 255,000 spectators. Men and women could sit together, but there was reserved seating for the Emporer, senators, knights, Vestal virgins, and women of the Imperial family. On the day of the event, there were about ten to twenty four races. Just like today there were many precautions taken before each race. The horses and the drivers were both checked to ensure that they had not been drugged, and were able to compete in the games. After each race the crowd was amused with acrobats, rope-dancers, and trick-riders.

Kinship is better than friendship Essay

Nowadays, friendship usually appears to be good, but a kinship is always the best bond. A friendship can be a great connection in life, but it takes time to adapt to it and cultivate a good relationship. Kinship is more valuable than friendship because relatives give an unconditional support and accept their relative’s differences. First relationships between relatives are less superficial and more trustworthy than friend’s relationship. Relatives are in all rough times with their family. For example, my mother and I support each other in all aspects and hard situations. I help take care of my siblings at home when is necessary. Because my mother works long hours, I often help clean the house and I help prepare the food too. In times of economic crisis, I take responsibility to help my mom with expenses and other domestic tasks. Read more: Speech about friendship essay When other family members get ill or get depressed, my relatives and I try to help them physically and mentally. We help pay their medical expenses and we help them regenerate completely from their illness or depressive crisis. In addition, we always watch out for our relatives objectives. We often help them reach their goals and ambitions. Because we have an absolute support for our relatives, we always help encourage them and we teach them to be successful in life. In conclusion, a friend’s loyalty is not as trustworthy and supportive as a relative’s because relatives have known them since birth. Moreover, while friends expect their friends to have things in common, relatives accept their relatives as they are. Relatives respect their relative’s thoughts and feelings more than friends do. For instance, my parents make me feel comfortable because they never judge me for the way I am. They appreciate me even sometimes I act irresponsibly or immaturely.

Tuition Increase

It is widely accepted that the future prosperity of Canada rests on having a well-educated workforce. Yet, the cost to students of post-secondary education has risen rapidly over the last few years as government funding has dropped dramatically. Since the early 1980s, public funding of post-secondary education in Canada has gone down by 30 percent. In addition, across Canada, about 1. 1 million full-time students were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in 2001, but thousands have been turned away because of lack of space or they have not applied for admission because the cost of tuition is too high for them. Ontario has the second-highest tuition fees in the country. On average, tuition fees can cost an undergraduate student close to $5,000 per year. Over 80 per cent of Ontarians believe tuition fees are too high, even with the current freeze. More than 90 per cent of students voted to reduce tuition fees. Yet Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced that tuition fees will be increasing by up to 36 per cent over the next four years. Ontario's post-secondary system, which has 18 universities and 24 community colleges, receives the lowest per-student funding in the country. For the most part, reductions in university funding by both the federal and provincial governments explain higher university tuition. The federal cash transfer payments for education and training have been cut by $7 billion since 1993. In the 2000-2001 federal budget, only a $600 million increase was allocated for both health and education, with no real requirement that any of the money be spent on education. But the Minister of Finance was able to find $55 billion in tax cuts for corporations, the banks and wealthy Canadians. The money is available, but the wrong choices are being made. Students are now paying higher fees for a lower quality education – less access to libraries, less lab equipment, reductions in tenured teaching staff and support staff. Tuition fees are a regressive form of taxation. In 1997, Canadians spent 19 percent more on their household budget than in 1996 on education, but their total household spending did not increase. This does not mean that families are paying more for education, but it does mean that hey are sacrificing other expenses in order to meet the cost of an education. The government is attempting to deflect anger over tuition increases by pointing to changes in student aid. But the fact is the tuition fee increase over the next four years will effectively wipe out more than the student financial assistance investment to be phased in over the same period. In fact, for every dollar invested in student aid more than a dollar will be clawed back through tuition fee increases. In effect, students are borrowing to finance their own student aid program. A post-secondary education is now out of reach for poorer Canadians. Those who can get to college and university often end up with debts on graduation, which can range anywhere from $30,000 for a four-year undergraduate program to $60,000 for those doing graduate studies. Professional faculties can lead to much higher debts: annual tuition at the University of Toronto's medical school, for example, was more than $16,000 by 2003, and half of Canada's 16 medical schools were charging more than $10,000 a year. It can all add up to a six-figure bill after graduation – one observer suggested it's one reason why doctors are opting for specialties rather than family medicine because the pay for the former is much higher. It's been estimated that by 2020, a four-year university education will cost about $90,000. In addition to average annual increases, students are faced with deregulated fees. Deregulation of fees happens when a provincial government abandons all guidelines and legislation and lets individual institutions have complete control of tuition fee levels. Deregulation represents one of the most serious threats to accessibility of post-secondary education, since it always leads to massive tuition fee increases. Dentistry now costs up to $30,000 a year. Even with the maximum federal and provincial student loans and the maximum private student line of credit, this fee can't be met. Deregulation is not a new tuition fee structure, but the downloading of the cost of education onto the backs of students. Deregulation is not limited to university fees. Community college programs in Ontario vary from $1,700 to over $8,000 a year. It is wrong for the public to believe, and even worse for governments to promote the myth that fees can be raised without affecting accessibility. In a study released by the Maritimes Provinces Higher Education Commission in 1997, it was reported that â€Å"there are clear indications of a systemic social inequality affecting accessibility, with students from lower income backgrounds being disadvantaged in their ability to meet the financial demands of attending post-secondary institutions. â€Å"

The Interrupters Essay Essays

The Interrupters Essay Essays The Interrupters Essay Essay The Interrupters Essay Essay Gang force is a major job in many topographic points in many topographic points. and if the Interrupters maintain up and spread out their work. it could be lessened. Harmonizing to the US legal web site. â€Å"Gang force means condemnable and non political Acts of the Apostless of force committed by a group of people who on a regular basis engage in condemnable activity against guiltless people. † ( UsLegal. com ) In the film The Interrupters. by Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz. there is a group of force interrupters that are working on disrupting and halting force in Chicago. The pack force has gotten out of control. and there are many guiltless people and immature kids being killed because of this pack force. A solution to this job would be for the force interrupters to maintain making what they are making. but besides seek to spread out their group and happen more people to assist them out disrupting force. Although the job of pack force may neer really disappear wholly. the interrupters are making a good occupation of halting it so far. and it can merely acquire better from here. In order to assist work out the job of pack force. the interrupters merely necessitate to maintain up what they are making and acquire more people to assist them. It is a really good thought that the interrupters have all one time been involved in pack force or something of the kind. Then. the people that they are seeking to assist can associate to them alternatively of believing they are merely some kind of authorization figure seeking to state them what to make. it is a batch easier for the people in packs to associate to person who one time was besides in a pack. The interrupters can speak to the people about how they were one time in packs and how much their life has turned around since recognizing that that was non a good life style to populate. In the film. every individual that the interrupters had worked with ended up recognizing that what they were making was non a good live to populate. and by the terminal of the film. all of them were seeking to acquire their lives on a better path. For illustration. Flamo. who Cobe could hardly even acquire to speak to him or listen to anything he said. had a occupation and was happy to be working. At the get downing Flamo was merely worried about drugs and desiring to kill people. but Cobe did non give up on him. and at the terminal he had a occupation and was non making that material any longer. Capryshia was another 1 that was highly difficult to work with. but by the terminal they had gotten to her. and she was go toing school and acquiring her life on path. Although the interrupters may non be able to wholly halt pack force. they are decidedly acquiring someplace with it. They have helped many people to recognize that pack force is non a good manner to populate your life. It merely takes clip. and finally over clip we could stop up seeing a batch less gang force. All we need is for people like this to maintain working at it and acquiring more people to assist them accomplish this end. Some people might state that the interrupters are non assisting the pack force because of the sum of pack force that still exists. They might state that it is non even worth the interrupters clip because merely a few people are acquiring helped. and merely some pack force is acquiring stopped. This is a valid point. but you have to get down someplace. Cipher is traveling to be able to merely snarl their fingers and stop the force. It is traveling to take clip. and the interrupters know that. They are making what they can for the clip being. and it candidly appears to be working. They are working on acquiring more interrupters to fall in them and finally will be able to halt a batch more force. Just expression at what they have done already ; there are a batch of people that have shied off from the pack force because of what these fantastic people are making. It’s good for the people involved in the force interrupters to cognize that the interrupters have besides been portion of pack force before. so so they know that there is hope for them to clean up their lives. Although some people may thiknk that the interrupters are blowing their clip because they think that they are merely assisting a few people. the interrupters are making a truly good occupation and demand to go on making what they are making. There will likely neer be a complete halt to gang force. but we are headed in the right way with seeking to decrease the sum of force we are seeing ; we merely necessitate clip. Another thing that could be a solution to the pack force job would be for the interrupters to acquire the constabulary involved with them. Although it could be bad because the people in the packs are more likely to desire to speak to person that is non in authorization. the interrupters teaming up with the constabulary could be a aid. It would be best for the interrupters to seek to make the most that they can on their ain visual perception that the people in packs are more comfy around them. but when it comes down to them non being able to nterrupt the force. they could so name the constabulary and acquire the constabulary involved. Although the people in the packs are non traveling to desire the constabulary to be at that place. they will at least be a small more intimidated by the constabulary. and if things do non halt. the constabulary can collar them. A batch of the times. one time a individual in a pack spends a nice sum of clip in gaol for what they have done. they come to recognize that the things they are making truly are non deserving disbursement so much clip in gaol over. In the film. there was a male child that spent a few old ages in prison for trying to rob a hair cutting topographic point. Once acquiring out of gaol. he wholly got his life back on path. He chiefly realized how much him being gone affected his household. particularly his small brother and sister. He went and apologized to the people at the topographic point and candidly felt highly awful for what he did. If the interrupters get the constabulary involved and get down acquiring more people in serious problem for the pack force they are perpetrating. the rates of force will besides travel down to because people realize that making that much clip off from your household the people that love you truly is non deserving the force. Peoples will get down to desire to alter their ways if they see so many people really acquiring in serious problem for their actions. Maya Angelou. harmonizing to mayaangelou. com. is a â€Å"celebrated poet. memoirist. novelist. pedagogue. playwright. manufacturer. actress. historian. film maker. and civil rights militant. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //mayaangelou. com/bio/ ) . She was born in St. Louis. Missouri. but spent most of her life turning up in Stamps. Alabama. While here. she saw a batch of racial favoritism. but at the same clip took the clip to pay attending and retrieve the Afro-american civilization and household values. Throughout her life. Maya did many unbelievable things. excessively many to even get down to advert. but she has a really celebrated verse form called â€Å"Still I Rise. † This verse form is all about different obstructions she has faced because of her race and other things. but ever ends with â€Å"but still I rise. † She is seeking to state people that despite of the adversities you face. you still necessitate to lift and demo the people that you can lift up after confronting these. Maya is besides stating others in the verse form that they need to be proud of their heritage. and they will confront troubles because of it. Despite any troubles. they still need to lift and get the better of it. There is ever another twenty-four hours to go a better individual. This verse form can associate greatly to the Interrupters and the pack force. These people that are involved in pack force frequently feel like their lives have already been ruined. and this is the lone solution to it. They want to travel out and wounded people who have said bad things about them or their household. They think that the lone solution to being discriminated against. talked about. set down. etc. s to stop it with force. Just like the interrupters have shown with Capryshia and Flamo. there is hope. They need to still lift up after these things are said to them. Rather than allow it trouble oneself them so much and seek to work out it with force. they need to lift up and be above it. Show people that they really can acquire back up after it. and possibly the people would derive a spot more regard for them. Maya Angelou went through man y adversities in her life. and she merely rose up after them and was ready to confront the following adversity. There is really much hope for these people involved in the pack force. The interrupters are at that place to demo them that there is a batch more to life than being in packs and desiring to ache people overtime they look at you the incorrect manner. The interrupters overcame all of their gang force issues and now want to assist others get the better of them excessively. This is a immense sum of cogent evidence that it can be done if people are traveling from being in packs and killing people to being a force interrupter that wants to halt all of this because they know there is a better life in front. The film The Interrupters gives us a new visible radiation on how much pack force there really is in Chicago. which is right in our backyard. Although it is sad to see the sum of force taking topographic point and people being killed. it is good to cognize that there are people out at that place seeking to halt it and wining. Although it may look that at that place has non been much advancement. the interrupters have made a great halt toward stoping it. and they need to go on what they are making so we can maintain seeing more and more advancement in the old ages to come.

BOLERO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BOLERO - Essay Example Structurally, the bolero is an all mediums straightforward composition. It composes of the C major, Â ¾ times beginning in a pianissimo and a continuously rising crescendo to possible fortissimo (Asada and Ohgushi 242). Rhythm is built over the unchanging ostinato rhythm. It is played through one or more snare drums in consistence throughout the musical piece. Further rhythm is created by the created two melodies each of 18 bars duration, and they are each played two times at alternating moves. The first melody is of a diatonic mode and descends through one octave while the second is of a Phrygian mode and descends through two octaves. Moreover, there is a maintained constant re-orchestration of the theme culminating to steady crescendo and varieties of timbers both of which repeat over and over; a series of 8 and 9 times for the second and the first theme respectively. The major C with a minor key complementary refrain repeats over and over, consistent to the insistent beat of a si de drum The dynamics of the Bolero starts off remarkably quiet and gradually increases as the mood gradually increases in tension for over 15 minutes (Stevens 2001). The speed of tonation and movement is fairly moderate throughout the music. This is attributed to the use of repeated same melodies, but played on different instruments, and more instruments are added as it proceeds to a dramatic climax. The color scheme hugely varies; burying the available tonal center and it goes a considerable time before closing an arc and returning back to the primary color. Phrasing in the bolero is neither definable as asymmetrical or symmetrical in that it changes over and over in sudden lapses. It constitutes of the same form that recurs over and over, but with no distinct formula. Some parts are symmetrical while others are just asymmetrically mixed. The bolero is one of

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 Essay

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 - Essay Example Even companies that are very successful have product failures. One of my classmates mentioned the case of New Coke. The product failed because customers were threatened by the product since they believe it might replace the classic coke formula. During the week we also talked about the importance of pricing. The price of a product is very important because the price of a product influences the demand of the product. The demand of a product will rise at lower price points. The price of a product cannot be too low because the firm has to cover costs while at the same time earning a descent profit. Companies that utilize branding strategies can charge more for their products and services. An example of a company that uses a branding strategy is Starbucks Cafà ©. One of the articles that the professor posted discussed transactional emails. The author claimed that companies should take advantage of email conversations in order to build a relationship with the customer. Building a relationship with a customer can help increase customer retention. Another article that I read during the week was about trends that can help build customer loyalty. One of those trends is networking. An industry that can benefit a lot from networking is the consulting industry. The toughest challenge during the week was the individual paper. Writing a paper of over 2000 words is never easy. The paper helped me identify different marketing solutions for a company in the airline industry. A concept that I learned from the textbook reading that I believe is very useful for marketers is the product life cycle. The four steps of the product life cycle are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The product life cycle can be used to determine the optimum pricing