History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History - Essay Example This implies an assumption that colonial powers could and should simply take for themselves what they needed from civilizations that were less well developed industrially. The exercise of power is quite blatant, since it denies the rights of the other nations, and speaks of a duty to â€Å"civilise inferior races† (Ferry: 1884, no page number). The terminology of empire casts the conquered lands as â€Å"savage wilderness† (Beveridge, 1898). In contrast, the colonizers are lauded as saviors: â€Å"it is ours to save that soil for liberty and civilization.† (Beveridge, 1898). This kind of rhetoric stresses the incompetence of conquered lands in governing themselves, and the positive contribution that colonial powers will make on the lives of the conquered peoples. These ideas show just how arrogant and condescending the western powers were, and how little they were able to appreciate different ways of living than their own. The notion of cultural supremacy is take n for granted in the political texts mentioned, but it also creeps into arts and literature as well.

Adidas Product Life Cycle

Adidas Product Life Cycle The product life cycle concept may apply to our product, Adidas Deep Energy Deodorant. The product life cycle concept helps our marketing managers to plan marketing strategies to address the challenges that our products are likely to face. Products life cycle can be divided into several stages which include introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. Introduction stage shows small or even no sales and the company make no profit. When the Adidas men deep energy deodorant is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. This stage involves lots of research, expenditure and planning are required. Advertising costs of our deodorants product are high during this stage in order to quickly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introduction stage, we are expecting to incur additional costs related with the initial distribution of the product. These higher costs fixed with a low sales normally make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. Growth stage During growth stage, the sales increase due to attracting more competition into the market. Similar products starts come up and we have to focus on competitive advantages which can be price reduction, value added features or some other innovations. Profits rise due to an increase in output and perhaps better prices. At this stage, it is cheaper for Adidas to invest in enhance their market share as well as enjoying the overall growth of the market. Maturity stage In the maturity stage, sales of our product growth slow and generic competition appear. We may enhance our deodorant product features to differentiate the product. The selling price may start to erode under competitive price. In this stage, competition is strong as companies contest to maintain their market share. The Maturity Stage is the time when most profit is earned by the market as a whole. Some expenditure on research and development is likely to be controlled to our deodorant product modification and improvement and to improve production efficiency and quality. Decline stage In the Decline Stage, the market is reducing, decreasing the overall total of profit that can be shared with other competitors. Decline stage appear for some reasons the sales of our deodorant product start decreasing, the reasons can be some new and better choices or diminishing demand. At this stage, we have to manage our product carefully. It may be likely to cut out some production cost, to transfer production to a cheaper facility, sell the product into other cheaper markets. Core Product Adidas Deep Energy deodorants for Men provide the consumers the fresh, woody fragrance. This deep energy deodorant for men is alcohol-based, and provides excellent anti-bacterial formulation to consumers. It helps in keeping the under-arms fresh all day long, and also facilitate in reducing perspiration levels. In addition, it helps in deactivate the bacteria, and in turn ensuring zero body odors. This deodorant provides great protection against sweat and odor. This range has been developed with athletes in mind to give the best possible protection against sweat and odor. It also reducing ability of bacteria to breed thus gets rid of a sweat smell. Actual product The brand name of our product is Adidas Men Deodorant Clear Stick, Deep Energy. The selling price of it is RM8.90. Packaging design plays a crucial role in helping to communicate the image of the product. Black is a color choice for the packaging. They also used a hard container to emphasize the sport spirit in the product. 3 oz and 85g of a bottle with a slanted black plastic flip-top lid design to the top of it. It is developed for athletes, unique energizing fragrance, and 24 hours fresh power remain. The advertisement for the Adidas deodorant features the three guys playing basketball under the shining hot sun. Mysteriously their faces are not shown, nor the colors that they wear and remain secret. There is just the image of them playing basketball. With the presence of the fading orange background, it seems as if these guys have been playing all day. The color design of the advertisement is very dull. In the middle through the advertisement, on the right hand side, there is a picture of the Adidas deep energy deodorants that the buyer can choose from. Augmented product Things considered part of the augmented product include guarantee, warranty, customer service, accessibility as well as complementary product. Guarantee offers an assurance of the product will perform up to expectations and if not the company marketing the product will support the customers decision to replace, repaired or return for a refund. Warranty provides customers the protection that often extends past the guarantee period to cover repair or replacement of our deodorants product. Customer Service consists of extra services that support the needs of customers including offering training and help using telephone or online. Thus, customers of our product can solve their problem by using these. Complementary Products is the value of some product purchases can be enhanced with add-on products, such as things that make the main product easier to use. For instance, small little cover bag gift with the deodorant which consumers can carry easily. Improves styling or offers functionality which will attract more customers to buy our deodorants product. Accessibility is how customers obtain the product can affect its perceived value depending on how easy it is to obtain, the speed at which it can be obtained, and the possibility its available when needed. We can supply our deodorant products to those convenience stores such as Guardian, Watson, 7-eleven, and supermarkets and so on. So that customers could obtain our deodorants product as easy and available when needed.

My Antonia Essay: The Spirit of Antonia -- My Antonia Essays

The Spirit of Antonia in My Antonia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The life of Antonia Shimerdas, the main character in Willa Cather's My Antonia, could easily be judged a failure. Perhaps measures of wealth, career, beauty and love fall short when held next to Antonia. If one could categorize life by that unnamable light or spirit which Antonia never loses, she would surpass all who belittle her achievements in other areas.    Where the spirit comes from, no one can say. â€Å"Perhaps an ethereal or god-like being takes residence in the person's heart†(Helmick 46). Some may say it's simply the chemistry of human beings to vary in levels of energy, which manifests itself as vigor and enthusiasm for living. â€Å"But even one who attributes the undying light to an abundance of hormones or simply luck in life will ultimately hit a barrier to such a theory, as is the case with the timeless heroine, Antonia Shimerdas†(Helmick 48).    Only rarely does the spirit of life embody itself in the eyes of a woman or man. Strangers recognize a striking presence in the eyes of Antonia even as a young child. Her penetrating eyes, like "mirrors of the soul," remind a passenger conductor of the gleam which emanates from a new dollar. Similarly, when first meeting his lifelong friend, the narrator, Jim, is struck by her "big and warm" eyes, which bring forth images of "the sun shining on brown pools in the wood" (Cather 22).    Like many children, the young Antonia exudes a fascination with all nature's things. Yet her connection with the land continues to flourish at the time when other children climb down from the trees and enter the realm of adulthood. In an arduous life of poverty and toil, Antonia embraces her love of the land, harnessing her passio... ...kept," they could not diminish that which made Antonia blaze-her Inner Light, whose mysterious source remains unnamed, but is forever cherished as a testimony to what it means to truly live.    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold, ed. Willa Cather's My Antonia. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1987. Bourne, Randolph. "Review of My Antonia." Murphy's Critical Essays 145-147. Cather, Willa. My Antonia. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. Fussell, Edwin. Frontier. American Literature and the American West. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1965. Helmick, Evelyn. "The Mysteries of Antonia." Bloom's Willa Cather's . . . , 109-119. Rosowski, Susan J., ed. Approaches to Teaching Cather's My Antonia. New York: The Modern Language Association of America. 1989. Trilling, Lionel. "Willa Cather." Bloom's Modern Critical Views 7-15.   

Structures and Maximizing Profits

Market structures play an important role in the economy today. The strategic and profit maximizing concepts are determined by the type of market structure. â€Å"Market structure is best defined as the organizational and other characteristics of a market. † (Riley, 2006) Competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies three of the four market structures in the economy. A competitive market or perfect competitive market is a market that has many buyers and sellers that do not influence prices. An example of a competitive market would be the street vendors selling bottled water along the sidewalk of a tourist attracted city.There are likely to be many vendors and buyers alike. Most notably the influence of each vendors input on price is low. The opposite of a competitive market is a monopoly. Monopolies affect the economy with considerable control over supply and price. The definition of monopoly is when the single seller of a product controls its market and does not allow comp etition. Local telephone, cable, and water, which are a natural monopoly, are examples of monopolies. Each of the companies has complete control for the distribution of their products or services in regards to supply and prices.Oligopolies are types of imperfect competition in the market structure. An oligopoly is where only a few sellers offer similar or identical products. Consider watching a basketball game at any level of competition. The athletic wear, footwear, and accessories worn by players are more than likely Nike, Addidas, or Reebok. These companies sell products that are similar and are for the same purpose, yet they are not identical. This type of market structure is also known as monopolistic competition. Oligopolies have considerable control over some of the prices of the products they sell.The characteristic of each market structure are important to understand the role of each structure. The determination of price in terms of maximizing profits is best understood by following the rules of production in a given market. Profit maximizing for a company or firm is utilized by using the company’s profit maximizing output level. This is when the marginal cost is the same as the product price. When a company offers products in new locations the marginal cost of the products of the new locations is a part of the marginal cost. That would be an example of a company opting to profit maximizes their production ased on change of total cost to accomplish more profit. Another consideration of a profit maximizing rule is when marginal cost equals price. A company attempting to profit will manage this rule closely to determine profitability. The average total cost of a good is the deciding factor in profit maximizing where marginal cost equals price and marginal cost increases. Monopolist market companies maximize profits by following the rule marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue that results from a chan ge in output.Companies that are the single producer of a product will want to maximize their total revenue. Costs of production are low therefore marginal revenue will equal cost. Competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies have profit maximizing rules that compare price to marginal revenue, marginal cost, and average total cost to determine profit gain. Each market consists of barriers of entry. One of the reasons for entry is the encouragement of successful gain of profits from other companies. Consider the local and national fast food hamburger restaurants.McDonalds began as one of the first restaurants of its type followed by chains such as Wendy’s and Burger King. That is an example of monopolist competition at its best. A discouragement or barrier for entry into certain market structures is through law and regulations. Creating anti-trust laws are detrimental to the formation of monopolies and their continued growth. There are three examples of business practices t hat present a dilemma for business entry. Resale price maintenance is the setting of a product price is contracted by the wholesaler for the retailer to sell at that given price.If the price is set from the wholesaler competition is suspended because of the price being uncontrolled by the retailer. The next business practice involves market power. A company that possesses market power has control of setting and changing prices without losing customers or altering the entire market. These companies are also referred to as price setters. â€Å"Firms with market power normally use that power to raise prices above the competition level. † (Mankiw) Predatory pricing is a debatable topic in terms of entry into a market and regulated policies. The third type of a business entry barrier is tying.Tying forces smaller businesses to strategize products based on the market power and price discrimination practices of manufacturers. There are four other barrier entry provisions for various markets. First, there is the denial of entry into a market or the lack of possible competition. Next, a company may own a key resource that provides exclusive rights to that market. Another point is when the government allows a single seller the right to produce or provide certain goods. Finally, the cost of production equals a single producer being more efficient versus the cost of production via a large number of producers.The characteristics, price determinations, and barriers of entry into competitive markets play essential roles in the economy. The characteristic of each market provides buyers and sellers to understand and make business decisions for the success of the economy. The economy as a whole benefits from how market structures abide by the rules and regulations of profit maximizing. References Mankiw, N. G. (2007). Principles of economics (4th Ed. ) Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Riley, Geoff. September. 2006. A2 markets & Market systems. Market structures . Retrieved on January 22nd, 2012 from http://tutor2u. net/economics

An Occurence at owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay

â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge†, is one of the best American short stories and is considered Ambrose Bierce’s greatest work. First published in Bierce’s short story collection â€Å"Tales of Soldiers and Civilians† in 1891, this story is about Peyton Farquhar, a southern farmer who is about to be hanged by the Union Army for trying to set the railroad bridge at Owl Creek on fire. While Farquhar is standing on the bridge with a rope around his neck, Bierce leads the reader to think that the rope snaps and he falls into the river, and then makes an amazing escape and finally returns to his farm, to be reunited with his wife. However the ending of the story is totally different, in fact, Farquhar is hanged and these imaginings take place seconds before his death. Ambrose Bierce’s trick ending succeeds because of the way he manipulated the text by changing the narrative point of view from one type to another. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek B ridge† is divided into three sections, with each section having a different narrative form. In the first section, the author uses dramatic narration: the story is told by no one. With the disappearance of the narrator, the reader is now the direct and immediate witness to the unfolding drama. The reader views the work from the outside. In the beginning of this story the readers are informed of all the preparations for a man about to be hanged: the set up for the hanging, the characters involved and the surroundings. The narrator gives an incredible and beautiful snapshot of the scene describing the water, the guards, and his restraints. â€Å"†¦Vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer rested on the forearm thrown strait across the chest- a formal and unnatural position† (Bierce pg. 90, line 10). This type of narration is the least personal and the reader receives the least information on the character’s thoughts and feelings. Although the author describes details, the reader has to fill the blanks as to what actions and events lead up to the situation. The reason for this type of narration in the first section of the story is to get the readers curiosity going. One wonders what Peyton Farquhar could have done to be hanged; was he alone in what he did, why is he involved in a military issue when he is a civilian? In paragraph six and seven and through the second section, the author changes his point of view to one which is third person omniscient: all knowing. The  omniscient narrator is not a character in the story and is not involved with what happens. He imposes his presence between the reader and the story and controls all the events. From an outside point of view, the narrator provides enough information to summarize, interpret and wonder. As the story evolves, the reader begins to read thoughts of the characters: Farquhar, his wife and the soldiers. The reader becomes involved in Farquhar’s life as the narrator summarizes his situation. The reader is told of him being a planter and owning slaves, that he is a secessionist and devoted to the Southern cause. Nevertheless, the narrator leads the reader to believe Farquhar and his wife are kind people, she fetched the water for the soldier to drink with her â€Å"own white hands† (Bierce pg.92, line 15) instead of ordering one on her colored slaves to do it. Farquhar’s principles and devotion towards the south is explained in this section and the reader gets to know who he really is. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards him and his wife. The purpose of the omniscient narrator in the 2nd section is to give information of the characters and to get a glimpse into Farquhars life. The reader finds out how devoted his wife is to her husband. The reader can now relate to Farqhuar and understand how and why he got caught trying to destroy the bridge. Section three is intended to create suspense. Bierce wants the reader to believe that what is being described actually happens. In order for the reader to believe that what is being described is actually happening, the story must be narrated from the characters point of view (limited omniscient point of view). With a limited omniscient point of view, the narrator limits his or her ability to penetrate the mind of a single character. The reader may be shown the character’s voice, feelings and thoughts through dialogue, monologue or stream of consciousness. As a result, the reader becomes more and more directly involved in interpreting the story. By using this point of view all of what Farquhar is experiencing seems so real. The advantages of the limited omniscient point of view are the tightness of focus and control that it provides. If the third section was told in an omniscient point of view, the author would have not been able to fool the reader, for he would have â€Å"seen† what was really happening. Seeing the whole action and knowing the soldiers thoughts would have given away the ending. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† was written in three different sections, with each having a different narrative form. The first, using dramatic point of view, describes where the action takes place. The second, omniscient point of view lets the reader comprehend the victim’s thoughts and actions. And finally, the third section, limited omniscient point of view creates suspense by being only in one mind. With the ability to switch from one form to another, Bierce was able to create a tale of intrigue, captivation and a twist-ending.

The SF Writers Grotto Collective †Interviewing Julia Scheeres

The SF Writers Grotto Collective - Interviewing Julia Scheeres The San Francisco Writers' Grotto - An Interview with Julia Scheeres Last updated: 07/31/2017In the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring different subjects around the writing craft on the Reedsy blog, giving a place for our exceptional editors’ experience and knowledge to be shared with writers. Today, we want to delve deeper into the subjects of creativity and craft, and interview Julia Scheeres. On top of being a bestselling author and a Reedsy editor, she teaches writing at a fantastic storytellers’ collective in San Francisco.This collective, The Grotto, is actually what we focus on most during our chat. Its founding story is an inspiring one. But we also discuss the narrative non-fiction genre (and in particular memoir), approaching agents, and the benefits of traditional publishing. We hope you enjoy the interview! As usual, the transcript is provided below. I’m really pleased to welcome Julia Scheeres to the Reedsy podcast. So, Julia, you’re an NYT bestselling memoir author, as well as an editor on Reedsy and a teacher at the San Francisco Grotto. Why don’t you give us a bit of background on that?Sure! My first book is a memoir called Jesus Land, that was published in 2005 by a very small independent publisher here in the US. And for whatever reason, it became an NYT bestseller and also a London Times bestseller. My second book, published in 2012, was about the Jonestown massacre. So they’re both narrative non-fiction. The first one is of course very personal because it’s a memoir - it’s my story - and the other one is more a work of literary journalism.And you’re also an editor specializing in narrative non-fiction, right?That’s right. I teach memoir and narrative non-fiction, locally here in San Francisco at the writers’ collective I belong to. I also teach through Stanf ord University and I’ve been a visiting writer at different other universities, but I also work with private clients, more and more.Sometimes someone will give me their entire manuscript, and I will do an entire in-depth structural edit; and other times I work as a writing coach, helping the writer develop the story that they’re trying to tell,   and meet with them on a regular basis to go over the work.So tell us a bit about this writing collective that you belong to: The SF Writers Grotto. How did it get started?I joined the Grotto in 2004 when I was writing my first book. It’s a collective of writers that was started by 3 friends, who were kind of lonely writing alone in their apartments, and decided to start a â€Å"collective†. So they rented an apartment in San Francisco, and they worked there together, and had a lot of fun - they were young and unmarried at the time. They would go out for drinks after work - it was kind of a little boys club!Bu t today, after many iterations - we just celebrated our 20th anniversary  - , we’re a collective of over 100 people, who are either members (who have an office at The SF Writers' Grotto), or freelance there, or are fellows. And it’s just a great space! It’s a great space to be with other writers and network. I have my little office there that I share with a fiction writer and it’s wonderful to have a place that you can go into where there’s no messy house, no dishes piled up, no baby clothes strewn about; it’s just purely professional writing. And we all eat lunch together and talk about writing, about agents, we run pitch ideas by each other: it’s a fantastically supportive environment.Yes, I can definitely relate to that. It’s a bit like us startups and our co-working spaces, where we get to work alongside other startups and founders and exchange introductions, talk about our challenges, etc. So when I came across the Grot to, I thought â€Å"that’s a fantastic initiative for writers†! Do you find that being alongside other creative people (not necessarily all authors) also fosters creativity?We’re all writers, or rather storytellers of some sort at The San Francisco Writers' Grotto. And â€Å"telling stories† is what really matters in the end, so often at lunch we’ll discuss the best way to approach a story, possible sources for a story, and more creative points like that. It’s a very rewarding and kind of high-minded place to belong to because these people are obsessed with telling great stories just as much as I am.And the networking is amazing as well. I can write an essay or an op-ed piece and I’ll send out an email to the mailing list: â€Å"who’s got a contact at the NYT op-ed pages?† and I’ll usually get an introduction. It’s that type of thing, personal introductions to career-changing contacts.Now, since the Writers ’ Grotto began in 1994 it’s grown up a lot, where do you see the working space going in the next few years?Right now, it’s a little precarious for us in San Francisco, because where we are, in the south of Market District, there’s a lot of startups and technology companies. So our rent keeps going up, it went up by a third last year.So we’re trying to find ways to support ourselves, and to support the fiction writers, who maybe don’t make as much as, say, the magazine writers or the big name writers. So one way that we help support each other is that we offer classes through The Grotto. All classes are taught by working writers who specialize in the area that they’re teaching, who are actually published in the area that they’re teaching.So yes, we’re currently feeling the squeeze of being creative types in a city like San Francisco that’s going through a huge metamorphosis right now. But we’re going to make it work, we’re really determined, because it’s too good a community to let it die.Now let’s talk a little bit about what you teach: memoir and narrative non-fiction. We recently had a blog post on our blog by one of our editors about memoirs, and how it is a very competitive genre where it is hard for first-time authors with a small following to rise. Would you agree with that?No. I think that in the United States it’s easier to be published in memoir. Publishers love memoir because there is a true story behind it. You are a product that they can then get on television or radio interviews: there’s something there, it’s not just made up. That is the appeal of memoir. Of course, it is a crowded market and it’s not easy to get published but if you have an amazing story to tell, or if you are a born storyteller with something insightful to say in memoir, by all means, that would be the route to getting published. It’d be much easi er than fictionalizing your first story into a novel.That makes sense. And it’s the difference of opinions I love to see among professional editors, because, of course, if you specialize in fiction you’re going to think differently and see the market differently from someone who specializes in memoir. Now my last question would be about self-publishing: is it a path you recommend to the memoir authors you work with?I would always try a traditional publisher first. I still see self-publishing as a little bit of a second-class vehicle, because you don’t have the support of a traditional publisher, you don’t have the marketing department, the contacts, the distribution channels, etc.In the US there’s all kinds of independent publishers - not vanity publishers or self-publishing companies - which are great! They do a fantastic job editing and packaging your book. I also tell my students and clients to make sure they’re getting some kind of fee dback. You don’t just write your book and submit it, you first need to get feedback from beta readers and from a professional.That’s an excellent point. A lot of the requests that we receive are from authors looking to go the traditional route, but wanting to strengthen their manuscript before querying agents. Do you think that makes sense?Of course. I mean, you want to submit your best book to an agent, otherwise they’ll turn you down. You really want someone who can critique you and give you constructive criticism. This is what I do with my clients: I read through the manuscript and I see what the narrative arc is, what the character arc is. If it’s memoir, I look at what the larger theme is, and how to best start the book. The first 10 pages I usually spend a lot of time working on, because they’re crucial on grabbing a reader’s attention.Thank you so much for this advice, Julia, and for the presentation of The Grotto!Have you tried writi ng in a writers' collective space? What do you think about the SF Grotto? Let us know your thoughts, or any questions for Julia, in the comments below!

The Environment And Corporate Culture Essays

The Environment And Corporate Culture Essays The Environment And Corporate Culture Paper The Environment And Corporate Culture Paper The Oakland, California-based nonprofit is influencing the international dimension of todays business environment by helping increase the sales of fair trade products around the world. Rice says adhering to Transfix standards is just good business as the global environment grows increasingly important. Indirectly. It includes social, economic, legal/political, international, natural, and technological factors that influence all organizations about equally. Increases in the inflation rate or the percentage of dual-career couples in the Rockford are part of the organizations general environment. These events do not directly change day-to-day operations, but they do affect all organizations eventually. The task environment is closer to the organization and includes the sectors that conduct day-to-day transactions with the organization and directly influence its basic operations and performance. It is generally considered to include competitors, suppliers, customers, and the labor market. The organization also has an internal environment, which includes the elements within the organizations boundaries. The internal environment is composed of current employees, management, and especially corporate culture, which defines employee behavior in the internal environment and how well the organization will adapt to the external environment. Exhibit 3. 1 illustrates the relationship among the general, task, and internal environments. As an open system, the organization draws resources from the external environment and releases goods and services back to it. We will now discuss the two layers of the external environment in more detail. Then we will discuss corporate culture, the key element in the internal environment. Other aspects of the internal environment, such as structure and technology, will be covered in later chapters of this book. 66 global economy of the twenty-first century. If things continue on the current track, some analysts predict that India will overtake Germany as the worlds third-largest economy within three decades, and China will overtake the United States as number one by indenture. In China, per capita income has tripled in a generation, and leaders are building the infrastructure for decades of expansion, as reflected in the countrys hunger for raw materials. In 2005, China represented roughly 47 percent of the global cement consumption, 30 percent of coal, and 26 percent of crude steel. No one can predict the future, but it is clear that however things in India and China shake out, U. S. and other western firms have no choice but to pay attention. The global environment represents a complex, ever-changing and uneven playing field compared with the domestic environment. Managers who are used to thinking only about the domestic environment must learn new rules to remain competitive.

Monologue from the play Cinema Limbo by Wade Bradford

Monologue from the play Cinema Limbo by Wade Bradford This comedic female monologue can be used for auditions and classroom performances. The setting is the  current day in an unspecified geographic location, allowing the performer to make her own choices of accent. The character is entering college, so can be assumed to be about age 18, youthful and not yet worldly. Its appropriate for high school and college drama classes. Context of the Monologue This scene is taken from the short play, Cinema Limbo by Wade Bradford. College-bound Vicky is an assistant manager of a movie theater. Every geeky, dorky employee is attracted to her. Although she is amused by their attraction, she has yet to fall in love. The full play is a two-person play of only 10 minutes in length. It may be used to help build the character for a performer who plans to use the monologue. Monologue VICKY:I’m the kind of girl who takes pity on poor pathetic geeks who have never kissed a girl. Let’s just say that I like someone who is easily trainable- someone who will truly appreciate me. It’s sad, I know. But hey, I’ll take an ego boost wherever I can get it. Unfortunately, these adorably nerdy boyfriends get boring after a while. I mean, I can only listen to their computer games and mathematic equations for so long. Of course, Stuart’s different in a lot of ways. He’s terrible at math, for one. And he’s pretty clueless about technology. But he’s a comic book sort of geek. And a hopeless romantic. He’s pre-occupied with holding my hand. Everywhere we go, he wants to hold hands. Even when we’re driving. And he’s got this new pastime. He keeps saying â€Å"I love you.† It was so sweet and wonderful the first time he said it. I almost cried, and I’m not the kind of girl who cries easily. But by the end of the week, he must have said â€Å"I love you† about five hundred times. And then he starts adding pet names. â€Å"I love you, honey bunch.† â€Å"I love you, sweetheart.† â€Å"I love you my little smoochy-woochy-coochi-koo.† I don’t even know what that last one means. It’s like he’s speaking in some brand-new, love-infected language. Who would have thought romance could be so boring? Notes on the Monologue In the original context, Vicky was discussing her job at the theater with a fellow employee, Joshua. She is attracted to him and they banter about the job and her relationship with Stuart, who was a grade school classmate of Joshua. The monologue can also be delivered as an introspective piece rather than as part of a conversation, imagining that Vicky is voicing her thoughts to the audience rather than to Joshua. The monologue gives the performer a chance to show a blend of innocence, naivete, callousness, and even a touch of cruelty. How much of each is displayed will be a choice of the performer. Its a piece that allows the performer to explore the themes of coming of age, exploring relationships, sensitivity to the emotions of others, and the responsibilities of adulthood.

Project Progress Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Progress - Assignment Example The cases of identity theft and information un-safeness have increased in many countries and hence the passing of laws for citizen protection. Organizations are expected to create risk management plans that will take precaution on data security and prevent occurrences that threaten the private data of their customers. Information is important to all stakeholders(Gray & Larson,2008). Flayton electronics has recently been involved in digital purchasing by providing the service of purchasing using credit cards. They have failed in protecting the customer’s data and cases of fraud using the credit card information were reported. With this happening, the company exposed its failure to fulfill their legal duty to protect the customer information. The company was expected to have a self-sufficient risk management plan that would analyze and access risks of any project that they are involved in. This would ensure that they design specific responses to any anticipated risk. The risk management manager did not analyze the risks involved in the new business trend and hence the risk occurred hitting the company by surprise. The number of bad cards purchased was above average and hence many goods were purchased wrongly. This means that the company lost a lot of money through purchases made without real or using accounts of other people without their knowledge. The company has not lost only in terms of product reduction but also in terms of capital. This is a draw back to the company since it impossible to retrieve back the goods and is expensive to compensate the customers. The company will also suffer in terms of losing the loyalty of the customers(well-stam,2004). The customers had entrusted the company with their bank information that they failed to protect. It is the expectation of all the customers that their information is kept private and free from being damaged by other people. The customers whose information was wrongly

How can the University help to achieve the dream Personal Statement

How can the University help to achieve the dream - Personal Statement Example The researcher will begin with the statement that he is extremely interested in becoming a part of the Syracuse University alumni. Syracuse University has a rich history of over 140 years of existence. The researcher wants to become a part of this school since he knows an education from Syracuse University will change his life. The major the author wants to pursue is bachelor’s degree in international affairs and relations. This paper illustrates that a good education will ensure that the researcher is able to succeed in life by having a career that can help him support himself and his family. The researcher tells that hs analytic and communication ability will be greatly enhanced by completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Syracuse. The author will attempt to be involved in student organizations in order to develop his leadership skills. One of the researcher’s long-term goals is to contribute to making changes in our society. The author states that h e would like to work for a recognized international organization such as the United Nations. As a diplomat, he can directly contribute towards making changes that can affect the lives of millions of people. The present research has identified that currently, our world suffers from great economic inequality. Â  The author of this essay tells that an education at the University of Syracuse will open his mind to need possibilities.

Housewife to Career Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housewife to Career - Term Paper Example Whatever a woman did, fell in the category of non remunerative work. Howsoever hard a woman worked and contributed towards the smooth running of the house, the society at large, did not appreciate that. And at the end of the day, the woman was still dependent on the man for any monetary support. Any misdemeanour by the man was pardoned because he is doing the most important thing; earning money. The woman was destined to live her life as a ‘dependent’ and at the whims and fancies of her spouse and family. Things had to change and they did. More and more women began to join the workforce. For some, it bolstered the family income, for others getting employment was breaking free from the humdrum of the daily life. Getting employed was kind of breaking the shackles and living a life of dignity. This transition from a housewife to a career woman has not been easy for various reasons. This paper details the problems women face, at home as well as in office, when they opt to work. It also puts forth data which establishes the presence of a glass ceiling in organizations that thwarts the progress of women. An attempt has been made to gauge the reality when it comes to the number of women actually making to the top of the corporate ladder. The first stumbling block on the road to progress is the mindset; the opinion that the other members of the family, especially the elders, have about the housewife no longer remaining a housewife and going out of the house to work. This orthodox mindset is an added mental pressure on the woman whose original responsibilities of managing the household remain with her, irrespective of the fact that she has now started working and started contributing towards the finances of the household. There is no denying the fact that women also have more personal and social pressures than men. If in a family where

Political Socialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Political Socialization - Essay Example They do not depend on corporate sponsorship and their main aim is to fight for the right of the oppressed many. One of the slogans they use to air their grievance is â€Å"I am 99% and I have a voice†. On the other hand, The Tea Party is an Astro Turf of people with corporate sponsorship and the members are usually in mid life or above 60 years. According to Gitlin (2011), Occupy Wall Street protests grew tremendously in October 2011 especially in Manhattan triggering comparisons with The Tea parties. Joe Biden explained the Occupy Wall Street protests as expression of grass root frustration by Tea Party Members. According to him, the protests were brought about by the breech of bargain that resulted to unfair levels of incomes. In his article â€Å"The Left Declares Its Independence†, Gitlin (2011) postulate that the â€Å"We Are The 99%† chant words that were used by Occupy Wall Street protesters was directed to the country’s 1% rich, that is composed of ‘financial predators and confident gamers’ who crashed the global economy without concern for anyone. The statement â€Å"We Are The 99%† was synonymous to The Tea Party; it clearly exposed the intense differences. Both the Occupy Wall Street and The Tea Party abominated the elite but their goals and passions, which acted as their driving forces clearly differed. Most Tea Party members follow Amy Kremer’s idea that there exists an overlap between their movement and Occupy Wall Street. According to Brendan Steinhauser of freedom works, a Washington based group that runs national wide networks for The Tea Party â€Å"off-shoots†, Tea Party came into existence as a result of the opposition to the Occupy Wall Street bail-outs in the year 2008. According to Kibbe (2011) in an article in the Forbes Magazine, the Occupy Wall Street is in dire need of comparison with Tea Party, as this will

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy Essay

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy - Essay Example Physiotherapy is now a widely used treatment for many problems and health care areas, which can include orthopedics, neurology, chest, pediatrics, gynecology and geriatrics, nephrology, cancer, sports, post cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery (Burnett, 2006, pp 2 and 3). Through the use of different techniques, physiotherapy aims to improve the functioning of the different malfunctions of the body and help in the recovery processes due to illness or injury (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The key areas therefore, where physiotherapy is utilized includes prevention of injury from taking place in susceptible individuals, acute care, rehabilitation in various illnesses and injuries, maintenance of functional mobility or best achievable health in at risk patients such as the elderly or patients with chronic illnesses, for patient and carer education, and occupational health respectively (Kumar, 2005, pp 6, Burnett, 2006, pp 4). The type of work leads to many applications of physical therapy. Phy sical therapists may be involved in providing general public information about how to maintain the correct posture or life heavy objects without hurting self. They may be involved in educating pregnant women about how to maintain their body balance and ways to maintain their postures (Burnett, 2006, pp 3 and 4). They are actively involved in caring for a rehabilitation of children with various mental or physical retardations. Providing rehabilitation to patients with various illnesses as mentioned above are also another key area of their services. The locations for carrying out physiotherapy can range from hospitals to rehabilitation centers, to private clinics or home visiting teams respectively. The physiotherapists are able to carry out these treatments through a range of techniques, which include manipulation and massages, exercise, hydrotherapy, vibration, ultrasound, and the use of infrared and ultraviolet radiation respectively (Burnett, 2006, pp 4). BACKGROUND The origins of physiotherapy are uncertain, for methods such as massage and heat therapy was utilized by people for long time to treat various muscular injuries. However, the true scope of physiotherapy probably emerged during the Second World War, where soldiers were the first to experiment the use of it (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The effectiveness of these methods led to more research and innovation, with the result that physiotherapy gradually came to be known as a separate entity in medical and allied health fields. This led to the creation of first ever diploma and degree programs specific for physical therapy (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). Some claim that the origins of various techniques such as massage therapies and hydrotherapeutics were invented and utilized by the Chinese for as long as 3000 BC (Dreeben-Irimia, 2010, pp 3). Ancient China, India and Greece have been involved in utilizing its various forms and methods for quite some time, as evidenced by their ancient medical texts (Dreeben Irimia, 2010 , pp 3). A common confusion in this regard is the difference between physiotherapy, osteopathy

Impact of strategic public relations on cris Research Paper

Impact of strategic public relations on cris - Research Paper Example The unpreparedness of organizations for crisis management often implies they get caught off guard when a crisis occurs, meaning the response to and the handling of such a crisis would obviously be in jeopardy (American Petroleum Institute, 2008). In fact, that crises occur at any time from different sources such as human error, management incompetence, industrial accidents and natural disasters makes it rather difficult to foresee. In fact, most management teams, upon creating crises, deny the existence of the said crises, resulting in the accumulation and explosion of problems and the subsequent public uproar. An extensive literature review has revealed that it is the responsibility of managers, junior personnel, and owners to employ whatever means and resources at their disposal to prevent and solver crises before they cause extensive damages to a company’s reputation, productivity, profitability and survival (Parry et al., 2006). The mainly cited techniques of solving industrial and organizational crises are self-confidence, skills/competences and absorption of public fear/anger. All these strategies should be geared towards reducing or entirely eliminating the harm to an organization’s income and reputation. In fact, brilliant managers and owners may even manage and solve crises without the public hearing about the crisis. However, once a crisis becomes a public issue, strategic Public Relations (PR) is highly recommended for addressing such an issue. This literature review section explores the numerous PR strategies that the oil and gas industry stakeholders apply to mai ntain and improve their reputation when faced with crises. Because information travels quite fast in the contemporary society, crisis management planning has become a useful tool for the gas and oil industry, which is rather crisis-prone. It is, thus, imperative that

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy Essay

Semi-formal report assignment about Physiotherapy - Essay Example Physiotherapy is now a widely used treatment for many problems and health care areas, which can include orthopedics, neurology, chest, pediatrics, gynecology and geriatrics, nephrology, cancer, sports, post cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery (Burnett, 2006, pp 2 and 3). Through the use of different techniques, physiotherapy aims to improve the functioning of the different malfunctions of the body and help in the recovery processes due to illness or injury (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The key areas therefore, where physiotherapy is utilized includes prevention of injury from taking place in susceptible individuals, acute care, rehabilitation in various illnesses and injuries, maintenance of functional mobility or best achievable health in at risk patients such as the elderly or patients with chronic illnesses, for patient and carer education, and occupational health respectively (Kumar, 2005, pp 6, Burnett, 2006, pp 4). The type of work leads to many applications of physical therapy. Phy sical therapists may be involved in providing general public information about how to maintain the correct posture or life heavy objects without hurting self. They may be involved in educating pregnant women about how to maintain their body balance and ways to maintain their postures (Burnett, 2006, pp 3 and 4). They are actively involved in caring for a rehabilitation of children with various mental or physical retardations. Providing rehabilitation to patients with various illnesses as mentioned above are also another key area of their services. The locations for carrying out physiotherapy can range from hospitals to rehabilitation centers, to private clinics or home visiting teams respectively. The physiotherapists are able to carry out these treatments through a range of techniques, which include manipulation and massages, exercise, hydrotherapy, vibration, ultrasound, and the use of infrared and ultraviolet radiation respectively (Burnett, 2006, pp 4). BACKGROUND The origins of physiotherapy are uncertain, for methods such as massage and heat therapy was utilized by people for long time to treat various muscular injuries. However, the true scope of physiotherapy probably emerged during the Second World War, where soldiers were the first to experiment the use of it (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). The effectiveness of these methods led to more research and innovation, with the result that physiotherapy gradually came to be known as a separate entity in medical and allied health fields. This led to the creation of first ever diploma and degree programs specific for physical therapy (Kumar, 2005, pp 6). Some claim that the origins of various techniques such as massage therapies and hydrotherapeutics were invented and utilized by the Chinese for as long as 3000 BC (Dreeben-Irimia, 2010, pp 3). Ancient China, India and Greece have been involved in utilizing its various forms and methods for quite some time, as evidenced by their ancient medical texts (Dreeben Irimia, 2010 , pp 3). A common confusion in this regard is the difference between physiotherapy, osteopathy

The Bottled Water Company Comprehensive Master Budget Essay

The Bottled Water Company Comprehensive Master Budget - Essay Example We used 20 ounces to cover for production of one unit of the item. I believe that estimation is appropriate because it provides for a reasonable room for error. The budget also accounts for the cost labour used in the production of the new product. The costs vary with each quarter, depending on the number of sales we expect each quarter of the year. We have also considered other expenses such as delivery, the cost of administration sales commissions, accounting and other fixed costs in the budget. Our overall expenditure was significantly lesser than the amount of cash flow from the sales. We also expect a growing momentum for income the new products generates for the company as documented in the budget. I am certain these statistics will reflect positively on the company’s collective balance sheet. As far as the new product is concerned, I believe it will make good profits for the

Olafur Eliasson | Artist Biography

Olafur Eliasson | Artist Biography A general visit to an art gallery consists of being able to view a series of objects hanging from the wall or placed upon a stand. However, Olafur Eliasson takes the role of seeing an object within a gallery space to a whole new level. Eliasson creates what is known to be as installation art. This modern art form is described as an artwork that must be walked through by the viewers to be able to experience it completely. Installation art is set up in a certain area for a short period of time and is preserved only through memory and photographs. Olafur believes that his work is not completed until the visitor may experience his or her subjective perception and mediation. Many of his works use the possessive pronoun your eg: Your Sun Machine (1997, Marc Foxx Gallery), Your Natural Denudation Inverted (1999, Carnegie Museum of Art,), Your Black Horizon and Your space Embracer, (2004, West of Rome). With this, he is implying that the spectator must engage to the piece and make the connec tion as part of the aesthetics of the installation. I see potential in the spectator in the receiver, the reader, the participator, the viewer, the user. Olafur Eliasson. To Eliasson, this is the perfect strategy to have the viewer take part in individual awareness, reflect on the piece and meditate. Olafur Eliasson was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1967. He is Danish-Icelandic and is known to be one of the most famous contemporary artists of our time. His Icelandic nationality is the mold of his influence. Icelands landscapes and Eliassions works are very similar aesthetically speaking in the sense that they both share the same elements. He uses materials such as wind, light, and water (solid, fog, and ice) that are typical to that of Icelands landscape. Olafurs works have been known to mimic natures unique power. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy and majored in Fine Arts. Eliasson created the Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin in 1995; he used this space for research and development. His early pieces were usually photographs of the Icelandic landscape which he later explains helped him have a financial role to support his future installations. Olafurs artwork mainly consists of geometric forms and analytical lines which enhance the space and light that is being used. Eliass on combines light, movement and color in his exhibitions along with the viewer. His work invites his audience to participate into the public realm where they may find their own moments of self discovery. When I make something, which maybe is a work of art, I want this to be in the world. I want it to be sincerely and honestly and responsibly in the world. I want it to have an impact somehow. Eliasson explains his intentions for his artwork. As every artist should, they should feel like they would make a significant impact with the worlds. However, while doing research, Ive noticed that Eliassons intention as an artist is to make space tangible. He creates playful works that demonstrate time and dimension. An example of this are his infamous New York City waterfalls. In these pieces he proves the time it takes for water to fall by placing such large artificial waterfalls in a large city such as New York. While the waterfalls represent time, ultimately, it is the viewer who can determine this depending on the distance and angle. Olafur creates a bridge to make his audience think about their surroundings, and how some objects and environments we perceive on a daily basis are usually seen to be self-evident. Eliassons work has also been known to mimic and recreate forces of nature and explore human perception. He does this while working with lights, shadows, stone, water, mi st, or fog to create a specific environment. Eliasson feels that all these elements serve a purpose for his installations. For example, the simple use of light can cast a shadow upon a wall for the viewer and can project two-dimensional shapes on a white wall which would create the illusion of a three-dimensional space. His work sometimes consist of horizon lines which not only are an example of mimicking nature, but also make the whole piece three-dimensional and give off a sense of confusion. Eliassion calls this illusory architecture which is when space creates an illusion, even though one is aware of the walls and space surrounding you. Some work that includes a lot of illusory architecture is the piece Take Your Time (2008) which fit the idea very well. The viewer feels as if they would like to inhabit the space for a while. The installation uses monofrequency lights to completely cover the room in shades of yellow and black and intimately involves its inhabitants. Another room, Beauty (1993) consists of a dark room covered in black tiles where a mist falls from the ceiling and creates a rainbow curtain to walk through. Whats so spectacular about this piece is that its different every time and for every person. Upon visiting the installation, what one person sees as yellow, could be seen as vio let for the other person; no matter how close these two people may be, the outcome will always be different. With this piece, one can really say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Another room invites you to completely immerse yourself within the color spectrum, 360ÂÂ ° Room For All Colours (2002). The circular room blankets the audience with a display of light that race around the cylindrical wall. The colors overlap and create an endless amount of shades of color. The installation manages to rearrange your visual senses from being dependant on ones vision until you realize that your other senses take part in enjoying the artwork. This piece covers the viewer with natures color palette, which is referencing to Eliassons photography from the Icelandic landscape. The Weather Project (2003) at Tate Modern Museum in London consists of a giant sun made of over 200 yellow lamps in a semi-circle reflected over mirrors on the ceiling. The mist that covers the museum is made up of water and sugar. The installation itself attracted over two million people whom would behave oddly in front of the ceiling mirrors. Eliasson described this works as seeing yourself seeing. This is one thing Ive noticed about Olafur Eliassons work, is that it evokes feelings and sensation. All art has a way with creating emotions. Within the functions of art, there is always a concept. As a society, most people may appreciate photography or film more because we make connections and find it easier to relate to and were forced to see what the artist sees. This is why I think installation art is probably not recognized as much as photography within society. However, the function for art is solely to be art, otherwise, its just a design. Installations and exhibition art are mea nt to tell a story or evoke emotion, which is what Eliassons work does in such a simple manner. The work of Olafur Eliasson has given people the idea to see double. He creates his installations with the intention of expressing vision through the audiences experience with spatial design. With this, the viewer is usually confused about his or her surroundings which may lead towards reflection on ones life. Olafur Eliassons work is known to be eccentric and has a geometric use of projections of light and mirrors, analytical lines and natural elements to confuse the viewers perception of place and oneself. Eliasson also creates a foreground sense in each of his works. When Eliasson transforms a gallery into a space of nature, he creates a deep connection with space for the viewer that lets his or her think about their own senses and life. His work challenges ones mind and makes you think about what you feel when you see the work at first and what you may already know. This creates a battle with perception and self. His works are known to be thought out works of experiences that make one wonder about what they are seeing, and if what they are seeing is really there. This is why I think Olafur Eliassion stands out the most in the wolrd of environmental installation. He creates installations that make people question about their own spatial awareness, and I think its something a person woul d have to experience first hand to fully understand. Citations http://eliasson.com.au/. Take Your Time.. 2010. http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2int_new=24332. Art Daily .2010. Olafur Eliasson Space Is Process. 2010 Studio Olafur Eliasson: An Encyclopedia Human Rights: Universal or a Western Construct? Human Rights: Universal or a Western Construct? Since the beginning of Human Rights until recent Human Rights issues, the interpretation and concept of Human Rights have been diversified significantly. Western construct have played a big role in the creation of Human Rights and in questioning the meaning of universal rights. The rights one has because one is human is a clear and concise meaning of human rights, which is an appurtenance to an individual, where certain parts are not included, such as benefits. The western ideology of Human Rights have greatly inputted in Human Rights through various concepts that have been introduced to non western societies. These various concepts of western construct have influenced Universal Human Rights, where western politics have greatly altered the concept of Human Rights, also through colonisation which is particularly affected Indigenous communities, and by western cultures and societies. The western construct of Human Rights is eminently viewed in Human Rights, which are present in both we stern and non western societies. Human Rights have gradually been altered and changed to insert western values and political thoughts into non-western states and societies. The western political emphasis for the right to development and to freedom from hunger is predominate in Africa as a rightYet, some of these rights do not correlate within societies in Africa. In result of this, many African leaders repudiated western political emphasis of Human Rights into their societies and designed their own Human Rights Charter, or also known as the African (Banjul) Charter on Human Rights, to suit their society.3 Even though the African Charter was created to suit the African society, western political influence is still clearly evident in the charter. Individual freedoms and rights as values has lost its significance in non western political thought, which is much of a variance, though non western societies have trouble determinating this significance that would be easier in western societies. Political influence is widely viewed in Human Rights and it influences the rights that are also used in non western societies. The western concept was also brought through colonisation and it too affected the Human Rights significantly. It is how the western ideology was introduced in non western societies. Colonialism creates the basis and idea of Human Rights throughout history. The colonisation of certain states that have Indigenous People has influenced the Human Rights that are present in their societies. The fleet that arrived in countries with Indigenous People, particularly Australia, were asserted in the Indigenous Community without their permission, thus resulting in ascendancy in the communities. Bringing civilisation and the religion of Christianity was a priority for the fleet, to introduce them with their style of Human Rights. Though, this occurrence ended in a bloody way by killing and damaging many of the Indigenous People in order to universalise universal moral values. Indigenous People were greatly affected through colonisation all due to insertion of western construct of Human Rights, wh ich resulted in many casualties questioning whether basic Human Rights have been breached just for introducing the western construct of Human Rights. The post colonisation period, many Indigenous people have been ridiculed and degraded in society. Many rights, which are of western construct, are evident in the Indigenous society, where it lacked some rights or in some cases the rights did not fit in. Group rights, which are rights intended for a group of people, created problems in the Indigenous community. Group rights were mainly to do with economy and social class, rather than individual problems such as racism and ethnicity. Some speculate that if the existence of Group Rights was not evident, ethnic integration would not have been as difficult, and an end to ethnic hostility would have been seen.6 Indigenous People are seen to be excluded from the social life and economic opportunity, through practical questions such as why are their health conditions worse? et cetera. Only a handful of governments apologised to the Indigenous People, which brought them closer to the western society and the reconciliation process was starting to take effect.6 Colonisation was seen to affect Indigenous Communities and result in western rights implemented into their societies. Through colonisation, western culture has been introduced and changed, through Human Rights, in non western societies and cultures. It differs greatly from the cultures evident in non western societies. Indigenous Rights, in Latin America, was seen to be the main priority. It focused on the state abusing the Indigenous people and pushing for Indigenous people to have rights to their land and culture The Spanish community and people in Latin America have been introducing western culture into the Indigenous community of Latin America, thus implementing the Human Rights as a western construct. It is evident that in Universal Human Rights, the cultural imperialism is dominant by the west. The argument brought by Fernando Teson is that domination of certain attitudes seen in cultures, are accordingly appropriate and moral. Another point Teson argues is that ethnocentrism that relativists view are not supplying the same basic rights to non western cultures as opposed to the western culture s receiving those rights. Western culture has been a big influence in the non-western cultures and societies, it change the rights significantly in the non western society and adapted the western idea and thought but in the same time the western construct of rights was viewed differently in the non western cultures. The western society has also greatly impacted on the non western society, with the influence of western life and living which altered the Human Rights, and thus impacting it on the non western society. Human Rights, to a certain extent, accepts the idea that they are rights of the human in society. In 1789 the French recognised and stated the fundamentals of Human Rights which are evident in society, suggests that society too is in power to deliberate those rights, stating that western society can change and dismantle any specific right in any society.Edmund Bourke creates one of the most protruding historical criticism of the notion that Universal Human Rights derives from western construct and western societies that are implemented into non western societies. He argues that the French revolution changed the rights of many individuals and groups in society into a western for of rights. Bourkes Reflections on the Revolution in France, states a large argument of traditional communitie s and problems in traditional values, such as religion and loyalty, creates problems, disorder and integrity of western societies, thus the western societies alter many of the rights in order to suit their desires and to comply with the way they live Western society has changed many of the traditional concepts in non western society, thus the western society impacting greatly on non western societies with Human Rights. It is evident that the western construct has greatly impacted and significantly changed and altered the idea of Human Rights. These Human Rights are being implemented into non western societies, and the eastern oriental community are having to follow these concepts and ideas. The ironic title of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is much seen as a western creation of Human Rights. The examples shown in this essay argues the idea of western construct in the universal human rights through various factors such as politics, culture, colonisation and society.

Patriarchal Pathology: The Case of Sam Shepard’s Buried Child and Mahes

Sam Shepard and Mahesh Dattani belong to different countries and time span. They come from different social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Sam Shepard belongs to the cream of the crop of 20th century American dramatists. He was involved with New York's Off-Off Broadway Theater - the new experimental theaters that sprung up in church halls, lofts, basements and cafes after the Off-Broadway theater had become expensive. He was closely allied with Theater Genesis-an Off-Off Broadway venue based at St.Mark’s in the Bowery, an Episcopalian church in the East Village at 2nd Avenue and 10th Street. Mahesh Dattani is a well known cotemporary Indian-English playwright, the first Indian playwright writing in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. Sam Shepard explores the complicated relationships within American families. In order to ensure the myth of the American Dream, however unattainable, family life is seen by playwrights like Sam Shepard to pay the price. The family is breaking up from within by their adherence to public values. Although his plays explore deeply the American psyche and investigate the cultural heritage of their nation, yet they have a mainstream plea to people all over the world. Mahesh Dattani writes on the burning issues that beset the post-independence Indian society, whether it is communal discord, politics and crime, growing homosexuality or the gender bias. He uses stage to condemn many of the drawbacks prevailing in society. His plays depict marginalized groups of society, people who are considered misfits in a society where stereotyped attitudes and notions reign supreme. His plays have varied content and varied appeal. The works of Sam Shepard and Mahesh Dattani thus r... ...Print. Shepard, Sam.Buried Child.Vintage Publications,1979.Print. Secondary Source Deeba,Farha.Prioritizing the invisible:A Study of the Select plays of Mahesh Dattani.Diss.University of Kashmir,2013. Mathisen,Kari.What’s Happened to this Family Anyway? The Disintegration of the American Family in Selected Plays by O’Neill,Miller,and Shepard.MA thesis. University of Troms,2009. Ranjan,Mukesh. â€Å"Mahesh Dattani’s Where There’s a Will: Exorcising the Patriarchal Code†.The Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani-A Critical Exploration.Ed.Amar Nath Suri.Sarup Book Publishers,2009.136-144.Print. Shepard, Sam. Buried Child.In Sam Shepard:Plays,Vol.2.London:Faber and Faber,1997.Print. The Cambridge Companion to Sam Shepard. Ed.Mathew Roundane.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,2002.Print.

Dell Ad Campaign Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Dell Ad Campaign The biggest area of expansion for Dell is the consumer market. In order to develop more sales in this market Dell needs to focus more advertising on the needs and wants of the consumer. Currently Dell promotes its direct model, which is a key factor Dell needs to create a better position for itself in the consumer market. With all of the PCs in the market being more or less equal, Dell needs to focus on what differentiates its products from the competition, namely service and support. The advertising campaign need to focus on the emotions of the PC users as oppose to merely their logical side. With a strong emotional ad campaign focusing on the anxieties and fears of the consumers when it comes to making the decision for a computer purchase Dell can reassure the consumers that we are there for them. The direct model and more importantly the virtual integration should be the focus of the campaign as oppose to a â€Å"teen-age† part-time employee at your local mall. Why would anyone want to go into a super store where the salesperson pitches everything under the sun to you before you finish telling them what it is you need. With the build-to-order direct way Dell operates â€Å"you tell us what you want, we don’t tell you what you want.† The advertisement campaign will need to be coordinated in print, television, radio and obviously the Internet. Dell can also integrate the direct mail pieces and catalogs with the new pitch to further expand its reach and frequency. Dell can also continue to work towards the small and medium businesses through this strategy using a similar â€Å"mirror† campaign in the trade publications and in trade show displays. The idea will be to have the campaign as recognizable and incorporating the â€Å"Be Direct† slogan that made Dell what it is. According to the Boston Consulting Matrix a â€Å"Star† is in a high growth market such as the PC market and the company has a high market share as in Dell’s case. With a â€Å"Star† the recommended strategy is to build. In this case the all of Dell’s products, desktops, notebooks, workstations, and servers fall into the â€Å"Star† scenario and as such Dell needs to utilize strategies that will build the market. By building the market a company can realize the maximum potential of the product line, if a â€Å"Star† is left alone its true potential may never be realized. With the PC marke... ...are being discussed and investigated. Given the failure Dell had in the retail channel these experiences could be shown to bring more customers to the direct model which would be informative for the consumer. With Dell’s â€Å"Be Direct† position already commonplace, Dell will be associated with the direct model to cut off the competitors trying to â€Å"be like Dell†. Advertising Schedule As stated in our recommendations we will be beginning an advertising campaign to increase Dell’s share of mind and share of heart in the market. The campaign will be primarily focused on the consumer and small business segments. A pulsing strategy is recommended, built around our existing sales trends. The campaign will run for nine months from April to December, with three different but related messages. Below is our corresponding sales trend that will allow us to best choose the pulsing strategy. As you can see from the trend line between April and December our peak sales times are April, July and August, and December. We will schedule our strongest reach and frequencies to correspond to these peaks. By increasing our total GRP during peak months Dell can best use its advertising resources.

Baobab

1. Description 2. Background Information a. Common Names African Baobab, Baobab, Monkey Bread Tree, Upside Down Tree, Cream of Tartar Tree b. Scientific Name Adansonia digitata L. c. Family Name Bombacaceae 3. Species a. Adansonia digitata L. b. Adansonia Grandidieri c. Adansonia Gregorii d. Adansonia Madagascarcariensis e. Adansonia Perrieri f. Adansonia rubrostipa g. Adansonia suarezensis h. Adansonia za 4. Geographical Distribution/Distribution Range a. Located in Semiarid regions of tropical Africa, including countries south of the Sahara except Liberia, Uganda, Djibouti, Burundi and Central African Republic. . Found in coastal areas of eastern and western Africa c. In East Africa – found in the lowlands 5. Conservation Status 6. Importance and Use a. Leaves b. Fruit c. Food Uses d. Seeds 7. Environmental Characteristics 8. Morphological Traits and Variation a. Characteristics b. Traits c. Genetic Variation 9. Threats 10. Socio-economic Value 11. Environmental Impact 12. E ffects on Indigenous People Adansonias reach heights of 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) and have trunk diameters of 7 to 11 m (23 to 36 ft) †¢ Adansonia digitata L. African Baobab (western, northeastern, central & southern Africa, and in Oman and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, Asia) †¢ Adansonia grandidieri Baill. – Grandidier's Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia gregorii F. Muell. (syn. A. gibbosa) – Boab or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia) †¢ Adansonia madagascariensis Baill. – Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia perrieri Capuron – Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia rubrostipa Jum. & H. Perrier (syn. A. fony) – Fony Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia suarezensis H. Perrier – Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia za Baill. Za Baobab (Madagascar)[5] Distributional range: Native: †¢ AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Chad; Ethiopia; Somalia; Sudan East Tropical Afri ca: Kenya; Tanzania West-Central Tropical Africa: Cameroon; Zaire West Tropical Africa: Benin; Burkina Faso; Cote D'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Mali; Niger; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo South Tropical Africa: Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe Southern Africa: Botswana; Namibia; South Africa – Transvaal Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar Naturalized: †¢ widely naturalized in tropics Cultivated: †¢ AFRICA Africa †¢ ASIA-TROPICAL Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh; India; Sri LankaMalesia: Indonesia – Java †¢ SOUTHERN AMERICA Caribbean: West Indies South America An Ecosystem Within a Tree The sculptured branches, with their hollows, dents and bloated stems, provide shelter and home for a great variety of animals. Galagos (bushbaby), squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes and tree frogs, as well as spiders, scorpions and insects may live out their entire life in a single tree. Holes in the trunk provide ideal nesting sites for birds such as rollers, hornbi lls, parrots, kestrels and spinetails. Larger cavities are frequently occupied by families of Barn Owls or Ground Hornbills.Eagles, vultures and storks frequently build their large stick nests on the outer branches, and the colonial nests of Red-billed Buffalo-weavers are more often found in Baobabs than any other tree. Uses to Mankind For centuries, the baobab tree has played an important role in the economy and culture of Africa. Practically every part of the tree is useful and in Sudan they are so highly valued that individual trees may be privately owned! The wood itself is too fibrous for structural use but the bark is shredded into strands of fibre for use as rope, baskets, nets, snares and cloth.Tonics and cosmetics are derived from the roots, and spinach and soup from the large palmate leaves. The seeds may be ground into a coffee-substitute or eaten fresh and the white pulp is used as ‘cream of tartar' for baking. The hollow trunks of living trees have served as homes , storage barns, places of refuge or worship, and even as prisons or tombs. One tree at Katimo Mulilo in Namibia has suffered the rather ignominious fate of having been converted into a flush toilet, while one near Gravelotte in South Africa's Northern Province was once used as a bar where up to a dozen thirsty gold diggers would quench their thirst.The Future Because of its many uses and its ability to survive in semi-arid conditions, the Baobab survives in the face of man's expansion across the continent. Ironically, the tree is probably most at risk in wildlife reserves where confined populations of African Elephant may outstrip their resources and demolish and consume baobab trees in their struggle for survival. [pic] Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts.The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C. One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. 1. The African tribes call the tree â€Å"the upside down tree†. When bare of leaves, the spreading branches of the Baobab look like roots sticking up into the air as if it had been planted upside-down. An African legend tells that the baobab was amongst the first trees to appear on Earth.When the palm tree, the flame tree and the fig tree appeared, the Baobab began to grumble that it wanted to be taller, to have brilliant flame coloured flowers, and bear tasty fruit too. The Gods grew angry at this incessant wailing and pulled up the tree by its roots, and replanted in upside down to keep it quiet! 2. The African baobab tree is also called the â€Å"tree of life† as it can store water during the drought season which is sometimes vital to the rural p opulation. Large baobab trees could contain more than 30,000 gallons of water, and to get to it, Kalahari bushmen use hollow pieces of grass like a straw to suck the water out. . The baobab is Africa's latest fair trade sensation. On the 15th July 2008 the European Union has officially approved the export of powdered baobab fruit to the United Kingdom as a healthy additive to cereal bars and smoothies. The baobab is said to have three times the vitamin C content of an orange, and as much calcium as a glass of milk. According to Britain's University of Southampton, the baobab is rich in vitamin B1, B2, and C, and calcium, plus it's bursting with antioxidants. 4. The citric and tartaric acids found in the pulp provide the base for cream of tartar, often used as a baking ingredient. . Because of their size, people have been storing supplies in old hollow trunks or have been living inside a Baobab Tree. Have a look at a website called â€Å"bigbaob† for some amazing videos. 6. Na tural medicine uses the bark of the Baobab to lower fevers, chewing a leave is apparently waking you up and ingesting some of the tartar powder is helping with stomach aches. 7. In rural Africa the bark is used to make ropes and even clothing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles. com/4214639 Why the Baobab is endangeredSevere droughts of recent years have affected the thorn woodlands of the savannahs and fears have been expressed about the regeneration of plant species. In Sudan the over-use of multipurpose fruit trees, such as the Baobab, has become a significant problem. There is high year-round demand for fruits, even in cities like Khartoum. With fruit being collected from wild stands of trees, stocks are decreasing and no provision is made for replacing these trees – no plantations have ever been seen in Sudan. In cities seeds are just thrown away as garbage, eliminating any chance of regeneration.There is often a lack of awareness by the local people on the need to pla nt, protect and manage under-utilized fruit species. It is believed that in the past the Baobab fruits were widely eaten by large animals, especially elephants. They dispersed seeds and broke the seed dormancy which encouraged regeneration. With elephants now in danger of extinction because of habitat destruction and illegal killing, the natural regeneration of Baobab has been badly affected. Practical Action realized the importance of organizing a campaign to save the endangered species of this region, especially the Baobab tree.What’s the cause? The Baobab tree is on the endangered list for many reasons. For one, droughts within the tree’s habitat have caused them to not have enough water to grow properly. Also, these trees are often cut down so that people can use the trunks to store water in, which can hold about 2376 gallons of water. The fruit is also used for making porridge as well as the leaves, which can be used to make a salad. Some of these seeds are even e aten by elephants, but the elephants would be able to break the seed dormancy which will cause regeneration; however, the population of the elephant is also endangered.Because of all of this, many Baobab trees are used for multiple purposes which then cause the trees population to decline because no one is taking the time to replace the trees that were used. To help regenerate the Baobab Tree, a group known as Practical Action has come about, which aims to save this species of tree before it’s too late. They collect and plant seeds, raise awareness, and encourage others to plant Baobab trees as well. Read more: http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#ixzz2Bkpm44sJ Read more at http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#8rIWSqRUArdUEQt3. 99The food industry is always looking to launch the next big thing Providing these exotic products for Western palates can be both good and bad for the environment. There is the obvious concern of carbon and transporti ng these products over long distances. However, these new markets allow local farmers and suppliers to enjoy newfound wealth. Deforestation, fair trade, and sustainability are other issues. However, the demand for some fruit trees can result in reforestation and afforestation projects. Baobabs,  Adansonia sp. , consist of eight species, which are naturally found on the continents of Africa and Australia.Six species are native to Madagascar, so Madagascar has the highest endemism. Mainland Africa and Australia both have one species. The entire genus is spectacular. The first image below shows the giant  Adansonia grandidieri, which is endemic to Madagascar. This titan-sized tree is considered endangered. Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts. The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C.One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island. A typical common name is baobab. Other common names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described A. igitata. Baobabs (Adansonia spp. ) are iconic trees, known for their immense size, strange forms, sources of food Baobab trees are iconic plants and represent some of the most recognisable trees in the world. The eight species of baobabs reside in the single genus, Adansonia. Madagascar is their centre of divers ity, with six species endemic to the island. These include A. grandidieri, A. madagascariensis, A. perrieri, A. rubrostipa, A. suarezensis and A. za (Baum 1995, Wickens & Lowe 2008) The baobabs are trees of considerable importance in local economies

Lincoln’s Goals of Emancipation and Preservation of the Union

Abraham Lincoln’s experience as a lawyer in Illinois and a member of congress for a short time could not have fully prepared him for the challenges of his presidency. His main obstacle was the disunity of the nation, and his main goal during his presidency was to reunite the country. In his own words â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand†. He also faced the challenge of slavery, which was a problem that had plagued America since its early days, and a major cause in starting the civil war.Lincoln believed that slavery should be abolished, more importantly though he believed in the preservation of the union, and in the end he issued the emancipation proclamation in order to preserve the union. As a person, Lincoln held the ideal of slavery to be wrong, and morally believed that slaves should be freed. He believed in the equality of all men. In an address to congress Lincoln said â€Å"the United States ought to cooperate with any state which may adopt gradual abolishment of slavery, giving to such state pecuniary aid† (Document A).This shows that he supported the abolition of slavery and was willing to support any other nation which was to do it. Lincoln also said in the Gettysburg address: â€Å"our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal† and he resolved that â€Å"that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth†. He believed in the ideals of America very strongly, including the idea that all men are created equal.Lincoln wanted to free the slaves, since he did not think it was right that they were enslaved. In addition to that Lincoln adamantly wanted to preserve the union, and so he took special wartime actions for that purpose. During the war, it was likely that the border states might have seceded from the union. To prevent this in Kentucky Lincoln instituted martia l law to keep control. In Maryland he had all the pro-secession members of the state congress arrested.These drastic actions showed how serious he was about preserving the union. Lincoln also suspended the writ of habeas corpus – the legal protection requiring a court to determine if a person is lawfully arrested. Under this suspension, over 13,000 anti-union Americans were arrested. These included legislators and newspaper editors among others. These arrests were enacted in order to silence anti-union voices, and the fact that this took place showed how concerned Lincoln was with preserving the union.Ultimately, Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation was issued as a way to help preserve the country, because of the advantages it gave the union in the war. It was more important to him to save the union than free the slaves, as he once said â€Å"If I could save the union without freeing any slave I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would so it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it†.Lincoln also said that â€Å"emancipation would help us in Europe, and convince them that we are incited by something more than ambition. †(Document B). Indeed, once the emancipation proclamation was issued it ended any possibility that European nations would aid the confederacy in the war. This was a strategic move on Lincoln’s part, to mitigate the support that the confederates received, in order to win the war and preserve the union. The emancipation proclamation was also strategic because of the effects that it had on the black people of the south.Freed blacks were encouraged to join the US army with promotional posters such as that in Document D. Lincoln knew that this would help in the war by adding to their ranks. Furthermore the southerners experienced a labour shortage, because their slaves considered themselves free, and left work undone which was left to be done by the white people of the South. The Emancipation proclamation truly was a brilliant strategic move on the part of Lincoln, engineered for the purpose of keeping the United States intact.Although he believed that slavery was wrong , Lincoln was more concerned with preserving the union, and his actions in freeing the slaves through the emancipation proclamation were done to meet the latter goal. Lincoln knew that slavery was one of the root causes of the war, and it was always an impending issue throughout the war. At the end of the day though, the slaves were freed in order to bring greater unity to the country. His actions ended up bringing increased freedom to black Americans, saved the country’s unity, and have forever defined him as one of the greatest presidents in American history.

Emotional Physical and Mental Benefit of Horseback Riding

†¢ Overall sense of wellbeing: Horseback riding is a great combination of cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening exercise. As we have discussed in previous articles, regular exercise imparts various psychological benefits. †¢ Increased self-confidence: The idea of being able to control an animal much larger than ourselves improves our self-confidence. Adding a new skill to our repertoire also increases our sense of self worth. †¢ Decreased stress: When you engage in horseback riding, you need to focus on the nuances of the entire ritual and process.This helps take your mind off mundane worries, which in turn relieves stress. †¢ Improved focus: For me, the most eye-opening aspects of horseback riding are the subtle details that are involved in every step of the process, from preparing the horse for the ride all the way to dismounting the horse. All of this not only requires significant focus but also helps cultivate better focus. †¢ Improved self-discipline: The art of horse care and horseback riding is a great example of inter-species communication. Every nuance of our behavior affects the horse’s behavior.Therefore, in order to be a good rider, you must cultivate the self-discipline to modulate your own behavior e. g. : smooth breathing, overall calmness, etc. †¢ Improved patience: Horseback riding requires learning a whole new set of skills which takes time. And getting to understand the psychology of horses is a process too. So, by riding horses regularly, we can learn to be more patient which is a desirable quality. †¢ A sense of freedom and elation: I can tell you from my own experience that being able to ride a horse, a much bigger and powerful creature, gives me a sense of elation and freedom.I know of many people who have had the same experience. †¢ A sense of teamwork, responsibility and social networking: Working with a group of people (e. g. : trainers, fellow riders, etc. ) towards the same goal teache s us the value of teamwork and responsibility. This is especially important for children. Additionally, children enjoy the opportunity to develop a healthier social network which is less likely to lead them to troubles. †¢ Development of respect for animals: I believe every human should show respect for our fellow animals.Horseback riding definitely makes us aware of the amazing abilities and sensibilities of horses thus creating a renewed respect for animals. †¢ Improved risk-taking abilities: Since riding is clearly a risk sport, the process of becoming an accomplished rider teaches us how to manage potential risks judiciously. †¢ Therapeutic riding: Horseback riding has been used since the 50? s, with much success, in helping physically disabled people to improve their physical and emotional health. This is described as therapeutic riding. Emotionally disabled people are also known to benefit from therapeutic riding.For example, autistic children are known to focus better and even utter their first spoken words while on the back of a horse. †¢ Safety comes first: Please be careful in choosing a training farm and/or a trainer. Attention to the safety of people and animals is paramount; and wearing a helmet is a must. (http://medinagazette. northcoastnow. com/2010/07/21/the-psychology-of-horseback-riding/) Psychological Benefits * General sense of well-being. Exercise in the fresh air of a ranch, away from hospitals, doctors office, therapy rooms, or home help to promote a sense of well-being. Improved self-confidence Confidence is gained by mastering a skill normally performed by able-bodied people. The ability to control an animal much larger and stronger than oneself is a great confidence builder. Participating in events such as shows and play days add to the sense of achievement. * Increased interest in the outside world. For those confined by a disability, the world tends to shrink in size. Riding increases interest in what is happeni ng around the rider, as the rider explores the world from the back of a horse. Even exercising becomes interesting when done on horseback. Increased interest in one's own life. The excitement of riding and the experiences involved stimulate the rider, encouraging the rider to speak and communicate about it. * Improved risk-taking abilities. Riding is a risk sport. The rider learns to master fears though the act of staying on the horse, as well as attempting new skills and positions on the horse. * Development of patience. Since the horse has a mind of it's own, the rider learns patience as he or she attempts to perform skills on the horse when the horse is not cooperating.Repetition of basic riding principles also helps to develop patience. * Emotional control and self-discipline. The rider quickly learns that an out-of-control rider means an out-of-control horse. Shouting, crying, and emotional outbursts upset the horse, which in turn frightens the rider. Riders learn to control th ese emotions and appropriately express them. * Sense of normality. By being able to master a skill considered difficult by the able population, the rider experiences him/herself as being normal. * Expansion of the locus of control.The rider begins to view him/herself as having control over his/her world as control over a powerful animal increases. (http://www. strides. org/psycho. html) * Friendship. Although riding can be a solitary activity, it is normally performed in groups. Riders share a common love of horses and a common experience of riding — a good foundation on which to build a friendship. * Development of respect and love for animals. Horses require a great deal of care and attention. Riders find themselves bonding with the animals. They develop an interest in them and learn to care for them.They learn to put the needs of the horse first. * Increased experiences. The variety of experiences involved in riding are endless. From tacking and grooming to trail riding, f rom going to horse shows to learning the parts of a horse, the rider is constantly experiencing and growing. The horse also provides the rider with the ability to go places otherwise inaccessible due to the disability. * Enjoyment. There is no doubt about it, riding a horse is fun. Riders experience excitement and pleasure every time they come for a lesson. (http://www. strides. org/social. html) Physical Benefits * Improved balance.As the horse moves, the rider is constantly thrown off-balance, requiring that the rider's muscles contract and relax in an attempt to rebalance. This exercise reaches deep muscles not accessible in conventional physical therapy. The three-dimensional rhythmical movement of the horse is similar to the motion of walking, teaching rhythmical patterns to the muscles of the legs and trunk. By placing the rider in different positions on the horse (therapeutic vaulting), we can work different sets of muscles. Stopping and starting the horse, changing speed and changing direction increase the benefits. Strengthened muscles. Muscles are strengthened by the increased use involved in riding. Even though riding is exercise, it is perceived as enjoyment, and therefore the rider has increased tolerance and motivation to lengthen the period of exercise. * Improved coordination, faster reflexes, and better motor planning. Riding a horse requires a great deal of coordination in order to get the desired response from the horse. Since the horse provides instant feedback to every action by the rider, it is easy to know when you have given the correct cue.Repetition of patterned movements required in controlling a horse quickens the reflexes and aids in motor planning. * Stretching of tight or spastic muscles. Sitting on a horse requires stretching of the adductor muscles of the thighs. This is accomplished by pre-stretching prior to mounting the horse, and starting the rider off on a narrow horse, gradually working to wider and wider horses. Gravity helps to stretch the muscles in front of the leg as the rider sits on the horse without stirrups. Riding with stirrups with heels level or down helps to stretch the heel cords and calf muscles.Stomach and back muscles are stretched as the rider is encouraged to maintain an upright posture against the movement of the horse. Arm and hand muscles are stretched as part of routine exercises on the horse and by the act of holding and using the reins. * Decreased spasticity. Spasticity is reduced by the rhythmic motion of the horse. The warmth of the horse may aid in relaxation, especially of the legs. Sitting astride a horse helps to break up extensor spasms of the lower limbs. Holding the reins helps to break flexor spasm patterns of the upper limbs.Many of the developmental vaulting positions are also designed to break up or reduce spasticity. Fatigue also helps to decrease spasticity by producing relaxation. * Increased range of motion of the joints. As spasticity is reduced, range of motion increases. Range of motion is also improved by the act of mounting and dismounting, tacking up, grooming, and exercises during lessons. * Reduction of abnormal movement patterns. If spasticity is reduced and range of motion increased, it follows that abnormal movements will be inhibited.Relaxation techniques while riding also help to inhibit abnormal movement. * Improved respiration and circulation. Although riding is not normally considered a cardiovascular exercise, trotting and cantering do increase both respiration and circulation. * Improved appetite and digestion. Like all forms of exercise, riding stimulates the appetite. The digestive tract is also stimulated, increasing the efficiency of digestion. * Sensory integration. Riding stimulates the tactile senses both through touch and environmental stimuli.The vestibular system is also stimulated by the movement of the horse, changes in direction and speed. The olfactory system responds to the many smells involved in a st able and ranch environment. Vision is used in control of the horse. The many sounds of a ranch help to involve the auditory system. All of these senses work together and are integrated in the act of riding. In addition, proprioceptors ( receptors that give information from our muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints) are activated, resulting in improved proprioception. (http://www. strides. org/physical. html)