Descriptive Essay On Vacation - 896 Words

The only sound that filled my ears was my keyboard clicking as my fingers raced across it. I had been procrastinating from finishing this assignment all evening, but I knew I needed to get it done. The burning sunset was shining through the windows as I was finishing up. It was a peaceful silence, until I heard the soft whispers of my parents that ignited my sense of curiosity. I was concentrating hard; doing my best trying to make out the hushed words that were being spoken. â€Å"Let’s just tell her.† â€Å"You really want to?† â€Å"Yes!† â€Å"Oka-† â€Å"BRINLEY!† I walked into the dining room to find my smiling parents. My mom was hiding her phone against her shirt, evidently not want me to catch a glimpse of her screen. I asked what was going on, and the†¦show more content†¦14  ½ hours later, we were greeted by the Destin, Florida sign. My level of happiness was indescribable. *Time skip: 1 day later* My parents and I happily trudged out of our chilled condo room, weighed down by various beach supplies. We made our way to the elevator, slowly but surely exiting the maze we call our condo hallways. As we glided down, floor after floor, we finally reached the parking garage. We stepped out of the elevator feeling a mix of humidity and heat immediately cling to our tan bodies. We exited the garage to find a beautiful scene. Birds were flying overhead as there were sun rays beating down against white, hot sand. We crossed the bridge that held shoes and scattered shells. After we did so, we pressed our feet against the white sand that belonged to Destin, Florida. The sight was even more alluring than I had ever imagined. The sound of the emerald green ocean water crashing against the shores filled my ears. Children ran along the shore, smiling from ear to ear while laughing amongst each other clearly enjoying their day. Some people were searching contently for sea shells, that were visible for miles. I looked out at the ocean, it stretched out far into the horizon; as far as my eyes could see. There were jetty’s that were perfectly placed within the ocean. I could smell the salt radiating off of the water. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time; I dashed into the ocean I’d been waiting for for the pastShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay Vacation969 Words   |  4 PagesMy family likes to take a vacation at least once a year to a different place we’ve never been before. We’ve gone to places like Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. One of the things that makes it possible to do this every year is that we drive to our destination. This past year we didn’t kn ow where we wanted to go we were struggling to find somewhere we would all be happy. At this time it was the middle of the winter and I was itching to go fishing and I knew that this trip would be around springRead MoreDescriptive Essay On Family Vacations850 Words   |  4 Pagesfamily vacation. I was probably eighteen months old. Needless to say, I remember none of it. However, from that one vacation to Lake Powell, spurred so many others. Apparently, it was a blast. For the next ten years, our full family vacations were few and far between, after all, there were so many new cousins being born, new jobs being obtained, and kids starting school, we hardly had time to all get together for a week away. By the time I was maybe 11, we thought it was time for another vacation, andRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation1188 Words   |  5 PagesAs our children were growing older, we realized this year was probably our last vacation with all of our kids. As such my husband, Mike and I decided to take our kids and our dog by canoe and kayak almost 200 miles down the mighty Makenzie River. Jennifer aged 17, Shelly 13, and Ricky 9, prepared for a week without phones, stores, or television. Our plan was to canoe from Fort Simpson to Wrigley. Wrigley was the end of the road after the Mackenzie Highway. It would be an incredible family adventureRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation992 Words   |  4 PagesIt was a few days before our plane left for Cancun, Mexico. I was going on vacation for my parents tenth anniversary. I also got to go with some of my friends who were, Trent Gleeson, Luke Bader, and Josh Hagedorn. My friends and I all played football and we were going to miss a couple days of camp and weights so we planned to use the gym at the resort. We were all packed and so excited to leave in the morning. We woke up super early so we could be some of the first people in line. Once we arrivedRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation1179 Words   |  5 PagesWhat comes to mind when I say the word, â€Å"vacation†? According to Merriam Webster, vacation is â€Å"a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel†. My family (my mom, little brother, my grandmother, and I) take a vacation every summer to relax and have fun in the sun. Our destination and vacation spot this particular year, 2016, was the beautiful city of Panama City Beach, Florida. Little did I know that what could have or should haveRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation1042 Words   |  5 PagesThen grab our boogie boards. We are ready to have a spectacular day out on the beach by the ocean. I was on a vacation in Gulf Shores of Alabama. My family and our family’s good friends the Buxengards were all there together. There are three kids in the Buxengard family, two boys and a girl. One of the boys is my age. His name is Aaron. We spent a lot of time together throughout the vacation. Our favorite thing to do there was jumping and riding the ocean waves. Which is what we were going to do nowRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation842 Words   |  4 PagesOctober 2017 Narrative Essay The air was filled with salt and warm sunlight. The waves were crashing against the Hawaiian sand causing a beautiful and relaxing sound. With flapping wings and squawking noises, seagulls were stalking tourists in the search of food. The soft, hot sand was soothing to the touch. The palm trees danced in the swaying wind and the aroma of distant barbecues and sunscreen wafted in the air. As a native Floridian, the thought of a Hawaiian vacation was appealing. Hours ofRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacations1824 Words   |  8 PagesThe boring summers had already made their way in my boring life again this year. But this time it was the worst summer in the history of worst summers. The vacations of St. Stevens School always started early but this time it was planned one week before the time. I woke up and turned my face towards the clock. The minute hand showed me that I still had twenty five minutes to sleep but I somehow made my way out of bed and headed towards the washroom. I caught my glimpse in the mirror once I was holdingRead MoreDescriptive Essay : Special Vacation1057 Words   |  5 PagesThe not so special, special vacation. I have always loved going on vacation. Especially because this certain year we were going somewhere special. We left on a Thursday morning at 5 am, we drove for about two days (with MANY stops) then finally we made it to our gigantic condo in Tampa, FL. The condo seemed like it was a bazillion dollars it was very nice. By the time we got there it was Saturday, about 9pm. It was dark so we decided it was time to unpack and get ready for bed, a little whileRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Vacation1373 Words   |  6 Pagesthis is what our vacation would be. Days of pure relaxation. Sadly that wasn’t the case for us. Tropical storm Cindy decided she was going to settle right over the Gulf of Mexico, and target mainly Destin Florida for a week. I would soon realize that vacations are not about the location, but that this is time to be carefree in the world, and just enjoy time with family. One Hundred and seventy six, fifty three, twenty eight, ten, one. I started my countdown five months before vacation. When June 18th

Does The Influence of Music Have an Effect Contemporary...

Does The Influence of Music Have an Effect Contemporary Youth? Ever since the shocking event in Littleton, which involved two avid Marylyn Manson fans, society has been questioning the effects of aggressive contemporary music on the youth. Although evidence suggests that there is a notable link between violence and aggressive music, it must be realized that other factors influence teenage violence even more so. Shootouts, much like the Columbine incident, are commonly seen in many of today’s films, as well as films years ago. Violence in video games can manipulate one’s perspective on the value of life to the point where killing can seem meaningless. Music is a tool of expression that an artist uses to vent their frustrations and†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, children want to take on the role of their heroes and play â€Å"shoot ‘em up† with toy guns just like they saw on TV or in a movie. Even with all the violent behavior in movies and TV, parents focus more on sexual themes than violent themes. This is because sex tends to be more of an embarrassment to society. In order to eliminate these embarrassments, society makes an effort to censor sex in public entertainment. Although sex related diseases do cause death, the amount does not compare to the death rates of violent crimes from influential movies and TV programs (Villani, 2001). The majority of video games produced today have the goal of killing one’s opponent in order to pass onto the next level (Willard, 1999). This alone gives players, who are usually children, the mind set that in order to achieve goals in life or make a statement, you need to kill to get there. This type of approach to life is giving the impressionable youth the idea that this is socially accepted. This gives them a reason to kill the next time they are upset with someone. In today’s world, video games have become a common household necessity. It seems to be clear that parents are not monitoring their children’s interests and pass off videos games that contain a significant amount of violence and death (Sherman, 2000). But when it comes to freedom of speech and expression, they jump on music with no questions asked.Show MoreRelatedWhy Study Pop Music Essay1354 Words   |  6 PagesWhy Study Pop Music â€Å"Pop culture used to be all the stuff you had to wait for after school to enjoy. But these days, pop culture is just as likely to be the stuff you study in school† . In 1986 Michael Hannan establish a contemporary Popular Music program at Southern Cross University a trained classical pianist and musicologist he had previously worked in rock bands and for AC/DC’s publisher. Hannan recounts how in 2000 â€Å"at least 8 of the 37 universities in Australia are now offering degreesRead MoreIs Chicago A Serious Problem?1641 Words   |  7 Pagesfourteen deaths. After this violent weekend, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel nearly called for total martial law, calling upon United States Military s support to help protect Chicago s citizens and patrol Chicacgo s streets. So far in 2015, over 2,300 people have been shot in the city of Chicago, and it is only a matter of days until the death toll surpasses four hundred on the year. There are a number of factors that contribute to this inflated level of violent crime. Some would point to loose gun restrictionsRead MoreAn Analysis of the Prologue to Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1278 Words   |  5 Page sof the noxious effects of Uncle Sams gold. Although the terms for monetary compensation may have changed at the outset of the 21st century, the central concept that Hawthorne discussed during his 19th century manuscript is certainly valid. Commercial success and an influx of money have a negative effect on popular music that once resonated with people and contributed to larger social movements. The three primary deleterious effects of commercial success and money on popular music are that theyRead MoreDepiction of Women in Lyrics Essay1223 Words   |  5 PagesMusic has become ingrained within our every day lives. It ranges from the music we hear during commercials to popular mainstream artists playing over the radio, the lyrics of music has shaped roles and standards for both men and women. In the past four decades, lyrics have begun to increasingly depict sex, sexual violence and male dominance. With teenagers being the main audience for the music media the lyrics are typically aimed for that age group. Because of the targeted age group the lyrics haveRead MorePopular Music As Vehicle Of Popular Culture4053 Words   |  17 PagesPOPULAR MUSIC AS VEHICLE OF POPULAR CULTURE, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CONTEMPORARY MIZO CULTURE By Lalven Sanga INTRODUCTION The rapid growth of communication and development of media brought about changes to the human culture and societies. The study of culture is more complex than ever before. Richard H. Robbins says, â€Å"In cultural anthropology, as in every science, we strive to look beyond the world of everyday experiences to discover the patterns and meanings that lie behind that worldRead MoreRichard Hoggarts The Uses of Literacy Essay1150 Words   |  5 Pages In 1957 Richard Hoggart wrote The Uses of Literacy. His book was split into two parts, the first looking at the era in which he grew up, the 1930’s and the second looking at the contemporary time, which was of course the 1950’s. the aim of the book was to analyse what Hoggart saw as the decline of the popular culture of the working class. He discussed what was ‘good’ and ‘bad’ popular culture and what part they played in the two times. These things are obviously a matterRead MoreEssay Outline on Music1308 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluenced by music, as music is scientifically influential to the human brain. Olteteanu, Ion. The formative function of musical interactions within social identity. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations 3.1 (2011): 215+. Academic OneFile. Web. 17 Jan. 2013. We turn to music, we need it, because of its ability to move us, to induce feelings and moods, states of mind. â€Å"Bures notes that the human brain is uniquely configured to process music, and that music processing preparesRead MoreAnalysis Of Stomp Music1392 Words   |  6 PagesRoom [CD]. Stomp Music. Knowing that I always overthink during my free time, I am thinking to start my playlist with a contemporary classical music. As stated by McCraty et al., (1998) that classical music has been used to reduce anxiety and depression, it also led to a general reduction in the negative scales, with significant reductions in fatigue, sadness, and tension. This song helps me a lot in order to reduce negativity effects of overthinking and makes me calm. The music is soft, stunningRead MoreHow Hip Hop Is The Rapid Development Of Its Lexicons Essay2002 Words   |  9 Pageslanguage is the rapid development of its lexicons. As society changes, so does its language. American dictionaries have been expanding vastly over the past thirty years, with words created for many different purposes. Words are created for many different reasons including scientific use, technological advances, and lastly, words that are created in contemporary culture. Expressions that have been created by the youth have be come such a part of American culture, that they often times end up beingRead MoreEffects of Rap Music on Crime14002 Words   |  57 PagesUniversity of Toronto This research compares representations of rap music with the self-reported criminal behavior and resistant attitudes of the music’s core audience. Our database is a large sample of Toronto high school students (n = 3,393) from which we identify a group of listeners, whose combination of musical likes and dislikes distinguish them as rap univores. We then examine the relationship between their cultural preference for rap music and involvement in a culture of crime and their perceptions

Adopting Thorium Energy Free Essays

When it comes to nuclear power most people would think about uranium. Our current state of nuclear power harnesses power through nuclear fission. The heat generated from this process boils water which drives massive steam turbines to create electricity. We will write a custom essay sample on Adopting Thorium Energy or any similar topic only for you Order Now While this sounds like a fairly simple process the dangers it presents are massive. Reactor core meltdowns and the waste products are serious dangers the environment. There is an alternative element that can be used in place of uranium which is more efficient, abundant, and most importantly†¦safer. That element is thorium. Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element. It is named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. When used in a system for generating electricity its waste materials are 10 – 1000 times less long lived than uranium. This provides profound benefits over uranium when it comes to storing waste products. Thorium provides a greater energy yield than uranium; 5,000 tons of thorium is equivalent to about 61,000 tons of uranium. Those amounts are what’s needed to provide energy to the entire planet. At this point you’re probably wondering why we’re not using it if it’s safer and more powerful. Thorium has had a complicated history. Not because of any potential dangers it may have presented, but the potential dangers it didn’t possess. Uranium based nuclear power plants serve another purpose. Their waste products aid in the creation of weapons. Thorium’s waste products are not as easily weaponized. During the cold war governments were hesitant about funding a fledgling source of energy. Instead they opted to continue to invest and expand the infrastructure of the established uranium based nuclear plants. The last government funded thorium reactor was shut down in 1973 and thorium research nearly died along with it. In short; the benefits of weapons were chosen over having a safer and more energy independent future. The very nature of thorium allows for a facility orders of magnitude safer than the uranium nuclear power plants. When a nuclear power malfunctions or is damaged there is possibility of it exploding and releasing radioactive aterials into the atmosphere. The three worst nuclear power plant disasters occurred in 1979 with Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania; 1986 with Chernobyl; and in 2011 with the disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Chernobyl is estimated to remain uninhabitable for approximately 20,000 years while Fukushima is expected to remain so for 20 years or more. Entire cities abandoned do to the inherent danger of uranium based nuclear energy. Thorium has a sort of built-in fail-safe in that it requires extremely high temperatures to operate. This is alone makes for one its safest qualities. Without going into too much detail; if a thorium power plant were to lose power the devices heating its reactor tank would stop working. This would decrease the operating temperatures of thorium and its reactions would cease. The thorium would then be drained into a collection tank through the force of gravity. Unlike uranium power plants; thorium has no need to use water as a coolant. In an emergency a thorium power plant can shut itself down without any human intervention. Only recently has thorium once again become a serious contender for replacing uranium. As countries move to dismantle their nuclear arsenals thorium moves closer to the forefront of an energy independent future. Not all countries are as forward thinking as others though. China is currently the most forward thinking when it comes to thorium and has already outlined plans to have a new thorium reactor by the end of the decade. Estimates show that China has enough thorium to power its electricity needs for 20,000 years. That amount of potential and safe energy is unheard of. The United States alone sits on a reserve of about 440,000 tons of thorium in storage. Remember that 5,000 tons could power the entire planet for a year. The total estimated thorium content on Earth is around 120 trillion tons. So much energy waiting to be harnessed. The United States has let politics get in the way of what truly matters for far too long. The main hurdle to building new thorium plants is that new regulations would have to be established first. Those who make their fortunes off the established nuclear power plants no doubt lobby politicians to prevent thorium from becoming the leading source of energy. America will hurt itself if it allows other countries to gain too much of a head start in thorium energy research. Though thorium is not without its hurdles; its potential cannot be denied or ignored any longer. It’s extremely energy dense. There will never be a shortage of it. It’s incredibly safe. The waste products are less long lived and cannot be made into weapons. Like the Norse god it was named after thorium is set to take the world by storm. How to cite Adopting Thorium Energy, Papers

Elian Gonzalez Essay Research Paper On November free essay sample

Elian Gonzalez Essay, Research Paper On November 25th, 1999, Elian Gonzalez was found cleaving to an inner tubing three stat mis off the seashore of Ft. Lauderdale after a boat transporting his female parent, stepfather and 11 others seemingly sank on its manner to the United States. He had been drifting in the interior tubing for two yearss and darks, and after being admitted to a infirmary he had been found to be in unusually good form sing he was without nutrient and H2O. But the worst was yet to come for Elian Gonzalez. Almost instantly after his release from the infirmary, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, the male child? s male parent, claims that Elian? s female parent kidnapped the male child, and he wants Elian returned to Cuba. The Cuban authorities chose to endorse up Elian? s male parent in the demand, and that is when the inquiry arose. What would the hereafter clasp in shop for Elian Gonzalez? Would he be returned to a life with his male parent in Cuba or would he be kept under better life conditions in the United Sta tes of America? Before you go and make up your head on this issue, I? d like you to see a few things. We will write a custom essay sample on Elian Gonzalez Essay Research Paper On November or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The INS ruled that in the name of # 8220 ; household reunion # 8221 ; Elian must return to Cuba, and many people agreed with the thought. But would such a determination be tolerated if it involved, say, a Judaic male child who had come to the United States from Nazi Germany during the 1930s? Would he hold been sent back if the male parent # 8211 ; with a gun to his dorsum # 8211 ; declared his desire to hold his kid returned to slavery or to a concentration cantonment? Would everyone reason that the kid # 8217 ; s best involvements are served by # 8220 ; household reunion # 8221 ; ? Surely non. Why, so, is Elian # 8217 ; s state of affairs any different? Life in totalitarian Cuba, after all, is fundamentally life in bondage. I think that it is best put in the words of Mr. Jacoby, editorialist of the Boston Globe. ? Send Elian back and he will be allowed to populate with his male parent until he is eleven ; thereafter he will be sent to work in a farm-labor cantonment for 45 t o 60 yearss per twelvemonth. Send Elian back and he will confront mandatory military service until he is 27. Send Elian back and he will be indoctrinated in the glorifications of # 8220 ; the revolution # 8221 ; and taught to see any Cubans who reject Castroism? including his dead female parent? as counterrevolu tionaries and treasonists. Send Elian back and he will be allowed to go to college merely if his â€Å"political attitude and societal conduct† ? to cite the relevant Cuban jurisprudence? satisfy the government in Havana. ? Elian was brought to America by his female parent and stepfather, both of whom died during the unsafe crossing from Cuba. The really fact that people will put on the line such a crossing should clearly demo the consequences of Fidel Castro? s communist absolutism. In a absolutism, the person is regarded as holding no rights ; his individual and belongings may be disposed of by the province whenever the province sees it necessary. A individual has no right to take his ain calling, to run his ain concern, to believe independently, to try to alter the political government under which he lives, or even to go forth for a different, freer state. What parent would desire their kid to populate in this sort of environment? I think that we all know that if Elian is sent back to Cuba, his male parent will be the lone one to take attention of him, and by the sound of it Elian? s male parent won? T be able to give Elian the sort of life Elian deserves. If Elian is to remain with all his relations in the United States, his success won? T be guaranteed but he will hold a much better opportunity at it. Congressional Republicans have agreed to manus over Elian supplying his male parent, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, agrees to come to the United States to pick him up. It is true that the male parent? s ain wants can non be ascertained while he is still in Cuba and therefore non free to talk since the fact remains that every bit long as he is in Cuba, what Castro tells him to state goes. Many think that this would be the best reply. If the male parent were to come to the United States of America to claim his boy, so the most likely result would be the male parent would stop up remaining along with Elian in the United States. In the terminal, I think that the reply to this job is rather obvious. Look at it this manner: the legal criterion in these instances is the? best involvements? of the kid. We? re left with lone one inquiry: would it be in Elian Gonzalez? s best involvements to remain in a life of freedom with his relations or would he be better off in communist Cuba populating a life of bondage under the regulation of Castro?

Shrek Essay Example

Shrek Paper Shrek is a comical animated fairytale based variously on literary archetypes and Disney-esque tropes. However, this fairy tale theme has been subverted using numerous presentational devices throughout the film, in many different ways. I am going to explain thoroughly how this is revised and shown in the film. At the opening of the film, the audience is led to believe that this is different than a traditional fairy tale. It starts off with an old distinguished story book, opening to reveal a traditional style fairy tale. The historic style of font, picturesque illustrations, and general gentle setting, lead to the preconception that it is another archetypal tale. With the traditional story book phrases, such as Once upon a time and conventional storylines such as The princess was locked in the highest room of the tallest tower, awaiting true love and true loves first kiss. Near the end of the short fairy tale, a large green hand rips the last page out of the book. Comically implying he used the page as toilet paper, based on the mise en scene and editing of Shrek emerging from an outhouse after tearing out the page and the sound of diegetic flushing. We will write a custom essay sample on Shrek specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shrek specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shrek specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This kind of behaviour would not be shown in an archetypal fairy tale, leading the audience to see this is not the type of story they were expecting. The main character, Shrek, is an ogre. This is a clear subversion of a fairy story, as the main character, or hero, tends to be a handsome prince. It is also a subversion of his character as traditionally ogres are brutal, cruel and most importantly, of evil temperament. However also in the beginning Shrek is seen behaving in a human fashion. His habitat is quite homely and domesticated and is even shown performing a human cleansing ritual involving brushing his teeth and even having breakfast. This immediately alerts the audience or at least makes them suspicious, that Shrek must surely be a positive character as he is acting like an approachable human being and not a man eating ogre. However, a little later in the film, Shrek is seen confronting a gang of villagers who are trying to ambush him at his home. Suddenly his character seems a lot more sinister, as he uses traditional archetypal ogre threats, (such as Ill grind your bones to make my bread). But instead of carrying out his threats, he simply tells them to run away. Then terrifyingly roars in the faces of the villagers. This is shown by a close up of Shreks open mouth with food encrusted teeth. This adds to the traditional image of a disgusting ogre, unlike the humanised character we saw in the first scene. The two different sides of him revealed here show that he is a conflicted character. Torn between acting like a traditional ogre and a human character, these parallel images are reflected throughout most of the film. The presentational devices used in this chapter of the film help show this subversion as traditionally an ogre would not show any human characteristics at all and would not doubt the content of his own nature. During his travels, Shrek is introduced to Donkey. They meet when Donkey is pursued by a gang of soldiers and Shrek scares them away. Donkey is grateful and begins to chat to Shrek in a friendly manner. Shrek clearly struggles with the idea that someone does not judge him as a traditional ogre but as a human. Shreks character is more aggressive towards Donkey as he evidently doesnt know how to deal with the situation. This again shows Shreks conflicted character and how he finds it difficult to cope with not being judged on first impressions. Later on, Shrek and Donkey go on a quest issued by Lord Farquaad to rescue the Princess Fiona. When found, the princess appears to be another archetype; the beautiful damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued. However all is not as it seems, as later she is seen performing unladylike actions, such as burping and violently attacking a gang of men who mistakenly attempt to rescue her. The princesss role in a traditional animated fairy tale is to be a weak, beautiful, innocent, damsel in distress. This completely shows the misogynist viewpoint of male/ female roles in fairy tales. Lord Farquaad has all the aspects of a heroic character with his large castle and kingdom, riches and the fact that he wants a princess as his bride. However, his first impression and the actions he is seen doing persuade the audience otherwise. When we first meet lord farquaad, the presentational skills and devices used create a sinister, negative impression of him straightaway. A low angle shot is used to make him appear large and intimidating while he strides down a corridor. The dim background lighting and harsh marching music also add to the daunting effect of the scene. Even his first actions seem chilling, as he is precisely putting on his gloves showing that he means business. After this scene, he is shown torturing another character, the Gingerbread Man, for information. He even threatens the Magic Mirror to make him into a king. After hearing the mirrors solution to marry a princess, he then hires someone else to recue her for him. These are not things an archetypal hero would do at all, in fact, he shows more of the characteristics of a villain; again subverting the stereotypical tale. When Shrek and Donkey visit Duloc, more presentational devices are used in favour of Lord Farquaad. When Shrek and Donkey are discussing with Lord Farquaad the nature of the quest, Lord Farquaad is on a balcony far above them. A low angle shot is used to make him more impressive and show his higher status from the other characters. This was also cut to another shot of a close up behind lord Farquaad, creating a mise en- scene and making him seem bigger and therefore more important in comparison with Shrek. These presentational devices accurately help show the difference in status between characters, establishing their direct contrast to one another. In conclusion, the presentational devices used in Shrek help subvert the archetypal fairy tale through many aspects. Firstly, the use of low angle shots helps to establish status and contrast between characters and even with the characters themselves. For example, a close up of a characters face helps to display their emotions to more accurately. The themed background music used also helps to create a certain atmosphere or setting for a particular character, helping the audience perceive a character easily. Overall, the use of presentational devices in the film Shrek, assist in subverting the generic conventions of traditional fairy tales in a humorous and easy viewing way for the audience.

Domestication of the Dog essays

Domestication of the Dog essays Todays dogs serve as a number of different tools. We train dogs to see for the blind, we train them to sniff for drugs, we train them to save peoples lives, and we train them to be our faithful companions. There is no doubt that the dog has a wide variety of skills and jobs. We selectively breed the dog to gain the certain attributes we are seeking, and we know which dogs will perform the best at what we want them to do. The question is how long ago, and why did the dog become our aids, tools, and companions? Answering this question means dealing with the four fields of Anthropology: Ethnologically, Archaeologically, Physically, and Linguistically. The most obvious way to learn about the past of the dog species, is to treat it the same way we treat ancient societies. Archaeologists study where they once were, look at their remains. Where they lived, what they looked like, and how they changed over time. An example of using the Archaeological field of Anthropology would be the excavation of the Roman city, Pompeii, which was destroyed by the volcano Vesuvius in AD 79. When finally excavated, searchers found the remains of a dog lying across a child, apparently trying to protect him. By looking at this individual skeleton, we can estimate that just 1900 years ago, the inhabitants knew of the dogs desire to protect. They probably counted on dogs similarly to the way we do today. Other archaeological digs have suggested that the relationship between dogs and humans dates to about 14,000 years ago. Most experts do agree the dog was the first domesticated animal, was domesticated around 14 to 15,000 years ago. The earliest bones of dogs that we have recovered come from a site called ein Mallaha in Israel. This site was discovered in 1979 and the bones date back to 12,000 years old but historians believe the dog had been domesticated even a few thousand years before that. Another field of Anthropology is t...

Opinion Coulums Dissection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Opinion Coulums Dissection - Essay Example From this point on, the writing is structurally focused on the spirit of sharing reflected in small gestures among ordinary people and how this is revealed through the sharing of the most precious commodity in the desert countries – water). But if we open our eyes, there are also those around us doing good for others away from the limelight and without seeking any recognition. (At this point, the focus of the article shifts from the negative impact of the media to the small acts of kindness which are not broadcast). Elsewhere, up near the Talk of the Town,(alliteration) Adliya, a householder has provided for several years a constant supply of drinking water for passers-by, with a purpose-built (passers-by and purpose-built is a consonance and alliteration, because the first letters and b of the respective words are similar) fountain, with a metal cup attached by a chain. (The use of drinking water supply with attached cup for passers by is a deliberate repetition, to emphasize the significance of the act of kindness extended by some Bahrainis to strangers.) This is a part of the world where water has always been precious and where in the days before modernization, people had to walk to wells to get their daily supply (Consonance) (historical imagery of the past and people walking in deserts to get their water supplies). These seemingly gestures of making water available to passing strangers who may be thirsty can be seen all over Bahrain and they are a small but significant symbol of the survival of community spirit. (Another repetition of the act of making water available to strangers to symbolize sharing and the good existing in society – also a historical allusion to the community spirit that existed in Arab culture which is continuing). It will soon be Ramadan, when the sharing spirit (example of consonance) comes to the force, with neighbors going from

Child Psychology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Psychology - Research Paper Example Friendship tends to develop between people of similar age groups, sex, race, education, income, and occupational and marital status (Noller, et. al., 97-98). People tend to relate and communicate with people on their same level. Similarities are often the major attraction to building friendships. There are some cases of friendship that develops because of certain experiences that brings them together, allowing them to share something together. There are rarely friendships between two people without no connection on any of the above mentioned groupings or experiences. People tend to gravitate towards other people of the same background or of the same experiences as they have since the similarities tend to ground the friendship, make the friendship even more meaningful as it allows them to share something between them. This is mostly true for friendships between young adults. As one expands his environment, or his horizon, one tends to search for a group to belong with. This leads to s earching for people, whom he can develop a personal relationship with. Thus, this proves that one’s personality can easily be identified through the set of friends that they have and maintain. This is especially true in early adulthood friendship, as one faces different life experiences, he encounters different people which they can relate to. An example of this is the workplace, wherein one tends to gravitate towards people of the same position, income and educational background. In young adults, there are four major issues in the study of friendships (Noller, et. al., 98-100). These are the extent and depth of friendships, perceptions and understanding of friendship, gender differences and behavioral processes in the friendship. In the early adulthood stage, one experiences drastic changes in his environment, whether he is in the later part of his college life or on the early stages of a professional career

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Critical thinking - Essay Example interventions in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan could expose much severe similar incident - says the article. President Obama claims to achieve a significant saving of atleast U.S.$ 40 billion dollars an year through strong interventions in the contract awarding process. According to the reports, abolishing no-bid contracts and reducing the outsourcing level of government works to the private agencies are the major ones in the proposal. The articles communicates clearly the commitment of Barack Obama by emphasizing that the money from the people of America need to be utilized to satisfy their priorities rather than allowing it flow through the drains. The necessity of radically transforming the feeble system of contracting also adds to the Obama’s interest to provide a good public administration. The initiatives taken by the present President includes issuing clear directions to his Budget Chief for evolving appropriate guidelines to evaluate the existing contracts for their via bility. Based on which they could be either modified or even cancelled. In addition, the Budget director is also asked to strictly monitor the entire no- bid contracts and the operations of the private companies working with the government also would give a fresh impetus into these things. The article substantiates the President’s claim with very clear figures. The award of contract for undertaking the restoration work of Iraq’s Oil production was through non-competitive manner to then Vice-President Dick Cheney. And, spending of millions of dollars without proper accountability in Iraq and Afghanistan, over spending in over 95 defence projects are some of the few specific references made by him. As per the content in the article, the message Obama spreads is very clear. Contracting works would no longer be in a flexible budget form, the fixed price of the contacts would soon force all the contractors to assess their costs in a realistic manner. The

Reasons For The Merging Of Companies Economics Essay

Reasons For The Merging Of Companies Economics Essay There is no doubt that mergers play a great role in the development of an economy. In this essay, a merger will be defined as a combination of two corporations in which only one corporation survives and the merged corporation goes out existence (Gaughan, 2007, p. 12). After a merger, the newly-established company will hold two merged companies assets. In this way, mergers offer more chances for companies to become bigger and stronger. At the same time, customers may receive better services than those before a merger. However, the topic of mergers motives has long been the subject of debate, as different companies put forward different reasons to merge. Some of them are economically sound, while some of them are not. In fact, from the current studies, it can be seen that there are two big types of motives, one is economic motives and the other is non-economic motives. Although some people argue that motives of mergers lie in some non-economic reasons, such as the political reasons, the managers reasons, and so on, others take a different view and emphasize that because of that the raison dà ªtre of a company is to make profits, most motives of mergers are for sound economic reasons. Thus, this essay is an attempt to argue that the main motives for mergers are economically sound reasons. It also aims to show the importance of different economic motives, even though some people claim that there are many failures that resulted from those motives. In addition, the ineffectiveness of non-economic motives will also be checked to support the main argument. In order to demonstrate this, this essay will first focus on the growth motive of mergers. The case of PO and Stena will also be added into the discussion. Second, different types of synergy will be illustrated to explain how valid this motive is to help companies to become stronger. Third, the electronic giant General Electronic (GE) will be given as a good example to discuss the significance of the diversification motive. Fourth, the example of the Exxon-Mobil Oil Company will be used to show some other economic motives. Finally, there will be discussion about some non-economic motives such as power motives, achievement motives, and political motives and so on, though these are some less common motives for mergers. 2.0 Economic Motives 2.1 Faster Growth If a company seeks to make a merger with other firms, the most popular motive may be growth. As Denzil (2001) points out, one of the most successful types of merger may be a merger with a growth motive, because it is easy and quick to beat competitors and take the lead in markets. When a company wants to expand, there are several choices: internal growth or growth through mergers. Internal growth means companies go to buy land and build more factories, employ new staff, or search for a market to sell products and so on. This is a long way to go. However, if companies use the method of merging, it will save them much time to do other things such as research and development or market promotion. Moreover, through merging, companies may easily occupy the market, enlarge the market share, and beat the competitors (DePamphilis, 2003). If mergers occur in different regions, this means companies are improving its fame and becoming more globalised, this means more customers may know about the company, in other words, more potential benefits will move to the company. Although there are a great number of obvious benefits that companies will face, others disagree with the motive of growth. In their opinion, growth is a difficult goal to achieve and is not a sound economic reason. As Gaughan (2007) indicates, when a company has already accomplished growth in the past, it is difficult for corporate managers to keep growing. However, after achieving growth in the past, managers will look for some other ways to keep growing. Among those ways, Mergers could be the fastest and the most efficient way. Companies do not need to take couples of year to build workshop, and recruit new employees. In addition, with less time to spend, growth via mergers can be gain through the lowest-risk way (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 356). Long time means more uncertainties, which are more risks. How to avoid those risks? It is better to spend less time, and complete mergers quickly. As a good example of growth motive, the case of Johnson Johnson should be introduced. Johnson Johnson is one of the biggest manufacturers of health care industry in the world. It was established by Johnson and his two brothers in 1986 in New Jersey of United States. At that time, it was a company which only had fourteen workers. In the early 1920s, with the development of businesses, Johnson Johnson began to build branches in other places such as America, Europe, Asia and Africa. However, over the period 1995 to 2005, Johnson Johnson took a series of mergers. Through those mergers, Johnson Johnson have gained a greatly fast growth. So far, Johnson Johnson have owned more than 250 subsidiaries in 57 different countries and 115 thousand employees. Its products are available in nearly 175 countries (Stock Johnson Johnson, 2010). The global revenue of Johnson Johnson in 2008 was 63.7 billion US dollars (JNJ Income Statement, 2009). From the example of Johnson Johnson, we can see, with the development of an increasingly globalized world, growth can be one of the most efficient and fundamental motives of mergers. 2.2 Different Types of Synergy As another important motive, synergy is the popular choice for companies to make a merger. Synergy means the extra energy or effectiveness that people or businesses create when they combine their efforts. In mergers, according to DePamphilis (2003), synergy refers to corporate combination will produce more profits than that the sum of their separate status. Therefore, synergy is often used to explain the phenomenon of 1+1=3. In mergers, this means the combination of two companies may generate three companies effect. Just because of this, many companies try their best to seek the opportunities to combine with other corporations. If synergy occurs in mergers, it focuses on two sides to raise the profitable ability of companies: revenue enhancements and cost reductions (Gaughan, 2007, p. 133). For example, if Coca Cola make a merger with a fruit producer, as a result, it will save more spending to buy raw material for its soft drinks. This is called cost reductions. When Coca Cola have gained a lower price of raw material, it can reduce some prices of its drinks. In this way, lower price will make a promotion of its drinks. This is named revenue enhancements. Though the actual fact is more complex than this example, the truth is the related theory would be basically the same. Although synergy has enhanced the profitability from revenues and costs, some people do not agree synergy should be a good economic reason for mergers (Gaughan, 2007). From their point of view, the synergy effect can only be described the mergers of companies in the same industry or seller-buyer relationship, and it is not suitable to other diversified mergers. In order to respond this, economies of scope should be introduced as a concept that is confused with economies of scale. Economies of scope can be defined as the ability of a firm to utilize one of set of inputs to provide a broader range of products and services (Gaughan, 2007, p. 129). If a company is able to utilize its workforce, and facilities, synergy also can be achieved. Most failures of mergers with synergy purpose are because of their leaders inefficient management ability and not the motive of synergy. Several examples of mergers motivated by the pursuit of synergy have achieved the success. After the 1994 merger between Radisson Diamond Cruises and Seven Seas Cruises, the combined cruise lines began to provide cheaper price of beds and itineraries. This is because, as a result of merger, fewer managers will be needed to maintain the relationship with the same districts travel agencies. Hence, costs reductions are gained. Moreover, with the larger size of company, the fame of company is improving. This enables sales force to make a promotion more easily. As a result, more customers will come to enjoy their trips. Therefore, revenue is enhanced by this way (Gaughan, 2007, pp. 127-128). With motive of synergy, companies are not only able to increase its revenue, but also decline its cost. Thus, we may see how valid the synergy motive is. 2.3 Diversification When a company has already been the bellwether of one industry, managers of the company may consider some diversified merger to expand its size and make more profits. Diversification provides conditions of expansion by applying companies goodwill in former industry to other different product field, and it can also provide conditions of forming scale effect (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 20). Through diversification, it is foreseeable that companies may have the chance to gain significant earnings, because a new industry means a new opportunity. Opportunity should be the best thing for companies managers. Another side about diversification, as Gaughan (2007) pointed out, is that companies may obtain continuous competitive advantage. This is because if General Electronic can hardly sell its military products to armies in a peaceful time, but it can also seek profitable opportunities in other field such as insurance, healthcare, plastics, energy, and so on. This is the theory about continuous c ompetitive advantages. As long as a company becomes a diversified one, it will acquire the privilege of enjoying continuous competitive advantage. Compared with its positives, one accusation for diversification as not a valid economic reason is that there are some potential risks when companies expand into another industry. If companies cant handle the risks well, it may bring damages to them. A study carried out by Berger and Ofek (1995), using a large sample of firms over the 1986-1991 sample periods, found that diversification caused an average 13% to 15%s loss of firm value. The study also found that the loss of firm value was less than that of when the diversification occurred, and it was not affected by firm size. However, some evidence suggest diversification do not directly lessen firms value. One finance researcher, Villalonga, believes that the diversification discount is because of incorrect use of data of several researchers (Villalonga, 2004, cited in Gaughan, 2007, p143). As Gaughan (2007) points out: The data used by those researchers were artificially restricted by Financial Accounting Standards Board definition of segments as well as requirements that only segments that constitute 10% or more of a companys business are required to be reported. Using a data source that is not affected by this problem, Villalonga finds a diversification premium, as opposed to a discount (Gaughan, 2007, p143). Although there are many companies that have suffered failures at diversification, others argue that they have achieved great success with mergers at diversification. The most successful example is General Electric (GE). Unlike its name, now GE is no longer an electric company. Through a series of mergers at diversification, GE has become a diversified giant with operations insurance, television stations, plastics, medical equipment, and so on. Especially during the 1980s and 1990s, during the fourth merger wave, GE had made a great number of Mergers with various companies, and it has benefited significantly from those combinations (Gaughan, 2007, p. 137). In short, although mergers with diversification might have potential risks to the newly combined company, more diversified mergers may provide a bigger market for companies to make profits as what GE have gained. 2.4 Other Economic Motives There are two sound other types of economic motives for mergers: horizontal integration and vertical integration. Generally, in horizontal integration, market power and market share are raised through mergers. While in vertical integration, both merged firms have a buyer-seller relationship, hence, the combination may provide a dependable source of supply and lower costs advantage (Gaughan, 2007, pp. 145-155). In horizontal integration, market power stands for the leadership of a market (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 69). Sometimes, market power may gain from market share, and it is well-known that market share may easily gain as a consequence of horizontal integration. Once market power is achieved by one company, all the other rivals in the same market will probably be affected. Their pricing strategy, promotion plan, product research and development and so on will probably all follow with the leader of the market. This is similar to the situation of Nokia in the Mobile Phone industry. However, in a vertical integration, both merged companies will benefit from the integration. One company will not worried about the sales of its products, and the other will not be concerned with the source of its raw materials. However, there has been a debate that both horizontal integration and vertical integration may bring several negatives to the market and consumers. One of the most being criticized is monopoly competition (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 24). After mergers, the power of merged companies will get bigger. Thus, the structure of the industry will tend to monopoly, which means merged companies may beat others using pricing strategy and the public will pay significantly for this. Although, sometimes, when this situation happens, government will release various policies to prevent this situation from continuing. This is the reason why Coca Cola failed to merge with one of Chinas biggest juice companies, Huiyuan Juice Group. In 2009, Coca Cola planed to purchase Huiyuan Juice with 2.4 billion US dollars. This deal was blocked by Chinas ministry of commerce with the reason that Coke might abuse its dominant position in Chinas soft drinks industry (Sundeep Tucker, 2009). However, most of the time, as long as companies will not affect markets and customers by means of some illegal ways, government wont stop these mergers. In fact, the worlds largest Oil Company, Exxon-Mobil Oil Company, comes from a merger. In 1998, there was a megamerger in the Oil industry. Exxon announced its merger with the Mobil Oil Company. At that time, both two companies were the leading companies in the Oil industry. After merging, in order to achieve the synergistic gains, the companies need to successfully integrate its resources. As a result, this merger was extremely successful. Two years later, the combined Exxon-Mobil announced that the merger saved them approximately $4.8 billion which is higher than the estimated $3.8 billion. With successful operation of the following years, in 2006, Exxon-Mobil announced its highest annual profits that the firms annual profits in 2005 were $36 billion and its sales were $371 billion. Exxon-Mobil became the largest company in the world (Gaughan, 2007, p. 146). From the example of Exxon-Mobil and discussion above, we could see that no matter horizontal integration or vertical integration, those economic motives will be beneficial to merged companies. Therefore, these economic motives are the sound motives for mergers. 3.0 Non-economic Motives There are several non-economic motives which exist in mergers such as power motives, achievement motives, and political motives and so on. Most of the time, these motives only exist in the mind of managers of merged companies. Therefore, it is less sound for researchers to pay attention to them as motives for mergers. 3.1 Power Motives and Achievement Motives Power motives refer to the peoples pursuit of control over others by means of increasing source of power, and this is particularly serious in some top managers in merged companies (Schmalt, 1987, cited in Carsten Lausberg and Teresa Stahl, 2008, p.6). With the possibility of a higher position through mergers, it is no wonder that these managers will often support the proposal of mergers. Usually, after mergers, these newly combined companies will have a bigger size. More workers will add into different teams or departments for mangers to supervise. These things are what the managers seek for. Through this way, they have got a continuous increase of power. It is common to see that a person will be judged successful or unsuccessful by various criterions. Hence, achievements become the most vital thing for some managers. Since it may be the fastest and most efficient way to enlarge companies size and improve companies value though mergers, most managers who have the achievement motive will let companies go to merge. Furthermore, merger is a highly complex and energy consuming thing and people will recognize the managers of successful mergers. Therefore, a person with a strong achievement motive will take the risk of pushing companies to merge (Carsten Lausberg and Teresa Stahl, 2008, p.7). However, the reason why these two motives and motives like that are not main reasons for companies mergers is that, in nowadays companies, decisions are made by the whole members of the Board. Any single man could hardly affect the entire Board of directors opinions about decisions except for family firms or totally private companies. In addition, according to Gaughan (2007), mergers often take place in companies that have a good corporate governance structure and a clear responsibilities right of shareholders, board of directors, board of supervisors, managers. Hence, it is less common to see mergers with these personal motives. 3.2 Political Motives It is difficult to find one accurate definition for political motives. In general, however, people regards political motive as a motive which aims to serve for politics. Sometimes, politicians need more economic successes to earn more votes. For instance, in order to enable the Chinese people to enjoy more about the telecom service, in 2008 the Chinese government decided to make several mergers among the six largest state-owned telecom companies including China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, China Netcom, China Tietong, and China Satcom (Xinhua News Agency, 2008). However, it is hard to see mergers with political motives. This is because, primarily, political motives mergers often occur in the countries which have a similar political system like China. There are less of them in the world. Secondly, even though this situation happens, the core of a merger with a political motive is also the economic success. Hence, the political motive is, actually, an economic motive. Non-economic motives can either be some personal motives or the alias of economic motives, thus, they will not be seen as the sound motives. 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has attempted to demonstrate that economic motives are the main reasons for different companies mergers. Despite the fact that some people argue that there are some potential risks among these economic reasons, focusing on negatives, the positives of these economic motives stand out. Furthermore, it is also true that various successful examples have shown the importance of these economic motives that have been discussed above. This is why, in recent years, more and more researchers have put their effort to study the topic of MA. Economic motives are not only the first step of merging, but the root of mergers, although, in the process of a merger, there will a great amount of works to be done in future. Currently, after the global financial crisis, there is another trend for companies seeking for mergers. How to avoid the potential risks of these economic motives and transfer them to the real profits is an issue that is open to question.

Why International Assignments Fail Essay -- International Business Emp

Why International Assignments Fail International assignments are the hub of international HR which makes the fact that they often fail a great concern to many corporations who make big investments in overseas assignments. As more U.S. companies expand their business overseas, the need to send employees on international assignments will increase, making the process of discovering the reasons for these failures increasingly important. Expatriate employees, meaning employees that are non-citizens of the country in which they are working, often find that unfamiliar surroundings and a new job can be particularly challenging, while family pressures also increase as everyone makes cultural adjustments. Another reason for these failures include lack of preparation from the employer. In a 2003 study of more than 700 expatriate workers around the world, nearly forty percent felt their employers did not do an adequate job preparing them for their international assignment. One of the major steps an employer can take to reduce the uneasiness of going abroad is in selecting the right candidate for the assignment. Just having technical expertise or management skills does not make an employee right for international assignments. More important to this particular kind of job is an individual’s inherent cultural sensitivity, flexibility, adaptability, and interpersonal communication skills. Regardless of the method, the candidate selection process is the first critical step in an emp...