Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Essay on Queen Elizabeth’s Treatment of Catholics

Queen Elizabeth’s Treatment of Catholics The reformation of England had been a long drawn out affair dating back to King Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy in 1534. By the accession of Elizabeth in 1558, many historians believe that she inherited a country, which was still predominantly Catholic in belief. Although people of South Eastern England were likely to be influenced by the peoples of Europe, who were experiencing reforms, Doran (1994) suggests that the number of Protestants accounted for just 14 per cent of the population of Sussex and less than 10 per cent in Kent. Whether rural lifestyles were largely unaffected by changing religious doctrine due to a primitive communications network or general disinterest, as long as the laity†¦show more content†¦In comparison to Queen Mary’s ruthless policy over Protestant subjects, Elizabeth adopted a cautious if not liberal policy towards Catholicism. The general consensus of many historians is that Elizabeth did not really care about what her subjects beli eved as long as they kept their religious views to themselves. Doran (1994 et al) bring to light instances when Protestants, exiled under the previous reign, were invited to preach on public occasions, while Catholic preachers were simply harassed or arrested. Nevertheless Catholics received far lighter punishments for their beliefs. Following the 1559 Act of Uniformity, Catholics were expected to conform outwardly. The imposition of one-shilling fines on those who did not attend Church of England services on Sundays and various other days were set out to achieve this. Similarly there were penalties imposed on clerics who did not follow the specified rites of the Book of Common Prayer or chose to publicly attack them. Their first offence would result in imprisonment for six months and loss of a year’s income. Successive offences would carry a year’s imprisonment, then life imprisonment if caught a third time. The Act of Supremacy was passed in the same year, which actively encouragedShow MoreRelatedQueen Elizabeth I : The Golden Age Of The Elizabethan Era1000 Words   |  4 PagesElizabethan Era as one of the times when England was very close to achieving a golden age. While living under Queen Elizabeth did bring about troubles, such as an extreme system of punishment and quarrels with the Catholic s, the Elizabethan Era was a time of peace and prosperity, heavily contrasting life before and after Elizabeth’s reign. In a time when England was almost about to tear itself apart, Queen Elizabeth I came to power and improved the situation. Her influence led to political, cultural, and educationalRead MoreQueen Elizabeth: Golden Age1406 Words   |  6 PagesElizabeth’s Golden Age Elizabeth was Queen of England from 1558-1603. During that time England was a strong country and she was a successful queen. Many people thought Elizabeth would not last long without a powerful husband but they were proved wrong. In fact Elizabeth was very clever in not choosing a husband. She didn’t choose a husband because she didn’t want anybody taking over her throne. There were four men that she could have married but said no to. The first man was Philip of Spain. PhilipRead MoreElizibethan Religious Settlement Essay1952 Words   |  8 PagesEnglish church would now take, including the establishment of the Book of Common Prayer. When Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne. One of the most important concerns during Elizabeth’s early reign was the question of which form the state religion would take. Communion with the Roman Catholic Church had been reinstated under Mary using the instrument of Royal Supremacy. Elizabeth relied primarily on her chief advisors, Sir William Cecil, as her Secretary of State, and Sir NicholasRead MoreEssay on Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe2013 Words   |  9 Pagescame to the throne of England during a time of intense religious turmoil and political uncertainty. By the end of her reign, England stood as the first officially Protestant nation in Europe; however, tensions between Protestants and the repressed Catholic minority continued to plague the nation. Much of the literature produced during the time of her reign reflected sensitivities to religion and resulting political intrigues. In his play Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe places the titl e characterRead MoreElizabethan Era11072 Words   |  45 PagesThe Elizabethan Age is the time period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. It was an age considered to be the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the full flowering of English literature and English poetry. In Elizabethan theater, William Shakespeare, among others, composed and staged plays in a variety of settings that broke away from Englands past style of plays. It was an age of expansion and explorationRead MoreEssay about Renaissance Figures2969 Words   |  12 Pagesstrong influence on painting in the Low Countries, and through his sons Jan and Pieter he became the ancestor of a dynasty of painters that survived into the 18th century. Desiderius Erasmus 1466?-1536, was a Dutch Renaissance scholar and Roman Catholic theologian who sought to revive classical texts from antiquity, restore simple Christian faith based on Scripture, and eradicate the improprieties of the medieval Church. His works include The Manual of the Christian Knight (1503) and The PraiseRead MoreThe Tower of London Essay5058 Words   |  21 Pagesimprisonment, death and ghostly apparitions. But this does not do it justice: the history of the Tower and its buildings is a vast, fascinating and complex subject, intertwined with the history of the country of England, its government, its kings and queens, and its people and institutions. The castles first four centuries, during the Middle Ages, saw the development of the layout of buildings that we know today and its peak as a great fortress and use as a royal residence. From the late 15th centuryRead MoreOliver Cromwell4272 Words   |  18 PagesCommonwealth. As a general on the parliamentary side of the English Civil War vs. Charles I, Cromwell helped bring about the overthrow of the Stuart monarchy, and he raised his countrys status to that of a leading European power since the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Being a man with strong character made him one of the most remarkable rulers in modern European history. Although he was a convinced Calvinist he believed deeply in the value of religious toleration. Cromwells victories at home and abroad

Monday, December 23, 2019

Dr. Bernadette Melnyk s One Of The Bigger Dreamer Nurse...

One of the bigger dreamer nurse leader is Dr. Bernadette Melnyk who has a dream to improve people’s lives and make a change (Alumni WVU). She has understood that all painful experiences make her more stronger and well prepared to face any issue ( Mattson, James). According to James Mattson who is an editor of Reflections on Nursing Leadership that Dr. Bernadette Melnyk prefers to be called as Bern. Bern is born in1958 and grew up in a Republic small town in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. She came from a poor lovely family and have one sister and one brother. Her mother died in front of her when she was 15 years old. At that time, she has suffered a lot. She believed that the right diagnosed for that difficult event that prevented her form sleeping was the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because of that, Valium was prescribed for her by her family primary physician. However, she took the medication for a one night and decided to not take it again because she was feeling d izziness during the day. Her father and close friends were good supporter for her during that painful period. Few years later, she decided to be a nurses in the future because she volunteered at a hospital as a candy striper during high school. After that experience, she discovered that she has a passion to care for patients and help them to get better, but her father wouldn t be able to pay the tuition for a bachelor’s degree. Her father has assured her that he is willing to work extra hours to pay

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Defending the Meat and Poultry Industry Free Essays

In the article â€Å"They Die Piece by Piece† Joby Warrick of the Washington Post tells a dramatic story of how animals are slaughtered and strongly advocates for further regulations on the meat and poultry industry in order to better protect animal rights. Thesis: While it may seem like the moral high road to support animal rights regulations, upon evaluating the effects of the proposed solution on our economy it will prove that the status quo remains the most viable option. In order to further understand this situation it is important to evaluate the impact the meat and poultry industry has on the United States economy, the effects of imposing further regulations upon it and the counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. We will write a custom essay sample on Defending the Meat and Poultry Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now Body 1: impact the meat and poultry industry has on our economy Since the end of the second world war the United States has been the world’s predominate super power with the efficiency of meat and poultry industries begin a driving factor in maintaining this status. As the world’s super power the citizens of the United States have enjoyed an unprecedented amount of opportunities which are often over looked and taken for granted. The United States has an annual gross domestic product of over $15 trillion, the largest in the world and approximately 25% of the global economy (International Monetary Fund). As result of this the possibilities for entrepreneurs and changes in social-economic class are larger then anywhere else in the world. In order to achieve and maintain this level of dominance it is essential for the United States to continue and support its thriving industries. Currently the meat industry in the United States employes 6. 2 million people, totally $200 billion in wages and generates over $83 billion in federal and states tax revenue annually. Additionally, the economic impact of the meat and poultry industry equates to $864 billion annually, approximately 6% of United States’ entire GDP (The American Meat Institute). To put this into perspective, Exxon Mobil, the largest company in the world produces $482 billion annually, only about half of the impact of the meat and poultry industry (Forbes). Were we to more tightly regulate the meat and poultry industries it would have a dramatically adverse effect on the United States economy and transitively on every American. Body 2: the effects of imposing further regulations upon it Were further regulations to be imposed on the meat and poultry companies, these added measures will increase overhead costs and these companies will be forced to lay off employees and increase the prices in order to maintain their currently level of profitability. This will adversely effect the economy and well being of America in two ways. First the newly unemployed people will no longer contribute income taxes which work to fund schools, hospitals, police and fire departments, along with ever other public service. Additionally these unemployed people will receive unemployment benefits and welfare which will further drain tax dollars away from essential programs. The second adverse effect will be the rise in food prices. Currently people in America spend less money on food then any other country in the world (Economist. com). As a result people in America have more disposable income to spend on unessential items and help the economy maintain its level of superiority. Rising food costs will effect every single persons level of disposable income and will effectively depress spending on every single other industry. In turn reduced consumer spending will force more layoffs and downsizing of companies and further perpetuate this cycle. As our government continues to collect taxes in a deficit compared to spending they will be forced to cut funding to social programs such as schools and hospitals and the general welfare of people will be effected. A perfect example of this concept is the 2013 Sequester following the failed fiscal cliff negotiations in which the federal government cut $83 billion in funding to national security and domestic programs including â€Å"health, education, drug enforcement, national parks, Hurricane Sandy relief and other programs† (Green). After reviewing the consequences of these proposed regulations it is apparent that well being of humans in America is far more important then the humane treatment of meat and poultry. It is also important to evaluate who will benefit most from these proposed regulations. If American meat and poultry companies are forced to raise there prices due to an escalated cost of production it will create an opportunity for foreign companies to penetrate into the US market. Meaning if regulations were imposed, consumers would switch to purchasing foreign meat and poultry. These foreign companies will be impossible to regulate and the goal of the proposed regulation will not be achieved. Additionally, US companies may move their operations outside of the country which will result in a massive rise in unemployment and loss in tax revenue. Body 3: counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. Now lets evaluate the counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. The first issues is that animals suffer during the slaughter house process. Human are carnivores and kill animals and eat them, which will obviously require some suffering on the animals behalf. Additionally, regardless of how nice the animals are or how nicely they are treated ultimately all of them are killed. It would be a waste of resources to invest in a product that is facing guaranteed destruction. It would not make sense to give a car a brand new paint job before crushing it at a recycling plant. It may seem unsettling to think about the slaughter house process but understand that life is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many industries practices far more shocking business practices and receive drastically less media attention. For example Foxcon the Chinese company that Manufacturers Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad, has been forced to install safety nets because workers are committing suicide as a result of overbearing work conditions (Moore). Realize these are real people dying and not livestock, yet activist seem to care far less as they write tweets from their apple iPhones. While this information is unsettling it is important to understand these are the measures necessary to maintain the lifestyle that Americans are accustom to. The United States has achieved its super power status by embarking on these efficient processes and without it we would be unable to enjoy the luxuries this country has available. The second issue proposed by animal rights activist is that meat and poultry plants are unsafe for workers. In Joby Warrick’s article he says, â€Å"Improperly stunned animals contribute to worker injuries in an industry that already has the nation’s highest rate of job-related injuries and llnesses† (Warrick 323). While worker safety is a very important issue, it is in the meat and poultry companies best interest to work to improve the safety of their employees. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that â€Å"Over the last 20 years, injury/illness rates in the U. S. meat industry have improved by nearly 80 percent , as efforts to enhance workplace safety have taken effect† (Bureau of Labor Statistics). While it is impossible to prevent all work place injuries, a reduction of 80% is a very impressive figure and shows that these companies are actively working to improve safety conditions. Additionally, a portion of the responsibility falls onto the employees who are aware of the dangers of working in a slaughter house presents. For the last 60 years the United States has been the world’s predominate super power. We have achieved this level of success by supporting our thriving industries and creating the world’s largest and most powerful economy. While the humane treatment of animals appears to be a strong ethical issues upon evaluating the side effects on our economy and the well being of our citizens it is apparent that further regulations should be avoided. How to cite Defending the Meat and Poultry Industry, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Canadas Declining Health Care System And The Brain Essay Example For Students

Canadas Declining Health Care System And The Brain Essay DrainCanadas Declining Health Care System and the Brain DrainCanadas government-funded health care system in under attack. Despite the mandate of the Canada health act, which was meant to assure universality, comprehensiveness, equitable access, public administration and portability of our health care system, (Braithwaite 17), Canadians today make the issue of health care their most important political concern. One of the biggest crises the Canadian health care system faces is for strange reasons not in the spotlight when debating the issues, that is the brain drain-Canada losing highly skilled physicians and health care workers to other countries like the U.S. It is time to look at solutions to reverse this popular trend among doctors. A privately funded health care system can rejuvenate health related research in Canada and virtually eliminate the brain drain. By addressing today health care problems, examining what lures our workers to other countries, and applying economic models , a theory to todays problems can be answered. Canadas health care concerns are primarily the result of federal and provincial cutbacks in an effort to eliminate the deficit (Gordon 1). Under the restructuring, governments have provided less money to the system resulting in hospital closures, lack of hospital beds, and operating rooms, cancellation or reduction of programs and restriction on the availability of new medical technologies (Gordon 3). All these have resulted in limiting the service provided by physicians to their patients. A similar situation exists with respect to physicians in the research community. Talented, world-class Canadian scientists have been faced shrinking government funding for basic and clinical research. Among the G-7 nations, Canada ranks last in per capita spending for health research. Japan, France, the U.S. and the U.K. all spend between 1.5 and 3.5 times more than Canada does (Bannister 77). It is clear to see that many issues must be addressed to keep our doctors north of the border. Evidence of the physician brain drain in Canada is plentiful. Data from the Canadian Institute for health information (CIHI) shows that there has been a 130per cent increase, which is more than double, the net loss of doctors that went to work abroad from 1991-1996, mostly going to the states. In 1996 alone, 513 Canadian physicians (net) that left Canada represent the annual output of approximately five Canadian medical schools (Buske 158). The loss of each single physician represents a loss of a major Canadian investment in a highly educated, skilled practitioner who otherwise could have contributed to the overall health and well being of Canadians in their respective communities, and whose future research could have proved to serve the country as a whole. But with much higher salaries and larger funding for research, it is hardly the doctors fault. The brain drain is not confined to physicians. Doctors represent only one quarter of health workers who made the move to the states in 1996, with nurses making up the majority (Buske 158). It is clear that Canadas health care needs more funding at all levels, and the only way to accomplish this goal is to open new money streams into the system to counter the impact of diminishing funding. One answer to the problem is to have a privately funded health care system, which would let Canada keep doctor salaries competitive and provide additional resources to the system, including selling our services to U.S. patients. Although privatization of health care scares many citizens, especially those with little to no income, a publicly funded system with a private tier could alleviate their worries and benefit all Canadians. With an added source of revenue, the economics behind this model is simple: as the price of salaries goes up, the population of doctors and nurses in Canada rises as well. If the demand for doctors in Canada rises, which seems to be the case, then the government must do something to increase the supply as well, in order for the market to stay in equilibrium. The closer to equilibrium means fewer waiting lists for medical attention and better health care overall, which are aspects that we just cannot afford to overlook or relax at the expense of other Canadian health and social issues. Increased revenue through some form of privatization would provide more opportunity for Canadian research-new, cost-efficient ways to administer care could be discovered to curb private costs in the lo ng run. New technologies and medicines can also be discovered and sold to other countries. Todays health care system in Canada needs serious attention from our government and as well as our citizens. To say that these problems will go away by themselves under our current system is ridiculous. Alternative solutions must be considered and addressed to Canadians so we dont find ourselves in serious trouble down the road. Health care will continue to be debated in parliament in the upcoming weeks and months, but one thing that is beyond debate is Canadas obligation to make our country a place where our children will want to stay and an attractive environment for investment and innovation. We must keep our best here in order stay ahead of pressing health issues and to attract talent from around the world. Exploring the option of a privately funded system ensures these Canadian morals and improves the quality of life for all Canadians. Economics

Friday, November 29, 2019

Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman Essay Example For Students

Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman Essay For the women in the twentieth century today, who have more freedom than beforeand have not experienced the depressive life that Gilman lived from 1860 to1935, it is difficult to understand Gilmans situation and understand thesignificance of The Yellow Wallpaper. Gilmans original purpose ofwriting the story was to gain personal satisfaction if Dr. S. Weir Mitchellmight change his treatment after reading the story. However, as Ann L. Janesuggests, The Yellow Wallpaper is the best crafted of her fiction: agenuine literary piecethe most directly, obviously, self-consciouslyautobiographical of all her stories (Introduction xvi). And more importantly,Gilman says in her article in The Forerunner, It was not intended to drivepeople crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy, and it worked (20). We will write a custom essay on Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Therefore, The Yellow Wallpaper is a revelation of Charlotte PerkinsGilmans own emotions. When the story first came out in 1892 the criticsconsidered The Yellow Wallpaper as a portrayal of female insanity ratherthan a story that reveals an aspect of society. In The Transcript, a physicianfrom Boston wrote, Such a story ought not to be writtenit was enough todrive anyone mad to read it (Gilman 19). This statement implies that anywoman that would write something to show opposition to the dominant socialvalues must have been insane. In Gilmans time setting The ideal woman wasnot only assigned a social role that locked her into her home, but she was alsoexpected to like it, to be cheerful and gay, smiling and good humored (Lane,To Herland 109). Those women who rejected this role and pursued intellectualenlightenment and freedom would be scoffed, alienated, and even punished. Thisis exactly what Gilman experienced when she tried to express her desire forindependence. Gilman expressed her emotional and psychological feelings ofrejection from society for thinking freely in The Yellow Wallpaper, whichis a reaction to the fact that it was against the grain of society for women topursue intellectual freedom or a career in the late 1800s. Her taking Dr. S. Weir Mitchells rest cure was the result of the pressures of theseprevalent social values. Charlotte Gilman was born on July 3, 1860, in Hartford,Connecticut in a family boasting a list of revolutionary thinkers, writers. Andintermarriages among them were, as Carol Berkin put it, in discreteconfirmation of their pride in association (18). One fact that catches ourattention is that, either from the inbreeding, or from the high intellectualcapacity of the family, there was a long sting of disorders ranging frommanic-depressive illness to nervous breakdowns including suicide and shortterm hospitalizations (Lane, To Herland 110). Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gilmansaunt, also complained about this illness. When writing to a friend, Beechersaid, My mind is exhausted and seems to be sinking into deadness (Lane, TOHerland 111). She felt this way for years and did not recover from so manybreakdowns until finding real release in her writing of Uncle TomsCabin (Lane, To Herland 111). And Catherine Be echer, another famous writer andlecturer at that time, was also sent to the same sanitarium for nervousdisorders. As Gilman came from a family of such well known feminists andrevolutionaries, it is without a doubt that she grew up with the idea that shehad the right to be treated as anyone, whether man or woman. Not only did thisstrong background affect her viewpoint about things, it also affected herrelations with her husband and what role she would play in that relationship. .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .postImageUrl , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:hover , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:visited , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:active { border:0!important; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:active , .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408 .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u81b9f799d5e32a899965002930e42408:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drug Abuse in America EssayFrom the beginning of her marriage, she struggled with the idea of conforming tothe domestic model for women. Upon repeated proposals from Stetson, her husband,Gilman tried to lay bare her torments and reservations about gettingmarried (Lane, To Herland 85). She claimed that her thoughts, her acts, herwhole life would be centered on husband and children. To do the work she neededto do, she must be free (Lane, To Herland 85). Gilman was so scared of thisidea because she loved her work and she loved freedom, though she also loved herhusband very much. After a long period of uncertainty and vacillation shemarried Charles Stetson at 24 (Lane, Introdu ction x). Less than a year later,however, feelings of nervous exhaustion immediately descended uponGilman, and she became a mental wreck (Ceplair 17). In that period oftime, she wrote many articles on women caught between families and careersand the need for women to have

Monday, November 25, 2019

Writing About History Is Writing Toward Truth

Writing About History Is Writing Toward Truth Writing About History Is Writing Toward Truth Writing About History Is Writing Toward Truth By Mark Nichol The latest chapter in the depressing saga of Sarah Palin’s losing battle with chronic foot-in-mouth disease illustrates a point writers and editors should take careful notes about, because it’s going to be on the test. It has to do with history and repeating, but not with history repeating itself. It has to do with repeating accounts of historical events. Palin was in the news again last week because she recently made some confused statements about Paul Revere’s legendary ride, implying that one purpose of the mission was to warn the British military occupation that colonial militiamen were prepared to oppose their advance through Massachusetts to arrest rebel ringleaders and confiscate munitions. So, where’s the writing tip amid the historical histrionics? First, I readily concede that Palin is not an entirely reliable source of American history. But, in her defense, she actually got it partly right, and her detractors are also mistaken in some respects. Here’s the background: The legend of Paul Revere we all know from history class and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is just that a legend. His ride is historical, but the details, as they’ve been handed down to us, are a bit muddled: Paul Revere was not a lone hero galloping off in the moonlight to rouse unprepared farmers and villagers to repel a surprise British advance. He was just a minor part of a long-prepared, well-organized network of planners, couriers, and militiamen who had rehearsed for the eventuality of the military maneuver, which they knew was inevitable. It was Longfellow’s poem that elevated a fairly trivial historical figure into an icon of the American Revolution. The most egregious issue in the latest Palin controversy is that one of her supporters attempted to revise Wikipedia’s Paul Revere page to deflect criticism of her. The intent was to support her by introducing a comment suggesting that it would have been odd for Revere to cry out, â€Å"The British are coming!† when those who responded to his call identified themselves by that term of nationality. A Wikipedia monitor rejected the change, but the truth is that it’s a valid point: Revere’s warning likely referred to â€Å"the regulars,† not â€Å"the British,† to announce the impending arrival of regular British army units. The British colonists in America were just that: British subjects. Many of them were disgruntled British subjects, but on the eve of the battles of Lexington and Concord, in April 1775, most of them remained loyal to the British crown and wanted not independence, but redress of grievances. Furthermore, British army scouts captured Revere before he accomplished his entire mission. It is at this point that he reportedly informed his captors of the stout defense they could expect if the army unit marched inland; one purpose of this challenge was evidently to try to divert them from the vicinity of the farmhouse where rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock were in hiding. If this is true, then Sarah Palin’s comments are essentially accurate. On this point this post hinges: History is a work constantly in revision. Unfortunately, it is a target also of revisionism, and it is difficult to wade through legend and lore and romanticized heritage to reach the truth. And truth is asymptotic; you will never arrive at it. Walk halfway to a destination. Walk halfway again. And again. Repeat into infinity. You’ll never technically arrive, but you’ll get closer and it is incumbent on writers, when discussing history (or current events), to step ever forward toward the destination of truth. Resist complacent reliance on schoolbook history. Reject the partisan playbook. Read multiple sources of history and information originating from all along the ideological spectrum. Judge what you read and what you write by the standards of objectivity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsSocial vs. Societal35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Friday, November 22, 2019

Buddhism vs. Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhism vs. Christianity - Essay Example The life of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism started as Siddhartha, the boy who was born in the abundance of life. His father denied him the opportunities of confronting with the real trials and tribulations of life. But Buddha happened to witness certain sights, later referred as the Four Sights of Buddha, which made him realize the realities of life and it ultimately paved the way for Buddhism. It was at the request of his son Siddhartha, the king allowed him to visit the beautiful park outside the palace. Though the father was precautious enough to wrap all the unpleasant sights from his son, some of them caught the sight of him. The sight of Old Age was the first one and it really haunted Siddhartha as it was his debut experience. The haggard state of an old man roused a number of questions in his mind and it provided him a hint about the hard realities of life. His realization that no one can prevent from being old has exerted significant influence in his later teachings. It is the second visit that enables him to encounter with the fearful state of sickness, like the sight of old age torments his mentally. Afterwards, the sights of death and renunciation, the third and fourth respectively, also have the same effect on Siddhartha. This leads him to realize that there are two ways to solve the problems of life—one is to lead a pleasant life by totally ignoring all the problems of life and the other way is realizing that all these sufferings are the part of life and try to overcome these problems. Siddhartha selected the second as it was far better than the first and preached by giving up his luxurious life in the palace. The birth of Jesus was just different from that of Buddha who took birth as a man 2000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem in the land of Israel. One of the notable similarities between the lives of Buddha and Jesus is that both lived a life of simplicity and showed others the real value of it. But a

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Strategic Business Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Strategic Business Communication - Essay Example In addition, analysis of the truthtm campaign demonstrated that it was positively correlated with reductions in the smoking behavior of youths and young adults (Thrasher et al. 2004). Unfortunately, scholars have also noted that the effectiveness of other campaigns has been more modest. For example, Hankin, Sloan, and Sokol (1998) conclude that the utility of warning labels in reducing alcohol consumption during pregnancy was only slightly effective, and a review of the effectiveness of several state antismoking advertising campaigns found that several campaigns had mixed or even ineffective results (Pechmann and Reibling 2000).† (Rucker and Petty, 39) â€Å"†¦it is essential to consider whether the audience is disposed to scrutinize the information carefully or inclined to process the message in a more peripheral manner (Step 1). Second, it is important to evaluate message characteristics and, when possible, to design the message to contain information that will be persuasive on the basis of the audience’s elaboration level (Step 2). Third, it is necessary to consider whether the goal of the message is to create an enduring attitude change or simply an immediate attitude change (Step 3). Fourth, it is important to evaluate fit among audience elaboration likelihood, message characteristics, and message objectives both conceptually (Step 4) and empirically (Step 5). Finally, if there is a discrepancy between the audience elaboration level and the message characteristics or the goals of the message, it is necessary to consider how to remedy this mismatch (Step 6).† (Rucker and Petty, 40) â€Å"Consider the development of an antismoking television commercial that is designed to advocate parents talking to their children about drug use. The message might feature celebrities telling parents to talk to their children, but it might not provide or disclose the specific benefits of having such conversations† ( Rucker and Petty, 48) â€Å"three key

Monday, November 18, 2019

Divorce in the UAE has increased during the last 2 decades Essay

Divorce in the UAE has increased during the last 2 decades - Essay Example Why divorce in the UAE has increased during the last 2 decades Introduction Divorce is regarded as one of the serious social problems in any given society. According to government statistics, United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a divorce rate of 24 percent in the year 2003 (Sherif 2). There are numerous psychological and economic factors that have led to high divorce rates in UAE. Lack of communication in marriage, early marriages, changing marriage expectations, addiction, child-bearing issues, and financial issues, cultural background of the spouses, the differential in education levels, infidelity and arranged marriages are some of the causes of high divorce rates in UAE (Sherif 8). Divorce leads to severe negative consequences to children and involved parents. Some of the negative impacts of divorce include delinquent behaviour of the parents, psychological trauma, aggression, and nightmares (Hasso, 2011). Thesis statement: poor communication in marriages is the leading cause of the high divorce rates in United Arab Emirates. Causes of high divorce rates in UAE Communication problems in marriages are the leading cause of divorce. ... Marital financial issues such as disagreements on the best investment opportunities and sexual incompatibility also contribute towards dissatisfaction with the marriage thus forcing the partners to divorce (Hasso, 2011). According to a research study done by Marriage Fund in collaboration with University of Sharjah in 2011, absence of communication within the marriage and lack of proper relations were the leading causes of divorce (Sherif 3). Differences in an opinion between the partners often resulted in constant bickering thus hindering love within the marriage. Accordingly, Islamic traditional marriage practices such as arranged marriages made women discover certain personality traits of their husbands later after marriage thus leading to intolerance and ultimately divorce (Sherif 5). The same study indicated that polygamy, physical abuse of wives, inadequate financial support and unshared responsibilities were secondary causes of divorce in UAE (Sherif 7). According to education ists and family affairs experts, the annual rates of divorce were estimated at 30 percent compared with a rate of 21 percent in Dubai in 2011 (Al Sadafy 3). Statistics fro the Dubai courts pointed out that one divorce occurred for every four marriage court cases with more than Dh 800 million being paid annually as divorce settlements. Accordingly, the Advisor for family affairs noted that 90 percent of the instances of divorce were occasioned by trial reasons with lack of communication among the partners being the leading cause of divorce (Al Sadafy 5). How divorce affects children, parents and society Divorce is associated with negative social and physical effects on children, parents and the society (Hasso, 2011). Divorce denies the children the opportunity

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Study to evaluate the effectiveness of Self Instructional Module

Study to evaluate the effectiveness of Self Instructional Module A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools. Seizure is a neurological disorder characterised by unprovoked electrical discharges that disrupt the nervous system and can cause abnormalities such as abnormal blood levels of calcium, magnesium, glucose which can trigger one or more seizure conditions that irritate the brain. (Christensen and Vestergaard, 2007) Most people with seizure lead outwardly normal lives. Approximately 80% can be aided by modern therapies, and some may take months or years between each seizure attack. However, this condition can affect daily life of people with seizure, their family and their friends. People with seizures who ignore treatment have, a shorter life expectancy and increased risk of cognitive impairment. People with seizure have an higher risk of poor self -esteem, depression and suicide tendency. These problems may by a reaction that may result in cruelty and avoidance by other people. (http\www.nih.gov) Based on the total projected population of India, the estimated number of people with seizure would be 5.5 million. Based on a single study on the incidence of seizure, the number of new cases of seizure in each year would be close to half a million (Epilepsy status 2009) .The average incidence rate was higher than many developed countries, but lower than the developing countries. (Shankar Saha, and Shyamal Das, 2008) Seizure becomes a medical emergency, when seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or when a person has many seizures and does not wake up between them. Good healthy habits may help to control seizure such as good sleep habits, stress reduction, proper exercise, good nutrition, regular intake of medicine etc. (Rubin and Kornblau, 2009) NEED FOR THE STUDY Many people with seizure also live with ever present fear of getting another attack. The risk of seizure acts as a barrier for their independence; In USA people with seizure or other handicaps cannot be denied employment or access to many educational, recreational or other activities due to their seizure. However one survey in India showed that about 56% of people with seizure finish high school education and only 15% finish college education. These rates are found lower than those of the general population. These numbers indicate that some important barriers still exist for people with seizure. The risk of seizures becomes a barrier for peoples recreational choices; sports is a positive factor in life which is best for the person to participate. Women with seizure are often concerned about whether they can become pregnant and have a healthy child. This is usually a possible situation. Probably 90% women with seizure have the chance of bearing a normal healthy baby and the risk of birth defects is only associated with pregnancy and delivery. The researcher personally felt that seizure episodes are common and often recurrent if the patient does not maintain good health habits. The knowledge level regarding safety measures on management of seizure is essential for people. So the researcher got interested to prepare a Self Instructional Module regarding promotion of safety measures among patients with seizure. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The study to evaluate the effectiveness of Self Instructional Module (SIM) on knowledge regarding promotion of safety measures among patients with seizure and primary care givers in selected Hospitals at Salem. OBJECTIVES To develop and validate Self Instructional Module regarding promotion of safety measures for patients with seizure and primary care givers. To assess the knowledge score on Safety measures regarding seizure management before and after exposed to SIM among patients with seizure and primary care givers. To find out the association between pre-test level of knowledge with selected demographic variables (Age in years, Educational status) RESEARCH HYPOTHESES: (Level of significance p H1: The mean post-test knowledge score after exposed to SIM will be higher than the mean pre-test knowledge score among patients with seizure. H2: The mean post-test knowledge score after exposed to SIM will be higher than mean pre-test knowledge score among primary care givers of patients with seizure. H3: There will be significant association between the pre-test knowledge level on promotion of safety measures among seizure patients with their selected demographic variables. H3(a): There will be significant association between the pre-test knowledge level on promotion of safety measures among seizure patients with their age. H3(b): There will be significant association between the pre-test knowledge level on promotion of safety measures among seizure patients with their educational status. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS 1. Effectiveness: In this study Effectiveness refers to the significant difference in mean pre test and post test knowledge score regarding promotion of safety measures on management of seizure among the samples. a). Knowledge of patients with seizure : In this study , it refers to the level of information which is known by the patients with seizure regarding promotion of safety measures which includes drug regimen; marriage and pregnancy ; relaxation therapy and safety measures on management of seizure which will be assessed by using a structured questionnaire, with Multiple choice questions . The scores will be interpreted as below 50% Inadequate knowledge; 50% 75% moderate knowledge and above 75% adequate knowledge. b). Knowledge of primary care givers of patients with seizure: In this study; it refers to the level of information regarding promotion of safety measures which includes care of patient during and after seizure by the primary care giver which is assessed by structured questionnaire that contains multiple choice questions. The scores will be interpreted as below 50% Inadequate knowledge; 50% 75% moderate knowledge; above 75% adequate knowledge. 2. Primary Caregiver: In this study; it refers to a person who is being with the patient and giving care before, during and after a seizure attack. 3. Self Instructional Module: Section-1: For patients with seizure: In this study; it refers to a self explanatory guide regarding the promotion of safety measures on management of seizure. It gives information regarding meaning of seizure, its causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, complications, and management of seizure. Section 2: For primary care givers of patients with seizure: In this study; it refers to set of guidelines regarding promotion on care of patients with seizure for the primary care givers. It gives information regarding the care of patient during after seizure. 4. Patients with Seizure: In this study, it refers to individuals who are diagnosed as patients with seizure for the past one year and who attend the out- patient department for regular treatment in selected Hospitals at Salem. 5. Safety Measures on Management of Seizure: In this study it refers to the information regarding safety measures on drug regimen; relaxation therapy; care during and after seizure which should be followed by the patient to avoid physical as well as mental harm. 6. Demographic Variables: a) Age in years: In this study the age group from 20 to 60 years was included. b) Gender: It refers to the sex of the patient with seizure and primary care giver (male and female). c) Educational status: In this study primary school to post graduate level were included. d) Family member in health profession: In this study; it refers to the individual in the family who is working as doctor, nurse, physiotherapist or other health personnel. ASSUMPTION The knowledge on seizure and care during seizure is essential for people to lead a healthy life and to promote psychosocial well being. The improved knowledge will help in preventing the further attack of seizure. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION Formal permission will be obtained from the concern authority from the Neuro Hospital OPD where the study is conducted. Written informed consent will be obtained from the samples after explaining the usefulness of study. DELIMITATIONS Sample size is delimited to 30 patients on regular treatment and their primary care givers who attend OPD. Patients with seizure who are accompanied by primary care giver. Study is delimited to those who will be available for post test. SUMMARY This chapter dealt with the introduction, need for the study; statement of the problem; objectives; hypotheses; operational definitions; assumption; ethical consideration and delimitations.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Metaphysics, Epistemology and George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (198

Metaphysics, Epistemology and Orwell's 1984 Since the beginning of recorded time, philosophers have pondered questions of metaphysics (what exists, what is real) and epistemology (how we know what exists and is real, our proof). However in George Orwell's 1984, the need to answer these questions no longer exists for the majority, as the ruling party has created a new reality for its citizens, one in which what is real and what truly exists cannot be questioned. But on the flip side, the protagonist of 1984, Winston Smith, finds himself constantly searching for what is real in his life, and in a larger sense, in the society and world that surrounds him. In its simplest terms, metaphysics can be seen as a question of what it is that we know to be real, what truly exists. In a deeper sense, as defined by Aristotle, metaphysics attempts to understand the fundamental nature of all reality. Closely related to metaphysics is epistemology. Epistemology looks to define what knowledge is, how it is obtained, and what it is that makes anything knowledge at all. It serves to establish proof, a warrant for what we consider to be real, thus validating our knowledge of our own reality. Within 1984, Orwell, or rather "The Party" has created Big Brother, a larger-than-life character known to all citizens, uniting and influencing all of Oceania. To the citizens of Oceania, there is no question that Big Brother does not exist. To them Big Brother is real, he exists in the flesh just as the rest of the citizens of the nation. Almost no one entertains the proposition that he is merely a character, created to enforce party agendas and goals. His face appears in movies, on posters; he is virtually everywhere. Citizens are ... ...are being told. They will never know if what they are being told is the truth and will never distinguish between what is actually true and what is just mindless babble and propaganda. Works Cited Anderson, Alan. "Metaphysics: Multiple Meanings." April 14, 2000. May 31, 2000. Floyd, Nathan T. "Rhetoric & Epistemology." November 29, 1995. May 31, 2000. Khoury, Jonathan A. "1984 in 1996: How Orwell's 1949 Classic Describes our Government." May 31, 2000. Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1949. Hyperlinks http://websyte.com/alan/metamul.htm metaphysics http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/gallery/rhetoric/terms/epistemology.html epistemology http://members.aol.com/jonkhoury/1984.htm 1984

Monday, November 11, 2019

Discuss the different types of love Essay

In Act 3, Shakespeare portraits love in different characters’ point of views, also showing the different ways love can be expressed in. Orlando and Silvius both express their love openly, not fear of embarrassments. Touchstone’s love is very realistic; Phoebe’s way of express is very childish; and Rosalind’s words are very self-contradicting. Touchstone’s point of view of a â€Å"wife† is a tool that can be replaced or thrown away at any time. Just from the excuse he gave from not having a proper wedding â€Å"for he is not like to marry me well and, not being well married, it will be a good excuse for me hereafter to leave my wife†, it can show that he doesn’t really value this marriage and is already thinking about divorcing before they are even married. Also from the reason he gave about the marriage is just â€Å"by so much is a horn more precious than to want†, we can tell how he sees Audrey as a person. Audrey in Touchstone’s eyes can be seen as an object or just a releasing of sexual needs, he is not respecting her in any point. As a professional jester, people usually imagine them as very nai ve and stupid, but in a contrast to Orlando from a noble family, he acts more mature and is more realistic. By using big difference in status, Shakespeare shows that the way of thinking is actually not affected by the status and job of that person. Different from Orlando, Silvius pursues Phoebe day and night, and begs that she would accept him, while Orlando is just expressing his love without even the courage to go see Rosalind face to face. But the love between Silvius and Phoebe is one sided. We can tell this after Silvius said she is like â€Å"the common executioner, whose heart th’accustom’d sight of death makes hard† begging her to go easy on him, but just in return receives Phoebe’s mocking. She mocks him about his hyperbolic language and says â€Å"now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee†. During the whole scene, she only said Silivius’s name once, showing that she does not even spare him a glance. Not only is their love one sided, Phoebe acts really irritated and is very cruel with the words she chose to use. Like â€Å"if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee†, suggests that she would rather kill him than to give him a little of her love. Although she says cruel things, but she never kicked Silvius or physically hurt him. She also never said anything like â€Å"stay away†, I think is because she likes to feeling of being â€Å"popular†, and the amount of attention Silvius is giving her. I think she mistook that every man is like Silvius, only crying for her love, and falling before her knees, that’s why she acts like a queen. This shows that Phoebe actually has very little contacts with people outside even the others in the forest. Phoebe actually is very inexperienced with love. Although she didn’t say openly, but saying â€Å"I had rather hear you chide than this man woo† to a man which she has just saw reveals her affections. Shakespeare here uses dramatic irony, because Phoebe doesn’t know that Ganymede is actually a women in disguised. And denying her own love is just like the actions of a child towards his or her first love, so I think she is very inexperienced in love. The love Orlando holds for Rosalind is very inconsiderate. As Rosalind says, he â€Å"haunts the forest that abuses out young plants with carving ‘Rosalind’ on their bards; hangs odes upon hawthorns and elegies on brambles; all, forsooth, defying the name of Rosalind†. He doesn’t care how much trouble he is causing to the forest and other people that lives in the forest, just for the sake of his â€Å"quotidian of love†. He didn’t care about Rosalind’s feelings whose name is written by him all over the forest, which makes her widely known, just for the sake of his â€Å"love†. Orlando is very childish, naive, and venire. He wants the whole world to believe that he is in love with Rosalind, even the â€Å"Ganymede† for which he has only seen. He said, â€Å"fair youth, I would I could make thee believe I love† and â€Å"I swear to thee, youth, by the white hand of Rosalind, I am that unfortunate he†. From his urgent tone, we can tell that how much a stranger’s word weighs on his heart, in order for him to swear. â€Å"White† using to describe a person’s skin can mean that he or she is ill, but I think Orlando mean no harm, but this is just the word he can find to describe Rosalind. So, again, we can see the big difference in education between Rosalind and Orlando. He said the verses above right after Rosalind (now as Ganymede) said he doesn’t look like he is in love, so he reacted greatly from just a stranger’s words. Just from one side of the story, without questioning the truth, Orlando accepted the â€Å"help† of a stranger, without even knowing that person. If it was a trap, Orlando would be dead by now, so he is very nai ve. As a woman, Rosalind loves Orlando by heart. By the way she questions Celia about Orlando, â€Å"answer me in one word† shows that Rosalind is very urgent about everything that is about Orlando. Although she loves him, she doesn’t show it very much, denying the â€Å"love rule† in Shakespeare’s plays, which when characters fall in love hard and fast, they would be desperate and reacts greatly. Rosalind’s love is very self-contradicting. She says â€Å"love is merely a madness† when she also, is madly in love. She says as if she was very experienced with love, but actually she doesn’t hold much experience than Orlando does. These contradictions only happen when she is dress as a man, showing the difference in gender can bring much difference in the way of talking and gestures. Rosalind is a very ironic character. She comments on love from two different points of views when she is having two different identities. She uses her identities to her greatest benefits, but in return receives a self-contradictory image about love. It is because in Shakespeare’s period, all actors were men. Imagine a man playing a woman who plays a man in order to win a man’s love, the neat borders of gender becomes hopelessly muddled. I think Rosalind’s â€Å"Ganymede† identity is use to show that men is actually not much better than women, because the things men can do, women can also do if they want. Shakespeare displays love in many different angles, showing to the audience that love cannot be too realistic like Touchstone, but cannot be too imaginative like Orlando; love is a poison that can bring suffer like Silvius and Phoebe, but can also bring sweetness. The love in â€Å"As You Like It† is far to unrealistic that they are not likely to happen, but this is just a hyperbolic play, suggesting that it might occur in another form. Like Rosalind’s identities, love need to strike a balance; otherwise they would create problems for others and themselves.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

IKEA Brand Scorecard Final Essay

Introduction The brandscore card is an essential element used to evaluate the overall equity of a brand. The scorecard is an effective way to asses the unmet needs of the brands customers, it enables the brand to stay relevant and effective in the marketplace in a methodological manner. The scorecard should be able to fill any gaps that have developed within the brand’s approach to management and its strategic direction, as well as developing and maintaining a functional management system that can grow as the brand grows, while remaining comprehensive and completely brand relevant. (Kaplan and Norton, n.d.) In terms of evaluating the current situation of a brand, a brand scorecard enforces a successful management plan by directly addressing what is at the core of the brand. It allows for the brand managers to objectively rate their brand against their own set of standards, based on their strategy. Brand Planning 1 IKEA’s Mission & Vision In order to create a viable scorecard to measure against the IKEA Brand against, it is important to define exactly what the vision and the mission of the IKEA Brand is and if they honour their vision and mission. According to IKEA’s business concept , â€Å"At IKEA our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them†(Ikea.com, 2014). From their own definition of what their vision is it can be said that they aim to vastly improve the quality of the lives of people who are in a lower income bracket, whilst still maintaining a certain level of product superiority and status. The IKEA brands vision is to use the concepts of conservation and minimalism to their full potential, by focusing on the effectiveness of simplicity and the functionality of each product rather then purely the aesthetical components. The price of each IKEA product makes a large part of what their brand vision entails, â€Å"Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision†(Ikea.com, 2014). By using their low prices as the foundation of their brands vision, Ikea fulfils a widespread and need for product availability. 2 Potential Goals In line with the Ikea vision there will always be consumers in need of their products. By following their current goals such as: Keeping prices low – at design phase, there are strict product requirements which need to be met in terms of function, efficient distribution, quality and impact on the environment. A certain level of quality is always maintained – by using effective negotiation skills and carrying out rigorous quality control evaluations on their materials. Awareness and measurement of their brand environmental impact – Ikea are transparent in their approach to choosing suppliers and using sustainable materials that can be recycled and renewed as well as monitoring and controlling a high standard of their social and working conditions. Consumer friendly product – throughout the supply chain, Ikea is true to their environmentally friendly approach from raw materials all the way to the end user. Reduce carbon emissions – IKEA gave 9000 bycicles to their employees as well as subsidized their employees’ fairs to work. This increases healthy living for their employees and reduces carbon emissions. They also designed their water cans to stack on top of each other neatly, reducing the amount of trips it would take to transport them to the stores. Maintain existing stakeholder relationships – Ikeas ensures that the communication lines between suppliers, manufacturers and of their  stakeholders are clear and concise according to both their vision and mission. In order to access the potential goals of the Ikea Brand, it is necessary to consider the following statement â€Å"It’s not difficult to manufacture expensive fine furniture: just spend the money and let the customers pay. To manufacture beautiful, durable furniture at low prices is not so easy – it requires a different approach. It is all about finding simple solutions and saving on every method, process or approach adopted – but not on ideas.† (Ikea.com, 2014). We have identified two potential goals for Ikea: Simplistic Assembly Process – their assembling instructions are crafted so that consumer can easily interpret the instructions in a straightforward manor resulting in easy product assembly. Bettering current environmental impact – ensuring that they maintain their current best practice with specific reference to their means of distribution and manufacturing, by making sure that they are highly aware of the environmental impact of the resulting increased traffic that may occur from erecting stores. 3 Corporate Objectives To produce cheap and affordable product for the public and their customers To provide a better life for those who cannot afford expensive products To ensure that their customers find what they are looking for in their stores. To provide low prices without compromising on quality 4 Situational Analysis 4.1 Macro: Economical – High profits, high growth and good profit margins has contributed to the retail market. Social – IKEA have formed partnerships with WWF and UNICEF in order to educate others to be aware of child labor and destroying forests. Technological –IKEA have use excellent recycling methods and also encourage their stakeholders to use technology to their advantage in terms of efficiency. Environmental – IKEA have implemented regular measurement tools and inspection to monitor all noise, water, air pollution such as the â€Å"E-Wheel† (IKEA, the Times 100) Legal – IKEA has in store terms and conditions and abide by industry best practice in the suppliers that they choose to work with and the standards that they demand on manufacturers in terms of the law. 1.2. Market The market – 43 manufacturing units in 12 countries. The Chinese market has almost doubled due to large urbanization needs. (Li Fangfang, China Daily USA, 29 August 2013). IKEA has almost 300 stores in 36 countries and 42 distribution centres in 18 countries and over 1000 suppliers. (National Geographic, 2013, n.d) Competitors – IKEA’s main competitors are: Wal-Mart Stores, Ashley furniture industries, Howden joinery group. IKEA have the competitive advantage because they have researched where to find the best resources, they have developed the latest technologies in manufacturing, they have encouraged their suppliers to use the latest in research and development and the have built sustainable relationships with their stakeholders. Consumers – IKEA has a wide spread target market as they have such a vast variety of products that are trendy and extremely affordable. It appeals to those wanting the latest styles but also to the market that cannot afford costly furniture. Location – IKEAS stores are generally located just outside of the main town due to their stores being so large. 4.3 Micro – SWOT Analysis Strengths: Powerful Brand Image Wide range of products & Styles Funky up & up-to-date Swedish designs Cheap & Affordable Able to assemble your own furniture One stop shop Friendly atmosphere and layout of their stores They have restaurants and day care Strong global sourcing Weaknesses: Assembling furniture yourself may not appeal to certain clusters of consumers Not too many stores across the globe For those looking for a quick shopping experience, the store might be unappealing IKEA Swedish designs could limit their target market Quality of furniture is not built to be life long Opportunities Untapped Markets (Africa) Make consumers more aware of IKEA Open high end stores or smaller express stores Create more online store presence Threats Increasingly competitive pricing Social trends such as a slow down in first time home owner buyers Economic factors such as less spending power due to recession effects 5 Key Issues Quality of Products – some products may vary in quality from country to country. Things such as a countries standards for manufacturing may not be as high compared to another country and therefore the end product could be different. Size of organisation – if there are any changes implemented to IKEA’s strategy or operations, it is difficult to roll out to their entire organisation as they are so massive. Differentiation – with the current  economic climate, many furniture stores are producing low cost furniture but may not have the same sustainable values as IKEA. This makes it challenging for IKEA to keep their costs low as well as try and differentiate themselves from their competitors. Spending Power – The economic recession has hit consumers hard and therefore they have less spending power which has lowered expenditure on goods such as furniture. 6 Assumptions The Ikea brand assumptions are based upon their established and successful financial revenues: The Brand has remained current, both socially and culturally. The brand is empathetic and touches the consumers on an emotional level. There is a considered environmental plan that the brand is aware of in all of its practises. The brand focuses on upholding ethical business practises, it is transparent. 7 Segmentation, targeting and Positioning IKEA targets young and fashionable people as its main consumers; in particular those love modern furniture and accessories. Therefore, its products are more colourful and novel. In addition, IKE fixes the products’ prices at a lower level, which is quite attracting for the average consumers, such as white-collars. IKEA mainly target the younger market who like innovative products. 8 Brand objectives To increase market share in news segments such as Africa, Asia and South America. The benefits of this would be increased profits, brand awareness and increased market share. Reduce costs to appeal more to their intended target market in order to increase market share. One way in which IKEA are trying to cut costs is by 9 Strategies and plans IKEA plans â‚ ¬1.5bn investment in wind and solar energy through to 2015 as part of new sustainability strategy in order to be completely independent from using energy and resources. This will protect their consumer from price spikes and their own organization from fluctuating resource and energy prices. IKEA plan to become an energy exporter with their renewable energy.  IKEA has dedicated and committed themselves to making sure that delivery trucks are at least 60 to 70 per cent full. They will replace 1.2 million light sources in stores with low energy consumption LEDs, as well as only sell LED lights in their stores from 2016. (Will Nichols, BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network theguardian.com, Tuesday 23 October 2012) 10 Communication Objectives To develop better communication and integration strategies so that IKEA has the same brand quality through their organisation internationally. 11 Task Budget The Ikea brand focuses on their project management, employee management and their resource management processes by directing all employees in a positive manner, â€Å"IKEA co-workers enjoy many advantages and opportunities from working in such a free and open environment – but all freedoms are counter-balanced with expectations. For example, the expectation that each co-worker is able to assume responsibility for his or her own actions. Although on the surface it is evident that we have a lot of fun together working at IKEA, at the same time all are expected to be very hardworking and conscientious. Here are some more examples to illustrate give and take, IKEA style.† (Ikea.com, 2014) By ensuring this positive management style they are able to entrust their business objectives to the right employees. Each task is managed and set according to specific and expected outcomes. The tasks and objectives can be achieved through their smart brand management and budgeting correctly. 1 – The IKEA brand makes a point of acknowledging its brand history and the various ways that it has left a brand footprint within its brand environment. There are however inconsistencies between what the employees think of the brand and what the consumers think of the brand. It can be recommended that the employee engagement efforts transcends into the appropriate marketing strategies targeted to the consumer. By doing so there will be a far more holistic brand perception. 2- The IKEA brand is targeted at a lower income bracket and it does this successfully by continuously seeking to source affordable and quality suppliers. The importance of continuously having their correct target market in mind is always a census thought in the mind of the brand managers. 3- The IKEA brand strictly sticks to their current corporate identity, all the brand collateral is consistent, they make a point of doing all marketing on an international level. However they must be couscous of their various contact points ( mainly at the smaller branches) as these are sometimes overlooked. 4 – IKEA is able to deliver a consistent product, there are various return policies in place that allows the consumer the ability to deal with any product issues in a simply and easy manner. 5 – IKEA is responsible towards all its stakeholders, it maintains the relationships by using proactive objectives to direct all of its future  interactions. The brand can improve its equity by reinforcing the current brand image internally, engaging with all the levels of employees. 6 – IKEA offers products that are appropriate to their brand visions, they better the lives of the consumers. 7 – IKEA offers various and innovation products. The brand should continue with their irreverent approach to innovation. 8 – IKEA has a pricing strategy that is unarguably inline with their brand identity. The pricing strategy has set a ideal brand expectation to the IKEA consumer, It is however of utmost importance that IKEA is alway consistent in terms of pricing. 9 – IKEA is aware of and involved with every product that they product, each is treated as potential development and there is no apparent product hierarchy. 10 – The IKEA brand is a green focused brand throughout its entire supply chain, it upholds a impeccable environmental process. However there is room for improvement within their distribution sector. References Businesscasestudies.co.uk, (2014). Introduction – Building a sustainable supply chain – IKEA | IKEA case studies and information | Business Case Studies. [online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/ikea/building-a-sustainable-supply-chain/introduction.html#axzz3BWC79qBb [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014]. Ikea.com, (2014). Our business idea – IKEA. [online] Available at: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/our_business_idea/index.html [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014]. Ikea.com, (2014). Our low prices – IKEA. [online] Available at: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/our_business_idea/our_low_prices.html [Accessed 25 Aug. 2014]. Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (n.d.). The balanced scorecard. 1st ed. http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/the-critical-issues-faced-by-ikea-marketing-essay.php Will Nichols for BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network theguardian.com, Tuesday 23 October 2012 http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-08/29/content_16929111.htm http://money.howstuffworks.com/ikea4.htm (National Geographic, 2013, n.d, http://www.natgeotv.com/ca/megafactories/ikea-facts) Essays, UK. (November 2013). An Analysis Of Market Segmentation Of Ikea And Bandq Marketing Essay. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/an-analysis-of-market-segmentation-of-ikea-and-bandq-marketing-essay.php?cref=1 Essays, UK. (November 2013). Competitive Advantage And Problems Faced By Ikea Marketing Essay. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/competitive-advantage-and-problems-faced-by-ikea-marketing-essay.php?cref=1

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Top 3 Ways to Beat Procrastination

Top 3 Ways to Beat Procrastination Don’t let 2016 start getting away from you already. We all suffer from procrastination, but the first month of the new year affords a great excuse to tackle the problem. Make some serious progress toward being free from the pull of Facebook and get some real work done.SEE ALSO:Â  6 Tips to Overcome Procrastination and Get Stuff DoneStep 1: Use a reward system.Hey, it works for mice. Set up a schedule or time structure that you can live with and stick to it. You can try the Pomodoro method (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off), or come up with something that works best for you. Set aside reward breaks to fritter around and keep your work time sacrosanct. That way, no matter how dull or difficult the work, you have a finite amount of time before you’re allowed a break. Psychologically, this can make all the difference.Step 2: Set smaller, manageable goalsHave a daunting task? An insurmountable project? Break it down. Take a hammer to the impossible and chip it into smaller acti onable items you can get done in smaller, more manageable chunks of time. Getting a few of these preliminary or minor details taken care of will help you build momentum and start to see the full shape of the finished job. And it’s always so satisfying to cross tasks off a list; the more you have per list the better!Step 3: Do a mental warm-up firstTreat this one just like the gym. You wouldn’t go right to the heavy dumbbells without doing a bit of prep work first. Start your work day with a bit of reading (no, not Facebook or celebrity gossip blogs!). Seeing well-expressed ideas and well-written words can spark your own drive to do good work- and can even give you the inspiration you need to make your project pop. If reading isn’t your thing, try a crossword puzzle or Sudoku or Luminosity- anything to get your brain going in advance of getting down to work.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Eurozone crisis roars back to savage Spain Article Analysis Essay

Eurozone crisis roars back to savage Spain Article Analysis - Essay Example Spain is considered one of the most important economies of the world. Considering this importance of the Spanish economy, several economies of the Eurozone as well as of the world have expressed concerns regarding the effects this economic trouble this will create throughout the world. These factors will be discussed in this assignment in detail later and economic theories will be presented to analyze if the Spanish government has been right in implementing its policies or not. The article which will be discussed in this assignment is regarding the economic crisis which Spain is facing and the troubles that lie ahead for Spain in the foreseeable future. The article was written by Liam Halligan who is the chief economist at the Prosperity Capital Management, and this article was published in the Daily Telegraph. Spain as mentioned above has long been considered one of the world’s most important economies with its great potential in real estate and investments from foreign companies. Spain is the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone and the world’s twelfth biggest economy. This has actually raised more fears that if such a huge economy goes bust, then to what extent will it negatively affect the European and worldwide economies. The Spain crisis started in 2008 when the worldwide and European recession arose and the debt crisis began to take dominance. All of a sudden, the unemployment rates increased drastically and the burden fell on the people as well as the government because it had much lower tax revenues and a lot of social benefits to distribute in addition to the repayment of debts which were previously borrowed in the early 2000’s. ... In the early 2000’s, the Spanish economy went through a boom in real estate and this triggered a huge amount of private borrowing from European Central Banks (ECB). At that point, no one had predicted that the year 2008 will prove to be a disaster for most of the European economies. When the Eurozone crisis struck, the banks and financial institutions started to demand their money back due to funds shortage. Also several economies who had lend the money to Spain asked for servicing its debts due to the fact that they needed money to counter the recession. At this point, the prices of property began to fall due to the recession and the borrowers were finding it harder to service the debts because the investments for which they had borrowed money were turning out to be bad investments. Today, the private sector debt in Spain is around 300 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is considered extremely high. Figure 1: Spain government Debt to GDP Ratio (Trading Economic s) The Figure 1 above shows that the Spanish government debt to GDP ratio stands at 60% which is high for a country whose private sector is leveraged with debt to an astonishing figure of 300 percent. With Spain being indebted to other economies, mostly European, to such an extent, the time was fast approaching when it had to repay its debt gradually year by year. When the time of servicing the debts came, it had to borrow more money from other sources so that it could repay the previously borrowed money. With the Spanish economy already so highly leveraged, the European Central Bank and financial institutions were reluctant to give them the money. With this reluctance, the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

A Case of Eating Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Case of Eating Disorder - Essay Example The nutritional counsellor should go ahead to identify the client’s positives and strengths and capitalize on them, in Josephine’s case the counsellor should acknowledge that Josephine takes multivitamins and encourage her to continue doing do. The counsellor goes further and lets the client set her goals including the number of calories that they wish to be taking and the amount of weight they would wish to add. The counsellor then collaborates with the client and comes up with ways that will enable the client to achieve his goals (Treasure, Claudino, & Zucker, 2010). The counsellor should go ahead to point out the clients’ progress every time they meet up. Schedules should be convenient to the client. At least three sessions per week for the first eight weeks, two sessions for the next seven weeks and one session for the last five sessions of the twenty-session schedule. Some of the information that can be collected during follow-ups include how many calories t he client is eating per day, the client’s weight, the number of vomiting episodes and the number of meals the client is consuming on the daily basis. The previously set goals can be assessed by putting the current performance alongside the set goals. This will enable the counselor to gauge accurately if there is any progress that is being made, whether the client is improving or regressing. It is from this information that the counsellor will collaborate with the client in coming up with new measures that will enable the client to achieve her goals quicker.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Secondly, the social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects of bipolar will be described. Next, the interactive effects of class, ethnicity, and gender will be detailed. Following will be an outline of current treatment options and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally a conclusion shall summarize the main points of the paper and provide implications for research into bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness and is a psychological disorder that induces shifts in a person's mood, energy levels and their ability to function optimally in society. Unlike everyday ups-and-downs, the experiences of mood swings with bipolar disorder are much more severe (Kessler et al., 2005). In general, the disorder develops during late adolescence or early adulthood, although some people will have their first symptoms in childhood, or in later adulthood (DSM-IV, 1994). The consequences of bipolar disorder are dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, poor job and academic performance, isolation and at the extreme, suicide. However, the disorder is able to be treated and many people who experience bipolar disorder lead full and productive lives, contributing to the community and building stable support relationships. The manic episodes are diagnosed by the presence of three or more symptoms of elevated mood occurring for most of the day, nearly every day, for a week or more. Depressive episodes are diagnosed when five or more symptoms last for most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or longer (DSM-IV, 1994). Social The person experiencing bipolar may blame others for the way that they feel. As such, bipolar disorder may lead a person to isolate themselves from support networks, as their interpersonal relationships cannot be sustained over the erratic behavior. Family and friends may find themselves being shouted at, talked about inappropriately in public or having false accusations made against them. Bipolar disorder may result in the person becoming very egotistical or self-centered and this is not conductive to healthy social relationships, and people may draw away from the person with bipolar (DSM-IV, 1994; Goodwin & Jamison, 1990). Emotional Bipolar disorder is characterized by significant mood swings, a person goes from an extreme "high" (mania) of feeling overly good and euphoric, during which they may or may not also be irritable, to a state of sadness, loneliness and hopelessness (depression). Like a pendulum the person's mood swings back and forth, although there are also experiences of normal mood in between the extreme episodes of mania and depression (DSM-IV, 1994; Kessler et al., 2005). Cognitive During a manic episode the person's thought tend to "race" and "jump" very rapidly, form one idea to the next. The person is easily distracted and has difficulty concentrating, and they tend to have unrealistic believes in their capabilities and "powers". During both the manic and depressive phases their judgment tends to be poor. In general there is denial by the person experiencing the episodes that anything is different or wrong (DSM-IV, 1994; Sachs & Thase, 2000). BehavioralDuring the manic phase, the person may have increased energy levels and be very active and restlessness, or creative and extremely "chatty".

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Determination of the molar mass of magnesium Essay Example for Free

Determination of the molar mass of magnesium Essay Introduction: This experiment will be an attempt to determine the molar mass of magnesium. For that we will have an experiment where we dissolve sulphur into hydrochloric acid. Then we measure the amount of gas created during the reaction. To get the molar mass itself we will have to make sure to record the conditions of the experiment such as the temperature or pressure. Material: The material used for the experiment was: 1. eudiometer 2. thermometer 3. barometer 4. measuring cylinder (1000 cm3) 5. Stand with clamp 6. magnesium ribbon 7. hydrochloric acid Method: 1. About 20mm of magnesium ribbon and weight it with the accuracy of 0.001g 2. Pour 5cm3 of HCl into the eudiometer. Then carefully filling the eudiometer with water above the HCl, without mixing the liquids. 3. Wind the magnesium ribbon around a piece of copper wire and let it hang down a little bit into the eudiometer. Make sure there is a hole into the rubber stopper and fill it with water. 4. Place a large measuring cylinder filled with water in the sink. Put a finger over the hole in the stopper and turn the eudiometer upside down into the cylinder. 5. Observe what happens with the hydrochloric acid and magnesium after a little while. When the reaction is complete wait at least 5 minutes so that the eudiometer reaches room temperature. 6. Arrange the eudiometer in the cylinder so that the gas into the eudiometer has the same pressure as the air pressure in the room. Note the air pressure and temperature in the room. 7. Calculate the molar mass of magnesium. Result: Before the experiment the magnesium was carefully weighted on a scale. After turning the eudiometer the HCl started to go down towards the magnesium through the water. Once it reached it a reaction took place creating bubbles of air that went up to the top and pushed the water level down. Once the reaction ended all the magnesium was gone. During the reaction the temperature was read of a thermometer and the pressure of a barometer to get the most accurate values. finally we measured the volume of air inside the eudiometer. Conclusion and Evaluation: When studding the results and comparing them with the book (24.31 ) one can see that the value received from the experiment () is very comparable. Percentage yield: Despite that high percentage the experiment was not accurate enough to have the book value within the error range (≈). The biggest two sources of error in this experiment are the instruments (systematic errors) and of course the human factor (random errors). Also the part of the experiment where one is supposed to turn the eudiometer and put it into water can impossibly be done without bigger or lesser errors since its such a complex movement. Then I would like to put extra attention on the thermometer and especially the barometer. The thermometer could only show whole degrees which is a great loss to precision. Then the barometer seemed quite old and unstable and the need to convert the pressure to Pascal and finally reading from it was quite hard which in my opinion was altogether quite hard. Also these where only the conditions in the entire room. One cannot be sure if they where exactly the same in the tube. Especially the temperature of water could have been quite different. Then of course the amount mg could have impossibly been measured accurately and we cant be sure if exactly all of it reacted. Also the unknown pureness of the reactants and the solvent could justify the error in the result. My suggestions for improvements is to begin with is use of more precise instruments. Then a different method involving a more closed environment and a different method for gathering data. Bibliography: 1. Standard Level Chemistry Pearson Baccalaureate by Catrin Brown and Mike Ford

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Dark Night: A film analysis

The Dark Night: A film analysis Which features of the film would you consider place it as either mainstream or alternative? To answer this question I have chosen to base my answer upon the film ‘The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan. As one of the main spectacle blockbusters to come out in 2008, I thought that it would be appropriate to base my essay upon. I would class the film as mainstream for many reasons, and one of these being that the film had a very wide target audience; the film is an adaptation from a comic book, so there is already a strong fan base for the film. There is also the fact that there are fans purely of the other Batman films; however these are not prequels as they are from an entirely different series, with different directors. It was also very much so a family film, released on the 24th July 2008 it was released in the middle of the Hollywood blockbuster season, making it a must see for children and adults alike. Another reason that the film would be based in the mainstream category is the fact that film cost approximately $185,000,000 to make. The filmmakers intended for the film to be a spectacle, focusing largely on the visual impact of the film. However, narrative and character development also played a large part, unlike most Hollywood blockbusters. This is evident through the characterisation of the Joker and Batman. Throughout the film we see differing sides of the two characters and spectators may well have sided with that of the Joker, a person who in real life people would not have found themselves able to condone their behaviour. However, in the world of the film it is possible for a spectator to find themselves forming an allegiance with them. It was also the first time in feature film-making that IMAX cameras were utilized†[1] It is often found that in blockbusters, the filmmakers are looking for some sort of excuse to try new technology, and this happens in this film, for example in the armoured car chase. When looking at a film as a spectacle an audience would expect the spectacle to be seen through the following; costume, sets, locations, action, set pieces, sound, employment of new technologies, and editing and camera work, all of which is evidently been shown through The Dark Knight. It is these things that show the appreciation of the films surface quality†[2], and that The Dark Knight is very much so a visual spectacle, as to a spectator it is extremely aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore the film itself is an ‘event film, as it was based on a comic book and has a large fan base already even before its release, it is expected of fans to show up in fancy dress etc to actually take part in the spectacle itself. When looking at alternatives to Hollywood, they fall into various differing sub-genres. However, The Dark Knight does not belong to any other alternative heading; it is a mainstream blockbuster/spectacle. No other alternative cinema heading would be able to be logically applied to this film. Although the implications of the developments appeared to be that, in a society dominated by the mass media, popular culture is better able than avant-garde art to provide visual metaphors that reflect the problems and dilemmas of everyday life.†[3] For instance the fact the character of Batman himself represents justice for the people, he is not the law, nor does he abide by it, however he seeks justice whether or not people think that it be morally correct or not. Another key scene when looking at this would be where the Joker has sent the two ships out, each ship has a detonator for the other ship, and however one boat is filled with normal citizens and the other with convicts. The fact is that viewers expect the boat full of civilians to blow the other ship, though this is not the case. One of the more menacing looking convicts throws their detonator out of the ships window proclaiming that You dont wanna die, but you dont know how to take a life. Give it to me; these men would kill you, and take it anyway. Give it to me. You can tell em I took it by force. Give it to me, and Ill do what you shoulda did ten minutes ago.† This is not what a spectator member would usually expect from a criminal however this scene allows the view to question their own moral compass, as the innocent civilians are up for blowing the convicts up, but it is in fact the convicts who throw the detonator away first. Another reason that this would be classed as mainstream is due to the casting. Stars and other well known names are used for all the main characters, which would not usually be the norm in alternative film-making. Actors such as Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman were all used in the film. Using stars in films is an especially good way for filmmakers to draw a larger target audience, and they cleverly use these actors/actresses as a marketing tool. Some of the main stars in the film also starred in some of the previous Batman films, so many people will have some sort of recognition with them and will be expecting certain things from them. Although these people were purposefully cast in order to make the film more successful, no one could have anticipated the death of Heath Ledger before the films release. And although it may not be pleasant his death worked as one of the largest marketing tools for the film, as people who may not have wished to view the film before, whether because it was a Batman film, the cast or the fact it was a blockbuster, fans of Ledger flooded cinemas in order to see his last performance. When thinking of Hollywood/blockbuster films many people feel that they are made purely for the profit. However, regardless of genre and other factors of similarities you cannot deny the fact that Hollywood produces artistic products.†[4] As technology is advancing Hollywood are the able to have the chance to make bigger and better films, and this is evident in The Dark Knight, IMAX cameras are being used for the first time, the director Christopher Nolan wanted the film to be as big as possible, and it succeeded. For example aerial shots at (00:58) and (57:58) show just how expensive this film was to make, as it is highly expensive to use shots like these in films. Although many Hollywood films are similar in content, cinematography, cast, budget, genre etc the filmmakers do have to make each film different, Henry Ford could manufacture thousands of cars exactly alike; here sameness is a virtue. But every movie had to be different; otherwise the movie audiences would not appea r at the theatres again and again†.[5] All blockbusters aim to be bigger and better than the last and it is this drive that makes audiences members want to go and see the next one time after time. The film would also be classed as mainstream due to the theme of violence. Mainly complaints were made by people saying that it should have received a higher rating by the BBFC as it was only rated as a 12A, which caused controversy amongst many parents who did not wish for their children to view the film. Thus meaning that anyone above the age of 12 could view the film with adult supervision and that under 12s would be permitted if with an adult. However, there is never any blood on screen throughout the entirety of the film itself. It is this that makes it a more mainstream film, by not showing blood onscreen, the filmmakers are allowing the film to reach a wider audience. The film displays spectacular action sequences†[6] and this is one of the main things that The Dark Knight is about, showing the action to the best of their ability. It is the action throughout this film that makes people glued to the screen. The budget is also a main factor in this, considering that the film cost $185,000,000 to make, the filmmakers were able to afford, any special effects that were necessary or wanted, this would not usually happen in alternative films, as many alternative filming methods have very low budgets, and the directors may only get to work with what they can get their hands on at the time. The music also plays a key role in The Dark Knight, and the reason I feel this should be included, is based upon the fact that it has been composed by Hans Zimmer; A German born composer who is responsible for many of Hollywoods most recent hits. He provided music for The Pirates of the Caribbean films, Pearl Harbour, The Da Vinchi Code, Black Hawk Down, King Arthur, Angels and Demons, and most recently Sherlock Holmes. The action film/action blockbuster is at once the most contemporary, the most visibly relevant to present day Hollywood filmmaking, and also the least discussed and least well defined†[7]. People dont like admitting to the fact they enjoy mainstream movies anymore, it is the hegemony of the people that believe that Hollywood are only producing films to make money, however The Dark Knight defies this generalisation, based upon the fact it is directed by an independent stylised director. They also fail to take into account the basic fact that its conventionality is the very reason for its creativity.†[8] Another factor that makes The Dark Knight stand out as a mainstream film is the use of special effects throughout the film. However director Christopher Nolan is not fond of using CGI, and so tried his very best to use the practical alternatives where necessary. With regards to the Joker within the film Nolan felt that â€Å"when youre dealing with an anarchist, somebody who is dedicated to chaos, the most visceral way of representing that is an explosion†[9], so that he did. All the way throughout the film many explosions can be seen, and it is Nolan himself who tried to keep them as ‘real as possible. He believes an audience can tell the difference between something being done practically and something which has been done using CGI, and so therefore chose to limit the amount of CGI he used within the film, unless it was absolutely necessary due to health and safety reasons. Nolan wanted the film to have more explosions than ever seen in any other film, as he thought th is was the key to the Joker, and believed that it would make the audience feel like anything could happen in the film. Take for example the hospital explosion where the Joker is walking out, Nolan wanted to do this explosion for real and did this to the best of his ability. They allowed the explosion to stop for a second as Heath Ledger is walking away from the building, and turns round in surprise, just as the audience will, thinking that something has gone wrong. However, this is not the case and the explosion continues, leaving the audience feeling disconcerted. Another factor which also makes the film mainstream is that it presents universal themes to its audience. The reason being that if the viewer has a character that they feel they can connect to throughout the film, whether it be the hero/protagonist or the villain/antagonist, or any other character for that matter, there is someone they feel that within the film they have a similarity to, further interpolating them into the diegetic world of the film. Whether you feel that you are more connected with Batman or the Joker, it does not matter, the fact remains that if you do share views/outlook you will enjoy the film more based on the fact that you have someone else that feels the same as you, offering you a feeling of comfort and fulfilment, this would also be considered as a form of escapism. It remains that escapism can also be used as a device for criticising reality and the present state of society,†[10] which can be seen throughout the film, as the battle between justice and the people is ongoing in The Dark Knight. To conclude the mainstream category would be the best to define The Dark Knight. The reasons stated in the above contribute to making it so. Essentially reasons why it could not be categorised as an alternative film made it a fair argument. Research provided key factors into the reasoning of why The Knight is a mainstream film. Using a modern film was necessary as a more passà © film may not be classed as mainstream now to the current generation of cinema goers. The Dark Knight was possibly the mainstream blockbuster to have been released in 2008, therefore it was relevant to be used in this essay. The internet movie database. 2009. The Dark Knight. [online] [accessible online at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/ [Accessed 1 December 2009]. Neale,A.,2000. Genre and Hollywood, Routledge. London. Diedre Pribam,E. March 22, 2004. Cinema and Culture: Independent Film in the United States, 1980-2001. Framing Film: The History and Art of Cinema. P33. Neale,S.2000.Genre and Hollywood. Routledge. London. Neale,S.2000.Genre and Hollywood. Routledge. London. Langford,B.2005.Film Genre Hollywood and Beyond. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh. Langford,B.2005.Film Genre Hollywood and Beyond. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh. Grant, K. Ed., 2005. Film Genre Reader 3. University of Texas Press. USA. HowStuffWorks, Gerri Miller. The Dark Knight Stunts Special Effects [online] (Updated 2009) Available at: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/dark-knight2.htm [ Accessed 6 December 2009]. Grant, K. Ed., 2005. Film Genre Reader 3. University of Texas Press. USA.