The Devil’s Backbone Essay Example

The Devil’s Backbone Essay â€Å"The Devil’s Backbone† by Jonathan Daniels is a thriller set on the Spanish Civil War. It was about ghosts in a Spanish boy’s school, or rather, an orphanage run by the widow of an activist fighting for freedom. A young boy enters the school, unaware that he was orphaned, and he was the one who the ghost came to. An older youth took a dislike of him and the ghost terrifyingly cried out for help. And it is him the ghost keeps asking for help.A former student, who was then the school’s handyman hated the place with a passion. The cook turns out to be his fiancà ©e and they are planning to escape from there and buy a farm, but for the meantime, he greedily watches over gold ingots hidden away for the Republican army.The young boy, Carlos, eventually uncovers the secret that haunts the school and the connection between the disappearance of a young student the night the bomb fell into the courtyard and the avarice and brutality that have crept into the sc hool from an outside world enflamed by war.It is a story not merely based on ghosts but also a movie that empathizes with orphans. It tackles the traumatic experiences during the time of Spanish war but through the eyes of a child, giving a lighter perception. It also talks about, between the lines, about the mercenary and evil that was also going on at the time, as well as the non-fictional realities. Human frailties and emotional stuff.

Buster

Buster Buster Buster By Maeve Maddox A reader has a question about the word buster: Is the word buster ebonics or not? Where does this word come from? And how is it formed? The reader does not specify which of the several uses of buster prompted the question, but in any case, the word was in the language well before any significant development of the English dialect known as ebonics. Note: For readers unfamiliar with the term ebonics, the word was coined in 1973 and defined in 1975 by its proponents as â€Å"the linguistic and paralinguistic features which on a concentric continuum represent the communicative competence of the West African, Caribbean, and United States slave descendants of African origin.† The term quickly proved to be unwieldy and politically charged. A more neutral name for the distinctive English dialect associated with US black culture is African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The first nineteen or so  Africans  to reach the English colonies arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, brought by Dutch traders who had seized them from a captured Spanish slave ship- just five years after the first documented use of buster in English. In the earliest citation in the OED (1614), buster is used to mean â€Å"a person who or thing which ‘busts’ a specified thing, or causes it to break or burst†: Now death, I pray thee what is it, but a buster of bonds; a destruction of toyle? (i.e., Death is seen as a â€Å"buster† of figurative chains, freeing people from bondage and toil.) This meaning of the word is evident in various terms. For example, a bronco-buster is a cowboy who prepares horses to be ridden by breaking their will to resist. Note: The Spanish adjective bronco means rough or rude. It was adopted into English as a noun to refer to an untamed or half-tamed horse. A gangbuster (1930) is an officer of a law-enforcement agency who is known for successfully, and often aggressively, fighting organized crime, breaking up gangs, and apprehending gangsters. Eliot Ness is a well-known gangbuster. By extension, gangbuster/s can mean something that is outstandingly successful; a winner, a hit. The word is used as both noun and adjective: Better than  last season, but not  gangbusters   I think this is going to be a  real gangbuster season. Another quarter, another three months where  gangbuster  growth remains AWOL.    My radio show is  going gangbuster.  I just picked up my third top-ten radio station in Chicago. The music business is  going gangbuster. Were celebrating all month  long  with a  gangbuster  sale. Another meaning of buster is â€Å"a person who or thing which is impressive or remarkable, especially in being more than typically large, loud, etc.† Presumably, the person or thing has â€Å"busted† a norm of some kind. The OED gives the example â€Å"What a buster of a lunch it turned out to be.† Buster is used as a form of address, sometimes with affection and sometimes with hostility. For example, a parent or babysitter might say to a child, â€Å"Time for bed, Buster.† On the other hand, someone being annoyed by a stranger might say, â€Å"Don’t come any closer, Buster, or I’ll call a cop.† The popularity of Buster as a nickname for little boys may owe something to the fame of the actor Buster Keaton (1895-1966). The son of vaudeville performers, Keaton was famous as a child actor long before his adult successes. According to legend, he acquired his nickname when he fell down a flight of stairs and Harry Houdini, who was present, quipped, â€Å"That was a real buster!† Keaton’s father immediately created â€Å"Buster Keaton† as his son’s stage name. The comic book character Buster Brown, created by cartoonist Richard F. Outcault in 1902,  was another cultural icon that popularized the name Buster. When a shoe manufacturer adopted the character as its logo in 1904, the name received a boost from national advertising. I suspect that plenty of Americans of a certain age can still sing the Buster Brown jingle. Buster is popular as a name for pets. Here are some reasons pet owners chose the name: We  named him Buster because  he had a busted nose.   My neighbor  named him Buster, cause he was a Buster to try and catch. You see my friends from the special ed place that my aunt works at  named him Buster because  he got into a lot of trouble and got caught.   I have  named him Buster because  he is somewhat bossy and pushy with my sisters steer.   I named him Buster because  he was tossed out of the car. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"How to spell "in lieu of"The 7 Types of Possessive Case

Evaluating a Process Analysis Essay

Evaluating a Process Analysis Essay When developing a paragraph or essay through process analysis, you should keep several points in mind: Be sure to include all steps and arrange them in sequence.Explain why each step is necessary, and include warnings where appropriate.Define any terms that your readers may not be familiar with.Offer clear descriptions of any tools, materials, or equipment needed to carry out the process.Provide your readers with a way of determining whether or not the process has been carried out successfully. Heres a draft of a short process analysis essay, How to Make a Sand Castle. In terms of content, organization, and cohesion, the draft has both strengths and weaknesses. Read (and enjoy) this student composition, and then respond to the evaluation questions at the end. How to Make a Sand Castle For young and old alike, a trip to the beach means relaxation, adventure, and a temporary escape from the worries and responsibilities of ordinary life. Whether swimming or surfing, tossing a volleyball or just snoozing in the sand, a visit to the beach means fun. The only equipment you need is a twelve-inch deep pail, a small plastic shovel, and plenty of moist sand. Making a sandcastle is a favorite project of beach-goers of all ages. Begin by digging up a large amount of sand (enough to fill at least six pails) and arranging it in a pile. Then, scoop the sand into your pail, patting it down and leveling it off at the rim as you do. You can now construct the towers of your castle by placing one pailful of sand after another face down on the area of the beach that you have staked out for yourself. Make four towers, placing each mound twelve inches apart in a square. This done, you are ready to build the walls that connect the towers. Scoop up the sand along the perimeter of the fortress and arrange a wall six inches high and twelve inches long between each pair of towers in the square. By scooping up the sand in this fashion, you will not only create the walls of the castle, but you will also be digging out the moat that surrounds it. Now, with a steady hand, cut a one-inch square block out of every other inch along the circumference of each towe r. Your spatula will come in handy here. Of course, before doing this, you should use the spatula to smooth off the tops and sides of the walls and towers. You have now completed your very own sixteenth-century sandcastle. Though it may not last for centuries or even until the end of the afternoon, you can still take pride in your handicraft. Do make sure, however, that you have chosen a fairly isolated spot in which to work; otherwise, your masterpiece may be trampled by beach bums and children. Also, make a note on the high tides so that you have enough time to build your fortress before the ocean arrives to wash it all away. Evaluation Questions What important information seems to be missing from the introductory paragraph? Which sentence from the body paragraph might be placed more effectively in the introduction?Identify the transitional words and phrases used to guide the reader clearly from step to step in the body paragraph.Which piece of equipment mentioned in the body paragraph doesnt appear in the list at the end of the introductory paragraph?Suggest how the single long body paragraph might be effectively divided into two or three shorter paragraphs.Notice that the writer includes two warnings in the concluding paragraph of the essay. Where do you think these warnings should have been placed, and why?Which two steps have been listed in reverse order? Rewrite these steps, arranging them in a logical sequence.

Exploring the Main Characters in Five Poems of Distinct Cultures Coursework

Exploring the Main Characters in Five Poems of Distinct Cultures - Coursework Example Basically, the poem depicts the issue of color which is a common theme on the majority of literary works by Hughes and a tone that suggests racial inequality that forms through the confession of the â€Å"darker brother†. The adverb â€Å"too† signifies inclusion which connotes something missing or only part of the American population, more specifically the supreme race, are entitled to so in a way, the speaker appeals for equal rights of living with the white people of America. â€Å"I, too† presents a type of protagonist who struggles to adapt to his mistreating environment where he is often brought to â€Å"eat in the kitchen† upon the arrival of the company which could be the greater authority or the race in command. Despite such unfavorable circumstances, however, the black narrator hopes to keep up a good fight which the line â€Å"They’ll see how beautiful I am† reflects so that he may be justified to conclude â€Å"I, too, am America .† Repetition of â€Å"I† and â€Å"too† opens and closes the poem, respectively, and Hughes establishes metaphor in rendering the speaker to claim on ending with a patriotic pitch that he is America. As a Guyanese poet, on the other hand, Grace Nichols believes that Caribbean rhythms connect her sense of spirituality in Africa to all other cultures of the East and the West. This can be well recognized in her work â€Å"Praise Song for My Mother† which primarily characterizes her coastal life as applied to the maternal sentiments she uniquely identifies her mother with. Through a series of enjambment which normally appear on the beginning of each stanza under a nostalgic tone, Nichols makes her mother the central figure of the metaphors which she utilizes in comparing Caribbean attributes with the relevant traits possessed by her mother. The use of water, moon’s eye, and sunrise is elemental then the speaker, in the second-person point of view, elaborates the basic details with extended metaphors in order for the reader to understand how special and affectionate parenting is experienced during the childhood days of the poet. Essentially, Nichols likens her motherâ₠¬â„¢s care to the general life in the coast where almost all natural resources by which to sustain one’s living exist just as everything a child needs is with the loving mother’s safekeeping. Such is evident in â€Å"deep and bold and fathoming† which is quite symbolic of qualities a mother’s goodness has as well as â€Å"rise and warm and streaming† in reference to the characteristics of blood and milk all mothers share in common. With repetition of the word â€Å"replenishing† after enumeration with fishes, flamer’s tree, and crab’s leg, Nichols puts a stress on her encounter of abundance with the coast which does not occur to run out of life’s fundamental necessities just like a mother’s love and patience that altogether endures with time. â€Å"Island Man† is another piece which Grace Nichols fashions in the absence of punctuations throughout the poem’s structure. One may feel that the poetâ€⠄¢s attempt with enjambment has to do with the substance of her chosen subject which is hugely associated to Caribbean features involving seas and waves representing expanse and forms that are typically free and unbounded in nature. On this ground, thus, Nichols prefers not to punctuate in discussing

Globalization and Impact on Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Globalization and Impact on Companies - Essay Example The major problems faced by the MNCs in the current era are  Problems associated with differences in the culture across the national borders. It is very decisive to recognize that key to winning globalization lies in both economic cultural aspects. Due to cultural differences, the workforce within an organization cannot converse with each other efficiently then this obstructs the overall efficiency of the company. Human resource (HR) management becomes highly complex for the company’s that operates across different markets. There are problems faced by the HR managers in while coordinating diversity in workplaces. Lesser diversity in organizations lowers its business efficiency (International Labour Organisation, 2004). This model will help to analyze that since globalization, the business expansion process of a firm in the international market, makes it go through structural changes. This implies that at different stages of business internationalization, the multinational co rporations (MNCs) should go through separate organizational structures (Veder, 2008). At this stage, an MNC either only increases its geographical spread of business or increases product diversity. If the geographical spread is diversified, then the companies entail less product diversity. However, if the product diversity is more, the firms expand its business within the limited geographical spread.If the scope of internationalization is wide, then a firm should not allocate much money is product diversification. This is because under such cases the strategy of expansion should be guided by duplication or coordination. Hence the firms should encourage specialization of its factors of production under this strategy (Schenk, 2011).  

Aqa as Philosophy Revision Notes †Reason and Experience Essay Example for Free

Aqa as Philosophy Revision Notes – Reason and Experience Essay Knowledge and Belief †¢ People can believe things that aren’t true. †¢ For you to know something, it must be true and you must believe it. †¢ Beliefs can be true or false. †¢ Beliefs can accidentally be true, but it isn’t knowledge. Types of Knowledge †¢ Analytic – true by definition – â€Å"Squares have 4 sides†. †¢ Synthetic – not analytic, true or false in the way the word is – â€Å"Ripe tomatoes are red†. †¢ A priori – doesn’t require sense experience to know – â€Å"all bachelors are unmarried†. †¢ A posteriori – can be established through sense experience – â€Å"Snow is white†. All Analytic propositions are known a priori. This doesn’t mean that all a priori propositions are analytic. The main question is â€Å"Are all synthetic propositions a posteriori? † i. e; do we have some knowledge that doesn’t come from sense experience? It is this question that forms the debate between rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism vs. Empiricism †¢ Main dividing questions are: â€Å"What are the sources of knowledge? †, â€Å"How do we acquire it? †, â€Å"How do we get concepts? †. †¢ Rationalism gives an important role to reason. †¢ Empiricism gives an important role to the senses. †¢ Why can’t we use both in acquiring knowledge? Rationalism. †¢ Rationalism claims that we can have synthetic a priori knowledge of the external world. Empiricism denies this. †¢ Rationalists argue that it’s possible for us to know some synthetic propositions about the world outside our own minds, e. g. Maths and morality. Empiricists argue that it is not. †¢ Both rationalists and empiricists accept that we naturally have certain thoughts and feelings inside our minds. Empiricism †¢ An advantage of empiricism is that it allows us to quickly see how we ascertain our knowledge – through our senses by perceiving how the world is, which is a causal process – it requires no mental reasoning. †¢ Empiricists also claim that this is how we acquire our concepts – through our senses. †¢ Once we understand the acquired concepts, we gain analytic knowledge. If we have knowledge that doesn’t come from sense experience – how do we get this knowledge? Rationalists argue that we either gain this knowledge from ‘rational intuition’ or ‘insight’, which allows us to gain this knowledge intellectually, or we just know these truths innately as part of our rational nature. Rationalists may also argue that some, or even all of our concepts are innate of come from rational insight. Do All Ideas Derive From Sense Experience? John Locke – Mind as a ‘Tabula Rasa’ †¢ Locke argues that all ideas derive from sense experience. †¢ He says that the mind at birth is a ‘tabula rasa’ – a blank slate that gets filled up with ideas from the senses. †¢ He refutes the claim of ‘innate ideas’. †¢ Ideas can either be part of a proposition: â€Å"He had the idea that it would be fun to take the day off†; or they can be concepts: â€Å"the idea of yellow†. †¢ Locke says that all our concepts derive from sense experience, and that we have no knowledge prior to sense experience. From Locke’s definition of ‘innate idea’, it follows that everyone with a mind should have the same ideas. However, there is no truth that every person (including people lacking reasoning skills) can assent and agree to. So perhaps, with Locke’s definition, innate ideas are ones that we known as soon as we gain the use of reason. Locke refutes this, saying that we aren’t lacking reason but the knowledge of ideas. For example, a child can’t know that â€Å"4 + 5 = 9† until the child can count up to 9 and has the idea of equality. It is the same thing as knowing that an apple is not a stick – it’s not a development of reason, just the gaining of knowledge of ideas. So therefore, if we must first acquire the concepts involved (through sense experience), the proposition cannot be innate, as no proposition is innate unless the concepts used are innate. Locke argues that the mind has no concepts from birth, and so no truths or concepts can be innate. A Different definition of ‘innate idea’ †¢ Locke’s definition and argument against innate ideas hasn’t been criticized †¢ People who believe in innate ideas don’t accept Locke’s definition †¢ Nativists maintain the view that innate ideas are those which cannot be gained from experience †¢ Nativists tend to argue on how concepts or knowledge can’t be acquired from sense experience †¢ Because we don’t know all concepts from birth, there is some point when we become aware of our concepts †¢ Rationalists argue that experience triggers our awareness of our innate concepts. Experience as a ‘Trigger’ †¢ Children begin to use certain ideas at certain time, and their capacities develop, so why can’t their concepts and knowledge also develop? †¢ Children begin to use certain ideas at certain times †¢ Experience still plays a role – a child must be exposed to the relevant stimuli for the knowledge to emerge, e. g.language. †¢ An idea is innate if it cannot be derived or justified by sense experience. Empiricists on Arguing Concepts John Locke 1. The senses let in ideas 2. These ideas furnish an ‘empty cabinet’ 3. The mind grows familiar with these ideas and they’re lodged in one’s memory 4. The mind then abstracts them, and learns general names for them 5. The mind then has ideas and the language by which it can describe them †¢ However, what does it mean to ‘let in ideas’? †¢ We contrast ideas with sensations, e. g. the sensation of yellow isn’t the same as the concept of yellow †¢ Locke fails to make this distinction David Hume †¢ Hume believes that we are directly aware of ‘perceptions’ †¢ Perceptions are then divided into ‘impressions’ and ‘ideas’ †¢ Both Locke and Hume divide impressions into ‘impressions of sensation’ and ‘impressions of reflection’ †¢ Impressions of sensation come from our sense data and that which we directly perceive †¢ Impressions of reflection derive from the experience of our mind, such as feeling emotions. †¢ Hume says that ideas are ‘faint copies’ of impressions †¢ Therefore, there are ideas of sensation (e. g. the idea of red) and ideas of reflection (e. g. the feeling of sadness, happiness) †¢ Concepts are a type of idea. †¢ Hume’s theory of how we acquire ideas (from copying them from impressions) is a theory of how we acquire concepts) †¢ Locke and Hume both have slightly different versions of how we acquire ideas with which we can think †¢ We start with experiences of the physical world which we get from sense data and experiences of our mind †¢ For Locke, this gives us ideas once we employ our memory to reflect on these experiences †¢ According to Locke, this makes it sound that the remembered experiences are the ideas with which we think †¢ Hume corrects this, and says that we remember and think with the copies of the sensory impressions. Simple and complex concepts †¢ A complex idea is just an idea made up of several different ideas, e. g. a complex idea (a dog) is made up of simple ideas like shape, colour and smell. †¢ This complex idea has a complex impression †¢ We can therefore form complex ideas by abstraction. †¢ As an objection, rationalism raises the question of where do non-empirical ideas come from? †¢ Empiricism is appealing, as we seem to intuitively trust our senses and it easily answers such questions. †¢ However, there are complex ideas that correspond to nothing from our sense experience, e. g. unicorns or God. †¢ So do all ideas derive from sense experience? †¢ Empiricists argue that these complex ideas are made up from simple ideas, which are copies of impressions (e. g. a unicorn is the simple concepts of a horse, a horn, and the colour white, and combined together they give us a unicorn) †¢ Hume and Locke argue that when creating complex ideas, one can only work with the materials that our impressions provide – simple ideas †¢ Complex ideas are no more than altering or abstracting these simple ideas †¢ Therefore, empiricists answer this rationalist objection So Are There Innate Concepts? †¢ What would an empiricists’ analysis of complex concepts like self, causality, substance, etc.be? †¢ These concepts must either be innate, or reached using a priori reasoning †¢ Hume accepts that these complex concepts cannot be derived from experience †¢ However, he states that each of these concepts has no application †¢ These concepts are confused, and we should always use concepts that can be derived from experience †¢ For example, we don’t experience our ‘self’, we experience a changing array of thoughts and feelings. †¢ To come up with the idea of ‘self’, we’ve confused similarity with identity †¢ We do the same with the idea of a physical object †¢ A physical object exists independently of experience, existing in 3d space. †¢ But can experience show us something that exists independently of experience? †¢ If I look at a desk, look away, and then look back again, the desk must have existed when I wasn’t looking at it. †¢ I can’t know that my experience was of the same desk, only that the experiences are similar †¢ When coming up with the concept of a physical object that exists independently of experience, I confuse similarity with identity. †¢ Hume concludes that these concepts are incoherent confusions †¢ This can be objected though †¢ This makes most of our common-sense understand and analysis of the  world incorrect – we know that our concepts are coherent. †¢ Empiricism now seems to challenging to accept, as it makes our concepts ‘illusory’. †¢ The fact that we cannot derive the aforementioned from experience shows that they are innate †¢ Empiricists therefore have a flawed argument – explaining our most abstract concepts is an argument that these concepts are not derived from experience. †¢ Does this therefore mean that they’re innate or arrived at through rational intuition? †¢ One reason to think they’re innate is that children use these concepts before they develop rational intuition. †¢ Rationalists therefore argue that experience is the trigger for the concept Does all knowledge about what exists rest on sense experience? Hume’s Fork †¢ We can have knowledge of two sorts of things: ‘Relations between ideas’, and ‘matters of fact’ †¢ Relations of ideas are propositions like ‘all sons have fathers’ †¢ Hume argue that all a priori knowledge must be analytic, and all knowledge of synthetic propositions must be a posteriori †¢ Anything that is not true by definition (‘matters of fact’) must be learned through the senses †¢ Hume’s ‘matters of fact’ are essentially analytic truths. Matters of Fact †¢ Hume says that the foundation of knowledge of matters of fact is what we experience here and now, or what we can remember †¢ All our knowledge that goes beyond the aforementioned rests on casual inference †¢ For example, if I receive a letter from a friend with a French postcard on it, I’ll believe that my friend is in France. †¢ I know this because I infer from post mark to place †¢ I think that where something is posted causes it to have a postmark from that place. †¢ If the letter was posted by my friend, I believe that he is in France. †¢ I ‘know’ this because I rely on past experiences. †¢ I don’t work out what causes what by thinking about it †¢ It is only our experience of effects and causes that brings us to infer what cause has what effect. †¢ Hume denies that this is ‘proof’ †¢ He says that knowledge of matters of fact, beyond what we’re experience here and now relies on induction and reasoning about probability. Induction and Deduction †¢ The terms relate to a type of argument †¢ Inductive is where the conclusion is not logically entailed by its premises, but supported by them †¢ If the premises are true, the conclusion is likely to be true. †¢ The French letter example is an example of inductive reasoning. †¢ A Deductive argument is an argument whose conclusion is logically entailed by its premises †¢ If the premises are true, the conclusion cannot be false †¢ E. g. Premise 1: Socrates is a man; Premise 2: All men are mortal; Conclusion: Socrates is mortal. Using a priori intuition and demonstration to establish claims of what exists †¢ Rationalists argue against Hume, saying that some claims about what exists can be grounded on a priori intuition. †¢ A priori demonstration, or deduction, is deduction that uses a priori premises †¢ Rational intuition is the view that you can discover the truth of a claim by thinking about it  Descartes †¢ Descartes says that we can establish the existence of the mind, the physical world and God through a priori reasoning. †¢ He attacks sense experience, and how they can deceive us †¢ We can’t tell if we’re being deceived by an evil demon through our senses, as what we are experiencing will be false †¢ We can establish that we think, and therefore we exist, even if our senses do deceive us (as we don’t need our senses to know our mind exists) †¢ This conclusion of thinking and doubting that we exist was gotten to by pure reasoning. †¢ He also establishes that the mind can exist from the body. †¢ Descartes says we don’t know what causes these experiences †¢ It could be an evil demon, God, or the physics world exists exactly how we perceive it. †¢ If it was God, it would mean he was a deceiver as we have a very strong tendency to trust our senses †¢ If it was a demon, God must have created this demon to deceive us, and because God is perfect by definition, this would mean God isn’t a deceiver, and so he can’t have made a demon – so there must be some kind of a real world †¢ Through a priori intuition and reasoning, Descartes says that the external world must exist, because God exists, and he would not deceive us. Conceptual Schemes and Their Philosophical Implications †¢ Humans don’t all have the same concepts †¢ There are two distinguishable elements to our experience: the data of the senses, and how this data’s interpreted by our concepts †¢ By the latter, it implies that different people would impose different conceptual scheme if they have different concepts. †¢ Conceptual relativism claims that because our conceptual scheme affect how people experience and understand reality, people with different conceptual schemes have different realities. An Implication: Conceptual relativism. †¢ We assume people have different ‘realities’ because we can’t translate their to ours †¢ It assumes language ‘constructs’ reality to say reality is relative to our conceptual schemes †¢ It would mean that reality is dependant on language, which isn’t true – we express our realities by language †¢ A proposition in one conceptual scheme can be true without needing to be express in another set of scheme. †¢ This means that there isn’t one set of scheme with how the world works †¢ An objection is that people argue that the relation between experience anc conceptual schemes doesn’t make sense. †¢ Benjamin Whorf says that languages organize our experience of the world †¢ This is like trying to organize a wardrobe itself and not the clothes in it †¢ If a conceptual scheme organizes our experience, then our experience must be comprised of individual experiences †¢ Conceptual scheme all have a set of experiences in common †¢ We can pick out individual experiences like smelling a flower, feeling cold, etc. †¢ Any conceptual scheme with these sorts of experiences will end up similar to our own, despite the concepts one hold and their language, and so translation between two different conceptual schemes will be possible. †¢ There may be small parts that can’t be translated, but this only leads to a very mild form of conceptual relativism. †¢ We can’t necessarily combine conceptual scheme †¢ An example is that we can have more or less colours in our vocabulary, and so can describe things in different ways. †¢ The Greeks thought that there was only one colour – bronze, and that everything else was a different shade of bronze. †¢ This doesn’t mean they saw everything in what we call ‘bronze’, it’s just how they described their experiences. †¢ We can therefore only state things depending on the concepts we have.

Martin The Warrior :: essays research papers

Martin In a time of danger A time of hunger The mouse was a stranger The mouse was strong He showed the cats With help from some bats How to behave He showed his pain, anger, and strife The creatures were thankful As a matter of fact He was honored for not only a life But for many years to come The novel, Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques, is a book about a young mouse warrior named Martin, son of Luke the Warrior, a mouse that fought sea rats, One day, after the murder of most of his tribe (including his wife), Luke set sail to have his revenge against Vilu Daskar, the stoat pirate responsible for the massacre. Before he left, he gave Martin his sword, which had been handed down through their family since Luke's own grandsire lived.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is about how Martin travels through a land full of moles, squirrels, and other woodland creatures which talk and walk upright. Martin goes around meeting creatures from all different lands and asks them to join his army to fight a tyrant who is keeping slaves in his fort, Marshank. The plot of this book is how Martin and his friends fight the tyrant, Badrang, to free slaves. The main idea of the book is how and why Martin and his army fight the tyrant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Martin was captured as a slave for Badrang the Tyrant, he was furious. Not only did the evil rat steal his father's sword, he beat and mistreated all of the slaves horribly! Devising a plan, Martin frees himself and two of his friends from the Marshank, the slave camp: Brome the mouse and Felldoh the squirrel. Brome's sister, Laterose (Rose for short) and her companion Grumm the mole all set out with Martin and his friends to go get help from their hometown of Noonvale. Unfortunately, due to the sea's conditions, Martin, Rose, and Grumm get separated from Brome and Felldoh. The two strings of the story carry on and tie together at the end: Martin's group eventually reaches Noonvale, where he returns to Badrang to get his revenge, and Brome and Felldoh join the Rambling Rosehip Players, a bunch of happy-go-lucky animals that made the hardships less hard, and also get to the slave camp. The ending is tragic, and whenever I read it I get depressed. Martin, in th e end, retrieves his sword from Badrang, and succeeds in killing him, but Rose, who he has become very much attached to, tries to help Martin in killing Badrang, but only ends up getting killed by him herself.

Outline and Analyze the Challenges Facing Mellon Investor Services Essay

Assignment Task Outline and analyze the challenges facing Mellon Investor Services in their organizational redesign and assess how well the company have dealt with those challenges in how they are approaching and managing the change. Delong, T. and Vijayaraghavan, V. (2002) Mellon Investor Services (ECCH case reference 9-402-036, Harvard Business School) Introduction Mellon Investor Services (â€Å"MIS†) is an investment management and investment services company, focused to help clients manage and move their financial assets and succeed in the rapidly changing global marketplace. Between 2000 and 2001 MIS underwent a substantial organizational redesign, which will be critically considered in this essay. Wittington and Mayer (2002) suggest that organizational performance is driven by the company’s ability to redesign structures frequently, however the change requires participation of people leading the change i.e. agents, organizational structure that welcomes the change and appropriate managements styles. The Chief Financial Officer of MIS, Jim Aramanda led the company for few very successful years, during which MIS was providing new offerings for transfer agent services including issue services, employee plans and direct services, broker / dealer services. The company had five years of successful growth and MIS was meeting and exceeding its financial goals. In Autumn of 2002 Aramanda’s became concerned for the successful future of the company and he recognised few areas that required closer attention: †¢different business units were not consolidating their offerings and taking advantage of various products, which resulted in two Requests For Proposal coming from one client whereby both RFPs were replied to separately, as opposed to a combined and unified response, †¢current successful offering of core products did not guarantee that MIS would grow in future, †¢MIS staff were not building long-term relationship with the clients therefore business opportunities may not be spotted in good time, †¢requirement for new measures of performance and progress, †¢lack of focus on hiring and rewarding talented people, †¢lack of focus on product development, which was manifested in product being offered by the sales department without confirmation that the product may actually be delivered to the clients, †¢Some of the groups, such as technology, were too achievement oriented without being focused. In order to address the above concerns and mould the company to his new vision, Aramanda hired a number of experienced consultants to support his structural redesign of MIS. Aramanda realised that the change would also involve a dramatic shift of vision and attitudes to introduce new systems and subsystems, with the likely result of clash of wills. Buchanan & Badham (2008) argue that such a change can be successful if it involves one person influencing the organization according to their values, and Aramanda had the clear vision and skills to gather a team of knowledgeable people to fundamentally amend and adjust MIS future capabilities. The change that MIS underwent could be classified as ‘strategic’ or ‘transformational’ (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010) and it aimed to redefine the boundaries, methods of problem-solving and doing business in the company. Aramanda acted on his vision in a very organized manner, as he instantly hired experienced, independent and talented consultants, Mary Davis and Jeanne DiFrancesco, and empowered them to accurately assess how the change should be conducted whilst keeping disruption of the day-to-day business activities to the minimum, design a four-phase project that was consistent with Aramanda’s aggressive deadlines, and work alongside all business units to manage the organizational change smoothly and efficiently. Although the organizational change instigated by Aramanda and facilitated by the consultants proved a great success, there were certain areas that should have been dealt with differently. The main challenges I have chosen as a topic of this assignment included overall communication, dealing with resistance to change and managing relationships. 1. Communication Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that many managers do not pay attention to communication when implementing change, which may increase employee absenteeism, turnover and low productivity. Furthermore, some of the reasons for employees’ increased expectation during the change process are availability of information through the internet as well as employees’ anticipation to contribute ideas and be kept informed. If these expectations are met, employees feel valued and therefore are more likely to be committed to the company and perform better at their work. Aramanda wanted to be supportive of a certain degree of open communication culture, which was manifested by a requirement for the employees to nominate their colleagues for newly created job posts. This approach was also constructed to represent Aramanda’s interests and to manipulate employee attitudes and behaviours. The nomination process aimed to take advantage of knowledge in the network or informal skills that perhaps could have been difficult to be evaluated by an outsider. The outcome however proved to be different than anticipated, as it created a negative feeling amongst the employees. Furthermore, one of the reasons for hiring consultants in the first place was to take advantage of their impartiality and independence from office politics. Insufficient communication was also evident in Phase One of the organizational change, during which key services, products and activities of the business were analysed. The result was anxiousness amongst the employees, who being afraid of job cuts, would feel that they were disregarded and forgotten, which in return lowered their productivity until the process was complete. As outlined by Buchanan and Huczynski (2010), many companies operate within a range of open and closed communication climate. Open and honest communication leads to employees having realistic expectations, and closed and defensive communication creates an atmosphere of distrust and secrecy. Although Aramanda’s relationship with his superiors was commendable, as he had a very open working relationship with the consultants and his direct reports, the communication with his employees was not as successful. One of the reasons for this situation was a lack of Head of Corporate Communications, whose post was vacant until June 2001, therefore all information during the process of a change was not communicated to the staff. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) confirm that communication of ideas assists employees see the logic and need for change. The implication for MIS was that employees did not understand what was happening, therefore they were more unlikely to follow management decisions. Issues of communication also affected existing relationships with clients. One of the objectives of the organizational change was to evaluate every job function and employee in line with the new business strategy. This resulted in creation of new key groups, including new ‘business development’ team focused on growth and return on investment in new clients and ‘client management’ team whose assignment was growth and return on investment in existing clients. The new groups comprised of employees that had to move away from the relationships they took time and effort to establish with their clients. Before the change these relationships lead to more sales and generated more business through word of mouth. Furthermore, strong relationships improved the internal organization, morale, increased engagement and lead to greater satisfaction at work. By creation of new groups the above relationships were damaged or broken, which could have lead to a possible revenue loss caused by the impact that the organizational change had on the client satisfaction. 2. Resistance to change Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) confirm that change implies a positive experiment and creation of something new as well as a negative confrontation with the unknown through the deconstruction of familiar arrangements. Some of the MIS employees demonstrated unwillingness to accept the proposed changes, as they perceived them as threatening to the individual. The main causes of resistance to change were as follows: †¢Lack of facilitation and support Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) outline facilitation and support as most helpful, where fear and anxiety lie at the heart of resistance. At MIS some of the managers were not supporting their employees in new roles, as people were expected to continue to take care of their old responsibilities, therefore the new responsibilities had to take second priority. They employees were not given sufficient time to adjust to new jobs or recover after demanding period. †¢Low tolerance for change Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) stress that that people differ in their ability to cope with change and uncertainty, which may lead them to oppose even potentially beneficial changes. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) agree that if the change is significant and the employee’s tolerance for change is low, he might begin to actively oppose the change for reasons he does not consciously understand. †¢Misunderstanding and lack of trust Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) argue that employees are more likely to resist the change if they don’t understand the reasons behind it. As outlined in the section above regarding lack of communication, it becomes transparent that MIS employees were not told what are the positive implications of change, therefore they believed the change might cost them much more than they would gain. This could be characterised by having a low level of trust between employees and managers and result in misunderstandings and increased perception of threat when change was introduced. 3. Networks and relationships Another challenge facing the organizational change of MIS was managing existing relationships and creating new networks. One of aims for the reorganization once MIS services and products and market needs were analysed, was to break down capabilities into building blocks and then to recompose the blocks to fit within the new strategy. In practice this meant changing the divisional structure of the organization from service-based to customer-based. The change from ‘squares’ to ‘squares and triangles’ caused a large power shift and a felling of unrest and injustice to many employees. In the new organization chart the ‘triangles’ comprised of market-facing professionals and were perceived as the ‘winners’. The triangles included new business development, client management, product management & development and business management & analytics units. A triangle holds its place as a symbol in the mathematics of ideal proportions and in the MIS reorganizational design employees chosen to become a part of new teams were deemed as ‘drivers’ having a superior status. This formal status was closely related to the leadership, generally accepted by the others with a power to influence and control other groups. On the other hand, the ‘squares’ represented all other employees in the company and were perceived as the ‘losers’ and ‘followers’ and deemed to have an inferior status. Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that lower status groups have less power and tend to be less influential, therefore employees actively seeking status in order to fulfil their self-esteem may experience personal dissatisfaction. Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that this method of implementing organizational change can cause confusion and increase employees’ level of stress. The MIS consultants hoped that by dismantling of social networks, new networks would grow very quickly. The presumption was made that the existing social networks used to compensate for the inefficiencies in the old system, so now they should accelerate the efficiencies of the new system. Some employees viewed this as a positive move, as it allowed transitioning some people to other teams to build communication and continuity based on their prior experiences in other business areas. This however had a more political aspect as many managers when switching roles from ‘triangles’ to ‘squares’ in their self-interest wanted to take the good people with them. In practice, whereby poor communication was also a contributing factor, the new social networks were not created as rapidly as anticipated and had a negative influence on employee engagement and work performance. Another reason for changing the divisional structure of the organization was MIS’ lack of integration. Child (2004) stresses that integration is a vital product of good organization, whereby different activities collectively create value. One of identified reasons for change at MIS was to consolidate their product offering to create more value for the customers. Although it is relatively easy to state the requirement for integration, it is not so straightforward to achieve it. The problem of integration presents itself most noticeably in the relations between functions that are responsible for producing services according to predetermined parameters established within the company, and functions that have to continuously adapt to the external environment. The organization cannot remained viable without this integration. Teams are one of the most commonly used means for achieving integration, however during the implementation of change at MIS these were taken apart under conditions of uncertainty and pressure. One of the signs that the integration needs were not sufficiently met by the new teams was conflict between departments, mainly between ‘triangles’ and ‘squares’. This situation would require ongoing monitoring to ensure that the conflict does not become persistent and threat overall teams’ performance. Summary As outlined above, the main challenges of the organizational change instigated by Aramanda included overall communication, dealing with resistance to change and managing relationships. The organizational change was possible due to a great contribution from the consultants, who appreciated that an organizational change is a complex process to dramatically adjust organization vision, structure and culture in a continuous effort to improve the performance. Reference list 1.Buchanan D., Badham R. (2008) ‘Power, politics and organizational change: Winning the turf game’, p. 9. 2.Buchanan D., Huczynski A.A. (2010) ‘Organizational behaviour’, pp. 329-330, 562-564, 570-573. 3.Child J. (2004) ‘Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice; Chaper 4: Achieving Integration’, p. 81-82. 4.Kotter J. P., Schlesinger L.A. (1979) ‘Choosing strategies for change’ Harvard Business Review, March – April pp. 108-109. 5.http://www.bnymellon.com/about/index.html, accessed on 18 June 2012.

African American Studies Essay

The three topics I have picked for this reaction paper are â€Å"Hurricane Katrina, The Bombing Of Black Wall Street And Gangs†. I’ve picked these topics because I believe that to this day everything is still about being in control, racism and a touch of slavery which leads to gangs. Hurricane Karina: was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Most notable in media coverage were the catastrophic effects on the city of New Orleans, La. , and coastal Mississippi. Criticism of the federal, state and local governments’ reaction to the storm was widespread. The bombing of Black Wall Street: community was the sight of a happy, affluent Black community but was too much for angry, jealous Whites in Tulsa, Okla. , in 1921, a false rumor was enough to spark a mass riot that left hundreds of African Americans dead, and a swath of black homes and business burned to the ground. The saddest fact associated with this historic atrocity is that the U. S government and local media were complicit in the death and destruction. Gangs: the word â€Å"gang† comes from â€Å"gonge† a term meaning a journey, but later referring to a â€Å"gonge† of sailors in the fifteenth century. Gangs originally began in the 1800’s which meant kids of the street. But US had other predecessors than unsupervised street urchins. There were four kinds of gangs which were predecessors of the street gangs of today 1. Secret Societies, 2. Gangs of outlaws and in the Wild West, 3. Racist like the Ku Klux Klan, and 4. â€Å"Voting Gangs† tied mainly to the Democratic Party in large cities. Many gangs if armed men were racially mortivated. Racial tensions in the cities like New York were constant, and racist conflict was almost everywhere more violent than nativism.. On May 31. 921 a nineteen year old Black male accidentally stumbled on a bumpy elevator and bumped into a seventeen year old White elevator operator who screamed. The frightened young man was seen running from the elevator by a group of Whites and by the afternoon the â€Å"Tulsa Tribune† reported that the girl had been raped. Despite the girl’s denial of any wrong doing, the young man was arrested and a large mob of 2000 White men came to the jail to lynch the prisoner. With a defenseless Black community before them, the white mob advanced to the greenwood district where they first looted and then burned down all Black business, homes, and churches. Any black resisters were shot and thrown in fires. That’s how it became â€Å"The Bombing of Black Wall Street†. It all comes to what’s going on now with, if you are in a gang you can’t go in one neighborhood if you are not affiliated with that neighborhood gang, just like back in then when blacks wasn’t allowed in white people areas or if blacks were allowed, they were segregated. After the Tulsa riot, White inhabitants tried to buy the Black property and force the Black people out of town. No Tulsa bank or leading institution would make loans in the riot-marred Greenwood district, and the city refused all outside assistance. However, racial pride and self determination would not permit the Greenwood owners to sell. Since African Americans could neither live among Whites as equals nor patronize White business in Tulsa, Blacks had to develop a completely separate business and community, which soon became prosperous and legendary. Black dollars invested in black community also produced self-pride, self –sufficiency, and self-determination.

Quotations for Bonding With Your Sister

Quotations for Bonding With Your Sister I grew up with two sisters. As kids, we had our share of squabbles and catty fights, just like any other siblings. However, I didnt feel that our parents ever favored one over the other, or interfered in our quarrels. They let us settle our own matters. I always found that when tempers flared, my younger sister would say something cute, and make us all laugh. Our quarrels never lasted for more than a day, often lasting only for minutes. Brothers Are Different From Sisters As a mother of two boys, I see a different type of relationship between my two sons. Boys squabble over different issues than girls. The way two brothers bond with each other is different from the way sisters bond. I watched my sisters grow up into beautiful, capable and confident women. My overprotective older sister grew up to be cautious and risk-averse. She made calculated moves, ensuring that she protected her family at every turn. My younger sister went about her business with an air of nonchalance, seeking new adventures even at great personal risk. She achieved her ambitions early in life, which fueled her aspirations. I often wonder how despite our common childhood experiences, we developed different skills and perspectives. Your Sister and You Have a Shared Childhood Many sisters bond over shared childhood experiences, and how these experiences impacted their life. Your sister has shared your journey of life during childhood; the time when personalities get formed. Your sister has seen you in your most vulnerable moments. She knows you nature inside out. She understands you even better than you understand yourself. Who better than your sister to confide your darkest secrets? Sisters Hold the Mirror Up to Your Face Need a reality check? Go to your sister. She will mince no words when she has to tell you that you are a boneheaded egomaniac. However, you can rest assured that she is on your side, and she means well. Your arguments with your sister will enable you to think through your decision and make the right move. Sisters Can Shield You From the World The best thing about sisters is that they give you room to make your own mistakes. While your sister may still dangle the threat of squealing to your mother, she will help you when you need her the most. She will protect her family honor by defending you against your enemies. What Makes Sisters Special Sisters are Gods greatest blessings. You are lucky if you have a sister. Make your relationship special by sharing intimate childhood experiences with your sister. Walk down memory lane as you recount your good and bad childhood memories. Share your views about each other, and get a fresh perspective about yourself. Build an everlasting bond of friendship with these sister quotes. Cherish this bond of sibling love and make your life complete. Cute Sister Quotes Cali Rae TurnerThe best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend.Linda SunshineIf you dont understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.Pam BrownSisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers.Barbara AlpertShe is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, shes the reason you wish you were an only child.Pam BrownIf your sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and cannot catch your eye, shes wearing your best sweater.Victoria SecundaTo have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident; it is to have a soul mate for life.Margaret MeadSisters are probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.Marion C GarrettyA sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.Carol SalineWhat sets sisters apart from brothers and also from friends is a very intimate meshing of heart, soul and the mystical cords of memory.Charles M SchulzBig sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.Isadora JamesA sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.Louise GluckOf two sisters, one is always the watcher, one the dancer.Carol SalineSisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.Gail SheenyHusbands come and go; children come and eventually they go. Friends grow up and move away. But the one thing thats never lost is your sister.Pam BrownA younger sister is someone to use as a guinea pig in trying sledges and experimental go-carts. Someone to send on messages to Mum. But someone who needs you who comes to you with bumped heads, grazed knees, tales of persecution. Someone who trusts you to defend her. Someone who thinks you know the answers to almost everything.

Case Studies Of Companies Supply Chain Management

Case Studies Of Companies Supply Chain Management Dell was incorporated in 1994 by Michael Dell while he was a student at University of Texas, Austin. From its very first initiatives, direct selling model was adopted. In the beginning PC’s were sold over the phone and they were customized according to customers’ specifications. Dell returned to its direct selling model after using the retail channel from 1990 to 1994. In mid 1990’s, the company grew rapidly, thus becoming number one PC seller in the US and number two worldwide in 1999. Dell’s success continued over the following years, but it was not able to avoid the crisis in PC industry in the new millennium. Dell’s growth rate fell, resulting in the fall of its stock price. However, over the time, Dell managed to remain a highly successful company, and its growth rate continued to outperform the industry as a whole. Dell’s strategic choices and ways of realizing those choices have played an effective role in story Dell’s success. The supply chain management of the company is the key element in its successful business model. The core element of the company’s business model is its direct sales model, referred as ‘direct mode’, with the build to order strategy. In this work we have a look at an organisation with its sheer strategy and competitive view of the future created a giant in the industry. It has developed a business model which has a very little requirement of controlling variables, but with few efficient and critical models it has created an industry leader. It shows how Dell Inc has changed the dynamics of the industry and how it has helped in evolved with the industry. It is an $80 billion company which is created in just in time frame of 23 years. The strategy was to bypass the dealers in the field of personal computers and sell directly to the consumers. What will urge customers to buy online? The answer to these is to make the product build to order and provide them customiza tion. This business model gave Dell some great cost advantage over it peers. This strategy has given Dell- Information about the customer we can just buy and collaborate as per our requirement. This view gave them flexibility and coupled with the excellent supply chain that they created- they became what they are. In this model there are fewer things which can go wrong because there are only fewer things which can go wrong. There is no drag effect of 50000 people working with you.

Nike Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Nike - Research Paper Example In this paper, some of the main matters have been questioned and thrown into the open as to how the company has faced accusations from different sections of society and the world, and what led to it. Since the mid 90s, Nike has been accused of being a violator of women’s’ rights, child labour, exploitation of labour in terms of wages, as well as forced labour. Many of these cases have been uncovered and let out of the bag, thus making the company lose a great deal of its goodwill. This brand has been known to violate a number of Articles present in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well. These are a certain set of rights that are universally applicable to all human beings, not taking into account anything about their race, colour, gender or age. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it has been set out and stated in Article 1 that â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.† Article 3 and 4 state, â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person†andâ€Å"No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.† Article 5 says â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment and treatment.† All these Articles and more have been laid down with a view to respect human beings all over the world, however, Nike has been found to be violating them in many ways, in its run d own factories in the third world countries. A better look has been taken during the course of this report, into how the company has been violating these Articles of the Declaration of Human Rights. The main concerns for the company have been coming in from their factories which are located in South Asia. Here, in places like Vietnam, China, Indonesia etc, there are people who have been contracted by Nike, and work under their name. They mass produce the sports equipment as well as sports apparel, but their