George S. Patton

General Patton and The Third Army Stephanie B. Lawson American History II Professor Clark Abstract General George S. Patton Jr. lived from November 11, 1885 until December 21, 1945. Even today, Patton is considered to be one of the world’s greatest generals. When he was called upon to perform, he always meant business, even in emergencies. He led The Third Army into combat with the Nazi Germans. In little to no time, America recognized The Third Army’s great success and bravery. They swept through battles and conquered with admirable confidence, persistence, and excellence.From 1941 until 1943, the Third Army was led by Lieutenant General Walter Kreuger (Province). General Kreuger strived to make the Third Army the best army in the United States. In Kreuger’s army, there were two men who would later become very well known. Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of these men. The second was none other than George S. Patton. As Kreuger approached age 65, he became too old to be in command of the army and changed positions. Lieutenant General Courtney H. Hodges commanded the Third Army after Kreuger’s leave.Hodges had been in WWI and had also fought under the leadership of Kreuger. Hodges was not half the leader that Kreuger was, unfortunately. He mostly left his duties to those in position under him (Province). Hodges was eventually removed from his position because of his lack of leadership. However, while Hodges was leading the Third Army, they officially changed from a training army to a combat army on December 31, 1943 (Province). In 1943 on New Year’s Eve, the Third Army boarded ships for England to undergo training for possible invasions in the future.When they arrived in Scotland, the Third Army met their new commander – General George S. Patton Jr. The day after they had arrived, the Third Army was gathered together. General Patton then proceeded to give a tremendous but short speech on their future endeavors. He discussed the German Nazis and what they had done, â€Å"We're here because some crazy Germans decided they were supermen and that they had a right to rule the world. They've been pushing people around all over the world, looting, killing, and abusing millions of innocent men, women, and children.They were getting ready to do the same thing to us. We have to fight to protect ourselves. † Patton went on to discuss further low opinion of the Nazis and concluded his speech with, â€Å"That's all. Good luck† (Province). The same year that Patton began his commandment over the Third Army, they started making records. The Third Army shocked the world with its accomplishments. They had only had one general order from Patton; â€Å"Seek out the enemy, trap him, and destroy him†(Province). German soldiers were always wondering what Patton’s next move was going to be.Patton’s methods were unlike the conventional methods of America, The Third Army mainly trapped German soldiers, most of which surrender or were killed. The Third Army and General Patton were constantly undergoing attack – they persisted through the roughest of weather and terrain (Province). Perhaps one of the biggest helps for the Third Army was America’s constant invention of new war methods to overcome their obstacles. The Third Army also greatly succeeded because of their excellent teamwork abilities; everyone had a specific job and each performed his job to the best of his ability.Front liners were often the ones killed, and â€Å"back liners† supplied the front with items such as food, weaponry, and clothing. Patton is quoted as saying, â€Å"No matter how small your job might seem, it's important in the vast scheme of things. Every job is important† (Province). Patton understood the need for every man in his army. It was this mindset of teamwork and perseverance that pushed this army across France. In 1944, Patton and his Third Army were slowed du e to lack of supplies that were needed.Eisenhower had focused his support on another mission, causing The Third Army to lose much needed items. Many even today feel that if this decision had not been made, the war would have ended much sooner because of The Third Army. The Germans took this chance to reestablish their front lines. However, The Third Army still pushed forward in whatever ways possible to keep their minds sharp for battle. They built up many supplies during their forced wait (Province). Once November came, The Third Army finally received approval to continue on with their mission. They went straight for Metz, a German city.They lost some soldiers due to harsh weather conditions, but shocked the world by overcoming without losing many more soldiers. The Germans were forced to pull back and the city was overtaken (Province). The Battle of The Bulge showed the world just how incredible Patton and his army were – time after time, Patton had the utmost faith in his staff. Time after time, they astonished American leaders with their success. The Germans had been beaten down, but weren’t ready to give in. Neither were Patton and his army. Despite the cold, frigid conditions, they kept fighting.Patton, in seeing his army’s diligence remarked, â€Å"By God, I’m proud of them† (Province). On January 28th, the Germans were forced back. The Battle of the Bulge was over. This marked the beginning of the end. Patton and his Third Army were the main reason The Allies overcame. Patton’s great leadership guided them through each battle and brought out the greatness in each solider. Patton displayed constant care and concern for his army, and even once issued a Christmas greeting prayer card to each soldier. It read, â€Å"To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I wish a Merry Christmas.I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete vi ctory. May God's blessing rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day† (Province). Patton played a very significant role in the Allie’s great success. Without him, we may have still conquered, but he definitely kept many soldiers alive along with America’s passionate hope. Reference The Patton Society Research Library The Third Army in WWII | Metal Letters. Patton Society Homepage. Retrieved April 9, 2013, from http://www. pattonhq. com/textfiles/thirdhst. html

Effects of Music on the Unborn Child

Music can be used to influence people’s mood and has been used to attempt to affect the brain of a child in its mother’s womb. Some people think that having an unborn child listen to different types of music will have different effects on how the child will grow. Some people believe that music has no influence while others believe that if they introduce their unborn child to classical music the baby will grow up to be smarter than the kid who either listened to other types of music or no music while in the womb. Studies have been done on how music can affect an unborn, and many different results have come from these studies. Not only can the unborn child actually hear the music, but the child will remember the song even after they are born. ?Music affects attitudes as well as thoughts. According to the book titled What to Listen for in Music by Aaron Copland, there are four elements of music: rhythm, melody, harmony, and tone color. Each of these elements are not heard by themselves but are heard together as one sound. Each part of music has a special and unique way wherewith we interpret and react to it. Rhythm comes first in the musical elements because many historians say that music started with a beating of a rhythm. Whether it was the cavemen with branches or another group rhythm was the first element of music found (Copland, 33). The second element, melody, is second because rhythm is more of a physical motion and so melody is experienced as a mental emotion. The melody is the most crucial part of the music. It is the only subjective portion of music that the audience rejects or accepts by itself (Copland, 49). Harmony, the third element, is the most sophisticated. The harmony was the most recently discovered and has been greatly appreciated (Copland, 61). The last element, tone color, is the quality of sound produced by a particular musical instrument (Copland, 78). Aaron Copland later goes on to explain the difference of how we listen to music now compared to how we listened when we were in the womb. We have little to no say in what we listen to when we were in the womb; we can only enjoy it or kick relentlessly hoping that it will change. ?Some studies have been done by David Tame in his book The Secret Power of Music. In it he says â€Å"music has been found to affect the body in two distinct ways, directly on the cells and organs and indirectly by affecting the emotions, which, in turn, influence numerous bodily processes. Sounds projected into liquid media have coagulated proteins. So teenagers have brought soft eggs to rock concerts, hich became hard-boiled — wonder what happens in our own bodies† (Tame, 173) After reading this, it does make one wonder why we listen to something that can have such a negative effect and be so bad. Most people chose music their parents raised them on or something completely different. Tame later says in his book that people who listen to rock music have led lives that were much more destructive to themselves and to others than people who had listened to classical music. David Tame also did studies on plants and animals and how they respond to the different music. In a study performed classical music had appeared to bring more produce and better looking flowers than rock music (Tame, 196). ?According to BBC, Dr. Lamont did a study where the same song was played for the last three months of the pregnancy and then was played again after the child was born, even after they were a year old they recognized the song (BBC, Womb Music: How Will Music Affect oner Unborn Child? ). Another study done by Dr. Lamont concluded that â€Å"that there was no evidence that playing classical music to babies helps to make their brains develop. Dr. Lamont has done many studies for this topic and could be considered an expert. She has discovered much information for example: babies can hear just twenty weeks after conception and can remember a song for at least twelve months, and that babies cannot only remember the songs but they prefer these songs (BBC, Babies Remember womb music). ?Another study was done at the Education Oasis on how music affects babies in the womb, and they said that music does not make a baby smarter but it does prepare it for particular ways of thinking. The effect the music has does not last long but can be used to do tasks more quickly (Bales). They figured out, through many experiments, that although music did not make the babies smarter it did make their brains ready to learn and grow. The babies who listened to classical music were more ready to learn than the babies, who had listened to country, rock, folk, dance, or nothing at all (Bales). ?Although there is still controversy on whether or not music can make the brain smarter or not, more research has been done to observe the effects of music on newborns. Researchers from Brigham Oneng University studied the effects of music on thirty-three premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. Cassette players piped voices of men and women singing lullabies into each baby’s ears for forty minutes a day for four days. When doctors examined the babies on the fourth day, they found that babies who had been exposed to music gained more weight, and had lower blood pressure and a stronger heartbeat than the other (Robledo). Their research shows that music can help strengthen premature babies; however, these researchers still have yet to figure out if music can improve a child’s intellect. It is hard to study the intelligence level of babies when they cannot talk or write. When studying three and four year olds these researchers have found out that if the child plays an instrument that the child is better at math and special thinking (Robledo). â€Å"Oner goal should be to cultivate a love for music in oner child, not to create the next Mozart. It should be about having fun and exposing oner child to new sounds and rhythms† (Robledo). My mother listened to two genres of music when I was in her womb: eighties rock and R&B. I would kick and dance for her when she played the rock music and she used R&B to put me to sleep. It worked as a oneng child too; my mother has videos of me kicking and screaming for joy when she played AC/DC, Bon Jovi, the Beastie Boys, Duran Duran, Journey, Whitesnake, and U2. Whenever either of my parents wanted to put me to sleep, they would play Prince, Stevie Wonder, Al B. Sure, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Soul II Soul, or Earth, Wind, and Fire. These genres have had an impact on my upbringing. Like most children I stuck to what I knew when it came for me to buy my first compact disk. The quote â€Å"The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree† applies very much so to me as it does to most children when they pick what they like and what they do not; I chose a nineties rock and alternative. I liked bands that were like the bands that I listened to in my mother’s womb, but I also liked having my own music to like. The music I chose sounds similar to the music my mother would have me listen to, but it was something my dad would not sing every word to, so I liked it. My dad is not the best singer, so if I can only get a hum then my music is more enjoyable. ?A year or two later, my mother was pregnant again. This time she was told by the doctors that her baby was to be born with many brain defects. She looked for many ways to keep her unborn baby from being born with the brain deficiencies. She had watched on the local news that babies were being born with an unbelievable intelligence from their mothers playing classical music while the unborn baby was still in the womb. There was another mother whom had said that the doctors had told her that her baby was supposed to be born with brain efects but her baby was born with no defects at all and she thanked her lucky stars on classical music. My mother thought it was worth a try since music was not thought of to hurt a baby’s brain. While she had classical music on headphone around her womb, she had rock music on a second pair for her and me to enjoy. My brother was born with some brain deficiencies; he is a slow school learner but is extremely fast at learning musical instruments. If one gives him an instrument in five minutes he will learn how to compose sound, in fifteen he knows notes, and in thirty he can play a song from memory. In everything else my brother is slow at learning and is slightly dyslexic. My mother thought the classical music had helped, so when she was pregnant again she had the new unborn baby listen to classical music as well. This one was born with terrible eye sight, deaf in one ear, dyslexic, and on the verge of being mentally handicapped. Classical music through a personal study has shown to have no intellectual effect on the unborn child. Every now and again a â€Å"musical genius† is born. These children are extremely gifted in music and can play, compose and understand music with an unimaginable capacity. Although, some may imagine that we cannot measure musical greatness or potential in children before they discover it themselves. There is a way. In the book titled Musical Ability in Children by Arnold Bentley, he describes ways that we can test the musical ability and potential in children. After all, he says â€Å"musical ability is primarily a mental ability. † He goes on to tell how to test children, but he says that this can be a difficult task especially if the children are not old enough to handle the challenge of the tests (Bentley). According to these studies, there are too many variables to consider when having a child and exposing them to the different array of music that we have today. For example, the child may be born already a genius and the classical music could impair his way of thinking, there are also some disabilities a child can be born with that music just will not be the fix, the baby may reject the music altogether because the baby still remembers what has happened before in the premortal life and knows that he should be listening to a different type or knows a better type for him to listen to. Music is a stimulant. We listen to it in hard times either to make us feel better or to truly understand what the artists are saying because now we understand what they mean. We try to understand everything that we listen to, but it is sometime hard to pick up the message the artists wanted to get out in the way they present it. Music is a powerful thing that should not be taken lightly it can create emotions and pictures in our mind. Music is not something that goes away either. Once one hears a song it can be stuck in one’s mind for a very long time. Even after many years of not hearing the song it can still come back to the front of one’s mind, much faster than a memory. Music is power, and to play it to unborn children increases the parent’s power over the child by what the parents choose which music to produce for the child.

Conservatives Favour Pragmatism Over Principle

Conservatives support Pragmatism over principle Discuss. Pragmatism essentially believes in a more practical behavior or form of policy, as opposed to an ideological principle. Conservatives traditionally favour pragmatism because it emphasizes the impact of applied ideas that have been tested over time- highlighting the importance of tradition (one major traditional conservative value. One-nation conservatives agree with the foundations of pragmatic ideas.Whereas the New Right was heavily ideological- arguably, the application of Neo-liberal ideas with an emphasis on free-market economics (i. e. : heavy privatization in the Thatcher period) shows a radical change into applying newer principles. Traditional conservatives place a higher emphasis on pragmatic ideas- as these ideas have been tested over time (a conservative would argue that they work; they are product of years of continuity) thus humans are incapable and essentially limited in radically making theories themselves.Their ideas may be based upon the idea of tradition; which alig ns itself with the Darwinian belief that only the fittest policies have survived over the years- and have created what Chesterton called the ‘democracy of the dead’ which is much more reputable than todays ‘arrogant oligarchy’. Pragmatic ideas are preferred because they have continuously growing over centuries whereas principle would ensure instability- for example: the sudden abolition of the monarchy would heavily affect the public; because it’s nationally loved- therefore extreme principles of ideologies like communism would definitely cause imbalance.This agrees with the Burkean view that a human principle can’t be superior to the pragmatic principle that has developed on its own- as the political world is ‘boundless and bottomless’ (as Oakshott said), essentially too complicated for the human mind to articulate principles efficiently. Furthermore, traditional conservatives disregarded the application of representative democra cy as it was seen as being too radical in the early 19th century.Although one could argue that these conservatives are unaware of the benefits that radical change could bring- it can be countered by stating that fair democracy was a product of years of supplementing the system (example: through many Reform Acts-1832, 1848,1867†¦ etc. ); therefore this gradual and continuous change (that benefit pragmatic ideas) completely contrast the excessive change the immediate application of principle would bring.Another sect of conservatives- One-nation conservatives clearly favored pragmatism but Disraeli realized the importance of ‘change in order to conserve’, which would satisfy the masses without significantly impacting the elitists. The 1867 Reform Act exemplifies that these traditional principles were supplemented for beneficiary purposes- for example: Disraeli thought reform would diminish the brewing hope of revolution and actually convince the supporters to support conservatives. Thus Disraeli’s pragmatism was non-conventional but still built up on practical ideas.Moreover, the application of political principles by Thatcher led Macmillan to give the ‘selling of the families silver’ speech- this can create an illustration: the silver which has been accumulated over the years pragmatically has been radically excluded and unnecessarily cashed in. In contrast, New right conservatives oppose the idea of pragmatism but rather favour the principled ideas. The mixture of neo-liberal ideas used by Thatcher and the rise of neo-conservatism through Reagan who placed an emphasis on supply-side economics.These ideas proposed something different- for example: Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign placed a large emphasis in less government interference in lives of people- which completely obstructs the traditional idea of organic society and social obligations. Although New Right affected people socially, its economic impact was exc essive- as the ideas of neo-liberal economists like Hayek and Freidman who proposed leaving it to the market (like the father of economics: Adam Smith). Freidman once remarked ‘Governments never learn.Only people learn. ’- so this was applied by Thatcher who met much opposition from public/even party members who believed in more pragmatic change and weren’t ready for such a radical one. These ideas created a rapid increase in unemployment numbers, realistically reaching 4 million in terms of relative poverty; this widened the gap between South and North- a pragmatic conservative would have altered their political policies in order to come to terms with the public yet Thatcher ocused on her original ideological principles. Thatcher went against many traditional conservative values that have been developing over the years. There was a rejection of social obligations and responsibilities which was traditionally emphasized; yet the increase in atomistic individualism and egoism. In her famous speech, she said: â€Å"there is no such thing as society†- this can itself exemplify that her beliefs are formed from neo-liberal political beliefs, rather than incorporating pragmatism.An idea that evolved form an organic society; into what One nation conservatives’ idea of a paternalistic state- this was completely rejected which is evident in the increase in privatization of industries in order to ensure profit. Although one could argue that the application of this was essentially required- for example before Reagonomics, the economy was in its worst shape since the Great Depression- therefore if these New Right ideas weren’t applied and more pragmatic ideas were used then progress would be stationary and the debt would rapidly increase.Essentially, if we simplify the argument it’s just trying to, (a) bring change through principles, and, (b) do what pragmatism failed to do- so maybe, it’s just changing in order to co nverse. For example, if these free-market economic ideas are applied, they can eventually be successful- for example: Estonia, which was influenced by ‘Free to choose’ (Friedman) introduced a flat tax rate-it’s now very profitable and there is a boost in public satisfaction.Although, arguably it wasn’t able to act pragmatically because it had just been released from the cruel soviet system therefore this doesn’t significantly illustrate the benefits of ideological principle- as it couldn’t purely work on Britain, for example: the Thatcher era: there was a boost in unemployment, poverty, frustration. In conclusion, on large conservatives believe in pragmatism instead of ideological principle- although when the economy is in a slump then the application of newer ideas can revolutionize the system, evident with the New Right.However, Thatcher can be seen as an anomalous character in Britain- one could argue that David Cameron is shifting back to the pragmatic style of conservatism: with Big Society which will loosely reinstate social responsibilities. Although it’s equally arguable that New Right had an impact on New labor thus principle could be significantly important (as it was famously called: â€Å"Thatcherism with a human face†). Furthermore, on a whole, conservatives based their views on pragmatic ideas as opposed to ideological principles.

Communication 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication 1 - Assignment Example Peers help us to understand our â€Å"social comparison† to others by creating social solidarity. Lastly, the generalized self can positively influence us by helping us to identify elements of personal identity which are viewed as important by the society. These elements include gender, economic class, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation and culture. For example, establishing an effective communication with people from different cultures is the most important source of personal identity. Understanding different cultures helps us to create a particular lifestyle. As a result, being able to communicate with people from different cultures not only helps us to create distinction, but it also develops solidarity at the workplace (Management Association, Information Resources 26). There are various ways that effective communication can affect our ability to understand other people’s communication. Communication involves the listening processes, which determine the amount of information we can gather in specific social situations. An effective communication therefore, determines how well we can understand others’ communication through the following ways: recalling, interpreting, receiving, evaluating and responding. For instance, responding involves the verbal or the non-verbal information we send to others during communication in order to show our attentiveness. As such, being able to communicate effectively can enable use to provide a positive feedback (Cormier, Nurius and Osborn

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

Rocks and Minerals - Essay Example Crushed basalt is commonly used as aggregate in highway construction and railroad ballast. Basalt can also be found in asphalt. It is also used as floor tiles and stone monument. An evidence of basalt in mars is also noted as well as basaltic rocks in the moon. Basalt appearance is uniform but can be viewed under electron microscope to reveal its component silicate mineral. Dolerite is a type of basaltic rock. It is a fine grained igneous rock commonly called diabese. Dolerite is a medium grained igneous rocks commonly found in dikes and sills. It is composed mainly of plagioclase crystals, feldspar and clinopyroxene with augite and ilmenite as minor minerals. Unlike the common basalt, dolerite crystals can be viewed under a hand lens. This is an indication that dolerite was cooled slowly than basalt. Dolerite is noted for its resistance in weathering and therefore most commonly used to build roads and monumental stones. The Tasmanian peninsula in Tasmania, Australia has the world’s largest areas of dolerite. Most of the copper ore minerals are created by weathering and is mined as mineral chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). Chalcopyrite is the most abundant mineral ore of copper. When chalcopyrite is extracted for copper, it contains 34.5% by mass copper. Other copper mineral ores can be chalcocite Cu2S, covelite (CuS), bornite (2Cu2S*CuS*FeS), malachite (CuCO3†¢Cu(OH)2), and cuprite (Cu2O). Copper mineral ores is mined for copper. Vast mountain areas are quarried for chalcopyrite, malachite and cuprite. Conglomerate is a large chunk of rock that has different minerals or rock types embedded to it. This is a type of sedimentary rock that is commonly found I beaches, rivers, and glaciers. Pebbles and small rocks are the major components of a conglomerate rock. Quartz is the most common mineral of pebble so is conglomerate. Iron oxide, calcium carbonate and silica are also tied together with all the components. Conglomerates doesn’t have

Superior Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Superior Foods - Essay Example As the study outlines to maintain competitiveness, 25% of daily-wage production workers had to be dismissed for next 3-4 months until the bans would remove and production process resume. The company is bound to reduce existing number of production employees because of changes in external environment; however, the old workers could be hired again once Superior Foods comes out of crisis. In this way, employees could be mentally prepared and would possibly not portray strong resistance. The communication would enable to maintain relationships, confidence and trust over employers, because they could be recruited again once the situation comes under control. From this study it is clear that it would be better to use an indirect approach to communicate negative message or news with employees working at production plants. Indeed, the reporter would start with a positive note to recall the value workers receive at Superior Foods. He would then explain all the recent market changes and reasons that have compelled the international food producer and exporter to take tough decisions to restore competitiveness in food industry. This would help making workers mentally prepared about any expected negative news from strategic planners. Then, the reporter would convey the bad news so that workers could assimilate this shock and accept the motives behind that decision. Finally, the message would end on a positive note with a reassurance to valued employees that they could rejoin Superior Foods after relaxation in bans and improvement in business prospects. As you all know that our company Superior Foods pay special attention to its valued workers an d opt for their welfare and well-being. However, we have been writing this letter to communicate recent changes that have taken place in our domestic (USA) and global markets. First, the mad cow disease has negatively affected our purchases of animals followed by reduction in supplies from partners / suppliers.

STRATEGY ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

STRATEGY ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION - Essay Example A company can gain a competitive advantage by optimizing the coordination of the value chain to create value for services and products, which are more than what it would cost to perform value activities. Thus, a company could create additional value without necessarily having to increase costs or amount of producing these products or services. The customers then pay for the added value. Starbuck’s strategy will also be analyzed and evaluated using Porter’s generic strategy, which involve focus, differentiation, and cost leadership. Cost leadership involves pursuing reduction of costs through a firm control of overheads, sacrificing R&D, and avoiding less profitable and marginal customers. Differentiation involves coming up with a unique product in the market that could be customer service, dealer networks, and brand image. Focus involves targeting a specific group, segment, or geographic market of a product line. Starbucks today would seem to be pursuing differentiation as a generic strategy, although when it started out, its generic strategy was more the strategy of focus emphasizing more on differentiation in a specific segment of the target consumer. In this case, Porter’s generic model will analyze and evaluate the strategies that Starbucks uses in gaining a competitive advantage while Porter’s generic strategies will examine how they utilize these competitive advantages. Analysis and Evaluation of Starbuck’s Using Generic Strategy Model On top of an established strategy based on competence, which is a major contributor to the success enjoyed by Starbuck’s, the company utilizes other strategies so as to maintain a competitive advantage over its main competitors (Thompson & Arsel, 2009: p238). According to Porter, a company has at its disposal three basic strategies that it can use as leverage in its industry. These include focus, differentiation, and cost leadership. Cost leadership is a strategy that aims to produc e low cost products that are of high quality while also reducing the firm’s operational costs. However, Starbucks does not utilize this strategy since its products are high cost. A company can also use the strategy of differentiation that entails the creation of services and products that are unique. The firm’s clients then perceive these services or products as unique and an addition of value, which allows the company to charge premium prices on the services and products. Meanwhile, the focus generic strategy involves specific sections or segments of consumers and can be combined with the cost leadership or differentiation strategies (Thompson & Arsel, 2009: p239). Starbucks pursues the focus on generic strategy within their specific target client segment with added emphasis in and the combination of differentiation generic strategy. Starbucks utilizes the generic strategy of focus with a target base of consumers that is composed of educated and wealthy drinkers of co ffee that are willing to part with more money for quality customer service and products (Smith, 2011: p505). Starbucks aims at a specific and narrow portion of the coffee industry’s consumers. Therefore, Starbucks’ strategy lays focus on the segment with its services and products being especially designed to meet the wants and needs of this segment of consumer. In terms of integrating the differentiation strategy with that of focus, the firm’s brand is presented with various characteristics that are diverse. Other

The validity of class conflict, feminism, diversity and inequality in Essay

The validity of class conflict, feminism, diversity and inequality in the context of organization theory - Essay Example Reform is more thoroughly implemented through legislative change and mandate at the state or national level. Organization theory charts a multi-disciplinary approach to the structure of business institutions, alternatively relating psychological studies, anthropology, sociology, and systems theory to methodology and research drawn from other social sciences in order to de-construct business organizations and understand them thoroughly. In a sense, organizational theory does reflect multiculturalism in its multi-disciplinary inquiry, but feminists and other civil rights activists have had a much stronger ability to effect business practices by targeting social legislation and the education system as places to implement political change. In many ways organization theory and the evolution of multicultural awareness within it in the 20th century as related to feminism, diversity movements, and civil rights must be seen in context with the Marxist movement, with which it competes in many ways historically.

Turandot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Turandot - Essay Example Happy ending of the opera, as opposed to the play, was gloomed by sacrificial death of Liu. This touching image was created by Puccini, who rethought the original image of Gozzi’s heroine - a captive princess, energetic and insidious, secret rival of Turandot, who revealed the secret of the hero by trick and betrayed him. While Calaf and Turandot occur in Puccini's sources, Liu does not exist in either Gozzi’s or Schiller’s versions of the story. Adami and Simoni, the librettists for the opera, created her at Puccini's insistence and based her somewhat on Gozzi’s character Adelma, who is not very similar.  (Digaetani 57) Puccini opposed two contrasting women images: cold, cruel, alien to human senses, princess Turandot and fragile, delicate slave girl Liu. In their spiritual fight the victory remains with Liu, who, with her death, proved the invincible power of love. The idea of creating an opera struck Puccini suddenly in November 1919. He took an activ e part in writing of the libretto, suggesting scenic and dramatic situations, their motives, to his librettists - prolific playwright Giuseppe Adami (1878-1946) and poet Renato Simoni (1875-1952). In 1921, he started to compose music. Feeling that it was his last work, the composer was in a hurry, nevertheless, the work on the opera stretched for several years - the librettists could not finish the last act until 1924. The final duet and finale of Turandot, after Puccini’s death, was completed by his pupil, composer Franco Alfano, who used Puccini’s drafts. Final acts were often very difficult for Puccini, and he often struggled to complete the final acts of his previous operas—a pattern which became tragic in the case of Turandot as his work on the third and final act of this opera was interrupted by terminal cancer.  (Digaetani 31) The opera was premiered on April 25, 1926, in Milan, under the direction of Toscanini. When the last chords written by Puccini s ounded, the conductor lowered his wand, stopped the orchestra and said, â€Å"Here the Maestro laid down his pen.† The curtain slowly fell; loud applause changed, in some minutes, to complete silence when performers and the audience were leaving the theater. Opera was played completely only the next day. Turandot is a drama of strong passions, unfolding against the colorful background, where oddly mixed are oriental splendor and bloody violence, reality and symbolism. Small lyrical ariosos, depicting the feelings of the main characters, are mixed with grandiose crowd scenes with powerful choruses and colorful orchestral episodes. Musical language of the opera is complex. It used many of the achievements of modern harmony and the vocals of the two main characters demand prominent voices. Maybe that is why the last opera by Puccini has not won wide popularity, as his previous works and early creations. In fairy, legendary times lived in Beijing the princess - Turandot. She coul d only belong to someone of the royal retinue, who could solve her three riddles. A candidate, who fails, will be, like all previous ones, put to death and his severed head will decorate the walls of the palace. The opera begins with a stage of preparation for execution of the Persian prince, who was unable to solve the puzzles. He ought to die with the rising of the moon and

Imortance of libraries Essay Example for Free

Imortance of libraries Essay A library is a treasure-house of knowledge. A well-stocked library is an asset to the school, college, university or the neighborhood. A library has a librarian to guide and attend to the readers. A library is a treasure-house of knowledge. A well-stocked library is an asset to the school, college, university or the neighborhood. A library has a librarian to guide and attend to the readers. Books are kept and arranged properly which makes the reader look for a particular book easily. A member of a library can borrow a few books for a particular period and take them home. It is the responsibility of the reader that no pages are torn. If he loses a book, he has to pay for the loss. Each academy has a library of its own. There are also neighborhood libraries and district libraries. It is a boon for poor students. Information technology has helped in improving the library facilities. However, the popularity of internet will not adversely affect the importance of a library. Books are mans best friends. They give him company equally in times of happiness as well as in times of distress. They are one of the main sources of knowledge. The best place for easy access to books is a library. A library is a place where not only books but also magazines, journals and newspapers are well-stocked for the benefit of the readers. Beside this one can also get the entire atlas, Encyclopedia, etc. to know even the minute detail of a thing. It is a treasure-house of knowledge. It helps the spread of education. A reader can either read the in the library or borrow the book of his choice and take it home. The library is a popular place in the academic curriculum. A well-stocked library is an asset to a school, a college or a university. There are also neighborhood libraries and district libraries which benefit the readers of the area. A student or a reader can increase his knowledge of various subjects by reading in the library during his spare time. One can update ones knowledge by reading regularly in a library. A library needs a good librarian who should be well-qualified in library science. Such a person can maintain the books properly. He can guide the students to select suitable books. He should be cheerful and co-operative; one who can interact well with the readers. The reader easily gets the books he wants, if he consults the librarian. Thus, the guidance of the librarian saves a lot of time of the readers. A good librarian welcomes suggestions from readers for the improvement of the library. He purchases new books after taking into consideration the needs of the readers. Normally, a library is housed in a very spacious hall but small libraries are also present in small towns and villages. The furniture inside the library should be comfortable, neat and clean. Students/readers should maintain strict discipline, so that others are not disturbed. The atmosphere in a library should be peaceful and scholarly. A library has thousands of books in stock. It has books on various topics, subjects and events. New books are added from time to time. All the books are kept systematically. They are classified and indexed according to their subjects. The labeling of books helps the reader to get a particular book without any difficulty. To find out the library number of a particular book, one can take the help of the subject and author index. Most libraries keep a book display rack where new arrivals are kept. A library also keeps magazines, periodicals, newspapers and journals. These are kept on the reading table of the library. The readers can keep themselves equipped with current events and the latest developments in various fields. A reader should handle the books carefully so that no pages are torn or that no books are misplaced. He should keep the book at the proper place after reading. The librarian should see than pin-drop silence is maintained in the library. Readers should abide by the library rules. A library issues membership cards to its readers. A reader or a student can borrow a book for home if he has that card. The books are issued for a limited period. If the reader does not return the book on the due date, he has to pay a fine as per the library rules. If a reader loses a book, he has to replace the lost book with a new one or pay the price of the book. The readers are supposed to keep the books in good condition. The library is a boon for poor students who cannot afford to buy text books or other books of their interest. They can borrow these books and read or study them at ease at home. A library is thus a help to the society. Most libraries have notice-boards. They are used for writing important news of the day. A Thought for the day is also written here. Titles of new books added to the library are also displayed on the notice-board to inform the students. Most libraries are open for a limited number of hours.

Traditional Japan In Spirited Away

Traditional Japan In Spirited Away The protagonist of the film, Chihiro, has lived a pampered life in the city and is naive and unprepared for adulthood. Her parents are portrayed as greedy and irresponsible in the symbol of the credit card wielding father turning into an overindulgent hog. (Broderick, 2003) The spirit world that she unknowingly enters represents the Taisho period of Japanese history (around 1912 to 1926), a popular setting in Anime, but of particular personal significance to Miyazaki. (Yoshioka, 2008) Childhood memories have influenced his use of this time which does not simply create a feeling of nostalgia, but, as Yoshioka says, merges personal experience into a larger sense of past. (Yoshioka, 2008: p.257) The aspects of traditional Japan displayed in the film vary from the extravagant grandeur of the bathhouse to the simple, yet quaint wooden houses and shops in the spirit town. The bathhouse even includes sliding paper doors and massive ornate Satsuma-ware vases all representative of a prosperous location in Japan during the 1920s. It serves to act as an opposition to the modern character of Chihiro upon who the traditional aspects of Japanese society are lost. (Denison, 2007) Denison writes that the bathhouse holds valuable lessons for modern (Japanese) society, including, not allowing such a healthy eclectic heritage disappear in a culture obsessed with the furthering of technology as well as keeping the Japanese youth educated about their roots and heritage. Some of the major characters in the film also incorporate aspects of traditional Japanese folklore. Spirits have been featured as characters in many ancient Japanese folk tales, generally influenced by the two major religions Shinto and Buddhism. The ancient River Spirit which Chihiro helps to clean appears to have a face which resembles a Japanese Noh theatre mask. Another theatrical mask is also featured on the character of No-Face. The film also alludes to the practicing of religion in Japan and the ignorance of the youth towards it. In a scene at the beginning of the film Chihiro does not recognise some Shinto shrines and her mother explains their role yet it is evident that she does not consider them important saying some people think little spirits live there. (Spirited Away, 2001) It is evident from Miyazakis films as a whole that the spirituality is a common and often prominent theme, particularly, but not exclusively, among his films aimed at children. Certain themes recur in Miyazakis films. In Spirited Away many of these appear such as childhood, materialism and most notably environmentalism. The story of the spirit Haku links to the arguments mentioned so far about the portrayal of tradition. The disappearance of Hakus home the Kohaku River due to materialism has led to his forgetting of the past and even his name alluding to the real possibility of people in Japan being so focused on the future they forget elements of their past, in this case an ancient river paved over to build apartments. (Osmond, 2008) Other Miyazaki films have also included the relationship between the spirits or gods and humans, mainly about the difficulty of the two living in harmony. Princess Mononoke (1997), Ponyo (2008) and My Neighbour Totoro (1988) are examples of this with each also carrying the theme of environmentalism. All of the points mentioned so far have reinforced that the world featured within Spirited Away shows a traditional, typically Japanese culture which aims to critique modern Japanese society as well as educate the films young target audience about the importance of tradition. Thanks to Disneys worldwide distribution deal with Miyazakis production company Studio Ghibli, the market for anime has been expanded so hugely that theres a now global awareness of not only modern and pseudo-futuristic Japan but also heightened understanding of Japanese tradition; fans (are) engaged with the cultural origins of anime texts. (Cubbison, 2005: p.45) This market has been so developed that anime now seems to cater specifically for the international market within its films. The complex identities of Miyazakis characters, such as Haku or Yubaba in Spirited Away are, according to Denison, created to appeal to a Hollywood-saturated world market. These characters employ a number of traits not inherently Japanese. Also, some aspects of the architecture and artwork featured in the film are not typically Japanese but contain elements of Western styles. An example of this can be found in the small thatched cottage owned by Zeniba, the kind twin sister of the unpleasant witch Yubaba, the owner of the aforementioned bathhouse. The Anime film industry has varying takes on the issue of tradition, but Miyazaki has taken on the issue whole heartedly in his films. Miyazakis idea of the identity of the Japanese person, along with his concept of the loss of traditional culture in the technological Mecca of contemporary Japanese society, has proved significant in the visual appeal of his films as well as their artistic value. Not only does he reference parts of culture such as art, architecture and religion, but also references traditional theatre and behaviour (such as the removal of shoes before entering a house). Despite the fact that Miyazakis uses some hybridity with other cultures in his portrayal of tradition, the fundamental Japaneseness of Spirited Away is clear and irrefutable. 1030 words References Broderick, M. 2003. Spirited Away by Miyazakis Fantasy. Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific [online] 9 August. Available from: http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue9/broderick_review.html [Accessed March 4 2010]. Cubbison, L. 2005. Anime Fans, DVDs, and the Authentic Text. The Velvet Light Trap. 56 Autumn, pp.45-57. Denison, R. 2007. The Global Markets For Anime: Miyazaki Hayaos Spirited Away. In: Phillips, A. Stringer, J. 2007. Japanese cinema: texts and contexts. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, pp.308-320. Napier, S. J. 2001. Why Anime? In: Napier, S. J. 2001. Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: experiencing contemporary Japanese animation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.3-14. Osmond, A. 2008. Being Spirited Away. In: Osmond, A. 2008. Spirited Away. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.7-15. Spirited Away. 2001. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. London: Optimum [DVD]. Yoshioka, S. 2008. Heart of Japaneseness, History and Nostalgia in Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away. In: MacWilliams, M. W. 2008. Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime. New York: M.E. Sharpe.