News Paper article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

News Paper - Article Example l honors and awards this year which include: Honor Student, Outstanding Student Council Service, National Junior Honor Society, Million Word Reader for the 2008-2009 School Year, an excellent overall result on her 2009 CRCT test and now, the recipient of the Stephen Foundation Essay Contest. Alicia Hampton is the daughter of Kevin T. and Sonya Hampton and her proud grandparents are Arnett and Mary Ann Williams of Whigham Georgia. Alicia is also an outstanding student, attending Whigham Elementary School and maintaining her name on the Honor Roll List. She has been an outstanding student and has now contributed to her awards with the 2009 Stephen Foundation Essay Contest. The Foundation is proud of the accomplishments of these two outstanding students and applaud their efforts for researching their work well and for closely following the instructions for the essay. The two students will not only be honored with the award, but will each receive a mini-laptop, a $500 check, and a backpack full of school supplies that will last throughout the

Personal skills audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal skills audit - Essay Example More importantly, the most skilled, the most proficient, and the best-rounded (academic and skilled) will be the ones enjoying success in this world. In this regard, it is very essential for every individual to carry out self-evaluation in order to learn about personal strengths and weaknesses and put efforts accordingly in the required direction. This paper is an attempt to identify and discuss various areas in my personality that need improvement and that will help me in achieving a successful position in my chosen field in coming years. For this purpose, I carried out a skills audit in different areas of organizing, social group, communication and linguistic, and creative, aspects of my personal skills. In addition, the audit also included audit of cognitive, contingency, self-managing, and physical aspects. This audit enabled me to identify some skills in which I have proficiency, such as time management, delegating, teamwork, and personal presentation. Moreover, it also helped me identifying skills and areas in which I need awareness and guidance. This paper will particularly include five different areas that I can improve t he most, and will include discussion on the way a placement would contribute towards improvement in these areas since I am not undertaking any placement. The foremost area in which I lack skills and can improve the most is communication and language. Communication has always been an important aspect of every successful project or individual, and in many cases has been the reason behind failures in life. Based on the outcomes of my skills audit, although I am a good listener and have fluency over the language, I believe that I still lack skills when it comes to reflecting and questioning the processes, as well as my own practices. In today’s competitive era, it is essential that a person should continue to reflect on one’s own practices, the only way to ensure best practices

Is Keeping Animals In A Zoo Cruel?

Is Keeping Animals In A Zoo Cruel? Until recently, the existence of zoos in our society was never something which we thought twice about. Zoos were widely accepted as educational and entertaining institutions. Children, and adults, love seeing animals, and a visit to the zoo has always been something we look forward to. Gradually, however, discussion has aroused about the morality of keeping animals, and other creatures in captivity, as animals have rights such as we do. There are around 430 zoos in Britain alone and 10,000 worldwide. Conditions vary greatly, with the worst being nothing more than concrete prisons holding very distressed animals. (Born Free Charity). This quotation shows the insensitivity of the proprietors of such establishments and gives us a clear picture of the conditions in which creatures are kept. Rather than encouraging animals to thrive in natural settings, zoos place very unnatural boundaries on their residents. For example, in zoos, polar bears are usually confined to spaces that are only around one-millionth the size of their minimum home range in the wild. Animals who stray across large distances in nature often develop zoo chosis in captivation which is similar to dementia in humans. Typical behaviours resulting from boredom and distress when placed in zoo enclosures, are endlessly pacing or swimming in circles. Animals have evolved from nature, just as humans, and each belongs undisturbed in its own natural habitat. To remove these animals from what they are used to against their will is immoral. As humans, we must treat animals humanely in our role as stewards of the earth. It is therefore unacceptable that animals in zoos under our care, are suffering from neglect and early death, through distress and health problems. In the wild, creatures such as the ones found in zoos are free to roam without restraint and interact with other species. Whereas, in captive conditions they are only able to mix with their own species, sometimes only being a few of each species. If these animals do not get on with the others in the enclosure, they have no way of escaping each others company, and animals, like us, have personalities and forge friendships and rivalries. Furthermore, animals do not gain the necessary skills for survival in zoos and so will never be able to be reintroduced back into the wild and survive. Therefore they will have to live an enclosed, cramped lifestyle entirely dependent on humans who do not always care for them appropriately, for the entirety of their lives. On this note, Attachment relationships between animals are often studied by separating pack animals and recording their subsequent behaviour. Studies of primates have shown that separation results in changes of behaviour that are symptomatic of both psychological and physiological stress. Because of this, it is clear that in order to maintain physical and psychological well being in animals, it is vital that animals which are used to being together with animals of their kind should not be isolated from one another. In many zoos, it is felt necessary that animals should be alone as it saves costs and ensures there are no conflicts between them. Zoos are therefore knowingly causing the animals psychological and physiological trauma. Animals kept in zoos have no privacy; they are continually watched by the public and have little enclosed space where they can hide. Zoo animals develop anxious behaviours if they are always in the public gaze. Being stared at all the time can be predatory and threatening. Another strange species staring at you or enproaching in your environment is disconcerting and agitating for wild animals in the same way that a tiger coming into your house and staring at you would be not just threatening, but simply terrifying. This in turn can lead to aggression and distress in the animals. Even when the animals are not disturbed by human presences watching over them, there is constant noise of other creatures and maintenance works on the zoo (e.g. Tractors). They will get no peace and quiet. This is not natural for any animal. They should be able to have time on their own to relax in harmony. Zoo Keepers and many employees of zoos do not treat the animals living within the exhibitions with enough compassion or care. A San Diego Zookeeper described an incident in which an African Elephant was beaten for two days with axe handles, as a way of motivating the animal to put on a display for visitors. This kind of treatment is extremely vindictive and clearly demonstrates how in some zoos, the living beings are not treated as well as they should be. Even though they are given all the necessities for life and they have a veterinary surgeon on hand at all times, the animals only get enough to get by, and no more. After all, zoos are a money making business. They often scrimp and save at the expense of the animals well being and comfort. Large animals such as elephants are often subjected to cruelty above and beyond that of smaller animals. A study has proven that in a certain American zoo, the elephants there were dying at a faster rate than they were breeding, as a result of dis ease spread by the lack of space and dirty cages. The exhibition of animals in captivity tells an impressionable public that cruelty to animals can be condoned. Many zoos claim that they are of high educational benefit, and although some visitors only spend around two minutes at each inclosure, using the animals for entertainment rather than for instructive matters. Although, children do get to see animals and experience how they live, which they wouldnt get the chance to do if animals were only in the wild. Zoos have to educate the public about the value of animals so that people understand the importance of conservation. After a fun trip to the zoo, visitors leave with a newfound awareness and perceptive about animals. How are they going to discover these interesting facts if they dont get to see the creatures? Zoos give people an appreciation for animals. They need to see, listen to and smell an elephant to gain love and respect for the creature. Viewing an animal on TV does not give a person the same effect as seeing it first hand does. An arguable advantage of having zoos present in todays society is that many endangered species will be protected and will refrain from becoming extinct. Zoos promote the awareness of animals that are being wiped out. This would allow for people to help fund the repopulation of those animals. If more people are aware of new animals on the endangered species list, there is more of a chance that researchers will get more funds. But endangered species may not gain as much support and attention of the crowds as people are only usually interested in popular species like Lions. Furthermore there is some debate because of the inadequate gene pool of a species in zoos. This could, lead to inbreeding which would then create mutations and defects in the offspring. In conclusion, animals are born wild and therefore should live and die wild. It is wrong that wild creatures should be kept in enclosures in zoos as they do not get to behave naturally: a lion cannot hunt for its prey, or experience the nobility of living with other lions in a pride. My overall view is that keeping animals in zoos is extremely cruel as they are not free to convey their natural way of living, whether it is to roam in a large area, to breed with a partner of their choice, or to kill their own prey. The animals are troubled every minute of the day by people observing them, something which, in the wild, would hint great danger. All of these factors contribute to my strong sensitivity to this topic of treatise. Word count- 1310 Sources www.bornfree.org http://www.captiveanimals.org/zoos/zfact1.htm Pros and Cons : A Debaters Handbook [Paperback] published 1999 http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=1 Trees in Celtic Culture and Art: An Analysis Trees in Celtic Culture and Art: An Analysis The use of yew, rowan, birch and Scots pine trees in Scottish Celtic mythology, legend, symbolism, religion and literature Preface Celtic society was dominated by its links to nature and the spirituality of the world around it. Of these natural objects, trees represented the ultimate in spirituality and wisdom. This is not only due to the life giving properties of trees within the forest-strewn wilderness of Europe at the time, but also because of the supposed wisdom and power that trees offered people. Their longevity, practicality, power and importance within Druidism means that trees, and in particular yew trees, formed the basis for literature, religion, myth, legend and symbolism within Scottish Celtic culture. Introduction Trees play an important role in Irish and Scottish Celtic traditions in terms of mysticism, legend, medicinal remedies and religion and literature. The most famous example of this is probably the Celtic notion of the Tree of Life, a tree that symbolizes the connection that links all the worlds in Celtic mythology. The Irish Celts often took this even further with each chieftain having their own specifically grown sacred tree that would allow the clan leader to stay in contact with the Otherworld and his ancestors (Conway, 2000, p. 69). This essay will examine these concepts with particular emphasis on the importance of yew, rowan, birch and Scots pine trees in Scottish Celtic mythology, legend, symbolism, religion and literature. The first section will look at the history of trees within Celtic mythology and literature. Sections two and three will then examine the importance of trees in Scottish Celtic myth, legend, symbolism, religion and literature. History of Trees in Celtic Mythology and Literature The importance of trees in Celtic mythology is linked to their belief that all living things were spiritual and mystical beings. Whilst other cultures only saw animals as being spiritual, the Celts attached spiritual meaning to both animals and plants. Trees were also initially important because they provided food, warmth and housing for people, and therefore were seen as a sort of sustainer of life. The Celtic landscape of Northern Europe was also one where thick forests dominated the landscape. All of this contributed to trees becoming extremely important in Celtic history. Trees have also been used from the very early stages of Celtic existence as a type of alphabet and calendar known as Ogham. This intricate pattern of carved grooves has different trees representing different months (Matthews, 2001, pp. 6-8). Trees played a part in helping the sick in a physical way as well as a spiritual way. The oils and barks of different trees were used to treat illnesses ranging from abscesses and bronchitis to general disinfectant. The trees were seen as having great wisdom and being linked to both this world and the Otherworld (Conway, 2000, pp. 39-41). Trees were part of the magic of the time, and not just in Celtic culture. Throughout Europe there were examples and symbols of trees as powerful creatures. In Germany the rowan tree root could be formed into a humanlike image called an Alraun that could house a spirit and be communicated with (Greer, 2003, p. 19). The birch and yew trees were also mentioned extensively within the old Germanic language as part of the runes within Anglo-Saxon culture (Greer, 2003, p. 63, 149). It is clear that trees and plants have played an important part in language, culture and literature since the beginnings of the Scottish Celtic culture. In fact, the belief in the power and spirituality of plants can be traced right back to the Celtic religion and culture at its foundation. The very term Druidism is a testament to the Celtic worship of trees and plants. This is because Druid as a word is formed from a root DR. This root signifies a tree – in particular the oak – in several of the Aryan languages. Therefore, the very fabric of Celtic religion is based upon the sacred tree (Squire, 2003, p. 33). The original word for church at the time, kirk, was in fact derived from quercus – a type of oak. This species of oak was particularly sacred, and therefore its name became the basis for the place of worship that has been transformed through language to the modern church of today’s world (Thiselton-Dyer, 2004, p. 22). Trees were also important for warding off evil spirits and protecting the land. They protected the land physically through their thick branches that provided wood, shelter and shade from the elements (Davidson, 1988, pp. 13-14). However, they also provided protection from the evil of witches and other demons. The yew tree was particularly painful and disliked by the witches – mainly because it had an association with churchyards and being planted in such places. This gave the tree such holy power that it could take away the abilities and evil of witches (Thiselton-Dyer, 2004, p. 44). Trees could also be inhabited by spirits, which meant they were important vessels to link the current world with the spirit world. Trees were seen as a form that ghosts and spirits could take in order to contact the living, and this was something to be both worshipped and feared in equal measure. The trees were often seen as ‘semi-tangible’ objects that were not as vastly important as the highest gods, but they were symbolic of the demi-gods and along with animals were far more important than many of the other elements and objects around them (Macbain, 2003, p. 33, 37). The other element that made trees so sacred and valued was their longevity. Trees could live hundreds or even thousands of years, which made the people of the time see them as something almost eternal. They were timeless and ageless in many ways, and their longevity also gave them supposed wisdom. Man would decay and crumble, but the trees would live on and gather knowledge throughout the centuries. This is another reason why they were revered and worshipped as sacred objects (Murray and Card, 1998, p. 8). This section has outlined some of the background reasons and history as to why trees were sacred in the Celtic culture. The next section will look at specific examples of trees in Celtic myth, legend and symbolism. Trees in Myth, Legend and Symbolism Perhaps the most important elements of tree symbolism, legend and myth within Celtic society are the calendar and alphabet of trees and the Tree of Life. The tree calendar has 13 of the 25 tree letters as names for months. For example, birch is the symbol for new starts and therefore represents November – the first month in the Celtic calendar (Murray and Card, 1998, pp. 8-9). The yew, rowan and ash trees were also included in this alphabet (Crews, 2005). Each letter or tree symbol within the alphabet means something quite different and symbolizes a certain attribute within human existence. One famous poem and story shows the power of trees in Celtic myth and legend. ‘Big MacVurich and the Monster’ tells how the whelp of a monster is captured by MacVurich and in order to get it back the monster must build a house for MacVurich with timbers in the roof. The beast agrees, but will not use certain types of wood. Whilst the house is built and it seems that MacVurich has what he wants, the beast has in fact denied MacVurich fertility (wild fig), safe passage to the next life (yew) and protection against illness (white poplar) amongst others. The fact that these trees were left out of the construction is significant for it means that MacVurich would not have a good life – the monster was taking revenge through the power of trees (Murray and Card, 1998, pp. 19-20). Trees were also symbolically important for culture and art at the time, as they were the surroundings and inspiration that gave rise to the art of the time. Celtic artists worked predominantly with metal, and their works focused on the animals and plants around them (Green, 1998, p. 1). Symbols such as this show how the tree binds the worlds together, from the living world to the Otherworld and beyond. The tree is the link to all worlds with its roots deep in the ground and its branches far into the sky (Green, 1992, p. 25). The tree of life is also a symbol for the fact that trees provided protection, food, shelter, fuel and warmth for people and animals throughout the forest-strewn landscape. The trees were the objects that gave people the greatest resources that could sustain them, and therefore practically they were a life force (Green, 1998, pp. 3-4). Trees could also symbolize power and political force, as reported by the Romans in their fights with Druids. The Druids would use the forests to gather their clans together, communicate with each other using the branches and fight back. This is why the Romans, who did not specifically believe in the divine power of trees, cut down as many trees as possible to stop the Druids. This was both a practical and spiritual measure, given the significance of trees to the Druids (Heinz, 2008, pp. 139-140). The yew tree has perhaps the greatest significant and myth surrounding it, and even today has an element of mysticism around it due to its old age and the dwindling numbers of yew trees in Europe. Yew trees are in fact poisonous, and so they were used as parts of weapons within Celtic times. They also symbolize the dream-state, as the poisonous vapours from a yew tree can make a person become light-headed or even hallucinate. The tree is in fact given thirty three different titles and meanings in the 12th century Book of Leinster (Heinz, 2008, p.151). However, the most common meaning associated with the yew tree is death, rebirth and regeneration. As one of the longest living trees it was a symbol for the continuation and renewal of life (LaFey, 1999). The birch tree is also associated with birth or inception. The birch is the beginning of all things in the link between life and death and is used in the training of ‘beginning’ for Druids. The rowan tree is seen as a magical tree that grew food of the gods. The berries of the rowan tree were highly sacred and protected. The pine tree represents hardiness and continuation in life – a characteristic of the evergreen tree (LaFey, 1999). All of these trees and many more played a vital role in the development of Celtic myth, legend and symbolism. The next section will move on to look at the importance of trees within the religion and literature of the Celtic tradition. Trees in Religion and Literature As already discussed, trees were an important part of the Druid religion during the time of the Celts. Not only were trees the location for gatherings of Druids, but the trees themselves were part of the Druid religion. The birch was used to train those in the religion, and the carvings of the alphabet from trees were used for communication. Even the calendar that was observed by the Celtic Druids was based upon the tree alphabet. Much of the church of the Druids was based around the sacred importance of trees. Even special houses for religious and spiritual purposes were constructed out of vast quantities of wood to add a sacred element to the construction. Basic houses such as the Pimperne Down round-house used over 200 trees for construction for both practicality and religious advantage (Green, 1996, pp. 195-197). However, literature also contains a number of tree references and stories. In a practical sense, trees were obviously important in the physical creation of stories with wood and then eventually paper. However, before paper the use of trees for carving stories upon was commonplace. The tree alphabet characters were easy to inscribe and were carved upon wood, and such tree tablets served as early writing surfaces within Celtic society. The particular use of trees and the order of characters or letters often depended on when and where the particular trees shed or grew leaves and spread within a particular area. This is why certain areas put more emphasis on the importance of yew or rowan trees above birch or pine trees, and vice versa (Crews, 2005). One of the most famous of these tree stories is the ‘Battle of the Trees’, reworked by Robert Graves. It shows the rise of the belief in trees and the rise of a class of people devoted to agriculture from those who were merely priests within the Bronze Age. The story shows trees and plants as not only being part of the ruling of the nations, but also spirits that contribute to the decision making of who is to lead. Trees are the wisdom behind the power that rules within Celtic society (Rosenfeld, 2005, pp. 196+). There are references to all the various trees within texts and literature throughout Celtic culture. The rowan tree is mentioned extensively in the Dindsenchas or History of the Names of Places. This book tells of a female Druid called Dreco who wounded a man called Cethern (a word derived from rowan) with a rowan spear. Incantations took place when the weapon was used, showing that the rowan was more of a magical weapon than just a physical weapon formed from the tree (Blamires, 1997, p. 77). The birch tree can be used to call upon different beings such as the Daghdha. This rough looking man with unkempt appearance, long hair and a large belly can be used with the birch to help you understand the trees more effectively and communicate with the newly born and the Otherworld (Blamires, 1997, pp. 71-72). The yew is written about more than any other tree and is worshipped as two of the five sacred trees within the Druid religion. It is used to prepare magical literature, wands and in divination. As the oldest of the trees it holds more wisdom than any other and is used for the most important tasks within Druidism. The yew has no special significance in the sense of being about one object or element – the yew simply is and always will be in the same way that God or other worshipped entities whose existence is merely enough to understand the greatness of their power (Blamires, 1997, p. 210). The holiness of the trees and wood can also be seen with fines that had to be paid if you damaged trees such as the oak, yew, ash pine or apple tree. These ‘lords’ of the wood were sacred and could only be used for certain things. Any damage to these trees meant a fine and potentially replanting a tree to replace the one damaged. Rowan and birch were classed as lower trees within this system, and a lesser fine needed to be paid. However, all the trees were seen as precious commodities not only physically but spiritually. This is why trees were the inspiration and object of worship for so many within Celtic society and culture (Delahunty, 2002, pp. 16-18). Conclusion Trees have a long and rich history within Scottish Celtic society in a variety of areas. The reverence of trees came about because of the huge prevalence of trees within Europe at the time of the Celts. These trees provided the life force, shelter and sustenance for people to live their lives. As this developed along with the Druid religion, trees gained a spiritual significance along with the other elements of nature. Animals and weather are important within Celtic tradition, but trees are the basis of the Druid religion and Celtic myth. The concepts of the Tree of Life and the Ogham tree alphabet and calendar show how trees penetrate all areas of Celtic life. Different trees have different meanings, with the rowan and birch trees symbolizing magic and birth respectively. However, the most important tree within the Celtic tradition is the yew tree. This tree represents the highest power of trees. Its longevity, poisonous properties and ghostly shape make it the most revered and feared of all trees whose existence is as important as any modern God. This fear and reverence of trees as a link between worlds inspired the art, literature, legends, symbolism and behavior of Scottish Celtic society. Bibliography Blamires, S., 1997. Celtic Tree Mysteries: Practical Druid Magic and Divination. Llewellyn Worldwide. Conway, D.J., 2000. Advanced Celtic Shamanism. United States: The Crossing Press. Crews, J., 2005. Forest and tree symbolism in folklore. (Online). Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y9882e/y9882e08.htm (Accessed 13th January 2009). Davidson, H.R.E., 1988. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Delahunty, J.L., 2002. Religion, War and Changing Landscapes: An Historical and Ecological Account of the Yew Tree (Taxus baccata L.) in Ireland. Diss., Graduate School of University of Florida. Available at: http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0000522/delahunty_j.pdf LaFey, M., 1999. Sacred Trees, Oghams and Celtic Symbolism. (Online). Available at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/3951/dryadart.html (Accessed 14th January 2009). Green, M., 1992. Symbol and Image in Celtic Religious Art. London: Routledge. Green, M., 1996. The Celtic World. London: Routledge. Green, M., 1998. Animals in Celtic Life and Myth. New York: Routledge. Greer, M., 2003. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. Llewellyn Worldwide. Heinz, S., 2008. Celtic Symbols. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. Macbain, A., 2003. Celtic Mythology and Religion. New York: Kessinger. Matthews, C., 2001. Celtic Wisdom Sticks: An Ogam Oracle. London: Connections Book Publishing. Murray, L., and Card, V., 1998. The Celtic Tree Oracle: A System of Divination. London: Connections Book Publishing. Rosenfeld, N., 2005. Trees, Kings, and Muses: Robert Gravess Battle of the Trees and Jothams Parable of the Trees. Papers on Language Literature, 41(2), p. 196+. Squire, C., 2003. Celtic Myth and Legend. New York: Courier Dover Publications. Thiselton-Dyer, T.F., 2004. The Folk Lore of Plants. New York: Kessinger.

National Westminster Bank Essay -- Business and Management Studies:

National Westminster Bank 1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyse the case â€Å"National Westminster Bank† (David Woodgate and Nigel Slack, 1992), in order to identify any existing and potential problems, then after careful consideration recommend possible courses of action to rectify them. During the review of the organisation described in the case, the key issues will be identified and then related to relevant theory. Analysis will then be made of all relevant factors and recommendations will be made after consideration of all factors. Overview of the Case The case study to be analysed focuses on the St James’s Square branch of the National Westminster Bank in London’s West End. The case gives a clear and concise representation of the bank’s structure giving detailed descriptions of the all the employees roles and functions and an organisation chart. The focus is then applied to the Records Section and account opening procedure, which is where the problems are found and complaints have been registered. The results of a survey are summarised in the case to show the apparent level of customer dissatisfaction with the account opening procedure, the importance of such factors are then highlighted with a brief description of the level of competition within the banking industry. The views of are also considered and suggest areas where current systems may be failing the organisation. 2. Problem Key Issues The location of the bank in St James’s square is both a blessing and a burden to the organisation. The sophisticated clientele resulted in the bank being the most profitable in its region, yet they also expected an extremely high level of customer service. This high level of expectation from the customers resulted in any lapses in service being highly scrutinised. The key issues to be addressed within this branch occur in or around the process of opening accounts which is the responsibility of the Records Section, they are as follows:  · Customers joining the wrong queue and requiring redirection because the enquiries desk was â€Å"neither well positioned or signposted†.  · Competition is â€Å"tough† within the banking industry, particularly in this branch’s immediate vicinity.  · 36 per cent of customers felt formalities were not properly explained.  · 76 per cent had not received the sta... ...nt a new system in the Records Section. After consideration of alternatives it is apparent that it would be possible and practical for the organisation to do this without major disruption to the organisational structure. 5. Recommendations The main recommendation from the findings in this report is for the St James's Square branch to implement a cell layout in order for the Records Section to handle its workload. This would enable them to carry out all their tasks much more efficiently and fulfil its duties while maintaining customer satisfaction. To implement such a system the bank will need to employ a process of windows in which customers are able to come in and open accounts or to arrange appointments on the phone. Possible drawbacks with such a service would be that customers would not be able to open accounts at their convenience and may become dissatisfied with this process but the quality of product they would receive is likely to be much improved. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Statistics derived from a survey the branch carried out in 1989 on customer's views of their account opening procedures.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Cats Cradle Analysis

Ben Fisher Mr. Anderson AP Writing and Composition 1 14th November 2012 Cat's Cradle American Author Analysis by Ben Fisher Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a science fiction book that was published in 1963. The book is (falsely thought to be)centered around the narrator, John, and his quest to write a book about what was happeneing with the creators of the atomic bomb the day the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. His adventure follows his travels as he meets with researchers, the children of a fictional Dr. Felix Hoenikker, and ventures to an island nation to talk to the good doctors final son.Along this course, he explains a religion he does not yet have, as this is from a post-experience diary perspective, called Bokononism, and its practices. He gains knowledge of this religion and its creation on the island of San Lorenzo, which resolves in him becoming president. But this is a side plot of the book. The main plot, hidden in the background, is centered around a ficticious sub stance called Ice-Nine, with the power to freeze all the worlds oceans in the blink of an eye if it were to touch a single water source, an expression of mans' ability to destroy the things that surround him.Cat's Cradle is set in an unknown year more than 20 years after August 6th, 1945. At the beginning, John visits Ilium, New York to talk to Dr. Asa Breed at General Forge and Foundry, the place in which Felix Hoenikker â€Å"worked†, which leads to his discovery of several key locations in the area. The later half is focused on the fictional Carribean island of San Lorenzo, an island nation started by Earl McCabe, a marine deserter, and Bokonon, born Lionel Boyd Johnson, who created Bokononism.These settings leave a sense of a tight dichotomy between modern America and the Caribbean nation of San Lorenzo. Though the concept of the book within, about the bombing of Hiroshima, and a freeze frame of the events of that day, reveals a young nation holding infinite power in a va st expanse of nothingness. The concept of San Lorenzo as a country in location is central to the happenings of the book. To contrast this idea of self destruction is the concept of Bokononism, a religion outlawed on the island after being created by one of its founders.Christianity is the official religion, but both Protestantism and Catholicism are illegal, and every single citizen of the island celebrates Bokononism even with the threat of the â€Å"hy-u-o-ook-kuh†, representing how San Lorenzan natives pronounce the Hook, a giant fish hook that a Bokononist is threatened to be speared upon if they are caught practicing Bokononism. Though this concept is really an illusory ploy created by Bokonon and McCabe, and perpetrated by the island's leader, â€Å"Papa† Monzano, to give hope in pure foma, or harmless untruths, that form a religion that gives hope and reason instead of defining how you should live.You exist to serve the wampeter of you karass whilst avoiding gra nfalloons and trying to find kan-kans that leads the creation of more sinookas that lead to a procces of vin-dits. All the while you may be bothered by stuppas and pool-pah, but when you are busy, busy, busy, you will truly understand your situation, and in your zah-mah-ki-bo, you may lead yourself to think, â€Å"Now I will destroy the whole world†. All this while, you may connect to another, boko-maru will most likely lead to you finding your path. * *Translated: In short, the book is lies.Your life is based around serving the central theme of you group (wampeter of your karass) and avoiding intermingling into false groups (granfalloons), and finding items that help your cause (kan-kans) To create tendrils to intertwine others into your life (sinookas) causing shoves towards Bokononism (vin-dits). A fogbound child (a stuppa) or a shitstorm/the wrath of God (pool-pah) may try to mislead yourself, but eventually tou will think about the complicated and unpredictable machinery of life (busy, busy, busy) and will find your inevitable destiny (zah-mah-ki-bo) leading you to your task unknowingly.This may end in suicide (Now I will destroy the whole world) due to the duffle placed upon a stuppa (a fate of many placed on one who knows, nor can find, nothing). The idea of boko-maru is supposed to be a very sensual experience that connects two people deeply. Though at any time, your spirit is orbiting an object of great importance, your karass around a wampeter. The person who secondhandedly introduces us to these concepts is not our protagonist. It is our narrator, a minor character in his own aspects, but the only one that is left later, though he never truly matters.He is simply around to be an expositor of the actions of others, a minor characters sharing the traits of a protagonist. The true protagonist of the story, or which the story revolves around, is Felix Hoenikker, a fictitious addition to the Manhattan project team. He is portrayed as an odd man in capable of conventional thought or process, but able to think up and create brilliant objects in moments when presented with a problem. His mind otherwise wandered his whole life, and he was emotionless and apathetic towards anything but his work.His children, Newton, Franklin, and Anglea, play major rolls constructing the story for the narrator, exposing themselves as as weird as their father. Their mother, Emily, plays a minor roll in the story, but a major roll in a shift in the good doctors attitude that would barely be noticed by most, including his own children. Bokonon and Earl McCabe are presented as opposing forces, one being the founder and continual contributor of Bokononism, the other of a government willing to convict those practicing to keep the concept practical.This provides the whole concept of possibility for the ending of the book. One Julian Castle once owned the island and used it as a sugar plantation, and by all means is one of the most complex and thoughtful (see: evil/diabolical) characters in the book, running a humanitarian aid hospital in the jungle of San Lorenzo. He works alongside one Schlicter von Koenigswald, a former S. S. member that had worked in Auschwitz doing various unnamed evil tasks, now working at the Hospital of Hope and Mercy to atone for his sins.The main characters progress in that they gain a concept of both brotherhood and false family through their karass. By the end, the narrator has gone through rage, happiness, depression, excitement, and finally, he tells himself the truth. He becomes what he once feared, but does not fear what he becomes. The revelations that bring about this change are rather odd. At the beginning, John introduces that this is a book written about the events that brought about the end of the world.John is writing a book about the day of the dropping of the Little Boy on Hiroshima. This leads to a discussion with Dr. Asa Breed, the man who supervised Felix Hoenikker, the fictional forefath er of the atomic bomb. They discuss that the good doctor was very flittery minded, and worked on whatever he felt like. Once, they asked him if he could create something to turn mud to solid ground in seconds. He said it was impossible, and Dr. Breed believed it was never created. The truth is the good Doctor created the substance, named Ice-9, in small portions.John follows the trail to the son of Doctor Hoenikker, Newt, and his sister, Angela, a painting and a clarinetist, respectively. They all end up meeting on a flight to San Lorenzo, where John heads after learning Frank Hoenikker, the middle son of Doctor Hoenikker, had become the Major General of San Lorenzo. It is later revealed that this was achieved by using a sample of Ice-9 as a bargaining chip, trading it for the position after washing up on the shore after a shipwreck.The separate chunks, carried by Franklin, Newton, and Angela, were created when the good Doctor, whilst on vacation at his summer home, was playing arou nd with his original sample in his spare time. Whilst on the island, â€Å"Papa† Monzano becomes sick, and declares that Franklin will become the next president, and requests Bokononist burial rights. Franklin passes the buck on to John, asking him if he would take the position if he could marry Mona. He accepts, and plans to change the law so Bokononism may be practiced, but sees it has been outlawed such as to carry a flame of hope for all residents of the island.As he prepares to assume the position, â€Å"Papa† Monzano kills himself declaring that he â€Å"will destroy the whole world†, and freezing himself with his sample of Ice-9. Angela, Newton, John, and Franklin attempt to destroy any samples of Ice-9 and the corpse, but during a staged bombing run, one of the planes crash into the cliffside mansion and knock his body into the water, freezing the whole world solid. John and Mona takes refuge in a chamber built by â€Å"Papa† Monzano for the same reason, and they survive to see it in wreck, tornadoes reigning supreme, the sky a blanket of everlasting storms.Mona, upon finding most of the population frozen, tastes a small sample of the snow created by Ice-9, and dies instantly. John then happens upon the others who survived in the remains of the castle, and shortly thereafter meets Bokonon. The possible final words of the Books of Bokonon, driving the narrator subconsciously and consciously throughout the book, are well thought out, but only in the moment. â€Å"If I were a younger man, I would write a history of human tupidity; and I would climb to the top of Mount McCabe and lie down on my back with my history for a pillow; and I would take form the ground some of the blue-white poison that makes statues of men; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who. † Throughout the book, constant references are made to the book within the book about the creati on of the atomic bomb. Along these lines, Cats Cradle itself is an allegory about the destructive power of man when faced with an object of great potential that can be so easily mishandled.Ice-9 represents the arms race, and is a literalization of the phrase â€Å"Cold War†. Taking the context of the stringent political atmosphere between America and Cuba/Soviet Russia at the time, Vonnegut creates the theoretical isle of San Lorenzo for the bringers of doom, much as the Americans perceived Cuba could bring about the same end in an alternative fashion. Nuclear winter makes a strong connection, along with the toxicity of the snow that is brought about, along with the changes in weather and atmosphere. I opened my eyes—and all the sea was ice-nine. The moist green earth was a blue-white pearl. The sky darkened. Borasisi, the sun, became a sickly yellow ball, tiny and cruel. The sky was filled with worms. The worms were tornadoes† (P. 151). The true severity of the arms race is also parodied by the easy manner in which â€Å"Papa† Monzano brings about the end, with just a touch of the material to his tongue, similar to how with just the touch of a button over a faulty Early Detection System, the world could be brought to Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).Kurt Vonnegut, as he has done in many of his pieces, inserted his own consciousness to portray John, allowing him to insert his own perspective on any scene in which he is included. Though John only represents parts of his personality, and is not wholly the same. Through a combination of conversation, observation, and presentation of the conceptual ideas of this parallel reality, the exploration of practical destruction. Relevant to this information is his personal experiences in the happenings of war and the propensity of our people to complete these actions.Today, this book is a paradoxical, if not accurate, mirror to the climate at the time. Cold and drastic, not an inch to budge or you'd get bombed to smithereens. In this way, Kurt Vonnegut challenged a major part of what was considered standard for a novel, and instead wrote what he felt would move correctly, and for that he is remembered. â€Å"In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in his cosmic loneliness.And God said, â€Å"Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done. † And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close to mud as man sat, looked around, and spoke. â€Å"What is the purpose of all this? † he asked politely. â€Å"Everything must have a purpose? † asked God. â€Å"Certainly,† said man. â€Å"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this,† said God. And He went away. † I thought this was trash. (Pg. 153)

The Gulliver’s Travels

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan SwiftThe Gulliver's Travels is a satire done by Jonathan Swift, who is among the great authors in the fields of drama, prose and poetry. This was a collection of tales written during the Augustan Age, which can be referred to as the neo classical age, the age of Queen Anne, the age of pope or simply the 18th Century, in England. Satire was developed in Rome by Juvenal, Persius and Horace. The elements of satire as a style makes it the best of Jonathan Swift's writing skill employed in the Gulliver's Travel to help him achieve his goal; not to earn a living from writing as most of his articles were published anonymously, but to attack thin learning, to show his audience how a Christian should live and attacks man's ability to reason. The tales in this book show Swift's view of man as a weak and selfish character, one not in a position to make the right decisions when faced with challenges. Swift believes that man can find neither peace nor prosperity via his natural goodness and reason, but strongly believes that religion, through the church would keep man from destroying himself. He is considered a misanthrope and satirist at the same time as he narrates the political, religious, educational and economical values of the Great Britain and its relationship to Ireland through the four books that are classified according to the voyages he made as Lemuel Gulliver, the narrator. The element of setting and era is represented by the voyages by sea, either in fictional places, as shown by his visit to Lillipu, Brobdingnag, Laputa and the land of the Houyhnhmns or real countries like Japan and England made by Lemuel Gulliver. Gulliver is introduced as an Englishman, whose background is in medicine, navigation and mathematics. He comes out as a character who loves to travel and learn about people and his character is honest, naà ¯ve and uses his common sense in order to survive in various life threatening situations, like the case when he finally regains his consciousness after sleeping for long hours and finds himself tied up by the Lilliputians. Realism is used to explain how Gulliver finally finds himself in Lilliput, the land of the small people, almost six inches tall. This was as a result of the wreckage of his ship, Antelope, in which he served as a surgeon. Traveller narrative was the form through which Swift expressed his criticism and satire since his audience enjoyed reading about explorations and discoveries of new lands. Through Lilliput, Swift uses Gulliver to gain the confidence of his readers as they associate with Gulliver's honesty, naivety and peace loving nature. It is at this point where Gulliver uses common sense to survive instead of being violent. He gains the King's trust and is the granted his freedom and engages on the political structure and situation in Lilliput. The people here are prone to jealousy and conspiracy, with a division which they refer to as the Big-endians and Small-endians. These help illustrate the political and religious disputes in England. The Lilliputian Empire is a satire of King George the 1st; the king with his nationality as a German, who through marriage succeeded Queen Anne's throne. The empire, like King George, uses the blue, red and green ribbons during the rope dance to buy political support. This was the same case as that in England where the Garter, Bath and Thistle were used. Gulliver thought that the rope dance was not as effective as religious qualifications or reason to entrust a person in any leadership position. Gulliver proceeds to show that Flimnap the Lilliputian treasurer was the best rope dancer. This is his worst enemy both politically and at personal levels. It is evident that he compares him with Robert Walpole, the 1st England prime minister who had ruled for more than twenty years. Here, Gulliver and Flimnap represent the Tori and Whig parties respectively. The Tori party is shown as the party that believed in the power of the King and the church and usually honest and transparent in their discussions for they were for the good of everyone. The Whigs on the other hand were for the argument that there was need for a parliament to check on the powers of the King. The Emperor ensured that Lilliput was safe from the Blufascu, the Big-endians.The disagreement between the small-endians and the bigiendians has a history that relates well with that of England's religious dispute. King Henry VII, the father to Queen Elizerbeth is presented as a satire to show how he broke the Catholic hold of England when he created the Church of England. Gulliver does not see any reason for the disputes and refuses to be used as a weapon of war against Blufascu, but agrees to help them stop the war and is given the greatest tittle in Lilliput as the Nardac. This was the same case during the treaty of Utrecht, that though stoped the war, it was questionable. An illustration similar to this is when Gulliver urinates on the palace to save it from burning and yet it was against the rules of Lilliput to make water around the palace, yet he had saved the empiror's life, the empress among alongside some officials including Flimnap were angry with his behavior and wanted him executed as a punishment. The reader would agree with Gulliver for using any means available to save the emperor's life despite the method used and that it doesn't matter which side of the egg should be broken before eating it. It is also possible that the reader would agree with Gulliver's view of not being used as a weapon of mass destruction during war and that any nation lucky to have such a weapon should use it for encouraging peace. The same could be argued for the case of the both the Catholic and Protestants on basis of religion as they represent Big and Small Endians respectively. Gulliver agrees to pay a visit to Blufascu when her citizens come to negotiate for peace. When Gulliver heard about the Lilliputian's plot to blind him and starve him to death instead of killing him at once, he ran away to Blufascu. This is a frown upon Bolingbroke and Oxford's impeachment when it was agreed they be accused of misdemeanors as opposed to treason. For the fear of trial, they run for refuge in France. It is evident that Gulliver was large and with a great potential here to choose violence, instead chose peace. He then finds his way into an English ship headed back to England from Japan along the South Seas and to show realism indicates the date as 13th April 1702, then organizes yet another adventure to India on 16th June 1703, where following strong winds and twenty days of lost direction discover land, Brabdingnag. Brabdingnag, the land of the giants is used to show how disgusting people are, especially how the human body smells and man's ignorance. This was Swift's chance to express his feelings that there would be much larger forces that could potentially put an end to the world stage of English dominance. The Brabdingnagians are represented here as peaceful and whose simple rules are based on reason. He uses the King to question the English leadership and takes the chance of the King's inquisitive nature to explain the politics, social and economic status of England. The questions included how the nobles were educated, their nature, whether greedy or corrupt, the basis of bishops' promotions and if this was based on religion or goodness and knowledge, whether the house of commons' members spent much money to be elected, whether justice was time and money intensive for the citizens to have, and lastly, he was also interested to know whether lawyers valued money and pleaded for wrong causes. As Gulliver explained some of the questions, the king wondered how a small man's society, the size of Gulliver would think of gun powder to produce such an instrument that would destroy so many lives. Those ruling the English society are expressed as ignorant, vice and idle through Gulliver's stay at Brabdingnag. Gulliver is not happy when the King laughs about England based on the fact that he never imagined that such small people had tittles, distinctions and that they built nests and holes that they called houses and cities. The queen also criticized Gulliver for cowardice when he was uncomfortable with the flies that he describes as disgusting, with a terrible smell. Though they were loving and kind to him, he was not comfortable living a humiliating life and disliked the greedy nature of the farmer who focuses on profit from showing Gulliver to audience at the expense of his health then sells him when sick to the queen. Some of the Brabdingnagians were caring like Glundalclitch, his nurse who had nicknamed him Grildrig. She was not as ignorant, but at some times, she had left Gulliver unguarded at the palace and a guard's dog had picked and delivered him to its master. Had the dog not been trained, it would have caused him his life. Gludalclitch's friend was ignorant when given the responsibility to take Gulliver to the sea, a mistake that had given the eagles a chance to grab Gulliver's travelling box and latter dropped into the sea, rescued by the ship crew and a caring captain who offers him food and rest in his cabin as opposed to the rest of the crew that had so many questions for him. Gulliver makes yet another voyage that lands him to Laputa, the floating island, after his ship is attacked by pirates. In Laputa, pursuit of knowledge in music, science and philosophy is held at high esteem while people neglect their social affairs and common sense. The obsessed Laputian men neglect their wives to their obsession for astronomy that the sun might burn out and hence their wives become adulterous with men from Balnibarbi, an earth-bound city, that have no such preoccupations. He observes that even with their knowledge, they have unfitting clothes, build houses that lack accurate right angles, and the experiments that are carried out by the Projectors at Lugado are almost impossible to achieve and a waste of their knowledge and resources. This projects include the recovery of sun beams from cucumbers, converting human excrement to the food from which it was digested, manufacture of silk from cobwebs, rooftop downwards construction of houses and writing books without exerting ones brains on various subjects. He challenges the academic intellectuals and planners who engage in the pursuit of theories that are practically useless in England, a mockery of the loyal society's absurd inventions at that time. The Laputa king uses the floating island as a weapon to threaten and intimidate the cities bellow so that they can provide food and the necessities of life on the floating island. Failure to this, the island would be used to cut off rain and sunshine on such cities or even crush it by landing the floating island on those cities or using bombs. The city of Lindalino successfully revolts and the attempts to lower the floating island on it had been unsuccessful. This is an allegory of the revolt that Ireland makes against England's adopted international and foreign violent politics. Gulliver feels neglected by the people at Laputa for they value the knowledge of both music and mathematics, which he does not have. The King allowed him to travel to Balnibarbi where he meets Lord Munodi at Lagado. Among the houses in Lagado, only Munodi's was beautiful and well kept. This was as a result of a travel to Laputa made by the people of Lagado that motivated them to open an academy and develop new theories in Agriculture and Mathematics that ruined their land's productivity except that of Munodi who had refused and only followed the theories passed down from his ancestors. Gulliver is disappointed that resources are being used to fund unhealthy and unrealistic projects while the citizens are suffering in both poverty and hunger and decides to go back to England through Japan. The academy of Lagado is used to eplain how the Royal Society of Dublin misused funds allocated due to the hunger for inventions in England. This was the time of great Physicians, Mathematicians and Astronauts including Newton, who concentrated on inventions only to forget about their social life. The projects in the Royal Society of Dublin were used as means to acquire wealth and the arm-chair technicians among other hosts of mad inventions that resulted into financial crisis among which was the South Sea Bubble. The desire of humans to reverse both the past and historical figures is criticized for he reminds his audience that they were normal people. Immortality is also mocked since the people who possess this thought noble gift are presented as selfish, petty and eternally sad. Gulliver never liked the life in this part of the world and decided to return to England through the island of Luggnagg. There is no ship ready at Balnibarbi to take him to Luggnagg and together with two friends from Maldonada port city; he tours Glubbdubdrb Island, the land of magicians, headed by a governor with the power to summon the spirit of the dead for a twenty four hour service at his palace. Gulliver befriends the governor and is allowed to call any person from the dead and ask them questions only if he agreed to confine his questions to the period when they were still alive. He summons famous heroes starting with Alexander the Great, the conqueror of both the Greece and Percia, followed by Hannibal who concurred Romans by crossing into North Italy from North Africa through Alps, Julius Caesar who, first Roman Emperor alongside his rivalry Pompey the Great and Marcus Junius Brutus who was responsible for Caesar's assassination to help prevent the development of a hereditary monarchy in the Roman Republic. Satire in Glubdubdrib is used to show that history actually lies and that those who kill tyrants as they seek freedom should be appreciated. He really encourages the terrible suggestion that one would do the right thing by assassinating King George 1. This is evident where Julius actually confesses that there was nothing braver or even better that he did than what Brutus did by assassinating him for the sake of the Roman Republic.. Gulliver also shows the need to learn from smart people in the society, but being cautious not to be misled by the stupid people who write commentary. People who like Eustathius and Didymus become famous for commenting on Homer's literature works. The same case applied to John Duns who is famous for commenting on the literature works of Aristotle. Both Homer and Aristotle are not aware of people who became famous as a result of commenting on their works. Through this, Gulliver advocates for people becoming famous by their original contributions in literature and ethical models, as opposed to their endless talks about those developed by other people. He supports applied learning just as he opposes the Royal Academy of projectors and strongly encourages useful learning in England, which practical philosophy and applied science are examples. He then goes back to England and becomes captain of his own ship from which he is marooned on Houyhnhnm Island, land of the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos.The first encounter with the Yahoos, with physical appearance as that of man, violent, brutal, cowardly hairy but naked symbolizes the follies in human beings. Houyhnhnms on the other hand are reasonable and smart horses that. This is the only place that Gulliver

A Substantive Editor Is a Writers Coach

A Substantive Editor Is a Writers Coach A Substantive Editor Is a Writer’s Coach A Substantive Editor Is a Writer’s Coach By Mark Nichol Various editorial job titles abound editorial director, managing editor, senior editor, for starters but one you probably won’t see on a business card is â€Å"substantive editor.† Yet it’s the most important responsibility in the editorial process. Why, then, is it so obscure? The answer is simple: Substantive editing is a function undertaken by people identified by any of an array of other job titles (including senior editor). The substantive editor is often the first point of contact for a writer seeking to be published. At a periodical, the person assigning or accepting articles or essays known as a senior editor, a features editor, or the like does the substantive editing. In a book-publishing company, an acquisitions editor may negotiate a book deal with the writer and/or the writer’s literary agent, but it is the substantive editor often, in that environment, called a developmental editor who actually helps the writer polish the manuscript that earned them the publishing contract. (Sometimes the acquisitions editor is also the substantive editor.) This significant step in the editorial process involves at least one intensive reading of the content, followed by correspondence and an exchange of drafts that is more or less extensive depending on the publication, the timeline, and the condition of each successive draft. The substantive editor helps the writer tighten a manuscript’s scope, helping them focus on what works and what doesn’t by either revising or directing revisions of, or deleting or suggesting deletion of, passages or even entire chapters. The editor recommends reordering of chapters in nonfiction, or adding of scenes or dropping of subplots in fiction, and asks questions and makes comments that help clarify the writer’s objective or express their message. Substantive editing includes ensuring that writing is well organized and flows easily, and coaching the writer on sentence structure and word choice. For a fiction manuscript, the substantive editor works with the writer on plot, tone, character, setting, and other components of a novel or short story. Moreover, the editor helps the writer express a thesis or set the stage for a story, and reach a conclusion or bring a tale to a close and everything in between. The editor will make sure that nonfiction conveys authority and fiction supports character motivation. In sum, the substantive editor is the writer’s collaborator and their greatest ally. The editor shares the writer’s desire to succeed in crafting the best possible content. Writers even talented, established writers must remind themselves that whenever an editor suggests a course contrary to the writer’s wishes, the advice is generally sound. Some self-publishers essay writers, for the most part can get away without participating in this type of relationship, but the work of authors who produce a print or online book without such collaboration almost invariably suffer. Call me biased, but if something is worth publishing, it’s worth publishing well. Make sure a substantive editor is part of your team. 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 Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsPassed vs Past

Understanding Consumer Behaviour in Asian Mobile Phone Market

Understanding Consumer Behaviour in Asian Mobile Phone Market Executive Summary Consumer behaviour attempts to understand the buyer’s decision making process, both individually and in group. Behaviour of the consumer is biased or subjective. Their decision-making process is influenced by numerous factors. Personal influencing factors are categorized into two: internal factors and external factors.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Understanding Consumer Behaviour in Asian Mobile Phone Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This study explores the significance of consumer behaviour in developing and refining marketing strategies. It also examines internal and external influencing factors that impact on mobile phone purchasing in Asian market. In addition, it looks at some of the success and failure examples about understanding consumer behaviour in the mobile phone industry. The strategies used by these companies must conform to the changing market environment and changin g consumer needs/wants. Introduction Overview Consumer behaviour is the study of how when, why, and where people do or do not buy goods and services (Baker Hart, 1999, p. 46). It attempts to assess the influence on the consumers from external factors such as high salaries and income, growth of urban lifestyle among others (Sheth, Mittal Newman, 1999, p. 3). Consumers do purchase goods and services for a number of reasons and these may include reinforcing self concepts, maintaining a given lifestyle, becoming part of a particular group or gaining acceptance in a group they already belong, and or expressing cultural identity (Riquelme, 2001, p. 438). Behaviour of the consumer is biased or subjective (Blodgett et al., 2001, p. 90). Their decision-making process is influenced by numerous factors. Personal influencing factors are categorized into two: internal factors and external factors. Internal factors include consumer’s attitudes, personality, perceptions, personal-concepts , lifestyle, roles and emotions. On the other hand, external factors include things like household structures, group associations, subcultures, and cultural beliefs among others (Jaeger et al., 2003, p. 187; Baker Burnham, 2002, p. 352). Internal or psychological influences are personal thoughts and feelings. Internal influences depict the way consumers interact with the environment around them, recognise their personal feelings, assemble and evaluate information, make plans, and take action.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consumer internal influences are very vital in knowing why and how particular behaviours occur (Dahl Moreau, 2002, p. 47). On the other hand, external influence evolves from the formal and informal relationships that exist among people. External influences can also be referred to as socio-cultural influence (Dahl Moreau, 2002, p. 48). Consum er behaviour provides rich information about people who buy products and services (Hawkins, Best Coney, 1998, p. 10). Many companies often fail to understand the needs and want of the consumers when developing their marketing strategies and this has cost them very dearly. Therefore, evaluation and understanding of consumer behaviour must come first before creating marketing strategies and plans (Gruner Homburg, 2000, p. 6). The decision making process of the consumers consist of five stages. These stages help in understanding how consumer behaviour influences the decision they make when they are purchasing goods and services. These stages are: identification of the need, searching for the solution, evaluation of the alternatives, making of decision and finally evaluating the decision made. The last stage is where consumers do regret or commend on their purchases (Smith, 2003, p. 20). Purpose of the Report The purpose of this report is to explore the significance of consumer behavi our in developing and refining marketing strategies. The study examines internal and external influencing factors that impact on mobile phone purchasing in Asian market. In addition, the study looks at some of the success and failure examples regarding understanding of consumer behaviour in the mobile phone industry. Overall results of the study will help the Asian mobile phones companies to develop and adjust their marketing strategies. Consumer Behaviour and Mobile phone purchasing Attitude and Mobile phone purchasing At the present, there has been a massive shift from second generation to third generation mobile phones. This means the use of mobile phone has changed from mere calling to a variety of novel uses such as accessing internet, multimedia messaging among others. Liu (2002) conducted a study on factors that affect the brand decision in the mobile phone industry in India. She established that consumer attitude plays a significant role in purchasing decision. In her study she found out that choice for mobile phone is influenced by attitudes towards the brand and mobile phone network. Whereas service rates and regularity dominate consumer choices between mobile phone network providers, choice for mobile phone brand were affected by mobile phone technological features (Ling, 2004, p. 43; Meyer Johnson 1995, p. 78). Most consumers preferred to buy mobile phones from reputable brands such as Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. Mobile phone products from these companies are widely accepted in most of the Asian market and are considered to be the best (Ling, 2004, p. 44). Chinese mobile phones experienced a lot of negativity in some Asian markets despite of the fact that some Chinese brands like Techno are high quality mobile phones (Castells et al., 2007, p. 83).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Understanding Consumer Behaviour in Asian Mobile Phone Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most mobile phone companies in the Asian market sold their products through local network service providers. Mobile phones sold through network service providers which are reputable for strong and reliable networks recorded the highest sales compared to those with negative reputation. Some of these network providers have customized mobile phones to an extent that they can only use their lines. This has had considerable impacts on the sales of reputable mobile phone brands since consumers’ attitude towards some of the network service providers varies (Ling, 2004). Reference Group and Mobile phone purchasing Previously mobile phones were being perceived by general consumers as expensive luxury commodities which could only be afforded by a few. However, mobile phones are increasingly becoming common, affordable and accessible even in the rural areas (McNeill, Sanders Civille, 2000, p. 163). According to a consumer behaviour research conducted by Srivastava (2005) in the Asian market , the purchasing decision of most of the consumers is influenced by reference groups. These include friends, family, work-mates, and peer groups among others. Hawkins Best Coney (1998) defines a reference group as a group used by individuals to express their purchasing behaviour in a specific circumstance. A reference group in this case consists of a group of individuals that a person has frequent contact with and those that he/she does not have direct contact or membership but considerably have influence on his/her purchasing behaviour (Blodgett et al., 2001, p. 90). The latter group may include celebrities, college students, and national leaders among others (McNeill, Sanders Civille, 2000, p. 164). Srivastava (2005) emphasizes that mobile phones have transformed from technological gadgets to social gadgets with communication being the main purpose of purchasing a mobile phone. Nevertheless, facilitating coordination between friends and families and strengthening social interact ion are the most significant elements of using cellular phones (Yoo Donthu, 2002, p. 390). According to McNeill, Sanders Civille (2000), owning a state of the art mobile phone is nowadays regarded as an achievement, not only money-wise but also socially in terms of integration within the society.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Certain groups have been identified through the use of mobile phones. For example, Nokia Company has been conducting a huge campaign for its Asha phone with the youths in mind. Most youths in Asia, Africa and the rest of the world have been identifying with the QWERTY movement and this is the reason why Nokia Company opted to introduce a cheaper phone with QWERTY characteristics. QWERTY phones are so much appealing to the youth and most youths want to identify with it. This is an example of how reference groups do influence consumers’ purchasing decisions (Bloggers Association of Kenya, 2012). Motivation/Emotion and Mobile phone purchasing Sheth, Mittal Newman (1999) defines motivation as unrelenting need that inspires and motivates consumers’ long term ambitions. Emotions on the other hand are provisional state that reflects the present changes in motivation. Motivation and emotions are budding forces that stir up and stimulate some behaviour in consumers. The two no rmally work together to influence consumers’ behaviour. Motivation compels consumers through buying process while emotions drive the motivation (Thrash Elliot, 2003, p. 873). According to a study conducted by Ling (2004), consumers normally have emotional attachment to there cellular phones than any other electronic gadgets. This is manifested in numerous ways. She found out in her study that most people tend to use emotional terms when describing their experience with their cellular phones. For example, some of the people she came across told her how they normally panic when their batteries run down or how they love using their mobile phones since they are not restricted to phone their friends whenever they are. In addition, mobile phones always act as a linkage between people who are already in some forms of relationships. Therefore, mobile phones create a sentiment of being near the loved ones. Being alone no longer means being on your own since friends and families can a lways stay in touch using the mobile phone. To some people mobile phones have become a part and parcel of them like an extension in their body and have made a habit of fumbling with their phone even when not on use (Liu, 2002, p. 49). Consumer relationship with the mobile phone is extended to the information contained and stored in the mobile phone itself. Immediately an individual acquires a mobile phone and inserts his/her SIM card the subsequent activities entail customizing phone features including ring tones, messaging service among others. In addition, mobile phones normally have a record of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, personal notes, personal diary, videos, photos and many more items that are exceptional to an individual consumer. Therefore, mobile phones have become so valuable to the users that once they are lost they are difficult to replace (Thrash Elliot, 2003, p. 873). Some experts argue that individual’s emotional attachment to their mobile phones is a s a result of their relationships with others and that use of these phones is not a personal obsession. However, with the introduction of computer and video games on the mobile phones would make this an interesting debate. Many studies carried out on the use of mobile phones among the young people show that most of them prefer to play mobile phone games, even when they have PCs and games console (Vincent, 2005). As a result of this emotional attachment to mobile phones, mobile phone companies have been working indefatigably to improve the mobile phone to increase consumers’ emotional attachment to their mobile phones. Studies show that some consumers are willing to spend more than $600 for a single gadget as long as it has the features they want. At present, the very expensive I-phones and I-pads have dominated the mobile phone market and some consumers are willing to pay for them. These phones have extraordinary features that increase their emotional attachment to the consum ers. A number of the companies have also resorted to adding these features in cheaper mobile phone versions (Riquelme, 2001, p. 440). Successful and failure examples Over the past years, significant progress has been made regarding the development of new marketing strategies that conform to the consumers’ needs and wants. These developments have emphasized on reducing rates of product failure in the consumer market; however rate of product failure is still high and has not changed that. An example of this failure was experienced by AT T Company which introduced its first picture phones in 1964 Global Fair. The picture phone was launched in 1970 but slumped in 1974 due to lack of demand. A number of companies also attempted to launch different versions of picture phones in the 80s and early 90s and experienced the same fate (Floyd, 2001). Still, AT T re-launched the picture phones in the early 90s and experienced the same results. Despite of market failure, the company has b een adamant in re-launching this product in the market. Even with the present age of internet based mobile phones, picture phone’s time has not come. At the moment consumers are scrambling for smart phones, but they are still uninterested in picture phones. Therefore, new products that do not conform to the consumers’ needs and wants are bound to fail. Companies nowadays are starting to embrace tools of marketing research to establish consumer preference and need/wants (Floyd, 2001). Apple PLC is an example of a company that has been able to understand consumer behaviour in the mobile phone market. Its success is attributed to their market penetration strategy. The company is taking advantage of the computing revolution taking place at the moments by providing relatively cheaper and portable alternatives to laptops and desktops. In addition, the company has a tendency of introducing new features or quality devices which conforms to the current consumer needs and wants (Spark, 2009). The earlier smart phones that dictated the market were blackberries. They were viewed as top technological phones since they were able to combine normal phone features with PDA. Blackberries were replaced by I-phones. Apple I-phones are the greatest success story in the mobile phone history. Currently the company is introducing Android powered I-phones with the most powerful hardware and software (Spark, 2009). Conclusion In the past years, most marketers relied on daily contacts with the consumers to understand them. However, as companies and marketers expand, they normally lose contact with the consumers. This is the reason why most of these companies and marketers have resorted to consumer research since it is the only way they can learn more about consumer behaviour. Companies that actually understand how consumers respond to their products and services in the market are likely to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. Consumer behaviours are significantly in fluenced by cultural, social and psychosomatic elements. Therefore, companies must consider the needs and wants of the consumers first before developing any marketing strategy. The needs and wants of the consumers vary considerably depending on internal and external factors. As a result, companies must identify with how consumers transform marketing and other factors into buying response. When product managers are asked if a specific strategy will generate the desired outcome, they would generally say that it depends on: the product or service, targeted consumers, the message and the design of the strategy. All the above mentioned elements form the marketing mix. Conventionally, marketing mix include the 4Ps (Product, price, promotion and place) and are used to position product brands and to create value for these brands alongside the strategies used. In the case of our study, mobile phone companies in the Asian market can generate high volumes of sales if they set their priorities right. A number of literatures in our study have emphasized that individuals cannot be classified as a single entity since numerous internal and external factors influence their purchasing decision. Therefore, the mobile phone companies have to meet the needs and wants of the mobile phone consumers taking into account the consumers attitude, reference groups and motivational and emotional attachment to the product. The concept of reference groups has an enveloping effect on marketing studies. Reference groups have been used as a foundation for numerous marketing studies in different fields. But for our case he asserts that reference groups influence individuals in a number of ways including needs for social approval. Consumers apply both comparative and reflective assessment when purchasing a product. Although some consumers may decide to follow reference group(s) with caution, those who are more vulnerable to peer influence will always strive to satisfy the expectations of the refe rence groups by abiding by their norms. These norms normally function without verbal interactions or thinking. Companies apply their knowledge of motivation and emotions to formulate their marketing strategies. They can find ways of stimulating consumers’ emotions and motivating them to fill the need provoked by these emotions. Consumer attitude represent how the consumers perceive the products and services in the market. Companies must carry out marketing research to establish how there products and services are generally perceived in the market and make necessary adjustments. References Baker, G.A., Burnham, T.A. (2002). The market for genetically modified foods: consumer Characteristics and policy implications. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 4, 351-360. Baker, M., Hart, S. (1999). Product strategy and management. Eds. Prentice-Hall Europe, London. Blodgett, J.G., Lu, L.C., Rose, G.M., Vitell, S.J. (2001). Ethical Sensitivity to Stakeholder Intere sts: A Cross-Cultural Comparison. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29 (2), 90-202. Bloggers Association of Kenya. (2012). Nokia Announced the Immediate Availability of Nokia Asha range phones. Web. Castells, M., Fernandez- Ardevol, M., Qui, J.L., Sey, A. (2007). Mobile Communication and Society: A Global Perspective. London: MIT Press. Dahl, D.W., Moreau, P. (2002). The influence and value of analogical thinking during new Product ideation. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(1), 47-60. Gruner, K.E., Homburg, C. (2000). Does customer interaction enhance new product Success? Journal of Business Research, 49, 1-14. Hawkins, D. I., Best, R. J., Coney, K. A. (1998). Consumer behaviour-building marketing strategy. Journal of Marketing Research. 3(7), 2-45. Jaeger, S.R., Rossiter, K.L., Wismer, W.V., Harker, F.R. (2003). Consumer-driven product development in the kiwi-fruit industry. Food Quality and Preference, 14(3), 187-198. Ling, R. (2004). The Mobile Connection. The Ce ll Phone’s Impact on Society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Liu, C.M. (2002). The effects of promotional activities on brand decision in the cellular telephone industry. The Journal of Product Brand Management, 11(1), 42-51. Meyer, R., Johnson, E.J. (1995). Empirical generalizations in the modelling of consumer choice. Marketing Science, 14, 75-90. McNeill, K.L., Sanders, T.H., Civille, G.V. (2000). Using focus groups to develop a Quantitative consumer questionnaire for peanut butter. Journal of Sensory Studies, 15, 163-178. Riquelme, H. (2001).Do consumers know what they want? Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(5), 437-448. Sheth, J.N., Mittal, B., Newman, B.I. (1999). Customer behaviour: consumer behaviour and beyond. Orlando: Dryden Press. Smith, D.C. (2003). The importance of challenges of being interested. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 31(3), 319-322. Spark, G. (2009). The Apple Success Story. Web. Srivastava, L. (2005). Mobile Phones and the evolutio n of social behaviour. Behaviour and Information Technology, 24(2), 111-129. Thrash, T.M., Elliot, A.J. (2003). Inspiration as a psychological construct. Journal of  Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 871-889. Vincent, J. (2005). Are People Affected by Their Attachment to Their Mobile Phone? In Nyiri, K. (Ed). A Sense of Place. Vienna: Passagen Verlag. Yoo, B., Donthu, N. (2002). Cultural Consequences Book. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(3), 385-388.

KUHN Surname Meaning and Family History

KUHN Surname Meaning and Family History The Kuhn surname originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was bold or keen; descendant of KUHN, a pet form of Kunrat, German form of Conrad, meaning bold, counsel. Surname Origin:  German Alternate Surname Spellings:  KUHNE, KUEHN, KUHNS, KIHN, COON, COONS, COEN, COONE, KUNZ, KUNTZ, KUHNE, KOHN, KUEHNE, KÃÅ"HN,  KÃÅ"HNE   Famous People with the KUHNSurname Thomas Kuhn - American historian and physicist; famous for  his 1962 book called The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.Friedrich Adalbert Maximilian Kuhn - German botanistOskar Kuhn - German paleontologistRichard Kuhn -  Austrian biochemist, winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in ChemistryW. Langdon Kihn -  American painter and illustrator Where is the KUHN Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Kuhn  surname is most common in Germany, ranking as the countrys 56th most common surname. It is also fairly common in Switzerland, where it is the 74th most common last name.  WorldNames PublicProfiler  data indicates the Kuhn surname is especially common in southwestern German, particularly the state of Saarland. It is also common in Zurich, Ostschweiz and Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland, as well as in Alsace, France. Surname maps from Verwandt.de indicate the  Kuhn last name is most common in southwestern Germany, especially in the counties or cities of Munich, Neunkirchen, Stadtverband Saarbrucken, Ostalbkreis, Wurzburg, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Esslingen and Offenbach.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname KUHN Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Kuhn  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Kuhn  family crest or coat of arms for the Kuhn surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Coon DNA Surname ProjectIndividuals with the Coon surname and variations such as Kuhn, Kuehne, Koone, Kohn, Koon, Kuhne, Kuhns, Coontz, and Kuntz, plus dozens of others, have joined together to combine genealogy research with Y-DNA testing to help determine common ancestry. KUHN  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Kuhn  ancestors around the world. Search or browse the archives for your Kuhn ancestors, or join the group and post your own Kuhn family query. FamilySearch - KUHN  GenealogyExplore over 2.8  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Kuhn surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. KUHN  Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Kuhn surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - KUHN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Kuhn. GeneaNet - Kuhn  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Kuhn  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Kuhn  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Kuhn  surname from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Business Law Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Law Questions - Essay Example The third element of a contract is Contractual capacity. Those entering contracts must be legally competent and have the legal capacity to enter a contract. The fourth element of a contract is legality. The contract has to be legal and not against public policy (211). Thank you for contacting me regarding the unsolicited order and invoice that you received from Hot Air, Inc. I have reviewed the information you presented and can provide you assurance, based on the information given, that you are under no obligation to Hot Air, Inc. for the receipt of the mentioned merchandise. One of the four elements of a valid contract would be ‘agreement’, which would consist of an offer, and an acceptance of that offer. (Clarkson et al. 225) No authorized representative of your company accepted this unsolicited offer, which provides a solid defense. This would fall under the category of an implied-in-fact contract, if you had not returned the merchandise. With an implied-in-fact contract, the conduct of each party, rather than words, would define the terms of the agreement. (215). No words were used, so the remaining question would be is if your actions after receiving the unsolicited goods could constitute a binding contract. (215). This appears not to be the case. In contract law, an offer is â€Å"a promise to or commitment to do or refrain from doing some specified thing in the future.† (Clarkson et al. 225) One of the terms of an offer is â€Å"it must be communicated by the offeror to the offeree, resulting the the offeree’s knowledge of the offer† (225). The ‘reasonable person’ standard is important. Under the reasonable person standard, someone’s words or conduct are taken to mean what a reasonable person in the offeree’s position would think or do. (228). I understand that the blower was held in the mailroom for a couple of weeks and at least one or more people in the receiving department

Internal analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internal analysis - Essay Example Financial Resources and Analysis The financial resource of a company is the money available to the company in the form of cash, cash equivalents, credit lines and liquid securities. An entrepreneur needs to have sufficient amount of cash to operate a business successfully. Analytical tools like ratio analysis determine the profitability and business risks of the company. The management of the company needs to analyze the company’s profitability, business risks and financial condition to take a decision related with the company (Abacus, â€Å"Management†). The company had generated sales of $12 million in the financial year 2011. The current ratio signifies the company’s ability to meet the short term obligations of the company and a current ratio between 1.5 and 3.0 signifies that the company is in a healthy condition (Brigham, and Houston 87). The current ratio of ABS is 0.77 and 1.12 in the financial year 2011 and 2012 respectively. The company’s ability to meet its short term liabilities was very poor in the year 2011, however the company’s current ratio strengthened in the year 2012. ... The debt to equity ratio was negative in the financial year 2011 and improved considerably in the financial year 2012. The cash ratio of a company determines the ability of the company to repay its short term liabilities in a short time. The cash ratio of the company should be equal to or below 1.00. The cash ratio of ABS is 0.22 and 0.64 in the financial year 2011 and 2012 respectively. The cash ratio of the company is stronger in the year 2012 which signifies that the company has the ability to repay its current liabilities immediately by using cash or cash equivalents (Gibson 246). The inventory turnover ratio indicates the effective use of the company’s inventory management practices (Andrew, and Gallagher 97). The inventory turnover ratio of the company is 17.16; a high inventory turnover ratio is unhealthy because they represent an investment with a rate of zero. The return of the shareholder’s equity indicates the profitability to the shareholders of the company after including the tax and other expenses. The return on equity ratio in the year 2011 was negative which indicates that the shareholders did not receive any profit in the same year. This was mainly due to the fact that the hospitality industry was not performing well during recession. At the present situation, the hospitality industry is earning meagre profits because the economy is recovering from recession. The return on equity ratio was 5.06 percent in the year 2012 which signifies that the company is yielding profits and may provide better returns to the shareholders in the future. The current ratio of the company has been rising and the acid test ratio is weak. A strong current ratio coupled with a

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin Essay

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin - Essay Example The sense of originality has lost by use of pictures as compared to paintings. According to Benjamin, the reproducible film represents a historical shift that many audiences might fail to notice. Benjamin noted that the work of art reproduced mechanically has intervened to fill the void left by loss of aura. For instance, the loss of authority by the original work of art has been compensated by the use of a camera. Cameraman can direct the viewers eyes towards specific places and stories, as a result of being radical, revolutionary and totalitarian. Mechanical reproduction has introduced distraction as a new way of reception. There is a shift in the location of work of art that can be referred to as an aura to the mythological space. People are now capable of visiting places like museums, theaters, galleries and cinemas to see the work of art. Benjamin, however, complements the loss of aura. He notes that the loss has opened up politicization of the work of art put into use in different ways. He observes that a mechanical reproduction has managed to change contemplation regarding the screen as well as the films

The Importance of Translation Experience for Applying to the Position Essay

The Importance of Translation Experience for Applying to the Position of Staff Translator - Essay Example To make such texts I am creative, it means that I can recreate the text to make it understandable for TA. I have an eye for details, so all even small details will be preserved during the translation. I do not mean every language units, some of them translator can omit; because, the sense presents the greatest importance. I am adaptable, therefore I can easily switch the language from one to another. It means that consequent or even simultaneous translation would not be the problem for me. All skills which I have now, I acquired during my education and practice. It means that I aware of the main skills relevant to the position of translator. Though I have no much experience of actually working with languages, I can say that during our practical assignments, translations were carried out clearly and understandable. Moreover, theoretical knowledge means much considering working with languages. Speaking about my personal skills I can underline management skills which allow me to lead a team of translators to bring more effective results and produce translated texts even quicker. Even in the position which supposes independent work, good management skills will be very useful to direct the team to good execution of projects. Management skills also refer to my ability to drive myself to the set aim. One more effective skill that belongs to the personal skills is an ability to maintain good communication. It is useful considering communication with a customer, communication with teammates and at last with an audience, to whom the translation is made. Such skills are inevitable, due to the nature of the profession. All translation is based on the maintaining of communication between two or more people. Therefore, it is good to have such skills considering translation. There are many issues need to be solved during the translation activity and translator should be able to deal with them. Therefore one more effective skill is good problem-solving.  Ã‚  

Evaluate the proposition that the research findings from the use of Essay

Evaluate the proposition that the research findings from the use of animal models has led to new approaches to reduce the effects of ageing in wound healing - Essay Example This might help to identify the targets for novel and effective drug therapy. Normal wound healing is innate host immune response for tissue regeneration and repair involving coagulation, inflammation, epithelialization, formation of granulation tissue and tissue remodeling (Ashcroft et al. 2002). In response to injury stages of wound healing are depicted in figure 1 (Gosain and DiPietro 2004). The number of polypeptide growth factors and cytokines like epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (ÃŽ ²-FGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) A & B isoforms, the transforming growth factor (TGF-ÃŽ ²), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in wound healing process. It is demonstrated that delayed wound healing in both elderly animal and human individuals is due to decreased inflammatory and proliferative responses, delayed angiogenesis, delayed remodeling and slower reepithelialization (Strigini and Ryan, 1996). Morphology of skin changes with aging process. It involves flattening of the dermo-epidermal junction, disorganized microcirculation, decrease in number of cells as well as dermal cell constituents like fibroblasts, mast cells, macrophages. Also, the morphology, properties and quantity of dermal extracellular matrix content such as collagen, elastin, glucosaminoglycans changes with aging. These variations lead to delayed cellular proliferation, migration, modified binding of growth factor to matrix, alteration in adhesion molecule synthesis and changes in molecular signaling (Ashcroft et al. 2002). These changes affect functional cell response to all the stimuli. The age-related changes in the individual phases of healing are summarize d in Table 1 (Goain and DiPietro 2004). The animal models which are used to study the impact of aging on wound healing are not suitably characterized. Therefore the reported evidences itself are contradictory (Ashcroft et al., 1995). Only well