Whenever Culture Has Ever Been Defeated Essay Example

Whenever Culture Has Ever Been Defeated Essay The drama A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams was written and staged in 1947. Since then it has received a high popularity with the public not only in the USA but all over the world.Almost all the critics agree on the wide range of conflicts being present in the play. The researchers from different critical schools find them on topical, character, stylistic and symbolical layers. The key players in the explicit conflict shown in A Streetcar are Blanche DuBois and her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. Against the backstage of intensely complex and diverse culture of New Orleans they perform scenes of mortal combat. In the end of the play both of them are put on the brink of collapse. The critics say that Stanley having abused his power in regard to Blanche symbolizes the victory of primitivism over high culture, of realism over romanticism and of urban Yankees over rural southerners.   However, the essence of the conflicts in A Streetcar is far more complex.Throughout the scenes of the play an observer is free to compose his or her own understanding of the conflicts happening. Though Blanche is assaulted as the representative of the Southern refined culture, though she is abandoned in her feelings and values and is taken into mental asylum in the end of the drama, this living symbol of noble culture is not defeated by her counterpart Stanley. The theses are proved by various pieces of critique in different periods as well as by the deep analysis of the play itself.In the introductory scenes of A Streetcar the author depicts Blanche as being â€Å"incongruous to this setting† (Williams 5). The critics interpret the stage remark as the clue to Blanche representing an environment that is more refined than the cheap setting of Elysian Fields. What does it mean to be â€Å"incongruous†? The author clearly emphasizes that the heroine is incompatible; inconsistent, dissociable in regard to the surroundings not just in terms of geographical loc alization or appearance. Gradually a reader of the play script (or a spectator of the classical variant of the play) learns what incongruity means in the DuBois’ case.Having come from the fortress of the Old Good South, the Belle Reve, having escaped from the shameful settings of Laurel to Elysian Fields, the main female character is conceptualized at first as being really unprepared for dirty staircases, rough neighbors, shambling houses and the scenes of street disorder at the Kowalskis. She is not prepared to see her sister to be a plain housewife and her brother-in law to be dressed in a bowling jacket. Tischler defines Blanche DuBois (who is impeccably dressed and has distinguished looks) as â€Å"a Southern belle† (42) and it seems to be true. Yet why is Stanley (who is dressed casually and looks plainly) defined as â€Å"the clear victor† (ibid.) then?Williams describes Blanche as a woman whose â€Å"delicate beauty† â€Å"must avoid a strong ligh t† (Williams 5). She is undoubtedly a product of the old-fashioned and traditional South with women sitting on the shady verandas or in the cool living-rooms accepting flirtous, easy-going and amiable relatives and friends. She behaves like a heiress of an exuberant and rich household waiting for a true lover to come and take her with all her beautiful body, refined soul and possessions. However, this myth of â€Å"a Southern belle† tends to be ruined in the sequence of scenes.First, the Belle Reve, a beautiful dream of the rural South, comes to a decline. Second, amiable and multiple relatives disappear. Whereas Blanche stays the same beautiful dreamer, the beautiful world around her ceases to exist. Her sister’s place appears to be a pitiful and hostile place. Her refined manners are said to be a mask too loose to fit. Her brother-in-law happens to be a brutal beast spying and tracing her like a game, denigrating her human and female value, devoiding her of the only candidate to make a match, etc. Yet she is hoping for some chimeras. Meanwhile, Stanley is not dreaming but forces Blanche to leave his house and life.Frankly speaking, the essence of the play’s conflicts is not of the family conflicts between close relatives. To understand it more clearly, the characters need to be characterized. As a French descent, a southern belle, Blanche is extremely choosy concerning social background of her own and of men to socialize with. She despises Stanley for being Polish and mockingly asks him if the Poles are â€Å"something like Irish, arent they?† (Williams 16). In the southern snobbish consciousness people from other places besides the South itself are intruders and barbarians. Brustein pointed that â€Å"[a]s a social or cultural figure, Stanley is a villain, in mindless opposition to civilization and culture – the ‘new man’ of the modern world whom Williams seems to find responsible for the present-day de cline in art, language, decorum, and culture† (9).It is true that Kowalski prefers bowling and poker to noble hunt or horse rides. It is true that he does not speak French, the language of the nobles. It is true that he throws bloody piece of meat for his wife to cook instead of inviting her for a walk in the magnificent alley of the ancestral manor. However, Stanley is far from being just a villain or a Neanderthal as Blanche puts it. Brustein proceeds that â€Å"[a]s a psychological or sexual figure, however, Stanley exists on a somewhat more heroic moral plane† (9).Stanley is at all times an active character, one who manipulates each situation in which he appears. Rather than expressing dissatisfaction with the grubby conditions in which he lives, he exults in them, and he does not indicate any desire to better himself. More important, Stanley, as brute force incarnate, has no poetry or sensitivity or nobility in him [†¦]. His intelligence is mostly animal cunni ng and his power of speech limited to expressing basic desires. (Brustein 10)The emphasis in depicting this character is vividly made on his active and exuberant sexuality. Neither Stella nor Blanche can avoid this animal charisma. Some may say that Stanley is too primitive as a person: his dominant motives are â€Å"a sense of ownership† and â€Å"ecstatic sexuality† (Tischler 42). But he is shrewd enough to notice that Blanche steps out as his antagonist, He senses â€Å"condescension in her tone toward him [that] signals a challenge to his authority† (Tischler 42). He understands that she is â€Å"the snake in his garden† (Tischler 42).To continue, despite his sexuality and brutality, Stanley is able to display affection towards his wife and a baby. If he is â€Å"an ignoble rather than a noble savage† (Brustein 10), then, he behaves in a strange manner pleading his wife to stay with him. As Tischler notices, he possesses â€Å"a rough charm, b road comedy, delight in battle, primitive protectiveness of his home – the qualities most frequently admired in the all-American male† (47). Stanley says about himself: â€Å"I am not a Polack. People from Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But what I am is a one hundred per cent American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and proud as hell of it, so dont ever call me a Polack† (Williams 134).Kowalski is not a plain barbarian but a rather complex personage, though, with rigid cultural, moral and intellectual frames. Kernan assumes that â€Å"[i]n his code, women are divided into two categories, sluts and virgins. Only virgins are allowed to marry his buddies; sluts must be exploited and exposed† (17). He finds evidence of Blanche being a slut and does not pause to treat her accordingly. Blanche, however, is not a plain slut.Strikingly, Kolin agrees with Henry I. Schvey in the assumption that â€Å"Williams was thinking of attributes traditional ly identified with the Virgin in Renaissance art† (82). Blanche is â€Å"a tragic heroine† (ibid.) partly because of the impossibility to stick to this image of purity and suffer. She is obsessed with lust and is able to welcome equally the soldiers from a military camp in Laurel, a newspaper courier, and Stanley’s friend who is far from being her ideal man.Brustein analyzes the conflict between Blanche and Stanley as the one with sexual underlying:The conflict between Blanche and Stanley allegorizes the struggle between effeminate culture and masculine libido. It is no accident that Stanley, in the climax of the play, subdues Blanche by a brutal sexual assault. (9)If Blanche is obsessed with lust so much (the same researcher stated that â€Å"Blanche is a nymphomaniac,† Brustein 9), why does she reject Stanley then? Why is their sexual encounter a rape? What man does Blanche seek for?The poet Allan Grey whom she has fallen in love with for his masterfully written letters turns out to be a pervert. Her ideal of manhood, a â€Å"beautiful and talented young man† is â€Å"a degenerate† (Williams 124). In a while she meets a high-school student of hers in Laurel who also bears the same sign of distinction from the others as Grey: â€Å"There was something different about the boy, a nervousness, a softness which wasnt like a mans although he wasnt the least bit effeminate-looking – still – that thing was there† (Williams 114). If she seeks for sensitivity in a man, she makes the wrong choice because in the end of sensitive relationships she is collapsed physically and mentally. If she seeks for plain and exuberant sex, she is collapsed again psychologically and in terms of her reputation in the end of each affair.Blanche is portrayed as â€Å"a frantic, trapped woman, still proud, still determined to survive. Because she assumes that she must pretend to be the innocent romantic in order to attract men, she hides her past, her age, and her sexual appetites† (Tischler 46). This inner and implicit conflict of Blanche adds complexity to the intrigue of the play. One may find it strange that Stanley’s sexual appeal is found â€Å"though violent, [†¦] unmental, unspiritual, and, therefore, in some way free from taint† (Brustein 9), and Blanche with her sexual appeal is called a nymphomaniac. Her sin and perversity may derive themselves from the sources other than sex.Additionally to being tainted with corrupted sexual lust, Blanche does not suit the everyday environment in regard to her habits and manners. Why does Stanley’s informer who used to know Blanche in Laurel refers to a woman of manners, good social background and high education as to â€Å"not just different but downright loco – nuts† (Williams 121)?   Why does she ironically remark: â€Å"True? Yes, I suppose – unfit somehow . . .† (Williams 146-7)? Does the argu ment cover just the matters of sex and prostitution? Hardly is it so. On the point Tischler assumes:She has to prove she is a lady of breeding and elegance, forcing herself to perform rituals out of keeping with her new context. When her commitment to class distinction requires that she demand respect due a lady rather than accepting tacit recognition by those she meets, she quickly becomes a grotesque parody of a forgotten age. (49)According to Brustein, the conflict between Blanche and Stanley comes from the distinctions in their cultural backgrounds: â€Å"culture and tradition are desirable, but breed effeteness and perversity [†¦] and make one an easy prey to the unenlightened† (9). The enlightenment for Blanche is her reminiscences of better times and better places. Tischler calls these Blanche’s pattern of socializing to consist of â€Å"empty gestures of an anachronistic cultural context† (48).Blanches heritage of landed aristocracy is dying of its own vices. In the urban setting of the New South, class is determined by power and wealth. Stanley will triumph because he has the will to succeed, as Stella understands. He is a type of crude new immigrant, who has no taste for the heritage of the Old South. (ibid.)Thus, one more point of confrontation of Blanche and Stanley between sex is the cultural one. The opposition of â€Å"the rich cultural traditions of the Southern heritage† and â€Å"the crude, but vital, modern setting† (Tischler 50) drives the play towards its climax, the total collapse of the cultural embodiment or living signifier, Blanche.One, though, may say that the opposition is not structured exclusively between cultural and non-cultural concepts. Kernan suggests the presence of realism and romanticism opposition. The researcher states that William’s model of realism and symbolism in A Streetcar is more complicated than in the earlier playwrights.[†¦] there is a â€Å"real† world outside and inside each of us which is actively hostile to any belief in the goodness of man and the validity of moral values. His realism gives expression to this aspect of the world, and A Streetcar Named Desire is his clearest treatment of the human dilemma which entails the dramatic dilemma. We are presented in Streetcar with two polar ways of looking at experience: the realistic view of Stanley Kowalski and the non-realistic view of his sister-in-law, Blanche DuBois. Williams brings the two views into conflict immediately. (17)Whatever conceptualization is made of the conflict between the main personages of the play, the coda of the drama erases the distinctions between the participants as the right and the wrong side. Stanley wants to prove his masculinity on behalf of Blanche and enjoys triumph. Blanche wants to oppose the seductive sexual power of her brother-in-law and fails. It puts her on the brink of self-denigration. Stanley in his opposition to Blanche pursues the goa ls of territorial protection derived from â€Å"the very human hunger for a secure home† (Tischler 48). Blanche after all shifts the category of home onto Stanley: â€Å"maybe (Stanley)s what we need to mix with our blood now that weve lost Belle Reve and have to go on without Belle Reve to protect us† (Williams 45), she says to Stella. Blanche after all wants to ruin Stanley’s world to assert the one of her own.In the very end, Stanley is left with his wife and a new-born baby being exhibited altogether to vague family and social perspectives. Blanche is ushered to a mental asylum. Stanley seems to be the winner and Blanche seems to be a loser. However, the defeated and raped side appears to celebrate victory in the end.Tischler states Blanche’s â€Å"moral victory in the face of a physical defeat† (44). DuBois’ lover dreamed about turns into a psychiatrist but she never cares. She is free and beautiful again at her best with violets on her bosom and a doctor on the arm. After all it does not matter whether Stanley would feel regret after Blanche; or whether Blanche would recover mentally. What matters is that different cultural backgrounds have proved the urgency to exist in different modes. Instead of justifying urban and rural, or realistic and symbolic mode of behaviour, one may turn to think about truth as beauty as Tischler proposes.Although we are determined to understand the real world, to look clearly at life, we also have a perennial hunger for romance, which relies on exaggeration and imagination. We want human relations to be more than sexual need, we want human life to be something more than animal existence. (Tischler 51)One cannot say that culture is defeated in Blanche’s representation. Instead one thinks about finding new goals in life full of peril and aggression.The need today is not for a hero who seems to be a rebel while really conforming to an established pattern, but for a hero who, with out rejecting language, tradition, education, and art – without finding consolation in the impulsive anarchy of Stanley Kowalski – can express the nonconformism which stems from a long, hard, individualistic look at the world. (Brustein 16)Evaluating A Streetcar by Williams a contemporary reader and viewer defines the conflict between the main personages of the drama as extending its complexity far beyond the sexual underpinning. The opposition of home and alien space, simple and complex system of values and judgements, realism and symbolization, and, finally, of culture and simple instincts makes the play still luring and suggestive for modern audience. Blanche serves an embodiment of culture with all its difficult and perilous consequences such as perversity, frustration, disillusionment and aggression. The same aggression yet grown from other motives and settings is seen in the type of modern urban hero which is represented by Stanley. Despite the physical and menta l breakdown, Blanche is far from being defeated. She teaches everybody a moral lesson of keeping the cultural treasury of poetry, magic, nobility and exuberant palette of motives and values. Culture is not defeated by simpletons. It adjusts itself to reality in this form of other. This lesson seems to be one of the gifts Williams continues to grant audience with through his creative ancestry.

Shangri La Hotel Essays

Shangri La Hotel Essays Shangri La Hotel Essay Shangri La Hotel Essay Shangri-Las Net Profit Rises 54% Kate OKeeffe. Wall Street Journal (Online). New York, N. Y. : Mar 17, 2010. Abstract (Summary) HONG KONGLuxury hotel operator Shangri-La Asia Ltd. said Wednesday its 2009 net profit rose 54%, lifted by higher property prices, though its core hotels business suffered from a sharp drop in demand due to the global financial crisis.  »   Jump to indexing (document details) Full Text  (515   words)| (c) 2010 Dow Jones Company, Inc. Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. HONG KONGLuxury hotel operator Shangri-La Asia Ltd. said Wednesday its 2009 net profit rose 54%, lifted by higher property prices, though its core hotels business suffered from a sharp drop in demand due to the global financial crisis. The economic crisis hit the hospitality sector as businesses restricted employee travel and tourist numbers declined. The industry has lagged other sectors in its recovery outlook, even as demand has been making a comeback since the end of 2008. The Hong Kong-listed company, which is controlled by Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok Hock-nien, said though it expects improvements in its business this year and next, it doesnt expect to return to pre-crisis levels until 2012. Weve been fairly encouraged by the last 10 to 12 weeks, said Shangri-La Chief Financial Officer Madhu Rao at a news conference, adding there has been a return in business travellers. He also said he expects the second half of this year to be better than the first. Shangri-La, which owned stakes in 49 hotels at the end of last year, said its net profit for 2009 totaled US$255. million, up from US$165. 9 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 9% to US$1. 23 billion from US$1. 35 billion. The strength in Shangri-Las earnings was mainly due to a US$327. 1 million non-cash property revaluation gain, up from US$13 million in 2008, reflecting higher property rates. The company has stakes in a number of investment properties such as shopping malls and offices, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. Stripping out the accounting gain, Shangri-Las operating profit for the year fell 69% to US$51. 3 million from US$163. 2 million, dragged by the poor performance of its core hotel operations. Total revenue for room rentals fell 15% for the year to US$570. 2 million from US$674. 2 million, with average revenue per available rooma key metric of the hoteliers performancefalling 24% for the year. RevPAR for its hotels in mainland China, Shangri-Las biggest single market, fell 27% to US$66 from US$91, while RevPAR for its hotels in Hong Kong fell 24% to US$157 from US$206. Shangri-La said it saw more opportunities in China as the nations economy continues to expand and that outside of projects it has already committed to do in Beijing and Shanghai, most of the companys development focus will be in provincial cities. Credit Suisse said last week Shangri-La Asias well-established footprint in tier-two and tier-three cities in China should help it generate superior returns over the next three to five years, noting hotel room oversupply concerns persist in tier-one cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The brokerage firm said Shangri-La Asia would likely have stronger earnings growth momentum compared with regional peers Hong Kong Shanghai Hotels Ltd. and Mandarin Oriental International Ltd. due to expectations its hotel portfolio will increase 26% over the next three years in terms of rooms. Shangri-Las disappointing core earnings performance comes after rival Hong Kong ; Shanghai Hotels last week reported a 61% drop in underlying profit to HK$315 million from HK$807 million in 2008 as hotel revenue was hit hard by the financial crisis from January to August. Credit: By Kate OKeeffe | Translate document from:   | Other available formats: Abstract Find more documents like this: Subjects: Hotels motels Bond issues Stock offerings Capital formation More options v | | Shangri-La raises $375m in rare market foray for Kuok; Euroweek. London: Feb 13, 2004. pg. 1 Abstract (Summary) Shangri-La Asia, the Asia Pacific hotels group controlled by Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok, on Monday raised $375m in a dual $200m convertible bond and HK$1. 354bn issue of new shares. The dual deal, led by JP Morgan, was the first such joint exercise from Hong Kong, emulating the larger deals from Singapore earlier this year. In Hong Kong, only Star Cruises has achieved similarly attractive 5 year funding in recent memory. The last time Shangri-La Asia issued a convertible was in the racy markets of 1993.   Jump to indexing (document details) Full Text  (626   words)| Copyright Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC Feb 13, 2004 Shangri-La Asia, the Asia Pacific hotels group controlled by Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok, on Monday raised $375m in a dual $200m convertible bond and HK$1. 354bn issue of new shares. The dual deal, led by JP Morgan, was the first such joint exercise from Hong Kong, emulating the larger deals from S ingapore earlier this year. The challenge was to raise $375m for a company whose stock is illiquid, with less than $1. m trading a day on average. The total fundraising represented 325 days average trading volume. Moreover, there is little or no stock borrow available, making it almost impossible for buyers to set up the usual delta hedge strategies. Shangri-La also wanted to defer dilution because in hotel development, returns lag investment by several years. The company was also wary of stretching its balance sheet, which has previously been geared at 35% or less. The compelling terms available in the CB market made a convertible an obvious choice. However, the stocks illiquidity and the lack of stock borrow meant a maximum size of about $200m. These conditions also meant it appealed more to outright buyers than arbitrage funds. With the CB, Shangri-La secured five year funding at a zero coupon. Issued at par with redemption at 114. 633 and no put, the deal yields 2. 75%. In Hong Kong, only Star Cruises has achieved similarly attractive five year funding in recent memory. The tightly priced jumbo convertible from Henderson Land recently had a one year put structure. The conversion premium of 25% was at the low end of the range, but JP Morgan extracted implied volatility of just over 32%, compared with about 35% historical volatility, which is an excellent result for a non-technology stock. There is still huge interest in any stock that offers a play on the Chinese market. Kuok, with his high level connections in China, is considered more likely than others to succeed. There was price sensitivity in the book, as the buyers were mainly the European CB funds and other more equity focused players in the US and Asia, said a CB specialist in Hong Kong. Solid buyers who tend not to flip issues in the immediate after-market are always more cautious on pricing. The bond floor is also notable, pricing at just under 90%. For an issuer of this type to secure five year funds at modest cost, the investor base demands a floor of about 90% as a minimum, said the same specialist. The last time Shangri-La Asia issued a convertible was in the racy markets of 1993 , when the Kuala Lumpur stock market was often trading more shares daily than the NYSE. Although originally Malaysian, Kuok has lived in Hong Kong for many years, from where he has steadily built his plantations-to-shipping-to-hotels group of listed companies. Recently Kuok has focused much of his attention on mainland China. Shangri-La Asia, for example, owns Beijings largest hotel, the Kerry Centre Hotel. The new funds are slated for further expansion in China. The 183m shares were sold at HK$7. 40, a 7. 5% discount to the stocks HK$8 close on Monday. That was the wide end of the 5%-7. 5% discount range. Shangri-La has not traditionally enjoyed a strong following among funds outside Asia, largely because of its modest trading volumes and also because Kuok has for decades tended to steer clear of the capital markets. For this reason most of the shares were sold in Asia. With trading volumes at a little over HK$24m daily, the new share issue represented 56 days trading and will dilute shareholders (other than Kuoks Kerry Group) by roughly 8. 5%. Kerry owns slightly over 50% of the company and in keeping with Kuoks practice of retaining control of group companies, it took up $85m, or 48. 5%, of the shares on offer. ction: International News BEIJINGTheres much more than hotels in Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts expansion plans for the Peoples Republic of China. To staff both its present seven and at least 10 new properties set to open by 1998, Shangri-La is opening two new training facilities. A management-training center will open in Beijing in February, and an Institute of Management wil l open in Shenzhen at the end of 1996. Current Chinese employees total 7,000, a number which will increase to approximately 17,000 with the proposed expansion, said Phil Stephenson, group director of human resources. Our management projections indicate that we will need to train and develop 5,000 managers and supervisors during the next five years to meet the needs of the expansion and replacements. Experienced managers and supervisors are simply not readily available in China, Stephenson said. We are therefore taking a pro-active stance by developing our own hotel educational institutes. The Beijing project is expected to have start-up costs of $280,000, with operating costs of $645,000 annually. The facility is expected to graduate more than 1,000 students each year. The Institute of Management will be a much bigger project, involving construction of a campus-style school including classrooms and dormitories, Stephenson said. It will graduate 450 students a year in a 48-week prog ram. To launch the Beijing project, Shangri-La and the Beijing Second Foreign Languages Institute have formed a partnership to operate the non-profit hotel-management training center. It will be located within the,institutes existing campus setting and will include classrooms, dormitories and recreational facilities. Open only to hotel employees selected for their potential for company advancementand whose salaries will continue to be paid by their properties during their eight-week training sessionsinstructional areas will cover supervisory and management positions such as housekeeping, food and beverage, communications and marketing. Targeted training In Beijing, we are not grooming an elite executive corps, a Shangri-La spokesperson said. We are training to meet our area of greatest need, which is at the middle-management and supervisory levels. There are no accredited hotel management schools either in China or in the region, and there is a real need to teach basic concepts of management and delegation of responsibility, something that is not part of current Chinese society. Des Pugson, group director of training and development, said the schools also will help meet the rising demand for more local people to be employed. Training must also produce sufficient numbers not just for present needs, but to replace employees other foreign joint-venture companies lure away. Our people are bright, personable and speak English well, Pugson said. Those are skills that are in very high demand these days in China. No wonder Shangri-La is a company other people are happy to poach from. According to company guidelines, the Beijing school is designed for potential supervisors and junior managers who will receive standardized training and educational programs. Graduates are expected to perform above average upon return to their work unit, and will command respect from subordinates, peers and managers, the guidelines said. They also are expected to be less likely to leave the company. Building leadership The Shenzhen management course will target future Peoples Republic of China managers and educate potential leaders for specific career moves. The program will develop multidisciplined hotel managers with practical understanding of the divisions of the hotel, and their relationship with the wider business market, the program guidelines said. Therefore, this will allow them to be allocated to different departments, divisions and hotel locations. Pugson stressed the program will have standards comparable to overseas hotel education institutes such as Cornell. Shangri-La now operates 27 hotels, all in Asia except for a property in Vancouver, British Columbia. Pacific Rim locales include China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Most of its hotels are in Chinain Beijing, Hang-zhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xianand in Malaysia, where it has six properties. Secondary-city strategy Expansion in China will focus on the countrys secondary citiesthose with populations between 3 million and 5 million, Pugson said. Properties with announced openings include Beihai next spring, Shenyang and Changchun in 1996, and Dalian in 1997. Pugson expects that in this new group of hotels, perhaps 60 percent to 70 percent of the patrons will be Peoples Republic of China citizens. There are more and more local people who can afford quality accommodations, a trend we have noticed in Malaysia where, as the market matured during the past three to four years, the percentage of clients who are nationals has steadily grown, Pugson said. PHOTO: The Shangri-La Hotel Shenzhen will benefit from the training facilities. ~~~~~~~~ By Robert Selwitz HMM New York Bureau

Growth Vector Analysis of Six Segments of Novartis Case Study

Growth Vector Analysis of Six Segments of Novartis - Case Study Example The term also refers to issues relating to atherosclerosis (these define diseases concerning the arterial system). Many countries around the continent have high and increasing incidents of cardiovascular diseases (Kantarjian 45). Each year, cardiovascular diseases take many American lives compared to cancer. According to Novartis, cardiovascular diseases are a significant threat and a leading cause of death to both male and female genders in most industrialized countries (Ascierto P et al 89). In the event of these statistics, besides advocating for the importance of taking preventive measures such as decreased salt intake and avoidance of all kinds of tobacco, Novartis offers wide arrays if tools for practicing physicians for the prevention and management of the disease (WHO 33). Other ways in which Novartis tries to bring down the statistics is through the administration of prescription products which include, NeoRecormon a drug used in treating patients with anemia as a result of cancer treatment and issues relating to kidney disease (Leisinger 90). Bezalip a lipid altering agent that is indispensable in prevention measures of cardiovascular diseases, and Torem a drug used in the treatment of renal failure, hypertension and congestive heart failure. In 2006, Novartis’ sales in drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular, related diseases accounted for 4% of the total pharmaceutical sales, a drop from 6% in 2005. The acquisition of Bezalip helped boost Novartis’ sales in 1998(Dahlgren G 42). According to the Novartis report in 2006, Bezalip was not a significant drug sale for the company as they sold it to another company and had to work on their other drugs that are NeoRecormon and Torem. In 2001, NeoRecormon became Novartis’ best sold drug totaling to $667MM. Infective and Respiratory Segment Infective and respiratory diseases describe diseases involving virus transmission through the air or bodily fluids (R. van Tulder 32). Examples are common cold, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis among others. The influenza virus is a crucial threat to human health as concluded by Novartis research team. Transmission of the influenza flu is through sneezing or coughing. Air molecules in the atmosphere carry the virus from one person to another thereby spreading the infectious disease. As a result, Novartis has a prescription product referred to as Tami flu to aid in the prevention measures and treatment of the deadly virus (Kolk A 27). In reference to infectious diseases, various products are available to treat patients with Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Products to treat HIV/AIDS include: Valcyte, Fuzeon, Viracept, and Fuzeon( Lipton J et al 40). Treatment for Hepatitis C is Pegasys. Other treatments for the infectious diseases include: Bactrium, Lariam, and Rocephin. In 2006, the sale of these drugs accounted for 21% of Novartis’ sales an increase of one percent compared to 2005. The most successful sales attribute to the following drugs which include: Xolair, Tami flu, Rocephin, and Pegasys. In 2004, Tami flu fetched $302mm in sales. This was a downfall of 22% from the previous year. In 2006, Tami flu sales increased due to the increasing stockpiling of drugs in readiness of pandemics. The rise resulted to 68% increase totaling to over $2.38 billion. Oncology Segment The oncology segment deals with issues relating to cancer. As a major player in Health Care, Novartis commits to providing the most

Technology and Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology and Business - Essay Example Moreover, the corporation is also taking into account the possibility of offering free internet access with food purchases. (Mullins 2001, p.120) In addition to this, the company is introducing BT Openzone WiFi hotspots into 561 drive-thru stores, fixed-line internet terminals from Datavision, and adapted web- based games for children. According to the organization, the drive-thru and service station restaurants are extremely popular with their business customers on the move. On the other hand, the hotspots allows the businessmen to check their mail, access the internet and download presentations while having something to eat and drink.(Mullins 2001, p.78) The introduction of wireless office environment that uses Symbol access points and 128-bit security encryption to improve hot-desking facilities for workers moving from site to site has slashed support costs as the organization doesn't have to spend 20 minutes reconfiguring laptops to the office environment. ( Davis 1998, p.105) The introduction of queue-busting wireless ordering devices into 500 restaurants is also paying dividends in that it has minimized customers queuing times, increase drive-thru sales by five per cent thus 82 per cent of the customers believe that it has improved. (Thompson 2002, p. 95) Outsourcing and automating Mc Donald... (Greenberg 2003, p. 130) The implementation of wireless network by the replacement of laptops and mobile phones of 225 managers to XDA smart phones has enabled the organization to integrate devices and business processes to make better use of its restaurant and office-based wireless networks. (Thompson 2002, p. 98) Moreover, by implementing the strategy of revenue sharing partnerships and advertising deals with its internet service providers and equipment providers, Mc Mc Donald is also evaluating chip- and-PIN payment cards readers for its UK branch network. (Mullins 2001, p. 65) Donald's results have been encouraging since they have nine percent customers using payment cards. (Davis 1997, p. 115) By using ADSL broadband connections to authorize transactions, McDonald's has been able to decrease the time to process card expenditure from thirty seconds to just four. (Greenberg 2003, p. 95) Impact of technology on Communication Photography has evolved from the darkroom to the computer lab, thus most photojournalists use digital camera instead of film. This makes photo editing programs such as Photoshop a must in the industry. On the other hand, abuse of technology has resulted in some manipulated and faked images being passed off by the media as truth. (Davis 1997, p.95) Impact of technology on Change management This has enabled organizations to acquire the right steps to appreciate, anticipate, and embrace corporate change through attacking the accessible employee mindset, harnessing incentive, and shaping behaviour. (Mullins 20001, p.88) Impact of technology on Network Mc Donald's U.S. received a supplier of the year's award that had an impact on the McDonald's System,

M & A Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

M & A - Coursework Example The combination of two domestic companies is an important business and economic undertaking because in many instances, such will assure the survival of an entity in the face of changing competitive structures or politico-legal mandates pertaining to the industry (Vaara, 2001). Cross-border M&As, on the other hand, gain a special importance because they play a vital role in foreign direct investment (FDI), directly impacting upon the entry of additional equity in the host economy, and providing an additional source of income investment for the home company. Organizations are comprised of persons real and natural, with all their complexities and idiosyncracies. The human element will be a consideration that will permeate all aspects of the post- M&A integration process. For local companies, this means the combination of two organizational cultures into one. ... People, who are normally resistant to change, will naturally seek to enforce their own accustomed cultures, and resist the adoption of the other. Cross-border M&A is specifically defined as â€Å"an activity in which an enterprise from one country buys the whole asset or controlling percentage of an enterprise in another country (Zhu & Huang, 2007). In the process of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, the enterprises involved are prone not only to conflicts between their organizational cultures, but also their national cultures. This makes the problem of cultural integration more difficult, because national cultures are more closely equated with a sense of national pride and patriotism. Moreover, they often have profound religious or ethical implications more deeply ingrained in the psyche of a nation by centuries of social conditioning. The task of cultural integration of cross-border M&As, therefore, becomes double significant in that it seeks to create a new corporate culture out of two sets of organizational and national cultures, by harmonizing the synergistic elements and eliminating the conflicts (Zhu & Huang, 2007). The stages of mergers and acquisitions The merger or acquisition process is not a single event, but a series of stages that must be understood in order to determine the most effective manner by which integration can be carried out. This is because corporate integration is intimately related to the decision-making stage of the acquisition itself, not separate from it, and events and decisions during the intermediary stages influence the manner in which integration shall proceed. Tanure, Cancado, Duarte & Muylder (2009, pp. 138-142) identify four stages of the merger and acquisition process: 1. The motive behind the acquisition or merger This

Trade-centred Approaches to Poverty Reduction

Trade-centred Approaches to Poverty Reduction Question: In the context of the current race to meet the MDG goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2015, what advantages and disadvantages does the global community face in advancing trade-centred approaches to poverty reduction, as opposed to an agenda focused on aid. In the 2009 Millennium Development Goals Report released earlier this year, the Secretary-General noted that important progress has been made in the attempt to eradicate poverty, but yet there are still many successes on which to build. Furthermore, movement toward that goal was too slowly. (website address) `The worlds least developed countries hold 12 percent of the worlds population but account for less than one percent of global trade so expanding trade with and among developing countries is a critical driver of economic growth and poverty reduction because it encourages entrepreneurship, human resource development, technology transfer (including access to the internet) makes global partnerships easier, technological innovation and good governance all these which are necessary. A new global and regional trade environment presents the Caribbean countries with critical challenges, but also many opportunities to reposition itself as a growing and competitive region, translating into significant economic and social gains, Trade must always be reciprocal However, global integration is being conducted in a context of macroeconomic and financial imbalances. The region experienced large current account and fiscal deficits, as well as high levels of indebtedness, which in the past, slowed trade reforms and are currently a major concern in the evolving trade environment. These macroeconomic and financial imbalances are exacerbated by the current economic crisis. A trade-centred approach to eradicating poverty thus takes into consideration using import and export strategies that include making sure those goods and services are in alignment with worldwide. Trade-centred takes into consideration the skills and the services of the entrepreneur, wholesaler, distributor and manufacturer. The Websters dictionary defines as entrepreneur as : One who undertakes to start and run an enterprise or business, usually assuming full control and risk So that one has to recognize that there is an opportunity to find solutions for needs, wants, problems and challenges). Entrepreneurs must be empowered to believe that they can make the difference in advancement of their economy and that they are a part of the development process to form sustainable partnerships for the future. If trade links cannot be developed internationally then certainly attempts have to be made intra-regionally. It is hoped that the greatest resource, the people, would become more independent in owning a business would make the individual more independent and the profits would not have to go back towards paying back not the loams but the exorbitant interest on the loans. Individuals feel empowered when they have sustainable employment. But this employment should not be done in a haphazard manner but should be done with such amenities as a business plan. Financial Management, Human Resource Management and Risk Management would have a lot to play even as market research is done. Regional Institutions can be strengthened as a mechanism of trade by the coordination of regional objectives and activities with national bodies. National institutions are often those who are in charge of the trade we must try to reduce the trade costs. The Business and regulatory environment, the national Insurance and the Business levy situation must be willing to look at the changes in customer needs so that the reevaluation of the product life cycle must be regarded. The environment must continuously be one that there is going to be some investment. While many Caribbean countries (most notably Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica) have undertaken policy measures to improve their trade policy, important weaknesses remain in five major areas is the proper establishment of customs procedures and administration. Additionally, the legal framework for businesses including taxation and monitoring must be properly in place because there is going to be active competition with other members of the society. Groups must be authorized by the government and regular training and workshops must be done to be able to reach to government standard (The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards) that again must be regulated so that there would not be any shady or illegal activity going on. The training of youth is a factor which is critical if Micro Enterprise development is to be an issue. Micro Enterprises include very small businesses that employ about 1 to five persons. The establishment of Micro Enterprises is one strategy that is use by the MDGs in the eradication of poverty. The sizes of micro enterprise businesses may be small but altogether they make up the fastest growing of the private sector that should be a vital contributor of the social and economic creating new jobs every day climate thus creating a large part of the GDP. They are engines of the creative capacity of our economy by creating internal trade which would ultimately lead to regional and global trade. A person becomes more creative in order to be a step ahead of the competition and this uniqueness sets the entrepreneur apart while he seeks to align his products to quality standards. Competition, though, must be comprehensive and everyone must be willing to participate in competition policy. We would seek to capitalize on each individuals strength and not their weakness although we know that the business environment is very competitive The government takes the opportunity, as the strength of the economy increases, to want to encourage investments from international bodies so that technology from other countries could be included and that persons may even want to get in. A country must decide which are there niche markets and using money management strategies could apply them to certain goods. Focus must be done on niche markets and knowing what other countries may have to offer when we do an analysis and know the competition. Create a workforce that is able to sustain that type of environment after thorough research has been done but we must be willing to work hard and not look for handouts. However, failures that may be as a result of overinvestment, poor credit arrangements and poor inventory management must be avoided at all costs. A vision and a mission must be established. The disadvantage of going into business would include taking along of risks, meaning that it is sometimes a lonely scene where invariably one has to work long hours. However, a company has to be careful as global competition that could be dangerous for the company. Next, one has to be wary of barriers to trade that could influence the profitability of entering a trade relationship with partners in a particular area. There are lots of risks that are involved in engaging in such an act that includes the loss of initial start-up capital. Funding Options: The whole idea of an aid focused agenda according to the Aid Guide comes with the idea of richer countries trying to do their moral duties)but instead they are really seeking their own strategic interest which can include the desire to have some say in a countrys political affairs. Thus in order for the Millenium Development Goals to be accomplished, they must be accompanied by the monitoring of donors intentions. A lot of people clamour for aid for aid for impoverished nations but it only seems that aid has allowed the poor to get poorer where there is a situation of corruption and theft of government funds that creates a spiraling effect of inflation and a lack of investment into the country and thus a slower growth of the economy. Moyos idea of aid could entrap a country as the famous Bob Marley song quoted that we need to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery Aid may come in many different forms inclusive of money that is usually a loan, or receiving country must spend the gift on buying the donor countys products. Loans, though, come with many restrictions that are attached to getting the loan though you can raise capital even within a particular country without having to seek additional funding from outside sources. Next, more than half of foreign aid is usually military, is often utilized to fight the donors enemies and terrorists or is given because there is that desire to buy that countrys vote in UN, likewise other future actions. Still, countries tend rather to go this way for many different reasons including the reason that it is an easy source of financing that is readily available to the public. Additionally, though most African nations claim that aid is needed for countries to get a head start in achieving so many other factors inclusive of the development of aid, there must be proper allocation of resources and monitoring should also occurs to make sure that funds are used the way that they have been designated to be used. Then we could use what is known as the traditional method of the Sou Sou. This started as a part of the African tradition could even continue in our traditional society today as this starts with persons. Aid should not only come in the form of money but it should also be in the form of making technology available and transferring technology to various groups so that the eventually the knowledge and the skills and the training could be transferred Aid, whether or not it is given for any developmental purpose costs the taxpayer and raises national debt. Furthermore, it reduces the receiving countrys ability to produce the items they get from us (that means if we send them food, then their farmers wont be able to sell their crops for higher prices) Financing for debt and equity capital is that which is seen as an investment that does not incur any interest and this could be money. Contributors must be able to get something out of the financing that they are putting out according to Management Consultant Sajjad Hamid Even using the Micro Enterprise Development Model, aid for individual business can take the form of venture capital may be another option that is available where management could have a say in how the company is run but this idea may not have a measure of enthusiasm for most who may be the recipient of such offerings. Microfinance Institutions that are not usually regulated by the government and that are viable options for businesses for small loans, savings, insurance and other financial products for low-income families. This is where credit unions come into play. The evidence linking public investment to private capital formation and growth have grown significantly in the past few years Young people, have to be motivated to engage in agricultural production in every country. There are approximately 6.1 billion people worldwide. The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) covers the agriculture sector with low interest loans and financing for farm projects with little or no initial positive cash flow. Why dont we encourage our populations to start planting rice and wheat since for our populations as required in the daily diet so that the global community could be fed and that each country would not have imbalances in trade? Products however do not need to be a product that is manufactured itself although once this is done there could be more profits but this could also be a product that needs to be distributed. Each country must be clear on what the funds are to be used for if they are to assess aid and there must be a personal evaluation of ones financial position. There must be that ability to negotiate the terms of a contract instead of just accepting that contract. If the whole idea and the entire concept of finding what must be traded needs to be discovered then the whole environment must be scanned for the product to that is to be sold to be discovered. Small changes could make big differences. Some disadvantages of using foreign aid are that it forces an individual to remain in a dependent state meaning that instead of an individual seeking creating alternative they search out excuses to obtain more money. The acceptance of foreign aid can have the effect of opening a can of worms as it allows the international lending agency such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to interfere in the political matters of a country. Furthermore, if for some strange reason, the loan cannot be repaid that the country may have to give up some of its resources as collateral for the loan. Many persons think that it is the humanitarian thing to do to offer aid but can this be more of a hindrance than anything else. Thus in evaluating whether or not a trade-centred approach is better it can be said that a country will always be better off if this is if they can develop their trading capabilities instead of using more developed countries as their lifeboat. I am not saying that they should not advocate for help if this is going to happen then the legal framework must be strengthened ultimately for sustainable trade to continuebut at the same time this should not be a situation that lasts for an extended period of time.if aid for trade was urgent in 2007 but it is essential today. It is the investment that will allow many developing countries to prepare to exit the crisis by enhancing their trade capacity. He spoke on Jul 6 at the opening of the second Aid for Trade Review under the heading of Maintaining Momentum. REFERENCES Dambisa Moyo. DEAD AID: WHY AID IS NOT WORKING AND HOW THERE IS ANOTHER WAY FOR AFRICA. London: Allen Lane, 2009. 188 pp.  £14.99 WORLD: TRADE ALONE NOT A CURE FOR POVERTY, CLAIMS REPORT Isolda Agazzi. Global Information Network. New York: Jul 9, 2009. TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING- EXPANDING TRADE WITH, AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS CRITICAL DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Washington, D.C.: Jul 8, 2009 CARIBBEAN/NEW WORLD BANK STUDY: TRADE INTEGRATION, KEY FOR GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Washington, D.C.: Apr 6, 2009. Financing SMEs: Look Ye Shall Find Business Day Newsday Thursday September 24, 2009 Pg 16, Sajjad Hamid Roads out of Poverty? Assessing the Links between Aid, Public Investment, Growth, and Poverty Reduction Pierre-Richard Agà ©nor,* Nihal Bayraktar,** and Karim El AynaouiThis version: December 23, 2004 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123758895999200083.html By: Moyo, Dambira. Wall Street Journal Eastern Edition, 3/21/2009, Vol. 253 Issue 66, pW1-W2, 2p, 2 color, 3 bw; (AN 37020959) Database: Academic Search Complete OneWorld.net Aid Guide http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/aid?gclid=CO2B8aSkmp0CFRpdswodORx12A

Joyce Campbell :: Short Stories Papers

Joyce Campbell Melissa Everett was sitting comfortably in her swivel chair staring down on the busy city of New York. She dreamily began talking to herself: â€Å"How lucky I am,† she thought. â€Å"My life is so perfect right now, my family supports me and I have great friends.† She calmly looks around her large office and thinks to herself, â€Å"And look how far I have come!† She thinks back to her struggles and to her climb up the companies latter. â€Å"Without the help of Joyce, I and several of the other female executives of Tie Technologies would not be here. How did she do it? I wonder how it was back then†¦.† Melissa eyes grew slightly heavy, her head filled with thoughts and she quickly slipped into a light sleep†¦. June 27th, 1957. The sun was out; the sky was blue, dusted with only a few white clouds. This morning was like any other morning: Typical. The sun was shining warmly onto the houses, cars and people of Apple Lane. Number 203, residence to Gregory and Judy Stephenson was a bustle. This newly built large brick home is surrounded with others identical to itself. In this suburban neighborhood, the streets are cluttered with children and mother’s offering goodbyes to their loved ones as the men commute to their work. Judy stands waving softly to the old Cadillac pulling out of the driveway. Her skirt blows into the air, and her wispy blonde bangs sweep to the side of her face. She holds her baby girl in her arms and touches the shoulder of the young boy below her. It’s very early, she dresses her children for school and shovels them out of the door an hour or so later. She crochets, bakes a few batches of cookies for her returning children, walks to the market to purchase the necessary items for dinner - baked potatoes, carrots and flank steaks - and decides to walk over to her friend Joyce's house. She arrives; unfortunately the bottom inch of her skirt has been caked with wet dust, and approaches a young woman with a big straw hat on reading quietly on her porch. It is routine. Judy sits down next to her takes out her new romantic novel and decides to go make herself cold lemonade.

Importance of Dignity in a Lesson Before Dying

Grant and Jefferson are on a journey. Though they have vastly different educational backgrounds, their commonality of being black men who have lost hope brings them together in the search for the meaning of their lives. In the 1940†³s small Cajun town of Bayonne, Louisiana, blacks may have legally been emancipated, but they were still enslaved by the antebellum myth of the place of black people in society. Customs established during the years of slavery negated the laws meant to give black people equal rights and the chains of tradition prevailed leaving both Grant and Jefferson trapped in mental slavery in their communities. The struggles of Grant and Jefferson share a common theme, man†s search for meaning. Grant has the advantage of a college education, and while that may have provided some enlightenment, he remains in the same crossroads as Jefferson. Grant sees that regardless of what he does, the black students he teaches continue in the same jobs, the same poverty and same slave-like positions as their ancestors. Grant has no hope of making a difference and sees his life as meaningless. Though Jefferson†s conflict is more primal, it is the same as Grant†s struggle. Jefferson is searching for the most basic identity, whether he is man or animal. It is this conflict of meaning and identity that bring Grant and Jefferson together. In this book, Ernest J. Gaines presents three views to determine manhood: law, education and religion. Jefferson has been convicted of a crime, and though he did not commit it, he is sentenced to death as a â€Å"hog† a word that denies any sense of worth or fragment of dignity he may have possessed in a world ruled by oppressive white bigots. Jefferson is at an even greater loss as he has no education and after the conviction he doubts that God can even exist in a world that would send an innocent man to his death. It is clear that Jefferson does not believe he has any value. † ‘I†m an old hog. Just an old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas† † (83). Though Grant may have had some advantages compared with Jefferson, his position in life was not significantly better than Jefferson†s. Grant knows that if he had been the black man sitting in the courtroom, he too would have been convicted. In his powerful opening to the novel, Grant says, â€Å"I was not there yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be† (1). Even his college education has not elevated his position in the eyes of the white society. When he was talking with white people, he was expected to act stupid and hide his education and assume the subservient role of a black. As in Grant†s visit to Mr. Guidry the first time. † ‘She doesn†t, huh?† Sam Guidry asked me. He emphasized doesn†t. I was supposed to have said don†t. I was being too smart† (48). Of law, education and religion, one had to empower Jefferson and Grant. The law was clearly outside their realm of influence. However, education opened the door for Jefferson and Grant to share dialogue and to explore who they were and how they could be empowered. It was religion, their search for a greater meaning and a higher power, which allowed them to begin to think not of what white men thought of them, but rather what God and what they thought of themselves. With this new way of thinking, they forged a bond and both began to understand the simple heroic act of resistance in defying the expectation of white society that they were members of a lesser race † ‘Do you know what a myth is, Jefferson?† I asked him. ‘A myth is an old lie that people believe in. White people believe that they are better than anyone else on earth-and that†s a myth. The last thing they ever want is to see a black man stand, and think and show that common humanity that is in us all. It would destroy their myth† † (192). Grant encouraged Jefferson to live beyond the stereotype white society had imposed on him. In doing that Grant began to see himself differently. He began to believe if this uneducated black man could become a hero to the black community then certainly he could return to Bayonne and help children believe in themselves. He gradually began to think that he also could escape the myth and help his students escape it with him. He could use Jefferson as a hero to encourage them. † I need you, I told him. I need you much more than you could ever need me. I need to know what to do with my life. I want to run away, but go where and do what? I†m no hero: I can just give something small, that†s all I have to offer. It is the only way we can chip away at the myth. You-you can be bigger than anyone you have ever met † (193). This new way of thinking which discounted the centuries old myth enabled Jefferson to believe that he was not a hog, that he indeed was a man, a man who would walk with dignity to his execution. Though this may seem as a minor triumph to many, to Jefferson it meant that the angry and demeaning words of the judge had no meaning. His ability to die with dignity not only gave him peace, but it made white men pause and show respect for the man labeled the hog. At the end the white, deputy, Paul says, † â€Å"I don†t know what you†re going to say when you go back in there. But tell them he was the bravest man in that room today. I†m a witness, Grant Wiggins. Tell them so.† ‘Maybe one day you will come back and tell them so.† ‘It would be an honor† † (256). This white man wanted to make the statement so it would be powerful and would be believed by the black children sitting inside the small schoolhouse. That a white man would say it would make it true in the eyes of the children. However difficult facing death may have been, it was also empowering to Jefferson. Jefferson believed that if he could walk with dignity to his death, he would not only make his grandmother proud, but that he would also be as a strong man by the black members of his community. His last quote before dying was † ‘ â€Å"Tell Nannan I walked.† ‘And straight he walked† † (254). The last words in Jefferson†s diary share his message of courage and dignity. â€Å"good by mr wigin tell them im strong tell them im a man† (234). Jefferson died with dignity and Grant returned to Bayonne believing he could make a difference. It is not clear that religion, a belief in God, made the difference for either of them. It is clear that as they struggled with the issue of a higher power, they did discover that the meaning of their lives was not attached to the white man†s beliefs and myths, but rather came from inside themselves. To the end, they both struggled with whether or not there was a God. As they end their journey together, Jefferson is at peace and becomes a hero in his community. Though Grant cannot be a hero, he does find his place and returns to the schoolhouse with new hope and a vision for making a difference, if not for himself, for his students. He doubts himself at times, but he gains determination for his students. â€Å"Yet they must believe. They must believe, if only to free the mind, if not the body. Only when the mind is free has the body a chance to be free. Yes, they must believe. They must believe. Because I know what it means to be a slave. I am a slave† (Gaines 251)

Inside Secrets to Greeting Card Writing Revision

Inside Secrets to Greeting Card Writing Revision The legendary Emily Dickinson once stated, â€Å"A wounded deer leaps the highest.†Ã‚   The same holds true for successful greeting card writers. We constantly pour out creative ideas into verses in hopes of landing a sale, and when some of our creations receive rejection, taking a leap to revision is our wisest recourse. Greeting Card Publisher Oatmeal Studios (www.oatmealstudios.com), accepts short humorous verses that possess a punch line sure to bring a smile to the toughest consumer. Sun Day Greetings (www.sundaygreetings.com), however, is more subtle regarding humor and sentimental verse. In lieu of this, is it possible to revise a rejected verse like this: (Picture of a pretty woman sitting on a bus bench) O:   Dear friend, getting older I:   is such a bummer! Let’s try lightening this statement up to the one hundredth power! (Picture of a beautiful older woman dressed impeccably.   Her husband escorts her to the table at a restaurant.   Her husband speaks.) O:   Getting older I:   sure looks amazing on you!   Happy Birthday! Understanding what is not working and opening up your mind to telling a more interesting story are the keys to revision. Whenever a publisher requests to see samples of my work, I like to have sample verses handy that I can just cut and paste in an email like the one below: (Picture of a cat standing on two paws/the other two paws rest in a chair. A birthday cake and a bottle of champagne sit on a table near O:   Break open the bubbly! I:   And don’t forget to pour a little bit in my bowl! Happy Birthday. Try a few of your own Wordy Verses    Most people tend to wait until the last minute to shop for a birthday party or any other special occasion. Imagine a consumer in a store with only a few minutes to choose the perfect card. Consumers prefer words that have a smooth flow- a perfect rhythm. Wordy verses like â€Å"your caring loving beautiful character† and â€Å"you’re the super kindest most thoughtful angelic person I know† are simply too much to chew on, especially when you are in a rush. Publishers avoid buying wordy verses because consumers avoid them as well! Instead, aim for clarity. The Sentimental Publisher There are publishers that prefer emotional-type verses like Blue Mountain Arts (www.sps.com). I love writing these type of verses because I have so many family members and friends who invoke loving emotions within me.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Revise rejected sentimental verses List what makes the recipient unique. State feelings the recipient invokes. Explain the hopes you have for the recipient on the occasion   Ã‚   you’re celebrating. What to Do When Revisions Do Not Work If you have revised your piece with no success, keep hope alive!   Send your work to another publisher. Another pair of eyes may be just what you need to make a sale. Reach For Success According to the Greeting Card Association, the greeting card industry raked in over seven billion dollars in annual retail sales last year. That is more than enough incentive to aim high

Free Essays on A Love That Could Never Be

A Love That Could Never Be Have you ever loved someone so much, but you couldn’t be with them? In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates a love that could never be with Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Since Hester was shone from a normal life in society after her acts of adultery, she could not be with the man she loved. Since Mr. Dimmesdale was the â€Å"saint on earth† (Hawthorne 251) he was also not able to show his affection towards Prynne in public or even in private. In the opening chapters we first begin to learn about Hester, but never about the man she committed adultery with. While on the scaffold the townspeople gather around her and watch as the magistrates try to convince her to tell who the man was. â€Å"Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman’s heart!†(Hawthorne 70) Hester loved this man so much she felt that it was no need for her to bring him down with her. So she stood up on the scaffold with the baby in her arms â€Å" And would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!† (Hawthorne 71) Hester realizes that if she confesses the name of the man that it would not help them to be together but instead making it completely impossible. As the story progresses we learn more about the child that was born through this unholy union. â€Å"Thy heavenly Father sent thee!† (Hawthorne 102) Hester wouldn’t even reveal the name of her daughter’s father. Pearl would repeatedly ask who her father was but Hester would simply say the heavenly Father or ignore the question. She did this out of fear of the name of the man she loved getting out. If anyone in the town found out who this man was he would be ruined and so Hester would be just as miserable as she was. Pearl became the â€Å"mother’s only treasure† (Hawthorne 92) Pearl kept Hester alive and yet in some strange way punished her by reminding her of the dreaded sin that she committed. When we start to learn about Arthur Dimmesdale,... Free Essays on A Love That Could Never Be Free Essays on A Love That Could Never Be A Love That Could Never Be Have you ever loved someone so much, but you couldn’t be with them? In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates a love that could never be with Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Since Hester was shone from a normal life in society after her acts of adultery, she could not be with the man she loved. Since Mr. Dimmesdale was the â€Å"saint on earth† (Hawthorne 251) he was also not able to show his affection towards Prynne in public or even in private. In the opening chapters we first begin to learn about Hester, but never about the man she committed adultery with. While on the scaffold the townspeople gather around her and watch as the magistrates try to convince her to tell who the man was. â€Å"Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman’s heart!†(Hawthorne 70) Hester loved this man so much she felt that it was no need for her to bring him down with her. So she stood up on the scaffold with the baby in her arms â€Å" And would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!† (Hawthorne 71) Hester realizes that if she confesses the name of the man that it would not help them to be together but instead making it completely impossible. As the story progresses we learn more about the child that was born through this unholy union. â€Å"Thy heavenly Father sent thee!† (Hawthorne 102) Hester wouldn’t even reveal the name of her daughter’s father. Pearl would repeatedly ask who her father was but Hester would simply say the heavenly Father or ignore the question. She did this out of fear of the name of the man she loved getting out. If anyone in the town found out who this man was he would be ruined and so Hester would be just as miserable as she was. Pearl became the â€Å"mother’s only treasure† (Hawthorne 92) Pearl kept Hester alive and yet in some strange way punished her by reminding her of the dreaded sin that she committed. When we start to learn about Arthur Dimmesdale,...

BNSF Railway Transportation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BNSF Railway Transportation - Article Example The services offered by the industry are bulk freight, intermodal services, passenger services and switching and terminal railroad services (IBISWorld, 2011). According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight shipments have increased from 27% of the ton-miles of U.S. freight in 1980 to 38% in 2005 (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). This increase shows the growing significance of the role of railways in the U.S. economy. Among the cargo being shipped through the railroads, coal represents the largest proportion in terms of tons (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). Other commodities transported by railroads include chemicals, farm products, non-metallic minerals and miscellaneous mixed shipments. Over the years, the railway industry has experienced consolidations that have reduced the number of Class I from about 40 railways to the current seven. The seven major players in the railway industry are Union Pacific Corporation (UP), Burli ngton Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF), CSX Corporation, Kansas City Southern (KCS), Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS). In terms of operating revenues of the major North American railroad, the Union Pacific posted the highest revenue with $15.5 million. It is followed by BNSF with operating revenue of $14.8 million, NS with $9.4 million, CSX with $8.6 million, CN with $6.8 million, CP with $4.1 million and KCS with $0.87 million (Association of American Railroads, 2008) . Porter’s Five Forces Like any other industry, the railway industry is influenced by Porter’s five forces model which shape the strategies of companies, as shown in Figure 1 (Porter, 2008). The first force identified by Porter is the threat of new entrants. This force is the possibility of new companies entering the industry. This force is not very influential in the strategy of a company in the railway industry because of several ba rriers to entry. The barriers to entry in the railroad industry are (1) huge capital requirement needed; (2) restrictive government policy which is being regulated by the Surface Transportation Board; and (3) the availability of the infrastructure needed to compete with existing ones. In the future, it is expected that mergers will continue in the future and may even reduce the present seven companies to two transcontinental railroads because of the uncertainty of the structure of the railroad industry (IRS, 2007). Fig. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Model The second force identified by Porter is the bargaining power of suppliers. Suppliers of the railway industry include the manufacturers of tracks, railway equipment, structural metal products, freight cars, locomotives and construction companies who build the tunnels and bridges. Investors in railway companies can be considered as suppliers of the much needed financing to improve the industry. Recently, billionaire Warren Buffet in vested in BNSF by buying it for $26 billion while Microsoft’s Bill Gates now owns 10% of CN railway. Investment of these two prominent personalities says much of the future of the railway industry (North America's Corridor Coalition, Inc., 2010). To illustrate clearly, the supplier power according to Porter includes (1) charging of high prices; (2) limiting the quality of the

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on Dissertation

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on the Generation X and Generation Y - Dissertation Example These diverse attitudes and principles translate differently in a workplace context, with both generations having unique values associated with what constitutes an effective and motivational business model. There are significant gaps in research literature describing what specific characteristics of a business model will motivate and inspire workers to achieve top quality performance in the job roles of Generation X and Generation Y. In most respects, knowledge on both generations tends to illustrate Generation X as an independent and headstrong generation with pre-established principles and values. In opposite accord, Generation Y is presented as more liberal, flexible, and success-minded in the organisational context. This sizeable gap in knowledge specifically includes knowledge of the importance of communications for both generations. ... 1.1 Research aims and objectives The aim of this research project is to determine the level of importance of communications in the workplace as it pertains to both generations. This is to determine if communications strategies can be an effective motivational model for both Generation X and Generation Y. This study maintains three specific objectives: Determine what actually motivates both Gen X and Gen Y in a workplace context Determine how both generations perceive communications as a motivational tool Identify proven models of motivation that have been effective in boosting performance for both Generation X and Generation Y. The study will consult with various secondary literature sources to paint a portrait of both generations, with special focus on attitudes, principles, experiences, and expectations for an organisational job role. Results of findings will be compared to a primary research project (which is described in this proposal’s methodology section) to determine wh ether communications can be considered a viable motivational model for both generations or for a single generation. The results of this study should assist in closing some of the gaps in literature that currently exists regarding motivational strategies for both generations and recommend a new model of motivation that could potentially improve business culture and strategic performance when applied to Gen X and Gen Y. The goal of the project is to create an innovation in knowledge about both generations that can provide new direction for managers in organisations that struggle with Gen X and Gen Y employees to gain top quality performance and dedication to meet strategic goals both short- and