Friday, October 25, 2019

The Repetitive, Meditative Style of Lawrences Birds, Beasts, and Flowe

The Repetitive, Meditative Style of Lawrence's Birds, Beasts, and Flowers D. H. Lawrence is not a formalist. He derives his free verse style from prolonged experience with imaginative essays in which he objectively and vividly contemplates things, people, and places in their singleness rather than in their relationship to each other. Lawrence's purpose, according to Gilbert, is "knowledge through meditation": he essays "to know something . . . intuitively . . . obliquely . . . fragmentarily; not through orderly ratiocination, but through emotional perception." As his style developed, Lawrence's essays became "increasingly idiosyncratic, increasingly elliptical, spontaneous and jazzy, as though reflecting the process rather than the product of thought." Gilbert finds Birds, Beasts, and Flowers, Lawrence's sixth volume of poetry, written in a "casual, improvisational, unfinished style" that "functions not only as a means of communication but [also] as a process of discovery" (131-32). Building on Gilbert's studies, an examination of "Fruits," the first sequence of the nine-part Birds, Beasts, and Flowers, reveals that Lawrence's repetitive, meditative style employs three types of repetition. "Fruits," an archetypal sequence about eating fruit and being changed by its magical properties, admits readers into Lawrence's meditations and his Blakeian journey to the natural world (Gilbert 333). The poet/narrator tantalizes his prissy countrymen by suggestively dangling fruits that hold "a secret that can be experienced with the senses, but cannot be grasped intellectually" (Lockwood 105). Lawrence accomplishes his poetic journey through revisions of myths. The opening poem, "Pomegranate," which alludes to the myth of Pers... ...h life with "family and friends" (Unterecker 241). Works Cited French, Roberts W. "Lawrence and American Poetry." The Legacy of D. H. Lawrence, Jeffrey Meyers, ed. New York: St. Martin's P, 1987. 109-34. Gilbert, Sandra M. Acts of Attention: The Poems of D. H. Lawrence. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1990. Lawrence, D. H. Birds, Beasts, and Flowers. New York: Thomas Seltzer, 1923. Lockwood, M. J. A Study of the Poems of D. H. Lawrence: Thinking in Poetry. Houndsmills, England: MacMillan P, 1987. Murfin, Ross C. The Poetry of D. H. Lawrence: Texts and Contexts. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1983. Unterecker, John. "Of Father, of Son: On "Fergus Falling," "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps," and Angling, a Day." On the Poetry of Galway Kinnell: The Wages of Dying, Howard Nelson, ed. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1987. 227-41.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Brazil Employees Expectations Essay

In Brazil the maximum working hours per week are usually 40 to 44 hours, depending upon whether the employee works 5 or 6 days a week. The Brazilian Labour Law prescribes an annual vacation of 30 days which should be taken all at once or divided in two parts (one half must be of at least 20 days). Brazilian workers are eligible for full-time employment already at the age of 14 but there are certain protective regulations covering adolescents aged 14 to 18. Brazilian labour unions There are several thousand unions and umbrella organisations in Brazil which are supposed to support full-time workers. The Brazilian Trade Union Federation (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores) has made protection of employees and health policies one of its top priorities. Yet as most employees in Brazil work without an official work contract they have no access to the support of a labour union. Link: http://www.justlanded.com/english/Brazil/Brazil-Guide/Jobs/Working-in-Brazil Employment Agreements Since labor laws are statutory in nature, labor contracts must fit squarely within their narrow parameters. Employment contracts cannot deviate from the law in any way that waives, releases, or circumvents a worker’s rights. Some employers get creative and choose to frame the relationship as that of an independent contractor, rather than an employee. However, structuring the relationship in that manner has little effect if a Labor court finds that the independent contractor was in fact performing activities of an employee as legally defined. Courts will consider variables such as work hours, place of work, subjectivity to the employer’s administrative rules, reporting requirements, and compensation, among others, in determining whether the individual is indeed an independent contractor or in fact an employee. Unfortunately for companies, courts tend to favor protecting the employee and usually grant whatever statutory benefit for which the individual has petitioned. Employee Wages and Hours After your company has established the type of relationship that it will have with the individual, it must comply with strict labor requirements. In Brazil, the minimum wage (â€Å"salà ¡rio mà ­nimo†) is currently set by the federal government at R$545.00 per month, although some regions may require a minimum that exceeds this baseline. Accompanying the minimum wage is the concept of the workday, or jornada, defined as the time the employee is available to the employer, whether performing his function or not. A workday cannot exceed eight (8) hours per day and 44 hours a week. Employees whose working hours exceed the maximum hours of work prescribed by law earn overtime, one of the major sources of labor litigation. Generally, the employee will earn time and a half for overtime hours worked. However, if overtime is earned on weekends and holidays, then the employee will earn two times the regularly earned wage. Employees working on commission are treated no differently, and are entitled to either double or time and a half commissions for all overtime hours worked. The legal workday varies depending on the industry involved. For example, bank workers, telephone operators, and doctors enjoy shorter workdays. Shift workers are also subject to different standards. If an employee works any one shift (morning, afternoon, or night) on any given week, his or her shift must be limited to six (6) hours. Employee Benefits Brazilian employees enjoy many benefits. For example, Brazilian law calls for a â€Å"thirteenth salary† (â€Å"dà ©cimo terceiro†), plus 30 days of vacation time that all employees earn at the end of each year. Disbursement of at least half of the â€Å"thirteenth salary† must be made by November, or in the month when the employee takes vacation, if he or she has solicited the thirteenth salary in January. The last portion must be paid by December 20. Employers must also comply with social contributions and the FGTS (Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Servià §o, or â€Å"Guarantee Fund for Time of Service†). Both regular earnings and the thirteenth salary are subject to the FGTS, which corresponds to an eight (8) percent withholding of the monthly salary plus 0.5 percent of social contribution by the employer. This fund provides financial support in certain employment termination situations. The federal government administers the fund through mandatory deposits in accounts opened by the employer for the employee’s benefit with the Caixa Econà ´mica Federal (one of the largest government-owned banks).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Film Music Critique Essay

Action, suspense, love, and drama are all the makings for a great film. None of these key features to a film could have any substance or feeling without the help of music. Composers play a big role for setting the tone of the movie, developing characters, moving along or supporting action, and depicting the time and place the movie is taking place. In the movie Heat, Elliot Goldenthal does just that. Goldenthal was born in NY in 1954 and studied music under John Corigliano and Aaron Copeland. His partner is Julie Taymor and he won an Oscar for the movie Frida which Julie directed. Goldenthal has composed for several films as well as concert halls, theater and dance. He also has written an opera Grendel, which premiered in 1996 by The LA Opera Company. The movie opens with the main title fading in from black accompanied by a light string tone with horns backing them up (with a quick electric guitar when De Niro’s and Pacino’s names appear). This sets the overall tone for the movie presenting more of a serious / dramatic feel. The LA Metro begins to immerge into the background. The music complements the train passing, closely resembling the way Quincy Jones scored the opening of In Cold Blood with the bus passing by. There is a little change to the music when Robert De Niro’s character appears on screen which has a jazz tone that lets the audience know that this is in the city, in this case downtown Los Angeles. The music follows De Niro to an emergency hospital. At this point the music turns more intense with guitar and a prominent bass line moving the action along. There is a use of low strings moving very rapidly in the background that helps push the action along even more as he walks through the E.  R. This music carries on when the scene cuts and goes to Val Kilmer making a purchase in a construction yard. The music connects the two characters by carrying over through the scene. It also has an ominous feel that suggest that these two characters are more than likely the villains in the movie. The scene cuts to the hero, Al Pacino, with his wife and the music abruptly stops. This distinguishes his character of the hero, from the other two villain characters. At the end of the movie Robert De Niro’s character is trying to escape the country with the girl while Al Pacino’s character is right on his tail. There is a moment when De Niro realizes he cannot make it out with the girl and in and unspoken stare he leaves. The music matches the feeling of the moment using long drown out chords creating that sense a wanting and loss. As Pacino chases De Niro through a field the music stops to intensify the action and set up the final scene. The music fades back in shortly before Pacino shoots De Niro. The music carries into a high key riff that is repeated with strings playing four tones slowly behind the keys. The music grows louder adding more instruments such as large cymbals and carries into the credits. Goldenthal’s score was replaced in the final scene with Moby’s â€Å"God Moving Over the Face of the Water. † Director Michael Mann felt that Moby’s music better represented a feeling of relief, that it was over, that Pacino finally got his guy. At the same time the music related the two characters. Opposite from the beginning where the music separated the two, here it connects them demonstrating how they were not that different and had respect and admiration for each other.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

European Automotive Industry Simulation The WritePass Journal

European Automotive Industry Simulation Part 1 Initial strategic position and intentions European Automotive Industry Simulation , p.88). The intense rivalry drives down the margins especially for the small companies. Initial resource audits The initial investment value for ABD is  £ 16, 310. 34 million and the total capital employed at the start of the simulation stood at  £ 30, 054.30 million. Intended Strategic Direction for the next 5 simulated years (decision periods) Mission Statement The mission of ABD is to be the leading provider of sheer driving pleasure and safety to Europe and beyond. The ABD brand combines dynamic performance and superb design to the customers at relatively affordable prices. Overall Target Markets and Strategy ABD motors targets mostly the younger drivers and strives to give then fun, safety, modern technology and design. The company relies heavily on advertisement as a marketing method although it also gives the products a chance to market themselves through quality and efficiency. Financial and Strategic Objectives In order for the ABD motors to establish and maintain a competitive edge, it strives to localize its operations through increased local sourcing in order to penetrate the European market. In terms of pricing the company aims at pricing its products competitively in order to attract more customers.    Assignment Part 2 Strategy development and progress against your plan over the 5  to 6 simulated years.    Your strategic analysis for each trading period – such as changes in the macro environment (PESTEL) and competitive environment (including any changes to the industries 5 forces and critical success factors as well as to your company’s internal position).   Ã‚   In the round 5 results the company produced 1643 units of ABD LXY and then sold 3939 in the same period. This implies that all the units produced were sold together with some that remained from the previous round. The performance of this period on the model is an indication that the company failed to produce enough units of ABD LXY model as evidenced by the zero units in stock. This could have been as a result of the 2296 units that remained from the previous period which prompted the company to produce less of the same model. Although this decision was partly right, the company should have laid plans for immediate production of more units when they realized that the sales went up compared to the last trading period. Having zero units in stock is not healthy for the company because the inconsistencies in production cause unnecessary inconveniences to the customers. Furthermore, the market share for the model is 0.57% which is relatively low. For the ABD 400, the sales stood at 65714, and 29610 is still in stock. The market share stands at 1.26% which is not bad.   ABD A5 all the units produced were sold just like in the previous period as evidenced by the zero units in stock. The market share stands at 0.14% but the company can still take it higher given that it may not be producing enough units for the market because of the zero units in stock. Lambooo model has many units in stock but the 1.51% market share indicates that the units were produced in excess during the previous period.   For the Skittles their case is somewhat similar to that of ABD A5 although the market share is higher than it by a margin of 0.01%. b. How your short term plans and strategic objectives/tactics have been adjusted in terms of the above changes to the external environment and also your company’s changing internal position   Operations strategies (capacity, production inventory changes) The operational strategies of ABD are in some ways out of touch with the reality on the ground as evidenced by the zero units in stock for some models and excess units of other models. This is not good for business as the excess units of some models are tying up funds for the other models, the company should therefore base its production depending on how first the merchandise is moving in order to improve the overall performance in terms of consistency and efficiency. Marketing strategy (4P’s) In terms of the marketing strategy, the company is producing the right products as evidenced by the market share. The automobile industry has a very strong competition especially from the well established brands like Toyota, BMW, Honda and General Motors. However, the company should consider designing new products in order to improve its financial performance. In terms of pricing, the products are well priced because there is no evidence suggesting that the price of the models is affecting sales. In fact the expensive models like ABD LXY and Lambooo performed relatively well. The ABD LXY sold all the units whereas Lambooo was only second to ABD 400 in terms of total sales. In terms of promotion the company still needs to do a lot of marketing especially for model ABD 400 which still has a lot of units in stock. The same should also be done for Lamboo and all the other models in order to improve their market share. On the last item of marketing strategy which is place, the company should try to establish itself out of Europe by trying other markets like the other companies. A global approach will give it a wide customer base and in process enable it to benefit from economies of scale. a. Financial management The company does not have enough money for the chosen projects and still needs better financial and strategic plans for success in the short run. The balance sheet indicates that the company has negative net current assets, negative net total assets less current liabilities and a huge bank overdraft.   The company should therefore produce more of the well performing brands and reduce the less performing ones to raise the additional funds for reinvestment. b.  Human Resources The team has an adequate workforce that is competent and efficient. The workforce only had 3 days of strike which implies that they are relatively happy with the terms of the employment and working conditions at the company. The productivity index of 0.73 is also healthy meaning that the human resource department is working efficiently. c. Your changing corporate portfolio of products (SBU’s) Generally, the company made some strategic decisions aimed at improving the performance from the previous period. These decisions were fruitful for some models like the ABD LXY but some failed short of expectations like the Lambooo. In the case of the Lambooo the competitors managed to neutralize the plans of the company as the brand failed to perform as expected.   Assignment Part 3 Final Report – A Reflective Portfolio The team ended with a closing balance of  £ -47009.05 million which is not good for the general health of the company. This poor performance is as a result of the big loss of  £ -30,554.30 million suffered by the company. The profit and loss account reveals a problem with the pricing of the final products, the sales stood at  £ 1694.44 million and the cost of sales is  £ 1386.34 million. In this case the gross profit is  £ 308.01 million which is not even enough to cover for the operational expenses and still generate revenue for the company. The implication here is that the price component of the marketing mix element has a problem. The cost of production is very high and this is weighing down heavily on the company and if the trend persists then this could even force the company out of business in the long run. The company can solve this problem by pursuing two approaches either jointly or partly. The first option is to reduce the cost of production through looking for different suppliers and adoption of better technology to reduce operational costs. This will increase the profit margin for the company. The other option is to raise the price of the final company products. However, because raising the price of the products may backfire as it may turn off some customers; it is advisable for the team to first consider lowering the cost of production. 3.1 Description of your company’s successes and failures and your learning’s in implementing your strategy against your set mission/vision and plans as given in part one of your report. Generally the products of the company have been accepted by the consumers as evidenced by the market share of the different models. The company has managed to live to its mission statement, with the only problem now being revenue generation. This is the reason why the management now needs to come forward with better financial and strategic plans that will steer the company forward and start generating huge profits like the other companies in the industry. The first possible method is to reduce the cost of production through using better technology or getting better suppliers or even both if possible. 3.2 Include in your final report your reflections on this learning exercise This learning exercise has made me realize the essence of planning and understanding the nature of the industry before venturing into business. I have also learned that at times things do not work as planned and that it is always critical to review decisions in order to correct mistakes and also learn from the techniques used by the competitors as methods of succeeding in the competitive business environment.   3.3 company’s â€Å"end game† position (trading period 5), strategic recommendations for the next five years for the Executive company. The strategic recommendation for the company in the next five years is that it should deploy ways of lowering the cost of production. It can do this through outsourcing some of its operations to countries with lower costs of labor. This should be done in tandem with efficient and exhaustive marketing of the company products in order to generate more sales. Additionally, the company should widen its range of products so as to increase its sources of revenue. Lastly the company should adopt the concept of competitor profiling as a technique of staying ahead of the competitors in business. Competitor profiling and competitor analysis entails studying the techniques used by other companies in the industry and then devising ways of outdoing them in business. Bibliography Baines, P., Fill, C., Page, K. (2013). Essentials of marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chandrasekar, K. S. (2010). Marketing management: Text and cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Edelhoff, J. (2009). The European Automobile Industry: Technological change, changing of production and changing of organization. München: GRIN Verlag. Faarup, P. K. (2010). The marketing framework. Aarhus: Academica. Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Jerenz, A. (2008). Revenue management and survival analysis in the automobile industry. Wiesbaden: Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verl. Gabler. Kubik, J. (2011). Analysis and evaluation of chosen resources of Volkswagen in Germany and in respect of the Indian minicar market and the role of Suzuki as a Joint Venture prospect. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Nitschke, C. (2011). Outsourcing vs. Insourcing in the Automotive Industry The Role and Concepts of Suppliers. Munich: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Peng, M. W. (2009). Global strategy. Mason, Ohio: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Peters, N. (2011). The impact of the global downturn on the car manufacturing industry. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Pride, W. M. (2011). Marketing principles. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. Wells, P. E. (2010). The automotive industry in a era of eco-austerity: Creating an industry as if the planet mattered. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. West, D. (2009). Strategic marketing. Oxford: Univ. Press. Witcher, B. J., Chau, V. S. (2010). Strategic management: Principles and practice. S.l.: Cengage Learning.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Hobbes Leviathan

Hobbes Leviathan A society is defined as a group of people uniting in a common interest. Even though some people do not always seem to have parallel perspectives, they do share one common interest, which is survival. The survival of man is dependent on mans ability to adapt to their needs and surroundings. This concept is known as evolution. The society of man has evolved in its journey through time to help ensure mans survival. According to Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, it is in the nature of men to thirst for power, or the ability to control. Hobbes writes, ...a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and relentless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death. (p.330) He believes that the thirst for power is insatiable, and will only stop after death. The thirst for power is insatiable because he cannot assure the power and means to live well...without the acquisition of more. (p.330) Man can only guarantee his own survival by acquiring more power. Hobbes believes that mans struggle for power begins in a setting that he describes as state of nature. The state of nature is the name for a society that has no government, no rules, and everyone is granted equal power. An example of a society being in a state of nature would be the island in which The Lord of the Flies takes place. A group of young boys are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Since there are no adults, there are no rules, nor governing body, and everyone has an equal voice in their society. But it is not long before the nature of man takes effect. The natural thirst for power causes the boys to become enemies, and the island is separated into two groups. With two groups on the island, it is only natural that one group craves to strip the power from the other group. In doing so, the two groups become enemies, and a ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Turn Lead Into Gold

How to Turn Lead Into Gold Before chemistry was a science, there was alchemy. One of the supreme quests of alchemy was to transmute  (transform) lead into gold. Lead (atomic number 82) and gold (atomic number 79) are defined as elements by the number of protons they possess. Changing the element requires changing the atomic (proton) number. The number of protons cannot be altered by any chemical means. However, physics may be used to add or remove protons and thereby change one element into another. Because lead is stable, forcing it to release three protons requires a vast input of energy, such that the cost of transmuting it greatly surpasses the value of the resulting gold. History Transmutation of lead into gold isnt just theoretically possible; it has been achieved! There are reports that Glenn Seaborg, 1951 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, succeeded in transmuting a minute quantity of lead (possibly en route from bismuth, in 1980) into gold. There is an earlier report (1972) in which Soviet physicists at a nuclear research facility near Lake Baikal in Siberia accidentally discovered a reaction for turning lead into gold when they found the lead shielding of an experimental reactor had changed to gold. Transmutation Today Today particle accelerators routinely transmute elements. A charged particle is accelerated using electrical and magnetic fields. In a linear accelerator, the charged particles drift through a series of charged tubes separated by gaps. Every time the particle emerges between gaps, it is accelerated by the potential difference between adjacent segments. In a circular accelerator, magnetic fields accelerate particles moving in circular paths. In either case, the accelerated particle impacts a target material, potentially knocking free protons or neutrons and making a new element or isotope. Nuclear reactors also may be used for creating elements, although the conditions are less controlled. In nature, new elements are created by adding protons and neutrons to hydrogen atoms within the nucleus of a star, producing increasingly heavier elements, up to iron (atomic number 26). This process is called nucleosynthesis. Elements heavier than iron are formed in the stellar explosion of a supernova. In a supernova gold may be transformed into lead, but not the other way around. While it may never be commonplace to transmute lead into gold, it is practical to obtain gold from lead ores. The minerals galena (lead sulfide, PbS), cerussite (lead carbonate, PbCO3), and anglesite (lead sulfate, PbSO4) often contain zinc, gold, silver, and other metals. Once the ore has been pulverized, chemical techniques are sufficient to separate the gold from the lead. The result is almost alchemy.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Time Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Management - Research Paper Example It is important to define what essentially time management is. It is the basis of properly allocating time dimensions to a particular activity so that all the tasks and activities that need to be completed by this individual are done within a stipulated time period. If the activities are not done within this allotted time, it would mean that there have been serious transgressions within this field and hence the overall time has been compromised upon. The people who are unable to manage time feel that they are a victim of their own doing as they blame themselves for the lack of adherence to time domains. But then again, there are people who are always punctual and believe earnestly within the reigns of time management. What is needed here is a balance between managing time activities and letting go of the issues which plague the timely completion of activities, tasks and actions (Haynes, 2009). This balance can only come about when people realize that their actions are being kept a ch eck upon, if not by somebody else then their own selves as well. However, it becomes quite a hectic job to track each and every move that human beings undertake, and hence is a good idea to stick to the avenues of time management as much as possible. This makes things easier as far as the future undertakings of life, career and other fields are related. Some of the most significant principles within time management is to make sure that the priorities are broken up into different zones.