Lord of the Flies: Writing an Interpretive Composition

Piggy is an important character in William Golding's Lord of The Flies. The novel follows a group of boys who crash land on a deserted island. At first, the boys believe that they will be rescued and will soon return to their normal lives. The reality of the situation, is that the world outside of the island is in war. The island becomes their new home. Using Piggy's physical features, mental state, and emotional level, Golding makes Piggy a symbol of security, and civilization. Piggy's character plays a major role because he serves as Golding's personification of intelligence, and critical thinking. Piggy is very important in the story, he is the character that gives the story kind of a mysterious twist; he is the character that turns the story upside down. He is the smartest on the island, without piggy the island would be a huge mess. Piggy from the beginning told the boys how to maintain themselves. Golding’s symbolism is strangely in Piggys appearance. The boys criticize Piggy from when he got on the island all the way up until his death. They nag at him because he is overweight, has asthma, ugly, he has pale skin, and has a speech impediment. This all symbolizes civilization. Without Piggy on the island the boys would be a mess, and they would lack proper thinking abilities. Even though Piggy is the obvious choice for the boy’s leader, they decide to go for the more athletic, and good-looking one Ralph. Ralph is chosen because the boys didn’t like the fact that Piggy was overweight, and lacked all abilities to be a leader. They didn’t know or even give him a chance to show who he was, had they done that they would have found out that Piggy is the more mature one out of all the boys; he does have the ability to be a leader. Piggy in every way seemed older, the boys had hair that kept growing, Piggys was already starting to bald because he had handicaps that made him look older then he really was. Piggy is clearly the most mentally stable boy on the island. For example when the boys said there was a ‘beast’ on the island, Piggy knew that no large animal could possibly sustain itself on the island, not by itself anyways. There is nothing on the island, just these boys he tried to tell them that; he tried to tell them there is nothing to fear. â€Å"I know there isn’t no beast—not with claws and all that I mean- but I know there isn’t no fear either† (page 84). He tries to tell the boys, that the only thing to be afraid of is themselves. They have all turned into such monsters and they are the only ‘beasts’ on the island. Piggy stays calm under pressure and thinks through situations clearly and thoughtfully, moreover; he is mature and independent. Piggy should have been elected leader even though his physical features don’t meet the boy’s standards. All of the other boys constantly leave him alone to fend for himself and take care of the young boys on the island. His independence is a principal factor that keeps him from turning into a monster like the rest of the boys do by the middle of the novel. At the beginning of the boys' journey, Piggy found the conch, which is a shell that when blown brought all of the boys into a ‘family’ meeting. This allowed the conch to represent order and democracy. Until his death, Piggy tries to make the boys stay calm and close. By the end of the novel on the boys have become completely divided, and Piggy and Ralph are completely on their own. Piggys glasses have been stolen by the other boys in the separate group, in his desperate effort to get his glasses back, he expects the talk to be quite peaceful and mature. That’s not what he got, when he got to the boy’s camp they began screaming at him calling him down, and making him feel more useless then he already is without his glasses. During his plead Jack decides it is a smart idea to throw a huge bolder on Piggy’s head. I’m not sure if his clear intentions were to kill Piggy or to scare them away, but it deffinatly resulted in Piggy’s death. The boys aren’t very clear and in their own ‘state’ of mind. They have absoloutly no reassurance in their minds, they don’t know what they’re going to do. They have all lost their minds. The bolder that is crushing down on Piggy is a symbol of radical breakdown of civilization, meaning there is no ‘peace’ anymore. The story kind of took a turn from here, the boys were trying to hunt Ralph, their intentions were to kill him aswell. Piggy’s character was very important to the story. Piggys personality at the beginning of the novel is similar to his personality at the ending. He became the voice of reason on the island, he likes to get every word he needs to say out. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies just wouldn’t have been the same if Piggy wasn’t in the story, it wouldn’t have had the twists and turns it had.

Wilderness Bradley Watker

I hobbled as fast as I could across the moor. I didn't look back and I didn't look down – the former because I didn't want to know just how close it was, the latter because I didn't want to see the blood spurting from my foot. It was chasing me. I didn't turn round, but with each limped and painful step I knew it was right behind me, ready to pounce and end any futile hope of survival. It was so near, at my shoulder, on top of me, right through my brain. I could feel its breath pushing against my neck, salivating in hunger. Why didn't it just finish me off? Maybe it wanted me to turn, maybe the moment I looked it would be there. Its red eyes shining into mine, its wide mouth ready to make an aperture of my throat. The temptation to turn was immense. If I turned it would be over, I wouldn't have to run – hobble, limp, stagger – anymore. I heard it growl, ready to pounce. My arms flailed, my mangled foot slipped in a coating of my own blood – but still I ran, still I refused to look back. I kept thinking of survival, thinking there'd be a future, thinking I'd live – and it was with that thin slice of hope that my legs disappeared from under me. I screamed, but it was a sound of surprise rather than pain – and it was lost in a terrible scream from across the moor. Who was that? Was it Mark? Was it Pete? We'd run together, separated – thinking it couldn't hunt down all three of us across these moors. But was that right? It was a long way to run and we had no idea how swift it was. I closed my eyes and listened. It was Mark. It was Mark screaming into the night. It was Mark being torn apart. I opened my eyes, slowly, and looked behind me. There was nothing. There were no red eyes, there were no bloodied teeth. Yet I could hear its breath so close, smell its disgusting raw hunger. But it wasn't there, Mark's cries told me that. It had followed Mark – the fattest one – meat on the carcass for a good feast. But I could still hear its breath, trapped in my mind, telling me it was near, that despite Mark's cries it was still hunting me. I steadied myself and looked around. I'd tumbled into a crimson ditch, a jagged hole covered in blood. Every inch of grass, every patch of mud was smeared red. I blinked a couple of times and gagged as the stench beat its way through my nostrils – and then, under the moonlight, I saw them. There were a dozen rabbit carcasses in the hole with me, each of them dissected and eviscerated by teeth. This is where it was before the bar, this is where it started before it came to us for the main course. I pulled myself up, scared I'd vomit. Mark's cries had stopped. Mark had been stopped. It was silent again, so I couldn't retch. If I threw up it would know where I was, it would find me easy. I crawled from the ditch, away from the blood and the smell. I lay on the grass, keeping my face pressed down, hoping the aroma of night time freshness would remove all others. I was tempted to just stay there, but the pain in my heel was too much. I had a knife in my shack, a good sharp blade. I could cut out the wound, remove the infection. The shack wasn't far. I knew this land, knew how to navigate these moors – I just prayed I could move fast enough it wouldn't catch me. I stood up, putting my weight on my right foot, only gingerly using my left. I took my bearings. Mark's cries had come from the east. What was it doing now? Was it feasting? Was it burrowing its nose into Mark's blubber? Or was it going to use the darkness to hunt down me and Pete as well? It had started in the bar – what? Half an hour earlier? A life time ago? ‘The Bar At The End Of The World' we called it. There had been three of us in, and Paul the bar-keep. No matter who else was there, the three of us – and Paul the bar-keep – were always there. We were single men, away from civilisation, glad – in the absence of any other human companionship – to have a kind of family to go to of an evening. It wasn't exclusive, we never made anyone feel an outsider. When others came in from the moors they were welcomed, they were old friends. Even strangers received a cheery greeting. We'd had lost English motorists, Scotsmen in kilts, even once a Japanese coach party. We always treated strangers kindly, we always wanted the stranger to leave as a friend. We weren't a bar which looked shifty and suspicious at every unknown who walked in. We smiled, we cheered, we brought another round. The stranger who walked in that night was different. He looked cold, distant, unfriendly. He looked like a man who wouldn't appreciate smiles or cheers or any warm welcome. He was huge, the size and shape of a bear – near seven foot of him. He lowered his head through the doorway and then straightened, standing dead still, staring at us on our bar-stools. Pete – the friendliest, youngest and lithest – tended to pounce forward and shake the hand of whoever came in, he didn't with this guy. This man just stood and glared at us, like he was ready to growl if we came near. We were in the wild, we ourselves were part of the wild – but he looked like he was born of it. His hair was greasy and matted to his simian shaped skull, his beard was torn and tangled, his skin was red and lined from exposure. His long jacket was the brown of every kind of dirt, his trousers were stained and short on his bruised calves, his torn shirt was only buttoned once – showing off a scarred and lined torso. It was Paul who spoke. Paul was the custodian and was never scared of confronting the unruly elements – his shotgun was never far from reach below the bar. â€Å"Can I help you?† he asked. The man did nothing, just continued to stare with passive venom. â€Å"Can I help you?† said Paul. The man moved. He turned his head, slowly, towards the bar-keep. â€Å"Whisky.† said the man, his voice as dark as earth. â€Å"You got money for that?† asked Paul. It was never usually a problem. Once or twice we'd had a tramp stray out that far and we'd brought them drinks – tramps have stories too. No one seemed willing to volunteer this time. The man took three strides, three strides which seemed to dent and echo against the floor. He grabbed a bar stool and swooped it under him. It was amazing those rickety old stools could take such a weight. â€Å"Whisky.† said the man. â€Å"You got money for that?† said Paul. They stared at each other. Paul kept his hand beneath the bar, clutching the gun. There was music on the jukebox, an old pop hit of the nineteen-seventies, but even though it played it was like silence had come and crushed it. The man brought his hand up, a brutal weapon of a fist – huge, scarred and red. He opened it, dropping a dozen coins down onto the bar. He smiled at Paul, or gave what passed for a smile on that face. Paul let go of the gun and pulled out a clean glass. â€Å"What kind?† he asked. â€Å"Whisky.† Paul shrugged and reached for a bottle – the cheapest – and poured out a measure. The whisky made itself at home at the bottom of the glass, but the man just stared at it in disapproval. â€Å"Whisky.† he said. Paul poured another measure. Again the man stared at it with disgust strained across his wrinkled, bruised face. â€Å"Whisky.† Paul shrugged again and poured it so the glass was brimming with brown liquid. Helicopters! I could suddenly hear choppers. They were up there, more than one – patrolling the night-sky. I dropped to the grass and looked up, but couldn't see them despite the moonlight. How did they know about it? Who had called them? It took a long time to get a helicopter out here – helicopters were city. They must have been hunting this thing awhile, must have tracked it down here. But what were they going to do now? It was an animal, it had natural senses – they didn't know this moor, they didn't know where things were. It was ridiculous, what were city men in helicopters going to do against a beast like that? I lay still. They were on my side. The police, the army, the protection authorities – whoever they were – we all wanted the same thing, we wanted it gone. But I knew they wouldn't be as careful as I would. They'd come to the moors before looking for things, other animals roaming these parts. They'd found them, they'd got them – and so what if a local got in the way of their sharpened bullets? It was collateral damage, it didn't matter. After all, we were too far away from the cities and the towns and the newspapers and the television cameras for anyone to care what actually happened. We were too far away for the death of a few yokel innocents to matter. But we knew. We knew it was as just as dangerous encountering a city man sent with a gun as it was encountering a beast. I got up slowly. What would I look like to them? A man limping in darkness across the moor, smeared with dirt and remains – how was I going to appear to them? I tried to figure out where they were – the sound of propellers said they were close, but I could also hear that breathing. I shuddered. I had to keep moving, I had to get safe. My shack, with heavy bolts on the doors and windows, was still a mile away. There was nowhere else though. Nowhere between where I stood and my shack. Nowhere in that direction between the bar and my shack. It was all so desolate. I had to get home – I could lock himself in, I had weapons, I'd be able to treat my ankle and give myself a chance of a tomorrow. I just had to get off the moor. I didn't want to die out there from either sharpened teeth or sharpened bullets. The man had just stared at that glass of whisky. Rain fell, records changed on the jukebox and still the man watched that glass with slow contemplation. All human sound had died. Before the man walked in Pete was regaling us with a childhood story we'd all heard three hundred times, Mark nevertheless could not stop sniggering at it – now there was only silence. We stared at the man – anxious of what he was going to do, scared of what he was going to do. Paul's hand was below the bar, tight on the gun. Maybe the man would just drink and leave. Maybe he'd drink and start a conversation. Maybe. His hand reached quick for the glass. One moment it was lying still in his lap, the next it was dropping the brown liquid down his throat. He took it in one gulp, then slammed the glass back to the bar and stared at it disappointed. He seemed to wonder if that was it. Paul reached his free hand to the bottle, to offer a refill, when the man jerked himself over the glass. He hunched his body over as if about to vomit the contents back in, his head so close he could have snapped the rim with his teeth. But he didn't. Instead he unfurled his tongue, pushing it into the empty glass so it curled at the bottom and piled up on itself. The tongue was long, dark, thick – it had two black veins running and pulsing up the back. He pushed it into the glass and filled it. The receptacle crammed full with purple flesh spilling over the top Then he made a slurping sound, like his tongue was a paper-straw reaching for the last drop of liquid. He slid it out, but stayed hunched forward and unfurled it again, wrapping his tongue around the base of the glass. He lifted it from the bar, tilting his head back and shaking whatever atoms of whisky might be left into his wide eager mouth. He dropped the glass back to the bar carelessly, so it landed on its side and rolled. The man grunted as it came to a stop right at the edge. I wasn't far now, but still far from safe. The helicopters had moved away, but there were men on the moors. I could hear them communicating, I could hear the static of their walkie-talkies. They were armed and scared in the moonlight, and it didn't matter what they saw – man, sheep, deer, great big beast – they'd all get the same treatment. I kept moving, conscious of them, conscious of the salivating breath, conscious that one wrong turn and I'd be exposed for all in the moonlight. I rounded a ridge, and there – close enough to see – was my shack. I felt so much relief I nearly wept, but then I heard them on the bank right above me. I hit bank-side and listened, they were chatting about vectors and shut downs and containing the area. All the time the beast was getting nearer. It was so dark out there – even with the moon – that it could have pounced from five feet and surprised me. Even with armed city men so close, it would still have time to tear out my throat before taking them too. They were above me so I couldn't move, but I could hear the beast and knew I had to move. The sound of its hunger was louder when I stopped. It seemed like it could attack from all sides, like I could be ripped apart by more than one of them. It was everywhere. What were those idiots doing? Why were they advertising themselves? I held my breath and listened to them and listened to it, and figured I was in for a bloody death. Then there were screams. From across the moor came dreadful cries, that even through the wind I recognised as Pete. I lurched forward from the bank, but then reality knocked me back again. Even if I knew where to run it would be too late. The screams swirled in the wind, they echoed, so it seemed that each death throe was repeated again and again across the moors. The men primed their weapons, but what were they going to fire at? It could be miles off, it could be bursting up from just over the next hillock. Finally there was movement, orders were given, the men raced away. I could still hear the breathing, rattling between my ears even with the screams. I could hear the helicopters swooping back. The men had gone, the helicopters weren't near enough yet and it was as close as it had ever been. If I looked to my left I could make out the brickwork of my shack. I moved hastily towards it. With the empty glass in front of him, the man closed his eyes and became still. Why hadn't Paul shot him then? Why didn't he just blast him one? What had gone through Paul's mind to make him wait? But then the opportunity was gone, his eyes opened and he spoke. â€Å"I get so lonely,† he said. â€Å"I get so very, very lonely.† His voice was quiet, a growled monotone. â€Å"I know the kind of life I lead isn't meant to have company, but still I am lonely. I think it's an odd thing for me to have become lonely – I wasn't born lonely, I didn't grow up lonely, there was nothing in my life that suggested loneliness. But now I am alone. I don't miss the people I knew, I don't miss the people who loved me – some of them I can't even remember – but I do miss the sensation of somebody else, I do miss there being another. I talk to myself a lot, I talk to myself and try to make sense of it, because after all – who else is there to talk to? Sure, there are people like you. There's the welcome of strangers when I can get it. But you're not my friends, you're not even my friends for the hours I spend here. You're just people I meet. You don't like me and you don't trust me – and I'll be honest with you, you have no reason to do either. You know what I am, or you have a good idea what I am. You know what I have to do, you know what will happen next. And later on when I'm alone I might regret it, but for now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And there it was – an angry mass of hair, claws and teeth. It went for Mark first – the most meat – but Mark was strong and pushed it back. It was only for a second, knocking it off balance, but enough for the three of us to get passed. We scrambled, had almost reached the outside, when it clamped me in a hungry vice. I looked to my foot and saw its horrible mutated face, growling and supping at my flesh. I screamed and it was answered by a gunshot. Paul put both barrels into its back. It roared and let go of my heel, and I hobbled out as fast as I could. There was another shot, and then a scream from Paul. I reached my shack, fumbling in the darkness as I tried to open the door. I had to be quicker – my blood was in the air, surely I was going to be next. It was so near, its breath seemed to bruise the back of my neck. Finally the door opened. I slammed it behind me, bolted it, pushed furniture to block the windows. Outside were choppers, men running – but they weren't going to get near it. It was coming for me, stalking me. I opened the table drawer and pulled out my revolver, then went to my book shelves and cracked open a little box. It was a present, given to me as a keepsake, a lucky charm, in case I ever needed it. A silver bullet. I looked to the door and with shaking fingers slipped it into the chamber. The full moon shone on me despite the furniture. I could hear growling, panting, a nearby and desperate salivating. But then I heard a chopper, I heard men. It receded, cowering, taking a tactical retreat. The sound of breathing softened in my head. I took a gulp of relief and vomited on the floor. The vomit was blood red. I sat down, shaking with tears. I reached to the drawer and pulled out a carving knife, bringing it to my heel. But it was no good. The wound was deeper than I'd realised, the teeth had sunk in further than I thought, meeting below my flesh. There was no way I could just cut it out, the infection was in me, rampant in my blood. I put the gun to my temple. Why not? Anyone who passed as my friend had already died that night. But then the moonlight touched me and I realised just how powerful I felt. I could hear the breathing again, friendlier now though. There was a new smell in the night air – warm, welcoming. The beast was just the other side of the door, I could sense it. I could smell it, it could smell me. I put the gun down and smiled. I guessed neither of us would be lonely for a little while.

Causes of Unrest in Middle East and North Africa

Causes of Unrest in Middle East and North Africa Historians and philosophers, political scientists, economists, and sociologists are trying to identify the root causes of social unrest and their implications in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the end of the first and the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. There are quite a lot of factors serving as the foundation for social unrest in the ME and NA. They are both objective and subjective. The bases of social revolutions are mainly domestic factors, though not without external assumptions. The root causes of the revolutionary upheavals in the Arab world and the Middle East and North African crisis lie in the limited model of modernization, which has led to a disproportionate, extensive and slow development of the region. [1] In January 2014, the Arab world has noted the fourth anniversary of the event, which journalists dubbed as the â€Å"Arab Spring â€Å". Indeed, at first, the world started to witness â€Å"iconic† events occur ring in the region, where the resignation of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled the country since 1987, on January 14 2011, launched the cascade known as the domino effect. Later, on the 11th of February 2011 the fall of Tunisian president was followed by the most sensational resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country since 1981. In combination with the removal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (who ruled from 1969) on the 20th of October 2011, events of the â€Å"Arab Spring† began to be perceived and interpreted as signs of radical changes in the entire Arab region, and more broadly within the whole Islamic World [1] . The nomination of main slogans demanding the democratisation of public institutions of government had a dual effect on the countries of the region. Firstly, the â€Å"spring tide† having swept away a number of Middle Eastern regimes, still failed to overthrow the most powerful outposts of authoritarianism w ithin the region [2] . These authoritarian outposts are personified by Arab Monarchies of the Persian Gulf [3] , who happen to be traditional allies of the USA. Reluctance to initiate the reforms for the liberalisation of the regime led to them being discredited in the eyes of the global community as well as the indigenous peoples of the region. And secondly, the events of the last decade, beginning with the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq [4] have led, in combination with crisis of power in Egypt and Syria, to the elimination of the political culture and institutions of the Middle East, by knocking out the traditional â€Å"heavyweights† of the Middle East: Iraq, Egypt and Syria. All of these events together resulted in the emergence of activity of those labelled as â€Å"outsiders† by the Arab world. These non-Arab â€Å"outsiders† are primarily Iran and Turkey. The failure of the revolutions to lay foundation for new Political, Economic and Social instit utions has been replaced by simple â€Å"reshuffling of spheres of power and influence. And in Iran, a â€Å"green movement† has been chosen as an alternative path [5] . Throughout the course of the revolution, there were strong expectations that the Middle East was entering a period of democratic development [6] , which was said to achieve all of the attributes of a free civil society, which had for so many years existed in Western countries. However, further advancement of the situation in the region has led to an increase in the influence of supporters of critical perception of the nature and probable consequences of this rebellious movement not only for countries of that region, but also for the whole system of modern international relations. Western experts have increasingly highlighted the ambiguity of this phenomenon for the fate of the entire region, by agreeing on the fundamental reshaping of the entire system of â€Å"balance of forces†. This choir is partic ularly dominated by the notable work of Efraim Inbar, an Israeli expert and his work â€Å"The Arab uprisings and national safety of Israel.†According to Inbar, all what is happening in the region, will not deliver any positive outcomes in terms of stability and regional security† [7] . Despite the secular influence of Western culture, none of the Arab States managed to build a stable, democratic society, based on the ideas of civil liberties, political rights, a system of universal education, gender equality and economic development. The â€Å"democratic† elections in Lebanon in 2005 and Palestine in 2009 brought to power of the Islamists, indicating that the imperfection of the civil society in the Arab world. The most dangerous version of the situation under the influence of the â€Å"Arab Spring† and according to Inbar, there will be an emergence of nuclear Iran, who may ultimately win some time to complete work on its nuclear program and put the globa l community fait accompli. This may result in a â€Å"chain reaction† when other countries region will aim to commence the development of their own nuclear programs, seriously complicating the national security of Israel, which as of now is the only nuclear Power in the conflict-laden region. Activation of Iran on the foreign policy arena after the uprisings is not accidental. Behind its activation lies the influx of huge amounts of Petrodollars, rising anti-American sentiment in the region caused by frankly failed policies of the United States, the rise to power of an ambitious and eccentric leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s implementation of its own â€Å"nuclear program†, which turned into a personification of Iran’s power revival [8] . Hence the interest of specialists and politicians on foreign policy doctrine of modern Iran, where it states that it is based not on the principles of national interest but rather the principle of Islamic solidarity, r ooted in the teachings of Imam Khomeini, in relation to the Islamic revolution. Thus, consideration of ideological concepts of Imam Khomeini in interpreting the current leader of the Islamic Revolution (Rahbar) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, should help understanding and explaining the steps taken by Iran during the reign of the current President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [9] . The analysis of these concepts will help to forecast future foreign policy initiatives of Iran with its aim to resolve the intra-regional problems.

The Aesthetic as well as Economic Characteristics of the 'Film Europe Essay

The Aesthetic as well as Economic Characteristics of the 'Film Europe Movement, - Essay Example Nations felt an urge to create long term bilateral relations with this humungous political blitzkrieg. There after gradually & quite naturally, the ‘American influence’ begun to overflow in diverse domains. It slowly initiated to engulf spectrums such as art, theatre, culture, music, films. The next step was to classify those apparently ‘non political’ artistic components at par with the lines of the grand old American maneuver. This cultural autocracy created a stir amongst the enlightened & elitist in Europe. Film corporations like the Metro Goldwyn Mayer had already infiltrated the economies of third world nations like India by 1920 (Thomas, 1987, pp.1-2). While American film corporations’ encashed rich dividends from colonial markets, the European heavy weights were coerced to remain at a bay. This naturally sprouted a furor across the cultural horizon. The European mavericks & thespians felt that a cultural reincarnation was long overdue. German filmmakers like Dupont, Eichberg & Bolvary, plunged into the galaxy of filmdom, with the aim to break the American jinx (Thomas, 1987, pp.1-2). Their unbridled apathy against US monopoly led them to the shores of Britain, from where they churned out numerous path breaking films. This unique film movement came to be known as the ‘Film Europe Movement’, & gained massive popularity throughout the European peninsula. The noble ideals of combating capitalist aggression with socialist principles augured magically with the masses. ‘Film Europe’ managed to successfully batter up American aggression, intertwined with egalitarian theologies. The concluding research deals with the FILM EUROPE MOVEMENT with E.A. DuPont’s English film ‘Piccadilly’ juxtaposing the centre stage. The Birth of the ‘Film Europe Movement’ The culmination of the First World War had precisely ravaged up the economies of France & Italy. They were in no position t o stifle or even stand a chance against the ever expanding ‘American menace’. The calculating American theorists embarked on their global economic conquest, & by 1917, had South America, Australia, Asia Minor & vast territories of Africa amidst their grasp. The birth of the ‘Film Europe Movement’ was hence not just a united cultural Endeavour, but a collaborated strategy of economic survival. These Siamese goals gave birth to quintessential cinematic forms, the German ‘expressionism’, the French ‘impressionism’ & the Soviet schooling of ‘montage’. Interestingly, as time stroked away, films began to emerge which contained a profuse blend of two or more cinematic schooling. For example, Marcel L’Herbier’s French saga, ‘Don Juan et Faust’ borrowed extensive German expressionism throughout its making, while Karl Grune’s 1923 German biopic ‘Die Strasse’, successfully utilized F rench impressionism in its narration (Thomas, 1987, pp.2-5). Later of course, hoards of films were created blending two or more cinematic ideologies. This pan European cinematic outburst not only created an upheaval in the European domain, but also proved to be cinematically superior to its American counterparts. The unique ideas, bold subjects, & timeless concepts gave birth to films that would change the course of history itself. Geniuses like Sergei Eisenstein, Vsevold Pudovkin & Lev Kuleshov made films which enthralled film voyeurs throughout the planet. Films began to be created with an international appeal. This continental outlook started to

Women's Suffrage Exhibition, London, 2010 Dissertation

Women's Suffrage Exhibition, London, 2010 - Dissertation Example From the research it can be comprehended that the Women’s Library in London, founded in 1926 by leading suffragist Millicent Fawcett, has the â€Å"oldest and largest collection of women’s history in the UK†. The internationally well-known specialist library has extensive collections of books and various artefacts in its archives and museum, on the lives of women in Britain. The material related to women’s suffrage includes posters, photographs, postcards, badges and other mementos reflecting women’s efforts to gain equality with men for the right to be voted towards full representation in the parliament. For the first time in its history, the Women’s Library showed original art works inspired by items in its collection, in the exhibition Out of the Archives extending from May to September, 2010, curated by Anna Colin. The exhibition explored the relationship between art and political campaigning, highlighting events, objects and movements fr om women’s history in Britain. Included in the diverse selection of archives on women’s campaigns and struggles, is depicted the association between art production and destruction as a part of the women’s suffrage movement. For the exhibition Out of the Archives, artists Olivia Plender and Hester Reeve took into consideration â€Å"the troubled, turbulent and sometimes contradictory relationship between suffragettes and art†. The artists Olivia Plender and Hester Reeve used a range of items from the Women’s Library archives including â€Å"magazines, reports, photographs and posters†.... They created three works that examined the strategies used by the suffragettes in denouncing women’s subjugation. In the exhibition they present an illustrated chapbook, describing the suffragettes’ skilled means of attracting media attention. The artists question the conventional differentiation between art and politics, exploring the â€Å"militant attacks waged on famous art works by suffragettes and artists such as Mary Richardson† (Admin, The Women’s Library, 2010) and other trained artists including â€Å"Sylvia Pankhurst, Barbara Leigh Smith, and perhaps most importantly of all, Emily Dickinson† (Jones, 2010). Plender and Reeve also took into consideration the futurist F.T. Marinetti’s comparison between militant suffragettes’ techniques and 20th century avant-garde strategies against the bourgeois art institution (The Commissions, 2010). When Reeve and Plender began researching for the Out of the Archives exhibition, they decid ed to utilize the opportunity to build on the idea that occurred to them when they first met the previous year. This was related to the celebration of Emily Davison Day on June 4th every year. They examined the suffragette’s actions and addressed the relationship that she had with art and politics, and how the two were combined together. In June 2010 the first official celebration of Emily Davison Day took place, when Plender and Reeve paid a visit to the same event, the Derby that had marked the end of Davison’s life nearly a century ago in 1913. They have established the Emily Davison Lodge to commemorate the suffragette, and registered her anniversary as an annual public holiday, to celebrate her fatal deed to win the vote for women (Jones, 2010). Both Reeve and

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Osteogenesis Imperfecta - Research Paper Example The bigger amino acid network leads to the formation of steric obstruction that creates a swelling in the collagen structure which consequently affects the contact of molecules with one another as well as the nanomechanics of molecules. As a result of this reaction the body responds by dissolving the deformed structure of collagen because if the body does not do so, the interaction existing between the collagen fibers and hydroxyapatite particles that form the bone is changed making them weak and brittle. Another reason that is suggested for the occurrence of this disease is the state of stress at the collagen fibers; when the stress level changes at the points of mutation, where the bigger cut off pressures lead to rapid failing of fibrils even at medium level. There are a lot of reasons all related to the genes that lead to osteogenesis imperfecta. This disease is generally perceived as hereditary however this is not the case. There are eight different types of osteogenesis imperfe cta, most common being Type 1. ... Hearing impairment in infants Slight protuberance of the eyes Type II The quality as well as the quantity of collagen in this type is poor. Most patients suffering from this type of osteogenesis imperfecta die in the initial years of life due to respiratory breakdown or cerebral hemorrhage. The lungs are underdeveloped due to which the patients face respiratory problems. Deformation of bones and small physique Type II is further classified into type IIA, type IIB and type IIC. Type III The quantity if collagen is sufficient but it is not of the required quality. The deformity of bones is such that sometimes they break eve before birth. Possibility of respiratory problems Short physique, bending of the spinal cord and in some cases the shape of rib cage is spiral Joints are loosened The tone of muscles in the arms and legs is of poor quality Discoloration of sclera which turns it form normal white to blue Hearing problems in early ages of infancy Type IV The quantity of collagen is su fficient but quality is not up to the mark. This type is very much similar to Type I as far as the classification is concerned. The fracture of bones starts in the teenage years Rib cage is barrel shaped which leads to deformation of lungs consequently resulting in respiratory problems. The deformity of bone is mild to medium level. Hearing loss starts from a very early age. Type V This has the same clinical characteristics as that of type IV with interconnected appearance of bones being the basic distinguishing factor. Type VI It has the same clinical characteristics as that of type IV. This stage is distinguished by the fish like appearance of the bones. Type VII This type was discovered in the year 2005

Technology and Social Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology and Social Engineering - Essay Example The Roman empire in the ancient world built the highly sophisticated waterway system known as large aqueducts that carried water for hundreds of miles, introduced advanced sewer systems, invented durable cement, and constructed concrete structures. Other human problems related to improved communication, transportation, information transmission, mechanization, medicine, etc have been solved with the help of technology in the last two centuries through various inventions (Gupta, 2007). Technological innovations are related to philosophy’s aspects of values and ethics. Thus, planned and controlled technologies though regulated by laws are the worst offenders in creating environmental degradation. â€Å"A close survey of global problems indicates that neither science nor technology alone has the answer† (Gupta, 2007, p.383) to solve some major human problems. An example is that technology cannot create a species which has become extinct due to the decline in biodiversity. The main crises include destructive organizational, political and technological patterns; the breakdown in the human environment, the depletion of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuel, and other problems. Therefore, human behavior has to be improved, and relevant courts and controls should be applied to maintain checks and balances on the development of new technology and in its implementation (Chorafas, 2011). Social engineering is the organizing and â€Å"channelling of environmental and social forces to create a high probability that effective social action will occur† (Podgorecki, Alexander & Shields, 1996, p.1). It denotes the development of processes in which human beings serve as raw materials. In the twentieth century, grand plans of social engineering projects have proved to be costly and failures, as seen in the utopian experiments using violent measures to break the will of the people. On a smaller scale are interventions for

Direct & e-Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Direct & e-Marketing - Essay Example Starting from the stage of development of a business plan to the actual operations of any venture, customers retain a pivotal importance in all activities. There are primarily three perspective of a business plan. One is from an entrepreneur's perspective, one is the venture capitalists or Financier's perspective and the third is customer's perspective. It means a business should only be viable if it provides a product or a service that can be of value to customer and can help in customer's utility maximization. When designing a product or deciding about what services the business will provide, customer segmentation is done to ensure that the right product is given to right customers at the right time. All these efforts are made to ensure that more and more customers will be attracted towards an organization's offering and a positive image can be built so that business can create good will in the market and enjoy increase in sales. However, no businessperson can turn his eyes from attracting new customers and increase its customer base but this is also true that old or existing customers also hold a special place when it comes to increase sales and revenue generation. Research shows that old and existing customers are much more effective to increase sale for an organization. A very serious misunderstanding businesspersons use to have these days is that they think if someone becomes their customer, he or she will stay with them, their organization and their product, forever, which happens not to be the case in most of the circumstances. Slowly and gradually, they lose their customer base day by day and keep on wondering why the customers are not coming back to them or why they are leaving. Many reasons have come up for this loss in customer base. Customer loses his or her loyalty when he feels that: Your offering is unfair or unjustified They have some problem or issue relevant to your product or service which remains unsolved or un attended They have a better offer from your competitor He simply feels that you have no care or attention towards your existing customers and he feels ignored. Customers repeat their purchases when they feel themselves loyal with your organization and associate themselves with your product. Still we see organizations spending most of their money in attracting new customers and clients instead of maintaining good relationship with their existing clients to pursue them for repeat purchase. "Before you spend your time and money going after new customers and clients you do not currently have a relationship with consider the following statistics: Repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers. Referrals among repeat customers are 107% greater than non-customers. It costs six times more to sell something to a prospect than to sell that same thing to a customer (Laura Lake, 2007)". Building relationship with existing customer is easy to do. The only thing organizations should keep in mind is to treat customers as a partner in their business and realize the true worth of their customers. Businesses should focus on attracting new customers but at the same time put every effort to please their existing clients. It is necessary because existing clients are the source of a positive word of mouth. A positive word of mouth is the fastest and least costly source of marketing. People tend to believe someone, who has experience your product or s

Climate Change Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Climate Change Article - Essay Example In so doing, the media is able to punch holes to the ‘facts’ about climate change. However, through research and climate studies, the effects of climate change have been evident, this means more sensitization is required based on appeal to their reasoning and logic. There are many facts that have been put forth by scientists concerning the status of climate change across the world. Clearly, one can be able to identify some of the effects of climate change. In a debate with CNN hosts during an interview, Bill Nye highlighted that scientific facts have clearly shown that the menace of climate change and the subsequent global warming is a reality. However, it seems that the media has heavily relied on the statistics that they think emanate from the American citizens. While the citizens may be wrong, it is clear that the sensitization on the detrimental effects of climate change has not reached the Americans or they are not convinced by the scientist’s prepositions. Public awareness of facts on climate change is not tantamount to the inexistence of the facts. CNN hosts relied on research that only shows the state of public awareness and perception. This is a biased view because individuals are not able to understand the scenario during the old days; scientists are able to create a scenario where the past and the present are used to predict the future. Therefore, making a conclusion that climate change is not a major issue is not ideally correct. Bill Nye is also shadow in the presentation of the scientific facts. While the CNN hosts are able to point to statistics about climate change based on the Americans’ perceptions, Bill is obliged to support his climate change advocacy with facts. The reason why facts should be used is because they are able to appeal to the logic of the hosts and the viewers. In so doing, the viewers and hosts can be able to

Supporting the Commander’s Leadership Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Supporting the Commander’s Leadership Philosophy Essay This thesis will cover the Support of the Commander’s Leadership Philosophy, command climate, strategies, and the role of the gunnery sergeant’s importance in the execution of the Commander’s leadership philosophy for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. We feel that the command climate at this unit is good. The three strategies that we will use to discuss this will be communication, training and leadership and how important they are in order to establish an effective and productive environment. We will also discuss how the gunnery sergeant’s important role is the key to ensuring that these strategies are well executed. The process used in analyzing this units’ command climate was through the assistance of the Commander’s Leadership Philosophy, blotter, and miscellaneous command photos. Command Climate The assessment of the unit is good within the Commander’s philosophy. The Commander’s policy will have more of a significant change in the command. The Commander stands by his policy by being a band of brothers. He has done a good job making it clear about upholding our traditions as Staff Non Commissioned Officers (SNCO) and Non Commissioned Officers (NCO). The Responsibilities, Leadership, and Core Values are what the Marine Corps is about. By following theses values and the Commanders’ philosophy the command should be able to carry on the mission and goals set before the Squadron. Commander’s Philosophy of Leadership The Commander’s expectations for the Squadron as a whole is Teamwork, Leadership, and Communication. According to base reports they have less than 10 percent of incidents within the Squadron. That’s what team work is about taking caring for each other. Taking time to get to know you’re Marines. One person is not stronger than a team. This plays a big part with every Marine in the unit pushing for success. The leadership is a key role, Honesty is the best policy, and a college degree does not make you a leader. Any Marine can be a leader; for the mission to be successful we need loyalty and core values. By the command climate survey showing that the unit takes care of each other, this is another step to success. Communication the most important part of the Commander’s philosophy. This is what holds all of the Commander’s three words together (Team work, Leadership, and Communication). Keeping lines open are very important. Knowing what’s being said in meetings, passing the word down to the Marines and making sure they understand what is going on. Our SNCO’s and NCO’s are essential to this action. Any delay with this action will create problems within the unit. The Commander has an open door policy, but the Marines will utilize the chain of command. With the command policy in place the unit should have no problems achieving their mission of success. Strategies to Create/Foster Positive Command Climate As part of ensuring the command climate stays positive and even further improve, the following are three strategies formulated in order to define and implement the commander’s vision and expectations from his squadron: Communication Leaders must be able to clearly express the commander’s vision and expectations to their Marines. They must dedicate the time necessary to ensure that their Marines have a full understanding of commander’s intent, mission, and how they are to contribute to the squadron’s success. The senior Leadership will facilitate the clear communication of such by means of more daily interactions with their subordinate Marines and get feedback to ensure that the vision and expectations of the commander are understood. The Noncommissioned officers (NCO), on the other hand, should provide the same to their junior Marines and ensure the same feedback is received. Training Senior leadership will ensure an NCO Professional Military Education (PME) is conducted once a month to discuss small-unit leadership, by means of guided discussions on core values and how they relate to their daily operations on and off-duty and to their surroundings. A junior PME is also to be conducted once a month and should be guided by an NCO, to discuss the same issues. Also, physical training (PT) will be held at the squadron level on Fridays and from Mondays through Thursdays on the smaller unit levels. This ensures consistency in PT, but at the same time allows Marines to take advantage of regular weekend liberty, vice conducting PT events on Saturdays. Leadership As part of leadership, the mentoring program must be implemented across the squadron as a great tool to counsel, coach, look after the welfare of, and ensure Marines accomplish the mission in support of commander’s vision and expectations of teamwork, leadership, and communication. Also, a Values-Based Leadership Integration (VBLI) program will be incorporated into small-unit leadership. The VBLI is a good tool in that it improves communication skills of each Marine during a guided discussion as well as builds and sustains trust and loyalty between subordinates and leaders. Overall, making ever Marine relate better to the commander’s vision and expectations. Gunnery Sergeant’s Importance As the Company Gunnery Sergeant for VMF 214, my main responsibility is, to ensure that the strategies developed to improved command climate aboard VMF 214 are planned and executed properly to ensure maximum success. Communication among the SNCOs will be crucial in order for these strategies to work. Before making any changes, as the Company Gunnery Sergeant, my initial task will be to hold a meeting for SNCOs. The purpose of this meeting will be to ensure that all SNCOs understand and can clearly articulate our Commander’s vision and expectations to our junior Marines. This will not only help us eliminate the â€Å"I assumed† factor out of the equation, but it will show our junior Marines that we know what we are talking about, that we have a plan to correct the situation, and that we will lead them to success. To improve communication in the command will be the first agenda, there will be a staff meeting once a week for all SNCOIC in the command conference room. We will use this opportunity to discuss the progress of our strategies and any other issues around the command. The NCOs will be required to sit down with their junior Marines once a week as well, before they sit down with their SNCOs. This will allow our young leaders the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by mentoring the junior Marines on the things accomplished in their sections and in the command on a weekly basis. All Squadron safety briefs will be reviewed by the Company Gunnery Sergeant for accuracy and relevance to the topics we want to focus on. Before the start of any holiday weekend, all SNCOICs will be required to submit a vehicle inspection checklist on all their Marines. I expect the NCOs to perform most of the vehicle inspections, but I also expect the SNCOs to be involved in this process. The goal is to ensure our Marines safety, so they can enjoy their liberty and comeback to work ready to accomplish bigger and better things for the command. The training is our Second agenda and the training section (S-3) will provide the Company Gunnery Sergeant with a list of Marines names that need to complete their resident PME. Those Marines will get that information passed down from the Company Gunnery Sergeant with school dates. In return, those Marines will be required to respond NLT close of business 3 April 2012, with the date of the course they choose to attend, or a valid response on why they are unable to attend during fiscal year 2012. Physical training (PT) will be conducted at the squadron level on Fridays and at the section level Monday through Thursday. We will add cross-training in all levels of the squadron to be done periodically, to improve proficiency of Marines, ensuring they are trained to handle their respective duties and those of others in case the latter are out of the office due to Temporary Active Duty, leave or liberty, and Personnel change of duty. Last but not the least, there will be a command field meet the last week in August. This can infuse Marines with camaraderie and teamwork and foster esprit de corps. We will be implementing the Professional Reading Program for all sections. SNCOs will be required to build a folder for all Marines in their section to include themselves; the No Later Than (NLT) date will be 3 April 2012. By this date, all NCOs will be counsel by their SNCOs and all NCOs will counsel the junior Marines on the commander’s vision and expectations for all Marines belonging to VMF 214. Furthermore, as part of the check in process, all Marines checking in to the command will be required to write a one page essay explaining what they understand about the commander’s philosophy. This can be submitted to their SNCOs NLT one week after checking in to the command. As part of the Professional Reading Program, every Marine will be required to submit at least one book report to the Sergeant Major or senior leadership. Finally, our leadership will show strong in these few ways, at the conclusion of weekly section PT, every other Thursday session a Valued-based Leadership Integration session will go. A SNCO will lead that section on a chosen VBLI that can cover work or life. The mentoring program will be fine tuned and we will ensure that every Marine has a folder with detail information in it. All Marines will have a mentor to help with life events or skills training and all safety documents for TAD or other wise to include holiday routines will be logged in this folder. It will be the SNCOs to assist the younger Marines that will be in the leadership position of a Mentor. The squadron will implement Hails and Farewells and will be conducted every month to introduce new Marines to the squadron and to recognize achievements and say farewell to departing Marines. Conclusion In conclusion, we discussed how important it is to have an effective command climate and that all strategies must be imposed for a command climate to have successful results. We talked about having effective communication and how important it is for a unit to understand the commander’s intent, how conducting adequate training will promote core values and how leadership is the glue that holds the trust and loyalty between subordinates and leaders. We also discussed how the gunnery sergeant’s importance is an additional key to success and in the end, the Support of the Commander’s Leadership Philosophy, positive command climate that was evident in Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214, strategies, and the role of the gunnery sergeant’s importance is essential for the satisfaction and the development for the Squadron.

Business Essays London Cinema Plan

Business Essays London Cinema Plan West London Gold Class Cinema Business Plan. Executive Summary Negotiations have been undertaken to purchase the West London cinema in Hammersmith. This is a small, family run cinema which has been having trouble competing since a new multiplex cinema opened in the new shopping centre in Shepherds Bush. The purpose of this business plan is to seek funding for the purchase of the West London cinema and for the transformation of part of it into a Gold Class or VIP type cinema. This transformation will involve the renovation of one of the screens, decoration in a classy, movie theme style and the building of a kitchen and bar area. Gold Class will give patrons the opportunity to watch blockbuster movies from the comfort of luxurious, reclining lounge chairs while enjoying food and drinks brought directly to them. If this concept works, then the prospective owners intend to repeat their success in other run down cinemas across the country. Business Summary The business objectives are to develop one of the current cinemas (which has capacity for 250 patrons) into three Gold Class cinemas each having seating for 30 patrons, decorate the lobby area in a movie theme style and build a kitchen and bar area. Once the necessary renovations have been completed, the owners will need to obtain the necessary licensing permissions, hire staff and market the concept. Current Situation and Background At present West London Cinema is a small, three-screen, family run cinema in West London. While it has seating capacity for 750 patrons, the run down nature of the cinema means that on most nights it fails to realise its potential. The cinema has had a relatively steady customer base, but the recent opening of a multiplex cinema complex in Shepherds Bush has meant that patron numbers have been down. Even before the opening of the new multiplex cinema, the cinema had already been suffering a downturn since its heyday in the mid-1980s due to external factors. These have included a rise in property prices slowly changing the demographics of the people who live in the area, shifting customer entertainment habits (people have many more entertainment options available to them today) and the fact that the window between a release in the cinema and subsequently on DVD has been shrinking and movie piracy issues. While these issues have affected the cinema in a negative way, these are also the issues on which the prospective owners believe they can capitalise. This downturn in patron numbers has meant that the cinema is unlikely to make a profit this year and with the current owners not having the funds to invest into upgrading the cinema, it is likely that the this year will be only the start of a downward earnings trend for them. In light of this, the current owners have decided to sell the cinema while it is still showing some profit. This has created the opportunity which is set out in this business plan. Financial Situation and Legal Requirements West London Cinema has been owned by the same family since 1975. It has always prided itself on its friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices. Unfortunately, the owners have not always ploughed the cinemas profits back into the business and as such, it has become a little run down with increasing numbers of complaints about uncomfortable seating, poor screen resolution and a unimpressive sound system. The owners wish to borrow  £250,000 pounds to achieve their business objectives. With respect to legal requirements, the owners will need a liquor licence, building approval from their local authority, a hygiene inspection of their kitchen and advice from a solicitor as to whether or not they are able to trademark the Gold Class name. Industry Analysis Industry Description The cinema industry as a whole is facing challenges from many sides. Consolidation within the UK market means that four groups (Terra Firma, Blackstone, Vue and National Amusements) now own over 70% of UK screens. This consolidation means that the larger cinemas are better placed to meet the challenges of a quickly changing marketplace. Unfortunately, the losers in this consolidation of the marketplace and the emerging challenges to the cinema have been the small, family run cinemas. Industry Growth Across the industry, revenue growth has been quite strong with exhibitor revenue rising by 59% from 1998 to 2004 to over  £900 million (made up of  £650 million net box office sales,  £204 million net concession revenue and  £63 million cinema advertising). Most of this revenue growth was in the multiplex part of the market where it was noted that the four leading cinema groups had been able to raise their prices even in the face of declining DVD prices. This shows that demand for the cinema experience is more than just the watching of a movie and that a market does potentially exist which the larger multiplexes fail to cater for and that can be exploited by the more agile, smaller cinemas. Future Industry Developments The increase in other entertainment options, for instance computer games, pubs, home cinemas and the ever shrinking window between the release of a movie in the cinema and then onto DVD means that the future of the cinema industry is uncertain. The trend towards consolidation will no doubt continue, but it is interesting to note that the number of multiplexes opening has plateaued, with an average of 25 a year opening between 1998 and 2002, only 6 were opened in 2004. This perhaps signals that the multiplex market has reached its full potential and that the marketplace is stabilising. However, the stabilisation of the market at the top end does not as yet seem to have filtered down to the smaller cinemas and as such, many continue having trouble turning a profit. It is the owners belief that the current market is ideal for the development of a new concept which gives movie patrons an entirely unique cinema experience Gold Class. Market Summary Market Analysis The four possible ways in which the market can be defined are: multiplex cinemas; all cinemas; all ways of watching films (including cinemas, DVDs and pay-television); and all ways of using discretionary spend (including films, going to pubs, clubs or other ways of spending time and money in or out of the home). As noted above, it is the prospective owners view that cinemas can no longer focus on the narrow definition of the market. Some guidance can be taken from the multiplexes which offer patrons an experience. Often these cinemas are attached to shopping centres and as such going to the cinema is simply part of a persons shopping day. Multiplexes, like the shopping centres to which they are appended, rely on the principle that if something is large and loud, no one will dare to think that it is anything but the best and it must be said that they do this well. Teenagers are particularly impressed by this logic. However, to the same extent that teenagers are drawn to large and loud multiplexes, older patrons are repelled by them. Market Segmentation Cinema patrons generally fall within the 15-24 year age group with over 53% of people surveyed in this age group having attended the cinema once a month or more. This declines within the 25-34 year old age group to 34% and further within the 35+ age group to 16%. These figures reflect perhaps the fact that older cinema patrons who do not enjoy the nature of multiplexes have limited options with respect to indulging in a cinema experience. Furthermore, along with work and family commitments, older cinema patrons have less free time available to them and more options with respect to how to spend that time. This means that they are more likely to want to spend more money when they do go out to make sure that they utilise their time optimally. Market Research The purpose of the market research undertaken was to determine whether the Gold Class concept has been successful elsewhere, to gauge whether or not Hammersmith is the best location for a Gold Class cinema and to establish a price point for Gold Class tickets, food and drinks. The market research allowed the prospective owners to establish that the Gold Class concept has proven successful in Australia. While it was not possible to obtain financial figures, the prospective owners were able to determine that the concept has been around for several years and they were able to test it for themselves (a sample menu from an Australian Gold Class cinema is attached at Appendix A and can also be found here: http://www.greaterunion.com.au/goldclass/moviemenu.asp). In order to determine whether or not Hammersmith was a reasonable location for a Gold Class cinema, the prospective owners researched the demographic trends and the types of new businesses that were opening in the area. They found that many new business were opening and established businesses were being renovated to meet the tastes of the new residents moving into the area. As such, it was concluded that Hammersmith was a suitable location for a Gold Class cinema. Establishing price points for Gold Class tickets, food and drinks was quite difficult as the measures against which these price points can be determined are not perfect substitutes for each other (ie does a portion of fish and chips in a Gold Class cinema equate to the same meal in a pub?). It was decided that the only feasible approach was to go for higher price points, but offer various promotions which would mean that most people would not end up paying the full advertised price. Competition Analysis As noted, the market is extremely concentrated with the multiplexes taking a lions share of box office receipts. At the other end of the cinema market, are small, family run cinemas which are often seen by the public as being run down and in need of renovation, but priced competitively. There is little between these two extremes. However, while the multiplexes offer a certain type of experience, the prospective owners believe that there is still a potential untapped niche which small cinemas can exploit and which the multiplexes would have trouble competing with in the short term. Other potential competitors are similar niche cinemas which focus on selling a lifestyle (eg cinemas which only screen independent movies). Taking a broader view of the market in which cinemas compete, the market would be the entertainment market generally. People have a limited amount of disposable income and a limited amount of time which can be spent on entertainment. As such, cinemas are also competing with bars, sporting events, home cinemas, travel and restaurants. It is submitted that Gold Class cinemas would be a strong competitor in the general entertainment market at a niche level. Competition Strengths The main competitor for the proposed Gold Class cinema is the multiplex cinema in Shepherds Bush. The multiplexes strength lies in its buying power and the cinema chains ability to obtain the latest blockbusters at the earliest possible opportunity. Due to the multiplexes size, it has the flexibility to offer promotions and tie-ins beyond anything that a small cinema can offer. In the broader sense, the cinemas other competition comes from the various restaurants and pubs found in the surrounding vicinity. However, they are not necessarily direct competitors and are not mutually exclusive unlike the multiplex (ie a person may go to Gold Class and then a pub, but they are unlikely to go to the multiplex and then Gold Class). That said, the fact that Gold Class will offer food and alcohol means that competition between the cinema and restaurants and pubs in the vicinity will increase. Competition Weaknesses The multiplexes main weakness is that it does not cater particularly well to the older market of cinema patron. Furthermore, at present it does not offer a Gold Class experience and due to its business model of trying to fill large cinemas, it is unlikely that it would move towards a model which relied on creating smaller, more intimate cinemas. Likewise, it is difficult to imagine restaurants and pubs being able to compete directly with a cinema. They both offer sufficiently different experiences to customers and it is more difficult for restaurants and pubs to add on a movie-like equivalent than it is for a cinema to offer food and alcohol. Development and Production Sales and Marketing Unique selling point At present cinemas in the UK do not offer a dedicated Gold Class or VIP cinema going experience. In cases in which such an offering has been tried in the UK, for example, the UGC chain, the idea has met with problems due to the fact that a single cinema isnt dedicated to the Gold Class experience, rather, premium seating is attached to the back section of a standard cinema. In this case, the intention is for the West London cinema to have three cinema screens dedicated for premium customers. The prospective owners recognise the demographic shift in the area around the cinema. With house prices steadily rising, the area around Hammersmith has transformed into a hub for city working people with large amounts of disposable income. This change has been mirrored in the types of new shops and eateries opening up to cater to them. These new residents are willing to spend money for a premium and individual experience. Media and promotion strategy The intention would be to choose high headline price points but at the same time offer promotional offers which would ensure that most customers never pay the full rate. The media and promotion strategy would focus on teaming up with local businesses and newspapers to offer special promotional packages (for example, the local florist could offer a two for one deal with each bunch of roses sold). Advertising campaign The advertising campaign would be highly targeted and local. It is assumed that people are unlikely to travel a long way to attend a cinema (especially if they have a local one close by). As such, the goal would be to focus on local customers and to ensure that they remained regulars. Budget A large marketing budget would not necessary as the focus would be on offering promotions such as half price tickets during the day and/or two for the price of one deals can be offered in conjunction with various local business/newspapers reducing marketing costs substantially. As the Gold Class cinema experience is unique, and marketed as an indulgence, it is suggested that many local businesses would be willing to be involved in such promotional activities. While actual advertising costs will be low, printing and distribution costs will still need to be considered. Management The prospective owners of the cinema are the brothers James and Jack West. James West has recently completed his MBA and is working for one of the UKs largest cinema distribution companies. Jack West currently works as an advertising executive. In anticipation of a sale, the current owners have taken the last three months to show James and Jack the operational side to running a cinema. Both Jack and James intend to invest  £250,000 of their own money and take on this project full-time. In addition, James and Jack have already approached a friend who runs a small restaurant to assist them with the preparation of a suitable menu and have had plans for the refurbishment prepared. It is intended that James manage the operational side of the cinema while Jack concentrate on the marketing. Projected sales and pricing strategy Pricing strategy A regular ticket at West London cinema is currently  £4 during the day and  £6 in the evening for an adult. Gold class tickets will be priced at  £8 during the day and  £12 in the evening. In addition patrons will be able to buy food and drinks which will be brought into them while the movie is playing. The average price of food items and alcoholic drinks will be approximately  £5  £10. Financial Considerations The current owners hold a long-term leasehold interest over the premises at which the cinema is located. The main costs incurred by a cinema relate to the percentage of box office takings that go to the film distribution companies. The intention behind the Gold Class concept, along with offering patrons the ultimate cinema experience, is to try to increase revenue from those areas of the business which are not subject to distribution company payments (ie food and alcohol). Projected Sales At present West London cinemas three screens have box office sales of  £174,000 to which can be added sales from the kiosk and advertising, taking annual turnover for the cinemas to  £228,000. 25% to 50% of the box office takings go to the film distribution companies. Along with running costs and wages, gross profits for the cinema last financial year were  £56,000. As one cinema will be converted into three Gold Class each having 50 seats, projected box office receipts are expected to remain the same or rise slightly (less seats at a higher price) but more income is expected to be generated from food and alcohol sales. It is anticipated that food and alcohol sales will add  £25,000 to the cinemas turnover with  £10,000 of this going on higher staff wages meaning that gross profit will be an extra  £15,000 per annum. Appendix 1 Three Years profit and loss accounts 2008 2009 2010 Sales 300,000 500,000 1,000,000 Costs of Sales (112,500) (187,500) (375,000) Gross Profit 187,500 312,500 625,000 Expenses: Advertising 25,000 15,000 10,000 Bank Charges 100 100 100 Insurance 1,000 1,000 1,000 Interest 20,000 20,000 20,000 Legal Accounting 3,000 1,000 1,000 Office Expenses 500 500 500 Postage 250 250 250 Rent 15000 15000 15000 Wages 60,000 60,000 60,000 Telephone 1,000 1,000 1,000 Utilities 1,000 1,000 1,000 Total Expenses 126,850 114,850 109,850 Net Income 60,650 197,650 515,150 Appendix 2 Three years Balance Sheets Assets 2008 2009 2010 Current Assets: Cash 675,000 870,000 1,365,000 Inventory 15,000 15,000 15,000 Other Current Assets 10,000 10,000 10,000 Total Current Assets 700,000 895,000 1,390,000 Long Term Assets 20,000 20,000 20,000 Fixed Assets 50,000 50,000 50,000 Property, plant and equipment 25,000 25,000 25,000 Accumulated Depreciation 5,000 10,000 15,000 Total Assets 800,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 Liabilities and Stockholders Equity Current Liabilities: Accounts Payable 112,500 187,500 375,000 Current Borrowing 250,000 200,000 150,000 Other Current Liabilities 126,850 114,850 109,850 Total Current Liabilities 489,350 502,350 634,850 Long Term Liabilities 60,650 60,650 60,650 Total Liabilities 550,000 563,000 695,500 Total Equity 250,000 463,000 804,500 Total Liabilities and Stockholders Equity 800,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 Appendix 3- SWOT Analysis of Business Strengths: The obtaining of a liquor licence gives the cinema a competitive advantage which is sustainable to a degree. It is unlikely that planning permission for a new cinema would be given by the local Council. As such, as far as cinemas go, a customers only option is to either attend this cinema or the multiplex. Weaknesses: It is not possible to protect the intellectual property behind the concept of a Gold Class cinema. Patrons are only likely to pay a premium price for a movie when blockbuster movies are released. A lack of hit movies could make it difficult to sell tickets. Opportunities: There are plenty of small, family run cinemas which are currently struggling. The depressed market and the Gold Class concept give the owners the opportunity to purchase cinemas at a reasonable price and turn them back into profitable enterprises. Threats: The Gold Class concept relies on people willing to spend a little more to enjoy a more luxurious cinema experience. If the economy was to falter, value added businesses like Gold Class cinemas would be the hardest hit. If the concept proved to be a success, there is nothing stopping the multiplexes from offering a similar service. There is a threat that by offering alcohol in the cinema, the problems associated with anti-social behaviour could follow. Appendix 4 Market Segments When assessing the market segments, it is important not to focus too narrowly. While the Gold Class cinema concept may seem to appeal to only a niche market, the fact that most, if not all, adults in the country have been at some point in their lives been to a cinema to see a movie means that those potential customers already share a common conceptual language making it much easier to appeal to them. It is much more difficult to appeal to someone and have them try something they have never done before. As noted above, the percentage of people who often go to the cinema drops off sharply from the age of twenty five. One of the reasons for this is that the choices of entertainment available as people become older increases and the impression of cinemas is that it is the haunt of teenagers who arent old enough to get into bars. However, this is the segment of the market with the most disposable income, who have happy recollections of going to the cinema as youths and are now expect a more grown up experience when going to the cinema. This is the market segment to which Gold Class aims to appeal. BIBLIOGRAPHY Corrigan, P. (2006), The Sociology of Consumption, Sage Publications, London

Caesar :: essays research papers

Many people associate the ‘Ides of March’ with the play “Julius Caesar.'; That particular day, March 15th in 44 BC, Rome lost not only a future king, but also a strong political and military leader. Julius Caesar’s life, his accomplishments, and his unfortunate assassination have etched out a place in textbooks worldwide. Caesar’s childhood was filled with many changes in the Roman Empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome, Italy on July 12th or 13th in the year 100 BC. When he was young, Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his Uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried out by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on Sulla’s return from the East. The confiscation of property resulted from the massacre of political opponents on each occasion. At the time of Caesar’s birth, the number of patricians was small, and their status no longer provided political advantage. (Sahlman). Caesar’s family was part of Rome’s original aristocracy, although they were neither rich nor influential. (Sahlman). Caesar’s father died when Caesar was only 16 years old. It was Caesar’s mother, Aurelia, who proved to influence young Caesar. (Sahlman). With his mother’s blessing, Caesar sought out to gain notoriety for his family name.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To obtain distinction for himself and his family, Caesar sought election to public office. In 86 BC, Caesar was appointed flamen dialis with the help of his uncle by marriage, Gaius Marius. (Sahlman). In 84 BC Caesar married Cornelia, daughter of Lucious Cornelius Cinna. (Sahlman). In 82 BC Caesar was ordered to divorce his wife by Lucious Cornelius Sulla, an enemy of the radicals. (Sahlman). Caesar traveled to Rhodes in 78 BC to study rhetoric and did not return until 73 BC. (Sahlman). During his journey to Rhodes pirates managed to capture him. Caesar convinced his captors to raise his ransom, which increased his prestige. He then raised a naval force, overcame his captors, and had them crucified. In 69 or 68 BC Caesar was elected quaestor. (Sahlman). His wife died shortly thereafter. Soon after his wife’s death, Caesar met and fell in love with Pompeia, a relative of Caesar’s then friend, Pompey.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Biblical Reference in The Clerks Tale Es

Biblical Reference in The Clerk's Tale         Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1921, Vance Palmer, the famous Australian author and poet, noted, in his essay titled "On Boundaries", that "it is the business of thought to define things, to find the boundaries; thought, indeed, is a ceaseless process of definition" (Palmer 134).   As Palmer noted, humans, by their very nature, attempt to define all things.   But, more than that, we attempt to redefine subjects and ideas that have already been defined so that we can better understand what they mean, where we came from, and, perhaps most importantly of all, who we are.   Writers, from the beginning of the written word through the present, have, almost in their entirety, strived to cast a new light on subjects that were previously thought to have been completely understood.   George Orwell's Animal Farm, Charles Dickens' Bleak House, and William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing are only a few examples of the thousands of books where authors have strived to redefine the defined.   J ust like these authors, Geoffrey Chaucer, in his Canterbury Tales, succeeded in redefining an idea that, even into the present but most certainly in Chaucer's era, was thought to be completely understood.   More specifically, using dozens of biblical references in The Clerk's Tale, Chaucer redefined the relationship between humanity and the Christian God and between woman and man.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of the academic criticism of The Clerk's Tale seems to have focused on the idea of Griselda representing either the Virgin Mary or Job, and Walter representing God.   James Wimsatt, in his essay titled "The Blessed Virgin and the Two Coronations of Griselda", perhaps stated this type of criticism best when he wrote:    The C... ...ury Tales: Nine Tales and the General Prologue. Ed. V.A. Kolve.   New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989. 136-168. Condren, Edward. "The Clerk's Tale of Man Tempting God." Criticism 26.2 (1984): 99-114. Fichte, Joerg. "The Clerk's Tale: An Obituary to Gentilesse."   New Views on Chaucer: Essays in Generative Criticism. Ed. William Johnson. Denver: Society for New Language Study, 1973. 9-16. Levy, Bernard. "The Meanings of the Clerk's Tale." Chaucer and the Craft of Fiction. Ed. Leigh Arrathoon. Rochester, MI: Solaris, 1986. 385-403. "Palmer, Vance." The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations. CD-ROM.    New York: Columbia UP, 1998. The NIV Study Bible. Rev. New International Version. Ed. Kenneth Barker. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985. Wimsatt, James. "The Blessed Virgin and the Two Coronations of Griselda." Mediaevalia 6.1 (1980): 187-207.

The Andromeda Strain Essay -- essays research papers

In the book, The Andromeda Strain there is a problem that faces mankind. This problem is a strange virus that comes to Earth from an unmanned satellite, which was in space. This satellite crashes into a small town in Arizona, which has a population of 38 people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When this satellite crashes into the Earth, it kills everyone, except for an old man and a two-month old baby. There are two scientists who have the job of going to the crash site and gathering up the remains from the satellite. While the two of them are attempting to do their job, they are mysteriously killed. The last thing that people on the other end of their radio heard was a loud scream, then static.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The government, which was listening to what all was going on through the radio, thought that this was very strange. In the past, they had thought about there being a time when strange organisms from outer space would come to Earth, and try to take over. They decided that they would design a building that could be used to research the different things that they might come across in the future. This building would have to be very sterile so that the organisms couldn’t contaminate anything and destroy the Earth. The building was five stories high and each level was more sterile than the previous one. The building was located in the middle of nowhere underground, so that no one would know about it, unless they were on one of the teams that would be doing the r...

United States and Foreign Policy Statement

De Loom letter 5. Filipino revolutionary leader 6. Roosevelt received a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the peace treaty for this war 7. Act that established Puerco Rice as an incorporated territory of the LISA 8. Amendment to the USA war declaration against Spain that asserted Cuban independence after the war 9. Rebel insurgents who hoped to expel foreigners from China 13. Name of the voluntary Calvary unit credited with capturing San Juan Hill 16. City in which the Spanish-American War peace treaty was signed 18. U. S. Battleship that sank dramatically in Havana harbor in 1898 19. Renegade Mexican revolutionary hunted by the U. S. For 11 months 20. Nation that denied the U. S. Bid to constructs canal through the isthmus of Panama 22. Territory the William Seward arranged for the USA to purchase in 1867United States and Foreign Policy Statement By Rolls-Trace after Queen Ill surrendered her throne 1 1 . Policy initiated by Secretary Hay that called for free trade in China 12. Harb or in the Philippines that was captured by Commodore Dewey 14. Tabloid reporting that sensationalists the news in order to investments 17. Belief that it was America's divine right to control all the territory legitimated U. S. Intervention in Mexico 7. Act that established Puerco Rice as an incorporated territory of the USA 8. Hunted by the U. S. For 11 months 20. Nation that denied the U. S. Bid to construct a

Alma Electronics: I’ll Dream of You Essay

Introduction Mr. Andy Mallari’s goal is to develop his small electronic shop into that kind of business of Mr. Estrelito Chan, which has already grown into a well-established appliance assembly plant in Manila. He, Mr. Mallari, however has three sons who belong to the top ten in their respective classes and he thinks that his children have great potential of helping him realize his dream of establishing his own assembly plant. Mr. Mallari should take into account every single detail in his plans from the biggest up to the smallest ones for if there is any case of missteps in his endeavor, it can ruin all of his plans. Analysis His business started as a mere electronic supply and repair center in Burgos Ave., Cabanatuan City and he has employees consisting of technicians who came from different towns of Nueva Ecija. His business has grown up until he managed to build a new bigger shop at Del Pilar St. Considering this fact, we can safely say that his working force in terms of manpower is effective since he was able to bring his business into having different sub-branches in the various big towns of Nueva Ecija such as San Jose City, Gapan City and Guimba. This all say that he has established a firm business, but he has  decided to take a step further in his endeavors by setting his goal of establishing a larger scale enterprises. In view of this, different challenges will sure emerge like he already has to set a new outline for his business’ working force and he will be needing more experienced employees with deeper knowledge about electronics industry. He has his three sons as potential pillars for the realization of his dreams. That’s why the most critical part of his plan is the choice of course he will recommend his sons to take, and whether or not his sons will take into account the course he will endorse. Recommendations and Conclusions According to Engr. Helito R. Singson JR., if he were Mr. Andy Mallari he would choose Electronics and Communications Engineering to be the course for his first son, since electronic industry is what his business is all about. He added that it is wise that his son who, if ever, will be an electronic engineer be positioned as a supervisor. The second son is to take business administration; he will be in charge of the management aspects within the business. And the third one is to take finance, and he will be in charge of the financial aspects of the business. Source: Engr. Helito R. Singson Jr. helitorsingsonjr@gmail.com

The Alcoholics Anonymous

During the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting I attended, my eyes were opened to the disease of addiction. When I walked into the meeting, I introduced myself and announced that I am a nursing student and was there to observe. In sync, all of the people attending the meeting greeted me. Twelve people took turns to read the twelve steps on the road to recovery. After the twelve steps were read everyone introduced themselves and then everyone greeted them at once. It was announced that each person that was there for addiction had only had five minutes to share their story.The Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was definitely a reality check for me. There were many people that were there that announced that they were an addict that did not look or act like an addict. Many described the third step to be the most difficult of the twelve steps. The third step is transferring yourself to God or a higher power to get you through your addiction. At first this did not make sense to me, but I realized that addicts naturally need control over situations.So when they hand over themselves and their addictions to a higher power it is like they are stepping down from having control. It is as if they will not make any wrong decisions because their higher power is in control. So if they do make a wrong decision they feel it is not their fault which I do not agree with. The difference between NA and AA is that AA believes you are clean as long as you did not have any alcohol, but NA believes you are clean as long as you did not have any mood or mind altering substances, which includes alcohol.I definitely enjoyed NA better than AA because it was more fulfilling and not so ignorant to the actual idea of addiction. AA believes in trading one addiction for another even if it is more dangerous than alcohol. It is not said at the AA meeting that this is the case, but that is what I got from it. At the end of the meeting they also said the serenity prayer like the NA meetings in a circle.

Obama and Romney Essay

In the midst of a heated presidential race two great leaders are vying for the affection of all of America. On the left side we have our current president Mr. Barrack Obama and on the right side his opponent Mr. Mitt Romney. On paper both are outstandingly qualified candidates and both have been trusted to hold a position of leadership over large numbers of people. Mitt Romney built his foundation through a strong career in business before becoming a politician, while President Obama stuck to the legal side of things building up his reputation as a civil rights lawyer and activist. In this review of both candidates I will attempt to unbiasedly inform the reader of their qualifications as powerful leaders including their foundations and backgrounds, their accomplishments, and their leadership capabilities. It seems justifiable to start with educational backgrounds as that is where both candidates began to really assume leadership positions. In the next section of this essay I will try to identify their earlier careers and how those experiences may qualify them to hold office as the President of the United States. Both candidates come from very prestigious educational backgrounds. Obama moved from Honolulu Hawaii to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend the Occidental College. It was there that he made his first ever public speech vocalizing his disdain for the Occidental College’s policy of apartheid pertaining to South Africa. In 1981 he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science and with a focus on international relations, he graduated with a bachelor of arts in 1983. After some years of work at two corporations and a couple more as a community organizer which I will get into later Barack began to attend Harvard Law School in 1988, where he was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review and later became its president, being the first African American to ever do so. In 1991 he graduated with a J. D. magna cum laude. Mitt Romney’s education began at Stanford University in the year of 1965. It was there that he perhaps took his first political stance in his participation in the staging of a counter protest against a group staging a sit in at the university administration building in opposition to draft status tests. Romney left the country to stay in France as a Mormon missionary in 1966; his stay would last for 30 months fulfilling a traditional rite of passage in his family. Though it is not traditional education I feel obligated to state that during this stay in France Romney showed true leadership skills in becoming co-president of his mission where he oversaw the work of 175 others. Upon his return to the States he began attending Brigham Young University in 1969. Due to the culturally conservative nature of BYU Romney naturally managed to stay out of the radical turmoil that came along with the 60’s and 70’s and became president of the all male cougars club booster organization and it was in these years that he showed a new found discipline in his studies that he somewhat lacked before. In 1971 he earned a bachelor of arts in English with highest honors and gave a commencement speech to the whole of BYU. Wanting to pursue a path in business Mitt heeded his father’s advice and put off a career to attend a Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration four year program coordinated between Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. He graduated cum laude from this program in 1975. He was named a baker scholar for graduating in the top five percent of his class. Both of these men have incredibly impressive educational accomplishments and worked hard to earn a good social standing and in doing so gained advantageous leads amongst their competitors on their career paths. Our current president began his career In between his attendance at Columbia University and Harvard at the Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group. Just before entering Harvard he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. During his summers at Harvard he worked in the law offices of Sidley Austin as well as Hopkins & Sutter. After his graduation he accepted a position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book Dreams Of my Father which was published in 1995. From 1992 through 1996 he was a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, and from 1996 through 2004 he served as senior lecturer teaching constitutional law. Obama continues to show his comfort in a leadership role as he directed Illinois’s Project Vote, which was a voter registration campaign where he oversaw ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars. This project achieved its goal of registering 1500,000 unregistered African American Citizens. In 1993 e also joined the Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland law firm where he specialized in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development. Obama served on board of directors for the Woods Fund of Chicago, and of the Joyce Foundation, which helped to fund the development of underprivileged communities in Chicago. To add to this already astounding list of accomplishments the young Obama would serve as founding president and chairman of the board of directors for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge 1995 to 1999. I would like to note that thus far Barack Obama has proved to show a real sincere care for the development of his community and his race. From 1991 to 2002 he has fought for what he believes is right and through his career choices and political actions has shown himself to be a credible and intelligent young leader. Romney’s early career which is also quite impressive holds just as much esteem as Obama’s and though it follows a different path his accomplishments should also be very highly regarded and held to an esteem just as high as his running mates. Upon his graduation from Harvard in 1975, Romney was recruited by several firms but chose to join the Boston Consulting Group, working as a management consultant for a variety of companies better preparing him for his later roles as a chief executive and further leadership positions. In 1977, he was hired by a management consulting firm in Boston name Bain & Company. The more admirable thing about Bain & Company that should be accredited to Romney’s decision to work there is that instead of just providing quick consulting to a company and then parting soon after he could now completely submerge himself into his clients business and continue to work with them until changes actually began to materialize. This really shows a concern for his clients well being and for the passion of Romney to better the lives of those that surround him. Within just a few years Romney was considered by the firm one their best consultants, and Romney assumed the position of vice president of this firm in 1978. In 1984 Romney left Bain & Company to start the spin off private equity investment firm called Bain Capital. AS CEO of this company he managed to become personally responsible for their success by investing in companies like Staples Inc, Dominoes Pizza, Sealy Corporation, and Sports Authority. Overall both of these men have proven themselves to be outstanding leaders, and in comparison it would seem that Obama is in a mindset that deals with his community and the well being of his race and all of the people he oversees. Romney’s mindset is that of a businessman and he exudes the qualities that a great leader should possess. Both have served terms in office, and before becoming our president Obama was elected an Illinois state senator in 1996. While in office he gained support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws. He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. In 2005 Barack Obama was sworn in as a U. S. Senator. And in 2008 he became the President of the United States of America. Romney has held office as the 70th governor of Massachusetts in 2003. In conclusion both men are great candidates for presidency and have proven themselves time after time to be successful leaders. It is up to you to decide which one holds a better plan for our future America. Whether you think that we need to focus on our nation’s financial crisis which might be right up Mitt Romney’s ally having done so for states and other businesses so many times before, or if you want America to focus on the well being of minorities, workers, women, and education, which is where Obama might take the reins. It is up to you to decide which would make the better leader when you cast your vote in November.