How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys Essay Example

How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? Essay How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? BY LuliL How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods, in pages 34-41, to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? Alan Bennett uses a number of methods throughout the play in order to raise pertinent issues and fully convey his concerns, and I believe many of these are present within this extract; varying from his common language and structure techniques to the ever running themes of conflicting pedagogical philosophies, sinister pederast undertones and the drive for acceptance t Oxbridge. The conflict between Hector and Irwins educational philosophies is highlighted within this extract, as their differing pedagogical practices are decidedly contrasting. Hector educates with the purpose of developing his students into more rounded human beings and believes in knowledge, and the pursuit of it for its own sake. The adjective rounded is clearly conveyed through the boys prevailing use of literary references and poets such as Auden and Pascal along with their displays of a broad understanding and knowledge of the theatrical arts. He is presented as an anachronous character conveyed through the metaphor he locks the doors against the future and the forces of progress, and as one who throughout the play, almost purports to despise the pursuit of educational success. His cultural knowledge is perceived as no longer useful amongst the boys in regards to preparing (them) for examination, an aim sought out by Irwin, a counterpoint to Hector. This suggests one of the key pertinent issues of the play; is there a place and time for culture in todays changing and politicised educational system? However, Posner and Scripps performance of the brief encounter, along with Timms claim that poetry sometimes just flows out all prove Hectors pedagogical approach to be effective in achieving what he aims to bring across, and this sense of culture and the power of literature (a crucial theme to the play) still resonates within the boys and the audience as an aftermath of Hectors own knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does Bennett make effective use of dramatic methods to raise pertinent issues in the History Boys? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Moreover, Hector, possibly further reflecting Bennetts concerns and pertinent issues of the play, evidently deplores the utilitarian pproach to learning epitomised by Irwin, which is specifically palpable within this passage when he imperatively suggests that the boys must use their cultural knowledge and stuff hidden up your (their) sleeves in order to attain higher grades. Bennett uses the indeterminate and colloquial stuff to dramatically express Irwins disregard for poetry and culture, a pertinent issue, which he denominates as gobbets further on in the play. His implication that the boys use their nobler knowledge in an exam is however reproached, as they, take the piss and almost atirically state we couldnt do that, sir it would be a betrayal of trust, thus displaying their own awareness of the oxymoron that education and culture are portrayed as within the play, doubtlessly alluding to Hectors influence and methods, and highlighting the difference between Hector and Irwins pedagogical practices. Irwin, an antithesis to Hector, appears to have a strategic approach to study, unorthodox manner, demonstrated through the rhetorically infused sentences if you want to learn about Stalin Hollywood Mrs Thatcher, study Henry VIII and the metaphorical notion that a question has a front door and a back door. Yet again, as previously at the start of the play, Irwin is presented as an iconoclast, who interestingly rears towards wielding the boys take on hugely controversial figures such as Stalin, a historical dictator generally agreed to be a monster, and rightly so. He imperatively encourages them to dissent with the motion, thus implying that they discard their morale and redeem a monster, or degrade thousands of deaths, imply in order to achieve higher grades and label history as entertainment and a performance, further demeaning Hectors beliefs and pedagogical methods whilst reinforcing the idea as a pertinent issue of the play as a whole. His didactic tone appears almost ironic whil st discussing a murderous dictator, and this, along with his lack of empathy displayed within this extract, evokes an uncomfortable and sinister atmosphere amongst the audience. Bennett also demonstrates language as a dramatic method of bewilderment, a technique previously explored by Irwin as a tool sed to obfuscate. Dakins quaint referral to Auden, (Do you like Auden, sir? ), a poet famed for having unconventional relationships with his male pupils, his doubtful questioning of Do you think hes more like you or Mr Hector, sir? along with Irwins foreboding inquiry Why does he lock the door? all aid Bennett in dramatically reinforcing the sinister and pederast pertinent undertone which shadows Hectors character throughout the play. Similarly, Dakins statement, He snogged his pupils. Auden, sir, not Mr Hector, made even more ambiguous by the broken syntax evokes dire ambience amongst the audience whilst holding apprehensive connotations. It is fascinating that Dakin is the only one to mention and question Irwin on Auden, being the one whom appears most intrigued by his character, yearning for his attention and approval, which Irwin is wary to display as exhibited in his lack of verbal emotion towards the students and history itself. This dramatically highlights two clear concerns and pertinent issues which run throughout the play: homosexuality and unrequited love. This extract also presents Bennetts typical ramatic methods and literary techniques. His application of stichomythia in the dialogue between Irwin and the boys throughout the extract appears almost ardent, and the audience experience an atmosphere similar to that which occurs in Hectors lessons; light and comfortable. On page 35, Scripps is seen breaking the fourth wall, a method used by Bennett to add supplementary detail on Irwin, alternating between tenses, and to force the audience to ponder and question his key concerns and the plays pertinent issues. Despite Bennetts decision to steer clear from expletive and xcessively colloquial language, which are otherwise frequently used, humour is one of his techniques often used, and demonstrated within this extract. Irwin appears genuinely impressed by the boys display of poetry and literary references, a common method used by Bennett, yet in return they appear to mildly mock Irwins lack of cultural knowledge when he doesnt recognise poetry by Stevie Smith. This minimal ridicule of authoritative fgures is introduced by the boys and Hector in the Maison de Passe scene (pg. 12-17) when addressing the Headmaster. The consistent epetition of sir within this particular extract and the use of rhetorical questions all dramatic methods used throughout the History Boys to create a humorous and uplifting ambience, a contrast to the often portentous and challenging pertinent themes which occur within the play. Overall, I believe that this extract is a perfect exhibit of Bennetts effective use of dramatic methods such as language, structure and form, which aid him in reaching the audience and revealing the many relevant issues along with his personal concerns reflected in the play as a whole.

religion new kingdom essays

religion new kingdom essays Egypt had a polytheistic religion, meaning that they believed in many gods, each of which played a role of its own for example Hapi the god of the nile. He was depicted in statues and praised as the one who came to nourish Egypt and create all good things. The people of Egypt prayed to him asking for a good flood. Religion had a great impact on NKE society through the social hierarchy, from the ordinary people to the pharaoh himself. The pharaoh was believed to be the incarnation of god who had created Egyptian universe and to whom he would return upon death. In other words the people believed the Phoraoh to be god on earth. Although the ordinary people where not allowed into the temple, religion still had an impact on their lives. Ears were carved outside important temples, into which the ordinary people whispered their longings and prayers believing that the gods leaned close to hear every word. Evidence of personal peity (meaning direct communication of people with the gods) have been found in the village of Medina, where the villagers wrote messages to the gods. Throughout Egypt, the Egyptians believed the gods took a personal interest in their lives. They believed the gods would punished and forgiven them, this is illustrated by the draughtsman, Nebre, prayers for his sick son (he believed he was sick as a punishment to him) to Amun, the god who listened to prayers. Another Example is the sculptor, Ken, put up a stela for a to read confessing that he had deceived his wife my swearing a false oath to her. These examples illustrate the role of religion in the lives of the ordinary Egyptians. The religion was closely integrated with the economy. The Egyptians believed that the temple was not only the house or the mansion of the god but symbolised the conditions that existed at the time of the creation. The temple was central to all economic activity. Every temple receive ...

Home work3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Home work3 - Essay Example pend on weighted factors such as cost transaction and the amount of money vis-Ã  -vis the foreign exchange rate that is subject to probable risk of fluctuating. Hedging helps multinational firms mitigate losses from translational and transactional exposures. Unfortunately, it may end up reducing gains as well. If multinationals companies do not hedge their foreign exchange rate risk, they become vulnerable to a myriad of losses, which may affect devastatingly their financial performance across the world. Various determinants motivate hedging. One is factors surrounding the organization operation such as time minimization, cost reduction, and aligning business strategies. The other critical factor is the investment resources used in foreign exchange management, which is used in determining the amount of currencies transacted. The commercial (operational) exposures and financial exposures determine shapes the risks to hedge. For example, GM had to hedge against receivables and payable s, which are operational exposures of at the region and financial exposures such as paying dividend. General Motors foreign exchange hedging policy is streamlined to meet management objectives of efficiency and effectives in hedging e.g. minimize time, cost, and align foreign exchange management to automotive business. It is advantageous as it mitigates losses in transactional as well as translational exposures that are caused by fluctuating fx e.g. minimize cash flow as well as earnings volatility . The policy only controls fifty per cent of commercial exposure of a region as illustrated under the formula: The hedge policy appears to be insufficient to cushion from most exposures. With the implied risk calculated on an annual basis, it is advisable for the company to extend hedging to cover 12 months rather than 6 months. In addition, the company should upsurge the exposure risk to over $ 5 million especially in the regions that have high volatility of foreign exchange rate of their

Ernst and Young Tax Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ernst and Young Tax Guide - Essay Example It was also expected that the new institutions provided a better environment for integrity in revenue administration. Tax reform can therefore be seen as an attempt to achieve the larger goals of an accountable and transparent government through improved revenue collection and tax policies. Mr. Waweru said that the adoption of the revenue agency model has generally been successful in improving tax administration. Under the general direction of the East African Revenue Authorities Commissioners General Forum and the East African Revenue Authorities Technical Committee, the revenue authorities have managed to keep the regional tax administration reform agenda on track. The reforms focused on building integrated institutions for better synergies between the legacy revenue departments, rationalizing and lowering tax rates, introduction of VAT as a replacement of Sales Tax, automation of functions, meeting targets by enhancing revenue mainly from existing taxpayers, and adoption of a corporate planning approach to revenue administration. ACCA is the largest and fastest growing international accountancy body with over 345,000 students and members in 160 countries. ACCA has been active in East Africa for many years, and has offices in Nairobi, Kampala and Addis Ababa, and active student branches in Dar es Salaam, Kigali and Khartoum. The first ever ACCA East African Accountants Convention brought together members and other accountants from the Eastern, Central and Horn of Africa region. (Cheryl D. Block, Pub. Date: October2004) "The Convention is also part of ACCA East Africa's overall strategy to provide appropriate platforms for ACCA members to share professional knowledge and best practice, as well as to engage business, political and civil society leaders, as part of the wider community in which they live and work," says John Nyakahuma, the Head of Corporate Development, and ACCA East Africa. Mr. Chas Roy-Chowdhury, the Secretary of the ACCA Taxation Committee at the organization's London Headquarters spoke on the European perspective on tax reform, while Mr. Francis Kamulegeya, Tax Partner in the Kenya branch of international accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), spoke on Tax Reform: Issues and Challenges in East Africa. Mr. Kamulegeya works primarily with PWC Kenya's multinational and regional clients in the manufacturing and services sector, some of whom are the largest taxpayers in East Africa. In addition to his current role as the leader of the PWC indirect tax services group in East Africa, he helps clients in the areas of tax planning and compliance, and in particular advising companies wishing to invest in East Africa on aspects such as corporate structuring and financing in order to take advantage of the available investment incentives in the region. Lord Marshall concluded that a number of options should be considered. He stated that it was unclear

Non Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Non - Assignment Example When a situation is fed into the flow chart, a clearer view of the type of decision in hand should emerge. In theory it will enlighten a manager to the potential risks and benefits of involving others in that decision. In practice, however, there are some potential problems with the model as it is intended to be used. First of all there is an issue about the amount and quality of information that is fed into the decision making process. Poor information at any point in the model will weaken its reliability. Furthermore, Chemers makes the very valid point that â€Å"the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model and other prescriptive models†¦ assume that leaders can easily change their behaviors in accord with situational demands.† (Chemers: 1997, p. 52) Managers often act instinctively, however, based on their experience in a decision-making role and their own personal style. This inherent tendency, along with pressures of time mean that the application of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago is theoreti cally useful, especially for inexperienced managers, but in practice not likely to be fully implemented, especially by more experienced managers. Reference. Chemers, Martin M. An Integrative Theory of Leadership. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997, pp. 47-57.

The Colloquy Grog Shop Marketing Essay

The Colloquy Grog Shop Marketing Essay Colloquy Grog Shop is a unique local bar/coffee/tapas house that provides a friendly, effective place where singles can meet. Colloquy Grog Shop is not your typical bar where people go to meet other singles. Colloquy Grog Shop has a  unique service called the structure conversation system that is quite effective for allowing singles to meet each other and provide them with valuable insight into the other person through reflective conversation.   The structured system provide an atmosphere that lowers inhibitions and breeds confidence allowing singles to meet other singles and gain insight into their personality by way of thoughtful discourse. Meeting people is one of the largest hurdles 25-45 year old singles face.   Colloquy Grog Shop provides this group with an effective solution to this problem.   Situation Analysis Colloquy Grog Shop has just begun business, and marketing is essential to its success and future profitability.   The bar offers a place for people  to meet  in a comfortable, person-meeting environment.   The basic market need is place where singles can meet new similar people.   Colloquy Grog Shop uses a sophisticated conversation system to enhance and facilitate singles meeting each other. Market Summary Colloquy Grog Shop possess good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of the prized and loyal customers.   Colloquy Grog Shop will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how the Grog Shop can better communicate with  them. http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif http://www.mplans.com/coffee_bar_marketing_plan/images/30000000000000000000000000000100.jpg http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif Market Analysis 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Potential Customers Growth CAGR Singles 9% 210,987 229,976 250,674 273,235 297,826 9.00% Non-singles 7% 134,432 143,842 153,911 164,685 176,213 7.00% Other 0% 0 0 0 0 0 0.00% Total 8.23% 345,419 373,818 404,585 437,920 474,039 8.23% Market Needs Colloquy Grog Shop is a unique bar/coffee shop/tapas house that is organized to try to facilitate new friendships.   The Grog Shop will offer a changing menu of tapas, microbrews, and assorted coffee drinks in conjunction with a structured conversation system.   Colloquy Grog Shop seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to their customers. Selection:  a creative choice of food and drink and a well-constructed structured conversation system. Accessibility:  the patron will gain access to the Grog Shop with minimal waits and long business hours. Customer service:  the customer is ALWAYS right. Competitive pricing:  all products will be competitively priced relative to the competition. Market Trends The market trend is headed toward a more sophisticated customer.   The restaurant/bar patron today is more sophisticated in a number of different ways: Food quality:  the preference for higher-quality ingredients is being reinforced as customers are being subjected to an increasing number of options. Quality conversation:  patrons are recognizing intellectual conversations can be had in bar settings and would prefer this over normal bar talk. Access to meeting people:  people are tired of being single and are looking for ways to meet like-minded individuals. http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif http://www.mplans.com/coffee_bar_marketing_plan/images/30000000000000000000000000000210.jpg Market Growth In 1999, the global bar/restaurant   market reached $24 billion dollars.   Alcohol sales are estimated to grow by 9% for the next few years.   This growth can be attributed to several factors.   The first factor is Americans reliance on alcohol for socialization.   This factor is intuitive as alcohol breaks down social inhibitions. Another factor is the trend to eat and drink outside of the home.   This occurs as Americans work longer and longer hours during the week.   Eating and drinking out is a convenience that many are willing to pay for.   It also provides contact with more people. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures key strengths and weaknesses within the company and describes the opportunities and threats facing the Grog Shop. Strengths Strong relationships with third party vendors. Excellent staff who are highly trained and customer attentive. The structured conversation system. Weaknesses The Grog Shops limited brand equity. The struggle to continually have current and new  conversation topics. A limited marketing budget to develop brand awareness. Opportunities A growing market with a significant percentage of the of the target market still unaware of the Grog Shop. Increasing sales opportunities as people become familiar with the advantages of the structured conversation system. The ability to lower variable costs through efficiency gains. Threats Competition from taverns. Competition from other sources of singles meeting events. A slump in the economy which will decrease discretionary spending. Competition The competition comes from several different sources. Bars There are many different types of bars or taverns.   Some are better than others for meeting people, however, none of them have the business mission to bring together singles. Coffee Shops Coffee shops are typically an easy-going social setting that does lend itself for people to meet others.   Conversations occur in part because of the historical underpinning of coffee houses, in part by virtue of the fact that the background music is not blaring. Coffee shops rarely have any type of organized activities to bring singles together. Other Events/Activities Aimed at Bringing Together Singles. One activity/phenomenon that has started in New York City and moved to a few other larger cities (not including Portland) is an activity that has a long rectangular table that always has one seat opposing the other.   People  sit down  with females on one side and males on the other (this seating arrangement is for heterosexual gatherings) and will have a limited number of minutes (usually 10) to chat. Typically, conversations can be  about anything, however you are not to reveal the job/profession that you are involved in, beyond that, anything is fair game.   The table rotates and you end up speaking with a lot of different people.   You then create a list of the top five that you would like to speak with again and if the matching person also has you on their list, phone numbers are released to the two people.   Another activity might be some sort of outdoor activity like hiking or rafting and it is organized as a singles event.   There are also other type of single s events, too numerous to mention.   Lastly, there are resources like personal sections in local papers where people can  post or respond to personal advertisements. Every person has their own method of meeting people, some  more useful than others.   Colloquy Grog Shop  predicts singles will abandon, or at least supplement, their current method of meeting people with the Grog Shops activities as they are thoughtfully designed to achieve the goal of introducing like-minded individuals.   Product Offering Colloquy Grog Shop sells the following: Eight  Microbrews on Draft and  Bottled Alcohol, specifically beer, is served for two reasons.   One, alcohol reduces inhibition, making it easier for people to meet and interact with new people.   Two, and more importantly, beer, particularly draft beer generates wonderful profits.   Microbeers are chosen because microbrews are of higher quality than large production beers and our target segment prefers higher-quality beer. Espresso, Cappuccino, Coffee, and other Coffee/Espresso drinks. Coffee and coffee-related drinks are hugely popular, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.   Northwesterners expect good coffee/espresso at most food/drink establishments and it is often associated with good conversation. An Assortment of  Tapas Tapas are chosen because they can be relatively easy to make, the offerings can be changed frequently, and tapas are  more community orientated, meaning they are designed for a table/multiple people to share.   This reinforces Colloquy Grog Shop mission of bringing new people together. The service offerings are based on a system for singles to meet new people.   This is accomplished through a structured conversation system.   The Grog Shop is divided into two sections, one smaller section of tables that is for people meeting people that they already know.   The other, larger section is the section of tables for singles to come and meet new people.   This section is composed of 4-top tables (table seating for four) where a customer will come and sit down at the table among other people.   The table will be marked with a topic of conversation in the center.   Throughout the evening as there is turnover of the table or the conversation is exhausted, the server will introduce a new topic. The topics of conversation are far reaching, some are recent news or sports, while others are intellectual, and some are philosophical.   The bulk of the topics will be of the latter varieties as people that are interested in meeting people through the conduit of convers ation will typically prefer heavier stuff to provide more insight into that person. If you ask a majority of single 25-45 year olds, most will say they have difficulty meeting new people.   Regular bars are not an ideal place to meet people because beyond their visual image, it is quite difficult to learn anything material about the person to determine if there are some commonalities. The typical bar has loud music and is not geared up for serious conversation.   Bars are also less than ideal to meet people because of the uncertainty or ambiguity when meeting new people at a bar.   Many people feel uncomfortable in situations where they are not sure how to act. The ideal situation to meet someone is during an activity that is mutually enjoyed, whether it is at an art museum or mountain biking in the Cascade Range. Colloquy Grog Shop creates a setting in a bar/coffee shop that encourages thoughtful conversation, allowing patrons to gain insight into the other singles.   The key to the conversation system is structure.   The rules are clearly established.   Singles sit down at specific tables and discuss the assigned topic of conversation.   Everyone at these tables are single and looking to meet new people.   The conversation is used to elicit insight into the other person, their values and perspectives as well as implicit and sometimes explicit insight to their background and past.   The structured conversation system is successful because it reduces ambiguity or uncertainty in the singles social scene allowing people to feel more comfortable in the setting and open up more to  new people.   Additionally, for intellectually minded people, it allows them to find people with similar interests, whether the similarity is based in the topic of conversation or more generally in conversation itself. Keys to Success Attracting customers who find value in the Grog Shops offering and who will frequent the Shop regularly in order to meet like-minded single people. Excellent customer service. Maintaining a cost of goods on foods at below 50%. Critical Issues The Grog Shop is still in the speculative stage as a retail operation.   Its critical issues are: to continue to take a moderate fiscal approach to business operations and  to build brand awareness which will drive customers to the Grog Shop. Marketing Strategy Colloquy Grog Shops strategy will be based on communicating Grog Shops value to the targeted segments.   This will be done through a variety of methods.   The first method will be strategically placed advertisements.   One place that will be  used for advertisements is the Willamette Weekly, the liberal arts magazine that details all of the entertainment in Portland.   This will be the main source of advertisements because the demographics of their readership are fairly similar to Colloquy Grog Shops demographics.   Another source of marketing will be done with strategic relationships with companies that have similar customer demographics.   One prime example is the Multnomah Athletic Club.   While the clubs patrons are not necessarily overwhelmingly single, the rest of the demographics match up.   The MAC is a fairly exclusive downtown athletic club that by virtue of the membership costs, attracts professionals.   The strategic relationship with be mutually beneficial where both organizations will develop visibility for each other.   The other form of advertising will be using grassroots methods where customers will be given coupons for their friends to try Colloquy Grog Shop for the first time.   The coupon will be an economic incentive for the newcomer to try Colloquy Grog Shop.   The coupon also has the added force of a referral from a friend. Mission Colloquy Grog Shops mission is to provide a neighborhood bar/coffee shop where single people can meet.   We exist to attract and maintain customers.   When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place.   Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers.  Ã‚   Marketing Objectives Develop brand awareness through a steady, month to month increase of new customers. Develop an increase in sales while achieving a status quo state or   decrease  in marketing expenses. Develop awareness of the structured conversation system measured by customers coming to the Grog Shop solely for meeting people. Financial Objectives A double digit growth rate for each future year. Reduce the variable costs through efficiency gains. Reach profitability within the first year. Target Markets Colloquy Grog Shops customers can be broken down into two groups, singles, and non-singles.   The non-singles groups  are smaller than the singles groups by virtue of the fact that if you are meeting someone whom you already know, the two of you can come up with the topic of conversation yourself, therefore, Grog Shop offers this group less value.   The demographics for the non-singles is similar to the singles, to be listed below.   The larger group then is the singles.   The demographics of the singles are: Single:  self evident. Professional:  this characteristic is intuitive since the  underlying element of Colloquy Grog Shop is thoughtful conversation, and most professionals  appreciate thought-provoking conversation. Income over $40,000:  this to a large degree is correlated to the fact that they are professional. Age 25-45:  the largest group of singles looking for companions. Positioning The Colloquy Grog Shop will position itself as a reasonably priced tapas/bar/coffee house that has an innovative, effective system for allowing single to meet each other. The Colloquy Grog Shops positioning will leverage their competitive edge: A  unique approach to getting singles together called the structured conversation system.   This system was detailed in the Product and Services section, please refer to that section for more  information.   This system is a competitive edge because most bars/taverns do not have a niche that they are  concentrating on.   While every bar or coffee shop has a certain flavor and that is why someone will choose one bar or another, the flavor is only surface deep.   The business model of the establishment is to sell alcohol and provide a social setting.   Beyond these two values, there is little other genuine value that the establishments try to provide.   Colloquy Grog Shop is distinguished by the fact that their business model concentrates on developing value for   customers beyond serving drinks.   The Grog Shop develops an effective, albeit inherently structured, social setting that  encourages meeting like-minded individuals.   Providing the drinks is  the source of income, an ancillary part of the business model.   Generating value for the customers is the main focus, if the customers are happy then the revenue will follow (assuming of course that proper marketing and financial controls are employed).   Concentrating on the clients needs beyond serving alcohol is the distinguishing characteristic that will allow Colloquy Grog Shop  to rapidly gain market share. Strategies The single objective is to position the Colloquy Grog Shop as the premier place for young professional singles to meet like-minded individuals.   The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness regarding their services offered, develop that customer base, and work toward building customer loyalty and referrals. The message Colloquy Grog Shop will seek to communicate is that The Grog Shop is THE place to meet intelligent singles.   This message will be communicated through a variety of methods.   The first method will be advertisements.   The bulk of the advertisements will be in the Willamette Weekly, a weekly entertainment guide in Portland that has impressive readership numbers for the desired target population. Another method will be through establishing strategic relationships with companies that have similar demographics such as the Multnomah Athletic Club.   Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship will allow both organizations to develop visibility for each other. The other form of advertising will be using grassroots methods where customers will be given coupons for their friends to try Colloquy Grog Shop for the first time.   The coupon will be an economic incentive for the newcomer to try Colloquy Grog Shop.   The coupon also has the added force of a referral from a friend. Marketing Mix Colloquy Grog Shops marketing mix is comprised of these following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. Pricing:  the pricing scheme is based on standard industry practices. Distribution:  all services and products will be distributed from Colloquy Grog Shops retail space. Advertising and promotion:  the most successful advertising will be with Willamette Weekly.   Additionally, strategic relationships will be developed with companies such as Multnomah Athletic Club as well as use of a grassroots promotion system. Customer service:  obsessive customer attention is the mantra.   The Grog Shops philosophy is to do whatever needs to be done to impress the customer.   While this could reduce short-term profits, it will strengthen long-term profitability. Marketing Research During the initial phases of the marketing plan development, several focus groups were held to gain insight into a variety of likely customers.   These focus groups provided useful insight into the decision making process of these consumers. An additional source of dynamic  market research  is a feedback system based on a suggestion card system.   The suggestion card  has several statements that patrons are asked to rate in terms of a given scale.   There are also several open ended questions that allow the customer to freely offer constructive criticism or praise.   The Grog Shop will work hard to implement reasonable suggestions in order to improve their service offerings as well as show their committment to the customer that their suggestions are valued. The last source of market research will be competitive analysis.   This will be done by regularly visiting competitors and analyzing their service offerings. Financials This section will offer a financial overview of the Grog Shop as it relates to the marketing activities.   The section will address break-even analysis, sales forecasts, expenses forecasts, and how those link to the marketing strategy. Break-even Analysis The Break-even Analysis indicates that $30,237 will be needed in monthly revenue to reach the break-even point. http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif http://www.mplans.com/coffee_bar_marketing_plan/images/30000000000000000000000000000600.jpg http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif Break-even Analysis Monthly Revenue Break-even $20,299 Assumptions: Average Percent Variable Cost 32% Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost $19,654 Sales Forecast The first two months will be used to set up the physical location, hire personnel,  establish vendor relationships and obtain an alcohol license.   The  third month will be the grand opening.   Business during the second month will be understandably slow as a steady customer base takes time to build.   By month four it is forecasted that sales will steadily grow.   http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif http://www.mplans.com/coffee_bar_marketing_plan/images/30000000000000000000000000000300.jpg http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif Sales Forecast 2001 2002 2003 Sales Drinks $105,921 $271,254 $296,874 Food $69,908 $179,028 $195,937 Total Sales $175,829 $450,282 $492,811 Direct Cost of Sales 2001 2002 2003 Drinks $26,480 $67,814 $74,219 Food $29,361 $75,192 $82,293 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales $55,842 $143,005 $156,512 Expense Forecast Marketing expenses are  budgeted to remain fairly steady throughout the year.   There will be an initial ramp up  of spending  to generate visibility.   After this ramp up advertising will be fairly consistent month to month. http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif http://www.mplans.com/coffee_bar_marketing_plan/images/30000000000000000000000000000400.jpg http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif Marketing Expense Budget 2001 2002 2003 Advertising $4,800 $2,400 $2,400 Strategic relationships $2,000 $1,200 $1,200 Other $2,400 $1,200 $1,200 Total Sales and Marketing Expenses $9,200 $4,800 $4,800 Percent of Sales 5.23% 1.07% 0.97% Controls The purpose of The Grog Shops marketing plan is to serve as a guide for the organization. Implementation The following milestones identify key marketing programs.   It is important to accomplish each one on time and on budget.   http://www.mplans.com/graphical/images/sbp_images/click_to_enlarge.gif Milestones Advertising Start Date End Date Budget Manager Department Marketing plan completion 1/1/2001 2/1/2001 $0 Karen Department Advertising 1/1/2001 1/1/2004 $9,600 Karen Department Strategic relationships 1/1/2001 1/1/2004 $4,400 Karen Department Grassroots promotion 1/1/2001 1/1/2004 $4,800 Karen Department Name me 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Other 1/1/2003 1/15/2003 $0 ABC Department Total Advertising Budget $18,800 PR Start Date End Date Budget Manager Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Other 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Total PR Budget $0 Direct Marketing Start Date End Date Budget Manager Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Other 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Total Direct Marketing Budget $0 Web Development Start Date End Date Budget Manager Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Other 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Total Web Development Budget $0 Other Start Date End Date Budget Manager Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Name me 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Other 1/1/2006 1/15/2006 $0 ABC Department Total Other Budget $0 Totals $18,800 Contingency Planning Difficulties and risks: Problems generating visibility and awareness of the Grog Shop. An entry into Portland of the conversation roundtables or other single meeting events. Lower than forecasted consumption of alcohol. Worst case risks may include: Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis. Having to liquidate equipment to cover liabilities.

Speech on Powerful Nature of Books :: essays research papers

I'd like all of you to raise your hand if you have read a book. You may be wondering what I am doing, but I wanted to show you something. I wanted to show you how many people have read books. These people don?t always fit into one category. They may be young, they may be old, rich, poor, and even education levels differ. Books range in topics from sports to science fiction to western. At one point or another in our lives, we were probably captivated by the words or picture on the sleek pages. If that is the case for you, then you, my friend have experienced the immense power of books. You all know that books can give hope to a hopeless soul, and they can give one wisdom and intelligence. Maybe you have been feeling down, and in your angry state, for some reason or another decided to pick up a book. While tearing through the pages, you may have seen a glimmer of hope. Gary Paulsen, the well published author shared an experience when books gave him hope. He was a young kid, 10 years old, and just transferred from the Philippines to a public school in Washington D.C., He dropped his coat off in the in-room coat room, and was so frightened that he simply could not move. The teacher noticed this and went back into the room with him. She brought a book with a horse on the cover and let him turn the pages. This enabled him to interact with the book. When the teacher felt he was ready, she asked him if he wanted to come out. He agreed, and she held is hand as he was led into the classroom, to his seat. Paulsen?s story was just one of many stories of how books instilled hope in someone. Books gave Paulsen an escape from his drunken, screaming parents, gave him a plac e where he could be free from school bullies. Whether a book makes you go from a rage, to just a little sad, or from sad to happy, books can give one person hope. Books can do more than provide hope. Books, as you would expect, can give someone intelligence and wisdom. While, Paulsen was a young thirteen year old living in the a Minnesota town, he was selling newspapers to drunks, trying to scrounge up some extra cash to buy nicer clothes to fit in with the popular kids in school.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 6~8

Six Catfish's Story Was 'bout fifty year ago. I was hoboing through the Delta, playin juke joints with my partner Smiley. He called Smiley cause he don't never get the Blues. Boy could play the Blues, but he never got the Blues, not for a second. He be broke and hungover and he still always smilin. Make me crazy. I say, â€Å"Smiley, you ain't never gone play no better'n Deaf Cotton, lessin you feels it.† Deaf Cotton Dormeyer was this ol' boy we used to play with time to time. See, them days, bunch of Bluesmen was blind, so they be called Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Jackson – like that. And them boys could play them some Blues. But ol' Cotton, he deaf as a stone, a little bit more of a burden than bein blind iffin you playing music. We be playing â€Å"Crossroads,† an' ol' Deaf Cotton be over on the side playin' â€Å"Walkin Man's Blues† and a-howlin like a ol' dog, and we stop, go down to the store, have us a Nabs and a Co-Cola, and Deaf Cotton just keep right on playin. And he the lucky one, 'cause he can't hear how bad he is. And didn't nobody have the heart to tell him. So, anyway, I says, â€Å"You ain't never gone play no better than ol' Deaf Cotton, lessin you get some Blues on you.† And Smiley say, â€Å"You gots to help me.† Now Smiley, he my friend from way back – my partner, see. So I says I will get the Blues to jump on him, but he got to promise not to get mad how I do it. So he say okay, and I say okay, and I sets to sic the Blues on him so we can go to Chicago and Dallas and makes us some records and get us some Cadillacs and so on like them boys Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker and them. Smiley, he had him a wife name of Ida May, sweet little thing. He keep her up there in Clarksville. And he always sayin how he don't have to worry 'bout Ida May when he on the road cause she love him true and only. So one day I tell Smiley they's a man down Baton Rouge got him a prime Martin guitar he gonna sell for ten dollars, and would Smiley go get it for me cause I got me a case of the runs and can't take the train ride. So Smiley ain't out of town half a day before I takes me some liquor and flowers and make my visit on little Ida May. She's a young thing, ain't much for drinkin liquor, but once I tells her that ol' Smiley done got hisself runned over by a train, she takes to drinkin like a natural (in between the screamin and cryin and all, and I had my own self some tears too, he being my partner and all, God rest his soul). And before you know it, I'm givin' Ida May some good lovin to comfort her in her time of grief and all. And you know when Smiley get back, he don't say a word 'bout my sleepin with Ida May. He say he sorry he can't find the man with the guitar, gives me my ten dollars, an' say he got to go home 'cause Ida May so happy to see him she been doing him special all day. I say, â€Å"Well, she done me special too,† and he say that okay, her being sad and me being his best friend. That boy was greased to the Blues, and they just wouldn't stick to him. So I borrowed a Model T Ford, drove over to Smiley's, and done run over his dog, who was tied up in the yard. â€Å"That dog was old anyways,† he say. â€Å"I had him since I was a boy. Time I get Ida May a puppy anyways.† â€Å"You ain't sad?† I say. â€Å"Naw,† he say. â€Å"That ol' dog had his time.† â€Å"You hopeless, Smiley. I gots to do some ponderin.† So I ponders. Takin me two days to come up with a way to put the Blues on ol' Smiley. But you know, even when that boy standing there over the smokin ashes of his house, Ida May in one arm and his guitar in the other, he don't do nothin but thank God they had time to get out without gettin burnt up. Preacher once told me that they is people who rises to tragedy. He says colored folk gots to rise to tragedy like ol' Job in the Bible, iffin they gonna get they propers. So I figures that Smiley is one of them who rises to tragedy, get stronger when bad things come on him. But they more than one way to get the Blues on you. Ain't just bad things happening, sometime it good things not happenin – disappointment, iffin you know what I mean? So I hears that down Biloxi way, round 'bout one of them salt marshes on the Gulf, they is a catfish big as a rowboat, but nobody can catch him. Even a white man down there will give five hundred dollars to the man bring that big ol' catfish in. Now you know people be trying to catch him, but they don't have no luck. So I tells Smiley I got me a secret recipe, and we gonna go get that catfish, get that money, and go up to Chicago and make us a record. Now I knows they ain't no catfish big as a rowboat, and iffin there was, he'd be caught by now, but Smiley need him a disappointment iffin the Blues gonna jump on him. So I spends the whole ride down there buildin up that boy's hopes. Cadillacs and big ol' houses ridin on the back of that catfish. We ridin in that ol' dog-killin Model T Ford, two hundred feet a rope and some shark hooks in the back with my secret catfish recipe. I figure we get us some bait on the way, and sho' nuff, I accidentally run me over two chickens got too close to the road. ‘For dark we down on the bayou where that ol' cat spose to live. Them days 'bout half the counties in Mississippi got signs say: NIGGER, DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOU IN THIS COUNTY, so we always plan to get where we goin' ‘for dark. My secret recipe a gallon jar of chicken guts I keep buried in the backyard for a year. I takes that jar and punches some holes in the lid and toss her out in the water. â€Å"A catfish smell them rotten guts, they be there lickety-split,† I tells Smiley. Then we hooks up one them chickens and throw it out there and we sits back and has us a drink or two, me all the time talkin trash 'bout that five hundred dollar and Smiley grinnin like he does. ‘For long Smiley doze off on the bank. I lets him sleep, thinkin he be more disappointed if he wake up and we ain't caught that catfish. Just to be sure, I starts to pull in the rope, and ‘for I got it pulled in ten feet, somethin grab on. That ol' rope start burning through my hand like they's a scared horse on't'other end. I musta yelled, cause Smiley woke up and goes running off the other way. â€Å"Watch you doin?† I yells, and that old rope burnin through my hands like a snake on fire. Well, that it, I think, and I lets go of the rope. (A Bluesman got to take care of his hands.) But when the rope come to the end, it tighten up like an E string and make a twang – throw moss and mud up into my face – and I looks round and see Smiley crankin up that Model T Ford. He done tied the rope on the bumper and now he drivin it back out the bayou, pullin whatever out there in the water as he go. And it ain't comin easy, that ol' Ford screamin and slidin and sound like it like to blow up, but up on the bank come the biggest catfish I ever seen, and that fish ain't happy. He floppin and thrashin and just bout buryin me in mud. Smiley set the brake and look back at what we catch, when that ol' catfish make a noise I don't know can come out a fish. Sound like woman screaming. Which scares me, but not as much as the noise that come back out the bayou, which sound like the devil done come home. â€Å"You done it now, Smiley,† I says. â€Å"Get in,† he say. Don't take more than that for me, cause somethin risin up out the bayou look like a locomotive with teeth, and it comin fast. I'm in that Model T Ford and we off, draggin that big catfish right with us and that monster thing coming behind. ‘For long we got us some distance, and I tells Smiley to stop. We gets out and looks at our five-hundred-dollar catfish. He dead now, dragged to death, and not lookin too good at that, but in a full moon we can see this ain't no ordinary catfish. Sho, he got his fins and tail and all, but down on his belly he growin things look like legs. Smiley say, â€Å"What that?† And I say, â€Å"Don't know.† â€Å"What that back there?† he say. â€Å"That his momma,† I say. â€Å"She ain't happy one bit with us.† Seven It has the soul-sick wail of the Blues, the cowboy tragedy of Country Western. It goes like this: You pay your dues, do your time behind the wheel, put in long hours on boring roads, your vertebrae compress and your stomach goes sour from too much strong coffee, and finally, just when you get a good-paying job with benefits and you're seeing the light at the end of the retirement tunnel, just when you can hear the distant siren song of a bass boat and a case of Miller calling to you like a willing truck stop waitress named Darlin', a monster comes along and fucks your truck and you are plum blowed up. Al's story. Al was drowsing in the cab of his tank truck while unleaded liquid dinosaurs pulsed through the big black pipe into the underground tanks of the Pine Cove Texaco. The station was closed, there was no one at the counter to shoot the bull with, and this was the end of his run, but for a quick jog down the coast to a motel in San Junipero. On the radio, turned low, Reba sang of hard times with the full authority of a cross-eyed redheaded millionaire. When the truck first moved, Al thought he might have been rear-ended by some drunk tourist, then the shaking started and Al was sure he was in the middle of the bull moose earthquake of the century – the big one – the one that twisted cities and snapped overpasses like dry twigs. You thought about those things when you towed around ten thousand gallons of explosive liquid. Al could see the tall Texaco sign out of the windshield, and it occurred to him that it should be waving like a sapling in the wind, but it wasn't. Only the truck was moving. He had to get out and stop the pump. The truck thumped and rocked as if rammed by a rhino. He pulled the door handle and pushed. It didn't budge. Something blocked it, blocked the whole window. A tree? Had the roof over the pumps come down on him? He looked to the passenger door, and something was blocking that one too. Not metal, not a tree. It had scales. Through the windshield he saw a dark, wet stain spreading over the concrete and his bladder emptied. â€Å"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.† He reached behind his seat for the tire thumper to knock out the windshield and in the next instant Al was flaming bits and smoking pieces flying over the Pacific. A mushroom cloud of greasy flame rose a thousand feet into the sky. The shock wave leveled trees for a block and knocked out windows for three. Half a mile away, in downtown Pine Cove, motion detector alarms were triggered and added their klaxon calls to the roar of the flames. Pine Cove was awake – and frightened. The Sea Beast was thrown two hundred feet into the air and landed on his back in the flaming ruins of Bert's Burger Stand. Five thousand years on the planet and he had never experienced flight. He found he didn't care for it. Burning gasoline covered him from nose to tail. His gill trees were singed to stumps, jagged shards of metal protruded between the scales of his belly. Still flaming, he headed for the nearest water, the creek that ran behind the business district. As he lumbered down into the creek bed, he looked back to the place where his lover had rejected him and sent out a signal. She was gone now, but he sent the signal anyway. Roughly trans-lated, it said, â€Å"A simple no would have sufficed.† Molly The poster covered half of the trailer's living room wall: a younger Molly Michon in a black leather bikini and spiked dog collar, brandishing a wicked-looking broadsword. In the background, red mushroom clouds rose over the desert. Warrior Babes of the Outland, in Italian, of course; Molly's movies had only been released to overseas theaters – direct to video in the United States. Molly stood on the wire-spool coffee table and struck the same pose she had fifteen years before. The sword was tarnished, her tan was gone, the blonde hair had gone gray, and now a jagged five-inch scar ran above her right breast, but the bikini still fit and muscles still raked her arms, thighs, and abdomen. Molly worked out. In the wee hours of the morning, in the vacant space next to her trailer, she spun the broadsword like a deadly baton. She lunged, and thrust, and leapt into the improbable back flip that had made her a star (in Thailand anyway). At two in the morning, while the village slept around her, Molly the crazy lady became, once again, Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland. She stepped off the coffee table and went to her tiny kitchen, where she opened the brown plastic pill bottle and ceremoniously dropped one tablet into the garbage disposal as she had every night for a month now. Then she went out the trailer door, careful not to let it slam and wake her neighbors, and began her routine. Stretches first – the splits in the high wet grass, then a hurdler's hamstring stretch, touching her forehead to her knee. She could feel her vertebrae pop like a string of muted firecrackers as she did her back stretches. Now, with dew streaking her legs, her hair tied back with a leather boot lace, she began her sword work. A two-handed slash, a thrust, riposte, leap over the blade, spin and slash – slowly at first, working up momentum – one handed spin, pass to the other hand, reverse, pass the sword behind her back, speeding up as she went until the sword cut the air with a whistling whirr as she worked up to a series of backflips executed while the sword stayed in motion: one, two, three. She tossed the sword into the air, did a back flip, reached to catch it in midspin – a light sweat sheeted her body now – reached to catch it – the sword silhouetted against a three-quarter moon – reached to catch it and the sky went red. Molly l ooked up as the shock wave rocketed through the village. The blade slashed the back of her wrist to the bone and stuck in the ground, quivering. Molly swore and watched the orange mushroom cloud rise in the sky over Pine Cove. She held her wrist and stared at the fire in the sky for several minutes, wondering if what she was seeing was really there, or if perhaps she'd been a little hasty about stopping her meds. A siren sounded in the distance, then she heard something moving down in the creek bed – as if huge rocks were being kicked aside. Mutants, she thought. Where there were mushroom clouds, there were mutants, the curse of Kendra's nuked-out world. Molly snatched the sword and ran into her trailer to hide. Theo The shock wave from the explosion had dissipated to the level of a sonic boom by the time it reached Theo's little cabin two miles out of town. Still, he knew that something had happened. He sat up in bed to wait for the phone to ring. A minute and a half later, it did. The 911 dispatcher from San Junipero was on the line. â€Å"Constable Crowe? You've had some sort of explosion at the Texaco station on Cypress Street in Pine Cove. There are fires burning nearby. I've dispatched fire and ambulance, but you should get over there.† Theo struggled to sound alert. â€Å"Anyone hurt?† â€Å"We don't know yet. The call just came in. It sounds like a fuel tank went up.† â€Å"I'm on my way.† Theo swung his long legs out of bed and pulled on his jeans. He snatched his shirt, cell phone, and beeper from the nightstand and headed out to the Volvo. He could see an orange corona from the flames in the sky toward town and billowing black smoke streaking the moonlit sky. As soon as he started the car, the radio crackled with the voices of volunteer firemen who were racing to the site of the explosion in Pine Cove's two fire engines. Theo keyed the mike. â€Å"Hey, guys, this is Theo Crowe. Anyone on scene yet?† â€Å"ETA one minute, Theo† came back at him. â€Å"Ambulance is on scene.† An EMT from the ambulance came on the radio. â€Å"The Texaco is gone. So's the burger stand. Doesn't look like the fire is spreading. I don't see anyone around, but if there was anybody in those two buildings, they're toast.† â€Å"Delicate, Vance. Very professional,† Theo said into the mike. â€Å"I'll be there in five.† The Volvo bucked over the rough dirt road. Theo's head banged on the roof and he slowed enough to buckle his seat belt. Bert's Burger Stand was gone. Gone. And the minimarket at the Texaco, gone too. Theo felt an empty rumbling in his stomach as he pictured his beloved minimarket nachos going black in the flames. Five minutes later he pulled in behind the ambulance and jumped out of the Volvo. The firefighters seemed to have the fire contained to the as-phalt area of the Texaco and the burger stand. A little brush had burned on the hill behind the Texaco and had charred a few trees, but the firemen had drenched that area first to keep the fire from climbing into the residential area. Theo shielded his face with his hands. The heat coming off the burning Texaco was searing, even at a hundred yards. A figure in fire-fighting re-galia approached him out of the smoke. A few feet away he pulled up the shield on his helmet and Theo recognized Robert Masterson, the volunteer fire chief. Robert and his wife Jenny owned Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines. He was smiling. â€Å"Theo, you're gonna starve to death – both your food sources are gone.† Theo forced a smile. â€Å"Guess I'll have to come to your place for brie and cabernet. Anyone hurt?† Theo was shaking. He hoped Robert couldn't see it by the light of the fire and the rotating red lights of the emergency vehicles. He'd left his Sneaky Pete pipe on the nightstand. â€Å"We can't locate the driver of the truck. If he was in it, we lost him. Still too hot to get close to it. The explosion threw the cab two hundred feet that way.† Robert pointed to a burning lump of metal at the edge of the parking lot. â€Å"What about the underground tanks? Should we evacuate or something?† â€Å"No, they'll be fine. They're designed with a vapor lock, no oxygen can get down there, so no fire. We're going to have to let what's left of the minimart just burn out. Some cases of Slim Jims caught fire and they burn like the sun, we can't get close.† Theo squinted into the flames. â€Å"I love Slim Jims,† he said forlornly. Robert patted his shoulder. â€Å"It'll be okay. I'll order some for you, but you can't tell anyone I'm carrying them. And Theo, when this is all over, come see me at the shop. We'll talk.† â€Å"About what?† Robert pulled off his fire helmet and wiped back his receding brown hair. â€Å"I was a drunk for ten years. I quit. I might be able to help you.† Theo looked away. â€Å"I'm fine. Thanks.† He pointed to a ten-foot-wide burned strip that started across the street and led away from the fire in a path to the creek. â€Å"What do you make of that.† â€Å"Looks like someone drove a burning vehicle out of the fire.† â€Å"I'll check it out.† Theo got a flashlight from the Volvo and crossed the street. The grass was singed and there were deep ruts cut into the dirt. They were lucky this had happened after the rainy season had started. Two months earlier and they would have lost the town. He followed the track to the creek bed, fully expecting to find a wrecked vehicle pitched over the bank, but there was nothing there. The track ended at the bank. The water wasn't deep enough to cover anything large enough to make a trail like that. He played the flashlight around the bank and stopped it on a single deep track in the mud. He blinked and shook his head to clear his vision, then looked again. It couldn't be. â€Å"Anything over there?† Robert was coming across the grass toward him. Theo jumped down onto the bank and kicked the mud until the print was obliterated. â€Å"Nothing,† Theo said. â€Å"Must have just been some burning fuel sprayed out this way.† â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Stomping out the last of a burning squirrel. Must have gotten caught in the flames and ran over here. Poor guy.† â€Å"You really need to come see me, Theo.† â€Å"I will, Robert. For sure I will.† Eight The Sea Beast He knew he should return to the safety of the sea, but his gill trees were singed and he didn't relish the idea of treading water until they healed. If he'd known the female was going to react so violently, he would have re-tracted his gills into the folds beneath his scales where they would have been safe. He made his way down the creek bed until he spotted a herd of animals sleeping above the bank. They were ugly things, pale and graceless, and he could sense parasites living in every one of them, but this was no time to be judgmental. After all, some brave beast had to be the first to eat a mastodon, and who would have thought that those furballs would turn out to be the tasty treats that they were. He could hide among this wormy herd until his gills healed, then perhaps he'd take one of the females on a grateful hump. But not now, his heart still ached for the purring female with the silvery flanks. He needed time to heal. The Sea Beast slithered up the bank into an open space among the herd, then curled his legs and tail under his body and assumed their shape. The change was painful and took more effort than he was used to, but after a few minutes he was finished and he quietly fell asleep. Molly No, this wasn't what she had planned at all. She had stopped taking her meds because they had been giving her the shakes, and she'd been willing to deal with the voices if they came back, but not this. She hadn't counted on this. She was tempted to run to her kitchen area and gulp down one of her blue pills (Stelazine – â€Å"the Smurfs of Sanity,† she called them) to see if it could chase the hallucination, but she couldn't tear herself from the trailer window. It was too real – and too weird. Could there be a big, burnt beast lumbering out of the creek? And if so, had she just watched it turn into a double-wide trailer? Hallucinations, that was one of the five symptoms of schizophrenia. Molly kept a list of all the symptoms. In fact, she'd stolen a desk drawer version of the DSM-IV – The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the book psychiatrists use to diagnose mental illness – from Valerie Riordan. According to the DSM-IV, you had to have two of the five symptoms. Hallucinations were one; okay, that was a possibility. But delu-sions, no way; she wasn't the least bit deluded, she knew she was having hallucinations. Number three was disorganized speech or incoherence. She'd give it a try. â€Å"Hi, Molly, how the heck are you?† she asked. â€Å"Not well, thank you. I'm worried that my speech may be disorganized,† she answered. â€Å"Well, you sound fine to me,† she said, by way of being polite. â€Å"Thanks for saying so,† she replied with genuine gratitude. â€Å"I guess I'm okay.† â€Å"You're fine. Nice ass, by the way.† â€Å"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself.† â€Å"See, not disorganized at all,† she said, not realizing that the conversation was over. Symptom four was grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior. She looked around her trailer. Most of the dishes were done, the videotapes of her movies were arranged chronologically, and the goldfish were still dead in the aquarium. Nope, nothing disorganized in this place. Schizo 1, Sanity 3. Number five, negative symptoms, such as â€Å"affective flattening, alogia, or avolition.† Well, a woman hits her forties, of course there's a little affect-ive flattening, but she was sure enough that she didn't have the other two symptoms to not even look them up. But then there was the footnote: â€Å"Only one criterion required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts.† So, she thought, if I have a narrator, I'm batshit. In most of the Kendra movies, there had been a narrator. It helped tie a story together that was supposed to take place in the nuked-out future when, in fact, it was being filmed in an abandoned strip mine near Barstow. And narration was easy to dub into foreign languages because you didn't have to match the lips. So the question she had to ask herself, was: â€Å"Do I have a narrator?† â€Å"No way,† said the narrator. â€Å"Fuck,† said Molly. Just when she'd settled into having a simple personality disorder, she had to learn to be psychotic all over again. Being schizo wasn't all bad. Being diagnosed schizo ten years ago had gotten her the monthly disability check from the state, but Val Riordan had assured her that since then her status had changed from schizophrenic: paranoid type, single episode, in partial remission, with prominent negative symptoms, persecutory-type delusions, and negative stressors (Molly liked to think of the negative stressors as â€Å"special sauce†) to a much more healthy, post-morbid shizotypal personality disorder, bipolar type (no â€Å"special sauce†). To make the latter you had to fulfill the prerequisite of at least one psychotic event, then hit five out of nine symptoms. It was a much tougher and more subtle form of batshit. Molly's favorite symptom was: â€Å"Odd be-liefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms.† The narrator said, â€Å"So the magical thinking – that would be that you believe that in another dimension, you actually are Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland?† â€Å"Fucking narrator again,† Molly said. â€Å"You're not going away, are you? I don't need this symptom.† â€Å"You can't really say that your ‘magical thinking' affects your behavior, can you?† the narrator asked. â€Å"I don't think you can claim that symptom.† â€Å"Oh hell no,† Molly said. â€Å"I'm just out practicing with a broadsword at two in the morning, waiting for the end of civilization so I can claim my rightful identity.† â€Å"Simple physical fitness regimen. Everyone's trying to get into shape these days.† â€Å"So they can hack apart evil mutants?† â€Å"Sure, Nautilus makes a machine for that. Mutant Master 5000.† â€Å"That's a crock.† â€Å"Sorry, I'll shut up now.† â€Å"I'd appreciate that. I really don't need the ‘voices' symptom, thanks.† â€Å"You've still got the monster-trailer hallucination outside.† â€Å"I thought you were going to shut up.† â€Å"Sorry, that's the last you'll hear from me. Really.† â€Å"Jerk.† â€Å"Bitch.† â€Å"You said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sorry.† So without voices all she had to deal with was the hallucination. The trailer was still sitting there, but admittedly, it just looked like a trailer. Molly could imagine trying to tell the shrink at county about it when they admitted her. â€Å"So you saw a trailer?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"And you live in a trailer park?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"I see,† the shrink would say. And somewhere between those two little words the judgment would be pronounced: crazy. No, she wasn't going to go that route. She would confront her fears and go forward, just as Kendra had in The Mutant Slayer: Warrior Babes II. She grabbed her sword and left her trailer. The sirens had subsided now, but she could still see an orange glow from the explosion. Not a nuclear blast, she thought, just some sort of accident. She strode across the lot and stopped about ten feet away from the trailer. Up close, it looked – well, it looked like a damn trailer. The door was in the wrong place, on the end instead of the side, and the windows were frosty, as if they'd iced over. There was a thin patina of soot over its entire length, but it was a trailer. It didn't look like a monster at all. She stepped forward and ventured a poke with her sword. The aluminum skin of the trailer seemed to shy away from the sword point. Molly jumped back. A warm wave of pleasure swept through her body. For a second she forgot why she had come out here and let the wave take her. She poked the trailer again, and again the pleasure wave washed over her, this time even more intense. There was no fear, no tension, just the feeling that this was exactly where she should be – where she should always have been. She dropped her sword and let the feeling take her. The frosty layer on the trailer's two end windows seemed to lift, revealing the slitlike pupils of two great golden eyes. Then the door began to open, not from side to side, but splitting itself in the middle and opening like a mouth. Molly turned on her heel and ran, wondering even as she went why she hadn't just stayed there by the trailer where everything felt so good. Estelle Estelle was wearing a leather fedora, a pair of dark sunglasses, a single lavender sock, and a subtle and satisfied smile. Sometime after her husband had died – after she'd moved to Pine Cove and started taking the antide-pressants, after she'd stopped coloring her hair or giving a damn about her wardrobe – Estelle had vowed that no man would ever see her naked again. At the time, she considered it a fair trade: carnal pleasures, of which there were few, for guilt-free cookies, of which there were many. Now, having broken that vow and lying in her feather bed next to this sweaty, stringy old man, who was teasing her left nipple with his tongue (and who didn't seem to mind that said nipple was leading her breast over her arm rather than jutting skyward like the cupola on the Taj Mahal), Estelle felt like she understood, at last, the Mona Lisa's smile. Mona had been getting some, and she had her cookies too. â€Å"You are some storyteller,† Estelle said. A spidery black hand crawled up her thigh and parked an index finger moistly on her pleasure button – just settled there – and she shuddered. â€Å"I didn't finish,† Catfish said. â€Å"You didn't? Then what was all that ‘Hallelujah, Lord, I'm comin home!' followed by the barking?† â€Å"I didn't finish the story,† Catfish said, his enunciation remarkably clear, considering he didn't miss a lick. Harmonica player, Estelle thought. She said, â€Å"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.† And she didn't. One minute they were sipping spiked tea and the next there was an explosion and she had her mouth locked over his, moaning into him like a saxophonist playing passion. â€Å"You didn't see me fightin you,† Catfish said. â€Å"We got time.† â€Å"We do?† â€Å"Sho', but you gonna have to pay my way now. You done chased the Blues off me and I feels like they ain't never comin back. I'm out a job.† Estelle looked down to see Catfish grinning in the soft orange light and grinned herself. Then she realized that they hadn't lit any candles, and she didn't have any orange lights. Somewhere in the tussle between the kitchen and the bedroom, amid the tossing of clothes and groping of flesh, they had turned the lights out. The orange glow was coming through the window at the foot of the bed. Estelle sat up. â€Å"The town is on fire.† â€Å"It is in here,† Catfish said. She pulled the sheets up to cover herself. â€Å"We need to do something.† â€Å"I got an idea a somethin we can do.† He moved his spidery fingers and her attention was taken away from the window. â€Å"Already?† â€Å"Seem soon to me too, girl, but I'm old and this could be my last one.† â€Å"That's a cheery thought.† â€Å"I'm a Bluesman.† â€Å"Yes, you are,† she said. Then she rolled over on him and stayed there, off and on, until dawn.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers Free Online Research Papers â€Å"We’re all dead and just hoping that we come back to life when we get into the World again.† In the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers you follow a young man named Richard Perry through his time in Vietnam. In this book all of the characters face the same emotions and fears. They all have to face the possibility of death at any moment, the intense love of comrades, and the sorrow of losing a close friend in combat. All of the men deal with facing death and destruction every single day. They have to live with the idea that at any moment they could be killed. During one of the times they went into a village, Perry is almost killed by a VC but the VC’s gun didn’t fire and instead Perry kills him. This is only one incident when the men come face to face with death. The men also develop a strong bond of friendship. After seeing all the terrible things they see every single day they come to understand each other and care about each other strongly. After being together for so long it is not uncommon for them to show strong feelings towards each other that in the World would be thought of as weird. The men understand each others fears and hopes and don’t make fun of each other for crying. This is a bond that will stay with them forever. Each and every man also deals with the loss of a close friend in combat at one point or another. In the beginning a man who came to Nam with Perry, Jenkins, steps on a mine and is blown up right in front of Perry and the other men. This is something that they will grow accustomed to and learn to deal with. All of the men deal with the sadness that follows losing a close friend and that makes them understand each others sadness. It is not uncommon for a man to cry and no one else will make fun of him. In the book Fallen Angles by Walter Dean Myers, the characters all share some of the same experiences and feelings, such as death, comradeship, and losing a close friend. When they are in Nam the men feel as though they are dead and just waiting to get back to the World in order to feel alive again. Research Papers on Fallen Angels by Walter Dean MyersHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanTwilight of the UAW19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThree Concepts of PsychodynamicHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

10 Ways to Speak and Understand Rapid-Fire Italian

10 Ways to Speak and Understand Rapid-Fire Italian It is no secret that Italians speak fast. This is true with both their words and their gestures, so as someone who is learning Italian, how can you keep up with their rapid-fire speech? Here are 10 pieces of advice that have helped me speed up my spoken Italian and understand fast speech. Watch Italian TV The amount of Italian programming that is available to watch online is staggering. YouTube alone offers thousands of episodes of popular shows in Italy if you know what you’re looking for. You can start with an episode from the classic shows Un posto al sole or Il commissario Montalbano or go for something more modern like Alta Infedelt. If you prefer to watch shows with a television, many cable companies offer a special package for Italian programming. Watch a Movie Whether its Roberto Benignis poignant , a neo-realismo film by Roberto Rossellini, or a Federico Fellini fantasy, an Italian language movie is another great way to practice Italian. Youll hear Italian spoken by many different attori and train your ear at the same time. If you’re watching from a computer, you can find many Italian movies on Netflix, like Cinema Paradiso or La tigre e la neve. If you can, avoid the subtitles to give yourself more of a challenge. Read the Lyrics Love Parole, parole by Mina? Look up the testo (lyrics) to the song and sing along. You can also turn it into a translation exercise using dictionaries like Context-Reverso and WordReference. Some classic songs to check out are: Piazza grande - Lucio DallaQuesto piccolo grande amore - Claudio BaglioniMe so’mbriacato - Mannarino Listen to an Audiobook If you love reading books, but you know you need more practice listening, you can combine those two factors by finding an audiobook to listen to in Italian. If you’re not in Italy, these aren’t the easiest to find, but it is possible to find excerpts of your favorite books, like Harry Potter, on YouTube. Listen to Podcasts One of the best ways to make use of tempi morti (dead time) for practicing Italian is by listening to podcasts in your car or while you’re doing a task that doesn’t require much of your attention, like ironing. You can listen to a podcast aimed at students like Al Dente, or you can listen to shows made for native speakers. Check Out Your Library Italian novels, travel guides, and books that describe Italy are excellent ways to enrich your learning experience. Read a parallel-text version (Italian and English side-by-side) of such classics as La Divina Commedia or Machiavellis , or try reading more modern Italian literature from authors like Enzo Biagi, Umberto Eco, Rossana Campo, Susanna Tamaro, or Oriana Fallaci. Investigate Your Neighborhood Close the textbooks, turn off the TV, and go out to find Italian-speaking people or other Italian language students in your own neighborhood. In many large cities there are Italian cultural institutes such as the IIC - Los Angeles, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura - New York, and the Italian Cultural Society - Washington, DC, which have language exchange programs. You can also choose to join an Italian conversation group, often sponsored by bookstores or Italian American societies. You can also find local groups (or start your own!) using Meetup.com. Hire an Italian Attend a group class in person or take one-on-one instruction using a site like VerbalPlanet or Italki. The structure and routine, paired with your independent study, will help you develop a foundation for advancing quickly in the language. This is a great environment for receiving immediate feedback and being able to practice pronunciation, like learning how to roll your rrrs. Expand Your Vocabulary Studies show that one of the biggest reasons language students find it hard to keep up in a foreign language is because their vocabularies aren’t large enough, so as you read books, listen to podcasts, and go to classes, make sure to be constantly compiling and reviewing vocabulary. The key word here is â€Å"review†. Find a tool that uses spaced-time repetition, enter what you learn, and review it on a daily basis. Some available tools are Cram, Memrise, and Anki. Go to Italian-Speaking Places Youve always wanted to visit your grandmothers hometown in Sicily, and you’re ready to venture beyond the travel memoirs that keep you daydreaming during work. When you’re at an intermediate level, traveling to Italy (or any other Italian-speaking area) will be a 360 degree classroom encouraging you to accelerate your learning. Plus, if you not only will you get to see Roman ruins, Renaissance masterpieces, and Raffaellos paintings, but you can also make friends with the locals!

Find a specific topic in the hospitality industry Dissertation

Find a specific topic in the hospitality industry - Dissertation Example The hotel and catering industry is an extremely competitive sector of industry. Understanding its working and the manner in which pay and career paths are defined in this competitive business environment becomes extremely useful in providing information to young people taking their first steps towards gaining the necessary skills and knowledge for a successful ad productive life ahead. Such an understanding will also enable the hotel and catering industry to take steps in reducing employee turnover loss that could be arising from low pay structures. This should not be based on hearsay, but rather on hard facts. This research is proposed to be undertaken to provide evidence on the actual pay situation in the hotel and catering industry and the satisfaction of the employees on their rewards package. Literature Review The hotel and catering industry is a very important constituent of the hospitality industry. Large luxury hotels to small cafes are the range of the hotel and catering ind ustry. The hotel and catering industry is among the largest employers in the developed world. In the United Kingdom (UK) it employs almost ten percent of the workforce, which numbers close to 2.5 million people (Yadav, 2002). Yet, the House of Commons North East Regional Committee Third Report of Session 2009 -2010: Tourism in the North East, lays claim to the hotel and catering industry being a sector where low paid work is a common occurrence. In the opinion of Wood 1992, the hotel and catering sector is one with low entry barriers and therefore a fertile ground for the entry of small time entrepreneurs. The low barriers to entry allow small and family businesses to be present in large numbers in the hotel and catering sector and their presence contributes to the low pay image in this sector (Getz, Carlesen & Morrison, 2004). Even in the large hotels competition and the drive to keep costs low reflects on the low wages paid in these hotels (Vanselow, 2008). The low wages and low e ducation and skill level requirements in the hotel and catering sector of the hospitality industry has seen the influx of a large number of immigrants as workers in this sector of industry (Williams & Hall, 2002). Guegnard and Meriot 2008 point out that one of the reasons for low per person average wage in the hotel and catering sector is that the number of managers is low with a very high percentage of blue collar workers and temporary workers. Besides low wages the hotel and catering industry also carries the stigma of high turnover, reflecting either lack of job security or worker satisfaction (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005). Voss-Dahm 2008 opines that people can be attracted and remain committed to different sectors of industry for reasons other than pay, citing the example of sales people in the retail sales sector. From Malhotra 1997, we understand that people with problems are attracted to the hotel and catering sector for the additional advantage of stay-in facilities, for it a llows them to escape from their background or their problems at home. Job choice is influenced by two factors namely the money in it and the convenience it offers. In the hotel and catering industry it is not the money that attracts workers, but the convenience. Convenience needs to be read in several ways (Riley, 1996). The convenience elements are convenient, easy to learn, have variety, gives

No title Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No title - Article Example Apart from the basic client information, using the cards enable an organization to obtain other derivable information about the client geography, which is essential in making the policy decisions. My concentration is Entrepreneurship, and application of Big Data in the field of entrepreneurship is in the analysis of Big Data to aid in decision-making process. Another application of Big Data analysis that would help me in my concentration is building a corporate culture in an organization that I will work for. From the key business processes to major decisions, the organizations have become more data driven and apply insights from the very analytics. In this connection, the organizations do not merely rely on the employee’s subjective feeling about various aspects of operations, but incorporate the data analytics to inform decisions. This helps in develop in the work force, an evidence-based culture. Furthermore, Big Data analysis is instrumental in an organization in terms of the provision of insights into the security, privacy and the administration issues. These aspects of a business organization can be analyzed and responded to using the Big Data. The company-wide big data platforms provide solutions to challenges of the business big data. For instance, past trends of the customer purchases, provided by the Big Data are also useful in discerning the tastes and preferences of the customers in various places and making investment decisions to satisfy such needs. The investment decision pertaining to the products to avail to which section of the global or regional clients would be much effective if the Big Data informs such decisions. Finally, big data analysis in engineering will help me infusion of cognitive intelligence with the generational apps. Innovation, creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit is highly boosted especially in the area of