Frankenstein/ Blade Runner Essay

Textual form is an issue which divide many critiques and audiences. Some view texts as a form being superior and more expressive, whereas others may view film as to be losing its credibility of expression. Never the less it is adamant that through a comparative study of two differing forms exploring similar ideas it becomes clear that one form isn’t always superior over another. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) mirror this thesis. Whilst being composed more than a century apart, each explore similar ideas but approach them from different perspectives. Shelley’s epistolary novel reflects a period of Romanticism and Enlightenment through its glorification of nature, as well as its cautionary like tale of social responsibility and exploration of creator verse created. Scott’s science fiction film Blade Runner conveys the many fears surfacing from the United States in the 1980 by warning of the possible dangers associated with environmental deterioration, scientific advancements and genetic engineering. Scott scrutinizes such concepts as a world without true nature, and, like Frankenstein, the consequences of a lack of social responsibility. Shelley masterfully uses literary techniques to create her timeless classic. Similarly Scott achieves a similar prestige through his use of filmic techniques. Nature is a powerful idea explored in Frankenstein. The idea of sublime nature was embraced during Romantic period of the late 18th Century. It allowed an unrestrained emotional experience for the individual. In ‘Frankenstein’, descriptions of nature seem to appear repeatedly during emotional or significant moments in Victor’s life. Nature allows an outlet for Victor, it acts as his savoir. This connection is expressed where Victor travels back to Geneva to see his family. Here he witnesses the might of nature and its power. Such examples of this include the pathetic fallacy of ‘lightning playing on the summit of Mont Blanc’ with lightning being a recurring motif in the novel expressing how nature, whilst having to power of destruction, also has the power to illuminate and make clear. Nature also acts as a savoir to Victor in a time of sickness ‘bestowing’ on him the ‘most delightful sensation’ therefore conveying once more his connection and dependence with nature. Just as ‘Frankenstein’ glorifies nature, Blade Runner explores a world where nature has become virtually obsolete. This mirrors the public’s thoughts in the 80’s of a continued deterioration and the consequences of our overuse of nature. The opening scene of Blade Runner uses filmic techniques such as chiaroscuro to reflect the lack of nature present with the entire landscape being industrialised. The pollution of the city drowns out the suns’ light, meaning all present lighting is artificial, reflecting a world with no natural warmth or clarity. The close up fade of the eye expresses a fire burning within, a possible allusion to Hates and the underworld. The non-diegetic music played is synthetic sounding, providing an eerie setting, further enforcing a lack of nature. A lack of social responsibility is evident in Victor concerning the Creature setting up a creator verse created situation in Frankenstein. The monster reflects context of Tabula Rasa, he is a blank slate; completely innocent until experience creates perception. ‘Cursed, cursed Creator! Why did I live †¦ I know not: despair had not yet taken possession of me’. Shelley here uses rhetorical questions and emotive language to express the feeling of the Creature. The Creature believes that the blame for his suffering and pain lies with Victor’s cruelty and neglect of his creation rather than pain and anger being something innate in him. Victor through his lack of responsibility for this creation created an outcast of the monster leading to its pain. Shelley shows this in the biblical allusion ‘I ought to be thy Adam †¦I was benevolent and good: misery made me a friend’, once again strengthening the readers opinion that the creature’s suffering could have been avoided if Victor had shown sympathy towards him. Just as the monster confronts Victor in Frankenstein, Roy also confronts his creator Tyrell, in Blade Runner. Roy, being a result of genetic engineering, plays out the mindset of the public in the 1980s that eventually the birth of our advancing science may one day turn on us. The scene features shots filled with religious iconography with Tyrell draped in luxury with lit candles providing the only light in the room. The chess game which Tyrell and Sebastian are engaged in is a metaphor for the capturing of the king with the king being Tyrell and Roy achieving â€Å"checkmate†. The two shot of Roy and Tyrell during their confrontation is one of the few in the film and displays Roy as a dominant figure indicating a power shift in their relationship. Tyrell clearly acknowledges this shift when he backs away from Roy in fear. Roy is moved by this meeting as to him Tyrell is God, his creator, which is conveyed in the quote â€Å"it’s not easy to meet your maker†, a biblical allusion expressing the enormity of the meeting from Roy’s perspective. It is now clear, through the comparative study of ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Blade Runner’ that a comparative study of two textual forms only enhances our interest in discovering the parallels present between them. ‘Blade Runner’, being a film, has clearly shown to be able to explore similar ideas as ‘Frankenstein’, a novel. Each thoroughly explores nature and its influence on the public of their time as well as the lack of social responsibility each creator had towards his created, and the consequences of those actions. Thus it is evident that difference in textual form does not weaken the depth in which similar parallels can be explored.

Assessment Tool Analysis Essay

The purpose of this paper is to examine the tools that evaluate on-physical measures while applying Watson’s Theory of Human caring that integrates the mind-body-spirit dimensions to the three assessment tools chosen. In this paper, I will describe each tool and the population for which it might be useful, assessment tool data such as cost, length and each in using the tool. I will also discuss the population at which it is best designed, and the validity of information gained. In addition, how this tool could enhance the assessment phase of the nursing process and how it impact quality of health care delivered by the nurse will be discussed. These assessment tools will be applied to adolescent and teenage pregnancy chosen in Week Two in the Vulnerable Population and Self- Awareness assignment. Definition of Assessment Tools Assessment is the deliberate and systematic collection of data to determine the client’s current and past health status and functional status and to determine the client’s present and past coping patterns. Nursing assessment include two steps. The first step involves collection and verification of data from a primary source (the client) and secondary sources (e.g., family, health professionals, and medical record) (Potter & Perry, 2005). Assessment tools are the materials needed to establish data collection. Data collected may be subjective (client’s perception) or objective (data measured by collector). Example of objective data includes client’s body language, facial expression, vital signs e.t.c. The three assessment tools chosen for this paper are: Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Well-Being Picture Scale. Beck Depression Inventory There are many assessment and diagnostic tools that either measure  intelligence, aptitudes, achievements, and behaviors so it was no surprise when Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was created in 1961 by Aaron T. Beck, a pioneer in cognitive therapy, with the sole purpose of determining the severity and intensity level of the symptoms of depression. Depression Inventory is defined as a validated measure that has been instrumental in leading to numerous diagnoses due to its most recent revisions that more closely resemble the diagnostic criteria for depression (Farinde, 2013). The Beck Depression Inventory is a widely utilized 21-item self-report scale in both clinical and research studies. The most recent version; The Beck Depression Inventory-11 which is a completely self-administered format, is a depression rating that can be used in individuals that are ages 13 years and older, and rates symptoms of depression in terms of severity on a scale from 0 to 3 based on the 21 specific i tems. Patients that endorse multiple items on the questionnaire (i.e. sadness, pessimism, past failures, loss of pleasure, guilty feelings, punishment fears, self-dislike, and so forth) typically have higher scores with a maximum score of 63 compared to others. For the general population, score of 21 or greater is associated with depression but for individuals who have been clinically diagnosed, scores from 0-9 represent minimal depressive symptoms, scores of 17 to 29 indicate moderate depression, and scores of 30 to 63 indicate severe depression (Farinde, 2013). Perceived Stress Scale Stress has long been a major research concept in health science since it is linked to various health outcomes and illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis (Lee, 2012). The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is one of the more popular tools for measuring psychological stress. It is a self-reported questionnaire that was designed to measure â€Å"the degree to which individuals appraise situations in their lives are stressful.† The Perceived Stress Scale items evaluate the degree to which individuals believe their life has been unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded during the previous month. The assessment items are general in nature rather than focusing on specific events or experiences (Lee, 2012). According to Lee (2012), the original instrument is a 14-item scale (PSS-14) that was developed in English, with 7  positive items and 7 negative items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Five years after the introduction of PSS-14, it was shortened to 10 items (PSS-10). A four-item PSS (PSS-4) was also introduced as a brief version for situations requiring a very short scale of telephone interviews and the PSS is currently translated into 25 languages other than English. The criterion validity of the PSS was evaluated only in a few studies; the criteria used were all questionnaires that showed a weak to moderate association, demonstrating unsatisfactory criterion validity (Lee, 2012). Well-Being Picture Scale The theoretical framework that has guided the investigation of well-being from a Rogerian perspective is based upon the observation and measurement of health-related variables that are unique to the Science of Unitary Human Beings. Rogerian-science derived principles and the concepts of well-being. The term well-being, as a measure of health, is compatible with the concepts and variables that are unique to the development of knowledge (Reis and Alligood, 2008). The Well-Being Picture Scale is a 10-item non-language based pictorial scale that measures general well-being within the unique human environment field process. Each item on the scale has a numeric value of I to 7, with 70 being the maximum score possible and 10 being the lowest score possible. Higher scores indicate higher well-being. Conceptually, the instrument appraises the energy field in regard to frequency and intensity of movement, awareness of oneself as energy, action emanating from the energy field, and power as kno wing participation in change within the mutual human and environmental energy field process. The WPS was reported by all participants to be easily understood (Reis and Alligood, 2008). This scale can be used by all individuals regardless of their ethnic groups. How these tools enhance the assessment phase and quality of health care Using the Beck Depression Inventory in the assessment phase of the nursing process will facilitate and aid the treatment of depression in all ages. This assessment tool will aid the early diagnosis of depression and reduce further complications of depression. Depression is common in Adolescents who are undergoing stress as a result of pregnancy, low self-esteem and diseases. The nurse can affect the quality of health care delivered to patients by reassuring them and referring them to  appropriate health care providers. Using Perceived Stress Scale in the assessment phase of the nursing process, the nurse is better able to identify patients at higher risk for stress, help these patients to identify and implement coping skills during difficult times. This process improves the quality of patient care and outcome. Pregnant adolescent undergoes a significant amount of stress and challenges as a vulnerable population. Using the Well Being Picture Scale in the assessment phase of the nursing process, the nurse is better able to detect a patient’s well-being and health. The nurse is able to detect if the patient is healthy or not. This is more of a primary prevention for patients of all ages. This assessment tool is mostly recommended for pregnant women. Health care providers are able to follow up with patients to monitor their wellness or impact of diagnosis on their general health. Application of tools to Adolescent pregnancy Adolescent girls face pressures that are unique to their population and make them especially vulnerable. Girls carry disproportionate domestic world burden and are denied leadership opportunities and active community affairs (Bailey, 2012). These factors made the life of adolescent girls stressful and complicated which could cause depression. Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Well-Being Scale are tools that can be used during the assessment phase of the nursing process in adolescents. Adolescent girls who become pregnant may develop depression while trying to balance school, child, work and relationships, thereby, making all three tools helpful to the nurse during initialInventory, Perceived Stress Scale and Well-Being Scale as assessment tools help facilitate better nurse-patient relationship and better care for our patients References Alligood, M. R., (2010). Nursing Theory: Utilization and Application. (4th ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook database Collection. Bailey, L. D., (2012). Adolescent Girls: A Vulnerable Population. Journal of Advances in Neonatal Care, 12(2), 102-106. Retrieved from http://search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver†¦.. Farinde, A., (2013). The Beck Depression Inventory. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 2(1), 56-58. ISSN: 2277-7695. Retrieved from http://www.thepharmajournal.com Lee, E. H., (2012). Review of the Psychometric Evidence of the Perceived Stress Scale. Journal of Asian Nursing Research, 6(4), 121-127. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1507280852?pq-origsite=simmon Potter, P. A. & Perry, A. G. (2005). Fundamentals of Nursing. (6th ed.). MO: Elservier Mosby Reis, P.J., and Alligood , M. R. (2008). Well-Being in Pregnancy: a plot study using the Well-being Picture Scale. Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science, 15(1), 8-17. Retrieved from http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver†¦.

Tree Plantation

Man has been closely related with the nature since the down of civilization. Nature is helpful for all human beings. Nature abounds with trees. Trees are one of the best gifts of nature. As the civilization proceeds towards development, valuable nature assets are also getting damaged day by day. So it is the ease with trees. Now the ecological balance is distributed and the life becomes difficult. Our life and existence on earth greatly depends on trees. So we should plant trees through an existence expedition and maintain our ecological balance smooth. The first and foremost thing we get from trees is oxygen. We inhale oxygen from air, which are provided by trees. Trees maintain the climate and the weather of a country. They help causing rainfall and save our country from destruction. Trees save our land from erosion and make it fertile. We get our major food production from trees we get our clothing material from trees. We also get some building materials from trees. Rural houses are mainly made by trees indirectly. We get furniture from trees which are provided by trees. Besides we get many kinds of medicines from trees. In real sense trees give us many things that we can not even count. In a matter of great regret the destruction of trees is common in Bangladesh. Our people cut trees at random. We use plants in the time of need but we can not plant more, which is greatly needed for for existence. Trees are the raw material of many industries, so it is widely used. People use trees as fuel in their kitchen, brick fields. They also cut them to make new houses. It is a great threat to our healthy atmosphere and our environment. The ratio of cutting and planting trees is very much different. We cut more but plant less. We have to plant more and more to prevent ourselves from natural disasters. Tress can be planted almost all the year but rainy season is the appropriate time to plant trees. Each and everybody should be conscious about that utility of trees and should take part in tree plantation. Where we get vacant places in our house, office, schools, colleges, hospitals we should plant them. Or we can plant them on the sides of the roads or any available spaces with a view to provide shade. There are so many nurseries where we can get various kinds of trees and seeds at a minimum cost. It is hopeful that our government launches tree plantation expedition and arrange tree plantation week in a year. Our united effort can make their program successful. The middle east countries fulfill their requirement of fruit, food and vegetables importing them from Bangladesh. We also earn a lot of foreign exchange by exporting barks venoms of snakes, some medicinal fruits from our forest. The trees are our lifelong friend and become a part and parcel in our national life. It is our burden duty and responsibility to plant trees not only plantation but also proper care should be ensured. Finally tree plantation is a most for our own betterment.

Definition and management of service quality Essay

Definition and management of service quality - Essay Example According to the manager of the Chesthunt Hotel, service quality is based on the quality, customer satisfaction and identification of customer value as either important or very important or very important. Those companies that have high quality of services as well as goods had higher market share, higher return on investment and asset turnover than companies with perceived low quality.If consumers somehow become better customers -- that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive -- the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization. Because it affects those factors, then it certainly affects customer satisfaction, the link of service quality with customer satisfaction, which is, the degree of fit between customer's expectations and perceptions of service.Based on the perception of the manager, customer criteria determine the definition of quality and the variables that affect perceptions of quality. They explained that variab les may change with circumstance, experience, and time. In addition, service providers may influence the variables that drive customer perception to service quality. The perception of the customers may also vary by circumstances, time, and experiences. He also explained that the total perceived value of a service comes from two sources. First, customers perceive value that originates from the service act itself; second, customers perceive value that originates from the quality of the service act. ... On the other hand, quality is much difficult to define as it depends on the perception of the consumer. Basically it is defined in terms of being transcendent, customer led, or value led. The provision of quality customer service is a multi-faceted concept as a number of factors must be met by the hotel in order to achieve it. To integrate quality in service provision, it is important that the hotel has the right skills, resources and values. As quality customer service is influenced by various factors, the involvement of both hotel management and the employees must be present; in the case of Chesthunt it has been made clear that training alone is not sufficient for service quality (Ghobadian,Speller and Jones, 1994,p. 43). The commitment, leadership and adaptability of the management towards change are also important for quality service. The values and skills of the employees on the other hand, must be prioritized as well. They must be given enough empowerment to contribute effectively towards customer satisfaction. The importance of quality in customer service has been recognized by Chesthunt hotel. The management of Chesthunt hotel have applied prioritized quality in customer services, resulting to positive business outcome. Customer satisfaction, loyalty, employee satisfaction and profit growth are some of the main advantages of this business practice. In order to cope with the present business challenges, Chesthunt hotel have implemented different strategies that will enhance their respective customer services. Consumer studies, trainings and application of information technology are some examples of the most commonly used strategies for customer services. Service delivery

Cultural Homogenization and the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Homogenization and the Internet - Essay Example Homogenization means being similar and parallel to the other thing. The term cultural homogenization is a relatively new term as it has evolved recently. The world we live in today is becoming more of a global village. This means that with the ever changing technology, it is shrinking as means of communication with each other, no matter how far apart, are becoming faster than ever before. Cultural homogenization is the blending of cultures as they become more related to each other and their uniqueness is being reduced. We are going towards forming a more global culture as new traditions, ideas, and values will be formed which align in a better way with the global arena of today. Another unique point of this new culture will be that, unlike the old individual cultures, this global culture will dominate many societies and might even be recognized as the super culture. Internet is a worldwide connection of computers that allows man to communicate with each other more faster and has crea ted many changes in the society. It was developed in the 1960’s but it gained popularity and momentum in the 1990’s when the worldwide web was developed. After that there was an explosion of people who were ready for the vast world that was opened to them. Now people could access information about anything and any part of the world. It allowed for the advancement, exploration, and the quenching of the thirst for knowledge for scientists, researchers and people across the globe. Some of the effects that the internet has had on the global culture are that now different countries are able to advance, as getting education is much easier and faster because of the advancements in technology. It has been discovered that internet is used more for education rather than for entertainment purposes. Therefore, when people have more education the country is able to progress at a rapid rate. The internet has affected the global culture in a way that marketing and sales transactions are easier. The marketers have new ways and methods for advertising their products without any geographical limitations. They post anything on the internet and within seconds, the entire world is able to look at it. This leads to a growth in businesses and ultimately to the growth of economies around the world. Now businesses can run on the internet solely and worldwide organizations are able to advance. One advantage that the internet has provided to the people across the world is that they can study the cultures, which are different from theirs. Prior to this, the people either had to travel all the way to the place to find out the culture or had to read a book. With internet, this can be done merely in seconds and people can get knowledge about the culture of a certain country before going there or before conducting business transactions with the people of that country. This will give them information on the cultural sensitivities so that they do not offend anyone by mistake. Wit h all these advancements taking place and people regularly getting similar information, a global view of the world is being formed in which people around the globe have a similar perspective on the different aspects of life, for instance, people’s acceptance to greater diversity. This happens when people like the culture of a different country and out of their own

Business Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Development - Case Study Example All the departmental manager in the branch will report directly to him and he will be assisted by a secretary. Followings are description of two jobs from each department respectively. Finance Manager He/She takes care of all financial issues. His department will collect money from the cashiers and put them into bank. Besides, they will have to document all the financial transaction including prepare the costing, balance sheet and estimate the profit and lost of the business. Costing Executive He/She will do the calculation of the costing of the operation of the whole business. Her work coordinates all aspect related to cost example the electricity and water usage, man power usage, compensation to customer, cost of goods and etc. Human Resource Manager He/She is in-charged of the human energy. The main role is to do workforce planning, recruit and select suitable employee and to provide training and motivate them. Payroll Assistant He/She calculates the salary of all employees, checking attendance and performance of the people in the organization. The work is very confidential in the company. Logistic and Warehouse Manager He/She will be responsible of the goods lodging and receiving, taking care of the warehouse and inventory in the branch. General Wokers He/She will help to load or unload goods, help to arrange them in warehouse and deliver it to departments that need the goods. Sales and Marketing Manager He/She is managing the sales in the branch. He needs to achieve the sales target preset by the group marketing manager, help to organize events and promotions to increase sales. Cashiers He/She collects money from customer for purchasing goods. Comparison of Debenhams Plc's organizational chart and a grocery shop In comparison to Debenhams...Besides that there are a lot of management and financial skills involved. A good businessman should continuously seek improvement in his work as in Debenhams Plc. The organizational chart for Debenhams Plc was shown in figure 1. In each branch, the management is lead by a branch manager. He overlooks the operation of the whole branch. All the departmental manager in the branch will report directly to him and he will be assisted by a secretary. Followings are description of two jobs from each department respectively. He/She takes care of all financial issues. His department will collect money from the cashiers and put them into bank. Besides, they will have to document all the financial transaction including prepare the costing, balance sheet and estimate the profit and lost of the business. He/She will do the calculation of the costing of the operation of the whole business. Her work coordinates all aspect related to cost example the electricity and water usage, man power usage, compensation to customer, cost of goods and etc. In comparison to Debenhams Plc, a grocery has a very simple organizational chart. The leader in the chart is the owner himself. He will be assisted by one or two general workers. The owner will be the HR, finance, sales, marketing and cashier himself. His workers will help him to load and unload goods.

Family - its Changes and Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family - its Changes and Values - Essay Example A person may embrace another person’s difference, while some might totally turn their backs from their families or their families might turn away from them because of dissimilarities. Discussion Individuals have their own identities. No two persons have exactly the same life or desires. Even twins do have their differences, which can result in arguments. Yet these differences should not prevent a family from being a unity. As Goodman put it into context, â€Å"We don’t have to achieve to be accepted by our families. We just have to be. Our membership is not based on credentials on birth (4)†. Regardless of how much changes a person may have in a lifetime, he or she should be accepted by the family where he or she belongs. People or society may not agree as to what the person may become, yet the family should be there when a person needs them. Even the meanest person in this world is still loved by his or her family even if he or she resents them. According to Sen na, â€Å"In death we are each reduced to our essence: the spirit we are when we are born. The trappings we hold on to our whole lives – our race, our money, our sex, our age, and our politics – become irrelevant† (19). A person may have the most luxurious life in the physical world, yet he or she may be the poorest in spirit. Worldly possessions are immaterial to a person in his or her dying days. In the end, no person is spared from death. Though what the person has accomplished in life would often be just a memory forgotten in time, it is not valid as regards his or her family that has always loved this person unconditionally. One may change for the worst, yet there are still people who give love and understanding to this individual even when he or she pretends not to need them. It is a sad reality that people often turn their back away from their families when they have achieved their goals, found happiness and contentment in other beliefs, or when greed and envy have eaten them up from inside. Despite these changes, a mother and a father will always have a space in their hearts for their children who had the courage to stand up on their own and live the lives that they want. It is painful for parents when they see their children go astray. The pain that they feel is not brought about by disappoinment or hate. This feeling of pain is brought about by the affection and love that parents have for their children. No parent would want to see their children suffer or get hurt, and this is a valid statement not only as regards the parents-children relationship but also as regards grandparents-grandchildren or uncles/aunts-nephews/nieces relationships. However, as Senna states, â€Å"†¦the differences between us were real and alive, and they threatened to squelch our fragile connection† (16). The first step in accepting one’s differences, especially in a family, is to acknowledge the difference and make amends. It may not b e an easy thing to make amends with people with whom one has differences, especially when it comes to the delicate topics like religious and political beliefs. One may be discriminated by the society due to his or her differences. However, the most painful circumstances would be when a person is being alienated by his or her own family. This is not to blame the families for the shortcomings or the outrageous actions of an individual. It is just an attempt to trace why such events occurred. A part of accepting the difference is to know where and how it started within

ITEC640 - IT PM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ITEC640 - IT PM - Essay Example Since it is a software house, their technical staff is considered to be their asset who is responsible for making good quality products for their clients. Therefore, it makes sense to give the project manager full command over the projects as he is technically sound and has the required skills to make best possible decisions. The organization under discussion hires technical people on the basis of their skills and then assigns them positions in the most appropriate ‘Product Team’. Every product has its own respective team and ‘Team Lead’. These team members are entirely responsible for this one product and are involved in its development, deployment, support etc. The ‘Team Lead’ will be managing and leading the projects in which his team members will be involved. This enables the technical staff to gain expertise in their product and induces product loyalty to a great extent. Whenever the company gets a new project, a new project team is made (which is discussed in more detail later in the report). There is another type of structure that prevails in many organizations. At times, the formal structure is not sufficient to get work done quickly. In such situations, informal structure and reporting comes in play. Informal communication tends to ignore the complex chain of command and jump starts stalled activities. It helps in meeting deadlines exceptionally well. Informal structure promotes communication among the employees and management, integration, flexibility etc. Some degree of informal reporting is also present in the company under discussion. The members of different product team have informal brainstorming sessions for most efficient solutions to problems. Marchewka (2009) stated that power in the organization is not always governed by the hierarchy but by the degree of connectedness with the colleagues. Informal communication between the employees also

The Dark Knight Rises. Reasons Behind Movies Commercial Success Essay

The Dark Knight Rises. Reasons Behind Movies Commercial Success - Essay Example It has been claimed that the movie did not fulfill the expectations in terms of revenues and quality of its predecessors. However, despite multiple claims, the movie is a big commercial hit earning revenues over US$ 1 billion. The Dark Knight trilogy has been a significant source of revenues for Warner Brothers. Analysis of the commercial factors underlying The Dark Knight Rises’ success indicates that more than effective marketing, it was the legacy of the movie that gave it a grand opening despite various daunting events like the shooting incident. The Dark Knight Rises brought ticket revenues worth US$ 1.075 billion to Warner Brothers and movie maker Christopher Nolan (Hughes, 2012a). The question arises that despite having receiving its fair share of criticism from experts and general public, what are the factors that made this movie join the elite group of over 1 billion group. A critical analysis of the movie’s progress indicated that a perception of a product being sold has a greater impact on its sales. This is precisely the reason why manufacturers and producers play special attention to product placement phenomenon while marketing a product. Same stands true for Batman movie franchise as well. The legacy, fan base and historical characters with success of all previous Batman movies provides this franchise a lot of credibility amongst the viewers. Besides the huge success of previous Batman movie ‘The Dark Night’ and the phenomenal success of Joker followed by the untimely death of Heath Ledger, what drove the masses to the theaters was perception that this would be the last Batman movie. The legacy of the Batman Series was a substantial factor that would have been enough to draw masses to movie cinemas. Like other studios, Warner Brothers capitalizes on brand equity of its strong franchises and The Dark Knight Rises is a simple example of this trend. For a franchise that was showing a downturn after Batman and Robin in 1997, Nolan-Warner partnership turned out to be the last resort. Arrival of Nolan in Warner Brothers has made Batman into a character which is not only adored by comic fans but also by those who have a greater liking for more realistic action movies. The Batman trilogy has managed to bring overall box office receipts worth over 3 billion with box office sales being the indicator of franchise’s performance (Hughes, 2012b). It is important to note that other than the movie itself, Nolan’s brand equity is also another major factor that brought fans to the cinemas. In the recent years, Hollywood has focused more on ‘going big’ in terms of marketing and Warner Brothers’ technique is no different. Aggressive marketing campaign through TC, radio, social media, billboards and print media manage to engage public and create the desired anticipation for the brand launch (Eliashberg, Elbrese, and Leenders, 2004). Before the movie launch, there was a well-orchestrated series of movie’s official website launch, tease trailers containing original six minutes of the movie, page-length advertisements in newspaper etc. In addition to that, an interesting product placement strategy used by Warner Brothers was to attach the movie’s trailers with other successful ventures like The Avengers and Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol. Another important part of this marketing campaign was movie’s viral marketing strategy that was highly complex yet interesting enough to engage millions

Describe an incident or situation that has occured during your student Essay

Describe an incident or situation that has occured during your student practice and discuss a related professional issue - Essay Example So I asked her, in a discreet manner what was wrong. She explained that she was embarrassed so I wheeled her back into her room and fed her in there. If this lady had been asked where she would like to eat, her choice would have been to stay in her room and eat where she felt her dignity would have been maintained. If I had not of spoken to her she would rather chose not to eat, or other patients, having no intentions, will invade her privacy and see her feed. As a nurse, it is vital that a patient’s dignity is respected at all times. By preserving dignity, a nurse can also preserve the integrity of the patient. In this scenario, it is clear that a violation in privacy and person’s dignity occurred through humiliation, embarrassment, not respecting patient’s autonomy regarding preferred feeding, and depersonalization (Watson, 2008, p. 133). Healthcare delivery in the contemporary era focuses on being patient centered, risk managed, quality assured and cost effective (Mallik, 2009, p. 14). Accountability has grown increase importance in delivering quality health care by expanding the responsibility of caring and accountability to a health team instead of individuals. Accountability is defined as being accountable of your actions by explaining and justifying why and what you did. It involves assessment of the best interests for patients, knowledge and judgment in decision-making, and explanation to defend course of action (Walsh, p. 89). Since accountability promotes the best interests of the patients, it is essential that nurses respect privacy, which is one basic right of human dignity. Privacy is a major factor considered in caring. Among of the privacy concerns of patients are depersonalization and intimate questions, hospital procedures, and treatments (Watson, 2008, p. 133). Privacy was linked to preservation of human dignity and maintenance of integrity and hence is considered as an essential health need

Tata case - pricing Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tata - pricing - Case Study Example This is in addition to the research and development situated in those same parts of countries. Its first commercial vehicle was manufactured in 1954 with a company called Daimler- Benz (Bhaktavatsala, 1993). After acquiring stakes in a Hispano Carrocera which specializes in manufacturing buses and coaches and from then, decided to also venture in bus and coach manufacturing. The company has been involved a spree of acquiring stakes in companies or forming joint ventures with other car manufacturing and then doing the same production. Examples of the companies it has partnered with through acquiring their stakes or through joint ventures or even buying include, jaguar Land rover, Hispano Carrocera, Marcopolo, Daewoo, Trilix and many others. This is in a bid to cut on the cost of having to start a new product altogether. Tata is an Indian company that with a vision to manufacture cheap and affordable vehicles targeting Indian population whose middle class has been rising with time. Its first fully indigenous passenger car was launched in the year 1998 and nick named it the Indica. In an attempt to manufacture even more cheap and affordable cars for the Indian population who prefer travelling together with their family members, Tata launched in 2008 a small but spacious car called Tata Nano. This car was the cheapest world-wide by the time it was launched. The company in trying to set affordable but right prices for its Nano cars seem to have had some considerations in mind including profitability to the company, economic status of Indians, the prices of Nano Parts, and the installations that are put in it. The company’s design of the car makes the car cheap by not having expensive stereos that normally accompany expensive cars. The company worked from top downwards to arrive at this affordable car to many. They first set the highest price then worked downwards to design and develop a car with materials that would add up to this amount. The

The Bridge at Argenteuil Essay Example for Free

The Bridge at Argenteuil Essay The Bridge at Argenteuil by Alfred Sisley is a landscape painted during the French Impressionism period. This painting is located at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in the European to 1900 collection. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the oldest fine arts museum in Tennessee and displays art from antiquity to contemporary. I chose this museum because it has art from different time periods. This museum, upon first impression, was well organized, and the different collections were relatively easy to find. I chose The Bridge at Argenteuil because Alfred Sisleys work is rarely studied. Alfred Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil is a landscape painting. It is oil on canvas and 15 ? by 24 inches. Painted in 1872, The Bridge at Argenteuil depicts a quiet, country scene. Toward the right of the painting, there are warm-colored houses on top of a small hill, while toward the left of the painting is a river, in which is a small sail boat. The grass in the foreground is reminiscent of wheat fields. There is a path that runs from the foreground of the painting out to the river, ending at a small dock, perhaps for fishing. There is a bridge in the background, seemingly tying the entire painting together. Because there is no action in the painting, this work seems to be a study in quiet and calm country life. Every object in this landscape seems to be connected. For example, the path in the foreground leads to the dock that connects with the river. The bridge in the background stretches from the land where the artist painted from, over the river, and to the shore on the other side of the river toward the left of the frame, connecting the two pieces of land. This painting clarifies that the countryside is peaceful and calm. Many artists choose to paint people, animals, and urban scapes. However, a few, like Alfred Sisley, choose to paint landscapes. Sisley recognized that country landscapes show the softer side of life. Sisley chose to look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on one thing in particular. By having the freedom that comes with not focusing on a particular subject, Sisley captured the essence of the natural world, a world that is peaceful, calm, and ever-changing. I believe this is what he wanted to show the world. The Bridge at Argenteuil is a study in the wonders of nature and how man and nature can exist in harmony. This work does meet the standards of perfection, inexhaustibility, and insight. Every object in the painting works with the others to create a scene that is calm and peaceful. Sisley painted in great detail, showing the perfection that exists in nature. For example, Sisley included different shades of blue in the river; the further I looked into the background at the water, the whiter it seemed to become. The white clouds seem to be moving from right to left, slowly covering a light blue sky. Sisley added these details to capture the ever-changing essence of nature. The work is insightful. This painting made me take a slower, second look at nature and how everything does balance out. For example, in this painting, every aspect of nature the sky, the water, and the land seem to have an equal part of the frame, they seem to be balanced. I could envision a triangle while looking at these aspects, with the sky being the top point, and the land and water being the bottom points. The Bridge at Argenteuil resists monotony because nature is always changing. For instance, the water seems clear, like it would be during the summer, but the grass is becoming brown, indicating that the season is moving toward winter. The sky is becoming overcast; this could be indicative of a colder breeze moving in. Because of these elements, it seems as though the season is in transition. This painting has and has not withstood the test of time. For instance, it has withstood the test of time because it was painted in 1872 and is still on display along with other famous and important works of art. It depicts a nature scene that is always changing and evolving, a scene that never becomes outdated. However, Alfred Sisley, as well as this painting, has not been studied extensively and is rarely analyzed, unlike other works of art of the late nineteenth century, such as Monet and Renoir. This gives the impression that this painting has not withstood the test of time. The bridge at Argenteuil has not only been painted by Alfred Sisley. Claude Monet, another impressionist painter, painted this bridge as well. However, there one major difference between the two paintings, although they share the same title. Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil depicts the bridge from afar, focusing more on the land and the water in the foreground. Monets The Bridge at Argenteuil focuses more on the water and a couple of sail boats, with the bridge off to the right side of the frame. Another important detail is that Monets painting of the bridge was created two years after Sisley painted the bridge. Therefore, Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil can be determined to be unique and original. Also because of the aforementioned reasons, it can be said that this painting could have influenced Monets painting of the bridge. Sisley also depicted a sail boat in his painting, like Monet did, although Sisleys sail boat was small and relatively insignificant, while Monets sail boats were the focus of the painting. This painting possesses not only international appeal because Sisley was a French painter, but universal appeal because people from around the world can relate to nature. This painting depicts elements in nature that can be found in any rural area. For example, it is a scene that focuses on a grassy knoll and a body of water. While looking at this painting, it seems as though it can be found in the United States, when actually, this scene was painted in France. This scene has universal appeal because people of all ages and cultures can relate to it. I chose Alfred Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil because it is an under-appreciated painting. It seemed calm and comforting, two feelings that most do not take the time to enjoy. The grass in the foreground and how it seemed to be swaying in the breeze sticks in my mind the most. The analysis of this work of art taught me how to appreciate the seemingly insignificant aspects of life. For most, including myself, life rushes by. Getting to work or school and finishing daily tasks keeps one so busy that no one ever has the time anymore to slow down and appreciate nature. Most take these aspects of life for granted. Analyzing this painting forced me to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Reflection on growth of competency in Clinical Skill

Reflection on growth of competency in Clinical Skill For this essay I am going to reflect upon a clinical skill I have become competent in during my training. I will use a reflective model to discuss how I undertook the skill. I will also discuss the rational and research behind the skill. The model of reflection I have chosen is Gibbs (Siviter, 2004). The Gibbs model of reflection allows the skill to be critically analysed. This is achieved by using the following sub headings; description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Siviter, 2004). The skill that I will reflect on in this essay is the administration of an intramuscular Injection (IM). An IM is an injection deep into a muscle (Dougherty Lister, 2008). This route is often chosen for its quick absorption rate and often medication cannot be given via other routes. The reason I have chosen to reflect on this skill is because I have had many opportunities to perform this skill, and at my current practice placement this is the most commonly used method of drug administration. I have undertook many IMs at this placement but I am going to reflect on the first one I undertook which was the administration of Hydroxocobalamin commonly known as vitamin B12 (BNF, 2007) Description During a morning clinic with the practice nurse, I was asked if I would like to administer an IM on the next patient, which was a 26 year old lady who has been suffering from crohns disease which can cause B12 deficiency due to lack of vitamin and mineral absorption (NACC, 2007). I agreed and she briefly went through with me how to do an IM as it had been a while since I had last done one. I called the patient in and asked her to sit down. The patient had come in for her first injection of B12. I chatted to the patient asking her how she was and if she had any concerns. I then gained consent asking her if it was ok for me as a student to administer it under the supervision of the practice nurse. The patient responded with you have got to learn I then prepared the equipment which included two needles, a sharps box, a piece of gauze and the medication. I checked the prescription with the practice nurse, and then checked the ampoule against the prescription. I then drew up the medicatio n with one needle disposing of it in the sharps box and attached the other needle. I then proceeded to administer the medication, after completing the procedure I disposed of the needle in the sharps box and documented it in the patients notes. After the patient had left the nurse explained to me I had done it all correct except I had gone in too far so if the needle broke it would be hard to get it out and that I didnt aspirate to check if I had gone into a vein. Thoughts and feelings After I was asked if I wanted to do the IM I felt very anxious as it had been more than 6 months since the last time I had administered one. But she explained the procedure to me which relieved some of my anxiety. When I first met the patient I was feeling allot more nervous as the patient was roughly my age and I havent had much experience of caring for the younger person. After the procedure when I was told I was wrong for not aspirating I felt annoyed as I was sure I had read that aspirating was no longer necessary. Evaluation Overall I feel that the clinical skill went well as a whole. I followed the instructions from my mentor and what the research has suggested other than feeling a little anxious I performed the skill confidently and correctly. What I feel was bad about the experience is with my communication, which reflecting on I believe was lacking. I communicated with the patient prior to the skill and after the skill, but during I felt I almost forgot there was a patient on the end of the needle. I was so focused on getting the skill right and not causing any pain I didnt talk to the patient throughout the whole thing. Another point that I feel was bad is, I forgot to wear an apron. My mentor never mentioned anything about this although I do feel I should have worn one as its an aseptic technique and its part of the (DOH, 2006) guidelines. Analysis The reason why an IM injection was chosen is because B12 can only be administered via IM (BNF, 2007). I gained informed consent off the patient as this is part the NMC guidelines. (NMC, 2008) As patients have the right to decline treatment. After gaining consent, I then checked the medication against the patients chart to ascertain the following: Drug, Dose, date, route, the validity of the prescription and the doctors signature. This is done to make sure the patient receives the correct drug and dose (NMC, 2008) I then washed my hands using Ayliffes six step technique to reduce the risk of infection and put gloves on as part of DOH 2007 Guidelines . The site that I chose was the mid deltoid site. Hunt (2008) Suggests that this is the best site to use as its easy to access whether the patient is sitting, standing or lying down, it also has the advantage of being away from major nerves and blood vessels. Although Roger (2000) states that only 2ml at most can be injected into the delto id. I was able to proceed with this site as B12 comes in a 1ml dose (BNF, 2007). I asked her if she would prefer to sit or lie down, she said she rather sit, this was ok with me as I am not very tall and found this a comfortable position for me. As the patient was wearing a short sleeve top I asked her to move it up slightly instead of removing it thus allowing her to maintain her privacy and dignity. I then assessed the injection site for suitability checking for any signs of infection, oedema or lesions. This is done to promote the effectiveness of administration and reduce the risk of cross infection (Woorkman, 1999). Holding the needle at a 90 degree angle it is quickly pushed into the muscle. Workman 1999 says this ensures good muscle penetration. I inserted the needle leaving approximately 1/2cm exposed as Workman, (1999) says this makes removing it easier should it break off. At this point I decided not to aspirate as per research (DOH, 2006). After inserting the needle I all owed it to remain there for 10 seconds. As Woorkman (1999) suggest that leaving in situ for 10 seconds allows the medication to diffuse into the tissues. After 10 seconds had past I swiftly removed the needle and applied pressure according to Dougherty Lister (2008) this helps prevent the formation of a haematoma. Immediately after carrying out the skill I disposed of the needle into a rigid sharps container. To ensure health and safety is maintained and the used sharps dont present a danger to me or other staff members as stated by MRHA (2004). After the procedure I documented it within the patients notes as per NMC guidelines and to provide a point of reference if there ever was a query regarding the treatment and to prevent duplicate administration (NMC, Guide lines for records and record keeping, 2005). After the skill I discussed with my mentor that recent evidence suggest that aspirating is unnecessary. According to Workman (1999) the reason for aspirating is to confirm that the needle is in the correct position and to make sure that it has not gone into a vein. The most recent and up to date evidence, says that aspiration is only necessary if using the dorsogluteal  site to check for gluteal artery entry (Hunter, 2008). But official guidance from the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health (DOH, 2006) (WHO, 2004) suggest that this site should no longer be used, thus making aspiration unnecessary. By not aspirating it makes the procedure simpler and less chance of adverse events. Furthermore pharmaceutical companies are making less caustic preparations and in smaller volumes. I discussed this with my mentor and she agreed but stated that it is PCT policy to aspirate, and she would have to continue to follow this practice until the policy was amended. Conclusion Using the Gibbs model of reflection has allowed me to thoroughly analyse the event and allowed me to explore my feelings. I have found out despite the evidence being constantly up to date that not all practitioners knowledge is as up to date, and that trusts are equally as slow to adopt new ideas within their policies and that nurses are governed by policy more than current research. I have also learned that there is a great deal of evidence behind such what on the outside seems to be a simple technique and what I thought I was doing correctly may not always be the case. Action plan I do not doubt I will be carrying out IMs for a long time in my career. I will not be doing much differently in the future as the evidence is underpinning my practice. I will not put the needle in as far as I did on this occasion. In the future I will continue not to aspirate, unless local policy indicates otherwise. In addition I will communicate with the patient throughout the entire skill and not just at the start and end of. Whats more from this event I have realised that learning never stops and what I know now may not be relevant tomorrow.

Venezuela Culture Facts And History History Essay

Venezuela Culture Facts And History History Essay Venezuelas culture has been molded by the Spanish colonialists that ruled the country for almost four centuries. Before and during the Spanish conquest, the indigenous people had little influence on the development of the nation since they were scattered tribes with no political or social presence. Along with order and organization, the Spanish also brought Christianity to the South American continent and as a result, Venezuela has one of the largest Christian populations within its borders. Thus, most of the nations customs and traditions have been derived from medieval Christian practices and depict the influence of the Orthodox Catholic Church. However, the most popular image associated with Venezuelan culture is that of the Ilanero or the South American Cowboy. The entire tradition arose from the animal breeder and cattle wranglers that made the fertile grasslands of the Ilanos their home. The national dance of Venezuela i.e. the Joropo as well as the components of Venezuelan ins trumental music such as the maraca and the quartro are all derived from the Ilanero tradition. Writing has become a feature of Venezuelan culture since the post-independence period of the nineteenth century. Literary masters such as Simon Rodriguez and Andres Bello were the first to make their mark on Venezuelas literary scene. Simon Bolivar, the liberator of the nation and hero of the Independence struggle, also wrote nationalistic works during this period. Also emerging at the later end of the 19th century was the well-known writer and translator Juan Antonio PÃ ©rez Bonalde. His ties with the Free Masons made him the subject of a tremendous amount of speculation but his works have survived through it all. Venezuelan art was given a leg-up by the popularity of Venezuelan writing and sculptors such as Marisol (Escobar) and Rafael Soto made their presence felt internationally. VENEZUELA FACTS South American nations are steeped in a rich history of people and civilization, dating back thousands of years. This region also has some of the worlds plushest and most diverse natural resources and about ninety percent of all know plant and animal species are found here. However, with respect to human and economic development, South America lags behind and a large percentage of the population live without basic amenities. One of the exceptions to this situation is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which has prospered due to its oils reserves and whose natural beauty has earned it the sobriquet Land of Grace Venezuela became an independent nation in 1830 and today is a thriving federal republic. It has had a history of militarism, but rarely has the country seen an utterly violent phase of existence. The nation is comprised of over twenty five million people from various ethnic backgrounds. Like much of South America, Venezuela was also under the rule of the Spanish conquistadors for much of the medieval period of history. Consequently, the country is mainly Roman Catholic and its culture arises out of traditions inspired by its Spanish past. Given the general character of South American nations, most people are surprised by Venezuelas near perfect rate of literacy and the moderation with which the nation is governed. The nation is divided in to 23 states, called estados in addition to the capital district of Caracas. Although its relations with the United States are a little tainted, Americans traveling to Venezuela rarely have to put up with any angst on political issues. Venezuela is generally divided in to four geographic zones as per its major land features. These are the northwestern Andean mountain terrain, the coastal Caribbean and Pacific Ocean region, the central grass plains or Llanos and the Guyana highlands in the south. The climate of Venezuela is largely tropical, very mild in the highlands and hot in the plains. South Americas largest lake i.e. Lake Maracaibo and the worlds highest waterfalls the Angel Falls are located in Venezuela. The country is facing environmental degradation largely due to the irresponsible nature of mining in the forests. The government however has identified the problem and actions are being taken to correct the natural balance. VENEZUELA HOLIDAYS The nation of Venezuela has a rich and varied past, although much of it was erased by the Spanish conquest. The nation today is fast developing power in the global economy, with an abundance of resources and an immaculate but judicious military background to back it up. The nation was one of the first to experience the missionary services of clerics who migrated from Europe to preach the Word to the new world. Most of the population, nearly ninety-six percent, is Roman Catholic, with Protestants and indigenous religions making up the remaining bit. As a result, most of the holidays are Christian celebrations that fall in common with all such holidays the world over. Such as most other nations, Venezuela follows the Gregorian calendar, where the year begins on the January, the first, marking the first holiday of the year. This is followed by a festival commemorating the visit of the three Magi to Jesus Christ on the Day of Epiphany on the 6th of January. The next Christian holidays fall on the days of Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Easter. St Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary is commemorated on the 19th of March whereas the Mother, herself is praised on the day of the Immaculate Conception, held on the 8th of December. In between the two holiday s lies All Saints Day, celebrated on the first day of November. Such as the accepted norm, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are celebrated on the 24th and 25th of December, whereas the 31st is observed as the last day of the Civil Year. The remaining holidays of Venezuela are centered around its freedom struggle, that lasted from 1810 to 1830. Many famous and decisive battles as well as the birth anniversaries of the leaders of the freedom struggle are commemorated in the form of national holidays. The first among them is April 19th, which marks the beginning of the struggle. The Day of the Liberator or the birth anniversary of Simon Bolivar, who was personally responsible for freeing much of South America from the Spaniards, is one of the most important days for all Venezuelans. It is celebrated on the 24th of July whereas the Venezuelan Independence Day is on the 5th of July. VENEZUELA PEOPLE The people, and not the forests, rivers and mountains, make up a nation. Without knowing the people, no one can claim any knowledge about any place, because the essence of that knowledge lies in the people that inhabit the place. The real way to understand the people of a region is to interact and communicate with them, one-on-one, even if it is for just a little while. However, many prefer studying the demographic as a statistic rather than getting to know individuals on a personal level. Travel will always amount to little if it escapes an introduction to the people of the land. Venezuela is a prosperous nation on the northern edge of South America with a population of nearly twenty five million people. Most of the people have ancestral connections to the indigenous populations of South American which were the basis of the Mayan and Incan civilizations. The second major ethnic group is of the people with European descent, whose roots are thee people who entered the land of Venezuela along with the Spanish conquistadors and remained as residents. This group sees a vast variety of people, who were originally citizens of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Another large majority of people descend form the African laborers who were brought to Venezuela by the Spanish as slaves and later formed settlements of their own. A small percentage of the population is formed by migratory Arabs, Central Americans and Asians. Venezuela is a largely Catholic community and thus the customs of the land are largely dictated by the religion, although the region is hardly orthodox in its outlook. The official language, spoken by nearly the entire population is Spanish, but a large number of dialects are prevalent in different regions. People between the ages of fifteen and sixty form the largest art of the demographic and thus the nation has a largely young and vibrant atmosphere. Also, more than ninety percent of the population is qualified as educated due to which the prevalence of diseases such as AIDS has been checked in Venezuela. Venezuela is also one of the few Latin American countries with a nearly even male/female sex ratio. VENEZUELA HISTORY We are not makers of history. We are made by it Martin Luther King Jr. To learn where we are going, it is very necessary to see where we came from. History, even if it just a mingling of romance and imagination at times, is of paramount importance if humanity is to be prevented from repeating its past and ruining its future. Most of South American history speaks of destruction of the land and the people at the hand of colonial powers. Venezuela, like any other nation was not spared its due when the great butchers of Europe came to proclaim the virgin land ad their own. In the classical period, that is the earliest known period of human habitation in Venezuela, the country was home to nomadic tribes of people. These tribes were not nearly as civilized and urbanized those of the Egyptian kingdoms or even those of the other Mesoamerican civilizations. The three main groups of people were the Arawak, the Carib and the most advanced amongst them, the Chibcha. The Chibcha were credited with creating a highly organized agricultural system, complete with terrace farming on the slopes of the Andes and use of irrigation canals. Unlike the Mayan cities and the Aztec pyramids that dot the remaining sites of ancient civilization in South America, Venezuelan people have left no such wonders for generations to gaze up on. The modern phase of Venezuelan history begins in 1498, when the renowned explorer Christopher Columbus set foot on the mainland of what is now South America. Other explorers such as Alonso de Ojeda, soon followed and discovered that the land was virtually flawless and unlimited in natural beauty. The locals had come up with ingenious methods to construct on top of water along the edges of Lake Maracaibo by using stilts. The houses raised on stile were called palafitos and they resembled dwellings in Venice and thus, the area was named Venezuela or little Venice. As modern methods of surveying had not been established, Venezuela was not marked out as a mineral-rich territory. Consequently it was spared the pillaging that the remainder of the land, rich is gold, was forced to endure. It was chalked out a poor and unimportant nation and shocked the world after its independence when massive oil reserves were discovered on its soil. Customs and tradition are written by the hands of the past and become engraved in the lives of the people. Customs define the land and all those that live on it. They give humans something to cling on to when they are on foreign soil, lonely and bereft, they give hope in the time of the greatest ostrasization. Venezuela is a land of immense natural beauty and national pride. Both of these are amply evident in the way the people live, eat and celebrate. Most Venezuelan customs can be traced back to the nations colonial past under the Spanish. The reason that native influences are missing from these traditions is that that no native organized civilization existed in Venezuela before the Spanish entered the scene. Of course indigenous people were present, but their dissipated culture was hardly responsible for shaping Venezuela, as it is known today. The most significant custom of Venezuela is the national dance the Joropo. It is essentially Spanish in its feel, resembling the Samba and Salsa in many ways. Joropo is meant for couples and has a few basic steps, which are varied in numerous ways to create a sequence. A large majority of Venezuelas population is Catholic and the nation constitutes some of the most vibrant and colorful customs known in the Christian world. Foremost among them is the rhythmic Red Devils of Yare dance, which is performed to celebrate the symbolic victory of good over evil on Corpus Christi day. The dance involves people dressed as the Gods angels who fight those costumed as the Devils demons and usually lasts all day. Initially the angels look like they are going to loose the battle, but at the end of the day, virtue triumphs. Christmas traditions are also marvelous in Venezuela, with celebration beginning as early as the 16th of December. The nativity scene is put up in most households and the churches display elaborate scenes from the bible. On Christmas morning, when the children awake to find presents under the Christmas Tree, they are told that the Infant Jesus and not Santa Claus has left them these things.

Heidegger On Traditional Language And Technological Language :: Heidegger Language Languages Essays

Heidegger On Traditional Language And Technological Language ABSTRACT: On July 18, 1962, Martin Heidegger delivered a lecture entitled Traditional Language and Technological Language in which he argues that the opposition between these two languages concerns our very essence. I examine the nature of this opposition by developing his argument within his particular context and in the general light of his reflections on language. In different sections on technology and language, I summarize much of what he had said in previous writings on the topic (viz., "Die Frage nach der Technik" and "Der Weg zur Sprache"), including his preliminary comments contrasting instruction with teaching, and characterizing this reflection in terms of its uselessness. The central issue connecting these seemingly varying themes is the status of education in our modern technological age and, more specifically, of instruction in the mother tongue. Heidegger’s concern for the status of instruction in the mother tongue is, as we will see later, directly connected to his distinction between the two forms of language. On July 18, 1962, Martin Heidegger delivered a lecture entitled ÃÅ"berlieferte Sprache und Technische Sprache (1) (Traditional Language and Technological Language) in which he argues that the opposition between these languages concerns our very essence. In this paper I examine the nature of this opposition by developing his argument in this particular context and in the general light of his reflections on language. Addressed to science teachers in a vocational school, Heidegger's lecture offers some relatively uncomplicated formulations of theses he had already developed mainly in "Die Frage nach der Technik" (2) and "Der Weg zur Sprache." (3) There are two main sections, one on technology, the other on language, which summarize much of what he had said in those previous writings. There is, however, a preliminary comment in which he contrasts instruction with teaching, and an introductory section in which he characterizes his reflection in terms of its uselessness. The issue connecting these seemingly varying themes here is the status of education in our modern technological age and, more specifically, of instruction in the mother tongue. Heidegger's concern for the status of instruction in the mother tongue is, as we will later see, directly connected to his distinction between the two forms of language. Speaking thus to his particular audience, Heidegger claims he is not instructing but teaching them in the sense of letting-learn, where learning comprises bringing our life into the correspondence with what grants itself to us in its essence.

Life in The Death of Ivan Ilyich Essay -- Tolstoy Death Ivan Ilych Ess

Life in The Death of Ivan Ilyich      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the story begins with the death of the title character, Ivan Ilyich Golovin.   Ivan's closest friends discover his death in the obituary column in chapter one, but it is not until chapter two that we encounter our hero.   Despite this opening, while Ilyich is physically alive during most of the story's action he only becomes spiritually alive a few moments before his death.    The life of Ivan Ilyich, we are told, "had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible" (Tolstoy, Ch. 2).   In analyzing this description of Ivan's life, we see that Ivan has always done what is expected of him in the eyes of others (wife, co-workers, employers, etc.).   While Ivan believes his life has run easily, pleasantly, and decorously like it should, we see that in reality it is an unfulfilled life.   Ivan's closest associates are more worried about who will be next in line for promotion now that he is gone, and at his funeral they are more concerned over a bridge game than grieving for the loss of a friend, "The more intimate of Ivan Ilyich's acquaintances, his so-called friends, could not help thinking also that they would now have to fulfill the very tiresome demands of propriety by attending the funeral service and paying a visit of condolence to the widow" (Tolstoy Ch. 1).    Ivan's wife is also self-centered and exhibits great disdain for her husband, who she considers more of a nuisance and hassle than anything else.   Ivan's last days are spent in terrible physical agony, as he uncontrollably screams and moans in pain.   When Ivan's friends come to pay their respects to his widow, we see in her comments to them that she never reall... ...y view this as a Christian worldview, one that embraces the afterlife, I see it as a man looking forward to inevitable death because even if it came late he figured out a meaning to life.   In so doing he may not have had the opportunity to relive his life as no man does, but he found peace and fulfillment in his acceptance of his end.   Existentialism argues in the concept of the "eternal return" that an individual to be most fulfilled should live a life that, having to repeat it over identically for all eternity, would be a concept that would be embraced.   If Ivan had the chance to come back he would not enjoy living the same life over, but given another chance to build a new one he would surely construct one that is different.    WORKS   CITED   Tolstoy, L.   The Death of Ivan Ilyich.   Available: http://faculty.stcc.cc.tn.us/bmcclure/links2/ilyich.htm, 1886.

“Money and Media dominate modern day politics” – how far do you agree?

It is widely claimed that the media, and the money available to dominate it, has a much wider grasp over the voting public than manifesto or policy. The majority of the worlds media sources hold some sort of partisan alignment, and its hold on the public means this bias is passed on to the electorate. How much it influences the electorate however, is different amongst many theories. The manipulative theory suggests that the media submerges real news in meaningless trivia in order to benefit itself. An example of this is Rupert Murdoch's support of Labour only once they'd dropped clause 4 of the constitution. The Hegemonic theory agrees with the accusation of the biased nature of the media but argues that it is less calculating. Any political stance it holds is the genuine opinion of the papers or broadcasters, and its publicising of these views is not in an attempt to manipulate the electorate. The pluralist theory argues that the customers choose the media, not the other way around, and their political views are reflected by their choice of newspaper or broadcaster, not changed by it. Though these theories have different ideas on the motives of the media, they all essentially say the same thing, the hard truth that the media is biased, and that its opinions are carried by its consumers. Another undeniable fact is that the political groups with the most money have the greatest chance of gaining the favourability of the media. Television has led the nature of elections, but more so in America than Britain due to the differing regulations relating to media, and the different motives that broadcasters have across the Atlantic. Firstly, the US doesn't have a publicly funded broadcaster, and all broadcasting channels have a profit-driven business plan. They will therefore only show the most popular candidates in bite size chunks, not allowing for in depth and democratic coverage. Reports suggest that in the 2008 campaign, Barac Obama's images were larger, more colourful, and positive than the ones of John McCain. This also provokes voting behaviour based on personality as opposed to policy. Secondly, there are no rules governing the democratic spread of coverage regarding candidates. Campaigns can therefore spend extortionate amounts to gain press time, such as the record setting 30 minute political commercial by Barac Obama in 2008. Britain however, has regulations on airtime, sharing it out proportionally to however many people that party has standing at the election. This is made possible through the publicly funded broadcaster, BBC, which is said to have neutral politics stance, though it has been accused of holding a liberal position. There is however, a much heavier influence coming from the press sector of the media in Britain. America's heterogeneous nature means that local press are the standard newspaper to read and these already reflect the views of that state, which unlike Britain votes united in an electoral college. In the 1992 general election, with Kinnock and Labour the favourites, the sun released the headline, â€Å"Will the last person to leave the country turn out the lights†. A few days later, after a shock conservative victory, they released a follow up headline, â€Å"It was the sun what won it†. Just 3 years later they switched allegiance, with â€Å"Sun backs Blair†, something pointed out as one of the factors in Labours landslide 1997 election victory. This, along with the fact the paper has backed the winner in all but 3 elections in the last 50 years, implies that Britain's biggest newspaper holds immense influence over the electorate. However, it can also be argued that with only 3 million papers in circulation, the Sun doesn't have enough readers to change the result of an election. Not only has this but it faced opposition from big papers such as the mail and the telegraph as well. It is not just television and newspapers however, with recent elections being dominated by the internet. Access to watch the debates at any time anywhere around the world and the use of social networking filled the electorate with images and stories of the candidates in every corner of their lives. This also meant however, that the already low levels of genuine political news stories were being drowned out by an obsession with image and personality. Barac Obama spent an unprecedented 300 million on his campaign for election, spending about $10 per vote he gained. This was almost twice the amount his rival spent, and is likely to have been a factor in the outcome. The system in America requires any candidate to gain 5% of the national vote to receive national funding, so minor parties or independents stand a very poor chance of breaking into the system. If they do manage to, they then have to have the ability of raising large sums of money. Billionaires such as Ross Perot (independent 1992) could combat this, but even the third party in 2000 (Ralph Nader – Greens) claimed that he simply could not keep up with the spending of the two major parties and would never be in with a chance. There have been some limitations however, in the form of the Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) limiting individual contributions to $1000 and corporate contributions (from PACs) to $5000. This seems less of a ceiling to expenditures and more of a skyline, considering the spending patterns of the last election. It is a little different in the UK, with a maximum of i7000 allowed to be spent in any one constituency, and candidates that tend to spend less than three quarters of this. The heterogeneous nature of the USA would obviously require more expenditure in a campaign, but the 5, 6, and sometimes 7 figure expenditures in senate races seem slightly out of proportion. In Japan the electoral system was making candidates of the same party campaign against each other, which gradually pushed the price of campaigns up and up until reform was enforced. The influence money was having on elections had created a rift amongst parties as well as losing a sense of democracy. It is clear that money and the media have a huge influence on voting behaviour, but not in the way it may first have been perceived. Where the theories generally carried the view that money could drive the media, and the media in turn influence the electorate, I believe it is changing voting behaviour in a different sense. Money and the media have glorified politics, and particularly in America have given it a Hollywood effect. The public are reacting to this by voting not based the manifesto and ideologies of candidates, but voting for the greatest ‘celebrity'. Money and the media do play too great a role in modern day politics, and have replaced the electorate's voting on policy with its voting on personality.

Home Deferring Dreams in a Raisin in the Sun

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† she does a great job of intertwining Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Montage of a Dream Deferred,† to incorporate her underlying theme of dreams. In his poem, Hughes asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? † and then goes on to list the different things that might happen to a person if his dreams are put â€Å"on hold. † His overall point is that whatever happens to a postponed dream is never positive. Meanwhile, the question Hansberry poses in her play is, â€Å"What happens to a person whose dreams grow more and more passionate — while his hopes of ever achieving those dreams grow dimmer each day? Dreams get put on hold for many different reasons but in the case of the Youngers, it was their home environment that ensured that none of them would be able to accomplish their ultimate dreams. Lena, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha Younger were a poor African American family that share d a small one-bedroom apartment in the south side of Chicago. Each person had vastly different goals and dreams. Being the head of the household, Lena dreamed the dreams of her children and would do whatever it took to make those dreams come true.Walter, Lena's oldest son, set his dream on starting his own business with a liquor store. He had the basic â€Å"American Dream† of starting from the bottom before ultimately working your way to the top with his entrepreneurial spirit. Beneatha, on the other hand, wanted to become a doctor when she got out of college and Ruth, Walter's wife, wanted to be wealthy. While trying to reach these dreams, each member of the the Younger family had their own dreams postponed and put on hold at some point or another for various reasons.Lena was a widow in her early sixties who devoted her life to her children after her husband's death. Retired from working for the Holiday's family, she was waiting for her husband's insurance money to arrive. With the ten thousand dollar check in her hand, Lena decided to buy a three thousand dollar house in Clybourne Park and she was also going to put some of the money in the bank for Beneatha's medical school. She realized this money was a one-way ticket for her family to get out of their environment and improve their lives and believed buying a house in a different neighborhood was the best way to do this.However, Walter was upset when he heard his mother had spent the insurance money on the house and thought it wasn't fair that Beneatha got some of it for her medical school while he got nothing for his liquor store business. Lena, who always wanted her son to be happy, trustingly gave the rest of the insurance money to Walter. However, he then gave the money to Bobo and Willy, two of his friends with questionable character, to help him get his liquor license. Unsurprisingly, Willy betrayed Walter, taking off with the money and causing his dream to crumble to pieces.Walter was deceive d by his friend Willy but the reality is his dream was never going to happen anyway, and the rest of the family knew this. Living where they lived, the environmental pressures were extremely high. There were five people living in a tiny, run-down, roach-infested one-bedroom apartment, with two families sharing a bathroom. Everyone was looking for a way to improve their lives and Walter wanted to be the one to do it with his liquor store. â€Å"Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me – just plain as day. The future, Mama.Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me – a big, looming blank space – full of nothing. Just waiting for me† (980). Walter knew there was no future ahead of him if he continued on his life path and he knew he needed to get out. Living in this type of environment, your dreams will always be put on hold until you can finally get out. Ruth, Walter's wife, was pregnant at the time her husband was trying to start up his liquor store and she realized her dream of being wealthy and having a fine family was simply just that – a dream.To her, it was a consolation that her husband had come back to reality after his goals fell through. The problem Walter faced and the reason he was so unsuccessful was that his main goal was not to escape their environment, but merely to improve it. Due to where they lived, the family was destined to fail unless they made a move to get away from it. A lot of the family realized this but Walter didn’t. As Kristin Mathews says in her article â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, â€Å"Walter’s failing is his acceptance of the capitalist economic system that necessarily excludes him from ascendancy† (par. ). She says that Walter doesn’t wish to change the system but merely change his position in it and until the very end of the play, he is willing to â€Å"surrender his will to this system and exchange his dignity for whatever ‘life’ it might offer him and his family† (7). Unlike Walter, Beneatha, on the other hand, knew that she wanted to escape the system altogether. This is why she was extremely upset when she found out Walter didn't put anything in the bank for her medical school because she knew that was her way out.She gave up hope and her dream of becoming a doctor seemed to fade away with Walter’s liquor store business. Fortunately, her friend Asagai came over and took her out of her environment. By marrying him and moving to Nigeria to practice her medical career, she found her new ticket out of the environment and system that was setting her up for failure. Lena was also well aware of the difficulties of living where they did. She knew moving away was the best decision for the family which is why she bought the house in Clybourne Park with some of the insurance money she received.However, pr ior to the family moving, Mr. Lindner, a representative from Clybourne Park, offered to pay the Youngers to not go into his neighborhood. Lindner, along with the rest of the community, didn’t want a black family living in their neighborhood. Taking the money would have been immoral in the family's eyes, and prioritizes money over human dignity. They understand that moving is the best choice for the family but once again, Walter did not. He was willing to push all his ethical beliefs to the side to take the money and improve his life within his system before ultimately changing his mind.Even though the road ahead will be difficult, they know that they have made an honorable choice and have finally gotten out of the environment that has been holding them back this whole time. They didn’t just improve their lives within the system, they got out of it. Lorraine Hansberry had successfully described the four main characters in the story as human beings with desires, dreams, aspirations, conflict, foibles, and strength. It was â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† that expressed those dreams and desires and how they ended up as â€Å"dreams deferred. Once the family was finally able to leave their home environment in the south side of Chicago, their dreams began to form into more of a reality. A major underlying theme of the book is to not give up on your dreams and do whatever it takes to accomplish those dreams as soon as possible. It is very rare that putting your dreams on hold turn out in a positive way so you need to seize the moment at all times and push aside anything that holds you back. The Youngers realized that what was holding them back was the system of their home environment and they got away from it as soon as they could and they were happier for it.Works Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950-1021. Print. Hu ghes, Langston. â€Å"What Happens to a Dream Deferred? † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950. Print. Kristin L. Matthews. â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. † Modern Drama 51. 4 (2008): 556-578. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. .

Law Like love Essay

Different opinions are an aspect of life that is widespread throughout the world. In â€Å"Law like Love†, W. H. Auden intends for the reader to understand that the nature of a person’s perspective is dependent on one’s surroundings, because each person has their own view of the world, causing the formation of many different ideas and inadvertently representing a freedom of speech. Determined by physical and mental environment, an individual’s viewpoint will vary accordingly. For example, in â€Å"Law like Love† Auden writes that a carefree, out-of-doors gardener will see Law as the sun. The sun is something that is a constant component in a gardener’s life. Creating a set of rules and procedures, the sun controls plant growth and work periods, thus unintentionally asserting its power into a gardener’s life. To light- hearted, joyful children, â€Å"Law is the senses of the young†. They do not pay much attention to the responsibilities and rules of society, living in a totally different world from older adults. Acting only when their senses tell them it is justified, children live in a world of innocence. Priests, people who spend their time in church believe that â€Å"Law is the words in my [their] priestly book†. They believe that divine intervention is integrated into every person’s life; and since rules and policies had been inscribe into their â€Å"book†, everything that â€Å"book† discloses is truth, or in other words, Law. Influenced by an individual’s surroundings, the many different perspectives people experience create a multitude of diverse ideas. Ideas are born from the imaginations of people. When each person has their own views on life and how it works, then different ideas will be conceived in each mind, therefore creating countless unlike beliefs and opinions. W. H. Auden’s poem, â€Å"Law like Love† reveals the opinions of many different people on what Law actually is. The gardener believes it is like the sun, the scholars say Law is only composed of crimes, grandfather’s say it is the wisdom of the old, while judges insist that Law is only the Law. Each of these individual’s live their own lives and have different morals and principles, therefore creating different opinions. Examples of political ideas being formed are â€Å"Law is our State† and â€Å"Always the loud angry crowd, Very angry and very loud, Law is We†. This shows that even if there is a  current government who is creating and enforcing the Law, there will always be others who believe they can do better, hence the creation of political parties, all with different political ideologies. In addition to producing ideas, various perceptions and standpoints also help to promote freedom of opinion and speech. Freedom to express your feelings and opinions is a privilege many individuals possess. â€Å"Although I can at least confine, Your vanity and mine, To stating timidly†¦ Like love I say.† demonstrated that W.H Auden believed that Law was like love. He had the liberty to voice his opinions to others without fear of punishment or retribution. The other theories- â€Å"Law is our Fate†, â€Å"Law is our State†, â€Å"Law is We†, â€Å"Law is the clothes men wear†- all indicate ideas Auden had to right to share. Therefore, the sharing of different perspectives on any issue is a freedom that is constantly being promoted. In â€Å"Law like love†, the author intended for the reader to discover that ones perspective is directly influenced by one’s surroundings and environment, and can change constantly, creating many ideas and encouraging the sharing of these ideas. An important feature of life, there will always be conflicting points of views on any matter.

Descriptive

Mikala Williams Writing Sample Word Count: 469 On the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore there are a plethora of beautiful buildings that signify greatness. The architecture of the buildings is brilliant and gives the campus a sense of exquisiteness. The thoughts that go through the minds of incoming freshman could only be about what there roommate will be like, if they will be able to manage their classes and so on. The living conditions in the dorms are respectable and are suitable for any residential student.But not only is the atmosphere of a campus highly anticipated by incoming freshman, housing and dorms are also apart of the excitement. As a freshman here at UMES, I was assigned to live in a building known as University of Terrace, on the third floor. The dorm is an all girl freshman dorm and is located on the farthest end of the entire campus, getting to classes is quite a walk. Because â€Å"UT† is newest dormitory on campus, it was built away from th e buildings where most classes are held. The dorms are almost perfect in size, not too small or too large.The more space the more miscellaneous things that would become clutter. A bathroom, which isn’t exactly what I’d call home, connects two rooms. First opening the wooden door and pushing the metal handle down, it was cold and didn’t have a â€Å"homey† feeling. Surrounded by white brick walls floored with flattened carpet that seems to go with almost any color. As far as a working space, it’s pretty simple. It includes a basic wooden desk and cushioned chair under it. Once I unpacked and â€Å"spiced up the place† a bit, the room didn’t look too bad.As with every housing building there are rules to be abide by and upheld. My building’s Residential Assistant, better known as RA’s, made it apparent that all residences are required to follow the rules and procedures. Every Tuesday, RA’s conduct weekly room inspect ions, to make sure that residences adhere to keeping the bathrooms and rooms clean and neat. Another great facet of the dorm is that the air-conditioning and heating systems work wonderfully. Although, there are some defects with the dorm regulations.As ar as visitation hours are concerned residence cant just have anyone the rooms. Male visitors can only stay until 2a. m. , but female visitors can stay for three nights in a row. All in all, the housing at UMES is generally a great experience. It’s not too much of a problem that the visitation hours aren’t that great, but that would be a great asset to living in UT. In regard to great assets, the conditions are livable and as long as maintained, that aspect should remain. Even though there are some downsides to staying in the halls, overall the experience is a good one, indeed. Descriptive Shaun Bankston Chris Chandler English 101-526 Descriptive Essay 27 September 2012 The Greatest Sport in the World American NFL football is the greatest sport in the world. Many would ask why I think this. The Gridiron as we all know it is a very magnificent, strategic, and violent sport. Football can easily catch the unknowing eye of anybody. American football is the greatest sport in the world because of the tailgating, my personal opinion, and the strategy of the game.Through rain or shine, day or night, hail or sleet it really doesn’t matter what the weather is to tailgate. No matter what Mother Nature throws at tailgaters, tailgating is all about having fun. A great NFL stadium tailgate is a slight to behold. Tailgating also offer unhealthy, fatty, and grilled food in its godly goodness. People tend to bring elephant size tents with multiple fat screen televisions when tailgating. The only thing on tailgaters minds are football and partying.Tailgaters can even play footbal l with complete strangers and have their own Tailgating Bowl. The majority of American NFL football games are played on Sunday’s. My anticipation for Sunday NFL games is like a kid waiting to open up his presents on Christmas morning. My first time being inside the New Orleans Superdome which is now the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is one of the greatest feelings ever. The crowds were always loud, sounding like twenty eight wheelers revving up at the same damn time.Looking over the saints’ fans can be described as a black and gold sea. The feeling of being at an American NFL football game is like nothing else in the world. It’s like your parents buying you that brand new car you always wanted for your 18th birthday. American Football in my eyes is the most exciting sport in the world. Nearly every football fan thinks he or she can coach a NFL team. No other sport requires so much thinking. Football is a game of strategy and tactics. There are plays and counter-plays, rather than players running themselves illy for 90 minutes straight. Football is like Violent Chess. It's a smart and hard-hitting game, a combination that other sports lack. Due to the NFL tailgating, my personal opinion, and the strategy of the game, Football is the greatest sport on the planet. Football has a lot to offer. What I mean by that is it teaches kids about working as a team and can also teach leadership as well as discipline. Which nowadays is a tough lesson to teach? That in its self is the biggest reason why this sport is so great.