Free Essays on Advertisement-Response Essay

Are You Tuff/Tough? He stands near the brightly colored wall with her in his arms, as he watches another pass by. His mouth opens and eyes widen. The girl in his arms, wearing sparkly, star blue jeans, cocks one shoulder back and looks to see what he seems to be so interested in. Her mouth opens and anger rages through her beaming, brown eyes. The girl walking by, face unrevealed with long blonde hair, strides by him in her figure-fitting OTB jeans. The advertisement is a sidewalk scene with graffiti on the outside wall of a building. The first page of the background is brightly colored with OTB logos everywhere. OTB is the brand name for denim and jeanswear. The second bottom of the advertisement page reads,  ¡Ã‚ §One Tough Brand ƒÈ, and One Tuff Babe Æ’Â ³Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ and is branded on the back pocket of denim jeans with the reflection of the smoky branding iron leaving its target. This advertisement uses stereotypes of men and women as its way of selling its product, OTB jeans. In the advertisement, the guy, wearing both an OTB shirt and jeans embracing a girl in his arms, denotes the girl ¡Ã‚ ¦s attractiveness as he watches another girl pass by. This, showing the guy has, obviously, no shame in doing so and the girl walking by has no shame in looking back. The caption  ¡Ã‚ §One Tough Brand ƒÈ ¡Ã‚ ¨ strikes a man ¡Ã‚ ¦s pride and ego in seeing and possibly believing his jeans can make him more attractive, whereas the caption  ¡Ã‚ §One Tuff Babe Æ’Â ³Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ gives a girl a sense of attraction in being noticed and looked upon. Both of the captions push one common use of advertisement: the male to female and female to male attraction. While observing the expression on the girl ¡Ã‚ ¦s face, there are many possibilities of thoughts that may be running through her head. One of which being that perhaps she would get the same response from guys if she wore OTB jeans, or maybe that she could win her guy ¡Ã‚ ¦s attention back by going out and buying... Free Essays on Advertisement-Response Essay Free Essays on Advertisement-Response Essay Are You Tuff/Tough? He stands near the brightly colored wall with her in his arms, as he watches another pass by. His mouth opens and eyes widen. The girl in his arms, wearing sparkly, star blue jeans, cocks one shoulder back and looks to see what he seems to be so interested in. Her mouth opens and anger rages through her beaming, brown eyes. The girl walking by, face unrevealed with long blonde hair, strides by him in her figure-fitting OTB jeans. The advertisement is a sidewalk scene with graffiti on the outside wall of a building. The first page of the background is brightly colored with OTB logos everywhere. OTB is the brand name for denim and jeanswear. The second bottom of the advertisement page reads,  ¡Ã‚ §One Tough Brand ƒÈ, and One Tuff Babe Æ’Â ³Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ and is branded on the back pocket of denim jeans with the reflection of the smoky branding iron leaving its target. This advertisement uses stereotypes of men and women as its way of selling its product, OTB jeans. In the advertisement, the guy, wearing both an OTB shirt and jeans embracing a girl in his arms, denotes the girl ¡Ã‚ ¦s attractiveness as he watches another girl pass by. This, showing the guy has, obviously, no shame in doing so and the girl walking by has no shame in looking back. The caption  ¡Ã‚ §One Tough Brand ƒÈ ¡Ã‚ ¨ strikes a man ¡Ã‚ ¦s pride and ego in seeing and possibly believing his jeans can make him more attractive, whereas the caption  ¡Ã‚ §One Tuff Babe Æ’Â ³Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ gives a girl a sense of attraction in being noticed and looked upon. Both of the captions push one common use of advertisement: the male to female and female to male attraction. While observing the expression on the girl ¡Ã‚ ¦s face, there are many possibilities of thoughts that may be running through her head. One of which being that perhaps she would get the same response from guys if she wore OTB jeans, or maybe that she could win her guy ¡Ã‚ ¦s attention back by going out and buying...

Will Rogers essays

Will Rogers essays Will Rogers shaped provided many people with laughter throughout the early 1900's abroad and here in the United States through his many careers he chose. Will Rogers was born on November 4, 1879 in a home his father had built near the Verdigris River bottom lands in the Cooweescoowee District of Indian Territory. His parents were Mary and Clem Rodgers. They named there first son William Penn Adair Rodgers after a distinguished Cherokee, William Penn Adair, who served as his peoples delegate in Washington. Wills father had also served with him during the Civil War. When it was time for Will to go to school he was sent to stay with his sister Sallie. Their home was across the river from the Rogers ranch and near Drumgoul, which was soon to be young Wills first school. It was a little one-room log cabin, all Indian school, jsut four miles east of Chelsea. It was often difficult for Clem to be patient with Will. For he was a stubborn little boy. The activities Will enjoyed the most during his childhood were the rides with his father and the days where he spent every idle moment attempting to improve his roping skills. He had quite a few lariats taken away at school. Will did poorly in school most of the time, mainly because of his lack of interest. All he cared about was roping so that was all he cared to do. His father was constantly sending him to one school or another because he was constantly unsatisfied with Wills progress. One time Will even attended a girls school, because the president also had a boy Wills age. When Wills mother, Mary Rodgers, died of typhoid fever when he was ten it left a lonely, lost feeling That persisted long after he was successful and famous. When Will returned abruptly from one of his schools, Scarritt College, this gave his father an occasion for serious thought. He hoped that the strict discipline ...

'Please answer me as soon as possible - Pragmatic failure in Essay

'Please answer me as soon as possible - Pragmatic failure in non-native speakers' email request to faculty' - Critical analysis - Essay Example nomidou-Kogetsidis states that such aspects of e-mail message as directness, the lack of greetings, and improper usage of titles and names are all aspects of an e-mail which convey to the recipient the perception of impoliteness. Imperatives are especially tricky in this regard, as the recipients invariably see imperatives, without modifiers, to be rude, even when accompanied with the word â€Å"please.† The way to modify imperatives, however, are to acknowledge the burden on the professors’ time. Such an example of this would be to say, instead of, â€Å"please give me the notes for the class I missed,† to say â€Å"if it is not a bother, and not too time-consuming, could you please send me the notes for the class that I missed.† Moreover, students used grounders most often as a way of modifying the message, and grounders are reasons why a student has to make the request (â€Å"I need notes for Thursday, as I had to take my sick grandmother to the hospit al that day†). Although Economidou-Kogetsidis states that there are alternative explanations for the students’ overall directness in composing the e-mails and lack of greetings, including the fact that Greek is different from English, that is most likely a function of young people to be direct and brief, and that the students are using avoidance strategies, Economidou-Kogetsidis states that the students should still learn the proper modes of e-mail communication to avoid pragmatic failure in the future. This piece of research fits into the larger research context in that it deals with pragmatics, and the field of pragmatics is the rubric under which this research falls. In particular, the study of pragmatics is the study of how a linguistic content of a statement and the context of its enunciation affect reasoners inferences and interpretation of what is said (Oaksford & Chater, 2010, p.. 233). A person may make pragmatic inferences based on lexical inferences, and lexical inferences are â€Å"the process by

Harvard Business Review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harvard Business Review - Coursework Example The study found that 85 percent of the executives did not actively involve themselves with an innovation as they only played a facilitation role. Only 15 percent of the executives did the creative work themselves. The executives who did not delegate the creative work applied five skills that resulted in brilliant and industry changing ideas. The five skills that the study identified are discussed below in detail. The associating skill is an ability that allows the innovative leaders or executives to make a connection between ideas, questions, or problems, which are unrelated. These innovators connect dots of seemingly unrelated occurrences to generate new and creative ideas that can be recombined in new ways. The second discovery skill is questioning. Creative and innovative entrepreneurs challenge the standard method of undertaking processes and wisdom. They ask provocative questions that challenge common ideals and assumptions to understand them and see if better ways can be concocted. Under questioning, the innovative entrepreneurs use different techniques such as embracing constraints, imagining opposites and asked why, what if and why not questions. The observation skill is the third discovery skill that the study by (Jeffrey, Hal & Clayton, 2009) found to be common with the innovative entrepreneurs was observation. The some of the creative executives came up with business ideas, which were conceived through observation. Some of the most useful observations were those made of the potential customers. The innovators were keen on behavioral details that would give insights to a new approach to various things. By experimenting, innovative executives and entrepreneurs were able to test and fine-tune their ideas in order to understand and find new ways of doing a certain task or a certain approach. Not only is experimentation a means of coming up with new ways of

Learning Team Internal and External Factors Paper Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Internal and External Factors Paper Essay Amongst today’s societies The McDonalds Corporations is considered one of many; that has successfully in so many ways used a combination of various marketing strategies and skills to become a globally known successful origination. McDonalds a global business in most countries around the world can also face a lot of challenges and issues. The McDonalds Corporations has learned and brought about changes according to the needs of its consumers per hour and should always remain flexible to changes within the environment that deals with current customer trends, government and or legal restrictions, and the development of technology. The McDonalds Corporations technology structural and also its financial assets of the company are perfect marketing positions. McDonalds without a doubt is completely abundant with many aspects in structure, finance and of course technology. To help, identify and implement majority of these assets within the proper directions towards the improvement of the corporations would be all that is needed. The McDonalds Corporations overall is producing their main product, creating items within their own kitchen, and cooking on their own grills. This means the use of equipment, certain control devices, the regulation of temperature, the business point-of sales system, inventory process, financial and communication information are all linked into different technology that impacts the corporation. Now with public awareness of technology and cultures more people are starting to become a little more health conscious, and have access to finding out about certain quality ingredients, and knowing the lack of minerals that may have an overall negative impact on what all fast foods have done to those who consume them. Along with maximizing knowledge on internal and external factors this will have a large impact on the four major function of management within a corporation. The McDonalds Corporations has goals that are reflected in its mission statement to become for some customers a favorite place to eat. There are several internal and external factor’s McDonald’s faces in the decision they made to go Global. External f actors  for the decision to go Global include the following. 1.)The growing heath trends of consumers 2.)The ability to expand into new markets such as India and China 3.)The diversification and purchase of other fast food restaurants 4.)The global growth of the fast food industry 5.)Worldwide deregulation (Salem, Abdullah, 2009) These external factors impacted the four functions of management for McDonald’s managers, by forcing management to adjust the planning function and information to include a mission that was based on a global demand and competition. The organizing function of management with in McDonalds was also affected by the decision to go global. Management now has to organize information, people, and financial resources crossed countries and cultures to achieve one common goal. The function a leading for a management changed also. Now, styles and type of leading and motiving had to be localized and customized around the culture rather than one specialized way of doing things. Controlling or measuring achievements in with in the global industry also changed as franchisees are now faced with measuring success based on others in different markets. Internal factors also played a part in McDonald’s decision to go global and those factors have also affected the four functions of manageme nt for their managers. Some internal factors include: 1.)The desire for a strong brand name, image, and reputation 2.)A large market share 3.)The desire for a global presence 4.)A stronger financial performance and position 5.)Introduction of new products 6.)Customer focus (Salem, Abdullah, 2009) These internal factors also had an effect on the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions of management within McDonald’s. Competing in a Global market makes managers think, act, gather and process information on a larger scale to achieve a goal. Diversity The evolution of McDonald’s Corporation toward diversity as a business objective began in the late 1970’s, when the corporation officially  established an Affirmative Action Department, which today is known as the Diversity Initiative Department (Anonymous, 2005). Numerous factors can affect the four major functions of management; this section will focus on how diversity can affect planning, organizing, leading and controlling within the McDonalds Corporation. Diversity in the workplace is more than a person’s race or ethnic background it also includes personality, gender, education, position in the organization, etc. The major obstacle for McDonald’s management continues to be age, gender, ethnic background and education. Diversity management involves a three-stage process: (Tetteh, 2014) †¢Identification Stage †¢Implementation Stage †¢Maintenance Stage McDonald’s management must identify where the diversity mixture is and decided on the appropriate action to ensure workplace harmony and productivity. This will be accomplished through proper training and communication with all employees. Learning to effectively communicate with the various groups within each location will be very important to the success of the team within each restaurant. Implementing effective processes that ensure each diverse group is accommodated is crucial to the process. McDonalds as a corporation does a great job helping and engaging their management and employee’s to ensure proper implementation by offering education and career development seminars, various gender based seminars, second language courses etc. Maintain and improving these processes will ensure that McDonald’s stays current and relevant to the groups each manager has identified within their department. McDonald’s continually re-evaluates its initiatives to ensure they are in line with their business and current employee base. McDonalds ensures diversity is properly managed within their organization by including diversity in the business planning process. This allows the company and its managers to treat diversity as an initiative rather than a program; it’s naturally incorporated into the business plan (Anonymous, 2005). Ethics When it comes the Functions of Management, you must condsider which parts may be corrupted by ethical issues. Two areas that maybe prone to be affected  are the Leading and Organizing Funtions. In building a dynamic organization you must find a diverse group of people, with different ethical baskgrouds, to fill the different postions in it. You would also want to get them up to speed with you organizations ethical views. If you take a company like McDonald’s you can find out what they do to ensure this. Now McDonalds is committed to conducting business ethically and in compliance with the letter and spirit of the law. This commitment is reflected in McDonalds Values. Inherent in each value is our commitment to be ethical, truthful and dependable and this is reflected through their Standards of Business Conduct, which serves as a guide to making good decisions and conducting business ethically. Each year McDonalds employees are required to re-certify that they have read and will abide by the standards that McDonalds has set through the Standards of Business Conduct. Employees complete regular training on the Standards, anti-bribery laws, and various other laws, regulations and company-specific policies. McDonalds and its employees in all countries must comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (McDonalds: Standards Of Business Conduct For Employees, n.d.). References Salem, F., Abdullah, M., (2009) McDonalds case study. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16050821/McDonalds-Case-Study McDonalds: Standards of Business Conduct for Employees. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/corporate_governance/codes_of_conduct/standards_of_business_conduct.html Bateman, T. S., Snell, S. A. (2011). Management: Leading collaborating in a competitive world (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Anonymous, . (2005, November). Diversity at McDonalds: A way of life. Nations Restaurant News, 1(), 92, 94-95 Tetteh, Vanessa A. (2014, January 1). Diversity in the Workplace. Research Starters, p. 1.

Federal Govt. Vs. States :: essays research papers

Federal Sovereignty vs. Rights of the States Continued†¦. Federal Sovereignty versus States Rights was not a new problem to the United States. First appearing during the writing of the Constitution and continuing through Hamilton’s Bank and the Federalist Papers, this debate raged right into the 19th century, beginning with the Hartford Convention, where delegates proposed that a state had the right to â€Å"interpose authority† in a case of â€Å"dangerous and palpable infractions.† However, this was only the first in a series of arguments that would in the end, result in civil war. The next major step was the handling of cases for businesses. During the 1810’s and 20’s Chief Justice John Marshall passed made several rulings reducing state power. In Sturges v. Crownshield, he decided that a state could pass bankruptcy laws but could not be applied to debts incurred before the ratification of the law. During Dartmouth College v. Woodward, he ru led that a state (or any party) could not cancel a contract without the consent of the other side. He struck again, in 1815, this time at the New York ferry monopoly by saying that the state could not regulate commerce on borders. Finally, in 1819, he stated that the bank was constitutional and that the federal law was supreme over the states, who had no right to tax it. In doing this, he sharply defined the rights of the states as subordinate to those of the nation’s. However, Marshall’s rulings did not last long. During the term of Andrew Jackson, the Bank was destroyed by the president. Staring with vetoing the renewal of the Bank’s charter, he set out to eliminate what he though was a corrupt monopoly. By demolishing the Bank, he allowed smaller state banks to assume more power. Finally, during the early 1830’s, nullification came into question. In this situation, South Carolina had declared a government law, (tariff bill) void because a convention fo und it to be unconstitutional. While John Calhoun argued that the Constitution was based on false assumptions and that a minority of the nation could reassume its independence. However, Jackson saw the truth. He knew that if a state could ignore the laws then the Union would cease to exist. Because of Jackson’s strong will and the Force Bill (allowing more federal power with the president’s authority to execute revenue laws), South Carolina backed out and the Union was saved†¦. Federal Govt. Vs. States :: essays research papers Federal Sovereignty vs. Rights of the States Continued†¦. Federal Sovereignty versus States Rights was not a new problem to the United States. First appearing during the writing of the Constitution and continuing through Hamilton’s Bank and the Federalist Papers, this debate raged right into the 19th century, beginning with the Hartford Convention, where delegates proposed that a state had the right to â€Å"interpose authority† in a case of â€Å"dangerous and palpable infractions.† However, this was only the first in a series of arguments that would in the end, result in civil war. The next major step was the handling of cases for businesses. During the 1810’s and 20’s Chief Justice John Marshall passed made several rulings reducing state power. In Sturges v. Crownshield, he decided that a state could pass bankruptcy laws but could not be applied to debts incurred before the ratification of the law. During Dartmouth College v. Woodward, he ru led that a state (or any party) could not cancel a contract without the consent of the other side. He struck again, in 1815, this time at the New York ferry monopoly by saying that the state could not regulate commerce on borders. Finally, in 1819, he stated that the bank was constitutional and that the federal law was supreme over the states, who had no right to tax it. In doing this, he sharply defined the rights of the states as subordinate to those of the nation’s. However, Marshall’s rulings did not last long. During the term of Andrew Jackson, the Bank was destroyed by the president. Staring with vetoing the renewal of the Bank’s charter, he set out to eliminate what he though was a corrupt monopoly. By demolishing the Bank, he allowed smaller state banks to assume more power. Finally, during the early 1830’s, nullification came into question. In this situation, South Carolina had declared a government law, (tariff bill) void because a convention fo und it to be unconstitutional. While John Calhoun argued that the Constitution was based on false assumptions and that a minority of the nation could reassume its independence. However, Jackson saw the truth. He knew that if a state could ignore the laws then the Union would cease to exist. Because of Jackson’s strong will and the Force Bill (allowing more federal power with the president’s authority to execute revenue laws), South Carolina backed out and the Union was saved†¦.

Advantages of a Web-Based System

Efficiency is Everything One of the essential characteristics of the Internet Age is speed.   As a matter of fact, companies – whether large or small – cannot gain a competitive edge in our times without the use of the World Wide Web in their day to day activities.   The Internet speeds up communication, thereby allowing collection agencies to pursue debt payments faster than before.   Moreover, the collection of debts can be speeded up by the employment of a web-based system at Cougar Collection Agency. Another important advantage of a web-based system is that it would allow you to view the accounts even as you travel.   Clients would be given real time access to information through their own web browsers.   Furthermore, Cougar Collection Agency may employ data entry clerks and collectors to work from their homes – thereby cutting costs (â€Å"Web Access,† 2007). State-of-the-art web-based systems are available at reasonable costs Collect!’s Web Host is only one of many companies willing to help Cougar Collection Agency in collecting payments more efficiently than before.   The company creates web-based systems for collection agencies at reasonable costs.   These systems are â€Å"fully integrated and easy to set up;† â€Å"highly customizable;† as well as secure (â€Å"Web Access†). Conclusion Indeed, Cougar Collection Agency would be able to reduce costs while increasing efficiency by the employment of a web-based system. References Web Access. (2007). Collect! Retrieved Nov 7, 2007, from http://www.collect.org/webaccess.html.   

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter One

â€Å"Are you having a good time?† Elena asked. I am now . Stefan didn't say it, but Elena knew it was what he was thinking. She could see it in the way he stared at her. She had never been so sure of her power. Except that actually he didn't look as if he were having a good time; he looked stricken, in pain, as if he couldn't take one more minute of this. The band was starting up, a slow dance. He was still staring at her, drinking her in. Those green eyes darkening, going black with desire. She had the sudden feeling that he might jerk her to him and kiss her hard, without ever saying a word. â€Å"Would you like to dance?† she said softly. I'm playing with fire, with something I don't understand, she thought suddenly. And in that instant she realized that she was frightened. Her heart began to pound violently. It was as if those green eyes spoke to some part of her that was buried deep beneath the surface-and that part was screaming â€Å"danger† at her. Some instinct older than civilization was telling her to run, to flee. She didn't move. The Awakening Chapter One September 4 Dear Diary, Something awful is going to happen today. I don't know why I wrote that. It's crazy. There'sno reason for me to be upset and every reason for me to be happy, but†¦ But here I am at 5:30 in the morning, awake and scared. I keep telling myself it's just that I'm all messed up from the time difference between France and here. But that doesn't explain why I feel so scared. So lost. The day before yesterday, while Aunt Judith and Margaret and I were driving back from the airport, I had such a strange feeling. When we turned onto our street I suddenly thought, â€Å"Mom and Dad are waiting for us at home. I bet they'll be on the front porch or in the living room looking out the window. They must have missed me so much.† I know. That sounds totally crazy. But even when I saw the house and the empty front porch I still felt that way. I ran up the steps and I tried the door and knocked with the knocker. And when Aunt Judith unlocked the door I burst inside and just stood in the hallway listening, expecting to hear Mom coming down the stairs or Dad calling from the den. Just then Aunt Judith let a suitcase crash down on the floor behind me and sighed a huge sigh and said, â€Å"We're home.† And Margaret laughed. And the most horrible feeling I've ever felt in my life came over me. I've never felt so utterly and completely lost. Home. I'm home. Why does that sound like a he? I was born here in Fell's Church. I've always lived in this house, always. This is my same old bedroom, with the scorch mark on the floorboards where Caroline and I tried to sneak cigarettes in 5th grade and nearly choked ourselves. I can look out the window and see the big quince tree Matt and the guys climbed up to crash my birthday slumber party two years ago. This is my bed, my chair, my dresser. But right now everything looks strange to me, as if I don't belong here. It's me that's out of place. And the worst thing is that I feel there's somewhere I do belong, but I just can't find it. I was too tired yesterday to go to Orientation. Meredith picked up my schedule for me, but I didn't feel like talking to her on the phone. Aunt Judith told everyone who called that I had jet lag and was sleeping, but she watched me at dinner with a funny look on her face. I've got to see the crowd today, though. We're supposed to meet in the parking lot before school. Is that why I'm scared? Am I frightened of them? Elena Gilbert stopped writing. She stared at the last line she had written and then shook her head, pen hovering over the small book with the blue velvet cover. Then, with a sudden gesture, she lifted her head and threw pen and book at the big bay window, where they bounced off harmlessly and landed on the upholstered window seat. It was all so completely ridiculous. Since when had she, Elena Gilbert, been scared of meeting people? Since when had she been scared of anything ? She stood up and angrily thrust her arms into a red silk kimono. She didn't even glance at the elaborate Victorian mirror above the cherrywood dresser; she knew what she'd see. Elena Gilbert, cool and blond and slender, the fashion trendsetter, the high school senior, the girl every boy wanted and every girl wanted to be. Who just now had an unaccustomed scowl on her face and a pinch to her mouth. A hot bath and some coffee and I'll calm down, she thought. The morning ritual of washing and dressing was soothing, and she dawdled over it, sorting through her new outfits from Paris. She finally chose a pale rose top and white linen shorts combo that made her look like a raspberry sundae. Good enough to eat, she thought, and the mirror showed a girl with a secret smile. Her earlier fears had melted away, forgotten. â€Å"Elena! Where are you? You're going to be late for school!† The voice drifted faintly up from below. Elena ran the brush one more time through silky hair and pulled it back with a deep rose ribbon. Then she grabbed her backpack and went down the stairs. In the kitchen, four-year-old Margaret was eating cereal at the kitchen table, and Aunt Judith was burning something on the stove. Aunt Judith was the sort of woman who always looked vaguely flustered; she had a thin, mild face and light flyaway hair pushed back untidily. Elena landed a peck on her cheek. â€Å"Good morning, everybody. Sorry I don't have time for breakfast.† â€Å"But, Elena, you can't just go off without eating. You need your protein-† â€Å"I'll get a doughnut before school,† said Elena briskly. She dropped a kiss on Margaret's tow head and turned to go. â€Å"But, Elena-† â€Å"And I'll probably go home with Bonnie or Meredith after school, so don't wait dinner. Bye!† â€Å"Elena-† Elena was already at the front door. She closed it behind her, cutting off Aunt Judith's distant protests, and stepped out onto the front porch. And stopped. All the bad feelings of the morning rushed over her again. The anxiety, the fear. And the certainty that something terrible was about to happen. Maple Street was deserted. The tall Victorian houses looked strange and silent, as if they might all be empty inside, like the houses on an abandoned movie set. They looked as if they were empty ofpeople , but full of strange watching things. That was it; something was watching her. The sky overhead was not blue but milky and opaque, like a giant bowl turned upside down. The air was stifling, and Elena felt sure that there were eyes on her. She caught sight of something dark in the branches of the old quince tree in front of the house. It was a crow, sitting as still as the yellow-tinged leaves around it. And it was the thing watching her. She tried to tell herself that this was ridiculous, but somehow she knew . It was the biggest crow she had ever seen, plump and sleek, with rainbows shining in its black feathers. She could see every detail of it clearly: the greedy dark claws, the sharp beak, the single glittering black eye. It was so motionless that it might have been a wax model of a bird sitting there. But as she stared at it, Elena felt herself flush slowly, heat coming in waves up her throat and cheeks. Because it was†¦ looking at her. Looking the way boys looked at her when she wore a bathing suit or a sheer blouse. As if it were undressing her with its eyes. Before she realized what she was doing, she had dropped her backpack and picked up a stone from beside the driveway. â€Å"Get out of here,† she said, and heard the shaking anger in her own voice. â€Å"Go on! Getaway !† With the last word, she threw the stone. There was an explosion of leaves, but the crow soared up unharmed. Its wings were huge, and they made enough racket for a whole flock of crows. Elena crouched, suddenly panicked as it flapped directly over her head, the wind of its wings ruffling her blond hair. But it swooped up again and circled, a black silhouette against the paper-white sky. Then, with one harsh croak, it wheeled away toward the woods. Elena straightened up slowly, then glanced around, self-conscious. She couldn't believe what she had just done. But now that the bird was gone, the sky felt ordinary again. A little wind made the leaves flutter, and Elena took a deep breath. Down the street a door opened and several children poured out, laughing. She smiled at them, and took another breath, relief sweeping through her like sunlight. How could she have been so silly? This was a beautiful day, full of promise, and nothing bad was going to happen. Nothing bad was going to happen-except that she was going to be late getting to school. The whole crowd would be waiting for her in the parking lot. You could always tell everyone you stopped to throw stones at a Peeping Tom, she thought, and almost giggled. Now,that would give them something to think about. Without a backward glance at the quince tree, she began to walk as quickly as she could down the street. The crow crashed through the top of the massive oak, and Stefan's head jerked up reflexively. When he saw it was only a bird, he relaxed. His eyes dropped to the limp white form in his hands, and he felt his face twist in regret. He hadn't meant to kill it. He would have hunted something larger than a rabbit if he'd known how hungry he was. But, of course, that was the very thing that frightened him: never knowing how strong the hunger would be, or what he might have to do to satisfy it. He was lucky that this time he'd killed only a rabbit. He stood beneath the ancient oak trees, sunlight filtering down onto his curly hair. In jeans and T-shirt, Stefan Salvatore looked exactly like a normal high school student. He wasn't. Deep in the woods, where no one would see him, he'd come to feed. Now he licked at his gums and lips painstakingly, to make sure there was no stain on them. He didn't want to take any chances. This masquerade was going to be hard enough to pull off as it was. For a moment he wondered, again, if he should just give it all up. Perhaps he should go back to Italy, back to his hiding place. What made him think that he could rejoin the world of daylight? But he was tired of living in shadows. He was tired of the darkness, and of the things that lived in it. Most of all, he was tired of being alone. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen Fell's Church, Virginia. It was a young town, by his standards; the oldest buildings had been put up only a century and a half ago. But memories and ghosts of the Civil War still lived here, as real as the supermarkets and fast-food joints. Stefan appreciated respect for the past. He thought he might come to like the people of Fell's Church. And perhaps-just perhaps-he might find a place among them. He'd never be accepted completely, of course. A bitter smile curved his lips at the idea. He knew better than to hope forthat . There would never be a place where he could belong completely, where he could truly be himself. Unless he chose to belong to the shadows†¦ He slapped the thought away. He'd renounced the darkness; he'd left the shadows behind him. He was blotting all those long years out and starting afresh, today. Stefan realized he was still holding the rabbit. Gently, he laid it down on the bed of brown oak leaves. Far away, too far for human ears to pick up, he recognized the noises of a fox. Come along, brother hunter, he thought sadly. Your breakfast is waiting. As he slung his jacket over his shoulder, he noticed the crow that had disturbed him earlier. It was still perched in the oak tree, and it seemed to be watching him. There was a wrongness about it. He started to send a probing thought toward it, to examine the bird, and stopped himself. Remember your promise, he thought. You don't use the Powers unless it is absolutely necessary. Not unless there is no other choice. Moving almost silently among the dead leaves and dry twigs, he made his way toward the edge of the woods. His car was parked there. He glanced back, once, and saw that the crow had left the branches and dropped down on the rabbit. There was something sinister in the way it spread its wings over the limp white body, something sinister and triumphant. Stefan's throat tightened, and he almost strode back to chase the bird away. Still, it had as much right to eat as the fox did, he told himself. As much right as he did. If he encountered the bird again, he'd look into its mind, he decided. Just now, he tore his eyes from the sight of it and hurried on through the woods, jaw set. He didn't want to be late arriving at Robert E. Lee High School.

The Peloponnesian War - Causes of the Conflict

The Peloponnesian War - Causes of the Conflict Many excellent historians have discussed the causes of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE), and many more will do so in the future. Thucydides, however, wrote the most important contemporary chronicle of the war. Importance of the Peloponnesian War Fought between the allies of Sparta and the empire of Athens, the crippling Peloponnesian War paved the way for the Macedonian takeover of Greece by Philip II of Macedon and, following that, Alexander the Greats empire. Before the Peloponnesian War, the city-states (poleis) of Greece had worked together to fight off the Persians. During the Peloponnesian War, they turned on each other. Thucydides on the Cause of the Peloponnesian War In the first book of his history, participant-observer and historian Thucydides recorded the causes of the Peloponnesian War: The real cause I consider to be the one which was formally most kept out of sight. The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon, made war inevitable.I.1.23 History of the Peloponnesian War While Thucydides seemed quite certain that he had settled the question of the cause of the Peloponnesian War for all time, historians continue to debate the origins of the war. The main reasons proposed are: Sparta was jealous of other powers and desired more power for itself.Sparta was unhappy at no longer having all the military glory.Athen bullied its allies and neutral cities.There was a conflict among city-states between competing political ideologies. Historian Donald Kagan has been studying the causes of the Peloponnesian War for decades. His 2003 book provides a detailed breakdown of the politics, alliances, and events that led to the war. Athens and the Delian League Many historical accounts make brief mention of the earlier Persian Wars, which undervalues their importance as a contributing factor to the later war. Because of the Persian Wars, Athens had to be rebuilt and it came to dominate its group of allies politically and economically. The Athenian empire started with the Delian League, which had been formed to allow Athens to take the lead in the  war against Persia, and wound up providing Athens with access to what was supposed to be a communal treasury. Athens used these communal funds to build up its navy and, with it, its importance and power. Spartas Allies Earlier, Sparta had been the military leader of the Greek world. Sparta had a set of loose alliances by means of individual treaties that extended to the Peloponnese, excepting Argos and Achaea. The Spartan alliances are referred to as the Peloponnesian League. Sparta Insults Athens When Athens decided to invade Thasos, Sparta would have come to the aid of the north Aegean island, had Sparta not suffered a natural disaster. Athens, still bound by alliances of the Persian War years, tried to help the Spartans, but was rudely asked to leave. Kagan says that this open quarrel in 465 BCE was the first between Sparta and Athens. Athens broke off the alliance with Sparta and allied, instead, with Spartas enemy, Argos. Athens Gains an Ally and an Enemy When Megara turned to Sparta for help in its boundary dispute with Corinth, Sparta, which was allied with both city-states, declined to come to their aid. Megara broke its alliance with Sparta and proposed a new one with Athens. Athens needed a friendly Megara on its border since it provided gulf access, so it agreed in 459 BCE. Doing so, unfortunately, set up lasting enmity with Corinth. About 15 years later, Megara joined back up again with Sparta. Thirty Years Peace In 446 and 445, Athens, a sea power, and Sparta, a land power, signed a peace treaty. The Greek world was now formally divided in two, with two hegemons. By treaty, members of one side could not switch and join the other, although neutral powers could take sides. Historian Kagan writes that, for possibly the first time in history, an attempt was made to keep the peace by requiring both sides to submit grievances to binding arbitration. Fragile Balance of Power A complicated partially ideological political conflict between Spartan-ally Corinth and her neutral daughter city and strong naval power, Corcyra, led to Athenian involvement in Spartas realm. Corcyra appealed to Athens for help, offering to Athens the use of its navy. Corinth urged Athens to remain neutral. But since Corcyras navy was powerful, Athens was concerned that it would fall into Spartan hands and disrupt whatever fragile balance of power the city-states were maintaining. Athens signed a defense-only treaty and sent a fleet to Corcyra. Fighting ensued and Corcyra, with Athens aid, won the Battle of Sybota against Corinth in 433. Athens now knew that direct battle with Corinth was inevitable. Spartan Promises to Athens Ally Potidaea was part of the Athenian empire, but also a daughter city of Corinth. Athens feared a revolt, with good reason, since the Potidaeans had secretly acquired a promise of Spartan support, to invade Athens, in violation of the 30 years treaty. Megarian Decree Athens former ally, the polis Megara, had allied with Corinth at Sybota and elsewhere, and Athens, therefore, put a peacetime embargo on Megara. Historians are not clear on the embargos effects, some saying that Megara was merely made uncomfortable, while others claim that it set the polis on the brink of starvation. The embargo was not an act of war, but Corinth took the opportunity to urge all allies disaffected with Athens to pressure Sparta now to invade Athens. There were enough hawks among the ruling bodies in Sparta to carry the war motion. And so the full-fledged Peloponnesian War began. Sources Kagan, Donald. The Peloponnesian War. Viking, 2003Sealey, Raphae. The Causes of the Peloponnesian War. Classical Philology, vol. 70, no. 2, April 1975, pp. 89-109.Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War. Translated by Richard Crawley, J.M. Dent and Sons, 1910.

Cosmos Episode 13 Viewing Worksheet

Cosmos Episode 13 Viewing Worksheet As a teacher, I am always on the lookout for great science videos to show my classes. I use these either as a supplement to help enhance a topic we are learning or sometimes as a reward for the students on a movie day. They also come in handy when I have to plan for a substitute teacher to take over my classes for a day. It isnt always easy to find something relevant, educational, and entertaining. Thankfully, Fox brought back the Cosmos series and updated it using the awesome Neil deGrasse Tyson as host. I now have a whole series of outstanding science shows to show the students. However, I need to make sure the students understand and absorb the material. Below is a set of questions for Cosmos Episode 13, entitled Unafraid of the Dark,  that can be copy and pasted (and then tweaked as necessary) into a worksheet. It can be used as a note taking guide while watching the show, or afterward as a type of quiz or informal assessment.   Cosmos Worksheet Sample   Cosmos Episode 13 Worksheet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Name:______________   Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 13 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey   1.  Who is the city of Alexandria in Egypt named after? 2.  Why were all ships that landed in the port at Alexandria searched? 3. What are 2 things Neil deGrasse Tyson says that the librarian Eratosthenes did during his lifetime? 4. How many scrolls were estimated to be kept in the library at Alexandria?   5. What three continents were on the very first globe?   6. What did Victor Hess discover was in the air when he did his series of experiments in his hot air balloon?   7. How did Victor Hess determine radiation in the air was not coming from the Sun?   8. Where did the cosmic rays really come from? 9. Who does Neil deGrasse Tyson call â€Å"the most brilliant man you’ve never heard of†?   10. What is a supernova?   11. What were the â€Å"shrunken stars† called?   12. What does Neil deGrasse Tyson say is what he loves most about science? 13. What did Fritz Zwicky find odd about the Coma Cluster of galaxies? 14. Why does Mercury travel much faster than Neptune? 15. What unusual thing did Vera Rubin discover about the Andromeda Galaxy? 16. Why can you not tell how close a supernova is based on its brightness alone? 17. What are the kinds of supernovas that have a constant brightness called?   18. What did astronomers discover about the universe in 1998? 19. What year were Voyagers I and II launched? 20. What is Jupiter’s red spot?   21. Which of Jupiter’s moons has more water (trapped under ice) than Earth?   22. How fast are the winds on Neptune? 23. What is shot out of the geysers on Neptune’s moon Titan?   24. What happens to the heliosphere when the solar wind calms down? 25. When was the last time the heliosphere collapsed all the way back to the Earth? 26. How did scientists determine the age of the iron left on the Earth’s ocean floor by a supernova? 27. What does Neil deGrasse Tyson call the â€Å"common unit of time† that is indicated on the Voyagers I and II that will be used to communicate with extraterrestrials? 28. What are three things included on the record put on Voyagers I and II?   29. What supercontinent made up all the land on Earth a billion years ago?   30. What planet did Neil deGrasse Tyson say the Earth probably looked like a billion years ago?   31. What would the colonial organisms in the world ocean soon evolve into on Earth a billion years ago? 32. How many orbits around the center of our galaxy will the Sun have made one billion years in the future? 33. What does Carl Sagan call the Earth when it is viewed from space? 34. What are the 5 simple rules that Neil deGrasse Tyson says all great researchers take to heart? 35. How has science been misused?

Nature of Wal-Mart Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 78

Nature of Wal-Mart Industry - Essay Example According to Fortune Global 500 in 2014, Wal-Mart was the biggest company by revenue and the largest employer in the private sector worldwide. The number of employees stood at 2.2 million making it is the most valuable company in the world. The operations of Wal-Mart are in three divisions namely Sams Club, Wal-Mart US, and Wal-Mart International with nine retail formats. The formats are supercenters, general merchandise, food and drugs, stores, bodegas, membership warehouse Clubs, cash and carry stores, apparel stores, restaurants, and soft discount stores. The Wal-Mart US is the largest with sales amounting to $258 billion operating discount stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Supercenters. Some of the Wal-Mart stores are located in Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and the UK. The company also involves global eCommerce, which is involved in online sales in the US with headquarters in San Francisco. The main competitors of Wal-Mart in North America include departmental stores such as Kmart, Target, Meijer, and Publix, which sell similar products. One of the main competitor is Target (TGT) in the retail market. Wal-Mart competes directly with Target (TGT) a discount retailer, which offers its goods and services at low prices. Just like Wal-Mart, TGT provides a wide range of products especially staple consumer goods such as household goods, clothing, food, and groceries. TGT also offers discount to its customers to attract them, which is also a common method in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart sells products at lower prices to attract low-income consumers while TGT targets goes for affluent customers with their high quality merchandise. Both Target and Wal-Mart try to keep their profit margins high through cost reduction measures. Other competitors include Giant Tiger and the Real Canadian Superstore competing for the retail market. Wal-Mart also competes with Mexicos retail stores such as Soriana and Commercial Mexicana.

Economics as a instrument of power to curb Pakistan nuclear weapons Term Paper

Economics as a instrument of power to curb Pakistan nuclear weapons buildup - Term Paper Example Economics as a subject is at the centre of world attention, as it is through it that nations could face problems in their societies, ranging from stock market crash, to disasters, to devaluation of the currency or depression, economics involve the use of limited resources, its management and procuring additional resources. It is the method procurement which often runs debates in the local, as well in the international circles. Locally, the government might agree or disagree to views, and internationally rivals may limit the access to strategic resources (Chun, pp 4-5). The following report explores how economics is an element of national power and how has it helped to curb possible terrorist threats from certain third world countries like Pakistan. Pakistan’s nuclear arms build up Pakistan is a developing country situated in Asia, and suffers from many economics problems. It requires billions of dollars in foreign aid to feed its people, impart education to children and to fig ht insurgents, yet it was in the process of building a fourth nuclear reactor to produce more weapon fuel. Experts suggest that even without a reactor it had manufactured fuel for additional weapons and can soon be the world’s fifth largest arsenal, ahead of India and Britain. Threats include a possible takeover by the terrorists or the extremists by toppling the government of Pakistan and that can lead to a disaster. The biggest threat for Pakistan is not India, but rather the Taliban, and this has to be understood. Policies that can stop this mad race for nuclear arms can be taken by the United States by simply stopping all its financial help, but it can lead a whole lot of complications and destabilize Pakistan. What the US realizes is that stopping it is very difficult as countries such as India and China are also involved in the arms build ups, but slowing it down can be of significant help (Pakistan's Nuclear Folly, 2011). How economics can be used as an element of powe r Most people think of national power related to military power, there actually a lot more to it than the use of military power. A strong economy is that which can allow its leaders to choose some appropriate or desired end. Initially the United States had defined what people used to call an economic power. It had led the war against the Axis powers, fed millions of people around the world in aid and supplied materials wherever required. As times have changed and with the advent of Globalization the United States and other countries have to go beyond shores to get what they need. National leaderships can take various economic approaches to address any impending security concerns, by various economic methods. A country can always persuade or use its influence to change certain policies of other countries, such as reducing a trade import policy can make another nation agree to certain terms. A powerful country like the USA could force to change the behavior of any of its adversaries i f they pose any threat to international security. Lastly, a nation can end certain capabilities of the other nation by defeating them in some aim, such as overproducing something which the rival aims to produce to a certain capacity (Chun, pp.8-9). How the US achieves its goals as an economic power Foreign aid is a major component of the US budget and important for