Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Most First Generation Filipino Americans - 2517 Words

San Francisco today is not the same place it was hundreds of years ago. This is obvious in terms of the city’s modernization, but a change that is equally as important, is the huge amount of diversity in cultures. Chances are, if you were to ask a student at Skyline College if their parents were born in the United States, many of them would answer no. Every immigrant has their own story of how they ended up in San Francisco, but the most important are the stories of the very first groups. Most first generation Filipino Americans hear about the stories of how their families ended up in the United States, but never the stories of how the very first Filipinos got here. Why did the first group of Filipinos leave all that they had in the the†¦show more content†¦colonial period began and immigration to the States was pushed in many different aspects of everyday Filipino culture. Another reason for leaving the Philippines was due to the economic problems many had in the Phi lippines. America was advertised as the â€Å"Land of Paradise† on posters all throughout the Philippines, and many labor recruiters assured natives that money could be made quickly in the states. The first batch of Filipino immigrants who ended up in San Francisco was relatively small and consisted mostly of students. Travelling from the Philippines to the San Francisco was tough, as it was expensive to pay for and was a long distance from home. The trip from the Philippines to San Francisco took nearly a month by ship, meaning their stay would be long term. Those brave enough to travel to America did so in hopes of living a more prosperous life than they did in the Philippines. Of the immigrants that arrived in San Francisco, a good number of them ended up relocating to states with more of a focus on agriculture, where they were responsible for taking care of the fields. However, there were a number of those who preferred urban life that ended up staying in San Francisco. For those that stayed in San Francisco, they were situated in apartments around and on Kearny Street. Larger rooms were provided for those starting their families, and many Filipino-owned businesses began to emerge around where

Monday, December 23, 2019

Us Health Care System With Oecd - 1355 Words

Comparison of US health care system with OECD Referring to the health care performance analysis done by the commonwealth fund (put a reference), the US health care system consistently fails to achieve the balance between the service provided and the expenditure incurred. Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients perspective, and based on outcome indicators, the performance of American health care is severely lacking, the Commonwealth Fund stated when? Mention the exact reference for this as this is a quote. Amongst the OECD countries the United states accounted for the highest health care spending of 16.9% of GDP in 2012,it is greater than 7.5% above the OECD average of 9.3%1.As compared with the other OECD countries, the United States health spending is evenly distributed between public and private sectors1. The public sectors expenditure on health care was 48%, in 2012, which is well below the aver age of 72% in other OECD countries1. While comparing the health care system of USA with other OECD countries we come across various reasons which depicts why the health spending in US is so enormously high, they may be as follows: Hospital spending in the United States is higher by 60% compared to OECD countries like Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland and Japan2. Spending on Ambulatory care providers – that is, physicians and specialists.Show MoreRelatedOrganization For Economic Co Operation And Development1026 Words   |  5 Pagestext demonstrates per capita health expenditures of selected Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2007 (Feldstein, 2011). The original data source is shown in Appendix A. The updated data source for comparison of selected countries, as reflected in the Exhibit 5.1 of the text, is shown below in Figure 1. Figure 1. Updated Data Source for OECD Selected Countries Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2014 Each of the selectedRead MoreStrength And Weaknesses Of Health Care Systems Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesFor over 50 years, the OECD has shown the strength and weaknesses of health care systems in developed and developing countries with the prospects of encouraging economic growth, prosperity and, sustainable development. The past decade, the United States trend highlight that their healthcare system is the most expensive yet ranks well below other counties within the OECD. With recent OECD studies comparing the US to other developed countries like Switzerland, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and, fourRead MoreUs Health Care System With Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development1522 Words   |  7 Pages Comparison of US health care system with Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD): Referring to the health care performance analysis done by the Commonwealth Fund, the US health care system consistently fails to achieve the balance between the service provided and the expenditure incurred. Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients perspective, andRead MoreEconomic Cooperation And Development ( Oecd )939 Words   |  4 Pages Since 1960 The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been gathering information and analyzing multiple healthcare systems that belong or are associated with the organization. There are 34 countries that belong to the organization and multiple other countries that closely collaborate with OECD. The OECD gathers statistics, tracks and compares results across countries to develop better public policies, assess areas of improvement and set standards for every country to followRead MoreComparison : Learning From The Us And New Zealand Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesHealth care system in comparison: Learning from the US and New Zealand New Zealand and the United States put a great deal of attention to their health care where they share some similarities, as well as differences. Both countries similarly focus on a better number of covered individuals on order to create an enrolled population. However, both countries are the example two significantly different health care approaches regarding their service scope, benefit, and financing sources. This essay triesRead MoreThe New Zealand Healthcare System Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pages(GDP) on health care expenses than any other nation. In 2009, the US spent 16% of its GDP on the health care industry. This represents nearly double the amount spent by other OECD nations (an average of 8.7%) and came in 40 percent higher than the next highest nation, France, which had an 11.2% of GDP outlays on health care expenditures. If we examine these costs at an individual level the US spent $7,538 per capita (per person) on health care. This was more than double the OECD median forRead MoreEssay On Japan Healthcare881 Words   |  4 Pagesfor others the cost matters more than any other factor. An investigation of the healthcare systems across the world shows that they have differences in terms of policies and government contributions. Each country implements what they see as most beneficial to its citizens. Two countries with very different healthcare systems are the United States and Japan. Comparing the healthcare system in Japan and the US shows that one of the most fundamental differences between the two is the issue of coverageRead MoreHealth Care Systems : Australia And Sweden Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pagesproviding the population high quality, accessible, and affordable health care. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple due to the many challenges that health care systems encounter. According to the World Health Organization’s rankings of the World’s Health Systems, Australia and Sweden are ranked high on the list compared to the rest of the world. Both countries have an exceptional health care system that is able to provide universal care for its entire population. It’s important to take into considerationRead More Health System in Finland1685 Words   |  7 Pagesfor men and 83 years for women in 2005. The health of the Finnish population has considerably improved, but socioeconomic inequality in mortality is increasing. The most impo rtant public health problems are circulatory diseases, malignant tumours, musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes and mental health problems. Health problems are obesity, chronic lung diseases and diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. (Vuorenkoski L. 2008 ) `The foundation of the health services is laid down in the constitutionRead MoreReasonable Access Of Quality Medical Care Essay1520 Words   |  7 Pages Reasonable access to quality medical care is such an important issue to each of us. It is necessary to take an objective but proactive look at what options are available to us. As a citizens of a nation we must weigh the evidence and decide which system is best for us. Is socialized or government controlled healthcare the answer to our problems? I want to review just three of the points that affect availability under socialized care. There can be no discussion about socialized medicine or healthcare

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Why Volunteer Free Essays

Why Volunteer? Have you ever thought about volunteering? If you’re not booked for the weekend, try volunteering at your favorite charity. You might like it! People who volunteer tend to be more successful in life. With this in mind, you may want to consider volunteering your time at a charitable organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Volunteer or any similar topic only for you Order Now You would be completing tasks that are not assigned to people specifically, learning important life skills, and at the same time, increasing your health. Yes, you heard it right. Volunteering does help your health. As you probably know, not all tasks in the world are assigned to people. Take trash pickup for example. If nobody picked up the trash on the side of the road, it would stay there forever and definitely cause pollution. Have you ever noticed the â€Å"Adopt a highway/’ signs by the road? Well, those organizations who adopt the Highways are all run by volunteers. Doesn’t it feel good to do something without getting paid? You may find volunteering can be contagious. Think about it; if I were to walk on the beach and pick up trash, by standers may see me and begin to pick up trash as well. Before you know it, the beach is pretty clean. So, look around. See what is needed in your community, and consider volunteering to do it. A quote by Anne Frank states, â€Å"You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give. † What does this mean to you? Most of the time, volunteer work will help you learn important life skills. During middle school, you certainly will get a ton of projects. Do you have a habit of putting them off until the last minute? If so, you need to learn time management. Volunteering can teach you that. However, be careful not to et your volunteer hours interfere with your other responsibilities such as homework or sports. Also, volunteering can teach you communication skills. You would become more comfortable talking to different kinds of people. You may even discover hidden talents. According to the University of Arkansas, important life skills are learned by volunteering. That is a fact! Yes, I know volunteering takes up a lot of time, but you are helping your health. According to Make a Difference Day Survey, CM, nearly half of all volunteers (47%) say volunteering has improved their physical health and tiniest. Many volunteers state they have been affected when they volunteer. They said it helps your mental health. Studies have shown 18-24 year olds have drunken less alcohol since volunteering. Volunteering also helps reduce stress. Depression is a sign of loneliness, but when you volunteer, it combats that and you may even meet a friend there. Some health benefits due to volunteering are fewer risks of heart attacks and lower stress levels. Don’t you want to help your health? A quote by Ghanaian says, â€Å"The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in he service of others. Volunteering not only gives you a good feeling about yourself, it helps you learn more about your community. Helping your health, doing tasks that are not assigned, and learning important life skills are all things you can achieve while volunteering. If you don’t like to get dirty cooking or cleaning, try volunteering at a bake sale. Without a doubt, you will get to see the joy in children’s faces when they get a messy, chocolate cupcake. Be sure to hand t hem a napkin! That is why you need to step up and volunteer today. How to cite Why Volunteer, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Michael Oher - the Blind Side Analysis free essay sample

This would play a major role in his future, as we now see him playing as a cackle for the Baltimore Ravens. In his freshman year of high school, Ore was living temporarily with an auto mechanic whose son was just about the same age as him. His guardian enrolled both his son and Ore into Breviaries Christian High School so they could study together. However, he ran into financial troubles and had to force Michael to leave. Eventually, Ore ran into Sean and Leigh Anne Toothy, who adopted him and took care of him until he went to college.Breviaries Christian was a predominantly white school; in fact, the entire district was a predominantly white district. This meant that because Ore was African-American, he faced a lot of racial tensions in his school. He had to deal with countless people staring at him or talking about him when he was walking down the hallways in school. We will write a custom essay sample on Michael Oher the Blind Side Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In fact, his mothers friends and his sisters friends were discouraging them both to keep him as a foster son. In football games, Ore faced many racist people on his team and from opposing teams.However, he was able to brave through many of the slurs thrown at him and channel a lot of his anger into football. By the end of senior year, Ore received varsity letters in football, basketball, and track-and-field. He received scholarships from many colleges including Tennessee, LULUS, Auburn, Alabama, and South Carolina, but Ore finally decided on going to the Leistering of Mississippi, where his foster parents and his tutor went to. He primarily went so he could play on the OleMiss Rebels football team. We can parallel many of Rorers actions to his baseball counterpart-?Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson endured many of the taunts and racial jeers that were hurled at Ore throughout his high school life. Similarly, both Of these people rose up against their problems to surpass the white people that made fun of them before-?Robinson being nationally ranked as one of the best baseball players of his time, Ore being one of the best left tackles in his team in high school.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Hong Kong free essay sample

Hong Kong, one of the most highest population density cities, public transportation network has been well developed in this city. The only company, The MTR Corporation, operates the train service. The MTR was established in 1975 as the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to built an urban metro system to help meet Hong Kong’s public transport requirements. The Hong Kong Government solely owned the corporation. The company was re-established as the MTR Corporation Limited in June 2000. A few months later, the company is also listed on the stock market in Hong Kong as well. Another government-owned rail operator, the Kowloon-canton Railway Corporation, was merged into the MTR in Dec 2007. Now the company averagely carry 4. 9 million passengers every weekday. Respond to the feedback from the public after they increasing the fare in 2012. The company have estimated they will earn 6. 7 hundred million profit more from the fare increasing. The company has launched a series of promotion campaign in order to give back the profit they earn from the fare different to the communities. We will write a custom essay sample on Hong Kong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1. 1 Marketing Campaign ‘Ride 10 get 1 free’, promotion campaign launched last year in 2012 from June to December. Travelers can get a single journey ticket for free when they take 10 fare-paying journeys on MTR except Airport express, Light Rail within every Monday to Friday. Then they can redeem their ticket on or before Sunday in the same week at any Customer Service Centres or designated counters at stations and MTR Malls. The offer is only applicable to Octopus card customer. The single journey ticket is validating for one-month only and can be use for any journey except Airport Express, Light Rail or First Class in East Rail Line. 1. 2 Objectives The objectives for the ‘Ride 10 get 1 free’ campaign can be divided to two parts: 1. 2. 1 To take up the corporate social responsibility: Instead of only making profit, MTR had announced the total 6. 7 hundred million estimated extra profits from price increase proposal would return to the public by differences promotions. 1. 2. 2 Increase passenger volume: There are so many people they will take MTR in the morning, take bus when they finish their work. By offering â€Å"Ride 10 get 1 free† campaign, passenger will choose to take MTR rather than bus as they can get 1 free ticket if they can take 10 ride within one week. Market campaigns mostly are launch to draw customers’ awareness or create customers needs of that product. However, this campaign aims to encourage customers only use them as their daily transportation rather than taking others transport so that they can enjoy the free journey ticket. Further elaborate the objectives in terms of SMART criteria below. Specific: the objective are the company would like to return the profit gain from the fare increasing. Measureable: to help customer save around 671millions by offering a series of promotion campaign from Jun 2012 to May 2013. Achievable: MTR average carries 4. 9millions passenger per day. Most of the customer can enjoy different promotion offers. Realistic: the campaign is realistic because under this promotion period, even using the new fare basis. The fares that the passenger actually paying will be lower then the fare before. Timed: The campaign only is only valid from Jun 2012 to Dec 2012. 1. 3 Target Audience The target audience of this new promotion campaign is the major commuter. As per the Market Shares of Franchised Public Transport in Hong Kong, [Sources: Http://www. mtr. com. hk] MTR currently holds 45. 4% of the Public transport market. Through this campaign, MTR should be able to draw more commuter take MTR to work instead of taking other public transport. So that the commuter can fulfill the requirement of this campaign – ride 10 fare-paying journey within Monday to Friday, to get a single journey ticket. Except normal Adult fare customer, this promotion campaign also cover the rest of the market include students, elderly, child and disabilities person. MTR also provide free concessionary ticket for them if they can fulfill the requirement as well, so that to make the objective more achievable. 2 Campaign Strategy Marketing Communications Strategy can normally be divided into three different types: Pull, Push and Profile. As per Studio Wide (2010), in order to create a satisfactory marketing mix that attract customers to purchase their product, Corporation may need to balance out those strategies. As using only one strategy may not be provide as good of a return as expected for, therefore a mixture of strategies may help in achieving a campaign’s goal. McCabe () suggested that the pull strategy is more likely to be communicating with the end-users and to entice them in buying the product. Also, pull strategy often used as a combination with a specific type of promotional activity. The ‘Ride 10 get 1 free’ campaign have perfectly demonstrated the pull strategy as the MTR Corporation has pull their consumers to travel with their railway service and together with the sale promotion of ‘Ride 10 get 1 free’, the company pull their consumers to participate into the promotion by using the MTR transportation service even more. where at the same time push them to only use MTR as their transportation in order to fulfill the promotion requirements, that is to ride 10 journeys within Monday to Friday to get a free single journey ticket. Advertising Advertising is one of the most popular tools used in building brand image and brand awareness. In the ‘Ride 10 get 1 free’ campaign, advertising is one of the key features. During this campaign, MTR Corporation comprised in the advertising schemes of mass communication which included broadcast within the stations, the Internet, newspaper, billboards within the MTR owned properties such as shopping malls, stations and residences. The company also have broadcast inside every station inform passenger about this campaign. They have billboards all around property the company owns. Those promotions within the company own property, which they can save up cost to do in other places instead. Also, it would be very effective as those billboards have always been a very effective way to do advertisement since the passenger volume were almost 4. 9millions per day. The above advertising schemes would communicate the message to a huge volume of audiences; therefore the message would be directly passing to the customers as a whole. However, with this mass communication, the organization does not usually know whom they are communicating with and also the organization is unable to react instantly to its consumers’ reactions to the message that the organization is trying to pass through. In addition, the organization would be required to wait for the respond of their consumers whether they are reacting positively or negatively to the message (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2011).

Monday, November 25, 2019

Business Communication Trends

Business Communication Trends Free Online Research Papers Successful business communication is an important element in todays business. When lacking it, there can be little if any consistency among employees, management and consumers. In order to start the beginning of communication within the workplace, employers have to throw away their supervisory egos for an environment of honesty, support and teamwork. At my workplace while working with senior citizens, being able to talk in an appropriate way is a key factor. When giving information or answering questions to elderly people my coworkers and I have to be attentive and patient when explaining things in detail so then resident can identify with it. When caring for senior citizens my coworker and I have to be able to speak in a two channel model. When caring the elderly residents a person has to give directions and explain procedures or ideas in a reasonable way and get responses from the person listening to make sure the communication was understood. Change is an important necessity for a nursing home setting. Without sufficient adjustments to possible future situations, no business can optimize its future and accomplish achievements. Changes are essential in all systems, developments, techniques and individuals, mainly with top management and middle management. All employees play important roles in the renovation and facilitate activities. Each change course of action is unique to a business and its special situation. Interpersonal conflict is one of the most frequent conditions I will facade on a daily basis lives through our family, friends, and coworkers. Interpersonal conflict is habitually the consequences of unenthusiastic cognition or views. If a nurse who is working at the nursing home suffers from a leg injured, their behavior can turn into less welcoming to other people. If the nurse is helping a resident while in this situation, the senior citizen may see the nurse’s impatience directed to them, whereas the nurse’s anxiety was simply unintended and the resident received the incorrect thought or message completely. In a nursing home setting, nurses need to respect the resident’s individuality more than ever when they become more familiar to each other. The nurses should consider how the resident will feels before speaking and think more about take their requirements, viewpoint, morals and opportunities while living at the nursing home. When taking care of elderly residents, the most efficient type of communication from the nurse to resident is the words and the tone. Residents who live in the nursing home usually suffer from conditions such as Alzheimers Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cancer. When a nurse or any staff is communicating with a senior citizen, they should be compassionate in their tone and language. The use of language within a business certainly involves the use of tone. When working at a business, tone goes together with communication, which affects consumers, patrons, and it controls the interaction with the employees. The tone when writing letters and notes or when attending meetings and seminars or even just making phone call or having a discussion with someone all play a essential part in the company’s function. When it comes to nurses or other staff, tones of gentle words in an senior citizen’s time of necessitate are what make tone serious in the business atmosphere. Communication is something that everyone does in all places. Even though everyone exchanges words it does not mean I will not always understand what everyone is saying by body language or by conversation. When working with different people, I will have diverse ways of thinking and see things in different ways. In a nursing home, residences have to be well taken care of and to do this nurses and other staff are obligated to be caring of all their needs with the experience and education they have inquired as well as their behavior and uniqueness and using the right language and tone. If nurses and other workers can do this with the highest standard of achievement when using language and tones, client approval will be better and the business will flourish as a completely. In my opinion if my coworker would focus more on resident care and less on drama, the job would be a good place to work. I know just about everywhere a person works it will be some form of drama. I just care not to be around it. Research Papers on Business Communication TrendsThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAW

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ancient Egyptian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ancient Egyptian Religion - Essay Example During ancient history of Egypt, most religious practices centered on the pharaoh, who used to be the king of Egypt. This pharaoh was believed by ordinary Egyptians to be descended from the gods, as Egyptians, during this old time in history, believed in many deities, not just one God. In that sense, the pharaoh acted as the intermediary person between people and the gods. Another important aspect of the ancient Egyptian religion was the sincere belief in the afterlife and this belief shaped their funerary practices. As such, ancient Egyptians made great efforts to ensure the survival of their bodies and souls after death, providing tombs, grave goods, and offerings to preserve the bodies and spirits of the deceased. After believing in a number of deities for long periods of time, a new religious trend started to emerge, depending on monotheism and belief in one God. The birth of Moses represented the climax of this religious trend in old Egypt. Moses lived during the 13th or the 14t h century B.C. The story of the name as mentioned in the second chapter of the Exodus answers the question. The story says that the Egyptian princess who saved the child from the Nile gave him his name: â€Å"because I picked him up from the water†, so he will be called Moshe. But it is obvious that this is not the appropriate explanation (Freud, "Translation and study by Dr. Abdel Moniem El Hefny". 1991, 26) In another version of the story, an author says in Jadishness Lexicon magazine the interpretation of the name in the Torah is â€Å"the one who was picked up from the water† (the name of Moshe only means â€Å"the one who was picked up†). This opinion may be supported by two other arguments; the first one is that it is absurd to say that an Egyptian princess knows the Hebrew language, and the second one is that it is most probable that the water from which the child was picked up is not the Nile ("A History of Christianity in Egypt"). Many people suggested a long time ago that Moses’ name is derived from the Egyptian language because of a newly published book written by the chronicler Peristide, â€Å"Egypt’s history†: â€Å"It is important to notice that the name of Moses is an Egyptian name. It is not other than the word mose that means â€Å"a child†, which is an abbreviation of the compound name, for example â€Å"Amon Mose† that means â€Å"the child Amon† or â€Å"Betah Mose† that means â€Å"the child Betah†. But this divine name has been gradually omitted by use, and was limited to the boy’s name of Moses. However, when Peristide mentioned unrelated names, he reviewed the list of the names of the Egyptian kings which are similar in terms of the religious connotations, for example â€Å"Ah-Moses† (Ahmos), â€Å"Tut-Moses† (Tuhutmos) and â€Å"Ra-Moses† (Ramses). (Soliman, 1988, 25) Many authors who discovered that the name Moses is an Egyptian name, to conclude that the one who bears an Egyptian name must be Egyptian himself, or at least to say that this is possible (Freud, "Translation and study by Dr. Abdel Moniem El Hefny", 1991, 26). The first family where he was born is usually a special family according to legends. But it is here a very modest Jewish family. And the second family where the child was raised is, as usual, a modest one. But here, it is the Egyptian royal house as the princess has raised him by her side. This discrepancy from the traditional type of legends seemed really odd to many researchers, to the extent that Eduardo Myer and others said that the original form of the legend was different; as Pharaoh had a dream warning him of his grandson who will be dangerous to him and to his kingdom. Therefore, this resulted into delivering the child to the Nile waters

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Jazz Combos Concert Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Jazz Combos Concert - Essay Example Some of the performers featured during the concert included Kelsey Marvin, Jeff Hampton, and Sarah Rodger among others. This paper discusses my thoughts and feelings about the Jazz Combos concert held on April 4 this year. The performers’ notation was good for the octatonic pieces, despite the fact that they are diatonic to a lack of the key. This demonstrates that the universal rules for non-harmonic tones were applicable to the performances. Ascending notes took naturals or sharps – either flat or descending. The signature style for Jazz performances stood throughout the performance. In developing a swing feel, there were notable ways that included the notation of the bass lines as quarter note pieces. However, there was a high sense of repetitiveness and predictability throughout the performance, which appeared to limit the forward motion aspect of the swing bass effect. Throughout the performances, the basic rule that the double bass should not be used to play a sim ple single-measure line, which is repetitive, was observed.   This shows that the performances were highly stylistic and were presented before the audience in an effective manner (Cone 48). There were instances where the piano accompaniment was placed on the music’s beat, instead of using it to anticipate alternating beats, which marked a weakness in many of the performances. In some performances, like I anticipated all the performances to be played, the chords were played in staccato-against on-the-beat music lines, which were used effectively, to create the musical yin and yang characteristic of the swing feel. The style was very effective in cultivating the interest of the audience and demonstrating its artistic nature. As expected from the performances, most artists used modified block chords – which they employed, when comping with the melody of a walking bass (Cone 42).  

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Evolution of Today's Modern Airport Research Paper

The Evolution of Today's Modern Airport - Research Paper Example The parameters that will be used in the assessment include the total number of operating airports at today’s date, the role of technology in the operating systems and how accidents play a role in limiting the efficiency of airport authorities or the concerned people involved in the operation of running airlines. The project will include charts and tables to demonstrate the evolution of airports. The project will also take into account how airports might evolve in the future times as well as decrease the level of risks associated with air travel. The two persons who earn all credits in developing the first airplane are Wright Brothers. From the first success the brothers focused to develop a method of pilot control. They emphasized that this would act as the key in order to solve the problems relating to flying. They started to experiment on developing powerful engines. With the help of the wind tunnel they developed designs on wings and propellers that were much more efficient than before. The pavement of runways is prepared in such a way so that can maintain maximum friction for the wheels. The surface of the pavements arte usually grooved so that the water flows into the grooves but the peaks between the grooves will still touch the tires of the airplanes. The regulation of air traffic so as to avoid exceeding traffic and maximum utilization of the available space is regarded as Air Traffic flow Management. The project will demonstrate critical thinking by describing how airport evolution could theoretically unfold in the future. One of the constraints that the runway faces is that only one airplane can utilize the space at the same time. Therefore it is of utmost necessity to utilize the runway effectively so as to ensure that optimal utilization of service is provided to the travelers. The effective operation of the Air Flow Traffic management will avoid collisions and can safely handle maximum airplanes at a certain

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown is a fully documented version of the obliteration of the Indian Americans in the late 1800s culminating at the Wounded Knee Battle. Brown brings to light torture and atrocity story not well known in the American history. The way in which American Indians was decimatedis best understoodby the authorarguments thatThe Whites told only one side. Only his own best deeds the only worst deeds of the Indians, has the white man told (Brown 316). When I commenced reading this book I assumed I had a good handle on what happen to the Native American Indians. The Indians roams their ancestral lands peacefully and basically, with great admiration for the nation and its citizens. Then the white man approaches, stumbling all over himself with the aim of reaching the gold fields in California or the rich the high plains farmland. The Indians are no more than an annoyance, a bothersome barrier that should be relocated to one side if patent destiny is to be attained. Lands are and reservations stolen, the land that white man has already plundered or passed up, are assigned. Those who do not go to the set reservation are hunted down cruelly. Sometimes even those who agree to come in are pounced on (Sand Creek for instance) and massacres happens with cover-ups that make many people not believe the story (Silvestro and Silvestro 144). Once on the reservation Indiana are often forced to move once again, farther away from their ancient homeland, after some gold is discovered or convenient highway to West Coast under plans. On the reservation they are fed leftovers of the white man by corrupt, unscrupulous supervisors, and discouraging words depict death. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born a free man should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases (Brown 108).This history book is striking to look at, yet sorrowing to read. The photographsand illustrations are excellent, and were printed on good quality paper. It has a feeland look of a coffee table volume, while having the rich content of history text. The Indian are massacred at Washita, Sand Creek, and Wounded Knee with petite or no public tumult, but when he reacts by killing a couple of settlers, imitating the white Americans through mutilation, the public atrocity is deep and the military is ordered a blank kill plaid (Hobson 34). With every chapter the shocking treatment is recurrent, leaving the reader with only two alternatives of responses vomiting or weeping. It is exceedingly hard to read the Browns book, not for the reason that the sentences long or the language is awkward, (which is not the incident) but for the reason that each sentence, page, and chapter will surely leave every but the most cold-hearted with a reflective sense of woe, shame, and disgust. Brown deals with the entire major and the minor actions that entailed almost all Native American communities and the scenario remains always the same. The work of non-fiction, tries to tell the story about American West from the viewpoint of the indigenous populace, The American Indian. This in itself sorts Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee a significant literature work as it is one of limited books supportive of the Indian foundation. This is done by the use of council first-hand, autobiographies, and records accounts. Each of the novels19th chapters deals with oneparticular tribe, battle, or historical occurrence. Brown goes into explicit and deepdetail throughout, as demonstrated by the books almost 500 pages. However, as some may complain the book is text-book-like or boring, I think the opposite is really true. In general, very little is acknowledged about this terrible massacre and the book is a wonderful and fascinating learning tool. Brown has transcribed many books about the lives of the American Indian, comprisingof Killdeer Mountain and Creek Marys Blood (Sharp 96). The Indians did not bother or cause uproar, as Crow Feather articulates: We never go to the Great Fathers country and bother him about anything. It is his people who come to our country and bother us, do many bad things and teach our people to be bad (Brown 275). Here Brown strongly captures attention to the point that the Native Americans endured a lot, and did not request for anything more than being let live in peace in the ir own land as they were before egotistical white settlers came. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee opens a door into the past. It forces individuals to understand the dark side of the American history and the extents white men went to achievethe Christian attaindestiny. With the exemption of a few civilians and soldiers, the white man is depicted as an indiscriminate sadist and murderer. They slayed Native Americans irrespective of age or sex,frequentlyscalping and mutilating their bodies, and even getting as far as chopping off their genitalia. These bizarre and shocking exposures give the reader a terrifyingvision of the birth of a great nation. This is perhaps the most extensively influential book about American history published in the twentieth century. Dee Brown used to be a University of Illinois Librarian, and had written fifteen books about American history before he wrote Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. His characteristic professionalism is very apparent in the excellent research and documentation which went into this multifaceted history of American West realized from an Indian viewpoint. The most captivating thing, however, is the plight of the central character, Dr. Eastman. He is sent to a school of white population, and forced to leave his tribe, traditions, and beliefs, he became the essence of what an ideal Indian could developto at least in the perspective of white man (Hobson 271). He also intrigues by his stern struggle, not only ethnically, but personally too. Walking a line between different cultures, and never accepted well in either of them; Dr. Eastman became a spokesperson for the Native Americans, while still attempting to maintain his personality as a tribe person. The whole situation where the tribe viewed him as a collaborator, an Indian, turned to white man that would not fit within his culture. His story is strongly portrayed in this book and provides a great vision into some of the extreme crimes ever committed on the Native Americans. Dee Brown, in this colossal undertaking, relates the closing ages of an ignoble period of American history. Straddling the period between 1850 and 1890, this book relates the doom of the many native communities who were massacred for the sake of the greed white Americans for land and other resources. Brown says (pg. 211) that only men who utilized the land were entitled to it, a statement that clearly identifies America at that time from the beginning of the book unfolding the ejection of the Navajos community from their own homes to reserved places, and then later permitted to go back to less fertile spots, Wounded Knee, the occasion that marked the final battle of the Native Americans. Throughout the book, the expressions of the past can apparently be heard. Wherever possible, Brown uses contemporary versions to tell the story, only filling in the holes as a storyteller on a documentary. The feeling of intimacy accompanied by the numerous maps and photos brings society that has disappeared to life, and I would argue, left the domain a poorer place. Although this was perhaps never the purpose, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is more of an indictment of white Americans and an attitude that continues to this day, since it is past events history. The attitudes that permitted the U.S government and army to annihilate a whole nation can still be seen in the American approach towards international affairs and may aid to explain why many outside the United Sates are so opposed to the American policy in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq. I would envisage that this book may be extremely uncomfortable for Americans, telling, since it does of the massacre carried out just for settlers could have bigger land and everything within it. However itchy though, I deliberate that reading this book should be obligatory for everyone who wants to gain an understanding on the America of only over one century ago. Reading it may also provide some understanding into why there are problems. There are plenty reservations where once proud societies who believed that land belonged to no body but was merely borrowed, are forced to live. Dee Browns Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a brilliantly written and intuitive piece of American literature. Dee Brown asks us to confront their past, which may make us uncomfortable. But there remain two sides to every tale, and Brown shows the reader the side that they rarely see. By forcing the reader to think about these concerns, Dee Brown accomplished the objective he set out to attain when he began writing his eye opening account on the American West (Sharp 411). Further, the book offers the history that ultimately leads to the Wounded Knee slaughter tragedy. The pain, misunderstanding, suffering, fight for personal starvation, and, as well as cultural self all lead to an astonishing story of not just the saga of the establishing of American West, with the downfall of Native American nations however, it is also an close look into the nationsfailure in inter-relations and sacrifices of culture that fallouts when nations divide. Brown does an excellent job to point out the hypocrisy of the settlers many times throughout his book, stating that the white men of the United Statesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ talked so much of peace but rarely seemed to practice it (Brown 8). This is a persuasive history, and one that have to be not only forgotten, but it ought to be studied, and eventually understood. I believe its power, and worth still carries importance nowadays and the history value presented applies to not only nations at large, but to individuals that forms the nations particularly when these nations find themselves in conflicts with each other.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Kingstons China Men :: Maxine Hong Kingston China Men

Kingston's China Men Maxine Hong Kingston's China Men contains many fables and parables from the Chinese Culture. In "On Mortality" Kingston reveals the story of human mortality and the reason for this mortality. The story focuses largely on human emotions and reactions towards the situations that people find themselves in. It also raises questions about the role of women in the Chinese culture and the attitudes of the culture towards them. The main character, Tu Tzu-chun, is forced to go through a series of tortures that are all illusions. He can not speak or react to the events that he witnesses, which he believes he can do. It is only at the last of the nine hells that he cries out in horror at the sight that he encounters. As he cries out, Tu is removed from the hells he is in and informed by the Taoist that he has ruined the chance for all humans to be immortal. The Taoist informs Tu that "[Tu] overcame joy and sorrow, anger, fear, and evil desire, but not love..."(121). hat, though, constitutes this idea of love? During the illusions, Tu could not "overcome love" when he was reincarnated as a woman and faced with the murder of her young child, yet when he was still himself he quietly watched his wife be ground into bloodmeal. He did not cry out at that sight, reminding himself that it was only an illusion. How could he not react to this incident to his own wife, yet react to the death of a child he does not yet know? Both incidents were illusions and both would seem to involve love but Tu only reacted to one of them. Is it because he was a woman that he cried out at the sight of a child being harmed? Did he not cry out at the death of his wife because she was a woman? The role of the female in this story reveals a sense of inferiority towards women. These questions that the story raises show how women were viewed as inferior and weak in the eyes of the Chinese culture. Kingston's China Men :: Maxine Hong Kingston China Men Kingston's China Men Maxine Hong Kingston's China Men contains many fables and parables from the Chinese Culture. In "On Mortality" Kingston reveals the story of human mortality and the reason for this mortality. The story focuses largely on human emotions and reactions towards the situations that people find themselves in. It also raises questions about the role of women in the Chinese culture and the attitudes of the culture towards them. The main character, Tu Tzu-chun, is forced to go through a series of tortures that are all illusions. He can not speak or react to the events that he witnesses, which he believes he can do. It is only at the last of the nine hells that he cries out in horror at the sight that he encounters. As he cries out, Tu is removed from the hells he is in and informed by the Taoist that he has ruined the chance for all humans to be immortal. The Taoist informs Tu that "[Tu] overcame joy and sorrow, anger, fear, and evil desire, but not love..."(121). hat, though, constitutes this idea of love? During the illusions, Tu could not "overcome love" when he was reincarnated as a woman and faced with the murder of her young child, yet when he was still himself he quietly watched his wife be ground into bloodmeal. He did not cry out at that sight, reminding himself that it was only an illusion. How could he not react to this incident to his own wife, yet react to the death of a child he does not yet know? Both incidents were illusions and both would seem to involve love but Tu only reacted to one of them. Is it because he was a woman that he cried out at the sight of a child being harmed? Did he not cry out at the death of his wife because she was a woman? The role of the female in this story reveals a sense of inferiority towards women. These questions that the story raises show how women were viewed as inferior and weak in the eyes of the Chinese culture.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Materials and Appropriation of Tracey Emin

Tracey Karima Emin or better known as Tracey Emin was originally born in London in 1963, she was brought up in Margate with her twin brother Paul by their mother from a very early age (hence the well known nickname, ‘Mad Tracey from Margate’). From a very early age Emin was subjected to sexual abuse, which in turn has been the subject for a substantial amount of her work including sexual nature. Emin attended the Royal College of Art in which she gained an MA in painting. But Emin has described this period in her life as a negative experience, as she felt as though the other students attending the college were far too posh, thus creating an alienated experience. â€Å"Emin has described feeling conspicuously different and alienated from other students. † (Brown, 2006, page 16) Emin is also a member of the Young British Artists group (YBAs) and it is also wildly known that Emin came up with the name for the Stuckism movement in which her boyfriend at the time Billy Childish was a member of. It is believed that the name for this movement came about by Emin claiming that his oeuvre was ‘stuck’. â€Å"Your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! – Stuck! Stuck! Stuck! (That is, stuck in the past for not accepting the YBA approach to art). † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tracey_Emin 16/11/2010 So who is Tracey Emin? Is she a painter, print maker, photographer, instalaitionist, film maker, sculptor or writer? I would actually consider Tracey Emin to be all of these professions, including much more, due to the wide variety of her skills. Her work consists of a number of techniques that we, as the viewer, have seen since she has been in the public eye from the early 1990’s. The range of materials Emin has used (and still uses to this very day) is very vast indeed. There are very few artists out there in the world who use such an amount. Instead of just complying with the normal standard of art and just subjecting herself to a limited supply of materials, but then again most contemporary artists tend to think outside the box and do not want to conform to normality. The main piece of Oeuvre that I was to talk analyse is Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995 1995, otherwise known as ‘The Tent’ (fig 1 and 2). This was originally shown at the South London Gallery as part of a group show called ‘Minky Manky’, which substantionaly became the turning point in Emins career. In regards to the materials Emin has used, the overall body of this piece is actually a shop brought tent (ready made object), which is the shape of a hexagon. It makes me wonder how Emin came about in deciding that this was the tent to use. I can just imagine Emin visiting a substantial number of retail shops searching for ‘the right tent’. Maybe this tent in particular just had that ‘ju ne se qua’ about it that drew Emin towards using it. She has also introduced more forms of materials such as an old mattress that she has placed inside of the tent with the text ‘with myself, always myself, never forgetting ‘appliqued on the bottom of the mattress in the centre. Inside of this small tent Emin has listed all the names of everyone that she has ever slept with during the time period in the title, 102 in fact. Her use of re- appropriating in regards to the appliques method which also includes the use of materials also used in this piece is something that I will be looking into a little later on. I find this really intriguing, as the use of appliques is quite an old fashioned way of making art these days. For centuries women all over the world had used this technique as a simple way of passing the time, as it was not even considered art in itself, and yet here we have a Young British Artist using this old fashioned method as part of her core work. Emin has even used this very same method in other pieces of her work including ‘Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing 2004’. Now at first I thought this was an arbitrary shameless exhibition of her past sexual conquests. But when I took the time to look at the pictures of ‘The Tent’ (As it would now be impossible to view this in any art gallery, as it was destroyed in an unfortunate fire at the Saatchi Gallery in 2004), I was able to see that included in those names are members of her family, including her twin brother and also her unborn children i. e. , foetus 1 and 2. As I have already mentioned, that this could have been portrayed as an exhibition of past sexual conquests, Emin claims herself that all of the people she has named within the tent are in fact about intimacy and purely nothing sexual. â€Å"Some I’d had a shag with in bed or against a wall, some I had just slept with, like my Grandma. I used to lay in her bed and hold her hand. We used to listen to the radio together and nod off to sleep. You don’t do that with someone you don’t care about†. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Everyone_I_Have_Ever_Slept_With_1963%E2%80%931995 23/10/10 I know from reading about Tracey Emin regarding this piece that the members of the audience that went to view this piece, have said that when they emerged from he tent they were thinking about their own past lives, including the people they have cared about â€Å"Some observers found the action of climbing inside the tent to read the names strangely intimate. http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/3753541. stm 15/11/2010 This just goes to show that she has deliberately played with our minds to make us instantly think about what she wants us to think about, and that is those we care a great deal about. As Emin has said herself, it’s all about the communication. She has more or less re-appropriated this method and made it her own. Instead of sewing the regular ideals of something traditional such as a quilt or clothes in that matter, that would usually be commissioned using this historical method, she has re-invented this technique and used it for something to express her past sexual experiences through the representations of her own body, not necessarily physically for the viewer to see, but through the senses in ways that Emin portrays by symbolising the names of her past. Could Emin be playing with the Signs and Codes of ‘The Tent’? I honestly believe that she could well be. I feel that she is trying to tell us through When it comes to discussing such signs and codes Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) believed that the signs and codes where a way in which the artists and audience could communicate. â€Å"Saussure believed that all of culture is made up of signs. That is to say, social life is characterised by the circulation and exchange of forms to which convention has been given meaning. A sign for Saussure is simply any device through which human beings communicate to each other†. Ward, 2003, page 83) However all of these names have been Appliqued, are those of family, friends and boyfriends (One of which is her former boyfriend Billy Childish). When I think about the signs and codes Emin has used, I start to wonder, did she do this on purpose? Is she forcing me as a member of the audience to subconsciously think about all of the people that I have ever cared about in my own life? As Emin has stated in the quote above that this piece is about intimacy. I believe that Emin has truly cared about all of these names at some point in her own life, as the time and effort she has taken to create this. The use of appliques, which is the term for sewing fabric directly on top of more fabric, of which she has used to attach all of the 102 names inside. This is in itself is a time consuming process and I believe that this is truly a sign to show that she has put as much effort into creating this Oeuvre as much as she did with the relationships in her life. Tracey Emin also uses representations of the body in a number of her drawings and monoprints. Here she uses the method of monprint as a way of capturing her thoughts and ideas. Usually these thoughts are again to do with her turbulent past. When you look at her drawings such as Suffer Love II, 2009 (fig 3) in which you can only see of what is presumably Emins own body is that of two naked legs erotically spread open wearing high heel shoes , you can see who her influences are e. g. Egon Shiele (fig 4). â€Å"Schiele’s eroticism and emphasis on childhood sexuality took this interest to a moral extreme. His depictions of childhood sexuality are a dangerous theme, and one shared by Emin†. (Brown, 2006, page 29) Here you can see that she is expressing her thoughts entirely just by a simple yet effective drawing. Both of the artist’s drawings are very alike in terms of the irrational lines that express how they must have been feeling at the time they were produced. Although Emins work is mostly of sexual emotions, her work does engage the audience. â€Å"Emin is a storyteller whose subject matter comes from Emin's own rich life. Through the poetry of her honest retelling of unique and intimate life-events Emin establishes a generous dialogue between the viewer and the artist. † http://www. saatchi-gallery. co. uk/artists/tracey_emin. htm 20/10/2010 Although some of her work can be quite controversial. Everybody at some point over the years has heard of Tracey Emin either through television or from reading newspapers and magazines, regarding her radical use of her exploration of her own body and personal past life. Her work is very autobiographical, in which her main source of study is herself, and about her past experiences in which she obviously wants to share with us. I would say that in that situation she must either be very naive or just completely an exhibitionist. At first I was unsure as to why I should write my essay on Tracey Emin, but after researching her, I have come to understand the ‘method in her madness’ so to speak. The way in which your mind starts to think in overdrive in how and why she creates such pieces of oeuvre and why she mostly only concentrates on certain parts of her past. I feel that all she is trying to achieve is basically instead of writing a book on her past life, she is giving us the visual experience instead, as sometime books can literally be boring with their little pictures and overrated text, but Emin takes away the boring text and replaces them with bold, brass exploiting words that make you want to read and want to learn more about her.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Generating and Pitching Story Ideas

Generating and Pitching Story Ideas With the ubiquitous presence of the Internet, coming up with story pitches and finding out where to pitch them has never been easier. There are publications for just about any hobby, industry, quirk, fetish, subculture and subject you could possibly think of. And resources abound for reaching them.Unlike assignments, with pitches you get to propose writing about something you choose. So think about what you would like to write about- stamp collecting? Minorities in the construction industry? Your personal experience with heartbreak? Whatever the subject is, you should be ready to research it, interview people about it and spend a lot of time thinking about it.Nothing new under the sunOf course, whatever it is youve thought of pitching, chances are its been written about before. So you have to find out where and how. Lexis-Nexis, usually available at the local library, is an excellent way to research articles on a certain subject. Google searches on the Web or archive searches on regi stered websites for major publications (which is usually free, although pulling up the archived stories in full may not be) can also give you a reasonable body of material. And plenty of websites with articles on that subject will pop up for free. Also check for organizations that relate to that topic, because they often list articles as well.Shape your pitch with a new angleYou dont have to search for every story written on the subject since the dawn of time. Lets say its a pitch about women in the construction industry. Dont worry about the articles written on this subject that date back more than five years ago. Thats ancient history in the world of publications. Youll probably find a good selection of stories written in major dailies and small weeklies within the past five years, but thats where the next tip comes in.Lets say you find that the New York Times has published a story about the struggles of women to succeed in the construction industry. Does that mean your pitch is a lready taken? Absolutely not. What it means is that you read the story, get a sense of what it did cover, and shape your pitch so that it will cover a whole new angle or idea that the Times story didnt. Did the Times story talk about women who faced discrimination and went on to own their own firms? Then think about interviewing women who dont own their own firms, but who operate cranes or weld iron. Youll look for women whose stories werent told by the Times. Even if the issue of discrimination is the same, every individuals story is different. Just as good literature offers new twists to old plots, so you can offer new twists to subjects of articles.Also, consider localizing a story for a local publication. Journalists for smaller hometown newspapers often take a story of national interest and apply it to their hometown readers. For example, the Atkins Diet is a nation-wide trend, but you could interview local bakeries about whether theyre losing business, and pitch the story to t he editor of a local publication.Now you have to find publications to pitch your great idea to. Fortunately, its not nearly as tough as pitching your book to publishers. I pitched several stories successfully to the New York Times Money Business section via e-mail. This was made possible by nothing more than having the right name and e-mail address. A colleague had the email and name of the Money Business editor. I sent the guy an email with a story proposal that he accepted.Editors, especially at dailies, will be typically harried and easily distracted from strange e-mails. So you have to get straight to the point, while still being polite. Make it clear in the header that you are pitching a story about thus-and-so. Dont ramble on in the body; if the editor wants to know more about your credentials or history, he or she will ask for it. Just pitch the story, emphasizing why it would be something the publications audience will eat up with their coffee or lunch. I believe this topi c/angle/knowledge would be of great interest to your readers because†¦. Attaching your resume wouldnt hurt, and you can offer to send examples of your writing if the editor wants to follow up.You can also, of course, use snail mail. Be aware, though, that particularly busy editors may take more time to plow through stacks of envelopes than to browse their email inboxes.If there is a particular publication you want to work for, call their main number and ask for editorial. You should be able to find out fairly quickly whether they are accepting freelance articles or not. Checking the website for that publication may also answer the question.An excellent online resource for insider tips on pitching to specific publications is at mediabistro.com. It does require a paid membership, though registration to access job listings that may include freelance opportunities is free. The pitch tips feature a specific publication each day and tell you what the deal is.Take the time to read thr ough a particular publication to get a sense of what kind of stories it wants. Editors find it very irritating to receive unsolicited pitches that arent appropriate for their publication. Dont assume! For example, I edit transportation stories for a weekly construction magazine. I look for stories about building major highways, bridges, rail systems and airports. If somebody sends me a pitch about manufacturing the next generation of clean-air buses, that means they didnt take them to glance through the magazine and realize that we dont cover that industry. The pitcher only saw the title transportation editor and made an assumption.That writer, however, could probably do a bit more research and find out that there are indeed several magazines that cater to the suppliers, builders and users of clean-air buses. The writer could also check out publications whose main audiences consists of concerned users- i.e. environmentalists- and pitch the story with emissions in mind. It will be a slightly different pitch to the publication who caters to transit agency officials who buy the buses.When you show that youve taken the time to find out a little bit about a given publication and thus pitch it a story that would work for its readership, youre inherently advertising that youre a good journalist and writer who does your homework.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Life And Poetry Of William Buttler Yeats Essays - Abbey Theatre

The Life And Poetry Of William Buttler Yeats Essays - Abbey Theatre The Life And Poetry Of William Buttler Yeats On June 13 1865 William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin Ireland. From the start Yeats had artistic influences, due to the fact that his father Jack Butler Yeats was a noted Irish painter. He had no formal education until he was eleven, at that time he started at the Godolphin Grammar School in Hammer*censored*h England and later he enrolled in Erasmus Smith High School in Dublin. Throughout his schooling he was considered disappointing student, his studies were inconsistent, he was prone to day dreaming, and poor at sports. In 1884 Yeats found his way to the Metropolitan School for the Arts, here he met a poet by the name of George Russell. Yeats and Russell sheared the same dreams, visions, and the enthusiasm for them. Russell and Yeats soon founded the Dublin Hermetic Society for the purpose of conducting magical experiments. They promoted their idea that whatever great poets had affirmed in there finest moments was the nearest we could come to an authoritative religion and that their mythology and their spirits of wind and water were but literal truth. This sparked Yeatss interest in the study of the occult. After his experience in the hermetic society he joined the Rosicrucians, Madam H.P. Blavavtskys Theosophical Society, and MacGregors Mathers Order of the Dawn. Yeats consulted spiritualists frequently and engaged in the ritual of conjuring the Irish Gods. The occult research Yeats made was apparent in his poetry. The occult was a source of images to use in his poems, and evedence of this is in all of his works. In1885 Yeats met John OLeary an Irish Nationalist and Fenian leader. OLeary played a large role on getting Yeatss his work first published in The Dublin University Review and directing Yeatss attention to native Irish sources for inspiration. The influence of OLeary caused Yeats to take up the Irish writers cause. England was trying to destroy all Irish literature in an attempt to anglicize Ireland through a ban on the Gaelic language. OLearys nationalism and opposition to violence impressed many people including Yeats. These views helped shape political views that Yeats would hold for the rest of his life. In 1889Yeats met Maude Gonne, a woman he loved unrequitedly for the rest of his life. Yeats asked Gonne to marry him many times but she always turned him down. Gonne was an Irish patriot and an inspiration to Yeats. Yeats frequently accompanied here to political rallies even though he usually disagreed with her extremist tactics. Their relationship went through a lot including Gonnes short-lived marrige to John McBride. Most of Yeatss poetry is addressed to her. Yeats associated her with Helen of Troy, whose capriciousness led to the destruction of a civilization. In 1986 Yeats became friends with Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory, a nationalist playwright. Together Yeats and Lady Gregory helped to found the Abbey Theater. As the director and dramatist Yeats helped to turn it into a leading theatrical company of the world and a center of the Irish Renaissance. Near the Turn of the century Yeats fought to abandon his old style of writing, at this time his writing became less mystical and symbolic and it became clearer. Yeats eventually got married in 1917, at the age of 52. His wife was Georgie Hyde-Lees, while on their honeymoon she discovered that she had mediumistic abilities. Through automatic writing she could communicate with a visionary realm. In Yeatss later years he became more involved in politics. From 1922 1928 he was a senator for the Irish Free State. In 1923 Yeats received the Nobel Prize for literature, and died on January 18 1939 in Roquebrune France. Yeats was buried in Sligo Ireland. A Drunken Mans Praise of Sobriety Come swish around my pretty punk And keep me dancing still That I may stay a sober man Although I drank my fill. Sobriety is a jewel That I do much adore, And therefore keep dancing Though drunkards lie and snore. O mind your feet, O mind your feet Keep dancing like a wave, And under every dancer A dead man in his grave. No ups no downs, my Pretty, A mermaid not a punk; A drunkard is a dead man And all dead men are drunk. This is a lyrical poem, which Yeats

Monday, November 4, 2019

Legal issues in cloud computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal issues in cloud computing - Essay Example Such clauses usually require the customer or a supplier to test the equipment according to specified testing procedures. The supplier is also required to rectify any defects on the equipment or allow the customer to reject the equipment and get a refund (Salido 21). There is always the risk of accidental or deliberate, but unauthorized destruction or modification of data by rogue employees of the provider. Such events compromise the quality of correctness, accuracy, completeness and the integrity of the data. In its contract, the customer should consider which party is best placed to handle those risks and, therefore, whether the arrangement with the provider should require the supplier to be accountable for the losses (Salido 22). A client may have statutory obligations to keep certain information confidential. Therefore, it is necessary that these obligations are also transmitted to the provider in situations where the provider is accessing or storing the customer’s data. Normally, the customer will want the provider to meet a minimum level of discretion for the customer’s information. In cases involving sensitive information, the degree of protection will need to be stronger. All systems of protection stated in this paper may potentially be insignificant unless the customer can approve that the required information security requirements are being satisfied. Audit of providers is one way of ensuring conformity. Audit of such arrangements is, however, likely to be complicated by location of the data- which may be mysterious to the client and could be located in foreign countries (Salido 23). Data ownership is the possession of and accountability of information. It denotes power as well as management of data. The supplier may own all of the property rights in the software or the supplier may be licensed to grant the license to the customer. It is essential that the supplier give the customer a permit that it has all the entitlements to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Redbox Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Redbox - Essay Example ly, the Redbox provided video games that are good sources of entertainment of children thereby relieving their parents once they are in stores and restaurants among other places (Redbox Corporate Managemen 00: 01:46). Notably, other than being initiated by the McDonald’s management, the Redbox was introduced to other retail outlets including mass retailers, grocery and convenience stores, and pharmacies among other fast food restaurants. Finally, it is worth noting that despite the Redbox not only started its operation as a movie selling store kiosk, but also majored on items including grocery items including eggs, milk, and sandwiches. However, of all the store kiosks, the DVD rental kiosks became more successful of the other grocery kiosks thereby making the company to focus on the DVD market (Redbox Corporate Managemen 00: 08:22). Notably, the same success of the DVD kiosks has made the company to be thinking of expanding the market to other regions with the immediate region in mind being

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Lesson Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lesson Planning - Assignment Example It is important to for the students to understand the constitution amendments in the US. This is because it will help the students understand the rights and duties that they are entitled to ones they become citizens. It is also important for the students to know that the constitution amendments will help to strengthen the US government and to help the US citizens not to let other people control them. This topic will help the students to reflect and to rethink about what is actually needed from them when they become Citizens. Question 2 The lesson plan that is ideal in teaching the amendments of the United States constitution is the Understanding by Design template (UDB). The reason why the UBD is selected is that it will help the teacher in establishing goals of his or her lesson plan, which will make the students understand better. The UDB lesson template allows the teacher to have essential questions that helps in giving the students skills and knowledge. The template has a perform ance task description that helps in checking the performance tasks that will help the students to demonstrate the desired understanding of the topic. The lesson plan template allows the teacher to give tests, quizzes, observations and academic prompts that will help the teacher see whether he or she has achieved the desired results. The Understanding by Design template will be the most effective to teach the constitution amendments in the United States because it will help in engaging the students in the study, which will lead to better understanding of the topic. Lesson plan Understanding by design Stage 1-desired results Established goal – The teacher’s goal is to make the students understand Article V of the constitution, which highlights at what circumstances the constitution to be amended. The teacher will teach the students what percentage of the Houses can make the constitution be amended. The teacher will let the students know that the constitution is amended w hen it is ratified by three quarter of the legislatures of several states. The students will also be taught that constitution can be amended if it is ratified by three quarters of the Conventions, or congress may propose the mode of ratification. The students should be in position to explain, what constitution amendment is and at what terms can a constitution be amended (Wiggins & Tighe,1998). Understanding- The teacher will try to ensure that every student understands the Article V of the constitution. This will be achieved by the teacher moving at a slow rate, which will aim at teaching every student in the class including the slow learners. The teacher will enhance this by repeating his points well and by asking general questions, randomly. The general random questions will be asked to the bright, average and poor students, which will help the teacher in accessing how the students have understood the lesson (Wiggins & Tighe, 1998). Related misconception – The teacher will make sure that the students understand that no state that will be deprived its equal suffrage they have in the state without its consent. The teacher will also make the students understand that the mode of ratification that the congress proposes can only take place if there is no amendment made prior to the year 1888. Essential questions – What is constitution amendment? What percentage of the congress of the Houses is required for the constitution to be amended ? Knowledge- Students will understand the constitution amendment. The students will understand the circumstances under which the constitution will be amended. The students wil

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Adversary vs. Civil Law Essay Example for Free

Adversary vs. Civil Law Essay The two legal systems in question are the adversary system, most commonly practiced in the United States, and the civil law system, also referred to as the inquisitorial system, most commonly practiced in European countries. Both systems have the same goal; to find the truth. However, each system has a very different path to justice. The adversarial system implies that two parties assume opposite positions in debating the guilt or innocence of an individual. In this scenario, the judge is required to be neutral at the contest unfolding before him or her. The role of the judge in this arrangement is to ensure the trial proceeds according to the procedural rules of trial or due process of law and that evidence entered is done so accordingly. The basis of this approach in criminal matters in which two sides engage in debate and battle about the guilt or innocence of an accused and since each side wants to win, then the debate will foster a critical look at the issues and the evidence to be examined by both parties. See more:Â  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay By engaging in this discourse, the truth should emerge as the judge watches on. This means that the roles played on both sides are very distinct. The defense counsel as one adversarial party gather the arguments to defend the client and attacks the credibility and worthiness of the evidence presented. The prosecutor puts forth the arguments on behalf of the state and gathers and presents the evidence pointing that the accused has committed an offense. The judge is the referee and arbitrator on issues related to clarifying what the law is. The judge does not intervene on any side except where procedural fairness is jeopardized by either party as dictated by the Sixth Amendment. In an inquisitorial system, a judge is involved in the preparation of evidence along with the police and in how the various parties are to present their case at the trial. The judge questions witnesses in depth and can even call witnesses to appear while prosecution and defense parties can ask follow up questio ns. The judge plays the central role in finding the truth and all the evidence that either proves the innocence or guilt of the accused before the court. The judge takes on the role of prosecutor and judge in the inquisitorial system. Some other major distinctions is that there are no jury trials in an inquisitorial system and a judge can force an accused to make statements and answer questions. This differs dramatically from the common law and adversarial right not to take the stand in ones own defense. In my opinion, I prefer an adversarial system. I think it does a better job of protecting the rights of those accused of crime than does the inquisitorial system. One of the key reasons for this is the use of juries in an adversarial system. In an inquisitorial system, judges determine the facts, and then make their decision. Often a small number of judges would make that decision, and perhaps even just one man. In contrast, a jury is made up of 12 people, not always which allows fo r a broader range of experiences and opinions, which ought to secure more consideration of what has been proved. Another weakness of the inquisitorial system is the role that the judges play. Not only do they act as the judge and the jury, they will often act as prosecutors. This is a huge conflict of interest, and is extremely harmful to the accused. A judge who is also acting as a prosecutor is not going to be unbiased, and will not act as a neutral decision maker. In an adversarial system, however, the prosecutor is separate from the judge, and appears before the judge like any other lawyer. The United State could never use the civil law system because of Constitutional problems. For instance, to avoid putting responsibility for the search of truth in the hands of judicial agents of the state the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to trial by jury but of course civil law countries generally do not use juries except for certain countries in capital cases. Other rights include the right to effective council; to testify on his/her behalf; to compel the testimony of others; to confront accusers; and the right to cross examination. The Fifth Amendment privilege of self-incrimination further limits the powers of the states. Good job identifying multiple c onstitutional problems and pointing out where the protections are found in the Constitution. Case in Point: State of New Mexico v Valdez, 95 N.M 70 (Supreme Ct. of N.M., 1980) underline or italicize case name The defendant in this case, Richard Valdez, had been convicted of armed robbery in a district court. He appealed since a fellow inmate, Richard Garcia, had confessed to the crime in front of his former attorney, Alice Hector, who was a public defender. Also present during the confession was Garcia’s attorney, a public defender under Hector, the district public defender. This attorney warned Garcia that Hector was not his attorney and any statement Garcia made would be used at the defendants trial and could be detrimental to his own interests. Garcia repeated his confession to Hector and indicated his willingness to testify on defendants behalf. Garcia later changed his mind and exercised his Fifth Amendment right refusing to testify. The court upheld an objection to Hect or’s testimony of the confession based on attorney-client privilege. Although Ms. Hector was not directly involved in the representation of Garcia, her staff was, and all information obtained by them was thereby imputed to her.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Re-branding and Repositioning of the Republic Bank Group

Re-branding and Repositioning of the Republic Bank Group Practicum:â€Å"The Re-branding and Repositioning of the Republic Bank Group: The Case of Republic Bank DR S.A.† Executive Summary A brand is the sum of the customers experiences with the products or company how the customer thinks and feels about what the business does. The brand is transmitted in every interaction with the customer over the lifetime of the relationship and is therefore built from the customers entire experience with the company, not just through the companys communicated identity. It therefore plays a critical role in building trust and loyalty. According to the 4-D Branding model devised by Thomas Gad (refer Appendix 1) the brand operates at four different levels in the mind of the customer. These four levels include the functional (the perception of benefit of the product or service associated with the brand), the social (the ability to create identification with a group), the spiritual (the perception of global or local responsibility) and the mental (the ability to support the individual mentally). These four dimensions are derived from the customers experiences at the brand touch-points and combine to form the customers overall perception of the brand. The challenges facing brands today however are numerous, and in financial services the challenges are even more acute because of the intangibility of the facilities being provided. In the case of banks that operate in diverse territories, the major challenge lies in the ability to balance global or regional brand integrity with local cultural authenticity. These brands must be viable on a global or regional scale, but remain relevant at the local level. The Republic Bank Group faced this dilemma as it expanded its operations to embrace several Caribbean territories with different cultures, preferences, languages and modes of behaviour. The branding challenge in such an environment can become quite complex, with the level of complexity multiplying across subsidiaries and divisions of the bank, product lines, markets and even advertising agencies. Controlling brand identity in such an environment can be exigent. The case of Banco Mercantil, Republic Banks subsidiary in the Dominican Republic, however posed a different challenge. The viability of that brand was undermined by a combination of internal (mismanagement) and environmental (economic decline and near crash of the financial system) factors that led to the complete erosion of its brand equity in a relatively short space of time. The brand ceased to engender trust and confidence among its customers and while it still existed at the functional level from the point of view of providing banking services, it was devoid of credibility at the social, spiritual and mental levels. Following qualitative research involving a population of 1200 households spanning the banks three major market segments (mass, private and corporate/commercial), the bank faced the decision of rebuilding the existing brand; re-branding with a completely new identity or adopting the identity and brand of the new shareholder. Subsequent to SWOT and force field analyses being conducted, the decision was taken to re-brand Banco Mercantil by adopting the parent or heritage brand i.e. Republic Bank Limited through the introduction of the name Republic Bank DR S.A. and reposition the operations to focus primarily on the private banking and corporate and commercial market niches in the Dominican Republic. The re-branding exercise spanned two geographic locations and several stakeholder groups, from employees to customers and regulators in the Dominican Republic, as well as the shareholder in Trinidad and Tobago. May 5, 2005 was a historic day in Republic Banks history as it signalled the start of a re-branding process that should embrace the entire banking group. Such an exercise is critical at this time, as the Bank continues to broaden its footprint within the Caribbean, prepare itself for increased competition in the markets in which it currently operates, and positions itself to win the minds and hearts of regional customers. Several considerations were apparent in the change of name of the Dominican subsidiary to Republic Bank DR, foremost among them being the cultural implications of adopting the new name and the values that were imbedded in the brand. While the values themselves were not alien to the Dominican society, there were some differences in their interpretation stemming from cultural and social indoctrination. The rigorous systems and procedures for example, which are inherent in the British banking system that Republic Bank inherited from its predecessor Barclays Bank, were not as stringently applied in the Dominican Bank. The non-application was less a display of deviant behaviour and more a response to cultural norms and values consistent with the Latin culture. A thorough understanding and appreciation of the divergence in the cultures of the Caribbean were critical to the formulation and execution of an effective communications programme during the change process from Banco Mercantil to R epublic Bank DR, in order to ensure understanding and acceptance of the change. The primary drivers for change in the case of Banco Mercantil were the absence of equity associated with the proprietary brand, arising from the loss of trust and confidence in the bank, the disillusionment of the banks employees which impacted performance and hence business viability in the short, medium and long term, and the strong desire to turn the banks fortunes around. These driving forces strongly outweighed any restraining forces that might have existed, including the loss of corporate identity and national pride. The force field analysis performed in the course of the study clearly revealed the need for change. The change of name from Banco Mercantil to Republic Bank DR S.A. is historic in the Republic Bank context, as it is the first of Republic Banks acquired subsidiaries to undergo a retirement of its proprietary brand and the adoption of the overarching heritage brand. The Banks customary approach of maintaining the proprietary brands of acquisitions has resulted in the Republic Bank Group carrying a diverse portfolio of corporate brands in the Caribbean, culminating in a somewhat complicated brand landscape, and under-leverage of its heritage brand outside of its principal market, Trinidad and Tobago. The re-branding of Banco Mercantil therefore provides the catalyst for, and the foundation upon which the re-branding of the Republic Bank Group may be undertaken. The major hindrance to the achievement of this objective however is the strength of emotion and national pride that still surround the brands of the acquired subsidiaries in Grenada, Guyana and Barbados in particular. From a Republic Bank Group perspective there are also several important drivers advocating re-branding of the entire banking group. These include the increasing globalisation of business, the imminent introduction of the CSME and eventually the FTAA or other similar trade agreement; the Banks need to broaden its regional footprint to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities that would arise from increased globalisation, and the equity that would be derived from a significantly stronger and more cohesive brand. Whether approached as a big bang or on a phased basis spanning weeks, months or years, a re-branding of the entire banking group would derive significant benefits in the long term from financial, identity, cost and control perspectives. In the final analysis, the eventual success would not only be measured by the presence of physical artifacts such as Republic Bank signage on branches and offices in all of the islands. It would also be measured by the Banks ability to leverage financially from its corporate brand in several areas of business, and to provide a consistently high quality of service in all markets. The long-term objective however would be the achievement of the vision of being the bank of choice for customers, staff and shareholders and in so doing capturing the minds and hearts of the Caribbean people. Declaration Form for the reproduction of the document Given the highly competitive nature of the banking industry in the Caribbean and hence the confidential nature of the information contained in this study, reproduction or sharing of any information contained herein is strictly prohibited without expressed and written consent from the author and Republic Bank Limited. 1. Introduction Origins and Purpose The Republic Bank Group is one of the largest and most profitable financial services groups in the Caribbean. Originating from Barclays Bank and its predecessor Colonial Bank, Republic Bank has served the people of the Caribbean, specifically Trinidad and Tobago for 168 years. This study seeks to reposition and re-brand the Republic Bank Group, as the Bank moves closer to its vision of being the â€Å"Bank of Choice in the Caribbean†. Re-branding of the Group is particularly critical at this time, as the Bank continues to prepare itself for increased competition in the markets in which it currently operates, as well as for further expansion within and outside of the Caribbean. 1.2 The Case of Banco Mercantil In establishing a framework for the re-branding exercise, the study looks specifically at the case of Banco Mercantil S.A., Republic Banks subsidiary in the Dominican Republic, which was recently re-branded and repositioned in that market (May 5, 2005). The new bank, Republic Bank DR S.A. will focus primarily on the private banking and corporate and commercial market niches in the Dominican Republic, as it charts a path to profitability. In conducting the study, attention was paid to the process that was required in the execution of the re-branding and the benefits to be derived by the brand arising from the change of name and identity. In discussing the re-branding of Banco Mercantil, the study analyses the corporate identities of Republic Bank and Banco Mercantil to ascertain their status and the existence of any disconnects that might exist. It also identifies the reasons for the Banks earlier hesitation at re-branding its Caribbean acquisitions, the cultural shifts that are required at both the parent and subsidiary levels, the move to commence the process in the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic and the foundation that is laid for an escalation of the re-branding process throughout the Caribbean. The framework established for the re-branding of Banco Mercantil, and detailed in this study, may be used with appropriate adjustments to cater to cultural, social and political differences, to the re-branding and repositioning of Republic Banks other Caribbean acquisitions, namely the National Commercial Bank of Grenada Limited (NCB), The National Bank of Industry and Commerce Limited (NBIC) in Guyana and the Barbados National Bank (BNB). 1.3 Historic Step The change of name of Banco Mercantil to Republic Bank DR S.A. is historic in the Republic Bank context, as it is the first of Republic Banks acquired subsidiaries to undergo an identity change, and would as suggested above, provide the catalyst for, and the foundation upon which the re-branding of Republic Banks Caribbean empire might be undertaken. 1.4 Approach The study adopts an analytical approach to the re-branding exercise and draws upon the results of two surveys conducted in the Dominican Republic and Grenadian markets to test the corporate image of Republic Banks subsidiaries in those countries. It also employs several change management and corporate identity management models in its analysis of the current situations in the Dominican Republic and the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, and in devising recommendations for the Groups re-branding. The historic background of the Republic Bank Group is described, the environmental landscape in the Dominican Republic examined and the mood for change in that country discussed, to put into context the decision to re-brand Banco Mercantil. The study also employs Kurt Lewins model for change specifically in the execution of the re-branding of Banco Mercantil, and in so doing provides a framework for executing similar changes in other subsidiaries in the future. Fundamental marketing concepts articulated by Kotler and Jeannet and Hennessey were combined with more recent models related to branding by communications and branding experts such as John M.T. Balmer and Stephen Greyser as well as the use of the robust strategic models from experts such as Lewin, Mintzberg and Kammerer. The mood for change in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean and the macro environmental drivers that have impacted the Banks hesitation at re-branding its subsidiaries thus far were also diagnosed and analysed, using Force Field Analyses. These examined the driving forces pushing for change of the brand, as well as those restraining forces working against a change and advocating maintenance of the status quo. Comparative SWOT Analyses were also conducted to determine the most significant areas of weakness and opportunity, and to devise strategies aimed at maximising the strengths of both the Dominican subsidiary and the Group. An integral part of the change process involved in the re-branding of Banco Mercantil, was the analysis of that banks corporate identity, the corporate identity of Republic Bank Limited and a comparison of the results of both tests. This analysis was undertaken using the AC ²ID Test model devised by Harvard Business School professor John Balmer. The test threw up some interesting, albeit not surprising facts, which influenced the decision to change the banks name, as well as the choice of name itself. 1.5Benefits Republic Banks post-acquisition strategy previously advocated retention of the proprietary brand of the acquired subsidiary, rather than retirement of the weaker brand following analysis, or even retirement of the acquired brand in favour of the acquirer brand. This has resulted in the Bank carrying a diverse portfolio of corporate brands in the Caribbean, culminating in a somewhat confusing brand landscape, and little or no physical presence of its heritage or overarching brand outside of Trinidad and Tobago. While Republic Bank enjoys a strong corporate identity, high top of mind recall, strong citizenship recognition and a positive corporate image in its primary market, Trinidad and Tobago, its diverse portfolio of brands causes its corporate brand to be lowly leveraged in the other Caribbean territories in which it operates. Its vision of being the bank of choice in the Caribbean could therefore be stymied by its brands low leverage and physical absence in the non-Trinidad and Tobago territories in which it operates. In those countries the heritage brand (Republic Bank) provides an endorsing role at best, and is essentially represented by the brands of its acquired subsidiaries. The brand proposition of each of the subsidiary banks also varies. The re-branding of the Group to achieve a strong, unified and consistent brand identity is of particular importance to Republic Bank at this time, as the Group seeks to buy a place in the minds and hearts of regional and global customers. This study therefore produces the framework required for such a mammoth re-branding and repositioning exercise and in so doing provides a model that may be customised and employed in future corporate marketing exercises. 2.Background 2.1The Republic Bank Group Republic Bank Limited is one of the oldest and most successful indigenous financial services groups in the English-speaking Caribbean. Republic Bank evolved from the British bank, Barclays Bank Dominion Colonial and Overseas (DCO) and its predecessor Colonial Bank that was established in 1868 to provide banking services to the British expatriates involved in the islands sugar cane industry, and later to the freed slaves and indentured labourers. Today Republic Banks ownership is widely dispersed embracing over 10,000 individual and institutional shareholders. Republic Bank currently operates in eight Caribbean territories through 14 subsidiaries and offices in Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago, and employs over 4,700 persons in the Caribbean. With an asset base of US$5 billion (TT$28.6 billion) Republic Bank recorded after tax profits of US$105.4 million (TT$664 million) in its last financial year (2003/2004). The Banks earnings per share in that year was TT$4.17 with return on average assets of 2.44% and return on shareholders equity of 18.93%. The Republic Bank Vision Republic Bank has identified the following vision: â€Å"Republic Bank, The Bank of Choice in the Caribbean for Customers, Staff and Shareholders. We set the Standard of Excellence in Customer Satisfaction, Employee Satisfaction and Shareholder Value† 2.3Expansion through Organic Growth and Acquisition Republic Bank has employed a strategy combining organic growth and strategic acquisition to facilitate its regional expansion goals over the past 13 years, as it sought to grow its asset base, increase market share and increase profitability. Its first such venture was the establishment of a joint venture merchant bank, Acedo Mendoza Fincor, with the Mendoza family of Venezuela. This operation soon extended to include an office in Panama but the Banks shareholding was eventually sold to the Mendoza family at the start of Venezuelas economic decline in the mid 1990s. That first move at overseas expansion was closely followed by the acquisition of the majority shareholding in the National Commercial Bank of Grenada Limited in 1992. This was followed shortly thereafter by the establishment of an offshore banking operation in the Cayman Islands, the acquisitions of the Bank of Commerce in Trinidad and Tobago and the National Bank of Industry and Commerce Limited in Guyana, the establishment of an office in Havana, Cuba, and the acquisitions of Barbados National Bank in Barbados and Banco Mercantil in the Dominican Republic. Republic Banks largest and most profitable operation at this time is in the country of its home base, Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago bank alone operates 44 banking branches in the twin island republic and employs 2,790 persons, over half of the total number of persons employed by the Group. The strongest economies in which Republic Bank currently operates continue to be Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The weakest economy at this time is the Dominican Republic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, though it is showing signs of recovery, followed by Guyana in South America. 2.4The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts Republic Banks organically grown subsidiaries all bear the same corporate identity, which is Republic Bank. The acquired subsidiaries of NCB (Grenada), NBIC (Guyana), BNB (Barbados) and Banco Mercantil (Dominican Republic) all bear their separate names and corporate identities, having retained their original brand names following acquisition. The first three banks, namely NCB in Grenada, NBIC in Guyana and BNB in Barbados, were all â€Å"national† banks in their respective countries, with Republic Bank purchasing all or part of the governments shareholdings. As the â€Å"national† banks, they catered largely to the grassroots and middle-income population and in some cases emerged from the era of nationalism and political struggle in the Caribbean during the 1970s. In the case of each acquisition there was some negative reaction from those nationals who viewed the transaction as a sale of the countrys national heritage to an â€Å"outsider†. This sentiment was strongly expressed during the initial stages of the BNB purchase, where the sale of the Barbados governments shareholding in BNB threatened to become a political issue, in spite of the significant premium that was paid for the shares. That furore has since quelled, as the Barbadian public has been able to witness and experience the positive value that Republic Bank has brought to both BNB and to the financial sector in that country in the last year and a half. Given the history therefore, it is understandable that there would be strong feelings of national pride and patriotism attached to the identities i.e. proprietary brands of NCB, NBIC and BNB, particularly among the grassroots and the middle-income earners in the respective markets. It was for this principal reason strength of national pride and patriotism, and the resultant possibility of customer migration and loss of business that Republic Bank demonstrated its initial reluctance to initiate name changes in the territories, post acquisition. Its post acquisition strategy had been to retain the existing management and employees, once competent, and to preserve the name and corporate identity of the bank, as a means of maintaining the goodwill and equity that were attached to the brand, and so prevent business loss. The Bank focused instead on aligning the systems and procedures of the acquired bank to those of Republic Bank, and providing the infrastructural, technological and intellectual support that would enable the growth and development of the acquired subsidiary, and, by extension the economy of the respective country. Little attention was placed on alignment of the corporate identities or of the introduction or promotion of the corporate identity of the parent company, Republic Bank Limited. This approach of working alongside the subsidiary, rather than implementing drastic changes, triggered little outward disruption to the external environment, particularly customer relationships, and allowed the employees to focus gradually on the cultural shifts that were required to facilitate partial integration into the Republic Bank Group, while at the same time allowing them to retain their original identities. The impact of Republic Bank on those overseas subsidiaries has however been felt over time by customers, the general public and competitors in those markets, as the subsidiaries adopted a more aggressive and energetic stance in their operations, marketing and customer service, growing market share by as much as 10% in one year in the case of BNB. Customers were aware that these changes were the result of the new ownership of the bank and the deepening of the relationship with the parent company, Republic Bank, even though this link was seldom emphasised in external communication. The majority of customers appreciated the changes, since they impacted positively on the levels of efficiency evident in the banks, manifest in the quality of the service that they received, and the broadening array of product offers to which they were exposed. The subsidiaries themselves clearly recognised the value that their association with Republic Bank brought to bear on their banks success and customer interactions, particularly in the area of business facilitation. There is also a growing gratification in the association with a large, successful and powerful Caribbean bank, particularly at this time, when the business emphasis appears to be shifting increasingly toward integration and the benefits of larger size to cope with increased globalisation. 2.5The Mood for Change-The Dominican Republic There is a positive mood for change in the Dominican Republic in relation to the re-branding of Banco Mercantil S.A., fuelled primarily by the countrys desperate economic situation and the virtual collapse of the financial system. The government and many Dominicans viewed as a welcome move, Republic Banks entry into the Dominican financial sector through its acquisition of Banco Mercantil in 2003. It must be remembered that in the midst of Republic Banks entry, was the failure of several other commercial banks, principally due to rampant fraud and mismanagement facilitated by closed ownership the majority of businesses in the Dominican Republic, including the major banks are owned by a few wealthy families and a culture that appears to embrace less stringent ethical standards than those embraced by many countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. The Latin culture in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, is not as supportive of intense structures and systems as is the English culture. Hence the presence of strong systems to support business and demand strong ethical practice was almost absent in the Dominican Republic. Corruption was therefore rife. Additionally, the Latin cultures focus on external appearances as an indicator of success and well-being, also belies the true financial status of organisations and little attempt is made to delve sufficiently deep t o ascertain the reality. A thorough understanding of the divergence in the cultures of the Caribbean was therefore critical to the formulation and execution of an effective communications programme during the change process i.e. movement from Banco Mercantil to Republic Bank DR. Given the negative experiences of the immediate past, the employees and customers of Banco Mercantil were anxious for the presence of a professional organization with wide and diffused ownership, that would introduce systems and procedures to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, high levels of professionalism and business continuity. The regulators and employees alike were also determined to prevent a run on the bank and the consequential loss of jobs, while retaining and growing their existing customer base. Republic Banks good reputation as a sound and professional financial services provider in Trinidad and Tobago preceded it, and the Bank was well respected by the regulators, the small cadre of business and financial officials in the DR who knew of it, as well as by the employees who did their personal research on the Bank and its history and reputation. 2.6The Mood for Change -The Southern Eastern Caribbean The mood for change in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean is less enthusiastic than it is in the Dominican Republic. A survey conducted by NCB Grenada early in 2005 to test the banks corporate image revealed positive sentiments toward Republic Banks influence on the efficiency and general good performance of NCB, and mixed reactions to the possibility of a re-branding of the subsidiary. The underlying reason for this reluctance was the strong feeling of national pride and patriotism that continues to exist in the islands, for the reasons indicated earlier in this section. The reasons are more emotional than logical, and therefore more challenging to overcome, as branding is built to a greater extent on emotion and feelings, than it is on logic and reason. In spite of the strength of these sentiments however, there appears to be a listening to the possibility of change, as the Grenada survey indicated. A listening that Republic Bank should encourage as it contemplates a regional re-br anding of the group. 2.7The Environmental Landscape in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a Spanish speaking country in the Northern Caribbean bordered by the Caribbean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean and Haiti. With a population of 8.8 million people, the Dominican economy has had one of the fastest growth rates in the hemisphere over the past decade. The country enjoyed growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than 7% pre annum between 1998-2000. Growth subsequently plummeted as part of the global economic slowdown. Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economys largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. The Dominican Republic suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud and limited growth in the US economy, the source of 87% of export revenues. The inflation rate based on 2003 national statistics is 27.5%, with unemployment being 16.5% and 25% of the population living below the poverty line. Predominantly Roman Catholic, the ethnic composition of the Dominican Republic differs from that of Trinidad and Tobago, with persons of mixed ethnicity comprising 73% of the population, whites 16% and blacks 11%. This ethnic composition was considered when formulating communication material related to advertising on the re-branding of Banco Mercantil. It will also be considered in the future in the production of standard external communication material such as mass media advertising for the Group. 3.Statement of Opportunity Given Republic Banks stated vision of being the â€Å"Bank of Choice in the Caribbean†, the onset of globalisation which has opened up hitherto inaccessible markets, the imminent commencement of the CSME and FTAA which would open up the Caribbean to large, powerful and influential business competitors, coupled with the aggressive stance of competitive forces within the Caribbean itself, there is an opportunity at this time for Republic Bank to reposition and re-brand its regional subsidiaries, beginning with Banco Mercantil, its subsidiary in the Dominican Republic. 4.Theoretical Perspectives This study embraces several theoretic concepts in bringing about the re-branding and repositioning of the Republic Bank Group and more specifically the re-branding of its Dominican Republic subsidiary, Banco Mercantil. The study utilises a number of theories in change management, strategic business planning and corporate identity analysis in orchestrating the required change. 4.1AC ²ID Test In analysing the corporate identities of Republic Bank Limited and Banco Mercantil the AC ²ID Test devised by Harvard Business School Professor, John Balmer was used extensively. The AC ²ID Test is a model used to assist companies in evaluating and understanding their corporate identities, to identify deficiencies and misalignments often arising from, but not limited to mergers and acquisitions, and to form the basis for realignment or correction of the misaligned corporate identities. †¢The Acid test is a model used to assist companies in evaluating and understanding identify deficiencies The test acknowledges that every organisation has more than one identity, and categorises these into five specific areas that help to shape the overall identity and eventually the image of the organisation. These identities are: ACTUAL IDENTITY this comprises the current, distinct attributes of the company i.e. what it does. COMMUNICATED IDENTITY what does the company communicate via Advertising, Public Relations, and Sponsorships? CONCEIVED IDENTITY Stakeholder Perceptions corporate image reputation how does the company appear to stakeholders? IDEAL IDENTITY Optimum Positioning based on current knowledge of the companys capabilities. DESIRED IDENTITY -Corporate vision from the perspective of the CEO and the Board of Directors. The AC ²ID Test was employed to evaluate and analyse the corporate identities of Republic Bank and Banco Mercantil in consolidating and guiding the process of changing the Banco Mercantil name and the adoption of the overarching brand, Republic Bank. 4.2Structures Influence on Corporate Identity In identifying a link or relationship between organisational structure/hierarchy and corporate identity, the work of Olins, Ind and Kammerer were explored and applied. Olins identified three basic types of visual architecture used by organisations namely, the monol