Hero Honda Success

‘Motorcycles are a hit in rural areas' Monday, April 15, 2002 Many continue to be surprised at the ability of India ‘s 2-wheeler segment to buck the present recessionary trend in the economy. What, they ask themselves, accounts for such resilience: competitive pricing? Quality? Technology? Or, is it ready availability? Mr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, chairman, Hero Group of Companies, addresses some of these issues in an interview with Soumya Kanti Mitra. What makes the 2-wheeler segment so impervious to demand fluctuations? A 2-wheeler is the most necessary consumer durable good owned by lower Middle, and middle class, households. There is multiple ownership of this product in such households. Firstly, there is an income effect that influences 2-wheeler demand. Per Capita GDP growth of 3. 7 per cent per annum has been pushing households up into higher income brackets. The push effect is more in lower and middle- income groups – hence the increased demand. It also links up with the higher contributions of the service sector to GDP; the income impact of that has been greater on lower income households. A second major reason is the inadequate public transport. The percentage of people who use public transport has fallen from 85 per cent to 75. Entry-level transport options like two- and three-wheelers have mostly filled this gap. They have also become a sort of necessity and thus do not show heavy fluctuations in demand. Increased demand for two-wheelers from households has also led financial institutions to increase credit in a sustained way in the last three or four years. That too has imparted stability to this item, compared to others. A good proportion of sales owes to replacement demand. Are motorcycles gaining an edge over scooters? What is your experience as a market leader? There are few fresh issues with scooters. Firstly, the technology was dated. Secondly, most were two-stroke vehicles, less fuel-efficient compared to motorcycles. The only advantage was that one could carry along a spare tyre. But motor- cycles have been preferred in rural areas for better ground clearance, larger wheels and better suspension. They can easily be used on rough roads. Scooters are preferred in urban segments. New generation vehicles with four-stroke engines may soon hit the market and that will boost the sagging scooter market. For the last two years scooters sales have been less than a million per annum. Are you, and others in the industry, planning changes in output and investment? Considering the developments in household incomes and transport requirements we believe that the average annual growth of 2-wheelers for the next three years should be of around 8-10 per cent. There is over-capacity, but investments may be made in individual instances. The demand for motorcycles, however, is expected to grow by 15-18 per cent. That should attract investments. Abroad, certain top-end models in BMW's, Honda's or Ducati's ranges have actually become ‘lifestyle' statements for executives. Do you see anything like that happening in India ? The next 2-3 years may see a small beginning with the introduction of high-end motorcycles. But the concept is too early for India . We do not have nice roads where the customer can ride such high-end bikes. With affordability not being widespread, who will manufacture to cater to such small volumes? We may see some inroads after imports get fully liberalised, but I think it is early days for that. Are exports from the sector under siege owing to the international slowdown? That could be a major factor. Also, there is over capacity in most countries in the 2- wheeler industry. Markets in Latin America and Africa are impacted, while intra- Asian trade is very competitive.

Choose three significant scenes during the course of Romeo Essay

Juliet’s character is dramatically portrayed in this play. The two main characters, Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague both change and mature over the progress of the play but Juliet changes from what could be seen as ‘girl to woman’ in just under a week. There is a definite difference in her personality from the meeting of Romeo to her marriage to him. As the play progresses, we see Juliet maturing and developing into an independent young woman, which is quite different from the beginning of the play when Juliet never thought of marriage or of defying her parents and family. In Scene 1 Act 3 Juliet enters the play alongside Lady Capulet and the Nurse, who approach her to talk about a forthcoming marriage that Lady Capulet and her husband have planned. They want her to marry Paris at the age of thirteen, however with Juliet being so young and unsure of herself, and of what marriage entails, she does not really have anything to say on the issue. Before they start to talk about this subject, the Nurse and Lady Capulet talk about Juliet’s age, and Shakespeare seems to make sure that the point she is only thirteen stand out among all other things in order to show her vulnerability and her youthfulness to the audience. The Nurse talks about when Juliet was only a baby and the Nurse was there as a ‘wet nurse’ to Juliet. She reminisces about Juliet being ‘the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed’ (Line 60), after which the nurse gives a long speech that is full of sexual innuendos which Juliet does not understand. This shows the lack of maturity and the vulnerability that Juliet has, because if she does not understand the jokes, then she may not understand other more important things that are said to her. However depending on the director who is directing the performance, a performance may make Juliet understand the whole speech and laugh at the jokes or the opposite may be shown in her not listening to the Nurse. If the Nurse directs her speech solely at Lady Capulet it would again show the youthfulness and naivety of Juliet. When Lady Capulet finally gets to talk to Juliet about the topic of marriage Juliet does not seem to understand what she is meaning by it. She has never thought of marriage nor does she wish to for a while. Lady Capulet attempts to get Juliet to look at marriage and describes her own past, telling her that she was already expecting her at the age Juliet is now. Juliet replies ‘I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. ‘ (Line 97 & 98). This again shows her immaturity to marriage as she thinks that marriage can happen only if she wants it to and that she can choose when she wants to love someone. In Act 2 Scene 2, Romeo and Juliet are able to talk in private without any distractions. This is a big scene for Juliet’s character development because she finally meets some one that she thinks she loves and it shows her as not being the nai ve child that she was but now growing towards being a mature woman. However, she despairs about the dispute between the Capulet and Montague family households as she asks herself ‘wherefore are thou Romeo? ‘ (Line 33) meaning ‘Why are you called Romeo? ‘ She talks about how it would be if he were not called Romeo so that everything would be alright and she would be allowed to love him, but because he is part of the Montague household, then she cannot. This again shows some maturity because she understands the point as to why she should not love him. Once Romeo actually comes out and shows himself to Juliet, she is concerned for his safety. Normally if a member of a household from Montague was to invade the Capulet home then Juliet would cry out but because she feels love for him in the short amount of time they have been together, then she does not. Juliet feels a new type of love that she has not felt before, showing her progression into adolescence. Juliet admits embarrassment about talking of her love to Romeo. She pleads with Romeo and asks him if he loves her and wants an honest answer. No innocent young girl would ask a man if he loved her, showing again the maturity that Juliet has been given by Shakespeare in the very short amount of time in that evening. This scene shows the progress of Juliet’s maturity again as she is talking to Romeo and discussing their love affair which is actually forbidden and would be seen to be wrong by her parents. This is showing evidence of the beginnings of rebellion and individualism from her as she normally would have followed the rules of her parents, but now she is doing things behind their back. Scene 3 Act 5 deals with many aspects showing Juliet’s capacity for becoming a young woman. She has to make many difficult choices in this scene and there is no one around that she can turn to and look to for help. She has just spent the night with Romeo in her bedroom and warns him that he must leave, otherwise there is the risk of him being caught. However the Nurse comes in warning Juliet that her mother is coming. She must now get Romeo to leave her room so that he isn’t found by her mother. However they seem to not be able to part from each other, showing their affection and love for each other. When Lady Capulet enters the room, Juliet feels uncomfortable with her presence there and would rather she left. She says ‘Madam, I am not well. ‘ (Line 78) to try to get rid of her but it does not work. Juliet has again to lie to her mother when she says ‘Indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him – Dead. ‘ (Line 93 & 94). Of course this is not true, but to protect the secret of her relationship to Romeo, she cannot give rise to any suspicions in Lady Capulet, even if this means asking her to kill him. Her increasingly adult emotions lead her to protecting Romeo at all costs, even if it means deceiving her mother. Lady Capulet came to talk to Juliet about her getting married the very next day. Juliet was not happy and did not want to get married to Paris as she is already married to Romeo, however neither Lady Capulet nor her husband knows this. Juliet protests and refuses to marry him, however Lady Capulet tells her that she must take it up with her father. When Capulet enters the room he is happy and cheerful, however this is soon to change after he has talked to Juliet. Juliet must build up the courage that she would not have been able to do earlier on in her life, to tell her father that she does not want to marry Paris. She has to explain to him that she is thankful that he has tried to make her marriage perfect but without giving away the hint that she is already involved with someone else. She has to suffer the many insults that Capulet throws at her and almost be physically assaulted by him, as he says ‘My fingers itch. ‘ (Line 164). The Nurse and Lady Capulet try to help her at first but nothing is accomplished and finally, when Capulet leaves, Juliet is feeling at her lowest point. She turns to her Mother for support but she simply says ‘Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. ‘ Juliet then turns to her good friend the Nurse, however again the Nurse will not help and support her. The Nurse explains to Juliet that Romeo is an impossible match and maybe it is not such a good idea to stay with him. She tells her that Paris is a good man and worthy of her love. This makes Juliet feel as though she is just a little girl again as she is being told what she must do and that her opinion is not needed. However Juliet is not about to be kept at this level, so she tells the audience that she will go to the Friar and seek help there, but if that fails, then she always has the power to die. Just saying this shows an immense emotional development by Juliet. No little girl would say the things that she has says, which proves to us that she is no little girl anymore. She is turning into a woman and her parents are helping her even when they are shouting at her, because it gives her more strength to stand up to them later on. Act 4 Scene 3 is one of the most important scenes in the play and here, Shakespeare portrays the character of Juliet as maturing to an even higher level and shows her growing from adolescence to womanhood, and also shows the highs and lows of her emotions. This scene shows her ready to take the potion that she has just been given by the Friar, even while not knowing exactly what it may do to her. She does not know if it is actually poison or what the side effects may be, as she wonders, What if it be a poison which the friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonoured, Because he married me before to Romeo? (Line 24-27). Juliet is unsure of whether or not to trust the Friar, showing us that the innocence of her younger self has been replaced by a more cynical distrust of other peoples motives. Her thoughts become very morbid and she starts to imagine the terror of waking up, trapped in the vault with her dead ancestors. She drinks the potion, calling out ‘Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! I drink to thee. ‘ (Line 58). Her willingness to take this huge risk shows how desperate she is to be with Romeo and how she cannot bear the thought of being forced to marry Paris, emphasising her true, fully developed, adult love for Romeo. In this play of Shakespeare’s, Juliet has turned from a young girl who was not able to make up her own mind about important issues and who was dependent on her family, into a fully developed woman who could look after herself, lie when she had to and was emotionally independent. At the beginning of the play, she had no idea what was really meant by marriage or what love really was. But once she met Romeo, she started to change and mature, and would even deceive her own family in order to protect the love between herself and Romeo. Juliet chose her love of Romeo over everything else, even when it led to their tragic deaths. Her words, behaviours and responses throughout the play, show her development from innocence and naivety through to full maturity as the play reaches its tragic conclusion.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary Data Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary Data - Essay Example Contact methods can be mail, telephone or personal. Sampling plan decisions include sampling unit, sample size, and sampling procedure. Lastly, the research instruments to be used can be questionnaires and mechanical instruments (Philip Kotler). â€Å"Observational research includes the gathering of primary data by observing relevant people, actions and situation† (Philip Kotler). It is the appropriate approach for exploratory research. â€Å"Surveys are a form of questioning that is more rigid than interviews and that involve larger groups of people. Surveys will provide a limited amount of information from a large group of people and are useful when you want to learn what a larger population thinks† (Driscoll). The survey approach is the best suited for gathering descriptive information such as finding out â€Å"peoples’ knowledge, attitudes, preferences or buying behavior† (Philip Kotler). Experimental research is done by â€Å"selecting matched groups of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling unrelated factors, and checking for differences in group responses†(Philip Kotler). This method is used in establishing causal relationships between variables, thus it â€Å"is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine† (http://www.experiment-resources.com). Primary data collection has the following advantages: Addresses Specific Research Issues – Carrying out their own research allows the marketing organization to address issues specific to their own situation. Greater Control – Not only does primary research enable the marketer to focus on specific issues, but it also enables the marketer to have a higher level of control over how the information is collected. Efficient Spending for Information - primary data collections’ focus on issues specific to the researcher improves the chances that research funds will be spent efficiently. Proprietary Information – Information collected by the marketer using primary research is their own and is generally not shared with others.

Impact of current economic downturn on Startegic human resource Essay

Impact of current economic downturn on Startegic human resource development - Essay Example e strategic human resource development can involve any of the following types of development such as short term or long term development, individual or group orientation, low participation or high participation techniques, spontaneous or systemic development and so on (Schuler and Jackson, 1987). But the dependence of these types of development techniques is based on certain pillars. These are as discussed by Garavan (2007) global environment, corporate strategy and culture, value and exclusivity of jobs and lastly employee expectation and careers. This essay will examine the importance of the contexts in the strategic human resource development while assessing the impact of the recent economic turmoil on these contexts in relation to human resource development. Furthermore, new steps initiated by organizations in response to the impacts will also be discussed. A swiftly changing economic environment illustrated by events such as globalization, deregulation of global markets, changing demands of customer and supplier, rapidly increasing competition in product-market and so on has become a change standard for organizations. Organizations in order to remain competitive, find ways to reduce costs, innovate products and processes and bring about changes in human resource management and development. Researches have addressed the concept of human resource as one that contributes to the accomplishment of organization’s operating and strategic goals. As the human resource strategies are built to accomplish the goals of the firms, certain objectives or framework also lies behind the development and objectives of strategic human resource. According to Garavan (2007) four levels of context are important in shaping organizations strategic human resource development: a) the global environment; b) the organization’s strategy, structure, culture, and leadership; c) the value and uniqueness that the firm attaches to particular jobs; and d) individual expectations,

Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Walmart - Essay Example First, Wal-Mart would connect to the values international money market and foreign exchange contracts. It will also use it to trade the excess earnings through foreign exchange. The international money market exchange would be used for trading the extra earnings in the local currencies of various Asian countries as well as in initiating interest rate future contracts and options (Mehrling, 2005). This will be done with a view of avoiding shocks caused by unexpected devaluation of the respective local currencies within the specified Asian countries. c) Wal-Mart could use the international bond market to finance the establishment of new outlets in foreign markets by selling foreign bonds to foreign borrowers (Mehrling, 2005). Since the foreign bonds are designated in local currency, Wal-Mart could target borrowers within the targeted regions/countries where the new outlets are to be established. This will raise the amount required to finance the new outlets. Once established and wishes to establish more outlets within a specific country, it can act as domestic borrower and issue local bonds to raise funds for more outlets within the same

Sex Addiction Among Teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sex Addiction Among Teenagers - Essay Example indicated that they had been sexually abused, and 72% said that they were physically abused as children3. Families with fixed and repressed attitudes about sex, or families mired and/or dissociated are susceptible to producing sex addicts. Often these addictions have a component in general, in which the addict is satisfying the frustrated or repressed sexual desires of a sexual abuser (during early childhood), of a parent or of another ancestor. Signs of Sexual Addiction As with any addiction or compulsive behavior like alcoholism or drug addiction, there are warning signs for sex addiction too. The following includes many of the warning signs that are visible in teenagers dealing with sexual addiction4: Frequently telling sexual jokes or making sexual comments or innuendos Engaging in sexual activity-especially with several partners Spending considerable time in activities that could lead to sexual activity such as cruising for potential partners or spending hours online in chat rooms trying to hook up with others Visiting pornographic websites or looking at pornographic magazines, books, or videos Neglecting obligations such as work, school, or family in pursuit of sexual activity Continuing to engage in illicit sexual behavior despite the negative consequences related to such activities Escalating the scope or frequency of sexual activity to achieve a desired effect, such as more frequent visits to Web sites or sex with more partners Frequently isolating themselves from parents and friends and not informing others of their whereabouts Getting angry if someone shows concern or questions them about sex or their use of pornography Feeling irritable when unable to engage...According to the fact sheet, Marketing Sex to Children6, released by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood7, there is a massive bombardment of sexual content and messages upon children: Setting aside TV, movies, and music, which may be controlled to a large extent, one most important and probably the biggest source of sexual content, which lies uninhibited, is the Internet. It caters to teenagers' desires by providing endless information on sex as well as a constant supply of people willing to discuss sex. With their identities remaining unknown, teens find it safer to search for information on sex. Links to porn content comes to them automatically through porn spam on their e-mail inbox or by being compelled to click on a link to a porn site. These sites conjure up a highly twisted image of normal relationships before their immature minds. In fact, pornography is directly related to sexual abuse, rape, and sexual violence. Excessive exposure to "hard-core" pornography tends to desensitize teens to "soft" porn and taking recourse to highly compromising images of bondage, rape, sadomasochism, torture, group sex and violence. AGI, Teenage pregnancy: overall trends and state-by-state information, New York: AGI, 1999, Table 1; and Henshaw SK, U.S. Teenage pregnancy statistics with comparative statistics for women aged 20- 24, New York: AGI, 1999, p. 5.

Application of Law on Jasmine D'Loire's Business Essay

Application of Law on Jasmine D'Loire's Business - Essay Example Occupiers Liability Act 1957 and 1984 To begin with, Jasmine is supposed to understand Occupiers Liability Act 1957 and 1984 as this is applicable in her line of business. As stipulated in this act, this act shall have effect on determining whether the occupier of a premise, who in this case is Jasmine, are liable to any risk of suffering injury to other persons other than their visitors, who in this case could be her students and workers, due to the state of the premise as a result of things done or omitted to be done on such premises (Harr 2008). However, it is important for Jasmine to understand the contents of this act and how the act affects her business. For example, she needs to know who the law recognizes as the occupier of a premise and how such an occupier of the premise owe a duty to others. According to this act, an occupier of premises owes a duty to another (not being a visitor) in respect of any such risks as is referred above if she is aware of the danger or has reaso nable grounds to believe that it exist (Hodge 2009). On the hand, Jasmine should be aware that, by virtue of this act, owes a duty to another to see that the students or workers don’t suffer injury on her business premise by the reason of the danger caused. If such a risk happens, then she is liable (Schmalleger 2007). Health and safety at work act 1974 Although Jasmine is a sole proprietor, she might need some workers in her business; therefore, she ought to be aware of the health and safety at work act 1974. The health and safety at work act 1974 was enacted to make further provisions for securing the health, and safety of workers, and for protecting other people from the risk to health and safety in connection with activities of workers (Schmalleger 2007). In regard to JDL Dance Ltd, the health and safety act would be applicable in connection to its workers and students. In some situations, by coincidence, an instructor (worker) in JDL Dance Ltd may cause harm during train ing (for example, break of an arm) to a student, due to negligence and lack of knowledge. In this case, the student may decide to sue the business owner for the harm caused. In this case, Jasmine may be answerable for having incompetent worker in her firm (Maguire 2007). On the other hand, a worker in the JDL Dance Ltd may accidentally injure himself as a result of stepping on a slippery floor or on a broken pavement while on his duty. In this case the worker may sue JDL Dance Ltd, for failure to create a favourable working environment which caused the accident (Maguire 2007). Therefore, Jasmine is supposed to ensure that all the necessary equipments and the entire premise are safe for both her workers and students. In the health and safety at work act (1974), also stipulates that the bully’s behavior constitute a breach of employers duty to care under the health and safety at work act (1974), where employers are required to have a legal obligation to ensure both physical and psychological well being of their employees (Maguire 2007). A breach of this act is considered to have happened when the employer fails to take action when the employee brings a health and safety issue to their attention. When employees feel stressed while in their line of duty, this act interprets such a stress as consequence of the employer failure to

Foreign Currency Transactions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign Currency Transactions - Coursework Example Because of the widespread involvement of companies in foreign activities, accountants must be familiar with the problems associated with accounting for those activities. The expansion of international business has been of particular concern to accountants because of developments in the worldwide monetary system. These developments, coupled with the existence of a number of acceptable methods of translating foreign financial statements and reporting gains or losses on foreign currency fluctuations have become a challenge to accountants worldwide.Recording and reporting problems are encountered when transactions with a foreign company where investments are measured in a currency other than the country’s currency. Transactions to be settled in a foreign currency must be translated. This means they will have to be expressed in the original country’s currency before they can be aggregated with the domestic transactions of the firm. When a foreign branch maintains its account s and prepares its financial statements in terms of the currency of the country in which it is domiciled, the accounts must be translated from the foreign currency into original country’s currency before financial statements for the combined entity are prepared. Translation is necessary because useful financial reports cannot be prepared until all transactions and account balances are stated in a common unit of currency.The receivables or payables denominated in foreign currencies are subject to profits and losses because of changes in exchange rates.

Why did Woodrow Wilson criticise the 'old diplomacy' What were the Essay

Why did Woodrow Wilson criticise the 'old diplomacy' What were the main ingredients of the 'new diplomacy' that emerged after the First World War - Essay Example The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations defines the rights and immunity of diplomats. International diplomacy by professional diplomats aims at achieving peaceful agreements and solutions to international debates or conflicts like war, trade, human rights, and leadership. Indeed, diplomacy fosters international relations and world peace. International policies, respect for the parties and set rules and codes of ethics governs the diplomatic process. Additionally, diplomacy will follow a given strategy and may involve incentives to lure the support or input of parties. Cultures, level of education, and positional power have a direct impact on the process of diplomacy. Diplomacy adopts different forms depending on the level of application. Bilateral diplomacy involves two nations with common interests. Multilateral diplomacy involves more than two parties and can be preventive diplomacy, developmental diplomacy, war diplomacy and public diplomacy. The phases of diplomacy include envoys diplomacy, residential diplomacy, conference diplomacy, and organisational diplomacy (Galtung and Ruge, 1965, p.102). However, it takes time to accomplish a diplomatic mission and hence some parties result to war and sanctions when conflicts arise. Diplomacy has considerably changed with technology, growth of intellectual capacities, human rights advocacy, rise in democracy, and the experience of world war. The growth of humanity to an international figure has led to interdependence between nations that require an institution to define existence of a sober relationship. This growth has led to changes from where parties meet when necessary to institutionalized diplomacy, which involves permanent diplomacy and diplomacy at regular intervals The ‘old diplomacy’ existed before the First World War while the ‘new diplomacy’ exists after the First World War. The old diplomacy has faced many critics while compared to the new diplomacy. This paper will

Military leaders role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Military leaders role - Essay Example For Clausewitz, by the time he was writing his book "On War," his thoughts on war had evolved towards notions like "War is a continuation of politics with an admixture of other means" and that there could be different ways and means of warfare. Here the concern is particularly towards his views on the practical uses of military history to and his "critical analysis" where he distinguished carefully between the historian and the military critic, despite his admission that both roles were often complementary.According to Clausewitz for a military historian, there had to be a use of the critical analysis which would involve the tracing of effects back to their causes which would be essentially an investigation into what military steps were taken and whether they were effective at a tactical, operational, strategic and political level. Before I revisit Clausewitz on his notions of a military leader it would be fair to discuss what Machiavelli and Sun Tzu have to say about the military le ader's role in defining national interests and military objectives in war. Machiavelli Machiavelli is much known for his book "The Prince" in which he has described how a prince or in other terms a military leader can keep his control on his jurisdiction.For him, control is particularly a difficult matter for a new prince whose status is not established by lineage or popular consent amongst the masses. The new prince or military leader would have a hard time creating a stabilized framework of power. Many times the prince will have to do carry out unpleasant, perhaps evil things to carry out his task. Machiavelli has refrained from discussing the ideal price or leader.Instead, he gives examples as to which of the military leaders/princes were successful in establishing their rule and most of these examples are drawn from his own analysis of history. As a renaissance writer, he uses an amount of classical historical examples. At first sight, his ideas seem  to hard to swallow as he seems to endorse any evil act by such rulers to gain power and control. A more profound understanding of his views,  however, indicates that he has actually qualified such measures with restrictions like the  philosophical view that any evil action can be justified if it is done for a good purpose. The work faced much negative criticism even in its time and was banned by the Catholic church. For Machiavelli, a good military leader would know how to use good and evil as instruments of power. Essentially he was trying to promote a more practical approach lined with pragmatism. However, realism is a bitter medicine and many people including myself find the idea of an undemocratically elected military leader abhorrent and dysfunctional. Such a military leader would invariably not be able to strike any balance between good or evil and keep tilting towards evil whenever his survival is threatened. An example is the current military crisis in South Asia particularly Bangladesh and Paki stan.  

Personal Ethic Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Ethic Statement Essay VirtuePersonal Ethics Statement Personal ethics provides a foundation for an individuals’ moral scale. It reflects personal beliefs on values, morals, right, and wrong. Personal ethics is influenced by family, friends, community, religion, culture, and coworkers; and that can have a positive or negative impact. Personal ethics varies from person to person; some points may be similar whereas others will differ. Personal ethics drives actions, and to some point, emotions day by day. Depending, on the individual our personal ethics and where we stand will lead us on a path of failure or success. According to my Ethical Lens Inventory, my preferred ethical lens is Rights- Responsibility and Results Lens (Ethical Lens Inventory Games), meaning that I can think rationally and still be emotionally balanced while coming up with a solution for the greater good of the people. I value independence and individual rights while making sure everyone is treated fairly. I am optimistic and like to bring new ideas to the table that someone may not have seen before. My blind spot is â€Å"Belief that motives justify methods or your own good is good† (Ethical Lens Inventory Games). Sometimes I let people down who are depending on me. I can ignore other problems as long as mines are solved. My strengths are â€Å"Self Knowledge and Free will† (Ethical Lens Inventory Games) I believe in balancing responsibility and entrepreneurship. I believe everyone should be accountable and self-reliant because I am so I expect that from others. My weakness is once I have made up my mind about something that I can close the door on other interpretation. I also have to accept that I cannot do everything by myself and that if I do not take the time to reflect that I can fail and become exhausted. My values are Autonomy, Rationality, Sensibility, Temperance, and Prudence (Ethical Lens Inventory Games). As a result of my personal background and what I have learned, I have placed prominence on being independent but also accepting help from others. My course of action is taking and accepting responsibility for my own actions. I have high expectations and my actions will determine my level of success. I will take time out to reflect on who I am, who I want to become and how I am going to get there. I am going to do what is right and in my heart. I will not change who I am for others even if they dislike me. I will follow the golden rule and treat people how I want to be treated. I will be fair to others and avoid being biased. I will fulfill my duties for those counting on me, and be respectful and show dignity for myself and for others. I will never settle for less and try my hardest at everything that I do, and seek continued improvement. References Ethics Games. Ethical Lens Inventory Report. Retrieved from http://www. ethicsgames. com

Kilbrandon: Punitive approach to justice in Scotland.

Kilbrandon: Punitive approach to justice in Scotland. This essay will critically evaluate the Kilbrandon ethos and will examine the proposed integrative, welfare-orientated approach in the decision making concerning children and their welfare. It will also take into account the recent moves towards a more punitive approach and the response concerning this modification. The Kilbrandon Report was established in 1964 by Lord Kilbrandon. Kilbrandon reviewed the existing juvenile justice system and felt the need to implement a new innovative radical approach to help deal with the existing juvenile delinquency and school truanting in Scotland. By analysing the courts records of child offenders the aforementioned highlighted that the majority of those individuals came from unfortunate backgrounds and may possibly have experienced various situations within their young lives. (Lockyer, A. Stone, F.H. 1998) It is necessary to look at where the child centred approach arose from and what this meant for the criminal justice system as a whole. The 1908 Childrens Act (UK) was known as the first Childrens Charter in Scotland due to the impact it had and the concern it showed for childrens individual rights. As a result of this act the death sentence was abolished for children and imprisonment for children dealt with in a more acceptable manner. The separation of juvenile and adults courts was looked upon as the way forward by means of looking at childrens needs in a more specific manner, thus forming the basis of child protection. The idea behind child protection was to protect them from harm, neglect or cruelty however; this sometimes meant having to remove the child from the family home. Over the next few years there were various areas of progress which led to the evolvement of the Children and Young Persons (S) Act 1937. This act defined a child as being under the age of 14 and the crimina l responsibility age rose from seven years to eight years of age. The criminal age in Scotland has risen to 12 years of age 10 for the rest of the UK. A child aged between 14 and 17 was then known as a young person. The 1937 act saw the separation of children and young people and implemented different ways in dealing with various behaviours or offending. (Hothersall, S. 2005) The post war years saw a number of issues surface and prompted the government to take action in regards to their stance on dealing with the welfare of children and young people within society. In 1961 Lord Kilbrandon proposed to implement a new welfare based system which was produced in 1964 and which was included into legislation by 1968, this approach would take a holistic approach to those matters which caused the greatest concern of that of children and young people within society. The primary aim was to focus on children who were in need of help or care, persistent truants or beyond the control of their parents. His approach would examine how offending issues and how the lack of social education had played a vital role in juvenile offending and deviant behaviour. As a result of this the recommendation by the committee it was put forward which would form the basis of the Social Work Act 1968. Their main aim was to recognise and take responsibility for community welfare; in conjunction with this the childrens hearing system would take societys failures into consideration. (Action for children 2009) Kilbrandon based his approach upon needs not deeds and believed that those children who were brought before the justice system or who were in need of care warranted intervention and the prevention of criminalisation to avoid stigmatisation. His beliefs and principles were child centred and seen to be in the childs best interest. (Mcara, L. 2005) The main principle on which the ethos structure was based upon was by taking into regards any decision made in respects to the childrens welfare as it should be primarily based upon the best interests of the child and their overall needs. The system should not take into account what the child has done, past or present. The change to the system helped to define who was in need of compulsory measures of care regardless of whether they had been abused or had committed offences. (Muncie, J. Goldson, B. 2006) The welfare approach has the option to modify the approach in cases of serious offences. Each remedy is not always going to be the same as it is not possible due to the similar influences and demises in a childs life. The Kilbrandon philosophy unfortunately attracts high expectations and sometimes these expectations can be thwarted. Kilbrandons ethos is based on taking the childs needs into consideration and trying to work with families and agencies to give the child the care and support they need and to try and keep families together as much as possible, sometimes this option is not possible. By using the forward thinking approach in regards to preventative measures it allows the childs needs to be examined. So would introducing a more punitive system be the answer? Do children have to separate from their families to be rehabilitated and cared for? Helping with educational and behavioural problems would certainly be a challenge but would definitely help to build confidences and aid the principle of rehabilitation. Early intervention strategies could certainly prove useful in the prevention of further offending. (As cited in Croall, H. et al 2010) By introducing the new innovative system Scotland was fast becoming a country with a unique childrens hearing system in place. The childrens hearing system was put together from three carefully selected volunteer lay members and trained volunteers from all walks of life and with varying life experiences from the local community. (SCRA) The system furthermore involved the guidance of a trained individual, the Reporter who was required to give advice on procedures and legal issues concerning the hearing and oversee the overall hearing process. An important aspect when considering what decision has to be made comes from the understanding and the investigation of contributing factors leading to the childs or families problems. The panel has to consider each aspect just as important as the next and by listening to the viewpoints of others involved can help make the decision process marginally easier. As the members of the lay party are from the local community it allows their input on the decision to be taken into consideration in conjunction with the involvement of detached professionals, the childs family and the childs own rights. (SCRA) Although, Scotland has long been admired for its approach towards youth offending by working in conjunction with multi-agencies on a child centred approach its unique child welfare approach has at no time had its system reviewed. (Action for children, 2004). Times have changed and so has the challenges that children and young people face within society. Society has also seen a change in family circumstances which include divorce, single parent families, and alcohol and drug abuse problems. There are also the underlying factors to consider which may include child abuse, neglect, delinquency, truancy and poverty. As a consequence of this questions are arising as to whether the system Scotland has in place to deal with young offenders is still viable. In 2002 NCH Scotland carried out its own inquiry into Scotlands hearing system and the results were made available in 2004 for evaluation. The inquiry did however highlight the fact that the system itself was solid nevertheless; there were a number of recommendations put forward to help with certain weaknesses within the system. (Action for children, 2004). According to SACRO the childrens hearing system is not failing but they suggest however, due to the lack of resources available this is having an adverse effect on the effectiveness of the overall system. SACRO also believe that there should be a single system in place to take on a holistic overview of the issues involved instead on focusing primarily on a welfarist approach. By introducing a more effective element of restorative justice this may well assist in allowing the youth justice system to achieve this aspect of concern. (SACRO ) The perceived strengths of the Kilbrandon report includes various aspects which most individuals today would consider as expected however, there are those who may feel that the system is too soft and could be more punitive. The strengths of the report include: needs and deeds, a holistic approach, child centred and welfare focused, an informal hearing system, protection of children and young people, multi-agency working including the family where possible and dealing with care and protection issues of the children and young people. (Phillips, S. 2008) However, the report does highlight various weaknesses which include: the lack of resources available, the families lack of knowledge in relation to the system and the lack of the panels understanding of the families. Poorly trained panel members, some families not being included in the decision making, lack of social workers and also the formality of the system can be intimidating for the children and young people involved. One major concern is the fact that the system does not work successfully when it is dealing with school related issues including truanting and school refusal. An important issue that has an impact on the justice system is the financial backing as this has been said to have an adverse effect on the youth justice system. (Muncie, J. 2004) So what exactly is Justice? Justice is regarded as what has the best consequences. Created by the public and authorities it is enforceable rules and legislations, it is there to protect society by showing what is fair and what is wrong and the latter resulting in punishment. Justice itself is there to be enforced upon when groups or individuals need it to be. However, Justice for children can be looked upon as providing the opportunity of equality to help the child or young person improve their prospects in prospective safe and caring surroundings. (Goldson, B. 2008) An important issue that has become apparent over the years is the large increase of referrals in relation to care and protection cases compared to that of offending within the childrens hearing system. The NCH enquiry 2002 highlighted the need for the mainstream and preventative services to improve efficiencies and address the number of cases being sent to the childrens hearing system. (Action for children, 2004) When examining the alternative systems of dealing with young offenders in Scotland the NCH 2002 enquiry compared Scotlands system to that of England and Wales. Both of these countries are seen to have a more punitive approach when dealing with youth justice. The results indicated a higher number of young offenders detained within prison establishments, and a higher number of deterrents and confinement orders in place in relation to working towards rehabilitation in comparison with Scotland. The figures gathered indicated an overall increase of 800% of twelve to fourteen years over a ten year period due to the increase of sentences and imposition prison placed on these young people in England and Wales. However, the adverse effect of these figures is the fact that many of these young people may find themselves segregated from others, bullied or may be more likely to self-harm. The NCH looked at these figures not as a success towards offending behaviour as the recidivism rate in England and Wales was between 72/90%, but alternatively as unsuitable and an ineffective form of punitive punishment for children and young people. They believe that the more a child is punished by the justice system the more likely the chance of the child becoming further involved within the justice system itself and only adding to the likely hood of reoffending in the future. (Action for children, 2004) Implementing a more punitive approach within Scotlands youth justice system would also prove to be costly as the figures indicated that in 2002 England and Wales spent in the region of  £207 million on custodial sentences compared to that of their community based community rehabilitation programmes which cost  £76 million. The cost itself made the copying of their punitive approach an undesirable option for Scotland. (Action for children, 2004) The NCHs report in 2002 recommended that the Childrens hearing system continue to reach its full potential and by continuing to use its holistic and understanding approach when dealing with children and young people it would no doubt be more effective than introducing a more punitive approach. (Action for children, 2004) What has become clearer over the years is the matter of dealing with young people aged between 16 and 17 years of age. In 2004 Scotland introduced two pilot youth courts one in Hamilton and one in Airdrie. Their main aim was to tackle youth crime in a more effective and severe manner. The objectives included social inclusion, reduction of the offending frequency of 16 and 17 year olds and the seriousness of their crimes. A fast track procedure was put in place for those individuals appearing before the youth court. By testing the existing legislation the courts would be able to demonstrate their effectiveness and whether deemed appropriate when dealing with young offenders. Overall the prospect of youth courts looked at enhancing safety within the community and dealing with those involved in persistent offending within high crime areas. (The Scottish Government, 2006) An evaluation between June 2003 and December 2004 of Hamilton youth court recorded a total of 611 cases 402 of those cases involved young people. Airdrie youth court was evaluated between June 2004 and December 2005 and a total of 543 cases were recorded of which 341 involved young people. Those involved were aged between 16 and 17 years of age and were primarily male who were prosecuted on single occasions. (The Scottish Government, 2006) Most of those who appeared before the youth courts had low attainment levels and many admitted to drink or drug misuse. Cases brought before the youth courts included assault, possession of drugs, carrying of offensive weapons or most commonly breach of the peace. Most of the young people who appeared before the youth court were granted bail or ordained to appear before the court. Sentencing of young people included the use of electronic monitoring (tagging) as a condition of their bail release or they may have incurred a police monitored curfew. (The Scottish Government, 2006) The overall analysis of the youth court pilot scheme in Airdrie indicated that the use of community based social work disposals dropped and the execution of prison sentences rose. However, in Hamilton there was not a noticeable difference in the use of disposals highlighting the fact that community service and detention issues were better served within the youth court rather than the Sherriff court. Through the introduction of these youth courts they have proved a success when dealing with young people and they are receiving a wider range of resources and services. Nevertheless, the report has suggested that there is a need for further clarity to determine who exactly the youth courts are for. (The Scottish Government, 2006) According to Barnett 1977 the main objective in dealing with offenders should not be to punish, not even to re-educate but to repair or to compensate for the harm caused by the offence (as cited in Lockyer, A Stone, F.H 1998, p248) Believers in restorative justice consider this type of scheme useful when dealing with young offenders. By focusing on the damage the crime has caused an individual or a community it could work towards resolving and restoring the damage caused. The main aim of restorative justice is to primarily concentrate on the victim and not the offender although measures will be incorporated to aid the integration the offender back into the community. However, merging the Kilbrandon philosophy and restorative justice measures for some may raise concerns. (Lockyer, A Stone, F.H 1998) The Kilbrandon Ethos is humane and provides a caring and understanding system for those children and young people involved in it. The fact that the system helps to support the child and rehabilitate when necessary enforces the child centred approach and by comparing the system to that of the one in England and Wales can only highlight the differences in relation to recidivism. The system needs to have the funding in place to help improve the service it offers at present. By providing the family with a proper understanding of the hearing system would allow the involvement with decision making. Overall the Kilbrandon approach deems to be more effective than imposing punitive measures. By further educating and improving communication within the various agencies would help improve the decisions made and the number of cases put before the system. What also has to be addressed is the vulnerable age group of those aged 16 and 17 years. They are not seen as children or adults and so the syst em needs to take into consideration the needs of this age group and deal with the young people in an effective and efficient manner.

Alphonse Mucha Art Style Overview

Alphonse Mucha Art Style Overview Alphonse Mucha is best known for his luxurious poster and product designs, which encapsulate the Art Nouveau style. Interest in his work was revived in 1980 when it was shown at an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Alphonse Mucha was born in South Moravia. In 1882 he started to earn a living by painting portraits in Mikulov. The following year Count Khuen commissioned Mucha to decorate his castle at Emmahof and his brother Count Egon Belasi became his patron. He was educated at the Munich Academy of Arts and at the Acadà ©mie Julian in Paris and after completing work for Count Khuen began work as an illustrator in 1889. His first work was a theatre magazine entitled Le Costume au Theatre and in it his first drawing of Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra appeared in 1890. By 1895 he had signed a six year contract with Bernardt to produce stage and costume designs as well as posters. At the same time Mucha joined the Salon des Cent, a Symbolist group that included Bonnard, Mallarmà © and Toulouse-Lautrec. He designed a poster for their 20th exhibition in 1896 and the next year he exhibited many of his works at this exhibition as well as at his own one-man show at the Topic Gallery in Prague. Between 1903 and 1922 Alphonse Mucha made four visits to the United States where his work proved particularly successful. Charles Richard Crane, a Chicago industrialist and Slavophile, agreed to finance Muchas series of 20 huge paintings entitled Slav Epic (1909-1928). He continued to work on a number of projects, however, including the design of new postage stamps for Czechoslovakia in 1918 and producing a number of posters and designs for public buildings besides the Slav Epic for example, Allegory of Prague (1911) for the Prague Town Hall. He completed the full cycle of the Slav Epic finally in 1928 and it was exhibited at the Trade Fair Palace. Just three years later he was commissioned to produce a stained-glass window for the St. Vitus Cathedral, then in 1938 embarked on yet another mammoth project involving a triptych, The Age of Wisdom, The Age of Love and The Age of Reason. Sadly they were never completed as he died in 1939. For the Slavs, the plastic arts are a common striving towards a symbolic manifestation a taste for symbols is part of the inheritance of all Slavs That is why the language of symbols is the surest way to communicate our feelings to our brother Slavs. Alphonse Mucha. Alfons Mucha was born in Southern Moravia on July 24, 1860. At the age of seventeen the artist left his home, to work as a painter of stage decorations at the Vienna Ringtheater. When there was a fire at the theater, Mucha lost his job. He found new employment at the Vienese castle with Count Khuen, who became his patron and sent him to the Munich art academy a few years later. From there, Alfons Mucha went on to Paris in 1887 to continue his studies at the Acadà ©mie Julian and then at the Acadà ©mie Colarossi. Due to a lack of financial support from Khuen, however, the student was forced to leave the academy and earn a living as an illustrator. During this time he produced a large number of sketches and drawings. These were studies for illustrations, which were later published in Figaro illustrà ©, Petit Parisien illustrà © and other journals. This early work and the prints for illustrated books like L ´Ãƒ ©là ©fant blanc by Judith Gauthier, at which Alfons Mucha worked during this time, still reflect the usual academic historic style of the time. By coincidence, thanks to an employer of Lemercier printers, Mucha was commissioned to design a poster for Sarah Bernhardt in 1894. This provided the launchpad for Muchas future success and importance as an influencial designer of French Art Nouveau. Sarah Bernhardt was impressed by the artists work. From then on, the famous actress not only had Mucha design her posters but also her costumes and stages. The public also liked Muchas works very much and he became a famous, widely talked about and celebrated master almost over night. Around 1900 Alfons Mucha reached the peak of his fame. Muchas theoretical theses Documents Dà ©coratives and Figures Dà ©coratives influenced the applied art of the time significantly. From now on, people talk about Mucha style whose typical elements like the arabesque hair and the aureole surrounding the female profile, were often copied. In 1900 Alfons Mucha took part in the Paris World Exposition, evoking general attention with his wall decorations in Bosnia and Herzegovinas pavilion. In 1904 Alfons Mucha went to America, where he produced wall decorations, stages settings and portraits during a prolonged stay in New York. Alongside he taught drawing and compostition at the Chicago Art Institute. After Muchas return to his home country, shortly before World War I, he dedicated considerable time to lithographic work. Then he became increasingly occupied by a series of 20 pictures entitled Là ©popà ©e Slave, the Slavian Epos. Mucha finished the large format continuation (6 x 8m) of the decoration of the Bosnian pavilion in 1928 and donated it to the city of Prague. Alfons Mucha died in Prague shortly before the invasion of Czechoslovakia by German troops on July 14, 1939. Alphonse Mucha with his decorative posters has become a kind of trademark and synonym for the Art Nouveau movement. In the sixties his poster reproductions had a revival and were popular again among the flower-power and hippie generation. The images on this page are link-sensitive and take you to other articles or web sites in which you might be interested. Alphonse Mucha his Academic Training Alfons Maria Mucha was born in Ivancice, a small provincial town in the Czech Republic. He started his artistic career as an autodidact. Alfons Mucha had a vocational training in stage decorations in Vienna from 1879 to 1881. In the evening he attended a class in drawing. After a few occasional commissions for decorative paintings, he went to Munich in Southern Bavaria. Here he studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts from 1885 until 1887. After Munich, Mucha moved to the mecca of arts, Paris. Here he studied with different teachers. He lived in modest conditions and could survive with small commissions for book and newspaper illustrations. For a short period he shared a studio with Paul Gauguin. The Breakthrough In December 1894 Mucha became famous with a commission for a poster for the actress Sarah Bernard. Sarah Bernard was a celebrity of her time. His poster design for the play Gismonda became a sensation in Paris. Sarah Bernhard was delighted. He received an exclusive contract for six consecutive years by the actress. In the following years, he not only designed all her posters, but her theater decorations and costumes as well. From now on the artist was swamped with commissions for all kind of commercial print advertising. His Style By this time Mucha had developed his own personal style characterized by art nouveau elements, tender colors and bycantine decorative elements. And all these elements were ranked around images of fairy like young women with long hair and splendid, refined costumes. In the coming years, this type of female images should become his trademark. Mucha used lithography as the printing technique for his posters. The posters are usually signed in the block. Some of his posters were produced as sets like The Four Seasons. Complete sets count among the most searched for of his works. Public Recognition for Alphonse Mucha In 1890 the artist had his first one man show in Paris with 448 works on display. His art work was not confined to the printing media. He designed tissues, stamps and even bank bills. In 1900 he received a commission by the Austrian government to decorate the Austrian pavilion for the World Fair in Paris of 1900. He became also active in designing jewelry. Between 1904 and 1921 Mucha traveled frequently to the United States. He took commissions in the US and taught art at art academies in New York and Chicago. In 1939 the German Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia. The popularity of the artist made him a number one target for the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police. He was arrested, interrogated and realeased. Shortly afterwards, Alphonse Maria Mucha died on July 14, 1939 in Prague. The city of Prague has dedicated an Alphonse Mucha Museum to the artist.

Persuasive Essay on Concealed Weapons Laws -- Papers Gun Laws Weapon E

Persuasive Essay on Concealed Weapons Laws Just imagine for a moment if you would. You Just finished a long hard week of work, and you are looking forward to the reward of going out for a night on the town. You go home get cleaned up, put on your sharpest outfit and head over to your dates house to pick her up. Nothing could be more perfect. The evening air is the right temperature with just enough breeze to catch your cologne and waft it through the air. And the evening itself is enough to remember because of the moons reflection off of the newly harvested fields and ever-flowing creeks. It would seem as though this would be the perfect setting to a wonderful date. And yes it would be, except for the traumatic experience, which encountered one of my closest friends on the ride home, after dropping his date off. He was on his way home and in between towns when my friend saw a truck pulled over to the side of the road. Hood up, doors open, and the truck itself turned towards the ditch on the side of the road. Being from the small town he was from he believed in always giving a helping hand to those in need. Especially when he knew people in his community had been there for him before in his time of crises. He was flagged down by an individual that had told him they had a blow out on their vehicle and that the passenger was injured and would greatly appreciate his help. My friend stepped out of the vehicle and around the passenger side of the parked truck, and before he knew it he had a gun drawn upon his chest and a man now demanding money instead of help. My friend complied and gave the man his wallet and money he had just earned to get him through the weeks ahead. The assailant then ordered my friend to turn h... ...d thoughts and ideas. Just as in Florida a few years back when their conceal to carry law was enacted, and results were blatantly obvious when the criminals were no longer attacking local citizens. But moving on to the individuals they knew couldn't carry concealed weapons, the tourists. That's why so many rental car agencies have tried to conceal their cars as not being part of any type of rental agency, for their customers protection. The information in this speech was intended to make you think a little bit more about society and the preventative measures we can take to deter some of the crimes committed today. I just wanted to clear up any of the misconceptions or preconceived notions you may or may not of had about concealed weapons laws. So next time a bill is proposed in the state make sure you know all of the facts before it gets vetoed. Thank- you

love is worth the inevitable pain Essay -- essays research papers

Love is Worth the Inevitable Pain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is not the typical Hollywood love film. A Hollywood love film is a film where a couple gets together in the end and lives happily ever after, but this is a love story that shows the reality of love and the consequences that come with it. Love is not one hundred percent bliss, it also comes with pain. To get rid of this pain after a break up or death a company, Lacuna, has invented a way to erase people from their memory. The two main characters in the movie fall in love and then they both decide to erase each other from their memories. Clementine, Kate Winslet, erases Joel, Jim Carrey, because she becomes bored with their relationship. Joel goes to the Barnes and Nobles where she works to see her and she has absolutely no idea who he even is. Joel probably would not have erased Clementine, but he found a card that told him he was erased from her memory and he did not think that he could go on with the memory of her. This film is completely different from a Hollywood version, at the end of this movie it leaves room for interpretation for the viewer to think for themselves whether Clementine and Joel will end up happily ever after, there are no clear answers. The scene begins with Joel and Clementine lying naked on a rug in the middle of the floor covered only by a repugnant quilt. The quilt has a tranquilizing effect however because of its warm colors, which is perfect for this scene. The colors of the quilt subconsciously give the feeling that everything is comfortable. As they are lying on the floor Clementine asks Joel if she is ugly. As soon as she asks the question the shot changes and it shows Joel instantly respond with an â€Å"uh huh,† in a manner saying no. The camera then goes to Clementine, but once she starts to speak, it instantly shows Joel again. Clementine tells Joel about how she remembers when she was little a little girl and she thought she was ugly, as the camera is still on a close up of Joel. Usually while someone is talking the camera would be on them, but in this scene the camera is on a close up of Joel while Clementine is talking to show his expressions and to see the sincerity of his emotions and the lo ve he has for Clementine. The next shot is a picture of Clementine when she was little. The picture of her is a somewhat average litt... ...something. I believe that this line is repeated to show a new beginning for their relationship, because this is a disclaimer that Clementine uses both times she meets Joel to warm him of the way that she is. Joel responds with â€Å"I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you.† Clementine says â€Å"But you will. You will think of things and I’ll get bored with you and feel trapped because that is what happened with me.† Joel says â€Å"OK† as if he is relieved, which Clementine promptly answers with â€Å"OK.† They both decide that they want to try and start over with their relationship even though they know that it probably will not work out because it has already failed once, but there is a possibility for it to succeed. They now understand that the risk they take to have a relationship and fail, is far greater than to not have even attempted to have one at all. The movie ends with the song â€Å"Change of Heart† playing while Clementine and Joel are walking in the snow towards their new beginning. The director is implying that they had a change of heart and that things in the end did work out for them to live together happily ever after, but not with out loves temporary and necessary glitches.

Shylock, the Hated Jew of The Merchant of Venice :: Merchant of Venice Essays

Shylock, the Hated Jew of The Merchant of Venice      Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of William Shakespeare's plays have sparked controversy.   Probably the one that has sparked the most controversy is The Merchant of Venice, which many intellectuals have dubbed an anti-Semitic play.   The character that this discussion centers around is Shylock, the rich moneylender Jew.   The problem with most of these anti-Semitic arguments is that they lack the perspective of the sixteenth century audience.  Ã‚   Throughout Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (M of V), the audience's perception of Shylock moves between utter hatred and varying amounts of pity.   In contrast to today's audience, the original sixteenth century audience saw Shylock's religion as his biggest shortcoming.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our first glimpse of Shylock's character comes in Act I, scene 3, where Shylock reveals to the audience why he hates Antonio.   The first reason he gives of why he hates Antonio is because he is a Christian.   (I. iii. 43)   This to the sixteenth century audience would be unreasonable, and this would evoke a sort of villainy towards Shylock.   But a few moments later, the audience witnesses Shylock's speech about Antonio's abuses towards Shylock.   (I. iii. 107-130) This speech does well in invoking the audience's pity, however little it might be in the sixteenth century.   But again at the end, Shylock offers that Antonio give up a pound of flesh as penalty of forfeiture of the bond, which Antonio sees as a joke, but which Shylock fully intends to collect.   (I. iii. 144-78) This action negates any pity which Shylock would have one from the audience just a few moments before.   Shakespeare, in this scene, uses Shylock's dialogue and soliloquies to push loyalties of the audience back and forth in a result of a negative view of Shylock.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Act II, scene 8, Salarino and Salanio describe to the audience Shylock's reaction when he finds out that his daughter, Jessica, has run away to marry a Christian.   Says Salanio:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "I never heard a passion so confused,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     So strange, outrageous, and so variable,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     As the dog Jew did utter in the streets:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     'My daughter!   O my ducats!   O my daughter!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Fled with a Christian!   O my Christian ducats!

Asi Questions Essay

The Interview Format – Does It Have to be an Interview? This is perhaps the most often asked question regarding the ASI. In the search for faster and easier methods of collecting data many clinicians and researchers have asked for a self-administered (either by computer or paper and pencil) version of the instrument. We have not sanctioned the use of a self-administered version for several reasons. First, we have tested the reliability and validity of the severity ratings by having raters use just the information that has been collected on the form – without the interview. This has resulted in very poor estimates of problem severity and essentially no concurrent reliability. Second, we have been sensitive to problems of illiteracy among segments of the substance abusing population. Even among the literate there are problems of attention, interest and comprehension that are especially relevant to this population. Finally, since the instrument is often used as part of the initial clinical evaluation, it has been our philosophy that it is important to have interpersonal contact for at least one part of that initial evaluation. We see this as simply being polite and supportive to a patient with problems. We have seen no convincing demonstration that the interview format produces worse (less reliable or valid) information than other methods of administration and we have found that particularly among some segments of the substance abusing population (eg. the psychiatrically ill, elderly, confused and physically sick) the interview format may be the only viable method for insuring understanding of the questions asked. Particularly in the clinical situation, the general demeanor or â€Å"feel† of a patient is poorly captured without person-to-person contact and this can be an important additional source of information for clinical staff. There are of course many useful, valid and reliable self-administered instruments appropriate for the substance abuse population. For example, we have routinely used selfadministered questionnaires and other instruments with very satisfactory results (eg. Beck Depression Inventory, MAST, SCL-90, etc.) but these are usually very focussed instruments that have achieved validity and consistency by asking numerous questions related to a single theme (eg. depression, alcohol abuse, etc.). The ASI is purposely broadly focussed for the purposes outlined above, and we have not been successful in creating a viable self-administered instrument that can efficiently collect the range of information sought by the ASI. Thus, it should be clear that at this writing there is no reliable or valid version of the ASI that is self-administered and there is currently no plan for developing this format for the instrument. We would of course be persuaded by comparative data from a reliable, valid and useful self-administered version of the ASI and this is an open invitation to interested parties. Role of the Interviewer – What are the qualifications needed for an ASI interviewer? Having indicated the importance of the interview process it follows that the most important part of the ASI is the interviewer who collects the information. The interviewer is not simply the recorder of a series of subjective statements. The interviewer is responsible for the integrity of the information collected and must be willing to repeat, paraphrase and probe until he/she is satisfied that the patient understands the question and that the answer reflects the best judgment of the patient, consistent with the intent of the question. It must be emphasized that the interviewer must understand the intent of each question. This is very important since despite the range of situations and unusual answers that we have described in the manual, a new exception or previously unheard of situation occurs virtually each week. Thus, ASI interviewers should not expect to find answers in the workbook to all of the unusual situations that they will encounter in using the ASI. Instead it will be critical for the interviewer to understand the intent of the question, to probe for the most complete information available from the patient and then to record the most appropriate answer, including a comment. There is a very basic set of personal qualities necessary for becoming a proficient interviewer. First, the prospective interviewer must be personable and supportive – capable of forming good rapport with a range of patients who may be difficult. It is no secret that many individuals have negative feelings about substance abusers and these feelings are revealed to the patients very quickly, thereby compromising any form of rapport. Second, the interviewer must be able to help the patient separate the problem areas and to examine them individually using the questions provided. Equally important qualities in the prospective interviewer are the basic intelligence to understand the intent of the questions in the interview and the commitment to collecting the information in a responsible manner. There are no clear-cut educational or background characteristics that have been reliably associated with the ability to perform a proficient ASI interview. We have trained a wide range of people to administer the ASI, including receptionists, college students, police/probation officers, physicians, professional interviewers and even a research psychologist!! There have been people from each of these groups who were simply unsuited to performing interviews and were excluded during training (perhaps 10% of all those trained) or on subsequent reliability checks. Reasons for exclusion were usually because they simply couldn’t form reasonable rapport with the patients, they were not sensitive to lack of understanding or distrust in the patient, they were not able to effectively probe initially confused answers with supplemental clarifying questions or they simply didn’t agree with the approach of the ASI (examining problems individually rather than as a function of substance abuse). With regard to assisting the interviewer in checking for understanding and consistency during the interview, there are many reliability checks buil t into the ASI. They are discussed in some detail in the workbook and they have been used effectively to insure the quality and consistency of the collected data. Severity Ratings – How important and useful are they? It is noteworthy that the severity ratings were historically the last items to be included on the ASI. They were considered to be interesting but non-essential items that were a summary convenience for people who wished a quick general profile of a patient’s problem status. They were only provided for clinical convenience and never intended for research use. It was surprising and interesting for us to find that when interviewers were trained comparably and appropriately, these severity estimates were reliable and valid across a range of patient types and interviewer types. Further, they remain a useful clinical summary that we continue to use regularly – but only for initial treatment planning and referral. A Note on â€Å"Severity† – It should be noted that much of the reason for the reliability and validity of these severity ratings is the structured interview format and the strict (some would say arbitrary) definition of severity that we have adopted: ie.†need for additional treatment.† Many users of the ASI have selected the instrument exclusively for research purposes and these ratings have never been used for this purpose – especially as outcome measures. Other users do not agree with our definition of severity. Still others do not have the time or inclination to check and recheck severity estimates among their various interviewers. For all of these potential users the severity ratings would not be useful or worth the investment of man-hours required to train reliability. Even for those with primary clinical uses, these ratings are not essential and are perhaps the most vulnerable of all the ASI items to the influences of poor interviewing skills, patient misrepresentation or lack of comprehension and even the surroundings under which the interview is conducted. Therefore, it is entirely acceptable to train ASI interviewers and to use the ASI without referral to the severity ratings. Composite Scores – What are they for, why were they constructed this way and what are the norms? Users familiar with earlier editions of the ASI know there is a separate manual designed to describe their use and to show how to calculate them (See Composite Scores from the Addiction Severity Index – McGahan et al. 1986). The composite scores have been developed from combinations of items in each problem area that are capable of showing change (ie. based on the prior thirty day period, not lifetime) and that offer the most internally consistent estimate of problem status. The complicated formulas used in the calculation of these composites are necessary to insure equal weighting of all items in the composite. These composites have been very useful to researchers as mathematically sound measures of change in problem status but have had almost no value to clinicians as indications of current status in a problem area. This is due to the failure on our part to develop and publish normative values for representative groups of substance abuse patients (eg. methadone maintained males, cocaine dependent females in drug free treatment, etc.). At the risk of being defensive, our primary interest was measuring change among our local patients and not comparing the current problem status of various patient groups across the country. Further, we simply did not foresee the range of interest that has been shown in the instrument. A Note on â€Å"Norms† for the Composite Scores – At this writing, we are collecting ASI data from a variety of patient sampl es across the country. These samples will be used to convert the composite raw scores into T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 (as MMPI and SCL-90 scores are presented). Our intention is to publish these â€Å"normative data† and to circulate copies of the tables to all individuals who have sent to us for ASI packets. We will also provide programs written in Basic, Lotus 123 ® or Excel ®to calculate these composite scores and to convert existing composite scores into Tscores. In this way we hope to make up for the lack of standardization that has been a problem with the composite scores to this time. Appropriate Populations – Can I use the ASI with samples of Substance Abusing Prisoners or Psychiatrically Ill Substance Abusers? Because the ASI has been shown to be reliable and valid among substance abusers applying for treatment, many workers in related fields have used the ASI with substance abusing samples from their populations. For example, the ASI has been used at the time of incarceration and/or parole/probation to evaluate substance abuse and other problems in criminal populations. In addition, because of the widespread substance abuse among mentally ill and homeless populations, the ASI has also been used among these groups. While we have collaborated with many workers on the use of the instrument with these populations; it should be clear that there are no reliability or validity studies of the instrument in these populations. This of course does not mean that the ASI is necessarily invalid with these groups, only that its test parameters have not been established. In fact, workers from these fields have turned to the ASI because they felt that no other suitable instrument was available. In cases where this is true, it is likely that the ASI would be a better choice than creating a totally new instrument. However, it is important to note circumstances that are likely to reduce the value of data from the ASI among these groups. For example, when used with a treatment seeking sample and an independent, trained interviewer, there is less reason for a potential substance abuser to misrepresent (even under these circumstances it still happens). In circumstances where individuals are being â€Å"evaluated for probation/parole or jail† there is obviously much more likelihood of misrepresentation. Similarly, when the ASI is used with psychiatrically ill substance abusers who are not necessarily seeking (and possibly avoiding) treatment, there is often reason to suspect denial, confusion and misrepresentation. Again, there is currently no suitabl e alternative instrument or procedure available that will insure valid, accurate responses under these conditions. The consistency checks built into the ASI may even be of some benefit in these circumstances. However, it is important to realize the limits of the instrument. Regardless, systematic tests of the reliability and validity of the ASI in populations of substance abusers within the criminal justice system and within the mental health system are necessary but have not been done and this is an open invitation to interested parties. A Special Note on Adolescent Populations – Despite the fact that we have repeatedly published warnings for potential users of the ASI regarding the lack of reliability, validity and utility of the instrument with adolescent populations there remain instances where the ASI has been used in this inappropriate manner. Again, the ASI is not appropriate for adolescents due to its underlying assumptions regarding self-sufficiency and because it simply does not address issues (eg. school, peer relations, family problems from the perspective of the adolescent, etc.) that are critical to an evaluation of adolescent problems. At this writing, there are two versions of the ASI that have been developed for adolescent populations and have shown at least initial evidence of reliability and validity in this population. A third instrument is not in the same format as the ASI but has shown excellent reliability and validity. Interested readers may contact these individuals directly for more information about these instruments. Kathy Meyers, Research Department, Carrier Foundation, Belle Meade, New Jersey â€Å"Carrier – Addiction Severity Index† or Yifrah Kaminer, Adolescent Chemical Dependency Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. â€Å"Teen – Addiction Severity Index† or Al Friedman, Adolescent Substance Abuse Program, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, Phila., Pa. â€Å"Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Diagnostic Assessment† ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE ASI Can I ask additional questions and/or delete some of the curr ent items? As indicated above, the ASI was designed to capture the minimum information necessary to evaluate the nature and severity of patients’ treatment problems at treatment admission and at follow-up. For this reason, we have always encouraged the addition of particular questions and/or additional instruments in the course of evaluating patients. In our own work we have routinely used the MAST, an AIDS questionnaire, additional family background questions and some self-administered psychological tests. We do not endorse the elimination or substitution of items currently on the ASI. Again, the ASI items (regardless of whether they are good or bad for particular individual needs) have been tested for reliability and validity as individual items and as part of the composite and/or severity scores. The elimination or substitution of existing items could significantly reduce the reliability and comparability of these ASI scores. It is possible to eliminate whole sections (problem areas) of the ASI if particular problems are not applicable for specific populations or the focus of specific treatment interventions. In the current version of the ASI and in this workbook, we have included a set of additional items and instruments that have been developed by us and others over the past ten years, to add information in areas that are now inadequately covered by the existing ASI questions. The items themselves are presented on the latest version of the form (See Appendix 1) and the specific instructions for asking these questions and for interpreting the answers are discussed in each of the problem areas in the Specific Instructions part of the workbook. It should be clear that we have not used these items in the calculation of the composite scores or in the determination of severity estimates. Obviously, the use of additional information for these purposes would alter the reliability and validity of the ASI and reduce the comparability of the resulting scores across sites and time points. Thus it is important to stress that the use of earlier ASI versions will still provide comparable data on the composite scores and on the majority of items, since they have not been changed or eliminated, only supplemented in the current version. In addition to these items, there has also been significant work over the past ten years in the development of general and specialized information collection interviews and questionnaires for substance abusers. Some of these instruments bear special note in that they can be used instead of or in addition to the ASI to provide enhanced or specialized information. Some of the more widely used and better validated instruments are presented below but the interested reader is advised to consult the tests and measurements literature for additional information.

Religious Believers Understand More Essay

To discuss this statement first we must look at the definition of understanding. Religious believers and scientists would probably differ in their definitions and therefore disagree from the beginning. A religious person would perhaps say that understanding the world means knowing how to be a good person, how to live a good life and fulfill God’s plan. A scientist would probably disagree, saying that understanding the world is having a wide knowledge and good comprehension of how the world works including theories like evolution and understanding why and how things occur. Another slight problem with this statement is its implication that one cannot be a religious believer and a scientist when in fact there are many religious scientists who seem to have science and religion existing harmoniously in their lives. If we are defining understanding as understanding how to live a good life, then I believe that the Bible and Religious Believers do understand more about the world than Scientists do. Religious Believers have a better understanding of how the universe and mans place in it was set up, but it’s hard for people to understand correctly because it’s not in scientific terms, it’s in myths and metaphors. You can’t see it with our available scientific instruments, it’s something you experience. Religious Believers have direct guidance from their Holy texts, e.g. for the Jewish faith, the Torah on how to live their life. They are taught, by the Ten Commandments, that they are not to steal, not to commit adultery and not to murder. One criticism of scientists is that a number of assumption are made to give parameters to an experiment. Also perception can be fallible, as we expect to see things, so we see them. We don’t expect to see them, so we miss them out. In response to this, in the parable the invisible gardener; where the religious believer trusts that the gardener came but couldn’t be seen and the other (scientist) believing that there couldn’t be a gardener because there was no empirical evidence of this. This shows that even though there was no evidence of the gardener or God they still hold a belief, whereas the scientist had to be proven. Some claim that believers only want hope. Religious Believers hope for the return of their â€Å"invisible gardener†, while New Atheists (Richard Dawkins and his followers) have no expectations of a new life after death, thereforelive their lives without fear of an almighty God smiting them down. In this situation, one could argue that the Religious Believer is playing it safe, however they still understand the world better, in many cases they see it as an almighty being’s creation. In conclusion, I believe that, although Scientists have proof of the age of the earth, and that they have proven many facts of the Earth, They do not have as good guidance as Religious Believers do on understanding life.

Product and Brand Management

?AFFECT OF BRANDING ON CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISION IN FMCG GOODS AND DURABLE GOODS? INTRODUCTION What is a BRAND? Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the use of the product or service and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it. A brand often includes a logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, and sound, which may be developed to represent implicit values, ideas, and even personality. Concepts Marketers engaged in branding seek to develop or align the expectations behind the brand experience, creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique. A brand image may be developed by attributing a â€Å"personality† to or associating an â€Å"image† with a product or service, whereby the personality or image is â€Å"branded† into the consciousness of consumers. A brand is therefore one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme. The art of creating and maintaining a brand is called brand management. A brand which is widely known in the marketplace acquires brand recognition. When brand recognition builds up to a point where a brand enjoys a critical mass of positive sentiment in the marketplace, it is said to have achieved brand franchise. One goal in brand recognition is the identification of a brand without the name of the company present. For example, Disney has been successful at branding with their particular script font (originally created for Walt Disney's â€Å"signature† logo) which it used in the logo for go. om. â€Å"DNA† refers to the unique attributes, essence, purpose, or profile of a brand and, therefore, a company. The term is borrowed from the biological DNA, the molecular â€Å"blueprint† or genetic profile of an organism which determines its unique characteristics. Brand equity measures the total value of the brand to the brand owner, and reflects the extent of brand franchise. The term brand name is often used interchangeably with â€Å"brand†, although it is more correctly used to specifically denote written or spoken linguistic elements of a brand. In this context a â€Å"brand name† constitutes a type of trademark, if the brand name exclusively identifies the brand owner as the commercial source of products or services. A brand owner may seek to protect proprietary rights in relation to a brand name through trademark registration. Brand energy is a concept that links together the ideas that the brand is experiential; that it is not just about the experiences of customers/potential customers but all stakeholders; and that businesses are essentially more about creating value through creating meaningful experiences than generating profit. Economic value comes from businesses ¶ transactions between people whether they be customers, employees, suppliers or other stakeholders. For such value to be created people first have to have positive associations with the business and/or its products and services and be energised to behave positively towards them  ± hence brand energy. It has been defined as â€Å"The energy that flows throughout the system that links businesses and all their stakeholders and which is manifested in the way these stakeholders think, feel and behave towards the business and its products or services. Attitude branding is the choice to represent a feeling, which is not necessarily connected with the product or consumption of the product at all. Marketing labeled as attitude branding includes that of Nike, Starbucks, The Body Shop, Safeway, and Apple Inc. â€Å"A great brand raises the bar — it adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience, whether it's the challenge to do your best in sports and fitness, or the affirmation that the cup of coffee you're drinking really matters. † – Howard Schultz (CEO, Starbucks Corp. ) The act of associating a product or service with a brand has become part of pop culture. Most products have some kind of brand identity, from common table salt to designer clothes. In non-commercial contexts, the marketing of entities which supply ideas or promises rather than product and services (e. g. political parties or religious organizations) may also be known as â€Å"branding†. OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT WORK Main Objective:The main objective of research is to analysis how the brand effects the customer purchasing decision in FMCG goods and durable goods Sub Objective:The sub objective of research is to understand the choice of the customer is branded or nonbranded goods. JUSTIFICATION FOR CHOOSING A PARTICULAR RESEARCH PROPOSAL Branding can be viewed as a tool to position a product or a service with a consistent image of quality and value for money to ensure the development of a recurring preference by the customer. It is common knowledge that the consumer ¶s choice is influenced by many surrogat es of which the simplest one is a brand name. Although there may be equally satisfying products, the consumer when satisfied with some brand does not want to spend additional effort to evaluate the other alternative choices. Once he or she has liked a part icular brand, he or she tends to stay with it, unless there is a steep rise in the price or a discernible better quality product comes to his/her knowledge, which prompts the consumer to switch the brand. Companies spend a lot of money and time on the branding and thus it needs a careful evaluation on the effect of branding on consumer buying behavior. QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Are you a brand loyal customer? ` Yes ` No 2. Which attributes did attract you to purchase branded products? Rank these attributes in order of their importance to you. ` ` Brand Name Price Easy Availability ` ` Transparent Cleanliness ` Others 3. What was the reason for the delay between the purchase decision and the actual purchase? ` ` ` Financial constraints Waiting for more innovative product Waiting for market response 4. What influenced you to buy the above stated brand(s) ? ` ` ` ` Advertising Word of mouth Attractive packaging Dealer ` Shop Display ` Family/Friend/Relatives ` Any Other 5. Influence of Brand name on purchasing decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 6. Influence of Quality on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 7. Influence of Price on Purchase Decision ` Agree ` Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 8. Influence of Product features on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 9. Influence of Family members on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 10. Influence of Peer group on Purchase Decision ` ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 11. Influence of Advertisement on Purchase Decision ` Agree Strongly Agree ` Disagree ` Strongly disagree 12. Will you like to switch your brand preference if you get some promotional scheme with another brand? ` Yes ` No 13. Do you think branded products are better than unbranded products? ` Yes ` No NAME OF THE RESPONDENT: ADDRESS: EDUCATIONAL QUALITICATION: OCCUPATION: AGE: MONTHLY INCOME: 1. 100% Financial Inclusion: A Challenging Task Ahead 2. Afforestation of ARID Was telands Through Energy Plantations: A Case Study from India 3. Agribusiness Sector in Rural India and Increasing Opportunities of E -Commerce 4. Asset prices and inflation is there a predictive link 5. Back Water Tourism in Kerala: Challenges and Opportunities 6. Banking Channel Perceptions An Indian Youth perspective 7. Banking on Themselves 8. Behavioral Skills Trainings in Travel Agencies 9. Brand awareness and preference in rural markets 10. Branding for 21st Century Teenagers 11. Branding India for Health and Spiritual Tourism 12. Branding India: Strategic Challenges and Possible Approaches 2. subliminal messages in advertising and how they affect consumers.

Compare “Secret Life of Walter Mitty and ” The poor relation” Essay

In this assignment I am going to write about the differences and similarities of two shot stories. The first story I am writing about is called â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† it was written in the late1930’s by the author James Thurber. The second story is called † The Poor Relation’s Story† it was written around 1850 by Charles Dickens. The connections between the two stories are that they are both short but also they have the same topic. They are both about escapists, people who dream. The first story called â€Å"The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty† is about a man called Mitty, and it follows him through a normal day. I get the impression that he is in his mid-fifties because his wife has to tell him to get a check up and that he is no longer a young man. He does not work and as no real skills, actually he is quite a pathetic man that spends his days running around after his dominant wife. Mitty has a special difficulty in mechanical maintenance and in most of his dreams he fantasises about being an expert in complicated machinery i.e. operating theatre machinery and jet planes. Even when his wife asked him to put snow chains on the car he got it wrong and she now makes him take it to the garage. I think Mitty is a very light headed man and never really got anywhere in life because other people just pushed him aside. For example when his wife tells him to put his gloves on he does not argue or answer back but puts them straight on although he does not want to. In the space of a couple of hours in which the story is set Mitty slips in and out of reality and fantasy and the dreams always seem to have a connection with something he passes in the street or remembers. Like when he passes the hospital he goes into a dream about being a specialist’s doctor that saves the life of an important millionaire banker. That shows how easily he can just forget where he is or what he is doing. Walter Mitty’s wife is a very domineering person and seems to have a lot of control over Mitty † I have been looking all over this hotel for you, why do you have to hide in this old chair, how do you expect me to find you†. I think Mitty is a very privet person, as he does not talk much, only a few lines to his wife are said. His wife treats him like a little child that is totally dependant on other people, she has to tell him to put on his gloves, buy overshoes and get a check up. She doesn’t trust him anymore to do the simplest procedure as to put snow chains on the tyres that she tells him to go to the garage. This is a humiliating experience for Mitty because when he drops the car off the other men at the garage laugh at him, he says that † I’ll wear my right arm in a sling next time; they won’t grin at me then. He obviously knows that people are laughing and mocking him but can’t do much about it. Just walking down the street can be ill fated for Mitty as he slips in to a daydream and starts talking to him self. † Puppy biscuits† â€Å"That man said Puppy biscuits†. I think you could call Mitty unlucky and accident-prone by all the minor incidents that take place in this short story. They are mainly to do with his day dreaming which keep him very interested and away from reality. They seem to make up for the lack of excitement or human attention that he gets. In all of his fantasise he is the hero of the situation and praise is all around him. The first dream is about him being a pilot of a naval hydroplane, he is in control and he seems to save the day some how. That is the opening of the story and we do not know it is a dream until he is interrupted by his wife telling him to slow down. The second dream is about him being an expert doctor and d saving the day by fixing the operating machine simply with his fountain pen and then saving the life of some important millionaire. The third dream is in a courtroom and Mitty is on trial for shooting somebody, apparently he can shoot any gun from a distance with both hands and still be on target. The forth dream is set in the heart of a vigorous war and Mitty offers to fly a two-manned plane alone, people are trying to stop him but his wants to save the day. The fifth dream is at the end of the story and its Mitty getting executed by a firing squad. He takes a long pull of his cigar and dies with honour. I Everything in Mitty’s dreams seem to be what he wants to be like but never will. In four of the dreams it describes how he is good at machines which in real life is far from the truth. He comes across as being healthy and macho but in real life he needs a doctor’s check up and can’t even put on snow chains. As a hero he is obviously respected and looked up to by fellow companions but also women. In one fantasy a lovely dark haired girl comes running into his arms which of course in the real world would never happen. The only woman that would look at Mitty in such a way is his wife, and she is restricting, bossy and annoying. In Mitty’s dreams though he can do what he wants and there is no one to restricted him. Sometimes when Mitty dreams he starts believing in them and acts them out in real life. Like at the beginning of the story when he dreams of being a naval pilot he starts speeding in his car and his wife has to tell him to slow down. And at the end of the story when he waiting for his wife to come out of the drug store he believes that he is standing in front of the firing squad. â€Å"He stood up against the wall of the drugstore, smoking†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Mitty acts like a little child playing make believe games and a I think that is what other people treat him. Especially with the name Mitty you can’t take him too seriously. Write more about how much he believes in them The second short story called â€Å"The Poor Relation† it is similar to the Walter Mitty story in such a way that they are both about escapists but it is still very different story. The Poor Relation is set at a Family Christmas Party where the poor relation (Michael) tells the other guest two very different stories about his way of living. The first story that Michael portrays to the family members is a description of what he thinks the rest of the family thinks of him. â€Å"Perhaps before I go any further, I had better glance at what I am supposed to be†. This first story is very negative about Michael’s way of life and he tells the other guests at how pathetic and useless he is. † That I failed in in business because I was unbusiness like†¦That I failed in love, because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He goes on to relate a normal day for him and describes where he lives, both of which have not much happiness in them. The only shred of contentment or worth while belonging for Michael is his little second cousin Frank. â€Å"Little Frank and I go and look at the outside of the monument -he is very fond of the monument- and the bridges†. When he dies, he says that the only item worth anything to him is a picture of him as a small boy. This he wants given to Frank along with a small message of which he tells how sorry he is for leaving him. He finishes that description of his life on a sour note by saying â€Å"I failed to find a place in this great assembly, I am better of out of it†. Quickly after finishing that story he clears his throat and starts to speak louder. â€Å"Such is the general impression about me. Now, it is a remarkable circumstance which forms aim and purpose to my story, that this is all wrong†. He starts to tell the probably slightly shocked guests, of how this first explanation of his life was a fad, totally unreal. This second story has much more life to it and tells how he once lived with his cold mean but rich uncle in a castle. He used to come down each morning in the freezing cold to be greeted with the same breakfast in the long stone room. When his uncle Chill died Michael automatically inherited his wealth and castle, but Michael fell in love with someone who his uncle disagreed of. His uncle tells him that no longer is he initialled to his money if he marries Christina, so Michael leaves his uncle with his new wife and they start a happy life together. He describes of how where he lives now he does not know what loneliness is, as all his children or grand children are always about, and Little Frank regularly visits. As it turns out this second story is a total lie and the first story that we were told is the truth. Michael is the kind of person that could be lead in the wrong direction easily because all his misfortunes are the result of other people letting him down, so he is easily taken advantage of. â€Å"That I failed in love, because I was ridiculously trustful- in thinking it impossible that Christina could deceive me. What makes Michael a loser or inadequate in some ways is the loss in his life. At the moment he is fifty-nine years old and is living in a small room that he must evacuate during the day. He survives on a small allowance that John the party host generously gives him. The three main things that turned his life was the loss of his inheritance from his uncle, which was due to him falling in love with Christina who only wanted him for his money. And the loss of his business. That shows how most people treat him, no one seems to have much time for him â€Å"Sometimes one of my relations or acquaintance is so obliging as t ask me to dinner. Those are on holiday occasions†. Out of the whole year he is only invited to dinner about twice or three times. His family know that he is poor, and at holiday time they probably feel that they have to ask him, it is not about wanting him to come. Unlike Mitty I think that Michael’s misfortune is mainly his own fault, he can’t see deeper than appearance and doesn’t know what people think of him, that’s how Christina took advantage of him and he cannot see that his relations don’t really want him about. Michael dream life is a description of how he would like his real life to be because everything that has gone wrong for him is perfect in his dream. . I think he now realises why so many things went wrong for him but realises that it is a bit late in is life for much to go write in the way that he talks about dying.