A comparison of wine cultures between United Kingdom and Hong Kong Literature review - 1

A comparison of wine cultures between United Kingdom and Hong Kong citizens - Literature review Example They further stated that the production of food and wine is a global phenomenon. Varriano (2011) added that wine had manifested its uniqueness in the culture and history of food and drink that first started in the ancient Greece and Rome civilisations. It is more essential to almost all forms of religion as they use this in their worship (Deutsch and Saks 2008). Today, the wine industry is rapidly growing along with the rise of the globalisation (Anderson & Nelgen 2008). Indeed, wine has played a significant role in the lives of wine consumer’s way back in the past and up to the present and in the future. According to the work of Estreicher (2004), wine has played an necessary role in the foundation of Western civilisation. He further added that wine is a magical special ancient alcoholic beverage according to its associations with gods and religious and spiritual traditions. Sanchez (2008) further said that wine is considered by the ancient people such as the Greeks, Romans, Cretans and Egyptian as their daily commodities dated before Christ. These people are used to conducting grape brewing in their households respectively. In the ancient history of the invention of distillation, wine is considered to be the best and most effective antiseptic. Furthermore, it is also treated as one of the most in-demand products for trade in the early Western civilisation along with vine. Therefore, wine can be indicated as a very significant in terms of religion, medicine, and trade (Estreicher 2004). Such notions and claims are further supported by the article of Squicciarini and Swinnen (2010) a s the authors had revealed that, even back in the old times, wine has been used by the ancient people in several ways and within different purposes. For instance, in China, Chinese folks are using wines for spiritual purposes. This is also the same with the Indian people in which

Maguindanao Massacre Essay Example for Free

Maguindanao Massacre Essay Stories and worldwide condemnation of the Maguindanao massacre still grapple the Filipino people in disbelief. Focusing on the victims that include lawyers and journalists in the company of scions of a political clan, the manner of mass execution was the most gruesome, so animalistic, and the most barbaric act of the new century. Fifty-seven of them, men, women, and children were killed and decapitated; bodies were mangled and riddled with bullets. This satanic act was allegedly masterminded by the incumbent mayor of the place, who is said to have been able to command and give orders as he pleases even to the extent of a massacre. The idea of good governance, rule of law of human rights and democracy has hardly been heard in existence in this far-flung poor province in Mindanao. Politicians are motivated to run for public office to absolutely control and influence the civilians and the police. The existing system is heavily politicized making the police underdogs of the politicians. Thus, anybody who wants to seek justice feels the absence of any protection mechanism. Government tried to calm the situation by asking the allegedly mass murderer to surrender; but will his victims get justice? Praying for justice to prevail in this country, Lasallians were called to express indignation to this assault to humanity. Students wore black ribbons on their chest to sympathize with the victims and their loved ones, and to shout and rage against the inhuman act. They lit candles and prayed for peace, and were in one in expressing the gloom and grief the whole country has experienced. We call on the wheels of justice to move swiftly without deception of wealth and power. Otherwise, record of inhumanity of the sadistic, brutal, and cruel Maguindanao massacre may be enhanced when the Government still fails to mete out the punishment for the perpetrators.

Opto-Electronics for Communications: Spectrum Analysis

Opto-Electronics for Communications: Spectrum Analysis This experiment studies the wavelengths of the colours in the spectrum of a light source. I will measure the angle at which colour splits. I will carry out this experiment with three different light sources: Tungsten LED Laser Diode Light Source Spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum describes all the wavelengths. It ranges from the smallest waves possible, radio waves to the largest waves, Gamma radiation. All different size waveforms have different uses. Energy Frequency Wavelength Radiation type Typical use Lowest Lowest Longest Radio waves Television signals Microwaves Cooking, mobile phones Infrared Optical fibre communication Visible light Seeing Ultraviolet Detecting forged bank notes X-rays Medical images of bones Highest Highest Shortest Gamma radiation Killing cancer cells The only Electromagnetic waves we can see are Visible Light Waves. We see visible light waves as colours of the rainbow. Each different colour has its own wavelength different to the others. The longest wavelength is Red, with the shortest wavelength being Violet. The combination of all the light wave colours makes white light. Diffraction We can see each colour of the Visible light spectrum by shining a white light through a prism. By diffraction, the white light splits apart into different colours of visible light. Water vapour can carry out the same effect of diffraction, and the result is a rainbow. Gratings A diffraction grating is a slide with a number of parallel slits drawn on it. The slits are very small, usually 600 per 1mm. When a beam of light is directed at the grating, light will diffract of it and the light is dispersed in certain directions only. This is commonly used to separate colours of the incident light because the diffracted light has different angles according to: All equipment used for this experiment was taken from the PASCO Educational Spectrophotometer Accessory Kit Rotary Motion Sensor Aperture Bracket Light Source PASCO data acquisition software High Sensitivity Light Sensor Equipment Setup Set up the Spectrophotometer next to your chosen light source as shown in Figure 2. Mask the light source with Collimating Slits so it transmits a thin 0.5 to 1.0 cm beam. A hood should be used over the light source to remove any distortion in the experiment results. Align the light source. Turn on the light source and align the light beam by adjusting the Collimating Slits, Collimating Lens and Focusing Lens so a clear image of the central ray appear on the light sensor. Connect the Light Sensor and Rotary Motion Sensor to channels A and B of the PASCO computer interface. Software Setup Open the PASCO data acquisition software. Connect Digital channels 1 and 2 to the Rotary Motion Sensor. Connect Analog Channel A to the Light Sensor. Set up parameters for the Rotary Motion Sensor. A sample rate of 20 Hz with a high resolution of 1440 Divisions per Rotation. Use the PASCO softwares calculator function to calculate the Actual Angular Position based on the Angular Position measurement made by the Rotary Motion Sensor. The measured Angular Position should be divided by 2à Ã¢â€š ¬. Data Recording Setup In the PASCO data acquisition software, select the graph mode. Select the vertical axis as Light Intensity, and Horizontal axis as Actual Angular Position. Turn off the lights in the laboratory to ensure the results are as accurate as possible and no background light interferes. On the top of the light sensor select the appropriate gain setting. Different light sources will require different settings. Select Start Recording Data Turn the light sensor slowly in one complete circle. This will scan through the first order spectrum lines and data will be recorded in the PASCO data acquisition software. Select Stop Recording Data Data Analysis Setup The size of the wavelength can be calculated by analysing the results of the experiments and using the gratings equation. By using a visible light spectrum, we can determine what colour the light is from the size of the calculated waveform. Wavelength Measure the two peaks, R1and R2 Use the visible light wavelength spectrum below to find out what the wavelegth is Tungsten Light Source Dating back to the 1800s, Tungsten light sources are the oldest and most tested light source invented. They first became commercialised by Thomas Edison at the end of the century, leading on to the first light fittings, named after Edison himself. The Edison Screw or ES. A Tungsten filament is the key element to a Tungsten light source. Light is emitted from the filament when it is heated. The filament is heated by passing current through it. This is possible because of the high amount of current passing through such a small conductor. Inert gas such as Argon usually surrounds the conductor to ensure that it does not ignite. 95% of the energy from a Tungsten light source is wasted in the form of heat. Only 5% of the energy is actually used in the form of visible light. This makes it a very inefficient light source. Being a blackbody radiator, a Tungsten light source has a continuous spectrum of light. It generates a high amount of red light compared to natural day light, which gives it the yellow tint. Beyond the visible light spectrum a Tungsten light source even emits infrared wavelengths. This is a waste of energy as it cannot be seen by the human eye. On the next page are the results from the PASCO data acquisition software whilst carrying out the experiment procedure using a Tungsten light source. The light sensor was set to have a gain setting of 100 because of the large spectrum that the wavelength covers. Peak to peak wavelength: Infrared Waveform Trough to trough: Ultraviolet Waveform My experiment results show that the Tungsten light source is emitting wavelengths in the range of 317.88 to 895.14nm. The Tungsten light source is a warm white light as well as Infrared and Ultraviolet light. LED Light Source A LED or Light Emitting Diode is a semiconductor that gives out light when current is passed through it. It is a much more efficient method of emitting light compared to more conventional light sources such as Incandescent lights or Fluorescent lights because less heat is generated, resulting in less heat loss. As well as being more energy efficient compared to Incandescent light sources, LED light sources have a much longer operational time. At the end of an Incandescent lights life the filament will burn out, resulting in the bulb not emitting light. A LED light source after 50,000 hours of use will start to become dimmer and emit less light. The result of this is a light source that lasts a lot longer. The first commercial LED light sources developed were by Hewlett Packard in 1968 to replace indicator lamps. At this time, only LEDs emitting red light were available. Only later on in 1994 were LEDs that emitted blue light first demonstrated by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano, who went on to be awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery. With the invention of blue coloured LEDs, the invention of white LEDs became apparent. The white LED is a combination of LEDs that emit red, green and blue light. This then led to the LED light source revolution we currently live within. The working principle behind a LED is what is called a P-N Junction. A P-N junction will convert electric current into visible light. This is often called electroluminescence. Colour Wavelength (nm) Typical Material Used Infrared > 760 Gallium arsenide Red 610 to 760 Aluminium gallium arsenide Orange 590 to 610 Gallium arsenide phosphide Yellow 570 to 590 Gallium arsenide phosphide Green 500 to 570 Gallium phosphide Blue 450 to 500 Zinc selenide Violet 400 to 450 Indium gallium nitride Ultraviolet Indium gallium nitride White Broad Spectrum Cool white is a blue LED combined with a yellow phosphor. Warm white is a blue LED combined with a orange phosphor. Table 1: Wavelengths of each colour LED Above is a table outlining the individual wavelengths for each colour that is produced by Light Emitting Diodes. The most common type of LED light source shines line in a single direction. The result of this is a light bulb that only lights up a small area. To correct this problem for use as light sources to light up areas and not as indication lights, most LED light sources are coupled with reflective plates that distribute the light evenly around the room. On the next page are the results from the PASCO data acquisition software whilst carrying out the experiment procedure using a LED light source. The light sensor was set to have a gain setting of 100 because of the large spectrum that the wavelength covers. Peak 1 Peak to peak wavelength: Yellow Waveform Trough to trough: Green Waveform Peak 2 Peak to peak wavelength: Blue Waveform Trough to trough: Blue Waveform My experiment results show that the LED light source is emitting visible light in the ranges of 388 to 473nm and 514 to 583nm. The LED is emitting a combination of yellow and blue to create a cool white colour. White LED By combining yellow and blue waveforms, a cool white colour is formed. This is carried out by lining a blue LED with yellow phosphor. Both yellow and blue photons are emitted. This method of creating white light is much more effective than the more conventional LED RGB method of combining red, green and blue waveforms. This effect was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in the early 1700s when he was performing colour matching experiments. The colour temperature of the white LED light source is controlled by the thickness of the yellow phosphor that is coated onto the blue LED. Over time, the yellow phosphor will degrade and so the colour characteristics of the LED light source will change. Operating at high temperatures can accelerate this. Laser Light Source Laser is an acronym of Light amplification by simulated emission of radiation. A laser light source emits light when electrons in the atoms of gases become excited by absorbing energy from electrical current. Electrons travel from the lower energy point to the higher energy point around the atoms nucleus. When they travel back from the higher point to their resting state the electrons emit visible light. The wavelength of the photons emitted are constant and coherent, unlike ordinary visible light from other light sources. This means that only one wavelength of light is emitted from a laser light source, resulting in only one specific colour. Also because of this, the light is not diffused like a conventional light source. The light emitted is a very tight beam. The result of this is a beam of light that can travel much further than other light sources. By harvesting the narrow powerful light, laser light sources have various applications such as: Entertainment Laser light shows are created by bouncing different lasers into each other to create special effects Computing Lasers can be used as a form of communication due to the high speed of light. The most common application is fibre optics. Production Due to the high amount of energy concentrated in a laser light source, they can be used in production to cut a range of materials. Optical Fibre Communications Information in the form of coded light of infrared signals are carry across Optical Fibres. The information carried across Optical Fibres can be much more than an ordinary copper data cable of the same diameter. An optical fibre is a very thin shard of glass. Next to no light is absorbed by the glass. Light is carried from one end to the other by total internal reflection (TIR), even when the fibre is bent. The signals in optical fibres do not weaken as much over long distances as the signals in ordinary cables. The laser diode that is used for optical fibre communications is typically either 850nm, 1300nm or 1550nm. This means that the waveform used is in the infrared field of the electromagnetic spectrum. We use infrared because the attenuation if the fibre is less at infrared wavelengths. On the next page are the results from the PASCO data acquisition software whilst carrying out the experiment procedure using a LED light source. The light sensor was set to have a gain setting of 10 because of the small spectrum that the wavelength covers. Peak to peak wavelength: Red Waveform Trough to trough: Red Waveform My experiment results show that the laser light source is emitting visible light in the range of 624 to 690nm. The laser is emitting a red light. The overall results of the spectrum experiment look unique to each other. All three light sources have different spectra to each other. The Tungsten light source has a wide range across the spectrum covering all the visible colours, as well as ultraviolet light to infrared. The LED light source has a much smaller range across the spectrum compared to the Tungsten light source by only emitting waveforms that combine colours to create a cool white effect. The Laser light source had the smallest range on the visible light spectrum, only covering the colour red. This light source is much more concentrated on one area of the spectrum compared to the other light sources. From the results, I can see why each type of light source is used for its applications. Tungsten light sources cover all colours within the visible light spectrum, and so they are good for illuminating objects, in the form of a light bulb. LED light sources only cover specific colours within the visible light spectrum, and so they are good for indication lamps and signals. Laser light sources only cover one area of the light spectrum and therefor used for communications. Laser diode light sources are the key piece of equipment for optical communications because of the small wavelength that they emit. This small wavelength can be interpreted as data signals and used as optical communications. The overall results of this experiment where great. The result were exactly how I predicted them to be. If I could change anything about the experiment, it would be the Tungsten light source. I would use a larger light source as the Tungsten light source used was not very effective during the experiment. Dr Yongkang Gong University of South Wales Lecturer For teaching me about light waves Christopher Edwards Alex Houston Daniel Price University of South Wales Students For taking part in this series of experiments. BBC. (n.d.). Introduction to light waves. Retrieved from BBC Bite Size. Lighting Research Centre. (n.d.). How is white light made with LEDs? Retrieved from http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/led/whiteLight.asp NASA. (n.d.). What Wavelength Goes With a Color? Retrieved from https://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html PASCO. (n.d.). Educational Spectrophotometer Accessory Kit and System. Photon Start. (n.d.). How LEDs Produce White Light. Retrieved from http://www.photonstartechnology.com/learn/how_leds_produce_white_light Physics Education. (n.d.). What is electromagnetic radiation? Retrieved from http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/pub/tutorial/spectrum.html Physics Forums. (n.d.). LED light diffraction . Retrieved from https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/led-light-diffraction-scattering.211563/ Science World. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wolfram: http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/SnellsLaw.html Snells Law Explained. (n.d.). Retrieved from Hyper Physics: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/refr.html The Law of Refraction. (n.d.). Retrieved from Math Fundimentals: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-01a/chu/Fundamentals/snell.htm TIR. (n.d.). Retrieved from Physics Class Room: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson-3/Total-Internal-Reflection X-Rite. (n.d.). What is a spectrophotometer? Retrieved from http://www.xrite.com/learning/other-resources/what-is-a-spectrophotometer

Slaughterhouse-Five Essay: Irony, Dark Humor, and Satire :: Slaughterhouse-Five Essays

Irony, Dark Humor, and Satire in Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut uses a combination of dark humor and irony in Slaughterhouse-Five. As a result, the novel enables the reader to realize the horrors of war while simultaneously laughing at some of the absurd situations it can generate. Mostly, Vonnegut wants the reader to recognize the fact that one has to accept things as they happen because no one can change the inevitable. Although Slaughterhouse-Five may not be filled with delightful satire and comical scenes, there are accounts which the force the reader to laugh. In one instance, an extremely drunk Billy Pilgrim is searching desperately for the steering wheel of his car: "He was in the backseat of his car, which is why he couldn't find the steering wheel," Vonnegut writes (47). In another episode, Billy becomes "unstuck" in time while watching television, so that he sees a war film backwards and then forwards. The most humorous sequence takes place when Billy travels from the zoo on Tralfamadore to his wedding night with his wife, Valencia. He wakes up to find himself in the German prison camp. He then finds himself back with Valencia after returning from the bathroom. He goes to sleep, then wakes up on a train on the way to his father's funeral. In any case, the reader encounters much dark humor in the novel. There is a sense of an embittered humor with the Tralfamadorian phrase, "So it goes," which is repeated over 100 times in the novel. John May says that Vonnegut's purpose in repeating the phrase after each statement of death is to build its meaning with each incremental refrain (Contemporary Literary Criticism 8: 530). At first, the saying can be looked upon as funny in an ironic way. However, as one reads further, the phrase becomes irritating and irreverent. The reader cannot fathom so many deaths meaning so little. According t o Wayne McGinnis, it is most likely Vonnegut's intent to cause such feelings from the reader (Contemporary Literary Criticism 5: 468). This punctuating phrase forces the reader to look at the novel's deaths one after the other. Ultimately, the repetition creates a feeling of resentment that too many people are killed. The saying is a grim reminder that means exactly the opposite of what its words say. Vonnegut ends the novel with the reminder of the deaths of JFK, Martin Luther King, and all of those that died in Vietnam.

Ford Motor Solution Essay

I. Strategic Profile Company overview: Ford Motor Company is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world which Henry Ford is the founder. The company manufactures and distributes automobiles in over 200 markets across six continents. The company’s strong brand portfolio gives it a significant competitive advantage. However, less vehicle production in developed markets would reduce demand for the company’s products, and have negatively impacting its financial performance. The Situation Analysis The US auto market was saturated, faced the decrease in product demand and increased competition from foreign manufacturers. Japanese cars such as Toyota, Nissan, and Honda had come and took market share in US market. Because of the rising gasoline price, the demand of customers had shifted from US manufacturers to more fuel efficient car like Japanese car. The economic downturn in US had also affected Ford to face loss. These made Ford sales decrease. Then, Ford has to reduce the cost. Ford has lay off workers, close assembly plants, reduce vehicle models, and restructuring plan. Ford reduced the number of retail outlets from almost 4,400 to 3,424. GM reduced its dealer to 4,500 and Chrysler reduced to 2,311. Most of Ford’s cuts were from larger metropolitan markets and the elimination of the Mercury brand. Also, cut approximately 35% of its Lincoln dealers. Ford also implements ONE Ford plan and its mission is ONE Ford, ONE Team, ONE Plan, and ONE Goal. In order to increase sale, Ford has develop marketing strategy by provide large amount of information about the car such as price, quality and style on the internet for the customers to access to those unlimited information to compare products and choose the vehicles that meet their needs. The General environment Economic: Economic crisis in 2006 that affected all the auto industry. Many of the company had to bankruptcy or close the business. Ford also had to close many factories, lay off workers, and reduce the dealership to save cost. Rising of gasoline prices make it more expensive for consumers. That makes Ford’s sales decline and less revenue returns. Even the economic in US is decrease but because of globalization. It increases the international opportunities to Ford mostly in emerging market such as China and India. Technology: Ford has invested heavily in the development of premium technology to better serve its customers and to improve the safety, security, fuel efficiency, and design. These technologies will help company to save cost, increase reputation, build good image, serve customers want, and can compete with competitors. The Industry environment Five Forces Analysis 1. Threat of new entrants There are many factors that restrict new comers to entry the industry. Being in the automobile manufacture, it required high capital to invest. The companies have to invest a lot in research and development to create new technology all the time. For example; Ford invested $135 million to design, engineer, and manufacture key components for its hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. The companies such as Ford, GM, and Chrysler are all has the reputation in the name itself. And those three are called as the Detroit Three, they claimed about 50.1% of the US auto market in June 2011.So, it is difficult for new rivalry to build the name and compete with. Moreover, they have more experiences and can produce vehicles that more closely matched consumer needs. Even thought, Japanese cars had come to take market share due to the rise up of gasoline price and environment concerns. So, some consumers had turn to them. 2. Threat of substitute products As the population increases and global warming problem, people have found alternative transportation methods such as trolleys, Dial-A-Ride, taxis, bicycles, and walking. Enhancing public transportation systems such as rail systems and subways is to develop urban areas. These might lead private car less necessary to people. Also, we have to be careful of the environment. Therefore, it creates the hybrid engine and fuel saving motor. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers Many suppliers had been close due to the recession. And because suppliers have to cooperate with automobile industry, when automobile companies’ sales reduce suppliers will also affected. Therefore, there are highly competitive in suppliers. Ford chose to make a long term agreement with select strategic global suppliers to obtain best technologies and materials. 4. Bargaining power of buyers The gasoline price is affected the customers to purchase cars. And their preferences are design for car produced and sold. Ford has to concern about the customer living life, style and what they want. So they can provide a car that answer the customers’ want to satisfy them the most. Buyers have power to control the price and design. Ford had used many media methods to reach the customers including newspaper, radio, television advertising, as well as social media. Buyers also make the price competition in industry. Ford had to produce at low cost to sell at low price. 5. Rivalry among competing firms There are high competitions in automobile industry in both domestic and international. There are many competitors in this business. Even, The Detroit Three took a biggest share in market the industry is still growing very fast due to new technology development. The competition from foreign manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan, and Honda makes its more intense. It forced Ford to compete with others by maintain quality standard, new innovation, energy-efficient in order to increase the revenue and reduce cost. Internal Analysis (SWOT) 1. Strengths Ford has strong brand recognition as they are one of the biggest companies in industry. Ford has huge investment in research and development to create new technology and has capability for engineering. Ford operated business over six continents and has large group of customers in both domestic and international. Ford had wide network of distributors and dealers. The company change to use pull strategy to give higher priority in customer satisfaction and driven by customer demand and preferences. Moreover, Ford gets many awards about technologies they had invented. We can see the success of Ford from the global sales of the latest generation model Fiesta, available on five continents that sold more than 1 million. 2. Weaknesses Ford had recalled about 300,000 cars because of the possible fire danger from engine overheating problems. This might affect the image of Ford and the perception of customer toward company. 3. Opportunities Even the demand for vehicle in US had fell but it can replace by globalization. Ford has made attentions to emerging market in China and India. These two markets expected to grow very fast and become ranking to first three largest markets which have China, India and US. In addition, Ford has joint venture with many companies in foreign to create more strength. The population is now increasing rapidly so demand for car will be higher. And because there are trend of saving fuel, environmental, economic issues and increasing demand for dual fuel vehicles, Ford new hybrid vehicle model will gain a lot of interest. 4. Threats Asian car had come to take market share in US market. The prices of Asian cars are obviously lower. The demand for Japanese car has increase. This made Ford to reduce the price to maintain the market share and had to reduce the cost of production. Economic slowdown in US and Euro zone was also one factor that created Ford net losses. Competitors’ environment

Spanish Nouns Whose Meanings Change With Gender

Spanish Nouns Whose Meanings Change With Gender Nearly all nouns in Spanish are always masculine or always feminine. But there are a few nouns that can be of either gender. In most cases, those are the nouns describing what people do for a living, and the gender varies with the person the word stands for. Thus, for example, el dentista refers to a male dentist, while la dentista refers to a female dentist. Un artista is a male artist, while una artista is a female artist. Most of the occupational words that follow this pattern end in -ista. One common exception is atleta: un atleta is a male athlete, while una atleta is a female athlete. When Gender Affects Meaning But there are a few nouns where the matter of gender is more complicated. Those are the nouns whose meanings vary depending on the gender of articles or adjectives used with them. Here is a list of the most common such words; only the basic or most usual meanings are included here. baterà ­a: el baterà ­a male drummer; la baterà ­a battery, female drummerbusca: el busca pager (electronic device); la busca searchcabeza: el cabeza male in charge; la cabeza head (body part), female in chargecalavera: el calavera excessively hedonistic man; la calavera skullcapital: el capital investment; la capital capital city, capital lettercircular: el circular pie chart; la circular circular (printed notice)cà ³lera: el cà ³lera cholera; la cà ³lera angercoma: el coma coma; la coma commacometa: el cometa comet; la cometa kiteconsonante: el consonante rhyme; la consonante consonantcontra: el contra drawback or organ pedal; la contra opposing attitude or an antidotecorte: el corte cut, blade; la corte court (law)cura: el cura Catholic priest; la cura curedelta: el delta delta (of a river); la delta delta (Greek letter)doblez: el doblez fold, crease; la doblez double dealingeditorial: el editorial editorial (opinion article); la editorial pub lishing business escucha: el escucha male sentry or guard; la escucha female sentry or guard, the act of listeningfinal: el final end; la final championship game in a tournamentfrente: el frente front; la frente foreheadguardia: el guardia policeman; la guardia protection, custody, guard, police force, policewomanguà ­a: el guà ­a male guide; la guà ­a guidebook, female guidehaz: el haz   bundle or light beam; la  haz   face or surface (La haz is an exception to the rule about using el with feminine nouns beginning with a stressed a sound.)maà ±ana: el maà ±ana future; la maà ±ana morningmargen: el margen margin; la margen bank (as of a river)moral: el moral blackberry bush; la moral morale, moralityorden: el orden order (opposite of chaos); la orden religious orderordenanza: el ordenanza order (opposite of chaos); la ordenanza orderlypapa: el papa pope; la papa potatoparte: el parte document; la parte portionpendiente: el pendiente earring; la pendiente slopepez : el pez fish; la pez tar or pitch policà ­a: el policà ­a policeman; la policà ­a police force, policewomanradio: el radio radius, radium; la radio radio (In some areas, radio is masculine in all uses.)tema: el tema subject; la tema obsession (traditionally feminine for this meaning, although in modern usage tema is usually masculine for all uses)terminal: el terminal electrical terminal; la terminal shipping terminaltrompeta: el trompeta male trumpeter; la trompeta trumpet, female trumpetervista: el vista male customs officer; la vista view, female customs officervocal: el vocal male committee member; la vocal vowel, female committee member Why Some Nouns Have Two Genders The reasons some of the nouns in this list have two genders is lost in history, but in a few cases the dual gender is a matter of etymology: The masculine noun and feminine are separate words that only coincidentally have the same sound and spelling, making them homographs. Among the homograph pairs on this list are: El papa comes from Latin, which is common for words related to Catholicism, but la papa comes from Quechua, an indigenous South America language.Both el haz and la haz come from Latin. The former comes from fascis, the latter from facies.El coma comes from a Greek word referring to a deep sleep. While la coma has Greek origins, it came directly to Spanish from Latin.El pez comes from the Latin piscis, while la pez comes from the Latin pix or picis.

Free Essays on Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice presents a new type of heroine. In her novel, she did not portray a traditional heroine like Jane Bennet. She imposed a new heroine, with new attributes, different to those related to the traditional heroine in the Victorian society. A true woman should combine many attributes. In traditional love story, the heroine must be submissive, weak, extremely beautiful, and dependent. Austen inverted this traditional image of the heroine to come up with a new type of a realistic one. Elizabeth Bennet is an original heroine and antithetical to the heroine of romance due to many reasons. Firstly, she is physically fit. This is evident when she walked for three miles on foot to help her sister. She did not care about the long distance she had to walk. Also, she did not care about the bad weather conditions. Secondly, this example provides another merit in her character which is her caring nature. She is very sensible. She felt responsible for her sister. When there is a need for help, she doesn’t care about social manners or decorum. Thirdly, she is very rational and has a sense of reason and logic. She tried to educate her self through reading. Fourthly, she is a daring and challenging lady, who believed in certain principles. She is independent and strong minded. Elizabeth is not extremely beautiful, but her inner beauty compensates for her lack of physical beauty. She is not as pretty as Jane, but her character is very attractive and worthy of respect. In my opinion, the most important merit in her character is the fact that she is courageous and respectable. She was courageous enough to turn down an irresistible proposal to save her self respect and dignity. I believe that she was rational enough to see that there was no hope in having a happy marriage after that kind of an insulting and condescending proposal. She knew that the man â€Å"Darc... Free Essays on Jane Austen Free Essays on Jane Austen Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice presents a new type of heroine. In her novel, she did not portray a traditional heroine like Jane Bennet. She imposed a new heroine, with new attributes, different to those related to the traditional heroine in the Victorian society. A true woman should combine many attributes. In traditional love story, the heroine must be submissive, weak, extremely beautiful, and dependent. Austen inverted this traditional image of the heroine to come up with a new type of a realistic one. Elizabeth Bennet is an original heroine and antithetical to the heroine of romance due to many reasons. Firstly, she is physically fit. This is evident when she walked for three miles on foot to help her sister. She did not care about the long distance she had to walk. Also, she did not care about the bad weather conditions. Secondly, this example provides another merit in her character which is her caring nature. She is very sensible. She felt responsible for her sister. When there is a need for help, she doesn’t care about social manners or decorum. Thirdly, she is very rational and has a sense of reason and logic. She tried to educate her self through reading. Fourthly, she is a daring and challenging lady, who believed in certain principles. She is independent and strong minded. Elizabeth is not extremely beautiful, but her inner beauty compensates for her lack of physical beauty. She is not as pretty as Jane, but her character is very attractive and worthy of respect. In my opinion, the most important merit in her character is the fact that she is courageous and respectable. She was courageous enough to turn down an irresistible proposal to save her self respect and dignity. I believe that she was rational enough to see that there was no hope in having a happy marriage after that kind of an insulting and condescending proposal. She knew that the man â€Å"Darc... Free Essays on Jane Austen Jane Austen In Jane Austen’s books she is not only the official role, but also the narrator or commentator. She also has an active and controlling presence in her books. Austen presents a style that is fiction and is created out of naturalism. When you read the final product, the book seems real because most readers feel like they know Jane Austen. On the other hand, some readers feel she is a senseless and a very incomplete woman. Austen lived a lot of her dreams through her novels since they were based on observation of her family and friends. Her writing was filled by her total artistic command over her daily experiences (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British authors of the nineteenth century). Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire, England. Her parents were the Reverend George and Cassandra Leigh Austen. She was the seventh of eight children. The Austen family was large and extremely poor. Austen’s father provided for his family by farming and tutoring. He was also the parish clergyman and a classical scholar with a taste for fiction. Their home was larger than most homes at the time, but it did not seem large to such a big family (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British Women Writers). Her parents sent her brothers Henry and James to a boarding school, where they later edited a literary periodical, The Loiterer. The Austens also sent Jane, six years old, and her sister Cassandra, nine years old, away to Oxford to attend school. The sisters later moved to Southampton in 1782. At the school in Southampton, both girls fell ill of a high fever. While still sick, they were sent to Madame Latourelle, who conducted The Abbey School of Reading. The sisters were not learning as much as they should have been so their parents took them out of the program, and decided to educate them themselves (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British Women Writers). The family loved many novels and read books all the time. That same love for...

Intelligence Analysis Essay Example

Intelligence Analysis Essay Example Intelligence Analysis Essay Intelligence Analysis Essay Applicants must be British citizens. GOGH values diversity and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community. We want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our work. 6 We all know someone who is incredibly bright and yet cannot seem to pull their life together. The brilliant student who flunks out of university, or the incredibly intelligent worker who cant seem to get ahead in their company. We know from our familiarity with them that they have a good to superior intelligence level, but that doesnt seem to be enough to ensure success. And at the same time, we can probably describe in some form why we feel these people have not been successful. Our descriptions would include certain traits or behaviors that have nothing to do with intelligence. Over time, scientists have begun to study why standard intelligence along isnt enough to predict performance in an individual. They have realized that there is another type of intelligence that isnt related to the standard cognitive emotional intelligence is, how you can discover what your own E. I actually is and how, by understanding your own emotions and those of others, take your leadership and management skills to the next level. Sean Machete, the Founder and Managing Director of management development specialists, MAD Training is the author of this publication. Sean has been featured on CNN, BBC, TV, on numerous radio stations and has contributed to many newspapers. Hes been featured in over 250 different publications as a thought leader within the management development and training industry. MAD has been working with a wide variety of clients (both large and small) in the UK and internationally for several years. MAD specialist in providing: In-house, tailor made management training courses (1-5 days duration) Open courses (Delivered throughout the UK at various locations) Management leadership development programmer (From 5 days to 2 years) Corporate and executive coaching (With senior or middle managers) MAD provide a wide range of management training courses and programmer that enable new and experienced managers to maximize their potential by gaining or refining their management and leadership skills. Our team of highly skilled and experienced trainers and consultants have all had distinguished careers in senior management roles and bring with them a wealth of practical experience to each course. At MAD Training we will design and deliver a solution that suits your specific needs addressing the issues and requirements from your training brief that best fits your culture, learning style and ways of working. Our should be fun, highly interactive and provide real world practical techniques and methods that you can use back in the office and thats exactly what we provide. Download A FREE Self Study Management Course Please visit our website www. M-t-d. Co. UK for further details about the services that we offer and to also download a FREE Self Study Management Course contact MAD: Online: Web: www. -t-d. Co. UK Email: [emailprotected] Co. UK Telephone: From The UK: 0800 849 6732 International: ++ 44 800 849 6732 8 1 . Overview of Emotional Intelligence 1. 1 Introduction intelligence. The study of emotional intelligence has its roots in the work of Darwin, who posited that emotional expression was essential for survival. Over time, scientists have begun to study why standard intelligence along isnt enough to predict performance in an individual. They have realized that there is another type of intelligence that isnt related to the standard cognitive intelligence its called emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a relatively new subject of study, though its roots go back to the time of Darwin, who posited that emotional expression was essential for survival. But what do we mean when we talk about emotional intelligence? The fact is that there are numerous ways of defining emotional intelligence. But for now, lets say that it is the ability to be aware of your emotions and the emotions of others and then to use that knowledge to help manage the expression of emotions so that they foster success instead of cause roadblocks. Those who have high levels of emotional intelligence, or El for short, are able to heir bodies, minds, relationships, and ability to pursue and achieve goals. They then are able to moderate their own emotions so that their emotions support their activities and enhance their quality of life. Emotional intelligence involves a combination of competencies which allow a person to be aware of, to understand, and to be in control of their own emotions, to recognize and understand the emotions of others, and to use this knowledge to foster their success and the success of others. People with highly developed El are proven to be more successful in the workplace cause they can understand their emotions and why they behave the way that they behave. They can use their emotions as clues to what their body and mind are trying to tell them. And they can use their El to truly understand others and their points of view. When they wield this kind of tool, they can overcome the kinds of emotional obstacles that tend to stop us all. They can understand why others feel the way that they feel and why they are doing what they are doing, and use that knowledge to help others perform at their best. They can resolve conflict quickly and recover from setbacks with aplomb. They are good in a crisis, strong at communicating, and successful where others fail. Later in this eBook, well look in more detail at some real-life examples of how El can help you in the workplace. But now, lets look at how emotional intelligence is different from our traditional ideas about intelligence. 1. 2 Theories of Multiple Intelligences Until the last century, the understanding of intelligence was strictly related to cognitive functions such as memory, learning, and problem-solving. However, scientists had begun to understand by the sass that non-cognitive aspects of intelligence also exist. For example, E. L. Thornier described a type of social intelligence that was related to managing and understanding others. In 1940, David Heckler further developed the concept of non-cognitive intelligence by arguing that no full definition of intelligence could exist until we were able to fully define those aspects that were not related to traditionally measured cognitive skills. Then in 1983, Howard Gardner published a groundbreaking work entitled Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. He argued that people have more than one type of intelligence, and that these types

Management of Risk and Protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Health Essay

Management of Risk and Protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Health and Social Care - Essay Example The goal has shifted to creating frameworks for action upon which the responsible agencies are called to work in consultations to assure coherent policies in protecting vulnerable persons from risks of abuse as well as effective and consistent responses from circumstances ascertained from concerns of formal complaints and anxiety expressions (Heaslip and Ryden 65). The primary aim of agencies includes preventing abuse in areas possible and establishing preventive strategy progression. Agencies require an assurance that there are robust procedures in place to deal with any incident of abuse. Circumstances for which exploitation and harm occurs is popular for the extreme diversity and membership of at-risk groups. The problematic issue is the identification of subsequent steps in making responses to such diversity (Young 121). The healthcare policies ascertain that service availability and existence of illness symptoms is substantiated in explaining the application of services. Service s can be availed even without the use and may be utilized in a manner that is not established in the performance (Larkin 87). People can seek the help of various problems above others without seeking help from the reflection of intended services provision. Scoping reports identify mismatches between patients’ needs and professional expectations to the service uptake patterns. The description of problems for the delay, as well as non-uptake for health services, appears to have a link to the underlying social deprivation structures and specific membership for cultural groups (Leathard, Goodinson-McLaren and McLaren 87).

BUSINESS MODELS, CUSTOMER & CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES Assignment - 2

BUSINESS MODELS, CUSTOMER & CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES - Assignment Example This shows that the fee is reasonable and that is the reason as to why many people were able to afford this treatment. The cost compete with that of laser treatment, and therefore, the company has made it possible to secure more patients using the LED instead of them going for laser treatment at almost the same cost. The annual quantity of the LED cannot be estimated unless the service providers give information on the quantity that they use on each treatment. In ensuring the marketing of the product, the company may be in a position to make donations to the charity organizations, which in turn may promote the product, making it possible for people to seek more treatment from the company. Another way in which the product can be promoted is by ensuring that the company creates a clear relationship with the clients, and this can be done through social networks and websites. The clients may in turn promote the product and bring in more people to seek the same treatment (Michalowicz, 2009). The Company’s approach to the manufacture of the product should be through the government and the research institutions which have proved that the product is safe and can be used for treatment. The company should also ensure that it designs the system which is required in the production of LED. As the CEO of the company, I would work together with the service providers to ensure that the product is well used in order to satisfy the customers, and also make sure that the costs are favorable and competitive with other companies such as those which offer laser treatment. The main business idea is that of coming up with a computer which can only be established through a team of people, and which can be sold at a relatively high cost for the benefit of the company. In order to come up with the evolution of the computer, it means that Andy wants to be a

Poor Quality of Drivers Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poor Quality of Drivers Education - Essay Example The conclusion of this research will summarize the main facts and bring the clear point that there needs to be more effective measures put into place in these driving courses which will better prepare young people out on the road and lower the motor vehicle fatalities that occur among young drivers on a yearly basis. In recent years the quality of driver's education courses for those in high-school have been coming under increasing levels of scrutiny due to the numerous fatalities that have been occurring among young people on rural roads and open highways. Due to the obvious problems with past performances of young drivers, following graduating from a driver's education course, requirements have been changing rapidly in this educational area in order to try and promote more responsible driving habits and increased awareness of how dangerous motor vehicles actually can be (Eisner 2002). For instance, if teens were taught about the specifics of driving and allowed to practice enough in driver's educational programs then perhaps they would gain a better comprehension on what all it entails instead of bits and pieces added in where the instructor feels it is necessary. The most important aspects of driver's educational courses for teenagers should cover even the minutest areas such as impatience while driving, what to do in an emergency, communication strategies, road rage, drunk driving, and many other fundamental points in order to try and minimize car accidents in this age group. There is no doubt that learning is a never ending process. Therefore, building up to gradual independent driving privileges, through improved driver's education classes is what it appears it is going to take to safeguard the wellbeing of more teenage drivers before they have full privileges on the road. Teenage Drivers and the Existing Concerns Common knowledge tells any competent individual that operating a motor vehicle brings with it a tremendous amount of responsibility onto the person in behind the wheel. This is because out on the road there are many lives at stake, the claim is that a number of teenagers are not mature enough or responsible enough for driving any type of motorized vehicle (Albanese 2002). The teen driver is risking his life when he brings a vehicle on the road without being confident of his driving skills or without having prior experience. It has been noticed that while most of us think that driving accidents are connected with alcohol consumption, the statistics reveals that most accidents by teenagers are caused due to immaturity and lack of experience. "Driving an automobile requires making skilled and well-timed decisions several times a second. Such decisions are based on prior knowledge and driving experience" (Bondurant 2004). However, teenagers lack this knowledge, which is the number one c ause of road accidents involving a teen driver. For this reason, it is proposed that driving age should be increased from 16 to 18 in order to allow drivers to appear on the road only after they have had some kind of mature experience on the road and are capable of making timely decision in a critical situation. While many have

Vignette Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vignette Response - Essay Example The ethical considerations of counseling someone who has come in need of help are put to task when a member of a group believes that the person in need of help is a danger to the overall community. In order to best address the problems presented by this scenario, they must be divided for their individual needs and the responses for which they require. The first problem facing the counselor in this situation is how to help leader X deal with his difficulty with internet pornography. In dealing with this issue, the methods through which the counseling takes place must be directed at the bets possible outcome for the client. The second problem that is being faced is concerned with the expectation that leader Y has that personal information concerning leader X is relevant to the performance of leader X’s leadership and capability within the church. This concern suggests that revealing the personal information about leader X is the course of action that leader Y has come to expect. However, ethical concerns must be addressed and considered when trying to decide whether or not to reveal information about leader X. ... The key to determining if the behavior is pathology of a behavior is through the amount of control over the behavior the client can exhibit (Franklin and Fong 41). In this hypothetical, it must be assumed that the client has lost his ability to control his behavior because he is allowing it to affect his relationships. Another aspect of a pathological behavior towards sex is that it might indicate a need to separate from intimacy with a spouse. According to Franklin and Fong â€Å"Sexual acting out is a factor of the addict’s loneliness and anger† (41). The perception of a lack of control is often a symptom of being at war within the mind, the need to rebel and continue the behavior in conflict with the need to stop the behavior and confront whatever issue has led to this pathology. One of the first methods of counseling someone who has developed a sexual pathology is through finding out the core problems that have led to this separation from intimacy. It is possible th at this separation occurred long before marriage or the pathology began. Therefore, psychotherapy can be very beneficial in getting to the core of the reasons behind the behavior (Roukema 176). One of the most important forms of psychotherapy that can be suggested to leader X is that he become a part of group therapy. According to Cairnes and Adams, group therapy has shown a great deal of success in dealing with issue of sexual addiction. While there is no definitive research as to why it works, it is assumed that a series of human experiences, including but not limited to the instillation of hope, universality, imparting of information, altruism, and the recapitulation of the family group, can lead to effective relief from the need to indulge in the

Compare and contrast 2 stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare and contrast 2 stories - Essay Example Miss Brill and Good Country People expose their characters in a descriptive manner, for the former, the introduction was done by describing the setting, talking about the atmosphere while the latter described one of the main characters, Mrs. Freeman, then going to the other characters. The internal conflict in Miss Brill was shown more pronouncedly in the main character while external conflicts were exhibited by secondary characters. For instance, the thoughts of Miss Brill is revealed which exposes her feelings about another character in the story when she was listening to an old man and woman who have been talking about her glasses, showing how enraged she had been about the woman’s complaints probably reflecting herself, with the statement â€Å" Miss Brill had wanted to shake her†. The other story involved most of the characters in showing the internal and external conflicts, with the passionate characterizations and portrayal of their roles in the story. Mrs. Freem an struggled with her family and their problems laid before her, affecting both her mental, emotional as well as physical beings. Mrs. Hopewell on the other hand faced emotional struggles with her own daughter and Mrs. Freeman while Hulga had her own internal conflicts as the effects of her external conflict that is, her disability. Both stories show a narrator of which both are omniscient, knowing the feelings and thoughts of all the characters. However, Miss Brill is more of a limited omniscient narrator who sees through the mind of the main character in contrast to Good Country People which exposes not only the thoughts and feelings of the main character but of other characters as well. This manner of telling the story brings the reader to picture all the characters in a more detailed fashion which helps to understand the events of the story more clearly. Complications in Miss Brill are shown with the introduction of other characters as viewed in the eyes of the main character as she sits to observe or to the author’s words, ‘watch the play on the stage’. The other story on the contrary becomes complicated with the introduction of the antagonist, the Bible salesman who then takes interest in Hulga. Both stories have not exposed any foreshadowing or clue to how the story would end but plainly presented the events as they happened especially with the story of Miss Brill. Good Country People on the other hand ingeniously saved the conclusion of the story by leaving the exposition of the true character of the antagonist towards the end of the story. Both also have an open plot wherein the conflicts were not resolved at the end of the story but were left for the reader to finish or think of what might be the conclusion of the story. Such method is said to be clever, leaving the reader thinking about the story and not forgetting it in a moment. Miss Brill is about reflections, dreams and lust with the first one shown through the character of M iss Brill who usually spends her Sunday afternoons watching the people at Jardins Publiques, listening to the conversations of those who usually sit at her ‘special seat’ where she observes couples, usually lovers taking their seats there. The reason for her going there was not mentioned in the story but her ‘special seat’ represents her dreams of having a partner, and her sexual desires. Good Country Peop

Poetry as a means of establishment of a closer connection between a Essay

Poetry as a means of establishment of a closer connection between a poet and a reader - Essay Example To see how thematic issues and such special aesthetic qualities of the genre of poetry combine, one can turn attention to the poem that on the superficial level may seem to be devoted to the description of a filling station visited by the author who is the speaker. However, the theme of the poem is much wider than that - in fact, the authors choice of setting that creates a mini-plot of the poem, of characters, to which not only the owner of the station and his sons may be attributed but dog and even a begonia plant as well, and of a unique atmosphere of surprise and discovery of unusual things in usual environment turns out to be perhaps the best way to simultaneously tell a short story about a short visit to the dirty filling station, and express intense emotion that infects readers and makes them feel like they themselves are wondering about the strange and so invigorating coexistence of dirt, oil, and of elements symbolizing ever-present human concern for happiness and meaning em bodied by wickerwork, comic books, taboret and doily with marguerites, and begonia. The most important tool that enabled the poet to establish such a strong emotional poetic effect over readers was definitely the usage of language in the poem as the author reinforces its thematic content by free v

Vignette Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vignette Response - Essay Example The ethical considerations of counseling someone who has come in need of help are put to task when a member of a group believes that the person in need of help is a danger to the overall community. In order to best address the problems presented by this scenario, they must be divided for their individual needs and the responses for which they require. The first problem facing the counselor in this situation is how to help leader X deal with his difficulty with internet pornography. In dealing with this issue, the methods through which the counseling takes place must be directed at the bets possible outcome for the client. The second problem that is being faced is concerned with the expectation that leader Y has that personal information concerning leader X is relevant to the performance of leader X’s leadership and capability within the church. This concern suggests that revealing the personal information about leader X is the course of action that leader Y has come to expect. However, ethical concerns must be addressed and considered when trying to decide whether or not to reveal information about leader X. ... The key to determining if the behavior is pathology of a behavior is through the amount of control over the behavior the client can exhibit (Franklin and Fong 41). In this hypothetical, it must be assumed that the client has lost his ability to control his behavior because he is allowing it to affect his relationships. Another aspect of a pathological behavior towards sex is that it might indicate a need to separate from intimacy with a spouse. According to Franklin and Fong â€Å"Sexual acting out is a factor of the addict’s loneliness and anger† (41). The perception of a lack of control is often a symptom of being at war within the mind, the need to rebel and continue the behavior in conflict with the need to stop the behavior and confront whatever issue has led to this pathology. One of the first methods of counseling someone who has developed a sexual pathology is through finding out the core problems that have led to this separation from intimacy. It is possible th at this separation occurred long before marriage or the pathology began. Therefore, psychotherapy can be very beneficial in getting to the core of the reasons behind the behavior (Roukema 176). One of the most important forms of psychotherapy that can be suggested to leader X is that he become a part of group therapy. According to Cairnes and Adams, group therapy has shown a great deal of success in dealing with issue of sexual addiction. While there is no definitive research as to why it works, it is assumed that a series of human experiences, including but not limited to the instillation of hope, universality, imparting of information, altruism, and the recapitulation of the family group, can lead to effective relief from the need to indulge in the

Poetry as a means of establishment of a closer connection between a Essay

Poetry as a means of establishment of a closer connection between a poet and a reader - Essay Example To see how thematic issues and such special aesthetic qualities of the genre of poetry combine, one can turn attention to the poem that on the superficial level may seem to be devoted to the description of a filling station visited by the author who is the speaker. However, the theme of the poem is much wider than that - in fact, the authors choice of setting that creates a mini-plot of the poem, of characters, to which not only the owner of the station and his sons may be attributed but dog and even a begonia plant as well, and of a unique atmosphere of surprise and discovery of unusual things in usual environment turns out to be perhaps the best way to simultaneously tell a short story about a short visit to the dirty filling station, and express intense emotion that infects readers and makes them feel like they themselves are wondering about the strange and so invigorating coexistence of dirt, oil, and of elements symbolizing ever-present human concern for happiness and meaning em bodied by wickerwork, comic books, taboret and doily with marguerites, and begonia. The most important tool that enabled the poet to establish such a strong emotional poetic effect over readers was definitely the usage of language in the poem as the author reinforces its thematic content by free v

Luxury Good and Burberry Essay Example for Free

Luxury Good and Burberry Essay 3. 2. 1Brand Equity Earning the royal seal of approval and outfitting the Royal Army placed Burberry on the map as â€Å"the original British luxury brand† but somewhere along the line, it became the raincoat brand known more for outfitting stuffy elder statesmen than the cloth of choice for the glamorous rich and famous. Burberry revamped its brand image, hiring new designers who took the signature plaid from raincoats to bikinis. Recent ads featuring British fashion icons like Kate Moss and Stella Tennant embody the essence of the new Burberry, depicting a modern edginess merged with a classic British elitism. Though they faced alienating loyal customers, Burberry balanced innovation with tradition to create an authentic, yet altogether more contemporary luxury offering. Since its reinvention, Burberrys equity has only increased, both in awareness and in meaning, that meaning now being relevant to a much broader audience. 3. 2. 2Brand Position Burberry under Bravo repositioned as a distinctive luxury brand with a clear corporate strategy aiming to broaden its appeal to new customers while retaining its traditional clientele. The reposition included †¢A highly distinctive advertising campaign. †¢A change of name from Burberrys to Burberry †¢A strong in house design team and the launch of Prorsum †¢Closure of unprofitable and non-core retail stores in Europe †¢Opening a new flagship store in London- New Bond street †¢Elimination of inappropriate wholesale accounts including the termination of distribution to known parallel traders; †¢Upgrading of the international Burberry London product range, including the restructuring of its sourcing and pricing, and the elimination of unnecessary product variation. 3. 2. 3Competition Burberry competitors are primarily in the Apparel Accessories Retail industry. Burberry also competes in the Cosmetics, Beauty Supply Perfume Retail, and Apparel sectors. Challenges facing Burberry today include increasing competition in the luxury goods sector. Companies such as Barbour are making progress in areas dominant by Burberry. As time continues the new companies of today are becoming brands of tomorrow and the luxury market is becoming highly competitive. Principal Competitors: In competition with Burberry there are a lot of companies like House of Fraser plc; Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Coach, Gucci. Burberry is wedged between lifestyle represented by Ralph Lauren and fashion represented by Gucci. Burrberry has effectively addressed competition by placing itself carefully so as to avoid direct competition but complicating the issue was the fact that burberry’s brand positioning placed it in indirect competition with both lifestyle brands and fashion brands. 3. 2. 4integrated market channels People use different channels for different reasons. Internet users bought products from a retailer’s offline store after viewing them on the seller’s Website. † Additionally, experience shows that television support for a direct marketing campaign can improve direct marketing response rates significantly. Each channel influences the others. Burberry operates e-commerce and other channels in the United States and across 26 European countries. Multiple channels converge into a unified user experience, if channels fail to offer a unified voice, look, and feel, Burberry may disappoint or frustrate customers. A multichannel user expects an integrated experience across all touch points with a brand or information source, and delivering on this expectation is the challenge for Burberry. This situation is more complicated by the presence of Burberry all around the globe. Till now Burberry effectively addressed integrated market channels. 3. 2. 5Price strategy Prices had been raised to reflect the Burberry’s new brand positioning. Serving a niche market sandwiched between labels like Polo Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani in apparels, and between Coach and Gucci in accessories. Burberry offered lower-priced labels for younger and fashion-conscious customer. At high end, Burberry offered the label Prorsum as a way to reinforce Burberrys positioning in the luxury brand. 3. 2. 6Retailing Burberry’s retail distribution is through DOS (comprising flagship and regular price stores), concession, designer outlets and factory shops. The flagship store are important since they act as a showcase for the brand creating a sense of theater through Burberry can promote a lifestyle and its product ranges . The store are also used to trial new products and concepts, and they carry exclusive lines. Burberry flagship stores are normally require upwards of 10,000 square feet of space and are specifically located in exclusive areas of key cities around the world like London, Tokyo , Barcelona , new York etc. A part of its repositioning a number of stores were closed , renovated or relocated according to image and performance. Burberry continues to move from a relatively static, traditional, wholesale structure to a more dynamic, retail culture and mindset. Burberry became more consumer-centric, responsive organization. This move positively impacted on directly operated stores, franchise partners, wholesale customers and licensing partners worldwide. 3. 2. 7Wholesaling The Wholesale channel includes independent retailers. The wholesale customer include leading department stores and specialty store , including duty free retailers and free standing Burberry store operated by wholesale customers. Burberry selects wholesale customer on the basis of reputation and market positioning. It also works with wholesale customers on a store by store basis to ensure the right product mix. Burberry effectively came out of parallel trading and deteriorated quality in wholesaling under the leadership of Bravo. 3. 2. 8Logistics Through concentration on operational activities, such as replenishment, planning, merchandising, fixturing and visual, Burberry continues to drive store productivity. In addition, Burberry has developed and piloted a sales and service programme which will be implemented globally in retail stores. 3. 2. 9Advertising Burberry believes that its active marketing and management of the brand has been critical to its success. Marketing initiative like advertising and fashion shows and editorial placements are intended to generate editorial coverage and achieve a high profile and consistent visibility in in domestic and international markets. The advertising has articulate the brand values through innovative visuals that have helped formulate a merchandise strategy and provided inspiration for what Burberry could stand for in a contemporary market. In common with most luxury brands where average advertising spend is as high as 10 percentage of sale, Burberry sees advertising as key in strengthening its brand and image. In 1998 the company began its successful advertising strategy to re-launch and reposition its brand. It hired advertising agency Baron Baron and celebrity photographer Mario Testino, whose work had appeared in Vogue, The face, and Vanity Fair, using model Kate moss and Stella Tennant, among others, to inject contemporary sophistication and excitement into what had become a tired traditional brand. Mario Testino helped to visualize the brand. Kate moss has arguably been the most high profile face associated with the campaign, although other celebrities have been involved in the publicity. The powerful black and white images of Moss in bikini were key in capturing the attention and imagination of public. 3. 2. 10Direct marketing Burberry uses the following direct marketing channels. 1. Burberry collects certain personal information from customer for example, name, postal address, phone numbers, e-mail addresses. They use this information to manage customer’s account with them and to provide you with information about our products. Burberry sometimes ask for other details, for example product size and category preferences, age and any special dates (such as birthday and anniversary) which will be used to enhance our service. 2. Email updates and news on Burberry collections and on-line exclusives 3. Wishlist creation for Burberry products. Burberry is effectively utilizing above channales but they can expand more in this are using catalogue, telemarketing and directTV. 3. 2. 11Product strategy From a simple raincoat to a global brand, Burberry has become one of the worlds most successful luxury brands today for men, women, and children, encompassing not only outerwear, but clothing, fragrances, accessories and items for the home. Today Burberry has become an icon. It is a brand with a distinctive British sensibility, strong international recognition and differentiating brand values that resonate across a multi-generational and dual-gender audience. Burberry revitalized its brand by developing the long term effective product strategy. The steps Burberry took to revitalize itself are †¢Consistent projection of Burberrys distinctive luxury message across all mediums is a core objective. †¢Celebrity Endorsement †¢Effective Advertising †¢More Selective Distribution †¢Placement of Advertisement in Exclusive Channels e. g. Fashion show †¢Market penetration and invest in product development †¢Flow frequency: Increasing the frequency of flow of new products to Burberry’s stores. †¢Replenishment: Developing a more extensive and responsive replenishment programme in all product divisions, while evolving in-store visual merchandising and processes to support. †¢Continue to represent British culture, history and tradition 3. 2. 12International marketing Asia represents significant growth opportunities for Burberry as it does for other luxary brands. Japan is the Burberry’s most advance consumer market in asia and its initial point of entry into the region having been there operating there since 1920 brands. The core Burberry men’s and women’s lines have been extended to more fashion forward youth oriented collections – Blue label for women and Black Label for men – both aimed at the under-25 age group. This group has proved particularly receptive to the Prorsum international runway collection. Outside the japan, Burberry has consolidated its distribution in Hong Kong, Singapore and korea. It has new childrens wear business in korea, has opened new prestige stores in hong-kong and undertaken new market initiatives in Singapore Upgrading store image. The Group continues to renovate high profile locations worldwide with a brighter, modern aesthetic and more efficient and productive design concept. In 2008/09, Burberry achieved a 50% increase in revenue from key emerging economies including China, the Middle East, Russia and India. These markets now contribute 9% of sales, up from 6% in 2007/08. Historically, Burberry has operated in these markets through local partners who possess the specific knowledge and resources required to develop the brand in their respective regions. In September 2008, Burberry entered a joint venture with its main partner in the Middle East to manage retail and wholesale operations in certain key markets. Since inception, Burberry Middle East has opened four stores, including two standalone childrenswear stores. Burberry continues to open stores with franchise partners in other markets, with a net eight stores opening last year, including a net two in China and the first significant stores in India.

The main concepts of the behaviorist perspective theory

The main concepts of the behaviorist perspective theory As a reaction to the introspective analysis method in psychology and the focus on the study of mental processes, conscious or unconscious that dominated the beginning of the last century and was considered the object of psychology at that time  [1]  , a new approach was developed under the name of behaviorism. This new psychotherapeutic approach was to dominate psychology for about 50 years. Precursors of this approach are the American psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike  [2]  and the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov  [3]  , but the one who is considered the father of behaviorism and established its theoretical and practical fundaments is John Watson  [4]  . Behavior becomes the focus of psychological investigation because it is the only one that can be scientifically studied and quantified, predicted and controlled. The behaviorist assumptions are that: psychology should be seen as a science and therefore it should deal with observable behaviors that generate empirical data; the environment plays a decisive role in determining behavior as opposed to the psychic inner processes; all behavior is learnt from environment and this learning process is similar to animals. In contrast with the vague concepts used by introspectionism, behaviorism places a high emphasis on the use of operational definitions that is defining various concepts in terms of observable events that may be used to describe human experience in terms of stimuli and responses. A specific characteristic of behaviorism is parsimony seeking the simplest possible explanation for any event  [5]  . Key concepts of behaviorism comprise the stimulus response (S-R) equation, the classical and operant conditioning, and the reinforcement and punishment notions. The method used to analyze behavior is the lab experiment which gave the possibility to manipulate the independent variable in order to study the dependent variable. Stimulus is a measurable change in the environment any object, fact, event or situation that may have an impact on behavior, while response is a measurable change in behavior any reaction to a stimulus either environmental or mental. The behaviorist theory excludes thoughts, feelings and other mental occurrences, and genetic factors as well, that is everything that cannot be study objectively, in observable terms. Watson took further Pavlovs idea of conditioning  [6]  and applied it to humans. According to him humans are born tabula rasa and the behavior is simply learnt from the environment through a process of conditioning. In a famous and controversial experiment because of its ethical implications, Watson and Rayner (1920) conditioned Little Albert an 18-months old toddler to develop a fear response to rats, by associating the rat NS with a strong noise UCS. They conducted their research following the classical conditioning scheme: Noise (UCS) Anxiety (UCR); Noise (UCS) + Rat (NS) Anxiety (UCR); Rat (CS) Anxiety (CR)  [7]  . Close related to the process of classical conditioning is the generalization that occurs. Thus, stimuli similar to the original CS would tend to elicit the same CR. In the case of Little Albert it was reported that the boy was showing strong signs of anxiety to all fluffy objects, which were similar to the white rat used in experiment. Stimulus generalization results in responding to a whole class of related stimuli, after initial learning with a single stimulus and can enable organisms to adapt better to their environment though it may not always be adaptive  [8]  . Behaviorists draw the conclusion that generalization is the first response of an organism when encountering new situations. Sometimes this generalization may take the form of stereotyping that occurs when generalizing based on group membership. To fight this phenomenon, behaviorists undertook and exemplified through research the concept of stimulus discrimination  [9]  , according to which an organism may be tr ained to discriminate between two or more stimuli that progressively increase in alikeness. As Glassman and Haddad point out stimulus discrimination always requires training in the absence of such training, organisms tend to generalize (emphasis theirs)  [10]  . Opposed to the concept of conditioning is the concept of extinction which suggests that what can be learned can also be unlearned, and that a conditional response is not necessarily permanent  [11]  . However, as some research indicate  [12]  , extinction is likely to appear in humans in some basic behaviors involving muscle responses like withdrawing from a hot surface, but not in complex behaviors which involve fear responses or other responses of the automatic nervous system and which are very hard to extinguish. Using Pavlovs extinction procedure, Watson and Rayner tried to eliminate the conditioned fear response associated with rats in Little Alberts case by presenting the rat for a period of three weeks w ithout associating it with the gongs noise. Contrary to their expectation the fear did not extinguish. Stimulus generalization and discrimination concepts as well as the extinction principle have a great importance for our discussion because they will be used in the process of developing behavioral psychotherapeutic techniques. Skinner developed the concept of operant conditioning. He argues that all behavior is modeled by complex reinforcement patterns from the environment. In his view, humans and animals actively engage with their environment, as opposed to the Watsonian emphasis on classical conditioning where they are more passive waiting for the environment to produce stimuli to which they may respond to. Skinners main idea is that human behavior is determined by the consequences of its past behavior. If from a Watsonian perspective the behavior is triggered by external stimuli, starting with Skinner the behavior may be elicited by internal stimuli as well, as a result of past internalized experiences. Thus operant conditioning is a type of learning where future behavior is determined by the consequences of past behavior. According to Skinner the past behavior may influence feature behavior depending on three types of consequences: if it had no consequence, the probability of that behavior to occur in the future is neuter; if the consequence is found pleasant, then the behavior is likely to be repeated in the future this was called positive reinforcement; if the consequence is negative, then it acts as a punishment and makes that specific behavior unlikely to appear in the future. By extrapolation, learning occurs through manipulation of positive reinforcements and punishments. Newer behaviorist approaches acknowledge that although the two types of conditioning reflex and operant were developed independent of each other by different researchers, they are interconnected and in real life situations both processes can occur simultaneously  [13]  . Practice therapeutic process and methods The behavior therapeutic approach emerged from these behavioral principles of classical and operant conditioning. All behavior is learnt and therefore abnormal behavior is seen as the result of faulty learning. In order to cure the individual needs to learn the correct behavior. The behavioral therapy applying the principle of here and now focuses on the present behavior which the patient finds problematic as opposed to the psychodynamic therapy that focuses on identifying and uncovering unconscious conflicts from childhood. The therapist sees the patient as standing at the intersection between genetic inheritance and learning that occurred through interaction between individual and environmental stimuli. These result in maladaptive thoughts, feelings, attitudes and verbal behavior. Conventionally, the psychotherapeutic process starts by behavior analysis  [14]  . The focus is on indentifying the current stimulus response relationship. Based on the disruptive behaviors identified the therapist designs a program (the psychotherapeutic process) meant to help the patient unlearn the faulty responses and if appropriate learn more adaptive behaviors. The patient is explained how the psychotherapy works, how the conditioned responses were learnt somewhere in the past and how the very same behavioral responses can be modified using the techniques of behavioral therapy. According to Bennet, behavior therapy differs from psychoanalytic therapies in the following regards: it is directive, the therapist actively involves in the therapeutic process, using methods based on learning principles; the goal of therapy is different in that it intends to change behavior not to reconstruct personality; the therapy is shorter than other forms; the interventions are symptom specific, closer to the medical model of intervention rather than the psychoanalytic catharsis or insight  [15]  . Behavioral techniques emerged from the classical conditioning principle involve systematic desensitisation, aversion therapy, implosion therapy and flooding. Operant conditioning techniques are related to what is commonly known in therapy as behavior modification, behavior shaping and token economy. Systematic desensitization is the treatment of choice for phobias and various anxiety inducing behaviors. It aims at replacing the patients anxiety response with a relaxation one, by increasingly exposing the patient to a hierarchy of stimuli from the less anxiety evoking to the anxiety evoking stimulus itself. During the process, the patient goes to the next stage of the stimulus hierarchy only after succeeding to be fully relaxed in the present of the previous stimulus. This method requires the training of the patient in relaxation techniques  [16]  and involves the use of imagination, since when is impossible to be confronted with the actual situation (like is the case in social p hobias) the patient has to imagine being in those situations, following that life itself will offer opportunities to see if the therapy is successful or not. So, the exposure can be done in vitro or in vivo, depending on the phobic stimulus. However, studies have emphasized that the important factor in curing is the exposure to the feared object or situation by breaking the avoidance cycle created and reinforced in any phobia. Aversion therapy is used to induce an aversive response to stimuli which are associated with existing undesirable behaviors. It has been used in trying to treat alcoholic addiction, by associating a nausea producing drug or a small electric shock with the undesired behavior of drinking. As a result of this stimuli association, the patient is provoked to vomit. This supposedly might determine the patient avoid drinking in the future. However, this method raises serious ethical and effectiveness problems, the rates of relapse being reportedly very high. Implosion therapy and flooding involve that the patient has to face the worst possible fear producing situation, in imagination only in the former and in the physical context in the latter. In contrast with systematic desensitization which presupposes a gradual exposure to the stimuli, these techniques are more radical and less time consuming. If successful, the patient might be cured of a phobia in one hour. The advantage of this method is that the patient learns that there are no objective bases for his/her fear by accepting to openly confront it. Ethical problems are associated as well in regard to suffering from therapy. Derived from operant conditioning, the behavior modification method is largely used in educational and clinical psychology contexts. It reinforces desired behaviors and ignores or punishes undesired ones. This techniques raises problems in choosing reinforcers since people can potentially respond to a wide range of such stimuli. Similar to behavior modification is the behavior shaping technique successfully used in working with autistic children in order to maintain a desired behavior. Another operant application has been used in institutions (for examples schools and hospitals) within the programs called token economies, where conditioned reinforcers are offered to strengthen specific behaviors. Tokens are offered in exchange of a desired behavior and can later be transformed in something that the individual wants. Token behave as a secondary reinforcement for the primary reinforcements which are in fact desired. It may be also used to extinguish undesired behaviors by taking away t he earned tokens to punish undesired behavior. Taken economies are uncommon and inefficient in treating mental disorders, although they might contribute to alleviating some disruptive behaviors associated with mental disorders, such as aggressiveness, inadequate social interaction and use of bad language  [17]  . Evaluation of the approach strengths and limits One of the major strengths of this approach is questionably considered its scientific background. Developed from lab experiments on animals (Pavlov-dogs, Thorndike cats, Watson rats, Skinner pigeons and rats) it focuses exclusively on behavior which can be observed and objectively measured. The behaviorist human being is concrete, realistic, determined in its actions by the environment and the society that he/she lives in. This theoretical approach proved to be productive in creating psychotherapeutic methods, mainly successful in the area of phobias and addictions. Compared to other approaches behaviorism is supported by many experiments. However, there are discrepancies between the empirical and the theoretical developments in behaviorism, which is considered a limitation of the approach. Initial empirical studies were made on animals (as mentioned above) while the theoretical studies are done by generalizing observations made on animals upon humans. This fact cumulated with the declared behaviorists rejection of the importance of mental processes offers a very fragmented and simplistic view of human being. Watson believed that observing and describing behavior is enough to predict and control it. Thus, he eliminated explanation from psychology. Psychic life was acknowledged but its understanding was not considered necessary because it will finally manifest itself at behavioral level. At this point we need to reconsider what meaning we give to the term scientific, in regard to our double perspective taken by the present work. If scientific means that positive methods in studying human being (similar to the study of rocks, animals, meteorological phenomena etc.) are favored, then we might as well consider this psychological approach a step forward on the terrain of positive science. But if scientific means to conceptualize the human being in all its wholeness in order to understand its starting point, its inner resorts and teleological direction, then behaviorism might be seen as an unacceptable lessening of the complexity and mystery of human being. The intense use of lab experiments present the disadvantage of a low ecological validity  [18]  . In time it became obvious that understanding of behavior cannot come from the laboratory. On the other hand behaviorism was criticized as being reductionist by eliminating the meditational processes and too deterministic by the fact that human being is presented as not possessing free will. Another weakness identified by ethnological studies show that the principles of conditioning are not as universal as was once asserted  [19]  . However, maybe the most informed criticism is provided from within, by a behavior therapist like Lazarus connected with Joseph Wolpe, who states in regard to behavior therapy that: the methods of behavior therapy are extremely effective when applied to carefully selected cases by informed practitioners. But when procedures overstep the boundaries of their legitimate terrain, ridicule and disparagement are most likely to ensue. Far from being a panacea, the methods are then held to have no merit whatsoever, and the proverbial baby gets thrown out with the bath waterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The danger lies in a premature elevation of learning principles into unwarranted scientific truths  [20]  . Comparison with psychodynamic perspective Within the behaviorist approach various theorists hold positions that may vary in some degrees but fundamentally assert the same thing: behavior is the new found object of psychology; this allows psychology to behave and to be considered a natural science; a belief that its legitimate to study the animal behavior and compare it with human behavior; the emphasis on environment as causation of behavior and consequently dismiss mental processes. The psychodynamic and behaviorist perspectives on human being are opposed. They started from very different points in defining what human being is. Furthermore, the behaviorism appeared as a reaction to psychoanalysis and other currents in psychology that used the method of introspection to define and explain the inner, immaterial and unseen mental processes. Their approach was considered by behaviorists as mysticism. The focus in psychodynamic theories and practice is on inner processes that are seen as motivating and influencing behavior, while the focus in behaviorist theories and practice is on the outer world, i.e. environment that is seen as determining behavior. The change in psychoanalysis comes by uncovering unconscious conflicts that are the underlying causes of behavior, while the change in behaviorism comes by manipulating the environment in order to remove undesirable behavior. These opposing perspectives do not completely eliminate dialogue since the unification point i s the human being itself. For example, if a Freudian theorist suggests that adult behavior can best be understood by looking at childhood experiences, Skinner agrees but suggests that the connections are based on the reinforcement history of the person, not some vague concept of conflicts between id and ego  [21]  . In the Freudian understanding of human nature, the person is born with instincts, hence the development of the drive and unconscious psychology, as opposed to the Watsonian perspective where humans are born tabula rasa. The behaviorist theorist Skinner describes the inner life as a black box. He acknowledges its existence but he sees it in behaviorist terms. For him the private inner life is also behavior  [22]  . However, in the view of the major differences presented above we are enabled to draw the conclusion that psychoanalysis and behaviorism have as a starting point different assumptions concerning human nature and therefore, develop at the conceptual- the oretical and practical-therapeutic level towards two distinct finalities. This point is very well made clear by Watson in one of his famous quotes: Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and Ill guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant -chief and yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it for thousands of years  [23]  . Contributions to new developments Despite all its limitations, the behaviorist approach has some positive points as well: provided psychology with new and quantifiable concepts, opened the gate to new theories and explanations in psychology, crated more realistic methods. Somehow ironically, one of the major contributions made by behaviorism concerns the possibilities of research opened towards the investigation of cognitive processes that they initially rejected, which will fundament the new cognitive approach in psychology. For example, Edward Tolman, regarded as one of the founders of the cognitive approach, considered himself a behaviorist though not a radical behaviorist like Skinner. In addition, the study of many cognitive issues, such as observational learning imitation) and the use of hypotheses in problem solving, began with similar behaviorist studies of animals. Where the introspectionists failed in their attempts to make sense out of mental processes the behaviorists have pointed the way to new possibil ities for a scientific psychology of the mind  [24]  . Neobehaviorism introduces the meditational processes (motive, emotion) between stimuli and response.

History of the Olympics Essay -- essays research papers

While watching the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City this year I became interested in how the games started and what they were like in previous years. The Olympic Games as we know them have only been around since the first modern Olympiad, which was held in Athens in 1896. However, the tradition of athletic competition has been around longer than history itself. Athletics in Ancient Civilization Athletic competition was always an integral part of life for the members of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. Physical fitness was extremely important, and children would start being trained to compete at a young age. Kings, pharaohs, and nobles spent much of their time training and preparing to compete in their athletic contests. These competitions took place as early as 3,000 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but were only attended by the kings, pharaohs, and nobles of the time. Archeologists found evidence of early athletics on the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs Ptahotep, Akhethotep, and Ramses III. Each of them included a carved depiction of two men in a wrestling scene grappling one another and trying to throw each other to the ground. Some of these scenes show the presence of an official, while others show the defeated athlete on the ground with one hand raised into the air, indicating a submission. The Egyptians were also known for playing all types of ball games and participating in boxing, equestrian, gymnastic, boating, and stick fighting competitions. Ancient Minoans had their own original sport they enjoyed participating in. Unlike modern day cowboys that ride bulls, Minoans would gather for a celebration and watch their athletes spring off the ground and jump the backs of the bulls. This "bull leaping" is depicted on all types of Minoan art, and was considered an important part of Minoan culture and their religious festivals. The Origin of the Olympics During the colonization period of 750 to 550 BC, warrior life began to decline in Greece, and the emphasis turned to physical fitness. Gymnasiums, stadiums, and training facilities were built by each of Greek's city-states. Athletic competitions began, and any one with the money to train themselves could participate. Even those without money, could sometimes acq... ... were not nationally chosen like they are today, but rather came individually and at their own expense. Some of the contestants were actually tourists who happened to be in the area during the Games and decided to participate. Athletes also wore their athletic club uniforms rather than a national team outfit because the countries did not sponsor the athletes. Events in Athens included: Pole vaulting, sprints, shot put, weight lifting, swimming, cycling, target shooting, tennis, marathon and gymnastics. All of the swimming events were held in the Bay of Zea in the Aegean Sea, where athletes had to make their way through obstacles such as the twelve foot waves and freezing temperatures. The revival of the Ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, and France. A total of 245 athletes competed in the 43 events, to make the Athens Olympic Games a huge success and the beginning of a revived tradition of international competition. On 6th of April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years.