London in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” and “London” Essay

William Blake and William Wordsworth were both key figures of the Romantic era. Characterized by its emphasis on passion, emotion and creativity, the Romantic Movement occurred in Europe in the late eighteenth, and early nineteenth centuries. Blake’s â€Å"London†(1794) and Wordsworth’s â€Å"Composed upon Westminster Bridge†(1803) are good examples of poems from the Romantic era, as both poets share a sense of emotional involvement in their works. However, similarities between the two do not extend beyond their common theme: London. Blake’s dark and bitter portrayal of the city contrasts sharply with Wordsworth’s awe-struck account of a sunrise viewed from Westminster Bridge. Contrasts can be found in all aspects of the two poems, and both poets used a variety of techniques to effectively express their very different feelings about the sights and sounds of London. The tone in Blake’s London is one of bitterness and negativity, with him using such words as â€Å"weakness† and â€Å"woe†. The theme of the poem is a wide description of London, but also specifically focuses upon the people and how they live their lives. The human aspect of the poem is introduced early on with â€Å"in every face†. The poet has a very subtle approach at getting his message of corruption across to the reader, but the feeling that is received from the poem is one of a strong nature. London consists of four quatrains (four line alternately rhyming stanzas), with relatively short lines, emphasising the lack of embellishment and emotion in the poem. There is a rigid structure and rhyme scheme throughout the poem. The rhyme scheme is clear (ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH) and the rhyme itself is strong, rhyming such words as â€Å"curse† and â€Å"hearse† together, thus corresponding with Blake’s harsh views on London life. Blake uses iambic pentameter, except for the third quatrain, where dactylic pentameter is used instead. This gives the poem a strong and steady rhythm as it is read, which helps to emphasise the monotony and duty of the lives Blake describes. The language is relatively easy to understand, and is not archaic, for example â€Å"in every city of every man†. However, some language is used that is not in use in the present day e.g. â€Å"woe†, â€Å"blights† and â€Å"harlot†. The language is surprisingly accessible for a poem that was written over two hundred years ago. Many emotive words are used such as â€Å"cry†, â€Å"fear†, â€Å"blood† and â€Å"plagues†. Use of the word plague would have been particularly strong at the time of writing, as the poem was written only 150 years after the Great Plague itself. Blake uses lots of adjectives e.g. â€Å"youthful Harlot† and â€Å"hapless soldier†, giving a clear picture of what he thinks London is about. The imagery that is used is mainly human, â€Å"hapless soldier’s sigh† for example. When reading the poem, a clear picture is depicted of London without referring directly to London, but instead through the description of people and sounds. Lots of sound imagery is used: â€Å"I hear† is mentioned twice, the word â€Å"cry† is repeated three times and there is a â€Å"soldier’s sigh†. Also, by describing the human situation, Blake leads the reader to infer that London is not a very nice place, because, for example, there are â€Å"youthful harlots†, which demonstrate how innocent youth has been corrupted by the city. This is also evident when it says † every infant’s cry of fear†. The soldier’s sigh, which â€Å"runs on blood down palace walls† is Blake’s way of exposing the guilt and responsibility of the wealthy (palace), ruling classes. Repetition is used a lot: â€Å"every† is used five times, to emphasise the negative situation that Blake is alluding to is widespread and affects everyone. The use of the word â€Å"cry† three times to stress sadness and desperation of the situation. The repetition of lines five to seven ensures that the reader is aware of the seriousness of the situation Blake is describing. The punctuation in the poem is quite simple. Stanzas end with an end – stopped line. Full stops and commas are used widely, but no exclamation marks. Simplistic punctuation and lack of embellishment adds to the cold, realistic portrait of Blake’s London. An elision is an omission of letters to aid rhythm. Blake uses a lot of elisions: † I wander thro’ â€Å", † each chart’d street â€Å". This demonstrates the importance of rigid structure and rhythm to the sense of this poem. In Wordsworth’s Composed Upon Westminster Bridge the tone is positive and there is a sense of awe and respect for the city demonstrated by the use of such words as â€Å"majesty† and â€Å"splendour† in the poem. The general theme of the poem is again of London, but this time focussing on aestheticism, nature and architecture, which can be seen from the view from Westminster Bridge at dawn. Composed Upon Westminster Bridge is a sonnet. The rhyme scheme used is ABBA ABBA DEDEDE. The rhyme is generally clear and regular, although Wordsworth does use para-rhyme in lines two and three: â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty† Although the rhyme scheme is regular, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge does not feature any apparent rhythm pattern, and the poem has an almost prose-like quality, which makes the reader think of the natural, flowing, harmonious images Wordsworth is describing. Wordsworth’s language is in places quite old fashioned: â€Å"This city now doth, like a garment ,wear The beauty of the morning† The language is also more elaborate than Blake’s, for example, Blake’s â€Å"Thames does flow†, whereas according to Wordsworth: â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will† Wordsworth’s language is also very emotive e.g. â€Å"majesty†, â€Å"splendour† and â€Å"mighty heart†, and he uses a lot of adjectives, e.g. â€Å"smokeless air†, â€Å"bright† and â€Å"glittering†. Wordsworth uses a lot of natural imagery in the poem e.g. â€Å"Earth has not a thing to show more fair†, â€Å"the beauty of the morning†, â€Å"the fields† and â€Å"the sky†. This helps to convey a sense of harmony between the urban and the natural. Further, through personification and pathetic fallacy, Wordsworth is able to give human characteristics to the city, adding to the sense that London is a living organism, a part of the natural environment. Personification is evident in lines four to five: â€Å"This city doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning† In lines nine to ten: â€Å"Never did sun more beautifully steep in his first splendour† In line thirteen † the very houses seem asleep†. In the last line of the poem, Wordsworth speaks of the â€Å"mighty heart† of the city, which further adds to the sense that London is a living organism. Pathetic fallacy can be seen in line twelve, â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will†. Wordsworth uses a lot of enjambment: â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty† This lends a smooth, flowing and gentle quality to the poem, and supports the emphasis placed upon nature in the poem. Similes are also used, e.g. the morning is described as being â€Å"like a garment†. In this way, Wordsworth is able to detract from the commonly held idea that London is grim and threatening, and instead promote the idea that the city is friendlier and more harmonised with nature. Wordsworth also uses contrasts to emphasise this harmony: â€Å"Ships, towers, domes , theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky†. Use of punctuation in this poem is very interesting. Wordsworth only uses one full stop throughout, preferring instead semi-colons and commas, all of which help the poem to run smoothly. The poem also features three exclamation marks, which help to exaggerate the central idea. This effect is amplified by the inclusion of the expression â€Å"Dear God!†. All this helps Wordsworth to express how strongly he feels about London. The differences between these two poems are clear. For example, whereas Blake’s tone is dark and bitter, Wordsworth’s is awe-struck and celebratory. Differences also arise in terms of the theme or central idea of each poem. London deals with the human aspect of the city. It is set at night, and virtually ignores the environment of London. In this way, Blake is able to highlight the effect the city has on its people, and, by leaving the city itself undescribed, emphasises its position as a cold, uncaring place. In contrast, Wordsworth focuses entirely on the aesthetics of London at dawn, and the relationship between the urban environment and nature. By removing the human aspect of the city, Wordsworth can ignore the difficult lives of its people (as described by Blake) and concentrate solely on the physical and natural aspects instead (note the ‘smokeless air’). The two poems are also structured differently, and feature variations in terms of rhythm and rhyme. Composed Upon Westminster Bridge is a sonnet, with a generally clear rhyme scheme and no apparent rhythm pattern. By using a single stanza, and an almost prose-like style, Wordsworth is able to express a flowing, smooth quality, mirroring the free, unrestrained natural aspects he deals with in the poem. London, on the other hand, features four quatrains, and is rigidly structured in terms of rhythm and rhyme. This allows Blake to highlight the monotony of the lives he discusses in the poem, and reflects the sense of duty and lack of free will involved in the struggles faced by the city’s inhabitants (note the inclusion of a ‘soldier’, some one with no control over his own life). Blake’s language is generally simple and easily comprehensible. By avoiding the elaborate language preferred by Wordsworth, Blake emphasises the lack of hope or joy in his city. Wordsworth, in contrast, favours a very convoluted style of language, which adds to the celebratory mood of the poem. In both cases, the poets use language to effectively convey their opinions about London. Also, both poets use a lot of adjectives, which is characteristic of the involved, creative style of the Romantics. Imagery is central to both poems. However, Blake and Wordsworth use different methods to create a detailed picture of London for the reader. Wordsworth chooses to concentrate on natural, familiar images, and through the personification of these natural images, gives London a softer, less threatening identity. Blake chooses to paint a picture of London by describing the sounds which can be heard, and by giving details of the people that live there. Interestingly, Blake is able to give a very comprehensive image of London, without discussing the city directly. In this way, London is portrayed as nothing more then an influence on its people. Blake, unlike Wordsworth, does not see the city as an organism in its own right, and this is emphasised by his use of imagery. Finally, literary devices: both Blake and Wordsworth employ clever use of literary techniques to aid the expression of their feelings towards London. Wordsworth uses enjambment to give Composed Upon Westminster Bridge a flowing, natural feel, and punctuation is used to maximise the celebratory tone (i.e. only one full-stop, use of exclamation marks). Blake uses repetition to emphasise his idea of the monotonous hardship and misery of the people of London. His use of simple, unembellished punctuation helps to further convey this idea, by highlighting the rigidity and restriction which govern the lives of London’s inhabitants. Elisions are frequently employed to aid the rhythm, which demonstrates the importance of a rigid structure to the sense of London, in complete contrast with Composed Upon Westminster Bridge. Although London and Composed Upon Westminster Bridge both deal with the subject of London at a similar time in history, they share very little common ground beyond this. Blake’s grim, desperate city seems a million miles away from Wordsworth’s elaborate celebration of a city at dawn. Although both poets use similar techniques to express their very different feelings about the sights and sounds of London, these techniques, such as imagery and literary devices, give different effects in each poem, depending on how they have been used. These two poems may seem to be very similar, but Blake and Wordsworth have used lots of different methods to demonstrate beyond doubt their very different feelings about the sights and sounds of London.

‘Of Mice and Men’ †The Theme Of Lonelyness Essay

Many of the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely. They experience loneliness and seek comfort in many different ways. Loneliness is defined as the unhappiness that is felt by someone because they do not have any friends or do not have anyone to talk to. People deal with loneliness in many ways. Introverts form a barrier and keep people away. They want to be isolated from others and keep to themselves. They have neither roots nor friends. Introverts usually keep quiet and draw in on themselves. However, extroverts are the opposite. They seek attention and react to their environment by being aggressive or are overwhelmed with emotions. Loneliness is a major theme in ‘Of Mice and Men’; George and Lennie manage to avert it by their relationship; it embitters Candy and Crooks and it kills Curley’s wife. Steinbeck sees loneliness as a part of the human condition, something we are born with, and something we either fight or endure for the rest of our lives. Soledad, ‘Our Lady of Loneliness’ is not a nurturing environment. It is a place where everybody is isolated because there is a lack of trust and friendship. The Great Depression of 1929 led to this because in many states of America there was unemployment, a lack of money and no relief offered to jobless men and women. Without work, many people lost their self-respect; others continually struggled to find work, often travelling thousands of miles across America, leaving homes and families behind them. They were known as itinerant workers. In the country things were almost worse than they were in the cities; farmers were being driven off their land, there had been a series of droughts which had ruined the crops and dried up the soil and farmers could not afford to re-pay the bank loans which helped them to buy their farms in the first place. Men used to move from ranch to ranch trying to look for work to earn a living and because of this, it was hard for them to make friends. Some who realise that they are lonely seek comfort in many ways such as having a ream or reading books like Crooks does. Others who are lonely, like Curley do not seek comfort because they are not aware of it. During that time, many of the Americans sought comfort by having the American dream; which was to own a piece of land however big it was and to earn money from it. One of the characters who experiences loneliness and seeks comfort by having a dream is George. He does not experience it as much as the other characters on the ranch as he has a companion, someone who he can befriend. George looks after Lennie and acts like a parent figure. An example of this is when Lennie drinks â€Å"from the surface of the green pool.† George is always looking out for him to protect him from danger. â€Å"‘Lennie!’ he said sharply. ‘Lennie, for God’s sake don’t drink so much.† George has to take care of Lennie, even though he knows that Lennie has a disability, he continues to teach him about what is right and wrong. However, George does suffer loneliness as he is often seen playing solitaire in the bunkhouse alone. George may be lonely because he cannot have intellectual conversations in his relationship with Lennie. Therefore, he often goes to the whorehouse with the other men on the ranch. Although George is more likely to be lonely than Lennie, they share true companionship. They are able to trust each other and are together as one. They are two completely different characters yet they are so close. George is like a parent figure who is â€Å"small and quick† and Lennie the complete opposite; someone who is â€Å"large.† The men on the ranch see it as a surprise to see the two of them together; they cannot understand the relationship that these two share as the have never had it themselves and do not understand that they themselves are lonely. Slim admires George and Lennie’s relationship because he understands that people do need friends. â€Å"He ain’t mean,† said Slim. â€Å"I can tell a mean guy a mile off.† His wise nature helps him to understand Lennie and the situation George is in. Although at first Candy does not understand George and Lennie’s relationship, he begins to understand it when he loses his dog. However, Carlson nor Curley do not understand their relationship, as they are not aware that it exists themselves. Those who do realise seek comfort. George and Lennie both share a dream together. â€Å"Some day- we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs-â€Å" â€Å"An’ live off the fatta the lan.† The dream gives them something to live for; without each other, the dream is worthless. Later in the novel when Lennie is shot George does not want to continue with the dream because he knows that it cannot happen, as Lennie is not there anymore. George tries to seek his comfort by talking to Slim and telling him how he feels. He is able to do this, as Slim understands what he is going through. The dream he shares with Lennie also helps him to seek comfort; this makes him feel closer to Lennie as they are sharing it. George knows that the dream is unattainable yet he still keeps hold onto it. â€Å"I’m stayin’ right here. I don’t want to get mixed up in nothing. Lennie and me got to make a stake.† This suggests that George needs Lennie’s hospitality and without him, the dream is nothing whatsoever. Lennie seeks comfort by petting small animals. He has a need for physical contact, usually with small animals. This makes him unable to control this need to display warmth and he is unable to see the consequences even though he â€Å"were sick the previous night.† Being able to learn from the past is one of his dangerous failings and it seems to catch up with him wherever he goes. Lennie is not lonely because he has George. Without George, Lennie would not be able to survive because he constantly needs to be taken care of. Another reason why Lennie might not be lonely is that he does not know what loneliness is, therefore he does not realise that people on the ranch are lonely, he just knows that he does not like it on the ranch. â€Å"Le’s go, George. Le’s get outa here. It’s mean here.† This suggests that Lennie has some sense of danger; even though he does not know what it is, therefore he feels uncomfortable, scared, and insecure. Another character that is also insecure is Crooks; he is lonely because the other men on the ranch do not mix with him as he is black, a â€Å"Negro,† and has also injured his back. Even though he did have part of the dream when he was younger; he has now lost it and misses it. The fact that he did have the dream and has now lost it makes it even more distressing for him because usually if you have not had something you do not miss it. However, if you do have it and then you lose it, you become intense, insecure, and scared to communicate with others because you might be afraid that you may lose your individuality. There is racial prejudice in Soledad, which makes Crooks isolated therefore, he is aware that no one likes him and feels ostracised from the bunkhouse. Crooks is â€Å"proud† and â€Å"aloof† because he has learnt to be this way this due to the years of constant abuse therefore, he suffers alone in silence by reading â€Å"a mauled copy of the California Civil code for 1905†. This suggests that he is literate, independent, and knowledgeable as his purpose is to educate himself and is very aware of his rights. As Crooks is lonely, it has a negative effect on his behaviour as he becomes aggressive with anyone who comes into his bunkhouse and he does not like to communicate with others. He is more of a reserved character who gets angry and is emotional. He says â€Å"You got no right to come in my room† because he is not used to visitors as he is isolated from others and has no clue what George’s friendship means to Lennie when he tells Lennie that George is not going to come back. His anger and pride get the better of him on this occasion; he uses it as a defence against the harsh treatment he receives from the people on the ranch. Crooks tries to seek comfort from the loneliness he has; he does this by talking to Candy and Lennie about the past and his feelings even though he knew that Lennie is not listening to what he is trying to say. This made Crooks relieve the emotions he had drawn into himself. At first, he is â€Å"aloof† but gradually realises that Lennie is not a threat because his manner is open and not prejudice. He reveals about his childhood when he played with white kids and was unaware of prejudice. He happens to realise that the value of communicating is important and taunts Lennie with the idea that George might not return for him because he seems to get pleasure in Lennie feeling the loneliness he feels. Crooks happens to know â€Å"It’s just bein’ with another guy. That’s all † that counts. He causes torture and knows that Lennie is understanding about him being lonely because â€Å"Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture† and when â€Å"a guy gets too lonely, he gets sick.† He knows this because he has had the love and affection from his childhood and has experienced the American dream; the same dream George and Lennie want to achieve. â€Å"I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They was always near me, always there.† Crooks remembers a happy childhood with the companionship of his brothers. He becomes friendly with Lennie because he knows that Lennie wants the dream as much as he does and he also knows that â€Å"never a god-damn one of ’em ever gets it† because it is unattainable. Curley’s wife is another lonely character in â€Å"Of Mice and Men.† She presents herself as a tart because of the intense loneliness she experiences. She seems to always want to get attention from the other men however this does not happen the way she wants it to because everyone she approaches rejects her. She is treated like a possession by Curley and is not expected to have her own personality. Although the other people on the ranch do notice her, they do not communicate with her for fear of Curley’s anger. It is sad that she cannot communicate with the men and that there are no women on the ranch for her to befriend. She is vulnerable and a miserable, immature women who is desperate for love and companionship. The reason why she is so miserable is that she did not have enough confidence to trust her mother. She was brought up in the atmosphere of violence and this is what has made her personality, which is an extrovert, who seeks attention from others; but truly inside from the heart she is quite pleasant woman whose personality was not yet discovered by the men on the ranch until she was dead. Curley’s wife wears â€Å"her fingernails red† and â€Å"she has a little bouquet of ostrich feathers in the insteps of her mules.† Not only this but she also provokes attention by â€Å"thrusting her body forward† in the doorway when George and Lennie are introduced. Her â€Å"full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up† shows that she is always seeking attention, and is very flirtatious. The way she moved, â€Å"so that her body was thrown forward† shows she is provocative even with strangers, such as George and Lennie. At first she is portrayed as a tart because she is described as a girl â€Å"who had full, rouged lips† and â€Å"her fingernails were red†; this suggests that she is presented as a tart as red is symbolic for danger and passion; but a the novel develops we begin to understand why she behaves in a flirty way. We are able to see what she is really like inside and if she had more confidence and trust in her then maybe she could have been a different person. She â€Å"coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes. all of them nice clothes to wear† and she â€Å"coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers’ taken† of herself. However, her dream could not have been achieved because the man who promised her all this never wrote back. She wants to overcome her loneliness by being in the movies and wants to have some friends to befriend. Curley’s wife is lonely because of her actions. They have led to her being lonely and desperate for affection and comradeship. She has a different image to how the men perceive her. She wants recognition by others to show them that she is not a tart and she can be a friendly person. She shows her vulnerability and humanity by considering Lennie by trying to tell him how she feels. Curley’s wife tells Lennie her secret because she knows that Lennie will not say anything and even though he does not understand what she is trying to say, he is able to just listen to what she says. Candy is totally opposite to Curley’s wife as she is an extrovert and he is an introvert. Candy is lonely not only because he has lost his dog but his dream has also been shattered. Candy was very proud of his dog and it is a shame that they were parted; as together, their companionship was strong. Candy said â€Å"you wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen† because he loved his dog and it was the only thing that stopped him from being lonely; he was very compassionate about his dog. When Carlson assumes that Candy can soon get another pet, Candy is being pressurised by him and has to give the dog up. If you love someone so much then you will let them go because you would want to do the right thing for them rather than being selfish and choosing what is right for you. Candy’s dream is to be with George and Lennie and own a ranch. He announces to Curley’s wife that they are going to have a house of their own. Curley’s wife appreciates this and makes him angry but he controls his temper and orders her to leave, telling her that she is not wanted. Candy gains confidence and courage to tell her what people think of her. Candy’s eagerness shows that the dream is actually becoming a reality to him. â€Å"I ain’t much good but I could cook, tend the chickens and hoe the garden.† He is willing to help around the farm and to buy the ranch because he is desperate for his dream to become a reality and wants companionship. He knows that he is an old man almost useless because of his age and a broken hand yet he is willing to sacrifice everything he has just for his dream to come true. Candy is lucky to have a dog for companionship because he and his dog are the closest thing on a ranch to George and Lennie’s relationship. His dog was â€Å"a good sheep dog when he was younger. He stood his broom against the wall.† He is lucky because the other characters do not have anything to love or trust. He felt that he should have shot the dog himself. Candy is angry with Curley’s wife because he knows that she has destroyed their dream. But after he realises that she was in pain, was sad and looking for companionship. â€Å"Now Candy spoke in his greatest fear,† tells us that he was terrified that his dream had been shattered. Candy tries to overcome loneliness by shutting everyone out and is left to grieve in his own world. The silence indicates pain and loneliness. When his dog was shot, Candy â€Å"rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent† because there was tension built up in the atmosphere and Candy was upset because of the loss of his dog. Candy curls up into a foetal position. His spirits are lifted when he is part of the dream but then again it is shattered when Curley’s wife dies. He forms a barrier and shields himself from the outside world. He experiences anxiety and does not want to talk to anyone because he is too upset and he finds it difficult to talk to them about his problems. Curley is also lonely but does not realise it. His loneliness has affected his character. He is very aggressive and feels superior to the other men, especially those who are larger than him. This suggests that he wants to have power over everyone else. His aggression shows his character suggests that he is very short tempered â€Å"an’ Curley’s handy, god-damn handy† as he â€Å"got in the finals for the Golden Gloves.† Curley has no trust in anyone not even in his wife as â€Å"he spends half his time lookin’ for her.† He treats her like a possession and even though he has only married her for a week, he is always looking for her. He is an extrovert who is insecure. He seeks comfort by beating up people. When the men on the ranch gather to attack him, he feels threatened by it and has to prove that he is superior to everyone else. He does this by attacking Lennie and lashing out on him even though Lennie has not done anything to him. He says â€Å"come on, ya big bastard† because he wants Lennie to feel how he feels and wants to beat him up because he is larger than him. Curley does not know that he is lonely; he thinks that everyone has a lower status than him so he can boss them around. His dream is to have power over everyone else and wants to get respect from them. His dream has already been achieved. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men† Steinbeck shows us that those who have no understanding of relationship are totally unaware of George’s and Slim’s emotions because they have no friendships themselves. Carlson’s final observations are insensitive and show that he is ignorant of his own loneliness. Neither he nor Curley understands the pain George is experiencing. George and Lennie manage to avert loneliness by their relationship. Steinbeck sees loneliness as a part of the human condition, something we are born with, and something we either fight or endure for the rest of our lives. â€Å"I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing on their heads. Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every dam one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a god-damn one of ’em ever gets it.† Steinbeck suggests that everyone has a dream even though it is unattainable; it keeps their spirits up and makes them look forward to achieving, something that is inspiring and to keep their hopes up.

Corporate analysis research paper for Marvel Entertainment Essay

Research and Discussion Topic – Studio Entertainment & Media Networks Imagine time traveling within the last few decades – even present day and asking a young boy who he looks up to the most, or who he wants to be when he grows up. Unsurprisingly, he would blurt out, â€Å"Spiderman,† â€Å"Iron Man,† or â€Å"The Incredible Hulk!† These superheroes are only a few of the thousands of inspirational characters Marvel Studios has created in the last 70 years. Marvel World Wide Inc. is a media and entertainment-based company with an emphasis on consumer products, gaming, and film production. This company was founded in 1939 by Martin Goodman who initially called Marvel, Timely Comics (Wright). In the 1940’s not only did Timely Comics (now Marvel) create superhero fantasies they also expanded into a wider variety of stories, including horror, westerns, funny animals, mysterious crimes, war comics, jungle tales, romance, and even Bible and sport stories. This trend for genre expansion started to decline when the company not iced a huge consumer interest in their superheroes. They started to focus on turning normal misfit people into super natural creatures. Giving hope and aspiration to children, they, too, can become â€Å"super.† Unlike rival comics that based their superheroes on perfection, glamour, and staying within national borders. Marvel’s stories dealt with political issues, diversifying their savior of choice, and educating their audiences. When it comes to technology Marvel has expanded its horizons exponentially since its first comic books in the late 1930s. For Marvel, technology in the creation of films has been the trigger for their upward mobility of success. From using flipbooks to bring movement into the characters we now have the innovation of Chroma Key Compositing (green screnes) to breathe life within our icons. With this revolution artist can now create the most elaborate worlds and unlimited high pace scenes. Thank goodness, or we wouldn’t have a planet after all the battles in today’s movies. Not only has Marvel made a complete turnaround on the way people view the clash of superheroes and villains through film they have globalized their characters through merchandise, games, and entertainment. A large expansion has recently been released at Hong Kong Disneyland announcing the addition of The Iron Man Experience in 2016. This Marvel themed ride will be the first of many to  come into the p arks. (Disney Parks Blog) Of course, in every superhero story there will always be a villain to face. In the corporate world, the villain company for Marvel is DC Comics owned by Time Warner, Inc. Time Warner Inc. is a multi-national media corporation headquartered in New York City. As of 2010, it is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate and it is second largest conglomerate as for revenue. Time Warner is compiled of Warner Communication Inc., Time Inc., and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. This corporation excels in film, television and publishing. Time Warner Inc. owns HBO, The CW Television Network, Warner Bros, CNN, Castle Rock Entertainment, DC Entertainment, etc. DC Comics is a publishing unit from DC Entertainment and does extremely well at operating the American comic book market share as well as relating media. It produces well known characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Justice League, Teen Titans and some villains incl uding the Joker, Catwoman, Lex Luthor, etc. The Walt Disney Company strives to excel in quite a variety of different segments. Of course, being a successful and global corporation, it generally comes with tough competition. It is the largest entertainment conglomerate as far as revenues (with Time Warner Inc. as a close second place). One of the five segments of The Walt Disney Company includes Studio Entertainment, which through Walt Disney Studios (formally known as The Disney Bros Cartoon Studios); the company does an excellent job by producing multiple award winning films throughout the decades. At the end of 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. Both Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Studios are now working in conjunction for marketing and distributing matters. Marvel Studios produces characters such as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Fantastic Four, X-Man, Spiderman, etc. Now, if you aren’t a â€Å"comic book su perhero geek†, then you’re perfectly okay! In certain ways, The Walt Disney Company and Time Warner Inc. are evidently similar. The Walt Disney Company focuses on 3 main priorities: technology, innovation, and global expansion. Time Warner Inc. also focuses on these same priorities as well, although portraying these qualities through a different aspect. Both technology and innovation are displayed through various levels and different types of creativity, from both of these competitive entertainment studios. For example, different plots make innovation opportunities for both types of  super heroes. The DC Comic superhero villains don’t tend to kill†¦whereas, the Marvel Comics do. Marvel characters are usually pretty simple coming from simple backgrounds. The DC characters on the other hand, usually are more detailed with different super powers and more fantasy characteristics. Technology comes into play when Marvel Studio’s tend to use more graphic a nd uses light science fiction when creating their films. DC Studios tends to obtain a higher sci-fi storyline and image. At the moment, because Marvel Studios is a part of Disney, it makes it easier as far as global expansion goes. Currently, there is a new Marvel’s Iron Man attraction said to be opening in 2016 at Disneyland Hong Kong. It will be an addition to the Stark Expo, which is in Tomorrowland. Because the Disney and Marvel Studios collaboration is still quite new, this is mostly likely just the beginning of the Marvel Entertainment expansion. DC Comics on the other hand, has an annually comic book fan convention (Comic-Con). Each year, it is based in a different hosting city. In 2012, it was based in New Jersey and Comic-Con 2013, was hosted in Utah, in Salt Lake City. The next one (in 2014) will be held in California, San Diego. Sometimes there will be more than one event. Usually, there will be one within the United States and in past years, there was also a conve ntion held in Canada and United Kingdom. As you can see, the 3 main priorities (technology, innovation, and global expansion) are lucidly very important to both Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment and their parent corporations (The Walt Disney Company and Time Warner Inc). Both competitors are changing the film and entertainment industry rapidly and it will be a mystery as to see what the future beholds. Refernces â€Å"Comic-Con International: San Diego.† Comic-Con International: San Diego. 2013 San Diego Comic Convention, 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. http://www.comic-con.org/ â€Å"DC Comics | Welcome to DC Comics.† DC Comics. Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. http://www.dccomics.com/ Staggs, Tom. â€Å"Disney Parks Blog.† Marvel’s Iron Man coming to Hong Kong Disneyland in 2016. Disney, 08 Oct 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. . â€Å"Superhero Nation: How to Write Superhero Novels, Comic Books and Superhero Books.† Superhero Nation: How to Write Superhero Novels, Comic Books and Superhero Books. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. http://www.superheronation.com/ Wright, Bradford W. (2001). Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-8018-6514-5.

Erich von Daniken claims that Egyptians did not have the technology or Term Paper

Erich von Daniken claims that Egyptians did not have the technology or manpower to build the great pyramids of Egypt. Is this an - Term Paper Example 1) Arguments in Support Erich von Daniken hypothesized that the monuments left behind by ancient civilizations show a level of technology and cultural and political organization of which those cultures were not by themselves capable of. He concluded that in these monuments, we can see the signs of extraterrestrial influence, with ancient astronauts making contact with these people, and being welcomed by them as divinities. He sees the physical presence of such unique artifacts as the pyramids of Egypt, the major stone circles of northern Europe, and the Maoi of Easter Island, as firm evidence for such theories. He even sees some patterns and signs on the world’s surface as evidence of runways and landing strips. Furthermore, von Daniken claims that we can see the enduring influence of these other worldly visitors in the artwork and customs of these peoples. For example, he suggested in more than one book that the practice of mummification in Egypt was developed so that the bod ies of notables could be preserved, awaiting resurrection by the extraterrestrial visitors when they next came to call. Likewise, he saw in ancient Egyptian visual representations some sign of these visitors being immortalized in the local pantheon. Von Daniken, on looking over the immense achievement represented by the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, could not believe that the Egyptians, with the primitive technologies of the time, would have been capable of moving the huge blocks of stone into place. He wrote of the ‘heave-ho’ proposed by ‘people with lively imaginations’ (1971: 114) and stated his belief that some technology not indigenous to Egypt must have been used, choosing to entitle his chapter on the subject, ‘Ancient Marvels or Space Travel Centres?’. Furthermore, given that von Daniken believed that each of the large blocks of masonry weighed a staggering 12 tons, he could not conceive that any method known to the Egyptians of the t ime would have been sufficient to move them up into the air and then place them atop each other (1971: 101). As he looked around the local environment, with the desert on one side and the alluvial flood plain of the Nile on the other, von Daniken was struck by the scarce presence of wood in the region, and the large quantities of wood that would have been needed in building the pyramids. He stated that the palms that did exist in the area were much too valuable to fell because of their importance in providing shade, and dates for nutrition. Therefore, having established that large quantities of wood would have needed to be imported from abroad in order to build these structures, von Daniken believed that Egypt at the time of the pyramids had not sufficient tonnage of shipping to bring in the required quantities. He therefore saw the hand of an external power with more advanced technologies in completing the pyramids. Von Daniken also found what he considered to be some intriguing ma thematical aspects to the construction of the Great Pyramid. He asked, for example, ‘Is it really a coincidence that the height of the Pyramid of Cheops [Khufu] multiplied by 1,000 million corresponds approximately to the distance between the earth and the sun? That is to say, 93 million miles’ (1971: 99). Such arguments are interesting, but we will consider below the arbitrary nature of such arguments, which make it

Week 3 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 3 Assignment - Essay Example The issue about abortion is highly contemptuous both from the legal, philosophical and more especially theological perspective. While current law tends to be more liberal with the legalization of abortion in some states and some countries, the controversy and debate about its propriety is still as heated as before. The argument whether it is right or wrong has not yet settled and confounded by the equally heated discourse about the woman’s right to choose with what to do with her own body and the fetus/zygote right to live. The arguments about abortion are grounded on several philosophical and theological premises. First is the argument about when did life begin? Some posits that life begins at conception while others argue that life already begun at implantation. The Catholic Church brings forth the argument of its foremost theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas who believed that life actually begins at 40 days for male and 80 for female. He based this theological basis of his from the Greek’s view about fetal development. It became more acceptable however that life begun when the fetus acquired personhood and/or â€Å"ensoulment† which has the same value and right as any human being to live. Having accepted this standard of where life actually begun, limits the argument to the point of when a fetus gains personhood. Development in science has helped to settle this dilemma for it provided that the fetus is already a viable human life at the end of second trimester of pregnancy. But even if perso nhood or ensoulment is already established, there are however circumstances that would make abortion morally acceptable. This particularly true when the pregnancy and/or is threatening the mother’s life that continuing the pregnancy would induce the death the mother. Thus, in this instance, abortion becomes

Epistemological Beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Epistemological Beliefs - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that the rule operates on personal rules and philosophies. It states the nature in which a single individual operates and make decisions should not be influence by an external forces and the third party. In counselling and psychotherapy the psychotherapist and the counsellors should not influence the nature in which the patients make decisions based on their conditions. The therapist should respect the rule in autonomy and design the environment that that assist the patients to make informed decisions. There comes a time when the psychotherapist or the counsellor is caught between the patients’ right o make autonomous decisions and their beneficence duty. In the scenario the patient may choose to go against the psychotherapist prescription. In matters like these the patients may the priority and upon evaluation and identification of the patient’s autonomy rule the psychotherapist has no choice but to respect the patient’s decisions.

DeBeers advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

DeBeers advertising - Essay Example The simulacrum is true† (Ecclesiastes, cited in Baudrillard, 1994, p. 1) Introduction Observations reveal that in postmodern era extensive use of mass media and representative symbols have become an integral part of contemporary culture, where boundaries between fantasy and real world have merged, often making reality unrecognisable (Baudrillard, 1993, pp. 71-72). Mass production and photographic representation (advertisements) have modified human experience to the extent that â€Å"Irreality no longer belongs to the dream or phantasm†¦but to the hallucinatory resemblance of the real itself† (ibid, p. 72). In post-modern era, â€Å"reality† is identified only when it is mimeographed through cloning or simulation; while truth is interceded and manipulated in a manner where present genre of humans fail to differentiate between imaginary and real world, a condition termed as â€Å"hyper-reality† (ibid, pp.70-76). In the context of artificially creating a condition of reality, the best-known example is that of DeBeers where the tagline, â€Å"a diamond is forever† is known to have attached a false sense of value to a simple carbonated rock particle. Besides this, the De Beers advertisements also make strong use of the sign and signification concept (including the referent, the signifier and the signified), where their advertisements, instead of giving any information on the products create meanings through various signs and symbols. ... In this context, the paper will examine the concept of simulation and hyper-reality, comprehend how media managed to manipulate and erase the basic line between fantasy and reality, and create a false sense of value or consumer emotion. It will also analyse the concept of sign and signification, to find out the meaning behind the signs and symbols used in the advertisements. Discussion In post-modernism (especially in the context of capitalistic economies and post-modern developed nations), hyperrealism is a concept that reveals a condition where human consciousness fails to differentiate between falsely created ‘real’ world (simulation) and actual reality (Baudrillard, 1994). In other words, hyper-reality typifies what consciousness distinguishes as "reality" in the cultural context where mass media has the power to alter incidents before presenting them to the readers/viewers. It has resulted from logically derived simulation processes, where signs, logos or phrase-wor ds are being used with increasing frequencies to substitute real products or emotions. Symbols or catchy phrase-words that imitate reality are being made to appear as simplified and easy to recognise. They first cover and then replace the real objects or emotions, and finally end up being more ‘real’ than reality itself (ibid). Modern culture has thus turned into a substitute for reality where â€Å"everything is therefore right on the surface, absolutely superficial. There is no longer a need or requirement for depth or perspective; today, the real and the imaginary are confounded in the same operational totality, and aesthetic fascination is simply everywhere† (Baudrillard, 1976, p. 1019). According to Baudrillard

Apple Inc. AAPL Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple Inc. AAPL - Research Paper Example These are supplemented by software platforms like the OS X and iOS operating systems. Te products produced by Apple also vary over a wide range of other products. In this analysis of Apple Inc, this paper will focus on its price history and ratio analysis, which will help in determining its profitability and competitiveness in the market. The competitive position built by Apple Inc is one based on reading the market and understanding what the customer needs in regards to technology. This can be seen from the change in product lines that the company has been going through since its inception. With the advent of computers and the market for personal computers, the company started producing the Macintosh that helped take over the computer market. This changed to the production of laptops in response to the market, and currently, the company is at the forefront in producing mobile phones. The main competitor to the company’s iphone is the threat of competition from Android based phones and applications. An analysis of Apple Inc’s financial history in the last twelve months reveals that the company has had its best performance to date. In august, the stock touched a record high of $665 per share, an indicator of the market conditions that favor the company. However, the bullish market caused the stock to plummet from the august and September highs to another low, but with the regaining market, the company is expected to bounce

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration Research Paper

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the authorities of the Arizona State University (ASU) led by its President have declared that their primary objective is to establish the institution as the ideal representative of an American University belonging to the modern era. The institution conducts majority of its educational endeavors to accomplish the three main objectives, which has been enumerated in the University’s Plan documents. ASU’s main objective is to provide higher education to the maximum number of US students that it can accommodate. The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU. The vision statements of the University reflect the inhere nt objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under its educational programs. ... The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The vision statements of the University reflect the inherent objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under it s educational programs. Simultaneously, ASU has also concentrated in providing these students with a high standard of higher education. Therefore, the institution has been successful in achieving the twin objectives of making higher education accessible to a larger population of students, as well as securing a good reputation regarding the standard of education offered (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The ASU has also declared certain additional aims and objectives which it plans to implement by the year 2012. One such objective is to become a ‘National Comprehensive University’ by the specified timeline. The institution has set its sights in becoming the leading educational center for various scientific disciplines which also

Fashion marketing Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fashion marketing - Dissertation Example From this research it is clear that the concept of fashion is one that is now growing to international trends that are affecting the market. When looking at different regions, it can be seen that there are changes and complexities that are altering how many are able to sell various fashion labels. The rise of globalization is one of the factors which are changing the contemporary issues and trends. This has led to two major trends in the industry, one which is based on fast changes for consumer trends, such as wholesale clothing, and the other which includes high – end fashion. These trends are further divided by resistance or acceptance to different styles, specifically which are influenced by region and the demands that are associated with the area. When looking at the Chinese market, it can be seen that the trends are continuously changing the most popular styles. This includes the high end clothing as well as fast changing trends, as well as the resistance and acceptance o f Western style clothing in society. This research study will examine the different marketing trends in the Chinese market as well as how these are directly influencing the fashion industry nationally and internationally. More important, there will be an examination of how the trends are altering the direction of fashion labels. The study will focus specifically on the acceptance of European brands among generation Y students, including the perceptions in terms of quality, image, emotional value and mindset from consumers. Rationale for Topic The changes in the fashion industry are continuing to alter at rapid rates. The study of the Chinese market and how it is a part of the changing trends provides a larger context in understanding the fashion industry. First, there is an understanding of the product cycles and trends that are incorporated into cultural values through different regions. At the same time, there will be a better understanding of how this affects the perceptions and fashion styles in the global market. The result will be the ability to understand production from global sourcing within the fashion industry (Tokatli, 2006). These specific trends will be further defined with importance because of the expectations associated with Generation Y youth in China. The perception of brand from this generation is one which is more open to European styles and contemporary looks that move outside of the traditional Chinese styles. The involvement is based on understanding status, attitude and emotion al impact with the youth (O’Cass, Choy, 2008). Understanding the impact of these different topics will help to further a personal career field with international brands and with the future of fashion. By determining the trends in fashion in one region, internationally and among Generation Y, there will be the ability to understand more about the impact which this makes on the future of fashion labels. Aims and Objectives The aims of this particular study will be to: 1. Examine the marketing trends in fashion among Chinese consumers 2. Examine the acceptance of international brands, specifically with a focus on Europe, among Chinese consumers 3. Define the difference between fast fashion trends and high quality luxury items 4. Examine the Generation Y trends, attitudes and behaviors to international brands, as opposed to national labeling. These specific aims will be used to understand marketing patterns and trends that are currently in China as well as how this links to inter national trends. More specifically, the objectives will identify marketing patterns that occur with specific types of brands for those who are in a given culture. The objectives will be used specifically to identify concepts that are occurring within fashion and with marketing trends. Methodology The methodology will consist of a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market that is in China. The qualitative analysis will consist of surveys that will be distributed online to 50-100 Generation Y participations. The youth will be asked questions

Role of Student Essay Example for Free

Role of Student Essay India has a vast population of students who are studying in thousands of schools and colleges. These students can plays a very significant role in the re-building and reconstruction of our nation. This can only happen if their energies are properly channelised. The students had also played in a very important role during Indias struggle for independence. But after Indias independence it seems that students have no aim and noble cause before them for which they can utilise their energy. From time to time we hear about students indiscipline in difference universities and colleges. This again proves that the students power is being misused for destructive activities instead of any constructive work. In reality, the students lack proper guidance and good leadership. For some years indiscipline among the students in India had become a serious problem. They were going on strikes and organising demonstrations, agitations etc. They were disrespecting their teachers and college authorities. They were also fighting with the police. Thus the whole academic atmosphere in the universities was vitiated. In certain universities for years together no examinations could be held due to these problems. For all this indiscipline and disturbances in the colleges, we cannot hold the students exclusively responsible. To some extent the teachers, college authorities as well as the political leaders of our country are also responsible. Some political parties also incite the students against the authorities. These political parties play with live and careers of the innocent students. There should be a ban on the political parties taking any participation in the affairs of the students. The students possess immense youth power. In the absence of positive and constructive leadership they are led astray. The government should provide them with healthy and constructive leadership. In this manner they can be associated in bringing about social, economic, political moral reforms in India. They can play an important role in the progress of our nation. The students of today are the citizens of tomorrow. Let them feel their responsibility towards the society and the nation, so that they can become good citizens later on. There are many ways in which the students can best serve their country. First of all, the students should imbibe the spirit of discipline, because without discipline no nation can rise in the world today. It is due to discipline alone that countries like Japan, Germany, Russia and China are today powerful nations. The students can also be associated with the removal of many social evils in the society. The students can help in rooting out out the evil of dowry from the society by taking solemn pledge, they will not accept any dowry at the time of their marriage. they can help in the removal other evils like gambling, drinking, making illicit liquor etc. The other important role which the students can play is that they should work for the national unity and emotional integration in the country. They should work against the communal, provincial, linguistic and separatist tendencies in the country. They should develop and promote the spirit of Indian first and Indian last, rather than thinking in terms of a Sikh, Muslim, christian or a Hindi.

Assignment “Introduction to Leadership” Essay Example for Free

Assignment â€Å"Introduction to Leadership† Essay Leadership styles: When looking at leadership style I have to look at what as a manager I am good at and that has got me to the position as Manager and what I need to do to progress my team. Firstly I need to gain the respect of my team by treating everyone fairly. Leadership is defined as ‘the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal’. The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behaviour. A leader infuses a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal. A leader is someone who stands not only for his cause but takes responsibility and motivates other individuals also. There is a clear difference between being a manager and a leader. A leader is a motivation for others and inspires individuals to aim high and attain that aim. However a manager only supervises over his subordinates. Power naturally comes to a leader but that power is not a tool of leader. To be a good lead I have to look at the managers around me and what in my opinion makes them good or bad leaders and also if these are traits that I can adapt and use or ultimately will they be out of character for me and be counterproductive for me. Using the Paul and Kenneth Blanchard model of Situational Leadership:- Telling: this is where a person has low ability and low willingness maybe a new starter. This is the style I would use for a new starter who does not yet have the skills to operate independently. Selling: this is where a person would have low ability but high willingness. This style I would use on someone like Dave in the office he wants to do a good job but is of an age that he does not quite have the skills he needs but he more than makes up for that with his knowledge of the job. So I need to draw on his experience to help him achieve his goals. Participating: this is for a person will high ability and low willingness. This leadership style I would use on Becca as she has the ability but when things are going against her tends to try and hide from difficult circumstances so i would have a discussion with her and give her the support needed to get the job done. Delegating: this is for High ability and high willingness. This i am more than comfortable using on Ann and Mel as they have shown that they can comfortably do the tasks i set them. I have also set them individual tasks looking at how we can improve our day to day activities and ultimately make our lives easier in the long run. After doing the test I came down as someone who was fairly evenly spread of tell, selling and participating but who does not delegate this is something I have known about and my team has told me and something I can now begin to address Review of own leadership behaviour:- I am relatively new in the role of Sales office Manager. I have progressed from a role within the factory by doing an excellent job as a traffic planner. I took all the information gain by talking to people and being in the loop within the factory. I took in account what the factory could do and what our customer expectations were which allowed us to plan what was needed and by when to meet what the customer actually needed. Being new to the sales role I have had to take myself out the information loop and learn a new role. I have had to learn a new computer system and at the same time be the role model for my team. Whilst doing this I have made myself available for any problems the team has but have tried to show that I can do the job and also help team members who have been doing it for years. I currently have a team of five people all with varying abilities. I have two long serving members of staff one part time and two that started at the beginning of the year. With no two members of staff the same I have had to employ different leadership style i.e. with Dave he is coming up to retirement and I would say he was low on ability he has a high willingness to complete tasks set so with him I would employ the telling leadership style which was very similar with my two new starters but as the months progressed they both showed high ability but one was more willing to achieve than the other so with Becca I had to show a participating style of leadership and with Mel I am able to delegate more as she showed both high ability and high willingness. The factory as a whole is very unionised and whilst the majority of the staff are in the union they do generally like to get the job done and if this means working long stressful hours they do. When we are in these situations I will change my leadership style to match the situation where it be acting on their behalf to speak to people who they have issue with (maybe another member of staff or even customers) or by re-enforcing procedures that are there to make the lives easier or by finding courses that will ultimately give them the tools to make their jobs easier in the long run. I have spoken to members of the team and other managers around the office and all have said I try to do too much and that I need to â€Å"learn to delegate† and whilst this doesn’t come naturally to me (my preferred leadership style was telling and participating) I have taken their comments on board and have started to delegate a lot more around the team and focused on other areas within the team that would help them to improve and grow. I can improve myself as a leader by listening to others and taking advice and giving and receiving feedback and also by doing courses and re assessing myself to look at things from a different angle and point of view. Within the factory I am constantly being assessed and feedback given my goals are constantly moving but I personally need to delegate more to enable me to grow as a manager. I have also started to meet other Sales office managers within the group so I know that the job I have been doing whilst not exactly the same as other sites is very similar and I haven’t been doing that bad a job but perception is everything so I have to look at promoting myself with the site and also more importantly to other sites what I have to say has value and I can bring a lot to the table but I also have to look at the individuals within my team and look at their maturity levels and adapt my leadership to what is needed to each individual and also learn to delegate more.

Biological Positivism and Crime | Dissertation Proposal

Biological Positivism and Crime | Dissertation Proposal Introduction â€Å"Our society has decided that man is a creature born of free will. At the same time, our system recognises that attitudes may be influenced by environmental factors.† (Taylor, 1984: 9) Adults who engage in criminal conduct are seen as having values which are distorted by adverse environmental conditions. â€Å"Guilt then is premised upon the concept that everyone who commits an act does so out of an exercise of free will. A person is fully capable of not committing the act, should he or she so desire.† (Taylor, 1984: 10) This approach is referred to as the ‘classicist approach’. Classicists have achieved near-total victory in the recent years resulting in our criminal justice system being founded upon the concept that criminal behaviour is the complete result of environmental influences, that it is nurture that shapes conduct. This has caused our social institutions to attempt to correct deviant behaviour through modification to environmental influences through prison and rehabilitation programmes. The number of offences recorded by the police in the UK between June 2012 and June 2013 is 3.7 million (Office for National Statistics, 2013). It needs to be questioned whether this crime level is the result of a troubled society or the result of a breakdown in the criminal justice system? Recidivism is still occurring with more than one in four criminals reoffending within a year of release (Ministry of Justice, 2013). A possible reason for this could be that the whole premise on which we base our criminal justice is defective. If this classicist premise is wrong then it is no wonder that recidivism is continuing to happen and that as a society we are failing to eradicate crime. If the actual cause of crime is identified then there is the potential of eliminating crime, easing pain, and instilling common trust and security. Stephen Mobley had all the attributes of a natural born killer. At the age of 25, he walked into a pizza store and shot the manager in the neck after robbing the till. Nobody could blame his upbringing – he came from a white, middle-class American family and had not been abused as a child. In 1995 he was waiting on death row in Georgia to hear whether his appointment with the electric chair was confirmed. His lawyer tried to plea that his murder was not the evil result of free will but the tragic consequence of a genetic predisposition. His aunt, a witness for the defence, testified that various members of their family over the past four generations have been very violent, aggressive and criminal. She told the court how the Mobley family had had murder, rape, robbery, and suicide. His lawyer therefore argued that there is no legal defence to Mobley’s crime. Mobley’s family history is an obvious mitigating factor and his actions may not have been a product totally of free will (Connor, 1995). To date, there has been little agreement that a person’s biology has an influence on crime. Early biological theorists such as Lombroso have been widely discredited mainly on the basis of a flawed methodology however the recent and more contemporary biological explanations of crime have been shown to more credible. This dissertation will explore contemporary biological ideas on crime – the role of genetics. What if there are people that are genetically predisposed to commit crimes? Should they be held to account for their actions that may have been completely beyond their control? In light of the apparent failures of our current criminal justice system, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the real causes of crime. Can we afford to ignore the possibility that criminal behaviour could be due to genetics? There is also the issue of how society should deal with the offender whose crime was genetically influenced? Society has decided that no individual should be held accountable for acts performed when he or she is mentally incapacitated. We have the defence of insanity when people who have a ‘disease of the mind’ commit crimes. It needs to be considered whether genetic aberration should be considered in mitigation of, or as a defence to, a criminal charge. Some would say that to accept the notion that criminals are born rather than made would be opening a gateway to a moral minefield causing other factors including society, unemployment, and upbringing to be ignored (Connor, 1995). General Research Aim It is the purpose of this dissertation to assess the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society through way of literature analysis. I will briefly explore early biological theories such as those of Lombroso and his idea of a ‘criminal man’, moving on to discuss contemporary biological ideas the influence of a person’s genetics on criminal behaviour. The research will explore the effectiveness of punishment and how biological ideas may have influenced punishment by placing emphasis on the treatment of offenders. Finally, the ethical implications surrounding the treatment model will be considered. Aims and Objectives In order to successfully answer my research aim, a number of sub-questions must be considered: How does society view crime? This dissertation begins by explaining why further research into the topic is essential. The main body of this dissertation will be introduced with a discussion of how our society currently views crime – is it a product of a person’s biological influences, environmental influences, or a combination of the two? What is biological positivism? In order to assess the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society, I must first clarify what biological positivism actually is. I will explore early biological theories leading on to a discussion of contemporary biological ideas. Relevant case studies will be looked at to inspect the usefulness of these present day theories in explaining crime and criminal behaviour. How has biological positivism affected punishment? The dissertation will then move on to assess how these theories, previously discussed, have affected punishment. In order to do this I will first look to why we punish and what forms of punishment are currently used in the UK. Using reoffending statistics I will critically analyse the effectiveness of these current forms of punishment, leading on to a discussion about an alternative to punishment suggested by biological positivists: The role of treatment. Is the treatment model effective? The effectiveness of the treatment model will then be evaluated. Consequently, emphasis on treatment over punishment carries huge ethical implications. These ethical implications will be discussed with an in depth exploration on the incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights into domestic law through the Human Rights Act 1998. Are there any proposals for change to the current criminal justice system which suggests a move towards the treatment of offenders? Finally, any proposals for change in the criminal justice system put forward by the Government will be discussed if they are of relevance to key points highlighted in this dissertation. Suggestions for future changes in the criminal justice system made by biological theorists will also be argued. Conclusion Despite the in-depth research there is still much debate on the true causes of crime. The central importance of identifying the causes of crime has been discussed through this dissertation. With both crime rates, and reoffending rates, being considerably high (Office for National Statistics, 2013 ; Ministry of Justice, 2013) it is vital that the causes of crime are identified, and individuals are therefore dealt with accordingly, in order for these figures to decrease. After researching into biological positivism, the use of biological theories in the current criminal justice system are identifiably lacking with more emphasis on environmental factors being seen as the causes of crime. A biosocial, multi-factor, approach has been formed over the recent years incorporating environmental, social, and biological factors (Hopkins Burke, 2009) nevertheless there seems to be an ignorance of biological factors. The aim of this dissertation was to identify the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society through an analysis of existing literature. The main focus of the research was to identify contemporary biological ideas, and then examine how they influenced punishment in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Theses influences were then analysed in terms of effectiveness, with ethical issues later being questioned. Biological positivism is relevant in today’s society. The research does not suggest that biological factors are the sole cause of criminal behaviour for every individual offender, but that it can have an influence on an individual’s susceptibility to commit a crime (Hopkins Burke, 2009). Environmental and social factors also later contribute to shape the offender. Early biological theories stemmed from the work of Lombroso. Although his work is largely discredited, he laid the foundation on which much more plausible explanations could be formed. Research into contemporary biological explanations, including twins studies and hormones, has led to the conclusion that criminality in a minority of offenders is solely caused by biological factors (Hopkins Burke, 2009). Although these more contemporary biological ideas have been shown to be credible, this credibility does not seem to be reflected in the current criminal justice system. Biological positivists have favoured treatment over punishment as way of dealing with offenders (Cavadino and Dignan, 2007). This dissertation has recognised that emphasis is currently placed on punishment, and primarily, imprisonment. There have been many attempts over the years to adopt a treatment approach however, due to both financial and time-related restrictions, these attempts have been limited considerably. This limitation implies that sex offences are the only offences seen as a result of a biological defect in the offender. The rationale behind treatment being offered only to sex offenders however, is quite noticeably the result of some other reason: sex offenders are the most despised group of offenders, even among other offenders and therefore there is an increased pressure on the criminal justice system to ensure that these offenders do not re-offend. Specialised treatment techniques such as chemical castration have therefore been developed to deal with them (Miller, 1998). An implication of these findings, that a person’s biology does have an effect on their susceptibility to commit crime, is that biological defects should be taken into account for all offenders and in turn, treatment should be offered to every individual offender despite costs. Although prison is used most commonly to punish offenders, and is arguably cheaper than treatment, long term costs are substantial. This suggests that it is more beneficial for the criminal justice system to invest in something that works to rehabilitate the offender and prevent them from reoffending, than to incarcerate them preventing them from offending only on a short term basis. It is important that the cause of crime in each individual offender is identified and then dealt with accordingly. There have been numerous analyses of the treatment model in terms of ethical issues however authors of these analyses have either concluded that treatment violates all of the offenders fundamental rights, or none of them (Miller, 1998). The analysis of these ethical issues through this dissertation has led to the conclusion that the current forms of treatment, offered on a voluntary basis, are not in breach of offenders’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. There is an underlying issue of discrimination however, under article 14 ECHR, as it can be argued that treatment offered only to sex offenders is discriminating it is discriminating for sex offenders, and also discriminating for those offenders that are not offered treatment. By offering treatment to all offenders it will ensure that any biological influences to crime in offenders can be addressed, and then treated. It has been earlier identified that not all offenders have a biological predisposition, but for those offenders that do, it may rehabilitate the individual and prevent reoffending. In response to this, article 14 ECHR and the prohibition of discrimination may not be as much of a concern. To offer treatment to all offenders would be a step towards removing this cause of discrimination. Other ethical issues surrounding treatment, including informed and valid consent, and off-label drugs, have also been addressed in this dissertation, and have been seen to be justified. Recommendations It has been identified that research into twin studies, in particular monozygotic twins, is the most credible in terms of ascertaining the influence of genetics on criminal behaviour. It is therefore recommended that if it were possible to locate a representative sample of monozygotic twins who satisfied experimental conditions, being separated at birth and growing up in different environments, then the true extent of how much influence our genes have on criminal behaviour can be determined. The criminal justice system must recognise that other offences, not only sex offences, can be the result of a genetic defect and consequently treatment should be offered to all offenders. Treatment given should be appropriate for the offender, and offered on a voluntary basis in order to avoid potential ethical issues. To ensure consent is free, informed and valid, offenders should be assessed to ensure they have the mental capacity to give consent, and to ensure they are aware of all risks involved. Although long term effects are unknown, as long as the offender is aware of the uncertainty then informed consent is not an issue. Drugs should also be licensed for the purpose of treating offenders. More rigorous testing is needed using double-blind randomised trials along with full medical tests prior to, during and after treatment (Harrison, 2008). Genetic aberrations should be considered as a mitigating factor with consideration given to biological influences on the offender when sentencing.

Bharat versus India Ideology Essay -- Hindu Bharatiya Independence

â€Å"Bharat† and â€Å"India† Two Ideas of an Independent Indian State Hindu revivalism has been a part of Indian nationalism almost since the independence movement itself began. However, it has gone through many forms and been embodied in many different organizations, often being ignored in the forum of Indian politics. However, the victory of the Hindu revivalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections since 1998 has forced many scholars to reconsider the history of such movements, to analyze the forms they have taken throughout the 20th century. This constant reshaping has allowed organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to survive for decades, though with greater or lesser influence in different periods. Since Independence, it may be better to speak of a â€Å"Bharatiya† movement, rather than a Hindu revivalist or fundamentalist movement. Discussing the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (the first incarnation of the later Jana Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party), founded in 1951, Hansen says: one of the most significant changes in relation to Golwalkar’s [a leader of the RSS] writings was the use of the term ‘Bharatiya’, which Richard Fox has aptly translated ‘Hindian’, a mixture of ‘Hindu’ and ‘Indian’ (Fox 1990: 64). The use of the term ‘Bharatiya’ thus signified an adaptation to the political realities of official secularism, which had made explicit references to ‘Hindu’ impossible and illegitimate outside the religious field. (Hansen, 85) Thus, almost since the founding of the RSS, it has stood for a complex mixture of religious and secularist ideas. This mixture has carried on to its affiliates, such as the BJP. â€Å"BJP leaders, among them Advani, publicly announced that they were irreligious and never went to ... ...ining their political strength. Instead of phrasing their position as a religious one, it has been displayed as a national and social one, allowing them to keep their traditional base of support, while gaining educated and middle-class voters with right-wing leanings. Bibliography: Andersen, Walter K. and Damle, Shridhar D. â€Å"The Brotherhood in Saffron: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism†. Westview Press, Boulder, 1987. Corbridge, Stuart and Harriss, John. â€Å"Reinventing India: Liberalization, Hindu Nationalism and Popular Democracy†. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2000. Engineer, Asghar Ali. â€Å"Lifting the Veil: Communal Violence and Communal Harmony in Contemporary India†. Sangam Books, Bombay, 1995. Hansen, Thomas Blom. â€Å"The Saffron Wafe: Democracy and Hindu Nationalism in Modern India†. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1999.

Friendship Essay example -- Friendship Essay

A friend by definition is someone you know well and regard with affection and trust. I am not a very outgoing person, and to be totally honest, I am very isolated from other human beings. Except for my family and people at school. I cannot say who I would like to have as friend. I never given much thought. Perhaps I like God to be my friend. He is not selfish and very forgiving. He knows the hearts, seeing you for you; the imperfections, the motives, the joys and virtues. I could say what qualities a friend should have. A friend is loyal, reliable, trustworthy, and loving. The friend is loyal by sticking by you through good times and bad times. She would not gossip behind your back, spilling intimate details of your life. She would try to defend you and praise you. You can always rely o...

Exploring Autism in Children Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Pape

Exploring Autism in Children Susan was a normal, happy, active infant. Her parents were so relieved that all her checkups at the pediatrician's office indicated that her growth and development were above average. At 6 months she could sit up and crawl and at 10 months she was walking. She seemed to babble more than her older brother did at the same age and was talking at 16 months. All the milestones in her early development were ahead of schedule. One day when she was 18 months old, her mother found her sitting alone in the yard spinning the wheels of her wagon with such persistence that her mom joked with her friends that maybe Susan would be an engineer when she grew up. Susan's mother began to notice many unusual behaviors from her sweet, happy little girl. She seemed really different from her older brother. At 2 years old, Susan, she began to digress more and more. Suddenly, Susan stopped talking and it felt as if she wasn't the same baby she once was. She became obsessed with order and threw a tantrum when anything was moved or was out of place. She was always putting hairy toys in her mouth or sniffing and licking them. It was clear that she was very sensitive to taste, sound, smell, and touch. She threw a tantrum when her mother tried to put jeans on her, soft sweatpants were much more comfortable. When her mom called her by her name, she appeared to be deaf because she was unresponsive to voices or language. She avoided eye contact and would often be fixated on a single item or activity for a long period of time. She was very active and was constantly rocking or flapping her hands. She also would become aggressive. When something would upset her, she would suddenly explode, grabbing anything she could get... ... Andrew awakes. Ladies Home Journal (163-166) Neuwirth, S & Segal, J. Autism. Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Retrieved March 14, 2002 from the World Wide Web:http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/Disorders/ Autism.html Powers, M, Psy, D. Children with Autism a parent's guide. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House Inc. 3-9, 294. 297-298. Smith, D. (1992). Special Education. very low incidence Disabilities: Autism, Deaf- Blindness & Traumatic Brain Injury. (Pg. 520-530, 553-557). Needhan Heights, MA Autism 10 What is Autism . (2001 June) . Colorado Department of Education Fast Facts. Retrieved March 12,2002 from the World Wide Web: www. cde.state.co.us. Treatment and education of eutism and related communication handicapped children.Chapel Hill TEACCH information.Retrieved June 15, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://Autism- info.com/teacch.html Exploring Autism in Children Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Pape Exploring Autism in Children Susan was a normal, happy, active infant. Her parents were so relieved that all her checkups at the pediatrician's office indicated that her growth and development were above average. At 6 months she could sit up and crawl and at 10 months she was walking. She seemed to babble more than her older brother did at the same age and was talking at 16 months. All the milestones in her early development were ahead of schedule. One day when she was 18 months old, her mother found her sitting alone in the yard spinning the wheels of her wagon with such persistence that her mom joked with her friends that maybe Susan would be an engineer when she grew up. Susan's mother began to notice many unusual behaviors from her sweet, happy little girl. She seemed really different from her older brother. At 2 years old, Susan, she began to digress more and more. Suddenly, Susan stopped talking and it felt as if she wasn't the same baby she once was. She became obsessed with order and threw a tantrum when anything was moved or was out of place. She was always putting hairy toys in her mouth or sniffing and licking them. It was clear that she was very sensitive to taste, sound, smell, and touch. She threw a tantrum when her mother tried to put jeans on her, soft sweatpants were much more comfortable. When her mom called her by her name, she appeared to be deaf because she was unresponsive to voices or language. She avoided eye contact and would often be fixated on a single item or activity for a long period of time. She was very active and was constantly rocking or flapping her hands. She also would become aggressive. When something would upset her, she would suddenly explode, grabbing anything she could get... ... Andrew awakes. Ladies Home Journal (163-166) Neuwirth, S & Segal, J. Autism. Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Retrieved March 14, 2002 from the World Wide Web:http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/Disorders/ Autism.html Powers, M, Psy, D. Children with Autism a parent's guide. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House Inc. 3-9, 294. 297-298. Smith, D. (1992). Special Education. very low incidence Disabilities: Autism, Deaf- Blindness & Traumatic Brain Injury. (Pg. 520-530, 553-557). Needhan Heights, MA Autism 10 What is Autism . (2001 June) . Colorado Department of Education Fast Facts. Retrieved March 12,2002 from the World Wide Web: www. cde.state.co.us. Treatment and education of eutism and related communication handicapped children.Chapel Hill TEACCH information.Retrieved June 15, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://Autism- info.com/teacch.html

Creating Brochure Using Photoshop

Most of us think that creating the brochure is the quite simple task and most of us doesn't think too much of allocating the time to It. But It is not so creating the brochure can make the work cumbersome.. Brochure Is the silent but the most powerful weapon in the marketing field. It helps in promoting the products. So using the time wisely for preparing the brochure makes the work quite simple.Firstly we have to have a clear idea on what is to be included into the brochure, you need to get the specifications of the brochure such as dimensions of paper, trimming, folding, or facial cuts and the most of those things will depend on the budget allocated by the client. Now we shall look how to prepare a brochure In a photos. Firstly the photos software Is to be ready on your system. Ђ Next the piece of paper has to be folded into three sides and then that would make you easy to know which side of the paper would be the main frame and middle and the last frame. Open the new document in the photos in which the dimension as per required. Select the appropriate document which is suitable for the printing out. Ђ Next place all the images that are required In the brochure which makes the brochure attractive. Ђ Place all the matter which Is relevant does not place whole matter In the brochure It should be should precise and sharp such that it should attract the viewers. Next open the other new document same as the above required dimensions that is middle section of your brochure. Now take the print of the first side and place the paper again for the back side and that would finish your brochure.

Intro to Transportation

Intro to TransportationMarch 20, 2013 Page 1 of 1 Assignment #5 New Brunswick Power turbine As it does not clarify in the readings exactly what the terms of shipment assigned were for the agreement between Siemens and NB Power, I have assumed that the agreement would have specified that Siemens specified that the contract was governed by Incoterms 2010 CFR- St John, New Brunswick, Canada. All responsibility for risk of loss or damage, as well as additional transportation costs now transfer to buyer essay writers for hire. Seller responsibility ceases once goods pass the ships rail at the port of shipment (not destination).NB Power contracted with Irving Equipment to deliver goods via barge to power plant. The bill of lading should read â€Å"FOB Destination†. Costs and responsibility: Rescue/Recovery of Goods from Water- Irving Equipment Responsibility: NB Power contracted services with Irving Equipment and BOL stated FOB Destination- damage or loss to the cargo up to the poin t of delivery to the buyer is responsibility of the shipper. Assessment and Cleaning of Recovered Turbines- Irving Equipment NB Power contracted services with Irving Equipment and BOL stated destination.Replacement/Repair of Turbines: Irving Equipment. Responsibility: NB Power contracted services with Irving Equipment and BOL stated FOB Destination. Damage or loss to the cargo up to the point of delivery to buyer is responsibility of the shipper. Freight (Load Planning)- Irving Equipment Agreement with manufacturer had clearly stated CFR. As per description above NB Power did enter into agreement with Irving Equipment to handle and deliver goods to destination. This shipment would have required load planning expertise to ensure smooth transition. Loss of Revenue for Power Plant: Irving Equipment.As stated above Schedule delays for power plant: Irving Equipment. As stated above NB Power would be able to pursue all identified points above where I believe that Irving Equipment could be held responsible. Unless otherwise specified in their agreement, the liability would probably be limited to a certain amount and NB Power would not recover the costs for the turbines and all extra’s listed above. If NB Power did purchase insurance for this shipment for the full value of goods, they could recover the cost of goods and all other costs depending on type of insurance purchased.

JP Morgan and Bear Stearns Essay

Background In the last three decades, the US banking system has changed its investment procedures and its risk management due to changes in government regulation. Furthermore, external shocks, such as the inflationary period during the 70s and the recession in the 80s, led Banking institutions to alternative ways of investment in order to remain profitable. The average annual inflation rate from 1900 to 1970 was approximately 2.5%. From 1970, however, the average rate hit about 6%, topping out at 13.3% by 1979. This period is also known for â€Å"stagflation†, a phenomenon in which inflation and unemployment steadily increased. A loose monetary policy led to very low interest rates. Corporations were borrowing large amounts to finance leverage buyouts (LBOs), which led to higher and high interest burden. One of the main instruments used was financial derivatives, which gave Banks additional profit. Moreover, this instruments represented off balance sheet activities, thus helping bank cap ital. Nonetheless, these instruments were risky and could led to enormous losses. In the late 70’s and early 80’s saw the rise of a number of financial products such as derivatives, high yield an structured products, which provided lucrative returns for investment banks. Also in the late 1970s, the facilitation of corporate mergers was being hailed as the last gold mine by investment bankers who assumed that Glass-Steagall would someday collapse. At this time we could see the first efforts to loosen Glass-Steagall restrictions and some brokerage firms begin encroaching on banking territory by offering money-market accounts that pay interest, allow check-writing, and offer credit or debit cards. Moreover, in 1974 NOW (Negotiable Order of Withdrawal) accounts were created by a small bank in Massachusetts, offering negotiable orders of withdrawal to permit payments on near-checking accounts at banks. In 1980, they were permitted for all institutions, with rate ceilings eliminate d in 1986. Bear Sterns and crisis As an investment bank, Bear Stearns & Co. had three main operating businesses. The first one was Capital Markets, which included brokerage services, market-making and proprietary trading in both equities and fixed income. Moreover, this Capital Markets business also included investment banking services such as securities issuance and advice on mergers and  acquisitions. Its fixed income business represented the highest contribution to its revenue. The second operating business was Global Clearing Services which included the company’s well-regarded prime brokerage business. Bear Stearns provided trade execution and securities clearing, custody, lending and financing to hedge funds and broker-dealers as a prime broker. The third operating business was Wealth Management which included Bear’s Private Client Services group, which served high-net worth individuals, and Bear Stearns Asset Management, which managed hedge funds and other investment vehicles. Bear Stearns & Co. was an investment bank, a financial intermediary that performed a variety of services. As an investment bank it specialized in large and complex financial transactions. Its primary regulator was the Securities and Exchange Commission and did not have access to the Federal Reserve discount window, which allows eligible institutions to borrow money from the central bank, usually on a short-term basis, to meet temporary shortages of liquidity caused by internal or external disruptions unlike commercial banks. The main difference between a commercial bank and an investment bank such as Bear Stearns was that while commercial banking involved both taking deposits and making loans that remained on the lender’s balance sheet, investment banking involved the underwriting of debt and equity securities, buying them from the issuer typically with a syndicate of other firms and then selling them on to investors. Many years ago it was difficult to say whether a bank engaged in commercial activities or investment activities, however, the Congress prohibited investment banking and commercial banking in the same firm in 1993. But in 1999 these laws were modified and some commercial and investment banks consolidated although Bear Stearns as well as other banks such as Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers chose not to enter the commercial banking business so as a result they did not have access to the Federal Reserve discount window. FED Chairman Christopher Cox said that Bear Stearns was adequately capitalized â€Å"at all times† but facing skeptical lawmakers, Cox acknowledged that the firm had massive liquidity problems and that â€Å"capital is not synonymous with liquidity.† He said the SEC is working with the five biggest Wall Street firms to make sure they increase their liquidity pools and  redouble their focus on risk practices. On March 13, he indicated that liquidity at Bea r Stearns fell from $12.4 billion to $2 billion because of â€Å"the complete evaporation of confidence† in the company. Considering Mr. Cox’s statements, we ask ourselves if all well-capitalized financial institutions are vulnerable to crisis periods. In order to arrive to a conclusion in this matter we have considered a well-capitalized as a firm with a healthy liquidity status. From our point of view, we consider that some financial institutions, such as big investment banks, are so important to the global economy that should they fall, the repercussions would be too fatal and governments would be forced to intervene and rescue them in order to keep the economy from collapsing. This is the reason why the term â€Å"to big to fail† arose. In spite of this, as Nassim Nicholas Taleb said, we could face a â€Å"black swan case†, which refers to an event, positive or negative, that is deemed improbable yet causes massive consequences. Bear’s activities were financed with a mix of long term debt, equity, and financing collateralized with securities from Bear’s inventory. Besides this, Bear’s trading business required the investment bank to constantly hold an inventory of securities; these securities were used as collateral for short term borrowing agreements known as repurchase agreements (repos). If we compare Bear with other financial institutions like, for example, Leman Brothers, Merrill or Morgan Stanley we can easily see that those companies had much more weight in liquidity than Bear Stearns. It was below those three in repo financing and repo lending too. Specifically, Merrill Lynch had total liquidity of 181.9 while Bearn Stearns had 35.3 and total liquidity as percentage of repo financing was 77% in Merrill and 345 in Bearn Stearns. Bear Stearns nearly collapsed not once but twice before the cash-strapped brokerage firm was rescued. The leverage suffered by Bear Stearns at that time increased the risk of becoming bankrupt. This was because, with a big leverage, losses are larger and can consume the firm’s entire equity to the point where the book value of the company is zero or even negative. In the worst case scenario, Bearn Stearns, being counterpart for many repo agreements and other financial instruments could result in default on their payments, which is why it ended up being rescued. By knowing this facts we can tell that the firm’s value would indeed be negatively affected by a potential bankruptcy. Valuation To give a price to pay for Bear Stearns’ ongoing businesses we have to use a valuation method. Being unable to perform an adequate due diligence we are not going to be able to know the actual risk of many of the assets, and therefore unable to use the real value. For this reason, the valuation method we are going to use is the Book Value per Share, which by definition indicates the remaining value of a company for its shareholders, should it dissolve, which is quite similar to the process Bear Stearns is going through. To find the book value, we have to take the total shareholder equity and subtract from it all preferred equity. In order to do so, we have to take a look at the balance sheet, provided in the Exhibit 2, where we can find the unaudited balance sheet for the Q1 2008. There we can see that Total Stockholders’ Equity in that period was $11,896 million. From that equity we have to subtract the preferred stock, which is $352 million. 11544 Doing so we obtain a value of $11,544 million, which divided by the number of total shares outstanding should give us the book value per share of the company. Looking at the balance sheet, we can see that it gives the outstanding shares. We have 500,000,000 shares authorized as of November 30, 2007 and 2006; 184,805,847 shares issued as of November 30, 2007 and 2006. We can see it better this way: Nov. 30, 2007 Nov. 30, 2006 Authorized 500,000,000 500,000,000 Issued 184,805,847 184,805,847 This makes a total of 1,369,611,694 shares. But the company also has Treasury stock, it has repurchased some of the shares it had previously issued. It says that the treasury stock is composed of common stock: 71,807,227 and 67,396,876 shares as of November 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively. This means that the company has bought, in total, 139,204,103 shares. Subtracting the  value to the issued and authorized shares, we have the total number of outstanding shares. So, to find the Book Value per share, we divide the $11,544 million of equity by the 1,230,407,591 shares, turning to be $9.38 per share, very close to the price JP Morgan ended up paying. However, I would say this value is too high, due to the great amount of uncertainty regarding the exposition of Bear Stearns to the MBS market and the great illiquidity risk it is facing.