Into the Wild Chris McCandless as Role Model Essay

There had never been and there would never be someone exactly like Chris McCandless. Chris has a middle class background and stands out from his peers because he believes that society restrains his independence. He leaves his past life and wanders America heading toward the lonely Alaskan wilderness to find who he really is. He discovers ways of moving to Alaska despite leaving behind all of his possessions and social status. Chris’s sincerity and integrity earn the respect of the people he meets. He inspires people leave behind their old life and explore the country by documenting his experiences. Chris loves to challenge himself and after succeeding academically he finds purpose through self deprivation. Chris chooses Alaska because its†¦show more content†¦All three help Chris reach Alaska after initially discouraging him because Chris earned their friendship with his values and not theirs. Much like a father Ronald questions Chris on his decision to leave home but while Chris is happy being independent Ronalds life is empty. He loses his family while serving his country and lives alone. Believing in duty to his country has left him with no relationships. Ronald wants happiness so after receiving a letter from Chris Ronald changes his life, emulating Chris’s transient lifestyle by living out of a trailer. Ronald is grateful to Chris for persuading him to cast off his self-imposed bonds and find happiness in new experiences. When Ronald finds out about Chriss death he, [renounces] the Lord, [he withdraws] church membership and [becomes] an atheist (60). Ronald thinks there must be no God if someone like can die from starvation. The strength of Chris’s belief in his world view made him an inspiring and magnetic person. Chris is ambitious and motivated, after Chris excels academically he inspires himself to carry out the more difficult goal of surviving in the Alaskan wilderness with as little equipment as possible. When Chris leav es his life in Annandale after graduating Emory University he makes the decision to succeed on his own terms. Chris did not travel toShow MoreRelatedIs Chris Mccandless Crazy Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesIs Chris Mccandless crazy or not? In the book Into the Wild the main character, Chris Mccandless, made a rational decision to exclude himself from human society because he believed that going beyond what his parents, and society wanted, he would live a happier life. Chris wanted to leave society and venture into the wilderness to find the true meaning of who he was. Chris Mccandless was neither crazy or ignorant to live off in the wild where there was no people or anything to interact with, butRead MoreEssay On Chris Mccandless1092 Words   |  5 PagesChris McCandless, the subject of Jon Krakauersâ€Å"Into The Wild,† whose off-the-grid Alaskan adventure ended in starvation is a hero and an idealist whose sense of independence and adventure inspires us to reach for our dreams. McCandless was a courageous man. He wanted to live a life that was completely different than the one his parents lead. And wanted to submerge himself in the world that we live in and be sequestered from people who take it for granted. However, most students see McCandless asRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1013 Words   |  5 Pages Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, narrates the life of adventurer and free spirit Christopher McCandless, who died August 1992 in the Alaskan wilderness; however, his journey still remains relevant in today’s pop culture due to the unresolved controversy of whether he is a saintly role model or hubristic fool. Krakauer openly states that he â€Å"won’t claim to be an impartial biographer† (Author’s Note) due to the parallels he struck with McCandless, and provides a more idealistic approach to the biographyRead More Chris McCandless is NOT a Hero in the Book, Into the Wild by John Krakauer507 Words   |  2 Pagespeople have read the story â€Å"Into the Wild† By Jon Krakauer, when mentioning the name Chris McCandless he is either viewed as hero or as a dumb man. The people who view him as a hero tend to believe that he was determined enough t o want to do something. Others view him as an idiot who just wanted attention. Him being unprepared and not knowing much about how to survive in the wild made McCandless an idiot, the dumb jerk. Also causing him to be a poor role model to multiple people causing them to endRead MoreAnalysis Of Christopher Mccandless s Into The Wild 2362 Words   |  10 Pagesfuture, who soon endured the journey of a lifetime. The well known novel â€Å"Into the Wild† by Jon Krakauer is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man from a wealthy family in the Eastern United States, who, after graduating from Emory University, donated all his available money to charity and embarked on a trip through the American West under the surname Alexander Supertramp. Two years later, McCandless was found dead in the desolation of Alaska. This discovery triggered a spectacularRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer2187 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"All happy families are happy in the same way, but all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way† (Tolstoy). Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer tells a story about a young man called Christopher McCandless who comes from a well-off family who then out of the blue deserts everything to journey on an â€Å"Alaskan Odyssey†. There isn’t a sane man who donates all his money, leaves everything and everyone he loves, and changes his identity to â€Å"Alexander Supertramp† to venture on a journey that makes him faceRead MoreTranscendentalism And Its Impact On Society2407 Words   |  10 Pagesand repeating. A cycle that causes many of us to lead lives of quiet desperation. Living with a warped sense of purpose leaves one feeling unfulfilled and meaningless. A sense of belonging plays a crucial role in every life. Belongingness can be found on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: a model of five interdependent needs that must be satisfied in order, starting with the lower level. The first two levels are deficiency needs, which are biological needs (air, food, water, etc.) and safety needs (protection

The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck Essay - 1694 Words

The story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck, like many stories by this author, is loaded with symbolism and concepts about human nature. Each description of characters, places, and physical aspects is written in a way that is simple to understand, but one should not be tricked by his ordinary words since there is always a greater meaning behind them. In this particular story, if one considers the period of time when the story was written, which was the nineteen thirties, is perceived how Steinbeck presents the readers with an uncommon matter that not many writers wrote about. That matter, being, the topic of women and their sexuality, which is the main focus of the story, in a time when a woman s life is dominated by men and as a consequence, many women are deprived of their personal, social and sexual fulfillment. These deprivations in a woman’s life are illustrated within the descriptions and events that occur around the primary symbol in this story, the flo wer chrysanthemum, which as the story advances, reveals itself to symbolize Elisa’s femininity, her fulfillment as a woman and even her. Elisa’s masculine descriptions such as her face being â€Å"lean and strong,† her body being â€Å"blocked and heavy,† and the â€Å"man s black hat† that she is wearing, which in a way, they hide the feminine side of her, but in another way they also emphasize how she could be doing a different, or more challenging, job in her life than just cultivating flowers. In the story, she is moreShow MoreRelatedThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck875 Words   |  4 Pages Introduction The Chrysanthemums author, John Steinbeck, struggles to equality using Elisa Ellen. The Chrysanthemums depicts a capable, a woman who is denied fulfillment socially, sexually, and personal fulfillment through prevailing the woman s role conception in the men dominated the world. The appearance, speech, and actions of Elisa depict that frustration that women experienced in 1930 s Steinbeck s masculine world. Thus, this brings the questions: In what ways does Elisa s characterRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck1559 Words   |  7 PagesThe Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck is a rich piece of work that has many underlying meanings hidden within it. I find that it was no mistake that this entire short story is a metaphor. Each character plays their own role in creating this metaphor from the very beginning of the story all the way until the bitter end. As well as characters, the lack of one particular â€Å"character† in this story seems to be the most important metaphor of all. No one character is more important than the other. They allRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck982 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a short story written by John Steinbeck. The story was originally published in 1937 before later being released as a part of his The Long Valley collection. This is an important story as it expresses women in a way that is more realistic, showing their true boredom, ambition, and capabilities. Some scholars interpreted this story differently, but C. Kenneth Pellow interprets it as â€Å"radically feministic.† The Great Depression was finally ending and women’s rights were risingRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck Essay1327 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Chrysanthemums† By John Steinbeck â€Å"Tears, Idle Tears† By Alfred, Lord Tennyson Both of these stories has the speaker/main character going through an emotional journey and in a way they are pretty similar with their own little differences. This story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, and this poem, â€Å"Tears, Idle Tears†, are both similar in the way that the main character/speaker of the story is upset and is crying either at one point in the story or in all of the poem. And, well, it’s not just that butRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck889 Words   |  4 PagesWhen John Steinbeck s short story The Chrysanthemums first appeared in the October 1937 edition of Harper s Magazine (Osborne 479), Franklin D. Roosevelt had just been reelected president. The country was recovering from the Great Depression, unions were developing, and child labor in manufacturing was terminated (Jones 805-6). The first female cabinet member in American history, Frances Perkins, was appointed the Secretary of Labor (Jones 802). She was one of the few women in her time to gainRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck Analysis935 Words   |  4 PagesIn John Steinbeck‘s short story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums † Elisa Gives off the impression that she is not satisfied with her life. She can’t put a finger on her source of discomfort, but knows that she is not quite satisfied with how her life is continuing. Elisa’s husband doesn’t give her the proper attention she is craving, so elisa turns to her only sense of compassion; her garden. Elisa uses her beloved chrysanthemums to express her inner feelings about what it’s like to truly care for something.Read MoreSymbolism in the Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck1758 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums is a story that is full of symbolism. After the first read, it might seem like an innocent tale about a woman and her garden. However, upon further examination, the reader learns it is actually a story about a womans desires and frust rations in her life. Steinbeck uses many examples, such as the flowers to symbolize the thoughts and ideas of the main character, Elisa, in this story. Elisa Allen is a lonesome woman who gets pleasure from growingRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck Essay1029 Words   |  5 PagesSteinbeck’s â€Å"Chrysanthemums†: How Boundaries Limited Elisa’s Pursuing for Self Fulfillment â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, â€Å"a brilliant piece of writing, perhaps the best story Steinbeck ever wrote†, as expressed by Jay Parini in his article Lawrence’s and Steinbeck’s â€Å"Chrysanthemums†, is one of the most interesting and ambiguous story of this writer. Steinbeck’s little story shows to the reader the reality of women during the nineteenth hundreds and the great depression. In order to show this reality,Read MoreThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck Analysis949 Words   |  4 PagesBiography John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, which is where the short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is set in 1902. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature and his held in high regard, but not quite as high as Faulkner and Hemingway. Steinbeck died of a heart attack in Salinas, California in 1963 (Levant). Overview Steinbeck published the short story The Chrysanthemums in 1937 and included as part of his collection The Long Valley the following year. In the story, Henry AllenRead MoreSummary Of The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck858 Words   |  4 PagesSummary Response Essay- â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† Their are times in life when we all get so busy that we forget to make time for people we care about. This is because we take each other for granted and push aside the important things such as having fun, talking to each other and enjoying life with each other to deal with things we consider to be more important and concerning. This type of situation is becoming way too common in todays society with people connected with their work and that we no longer

Impact of Trade Liberalization of Bangladesh free essay sample

Introduction: There exists a wide range of theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between foreign trade and economic growth in both developed and developing countries. The early literature focused mostly on the role of export in economic growth. The spectacular success of the outward oriented policies in the East Asian countries provided a basis for the adoption of such polices in developing countries like Bangladesh. Accordingly, the literature tried to support or reject the logic of universal application of export led growth policy in developing countries. The dynamic linkages between export and import or import and income did not receive much attention in this literature. But experience shows that in many countries export is highly dependent on import of capital goods and intermediate inputs as well as raw materials giving a case of bivariate causality between trade (export-import) and economic growth. The relationship between foreign trade and economic growth has long been discussed by different school of thought. The theoretical standpoints can be summarized in terms of technological know how, market expansion, resource allocation, ease of balance of payments, employment generation and income creation. (Hossain Salim 2009). Karl Marx focuses on the role of exchange in economic growth. In his opinion, the expansion of production needs a growing market which will promote production continuously (Chen 2009). The classical school treats the foreign trade as a means of optimal distribution of resources and increasing productivity that stimulate economic growth. In similar vein is Alfred Marshall and his other neoclassical followers and they dictum that trade enhances growth because of the benefits of comparative advantage, full capacity utilization, greater economies of scale and increasing rate of investment and technological change (Krueger, 1978; Kavoussi, 1984). This school identifies five different ways in which foreign trade affects macroeconomics performance of a country: the revenue effect, capital accumulation effect, substitution effect, income distribution effect and the effect of the weighted elements. All these effects together imply that trade strengthens economic growth over time as an economy develops (Chen, 2009). The structuralist school led by Sir William Arthur Lewis (1915-1991) holds that in the dual economy model if the modern industrial sector produces export goods and the traditional agricultural sector produces import substitutes, then foreign trade would expand the market and lead to increase in production. The new growth theories which consider increasing returns to capital put more focus on trade as an argument of growth. According to these theories, international trade leads to technological diffusion that affects the medium and long term output growth of the developing countries by improving productivity. The new trade school (led by Paul Krugman) emphasizes the role of trade in economic growth through economies of scale and improving the optimal allocation of resources. It is claimed that international trade enables countries to specialize in goods and services by stimulating competition and promoting technological change based on â€Å"comparative and competitive advantage†. As a result, consumers would be able to consume more products of better quality at cheaper prices and therefore human welfare would be increased (Gupta at al. , 1997, World Bank, 2002). Economic growth is mainly depend on physical and human capital, technological progress, high rate of savings, macroeconomic stability, capital mobility, trade liberalization and so on. Trade plays important role on economic growth. There is a growing volume of empirical literature on the relationship between foreign trade and economic growth. In the 1970s and 1980s a number of studies examined the relationship between export and growth. Many such studies (see for example, Balassa, 1978; Feder, 1983; Heller Porter, 1978; Kavoussi, 1984; Michaely, 1977; Ram, 1985; Tyler, 1981) supported the view that export growth promoted overall economic growth. Thus, there is a general question arises in mind: What are the impacts trade liberalization (from inwardness to the outward orientation) on economic growth? What are the dynamics and causality among export, imports and income? Bangladesh is striving hard to boost up its exports in order to meet the import payments, foreign debts, internal expenditure, maximize domestic welfare and also to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign aid grants. Therefore, since independence Bangladesh has experienced different policy regimes to enhance its foreign exchange earnings and rapid economic growth. Bangladesh has pursued a proactive policy of trade liberalization, characterized by removal of Quantitative Restrictions (QR), rationalization of tariff rates, a flexible exchange rate policy and active incentive structure for promoting the export sector and enhancing export sector performance. The objective of this paper is to examine the trade policy (from Inwardness to Openness), structural changes and performance of foreign trade and also examine the causality among export, imports and growth in Bangladesh. After analyzing these issues, some policy suggestions have been put forward to boost up the foreign trade sector so as to enhance foreign exchange earnings. 2. An Overview of Foreign Trade Polices of Bangladesh: From Inwardness to Openness/Trade Liberalization: In the current era of globalization, trade liberalization emerges as one of the most effective policy concerns for governments all over the world, especially for developing countries. Trade liberalization is believed to enhance economic growth and development through specialization and technological advances. In the post-war period, in line with the mainstream thinking, many developing countries adopted in inward-looking strategy of development. This strategy, particularly when it went beyond the easy first stage, led to distorted incentive and misallocation of resources. It favored import-substitution (advocates replacing imports with domestic production) at the cost of export. It also involved undue governmental intervention in the working of the market. Because of the widespread â€Å"government failure† to ensure adequate growth, and because of the successful example of export-led growth in South-East Asia, pendulum began to shift to trade liberalization and greater openness since the late 1970s and early 1980s. According to the World Development Report 1987, an outward-oriented strategy is defined as one in which the incentive structure is neutral between import-substitution and export production. Thus, an export-led growth strategy does not require a favored treatment for exports in the form of subsidies or other incentives; only a eutral policy regime which does not discriminate between domestic and export production. In a nutshell, the main requirements of this strategy would be moderate tariffs (preferable a uniform rate of tariff), dismantling of quantitative restrictions such as import licensing or quotas, a market-oriented exchange rate regime (as overvalued exchange rate would discriminate against exports and favor imports) and market-friendly laws and rules rather than discretionary controls. After independence in 1971, Bangladesh like her neighbors in South Asia pursued an inward-looking import-substitution strategy of growth. This was mainly characterized by the nationalization of all heavy industries and financial institutions. Import substitution policy (a trade and economic policy that advocates replacing imports with domestic production. It is based on the premise that a country should attempt to reduce its foreign dependency through the local production of industrialized products) was the basic premise of such state intruded and controlled development strategy where the role of the private sector was shriveled. The result of such a strategy was so painful that Bangladesh faced balance of payments (BOP) disequilibrium, foreign exchange shortage, and relatively low growth rate of national income and micro inefficiencies like inefficient import competing enterprises producing low quality products. Furthermore, the debt crisis in the early 1980 provided an important argument for trade reform. Consequently, since 1982 on being advised by the developed countries, along with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), Bangladesh has started to shift its trade strategy to a strong outward looking one as part of market oriented economic reforms (structural adjustment packages) particularly after the year of 1985.

Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Mary Daly free essay sample

An essay with explores the concepts of philosophy of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Mary Daly. A paper which introduces the different philosophical views of Kierkegaard (father of Existentialism, whose philosophy was a direct contradiction to German philosopher Hegel), Nietzsche (one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century) and Mary Daly (a radical feminist philosopher who has written against the Christian tradition). The paper summarizes their philosophies and written works. In the postmodern world Daly recognizes the shift towards the linguistic paradigm and gives analysis of language and the professions is central to her thesis that to bring about any genuine social transformation, or create a New World women cannot merely seek equality or civil rights. She finds the domination of male society and institutions inherent in the very language. She says that women must exorcise the internal demons that hold us in a state of robotitude. According to Daly gyn/Ecology means a journey through the history of women, a journey in which we begin to listen about the women. We will write a custom essay sample on Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Mary Daly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A metaethics of racial feminism involves witnessing, asking deep questions, analyzing patterns, attending to those, which destroy women. She argues against the ethic of prudence in favor of existential courage .

Reducing Energy Emission Role of University and Government

Reducing Energy Emission Role of University and Government Introduction There are different ways of reducing energy use and GHG emissions. These include the use of electricity, transport and industrial output for less coal, oil or gasoline. GHG emissions have adverse effects and thus need to be addressed right from homes, institutions and state government (Australian Greenhouse Office, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Reducing Energy Emission: Role of University and Government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Barriers and Benefits of Less GHG Emission Methods The use of less GHG emission methods entails experiencing benefits as well as barriers. Benefits that are experienced include health, high agricultural production, energy security and natural ecosystems preservation. These benefits contribute to growth and development of a nation. Barriers of using less GHG emissions methods include lack of available technology, difficulty in implementing of policies concerni ng GHG and finances to cater for the same. Barriers of Public Transport Public transport such as bus travel has got barriers that make the means unattractive. This is despite of its importance and the role it can play in reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. Time of operation for instance is not reliable hence making it unattractive. It can cause delay in terms of departure time hence affecting other businesses of the day. It is also unreliable because it cannot reach everybody. In most cases bus travel do not serve all home addresses hence to other people it is out of reach. In addition, bus travel is expensive as compared to private car travel. These challenges discourage people from using the public means and opting for private means. Public transport such as bus travel is advantageous in that it is one way of using less energy at same time reducing greenhouse emissions. Moreover it reduces congestions in the cities. This in return reduces traffic jams and parking proble ms. It is also relatively cheap means of travel especially to students who have no income. It also encourages unity among people. This is because people of different backgrounds meet in the buses and learns to accommodate each other.Advertising Looking for assessment on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Assessment of UNSW In Terms of Transport The UNSW has been in the forefront in encouraging public transport travel. They have been informing people via their website about public transport such as buses, train and cycling. They also inform people on the operations such as fare, route of operation and timetable. They also encourage by subsidizing the bus fare hence making it more affordable to most of the students. The parking fee within the university is deliberately made high so that it discourages private vehicles. On the other hand, the UNSW provide funds that encourage cycling within the unive rsity. It also encourages its staff to use public transport by offering discount on annual transport passes. All these policies encourage one to use public transport to and from the university. The NSW State Government in Australia The NSW government has come up with policies that are meant to discourage private transport and at the same time encourage public means of transport. These include a long term plan of increasing infrastructure such as rail and buses at the residential places. This ensures that public transport is available at a convenient time and place (NSW Transport and Infrastructure, 2011). Conclusion Public transport is advantageous as compared to private transport. It is recorded to consume less energy and reducing GHG emissions. NSW government and other institutions such as UNSW have played a big role in encouraging public transport. References Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Water Resources 2007, National Greenhouse Gas Inventory An alysis of Recent Trends and Greenhouse Indicators. NSW Transport and Infrastructure, Integrating Land Use and Transport. Web.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Reducing Energy Emission: Role of University and Government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Using Calculus to Calculate Elasticities

Using Calculus to Calculate Elasticities [Q:] I understand the equations you have on your site regarding the change in quantity demanded and change in price to calculate the elasticity. How would I convert this equation into those types? I dont quite understand what this equation means. No other info was given. Demand is Qx 110 - 4Px. What is price (point) elasticity at $5? [A:]Elasticity is given by the formula: Elasticity (percentage change in Z) / (percentage change in Y) We saw how to calculate various elasticities when were given numerical examples. But how do we calculate an elasticity when were given a formula such as Z f(X)? Use Calculus to Find the Elasticity! Using some fairly basic calculus, we can show that (percentage change in Z) / (percentage change in Y) (dZ / dY)*(Y/Z) where dZ/dY is the partial derivative of Z with respect to Y. Thus we can calculate any elasticity through the formula: Elasticity of Z with respect to Y (dZ / dY)*(Y/Z) Well look at how to apply this to four different situations: Using Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Income Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Cross-Price Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of Supply Next: Using Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of Demand

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 19

Strategic management - Essay Example People of Stockholm are relatively proactive when they are charged to pay fees for using the roads because of their awareness over increasing degree of emissions. The same cannot be said to be true for the people of Delhi. A topic becomes interesting when it is on a burning issue of interest to all stakeholders. Increasing degree of emissions in the air has reached threatening levels from the increasing vehicular traffic and emissions of gases, harmful for all human beings. When a comparison is made between such cities, which are not parallel in the matter of advancement, the topic becomes more interesting and relevant. Although Delhi is the capital city of India and one of the leading developed cities in the matter of infrastructure development, yet its comparison with Stockholm, the capital as well as the largest city of Sweden, is inclined to show gaps in transport policies, adopted by these two cities’ governments. The major theme of this topic, as acknowledged by the authors, is that more than planning and functioning of the sophistication in transport means, the politics of sustainable transport plays a decisive role on the urban planning of these two cities and to highlight the differenc es of major transport functions and operations in these two cities, although similarities also exist in both cities’ urban development projects. The introduction includes two tables at the outset. Both the tables analyse the data of the two cities on the parameters of population, area, population density, household size and gross per capita income. One thing that comes to sharp notice is the time period of the data that begins from the year 2003 although the article print year is 2010. When it comes to statistical comparison of data, in my view, data should not be older than five years for the writing of such articles. One gets a blurred view when Delhi is

Staistics for Managers Final Project Term Paper

Staistics for Managers Final Project - Term Paper Example Marketing is one of the most important functions within the organizations and as a result, the data collected on the marketing tool needs to be inclusive and properly structured in order to gain from the marketing policies and mechanisms employed. Statistical data on marketing is essential for a company and should be well-tabulated to ensure that the data is used in the marketing research applications that the data is meant to improve. The company may conduct a survey on advertising and other marketing tools such as product promotion and measure the level of sales that has been influenced by the marketing tools (Balakrishnan, 2010). The company needs to conduct customer surveys and come up with the best structure and techniques in marketing that are not only attractive to the customers in the market but also offer a competitive advantage over the competitors (Balakrishnan, 2010). The methods employed by the company need to be assessed statistically to measure if they are working within the company and also measure if they have worked in other companies through their records. The analysis part is particularly simpler since the statistical data ensures that the information is properly structured and therefore easy to analyze. In marketing data forms a critical part of research where it provides the information crucial in determining the research area. Acquiring the right data needs the research to identify the data collection method critical in the research and that provides sufficient information regarding the subject under the study (Mazzocchi, 2008). Before discussing the data sources available, it is important that one understands that there are two types of data that is critical to the research. These are primary and secondary data. These two types of data are crucial in the research work and should be utilized for the perfection of the results. In addition, the two types of data helps in confirmation of the existing theory from the primary data

Pet Wonderland Services (PWS) Essay Example for Free

Pet Wonderland Services (PWS) Essay Introduction to the organization Pet Wonderland Services (PWS) is a new business in pets industry. PWS first shop was at Shah Alam section 13. Although there are several pets shop in Shah Alam, PWS wil brings new services to the animal lovers communities as. Vision To serve the best quality, friendly and effective service and fulfill customer satisfaction. Mission To be one of the top pet shop that brings the most high quality and effective services in the Malaysia. â€Å"Your pets is our responsible too† Objective The main objective of this service is to ease community that they would not have to bring their pet to our shop but we will go to their house and give the services that they wanted to. In our services, we only provide the best pets product and we will consult with the owner about their pets first so that we can use an appropriate an suitable pet’s product to their pets. We want to deliver a quality services so that customer will believe in us. We are not just gaining profit, we are also gaining trust to our customer and love to the animal.

Essay --

Many students from all over the globe seek to take admission in different universities of USA but unfortunately many are unable to do so due to different problems like financial need, etc. So many different foundations have started funding the international students who are meritorious, talented and due to financial need or some other problem can’t afford to take admission. Scholarships for the Indian Students at any University in USAGiven below are some of the scholarships available for admission in Masters’ degree in any university of USA for the international students. Though the list contains mainly those scholarships for the Indian students in which they are eligible. The scholarships available here are: 1. Fulbright Foreign Students Program in USA This scholarship enables graduate students and young professionals from other countries of the world to research and study in US for a year or more at US universities and institutes. Eligibility: Any international candidate who is holding bachelors’ or equivalent degree is eligible for this scholarship Scholarship Amount: Full funding for the duration of study which includes tuition fees, airfare, living stipend, health insurance, etc. How to Apply: The applications are processed by the bi – national Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies. So the candidates need to apply through the Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies of their home countries, but it must be done before the deadline. For more details visit: http://foreign.fullbrightonline.org/about/foreign-fullbright 2. OFID Scholarship Awards for International Students OFID stands for The OPEC Fund for International Development. This foundation offers scholarship to those international stu... ...ime Minister Obuchi. He actually believed in â€Å"people building the next era†. This scholarship is to support innovative and imaginative post – graduate research in the areas of development. Eligibility: Any international candidates who have completed their bachelors’ or equivalent degree and must be a person of high intellectual promises are eligible. The candidate must be within the age of 40 years. Scholarship Amount: Between $ 6,000 and $ 10,000 in two or three installments How to Apply: All the candidates need to submit the application form along with the documents mentioned in the form before the deadline to the address â€Å"Fellowship Programme Section, UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07†. Also an advance copy may be sent by fax to 33.1.45.68.55.03. For more details visit: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=14635&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Beowulf and Spider Man Compare and Contrast

Beowulf is an ancient hero who became a king in pursuit of doing his majestic role in protecting the people against monsters that might harm them. On the other hand, Spider Man is a modern day hero, who not more than a newspaper photographer in a person of Peter Parker, who, in performing his goal of saving lives and protecting the people wear a costume in order to hide his real identity. That is not in the case of Beowulf. He does have to wear costume nor hide his real identity.With all his valor, he faces the enemy with courage using his bare hands or classical lethal weapons like sword and shield. The same courage can be found in Spider Man whenever he fights an opponent. But he does not use a sword nor shield to do so.What he is using is his special ability to crawl on walls and buildings like a spider. Within long distances, he is also aided with his highly sophisticated web-shooter that he uses to swing from one building to another. He also uses it to capture or disarm the enem y.Beowulf kills his enemy but Spider Man does not have the intention to do so. As a modern day hero, he tends to be a protector of life, with the desire of only capturing the enemy without killing. What he wants is to stop the enemy from doing troubles and harm to the citizen and to finally deliver the nuisance to the authority.In the case of Beuwolf, since his enemy are not humans, with the real intention of just putting people to death and destruction, that neither human laws nor authority can stop, what he does is to fight them to death.You can imagine the scenario when Spider Man would just capture or disarm an enemy while Beowulf is swinging his sword during his bloody heroic encounters, breaking the monsters limbs, or beheading them.You can find almost the same courage in them, but their fighting principle would just differ in terms of how they treat their opponents. During modern day, it would be more rational to put the social nuisance and the enemy of the citizen in the han d of the police or government.Beowulf would not look for soldiers nor authorities to turnover the capture. He would kill it. The people would be more happy if as a hero they may find him putting an end to the life of those monsters and dragons.That might be the difference why Spider does not decide to kill his opponent’s life. He took the idea of a hero that maintains peace and order, an extended arm of the authority and a helper to the society, without the goal of putting one’s life to death. However, their intention only remains the same, maintenance of peace and order.Regarding personal characteristics and attributes, Beouwulf mingled with people normally first as their hero and later their king whom the people extend awe and respect. Comparatively, Spider Man do not. His normal life lies on the fact that he has to live as an ordinary photographer, a lover Mary Jane, a nephew to his aunt and will soon become a super hero only during times of troubles. People know th at they live with Peter Parker everyday and everynight, but they did not have the slight idea that that clumsy Peter Parker is the ever clever Spider Man.Both of them uses the most advance technology of their time. Sword and shield for Beowulf, scientifically accumulated spider skills and sophisticated webshooter for Spider Man. In comparison, they perform their deeds using the best of their time.In contrast, Beowulf intend the sword and shield to kill the enemy, but Spider Man use his spider senses and webshooter merely to defend himself from the attack and to induce a non-fatal attack against any person that might bring the citizen to unsecured danger.

Zara Fast Fashion Giant

Using at least one of the company/industry related databases available to you at the Marcus (or some other) Library, as well as the attached articles and case studies, please provide a 5 page assessment of, and proposal for, Ezra as follows: Context: Briefly outline the scope of the company's operations, including # of stores, the countries in which it operates, # of employees, annual volume and its history. Ezra is owned by Inedited AS (Industrial De Dieses Textile AS) headquartered in Artesia La Corona Spain with companies under the name of Ezra are located in the areas sited below.Inedited sells on a global scale, with 4,900 shops in about 75 countries under different names such as Ezra, Shoo, Misaims Duty, Pull and Bear, Berserk, Strabismus, Ezra Home, and Torque. Inedited reported that for 2014 sales they made $22. 76 billion with a one year sales growth. Their net income was $3. 24 billion which was a one year net income growth. Their total assets were $18. 72 billion with a ma rket value of $81. 85 billion. Ezra Spans AS headquartered in Artesia, La Corona Spain is the flagship brand for Inedited AS and is considered the â€Å"cheap-chic subsidiary.Ezra runs about 2,350 stores in major cities worldwide, as well as, some 165 Ezra Kids shops in 75 countries and 125 shops across Canada, the US, and Mexico. Ezra is considered a chain and sells women's, men's and children's apparel. They also offer plus-size and maternity lines. I didn't locate any information regarding who sells the plus-size and maternity garments and they are not sold online. Ezra began in 1975 and is Indies's main chain and brings in more than two- thirds of its total sales. Ninety-nine percent of Ezra stores are company-owned and other franchises or Joint ventures.Ezra has a clear focus and vision in the clothing market because they have captured the needs of heir customers. They have shortened the conventional supply chain response time from 5-7 months to 2-eh months. Ezra makes about o f their raw material. The remaining 60% is outsourced from within Spain, mostly from the La Curran. Designing of clothes at Ezra is done by creative teams of over 300 professionals at the headquarters in La Curran, Spain. After the garments are sewn, the clothes are returned to Sara's facilities for ironing by an assembly line of workers.Sara's merchandise assortment is great in terms of color, styles and accessories for women, men and children. The clothing sizes are based on European body types which are rustically small than American body types. After this, the clothing items are wrapped in plastic and transported on conveyor belts to a group of giant warehouses. In the warehouse, the customized machines patterned after the equipment used by overnight parcel services, sorts, packs, labels, and allocates clothing items for shipment to Sara's retail stores.For Sara's retail stores within a 24- hour drive, goods are delivered by truck whereas goods meant for stores beyond 24- hour d rive are delivered by cargo Jets. On a global average of 17 visits per customer per year. This is higher than the three visits to its competitors. This process prevents any bottlenecks in the vertical integration supply chain. Ezra is constantly communicating with retail managers regarding what their customer's needs are. Such as, what styles are selling, comments customers make about design features they like or don't like. Sara's inventory supply is small and they make frequent shipments to all their stores.The quick turnaround of merchandise helps generate revenue, reduce inventory, eliminate debt and keep their customers happy. The competitors rely heavily on end of season sales and â€Å"black Friday' sales in order to reduce inventory and eliminate debt. 2. How does Sara's execution of this mix compare to that of a primary Intricate competitor. Sara's competitors rely on their products being designed in one location, shipped to a company overseas to make the clothes and shipp ed to a distribution center where the garments are inspected and then shipped to the various store locations.The vertical integration in the supply chain definitely creates challenges for the designers, who have are competing with other designers having garments produced by the same manufacturer and factory closes schedules. If products are delayed, the company's risk not having products in their stores on time. Additional challenges for designers are working one to two years in advanced on lines per season. Their stores introduce new products during the four seasons (fall, holiday, winter, spring/ summer).Surplus inventory is stored in their distribution centers and shipped to the stores when they need to restock, fill special orders and complete online orders. Sara's competitors conduct sales in order to deplete their inventory and to prepare for the next season of merchandise. The challenge with this process is that it generally creates overstock in the store's storage room and a dded pressures to the employees who work in these areas. 3. What do you believe Ezra does particularly well or poorly? Explain your reasoning. *Advertising – Prices should compare to online logbook.Prices are lower in U. S. Although, Ezra is the leader in getting new styles to the customers on a weekly basis, the customers must be aware that you must try on garments because they are based on European sizes which meaner they fit smaller than their competitors. 3. ) Explain what is meant by the term â€Å"strategic competitive advantage† and identify the way(s) in which Ezra has established one vs.. Its primary competitors; the Data cases can be helpful here. Zara Fast Fashion Giant Using at least one of the company/industry related databases available to you at the Marcus (or some other) Library, as well as the attached articles and case studies, please provide a 5 page assessment of, and proposal for, Ezra as follows: Context: Briefly outline the scope of the company's operations, including # of stores, the countries in which it operates, # of employees, annual volume and its history. Ezra is owned by Inedited AS (Industrial De Dieses Textile AS) headquartered in Artesia La Corona Spain with companies under the name of Ezra are located in the areas sited below.Inedited sells on a global scale, with 4,900 shops in about 75 countries under different names such as Ezra, Shoo, Misaims Duty, Pull and Bear, Berserk, Strabismus, Ezra Home, and Torque. Inedited reported that for 2014 sales they made $22. 76 billion with a one year sales growth. Their net income was $3. 24 billion which was a one year net income growth. Their total assets were $18. 72 billion with a ma rket value of $81. 85 billion. Ezra Spans AS headquartered in Artesia, La Corona Spain is the flagship brand for Inedited AS and is considered the â€Å"cheap-chic subsidiary.Ezra runs about 2,350 stores in major cities worldwide, as well as, some 165 Ezra Kids shops in 75 countries and 125 shops across Canada, the US, and Mexico. Ezra is considered a chain and sells women's, men's and children's apparel. They also offer plus-size and maternity lines. I didn't locate any information regarding who sells the plus-size and maternity garments and they are not sold online. Ezra began in 1975 and is Indies's main chain and brings in more than two- thirds of its total sales. Ninety-nine percent of Ezra stores are company-owned and other franchises or Joint ventures.Ezra has a clear focus and vision in the clothing market because they have captured the needs of heir customers. They have shortened the conventional supply chain response time from 5-7 months to 2-eh months. Ezra makes about o f their raw material. The remaining 60% is outsourced from within Spain, mostly from the La Curran. Designing of clothes at Ezra is done by creative teams of over 300 professionals at the headquarters in La Curran, Spain. After the garments are sewn, the clothes are returned to Sara's facilities for ironing by an assembly line of workers.Sara's merchandise assortment is great in terms of color, styles and accessories for women, men and children. The clothing sizes are based on European body types which are rustically small than American body types. After this, the clothing items are wrapped in plastic and transported on conveyor belts to a group of giant warehouses. In the warehouse, the customized machines patterned after the equipment used by overnight parcel services, sorts, packs, labels, and allocates clothing items for shipment to Sara's retail stores.For Sara's retail stores within a 24- hour drive, goods are delivered by truck whereas goods meant for stores beyond 24- hour d rive are delivered by cargo Jets. On a global average of 17 visits per customer per year. This is higher than the three visits to its competitors. This process prevents any bottlenecks in the vertical integration supply chain. Ezra is constantly communicating with retail managers regarding what their customer's needs are. Such as, what styles are selling, comments customers make about design features they like or don't like. Sara's inventory supply is small and they make frequent shipments to all their stores.The quick turnaround of merchandise helps generate revenue, reduce inventory, eliminate debt and keep their customers happy. The competitors rely heavily on end of season sales and â€Å"black Friday' sales in order to reduce inventory and eliminate debt. 2. How does Sara's execution of this mix compare to that of a primary Intricate competitor. Sara's competitors rely on their products being designed in one location, shipped to a company overseas to make the clothes and shipp ed to a distribution center where the garments are inspected and then shipped to the various store locations.The vertical integration in the supply chain definitely creates challenges for the designers, who have are competing with other designers having garments produced by the same manufacturer and factory closes schedules. If products are delayed, the company's risk not having products in their stores on time. Additional challenges for designers are working one to two years in advanced on lines per season. Their stores introduce new products during the four seasons (fall, holiday, winter, spring/ summer).Surplus inventory is stored in their distribution centers and shipped to the stores when they need to restock, fill special orders and complete online orders. Sara's competitors conduct sales in order to deplete their inventory and to prepare for the next season of merchandise. The challenge with this process is that it generally creates overstock in the store's storage room and a dded pressures to the employees who work in these areas. 3. What do you believe Ezra does particularly well or poorly? Explain your reasoning. *Advertising – Prices should compare to online logbook.Prices are lower in U. S. Although, Ezra is the leader in getting new styles to the customers on a weekly basis, the customers must be aware that you must try on garments because they are based on European sizes which meaner they fit smaller than their competitors. 3. ) Explain what is meant by the term â€Å"strategic competitive advantage† and identify the way(s) in which Ezra has established one vs.. Its primary competitors; the Data cases can be helpful here.

Mobiization of America for WWI essays

Mobiization of America for WWI essays The mobilization of America for war was both an arduous and dispute ridden process. With many in the United States still opposed to intervention at the start of the war, financing it and managing it on a material level, as well as gaining public support for an overseas campaign were at the very least an impossibility. In the end, the task fell at the hands of the President, Woodrow Wilson First on task for Wilson was to arrange for a financial base to support the war. This process was slowed by progressive powerhouses within the American political system. Among those who opposed federally imposed taxing were politicians such as Robert M. La Follette and Hiram Johnson. Men like these opposed government measures that would benefit large business interests, whom they largely blamed for Americas entrance into the war. They were afraid that the war would return power to big business interests whom they had been fighting to wrest power from for years. They mainly feared that with the return of big business power the progressive reforms they had managed to make would be blotted out. Furthermore, they held moral objections to war, and were reluctant to support it. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they saw themselves as protectors of the poor, which led them to oppose many taxes proposed by Wilson and his wartime government. Such taxes opposed were excises and nuisance taxes, which added to the prices of chewing gum, soft drinks, cars, and theater and movie tickets. The progressives, led by La Follette, supported taxes on those who stood to profit from the war. This meant increased income taxes for those of high income, excess profit taxes, and taxes on tobacco and alcohol. In the end, the powers that be were forced to submit to the progressives firm stance on these issues and congress passed a compromised piece of tax legislature. Along with several excises, the new bill served to tax small incomes (above $5...

World War II and Operation Vengeance

World War II and Operation Vengeance During the Pacific conflict in World War II, American forces conceived a plan to get rid of Japanese commander Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Date Conflict Operation Vengeance was conducted on April 18, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945). Forces Commanders Allies Admiral William Bull Halsey16 Lockheed P-38G Lightnings Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto2 G4M Betty bombers, 6 A6M Zero fighters Background On April 14, 1943, Fleet Radio Unit Pacific intercepted message NTF131755 as part of project Magic. Having broken the Japanese naval codes, US Navy cryptanalysts decoded the message and found that it provided specific details for an inspection trip that the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, intended to make to the Solomon Islands. This information was passed to Commander Ed Layton, the intelligence officer for the Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Meeting with Layton, Nimitz debated whether to act on the information as he was concerned that it might lead the Japanese to conclude that their codes had been broken. He was also concerned that if Yamamoto was dead, he might be replaced with a more gifted commander. After much discussion, it was decided a suitable cover story could be devised to alleviate concerns regarding the first issue, while Layton, who had known Yamamoto before the war, stressed that he was the best the Japanese had. Deciding to move forward with intercepting Yamamotos flight, Nimitz received clearance from the White House to move forward. Planning As Yamamoto was viewed as the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instructed Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox to give the mission the highest priority. Consulting with Admiral William Bull Halsey, Commander South Pacific Forces and South Pacific Area, Nimitz ordered planning to move forward. Based on the intercepted information, it was known that on April 18 Yamamoto would be flying from Rabaul, New Britain to Ballale Airfield on an island near Bougainville. Though only 400 miles from Allied bases on Guadalcanal, the distance presented a problem as American aircraft would need to fly a 600-mile roundabout course to the intercept to avoid detection, making the total flight 1,000 miles. This precluded the use of the Navy and Marine Corps F4F Wildcats or F4U Corsairs. As a result, the mission was assigned to the US Armys 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, Thirteenth Air Force which flew P-38G Lightnings. Equipped with two drop tanks, the P-38G was capable of reaching Bougainville, executing the mission, and returning to base. Overseen by the squadrons commander, Major John W. Mitchell, planning moved forward with the assistance of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Luther S. Moore. At Mitchells request, Moore had the 339ths aircraft fitted with ships compasses to aid in navigation. Utilizing the departure and arrival times contained in the intercepted message, Mitchell devised a precise flight plan that called for his fighters to intercept Yamamotos flight at 9:35 AM as it began its descent to Ballale. Knowing that Yamamotos aircraft was to be escorted by six A6M Zero fighters, Mitchell intended to use eighteen aircraft for the mission. While four aircraft were tasked as the killer group, the remainder was to climb to 18,000 feet to serve as top cover to deal with enemy fighters arriving on scene after the attack. Though the mission was to be conducted by the 339th, ten of the pilots were drawn from other squadrons in the 347th Fighter Group. Briefing his men, Mitchell provided a cover story that the intelligence had been provided by a coastwatcher who saw a high ranking officer boarding an aircraft in Rabaul. Downing Yamamoto Departing Guadalcanal at 7:25 AM on April 18, Mitchell quickly lost two aircraft from his killer group due to mechanical issues. Replacing them from his cover group, he led the squadron west out over the water before turning north towards Bougainville. Flying at no higher than 50 feet and in radio silence to avoid detection, the 339th arrived at the intercept point a minute early. Earlier that morning, despite the warnings of local commanders who feared an ambush, Yamamotos flight departed Rabaul. Proceeding over Bougainville, his G4M Betty and that of his chief of staff, were covered by two groups of three Zeros (Map). Spotting the flight, Mitchells squadron began to climb and he ordered the killer group, consisting of Captain Thomas Lanphier, First Lieutenant Rex Barber, Lieutenant Besby Holmes, and Lieutenant Raymond Hine to attack. Dropping their tanks, Lanphier and Barber turned parallel to the Japanese and began to climb. Holmes, whose tanks failed to release, turned back out to sea followed by his wingman. As Lanphier and Barber climbed, one group of Zeros dove to attack. While Lanphier turned left to engage the enemy fighters, Barber banked hard right and came in behind the Bettys. Opening fire on one (Yamamotos aircraft), he hit it several times causing it to roll violently to the left and plummet into the jungle below. He then turned towards the water seeking the second Betty. He found it near Moila Point being attacked by Holmes and Hines. Joining in the attack, they forced it to crash land in the water. Coming under attack from the escorts, they were aided by Mitchell and the rest of the flight. With fuel levels reaching a critical level, Mitchell ordered his men to break off the action and return to Guadalcanal. All of the aircraft returned except Hines which was lost in action and Holmes who was forced to land in the Russell Islands due to a lack of fuel. Aftermath A success, Operation Vengeance saw the American fighters down both Japanese bombers, killing 19, including Yamamoto. In exchange, the 339th lost Hines and one aircraft. Searching the jungle, the Japanese found Yamamotos body near the crash site. Thrown clear of the wreckage, he had been hit twice in the fighting. Cremated at nearby Buin, his ashes were returned to Japan aboard the battleship Musashi. He was replaced by Admiral Mineichi Koga. Several controversies quickly brewed following the mission. Despite the security attached to the mission and the Magic program, operational details soon leaked out. This began with Lanphier announcing upon landing that I got Yamamoto! This breach of security led to a second controversy over who actually shot down Yamamoto. Lanphier claimed that after engaging the fighters he banked around and shot a wing off the lead Betty. This led to an initial belief that three bombers had been downed. Though given credit, other members of the 339th were skeptical. Though Mitchell and the members of the killer group were initially recommended for the Medal of Honor, this was downgraded to the Navy Cross in the wake of the security issues. Debate continued over credit for the kill. When it was ascertained that only two bombers were downed, Lanphier and Barber were each given half kills for Yamamotos plane. Though Lanphier later claimed full credit in an unpublished manuscript, the testimony of the lone Japanese survivor of the battle and the work of other scholars supports Barbers claim. Selected Sources World War II Database: Operation VengeanceUS Naval Institute: Operation Vengeance

Affirmative action- Trials within human resource management Term Paper

Affirmative action- Trials within human resource management - Term Paper Example The term â€Å"affirmative action† was first mentioned in the United States when President John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order 10925 on March 6, 1961; this was then used to refer to initiatives that aimed to attain equality and prevent discrimination By 1965, the Executive Order 11246 was implemented, requiring all national contractors to make use of affirmative action when hiring employees, regardless of national origin, culture, and religion; in 1968, gender was then included in the anti-discrimination list. Aside from the US, other countries have taken similar approaches to promote equality in the society, such as Canada’s employment equity or the United Kingdom’s positive discrimination. Affirmative action is known to be a set of policies that consider gender, race, culture, religion, and national origin for an underprivileged or underrepresented population to obtain equal rights and benefits, thereby contradicting the outcomes of discrimination that h ave been passed down from every generation . Such policies emphasize a wide range of aspects, from health programs and social services to education and employment opportunities. Because affirmative action aims to encourage equal opportunities, it is typically applied in government actions and educational settings to make sure that all groups in the society are involved in such programs. Affirmative action can be exemplified through different forms, such as rigid quotas or encouragement of members of minority groups to apply for employment. Similarly, each intends to increase the number of underrepresented groups in the workplace, educational settings, or in any societal context. Programs that demonstrate affirmative action vary in terms of the extent to which they consider race as an important factor in making decisions and obtaining results. In 2001, representatives from the Americas gathered together to establish policies and implement strategies to combat racial discrimination. I n order to adopt affirmative and positive actions, paramount importance was attached to the creation of conditions for every individual to become involved both in decision making and realizing civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights with regards to all aspects of life on a foundation of non-discrimination (Global Rights, 2005). Such ideas acquired considerable support in the World Conference against Racism with which the Declaration and Programme of Action points out affirmative action as fundamental factor for the global struggle against discrimination. Due to the fact that international law promotes affirmative action, national and international treaties along with regional and global institutions have attempted to integrate countless norms that support equality and non-discrimination; more states are also being required to take on active roles in guaranteeing such rights. While a number of norms state that affirmative action is permissible, this form of positive a ction can be made mandatory by others. While the form and outline of such norms may slightly vary, nonetheless, international law requires that all states be involved in promoting affirmative action. Guidelines for Affirmative Action Plans and Programs Affirmative action should be supported in all contexts, such as in educational and workplace settings; therefore, educational institutions and organizations have proposed guidelines to promote equality among all individuals (Kravitz, Bludau, and Klineberg, 2008). For instance, American universities, in their intentions of seeking employees, have established guidelines for their affirmative action programs, directed towards women, minority groups, people with disabilities, and veterans, to which academic and staff members should comply. For instance, university policies that affect staff members should be reviewed to ensure the provision of equitable treatment for every employee, compliance with the legal requirements for avoidance of discrimination and equal employment opportunity, as well

Bussines writing (11) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bussines writing (11) - Essay Example In today’s business world pie chart is one of the most common methods used for data representation. In a pie chart data is represented in a circular form wherein it is divided into different sectors with areas equal to the corresponding component. The percentage breakdown of the corresponding components is represented by the sectors also knows as slices. Pie charts are used in numerous ways during management meetings such as for representing resource and time allocations, budget categories, market share, expense analysis, income sources, etc (Quinn ). The purpose of a pie chart is to clearly communicate the figures than it could be by a set of numbers. A pie chart gives more clarity than a set of numbers as the figures are represented as pieces of a pie. Greater the figure, greater is the size of the piece. Apart from being clear and increasing clarity, pie charts are also very simple and visually appealing making it easy to understand. It is also very easy to resize and makes changes to a pie

Communicating at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communicating at Work - Essay Example Proper communication is necessary to resolve conflicts that may happen among employees when job satisfaction decreases (Masters and Albright). When there is no communication between the supervisor and the subordinate, the former becomes oblivious to the latter’s needs and demands thus putting the latter under job stress which increases his dissatisfaction. This has bad effects on the organization in the long run. The manager has to remain informed about his employees and the only way he can do it is through communicating with them about what they want to get and what they need to do to achieve organizational goals. Workers need to communicate among themselves so that they can share views and ideas, and stay stress free. This is internal communication. External communication is also as much important which involves communicating with partners, shareholders and the customers. All this adds to the organization’s integrity and rapport which pays off in the long run in the f orm of employee and customer satisfaction. Works Cited Masters, Marick Francis, and Robert R. Albright. The Complete Guide to Conflict Resolution in the Workplace. USA: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2002.

Socrates Beliefs And Philosophical Statements

Socrates Beliefs And Philosophical Statements According to the Athenians, Socrates was an ugly man. One who walked through the city and humiliated authoritative figures in public places with many people around. Many would say that he made the weaker argument stronger. Throughout Socrates life, he was always looking for truth. Socrates went about his life following his ways, questioning people about their own beliefs, until he was brought to trial by a group of men on the charges of corrupting the youth and impiety. When looking at Socrates life, one of the most important and significant quotes from Socrates is The unexamined life is not worth living. We are able to understand the meaning of this quote by first looking at Socrates philosophy. When analysing his philosophy, using Platos Apology, we are able to divide it into three main parts, Socratic irony, method and ethos. In the first section of my essay I will explain these three components of Socrates philosophy and show how these components are related to the statement The unexamined life is not worth living. In the second part of my essay, I will proceed to talk about my own philosophy and how I disagree with Rauhuts definition of philosophy. In the first section, I will begin by talking about Socratic irony. Much of Socrates beliefs and philosophical statements are very ironic. For example, when the Oracle of Delphi says that Socrates is the wisest man in Athens and Socrates does not understand why. Socrates goes about figuring out why the Oracle would say this by finding others in higher standing, the professionals and asking those people questions about themselves and their knowledge. Socrates would quiz them and try to determine whether he felt they were wise. He would also ask whether they thought of themselves as wise. Most would claim that yes they were indeed wise, but Socrates did not feel that any of them they were. Later, Socrates decides that he is indeed the wisest man in Athens because he knows that he is not wise. People that think they are wise are not because they indeed know nothing. Socrates knows that he knows nothing and comes to the conclusion that he is the wisest man in all Athens because he knows that he knows nothing. How can someone be the wisest man in Athens and still know nothing? Socrates beliefs and philosophical statements are comprised of contradictory statements that to many of the people of Athens, made no sense. I thought this man seemed to be wise both to many others and especially to himself, but he was not; and then I tried to show him that he thought he was wise, but was not. (Plato, 507) Socrates trial itself is ironic in a way as well. He was accused of being a corruptor of the youth and impiety. As far as impiety goes, Socrates claimed that he was carrying out the will of the gods. Impiety is the lack of respect or concern for Athenian gods and according to Socrates he was carrying out the gods will, implying that he is completely pious. When looking at the accusation, his accusers claim that he is corrupting the youth. Socrates refutes this argument by stating that he did not corrupt the youth of Athens because he had no intentions of doing so. In order t o corrupt someone, they must have the intentions and the knowledge, and he had neither. He is not teaching the youth of Athens anything, he is merely encouraging the knowledge which they already have to come out, which lead us into the Socratic Method. When analysing Socrates philosophy, another significant part of his philosophy is his method. He looked at himself not as a teacher, but as a midwife. He does not teach anyone anything they did not know already, but he, with the proper questions, is able to bring out the knowledge that they already have. In essence he is helping someone give birth to their knowledge, helping to recollect the knowledge that they already have. The Socratic Method revolves mostly around question and answer. Socrates would begin by asking what something is. For example, at the start of Socrates trial, he begins by asking for definitions of such terms as justice, piety, friendship and virtue. Beginning with the question Socrates would wait for an answer and would always be able to refute the definition because all of the definitions he receives result in contradictions. Socrates is able to, through this method of question and answer, show others about what justice is by showing them what it is not, never coming up with what it is in a positive sense. Thus Socrates is teaching someone about something without teaching them anything new about that thing. Socrates would also just question people in an ordinary conversation. Instead of just simply telling the person what he wanted to prove he would quiz them and try to get them to say the point of which he is trying to get across with his questions. An example of this is in his trial when Socrates is refuting his accusation of corrupting the youth. now then, say who makes them better, inform the court who he is. You see, Meletos, you are silent, and a sufficient proof of what I am just saying, that you have cared nothing about it? Come, say, my good man, who makes them better? (Plato, 511) This process is continued and Meletos proceeds to give his explanations, but Socrates does not buy into any of them. Socrates also believed that since he was condemned to death by the court, it must have been the will of the gods that his life was to e nd and because of this he had refused many offers from his friends to escape Athens and live somewhere where he was welcomed by the people. This shows us that within his method of philosophy lies an ethical part which binds him to always tell the truth and not to be sinful, which is also part of his ethos. The last major part of Socrates philosophy was his ethos. He was an extremely ethical in everything he did. Socrates spent most of his life examining the lives of others. He continued to do this even though these people did not want him to do so. Going back to the Socratic Method, Socrates would typically do this using question and answer. With this method in mind, he was able to make many people, who also were people of a high standing in the political life of Athens, look like fools in front of all of their peers. He continued to analyze these people in search of the truth. Truth was the most important thing to Socrates and he was always searching for it even though it led him to his eventual death. Socrates, also, never took any money for any of the work he did. He spent most of his life in poverty because he believed that what he was doing was not work. He never taught anybody anything. He was only helping them to remember what they had forgotten and that, to Socrates, was not wo rk. Through understanding these three main parts of Socrates philosophy, we are able to better understand the meaning of his statement The unexamined life is not worth living. According to his life and philosophy, if he had not gone around examining his own life and others, to him, it would not be worth living. Socratic irony helps us to understand his statement because he used this irony to help him to better understand life. Many of his ideas were ironic, but led him to a better understanding of truth. Socratic Method shows us how analytical Socrates truly is. He spends his life asking people questions and looking for answers that will help him to have a better understanding of truth. Finally Socratic ethos shows us how Socrates would continue to search for truth regardless of the consequences. Being a very philosophical man and having the desire to find truth he would not have had any value in life if he had not looked deeper than what we can see and feel. It was important to him to h ave a purpose in life, examine his own life and the life that many others lead and finally give others the opportunity to see the world through his eyes. At this point, I will begin by defining Rauhuts definition of philosophy and how I interpret it. I will then show how I dont completely agree with his definition and provide my own definition and what my philosophy is. I will also talk about why philosophy is important to me and a philosophical question that has troubled me in my life. We can define philosophical questions as questions that involve conceptual analysis and that require for their solutions more than observations and experimentation. Philosophical questions are open questions in the sense that we cannot easily predict what would constitute a satisfactory solution to then. No scientific procedure can produce a quick answer to philosophical questions. (Rauhut, 8 9) As stated in this quote, Rauhut proceeds to define philosophy as the study of open questions that will ultimately lead us to a better understanding of life and the world around us. He gives us examples of such questions and all of his questions fit into this definition. I, however, do not completely agree with his definition. Indeed most philosophical questions are open questions, but I think it goes a little further than just being open questions. Philosophy to me is studying questions that are related to life and death, what the true meaning of life is and what happens to us when we die. When looking at many philosophical questions we can see that all of these have something to do with life and death. Like many of Socratic or Platonic theories and philosophies, there is always something that relates to life and death. Platos theory of the Forms, Recollection and many of Socrates theories about what is a soul, the afterlife, and others are examples that relate philosophy to life and death. All of these, in one way or another relate to life and death. Although I had never really thought about it as being philosophical, I have always been interested in what happens to our conscientiousness when we die. Do we continue on in some parallel plain and be happy in an afterlife or do we simply cease to exist, go on into a dreamless sleep, without any anxieties. When I start thinking about this question it baffles my brain. I couldnt imagine having a dreamless sleep for an eternity, but I cant necessarily say that there will be a definite afterlife where our conscientiousness moves on to. Socrates presents both of these arguments in The Phaedo, but he is never actually able to come up with a clear for sure result that is guaranteed to happen. Then again, no one will ever know until they die, but depending on if we slip into a dreamless sleep, we could never really know what happens to us because we will no longer be able to retain any knowledge or even be able to think. There really is no way someone could answer this question because ther e is no one alive that knows what happens when you die. This is a question that I am sure that many people have or will wrestle with at some point in their lives and philosophy is important because it allows people to analyze these questions and really gets them thinking about their own personal beliefs and whether or not their beliefs can really hold true for them. Thus my own definition of philosophy is the study of open questions about life and death. Philosophical questions all have some relation to life and the world around us as well as death and the afterlife. We all wrestle with questions like these, but not everyone would realize that they are thinking philosophically. Philosophy is more important to us than most people realize. In some capacity or another everyone is a philosopher and everyone comes across questions that could change their beliefs completely.

Chicago Hope :: essays research papers

Chicago Hope, David E. Kelly’s infamous doctor-drama, premiered on September 18, 1994. Six years later, the show was canceled after its final season’s finale, which aired on May 4, 2000. Even though â€Å"Hope† couldn’t beat its direct competitor ER in the ratings race, the show still had a lot of good things going for it. Chicago Hope was nominated for a myriad of highly prestigious awards during its run. Many of these awards were lost to ER and other dramas but leading-lady Christina Lahti did receive both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performances on the show. Critic Mark Harris, even when as far as saying, â€Å"Lahti is, no question, the best dramatic actress in prime time.† (Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 4, 1996 p.51) Also, Hector Elizondo received an Emmy for his supporting role and people involved in off screen production won multiple awards. Chicago Hope was loved by critics even when being directly compared to ER. Chicago Hope was basically CBS’s answer to ER; a drama about doctors, taking place in a teaching hospital in Chicago, that aired on Thursdays at ten. The cast was constantly changing due to the constant ratings battle CBS was waging against NBC. Behind the scenes, CBS put its money on Executive Producer/Writer David E. Kelly who, at the time, was just coming off a successful run with Picket Fences; while NBC also went with a big name Producer/Writer/Novelist in Michael Crichton. Also, â€Å"Hope† used numerous directors and guest directors over the course of its six-year run, keeping the show fresh. Aside from the battle with ER and the constantly changing staff, this show definitely met or exceeded all of the requirements for a â€Å"quality TV† series outlined by Professor Robert J. Thompson in his book Television’s Second Golden Age. Chicago Hope was not your everyday TV escape. It was a show that made the viewer actually think about what was going on in both the show and the real world. It brought up issues that actually affected the lives of the people watching. It dealt with controversial issues like death, birth control, and AIDS. In the words of critic Ken Tucker, â€Å"†¦in a fall season with little quality [this is a] solid drama.† (Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 1994 p. 52) Furthermore, â€Å"Hope† was the brainchild of Producer David E. Kelly, which, before the premiere even aired, meant that it was of high quality.

Baby Bargains

According to Buckland’s journal Information as Thing, information is situational. As such, it must be useful to a user in a particular situation to be considered relevant. The book Baby Bargains is both useful and relevant to all first-time parents in preparation for the upcoming addition to their household by providing guidance on how and where to buy quality baby necessities at a reasonable cost. Baby Bargains was first published and made available to the public in 1994 and has experienced an extended shelf life due to its updated editions.This now well-known work entered the information lifecycle some 13 years earlier destined to be updated and adapted for years to come. Baby Bargains has metamorphasized and gone through multiple adaptations with a companion television talk show and the addition of a website and blog. The Baby Bargains concept is a prime example of the dissemination, retrieval and use of relevant information. To understand its progression through the inform ation lifecycle it is helpful to examine how it fills an end user’s need, the birth of the first edition and subsquent publishing history as well as its eventual transformation into a website.Need My initial encounter with Baby Bargains occurred during my pregnancy in July of 2005, when I was given the book by a friend. Since it was the first child for my husband and myself, we were excited but at the same time apprehensive over our lack of knowledge. There are literally millions of couples with the same need for knowledge, as evidenced by the extreme popularity of nonfiction books regarding pregnancy, childbirth and preparation for a new baby. Creation Denise and Alan Fields, who co-wrote Baby Bargains, were first time parents at one time, too.Inspired by the birth of their own sons Ben and Jack, the Fields launched a consumer crusade to find the best deals for new parents and ultimately published Baby Bargains. Baby Bargains is a well-researched, comprehensive resource for parents-to-be. The authors combined their own experience with extensive investigation and interviews with more than a thousand first-time parents across the country to compile the information presented in the book. It provides insights into which baby products are top rated and which are not recommended due to price and/or dearth of function.Baby Bargains is organized into chapters categorized by type of product. Each chapter contains a list of items necessary for the expectant parent with easy-to-read charts that allows users to compare these products in terms of price, quality, brand name, and durability. The charts include a summary and brief explanation of the content of an item in an compact, uncomplicated format that is clear and provides an easy way for users to visualize the comparisons. According to Robert Taylor’s â€Å"Value Added Model†, this book adds ACCESS 3 (subject summary) value by using charts.The chapters and their corresponding charts are quite com prehensive yet ergonomic for the average consumer. Publishing and dissemination Since the first edition of Baby Bargains was published in 1994, the popularity of the book garnered nearly instant notoriety for the Fields. The list of commercial marketing appearances the authors have enjoyed include features on Oprah, NBC’s Dateline, ABC’s 20/20, The Today Show as well as newspaper and magazine articles written about the couple and their book. Print editions of Baby Bargains now exceed 700,000 copies.In order to keep the information current, seven editions have been created with the addition of new products and updates on existing items. Revisions include current product values as well as reliability and validity results of the products tested. The authors strive to keep Baby Bargains as up-to-date as possible; about 30 – 40% of the content changes with each edition. These updates ensure the book remains current and a valuable resource to the end user. Retrieval a nd use According to Trent Hill’s lecture on Knowledge Organization, metadata refers to document attributes, document structure, and relations between documents.Several pieces of metadata are attached to the book and website of Baby Bargains. The metadata used to describe the book’s attributes include the title, authors (the Fields are well-known consumer writers), date, edition, description of illustrations, and call number. The website’s metadata is the web domain name (www. babybargains. com) and the fact that it is based on the Baby Bargains print edition. Modification and transformation In 1996, www. babybargains. com was formed to be a companion to, and include information from, the book.When viewed within the FRBR model, Baby Bargains encompasses a complex maze of works, expressions, manifestations, and items. Baby Bargains the book is a work and the companion website is an additional work; each has a unique theme and data. There is one example of an expre ssion of the book in its publication. The book has not been translated into other languages but each edition is published by Windsor Peak Press. There are seven manifestations of the book in the form of its prior updated editions, which are published roughly every two years.The Baby Bargains website consists of two overt expressions. One of these is the information that paralells the book and the other expression is the blog which provides current news on baby products including safety recalls and price changes. Bonus material and a message board for users’ interaction complete the comprehensive nature of the website. When each new edition of Baby Bargains is released, registered website users are encouraged to read the updated version of the book in order to obtain the latest information due to changes of content.This has worked well for the Fields as being an inexpensive yet effective method for informing users about updates and and changes to the print version. A blog link was also added to the website, giving the authors yet another forum for advertising new editions and updates in a timely manner. A message board on the site links users and provides a forum for asking questions and receiving answers, opening the lines of communication between parties with a shared interest. Collection Baby Bargains is a piece from the collections of both public and personal libraries.It is also available through the University of Washington library catalog system. The print book is not owned by the University library nor the summit libraries although it can be obtained through interlibrary loan. According to Matt Saxton’s lecture on â€Å"What is a Collection? †, a collection has certain information for certain audiences. Baby Bargains is not an ordinary part of an academic library’s collection since these institutions do not collect what is considered to be a consumer book. Searching for this workI obtained the work Baby Bargains very easily à ¢â‚¬â€œ through a friend of mine during my pregnancy. It is available in a large variety of bookstores and can be located without any searching effort or retrieval process. Editions of Baby Bargains starting with the 4th and continuing through the current edition are easily accessed through the public library catalog system where they can be directly compared side by side. The Baby Bargains website and blog comes up quickly and easily within the first two listings by using the online search engine Google. ClosingThis assignment caused me to think in fresh ways about how information is disseminated and updated. I feel I was challenged to examine the meaning and purpose of metadata in information systems, as well as the process by which information becomes a work, an expression, and a manifestation. The information lifecycle provides a valuable framework for understanding information such as that which is contained in Baby Bargains throughout its development and as a whole. It is part iculalry useful as a foundation upon which to build my study of library and information science.

Comparing Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King on Unjust Laws Essay

In today’s society, it is often unclear where to draw the line between good morals and effective government. It is for this reason that many times, laws that are enacted for the â€Å"good of the people† can be in direct conflict with a person’s conscience. Due to the various struggles that the United States has faced in building a government, this topic has been a popular discussion throughout American literature. Although they did not live during the same time, American writers Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. ach wrote about how a person should not follow laws that they believe to be immoral. Thoreau’s main concern pertained to the legal existence of slaves and slave-owners, and a century later, King spoke out against legal segregation in the South. In his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King, Jr. shares the same attitude with Henry David Thoreau’s work, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† concerning just and unjust laws; however, they each had different means of executing their beliefs. Both men agree that if a law is unjust, it is one’s duty to break that law, and do instead what they believe to be right. Thoreau considers that when unjust laws exist, a person has three choices of action: obey them, obey them while working to change them, or transgress them at once. He proposes, â€Å"It is not a man’s duty†¦to devote himself to the eradication of†¦even the most enormous wrong; †¦but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and†¦not to give it practically his support. † (Thoreau 4). Thoreau also ponders whether it is better to decide what is right and wrong by one’s own conscience. He declares, â€Å"It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume, is to do at any time what I think right. † (Thoreau 1). King, who was a devout clergyman, places one’s moral obligations under the eyes of God. He defines a just law as â€Å"†¦a man-made code that squares with the†¦law of God. † (King 177). King and Thoreau believe that the act of going against the law should be done in a passive manner. King explains, â€Å"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. † (175). These writers also coincide that once someone has broken a law, he or she must be willing to accept the consequences, including the possible penalty of imprisonment. In fact, both men spent time in prison for their acts of civil disobedience. Thoreau was sent to jail after six years of refusing to pay his taxes, due to his opposition to both the Mexican-American War and slavery in America. King was sent to jail for leading several peaceful protests, including a boycott. However, King was imprisoned for much longer than Thoreau, who only spent one day in prison, but was unwillingly bailed out by his aunt. In fact, it was from jail that King wrote his letter, in an effort to defend his actions in Birmingham, which he believed to be completely necessary and justifiable actions of protest. Both Thoreau and King felt that by going to prison, and dealing with the consequences of their actions, they were solidifying and therefore strengthening their protests. Thoreau and King were also of the same mind that a law must be respected regardless of whether it is just or unjust. King fears that anarchy will result if laws are not respected; Thoreau describes that rebellion will be the consequence if laws are not given respect. King declares, â€Å"†¦An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for the law. † (King 179). King states his position as one that disagrees with a law, and therefore goes against it in an effort to change it with respect to the government. Both writers agree that getting rid of the government is not the goal, but rather to change its ways. Thoreau articulates, â€Å"†¦to speak practically and as a citizen†¦I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it. † (Thoreau 1). Exercising passive resistance is the basis of the title of Thoreau’s work, and King presents several examples of civil disobedience in his letter, such as the Boston Tea Party. King himself not only exercises passive resistance, but he provides the procedure to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. With the exception of King’s added religious beliefs, Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. shared the same ideas concerning civil disobedience and the ways in which one should deal with just and unjust laws, although they demonstrated their viewpoints in different ways. Both of these writers believed that any law that was in conflict with a person’s conscience should be respected, but still challenged in a passive manner. To prove this belief, both Thoreau and King practiced it themselves.

Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher

Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher was born on June 17, 1898, in the Dutch province of Friesland *lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Netherlands.jpg*. His parents, George Arnold Escher and Sarah Gleichman Escher, had three sons of which Maurits (called Mauk for short) was the youngest. His father, George, was a civil engineer. The Escher family was living in Leeuwarden in 1898, where George served as Chief Engineer for a government bureau. The family lived in a grand house named "Princessehof," which would later become a museum and host exhibitions of M.C. Escher's works. Young M.C. Escher moved with his family to Arnhem. He attended elementary and secondary school there, and also in the seaside town of Zandvoort, where he lived for a while to improve his health. In 1907, he started learning carpentry and piano. In secondary school, his marks were poor except in drawing. His art teacher took and interest in his drawing talent, and taught him to make linocuts. He failed his final exam and thus never officially graduated. In 1913, M.C. Escher met his lifelong friend Bas Kist in religious school (which he attended at his parent's direction, even though he wasn't very religious). Kist was also interested in printing techniques, and may have encouraged M.C. to make his first linoleum cut works. Amoung these early works is a portrait of his father which is the oldest surviving work by the artist. In 1917, the two friends visited the artist Gert Stegeman, who had a printing press in his studio. Some of M.C.'s work from this year were apparently printed at Stegeman's. Also, in 1917, the Escher family moved to Oosterbeek, Holland. During this year and the following few years, M.C. Escher and his friends became very involved in literature, and M.C. began to write some of his own poems and essays. In 1918, Escher began private lessons and studies in architecture at the Higher Technology School in Delft. He managed to get ... Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher was born on June 17, 1898, in the Dutch province of Friesland *lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Netherlands.jpg*. His parents, George Arnold Escher and Sarah Gleichman Escher, had three sons of which Maurits (called Mauk for short) was the youngest. His father, George, was a civil engineer. The Escher family was living in Leeuwarden in 1898, where George served as Chief Engineer for a government bureau. The family lived in a grand house named "Princessehof," which would later become a museum and host exhibitions of M.C. Escher's works. Young M.C. Escher moved with his family to Arnhem. He attended elementary and secondary school there, and also in the seaside town of Zandvoort, where he lived for a while to improve his health. In 1907, he started learning carpentry and piano. In secondary school, his marks were poor except in drawing. His art teacher took and interest in his drawing talent, and taught him to make linocuts. He failed his final exam and thus never officially graduated. In 1913, M.C. Escher met his lifelong friend Bas Kist in religious school (which he attended at his parent's direction, even though he wasn't very religious). Kist was also interested in printing techniques, and may have encouraged M.C. to make his first linoleum cut works. Amoung these early works is a portrait of his father which is the oldest surviving work by the artist. In 1917, the two friends visited the artist Gert Stegeman, who had a printing press in his studio. Some of M.C.'s work from this year were apparently printed at Stegeman's. Also, in 1917, the Escher family moved to Oosterbeek, Holland. During this year and the following few years, M.C. Escher and his friends became very involved in literature, and M.C. began to write some of his own poems and essays. In 1918, Escher began private lessons and studies in architecture at the Higher Technology School in Delft. He managed to get ...