Bauhaus and Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bauhaus and Modernism - Essay Example This essay discusses that the main concepts of the Bauhaus began in Germany in the early 1900s, specifically when World War I and World War II began to dominate the lifestyles of those in the region. The philosophy was based on the changes that were within society and how this led to different perspectives of what was important to those in a given culture. The basis of this was known as being a logical positivist, which embraced futuristic and avant – garde ideologies. It was understood that this particular concept of philosophy was one that not only demanded the change toward mathematical and economic associations with art. There were also values that were placed on the changing culture, specifically because of the wars which were taking place. As the report declares, Europe and America began to experience a profound shift in sensibility that would lead to an explosion of creativity in the arts, transform moral values, and in time reshape the conduct of life throughout Western society† This basis was followed by other concepts which were associated with the understanding of Bauhaus and the movement toward modernism in Germany. The art and architectural forms that were a part of the movement were one of the main associations made with the Bauhaus movement. The philosophy developed was based on simplistic forms and colors as well as a synthesis between the two. Unification of the forms and colors were then able to create a different focus on the ideology of the subject and what was being said.... This essay stresses that the desire to create a sense of innovation and modernism then became reflective of the ideologies of the Bauhaus movement, specifically in trying to find a definition that created the perception of modernism. The similarities of defining modernism then became a part of the art and architecture that was in both America and Europe. When looking at the different movements and the artistic works, it can be seen that there are similarities specifically in the definition and philosophy of modernism. When looking at these two artistic concepts, it can be seen that there is a direct relationship to creating shapes, forms and specific colors with the art. The Bauhaus perspective is based on incorporating mathematical concepts and philosophies of technology, specifically to re-identify art into a modernist perspective. The later work of Dove uses these same philosophies, specifically which takes the subject matter of the mountains and makes it into what one could define as a modernist work. The concept of Bauhaus and the American modernist movement have changed the way that many looks at the idea of modernism. Bauhaus worked as the precursor to American modernism with several philosophies, including the art, craft, and philosophy of defining modernism. The early influences of those that were a part of America from the Bauhaus movement, as well as the incorporation of different ideologies in trying to find the meaning of modernism led to different understandings that created the modernist philosophies.

Carol Ann Duffys poetry Essay Example for Free

Carol Ann Duffys poetry Essay Delilah by Carol Ann Duffy has an undeniably sexual element running throughout an element which is highlighted by its suggestive language and presentation of gender roles between the characters Samson and Delilah. Many of Duffys poems have a similar element running through them such as in Salome, Little Red Riding Cap and Pygmalions Bride therefore it can be said that her poetry is mainly concerned with the politics of sex. However, Carol Ann Duffy states in an interview in 2005 that Delilah is not about sex but is a love poem exploring the nature of Samsons wish to become gentle, loving and tender. This would therefore suggest that the main concern of the poem is more to do with love, power and gender. There are several references to sex throughout the poem, however the most direct reference comes in the fourth stanza where Samson fucks Delilah. This is in stark contrast to his request in the third stanza only three lines above of wanting to learn how to care, or be gentle or loving or tender. Despite wanting to become gentle, Samson fucks Delilah rather than makes love to her, implying that his wish was only a half-hearted one i.e. a wish he only makes but not something he would act upon. He fuck(s her) again further shows this is not the first time Delilah has been fucked suggesting a repetitive nature of this act. Furthermore, Delilah allows herself to be fucked through Delilahs submission, Duffy could be making a statement that women can not break free from this subordinate role in sex. Samsons language is also sexually suggestive, possibly implying that a man can not have his libido driven out of him regardless of the situation. For example, in the second stanza Samson is boasting about his achievements which demonstrate his strength and fearlessness, however he is distracted by a sexually suggestive note, telling Delilah to put your hand here -. This continues in the third stanza; he asks for a cure for his inability to be gentle and in the following line proceeds to fuck her as though he believes the cure is in fucking her. The situation Samson opening up to Delilah about something personal- would usually be assumed to be free from anything conjuring violence however Samson fucks her anyway suggesting that regardless of the time or place, sex is something which remains rampant in a mans mind. On the other hand, it could be said that rather than sex, the main concern of the poem is with power distribution in this relationship. Whilst many would argue that Delilah was dominated by Samson in the poem due to the sex, in the end Delilah cut Samsons hair which biblically represented the demise of his strength. Cutting his hair in the poem may be symbolic of her dominating Samson as she has successfully seduced him and at his most vulnerable (during slumber) she has taken away his strength. This is also in sync with the biblical story in which Delilah disarms Samson and gives him up to the Philistines, ultimately dominating him. Sex is only a way by which Samson is pacified after which he goes to sleep and becomes soft, thus vulnerable. Furthermore, Delilah cuts Samsons hair with deliberate, passionate hands suggesting she enjoyed disarming him and stealing his power away from him. This is a reversal of the typical gender roles in literature and Delilahs passionate hands may be showing that Delilah enjoyed this. Furthermore, the idea that Delilah had to pacify Samson through sex suggests an element of power on Delilahs side as sex was a method through which she satisfied Samson and put him to sleep, leaving him vulnerable. Duffy may be making a statement through this that women can use their sexuality as a weapon to weaken men and thus overpower them. This interpretation is concerned with both sexual politics and power distribution demonstrating that Duffys poetry is not only concerned with the politics of sex.

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Chapter 9 Homework: Substance Use Disorder Tanya Varkey Psychology 270 March 11th, 2014 Chapter 9 Homework: Substance Use Disorder Substance use disorder is a condition in which an individual depends on a substance, harming his or her mental health. In such a disorder, the continued use of the substance can affect a person’s normal functioning in correlation with the society. For example, the overuse of the substance leads to behavioral issues, which in turn, causes the person to fail in meeting the standards of work and or family matters. Substance intoxication refers to the state of being high due to the effect of the psychoactive substance used. The substance can be either a stimulant, increasing activity level, or a depressant which tends to slow down a persons’ activity level as well as awareness. Such substances are abused because individuals feel that they will be able to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms (Rosenberg and Kosslyn, 2011). Its’ negative cognitive effects such as not thinking properly nor having proper judgment can make a big impact upon an individuals’ abilit y to perform activities of daily living. Depressants is a category of drugs that individuals with substance use disorder consume. A depressant drug abuse can impede the activity of the central nervous system, causing decreased awareness and reduced activity of the brain (Rosenberg and Kosslyn, 2011). Tolerance and withdrawal are symptoms that depressant users display if the substance is used on a regular basis or even if it is discontinued (Rosenberg and Kosslyn, 2011). Examples of depressants include alcohol and types of sedative-hypnotic drugs such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates. Sedative-hypnotic drugs such as barbiturates and b... ... where the person experiences a blackout, meaning they are not able to recall what happened while he or she was drunk. In terms of treatment, abstinence is the main goal. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also provided in that it may eventually lead the person to understand that such an alcohol abuse can have several consequences leading to a harmful health. In terms of application, there is an Indian actress named Silk Smitha. Due to the fact that she was not a successful producer, had financial difficulties, as well as romantic issues, she eventually slipped into depression. Such a depressive personal life led her to be a constant abuser of alcohol. She believed that this substance abuse will help her out mentally so no medical treatment and help was sought. As time progressed, her depression and dependence on alcohol grew, eventually leading her to commit suicide.

Explain Bentham’s Utilitarianism: (30 Marks)

Explain Bentham’s Utilitarianism: (30 Marks) A man called Jeremy Bentham had a theory called the ‘Utilitarianism theory’. He was born in London at the time of the great scientific and social change and wrote ‘The Principles of Morals and Legislation’ in 1789. Bentham had the theory that all humans seek pleasure and avoid pain at all costs. Utilitarianism has been described as an act or a rule rather than a theory. We break this down into three parts: -Motivation: Bentham was a hedonists (‘Hedone’ is Greek for ‘pleasure’).Bentham suggests that humans are motivated by pleasure and seek to avoid pain in every circumstance. Bentham quoted ‘Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. ’ Basically he is trying to say that humans pursue pleasure and fight to avoid pain, and beli eved that this was a ‘moral fact’, also that pleasure was the ‘sole good’ and pain was the ‘sole evil’, meaning humans naturally seek and avoid it.For example smoking, people know that it will harm them and damage their health but they smoke for the pleasure, giving up would be very difficult and would therefore cause pain that they’re trying to avoid. There are also very different examples from different peoples viewpoints such as.. * People who are motivated by pleasure: A person lives their life to go to Heaven. This means that the thought of going to Heaven (pleasure) motivates them to be a good person. * People who are motivated by pain: A person lives their life to stay away from Hell.This means that the thought of going to Hell (pain) motivates them to be a good person. -Principle of utility: utility means ‘usefulness’, this is Bentham’s moral rule. Once Bentham had identified pleasure and pain (moral) he conti nued on to the ‘utility principle’. This is where every action is judged by the rightness and wrongness by its utility (usefulness) to produce pleasure. Bentham said that pleasure is the cause of happiness, so it can be used interchangeably in the utility principle, so an action that causes or roduces the most happiness is the most moral. Everything is based on the end result, if the duration causes pain but it means it will end in pleasure, the utility principle is applied. Bentham devised a theory about ‘The Greatest Happiness For The Greatest Number’.This is explained best when split into two parts; * ‘The Greatest Good’- Good is the maximisation of pleasure so if an action is right it will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. The more pleasure that an action produces the better it will be. ‘Greatest number’- The ‘Democratic Theory’ is put in place, this is Bentham’s rule that pleasure canâ€⠄¢t be for one person alone. The maximum happiness for the most people should always been chosen when set with a range of choices in a moral decision. An example of ‘The Principle of Utility’ using the ‘Greatest happiness for the greatest number’ theory would be the assignation of Hitler, yes a person’s life would be taken and murder will be committed, but the death of one person would save many others people’s lives and cause happiness for the greatest number. Hedonic Calculus: was Jeremy Bentham’s system to measure how good/bad a consequence is. So if we was to calculate the greatest happiness for the greatest number, we must determine the quantity of happiness that will be produced from this action.The way that thus us evaluated is by applying these seven values: 1. Intensity- How intense it is (strong). 2. Duration- How long it lasts. 3. Certainty/ uncertainty- How sure it will happen. 4. Remoteness- How near it is to happening. 5. Richness- Like hood of repetition, how much pleasure it will lead to. . Purity- How free from pain is it? 7. Extent- How far reaching will be the consequences. The Hedonic Calculus system is a Quantitative assessment of situations, it is therefore concerned with the quantity of pleasure (it produces the highest amount of pleasure) for the greatest amount of people. An example and the set out to figure out a moral dilemma would be a question like: ‘Should I abort my disabled child? ’-then to figure out if it would be more pleasurable or painful it would be set like so: | Pleasure| Pain| . Intensity| 3/10| 7/10| 2. Duration| 7/10| 4/10| 3. Certainty | 9/10| 8/10| 4. Extent| 7/10| 6/10| 5. Remoteness| 8/10| 6/10| 6. Richness| 8/10| 5/10| 7. Purity| 2/10| 7/10| Total result:| 44/70| 43/70| So in conclusion- According to the hedonic calculus, the women would go and get an abortion because it would be the greatest good for the greatest number. So that is Bentham’s Util itarianism Theory all explained through three parts, the Motivation of pain and pleasure, the Principle of Utility and the Hedonistic Calculus.

Analyzing the Buyer Decision Process by interviewing two consumers

The buyer decision process is like an imaginary process that the consumer undergoes in buying a product or a service. This process happens before, during, and after purchasing the product or a service. The concept of this process says that a consumer undergoes different ‘stages’ whenever he is involved in a transaction of a product or service. These stages include Need recognition, Information search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Purchase decision, and Post purchase behavior (Kotler, 1999). Recognition of the consumer’s needs can be caused by internal or external stimuli.Examples of internal stimuli are a person’s needs such as thirst and hunger. External stimuli, on the other hand, consist of advertisements, slogans, magazines etc (Kotler, 1999). In the case of Person A, she saw the ice cream in a poster and that’s what made her buy the particular ice cream because it looks delicious. Person B, on the other hand, bought the ice cream simply because s he felt the need of cold food because of the climate. In that situation, Person A’s need of ice cream is caused by an external stimulus while Person B’s need is caused by an internal stimulus.By analyzing the answers of the interviewees, we can say that climate and advertising are one of the factors that influenced the buying behavior of the two consumers. Information about the product can be made known by the consumer through personal, commercial, public, and experiential sources. Personal sources can be family, friends, and close relatives. These are actually the most effective source of information. An example of a commercial source is a salesperson. Usually, most of the information about the product can be made known through this kind of source.Public sources include mass media. Experiential sources exist when the consumer already tried the product, or experienced it (Kotler, 1999). When asked about their source of information about the ice cream, Person A said tha t she saw the ice cream in a poster while Person B answered that a friend told her that the particular ice cream tastes good. Person A’s source is belongs to Public sources while Person B’s source belongs to Personal sources. When asked about the importance of their source, Person A said that her source is not really that important.On the other hand, Person B said that her source is important (her source is her friend) because the ice cream was recommended by her friend and that she trusts her friend. The next step in the process is the evaluation of alternatives. In this stage, the consumer evaluates the features of the products and many other factors (Kotler, 1999). Person A said that before buying the ice cream, he considered the price, the flavor, and if she will be satisfied after consuming the product. The same thing goes for person B. She also said that she considered the product price, flavor, and her satisfaction afterwards.When asked how they evaluated these alternatives, they said that they just look at the product and the information that comes with it. In this case, the buying behavior of the consumers is influenced by the product’s features. The purchase intention is the consumer’s want to purchase her most preferred kind of the product (Kotler, 1999). Person B said that in deciding what flavor of ice cream to buy, she just looks at the flavors and recalls about her experiences about these flavors. Person A answered just the same as Person B. Person A said that she chose vanilla because it is her personal favorite.Person B said that she is in the mood for chocolate that is why she chose that particular flavor. In this case, factors that influenced the buying behavior of the consumers are experience, personal choice, and mood/emotion. Post purchase behavior is like the evaluation of the consumer after purchasing the product or a service (Kotler, 1999). In the end, the consumer can be satisfied or dissatisfied. When aske d about describing their level of satisfaction, both interviewees answered that their level of satisfaction is high and that they were both satisfied. Why?Because the outcome of their purchase met their expectations. Many other factors might have affected the buying behavior of the two consumers. Demographics might have also contributed on the purchase of the ice cream. Since there are 3 ice cream parlors in located near the consumers’ place, demographics might also have affected their purchase. If there are no ice cream parlors in the place, they may not be able to purchase ice cream. Reference: Kotler, P. (1999). Principles of marketing. Retrieved April 30, 2007, 2007, from http//:cas. uah. edu/berkowd/webpage/MKT600/KOTCHA05. PPT

African Yoruba Drumming

African Yoruba Drumming Free Online Research Papers There are many things that set Yoruba drumming and Shona mbira music apart from one another. Most plainly of which is the sound that each produces. Typically, Yoruba drumming consists of a section of drummers playing various sizes, shapes and styles of drums, and is usually accompanied by vocalists. The mbira is a pitch and tone producing instrument that is plucked, rather than a percussive instrument that is struck or beat. Therefore, Mbira music is almost never accompanied by anything other than another mbria. However, the dundun drum itself is widely known for it’s ability to produce a wide range of pitches, also known as the â€Å"talking drum†. The use of dundun drums in African culture plays an important role, due to its close relationship with the African language of the Yoruba people. Because the African language is tonal, the dundun drum imitates the speech patterns of the language when it is played, hence the nickname â€Å"talking drum†. In the Eegun oje, a Yoruba masquarade, the dance is usually accompanied by bata, an ensemble of conically-shaped, double-headed membrane drums, and one of Yoruba’s most ancient instrumental ensembles. A bata ensemble consists of four drums: the iyaalu (the mother drum), and three supporting drums (the omele abo, the omele ako, and the kudi). The omele ako and the kudi often play very repetitive patterns and rhythms, while the omele abo often engages in dialogue with the iyaalu. The iyaalu is played by a master drummer, whose text-based improvisations are accompanied by the ostinato patterns of the supporting drums (Omojola, 2005, par. 2). Yoruba drumming is most often performed during rituals, or masquerade dances, in which a number of dancers dance to rhythmic cues given to them by the master drummer, and those not dancing often partake in a call-and-response style of vocal singing. However, vocals are perceived to be more of an accompaniment to the more dominant drumming. The texts of the songs were often sung as self-praise to motivate the dancers into action. Although many masquerades are used to represent the ancestor spirits of the Yoruba people, the Eegun oje is not. It is used plainly for entertainment. The representation or worship of ancestor spirits in song is one of the few things that Shona mbira music shares as a similarity. The Shona people have strong beliefs in life after death, in the sense that when death occurs, the spirit of the loved one transitions to another plane of existence. It is important to the Shona people that when this occurs, they stay in close communication with the deceased, in order to guide the spirits away from danger. They believe that the music of the mbira provides the most important means of communication to these spirits. The mbira consists of three rows of different sized metal strips, attached to a wooden resonator that are plucked to create different pitches. Cowry shells or bottle caps are also attached to the box, causing them to vibrate when a metal strip is plucked. One of the most important types of mbiras is the mbira davadzimu. It is an instrument closely associated with spirit possession ceremonies, known as the bira. In a bira ceremony, the mbria is played to create an open line of communication between the living and the dead. Although both the Yoruba and the Shona have affiliations with the spirit world, the difference is that the Shona use music to actively communicate with the dead, whereas the Yoruba typically just use music to worship spirits and gods in rituals and masquerades. Mbiras are typically played by themselves, indoors, but can also be played outdoors with the addition of a deze, a calabash resonator used for amplification. It is also not uncommon for Mbria players to play along with other Mbira players, or with the help of shakers and light percussion sections. In comparison to the four different drums sections used in the Eegun oje, there are typically two parts in mbria music: a leader (kushaura) and a follower (kutsinhera). Typically these parts are played by two different players, but they can also be played by a single, virtuoso mbira player. References: Omojola, B. (2005). Exploring the landscape of african music. OnMusic of the World. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from connect4education.org/Serf/ Default.aspx?(aa0unv55grguqz55zizmyd55) (bhnbf545znprvprbp0c0aj45)Event16. Research Papers on African Yoruba DrummingHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBringing Democracy to AfricaAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Spring and AutumnThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Democracy vs. a Dictatorship

Democracy vs. a Dictatorship Free Online Research Papers One of the best example I can think of is Kaiser wilhelm’s and Adolf Hitler’s regime over Germany. Even though these regimes were socially troublesome, Germany prospered economically during these periods . During Kaiser Wilhem’s rule Germany was wealthy enough to compete with Britain’s royal navy which was the largest in the world. Hitler’s rule over Germany was bloody and tyrannous , where millions of people were killed, however Germany was one of the richest countries in the world during Hitler’s time , it had the largest army , navy and airforce after USA’s. Hitler’s regime not only brought monetary wealth but also discipline in the country which was very much required after the â€Å"cumbersome† democratic regime of Friedrich Ebert. Democracy is a faulted type of government. This statement can be complemented with an example , that is ; present day India, which is a democratic country. However, it is one of the most backward country’s in the world. More than 70% of the country is below the poverty line. The main form of industry is the primary industry which the monetary output is comparatively very low in comparison to secondary and tertiary industries. Another example to push dictatorship forward, is Fidel Castro’s regime over Cuba. Fidel Castro has ruled Cuba for the past 50 years or more. Even though the main industry is primary ( exporting sugar and tobacco) , it has prospered over the years. The fundamental principle of democracy is that it is â€Å" For the people , by the people and from the people .† This is exactly why it is flawed, because the government is virtually run by the people , who always have different views . However, I believe that an ideal government is a dicatorship Research Papers on Democracy vs. a DictatorshipAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Assess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBringing Democracy to AfricaDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaQuebec and CanadaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesOpen Architechture a white paper

A Biographical Profile of Neil deGrasse Tyson

A Biographical Profile of Neil deGrasse Tyson American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the most popular and prolific science communicators of the early twenty-first century. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biographical Information Birth Date: October 5, 1958 Birthplace: New York, NY, USA (Born in Manhattan, raised in Bronx) Ethnicity: African-American/Puerto Rican Educational Background Neil deGrasse Tyson developed an interest in astronomy at age 9. While attending the Bronx High School of Science, Tyson was editor-in-chief of the schools Physical Science Journal. He was giving lectures on astronomy at the age of fifteen, foreshadowing a career in science communication. When he looked for a college, he came to the attention of Carl Sagan at Cornell University, and Sagan proved to be something of a mentor to him, despite the fact that he ultimately chose to attend Harvard. He has earned the following degrees: 1980 - B.A. physics, Harvard University1983 - M.A. astronomy, University of Texas at Austin1989 - Ph.M. astrophysics, Columbia University1991 - Ph.D. astrophysics, Columbia University He has since earned a number of honorary degrees. Non-Scientific Extracurricular Pursuits Awards Tyson was captain of his high school wrestling team. Despite some time during his freshman year at Harvard on the crew team (rowing, for those of us who didnt attend ivy league colleges), Tyson returned to wrestling and lettered in the sport during his senior year at Harvard. He was also an avid dancer and in 1985 earned an International Latin Ballroom Style gold medal with the University of Texas dance team. In 2000, Dr. Tyson was named the Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive by People Magazine (begging the question of which non-living astrophysicists may have beaten him). Though this is technically an award that he got because he was an astrophysicist, since the award itself is for a non-scientific achievement (his raw sexiness), weve decided to classify it here rather than with his academic achievements. Though related to his scientific views, Tyson has been categorized as an atheist because he advocates that religion has no place in influencing scientific questions and debates. He has, however, argued that if he must be classified, he believes that his stance is better categorized as agnosticism than atheism, since he claims no definitive position on the existence or non-existence of God. He did, however, receive the 2009 Isaac Asimov Science Award from the American Humanist Association. Academic Research Related Achievements Neil deGrasse Tysons research is largely in the realm of astrophysics and cosmology, with an emphasis in areas of stellar and galactic formation and evolution. This research, as well as his work as an avid science communicator with a wide range of popular science publications, helped position him for a position as director the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Dr. Tyson has received a number of awards and honors, including the following: 2001 - Appointed by President George W. Bush to Commission on the Future of the United Aerospace Industry2001 - The Tech 100 (Crains Magazines list of 100 most influential technology leaders in New York)2001 - Medal of Excellence, Columbia University, New York City2004 - Appointed by President George W. Bush to Presidents Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy2004 - NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal2004 - Fifty Most Important African-Americans in Research Science2007 - Klopsteg Memorial Award winner2007 - Time 100 (Time Magazines list of 100 most influential persons in the world)2008 - 50 Best Brains in Science (Discover Magazine)2009 - Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach award Plutos Demotion The Rose Center for Earth and Space Science re-classified Pluto as an icy comet in XXXX, sparking a media firestorm. The man behind this decision was Neil deGrasse Tyson himself, the director of the Rose Center, though he was not acting alone. The debate got so intense that it had to be resolved by a vote at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at their 2006 General Assembly, which decided Pluto was not a planet, but was actually a dwarf planet. (Not, it should be noted, the icy comet classification that the Rose Center originally used.) Tysons involvement in the debate was the basis for this 2010 book The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of Americas Favorite Planet, which focuses not only on the science related to the debate, but also considerations about the publics perceptions of Pluto. Popular Books Merlins Tour of the Universe (1989) - Tysons first book was a collection of question/answer pieces from the popular astronomy magazine Star Date. It is told through the narrative tool of being answered by Merlin, an alien visitor to Earth from Planet Omniscia, who has spent much time on Earth and been friends with many of Earths greatest scientists throughout history, such as Johannes Kepler and Albert Einstein.Universe Down to Earth (1994) - A popular book intended to introduce non-science audiences to the current science of astrophysics. While of historical interest, it should be noted that in 1994 there was no evidence of dark energy, so our understanding of the universe has transformed substantially since that time, so a more recent volume is suggested to get a modern introduction.Just Visiting This Planet (1998) - This is follow-up volume to Merlins Tour of the Universe, with additional question/answer pieces from Star Date magazine.One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos (2000) - C o-authored with Charles Tsun-Chu Liu and Robert Iroion, this book again tries to explain key astrophysics concepts, but has the added benefit of being a beautiful volume containing many photographs. At the time of this writing, however, this book appears to be out of print and largely unavailable, but there are no shortage of more recent books that cover this material and offer pictures from Hubble and other space telescopes. Cosmic Horizons: Astronomy at the Cutting Edge (2000) - Co-edited with Steven Soter, this again is an illustrated book that attempts to explain the key features of modern astrophysics.City of Stars: A New Yorkers Guide to the Cosmos (2002) - The title is interesting, but this book also appears to be out of print, and finding information on it is even less forthcoming.My Favorite Universe (2003) - Based on Dr. Tysons 12-part lecture series of the same name through The Great Courses video lecture series.Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution (2004) - Co-authored with Donald Goldsmith, this is a companion volume to his four-part Origins miniseries for PBS Nova series, focusing on the current state of cosmology.The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (2004) - This is an engaging memoir of Neil deGrasse Tysons life, and how his early interest in the night sky eventually led him to become an astrophysicist. Insights are offered into various challenges h e faced, including the racial challenges of being a minority physicist, making this a memoir that is worthwhile and educational on a number of different levels. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandries (2007) - This is a collection of several of Dr. Tysons most popular articles.The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of Americas Favorite Planet (2010) - In this book, Dr. Tyson discusses some of the key scientific and non-scientific elements of the debate over Plutos controversial demotion from a planet classification to one of dwarf planet.Space Chronicles (2014) - In this collection of essays, Dr. Tyson muses on the past, present, and future of the space program. Specifically focusing on the program in the United States, he outlines a vision for largely unmanned space exploration that can yield positive scientific results at significantly reduced costs and risk to human life. He also goes into some depth in the discussion of the economics and motivation at work in the history of the space program, and the challenges that future achievements would have to overcome. Television Other Media Neil deGrasse Tyson has been a guest on so many media sources that it would be virtually impossible to list them all. Since he lives in New York City, hes frequently a go-to science expert for a variety of shows, including appearances in morning shows for major networks. Below are some of his most noteworthy media appearances: Dr. Tyson has repeatedly appeared on both The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report for Comedy Central. On one such appearance, he told Jon Stewart that the globe in the background of his television studio is actually rotating the wrong direction.Video clips of Dr. Tyson from The Daily Show with Jon StewartVideo clips of Dr. Tyson from The Colbert ReportStarTalk Radio Podcast - Dr. Tyson hosts a podcast through the Hayden Planetarium, called StarTalk, where he discusses various science topics, interviews interesting guests, and answers assorted questions from his audience. A video edition of the podcast is also available through YouTube.Nova ScienceNOW - Dr. Tyson was the host of the PBS series Nova ScienceNOW from 2006 through 2011 (seasons 2 through 5), introducing the various segments and then wrapping things up at the end of the episode, often sporting a stylish space-themed vest.Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey - Fox is bringing back the science mini-series Cosmos, in 2 014, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is going to be the narrator. Created with Carl Sagans widow Ann Druyan (who was instrumental in the first Cosmos as well) and animator Seth McFarlane, the show is slated to begin airing episodes on March 9, 2014, on both Fox and the National Geographic Channel. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

South Asia in mass media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

South Asia in mass media - Essay Example The product takes pride of its reputation as one of the leading brands due to its capability of removing tough stains. With this, Tide is a premium product taking care of the cleanliness and purity of clothes. Looking at the current state of India, the advertisement of tide capturing the sunset view of Ganges River and Taj Mahal seem inappropriate. For one, India is now highly regarded because of its technological and economic momentum. Thus, an ad showing new infrastructure, new roads, or technology associated products would seem suitable. However, as this new identity spurred by recent progress is not yet instilled in the mind of consumers. Thus, advertisers chose to utilize the image of the traditional India and its connection with the laundry detergent. The Ganges River and the Taj Mahal are two important places in the Indian culture. It should also be noted these significant places became major attractions to tourists worldwide. Looking closer, the Ganges River and Taj Mahal is directly associated with purity to Indians according to their religious beliefs. In Hinduism, purity is considered imperative is a fundamental component of the Hindi culture. Though physical purity is emphasized, the real essence of purity extends to social, ceremonial, emotional, psychic and spiritual cleanliness. Adherents of Hinduism are required to be spotless, blameless, and free from any contamination.

Critical Thinking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critical Thinking - Assignment Example The effectiveness of sight can be limited by; colour blindness, night blindness, and when an eye is damaged such as looking directly at the sun, presbyopia which is aging. The sense of hearing is also limited by high pitch, loudness, and sound waves which are of high rates. (Schopenhauer, 1851) There are some reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Though the sensory organs may be active, environmental influences may tamper with our interpretation of the data the organ is sending to us. For example you can look into a forest and hear the silence and think that you can walk freely and safely but when walking an animal come down from a tree. Sensory organs are not always correct when interpreting some Sensory data that’s why we should not always rely on them. The sense of sight provides accurate information about the surrounding. For example if you see a tree swaying you know there is wind. When one touches a hot substance, a person’s sense of feeling will send a message to the brain and you are able to know that you can get burned. There are factors that contribute to the accuracy of sensory data and they are; oral sensory sensitivity, repeatability, use of mathematical tools to assess accuracy and reliability. By oral sensitivity, what a person says is stored in the brain since one can remember very well what one said and the responses given by others and the reactions from others. There are short and long term memories. Both rely on the sensory information storage (SIS) which holds images. Repeatability is reminding one thing at a time to avoid loosing some information which might be needed for reference. It improves the accuracy of information since the information cannot get lost. Also with the use of mathematical tools, accuracy is very high since the measurements are taken with a lot of care because one doesn’t want to make mistakes. Nature is the environment that we are living in and it’s the one that

Taxation of life-cycle savings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taxation of life-cycle savings - Essay Example Further, 25% lump sum can be withdrawn from pension funds tax free (Lymer & Oats, 2013). Due to these treatments, most of the savings in the UK are made in pensions, housings and ISAs. They discourage savings in all other forms and put limitations on economic activity. Further, the current tax laws are complex. According to the current system, neutrality can neither be achieved over time nor across assets. It discourages people from saving because the present value of their income increases. They become better off spending their income now than later. Also, this system does not take inflation into account. The returns on savings are taxed on nominal returns. Therefore, tax on returns on savings actually increases with a rise in inflation rate. Further, the phenomenon of compound interest reduces the effective rate of return and its reducing effect is directly proportional to the passage of time (Mirrlees et al., 2011). Adam Smith (1776) proposed four canons of taxation for an optimal tax system. These canons are: ‘Equity, Certainty, Convenience and efficiency’ (Lymer & Oats, 2013, p.43). Economic efficiency relates to fiscal neutrality which refers to an ideal tax condition which does not ‘distort the economic and commercial decisions made by individuals’ (Lymer & Oats, 2013, p61). The concept of neutrality demands that people’s choices should not be distorted. However, in standard income tax, neutrality is foregone both over time and across assets. The current system makes people prefer investing in pension funds and ISAs but discourages saving through other opportunities as it taxes them at a higher rate. Further, it actually subsidises investing in a pension fund as it allows a tax free withdrawal of a lump sum. This discourages people from taking risks and limits economic activity. It also defeats the prospects of achieving neutrality over time. This system treats capital gains differently

Business Report in Hilton Hotels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Report in Hilton Hotels - Assignment Example With the increasing reliability upon the group effort by the society and the increment in the organised groups, it has been found that the task of the managers has been increasing in importance and complexity. Since then the management theory has underpinned the way managers manage complex organisation. Therefore, it can be said that management is the process of designing and upholding the environment where the individual who are working collectively in groups efficiently accomplish their aims. There are various objectives of the management. One of them is to ensure that the organisational goals and targets are being met in the lowest possible cost and without any kind of wastage. There are primarily five management functions. They are ‘planning, organising, staffing, leading and controlling’. There are various management theories such as the scientific management school, the management science school, the classical organisational theory school, the behavioural school, a nd the recent development in management theory such as systems approach, team building theory contingency or situational theory and chaos theory. The contingency or situational theory is linked to the Hilton hotels as the main challenge for the hotel is to take its hotels to a greater height and expand its operation in international markets. It needs to beat the growing competition that are providing better facilities and hence are increasing their efficiencies in the service industry. There is a close link between the challenge of Hiltons and the contingency theory. The situational or the contingency theory tries to explain that whenever the decision is taken by the management they must take into consideration all the aspects of the current situation and must instantly act upon those aspects that are important to the situation (Olum, 2004). 1.1 The Competing Values Framework The framework evolved out of the research in order to determine the key factors of the organisational effect iveness. The theory was processed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh in the year 1983. There are two sets of dimension comprising four major quadrants that represent opposite and competing assumptions. The first set of dimension ranges from flexibility and discretion on one hand to stability and control on the other hand. The second dimension consists of internal focus and integration to external focus and differentiation. According to Quinn and Cameron, the quadrant has been labelled as Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market cultures. The clan culture is similar to an extended family. This type of organisation focuses upon the employee involvement, empowerment, cohesion, participation, team work, corporate commitment to the employees and self managed teams. The adhocracy culture focuses on the dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial organisation. These kinds of organisations thrive in an ambiguous, turbulent and uncertain environment. In case of hierarchy culture, it is assumed to be a formalised and structured bureaucracy. It values reliability, predictability, efficiency and standardisation. The market culture is goal oriented and intensely competitive. It tries to put more emphasis upon the market share, profitability, penetration, productivity and wining (Lincoln, 2010). Source: (East Carolina University, n.d.).

How true is that the United States have a responsibility to protect Essay

How true is that the United States have a responsibility to protect human rights in other countries - Essay Example The United Nations A number of culturally diverse countries make up the world. To ensure that these countries will be protected against any unjust and unfair treatment by each other, there is a need for a global or international community that will stand as a world government. The United Nation is one of the major organizations that make up the international community. It is an â€Å"international organization designed to make the enforcement of international law, security, economic development, social progress, and human rights easier for countries around the world† (Briney, 2011). According to Briney (2011), this international organization is composed of 193 member countries and its head office can be found in New York. The fundamental purpose of United Nations includes saving future generations from war, protect human rights and establish equality for all persons (Briney, 2011). In Briney’s (2011) article entitled The United Nations, other principles of this international organization include upholding justice, freedom and social progress for all the citizens of all the member states. Thus it can be said that this international organization is one of the best that created or established in the world community. With the goals or purposes that the United Nations aim to do, the world is protected against any harm or threat from any countries. ... Thus economic progress can also be achieved by ensuring that all member states comply with the rules and regulations especially about fair competition and trade responsibilities. Aside from this, each person is granted the protection of his rights in the national and international level. Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights or UNDHR is described as the â€Å"foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights, and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations† (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a Living Document, 2007). The Preamble of the UNDHR includes the following: Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which h ave outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger

Business Report in Hilton Hotels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Report in Hilton Hotels - Assignment Example With the increasing reliability upon the group effort by the society and the increment in the organised groups, it has been found that the task of the managers has been increasing in importance and complexity. Since then the management theory has underpinned the way managers manage complex organisation. Therefore, it can be said that management is the process of designing and upholding the environment where the individual who are working collectively in groups efficiently accomplish their aims. There are various objectives of the management. One of them is to ensure that the organisational goals and targets are being met in the lowest possible cost and without any kind of wastage. There are primarily five management functions. They are ‘planning, organising, staffing, leading and controlling’. There are various management theories such as the scientific management school, the management science school, the classical organisational theory school, the behavioural school, a nd the recent development in management theory such as systems approach, team building theory contingency or situational theory and chaos theory. The contingency or situational theory is linked to the Hilton hotels as the main challenge for the hotel is to take its hotels to a greater height and expand its operation in international markets. It needs to beat the growing competition that are providing better facilities and hence are increasing their efficiencies in the service industry. There is a close link between the challenge of Hiltons and the contingency theory. The situational or the contingency theory tries to explain that whenever the decision is taken by the management they must take into consideration all the aspects of the current situation and must instantly act upon those aspects that are important to the situation (Olum, 2004). 1.1 The Competing Values Framework The framework evolved out of the research in order to determine the key factors of the organisational effect iveness. The theory was processed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh in the year 1983. There are two sets of dimension comprising four major quadrants that represent opposite and competing assumptions. The first set of dimension ranges from flexibility and discretion on one hand to stability and control on the other hand. The second dimension consists of internal focus and integration to external focus and differentiation. According to Quinn and Cameron, the quadrant has been labelled as Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market cultures. The clan culture is similar to an extended family. This type of organisation focuses upon the employee involvement, empowerment, cohesion, participation, team work, corporate commitment to the employees and self managed teams. The adhocracy culture focuses on the dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial organisation. These kinds of organisations thrive in an ambiguous, turbulent and uncertain environment. In case of hierarchy culture, it is assumed to be a formalised and structured bureaucracy. It values reliability, predictability, efficiency and standardisation. The market culture is goal oriented and intensely competitive. It tries to put more emphasis upon the market share, profitability, penetration, productivity and wining (Lincoln, 2010). Source: (East Carolina University, n.d.).

Working in a Total Institution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working in a Total Institution - Essay Example Prisons have been quite often, referred to as total institutions since they account for the daily aspects of the inmates such as ensuring availability of daily necessities, medical care, rehabilitation amongst several others. The correctional officers employed to supervise the inmates are subjected to rigorous training owing to the occupational hazards their job offers. However considering the personal accounts of several such correctional officers, their personal experiences on the job including their interactions with the prisoners themselves plays a significant role in shaping their role as correctional officers. According to the personal experience shared by an African American woman in a men’s prison â€Å"The inmates are the ones that helped, taught me how to be an officer. Not the staff. †¦.. when you are new at the job the inmates are gonna come and tell you, â€Å"Ma’am, you left a door open† or â€Å"Somebody’s sick†. Because you can’t be at two places at the same time. Nine times out of ten its gonna be the inmates that tells you what’s going on† (Britton, 2003 Pp.95) According to the American Correctional Association, the correctional officers receive training at an average of 262.8 hours in the field of first aid, self defense, race relations as well as other practically relevant subject areas (Levinson, Pp.327). However, the personal accounts of the correctional officers suggest that a majority of inmates share a mutual interest with the officers in terms of maintaining a day to day routine and since they are clearly more knowledgeable than the newly appointed officers they gladly extend their co – operation in maintaining the in prison routines. Besides it has also been reported and confirmed on the basis of substantial amount of research conducted in that behalf, that several officers in training perceive such a training as a form of exaggerated depiction of violence and crime that might be encountered

American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay Works of art reflect the influences of the period, during which artists have created them. Any form of art exposes the trends prevailing in the period of time when the art was created. Paintings belonging to varied periods differ from each other, as the artists follow a style that is reminiscent of the period they lived in. Two such paintings which reflect the periods in which they were painted are Kindred Spirits by American Asher Durand and The Gross Clinic by American Thomas Eakins. The painting Kindred Spirits, painted in 1849 reflects Romanticism whereas the painting The Gross Clinic reflects Realism. In this paper we will analyze these two paintings and focus on the differences in ideas and attitudes expressed through the paintings. Differences The painting Kindred Spirits reflects the period of Romanticism during which the emphasis was placed on the depiction of feral nature in paintings. In this painting, Asher Durand has captured a rich and vibrant natural landscape. Although the painting depicts Thomas Cole and William Cullen Bryant, the natural landscape is more prominent in the painting. The natural features like Catskill Mountains, the Fawns Leap and the Kaaterskill Falls are incorporated in the landscape. Durand has removed himself from the painting and decided to include Cole whom he wanted to honor through his painting. But the one of the major characteristics of Durand’s landscape paintings is visible in this painting also and that is depiction of harmonious nature. â€Å"Durand’s landscapes almost always move toward harmony, and he located his own vision of landscape solidly within the aesthetic category of the beautiful, as this term was understood in the nineteenth century. † (PecK). The minute details of nature are highlighted by Durand. The depiction of a real landscape points out that Durand wished to bring forth a realist image of the nature rather than an idealized one where an imaginary landscape is depicted in a painting. The aesthetic beauty of nature is revered and admired by Durand. The painting The Gross Clinic presents a view which differs vastly from Romanticism. Being a realist painting, The Gross Clinic depicts a surgical theater where a surgery is being carried. A real event of surgery is depicted on the canvas, in spite of the fact that the scene was horrific. Through this painting, Eakins presents the reality of life in an audacious manner. The realist attitude of Eakins towards life is portrayed through his painting. The conditions in which a surgery was performed during the nineteenth century are presented in the painting. The painting Kindred Spirits provides a beautiful view of nature which is pleasant and soothing whereas the painting The Gross Clinic disturbs the mind of the looker. Eakins was more interested in the events that occurred in real life and he insisted on capturing those events in a realistic way. His painting The Gross Clinic is one such painting that focuses on a real event which is painful and disturbing but necessary to understand the life of that period. The atmosphere in a surgical theater, the naked human body and a distressed woman provide a grim but real picture of life. The display of nudity which prevailed in late Nineteenth Century is included in this painting in form of the naked human body upon which surgery is being performed. The pleasing beauty of nature, which is represented in the painting Kindred Spirits, contrasts with the horrifying depiction of a surgery in The Gross Clinic. Works Cited Peck, Daniel. Unlikely Kindred Spirits: A New Vision of Landscape in the Works of Henry David Thoreau and Asher B. Durand. American Literary History. 17:4(2005) 687-713. http://alh. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/content/ful

Barclays Bank SWOT Analysis

Barclays Bank SWOT Analysis Barclays was started by the British Empire and it characterizes as the British banking from twentieth century. Barclays appeared as the largest bank of Britain in 1950. Due to the ferocious competition in 1980 and because of its lending policies Barclays banking became imprudent. Later on Barclays built its empire in 50 countries. Innovation and adoption of good marketing strategies leaded the Barclays as one of the largest banks all around the world. Main objective of Barclays is to give value to the customers and clients. Barclays has employed almost 135,000 workers in 50 countries. It offers devoted services to small and medium businesses. Barclays income before tax is approximately 7 billion. This profit returns shows the good portfolio management of business. Services that are providing by bank are unique and innovative. Ambition of Barclays is to become one of the leading banks in all over the world and to provide the services to the financial industry globally. Meaning thereby, providing full and innovative retail and wholesale services to the customers. Barclays strategy focuses on the identification of needs of customers and then providing them services accordingly. Barclays follows the principle of making profit, investing that profit and hence growing. BARCLAYS SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Strength of the company is taken as the internal element. The strength factor represents and focuses those elements within the company that become the strong points of that pertaining company. Barclays is founded in 1896 and it is enjoying benefits from the strong penetration exists in the banking industry. Barclays is providing its services in 50 different countries. Barclays group is one of the leading and rapidly growing groups in the world. Main strength of Barclays is that in banking sector and by asset base it is the third largest bank. And in market capitalization perspective it is third largest bank in United Kingdom. Barclays has the wide customers base and strong growth base in all over the world. Barclays networking for the distribution is very strong and it has multi-channels available for distribution networking. Branches, automatic teller machines, online banking services, on phone banking services and its relationship managers are all considered as its sources and channels of networking. Barclays workers and employees are more innovative and are more passionate towards their work. One of the strength factors of the bank is its operational efficiency. Physical and financial resources available to banks are very good. Its operations are well diversified. Barclays diversified operations include the retail banking, consumer lending, home financing, lending to small and medium enterprises, corporate banking, banking in investments and asset management. Barclays was the first bank that launched and introduced the credit cards in United Kingdom and till then Barclays brand name has embedded in the minds of the customers. Strong brand name has become the strength of the Barclays bank now. Bank has carried out its operations in credit card line with the help of the sponsorship that was provided by the English premier league. Financial performance of Barclays bank is very good. It takes help of technology for improving its banking services as it gives response electronically to the queries of clients. Barclays provides innovative financial services to the clients by using the information technology. It is providing online security so that thefts and frauds will be prevented. For this security Barclays bank is using different software. Fraud cases will be avoided by using the software. Barclays bank is geographically diversified bank and it performs its business operations in different countries. Branches of Barclays are widely spread in all over the worlds. Bank takes the benefit from the geographical diversification and it spreads its risks widely across the countries and gets advantage of the economies of scales. Opening of new branches of Barclays bank and renovation of the branches in different countries will attract the clients and will enhance and boost the performance of Barclays banks. Barclay applies different marketing tools like product mix and gives importance to the services that are provided to clients and hence focuses more on the customer relationship management. Weaknesses Weaknesses are the internal factor of the company. Company is affected adversely because of the presence of these elements. Company should try to eradicate these negative factors in order to enhance its business performance. Impairment charges in Barclays bank are very high. These charges occur due to the impairments of loans, more chances of bankruptcy and poor loan recovery management. Bank efforts for the recovery of loan from businesses and credit cards are not good. Barclays brand image has affected a lot by the unethical activities and wrong promotion of bank through advertisement. Barclays was also fined for these unhealthy and adverse promotions. More controversies and questions arouse due to that brand image. Due to this deteriorating and bad brand image, Barclays performance has affected a lot. Investors give more importance to the ethical issues and after these unhealthy activities many investors drew their investments back from the bank. Banks capital ratio is less than the average industry ratio. Bank can face difficulty in the case of financial crises due to this low capital ratio. Due to the inefficiency of operations, bank has low return on assets and less profit margins. Moreover Barclays cost on income is more as compare to other banks. More cost income ratio of bank represents the inefficiency of the business operations of the bank. Barclays failed to cope up with the integration between information technology, business processes and brand. It did not gain success in the planned synergies and outcomes. Barclays has fewer branches in the region of Asia. Banking industry is emerging and growing in Asia. Barclays did not take these openings in account and this is considered to be the strategic negligence of the bank. Bank can avail opportunity by opening the branches in Asian countries. Bank is paying large bonuses and incentives to its directors and this has become the source of criticism. Banks dividend policy is less attractive to the investors and as Barclays is paying fewer dividends to its investors. Banks marketing strategy is not up to the mark and people are less aware of the bank due to the absence of marketing campaigns and promotions. Barclays are paying less consideration towards the adoption of the modern technology and equipments. Sales promotions of Barclays are not striking the customers attention they need to be improved. Opportunities Opportunities are external factor for the company. As the name indicates this element identifies the opportunities available in the market for the company. Company can gain competitive edge on other companies by availing and utilizing the opportunities available to it. Numerous opportunities are available to Barclays due to the increase trend of globalization. Banks are performing their operations globally and Barclays can take benefit from this positive outlook of globalization. With the growth of the global banking industry Barclays being the leading and well positioned financial institution can exploit the financial market by expanding its deposit base. Barclays can take advantage of emerging economies by strengthening its positions in the retail and commercial banking operations in those growing economies. Diverse opportunities for the growth of revenues are available in United Kingdom for Barclay. Trend of corporate lending is also increasing and Barclays can exploit this opportunities by giving more loans to corporate sector. Operational efficiency of Barclays can be increased by applying the good asset management principles. Increase in mergers, acquisitions and renovations in banking industry give the positive opening to banks. Barclays can utilize this opportunity as investment banking industry is expected to expand and it can increase its operating cash flows by making acquisitions. Due to off shoring of financial institutions cost of investment has decreased. Banks are opening their branches in those countries that are less costly to obtain the cost efficiencies. Barclays can fortify its working in Asian banking industries like in Indian market in order to achieve the cost efficiencies and to gain more profit and return margins. Objective of Barclays is to provide the good services to customer worldwide. This objective provides lots of opportunities to Barclays like cross-selling its products across many countries. Barclays can exploit, expand its branches, avail opportunities and set its operation in the Asian banking industry. Barclays can use high tech-technology by adding more websites that contains sufficient information of Barclays banking. Provision of welfare is also ceased in those countries where the cost to the government has increased but Barclays can make use of the trend of provision by itself. Barclays can attract more investors by formulating good dividend policies and by providing good returns to the shareholders. Use of good marketing strategy like product mix enhances the efficiency of the business and Barclays can use the tools and techniques of good marketing strategies for grabbing the customers attention. Barclay can also take hold of other banks customer by providing good services that conforms to the need of the customer. Cost efficiencies can be gained by Barclays through the opening of branches in the low cost locations like in Asian countries. Integration of business processes with the information technology can provide more synergy and success to the bank. Barclays can strengthen its brand image by conducting more marketing campaigns, advertisements and promotions. Threats Threats are also the external element of the company. Threat factor in the SWOT analysis diverts the attention of the company towards the pertaining risks in market. Company has to avoid these threats by taking precautionary measures against them. Financial markets have become volatile in recent few years. This financial threat affects the investment opportunities in markets. Investors are hesitant to invest in financial institutions due to the financial volatility. Barclays revenues from investments are also affected by this unstable market behavior. Interest rates fluctuations discourage the consumer to take the services of credit cards. When interest rate fluctuates rapidly then consumer becomes conservative and does not take the credit card borrowings. Barclays credit card facilities are also affected by these fluctuations as many consumers are not availing the credit card borrowings now. Barclays has also threat from other foreign banks as these banks can take high proportion and percentage of the total assets within the banking industry and can decrease the market shares of Barclays bank. Barclays has to face many challenges before acquiring the similar size bank or institution as it has failed to acquire the Royal bank of Scotland and there are chances due to this reason that workers of Barclays bank will resist the integration and acquisition of bank. Internet and online banking frauds are increasing with the increase in the awareness of the technology. These frauds are done through system hacking, emails and through telephonic calls. Barclays can suffer a lot from this threat in future. Barclays can be sued as it is famous of making wrong investments from its deposits and from other investments. Barclays has to give proper consideration towards these decisions in future. Bank can go in the state of bankruptcy if these wrong investments decisions of Barclays will continue in the future. More threats are present to bank due to the vicious competition in the banking industry as customers can go to other banks for the same product because of the other banks specialized approach. Customers are demanding more innovative products and it has become difficult for the bank to cope up with these rapid innovations. Bank has to go for online products and different products mix for gaining the customers attention towards its products. Expansion of branches in Asian countries seems to be risky for Barclays and this situation depicts that other financial institutions in banking industry are in more strong positions than Barclays. Barclays is also facing threats from investment as Barclays dividend policy is least attractive to the investors and it is not giving good dividends to investors on their shares. Barclays can face difficulty in gaining the investors attention if it will not amend its dividend policy. Barclays can face threat in terms of its customer service from other competitors like if competitors are advertising their customer services and their care about the customers then Barclays can lose it customers and to retain the customers Barclays has to provide higher level of services than its competitors. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Barclays is one of the largest financial service groups in United Kingdom. Barclays image has become imprudent due to its ineffective policy structure. It was founded in 1896. In market capitalization perspectives and asset base it is third largest bank in United Kingdom. Barclays has good availability of human and financial resources. Barclays has launched and introduced the credit cards first time in United Kingdom. Launching of credit card has embedded the good brand image of Barclays in all over the world. Barclays networking of distribution channels are very strong. Banks branches, online banking services and its customer relationship management are considered as its networking sources. Bank has branches in different countries so it can take benefit of diversifications and can spread its risks widely across these countries. Barclays can take advantage from acquisitions and mergers and can increase its operating cash flows. By off shoring Barclays can gain and enjoy the benefit of cost efficiencies. This cost efficiencies can be availed by opening branches in low cost locations like in Asian countries. Barclays should improve its loan recovery management and should reduce the chances for the loans impairments. Bank should pay heed on its advertisement as its brand image has affected a lot by adverse promotions. Banks should improve its asset management operations and its profit margin ratio. Dividend policy of Barclays in not efficient and its dividend payout ratio is not good. Investors demand good return on their investments and if they do not get good dividends then there is large probability that they will draw out their investments bank. Also sales promotions of Barclays are not grabbing the customer attentions. Barclays investment opportunities have adversely affected due to the high volatility in financial markets. Investors are taking out their money from market due to interest rates rapid fluctuations. Barclays revenues are also affected by this market volatility. Barclays should make use of high and more innovative technologies as fraud cases in banking industry is increasing. Barclays should improve its strategic decisions because it is famous of making wrong investments. Bank can suffer a great loss due to these wrong investment decisions. Bank should provide more innovative products and good services to customers. It should give more importance on the customer relationship management for the retention of loyal customers.

The Challenge of Diversity Essay -- Society Diversity

When America was founded, it was established on freedom and equality for all people. At first it was just religious freedom, but eventually freedom of speech, press, petition, and more. In time, America began to be known as a â€Å"melting pot† of cultures as more and more people came because they wanted this freedom; the more people who came though, the more problems America had. There were too many cultural discrepancies between people, and ultimately America, the country based on freedom and equality, faced challenges concerning diversity. So, why do we need diversity? As America grows, the differences in cultures among individuals become colossal. People are becoming closed-minded about others who are disparate from themselves, which creates tautness and naivetà © about other cultures. â€Å"For all societies at all times have their particular blind spots, groups within their culture and also groups abroad that are especially likely to be dealt with ignorance and obtusely† (Nussbaum). Since we live in a nation that is always growing and will always have diversity, we need to become more conscious of others. If we solely live life only coming in contact with those who are similar to us, no one will benefit. But â€Å"if we have more contact with people of other ethnic and racial backgrounds (or at least more contact in the right circumstances), we will begin to trust one another more† (Putnam 141). We need to become more socially engaged with those who are dissimilar from us so that we can becom e cognizant of other cultures around us. Becoming acquainted with other cultures is more than just coming into contact with others though. We need to assent them and recognize where they are coming from so that we can strengthen our com... ...violent Resistance." King, Martin Luther, Jr. Stride toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. New York: New York Harper, 1958. 240. Loewen, James. "Down the Memory Holw." Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Touchstone, 1995. 384. Nussbaum, Martha. "Cultivating Imaginations: Literature and the Arts." Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1990. Putnam, Robert. "E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty First Century The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture." Scandinavian Political Studies 30.2 (2007): 137-174. St. John, Warren. Outcasts United. New York: Random House, Inc. , 2009. The Lost Boys of Sudan. Dirs. Jon Shenk and Megan Mylan. 2003.

The Importance of Employee Engagement

Change is a constant in today? s modern business activity. As Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter wrote in Fujitsu? s `Fit for Change? report, â€Å"the current rate of change within businesses is faster than the rate at which organisations are improving†¦many organisations just can't keep up with the speed of change. † (www. theinformationdaily. com, 2012). This more and more complex and competitive environment inflicts a greater pressure on the employees; given that the employees are the heart of organisations not approaching them appropriately is one of the main reasons of corporate failure (Argenti, 2009).Although there is not a lot of research done in this field as it is a relatively new concept (Saks, 2006), understanding the importance of employee engagement and implementing a well-developed internal communications plan is crucial for success, especially during change (Dolphin, 1999). The organisation should be guided by experts through all this complexit y if it wants to overcome all the tension that originates from the dynamics of change and survive. THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Many authors claim that an organisation? accomplishments, financial performance and employee outcomes may be predicted by the levels of employee engagement. However, it is surprising that even if it is a logical assumption, it appears that employee engagement is waning and that disengagement among the majority of today? s workforce is costing huge amounts of money to organisations in productivity loss (Saks, 2006). At present, workers are well educated, have greater expectations than those of past generations, and aspire to have a better understanding of the company they work for (Argenti, 2009).According to Argenti (2009), most companies? senior managers exclude lower-level employees from taking part in most decision-making. According to Dolphin (1999), employee communication is too often conducted by in-experienced and junior personnel. Therefore , it could be said that organisations do acknowledge the importance of employee engagement to some degree but are not following an appropriate and effective two-way communication strategy that will engage their staff. ORDER AND CHANGEEvery organisation has a culture and identity of its own and these should be consistent, coherent, and clear. When an organisation suffers a big change, it might have the need to acquire a new identity and/or alter or even create a whole new corporate culture (Dolphin, 1999); to be able to direct this change effectively, there must be a well-defined vision. Most of the definitions of vision in this context make reference to an ideal or a future to which the organisational change should lead to (Palmer, Dunfard ; Akin, 2006).Without a firm vision and effective internal communications, the â€Å"changes introduced by managers may seem arbitrary and unneeded†¦ vision helps to motivate staff in working towards the change and engaging in what may appea r to be daunting or risky actions† (For Kanter et al. , as cited in Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 245). Sutton and Khan (1986 as cited in Jimmieson et al. , 2004, p. 12) argue that when a deep change is about to happen, workers â€Å"go through a process of sense-making in which they need information to help them establish a sense of prediction and understanding of the situation†.Palmer, Dunfard and Akin (2006) insist in the importance of having their employees well informed about the situation and about what is expected from them, To the extent that the strategic intent is not complemented by clarity as to expected actions, the chances increase employees will fail to convert a change initiative into supporting action at their level of organisation. The Key point here is that the lack of supporting action is not due to overt resistance or even apathy; it is due to the lack of clear understanding of what such supportive action would â€Å"look like. (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 149) Organisations must therefore aim to achieve a balance between order and change. For instance, they can only operate efficiently if members execute their roles consistently, perform everyday operations, and uphold ordered structures, but they also need to stay open and agile enough to react to and anticipate the fluctuating stresses of today? s changing commercial environment. (Jacobs, 2004, p. 382). Carl Weick (1979, as cited in Jacobs, 2004, p. 82) highlights in his relational perspective the role of communication when dealing with the tension that arouses between these two elements and suggests that organisations are in essence the outcome of communication collaborations. Lewin? s Three Stage Model of Change (Carnall,2007, p. 70) can be used to help the organisation better understand this process. It consists of three stages: 1. Unfreezing. It is related to cultural change.Identifying both present behaviours and required behaviours necessary to achieve the organisation? s mi ssion and common goals and analysing the differences, with the participation of the company? s members, is the first step of â€Å"unfreezing† actual change. 2. Changing/Moving. Identifying the procedures and changes in the structure that will enable the execution of the new behaviours and the implementation and examination of accomplishments. 3. Refreezing. Instilling the new behaviours, attitudes, and values in the group.This is usually done by rewarding new behaviours, carrying out policies, implementing an effective communication, and educating members in order to support the new culture and behavioural principles; commitment to change is attained in this stage. However, as organisations and their environments are ever more uncertain and dynamic, many changes may occur at once and when one area is refreezing another might be unfreezing or moving. This has led Clark and Clegg to believe that `successful management in the future must be based on intelligence and creativity and the capacity to question and learn? â€Å"executives must learn how to combine continual change with the ability to sustain `business as usual? † (1998, as cited in Carnall, 2007, p. 78-79). An organisation is dynamic, it is persistently reinventing itself, and therefore must be monitored constantly. THE RISKS OF CHANGE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT A possible reason for failure could be that organisations simply do not dedicate enough time or attention to understand the psychology of change. Employees? xperience is a critical factor that should be considered; it is how people adapt and react to change that makes a difference. Firstly, changes in an organisation are not linear by nature and thus uncertainty is the most common psychological condition that emerges as a result (Callan et al. , 2004); â€Å"much of what we refer to as resistance to change? is really ‘resistance to uncertainty’ meaning that the resistance originates from the proces s of dealing and handling change, not from the change itself (Carnall, 2007, p. 3). Secondly, Palmer, Dunfard and Akin (2006) argue that people? perceptions of how they believe that change will affect their personal interests will influence their readiness for it. People have a tendency to support changes that do not seem threatening to their interests and resist those that appear to be harmful. (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 149). Managers should understand the potential risks of letting employees face changes on their own without a consistent support on behalf of the organisation. Doubt and uncertainty should be dissipated and substituted by safety, and mutual interests should be addressed to avoid feelings of threat.According to Argenti (2009) effective internal communications not only requires facilitating employees with relevant and sincere information but it should also reinforce their belief that they are significant assets to the company and that subsequently their matters are to o. Listening to them and allowing their participation in conversations regarding organisational change will keep them â€Å"excited about their work, connected to the company? s vision, and in a position to further goals of the organisation† (Argenti, 2009, p. 84). An example that describes poor attention to how stakeholders react to change (whether they are predisposed to welcome it or reject it from the beginning) is Kodak? s announcement of its reduction in workforce to its staff, and of its dividend cut to its investors. They ignored the importance of setting an adequate strategy to promote a positive response prior to change and this basically resulted in resistance to change from both groups which led the merger with Compaq Computers a failure (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 1) REASSURING EFFECTIVENESS IN COMMUNICATION Before any action is taken, the organisation must have a sense of the present effectiveness of its internal communications. Argenti (2009) reveals that an exce llent way to measure the effectiveness of its actions is by executing communication audits and systematic temperature checks to discover the employees? attitudes towards the organisation itself, their opinion about the quality of the communications they are getting, and whether the messages are being understood.Once this is done, an internal communication framework can be implemented to work on solutions to any communication deficiencies and satisfy those requests. The Strategic Employee Communication Model and Best-practice Definitions (Appendix A) can be used in a change programme as â€Å"benchmarks against which to measure a company? s employee communication strengths and weaknesses as well as a model of effective change†. According to Barrett (2004), both the model and its different elements were inspired by research done in numerous Fortune 500 companies on what actually works in employee communication.The best companies integrated many of these definitions in their pra ctice scheme. This model links all principal factors involved in employee communication between them and to the company? s manoeuvres and strategy; it analytically breaks down communication into distinguishable and manageable portions and illustrates how interconnected and inter-reliant each portion is when employee communication is placed strategically within the organisation, a must in order to make change feasible. What moves this model from a tactical level to a strategic one is the direct connection to the firm? â€Å"strategic objectives and business planning process plus the overlay of supportive management with on-going assessment of individual and company communication. † (Barrett, 2004, p. 22). An example of a good communication in practice is what CEO Gordon Bethune did in Continental airlines. Every month, he held an open-house in his own office where employees were welcome to go and talk to him about any issues, suggestions, or complaints, and in numerous occasio ns he would go himself to meet the employees at their workplace.This platform for open, informal, and sincere discussion was his trait of leadership. He has been recognised for having significantly improved employee spirit and productivity as well as enhancing the global culture of the firm. This is illustrative of what should be done to have the organisation prepared in the eventuality of change. THE LEARNING ORGANISATION. FROM INDIVIDUALS TO A TEAM In order for the organisation to move as a whole it should behave and act as one.Organisations should provide the ground for individuals to move out of their sense of self, be flexible, and connect with and contribute to the group consciousness. Many authors emphasise the need of creating learning cultures within organisations in order to achieve success during change. â€Å"Teams, not single individuals, are the key to successful organizations of the future and†¦ individuals have to learn in the context of the team† (Append ix B). Hurst (1995, as cited in Carnall,2007, p. 65) for instance exposes that a performance organisation should evolve into a learning organisation when it faces complexity; â€Å"tightly defined tasks, control systems and rigid structures† should be replaced by â€Å"recognition, networks and teams†. His ecocycle model of eight stages points toward renewal through which the company reinvents itself, more explicitly, â€Å"in which people rethink what they seek to achieve, with whom and how, and thereby recreate the organisation†¦ it is certainly a learning process†. The complexity theory can throw some light on this perspective.As Darwin, Johnson and McAuley (2002, cited in Carnall,2007, p. 84) note, the basic idea that lies beneath the relevance of the complexity theory within the literature regarding organisational behaviour is that of a multifaceted adaptive organism described as a coherent network of agents interacting in parallel with no ? command an d control framework? and who are ? adaptively intelligent? (Appendix C). This view links to the idea of ? self-organisation? (Carnall,2007, p. 84). Emery (2004, as cited in Carnall, 2007,p. 85) also presents â€Å"an analysis of open-systems theory-based action research as an enabler of learning and change†.She starts off by stating that learning is fundamental for viable change and then argues that practitioners must deal with all individuals at every level of the corporation and all practical areas must be implicated in some kind of practise that will enable them to take part in this learning process. However, she highlights that there are certain obstacles that might get in the way such as certain attitudes of the elite members, fail to use a common language throughout the organisation, and diverse framework and priority schemes.Another issue to tackle is the fact that individuals have different learning rates and they learn in different ways (Carnall, 2007). That is where the role of internal communications plays a significant role. Professional practitioners should be able to identify where communications fail and target unlike audiences with different techniques to be able to engage them appropriately. We therefore can determine that the objective of education in the long-run would be to create a â€Å"strong sense of listening and of responsiveness [that will] permeate(s) the organisation† (Macleod, p. 9) by: -Forming engaging managers that will know how to communicate cultures and values and treat their personnel with respect. As MacLeod ((Macleod, p. 79) ) states in his report, managers who engage â€Å"facilitate and empower rather than control or restrict their staff; they treat their staff with appreciation and respect and show commitment to developing, increasing and rewarding the capabilities of those they manage. †. -Giving employees a voice and tools to address management with their concerns.They must feel â€Å"they are l istened to and see that their opinions count and make a difference†¦ [And that they are able to] speak out and challenge when appropriate† (Macleod, p. 79) CONCLUSION Employee engagement levels can predict an organisation? s accomplishments and performance as it is claimed by many authors. However, due to today? s complex environment it is more than necessary to build up a strong internal communications strategy. Employees should not be isolated from the organisation as a whole and should be informed and involved in it. The corporate culture should be coherent and the vision should be clear.If organisations fail to communicate all this properly and engage its employees into believing that change is not synonym of threat, resistance will appear. Resistance may lead to a break in the internal homeostasis and the consequences will show up as a failure when trying to move the organisation forward. REFERENCES Argenti, P. (2009) Corporate Communication. 5th ed. Singapore: Mc Gr aw Hill. Carnall, C. (2007) Managing Change in Organisations. 5th ed. Essex: Prentice-Hall. Dolphin, R. (1999) The Fundamentals of Corporate Communications. Butterworth-Heinemann. Jimmieson, N. t al. (2004) A Longitudinal Study of Employee Adaptation to Organizational Change: The Role of Change-Related Information and Change-Related Self-Ef? cacy. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology , 9 (1), p. 11-27. MacLeod, D. and Clarke, N. (2009) Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement. [report] Department for Business Palmer, I. et al. (2006) Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach. s. l. : Mc Graw-Hill Saks, A. (2006) Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21 (7), p. 00-619. www. theinformationdaily. com (2012) Making your organisation fit to change. [online] Available at: http://www. theinformationdaily. com/2012/12/21/making-your-organisation-fit-to-change [Accessed: 4 Mar 2013]. J acobs, G. (2004) Corporate creative thinking. In: Oliver, S. M. ed. Handbook of corporate communications and public relations. London: Routledge, pp. 382-384. Barrett, D. J. (2004) A best-practice approach to change communication. In: Oliver, S. M. ed. Handbook of corporate communications and public relations. London: Routledge, pp. 22-24. . APPENDICES Appendix A. Figure 2. 1 Strategic employee communication model (Barrett, 2004, p. 23) *Appendix B. Senge? s five disciplines: 1. Systems thinking: everyone must learn how to view things as a whole and that one set of events has impact on others 2. Personal mastery: ? the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening†¦ personal vision, of focusing†¦ energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively.? 3. Mental models: ? learning to unearth†¦ internal pictures of the world, to bring them to surface and hold them rigorously to scrutiny? 4.Build a share vision: leadership is the key to creating and co mmunicating the vision†¦ the leader creates vision but is prepared to have it reshaped by others 5. Team learning: teams, not single individuals, are the key to successful organizations of the future and individuals have to learn in the context of the team (Senge, 1990, as cited in Carnall, p. 164) *Appendix C. Darwin, Johnson and McAuley (2002, Carnall, p. 84) describe a multifaceted adaptive organism: 1. It is a network of ? agents? acting in parallel, often interconnected, ways but without any ? ommand and control? framework 2. These agents are ? adaptively intelligent? ; constantly seeking and making sense of patterns, testing ideas, evolving and learning. 3. Change is achieved through learning, evolution and adaptation. 4. Control of the system is dispersed throughout the system. 5. Coherence within the system arises out of competition and cooperation among the agents as they see advantage in alliances and other arrangements for mutual support. This view links to the idea of ? self-organisation?. (Darwin et al, 2002, as cited in Carnall, p. 84)

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 27-28

27 AUGUSTUS Augustus Brine lit his pipe and played back the details of Travis's story in his mind. He had finished the bottle of wine, but if anything, it had brought clarity to his thoughts by washing away the adrenaline from the morning's adventure. â€Å"There was a time, Travis, that if someone had told me a story like that, I would have called the mental-health people to come and pick him up, but in the last twenty-four hours reality has been riding the dragon's back, and I'm just trying to hang on myself.† â€Å"Meaning what?† Travis asked. â€Å"Meaning I believe you.† Brine rose from the chair and began untying the ropes that bound Travis. There was a scuffling behind them and Brine turned to see Gian Hen Gian coming through the living room wearing a flowered towel around his waist and another around his head. Brine thought he looked like a prune in a Carmen Miranda costume. â€Å"I am refreshed and ready for the torture, Augustus Brine.† The Djinn stopped when he saw Brine untying the demonkeeper. â€Å"So, will we hang the beast from a tall building by his heels until he talks?† â€Å"Lighten up, King,† Brine said. Travis flexed his arms to get the blood flowing. â€Å"Who is that?† he asked. â€Å"That,† Brine said, â€Å"is Gian Hen Gian, king of the Djinn.† â€Å"As in genie?† â€Å"Correct,† Brine said. â€Å"I don't believe it.† â€Å"You are not in a position to be incredulous toward the existence of supernatural beings, Travis. Besides, the Djinn was the one who told me how to find you. He knew Catch twenty-five centuries before you were born.† Gian Hen Gian stepped forward and shook a knotted brown finger in Travis's face. â€Å"Tell us where the Seal of Solomon is hidden or we will have your genitals in a nine-speed reverse action blender with a five-year guarantee before you can say shazam!† Brine raised an eyebrow toward the Djinn. â€Å"You found the Sears catalog in the bathroom.† The Djinn nodded. â€Å"It is filled with many fine instruments of torture.† â€Å"There won't be any need for that. Travis is trying to find the seal so he can send the demon back.† â€Å"I told you,† Travis said, â€Å"I've never seen the Seal of Solomon. It's a myth. I read about it a hundred times in books of magic, but it was always described differently. I think they made it up in the Middle Ages to sell books of magic.† The Djinn hissed at Travis and there was a wisp of blue damask in the air. â€Å"You lie! You could not call up Catch without the seal.† Brine raised a hand to the Djinn to quiet him. â€Å"Travis found the invocation for calling up the demon in a candlestick. He never saw the seal, but I believe it was concealed in the candlestick where he could not see it. Gian Hen Gian, have you ever seen the Seal of Solomon? Would it be possible to conceal it in a candlestick?† â€Å"It was a silver scepter in Solomon's time,† the Djinn said. â€Å"I suppose it could have been made into a candlestick.† â€Å"Well, Travis thinks that the invocation for sending the demon back is concealed in the candlestick he didn't open. I'd guess that anyone who had that knowledge and the Seal of Solomon would also have an invocation for giving you your power. In fact, I'd bet my life on it.† â€Å"It is possible, but it is also possible that the dark one is misdirecting you.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Brine said. â€Å"I don't think he wanted to be involved in this any more than I did. In seventy years he's never figured out that it's his will that controls Catch.† â€Å"The dark one is retarded, then!† â€Å"Hey!† Travis said. â€Å"Enough!† Brine said. â€Å"We have things to do. Gian Hen Gian, go get dressed.† The Djinn left the room without protest and Brine turned again to Travis. â€Å"I think you found the woman you've been looking for,† he said. â€Å"Amanda and Effrom Elliot were married right after he returned from World War One. They get their picture in the local paper every year on their anniversary – you know, under a caption that reads, ‘And they said it wouldn't last.' As soon as the king is ready we'll go over there and see if we can get the candlesticks – if she still has them. I need your word that I can trust you not to try to escape.† â€Å"You have it,† Travis said. â€Å"But I think we should go back to Jenny's house – be ready when Catch returns.† Brine said, â€Å"I want you to try to put Jenny out of your mind, Travis. That's the only way you'll regain control of the demon. But first, there's something you ought to know about her.† â€Å"I know – she's married.† â€Å"No. She's Amanda's granddaughter.† 28 EFFROM Never having died before, Effrom was confused about how he should go about it. It didn't seem fair that a man his age should have to adapt to new and difficult situations. But life was seldom fair, and it was probably safe to assume that death wasn't fair either. This wasn't the first time he had been tempted to firmly demand to speak to the person in charge. It had never worked at the post office, the DMV, or return counters at department stores. Perhaps it would work here. But where was here? He heard voices; that was a good sign. It didn't seem uncomfortably warm – a good sign. He sniffed the air – no sulfur fumes (brimstone, the Bible called it); that was a good sign. Perhaps he had done all right. He did a quick inventory of his life: good father, good husband, responsible if not dedicated worker. Okay, so he cheated at cards at the VFW, but eternity seemed like an awfully long sentence for shuffling aces to the bottom of the deck. He opened his eyes. He had always imagined heaven to be bigger and brighter. This looked like the inside of a cabin. Then he spotted the woman. She was dressed in an iridescent purple body stocking. Her raven-black hair hung to her waist. Heaven? Effrom thought. She was talking on the phone. They have phones in heaven? Why not? He tried to sit up and found that he was tied to the bed. Why was that? Hell? â€Å"Well, which is it?† he demanded. The woman covered the receiver with her hand and turned to him. â€Å"Say something so your wife will know you're okay,† she said. â€Å"I'm not okay. I'm dead and I don't know where I am.† The woman spoke into the phone, â€Å"You see, Mrs. Elliot, your husband is safe and will remain so as long as you do exactly as I have instructed.† The woman covered the mouthpiece again. â€Å"She says she doesn't know about any invocation.† Effrom heard a gravely male voice answer her, but he couldn't see anyone else in the cabin. â€Å"She's lying,† the voice said. â€Å"I don't think so – she's crying.† â€Å"Ask her about Travis,† the voice said. Into the phone the woman said: â€Å"Mrs. Elliot, do you know someone named Travis?† She listened for a second and held the receiver to her breast. â€Å"She says no.† â€Å"It might have been a long time ago,† the voice said. Effrom kept looking for who was talking but could see no one. â€Å"Think,† the woman said into the phone, â€Å"it might have been a long time ago.† The woman listened and nodded with a smile. Effrom looked in the direction of her nod. Who the hell was she nodding to? â€Å"Did he give you anything?† The woman listened. â€Å"Candlesticks?† â€Å"Bingo!† the voice said. â€Å"Yes,† said the woman. â€Å"Bring the candlesticks here and your husband will be released unharmed. Tell no one, Mrs. Elliot. Fifteen minutes.† â€Å"Or he dies,† the voice said. â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Elliot,† the woman said. She hung up. To Effrom she said, â€Å"Your wife is on the way to pick you up.† â€Å"Who else is in this room?† Effrom asked. â€Å"Who have you been talking to?† â€Å"You met him earlier today,† the woman said. â€Å"The alien? I thought he killed me.† â€Å"Not yet,† the voice said. â€Å"Is she coming?† Catch asked. Rachel was looking out the cabin window at a cloud of dust rising from the dirt road. â€Å"I can't tell,† she said. â€Å"Mr. Elliot, what kind of car does your wife drive?† â€Å"A white Ford,† Effrom said. â€Å"It's her.† Rachel felt a shiver of excitement run through her. Her sense of wonder had been stretched and tested many times in the last twenty-four hours, leaving her open and raw to every emotion. She was afraid of the power she was about to gain, but at the same time, the myriad possibilities that power created diluted her fear with a breathless giddiness. She felt guilty about abusing the old couple in order to gain the invocation, but perhaps with her newfound power she could repay them. In any case, it would be over soon and they would be going home. The actual nature of the Earth spirit bothered her as well. Why did it seem†¦ well†¦ so impious? And why did it seem so male? The Ford pulled up in front of the cabin and stopped. Rachel watched a frail old woman get out of the car holding two ornate candlesticks. The woman clutched the candlesticks to her and stood by the car looking around, waiting. She was obviously terrified and Rachel, feeling a stab of guilt, looked away. â€Å"She's here,† Rachel said. Catch said, â€Å"Tell her to come in.† Effrom looked up from the bed, but he could not rise enough to see out the window. â€Å"What are you going to do to the wife?† he demanded. â€Å"Nothing at all,† Rachel said. â€Å"She has something I need. When I get it, you can both go home.† Rachel went to the door and threw it open as if she were welcoming home a long-lost relative. Amanda stood by the car, thirty feet away. â€Å"Mrs. Elliot, you'll need to bring the candlesticks in so we can inspect them.† â€Å"No.† Amanda stood firm. â€Å"Not until I know that Effrom is safe.† Rachel turned to Effrom. â€Å"Say something to your wife, Mr. Elliot.† â€Å"Nope,† Effrom said. â€Å"I'm not speaking to her. This is all her fault.† â€Å"Please cooperate, Mr. Elliot, so we can let you go home.† To Amanda, Rachel said, â€Å"He doesn't want to talk, Mrs. Elliot. Why don't you bring the candlesticks in? I assure you that neither one of you will be harmed.† Rachel couldn't believe that she was saying these things. She felt as if she were reading the script from a bad gangster movie. Amanda stood clutching the candlesticks, uncertain of what she should do. Rachel watched the old woman take a tentative step toward the cabin, then, suddenly, the candlesticks were ripped from her grasp and Amanda was thrown to the ground as if she'd been hit by a shotgun blast. â€Å"No!† Rachel screamed. The candlesticks seemed to float in the air as Catch carried them to her. She ignored them and ran to where Amanda lay on the ground. She cradled the old woman's head in her arms. Amanda opened her eyes and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. â€Å"Are you all right, Mrs. Elliot? I'm so sorry.† â€Å"Leave her,† Catch said. â€Å"I'll take care of both of them in a second.† Rachel turned toward Catch's voice. The candlesticks were shaking in the air. She still found it unsettling to talk to a disembodied voice. â€Å"I don't want these people hurt, do you understand?† â€Å"But now that we have the invocation, they are insignificant.† The candlesticks turned in the air as Catch examined them. â€Å"Come now, I think there's a seam on one of these, but I can't grip it. Come open it.† â€Å"In a minute,† Rachel said. She helped Amanda get to her feet. â€Å"Let's go in the house, Mrs. Elliot. It's all over. You can go home as soon as you feel up to it.† Rachel led Amanda through the front door, holding her by the shoulders. The old woman seemed dazed and listless. Rachel was afraid she would drop any second, but when Amanda saw Effrom tied to the bed, she shrugged off Rachel's support and went to him. â€Å"Effrom.† She sat on the bed and stroked his bald head. â€Å"Well, wife,† Effrom said, â€Å"I hope you're happy. You go gallivanting all over the state and you see what happens? I get kidnapped by invisible moon-men. I hope you had a good trip – I can't even feel my hands anymore. Probably gangrene. They'll probably have to cut them off.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Effrom.† Amanda turned to Rachel. â€Å"Can I untie him, please?† The pleading in her eyes almost broke Rachel's heart. She had never felt so cruel. She nodded. â€Å"You can go now. I'm sorry it had to be this way.† â€Å"Open this,† Catch said. He was tapping a candlestick on Rachel's shoulder. While Amanda untied Effrom's wrists and ankles and rubbed them to restore the circulation, Rachel examined one of the candlesticks. She gave it a quick twist and it unscrewed at the seam. From the weight of it, Rachel would have never guessed that it was hollow. As she unscrewed it, she noticed that the threads were gold. That accounted for the extra weight. Whoever had made the candlesticks had gone to great lengths to conceal the hollow interior. The two pieces separated. A piece of parchment was tightly rolled inside. Rachel placed the base of the candlestick on the table, slid out the yellow tube of parchment, and slowly began to unroll it. The parchment crackled, and the edges flaked away as it unrolled. Rachel felt her pulse increase as the first few letters appeared. When half the page was revealed, her excitement was replaced with anxiety. â€Å"We may be in trouble,† she said. â€Å"Why?† Catch's voice emanated from a spot only inches away from her face. â€Å"I can't read this; it's in some foreign language – Greek, I think. Can you read Greek?† â€Å"I can't read at all,† Catch said. â€Å"Open the other candlestick. Maybe what we need is in there. Rachel picked up the other candlestick and turned it in her hands. â€Å"There's no seam on this one.† â€Å"Look for one; it might be hidden,† the demon said. Rachel went to the kitchen area of the cabin and got a knife from the silverware drawer to scrape away the silver. Amanda was helping Effrom get to his feet, urging him across the room. Rachel found the seam and worked the knife into it. â€Å"I've got it.† She unscrewed the candlestick and pulled out a second parchment. â€Å"Can you read this one?† Catch said. â€Å"No. This one's in Greek, too. We'll have to get it translated. I don't even know anyone who reads Greek.† â€Å"Travis,† Catch said. Amanda had Effrom almost to the door when she heard Travis's name. â€Å"Is he still alive?† she asked. â€Å"For a while,† Catch said. â€Å"Who is this Travis?† Rachel asked. She was supposed to be the one in charge here, yet the old woman and the demon seemed to know more about what was going on than she did. â€Å"They can't go,† Catch said. â€Å"Why? We have the invocation; we just need to get it translated. Let them go.† â€Å"No,† Catch said. â€Å"If they warn Travis, he will find a way to protect the girl.† â€Å"What girl?† Rachel felt as if she had walked into the middle of a plot-heavy mystery movie and no one was going to tell her what was happening. â€Å"We have to get the girl and hold her hostage until Travis translates the invocation.† â€Å"What girl?† Rachel repeated. â€Å"A waitress at the cafe in town. Her name is Jenny.† â€Å"Jenny Masterson? She's a member of the coven. What does she have to do with this?† â€Å"Travis loves her.† â€Å"Who is Travis?† There was a pause. Rachel, Amanda, and Effrom all stared at empty air waiting for the answer. â€Å"He is my master,† Catch said. â€Å"This is really weird,† Rachel said. â€Å"You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't you, honey?† Effrom said.