Self-reliance :: essays research papers

The idea of self-reliance is an American idea. Self-reliance is a way of life when one is reliant on one's own capabilities, judgment, and resources. When someone is self-reliant they are completely Independent. Many American authors have used examples of this idea, self-reliance, in a lot of their writing. For example, in a Progress to the Mines by Byrd examples of self-reliance are present. In the beginning of the story Byrd writes about a character who Ò... rode eight miles together over a stony road,Ó in order to get to a house. This shows self-reliance because riding eight miles, all by himself, is a hard task to accomplish. Especially back then when the story took place because there werenÕt very many people around to help one if one got into trouble. Byrd shows another example of self-reliance when he was describing one of the main characters who ran an iron mill. He described him as Ò...so great a master in the mystery of making Iron, where in he had led the way and was the tubal-cain of Virginia.Ó This shows self-reliance because Byrd shows that this character is the best iron maker around and that heÕs self-reliant in doing it. Byrd shows self-reliance once again while describing this same character. He said ÒHe was... first in North America who had erected a regular furnace.Ó This shows self-reliance because he set up this iron mill and furnace in the middle of nowhere with no help from anyone else. All three of these examples show that Byrd has examples of self-reliance in his writing. Another American writer who has examples of self-reliance in his writing is Franklin. In FranklinÕs Poor RichardÕs Almanac he shows many examples of self-reliance. Franklin says that ÒGod helps them that help themselves.Ó This greatly advocates self-reliance. Franklin is saying that you should help yourself, i.e. be self-reliant, before looking to God, or anyone else, for help. Franklin shows self-reliance again when he says ÒKeep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.Ó Franklin is saying that if you work hard at something like keeping a shop you will be supported by that hard work and that you will be self-reliant. Franklin shows self-reliance once again by saying, ÒAt the working manÕs house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.Ó In this quote Franklin is saying that if you work hard youÕll never be hungry, youÕll never have to depend on someone else for food, and that youÕll be self-reliant. These three examples show that Franklin has examples of self-reliance in his book Poor RichardÕs Almanac. In an other piece of writing by Franklin, The Auto-Biography, examples of self-reliance are also present. In this book Franklin writes about his childhood.

Attack on elements of society Essay

The Crucible is set in a puritan town in New England, Salem Massachusetts. The girls are caught dancing by the Reverend Parris the parish minister. This then start of a witch-hunt, which gets the town talking. People that are innocent are accused and the term ‘name names or else’ is being used by the courts. The innocent people of Salem get accused, and punished. This is an allegory of McCarthyism because this is what happened in the trials in 1950’s, society was shattered by a rumour and fingers were pointed at innocent people. It’s also an allegory of McCarthyism because it shows the court officials being unfair and unjust, just how they were in ‘The Crucible.’ The first way in which the setting of Act 3 can be interpreted as an attack on the severity of the authorities in Salem and 1950’s America is shown through the stage directions Arthur Miller presents us with. Firstly uses the adjectives ‘forbidding’, ’empty’ and ‘solemn’ to describe the room on the stage. The effect this has on the audience is curiosity and concern and this builds up a sense of tension within the audience. Also while we see all of this there is silence. In drama, silence is more powerful then words of actions. The silence and appearance surrounding the stage would build up a very strong sense of tension within the audience. Another reason for silence maybe that Miller wants to convey the presence of or the sign of evil in the court and probably that something is wrong, not right, or something bad is going to happen. The other way Arthur Miller has an impact on the audience is by using symbolism and imagery. In the opening of act 3 Arthur Miller has ‘two high windows.’ This makes the room sound very familiar to a prison cell and again a prison cell is where you don’t want to be and maybe Miller’s trying to sat that the courts were like a prison. Also not forgetting the ‘sunlight pouring through.’ Back in the days traditionally sunlight was meant to be good luck and also it was meant to be the representative of God and truth. This can have a great effect on the audience because it gets them thinking and into the mood, and that the current problems surrounding Salem aren’t going to get any better but maybe worse. Again this an attack on the elements of society because it shows that the court was a place where people weren’t treated fairly in the 1950’s and that the authorities in America were harsh and wanted people to get into all sorts of problems and trouble and this is what exactly Arthur Miller went through and trying to get across by writing ‘The Crucible’. The second way that Act 3 can be interpreted as an attack on the severity of the authorities in Salem is by Miller’s exposure of the characters in The Crucible. The way they dress and act. In the actual film most of the men are seen wearing black clothes, this may put forward that Salem is a holy religious society and believe very strongly in Christianity. If you take Judge Danforth, he adopts a blinkered attitude and refuses to use common sense and logic in dealing with these cases. His ‘exact loyalty’ blinds him from the truth and if he believe that the people accused were ‘with God’ and announced them innocent he would be accusing the girls of lying, and also fact that he is too worried of calling of the witch trials because what would the people of Salem think of him and the fact that is reputation is at stake. This can be interpreted as an attack on elements of society because it shows that even the authorities in this case the Judge aren’t always fair even if they are people of high authority or religious. This is how Arthur Miller got his point across that the authorities of America in the 1950’s were unfair and unjust and wanted to put down as many people as possible, on the whole the authorities were very harsh and severe on punishments. The third way in which the setting of act 3 can be interpreted as an attack on the severity of the authorities in Salem and 1950’s America is by the language Arthur Miller has used in the opening lines in the scene. Judge Hathorne asks Martha Corey if she denies being a witch. Martha Corey claims she knows not what a witch is, to which he replies, â€Å"how do you know then that you are not a witch.† We see Hathorne’s question after question on Martha Corey gets her paranoid and the pressure is huge on her, to come up with the answers quickly but if she takes too long she maybe considered more of a witch and therefore this sets the mood and tone for the scene. It’s as if Judge Hathorn’s trying to possibly trick into saying that she’s a witch rather then finding out the exact truth.

Paul Lutus Advertising Essay

In his article entitled Consumer Angst written in 2007, Paul Lutus claimed that â€Å"No matter how true any single advertisement is, modern advertising, taken as a whole, tells a lie — that you need the thing being advertised. † To explain his point, Paul Lutus further claims that valuable consumer goods need not be advertised because it is a necessity by itself and no promotion is needed for it to attract and obtain sales. Moreover, he explained that the quality of the product should speak for itself and there is no need to â€Å"waste company’s money asserting the obvious†. In his above-mentioned arguments, Paul Lutus obviously focuses only on one aspect of advertising which is to sell. He missed to appreciate the other function of advertising which is to inform. Advertising, as defined by Wikipedia. org, â€Å"is the form of communication whose purpose is to inform potential customers about products and services and how to obtain and use them†. The primary purpose of advertising is to create public awareness about a certain product or service that is being advertised. It aims to communicate to the intended audience that such a product or service exists. As Taflinger (1996) claims â€Å"the basic purpose of advertising is to identify and differentiate one product from another in order to persuade the consumer to buy that product in preference to another. † Advertising is usually used to create a unique image that will be identified to a product or service. The message that is being communicated usually highlights the best features of the product – its uniqueness, usability, best characteristics, etc. – that will customer’s attention to it. After providing information on the product or service features, advertising’s goal is to entice customers to try out the product. It is therefore safe to claim that the end-goal of any advertisement is to generate sales in terms of product or service. However, while it is true that every advertising campaign is aimed at generating revenue for the brand that is being advertised, it is not proper to claim that all advertisements are lies. Even premium brands such as Nike, Armani, Prada and others do advertise their products. These brands are sought after and have all proven to be of good quality. But these brands still invest on advertisement. Advertising has become an important part of today’s business. With new products sprouting like mushrooms everyday, competition has become stiff and advertising has taken a big role in allowing the product or service to compete in the market. In his article entitled â€Å"Educating the Consumer about Advertising: Some Issues† Stephen Gotlieb (1991) explains that advertising â€Å"promotes competition among producers of products and services, keeps prices low through the development of mass markets, encourages store owners to stock a variety of items, supports free expression by funding media sources, and spurs invention†. The more you are seen and understood by your customers, the bigger chance you have to stay in the mainstream. It is therefore important to get you message through, so that your product or service gets noticed. Or else, your offer will just perish. Also, with the competition getting tighter, advertisers today cannot afford to rely on false claims for their products of services. With a lot of other options available in the market, a single wrong claim will trigger the customer to try out other product. It is the role of advertising to entice customers and encourage them to try out the product. Once the customer is convinced with the advertising claim and decides to avail the product or service, it is now the role of the product to prove itself and embody what is being stated in the advertising claim. It is therefore crucial to communicate the message that best embodies the product. Once advertised, the product or service is already exposed to t he public eye and scrutiny. Unless the customer has already tried out the product or service, their perception of the product will depend on the advertisement. It will either make or break the future of the product or service depending on how you position the message about the product. Therefore, while an advertisement is typically used to create or alter the consumer’s perception of a product and induce them into buying it, it cannot be said that it is Always  a lie. For obvious reasons, advertisements only highlight the good side of the products or services. We cannot blame the advertisers to do this. While they are obviously banking on the good side of their offer, we cannot accuse them of telling us a lie. The beauty of advertising is it gives the customers the chance to evaluate the competing products or services even before purchasing it through the product claims.

Alphabet Games Essay

A) The analytical framework I have chosen to use is PEST. Pest stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological and are all factors of a PEST analysis. These are intellectual tools which are created in order to help a researcher to collect, sort, prioritise and interpret a variety of existing data and information about the subject or context that has to be analysed. When changes happen within a business or organisation the company will use a PEST analysis to view each factor in the changing process, in this case we will be looking at the changes of Alphabet Games. Political Factor Political forces include regulatory requirements, legal concerns, and any impact from the current political climate of the country or region where the business operates. The changes in the political factor could effect Alphabet Games considerably as they would have to sell games or consoles at a higher cost if the taxations in the gaming industry increased in order for the company to earn a stable profit. Economic Factors – Any change in the economy that impacts the supply or demand for a company’s products and services fits into this category. Sometimes they have a positive impact, like when a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) increases more than expected. Other times economic forces can hurt a business, like when consumer confidence drops and potential customers spend less and save more.Alphabet Games may need to pay more or less for the resources they need depending on where they purchase these from. As more companies are forming within the industry and all purchasing from the same supplier then the costs may decrease as they will be taking in more money, and this could decrease the price of games and consoles. Social Factors – Social factors are those that reflect the preferences, fads, and trends in society. Media companies are very sensitive to social trends as their business model is to produce content that reflects society’s interests. A social factor which relates to the case study is the force of change within Alphabet Games. Alphabet Games will have to constantly keep up to date with with upcoming and new trends so that they can work towards these. By  checking quantifiable statistics Alphabet Games will be able to see if the community offers a population with the demographic traits necessary to support the business. Technological Factors – Advancement in technology has had a dramatic impact on the business world over the last two centuries, and especially over the last 30 years. Anticipating changes in technology and capitalizing on those changes can become a competitive advantage and so Alphabet Games could be affected by this. Alphabet games will have to be able to change their patterns by creating new games, software and consoles in order to increase sales and marketing. BSWOT Analysis Strengths Close working relationships that exist between the partners Multi-million pound business at the cutting edge of the games development market Custom built facility that houses research, development and production Wide range of corporate and individual customers Extensive experience World known reputation for excellence, quality and innovation They offer software solutions as well as games Passion for software within the company is still as strong as when it established Weaknesses Competition between the small businesses and larger companies Technological enviroment Opportunities Recent growth in demand for flash games Some of their recent clients include NHS, Pepsi, Virgin Media and other small businesses The software can draw potential customers to companies websites providing a competitive marketplace Due to their experience they are a lot faster than most rivalry’s at developing new software Threats The challenge for small companies like Alphabet Games to stay in the market for long term and reap in potential benefits Production costs have tripled in recent years with the introduction of next generation consoles Sales and revenues have increased at a fraction Technology costs have risen which means large investment in staff and equipment CSWOT analysis guidelines In order to carry out an effective SWOT Analysis all information used must be current and relevant to the firm. A SWOT Analysis is a general technique which can be applied across diverse functions and activities used by managers. Using a SWOT Analysis can provide benefits such as a framework for  identifying and analysing strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats in relation to particular tasks or objectives or a stimulus participation in a group experience as well as many others. Below are a set of guidelines to follow that will enable them to carry out an effective SWOT Analysis. GATHER A TEAM The first step to take when conducting a SWOT analysis is to gather a team who have experience when conducting a SWOT analysis. By gathering a team that have experience they will be able to define the objectives which are relevant and accurate to the firm. PARTICIPATING IN THE SWOT ANALYSIS For best results invite contributors to participate in the swot analysis but by giving them enough time to prepare and conduct their own SWOT in advance. By providing a draft SWOT with brief descriptions of what they think is being seen as strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats. Once the group has assembled the process and established ground rules should be explained. The process of documenting strengths, weaknesses, opportunity’s and threats should be explained prioritising these lists and using the information as part of the strategic, business marketing plans. Explain that the SWOT process is a cooperative exercise aimed at organisational improvement and not about allocating blame and assure all participations that their input will be respected. Ground rules include – Everyone’s ideas are important Every idea is a good one No-ones idea is better than the other Suggesting an idea does not mean that you will be expected to carry it out if it is respected Except in the case of an emergency, participants commit to remaining on task until completion LIST STENGTHS The group assembled should list their lists of strengths identified before continuing to the workshop. They should be invited to the form in pairs and develop one combined list. The pairs then combine to form fours, and the process is repeated. Set of four then combine to form eight, and then again the process is repeated, each sets of eight then presents its list. The list of strengths is developed incorporating all contributions. The list should then be finalised by asking participants to reword any descriptions or include any additional strengths that may have been considered during the process. LIST WEAKNESSES In order to identify weaknesses a repeat process for strengths should be generated reflecting on the participants contributions. The list will provide a useful indication of growth over a period. When you review the list in a year’s time you may notice that most of the identified weaknesses have disappeared. Even though other weaknesses will be identified, the disappearance of previous ones is an indicator of successful progress. LIST OPPORTUNITIES In order to list the opportunities and threats the process for which was used for strengths and weaknesses should be repeated. The focus now becomes external, as opposed to internal for strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that opportunities and threats are not absolute – one person’s threat can be another’s opportunity, however the same item won’t appear on both lists. ESTABLISH PRIORITIES When the process has been completed there will be four lists developed from everyone’s input. Ideally these lists should be displayed so that participants have an accurate and succinct picture of everyone’s views of  the current situation. The list should then be narrowed down showing top priorities. Clarity of objectives is key to this process as evaluation and elimination will be necessary to cull the wheat from the chaff. With the lists compiled a clear picture should at this stage start to emerge in response to the objectives. CARRY YOUR FINDINGS Make sure that the SWOT analysis is used in subsequent planning. Revisit your findings at suitable time internals to check they are still valid and use lists to identify issues that are crucial to achieving the stated purpose of the business in which the company is involved. It is likely that you will be able to identify specific themes across all four lists. Try to restrict the number of themes if possible.

Hoosiers Essay

‘Hoosiers’ was a film released in 1986 and is one of very rare hits in the series of sports films. The film is set in the year 1952 in a small town in Indiana and this was the time when in Indiana each high school has the goal of winning one or the other states championship. It is based on a true story but with strong characterization, a story with its own logic and aspects of motivation and inspirational scenes as well along with characters having specific and distinguished qualities. 1. On his first night in Hickory, Coach Dale was provided with lots of suggestions by the town’s men but he was very sure that all these suggestions were not going to work. He had his goals and decisions firm and assertive and on the very first day of practice, he tells the temporary coach that his days of coaching were over and also dismisses Buddy. 2. Jimmy Chipwood is considered as the star player with experience and the team members too needed him but Coach Dale tried to ignore him initially and focused on the whole team because he believed that the team that plays collectively preventing selfish play, only has a chance to succeed. But he unintentionally convinces Jimmy to play and it seemed he persuaded him to play for him alone, which encourages the team and they finally win the state championship. 3. At the first prep rally, Coach Dale exhibits the authoritative style of leadership and dismisses a player because he doesn’t follow his instructions word by word. He believes that games when played on fundamentals could win and the most important thing was discipline. 4. During the first game, Coach Dale felt that his team was not able to make a shoot and he decided to make a speech in half time and tried to calm down his players as also give them hints so that they play accordingly after half time. He also makes Ray stay out of the game. 5.â€Å"Shooter† in the movie, ‘Hoosiers’ has the real passion for the game, basketball and of course knows about the game very well. The only thing lacking in him is self-esteem because he had missed an important shot during his playing days and is also the victim of ostracism. Treating these kind of people in the way Coach Dale does is very important because the real thing is how important one is for the purpose i.e., the basketball game here. Promoting the Shooter reveals that personal drawback can be overcome by the knowledge. 6. During sectionals, Coach Dale keeps himself cool and firm and applies the authoritative style of leadership because the team still believed that they could not do without Jimmy. Coach Dale wanted each and every player to perform their best and remember the fundamentals of the game. 7. Coach Dale tries to moderate the pressure of the game of the State Championship among the players but he himself is under pressure because winning this championship meant a lot for him. The pressure is because he was put out of this game for more than a  decade and that guilt stayed in his mind and had made his soul cover with a thick skin of wisdom. The reminder of this incident every now and then makes Coach Dale cynical and of course his arrogance can also be related to the same thing. At the back of the mind he is nervous and wants his players to not to face any such kind of situation, which would make them have regrets throughout their lives. This is what is made clear by Ronald Heffeitz when his work depicts that leading with an open heart needs a lot of courage and writes that it is first and foremost important for ones own identity and spirit. And this Coach dale does during the state championship game and encourages each player to perform his best.

The Procrastination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Procrastination - Essay Example I pulled myself together, stopped crying, and asked my counselor what it was that I could do. She told me that this late in the school year, it was almost impossible to do anything to earn that extra credit and that I must come during the summer and do an elective of some sort. Upon hearing this, I felt a couple of things simultaneously; anger, I was angry at my counselor for giving me this news so late in the school year, I mean, I had already bought my graduation dress. Furthermore, I felt frustrated and helpless that I would be spending the summer in school while my friends traveled and visited their universities and had final parties and farewells, this thought depressed me immensely. Just as I was about to get up and leave, I remembered my second cousin who had a similar dilemma before her graduation, 3 years ago. I immediately talked it out with my counselor and we decided that I would stay after school for some History classes and teach my peers who needed help. I happily taug ht my friends Ashley and Chelsea for the next 4 weeks and redeemed my counselor’s confidence and that one stubborn credit. Right now, when I look back at that time, I realize that it has made me who I am today. It influenced me in ways I did not understand them. Today, as the owner of a successful company, I still carry that lesson with me to this day. In addition, every time I get complacent or am tempted to procrastinate some work, I remind myself that this same procrastination almost cost me my education and career.

Political Effects of WWI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Effects of WWI - Research Paper Example They were Germany and Austria-Hungary (in 1918), Ottoman Empire (in 1922) and Russia (in 1917) (Mintz). Germany was recognized by Allied Powers as a country which launched WW1 and thus, was deprived of its overseas territories, and territories were retroceded to France in order to remain a unified German country (Effect of World War). Austria-Hungary, where the WW1 had nominally started from, was forced to cede Hungary and Balkan territories which later, proclaimed independent countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Czechoslovakia. Ex-empire was â€Å"trimmed down to primarily cover areas dominated by Austrian-German populations† while giving up territorial parts for Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia (Effect of World War). The Ottoman Empire, which before WW1 put together the most of Middle East lands and Turkey, was falling down due to the loss in WW1, but also to inner revolts. After the war Turkey was occupied by Allied forces, Palestine and Mesopotamia were annexed by Britain and France (Effect of World War). Later, â€Å"colonial revolts in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia† caused formation of modern independent Arab states on ex-Ottoman territories (Mintz). Russian Empire was the only winner country among ceased empires, and the reason of its fall was Russian Civil War of 1917. In this way, by the end of WW1 Russian monarchy was overthrown (Effect of World War). Bolsheviks came to power and Baltic territories - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, - managed to proclaim independence. Along with Germany, Russia gave up a part of Empire for Poland. All other territories later constructed the USSR, headed by Vladimir Lenin (Myson). A new Russian political regime, Bolshevism and later, Communism, was established as a part of a general trend. Citizen of the countries, especially of ones which experienced the greatest losses in WW1, were disappointed in their governments, and thus, new regimes started to increase