Fridays. Analytical Paper

Plot Shiva Arastui’s short story â€Å"Fridays† is a must-read chef-d’oeuvre describing the events as they unfold one Friday, as a family whose father is under arrest following his inciting of people against the government, waits to see the proceedings of the case on the TV. The Friday is abnormal for the Iranian family as described by the writer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Fridays. Analytical Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The family would spend a Friday like this watching the movies. As described by the writer, anxiety and tension dominates the place as the clock ticks towards the hour of the reading of the news. The author features several literary devices like personification, symbolism, and repetition among others, which in turn makes the piece as informative as it is. Literary Devices The writer of this short story uses personification when describing the stealthy movement of time towards the reading of the news. This is more so when she describes the behavior of the clock. She says, â€Å"At every tic tack, an eye with an artificial eyelash, winked near the face of the clock, at the corner above. A red mouth, with big lips laughed at the bottom of the plate. When the hour struck, the eye remained open, the lip gathered and whistled† (Arastui, 2002, Para. 1). The reader through the device realizes the heightened tension in the story depicting the anxiety as it is at that point when a single minute seems like ages. The writer uses symbolism to depict the slow movement of time. The anxiety that the family has and the optimism portrayed after getting at least a chance to see its father under arrest on the charges of inciting people against the government through his poetry stands out through the slow movement of events and time. In another instance, the writer portrays the two women who beg for their lives in the courtroom as â€Å"heads†. This gives the indication that as opposed to the father’s friend who would not compromise his stand for the simple reason of sparing his head, the women were cowards and what matters is their heads that they intend to take to the saloons even when they are facing oppression. In displaying the extent of brutality, the writer uses euphemism to conceal the threats of rape that the three men issues to Sharzard’s father the day they arrested him. One of the three men says, â€Å"†You would be human, when your daughter turns into woman, in front of you† (Aratsui, 2002, Para.13).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Repetition too assumes a good share in the story. For example, the writer refers to the woman who being attended to in the salon as ‘the Colonel’s Wife† emphasizing or rather depicting the woman as different from the other people in the story. She seems so relaxed as opposed to the others who appear eagerly waiting for her exit to get the chance to watch the news. Her husband is a prominent person in the government and so she has nothing to fear (Dickens, 2000, p. 36). She further seems concerned with her beauty and is taking her time to visit the salon as opposed to the others in the story who offer the services and never find time for their beauty. The constant repetition depicts the difference between the woman and the family both physically and politically. Overall Performance Aratsui strategically allocates different roles to different characters whose performance successfully drives home the intended moral lessons, specifically political and social issues. For instance, the hairdressers in the salon reveal the issue of discrimination properly through the way they treat one woman differently from the others. However, the overall story depicts the political events that shape the Iranian society where Sh iva Aratsui achieves in her quest to reveal the perspective of these events through the experiences of a family actively involved. The author’s presentation deserves comments through the way she employs the aforementioned literary devices purposely to highlight serious political issues without any token of biasness of supporting a particular political affiliation in the country. Reference List Aratsui, S. (2002). Fridays. Tehran: Markaz publications. Print. Dickens, T. (2000). Literary Devices and Politics. New York; Penguin Books. Print. This essay on Fridays. Analytical Paper was written and submitted by user Charleigh C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Why Should We Vote essays

Why Should We Vote essays The word vote causes many different reactions from people. Some become aggressive and begin to express their opinions on various political issues while others try to avoid the topic completely. However, there is a vast majority who rely on pat answers to support their neglect in voting. They use excuses such as, it doesnt matter if they vote or not because their one vote couldnt possibly make a difference. They say they dont understand politics its just too confusing. Some feel that politicians are crooks so they need not bother voting at all. These are just a few of the common excuses heard from people who do not vote. All of these excuses surely wont make a difference in an election but one vote definitely will. There have been many close elections in history that would have had a different outcome if only one percent more had voted. The Presidential election of Kennedy vs. Nixon is a good example. That election was decided by Illinois with an average of only two voters per precinct. This small percentage of voters gave Kennedy victory over his opponent and put him in office. Many politicians spend millions of dollars on their campaign in an attempt to get as many votes as possible. There are many politicians like Ross Perot who do not think twice about spending money to attract prospective voters. In the 1992 presidential election Perot spent a phenomenal 71 million dollars to campaign for President. So, it is evident that politicians know that every vote they can attract will make a difference in the outcome of elections. Our society seems to have lost interest in politics for several reasons, some feel that our present leaders dont attempt to accomplish anything while in office and others feel they have been lied to so often they have forfeited their right to be trusted all together. What they dont understand is that voting and politic ...

A Close Analysis for a Single Scene in the Film Farewell My Concubine Movie Review

A Close Analysis for a Single Scene in the Film Farewell My Concubine - Movie Review Example 10. Camera shifts back to Douzi in a close-up shot. He pauses as he realizes his error. This is a one second shot. 11. The next is a medium shot that is taken from behind Douzi as it shows his back. The camera focuses a medium shot at Mister Na as he gets up from his bench. The scene shows Mister Na deliberately walking past Douzi and progressing forward. 12. A close-up shot of Xiaolou standing with other performers with a very annoyed expression on his face. 1 second. 13. The camera shows medium shot in natural light as Mister Na progresses towards the veranda followed by Guan and performers. It also shows Douzi moving towards him as well. Mister Na progresses out of the frame. Xiaolou snatches a tobacco pipe from Master Lian’s hand. The camera now focuses on Xiaolou who spots Douzi and grabs him by the collar and shakes him. 14. The music becomes loud as Xiaolou keeps on shaking Douzi and drags him forward. 15. A 1 second shot of Mister Na, Guan and other elders stopping and looking at what is causing the commotion. 16. Another close-up shot of Douzi being shoved into a chair. 1 second 17. A sharp close-up shot of Xiaolou‘s face very angry and covered in tears. 2 seconds 18. A close-up of Douzi being shaken. Loud music with Xiaolou screaming at Douzi and asking him to open his mouth. Xiaolou shoves the hooked tip of the tobacco pipe towards it. 19. A medium 1 second shot of Mister Na and others staring horrified at the camera. 20. Next is a close-up of Douzi as he opens his mouth. A single frame shot of Xiaolou with his teeth clenched. The tobacco pipe is rammed into Douzi’s mouth and shoved back and forth like a toothbrush on the tongue. Douzi closes his eyes and tilts his head backward. 6 seconds 21. 1 second shot of Xiaolou struggling with the tobacco...Another character Mister Na is introduced in this scene who has been appointed to evaluate the performers of the opera for Zhag’s birthday celebration.The acting done by the boys at this age is very impressive and natural. Especially young Douzi’s role involved a lot of gestures and face expressions, which were delivered to perfection. The character Douzi appears to be central in this scene. However, character movement in this scene involves three central figures Mister Na, Douzi and Xiaolou. Mister Na’s character requires for him to move very rapidly in the scene with little attention to his surroundings, he appears to be a busy man who does not want to spare the time of the day for boys in Peking Opera. Xialou appears to be the bossy and ruthless character in this scene, his movement is purposeful and almost cruel as he attempts to protect the reputation of the Peking Opera. Douzi’s character shows a range of emotions. While delivering his lines as dan, he acts with the poise and gentleness that the role demands. Yet when Xiaolou punishes him for his error, Douzi shows extreme strength and tolerance and accepts the punishments as his f ate.

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison Research Proposal

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison - Research Proposal Example The second section  reviews  the literature related to IAS 39 and IFRS 9 as financial instruments used in hedge accounting. The next section outlines the methodology used in this study, including a conceptual framework of research variables, data sources, data collection and data analysis methods. The last section of this study discusses the ethical issues ethical issues arising from the proposed research and techniques to address these issues. Introduction Hedge accounting is a technique utilized in accounting where entries for the rights of a security and the opposing hedge are treated simultaneously. Hedge accounting endeavors to ease the volatility generated by the repetitive adjustment of the value of a financial instrument. This reduced volatility is done by combining the hedge and the instrument as one entry, which balances the opposing movements (GUPTA, 2008). IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement are a global accounting standard for financial instrume nts released by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) which summarizes the requirements for the recognition and measurement of financial liabilities, financial assets, and some contracts to buy or sell non-financial items. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a complete, internationally recognized set of accounting standards using an  approach  based on principles  with a bigger emphasis on elucidation and relevance of those principles, intending at best replicating the economic substance of transactions. IFRS 9 Financial Instruments outlines the recognition and measurement requirements for fiscal  instruments and contracts to buy or sell non-financial items set to eventually form a comprehensive substitution for IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. It was initially published in November 2009, reissued in October 2010 with requirements for financial liabilities, and pertains to annual periods commencing on or after 1st Jan uary 2015 (MIRZA & NANDAKUMAR, 2013). What makes IFRS 9 to be the most preferred than IAS 39 is its top preference of financial information which is a prerequisite for the evolution of capital markets as it has been argued that the structure informational environment plays a principal role in helping investors come up with decisions. Regulators will also have a lot of power with them to order a financial body to act whenever an instance is deemed to not be adequate (DICK & MISSIONIER-PIERA, 2010). In conclusion therefore, this is a complex issue that will need to be tackled carefully by experts in this field. In as much as the IAS 39 was greatly deemed unreliable and IASB went to great lengths to come up with a better standard that they thought would be suitable, these efforts may have not paid as it is not yet clear if most companies are going to readily adopt this new standard (IFRS 9). Although it has been termed as better than the previous one, still concerns have been raised th at more amendments should be done on the yet not completed IFRS 9. The major complaint launched being that financial reporting be carried out in a specific context before any standard is imposed. This is actually hard to achieve and may continue to delay the completion of the IFRS 9 which is in fact still underway and has already suffered great delays. IFRS 9 is a 'work in progress' and will eventually replace IAS 39 in its entirety and is subject to

How could HMV survive in digital word Literature review

How could HMV survive in digital word - Literature review Example At the same time, presence of a large population of suppliers has their bargaining power related to packaging materials and recording disks (Watson and Spence, 2007). The bargaining power of retail music customers have increased substantially. Customers in the UK music sector can be divided as corporate and individual. With evolution of download services and legal streaming, the e-shops and streaming services, such as, iTunes, have become popular among consumers. As a result of rise in illegal streaming, people are currently buying lesser number of records (Wikstro, 2005). Corporate consumers in this industry include offline and online retailers involved in bulk purchases of albums from the music labels. These entities include stores like, Game and HMV, as well as online stores like, AmazonMP3, iTunes and Zune. Stringent contracts, along with increasing sources where consumers can download songs and videos illegally, have lowered the bargaining power of corporate customers (Rust, Kannan and Peng, 2002). Established and branded music labels are spending millions in test marketing, recording as well as image-development campaigns so as to ensure competency and quality of the artist, before making a public launch. These areas need implementation of special skills as well as huge access to money. Furthermore, these campaigns are supported by exhaustive distribution network and wide reach in terms of online distributing partners (Michel, 2006). These online partners are also helpful for immediate album distribution to exact locations. Also, the bigger brands can easily use their industry contacts during concert organisation, album promotion shows or for creating buzz for different artists. As these facilities are not available to newer brands, initial risks as well as capital expenditures are higher compared to that of the established brands. Then again,

Descartes Method of Doubt

Descartes Method of Doubt Explain Descartes Method of doubt; what does he hope to accomplish from this method; is Descartes a skeptic? Descartes began Meditation One of his classic Meditation on First Philosophy by saying that throughout his life, he had acquired several opinions and beliefs which he later discovered to be false (17-18). The main goal of Descartes was to find a foundation on which knowledge can be built. That is Descartes wanted to find a certainty or truth which could not be doubted beyond dispute. He agrees with Plato that knowledge requires certainty, but reject Plato idea that physical world is not knowable. What does it means to be certainty? Descartes main problem was how to achieve this certainty. In order to achieve this aim, Descartes adopted a systematic method known as the method of doubt. The method of doubt teaches us to take our beliefs and subject them to doubt. If it is possible to doubt, then we treat them as false, and we need to repeat this process until we are unable to find something to doubt on. The main point is that we treat all our beliefs as false until we find a foundation which is undoubtable, and we used the undoubtable things to build up everything on it. The method of doubt will be elaborated based on: doubting the senses, doubting the physical world (dream), and imagining that there exists an evil genius. Descartes begins by pointing out that our senses are unreliable. He questions all knowledge that he had acquired either from the senses or through the senses. He noticed that if the senses had deceived him even once, they were no more trustworthy. It is a mark of prudence never to place our complete trust in those who have deceived us even once. (18-19). For example, He often mistook what he saw at a distance such as straight thing look bent, round thing look oval, square thing look round, and mountains look purple (). In addition, even the impression Descartes received in the moment he was directly looking the fire before him while he was writing proved not to be reliable (19). How did Descartes know that he was not really in insane or dreaming? He answers this question by saying that our immediate impressions are so vivid that they must be real. However, Descartes contradict his answer by saying that he always dreamed of sitting before the fire while writing (19), and some of these dreams becomes visible to him quite vividly. Hence, he could not be sure that he was not dreaming at that moment. According to this doubt, Descartes confirmed that all the knowledge receivedthrough the senses must be temporarily prevented from continuing because there are not certain. In addition, we can doubt that what our senses give us is accurate, but they cannot be the foundation of building true knowledge or certainty. In addition, Descartes continues his method of doubt by assuming for the sake of argument that we are dreaming about everything. If we are dreaming about everything, there is still some knowledge that is acquired within the dream itself. This means that although we can doubt that all the images and ideas that we see in our dreams refer to some outward reality. However, we can consider these images and ideas in their simple components in order to see if any of images and ideas might be true in themselves. After rejecting all simple components of images and ideas which are based on senses such as color, sound, etc., Descartes came to the simple truth of mathematics. Which is that one plus two equals three does not depends on any sensible experience, but is gotten entirely from our minds despites of whether we are asleep or awake. Descartes used this principle to reach at a clear and distinct idea which is beyond all doubt. Therefore, we can say in words that one plus three equals four, but we cannot actually think in our minds that it equals four but three. Furthermore, Descartes took his search for the truth that is beyond any doubt to the extreme by imagining that there is an evil genius. Descartes consider the evil genius to be someone who has the power of God, but who is not good. The evil genius is determined to deceive us into thinking that there is a physical world when in fact there is none. For example, using the famous Matrix movie, the machines that are used in the movie would be considered as the evil geniuses. Everything would seem to us to be real just like in the matrix, but none of it would be real. However, Descartes does not actually believe that this evil genius exists, but there is no way to ruled it out based on our sensory experience. Hence, how can we doubt that one plus two does not equals three when our minds necessarily admit that it equals three? Descartes used the concept of the evil genuis to hypothesize that maybe there is an evil god who is deceiving us from getting the correct answer. Even though, we alwa ys think that one plus two equals three. Maybe this god is actually tricking us, and in reality it equals four. Descartes linked this circumstance where we are absolutely confident about our belief toward a certain fact, but despite this confident we often discover later that we had mistaken about the fact. This might be the case for our mathematical truths in which an evil god is deceiving us from getting the correct solution to a problem every time we count or do the mathematics. Moreover, Descartes main objective of using the method of doubt was to find a foundation on which truth or true knowledge can be built. Descartes wanted to find a certainty or truth which could not be doubted beyond dispute. The question what does it means to be certainty? as posed in above introduction can be define as being unable to doubt what we know. Something that cannot be possibly be doubted is certain. By possible to doubt, Descartes means any possibility what so ever. This will guarantee that whatever cannot be doubted really is certain. Therefore, if one could find something that was truly undoubted in this sense, we could use it in a valid argument like a syllogism. The conclusion of which would be that the world exists in the way that we think it does. In addition, Descartes was skeptical in his arguments. This is he apply reasoning and critical thinking to determine validity of his arguments. He was able to find supported conclusion and not the justification of a precon ceived conclusion. To conclude, Descartes developed the method of doubt to find certainty. For the purpose of this method, if we can doubt a belief then we treat that belief as false. He applies this method systemically. He doubts that the world is the way it appear to be, he doubts that there is a physical world at all, and finally he doubts the mathematical truths. However, the one thing that Descartes cannot doubt is that while he doubts, he must exist. Even if there was an evil genius and if he was deceiving me in to thinking that there was a physical world when in fact there is none, it could not be the case that I think that there is a physical world if there werent a me to deceived. Therefore, when I am thinking, I know I exist and this cannot be doubted. Using this method of doubt, Descartes finally found certainty which is he exist as a thinking thing, whether there is a physical world or not he cannot doubt he exists. This is the foundation he plans to build back all of the stuff he previousl y doubted as cited in the introduction.

The Pilgrimage to Cathedral of Compostela :: Religion

The Pilgrimage to Cathedral of Compostela In the twelfth century one the most popular destinations for pilgrimages was to the city of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The shrine of St. James the Great is in the Cathedral of Compostela and it is what attracted so many people. The saint's shrine was believed to be a healing shrine for all sorts of problems. The religious relics that the Cathedral contained held a special power for the pilgrims by curing them of their problems. The pilgrims used the road to Santiago as a test of their faith and love for God. At the same time that they were testing their religious devotion they were also contributing to generating massive information. The pilgrims were creating and recycling information and taking that information on the road to more people. Two ways that the pilgrims were putting information out was by visiting the shrines on the way to the cathedral and at the actual Cathedral of Compostela and through the book of Codex Calixtinus. A pilgrimage was essentially a course of movement along a sequence of shrines along a road until one reached a final destination (usually a large cathedral or religious site). Besides the remission of sin, a reason for a person to go on a pilgrimage was to search for the renewal of physical or mental health. In the twelfth century, there was a deeply rooted belief in Christians that plague, leprosy, fever, migraines; even toothaches were all caused by sins. A doctor did not heal the person as well as saint could and thus, pilgrimages were occurring all the time. Not just people who were ill went on the pilgrimage, people seeking religion or adventure also set out on the road of Compostela. The pilgrims that were on the road to Santiago came from a wide variety of backgrounds. The route of Compostela became literally a cultural highway. The pilgrims "founded churches, monasteries, and hospitals; they robbed and killed, composed stories, legends, poems and songs, and slept rough in the hostels provided for them" (Tate, Pg. 1). Most importantly, the pilgrims talked. They talked about St. James, about the church, and about their different ideas and beliefs. By doing so they were exchanging information that otherwise would not be available to them. They talked about the history pertaining to St. James and at the same time learned through the shrines themselves at the Cathedral about the Moors, Charlemagne and other historical figures. The Pilgrimage to Cathedral of Compostela :: Religion The Pilgrimage to Cathedral of Compostela In the twelfth century one the most popular destinations for pilgrimages was to the city of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The shrine of St. James the Great is in the Cathedral of Compostela and it is what attracted so many people. The saint's shrine was believed to be a healing shrine for all sorts of problems. The religious relics that the Cathedral contained held a special power for the pilgrims by curing them of their problems. The pilgrims used the road to Santiago as a test of their faith and love for God. At the same time that they were testing their religious devotion they were also contributing to generating massive information. The pilgrims were creating and recycling information and taking that information on the road to more people. Two ways that the pilgrims were putting information out was by visiting the shrines on the way to the cathedral and at the actual Cathedral of Compostela and through the book of Codex Calixtinus. A pilgrimage was essentially a course of movement along a sequence of shrines along a road until one reached a final destination (usually a large cathedral or religious site). Besides the remission of sin, a reason for a person to go on a pilgrimage was to search for the renewal of physical or mental health. In the twelfth century, there was a deeply rooted belief in Christians that plague, leprosy, fever, migraines; even toothaches were all caused by sins. A doctor did not heal the person as well as saint could and thus, pilgrimages were occurring all the time. Not just people who were ill went on the pilgrimage, people seeking religion or adventure also set out on the road of Compostela. The pilgrims that were on the road to Santiago came from a wide variety of backgrounds. The route of Compostela became literally a cultural highway. The pilgrims "founded churches, monasteries, and hospitals; they robbed and killed, composed stories, legends, poems and songs, and slept rough in the hostels provided for them" (Tate, Pg. 1). Most importantly, the pilgrims talked. They talked about St. James, about the church, and about their different ideas and beliefs. By doing so they were exchanging information that otherwise would not be available to them. They talked about the history pertaining to St. James and at the same time learned through the shrines themselves at the Cathedral about the Moors, Charlemagne and other historical figures.

A Research Proposal on the International Branding

Elite branded products try to catch the attention of the public by attempting to sell a dream, which is done by attempting to discern the most common inner desires of the targeted consumer market; once this is done, the brand tries to enlist the services of a highly admired or a highly controversial individual to add effect to the aura or concept being portrayed by the brand.Hiring a celebrity is a venture that a known fashion brand has every capability of doing. Celebrity endorsement of luxury fashion is understood to be of great importance nowadays since when a celebrity is linked to a specific brand, the concept being created projects to have the approval of an icon, hence creating an image that it is classy; and any consumer who will buy that product will end up being closely similar to that particular icon or role model.The endorsement of luxury brands by icons is undoubtedly a trump card which could be used, if the said asset is efficiently utilized the resulting outcome almost always results to long term benefits like brand loyalty and brand equity. This phenomenon would in the long run produce a higher profitability and an increased brand value (Ukonkwo, 2007).However, it should be remembered that whoever the celebrity endorser the verdict of the consumer concerning their decision to buy or not to buy merchandise would all rest on the quality of the merchandise being sold.If the merchandise does not have anything that would sustain the initial impression created by the celebrity endorsement, like when the merchandise has poor quality or lacks the concept of genuineness then what would happen is that the clientele would no longer patronize the product. In order for a fashion brand to stay on top it has to be more than a symbol of greatness, it also has to be great if it is to withstand the stiff competition in the market.Statement of the ProblemFor the purpose of this research, the study aims to answer this question:What are the international branding st rategies of elite branded products in the United Kingdom?Definition of the Research QuestionElite designer brands are distinguished by their unique innovations which are almost always the first of its kind, their expertise, and their exclusive position in the market.   Elite fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and the likes have a significant market share due to their clever marketing that allows them to present their merchandise in an attractive â€Å"must have† commodity.To maintain the continuity of   their   operations, famous clothing brands tend to attend to the concept of â€Å"customer focus† instead of concentrating on the idea of a timeless, spaceless and emotionally-charged ideas that fix meanings to intangible personal attributes like freedom, love, or family although these ideas have in their own right a universal functionality; known Fashion brands have the capability to somehow ensure the stability of current fashion trends by exerting co ntrol over consumer valuations.Research ObjectivesFor the purpose of this study, the research aims to:To provide a theoretical foundation of international branding. To provide a theoretical foundation of international branding strategies of elite branded products. To identify the international branding strategies of Giorgio Armani and Gucci. To provide recommendations in order to improve the international branding strategies of Giorgio Armani and Gucci. A Research Proposal on the International Branding Elite branded products try to catch the attention of the public by attempting to sell a dream, which is done by attempting to discern the most common inner desires of the targeted consumer market; once this is done, the brand tries to enlist the services of a highly admired or a highly controversial individual to add effect to the aura or concept being portrayed by the brand.Hiring a celebrity is a venture that a known fashion brand has every capability of doing. Celebrity endorsement of luxury fashion is understood to be of great importance nowadays since when a celebrity is linked to a specific brand, the concept being created projects to have the approval of an icon, hence creating an image that it is classy; and any consumer who will buy that product will end up being closely similar to that particular icon or role model.The endorsement of luxury brands by icons is undoubtedly a trump card which could be used, if the said asset is efficiently utilized the resulting outcome almost always results to long term benefits like brand loyalty and brand equity. This phenomenon would in the long run produce a higher profitability and an increased brand value (Ukonkwo, 2007).However, it should be remembered that whoever the celebrity endorser the verdict of the consumer concerning their decision to buy or not to buy merchandise would all rest on the quality of the merchandise being sold.If the merchandise does not have anything that would sustain the initial impression created by the celebrity endorsement, like when the merchandise has poor quality or lacks the concept of genuineness then what would happen is that the clientele would no longer patronize the product.In order for a fashion brand to stay on top it has to be more than a symbol of greatness, it also has to be great if it is to withstand the stiff competition in the market.Statement of the ProblemFor the purpose of this research, the study aims to answer this question:What are the international branding str ategies of elite branded products in the United Kingdom?Definition of the Research QuestionElite designer brands are distinguished by their unique innovations which are almost always the first of its kind, their expertise, and their exclusive position in the market.   Elite fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and the likes have a significant market share due to their clever marketing that allows them to present their merchandise in an attractive â€Å"must have† commodity.To maintain the continuity of   their   operations, famous clothing brands tend to attend to the concept of â€Å"customer focus† instead of concentrating on the idea of a timeless, spaceless and emotionally-charged ideas that fix meanings to intangible personal attributes like freedom, love, or family although these ideas have in their own right a universal functionality; known Fashion brands have the capability to somehow ensure the stability of current fashion trends by exerting con trol over consumer valuations.

About Vipers, Family Viperidae

About Vipers, Family Viperidae Vipers (Viperidae) are a group of snakes known for their long fangs and venomous bite. Vipers include true vipers, bush vipers, rattlesnakes, pit vipers, adders and night adders. Venomous Fangs The fangs of vipers are long and hollow and enable the snake to inject venom into animals that it bites. Venom is produced by and stored in glands located at the back of the snakes upper jaw. When the snakes mouth is closed, the fangs recede into a thin membrane and fold against the roof of the snakes mouth. When a viper bites its victim, the bones of the jaw rotate and flex so that the mouth opens at a wide gape angle and the fangs unfold at the last moment. When the snake bites down, muscles that encase the venom glands contract, squeezing venom out through ducts in the fangs and into their prey. Types of Venom Several different types of venom are produced by the various species of vipers. Proteases consist of enzymes that break down proteins. These enzymes cause a variety of effects in bite victims including pain, swelling, bleeding, necrosis, and disruption of the clotting system. Elapid venoms contain neurotoxins. These substances disable prey by disabling muscle control and causing paralysis. Proteolytic venoms contain neurotoxins to immobilize prey as well as enzymes that break down molecules in the victims body. Head Shape Vipers have a triangular-shaped head. This shape accommodates the venom glands at the back of the jaw. Most vipers are slender to stout-bodied snakes with a short tail. Most species have eyes with elliptical pupils that can open wide or close down very narrowly. This enables the snakes to see in a wide range of light conditions. Some vipers have keeled scales- scales with a ridge in their center- while others have smooth scales. 26 Types There are currently about 26 species of vipers that are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. Some of the rarest vipers include the golden lancehead and the Mt. Bulgar viper. Like most snakes, vipers appear not to care for young after hatching. Most species of vipers give birth to live young but there are a few species that lay eggs. Vipers occur in terrestrial habitats throughout North, Central and South America as well as in Africa, Europe, and Asia. There are no vipers native to Madagascar or Australia. They prefer terrestrial and arboreal habitats. The range of vipers extends further north and further south than any other group of snakes. Vipers feed on a variety of small animal prey including small mammals and birds. Classification Vipers belong to the snake family. Snakes are among the most recently evolved of the main reptile lineages alive today. Their evolutionary history remains somewhat murky, though- their delicate skeletons do not preserve well and as a result, few fossil remains of ancient snakes have been recovered. The earliest known snake is Lapparentophis defense which is estimated to have lived about 130 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous. The viper family includes about 265 species. Vipers are classified into one of four groups: Azemiopinae: Feas viperCausinae: night addersCrotalinae: pit vipersViperinae: true vipers The Viperinae, also known as the Old World vipers, are short and stocky snakes. They have a wide, triangular head and rough, keeled scales. Their coloration is dull or cryptic providing them with good camouflage. Most members of this group give birth to live young. Pit vipers are distinct from other vipers due to a pair of heat-sensitive pits located on either side their face between the eyes and nostrils. Pit vipers include the worlds largest viper, the bushmaster, a snake native to Central and South American rainforests. The bushmaster can grow as long as 10 feet. Of all vipers, the rattlesnakes are among the most easily recognized. Rattlesnakes have a rattle-like structure at the end of their tail formed out of old layers of the terminal scale that do not fall off when the snake molts. When shaken, the rattle serves as a warning signal to other animals.

buy custom Transformations in the USA essay

buy custom Transformations in the USA essay For a long time, the issue of gender discrimination, class and race have been rampant in the United States. As indicated in the book Ragged Dick, written by Haratio Alger, the immigrants, majority of whom were from Africa, Europe and Asia communities were categorized by the dominant white race as minorities. The main aim of this paper is to compare the issues that are covered by Alger with other sources, both primary and secondary, with the basic aim of understanding life in the U.S. during as well as after the Civil War. Alger offers three distinct theories that help the reader understand the inequality that existed in the United States. This includes cultural deficiency, bias theory, and structural theory. The cultural deficiencies define the minority groups as inferior and having inappropriate ways of thinking, reasoning, and acting. It is notable that transformation that occurred in the U.S. resulted to industrialization and growth in commerce, although there were no any profound changes that took place until urbanization. For instance, Ragged Dick was involved into a shoe shining business that he highly considered his professional business, a factor that indicates the hard life faced by many immigrants, especially those from Canada, Latin America, Japan, Europe, and China. Most of the population in the inner cities was represented by immigrant, majority of who were living in deplorable conditions simply known as immigrant ghettos. Tales were also told in local languages, thus maintaining a close connection between the immigrants with the communities that they left in their home countries. There was the second-generation of immigrants, who demanded for equal rights, especially in the work places, a factor that significantly reduced discrimination in many places. Due to urbanization and industrialization, the immigrants were faced with various disturbing issues, such as frequency of great fires, diseases, plague, and overcrowding of the working class neighborhoods. Violence was also rampant leading to the establishment of larger and more professional police force. As explained by Alger, there were class divisions, which influenced growing interests in leisure. In conclusion one can see that, immigration resulted to overcrowding, corruption, among other vices, which have affected the U.S. society up to date. Transformations in the USA Alger discusses the issues of race, class, and gender in his book Ragged Dick. In the history of the United States, race, class and gender discrimination have been rampant during the past centuries. The migrants who were mainly the minority groups were categorized by the dominant white race representatives as minorities. This explains the transformations that have occurred in the history of the USA; thus, it is important to compare the issues covered by Alger and other primary and secondary sources in order to understand life in the United States during and after the Civil War. Alger brings up the issues of race, class, gender in his art and life. He provides readers with different ways to understand gender, racial, and class discrimination against then African immigrants in the US. There are many ways of understanding these inequalities because many people have different views on these topics. The USA is a state of many immigrants, groups, as well as cultures in its populations, and has experienced various problems considering the dominant minority relationships that have made the society increasingly diverse. Alger provides an understanding of the three important popular theories including cultural deficiency, bias theory, and structural theory. In this essay, I will explain the similarities of the issues covered by Alger in the Ragged Dick and various materials that describe different theories on class, racial, and gender discrimination. Cultural deficiencies have been used to define the minority groups as inferior and having inappropriate ways of thinking, reasoning, and acting. By this, I refer to the immigrants who are the minority in the US. These minority groups feel and act as if they are discriminated against. The ideas of discrimination are imparted to the younger generation because the minority group teaches these ideas to their children through their actions and words. In the 19th century, society typically associated race with ethnic identity and skin color as well as national identity. During the 19th century, the emergence of different races in the US made Italians to be seen as a different race then the Irish, for example; however, both were different from the Germans and the English. In Ragged Dick, Frank Whitneys father tells Dick to Remember that your future position depends mainly upon yourself, and that it will be high or low as you choose to make it1.Yet, the path to economic security and social mobility in the United States in the 19th century was seldom simple as seen from these statements and provided in the writings of Alger. Transformations that occurred in the United States of America occurred in several ways and led to industrialization and growth of commerce. However, there were no profound changes until the urbanization. US started as an agrarian economy, but advanced into an urban nation in the late 19th century. During the Civil War, the urban population increased at a high rate. Death and infant mortality rates grew in number while fertility rate decreased. However, urbanization was accelerated by immigration. During the 19th century, American citizens moved from areas with declining agricultural productivity to the cities of the East and Midwest. Most migrants were of African origin and were escaping poverty, conflicts, debt, and discrimination that they faced in the rural south. Discrimination was evident in the work places, particularly in the factories, since the black-skinned were only qualified to do unskilled labor as cooks or domestic servants. For example, Ragged Dick was involved into a shoe shining business that he considered his professional business2. Many African Americans were involved in hard labor as well as unskilled labor. The immigrants were also staying in absolute poverty, as explained by Ragged Dick that General Washington provided his pants and coats to him because he did not have any of his own. This also contributed to gender inequality in the work places because most of the unskilled labor was work undertaken by women. Foreign immigrants who migrated in large numbers influenced urban population; for instance, some of the immigrants were from Canada, Latin America, China, and Japan. The greatest number of new comers arrived from Europe. In the earlier years, some of the immigrants from Europe brought wealth with them. The ones who appeared later lacked capital to buy land and headed west. In addition, before the Civil War, Irish immigrants settled in the industrial areas where most of them got absorbed into unskilled labor3 Most of the population in the inner cities was represented by immigrants. This led to racism due to the diversity of the populace. Thus, by 1890, no single race dominated in the US. Most immigrants were rural people greatly affected by culture shock. Some of them managed to recover from culture shock by forming close-knit ethnic groupings within the inner cities and the neighborhood, commonly referred to as immigrant ghettos. These ethnic grouping offered new comers vital information from newspapers and theatres in native languages. There were also tales told in their local languages. This led to the emergence of community organizations where the immigrants maintained close ties with their native nations. They maintained close connections with the communities that they left in their home countries; some even returned within a very short term. On the other hand, other immigrants even assisted their communities to migrate to the US. Thus, the cultural cohesiveness helped to ease the pa in of separation from the immigrants native countries. This enabled them to adapt to the American economic life. The migrations that transformed the American society formed part of great global movement that influenced the entire world4. The major impact was provided by population growth and industrialization. The ethnic neighborhoods and the immigrant groups reinforced the cultural values that were well suited to economic development. However, discrimination by the whites made it difficult for some immigrants to advance. Among those affected are immigrants who had valuable skills as well as capital5. The immigrants who occupied the inner cities came to dominate due to assimilation and exclusion. Most of these occupants were young people who shared the experience of living in the inner cities. Hence, most of the immigrants with foreign-born ethnic ties were involved in a competition against the desire for assimilation. Second-geeneration immigrants decided to come with new ways of socialization; for instance, women demanded for their rights as a way of preventing forced marriages or gender discrimination in the workplace. The natives also influenced assimilation by requiring English to be included in the curriculum in public schools, and employers demanded that workers use English at the workplace. Church leaders were usually native born Americans or more assimilated immigrants who encouraged the new comers to adopt American lifestyle. Other reforms were made to conform to the norms of the new country. Consequently, many immigrants maintained their ethnic cultures and led to the creation of distinctive communities. There were restrictions that led to the screening of immigrants through standards like literacy tests; however, these restrictions kept away only a small number of aliens because the immigrants provided cheap and plentiful labor to the rapidly growing economy that accelerated the industrial development of the US5. Class system was very rampant because wealthy citizens were the principal force behind the creation of great art museum and other social and recreation facilities such as parks. As the material and social aspirations of the wealthy grew, they required the public life and demanded the city to provide them with amenities that would match their expectations. Due to urbanization and industrialization, the immigrants were faced with various disturbing facts including the frequency of great fires, diseases, plague, and overcrowding of the working class neighborhoods. The immigrants were exposed to improper disposal of human and industrial waste, air pollution. Above all, urban po verty, crime, and violence accelerated with little success due to the involvement of middle-class people who believed that a lot of assistance would contribute to dependency. They grew particularly alarmed over the increasing number of children in the inner cities that attracted a lot of attention among the reformers. However, the attention never lasted for long. Poverty and overcrowding led into crime and violence. The native-born Americans believed that immigrants committed crimes because of the violence proclivities among their populations. This led to the creation of larger and more professional police force. The immigrants could only seek protection from the political machine that owed its existence to the power vacuum that the growth of the cities created for the political voting power. Class divisions influenced the growing interest in leisure where members of the middle class spent a lot of time. Leisure life bridged the differences of class, race, and gender. For instance, saloons and certain sporting events were male activities6. According to Alger, Ragged Dick, like other immigrants, could socialize in gambling houses that were overcrowded by young boys who misused their hard earnings. At these meetings, the juveniles would take refreshments at two cents a glass. Shopping and attending the tearooms were associated with women. This is in contrast to the cafeteria attended by the immigrants. Alger explains that the tearoom that Ragged Dick attended was a small apartment with a few plain tables without tablecloths; the class of clients who attended it was not very familiar. The meals provided were substandard. On the other hand, popular forms of entertainment developed in the cities whereby many ethnic communities maintained their own style. The Media opened few entertainments to the black performers due to racial discrimination. In addition, performers of both races tailored their acts to prevailing white prejudices in a manner that ridiculed the blac ks. Discrimination was also prevalent in the schooling system. Even though compulsory school attendance laws existed, the rural school lagged behind the urban schools. In the South, most immigrants had no access to the public schools, but for the whites opportunities for schooling expanded drastically. In addition, during the post-Civil War era, there were important educational opportunities open for women, they were less for men and denied to black women7. In conclusion, immigration led to the development of cities characterized by corruption, filth, overcrowding, and diseases. The city governments were dominated by political machines and ruled by party bosses that were the major source of inefficiencies as well as corruption. These cities brought together races, ethnic groups, and class systems. Hence, the immigrants were greatly affected by racial, class and gender discrimination8. Buy custom Transformations in the USA essay

Customer Service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Homework1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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