Old Wise Men Essay Example for Free

Old Wise Men Essay Do all old men truly possess wisdom because they can see their death on the horizon? Wisdom is a valued trait in our society today. In both King Lear by William Shakespeare and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, the main characters were able to acquire wisdom after undergoing trials and tribulations. However, both of these men began their quest as completely different people. Morrie always emphasized the value of family and of love, while King Lear saw these qualities that could be used to boot his ego. Morrie was disappointed by the way things were in society, while King Lear did not care much about it and accepted it the way it was. Morrie viewed death as a natural thing and an ideal way to live, while King Lear still wanted to live life as a King despite giving and dividing his land between his daughters. Regardless of being very different character wise and beliefs, both King Lear and Morrie came to achieve wisdom by experiencing the fact of life; otherwise known as death. Both of these men differed in their values when it came to the life concept. Morrie believed that it was better to perish than to live a life without love, where he quoted â€Å"If you don’t have the support and love  and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don’t have much at all. Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden spoke â€Å"Love each other or perish†Ã¢â‚¬ (Albom 91). This quote shows Morrie’s view of love and has the opinion that it is better to die than to live a life without love. Although Morrie grew up with little love in his life, this is the reason why he emphasized the importance of love and family to him. Contrarily, King Lear believed that family only existed to serve his needs. â€Å"Tell me, my daughters, since now we will divest us both of rule, interest of territory, cares of state which of you shall we say doth love us most that we out  largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge?† (I.I.47-53). This quote illustrates King Lear’s feeling towards family. He set against his daughters against each other for his benefit. His love was conditional, even though Cordelia was his known favourite between his daughters he warned her. â€Å" How, how, Cordelia? Mend your speech a little, lest you may mar your fortunes.† (I.I.94-95). This quote shows the fact that he believed that love in a family that is one-sided, he should only receive love but should not give any. On the contrary, Morrie’s love for this family was unconditional and a two-way street. However, Lear realized the value of unconditional love when Cordelia returned despite after disowning and cursing her but he was too late. While Morrie learned the value of love through the lack of having it earlier o in his life, King Lear  would learn it through the death of his daughter. Both cherish family and life more after coming to terms with the concept of death, and realize the trouble of their society. Both King Lear and Morrie Schwartz also had different perspectives on life and society. King Lear accepted the ranking of his society, of course, since he was the peak of the â€Å"great chain of being†. â€Å"All I ask is that you provide me with a hundred knights for my own entourage. I’ll keep only the title of king†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I.I.136-138). This quote depicts King Lear’s view of society and that he comes before the rest of society, depriving 100 knights form society for his benefit. Morrie, on the other hand, was disgusted with how his society was so materialistic. A quote from Tuesdays with Morrie, â€Å"Do you know how they brainwash people? They repeat something over and over again. And that’s what we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is goodwe repeat it and have it repeated to us-over and over until nobody bother to even think other wise† (Albom 124). This quote demonstrates the disgust Morrie has with society and how it constantly promotes materialism rather than important values such as love, which is showed in this quote â€Å"You know how I always interpreted that? These people were so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes† (Albom 125). This quote shows that Morrie believes that people are  materialistic because of a lack of love within their lives. Furthermore, King Lear realizes the disorder of his society during his hardships. â€Å"Thou rascal beadle, hold thy bloody hand. Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thine own back Thou hotly lust’st to use her in that kind for which thou whipp’st her. The usurer hangs the cozener. (IV.VI.1 52-57). This shows both his disgust of the social customs of his time and how it favors the rich and frowns upon the poor. Lear regrets not being a just king and mistreating the poor people because he was too greedy. He bawled â€Å"Poor naked wretches, whereso’er you are, that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you from seasons such as these? Oh, I have ta’en too little care of this!† (III.IV.30-34). Although Morrie was aware of the problems within his society and always fought against them, Lear only came to this conclusion and earn this wisdom through these tribulations. Morrie and Lear had contradicting views of death before they acquired their wisdom. First of all, Lear believed that he would die as a king and even with his old age he believed death was far in the distance, proven in the quote â€Å"All I ask is that you provide me with hundred knights for my own entourage. I’ll keep only the title of king†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I.I.136-138). Lear did not believe in preparing for his death or saying goodbye to loved ones, as he still wanted to live like a king even after diving his kingdom  and wealth. On the contrary, Morrie believed that death should be accepted in life. â€Å"Oh yes, you strip away all that stuff and you focus on the essentials. When you realize you are going o die, you see everything much differentlyLearn how to die, and you learn how to live†(Albom 83). This quote shows that Morrie though if more people lived as if they were going to die at any moment, then the world could be a more positive place. Morrie was also very optimistic and grateful for his disease and how long he had to say goodbye to everyone he cherished. â€Å"It’s horrible to watch my body wilt away to nothing. But it’s also wonderful because of all the time I get to say  good-bye.† (Albom 57) On the other hand, King Lear was coming to terms with his mortality. When Gloucester asked to kiss his hand he replied â€Å"Let me wipe it first, it smells of mortality.† (IV.VI.125-126). It shows that Lear found his new humbleness and acceptance through death. Morrie and Lear both achieved wisdom by coming to terms with their deaths. King Lear and Morrie Schwartz are very much alike, although they were completely different people before they acquired their wisdom. They were both able to attain insight and satisfaction through difficult hardships and becoming aware of the problems that are in their society. They have learned that if more people are aware of death and live everyday as if they were to die tomorrow, they would have more fulfilling  and satisfying lives. Through acquiring wisdom they realized the importance of their family, and love. They only differed in respect where Lear is filled with regret while Morrie gains a higher appreciation for it. Death is something that we all must accept and Lear and Morrie finally embrace it.

Classifications Of Business To Consumer Information Technology Essay

Classifications Of Business To Consumer Information Technology Essay Emergence of internet over the past few years has changed the trends of business world at exponential rate. Now world has become a Global Village which means what used to be a single physical market place located in one geographical area has now become a border-less marketplace, attracting customers and businesses from all over the world. It provides businesses with many advantages for instance setting up an online business is less costly since it doesnt require physical infrastructure for a shop, a business can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, these long working hours helps businesses generating more profits. It also offers businesses to try new product lines and marketing strategies in cost effective way. The biggest advantage of online business is that even small businesses can compete with international corporations since consumers cannot figure out the actual size of firm. E-commerce can be defined in different ways: E-commerce refers to various online commercial activities focusing on commodity exchanges by electronic means, internet in particular. Zheng Qin (2009) , Introduction to e commerce, Page 7 E-COMMERCE refers to the paperless exchange of business information using electronic data interchange, electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, electronic funds transfer, world wide web, and other network-based technologies. E-COMMERCE, The Cutting Edge of Business , Second Edition (2005) by Kamlesh K Bajaj and Debjani Nag E-COMMERCE is the use of telecommunications and computers to facilitate the trade of goods and services E-commerce by S. Pankaj (2005) page 3 Types of E-commerce There are Four Main Types Of E-commerce Model: 1) Business to Business (B2B) B2B can be define as commerce transactions between businesses, such as transactions between a wholesaler and retailer. 2) Business to Consumer (B2C) As discussed in class lecture, B2C refers to a commerce transaction between business and individual rather then a company or Businesses selling to the general public for example Dell computer which sells directly to general public through website. 3) Consumer to Business( C2B) C2B is a reverse form of business to consumer, in C2B the commerce transaction take place between consumer and business, for instance Elance.com, which allow individuals to place their requirements on a website within hours companies review the project and make bids on a project then consumer review the bids and select the company with most suitable bid. 4) Consumer to Consumer (C2C) C2C is simply a commerce transaction between consumer to consumer, manay auctions webistes allow consumers to interact with other consumers to buy and sell all sort of items for example Ebay.com, Amazon.com. Above mentioned types of E-commerce clearly shows that electronic commerce is becoming the back bone of transactions at every level for both businesses and consumers. The impact of this emerging trend has changed the fundamentals of supply chain management by redefining the way in which consumers select, purchase and use products and services. E-commerce has also provided companies with opportunity to work more closer to customers what we call consumers intimacy which allow companies to shape their innovation process with changing demand of consumers. Classifications of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce: As described by Deborah Morley Charles S. Parker(2010) With the business to consumer model, businesses sell goods or services to individual consumers. The B2C model was one of the first major types of e-commerce business models to be defined and implemented using the Web. Some example of B2C businesses include Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Overstock.com, and BestBuy.com. There are two main types of B2C E-Commerce: 1) Direct Sellers Direct Sellers are those companies which provide products or services directly to consumers. The important factors that contribute towards the success of B2C e-commerce are Direct Selling experience and consumers database. There is a limit to amount of information that can be communicated through catalogs but internet offers a powerful medium by which direct sellers can provide consumers with thousands of products with detailed description and high-quality visuals. Example: Dell Computers 2) Online Intermediaries Online intermediaries are companies that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers and receive a percentage of the transactions value. For examples Internet Service Providers( ISP). Supply Chain Management An electronic alternative to the traditional paper chain, providing companies with a smarter, faster, more efficient way to get the right product to the right customer at the right time and price. Combines the power of the Internet with the latest technology, enabling participating suppliers to access up-to-date company information and enabling companies to better manage and track supply and demand http://www.geemultimedia.com.au/glossary.asp IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE ON AIRLINE INDUSTRY: The blessings of Internet have been observed the most by Airline Industry and as a result of it Airline ticket sales now comprise of the largest portion of all product sales made online. This is because e-ticketing is beneficial for both the airlines as well as the travelers. Traditionally the only options available to a passenger were either to buy tickets from a travel agency or from airport. But now with the advent of Internet, airlines have used tool like e-distribution system. An airlines costs can be divided into following two parts: Direct Operating Costs- which includes aircraft, its fuel and salaries of the staff Indirect Operating Costs- which is the distribution cost. The direct operating cost will remain more or less fixed while there is room for saving on indirect cost. This is where e-commerce can play an important role by integrating all business units and efficiently managing logistics. The major components of indirect cost for airline industry includes Sales office, Reservation system ,Travel agent fees,Ticketing fees Promotion and advertisements. Previously, airlines payed commissions to travel agents for selling their tickets, in addition money was also spent on setting up of sales office and staff salaries. Extra capital was used for printing and issuing of tickets. To cut down the operating cost airlines had to turn to e-ticketing to limit their sales offices and reduce their dependency on sales agents. Every airline has now setup their own website offering online booking facility. This also allow Airlines to promote different marketing strategies through web site which gives them more chance to attract new customers. Through the use of e-commerce and development of websites airlines has integrated all the parties involve in a business process for instance tourism business industry can link up with airline website using the integrated information system so that they can get the real time data through share database about the customers booking for their hotel along with the airline tickets. Online sells has also extended the business hours for airlines since customers can do online bookings round the clock and thus throughout the year. While passengers have the luxury of scheduling their own flight in a matter of few clicks saving both time and money. Conclusion: E-commerce has revolutionized the business models. Trading online enables businesses to reach much wider audience while cutting the costs of traditional retailing methods. It also provide businesses with long working hours and minimum human capital. E-commerce allows businesses to better understand and meet the demands of customers, working more closely with them by managing databases, resulting in better supply chain management activities and efficient logistics. E-commerce has also changed the way customers learn , select, purchase and use products and services, providing them with more personalized experience ever and by cutting the middle man out businesses have provide consumers with fast processing and close interaction with company.

Women In Reality Television Dating Shows Film Studies Essay

Women In Reality Television Dating Shows Film Studies Essay Reality television is viewed as a form of factual programming. It is easily identified by its apparently unscripted discourse, untrained actors, and the ability to voyeuristically watch events develop. Reality television deals with a variety of subject matters and issues but dating shows in reality television are presumably seen as a way of sexing it up. Nevertheless, the dating shows turned reality television into another media outlet which intuitively suppresses women for the sake of entertainment. Seemingly, the clichà ©, sex sells, is proven to be true in reality dating shows because the media profits from womens degradation as well as promotes casual sex. Reality television dating shows typically portray women as desperate, promiscuous, gold-digging, and dim-witted individuals on a quest for love. In America, televised dating has been around for approximately 30 years. With shows such as the Dating Game and Love Connection playing matchmaker, viewers considered the most entertaining part of the shows to be the follow-up stories that were told by the previous contestants. It gave the audience an inside-view of what actually went on during the dates and how the contestants actually felt. Meanwhile, these shows also gave the television industry an early look into audiences capacity to root for an unhappy ending. The best laughs and fun in dating games often arise from painfully uncomfortable matches and from the ensuing tales of dating disaster, or even simply from the anticipation of such disaster. Overtime, shows continued to follow the prototype and the genre of reality television dating shows began to emerge. As the show type grew more popular, by the year 2000 shows such as, Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire and Temptation Island made their way to primetime television. Temptation Island had fairly poor ratings; however, over the next few years it proved itself as a model for shows such as Cupid (2003) ,NBCs Average Joe (2003-5) and For the Love or Money (2003-4), FOXs Joe Millionaire(2003), and ABCs The Bachelor. This type of dating show, still popular today, takes a single male or female and houses them with numerous admirers of the opposite gender that are all on a quest to win the aforementioned single male or females love. More often than not, all contestants are housed together for a period of weeks or months in a luxurious mansion in which they compete to stay in throughout a process of elimination. These arrangements of the shows seem to glorify infidelity as we ll as promote casual sex. Unconsciously, viewers are tuning into a fairy tale parallel. A casual look at reality dating shows might suggest an appalling gallery of female stereotypes and a patriarchal fairy-tale ethos. According to this ethos, Girl (not Woman) meets Man in a magical setting, and Man eventually chooses her above all other suitors, thereby validating her as a person, completing her, rescuing her from a humdrum life, and giving her a chance to become princess of Reality TV-Land. The Bachelor is probably the prime example of this fairy-tale ethos in its incorporation of ball gowns and glorifying this luxurious and idealistic standard of living. The relationship between ethics and reality television is problematic. One writer claims the reason viewers continue to watch these shows is because these shows frame their narratives in ways that both reflect and reinforce deeply ingrained societal biases about women, men, love, beauty, class and race. The genre teaches us that women categorically are certain things for example, no matter their age, theyre hot girls, not self- aware or intelligent adults. By portraying the woman as ill-witted, it simultaneously makes them appear inferior to the man. Even if a contestant on the show is intelligent, after editing, the shows producers will make sure that the intelligence not be conveyed on television. For the sake of ratings, characters that are pathetically unintelligent remain on the show for longer periods of time due to their likeability. Their unintelligence gives them a distinct personality on the show which makes the shows seem more like serve for entertainment purposes or a co mpetition for character likeability rather than the proposed purpose. This is probably why producers cast for type, choosing contestants they can mold into a predetermined slate of characters. Dating shows all too often render the date, and more specifically the woman as spectacle. Overall, the women are treated unfairly. Women are presumably promiscuous when sign the consent form to come on the show. Being that it is a competition, the women are expected to be consensual to the bachelors requests in order to remain on the show. Those who do not comply definitely stand out. For example, in the reality show The Bachelor, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the finale of the series, it became apparent that become sexually intimate with these womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. One woman in particular had found his advances unwelcome à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦She explained, He was trying to get me into his room and I said no. And then at four in the morning drunk, in his pants, with a hard on, he tried to help himself to me.These actions took place off camera so there was no evidence to support the accusations. When it comes to reality shows such as The Bachelor, [women] deserve to be treated in an ethically informed manner. The finale is an example of how women can be unfairly treated in reality television. The practice of informed consent needs to be discussed by programme makers and programme regulators in order to ensure the participants are treated with the respect they deserve. If reality TV portrays women as whores, then the networks are their pimps, providing men with sexy singles in hopes theyll get frisky on cue. Depending on the subgenre, the women casted in the shows are oversexed according to what type of woman is portrayed as the most seductive and flirtatious female of that class. VH1 seems to special in [dating shows with] wild premises and a carnivalesque atmosphere. In VH1s Flavor of Love, the women were extremely oversexed and promiscuous. Dating shows have made gratuitous displays of women cavorting for the camera, a regular occurrence. Overtime, what is considered sex on television has changed drastically and definitely become more risquà ©. FOXs Joe Millionaire aired an episode which involved a man and woman going into the bushes and dialogue being flashed across they screen stating what they were saying as well as describing what they were doing. Including slurp and gulp in the text suggested that the female was indeed performing oral sex. With that night being the final episode, FOX attracted forty million viewers which was the largest in the networks history. Coincidentally, this was the same night viewers believed they had probably witnessed the first time oral sex had been performed on network television. The female repudiated the scene saying is misled viewers claiming theyd added the sexual text to make it seem as if they were doing something more than they actually were. Some people think Reality Television walks a tight rope with being pornography. Episodes of the Reality show Blind Date qualify as pornography pointblank. The episodes could be sold at video stores in that section. Blind Date also features text bubbles appearing throughout the couples date as a constant element of their show. This is believed to help the female member become viewed a sex object. For example : In a typical episode, a young woman named Leila, who had participated in a previous segment of the show, returns for a second date, this time with a guy named Anthony. As soon as Leila appears, a large red arrow pops up on the screen and points at her breasts alongside the statement, Breasts 14% larger than last time, followed a minute later by the comment, Get a load of them melons. Later in the episode, the porgrams producers further objectify the woman by letting an article of her clothing have its say; a drawing of Leilas blouse pops up on the screen and tells Anthony, Youre two buttons away from heaven. Blind Date is ultimately accused of placing too much importance on the physical aspects of relationships just as many of the other dating shows do. Womens bodies are portrayed mainly as sex objects. Men are given a sexual power when it comes to reality dating shows as well. Physical attraction is highlighted in the shows, giving off the image that beauty is on the outside or that a man looks at the exterior first. The women come dressed scantly during the eliminations or around the house, doing what they see as being attractive to the male. This survival of the fittest way of thinking highlights casual sex in its creating an environment where the male can virtually choose whoever who wants to sleep with. In all shows, the woman who denies his requests is almost always the one to be eliminated in the near future. Highlighting casual sex also perceives reality dating show as doing nothing to educate individuals on sex, it only adding to societal problems associated with sex even more. Creating awareness of condoms, HIV tests, or STDs in general would definitely help the way sex in conveyed in these reality television dating shows. None of the shows cannot change their messages theyve been conveying because the race to be more outrageous, more salacious, and more sensational will continue. In short , sex sells. Low self-esteem definitely plays a major role in reality television dating shows. All of the women are usually of a proportionate height and weight and are frequently considered to some extent attractive. Women at home would probably look at their size and extent of attractiveness before trying out for the show which forces some women to judge and compare themselves to the women on the dating shows. With the bachelors being who they are, it may also force these women to think they are not worthy or eligible of acquiring a bachelor of such stature. The cast of the show are forced to deal with self-esteem issues as well. They women are forced to relieve themselves of all communication from the outside world in the place of alcohol and constantly being around attractive women with the same goal. The specific character types are clearly expressed by Jennifer Pozner: Theres the Antagonizer, who declares shes not here to make friends; the naive Waif, whos searching for my Prince Charming; the Slut who plots to take our connection to the next level in the fantasy suite; and the wretched Weeper who wonders, when shes dumped, Whats so wrong with me that someone cannot love me? Although these types exist in the real world, for the sake of television, the characters are somewhat formed by the producers and each character type definitely suggests low-self esteem. The anatagonizer is almost always oversexed and comes from a hard background. Always reluctant to make friends their trust issues are always effortlessly conveyed in the show which eventually forces their sketchy past be revealed. The naÃÆ' ¯ve waif is always the desperate character who uses the reality show as a last resort. Unable to find men in the real world, they turn to the reality show and truly accept it as their own personal fairy tale. This character type is often always intimidated by the other characters as they are more competitive because the other women seemingly throw a wrench in their plans for a fairy tale. The slut is always easily recognized on the show and extremely comparable to the anatagonizer in their being oversexed and a possibly a background worthy of note. The slut see ms not to care that they are on television and most of the time they are conveyed as being a gold-digger so they use their sex in exchange for money they hope to get from the eligible bachelor. The slut is also always constantly bashing the other woman which is mostly conveyed as jealousy they attempt to hide through a tough faà §ade. They use their sexual appeal they have to their advantage by making the other women believe the bachelor likes them more. The character with the most clearly stated low-self esteem seems to be that of the wretched weeper. In many cases, the wretched weeper could be any of the aforementioned character types. The weeping comes from their self-assurance and confidence they built up throughout the show after making it past many eliminations or what they believed to be a good date or intimate conversation with the bachelor , which in their mind creates a sense of security. After they are eliminated their entire persona changes and more often than not, the real person comes out. The wretched weeper is also seen in the reunion shows which are aired after the final episode. It shows each womans course on the show as well as the elimination. The Bachelor s cheerfully cruel teaser, Who will get sent home brokenhearted? Find out! is repeated ad nauseum, and in reunion specials, alumnae rejectees are forced to watch mortifying montages of their most pitiful moments (Im a loser!), while the host says in mock concern: Wow, that must be uncomfortable for you. Also, in most cases, during this point the producers make this portion of the show as comedic or humdrum as they can depending on the situation or character at hand. The slut however, is not the only one who is conveyed as a gold-digger, it seems to be a large percentage of the cast. Most of the women sign-up according to who the bachelor is and the other percentage signs-up for a chance to be on television in hopes that the reality television show will be their big break. A classic example of that would be Tiffany New York Pollard from VH1s Flavor of Love with rapper and personality Flavor Flav. Taking an obviously physically unattractive man who the women would not have been attracted to and surrounding him with beautiful women who repugnantly compete over him was pure pleasantry in terms of entertainment. New York was portrayed as both the antagonist and the slut which made her character even more interesting. In the end, she was also conveyed as the wretched weeper when she made it all the way to the final two contestants as well as sleeping with Flavor Flav the night before as a way to secure her position. After his relationship did not work out with the woman he chose, he received another show in which New York appeared in the middle of the season. She entered the house with the same character types, made it to the bottom two contestants and was not picked. Ultimately, she received a spin-off show of her own, VH1s I Love New York in which she played the single bachelorette in a hunt for love. After two seasons of her show, she received another show, New York Goes to Work which shows her performing different task and being paid for them in order to fund her acting career. The entire time, New York was an aspiring actress on the hunt for her big break, which she received in due course. And so it can be seen, women are forced to face the reality of yet another media outlet providing a dismal and unpleasant image of them in what is supposed to be reality television. Reality television dating shows typically portray women as desperate, promiscuous, gold-digging, and dim-witted individuals on a quest for love. By promoting casual sex, choosing a well-off bachelor, and highlighting their more unintelligent moments, reality dating shows are in essence a poor representation of women.

Altered Reality in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay example --

Altered Reality in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   The world of darkness that Marlow finds himself in is directly comparable to what Leary describes of the bardos (stages) that occur during a drug-induced trip or psychedelic experience. ‘The underlying problem of the Second Bardo is that any and every shape—human, divine, diabolical, heroic, evil, animal, thing—which the human brain conjures up or the past life recalls, can present itself to consciousness: shapes and forms and sounds whirling by endlessly’ (48). An example of such presentation is Marlow’s perception of the jungle as a palpable force that has the power of human gestures. It calls, beckons, lures, etc. Leary writes that accompanying the moment of ego-loss is the perception of ‘wave-energy flow’: ‘the individual becomes aware that he is part of and surrounded by a charged field of energy, which seems almost electrical...the attempt to control or to rationalize this energy flow... is indicative of ego-acti vity and the First Bardo transcendence is lost’ (41). Marlow never loses ego-activity so he never reaches transcendence, but his ego-activity rationalizes his feeling of the physical awareness of the jungle. He colors the Congo dark instead of light and chooses to reject, not embrace, the force of the jungle so his rationalizations are negative and he thinks the force is evil.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative, wrathful counterparts to this vision occur if the voyager reacts with fear to the powerful flow of life forms. Such a reaction is attributable to the cumulated result of game playing (karma) dominated by anger or stupidity. A nightmarish hell-world may ensue. The visual forms appear like a confusing chaos of cheap, ugly dime-store objects, brassy, vulgar and useless. The ... ... all truth, and all sincerity, are just compressed into that inappreciable moment of time in which we step over the threshold of the invisible’ (Conrad, 113).    Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Editor Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton, 1988. Cox, C. B. Conrad: Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, and Under Western Eyes. London: Macmillan Education Ltd., 1987. Guetti, James. ‘Heart of Darkness and the Failure of the Imagination’, Sewanee Review LXXIII, No. 3 (Summer 1965), pp. 488-502. Ed. C. B. Cox. Leary, Timothy , Metzner, Ralph, Alpert, Richard The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead Ruthven, K. K. ‘The Savage God: Conrad and Lawrence,’ Critical Quarterly, x, nos 1& 2 (Spring and Summer 1968), pp. 41-6. Ed. C. B. Cox. Watts, Cedric. A Preface to Conrad. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1993.  

The Success of the Simpsons Essay examples -- essays papers

The Success of the Simpsons The Improbable Long-Term Success of The Simpsons When examining the history of modern prime-time television, there is a certain pattern that virtually every successful show inevitably falls into. After a period of initial success, perhaps lasting three or four years, the writing on the show becomes stale by using the same format and same jokes over and over. The viewing audience becomes bored, and eventually, the show fades into television oblivion. Or, as Jeff MacGregor states in The New York Times, â€Å"Historically†¦(successful shows) collapse under the weight of their own complacency, hanging on for a few lifeless seasons while the producers wait to cash out their millions and move to Maui.† Based on this premise, it would seem that â€Å"The Simpsons,† an animated series that debuted in 1987 as thirty second segments on â€Å"The Tracey Ullman Show,† should have worn out its welcome long ago. However, â€Å"The Simpsons† is still going strong today. The secret to the show’s success lies in its producers’ ability to understand the expectations of the television audience and the culture that surrounds them. This understanding, combined with â€Å"wry sarcasm, topical themes, and superb scripting that puts most other comedies to shame,† as well as some old-fashioned slapstick comedy, makes â€Å"The Simpsons† one of the most popular programs in television history. The show is often complex and highly intellectual, while remaining funny at the most basic levels. As Jim Gleeson states in The College Tribune, â€Å"The show is rare in rewarding attention to detail, with especially obscure references that†¦ even if you had never heard of†¦you would still laugh, giddy with the crafted sleight of it all.† This fact that the show works on several levels at once draws a generationally diverse fan base. The adults are attracted by the surprisingly sophisticated dialogue, while the children enjoy the clumsy antics of Homer and the traditionally â€Å"cartoonish† aspects of the program. An example of a multidimensional scene occurs in the episode where Marge, the mother of the Simpson family, starts a crusade against campaign violence. Maggie, the baby, is mesmerized by an â€Å"Itchy and Scratchy† cartoon show in which the mouse pummels the cat over the head with a sledgehammer. Later in the episode, Maggie imitates the actions of the mouse by hitting her fathe... ... theory suggests that the success of â€Å"The Simpsons† is a consequence of television history, and could not have taken place if the show had originated twenty years earlier. The medium of television needed time to build up complexity and diversity, so that the show could virtually redefine what is expected of a television program. Based on this theory, â€Å"The Simpsons’† effect on television is similar to the Beatles’ effect on music. The theory predicts that the show will continue on until, just like the Beatles, they have nothing left to do. At its current pace, â€Å"The Simpsons† seems like it could go on forever. The show is continually progressing and perhaps funnier than ever. The writers are further developing the characters with each passing episode, and the show’s possibilities, for the time being, seem limitless. It is difficult to explain exactly what the allure of the show is, but at the core its most appealing characteristic is that it is simply funny. From the simple pleasure of watching Homer fall flat on his face to the most obscure reference imaginable, â€Å"The Simpsons† continues to entertain over a decade after its conception and shows no signs of slowing down.

Haefren Baum Business Analysis Essay

Haefren Baum is a furniture retailer, established in 1965 and was incorporated in 1970. Haefren Baum receives its merchandise from Wiegandt GmbH Cologne, a nearby manufacturer, whose business relationship equals over twenty-seven years. The company has one retail location in Cologne, Germany and three recently constructed outlet stores in nearby suburban areas. Demand and product sales are influenced by consumer discretionary income. In 1993, an economic bust in the German economy resulted in a major dip in GDP. Demand for the industry is cyclical and is influenced by the overall economy. There is no evidence of seasonality. In response to the German economic downturn in 1993, the company began to open outlets with wide selections and lower prices to maintain sales volume. This was a trend used by all in the industry, but sales volumes were not affected and remained flat. As the German economy recovered, Haefren Baum’s business began to see fierce competition from European furniture retailers. This was a concern for the Wiegandt, who saw its retailers losing market share, and began aggressively advertising its brand. The strategies involving aggressive branding and offering wider selections at lower prices proved to be unsuccessful, mainly due to the influx of competition. Operations Analysis: Haefren Baum being a retailer needs a large amount of inventory and assets in order to generate sales. To turn profits, the company needs to be efficient in both inventory management and asset turnover. Recently, the Haefren Baum is showing very high values for inventory days, and an overall decline in its TAT and FAT ratios. Figures for total and fixed asset turnover steadily decline from 1993-1995. These figures could be a result of the expansion and building of outlet stores, as well as slower sales. Total assets turnover equals 2.1 in 1993 to 1.5 in 1995. As for fixed asset turnover, 1993 equals 6.98 to 5.39 in 1995. Haefren Baum’s land investment has remained constant over this period, but buildings and equipment investments have changed, again a result from the building of the three outlet stores. Inventory days  show and increase from 103 in 1993 to 129 in 1995. Such a dramatic change shows that the firm is getting less efficient in managing its inventory, which could be a result of increasing competition throughout the industry. The average collection period has also shown significant increases, going from 53 days in 1993 to 77 days in 1994 and 1995. It seems that Haefren Baum has had difficulty obtaining capital due from customers. The overall operations of the company seem to be lacking proper efficiency due to the increase in inventory days and average collection period. The negative values for net income and results from the previous sentence conclude why the firm has seen a decrease and negative values for ROE and ROA. Financial Analysis: Haefren Baum’s strategy of selling product at lower prices seems to be ineffective in generating profits. The firm’s operating activities can be misleading, although it seems that it’s improving, the net figures are still negative. The increase in investing activities is explained by the recent construction of outlets, and is shown in the buildings and equipment account. The recent buyout from the other investors is shown in the payables from stockholders. Financing activities seem to be the source of funding for the firm. Haefren Baum’s liquidity has been mildly volatile. The current ratios for the firm have changed from 2.26 in 1993 to 2.53 in 1995. Accounts payable days saw a major increase going from 49 days in ’93, to 65 days in ’94. Although Wiegandt has been flexible with credit terms, Baum is far exceeding the net 30 terms and is not taking advantage of any discounts. Haefren Baum is showing high leverage risk with its debt to equity ratio of 5.84%, this is a problem due to the large debt compared to equity owned. The NPM of the company is zero, due to the failure to generate profits. The GPM, though positive, shows a steady decline in profitability. Haefren Baum is primarily using financing activities to maintain operations of the business. They are basically staying alive by debt, and will need to re-evaluate its processes to stay in business. Summary: Haefren Baum has been severely impacted by competition and the value of its inventory stemming from the economic downturn in 1993. The firm is producing negative cash flows and in turn producing zero profits. The construction and  building of the new outlet stores have no sales support and are eating profits with staggering mortgage cost. The firm needs to be more effective and efficient with inventory and credit lines. Arranging new credit terms in order to receive discounts and improve margins are in order for the firm to generate profits.

Morocco a developing country

Developing countries are countries with non- or undeveloped industrial base, low living standards, and low HDI (Human Development Index) compared to developed countries like the United States and the European Union countries. Morocco is a good example of a typical developing country. It has an undeveloped industrial base, low living standards, and a low HDI. In fact, Morocco is ranked at the 130th place over 185 member states of the UN in 2013. Also, according to the United Nations Development Program, Morocco has a medium human development.The reasons that make Morocco a developing country are numerous. Actually, the three main reasons that make the Cheriflan Kingdom a developing country are: French colonialism, low standards of social programs, and absence of human rights. Firstly, Morocco is a developing country because of its historical roots. Indeed, one of the main reasons that make Morocco a developing country is the French Protectorate. The French Protectorate, or the French colonialism, worsened the situation in Morocco since its establishment in 1912 until the Independence in 1956.The French and some Moroccan elite constituted by bourgeois Fassis and Rbatis took the biggest part of cake. This French-Moroccan oligarchy took share of the biggest and most lucrative businesses in Morocco such as agriculture, banks and insurance, industry, and politics. This situation made the rich richer and the poor poorer. Until nowadays, we still notice than the nerve of Morocco, which is economics, is still held by noble and notoriously rich families. Thus, the distribution of wealth in Morocco is unbalanced as we observe that there are the rich, the poor, and a small entity that akes the middle class.In developed countries, middle classes are the ones that empower the economics and politics of a country. Take the example of Norway where a minister uses a bike or public transportation to get to his/her Job. We are not ready to see this anytime soon in Morocco. My argu ment, which is based on a historical basis, is that Morocco suffered and is still suffering from the French colonialism and that the Protectorate was mainly in advantage of France not of the majority of Moroccans, who were very poor in the first half of the twentieth century.Unfortunately, Morocco has a very low standard of social programs. Instead of taking the best part of the French colonialism, Morocco took by large the bad side of the French system: one of the most tangible consequences of the French presence in Morocco is the cultural alienation. However, Morocco did not take advantage of some aspects of the French system such as the Social Security. Indeed, the French Social Security is a program made by diverse organizations that take care of citizens in four contexts: illness, old age, family, and accident. In Morocco, there is no such system.Unless you are working in the state owned sector or in a good private company, you don't have access to the Social Security. Morocco has only organizations such as CNOPS, CNSS, or private insurance and banking companies that have a backup role in case of unfortunate happening. This is a major factor that does not make Morocco a developed country, but a developing one. Finally, Morocco has a long standing reputation of non respecting human rights. Right atter the French colonialism, King Hassan 2 came to power and starts to use repressive techniques to dissuade some zealous intellectuals.Fortunately, with the present of the contemporary King Mohamed 6, the situation is getting better especially with the instauration of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission. One of the most important criteria of a developed country is to respect human rights and maintain freedom for every citizen. Unfortunately, Morocco is not very good in that topic. We still have abuse of power, corrupted politicians, civil servants, and forces of security servants. Consequently, Morocco still has a long path to follow until it reaches a full status of democracy and becomes a developed country.To sum up, Morocco should have Scandinavian countries as role models since they are truly the perfect example of developed and modern nations. All the four Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland) suffered from the WW II but have reborn from their ashes like a phoenix. Morocco has never been involved in a major bloody war but still suffers from the presence of a soft power called Protectorate. As a country with a promising young population, we should be more open to the world, be working harder, pragmatic, and more tolerant to achieve the status of a developed country.