Business organisation and policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business organisation and policy - Essay Example ............................................. 6 5. Discussion of Merger Seeking...................................................................... 7 6. Conclusion..................................................................................................... 9 References / Bibliography Business organisation and policy 1. Introduction Many businesses attempt to improve their revenue stream or maintain a higher competitive advantage through the process of acquiring or merging with other successful companies. Corporations believe that they can gain a considerable growth potential, improve overall service delivery or produce better and more innovative products by consolidating talents that exist within the business being acquired and amidst the new business entity acquired. However, many board members and executives at these companies do not fully understand the realities of what affects successful acquisition and merger philosophy, with most of these driven by the external marke tplace and external stakeholders. In order to understand what causes failures in merging and acquiring other firms, it is necessary to explore real-life case histories of two different companies with radically different success and failure outcomes after merger. Air France merged with KLM and found a considerable growth potential and synergy development, whilst Daimler-Chrysler suffered substantial loss of business competitiveness and capital growth after the merger. It is likely that board members and executives, despite such a high margin of failed mergers and acquisitions, continue to seek out these opportunities for a variety of financially-based rationales, for the potential benefits achieved with shareholders and stakeholders, and as a generalised strategic methodology to improve efficiency, productivity, and cultural development. This report examines the two merged company case studies and comes to a determination as to why businesses continue to seek merger and acquisition o pportunities despite numerous failures in this process. 2. The case of Air France and KLM Air France and KLM were both highly successful airline carriers that found independent revenue growth in their home markets of France and the Netherlands respectively. Both airlines agreed that a merger would improve their competitive position in the airline marketplace and could develop long-lasting synergies that would ultimately lead to sales growth and cost reduction in key divisions of operations. The Air France and KLM merger should be considered a significant success in merger philosophy. Why is this? In key markets, Ryanair and other low cost carriers were beginning to expand their fleets by using lean models of operations that allowed for cost reduction to be passed on to consumers in the price of lower fares. This was impacting the profitability bottom line of both major carriers which had higher overhead costs and administrative costs associated with labour payments to maintain their broad hub networks. These low cost carriers were using dynamic pricing and were able to reduce marketing and advertising costs; thus, it was becoming more attractive to multiple target market consumers (Malighetti, Paleari and Redondi, 2009). Because of regulatory restrictions, Air France and KLM, separately and in their host countries and markets, could not adjust their costs of operations to successfully compete with Ryanair and other growing low cost carriers using penetration or dynamic pricing models. Together, however, it gave

Emerging Nokia Essay Example for Free

Emerging Nokia Essay 1. What strategy would you recommend for Nokia going forward? Please develop a complete strategy that addresses the following issues: Choice of scope: does it make sense for Nokia to be in both emerging and developed markets, or should they choose not to play in certain markets? How integrated should it be into manufacturing, services (apps), software development, sales, etc? Answer1: Choice of scope: With dwindling sales in developed countries like USA, UK, Germany, Russia and Italy and even in emerging markets like India, Indonesia and Brazil (as per Exhibit 1) despite previously having a stronghold, Nokia now had to decide if it should continue its focus on emerging markets or attempt to salvage the sales even in the developed markets. Status in developed markets: 1. The operators usually have more power but this was changing since the emergence of iPhone. It is a replacement market with users looking for up gradation 2. Competition- Growing competition from companies like Motorola, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson. The RIM‘s launch of Blackberry(2002) and Apple’s iPhone (2007) was a further set back 3. New Operating System- Emergence of new user friendly operating systems such as Google‘s Android and Microsoft’s Windows mobile further put Nokia on the back foot 4. Inability to understand demand- Nokia failed to identify the growing consumer need for touch screen phones 5. Target Nokia operated at all price points where as competitors like Apple (high-end segment) and Samsung( mid and high end segment) had a clearly drawn up strategy Slowdown in some emerging markets: 1. Reverse bundling allows the manufacturer to wield more power than the operator 2. There is lower cost of production which helps produce inspirational products at low rates 3. The growing competition from companies like Samsung that were offering the latest technology at competitive prices 4. Therefore, Nokia lost out on the middle and high segment but continued to grow in the low-end mobile segment as it had identified the gaps in emerging markets and customized services to suit the local consumers Nokia must recognize the difference in the different market  segments and take the challenges head on to be able to operate in both markets. It must clearly identify the segments it wants to operate in and also change its positioning based on the data below. Data from Exhibit 11: Percentage of phone sales by segment Emerging Markets Developed Countries Mid East AP w/o Japan Latin America E. Europe Japan W. Europe North America Basic 41% 43% 20% 34% 0% 4% 8% Enhanced 40% 44% 58% 45% 32% 29% 43% Smart Phones- E. level 10% 7% 12% 10% 6% 34% 8% Smart phone- Feature 10% 6% 9% 11% 62% 33% 41% Penetration 58% 45.50% 80.30% 127.50% 86.60% 122.90% 84.90% Nokia Market Share 61.40% 42.30% 32.80% 48% 0.30% 39.40% 7.20% In emerging markets, Nokia must focus on Basic and Enhanced phones, as that is the largest segment as the market is still evolving and low cost handsets coupled with customized services will help further grow its footprint. In developed countries, Nokia should look at development of high end- high technology driven models in the Smart Phones Entry Level and Feature segment. At the same time when it comes to Japan, Nokia should look to  divest as it is largely smartphone driven market and Nokia has very little market share and does not have the requisite technology to successfully compete in that segment yet. It is essential for Nokia to follow the innovations in developed countries especially USA and adapt them to developing markets if it wants to stand up against competition in both the markets. Mobile phone industry has followed the International Product Life Cycle but now they have reached a stage where different approach is required for innovation to take place in developed and developing markets to meet their specific needs. Another key thing that Nokia must do is to reconsider its Transnational Strategy and adopt a Multi-Domestic Strategy to be able to cater to the distinctive needs of both the developed and emerging markets and to be more locally responsive. Level of Integration: Manufacturing- It should continue to be highly integrated as that is its core competency and contributed to operating profits with a CAGR of 13%. It helps in cost control especially in price-sensitive emerging markets. Operating System- Low integration. The future of Symbian isn’t very bright as competitors like Android of Google and Apple already have a lot of applications to offer on their OS. hence, it must look to finding a partner for a better OS as has been shown by its adoption of windows OS. Service (Apps) Low integration. This can also be outsourced since it is not a core competency of Nokia and customer Value given to third party applications is on the rise (as per Exhibit 6) Sales and Distribution- Should be highly integrated as it has already developed a vast distribution and achieved great penetration in emerging markets which has been a source of higher margins by direct selling to consumers and is also a core competency. 2. What products should it offer smart phones, low end phones, etc? Source of advantage: what will be the distinctive competitive advantage that Nokia will offer? Choice of activities: what choices should Nokia make in all its key activities, and where will it locate those activities for eg., HR policies, manufacturing, RD, software development, sales and marketing, etc. What is the justification for your strategy recommendation? Answer2: Addressing the consumer needs should be the strategy for Nokia in both emerging and developed market. In the emerging markets where Nokia is already a leader, it should focus on catering to the growing bottom of the pyramid consumer. The biggest advantage that Nokia offers is its reach. It should focus on its complimentary telecom industry trend, specifically in India, telecom players are involved into price war and which gave customer a higher bargaining power to switch. In such case coming up with dual sim phone would cater to the primary need of market. The applications in the phone should be in sync with local leisure such as music, newspaper and such more. Instead charging user for Life tools, revenue generation should be from advertisers. Provide time bound high end test features in low end phone during successive OS updates; this will generate user awareness and need for high end smart phone. On the other hand, in developed markets, Nokia has lost its share to other players. Customer demands smartphones with high quality user interface experience and applications and data security (RIM’s competency), Nokia need to target it. Nokia’s target should be the esteem need of user. Developing an OVI ecosystem with third party app developers, advertisers through more free and few paid applications for users. This will give Nokia a distinct advantage in the market if acted as 1st mover. More investment and development for user data security will generate trust among the users. In the mobile phone industry, the product life cycle is very short. Every year a new product is available on the shelf. Hence responsiveness to the consumer’s need is a must. Nokia failed to do that this with the clamshell model in China. By the time it came out with the product, the trend for clamshell models had faded and Nokia lost out to competition. Key advantages of Nokia a. 3 distinct operating system platforms that can offer the base for wide range of products catering to all user segments. b. Longest and complex supply chain in the world. It has the most efficient sourcing, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution of any company in the world. c. Nokia offers the OVI Store: the second largest app store in the world which is growing 70% per month as per Tero Ojanpera, Nokia’s EVP for the Services. d. With the acquisition of Navteq Corporation, it has a strong presence in the GPS  world and provides a wide range of geographic image support covering almost more than 180+ countries. e. In India. Nokia has a strong hold of rural market with their distribution system handles by HCL Info systems. In Latin America, it has a dedicated team to manage the relationship with America Movil and Telefonica and to co-ordinate sales and services across the region. Choice of activities a. HR policies should be locally controlled by subsidiaries to keep local culture intact. b. Manufacturing should be done on a global scale to utilize cost and resource arbitrage. Core product RD should be centralized with satellite RD in each market to add local flavor to the product. c. Software development centers have to be installed in countries like India or Philippines to utilize local talent and expertise in software development. d. Sales and marketing should be again localized. Country specific distribution channel should be adopted.

Terry Tempest Williams and Mormonism Essay -- Terry William Mormon Ess

Terry Tempest Williams and Mormonism In Mormon religion, formal blessings of healing are given by men through the Priesthood of God. Women have no outward authority. But within the secrecy of the sisterhood we have always bestowed benisons upon our families. Mother sits up. I lay my hands upon her head and in the privacy of women, we pray. (158) Terry Tempest Williams is fully aware that she is contradicting the church when she writes â€Å"women have no outward authority,† yet she still chooses to take part in a ritual of healing that can only be performed by the men. Williams, however, does so in privacy and in the â€Å"secrecy of the sisterhood.† The word secrecy hints at the idea of doing something which is not accepted and against certain beliefs of today’s church. She was born and raised in a home of devout Mormons who follow the traditional beliefs of their faith. She acknowledges that the Mormon Church places great importance on obedience. In college she began to question her faith and today would not consider herself an â€Å"orthodox Mormon,† although Mormonism still has an impact in her life and work. In her writing, Williams continually contradicts the values of the Mormons. In Refuge, she subtly defied the restrictions inflicted upon women by the Mormon Church. She briefly addressed the issue of having children and the role of women. Williams’ family, for the most part was very supportive of her book. It was met, however, with some criticism from Mormon academic journals, disapproving of her defiance towards the church. In an interview Williams said, â€Å"that obedience in the name of religion or patriotism ultimately takes our souls. So I think it's this larger issue of what is acceptable and what is not; where d... ...mately takes our lives.† She is consistently but subtly challenging the orthodoxy of Mormonism. (http://www.insideoutsidemag.com/archives/articles/2001/09/terry_tempest_williams.asp) Williams will continue to act in civil disobedience against some of the beliefs held in the Mormon Church; questioning everything she is taught. She attributes her work in part to her faith. This is perhaps because of her upbringing in Mormonism and her vision of a person in white that confirmed her faith. The love she had for her mother was perhaps another reason; Williams’ mother was a devout Mormon who took her religion seriously and closely followed its traditions. The independent spirit that she possesses, however, keeps her from accepting Mormonism in its entirety. She believes that it is right to challenge one’s beliefs, that it prevents one from blindly accepting everything.

Bible - Why Thirst :: essays research papers

Why Thirst John 4:13 states â€Å"Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.† Why Thirst I grew up in a church congregation that taught of God’s vengeance and not of God’s love. I spent the majority of my pre-teen, teen and adult years in fear of God. In fear of what would happen when I sinned. And of course I did sin. Instead of asking God for forgiveness for what I deemed unforgivable sins, I figured in my own mind, that since I was going to Hell, I might as well continue to sin. Today, I will share with you my life choices, my life circumstances and the plan that God had all along for my life to serve him. I Thirsted The summer before I went to fifth grade, my family moved. I was taken out of my comfort zone with my friends I had since before kindergarten and moved to an unknown. My Mom and Dad wanted me to be in a better school and since my mother worked for the Board of Education, she knew the school system she wanted me to be in. The neighborhood we had just moved to had just begun to be segregated. That year I was called the â€Å"N† word for the first time and really the only time I could think of. I did find a friend before school started. This friend and my choice to remain her friend would begin to mold my life early on. The funny thing is the harder I try, I cannot seem to remember my â€Å"friends† name. She moved within the first year of my being there and besides I have a horrible memory. We played with each other over the summer and went to school in the fall. Within the first week one of the â€Å"popular† girls told me that if I continued to be friends with this girl, I could not be in the crowd because they did not like this girl. I selected friendship over popularity and this affected my self esteem for the rest of my school years. The popular people begin avoiding me and out and out calling me names. They would taunt me telling me how ugly I was, how my face was filled with pimples, how I was smelly, how I looked like a giraffe, and so on.

Area of knowledge Essay

It can certainly be argued that though language and emotion play vital roles within any area of knowledge, it is within history that it manifests itself the clearest. History as an area of knowledge presents an opportunity to explore the implications of both language and emotion, and their effect on interpreting history. The understanding of such information is integral to resolving one of the key knowledge issues regarding history: the question of whether it is possible to attain or communicate knowledge through history that is free from filters and biases. The answer to this question is crucial to the further comprehension of what is history as a whole. But before examining language and emotion in the context of history, it is important to define what exactly these words are describing, and understand the values and limitations of both of these ways of knowing separately. Language is defined as a rule-governed, intended form of communication and is one of the main ways of attaining information of the external. It is useful for conveying concepts that are intangible, such as that of history. However, it is merely a tool, a vehicle by which information can travel, and is subject to ambiguity, vagueness, and bias. Emotion as a way of knowing is often defined as a mechanism which gives intuition and helps decision making, but is also commonly cited as an obstruction to knowledge. These two ways of knowing have a great impact upon the acquisition of knowledge in history. One could argue that without language, there would be no history or historical knowledge. Such a bold statement can be made for a variety of reasons, one being primarily that unlike emotion and sense perception, two others way of knowing, language is the most ‘able’ tool in the transfer of knowledge across time. And unlike reason, language can qualitatively describe as well as outline the experiences of individuals in a way that reason cannot fully emulate. One does not need to be (or rather, cannot be) at the decisive Battle of Iwo Jima to know there was an Allied victory, knowledge that sense perception and emotion could not derive. The utility of language is that it enables us acquire knowledge of the external efficiently. This is not to say that language is the perfect mechanism for knowledge transfer in history. As stated above, language is a tool that, once interpreted, will lead to biases as both the sender and receiver’s paradigm will contribute to a certain predisposition regarding any topic spoken. It allows us to label and generalize, to set up a conceptual framework based on relativity. Arbitrary time frames can be set up within history, such as Before Common Era, which when considered seem quite useful in that it allows for quick citation, but is also perplexing. How exactly did people define the ‘Common Era’? To refer to a date in relation to the death of one man allows us to further question why this particular man was chosen. Again this ties into the bias with language, as anyone referencing BCE is undoubtedly predisposed towards Western thinking. Even I retain these biases as well, always confused momentarily whenever I am exposed to the time frame established in Thai culture, such as 2553 (which is coincidentally also referenced to the death of another man). It appears that although language can and does lead to historical knowledge in methods that other ways of knowing cannot, language can never lead to truly objective information precisely for the same reason that it is useful: it is all relative to the paradigm which one is under. The impact of labeling and generalizations also touches upon the realm of emotion and its effects upon history. The age-old adage proclaims that â€Å"history is written by the victors†1 and the victors will more often than not think positively about themselves but not of their opponents. For example, during my Thai history class, my teacher will go at great lengths to explain the courageous nature of the Thai people and the savagery of the Burmese for invading our land, and yet do a complete about face and call the occupation of Malaysia and Cambodia as a noble conquest. This invocation of pride and patriotism is a variety of emotion known as nationalism. And it is this nationalism, or a similar emotional feeling of loyalty, that has fueled much of current history. If language is the tool with which we talk about history, emotion is what caused us to talk about it in the first place. The statement that is being suggested is that the course of human civilization for the past ten thousand years can be charted with the emotions, on the basis that humans are not perfectly rational. Emotional attachments to kingdoms, countries, or governments caused many to go to war; scientific advances were fueled by the undying joy associated with innovation; Adam Smith proposed capitalism to compensate for the inherent greed within us all. Indeed, a more specific event would be the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001AD. The attack upon the US caused uproar, an escalation of foreign policy security, and a worsening of relations with the Middle East. The many religious motives for such an event leave no doubt that it was based off of emotion, but it remains unclear what the main cause was for. Again, it appears that to mark history as objective facts becomes increasingly hard as the subjective emotions that one has muddle the cause for events. One cannot state that a certain event in history occurred because of another singular event; rather, one must say that it was the amalgamation of these that caused any event. In essence, it appears that emotion and language both play a key role in history, one for it and one about it. However, it seems that these two ways of knowing interact with history in such a way as to make the objective deduction of historical knowledge difficult. Though one can argue that the imposition of conceptual frameworks and the emotionally fuelled decisions are not mutually exclusive with an objective history, it remains that within any human society there will exist a paradigm, a filter, a bias. And in these items will lay prejudice. A quote by Friedrich Nietzche summarizes this: â€Å"To the extent that man has for long ages believed in the concepts and names of things as in aeternae veritates he has appropriated to himself that pride by which he raised himself above the animal: he really thought that in language he possessed knowledge of the world.† We may pride ourselves on being more civilized than animals and for having language, but it is foolish to assume that with only these tools that we have gained any knowledge of the world apart from our own.

Free Essays on The Early Life Of Gnaeus Pompey And His Youth

Pompey was born Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in Rome on September 29, 106 BC, into a senatorial family. His father, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, was consul in 89 BC. Pompey belonged to the senatorial nobility, although his family first achieved the office of consul only in 141. Fluent in Greek and a lifelong and intimate friend of Greek literati, he must have had the normal education of a young Roman nobleman. His early experience though, was on the staff of his father did much to form his character, develop his military capabilities, and arouse his political ambition. How Gnaeus Pompey Began His Career At the age of seventeen Pompey fought, along with his father, on the side of Lucius Cornelius Sulla against the faction of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna. In eighty-four BC he raised three legions and defeated the Marian party. He was later sent to destroy the remnants of the Marian faction in Africa and Sicily. On his triumphant return to Rome he was honored with the title Magnus, or the Great. Later on in sixty-six to sixty-seven BC, Pompey cleared the Mediterranean Sea of pirates and was subsequently sixty-five and sixty-two BC, Pompey conquered not only Mithridates but also Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia, and Antiochus XIII of Syria. He also subdued the Jews and captured Jerusalem. On his return to Italy he disbanded his army and in sixty-one BC entered Rome in triumph for the third time. After his return he was anxious that the Senate should ratify his acts in Asia and certain lands be apportioned among his veterans. The Senate, however, declined to accede to his wishes, and Pompey, turning against the aristocratic party, now formed a close alliance with Julius Caesar, and the two men, together with Crassus, formed in sixty BC the First Triumvirate. Caesar's daughter Julia was given in marriage to Pompey and the following year Caesar repaired to Gaul, and there for nine years carried on a career of conquest while... Free Essays on The Early Life Of Gnaeus Pompey And His Youth Free Essays on The Early Life Of Gnaeus Pompey And His Youth Pompey was born Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in Rome on September 29, 106 BC, into a senatorial family. His father, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, was consul in 89 BC. Pompey belonged to the senatorial nobility, although his family first achieved the office of consul only in 141. Fluent in Greek and a lifelong and intimate friend of Greek literati, he must have had the normal education of a young Roman nobleman. His early experience though, was on the staff of his father did much to form his character, develop his military capabilities, and arouse his political ambition. How Gnaeus Pompey Began His Career At the age of seventeen Pompey fought, along with his father, on the side of Lucius Cornelius Sulla against the faction of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna. In eighty-four BC he raised three legions and defeated the Marian party. He was later sent to destroy the remnants of the Marian faction in Africa and Sicily. On his triumphant return to Rome he was honored with the title Magnus, or the Great. Later on in sixty-six to sixty-seven BC, Pompey cleared the Mediterranean Sea of pirates and was subsequently sixty-five and sixty-two BC, Pompey conquered not only Mithridates but also Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia, and Antiochus XIII of Syria. He also subdued the Jews and captured Jerusalem. On his return to Italy he disbanded his army and in sixty-one BC entered Rome in triumph for the third time. After his return he was anxious that the Senate should ratify his acts in Asia and certain lands be apportioned among his veterans. The Senate, however, declined to accede to his wishes, and Pompey, turning against the aristocratic party, now formed a close alliance with Julius Caesar, and the two men, together with Crassus, formed in sixty BC the First Triumvirate. Caesar's daughter Julia was given in marriage to Pompey and the following year Caesar repaired to Gaul, and there for nine years carried on a career of conquest while...

The Views of Schechner and Barba

The Views of Schechner and Barba Free Online Research Papers Both Schechner and Barba have made irrefutably great impacts upon theatre and specifically the field of theatre anthropology. They also wrote letters of correspondence frequently to one another and there is no doubt that neither’s career would be as colourful or celebrated were it not for the other’s. While these two great masters wrote vast portions of the accepted text on modern and post-modern performance, they did not come into competition nor disagreement as they worked to their own beliefs and agreed upon a great deal of theory. The approach they operated by in their lives was not identical however, and so this essay endeavours to find both the common ground and the differences in the attitudes they held and that shaped so many of their followers’ paths. The difference between performing myself acting out a dream [] and more formal â€Å"presentations of self†(see Goffman 1959)-is a difference of degree, not kind. (Schechner, 1995; p37) This statement is bold and while it may seem obvious that the distinction between theatrical performance of a past or other’s experience differs from one’s own immediate expression, this work will examine the differing views on the matter. One example of a basic notion at which the two were at odds was the very definition of performance. Schechner demonstrated that, in an airtight definition, the word ‘performance’ would have to be broad enough to cover almost anything intentionally communicated from one individual to another. Not only this, but the idea of being in a performance role was central to discovering how daily life could be seen as a conscious or unconscious expression. Schechner describes everyday life as a series of performative modes that determine our behaviour in different situations; we switch between these modes fluidly and with some overlapping. Any event, action or behaviour may be examined â€Å"as† performance [] More and more people experience their lives as a connected series of performances that often overlap: dressing up for a party, interviewing for a job,[] playing a life role such as mother or son, or a professional role such as doctor or teacher. (Schechner 2006: p49) Schechner says this to describe the positions in life that we all adopt; perhaps unconsciously when putting on a uniform and feeling more assertive or wearing a team’s colours and identifying to greater extent when they are portrayed as winners or losers, when entering a classroom as a lecturer rather than a student, when at a funeral behaving more solemnly; these are all masks we adopt to behave as we are expected to. Not only this, but the idea that in today’s world we have to switch between these roles at a faster rate implies certain attitudes towards modern technology on Schechner’s part. Certainly Schechner supports the view of respected anthropologist/sociologist, Erving Goffman in the broader definition of performance and he cites him regularly. Here is an excerpt from a psychology textbook demonstrating that Goffman is seen to have a theatrical perspective on this matter: Selves are constructed, modified and played out in interaction with other people. Since the self that one projects has consequences for how others react, people try to control the self that they present. Goffman (1959) likens this process of impression management to theatre, where people take on different roles for different audiences. (Hogg Vaughan, 2002: 138) The detailed psychological texts go so far as to wonder to what degree different situations affect behaviour. ‘Researchers have coined the term strong situation to refer to situations in which nearly all people react in similar ways.’ (Larsen Buss 2002: 302) Eugenio Barba however, describes performers as those who specifically elaborate movement into ‘extra-daily techniques’. He argues, in terms that are not entirely contradictory, that those who perform for our pleasure in the arena of Theatre Anthropology, perform something abstract and extrapolated from normal, functional movement. The way we use our bodies in daily life is substantially different from the way we use them in performance. We are not conscious of our daily techniques: we move, we sit, we carry things, [] the body’s daily techniques can be replaced by extra-daily techniques [] Performers use these extra-daily techniques. (Barba Savarese, 2006: 7) Barba makes a distinction between these techniques when he acknowledges the qualities of either technique in relation to everyday activities. He specifically points out that there is a distinction between what a performer does and what a normal uninitiated person does for the purpose of expression – Schechner’s view is somewhat counter to that; no real barriers lie between the performative and behavioural, it is just a matter of categorisation. Barba explains the virtues of such elaborate display as a commitment to the performance: Daily body techniques generally follow the principle of minimum effort,[] Extra-daily techniques are based, on the contrary, on the wasting of energy []the expression which spectators used to thank performers at the end of a performance : otsukaresama. The meaning of this expression [] is: ‘You have tired yourself out for me’. (Barba, 1995; p15-16) That a person would exaggerate a movement in any direction is obviously a departure from the practical and now takes the action into the realm of the more aesthetic. The purpose of over-performing of an action could be to make a caricature of the action as a mime would embellish his movements to combat the fact that his object is not there. Alternatively, and, as is far more often the case in Theatre Anthropology, the elaborated movements are no longer even recognisable as purposeful movements and might not even have been adapted from a daily technique but instead are rich expressions in their own right. While reproducing each variation, each dynamic of the hand in life, the positions of the hand are dictated by economy, each superfluous detail having been removed. The codification of Japanese performers’ hands does not express words but rather precise meaning [] This is the result of a process whose purpose is to retain only what is essential and can be considered as an example par excellence of the transition from daily technique to extra-daily technique. (Barba Savarese 2006: 160) Exactly what it was that was being represented by some cultures’ gestures and expressions was a matter for debate and historical analysis and even the idea of representation was not a consensus view in academic circles. Schechner was not in full agreement with Barba when it came to the purpose of representation and its use in performative situations. ‘[]what people in northern Hindi-speaking India see acted out in Ramlila, tells them how to act in their daily lives; and how they act in their daily lives affects the staging of the Ramlila. (Schechner, 1995; p37)’ This is that same examination of the anthropology of one culture set to the task, as western theatre has been, of representing reality – art imitates life, imitates art. This is a well-accepted view of theatre. The ‘precise meaning’ described above is culture-specific of course but with Barba, all is fair game for appropriation or examination. This ideology of bartering and exchange with every culture that Barba encounters is one main way in which the two practitioners differ; Schechner does not seek out whatever is called theatre in other cultures but applies a wide definition of performance to any new culture and its practices as they are encountered. Schechner also was a staunch advocate of theatre as release and exercise for the performer. []Schechner refused the idea that the performer has to represent the role and, in this sense, to embody it. ‘Rather, there is a role and the person of the performer; both role and performer are plainly perceivable by the spectator. The feelings are those of the performer as stimulated by the actions of the role at the moment of performance’ (Schechner 1973: 166) (Erika Fischer-Lichte 2005: 224) This seems to blur the lines of reality and representation and maybe contradict what Schechner advocates originally as a sociologist’s expertise, because when Turner and Fauconnier describe the idea of ‘doubleness’, on the same page is a claim that Goffman agrees with them that a performer is (at least traditionally) feigning another’s person’s actions. In the way that Schechner directs, perhaps the actors are better integrated into the role but we can see two separate models of true theatre arising here: Given cognitive blending, it is clear that all plays onstage involve spectator recognition of theatrical framing. As Erving Goffman understood, such frames implicitly separate everyday realities from realities that are meant to be understood as distinctive kinds of practices and events. (Phillips 2005: 11) Barba is adamant to state to one of the actors with whom he works, that unless your mind is committed to the representation, then the performance will fail. This half-heartedness is not necessarily a mechanical thing and the wincing expression on a performer’s face can be likened to this failure to embrace the art. One point upon which the two agree is the concept that there is some degree of commitment necessitated for the actor’s life and the performative moment to be compatible if only for that in one instance in which there are observers. I don’t believe what you are doing. Your body clearly says: ‘I have been told to do this’. Your nerves, your brain, your spine are not totally engaged [] How then can you expect the spectator to be gripped by your action? (Barba 1999: 34) There is agreement between the two practitioners on the notion of an all-embracing theatre, where the performers commit their lives to their performance. There is little distinction to be made between life and theatre when one’s life is forever directed towards theatrical expertise like the lives of Kathakali performers. In an interview with Schechner, when asked what Kazou Ohno does to relax after giving a performance, Ohno expresses his view that there is no difference now between his day-to-day life and being on stage; this is where the title of the article Kazou Ohno Doesn’t Commute comes from. (Schechner, R. Ohno, K., 1986: p169) There is no distance that Ohno must metaphorically travel in order to arrive in the state of mind in which he works; he is always there. Similarly the actors on Schechner’s Dionysus 69 are very much engaged with the emotions and treat the performance as more than a representation; ‘[] Dionysus is not a play to me. I do not act in Dionysus. Dionysus is my ritual. (Schechner 1970) (Erika Fischer-Lichte 2005: 224)’ Barba continues this thought, explaining how an actor’s mind has practised routines within it and can accept the ‘doubleness’ or ‘suspension of disbelief’ in order to enter a world which is more abstra cted and open to non-realistic interpretations of the world and action within it. Exercises are small labyrinths that the actors’ body-minds can trace and retrace in order to incorporate a paradoxical way of thinking, thereby distancing themselves from their own daily behaviour and entering the domain of the stage’s extra-daily behaviour. (Barba 1997: 128) In conclusion, two of the largest names in Performance are different enough that they do not enter into direct competition but are respectful enough that they need not disagree upon the vast amount of work accrued and accredited by one another. The comparison is further complicated by the different areas in which the two hold authority; Barba deals almost exclusively in Theatre Anthropology and Schechner has a far broader experience and expertise, concerning himself with a far more general field perhaps best, and most vaguely, described as Performance. It is Schechner’s prerogative to be concerned with something so all-entailing as his position at The Drama Review would require and so he makes a good case for his own particular outlook. In a number of open letters to Schechner, Barba would hint at their difference in taste, for instance, here is an excerpt from a letter in 1991: You would have enjoyed being here in Holstebro during these days because you like to move in that no man’s land between daily life and the organised performance situation, between performance and ritual. (Barba 1999: 148) Perhaps this quote betrays something of resentment for Schechner’s view of performance but perhaps the expression ‘no man’s land’ could be better interpreted as a recognition of bravery in uncertain territory. Bibliography Barba, E. (1997) An Amulet of Memory: The Significance of Exercises in the Actor’s Dramaturgy TDR Vol. 41, no. 4 (Winter 1997) pp127-132 Barba, E. (1999) Theatre: Solitude Craft Revolt. Suffolk, Black Mountain Press Barba, E. Savarese, N. (2006) A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of The Performer 2nd ed. New York, Routledge Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life. New York, Doubleday Anchor Hogg, M. A. Vaughan, G. M. (2002) Social Psychology 3rd ed. Gosport, Pearson Prentice Hall Christoffersen, Erik Exe. The actors way / Erik Exe Christoffersen ; translated [from the Danish] by Richard Fowler. Published by Skuespillerens vandring. English Publisher London : Routledge, 1993. Towards a poor theatre / Jerzy Grotowski ; edited by Eugenio Barba ; with a preface by Peter Brook. London : Eyre Methuen, [1976] The paper canoe : a guide to theatre anthropology / Eugenio Barba ; translated by Richard Fowler. Canoa di carta. English London : Routledge, 1995 Larsen, R. J. Buss, D. M. (2002) Personality Psychology: Domains Of Knowledge About Human Nature. New York, McGraw-Hill. Phillips, M. S. (2005) Theatre, War and Propaganda 1930-2005: Theatre Symposium Volume 14. Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama Press Title Fifty key theatre directors / edited by Shomit Mitter and Maria Shevtsova. London : Routledge, 2005 Author Schechner, Richard. Between theater anthropology / Richard Schechner ; foreword by Victor Turner. Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, 1985. The future of ritual : writings on culture and performance / Richard Schechner. London : Routledge, 1993. Performance theory / Richard Schechner. Edition Rev. and expanded ed. New York ; London : Routledge, 1988. Performance studies : an introduction / Richard Schechner. 2nd ed. New York ; London : Routledge, 2006. Land of ashes and diamonds : my apprenticeship in Poland / Eugenio Barba. followed by 26 letters from Jerzy Grotowski to Eugenio Barba. European contemporary classics theatre Aberystwyth : Black Mountain Press, c1999. Schechner, R. Ohno, K. (1986) Kazou Ohno Doesn’t Commute: An Interview TDR Vol 30, no. 2 (Winter 1986) pp163-169 Research Papers on The Views of Schechner and BarbaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementStandardized TestingBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XResearch Process Part OneCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionMind Travel

ch. 27 intro. to music Essays

ch. 27 intro. to music Essays ch. 27 intro. to music Paper ch. 27 intro. to music Paper Essay Topic: Poetry Schumann wrote his song cycle A Poets Love during his year of song, in which he wrote hundreds of Lieder and also married Clara Schumann. True The form of Schuberts Lied Elfking is through-composed. True The song form that combines features of strophic and through-composed forms is called modified strophic. True ____________ is NOT an important composer of nineteenth-century Lieder. Heinrich Heine The favorite subjects for the Romantic poets were: love, longing, and nature. Schubert composed over six hundred Lieder. True Schubert was born in: Vienna Franz Schubert was a thoroughly Romantic composer whose music abandoned the forms and stylistic principles of Classicism. False Schubert lived a tragically short life but was a remarkably prolific composer of: all of the above Schumanns A Poets Love is a: song cycle. Robert Schumann ended his career and life: in an asylum, the result of mental illness. The favorite Romantic poets for the composers of Lieder were: Goethe and Heine. In which form is the Lied Elfking? through-composed A song form in which the same melody is repeated with every stanza of text is called: strophic Goethe and Heine were two of the leading nineteenth-century writers whose poetry was set by Lieder composers. True Schubert organized evening gatherings of artists, writers, and musicians, called: Schubertiads. Which of the following does NOT describe Schumanns In the lovely month of May? It ends with harmonic resolution. Robert Schumanns wife, Clara, was: all of the above A group of Lieder unified by some narrative thread or a descriptive or expressive theme is called: a song cycle. Which of the following was NOT a typical theme of the Romantic Lied? praise of the Virgin Mary Schumann concentrated on intimate piano and vocal works and wrote no symphonies. False A German-texted song with piano accompaniment that sets a short lyric poem is called: a Lied. The rise of the piano as a household instrument influenced the popularity of the Lied. True A song structure that is composed from beginning to end without repetition of whole sections is called: through-composed. A song in which the same melody is repeated with every stanza of the text is in strophic form. True Schumanns In the lovely month of May is from which song cycle? A Poets Love In Schuberts Elfking, the obsessive triplet rhythm of the piano accompaniment represents: the galloping of the horse. Approximately how many songs did Schubert compose? more than 600 The composer who founded the New Journal of Music was: Robert Schumann. Robert Schumanns A Poets Love is set to texts by: Heinrich Heine. A song that is composed from beginning to end without repetitions of whole sections is in strophic form. False What is the form of In the lovely month of May? strophic Which musical devices help to portray the childs terror in Elfking? high range and dissonance The mood of Schumanns In the lovely month of May is joyful and exuberant. False Robert Schumann was married to the gifted pianist and composer Clara Wieck. True Which of the following does NOT describe Schumanns A Poets Love? It tells a detailed story of a lost love. A song form where the main melody is repeated for two or three stanzas but has new or significantly varied material introduced when the text requires it is called: modified strophic. Schuberts prolific output includes works of every major genre. True Schubert wrote several song cycles, including: Winters Journey. In which genre is Schubert NOT indebted to Classical traditions? Lied Schuberts song Elfking was a setting of the ballad written by: Goethe The German term for the art song is: Lied Schumann was a carefree spirit with a happy disposition who lived a long, productive life as a composer. False The poem Elfking was written by Heinrich Heine. False Which of the following is true of Schuberts Elfking? all of the above

Woody allen's films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Woody allen's films - Essay Example aracters’ problems too easily and therefore, his humor serves a detrimental purpose in draining away the potential value that his films could represent. This is opposed to the view of Nangy Pogel who affectionately refers to Allen as the â€Å"little man† and views his humor as a cartoonic representation of the Director. Girgus sees a more serious purpose behind Allen’s view and is of the view that it serves to deepen the intricacy of the narrative rather than detract from it. In his criticism of Allen’s films, Carney therefore differs from these other two authors in that he views the humor in Allen’s films as an element that detracts from the real value that his films could have. Carney is critical of Woody Allen’s use of humor in the context of the real problems that the characters in his films may face. He points to the example of Hannah’s drug problem in the film Hannah and her sisters. Holly has a serious problem of drug addiction, yet it is never presented as such in the film, although the problem is mentioned in almost every scene in which the character of Hannah appears. Her muddled state and her pleas for money while in a drug induced state are presented in an endearing rather than a frightening manner. She is openly shown taking drugs in only one scene, when she goes on a date with Mickey (played by Allen). Yet the scene that ensues after she takes drugs is full of gaffes and jokes and it ends up with Hannah being cured of her drug problem. This is another aspect that Carney is critical of – the manner in which serious problems are often revealed only at the end and then miraculously cured through the use of humor. In the film Annie Hall, when Annie is almost being induced to try drugs, the character of Alvy tries the drug and sneezes the powder all over the room, thereby dispelling the frightening moment when Annie could have slipped into that dangerous state in a puff of powder humor, and the problem ends right there and the time bomb is

Selling & Sales Management Best Practices Assignment

Selling & Sales Management Best Practices - Assignment Example Customers have become more selective and look for high value in return of their money. This has increase the competition among different companies in order to capture the larger share of wallet of the customers. As a result there has been increasing pressure on the sales team of the organisation. This current recession has increased pressure on organizations and sales teams to be successful. It is critical for organizations to carefully analyse and explore the situation and factors influencing the industry in which an organisation operates and methods used for analysing their internal and external environment in order to come up with victorious sales strategies and tactics. Organisations need to carefully monitor and evaluate the overall industry and identify important trends or patterns. The exploration of the overall size and dynamics of the industry facilitate the organisation in the process of identifying different opportunities and threats and allow the organisation to understand the changing factors along with the important players of the industry. In order to target the customers the companies can use the demographics and psychographics factors. Miller et al (2011), stresses that psychological factors are crucial to identify the special psychological needs and preferences of the target market. It is important for organisations to monitor their competitors and seek to create a unique point of difference to give them that competitive advantage and differentiation from them. They need to be innovative to capture a larger market share and increase sales. Mitchell (xxxx) recommends creating a clear cut edge on their competitors on the basis of the effective and efficient customer relationship management with the help of the sales personnel and sales team. This can be seen at Louis Coupland, his company created a and unique selling point of difference, where sale phone is made after a sale to

Sources for the Design of the Taj Mahal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sources for the Design of the Taj Mahal - Essay Example The Emperor and his court mourned Mumtaz Mahal for two years and he decided to commemorate his beloved wife with a building that which had no equal in the world. Mumtaz Mahal was laid to rest on the banks of the Jamuna river and a council of the best architects were assembled to prepare the designs for the memorial. Some experts attribute the design to Geronimo Veronneo, an Italian in the service of the Mughal emperors. However, others credit Ustad Isa Khan Effendi, a Persian, and his pupil Ustad Ahmad who did the detailed work. Ismail Khan designed the famous dome. It took 22 years to build the more than 20-storey edifice which required a total of 20,000 workers to finish. Craftsmen from as far as Turkey were engaged to contribute their talents. Precious stones were imported from foreign lands. The marble was quarried at Makrana, close to Jodhpur. A ramp stretching two miles was built to reach the level of the dome. According to local lore, Shah Jahan ordered the right hand of the chief mason to be cut off upon the building's completion so that his work cannot be recreated. Another legend relates that the Shah wanted to build another Taj across the river, this one made entirely of black marble. The symmetrically designed Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform and is surrounded by four minarets. Built during the height of the Mughal empire with its unparalleled riches, the best materials and adornments were utilized to furnish and decorate the Taj Mahal. There were rich Persian carpets, gold lamps and candlesticks. Beautiful mosaic works and precious stones were also used to decorate the building's interior. Two great silver doors were said to have been melted down by Suraj Mal in 1764. A sheet of pearls covering Mumtaz Mahal's sarcophagus was carried away by Amir Hussein Ali Khan in 1720. The surroundings of the Taj Mahal have been restored in accordance with the original designs of Ali Mardan, a nobleman in Shah Jahan's court. A red sandstone channel set between two rows of cypress trees dominates the main vista. The main entrance is located at the west side of the building but there are two other entrances from the west and east. The main gateway is a sandstone structure standing three storeys high. It has an octagonal central chamber with smaller rooms on each side. The walls are filled with inscriptions of verses from the Quran. The white marble which was quarried from Makrana varies in its tint and tone, changing with the light at various times of the day. Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom wrote in The Art and Architecture of Islam (1994) that the edifice stands on a large garden of quadripartite chahar bagh which measures 1,900 feet by 1,000 feet. Being at the north end of the garden and along the riverbank, a large gateway at the south end provides balance to the tomb. The tomb's plan and massing is a refinement of Humayun's tomb in Delhi. The large bulbous dome of the mausoleum is more logically connected to its octagonal rooms compared to those of Humayun's tomb, and is framed by four minarets. The white marble is delicately polished and the details of its carvings are intricate that they render a carefully balanced image on the channel. The symmetrical design is further balanced by a

Service Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service Reflection - Essay Example I once worked at an after school child program where it was my responsibility to help children with their homework. Being a person without very good English skills, I was worried that the children would not understand what was being said, so I was only able to help with mathematics. Mathematics is a universal language so I thought this would make up for my lack of English-speaking skills. It was my responsibility in this role to help children achieve their greatest successes, even when the children were difficult and hard to manage. This is part of Jesus’ teaching on servant leadership: To do unto others as one would have done unto yourself. I tried to remember this when working with small children, as they need a person who is willing to provide patience and understanding even when they are naughty. By not immediately responding to my own attitudes and concerns about my own weaknesses in English teaching skills, I realized that the children had many positive qualities that would help me reach them better. If I had not drawn on these teachings provided by the Holy Bible, I would not have been able to drop my own fears about insecurity. This is why I am thankful for having servant leadership qualities that were given to me by faith and conviction. When working with the children, I realized that they had many needs. Some of these needs were emotional and others were to have help in order to give them better academic successes. Only a good leader that understands the servant leadership beliefs of religion would be able to reject their own needs in order to provide a better learning experience for the small children. When working with one specific child named Patrick, who was very difficult to teach because of his behavior and attitudes, I realized that the many lessons inspired by Jesus Christ would help me to reach him better. I suddenly realized during the experience that this child needed someone who would be tolerant

Michael Ray Charles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Michael Ray Charles - Essay Example Michael Ray Charles paintings included characters African American characters like mammies, coons, and even sambos. This type of painting precipitated from the infusion of irony and wit on racism issues. His paintings showed old fashioned themes. His popularity as a realism painter resulted to the solo display of his paintings in exhibitions in Art Museum of the University of Houston in Texas, Moody Gallery in Houston, Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York and even far way Galerie Hans Mayer in Dusseldorf, Germany(Heller and Pettit,205). Further, he presented real-life situations in a subtle way as an artist. The appendix shows that Michael Ray Charles is currently the Studio Art Professor, MFA handling Drawing Painting Subject in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. His paintings display racism as a reality. He paints pictures in a comedic way. He is popularly known for his use of African Americans to humiliate situations and postures of his time. Mammy, as shown in the appendix, symbolizes an African American woman taking soothing care of a white child(Wallace -Sanders, 143). Furthermore, he was unafraid of the consequences of his convictions. Some sectors believe that Michael Ray Charles’s paintings should be censored from elementary students due to the strong race themes. A person viewing his paintings ought to have the intellectual capacity and maturity to comprehend what is the story behind each of his paintings. Some sectors of American society object to the exhibition of Michael Ray Charles’ paintings because it demeans them especially when the topic of the classroom teacher is racism. Eisner and Day saw many fistfights inside a racially mixed classroom between the 1960s and 1970s when teachers would show films to youngsters of lynching in the South.

Service Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service Reflection - Essay Example I once worked at an after school child program where it was my responsibility to help children with their homework. Being a person without very good English skills, I was worried that the children would not understand what was being said, so I was only able to help with mathematics. Mathematics is a universal language so I thought this would make up for my lack of English-speaking skills. It was my responsibility in this role to help children achieve their greatest successes, even when the children were difficult and hard to manage. This is part of Jesus’ teaching on servant leadership: To do unto others as one would have done unto yourself. I tried to remember this when working with small children, as they need a person who is willing to provide patience and understanding even when they are naughty. By not immediately responding to my own attitudes and concerns about my own weaknesses in English teaching skills, I realized that the children had many positive qualities that would help me reach them better. If I had not drawn on these teachings provided by the Holy Bible, I would not have been able to drop my own fears about insecurity. This is why I am thankful for having servant leadership qualities that were given to me by faith and conviction. When working with the children, I realized that they had many needs. Some of these needs were emotional and others were to have help in order to give them better academic successes. Only a good leader that understands the servant leadership beliefs of religion would be able to reject their own needs in order to provide a better learning experience for the small children. When working with one specific child named Patrick, who was very difficult to teach because of his behavior and attitudes, I realized that the many lessons inspired by Jesus Christ would help me to reach him better. I suddenly realized during the experience that this child needed someone who would be tolerant

The necessity of Government Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The necessity of Government - Article Example This paper helps to provide an insight regarding renowned mine disasters that took place in the United states of America and how the presence of the government has been necessary in order to counter these disasters and keep the people together in a calm and dignified manner so that they are able to cope up with the effects of these mine disasters. The Centralia Mine disaster took place on the 25th of March in the year 1947, in the Centralia coal mine in Illinois. According to reports, the disaster killed around eleven people and was caused because the coal dust was ignited by a shot blown out of proportion, causing havoc and upheaval. During the time that the shot took place, around 65 workers within the mine itself were injured severely and died. (Drogin, Bob, and Nicole Santa Cruz) The Sago mine disaster on the other hand took place in the year 2000 in Sago, West Virginia and has been recorded as one of the worst mine disasters that the United States of America has been hit by or h as faced. According to this blast, around thirteen people had been trapped alive within the mine out of which twelve of them had been able to survive and make it out alive. The blast received a great amount of media coverage and press coverage by various news channels and newspapers. (Feds Blame Mine Operator for Fatal Collapse) In Utah, the Crandall Canyon Mine has been known for a long time for its supply of bituminous coal and in the year 2007, this mine suffered a collapse because of which six miners had been trapped within its confines. Even the rescue workers who were trying to uncover and find the trapped miners were found dead. The miners were never found and thus had been declared dead by the government within a matter of a month. (Roston, Aram) All these incidents taking place mean that there needs to be a certain existence of law and order with respect to taking proper care and caution of the resources that exist within the environment around society, and such action need s to be carried out by the government. Different mine disasters taking place during different points in history simply calls for the government not being responsible enough to take care of and call for action regarding doing something or taking certain precautionary measures for both the miners and rescue workers as well as the people living in nearby towns and villages. The main similarities between all the mine disasters that have been talked about above are the number of people that were killed as well as the fact that nothing was done in order to make the situation better for the people. The government is a very necessary element required within society especially during such times of need when the resources of the country are being utilized in a manner not befitting society. In this case, the mines are a part of the country and need to be handled with care on part of the government. The biggest question is why proper care was not taken in the later years after having experience d deadly mine disasters in the 90s already. It is important for a country to have a government that is able to carry out action in a manner befitting the people. The g

European trails Essay Example for Free

European trails Essay As I amazed with the beauty of the European trails through backpacking, I began to investigate some of the reasons behind these magnificent sceneries. Since I have not been in Europe, the internet and my friends who have been in Europe are my two primary source of information. But the former gives a lot more details and information regarding Europe as compared to the stories of my friends. Internet could give information on the whereabouts of these places as well as the price tags of these adventures. The All Mountain Vacation web page is one of the sites that I tried to get the necessary information. It gives the minute details on how to get in a backpacker’s site in France. It includes the information about the whereabouts of the hotels and restaurants to dine in. also, the page includes the description of the terrains and the history of the place. It is very exciting to know that they preserve this beautiful region for such a very long time. They include the first hotel to stay in. They also mentioned the level of difficulty in tracking down the terrains. One of the interesting packages that they offer is that you would actually encounter the local people in these places. I also did some researches for my favorite spots like the West Highland Way in the western Scotland. It is just 100 miles in length although the exotic beauty of the scenery and the outrageous ambience of the place have kept the backpackers to return. This trail has long been discovered by the early Romans and they used it to conquer Scotland. About 20,000 people defended this place to protect the western Scotland. The West Highland Way was one of the major routes that have been used in war and it is a very memorable place for the local people today. As of now, about fifty thousand people form Scotland and other countries come to visit this place. And the people that experienced the beauty of this region always find ways to come back yearly. It is one of the flagships of terrains in all of the United Kingdom. There is a section in the website where the foreign visitors comment on the European services and accommodations. They would tell that there are plenty of fabulous people to meet Also, European ambience is perfect for families according to one of the comments of the visitors. The hotels and facilities are superb and organized. The peaceful environment makes it very ideal for those people who would want a relaxing vacation. Since Europe has relatively cooler environment than most regions, backpacking in summer the people can unwind indefinitely. There is website that offers package that includes an eight-day trip to different places in France. Everyday, there is a new destination to go to and different hotels are expecting them. I also noticed the punctuality that they show because they scheduled the time up to the last minute. The accommodation that they give is comparably higher than most of the American packages. The package price for this expedition is roughly $1300. most of their clients would come from different places such as the United States, Japan and other European countries as well. Section III: What I Found Out So why does this European accommodation differ from the others? And how well they could keep the cleanliness of their own natural parks and mountains? Since the people in Europe have very high standards of living, the possibility of the price of accommodation here is expected to be high. After thorough investigation of the European trails, I found out that it is quite good to explore. The European countries have the facilities to utilize in order to maximize the beauty of their nature. In this sense, more sophisticated equipments and gadgets are being used so that optimum level of performance and quality are attained. For example, they have high technological gadgets such as the GPS which could enable them to track down the routes in the forests. They even have garbage containers in the mountains to assure that the Mother Nature is free from wastes. It is something missing in most of the countries where there is abundance of nature locations such as those in the Asian region. Moreover, the sceneries that could be seen in this region can be boasted all throughout the world since they have some of the most magnificent terrains worldwide. Form the Ural Mountains to the Alps, there are limitless possibilities of defining the beauty of this region. Some say that Europe is a place that was blessed by God the abundance of nature and peace. Switzerland for example is a European country that boasts magnificent views and sceneries. Its temperate climate and cool ambient temperature makes it very ideal for those who are planning to get a summer vacation. This country lies in the central Europe where mountain peaks collide with each other. There are many theme parks and other amusement areas where backpackers like me would surely love. Among its magnificent sites are the snow covered mountains and the crystal clear lakes. It also has some animal and botanical gardens to visit. There are many high-quality restaurants throughout the country and most of them are internationally recognized. Meanwhile, I also admire the beauty of the French terrains. Although this country is known for its romantic ambience, I do not expect that it has full of exciting terrains to visit. Numerous establishments surround their nature parks and they have the atmosphere is actually hospitable for guests and visitors. Beside Paris, where the lovers stay, countryside of France is also a magnet for those who would like to zip champagne and walk around the grape yards. Although the beaches are not as comparable as those in the tropical countries, their mountains and other sceneries are not matched by their beauty. Since this region is small compared to America or Asia or even Africa, we could see the limit of place to go through. But the society here is as old as time has begun and they are very interesting to see. Backpacking is not always a trip to the Mother Nature but it is also an activity where backpackers could explore the metropolis and other cities. In terms of the service that they provide to the clients especially those backpackers, I would say that they have the experience of entertaining these people. They train themselves to prove to everybody that they are world class and that their standards are one of the highest in the contemporary world. It could be proven that they have high standards of living by the way they interact with foreign people. Most of the people in Europe have high income and they can afford to do their leisure activity in the way that they are pleased. And to match the quality of life they are having right now, they provide the most convenient and maximum effort to accommodate other races. It could be noticed from the way they build their hotels and establishments. They have an advance society that has the capability of providing an excellent community. Their hotels are some of the most sophisticated hotels in the world. I would not blame the high price of the tour packages that they offer because they do the right thing to give the best possible ambience for the tourists. The European community also ensures the security of the people from their territory and thus it is more secured to travel in this region. They are very strict in accepting tourists because they want to ensure that they would not be sabotage by terrorist and other notorious groups of people. The sanitation that they imposed on the environment could not be paralleled by others who tried to imitate. Also, the cool environment is one of the reasons why tourists keep on touring this region. During the spring and summer, while most of the tropical countries are very hot and humid, most European countries has a mild weather temperature like Germany and Switzerland. They provide a cool and refreshing atmosphere suitable for those people living in the topical countries. I also learned that the beauty of nature should be maintained and preserve by the local people nearby. The local government is also a key factor in preserving the nature. They are responsible for the development of these areas because they mandated to do this. Europe is being united by the formation European Union which the goal is to protect and develop all countries of Europe. And now, almost all of the European countries are members of the EU and other countries are also planning to conglomerate to the unification of Europe. By the cooperation of the local people and the government, nature would be protected thoroughly. Europe has responsible citizens that cooperate and honest governments that rule. Basically, all of these would attribute to the greatness of this region. As for the part of the backpackers, they would have the best experience if they travel to Europe. Mountain treks and national park reserves are some of the best places to visit. Also, the exploration of major cities in Europe can give excitement to adventurous people like me. Given the money, although there are also some trips that are very economical, and the will, they would have a perfect time exploring this region while at the same time enjoying the advantages and luxury that the European accommodations are offering. I hope that someday, even those people living in poor countries could avail this wonderful experience also. References: Edc Content Tours. 1994. Education Development Center, Inc. December 11 2006. http://main. edc. org/tours/parent612. asp.

Nikola Teslas Conspiracy Theories

Nikola Teslas Conspiracy Theories Nikola Tesla and his Conspiracies Introduction Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest inventors during the history, due to his advanced research in his lifetime and the discovery of alternating current (AC) and work with electromagnetism. Before dying he was exploring the possibility of sending electricity to long distances wireless by sending Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) waves. Since his last project was never finished and due to the estrange death, several conspiracy theories prowl around his inventions and death. The conspiracy theory states that big amounts of ELF waves are transmitted to the ionosphere, which act like a mirror and reflects the waves on earth. These waves hit the earth and the potential energy is released causing natural catastrophes. In 1993, different divisions of the U.S. Government developed the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), based on Tesla’s studies. According to the conspiracy theory the U.S. is using HAARP as a weapon against countries like Iran, Pakistan, Philippines and others as a weather weapon. This paper exposes Teslas life and his most important investigations, to recognize the conspiracy theories that surround him. 1. Nikola Tesla and his inventions This chapter contains some of the most relevant episodes in the life of Nikola Tesla and â€Å"his inventions†, based on his own publications before his controversial death. 1.1 His life and work Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia[1] in 1856, surrounded by a clergy family, who wanted him to enter the Greek Church after he graduated (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). In 1873 after he surviving from Cholera, he decided to enter in 1875 the Polytechnic School at Graz to become a mathematics and physics professor, and since his first year of studies, Tesla started to develop controversial experiments with a Gramme dynamo: he claimed the commutators were not necessary, leading him to change to the engineering curriculum (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). After finishing his studies and moving around Maribor, Gospic, Prague and Budapest, in 1882 he was hired in Paris by the Continental Edison Company dedicated to electric lighting, where he sees the chance to publish his work (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). Then he decides to go to the Unites States of America to work with Thomas Alva Edison (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). After publishing several patents, in 1888 he published his first work at Columbia University in New York: A New System of Alternate-Current Motors and Transformers, where he proved the commutators could be dispensed from motors, by using polyphase currents, which headed him to experiment more with AC and high frequencies, guiding to some of his most relevant inventions (Tesla, 2007). From that moment, until his death, Nikola Tesla developed and published hundreds of patents, articles and books, and received recognitions for his work. Finally in 1943 he died in New York due to unknown causes that will be further reviewed in the third chapter. 1.2 His inventions â€Å"Tesla was an inventor, but he was much more than a producer of new devices: he was a discoverer of new principles, opening many new empires of knowledge which even today have been only partly explored† (ONeill, 2007). As showed on his Life and Work, since Tesla was a young man he started researching and developing his own ideas, improving the motors and generators company. In fact, in 1888 he received the patent for the induction motor still used today (Tesla, 1904). Two years later, he founded with other investors in the Ames Power Plant, the first power station to transmit high voltage AC for long distances (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). The same year he would invent the Tesla Coil and transformer to power wireless lighting systems, which also contributed in radio as a system of transmitting electrical energy and an electrical transmitter as he called it (Tesla, 1904, Chapter 4). In 1899 Nikola Tesla detected a new geo-electrical phenomenon: terrestrial stationary waves, which supported his theory of electricity transportation around the world and later on it would be the basis of the World-Wide Wireless System (Start Publishing LLC, 2013). When in 1900 I obtained powerful discharges of 100 feet (in the Colorado Springs laboratory) and flashed a current around the globe, I was reminded of the first tiny spark I observed in my Grand St. laboratory and was thrilled by sensations akin to those I felt when I discovered the rotating magnetic field (Tesla, 1904). This is how Tesla’s most ambitious project started in 1901: the construction of the Wardenclyffe Tower to send wireless power around the world. Although he invested all his money on his research investors dropped the project and the Wardenclyffe Tower was never finished (Start Publishing LLC, 2013), leaving the uncertainty that still today is maintained if it is possible to send electricity all over the world. 2. The Conspiracy The conspiracy theories behind Nikola Tesla start with his controversial work and hard relationship with colleagues, and the apparent collaboration in the World War II, which supposedly led him to be murdered. Besides that, the use of his research as a basis to develop Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is another conspiracy attributed to Tesla. There are basically two conspiracy theories behind Tesla’s life and work. The first conspiracy states that Tesla was murdered by powerful bankers from the U.S. because Tesla’s project to provide free energy to the world was not convenient for their economic interest, and the second conspiracy says that Tesla was murdered because some people thought that he had advanced studies to create WMD. To put into context this second theory, it must be taken into consideration that he died while the WWII was taking place and for this reason it can be deduced that, there were some interest on his projects from different military agencies around the world. One thing that cannot be denied is that Nikola Tesla had a brilliant mind, he developed several interesting projects which were decades ahead of their time. By the nature of his inventions, military intelligence circles or giant corporations could be interested on Tesla’s projects. 2.1 Tesla’s Death After Tesla’s death in January 1943, and because of the political-social-economic situation of the time (the WWII) the FBI and some other U.S. Government agencies could be quite interested in Tesla’s ideas and projects regarding weaponry. There was some fear that Tesla’s work could fall into the hands of Soviets or any other powers. Just right after Tesla’s death, his nephew â€Å"Sava Kosanovic† arrived at the hotel where his uncle died, but according to him, there were several technical papers missing as well as a notebook which was marked as â€Å"Government†. An investigator from the FBI said that the U.S. was â€Å"vitally interested† in saving Tesla’s documents, in deed envoys of the Office of Alien Property[2] went to Tesla’s room at the New York Hotel and collect all his belongings, Figure X (PBS, 2004). Figure X (http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/fbi_05.html) According to the website www.psb.org after the WWII, the interest of beam weapons grew up, and Tesla’s basic ideas were taking into consideration to develop these weapons, the papers that contain Tesla’s ideas were never found. Many years after this event, scientists have been looking for those papers without any success (PBS, 2004). There is another theory that says that Tesla was murdered by Hitler’s people, according to a guy called Eric Bermen, he was dating a girl, he say that the girl’s father was Otto Skorzeny a legendary SS (Schutzstaffel) involved in the WWII, and an officer-cadet from the Hitler’s bodyguard regime, Figure X. After Skorzeny death, Bermen collect data about Skorzenys Nazi cohorts and created an unpublishing manuscript in which reveal information such as: â€Å"Skorzenys role (with Reinhard Gehlen) in the assassination ofNikola Tesla(suffocation) on January 6, 1943 after tricking Tesla on January 5 into revealing the full details of his most important discoveries and then stealing his most valuable inventions, along with the contents of his safe, which were delivered to Hitler† (Adachi, 2007). Figure X (http://educate-yourself.org/cn/Skorzeny and Hitler 500w010.jpg) 2.2 Tesla’s HAARP project, the conspiracy behind The conspiracy theories about HAARP Electromagnetic waves would be used to make them collide with the ionosphere which would heat, resulting in an alteration of climate, including suspected that these same waves when falling on the earths crust would cause a series of vibrations which could give as a result, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Researchers and scientists believe that the increase in hurricanes, floods and droughts could have been caused by HAARP, HAARP meanwhile said that they only use a small part of the energy that are capable of generating, if so, what would happen if they use the billions of watts that produces the entire project? Even more adventurous opinions say that the mind control may be another objective of HAARP is now known that electromagnetic waves can lead to physical illness; alter the human psyche causing hysteria, hallucinations, items that would be used for crowd control. As we exposed previously, Tesla’s project HAARP had the purpose to delve into the effects of electromagnetic energy on the ionosphere. Conspiracists say that the development of this project had a sinister intention. They claim that HAARP is actually a WMD developed to break satellites and communication by blitzing the atmosphere with electromagnetic waves. These people believe for example, that the blackout in the North of the U.S. and South of Canada in 1993 was a consequence of the HAARP project (Theories Societies, 2008). For this reason, conspiracy theorists affirm that Tesla’s project about the transmission of electricity via wireless had been hushed up by the biggest electrical equipment companies. On the other hand, researcher Bertell R.[3] conducted a research about HAARP and she concluded that the HAARP program directed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy was designed tounderstand, simulate and control ionospheric processes that might alter the performance of communication and surveillance systems and with this create the following effects: Produce low frequencies, as a way of communication with sunken submarines. Come to understand the natural ionospheric processes in order to modify or control them. Generate large amounts of high frequency energy, thus with this energy generate ionospheric processes that can be used for defense purposes. Modify some optical emissions which might be used to control radio waves and it’s propagation. So Bertell R. firmly believes that HAARP is not an isolated experiment but it belongs to an integral military program and claims that the project can be sold as random project to the public (Bertell, 1996). Below can be read some other scientists and agencies who think the Project HAARP has a dark side (Global Research, 2007): Prof. Michel Chossudovsky published an article in 2007 in which he state that â€Å"HAARP is a weapon of mass destruction, capable of destabilising agricultural and ecological systems globally.† Physicist Dr Bernard Eastlund called HAARP as the â€Å"the largest ionospheric heater ever built† The State Duma[4] claimed that the U.S. was creating large-scale weapons capable of break radio waves, provoke failures in electric systems, as well as in oil and gas pipelines and it could also affect the mental health of masses. Some people still claim that HAARP is a WMD waiting to be used by the military as a â€Å"death ray†. The credence is that the slight doses of microwaves sent to the ionosphere are just samples compared to the actual power of the machine. Actually they also think that HAARP could also conduct its rays anywhere on earth and can be used to trigger major weather disasters, earthquakes, mass brain damage on a global scale on request. HAARP is not operated by the military of the U.S. nevertheless the project is under the command of the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) this means that somehow it has to be related to the defense of the U.S. 3. References ONeill, J. J. (2007). Prodigal genius: The life of Nikola Tesla. San Diego, Calif: Book Tree. Start Publishing LLC (Ed.). (2013). Inventions, Researches And Writings Of Nikola Tesla. Unites States of America. Tesla, N. (1904). My Inventions: Autobiographical Notes. Tesla, N. (2007). Experiments With Alternate Currents of H: Gardners Books. Adachi, K. (2007). The Revelations of Otto Skorzeny, Part 1 (Martin Bormann: Reichsleiter in Exile American Retiree) by Ken Adachi July 2, 2007. Retrieved September 01, 2014, from http://educate-yourself.org/cn/martinbormannphotostocompare02jul07.shtml Bertell, R. (1996). Background on the HAARP Project. Rosalie Bertell. Retrieved September 06, 2014, from https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/212/45492.html Global Research. (2007). Weather Warfare: Beware the US Military’s Experiments with Climatic Warfare | Global Research. Retrieved September 09, 2014, from http://www.globalresearch.ca/weather-warfare-beware-the-us-military-s-experiments-with-climatic-warfare/7561 PBS. (2004). PBS: Tesla Master of Lightning: The Missing Papers. Retrieved September 03, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/ll_mispapers.html Theories, C., Societies, S. (2008). No Title. [1] Smiljan used to be in the military frontier of Austra-Hungary. [2] TheOffice of Alien Property Custodianwas an office within the Government of theU.S.duringWWI and WWII, serving as acustodian of enemy property. [3] For more information visit http://www.globalresearch.ca/remembering-rosalie-bertell/31448 [4] State Duma was a legislative assembly, it does not exist anymore. [C1]Introduccion!!!

The Diversity of Characters, Attitudes, and Messages through Different

The different translations of The Oedipus Cycle emphasize and suggest different aspects of the presented scene. There are multiple examples of this in the comparison of The Fitts and Fitzgerald’s Translation and the Luci Berkowitz and Theodore F. Brunner’s Translation. Such as the differences in format, sentence structure, and diction imply different characteristics. Also, similarities in the two translations reinforce the importance of the concepts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most noticeable difference in the two translations is the format of writing. The Fitts and Fitzgerald’s Translation was in a formal poem format whereas the Luci Berkowitz and Theodore F. Brunner’s Translation was in a more informal paragraph. The diction of the two paragraphs reflects the formal versus informal aspect as well. For example, in comparing the first lines of both translations, it was noticed that the Fitts and Fitzgerald’s Translation referred to the public as, â€Å"generations of the living in the line of Kadmos, nursed at his ancient hearth† (F & F,) while the translators of Luci Berkowitz and Theodore F. Brunner’s Translation referred to the public as simply, â€Å"the sons of the ancient house of Cadmus† (LB & TB.) The first translation offered much more information and description of the population of Thebes. Also, the phrase â€Å"nursed at his†¦ hearth† requires the reader to be of a hi gher education because â€Å"hearth† is not in the everyday vocabulary of just anyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On of the most dominant similarities between the two translations is the Oedipus’s arrogance. The first part of the sentence, if it were viewed separately, sounded like Oedipus genuinely cared for the people when he said, â€Å"I choose not to hear it from my messengers, but came myself† (LB & TB.) This quote showed how Oedipus was putting out the effort of coming out to the general public to see how bad things were. He did not wish to just sit back and find out the news through hearsay. He wished to see it for himself. All of his sensitivity was then void with the rest of the sentence when he said, â€Å"I have come myself to hear you – I, Oedipus, who bear the famous name† (F & F.) The rest of the sentence gave off the impression that Oedipus was telling his own people that they were lucky that he even came out to see them. A man as important and famous as he should not n... ...tz and Theodore F. Brunner’s Translation, Oedipus addressed the citizens as, â€Å"children, sons of the ancient house of Cadmus† (LB & TB,) and in the Fitts and Fitzgerald’s Translation, Oedipus addressed the populace as, â€Å"my children, generations of the living in the line of Kadmos† (F & F.) Although they may not seem to be very different at all, they are in fact extremely different. By addressing the people as â€Å"children† versus â€Å"my children,† Oedipus switched the relationship from a ruler and the ruled to a father and his children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To an unaided eye, it may appear as if there is no significant difference between one translation and another, but in reality there are several differences. The same core message is there, but in this case, Oedipus came out to be a much better leader in the Fitts and Fitzgerald’s Translation due to his ability to stay calm in calamitous situations and his strong connection with the people. It must be kept in mind, though, that the similarities are just as important as the differences. With the presence of similarities, the message is amplified greatly, as in the instances of Oedipus’s arrogance and his goal to help.

stephen crane :: essays research papers

Stephen Crane was a forerunner of the realistic writers in America after the civil war. His style included the use of impressionism, symbolism, and irony which helped credit him with starting the beginning of modern American Naturalism. Crane’s most famous writing is his war novel The Red Badge of Courage. He is also known for the novel Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and short stories such as â€Å"The Open Boat† or â€Å"The Blue Hotel.† â€Å"Crane utilized his keen observations, as well as personal experiences, to achieve a narrative vividness and sense of immediacy matched by few American writers before him (5). His unique style did not always follow a plot structure and focused on mental drama as well as external. Stephen Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey on November 1st of 1871. He was the youngest of fourteen children. His father was Reverend Jonathan Crane, a Methodist minister, and his mother Mary Crane was active in church reform. His uncle Jesse Peck was a Methodist bishop and the president of Syracuse University. Even with this religious influence Crane enjoyed playing cards, dancing, drinking, and smoking. â€Å"Crane shunned organized religion but did not reject so much as humanistically redefine God and religious experience† (14). In 1880 his father passed away and the family moved to Asbury Park, New Jersey. That is where Crane began his higher education at Claverack College and the Hudson River Institute. He began to develop an interest in Civil War studies and military training. Crane then went to Lafayette College for a semester followed by Syracuse University for another semester. To earn money he worked as a freelance writer for his brothers who worked at the New York Tribune. He spent most of his college time playing baseball and studying the humanity of people rather than school work. Before leaving college Crane wrote the foundation for his first novel Maggie. Working part time for the New York Tribune Crane gained first-hand knowledge of poverty during this time. He studied city life in the slums of New York and was able to realistically portray this in his writings. During this time he finished the novel Maggie: A Girl of the Streets which was about a young women’s descent into prostitution. The story was rejected by numerous editors as the felt it was too cruel and honest and would shock readers. Eventually he borrowed the money and had it printed under the alias Johnston Smith in 1893.

Thriller Narrative

This world is no longer for the innocent. The reflection of a devilish smirk glistened on the destroyer encased in heavy metal†¦the ultimate weapon, which would leave Moscow, nothing but a sheer memory, forever lost and to be feared. ‘Well, professor I must agree that your creation certainly has been worthwhile' said the cool, hollow voice. The huge figure fearlessly, towered his helpless victim, slumped on the concrete basement of St. Basil's Cathedral. His grip on the seven-inch, double barrel pistol tightened, pointing directly at Dawson's throbbing temple, one of Russia's most prestige biochemist. ‘Damn it you bloody bastard†¦.go on†¦do it!!' My blood-shot eyes bulged, erupting in intense anger, as my captor's grin widened, ‘Oh believe me professor this is only just the beginning–‘ ‘– just the beginning?! Of what you piece of shit?! Your world-wide conquer–?! The careless remark had nearly cost my life as the sudden blow of the pistol butt, sent me backwards, collapsing on the deadly weapon. My agonizing cry echoed, as my jaw snapped swiftly, clenching the tip of my tongue in between, smoothly chiseling it. The stab of pain spread throughout my withered body, paralyzing me. I stiffened from the shocking blow and touched the gash that was now oozing a dark crimson liquid, drenched in a metallic stench. His dark face grew serious as he simply replied ‘You'll soon learn that even verbal resistance is futile'. Fighting the difficulty to restrain my rising anger no longer I spat out ‘you're blatantly†¦ committing†¦ human†¦ rights †¦violations' empathizing each word with infinite rage. The tall figure once again, raised the pistol over my head bringing it down like a hatchet. But then stopped and stared into me through his vulture-like, piercing sharp eyes, as if trying to penetrate my inner thoughts. He lowered his claw-like, lean arm and laughed. A hysterical, deathly laugh. A laugh that echoed, reaching every square inch of the murky basement and embedding inside my hollow mind. ‘You fool†¦be warned, your insignificant words may cost your ‘precious' life' ‘What do you intend to do with me. You have no use of me anymore! What more could you want?!† ‘You will serve more than you realize, professor' ‘You liar! You son of a bitch liar! We had a deal†¦for God's sake I build what you wanted †¦what more do you ask for!!' I shrieked with insanity. ‘Prudence and patience' ‘Cut the crap you bastard!!!†¦if it's me you want†¦finish me! End my misery!' ‘Execute you, no professor; I intend to torture you to death' he replied calmly, pleased as if he had won a pastry contest. He stepped out of the shadows, grabbing the front of my torn, withered shirt and glared dangerously into my eyes. For the first time in weeks, I captured his distinctive features; his face was rough, consisting of high cheekbones, a round chin and a crooked, pointy nose. His cold sadistic look, enhanced by a broken nose and a scared forehead, displayed a face that had been recently brutalized. The pain of every aching limb, devoured my sanity, as blood sipped out of my mouth, trailing down my chin and dripping on to my withered clothes. I was too traumatized, to notice the captor raising the gun up to my forehead and placing the cold mouth on my delicate temple. ‘You have one more purpose to serve, before I get rid of you' he said smirking. ‘You won't gain anything keeping me captive†¦for Gods sake release –!' Ignoring my screams, the captor simply gazed into my eyes and calmly stated his demand. ‘Activate the destroyer' ‘But all the innocent lives†¦you bastard!!†¦. you can't possibly†¦' The pistol dug into my blood-drained skin, silencing myself, I staggered towards the metal encasement. Kneeling beside it, drenched in sweat, my skeletal fingers hovered over the keypad to insert the six-digit code. I hesitated. The captor's finger on the trigger tightened. ‘The better you cooperate will make your remaining time on Earth as painless as possible' he sniggered. Leaving me no other choice, I foolishly followed as I was told; utterly ignoring the fact that Russia's existence was in my hands. As I entered the final digit, an emerald light pulsed; indicating the count-down for Russia's demise had began. Rays of murky sunshine penetrated the dim cell, the first sign of light I had witnessed in weeks. But was too late, for my fears have lived. Very soon the deafening call for death would echo through my blank mind. Within a few minutes†¦.fifty nine minutes, the most hazardous biologically produced man-made chemical would be released, enough not only to kill millions. But enough to wipe out the entire human race of the Asian continent. And absolutely nothing could be done to impede it. Nothing.