Liberty of Conscience and Individuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Liberty of Conscience and Individuality - Essay Example He might have put much focus and contribution in his own country for his fellow countrymen, but this has influenced leadership of nations across the globe. The liberty of every person is an essential factor for governance; as one is able to demand their right as well as play a role in the way they are governed by freedom of speech and demonstration. In this essay am solely going to expound on what Mill advocated for in his quest for liberty in his country as its written in his book On liberty. Mill had a strong believe on the liberty of an individual and had his strong points to back his reasoning at such a time when many governments were transitioning and locked out any idea of a person trying to criticize or influence other citizens. One of his greatest opinions was on the fact that there should be different experiments of living. This was based on the fact that human beings are flawed in their way of acting and reasoning, but this should not be a determinant of what they could be permitted to do or not to do. He argued that opinions of any individual should be done in action as long they did not interfere with the lives of others around them. To him as long a person’s opinions could be freely formed and expressed, so should be his actions on the same opinion. According to Mill societies had to factor this opinion in action the same way they had considered it just as an opinion. He stated that if an individual chooses to follow his opinion in what he/ she believes is right, they should be allowed to put into action. Actions meant that an individual could do whatever he/ she values to be right and justified as long as they never complicate the lives of others around them. According to Mill, the process of taking opinions into another level which was action had to be acceptable by the fact that a number of characters about an individual are not likely to harm others around him/

Decalogue is no longer relevant Essay Example for Free

Decalogue is no longer relevant Essay With reference to other aspects of human experience, explore the view that the teaching of the Decalogue is no longer relevant. Justify your answer. [15] The Decalogue could be considered irrelevant because it belonged to a different era and it cannot address the complex moral dilemmas of modern life, such as abortion and IVF. It is hard to apply absolutist statements such as ‘do not kill’ to the unborn, due to the debate surrounding when life actually begins. Furthermore, the Decalogue was addressed to the nation of Israel. God chose Israel. The one thing about which the Jews are absolutely sure is that they are the chosen people: that in some way or other they specially and uniquely belong to God. This makes it irrelevant for other cultures. Morality is often relevant to culture. For example, in some countries such as Saudi Arabia stoning people may be seen as moral, yet most Western countries would disagree. You cannot expect one moral code to be relevant worldwide. In our modern age of pluralism and secularism, the commandments seem very negative, as they are predominated by prohibitions. As presented by Moses, however, and taken as a whole, they are primarily religious. Relevant to Judeo-Christian believers, not so much to others. And, really, we didnt need the god of Moses to tell us its wrong to commit murder, steal, and commit perjury. That is, or should be, common sense. And societies not based on Judeo-Christian principles have managed to recognize this without the help of Moses. So, to protect our constitutional rights, I have to say that the ten commandments are irrelevant to modern secular society, but may have relevance within the confines of certain religious organisations. On the other hand, the Commandments can continue to inform moral decision making. Religious or not, society would greatly benefit if people did not kill, steal or commit adultery. The original settlers in America based their laws upon the Ten Commandments, and Samuel Adams Father of the American Revolution, Signer of the Declaration – wrote, In the supposed state of nature, all men are equally bound by the laws of nature, or to speak more properly, the laws of the Creator. Pope Francis encouraged people to embrace â€Å"the art of living through the Ten Commandments. † The principles of loving God and your neighbour remain relevant: â€Å"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome† (1 John 5:3). The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbours, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. The Ten Commandments are the very basis of Christian morality. According to S Michael Houdmann, â€Å"The purpose of the Old Testament law is to convict people of our inability to keep the law and point us to our need for Jesus Christ as Saviour. † Furthermore, the Ten Commandments remind us to slow down. We live in an age of 24/7 connectedness, especially to our jobs. Research shows that longer workweeks are associated with a decline in physical and mental health. The third commandment reminds us that the Sabbath is a needed respite and, as one Jewish rabbi put it, a â€Å"celebration† and a chance to connect with family. To conclude, the Decalogue remains relevant to Christians but not general society. According to Nick Spencer of the Guardian, the average Briton can quote four of the Ten Commandments from memory. Some 6% of people know all 10 from memory, and six of the Ten Commandments are deemed relevant by a majority of people (sabbath, no other gods, no graven images, and taking Gods name in vain all missed the cut). This suggests that the Decalogue is at least partially relevant to most people.

Essay --

Film Critic Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Just like most well received novels Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has its own film adaptation by Stephen Daldry. It is just as impressive as the book itself, keeping the main storyline which is the best a film adaptation should do but in the other hand it has some changes that are very hard to go unnoticed. The cast is probably the main reason for the great result of the film. For the main roles Daldry went for award-winning actors such as Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks and Max von Sydow who couldn’t have done a greater job at playing their characters. Sandra as Linda Schell played very well the distance Oskar feels she has to him, as well as the difficulty we can see in the book that she’s going through. Also Tom Hanks, who perfectly fit the image of an intelligent man who chose his family and family business over a more appropriate education for his level. However the big star is of course Thomas Horn who played the part of Oskar Schell. The talented young actor’s performance simply unbelievable, it is hard to believe how easily he played such a dramatic story. The screenwriters did a good choice maintaining the storyline: Oskar finds the key in his father’s closet in an envelope which has â€Å"Black† written on it, inside a blue vase and desperately starts an expedition in NYC to find the lock that fits the key. So far so good, however the three-narrators perspective we have in the book that’s gives the story an exciting dynamic, is completely ignored and we have Oskar as the only narrator of the story. The movie is told from Oskar’s point of view but it still is very poor in what refers to his longs internal monologues that are seen in the book. Another point that has been igno... ... on his emotional response, combined with the same melancholic music every time. However, the melancholy of the song would always change into violent, loud, confusing notes whenever Oskar was outside on the streets facing his fears. Here the use of various points of views from Oskar’s perspective was explored. Extreme close ups on objects like screws were often used to demonstrate Oskar’s panic. Although all the changes which are necessary but still bothers the readers of the original work, the film contained the same melancholy and excitement in the story. We learn in both works that the number of people who leave is high, but the one who stay is even higher and everyone has their own story and sadness to share. The filmic adaptation intensifies the literary work, and both of them can be studied and compared side by side and still have their own particular charm.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 65~67

65 Down to the Promised Land Malink joined Tuck on the flight deck and tried to work the flight officer's harness around his belly as Tuck released the ground brakes and the jet started rolling. The two fighters did another pass overhead, one of the pilots warning Tuck not to attempt to take off. â€Å"You forced me down,† Tuck said into the headset mike. â€Å"What more do you guys want?† He rammed the throttles to maximum. They either had enough runway or they didn't. What was certain was that he wouldn't know in time to stop. They were going into the ocean or into the sky and that was that. The flaps were down for maximum lift, which would use three times as much fuel as a regular takeoff, but that was a problem to deal with once they were in the air. He looked at the ocean ahead, then at the airspeed indicator, then at the ocean ahead – back and forth, waiting, waiting, waiting for the airspeed indicator to reach the point where the plane would lift. He was twenty knots short of takeoff speed when the end of the runway disappeared from view and he started his pull up. The rear wheels of the great plane grazed the water as it lifted into the air. Tuck heard what he hoped was a cheer coming from the back of the plane, but there was a distinct possibility that he was hearing collective screams of terror. He had just lifted off with three hundred and thirty-two people who had never flown before. Tuck thought of Sepie, who would have started her first plane ride two hours ago. â€Å"Where are we going?† Malink asked. He was trying to compose himself, but when Tuck looked at him, he saw that the old chief's eyes were as wide as saucers. â€Å"A place called Costa Rica,† Tuck said. â€Å"You ever heard of it?† Malink shook his head. â€Å"Vincent tells you to take us there.† â€Å"No, it was my idea, actually.† â€Å"There is plenty cargo on Costa Rica?† Couldn't say, Malink, but the climate is nice and there's no extradition.† â€Å"That is good?† Malink said, as if he had the slightest idea what extradition was. Tuck admired the old chief. He was here because his god told him to be here. He had just made a decision that would change the history of an entire population, and he had done it on faith. Tuck set the autopilot and crawled out of the pilot's seat. â€Å"I'm going back to make sure everyone is strapped in. Don't touch anything.† Malink's eyes went wide again. â€Å"Who is flying the plane?† Tuck winked. â€Å"I think you know.† He turned and headed down the steps to check on his passengers. Pushed to his limit and no little bit frightened, Sebastian Curtis sneaked up on his wife, who was in full tantrum, and injected her in the thigh with a syringe full of Valium. She turned and gave him a good shot to the jaw before she started to calm down. He caught her by the shoulders and backed her into the office chair in front of the computer. â€Å"Don't worry,† he said, â€Å"Nomura is on his way back with the Lear. We'll be long gone before anyone can get here.† â€Å"How did he do it?† Beth's voice was weak now, trailing off at the end. â€Å"I don't know. I'm surprised he's even alive. We'll be fine. We have plenty of money. Not as much as we'd hoped, but if we're careful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He turned them against me,† she said. â€Å"My people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She didn't finish. Sebastian stroked her hair. The clinic door opened and Mato came inside carrying his Uzi. â€Å"Phone,† he said. â€Å"No,† Sebastian said. â€Å"I've already called Japan. The Lear is on its way. Now give us some privacy.† Mato threw the bolt on the Uzi and said something in Japanese. Sebastian didn't move. Mato dug the barrel of the gun into the doctor's ribs. â€Å"Phone,† he said. Sebastian picked up the receiver that was connected to the satellite and handed it over. â€Å"Out,† Mato said. Sebastian helped Beth to her feet. â€Å"Come on. We have to do as he says.† Beth let him lift her to her feet, then she pointed a finger at Mato. â€Å"You can kiss your Christmas bonus good-bye, ninja boy. That's it.† Sebastian dragged her through the door and helped her across the com-pound to her bungalow. Inside he lay her on the bed. Getting her out of the surgical greens was like trying to undress a rag doll. She babbled inco-herently the whole time, but did not fight him. When he turned to leave the room, two of the guards were standing in the doorway grinning. One of them motioned for him to leave the room. The other stared hungrily at Beth. â€Å"No,† Sebastian said. He stepped into the doorway and pushed aside the barrels of their weapons. They stepped back in unison and raised the Uzis. Sebastian stepped toward them. They took another step back. He was a full foot taller than either of them. â€Å"Get out,† he said and he took another step. They stepped back. â€Å"Out. Get out. Or do you want to lose all your fingers?† He'd found the magic words. The people they worked for were notorious for taking the finger joints of those who disobeyed. The guards looked at each other, then backed out the door that led into the compound. One of them hurled a curse in Japanese as he went. Behind them Sebastian saw Mato coming out of the clinic. He marched right for Beth's bungalow, almost stomping the ground as he walked, his jaw clenched and his weapon held before him. Sebastian closed the door, locked it, and ran to the bedroom. â€Å"Come on, Beth. Get up. We've got to get out of here.† She was still conscious, but had no coordination. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, then went out the french doors onto the lanai and down the steps to the beach. The warm water seemed to revive her somewhat and he managed to get her to kick as together they made the swim around the minefield. The fighters veered off after an hour and the 747 was picked up by a B-52 that stayed on them until they were in fighter range of the Americas, where they were joined by two F-16s. Out of Panama, Tuck guessed. What exactly did they think they were going to accomplish? A 747 wasn't the kind of plane you ditch in the jungle and make your escape. In fact, Tuck didn't think that any plane was that kind of plane. He certainly wasn't going to ditch in the jungle or in the water for that matter. Despite his misgivings, they were going to make it to Costa Rica with plenty of fuel. They were well below the plane's passenger capacity and they carried almost no baggage and no commissary supplies. The only worry he had now was what would happen to him when they got on the ground. It was true, Costa Rica had no extradition treaty with the United States, but what he had done was an act of international terrorism. He might have done better to head back to Hawaii and take his chances with the FBI ra ther than risk rotting away in a Central American jail. Still, something told him that this was where he should be going. He didn't know why, really, he had picked Costa Rica, any more than he knew why he had stolen a plane and gone back to Alualu in the first place. As he started his descent for Palmar Airport on the coast, the B-52 veered off to the north and was soon out of sight. Tuck had turned the radio off hours ago, tired of hearing the same threats and commands from the milit-ary pilots. As much as he hated the idea of giving the authorities a warning, however, he turned on the radio to advise the tower at Palmar that he was coming in. A midair collision might be even worse than a Costa Rican jail. Especially with three hundred and thirty-two lives riding his soul to hell. He called to the tower, then took off the headset and sat back and relaxed, convinced that for once in his life he had done the right thing. Somehow he would see to it that Sepie got half the money from the Swiss bank ac-counts. He envisioned her in a big house with one bedroom and seventy-two bathrooms with a television in every one. She'd be fine. Malink, who had gone to the back to reassure his people, came up the steps and climbed into the flight officer's chair. â€Å"We are going down?† he said. â€Å"You'll like it,† Tuck said. â€Å"The weather here is the same as Alualu. There are beaches and jungles just like home.† They could see the coast now, extending into the distance to the north and south, the rainforest running from beaches to mountains. â€Å"This island much bigger than Alualu.† â€Å"It's not an island.† Tuck realized that Malink had never walked more than a mile without having to turn. â€Å"Your people will be fine.† â€Å"Are there sharks here?† â€Å"A lot of sharks,† Tuck said. Malink nodded â€Å"My people will be fine.† He was quiet for a minute, then said, â€Å"Will you come with us?† â€Å"I don't think so, Chief. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble when we land.† â€Å"But didn't Vincent tell you to do this?† â€Å"Sort of. Why?† Malink sat back with a self-satisfied smile. â€Å"You'll be fine.† An alarm went off in the cockpit and Tuck scanned the instruments to see what had gone wrong. The red air collision warning lights were flashing. Tuck scanned the sky for another plane, then, seeing nothing, put on the headset to see if the Palmar tower could tell him what was going on. Before he could key the mike someone said, â€Å"Darlin', I'll be whitewashed if stink don't follow you like a manure wagon in summer.† A familiar, melodic Texas drawl, probably the sweetest sound he had ever heard. â€Å"Mary Jean,† Tuck said. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Out your window at eleven o'clock.† Tuck looked up and saw a brand-new pink Gulfstream running parallel to them. â€Å"If you'd a been wearing your headset, you would have known I was here fifteen minutes ago.† â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Jake called me from Hawaii and told me what you was doing. We cooked up a little plan. I'm gonna get your tail out of the fire one last time, Tucker Case, but you owe me.† â€Å"Boy, have I heard that before.† â€Å"Do you remember the corporate address in Houston? The number?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Well, you dial that up as a frequency and I'll give you the skinny. It's unladylike to broadcast your personal matters over the same frequency the tower's using.† They were lying in the jungle near the runway when the Learjet landed. Sebastian left Beth sleeping under some banana leaves and crawled to where he could see. The jet taxied to the gate and stopped with the engines still running. The guards came out of different buildings and converged on the plane. They'd stacked duffel bags near the gate. â€Å"What's going on?† Beth crawled up behind him. The effects of the Valium were obviously wearing off. â€Å"I think they're leaving.† â€Å"Not without us, they're not. I am the Sky Priestess and I won't allow it.† She started to get up and Sebastian pulled her back down. â€Å"They were coming to kill us, Beth. You were out.† â€Å"Right. If you ever drug me again – â€Å" â€Å"You're insane,† he said. She reared back to slap him and he caught her hand. â€Å"Keep it up, Beth. I'm telling you that if they find us, they'll kill us. Do you understand that?† â€Å"They're grunts. I won't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly there was a huge explosion from across the runway and they turned to see a mushroom of fire rising from where the clinic used to be. The guards had loaded onto the jet and Nomura was taxiing to the end of the runway. The guards' quarters went off next, then the hangar, the barrels of jet fuel throwing a column of flame five hundred feet in the air. â€Å"Where did they get explosives?† Beth said. â€Å"Did you know they had explosives?† â€Å"They're destroying the evidence,† Sebastian said. â€Å"Orders from Japan, I'm sure.† The Learjet started its run for takeoff as Sebastian's bungalow went off like a fragmentation grenade, followed by Tuck's old quarters and Beth's bungalow. Fire rained down across the island. â€Å"My shoes! All of my shoes were in there. You bastards.† Beth pulled away from Sebastian and ran out on the runway just as the Learjet passed. â€Å"You rotten bastards!† The Sky Priestess stood in the middle of the runway and screamed herself mute as the Lear disappeared into the clouds. 66 If They'd Only Had Her at the Alamo Mary Jean brought the pink Gulfstream in right on the tail of the 747. Tuck kept the speed over eighty in the taxi, turning it away from the terminal, where police jeeps and a hundred men in riot gear waited. He also noticed a half-dozen TV news trucks there as well. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Costa Rica, the new home of the Shark People. The temperature outside is 85 degrees and it's clear that things are going to get ugly. I hope everybody's ready.† The police jeeps were speeding across the tarmac toward the two jets. Mary Jean turned the Gulfstream so that it was facing back toward the runway. Tuck turned to Malink. â€Å"Where's Roberto?† Malink pointed up. Roberto hung from the handle of the emergency hatch. There was a spring-loaded spool of steel cable attached to the ceiling next to the hatch. â€Å"Mary Jean, you ready?† â€Å"Sweetheart, we'd better git while the gitten's good. We stirred a hornet's nest out here.† Tuck grabbed Roberto and stuffed him inside his shirt. â€Å"Stay,† he said. Then he opened the hatch and looked back at Malink. â€Å"I have to go now.† Malink took Tuck in his big arms and squeezed until the bat screamed. â€Å"You will come back.† â€Å"If you say so, Chief.† Tuck flipped the intercom switch and picked up the headset. â€Å"Go!† he said and climbed up into the hatch. The six doors on the 747 all sprung open at once and the yellow emergency slides inflated and extended to the ground as if the jet was a huge insect suddenly growing legs. The Shark People piled down the emergency slides and Mary Jean spooled up the Gulfstream for takeoff. Tuck climbed onto the roof and reached back into the hatch for the loop of nylon webbing that attached to the spool of cable. The police jeeps were pulling up on the sides of the two jets; men with rifles stood in the back trying to figure out what they should be shooting at. The Shark People crowded in between the jets, making a human corridor. Tuck took a deep breath and leaped off the top of the jumbo jet. The spring-loaded coil of cable did exactly what Boeing had designed it to do: It lowered the pilot safely to the ground from four stories up. Once on the ground, Tuck ran under the cover of the Shark People and leaped into the open door of the Gulfstream. â€Å"Go!† he yelled. The Shark People scrambled away and Mary Jean released the ground brakes. The jet shot forward. Tuck slammed the door and got to the cockpit just as a jeep swerved out of the jet's path and flipped over. â€Å"Don't try to play chicken with me, snotnose,† Mary Jean said grimly. â€Å"I knew James Dean his own self.† â€Å"Think they'll let you get this thing in the air?† â€Å"I'd like to see 'em try to stop me.† The police jeeps seemed to part for the jet as it headed back to the runway. For all the guns there, no one seemed interested in firing a shot. Tuck looked back and saw the Shark People waving as Mary Jean made her takeoff run. When they were airborne, she said, â€Å"Tucker Case, when you make a turnaround, boy, you don't do it half-twiddle, do you?† Tuck laughed. â€Å"Did you really know James Dean?† â€Å"Sounded good, didn't it?† She turned to him. Not surprisingly, her makeup was done perfectly to complement her outfit and the Gulfstream's headset. She let out a little yelp. â€Å"Tucker, there's a varmint in your shirt.† â€Å"That's Roberto,† Tuck said. â€Å"He no like the light.† â€Å"Darlin', if I had a face like that, I'd gravitate toward dim and unlit territories myself. Remind me to give your friend a sample of our new depilatory.† â€Å"What was that all about back there?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Heroics, son. I told you on the phone, I believe in redemption and I thought it was time I practiced what I preached. Were they really selling those poor heathens' organs?† â€Å"Beg your pardon, Mary Jean, I really do appreciate the rescue, but don't bullshit me. Any one of those cops could have shot out the tires of this plane and we'd still be on the ground.† She smiled, a knowing smile with a hint of mischief, the Mona Lisa in a big blond wig. â€Å"Media event, son. You'd be surprised how far a little palm grease goes in the Third World. Why, I couldn't buy the media coverage my company's going to get on this with a year's profits. And of course you're going to reimburse me for the bribes. Jake says you'll be able to. The tax boys frown on taking bribes. as a deduction. Although we could take it as advertising expense. Never mind, you don't owe me nothing.† â€Å"So that's the only reason you did it, the media coverage?† â€Å"I was shabby to you, Tucker. Not that you didn't deserve it, but I wasn't feeling so good about myself for doing it. I aways kinda looked at you like my wayward little lamb. Course, I'm from cattle folk.† Tuck smiled. â€Å"Whatever. Where are we going?† â€Å"Little place of mine in the Cayman Islands. Jake's going to meet us there with your little friend.† 67 The Cannibal Tree Revisited The Sky Priestess awoke with a terrible pain in her head. She couldn't feel her arms or legs, and something was cutting her between her breasts. She and the Sorcerer had been living in the deserted village for two weeks. The last thing she could remember was the Sorcerer going into the dark for more firewood and hearing a thud. When he didn't answer her call, she had gone to look for him. She opened her eyes and blinked to clear her vision. The world seemed to be spinning and for a second all she could see was a green blur that was the jungle. Then things popped into focus. She was slowly turning at the end of a coconut fiber rope, suspended six feet above the ground. The harness was digging in between her breasts and cutting off the circulation to her limbs. She lifted her head and saw an ancient native tending a long earthen oven that was spouting smoke from either end. The Sorcerer's clothes were piled nearby. The old native looked up and ambled over to her on spindly legs. There were chicken feathers stuck in his hair and his eyes had a rheumy yellow cast to them. He grinned at her with teeth that looked as if they had been filed to points, then reached up and pinched her cheek. â€Å"Yum,† he said. Epilogue Due to the influence of Mary Jean Dobbins, who opened a manufacturing plant in the capital, and a large land purchase by an anonymous buyer, the Shark People were accepted as Costa Rican citizens and their land was set aside as a national reserve. Malink remained chief for many years, and when he became too old to carry the responsibility – since he had no sons – he appointed Abo his successor. Abo learned to preside over the ceremonies in honor of Vincent and led the prayers for his return, for they all believed that he would return, but as time passed and history grew to legend, they believed that this time Vincent would return in a pink jet and at his side would be the prophet Tuck – who had delivered them from the Sky Priestess – and the great navigator Kimi, without whom, it was said, the prophet Tuck couldn't find his ass with both hands. Every morning before breakfast, Tucker Case walked his bat on the beaches of Little Cay. Actually, the bat flew on those mornings. Tuck usually flew in the afternoons. He owned a five-passenger Cessna that he tied down on the airstrip next to the small house where he and Sepie lived. With what was left of his half of the money from the Swiss bank accounts – after buying the house and the plane and ten thousand acres of Costa Rican coastal rainforest, which he gave to the Shark People – Tuck was able to buy Sepie a satellite dish and a thirty-two-inch Sony Trinitron, which was all she asked for besides his love, loyalty, and that the bat stay out of the house. Tuck gave her all she wanted, and in return asked her to love him, respect him, and to turn down â€Å"Wheel of Fortune† when he was doing his books. He chartered his plane out to fishermen and scuba divers who wanted to island-hop and made enough money to keep them in food and Sepie in perfume, lipstick and Wonder Bras, the latter a new obsession she had picked up and more often than not the only item of clothing she ever wore. One morning, just before sunrise, after they had been on Little Cay for a year, Tuck spotted a figure standing alone on the beach. He knew who it was before he was close enough to see him. He could feel it. As he got closer, he looked at the sharp dark features, the flight suit shot with starch and free of wrinkles, and he said, â€Å"You look pretty good for a dead guy.† Vincent took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, tapped one out, and lit it. â€Å"You did good, kid. I'd have to call it even.† â€Å"The least I could do,† Tuck said. â€Å"But can I ask you a question?† â€Å"Shoot,† said Vincent. â€Å"Why'd you do it?† â€Å"I didn't do anything. I didn't move a thing, I didn't touch a thing, I didn't change a thing. Believers do everything.† â€Å"Come on,† Tuck said. â€Å"I deserve a straight answer.† The flyer turned away for a moment and looked at the corona over the water where the sun was about to rise. â€Å"You're right, kid. You do. You re-member that speech the dame gave you about losers doing good on islands because there's no competition?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well, it ain't the case. Islands are like, you know, incubators. You got to start things and let em grow. Isolate 'em. That's why all your loony-toon cult guys have to get their people out in the boonies somewhere where no one can talk any sense into 'em. Just nod if you're gettin' any of this, kid. Good. â€Å"Well, I had this bet with these guys I play cards with that my little cult could go big-time if I could get enough citizens. I told 'em, ‘Two thousand years ago you guys were just running cults. Get me to the mainland and give me a thousand years and I'll give you a run for your money.' All the conditions were right. You need some pressure, I got the war. You need a promise, I got the promise I'll come back with cargo. I'm on easy street. Then this crazy dame and the doc come along and start selling me up the river and I'm thinking it's my chance to make the bigs. You've got to have some bad guys so your citizens can recognize who the good guys are, right? So I says to myself, ‘Vincent, it is time you got yourself a Moses. Get a guy who can get your people out of trouble and give them some stories to build a reputation on.'† â€Å"And that was me?† Tuck said. â€Å"That was you.† â€Å"Why me? Why did you pick me?† â€Å"You weren't busy.† â€Å"And that was it? I wasn't busy?† â€Å"Face it, kid, you were flying with full flaps down. You know that saying? â€Å"The devil makes work for idle hands.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"It's true, but only if he gets there first. He didn't even want you, so I showed.† â€Å"So are you going to screw up the rest of my life?† â€Å"You ain't got it so bad. It ain't like you have to go into the desert for forty years. What are you worried about?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm happy now, but are we finished?† Vincent butted his cigarette in the sand. â€Å"That kind of depends on what you believe, doesn't it kid? He began to fade as he walked down the beach. â€Å"Don't do anything I wouldn't do.† Tuck watched as a sailing canoe materialized on the beach. Kimi was at the tiller and waved as Vincent climbed into the front of the canoe. Tuck waved back even as the canoe dissolved to mist, then he walked home to have breakfast with Sepie. He stopped at the door to wipe his feet and Roberto landed with a thud against the screen, digging his claws in to keep from slipping. â€Å"Boy, I'm glad all that supernatural stuff is over,† the bat said. Afterword and Acknowledgments My approach to research has always been: â€Å"Is this correct or should I be more vague?† A quick word search of one of my books reveals that I use the term â€Å"kinda-sorta† more than any living author. My readers, who are the kindest and most intelligent people in the world, understand this. They know that using my books as a reference source is tantamount to using glazed doughnuts as a building material. They know that these pages serve the masters of goofiness, not those of accuracy. So†¦ While some of the locations in Island of the Sequined Love Nun do exist, I have changed them for my convenience. There is no island of Alualu, nor do the Shark People exist as I have described them. There are no active cargo cults in Micronesia, nor are there any cannibals. The position of mispel did exist in Yapese culture but was abandoned almost a hundred years ago. A strict caste system still exists on Yap and the surrounding is-lands, and the treatment of Yapese women is portrayed as I saw it. My decision to make the â€Å"organ smugglers† Japanese was dictated by geo-graphy, not culture or race. Most of the information on cargo cults comes, secondhand, from anthro-pological research done in the Melanesian Islands. I have found since fin-ishing Island of the Sequined Love Nun that the â€Å"Cannibal-Spam Theory† was first postulated in Paul Theroux's book The Happy Isles of Oceania, and I must give a jealous nod to Mr. Theroux for that twisted bit of thinking. The information on Micronesian navigation and navigators comes from Stephen Thomas's wonderful book The Last Navigator. My depiction of the shark hunt comes from a story told to me by a high school teacher on Yap about the people of the island of Fais, and I have no idea whether it is ac-curate. The day-to-day life on Alualu, with the exceptions of the religious rites and outright silliness, comes from my experience on the high island of Mog Mog in the Ulithi Atoll, where I had the privilege of living with Chief Antonio Taithau and his family. Many thanks to Chief Antonio, his wife, Conception, and his daughters, Kathy and Pamela, who saw that I was fed and who pulled me out of the well that I fell in after too much tuba at the drinking circle. Also, thanks to Alonzo, my Indiana Jones kid, who followed me around and made sure I didn't get killed on the reef or eaten by sharks and who I forgive for letting me fall down the well. Many thanks also to Frank the teacher, Favo the elder, Hillary the boat pilot, and all the kids who climbed trees for my drinking coconuts. I also owe a debt of gratitude to those people who helped me get to the outer islands: Mercy and all the Peace Corps Volunteers on Yap, Chief In-gnatho Hapthey and the Council of Tamil, and John Lingmar at the Bureau of Outer Island Affairs on Yap, who educated me about local customs, gave permission, and made arrangements. Also to the people of Pacific Mission-ary Air, who got me there and back and answered my questions on flying in the islands. Thanks to the Americans I met on Truk: Ron Smith, who loaned me his diving knife, and Mark Kampf, who gave me his sunscreen, Neosporin, and duct tape, all of which saved my life. (Research Rule #1: Never go to an undeveloped island without duct tape and a big knife.) Here in the States, thanks goes out to the following people: Bobby Benson, who told me about Micronesia in the first place. Gary Kravitz for voluminous information on aircraft and flying. Mike Molnar for more pilot stuff as well as patient explanations of computer and communication technology. Donna Ortiz, who gave me the phrase, â€Å"you're just a geek in a cool guy's body† (and I have no idea who she was talking about at the time). Dr. Alan Peters for medical information. Shelly Lowenkopf for supplying out-of-print books on cargo cults. Jim Silke and Lynn Rathbun for drawings and maps. Ian Corsan for advice on equipment and how to survive in the tropics. Charlee Rodgers, Dee Dee Leichtfuss, Liz Ziemska, and Christina Harcar for careful readings and helpful suggestions. Nick Ellison, my agent and friend, for helping to keep the wolf from the door while I wrote. Rachel Klayman and Chris Condry, my editors at Avon Books, for their confidence and support. And most of all, my thanks to novelist Jean Brody, who took the time from her own writing to do a line edit on Love Nun. While all the above people helped in the research and writing of this book, none of them are responsible for the liberties I took with the information they gave me. When in doubt, assume that I made everything up. – Christopher Moore November 1996

Report on Surajkund Essay

The Surajkund Crafts Mela is organized each year by the Tourism Department in Haryana in February. This is a very colorful and exotic handicrafts and handloom fair that is planned each year to popularize the traditional handicrafts in India made by the rural folks in Surajkund. This was first organized in the year 1981 and it continues to be a major platform for Indian artisans to showcase the skills in the art work and crafts. This is a weeklong fair, which is celebrated annually. Scores of skilled artisans from all over India come here to participate and promote their crafts. Some of the work that is displayed here is age old and has been passed down since ages. Surajkund mela provides its visitors the skilful and exquisite textiles, paintings, ivory work, wood stock, terracotta, pottery, lac work, grass work and stone work. The visitors can also shop here extensively for some of the world’s treasured wares. This fair is not just limited to artworks and exhibitions but also showcases a visual delight to the visitors in the form of performances from the special Natyashala folk dances and music filled evenings at an open air theatre present in the venue. A diverse range of delicious savories, which is prepared by exponents, is also offered to the visitors. The cuisine is generally rural, which is kept so to match the theme of the festival. Each year the Surajkund crafts festival has a theme, inspired by the artworks from a particular Indian state and the entire ambience of the fair is designed accordingly. Many states showcase their finest handlooms, delicious rural cuisines and handicrafts in this fair. Some of the most deligtful crafts collections of the Mela arrive from practically all over the country. In wood and cane come inlay work, rose wood carving, sandal wood from Punjab and South India. Chiki wood craft of Kashmir and some very fine cane craft come from West Bengal and North Eastern States. Delcate sholapith and shital patti work come from Assam and West Bengal. The phulkari of Punjab, the Banjara and Banni embroidery of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the Kantha traditions from West Bengal and Tripura, lace and crochet from Goa, the Suzni of Kashmir and Mirror encasing work along with the traditional chikan work of Lucknow delight. Oxidized jewellery, sea shell decorations and agate stone work delight as also do delicate gold work and chunky silver jewellery. Toys in wood and cane, ply and mud make the young thrill with joy. Some of the fine phad paintings of Rajasthan, the kalamkari of Andhra and Karnataka, temple paintings of Orissa, madhubani of Bihar, fascinate. In the metal section tribal dhora work, classical south Indian metal work, glittering brass ware, bell metal and iron craft delight collectors. In the field of woven textiles some of the finest silk work of Orissa, Patola, Bandhini of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Ikat, Kanjeevaram, Dharmavaram and temple silks of South India vie for attention with the most simple cottons of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and tribal textiles of North East India as also do the handloom of Haryana. The Various Crafts participated in the Mela every year. Themes for the fair in some of the fairs were Madhya Pradesh in 2009, Paschim Banga in 2008, Andhra Pradesh in 2001, Maharashtra in 2006 and the state of Chattisgarh in the year 2005. Surajkund is a major place located at a distance or 8 km of South Delhi in the city of Faridabad. This place is very easily accessible by road from Delhi. The Haryana Tourist Bureau arranges special tours from 36 Janpath Road in New Delhi. The nearest airport is located in Delhi. The site where this fair is organized is at a distance of 25 km from Palam Airport. Thus, visiting this fair atleast once is highly recommended as the rich culture and true colours and creativity of our country can be observed giving one of the most beautiful experiences.

Free Essays on Censorship And 1st Ammendment Rights

in them, but isn’t that freedom of speech? He’s not going out in public and yelling these things on the streets, if you don’t want to hear him, don’t listen to him. You don’t have to buy his CD’s and you don’t have to go to his concerts. Many of his songs do have a meaning to them. Like the song â€Å"Cleaning Out My Closet† expresses why he feels such strong dislike towards his mother. To some people they might listen to his music and relate. But because of some people personally not liking his music, message or not, they don’t want his music heard. He writes for people to hear what he has to say. In this line from the song â€Å"My Dads Gone Crazy† â€Å"I’d rather†¦ have pussy lips glued to my face with a clit ring in my nose then quit bringing my flows, so quit giving me my ammo, Can’t you see why I’m so mean? If y’all would leave me alone this wouldn’t be my M.O. I wouldn’t have to go ‘eenie, meenie, meinie, mo, catch a homo by his toe’† he gives a reason why he says what he says. He feeds off of the media and the public saying what they do about him. He likes to rap and society won’t let him say what he wants, so he says twice as appalling lyrics. This whole song if you listen to ... Free Essays on Censorship And 1st Ammendment Rights Free Essays on Censorship And 1st Ammendment Rights CENSORSHIP AND 1st AMENDMENT RIGHTS â€Å"Congress shall make no law†¦ abridging the freedom of speech or of the press†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So why is censorship such a big deal? Maybe because the time this was written you didn’t have to worry about people expressing their thoughts with words like shit, fuck, or fag. What if those words are just your way of getting the point across? For example, which is more effective on getting people to be quiet and listen, someone yelling â€Å"be quiet!† or someone yelling â€Å"shut the fuck up!!!† Of course the latter is going to get people’s attention. One of the most controversial publicly expressed people would have to be Eminem. Most of his lyrics do have cuss words in them, but isn’t that freedom of speech? He’s not going out in public and yelling these things on the streets, if you don’t want to hear him, don’t listen to him. You don’t have to buy his CD’s and you don’t have to go to his concerts. Many of his songs do have a meaning to them. Like the song â€Å"Cleaning Out My Closet† expresses why he feels such strong dislike towards his mother. To some people they might listen to his music and relate. But because of some people personally not liking his music, message or not, they don’t want his music heard. He writes for people to hear what he has to say. In this line from the song â€Å"My Dads Gone Crazy† â€Å"I’d rather†¦ have pussy lips glued to my face with a clit ring in my nose then quit bringing my flows, so quit giving me my ammo, Can’t you see why I’m so mean? If y’all would leave me alone this wouldn’t be my M.O. I wouldn’t have to go ‘eenie, meenie, meinie, mo, catch a homo by his toe’† he gives a reason why he says what he says. He feeds off of the media and the public saying what they do about him. He likes to rap and society won’t let him say what he wants, so he says twice as appalling lyrics. This whole song if you listen to ...

Essay Sample on African Americans in Interracial Partnerships

Essay Sample on African Americans in Interracial Partnerships Free sample essay on African Americans: In this essay I will examine partnerships involving African Americans and persons of a different race by using the following question: How are African Americans represented through television and movies as members of an interracial relationships and what traits are being passed on to the next generation of viewers? The first interracial partnership that I examined was that of Claudette and Vic from the television series, The Shield. In the three episodes I viewed from season two, there was a huge underlying conflict between Claudette and Vic (Williams-Hawkins Video Archive, Tape #B-010). Claudette seems inherently suspicious of Vic due to his ambiguity and his past record. Claudette, an African American female and the leader of the precinct is portrayed as a true team-leader, demanding, but still polite about it. She also interacts with Captain Aceveda, a Latino, on a regular basis, working side by side with him. Aceveda was also very suspicious of Vic. Joe Clark, a black man who was Vics training officer, but was later kicked off the force, was somewhat on the other side of the spectrum from Claudette. Joe was originally asked advice by Vic, but then tries to get Vic to participate in a revenge scheme against the man who had him kicked off the force. Through Claudette and Joe we see that Afric an Americans in The Shield are represented mostly as good partners, whether they are good people or not, thats a whole different question (Williams-Hawkins Video Archive, Tape# B-002). The second interracial partnership I examined was that of Lieutenant Fancy and Detective Sipowicz on the police drama NYPD Blue. Sipowicz always appears to be very suspicious of the African American witnesses, and is sometimes rude or racist towards his boss, Lieutenant Fancy, especially while arguing with him. Fancy is an upstanding man, always quick to think of the team before himself, whether with Sipowicz or another member of the precinct he always seems to get along all right. Sipowicz and Fancy work together well when they are not arguing. With Fancy and Sipowicz there is an unspoken bond, despite Sipowiczs somewhat hidden racism, Fancy knows that Sipowicz will always have his back and vice versa (Williams-Hawkins Video Archive, A-118). The third partnership I examined was that of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the movies Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2. Detective Carter is assigned to watch over Inspector Lee during an investigation in Rush Hour. The FBI gives Carter, an over-zealous, loud-mouthed, arrogant detective, a job to keep him out of the way. Carter is very dismissing with his Asian counterpart, Inspector Lee. He is also seen as a joke by his entire department. Carter evolves through this movie from an exact personification of the coon stereotype into more of a cooperative, nice guy who just happens to have a big mouth (Granger, 1998). In Rush Hour 2, the same humor is used in a separate country, this time Carter travels to Hong Kong, where Inspector Lee lives and works. Lee now becomes the more bossy of the two because he his more familiar with Hong Kong than Carter. Carter then reverts to his old tactics of yelling and arrogance only to find his efforts futile in the new environment (Granger, 2001). Carter is a much exaggerated character matching up almost perfectly with the classic stereotype of a coon. In 2000, 166 college students (43% male and 53% female)were surveyed. The students averaged 9.96 hours per week of television viewing. The respondents were told to write down and rate the characteristics of people they saw on TV. They were told to do this entirely from memory. Of the 166 students, all of them listed more negative qualities for African American characters than for white characters. African Americans were seen to have more drug dealing, crime, violence and alcohol abuse problems than whites. They were also perceived as less intelligent, lazier, less tolerant, and less patriotic. The fact is that every college student surveyed saw more negative attributes than positive attributes in the African American characters (Fujioka, 2000). The primary objective of the mass media, film and television in particular, is to hide discoveries like this insisting that races are naturally different and each race is consistent (Rocchio, 2000). Despite those statistics, several advances in the way the African American is portrayed have happened. Due to Spike Lees success in the 1990s more accurate portrayals of African Americans have hit mainstream (Bogle, 1994). When a segment of the general audience responded to [Spike Lees] films, [it looked as if movies by black directors with cultural traits and distinctions] would reach a white audience just as popular music by black artists had reached white music listeners (Bogle, 1994). In response to the question: How are African Americans represented through television and movies as members of an interracial relationships and what traits are being passed on to the next generation of viewers? Despite the fact that African Americans are usually portrayed as assertive and demanding within partnerships, they are still represented as good partners in television and in movies. Whether their antics lead to the capture of someone or the just lead to an entertaining movie, they are portrayed as good partners with open minds and are not portrayed as racist against people from a different ethnic background.

Biography of Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize Winner

Biography of Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize Winner Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909–2012) was a Nobel Prize-winning neurologist who discovered and studied the Nerve Growth Factor, a critical chemical tool the human body uses to direct cell growth and build nerve networks. Born into a Jewish family in Italy, she survived the horrors of Hitlers Europe to make major contributions to research on cancer and Alzheimers disease. Fast Facts: Rita Levi-Montalcini Occupation: Nobel Prize winning neuroscientistKnown For: Discovering the first nerve growth factor (NGF)Born: April 22, 1909 in Turin, Italy  Parents Names: Adamo Levi and Adele MontalciniDied: December 30, 2012 in Rome, ItalyEducation: University of TurinKey Accomplishments: Nobel Prize in Medicine, U.S. National Medal of ScienceFamous Quote:  If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize. Early Years Rita Levi-Montalcini was born in Turin, Italy, on April 22, 1909. She was the youngest of four children from a well-to-do Italian Jewish family led by Adamo Levi, an electrical engineer, and Adele Montalcini, a painter. As was the custom in the early 20th century, Adamo discouraged Rita and her sisters Paola and Anna from entering college. Adamo felt that the womans role of raising a family was incompatible with creative expression and professional endeavors. Rita had other plans. At first, she wanted to be a philosopher, then decided she wasnt logically minded enough. Then, inspired by Swedish writer Selma Lagerlof, she considered a career in writing. After her governess died of cancer, however, Rita decided she would become a doctor, and in 1930, she entered the University of Turin at the age of 22. Ritas twin sister Paola went on to great success as an artist. Neither of the sisters married, a fact about which neither expressed any regret. Education Levi-Montalcinis first mentor at the University of Turin was Giuseppe Levi (no relation). Levi was a prominent neurohistologist who introduced Levi-Montalcini to the scientific study of the developing nervous system. She became an intern at the Institute of Anatomy at Turin, where she grew adept at histology, including techniques like staining nerve cells. Giuseppe Levi was known for being something of a tyrant, and he gave his mentee an impossible task: figure out how the convolutions of the human brain are formed. However, Levi-Montalcini was unable to obtain human fetal tissue in a country where abortion was illegal, so she dropped the research in favor of studying nervous system development in chick embryos. In 1936, Levi-Montalcini graduated from the University of Turin summa cum laude with a degree in Medicine and Surgery. She then enrolled in a three-year specialization in neurology and psychiatry. In 1938, Benito Mussolini banned  non-Aryans from academic and professional careers. Levi-Montalcini was working at a scientific institute in Belgium when Germany invaded that country in 1940, and she returned to Turin, where her family was considering emigrating to the United States. However, the Levi-Montalcinis ultimately decided to remain in Italy. In order to continue her research on chick embryos, Levi-Montalcini installed a small research unit at home in her bedroom.   World War II In 1941, heavy Allied bombing forced the family to abandon Turin and move to the countryside. Levi-Montalcini was able to continue her research until 1943, when the Germans invaded Italy. The family fled to Florence, where they lived in hiding until the end of World War II.   While in Florence, Levi-Montalcini worked as a medical doctor for a refugee camp and fought epidemics of infectious diseases and typhus. In May 1945, the war ended in Italy, and Levi-Montalcini and her family returned to Turin, where she resumed her academic positions and worked again with Giuseppe Levi. In the fall of 1947, she received an invitation from Professor Viktor Hamburger at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) to work with him conducting research on chick embryo development. Levi-Montalcini accepted; she would remain at WUSTL until 1977.   Professional Career At WUSTL, Levi-Montalcini and Hamburger discovered a protein that, when released by cells, attracts nerve growth from nearby developing cells. In the early 1950s, she and biochemist Stanley Cohen isolated and described the chemical which became known as the Nerve Growth Factor.  Ã‚   Levi-Montalcini became an associate professor at WUSTL in 1956 and a full professor in 1961. In 1962, she helped establish the Institute of Cell Biology in Rome and became its first director. She retired from WUSTL in 1977, remaining as emerita there but splitting her time between Rome and St. Louis.   Nobel Prize and Politics In 1986, Levi-Montalcini and Cohen were together awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. She was only the fourth woman to win a Nobel Prize. In 2002, she established the European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) in Rome, a non-profit center to foster and promote brain research.   In 2001, Italy made her a senator for life, a role which she did not take lightly. In 2006, at the age of 97, she held the deciding vote in the Italian parliament on a budget that was backed by the government of Roman Prodi. She threatened to withdraw her support unless the government reversed a last-minute decision to cut science funding. The funding was put back in, and the budget passed, despite attempts by the opposition leader Francesco Storace to silence her. Storace mockingly sent her crutches, stating that she was too old to vote and a crutch to an ailing government. At the age of 100, Levi-Montalcini was still going to work at the EBRI, now named after her.   Personal Life Levi-Montalcini never married and had no children. She was briefly engaged in medical school, but had no long-term romances. In a 1988 interview with Omni magazine, she commented that even marriages between two brilliant people might suffer because of resentment over unequal success.   She was, however, the author or co-author of over 20 popular books, including her own autobiography, and dozens of research studies. She received numerous scientific medals, including the United States National Medal of Science, presented to her at the White House by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. Famous Quotes In 1988, Scientific American asked 75 researchers their reasons for becoming a scientist. Levi-Montalcini gave the following reason:   The love for nerve cells, a thirst for unveiling the rules which control their growth and differentiation, and the pleasure of performing this task in defiance of the racial laws issued in 1939 by the Fascist regime were the driving forces which opened the doors for me of the Forbidden City. During a 1993 interview with Margaret Holloway for Scientific American, Levi-Montalcini mused:   If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize.   Levi-Montalcinis 2012 obituary in the New York Times included the following quote, from her autobiography: It is imperfection- not perfection- that is the end result of the program written into that formidably complex engine that is the human brain, and of the influences exerted upon us by the environment and whoever takes care of us during the long years of our physical, psychological and intellectual development. Legacy and Death Rita Levi-Montalcini died on December 30, 2012, at age 103, at her home in Rome. Her discovery of the Nerve Growth Factor, and the research that led to it, gave other researchers a new way to study and understand cancers (disorders of neural growth) and Alzheimers disease (degeneration of neurons). Her research created fresh pathways for developing groundbreaking therapies.   Levi-Montalcinis influence in nonprofit science efforts, refugee work, and mentoring students was considerable. Her 1988 autobiography is eminently readable and often assigned to beginning STEM students. Sources Abbott, Alison. Neuroscience: One Hundred Years of Rita. Nature 458 (1909): 564–67. Print.Aloe, L. Rita Levi-Montalcini and the Discovery of NGF, the First Nerve Cell Growth Factor. Archives Italiennes de Biologie 149.2 (2011): 175–81. Print.Arnheim, Rudolf, et al. Seventy-Five Reasons to Become a Scientist: American Scientist Celebrates Its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary. American Scientist 76.5 (1988): 450–63. Print.Carey, Benedict. Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Winner, Dies at 103. The New York Times December 30, 2012, New York ed.: A17. Print.Holloway, Marguerite. Finding the Good in the Bad: A Profile of Rita Levi-Montalcini. Scientific American  (2012, originally published 1993). Print.Levi-Montalcini, Rita. In Praise of Imperfection: My Life and Work. Trans. Attardi, Luigi. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 220: Basic Books, 1988. Print.Levi-Montalcini, Rita, and Stanley Cohen. Rita Levi-Montalcini- Facts. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1986.  Web.

Public Administration Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Public Administration - Case Study Example study aimed at answering what are the contributions that leaders need to make in public organizations to motivate their workforce (Wright et al., 2012). The specific purpose of the study was to identify the methods through which leaders following transformational leadership style can use internal and external motivational factors to increase their employee’s focus and attention towards the mission of the organization. In order to conduct this study data was collected through a survey in which the respondents included different senior level managers in the public organization and the total size of those who were surveyed was more than 50,000 senior level managers (Wright et al., 2012). The survey was supplied with the help of the internet and the survey was posted on the website of the study. Out of those individuals who responded to the survey a total of 1,538 were considered as valid for the study (Wright et al., 2012). The majority of the respondents were male and they belonged to the White race and they had attained higher level education. The study was conducted with the help of a statistical tool called correlation and regression and the validity of the responses was analyzed through the statistical tool of Cronbach Alpha (Wright et al., 2012). With the help of the study the researchers identified that leaders who practice transformational leadership style can help in elevating worker’s motivation towards providing public services (Wright et al., 2012). The researchers even identified that this form of leadership provided employees with clearly and well defined goals. The third main finding of the study was that worker’s motivation towards providing public services and clearly defined roles are two important factors that attract employees towards the mission of the organization (Wright et al., 2012). Furthermore the researchers identified that leaders in public organizations that provide their followers with a vision, led by setting an example,

Critically evaluate the concept of human security Essay

Critically evaluate the concept of human security - Essay Example The first one considers the protection of human rights and the second one focuses on the protection of human beings from economic, environmental, social and other forms of threats and aims at the well being of man’s overall livelihood; an element of social justice is visible in this conception (Williams 2008, p. 231). The third and most controversial conception considers human security in a much wider way ensuring the survival and health of individuals. It observes the concept in a global perspective and subjects such as global economic status, effects of globalization and health of the environment are considered as the essential elements of human security. This paper tries to make a critical evaluation of the concept of human security and in doing so the paper takes into account the various aspects of human security and related issues. The concept of Human Security: Debates and Definitions All the three conceptions of human security paved way for criticisms and most of the re cent debates are shaped by the wider conception of human security. ... concept of human security in a broad way and that is â€Å"the absence of threats to various core human values† whereas Alkire (2002) holds that â€Å"the objective of human security is to safeguard the vital core of all human lives from critical pervasive threats, and to do so without impending long term human flourishing† (Quoted in Williams 2008, p. 231). Alkire’s definition seems to be more positive in nature. However, a more comprehensive definition is offered by the Commission on Human Security and the report of the Commission views human security as ‘protecting fundamental freedoms’- â€Å"protecting people form critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations. It means using process that build on people’s strength and aspirations. It means creating political, social environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that together give people the building blocks of survival† (Williams 2008, p. 231). Even th ough there are various definitions and understandings of the concept of human security, there are many who hold that the state-centered approach to human security should give way for a more comprehensive people-centered approach to security. Tadjbakhsh, in this respect, observes that â€Å"there is consensus among its advocates that there should be a shift of attention from a state-centered to a people-centered approach to security, that concern with the security of state borders should give way to concern with the security of the people who live within those borders† (Tadjbakhsh 2006, p. 5). Therefore, it can be inferred that an individual centered human security model assumes the safety of the individual as the means to global security and any disturbances to the safety of the individual would therefore affect the international

Applying Leadership Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Applying Leadership Styles - Essay Example This is because transformational leadership is one that powers to control affairs, while appreciating the inputs of their subordinates and the essence of the presence of their subordinates to achieve the common aim of the organization (Labor Laws and Clarifications, 2000). Moreover, transformational leadership tries to employ several different mechanisms to achieve organizational leadership goals. The reason why such a leadership style would best fit the organization in question is that because of the top-bottom approach, it would be important that the leaders use a leadership style that meets all varying characteristics, skills and knowledge of employees who will be expected to take up orders and instructions for execution (Johnson, 2012). It would be observed that given any organization, there are always and often different categories of people who go about their duties and responsibilities different. To maximize the differences that exist among all of these people, the best approa ch is to ensure that there is a generalized system that takes into consideration the differences that exists among the people. Meanwhile, the transformational leadership style equips itself with superseding personal interests of leaders with collective goal achievement, which is much like the servant leadership style (Gardener, 2008). On the other hand, a leadership style that employs the principles of lazier faire and delegate approaches may be least effective when applied in the selected organization. This point is made against the backdrop that with a top-bottom management style, it is always important that the leaders be presented with an avenue through which they would be able to supervise the activities of the subordinates to ensure that they are confirming to the instructions and orders that come from above (Mustapha, 2008). Meanwhile, in a typical lazier faire leadership style, leaders do not get enough medium to track the performance of employees and

Most valuable lessons learned from this Business Ethics course Essay

Most valuable lessons learned from this Business Ethics course - Essay Example A very interesting finding that I learned after completing the course is that the ethical conduct of workers varies depending on the culture. In many Asian countries such as India and China bribers are visualized as part of doing business. In contrast U.S. businesspeople perceive bribes as an unethical act that must be avoided at all cost. The concept of social corporate responsibility has raised the ethical standards of business communities across the world. Acting in an ethical manner can help improve the corporate image of a company. In contrast unethical behavior can destroy the reputation of a firm. During the late 1990’s Nike Corporation was involved in a sweatshop scandal that hurt the company so much that in its aftermath the company lost half its annual sales. One of the greatest lessons that I learned from the course is that my professional future and potential opportunities in business can be enhanced by becoming an ethically responsible

Non Specific Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Non Specific Topics - Essay Example In anticipated inflation, actual inflation will be significantly above expectations or well below. This will result in losses in incomes, and income and wealth is redistributed from one society group to another. Households are able to switch savings into deposits for higher nominal rates in anticipated inflation. Companies will readjust prices and lenders adjust rates of interest. Both of this inflation will affect the economy. Industrial policy is an economic program that is government sponsored where public and private sectors combine efforts to come up with technological and industrial innovations. The government provides the capital and financial support to the private sector. Industry policy enhances cooperation between banks, governments, employees, and private enterprises for strengthening the national economy. Industry policy will focus on positive elements. It will focus on innovation, to come up with better and effective methods of production and business as the product. Industrial policy has clear goals on the short and long term. These goals are to be accomplished through institutional structures set up by the industry policies. Industry policy will also have their weaknesses including its incompatibility with macroeconomic policies. There will also be deficiencies in the infrastructure system. Industrial policy will at times be incoherent with economic instruments. The law of diminishing returns is a principle of short run production. It states that as a firm will continue combining more of an input that is variable with an input that is fixed the marginal product of the input variable will decline eventually. The amount of output per worker and capital per worker relationship is the per-worker production function. In the per-worker production function, there will be a point where there are increasing profits no matter the input by the workers. The output increases at an increasing rate. It will do so up

Most valuable lessons learned from this Business Ethics course Essay

Most valuable lessons learned from this Business Ethics course - Essay Example A very interesting finding that I learned after completing the course is that the ethical conduct of workers varies depending on the culture. In many Asian countries such as India and China bribers are visualized as part of doing business. In contrast U.S. businesspeople perceive bribes as an unethical act that must be avoided at all cost. The concept of social corporate responsibility has raised the ethical standards of business communities across the world. Acting in an ethical manner can help improve the corporate image of a company. In contrast unethical behavior can destroy the reputation of a firm. During the late 1990’s Nike Corporation was involved in a sweatshop scandal that hurt the company so much that in its aftermath the company lost half its annual sales. One of the greatest lessons that I learned from the course is that my professional future and potential opportunities in business can be enhanced by becoming an ethically responsible

The Market of IKEA in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15000 words

The Market of IKEA in China - Essay Example 1.1 Product rule 45 4.1.2 Propaganda approach 46 4.2 IKEA stores have a different location principle in China 46 4.2.1 City selection 47 4.2.2 Position selection 47 4.3 IKEA tries to lower the price to fit Chinese consumption level 49 4.3.1 Build more processing factories 49 4.4 The difficulties and challenges for IKEA in China 50 4.4.1 Domestic furniture firms are the main competitors of IKEA 50 4.4.2 IKEA’s products are always imitated by others in China 52 4.4.3 IKEA joint venture with local firms at the early stage of operating in China 52 4.4.4 IKEA developed slowly in China 53 4.5 Chinese furniture market has huge potential 54 5 Conclusion, Limitation and Recommendations 57 5.1 Conclusion 57 5.2 Limitations 58 5.21 The credibility of Chinese media resource 58 5.22 The short history of statistics collection in China 58 5.23 On demand information not available 58 5.24 Regional restriction 59 5.3 Recommendations 59 5.3.1 Appropriate investigations for the market of IKEA in other countries 59 5.3.2 Choose a similar brand as a case study, adding into this paper 59 5.3.3 Adding the research on IKEA’s development planning in China 60 References 61 Bibliography 69 Appendix I Reflection 71 Appendix II Dissertation Log 72 Appendix III Dissertation Proposal 83 Appendix IV Ethic Form 95 1 Introduction With the rapid growth and development of China, especially after 1987, the level of economy and the life quality of Chinese people increased dramatically. When they have enough money for food and cloth, they shift their interests in other aspects, such as furnishing, to make their life more colourful. Due to the increasing needs for furniture, there are more and more furniture companies operating in China. Nowadays, there are a large number of furniture companies...IKEA is a Swedish home furnishing retailer. Since 1973, when IKEA opened its first store in Switzerland, it started its business activities in the foreign markets. Nowadays, IKEA has more than 2 92 stores in 37 countries although it had operations only in Asia about ten years ago. At present, Ikea is trying to expand, to many other overseas markets. International business or cross cultural business is growing day by day after the introduction of globalization. Majority of the countries are trying to attract foreign direct investments as much as possible and hence international companies are getting immense opportunities in overseas markets. As an internationalisation strategy, IKEA has selected the neighbouring countries initially to move into. It is because these countries share a similar language, and traditional culture with Sweden. Following that, IKEA has moved into other Non-neighbouring countries to develop more variety in its market share. It should be noted that culture plays an important role in the internationalization of business. In other words, expansion of business to countries with similar culture is easier than expansion of business to countries with differ ent culture. IKEA aims to offer a better everyday life for a lot of people. The company’s mission is to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products with affordable price (Sandelands, 2009). Earlier, Ikea products were highly expensive and hence only the elite groups in the society were the major customers of Ikea.

Dickinson’s Poetry Is Startling and Eccentric Essay Example for Free

Dickinson’s Poetry Is Startling and Eccentric Essay Perhaps one of the aspects that draw us to the poetry of Dickinson is its eccentricity and startling nature. In her poetry, Emily Dickinson explores a number of different themes including death, hope, nature, pain and love. The trademark signs of a Dickinson poem are her hallmark dashes she uses. Her dashes suggest that there is more to the story than she is writing down. Another characteristic of Dickinson’s poetry is the capitalization of random words throughout her poems. This could suggest importance of the words that she is highlighting. A large number of Dickinson’s poetry revolves around the theme of death; both psychological and physical. She makes the reader question what our place in the universe is. Her sharply contrasting moods and her laconic images make her poems appealing to scrutinize. Evidence of Dickinson’s unique and unusual style strikes us in ‘I Felt a Funeral in my Brain’. We’re given a comprehensive look at her delicate state of mind through her magnificent imagery. Here, Dickinson compares her psychological deterioration to the rites of a funeral. The opening stanza of the poem divulges that she is in a coffin and ‘’mourners’’ are going ‘’to and fro’’. The ‘’treading – treading’’ of the mourners as they move ‘’to and fro’’ combined with the ‘’beating – beating’’ of the ‘’Service like a drum’’ emphasizes her inner turmoil. The depth of her vulnerability astonishes us as she says her world is reduced to ‘’And Being but an ear,’’ She likens herself to a ‘’strange race’’. We can clearly sense her isolation. I felt this was very abstract. It reminded me almost of a Picasso painting. We are left in no doubt of her deepening crisis with her startling image of the coffin crashing downwards as a ‘’plank in reason, broke. And I dropped down and down—‘’. I heard a Fly buzz—when I died— † was equally eccentric and startling. Once again the imagery played a significant role in evoking this idea. The poem opens to a vibrant image of Dickinson lying in her bed surrounded by her nearest and dearest. ‘’The eyes had wrung them dry, / And breathes were gathering sure’’. I was struck by the startling contrast created here when she compares the stillness in the room to ‘’the air/ Between the Heaves of Storms’’ The poem strikingly describes the mental distraction posed by irrelevant details at even the most crucial moments—even at the moment of death. The poem then becomes even more bizarre and more macabre by transforming the tiny, normally disregarded fly into the figure of death itself, as the fly’s wing cuts the speaker off from the light until she cannot â€Å"see to see. † One of the most peculiar aspects of ‘‘I heard a Fly buzz—when I died— † is the odd introduction of the fly into this environment. Again, the imagery plays a significant role. Flies can often be associated with death and decay and I think that is the message Dickinson was trying to convey by using the image of the fly in this particular poem. It is a poem that examines what is possible with hope and how far hope can carry a person. The poem uses a bird as a symbol to define the feeling that hope can give an individual. ‘’Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ This proves that Dickinson is eccentric as most people would never compare hope to ‘the Thing with Feathers’. What is striking about the poem is its absolute simplicity, both in structure and in the words the poem presents. The idea of hope in the chillest land/And on the strangest sea, is a quite philosophical way of viewing the world. There is a contrast within the poem between hope, represented with words like warm, Soul sweetest and the pain of life shown in words like storm gale chillest. There is a battle between hope and the pain of life; it is clear which one comes out on top as hope can still be found through gales and storms. I think the poem is trying to convey that even though things can seem bleak, hope can always pull you through it. Dickinson’s poem ‘I Could Bring You Jewels had I a mind to –‘ is similar to ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ in regards to the tone of the poem. It is a joyful, optimistic poem. In ‘I Could Bring You Jewels’, Dickinson is corresponding with an unknown person in a coy, teasing tone. This poem is very different to most of Dickinson’s poetry because unlike many of her other poems she is not discussing death or loneliness and is instead, conversing with someone and seems to be enjoying herself. She is talking to this person about what gift she is going to buy him/her. ‘I could bring You Odors from St. Domingo – Colors from Vera Cruz Berries of the Bahamas –‘ Although I would not consider Emily Dickinson to be my favourite poet, I found her work intriguing and uniquely eccentric. This could be because of the contrast between each of her poems and the different themes she uses in each poem. It may be as a result of its bleak, distressing nature. I personally felt that her fixation with physical and psychological death was quite shocking to be honest. The imagery Dickinson uses in her poetry could definitely be interpreted as very eccentric and startling. You would not expect all of the pain and hurt that is expressed in her poetry to be coming from a young woman from a well-to-do family who lived a very privileged existence.

What Is Colour And Light Philosophy Essay

What Is Colour And Light Philosophy Essay It is light, the source of of life; it touches and expresses the soul of mankind. There is nowhere that colour does not exist; we are constantly under its influence, wether we knowit or not, and we do not need our eyes open to experience it. The body prosesses colour through the eyes, we often make the mistake of imaging that it is only a matter of appearance. Colour is all about feelings, and is far, far more than a mere visual delight. It is a paradox, in that the scientific definition of colour relates entirely to light-but we see it in the dark, with our eyes closed. We dream in colour, we visualize in colour and imagine in colour. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.12) Physists explain colour in coldly scientific terms vibrations of light, the only visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, occupying a narrow band between microwaves and X-rays. Sir Isaac Newton demonstrated this when he shone a light through a triangular prism, the different wavelengths refreacted at different angles, showing light separated into its component parts i.e the spectrum, or rainbow. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.12) All life on earth is determined by the radiation of the sun. A section of this electromagnetic energy is visible light, which is measured by light waves of certain frequencies called a nanometer; a nanometer is a billionth of a meter. We perceive visible light in the wavelength region from approximately 380 nanometers, which is comparable to the colour violet, to 780 nanometers, which is perceived as red. This means that light is colour, because if we pass white light through a prism and break it down into the individual wavelengths that visible light consists of, we have violet (380-436 nm); blue (436-495 nm); green (495-566 nm); yellow (566-589 nm); orange (589-627 nm) and red (627-780 nm). Mahnke, Frank H., (1947). Color, environment, and human response. New York ; Chichester : Wiley, (c1996). (pp6 pp7) For the physicist, red, for example, equals an external stimulus of a light wave that has a frequency of 627-780 nanometers. For psychologist, red suggests internal process that may or may not be associated with a physical event. Mahnke, Frank H., (1947). Color, environment, and human response. New York ; Chichester : Wiley, (c1996). (pp7) Close your eyes momentarily, picture in your mind a ripe tomato. Was the tomato red? Probably so. But the input that cuased you to see red was not a light wave between 627-780 nanometers. In other words, no external object, either generating or reflecting colour, was stimulus cuased you to see the tomato as being red. This testifies to the fact that colour is in the brain; it is within us. How we see Colour and Light The basic hues of the spectrum are as follows: Hue the attribute of colour which enables an observer to classify it as red, blue etc (Collins dictionary) Tint a hue with white added Shade a hue with black added Tone a hue with grey added Value the lightness or darkness of a colour. Light colours are high value and dark colours are low value Chroma the presence of colour Chromatic intensity the percentage of colour present also known as saturation Monochromatic containing shades, tones and tints of only one colour Achromatic Containing no colour i,e black, white or pure grey Complementary Colours Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel Complementary colours are: Red and Green Blue and Orange Yellow and violet In colour psychology the importance of this becomes clearer when we realize that complementary colours, when put together, present perfect balance, as all the pigment primaries are then present: Red and (blue + Yellow) Blue and (Red + Yellow) Yellow and (Red + Blue) One of the difficulties of working with colour derives from the way the human brian is strtuctured. It is divided into two hemispheres, separated by a strong connection cable, called the CORPUS CALLOUSUM. The right hemisphere governs the left side of the body, and vice versa. Linear skills, language, rationalising and logic are driven by the left brain, while intuition, non-verbal communication art, music, creativity and visual information are processed by the right brain. In order to learn and appreciate colour fully the right side of the brain does most of the work, but to establish credibility and communicate it widely one must find a way of translating the knowledge into predominantly left-brain terms. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.23) The Color Wheel A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. Differences of opinion about the validity of one format over another continue to provoke debate. In reality, any color circle or color wheel which presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues has merit. PRIMARY COLORS Red, yellow and blue In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues SECONDARY COLORS Green, orange and purple These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors. TERTIARY COLORS Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green. These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. Thats why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.     COLOR HARMONY Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae. In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, its either boring or chaotic. At one extreme is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that the viewer cant stand to look at it. The human brain rejects what it can not organize, what it can not understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order. Some Formulas for Color Harmony There are many theories for harmony. The following illustrations and descriptions present some basic formulas . A color scheme based on analogous colors Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates. A color scheme based on complementary colors Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow-green in the leaves and several variations of red-purple in the orchid. These opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability. A color scheme based on nature Nature provides a perfect departure point for color harmony. In the illustration above, red yellow and green create a harmonious design, regardless of whether this combination fits into a technical formula for color harmony. http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html While we often take our perception of colour for granted, it takes a highly complex visual mechanism to make it possible. The system is still not fully understood and as yet there exists no single scientific theory to account for all of it. Richard Gregory observed as recently as 2005 that over 50 theories were put forward by 50 scientists at a meeting on the subject We do know certain basic facts, however, which are the result of decades of scientific investigation by physicists, biochemists, psychologists and physiologists. Colour is a subjective sensation caused by light and is not properly a quality inherent in the object itself. In General terms, Colour does not exist without light, which is a radiant energy that manifests itself in the form of the visible spectrum of sunlight. Without the eye and brain of an observer, these rays do not in themselves constitute colour. As Sir Issac Newton explained in his Optics (1704) In them there is nothing else than a power to stir up a sensation of this or that colour The perception of colour is governed by three essential factors the spectral energy distribution of the light (including the conditions under which the colour is perceived) the spectral characteristics of the object, with respect to absorption, reflection and transmission of light the activity and sensitivity of the eye and brain In physical terms, light is simply the name given to a narrow band of the energy constantly radiating from the sun. Newton, by placing a glass prism in the path of a beam of sunlight, observed how the beam divided itself into the band of colours he called the spectrum. We know that the colours of the spectrum vary in wavelength (the distance between the crest of one energy wave and the next) and that the visible range of wavelengths extends from about 400 to 750 nanometres (billionth of a meter) Using a second prism, in 1665, Newton had demonstrated that white light is obtained when all the colours of the spectrum are recombined into a single beam. Observers such as Thomas Young (1807) later that white light could be obtained by mixing red, green and blue beams only, and that all other colours could be obtained by mixing these three lights in different proportions. This became the basis of the theory of vision proposed by Young and later developed by Helmholtz (1856) that there are only three kinds of colour receptors in the human eye, corresponding to the dominant wavelengths of red, green and blue, and that all other colours can be sensed by them; the sensation of yellow, for example, occurs when both red and green sets of retinal cells are stimulated. This is the celebrated Trichomatic theory of colour vision. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) In a strict sense, objects have no intrinsic colour because we only see them if they rflect light; only light sources are able to emit their own light. We do, however, take into consideration changes in natural and artificial illumination during daytime and seasonal cycles and have learnt to compensate for these changes through what pstchologists call colour constancy Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 15) When we take changing light for granted, we generally consider colour as a property as a property of objects in so far as it is the physical and chemical composition of the objects which determaine how much light they absorb, reflect or transmit. Most of the colours we see around us in our daily lives occur by a process of selective absorption. A red object looks red because it has the property of absorbing or subtracting from the white light it receives everything exept primarily for the colour component it refelects. In sunlight a bright red table wil absorb most wavelebngths except for those in the 650 nm region of the spectrum, for example. A white object will reflect roughly the same amounts of all wavelengths which our visual system ingenously mixes together to give a single sensation of white. A black object, on the other hand, will absorb all wavelengths and hence appear black Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) The eye and brian The retina posses two sets of sensing cells, the rods and cones. Whereas the cones sense full colour in daylight, the rods operate only at low levels of illumination and are effectively colour blind. Hence, no colour appears by moonlight, as there is a threshold of illumination below which colour cannot be seen, though there may there maybe enough light to allow the perception of shape, movement and the size of objects. This can be demonstrated if we imagine red lettering painted on a black building. The lettering is ellegiable by moonlight but, as night turns into day, we are gradually able to read the letters, though the daylight has to increase considerably before the letters are fully perceived as red. Correct colour rendering requires the right balance of light-preferably daylight, which contains the full solar spectrum. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) We may well experience colour in our dreams and it can even be induced conciosly with our eyes closed by pressing on the eyeball. Colour responses can also be induced from black-and-white patterns, as when viewing Benhams top-a white disc pattern with irregular black shapes which, when spun fast, elcits sensation of colour. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) Colour psychology The psychology of colours works as follow: When light strikes the eye, each wavelength does so slightly different, Red, the longest wavelength, requires, the most adjustment to look at it, and therefore appears to be nearer than it is, while green requires no adjustment whatever, and is therefore restful. In the retina, these vibrations of light are converted into electrical impulses which pass to the brain eventually to the HYPOTHALAMUS , which governs ENDROCINE GLANDS, which in turn produce and secret our HORMONES. In simple terms each colour (wavelength) focuses on a particular part of the body, EVOKING A PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE, which in turn produces a psychological reaction. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.23) Another difficulty with applying colour psychology has always been that, like everything else in the universe, there are no absolutes, only relative perceptions there is no such thing asa a good colour or bad colour. You may understand exactly which is the hue for a particular proposition, but its all to easy to communicate its negative its negative perceptions. For example, red may be stimulating and exciting or it could come across stressfull and aggressive; blue can be perceived as cold and aloof, yellow might be emotionally demanding and green may make you feel physically ill. The key to protecting positive perceptions and effective influence of any colour lies in the way it is used. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.27) Research on the psychological aspects of colour is difficult for the mere reason that human emotions are none to srable and the psychic make up of human beings varies from person to person. 1950, Faber Birren Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.28) Recognizable patterns in the psychic make up of human beings have been identified, and it is not true that they vary totally from person to person ; more recently , recongizable patterns of colour have also been identified. It is therefore now possible to establish a precise relationship between the subject and the stimulus, which enables us to predict specific response, and answer the eternal question: why does one variation of a hue have such a different effect from another? Zelnski and Fisher referred to this in their book colour as recently as 1989: Lest we hasten to repent everything in attemps at behaviour modification, we should note that physiological colour responses are complex. The precise variation of a hue has a major impact, but one that is rarely addressed by psychological research. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.28) Colour Association Orange is associated with secondary survival consideration, warmth, shelter, food. Yellow (which eastern philosophy associates with the pancreas) is about emotions, self esteem and creativity. Green Refelects the concept of love, in the universal rather than the sexual sense; being at the centre of the spectrum, it also provides perfect balance. Blue encourages intellectual activity sweet reason and calm, logical thought. Indigo has similar properties to blue but is deeper and more introverting, Violet takes the mind to a higher level, towards spiritual awarness Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.24) There are only eleven basic coilour terms in the English language. A computer of colours will show us up to sixteen million colours, but we only have names for eleven Black, White, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Brown and Grey. Confusingly, we borrow terms from many walks of life from nature, from food and drink and so on to describe colours such as peacock blue, burgundy, peach, cream, tan. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.24) Colour is natures own form of pure communication a much more reliable form, a language which every single one of us was born understanding clearly, and we all use every day, with varying degrees of conscious awareness, regardless of cultural division and conditioning. In order to start developing this wonderful language, we must first revert to basic scientific thinking Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.25) Science recognizes four psychological primary colours Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. Red and its derivatives relate to the phisycal; its often said that it has been proved that sourrounding people with red will raise blood pressure, but there is little academic record of any experiments confirming this; the only one I have found is described by Faber Birren, the great twentieth century American colourist, in his book color psychology and color therapy, in which he referes to Robert Gerards thesis for the university of California at Los Angeles. Birren describes experiments where Gereard used Red, Blue and White lights, Transmitted on a diffusing screen. It seems to make sense; Red certainly seems to be physically stimulating. Because it requires such an adjustment in the eye, it appears to be nearer than it is, whicvh is why it is often used when visual impacts is important. The most obvious example of our recognition that red catches the eye is its use the world over for traffic signals. Mqany football teams have red in there colours and thus creates the impression of physical strength, even aggression other of the same coin. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.25 26) Blue is the colour ofr the intellect. In the same evidence about raising blood pressure with red, so blue is deemed to lower the blood pressure. Certainly it is a soothing, calming colour, encouraging reflection. Nature uses it lavishly in the sky and sea but this is in a reflective sense, as neither air nor water contains any colour. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.26) Yellow focuses on the emotions. Having learned that the third chakra relates to the pancreas, I could not at first understand the link, but then I realized if we are nervous, where do we feel it? We have butterflies in our stomach. Green is at the centre of the spectrum and represents perfect balance. It strikes the eye at the point requiring no adjustment, thereby presenting no strain. The pigment which reflects green chlorophyll is vital to life, and when our environment contains plenty of green we are reassured. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.27) Colour Psychology FOOD Of all the colors in the spectrum, blue is an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans suggest putting your food on a blue plate. Or even better than that, put a blue light in your refrigerator and watch your munchies disappear. Or heres another tip: Dye your food blue! A little black will make it a double whammy. What you see above is a delicacy prepared for the annual food party held at the end of the authors color course at the University of Hawaii. Its musubi, consisting of rice, a filling and nori a seaweed wrapper. Traditionally its Japanese but very popular in Hawaii in its natural state. In case youre wondering what the pink stuff is, its spam. If you want to create your own dyed food, use only natural food coloring purchased in a grocery store. Other coloring agents are toxic. Dramatic results can also be achieved by using a blue light bulb for your dining area. Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables (blue lettuce?), no blue meats (blueburger, well-done please), and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe, blue just doesnt exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color. http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html A food professional has this to say: Color and the appeal of various foods is also closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus. Subjects presented food to eat in the dark reported a critically missing element for enjoying any cuisine: the appearance of food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried. This means that some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture, or smell but because the consumer never got that far. Colors are significant and almost universally it is difficult to get a consumer to try a blue-colored food though more are being marketed for children these days. Greens, browns, reds, and several other colors are more generally acceptable, though they can vary by culture. The Japanese are renowned for their elaborate use of food colorings, some that would have difficulty getting approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. Gary Blumenthal International Food Strategies http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html Why Is McDonalds Yellow? The Role Of Environment On Eating Behavior November 4th, 2008 by drval in Health Tips, True Stories Im grateful to the Happy Hospitalist for pointing out that color matters when it comes to food consumption. As it turns out, blue light can be an appetite suppressant. And I actually know about this first hand. I helped to design a research study in connection with Architectural Digest and the Parsons School of Design several years ago. I was a volunteer instructor for a hospital design course in NYC, and wanted to show the students that lighting could influence eating patterns. As it happened, there was a big gala event at a local convention center, and so I worked with my friend Shashi Caan to set up three identical rooms bathed in three different colored lights (yellow, blue, and red). We had all the gala attendees dress up in white bunny suits (you know, the kind you let patients wear in the OR) and shuttled them through the 3 rooms at regular intervals. The rooms could each hold about 40 guests and copious identical hors doeurves were offered. Guess what we found? The most food was consumed in the yellow room, followed by red, and then a distant third was blue. About 33% fewer snacks were consumed in the blue room during the event (and yes we controlled the number of people in each room so theyd be equal). I found this quite fascinating, but unfortunately never published the results. You see, I didnt receive IRB approval for any of it. But the experiment did leave an indelible impression on my mind. As I thought about it, I realized that most fast food restaurants have yellowish interiors. From the golden arches to the lighting companies like McDonalds probably recognized (long before I did) that color influences purchasing and eating behavior. Yep, Im late to this party and Im not painting my kitchen yellow. http://www.getbetterhealth.com/tag/appetite-suppressant Colour Marketing and Branding Color and Marketing 1. Research conducted by the secretariat of the Seoul International Color Expo 2004 documented the following relationships between color and marketing: 92.6 percent said that they put most importance on visual factors when purchasing products. Only 5.6 percent said that the physical feel via the sense of touch was most important. Hearing and smell each drew 0.9 percent.   When asked to approximate the importance of color when buying products, 84.7 percent of the total respondents think that color accounts for more than half among the various factors important for choosing products. Source   2. Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone. Source: CCICOLOR Institute for Color Research 3. Research by the Henley Centre suggests 73% of purchasing decisions are now made in-store. Consequently, catching the shoppers eye and conveying information effectively are critical to successful sales. Color and Brand Identity 1. Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent University of Loyola, Maryland study 2. Heinz Color influences brand identity in a variety of ways. Consider the phenomenal success Heinz EZ Squirt Blastin Green ketchup has had in the marketplace. More than 10 million bottles were sold in the first seven months following its introduction, with Heinz factories working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep up with demand. The result: $23 million in sales attributable to Heinz green ketchup [the highest sales increase in the brands history]. All because of a simple color change. 3. Apple Computer Apple brought color into a marketplace where color had not been seen before. By introducing the colorful iMacs, Apple was the first to say, It doesnt have to be beige. The iMacs reinvigorated a brand that had suffered $1.8 billion of losses in two years. (And now we have the colorful iPods.) Color Increases Memory If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture with natural colors may be worth a million, memory-wise. Psychologists have documented that living color does more than appeal to the senses. It also boosts memory for scenes in the natural world. By hanging an extra tag of data on visual scenes, color helps us to process and store images more efficiently than colorless (black and white) scenes, and as a result to remember them better, too. Source: The findings were reported in the May 2002 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, published by the American Psychological Association (APA) http://www.colormatters.com/market_whycolor.html The Contributions of Color to Recognition Memory for Natural Scenes, Felix A. Wichmann, Max-Planck Institut fà ¼r Biologische Kybernetik and Oxford University; Lindsay T. Sharpe, Università ¤t Tà ¼bingen and University of Newcastle; and Karl R. Gegenfurtner, Max-Plank Institut fà ¼r Biologische Kybernetik and Justus-Liebig-Università ¤t Giessen; Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning, Memory and Cognition, Vol 28. No.3., 5-May-2002 Color Engages and Increases participation Ads in color are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white (as shown in study on phone directory ads). Source: White, Jan V., Color for Impact, Strathmoor Press, April, 1997 Color Informs Color can improve readership by 40 percent 1, learning from 55 to 78 percent 2, and comprehension by 73 percent 3. (1)Business Papers in Color. Just a Shade Better, Modern Office Technology, July 1989, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 98-102   (2) Embry, David, The Persuasive Properties of Color, Marketing Communications, October 1984. (3) Johnson, Virginia, The Power of Color, Successful Meetings, June 1992, Vol 41, No. 7, pp. 87, 90. Color Attracts Attention Frequently Cited Facts   Tests indicate that a black and white image may sustain interest for less than two-thirds a second, whereas a colored image may hold the attention for two seconds or more. (A product has one-twentieth of a second to halt the customers attention on a shelf or display.) People cannot process every object within view at one time. Therefore, color can be used as a tool to emphasize or de-emphasize areas.   A Midwestern insurance company used color to highlight key information on their invoices. As a result, they began receiving customer payments an average of 14 days earlier. Other Research 92% Believe color presents an image of impressive quality 90% Feel color can assist in attracting new customers 90% Believe customers remember presentations and documents better when color is used 83% Believe color makes them appear more successful 81% Think color gives them a competitive edge 76% Believe that the use of color makes their business appear larger to clients Source: Conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research from February 19, 2003 to March 7, 2003, margin of error of +/- 3.1%. http://www.colormatters.com/market_whycolor.html Color and the Senses General facts about sensory input and human beings: Although the olfactory sense was a human beings most important source of input in the pre-historic era, sight became our most important means of survival. Furthermore, as hunters and gatherers in the early days of our evolution, we experienced a variety of colors and forms in the landscape. This has become part of our genetic code. In our current state of evolution, vision is the primary source for all our experiences. (Current marketing research has reported that approximately 80% of what we assimilate through the senses, is visual.) Our nervous system requires input and stimulation. (Consider the effects of solitary confinement in jails.) With respect to visual input, we become bored in the absence of a variety of colors and shapes. Consequently, color addresses one of our basic neurological needs for stimulation. Color and Visual Experiences   It is probably the expressive qualities (primarily of color but also of shape) that spontaneously affect the passively receiving mind, whereas the tectonic structure of pattern (characteristic of shape, but found also in color) engages the actively organizing mi