Mark Twain Writings Essays - Lecturers, Mark Twain,

Mark Twain Writings Mark Twain is regarded as one of the most prominent American authors. Twain was born Samuel L. Clemons several years prior to the Civil War in a small town of Hannibal, Missouri. Much of his boyhood was spent frolicking in the muddy brown waters of the Mississippi. After his fathers death early in his life, Twain was hired for his dream job as a Steamboat Captain on the Mississippi River. This chance was cut short by the start of the Civil War. Twain spent several years as a confederate volunteer, but this did not last either. Twain struck out for the west hoping to make a fortune as a silver prospector. The only richness Twain achieved searching for silver was plenty of experiences on which he could write. His first successful publication "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" is a collection of stories Twain heard while living in the mining camp in Nevada. After his failed attempt at a quick fortune, Twain returned to the east. This is where he published his most famous works which included Tom Sawyer and it's sequel Huckleberry Finn. Twain was regarded as a humorist because of his lively imagination that sent his stories into the realm of outlandish. His most highly acclaimed novel Huckleberry Finn appears to be nothing more than a boys tale at first glance, but in actuality it is taught in college literature classes because of it's underlining satires and themes. It was even considered to be subversive at the time when it was written because of it's anti-government ideas. This story as it appears tells of a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, and his adventures as he travels down the Mississippi. Along the way he picks up a few passengers. The first of these is Jim, a runaway slave. Huck, as he is called for short, decides instead of turning Jim into the authorities, that he will help him get to the free state. Before long Huck and Jim are accompanied by to scam artists, the King and the Duke. The novel elaborates on the tales of these four completely different individuals as the float lazily down the Mississippi. Huck journey down the rivers is not only an adventure, but it is also a conversion from boyhood into an adult. Twain uses the cover of an adventurous boys tale to satirize many of the things that he found to be wrong with society. Although the book was published more than a decade ago, many of the problems that occurred in Twain's society are still prevalent today. One such topic that Twain satirizes heavily in the book is the institution of religion. This criticism of religion can be seen from the start of the book all the way through to the very end. A problem that Twain finds very disgusting about the institution of religion is the hypocrisy. An example of this is the Widow Douglas. The Widow Douglas is more concerned with the behavior of other people than she is of herself. In one case she tells Huck that he cannot smoke because it is dirty; God would not approve, but she herself dips snuff. Another thing that Mark Twain finds ridiculous about religion is the pure stupidity of it all. As in his short story "Letters From Earth" where Twain criticizes humans belief of heaven, Twain does so in a more light hearted manner in Huckleberry Finn: "she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing , forever and ever. So I didn't think much of it. But I never said so." Although it doesn't seem like much of an attack on religion, Twain so cleverly does this many times throughout the story to make a vivid point. If Mark Twain were to write Huckleberry Finn today, there is no doubt that he would be quick to make these criticisms about religion again. Everyday people have to open there newspapers and turn on their televisions to news of Priests and ministers molesting young boys and stealing others money. If anything it has become worse of a problem than before. There are men that stand out on college campuses and on busy street corners yelling and screaming about the downfall of the sinner society of which many are a part of. The Brownsville Revival in Pensacola would no doubt be a critical point for Mark Twain if he were

buy custom Drug Abuse, How it Affects Families essay

buy custom Drug Abuse, How it Affects Families essay Drug abuse is using drugs in the wrong manner. Drug Abuse is the use of substance in a maladaptive pattern but not dependent. Drug abuse changes the mood of the users or causes the users to be psychoactive. Using drugs inappropriately to enhance performance in sports is also drug abuse. Drug abuse ranges from the use of alcohol to use of hard drugs. Hard drugs include cocaine, heroin, and marijuana among others. Drug abuse has numerous effects. Drug abuse affects the abusers and the people around them as well. Drug abuse affects the friends of the abuser, work mates, family members and all the people that are in direct and indirect association with the drug abuser. There are many effects that drug abuse has on the family members ranging from economic to psychological effects. The aim of this paper is to discuss the psychological effects drug abuse has on the family of the abuser. All the effects of Drug abuse on the individual are related. For example, if a family member has financial problems, it will also affect the financial status of the family. Financial problems on the family affect both the drug abuser and the family members psychologically too. Problems a family member has in the work place translate to the family members too. If any of the family members has psychological problems, the whole family is concerned. The concern the family members have will most likely affect them psychologically (Prieto, 1). A person who indulges in substance use eventually develops an addiction. Addiction means drug dependency. A person who has a drug dependency will not function properly before taking the drug. The person may not be able to work if he has not taken the drugs. People addicted to drugs will go all their way to use the drugs. The addiction pushes people to do everything to get the drug. A drug addicted family member might fail to attend to his or her duties in the family in order to get the drug. For example, a teenager who is addicted to a certain drug will fail to do his or her household chores, including cleaning his or her own body in search of the drug. The parents will develop stress if their children fail to maintain their own cleanliness (Lowinson, Joyce John, 39). Drug addiction leads to financial constraints. Most of the drugs that people abuse are very expensive. Once people develop drug dependency, they will do anything to get the drug. A person who is working will result to using most of his income on the drugs; sometimes the income is not eve enough to purchase the expensive drugs. If a parent is involved, he or she will not be able to attend to his financial duties in the family. The financial duties include putting food on the table for the family members and paying school fees for the children. When family members lack these basic commodities, they will suffer psychologically too (Prieto, 1). Substance abusers result into many unlikeable behaviors. One of the unlikeable behaviors that drug abusers develop is becoming violent. Drug abusers will be violent to everyone in association with them. The people include the people in the work place and the family members. Such a behavior results to spouse battering and beating children for no good reason. Battering a spouse causes him or her stress. Beating children causes fear in them. Children will always live with fear. Children living in fear will not perform well in school if they live in fear. Children who live in fear will continue to adulthood posing serious psychologically (Lowinson, Joyce John, 39). Drug abusers have high stress levels. The stress later develops into depression. A person who is suffering depression does not have maximum output at the work place. The person suffers from low self-esteem, which may compromise on his or her self-respect. A person develops a dont-care attitude and may fail to maintain his or her personal hygiene. The person will lack joy always and will not be able to relate to the family members properly. If a person in a family is not able to relate to the others, communication in the family will not be efficient. Lack of communication in a family has major negative effects because no one will know the problems of the other. A minor problem in one of the family members might develop to a major problem just because the person did not solve it early. Family members find solutions to problems by discussing with the other family members. Discussing the problems is not possible where there is no efficient communication between family members (Copeman, 1 ). Drug abuse may result into health problems. Health problems may develop in both the drug abusers and the other people in association with him. For example, tobacco smoking poses risks to dangerous diseases to both the smokers and passive smokers. A person who smokes at home exposes the other family members. Mothers consuming alcohol expose their unborn to risks of diseases as well as exposing themselves. Mothers who abuse other substance may expose their children to risks of infection thhrough breastfeeding too. Diseases in a family bring many problems. Smoking tobacco may result into anxiety. Family members of a person who smoke hence engage in passive smoking are prone to anxiety hence anxiety attacks (Barker, 297). Apart from draining the resources of a family, the sick members of the family are a burden to the family too. The family has to attend to the sick members of the family. The situation might force some family members to abandon their work to attend to the family members. The situation drains the finances of the family further. Insufficient finances in the family bring psychological problems too. Sick members of the family make the other family members remain in worry (Copeman, 1). Drug abusers often result in embarrassing behaviors even in public. For example, a drunken man might go urinating everywhere, even in public places. A family member who does the embarrassing acts poses problems to other family members too. People will see the drunken man and will associate him with the family members. If the person performing these embarrassing acts is a father, the children might suffer psychologically. The children may face ridicule from school from the other children who saw the father performing these acts. The wife to the husband who goes misbehaving in public will feel embarrassed by the acts too. The work mates of the wife might ridicule her too (Barker, 297). Abuse of drugs may result to divorce due to lack of communication and absconding of duties from family members. Divorce causes a feeling of betrayal, insecurity, vulnerability, and helplessness. Divorce is itself a traumatic event leaving the family members traumatized (Lowinson, Joyce John, 39). Drug abuse may cause death. The many drugs expose the abusers to great health risks and diseases. Most of the diseases are fatal and may result in death. Death of a family member will leave the other members of the family with grief. The loss of the family members leaves the other members with a feeling of guilt, anger, and surprising emotions (Copeman, 1). Conclusion Drug abuse has many psychological effects on an individual and other people in association with him or her. The family of drug abusers is the most affected psychologically. The psychological problems a family of a drug abuser experiences include constant anger, grief, depression, trauma, stress, anxiety among others. Buy custom Drug Abuse, How it Affects Families essay

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps By Maeve Maddox This sentence on a grammar site is intended to illustrate the use of the colon: It is time for the babys birthday party: a white cake, strawberry-marshmellow ice cream, and a bottle of champagne saved from another party. (Joan Didion) The use of the colon is fine, but a word is misspelled. I wouldn’t swear that Joan Didion is the one responsible for the misspelling. The error could have occurred during transcription. Nevertheless, a great many people do misspell the word for that puffy white thing: marshmallow. The confection got its name from a plant called a marshmallow. The roastable marshmallow was made originally from the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow plant. Note: I got the word mucilaginous from the OED definition for the plant. Doesn’t sound like something I’d want to eat. Nowadays marshmallows get their puffiness from gelatin. Here are some examples of other tricky words that may trip up otherwise competent spellers: 1. Wheelbarrow Incorrect: I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrel to add to the compost. Correct : I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrow to add to the compost. One meaning of barrow that has been in the language for a very long time is â€Å"a utensil for carrying a load.† A barrow with a wheel attached is a wheelbarrow. 2. Cemetery Incorrect: This is a beautiful cemetary to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Correct : This is a beautiful cemetery to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Incorrect: Ive always found old cemetaries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. Correct : Ive always found old cemeteries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. The trick to getting this word right is to remember that all three vowels are represented by the letter e. English cemetery comes via French from a Greek word that meant â€Å"a place to sleep,† like a dormitory. Early Christian writers were the first to make cemetery the usual word for a burial ground. 3. Dalmatian Incorrect: Slick - the two-year-old Dalmation mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Correct : Slick - the two-year-old Dalmatian mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Historically, Dalmatia was a region in the vicinity of Croatia. The Dalmatian dog traces its roots to that region. To get the spelling right, note the three a’s. 4. German shepherd Incorrect: For sale: pedigree german shephard puppies $500. Correct : For sale: pedigree German shepherd puppies $500. It seems to me that anyone selling puppies for $500 ought to be able to spell the name of the breed correctly. The AP Stylebook rule for capitalizing breed names is to capitalize only the part of the name that derives from a proper noun. One reason people may have trouble with spelling the common noun shepherd is that the word has produced family names with a variety of spellings, such as Shepard,  Sheppard,  Shephard  and  Shepperd. When spelling the name of the breed, the thing to remember is that the word shepherd is a combination of sheep + herd. A shepherd is a sheep herder. Think shep+herd. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Expanded and ExtendedA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

International Estate Planning Benchmark Assignment 8 Coursework

International Estate Planning Benchmark Assignment 8 - Coursework Example On the other hand, it is advisable for Cynthia to set up a trust benefit for her sons in the United States; this is because her children are likely to succeed her in running the business that is already in partnership. The benefit trust secures the business in legal angles. United States has set legal policies that consider foreign citizens. For instance, the fact that all states of the United States approve that definite asset of a debtor ought to and resolve to be protected from creditors. This and among other policies safeguard U.S citizens who have set up a business in foreign in countries. In addition, she cannot opt for Brazil as it is clear that the powers and responsibilities of trustees and the privileges of beneficiaries are recognized and applied to the laws of United States and not in Brazil. In fact, there is no country has that has better political stability more than the United States (Feldstein,

Interracial Relations and Sex and Marriage Essay

Interracial Relations and Sex and Marriage - Essay Example These Western societies include the apartheid South Africa, the Nazi Germany, a number of states in the United States before the 1967 Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriages. Interracial relations have also been controversial in the Islamic/Arab world in which some Muslim laws and customs ban or restrict sexual and marriage relationships with non-Muslims/Arabs or non-natives of a woman’s ancestral home. In these societies, more so in patriarchal cultures, interracial relations are discouraged to ensure that future generations are brought up as Arabs and Muslims. In worse scenarios, women found to be breaching such laws and customs are subjected to cruel punishments, which could even be death in places where strict Islamic law is followed. In fact, in Arab states of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan and the Palestinian Authority, there have been reports of violence against women who have married from other races, ethnic groups, or foreign countries. These harsh laws are applied under the pretext that such an individual has committed adultery and the judicial systems of these countries condone such cruelty towards women and men who embrace interracial relations. This paper explores the issue of interracial relations with reference to the movies â€Å"guess who is coming for dinner† and the novel â€Å"hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet† by Jamie Ford. Interracial Relations-Sex, and Marriages Fortunately for the multiracial United States of America, interracial relations such as cohabitation, sexual, or marriage have been fully legalized since the Supreme Court decision of 1967, which declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional. Nonetheless, most states of the U.S had legalized interracial relations earlier than 1967. This Supreme Court decision was particularly important for the U.S citizenry due to the fact that the country has rather many ethnic and racial groups, which make inter racial sexual and marriage relations rather common among its citizens. In spite of them being legalized, interracial relations continue to face several challenges, which result in quite a number of complications or barriers that same-race/culture marriages do not face (Smith & Hattery 68). These factors, mostly external, often create conflicts and disagreement in such relationships. For example, the fact that different races have diverse ethical values, customs, and beliefs implies that if people of different races marry, these values and customs may cause conflicts by influencing their perceptions of issues such as lifestyle and family values. Thus, there are bound to be problems and disagreements in such interracial relations (Poitier 124). On a rather positive note, not all interracial marriages have intercultural complications and challenges since there are situations in which people of different races may have the same or almost similar cultures so that little or not custom or value conflicts are encountered in such marriages. For example, in the United States, a couple could be of different races but have intermingled extensively for long periods so that they have similar cultural perspectives on life. The acceptance of the community, family, and the lifestyle of the other partner is among the

Postmodern Literature Essay Example for Free

Postmodern Literature Essay â€Å"The Garden of Forking Paths,† by taking the form of a signed statement made by the main character of the story, Dr. Yu Tsun, has a specific instance that reverts back to the past which is the technique of flashback in postmodern literature. That precise instance is when Dr. Tsun reflects on his great ancestor, Ts’ui Pen, and recalls the life of the man. More importantly, the story itself is already a flashback by virtue of its form, a signed statement, which implies that reading the ‘signed statement’ of Dr. Tsun is already a way of flashing back to his life before his death. Apparently, the flashback scene where Dr. Tsun recalls his memory of his great ancestor also indicates a ‘flashback’ within the main ‘flashback,’ which all the more signifies the postmodern character of the short story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is also a literary work with a postmodern characteristic. This can be observed from the way in which Achebe preferred not to ‘romanticize’ the story of the Nigerians by portraying the history of the Ibo tribe as flourishing while ending when the colonizers came, and is contrasted by the ‘self-destruction’ of the story’s main character, Okokwo. In sum, the downfall of the Ibo tribe has also been brought about by the self-destruction of the society’s hero aside from the harms done by the invading colonizers. Scott Momaday’s The Way to Rainy Mountain is also an example of postmodern literature because readers can hardly identify whether it is the author who is narrating his life experiences or the characters in the story who are revealing their journeys in the so-called Rainy Mountain. Thus, readers may tend to interpret Momaday’s work as a combination of the stories of his life and his people, or readers may tend to interpret the same work as the story of the characters from the eyes of the author or the story of the author from the eyes of the characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, both Primo Levi’s â€Å"Two Flags† and â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† indicate the blurring of the character and the elements of the story. For instance, the character in â€Å"Two Flags† mentions an â€Å"umpire† in a soccer game when in fact there is no umpire in a soccer game but a referee. Quite oddly, Levi also reveals how the main character in the story died upon seeing the two flags of the nations he loved and hated respectively swaying side-by-side. On the other hand, â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† has a climax in the opening parts of the story which tells us that the story departs from the conventional placement of the climax in stories. These elements are just some of the notable examples as to why both â€Å"Two Flags† and â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† are also postmodern works in literature. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Anchor, 1994. Levi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz. New York: Touchstone, 1996. Levi, Primo. Two Flags.   The Longman Anthology of World Literature. Ed. David Damorsch. Vol. F. New York: Pearson, 2004. 406-08. Momaday, N. Scott. The Way to Rainy Mountain. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1976.

Kevin Smith Essay -- essays research papers fc

Kevin Smith Kevin Smith is a prime example of the kind of person in my industry that I aspire to be like. His humor is intelligent, but he walks the fine line between funny and outright offensive. I admire him for his ability to tell a story using people, instead of effects and a huge budget. Kevin's first movie, Clerks, had a budget of around $27,000 (Kevin Smith). The entire film was black and white, and the only effect that had on the movie was to further highlight how obscenely drab these QuikStop clerks' daily lives were. Despite the tiny budget, Kevin showed off his sense of humor and told an involving story using barely anything but the characters. This movie was the birthplace of Jay and his hetero-life-mate Silent Bob, who are now well known after their appearances in several of Kevin's other movies. This film ended up getting into the Sundance Film Festival, and tickets for it sold out before the festival started. There were people outside scalping tickets. This was the cast and crew's first inkling that the movie might just make it. (Brian O'Holloran) The film was bought by Gramercy after the festival. Mallrats was Smith's second film, they went back to Gramercy for this one, and were offered a budget of 6 million dollars. Kevin actually fought against this size budget because he saw no need for that much, "Why? It's just a little picture ...

Willy Loman & the American Dream

Even this dream has changed In recent times, particularly after Instead of perseverance and audacity, salesmanship enters the erroneous dream's basis. Salesmanship indicates an evident aspect of trickery: the art of selling a product no matter the usefulness of the product. Profit is ultimately the justification to making a sale (Coalman 132-133). Repercussions can be catastrophic to all people surrounded and supported by a person who is affected by a false dream. Miller proposes two thoughts on the American Dream in Death of a Salesman.He starts off saying that we all have dreams, whether they are singular or numerous, straight forward or shady. Miller impresses upon the viewer that dreams control everyone's lives, but it is when people have the wrong dreams, it slowly starts to eat away at the person following the dream and his/ her family(Obduracy 89). Throughout Death of a Salesman, Miller criticizes two aspects of the modern American Dream and the people following it by showing how they affect Wily and the people around him.Miller first finds fault with the aspect of â€Å"hitting it big† and exemplifies this throughout Willis career. Wily relies on two things to keep him going during his endless time as a road man. The first of which is hard work. Unlike some of the salesmen that Wily knows who make large commissions with very little effort and the people who buy from him that laugh at all the trouble he goes through, Wily, each year, manages Just enough to keep scraping by. Though, he hopes that one day he will hit It big.When Wily realizes that his dream Is unattainable, he focuses his emotions on Biff, who becomes victim to Wally's dream of the â€Å"get-rich-quick† Idea. (Obduracy 90-91 ) No matter what case, business success Is not achieved through being regarded as a Goodman, success Is achieved through the art of salesmanship. The contrary to this false assumption Is seen In the three most affluent men In the play. Howard, Wally's emp loyer, does not want to cope with his dream, and Instead of handing Wily the promotion that Wily believed he deserved, he lays Wily off of his sales position because of his inability to produce.Ben, Will's brother, the most affluent of all characters, obtained his wealth through the contrary thought of occupational opulence no matter if he was liked or not. Lastly, Charley, Will's neighbor, does not want to listen to his views on business success, but he does supply Wily with a job so e can somewhat continue to support Nils Tamely (Mosey ) I en only Deluge In ten play to have succeeded off his character in the business world was Dave Signalman (Mosey 16). After the premier of Death of a Salesman, critics often describe the play as a denouncement of post-depression capitalism.The blue-collar Loan family had become prey to the false chase of wealth. After 34 years of Willis struggle to hit it big, he was thrown out a failure. Willis monetary achievement should have depended on the arb itrary nature between salesmen and clients. Miller clarifies that Willis dilemma is not only the societies fault, but also his own (Dungarees 68). Miller's next denounced aspect was Willis false notion that being well liked was ultimately the goal of occupational success. Despite many situations pointing toward the contrary, Wily fails to recognize the fault in his plan.Being well liked, to Wily, means more than making money. Willis kids are caught in the midst of his dream and develop different opinions about their father's failing dream. Biff, the oldest son, recognizes his father's false hopes and is driven to make sure he does not fall down he same path(Coalman 134-135). In. Order to achieve Willis view of business success on the basis of being â€Å"well liked,† he must have strong personality traits in the essential social aspects, and these traits are not evident in Wily.The dream of business success was well in Willis mind although, â€Å"The meaning of that need ext ends beyond the accumulation of wealth, security, goods and status† Jacobson CTD. In Mosey par. 10). Many financial troubles arose for Wily, but he never sought to relinquish these debts by striving for business success by means of salesmanship. Like Dave Signalman, Wily wants to be remembered as a big name who was well liked by everyone. In the end, he imagines that numerous crowds would show up at his funeral, but only five people showed up.Unlike true business success, Wily was still caught up on being well liked. Business success, in Will's mind, comes solely from character, and it is seen when he complains to his wife Linda (Mosey par. 10), â€Å"They seem to laugh at me†¦ ‘ don't know the reason for it, but they pass me by. I'm not noticed†¦ ‘ Joke too much†¦ Elm fat. I'm very-foolish to look at, Linda†¦ Lam not reusing to advantage, maybe† (Miller 37). While Wily might represent a product from the American society, society is no mo re at fault than Wily is himself.If people are in this similar predicament, society should not be looked at for the resolution of the problem, but they, themselves, should be looked at for the solution. Will's moral principles are lacking in every aspect. His want to be well liked among his peers overrides work (Dysentery 117-118). Dysentery writes, â€Å"Like Wily, the successful American from the time of the pioneers has had grandiose visions of success, but unlike Wily he has labored to ring them to reality' (118). At the time of Willis death, he accepts, but does not understand that he has failed in life.The reason for why had been evident for years, but Wily does not accept the idea that he is a, â€Å"Poor salesman with corrupt dreams† (63). Wily goes through his career believing that he was popular among the others, but Miller conveys quite the contrary, when five people attend his funeral. Wily dies under the assumption that his life insurance money will be used to c ontinue his conformed dream (Dangerous 63 ) Dangerous writes, â€Å"In toner words, Wily Tall to make ten outside world a home because he has always presented a fake front to the outside† (64).Every person around the world who has ever experienced loneliness and removal from society, and has ever dreamt of being congruous in what seems to be a malicious world, is displayed in Wily Loan. Miller morphs both past and present and puts the viewer into Willis mind to exhibit the faults in a persons idea of a â€Å"get- rich-quick-scheme,† and the false inclination of the American Dream deprived of knowing how invalid and empty the values that clings to in the corruptible American society.Instead of owning up to his mistakes and failures by following this false notion, Wily attempts to elude responsibility by solving these complex problems with simple unattainable solutions (Central paragraph 18). Miller's criticism of the American Dream ultimately condemns the people for fal ling into the false notion of the get-rich-quick scheme and the idea of business success based on the premise of being well like. T. E. Lawrence, a British military strategist, once wrote, All men dream: but not equally.Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses f their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible (CTD in Obduracy 94) This exemplifies the corruptness of Willis dream that was brought about overnight and the realism that is underlying in everyone's dreams. Initially, it appears preposterous to question some dreams to be unattainable and egotistic, but shouldn't dreams be unattainable?

Napoleon Bonaparte Rise to Power Essay

In 1784 to 1785 Napoleon attended the Ecole Militaire in Paris. That was the place where he received his military training. He studied to be an artillery man and an officer. He finished his training and joined the French army when he was 16 years old! Soon after that his father died and he was left with the responsibility of taking care of the huge Bonaparte family. Napoleon was stationed in Paris in 1792. After the French monarchy was overthrown on August 10, 1792, Napoleon decided to make his move up in the ranks. After this, Napoleon started becoming a recognized officer. In 1792 Napoleon was prompted to the rank of captain. In 1793 he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. He seized ground where he could get his guns in range of the British ships. Soon after that Toulon fell and Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In 1795 he saved the revolutionary government by dispersing a group of rioting citizens by using his famous â€Å"Whiff of grapeshot† – He loaded a bunch on pellets into a cannon and fired it at the crowd. Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated four Austrian generals in succession, and each army he fought got bigger and bigger. This forced Austria and its allies to make peace with France. But after this Napoleon was relieved of his command. He was poor, he was suspected of treason, he had no friends. No one would have suspected what Napoleon would do next. In 1795 Napoleon was appointed to put down a revolt in Paris. He calmly took complete control of the situation. He just had his men shoot all the rebels in the streets. The French government was saved, but they decided to form a new government called the Directory. Under the new government Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. During this campaign the French realized how smart Napoleon was. He developed a tactic that worked very efficiently. He would cut the enemy’s army in to two parts, then throw all his force on one side before the other side could rejoin them. This method was extremely effective against the Sardinian troops, because he defeated them five times in 11 days!! This made the King of Sardinia to try to make peace. Napoleon could not be stopped. He was a fast thinker who moved his troops extremely fast. Soon, instead of taking the defensive position Napoleon started taking the offensive position and thus, he started his conquest of Europe. He started his attack on Austria. It was his first big campaign. During one attack he showed his bravery by forcing his way across a burning bridge. After that his troops gave him the name Petit Caporal† or in English â€Å"Little Corporal† the name stuck to him. He then attacked the Austrians in Mantua. Austria sent troops there four times, and every time Napoleon crushed them. In 1797 he came within 80 miles of Vienna when Austria surrendered. Napoleon had won 14 pitched battles and 70 combats. He had made the rich lands he conquered feed and pay the French soldiers. Plus millions of francs were send back to France. This helped France’s poor economy tremendously. Napoleon negotiated a treaty called Campo Formio with Austria. Austria gave up it’s Netherlands and Lombardy to France. Austria also recognized the Rhine as the eastern boundary of France. In return France gave Austria most of the old Venetian Republic. When Napoleon returned to Paris he received a huge welcome. He then began thinking of pursuing political power and military power. He wanted to become the next Alexander the Great, so he asked the Directory if he could take a large army to Egypt. That way he could conquer an empire that included Egypt, India, and other middle and far east places. Napoleon came up with a neat idea to accomplish this. If he conquered Egypt, he could attack the English’s route to India. He won the battle of the Pyramids in July 1798. But his fleet was destroyed at the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir Bay. So Napoleon decided to invade Syria. The English and Turkish troops in Syria had held up against Napoleon. Napoleon then retreated to Egypt. Then later in July 1799, he defeated 10,000 Turks at Aoukir. He returned to France shortly after. Napoleon returned to find the Directory was a mess. He, in his selfish way, saw this as the perfect time for self-advancement. So in November of 1799 he overthrew the Directory. Napoleon set up a government called the Consulate. He was the first of three consuls. About three years later he made himself first consul for life. Everyone in France loved Napoleon at that time. Then he started increasing his power Napoleon’s impact is still around today. Many laws are based on the Napoleonic Code. In Paris there are many monuments saluting him. His remains were brought to Paris in 1840 and placed in the Invalides, where they still lie.

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks Vitamin Enhanced Beverages †Alternative Beverage Industry

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks Vitamin Enhanced Beverages – Alternative Beverage Industry Background material The soft drink industry has been dominated by some major companies like the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. Prior to the 21st century, these companies concentrated in the processing of carbonated drinks. The drinks had an exceptionally high demand and companies that processed such drinks flourished by making enormous sales.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks Vitamin Enhanced Beverages – Alternative Beverage Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, as consumers have been informed on the dangers or health risks associated with the consumption of carbonated drinks, they have shifted their attentions to other drinks. As the demand for soft drinks continued to rise, dominant companies took advantage of this and hiked the prices. All these contributed to a shift in consumption of the drinks as consumers sought for alternative drinks. Therefore, a lternative drinks came not only as an option, but also as a change in strategy for beverage companies to address the needs of customers (Gamble, 2012). From the year 2000, the alternative beverage market has been extremely active with many companies coming into the alternative beverage industry. However, the international market for alternative beverages was immensely affected by the economic recession of 2008 – 2009. The United States, which is the main market for the alternative drinks, recorded a significant drop in the sale of alternative beverages and drinks. There was a 12.3 per cent drop in the sale of sports drinks between 2008 and 2009. During the same period, vitamin-enhanced waters recorded a 12.5 percent decline in sales. It is only the energy drinks which recorded a rise in sales during the recession period. The sales rose by 0.2 per cent (Gamble, 2012). Beverage producing companies capitalized fully on the demand growth by extending their products. Many companie s have been developing new products, as well as diversifying their existing products so as to capture a bigger share of the market. Beverage companies sought to further extend and venture into the manufacture and processing of relaxation drinks to address the needs of the depressed people. Therefore, the alternative beverage industry has been marked with high scale competition. There exist too many alternative beverages and drinks in the market now (Katz, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The major strategy of the beverage companies has been to diversify and make enormous extension of their brands in the market. Increased competition has resulted in unhealthy or unethical business practices within the alternative beverage and drinks industry. Market capture and expansion has been the main objective of the beverage companies. They do not pay much attention to t he aspects of sustainability in the market. A number of companies have been receiving criticism owing to the effects of their products to the health of consumers. Some products like the beverages with high caffeine content were critiqued for promoting unhealthy consumption patterns. Companies do not let the consumers know the patterns of consuming these beverages and drinks. Some companies do not expose the contents and the side effects of these contents to the consumers. Physicians have been warning consumers of the dangers associated with some of the ingredients in these drinks like kava and melatonin (Gamble, 2012). The global beverage industry is still projected to grow as the beverage companies are sprouting and finding new markets across the globe. Therefore, better strategies have to be adopted by the companies in the beverage industry. This will assure that these companies achieve market sustainability (Gamble, 2012). Strategy identification in the alternative beverage indus try For a company to beat the competition in the market, it must first understand and pursue a strategy. The company must understand the industry in which it is competing as this is the main source of competition. Also, a company has to know all the rules that are governing competition within the industry. Notably, there have been many players in the beverage industry. Each of the major companies in the industry has its own way of enhancing its competitive advantage. However, since these companies are operating in the same industry, they tend to use almost similar strategies with only slight differences (Gamble, 2012). There are different approaches or strategies to competition. The five main generic strategies to competition are focused low-cost strategy, focused broad differentiation strategy, a market niche strategy based on low cost. Others are a focused market strategy that is based on differentiation and a best-cost provider strategy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks Vitamin Enhanced Beverages – Alternative Beverage Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some companies do apply a mix of these strategies. It is advisable for companies to choose and pursue a single strategy. The pursuance of one policy helps in easing the positioning of a company. This helps in eliminating the complexities that may arise from integrating the varied strategies (Katz, 2010). Major firms in the alternative beverage industry have been applying most of these strategies in order to enhance their performance in the market (Gamble, 2012). The Coca-Cola Company stands out as one of the oldest company in the soft drink industry. Also, the company is ranked as one of the best performing companies in the industry. In the year 2009, the company was the best manufacturer and distributor of soft drinks within the global market. Coca-Cola has a very wide market with di fferent brands. Brand extension is the major strategy of competition for the company. It has the widest distribution network with its plants located in over 200 countries globally. The Coca-Cola brand has been very helpful to the company. It positioned the company in the wider market enabling it to enter alternative beverages into the market effectively. With its new and high quality brands of alternative drinks, Coca-Cola has continued to maintain a competitive position (Gamble, 2012). Similar to Coca-Cola, PepsiCo has a number of popular products like Pepsi. The company has employed several competitive strategies to survive in the competitive alternative beverage and drink industry. One of the key competitive strategies has been brand-extension and brand-diversification. PepsiCo has established itself in the market as a company that has quality products. The company is creative and has been coming up with different products that are filing the market and making it a strong player (Shankar Carpenter, 2012). As one of the biggest beverage companies, PepsiCo noted this demand and ventured into processing the different brands. Some of its products were rated the best in the industry in the year 2010. There are various advantages associated with broad brand distribution. However, what stands out is that this form of distribution provides a wide range of options for customers. The company has further expanded these brands into different flavors. Brand differentiation and extension has been the leading force behind the organizations performance in a competitive industry (Katz, 2010). Hansen Natural Corporation has ben dealing in the manufacture of alternative beverages for a long time. The company sales have been growing in the recent years. This growth is equated to the launch of several other beverages by the company from the beginning of the year 2002. The company has adopted an aggressive differentiation strategy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from coming up with many brands of products and taking them to market, the company also uses price as a means of differentiating its products in the market. In the year 2002, the company decided to lower the prices of its products with the price of Red Bull products. In-store promotions have also been extensively used by the company in familiarizing its products to customers. The company uses creative promotional strategies. They promote their products in the events that they sponsor for instance sporting events and art and music concerts (Gamble, 2012). Red Bull GmbH has been one of the leading companies in the processing of soft drinks in the beverage industry. The company concentrated in the manufacture of beverage drinks since its inception. This explains why the company is a strong force in the industry. Whereas other companies have diversified and produces products in different categories within the industry, Red Bull has concentrated in one lane of products. The concent ration in these products has made the company a master in such products. However, all other companies in the industry have been diversifying their products and even becoming good producers of sports drinks. This competitive strategy is not very favorable in an industry which has many players. Dependence on a single product is highly risky for a company. The company is bound to flop in the event other companies develop stronger substitutes (Trigg, Himmelweit Simonetti, 2002). The alternative beverage industry has been marked with competition. Companies in the industry are using almost similar strategies of competition. With products in the industry being close substitutes, broad differentiation strategies are the main focus of the companies. Most of the main firms in the industry are coming up with more products so as to fill and dominate the market. In this aspect of differentiation, quality is also playing out as an important element of differentiation. Some companies are earning fame in the industry because of the quality of their substitute products (Thompson, Gamble Strickland, 2006). Analysis of performance of the broad differentiation strategy by major firms in the alternative beverage industry Just like many other strategies, differentiation strategies are aimed at maximizing profits in companies. It enables firms to raise the unit of sales, gain the loyalty from their customers, and commanding a premium price for company products. When this has been achieved, the company gains competitive advantage over its competitors in the market (Shankar Carpenter, 2012). PepsiCo gained access into the alternative beverage market by virtue of having dealt in the soft drink industry for a long time. The broad brand differentiation strategy has been argued to be the main reason why the company has been ranked first in the alternative beverage industry globally (Thompson, Gamble Strickland, 2006). PepsiCo has been remarkably innovative knowing the amount of effort s that are being employed by its competitors like Coca-Cola and Red Bull. The company formed vast distribution systems for its carbonated soft drinks like Pepsi-Colas. As it introduced its new brands of the alternative beverages, it ensured that the new brands were found where in the distribution centers for its famous brands. Therefore, as people purchased these products, they came across the new products. PepsiCo has over one hundred sub–brands of brands in the market that have been developed from the main brands. The first aspect of differentiation in the company was the venturing into the production of alternative beverage drinks. At one point, PepsiCo has managed to come up with over 12 different flavors of products from a single product. There are different methods or approaches of differentiating products in a competitive market (Gamble, 2012). Differentiation can focus on either the main products or even on other aspects of product marketing like pricing and other mar keting approaches (Keller, 1998). PepsiCo has concentrated much on diversifying its alternative beverage drinks. This forms the core of its differentiation strategy. The company has many alternative beverage drinks in the market. This means that the company attests to the differing tests of customers. This also aids the company to have a wider market relative to its competitors, and thus a competitive advantage to PepsiCo. A company can choose to pursue brand differentiation in multiple ways. This gives the company a stronger platform on which to compete with its competitors. However, it is suitable for a company to identify its strong pointer in differentiation as this will serve the company best when competitive pressures mount (Kotler Pförtsch, 2006). Differentiation is an extremely broad strategy. For a company to realize the benefits of differentiation strategy, it has to incorporate differentiation activities in its supply chain. A strong and differentiated supply chain e nsures that products reach customers in time and required qualities and quantities (Thompson, Gamble Strickland, 2006). PepsiCo has done well in sustaining its supply chain by enhancing its distribution channels and points. Its products are easily found in the market. This boosts the sale of the products. Research and development have also helped the company in its initiatives of brand diversity. With a significant number of products in the market, the company has to shift its attention to active marketing practices like advertising and promotional activities. There are many products from the company that are not yet known by many potential customers. The brands that have been developed in the recent years need to be made known to the potential customers of the company (Gamble, 2012). Recommendations for future decisions for a new company in the industry Companies that are aiming to venture into this industry have to be extremely creative. Nonetheless, with many customers, this ind ustry is highly saturated with master companies. The first thing for a new company will be to assess the industry in terms of the main companies operating in the industry and strategies that they use. The attractiveness of a firm in any industry is the attractiveness of the industry. Industry attractiveness is determined by the profits that are being made by the firms in the industry (Porter, 1998). The new firm must also be familiar with the rules that govern competition in the industry. According to Porter (1998), the rules are to be found in the five forces of competition. These are competition for new entrants, threat of substitutes, the buyers and their bargaining power, the bargaining power of suppliers and rivalry in the industry. The most compelling force in the beverage industry is the issue of the threat posed by substitute products and rivalry among the firms. When a company chooses to pursue a certain competitive strategy, it does not imply that the company should work w ith the strategy in an isolated manner. Strategies do not work in isolation just as it is in the business. Other strategies have to be incorporated within the main competitive strategy to make it work efficiently. Each strategy has its advantages, as well as disadvantages to the company. Therefore, the company must ensure that it maximizes on the strengths of a strategy. Capitalization on the strengths of a strategy helps in eliminating the negative effects of a strategy. The broad brand differentiation strategies have been applied in greater heights. Ii is more risky for a new firm to concentrate on a single strategy in a market that has highly volatile activities (Thompson, Gamble Strickland, 2006). The company has to monitor the different companies and capitalize on the aspects of weakness in the competitors. As a company develops products in the market, it has to monitor competition both from within and without the organization. The company must fully understand its competitors so that it can choose the best strategies to out-compete them. As a market leader, a company is always prone to scrutiny from other firms (Yoffie Kwak, 2001). The adoption of blue ocean market strategy could also be favorable to the new company. The beverage industry is marked by similar products with only slight differences in flavor. This can be effectively applied in marketing by choosing inventive strategies, which will help the company set itself above the other companies. The strategy chosen by the company has to be integrative basing on the assessment done to the strategies of the other companies already in the industry (Kim Mauborgne, 2005). The new entrant has to adopt defensive strategies as it enters the market in the first time. Open competitive strategies will then be applied when the company has attained a significant market share. This is because the activities of the company can be influenced be put to jeopardy by the actions of the smaller (Thompson, Gamble Stri ckland, 2006). References Gamble, J. E. (2012). Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, Vitamin Enhanced Beverages. Web. Katz, J. S. (2010). Competing for global dominance: Survival in a changing world. Silicon Valley, CA: Superstar Press. Keller, K. L. (1998). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring and managing brand equity. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Kim, W.C. Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. Kotler, P. Pförtsch, W. A. (2006). B2B brand management: With 7 tables. Berlin: Springer. Porter, M.E. (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance: with a New Introduction. New York: Simon and Schuker Inc. Shankar, V. Carpenter, G.S. (2012). Handbook of marketing strategy. Cheltenham [etc.: Elgar. Thompson, A. A., Gamble, J. Strickland, A. J. (2006). Strategy: Core concepts, analytical tools, read ings. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill. Trigg, A., Himmelweit, S. Simonetti, R. (2002). Microeconomics: Neoclassical and institutionalist perspectives on economic behavior. London: Thomson. Yoffie, D. B., Kwak, M. (2001). Judo strategy: Turning your competitors strength to your advantage. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

Case Pneumonia Essay Example for Free

Case Pneumonia Essay Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection. It is also called Pneumonitis or Bronchopneumonia. Pneumonia can be a serious threat to our health. Although pneumonia is a special concern for older adults and those with chronic illnesses, it can also strike young, healthy people as well. It is a common illness that affects thousands of people each year in the Philippines, thus, it remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the country. There are many kinds of pneumonia that range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. In infectious pneumonia, bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms attack your lungs, leading to inflammation that makes it hard to breathe. Pneumonia can affect one or both lungs. In the young and healthy, early treatment with antibiotics can cure bacterial pneumonia. The drugs used to fight pneumonia are determined by the germ causing the pneumonia and the judgment of the doctor. It’s best to do everything we can to prevent pneumonia, but if one do get sick, recognizing and treating the disease early offers the best chance for a full recovery. A case with a diagnosis of Pneumonia may catch one’s attention, though the disease is just like an ordinary cough and fever, it can lead to death especially when no intervention or care is done. Since the case is a toddler, an appropriate care has to be done to make the patient’s recovery faster. Treating patients with pneumonia is necessary to prevent its spread to others and make them as another victim of this illness. The lungs constitute the largest organ in the respiratory system. They play an important role in respiration, or the process of providing the body with oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. The lungs expand and contract up to 20 times per minute taking in and disposing of those gases. Air that is breathed in is filled with oxygen and goes to the trachea, which branches off into one of two bronchi. Each bronchus enters a lung. There are two lungs, one on each side of the breastbone and protected by the ribs. Each lung is made up of lobes, or sections. There are three lobes in the right lung and two lobes in the left one. The lungs are cone shaped and made of elastic, spongy tissue. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch out into minute pathways that go through the lung tissue. The pathways are called bronchioles, and they end at microscopic air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are surrounded by capillaries and provide oxygen for the blood in these vessels. The oxygenated blood is then pumped by the heart throughout the body. The alveoli also take in carbon dioxide, which is then exhaled from the body. Inhaling is due to contractions of the diaphragm and of muscles between the ribs. Exhaling results from relaxation of those muscles. Each lung is surrounded by a two-layered membrane, or the pleura, that under normal circumstances has a very, very small amount of fluid between the layers. The fluid allows the membranes to easily slide over each other during breathing. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY Pneumonia is a serious infection or inflammation of your lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has trouble reaching your blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your body cells can’t work properly. Because of this and spreading infection through the body pneumonia can cause death. Pneumonia affects your lungs in two ways. Lobar pneumonia affects a section (lobe) of a lung. Bronchial pneumonia (or bronchopneumonia) affects patches throughout both lungs. Bacteria are the most common cause of pneumonia. Of these, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common. Other pathogens include anaerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, C. psittaci, C. trachomatis, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, Legionella pneumophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and other gram-negative bacilli. Major pulmonary pathogens in infants and children are viruses: respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, and influenza A and B viruses. Among other agents are higher bacteria including Nocardia and Actinomyces sp; mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atypical strains; fungi, including Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Pneumocystis carinii; and rickettsiae, primarily Coxiella burnetii (Q fever). The usual mechanisms of spread are inhaling droplets small enough to reach the alveoli and aspirating secretions from the upper airways. Other means include hematogenous or lymphatic dissemination and direct spread from contiguous infections. Predisposing factors include upper respiratory viral infections, alcoholism, institutionalization, cigarette smoking, heart failure, chronic obstructive airway disease, age extremes, debility, immunocompromise (as in diabetes mellitus and chronic renal failure), compromised consciousness, dysphagia, and exposure to transmissible agents. Typical symptoms include cough, fever, and sputum production, usually developing over days and sometimes accompanied by pleurisy. Physical examination may detect tachypnea and signs of consolidation, such as crackles with bronchial breath sounds. This syndrome is commonly caused by bacteria, such as S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. NURSING PROFILE a. Patient’s Profile Name: R. C. S. B. Age: 1 yr,1 mo. Weight:10 kgs Religion: Roman Catholic Mother: C. B. Address: Valenzuela City b. Chief Complaint: Fever Date of Admission: 1st admission Case Pneumonia. (2018, Oct 16).

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Assignment Example can gain marketing competencies. Hence, context of the report tries to focus on the worth and value of entrepreneurial marketing. It is highly rational to conduct such a study because effectiveness of entrepreneurial marketing activities determines long-term success of small firms as well as the entire economic system of a nation (Papalexandris and Galanaki, 2009). According to the views of Donald Kuratko, â€Å"an entrepreneur is a person who pays a certain price for a product to resell it at an uncertain price, thereby making decisions about obtaining and using the resources while consequently admitting the risk of enterprise† (Kuratko, 2013). Entrepreneurs in the business world are treated as human capital. It is claimed that economic capital of an organization becomes more productive with the essence of effective human capital. It is also believed that leadership skills of entrepreneurs determine the circulations and shifts in an economy. It was claimed that fabrication of an economy is created through entrepreneurship (Glover, 2013). According to some researchers, Cunningham and Lischeron had first introduced the concept of leadership school of entrepreneurship in 1991 (Stryker, 1998). The entrepreneur in an organization, similar to a leader, assists workers to accomplish the desired organizational tasks and objectives. Motivation is another skill embedded in good entrepreneurs. The gap between workers’ ability and willingness to work is bridged by motivation instilled by an entrepreneur in workplace (Stryker, 1998). The mission and vision of an organization is achieved with dedicated work of an entrepreneur. It was also noted that work culture of a firm is upgraded with contribution of an entrepreneur (Glover, 2013). In latter stages, these theories of leadership were linked with those of entrepreneurship. Even so, it should be noted that these theories only help to analyze the worth of