Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Dream within a Dream”

Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"A Dream within a Dream† (1849) is a poem dramatizing the losses of a man, and his reflection if his life is real or unreal. The narrator is reflecting about the elusiveness of things and people he value, since they all seem to disappear. The poem questions if reality is fantasy, thus the title, â€Å"A Dream within a Dream†. Since this was published in the year of Poe’s death, some assume that the narrator is talking about the death of his loved ones, and the troubles in his life.The poem begins with an image of parting and addresses a specific person. This person is only mentioned in the first stanza; the second stanza does not mention any person at all. Others interpret this person as abstract, meaning that the narrator talks to life or love personified, or any abstract idea, and not a real person. The narrator, talking to this person, ponders whether his â€Å"days have been a dream† (5), and speaks of losing hope. He sees his life as if he is trapped, as shown in the lines, â€Å"All that we see or seem/Is but a dream within a dream† (10-11).But first, to define the word â€Å"dream† is relevant in understanding this poem. A dream can either be images, ideas or sensations while sleeping, an aspiration or ambition, or an illusion or trance. Upon reading the poem, there is no question that the definition of the word â€Å"dream† in the poem is the last one given above, an illusion, but not necessarily a beautiful or happy illusion. There is no mention of sleeping or daydreaming, so then it is safe to assume that â€Å"dream† meant an illusion.One of Edgar Allan Poe’s well-known poems, the poem uses rhyme and meter, but it has inconsistent rhythm. Repetition is also used to emphasize the feeling of sadness and frustration, as in the fifth, eleventh, and twenty-fourth lines. These poetic elements and romantic characteristics such as the dramatization found in the lines , â€Å"O God! Can I not grasp/Them with a tighter clasp?† (19-20) and the use of simple but powerful images, make this poem compelling when read aloud.The images, especially in the second stanza, are striking and memorable. The lines, â€Å"And I hold within my hand/Grains of the golden sand/How few! Yet how they creep/Through my fingers to the deep,/While I weep— while I weep!† (14-18) might be alluding to either time or material wealth. The â€Å"grains of the golden sand† (15) is said to have been referencing to the gold found in California in 1848 (Silverman 402).This image of grains slowly trickling down evokes a feeling of frustration over the elusiveness of things that the narrator values, and that might or might not include money and personal possessions. Time could also be an allusion due to the fact that Poe had lost his loved ones in the past. The narrator might be saying indirectly that he is already feeling his death nearing.The last six lin es of the poem express the desperation to â€Å"grasp† and â€Å"save† (19, 22) the things he value. There is also a feeling of helplessness as the narrator watches the grains creeping through his fingers, and he cries, as shown in the line, â€Å"While I weep— while I weep!† (18)However, in the end he seems to question, not to state that he is in â€Å"a dream within a dream† (24). Unlike the ending line of the first stanza in which the line is written as a statement as though the narrator really believes that his life is all a dream, the last line of the poem is written as though the narrator is in doubt, or perhaps there is a little bit of hope in him.Some say that Poe wrote this poem after the death of his wife from tuberculosis, and that the person that the narrator is talking to in the poem is a woman. But that might not be, because this was published long after his wife’s death, unless he did write the poem from way back. Whether or n ot Poe wrote this because of his troubles or his depression is not certain.What is certain is that the poem tells of a person’s thoughts about what is real and unreal. Losing all the things he values makes him think, out of sadness, and perhaps, denial, that his life is just â€Å"a dream within a dream†.Works CitedPoe, Edgar Allan. Poetry and Tales. Ed. Patrick F. Quinn. New York: Library of America, 1984.Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991.Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001.   

Michele A. Paludi’s “Sexual Harassment in College” Essay

True or false? Many people believe that sexual harassment only involves physical assault. False! I don’t know where Dr. Paludi got this red herring of a definition from so that she could attack it, but sexual harassment had always meant quid pro quo, grades for sex, or, in the workplace, sexual favors to get the job or a raise. In either case, force was rarely needed. Regie T. has looked up both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Act of 1972, and even without input from the ongoing debate, I can see that according to federal law, sexual harassment is wide open to interpretation. College policies? Same unhelpful and confusing statements. Staring at students, complimenting them, calling them â€Å"dear†, ‘uncomfortable’ witticism, having a lesson on the unclothed female figure–all these ‘harassing’ behaviors have been used to fire professors. Even fully consensual love affairs weren’t safe, once some third party found out, got offended, and found time to complain. I believe people do have a clear understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment all right. True or false? Frequently individuals are told that sexual harassment is a rare occurence or that the campus has never filed for it against an individual. True. I inquired at Valley College’s VP for Student Services and its response was that in the past five years, only two students had filed sexual harassment complaints against anybody, the last being in 2001. In my public speaking class at that institution last spring, I witnessed an incident where the instructor told a pregnant student to ‘waddle down’ to the front. The student said it wasn’t funny, broke down in tears, and the instructor apologized. Previously, this student also cried when a guy called her fat. At the end of the term, I overheard her say, after not getting an ‘A’ in the class, that she might complain to the dean. I’m sure that had she had been included in one of those surveys on verbal abuse, she would’ve reported to having been sexually harassed. True or false? There is a common myth that there is a â€Å"typical† harasser who can be identified by his blatant and obvious mistreatment of many women. Maybe before; now it’s False. One of Paludi’s sources which I’ve read, Billie Dziech and Linda Weiner’s standard harassment text, has been  brainwashing women for almost 20 years. It warns against The Lecherous Professor who could be of any imaginable type, from a stylish â€Å"public harasser,† a conservative â€Å"private harasser,† a nice â€Å"Counselor-Helper,† or even a smart â€Å"Intellectual Seducer.† As more women are exposed to this book, we can’t really blame them when they start suspecting everyone except the garden variety pathological and abnormally-behaving instructor. As UCLA Professor, cultural critic, and all-woman Cristina Nehring put it: â€Å"[G]ive a group of indifferently successful individuals of either sex a glass through which to view themselves as very important victims, limited in their success not by the modesty of their own talents but by the ubiquitous insidiousness of the â€Å"system,† and chances are good they will learn to use it. Mix in the resentment of a relationship gone awry, or a relationship desired but never obtained, and you begin to understand the source of a good number of sexual-harassment charges. Add to this a potent financial bait (women have reaped considerable rewards through harassment suits in which the burden of disproof was on the defendant and institutional sympathy entirely with the accuser), and the attraction of such charges becomes still clearer.† True or false? Women may not label their experiences as sexual harassment even though the experiences meet the legal definition of this form of victimization. False. Today, there is such a thing as too much awareness. Again, Nehring answered this best: â€Å"In our enlightened contemporary university, men walk on eggshells and women run from shadows. Every gesture is suspect: if a colleague compliments you on your dress, it smacks of sexism; if a professor is friendly, he is readying you for future sexual abuse. There is no kindness so innocent that women educated in the â€Å"patterns† of harassment cannot recognize it as an instance of the newly identified activity experts refer to as â€Å"grooming† the victim for the kill. Academic encouragement, easy jesting, an affectionate epithet–all of what used to be the currency of good fellowship as well as teaching–have become cause for vigilance, fodder for complaint, the stuff of suits.† If there was ever a woman’s issue that deserves a backlash, it is sexual harassment; unfortunately the backlash has appeared in other battlegrounds where there are real women victims, such as rape, incest and child molestation, but not this one. Feminists have already won–the occasional true harasser is easily identified and thrown out of office, But in making all college female students out to be weak and resourceless victims, and all male faculty as closet villains, the regular classrooms are now fearfully and boringly intolerable for everyone; they should be now left alone. Sexual harassment remains a major problem in high school and in the workplace, but I just don’t see it being one in college anymore. Work Cited Nehring, Cristina. â€Å"The Higher Yearning.† Harper’s Magazine 303.1816 (2001): 64-72.

Analyzing Visual Media Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Visual Media - Case Study Example In this ad, there are several techniques being used by the company to promote their cigarettes. The first and primary motivator is the transfer technique which suggests that men who smoke Marlboro are as rugged and as ‘real’ as the man shown in the picture. This is, in fact, the strongest message since the advertisement does not actually say anything about the positive values of the cigarettes (not that there are too many of those) and the ad does not give a price point or other selling point for the product. A secondary tone which can be connected to the ad is the plain folks' technique since the age of cowboys is certainly a nostalgic image. Admittedly there may still be cowboys in America but the general idea of cowboys for me remains connected with the old west. I was certainly impressed by the look of the man and the cold stare that he has for the audience but at some level, it is also scary. Finally, the warning at the bottom of the page tells us that smoke contains carbon monoxide which is somewhat cryptic but still effective in breaking the card stacking technique. The second advertisement is from Apple Computer’s Think Different campaign which was critically acclaimed as one of the best campaigns in modern print advertising. The ad shows a black and white picture of John Lennon and Yoko Ono both holding flowers in their hand and looking towards the viewer. In the top right corner, the Apple Logo is present with the words â€Å"Think Different† underneath them and on the bottom left corner, the words www.apple.com invite the viewer to visit Apple’s website. Again there are several techniques being used by the company to project its image of being different and unique. First of all, the unspoken celebrity endorsement of Lennon is enough to make many people think ‘differently’ about apple as more than a computer manufacturer.  Ã‚  

Nonverbal Communication Nuances Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nonverbal Communication Nuances - Assignment Example In addition to that, virtual communication employs the use of facial expressions that serve as a nonverbal communication to enhance the meaning of the virtual verbal communication.  Ã‚   No, I do not believe so because increased use of the technology-mediated modes of communication would enable us to predict, read, and understand the nonverbal cues and norms that we are not very good at reading presently because we have not been always used to the technology-mediated modes of communication. However, our young generation, particularly the ones that are born in the computer age and that have been communicating virtually from the very early years of their lives are very comfortable with this mode of communication and have a better ability to judge and understand the nonverbal cues and norms even in the virtual communication. So even if the technology-mediated modes of communication become more common, their ability to read the nonverbal cues would only grow.

Health assessment and health promotion for the older adult Essay

Health assessment and health promotion for the older adult - Essay Example The case study involves an elderly widow, Mrs. G aged 88 years and living with her daughter. The daughter is also a single mother of three children aged 2 to 10 years. The family lives in a 3-bedroomed house in a very busy street. Mrs. G’s daughter is employed, working 12 hours daily for six day a week. The elderly woman has dementia and impaired vision. She also suffers back curvature and occasional gait. She has difficulty in swallowing, decreased appetite, and loss of weight. The widow keeps talking about her late husband who died approximately five years ago. 3. Changes experienced at old age Old adult age falls in Erikson’s psychosocial stage 8, a stage that is mainly characterized by back reflection in life. The developmental stage involves a feeling of despair and bitterness for those who have been unsuccessful and feelings of integrity for those who have successful life accomplishments (Cherry, 2012, p.3). Individuals experience various physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes as they transition into older adult stage. Mental inability is a common condition at this stage of development and its roots are often traced from the changes in the brain that occur at earlier stages (O’Brien, 2012). The individuals lose concentration and their attention can be attracted to very petty events. According to Dr. Cheryl Grady, a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, there is a significant difference between the concentration abilities in old and young people and the difference can be explained by some brain mechanism (O’Brien, 2012). The biological/physiological changes experienced in the body explain the other physical changes like visual and hearing impairment. These conditions are observed in the case study. Much of these physical and psychosocial changes have been observed in the elderly widow. She suffers from dementia. Mrs. G is also visually impaired and suffers back curvature and gait. She is highly distracted by the memories of her late husband. 4. Health promotion and prevention for the old adults Health assessment is necessary in the prevention of occurrence or further complications of health problems, especially for the old adults with chronic illnesses. Caring for these elderly people requires an understanding of the characteristic symptoms of mental disorders like dementia. To identify dementia, the care providers need to observe the cognitive impairment in these individuals including noncompliance and inability to follow certain directions. One of the key symptoms of this disorder is inability to think properly and carry out daily routines like eating, bathing, or dressing. They may also experience personality loss and inability to control their emotions. This condition may be managed to some extent through drugs, which do not treat the mental disorder, but slows it down and

Comparative Public Sector Administration Assignment

Comparative Public Sector Administration - Assignment Example Based on Northouse's (2007) definition, of leadership — Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal – we gather that a leader’s style of functioning can have significant implications for the employees as well as the goals. In examining the case of Albert Dunlap, we can identify how this seems to occur. Albert Dunlap served as the Chief Executive officer at Sunbeam Corporation using a managerial style that was both ruthless and rigorous. The emphasis seems to have been on profit-making; to the extent that ethical behavior was deeply compromised to that end. There is supposed evidence of tampering with the revenue books; which if true, would be evidence of a selfish motivation to the ruthless attempt at making profits. Such behavior shows a marked lack of consideration for the staff’s needs or their due. According to Blake and Mouton’s (1957) model, these are signs of low concern for people and a high concern for tasks. Such a pattern of leadership is described as the ‘Authoritarian Leadership. The Authoritarian leader is focused on the task to exclusion of the people involved in completing the task. In the case of Albert Dunlap, this ‘task’ was creating as much profit as possible, and siphoning much of it into personal desires. This kind of leader views people as means to an end, and communicates only what s/he believes is essential to the task.

Communicating During a Downsizing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 28

Communicating During a Downsizing - Case Study Example The slogan for the operation is â€Å"transformation with reaffirmation† meaning that change is inevitable but there is always a reason for it. Through a deep deliberation, it is decided that the best method to inform the employees that they are being let go is the use of the face to face communication due to how serious the issue is. It is important to explain to the employees the need for change, the method of handling it, and the necessary support available to the hospital employees. Much control is to be given to the employees and for this reason the use of open communication. Employees willing to undergo early retirement are to forward their details. Basing on the respond the action can be taken to layoff those willing and save those willing to remain. Those laid off are to undergo counseling, attend workshops on resume building, issued with recommendations from the hospital, and anything that is of benefit to the career of the employee and life (Lehman & Dufrene, 2011). A clear timeframe for the layoff events is created so that everyone is aware of the sequence of events for the layoff. It helps in ensuring that everyone has the desired information about the process. A track record of how the employees are coping with the change is formulated through a series of records to ensure a seamless flow of events. It gives a control tool to help when the need arises. However, the process is not expected to be definite as there is no easy layoff but the aim of the communication is to ensure that the employees understand the need for change. The plan is also to help the hospital maintain its reputation and do what it has done (Lehman & Dufrene, 2011).   The hospital is faced with a situation where 200 employees out of 1500 should downsize. It is a fact that the hospital does not operate in isolation but in the environment that needs consideration in effecting the step. The general public is another element to consider in effecting the issue. The government, the local community, the investors and other friends of the hospitals to be put into consideration (Clampitt, 2009).  

Teachers' Role in Early Literacy (community involvement in early Essay

Teachers' Role in Early Literacy (community involvement in early childhood education) - Essay Example Encouraging children toward literacy can be achieved through the interactions of the teacher with the play environments and through an understanding of how those imaginative results of play are part of the learning process towards textual based interactions. The theories of Vygotsky and Piaget on symbolic play support the idea that in creating play scenarios and adapting to roles, young children are engaging language towards literacy. Teachers can create appropriate environments in which children are observed at times or played with by the teacher in order to encourage literacy. In an examination of the nature of play as it relates to the development of literacy, this paper will explore the ideas of Vygotsky and Piaget as they can be associated to teacher participation in play environments with the intention of supporting early literacy. Literacy and Language Machado (2012) discusses the term literacy and breaks it down into four concepts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, a ll of which are connected by the thinking process. The processes of interpretation are closely related to visual literacy as what is seen is then interpreted through textual concepts. This means that as a teacher in an early childhood environment, it is important that the overlap of language arts be explored through a variety of interactions. Machodo (2012) goes on to discuss how when children are introduced to reading skills or learn reading skills on their own before kindergarten, the interest in reading should be directed towards understanding the interrelatedness of all of the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. While sight recognition may be the source of early reading, interrelationships between the four key concepts are crucial for competent early literacy. There are a great many approaches to interacting with children in order to encourage literacy at an early age. Christie (1991) did a study in which imaginative function was used for four year olds who were first told to draw pictures, and then to ‘write’ stories through their own imagined concept of writing. The children then ‘read’ their stories, creating a literary connection between their drawings and their concept of storytelling. Reciting Halliday’s model, Christie (1991) stated that â€Å"the lifelike context of discourse directly affected the texts produced by the children† (p. 198). Children related their experiences in having been read to with producing their own stories that followed similar themes even though the text was imagined by them as they had yet to have grasped the written language skills to actually write the story. Children respond to literacy in relationship to how they perceive textual tools around them. In placing children into a village type atmosphere, they related stories about their roles in relationship to textual contexts by producing letters in the post office, mommy writing checks and so on (Christie, 1991). In o rder to extend this adaptation of textual roles in relationship to their environment, the teacher should have literary materials, such as papers and marking instruments at each play center in order to encourage the interaction of play and literacy. Vygotsky and Piaget Concepts in play as they relate to early literacy were explored by Vygotsky and Piaget, linking symbolic play to â€Å"

Benefits and cost in quality management systems Essay

Benefits and cost in quality management systems - Essay Example Traditionally quality management was confined to a quality control department, the job being to keep proper checks and balances on the product or service being sure, the customers are being provided the quality they wish to attain while purchasing a distinct service or product. Now, with the passage of time, This Quality management has evolved and emerged as a complete system of its own. It has now become a whole Quality management System. 'The term ISO 9000 has two major connotations. One is specific standard called ISO 9000 'Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and the vocabulary and the second Connotation is a family of standards that compose the ISO 9000 series related to quality management systems . (Cobb, Charles G ,2003 ) Quality management systems have evolved and Total Quality Management System (TQM) have been developed which in Totality tend to manage and deliver the best quality standards of service and products. There is an ongoing debate about how vital these Quality management systems are for organizations. And how proper structuring of such Systems can enhance efficiency of an organization, hence help succeed in the goals short term and long-term. The notion stated above is true to some extent, as some companies fail to actually realize how vital Quality management systems are. For the success of the organization and sustenance in the customer market. For It is simple business rule , once if any organization is unable to satisfy its consumer in regards to the value and quality of the service and product being provided , the customer would not need to wait longer for the product or service to improve , as there are possible better substitutes available in the market . The product and service market captures a huge market share. The market is seen to be full of competitors at each level. All trying their best to excel. Hence, if in such a scenario, organizations do not invest in a quality management system continuously, it would not be a surprise if companies would fall out of the market. The reason behind, organizations failing to recognize the vitality of such an investment can be many. But to be really specific, we can say that all Quality management systems (including the implementation of TQM) can be costly to some organizations, and are thus avoided. The fact, that by implementing such a system the organization can expect far more benefits both then and the longer run. "Management system" refers to what the organization does to manage its processes or activities to ensure the products or services meet the objectives it has set itself, in particular: satisfying the customer's quality requirements, and complying to relevant regulations. In a very small organization, there is probably no system, as such, just "our way of doing things," which may not even be written down, but all in the owner's head. The larger the organization, and the more people involved, the greater the likelihood that there are some written procedures, instructions, forms or records. These help ensure everyone is not just doing his or her own thing, and that the organizati

Metaphysics & Epistemology Paper Essay Example for Free

Metaphysics Epistemology Paper Essay G. E. Moore’s main contributions to philosophy were in the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and philosophical methodology. In epistemology, Moore is remembered as a stalwart defender of commonsense realism. Rejecting skepticism on the one hand, and, on the other, metaphysical theories that would invalidate the commonsense beliefs of â€Å"ordinary people† (non-philosophers), Moore articulated three different versions of a commonsense- realist epistemology over the course of his career. According to data I researched Moore’s epistemological interest also motivated much of his metaphysical work, which to a large extent was focused on the ontology of cognition. In this regard, Moore was an important voice in the discussion of sense-data that dominated Anglo- American epistemology in the early twentieth century. In ethics, Moore is famous for driving home the difference between moral and non-moral properties, which he cashed-out in terms of the non-natural and the natural. Moore’s classification of the moral as non-natural was to be one of the hinges upon which moral philosophy in the Anglo- American academy turned until roughly 1960. Moore’s approach to philosophizing involved focusing on narrow problems and avoiding grand synthesis. His method was to scrutinize the meanings of the key terms in which philosophers expressed themselves while maintaining an implicit commitment to the ideals of clarity, rigor, and argumentation. This aspect of his philosophical style was sufficiently novel and conspicuous that many saw it as an innovation in philosophical methodology. Moore is widely acknowledged as a founder of analytic philosophy, the kind of philosophy that has dominated the academy in Britain and the United States since roughly the 1930s. Moore also had a significant influence outside the academic philosophy, through his contacts in the Cambridge Apostles and the Bloomsbury group. In both academic spheres, Moore’s influence was due in no small part to his exceptional personality and moral character. One of the most important parts of Moores philosophical development was his break from the idealism that dominated British philosophy (as represented in the works of his former teachers F. H. Bradley and John McTaggart), and his defense of what he regarded as a common sense form of realism. In his 1925 essay A Defense of Common Sense, he argued against idealism and skepticism toward the external world on the grounds that they could not give reasons to accept their metaphysical premises that were more plausible than the reasons we have to accept the common sense claims about our knowledge of the world that skeptics and idealists must deny. He famously put the point into dramatic relief with his 1939 essay Proof of an External World, in which he gave a common sense argument against skepticism by raising his right hand and saying Here is one hand, and then raising his left and saying And here is another, then concluding that there are at least two external objects in the world, and therefore that he knows (by this argument) that an external world exists. Not surprisingly, not everyone inclined to skeptical doubts found Moores method of argument entirely convincing; Moore, however, defends his argument on the grounds that skeptical arguments seem invariably to require an appeal to philosophical intuitions that we have considerably less reason to accept than we have for the common sense claims that they supposedly refute.

The Hewlett Packard Economic Analysis Business Essay

The Hewlett Packard Economic Analysis Business Essay Hewlett-Packard is the worlds largest technology company. Based in Palo Alto, California, HP maintains segments that cross sectors such computing hardware (printers, personal computers, servers, and storage), software, cloud computing services, IT infrastructure, and connectivity products. HP offers its products to over 1 billion customers in over 170 countries. HP has roughly 332,000 employees worldwide. The company ranked No. 10 in the Fortune 500 rankings, and its revenue for 2012 was approximately $120.4 billion (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., 2011).   Hewlett-Packard was one of the first technology based businesses in Silicon Valley. HP was founded by Stanford graduates David Packard and William Hewlett. They began the company, in 1939, in a garage next to Packards home in Palo Alto, Calif. As the company grew, the founders based the organizational structure on an informal, non-hierarchical culture (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., 2011). In order to foster and environment of innovation, they allowed engineers to access tools and parts after hours. Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) is a provides numerous products, technologies, software, solutions and services to private consumers, businesses of all sizes, including the Government, health and education sectors. Its operations are organized into seven divisions including the Personal Systems Group, Services, the Imaging and Printing Group, Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking, HP Software, HP Financial Services and Corporate Investments. HPs offers products for personal computing, customer services, infrastructure technology, business process outsourcing, application development and support services, and imaging and printing products. Since HP extends across numerous IT markets, it has numerous competitors in each Market. For instance, in the personal computing market Apple and IBM offer very similar products and would be considered direct challengers. In the printing sector, direct competitors are Epson, Cannon, and Lexmark. In the server sector, again IBM is direct competition along with Dell. Overall, HP had a 3.3% market share in the IT market. That number is based on industry wide revenue figures for 2012. HPs 2012 revenue was $123 billion out of roughly $3.79 trillion spent within the industry worldwide (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., 2011). In comparison, the No.1 vendor was Apple Inc. with revenues of $149 billion and a 3.9% market share. (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., 2011) (Hernandez, 2012) (Hingley, 2012) According to the course text, the concept of  elasticity involves the percentage change in one variable associated with a given percentage change in another variable (Hirschey, 2009, p. 170). Elasticity relates to the principles of supply and demand. When something changes in a market, elasticity conveys how much other elements will change. For instance, price elasticity conveys the amount of impact a change in price will have on consumer willingness to buy that item. If prices rise, the law of demand dictates that the quantity demanded will decrease. Price elasticity of demand points out how much the quantity demanded decreases. Elastic demand means that the consumers of that good or service are highly sensitive to changes in price (Tuck, 2013). Typically, a good or service which is not a necessity or has multiple substitutes has elastic demand. Inelastic demand has the converse meaning and indicates that consumers are not highly sensitive to price changes. Price elasticity of a product is calculated as the percent change in the quantity demanded of a good divided by the percent change in the price for that good (Tuck, 2013). A result greater than one means that the product is elastic and that demand is highly sensitive to changes in price. Elasticity less than one means that a product is inelastic and price change will have a minimal impact on the quantity demanded. HP is a technology and hardware company. Any consumer that has been to an electronics store knows that there are a tremendous amount of hardware and software options available. There are numerous competitors that offer similar printers, computers, servers, and software packages. In addition, the technology market is rapidly evolving and new products are being consistently released onto the market. This drives short life cycles for products and rapid obsolescence. Though, technologies have become a necessity worldwide, consumers are extremely price sensitive due to the high number of alternative products available. These factors drive a high level of elasticity in the technology sector, which impacts many of HPs products. Regression analysis is statistical technique that describes the way in which variables are related to one another (Hirschey, 2009, p. 85). This type of analysis is commonly used to identify demand, cost, and profit relations. For the purposes of this assignment, the regression analysis can be used to demonstrate the relationship between total sales, employment rates, and personal income levels. Sales Levels (Revenues Fiscal Year 2012) Unemployment Rate Personal Income (Monthly) Oct-11 $32,122,000.00 8.5 $3,044.00 Jul-12 $29,669,000.00 8.2 $3,088.00 Oct-12 $29,959,000.00 7.9 $3,088.00 (Bureau of Labor and Statistics, U.S. Department Of Labor, 2010) In order to accomplish this, the equation: Sales Levels (Y) = a + b1*Personal Income + b2*Unemployment Rate + e y = 230100 + -966.671 + -62.3412 Based on the analysis that has been done to this point, it appears as though software revenue grew 14% year over year with a 27.2% operating margin. Software revenue was driven by 9% license growth, 9% support growth, and 48% growth in services. HP Financial Services revenue grew 1% year over the year. However, there was a decline in other aspects of the business as the personal systems, printing, and enterprise server and storage, as revenues declined in each of these areas. The technology market and these statistics indicate that HP should continue to develop its software and financial services divisions. These aspects of the HP organization have demonstrated growth and the company should continue to move toward expanding in these sectors. Despite declining revenues, HP is still a leader in the hardware market as well. The company may want to leverage the software division and work toward integrating more of the licensed software into the hardware products. For example, the HP server and storage division could incorporate HP software bundles, used to drive the technology, at a reduced price. This would make the hardware more lucrative to enterprises and personal consumers. Instead of purchasing software and services from a competitor, a more cost effective, all-in-one solution could be bundled by HP. Apple Inc. has become a dominant competitor in the technology market. They have accomplished this with an emphasis on design, not hardware. HP should also make an effort to replicate the Apple model to a certain extent. They need to place resources into the design and innovation of new products. The technology market demonstrates a high level of price elasticity. So, HP needs to push towards well designed products that provide unique and cutting edge tools for users. Any edge that the company can gain without increasing prices will ultimately improve their bottom line.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning :: essays research papers

Elizabeth Barrett, an English poet of the Romantic Movement, was born in 1806 at Coxhoe Hall, Durham, England. The oldest of twelve children, Elizabeth was the first in her family born in England in over two hundred years. For centuries, the Barrett family had lived in Jamaica, where they owned sugar plantations and had slave labor to run them. Elizabeth's father was Edward Barrett Moulton Barrett, who chose to raise his family in England, while his fortune grew in Jamaica. Elizabeth was educated at home, and had read passages from a number of Shakespearean plays, among other great works, before the age of ten. By her twelfth birthday she had written her first epic poem, which consisted of four books of rhyming couplets. Two years later Elizabeth developed a lung ailment that plagued her for the rest of her life. Doctors began treating her with morphine, which she would use until she died. While riding a pony when she was fifteen, Elizabeth also suffered a spinal injury. Throughout h er teenage years, Elizabeth taught herself Hebrew so that she could read the Old Testament. Her interests then later turned to Greek studies. Accompanying her appetite for the classics was a passionate enthusiasm for her Christian faith. She became active in the Bible and Missionary Societies of her church. In 1826 Elizabeth then anonymously published her collection An Essay on Mind and Other Poems. Two years after that her mother passed away. The slow abolition of slavery in England and mismanagement of the plantations depleted the Barrett's income. In 1832 Elizabeth's father sold his rural estate at a public auction. He moved his family to a coastal town and rented cottages for the next three years, before settling permanently in London. While living on the sea coast, Elizabeth published her translation of Prometheus Bound (1833), by the Greek dramatist Aeschylus. Gaining notoriety for her work in the 1830's, Elizabeth continued to live in her father's London house under his tyran nical rule. He began sending Elizabeth's younger siblings to Jamaica to help with the family's estates. Elizabeth bitterly opposed slavery and did not want her siblings sent away. During this time, she wrote The Seraphim and Other Poems (1838), expressing Christian sentiments in the form of classical Greek tragedy. Due to her weakening disposition she was forced to spend a year at the sea of Torquay accompanied by her brother Edward.

Global savings Essay -- essays research papers

Question 1: (i) Briefly, what is the issue? What impact does it have on different regions’ GDP, prices, exchange rates and Interest rates? The issue is an unprecedented level of world surplus savings (especially in the Asian economies) that faced with weak investment opportunities serve to fund a growing US current account deficit which creates dangerous world imbalances. The Euro-zone and Japan have slow GDP growth and their savings increase due to a lack of confidence in both financial and social security systems as well as the inability of the private sector to find investments. Also we see increasing fiscal deficits, very low real interest rates and low inflation. The Euro appreciated vs. USD, creating loss of export competitiveness that added up to a weak demand. The yen has been down in real terms (to avoid deflation). Therefore, most of the countries (specially Asia and specifically China) are using this surplus to lend money to the US, thus making the US both borrower and spender of last resort (to finance mainly US consumption, its current account deficit and to some extent its fiscal deficit). Furthermore, any FDIs from Europe and the US into developing Asian economies are recycled (although the Asian countries keep the technology) into Asian Central Banks’ purchase of US Treasuries. The banks also use this as a mechanism to maintain export competitiveness by fixing their currency against the USD, which increases their foreign reserve accumulations. Tight monetary and fiscal policies as well as direct interventions in credit markets have helped to sustain this high domestic savings. China’s economic growth rate is 9%, due to: increasing exports & spending in capital goods and construction; very low interest rates; increasing (but still low) inflation and real exchange rate depreciation. (ii) Why does it put the world economy at high risk? What is the worst possible outcome? The US current account deficit has increased to 6.5% of GDP, because of low and falling savings as well as private spending rising faster than disposable income. The US net external liabilities have also increased to levels that had never been seen before. Thus, in order to achieve a growth of output in line with full employment, US domestic demand needs to grow more than GDP (since imports grow also 6% more than exports). Therefore the US has increased its current ac... ...sp;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Depreciation of the dollar: necessary but not sufficient. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Decrease US fiscal deficit: i.e. increasing taxes and decreasing government expenditure. Increase in domestic savings (for instance by increasing interest rates) is paramount. Increase exports would also be of help. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Expansionary policies in Asia: decrease their excess savings and stimulate domestic spending (through structural reforms in financial system) and favor internal lending. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allow a real exchange rate appreciation of Asian currencies: a new competitiveness policy would have to be based in productivity than current exchange rate intervention. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Euro-zone should create new investment opportunities: structural reforms like social security, labor legislation, tax system, public sector services and enterprises, should allow the creation of new investment opportunities in Europe. Also EUR would appreciate vs USD, causing exports to US to reduce; but a depreciation against Asian currencies could be a gain in competitiveness for export oriented countries such as Germany.

Maurice Sendak :: essays research papers fc

	Maurice Sendak may be the best-known children's author / illustrator in the world today. His artwork has become somewhat of an American icon; some even became the basis of an advertising campaign for Bell Atlantic. This extremely gifted genius was actually cultivating within Sendak since his childhood, and many different memories from his youth influenced the masterpieces he has created. 	Born in Brooklyn on June 10th (coincidently, my birthday) 1928, Sendak has illustrated over 70 books and written at least 15 himself. He has also derived animated films for many of his stories, as well as stage productions of Where The Wild Things Are and Really Rosie. Currently, he illustrates the animated series Little Bear on Nickelodeon. Sendak grew up a sickly child who was not allowed to go outside often. Therefore, being the youngest child in a family of three, he was left alone with his imagination. He enjoyed drawing and reading from an early age, but was often dissatisfied with the children books that were available to him. He attempted to read what he called "real books" even when he was a young child; he felt it was an embarrassment even to enter the childrens' section of the library. Sendak writes the type of books he wished he had as a child; entertaining stories which are not limited by any effort to make things so simple for children that they become mundane. 	Sendak's greatest influence as a writer was his father. Phillip Sendak was a wonderfully creative storyteller who amazed Maurice and his brother and sister. "He didn't edit," remarks Maurice in an interview with Marion Long. "It's funny, because that's what I'm accused of now: being a storyteller who tells children inappropriate things." Sendak strongly believes that children are curious by nature, and so he must write stories which beckon the child to keep turning the pages. The best stories for children tell children exactly what they want to hear, with all the details. This is Sendak's goal in his stories. 	An absolutely amazing artist without any formal training, Sendak feels that his adoration for Mickey Mouse has influenced many of his illustrations. Sendak was calls Mickey Mouse one of the most dominant figures of his childhood. This "early best friend" influenced characters in his work, and many of the protagonists in the books he has written have first names beginning with the letter "M." He used Max for Where the Wild Things Are, Martin in Very Far Away, and Mickey's own name for In the Night Kitchen.

Caferoma’s Marketing Manager Essay

In the last two years, caferoma’s share of the quality ground coffee market has declined by almost 30 % (see chart). there are several reason for this: brand loyalty: consumers have become less loyal to brands and more price conscious. they are willing to buy lower-priced coffee product. price: supermarket are selling, under their own label, similar products to caferoma at much lower prices. Copycat producto: competing products of italian-style ground coffee are selling at price 30 to 40% lower than caferoma Brand Image: the caferoma brand no longer seems to be exciting and up-to-date. Repositioning the products: change caferoma’s image to appeal to a different market segment. (which segment? what changes to taste, quality, packaging, logo labelling, distribution?) princing reduce the price by, say. 20% to 30% so that it is in the medium range of price. advertising develop a new advertising campà ¡ing to relaunch the brand. multiple brand: sell caferoma, with small changes to product, under different brand names at lower prices. own brand label product: allow supermarket to sell Caferoma under the supermarket own brand label’s. Continue to market the Caferoma brand at the same time. A new product: Bring out an instant coffee or decaffeinated product under the caferoma brand as soon as possible. Stretching the brand: Allow some makers of coffee equipament (cafetieres, percolators, coffee, machines, etc.) to use the caferoma brand on their goods, for a licensing fee. Claudia, Caferoma’s Marketing Manager, has some recent new from one of Caferoma’s biggest customers, Majestic Hotels, a major European hotels chain. She discusses the news with Caferoma’s Sales Director, Pietro. Listen to their conversation. how does this new inormation affect your decisions? writing write an e mail to Caferoma’s Managing Director, Mario Cumino. Summarise what action you agreed to take at the meeting to solve Caferoma’s problem Explain your reasons. task as members of PEFD’s marketing team, hold an informal meeting. consider the advantages and disadvantage of each solution. then decide what to do stop the decline in the product’s market share and to increase profits

Course Outline of Production Operation Management

ARID AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY, RAWALPINDI MGT- 696 â€Å"Operations Management† BBA–6 (A & B Sections) Spring 2013 Visiting Faculty Member:M. Javed Akhtar Ex- General Manager Training, OPF Ex-Director Gneral, NAVTEC Head Office Prime Minister's Secretariat [email  protected] com Office Contact/Timings: 051-2541041 (direct), 0300-5338951(Cell) (0800 Hrs. to 1500 Hrs. ) Course Coordinator Mr. Irfanullah Munir The Prologue This three credit Hrs. course is designed for services and manufacturing sectors, basically, meant for defining the real meaning of the Operations Management in any given organization.The primary objective of the course is to provide the students with an understanding of the theories, models, problems, issues, and techniques related to the management of operations both in manufacturing and service sectors. This includes analyses of various tasks performed and decisions made by operation managers, both tactically and strategically. The operations function plays a vital role in achieving a company’s strategic plans. Since the operations function produces the goods and provides the services, it typically involves the greatest portion of the company mployees and is responsible for a large portion of the firm’s capital assets. It has a major impact on quality and is often the visible face of company with which the customer must deal. Customer service, product/service, quality issues, and the effectiveness of many customer interactions are all operations activities. In the face of increased international competition, Pakistani firms have lost market share and have not responded by working to improve both their operating efficiencies and the quality of their goods and services.With this renewed emphasis on operations, it has become increasingly important that students have an understanding of operations management and its significance to the success of the companies where they will work. To gain a competitive edge, Pakistani organizations need sound production/operations strategies. This is particularly true today, given the pressures of global competition and the need to satisfy ever more demanding customers. Operations functions appear as a powerful tool for achieving organizational objectives and strategies. Learning ObjectivesThe aim of this course is to provide a clear, well-structured and interesting treatment of Production/Operations Management as it applies to a variety of businesses and organizations. The course is intended to provide both a logical path through the activities of operations management and an understanding of the strategic context in which operations managers’ work. †¢ Strategic in its perspective of operations management’s contribution to the organization’s long-term success. We are unambiguous in treating the operation function as being at the center to most organization’s drive to improve their competitiveness. Conceptual in the way it explai ns the reasons why operations managers need to take decisions in each activity. Although some quantitative techniques are included, their primary aim is to illustrate the underlying principles of operation decisions. †¢ Comprehensive in its coverage of the significant ideas and issues which are relevant to most types of operations. †¢ Practical in the sense that the issues and difficulties in making operations management decisions in practice are discussed, and generally the treatment of topics reflects actual operations practice.This course is practical also that Case Exercise illustrating the approaches taken by actual companies are used to illustrate operations issues. Attendance Policy As you may all know very well by this time that the University (FUU) adheres to very strict attendance policy (i. e. minimum 75% mandatory attendance). As usual roll will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. No one will be allowed to enter the classroom five minutes after the class starting time since it cause interruptions in the class activities. Professional conduct is expected throughout the course.Besides this, It is assumed that you have read all the policies and guidelines of the University regarding attendance, academic dishonesty, deadlines and so on and so forth Team Work There will be substantial Team work in this class. This is the need of today’s corporate world, and we have to learn how to pull our right slack while working in teams. Instructor as well as fellow team members, at end of the course, will evaluate each team member. Part of the grade of the team project(s) will be dependent on peer evaluations which is only for the developmental purposes and will be kept strictly confidential.Unannounced Quizzes There will be minimum four unannounced quizzes taken randomly throughout this course. Three best will be considered for grading. These quizzes will be handed out in the beginning of the class meetings and if you are late in clas s, you will miss that quiz. There are absolutely no make ups for these quizzes. Case Studies There may be cases assigned to groups and these cases will be resolved in team efforts. A short written report will be required along with the presentation of that case.Presenters will play the role of Management Consultants and the class will act as Board of Directors and will interact with the consultants at the end of the presentation to express their concerns and opinions. Term Project or Book Review You will be given case study or in lieu thereof book reviews relevant to the field of OM, Subject to availability of time. When awarded, details will be discussed in the class. Industrial Visit/Seminar An industrial visit and/or a seminar relating to the subject matter would be arranged. Grade Allocation and Breakdown |Weightage suggested by DBA |Weightage suggested by Teacher| |Unannounced quizzes/Book Review |10% |10% | |Assignment(s) / presentation / participation/discipline |15% |15% | | Midterm Examination |25% |25% | |Terminal / Final Examination |50% |50% | Course Contours and Schedule ? Current Academic Session 4th March 2013 onward ? Class Work32 Lectures (16 weeks) Teaching Time 48Hrs. 1st Week: ? Production and Operations Management: An Overview 2nd Week: ? Production System : Issues and Environment 3rd Week: ? Total Quality Management 4th Week: ? Need and Importance of Forecasting 5th Week: ? Qualitative Methods of Forecasting 6th Week: ? Quantitative Methods of Forecasting 7th week: ? Capacity Planning 8th Week: ? Facilities Planning ? Mid-term Examination 9th Week: ? Work System Design 10th Week: ? Managing Information for Operations System 11th Week: ? Aggregate Production Planning 12th Week: ? Just-in-Time (JIT) 13th Week: ? Scheduling & Sequencing 14th Week: ? Issues in Materials Management 15th Week: Independent & Dependent Demand Inventory System 16th Week: ? Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)/Computers in OM ** ? Final Examination (date to be announc ed later on) Recommended Readings Supplementary Readings | | IMPORTANT NOTE: ? The course outline is subject to change to a tune of about 10% if need arise. ? ** Subject to availability of time, the topics of â€Å"Advanced Manufacturing Systems† and â€Å"Computers in Operations Management† will also be covered. ———————– Issues in Production/ Operations Management Forecasting Operations System Design Planning & Scheduling Materials Planning Emerging Issues in OM**

Japanese Music Essay

The Japanese culture was widely affected and highly related to its nearby nations like China and Korea. As such, it is a logical for us to look at the Japanese music as a collaboration of the different music from the other Asian nations. The flourishing of the Japanese music can be seen as they have adapted their personal styles to the influences that surround them. Their music has its origin in poetry and songs, although there have been misleading artifacts about the distinction of the two. The confusion started with the acknowledgement that indeed, the Japanese word â€Å"uta† can both be understood as to mean poetry or songs. The evidence and remains of the ancients’ music of Japan can be reflected on the songs in Kojiki that was recorded as traditional songs in the imperial court. The ancient Japanese music was also preserve in legends, rituals and prose specifically in an ancient story of Genji Monogatari. This story was composed of poetic dialogues about a lover in the imperial court. The presentation of this in a play was interpreted through Gagaku dances, accompanied mostly by flutes and the famous string instrument, â€Å"koto†. The Gagaku dances and music have been very famous in courts. Its music is composed of wind and string instruments that go together with drums and gongs. It also go along with sho,(a harmonica like instrument) and â€Å"nasal hichiriki† which is the reason why it posses a different sound. The Gagaku is further divided in to two categories, the To-gaku and the Rimpa-gaku. These two differs from the culture in which it belongs. In such manner those that came mainly under the influence of China was called To-gaku while those that came from Vietnam were rendered as Rimpa-gaku. Due to the advent of imported music that was a by-product of the trade industry. It is but inevitable for the native people to become awe with the new kind of music that they have been listening and so, they tend to imitate their ways of thinking. Japanese Music in the Face of Modern Influences The reproduction of this music produces an inclination to the instrumental music. However even though there had been an emerging culture of Americanization, still there are many Japanese mode of music that remained the same. Kagura, for instance, or what was commonly known to be â€Å"Mi-Kagura† which was preserved by some of the people in the imperial court. Fuzoku in relation to the folk songs that was numerous in the provinces. Also with Azuma-Asobi, this is also a type of folk song that was predominant on the eastern part of the country. Saibara was also believed to be composed of traces of folk songs as well. Since all of these music where sung in courts, it is incorporated with Gagaku music. A Brief Introduction on Jo-Ha-Kyu tradition According to the Japanese culture, the â€Å"Jo-Ha-kyo† music can be traced to have influences of the Gagaku traditions. The term was generally referred to the way the music and the dances were done in the play, â€Å"Jo† was associated with being slow and more peaceful, it is the primary or the introductory part. â€Å"Ha† was the start of the conflict , it is not slow but more of a moderate version, it is associated with the journey. While lastly, â€Å"Kyu† was regarded as the final or the ultimate. Thus, the form â€Å"Jo-Ha-Kyu is actually a way of presenting ideas and capturing the minds of the readers. Buddhist Chants and Other Influences Another trend of music came to Japan on the time of Nara and Heian periods. This was comprised of Buddhist Chants, which is performed by narrating a certain sutra with the addition of rhythmical melodies. Accordingly, there are three known styles that were used in accordance to the language used by the countries who have participated or who are the founding authors of the Chants. The style which uses the â€Å"Sankrit† language was called â€Å"Bonsan†. Chinese speakers were called â€Å"Kansan† while plain Japanese were called â€Å"Wasan†. During the late Heian period, there had been another popular music trend which is now called as â€Å"Imayo† There is also the development of Heike Biwa or Heikyuko which is according to some, is the narrative music played by the blind priest-thus they were now called as Blind Prince. Another form of dance and music was the Noh, which is a classical Japanese drama that was either a Dengaku Noh or Sarugaku Noh. Dengaku Noh are those which portrays rituals and traditions that is done in the rice-fields. Sarugaku, on the other hand was more focus on acrobatic performances.

Lease Versus Purchase Option Essay

In this essay I will try to explain or compare and contrast lease versus purchase option. In this explanation I will talk about what is deb financing, and will provide two examples. I will also talk about what is equity financing and provide two examples and last which alternative capital structure is more advantageous and why. In order to give two examples of what is debt financing I will give a brief description of what is debt financing. Debt financing is when a company borrows money that must be repaid but with interest. This does not dilute the ownership of the company. With that being said the two examples are Issue Bonds and Line of Credit. In the line of credit, this is a bank loan where a business can draw out funds whenever money is needed. In issue bonds the business can issue bonds as for of debt financing these bonds are marketable securities. (ehow.com 2013) Now equity financing is according to ychange.com (in equity financing, money is exchanged for a share of ownership in the business). The business in returns raises funds and does not incur in debt. The two types of equity financial is employee stock ownership and private investors. The employee stock is when a company sells stock to the employee. The private investors are possible investor willing to invest their money in the company. Which alternative capital structure is more advantageous? In my opinion and according to the definitions on my e-book I would have to say energetic-middle the reason for this would be because it is more advantageous for small business. It balances the return and risk of capital. After looking at all the definitions and examples, trying to compare and contrast lease vs. buying is not that difficult. This all depends on what do you want and if it is in a companies perspective then one must take into consideration the companies cash flow. For example if a company has lots of cash flow then buying is the option now if it wants to conserve capital for the near term then leasing is the best option. It all depends on what the company need at that particular time.

Question 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question 1 - Essay Example This was also the position of Montesquieu,2 who was concerned with the preservation of political liberty. Theoretically, each branch has unique and particular functions that are suitable to either. The constitution provides the powers of the legislature, which is generally to make laws and to legislate. The executive has the authority to made decisions on administration and enforcing laws, and the judiciary is mandated with interpreting laws and punishing those who break them. The goal of the Constitution is to prevent tyranny by dispersing power so that no one body has a monopoly. An absolute separation of these powers with none overlapping with the other is not practical and would put the government at a standstill. The doctrine does not demand absolute or rigid separation as it is not possible. The Federal Constitution offers a relaxed version of the separation of powers. These roles actually overlap and one power finds itself doing the work of the other in the process of doing its duties. They also cat as checks and balances for each other. For example, the power to make laws belong to the parliament and courts has the interpretative role of the same laws. Courts also checks on the executive by reviewing their decisions and striking them on grounds of judicial review. The executive also interferes with the judiciary as it appoints judges in the judiciary and is clothed with the powers of prerogative pardon. This undermines courts executive powers to prevent interference with their proceedings and to secure enforcement of their decisions. Further, the Senate has a role in appointments and treaties checks on the President. The Congress also has the authority to prevent fraud and abuse of author ity in the other two branches. Therefore, separation of powers is only a theoretical rather than a practical doctrine. From this, it is quite

Elements of Negotiation and Bargaining Skills Coursework

Elements of Negotiation and Bargaining Skills - Coursework Example Communication is crucial to the success of most activities. Communications individuals gather information about the other members of the negotiation. Interest involves what the negotiators want from the interaction. The option of a negotiation in a deal involves looking for the best alternative to putting into action. Legitimacy is vital in interaction between who are bargaining for a commodity or a service (Carrell & Heavrin, 2008). The parties to a negotiation should be committed to the communication because both of them stand to gain from the success of the negotiation. The skills required to conduct a successful negotiation are crucial to most corporations. Effective negotiators need to have the problem-solving skills to determine the intention of the parties in a deal. In relation to, top negotiators need to have good communication skills to understand the details of the negotiations. Effective negotiators have interpersonal skills that they use to maintain a good working relationship with the parties to a negotiation (Carrell & Heavrin, 2008). Collaboration and teamwork are a skill significant to negotiators to unite the associates of a contract. Lastly, decision-making is a primary skill because it helps negotiators act decisively. Rational choice theory is the situation that individuals behave the way they do because the decision to do the actions has more benefits than costs. It relates to the negotiation process in the sense that individual use their rational mind to make decisions (Carrell & Heavrin,

About Jazz Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About Jazz Music - Research Paper Example In fact, Jazz is all set to win the hearts and minds of the music lovers located anywhere and everywhere in the world and is no more the exclusive legacy of American masses. It is really tough to trace a chronologically systematic history of Jazz music. However, it will be quiet realistic to say that Jazz evolved from a budding musical diversion to a blooming tradition at some time around the beginning of the 20th century. The dilemma of the historians and archives of Jazz music is that today there exist very few recordings of Jazz from its formative years. Even the recordings that exist fail to extend a true sound of the Jazz music of those days because of the limitations of the recording technology of that time (Ratliff 56). Considering the fact that extempore performances, which are not merely encouraged in Jazz, but in fact constitute a vital and indispensable part of this genre, were not accurately captured by the then existing recording facilities. Jazz in its early days authentically had a black heart that eventually won the interest and dedication of connoisseurs hailing from all cultures and colors. Actually, Jazz was the first native American musical form that had an impact that was not merely panned American but Global in its scope (Roots of American Music 82). The port city of New Orleans is considered to be the home of Jazz music. It is easier for the Jazz fans to understand that the development of such musical tradition undeniably needed a cosmopolitan breeding ground. Jazz was the result of the mingling of the Western classical music with the African spirituals and blues to which was added a generous smattering of the Caribbean and Latin culture. Thus it amply reveals a sophistication of the classical influences thickly loaded with the spice, verve, and energy that is conclusively African and Latin in its origins. It has the finesse of an orchestra combined to the earthiness of a brass band, which gives it its typical flavor. Such an enticing art form surely could not be kept confined to New Orleans for long. Shortly Jazz began its journey towards the north and reached Chicago, where it soon captured the loyalty of the masses and became a regular feature at the local nightclubs (Roots of American Music 82). Yet, it is the New York City that rendered Jazz with an immense mass appeal and commercial possibilities, courtesy of its booming music publishing business (Roots of American Music 82). Presently Jazz started becoming more organized and the splinter Jazz groups started sticking together to give way to big Jazz bands led by celebrated performers like Count Basic and Jellyroll Morton. This was the time when Jazz finally achieved the fame and success that was long its due. Surely the American dream is not merely confined to people and groups but has cultural and artistic ramifications. Jazz has finally arrived by the late 40s. One fact that deserves prompt attention is that Jazz was not merely urban in it s scope.  Ã‚  

Review of the Book Economics in One Lesson Essay

Review of the Book Economics in One Lesson - Essay Example Unfortunately, most of the time this fact is always hidden because bad loans made by the government are hidden in most federal spending. On the other hand, when banks collapse due to bad loans, it is announced all over the news. Political considerations further hide the bad loans as a result of government lending. This does not happen in the private sector unless the firm in question is affected by a politically motivated legislation. The community reinforcement act is an example of a legislation that advocates for loans to individuals who do not qualify. The book cites the Bush administration endeavors to ensure that banks lend more money. Based on the current times, Hazlitt argues that tariffs such as NAFTA are harming the economy. Hazlitt states that both consumers and producers are hurt by the tariffs. His argument is the opposite of the common notion that tariff affects consumers only. He explains that tariff forces consumers to pay much higher than they could have had to pay wi thout it. This means the extra dollar spent due to the tariff could have been used elsewhere. Therefore, this denies producers of other goods and services that dollar. Tariffs are aimed at protecting local industries against competition from foreign goods. On the other hand, imports are good because they provide other countries with local currency necessary for buying domestic goods Hazlitt addresses the economic impact of government actions and remains silent on protectionism due to national security. He states that the real gain from foreign trade for any country lies in its imports and not its exports (Tom the Redhunter para 11). He supports his statement by arguing that businessmen imports products because they are cheaper for the consumers compared to domestic products.... This paper offers a comprehensive review of the book Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. The book introduces the common man to simple and clear economic thought. The author does not object public program spending but rejects the use of public projects as a plan of injecting money into the economy. He argues that public projects should be justified based on their importance to the economy. Based on the current times, Hazlitt argues that tariffs such as NAFTA are harming the economy. Hazlitt states that both consumers and producers are hurt by the tariffs. His argument is the opposite of the common notion that tariff affects consumers only. He explains that tariff forces consumers to pay much higher than they could have had to pay without it. Hazlitt addresses the economic impact of government actions and remains silent on protectionism due to national security. He states that the real gain from foreign trade for any country lies in its imports and not its exports. The book also addresses the fallacy that cost of production determines the market prices. Hazlitt argues that demand and supply determines the market price. Bailouts are necessary to save collapsing industries. The book lays emphasis on the importance of extensive analysis of both primary and secondary consequences of proposed policies. The free economy needs to be revived by removing unnecessary government intervention but still maintain important interventionism. The government needs to learn from past mistakes so as to make better informed decisions later.

Microeconomy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microeconomy - Assignment Example In any market, it is obvious that the price of a commodity influences the demand. In the coffee market, other factors other than price do play a significant role in making a shift in coffee demand. They include Prices of other goods- this is the price individuals are willing to pay for the substitutes. Of the coffee price is higher compared to other products then the consumers will opt to purchase the substitutes There are two basic reasons put forth to explain the behavior of supply chain curve. As the production of goods is expanded, the consumers first turn to the resources and people whose opportunities costs of producing the good are lowest and only then to those whose opportunity costs are high. When the commodity price is high, the more likely the resources are relatively less efficient at producing the commodity. Secondly, it has been observed that the cost of good production rises as more of the good is produced hence the supply curve moving upward (Evans and Honkapohja 421). Much like the demand of coffee, its supply can be influenced by several shift factors of supply, which are the forces other than price that affects the quantity of the product to be supplied. When the global demand for coffee is high, its supply is good. In any way, when its demand declines in the global market then there is an automatic shift of its supply overall. Other factors include changes in technology meaning more production of the product. Changes in the price of raw materials or input resources, taxes and subsidies that are levied on the production meaning that the company can produce more of the product at cheaper costs also leads to curve

Business Process and Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Process and Systems - Research Paper Example NBK is one of the most successful banks in Kuwait and since they started in the banking industry and they became more experienced in it than other banks. They can be found everywhere around the country, so everyone can reach them when they need to and their Headquarter is located in Sharq. Their website helps their customers to get some of the things that they want such as transferring money between accounts even if the accounts are not owned by NBK. Since the bank is private and owned by shareholders it is classified as an investment for the bank, they also help individuals to invest their money in trust funds in profitable way. The bank gives loans to both companies and individuals to help them with what they need and they get interest rate in when the loan is paid off. They give sponsorships to some practical activities as a marketing way for the bank. There is a variety of offers that they provide to attract and avoid losing customers. Some of the offers they provide are Alwaha m aster card which gives customers mileage each time they purchase something with it and they can use those mileage to go anywhere they like around the world in Kuwait airlines. Another offer is people that have bank accounts with NBK they get half price on movies tickets during the weekends. There is also fifteen percent discount for New Smile dental clinic. The bank strategic plan is to maintain strong position against their rivals in the banking industry specially in Islamic banking segment and to increase their relationship both in Kuwait and around the world. Securing resources is a priority for the bank such resources are investors, cash, and interest rates. Investors help the bank to get its capital and return equity to them as well as profits depending the number of shares each investor has in the bank. On the other hand, cash is an important resource for the bank since it is

The State of the Visual Arts in Colorado Case Study

The State of the Visual Arts in Colorado - Case Study Example Just recently, Colorado State University celebrated the openings of the final two spaces in the new University Center of the Arts located in the old Fort Collins High School. These are the University Art Museum and the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising where visitors can take a tour CSU's art and historic clothes and textile collections (Colorado State University). "The University Art Museum has four discrete galleries that offer flexibility for the installation of small or large exhibitions that will allow some 3,000 objects including Japanese prints, Warhol photographs, African sculptures and contemporary art to rotate through the space" while the Avenir Museum is "home to a collection of 12,000 artifacts including historic clothing, lace, textiles, accessories and chairs" (Colorado State University). Aside from these two new art-improving developments, the Colorado State University is also in the process of constructing the visual art complex, a premier visual art building which will be open to the public (Colorado State University). Colorado also has an art market. One is composed of outdoor fine arts and crafts fair showcasing work of 90 artisans. There are still a number of art galleries and stores in Colorado.

Virtue - Plato Essay Example for Free

Virtue Plato Essay And others who are mute auditors. The scene is laid in the house of Cephalus at the Piraeus; and the whole dialogue is narrated by Socrates the day after it actually took place to Timaeus Hermocrates, Critias, and a nameless person, who are introduced in the Timaeus. I WENT down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon, the son of Ariston, that I might offer up my prayers to the goddess; and also because I wanted to see in what man- ner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing. I was delighted with the procession of the inhabitants; but that of the Thracians was equally, if not more, beautiful. When we had finished our prayers and viewed the spectacle, we turned in the direction of the city; and at that instant Polemarchus, the son of Cephalus, chanced to catch sight of us from a distance as we were starting on our way home, and told his servant to run and bid us wait for him. The servant took hold of me by the cloak behind, and said, Polemarchus desires you to wait. I turned round, and asked him where his master was. There he is, said the youth, coming after you, if you will only wait. Certainly we will, said Glaucon; and in a few minutes Polemarchus appeared, and with him Adeimantus, Glaucons brother, Niceratus, the son of Nicias, and several others who had been at the procession. Polemarchus said to me, I perceive, Socrates, that you and your companion are already on your way to the city. You are not far wrong, I said. But do you see, he rejoined, how many we are? Of course. And are you stronger than all these? for if not, you will have to remain where you are. May there not be the alternative, I said, that we may per- suade you to let us go? But can you persuade us, if we refuse to listen to you? he said. Certainly not, replied Glaucon. Then we are not going to listen; of that you may be assured. Adeimantus added: Has no one told you of the torch-race on horseback in honor of the goddess which will take place in the evening? With horses! I replied. That is a novelty. Will horsemen carry torches and pass them one to another during the race? Yes, said Polemarchus; and not only so, but a festival will be celebrated at night, which you certainly ought to see. Let us rise soon after supper and see this festival; there will be a gathering of young men, and we will have a good talk. Stay then, and do not be perverse. Glaucon said, I suppose, since you insist, that we must. Very good, I replied. Accordingly we went with Polemarchus to his house; and there we found his brothers Lysias and Euthydemus, and with them Thrasymachus the Chalcedonian, Charmantides the Paeanian, and Cleitophon, the son of Aristonymus. There too was Cephalus, the father of Polemarchus, whom I had not seen for a long time, and I thought him very much aged. He was seated on a cushioned chair, and had a garland on his head, for he had been sacrificing in the court; and there were some other chairs in the room arranged in a semicircle, upon which we sat down by him. He saluted me eagerly, and then he said: You dont come to see me, Socrates, as often as you ought: If I were still able to go and see you I would not ask you to come to me. But at my age I can hardly get to the city, and therefore you should come oftener to the Piraeus. For, let me tell you that the more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me are the pleasure and charm of conversation. Do not, then, deny my request, but make our house your re- sort and keep company with these young men; we are old friends, and you will be quite at home with us. I replied: There is nothing which for my part I like better, Cephalus, than conversing with aged men; for I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom I ought to inquire whether the way is smooth and easy or rugged and difficult. And this is a question which I should like to ask of you, who have arrived at that time which the poets call the threshold of old age: Is life harder toward the end, or what report do you give of it? I will tell you, Socrates, he said, what my own feeling is. Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says; and at our meetings the tale of my acquaintance commonly is: I cannot eat, I cannot drink; the pleasures of youth and love are fled away; there was a good time once, but now that is gone, and life is no longer life. Some complain of the slights which are put upon them by relations, and they will tell you sadly of how many evils their old age is the cause. But to me, Socrates, these complainers seem to blame that which is not really in fault. For if old age were the cause, I too, being old, and every other old man would have felt as they do. But this is not my own experi- ence, nor that of others whom I have known. How well I remember the aged poet Sophocles, when in answer to the question, How does love suit with age, Sophocles — are you still the man you were? Peace, he replied; most gladly have I escaped the thing of which you speak; I feel as if I had escaped from a mad and furious master. His words have often occurred to my mind since, and they seem as good to me now as at the time when he uttered them. For certainly old age has a great sense of calm and freedom; when the pas- sions relax their hold, then, as Sophocles says, we are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only, but of many. The truth is, Socrates, that these regrets, and also the complaints about relations, are to be attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but mens characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden. I listened in admiration, and wanting to draw him out, that he might go on — Yes, Cephalus, I said; but I rather suspect that people in general are not convinced by you when you speak thus; they think that old age sits lightly upon you, not because of your happy disposition, but because you are rich, and wealth is well known to be a great comforter. You are right, he replied; they are not convinced: and there is something in what they say; not, however, so much as they imagine. I might answer them as Themistocles answered the Seriphian who was abusing him and saying that he was famous, not for his own merits but because he was an Athenian: If you had been a native of my country or I of yours, neither of us would have been famous. And to those who are not rich and are impatient of old age, the same reply may be made; for to the good poor man old age can- not be a light burden, nor can a bad rich man ever have peace with himself. May I ask, Cephalus, whether your fortune was for the most part inherited or acquired by you? Acquired! Socrates; do you want to know how much I acquired? In the art of making money I have been midway between my father and grandfather: for my grandfather, whose name I bear, doubled and trebled the value of his patrimony, that which he inherited being much what I possess now; but my father, Lysanias, reduced the property below what it is at present; and I shall be satisfied if I leave to these my sons not less, but a little more, than I received. That was why I asked you the question, I replied, because I see that you are indifferent about money, which is a characteristic rather of those who have inherited their fortunes than of those who have acquired them; the makers of fortunes have a second love of money as a creation of their own, resembling the affection of authors for their own poems, or of parents for their children, besides that natural love of it for the sake of use and profit which is common to them and all men. And hence they are very bad company, for they can talk about nothing but the praises of wealth. That is true, he said. Yes, that is very true, but may I ask another question? — What do you consider to be the greatest blessing which you have reaped from your wealth? One, he said, of which I could not expect easily to convince others. For let me tell you, Socrates, that when a man thinks himself to be near death, fears and cares enter into his mind which he never had before; the tales of a world below and the punishment which is exacted there of deeds done here were once a laughing matter to him, but now he is tormented with the thought that they may be true: either from the weakness of age, or because he is now drawing nearer to that other place, he has a clearer view of these things; suspicions and alarms crowd thickly upon him, and he begins to reflect and consider what wrongs he has done to others. And when he finds that the sum of his transgressions is great he will many a time like a child start up in his sleep for fear, and he is filled with dark forebodings. But to him who is conscious of no sin, sweet hope, as Pindar charmingly says, is the kind nurse of his age: Hope, he says, cherishes the soul of him who lives in justice and holiness, and is the nurse of his age and the companion of his journey — hope which is mightiest to sway the restless soul of man. How admirable are his words! And the great blessing of riches, I do not say to every man, but to a good man, is, that he has had no occasion to deceive or to defraud others, either intentionally or unintentionally; and when he departs to the world below he is not in any apprehension about offerings due to the gods or debts which he owes to men. Now to this peace of mind the possession of wealth greatly contributes; and there-fore I say, that, setting one thing against another, of the many advantages which wealth has to give, to a man of sense this is in my opinion the greatest. Well said, Cephalus, I replied; but as concerning justice, what is it? — to speak the truth and to pay your debtsno more than this? And even to this are there not exceptions? Sup- pose that a friend when in his right mind has deposited arms with me and he asks for them when he is not in his right mind, ought I to give them back to him? No one would say that I ought or that I should be right in doing so, any more than they would say that I ought always to speak the truth to one who is in his condition. You are quite right, he replied. But then, I said, speaking the truth and paying your debts is not a correct definition of justice. Quite correct, Socrates, if Simonides is to be believed, said Polemarchus, interposing. I fear, said Cephalus, that I must go now, for I have to look after the sacrifices, and I hand over the argument to Polem- archus and the company. Is not Polemarchus your heir? I said. To be sure, he answered, and went away laughing to the sacrifices. Tell me then, O thou heir of the argument, what did Simonides say, and according to you, truly say, about justice? He said that the repayment of a debt is just, and in saying so he appears to me to be right. I shall be sorry to doubt the word of such a wise and inspired man, but his meaning, though probably clear to you, is the re- verse of clear to me. For he certainly does not mean, as we were just now saying, that I ought to return a deposit of arms or of anything else to one who asks for it when he is not in his right senses; and yet a deposit cannot be denied to be a debt. True. Then when the person who asks me is not in his right mind I am by no means to make the return? Certainly not. When Simonides said that the repayment of a debt was jus- tice, he did not mean to include that case? Certainly not; for he thinks that a friend ought always to do good to a friend, and never evil. You mean that the return of a deposit of gold which is to the injury of the receiver, if the two parties are friends, is not the repayment of a debt — that is what you would imagine him to say? Yes. And are enemies also to receive what we owe to them? To be sure, he said, they are to receive what we owe them; and an enemy, as I take it, owes to an enemy that which is due or proper to himthat is to say, evil. Simonides, then, after the manner of poets, would seem to have spoken darkly of the nature of justice; for he really meant to say that justice is the giving to each man what is proper to him, and this he termed a debt. That must have been his meaning, he said. By heaven! I replied; and if we asked him what due or proper thing is given by medicine, and to whom, what answer do you think that he would make to us? He would surely reply that medicine gives drugs and meat and drink to human bodies. And what due or proper thing is given by cookery, and to what? Seasoning to food. And what is that which justice gives, and to whom? If, Socrates, we are to be guided at all by the analogy of the preceding instances, then justice is the art which gives good to friends and evil to enemies. That is his meaning, then? I think so. And who is best able to do good to his friends and evil to his enemies in time of sickness? The physician. Or when they are on a voyage, amid the perils of the sea? The pilot. And in what sort of actions or with a view to what result is the just man most able to do harm to his enemy and good to his friend? In going to war against the one and in making alliances with the other. But when a man is well, my dear Polemarchus, there is no need of a physician? No. And he who is not on a voyage has no need of a pilot? No. Then in time of peace justice will be of no use? I am very far from thinking so. You think that justice may be of use in peace as well as in war? Yes. Like husbandry for the acquisition of corn? Yes. Or like shoemaking for the acquisition of shoes — that is what you mean? Yes. And what similar use or power of acquisition has justice in time of peace? In contracts, Socrates, justice is of use. And by contracts you mean partnerships? Exactly. But is the just man or the skilful player a more useful and better partner at a game of draughts? The skilful player. And in the laying of bricks and stones is the just man a more useful or better partner than the builder? Quite the reverse. Then in what sort of partnership is the just man a better partner than the harp-player, as in playing the harp the harp- player is certainly a better partner than the just man? In a money partnership. Yes, Polemarchus, but surely not in the use of money; for you do not want a just man to be your counsellor in the purchase or sale of a horse; a man who is knowing about horses would be better for that, would he not? Certainly. And when you want to buy a ship, the shipwright or the pilot would be better? True. Then what is that joint use of silver or gold in which the just man is to be preferred? When you want a deposit to be kept safely. You mean when money is not wanted, but allowed to lie? Precisely. That is to say, justice is useful when money is useless? That is the inference. And when you want to keep a pruning-hook safe, then justice is useful to the individual and to the State; but when you want to use it, then the art of the vine-dresser? Clearly. And when you want to keep a shield or a lyre, and not to use them, you would say that justice is useful; but when you want to use them, then the art of the soldier or of the musician? Certainly. And so of all other things —justice is useful when they are useless, and useless when they are useful? That is the inference. Then justice is not good for much. But let us consider this further point: Is not he who can best strike a blow in a boxing match or in any kind of fighting best able to ward off a blow? Certainly. And he who is most skilful in preventing or escaping from a disease is best able to create one? True. And he is the best guard of a camp who is best able to steal a march upon the enemy? Certainly. Then he who is a good keeper of anything is also a good thief? That, I suppose, is to be inferred. Then if the just man is good at keeping money, he is good at stealing it. implied in the argument. That is Then after all, the just man has turned out to be a thief. And this is a lesson which I suspect you must have learnt out of Homer; for he, speaking of Autolycus, the maternal grand- father of Odysseus, who is a favorite of his, affirms that He was excellent above all men in theft and perjury. And so, you and Homer and Simonides are agreed that justice is an art of theft; to be practised, however, for the good of friends and for the harm of enemies — that was what you were saying? No, certainly not that, though I do not now know what I did say; but I still stand by the latter words. Well, there is another question: By friends and enemies do we mean those who are so really, or only in seeming? Surely, he said, a man may be expected to love those whom he thinks good, and to hate those whom he thinks evil. Yes, but do not persons often err about good and evil: many who are not good seem to be so, and conversely? That is true. Then to them the good will be enemies and the evil will be their friends? True. And in that case they will be right in doing good to the evil and evil to the good? Clearly. But the good are just and would not do an injustice? True. Then according to your argument it is just to injure those who do no wrong? Nay, Socrates; the doctrine is immoral. Then I suppose that we ought to do good to the just and harm to the unjust? that better. I like But see the consequence: Many a man who is ignorant of human nature has friends who are bad friends, and in that case he ought to do harm to them; and he has good enemies whom he ought to benefit; but, if so, we shall be saying the very op- posite of that which we affirmed to be the meaning of Simonides. Very true, he said; and I think that we had better correct an error into which we seem to have fallen in the use of the words friend and enemy. What was the error, Polemarchus? I asked. We assumed that he is a friend who seems to be or who is thought good. And how is the error to be corrected? We should rather say that he is a friend who is, as well as seems, good; and that he who seems only and is not good, only seems to be and is not a friend; and of an enemy the same may be said. You would argue that the good are our friends and the bad our enemies? Yes. And instead of saying simply as we did at first, that it is just to do good to our friends and harm to our enemies, we should further say: It is just to do good to our friends when they are good, and harm to our enemies when they are evil? Yes, that appears to me to be the truth. But ought the just to injure anyone at all? Undoubtedly he ought to injure those who are both wicked and his enemies. When horses are injured, are they improved or deteriorated? The latter. Deteriorated, that is to say, in the good qualities of horses, not of dogs? Yes, of horses. And dogs are deteriorated in the good qualities of dogs, and not of horses? Of course. And will not men who are injured be deteriorated in that which is the proper virtue of man? Certainly. And that human virtue is justice? To be sure. Then men who are injured are of necessity made unjust? That is the result. But can the musician by his art make men unmusical? Certainly not. Or the horseman by his art make them bad horsemen? Impossible. And can the just by justice make men unjust, or speaking generally, can the good by virtue make them bad? Assuredly not. Any more than heat can produce cold? It cannot. Or drought moisture? Clearly not. Nor can the good harm anyone? Impossible. And the just is the good? Certainly. Then to injure a friend or anyone else is not the act of a just man, but of the opposite, who is the unjust? I think that what you say is quite true, Socrates. Then if a man says that justice consists in the repayment of debts, and that good is the debt which a just man owes to his friends, and evil the debt which he owes to his enemies — to say this is not wise; for it is not true, if, as has been clearly shown, the injuring of another can be in no case just. I agree with you, said Polemarchus. Then you and I are prepared to take up arms against anyone who attributes such a saying to Simonides or Bias or Pittacus, or any other wise man or seer? I am quite ready to do battle at your side, he said. Shall I tell you whose I believe the saying to be? Whose? I believe that Periander or Perdiccas or Xerxes or Ismenias the Theban, or some other rich and mighty man, who had a great opinion of his own power, was the first to say that justice is doing good to your friends and harm to your enemies. Most true, he said. Yes, I said; but if this definition of justice also breaks down, what other can be offered? Several times in the course of the discussion Thrasymachus had made an attempt to get the argument into his own hands, and had been put down by the rest of the company, who wanted to hear the end. But when Polemarchus and I had done speaking and there was a pause, he could no longer hold his peace; and, gathering himself up, he came at us like a wild beast, seeking to devour us. We were quite panic-stricken at the sight of him. He roared out to the whole company: What folly, Socrates, has taken possession of you all? And why, sillybillies, do you knock under to one another? I say that if you want really to know what justice is, you should not only ask but answer, and you should not seek honor to yourself from the refutation of an opponent, but have your own answer; for there is many a one who can ask and cannot answer. And now I will not have you say that justice is duty or advantage or profit or gain or interest, for this sort of nonsense will not do for me; I must have clearness and accuracy. I was panic-stricken at his words, and could not look at him without trembling. Indeed I believe that if I had not fixed my eye upon him, I should have been struck dumb: but when I saw his fury rising, I looked at him first, and was therefore able to reply to him. Thrasymachus, I said, with a quiver, dont be hard upon us. Polemarchus and I may have been guilty of a little mistake in the argument, but I can assure you that the error was not in- tentional. If we were seeking for a piece of gold, you would not imagine that we were knocking under to one another, and so losing our chance of finding it. And why, when we are seeking for justice, a thing more precious than many pieces of gold, do you say that we are weakly yielding to one another and not doing our utmost to get at the truth? Nay, my good friend, we are most willing and anxious to do so, but the fact is that we cannot. And if so, you people who know all things should pity us and not be angry with us. How characteristic of Socrates! he replied, with a bitter laugh; thats your ironical style! Did I not foresee — have I not already told you, that whatever he was asked he would refuse to answer, and try irony or any other shuffle, in order that he might avoid answering? You are a philosopher, Thrasymachus, I replied, and well know that if you ask a person what numbers make up twelve, taking care to prohibit him whom you ask from answering twice six, or three times four, or six times two, or four times three, for this sort of nonsense will not do for me — then obviously, if that is your way of putting the question, no one can answer you. But suppose that he were to retort: Thrasymachus, what do you mean? If one of these numbers which you interdict be the true answer to the question, am I falsely to say some other number which is not the right one? — is that your meaning? — How would you answer him? Just as if the two cases were at all alike! he said. Why should they not be? I replied; and even if they are not, but only appear to be so to the person who is asked, ought he not to say what he thinks, whether you and I forbid him or not? I presume then that you are going to make one of the interdicted answers? I dare say that I may, notwithstanding the danger, if upon reflection I approve of any of them. But what if I give you an answer about justice other and better, he said, than any of these? What do you deserve to have done to you? Done to me! — as becomes the ignorant, I must learn from the wise — that is what I deserve to have done to me. What, and no payment! A pleasant notion! I will pay when I have the money, I replied. But you have, Socrates, said Glaucon: and you, Thrasyma- chus, need be under no anxiety about money, for we will all make a contribution for Socrates. Yes, he replied, and then Socrates will do as he always does — refuse to answer himself, but take and pull to pieces the answer of someone else. Why, my good friend, I said, how can anyone answer who knows, and says that he knows, just nothing; and who, even if he has some faint notions of his own, is told by a man of authority not to utter them? The natural thing is, that the speaker should be someone like yourself who professes to know and can tell what he knows. Will you then kindly answer, for the edification of the company and of myself? Glaucon and the rest of the company joined in my request, and Thrasymachus, as anyone might see, was in reality eager to speak; for he thought that he had an excellent answer, and would distinguish himself. But at first he affected to insist on my answering; at length he consented to begin. Behold, he said, the wisdom of Socrates; he refuses to teach himself, and goes about learning of others, to whom he never even says, Thank you. That I learn of others, I replied, is quite true; but that I am ungrateful I wholly deny. Money I have none, and therefore I pay in praise, which is all I have; and how ready I am to praise anyone who appears to me to speak well you will very soon find out when you answer; for I expect that you will answer well. Listen, then, he said; I proclaim that justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger. And now why do you not praise me? But of course you wont. Let me first understand you, I replied. Justice, as you say, is the interest of the stronger. What, Thrasymachus, is the meaning of this? You cannot mean to say that because Polyd- amas, the pancratiast, is stronger than we are, and finds the eating of beef conducive to his bodily strength, that to eat beef is therefore equally for our good who are weaker than he is, and right and just for us? Thats abominable of you, Socrates; you take the words in the sense which is most damaging to the argument. Not at all, my good sir, I said; I am trying to understand them; and I wish that you would be a little clearer. Well, he said, have you never heard that forms of govern- ment differ — there are tyrannies, and there are democracies, and there are aristocracies? Yes, I know. And the government is the ruling power in each State? Certainly. And the different forms of government make laws demo- cratical, aristocratical, tyrannical, with a view to their several interests; and these laws, which are made by them for their own interests, are the justice which they deliver to their subjects, and him who transgresses them they punish as a breaker of the law, and unjust. And that is what I mean when I say that in all States there is the same principle of justice, which is the interest of the government; and as the government must be supposed to have power, the only reasonable conclusion is that everywhere there is one principle of justice, which is the interest of the stronger. Now I understand you, I said; and whether you are right or not I will try to discover. But let me remark that in defining justice you have yourself used the word interest, which you forbade me to use. It is true, however, that in your definition the words of the stronger are added. A small addition, you must allow, he said. Great or small, never mind about that: we must first inquire whether what you are saying is the truth. Now we are both agreed that justice is interest of some sort, but you go on to say of the stronger; about this addition I am not so sure, and must therefore consider further. Proceed. I will; and first tell me, Do you admit that it is just for sub- jects to obey their rulers? I do. But are the rulers of States absolutely infallible, or are they sometimes liable to err? To be sure, he replied, they are liable to err? Then in making their laws they may sometimes make them rightly, and sometimes not? True. When they make them rightly, they make them agreeably to their interest; when they are mistaken, contrary to their in- terest; you admit that? Yes. And the laws which they make must be obeyed by their sub- jectsand that is what you call justice? Doubtless. Then justice, according to your argument, is not only obedience to the interest of the stronger, but the reverse? What is that you are saying? he asked. I am only repeating what you are saying, I believe. But let us consider: Have we not admitted that the rulers may be mistaken about their own interest in what they command, and also that to obey them is justice? Has not that been admitted? Yes. Then you must also have acknowledged justice not to be for the interest of the stronger, when the rulers unintentionally command things to be done which are to their own injury. For if, as you say, justice is the obedience which the subject renders to their commands, in that case, O wisest of men, is there any escape from the conclusion that the weaker are commanded to do, not what is for the interest, but what is for the injury of the stronger? Nothing can be clearer, Socrates, said Polemarchus. Yes, said Cleitophon, interposing, if you are allowed to be his witness. But there is no need of any witness, said Polemarchus, for Thrasymachus himself acknowledges that rulers may some- time command what is not for their own interest, and that for subjects to obey them is justice. Yes, Polemarchus — Thrasymachus said that for subjects to do what was commanded by their rulers is just. Yes, Cleitophon, but he also said that justice is the interest of the stronger, and, while admitting both these propositions, he further acknowledged that the stronger may command the weaker who are his subjects to do what is not for his own interest; whence follows that justice is the injury quite as much as the interest of the stronger. But, said Cleitophon, he meant by the interest of the stronger what the stronger thought to be his interest — this was what the weaker had to do; and this was affirmed by him to be justice. Those were not his words, rejoined Polemarchus. Never mind, I replied, if he now says that they are, let us accept his statement. Tell me, Thrasymachus, I said, did you mean by justice what the stronger thought to be his interest, whether really so or not? Certainly not, he said. Do you suppose that I call him who is mistaken the stronger at the time when he is mistaken? Yes, I said, my impression was that you did so, when you admitted that the ruler was not infallible, but might be sometimes mistaken. You argue like an informer, Socrates. Do you mean, for example, that he who is mistaken about the sick is a physician in that he is mistaken? or that he who errs in arithmetic or grammar is an arithmetician or grammarian at the time when he is making the mistake, in respect of the mistake? True, we say that the physician or arithmetician or grammarian has made a mistake, but this is only a way of speaking; for the fact is that neither the grammarian nor any other person of skill ever makes a mistake in so far as he is what his name implies; they none of them err unless their skill fails them, and then they cease to be skilled artists. No artist or sage or ruler errs at the time when he is what his name implies; though he is commonly said to err, and I adopted the common mode of speaking. But to be perfectly accurate, since you are such a lover of accuracy, we should say that the ruler, in so far as he is a ruler, is unerr- ing, and, being unerring, always commands that which is for his own interest; and the subject is required to execute his com- mands; and therefore, as I said at first and now repeat, justice is the interest of the stronger. Indeed, Thrasymachus, and do I really appear to you to argue like an informer? Certainly, he replied. And do you suppose that I ask these questions with any de- sign of injuring you in the argument? Nay, he replied, suppose is not the word — I know it; but you will be found out, and by sheer force of argument you will never prevail.