Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Financial and Strategic Planning1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial and Strategic Planning1 - Coursework Example The current liabilities in 2011 decreased significantly by 0.54. This means that the institution’s ability to convert its services into cash has reduced in 2011. The working capital is a ratio that indicates whether a given company is in a position to cover its short term debt by purely using its short term assets. This is obtained by obtaining the difference between the Current Assets and Current Liabilities. The institution’s working capital is significantly positive. However, the working capital reduced from 2010 to 2011. This means that even though the company is able to pay off its debtors in the short-term, they are more prone to bankruptcy in 2011 than in 2010. The debt/equity ratio is a measure of a given firm’s leverage. It essentially gives the amount of the processes and procedures that are financed by liability and that financed by the shareholder’s equity. It shows a company’s financial position relative to debtors and shareholders. The institution’s leverage indicates that in 2011 the institution adopted a more aggressive debt financing technique for its growth. This may potentially lead to the institution realizing volatile earnings owing to the increase in interest as a result of an increase in debt. This is evident in the fact that even though the institution has adopted a more aggressive debt financing approach, revenue reduced from $1,500,000 in 2010 to $1,300,000 in 2011. This raises concern as debt is increasing while revenue is reducing, bringing down the financial position of the institution relative to its debt. This also considerably reduces the institution’s credit rating, lowering the institution’s ability to seek debt financing in the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Changing Customer Needs And Aspirations

Changing Customer Needs And Aspirations In todays global marketplace, managers face many challenges to meet changing customer needs and aspirations. It has become the concept of customer service in recent times is more complicated because of globalization of goods and services. Customers become familiar with decision-makers because of the abundance of information on the Internet and the media. Today the consumer is more interested in how the vendor can solve the fundamental problems at the end of the day and add value to the product or service. The role of businessmen and the agency is now more important than ever to achieve success in this new global competitive market. As a result, sales managers and a new challenge to respond to this new environment, with innovative technologies to manage and motivate the sales force. The following sections specify general conditions for sales management, and study the role of director of sales, and focus on the methods used to mange, lead and motivate staff. Sales Management in And can easily manage sales, as specified in the planning, implementation and monitoring communication programs aimed at achieving personal sales goals and profits. Overall, sales managers are responsible for direct sales program for the company. In the implementation of this goal, and the appointment of director of sales territories, set goals and to develop training programs. In addition to identifying individual goals, and sales managers to monitor vendor performance, and continuously provide guidance and leadership on how to improve their performance. It will be the organizational structure to manage the sales depends on the size of the business and strategy. In the area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹sales management, and the structure consists of a unit manager, area manager, regional manager, general manager and vice president of sales. And often referred to as Unit Operator as a manager in training with the interaction that takes place on the level of customers. The main responsibilities of the operator and the new units include the training of sales representatives, employment, and sales of small accounts and the implementation of neighborhood meetings. And area managers, one step away from the heads of units, from 5 to 10 years of experience in management and public administration 80-10 sales. Area managers usually report to the Regional Director, who is responsible for the management of multiple regions in a given geographical area. Sometimes referred to the Director-General of the vice president of sales and market ing. This was a position traditionally the leader of the sales organization, with the vice president of marketing and sales strategy to lead the companys sales. There are clear differences between the base and high level managers. The main difference is the amount of time spent in each of their functions. Lower level managers spend most of their time on sellers of personal, direct and monitor. Senior managers generally focus on planning, organizing and coordinating the marketing strategy with the overall objectives of the business sector. They also forecast sales, set goals, develop strategies and policies, and budgeting. Management Strategy, Sales and Marketing Facing sales managers with many challenges in designing effective marketing strategy. How should the restructuring of the sales force? How big of a sales force is required? How can the sales force to deliver their message? Strategies vary depending on the number of products offered by the company, and if the company sells a certain type of customers to sell to different customers. When you sell the production line to one sector, with customers in many locations, the use of a regional strategy for the sale. With this strategy, will be appointed the exclusive representative of land sales in the region. These representatives sell full product line consists of multiple products to customers in that region. A good example of this strategy is the sale of food equipment. A representative of a commercial food equipment in general, and encourage companies range of products for sale, restaurants, schools, canteens and in specific territories. And is often used when the product sales strategy to sell the company along product lines. Using this strategy, bed sales representatives will require them to focus on selling one product or a small group of selected products. And use this strategy when product managers are numerous and complex. Used widely in the sales of this strategy, which focused on medical sales representative to sell products, medical care and specific health that are part of a specialized field of medicine. Finally, sales managers can use the strategy of the sales force customer-oriented vendors that specialize in matching clients to target specific products or services. This strategy enables the company to focus more on building strong relationships and long-term relationships with key customers. Motivate the sales force Subject of special attention in the field of sales management is motivation. Motivation is probably the most important aspect of sales management. If it is sorted correctly the sales force, and the selection of trainers, and the product is right, then it becomes the decisive motivation for success. There are many reasons to motivate the sales force is an important part of the sales process. First, we must deal with the vendor acceptance and rejection on a continuous basis. It is to be exalted as a result of the sale of a large disappointment that comes from being rejected. In many cases, sellers will spend long hours on the road, away from their families, which may affect public morale. This, in addition to the fact that vendors usually operate without the supervision of management, indicates that these people require a high level of personal reasons, in order to produce consistently good results. Finally, motivation has a direct impact on the level of enthusiasm and a street vendor in providing the product or service for the client. If the seller is passionate and enthusiastic about the product or service, it can directly affect the decision of the customer to purchase and develop strong relationships for future purchases. However, it is important to note that sales managers are responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective level of motivation in employees. In addition to providing strong leadership, director of marketing and sales to stimulate the force to achieve predetermined sales targets. Managers can use a variety of tools to stimulate a successful sales force. Strongest motivation is the compensation package is well designed. Sales managers can stimulate the effective design of vendor compensation formula, which is a good balance of bonuses, salaries and commissions. Sales managers set goals in the form of quotas, wage levels, and efficient catalyst for the shares. There are a number of formulas for sellers of compensation, and depends on the formula up to the expectations of the companys overall performance for each salesperson. Uses, respectively, to the Committee by the sales managers to reward salespeople for their achievements instead of their time and efforts. Compensation Commission directly enhance the independence of the seller. This is a strong motivation in this victory happen only if the sale was made, resulting in cost savings for the company. E program conducive to organizations that want to reduce the costs of compensation, especially for new companies and growing. There are some disadvantages to the Commission, including the lack of the ability of sales managers to monitor sales activities, as well as the high rate of staff turnover. Another program of compensation that are frequently used by non-salary in addition to the bonus. In essence, the formula includes salary plus a bonus of base salary with bonus based on performance pay when they are to achieve sales targets and quotas. It can also assess the salespeople on factors, including the establishment of new accounts, the average profit margin, and after-sales service. Unlike the Commission has the right, and this program helps to reduce the rate of staff turnover. The plan also encourages sellers to build long term relationships with customers. After that the security of a steady income, and sales staff can be patient with their customers, enabling them to take the time to make an informed decision. This is especially important when buying long cycles and when salespeople need time to adapt to the customer purchase cycle. And can be used to sell products or services are complex, in addition to a salary structure for the Commission to compensate the sales force. Under this program, the seller is guaranteed base salary, granted to the Commission based on the factors identified by the organization. Typically, the organization of salary in addition to the Committee on the upper and lower thresholds for sales volume. For example, the seller can earn 4 percent on the first $ 20000 of the volume of sales in each month, and 5 percent for $ 15,000 and 6 percent on sales of more than $ 40,000. Other companies may use different criteria, such as achieving sales quotas on the number of individual products sold in each category of products. Linked to the advantages of this method is the flexibility of the program. Companies are able to adapt the program to meet business objectives as they relate to sales force. Committees can be distributed over a certain period will continue to offer lessons to ensure a high leve l of customer service, and to discourage repeat left the company after the sale of a large. Commission salary plus bonus is a combination of the above programs. This plan combines the stability of the salary, an incentive for the Commission, as well as a special bonus prizes. It is recognized all financial activity from a seller by this program and the preferred vendor because of the potential benefits of the plan. The plan is not as popular as the others because of the complexity of the case management program. Are often used short-term incentive programs by companies to stimulate the vendor behind the standard compensation. Sales incentive contests are the most commonly used to generate enthusiasm for the sale of products and services. Competitions and usually works for a limited time, include cash prizes or travel to those vendors who reach a certain level of sales. The timing of events is crucial. Generally, it should return the competitions during the slower seasons of a particular sector, in order to increase sales and generate additional revenue. Employment for Success Sales force Sales Manager is responsible for appointing the sales staff, and identify new sources of employees, screening of applicants and interviews, contact references, and recommend candidates to the Regional Director. In general, the regional director of sales recruiting and selecting new vendors when needed. In many cases, were found on the candidates through universities, and Internet sites, or candidates who have formally applied to the entity through the efforts of cold calling. Managers should identify some basic qualities to recruit candidates for employment. Features is an important factor when considering a candidate for the post of sales. Empathy, and ego and optimism are the traits of good character into account when examining candidates for the position of sales. All of these qualities is a strong relationship with success in sales. Empathy is the ability to imagine the reactions of another person and I refers to the need for internal convince someone else to his satisfaction. All of these features combined provide a good indication of the seller and is considered strongly when recruiting and interviewing job applicants. It is also important to consider the level of demand of optimism with regard to personal fulfillment. Optimism and enthusiasm are good indicators of the ability of the seller to deal with adversity a feature that is often necessary to overcome the rejection and the slow sales months. Although most companies have chosen their own procedures, the process for selecting candidates from the model are similar to the following: 1. The first interview was president of the sales (the applicant is not acceptable and given a formal request or is not acceptable, and sent a letter of rejection.) 2. Are invited to applicants who apply for a second interview with the director of the region. 3. And candidates can spend a day in the field with the seller and the area manager receives feedback from the seller at the level of enthusiasm of the candidate. 4. Area Manager to check the references of the candidate, and a criminal record. 5. Regional Sales Manager interviews the candidate. 6. Regional Director and Area Manager to discuss the candidate via conference call or personal meeting. (Whether to give the student position) 7. Regional Director of Sales and offers the candidate and the official function. 8. Required physical examination in the event of acceptance of the offer submitted by the candidate. Quality management Total And customer satisfaction The main responsibility of the Sales Manager in the management of customer relationships. The emergence of a global market for goods and services and stimulate new thinking in the management of products related to the customer. Is defined as Total Quality Management (TQM) and process management and a range of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets customer expectations. Originally identified as a theory of manufacturing, total quality management and is now being applied to sales in particular. In the context of Sales and Marketing, Total Quality Management determines the quality of sales and service effort in terms of customer satisfaction. The goal of Total Quality Management for the sale of services and quality of value-driven (and not on price), to create customer loyalty, and profits in the long term. Systems sales and service that connects individuals, departments, suppliers, customers and focus on quality overall. Each section within the institution to have direct responsibility for the client in a certain capacity. Marketing of new products designed with the customer in mind. Manufacturing focuses on achieving the highest level of product quality. Under total quality management, and set ambitious targets but reasonable to improve sales and service quality. Innovation and continuous improvement of sales and service core of the idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹total quality management. The client of every aspect of total quality management. By focusing on customer expectations and to investigate them using formal methods, you can search for Total Quality Management misconceptions previous and new opportunities. Some basic ideas underlying the Total Quality Management and continuous improvement to make the products and services, and the elimination of defects, doing things right the first time, and understand that the employees closest to the process know-how to improve this process. Depending on the sales and service, and total quality management focuses on the exchange between the buyer and the seller. The intangible aspects such as response to the needs of different customers, and sympathy with the concerns of the client, and providing reliable service, and ensure the capacity of service at the customer relationship management. This process is a bit more difficult than the actual management of the quality of the product because of customer requests to be involved in this process. And ask them to provide information on the companys products and services to enable the process of continuous improvement. Customer satisfaction is essential to the philosophy of total quality management. In the management of sales, and total quality management suggest that organizations must have the majority of workers in jobs customer support, with the positions of a smaller number of staff. This will help to eliminate the costs associated with handling and reduces the levels of decision-making. Lower levels of management also allows the organization to be flexible enough to change quickly to support new opportunities for sales. Continuous improvement of all products and improve the sales process allows companies to move forward in a manner consistent with the products and services to remain competitive in the new global market. Career Paths There are no jobs sales management in all sectors of consumer and business, in positions ranging from the area manager to vice president of marketing and sales, and senior management of the companys sales. May be competition to be intense sales management. Sales managers usually arise as a trader, and work their way to the top with strong leadership and organizational skills. The development of sales staff in managerial positions gradually, with the representatives of the movement in the top positions to take more responsibility for their larger, national accounts. Its probably a sales representative will spend part of their professional career as a district or regional manager before moving to the role of senior management in sales. The development of sales staff in managerial positions vary depending on the size and structure of the organization Vision Marketing Trainee Retail Management Salaries The average salary for retail sales and management functions, and the vision of marketing trainee is $ 29,000. Could be that the average salaries of trainee retail management and marketing vision vary greatly because of, the site of the company, experience, industry and utilities. This salary was calculated using the average salary for all jobs with the term view of marketing management trainee retail sales in any part of the work site Sales Marketing Management Trainee salary information to see retail This free salary calculator uses salary data from millions of job listings indexed by Simply hired for the work of the search engine. Retail sales management and marketing vision trainee salary comparisons feature allows job seekers to get the information required to make important decisions and negotiate salary ranges Career. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis. Have been recreated with this plan by the Liquidity Management Centre A SWOT analysis of the blood of chronic SWOT analysis is a management tool used to identify and evaluate the considerations of the project or business initiative. Key considerations are the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats and are usually displayed in the organization and management tool, such as the letters S, W, X, Ot. Strengths include the characteristics of the current organization that are useful for achieving the overall objective. Weaknesses in the other hand, are the qualities of the existing organization that are harmful to achieving the objective. The opportunity to represent all the external conditions that may be perceived as useful to achieve the goal, while the threat is still external conditions that could interfere with the achievement of the target business. Are arranged in the four elements of this management tool in the network so that components can be grouped in two ways: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Internal and external factors (living or originating within or outside the company) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Profit / harassment (which have a direct impact on achieving the objectives of the work). Key issues in the analysis of SWOT analysis is used to develop a strategy and guide the decision-making process and access to, or possible to measure the important business goal might be. Analysis consists of the core issues of the objectives of the company, based on four elements: 1. How can we maximize all the power? 2. How can we stop or limit any weakness? 3. How can we take advantage of every opportunity? 4. How you can stop, reduce and defend against any threat? A key factor in when these questions are against the objectives of the work is what can be a force for the purpose of, and may be considered weak against another. In this case, the question requires input from the departments or authorities concerned, and discussion to assess the relative importance of factors in play should be. And should include a SWOT analysis is ideal input from key personnel from business reliable by all departments. Thus, it may be a typical team includes an accountant, sales manager, marketing manager, and CEO of operations management and broker. And is characterized by general importance or the success of any SWOT analysis in terms of value to the business strategies it generates. Explore ideas: Lets start with the first idea and ask: If we do, what results / problems can we expect? Write each problem or on the board. If you need more information, and then noted the appointment of person to conduct further investigations, and a deadline. Ask the next To accomplish this, what should we do? I write all the tasks on the table. It helps to divide the table into three sections: Problems of results, and activities. Once you have completed the process for each idea, and then write a plan of action and follow-up session to follow. The goal is to get ideas and perspectives from different angles, and explore each other Brainstorming preparation Select a group of people who should participate, if possible, at least one person from each department and all parties and decision makers, as possible. It should not be limited to a group of senior management, and sometimes the best ideas come from staff. Should be appointed Chairman of the management of this process and maintain control over the session. Appoint a person to take notes and gather information. Determining the duration of the session, and issue invitations. Room must be set so that it includes a relaxed atmosphere, and prefers that the president should be in a circular fashion, or gathered around a table, depending on the size of the group. Encourage people to walk around and relax. Provide a whiteboard, note paper, pens, coffee and anything else that might encourage a relaxed session. Can be in respect of each category can be classified in order of importance Brainstorming session Discuss the reason for the session and clearly define the objective or problem. Make sure that all participants agree with the objective and understand the desired result. Writing objective voice on the board, and this will help to keep everyone on track during the session. Set the rules of the session: there must be no criticism or ridicule of any ideas, and keep on track, avoid lengthy discussions about the pros and cons of the idea, and will be done at a later time during the investigation. Encourage everyone to participate and respect the ideas of others. Session leader should ensure that follow the rules and had no idea and mocked or criticized and described as stupid. Start asking people to provide their thoughts / ideas and write each one on the plane. Will probably find that once the collection of ideas, and the rest will flow. Once I have noticed all the ideas, and then it was time to explore each and every one else. Group all the ideas that are similar to other Ideally, one aims to have 5-10 ideas to investigate Plan of Action for the exchange of ideas The plan should include a summary of each idea work, a list of requirements for further investigation, it is assigned and deadlines. If the idea can be implemented immediately, then, tasks, and who are assigned deadlines. Brainstorming sessions are excellent tools to solve problems and lead to more opportunities. This can be done successfully meeting to brainstorm on an individual basis, but the group session will allow different views of all regions. And effective way to stimulate the vendors with the incentive program, but production is not as simple as defining a set of objectives which, when met, to reward those with the cash. If money is the only element of the incentive program, the sellers simply sell more without additional incentives. So, to begin to understand what each hopes to achieve the seller: This is the best person to be sold for the quarter? Staff record the best sales? Should be a good incentive program be understandable, measurable and achievable. Any program that does not include all three of these critical elements will quickly become confused and therefore counterproductive. As a business owner or manager of the team, you must specify the program to stimulate sales in a clear and put it in writing. Meeting to make sure that every member sales team, which includes in its entirety. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Show the basic salary, in addition to the Committee. If possible, Salesforce and pay your base salary for a decent addition to the commission. Forced to work in the Committee can only create tension, which leads to depletion and turnover is high, while that for a balanced approach will help you maintain the best talent. Can find the right balance between basic salary and the percentage of a committee to be difficult, however. For example, when the vendors on a higher salary base is likely to keep closely how do they spend their time, pack more heavily dependent on the Committee may motivate them to spend more time seeking lead a strong, rather than engaging in activities that do not lend themselves to a high proportion of sales

Friday, October 25, 2019

Hitler and the Aestheticization of Politics Essay -- propaganda, nazism

Introduction One of the reasons behind the success of the Nazi Party in taking over Germany is on its extensive use of propaganda. Adolf Hitler, known for his penchant for populism, rendered the strong impact of images, films and other materials attributed to Nazism as essential for the political success of the Nazi Party and its agenda for Germany. As an authoritarian leader, Hitler saw the importance of extracting the patronage of the Germans not through forceful means, but through convincing and motivating measures that enticed their mental faculties. To make such a vision possible, Hitler commissioned the talents of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl – one of the most brilliant at the time, to create a movie that promoted Nazism not necessarily in a critical manner, but more on cultivating their blind adherence towards the Nazi Party. The result, Triumph of the Will, is a documentary film masterpiece that presented the magnanimity of the Nazi Party in a grandiose manner, complete with rich ae sthetics enhanced with the latest film technology at the time. While Triumph of the Will has garnered strong acclaim as a magnum opus of its period, critics have assailed it for aggrandizing Nazi politics and its presumed ability to arouse sympathy towards Nazism. Thus, the assertion made by Walter Benjamin on the â€Å"aestheticization of politics† under German fascism has stood as an important premise to clarify and consider in understanding the significance of Triumph of the Will (Benjamin 217-252; Riefenstahl). The â€Å"Aestheticization of Politics† under German Fascism Benjamin noted one of the most notable characteristics of the Nazi regime – that of the â€Å"aestheticization of politics† under German fascism. In the simplest sense, Benjamin underlined... ...m that the aesthetic techniques used in Triumph of the Will is exclusive to Nazism, as those may also apply to represent other ideologies subject to changes in the stimuli of people and breakthroughs in media technology. After all, what made Triumph of the Will distinctly Nazi in nature is the fact that it used multifaceted Nazi propaganda; the aesthetic techniques used therein – set apart from the propaganda, could also apply to other ideologies. Works Cited Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Production." Illuminations. Ed. Harry Zohn. New York: Schocken, 1969. 217-252. Print. Spielvogel, Jackson. Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History. 6th ed. United Kingdom: Pearson, 2009. Print. Triumph of the Will. Dir. Leni Riefenstahl. Perf. Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Victor Lutze, various Nazi leaders. Universum Film AG, 1935. DVD.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Pakistan Wetland Program

THE PAKISTAN WETLANDS PROGRAMME The Ministry of Environment's Pakistan Wetlands Programme DurationJuly 2005- June 2012 StatusOngoing BudgetUSD 3. 6 million Project deliveryUSD 2. 7 million Project delivery (2010) USD 0. 51 million LocationCountrywide Donor Contribution Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE): USD 4,034,000 Global Environment Facility (GEF): USD 2,253, 000 Federal Government: Ministry of Environment Other: World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-P) Background:The Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP) aims to promote the sustainable conservation of freshwater and marine wetlands and their associated globally important biodiversity in Pakistan. The programme strategy is based on two sub-sets of objectives. The first will provide the required policy, institutional, technical and financial framework and generate positive public support essential for the mainstreaming of wetlands conservation. The second involves the design and implementation of Sustainable, participatory management plans for four independent Demonstration Sites, each chosen to be representative of a broad eco-region in Pakistan.It includes specific mechanisms to secure financial sustainability and enhanced replication and proliferation of viable wetlands management interventions in a nation-wide, on-going wetlands conservation initiative. Despite the generally arid nature of Pakistan's climate, the region supports an estimated 780,000 ha of wetlands that cover 9. 7% of the total surface area of the country. In excess of 225 significant wetlands sites are on record in the prototype Pakistan Wetlands GIS Database developed during the PDF (B) Phase of this Project.Nineteen of these have been internationally recognised by the Ramsar Convention Bureau as being of global importance. The diverse assortment of natural freshwater and marine wetlands that occur within Pakistan support unique combinations of biodiversity. The same resource, however, also sustains an estimated 144 million permanent human resid ents and 3-4 million displaced persons from adjacent countries. The wetlands of the region are, therefore, generally degrading under a broad spectrum of anthropogenic threats that are mainly rooted in poverty but exacerbated by lack of knowledge and mismanagement.Global Significance Pakistan's permanent and ephemeral wetlands are globally significant in two ways; i) In terms of the intrinsic value of their indigenous biodiversity, ii) As an acute example of the poverty/subsistence-use nexus that constitutes one of the most fundamental threats to biodiversity worldwide. The high global significance of Pakistan's wetlands is attributable to the diversity of species that they support. In all, eighteen threatened species of wetlands dependent mammals are found in the country including the endemic Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) and Indus River Dolphin (Plantanista minor).Further, twenty threatened bird species are supported by Pakistan's wetlands in addition to twelve reptiles a nd two endemic species of amphibians. Pakistan's wetlands also support between 191-198 indigenous freshwater fish species, including fifteen endemics and a total of 788 marine and estuarine fish species. The high altitude wetlands, characterised by sites such as Karumbar Lake, situated at an elevation of 4, 150m, and Saucher Lake, at 4,250m on the Deosai Plains, represent a relatively unique category of alpine wetlands that is confined to the Himalaya, Hindukush and Karakoram mountain cordilleras.Objectives To promote the sustainable conservation of freshwater and marine wetlands and their associated globally important biodiversity in Pakistan. Key Achievements i)Implementation on the recommendations of the previous Mid-Term Review underway. ii)Draft Exit Strategy for Pakistan Wetlands Program prepared. iii)Institutional setup established under the program with management of Pakistan’s wetlands after completion of the project in 2012. iv)Field assessments completed and GIS mo dels at the federal and provincial levels operational.GIS database being used as a decision making tool for the management of selected wetlands in four sites. v)Overall information of 225 wetlands of Pakistan available in GIS database. vi)National Wetlands Policy approved. vii)Planned trainings completed. 3000 participants from communities, Govt. institutions and academia benefited from these trainings. The project and government personnel have benefited from study abroad component of this programme. iii)A number of customized materials such as a brochure on Uchhali Complex, awareness raising posters in Urdu and English for World Wetlands Day; tree plantation and hunting ethics flyers and promos; documentaries on Water Fowl In Pakistan; Broghil and on Balochistan Coast were produced and disseminated nation-wide. This has led to recognition of three additional wetlands sites under the Global Convention on Wetlands. ix)The implementation of conservation plans at the four wetlands site s in process in collaboration with local village communities. Main Donors The main donors are Royal Netherland Embassy (RNE),UNDP Pakistan, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), EU and WWF International . Aims The programme aims at the creation of an enabling environment at the national level through capacity-building and training, awareness raising, communication and environmental assessments; developing replicable models in the four wetlands eco-regions of the country including the Makran Coastal Wetlands Complex (MCWC), Central Indus Wetlands Complex (CIWC), Salt Range Wetlands Complex (SRWC) and Northern Alpine Wetlands Complex (NAWC). Coverage areaDespite the generally arid nature of Pakistan's climate, the region supports an estimated 780,000 ha of wetlands that cover 9. 7% of the total surface area of the country. In excess of 225 significant wetlands sites are on record in the prototype Pakistan Wetlands GIS Database developed during th e PDF (B) Phase of this Project. Nineteen of these have been internationally recognized by the Ramsar Convention Bureau as being of global importance. The diverse assortment of natural freshwater and marine wetlands that occur within Pakistan support unique combinations of biodiversity.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Walking Holiday in Costa Rica by Mary Novakovich Essay

You’d have to have been living on another planet for the past half-decade not to have clocked the rise and rise of the Red City, Marrakesh. While five-star resorts have proliferated right up to the walls of the 1,000-year-old medina, inside them, along its chiaroscuro labyrinth of alleys and lanes, chic and unique riads have upturned and elevated paradigms of Moroccan design and service. Urbane and luxurious, Marrakesh now feels like a place where there’s nothing—or close to nothing—you can’t have. Which is why the places to look for the real Morocco often lie far from the burnished suites and buzzing restaurants of this city on the plain. Striking out for the farther reaches of the country is rewarded with unique takes on traditional hospitality, both new and timeless. They can be found deep in the southernmost region, where ungenerous stone begins to surrender to the saffron-gold sands of the Sahara; or high among the towering Atlas, where Berber culture has its oldest and still strongest roots, and brilliant colors and tribal traditions flourish amid sometimes indescribably severe natural beauty; or along Morocco’s coast, whose whitewashed, fortified villages reflect both European colonial history and Islamic mystery. Far below the historic Berber stronghold of Zagora, in the Drà ¢a valley, where only the faintest tire-tread marks indicate your path, my guide and I speed in our Toyota 4Runner past a scene of cinematic emptiness, shaded in the non-tones of the desert. After an hour’s drive from the town of M’hamid, we reach, of all things, a schoolhouse, set on a small rise; here, a 4 x 4 awaits to shepherd me to Erg Chigaga Luxury Camp. The brainchild of a transplanted English hotel executive, Nick Garsten, and a Berber desert guide named Moustafa Boufrifri, known to all as Bobo, the camp lies in the Erg Chigaga dunes, which climb to heights of 1,000 feet. The eight traditional caidal tents are connected by twin pavilions with ornate blackwork on their exteriors; inside, the walls are striped in bold red and cream, and thick pile rugs line the ground. Bathrooms have hand-worked metal  vanities and hot- and cold-water buckets on teak platforms for hammam-style bathing (which uses o nly about one-tenth of the water required by a conventional shower—a crucial concession here, where it is the most precious commodity). Crimson wool runners crisscross the camp, from tent to tent and from dining to leisure pavilions; at night they’re banked with lines of glowing lanterns. Flanking one edge of the main area is a row of palm trunks, between which are suspended several hammocks—what Bobo charmingly refers to as Erg Chigaga’s â€Å"chill-out zone.† Bobo himself—supremely competent and drily funny in five languages—lopes about in his cobalt-blue turban and djellaba, pouring shots of â€Å"Berber whiskey,† the ubiquitous and wickedly strong mint-tea blend. Two newer and more private tents, set about a 15-minute walk from the main camp, make excellent honeymoon destinations. The energy of Erg Chigaga seems prevailingly friendly and informal—a place to leaven the intrigue and high romance quotient of a desert bivouac with doses of extreme-ish activities (sand-boarding to the south; late-afternoon camel treks) and easy camaraderie around the fire after s unset. About 20 miles from Erg Chigaga, in the taller dunes at the edge of the ancient Iriki lake bed, is an encampment conceived for those who seek desert romance of the writ-large, Lawrence of Arabiavariety—and are willing to pay top dollar for it. The Camp of Dar Ahlam is a one-night experience as part of a longer stay at the elegant guesthouse of the same name in Skoura, some 200 miles to the northwest. First set up in 2007 as a single tent, it has expanded over the years, and can now accommodate as many as 30 people, but is still meant for only one group at a time. During my stay I am looked after by Ahmed, the camp manager, and a small staff. The camp reprises the narrative theme for which its namesake hotel (â€Å"house of dreams,† in Arabic) is known: my stay unspools in a series of mise-en-scà ¨nes straight from a Thesiger passage—or a Ridley Scott epic. My tent is of the simplest white canvas, lined in sisal and furnished with a low wooden bed and an embossed-brass table surrounded by kilim-covered cushions. At dusk, I sat ensconced in a Roorkhee chair in front of it, enjoying an aperitif (served on estate silver), surrounded by towering mounds of the Sahara, their summits shaped to paper’s-edge fineness by the wind. I had no inkling of the production happening one dune away, until Ahmed came to collect me for dinner; a trek over its crest revealed a tent surrounded by lanterns and, inside, lambent with the glow of multiple  candelabras. A table was set opulently enough to please a cherifa. I was served a tangia, a meat stew prepared in a terra-cotta urn and slow-cooked overnight in a wood-fired oven.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Myths and Misconceptions of Marijuana Use Essay Example

The Myths and Misconceptions of Marijuana Use Essay Example The Myths and Misconceptions of Marijuana Use Essay The Myths and Misconceptions of Marijuana Use Essay They blamed the atrocities happening in their societies on the plant while aiming their accusations toward ethnic minorities to create biased opinions with their supporter. Emerging studies have begun to grab the attention of the public with their shocking results. The old mentalities of the previous generation are dying out, with people now making informed decisions rather than believing what theyre told. With the abundance of becoming aware of the misconceptions of marijuana use. Cannabis is a type of plant that is cultivated for its various types of natural resources, also known as industrial hemp, but is also bred for its psychoactive effects on the body which have medicinal and recreational purposes. There are many known chemicals found within the plant, such as cannibalistic acid, which has similar properties to penicillin. Most notable is the primary active ingredient Delta-9 Dehydrogenations or simply ETC, which is what gives users their high. The United States of America currently considers cannabis as an illegal substance, with only 18 states having made it legal for personal consumption and cultivation. A common misunderstanding is that hemp and cannabis are the same. Although they are both products of the cannabis plants, the distinction comes from the methods used to cultivate themwhich yield different results. Hemp is grown in rows (very similar to corn crops), and bears the resemblance of thin bamboo sticks with wood- like cores. There are currently over 25,000 products that use hemp as a resource. Cannabis, or more commonly referred to as marijuana (Mexican Spanish derivative), is grown with plenty of room allowing the plant to expand its width rather than its height. One main difference between the two breeds is that hemp is generally ultimate outdoors and contains no more than 1% ETC, while marijuana is grown mainly indoors with artificial lighting to strengthen the degree of ETC potency roughly containing 10-20%. The psychoactive effects of inducing marijuana vary for each individual; however, most users experience a euphoric state-of-mind that alters their perception of reality, and heightening their sensory systems (e. G. Vision, touch, taste). The physical side effects include glossy or red eyes, increased heart rate, a dry mouth (commonly referred to as cotton mouth), and a relaxing sensation to the body muscles. Traditionally, marijuana is ground up and rolled into a marijuana cigaretteor is consumed with the use of a pipe. Recent studies have shown that the safest methods to ingesting marijuana is if its eaten by incorporating ETC in meal preparations, or by vaporizing it. A vaporizer is an electronic contraption that heats the weedopposed to combustionto extract the ETC, in the form of an inalienable vapor. For the most part, the effects of marijuana are very static and rarely change. Some of the less desirable effects cause short-term impairments, such as trouble with memory, ability o learn, having questionable Judgment, failure to effectively use motor functions, and an assortment of mental impairments (e. . Anxiety, excessive panic, and paranoia). Although these are common symptoms amongst the general users of marijuana, the negative side effects vary between each individual. There is no credible information at this time that links marijuana and the negative side effects listed above as an inherent presence with each dosage. Cannabis used for medical purposes, or medicinal marijuana, has been stud ied closely for its abilities to cure certain debilitating symptoms. It was first recognized for its magical properties to cure ailments. The first recorded use of marijuana as a medicinal drug occurred in 2737 B. C. By Chinese emperor Sheen Nuns. The emperor documented the drugs effectiveness in treating the pains of rheumatism and gout (2010, Random Facts, Para. 16). With current technologies and research development, medicinal marijuana people diagnosed with UN-curable diseases, marijuana has been put under the microscope for maximizing its potential properties. Doctors currently prescribe it to chemotherapy patients who experience nausea and vomiting, people with neurotic and chronic pains (e. . Lower back pains, arthritis, multiple sclerosis), individuals with a loss of appetite because of medical conditions, and for those who suffer from sleep-related disorders such as insomnia. Its no secret that marijuana has gained a negative image with the public. It has been portrayed as a substance that turns people into lazy stoner who have no sense of direction or goals. However, the same can be said about alcohol. Sure there are some functional alcoholics that maintain an acceptable level of performance in their personal and professional lives, but have a dependency on consuming excessive amounts of alcohol daily. The amount that they induce could incapacitate an average person who drinks on occasionor even cause alcohol poisoning. The same can be said about marijuana users and their capabilities to maintain normal lifestyles. When analyzing the reasons for peoples decisions to drink alcohol or smoke marijuana recreational, they tend to have the same response. For instance, its still rare to see it shown on televisionbut it has made its way onto the big screen. Along with alcohol, the two party-enhancers are commonly seen in movies aimed at the coming of age teens and experimental young adults. If nee could host or be a part of a wild out-of-control party that rewards you with bikini- clad girls and epic re-tell value exaggerations of comical proportionand all it takes is a bit of alcohol or weed? Chances are, they had their minds made up before the previews even started. Peer pressurecoupled with the glorified image of these substances in pop-culture entertainment have become the recipe for impressionable teens seeking out new ways to gain acceptance from their peers. Sadly, the desire of todays youth and young adults to conform to the social norms set by popular media outlets has never been more prominent than it is now. For individuals that struggle with shyness, are disinclined, and have personal inhibitionsconsuming copious amounts of alcohol to reach a point of inebriation is a road they would rather take than be heckled and antagonized for their concerns. The same can be said about smoking marijuana, as it has the tendency to make a person more talkative and appear more cheerful. Last, there are individuals who have stressful days because of strenuous activity (whether it be physical or mental) and simply enjoy indulging in a drink or two. Marijuana mirrors this habit, as users will wish to mellow out. However, his is also where the substance abuse is found. People with daily strugglessuch as anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship issues, financial troubles, etc. often turn to substances to help them forget their worries and escape reality. Although alcohol and marijuana share similar qualities, there are also some clear distinctions between the two. Marijuana is known to induce a calm, relaxing experience while alcohol has been targeted for easily agitating the temperament of a boozeroften advocating violence as a solution. While there are many positive benefits for the use and production of cannabis, it entities to face negative sti gmas and stereotypes with the general public. For instance, many regard marijuana as a gateway drugbut a persons susceptibility to has been acknowledged for its versatility as a resource, it remains outlawed because of the concern that the cultivation of hemp will undoubtedly lead to the legalization of marijuana. A large majority of the concerned public are parents who worry about the impression and influence marijuana will have on their children. Maybes its more important to assess the history of how we dealt with the prohibition of alcohol in the sassand how loosely its viewed by todays standards.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Art is less important than life but what a poor life without essays

Art is less important than life but what a poor life without essays Since ancient times philosophers and artists struggle to discuss about what, in fact, art is. According to Websters Online Dictionary, art are the products of human creativity. [1] To such wide definition we can class anything as art that comes out of imagination of individuals. Everything that exist has its origins in human mind. That is why art is crucial part of our lives, because it is some piece of us, and as Robert Motherwell once said what a poor life without it. Firstly, art is necessary in life, as it helps us to deal with everyday ordinariness. George Bernard Shaw once said, Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.[2] Many people would probably agree with him. Coming home after hard work we would like to take some rest. Therefore we go to cinema, theatre, some exhibitions, or simply stay home and read some book. All these are art; they have come out of ones imagination. While doing such things we can relax, escape from harsh and so cruel everyday life. Secondly, people need art as they have a want for aesthetics. We often seek for opportunity to do something. Some of us write poetry, paint, create fashion in spare time. For example, cooks learn to add a pinch of a favourite spice to enhance flavour[3], decorate around food by making our table pleasure for eyes. Also the way we dress our body is an art, like decorating our room. Thirdly, we do not even realize that art, actually, is all around. What we eat, wear, see, hear, everything is art. For instance, pieces of furniture in our homes are art. As well as the chair we sit in, the movies we watch and the comics they read. Also paintings on our walls, jewellery we have, our favourite kind of music. Someone had to design all of this. We do not notice that, but people who created all that put a lot of effort to make it exist. So we should sometimes stop for a while and thin ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Greek Epic Poet Hesiod

The Greek Epic Poet Hesiod Hesiod and Homer both composed important, famous epic poems. The two are also called the first great writers of Greek literature, having written during Greeces Archaic Age. Beyond the act of writing, they are central to the history of ancient Greece because the father of history, Herodotus, (Book II) credits them with giving the Greeks their gods: For Hesiod and Homer I suppose were four hundred years before my time and not more, and these are they who made a theogony for the Hellenes and gave the titles to the gods and distributed to them honours and arts, and set forth their forms: but the poets who are said to have been before these men were really in my opinion after them. Of these things the first are said by the priestesses of Dodona, and the latter things, those namely which have regard to Hesiod and Homer, by myself. We also credit Hesiod with giving us didactic (instructive and moralizing) poetry. Hesiod likely lived around 700 B.C., shortly after Homer, in a Boeotian village called Ascra. This is one of the few details of his life that Hesiod reveals in his writing. Career and Works Hesiod worked as a shepherd in the mountains, as a youth, and then, as a small peasant on a hard land when his father died. While tending his flock on Mt. Helicon, the Muses appeared to Hesiod in a mist. This mystical experience impelled Hesiod to write epic poetry. Hesiods major works are Theogony and Works and Days. Shield of Herakles, a variation on the Shield of Achilles theme from the Iliad, is attributed to Hesiod but was probably not actually written by him. Hesiod's "Theogony" on the Greek Gods The Theogony is particularly important as an (often confusing) account of the evolution of the Greek gods. Hesiod tells us that in the beginning was Chaos, a yawning chasm. Later Eros developed on its own. These figures were powers rather than anthropomorphic deities like Zeus (who wins and becomes king of the gods in the 3rd generation struggle against his father). Hesiod's "Works and Days" The occasion of Hesiods writing of the Works and Days is a dispute between Hesiod and his brother Perses over the distribution of his fathers land: Perses, lay up these things in your heart, and do not let that Strife who delights in mischief hold your heart back from work, while you peep and peer and listen to the wrangles of the court-house. Little concern has he with quarrels and courts who has not a years victuals laid up betimes, even that which the earth bears, Demeters grain. When you have got plenty of that, you can raise disputes and strive to get anothers goods. But you shall have no second chance to deal so again: nay, let us settle our dispute here with true judgement divided our inheritance, but you seized the greater share and carried it off, greatly swelling the glory of our bribe-swallowing lords who love to judge such a cause as this. Fools! They know not how much more the half is than the whole, nor what great advantage there is in mallow and asphodel. Works and Days is filled with moral precepts, myths, and fables (making it a didactic poem) for which reason, rather than its literary merit, it was highly valued by the ancients. It is a source for the Ages of Man. Hesiod's Death After Hesiod lost a lawsuit to his brother Perses, he left his homeland and moved to Naupactus. According to the legend about his death, he was murdered by the sons of his host in Oeneon. At the command of the Delphic Oracle Hesiods bones were brought to Orchomenus where a monument to Hesiod was erected in the marketplace.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Role of political system in promoting economic growth, the Case of Essay

Role of political system in promoting economic growth, the Case of China - Essay Example Lack of political will to perform increasing significant economic restructuring has resulted to prolonged dependence on public investment. State regulation and various enterprises ownership has hindered productivity and sector of finance is majorly the critical control of the state via manipulation of credit and subsidies, (Midlarsky, 1997, p.90). Chinese experience The Chinese experience in the last 30 years or more is increasingly illusive. Deng Peng reforms in the earlier years were strictly restricted to entirely certain economic initiative freedom when certain private ownership, such as sector of agriculture, was realized and economy of the market was introduced, (Simha, 1999, p.87). Moreover, in some aspects, the government of China has maintained its authoritarian policy and critical restrictions to politics, culture, social, and religious liberty. It is clear that increase in the Chinese economy in the past has been significant. Ten to twelve percent growth per year liberated some 3-4 hundred million Chinese populations from devastating poverty. It is true that democracy, in the Chinese case, was not a requirement for the growth in the economy. In this regard, experts agree that China does not fit in a democratic nation category, although it is a rapidly developing and nation of the globe and in second phase of industrial revolution, (Lijphart, 1999, p.56). Thus, the claim that democracy is the key reason for growth in economy does not hold more water, because a combination of factors rather than the Chinese political state that fueled economic growth of China. Therefore, people can believe that China is planned economic nation although, in the real sense, though limited, regional powers have inadequate democracy. China is a prominent global...This essay presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic development of Chinese economy in recent decades. It is shown in the paper, that China achieved high levels of economic growth without being considered a democratic nation by economists, China is a prominent global exporter that would show the prosperity of China because it indicate to its revolution of industry, and this is because China has various cheap labor pools, extensive land scopes that can full accommodate manufacturing. Similarly, China has, in large scale, a prolonged border sea that promotes exporting activities. These factors and many other factors give a crucial indication to the main idea of extensive economic growth that is exclusive of political reasoning. Additionally, the economic growth in china naturally existed in Chinese land even before the democratic government system. Therefore, it could be assumed that the Chinese political system has enabled that government to guide its population to work sectors where growth of economy is more evident and thus allowing maximum efficiency of labor. Experts agree that democracy hinder growth in economy in third world nations because it generally leads in economic decision-making diffusion across the population that resultantly exposes local enterprises to extensive, increasingly efficient, external competitors. Therefore, many believe that centrally organized economic policy control promotes increased permanent growth and politic climate increasingly better for this is an authoritarian political condition.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Research Essay 1.What is independent filmUsing one or two contemporary

Research 1.What is independent filmUsing one or two contemporary films of your choice critically examine the problem of how to define independent cinema - Essay Example One of the most popular as well as influential kinds of art at the present moment is cinema. However, it must be noted that contrary to the so called mainstream cinema, there is a peculiar phenomenon that is called independent film. This paper will engage two independent movies and based on their close examination will come up with a list of characteristic features of an independent film. The first movie that will be used is titled Reservoir Dogs. Leaving aside some formal details of it, such as the cast or the director, one should note that it reflects the general tendency of independent films to involve unusual, controversial and provocative actions in the plot of the movie. In other words, the characters are shown performing actions that are rarely seen in the mainstream cinema (Allen 2003, p. 14). For example, in Reservoir Dogs one of the main characters, namely Mr. Blonde is portrayed torturing a hostage with a razor, ultimately severing his ear off. There is no doubt that scenes which depict torture are seen in the mainstream movies as well, but they have more symbolic meaning, while directors of independent film tend to portray violence quite realistically. In addition to that, in the same scene of torture, Mr. Blonde finds it necessary not only to mutilate the hostage, but also to kill him. In spite of the fact, that Mr. Blonde has a gun and can easily end li fe of this man, the former decided to spill gasoline all over the hostage and ignite it, making death of the latter long and painful. As one can clearly see, the amount of violence in one particular scene is tremendous if compared to mainstream movies. Indeed, in the latter, people are often killed without excessive cruelty as this is able to undermine the reputation of the studio. Contrary to that independent films have almost no restrictions on the amount of violence that they are able to provide the viewers with. Another important characteristic feature of

Dollar Tree Case Vs. Gerber Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dollar Tree Case Vs. Gerber Case - Essay Example The Gerber study clearly sets out at the outset the triggering factor that has propelled the Company to consider its options in poor countries. This triggering incident is the negative impression it has gained by refusing to comply with Venezuelan laws on the marketing of baby foods. The motivation of the Company in targeting bottom-of-the-pyramid customers in Chad is to successfully market its products in a difficult country and thereby prove its mettle and negate the unfavorable impression that currently exists. The motivation for Dollar Tree’s strategy to market its products in Haiti is not established at the outset, neither is it clearly set out during the course of the narrative. A triggering event is not clearly set out, although there is mention in the study of political instability in the country coupled with the spiraling prices that also provide scope for marketing of low cost products to customers in Haiti. The structure of the study could have been improved by pointing to a clear triggering event, for example the recent global recession, which has been pushing prices upwards. This could have been supplemented with the figures on recent sales. For example, Dollar Tree’s third quarter sales have increased by 11.6% from $997.8 in the last year’s fiscal third quarter to $1.11 billion this year. (www.dollartree.com). By focusing upon these acts and figures and illustrating them graphically, an analysis should have then been provided as to potential reasons to explain such a jump in sales during a time where a recession may well be developing in the United States. It appears very likely that the jump in sales is the shift in consumer buying from higher priced outlets to Dollar Tree’s products, all of which sell at a dollar each. This is the unique selling point of Dollar Tree, which should have been capitalized upon in the study, to

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the Essay

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the photographic image - Essay Example ated to bring a revolution in ways of capturing details, critiques argue that photography is not just a mere window on the world but it has become a space for nightmares, obsessions, unconsciousness and an opening of fantasies thorough computer manipulations that stage convincing fictional images (Kostikova,2013,pp.24-28). The manipulation leads into doubts over the originality of photographs. Rather than the manipulation of photographs, other notions of postmodernism such deteriorating discipline, war photography, propaganda and political agendas can be identified to be among the causes of negativity on the truth of the photographic image. To fully understand photography, it is important to understand the origin of photography and its impact on the people of the postmodern age. The presence of photographic practice shows the ability to capture reality at a given time without any intervention by man, indicating a clear distinction from a painting that was an artistic contemplation. There had been some excitements due to the technological innovation that new gadget was capable of achieving. However, two questions were arising concerning the beautiful images produced by the camera. The first question was on the origin of the photograph image. That leads to being curious on the truth about the content of the image (Applin, 2014, pp.387-389). The second question was on the purpose of the photo image; together with the uses it can be subjected. Looking at both questions, the credibility of the photography is undermined due to the various works of art that are not original, and it becomes challenging to verifying their origi nality and the purpose of having reality on them. Hughes argues that, â€Å"Despite its apparent precision, perspective is a generalization about experience. It schematizes, but it does not really represent the way we see.† The argument can be borrowed into photography meaning that its ability to capture original experience of the world is limited

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Essay

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example For this to be possible, the author in her story employed powerful literary techniques resting upon concepts of setting, symbolism, and irony, which are important for any piece of literature. In the particular case of Walkers short story, this set of literary tools is combined to provide an examination of the role of family and women in society. In fact, Walker typically emphasizes in her works struggles of African American women who are shown in their opposition to racism and sexism, often in their violent manifestations, that are still present in the modern world. At the same time, she also often traces in her writings roles that women of color have played in history and culture, and ponders over their understanding of those roles (White 2005, pp.455-464). In this light, it would be even more interesting to take a closer look at how the ever urgent theme of the role of family and women in society is covered by the writer and the feminist activist Walker in this short story. First of all, the plot of the story should be overviewed in order to understand what story line, setting, and characterization of the protagonists the author chose as the means to present and develop her ideas. The events in "Everyday Use" take place in the end of the sixties or the beginning of the seventies between members of an African-American family consisting of mother and her two daughters. In this regard, it is important to remember that this period of time was marked by widespread social debates about the need for African-Americans to redefine their personal and cultural identities. It was at that time that old terminology was being replaced by politically correct words, such as the substitution of the term Negro with black, and, correspondingly, new notions like black nationalism emerged. At that time many African-Americans rushed to find out about their African origin and cling to it instead of being defined solely by their past life in America that was rife with episodes of injustice and suffering (Van Deburg 1993). So, an attentive reader should from the very beginning of the story keep in mind the atmosphere that dominated in the American society during the time to which the narrative refers. The story itself is basically the account of an episode of life of the mentioned family which depicts the difficult and even strained relationship between a mother and children. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, is living with one of her daughters Maggie, and is visited by her another daughter Dee along with her boyfriend or husband Hakim-a-barber. As Dee spends time with them, readers witness the open opposition between two sisters, and a latent opposition between Mrs. Johnson and Dee, which in the end breaks into Mrs. Johnsons protective support of Maggie. More specifically, as the stumbling block serves the bold striving of Dee to take away with her some family artifacts that are very dear for both Mrs. Johnson and Maggie. For

Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty - Essay Example nations have achieved high levels of prosperity based on the support provided to them by private organization that invested in the nations and help out in others ways through corporate social responsibilities initiatives. This paper provides analyzes the effect of corporate social responsibility in developing and developed nations. Corporate responsibility is the commitment of businesses to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, local communities and society at large to improve the quality of life of everyone (Centidamar & Husoy, 2007). The contributions of corporate responsibility towards the sustainable development of a region and the globe can either be directly or indirectly. An indirect contribution of a company’s presence is a region is lowering the government’s unemployment rate by creating a substantial amount of new employment opportunities for the unemployed residents of a region. Coca-Cola is a multinational firm the as of 2003 employed nearly 30,000 people in the People’s Republic of China and creates through the supplier chain effect nearly 410,000 in the country (Thecoca-colacompany, 2007). This beverage company has applied corporate responsibility initiatives to directly help the community of China. Two examples of the types o f social project in which the company donates resources is an HIV initiative which donates on a yearly basis 340,000 RMB to help support 150 organ children infected with the HIV virus and Coca Cola’s sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing, China (Businessfightsaids, 2007). Corporate Responsibility is a balancing act between the global stakeholder’s interest and the shareholders interest. A shareholder has a narrow mind as far as what they feel is the most important goals since their only interest is to have the value of their investment go up which typically occurs with increase revenue and profitability. The manager of the firm is the one responsible of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Essay

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example For this to be possible, the author in her story employed powerful literary techniques resting upon concepts of setting, symbolism, and irony, which are important for any piece of literature. In the particular case of Walkers short story, this set of literary tools is combined to provide an examination of the role of family and women in society. In fact, Walker typically emphasizes in her works struggles of African American women who are shown in their opposition to racism and sexism, often in their violent manifestations, that are still present in the modern world. At the same time, she also often traces in her writings roles that women of color have played in history and culture, and ponders over their understanding of those roles (White 2005, pp.455-464). In this light, it would be even more interesting to take a closer look at how the ever urgent theme of the role of family and women in society is covered by the writer and the feminist activist Walker in this short story. First of all, the plot of the story should be overviewed in order to understand what story line, setting, and characterization of the protagonists the author chose as the means to present and develop her ideas. The events in "Everyday Use" take place in the end of the sixties or the beginning of the seventies between members of an African-American family consisting of mother and her two daughters. In this regard, it is important to remember that this period of time was marked by widespread social debates about the need for African-Americans to redefine their personal and cultural identities. It was at that time that old terminology was being replaced by politically correct words, such as the substitution of the term Negro with black, and, correspondingly, new notions like black nationalism emerged. At that time many African-Americans rushed to find out about their African origin and cling to it instead of being defined solely by their past life in America that was rife with episodes of injustice and suffering (Van Deburg 1993). So, an attentive reader should from the very beginning of the story keep in mind the atmosphere that dominated in the American society during the time to which the narrative refers. The story itself is basically the account of an episode of life of the mentioned family which depicts the difficult and even strained relationship between a mother and children. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, is living with one of her daughters Maggie, and is visited by her another daughter Dee along with her boyfriend or husband Hakim-a-barber. As Dee spends time with them, readers witness the open opposition between two sisters, and a latent opposition between Mrs. Johnson and Dee, which in the end breaks into Mrs. Johnsons protective support of Maggie. More specifically, as the stumbling block serves the bold striving of Dee to take away with her some family artifacts that are very dear for both Mrs. Johnson and Maggie. For

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

MGT 511 slp 3 Work-Life Issues WALMART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT 511 slp 3 Work-Life Issues WALMART - Essay Example WalMart’s Work Life policies: The company’s website provides a wide and detailed explanation of the company’s focus and commitment on making work as flexible as possible for the employees (WalMart Diversity, 2011). However in the true sense, it has been noted that there have been a number of issues that have been brought out in terms of the company and the excessive work that the company puts on the employees. Employee complains have clearly been on the fact that the company forces employees to work overtime and also the pay provided by WalMart is also quite low. This leads to a number of issues for the employees. There are a number of pros and cons for this approach of work life policy that the company uses. Firstly, the pros are that it proves to be beneficial for the company and helps the company increase the revenues of the company (Armstrong, 2006). However in the long run this can prove to be destructive for the company as it will only lead to higher employ ee attrition and this can prove to be very expensive for the company. The main cons for this method is that it leaves the employees dissatisfied and also leads to work life imbalance for the employees. Based on the company website, it seems that the company plays a lot of attention to social responsibility and ethical work environment. However based on employees views, this seem to be the absolute opposite.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Impact of Waterlogging on Plants

Impact of Waterlogging on Plants Abstract: This review will try to illustrate some of the impacts that waterlogging has on plants, in monocotyledons dicotyledons. The review includes, a general introduction into the impact of anaerobic/waterlogged soil condition on plants, quoting from different sources in this field. Then it focuses on five plant species of global interest or importance, Barley, Tomatoes, Soy Bean, Cotton and Rice, showing the effect of waterlogging on each, quoting journals and experiments done by fellow scientist .The topic of research into waterlogging is vast, with thousands of journals and experiments on countless plant species, so Im focusing on just five. Flooding and submergence are major abiotic stresses and rank alongside water shortage, salinity and extreme temperatures as major determinants of species distribution worldwide. Plants adapt to their ever-changing environment in many ways, leading to a wealth of growth forms of varying complexity (Visser et al, 2003). A major constraint resulting fr om excess water, at least for poorly adapted species, is an inadequate supply of oxygen to submerged tissues; diffusion of oxygen through water is 104-fold slower than in air (Armstrong Drew, 2002). In addition to the threat of oxygen deficiency, excess water also leads to other changes in the soil that influence plants; levels of the plant hormone ethylene (Smith Russell, 1969; Jackson, 1982), and products of anaerobic metabolism by soil micro-organisms (e.g. Mn2+, Fe2+, S2-, H2S and carboxylic acids) can accumulate (Ponnamperuma, 1984; McKee and McKevlin, 1993). It was suggested by (Zhou, Li, and Mendham, 2007), that Waterlogging tolerance is likely to be a complex trait which is related to many morphological and physiological traits that are under strong environmental influence. Introduction: Waterlogging can lead to countless physiological and developmental problems as mentioned in many publications, journals and experiments. It was suggested by setter co-workers, 1999 that, Stress on plants imposed by flooding of the soil and deeper submergence constitutes one of the major abiotic constraints on growth, species distribution and agricultural productivity. Waterlogging is estimated to reduce yields on average by 20 to 25%, but the loss may exceed 50% depending on the stage of plant development (Setter et al., 1999). 50 % loss in agricultural yield can be catastrophic in the future, especially for developing countries, which is why, research into waterlogging is crucial for agricultural sustainability and food security. The general effect of waterlogging on plants ranges from physiological, developmental and metabolic effects which are mentioned in a few publications. Waterlogging is a major problem restricting the plant growth by leading to oxygen deficiency around roots and rhizomes, and consequently it can be fatal because aerobic respiration ceases and levels of energy-rich adenylates drop rapidly resulting in dramatic decrease in ion uptake and transport (Huang et al, 2003; vartapetian et al, 2003) as quoted in (Changdee., et al, 2008). When soil is saturated with water, gas diffusion is reduced. Consequently one of the main effects of flooding is a lower pool of available O2 in submerged plant parts. This decline in O2 is heightened by aerobic processes taking place in the root zone of plants. Accordingly anoxic conditions develop, leading to reduction in ATP production and consequent decrease in root metabolism. The decline in available energy can subsequently reduce other active cellular processes such as nutrient uptake, osmotic adjustment or regulation of cytoplasmic pH (Probert Keating, 2000). Waterlogging resulted in visible yellowing and premature senescence of leaves, and greater decline in relative water content, chlorophyll content, and membrane stability (Sairam, et al, 2009). The majority of plants respond negatively to waterlogging whilst some plants respond positively. Discussion: Plants throughout the years have adapted different ways to minimize damage caused by waterlogging. All plants poses survival mechanisms which are of a complex nature, and differing between some species. Plants also differ in the way they respond to anaerobic or anoxia soil conditions, some are extremely tolerant, some very sensitive and some in between. Even species that are susceptible to poorly aerated conditions possess metabolic and molecular responses that lengthen survival time from a few hours to several days. All plant species synthesize so-called anaerobic proteins that enable an oxygen-independent energy-generating metabolism to proceed where fermentable substrates are available (Subbaiah Sachs, 2003). Prevention of the build-up of potential phytotoxins is another mechanism that enhances plant survival under flooded conditions. A specific type of hemoglobin (phytoglobin) may play such a role by detoxifying nitric oxide formed during hypoxia of root tissues. Alternatively, phytoglobin may also regenerate NAD+, thereby serving as an alternative to fermentation as a source (Dordas et al., 2003). Impact of waterlogging on five plant species Barley: In barley Waterlogging inhibits the uptake of N which leads to the decrease of N concentration in shoots of barley seedlings (Drew and Sisworo, 1977). Pang et al. (2005) found that both shoot and root growth was negatively affected by waterlogging. As waterlogging stress developed, chlorophyll content, CO2 assimilation rate, and maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem II (variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence) decreased significantly, with cultivars showing less yellow leaf percentage having less adverse effects (Pang et al., 2005). A decrease in nitrogen uptake, fluorescence leads to decreased leaf area index (LAI) and decreased yields. Oxygen deficiency in the rooting zone occurs under waterlogging conditions, the lack of O2 can severely damage the root (Drew, 1997) . Soil waterlogging usually influences barley growth in a negative way, the inhibition of N uptake, and the consequent redistribution of N within the shoot, are important contributory factors in the early senescence of leaves and the retarded growth of shoots in flooded plants (Drew and Sisworo, 1977). A decrease in the N concentration in shoots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings can occur rapidly after the onset of flooding and precede leaf chlorosis (Drew and Sisworo, 1977; Wang et al., 1996) and consequently reduces shoot and root growth, dry matter accumulation, and final yield (Kozlowski, 1984; Drew, 1991; Huang et al., 1994a,1994b; Malik et al., 2002). Roots are also injured by O2 deficiency and metabolic changes during acclimation to low concentrations of O2 (Drew, 1997). Tomatoes: in tomatoes it was reported that; Enhanced ethylene production and leaf epinasty are characteristic responses of tomato (Lycopersicon escukntum Mill.) to Waterlogging. It has been proposed by (Bradford Yang, 1980) that this results from the synthesis of the immediate precursor of ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-I-carboxylic acid (ACC), in the waterlogged roots, and its export in the transpiration stream to the shoot, and its rapid conversion to ethylene gas as stated in (Kent, et al, 1982). Soybean: It has been reported that cereals are generally more tolerant to flooding than legumes (Crawford, R.M.M, 1977) as quoted by (Russel, Wong Sachs, 1990). Cotton: Waterlogging of cotton has been reported to cause a reduction in root growth and nutrient uptake (Letey et al., 1962; Huck, 1970; Hocking et al., 1987), leaf area and photosynthesis (Hodgson, 1982; Meyer et al., 1987; Sahay, 1989) and dry matter accumulation and fruiting (Hodgson, 1982; Hocking et al., 1987). Rice: (Oryza sativa), is one of the most interesting monocotyledonous plants in my opinion, rice is one of the few plant species that can adapt too tolerate very low concentrations of oxygen in the soil and reacts positively to waterlogging without negative effects on plants growth and development. Rice grows better than any other plant in the same waterlogged conditions. In two experiments by Perata on rice seed germination showed interesting results.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Tragic Tale of Pauls Case Essay example -- Paul

The Tragic Tale of Paul's Case Love could have saved Paul in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case," but love does not find Paul. It is withheld within the hearts of all the people that could have shown affection toward Paul. Although Paul's life ends in suicide, Paul's English teacher, Charley Edwards, or Paul's father could have prevented his premature death. Â   First, Paul's English teacher could have prevented Paul's suicide. After her confrontation with Paul at the chalkboard, she becomes Paul's greatest school adversary. She is Paul's leading detractor at his meeting with the principal, but not without regret. Cather writes, "His teachers left the building dissatisfied and unhappy; humiliated to have felt so vindictive toward a mere boy, to have uttered this feeling in cutting terms, and to have set each other on, as it were, in the gruesome game of intemperate reproach" (156). The regretful English teacher should have spoken to Paul alone, but the story tells of no such occasion. Even though she has blown an opportunity to understand Paul, she is given another chance. During...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily

Symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily      Ã‚   William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" hold numerous similarities. Both stories show the influences of society and the slow decay on a particular woman. The title of each piece becomes important to the plot and ultimate outcome. In several ways, each title takes shape to portray symbolism in one sense or another. The references to color identify contradictory messages to those who have not heard of these stories, while the title itself takes physical form and is "living" at some point in the piece.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When first assigned to read "The Yellow Wallpaper," a student may think of a bright, cheerful paper covered room. Little does he realize that, instead of a stereotypical yellow, the wallpaper's "color is...almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow" (Gilman15). It reminds the narrator of "all the yellow things [she] ever saw--not beautiful ones... but old foul, bad yellow things" (23). According to Carol Westcamp, "the author designed the wallpaper...to be yellow for a reason" ("Smouldering"). Even though "yellow is often viewed as a cheerful, joyful color...[it] can also cause unpleasant, exciting, and hostile moods due its symbolism" (Westcamp). The wallpaper takes on a distinctive odor that " 'creeps all over the house,' drenching every room in its subtle aroma of decay" (Gilbert 35). The only thing the narrator "can think of that [the smell] is like is the color of the paper! A yellow smell" (Kivo 23). The narrator feels herself being drawn closer to the brin k of insanity by the maddening color and begs her husband to do something about the paper, but he simply laughs at her.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the... ...apy. New York: University Books, 1961.    Dillon, George L. "Styles of Reading." Polk 47-62.    Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gumar. "The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth Century Literary Imagination." New Haven: Yale UP, 1979. Kivo 44-46.    Kivo, Carol, ed. The Harcourt Brace Casebook Series in Literature: "The Yellow Wallpaper." Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1997.    Polk, Noel, ed. William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." The Harcourt Casebook Series in Literature. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2000.    Scherting, Jack. "Emily Grierson's Oedipus Complex: Motif, Motive, and Meaning in Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily.'" Polk, 110-119.    Westcamp, Carol. "A Smouldering Unclean Yellow: An Analysis of 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'" Online. Ixquick. 4 Mar. 2002.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~english/westcamp.html>

Friday, October 11, 2019

Georges Braque And Pablo Picasso Essay

The Frenchman Georges Braque (1882-1963) and the Spaniard Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) are considered the most influential artists of the twentieth century and the artistic geniuses who created and developed the cubist movement, undoubtedly the most revolutionary one in Western art. During a certain period of time, both artists worked together in the same studio breaking down subjects they painted into several facets and presenting their different aspects at the same time, experimenting with geometrical forms, and exploring unconventional techniques in painting all of which either shocked or impressed and interested the audience. Although Braque and Picasso’s partnership did not last for long and their artistic careers later went their own ways, the cubist movement they created and developed while working side by side in their Paris studio has influenced the whole generations of artists around the world (Mataev). Georges Braque Born in 1882 in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France, Georges Braque attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre during 1897-1899 and then moved to Paris where he received his craftsman certificate. During 1902-1904, the young artist studied painting and worked at the Academie Humbert. Impressed by Matisse and Derain’s fauvist ideas, he produced and then presented his first fauve paintings in Paris’ Salon des Independants in 1907. By 1908, however, Braque lost interest in fauvism and adopted the artistic style that would be later called cubism (Georges Braque). In 1909, Braque started to work with Pablo Picasso and their fruitful partnership resulted in the development of the revolutionary cubist movement in painting. The styles that both of them adopted were quite similar for about two years during which they introduced collage elements into their works and experimented a lot with the pasted paper technique. In â€Å"Page # 2† his paintings, Braque explored the effects of light and perspective and challenged traditional artistic conventions of that time. His works of this period were characterized by neutral color and sophisticated patterns of form as it can be seen, for example, in his â€Å"Violin and Pitcher† (Georges Braque). The fertile partnership with Picasso ended in 1914 when Braque enrolled in the French army and went off to war. In 1915, he got severely wounded in one of the battles and after recovering in 1917 Braque resumed painting and began an artistic collaboration with Juan Gris (Georges Braque). After World War I, Braque’s style was characterized by more freedom, a richer color range, and the presence of human figures. He produced a considerable number of still lifes and rose to prominence particularly in 1922 after showing his paintings in the Salon d’Automne in Paris. By 1930, Braque interpreted nature more realistically although some aspects of the cubist style were still present in his paintings. After that, the artist produced many works including sculptures and graphics that became particularly somber during World War II (Georges Braque). During the 1950s, Braque depicted various themes including seascapes, landscapes, birds, and also made lithographs and designed jewelry. The great French artist died in August, 1963, in Paris after several years of suffering from health deterioration. Braque’s most known paintings include â€Å"Violin and Palette†, â€Å"Piano and Guitar†, â€Å"Guitar and Clarinet†, â€Å"The Table†, â€Å"The Round Table†, â€Å"The Day†, the â€Å"Studio† series, and many other works (Russell, 1982). Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain, where he lived until the age of ten. In 1892, Picasso began to attend the School of Fine Arts in La Coruna and then in 1895 he â€Å"Page # 3† entered the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona where he showed his first academic work â€Å"The First Communion† at a local exhibition. Picasso pursued his studies at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, dropped out after only a couple of months, and began to visit the Prado where he copied the works of the old artists trying to imitate their styles. In 1900, Picasso opened a studio in Paris and the first painting he produced there was â€Å"Le Moulin de la Galette† (Mataev). Suicide committed by his friend and poet Casagemas in 1901 came as a great shock to Picasso influencing him to paint first the â€Å"Death of Casagemas† in color and then the â€Å"Death of Casagemas† in blue, and also â€Å"Evocation – the Burial of Casagemas†. At that period, the artist used predominantly green and blue and depicted despair, poverty, and unhappiness showing his restlessness and loneliness. The paintings that Picasso produced during 1901-1904 are known as the Blue Period works. The Rose Period, which was the next stage in his artistic career, started around 1905 when Picasso’s palette became lighter, and pink, rose, yellow, and beige were pervasive in his paintings in which he mostly portrayed graceful acrobats, circus performers, and harlequins. (Mataev; Pablo Picasso) Impressed with African ethnic art, Picasso began to combine its angular structures and his modern ideas about geometrical forms which, in 1907, resulted in the creation of â€Å"Les demoiselles d’Avignon†, his first cubist painting. Picasso and his new friend Braque explored the possibilities of the new artistic style and in the beginning their paintings could not be easily distinguished. 1909 saw the beginning of the painter’s analytical cubism whose main characteristics, faceted stereo-metric shapes, can be seen in his â€Å"Bread and Fruit Dish on a Table† or â€Å"Woman with Pears†. After the exhaustion of analytical cubism, Picasso experimented with collages which lead to the arrival of synthetic cubism: works with large, schematic patterns as it can be seen in â€Å"The Guitar† (Mataev; Hughes, 1998). â€Å"Page # 4† After the cubist period in Picasso’ artistic career came the Classicist period with rather traditional patterns such as in â€Å"The Lovers†. But during this period he occasionally returned to cubism and in 1921 produced â€Å"Three Musicians†, one of his most important masterpieces. Picasso’s classicist paintings also include â€Å"The Pipes of Pan†, â€Å"Women Running on the Beach†, and â€Å"The Seated Harlequin†. After that, Picasso was greatly influenced by the surrealist movement and produced â€Å"His Woman with Flower† and several other interesting paintings. In 1937, he expressed his personal view of the tragic events in the Basque province that was bombed by Germans in his huge mural work â€Å"Guernica† and in â€Å"Weeping Woman†. While living in his villa near Cannes, in 1956 Picasso painted his â€Å"Studio â€Å"La Californie† at Cannes† and â€Å"Jackeline in the Studio†. Then he moved to the Chateau Vauvenargues where he lived and painted until his death in 1973 (Mataev). â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† and â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† Both Pablo Picasso’s painting â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† and Georges Braque’s painting â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† were produced in 1924 in France and are now located in the European Modern Paintings section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Both works are still lifes with the presence of cubist elements, are painted in oils on canvas, and each of them represents a certain stage in Picasso and Braque’s artistic careers. If during 1909-1914 both artists worked side by side to create cubism and their styles and paintings were mostly indistinguishable, in 1924, however, when the above mentioned works were produced, the divergence in Picasso and Braque’s cubist ideas could be easily seen in their paintings (Mataev). While Picasso’s still life â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† is composed of only man-made objects (a cake, a fruit bowl, a bottle, and a mandolin), Braque’s painting â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† depicts both man-made (a pipe, a jug, sheet music, a cup, a fruit bowl, and a guitar) and natural (pears placed next to sheet music and in the fruit bowl) â€Å"Page # 5† objects. The presence of musical instruments and fruit bowls in both paintings invokes some common themes or at least it makes the viewers think of them when they look at them for the first time. The main objects in both paintings are placed on tablecloths spread in a different manner on what appears to be tables. The objects in Braque’s picture are much smaller than those in Picasso’s work in which the size of some of them is somewhat disproportionate when compared to other objects. Braque and Picasso use space in their paintings in an entirely different way. There is quite a bit of space between the objects located in the foreground of Picasso’s still life and the viewer can easily see their whole forms. By contrast, in Braque’s paintings the objects in the foreground seem to be concentrated closely to each other in one place and parts of some of them are hidden by other objects. The use of space by Picasso gives the audience the impression of more freedom and ease while Braque seems to impose certain limits in movement and space. In Picasso’s painting, the viewer’s attention is first attracted by the main four objects in the foreground, and then by the objects and forms located in the background, particularly by what appears to be a wall and part of a window. By contrast, it seems that Braque’s intention is to concentrate the viewer’s attention only on the objects that can be seen in the foreground. He does not provide any detail as to what is in the background as though he does not want to divert the audience’s attention from the center of interest of the painting. Another important difference between the paintings as far as the objects and their forms are concerned is that Braque’s work is much more realistic than Picasso’s. Except for the window in the background, Picasso seems to depict in his picture not the objects such as the cake or fruit bowl but rather the shapes that invoke those objects. What attracts the â€Å"Page # 6† viewer’s attention in particular is the flatness of the forms of Picasso’s objects that are defined by lines. Although some parts and forms of his objects are disproportionate, Braque’s objects, however, are unambiguous and closer to reality. The use of color is another important characteristic that distinguishes Picasso’s painting from Braque’s work. In Picasso’s â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† bright and vivid colors are predominant and much brighter and richer than those in Braque’s â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† conveying to the viewer a light and pleasant mood. By contrast, the somber aspect of Braque’s painting whose color range varies from dark brown to dark beige makes the viewer impressed with its gloom and sadness. In Picasso’s picture, the general color range of objects in the foreground is slightly more somber compared to the color range in the background. By contrast, in Braque’s work, the relatively somber objects in the foreground are placed against an even darker background. The only bright-colored objects in this picture seem to be sheet music and a pipe appearing incongruous to a certain extent against the backdrop of its general color range. Another distinctive characteristic is the color of the objects themselves. Except for the window in the background, the color of most objects in Picasso’s painting is plain, for example, a plain dark red bottle, a plain bright yellow fruit bowl, and so on. Braque, by contrast, adds to the color of every object thick brush-strokes of black as if to emphasize the somber mood of the painting. There is also some difference in how the artists paint the objects in the pictures with their brushes. In Picasso’s â€Å"Mandolin, Fruit Bowl, Bottle, and Cake† the paint is applied thinly in most areas, although in some places it is quite thick. In â€Å"Still Life with a Guitar† Braque’s bold brushwork is pervasive. REFERENCES: 1. Georges Braque. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. mcs. csuhayward. edu/~malek/Braque. html 2. Hughes, R. (1998, June 8). Pablo Picasso. Time magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. time. com/time/time100/artists/profile/picasso. html 3. Mataev, Y. Pablo Picasso. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. abcgallery. com/P/picasso/picassobio. html#Between 4. Pablo Picasso. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. artchive. com/artchive/P/picasso. html 5. Russell, J. (1982, January 17). Rediscovering Georges Braque in his Centenary Year. New York Times on the Web. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=990DE5DB1138F934A25752C0A964948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all