The Artist Is Present Challenging Performance And...

Marina Abramović’s â€Å"The Artist is Present† challenging Performance and Cultural Politics Marina Ambramović’s concept of performance art interrogates the traditional forms and practices of what most people would consider to be the â€Å"norm†, that derive from personal preferences generated from different aspects of society. Abramović is known for her durational performance work that tests the endurance and limitations of her own body and mind. Performance art may be understood as a practice where the body of the artist is central or the medium itself involving objected based art materials such as paint and canvas. Abramović challenges this traditional sense, and introduces new concepts of â€Å"pushing the body to its limits† and cutting down the distance between artist and audience by making her own the body the medium. In this paper, I will be critiquing Ambramović’s use of performance art to the ways she provokes cultural politics by ultimately aiming to silence the question â€Å"what is art†. Upon watching her docum entary â€Å"The Artist is Present†, I have found that in her performances she presents the public with challenges, shock, and emotions that can be understood as a controversial act; however the effect her performances have on people can differ based on the perspective of which performance art is viewed. Through the understanding of traditional performance art and Ambramović’s performance art, both descriptions share similarities but also large differences. PerformanceShow MoreRelatedImproving The Path Of Becoming A Recording Artist1736 Words   |  7 PagesA growing trend amongst new artists is crowd funding. This refers to audiences making contributions and/or micro investments in new creative ventures (Jenkins, 2013). For example, websites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe and Indiegogo are platforms for independent artists to solicit and collect funds. The funds from these campaigns are used to finance record production, launch tours, create merchandise and all ot her costs artists need assistance with. These websites are helping change the path of becomingRead MoreSocial role of women1061 Words   |  5 Pagesnineteenth century. Yet, praises and critics both fall on the young artist, Mary Cassatt (1844 - 1926). In this paper, I will show how two historians contrast about the their views of this feminine artist, as well as their methodological approaches. The first one is from Susan Fillin Yeh. In her article â€Å"Mary Cassatt’s Images of Woman,† she argues that, Cassatt’s images of women, unique within the context of Impressionism, challenging the male standards (marriage, motherhood, and domestic matters),Read MoreDada Was A Radical And Cynical Artistic Movement1555 Words   |  7 Pagesunique object by contradicting the established traditions and forms of western art to that time. This essay will discuss four of the ways Dada artists pursued this goal, namely through the use of everyday objects, eliminating meaning and function, the use of chance and a dismissal of art history. This essay will then argue that through these means, Dada artists successfully undermined the solemnity with which the art world regarded itself. Dada’s combination of wit and venomous sarcasm presented toRead MoreAnalysis Of Judith Butler s S Gender Trouble2691 Words   |  11 PagesButler’s approach to gender politics is an improvement on previous attitudes towards homophobia. I will do this through a close contextual reading of Butler’s work, particularly Gender Trouble and her article Imitation and Gender Insubordination. Butler calls for a more fluid, variable interpretation of gender that would strive for a new equality where subjects are not restricted to notions of masculinity or femininity . Butler herself argues that gender is performance and is false, and this act ofRead MoreEssay on The Modern Civilization in Contemporary Installation Art1952 Words   |  8 Pagesmost crucial factors to survive during these periods. However, in this postmodern time period, many contemporary installation artists use sculptural materials and other mixed media to transform the way a particular space is practiced. Objects used in contemporary art have a range from each day of our life or natural materials to new media such as installation, performance, video or sound. Contemporary postmodern practic es often face and undermine what is familiar to us in the world of art, whichRead MoreThe Life Of Guernica By Pablo Picasso1855 Words   |  8 PagesVoltaire is not only the name of the painting, but the name of a nightclub set up by artists in Zurich, in neutral Switzerland during World War 1. The artists set up the center for artistic entertainment, namely musical, dance, and spoken word performances. These performance events were primarily to be conventional but then were turned fast greatly to provocations. They followed to the wake of serious performances through Italy and some other European locations by Italian Futurists in 1909-1913. Read MorePunk Rock And Punk Music2407 Words   |  10 Pagesexample, the Sex Pistols protested against the Queen of England in many of their songs. In the 90s punk evolved into other styles, such as alternative and grunge, that still hold liberal ideals but not as extremist as punk rock. In the 00s and present society musicians still use the ir music as a way of protest of towards authority, voicing and uniting the oppressed. But even though they do support similar ideals, they don t express them at with the same aggressiveness and extremism that punkRead MoreJudith Butlers Perception of the Female in the Modern Era: Gender Identity and the Act of Becoming in Cindy Shermans History Portraits6698 Words   |  27 PagesPortraits Introduction There is some disparity between the way critics and philosophers like Judith Butler view Cindy Shermans work and the way that Cindy Sherman speaks of her photographs. It may be the disparity that exists between many modern artists, who often operate on an intuitive level, and the philosopher critics who comment upon them from a theoretical perspective or a pre-established framework. On one level, Cindy Sherman may only be playing dress-up (as she herself admits) in her famousRead MoreEssay on The History and Future of Cyborgs2740 Words   |  11 Pagesto a computer by connecting a data cable. To elaborate the Cyborg discussion around limits requires it to be placed inside wider, existing discussion. There are two fundamental perspectives to the debate. The Bioconservatists (social, eithical, cultural, economic) and the Transhumanists (biological science, technology). With very different worldviews. Condorcet (1979) wrote â€Å"man will not become immortal, but cannot the span constant increase between the moment he begins to live and the time whenRead More Discontent Expressed through Blues, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-hop5489 Words   |  22 PagesDiscontent Expressed through Blues, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-hop In cultures all over the world, music can be seen encompassing many aspects of life for many individuals. It is a form of mass communication thatspeaks directly to society as a cultural form, and often reflects a collection and pattern of personal experiences (King 19). Music is so influential because it communicates on three different levels: the physical, emotional, and cognitive. Not only does it operate in a nondiscursive way, by

Challenges Of Health And Wellness - 1742 Words

Initial Challenges to Health and Wellness Many people struggle with a minute gain of weight here and there but for me it was something different. Over the last year, I have gained fifteen pounds that I have not been able to lose. In my journey over the last year I have tried many methods to losing the weight that have not worked. I decided to focus on weight loss once again and give it one more go. Much of my weight gain in theory comes from overeating and not working out regularly. Growing up I was a three-sport athlete and it was easy for me to keep the weight off. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball all through high school. I then continued my volleyball career in college. Staying in shape in college was much easier because of the mandatory sessions for working out and staying in shape. After college, I was always active and played in a YMCA volleyball league for years along with playing on the sand courts when weather permitted. My life took a turn when I started to teach, I tried to eat healthy and workout but have found it hard to do those things with my schedule. When I was coaching and teaching, I had very little time for me. I had to be at work at 7am and did not leave until 6:30pm or even later on game days. Eating healthy has been an issue most of my adult life. I have found it hard eat healthy because of work hours and because of money. Teacher salary in North Carolina is ridiculous and it is hard to eat healthy when you cannot afford to by healthyShow MoreRelatedPoor Health Habits Of Employees1383 Words   |  6 Pages INTRODUCTION The issue of poor health habits of employees has resulted in growing rates of chronic disease, together with the rising cost of health benefits, increased absenteeism and reduction in productivity (Mujtaba, 2013). The decline in workforce health also adds to increased health related expenses. This includes both direct medical payments and indirect expenses resulting from absenteeism or presenteeism (loss of productivity when employees not fully functioning because of illness or medicalRead MoreCoca Cola1534 Words   |  7 Pageseffective various performance appraisals methods and relevant problems affect performance appraisals. The paragraphs will also discuss the advantages Coca Cola has managing turnover, examine contemporary safety and health management issues at Coca Cola, and discuss future trends and challenges in HR management. Managing Turnover Coca Cola looks at the retention cost instead of the turnover rate. The retention rate gives a better overview of turnover because it evaluates how long an employee stays withRead MoreCharacteristics Of Emerging Industries1738 Words   |  7 Pagesrather wait until the industries has somewhat matured. Wellness as an emerging industry Wellness is can be described as an active practise of becoming more aware of and the making of choices regarding a healthier, fitter and fulfilled life. The World Health Organisation (2012) comments on wellness saying that ...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. and the National Wellness institution (2015) states that a conscious, self-directedRead More7 Dimensions of Wellness Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesDIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of states of physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal, environmental and occupational wellness. Each of these seven dimensions act and interact in a way that contributes to our own quality of life. Disruption of any wellness can lead to the imbalance of the whole well being. Family life style has a big impact and influence on one’s health choices eitherRead MoreThe Third Standard : Sixth Grade Section880 Words   |  4 Pagesassessment/program planning, and nutrition (Arizona Department of Education, 2016). The fourth standard emphasizes personal responsibility, accepting feedback, working with others, rules/fair play, and safety. Lastly, the fifth standard highlights health, challenge, self-expression/enjoyment, and social interaction (Arizona Department of Education, 2016). For the sixth grade through eighth grade segment, the first and second standards both focus on dance/rhythms, invasion games, net/wall games, targetRead MoreDemographics of the Aging Population1103 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE AGING POPULATION Demographics of the Aging Population University of Phoenix Health Care Consumer - Trends and Marketing HCS-490 Ann Fairchild July 31, 2011 Demographics of the Aging Population The aging population is one the most rapidly increasing issue across the nation today. According to demographic data, it has been gradually developing over the last two hundred years. It has become a factor in many countries. The aging population is a result ofRead MoreA Study On The Concord Waterfall1569 Words   |  7 Pagesforeign markets in terms of Eco, Health and Wellness Tourism, but there are some challenges that have ensued in establishing this product on the market. This study is mainly based on the principles of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. and how it can be applied or is applied to the Concord Waterfall which is the focus of my study. The Concord Waterfall is an ideal location to invest in the area of eco, health and wellness tourism. Presently, in the Caribbean region health and wellness sector has an estimated value ofRead MoreSix Dimensions of Health1418 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: SIX DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH 1 Six Dimensions of Health Daniel Smith Sci/ 100 July 10, 2010 Tara Campbell Six Dimensions of Health 2 The challenges of balancing work, school, and a social life can sometimes seem like a major task. However, in spite of these challenges the six dimensions of health are the keys to living a quality and prosperous life. My objective is to identify three of the six dimensions of health, and explain why theyre my strongest. Next, chooseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Wellness Program1201 Words   |  5 PagesAs companies look for ways to help in lowering the cost that is spent on health care for their employees, they also are looking for ways to increase the longevity of their most skilled and knowledgeable employees, the aging workforce. Companies have identified the need for a wellness program to help in this endeavor. Companies also need a means to identify the performance and cost of this wellness program. Just as organizations have used the fundamental concepts of cost measurement and recognitionRead MoreThe Aggregate Group: Children and Adolescents Essay1122 Words   |  5 PagesAdole scent health is a separate health topic for Healthy People 2020. Among the many health objectives to be achieved for Healthy People 2020; is to increase the amount of children and adolescents who have a positive connection with an adult (Burrus et al, 2012). Optimum health can be better achieved when children are under the care of a responsible adult. There are over 160 objectives directed towards adolescent health; from wellness checkups to serious violent incidents in public schools (HealthyPeople

The Autonomous Factors Free Essays

This model demonstrates that the autonomous factors are unite on the left side and the reliant variable is joined on the correct side of the model. In this table all the free factors are centering or specifically influencing the reliant variable and the needy variable is client maintenance. The theory for this exploration is given underneath: 2. We will write a custom essay sample on The Autonomous Factors or any similar topic only for you Order Now 7 Research Hypothesis Following are the exploration theory of the examination: H1: Service quality has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Service quality has no positive effect on the client maintenance. H2: Customer fulfillment has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Customer Satisfaction has no positive impact on client maintenance. H3: Customer reliability has positive impact on the client maintenance. H0: Customer reliability has no positive effect on the client maintenance. H4: Environment   has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Environment has no positive impact on the client maintenance. 3. Methodology In this exploration the easygoing examination has been utilized to clarify the impact of the free factors (benefit quality, consumer loyalty, client steadfastness, condition t) on the needy variable (client retention).The information for this exploration has been taken from 300 members by utilizing the instructive and mental estimation table (Krejcie, Robert 1970) . Add up to number of 160 surveys from out of 300 was returned which were totally and accurately filled by the members which were worthy for the investigation to go ahead. In this examination the helpful testing is been utilized to gather information from the members to bear on the exploration. 3.1 Instruments In this paper we have utilized the strategy which was beforehand embraced in the examinations, the poll was made out of aggregate 19 questions. First4 questions were of individual statistic and remaining 15 were of the 5 factors which were utilized as a part of this paper. Measurable bundle for sociologies (SPSS) rendition 20.0 was utilized for the investigation of the factors gathered through the survey. 3.2 Date Analysis procedures Unwavering quality examination is utilized as a part of this paper to check the dependability of the poll. As it is said in the past investigations that dependability examination acknowledgment run is over 0.70(Nunnally, 1978) . Pearson connection examination is utilized to check the connection between the diverse factors. What’s more, the direct relapse investigation is utilized to discover the impact of the autonomous factors on the reliant factors. 4. Data Analysis and Results The Frequency table demonstrates that the information gathered from respondents incorporate 60% male and 40% female. Table no.1 Elucidation Keeping in mind the end goal to confirm the entomb thing consistency of things, Cronbach’s alpha test was keep running on spss. The Cronbach’s alpha test is utilized to recognize that how much our reactions on our examination are solid .The Cronbach’s alpha shows esteems in above table including the estimation of every factor .The qualities are above to the standard esteem proposed by (Nummally, 1978) of 0.70, which exhibits that our instrument is dependable and we can irrefutably apply different measurable tests and decipher the results with assurance. Understanding Connection test was actualized to break down the connection between factors. Connection table proposed every one of the factors were emphatically associated to customer buy goal. The most connected variable was CL having Pearson Correlation estimation of r(120) = .648, p How to cite The Autonomous Factors, Papers

Stylistic Analysis Hamlet Soliloquy free essay sample

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is full of misdirection and mysterious happenings that are only explained to the audience through various soliloquies and hidden actions. Hamlet’s soliloquy in act 3, scene 2, is crucial for the audience to understand the mental struggle and inconsistent characteristics of the play’s eponymous protagonist. Hamlet incorporates dark, sinister-like images, to portray his future course of action towards his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet’s soliloquy is presented in a time of night that allows him to be open with the audience. For Hamlet, the dark serves as a shield that protects him from feeling the moral burdens of his future plans towards his mother. Hamlet describes the night as a time â€Å"when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out† (iii. ii. 2). This ominous description of the setting gives Hamlet comfort in knowing that evil regularly occurs. Therefore, his actions towards his mother would not seem as wicked because they are part of the normal happenings of the night. We will write a custom essay sample on Stylistic Analysis: Hamlet Soliloquy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hamlet uses the soliloquy to depict how he is finally going to avenge his father. He uses ruthless tone to describe â€Å"such bitter business of the day† (iii. ii. 4). This tone is rarely used from Hamlet prior to this soliloquy. The soliloquy serves as a major turning point for Hamlet. Hamlet now has evidence for Claudius’s involvement in Hamlet’s father’s murder. Therefore, he now cannot use the excuse of a lack of proof for his inaction. Hamlet notifies the audience that he is planning â€Å"to be cruel† towards his mother without appearing strange and unnatural (iii. ii. 8). Hamlet’s normally wavering and cowardly nature is buried by this seemingly merciless tone. Hamlet is aware of his ever changing view towards his mother. He understands that he has to struggle in order to feel true resentment. Hamlet demonstrates this great effort when he says, â€Å"O heart, lost not thy nature, let not ever† (iii. ii. 6). Strangely enough, Hamlet’s affection strengthens as the soliloquy progresses. Hamlet begins to be more empathetic towards his mother. Deep in his heart, Hamlet knows that he loves his mother regardless of what his actions depict. Hamlet says that his â€Å"tongue and soul in this be hypocrites† (iii. ii. 10). Hamlet’s words will contradict his love for his mother as he will speak spitefully. Hamlet finishes the soliloquy with an unusual outburst proclaiming that he will â€Å"give them seals never, my soul, consent† (iii.ii. 12). This outburst outlines his indecisive yet ironically impulsive character. Towards the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet’s tone towards his mother becomes cruel, yet full of empathy and love. Hamlet’s soliloquy serves a major role in notifying the audience about Hamlet’s inner thoughts. Additionally, the dark setting allows these thoughts to be honest and candid. Hamlet is both resentful and affectionate towards his mother. Because of these contrasting emotions, Hamlet tends to be act extremely indecisive and uncertain. This soliloquy portrays Hamlet’s great suffering due to his fragile and perplexed mental state.

Marketing Strategy Models, Tools and Techniques

Introduction Marketing refers to the activities and procedures used in developing, conveying and exchanging various offers that are valuable to the targeted population. Thus it helps in formulating strategies that facilitate sales and business development.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Strategy Models, Tools and Techniques specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper focuses on two marketing strategies namely, blue ocean strategy and guerilla marketing. It also analyzes two marketing tools namely, the â€Å"porter’s diamond model for competitive advantage† and BCG matrix analysis. The objectives and applications of these concepts will be illuminated in the paper. Blue Ocean Strategy Definition This is a strategy â€Å"that enables firms to realize high growth and profits by creating new demand in an uncontested market space† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 4). The market that is yet to b e discovered is thus referred to as the blue ocean. The existing markets that are characterized by competition are referred to as the red oceans. There are enough growth opportunities in the blue ocean due to lack of competition. The blue ocean strategy is based on three concepts namely, â€Å"value innovation, tipping point leadership and fair process† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 4). Objective The main objective of this strategy is to help firms to identify new market space. This enables them to eliminate the risk associated with cutthroat competition associated with existing markets (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 5). Implementation steps The implementation of this strategy is based on six principles. The first four principles deal with the development of the blue ocean strategy and can be explained as follows. Formulation of the blue ocean strategy is based on the concept of value innovation. Value innovation is â€Å"the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 6). The first principle involves reconstructing the boundaries of the market (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 47). This means that the firm moves from the red ocean to the blue ocean. This transition is illustrated in figure 1. It is the first stage in formulating the blue ocean idea. The transition involves considering six options referred to as the six paths.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The options include identifying new opportunities â€Å"across the industry, buyer groups and strategic groups† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 48). For example, the firm can identify a need that has not yet been satisfied in the market. The other options involve identifying opportunities â€Å"across time, scope of product or service offering and functional-emotional orientation of the industry† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 49). â€Å"Focusing on the big pictureâ €  (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 81) is the second principle. This is the planning stage and is achieved through the four action framework. The application of this framework is illustrated in figure 2 and can be explained as follows. The first element involves creating new factors that do not exist in the industry. For example, a new product that satisfies an existing or an emerging need. The second element involves identifying the most valuable needs or factors and satisfying them through superior services or products. An example of this element will involve focusing on superior products by significantly improving their quality. The third element is characterized by the identification and elimination of the factors or needs that are no longer relevant in the industry (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 92). For example, product features that are no longer useful to customers can be eliminated. Finally, the firm is expected to indentify and reduce the factors that should be maintained below the industry level. For example, the price can be maintained at below the industry level in order to facilitate market penetration. These elements facilitate the process of value innovation. The third principle involves creating new demand. This involves aggregating demand by focusing on the commonalities of noncustomers. Getting â€Å"the strategic sequence right† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 117) is the fourth principle. The strategic sequence refers to the manner in which the blue ocean idea should be executed in order to ensure stable and consistent growth. Thus the firm must properly address the utility and cost concerns. Besides, it must formulate effective pricing policies and meet the adoption requirements in order to realize a feasible blue ocean strategy. The fifth and the six principles deal with the implementation of the blue ocean strategy. The fifth principle involves surmounting the organizational barriers. It is based on the concept of tipping leadership which deals w ith the management of organizational risks. The organizational risks that should be addressed at this stage include â€Å"cognitive, motivational and resource risks† (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 147). The last principle involves incorporating the execution into the strategy. It is based on the concept of fair process which addresses management risks such as attitudes. It helps in ensuring cooperation at the implementation stage.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Strategy Models, Tools and Techniques specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Example The mobile phone money transfer services in East Africa can illustrate the strategy. The low segment of the market had been taken for granted by local banks in the region. Thus Safaricom, the dominant mobile phone services provider, looked across its product line and consumer groups and identified the opportunity. It was the first firm to launch mobile phone money transfer services (blue ocean idea) in partnership with banks in the region (Safaricom 2011). It also targeted the low income earners who had no bank accounts. Due to the value added by the new service, the firm’s customer base tripled in one year. Strengths and Weaknesses The strategy has two strengths which are as follows. First, it provides consistent and reproducible procedures that can be used by all firms to formulate a blue ocean strategy (Welhrich 2010, p. 125). Second, its tools are visual oriented and this facilitate clear understanding of the concepts. The main weakness of the strategy is that it does not emphasis the role of brand and communication. It assumes that value innovation is realized automatically (Welhrich 2010, p. 126). However, this might not be the case due to external factors such as legal requirements. Guerilla Marketing Definition This is a â€Å"form of marketing which relies on the use of innovative, unexpected and quirky techniques to familiar ize people with a brand† (Levinson 2005, p. 5). Thus it is an unconventional marketing strategy that depends on time, energy and creativity instead of financial capital. Objective The objective of guerilla marketing is to gain publicity through unconventional marketing methods (Levinson 2005, p. 10). Thus it focuses on the formulation of a unique and engaging marketing strategy. This helps in attracting and retaining customers. Implementation Steps Guerilla marketing is meant for the small or medium sized firms. However, the large sized firms can also use it to market their products. It can be implemented as follows. The first step involves setting the marketing objectives. Under normal circumstances, the main objective should be to get as many referrals and transactions as possible from the existing clients.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The marketer should also aim at cooperating with his competitors instead of outperforming them. The second step involves formulating the marketing strategy. The marketing strategy should be â€Å"based on human psychology† (Jay Jannie 2007, p. 13) and informed by creative and unique ideas. The third stage involves selecting the marketing communication channel. A number of channels should be used in order to maximize results. The marketer’s messages should target individuals in order to engage the customers effectively (Levinson 2005, p. 37). Modern technology such as the internet should be used to enhance effective communication (Baltes Leibing 2007, vol.109, pp. 46-55). Planning for the implementation is done in the fourth stage. The plan should focus on time, energy and creativity instead of financial resources. This is followed by the implementation of the marketing plan which involves rolling-out the marketing campaign using the chosen communication channels. The final stage involves measuring the success of the strategy. In this case, profit is the main success indicator. Example An example of guerilla marketing involves a video advert that does not conform to the usual procedures. For instance, the advert can be made unique by defying the recommended color choices, contrast and the balance between pictures and words. Another example involves issuing free samples to the public. Strengths and Weakness The main advantage of guerilla marketing is that it requires little resources but maximizes results (Levinson 2005, p. 56). It also helps companies to establish long-term relationships with their clients since it focuses on individuals. The main weakness of the strategy is that profits might not be the best measure of success (Levinson 2005, p. 67). This is because a rise in profits could be as a result of any other factor such as improvement in efficiency instead of the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. Porter’s Diamond of Compe titive Advantage Definition This is a framework that illustrates the â€Å"manner in which an organization’s ability to create competitive advantages at the international level is influenced by its home base† (Walker 2003, p. 117). The base (country) is associated with the factors that enable or prevents a firm from creating competitive advantages in the global market. Objective The objective of this technique is to provide the information that is needed to identify the available resources and how to develop them in order to create advantages (Walker 2003, p. 120). The information also influences the innovation process. Implementation Steps According to Porter, a country’s competitiveness is determined by four factors namely, â€Å"firm strategy, structure and rivalry, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and factor conditions† (Morschett, Schramm Zentes 2010, p. 78). The interrelationship between these determinants is illustrated by figu re 3 (the diamond) and can be explained as follows. Factor condition is the first element on the diamond. According to this element, a nation usually generates its own factors of production. The impotence of these factors depends on the degree to which they are developed and used in a country. The shortage of the factors thus necessitates innovation (Walker 2003, p. 145). In the context of marketing, this element helps in planning for resource allocation. For example, a firm in a country with cheap internet technology will focus on e-marketing in order to reduce costs. The demand condition is the second element. In this case, local firms will be more interested in a product than foreign firms if the demand for that product is higher in the domestic market as compared to the overseas market. Thus competitive advantages are created when the product is exported. A â€Å"strong trend setting local market helps local firms anticipate global trends† (Walker 2003, p. 158). This is b ased on the fact that the local market has a greater potential to determine the ability of the firms to identify customer’s needs as compared to international markets. Thus this element helps a firm to understand the demand for its products in order to formulate the right marketing strategy. The third element relates to the effect of the related and supporting industries. According to this element, firms will benefit from relatively cheap and innovative inputs if the supporting industries in the domestic market are competitive. This effect is reinforced if there is a strong competition among suppliers at the international level (Morschett, Schramm Zentes 2010, p. 97). â€Å"Firm strategy, structure and rivalry† (Walker 2003, p. 171) is the last element. It relates to the management style and the manner in which companies are organized. This determines the work morel and the operation of the firms. Thus a country whose business laws support an effective company structu re will have more advantages. Figure 3 indicates that the four factors are interdependent. For instance, innovation can not be realized due to factor disadvantages in the absence of rivalry. The role of the government is to encourage firms to be more competitive. It does this through regulation and facilitating the creation of factors of production. Example The Japanese motor industry illustrates the application of this technique. Car manufacturers from Japan have dominated the global car industry due to the following advantages. Factor condition is represented by the large number of highly skilled mechanical engineers in the country. The demand condition in the country is characterized by â€Å"a demanding market due to the written language† (Sally 2005, vol. 10, pp. 341-356). There is a large number of supporting as well as related industries that supply car parts at low costs and high quality. Rivalry in the country’s car industry led to innovation as well as cost r eduction. Finally, the government supports the industry through incentives such as tax holidays. Strength and Weaknesses The main strength of the strategy is that it provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that determine the competitiveness of a firm at the international level (Walker 2003, p. 25). The information provided by this analysis informs the process of formulating the marketing plan. The disadvantage of the strategy is that it focuses only on the industry. It ignores the contributions of individual firms in regard to the process of creating competitive advantages. BCG Matrix Analysis Definition This is a marketing tool â€Å"that uses a chart to analyze the performance of products or business units† (Kurtz Snow 2009, p. 65). The analysis focuses on the market share as well as the growth rate associated with a brand or a business unit. Objective The main objective of the BCG matrix analysis is to provide the information that is needed when allocating resour ces. It enables managers to identify the brands that should be funded and those that should be eliminated (Kurtz Snow 2009, p. 71). Implementation Steps The BCG matrix is illustrated by figure 4. Drawing the graph is the first step in using the technique. The graph is then used to rank the â€Å"products or business units according to their market share and growth rates† (Grant 2005, p. 488). The circles on the graph (figure 4) represent the products. The size of the circle corresponds to the product’s market share. The graph (figure 4) is divided into four parts which can be explained as follows. The cash cow represents the brands whose market shares are high (Grant 2005, p. 488). Besides, the industries of such brands are characterized by a slow growth rate. The revenue generated by products in this category exceeds the amount needed to sustain the firm. This means that such products are profitable and every firm strives to own them. The dogs represent products asso ciated with â€Å"low market share in a mature and slow-growing industry† (Grant 2005, p. 489). Products in this category are only capable of breaking-even. This means that the revenue they generate is hardly enough to sustain the firm. Thus they should be sold since they lower returns on assets. Question marks denote the products associated with rapid growth and thus maintaining them requires a lot of financial resources. The products in this category do not generate a lot of revenue since their market share is low. They are expected to attain the â€Å"status of cash cows if the market growth rate declines† (Kurtz Snow 2009, p. 92). Stars denote products whose market shares are high and their industries are characterized by rapid growth. They usually attain the status of cash cows when the growth declines (Kurtz Snow 2009, p. 93). Example The British Airline illustrates the application of BCG matrix analysis. The company has four product lines namely, long-haul fli ghts, regional flights, domestic flights and mail services (British Airways 2011). Regional flights (within Europe) accounts for 70% of the firm’s revenue (British Airways 2011). This is therefore the cash cow since the industry is also mature. The long-haul flights market (intercontinental) is mature and dominated by major airlines such as Lufthansa. British Airways’ market share is thus low (British Airways 2011). Consequently, the firm discontinued some of its long-haul flights and opted for an alliance with American airlines in order to connect its passengers to the discontinued routes. The long-haul flights are thus classified as dogs. British Airways being the largest airline in UK has the largest market share in the domestic aviation industry. The industry is growing rapidly as more firms join it. Thus the domestic flights are classified as stars. The mail services are classified as question marks. This is because even though their market is growing rapidly, the cost of offering the services is high due to the rise in fuel prices. Strengths and Weaknesses The main strength of the BCG strategy is that it facilitates rational allocation of resources. Such allocations are based on the performance of a product line. However, the strategy is associated with two weaknesses which are as follows. First, it only concentrates on â€Å"market share, industry growth rate and profitability† (Grant 2005, p. 489). Thus it ignores other aspects of the industry such as competition. Second, it is not very accurate since ranking of the products is done subjectively. Appendix Figure 1 This figure illustrates the factors that facilitate the transition from the red ocean (marked red) to the blue ocean (marked blue). The factors that facilitate this transition are listed in the white region (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 4). Figure 2 This figure illustrates the framework for achieving value innovation that is denoted by the new value curve (at the center) (Kim Mauborgne 2005, p. 4). Figure 3 Porter’s diamond This figure shows the interrelationship between the factors that determine the competitiveness of a country (Walker 2003, p. 117). Figure 4 BCG matrix analysis This figure illustrates how the performance of products is analyzed according to their market share and growth (Kurtz Snow 2009, p. 91). References Baltes, G Leibing, I 2007, ‘Guerilla marketing’, New Library world, vol. 109, no. 2, pp. 46-55. British Airways 2011, Annual reports, https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_ua. Grant, R 2005, Contemporary strategy analysis, John Willy and Sons, New York. Jay, L Jannie, L 2007, Startup guide to guerrilla marketing, Entrepreneur Press, London. Kim, C Mauborgne, R 2005, Blue ocean strategy: how to create uncontested market space, Harvard Business School Publishing, New York. Kurtz, D Snow, K 2009, Contemporary marketing, Cengage Learning, New York. Levinson, J 2005, Guerilla marketing during tough times, Morgan James Publishing, Boston. Morschett, D, Schramm, H Zentes, J 2010, Strategic international management, Gabler Verlag, London. Safaricom 2011, Products, https://www.safaricom.co.ke/. Sally, S 2005, ‘Does Porter’s diamond hold in the global automobile industry?’, Advances in Competitiveness Research, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 341-356. Walker, G 2003, Modern competitive strategy, McGraw-Hill, New York. Welhrich, H 2010, Management, McGraw-Hill, New York. This report on Marketing Strategy Models, Tools and Techniques was written and submitted by user Juan V. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Carteret County the Original Crystal Coast

Carteret County the Original Crystal Coast Carteret County is a coastal county that lies at the southeast point of North Carolina. The county is known for its historic sites and its local tourism and fishing industries. While many people visit this county each year few have fully explored its vast resources or any thing this county has to offer. Because of the amount of public accessible beaches few tourist venture inland to further gain insight about the historical values of this rich county. Waterways run through the county which historically provided transportation of goods and services inland. Now bridges and roads take role as the main transportation lines. Because this county is among the oldest in the state, county history dates back to 1722, when the currency was pounds and shillings. To further investigate the history of this county and understand the counties relevance several aspects will be discussed: geographic location, forest resources, major industries, historically important or interesting people, and the ori gin of the cultural make-up of this county.Locator Map of Carteret County, North Carolina, Un...Geographic LocationCarteret County is located directly on the east coast of N.C. and is surrounded mostly by water on the east and southern coast. The county is connected to Craven County to the North and Jones and Onslow to the West. The county is roughly 520 square miles of land and 820 square miles of water. Most of the soil on this land is split between several different types of sands and loams; this is so because much of the land is considered swampland or marshland. The general landscape is flat giving rise to the name “the coastal plain”. Many rivers flow up from the sounds and bays that surround half of this county, these played an important part in the development of this county which will be discussed in depth later. The main rivers are...

Effects of advertisement for childeren and youth Research Paper

Effects of advertisement for childeren and youth - Research Paper Example Unfortunately, while these are normally targeting adult’s children who often have unrestricted or unsupervised access to TV, this becomes collateral damage when exposed to the many sexually insinuative adverts out there. Take an example of Gucci it runs among others a commercial with a picture of a half-naked man with a woman on her knees at his feet in magazines accessible to children (Poulton, 2011). According to the longitudinal carried out in 2009 and presented to the pediatric societies, children exposure to sexual content on TV makes them more likely to become sexually active early and hence run a greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases (Morris, 2011). Moreover, another negative aspect of TV commercials on children is that they can encourage bad behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as violence. Camel cigarettes was under fire recently when a cigarette commercial was claimed to target teen age girls, in the one of the ads was a picture of a little, classic, black dress and fashion accessories, juxtaposed with a patent leather cigarette case. This could clearly have attracted the attention of teenage girls who would normally associate with the most of the aforementioned items (Boyles, n.d). This and such commercials others portraying violence and other conventionally antisocial behavior are likely to negatively influence children. Nonetheless, not all adverts are negative and several of them actually play an important role in informing and educating children on per tin tissues such as health and even sexuality. Condom adverts for instance are known to have a negative effect on teens, however, the upside is they provide information on safe sex, and this information is very important to keep help them protect themselves should they decide to have sex anyway. Ultimately, it is the collective duty of parents and TV and advertising firms to keep children safe form the adverts that

The questions of Chemistry for Life Sciences Assignment

The questions of Chemistry for Life Sciences - Assignment Example This paper consists of 6 questions on 6 pages. Section A 1 (a) Balance the equation, given below, for the reaction in which H2Se is formed from Al2Se3 Al2Se3 + 6 H2O > ---------------> 2 Al (OH) 3 + 3 H2Se (1 mark) 1 (b) Describe how the covalent bonds are formed in an H2Se molecule. Selenium has 6 valence electrons. Two of these electrons are involved in the formation of covalent bonds with two other hydrogen atoms, the other valence electrons remain as lone pairs. An unpaired electron of each hydrogen atom pairs with a valence electron of Selenium, forming two covalent bonds. H : Se : H (2 marks) 1 (c) The hydrogen halides contain polar covalent bonds. 1 (c) (i) State what is meant by the term polar as it applies to a covalent bond. The covalent bonds in hydrogen halides are polar in nature, because halides are more electronegative than hydrogen. The shared electron pair is pulled towards the electronegative halide, leading to unequal sharing of electron pair. This causes charge se paration, making the hydrogen more electropositive and the halide more electronegative (dipole). (1 mark) 1(c) (ii) Explain why the H–Cl bond is more polar than the H–I bond. The electronegativity of Chlorine is 3.16 on the Linus Pauling scale, while that of Iodine is 2.66. Since the electronegativity of chlorine is more than iodine, the pull on the shared electron pair in H-Cl is more than in H-I. ... Experiment Initial [P] / mol dm–3 Initial [Q] / mol dm–3 Initial rate / mol dm–3 s–1 1 1.2 ? 10–3 2.0 ? 10–3 1.8 ? 10–5 2 6.75 2.0 ? 10–3 2.7 ? 10–5 3 0.60 ? 10–3 6.0 ? 10–3 21.6? 10–9 4 1.8 ? 10–3 5.49? 10–2 0.30 ? 10–5 (3 marks) 2 (a) (ii) Using the data from Experiment 1, calculate a value for the rate constant, k, and state its units. Calculation............................................................................................................... Rate constant, k, for experiment 1 is calculated as follows: rate = k[P][Q]2 1.8 ? 10–5 mol dm–3 s–1= k [1.2 ? 10–3 mol dm–3] [2.0 ? 10–3 mol dm–3]2 Therefore, k= =0.375?104 mol-2 dm-6 s-1= 3.75?103 mol-2 dm-6 s-1 The rate constant, k, is calculated as 3.75?103 mol-2 dm-6 s-1 Units: mol-2 dm-6 s-1 (3 marks) 2 (b) The decomposition of compound R is a zero order reaction. On the axes below sketch a line to show the relationship between the initial rate of reaction of R and the initial concentration of R at constant temperature. Initial rate Initial [R] (1 mark) 3. Define the following terms used in reaction kinetics. (a) Overall order of reaction The overall order of reaction is defined as the sum of the order of reaction of individual reactants, or sum of the powers of the concentrations of the individual reactants. If rate=k[A]x [B]y, then Overall order of reaction= x+y (1mark) (b) Rate constant Rate constant is defined as the coefficient of the ratio between rate of reaction and the product of the concentration of the reactants. k= rate/[A]x [B]y (1mark) (Total 2 marks) 4. The equilibrium reaction 3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) - Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g) was at one time used to make hydrogen; the tri-iron tetroxide was returned to the blast furnace to be converted back to iron. Write

Assignment is to read both articles and summarize the main points of Essay

Assignment is to read both articles and summarize the main points of each - Essay Example This group of free market think tanks and contrarian scientists has ceaselessly worked towards creating a paralyzing thick fog of doubt around the issue of climate change. The group was seen to first claim that the earth was not warming and the current warming being experienced was natural and its effects would be harmless and minuscule. Newsweek polls showed that only 46 percent of Americans believe that the greenhouse effect is currently being felt today (Begley 22). Several states such as California, New Jersey and Minnesota has recently signed laws targeted at reducing their carbon emissions levels by up to 80% by the year 2050. In January 2007, nine different corporations including, Caterpillar and General Electric were seen to actively call on Congress to enact various strong national legislation that reduce the level of emissions attributed to greenhouse gases (Begley 22). On June 23rd, 1988, James Hansen who was a NASA climatologist presented a testimony before congress on how the greenhouse effect had been detected and was currently in the process of changing the planet’s climate. This testimony caused the world’s science community to work together in an attempt to resolve and better explain the issue of climate change. This move caused several industry associations and individual companies to form various lobby groups like the Information Council on the Environment (ICE) and the Global Climate Coalition (GCC) to try and cast doubt on the effects of climate change in a similar manner to how doubt had been cast on the effects of smoking (Begley 23). The United Nations organized a summit dubbed â€Å"Earth Summit† in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both the ICE and the GCC lobbied against the recommendations made during the Earth Summit successfully managed to convince the American President Bush not to mandatory cut back into law. The Rio treaty had been seen to call on all countries to try and stabilize their greenhouse emissions by

Richard Rogers Architect Biography

Richard Rogers Architect Biography This report is written to acknowledge an architectural design icon, Richard Rogers. I will be looking at this mans life and his accomplishments. Richard Rogers is my design icon because his buildings are bold, daring, eye-catching and of course, inspirational. To get the information and research I need, I will be mainly gathering it from the internet, interviews and videos as well as any books I can come across. Hopefully, after reading this report you will understand why Richard Rogers is considered a design icon not to just myself, but the rest of the world. Richard Rogers As a person, Richard Rogers has lead an incredible life, born in Italy, he trained at the AA (Architectural Association) and Yale University leaving with an impressive amount of qualifications. Richard Rogers, his partner Norman Foster and their wives Su Brumwell and Wendy Cheesman, set up an architectural practice called Team 4, although this partnership only lasted a 4 years, Richard continued to marry Su, and create a new partnership with Renzo Piano when they then designed the first of many inspirational buildings, the Pompidou Centre. Richard won various awards for many different buildings, even though he did have some problems with the public about his buildings, he did go on to design another building, the Lloyds building in London, which is much more popular today than it was when it was being built. Richard has visited many different countries leaving his mark in many of them, including the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, New York and Japan. He has inspired many people with his buildings and his determination. He has not being afraid of putting his ideas forward, and has been given both grief and praise by the public. He is committed to ensuring that his buildings should be peoples places. The BBC invited Richard as the first architect to give the BBC Reith Lectures for a series called Cities for a Small Planet. Richard even became the Chief Advisor on Architecture and Urbanism to the Mayor of London, he has also been a chairman of the Tate Gallery and Honorary Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. If that wasnt enough, he even went on to be knighted and became Lord Rogers. Richard Rogers has many achievements and has done many, many things over his lifetime, below is a short timeline of some of his most remarkable achievements. Richard Rogers was born in Florence, Italy in 1933. Richard moved to London to go to the Architectural association. He then went on to gain a masters degree from Yale University in 1962. Richard met up with former Yale student Norman Foster and began an architectural practice called Team 4 with their wives, although the partnership only lasted a few years, Richard quickly found a new partner, Renzo Piano, who together won the Prizker Price their building the Pompidou Centre which was built in 1977. His next main building was Lloyds building in London which was completed in 1986 which became just as much of a monument as big ben. The European Court of Human Rights (1995) is very popular in France, for its fantastic looks. The Barajas airport in Madrid was also a head turner. The Millennium Dome though really was a fantastic structure, representing so much in such a unique way, this was completed in 1999. Another big project was London Heathrow Terminal 5, there was so much to this project, but it was finally completed in 2008. And finally, a real monument, Three Word Trade Centre, it is said to be completed between 2011 and 2015, it is to stand next to two other towers built by other architects using the same style. Buildings Richard Rogers has designed many buildings, most popular are the Pompidou Centre in Paris, in London he designed the Lloyds Building, the Millennium Dome and London Heathrow Terminal 5. The European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg, Barajas airport terminal 4 in Madrid and the National Assembly for Wales building were also fantastic structures. The Pompidou Centre The Centre Pompidou was Richards first building created alongside Renzo Piano in 1977, the design of which won the Prizker Prize in 2007 by basically creating the building inside out. This meant that all the parts you would usually expect to see inside, like the stairs, air ducts, plumbing, cables, etc. were all on the outside of the building creating massive indoor space, which is particularly useful as this particular building was used as an art museum, in fact, it is the largest museum for modern art in Europe. Not only was this building functional, it also complimented its use for an art museum, impressing its visitors before they even entered the building. In theory, having the internal maintenance, such as the plumbing and air ducts, should also make the building easier to maintain. Another complimenting aspect of the building is how each external part has being colour coded to make sure they stood out rather than blend in. The Pompidous original plans were actually much more extravagant to start, including moving internal walls and adjustable floors, which unfortunately, did not make it into the final design. Richard was at first reluctant to put this design forward as he was confident that the French government would turn it down, but as it has it, they didnt, and although it was criticized at first and claimed to be ugly it is now complimented on being one of the most remarkable buildings of the 20th century. The headquarters for Lloyds of London Richard used the Pompidou center as an inspiration for his next building, the Lloyds building in London. This was a massive project as the previous building was created in steel where as this one of concrete. Once again the building was designed with its internal parts, outside, this even included glass lifts which were the first of their kind in the UK, as well as the cables, stairs, pipes and even the toilets. This, of course, left large open spaces on the inside. Once again the Lloyds building was brightly coloured and brightly lit. The public at first feared this would make this building an alien is actually regarded as one of the finest buildings on London since the 1980s The Millennium Dome The millennium dome is another one of Richardss creations. It is a very clever design with 12 towers or arms extruding from the white canopy which support the roof of the structure. Stretching out a massive 365m diameter, the Dome is the biggest one in the world. The design of the structure is also clever as you will notice 365m in diameter, one meter for each day of the year, as well as one tower for each month of the year. Although you would of never of realized until someone mentioned it, its still a remarkable thing to have built in. On the inside there was a large open space with a skylight in the center of it all to fill with whatever the users would like, which for the millennium, was split into 13 different zones to educate the public in an interactive way, unfortunately, the  £43 million building only brought in half the expected visitors and was finally converted into the 02 Arena. The millennium dome was a remarkable structure built for the millennium and had been planned for since 1996, and was originally planned as a temporary structure to last only 1 year, but as it happens, its lasted much longer. 175 Greenwich Street 175 Greenwich Street is the future site of the 3rd world trade center. The structure will stretch up to 1155 feet with 71 stories, four of which will be below street level. The building will occupy 200x 198 feet. The building itself has been designed to the highest energy efficiency ratings. It is to have a central concrete core using a steel frame on the outside of the building. It is planned to be completed between 2011and 2015 depending when the site is available to developers. The building will also be accompanied by two other towers built by separate architects but hired by the same company, Silverstein Properties. All three buildings are to have the same style. London Heathrow Terminal 5 Terminal 5 was finally approved in 2001 after a 46 month public inquiry, the longest public inquiry in British history. In 2002 work had finally started and was not completed until 2008. The new terminal means that the airport can support a much higher passenger capacity, but it will not have any more flights, although environmentalists say it will lead to more flights and pollution. For the terminal to be built, two rivers had to be diverted. Using artificial waterways to successfully divert the rivers allowed the  £4.2 billion building to be built. Terminal 5 had to include a railway station and several other buildings as well as a control tower; this really shows how big the project actually is. Style Richard Rogers has been accused of having several different styles, he himself is committed on his buildings being people places, although this is not normally classed as a style, he certainly has made it into one with his structures have exceedingly large indoor spaces. Bowellism is another style related to his first building, the Pompidou Centre. Having the internal components such as the lifts, pipes, stairs and cables externally, means that there is an unreal amount of floor space, which, for an art museum, is very useful. Post-modern is referred to another one of his structures, the Lloyds building in London, having all the components clearly visible, and then brightly painted, and then brightly lit When Richard was younger, he dreamed of building a Zip-up house where his parents would live, a zip-up house basically means ready to assemble or a flat pack house. Having walls, floors, panels and so on prebuilt and fabricated making the building energy efficient, and easy to adjust. Conclusion As you can see, Richard Rogers has lead a remarkable life, building many inspirational buildings such as the Pompidou Centre, leaving his mark in many countries such as England, and many cities such as Strasbourg, he has received many well deserved awards for his buildings and has even been knighted by the queen. He has an incredible design eye, and is not afraid to go outside of the box, or in some cases, the building, and even though some of his buildings have been criticized badly, in the end, they always came out positive. The fact that Richard is still designing, and his designs still make the public gasp is amazing, hopefully he will continue to build and design for as long as possible, and Im sure that many people will be inspired by his work and his life. All of these things, and many, many more, defiantly make him a supreme choice of a design icon. Recommendations Trying to recommend anything for Richard Rogers is extremely difficult as he has done it all, hes traveled, hes married, hes left his mark, hes inspired, hes lived, if anything people should look at his life and make recommendations for themselves. Do what you love doing, and do it until you die, dont be afraid of putting your ideas forward, and fight for what you want.

Naglo Saxson Burial Customs :: essays research papers

Anglo-Saxon Burial Techniques: Early Anglo-Saxon burials are traditionally based on cremation on a pyre, with the deposition of corpses in the ground in a pottery container. The Anglo-Saxons were experts at cremations, with their pyres being at least as efficient as today's pyres, reaching temperatures of up to 9000C. Cremation burials were never found with weapons - it is possible, of course, that these were a part of the cremation, but melted in the flames, but many are found with miniature weapons and miniature combs. In the fourth and fifth centuries, inhumation burials came into common use, where the unburned body is deposited in a rectangular grave. It was probably copied from the late Roman technique, although it is suggested that it was introduced from Denmark. Inhumation burials typically were accompanied by weapons, and grave goods according to status. In the seventh century, Anglo-Saxon burials abruptly changed, as a direct result of Christianity. The most obvious indicator is the lack of pagan objects, such as weapons- a practice encouraged by the Church. Many cemeteries were abandoned that had been used in the fifth and sixth centuries, and the double cemetery also became common -that is, a cemetery was abandoned and a new one was setup beside it. There were a number of new types of burial present after the Church arrived. The first of these is the 'Final Phase' burial, which is basically a transition between a pagan inhumation, with the corpse being accompanied typically by clothes, jewelry, weapons and other personal belongings, and a Christian inhumation, where the corpse is unclothed and unfurnished, except for a shroud. On the whole, these burials have very few grave goods when compared to the previous pagan period, and some have no grave goods at all. The graves are aligned east-west, after the Christian fashion, and all except a very small number are inhumation - after the sixth century, cremations become almost redundant. Another type of burial identified, is that of the 'Princely' burial, normally located under a mound, with a high number of quality grave goods. They contain either a cremation or an inhumation. Anglo-Saxon standards is that burial mounds usually cover inhumations, rather than cremations. One such burial is that of Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, on the River Deben. There were a number of burials here, all of them under mounds. An interesting reflection of Anglo-Saxon society was the graves surrounding - the so-called 'sand-men', which appear to have been human sacrifices.

Female Serial Killers Essay

The fascinating thing about women is that they often tend to not possess the common characteristics of a serial killer that a male tends to show earlier on in life. Although not always fully acknowledged, there are many early signs of a potential serial killer. These later become the characteristics of a serial killer. The most common characteristic of a serial killer is animal abuse. This particular characteristic is commonly seen during a serial killers childhood. Many serial killers see this as â€Å"practice†. Psychiatrists describe this early sign of killing as a mental disorder that should not be ignored. Another highly common characteristic of serial killer is a person who enjoys starting fires, otherwise known as Pyromaniacs. The people that possess this characteristic tend to get sexually aroused just from starting a fire. A well-known Pyromaniac was Joseph Kallinger who described starting a fire as a heavenly pleasure. Also a common characteristic would be bed wetting. Many serial killers tend to wet the bed past adolescence. Kenneth Bianchi, an American serial killer, spent most of his adulthood wetting the bed. A broken home has been noted to be a characteristic of a serial killer. Growing up father-less or mother-less highly affects a young soon-to-be serial killer’s life. Female serial killers share only some of these characteristics such as animal abuse. Women tend not to show characteristics until later on in life. At times they do not show characteristics. Most female serial killers kill for long periods of times and quietly unlike her fellow male killer. Female serial killers almost always have a strong motive driving them to commit these horrible crimes and coincidentally they are often similar. If a female serial killer is acknowledged by a community the people in that community tend to believe that because she is a woman, therefore the weaker sex, she was somehow pressured or victimized by her lover to kill. (Davis, 2001). Many refuse to believe that a woman is capable of killing on her own terms. Women have many different reasons for killing yet throughout the years and the multiple murder cases that occur where a woman is the murderer, the motive is almost always. Most of the women who tend to kill are in great debt and in need of a quick and easy way out. Belle Gunness, who was considered one of the worst serial killers in American History, did just this. Belle killed all of her children and husbands just to collect life insurance, money, and other valuables. (Edwards, 2012). She also adopted more children in order to repeat the process of collecting the insurance and got away with doing so for eight years. Another murder case in which the primary motive happened to be money was the Olga Rutter Schmidt and Helen Golay case. These two women in their 70’s conducted a $2. 3 Million insurance fraud murder scheme. Helen and Olga provided shelter and food for Paul Vados and Paul McDavid just long enough to have good amount of money to benefit from if these two men were to pass. There were multiple insurance plans that gave these two women benefits when the two homeless men were killed.

What Acting and Theater is essays

What Acting and Theater is essays In my opinion acting is the ability for a person to convert to a new character. They act, speak, and think differently as oppose to the character that they normally would be. Acting is a great type of art. One that you can see, hear, and sometimes even touch. They make you laugh, cry, and sometimes they may even scare you. Acting can be an exit to your ordinary every day life. It is a portal, which takes you into a character that you want to be. It may relief your stress and above all it is pleasurable. August 27 I had the opportunity to go se a Broadway musical show. I went to see Rent by Jonathon Larson. I was dazzled when I went to see this great show. Although I am not a Joey Fatone fanatic I still admired the role he played as Mark. What I most like about this show in particular was that it was modern. It portrayed different relationships among different people. There were straight relationships, homosexual relationships, and lesbian relationships. They all came together on the same basis of friendship. The two actors that I really enjoyed were Karmine Alers who played the role of Mimi and Manley Pope who played the role of Roger Davis. They both were great together. I loved the way they danced together and acted together. My favorite song in the whole show was Light my candle. They both acted and sang great. You can see how they flirted with each other and how they connected. They had great chemistry together. Their Attitude and the way they moved their bodies simultaneously made you want to flirt along with them. It was simply wonderful. I also enjoyed the part when Karmine Alers who played the role of mimi sang Out Tonight. When she first came to the stage she had a topcoat. Then suddenly without warning or caution she took it off and started dancing. She had a great body and she dance very well. The way her body moved and the way she sang felt as she was singing with passion. She made me want to go up on stage and d...

A busy person Essays

A busy person Essays A busy person Essay A busy person Essay Priestley places his hope in the characters of Sheila and Eric, the next and younger generation, in his play. Sheila accepted her share of responsibility for contributing to the death of Eva Smith. At Milwards, a posh clothes store, Sheila had met Eva when she was trying a dress and it didnt suit her. Eva laughed at her and Sheila didnt like her laughing. And said to the manager of Milwards, if you will not get rid of that girl, Id never go near the place again and Id persuade mother to close our account with Milwards. When she was shown the photo of Eva Smith and told by Goole of the consequences of her actions she reacted by little, cry, a half shifted sob and ran out. She felt ashamed, emotional and responsible for Evas death. We sympathize with Sheila because she learned something, in Act three, page 71 that:- It was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You begun to learn something. And now you are stopped. By the end of the play she has clearly learned her lesson, and shown that unlike her parents, she cared for others and represented a socialist outlook on life. The character of Eric changes as the play progresses. In act one we initially find him to be shy, unconfident and squiffy. He then appears to grow in confidence especially when he stood instead of his father on a number of occasions. Gooles questioning provokes and encourages Eric to confront Mr. Birling. For example in Act one, page 15 Eric accuses his father of throwing out Eva Smith of the job. He could kept her instead of throwing her out, I call it tough luck. He also complains about Evas death because of his father. The part of the play highlights the fact that despite all of the money and wealth with in the Birling family household, they are not happy together and cannot understand or respect each others point of view. This is mainly because Erics view is that of a socialist and Mr. Birlings is that of a staunch capitalist. Eric, like Sheila, accepts their share of the blame A for their behavior that contributed to the death of Eva Smith. Gerald is an interesting character in the play. In the early stages of the play we learn that he is a busy person. He was very suspicious Eric was up to. Evidence to support this opinion is found in Act one, page 9, when Gerald Croft says:- Sounds a bit fishy to me. He is in a difficult position at this engagement party and is under pressure to marry Sheila of Mr. Birling because if he do something wrong it might affect to his marriage with Sheila. It might be fair to say that Gerald had socialist tendencies because when he met Eva Smith in the stalls bar at the palace. She was half drunk and goggle eyed and had wedged herself into a corner. He helped her by giving her money and place to live. But he didnt tell the truth to Sheila and he betrayed her trust. Gerald was very nai ve because after the discovery that Goole was hoax he still believed that he and Sheila would not break their engagement. Gerald thought it easy, just like Mr and Mrs Birling, to pretend that nothing had happened and that he could simply marry Sheila after all. He had not learnt his lesson, he was thinking that nothing had happened and he could still marry Sheila. It is clear that an inspector calls is an effective piece of social criticism because it makes us question how we should try to lead our own lives. Through the character role of Goole, Priestley encourages us to behave properly and respect and care for others unlike Arthur and Sybil Birling. In the bigger picture he is really saying that society can only live together in peace and harmony if people cooperate together and work and support each other. I feel that the play was a very enjoyable theatrical experience. A play is memorable if it keeps you thinking, exciting and to learn a new message. The play had a number of cliff hangings, exciting moments, for example, in Act one, page 10 when the door bell rings and Eric says:- Somebody at the front door. Then Edna says to Mr. Birling. Please, sir, an inspectors called. Also in act three, page 53. I was riveted by Eric when he told that he was going to be a father! And the next time or the time after that she told me she thought she was going to have a baby. She wasnt quite sure. And then she was. Every Act ended with suspense. This made the audience to continue seeing the play. An Inspector Calls also had many examples of dramatic irony. This is when the full meaning of a situation or a speech is understood by the audience but not by the characters on stage. There was also considerable dramatic irony the fact that each of the Birlings and Gerald all seemingly had a part to play in Evas death without even being aware of it, until Gooles arrival. Perhaps most dramatic of all was the ending of the play when the telephone rings and after answering the telephone Mr. Birling says:- That was the police. A girl has just died on her was to the infirmary after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police Inspector is on his way here to ask some questions. This leaves the audience feeling what will happen afterwards. In conclusion, reading and understanding the play made me reflect and think carefully about my own life. The play, the characters and Priestleys message has made me think that all of our lives are connected with one another. If we do something with others it will affect us as well because in reaction they can harm us as well. On the other hand if we do good to others their will be happiness all over the world.

EMILY DICKINSON Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EMILY DICKINSON - Research Paper Example However, it was this lack of human contact and her inability to form relationships that kept her well-behaved and out of trouble, making her a favorite among her relatives, especially her aunt Lavinia. It was this aunt who called attention not only to Dickinson’s quiet demeanor, but also to Dickinson’s affinity for the piano when she was only two years of age. Wanting to encourage Dickinson’s intelligence and musical talent, and because he held education in high regard, Dickinson’s father made sure that his children were properly educated from early ages. As such, he also played a very active role in their education, always listening with eagerness as his children shared what they had learned. The regular involvement in Dickinson’s life made him a favorite to his children; indeed, it had been noted that Dickinson and her siblings were not very fond of her mother, who was a cold woman. It was her father’s warmth and concern that kept Dickinson inspired to stay in school and hone her talents (Farr 76). During 1845 and 1846, Dickinson had fallen ill, keeping her out of school for almost nine months, yet when she returned, she was more than eager to get back into her studies. Even during her illness, she made sure to continue reading and writing, never wanting to cease the growth of her intelligence or put her father’s sacrifices for her education to waste. During and after her education, Dickinson continued to write, clearly having found the one thing in life that she wanted to do until her last breath. At the age of eighteen, Dickinson befriended her father’s attorney, Benjamin Franklin Newton, who was amazed by Dickinson’s talents. He introduced her to the works of William Wadsworth and Ralph Waldo Emerson, no doubt with the intent of encouraging her own writing talents. Newton died before Dickinson had made a name for herself, something that he had longed to see her do, but many of her poems were in written in memory of Newton or had Newton as the subject. As Dickinson entered adulthood, she found herself growing steadily depressed over the many deaths that had plagued her life. She became even more reclusive, though she never gave up her writing. Her father died from a stroke in 1874; though Dickinson didn’t attend his funeral, her father’s death was a catalyst in Dickinson’s life (Baker 209-211). When her mother died in 1882 from numerous illnesses, Dickinson was pushed further into seclusion, all but shutting herself completely away from the world. Dickinson found herself at an emotional rockbottom later in 1882 after the deaths of two close friends, as well as the death of her favorite nephew, who had died of typhoid fever. Dickinson continued to write poetry, but she stopped editing and organizing her work. Come 1884, Dickinson had grown worn out from all of the deaths that she had experienced, as they all seemed to have come one right after the other . Dickinson barely had time to grieve over one friend or family member before another died. The summer of 1884, Dickinson herself rapidly grew sick, becoming weak and succumbing to fainting spells. She was bedridden, though she kept up with her writing. Her poems became few, but she had composed a variety of letters to her few remaining friends and family members. Dickinson died on May 15, 1886 from kidney disease, though many people have speculated that Dickinson’

African Economic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African Economic History - Essay Example Speaking about Africa, at first we should mention that is the poorest country in the world with its 887 million people population. And it became even poorer than it was some 20 years ago. We could see Africa's regress looking on the foreign trade, international investments and the people's living standard. Its poor resources Africa's rebels spent on the military equipment and provisions for the warriors. The country overcame the civil and international wars. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) The Cold War triggered a great conflict between the African states. Given from another countries money aid was spent on the weapons and the donor countries shut their eyes to the wrong usage of their investments. In the region of the Great Lakes were the civil wars: in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Liberia. And of course we should mention the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) that raged in the 1990s. ("Niger, Country, Africa")Experts say this war dubbed Africa's First World War. The participants were six neighbouring states (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Angola). This war was a result of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the fall of President Mobutu with his decayed state. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) At the end of this war 4 million people were dead, and mostly all of the victims were civilians. The remarkable thing of the war, however, was the transfer from apartheid to majority rule in South Africa. By the end of 1990-s Somalia had still no government. And a lack of authority left it in a state of economic weakness and vulnerability, but on the other hand the conflict rate was low.

How technologies can be used to make the border system stronger Dissertation

How technologies can be used to make the border system stronger - Dissertation Example The topic of research is based on the concept of border security. In the past, the researcher has worked in the Homeland Security Centers of Excellence and it is through his experience at the department that directed him towards basing his research project on border security. Homeland Security dispatches a range of resources and funds to the federal, state and the local governments, allowing the amalgamation of a number of individually-operating agencies into a collective whole. The agencies work in collaboration with each other for the achievement of shared objectives. These objectives aim to uphold the integrity and security of the country and subserve to provide the utmost protection to the US population. The Homeland Security Centers of Excellence operate under the Office of University Programs and aim to recruit and attract renowned researchers and enthusiasts for carrying out research programs. The research brings together professionals from various fields and uses their expert ise to come up with solutions for homeland security. Each research center is affiliated with a university and their research ventures are supported and collaborated upon by a number of agencies including think tanks, laboratories, and private institutions. The research work carried out at the Security Centers is in line with the research requirements of the divisions of the Department of Homeland Security  Science and Technology Directorate. The collaboration helps to deliver top-of-the-line technology solutions for the problems facing the Department as well as the country on the whole (U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2009). In particular, one of the Centers, National Center for Border Security and Immigration, is focused on the promotion and enhancement of border security. This was the Center that I was associated with. The Centre is led and supported by two universities: one being the research co-lead while the other is the education co-lead. The Center is committed to the development of technologies, tools and sophisticated procedures to regulate and monitor immigration and business across the borders. This involves the development of projects that promote border security and make it stronger and more effective. There are a number of aspects relating to borders security that the Center focuses on; these include risks and weaknesses, better surveillance and screening, analysis of immigration patterns and improvements in immigration law enforcement (U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2009). The conditions that have developed after the 9/11 have exposed many gaps in the security and surveillance mechanisms. These gaps and vulnerabilities have become yet more acute in light of pressing security demands after the rise in terrorism over the previous years. Besides the post-9/11 conditions and terrorism there are other factors that have necessitated a revision of the immigration and border security systems. These include greater security reviews, insuffic ient collaboration with NGOs and the government, disputed policy tensions etc (Kerwin 2011). My research question is how important is border security today and what measures can be taken to improve it? The research project focuses in particular on the development and enforcement of better surveillance mechanisms and advanced technologies for regulating the influx of immigrants as well as goods such as false documents, illegal medicines, drugs and other illegal items. The project focuses on various aspects associated with development of such technologies, including their pros and cons. One of the key features that guarantees the success of a research project is the amount of information collected regarding it. Keeping this in mind, the research objectives can be defined as follows: Revisiting the importance of border security Identifying the need to develop better methods of surveillance and border security Reviewing the available literature and successful technologies used

The Day My Life Changed forever Essay Example for Free

The Day My Life Changed forever Essay I had been awaiting her arrival for a long 9 months. Saying I was over ridden with joy was an untruth I was afraid to bare, So I put on a smile and pretended that the arrival of my first child was going to be a good experience. Truth be told I knew my life was about to change forever and I wasnt sure I was going to be a good mother. All these doubts running through my mind was almost draining out the pain of the inconsistent contractions in my belly, my head started spinning a little with the what ifs and possibilities of failure heightened by the anticipation of my Daughters arrival. I felt so alone even though I was surrounded by my family, I knew better than anyone that this burden would be mine alone, to bare for a lifetime. It was October 4th 2006 about 6:30 pm when the first contraction started. I was at home and had just got done eating dinner. It was the beginning of evening, and the sky was still bright from the sunset behind the mountains. The skies were almost clear with just a few clouds overhead. The house was calm and quiet, unlike the storm brewing inside my mind. Carried away and consumed in my own thoughts and fears, I almost didnt even notice the pain from the first contraction. I kept on with the clean up from dinner ignoring what I feared for more than 9 months, but when the second one came, my fear and knowledge of what was to come nearly consumed me. I immediately ignored the contractions and decided for a brief moment that it was gas and I was just imagining things. I decided that I would continue my house work and see how long I could go without informing my [then] husband. So I started to organize and straighten things in the house all the while my mind was going 300 miles per hour. I was consumed with worry and guilt because I knew that the truth of the situation was I was not ready to be a mother. I wanted more from my life then to just be a mother and a wife. I wanted a career, education, and experience, before I had to hand it all over and give up my freedom. It was a little too late for that now my Daughter was coming weather I liked it or not. I knew the contractions were not yet consistent so I hoped maybe this was just the pre-labor pains I was experiencing, and they would eventually subside and go away. I couldnt have been more wrong. My husband arrived home that evening around 8:30 pm and was exhausted from a long days work. He had been working two jobs lately to support us and prepare for the arrival of our baby. He sat defeatingly on the couch as if life had consumed him all day and he couldnt take one more bit of disappointing news. He looked so tired I didnt want to inform him of the long night I knew was ahead of us. His hair was disheveled, his face looked long and tired and his eyes were sad and dark. I wondered if our baby would look like him, maybe she would get this thick curly hair, or his tanned brown skin. Maybe she would have those big sad eyes with long eyelashes, or his cute rounded nose. I hope she had his smile. That is what I fell in love with, and those big beautiful sad eyes. Then maybe loving her would come easier. As I looked at my husband sitting on the couch nodding off to sleep, I almost didnt want to wake him and be the bearer of bad news. Let him sleep I thought he has had a hard day. These pains were becoming so intense I couldnt ignore them for much longer so I decided to time them before I disturbed him. I looked at the time and it was 8:45 pm. Here comes another, I held my breath and counted to 10, and then the pained eased, then ceased. I looked at the time, oh NO, it was 8:47 and here came another one. One two three, breath. I can’t keep this up much longer I think its time to tell him. I walked over and sat next to him on the couch, he opened his eyes and before I could say a word he noticed the tears in my eyes. †Whats wrong he asked? † with a look of worry on his face. I knew once I opened my mouth the truth was going to scare him so I thought I’d choose my words wisely to have a more positive effect, but before I could say anything the pain was back, and this time I closed my eyes and groaned, as my belly tightened. One two three, breath. I opened my eyes and the look of fear on his face was only there for a moment, he quickly smiled with excitement and asked if it was time. I told him yes and that I had been timing the contractions for about 15 mins and they were getting stronger and more consistent. He decided that we were going to the hospital and I called my best friend for a ride. After that everything became very chaotic. I wasn’t sure which was making me sick the pains from the contractions or the thought of everything that could go wrong. I was about to meet my child and was overcome with fear. I wondered why I wasn’t overjoyed, like other women described with their anticipation. Instead the fear and pain was starting to eat me alive. This burden I could not share with anyone, for fear of judgement. I couldn’t tell my best friend that I truly didnt want to be a mother and that I was sick with the idea of the responsibility. How was I supposed to reveal that this child growing inside of me was more of a burden than a blessing. What women would understand my feelings without judging me, or thinking I am a selfish women. I knew none of them understood because this was my duty as a wife and a woman. I felt guilty for wanting a different life and for thinking of my unborn child as a burden. An innocent life was about to be my responsibility and I wasnt ready. I wanted to scream and run away, this fear was too much. When my best friend arrived she was excited and happy. She was pregnant too and due three months from now. She kept saying we would remember this experience for a lifetime and how glad she was to be here with me for the birth of my first child. Her and my husband talked and and seemed very happy while we got things together to go to the hospital. I couldnt understand why I wasnt excited like them or happy that I was about to meet my first child. Instead my mind was going in circles trying to make sense of it all. All the different possibilities of how things could go wrong was scaring me more then anything else. I couldnt imagine How I could be happy at a time like this. Finally we were getting in the car. I started trying to calm my thoughts and counter them with rational thoughts, As the pain came and went the fear inside my mind stayed consistent and started to grow stronger. I could feel every bump on the road as if it were a bat beating against my pelvic bone. By the time we got to the hospital I was starting to cry. I wasnt sure if it was from the pains or if my fear and emotions had gotten the best of me, but it scared my husband and best friend so they started hurrying me out of the car. The hospital admitted me right away and got me in a birthing room quickly. The room was big and impressive for a hospital. It was very comfortable, there was a pink couch that ran against an entire wall. There was three green chairs for my guests and all of them reclined. The walls were painted blue, and wall papered with a pink blue and green contemporary design. My husband was really impressed with the 47 inch flat screen television on the wall with all the cable channels a man could want. There was large wooden storage cabinets that looked like an entertainment center urrounding the large TV on the wall. I had my own private bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub. My favorite part was the oversized window with the view of the city. It felt more like a hotel room rather than a hospital birthing room. As I undressed and lie on the bed I keep thinking this is all happening too fast and I just want my mom. So my best friend decided to go pick her up. the doctor came in and checked my cervix to see how far I was dilated and informed me that I wasn barely at 2 cm. She asked if my water had broke yet, and I told her no. She said they would monitor me for a while but if my water didnt break then they would have to send me home. So I began to walk hoping it would increase my contractions and allow my water to break. My mother arrived quickly and gave me a great deal of comfort and reassurance. She rubbed me on the back and held my hand as we walked while she recounted the birth of my brothers and I. She told me how proud she was of me and that everything was going to work out just fine. She said that I was going to make such a great mother and went on and on about how my daughter would change my life as I had changed hers. Of course this made me feel even worse about my own thoughts and yet I still couldnt understand why I was feeling so selfish and scared about becoming a mother. We walked for a while and then my feet grew tired so my mother thought we could try a warm bath. So we went back to my room and I got in the bath in my room . We had been there for hours already and nothing seemed to be happening, I began to get frustrated with the progress of this event I was exhausted and wanted this to be over with already. The Doctor came in and checked again to see if I had dilated any more and I seemed to be at a standstill. The Doctor decided to send me home because I wasnt dilating. So I went home I was angry and frustrated and just wanted this to be over with a already I wasnt sure I could bear this pain for much longer but I knew this was involuntary and I just had to deal with it the way it was. We got home around 12:30am and decided to try and get some sleep I was so restless from the pain that I couldnt find a comfortable position to sleep tossing and turning over and over again I thought I might go crazy. I finally found a comfortable position and nodded off to sleep. I was sleeping for maybe and hour when a sharp pain woke me from my sleep. This contraction was more intense than the others but I wasnt sure it was going to make a difference. I lie there in my bed awake and still wondering if the pain would return, and sure enough it did . One two Three breath, I counted out loud and this time I felt the pain in my back as well. I knew these pains were different, and as I considered waking my husband to tell him, I felt a gush of water coming from between my legs. I quickly woke my husband up and told him â€Å"My water just broke†. He jumped up and ran to get the phone. We both knew that this time it was real. He called his mom to come get us and I got up and got dressed. I noticed as I was cleaning myself up that the water was green and had a funny smell. When I realized the seriousness of that I called to my husband. Went he came into the room and I showed his he didnt understand why, it could be a bad thing so I explained about women who go past their due date sometimes the baby defecates inside the womb and if the child ingests that bacteria I could be very dangerous to their health. I knew this because this happened to a friend of mine a few years before, her baby was very sickly for six months and then lost her battle when the infection took the childs life. Would this happen to my baby too I wondered? His mother arrived then and we started towards the door. Then the pain came again, One two three, breath. The pain increased so much that I was doubled over in tears. I was no extremely scared that my thoughts, doubts, and selfish thinking was going to cost my childs health. Now the guilt set in and I started praying. Oh Lord please dont let my baby be sick. I swear I will do the best I can if you just give me a good chance and a healthy baby. Please dear God hear my desperate plea. We arrived at the hospital again and this time I was in so much pain I asked for the epidural I couldnt do this naturally what was I thinking. I needed some pain medication because this was awful . The nurse came in to give me an IV. She poked me so many times that I started to cry again. She missed the vein three times and once she blew a bubble in my arm. I started yelling at her and asked for a different nurse. A new nurse came in and gave me and IV in her first try. I asked again for an epidural and the nurse checked to see how dilated I was. I was dilated to 4cm so she said she would call the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist came and had to put a long needle in my spine, to feed the medicine for the epidural. I had to sit really still and couldn’t move. Again I was scared but I felt much better holding on to my husband and my mom. After the medicine took effect I was feeling much better. The pain was now manageable and I could get some sleep. After an hour the Doctors came in to talk to me. They said that the epidural slowed my contractions and they wanted to give me a shot of pitocin to increase my contractions. I agreed and told them about the color when my water broke. They said they would keep a close eye on me and the baby. I decided to get some sleep. I was still scared of becoming a mother and was struggling with my thoughts of being selfish and worry of not being a good mother. But now the thoughts of worry had taken over and I was concerned for my childs health. I kept thinking that what if while we were waiting for my body to dilate my baby was getting sick inside me and I could be losing her. I thought of how selfish I had been throughout my pregnancy, and how I would feel if I had a sickly child or even worse a still born. My thoughts were running wild while my family sat around in the room sharing stories of love family and children. I couldnt help but envy them and their happiness. I wondered if I would ever have that happiness and share stories with my children like that. I feared I wouldnt instead that I would always be selfish and resent my life and wish for my freedom. The worst part was how could I expect my child to love me if I was a selfish women. Was I capable of being a good mother even though I was feeling so selfish and resentful. I layed there for about 7 hours with little progress in the labor. It had already been 24 hours since my first contraction and I was feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvic bone. I called for the Doctor and she said I was only dilated to 8cm and that I hadnt been dilating for three hours. I told her that I felt sick and wanted a c section. She strongly advised me against it. I insisted that something was wrong and if I was supposed to have the baby naturally that my body would still be dilating. She finally agreed and brought me the forms to sign. She told my family that only one person was allowed in the room with me because it was surgery. I picked my husband and she gave him a sterile gown to put on with a cap and gloves. This was it I was about to see my baby for the first time. I was scared and excited at the same time it was like a bittersweet feeling but I just wanted to meet her I was exhausted from the anticipation already and was really anxious. hey took me into the delivery room and strapped me to this board and put a curtain over me. I could feel them tugging and pulling my belly but it was numb so it was sort of like an out of body experience. I lay there asking over and over if everything was okay. My husband held my hand tightly and reassured me everything and fine. It felt like an eternity lying there not knowing if she was going to be alright or if my thoughts had caused something to go badly or if I was going to have a sick baby. They called my husband to go cut the umbilical cord and I just laid there in what felt like purgatory, and seemed like an eternity . Then I saw them take her over to the pediatric table and she wasnt crying yet I started crying because I hadnt heard her cry yet I thought something was wrong. Just as I was asking if she was ok I heard her cry. Tears of relief streamed down my face. They cleaned her up and my husband brought her over to me to see her. She was beautiful, she had dark black hair cute little brown slanted eyes like mine , big chubby cheeks and her daddys nose. I fell in love with her immediately and all the worry and selfish thoughts were gone. She was an angel and God sent her to me. It took awhile for me to recovery and be able to hold her but once she was in my arms I couldnt let her go. I knew that being a good mother to her would be the most significant thing I could ever do in my entire life. I promised myself that day that no matter what feelings I have I was going to be the best mother I could possibly be to her. I would always put her first even when I didnt want to and I would always make sure she is safe and loved. That day My life changed. That Day I went from being a selfish women to being a mother of a beautiful little girl . She will always be one the best thing that ever happened to me.