Looking at THE MATRIX Films

When Robert Gibson created the science-fiction subgenre known as â€Å"cyber-punk† in the novel NEUROMANCER most people had high hopes for this literary movement. This was because the concept of a technologically advanced corporatist dark future had a sense of realism that STAR TREK and STAR WARS missed. Yet, cinematic endeavors in cyber-punk never truly succeeded. Then, along came THE MATRIX which remains one of the most brilliant of the realistic science-fiction films ever devised. Created by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the plot of THE MATRIX centers on a world where humans live in an internal pseudo-reality world where life is crafted to perfection. When the hero, Neo, discovers this he launches a rebellion against the machines that have placed humans into a suspended animation sleep. At the core of this rebellion is the theme of the film: if reality is not reality then does it have any value? This can be seen as a metaphor for a number of ways in which humans numb themselves into alternative realities whether it is drugs, videogames, consumer culture et al. As such, THE MATRIX was the right movie for the right time and it has become a science-fiction masterpiece with millions of fans. It would be difficult to discuss THE MATRIX without discussing the world in which the story takes place. (That is, THE MATRIX itself) Probably the most difficult aspect of creating science-fiction is making a believable world. Often, science-fiction crafts worlds that while entertaining simply aren't believable. This detracts greatly from the ability for the film to work. In THE MATRIX, we have an incredibly believable world because the â€Å"the world† exists almost exclusively in the mind. As such, the viewer  becomes drawn into the story because there exist some credibility to the fact that the world of THE MATRIX could actually exist. This is the brilliance of THE MATRIX and what makes it such a classic work. THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS is the third film in THE MATRIX TRILOGY (The less said about the second film the better) and it is a sweeping action-adventure film that seeks to bring a final conclusion to the series. The goal of the film is the same as the original film: dissolve alternative reality and bring humans to their original state. This is what makes THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS such an excellent film. It centers on the notion of revolutionary struggle for a good cause. In a way, one could even see parallels to the American Revolution and other colonial liberation struggles and struggles against totalitarianism. As such, THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS becomes a thrilling and engaging film that taps into the natural human sentiment to be free. Yes, it takes place in a fantastic world but this does not make the film any less â€Å"real'. Well, perhaps this is not 100% accurate. If there ever was a major flaw found in THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS it would be that the world of the story deviates from the earthen realness of the original film and delves into the â€Å"space opera† genre. There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach although it does make the themes of the film less striking. However, the themes of â€Å"what makes a human† remain as the central focus of the film never deviates from the human struggle for self-actualization. That is a powerful theme no matter how it is presented. Personally, I found the first film in the trilogy to be a brilliant exercise in science-fiction mainly because its mix of realism and surrealism made the film a unique experience. The shift to action-adventure in the third film was somewhat disappointing but the film was still a quality work. Ultimately, it is the themes that appealed to me the greatest and this is why I consider these two films seminal works in the science-fiction genre. Bibliography Hanley, Richard. (2006) â€Å"The Philosophy of THE MATRIX.† Retrieved April 15, 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.onwardoverland.com/matrix/philosophy.html#reflect Takle, Brian. (2006) THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS EXPLAINED. Retrieved April 15,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008, from http://wylfing.net/essays/matrix_revolutions.html                  

Intergenerational Family Violence Essay

The family violence has taken a new toll in the current times. The family violence has become very common indeed and the number of offenders in these crimes has increased far beyond the reach. The cases originate on daily basis and the statistics show that most of the times victims are females who are physically and mental abused in different ways. In these scenarios it has been observed that these events cause much more damage to the children who watch these events often. The child abuse on the other hand has also become debatable as the cases increase. The intergenerational family violence might not have been studied before but it has always been available to study whenever there is an event of family violence. The human nature is based on social learning theory. It is the human tendency to watch the behaviors and then try to implement in their personalities (Murrell et al, 2007). Behaviorists have put forward the theory that the social learning theory is applicable only when if it triggers a change in the behavior of the observer whereas the theorists say that the learning process is an ever going process and it is not incomplete if it doesn’t cause any change in the behavior (Kernsmith, 2006). Whatever the theorists and behaviorists state about the social learning theory, it is evident that the observations of these events cause damage to the future lives of those who watch these family violence events. Postmodern thinking supports these claims, stating that individuals â€Å"create the social reality for their behavior according to how they interpret norms in particular milieus† (Markward, 1997). Child abuse has different effects on the victims. Some children after these events become reserve and some become violent. Even also watching the abusing of their mothers in front of them creates a negative notion in their minds about the realities of life (Pollak, 2004). This is the learning process as described by the theorists. The observations made by child make a deep impact on the mind intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes the action doesn’t come right after the observation. It is dependent about the mental strength of the individual on how much extreme extent he has to formalize his mind towards these events. But surely the mind is working as the interpretation process continues from time to time (Kernsmith, 2006). In order to cause change the mind works in such a way to determine how much impact such event has made. For example, continuous abusing observations might make the child to become violent at times, even if he is not violent the aggregation of emotions might be taking place in his mind which makes him to get reserved to the situations from time to time. A time comes when the mentality of the child becomes harnessed by the violent activities and he also starts to become violent at times (Corvo, 2006). Thus the change has been triggered in the behavior of the child after looking at these abusing events continuously. This makes the situation awful not only for the child because by this way they cause different violent activities and the victims may increase in numbers depending upon the strength of activities (Pollak, 2004). The violent psychology taken forward by the children has been creating lot of issues. The US population is filled with those who have tensions grown up in their households due to different financial and emotionally problems (Kernsmith, 2006). These usually end up fighting and one of them getting beaten. The children also come down in the impact of these fighting resulting in long term future damage to their lives. The behaviorists say that the children have a tendency to attract to those thing quickly which make a deep impact on their mind and heart. They are emotionally immature at early stages and an action like abusing them or their parents can increase their interest towards these activities (Murrell et al, 2007). It has also been observed that the continuous family violence has been exhibited by those who have gone through this violence before in their lives when they were young (Corvo, 2006). Thus an event like this happening in their early lives provides them the luxury to be like them in the future as they commit family violence by abusing their children and their spouses. Many researchers have observed a relation between the events happening in an early age of a young one when he experienced violence and those offences which he committed when he was adult. This phenomenon is now known as intergenerational transmission of violence and aggression. Researchers believe that the pattern of social learning theory makes its mark by providing the model to the child as he also sees the positive results due to this violence (Kernsmith, 2006). Most often the result of abusing her mother by her father results in the victory of the father due to his aggressive attitude and then therefore inherits these positive results to implement them in his behavior. Learning theories, such as socialization, social learning, and elements of feminist theory, asserts that behaviors are learned throughout our lives through our interactions with others. This is how the socialization then gets affected by the family violence as it is then exhibited outside the homes (Corvo, 2006). The social learning theory is based on the study of behaviors. With change in behaviors the extremism of these violent acts can be configured by the child as he observes all these events. When we critically evaluate the works of the researchers we come to know that there theories are practical and are very close to reality. That is, formally it was believed that the social learning theory doesn’t have any impact on the child’s behaviors and how he interprets different things and scenarios differently. These theories are nevertheless were thought to be just taught in the classrooms without any practical implementations to be viewed. But certain examples with results have provided the evidence that each and every action is based on some behavior and behavioral change in the children. Alan Sears has been the follower of the social learning theory and he stated the change to be inevitable in each case. It, however, depends upon the current and future scenarios when the person feels the extreme need to behave in a particular order. According to Hume Lock’s theory of empiricism the child mind is a blank slate after he is born. He just starts to observe things when his mind becomes little bit old. But still the child doesn’t have any ability to differentiate between the things quickly. He first acknowledges difference between things and then tries to remember them. The object of family violence plays its part when the child starts to learn these behaviors and try to compare them with others in contexts of their results. This learning process binds these actions in his mind and produce intimidation. The intimidation is considered as the urge of something to do. This urge is the force that drives the child to implement those actions which he had learnt over time and time. Now when this intimidation gets extreme, the action follows (Pollak, 2004). The strength of the action will be less at first but the result might be satisfying for him thus providing him the strength to commit this again. These continuous steps will make the child habitual of these things and the interpretation of things and difference between good and bad become ineligible in the mental stature of the child. The intimidation process is then followed by reinforcement. The reinforcement is the final phase of the social learning theory where the mind of the person has become mature enough to stand by his rules and principles and actions which he first observed and then followed over the course of his. The string of these events has made the mind to do violent as a good act and the maturity of the man accepts these actions as inevitable to bring about a change in others as well. In order to clearly view the reasons of these violent activities we have to go through a number of research steps through the prison record checks and the information provided by various NGOs. This information depicts the facts that the family violence is caused by difference in mental statures of the two who are involved. The gender differences, the act of domination by male on his spouse, the financial and emotionally tensions and the mentality of the person of his childhood when he would have experienced such event and would have thought that it will be better off to get aggressive and make people agree by force rather than negotiations, thus providing a lot easier battleground to them to conquer (Pollak, 2004). The intergenerational transmission of family violence has made the problems to arise in whole of the America. There are very common cases of these events taking place on common basis. People get hurt physically without any reasons and the innocent children who grow up by being abused or watching get people abused try to implement these behaviors afterwards. In order to remove these kinds of violent activities it is imperative that the laws should be made more severe for those who are adult and also they have to provide a facility where they can control their aggression and should be treated for the change in behaviors. The children which have been affected by these events should be taken in for great care as to change their pattern of thinking process which could benefit them in their future lives. References Murrell, Amy R. Christoff, Karen A. & Henning, Kris R. (2007). Characteristics of Domestic Violence Offenders: Associations with Childhood Exposure to Violence. Springer Science + Business Media. Corvo, Kenneth. (2006). Violence, Separation, and Loss in the Families of Origin of Domestically Violent Men. Kernsmith, Poco. (2006). Gender Differences in the Impact of Family of Origin Violence on Perpetrators of Domestic Violence. Pollak, Robert A. (2004). An Intergenerational Model of Violence. Springer Verlag.

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing Essay

1. In the memoir the passage reveals Ritie’s self image. She characterizes herself as unappealing she does not see beauty within who she is. Ritie’s childhood led to her insecurities. When she was younger her parents took her to move with her grandparents. She believed her parents dishonored her. Ritie did not find her skin beautiful. She believed white was beauty. She was an uncomfortable in her own skin. She tried to become someone she is not because she knew how everyone view and felt about her. Since her childhood she received her appearance. Ritie kept her identity intact by not letting peoples judging and views influence her. 2. After years of separation Ritie’s relationship with her mother is respected. She respects her mother for who she is. Ritie sees her mother as a strong women, she knows her mother will also love her for who she is. Ritie admires her mother she looks up to her. Her love for her grandmother is more of mother daughter bond. Ritie’s role model is her grandmother and she is proud to say it. She sees her momma as a strong powerful person. She is tough but loving. Ritie’s wants to become like her grandmother, she loves her. 3. Maya knew she was different. She knew she did not fit in with the other girls in school. She did not feel that she was equal with everyone else she felt as she did not belong with the other children. She did not associate with anyone. She would isolate herself in a store. She barely socialized with any children. She stayed away from children her age even others. A comparison to race was when she was younger her tooth ached. The dentist was not willing to work with her. He was very racial and only worked with white patients. Ritie’s family copes with racism by not letting it affect them. They ignored, they maintained their dignity. 4. At the end of the memoir Ritie learns what might seem right to you will not always be viewed the same with others. For one to hare greatness they must go through obstacles. She learns everyone has the own definition on what is wrong and right. Ritie applies this when she had her baby she grew up and it gave her confidence in her baby. She always did what was best for her baby. 5. Why the Cage Bird sings shows that there is always a light at the end of a tunnel. When there’s darkness and disadvantages there is always hope to find your path. It shows they had to deal with negativity and racism but they took that and turned it into positive. The title relates they went through many struggles but in the end they can be free. 6. Adversity in the story delt with abandonment, racism, childhood trapped, unacceptance, also religion. In Mayas case she and her brother were sent to live with their momma in Stamps, Arkansas. She always had it in her mind that her parents were not alive. When she found out they were she had the feeling of abandonment she felt that they did not want her. When Mayas dad comes to get them she does not want to leave. She got use to Stamps. She overcomes her adversity by realizing her parents were going through a difficult situation. 7. Lessons can be learned about the South. Situations are never easy but you have to make the best of it. In life we are always going to struggle but we must stay strong and not let it get the best of us. There are always going to be people who judge you or don’t accept you. But if you know who you are and where you come from that’s all that matters. Another lesson is when should not try to be. Someone we are not we must appear ourselves because no one is perfect. We all have insecurities about ourselves but we should love who we are. Natasha De La Cruz Grade: 10 Title: â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† Author: Rudolph Anaya 1. During the World War 2 actions occurred in this novel. In the novel a women lost her sons due to the war. Gabriel had both of her sons fighting in the war which was also significant hat occurred was a veteran shoot Chavez because he was affected by the war. 2. The characters adapt to the landscape because of the family’s different life livings. Antonio had to live two different life styles. His mother’s families were simple farming people. It was easier for them to farm everything was more nourishing. His father’s family was rougher around the edges. They were more independent and the land was harder to work with. Both families had their own values. 3. A movie that relates to this novel is Ruby Bridges. Both Ruby and Antonio go through struggles in their life to make something out of them. The film is about a young six year old African American girl who had enough potential to get into a better school for a better education which was in an all Caucasian school. Around that time racism was still around. Ruby was the only African American girl in her class, which then led problems to the parents of the children in her class. No one accepted her in the new school except her teacher. Throughout the beginning she had faced crowds of white citizens against her physically and emotionally. One day she was encouraged by her teacher and her mother who gave her strength and she made it through. She became significantly important in the civil rights movement.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 92

Assignment Example Friedan wrote about the way American women who were housewives felt. They felt that they never defined themselves as to whom they were. The women felt that they had no career to identify themselves with; they needed to adjust their role as housewives. Cleaver argued that the White woman-Blackman sickness/problem needed to be brought to the open, dealt with and resolved (Cleaver 27). He concluded that, black men who had been brought up in America could experience the problem of not preferring their fellow black women, but instead prefer white women. He says that in the end, the black may feel as if he betrayed his race, and end up hating the white women. According to Friedan, the nameless problem was that of women housewives not defining whom they were, instead they engaged themselves in housewife business all the time. This problem made them seek medical intervention, only to find that the cure was adjusting their role as housewives (Friedan

Kellogg's business executive summary Research Paper

Kellogg's business executive summary - Research Paper Example There are many other external challenges which an organization faces apart from its internal challenges and problems. In order to conduct the study on organizational problems Kellogg’s has been chosen as the organization. There is no specific reason for choosing this organization but given its presence in the market for over a hundred years and a huge brand value will certainly help the cause. The study is aimed to provide more insights which determines and gives rise to some of the organizational problem and also to evaluate the required solutions for assisting the organization in the formation of a new strategy or a course of action. The report will highlight the problems that Kellogg’s has faced recently. Apart from this the report will also try to put some of the ways by which the problems can be sorted out. After the recommended plan it will be illustrating some of the techniques by which the proposed solutions can be implemented and further evaluated. After studyi ng the subject and conducting the required researches the key findings of the report are the problems which Kellogg’s is facing presently or has faced in the recent past. The problems are the common problems which an organization usually faces in their operations and some other specific issues. The significant issues which have been taken into are the rising cost of raw materials, reduces bargaining power, issues related to packaging and the traditional problem with competitors. Among the aforementioned issues this report will principally focus on the rising cost of raw materials. The report will also highlight the core reasons for which there is an increase in the price of raw materials. Now in order to get rid from the focused problem it has been recommended that Kellogg’s must have mutual contracts with their suppliers for pre booking the raw materials in the current market price by paying in advance. The company should also make sure that they purchase large amount of raw materials for availing discounts. The company must also focus on cutting down the cost of some superfluous factors which will help the company to strengthen its current financial position. Position Kellogg’s company along with its subsidiaries, is affianced in the production and marketing of ready to consume cereals and other convenience foods (Companydatabase n.d.). Kellogg’s was founded in the year 1906 by Will Keith Kellogg and John Harvey Kellogg in the name of ‘Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company’ (Kellogg’s n.d.). And the organization got renamed as Kellogg Company during the year 1922. The company is presently headquartered at Battle Creek, Michigan, USA. It is presently headed by David McKay. The company started its operation with only 44 employees but today it has made its presence in more than 180 countries around the world and manufactures in 18 countries (Kelloggcompany n.d.). In order to sell their product in the market the company uses brokers or distribution channels. They principally targets grocery shops for the distribution of products which are intended for the end users or the consumers. Some of the essential products of the company

Metanoia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Metanoia - Essay Example The notion â€Å"metanoia† literally means â€Å"change of mind† (Branch 55) and most widely is presented in the way that a person has a certain way of thinking and consideration of the phenomenon of the world and then something changes the way of thinking for good. This notion mostly concerns religious change of thinking. From the very beginning of a person’s religious path some acts can be called metanoic, for instance, it can be conversion into religion from atheistic point of view, or from another religion. The point is that metanoia requires a person to change one’s way of life according to the new understanding the person acquired from the act of metanoia (Clarkson 225). It is very important to divide different types of the notion â€Å"mind† considering metanoia. Dealing with spiritual realm we find that mind has certain gradation which is following. â€Å"Mind† as both intelligence and consciousness don’t really deal with metan oia in religious aspect. But â€Å"Mind† as spiritual intelligence (SQ) means the need of every human being to feel this life as something filled with meaning and spiritual power that rule everything (Powell n.pag.) and this kind of mind actually changes through the metanoic process. This means that metanoia works in changing of spirit which makes it totally existential even though some researches try to describe it as ethical process when a person realizes that one’s previous way of life was in some way unethical and decides to change it into a decent one (Friesen and Guhr 724). The difference between ethical and existential change (metanoic one) can be described through the famous biblical example from the Gospel of St. Mark, 10: 17-27. When a rich guy came to Jesus asking how he can reach the salvation, Jesus answered him that firstly he had to follow the God’s commandments and secondly he had to sell all his

How oil exploitation in Alberta affect local enviorment Essay

How oil exploitation in Alberta affect local enviorment - Essay Example Despite the benefits associated with the exploitation, the process has numerously adverse effects on the environment. To begin with, oil sand exploitation in the area affects the availability of water in the area. The whole process requires large volumes of water for the separation of sand and oil. Therefore, the whole process of extraction brings about a deficiency in water content in Alberta (Alvarez, 2013). The process of exploitation of oil in Alberta is associated with the introduction of harmful gases, as well as metals into the earth’s surface and atmosphere. Naturally occurring carbon dioxide and other harmful emission are exposed to the atmosphere during the exploitation. In addition, the exploitation process leads to the concentration of heavy metals such as nickel, mercury, copper and zinc, among many others in the area (Dusseault, 2002). Admittedly, the exploitation process is associated with deforestation. Normally, trees in the area are cleared before exploitation starts. In addition, the overburden top soil is removed from the area of exploitation so as to increase the accessibility of the oil sand. This whole process has a general effect of soil erosion in the area. The exploitation of oil in Alberta also affects aquatic life. Research revealed that there exist a relationship between deformity of fish embryos and their exposure to oil sands. Therefore, as much as the exploitation process takes root, the aquatic life in the area is exposed to the oil sands, thus affected (Dusseault, 2002). A research done in 2007 showed that wildlife and human beings had generally been affected by the exposure to the oil sands. For example, research done on moose revealed that the organisms had as much as 454 times the acceptable levels of arsenic in their body systems due to the exploitation process. Moreover, there have been great concerns about

Think Pink -The Musical and its Mise-en-Scene Essay

Think Pink -The Musical and its Mise-en-Scene - Essay Example The musical art is a complete cinematography of the different sociological issues in the mild tone with a zephyr of musical instruments. This extremely stylish piece of art is the mixture of Rock and Roll, soft and classical music. This classical Hollywood celebration filmmaking, in the name of sociological and ideological movement against drugs, during 50's and 60's, truly played its role in the musical reformation. This revolutionary piece of art, later set trends for different genres and established a foundations for multiple institutions in the society. The musician Twink, has contributed many other genres in this regard, which shows his level interest in this dimension. Twink, is basically an English Drummer, song writer and singer. He began his career in 1963 as with a band. Later, he had given few arts and musical performances in 1964 and 1965. The Think Pink is his first solo album with The Deviants, produced by Mick Farren . He started his work in the wake of psychedilc musi c movement to set new trend in the field of music genres. His contribution and ideology behind his work, also reflects his social ambitions behind his artistic efforts. He started his band with the name of The Fairies, later he joind the rythem and blues/soul music band, known by the name of In-Crowd. After few months the same band renamed as Tomorrow. Apart from music, Twink, is also a very good and talented actor also. Twink has truly gives one of his remarkable and outstanding performance in this unique work. His stylish blend of mixing east and west to highlight socilogical issues in the backdrop of this musical film is unmatched. This film projects the sociological and emotional intensity, through the sound into the soul of the present pop genre environment. It brings the blend of different music styles, both eastern and western, along with the different themes and melodious classical tracks. The 37 Minutes and 37 seconds, film clearly portrays the new revolutionary sense of music. The music is simple, thematic, rhythmic and beautifully composed. The lyrics are very well written. The film has tried its level best to impart the sociological awareness and food for the relaxation of minds. Twink has composed all the tracks, with the help of Took. The musical film is composed of ten tracks including; "The coming of the Other One" (Twink) - 2:23, "Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box" (Twink/Wood) - 4:31, "Dawn of Majic" (Twink) - 1:43, "Tiptoe on the Highest Hill" (Twink) - 5:23, "Fluid" (Twink) - 4:04, "Mexican Grass War" (Twink) - 5:29, "Rock and Roll the Join" (Twink) - 2:46, "Suicide" (Twink) - 4:26, "Three Little Piggies" (Took/Twink) - 3:15, "The Sparrow Is a Sign" (Took/Twink) - 2:23. The tracks depicts the different musical styles using various musical instruments like Drums, Keyboards, Guitars etc in order to highlight social awarness in the elegant and unique style. In addition to that, the tracks also project the awarness on the dark side of social problems like drugs and suicide. The tracks are manifested with unique and stylish mixture of music instruments to influence the minds of the audience. The tracks also used beautiful and thought provoking lyrics, which induce the audience to relax and enjoy

VALUE OF HUMAN CAPITAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

VALUE OF HUMAN CAPITAL - Essay Example The accountants continue to ignore the value of human capital and stick to the age-old theory of ratio analysis and interpretation of financial statements. Ironically, these too are fraught with errors and can be easily manipulated to deceive the stakeholders. The happenings at Enron are well known when all they were concerned was with maximizing shareholder value and hence they hid debts and overemphasized profits (Gardner, 2006). Dubious accounts were passed and the account that was presented to the public was fraught with discrepancies. At WorldCom the company’s profits were artificially boosted and costs were considered as capital investment, on which they even claimed depreciation (Bhattacharya, 2004). All these helped the company to sustain its apparently smooth and rapid earning growth. The stock prices were artificially escalated and the company loan was used to buy personal properties. Several such instances can be found round the world and such manipulation is possible only with the connivance of the auditors or the accountants. Human capital has become important as it is the source of innovation and strategy. Human capital is the combination of genetic inheritance, education, experience and attitude towards life and business (Bontis and Fitz-enz, 2002). Tacit knowledge is acquired by interacting with others and is connected to life’s experiences. This tacit knowledge has to be converted and retained within the organization so that they can compete in the knowledge-based economy (Marwick, 2001). Human capital adds value, is not substitutable and leads to sustained competitive advantage. At Microsoft, human capital is the greatest asset, is demonstrated by the fact that they form teams to accelerate design and test new software modules. They invest in people and technology and they have learnt how to share knowledge rapidly through out the organization (Edmondson, 2003). They

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Essay Example for Free

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Essay The geriatric assessment is a multidimensional, multidisciplinary diagnostic instrument designed to collect data on the medical, psychosocial and functional capabilities and limitations of elderly patients. Various geriatric practitioners use the information generated to develop treatment and long-term follow-up plans, arrange for primary care and rehabilitative services, organize and facilitate the intricate process of case management, determine long-term care requirements and optimal placement, and make the best use of health care resources. The geriatric assessment differs from a standard medical evaluation in three general ways: (1) it focuses on elderly individuals with complex problems, (2) it emphasizes functional status and quality of life, and (3) it frequently takes advantage of an interdisciplinary team of providers. Whereas the standard medical evaluation works reasonably well in most other populations, it tends to miss some of the most prevalent problems faced by the elder patient. These challenges, often referred to as the Five Is of Geriatrics, include intellectual impairment, immobility, instability, incontinence and iatrogenic disorders. The geriatric assessment effectively addresses these and many other areas of geriatric care that are crucial to the successful treatment and prevention of disease and disability in older people. Performing a comprehensive assessment is an ambitious undertaking. Below is a list of the areas geriatric providers may choose to assess: †¢ Current symptoms and illnesses and their functional impact. †¢ Current medications, their indications and effects. †¢ Relevant past illnesses. †¢ Recent and impending life changes. †¢ Objective measure of overall personal and social functionality. †¢ Current and future living environment and its appropriateness to function and prognosis. †¢ Family situation and availability. †¢ Current caregiver network including its deficiencies and potential. †¢ Objective measure of cognitive status. †¢ Objective assessment of mobility and balance. †¢ Rehabilitative status and prognosis if ill or disabled. †¢ Current emotional health and substance abuse. †¢ Nutritional status and needs. †¢ Disease risk factors, screening status, and health promotion activities. †¢ Services required and received. The primary care physician or community health worker usually initiates an assessment when he or she detects a potential problem. Like any effective medical evaluation, the geriatric assessment needs to be sufficiently flexible in scope and adaptable in content to serve a wide range of patients. A complete geriatric assessment, performed by multiple personnel over many encounters, is best suited for elders with multiple medical problems and significant functional limitations. Ideally, under these circumstances, an interdisciplinary team representing medicine, psychiatry, social work, nutrition, physical and occupational therapy and others performs a detailed assessment, analyzes the information, devises an intervention strategy, initiates treatment, and follows-up on the patients progress. Due to the intricate nature of comprehensive assessments, many teams designate a case-manager or caseworker to coordinate the entire effort. Most assessments take place in medical offices and inpatient units over multiple visits. If at all possible, however, at least one member of the team (rarely the physician) will attempt to visit the patient at home. Despite the problem of low or no reimbursement, the typically high-yield of information from even a single home visit makes it an extremely efficient use of resources. Most geriatric assessments, performed under the constraints of time and money, tend to be less comprehensive and more directed. Although such modifications are best suited to relatively high-functioning elders living in the community, many practitioners find some version of a directed geriatric assessment to be a more realistic tool in a busy practice. Patient-driven assessment instruments are also popular among geriatricians. Asking patients to complete questionnaires and perform specific tasks not  only saves time, but also it provides useful insight into their motivation and cognitive ability. To the extent that patients are unable to complete the assessment themselves, practitioners resort to traditional patient interview techniques that frequently involve input from a family member or other caregiver. During your upcoming site visits, you will perform a directed geriatric assessment (DGA), ideally with the same patient, over two sessions. In the interest of education, most of your DGA instruments are student-driven, rather than patient-driven, and require relatively little information from caregivers who may or may not be available at the time of your visit. We have divided the DGA in two parts, each with three subsections. In Part I, you will perform an expanded medical interview covering the clinical history, nutritional assessment and a social evaluation. In Part II, you will perform neuropsychiatric, physical and functional examinations. What follows is a reproduction of the History and Physical (HP) format that you will use in your Physical Diagnosis II course next semester. Although all geriatric practitioners do not use a standard assessment format (comprehensive or otherwise), most agree on basic content. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (history examination) following the Physical Diagnosis outline covers the most significant content areas of a prototypical geriatric assessment. As you can see, it moves well beyond the standard HP, which is precisely the point. We have designed it to correlate as closely as possible with the history and physical you will be learning later this year. It is to your considerable advantage to review this information before meeting your patients face-to-face on the site visits. The DGA instrument you will use during your encounter immediately follows this section.

Stereotype Threat Is A Phenomenon Psychology Essay

Stereotype Threat Is A Phenomenon Psychology Essay Membership in a stereotyped group is the one condition that must always be present in order for stereotype threat to occur. Everyone is a member of at least one stereotyped group, and is vulnerable to being affected by stereotype threat in different situations. Although greatly contested, women and members of ethnic minorities are not the only groups affected by stereotype threat. Research on stereotype threat has shown that a diverse set of groups can be affected by stereotype threat. Aronson, Lustina, Good, Keough, Steele, and Brown (1999) showed that White males performed worse on a math test when the performance of Asians in mathematics was made salient. In this context, White males are part of the stereotyped group because of the stereotype that White males are worse at math than Asian males. Individuals Who Identify Strongly With Groups Certain individuals are more vulnerable to stereotype threat than others because their memberships are salient to them in many situations. These individuals strongly identify with groups which use gender or ethnicity as inclusive criteria. This strong identification with groups can make stereotypes chronically accessible (what does this mean?). In turn, they will increase stereotype threat more often and in varying situations. Whereas certain individuals need to have their stereotyped group membership made salient, these individuals are always aware of their stereotypes. Marx, Stapel and Muller (2005) found that the performance of women on a math test was inversely proportionate to the degree to which their gender was emphasized. Cole, Matheson and Anisman (2007) found similar results. Higher ethnic identification predicted greater psychological distress and poorer performance for minority students in their first year of college. Stereotype Belief and Knowledge Though stereotype threat can arise in situations where the person is unconsciously aware of the stereotype, it is more easily processed when the person is aware or knowledgeable of the stereotype. Since adults are usually aware of many stereotypes, McKown and Weinstein (2003) conducted a study that examined the knowledge of stereotypes by children and its effects on their performance in domains that produce stereotype threat in adults. The researchers found that children who were aware of stereotypes were more likely to show effects of stereotype threat. Belief of stereotypes is another factor that affects the degree to which a stereotype threat is experienced. In a study by Schmader, Johns, and Barquissau (2004), women who endorsed gender stereotypes about womens math ability did worse on a task in the stereotyped domain when under stereotype threat more so than their counterparts who did not endorse a gender stereotype. Consequences of Stereotype Threat Decreased Performance on Tasks Test performance in academic settings is the context in which most stereotype threat research is conducted. Cole, Matheson and Anisman (2007) found that ethnic minority students at a predominantly White Canadian institution showed increased levels of anxiety and depression compared to the White students, and had lower grades at the end of the school year. Scores on Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) task, a task that has been described as being a pure measure of cognitive ability and culture-free, have been shown to be affected by stereotype threat (Brown Day, 2006). Performance on tasks in other domains has also been affected by stereotype threat. Undergraduate female golfers performed more poorly when the stereotype of females being poor golfers was purported either subtly or blatantly (Stone McWhinnie, 2008). The reason for reduced performance when under stereotype threat has been attributed to factors such as anxiety (Max Stropel, 2006), physiological arousal (Blascovic h et al., 2001) and reduced working memory capacity (Schmader and Johns, 2003). Changes in Appraisal of Situations When faced with stereotype threat, individuals use different strategies to account for lapses in their performance. Some individuals attribute internal reasons/causes as to why they failed the task. In a study by Koch, MÃ ¼ller, and Sieverding (2008), participants were asked to find a document on a computer and save it to an external storage device. Participants were told that women perform worse on the task than men (stereotype threat condition for women) or that women perform better on the task than men (stereotype threat condition for men). Women in the stereotype threat condition were more likely to make internal attributions for their failures than men in the same experiment. Self-handicapping is another strategy used by individuals affected by stereotype threat. These individuals erect barriers to performance in order to provide attributions for their failure (Stone, 2002). A specific type of self handicapping is task discounting. Tasks are critiqued in some way in order to ex plain poor performance. A study by Lesko and Corpus (2006) found that women who were taking part in a math task and under stereotype threat were more likely to agree with statements such as this test is not an accurate measurement of my math ability. Reducing Stereotype Threat Reframing the Task Stereotype threat can arise when task descriptions or test instructions make threatened identities and negative stereotypes more accessible. Ergo, stereotype threat can be reduced by reframing a task in such a way that stereotypes are not invoked or made salient. Steele and Aronson (1995) were able to reduce stereotype threat by explicitly stating that a test was not diagnostic in nature. Though this strategy is unrealistic in regular testing situations, other task reframing methods have been shown to be equally effective. Gender stereotypes are common, and affect the performance of women in stereotyped domains (Spencer, Steele Quinn, 1999). However, gender stereotypes and their subsequent effect on test performance can be reduced by reframing the task. For example, Spencer, Steele and Quinn (1999) showed that when both male and female participants completed a mathematics test and were told that there would be gender differences, the males outperformed the females. Contrarily, when the task was reframed and the participants were told that there would be no gender differences, the scores of the male and female participants were equivalent. Another task reframing strategy is addressing the fairness of the task. Good, Aronson and Harder (2008) were able to reduce stereotype threat present on a mathematical ability test by assuring the test takers that this mathematics test has not shown any gender differences in performance or mathematics ability. Even the though the tests outlined in the above studies were diagnostic in nature, reframing the tasks was able to negate potential stereotype threat effects. Task reframing strategies can be employed by testing agencies in order to reduce the potential effects of stereotype threat, which can affect the scores of test takers belonging to certain demographics on standardized tests. De-emphasizing Threatened Identities Stereotype threat can be reduced in situations where the threatened social identities are made less salient. Threatened social identities can consist of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other domains that are often stereotyped. Stricker and Ward (2004) conducted field studies that examined the effects of asking about ethnicity prior to Advanced Placement (AP) calculus exams. A re-analysis of their data by Danaher and Crandall (2008) found that soliciting identity information at the end of the exam decreased sex differences in test scores by 33% compared to when identity questions were asked at the beginning of the exam. Danaher and Crandall concluded that if the demographic questions were asked at the end of AP calculus exams, 4700 additional female students would receive a credit annually. Stereotype threat can also be reduced if individuals are encouraged to think in ways that reduce the significance of the threatened identity. Ambady, Paik, Steele, Owen-Smith and Mitchell (2004) found that when women were individuated by having aspects of the self made more salient, they performed better on a difficult math test than women who were not individuated. The researchers concluded that individuation allows individuals to distance themselves from the threatened social identity. Emphasizing the similarities between groups has also been shown to reduce stereotype threat. Rosenthal, Crisp and Sue (2007) found that generating similarities between men and women in academic settings led to higher performance expectations and improved performance by women in a stereotyped domain. Rosenthal, Crisp and Sue (2007) selected mathematical ability as the stereotyped domain in which similarities between ingroup and outgroup employment strategies would be tested. Individuals with multiple social identities have a low risk of being affected by stereotype threat. Gresky, Ten Eyck, Lord and McIntyre (2005) examined the role of multiple social identities in undergraduate university students. The participants were instructed to answer questions from what was supposedly a new version of the GRE math exam. Stereotype treat was induced by informing the participants that men usually outperform women on math tests. The participants were then split into three conditions. Before the math test, some subjects were instructed to create a simple self-concept map whereas others were instructed to create a complex self-concept map. Subjects in the control condition did not create a self-concept map. The female participants who did not create a self-concept map or created a simple self-concept map performed poorly on the math test whereas the female participants who were instructed to create a complex self-concept map were unaffected by the stereotype threat ma nipulation. Creating self-concept maps did not have an effect on the scores of the male participants, presumably because they were not affected by the stereotype threat manipulation. Consequently, encouraging stereotype threatened individuals to think of themselves as multifaceted individuals reduces vulnerability to stereotype threat effects. Though all people have multiple identities, some are more vulnerable to stereotype threat than others. This can be explained by the fact that different social identities are highlighted to different degrees in individuals. Having stereotyped social identities that are easily highlighted (not the right word) increases the vulnerability of an individual to stereotype threat. Mcglone and Aronson (2006) demonstrated this effect by instructing participants to complete the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test (VMRT) in varying conditions of identity salience. This salience was achieved by having participants complete questionnaires that highlighted different social identities. For the male participants, performance on the VMRT was best when gender was made salient and worst when their status as citizens of the Northeast was made salient. The female participants performed the best when their college identity was made salient and performed the worst when their gender was emphasized. Affirming Self-Worth Stereotype threat acts on an individuals fear of confirming negative stereotypes (Steele Aronson, 1995). Self-affirmation can be used as a strategy to protect the self from perceived threats. Self-worth can be increased by encouraging people to think about characteristics, roles and skills that they are proud of or view as important. Schimel, Arndt, Banko and Cook (2004) examined whether self-affirmation and affirming self-worth can protect individuals from stereotype threat. Before completing a math test, female participants were randomly assigned sentence fragments to complete that provided either intrinsic affirmation, extrinsic affirmation or no affirmation. The participants were also placed in either a stereotype threat or control condition. The researchers found that women in the stereotype threat condition who reaffirmed their self worth by completing the sentence fragments that provided intrinsic motivation performed better on the exam in the stereotype threat condition than in the control condition. Conversely, women in the stereotype threat condition who extrinsically self-affirmed performed worse in the stereotype threat condition compared to the control condition. Cohen, Garcia, Apfel and Master (2006) came to similar conclusions when studying seventh grade students in racially diverse middle schools. Students were assigned to self-affirmation conditions and no self-affirmation conditions. The students in the self-affirmation condition were instructed to write an essay that indicated values that were important to them and why they were important to them. Students who did not self-affirm were instructed to write an essay about their least important values and why they were not important. The researchers found that African-American students in the self-affirmation condition performed 0.3 grade points better over the semester compared to African-American students who did not self-affirm. These results are notable because African-American students are the demographic that is usually most affected by stereotype threat in academic settings. As a result, enhancing the individuals internal coping capacity through providing affirmation has shown to improve the performance of individuals that are most susceptible to stereotype threat. Providing Role Models Individuals who focus on outgroup members who perform well on a specific domain have a negative effect on their performance on tasks from that domain. Huguet and RÃ ©gner (2007) showed that the performance of female participants on a math test in a mixed environment was negatively affected by their thoughts about males who performed well in mathematics. This type of stereotype threat effect can be reduced by providing ingroup role models that are proficient in a specific domain. Marx and Roman (2002) examined this effect by providing females with role models who were competent in math. Male and female participants were given a difficult math test to complete. When the experimenter was a male, the female participants performed poorer on the exam than the male participants. However, when the test was administered by a female who embodied subject confidence, the female participants performed equally as well as the male participants. The role models provided do not need to be present in order to reduce stereotype threat. Various studies have shown that stereotype threat can be reduced by providing role models through priming. McIntyre et al. (2005) examined the relation between exposure to positive role models through priming and reduction of stereotype threat effects. Undergraduate students were asked to participate in two studies, and were told that women perform worse than men on math tests. The researchers also manipulated the tasks by having the participants read anywhere from 0-4 essays describing successful women. The researchers found that the performance of the female participants increased as the number of essay read increased, supporting the finding that providing role models decreases stereotype threat effect. Attributing Difficulties to External Factors The effects of stereotype threat can be reduced if difficulties on tasks are attributed to external factors rather than the self. Ben-Zeev, Fein, and Inzlicht (2005) illustrated the effect of attributing difficulties to external factors on stereotype threat. Women who identified highly with mathematics completed a math test in the presence of either 2 males (stereotype threat condition) or 2 females (control condition). Participants were also shown a subliminal noise generator before the test. They were told that the machine would either increase arousal and heart rate or that it would not produce any adverse effects. The female participants in the stereotype threat condition performed worse on the math test only when they were told that the subliminal noise generator would not produce any adverse effects. The participants who were told that the machine would increase arousal attributed their difficulties to the noise generator, and did not experience stereotype threat effects. Provi ding subliminal noise generators are not practical in normal testing situations. However, recent studies have used different techniques to produce the same effect. Johns, Inzlict and Schmader (2008) eliminated stereotype threat effect by telling individuals under stereotype threat conditions that the anxious feelings they were experiencing would not hinder their performance, and might even improve their performance. Attributing difficulties to external factors is a strategy that can be utilized effectively in order to reduce stereotype threat. Conclusion Stereotype threat is highly pervasive and is not restricted to people with certain characteristics or backgrounds. Although it can affect anyone, certain individuals are more susceptible to the effects of stereotype threat than others. The effects of stereotype threat make it a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The literature has revealed that although stereotype threat cannot be completely eliminated, certain cognitive reappraisal strategies can help reduce or attenuate its effects. These strategies include reframing tasks, providing role models, providing external attributions for difficulties and deemphasizing threatened social identities. These strategies have been shown to be effective, and should be considered in situations where stereotype threat is known to be present.

Zara Competitive Advantage Essay

Zara Competitive Advantage Essay There is a tough competition in clothing retailers. Who has a competitive advantage in clothing retailing will be the winner. Competitive Advantage refers to a companys profit and market share. Offshore supply is one of the processes, which is used generally by clothing retailers to accomplish low labour cost, as the apparel industry is still labour concentrated industry. The supply chain in the apparel industry is compound and lengthy. Barbee and Carlyle (1999,p.85-87) states that the supply chain encompasses all activities associated with the flow and manufacturing of goods, from raw material stage through to the end user, as well as associated information flow. The longer the supply chain the additional complicated it is to handle and the more a company relay on long-range forecasts. Challenging consumers and competitive retailing have produced stress to take action with multiple refreshes per season. The focal point is on replenishment of the exact styles, designs and colors that are selling well, whilst reducing, changing or abandoning those that turn out to be less popular than forecast. This decreases the difficulty of marking down the price of less popular clothing that fails to sell in the forecasted volumes. This trend, when taken to the extreme of compressing design times, multiple refreshes, coupled with very quick response from the supply base, and all done at low cost, describes the so-called Fast Fashion market.( Nebahat Tokatli,2007) Solomon and Robolt(2004) define Fashion as a style that is acknowledged by a great group of people at the given time. They also separate fashion into four catalogues: High Fashion (Couture) Moderate Fashion Budget Fashion Mass Fashion Fashion Life cycle contains the introduction acceptance, culmination and decline of the acceptance of a certain style. The Fashion cycle is not meant for long time, it changes in very short period. It is not compulsory that to introduce fashion and try to encourage consumers buying behavior before the decline stage is very important Fast Fashion as a conception helps to take the market and attract consumer earlier than other competitor by dropping the lead-time in supply chain. CONCEPT OF FAST FASHION: The techniques companies put into practice to reduce the time gap between designing the product and the time of consumption, through product and moving away from the considered seasonal basis called Fast Fashion. It examined that the expansion of fast fashion formulas become visible indicative from a production-driven market to a market-driven characterization of the apparel sector. It is not compulsory that fast fashion is a multipart process, which involves forecast, design, effective supply chain and transportation. Best Practice as the aptitude to do things in the well-organized manner. In other words it is a way of bring about a business function or process that is well thought-out to be greater to all other known methods (Kurian,2004). From past few years, organization attempted to build up their own supply chain strategies to continue to exist in such a ferociously competitive market. There are some organizations who come up with new concepts, which help them to gain competiti ve advantages over the rest of its competitors, such as Vendor Managed Inventory, Quick Respond manufacturing, Collaborative panning, Forecasting and Replenishment, Continuous Replenishment, Efficient Consumer Response, and Just-in Time Production. It recommended that a few particular best practices relating to the study of fast fashion are: Consumer Demand and Response Supply Chain Just In Time Quick Respond Forecasting and Continuous Replenishment Effective Distribution and Transport System In recent times, Zara, a most important international clothing retailer and break new ground of fast fashion principles, held in reserve almost half of its production in Spain and Portugal, earning the reputation of being one of the exceptions to globalization. Since the 1980s, the subsistence of such exceptions has been fueling an expectation that the manufacture of high-quality fashion garments and tailored suits would stay behind in the industrialized core. Here I return to this anticipation in the brightness of the modern seminal change in the culture of fashion from ready-to-wear to fast fashion, and description that the greater than before multiplicity and fashion capability associated with fast fashion, represented by Zara, have tilted the steadiness of competitive advantage towards, rather than away from, firms in partially industrialized countries. As a number of supplier firms in countries such as Morocco, India and Turkey have gained the competence to manufacture intricate ly worked high-quality garments with the compulsory elasticity and speed, Zara has turned to sourcing from these countries. ZARA The clothing sector is fundamental to the world economy. HISTORY Zara is subsidiary of Inditex group Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega, owns the Inditex group and Inditex group owns the following brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqà ¼e, Stradivarius and Bershka. Amancio Ortega is well known Galician fashion designer. According to Forbes ranking in 2009 Amancio Ortega was ranked as 10th richest man in world and top Ranked as a richest man in Spain. He was born on March 28, 1936 in Leon, Spain. He started working as delivery boy when he was 13 year old for a shirt-maker in Galicia. During the learning period of his carrier, he realize and learned the how product and cost changes. While travelling from manufacturer to the customer. In addition, the outcome was he become more focused on the importance of getting product directly to the consumer without middle man. When he become manager of local clothing company that time he found that only wealthy individuals could afford to purchase qualitative product. Therefore, Ortega started manufacturing his own product. He started buying cheaper fabric and selling good quality. Amancio Ortega founded his own company called Confecciones Goa at the age of 27, in 1963. Especially for fine bathrobes. After that, he continued manufacturing his own companies, then open first retail shop in 1975 known as Zara. ZARA started changing the design, manufacturing and distribution process to reduce lead times and react to new trends in a quicker way that was there plus point, called instant fashions. (Chiara Pirone,2010) Product Life Cycle The product life cycle ideally follows four main steps: Birth Growth Maturity Decline Generally, a typical Product Life Cycle Curve looks like the one given in the diagram where Sales decreases as the product moves over the time line. Zaras product life cycle also follows the four basic steps but the timeline of the product in the life cycle is very different. The organization operates in fashion industry and the changes pertaining to consumers taste is very high. Therefore, the life of the trend or design is of maximum 5-6 weeks. The following figure depicts the Zaras product life cycle. Key Factors of Success The organization focuses on following factors which are their success factors: They have short lead time i.e. the clothes stay in the store for less time which in turn provides them opportunity with more and more fashionable clothes. They manufacture clothes in low quantity and supply them scarcely which clearly states that the demand for the clothes is always high. Due to short lead time they can manufacture variety of choices, variety of styles and the success ratio increases. RATE OF PRODUCT CHANGES IN FAST FASHION FOR EXAMPLE ZARA: Zara can move from recognizing a trend to including clothes in its stores within 30 days, it means that Zara can identify and catch fashion trend. Catching fashion until the time it is hot is a clear happening at full prices and less discounts. Zara progresses in stair with its customers. Zaras machinery can respond to the statement right away and 51produce a response in conditions of a new style or a modification within 2-4 weeks. By dropping the amount manufactured in each style, Zara decreases its exposure to any particular product. The additional advantage of lower quantities is that if a style does not work well, there wills minimum stock to disposed during the season-end sale. Zara discounts only about 18% of its making, approximately half the levels of competitors. Instead of additional quantities per style, Zara produces extra styles, roughly 12,000 a year. So, that style sells out more fast and there are more new styles which are already waiting to come out. Re-orders are un usual the stores look fresh every 3-4 days. Fresh manufacture, moving in step with the fashion trend and updated regularly the ingredients are just right to create the sweet smell of success. Fast Fashion strategy in Zara: Zara typically has three sections women wear, men wear and kids wear. Most of its stores were located on downtown in big cities and were characterized by large windows with modest fittings. The company position itself as contemporary fashion of medium quality at a good price(Dandrea and Arnold,2002). In order to take extra market shares in such a full of rivalry situation, Zara introduced sequential policy of way of products: Convert latest fashion into products quickly and completely in order to satisfy consumers. Zara gets a competitive advantage by offering customer stylish clothes at inexpensive prices. A team of 200 designers is accountable for turning the latest fashion into products. The collection was converted every year with 11,000 dissimilar items. In order to collect the latest fashion information, the company employed a team of trend-spotters, who travel around the world in search of new designs (Dandrea and Arnold,2002). Thus, Zaras products are suitable for consumers vary different background and taste. Continue to introduction new products in small quantities, ironically in very high speed. New products were trialed at certain stores before entering full-run production to keep failures in the full range at a rate of 1 %( Dandrea and Arnold,2002). Reduce the usual cost associated with running out of any particular item. Because the company believes that empty racks do not drive customers to other stores while stimulating them to choose from new things. Furthermore, consumers will buy more and immediately due to rapidly changing trends. As a result, Zara has increased sales and avoided costly overproduction. Zara would plan a core collection each season, constituting approximately 50% of its forecast requirements. The remaining 50%, some 10,000 items, were sourced opportunistically according to demand trends during the season and could be at any store in two weeks. Some accessories such as handbags, jewelry, shoes, thus increasing sales. CONCLUSION Zara has up and down integrated all its processes. By applying a fast fashion strategy, Zara have accomplished a unexpected increase in profits and market share. By accept the fast fashion strategy the company has been able to decrease its make down sale to 15 to 20%. In contrast, the traditional industrys average is 30 to 40%. It has been examined to be the best way to help organization achieve competitive advantages. Such best performs help Zara establish an extraordinary supply chain and become the leader of in supply chain management. The practice of implementation of fast fashion has a few advantages Quick response, reduced account and forecasting, errors, shortened lead times and reduced transportation costs. In few years, as other main competitors such as GAP, HM , Marks Spencer (MS) have experienced a difficult period due to low income and with drawls from overseas markets, Zara has maintained a continual growth in sales.

Pi Essay -- essays research papers

The area of a circle is one of the first formulas that you learn as a young math student. It is simply taught as, . There is no explanation as to why the area of a circle is this arbitrary formula. As it turns out the area of a circle is not an easy task to figure out by your self. Early mathematicians knew that area was, in general to four sided polygons, length times width. But a circle was different, it could not be simply divided into length and width for it had no sides. As it turns out, finding the measurement to be squared was not difficult as it was the radius of the circle. There was another aspect of the circle though that has led one of the greatest mathematical voyages ever launched, the search of Pi. One of the first ever documented estimates for the area of a circle was found in Egypt on a paper known as the Rhind Papyrus around the time of 1650 BCE. The paper itself was a copy of an older â€Å"book† written between 2000 and 1800 BCE and some of the information contained in that writing might have been handed down by Imhotep, the man who supervised the building of the pyramids. The paper, copied by the scribe named Ahmes, has 84 problems on it and their solutions. On the paper, in problem number 50 he wrote; â€Å"Cut off 1/9 of a diameter and construct a square upon the remainder; this has the same area as a circle.† Given that we already know that the area of a circle is we find that the early Egyptian estimate for the area of a circle was which simplified to or 3.16049†¦ Though, the papyrus does not go into detail as to how Ahmes derived this estimate. This estimate for Pi given by the ancient Egyptians is less than 1% off of the true value of Pi. Given, there was no standard of measurement in that day and they also had no tools to aid them in such calculations such as compasses or measuring tapes, this is an amazingly accurate value for Pi and the area of a circle. Another early attempt at the area of a circle is found in the Bible. In the old testament within the book of Kings Vii.23 and also in Chronicles iv.2 a statement is made that says; â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was round all about and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.† From this verse, we come to the conclusion that Pi is 30/10 or simply 3. The book of Kings was edited around the time of 550 BCE. Mu... ...ct, the rest of the mathematical world doesn’t dare question their founding mathematicians, and that they alone, the cyclometer, have discovered the true value of Pi. One circle squarer even went so far as to submit a law in his home state of Indiana that his value of Pi be used as the legal value of Pi. It was passed, but to this day awaits further legislation in regard to its factuality. In the end, there is still an ongoing search for the true area of a Circle in continued research of the number Pi. Scientists today have reached a record number of decimals of Pi to 206,158,430,000 using a Hitachi Supercomputer. The calculation took 37 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds. Using the latest calculation for Pi, if you were to assemble a circle a million miles in diameter, the circle would be less than an inch off. But why the pursuit of a solution that will never end? For many, being that there are no perfect circles even in nature, the perfect circle is an unattainable goal to seek. Through the adventure of discovering new aspects about the circle, other insights may be revealed. The mystery of the circle is an endless pursuit, but for mathematicians, it is the pursuit of perfection. Pi Essay -- essays research papers The area of a circle is one of the first formulas that you learn as a young math student. It is simply taught as, . There is no explanation as to why the area of a circle is this arbitrary formula. As it turns out the area of a circle is not an easy task to figure out by your self. Early mathematicians knew that area was, in general to four sided polygons, length times width. But a circle was different, it could not be simply divided into length and width for it had no sides. As it turns out, finding the measurement to be squared was not difficult as it was the radius of the circle. There was another aspect of the circle though that has led one of the greatest mathematical voyages ever launched, the search of Pi. One of the first ever documented estimates for the area of a circle was found in Egypt on a paper known as the Rhind Papyrus around the time of 1650 BCE. The paper itself was a copy of an older â€Å"book† written between 2000 and 1800 BCE and some of the information contained in that writing might have been handed down by Imhotep, the man who supervised the building of the pyramids. The paper, copied by the scribe named Ahmes, has 84 problems on it and their solutions. On the paper, in problem number 50 he wrote; â€Å"Cut off 1/9 of a diameter and construct a square upon the remainder; this has the same area as a circle.† Given that we already know that the area of a circle is we find that the early Egyptian estimate for the area of a circle was which simplified to or 3.16049†¦ Though, the papyrus does not go into detail as to how Ahmes derived this estimate. This estimate for Pi given by the ancient Egyptians is less than 1% off of the true value of Pi. Given, there was no standard of measurement in that day and they also had no tools to aid them in such calculations such as compasses or measuring tapes, this is an amazingly accurate value for Pi and the area of a circle. Another early attempt at the area of a circle is found in the Bible. In the old testament within the book of Kings Vii.23 and also in Chronicles iv.2 a statement is made that says; â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was round all about and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.† From this verse, we come to the conclusion that Pi is 30/10 or simply 3. The book of Kings was edited around the time of 550 BCE. Mu... ...ct, the rest of the mathematical world doesn’t dare question their founding mathematicians, and that they alone, the cyclometer, have discovered the true value of Pi. One circle squarer even went so far as to submit a law in his home state of Indiana that his value of Pi be used as the legal value of Pi. It was passed, but to this day awaits further legislation in regard to its factuality. In the end, there is still an ongoing search for the true area of a Circle in continued research of the number Pi. Scientists today have reached a record number of decimals of Pi to 206,158,430,000 using a Hitachi Supercomputer. The calculation took 37 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds. Using the latest calculation for Pi, if you were to assemble a circle a million miles in diameter, the circle would be less than an inch off. But why the pursuit of a solution that will never end? For many, being that there are no perfect circles even in nature, the perfect circle is an unattainable goal to seek. Through the adventure of discovering new aspects about the circle, other insights may be revealed. The mystery of the circle is an endless pursuit, but for mathematicians, it is the pursuit of perfection.

Making a Connection in Thos Pynchons The Crying of Lot 49 Essay

Making a Connection in The Crying of Lot 49      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For as long as I could read comprehensively, I have always believed that great writing centered around well written stories that would both provide a certain measure of unaffected pleasure, as well as challenge the readers perception of the world at large; both within and outside of the sphere of its prose. Thomas Pynchons' The Crying of Lot 49 encompasses both of those requirements; by enfolding his readers, through a variety of means, within the intricate workings of his narrative. It centers around would be heroine Oedipa Maas, a practical but somewhat restless woman, who's life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has been made executor of the estate of old flame and entrepreneur Pierce Inverarity. When she is imposed upon to travel to the fictional city of San Narcisco, where Inverarity is said to have numerous real estate holdings, in order to carry out her task, Oedipa stumbles upon a muted post horn; the first of many clues leading h er deep into the impenetrable conspiracy surrounding Trystero, an underground postal system shrouded in mystery and intrigue; opening her eyes to an alternative way of life. This post modern work of literature infuses dark humor and irony instigating a metamorphosis of intellectually challenging material; subsequently luring us, his readers who have unknowingly become a part of the conspiracy, into the methodical chaos of The Crying of Lot 49.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Well known for incorporating the basic ideas of philosophy and physics into all of his writings, Pynchon states that the "measure of the world is its entropy" (The Grim Phoenix, pg.2); an assertion that extends into the worlds he has created within th... ...te of the fact that this book accomplished its task, which I am supposing was to challenge my perceptions and reawaken some innate sense of self realization within me; to borrow the words of another, after enduring the torture of Pynchon's text for seven straight days my final assessment leads me to conclude that the covers of this book are too far apart.          Sources Cited: Plater, William M.   The Grim Phoenix:   Reconstructing Thomas Pynchon.   Bloomington:   Indiana UP, 1978 Tanner, Tony.   Thomas Pynchon.   London: Metheun, 1982.    Sources Consulted:    Johnstone, John. "Toward the Schizo-Text: Paranoia as Semiotic Regime in The Crying of Lot 49." New Essays on The Crying of Lot 49. Ed., Patrick O'Donnell. Cambridge UP, 1991. 47-78.    O'Donnell, Patrick.   Ed., New Essays on The Crying of Lot 49.. Cambridge UP, 1991.