International Corporate and Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

International Corporate and Contract law - Essay Example Contract and business law are increasingly composite and at the present they affect every industry and all types of commercial contract; from entering into an agreement, to ensure the validity of purchase circumstances. A contract law is generally an agreement enforceable through law. For the legal contract law to become legal, it must satisfy certain legal necessities. There are various courses of contracts which, though ideal so far it relates to structure, consideration and contract, are not specified. All the agreements are deemed to be contracts, if the agreements are prepared by the free consent of the parties, capable to contract, for a legal consideration with a legal objective, and are not specifically declared as invalid. The following are considered as the necessary elements of a valid contract: agreement, intention to create a legal relationship, free and genuine consent, and parties competent to contract, legal consideration, legal object, agreements not declared void or illegal, certainty of meaning, possibility of performance and the necessary legal formalities. In this particular problem scenario, there is no written agreement among the parties to the agreement so this is not a valid contract. As a case in point, John is not liable to pay compensation to Gold Iron Inc. As he, John John, claims that he did not enter into any binding agreement wit the firm, and that his signature produced by the Gold Iron Inc. was forged. â€Å"The Contract Act is the law of those agreements which create obligations, and in case of a breach of a promise by one party to the agreement, the other has a legal remedy.† (Law of Contracts n.d). The Fact of the Case: In this case, Gold Iron Inc, which is a steel manufacturer company, is incorporated in Pennsylvania (USA). John, is an Italian citizen, is an engineering consultant who has spent much of the time traveling round the earth. When he is not at work, he spends his time with his family in Italy and also wit h his mistress in England. John’s assets are mostly located in England. During his journey he happened to meet the president of Gold Iron Inc that is Mr. Unwin at a conference in New York. As a result of this relationship is that John agreed to carry out some consultancy work on behalf of Gold Iron Inc. John, on the other hand, claims that he did not go into any kind of binding agreement and that his signature was forged. The Agreement enclosed a clause of dispute resolution that says: Any argument arising out of this agreement consisting of questions regarding its validity and existence will be exclusively referred to the courts in English, and that the governing rule of this agreement shall be Italian law too. After few months Gold Iron Inc started legal proceedings against John in the courts of Italy for breach of contract. In the course of the actions John’s lawyer claimed that Gold Iron Inc was intentionally seeking to delude the court by forged written proof. The court decided that the proof was not forged and completed that John was in breach of contract. The Italian court handed down a verdict in December in Gold Iron Inc’s favour, ordering John to pay compensation of â‚ ¬5 million. â€Å"Since a very substantial body of European contractual and commercial law derives its inspiration from Roman law, it is appropriate that modern Italian law be taken as representative of the contract and commercial law

Apple Company Essay Example for Free

Apple Company Essay Apple Company was created by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. Now Apple Company became very famous company in the world. It was made a lot of machine and computers. In recent years it’s created something that was very helpful to the human. For example such as Ipad2, Ipad3, Ipad4 that is a small hand computer. Human can use it store a lot of things and they can use it to watch moves talk to each other, use it for GPS and so on. He also made Iphone3 to Iphone5. These phone are famous and useful and it was perfect phone. Iphone5 series has many kinds of function. It can help human to do anything they want. It is easy to use and convenience to everybody in their life. Now Apple Company has contracted with many companies, such as ATT, TSMC and so on. Apple Company has a lot of supporters all over the world. Creator and history In 1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created Apple Company. Jobs growth after several twists and turns. First Jobs dont like bundle, when he was a student. before he started his elementary school. His mother gave him in advance how to learn. But this has led to the later he arrived at the school. He said he has nothing to do for a few years and usually look for trouble by himself. Jobs soon discovered they can do work. Jobs like natural work, rather than be disciplined by others. Jobs met in the different authority, he disliked it. He almost and obey them, his curiosity about all sorts of things that they almost captured him. Jobs in McCollum class only with a years time to learn over three years of course. Jobs have a project, he made a photocell switch device, this matter after exposure the school of science living the school can make the device, jobs gets knowledge from his father. And his is very interesting in laser. Jobs and a few friends partnership created belong to his light show stereo system. In McCollum’s class, jobs and a new graduate teachers to become friends. They especially like in the classroom with all the time to discuss their legend. His brother Stephen Wozniak worked in a swimming team almost five years, so jobs know more about electronic. But in the emotional and social he is a senior high school student, very weak. When Mike Markkula joined Jobs and Wozniak, Jobs their fledgling partnership into Apple Co., LTD. In January 1977,their valued about $5309. Four years later they think it is time to open the value. It is the first public in 1980, become most oversubscribe, apple company would be $1.79 billion. Yes, billion. In this change process it will make three hundred millionaires. Development Apple has a lot of competitors, Such as IBM, Microsoft, etc. They are rivals as well as a friend, in 1991 they had technical communication. In astronomy, the two stars orbit is binary system is closely related. Because of their attraction is interaction. In history have a similar situation, when a time made the relationship and competition two track star: In the twentieth century physics Albert Einstein and Bohr, for instance, in early American management, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander. Hamilton. For the first thirty years of the personal computer era, in the 1970 s, the definition of a binary star system is made up of two were born in 1955 college students of high energy control. Bill Gates and jobs has a very different character and background, although they have the same ambition interchange technology and business. Gates father is a Seattle famous lawyer, his mother a city in all kinds of famous leaders of the board of directors. He became a technical personnel a rebel, hippies, spiritual seekers, or members of the counterculture. Not a blue box destroy the phone company, gates in the school to create a program to help scheduling local traffic engineer and he such a car calculation procedure he got the girl. He went to Harvard, but he decided to leave school, this is not to find the enlightenment and the Indian master but a computer software company. Jobs also have the same thing. This is twin cooperation. When the first developed was Macintosh, Jobs to visit near Seattle gates office. Microsoft wrote some applications for Apple II , including one called Multiplan spreadsheet program, jobs want to stimulate gates and his company, for the upcoming Macintosh computer do more. Sitting in the Gates meeting rooms, jobs for public computer made a tempting perspective, friendly interface, this show is in a California factory automation has millions of production. He in the California suction silicon components and cultivate complete dream factory lead to Microsoft team Macintosh computer program code sand. They even put engineering reverse to a acronym, Steves amazing new devices. But in the end they twin and no successful cooperation. In 1988 when jobs announced the future computer, caused a excited. The second year began to sales, computer finally failed. The ability of jobs, move in media began to fail him, a series of things that companies get into trouble. Because of the presence of relatively small software running, so then, it has been difficult to attract customers. Jobs was fired the board of directors, in 1996 the second back to apple. Apple Story Apple the pursuit of perfect, it also led to the growth of its ups and downs. Jobs not willing to give up work and control anything, especially when it may affect the customer experience. But he was faced with a problem. There is a part of the process he does not control: in a store to buy apple products experience. He went on to do a insightful views: this difference in design philosophy, he said, he and the apple is not good at cooperation with other companies. Because Woz and I made the company based on the whole banana, we are not so good at working with people, he said. I think if apple in its DNA can have more, may make him its very good. As early as in 2002, jobs have been impatient, Microsoft engineer development platform of computer software developed, it allows users to pen or pen input information on the screen. Some manufacturers released tablet PC this year using software, but have no effect on field. Jobs have been eager to prove no pen in how to use! But when he saw the development of apple is touch technology, he has decided to the first to use it in the iPhone. The first Apple computer was created in 1985s. It is name â€Å"Mac XL† By the end of 1985 apple MAC computers sold only 500000, no hit the two million mark, until 1988. Then they created â€Å"Mac128†, â€Å"Mac512†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Quadra 700† that was the first apples new MAC computer sales specifically for enterprise and graphics professionals provided. And then they created Mac 9500. Computer Mac 9500 is the first based on the PowerPC and can replace CPU tower daughter card. And in recent years at 2003 they created the first flat-panel iMac. â€Å"We must always give our customers the pure sex. It is like a in the back seat of a car with a beautiful girl rendezvous. Peoples experience and personal computer should be able to give you the biggest high tide.† said by Jean-Louis. Apple iPhone  They use an iPod that makes calls. By 2005 iPod sales soared. A surprise number twenty million. One year, is equivalent to the amount of the first four years. IPod products more and more important, this year, the companys bottom line, accounting for 45% of revenue, And it is also exaggeration polishing company image, driving, MAC computer sales. The same thing will happen to iPod, if mobile manufacturers begin to build music player to their mobile phones. Everyone carry a cell phone, it will make iPod unnecessary. Customers will want to use the prospect that jobs and his team became excited, construct a phone call. Their original method is to modify the iPod. They tried to use track wheel as a way for users to roll call option. No keyboard, try to enter the Numbers. It is not a natural choice. At that time they had a second project in apple: A secret efforts to build a computer platform. In 2005, the story is divided, iPod idea actually from before, in order to help s hape the iPhone. The value of the Apple More than $50 billion has been cut off, science and technology giant apples market value as its share price slump. Share price dropped 12%, make poor iPhone in Christmas and Halloween sales plunged, mini iPod effect is the main reason for the company sales performance. The latest computer giant data showed that Mac sales fell 21.2% from the same period last year, Believe that the consumer is so infatuated with they buy the tablet PC, rather than a more expensive Mac computers. Some reports even claimed that smaller, cheaper iPod mini have similar influence on the size iPod sales. Because the Christmas iPhone sales not beautiful, apple shares dropped 12%, Apple Company is may lose it’s in intelligent mobile phone market dominant position. Conclusion  Since Jobs created the Apple Company and developed from 1976 to now. This company it also led to the growth of its ups and downs. And introduced Jobs grew up. Jobs dont like bundle, when he was a student. In 1985 Apple Company had the first computer they created. At 2003 they created the first flat-panel iMac. They use an iPod that makes calls. Their original method is to modify the iPod. They tried to use track wheel as a way for users to roll call option. No keyboard, try to enter the Numbers. It is not a natural choice. At that time they had a second project in apple: A secret efforts to build a computer platform. Then the iPhone was born. Due to the mini iPod encroach on apples profits, Mac computer sales profit rate is low, Former CEO Steve Jobs introduced the new iPhone in January 2007. Some have attributed the decline in sales to the underwhelming launch of the iPhone 5 and the rise in other smartphones.

Why Do Parents Abduct? Essay -- essays research papers

Why Do Parents Abduct? According to the U.S. Department of Justice, over 354,000 children are kidnapped by a parent each year in divorce custody disputes. Some of the children are recovered or returned quickly while others may be on the run for years. Unfortunately many of these children are never found. Generally, people are concerned with the traumatic effects of these events on the child involved. However, both the searching parent and the abductor have many pending issues with which to deal. Some people believe that children "kidnapped" by their own parents are the lucky ones. In fact, because revenge is often the driving force for these abductions, the child may become subject to physical, sexual and mental abuse. While "When Families Are Torn Apart," is written by Mary Morrissey, the majority of the article is quoted from Geoffrey Greif and Rebecca Hegar. In the article, Greif and Hegar explain how they attempted to fill in the gap of information about the trauma of long-term abduction. Their findings appear in the book When Parents Kidnap. Each parent, child, and abductor may deal with the kidnapping differently. For some it is very frightful and requires years of psychological evaluation to overcome. According to Greif and Hegar, abducted children develop extremely close bonds with their abductors. Often the abductors lie to the children about the other parent. They may say that the other parent does not want the child or is dead. The longer the child is away the harder it is for everyone involved. At these times, professional help is strongly suggested. Issues for Parent - their own feelings about the abduction - helping them to be able to care for the child - helping them to bring the whole family together - helping them to help readjust the other children - helping them to cope with any odd behavior that may be exhibited by the abducted child - developmental changes of the child Issues for Children - trust - sexual abuse - anti-social behavior - why the child thinks the abduction occurs - dealing with the length of the abduction and the time that they missed with the rest of their family - experiences during the abduction - they child may have been brainwashed by the abducting parent - whether or not she wants to return to the abductor - being scared about the chance of being abducted again - + many others Issues for Abdu... ...ence. You can hurt someone just as much emotionally as if you had stabbed them with a knife or cut off their arm. Just as applicable is that this is an extreme, and excessive end to a divorce dispute. What I found interesting about the reunification process in these cases is that they are often depicted in both movies and books as a joyful reunion. When if fact, the assimilation of an abducted child to the family that they have not seen in years is not always so smooth. I was appalled by the lack of assistance from the police and the ignorance of the courts. The idea that a parent would kill their own child and take their own life as well, solely to prevent their ex- spous e from being with the child is incomprehensible. Both of the articles were extremely informative. The techniques used to write the articles were equally effective, giving a different perspective on the stories. The possibility of recovering after an event as traumatic as abduction through psychological counseling is a welcomed and exciting idea. The course on "Introduction to Psychology" has opened my eyes to the extent that psychology can go to help make a difference in the lives of people everywhere.

Argumentative Essay Topics

The Top 10 Argumentative Essay Topics There is no limit when it comes to these contemporary issues that are often ignored in many areas of mass media. Let’s start with the coveted list of hot topics. Abortion – There is no cap on how much controversy the simple word of abortion sparks. Ever since the controversial Roe vs. Wade court case, the notion of abortion have spawned many riots, picketing and of course, violence. Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choicers often collide in a venomous war of words that often leads to violence of the highest form.Animal rights and experimentation – there is one acronym that reigns supreme when it comes to the rights of animals and that is PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is a group that sparks controversy wherever their representatives are. Whether it is dumping red paint on women who wear furs or just simply picketing on the steps of Congress, PETA is definitely at the forefront of controversy. Animal rights and experimen tation is one topic that will always ignite raw feelings and a heated debate. Breast Cancer and the effects of chemicals in soaps, deodorants, etc. Where there are pink ribbons there is bound to be controversy. The Susan G. Komen Foundation is at the forefront of creating a bit of a stir when it comes to finding a cure for breast cancer, whether it is through walkathons, or charitable events, the foundation strives for proper education, and continuous research on the eradication of breast cancer as evident in their â€Å"race for the cure† events. Writing an argumentative essay on breast cancer and the possible irritants in everyday things such as soaps, laundry detergents and deodorants as being possible causes of breast cancer will undoubtedly create a bit of a stir.Border Control – With America being the land of the free and the home of the brave, there have been continuous efforts to prevent immigrant entry through closing down the borders of the country. This will always be a hot topic of conversation, arguments and debates because it seeks to answer â€Å"what is an American since this is a country of blended cultures. † The Pharmaceutical Industry – Never have three simple words sparked such explosive debates coast-to-coast and around the world. The pharmaceutical industry has been alleged to be responsible for many things.Ethnic Adoption – This is fast being a hot topic of interest for many people because it explores the notion of couples adopting non-American babies. The Death Penalty – With so many people on death row, people have much to say about how the country handles death row inmates as well as what happens when an inmate is forced to walk the green mile and their number is literally up. Genetic Cloning – There has always been a way to get a rise out of people when the topic of genetic cloning comes into play.It forces people to contemplate the idea of man take on the roles that were meant for Go d. Plastic Surgery – With the addiction and deaths attributed to a gross fixation on plastic surgery procedures, many people attribute the rise of prescription medicine addiction and deaths to plastic surgery. This is one topic that is steadily gaining momentum when it comes to argumentative essays. Human Trafficking – This is one topic where you just can’t go wrong when looking for controversy.

George VI Essay

A conscientious and dedicated man, he worked hard to adapt to the role into which he was suddenly thrown. Reserved by nature, and of deep religious belief, he was helped in his work by his wife. He had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. King George VI paid State Visits to France in 1938, and to Canada and the United States in 1939 (he was the first British monarch to enter the United States). His greatest achievements came during the Second World War, when he remained for most of the time at Buckingham Palace (the Palace was bombed nine times during the war). He and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, visited severely bombed areas in the East End of London and elsewhere in the country, gained him great popularity. The King developed a close working relationship with his wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, as most of Europe fell to Nazi Germany. Recognising the total nature of modern warfare, in 1940 the King instituted the George Cross and George Medal, to be awarded for acts of bravery by citizens. In 1942, the George Cross was awarded to the island and people of Malta in recognition of the heroism with which they had resisted the enemy siege. Having served in the Navy during the First World War, including the Battle of Jutland, the King was anxious to visit his troops whenever possible. He went to France in 1939 to inspect the British Expeditionary Force, and to North Africa in 1943 after the victory of El Alamein. In June 1944, the King visited his Army on the Normandy beaches 10 days after D-Day, and later that year he visited troops in Italy and the Low Countries. On VE (Victory in Europe) Day, 8 May 1945, Buckingham Palace was a focal point of the celebrations. The war had immeasurably strengthened the link between the King and his people. In 1947, the King undertook a major tour of South Africa, accompanied by the Queen and their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret – the first time a monarch had undertaken a tour with his family. When India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, George ceased to be Emperor of India. Changes in the Commonwealth meant that its tie was no longer based on common allegiance to the Crown, but upon recognition of the Sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth. These changes in the Commonwealth relationship and the social reforms of the post-war Labour government occurred against the background of Britain’s weak post-war economic position and the beginning of the Cold War, which meant that the privations of war were extended well into the post-war period. By 1948, it seemed that Britain had overcome the worst hardships of the post-war years, but the strain of the Second World War and the tensions of the post-war period had taken their toll on the King’s health. The King failed to recover from a lung operation, and died in his sleep on 6 February 1952 at Sandringham; he was aged 56. After lying in state at Westminster Hall, the King’s funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where he lies buried. At the King’s funeral, attached to the Government’s wreath was a card on which Churchill had written the phrase inscribed on the Victoria Cross – ‘For Valour’.

Free Essays on Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Tiffany Barrs English 102/076 April 22, 2002 Blood, â€Å"Sweat,† and Tears: A Historical/Biographical Analysis of Hurston’s â€Å"Sweat† The purpose of any literary work is to convey an idea or concept to its audience. Often the message is one that is directly reflective upon the life of the writer. The context of the piece, the period of time during which it was written, and the events that are reflected within it may have an enormous effect on the work, both in its style and in the ways through which the audience can interpret the author’s literary aims. Zora Neale Hurston clearly depicts the societal dilemma concerning racial and gender conflict in the South in her short story, â€Å"Sweat.† Through a crystal-clear depiction of Southern life in the twentieth century, strongly suggestive vocabulary, and the pure illustration of the divide between the races, Hurston gives the audience a captivating taste of segregation. â€Å"Sweat† begins in the home of Delia Jones, an African American who works as a washwoman for white families. Her husband, Sykes, is a very devious and immoral character who finds great joy in torturing Delia both physically and emotionally. Not only does he run around town, flaunting his mistress, but he constantly threatens her life with verbal and physical abuse. When he is not parading around the town with his lover, he is tormenting Delia with cruel jokes, particularly jokes that involve snakes, one of Delia’s greatest fears. When Sykes first startles Delia with a bullwhip, Delia says, â€Å"Sykes, what you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me- looks just like a snake, ‘an you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes.† (p. 243) Though Sykes continually taunts Delia with his evil antics in an attempt to force her out of their home, Delia refuses to leave, because it is her hard work that has paid for the house, and it is the o nly thing she has to cling to. ... Free Essays on Blood, Sweat, and Tears Free Essays on Blood, Sweat, and Tears Tiffany Barrs English 102/076 April 22, 2002 Blood, â€Å"Sweat,† and Tears: A Historical/Biographical Analysis of Hurston’s â€Å"Sweat† The purpose of any literary work is to convey an idea or concept to its audience. Often the message is one that is directly reflective upon the life of the writer. The context of the piece, the period of time during which it was written, and the events that are reflected within it may have an enormous effect on the work, both in its style and in the ways through which the audience can interpret the author’s literary aims. Zora Neale Hurston clearly depicts the societal dilemma concerning racial and gender conflict in the South in her short story, â€Å"Sweat.† Through a crystal-clear depiction of Southern life in the twentieth century, strongly suggestive vocabulary, and the pure illustration of the divide between the races, Hurston gives the audience a captivating taste of segregation. â€Å"Sweat† begins in the home of Delia Jones, an African American who works as a washwoman for white families. Her husband, Sykes, is a very devious and immoral character who finds great joy in torturing Delia both physically and emotionally. Not only does he run around town, flaunting his mistress, but he constantly threatens her life with verbal and physical abuse. When he is not parading around the town with his lover, he is tormenting Delia with cruel jokes, particularly jokes that involve snakes, one of Delia’s greatest fears. When Sykes first startles Delia with a bullwhip, Delia says, â€Å"Sykes, what you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me- looks just like a snake, ‘an you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes.† (p. 243) Though Sykes continually taunts Delia with his evil antics in an attempt to force her out of their home, Delia refuses to leave, because it is her hard work that has paid for the house, and it is the o nly thing she has to cling to. ...

Definition and Examples of Essays or Compositions

Definition and Examples of Essays or Compositions The term essay comes from the French for trial or attempt. French author  Michel de Montaigne coined the term when he assigned the title Essais to his first publication in 1580. In Montaigne: A Biography (1984), Donald Frame notes that Montaigne often used the verb essayer (in modern French, normally to try) in ways close to his project, related to experience, with the sense of trying out or testing. An essay is a short work of nonfiction, while a writer of essays is called an essayist. In writing instruction, essay is often used as another word for composition. In an essay, an authorial voice  (or narrator) typically invites an implied reader  (the audience) to accept as authentic a certain textual mode of experience.   Definitions and Observations [An essay is a] composition, usually in prose.., which may be of only a few hundred words (like Bacons Essays) or of book length (like Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding) and which discusses, formally or informally, a topic or a variety of topics.(J.A. Cuddon, Dictionary of Literary Terms. Basil, 1991)Essays are how we speak to one another in print - caroming thoughts not merely in order to convey a certain packet of information, but with a special edge or bounce of personal character in a kind of public letter.(Edward Hoagland, Introduction, The Best American Essays: 1999. Houghton, 1999)[T]he essay traffics in fact and tells the truth, yet it seems to feel free to enliven, to shape, to embellish, to make use as necessary of elements of the imaginative and the fictive - thus its inclusion in that rather unfortunate current designation creative nonfiction.(G. Douglas Atkins, Reading Essays: An Invitation. University of Georgia Press, 2007) Montaignes Autobiographical EssaysAlthough Michel de Montaigne, who fathered the modern essay in the 16th century, wrote autobiographically (like the essayists who claim to be his followers today), his autobiography was always in the service of larger existential discoveries. He was forever on the lookout for life lessons. If he recounted the sauces he had for dinner and the stones that weighted his kidney, it was to find an element of truth that we could put in our pockets and carry away, that he could put in his own pocket. After all, Philosophy - which is what he thought he practiced in his essays, as had his idols, Seneca and Cicero, before him - is about learning to live. And here lies the problem with essayists today: not that they speak of themselves, but that they do so with no effort to make their experience relevant or useful to anyone else, with no effort to extract from it any generalizable insight into the human condition.(Cristina Nehring, What’s Wrong With the American Essay. Truthdig, Nov. 29, 2007) The Artful Formlessness of the Essay[G]ood essays are works of literary art. Their supposed formlessness is more a strategy to disarm the reader with the appearance of unstudied spontaneity than a reality of composition. . . .The essay form as a whole has long been associated with an experimental method. This idea goes back to Montaigne and his endlessly suggestive use of the term essai for his writing. To essay is to attempt, to test, to make a run at something without knowing whether you are going to succeed. The experimental association also derives from the other fountain-head of the essay, Francis Bacon, and his stress on the empirical inductive method, so useful in the development of the social sciences.(Phillip Lopate, The Art of the Personal Essay. Anchor, 1994) Articles vs. Essays[W]hat finally distinguishes an essay from an article may just be the authors gumption, the extent to which personal voice, vision, and style are the prime movers and shapers, even though the authorial I may be only a remote energy, nowhere visible but everywhere present.(Justin Kaplan, ed. The Best American Essays: 1990. Ticknor Fields, 1990)I am predisposed to the essay with knowledge to impart - but, unlike journalism, which exists primarily to present facts, the essays transcend their data, or transmute it into personal meaning. The memorable essay, unlike the article, is not place or time-bound; it survives the occasion of its original composition. Indeed, in the most brilliant essays, language is not merely the medium of communication; it is communication.(Joyce Carol Oates, quoted by Robert Atwan in The Best American Essays, College Edition, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1998)I speak of a genuine essay because fakes abound. Here the old-fashioned term poetaste r may apply, if only obliquely. As the poetaster is to the poet - a lesser aspirant - so the average article is to the essay: a look-alike knockoff guaranteed not to wear well. An article is often gossip. An essay is reflection and insight. An article often has the temporary advantage of social heat - whats hot out there right now. An essays heat is interior. An article can be timely, topical, engaged in the issues and personalities of the moment; it is likely to be stale within the month. In five years it may have acquired the quaint aura of a rotary phone. An article is usually Siamese-twinned to its date of birth. An essay defies its date of birth - and ours, too. (A necessary caveat: some genuine essays are popularly called articles - but this is no more than an idle, though persistent, habit of speech. Whats in a name? The ephemeral is the ephemeral. The enduring is the enduring.)(Cynthia Ozick, SHE: Portrait of the Essay as a Warm Body. The Atlantic Monthly, September 1998) The Status of the EssayThough the essay has been a popular form of writing in British and American periodicals since the 18th century, until recently its status in the literary canon has been, at best, uncertain. Relegated to the composition class, frequently dismissed as mere journalism, and generally ignored as an object for serious academic study, the essay has sat, in James Thurbers phrase, on the edge of the chair of Literature.In recent years, however, prompted by both a renewed interest in rhetoric and by poststructuralist redefinitions of literature itself, the essay - as well as such related forms of literary nonfiction as biography, autobiography, and travel and nature writing - has begun to attract increasing critical attention and respect.(Richard Nordquist, Essay, in Encylopedia of American Literature, ed. S. R. Serafin. Continuum, 1999) The Contemporary EssayAt present, the American magazine essay, both the long feature piece and the critical essay, is flourishing, in unlikely circumstances...There are plenty of reasons for this. One is that magazines, big and small, are taking over some of the cultural and literary ground vacated by newspapers in their seemingly unstoppable evaporation. Another is that the contemporary essay has for some time now been gaining energy as an escape from, or rival to, the perceived conservatism of much mainstream fiction...So the contemporary essay is often to be seen engaged in acts of apparent anti-novelization: in place of plot, there is drift or the fracture of numbered paragraphs; in place of a frozen verisimilitude, there may be a sly and knowing movement between reality and fictionality; in place of the impersonal author of standard-issue third-person realism, the authorial self pops in and out of the picture, with a liberty hard to pull off in fiction.(James Wood, Reality Effec ts. The New Yorker, Dec. 19 26, 2011) The Lighter Side of Essays: The Breakfast Club Essay AssignmentAll right people, were going to try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay of not less than a thousand words describing to me who you think you are. And when I say essay, I mean essay, not one word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear, Mr. Bender?(Paul Gleason as Mr. Vernon)Saturday, March 24, 1984Shermer High SchoolShermer, Illinois 60062Dear Mr. Vernon,We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong. But we think youre crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? Thats the way we saw each other at seven oclock this morning. We were brainwashed...But what we found out is that each one of us i s a brain and an athlete and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?Sincerely yours,The Breakfast Club(Anthony Michael Hall as Brian Johnson, The Breakfast Club, 1985)

Why Doctors Need Emotional Intelligence More Than IQ

Why Doctors Need Emotional Intelligence More Than IQ However competent and caring a physician is, there are still some areas where they might struggle- within a business-centric clinic model, for example, or when resisting a strong pharmaceutical sales pitch. Fortunately one area where most doctors excel is emotional intelligence (EI), a key quality business consultants are constantly trying to instill in shark-toothed CEOs. According to Dr. James C. Salwitz, over at KevinMD.com, â€Å"EI is the ability to identify and manage both your own emotions and those of others; to be aware of and control feelings and, most importantly, help others use emotions, in order to make calm, clear decisions.† It’s the skill set that helps doctors master their own feelings and aid  patients and families working through difficult moments. It should be no surprise that many doctors already have this talent–it’s what leads them into the job in the first place.Not every doctor can be a superstar, of course. Whether through burn out, a personal lack of empathy, or a convergence of difficult personal and professional circumstances, some doctors have trouble getting or maintaining that control over their emotions.It may help to make a mental checklist when going into a fraught situation. How quickly can you identify what you’re feeling? What the patient is feeling? What their family members are feeling? Are you thinking like a team player, and helping prepare your colleagues for pitfalls you can see coming? Can you anticipate the emotional needs of your patients and help them develop a plan to cope?Make sure you’re putting all your empathy skills to good use, and you’ll be a sought-after doctor with an enviable EI!

Low-Costs in Aviation Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Low-Costs in Aviation Industry - Essay Example The proliferation of low-cost carriers came into being after the 9/11 attacks that were directed towards the Americans. According to the Irish career boss, lowering the cost in the aviation industry will result to carriers accessing a pool of passengers that would be used to replace high-income passengers that would not be using air travel. According to him, low-cost flights would serve the needs of cost conscious passengers. These passengers are concerned with making saving or using the minimal amounts on travel expenses. Low-cost flight carriers target passengers who are keen on cost related issues.Managers have determined that price is the largest determinant that influences consumer decision-making processes. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that their products and services are priced lowly. In the aviation industry, lowering flight charges would facilitate increased traffic for carriers. This will, in turn, lead to increased profitability for the org anization. In this context, managers are required to initiate measures that would ensure that despite the carrier having cheap services; it makes profits.For instance, some managers took advantage of the 9/11 attack to buy new air crafts, which enabled them to exercise low-cost activities (Dunn, 2009). Managers are concerned with incorporating innovative activities in their flights at a relatively low cost. Such innovations and features would attract customers to carriers.

Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being

The Caroline Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Caroline Doctrine - Essay Example As a result, they believed the conduct of the British force had been, under the circumstances, justifiable by the Law of Nations1. Harrison administration was of the opinion that while the Constitution of the United States created very clear fields of jurisdiction, Federal Government was the one concerned with foreign relations and as a result it was to intervene with the State of New York and obtain the release of a foreign national. NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE POLICY "What an immense mass of evil must have result from allowing men to anticipate what might happen" Leo Tolstoy. Hans Blix, Chair of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, stated that it would be a violation of international law to take military action against Iran in response to its pending nuclear weapons program because such action would fail to comply with the international law doctrine of self-defense against imminent attack2. However, if so, the international community should revisit this doctrine in the context of nuclear counter-proliferation to ensure that there is a legal and practical doctrine of international self-defense. This has influenced the Americans allot when Caroline doctrine was cited with approval by Iraq. Therefore, the Caroline doctrine was to be modified for purposes of counter-proliferation3. The practical inability to sufficiently eliminate a nuclear threat once a nuclear weapons program by an aggressor state has been fully developed. For instance, taking the actual words used in the NSS itself, various commentators describe the situation as preemptive self-defense or rather Bush doctrine. However, others think that the NSS can be interpreted as promoting the doctrine of preventive self-defense which a number of present writers are in agreement with. present writers hold a belief that the term anticipatory self-defense is well documented and

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Research - Essay Example The most lingering question has been whether meditation has got a certain impact that has not been explored especially by the psychologists in the western parts. It has been wondered as to whether the effectiveness of therapy in any way is changed by the application of meditation, i.e. what psychological adjustments can be made by meditating. There have been also queries on whether meditation has got any side effects as pertaining to therapy, and if yes, how this could be overcome. There are many researches that have been done concerning how therapy and meditation integrates. Therefore, by reviewing some of these literatures, it can be established that there can occur various changes in psychology, behaviors, and cognitive changes of a person, which might be beneficial in the field of therapy. These reviews would thus show that meditation is more than a relaxing technique. In essence, there are many ways in which psychotherapy and meditation can be of help to one another. The limitation of using this review is however that most of the information used has taken several years. It is thus important to look for other recent researches to see if there are any major differences that have been made. Meditation has been found to be an important tool in helping psychiatric patients in a more effective manner. This technique helps the patients to understand their mental process, and thus be in a position to control it. This study was carried out by Deatherage (1975). Deatherage concluded that this process is very effective in terms of time to the person offering the therapy, hence cost effective. In a research done by Carpenter (1977), he found that there is a lot that meditation can offer to the practice of psychotherapy. This, he said is more effective because the practice puts together relaxing and self observation among other practices. In a similar study, Shapiro & Gilbert (1978) came up with two hypotheses that showed the

Writing to Share Experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing to Share Experiences - Essay Example This was not exactly a bad thing, as I could grow up without the expectations that some of my older siblings had placed upon their shoulders. Anyone who did not know my family may suspect that I was spoiled when I was a child, but I do not see it this way. In my view, I was lucky enough to be given special attention that perhaps my siblings did not receive. As I grew to be an adult, I was allowed to develop into someone who was able to choose a path in life for himself. The journey that I have taken may not have always been smooth, but I have become a better person because of it. After I got married, I was fortunate enough to be the proud father of two gorgeous daughters. They meant the world to me. I would perhaps spoil them in the fashion that I was when I was a young child. After some time, I grew apart from my wife and we decided to get divorced. Looking back on it now, I can see it was the best thing for me at the time. I may not have realized it then, but I needed to move on wi th my life. I could no longer just go through the motions and pretend to have found fulfillment in life when it was simply not true. It was only in doing this that I was able to be free to explore the possibilities that life had in store for me. The greatest and most challenging experience of my life occurred when I had the privilege of being sent to the United States of America to study.

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Research - Essay Example The most lingering question has been whether meditation has got a certain impact that has not been explored especially by the psychologists in the western parts. It has been wondered as to whether the effectiveness of therapy in any way is changed by the application of meditation, i.e. what psychological adjustments can be made by meditating. There have been also queries on whether meditation has got any side effects as pertaining to therapy, and if yes, how this could be overcome. There are many researches that have been done concerning how therapy and meditation integrates. Therefore, by reviewing some of these literatures, it can be established that there can occur various changes in psychology, behaviors, and cognitive changes of a person, which might be beneficial in the field of therapy. These reviews would thus show that meditation is more than a relaxing technique. In essence, there are many ways in which psychotherapy and meditation can be of help to one another. The limitation of using this review is however that most of the information used has taken several years. It is thus important to look for other recent researches to see if there are any major differences that have been made. Meditation has been found to be an important tool in helping psychiatric patients in a more effective manner. This technique helps the patients to understand their mental process, and thus be in a position to control it. This study was carried out by Deatherage (1975). Deatherage concluded that this process is very effective in terms of time to the person offering the therapy, hence cost effective. In a research done by Carpenter (1977), he found that there is a lot that meditation can offer to the practice of psychotherapy. This, he said is more effective because the practice puts together relaxing and self observation among other practices. In a similar study, Shapiro & Gilbert (1978) came up with two hypotheses that showed the

Friedrich Nietzsche Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Friedrich Nietzsche - Essay Example â€Å"Beyond Good and Evil† (1886) is a landmark work by Friedrich Nietzsche, which precedes the final, most intense period of his work, marked by summing up the philosophical outcome of the previous human history and the foresight of the major social and spiritual conflicts of the twentieth century. This landmark work allows to continue the development of the idea of superman using new form of sharpened analytical aphorisms, in which the author focuses sharp critique of modernity - its philosophy, science, art, politics and, the most importantly, morality. Analyzing the work â€Å"Beyond Good and Evil† it is necessary to mention that it looks like prophetic work, where the subtitle â€Å"Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future† is no accident, because in his book a German thinker has predicted the coming collapse of European spirituality, and ‘mass uprising’ that followed by the reign of ‘the coming of boor’. He also has predicted levelin g of identity under the banner of universal human equality, and epic struggle for world domination, and totalitarianism as a consequence democratization of Europe. Thus, we see that Nietzsche believes that only a radical reassessment of all European ideals and European morality in general can avoid catastrophic processes of the future. Interpreting main ideas and theories presented in Nietzsche’s prominent work â€Å"Beyond Good and Evil† it is necessary to mention that in the understanding of the history of mankind, developed by Nietzsche, in Western culture unfortunate distinction between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ dominates, distinction, which was especially facilitated by a celebration of Christianity. It is necessary to emphasize that the masses, incited by a burning hatred of aristocratic manners which they could not emulate, often with the support of religious leaders, gave themselves vengeful rejection of aristocracy. In the view of Nietzsche, ‘good’ in the distinction between the good-evil emphasis on equality, self-sacrifice, gentleness, humility, compassion, pity, and other qualities of weakness. Such ‘good’ punishes the noble, aristocratic qualities - assertiveness, daring creative originality, passion, thirst for victory, moreover, it (the ‘good’) calls the above mentioned characteristics as evil. The predominance of such representations of evil, as Nietzsche claimed, is responsible for weakness and mediocrity of those who occupy a dominant position. They destroyed those qualities without which life can not be anything remarkable. According to Nietzsche, the decline of modern society suggests that for satisfying the needs of the superiority still too little is done. However, human existence does not necessarily end at this bleak note. Sometimes, considering himself a voice crying in the wilderness, Nietzsche, however, thought that human life is capable of self- expiation going b eyond good and evil. In this case it is possible to say that spirit of generosity - adoption of life, struggle and victory, a passionate desire to excel - these qualities have to be exalted. However, the purpose of Nietzsche is not doubling of the past, but a return of these essential qualities to modern life. Addressing to main Nietzsche’s arguments it seems that there is every reason to see in Nietzsche himself (using his own phrases) a trend to a personal ‘internalization of freedom’

Road to Serfdom Essay Example for Free

Road to Serfdom Essay Hayek has written one of the most important books of our generation. It restates for our time the issue between liberty and authority. It is an arresting call to all well-intentioned planners and socialists, to all those who are sincere democrats and liberals at heart, to stop, look and listen. ’ The author is an internationally known economist. An Austrian by birth, he was director of the Austrian Institute for Economic Research and lecturer in economics at the University of Vienna during the years of the rise of fascism in Central Europe. He has lived in England since 1931 when he became Professor of Economic Science at the University of London, and is now a British citizen. Professor Hayek, with great power and rigour of reasoning, sounds a grim warning to Americans and Britons who look to the government to provide the way out of all our economic dif? culties. He demonstrates that fascism and what the Germans correctly call National Socialism are the inevitable results of the increasing growth of state control and state power, of national ‘planning’ and of socialism. It is essential that we should re-learn frankly to face the fact that freedom can be had only at a price and that as individuals we must be prepared to make severe material sacri? ces to preserve it. 68 69 the road to serfdom We must regain the conviction on which liberty in the AngloSaxon countries has been based and which Benjamin Franklin expressed in a phrase applicable to us as individuals no less than as nations: ‘Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Toward a better world To build a better world, we must have the courage to make a new start. We must clear away the obstacles with which human folly has recently encumbered our path and release the creative energy of individuals. We must create conditions favourable to progress rather than ‘planning progress’. It is not those who cry for more ‘planning’ who show the necessary courage, nor those who preach a ‘New Ord er’, which is no more than a continuation of the tendencies of the past 40 years, and who can think of nothing better than to imitate Hitler.

Tourism during olympic games

Tourism during olympic games Acknowledgements I would like to thank my dissertation supervisor, Dr Denise Ball, for all the help, advice and encouragement over the duration of this study. Her assistance has been much appreciated in successfully completing this paper. In addition I would also like to thank my family and friends for the support they have bestowed upon me throughout the whole project. The reason for choosing this topic is more of a personal interest of seeing further developments taking place in London as being a resident myself. It would be a privilege to add my dissertation piece to current literature available on Sporting events and furthermore critically conduct my secondary research and analysis of the findings. Chapter One: Introduction Sporting events like the Olympics are endeavours that create and develop growth of tourism and awareness of the host city or country. The earliest documented example of sport and tourism is that of the Olympic Games which date from 776 BC (Zauhar in Weed, 2004). The tourism aspect of the games was emphasized by political aims. It was often advocated that both sport and tourism would bring different people and cultures closer together and the key aim of the ancient games was to bring a strong sense of cultural unity to a politically divided country (Davis, 1997). As London won the bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 over Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Singapore, the Queen herself congratulated the London Olympics committee for working hard in preparing and executing the bid. Prime Minister Tony Blair along with the Londoners in Trafalgar square and East End called the win a momentous day for Britain. He further went onto say that many reckon [that London] is the greatest Ci ty in the world and the Olympics [would] help it keep it that way (BBC, 2005). This research will explore the ways in which the London Olympics committee can learn from the successes and failures of previous host countries in managing the tourism around the event. The questions arise in to whether London can become the City of the world and whether the Olympics can help in reaching that goal. The Prime Minister Tony Blair, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe met with the leaders of major tourism and leisure groups at Downing Street (BBC, 2005). The meeting discussed raising the standards of accommodation, access for disabled visitors and to make sure that the workers who looked after the tourists would be adequately trained (ibid). Leaders from the Hilton group, Center Parcs and others were told quick action could lead to a 25% growth in tourism. In the past host countries have experienced growth tourism in years before the Olympic Games and also after the Games. Ms Jowell said: It can grow to  £100bn by 2012 with action on skills, quality and investment. But [it] must start now (BBC, 2005). Since the historic games in Athens, it was only during the three decade that the Olympics have transformed into a profit making endeavour. The first privately owned Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles which made a profit of $215 million (Millar, 1992). This was the first game since 1986 that did not utilize the publics money. The 1984 games openly embraced corporate donors and sold everything and anything. The LAOOC (Los Angeles Olympics Organising Committee) sold the games to Coca Cola, Anheuser-Butch as well as thirty other firms for a combination of $216 million, surpassing the projected $116 million which consultants estimated the Games would fetch (ibid). Revenue from the Olympics has always been a motivator for countries to continuously rival other countries for the desire to be the host country. However other than the money, a sense of strong image is immediately portrayed to the world. The Olympics as an image maker for the host country gives free media coverage of the hosts tourism. The questions asked to the next host London is that can they learn from previous Olympic mistakes and successes to make London the best city in the world? Aims and Objectives the Olympic games celebrate universal human ideals and demonstrate a commitment to culture, education and the environment-providing sponsors with powerful opportunities to reach consumers in a multitude of ways (IOC, 2004). This study aims to explore through current literature the way by which London can become successful in hosting the Olympics 2012 by examining examples of best practice. It aims to analyse the successes and failures of Olympic host destinations in reference with their positive impacts upon the tourism industry. The research aims to pinpoint recommendations into how London can become the greatest city in the world and how the branding of being the host of 2012 Olympics can help portray that image. To answer the research question the following research objectives will be considered: To examine the impacts of hosting the Olympics on the destination image To identify the specific market segments that the Olympics will attract and propose recommendations for promoting London 2012. To see what the development agencies promotion plans are for the Olympics image. To analyse successful Olympic methods used to promote the destination image through the Olympics. To identify best practice in leveraging the Olympics for tourism. Methodology Case Studies This method was chosen to help analyse how London 2012 could learn from the successes and failures of the previous Olympic host case studies. Although the case studies will have their limitations and approaches, the research will need to utilise its strengths and where there are weaknesses in the cases, make sure that they do not affect this research. The research will gather important, critical and analytical references on the Olympics, destination marketing, image development and branding. From these basic references, these elements will be compared and contrasted to the Olympics in general and particularly focusing on the London 2012. Hopefully through the methodology a list of strengths and weaknesses of hosting the Olympics should surface. Furthermore, should weaknesses appear an explanation of how the Olympics can benefit London as a major tourist destination will help contribute in maximising Londons opportunity cost. This dissertation will provide an overview on the current literature of the Olympics, destination branding, marketing and image marketing. The methodology will only use secondary research in reviewing case studies on previous destinations that hosted the Olympics. Structure The main body of this research will consist of six chapters. Chapter one will take a look at the overall research, mentioning what the research will consist of, putting the research into context and explaining method that could be used. The second chapter, the literature review will provide an overview of authors in the areas of events management, marketing with the emphasis on destination branding and events. Chapter three will analyse the case studies which will identify the successes and failures of previous destinations which will hopefully identify a gap in the market to what London could provide and capitalise on. Chapter four will examine to what London is doing now for hosting the Olympics and what they could do with the help of the case studies analysis. Chapter five will focus on the recommendations in how London can become the greatest city in the world with the help from hosting the Olympics. Finally, chapter six, the conclusion, will re-examine the objectives and how the y have been met, and suggest further areas for future research. Chapter Two: Literature Review The purpose of a literature review, as name suggests, explains or briefly describes the academic work that has been reported about the field of research. The purpose of the review is to look at how the Olympic 2012 could benefit Londons image as a major tourist destination. The main focus of this review will be based on the influence of sporting events on destinations. Branding Brand is vital to success. It is an asset of differentiating promise that links a product to its consumers (Anres). When people think of brands they think of Coca Cola, Nokia, Sony, Odeon and Starbucks etc. Brands represent a strong and enduring asset which boosts the companies success (Kotler, 2006). A brand is a promise which is supported by key brand management principles which are positioning, communicating and operations. Positioning determines what the brand promises such as Red Bull gives you the promise of more energy. Communicating is also about creating the promise into the customers mind while operations spell out how that promise will be delivered. The Olympics itself is a brand. The Olympics spirit has timelessly communicated sportsmanship, friendship, competition, or just simply Going for Gold. Olympics are the most single major sport event that can lead an ever increasing awareness and participation of a range of different sports at any one time. The logo for London 2012 according to Lord Coe (BBC, 2007) is not a logo but a brand that is said to take London forward. The challenge with brands is that it could be difficult to put the overall message the brand is trying to depict. Lord Coe mentioned that the reason why the logo is designed in that way is what was tried to be shown in Singapore, a way to reach out and engage young people. Not only is the brand for the 2012 Olympics there to engage people in sport but also there to be inspired and make a positive change in [Londoners] lives (Blair, 2007). Aspects of Branding Image Among the many fundamentals that brand projects towards the public is image. The study of destination imaging is a relatively recent addition to the field of tourism research. Several studies have illustrated that destination image; do indeed influence tourist behaviour (Hunt, 1975; Pearce 1982). In essence, destinations with strong positive images are more likely to be considered or chosen in the travel decision process (Goodrich, 1978; Woodside Lysonski, 1989). The formation of image has been described by Renolds (1965) as the development of mental construct based upon a few impressions chosen from a flood of information. The information available to the consumer includes promotional literature (travel brochures, posters), the opinion of others (family, friends, travel agent) and the general media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television, books, movies etc). Moreover, Gunn (1988) has used these various sources of information and used the role it has on destination image formation in his model of seven phases of travel experience. These are: Accumulation of mental images about the vacation, Modification of those images by further information Decision to take a vacation trip To travel to that destination Participation at that destination Return home Modification of the images based on the vacation experience Gunn labels the destination formed in phase one as organic image. This is due to the information which is sourced from non-touristic and non commercial sources such as the general media (newspapers), education and opinions of family and friends. It is only after phase two where information sources such as travel brochures, guides and agents are used. The organic image therefore is altered by the additional information. From a broad field of resources and information is the destination image portrayed. The World Tourism Organisation (1980) and Kotler (1987) both view that this is due to the link between a countrys tourist image and its national image. The process of the destination image formation highlights two important points. Firstly it suggests individuals can have an image of a destination even when they have never visited it or even been exposed to more commercial forms of information. Secondly, since there are changes in the destination image before and after the visitation, it is desirable to separate those images of those individuals who have already visited the destination and those who have not visited. Destination Branding With the importance of image formation in reference to how image helps branding, it is important to note how a certain destination is created to become a destination brand. Destination branding is a competitive sport amongst different destinations who adopt brand techniques in effort to craft and differentiate an identity which emphasises the uniqueness of their product. Destination branding looks at developing an emotional relationship with the consumer through highly focused communication campaigns (Pritchard, 1998). The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) suggests that the twenty-first century will see the emergence of tourism destinations as fashion accessories. Indeed as style symbols, destinations can offer similar consumer benefits to highly branded lifestyles. The choice of holiday destination is a significant life style indicator for todays inspirational consumers and the places where they choose to spend their hard earned income increasingly having to have an emotional appeal, highly conversational capital and even celebrity value (Morgan et al, 2002). A special event like the Olympics that provides the consumer with the leisure and social opportunity beyond everyday experience and often reasons to attract tourists which help to raise the profile, image or awareness of a region (Jago Shaw, 1998). Brand Positioning Brand positioning is imperative as this projects how a destination will satisfy consumer needs. A destination brand manifests as an image in the mind of the consumer, which may be quite different to the self-image intended in the brand identity (Ashworth Goodall 1990). The images of the destination understood by consumers play a significant role in their travel purchase decisions. As a result, an understanding of the images held of the destination by consumers is important, to determine whether there is similarity between the desired brand image and that which resides in the minds of consumers. The concepts of brand identity, brand positioning and brand image are distinctive components of the construction of a brand. These are presented in Figure 1. A brand position is the part of the brand identity and value proposition that is to be actively communicated to the target audience and that demonstrates an advantage over competing brands (Aaker, 1996). Communication in this case is very important and for a country holding the Olympics it is very important that a number of communication campaigns are done as this would be the key to differentiate the country. The Olympics is a sport that creates an emotional relationship of a destination to potential visitors through the way the destination is marketed. One such destination is Australia. The Sydney Olympic Games in sporting, marketing, operations management, facility management with the combination of the ongoing aggressive marketing branding of the country as a whole, has created Australia to be known symbolizing to Australias economy (Morse, 2001; Tibbott, 2001). The use of the Sydney Olympics as a marketing tool has helped Australia estimate that with the hosting of the Games the acceleration of Australias marketing has accelerated by ten years providing an extra A$6.1 billion in foreign exchange earnings between 1997 and 2004 (Haynes, 2001). More information on the Sydney Olympics will be given in the next chapter. Destination Marketing Branding is possibly the most powerful marketing tool available to destination marketers who, are faced with increasing product parity, substitutability and competition (Morgan Pritchard 2002). Uniqueness in this day and age is the claim from most destinations if not all who state they have superb hotels, resorts and attractions down to the friendliest people and customer focused tourism industry and service. It is very difficult to differentiate destinations as most destinations offer the similar products such as the destinations that just offer the sun, sea and sand factor. Uniqueness from a destination comes from differentiating from the competitors. According to Macrae, Parkinson and Sheerman (1995) branding in marketing terms symbolises a combination of product characteristics and added values, both functional and non functional which is linked to brand awareness. As branding touches the emotional realm of consumers, they begin to make lifestyle statements as they are not only buying a brand but the emotional relationship (Sheth, Mittal and Newman, 1999; Urdde, 1999). Emotion and loyalty is one of the key differentiators that marketers try and portray for the appeal of brands (Westwood et al., 1999). It is the consumers perceptions, [their] beliefs, [their] feelings [that make] brands important (Lury, 1998) on the other hand, Hallberg (1995) disagrees that emotion is not enough, the answer is in the developing of a strong brand which holds some unique associations for the consumer. Branding Tools There are many brand tools/elements which are useful for destinations to have while promoting their destination, especially during ths2e Olympic Games. These brand elements are: Brand names Logos and symbols Characters or mascots Slogan and jingle Packaging and signage It takes many years to establish a brand image, name recognition and develop strong awareness of a destination or product (Curtis, 2001). The Olympics is a recognised brand just like the World Cup. Mega events such as sports are simple marketing tools which a destination can use to promote their destination. As brands create awareness, the private and public sectors take advantage in maximising the benefits. Brand Australia was created when the Sydney was chosen to host the Olympics in 2000. It was declared the best ever by the IOCs president, Juan Antonio Samaranch and Australias tourism strategy [was] described as a role model for future host cities. Brand logos are a graphic design used to identify a destination. They are recognisable, meaningful and positive. They are a part of a destinations sign system communicating identity (Hem Iversen, 2004). Brands have helped differentiate different destinations, the logo for Australia 2000, a Kangaroo, the countrys most recognised symbol, set against a red sun and blue waves created a unique recognition of Australia for many years. 1998 saw the launch of the three year brand advertising campaign. Morse (1998) commented that [the] campaign [gave]the opportunity to use the extraordinary interest in Australia surround the 2000 Olympic Games to build awareness and add depth and dimension to the destinations image. The use of Logos and Symbols creates an awareness of the destination which people can recall upon in the future, such as the Olympic rings which us versatile and transferable across cultures. The success of a brand is whether different cultures can recognise where the brand is fr om and what it represents. One way in which the Olympics and the host community have done this is through using characters or Mascots for the events and to promote the events. The mascot would portray the destination and the culture of the destination such as Australias mascots were three animals and birds that could be only found in Australia. These were the kookaburra, platypus and echidna symbolising the event, host city and the new millennium. Another element of branding is the use of slogans. Slogans are used to create a memorable event. The Olympics in general has always been known to have the slogan going for gold. This slogan gives the Olympics an advantage of creating awareness of not only the Olympics but the host destinations as well. Australias slogan fun and games was a way to encourage people to travel to Australia during and after the games (ATC, 2001). Branding is vital to success. As you can see from the examples given, the elements of branding and different aspects of branding have increased the awareness of the host destination. Marketing the destination Brand Once a destination has been developed as a brand, marketing the destination as a brand needs to be done. Advertising is one of the main activities of the marketing therefore advertising the brands needs to be accomplishing important objectives. Destination advertising continues to grow in budget and importance. Australia spent $6.7 million Australian dollars on promoting the whole country over a four year period before the Olympic Games (ATC, 2001). The most successful brands will last and be remembered for years even after an event. Brands only work if their image can be retained in cognitive and affective parts of the audience for long periods of time. Some brands retained successfully that audiences become instant word of mouth advertisers for the brand. A study realised that older adult tourism markets will continue to grow in both size and importance. The study tired to compare whether older people since they are more aged, had less memory retention then younger adults that are visually stimulated. Unexpectedly, with education and destination familiarity statistically controlled, results using text indicated age differences in favour of younger adults for the number of features recalled but not for elaborations. No memory differences were found using framed picture formats, suggesting that younger and older adults process information from pictures similarly. Follow-up analyses revealed that advertising format is a determinant of elaborative memory, while age is not.(MacKay, 2006) Marketing a destination brand needs to make advertising the destination brand effectively and efficiently. Advertising uses both written language and pictures as information to promote the destination along with their destination brand. The fact that aging differences poses no difference in elaborate memory, this helps advertisers strategise their plans to better recall their marketing objectives. A study further suggests that if formatting is one in the focus verses the age of the audience, the advertisement decision will lie between using text or framed pictures. Using text will bring more ideas which can be detailed via a beginning, middle and end sequence. However, elaborative processing of the information will not occur spontaneously, more experimental while reaching far and wide age differences. Mackay (2006) goes onto further state that destination marketers, on the practical side find this of interest. There is sufficient evidence that information plays a certain role in inspiring destination choice, and/or modifying motivations, expectations and activities. The contribution of pictures invokes tourists destination image and expectations. No matter what the age, pictures focus on evoking types of amplification and impressions that is often seen in image advertising. Content of advertisements remain as a mix of both text and visuals. Even though advertisers are currently exploring the new media of the web, in addition to traditional destination promotion avenues, advertisers at the end of the day will have to reckon and strike and effective balance between visuals and text. Advertising needs to address issues such as age, format and memory for tourism advertising. Olympics as a Marketing Vehicle The Olympic Games as an event has transformed into a vehicle for marketing a destination brand. Rather than an end in itself, when the games come to an end and the gold medals are awarded, the destination brand is still selling itself. Hosting the Olympics has not always bought in profit. Munich in 1972 lost  £178 million. The Montreal Olympics made an even bigger loss of  £692 million in 1976 (Preuss, 2004). However on a positive note and turning point for the Olympics, Los Angeles 1984 made a profit of  £215 million while in 1992 Barcelona made 358 million pesetas from the Olympics. The Atlanta Olympics in 1996 was able to help the Georgia economy when they profited with $5.1 billion. The Olympics has now evolved into a venue to market destinations. The Olympics committee is most secretive organisation tasked to vote and choose host bidder, years before the actual games. A press release from CBC (2006) commented, Even after a century of modern Olympic Games, the international Olympics committee is still very much a mystery. The IOC has been called by a reporter of being, the most autocratic, aristocratic, organisation in the world. The strict way of choosing the host is through the enormity of profitability that the Olympics games can achieve. To host the games gives a prestigious achievement to the chosen country. Not only opportunities for economic profit arise, but the chance of media coverage and urban regeneration. The Olympics in this way helps the destination become globally recognised. There is no loss in for the host country even through there is evidence of financial loss in the past. Success cannot be plainly measured on profit and loss. To increase the awareness of the sports events is included in a broader aim to raise the city of host country. Sport has always been an unbiased area that can benefit people in cross cultures. However economic impact is arguably one of the most important indicators of the success of a major sporting event and often one of the main incentives for attending to host the event initially (Brown Massy, 2001). In Britain economic impact importance if hosting the sports events became evident after the Euro 96 football championships, which attracted 280,000 overseas supporters who spent approximately  £120 million in the eight host cities (Dobson et al, 1997). The tournament itself made  £69 million for UEFA and although FA made an operating loss of  £1.7 million, a  £2.5 million surplus was made after taking into account Englands prize money for getting into the semi-finals (Kozak, 2002). The marketing platform that is offered by the Olympic Games is unrivalled. The marketing activities build and the unmatched competitive advantage is able let the host destination maximise the Olympic image. Sponsoring the Olympics is an advantage for both the local and global business entities (IOC, 2005). The breadth of Olympic sponsorship rights, benefits and opportunities provides partners with great flexibility and range in integrating the Olympic association throughout the corporate philosophy and into all aspects of corporate strategy (Olympic.org, 2006). Leveraging the Sporting events and the Olympics for tourism Leveraging sporting events is very important to a destination as the benefits for the host destinations are huge. According to Hall (1997) Mega-Events are associated with large-scale public [and private] expenditure and fast tracking of building projects. These enable the destination to start on the construction of facilities and infrastructure, erection of landmark structures, redevelopment and revitalisation of areas and transform urban space for example mega events in old industrial cities. There are many more advantages for leveraging sports for the host destination such as the construction of new attractions and landmarks and the construction of accommodation such as the Olympic villages. Sporting events creates a type of phase of beautification where plazas, streets, parks, community centres etc are refurbished not only for the pleasure of the tourists but for the local communities as well for the event and years after the event (ibid.) Leveraging the Sydney Olympics for Tourism According to Mr Ripoli (2000) an Australian MP (House of Representatives), the Sydney Olympics would create new initiatives for the Australian citizens such as an increase in jobs. He furthermore went on to state that for every ten percent increase in visitors to Australia, about 30,000 jobs would be created. A concern for what the Olympics will leave in terms of a legacy is pondered over by Olympics organisers. There is a major investment in the Games, during the ten years leading up to the Games (Chalip, 2000). When the investment of the Sydney Olympics was so high (0.6% of GDP), it was natural to ask what the return is on the investment. The number one return which is noticeable straight after the Games is the new sports facilities that remain after the Games. On the other hand, such a big venue would be hard to operate especially when events do not need such a big venue. For example in Barcelona, the Olympic diving facility and the Olympic baseball stadium are no longer in operation. Sydney has made improvements to the infrastructure to the host city. In Sydney, the city government made an investment of millions of dollars (AUS$115 million in 1998 1999 alone) to beautify the city. As an Olympic city is well known of having millions of tourists, Sydney from the time of the bid won to the Game opening, had increased their hotel room capacity by twenty-five percent. With an advantage of leveraging the Olympics a form of disadvantage always follows. According to Chalip (2000) the two Olympic stadia built require 200 events per year to break even and they are not even obtaining half that amount. A legacy is like a brand, the brand that is left after the event. In the next chapter a construction of how Sydney have managed their destination brand, before, during and after the Games. Case Study of the Olympics: Sydney 2000 Tourism destination branding is a new concept that has branched out from the popular of branding products and services. To narrowly define, it is the sum of what the market thinks when they hear the brand name. To effectively employ this marketing strategy, destination branding goes through all the touch spots, including but not limited to the physical environment, entry and exit points, signage, marketing, residents attitudes, transportation venues (airports, motorways), events, internet, visitor services and leadership. A specific case destination branding is found in the success of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The Sydney Olympics has been noticed as the most successful Olympics ever held. In this case, its success was a result of several destination branding factors including: Geographical areas The display of Olympic spirit The partnership of the ruling body in the Olympics Sydney is widely known for its landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Banking on the existing destination branding that the tourist spots have made in the past, it helped project Sydney towards better branding strategies. These places contributed to the success of the Olympic Games in 2000, but the most important aspects to be noted in terms of geographical area are the improvements made in Sydneys transportation infrastructure and its capability to supply the needs of the Olympic games (with only population of 3.9million, Sydney already has 50m pools compared to 7+ million people in London with just one pool). The success of the Sydney Olympics could also be attributed to the high spirits displayed in the event. Volunteerism displayed in the Olympic Games of 2000 was defined as something to be treasured and kept by Aussie volunteers (both athletes and spectators). The people of the city had high level of involvement in day-to-day activities and expressed their connection with the spirit of the Games in unexpected and informal ways. Informality and spontaneity were therefore central to the creative spirit of the Sydney Games. The peo

The Left and Right Brain Hemispheres: Independent Centers of Consciousness? :: Biology Health Term Papers

The Left and Right Brain Hemispheres: Independent Centers of Consciousness? "I'm of two minds on the matter." "I can't make up my mind." "I'm having an internal argument." Our language is full of idioms that make it sound as if there were two disagreeing voices inside our heads. Often, that is indeed how it feels. But is that sensation physiologically supported? Can a brain fight with itself? Can there be multiple independent centers of consciousness in a single head? Until the 1960s, there was no way for us to test this feeling of internal disagreement. But when a surgery aimed at alleviating epileptic seizures also isolated the two hemispheres of the patient's brain, science was surprisingly afforded that opportunity. Background The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected by a dense bundle of neurons called the corpus callosum. This bundle is primarily responsible for communication of information between the two hemispheres, connecting them with approximately 200 million callosal axons (in humans.) (1) In some cases of multifocal epilepsy, the electrical discharges that cause seizures can start in one hemisphere and spread to the other by way of the corpus callosum, greatly increasing the severity of the fit. Sometimes this condition is unresponsive to medication, at which point the spasms can only be controlled with more drastic measures.(2) In 1961, Dr. Michael Gazzaniga performed an operation which had been pioneered on animals by Drs. Ronald Meyers and Roger Sperry, but which had never before been tested on human patients. In this procedure, called a commissurotomy, the surgeon opens the skull, lays back the brain coverings with a cerebral retractor, and cuts through the corpus callosum. While this prevents a seizure from spreading, it also prevents information from being passed between hemispheres. Thanks to Dr. P. J. Vogel, we now know that severing the anterior  ¾ of the corpus callosum can effectively stop the spread of a seizure, while allowing full communication between the hemispheres to remain. (3) However, the behavior of full-commissurotomy patients has been extensively documented, and provides fascinating insight into the specialization of the hemispheres, the nature of the brain, and the nature of consciousness itself. Results To understand these behaviors, one must first remember that neurological wiring of the body is, for the most part, contralateral. Signals travel from the left side of the body to the right hemisphere of the brain and back, and vice versa.

Conflict Between Developing Economic Essay

The economy growth impact the protecting environment, on the contrary the protecting environment also impacts the economy growth. Whether the environment is a factor considering the economic growth? The core answering these questions is how to regard the relationship between economic growth and environment. Concerning on the situation of economic and environment whether has the intrinsic relation or has any type relation, this still has the dispute. In this essay I will analyze the conflict between the developing economic and protecting environment. Through the analysis cause where can get a balance between them. Keywords: Environment, Economic growth, Poverty, Conflict, Contradiction, Environmental Kuznets curve 1. Introduction Environment not only provides the substance foundation and activity space for human, but also is responsible for production castoff by human activity. Economic development not only enhances the integration national power and improves the people’s life quality, but brings a number of serous environmental problems, such as air pollution, water pollution, soil degradation, desertification, and so on. Whether does economic growth affect the environment? On the contrary whether also does the protecting environment affect the growth economy? Whether is protecting economy and protecting environment a pair of contradiction or not? What creates the environment problems? Poverty is a main factor. Solving this problem is that developing economy. How to increase economy under the protecting environment? Analyzing their relationship is the focal point. Problem formulation: what is the conflict between developing economic and protecting environment? 2. The developing economic brings some environmental problems Economy development is obvious at present. Many multinational enterprises have been invested following the all kinds of increased industries and agricultures. These such as machine, textile, chemical plant, foodstuff, and so on, not only are the record of the economic development, but also provide a great deal of working opportunities for the labor market, and reduce the burden of the country. That’s the positive points, but it has the negative points like the traffic jam, pollution, chemical, etc, a series of serious problems. In the traffic point, â€Å"The environment impact of transport has now become a global issue. Environmental impacts from transport in the developed world are now equaled or exceeded by those in developing countries. This is alarming given the relatively low level of car ownership and use in developing countries. Equally alarming is the advanced of modes of transport that are damaging to the environment and health, while less damaging modes are retreating. The impact of transport affects the global, regional, and local environment.

Leading Change When Business Is Good

Leading Change when business is good Sam Palmisano’s challenge: finding a mandate to continue a company’s transformation, his response a bottom up reinvention of IBM’s venerable values Palisimo recognized the key task would be to unite IBM’s global workforce behind a common business vision and a common set of values. IBM help 3 day discussion via the corporate intranet about the companies values, dubbed ValuesJam * Struck a core with employees company wide, positive and negative feedback * At the heart of ValueJam was what was worth preserving and what needed to be changed * In 1914 Watson Sr. decreed 3 corporate principles 1. Respect of the individual 2. The best customer service 3. The pursuit of excellence Palisimo used original basic beliefs and feedback of ValueJam as a basis for new set of corporate values * Palisimo was a true-blue IBMer who started as a salesman, he was deeply invested and passionate about the company’s success * Gerstner was an outsider, a former CEO of RJR Nabisco and an ex McKinsey consultant * To prove these new values were more than just window dressing Palmisano made changes immediately * He called the director of a major business unit, e business and charged her with identifying gaps between the values and company practices * He said an Organic system is what a company needs to adapt.Which is IBM’s values (values, principles, DNA) of company. They allow you to change everything from your products to your strategies to your business model but remain true to your essence, you basic mission and identity. * Unfortunately over time Watson’s beliefs became distorted and took on a life of their own * Employees were stuck in the old way of doing things they could never see another view * When market shifted they cut work force 400,000 people, equivalent of providence RI * How do you get people to passionately pursue change? You can’t command and control mechanisms on a large highly professional workforce * IBM doesn’t use hierarchical management system because employees and clients won’t accept it * IBM uses a value-based management system.You have to empower people while ensuring that they are making the right calls the right way that is consistent with who IBM is * People rather than products become your brand One way to ensure that is to inform their behavior with a globally consistent set of values * After opening the online Jam Palisimo had a drive to change the company more * Most IBMers were willing to do whatever it took to save the company. Their pride and jobs were at stake * There was resistance to change, Palisimo said instead of galvanizing people through fear and failure you have to galvanize through hope and aspiration. A small team settled on IBM’s new corporate Values 1. Dedication to every clients success a. Maintain a long term relationship where what happens after the deal is more important than what happens before its signed 2. Innovation that matters- for our company and for the world b. Employees talked about how their work touches people and society or fight terrorism with their data technology 3. Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships c.Relationships with suppliers, investors, governments, and communities * Published these revised values and received positive and negative feedback * Palisimo printed all the responses, 3 ft. high of paper work n read it all, brought it to a meeting and told everyone to read it all because now they need an action plan they can’t be all talk. * Changes Palisimo made * Change in the way they grant top executive stock options * Change in the way they set prices Gave m anagers $5,000 annually they could spend in extrodinary situations that would help generate business or develop client relationship or to respond to an IBMer’s need. This showed trust in line manager’s decisions! * Palisimo said if we get most people in the company excited and offer them something worth believing in and working toward. If they become dedicated to these values and what they are trying to accomplish then the company has a confident future.

Creative Nonfiction by Jhoanna Lynn Cruz Essay

On our first Valentine as a couple, he gave me a bowl of white nondescript flowers. They had a distinctly sweet but faint scent. I had never been a fan of Valentine’s Day nor of love like a red, red rose; but that day, I became a believer. He told me they were papaya blossoms from his mother’s garden. At that moment, I knew I would one day marry him. We had started dating only three months ago, but I knew I would be Maria to his Leon. Why, he even had a younger brother the same age as Baldo! And even though they didn’t live in Nagrebcan nor owned a carabao, the town of Itogon, Benguet was remote enough for me. I have always enjoyed teaching the Arguilla story for its subversive take on the role that one’s family plays in a marriage; but having been born and raised in Pasay City, I had no idea what papaya blossoms smelled like. I imagined that my new boyfriend had read the story in his Philippine literature class and meant for me to recognize his gift as an allusion. In fact, I imagined we would defy societal norms and prove that love conquers all. Instead of a â€Å"theme song,† our relationship had a story to live up to. It was a disaster waiting to happen. In the story, Leon brings his city-girl wife, Maria, home to meet his parents for the first time. His surly father orchestrates several tests of Maria’s suitability through Leon’s younger brother Baldo, who is quickly won over by her papaya blossom scent. The first time I met his parents was on the wedding day of his eldest brother. By then, we had been seeing each other discreetly for seven months, somehow knowing that no one would approve of our relationship. In the midst of the beating of gongs and best wishes, his Kankanaey father only wanted to know two things about me: where I was from and what language I spoke. I gave the wrong answer on both points. I was a Manilena and I couldn’t speak Ilocano yet, having only recently moved to Baguio City to rebuild my life after becoming disillusioned with the institution that had once nurtured my desire to excel. But no love lost, I was only their son’s â€Å"gayyem† (friend), after all. It didn’t help that I was wearing a leopard print spaghetti-strapped dress, which exposed the tattoo on my back. I reasoned that the Cordillera culture has a long tradition of body art; so they should appreciate the significance of mine. None of us knew at that time that I was already carrying a half-Igorot child in my womb (which, I imagined, somehow made me an acceptable quarter-Igorot for the nonce). Against better judgment, we decided to get married. We were under the influence of hormones, of pregnancy, of the Catholic church, of Manuel Arguilla. We would have gotten a quickie secret wedding if he were old enough, or I, wais enough; but by law we needed his parents’ consent. Which they refused to give. For perfectly good reasons. They could have said, â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he is too young† (and you are ten years older). Or â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he is still studying† (and you were even his teacher). Or â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he has a calling† (and you are snatching him from God). But instead his mother said, â€Å"We can’t give you permission because his brother had just gotten married. In the theology of the Cordilleras, if siblings marry within the same year, one of the marriages will fail. The community will blame us if we allow you to marry. † So I called my mother, who promptly came to my rescue, writing them a demand letter based on a fallacy: â€Å"If your child were the woman in this situation, you would rush to marry them! † I’m sure she was so eager to get me married off because she knew it was a fluke. What was most ridiculous (though I refused to see it at that time), was that I was a self-proclaimed lesbian feminist. Despite all the tragic relationships I had had with women, I still believed that it was worth fighting for the right of a woman to love another woman. What business did I have getting married to a very young man? And for all the wrong reasons. Must have been oxytocin overdose sponsored by the baby in my womb. Or a planetary alignment exerting mysterious forces on my consciousness. Or, gasp—Love! Whatever it was, it came to pass. My mother didn’t have to bring my grandfather’s rifle. But I had to do it all on my own: filing the license, finding the Judge, buying the rings, reserving a restaurant, paying for everything. It was a good thing his parents didn’t allow us to tell anybody about the marriage – that way I didn’t have to invite anyone — which lessened my expenses. I had to understand that they had spent all their savings for his brother’s recent wedding, where they had butchered eight pigs for a traditional Igorot wedding feast. And after all, lest we forget, we were getting married against their will. But hey, there they were, on hand to sign the marriage certificate in the sala of the Honorable Judge Fernando Cabato of La Trinidad, Benguet. The ceremony itself was quick – but peppered with omens. First, when the court clerk asked for my mother-in-law’s name, I told her â€Å"Constancia† – because I figured that was where her nickname â€Å"Connie† came from. When I asked my nervous groom, he agreed. When the Judge confirmed the information, â€Å"Constancia† objected because her name is actually â€Å"Conchita. † Judge Cabato made the correction and lectured us about how important it is not to make errors in a legal document. Then, when it came to my father-in-law’s name, the Judge refused to believe that â€Å"Johnny† was his real name. When he asked for the rings, my groom gave him the little box, but when the Judge opened it, it was empty. The elderly honorable Judge sat down and asked, â€Å"Is this a prank? † It turned out that the rings had slipped out of the box and were floating in my groom’s pants’ pocket. When it was time for the wedding kiss, the Judge â€Å"got even† with us. He pronounced us husband and wife and then said, â€Å"No more kissing, it’s obvious there’s a deposit in there! † Then he laughed hearty congratulations. I wonder now how many times he has regaled a party crowd with our story. At the reception in a Chinese restaurant, we occupied only one round table, with only ten guests. The pancit canton was very good. We didn’t get any gifts, except for a framed copy of 1 Corinthians 13: â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind†¦ love does not keep a record of wrongs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It wasn’t the wedding of my dreams, but the whole event cost me only Php 2,500. It was as do-it-yourself as DIY could get. That didn’t include the cost of the wedding rings, for which I had to sacrifice some of my old gold jewelry. The irony of it escaped me at the time; but for a modern woman on a budget, there was no room for finesse. Thus we began our married life: full of contention, confusion, and concealment. We couldn’t live together immediately; nor was I allowed to be seen in their little neighborhood, where everyone knew everyone. A very pregnant stranger ambling up and down the steep Upper Mangga Road would have been a conspicuous mystery. I continued to live alone in my apartment, with my husband staying weekends, and I pretended in school that my husband is from Manila. I’m not sure anyone actually believed the drama, but I was bathing in first-baby-love, so I couldn’t care less. My other Igorot friends assured me that when the baby is born, my in-laws would finally accept me as the mother of their grandchild. But as I said, I couldn’t care less. I was a Manila girl – I truly believed that our marriage would succeed even without his parents’ approval of me. I was used to flouting norms and not needing anyone. And for his part, my husband argued existentially that we should live by the integrity of our own little family. You see, he was a Philosophy major under the tutelage of two young Jesuit-educated instructors, who had come to the mountains from Manila to indulge their fantasies about love and teaching (in that order). We, the migrant teachers, smiled at each other in the College of Human Sciences silently acknowledging each other’s foolishness; ignoring the fact that most of the other â€Å"native† faculty members looked askance at the three of us. When our daughter was born, we decided it was time to move into the family home. In the innocent presence of the new half-Igorot baby, all would be forgiven. It seemed the most practical thing to do. But I soon realized how naive we were. We didn’t take into account all the new wrongs that could be committed while sharing one household. Before I got married, I had a dog – a black mongrel I had named â€Å"Sapay Koma,† which is Ilocano for â€Å"sana. † It is both a wish and a prayer – difficult to translate into English, unless in context. Koma was my companion throughout the two years I had lived in my dank, quirky apartment – the mute witness to the drama and dilemma preceding my decision to marry. We took him along with us in our move, of course. But the five other dogs in the new household didn’t like him all that much and they all raised such a nonstop racket, none of the humans could sleep, particularly the newborn baby. The neighbors offered to buy him for Php 500. Igorots like black dogs because the meat is tastier. I was aghast. He was my dog, my loyal friend. If anyone was going to eat him, it should be family. So my husband invited his friends over to put Koma out of his misery. I locked myself in our little bedroom with the baby, while they did it. But despite the closed windows, I could still smell the burning hair and later, the meat cooking. The putrid scent seemed to stick to my nose for days after, accusing me of betrayal. I wept for Koma and for all that was dying in the fire – all the wishes that had no place in my new life. I decided that this was the price for what Filipinos like to call â€Å"paglagay sa tahimik. † It took two hours for the meat to be tender enough to eat and when we all sat down to dinner, I was glad they didn’t expect me to partake of the canine feast. Yet I did. I took one mouthful, which I swallowed quickly without chewing, so I wouldn’t have to relish the flavors. I may have had the stomach for it, but I didn’t have the heart. I only wanted to show them that I respected their culture, even though in fact, I would never belong. Also, I was hoping that this way, Koma would forgive me for having failed him, for offering him as a sacrifice at the altar of my marriage. This way, we could be truly together. For weeks after, every time I overheard my husband reply â€Å"Aw, aw† to his father, I would shiver at the prospect that we would have dog for dinner again. They had five other dogs, after all. Luckily, it turned out that â€Å"aw† only means â€Å"yes† in their language, Kankanaey. Besides, they only butcher dogs on very special occasions. Ordinarily, there was always the savory chicken soup dish, Pinikpikan, which features a similar charred skin aroma and taste. I was quite relieved to learn that his father did not require beating the chicken to death with a stick before cooking, as is customary in the Igorot culture. To this day, I have not been able to care for another dog. I do, however, have another child. By the same man. Accidentally. It happened on Father’s Day, when we thought having sex was a nice distraction from the confusion that arose from our growing discontent with the marriage. When we found out about the pregnancy, we agreed, albeit reluctantly, that it was Divine Intervention – a sign that we should keep trying to save the marriage. It was not just the food that was strange. I couldn’t understand why everyday, some relatives would come over and expect to be fed. I had not been raised in an extended family, and even within our nuclear family, we pretty much kept to ourselves. In my mother’s house, we were trained to share through â€Å"one for you, one for me, then stay out of my bag of goodies. You can imagine how I felt the day they served my Gardenia whole wheat bread to the â€Å"relatives,† who promptly wiped it out, because my peanut butter was delicious. Not that I was being selfish. Aside from the fact that I didn’t have any bread for breakfast the next day and the house being a ten-minute hike uphill plus ten kilometers to downtown Baguio City, I fumed about not even being introduced to these relatives as the wife of their son. They would introduce my daughter and her yaya, but I remained a â€Å"phantom of delight† flitting about the house. When I confronted my husband about the bread, he explained that n the Igorot culture, everything belongs to the community. So I took a permanent marker and wrote my name on my next loaf of bread. It was a Saussurean signifier of sorts – and it was unforgivable. My father-in-law was a man of few words. In fact, my daughter was already two years old when he decided it was time to acknowledge my existence and say something to me. In the past, he would use an intermediary (usually my husband) if he wanted to get information from me. It wasn’t too difficult because by this time we had already moved to Manila and were living in my mother’s house – which was another disaster and another story. It was Christmas Eve and we were spending the holidays in Baguio City. He was watching a replay of a boxing match and I was playing with my daughter in the living room. He asked, in Ilocano, â€Å"Do you have a VCD player at home? † I was so shocked I couldn’t reply immediately. He repeated the question in Tagalog. It turned out he was giving us the VCD player he had won in a barangay raffle. That night, as the entire family sang their traditional â€Å"Merry Christmas To You† to the happy birthday tune, I felt I was finally getting a fair chance to prove that I was worthy of being in their cozy family. In our six years together, I can think of more instances in which our separate worlds collided and caused aftershocks in my marriage. But none of it rivaled what I thought was the worst affront to me. My mother-in-law is Cancerian, like me, so her house is a pictorial gallery of her children and their achievements. She had a wall with enlarged and framed wedding photos of her children. Through the years, her exhibit grew, and expectedly, I and my husband didn’t have a photo on this wall. I figured it was because we had not had a church wedding. In fact, when we told them I was pregnant with our second child, they requested that we hold a church wedding already. They even offered to share the expense. But I preferred to save my money for the birth of the baby. However, given my theater background, I once tried to convince my husband to just rent a gown and tuxedo and then have our â€Å"wedding† photo taken so we’d finally get on â€Å"The Wedding Wall. † But he has always been the more sensible half of our couple. One day, though, a new picture was added to the wall. It was a studio photo of his eldest sister, her American husband, and their baby boy. It wasn’t â€Å"The Wedding Wall† anymore; it was now the â€Å"Our Children and their Acceptable Spouses† wall. It was their version of the Saussurean signifier. The message was loud and clear – to me and to other people who came to visit. I wonder now why it so mattered to me to be on that wall. I guess I felt that after all those years, we had been punished enough for defying the culture. Maybe I actually believed in 1 Corinthians 13. Or perhaps I also needed to be reassured that I was indeed happily married. I confronted my husband about it and demanded that he finally stand up for me and our family. And he did – he wrote his parents a letter that made his mother cry and beat her breast. We each tried to explain our sides, finally coming to terms with the bitter past. They told me that they are simple folk and didn’t mean to ostracize me; that when they agreed to the marriage, they accepted me as part of the family, no matter what. I believed them. I told them I was never going to be the woman they had probably wanted for their son; but that I am a perfectly good woman, most of the time. We tried to make amends. Our family picture was up on the wall within three days. Our kids were quite pleased. But it was too late. By then, my husband and I had been grappling with our own issues for the past five years. He had gotten tired of my transgressions and sought solace with his friends. After coming home late from another â€Å"Happy Hour† with them, I screamed at him, â€Å"What happy hour? Nobody is allowed to be happy in this house! † It was then we both finally realized that we had to face the truth about our marriage. By the time his parents were willing to start over in our journey as a family, we had given up on ours. Most couples find breaking up hard to do. It was particularly hard for us because we had to convince his parents that it was not their fault. On the other hand, I had to deal with the fact that maybe my marriage did fail because of the â€Å"curse† of the superstition â€Å"sukob sa taon† – that maybe we were wrong to insist on our choice. Yet on good days, I am pretty sure it was a perfectly â€Å"no fault divorce,† if there ever was one. â€Å"Kapag minamalas ka sa isang lugar, itawid mo ng dagat† goes the Filipino proverb. Perhaps the salt in the sea would prevent the bad luck from following you. So today I live with my two Igorot children in Davao City – fondly called â€Å"the promised land. † Everyone is astounded when they learn that I had moved even though I knew only one person here – who didn’t even promise me anything. I just wanted a chance to start over. When we moved into this house, it had a small nipa hut in the backyard. The kids enjoyed staying there during the sweltering hot Davao afternoons, especially when their Daddy called them on the phone. But it was nearly falling apart and was host to a colony of termites that had actually begun to invade the house as well. My generous landlady soon decided it was time to tear down the structure. When I got home one day, it was gone. All that was left was a dry and empty space in the yard; yet everything looked brighter too. We missed the â€Å"payag;† but soon the grass crept into the emptiness and we began to enjoy playing Frisbee in the space that opened up. It was a Derridean denouement of sorts. Last year, we spent our first Christmas without any family obligations. It was liberating not to have to buy any gifts for nephews, cousins, in-laws. All the shopping I did was for my children. I was determined to establish my own Christmas tradition with them. I wanted to show them we were happy. I wanted them to grow up never having to sing â€Å"Merry Christmas To You† ever again. I decided to cook paella for noche buena as if my life depended on it. I thought it was simply a matter of dumping all the ingredients in the pan and letting it cook – like the aftermath of a failed marriage. The recipe was so difficult I ended up crying hysterically, asking myself over and over, â€Å"what have I done? † My kids embraced me and said, â€Å"Nanay, stop crying na. But I couldn’t. It seemed as if it was the first time I had let myself cry over what I had lost. I noticed though, that the kids did not cry. Embarrassed with myself, I picked myself up from the river of snot that was my bed and finished what I had set out to do – as I always have. It even looked and tasted like paella, despite the burnt bottom. But next year we’ll just order take-out from Sr. Pedro (Lechon Manok). That night, my mother-in-law sent me a text message saying they are always praying for us to get back together, especially for the children’s sake. I do not know how to comfort her, except to keep saying that we had all done the best we could at the time; that we are always trying to do the right thing; that despite what happened, or perhaps because of it, we will always be a family. Of a kind. We are, after all, inextricably linked by a timeless story and â€Å"sapay koma. † Each of us in this story nurtures a secret wish to have done things differently – to have been kinder, more understanding of each other’s quirks and shortcomings. But it takes less energy to wish it forward. Sapay koma naimbag ti biag yo dita — to hope that your life there is good.