The Walt Disney Concert Hall is Leonard Koscianskis...

The Walt Disney Concert Hall is an astounding work of architecture. Leonard Koscianski finished designing this work in 1991, but the process of construction lasted almost a decade. The cost of the building ended up exceeding the original figures, which slowed construction. With donations from private sources, including the Disney family and The Walt Disney Company, The Walt Disney Concert Hall finally opened on October 24, 2003. The cost of the concert hall was roughly 274 million dollars, and seats 2,265 people. The concert hall is located in downtown Los Angeles, California. It was the fourth hall to join the Los Angeles Music Center. The concert hall is in no way normal but that is what Frank Gehry is known for. Gehry’s architectural works fall under the deconsructivism category. Deconstructivism encourages radical freedom of form and the open manifestation of complexity in a building rather than strict attention to functional concerns and conventional design elements When looking at The Walt Disney Concert Hall from the outside you see a series of corrugated stainless steel panels covering irregularly shaped appendages. All of the appendages are interconnected and have glass between some of them to soften the look of all of the steel panels. The concert hall definitely stands out against the other buildings that surround it. The concert hall is in the heart of the city with all of the concrete buildings surrounding it. The center of the building looks like the hull of

Love Marriage Free Essays

string(115) " tresses and dragged me onto the floor, then lifted me and hit my head against the wall again and again and again\." As I took my marriage vows in the House of God, my glittery white wedding gown sparkling in the sun seemed like a symbol of my bright future with the man of my dreams. I looked into his passionate dark eyes, and realized that once again, I had succeeded, gotten what I wanted. No one had ever been able to come in my way ever, and now that I was married to Jai, looked like no one could. We will write a custom essay sample on Love Marriage or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not even my parents. My parents didn’t even know Jai well. I do believe in the whole ‘mothers instinct’ thing, but things were different in this case. All they knew was what they had heard from people, namely Jai’s ex-wife and her mother. And of course they’d be biased, after a broken engagement, who wouldn’t? Jai’s ex wife kept making up stories about how violent Jai got when he was drunk, I didn’t believe her, partly because I didn’t want to, but another part of me sub consciously filed these ‘fables’ in my memory. Mom kept insisting that she had a ‘bad feeling’ about him, â€Å"If he’s left her for you, what guarantee do you have that he wont leave you for some one else? † But it wasn’t that way, my parents wouldn’t understand. Jai needed a life partner. His wife couldn’t be his companion. I was everything she wasn’t. She was a slave, more like a machine who just bounced off his ideas to him. Obviously he’d be bored. I also thought that another reason was the fact that I wanted to marry by choice, and not have it arranged like her and Pa, and all the other ‘happy couples’ in the world. Well, so what if Jai had fooled around in the past, or gotten into jail a few times just for small time drug dealing? That didn’t make him a criminal, and it certainly didn’t make me change my mind about his wonderful personality. That was his past, and at the time, I was his present, and that was all that mattered. Things started shaping up just the way I knew they would, Jai was still the exotic, tall, handsome man, with flashing eyes and a sharp mind. Nothing had changed after marriage; he still loved me with the same passion tinged with possessiveness, and he still treated me with the same respect and dignity as a gentleman, I was grateful because that was something very uncommon in the society I lived in. We shared the same interest in everything: religion, politics, and even video games. I was his companion, his equal partner, I was sure Jai would keep me happy all my life. Soon Jai got a job as an agent for a company, and it was a good job with a steady income, so I didn’t mind the fact that he had to be in and out of town. Pa got us a nice apartment in a friendly neighborhood, till we could afford to pay our own rent. A few months down the line Jai had gone to Singapore for some business, and while he was away, I discovered that I was pregnant. I was thrilled beyond measure, all my parents’ fears of me being unable to live a decent respectable life with a man like Jai were dismissed. My dreams were coming true; I would soon be a respected wife and mother. I thought I’d wait for Jai to return, and then surprise him. But Jai returned a little earlier than expected, hearing of my pregnancy from a family friend in Singapore. The night he returned didn’t turn out to be quite as I thought it would. He came home drunk, and I was at my mother’s house when he returned, and was livid to find me out of the house without his permission. That night, when I returned home, I found him on his rocking chair, awaiting my return. The first thing he said to me struck me like a lightening bolt, † I should’ve listened to them when they told me about you. You’re finally showing your true colors aren’t you? † I didn’t know whom he meant by ‘them’, but I was shocked by the bitterness and sharpness of his tone and could only manage to mumble a feeble â€Å"huh? † â€Å"Don’t pretend! There’s no need to, I know you were with Philip, and I know what you’ve been doing the past few months while I’ve been out of town,† His breath reeked of alcohol, and his words were slurred, and bitter with contempt, â€Å"You think I’m dumb huh? Huh? You think I haven’t noticed you’re interest in him? And I know that you’re carrying proof of that.. † Philip was our young, vibrant next-door neighbor. He was quite a good looking, charming boy and I had mentioned it to Jai a couple of times. I noticed that he didn’t seem too pleased about it, but I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that he would ever suspect me of being unfaithful to him. Jai went on to call me a string of demeaning nasty names, but my mind was blank. I was weak as it was, and the shock was too much for me to bear. He got up slowly and walked towards me, stopping a few inches away from me, † Where did you go? â€Å". I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was parched, and no words could be formed. After what seemed like eternity I uttered â€Å"Ma’s house†. His eyes bore into me like needles, and suddenly he struck me screaming â€Å"LIAR! If you aren’t hiding anything from me then why are you so scared! † His eyes were bulging out of his sockets, and his breathing grew heavier, suddenly he caught me by my hair and flung me onto the couch. As he slapped me repeatedly, I fought to stifle my screams lest the neighbors heard; he then caught hold of my long auburn tresses and dragged me onto the floor, then lifted me and hit my head against the wall again and again and again. You read "Love Marriage" in category "Papers" His fury was sated. I couldn’t keep track of anything that happened after that, I just remember excruciating pain in my head, and then I went numb and blacked out. I woke up to find myself on my bed, Jai was by my side holding my hand, my head still spun, and it took me a while to recollect the events of the previous night. Jai sat with his head bowed. He whispered an apology to me, I was too weak to show any signs of acceptance, and then suddenly he started sobbing, â€Å"I can’t believe I did this to you. I’m so sorry, I must’ve been possessed by an evil spirit. Please forgive me. I love you. I beg for forgiveness. That wasn’t me. I promise to never raise my hand on you again. I’m sorry Jyoti, please forgive me. † I was scared. I didn’t entirely believe him, but something inside me wanted to believe his every word. I knew my Jai, last night he was sick, he was drunk. He didn’t know what he was doing. Maybe I believed him only because I knew that I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t go back to my parents, because my ego wouldn’t let me, nor could I let them know the torture and humiliation I had been subjected to, because I wasn’t used to being proved wrong. I didn’t want them to know that they had been right. So I stayed, I believed what I wanted to believe about him, he was my strength, everything else was perfect, and these were just trivial things that happened sometimes between couples, meant to be forgotten, it was the price I had to pay for my love, my impudence and what the world would see as my victory. After that incident, things were back to normal between us on the outside, but deep down I was scared, I was scared of making any wrong move. I was still not thoroughly convinced that he believed that the child I was carrying was his, because he did pass snide remarks implying that I was unfaithful to him. For a long time after that I avoided him when he was drunk, I let fear overtake my pride, and soon I let my ego dissolve in front of him. He was my husband, my master, my provider, my everything. It was the price I paid for my image in society. People admired me for being able to live with a man known by his notoriety. They thought that I had reformed him, but that was only in public. At home I slowly began to uncover his darkest secrets. After I gave birth to my baby, Rahul, I stayed at my parents’ house as per the customs of our society. One night I had to come back to my house to get a few tablets that I left there before. My father offered to drive me there at around 1 in the morning. As I entered the house I heard voices from my bedroom, I decided to go take a look, thinking that maybe Jai had a few of his friends over, and as I walked in, I saw him in bed with another woman. I wasn’t as shocked as I ought to have been; perhaps because deep down inside I knew this was going on, I just hadn’t expected to catch him in the act so soon. As soon as he was aware of my presence he ordered the other woman to leave. I grabbed this opportunity to have the upper hand. He was the unfaithful one, not me. I started reprimanding him and he kept quiet. I thought that I was winning, he was ashamed, and had been caught in the act. But I made one little mistake. In my rage, I abused him. A clenched jaw and red, bulging eyes looked up at me. He rose and struck me on my face. I knew that my father was waiting outside for me, and under no circumstances would I let my father know, ever. So I ran out to my father, knowing the fate that awaited me the next day. The day I went back home with my baby was awful. He was drunk when I arrived, and he waited for my parents to leave before he used the events of the other night as a stick to beat me with. Thus the beatings started. Every other night at first, and then everyday for trivial things, like not serving him breakfast on time, not ironing his clothes well, and coming home late, even if I was at my parents’ house. I began to feel like I could trust no one. I lived a schizophrenic existence. The humiliation of not being able to keep my husband happy and falling short of my parents definition of an ideal marriage seemed more frightening than the beatings. I tried everything I could to keep him in a cheery mood. I eliminated everything that would slightly upset him. I tried to mould my personality to fit him, so that we could live in harmony. Along with my pride there was something else, much more precious to me at stake, my baby Rahul. Even if he never showed much affection towards the baby, Jai had never raised his hand on him, and I tried my best to keep it that way. But it was inevitable. I knew that Jai had a suspicion that the baby wasn’t his. One morning as I woke up to Rahul’s cries, Jai was getting dressed for work, and he had not attended to the baby, but I could see that the baby’s wails were increasingly annoying him. I knew that if I didn’t do something to stop Rahul from crying, he too would be subjected to his father’s evil. Jai probably saw my fear for my baby in my eyes, and decided to taunt me with it. He commanded me to leave Rahul alone, and ordered the baby to shut up. At this point, I knew that I had to try and save my most precious asset, and I ignored his command and reached out for my child. Jai caught my hair and dragged me away from him. I was powerless to resist. I could only pray to the Lord. Rahul’s wails got louder when he saw the brutality of the scene. Jai left my hair and reached for the baby’s neck, almost chocking him to death, his eyes bulged with fear and I knew that he would soon turn blue. An eternity passed before me, until I was suddenly overcome by strength so great, I can now say that it was the strength of the Lord. The strength he had given me, to save my baby. I spotted my heavy rot iron lamp on my bedside; I lifted it with all my strength and brought it crashing down at the back of his head. He fell on the floor with a thud. How to cite Love Marriage, Papers

Treat Others Fairly free essay sample

I hit him again and again as we spun around but the fight didn’t last long. One of the teachers rushed to the scene and broke us up. She started fussing at us about how to settle problems without fighting like most teachers would say. I knew I was in trouble. It was a scorching hot day when I was coming from the cafeteria to recess. Squinting from the sun, I saw Jeff playing with the only basketball. Our grade was short on basketballs to play with so the quickest person to eat and leave was the one who could get the ball for recess. Being a heavy eater, I ended up staying a while in the lunch room. Every day Jeff would get the ball which angered me. He would always keep it to himself, dribbling, shooting, and running for his rebounds. That day I got fed up and quickly took the ball away from him, sprinting as fast as my feet could go to the other side of the court. We will write a custom essay sample on Treat Others Fairly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I began shooting as if nothing ever happened. For a while he stood there staring at me with the ball in awe. As I went up for another lay- up, I saw Jeff charging at me like a bull from the corner of my eye. He tried to pull the ball back from my hands. This caused us to fight over it. After the teacher broke us up and talked to us we apologized. We decided to recruit some of our friends to play a game with the ball so that we would all have something to do that recess. Both of us learned a lesson from this situation. I leaned that I can’t always have my way an patience is important, while Jeff learned to share instead of being selfish. Surprisingly, none of us got in trouble for the fight.

The Pardoner And The Brothers Essays (540 words) -

The Pardoner and the 'brothers' The Pardoner and the 'brothers' Throughout literature, relationships can often be found between the author of a story and the story that he writes. In Geoffrey Chaucer's frame story, Canterbury Tales, many of the characters make this idea evident with the tales that they tell. A distinct relationship can be made between the character of the Pardoner and the tale that he tells. Through the Prologue to the Pardoner's tale, the character of the Pardoner is revealed. Although the Pardoner displays many important traits, the most prevalent is his greed. Throughout the prologue, the Pardoner displays his greed and even admits that the only thing he cares about is money: "I preach nothing except for gain" ("Pardoner's Tale", Line 105). This avarice is seen strongly in the Pardoner's tale as well. In the Pardoner's tale, three friends begin a journey in order to murder Death. On their journey, though, an old man leads them to a great deal of treasure. At this point, all three of the friends in the tale display a greed similar to the Pardoner's. The three friends decide that someone should bring bread and wine for a celebration. As the youngest of the friends leaves to go buy wine, the other two greedily plot to kill him so they can split the treasure only two ways. Even the youngest decides to "put it in his mind to buy poison / With which he might kill his two companions" (383, 384). The greed, which is evident in the character of the Pardoner, is also clearly seen in the tale. Another trait that is displayed by the Pardoner and a character in his tale is hypocrisy. Although the Pardoner is extremely greedy, he continues to try and teach that "Avarice is the root of all evil" (6). The characters in his tale display great hypocrisy as well. As the tale begins, the friends all act very trustworthy and faithful towards all of their friends. They nobly make a decision to risk their lives while trying to slay their friend's murderer. As they talk about their challenge, they pledge "to live and die each of them for the other, / As if he were his own blood brother" (241-242). At the end of the tale, the "brothers" begin to reveal their true nature. They all turn on each other in an attempt to steal the treasure for themselves. All of the loyalty, which they had pledged, was simply a lie and no faithfulness remained. While the two older "brother" plotted to kill the younger, the younger"brother" plotted "to kill them both and never to repent" (388). Thus, these so-called faithful "brothers" display their true ruthlessness and reveal their hypocrisy in relation to the Pardoner's character. The characters in the "Pardoner's Tale" match the unctuous nature of the Pardoner in a great deal of ways. All of these traits and ideas that are seen in both the Pardoner and the tale that he tells show a strong relationship in the two. Chaucer used this technique in all of the tales that are recorded in Canterbury Tales. This technique gives a greater insight into the mind of the teller. By analyzing the tales, it is possible to learn much about the teller of the tale. Using this method, Chaucer focuses on the characteristics of each of the people involved in Canterbury Tales, but also keeps the poem interesting.

Analysis For The Picture Example

Analysis For The Picture Example Analysis For The Picture – Coursework Example Analysis for the picture Speaking of formal visual elements of the painting, one might point out that it features soft lines with no sharp angles, dark colors dominate the canvas, the texture is perceived as elastic; the shapes of the objects depicted are primarily round. As for the way each of the elements is connected to another, one might argue that the painting is certainly balanced. On the one hand, there is an easily observed symmetry: face, eyes, nose, mouth and torso can be easily divided in two by a vertical line. On the other hand, there are objects which are placed chaotically; however, they are aligned and balance each other.I believe that the most essential component of the painting is the goggles that are worn by the main character. The reason why it is so important is that it contributes to the formation of a particular meaning of the painting and can be interpreted more or less in one way while any other element is quite ambiguous. There is no doubt that one can obser ve a working visual system in general: the colors are dark, a character is shown wearing protective elements such as goggles or a suit. All this results in a particular meaning: this person lives in a hostile environment. In addition to that, some parts of the meaning are conveyed through formal language. For example, his nose is painted red which is a bright color that reflect danger or pain; the background is dark which makes is dangerous as well.

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams Graduate students take two sets of comprehensive exams, both masters and doctoral. Yes, it sounds scary. Comprehensive examinations, known as comps, are a source of anxiety for most graduate students. What Is a Comprehensive Examination? A comprehensive examination is just what it sounds like. It is a test that covers a broad base of material. It assesses the students knowledge and capacities to earn a given graduate degree. The exact content varies by graduate program and by degree: masters and doctoral comprehensive exams have similarities but differ in detail, depth, and expectations. Depending on the graduate program and degree, comps could test course knowledge, knowledge of your proposed research area, and general knowledge in the field. This is especially true of doctoral students, who must be prepared to discuss the field at a professional level, citing material from coursework but also classic and current references. When Do You Take Comps? Comps are generally given toward the end of coursework or afterward as a way to determine how well a student is able to synthesize the material, solve problems, and think like a professional. Passing a comprehensive exam lets you move to the next level of study. What Is the Format? Masters and doctoral exams often are written exams, sometimes oral, and sometimes both written and oral. Exams are usually administered in one or more long test periods. For example, in one program written doctoral comprehensive exams are given in two blocks that are each eight hours long on consecutive days. Another program administers a written comp exam to masters students in one period that lasts five hours. Oral exams are more common in doctoral comps, but there are no hard and fast rules. What Is the Masters Comp Exam? Not all masters programs offer or require that students complete comprehensive exams. Some programs require a passing score on a comprehensive exam for entry to the thesis. Other programs use comprehensive exams in place of a thesis. Some programs give students a choice of completing either a comprehensive exam or a thesis. In most cases, masters students are given guidance on what to study. It might be specific lists of readings or sample questions from previous exams. Masters comprehensive exams are generally given to an entire class at once. What Is the Doctoral Comp Exam? Virtually all doctoral programs require that students complete doctoral comps. The exam is the gateway to the dissertation. After passing the comprehensive exam a student can use the title doctoral candidate, which is a label for students who have entered the dissertation phase of doctoral work, the final hurdle to the doctoral degree. Doctoral students often receive much less guidance on how to prepare for comps as compared with masters students. They might get long reading lists, some sample questions from previous exams, and instructions to be familiar with articles published over the past few years in the prominent journals in their field. What If You Dont Pass Your Comps? Graduate students who are unable to pass a programs comprehensive exam are weeded from the graduate program and cannot complete the degree. Graduate programs often allow a student who fails the comprehensive exam another chance to pass. However, most programs send students packing after two failing grades.

Research paper proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research paper proposal - Essay Example The two research questions to be explored are: "What is the impact of management style on productivity?† and "How does a reward system influence executive function?" The link between management style and productivity is well recognized (Dorgan, Dowdy, and Pippin, 2006; Michael, 2002). What is more interesting to this researcher is the link between reward systems that managers choose to satisfy their organizational expectations and the impact of these reward systems on productivity. These reward systems grew out of a need to give workers an incentive to complete work satisfactorily. Incentives like bonuses, early time-off, and so forth, motivated workers to produce better results much more quickly than when there were no incentives (Camp and Lambert, 2005; Somaya, 2001; Schraeder and Becton, 2008). Beyond incentives, management and leadership style have been seen to also bring about productivity. There is a relationship between management style and the types of incentives they use that also has a bearing on productivity. There are several management styles that include the authoritarian, the participative and the autocratic and the permissive to name a few. This research seeks to measure the efficacy of the participative management style, both in terms of organizational output and worker satisfaction. In analyzing participative management style, it has been found that this type of leadership is also open to certain reward systems more so than other management styles. It is the hope of this research that a correlation will be found between participative management style, incentives and worker productivity. How these systems impact one another will also be explored. Exploring the relationship between management style and productivity is impossible without having a clear definition of what participative management style is and how managers use reward systems. Generally, authors define participative management as a

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Journal - Essay Example In this quote, Mama realizes that her daughter’s ambitions are totally different from hers. She feels that her daughter wants to complement her looks with that of a â€Å"white† woman, and by doing so, she feels she is deviating from â€Å"real life†. In this passage, Mama notices that she is not living in accordance to her daughter’s expectations, in spite of the pride she takes from her hard work. This is something that even bothers her so much. Unlike her daughter â€Å"Dee†, who can always look into anyone’s eyes, Mama feels that she cannot. At the begging of the second paragraph, Maggie comes out wearing a red blouse and a pink skirt and asks her mother how she looks. It is obvious that she looks presentable before her mother, but when she walks the mother compares her to a dog. This passage presents a change in the Mama’s perspective about â€Å"real life†. She now feels that Maggie has a better figure than her sister, Dee. Implying that she will perhaps have a better future than her and Dee. In this paragraph, Mama is trying to recall how she thought Dee used to hate Maggie and their house. Although she managed to take Dee to school with the help of her church and the a few money she had, she felt that Dee did not appreciate, but turned to hate her house and small daughter. Dee realized the importance of education and wanted to share the knowledge gained with her mother and sister who only felt that they did not necessarily need such knowledge. This paragraph, therefore, indicates different perceptions about education between the educated and uneducated as well as rural and sophisticated population. At this point, Mama was narrating how Dee used to like nice things, which she always worked hard to achieve. She was quite unlike her mother, who always believed she is a big-boned woman who is conditioned to work. She even says Maggie’s lack of style will finally make her marry John Thomas who has â€Å"mossy teeth† (Walker 317). This

Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits Essay Example for Free

Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits Essay This woman named Suki Kims life changed instantly. In the beginning she talks about Queens, New York in 1983 where she lived at, at the time. She describe their first home as â€Å"the upstairs of a two-family brownstone in Woodside†(Kim, page 92 ). She also said â€Å"the place was crammed, ugly place† and compared that to where she use to live in South Korea (Kim, Page 92). When she entered seventh grade her father’s company went bankrupt overnight and he was a millionaire shipping company, mining business and hotels. However, when the bankruptcy happen jail time was required because that was the punishment for her father. So without any money at all they flew to America into the state of New York. Sense Suki Kim came from South Korea, she couldnt speak any English at all. In fact the only first English word she knew was F. O. B (â€Å"Fresh off the boat†) because in junior high school all the teens was saying that about her. Miss Kim had transportation from a chauffeur when she used to live in South Korea and now that she lives in Queens, New York she has to ride on the public school bus with all the other teens. Another thing that changed in her life traumatically was that she had never done homework without a governess helping Miss Kim. She also noticed that a house can get really messy when she dont have a maid around anymore to clean up after her. Suki was even humiliated about bringing her dirty laundry to the laundry mat! Miss Kim had many life changes and she wasnt happy about it at all, she just wanted to go back to how her life was before. At the time when Miss Kim went to junior high she noticed how American schools are so different from Korean schools. Miss Kim also observed how people treat each other in America different from how Koreans treat each other in South Korea. Suki mentioned how Koreans in schools wore slippers to keep the schools floors clean as she compares to Queens, New York school has graffiti on the walls and has guards at the school doors searching the teenagers before they enter the school. When Miss Kim entered a English class with other Koreans she thought that she would fit in more but soon realized that she was still standing out from them. She knew that their was a difference between her and other Koreans. She said, â€Å"The wealthier Korean immigrants had settled in Westchester or Manhattan, where their children attend private schools† (Kim, Page 93). She was in a public school where all the other poor immigrant teens went to. After awhile her family had earned enough money to move out of that neighborhood to get better housing and education. Suki had volunteered at a family assistant center as a interpreter and she got on her feet-finally adjusting to society. I think this memoir is to good read because I can understand how Suki feels. I was interested in how a rich person life changed to being a middle class or poor person. I liked this memoir of Sukis story because she put all of her opinions and what she disliked into her essay. To me it seemed like she wanted to fit in into the American school society. I think she should just be herself and to always have faith that everything is going to be alright. She should take it one day at a time and make friends that can be true to her. I think this memoir teaches people never to regret what you have and always appreciate what you have. Never to be ashamed of where you came from and to always have pride that better days will come. I wondered what kind of friends she used to have when she used to live in South Korea? I also wondered how Sukis family learned how to survive in America without any money? I could imagine her having that fantasy life that she used to have when she used to live in South Korea. I felt that she didnt show any emotion about the big move her family made to America. It seem like she was brave and didnt think that America was a hard place to survive. I liked how Suki talked about the hip hop culture being known by other fellow Koreans. Seems as though to me that she was growing to be like an ordinary American teen that wants her ears pierced. My opinion on the memoir is that it made me feel bad but I was glad that some one in the world experience the hard times like other poor and middle class Americans. Yes its harsh, but all people have their down falls and I think rich people should imagine being in other poor or middle class people shoes. I also think that Immigrants have it hard also when they cant afford to be in their own countries and come to America to make things right. They believe that they would be free to do what they want because they have better opportunity to make more money. Which is true but some immigrants think that its easy to get money when there is always a struggle to get what we want. I enjoyed this memoir of Suki Kims story because it made me appreciate what I have now. Yes I would love to have what she used to have but I know money doesnt bring happiness because its only the ones you love would. Changes in Sukis life made her change her attitude of being a rich girl into a girl being more well rounded about everything she use to know. I wondered what kind of jobs did her dad and mom get while in Queens, New York? I wondered how did her parents take to poverty because she never mentioned how her parents felt? I also think she could have made more friend if she would have reach out to other races in her school. I know she couldnt speak very good English but she could have at lease get a Korean girl that speak English to help her. Suki can reach out in her community to go see others that are in her situation and talk to people. She can also be with good friends at a community center and be with them to help her get through her situation.

Ambiguities Explored in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays

Ambiguities Explored in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature is never interpreted in exactly the same way by two different readers. A prime example of a work of literature that is very ambiguous is Joseph Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness". The Ambiguities that exist in this book are Marlow's relationship to colonialism, Marlow's changing feelings toward Kurtz, and Marlow's lie to the Intended at the end of the story.    One interpretation of Marlow's relationship to colonialism is that he does not support it. Conrad writes, "They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom" (p. 27-28). Marlow says this and is stressing that the so-called "savages", or Africans, are being treated and punished like they are criminals or enemies when in fact they never did anything. He observes the slow torture of these people and is disgusted with it. Marlow feels sympathy for the black people being slaved around by the Europeans but doesn't do anything to change it because that is the way things are. One can see the sympathy by the way that he gives a starving black man one of his biscuits. "To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe" (p. 54). This statement by Marlow conveys th at he doesn't believe that the Europeans have a right to be stripping Africa of its riches. He views the Jungles of Africa as almost it's own living, breathing monster.    It is evident that Marlow is one of the few white men on the journey that questions the belief at the time that the natives of Africa are "inhu... ...ch open up the readers mind. Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", raises many questions about society and the human potential for evil.    Works Cited and Consulted:       Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness 3rd Ed.   Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York:   Norton Critical, 1988.    Edward W. Said, The World, the Text, and the Critic. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1983) 13.    Hillman, James. "Notes on White Supremacy: Essaying an Archetypal Account of Historical Events," Spring (1986): 29-57.    McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol & Gey, 1992.    Meyers, Jeffrey.   Joseph Conrad.   New York:   Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991.    Patrick Brantlinger, "Heart of Darkness: Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or Impressionism?" Criticism (Fall, 1985) 364.     

Chapter 12 QFR Fundamental of Management Essay

1. Describe the difference between communication and effective communication. How can a sender verify that a communication was effective? How can a receiver verify that a communication was effective? Communication is the process of transmitting information from one person to another. Effective communication is the process of sending a message in such a way that the message received is a close meaning as possible to the message intended. To encode and transmitted through appropriate channel. After messages are received it is decoded back into a form that is meaningful for the receiver. 2. What are the similarities and differences of oral and written communication? What kinds of situations call for the use of oral methods? What situations call for written communication? Oral communication is face to face conversation group discussions, telephone calls, and other circumstances in which the spoken word is used to transmit meaning. Written communication is memos, letters, reports, notes and other circumstances in which the written word is used to transmit meaning. Oral communication or email may be preferred when a message is personal, nonroutine, and brief. Written is best used when it is impersonal, routine and longer. 5. Describe the individual and organizational barriers to effective communication. For each barrier, describe one action that a manager could take to reduce the problems caused by that barrier. Individual barriers are conflicting or inconsistent signals, credibility about the subject, reluctance to communicate, poor listening skills, and predispositions about the subjects. Organization barriers are semantics, status or power differences, different perceptions, and noise, overload and language differences. Overcoming individual skills are develop good listening, encourage two way communication, be aware of language and meaning, maintain credibility, be sensitive to receiver’s and sender’s perspective. Chapter 13 QFR 2. What are the stages of group development? Do all teams develop through all the stages discussed in this chapter? Why or why not? How might the management of a mature team differ from the management of teams that are not yet mature? The stages of group development are (1) forming—bringing members together and getting them acquainted; (2) storming—developing group  identity, structure and leadership, often through conflicts; (3) norming—accepting and codifying role structures and behavioral norms; and (4) performing—moving beyond group formation to begin accomplishing the group’s purpose. Groups typically move through all the stages in the order given, and groups that try to â€Å"short cut† the group development process will often have unresolved issues that will persistently re-surface. The management of mature teams can focus more on performance than on effective development, which means a focus on tasks, rather than on relationships, structures, and culture. For example, while members of a developing group may want or need to spend time getting to know their fellow members through â€Å"ice-breaker† activities, members of mature groups may resent being forced to spend time on such activities. 4. Identify two examples of informal leaders. Can a person be a formal and an informal leader at the same time? Examples of informal leaders might include such persons as the most experienced secretary in a work group, an intelligent and articulate student who serves as a spokesperson for the class, or a neighbor who organizes social events. Formal leadership is conferred by one’s position within the organization while informal leadership is granted to individuals who are admired and respected by others. Clearly then, one person can be both a formal and an informal leader. An example would be a tenured professor who has a formal leadership role in his or her department or college and who is admired and respected by students and colleagues, serving as an informal role model.

Descriptive Essay House on Fire

descriptive essay house on fire The House on Fire That cold night of December 2004 had left behind a memory which will stay in my mind for a never ending period of time. That night was not the same as the rest of the days in my life. Instead of going to bed, that night I was standing in the middle of the road, in complete terror. My heartbeat was accelerating with fear and tears were rolling down my cheeks as I saw Emily taken away by the ambulance. The house, which I was standing in front of, was burning as fire engulfed it from all sides. There was fire everywhere.The roof was on fire, the doors and the windows were on fire, fire was even coming out of the house through various openings, looking like a fire-breathing dragon was inside the house, puffing fire. The flames burned deep red and amber, almost livid purple as I saw various firefighters trying to put out the fire. Nothing inside was likely to survive the fire. Flames were licking up in the air with the wind, trying to catc h something else on fire, and finding nothing but air, disappearing into the windy night, like disappointed flutters. Everything was happening too fast.During a minute or less, fire had spread across the entire landing. I was petrified by the sight of the fire, which crawled lizard like up the house. The house was exploding in yellow blue flames that quickly turned orange. I was trembling and whimpering softly as I saw Emily’s mother sitting on the ground, helplessly. She was crying out of despair. Her reaction had made me even more scared. I wanted someone to console me by telling me that nothing will happen to Emily. She was my best friend. We had spent seven years of our childhood together and I did not want to lose her.I was praying silently while Emily’s mother had lost all the hope of her survival. I had never felt so alone before. Even the thought of losing her, frightened me. I felt as if I was living through the worst nightmare. Grief is the worst feeling in t he world. You feel hopeless, scared, angry, frustrated, alone and afraid. Going through a phase in life when you have a feeling of losing someone is hard to accept and it is much harder for an eight years old child. You feel as if the world had stopped and you could never move on in life.It is very painful to accept that you will no longer be able to see someone who was very close to the heart. I was crying while looking at the crowd of people that had clustered around the house by that time. The voices of the people echoed in my ear hauntingly. Their screams and shouts gave rise to my fear. I was horrified by the siren of the ambulance, the police car and the firefighters, the ringing of the phones of the crowd, the yelling, the cries, the increasing roar of the fire; everything added chaos to that place and frightened me even more.Ghosts of smoke were drifting across the street. I smelled smoke. It was not heavy, but it had a pungent smell. I started to cough as the smoke enfolded me. The air surrounding me was becoming less breathable by the second. My mouth was filled with the bitter taste of the smoke. I wanted a draught of clean air to rinse out my polluted lungs. The cough had aggravated pain in my head. My eyes were becoming swollen and watery. Soon after, the fire got quite out of control as the whole house was on fire. The firefighters evacuated the street and told everyone to go inside their houses.I had no choice but to retreat to my room where I could see, feel, and hear Emily’s house burn down. In a few minutes, the house had been reduced to a pile of rubble, ashes, and smouldering wood and items. There was a rotting smell that took over the whole neighbourhood, like a bad barbeque party gone horribly wrong. The smell was so overpowering that it took almost a week to get it out of my nose. That horrifying night of December still reminds me how valuable a person is in our life. If the firefighters were even one minute late in rescuing Emily , I would have lost my best friend that day.

Criminal justice Reform essays

Criminal justice Reform essays People are arrested every day in the United States. They are put on probation or sent to jail, and sometimes they are let out on parole; there are millions of people affected. In 1995 alone there were over five million people under some form of correctional supervision, and the number is steadily increasing. The incarceration rate is skyrocketing: the number of prison inmates per 100,000 people has risen from 139 in 1980 to 411 in 1995. This is an immense financial burden on the country. Federal expenditure for correctional institutions alone increased 248% from 1982 to 1992. Obviously something has to be changed in the justice system. If the crime rate is rising this much, the correctional justice system isn't functioning properly, and needs to be reformed. Many people have offered theories as to what should be done with the prison system, the extremes being retributivism and the therapeutic model, but what they all seem to have overlooked is that there is no single system that work s for everyone. Blanket generalizations as to the nature of the criminal mind cannot be made. Every criminal is different, with different motivations and different psychological characteristics so that different things are required to make them repent or deter them from further criminal activity, and I believe that the solutions offered are not enough to lower the crime rate and prison population. Something needs to be done on a more fundamental level so that fewer people turn to crime in the first place, thereby providing the prison system with the freedom to improve the attention it gives to the people that do become criminals; my solution is a combination of economic reform and educational opportunity that would give people less reason to commit crimes. The extreme right reform proposition, retributivism, is flawed mainly because it seems to assume that showing people that what they've done is wrong will always accomplish something, and that every priso...

1984 Study Guide

1984 Study Guide George Orwells 1984 is such an influential novel that you neednt have read it to notice its effect. With its chilling examination of totalitarian regimes, 1984 changed the language we use to discuss those very regimes. Popular terms like Big Brother, Orwellian, or Newspeak were all originated by Orwell in 1984. The novel was Orwell’s attempt to highlight what he saw as an existential threat posed by authoritarian leaders like Joseph Stalin. It remains a vital commentary on the techniques of brutal totalitarian regimes and only becomes more prescient and applicable as technology catches up with its nightmarish vision. Fast Facts: 1984 Author: George OrwellPublisher: Secker and WarburgYear Published: 1949Genre: Science fictionType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: EnglishThemes: Totalitarianism, destruction of the self, control of informationCharacters: Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien, Syme, Mr. CharringtonNotable Adaptations: A film adaptation released in 1984 starred John Hurt as Winston and Richard Burton, in his last role, as O’Brien.Fun Fact: Because of his socialist politics and connections to the Communist Party, Orwell himself was under government surveillance for years. Plot Summary Winston Smith lives in what is known as Airstrip One, formerly Britain, a province of a large nation-state known as Oceania. Posters everywhere declare BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, and Thought Police could be anywhere, watching for signs of Thoughtcrime. Smith works at the Ministry of Truth changing historical texts to match the current propaganda being distributed by the government. Winston longs to rebel, but confines his rebellion to keeping a forbidden journal, which he writes in a corner of his apartment hidden from the two-way television screen on his wall. At work, Winston meets a woman named Julia and begins a forbidden love affair, meeting her in a room he rents above a shop in the midst of the non-party population, known as proles. At work, Winston suspects that his superior, a man named O’Brien, is involved with a resistance movement called The Brotherhood, led by a mysterious man named Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston’s suspicions are confirmed when O’Brien invites him and Julia to join The Brotherhood, but this turns out to be a ruse and the pair are arrested. Winston is brutally tortured. He slowly gives up all outward resistance, but preserves what he believes is an inner core of his true self symbolized by his feelings for Julia. In the end he is confronted by his worst fear, a terror of rats, and betrays Julia by begging his torturers to do it to her instead. Broken, Winston is returned to public life a true believer. Major Characters Winston Smith. A 39-year old man who works for the Ministry of Truth. Winston romanticizes the lives of the non-Party proles and indulges in daydreams in which they rise up and spark a revolution. Winston rebels in his private thoughts and in small actions that seem relatively safe, like his journal-keeping. His torture and destruction at the end of the novel is tragic because of the sheer lack of necessity; Winston was being manipulated from the very beginning and never posed any true threat. Julia. Similarly to Winston, Julia is outwardly a dutiful Party member, but inwardly seeks to rebel. Unlike Winston, Julia’s motivations for rebellion stem from her own desires; she wishes to pursue pleasure and leisure. O’Brien. Literally everything the reader is told about O’Brien in the first half of the story is revealed to be untrue. He is Winston’s superior at the Ministry of Truth, but he is also a member of the Thought Police. O’Brien therefore represents the Party perfectly: He is changeable as needed, weaponizes information or the lack of it, and ultimately serves solely to perpetuate power and snuff out resistance of any kind. Syme. A colleague of Winston’s, working on a Newspeak dictionary. Winston perceives Syme’s intelligence and predicts that he will disappear as a result of it, a prediction that quickly comes true. Mr. Charrington. A kindly old man who helps Winston rebel, and is later revealed as a member of the Thought Police. Major Themes Totalitarianism. Orwell argues that in a one-party political state where all other parties are outlawed, perpetuation of power becomes the sole purpose of the State. Towards this end, a totalitarian state will restrict freedom increasingly until the only freedom that remains is freedom of private thought- and the State will then attempt to restrict this as well. Control of Information. Orwell argues in the novel that the lack of access to information and the corruption of information makes meaningful resistance to the Party impossible. Orwell foresaw the rise of fake news decades before it was named. Destruction of the Self. The ultimate goal of all totalitarian regimes in Orwell’s opinion. Only by replacing individual desires with a template created by the State can true control be asserted. Literary Style Orwell writes in plain, largely unadorned language and a neutral tone, which evokes the crushing despair and dullness of Winston’s existence. He also ties the point of view tightly to Winston, forcing the reader to accept what Winston tells them much as Winston accepts what he is told, all of which is ultimately revealed as a lie. About the Author Born in 1903 in India, George Orwell was an incredibly influential writer, best-known for his novels Animal Farm and 1984, as well as essays on various topics covering politics, history, and social justice. Many of the concepts Orwell introduced in his writing have become part of pop culture, such as the phrase Big Brother is Watching You and the use of the descriptor Orwellian to indicate an oppressive surveillance state.

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Martin Luther King Jr - Essay Example Many union leaders were arrested while others died during protests (Brands et., p766). Despite, the hardship, their spirits never died. No matter how long it took, US now enjoys equal rights and even has a black president. The journey to womens rights has faced many challenges since independence (Brands et., p785). Before the 1990s, the number of top jobs women held was less than three percent of those available (Brands et., p786). However, by 1998, the number had increased tremendously. By 2009, the womens wages were established to be eighty percent of the earnings given to men (Brands et., p786). There has been a wide perception on the rights given to the gay community throughout US history. In the administration of Bill Clinton, it was an issue with the pentagon on the acceptance of the act in the military (Brands et., p789). However, in the arrival of the new century, the Supreme Court in 2000 ruled that all rights should be given to all civil unions. Presently gay unions receive a continuous acceptance in several parts of the

Essential question #4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essential question #4 - Assignment Example Secondly, assessment also provides a continual feedback in how the students are able to actively retrieve information to facilitate learning that is long lasting. Standardized assessments are therefore necessary because they make students develop performance related goals. As the students get assessed, they are able to get motivated by their earned grades, the rankings as well as intrinsic rewards that result from assessment. These assessments deepen the students’ memory for the assessed materials. As such it enables better performance of students. Additionally, assessment provides the students with significant challenge which makes them work harder to improve their learning as well as playing to a student’s strength. According to Shaw, (2014) when a school is said to be doing well, the following is implied: the students are gaining new levels of understanding each time. â€Å"The hope is to help students gain expertise much like musicians improve with repeated guided practice†, John Bransford. Thus students expertise can be measured and progress shown. Secondly the students are buying in on what they are instructed. As such they are gaining knowledge. â€Å"The greater understanding, is so much more enriching than having a lecture and regurgitating information.† Sandomirsky. This implies that there is increased understanding of the curriculum and as such the students are getting gainful knowledge. Eisner, (2012) outlines; A school is thus said to be doing well when they ensure accountability as well as be flexible so that it leaves no child behind in the learning process. Additionally the school needs to have a rationalized approach dependent on easily quantifiable standards. Thus the purpose of a school assessment can be understood in various levels as follows: formative assessment will enable the teachers know how the students learn best. As such ideas are

Documents Necessary to Organize a Limited Liability in Ohio State Term Paper

Documents Necessary to Organize a Limited Liability in Ohio State - Term Paper Example Employer identification number (EIN) resembles the Social Security Number and is nine digits long. It is assigned by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be used by the LLC’s to track their tax returns. One is required to request for the EIN from IRS website, download, and print from SS-4. The form is supposed to have the signature of a representative of the LLC. Mail the completed SS-4 form the Internal Revenue Services headquarters in Ohio. One has to wait up to four weeks to get the assigned FEIN from IRS. The LLC can apply for federal tax ID for a fee through third parties or for free if applied directly (Ohio Secretary of State, 2014). LLC’s are required to apply for work permits from Ohio Secretary of State. These include local permits necessary to do business in Ohio special and professional licenses depending on the business. One has also to contact the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation as required by the state law. This only applies if the LLC has hired employees who are salaried and registration is through their website. "The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services" (Ohio Secretary of State, 2014) have also to be contacted so as to establish an unemployment compensation tax account. This account is opened with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services through their website (Ohio Secretary of State, 2014). This certificate is a necessity for foreign LLC that want to establish in Ohio State. The certificate is a proof of the LLC’s existence as affirmed by the federal government. It is also a documented compliance with the federal regulation on how businesses are set up and ran in the coun try (Ohio Secretary of State, 2014).

The evolution of Guerilla marketing

The evolution of Guerilla marketing The aim of this research proposal is to critically evaluate how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved to cope with the ever diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession. This proposal will analyse the effects that the recession has had on Guerrilla Marketing and its applications within the marketing community. The project will deal specifically with the topic of Guerrilla Marketing and how it has evolved to cope with the diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession, so there must be a series of objectives that will demonstrate how best to achieve the projects aim. Through this research: the effects of the recession on marketing and its trends will be evaluated. the issue of Guerrilla Marketing increasing in its applications naturally over time will be considered Or whether it has increased in correlation to recession and the effects that it has brought to the marketing community will be investigated The extent to which Guerrilla Marketing has or has not replaced existing or more traditional techniques in the current economic climate will be explored. Saunders comments that research objectives are more generally acceptable to the research community as evidence of the researchers clear sense of purpose and direction. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) This will be achieved through a demonstration of why the research is important and has to be conducted. The Literature Review will provide an awareness of preceding literature, a critical review of the literature concerning Guerrilla Marketing in the recession and the key issues arising from these works regarding the aim of the proposal. The Research Methodology will identify how best to conduct the research itself, whether it be through primary or secondary research and how best to analyse and interpret the results. The Proposed Time Scale will detail a timetable for conducting all aspects of the research proposal and project. From this it hoped that there will be a better understanding of how the current economic recession has impacted on the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing, whether it has had to evolve at a faster rate in order to combat the ever changing marketing environment and whether possible changes in marketing budgets that companies have available have had a direct impact on this. Through the implementation of the objectives stated previously, this should be an achievable research project. Importance of the Research Jay Conrad Levinson is widely regarded as the father of Guerrilla Marketing. He has written several books on the topic. He is a former Vice President and Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising and Leo Burnett Advertising. He is also the chairman of Guerrilla Marketing International. Guerrilla Marketing is defined as Tactics available to every small firm to compete with bigger firms by carving out narrow, profitable niches. These tactics include: 1) extreme specialisation, 2) aiming every effort at favourably impressing the customers, 3) providing service that goes beyond the customers expectation, 4) fast response time, 5) quick turnaround of jobs, and 6) working hours that match the customers requirements. (Business Dictionary 2009) With the tough economic climate, companies are increasingly having to use more cost effective marketing techniques to stay ahead of the competition. This research will expand upon Levinsons previous work and relate the applications and evolution of Guerrilla Marketing to a marketing environment in a recession. Significant Prior Research/ Literature Review The review of the literature on significant prior research is crucial when carrying out a research proposal. In this case, it is important to be aware of studies or research that have been carried out previously on the topic of the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing to cope with the ever diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession. The analysis of the literature will show that people may support or disprove a particular theory or hypothesis. It is essential in the literature review to be critical, as an argument cannot be made if it just supports one standpoint. It must therefore reflect all sides and aspects of the research topic. The choice of literature to be reviewed is extremely important. It is crucial that all the sources referenced are relevant to the topic area and that they are of suitable academic standard. Several sources of previous literature will now be examined. Guerrilla Marketing During Tough Times is written by famed Guerrilla Marketing author Jay Conrad Levinson. The book is directed at business owners. This book has particular importance as it demonstrates the need for Guerrilla Marketing in increasingly tough economic environments. It comments on the need for there to be better creativity in marketing in times when there are stricter restraints on time and budgets for marketing. He comments that the guerrilla lives by different rules during tough economic times than during boom times. The guerrilla attacks when the competition retreats and the attack is concentrated where the guerrilla offers specific service or product advantages. Levinson goes onto say that retreating companies leave a void in the market, which is an ideal niche for guerrilla marketing companies. (Levinson 2006) Levinson further highlights the necessity for distinction and making the marketing unique. This book is of significance due to the importance Levinson places on being able to market in a way that is more cost effective and time sensitive than competitors. This is all made relevant to the increasingly tough economic climate he comments on which is at the heart of this research proposal. Guerrilla Marketing Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits From Your Small Business is another book from Jay Conrad Levinson. This is a significant piece of literature as it highlights in great detail how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved. The book was published in 2007 and is a seminal piece in the analysis of how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved in the 21st century in relation to traditional marketing methods. The book highlights how in the current economy Guerrilla Marketing combats smarter and more sophisticated competition. (Levinson, Levinson Levinson 2007) It details how to develop a Guerrilla Marketing plan to best deal with competitors. He further highlights the need for innovation and how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved on an ad-hoc basis through various new media such as the internet. This text supports his literature mentioned previously and is central to the aims and objectives of this proposal. Even More Offensive Marketing by Hugh Davidson provides a basis for how marketing strategies have evolved over time. It stresses the need for there to be constant innovation in marketing. Davidson comments that Offensive Marketing requires a dedication to both strategy and planning. (Davidson 1997) This book details how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved out of necessity in order for marketers to be pioneering and ahead of the competition. Although the book makes no direct reference to Guerrilla Marketing, it does provide the foundation for how it has come to play such an important role in current marketing strategies and shows the need for constant innovation in marketing. Ethnography for Marketers is a journal article from Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal. This journal is a significant piece of literature as it describes how marketers have become increasingly more reliant upon Guerrilla Marketing techniques through methods such as Ethnography Marketing. It details how the marketing community is increasingly having to adopt new techniques to cope with an ever changing marketing environment. (Desai 2008) Guerrilla marketing is a journal article written by Andrew Ashwin. It is a relevant source for the proposal as Ashwin highlights the fact that guerrilla marketing is an unconventional approach to marketing and has become increasingly popular over recent years. He highlights the link between it and the fact that there are somewhat limited marketing budgets for companies, particular smaller ones. This will draw upon the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing into the recession. (Ashwin 2006) Guerrilla marketing for information services is a journal article from Guido Baltes and Isabell Leibing. The article describes how Guerrilla Marketing is an unconventional strategy. It details major differences in it from traditional marketing methods, such as cost effectiveness and the applications of Guerrilla Marketing towards information services which as time moves further into the 21st century, becomes increasingly more important. (Baltes, Leibing 2008) The IPA Bellwether Summary 2009 from WARC provides up to third quarter information on marketing budgets for the 300 biggest UK companies, it gives reference to the market break down as well. This is a very good source of information. (Whiteside 2009a) Hairy need not apply is a scholars article from Marketing Research which shows the practical applications of Guerrilla Marketing in the current economic climate. The article gives information on a campaign by Air New Zealand that used a Guerrilla Marketing technique in order to speed up queues at check-in order to reduce the layover time in airports, which would make the airline more cost effective. (Grapentine 2009) In order for the literature review to be comprehensive and critical of all aspects of the aims and objectives, other sources of literature that may conflict or appear critical to the literature already listed must be examined. Essentials of Marketing by Jim Blythe is a book of relevance to this research proposal as it describes the essential aspects of marketing. Blythe goes into detail regarding the marketing environment in which companies operate through methods such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis. (Blythe 2008) This provides a comprehensive account of the factors that may affect or influence which particular style of marketing companies may adopt in light of the economic recession. An example of this would include the Political and Economic effects the recession will have on the evolution or use of Guerrilla Marketing as a marketing strategy. Through the various forms of analysis Blythe can be critical of the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing. Levinsons message behind Guerrilla Marketing is about crushing the potential impact of competition by staying ahead of the competition, yet Blythe comments that there should be more cooperation and not as much fighting between competitors which is contrary to the previous literature from Levinson. Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning by Graham Hooley et al. is a book that is not essentially critical of the increasing use of Guerrilla Marketing as a weapon for marketers in the recession, but rather highlights alternative confrontation marketing strategies. The alternative strategies include Frontal Attack, Flanking Attack, Encirclement Attack and Bypass Strategy. (Hooley, Saunders Piercy 2004) This source is of relevance as it serves to demonstrate that Guerrilla Marketing strategies are not the only option for marketers who wish to have a high impact campaign and that there may not be a direct correlation between the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing and the recession. All the literature that has been mentioned is of direct relevance and importance to the research proposal and the aims and objectives of the report. Research Methodology This section of the research proposal is very important as it indicates how the research on the topic (A critical evaluation of how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved to cope with the ever diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession) will be carried out. The approach adopted to the research focuses on the aims and objectives. The amount and type of data collected and through what means, will be described and its relevance to the topic clarified. The methodology provides the avenue through which results can be analysed and interpreted. Phase 1 The first phase of the methodology is to conduct a literature review. The literature review shows what prior research has or has not been carried out. It shows the extent to which research has been carried out and will help to formulate a structure for the collection and analysis of data, whether it be primary or secondary sources of data. The literature review was carried out previously, there are several seminal pieces of literature that are of specific importance to the research. Levinson has written several books on Guerrilla Marketing. He makes particular reference to the diversifying nature of the marketing environment and how Guerrilla Marketing is used as a method for attracting and keeping customers. Several other sources mentioned highlight the practical application Guerrilla Marketing with particular reference to the effect of recession and the effects it is having upon existing or traditional marketing trends. However in order for the literature review to be objective, sources have been examined that are critical of the standpoints taken by Levinson and other authors in regard to Guerrilla Marketing. The nature of this research will be inductive as it will provide the basis to fulfil the aims and objectives of the research project. The nature of the research topic is such that no clear hypothesis can be made. The data will be collected and examined and patterns will be sought within the data. The inductive approach will allow for the adoption of different research techniques that will enable the research to cater for the restrictions on time, access to information and types of analysis used to interpret the results. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) The research onion below can help to show which research strategies will be used and why. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009, Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009, Levinson, Levinson Levinson 2007) Phase 2 In order to fully understand the research project and make it accurate, the proposal must centre on the questions that need answered and the objectives of the research. The aims and objectives are essentially the research question: The research project will deal specifically with the topic of Guerrilla Marketing and how it has evolved to cope with the diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession. So in order to fulfil the aim of this project there must be a series of objectives that will demonstrate how best to go about achieving the aims. Through this research an evaluation of the effects of the recession in marketing and its trends will examined. Has Guerrilla Marketing increased in its applications naturally over time? Or has it increased in correlation to recession and the effects that it has brought to the marketing community. The examination of the extent to which Guerrilla Marketing has or has not replaced existing or more traditional techniques in the current economic climate. Therefore the design of the research to be carried out must reflect the type of data that will be collected and how the results will be analysed and interpreted. Extracting the right answers lies in the design approach. (Jankowicz 2005) This research will be an exploratory study of the evaluation of how Guerrilla Marketing has evolved to cope with the ever diversifying marketing environment in the current economic recession. Adams and Schvaneveldt comment that exploratory research can be likened to the activities of the explorer or traveller. The major advantage with such an approach, is that it is flexible and adaptable to change. This research design allows for freedom to change direction in the light of new data or information that may appear. (Adams, Schvaneveldt 1991) Whilst the initial direction of the study may be broad, it will become narrower as the research process continues. Phase 3 The Research Strategy must address the aims and objectives of the proposal. The objectives of the proposal (below) will help to determine what level of secondary data must be analysed and interpreted in order to best show what type of primary data should be collected. Through this research an evaluation of the effects of the recession in marketing and its trends will examined. Has Guerrilla Marketing increased in its applications naturally over time? Or has it increased in correlation to recession and the effects that it has brought to the marketing community. The examination of the extent to which Guerrilla Marketing has or has not replaced existing or more traditional techniques in the current economic climate. In order to fulfil the aims and objectives of this research proposal, (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) comments that it is prudent to reanalyse data that has already been collected for some other purpose. This data is known as secondary data. Secondary data can include figures, reports and published work. With the nature of this study in relation to the recession, comparative data available from databases will be crucial. Secondary data has many advantages; the data is of high quality i.e. is peer reviewed, it can be comparative and longitudinal thus helping to show possible trends over an extended period of time. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) The literature mentioned in the literature review will provide a foundation for the research. Several of the works relate directly to the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing. They are known as Documentary Secondary data. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) The opinions and standpoints that scholars and experts take on the area of research play a huge role in the development and refinement of the research. The quality of the data that is analysed will have a huge bearing on the validity of the research. These literary sources will provide information on the evolution of Guerrilla Marketing against traditional marketing techniques. A Keynote report Direct Marketing 2009 is a very useful source of secondary data as it gives a large amount of information on the market size of the marketing industry, what sectors have been affected by the recession, how budgets have been altered and how trends have been affected by the recession. (Keynote 2009) Another Keynote report which is of great value to the research is Direct Marketing Services 2008. It gives the accounts filed for 3 years of marketing companies and agencies up to April 2007. This report will provide a lot of accurate and up to date information on marketing activities leading up to the recession. For companies to be included in the report they must generate 50% of their turnover from activities relating to the report and be of significant size within the industry. (Keynote 2008b) B2B Marketing 2008 from Keynote gives information on marketing trends and how B2B marketing compares to B2C marketing. This report will highlight possible trends that can be drawn from the research. (Keynote 2008a) The IPA Bellwether Report 2009 from WARC provides up to third quarter information on marketing budgets for the 300 biggest UK companies, it gives reference to the market breakdown as well. This is a very good piece of secondary data. This report will help in the drawing of conclusions from the research. (Whiteside 2009a) Recession Marketing again from WARC provides a series of articles on Recession Innovation, Consumer Behaviour, Consumer Recovery, Better Budgeting and Plans for the Downturn. These articles give particular reference to the effects of the recession on marketing trends and the evolution of offensive marketing techniques. (Whiteside 2009b) The collection of secondary data within this study should ultimately lead to the collection of primary data. The collection of primary data will be achieved through interviews. But who will be interviewed, why and what topics will be covered in the interviews relative to the aims and objectives of the research? The importance of the interview is to gather qualitative information on the research topic. A qualitative interview is a term used for unstructured and or semi-structured interviews aimed at gathering qualitative data. Qualitative data is data that does not have a direct numerical value as it has not been quantified. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) In order to gather information of the highest validity and reliability, a wide range of interviews will take place. With this in mind, the degree of access to possible interviewees plays a huge role in the interview selection. The sampling strategy for the interviews is very important. It will not be feasible to interview every marketing company within the UK or every company that has used Guerrilla Marketing within the UK. As such, the interview sample will be a non-probability sample. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) This is because for the research to be of the highest possible validity and reliability the interviews will not be selected statistically. Since the sample must be reflective of the aims and objectives of the research, it will be a Purposive sample. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) Two representatives from the Chartered Institute of Marketing have been contacted and are willing to give interviews. These representatives will give valuable insight into the developing trends within marketing. M2S Consultancy from Portadown will provide valuable insight into the area of B2B planning and marketing in Northern Ireland IAS Smarts is an advertising company that has carried out notable advertising campaigns within the non-profit sector in Northern Ireland A representative from Invest NI from will be able to provide data on the effects of offensive marketing strategies for companies in Northern Ireland and information on possible correlations within marketing in the recession Millward Brown, a marketing company in Northern Ireland that has a contract with Newtownabbey Borough Council, will provide valuable insight into the extent to which Guerrilla Marketing is a feasible marketing strategy for public sector organisations. A representative from The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising can provide valuable insight into whether the applications of Guerrilla Marketing have evolved naturally over time or in correlation to the recession. A representative from Virgin Atlantics marketing department can give information from the aspect of a company that has used Guerrilla Marketing techniques in previous campaigns . The extent to which the campaigns have been a success or failure will be relative to possible turnover figure and quarterly reports. The interviews will be non-standardised and semi-structured in format. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) This format will allow for information on a wide a varying topic area to be gathered from participants who have wide ranging areas of expertise and can provide information covering the aims and objectives of the proposal. The semi-structured format will allow for the omission or inclusion of particular topics relative to each interviewee. The qualitative nature of the interviews will provide the ability to probe for in-depth information and gain a better understanding of the research collected previously from the secondary data. For the interviews to yield the best information a pilot of the interviews will be run with two representatives from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a representative from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. From the pilot, feedback will be gathered and possible changes made to interview structures and topic areas covered before the fina l interviews are carried out. The interviews will cover a broad range of topics that are ethical to the research. The topics areas will allow for the interviewees to expand on topics depending on their particular area of expertise. The topics covered will be relative to the aims and objectives. Here is a broad outline of the topics to be covered: The extent of their involvement in marketing Their role within said organisation What the organisations role is The extent of their knowledge of Guerrilla Marketing and its applications Opinions on Guerrilla Marketing in the marketing community The evolution of marketing strategiesnaturally or as a correlation with the restrictions. The extent to which traditional marketing techniques have been replaced by Guerrilla Marketing The longevity of Guerrilla Marketing Strategies The extent to which it has helped said organisation Possible marketing strategies, post-recession The effect the recession has had on said organisation and what marketing strategies have been adopted. From this qualitative research it is hoped that a sufficient amount of data can be gathered, along with the secondary data, that results can be formulated and the aims and objectives of this inductive study can be met. Phase 4 The next phase of the methodology is the analysis and interpretation of the results using the data gathered previously. The structure and nature of the secondary sources is such that, it is hoped possible trends or correlations may appear. This research is based upon qualitative research and although it has no direct numerical value, the data still needs to be interpreted and understood. The first stage is then to transcribe the interviews. The interviews will be audio recorded and then word processed. The nature in which the interviews are going to take place will require that notes are taken on interviewee appearance, attitude and facial expressions when talking about certain topics relative to the study. As the research is following an inductive and exploratory approach it is not necessary to have clearly defined theoretical framework. Instead relationships can be identified between the data and hypothesis developed to test these. Theory emerges from the process of data collection and analysis. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) go on to highlight three main ways of grouping data: Categorisation of meanings The structure of meanings, using narration The condensation of meanings. Using the three types of data processing mentioned earlier along with analytic aids such as summaries or a researchers diary, this should enable the qualitative data to be reliable and valid. From the data there should be a comprehension of the results, an integration of related data drawn from different sources, key or recurring themes should be identified for further exploration, theories should be tested based on these patterns and conclusions drawn from the results gathered. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009) Timetable In order to conduct the research project to the highest possible standard a timetable for the completion of each stage of the research process is crucial. The timetable has to be realistic considering the amount of work to be completed, the amount of access to data and data processing. Week 1 4th January 2010 (1 week) Formulate Research Idea Week 2 11th February 2010 (1 week) Outline Aims and Objectives of Research Week 3 18th January 2010 (2 weeks) Literature Read Week 4 25th January 2010 Week 5 1st February 2010 (2 weeks) Start writing Literature Review Week 6 8th February 2010 Week 7 15th February 2010 (2 weeks) Collect Secondary and Primary Data Week 8 22nd February 2010 Week 9 1st March 2010 (2 weeks) Write up and Analysis of Data Week 10 8th March 2010 Week 11 15th March 2010 (1 week) Finish and submit draft for feedback Week 12 22nd March 2010 (1 week) Submit finished and corrected project The timetable should provide a rough outline for the completion of the project and will allow enough time to complete each section of the report.

The US Embargo on Cuba Essay -- Essays Papers

The US Embargo on Cuba I. Introduction In 1959, Cubareceived 74 percent of its imports from the US, and the US received 65 percentof Cuba’s exports. On February 3, 1962, the United States imposed a fulltrade embargo on Cuba, completely ending any type of trade between the twocountries. This embargo remains in effect today, more than four decades later,and has grown ! to be a huge center of debate and controversy (DeVarona 8).Opponents to the embargo argue that the embargo does nothing more than hurt theCuban people, while proponents argue that the embargo places pressure on Castroto repair Cuba’s mismanaged and corrupt government. Both the supportersand the opponents of this embargo have strong arguments and evidence to supportthese arguments. Without adoubt, Cuba’s current government is guilty of human rights violations,housing fugitives and terrorist groups, and robbing the Cuban people of wageswith its corrupt state-run economy. While it is inarguable that some actionagainst Cuba is warranted, and that the US economic embargo on Cuba haspositive intentions, the negative repercussions to the Cuban people andthird-party investors and countries greatly outweigh these positive intentions.! Therefore, it would be greatly ineffective for the embargo to remain in placeas the sole tool in promoting change in Cuba. II. Reasons that action toward Cuba iswarranted. There are a fewreasons that action towards Cuba was and is warranted. Since the beginning ofthe Castro regime, the Cuban government has stripped many Cubans of their basicrights and freedoms. According to Amnesty International’s 2002 report,Cuba is guilty of multiple human rights violations. Cuban people are beingimprisoned for peaceful exercises of their fundam... ...ristian Science Monitor. Online. 25 Sept. 1997. â€Å"LiftCuba Embargo, Carter Tells US.† BBC News Online. Online. 15 May2002. Officeof the United States Trade Representative. 1996 National Trade Estimate: TheArab League Boycott of Israel. http://www.ustr.gov Parodi,Francisco. â€Å"US Should Reestablish Relations With Cuba.† DailyBeacon. Online. 5 Sept. 1995. Roy,Joaquin. Cuba, the United States, and the Helm! s-Burton Doctrine:International Reactions. Florida: Univ. Press, 2000. Sierra,J.A. â€Å"The Timetable: History of Cuba.† Online. Aug 2002. http://www.historyofcuba.com Trump,Donald. â€Å"A Choice for Human Rights.† Miami Herald. Online. 25 June1999. UnitedStates. Dept. of State. International Information Programs. Cuban Libertyand Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996. â€Å"USEmbargo Towards Cuba.† No Castro. Online. http://www.nocastro.com/embargo/embargo.htm

Argument Analysis: America’s Real Dream Team Essay

In â€Å"America’s Real Dream team†, published in the New York Times on March 21, 2010, Thomas went to a big Washington party to attend the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search finals. To his surprise, Most of the finalists who came from American high school hailed from immigrant families, largely from Asia. Thomas declares himself a â€Å"pro-immigration† fanatic. He points out keeping a constant flow of legal immigrants is the key to make our country stronger. He also explained that the most important economic competition is between people and their own imagination. And this new idea can be used to produce commodity at a very low price by all kinds of ways, and can creates great profits for economy. Thomas Friedman used metaphor, special list, specific examples, and a sincere tone to illustrate that it is possible to make more technological and economical improvements through an open immigration policy. Thomas uses metaphors in the title to create boundless associa tion. While using metaphors, it not only attracts reader’s attention but also make a foreshadowing for readers to think about: what is America’s real dream team? After reader thinking about the comparison, it’s more convenient for him to elucidate his own view in the argument. â€Å"Dream team† is a reference to the U.S. basketball team assembled for the 1992 Olympic that contained the best players at that time. Thomas compared the young people who generate new ideas to â€Å"dream team† to imply that these young people will use the new ideas they sparked to create miracles and will become the† real dream team† in the future. Metaphors here can make the abstract easier for readers to understand, additionally, it makes the language more vivid. In addition to metaphors, Thomas made use of a special statistics to make an obvious point: most of the finalists are immigrates. Usually, the writer will use statistics in this way: there are 40 finalists in total and how many percent of them are immigrates, but Thomas listed all the names of the Intel science talent finalist. In that way, while the readers reading the names of the finalists, they can easily found that these are foreigners’ names so that they can easily conclude that most of the finalists are immigrates, It gives the readers enough time to get it before he makes the conclusion. More accurately, he makes the co nclusion with the reader together. It seems that he is communicating with the readers, and this can be more helpful for the readers to accept his argument. He then gave a specific example to  convince his thesis: â€Å"do not shut the door to immigrate† .From the statistics, the readers only know that most of the finalists are immigrates, but they do not know how outstanding exactly these immigrate are. Thomas gave us such an example: Namrata Anand, a 17year-old girl. She is a so smart student who can use spectral analysis proficiently to expose information about chemical history of â€Å"Andromeda Galaxy†. Obviously, Namrata is more outstanding than the peer students. Thomas used this example to imply that if we shut our door to immigrates, we may loss lots of young people like her, which prove the necessity of immigration. And it focuses on the theme again. Specific example here can make it easier to understand at the same time make it more persuasive. Thomas used quotes in various ways to express his view again. First of all, Thomas interviewed a biology teacher, Amanda Alonzo, a star teacher who had taught two of the finalists. Amanda told him â€Å"it was resources provided by her school, extremely â€Å"supportive parents† and a grant from Intel that let her spend part of each day inspiring and preparing students to enter his contest.† Amanda is a successful teacher, what she said is very persuasive to the readers, and Thomas quotes her words to demonstrate immigrate is a kind of good source. In the second place, Thomas quotes what spokeswoman said: â€Å"don’t sweat about the problems our generation will have to deal with. Believe me, our future is in good hand.† As a representative of all finalists, what she said can represent what all finalists said adequately. And most of the finalists are immigrates, it proves that if we open the door to immigrates, we can get more excellent talents to solve the problems together. Besides, Thomas makes additions â€Å"as long as we don’t shut our door.† to make it more persuasive: as long as we keep a constant rate of immigra tes, we’ll be more competitive and we will surely don’t need to worry about what we will be facing tomorrow. In a word, quotes here can provide the evidence for the argument. The author use a sincere tone to argue that we should keep our door open to the immigrates. Sincere tones can make the reader more comfortable. If Thomas write like† we must keep the door open to the immigrates† instead, it will only let the readers feel disgusted. And sincere tone shows that he give an advice sincerely, which can be more easily accepted by others. Thomas used metaphors, special statistics, specific examples, quotes and a sincere tone to announce that we can keep improving technology and the  economy, as long as we don’t shut our door to immigration. Metaphor make the language more vivid and metaphor in title can impress the readers more. Special statistics here can close to the readers and let the reader find the problems themselves. Specific examples here can make it easier for the readers to understand the thesis deeply, quotes can makes the language more concise and a sincere tone can make it easier to accept the view. Thomas use them in combination to get his thesis step by step.

A summary of wal-mart chapter

Wal-Mart, the largest corporate organization in the world and the largest employer in the private sector in the United States, is a success story in the corporate world.The history of Wal-Mart dates back to the year 1962. Initially, it was a single store which was the initiative of one Sam Walton who has since died. It has weathered the storm of competition and has now grown in size to a worldwide corporation. Walton had at the time of starting Wal-Mart opened 20 stores which were competing against 250 from Kmart.Walton was dynamic in operating the organization. He made sure that he maintained the principles of marketing and those of customer satisfaction, a factor that made Wal-Mart become the single biggest retailer worldwide.International sales have been increasing at an impressive average of 13 percent, which is a dream for any company or any corporation anywhere in the world, no matter how large it is. In the year 2000, Wal-Mart realized an increase of 46 percent in internationa l sales which translates to 16.8 percent of all the corporate sales combined.This corporation however has its shortcomings in the way it relates with its employees and the obligations to its corporate responsibilities. On the part of human resource, Wal-Mart gives its employees lows benefits even though they add great value to the corporation, and health benefits have been lost. Wal-Mart does not consider the values of the grassroots community but rather of more importance to it is profit together with economic growth.Wal-Mart’s contribution to the local communities is enormous given that it employs many people. When it opens a new outlet, it employs people from the surrounding local community and in this way it improves the living conditions of the people from these communities.Given the current rate of unemployment and job losses, Wal-Mart has taken the lead role in solving this problem and has helped many people who otherwise would not have been in any form of gainful empl oyment to at least get something to do for the sustenance of their lives and those of their dependants.  But there is the negative side to this employment issue. Wal-Mart has for all the years been an insensitive employer. Besides poor pay, the working hours are inconsistent and this is a great inconvenience to the workers. Long working hours and unpredictable working schedule characterizes the experiences the employees of Wal-Mart have to go through.This retail outlet giant has made it a rule that its employees should not join any labor organization or union of any kind.Several attempts by the workers’ representatives to force Wal-Mart allow them to join labor organizations have all come cropper. Court cases have been ruled in favor of the employer to the detriment of the employee, and this seems not to bother the management of Wal-Mart.Wal-Mart has adopted capitalist as its politico-economic approach. This therefore means that in any venture, it is guided not necessarily by the interests of the general society or more specifically those of the local communities, but rather by what gains they stand to get from them in terns of profits from the investment.This is capitalism per excellence and this approach has made Wal-Mart to have an edge over its competitors, who seem to favor a combination of both reasonable profits and good conditions for the workers.Wal-Mart is not a good neighbor. It thrives on capitalizing on the weaknesses of and inability of its competitors. Five years after Wal-Mart enters into a new market, all the existing retail businesses start recording losses and others close shop.This leaves Wal-Mart to monopolize the market and therefore the customers have no alternative but to consume what is on offer at the Wal-Mart outlets. This amounts to monoculture as it thrives on cultural homogenization.It manages to draw away attention from a local competitor by selling its commodities at very low prices, in fact at prices below the actual p rice making it impossible for any other business, however strong and committed it may be, to lose out and leaving Wal-Mart to dominate the market.This homogenization is actually due in part to confusion. While its intention on the one hand is to ensure that it has an upper hand in the market share, it also genuinely thinks that this is good corporate practice (Jacques et al pp 7-10).

The Crimes of Suzanne Basso

The Crimes of Suzanne Basso Suzanne Basso and five co-defendants, including her son, kidnapped a 59-year-old mentally disabled man, Louis Buddy Musso, then tortured and murdered him so that they could collect on his life insurance money. Basso was identified as the ringleader of the group and instigated the others to torture their captive. An Unidentified Body On August 26, 1998, a jogger discovered the body in Galena Park, Texas. Based on the observations of the police, when they arrived at the scene, they determined that the victim had been killed elsewhere, and then dumped on the embankment. He showed severe injuries, yet his clothing was clean. There was no identification found on the body. In an effort to identify the victim, investigators reviewed missing person files and learned that a woman by the name of Suzanne Basso had recently filed a report. When a detective went to her apartment to see if the victim found in Galena Park was the same person that Basso had reported as missing, he was met at the door by Bassos son, 23-year-old James OMalley. Basso was not at home, but returned shortly after the detective arrived. While the detective talked to Basso, he noticed that there were bloody sheets and clothing on a makeshift bed on the floor of the living room. He asked her about it and she explained that the bed belonged to the man she had reported as missing, but she did not explain the blood. She and her son James then accompanied the investigator to the morgue to view the body of the victim. They identified the body as   Louis Musso, the man she had filed a police report as a missing person., The detective noticed that, while Basso appeared to be hysterical on viewing the body, her son James showed no emotion when he saw the horrific condition of the body of their murdered friend. Quick Confession Having identified the body, mother and son accompanied the detective to the police station to complete the report. Within minutes after the detective began talking to OMalley he confessed that he, his mother and four others- Bernice Ahrens, 54, her son, Craig Ahrens, 25, her daughter, Hope Ahrens, 22, and her daughters boyfriend, Terence Singleton, 27, all participated in beating Buddy Musso to death. OMalley told investigators that his mother was the one that planned the murder and spearheaded the others to kill Musso by administering brutal beatings over a period of five days. He said that he was terrified of his mother, so he did as she instructed. He also admitted to dunking Musso four or five times in a bathtub filled with household cleaning products and bleach. Basso poured alcohol over his head while OMalley scrubbed him bloody with a wire brush. It remained unclear if Musso was dead or in the process of dying during the chemical bath. OMalley also provided information about where the group had ditched evidence of the murder. Investigators found   items that were used to clean up the murder scene that included bloodstained clothes worn by Musso at the time of his death, plastic gloves, bloodstained towels, and used razors. Wooed to His Death According to court records, Musso had been widowed in 1980 and had a son. Through the years he became mentally disabled and had the intelligence of a 7-year-old child, but had learned to live independently. He was living in an assisted living home in Cliffside Park, New Jersey and had a part-time job at ShopRite. He also attended church where he had a strong network of friends who cared about his welfare. Police discovered that, two months after the death of her live-in boyfriend, Suzanne Basso, who was living in Texas, met Buddy Musso at a church fair while she was on a trip to New Jersey. Suzanne and Buddy kept up a long-distance relationship for a year. Basso finally convinced Musso to move away from his family and friends to Jacinto City, Texas, on the promise that the two would marry. In mid-June 1998, wearing a new cowboy hat he had purchased for the occasion, he packed up his few belongings, said goodbye to his friends, and left New Jersey to be with his lady love. He was brutally murdered 10 weeks and two days later. Evidence On September 9, investigators searched Bassos Jacinto City small cluttered home. Within the mess, they found a life insurance policy on Buddy Musso with a base payout of $15,000 and a clause that increased the policy to $65,000 if his death was judged a violent crime. The detectives also found Mussos Last Will and Testament. He had left his property and his life insurance benefits to Basso. His Will also read that no one else was to get a cent. James OMalley, Terrence Singleton, and Bernice Ahrens signed as witnesses. They would all assist in his murder. The detectives found a   hard copy of Musso’s Will written in 1997, but the more recent copy of his Will on a computer was dated August 13, 1998, just 12 days before Musso would be murdered. Bank statements were found showing that Basso had been cashing Mussos Social Security checks. Further documents indicated that Basso had   tried unsuccessfully to arrange to take over the management of Mussos monthly Social Security income. It appeared as if someone had fought the request, possibly Mussos niece who was close to him, or his trusted friend Al Becker, who had been handling his benefits for 20 years. There was also a copy of a restraining order forbidding Mussos relatives or friends from making contact with him. More Confessions Each of the six perpetrators confessed to different degrees of involvement in Mussos murder and the attempted cover-up afterwards. They also all admitted to ignoring Mussos cries for help. In a written statement, Basso stated that she knew that her son and several friends beat and abused Musso for at least a full day before his death, and that she also beat Musso. She confessed to driving a car belonging to Bernice Ahrens, with Musso’s body in the trunk, to the site where O’Malley, Singleton, and Craig Ahrens dumped the body and then to a dumpster where the others disposed of additional incriminating evidence. Bernice Ahrens and Craig Aherns admitted to hitting Musso, but said Basso was the one pushing them to do it. Bernice told the police, (Basso) said we had to make a pact, that we cant say anything about what happened. She said if we get mad at each other we cant say anything. Terence Singleton confessed to hitting and kicking Musso, but pointed the finger at Basso and her son James as responsible for administering the final blows that caused his death. Hope Ahrens’ statement was the most odd, not so much in reference to what she said, but because of her actions. According to the police, Hope said that she was unable to read or write and demanded a meal before giving her statement. After scarfing down a TV dinner, she told police that she hit Musso twice with a wooden bird after he broke her Mickey Mouse ornament and because he wanted her and her mother to die. When he asked her to stop hitting him, she stopped. She also pointed most of the blame to Basso and OMalley, who, corroborating statements by Bernice and Craig Aherns, who had administered the final blows that caused his death. When the police attempted to read her statement back to her, she brushed it off and asked for another TV dinner. Lost Opportunities Not long after Musso moved to Texas, his friend Al Becker tried to contact him to check on his welfare, but Suzanne Basso refused to put Musso on the phone. Concerned, Becker contacted different Texas agencies requesting that they conduct a welfare check on Musso, but his requests   were never answered. A week before the murder, a neighbor saw Musso and noticed that he had a black eye, bruises and bloody cuts on his face. He asked Musso if he wanted him to call for an ambulance or the police, but Musso only said, You call anybody, and shell just beat me up again.   The neighbor did not make the call. On August 22, just days before the murder, a Houston police officer responded to a call of an assault going on near Jacinto City. Arriving on the scene, he found Musso being led around by James OMalley, and Terence Singleton in what the officer described as a military-style run. The officer noted that both of Musso eyes were blackened. When questioned, Musso said three Mexicans had beat him up. He also said he did not want to run anymore. The officer drove the three men to Terrence Singletons apartment where he met Suzanne Basso who said she was Mussos legal guardian. Basso reprimanded the two young men and comforted Musso. Assuming Musso was in safe hands, the officer left. Later, a note found in a pair of Mussos pants was addressed to a friend in New Jersey.   You must get ... down here and get me out of here, the note read. I want to come back to New Jersey soon. Apparently Musso never had a chance to mail the letter. Five Days of Hell The abuse that Masso endured prior to his death was detailed in courtroom testimony. After arriving in Houston, Basso immediately began treating Musso as a slave. He was assigned a long list of chores and would receive a beating if he failed to move quickly enough or complete the list. On August 21-25, 1998, Musso was denied food, water or a toilet and was forced to sit on his knees on a mat on the floor with his hands on the back of his neck for long periods of time. When he urinated on himself, he was beaten by Basso or kicked by her son James. He was subjected to violent beatings administered by Craig Ahrens and Terence Singleton. He was abused by Bernice and Hope Ahrens. The beating included being hit multiple times with a belt, baseball bats, punched with closed fists, kicked, and struck with other objects that were around the apartment. As a result of the beatings, Musso died on the evening of August 25. In a seven-page autopsy report, numerous injuries on Mussos body were cataloged. They included 17 cuts to his head, 28 cuts to the rest of his body, cigarette burns, 14 broken ribs, two dislocated vertebrae, a broken nose, a fractured skull, and a fractured bone in his neck. There was evidence that blunt force trauma extended from the bottom of his feet to his upper torso, including his genitals, eyes and ears. His body has been soaked in bleach and pine cleaner and his body was scrubbed with a wire brush. The Trials The six members of the group were charged with capital murder, but the prosecutors only sought the death penalty for Basso. James OMalley and Terence Singleton were convicted of capital murder and given life sentences.Bernice and her son Craig Ahrens were convicted of capital murder. Bernice received an 80-year prison sentence and Craig received a 60-year sentence. Hope Ahrens trial ended in hung jury. She worked out a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and agreeing to testify against Basso. Suzanne Bassos Trial Performance By the time Basso went to trial 11 months after her arrest, she had dropped from 300 pounds to 140 pounds. She showed up in a wheelchair which she said was a result of being partially paralyzed after receiving a beating from her jailers. Her lawyer later said it was due to a chronic degenerative condition. She mimicked the voice of a little-girl, saying she had regressed to her childhood. She also claimed she was blind. She lied about her life story which included tales that she was a triplet and that she was having an affair with Nelson Rockefeller. She would later admit it was all a lie. She was granted a competency hearing and the court-appointed psychiatrist who interviewed her testified that she was a fake. The judge ruled that she was competent to stand trial. Each day that Basso appeared in court she looked disheveled and would often grumble to herself during testimony or squeal and wail if she heard something that she did not like. Hope Ahrens Testimony Along with the evidence found by investigators, the testimony given by Hope Ahrens was likely the most damaging.   Hope Ahrens testified that Basso and O’Malley brought Musso to the Ahrens apartment and that he had two black eyes, which he claimed he got when some Mexicans beat him up. After arriving at the apartment, Basso ordered Musso to stay on a red and blue mat. Sometimes she had him on his hands and knees, and sometimes just on his knees. At some point during the weekend, Basso and O’Malley began beating Musso. Basso slapped him, and O’Malley kicked him repeatedly while wearing steel-toed combat boots. Hope Ahrens also testified that Basso hit Musso on the back with a baseball bat, hit him with a belt, and a vacuum cleaner, and jumped on him. Testimony was given that Basso weighed about 300 pounds at the time that she jumped repeatedly onto Musso while it was obvious that he was suffering from pain. When Basso went to work, she instructed O’Malley to watch the others and make sure they did not leave the apartment or use the phone. Each time that Musso tried to get off the mat, O’Malley beat and kicked at him. After Musso sustained injuries from the beating, O’Malley took him into the bathroom and bathed him with bleach, Comet and Pine Sol, using a wire brush to scrub Musso’s skin. At some point, Musso asked Basso to call an ambulance for him, but she refused. Ahrens testified that Musso was moving very slowly and was clearly in pain from the beatings. Verdict The jury found Basso guilty of capital murder for murdering Musso during the course of kidnapping or attempting to kidnap him, and for remuneration or the promise of remuneration in the form of insurance proceeds. During the sentencing phase, Bassos daughter, Christianna Hardy, testified that during her childhood Suzanne had subjected her to sexual, mental, physical and emotional abuse. Suzanne Basso was sentenced to death. Profile of Suzanne Basso Basso was born on May 15, 1954, in Schenectady, New York to parents John and Florence Burns. She had seven brothers and sisters. Few real facts are known about her life because she often lied. What is known is that she married a Marine, James Peek, in the early 1970s and that they had two children, a girl (Christianna) and a boy (James). In 1982 Peek was convicted of molesting his daughter, but the family later reunited. They changed their name to OReilly and moved to Houston. Carmine Basso In 1993 Suzanne and a man named Carmine Basso became romantically involved. Carmine owned a company called Latin Security and Investigations Corp. At some point he moved into Bassos apartment, even though her husband, James Peek, was still living there. She never divorced Peek, but referred to Carmine as her husband and began using Basso as her last name. Peek eventually moved out of the home. On October 22, 1995, Suzanne placed a bizarre quarter-page engagement announcement in the Houston Chronicle. It announced that the bride, whose name was listed as Suzanne Margaret Anne Cassandra Lynn Theresa Marie Mary Veronica Sue Burns-Standlinslowsk   was engaged to Carmine Joseph John Basso. The announcement claimed the bride was an heiress to a Nova Scotia oil fortune, educated at Saint Annes Institute in Yorkshire, England and had been an accomplished gymnast and at one time even a nun. Carmine Basso was reported to have received a Congressional Medal of Honor for his duty in the Vietnam War. The ad was retracted three days later by the newspaper due to â€Å"possible inaccuracies.† The $1,372 fee for the ad had gone unpaid. Basso sent Carmines mother a letter claiming that she had given birth to twin girls. She included a picture, which the mother later said was obviously a picture of a child looking into a mirror. On May 27, 1997, Basso called the Houston police, claiming that she was in New Jersey, and asked that they check on her husband in Texas. She had not heard from him for a week. Going to his office, police found Carmines body. They also found several trash cans filled with feces and urine. There was no restroom in the office. According to the autopsy, Carmine, age 47, was malnourished and died from erosion of the esophagus due to the regurgitation of stomach acid. The medical examiner reported that there was a strong smell of ammonia on the body. It was listed that he died from natural causes. Execution On February 5, 2014, Suzanne Basso was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She declined to make a final statement.