Category: Uncategorized

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A Trip to South Korea

One of the greatest experiences I have ever had in my life is my tour to Korea. I purposely went there to get exposure and learn more about the culture and aspects of the cultural traditions of these people. My journey was to take only one week. By the time I was coming back, I had learnt the Korean language. It was so interesting because I liked their accent.

As a teenager, my trip to South Korea was a very illuminative and good experience that left other travelers yearning for more. For one travel to South Korea from China, nothing much is actually involved after checking the relevant aspects of the weather and taking any necessary precautions. In this regard, several airlines are available from China, which operates direct flights to South Korea. I used Cathay Pacific in this trip considering that the airline offered relatively proper passenger treatment than the other airlines of the city. It is one of the airlines that I used and had a pleasant experience. Seoul is one of the cities that have a bustling metropolis that is effectively inundated with a very rich heritage that truly impresses travelers. Typical of most Korean cities, culture plays a significant role in the history and affairs of this financial center. Since the trip started on 1st May 2012, one week in Seoul offered me sufficient time to explore the city and learn about its history and culture apart from enjoying its beautiful sceneries.

Landing in Korea was both exciting and overwhelming. The first thing I noticed stepping out of the airport was the weather, it was hot and humid, something that I have never quite experienced. Several taxicabs were available at the airport that charged modest fares to the various guestrooms around the city. Being one of the largest cities in Korea, accommodation in Seoul is generally much expensive, unlike most cities in China. Apart from taxis, the city has a number of public transport facilities that can effectively serve the travelers on their operations in the city. These include trolleybuses and the rapidly expanding metro system that covers most parts of the city. From the airport to the hotel I was staying wet and sticky all over with sweat. I was not certain whether it was from the heat or the excitement. That did not matter at that point; I was in Korea one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

My perception of Korea was based on Korean drama. There were similarities with the architecture and the food that was found there, and the crowds were something that I found fascinating too. Apart from the language barrier that did not bother me much I found out that the city was not that different from drama. Some of the things I found fascinating include reading the children bed time stories; in fact, western story has something for the child to learn. The Korean people also love their country and their culture and do strive to make the country better for them and their children. Most of the things they did were almost similar to what we did back at home. The time to eat, the number of meals in a day, and the time they go to work and how the run their day-to-day life was not different.

Most of the Korean cities offer varieties of accommodation services that can effectively suite any traveler to the cities. Some of the hotels operate as chains of other international hotels in other cities across the world. In this regard, the travelers will have the possibility to enjoy the comfort of the city while experiencing the best opportunities. In terms of food in the Korean cites the travelers will have the opportunities to experience the true taste of Korean cuisine, which certainly offers a lot of variety. Fish, crab, and dog are some of the foods that are in abundance, in the city of Seoul. People might really face a lot of challenges enjoying some of these foods. However, the huge variety of foods in the city will certainly make anybody feel at home. In this regard, foods such as oysters and seaweed offer a lot of delicacies.

Some of the things that were not similar were their eating habits, for example, they do not allow people to smoke while eating. I found this different because even in public places, they prohibit people from smoking. They place the dish on a central place at the table and people serve the amount they want into their plates. Families are carried as sacred; no one can abuse or misuse another person’s family. Therefore, they traditionally live together as one large family, taking care of each other. In China larger family lives together because of the high price of the house that young people cannot afford. Respect has been emphasized in Korea, the young respect the old, and the women respect their husbands. Even the way they salute each other differs from the old to the young.

In downtown, they do not judge people by their wealth or poverty, strength or weaknesses. They believe that God was the one who provided for them, and they should be thankful of what they have and share with those who are less fortunate. They also hold their ancestors close to their hearts and believe that they protect them from wherever they are. I admired tourist attraction sites where my breath was taken away by the walls of the Forbidden City, and I can never forget walking at the top of the Great Wall.

Korean people are known for showing off especially in their hometown. Showing off what one has achieved is part of their tradition. They also love glorification and to be better than the rest. A given example of an ancient tradition is someone returning to their hometown or even their own house wearing “golden clothes”. Korean people detach from the rest once they think they have enough to sustain them. They do not like sharing information that might make other people superior to them. I found this quite the opposite. The people I met in Korea were down to earth and did not seem to be looking for praises. In fact, they were humble and assisted wherever they could. This trip was so successful because I came to learn more about this beautiful calm nation.

Major Issues in Microeconomics

Thesis: Elasticity and utility are some of the strongest themes in microeconomics.

Elasticity

Elasticity in an economic view defines proportional variation of a variable dependent on or influenced by changes of another variable. Elasticity in microeconomics focuses on the responsiveness of the market demand and supply to fluctuations in certain conditions, for instance price elasticity of demand. According to Investopedia (2011), elasticity clarifies the apparent generalization contained in the law of demand, by explaining the measure of impact of changes in price occasioned by demand or supply fluctuations. The author mentions that elasticity gives specific detail such as percentage increases or decreases in quantity demanded or supplied. The application of elasticity in practical economics involves decision making regarding how sensitive the market will react to commodity price changes. Elasticity is therefore a very important microeconomics theme. Quantity sales techniques such as in holding sale offers target to reduced prices to induce proportionate number of extra sales. It follows that pricing strategies must bear in mind the responsiveness of the market regarding demand and supply intricacies. To be specific, price elasticity of demand and supply are usually used.

Price Elasticity of Demand

The impact of changes in price to quantity demanded are depended on slope of the demand curve, where steep and gentle slopes experience the impact differently. A steep demand curve experiences relatively smaller impact of quantity demanded changes than a gentle curve, under an equal price change. Changes in prices will proportionately induce changes in quantity demanded depending on the sensitivity of demand curve to changes in price.

Under price change Y in the illustration below, D1 is price inelastic while compared to D2 since it causes the smaller change in quantity demanded X1 while D2 causes relatively more change in quantity demanded (X2). These changes create an inverse relationship as explained by the law of demand. Perfectly inelastic demand curve would be vertical while perfectly elastic demand curve will be horizontal lines.

1600200391160D2

D2

952500111760D1

D1

85725174625Price per Mug

Price per Mug

4762509525Y

Y

1314450260985Quantity Demanded

Quantity Demanded

248602522225X2

X2

180975022225X1

X1

Price Elasticity of Supply

Changes in prices of commodities cause proportionate changes in the quantity supplied in a direct relationship. In the short run, producers respond to prices by either reducing quantity supplied or increasing it proportionately with changes in the market price of the commodity. Commodities with a steep slope will experience slight changes in quantity supplied than gentle slopes under the same price changes. Elasticity determines the impact created by changes in price and the subsequent behavior of the suppliers. An illustration similar to the one above illustrating demand but using a direct relationship explains the mechanism of the elasticity of demand to price.

Utility

In economics, utility is the estimate of the measure of satisfaction that a human being obtains from resources. Human beings are in an incessant quest to increase utility in the resources they have access to. Utility therefore presents itself as a very important microeconomics theme. Consumer behavior is guided by the need to increase utility in various ways. If a commodity has utility, it can be said to possess utility (wikipedia, 2011).

Total Utility

Total utility is an expression of the total satisfaction obtained by consuming a certain quantity of a commodity. For instance, after taking two ice-creams, total utility can be defined as the measure of satisfaction thereby obtained.

Marginal Utility

Marginal utility is the measure of utility obtained upon consumption of an additional unit of a commodity. It is therefore the measure of total utility divided by the measure of consumed commodities. In economics, marginal utility decreases with every additional consumed commodity.

Conclusion

Microeconomics can not be exhausted without covering utility and elasticity, which are very important concepts in macroecomics as well.

References

Arnold, R. (2008) Macroeconomics. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning

Boyes, W. & Melvin, M. (2007) Microeconomics. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Investopedia, (2011) “Microeconomics,” investopedia.com. Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microeconomics.asp” http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microeconomics.asp

Wikipedia, (2011) “Elasticity: Economics,” Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasticity_%28economics%29” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasticity_%28economics%29

Major theme in the Book of Revelation

In an island known as Patmos, an apostle known as John wrote the Book of Revelation. It is referred to as an apolyptic book, which makes use of imagery. It mostly focuses on how God will have the final triumph among his people. When the world is about to come to an end, there will be persecutions all over the world. This book does not follow patterns of chronology, but rather those of literary (Fortner 2002). There are two major parts in this Book of Revelation. The first one is addressed to churches, and is in the form of letters. It was through a vision from God, that John wrote about churches and they were seven in total. A lot of information is provided concerning things that God does not appreciate and want. They include leniency, immorality and lovelessness, among others. The other part of the Book of Revelations is about the messages the church needs to hear and it is from God. It is meant to make Christians aware of the fact that they need to keep away from evil. Also, Christians are reassured that in the end they will conquer when God comes for them.

The major theme in the Book of Revelation is the one concerning Judgment. It is evident in many chapters of the book, such as in six, nine, eleven and twenty. It claims that God will unleash his anger completely and fully on those who commit sin. This will occur on the day, which he chooses to do so. Agents as well as the devil will all be defeated on that day. There will be eternal life for those who are granted favor by God. Also, eternal condemnation and punishment will be the destiny for those who were evil and did not follow his teachings. This means that the end of injustice and evil would have reached. It is through the last judgment, which God will proclaim, that everything of no importance will come to an end. Those who wish to escape punishment should be committed to Jesus Christ. People who do not adhere to the teachings of Jesus or those who reject him will definitely be punished (Fortner 2002).

According to this book, God will come to earth on a cloud, and every human being will see him. This means that those who died will rise up, in order to meet him and this is regardless of whether they are evil or pure. The churches, which exist, will not be rescued, but rather they will be judged. When God comes to earth, the Holy Spirit will manifest itself in many ways. The various kingdoms and governments, which exist, will be judged according to how they lived. In order to escape punishment, people will be given a chance to repent. This shows that God is just and wants everybody to enter into his kingdom in Heaven. On the day, which God will come, there will a loud trumpet, which will be heard by everyone on earth. Even the devil will be judged together with the other evil people (Fortner 2002). On this day, nothing evil will ever exist on earth. In the end, only the righteous will live together with God.

There are some questions, which arise after reading the Book of Revelation. There is a need to know the exact time God will come to earth. The other is to know whether God will establish his kingdom on earth or in heaven. Lastly, the other question that needs to be known is whether, God is human or in spirit form. This is because the book reveals that every human being will see God, yet it is known that no one can ever see God’s face. The three questions will help me in gaining a deeper understanding of the book. This book applies to society in that people should not judge others, as only God should do so. Lastly, people should live righteous lives and refrain from evil, in order to be granted Gods favor. In conclusion, the Book of Revelation proclaims about Judgment by God.

References

Fortner, D. (2002). Discovering Christ in Revelation. New York: Evangelical Press.

MFAH RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE:

INTRODUCTION:

Introduce the work(s) of art(s) that you picked and the artist(s) that created it if known. Then make a clear statement of your thesis.

SECTION1: HISTORY

Write about the history of the piece and the artist. What have you discovered about the piece through your research? What is the theme of the work?

SECTION2: VISUAL ANALYSIS

SHAPE

LINE

FORM

VOLUME AND MASS

TEXTURE

VALUE

DEPTH

COLOR

TIME AND MOTION

UNITY

VARIETY

BALANCE

SCALE

FOCAL POINT

PATTERN

SECTION3: MEDIA

What medium did the artist(s) utilize? What is the history of that media?

DRAWING

PAINTING

PRINTMAKING

SCULPTURE

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOCOLLAGE/ COLLAGE

SECTION4: REPRESENTATIONAL, NON-OBJECTIVE, ABSTRACT

And why?

SECTION5: CONCLUSION

Close your paper. Re-state your thesis and re-evaluate your research.

MGT 360 Homework assignment – Ethical Leadership Dilemma

Case: Prejudice or Preference?

The ethical dilemma in the case is that the otherwise most suitable and readily available person (Elaine) who could replace Sam has an affair with the Magnolia Corporation CEO, J.W. Crawford. Hence, it would be unethical for the company to rely on a person with immoral conduct, but the company is interested in Elaine’s excellent competencies and experiences. Consequently, the immediate stakeholders are Elaine, Sam, J.W. Crawford, and our company. On the other hand, the indirect stakeholders comprise the Magnolia Corporation, our competitors and customers. Subsequently, it would be advisable for our company to allow Elaine to take over the account from Sam to increase chances of remaining competent and continue attaining the relatively huge benefits of transacting with the Magnolia Corporation according to the provision of consequentialism (Kagan, 2018). The company could opt to consider the eventual benefits of relying on a competent and experienced employee while ignoring other aspects including the worker’s code of conduct. Besides, the company could employ Elaine basing on the concept of deontology that requires an organization to select and recruit the most qualified and readily available individual to occupy a vacant position. As per the deontological principle, our organization is obliged to hire or choose a person who would occupy Sam’s position while observing all the applicable rules to ensure that the company’s processes and operations proceed smoothly. Nevertheless, it would be inadvisable for our firm to allow Elaine to hold the position following her immoral behavior. Reliance on Elaine would result in unsatisfying results by default due to her undesired conduct. Therefore, our company would seek a more suitable person to replace Sam since Elaine’s unethical and unprofessional conduct could adversely affect our reputation and public image. It is unfortunate that Elaine exhibits immoral conduct while on official duty.

Reference

Kagan, S. (2018). Normative ethics. Routledge.

Marketing Strategy Assignment

Author’s name

Institutional AffiliationTable of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Marketing Strategy Assignment PAGEREF _Toc320546680 h 3Introduction PAGEREF _Toc320546681 h 3Describe the total product that you are selling PAGEREF _Toc320546682 h 3Describe the segments of the consumer market you would pursue and why? PAGEREF _Toc320546683 h 4The basic furniture design exists, but how would you tailor the final product to best suit the target market(s)? PAGEREF _Toc320546684 h 5What is your distribution strategy that allows you to sell directly to the consumer? PAGEREF _Toc320546685 h 6Describe your promotional strategy and specific tactics to create awareness and encourage sales. PAGEREF _Toc320546686 h 6References PAGEREF _Toc320546687 h 8

Marketing Strategy AssignmentIntroductionA marketing strategy integrates the marketing goals of an organization into a solid whole. An essential product concept is, concerns the product itself. It is essential to note that the core rationale of business is to satisfy customers’ wants and needs. It is necessary to note that customers are always interested in attaining perceived benefits with their purchase, rather than only the physical article itself. Thus, according to Kotler, P., Wong, V., Saunders, J., Armstrong, G., Zwart, R., & Austin, C. (2004), a product entails a bundle of service, physical, as well as symbolic attributes that are designed to satisfy the customer’s needs as well as wants. This means that a single physical article may be a number of dissimilar products. The variation arises due to the different wants as well as needs of different customers, as well as due to their diverse perceptions of the physical article.

Describe the total product that you are selling (utility, packaging, comfort, brand, fashion, etc.)The total product that is on sale is assembled as well as flat-pack furniture, being offered in a broad range of sizes as well as desk shapes to go well with the diverse homerooms, as well as the corners utilized for the home office. Particleboard and wood units that have laminate tops as well as strong edgings blend with solid wood as well as traditional ranges. The presently highly preferred are space savers that have a superior degree of functionality as well as, a small footprint. The decorative moldings, inlays as well as varied shapes attach fun as well as color to this otherwise predicable class. Workstations are priced at roughly $950, and account for approximately 50% of sales, storage/filing units cost approximately $300 account for 13%. While cabinets, hutches/credenzas cost approximately $700 per unit, account for approximately 9%. In regard to seating, it accounts for approximately 26%. The invention of these products has been necessitated by the need that numerous people have for a functional and comfortable home office.

Flexibility as well as fashionable looks, is especially essential to this market, because the home office space may be extremely limited and pieces have to blend with the home furnishings. Consequently, as manufactures, it is essential to put work centers as well as other elements on wheels for the purposes of portability. This entails inventing desks that fold out or swing open for working and then close to conceal office equipment. It also entails the creation of adjustable tables that can perform double-duty as typing tables or coffee tables. Thus, a product is more specifically known as the total product concept, since it entails three levels namely:

The core product, meaning the benefits of the product that are purchased.

The actual product, meaning the tangible item/s.

The augmented product, meaning the service components as well as, intangibles.

Describe the segments of the consumer market you would pursue (your target market(s)) and why?The segments of the consumer market that would be pursued include the executive level consumes who have an appreciation for eminence in craftsmanship as well as materials, and desires to incorporate technology into their home office environment. The market segments in the office furniture perspective include corporate executives, small business owners, and home offices. There will be a need to target these markets by means of an assortment of media including catalog distribution, the Internet, as well as advertising by word of mouth (Kotler et al., 2004). These are the strategies that would be adopted, in order to make the product information easily available, to the clientele seeking quality home office furniture with specific technological needs. Therefore, the company will include publishing of internal catalogues to the current catalog marketing agenda. This would be by means of high level channels like Sharper Image. Additionally, because the products assume the utilization of computer technology, the company needs to develop company websites, in order to augment the company profile. This would be by promoting the product line in the medium that is most fitting to the customers. The company occupies an explicit niche within the home office furniture market. As a result, the competition does not offer comparable products, since they lack the blending of quality and technological integration in materials as well as craftsmanship (Hollensen, 2003).

There is the need to leverage the company’s presence by use of high-quality catalogs as well as specialty distributors. This is because, the target market are individuals who desires to have excellent furniture with the most modern in technology, blended with an old fashioned sense of excellent woods and superior woodworking. This individual can be in corporate towers, medium or small business, or in the home office. The universal bond is the pleasure in quality, as well as a lack of price limitations.

The basic furniture design exists, but how would you tailor the final product to best suit the target market(s)?In customizing the final product to best suit the target market, the company offers extremely high quality home office furniture that is designed to integrate effectively the computer machinery into the home office. The most imperative to the line is the ergonomically efficient desk that assumes the looks of an executive desk and appears extremely good in the high-end office, although is designed to accommodate the personal computer. Every piece is obtainable in either cherry or oak.

The main line is the computer desk in a number of versions. This is fundamentally an elegant bit of home office furniture that is designed to look first-class in a home office or executive office, and simultaneously, be ideal for factual use of a computer. The two vital elements of ergonomics, namely the keyboard height as well as angle, and the monitor height as well as angle, are entirely adjustable. Cable runs as well as shelving add to the executive desk’s utility, without forgoing elegance. In addition, custom designs are made to fit precise measurements.

What is your distribution strategy that allows you to sell directly to the consumer?The company’s furniture distribution strategy is characterized by focus in comparatively large units. Generally, there are approximately 8–10 sales persons per unit. Another feature is the considerable market clout held by the buying associations. These were initially established to bargain better deals as well as conditions for the members, banking on their joint purchasing power over the manufacturers. However, these buying associations outgrew their initial mandate into providing training, marketing, as well as financing operations for the members’ benefit. Usually, approximately 62.5% of home office furniture sales are channeled through buying associations. The buying associations have a commanding role in regard to organized distribution. The growth of small autonomous furniture stores as well as regional chain stores grants a practical chance for offshore manufacturers to establish product-specific stores in main cities. The company utilizes trade shows as buying points. Trade shows are huge events that draw customers in big numbers. A pre-market show would normally take place prior to these events. Pre-market shows enable suppliers to make out the preferred ranges and prepare them for the major shows.

Describe Your Promotional Strategy and Specific Tactics to Create Awareness and Encourage Sales.The company’s recent advertising survey, discovered some insight into the media, potential customers were most liable to utilize, in order to obtain their primary information on likely furniture choices. The print media dominates furniture promotion, representing a 56% share in general expenditure. Approximately 37.6% of the entire budget is utilized on promotional strategy in the customer press. Advertising in the daily newspapers accounts for 12.5% and is preferred by some clients. Electronic media absorbs a large part of the outstanding budget, with television accounting for 26.7% and radio 14.9% of the advertising expenditure. ReferencesKotler, P., Zwart, R., Saunders, J., Wong, V., Armstrong, G., & Austin, C. (2004). Principles of Marketing. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Prentice Hall.

Hollensen, S. (2003). Marketing Management: Relationship Approach. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Major literacy requirements of the PDHPE 7-10 Syllabus

Name:

Institution:

The main aim of PDHPE 7-10 Syllabus is to enhance students’ health capacity and maximize on the potential life advocating health skills and training for the entire student body for the benefit of the coming generation. These programs are aimed at improving student’s understanding of life skills and personal management skills. Besides, they seek to advance their interpersonal skills including a respectful and caring relationship. Secondly, the syllabus addresses mechanisms of protecting, restoring, and promoting community and individual health skills. The syllabus helps the students to participate in enjoyable physical activities. Besides, PDHPE equips the learners with the necessary skills that are essential for promoting active and healthy lifestyles in the community. This program would be essential in changing student’s attitude and value on healthcare and life skills through willingness to participate in a supportive healthcare and health-enhancing personal transformation and behavior change, and developing personal commitment to social justice health principles.

However, the approaches advanced to promote this program is ineffective in all sectors. For instance, students with physical challenges and disability often suffer from being excluded in the healthcare and promotion programs proposed by the curriculum. Therefore, it is important for the special needs of the students with physical challenges to be considered. It is only through this exclusive program that the success in health and promotional program will be attained. Therefore, it is important for the curriculum developer to identify the key academic needs of the students that would enhance their understanding and life skills and equip the learners with the skills and technical literacy knowledge in order for the students to develop deeper understanding of the concept of health and physical education (Literacy skills for the knowledge society, 2007) The main requirements for advancing student’s understanding of the literacy skills with respect to personal healthcare are increasing the students’ communication skills, problem-solving techniques, decision-making, planning, and interaction skills. These skills would be essential in increasing the students’ knowledge and understanding of the key subjects and literacy standards especially for the PDHPE 7-10 learners. To promote social justice principles in accordance with the syllabus, it is important for the institution to take care of personal and specialized needs of individual students. A learner-emphasized education and training is therefore preferred for the PDHPE 7-10 students owing to the differences in the learners.

The first step in developing literacy skills is effective communication skills. Students must be in a position to communicate effectively so as to enhance their interpersonal and academic skills. This calls for effective expression of ideas, concepts, and personal opinions either by verbal or non-verbal techniques (Antonacci, 2011). A combination of written and verbal communication skills is essential for the learners. Since education or learning is all about communication of ideas, it is therefore important for the learners to develop such interaction skills and technical knowledge that would make them better speakers and learners by being able to communicate or express themselves.

In addition, communication and expression are not only important with the classroom but also in non-learning environments including social arena. Learners therefore must apply effective communication skills that are appropriate in resolving conflicts and effectively responding to others in their interaction. Effective communication skills are often demonstrated by the learners in a number of contexts including formal presentation, movement settings, informal interactions, social interactions and advocating physical and health activity within the learning environment. In developing effective communication skills, learners acquire the skills that would be helpful in responding to non-verbal and verbal messages, convey meaning coherently and concisely, take into consideration the context and the purpose of communication, develop good listening skills, and reflect on the appropriateness of the communication strategy or style (Training College Students in Information Literacy, 2006).

The second most important literacy technique is decision-making skills. Through learning, students must develop the capacity and skills that are essential in the process of making thoughtful and informed decisions, bearing in mind the rapid changes in the knowledge and technologies behind physical and health activities. Through learning, the learners must be able to acquire life-solving skills that are appropriate in their daily life. These entail consultative, collaborative, and informed decisions (Literacy skills for the knowledge society, 2007). The students should be more considerate to the needs and demands of other members of the society. When under social pressure, the students must recognize the need and the importance of addressing key physical and health issues by arriving at considerable conclusions in the interest of the parties concerned. Learning equips the students with the knowledge and skills of informed decision making when confronted with either predictable or dynamic environment through increase improvisation and innovative skills. The students/learners therefore select and modify their decision-making tactics and strategies to achieve group and individual goals in their settings. In the process of developing informed decision-making skills, learners must consider the consequences of their choices, evaluate their decisions, make critical decisions on the course of action, identify alternative options, assess the associated risk factors, and reflect on any past experience and knowledge before making the final decision (Antonacci, 2011).

Another critical literacy tool is interaction. Since learning is more than academic process as it covers social spheres, learners should therefore be able to develop the skills and capacity to effectively interact with others within their learning environment. Through group and team interaction, students learn to appreciate the differences that exist within themselves, and also advance their understanding of the benefits of collaborative and group dynamics. Through interaction, students often demonstrate their ability and potential to support each other within the groups and adopt different social responsibilities and roles. Interaction is also essential in developing student’s understanding of the diverse interpersonal differences and appreciation of such differences. Of great importance is the role of interaction in shaping the students’ social and interaction skills. Through interaction, students go through situational rehearsals that are essential in preparing the students for managing social and peer influences, and instead preserve personal values and health safety (White, 2005). Through developing social and interaction skills, students learn to demonstrate empathy for each other, establish consensus on individualized roles and responsibilities, contribute to the group objectives positively, act in manner that ensure personal and group safety, recognize and value the diverse needs, rights, values, and interests of others, and acknowledges the weaknesses and strength of each other and appreciate each other.

Problem-solving and planning are other fundamental literacy skills. Through planning, students advance their capacity and potentials to formulate meaningful plans and implement such plans in order to realize their goals. Planning skills are important in enhancing personal development, physical activity, personal health, work, study, and all forms of life aspirations of the students. Planning process help the students to make feasible and realistic plans with the little resource at their disposal to help then realize their life goals and objectives. Besides, planning helps in goal setting, resource and time management, evaluating and monitoring performance, and establishing priorities (Antonacci, 2011). In their daily life, students encounter a number of problems ranging from social, personal, to communal. However, it is important for the learners to develop problem-solving skills and strategies. One of the main challenge students often confront is health-related issues. In order to effective solve these life-confronting challenges, the students must be able to develop effective thinking skills so as to help them in managing their resources and life transitions challenges. Students may choose to work in groups or individually to identify alternatives, strengths, and suggest amicable solutions. The students therefore develop the ability to manage challenges and change in the society (White, 2005). Through problem-solving techniques, students learn to identify, anticipate, frame, and clarify problems, evaluate the outcomes, adapt the strategies that adequately address the identified problem, and justify their decision of the choice of strategy.

References

Antonacci, Patricia, and Catherine M. O’Callaghan. (2011). Developing Content Area Literacy: 40 Strategies for Middle and Secondary Classrooms. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Literacy skills for the knowledge society: Further results from the International Adult Literacy Survey. (2007). Paris.

Training College Students in Information Literacy. (2006). New York, N.Y: Primary Research Group.

White, H. (2005). Developing literacy skills in the early years: A practical guide. London: PCP/Sage Publications.

Boys Don’t Cry was directed by Kimberly Peirce and was released on 22 October 1999 in the United States. It was also released in other parts of the world, including Australia on 25 October 1999, and Japan on 12 January 2000. The film deals with the story of Brandon Teena a transgender man who is brutally raped and murdered by two men who find out he is transgender.

Boys Don’t Cry is a movie about Brandon Teena (born Teena Brandon), a young transgendered man in Nebraska. The film tells the story of how he deceived his friends and family into believing he was a woman named Tammy Rae to avoid detection by locals who routinely attacked any woman they suspected to be transgendered. The town bullies are led by John Lotter, as well as Tom Nissen with his girlfriend Lana Abernathy. The film also follows the events leading up to Brandon’s murder, including his relationships with other transgendered men and his encounter with Lotter.

In the film, Brandon struggles to negotiate gender identity issues in a time when embracing one’s true identity was not considered gender-neutral. During pre-production, director Peirce and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black were inspired by the real story of the unknown murder victim of Tawana Brawley, a black transgender woman. “They were looking at this story as an example of this hideous racism that goes on with transgender individuals.” Another significant similarity is that Teena Brandon was not “well known” in her own community before she was murdered. The film was also inspired by the murder of Matthew Shepard during which his killers also claimed they thought Shepard was gay and not transgender. Peirce said, “I’m looking at the Brandon Teena story as a kind of spiritual sister to the Matthew Shepard story.”

The movie ends with a text saying that Brandon’s killers were convicted of second-degree murder. Yet, according to the original court case, Tom Nissen (played by Peter Sarsgaard) was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and John Lotter (played by Aaron Eckhart) “was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years due to his use of a deadly weapon.

The main character in this movie is Teena Brandon (Brandon Teena) who is transgender. Teena is portrayed by Hilary Swank, who won the Academy Award for her performance. Teena’s story resonated with Peirce because she felt that people were too focused on sexual identity and gender politics.

The movie was also based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, who was brutally raped and murdered by two men in Nebraska. The film follows the events leading up to his murder, including his relationships with other transgendered men and encounters with John Lotter (played by Aaron Eckhart), Tom Nissen (Peter Sarsgaard), and Lana Abernathy (Ambyr Childers).

Other key characters in this movie are Lana Abernathy (played by Ambyr Childers) who had a crush on Brandon from the beginning, and Tom Nissen (Peter Sarsgaard), who is obsessed with Lana and also a closeted transgendered man.

Harry Dean Stanton, who plays the role of Harry, is best known for his roles in Big Lebowski and Paris, Texas. The character of Harry is also based on an uncle of Peirce’s named Harry Dean Long. In November 1998, Peirce saw him at a Dallas Stars hockey game at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. She began talking to the 81-year-old actor and asked him whether he would be interested in playing Harry. Stanton said yes, and became interested in the role after reading the script.

Peter Sarsgaard plays John Lotter. He said of his character, “John is making this decision that he knows is wrong. But he thinks that’s what loving Lana would require of him.” To prepare for playing John, Sarsgaard read as many as he could on transgenders and took a course on transgender issues at The Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture. Faunder also received an award nomination for an Academy Award for her performance as Lana Abernathy (Ambyr Childers).

The main theme in the movie, Boys Don’t Cry, is the struggle to be seen as a man and not as a “sissy” or woman. The movie also deals with the pressure people feel to conform. This theme is universal, but in this particular context, it speaks directly to many transgender people who face prejudice and abuse at home, in school, and on the street. Boys are supposed to be tough, strong, and brave — not cry over things that don’t matter. If they do cry they should never show weakness by reaching out for help or saying any words like “I’m sorry.” These are all misconceptions that we learn at such an early age — children go through their lives being conditioned for these ideas because society tells them so.

Throughout the movie, Brandon (Hilary Swank) was sexually harassed, beaten, abused, and tormented by just about everyone in his life. He went through a lot of emotional pain. He had to deal with this by himself because nobody helped him. Even when he confided in his mother about the abuse she didn’t take any action to try and protect him or comfort him. Instead of listening to her son’s cries for help she stood there and watched as he was beaten up by Bob Pigeon (Peter Sarsgaard). We see Brandon wearing makeup and dresses but after he turns 18 he starts dressing like a man again; we never see him presenting as feminine again in the movie.

The theme of identity and acceptance is also evident in this movie. In the movie, Brandon feels like a man trapped in a woman’s body. He doesn’t identify as a woman but he does want to be accepted as a man, which we see in the beginning when he cuts off his hair to appear more inconspicuous.

In this way, Brandon and Lana’s situation is similar to that of transgender people today. Like Brandon, most transgender persons feel like they have been born into the wrong body. They experience feelings of anger and frustration with their assigned sex at birth, particularly while they are still young and trying to fit in socially with their same-sex peers — those who share their biological sex — or adults who identify them by their biological sex. Other issues such as gender, courage, empowerment, manipulation, and unconditional love are also themes.

Social Issues: The movie deals with issues of gender and the pressures people feel to conform to the ideas of gender roles. In particular, transgender issues are brought up in this movie; Brandon was asked by his mother why he felt like a boy when she knew he liked to dress like a girl. Brandon and Lana feel that society is against them; they try to live their lives as both a man and a woman but still within these norms or societal rules. People perceive transgenders to be in the wrong body because they transition from the body they were assigned at birth. They are usually perceived as “gay,” “different,” or “damaged.” An extreme example is any person who leaves the body they were born with (transgender) and then dies, the family will have to bury them as a man. This shows how society perceives transgender people.

In this film, Brandon and Lana were on their way to Los Angeles when they had an accident and are taken to a hospital in Texas. They are going to go by bus but Lana tells Brandon that she wants to go by train so she can get there sooner, but Brandon doesn’t want to because he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s trans, so they end up getting in an argument just before they ride off.

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A Swan Lake Ballet Dance by Alexander Ekman

In this paper, I will do a dance critique on a dance known as Swan Lake by Alexander Ekman, which has music played by Mikael Karlsson. It was completed by the orchestra along with sound effects, which made my heart miss a beat. In the introduction before the dance, we see Ekman’s overview made on a New York roof terrace. This ballet dance is a new version that fulfills a function about Swan lake and time. There is the usage of water which is something new, something that individuals have never seen before, in a way that draws attention. This dance is something different, wild, and big. In Swan lake, there is a new full-length work made for the Norwegian National Ballet. The dancers are joined on stage by musicians, actors, a soprano, and 1,000 rubber ducks. This dance work by Choreographer Alexander Ekwam is internationally much-admired for its musicality, inventiveness, and humor. The dressing of the costume of all the personalities in the dance video was done by a Danish fashion designer called Henrik Vibskov. A swan Lake dance takes a witty and fresh look at Tchaikovsky’s ballet of all ballets. It is a remarkable dance show that transcends boundaries.

Something that the choreographer is trying to say or achieve is portraying a timeless love story that combines tragedy, magic, and romance into four acts. Along with the dance, the ballet Swan Lake is the creation of the first ballet music. The most exciting part of this dance is the dancers having a strong emotional connection with their character. They are vulnerable dancers, full of emotional depth. A Swan Lake ballet choreography happens to be a new surrealist interpretation of the Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman and the classical ballet, which has shown to be a great hit for the Norwegian National Ballet. The staging of this dance performance transformed the stage into the appearance of the actual lake. The ballet is entirely one of the best dance performances I have ever seen. The first act of this dance video blends humor, theatre, dialogue, and modern dance. The music references original ballet classes and Tchaikovsky’s classical music. The water in the dance video is just like a separate actor on stage, both restraining the dancers’ movement and providing an entirely new means of visual expression. Alexander Ekwam makes the water itself more than scenography. The story of this ballet is more modern than the original one. There are no more sorcerers changing women into swans. It is no more a good against evil tale where everybody perishes in the end.

The choreographer uses the element of composition in the manipulation of the dancers’ bodies in several ways. He also arranges them within the stage area, which brings a certain uniqueness making it fabulous. This dance video uses visual effects and props to catch the attention of the viewers. The choreographer is very visual and utilizes a lot of humor in his pieces, which is not common in modern dance. It looks fantastic upon viewing how the dancers move along the stage. The nature of the movement is that they dance with energy and move along the stage in a different pattern. They use different graduations of energy to perform movements that entail adding a dynamic quality to their movement. They use different movements such as sustained, swinging, vibratory, and percussive. The dancers are skilled in a way that they have a thorough knowledge of dance; they adapt to different types of moves, have confidence and self-belief, and physical fitness and stamina. The dancers’ skills and dance moves were appropriate for the mood and message of the piece.

The choreographer’s witty, inventive take on this ballet is one of the famous dance videos. It is a stage piece, part dance play, narrating the story of the very first disastrous production of Swan Lake in 1877. As it proceeds, the stage is filled with a lot of water, and the swans are given a 21st-century makeover in neoprene costumes. The choreographer of this dance video has demonstrated his unique ability to pair playfulness and wit. The multifaceted talent is reflected in the moves of the dancers and the music, light, and set brought together uniquely and surprisingly. It is the most impressive ballet. The dancers use different dance moves such as arabesque, battement tendu, and barre. This dance piece of choreography is one of the most well-known in the staging, famous for its dramatic cohesion and technical difficulty. In Swan Lake, the dances are unique with dope melody.

In conclusion, everything about this ballet dance is outstanding. The music is, in fact, glorious, and the choreography is full of energy with so many dramatic lifts. While the dancers go along with music, they happen to be incredible. A swan Lake dance is graceful, powerful, thoroughly professional, and one with excellent stamina. The sound is excellent, and the orchestra is wonderful. On the other hand, the story of the dance is simple yet powerful. Lastly, the lighting is effective and dramatic. I like the technique of the dancers, the costumes, and the music. All of them were lovely. The dancing is gorgeous, and the choreography is unique. Watching A Swan Lake by a Swedish choreographer and dancer feels so nice close to discovering an entirely new world, with its logic and norms.

Bottled Water Business

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Bottled Water Business

Discovering a market gap is key to entrepreneurs as it is them a basis to capitalize on the opportunity. Planning is essential in every business aspect. It’s important to have a comprehensive plan that highlights your mission, vision, key objectives, and market state, which will help analyze your opportunity to maximize and futuristic threats that may affect your operations as well as strength and weaknesses. When planning is complete, it is important to create a beguiling company profile that differentiates you from other businesses. One should also have required business licenses from national and various local government stakeholders. It will allow the business to run and also maintain hygiene. Create a business account as it is expensive to have separate ones. A business account gives your company legalities and creates trust among your customers.

Sources for bottled water can be amassed from both localized sources such as taps and natural ones such as springs and streams. So it’s best to determine the location of your business and the proximity of the raw material. Once the water has been collected from its source, it needs to undergo various purification processes from filtration to UV-lighting treatment to become purified. With your company logo and graphics, look for art that will be identified by your customers on your bottle. Choose a company bottle to print the bottle to your specifications ranging from size and color. With water packed in bottles digitally, the next key step is to know the product gets to your customers. It’s important to get reliable and cost-efficient means. It’s also an enormous advantage of having our business online as it creates a wider market reach to customers globally.

After getting the product to the customers, it is important to establish ways to keep the environment green by recycling the plastic water bottles. Waste management is critically important as it reduces the amounts of materials ending up in the fields as the adverse effects are vital not only to humans but also to other organisms in the ecosystem.