Rebuttal Argument about Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman Essay

Rebuttal Argument about Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman - Essay Example These biases are unseen, but they program the human mind to respond in specific ways towards experiences in the world. Orate cultures formed the foremost presentation techniques in the globe. Antique philosophers capitalized on this technique in their presentation. Socrates was a major philosopher who used this communication technique in his diverse encounters. For instance, he used this technique for his court proceedings after his arrest (Postman, 1985). During the antique times, oral presentations were regarded more credible than the ones in writing. Audiences would invest much belief to orally presented ideas than the written ones. This was an evident trend in the antique legal institutions. The court of law during these times would majorly capitalize on the orally presented evidence. They would also adopt laws presented orally. Therefore, oral presentation of laws was the main and recommended technique communication in courts. Jurors would exclusively receive training and evidence with the oral nature (Schubert, 2005). Orate presentations were paramount techniques of communication, since they h ad outstanding merits. For instance, they propagate a firsthand encounter of information or evidence. According to Postman, rhetoric techniques in oral presentations deprived the credibility and truthfulness of the presentation (Postman, 1985). However, some rhetorical techniques are majorly instrumental to the presentation of truth. Thus, Postman’s implication is invalid in this case. Rhetoric techniques reinforce emphasis that substantiates truth. Therefore, some rhetoric features like questions are paramount to emphasize truth. It is not necessarily that the rhetoric features hinder truth. Print techniques were subsequently enhanced after orate techniques (Schubert, 2005). During the era of their inception, the levels of literacy had taken an elevating trend in society. Research institutions were taking

Differences Between Us and Russian Business Styles Essay Example for Free

Differences Between Us and Russian Business Styles Essay Everyone knows that the key to effective communication is knowledge. And cross-cultural communication is not an exception to the rule. Quite the contrary we have to know not only the basic data about our foreign partner, but also we ought to be acquainted with numerous rules and standards of behavior established in his or her country. To negotiate with our partner we should possess both the minimum personal information about him or her and the maximum information about his or her country. In this essay I’d like to examine differences and common points in styles, traditions and etiquette of the US and Russian negotiations. I believe that present relations between the United States and Russia are quite good. The two countries still have differences, but they increasingly work together on a wide range of political, economic, cultural issues. Despite the fact that we can still destroy each other with our nuclear weapons, our businessmen and entrepreneurs work very closely, and Russian-American enterprises and firms develop with increased speed nowadays. Naturally I reckon it makes no sense to have all those warheads. The Cold War is over, and the best thing our countries can do is to be reconciled and to get along well with each other. And business partnership is one of the factors to establish friendly bilateral relations in all aspects of cooperation. However, sometimes it is very difficult to build relationships with people of different cultures, mentalities and customs. And this point concerns both our peoples too, because the Russians utterly differ from the Americans. In fact I consider that actually we also have much in common. So further in this essay I’m going to compare our countries’ negotiation styles and traditions, and to define how much differences we have and how much we have in common. In the first place I want to compare appearance of business circles in Russia and the USA. Both Russian men and women leading the negotiations usually wear conservative dark, often pinstriped, and well-tailored clothes along with good dress shoes. A Russian man is not supposed to take off his jacket during the negotiations, while a businesswoman is more welcomed to be dressed in a pencil skirt than in pants. However on some shirtsleeve meetings Russian people of business prefer to look more casually, in such cases they untie their ties, take off their jackets and can choose suits of more light classic colors, such as gray or camel. Similarly American business people wear conservative suits and ties of dark colors. But women  are also allowed to put on not only classic skirts and dresses, but also pants. In rural areas American people of business can wear their suits even without jackets and ties. Both Russian and American businesswomen are not supposed to wear jeans even on casual occasions. All in all negotiators of both our countries have an utterly conservative look, avoid vivid colors of fabrics and gaudy accessories. In the second place it’s necessary to compare the ways of behavior of Russian and American negoti ators. Be ready to that your counterpart from Russia will not be in time. It is quite appropriate in this country, so do not wait any excuses. What is more is that the higher is the rank of your colleague in the company the more probability he or she will be late for much time. On the contrary it is inappropriate and very offensive for your counterpart in the USA to be late, as every businessperson in this country follows the rule â€Å"time is money†. Gift giving in the USA is discouraged by many firms and companies, because it can be considered as a bribe. A gracious note will be enough for your partner. In contrast of the USA gift giving in Russia goes without saying. The fact is that it is extremely difficult and even impossible to do business in Russia without help from local authorities, thus a pretty penny, a cognac bottle, a chocolate box, a bouquet of flowers or other items can help you by doing business in Russia. It is necessary to take into account that negotiations with Russians often can be unsystematic, as negotiators in Russia can focus on several issues simultaneously. Moreover, the Russians are very emotional, so tantrums and walkouts can occur during the negotiations. Although the Americans are quite emotional too, the negotiations with them are more ordered, as they prefer focusing only on the one issue. During their negotiations Russian businesspeople can make some pauses, while the Americans seem to fill the silent periods and do most of the talking. The Americans are individualistic aggressive self-reliant businessmen who do not care for cultural customs of other countries and very often just neglect them; they have a greater level of tolerance for a variety of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs within a business team. On the contrary people of Russian business most often resort to collective thinking and take collective decisions. However, there is a great hierarchy within the structure of any company, and the subordinates must respect the chain of command and do not offer any ideas their chiefs do not want to take. The US  businesspeople are really initiative and active in contrast with negotiators from Russia who very often bide their time, demonstrating their well-known patience. Russia is renowned for its hostility, so it will be a serious breach of etiquette, if you refuse to take a drink or to have a toast. In the third place I compare the gestures the Americans and Russians have. Both in Russia and the USA you greet your colleague by a firm and lasting a few seconds handshake, but in Russia this handshake should be a little bit firmer. Also shaking hands with someone in Russia be sure that you have taken off your gloves, as it is considered rude not to. Keep good eye contact during your handshake. In the USA the counterparts who are good friends can briefly embrace, though in Russia it is not appropriate. A smile is a sign of friendliness for the US businessmen, while Russian people of business prefer to maintain gravity during the negotiations and do not smile at every occasion. In Russia it is extremely inappropriate to show soles of your boots, as they are considered to be dirty, while in the USA they can put their legs on the table. To laugh and to talk too loudly is regarded as bad manners in Russia. Just quite the reverse it is regarded as a sign of sincerity of a person in the USA. To summarize everything that has been written above, I want to stress the fact that actually both our peoples, including negotiators, do have too many differences. They have a great heap of differences in all aspects, but nevertheless I assume they have one very important common thing: both the US and Russian strive to maintain economic links and friendly relations with each other. To achieve success, business organizations sand negotiators should follow the culture of every particular country. It can be quite a problem for American and Russian people of business, because they do not pay much attention to cultures of other nations. It is quite a bad trait business circles in these countries have. Without understanding culture of a country in which organization want to do business, the organization cannot achieve success because if they don’t know the norms, values, beliefs and attitude of customers and employees then they cannot run their business successfully.

Chateau De Fontainebleau: Decorative Themes

Chateau De Fontainebleau: Decorative Themes Sixteenth Century Decoration at the Chateau de Fontainebleau The decoration at Fontainebleau, the royal hunting lodge of Francois I, was led by Rosso Fiorentino in 1530. In 1532 Rosso was joined by Francesco Primaticcio, who held the position of first importance at Fontainebleau after the death of Rosso in 1540[1]. In 1552 Niccolà ² dellAbbate arrived at Fontainebleau, and together with Primaticcio decorated the Gallery of Ulysses in the Palace. Much of the original work has been lost and what remains has needed to be heavily restored. This essay will look at the style characteristics of the decoration visible today focusing on the frescoes in the Gallery of Francois I and the bronze relief by Cellini. The latent themes in the decoration of the chateau are typically representative of the Mannerist style of art that took a hold across Europe during the 1500’s. As Bosquet phrases it, ‘Mannerism is not a simple phenomenon; it is idealism, but it is also naturalism; it is evasion, but it is also joy of life and hope in the future.’[2] The changing nature of the social and economic climate led to experimentation and absorption in the arts, and to pioneering styles which would be followed during later decades. In The Royal Elephant by Rosso (http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.net.). the form of the elephant, which symbolises Wisdom and Loyalty[3] dominates the composition. Sixteenth century royalty primed themselves for being talented and learned; qualities which would ultimately lead to wisdom, strength and honour. Baldassare Castiglione, in his Cortegiano (1528)[4], cites the talents which a good courtier should possess. ‘The courtier was versed in all the sports (riding, fencing, wrestling, swimming); he had, in addition to strength and skill, acquired grace and elegance of movement by practicing dancing and gymnastics (..) should know not only the Latin language, but also Greek , that he should be well versed in the works of the poets and, furthermore, that he should be proficient in writing both prose and verse.’ It is quite probable that the composition of The Elephant is designed to reflect these qualities in King Francois I himself. The animal is placed centrally, with the surrounding figures looking beneath and behind it, thus drawing atte ntion to its sheer size and presence. The sculpted dragon, a symbol of strength and courage, takes central place above the scene of the fresco: in both the dragon and the elephant exceptional attention has been paid to the clarity of line in the gentle curves of their forms. These shapes are reflected in the curving stucco surrounds which are moulded to reach into the picture, thus drawing the eye into the scene. The elaborately decorative surrounds mark the beginning of a trend of such decoration (which would later be imitated in paint) which continued within the School of Fontainebleau. Stucco was an antique medium which was rediscovered in the sixteenth century and encouraged the invention of ‘exotic and peculiarly fluid conjunctions of forms.’[5] Here we see twisted scroll-like forms framing the picture. The scene depicts a number of figures, crowded in places, creating a slightly chaotic atmosphere; this is juxtaposed against the serenity of the great elephant whic h stands rider less. This could suggest that Rosso was intending to reflect not only the character of Fontainebleau’s inhabitants, but also the character of the chateau itself. In other words, the serenity amidst the chaos could here represent the rural oasis of the princely court set apart from the public chaos of the city. During the sixteenth century it was not uncommon to for artists to be both painters and sculptors. In fact, according to Hauser[6], French mannerism produced incomparably more works in sculpture than in painting. Francesco Primatticio first combined allegorical painting in moulded plasterwork at Fontainebleau a style that was to influence the later baroque and rococo decoration. In plate 198 (Hauser, 1965) a mural decoration originally by Primaticcio, the actual mural appears small in size to the surrounding decoration, the elaborate frame almost becoming more important than the picture itself. The stucco framing is treated as if it were leather or paper, slashed and rolled into the fine detail of fruit and the gently curving female figures. In plate 198 there is a suggestion of early eroticism; the partially revealed naked upper bodies of the women figures becomes a popular theme in expressive sixteenth century art. There too can be seen the mythological figure Pan with goats†™ horns, and in ‘Danae’, plate 199[7], the winged cherub signifies the highest ranking of the hierarchy of angels[8]. These images represent the extremes of experience sought after in an age of sensuality. Primaticcio expresses the lusty enjoyment of the era through the image of Pan who represents hedonism, and in contrast the spiritual refinement of the cherub suggests the richness of sixteenth century spiritual life where dreams and visions were of great inspiration to artists. Blunt[9] suggests that Primaticcios style, as it can be seen from his drawings for the Chambre du Roi and from the mantelpiece from the Chambre de la Reine was influenced by his time spent in Mantua,[10] where he executed classical friezes in the Sala degli Stucchi in the Palazzo del Tà ¨: The fruit swags on the mantelpiece recall those in the Palazzo del Tà ¨, and the sphinxes are cousins of those in the Sala di Fetonte. The general design is classical in its emphasis on circular and square panels, but the proportions of the figures are elongated like those in the stuccos on the vault of the Sala degli Stucchi. The whole effect, moreover, is richer than anything to be seen in Mantua, mainly because of the higher relief.[11] It appears that the artists who decorated the palace in France were expanding the ideas which they had been working on in Italy. As can be seen from the Galerie dUlysse some of the decoration was extremely complex and took many years to complete. The gallery was of immense length, and filled the whole side of the Cour du Cheval Blanc on the first floor. The walls were decorated with a series of paintings illustrating the story of Ulysses which, as Blunt suggests, show Primaticcio as a master of academic design ‘in a style more affected than previously by Michelangelesque influence, particularly in the scenes of violent action.’[12] The appearance of The Salle de Bal differs as the form of the building was more difficult to decorate. The zones and the spaces under the window embrasures were decorated by Primaticcio probably between 1552 and 1556. The condition of surviving paintings is poor, but from drawings made (Hauser, plate 43A) we can see that Primaticcio intended a symmetric design not unlike Raphaels decorations in the Farnesina.[13] This design works well in the limited space available and differs to Raphael’s work as it depicts whole scenes rather than two or three figure groups. Being employed by the royal courts had a significant effect on the artists’ style of the decoration at Fontainebleau. Paul III declared, when Benvenuto Cellini was brought before him accused of murder, that such a man was above the laws[14]. While being held in high esteem allowed the artists considerable independence in their work they had also to consider what their patrons expected and required of them. Cellini’s bronze relief ‘Nymph of Fontainebleau’ was originally designed for the Porte Doree[15] but it was never installed at Fontainebleau. The grand lunette (409205 cm) illustrates the legend of the chà ¢teau’s origins, and because of the importance of its intended position it had to be strikingly beautiful and symbolic. The nymph encircles the neck of a stag, an emblem of the King, and it is thought that the relief was inspired by an image by Rosso now only known through an engraving by Pierre Milan[16]. According to the local legend, a huntin g dog named Bleau found a nymph beside a fresh-water spring. The spring and, consequently, the chà ¢teau both took the name Fontainebleau. In Rosso‘s engraving the reclining nymph lies among the rushes, with her left arm around an urn. She is nude but her legs are bent slightly at the knees for modesty’s sake. Marsengil suggests that Cellini expands this imagery to describe, ‘not simply the narrative of the nymph’s discovery, but the very idea of the nymph as the personification of the royal hunting lodge. (..) she has three urns under her left arm from which flowing and curling representations of water pour. These, as well as the billowing drapery that frames her, identify the female figure as the presiding deity.’[17] Cellini’s figure stretches across the entire scene so that her nudity is not covered this represents the boldness and sanctity with which Cellini deliberately associated the King and his wife, and also reflects the dynamism w ith which he executed his works at Fontainebleau. As well as exploring new territory with figurative painting, the Fontainebleau artists such as Nicolo dell’Abbate also developed landscapes. As Arnold Hauser says of dell‘Abbate ‘as a landscape painter he enriched mannerism with a new and autonomous form.’[18] In plate 114 (Hauser, 1965) the painting depicts a pastoral scene, the smoothly curving forms of the figures reflecting the swell of the landscape behind them. Dell’Abbate appears to seek balance and unity as well as beauty in his landscapes. Work such as this contrasts greatly to some of Rosso’s frescoes where he mixes themes and types of character into one scene. For instance, The Revenge of Nauphlius and The Sacrifice[19] where the bishop retreats to the rear of the scene while mothers with children predominate the front; Rosso deliberately juxtaposes these figures as he does the elements represented by the jugs and the burning offering. As can be seen from the differing work of dell ’Abbate and Rosso, the Mannerist movement stretched to include a diverse range of subjects and styles. The exploitation of space in the landscape by dell’Abbate and the fresco by Rosso represent two totally opposite conceptions. In one, relatively shallow space is crammed with an incredible accumulation of figures, objects and details; in the other, a deep space is created and is left almost completely empty except for the figures threshing the hay. In both cases this draws the eye to the figures and their relationship to each other and their surroundings. As Bosquet says, Rather than the abolition of space, we are confronted in Mannerism with a more complete mastery over the use of space, a freeing of space through plays of perspective or the creation of atmospheric effects.[20] The use of colour might help explore how such effects were created in the Fontainebleau decorations. In Rosso’s ’Venus Frustree’ (http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.net.). the entire composition is constructed and coloured to create a serene yet fluid ambience. The utilisation of colour seen in this painting is executed with subtle stridencies and dissonances between the pale female skin tone and the marble-like male figures in the background. The central figure combines together the colouring and figurative elements of the entire scene: she walks towards the right hand side of the painting while looking back behind her thus uniting the two sides. Furthermore, her skin tone is soft, and under painted with the aqua green of her surround, while still imbued with the marble-like qualities of a statue. This amalgamation of different effects is complimented by the use of stucco for the figures of a man and woman which frame the fresco. The interpretation given of this painting[21] is that Venus is trying to awake the deadened Love when Mars has left for the war. The scene expresses war coming to disturb the happy love life. The naked figures in stucco of th e young man and woman also suggest the admiration that Rosso held for Michaelangelo In conclusion, the sixteenth century works at Fontainebleau are diverse in their style and expression. Some of the themes are difficult to decipher as they were specifically created for a closed, aristocratic circle to whom they were perfectly understandable and greatly enjoyed for their erudition and allegorical expression. There are however consistent themes of myth and allegory combined with a dynamic use of space, form and colour. The decorations are clever in that they embrace new styles and bold subjects while fulfilling the standards of excellence and appropriateness expected by the rulers of the court, and it is of no surprise that such work became an important influence in later classical styles of art. Bibliography Blunt, A., 1953. Art and Architecture in France, 1500 to 1700. Melbourne: Penguin Bousquet, J., and Taylor, S., W., (transltr) 1964. The Painting and Style of the Late Renaissance. New York: Braziller Franklin, D., 1994. Rosso in Italy. London: Yale University Press Hauser, A., 1965. Mannerism: the crisis of the Renaissance and the origin of modern art. London: Routledge Hauser, A., 1965. Mannerism: the crisis of the Renaissance and the origin of modern art. (prints). London: Routledge Marsengil, K., Identity Politics in Renaissance France: Cellini’s Nymph of Fontainebleau,(http://www.fsu.edu/~arh/events/athanor/athxix/AthanorXIX_marsengill.pdf) Shearman, J., 1977. Mannerism: Style and Civilisation. Middlesex: Penguin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherubim. http://www.metmuseum.org http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.net. Further Reading Champney, E.W., 1901, Romance of the Renaissance Chateaux. New York: Putnam Dutton, R., 1957, The Chateaux of France, London: Batsford Sterling, C., 1955. A Catalogue of French Paintings. Volume: 1. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. De Girolami Cheney, L., 1997, Readings in Italian Mannerism. New York: Peter Lang. Murray, L., 1977. The High Renaissance and Mannerism: the North and Spain, 1500-1600. London: Thames and Hudson Smart, A., 1972, The Renaissance and Mannerism outside Italy. London: Thames and Hudson. 1 Footnotes [1] Bosquet, J., and Taylor, S., W., (transltr) 1964. The Painting and Style of the Late Renaissance. New York: Braziller, p.64. Hereafter cited as ‘Bosquet.’ [2] Bosquet, p.60. [3] http://www.chateaudefontainebleau.net [4] Bosquet, p.62. [5] Shearman, J., 1977. Mannerism: Style and Civilisation. Middlesex: Penguin, p.121. [6] Hauser, A., 1965. Mannerism: the crisis of the Renaissance and the origin of modern art.  London: Routledge, p.242. [7] Hauser, A., 1965. Mannerism: the crisis of the Renaissance and the origin of modern art.  London: Routledge, plate 199. [8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherubim). [9] Blunt, A., 1953. Art and Architecture in France, 1500 to 1700. Melbourne: Penguin, p.35. Hereafter cited as ‘Blunt’. [10] ‘Blunt’, p.35. [11] ‘Blunt’, p.36. [12] ‘Blunt’, p.36. [13] ‘Blunt’, p.65. See plate 43A [14] ‘Bosquet’, p.72. [15] Marsengil, K., Identity Politics in Renaissance France: Cellini’s Nymph of Fontainebleau, (http://www.fsu.edu/~arh/events/athanor/athxix/AthanorXIX_marsengill.pdf) [16] Ibid, p.2. [17] Ibid, p.2. [18] Hauser, A., 1965. Mannerism: the crisis of the Renaissance and the origin of modern art.  London: Routledge, p.214. [19] Franklin, D., 1994. Rosso in Italy. London: Yale University Press, p.199. [20] ‘Bosquet’, p.143. [21] www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.net.

The Life and Works of Walt Whitman :: Biography

Poets write various styles of poetry. They use their own personal experiences, ideas, and creativity. Walt Whitman used all of these styles in his writings. He had experienced trials and tribulations throughout his whole life. Whitman did a lot of moving during his childhood, and that probably caused his personality to be neurotic. There are a lot of things that he has done to change the writings of future poets’. Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in Long Island, New York. He was the second son of Walter Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor. His father was a house builder. The family consisted of nine children (Whitman 1). The Whitman’s moved to Brooklyn when Walt was only four years old (334). When he was only twelve years old, he began to learn the printer’s trade and he fell in love with the written word, and became accustomed to reading the bible (para. 2).He did not have a formal education, and he read the works if Sir Walter Scott, Shakespeare, Homer, and Dante (Feldman 438). Whitman had worked as a printer in New York City until a fire annihilated the printing district where he was working at. When he turned 17 years old, he became a teacher in the one-room school houses of Long Island. Whitman continued to teach until 1841, he turned to journalism and this became his full-time career (Whitman para. 3). Whitman founded a newspaper called, The Long Islander, and later on he edited numerous of Brooklyn and New York newspapers. He left Brooklyn’s, The Daily Eagle, to become the editor of the New Orleans Crescent. He experienced first hand the cruelness of slavery in the slave markets of New Orleans. When he returned to Brooklyn, he found the Brooklyn Freeman and he started to develop a unique style of poetry (Whitman para. 4). Whitman had a unique sense of writing styles. People say that he had an â€Å"organic† style of writing of Hebrew poetry and is based on the device of parallelism. Whitman’s poetry contained elements of repetition (Unger 332). His characteristics also had a lot to do with his writings. People say that in his own way that he was an intellectual, and was a highly unorthodox poet. He had a neurotic side. They described him as a convert bisexual, quirky, elusive, and power-seeking (332). Whitman’s sexuality had some influence on his writings. He had some difficulty with his sexuality.

Management Efficiency Ratios: Burger King vs. McDonalds

This paper seeks to compare Burger King (BK) with its competitor McDonald (MCD) in the restaurant industry, using their financial statements as basis in terms of profitability and management efficiency ratios for the latest fiscal year. This will also discuss the concept of operating cost, evaluate the annual and year-end results of the two companies, and interpret BK as takeover target compared with its competitors. Burger King’s profitability is obviously lower than MCD.Based on net profit margin for year 2008, BK had 7. 3% as compared with MCD’s 18. 3% for the same year. The same behavior may be observed in terms of pre-tax margin, where BK had 11% as against that of MCD at 26. 2 % for the same year. It is only in terms of gross margins that BK has exceeded that of MCD but the net margin and pre-tax margin are better ways to measure profitability as expenses need to be deducted further.For purposes of comparing the net profit margin and pre-tax margin of the two comp anies against the industry average, BK is worse but MCD is definitely better. The Return of Asset (ROA) of BK is 7. 1% for the 2008 and is lower than that of MCD, which reflected ROA of 14. 9% for the same year. The results of these ratios further confirmed earlier observation in net profit margin. The same better profitability is further observed in terms of Return of Equity (ROE) where BK showed 22. 2% for 2008, which is still lower than MCD’s 30.1% for 2008. While ROA measures how efficient management a company is in terms of assets employed in business, ROE measures how much management is compensating resources invested by stockholders, the results would still reinforce earlier finding that BK, is less profitable and less efficient than MCD. The less profitability and efficiency of BK as against MCD is also further proven in terms of the former’s lower receivable turnover of 18. 67 for 2008 as against 23. 7 for MCD and 46. 8 for industry average.Inventory turnover for BK is not possible because of its absence of inventory for 2008 while that of MCD, the figure is over 100 times for 2008, which is even higher than industry average. Even if no comparison could be made in terms of inventory turnover, there is sufficient evidence to show better profitability and efficiency for MCD as against BK. To discuss the concept of operating cost for operating a business, the same must be minimized in order to maximize profits since costs or expenses must be deducted from revenues in order to derive profit.The lower the cost, the higher would be the profit assuming revenues are the same. To evaluate the annual and year-end results of the two companies and interpret BK as takeover target compared with its competitors, there is need to look at profitability and management efficiency of the two companies. As found out, BK was less profitable and less efficient than MCD. However, a company wishing to take over another company does not necessarily follow that it can also take over a better competitor of the target for many reasons.What must be controlling on the part of the company making the takeover is the expected profit of the takeover, both over the short and the longer-term, and which should be higher than the cost of capital or operating cost in order to justify the takeover. It can be concluded that BK may be less profitable and less efficient than its competitor MCD may, but if the profitability of BK could improve the profitability and efficiency of both the acquired and the acquired company combined together after the takeover, there is still justification to continue the takeover of BK.References:MSN (2009a) Financial Ratios of Burger King, {www document} URL http://moneycentral. msn. com/investor/invsub/results/compare. asp? Symbol=US%3aBKC, Accessed April 17, 2009.MSN (2009b) Financial Ratios of McDonalds, {www document} URL http://moneycentral. msn. com/investor/invsub/results/compare. asp? Symbol=MCD, Accessed April 17, 200 9.

Jake – creative writing

I pushed off onto the ice; whoosh! I felt alive. I looked around at children laughing and falling, young lovers skating round and round, hand in hand. I turned to see Jake gliding toward me, a look of boyish glee on his face. I smiled and took his out-stretched, gloved hand in mine. We lapped the frozen lake together in synchrony, talking, laughing and generally showing off, when Jake decided to show me, and everyone else on the opaque ice, what he was made of. He sped off, jumping and twisting like half of Torville and Dean, receiving many admiring glances as he landed, sure-footed, back on the ice. â€Å"Bet you can't beat that!† he laughed across to me, his heavy breathe coming out cloudy in front of him. I couldn't ignore a challenge like that. I flew across the ice as though I had sprouted wings, oblivious to the cheers and shouts around me. I jumped, twisted, pirouetted and twirled elegantly, breathing in the sweet, pine-scented air. Torville was always the better half of the skating partnership. I skated back toward Jake, a triumphant smile flitting across my face. All at once the ice gave way beneath me; I didn't even have time to scream before a chasm opened up, swallowed me whole and the freezing water surrounded me. A memory flashed; this had happened before. I was only six then but the same fear I had then burned through my mind and numbed my body. I pushed upward, but my sodden clothes pulled me under; down, down. I tried to kick the heavy boots off my numb feet and pushed one last time. My outstretched fingers hit solid ice. I clawed and desperately clutched at the ice trying to find the hole. As my mouth filled with water I knew that this was the end, but I didn't care anymore because I was so cold. I just wanted to be warm. Suddenly a strong hand grabbed me from behind, wrenching me from the water and bringing me back to my senses. I looked up into Jake's hazel eyes; they were clouded with fear and worry. He planted a warm kiss on my cheek and wrapped his dry coat around me. â€Å"I love you,† he whispered in my ear. I was too cold to talk but my eyes radiated all the love I had for him. â€Å"An ambulance has been called, dear,† â€Å"it won't be long now,† a kindly old man murmured, smiling. â€Å"Thank you,† Jake replied, being my voice. I was completely numb to everything. I remember everyone coming forward and piling coats on top of me as Jake held me on the frozen ground. Jake whispered in my ear the whole time to try and keep me awake. Hazily, I tried to concentrate on the softness of his voice and the pain of my body eased. I don't know how long I lay there until the ambulance arrived and the young paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and carried me into the ambulance. Jake was pushed aside when he explained he was my boyfriend. â€Å"I'm sorry,† the young man said, â€Å"but it's hospital policy; only family are allowed on board.† â€Å"Ok† Jake, said, pain in his voice. â€Å"I'll go and get her mum.† He nodded. â€Å"Be strong, beautiful† he called to me as he ran to get his car. I woke up a few hours later in a hospital bed, with my mother's face, shiny with tears and mascara stains, looming over me. â€Å"Hi sweetheart, its ok, I'm here now.† She said, her voice cracked and strained with worry. I tried to move my arms and legs before realising I was wrapped up in tinfoil. My mother, noticing my confused face, smiled and said â€Å"Its fine love, it just to keep you warm. The doctors want to keep you in over night to check that everything's ok, and then you and me can go home.† â€Å"Where's Jake, Mum?† † Didn't he come with you to the hospital?† Mum's body stiffened and she quickly turned her face away from mine. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Where is Jake?† I asked again, a hint of despair creeping into my voice. Just then the door inched open and Chloe's head popped round the door. † Lily?† â€Å"Lily, are you in there, I think they said room 2b.† â€Å"LILY!† Jessie squealed, as she pushed passed Chloe and embraced me in a hug as best she could, considering the way in which I was wrapped up. â€Å"Oh my god you look like a chicken drumstick!† joked Nia as she, Chloe and Jessie surrounded the bed. Mum quietly slipped out of the room and I smiled back at my friends soaking up the attention. Everyone that I cared about was around this bed. Except Jake. I felt a pang of sadness and rejection as it sank in that he had not yet come to visit. â€Å"You have missed so much!† Chloe stressed as she sat down on the comfy chair beside my bed. â€Å"Have I?† â€Å"I've only been here for half a day.† Chloe grimaced, â€Å"Yeah, well a lot happens in half a day you know!† she said. â€Å"Especially if someone's after your man!† added Jesse with a nod at Nia. â€Å"You know how Amy's been trying to steal Drey for ages, yeah?† â€Å"Well Nia caught Amy at a party, all over him like a rash!† she said raising her voice shrilly at the end of her sentence, causing the other two to glare and stare pointedly at the ‘please be quiet' sign. â€Å"Oops,† she giggled. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"What did you do Nia? I hope it wasn't anything stupid!† I said trying to sound mature. â€Å"Of course I wasn't stupid. She just needed teaching a lesson.† â€Å"She smacked her one!† Chloe whispered stifling a giggle. â€Å"And broke her nose.† â€Å"You broke Amy's nose?† I questioned disbelievingly as Nia turned the colour of an over-ripe tomato. â€Å"No! You didn't?† I looked at Nia and the smug, satisfied look on her face said it all. â€Å"I chucked Drey of course. He wasn't exactly beating her off with a barge pole.† â€Å"Men! Who needs 'em?† cried Jessie loudly, only to be kicked and elbowed into silence. Jesse looked surprised but then, as though remembering herself, she quietened and sank back into the other chair looking upset. What the hell was going on? â€Å"Err†¦ What's wrong, guys?† I asked suspiciously. â€Å"Nothing†¦nothing† they all assured me. I was too tired to persist and suddenly felt overwhelmed by their noise. As though sensing this Nia announced, â€Å"Well we best be off† and nodding to the group they stood up and busied themselves putting the chairs and bedclothes straight, unnecessarily. One by one they all said goodbye bending over me for hugs. As they did so, I noticed that Jessie had glistening, held back tears in her eyes and she turned her head away as they left together. I slept for the rest of the day slipping in and out of dreams as my mum vigilantly sat beside my bed. The next morning I was allowed to go home. â€Å"You feeling ok, love?† asked my mum as she leaned across the car for a hug but I shrugged her off. â€Å"I'm fine thanks, mum; let's just get home, eh?† As we reached the main road mum questioned my sullen behaviour. â€Å"Are you sure you all right, love? You've hardly said a word.† â€Å"I'm fine, it's just that Jake hasn't called or come to see me in hospital. Doesn't he care?† Mum's eyes welled up and silent tears started to run down her face. She slowed down as her vision was blurred. I am no longer a child but when a parent starts crying you begin to worry. â€Å"Mum?† She just shook her head and continued driving in silence, along the slippery winter roads. When we pulled up to the house I got out of the car, stumbling toward the house in my eagerness to ring Jake. As mum followed me in she asked, â€Å"What do you want to do now, love?† with a tight, hollow smile on her face. â€Å"I'm just going to ring Jake for a chat. Don't worry I won't be on too long.† â€Å"Lily† mum said, catching hold of my arm; â€Å"We need to talk.† â€Å"Why? What's wrong?† â€Å"Sit down, love.† Mum said placing herself beside me and taking my red, chapped hands in hers. â€Å"I'm sorry to tell you this but†¦ Jake has passed away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she trailed off. â€Å"No!† I cried jumping up from the settee â€Å"NO!† â€Å"Calm down sweetheart!† Mum said pulling me back down beside her. I flopped down and searched her dark brown eyes trying to see some sense but as our eyes connected I knew it was true. Jake was gone. After what seemed a lifetime, I found my voice. â€Å"How?† I croaked as my throat began to close and bright spots invaded my vision as I broke down, but I had to know. † Car crash† came the strangled reply. â€Å"He was on his way to the hospital, and a lorry skidded on the roads†¦.they're so icy this time of year†¦.anyway, I'm sorry love, they hit Jake's car straight on.† â€Å"The doctors said he felt no pain.† My mum put her arms round me pulling me toward her as she did when I was a child. It had worked so well then, a mother's love could beat off all the evil in the world, but not now, not this time. I couldn't see how anything could be true anymore. I pulled away from her warm bond, chilled to the bone, and ran upstairs to my room, my sanctuary. I looked at the pictures on the wall, Jake. Jake. JAKE I wanted to scream but no words came out. I began tearing them all down, the pain inside me forcing itself into a ball, which welled up in my gut and rose to my throat but which I refused to set free. Staring at the defaced walls, something inside me snapped and I collapsed sobbing on my freshly-made bed and drifted into coma-like sleep. I awoke later wondering where I was and what had happened. Looking around and seeing the floor littered with torn pictures, the anguish and pain returned, tearing at my mind, body and soul. I rolled onto the floor and looked under the bed pulling out the pink and silver box Jake had given me for our first anniversary. I carefully withdrew the letters he had written to me and inhaled the deep, musky scent he always sprayed on the paper, as he knew I loved the aroma so much. I looked down to see his loopy handwriting on the very first letter he had sent to me and began to read words that I knew would never be spoken by him again. ‘My darling Lily, I love you with all my heart and I wish you were here, with me now. I wish I could be near you always, you are my heart and soul and I would give my life to you†¦' I crumpled the paper tightly in my fist and held it to my heart which was shattered in pieces inside my chest. Mum found me still clutching his letter hours later. â€Å"Come on, Lily.† â€Å"Jake's mum has just been on the phone. It's the funeral tomorrow, are you up to it?† Unable to find my tongue, I nodded. At the funeral I stood with Jake's mother, Cheryl. As a widow, Jake was her only son and now he was gone too. I was all she had left to cling to; ‘the daughter she never had'. Speeches were made about Jake by his best friend James and his uncle Peter, who had been like a father to Jake since his own had died when he was only a small boy. Sermons over, the black, shiny coffin was carried down the aisle by Jake's friends and relatives. I held Cheryl's hand tightly, holding on to let her know I was there for her. Cheryl had arranged the whole thing, right down to what he was wearing inside the silk-lined coffin-his last resting place. As â€Å"I'll be missing you† echoed around the full church, all my emotions flooded in and I began to weep for this was â€Å"our song†; Jake's and mine. My chest tightened as I gasped for breath, yet taking no air. It was just like drowning again, except this time there were no strong arms to pull me up. I was alone. Jake was gone. After the funeral, things didn't get better. Each day I sank deeper and deeper into depression, as I didn't see the point of going on without Jake by my side. Now he was no longer there to share my life I couldn't give a toss about anything; he used to be my backbone; my strength. Soon my friends tired of my depressive moods and each one wavered before eventually wilting away under the constant sorrow I was wallowing in. Mum tried of course but day by day our relationship became more strained as she tried to cheer me up and get me to take an interest in what was going on around me again. But the self-pity was all consuming and all efforts to encourage me to move forward were pushed away and rejected. After a couple of months, or maybe longer, something snapped. Black, black everything was black. But everything was clear to me, I would go and join Jake. The tablets that the doctor had left to help me to overcome my depression suddenly had a new purpose. They were my means of escape and one-way ticket to wherever Jake, my love, my life, was. It was so simply, quick and easy really. Why did I not think of it before? Why had I waited all this time and put all my friends through hell? Two packets of tablets later, nice, small pink ones each one bringing me closer to Jake I slipped into unconsciousness waiting to see the light I'd read about in magazines. But there was no light, only pain as the paramedics pumped the drugs out of my stomach. Mum crying again and angry at me for so selfishly wanting to waste my life in this way. Not that I cared then, but that was then and this is now. Waking up in the hospital once again, I felt the weight of depression that had pulled me down, like my clothes and boots under the ice, had lifted from me. I knew nothing would ever replace Jake and that my life would never truly be whole without him in it but somehow, some way after two close encounters with death I had seen a light and realised that life was a precious gift not to be wasted. It was different leaving the hospital with mum this time, knowing I was going home to start afresh. This time, instead of calling Jake, I went to say goodbye carefully putting all the things he had given to me in the box before sliding it under my bed.

What are the genre conventions of the Rocky Horror Picture S essays

What are the genre conventions of the Rocky Horror Picture S essays The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not just one type of genre it is a mixture of four different genres. The genres are; horror, sci-fi, musical and b-movie. This film has a very complex iconography, as it is such an unusual mix of genres. As it is part horror you would expect to see; death, blood, killers and victims. As part of a musical you expect to see people singing and dancing a lot. As part of a sci-fi you expect to see; special effects, strange creatures and aliens. This film dose mostly meets your expectations but what it is really doing is playing with your expectations. Like the sci-fi aspect is the fact that everyone except for Brad, Janet and Dr. Scott are from another planet, the horror aspect is actually a rip off from Dr. Frankenstein with the creation of life (Dr. Frank-N-Furter builds a man) and the musical aspect is that in nearly every scene there is a song being sung. The thematic concerns of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I feel, is about how people saw homosexuals/transsexuals, in the 1970s when the fear of homosexuals was high, as aliens form another planet, as they do not have the same sexuality preferences. People feared them, as they did not understand them and their choice of living. There is also the notion that transsexuals have no morals and the price you pay for being associated with a transsexual is that they will try to turn you in to a transsexual. The Rocky Horror Picture Show represents, mostly, the sexuality and the exploration of sexuality of the characters. For example Brad starts out being totally straight, so straight he doesnt think about there even being homosexuals let alone associating with them and he is engaged to Janet. But halfway through he has sexual intercourse with Dr. Frankinferter and enjoys it. This was very disturbing for men who saw this film when it was first released and even now days some men still find it disturbing to watch. ...