Homer - The Odyssey Essay Example for Free

Homer The Odyssey Essay It is surprising that Odysseus, a master of stratagems, can also be reckless and impulsive? Throughout the Epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is determined to be a survivor and return to Ithaca with a status appropriate to his own sense of excellence. Odysseus is not going to make any suicidal heroic stands on the battle field and refuses to compromise a very narrow sense of integrity. On the contrary, he is ready to use any stratagem to get home. Odysseus lies, accepts insults, disguises himself, represses his emotions and even conceals his true identity in order to get through his journey. Odysseus is impulsive and reckless. The Epic, is only the story it is due to Odysseus being a character of impulse and recklessness. He creates opportunities for events and challenges and also the opportunity to return home as a heroic icon. Odysseus was surely a master of stratagems. Cunning, strong, skillful, courageous and patient. The King of Ithaca, leader of his people. He was both these things before he departed for Troy. Although he was a great king, admirable, and resourceful, at times Odysseus was also reckless and often acted impulsively. The roles of being a hero and a leader were always implied. In a search for glory and glamour Odysseus sought out danger, mocked death and ways prepared to accept an honorable death. He also risked the lives of his men. This was most evident in the Cyclopes saga, where Odysseus persisted in entering and remaining in the cave despite the pleas of his men to take what they could before the giant returned. He chose to be too greedy, because of his actions six of his men died. Odysseus could not resist the temptation of boasting to Polyohemus who had blinded the Cyclops, again despite the pleas of his men. Not knowing what he was playing around with, not just his life but the lives of his crew as any one of those boulders could have struck the vessels and destroyed the lot of them. Later, Eurylochus was to refer to this episode with the Cyclops when he virtually attempted suicide by resisting Odysseus plan to take the whole crew back to Circes palace. Why are you looking for trouble going to Circes palace, where she will turn you into pigs? We have had all this before, with the Cyclops, when our friends found their way into his fold with this foolhardy Odysseus. It was the mans reckless folly that cost them their lives(Homer 1991, book 10, line 430) There was a lack of trust between Odysseus and his crew at times. Odysseus lack of leadership and recklessness was clearly pointed out on the island of thrinacle. The crew broke their oath and disobeyed Odysseus commands about eating the cattle of Hyperion. This incident underlined their weaknesses and Odysseus iron will and self control-but also showed the limitations of his leadership. On the other hand, there is evidence of care and concern by Odysseus for his crew. He was a man of stratagems but at times acted purely on impulse which resulted in consequences that only made himself look reckless. A man who clearly had the ability to lead by example, as a king and military leader, he had the inspiration, confidence and loyalty. This is seen throughout the text many times. On his journey, though, circumstances were somewhat different, the individualism and egotism of the hero as well as his failure to communicate effectively on several occasions created distrust. A man of tremendous courage, although he made those impulsive decisions he did care for his crew. Without Odysseus being this character there would be no story, and The Epic probably would not exist today. This man was chosen to be a king and a leader of a crew for a reason. He may have gotten a little caught up in the glamour and glory at times, however he was appointed leader and king by the gods above. If the crew had been just as impulsive as their leader, and followed his commands then they to would have returned to Ithaca with their leader.

Business and administration Essay Example for Free

Business and administration Essay You should use this file to complete your Assessment. The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference Then, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number. Please note that this Assessment document has 5 pages and is made up of 4 Sections. Name: Section 1 – Understand the purpose of information technology in a business environment 1. In relation to your current business environment (or one that you are familiar with), identify at least two different types of information technology that may be used when completing work tasks. Bookings/Appointments Clients details, address, phone number, name 1. Presentation software 2. Databases 2. What are the benefits to businesses (and others) of using information technology for doing work tasks? Two main important aspects to information exchange using IT are; Sending and receiving, emails are useful as the sender can attach documents to the email they sent. These can be word documents, spreadsheets, sound files or images. Bearing in mind when sending an email its important to know the competence of the recipient for that email there is no point in sending email if the person receiving it can’t understand or doesnt know how to open it! Using the Internet to find information, its important to use a search engine to find the information that you need on the Internet. Search engines look for websites based on the criteria a person enters into the search box. The best-known search engine is Google, other popular search engines include Yahoo! search, Bing and Ask Jeeves. Always be specific when you do Internet research as this will help you to get the correct information more quickly, if you are not specific you might end up with the results that are meaningless or lead up to the wrong path. Whenever using your search engine be precise in your search criteria. Section 2 – Understand how to manage electronic and paper-based information 1. Explain the purpose of agreeing objectives and deadlines when researching information. If possible, refer to specific examples from research tasks you have worked on to support your answer. Research is very important in a business, and to provide information that will inform business decisions. If any information is not collected or is only partially collected, and this can lead to poor-quality decisions being made. Getting research right can be tough but it helps to have objectives and deadlines for what you want the research to achieve. Getting research rights can be tough it helps to have objectives and deadlines for what you want the research to achieve. When I was working at the salon I was asked to research a few different companies that sold products that we used, I had to write down the information for my boss so that he could decide who to go with and who was the best prices. Meeting deadlines is very important, as you could potentially lose clients. 2. Identify the different ways of researching, organising and reporting information. Organising When conducting research it is important that the information being collected is kept well organised, I do need the information should be kept in clearly marked files. Information can be organised in a few different ways, this can be done by sorting alphabetically or numerically, the most important thing is that the research is able to find the information that they need quickly, it helps to have an idea of the information that will be reported. Reporting There are several types of documents listed that may be used to report information such as, business letter, email, fax, formal report, informal reports, memo, notes, text. If a member of staff has a clear brief on what is to be researched and how it is to be presented, then it is possible to organise the research appropriately. Researching When researching information, there are a few things that needs to be done if the research is to be successfully completed. These are as follows: Ensure the researcher knows what they are looking for Discover how the information should be presented Source the correct document Confirm the document is up to date Use documents efficiently Read relevant information carefully. 3a) for your own organisation (or one you know well), describe the procedures that need to be followed when archiving, retrieving and deleting information. Your answer should cover procedures for both electronic and paper-based information. When something is our achieved is put into storage, this is associated with paper based files. Finding these documents often has problems. To avoid storage problems, a business can periodically review its information systems and take appropriate actions such as, removing and deleting duplicate documents and leave in a single copy, removing and deleting unimportant documents that will never be used again or are achieving files that have to be retained. Most businesses will specify in their procedure is when I achieving and deleting can take place and who is able to do this. When i worked in the salon we never used to our achieve we mainly stored addresses, names, appointment dates and phone numbers, we would only delete information if asked by a client is not the clients information would be stored correctly this helps with marketing services so if your client havent come back for a while youre able to collect the information i. e. telephone number so you can contact your client to maybe offer them a discount to bring them back to your salon. if a client wanted their information to be deleted this is easy enough all we have to do with On the delete button and then their information would be erased and if we had any paper information on them i. e. colour codes for their hair or information on manicures etc. then this will all get shredded. 3b) When following the procedures outlined in Question 3a above, are there any legal requirements to consider? When storing information there are some important legal requirements to consider such as, the data protection act 1998, retention periods or industry-specific legal requirements. All businesses must carefully consider the way information is managed. The requirement to keep important records and respect the privacy of people places considerable responsibility on businesses and organisations. Failure to get it right may result in the business breaking the law. The only legal requirements really to consider when I was working in the salon was to never ever give out the clients information to anybody ringing up or asking for this in person. 4. Why is confidentiality critical when managing information? Most businesses keep a lot of information, some of this information is sensitive or confidential, and so it can be viewed or accessed by everyone in the business. Access to confidential information should be strictly limited and secure. You can differentiate between levels of confidentiality such as, confidential contracts, confidential negotiations, business secrets or internally sensitive documents. Information concerning individuals can also be confidential. This includes things like medical records, personnel files and employment contract details. There is certain information that is kept confidential for several reasons. These include: Legal requirements, including complying with legislation such as the data protection act or the content of legally enforceable contracts. Commercial requirements, such as keeping confidential information secret. A lack of confidentiality can show a lack of competence and/or trust. Moral requirements, there is a strong moral obligation to respect people’s privacy and confidentiality. If this is broken and then people will withhold information and lack of trust. People need to know what they can and cannot access and the repercussions that may follow if confidence and trust are broken. Section 3 – Understand the purpose of producing documents that are fit for purpose 1. Identify at least two reasons for producing documents that are fit for purpose. The information that goes into a document can make all the difference in the effectiveness and efficiency of a business. You should agree in advance with all who is involved what the document should contain within it. 2. Use the table below to describe some of the different types and styles of documents that are produced in a business environment, and then explain when these different options may be used. Documents When they are used Email Less formal, Documents easily attached, Can be sent instantly worldwide Fax Faster than letters, Once good for sending graphics and images, Being superseded by emails, Cumbersome if large quantities of information are being delivered Formal Report Can give clear account of things, Can present more complex and linked information Text Immediate, Best suited for small chunks of information Section 4 – Know the procedures to be followed when producing documents 1. In most organisations, time is taken to agree the purpose, content, layout, quality standards and deadlines for the production of documents. What are the reasons for doing this level of planning? It’s very important that you know exactly what your clients want – both internal and external. If this information is unknown or guessed, its likely that customers will not get what they want. Time should be taken to agree on the specification of a document. This way, many potential problems can be avoided. A failure in one or more areas may significantly undermine all the work that has been done in other areas. For example, an ‘outstanding’ report that delivers on purpose, content, layout and quality standards but is three weeks late (poor on deadlines) may be worthless. Likewise a document that is fine on purpose, layout, and quality standards and deadline but misses some key content would also be of very little or no use. 2. Businesses will spend time checking finished documents for accuracy and correctness. a) How is this done? A finished document will always have to be checked in some way or another for accuracy and correctness before it can be given to the customer. If the document doesn’t get done or completed then mistakes may happen. b)Why is this done? This is done to ensure the document is fit-for-purpose. If the checking phase is not completed, then there is a good chance that mistakes and incorrect or insufficient information may make their way in to the final document. This could result in inefficiencies and dissatisfied customers. 1. Have a copy of the final draft document awaiting approval. 2. Have the document specification available. This may be the business specified way for producing documents such as letters or minutes. Or it may be the specification agreed between a supplier and a customer. 3. Compare the document with the specification agreed between a supplier and customer. 4. Check the spelling and grammar in the document. The first person to check the document is likely to be the author. But best it’s to have someone else to have a look over the document as they wouldn’t have been working with it as closely as the author has been. On word processing systems they have a spell checking and grammar checking facilities, which can be used to check over the accuracy of what has been written. However, these spell checkers dont pick up everything and its best to use them as well as with reading a printed version of the document 3. Explain the purpose of following confidentiality and data protection procedures when preparing documents. In all businesses should have clear procedures on data protection and confidentiality when producing document. They are required by law to do so and it is also good, ethical business practice. If people thought that a business could not respect their confidentiality, they would withhold information or look for an alternative business. The business should make it very clear to their clients who has access to which items of data and for which purposes. The issues of access may apply to people other than staff – it can apply to people outside the organisation. 4. In business environments, there is often a requirement to use notes as the basis for text and documents. a) Compare the different types of documents that can be produced from notes and include a description of the format of each document. Notes that have been taken down tend to be, key points of information, key dates/times and also key names. MEMO -The format will include, To, From, Reference, Date and then the relevant information being communicated. LETTER Printed on company headed paper, listing ref, date, name, address, subject, letter content, yours faithfully/yours sincerely, signature, name ; job title. Also if the letter is confidential this must be stated. REPORT Title, introduction, body of report, a conclusion, consistency of format is essential i. e. using the same paragraph spacing and font style/size throughout content of report. b) Explain the procedures to be followed when preparing text from notes. 1. Establish the purpose for why you are note-taking. 2. Establish the format for the document needed. 3. Check that all the notes for clarity and make amendments if you feel its necessary. 4. Check that the detail in the notes is sufficient for producing the document. 5. Check over all the facts. 6. Produce the document. 7. Check the final document. 1. Don’t write down everything that you read or hear. Be alert and attentive to the main points. Concentrate on the meat of the subject and forget the trimmings. 2. Notes should consist of key words, or very short sentences. As a speaker gets side-tracked you can go back and add further information. 3. Take accurate notes. You should usually use your own words, but try not to change the meaning. If you quote directly from the author, quote correctly. 4. Think a minute about your material before you start making notes. Don’t take notes just to be taking notes! Take notes that will be of real value to you when you look over them later. 5. Have a uniform system of punctuation and abbreviation that will make sense to you. Use a skeleton outline, and show importance by indenting. Leave lots of white space for later additions. 6. Omit descriptions and full explanations. Keep your notes short and to the point. Condense your material so you can grasp it rapidly. 7. Don’t worry about missing a point. Leave space and try to pick up the material you miss at a later date, either through reading, questioning, or common sense. 8. Don’t keep notes on oddly shaped pieces of paper. Keep notes in order and in one place. 9. Shortly after making your notes, go back and rework (not recopy! ) your notes by adding extra points, spelling out unclear items, etc.. Remember, we forget quickly. Budget time for this vital step just as you do for the class itself. 10. Review your notes periodically. This is the only way to achieve lasting memory. Once you have completed all 4 Sections of this Assessment, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your work to your tutor for marking.

Challenges of Customer Service in an Airline Industry

Challenges of Customer Service in an Airline Industry Communication(Phone) Communication problems in the workplace can cost your company productivity and money. Without efficient communication, your company is unable to exchange information essential to daily operations and create a communication network to carry new product data. Understanding examples of workplace communication issues can help you to create policies that will address problems and create an efficient communication network in the office Language Barriers A diverse workplace has several benefits to a business, such as a variety of solutions to company issues and insight into international markets during expansion. But the language barrier that can sometimes occur in a diverse workplace, or any workplace, may become a communication problem. There might be language barriers between people of different ethnic backgrounds, people of different ages and people with different levels of industry experience. Any language barrier is going to slow communication or create misunderstandings that make communication ineffective. Personal Issues Effective communication in a workplace is based on professional correspondence designed to assist in the daily operation of the company or the continued growth of the organization. When employees allow personal issues to affect company communication, a communication problem develops that could take a long time to track down and resolve. People who refuse to communicate based on a personal disagreement are damaging the companys ability to do business and slowing the growth of the organization. Lack of Feedback One-way communication can become an ineffective way to exchange information throughout the company. Employees and managerial staff should provide feedback at all times to improve the quality of information disseminated and the manner in which the information is delivered. For example, if a department tends to send out information in a format confusing to other people in the company, then that department needs to be informed of its communication problems immediately or else the information coming from that group will always pose a communication challenge. o New Hires When new employees are brought into the organization, they need to receive a comprehensive introduction into the proper ways to communicate throughout the organization. Companies that do not include communication training in their new-hire orientation programs will be forced to struggle with new hires that are forced to learn proper communication procedures by a process of hit and miss. Also some other examples for communication challenges: Accent Tone Understanding Clear Dialog Ticketing Parking Long Lines Long custom lines, parking problems. Passengers are not happy to stay in a long line buy their tickets they want to tack there tickets as soon as possible. Also the lack of parking spaces. Customer Needs Ability to give what exactly customer need. Airport Checking Extra Baggage Extra Cost Overweight baggage, Liquids include, Cabin baggage restrictions, Locked suitcases are some examples regarding extra baggages. Anyhow if passenger want to take the baggage’s passenger will have pay extra money to take those extra baggages. Group check Sometimes large families come to the airport at the last moment and hard to check because they are in a rush to get on-board and the other massive challenge was sitting them all together. Departure gate Locating all passengers On-board Travels the aircraft from A to B safely No choice of meal Preferred seats Looking after special peoples such as elders, walk aid, etc. After landing The baggages are not arrived How you would handle a PRM onboard. Definition and responsibility It is the responsibility of the airport to assist disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility. If you have reduced mobility, the airport will provide you with assistance within the terminal buildings, car parks and other public areas. If needed, airport will also assist you with check-in, security check, and border control, moving around the gate area and boarding the aircraft. A person with reduced mobility (PRM) is defined as any person whose mobility is permanently or temporarily reduced due to physical incapacity (sensory or locomotory), intellectual deficiency, age, impaired vision or hearing, or other cause of disability that means they require assistance at the airport when travelling. Assistance services are free of charge for PRM passengers. Arriving at the airport If you require, an assistant will come and meet you when you arrive at Airport. Alternatively, you can also go directly to the check-in desk. If you need assistance, report to one of the pick-up points marked with the international disabled access symbol at least two hours before flight departure. At the airport There is a dedicated check-in desk at the Airport for passengers needing assistance. The desk is labeled â€Å"Special Passengers† and is marked with the corresponding international symbols. If passenger wishes, staff will assist you all the way from the check-in desk onto the aircraft. If passenger requires special assistance, passenger will be allowed to board the aircraft before the other passengers, so that the staff can ask about the needs for in-flight assistance and more easily assist the passenger onto the plane. During the flight Passengers with reduced mobility will primarily be seated by the window. Airlines do not supply assistive devices, such as elevating seat cushions, so you must be able to sit in a regular aircraft seat. If passenger requires help in taking medication, eating, visiting the toilet, getting up or communicating, you must be accompanied by a personal assistant. After the flight When passenger arrives to the destination, passenger will be met by a member of staff, who will provide all the assistance need to continue your journey. If passenger needs help to disembark from the aircraft, this will happen after the other passengers have left, so that we have more space and time to assist the passenger. After disembarking, passenger will be assisted all the way to your next mode of transportation (a connecting flight, car, taxi or bus). How a passenger can request for WCHR from his selected airline. Ticketing, Online booking, Check in When you going to buy the ticket you can request WCHR If the passenger going to buy the ticket online the passenger can still request a WCHR online And check in desk at the airport Definition of WCHR Are passengers who can negotiate steps and move about in the aircraft cabin but who need a wheelchair or other assistance to move between the aircraft and the terminal building or within the terminal itself and between arrival and departure zones in the terminal. References Journals Eugene W. Anderson. Customer Satisfaction and Word of Mouth.Customer Satisfaction and Word of Mouth11.3 (2013): 1-10. Print. Dr Stephen Goodwin. The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior will beholding its biennial conference .The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior will beholding its biennial conference15.6 (2014): 5-8. Print. David Lewis. Customer Satisfaction.Make Hidden Persuaders Work for You: Aroma, Music, Color, Font Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24995/make-hidden-persuaders-work-for-you-aroma-music-color-font#ixzz31svhR6q21.1 (2014): 1. Print. Web sites Marisa Currie-Rose. Website Satisfaction By Google Consumer Surveysanalytics.blogspot.n.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014. No name. Customer Satisfactionhttps://www.surveyshare.com/templates/.n.p., n.d. Web. 2014 Nov 14. http://www.customerthermometer.com/

The Taming of the Shrew :: The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew Shrew--1Free, Mary. â€Å"Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s Induction,† RenaissancePapers 1999 (1999): 43-53.1Laurie E. Maguire, â€Å"Cultural Control in The Taming of the Shrew,†Renaissance Drama 26 (1995): 83.2Larry S. Champion, The Evolution of Shakespeare’s Comedy: A Study inDramatic Perspective, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1970), 38. 3David Bevington, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, updated 4thed. (NewYork: Longman 1997), 110.Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s InductionThe minor characters in The Taming of the Shrew receive little critical attention and to anextent rightly so. As Laurie E. Maguire points out, â€Å"To say that Shakespeare’s [play] is. . .abouttaming is to state the obvious: the ‘wooing’ of Katherine by Petruchio, perhaps more than anyother main plot in Shakespeare, dominates performance and criticism.†1The minor charactersserve primarily, according to Larry S. Champion, as "comic pointers" to the main plot's action oras dupes to the more clever.2To relegate Hortensio to either of these categories, however,ignores his centrality as motivator of the main plot, and although David Bevington findsHortensio â€Å"laughably inept†3--he functions, in fact, as the main plot’s lynchpin. Hortensio isthe first to draw our attention to the shrewish Katherine, and it is he who seizes the opportunity S hrew--2Free, Mary. â€Å"Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s Induction,† RenaissancePapers 1999 (1999): 43-53.4See Martha Andrensen-Thom, â€Å"Shrew-Taming and Other Rituals of Aggression:Baiting and Bonding on the Stage and in the Wild,† Women’s Studies 9, no. 2(1982): 121-143; Ann Barton, Introduction to The Taming of the Shrew, in TheRiverside Shakespeare, 2d ed., gen. ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton,1997),138-41; Emily Detmer, â€Å"Civilizing Subordination: Domestic Violence inThe Taming of the Shrew,† Shakespeare Quarterlyâ€Å" 48, no. 3 (fall 1997): 273-294; Jean E. Howard, Introduction to The Taming of the Shrew, in The NortonShakespeare, gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt (New York: Norton, 1997), 133-141;Natasha Korda, â€Å"Household Kates: Domesticating Commodities in The Taming of theShrew,† Shakespeare Quarterly 47, no. 2 (summer 1996): 110-131; and Murray J.Levith, Shakespeare’s Italian Set tings and Plays (New York: St. Martin’s,1989), 46-53.5See Richard A. Burt, â€Å"Charisma, Coercion, and Comic Form in The Taming ofthe Shrew, Criticism 26, no.4 (fall 1984): 295-311; and Jeanne Addison Roberts,â€Å"Horses and Hermaphrodites: Metamorphoses in The Taming of the Shrew,†Shakespeare Quarterly 34, no.2 (summer 1983): 159-171.to suggest Katherine as a wife for Petruchio. More important to my purpose, however, isHortensio's function in the play's final two acts. While several critics–Martha Andrensen-Thom,Ann Barton, Emily Detmer, Jean E.

Ray Bradbury :: Essays Paper s

Ray Bradbury No name typifies science fiction to the American public more than the name Ray Bradbury. For over forty years, he has been writing novels, short stories, poems, plays, and movie scripts that have long since kept him in the forefront of American literature. His stories become standard reading for many high school and college students. His literary style can best be described as "enchantment;" the way he captivates his readers with charm, bewitchment, and stunning verbal evocations. His visions of the past, future, and the present delight his readers. His books are virtually long-time bestsellers and have been translated into over twenty languages. He is quite popular in the former Soviet Union. However, success did not come easily for Bradbury. He inched away at his writing career, crafting story after story, until he was selling and occasional short story for half a cent per word. Much of his childhood, and a little of his adulthood, inspired his writings. In this paper, these influences as well as his method of drawing the reader into a story will be discussed. Perhaps the most important influence in Bradbury's youth was his discovery of magic. The famous Blackstone the Magician once included Bradbury in his act, and it enchanted him. The most influential magician on Bradbury was Mr. Electrico. Bradbury wrote about his experience with Mr. Electrico and stated that Mr. Electrico would sit every night in his electric chair, brushing his Excalibur sword over the audience, sparking them with lightning, and crying, "Live forever!" A few weeks after Bradbury encountered Mr. Electrico, he began writing his first short stories. In July of 1941, Bradbury sold his first story to Super Science Stories. Although he only made $13.75 on the sale, he rejoiced. Within a year from that sale, he was a full-time writer. The Martian Chronicles, his first novel, was published within a decade and he soon found himself famous. Fahrenheit 451 marked a new point in Bradbury's writing style - the pessimistic side of life, where he discussed a future where mankind isslowly destroying itself. The sense of what is best in America and what is best for the American people and humanity as a whole, is another thing that fuels his literature. He writes on topics relevant to what is happening in society. Mars and book burning are a couple of them.

George of the Jungle :: Art

George of the Jungle The film â€Å"George of the Jungle†, directed by Sam Weisman is a romantic comedy and parody. In other words, it fully rips off Tarzan and makes a classic story seem stupid. In the beginning of the film the audience is shown a short cartoon about how George came to be in the jungle. When he was a baby George was flying over the jungle in a plane when it crashed. The passengers never found him and so apes raised him. Then the scene it cut to the present when a woman called Ursula came to the jungle as a tourist. She meets her materialist fiance Lyle Vanderbrute unexpectedly who wants to get out of the jungle as soon as possible. Lyle drags Ursula to see the apes but then a lion traps them. This is when George appears and saves Ursula by owning the lion in wrestling. Then George carries her off, takes care of her and goes back to the city with her. Then George’s friend, an educated ape, is kidnapped by poachers and George races back to save him. Ursula realises she loves George and goes after George, helps him bash the poachers and lives with him happily ever after in the jungle. This film is extremely good, if the audience were three–year–olds. It has an extraordinarily shallow and predictable plot and the gags and jokes are simply not funny. The actions of the characters are overtly exaggerated and very unrealistic. And the depth of the characters is about that of paper cuttings. This movie is designed to be viewed by people with the IQ of under fifty points. And frankly, I feel insulted at being made to watch this poor excuse of a study subject. There are, however, silly moments in the film. Like when we see a picture of a powerful, godlike human swinging through the jungle. The narrator has built up our expectation of greatness then, suddenly. The â€Å"hero† slams into a tree. This provides the audience with a laugh – the first time, but then, as if the scriptwriter ran out of ideas, they keep doing it again and again and again†¦ I was trying not to chuck things at the television and video recorder after the fifth time. I mean, its good making the viewers laugh – it’s a comedy, after all. But if I could I would slap the film crew each around the face and say: â€Å"Look people, if you can’t think of more than one gag for a comedy, try doing a serious film instead embarrassing yourselves in front of millions of people and corrupting their minds!† George of the Jungle :: Art George of the Jungle The film â€Å"George of the Jungle†, directed by Sam Weisman is a romantic comedy and parody. In other words, it fully rips off Tarzan and makes a classic story seem stupid. In the beginning of the film the audience is shown a short cartoon about how George came to be in the jungle. When he was a baby George was flying over the jungle in a plane when it crashed. The passengers never found him and so apes raised him. Then the scene it cut to the present when a woman called Ursula came to the jungle as a tourist. She meets her materialist fiance Lyle Vanderbrute unexpectedly who wants to get out of the jungle as soon as possible. Lyle drags Ursula to see the apes but then a lion traps them. This is when George appears and saves Ursula by owning the lion in wrestling. Then George carries her off, takes care of her and goes back to the city with her. Then George’s friend, an educated ape, is kidnapped by poachers and George races back to save him. Ursula realises she loves George and goes after George, helps him bash the poachers and lives with him happily ever after in the jungle. This film is extremely good, if the audience were three–year–olds. It has an extraordinarily shallow and predictable plot and the gags and jokes are simply not funny. The actions of the characters are overtly exaggerated and very unrealistic. And the depth of the characters is about that of paper cuttings. This movie is designed to be viewed by people with the IQ of under fifty points. And frankly, I feel insulted at being made to watch this poor excuse of a study subject. There are, however, silly moments in the film. Like when we see a picture of a powerful, godlike human swinging through the jungle. The narrator has built up our expectation of greatness then, suddenly. The â€Å"hero† slams into a tree. This provides the audience with a laugh – the first time, but then, as if the scriptwriter ran out of ideas, they keep doing it again and again and again†¦ I was trying not to chuck things at the television and video recorder after the fifth time. I mean, its good making the viewers laugh – it’s a comedy, after all. But if I could I would slap the film crew each around the face and say: â€Å"Look people, if you can’t think of more than one gag for a comedy, try doing a serious film instead embarrassing yourselves in front of millions of people and corrupting their minds!†

Global Warming and Drought in The Southwestern U.S. Essay

Pumphrey (2008) rightly observed that until fairly recently, no one would bought the idea that the world’s climate was changing, let alone that it was been influenced by human activities. The first insight into what is today known as global warming was first conceived by the Swedish scientist Arrhenius, who, late in the 19th century, suggested that the activities of the rapidly developing industries could cause the planet to warm up. Such ideas were often ignored, but over the course of the 20th century, opinions about climate change, â€Å"even rapid climate change† were becoming more apparent (Pumphrey, 2008, p. 1). As things stand now, there appears to be a growing pile of irrefutable evidences that point to the fact that human activities are affecting the heat/energy exchange between the earth, the atmosphere and space (Justus and Susan, 2006). The primary cause of global climate change has been attributed to the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere. These ‘green house gases’, as they are now known, form a blanket over the earth atmosphere, thus trapping the sun’s heat inside the planet and causing it to warm up (National Resources Defense Council, 2007). A substantial population of the world’s scientist have agreed that human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric â€Å"concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 36% from pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million (ppm) to 380 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in global average temperature of 0. 9oF over the past 100 years†. Consequently, there has been considerable increase in global average temperature and sea levels, decreases of sea ice in the Artic and melting of the planet’s continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers (Justus and Susan, 2006). More frightening, however, is the assertion by scientists that if green house gases continue to accumulate at the present rates, more rapid and devastating consequences could result within a short period of time. While scientists largely agree on the evidences pointing to a warming planet, the severity and ramifications of its consequences is often a subject of controversy, doubts and heated debates. The drought in the Southwestern U. S presents one such example of the controversies and uncertainties surrounding the consequences of global warming. In the history of the Southwestern U. S. , drought has been a relatively periodic occurrence, due to climate variability that characterizes this region. For example, after reviewing the history of climate changes in the region, Thompson and Anderson (2005) concluded that over the long term, the climate of the region is constantly changing and that in the â€Å"18,000 years since the last glacial maximum the southwestern United States has experienced conditions that ranged from much colder to somewhat warmer than today. Moisture conditions have also varied, both through time and across the region† (Thompson and Anderson, 2005). However, despite these assertions, scientists through several studies have pointed out that the present multi-year drought in the region is not another result of climate variability but a consequence of climate change. They assert that the present climate situation might be the new climate of the region and that drier and more sever droughts lies ahead if urgent measures are not taken. The proposed study intends to support and add weight to the contention that climate changes is already impacting the region and that increasing global warming will increase the severity of drought in the Southwestern U. S. Purpose Statement McNab and Karl (2003) observe that drought is a complex phenomenon that can be very difficult to define. They contend that the problem with defining drought derives partially from the fact that the term could be approached from different perspectives. That, notwithstanding, the central theme that underlie any definition of drought is the absent or deficiency of water. However, they point out that to completely define drought, the â€Å"component(s) of the hydrologic cycle affected by the water deficit and the time period associated with the deficit, must be specified†. The Southwestern U. S is a region vulnerable to droughts due to its variable climatology that derives from its peculiar topography. The entire Southwestern states of the United States fall into a climatic region generally known as the ‘subtropics’. These regions are known to be dry and susceptible to drought because the atmosphere moves water ‘out of those regions into higher planes’ (Thompson, 2007). It is argued that the evaporation is higher in subtropics and the moist air from here is transported to temperate regions at higher latitudes. This climatic condition sometimes causes excessive ‘dryness’ (drought) in these regions. The infamous dust bowl conditions of the 1930s and the severe droughts of the 1950s are typical examples. Pointing out the vulnerability of the region, Davis (2007) observe that â€Å"in some years, â€Å"exceptional drought† has engulfed the entire Plains from Canada to Mexico; in other years, crimson conflagrations on weather maps have crept down the Gulf Coast to Louisiana or crossed the Rockies to the interior Northwest† (Davies, 2007). Based on this argument, it is convenient to describe the present drought in the region as a result of such climatic variability. Unfortunately, recent data on global warming indicate otherwise. Scientists have shown that this time, the drought in the region is not just a passing phase in climatic conditions, it is a reality that has come to stay. It is evident that this time, it is the base climate that is changing and dire consequences looms ahead. Supporting the argument that the aridity in the Southwestern U. S is different this time, Davis (2007), point out that â€Å"Lake Powell had fallen by nearly eighty feet in three years, and crucial reservoirs along the Rio Grande were barely more than mud puddles. The Southwestern winter of 2005-06, meanwhile, was one of the driest on record, and Phoenix went 143 days without a single drop of rain†. Noting that some scientists have regarded the present situations as the worst drought in 500 years and with the several scientific evidences showing the link between global warming and severe drought, Davis concluded that the present climate condition is not â€Å"simply episodic drought but the region’s new ‘normal weather'† (Davies, 2007). Statement of the Problem Both global warming and droughts portend grave dangers for both the region and the world at large. Despite the sometimes dissenting voices in the science world, there is unanimous certainty that the planet is warming up. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its 2007 report stated that it is ‘unequivocal’ that the planet is heating up and that, with utmost certainty, the warming is caused by human activities. It is clearly understood that increased global temperatures will facilitate the propagation of certain deadly bacteria and the spread of diseases. For example, Kolivras and Andrew (2004) carried out a study that revealed that the presence and spread of four diseases; hantavirus, plague, dengue and coccidioidomycosis in the Southwestern U. S could be attributed to the increased in temperature in this region. Again, it is clear that higher global temperatures will lead to increase in the incidence and severity of droughts which will affect agricultural production, causing global food crisis. Also, the melting of continental and Artic ice, due to global warming, will cause flooding and other devastating problems that will affect millions of people globally. Persistent drought, on the other hand, also severely impacts a society. Besides the shortage of food and water that characterizes drought conditions, Davis (2007) also point out that drought rapidly destabilizes the natural ecosystem. Buttressing this fact, he observed that, without sufficient moisture to produce protective sap, â€Å"millions of acres of pinyon and ponderosa pine have been ravaged by plagues of bark beetles; these dead forests, in turn, have helped to kindle the firestorms that have burst into the suburbs of Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Denver, as well as destroyed part of Los Alamos† (Davies, 2007). However, despite the frightening consequences of droughts and/or global warming, the real issue here is the misunderstanding of the problem at hand. A clear understanding of the real cause and nature of the drought in the Southwestern United States will greatly help in containing the problem before it get out of hand. In a study for the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Richard Seager and other scientists point out that all the models used for the third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated a general decrease in rainfall in the subtropics during the 21st century and gradual drying up of the region with increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (Seager et al, 2007). The present drought in the region is therefore, evidently a consequence of a much bigger problem, the realization of this fact is important in shaping public attitudes and opinions required for finding a lasting solution to the problem. Theoretical Framework The states of the Southwestern United States fall in a climatic region known as the subtropics. The climate in these regions is characteristically dry because the atmosphere moves water out of these regions. Moist air from these regions is often transported to temperate regions at higher latitudes. This phenomenon is referred to as the â€Å"Hadley cell† (Thompson, 2007). This flow of moist air away from subtropics induces rising air over the equator and descending air over the subtropics. The descending air over the subtropics suppresses precipitation, which further increase dryness of the regions. With global warming, the blanket of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere heat up the air over the subtropics enabling it to carry and transport more moisture away from the region. Furthermore, with increasing global temperatures, ‘Hadley cell’ (the flow of air out of the subtropics) expands pole ward, bringing the United States Southwestern region under the increasing influence of descending air, further compromising precipitation and further worsening drought. The link between reduced precipitation and drought was established by McNab and Karl (2003) who asserted that â€Å"precipitation can be considered to be the carrier of the drought signal and stream flow and ground-water levels can be considered to be the last indicators of the occurrence of a drought† (McNab and Karl, 2003). It has been argued that whilst past droughts in the region was because La Nina brought ‘cooler ocean temperatures to the equatorial Pacific, which resulted in drier conditions over North America’, the present drought is caused by changing climatic conditions characterized by increasing global temperatures that enable more moisture to be transported out of the region and suppressed precipitation.