Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essay Example

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Is Religion Man Made? When you think of religion what do you think of? Are you a religious person? Do you not care much for religion? Have you ever thought of religion as an idea that the elites make up to suppress the people with horrible lives from revolting and do their job? This is what William Blake, author of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† in the Songs of Innocence, thinks of religion. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. In the story, the chimney sweepers work tirelessly and they are extremely poor. They are the scum of society and are rejected by all kinds of people. The symbolic order gives them the idea that if they are obedient and do not speak out against what society has put them through, then they will go to heaven and have a much better life than the life they have now. In the story one of the chimney sweepers has a dream that an angel comes to him and tells him that if he is obedient then he will be in heaven and meet God. â€Å"And the angel told Tom, if hed be a good boy; Hed have God for his father, and never want joy† (Blake). The angel represents the Symbolic Order telling the children to stay obedient so that they can go to heaven. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Society, especially the authority figures, tells the children these things so that they just do their jobs without any troubles. The fact that this is a dream implies that this isn’t real and that the elites in society just make up religion to quite the masses. The chimney sweepers use the ideas given to them by the Symbolic Order and use them to repress the fact that they have horrible lives. Instead of trying to get out of the situation they are in they just be obedient and do nothing more; this way they can meet God in heaven. â€Å"And so Tom awoke†¦Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm† (Blake). Even though Tom is just dreaming about going to heaven, he believes that he will if he is obedient. Instead of being miserable like normal, he is happy and warm because he has something to look forward to in the after-life. His ignorance towards the fact that it was just a dream gives him bliss even though his life is awful. The chimney sweepers have a fear of death because they are so willing to accept the idea of going to heaven after they die as long as they are obedient. They are afraid of dying considering the fact that they’re lives are terrible and they don’t want to die with such a bad life. If they have something to look forward to after they die, then they won’t be so afraid of dying; which is why religion helps them get over their fear of death. â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (Blake). As long as they do what they are told they will have no harm in the after-life. This is why Tom is depressed before the dream and after the dream Tom is happy and warm. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. The chimney sweepers’ lives are as bad as can be but society gives them empty promises so that they can stay quiet and do their work. These ideas that the Symbolic Order gives help the sweepers get over their fear of death by giving them hope. It also helps them repress how bad their lives are. It takes their mind off of the fact they can try to change their lives. Overall the author is trying to convey that religion is just an idea made up by the Symbolic Order to repress people and keep them in line. Works Cited Blake, William. The Chimney Sweeper.   Songs of Innocence. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Http://www. online-literature. com. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. http://www. online-literature. com/poe/628/.

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben Introduction Deep Economy offers an insightful platform to any reader as it prompts him to analyze his current living condition. The author, Bill McKibben captures the reader’s mind through his well thought out and articulated ideas that expose his prowess in the field of ecological economics. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deep Economy by Bill McKibben specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book delivers a specific message to the reader and even critics have agreed that the book plays its role in communication. Bill challenges the reader to think of another life beyond ‘growth’ to achieve prosperity. He argues that this is possible if people concentrate more in their local production. He seems to have an answer to all the budding problems affecting the community with an aim of bringing changes in their daily lifestyle and economy. One of the strongest points brought out in his argument is his s tand on the community and individualism (McKibben 108). Many people have no idea what this means but a clear understanding of Deep Economy brings to light the issue of community that triggers our thinking. And how does it achieve this goal? First of all, we have shunned communism and turned to individualism. We have lost the idea of thinking as a community and turned to other westernized sources outside our own society to revive our economy. A wrong move I must say. Secondly, globalization seems to be conquering the entire world leading to the loss of all types of primeval community values. McKibben argues that we need to re-awaken the lost communities, a concept which though possible, has been met with a lot of criticism. Lastly, it is apparent that the community has adequate resources to sustain the economy but we, as individuals, tend to ignore them. The Importance of Community Based on the above three reasons that help us to understand our community, it is worth discussing its role. McKibben holds the community in high esteem as portrayed in chapter three and four of his book. These two chapters give a conclusive argument on why the community is vital for economic growth. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The community is inhabited by individuals who are hyper (McKibben 115). More emphasis should therefore be placed on the community rather than the sole individual. McKibben advocates for the embracing of community values to attain a more sustainable lifestyle. Does this make any sense? Well, society has currently become more individualized with everybody crying about their ‘rights.’ This has been attributed to globalization and change of culture that has led people to be selfish in their way of living. The new culture of ‘everyone for himself and God for us all’ has become entrenched in individuals, hence shunn ing the society and its needs. Many people would be lost in the idea of thinking that the community does not play any role in our daily lives hence shunning it. The economy depends on right relationships within the community. Successful people such as Schumacher or Michael Ruppert are evidence that success comes from within the community and that it is challenging for individuals to try making it on their own (Hoogstraten 45). Modernization is taking over communities leaving individuals to be more and more independent. What happens to family-community? Where does the church and state-community stand? What McKibben is trying to argue is that we seem not to care about the welfare of each other. In the Middle Ages for example, a family problem was solved by the community but today the situation has changed. We are turning to institutions such as the court to give us a solution. The idea of worshipping together as a community was lost long ago with the individuals deeply engaged in sh opping and their careers. McKibben offers a solution of revival but many critics argue that this is not possible. The most applicable solution offered by McKibben, and one that I wholly agree with is the idea of using the community to create our own local wealth (McKibben 120). The example he gives on how the community is capable of creating its own wealth is proof enough that the society has the required resources to improve the economy. Two examples from his book that clearly stand out are the idea of the bus transportation model that he observes in Brazil and the concept of owning a currency that can only be exchanged locally. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deep Economy by Bill McKibben specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These ideas are brilliant and applicable and one wonders why we have never thought of these before. It is true that people have forgotten to invest in their own communities and are fascinated by other successful business investments outside their territory. Criticism The idea of communism has not been received without criticism. The idea has been criticized on the notion that it will be difficult to revert to communism (Rheannon 23). This is because people have already adjusted to a new livelihood of individualism and independence. Most people will not be willing to let go of the idea of private ownership which will have to undergo a transformation to attain a sustainable balance with community ownership. Though this arguments make sense, it can however be argued that it is possible to utilize the resources in the community to regain the lost glory. This is possible through special initiatives such as volunteer and welfare groups (Korten 67). Conclusion The community has the potential. That said and done, it is for us as community members to turn that potential into reality. Deep Economy got us thinking about the ‘after growth’ to a better economic future. T he book is worth reading and recommending to everybody wishing to make a change in their lifestyle by involving the community. Hoogstraten, Hans-Dirk. Deep Economy: Caring for Ecology, Humanity and Religion. England: James Clarke Co., 2001. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Korten, David. Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth. California: Berrett-Koebler Publishers, 2010. Print. McKibben, Bill. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. New York: Time Books, 2007. Print. Rheannon, Francesca. Book Review: Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. Sustainability Investment News. 7 May 2007. www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cg/2286.html. 3 August 2011. Print.

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization Essay

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization - Essay Example It is essential and even necessary to communicate and reach out to the rest of the world as an isolated country can never flourish and keep pace with the rapidly moving world. Japan is an evident example of this case as it had kept itself apart from the rest of the world for many years, not even allowing trade and business with other nations. Japan's isolation policy was fully implemented by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ievasu and Shogun from 1623 to 1641. For over a hundred years, it retained its secluded position, cut off from the rest of the world, but then, after the Tokugawa government fell, it realized the importance of interconnectivity and globalization (Richie and Reischauer 1994). Now Japan is the home of technology; it is a pioneer in various novelties, most of them related to the information technology and better ways of communication and connectivity. Through globalization the economies of all countries are being rapidly integrated. One method of achieving globaliza tion is through tourism. It especially helps in the cultural interaction of one nation to another as well as a source of revenue generation. Tourism is the commercial organization of traveling for recreation and the sum of relationships resulting from the interaction between the tourists, local government, business suppliers, host communities etc. Tourism plays a vital role in the strengthening of a country's economy as it generates an immense amount of revenue for the government of the county. Local businesses also thrive due to tourism and the tourism industry offers various jobs, which ultimately results in high rates of employment. These are a few positive aspects of tourism but where it is earning net national benefits, it is also responsible for its negative impact on the country's image and economy. Tourism is the world's number one export earner, but with its advantages come the negative aspects and disadvantages. Underdeveloped and developed countries want to promote touris m because it is a good industry for revenue generation, but more than often these are not as beneficial or promising as they sound. The major reason for this is the large transfer of money from the host country and the exclusion of local businesses and products. The tourism industry results in inbound country expenses, as the tourists that come to visit the local community or the host country bring foreign exchange revenues with them mostly in the form of liquid cash, taxes, expanses etc. from their home country. These inbound expenses are usually in the form of destination specific expenses as the tourist require lodging and food facilities on their vacation trips. The foreign revenue which is supposed to help the host country economically results in having unfavorable effects on the host community because of certain hidden costs. These hidden costs are more applicable in developing and underdeveloped countries as most of the foreign revenues which come in the host country through tourists leave through leakages. Even though the revenues are retained by destination specific expenses, estimates show that nearly 80% of them are leaked back to the home country of the tourists, the inbound country expenses are basically the destination specific expenses which the tourists spend on their vacation residence and culinary expenses along with the

Policy brief on Poverty and Development in Argentina Assignment

Policy brief on Poverty and Development in Argentina - Assignment Example This report declares that poor enrolment rate of the poor population in Argentina was further worsened by the recent economic recessions that occurred in the years 1995 and 1999. There are viable strategies that could be adopted by the Argentinean government to ensure that this problem is arrested once and for all. The government should ensure that there is extension of greater investments in educational facilities, for example, extending the â€Å"Plan Social Educativo† that is currently in place. In addition to that, the government should also grant cash grants to its poor populations to ensure that their children are kept in school especially at the secondary level as this will greatly offset some of the economic incentives arising from leaving school and also cope with the impacts associated with unemployment. This paper makes a conclusion that there is actually a lot that the government of Argentina could do to arrest poverty issues in the country. The establishment or the creation of a system that will entail cost recovery from public university students who at most times tend to come from poor families and the creation of a nationwide system comprising of scholarships for students coming from poor families will be a great step in poverty reduction. Indeed, hope is not lost for Argentina as a country and therefore the adoption of the above strategies will greatly make the country to become a great economic hub in the world.

Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Western Civilization - Essay Example These are examples of things that have been brought about the western civilization; they have improved efficiency in business operations like faster communication, management and general quality improvements (Wright W. 1913). However, other practices from western civilization have been discouraged in many societies, for instance, some kinds of fashion; music and entertainment have been described as insane, increasing immorality and eroding the conservative nature of most other world civilizations. Following worldwide concern over the influence of western civilization, the violations experienced from this civilization can be said to be changing forms in the wake of modern developments in technology (Wright W. 1913). For this reason, the internet invention has risen to become the chief influence of people’s behaviors and actions. Western civilizations Influence of human violence has been seen to be changing forms, this has been necessitated by new lifestyle patterns and technological advancements. Before, human violence based mostly on nations superiority, ground and military might, however, in modern times, the dimension has shifted to include economic patterns. In this case, the violence that was experienced earlier can be seen to have changed its form

Qualitative Study Review: Triggers for Self Abuse

Qualitative Study Review: Triggers for Self Abuse Title: executive summaries of specified papers Triggers for self abuse; A qualitative study, Mary T Weber, Archives of psychiatric nursing, Volume 16, Issue 3, June 2002, Pages 118-124. This paper is essentially a qualitative study of a small cohort of 9 self abusing women. It was constructed using an analysis of a total of 42 semistructured interviews and attempting to draw out common themes. It has to be observed that this is a very specific cohort and probably cannot be extrapolated to reflect the trends in the general population, as this particular group were all in a locked psychiatric ward in the USA. The paper is essentially divided into three sections. The first is a resume of the background to academic studies of self injury, the second is a justification and explanation of the methodology used in the study and the third is an analysis of the data which ends with a discussion of the findings. An analytical overview would have to observe that the observational viewpoint in this paper is that of the social constructionist feminist. Although the paper sets out to be semi structured in its intervention, it appears clear that the interviewer is overtly active and sets out the parameters of the topics to be discussed and observes the fact that the â€Å"reality †¦.is jointly constructed.† (Parker and Lawton 2003) The author clearly has an agenda in this paper and, to some extent this is presented in the discussion section. She believes that women who self harm are often considered to be manipulative and do not evoke sympathy from healthcare professionals. The author puts the point that it is by the examination of the aspect of â€Å"hope† in their lives that these women can be optimally helped. This is clearly not a quantitative examination of the issues and might reasonably be considered more of an essay on the subject rather than an investigation into it. Although the outcomes presented are probably both laudable and admirable, the use of this paper as an evidence base for practice is effectively limited to consideration of this particular author’s opinion. (Henriksen et al 2003) We could contrast this paper with the excellent monograph on the subject by Isacsson G and Rich CL (2001), two professors who offer their opinions (backed up with appropriate references to academia) on the management of the self harming patient. In essence their overview sums up their views that: Patients who deliberately harm themselves should be assessed as comprehensively and thoroughly as possible, including the risk for suicide A multidisciplinary team approach to assessment and management is optimal A psychiatrist should be involved in the evaluation Management should be individualised on the basis of the assessment; mostly treatment for associated psychiatric disorders and assistance with precipitating circumstances Patients accepting offers for help should be followed up quickly. We would suggest that this latter paper provides a much better evidence base for practice in the nursing profession. Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for deliberate self harm {Review} Hawton k, Townsend E, Arensman E, Gunnell D, Hazell P, House A, van Heeringen KThe Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2005 Issue 4. This paper is effectively a meta analysis of 23 studies in the area of self harm. It takes a wide database of papers published prior to 1999 from as far back as 1966. This paper is completely at the other end of the spectrum to the first one considered. It is both valid and relevant to everyday clinical practice. The construction of the analysis is rigorous and methodical. It divides the various studies considered into 11 different subsets depending on the outcome variables declared. This reduces its ability to generalise, but equally increases its ability to be statistically valid. In terms of an evidence base. The first half of the paper is little more than an explanation of the search and inclusion strategy for the analysis The overriding finding of the paper is that there is still insufficient research on the subject of self harm to allow the healthcare professional to feel confident of a secure evidence base (Mohammed, D et al 2003) and it calls for more large and well constructed trials to be done in the area. It points to the fact that a great many of the trials published did not have a sufficiently large entry cohort to allow strong statistical analysis to be made. One of the benefits of a meta analysis is the fact that it can gain statistical validity from the assimilation of many smaller trials, but in this case, because the authors subdivided their considerations into 11 different subsets, this benefit is greatly reduced. (Grimes DA et al. 2002) As for conclusions, the authors make a very self effacing statement that even their meta analysis does not provide a sufficient evidence base for effective forms of treatment of deliberate self harm. The implication of this statement is that, if this analysis cannot add to the evidence base, then the smaller, less statistically significant trials that it considered cannot do so either. This view is echoed by another meta analysis paper (Healy D 2002) which we can present in support of this particular paper Cognitive-behavioural intervention in deliberate self-harm, Anthony Joseph Raj M, V Kumaraiah, Ajit V Bhide, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Volume 104, Issue 5, Page 340, November 2001. This paper is entirely different from the preceding two. It is a randomised controlled trial with a small entry cohort of 40 patients split into a treatment and a control group of 20 patients each. Clearly this is a very small sample and the site of the trial is in India so it may not have a great relevance to the UK culture. (Veitch RM 2002) The first part of the paper gives an excellent overview of the evolution of various treatment strategies together with an indication of their relative efficacy. A noticeable strength of this trial was its robust measurement strategy with ten different measurement scales being employed to minimise observer bias. (Cochran and Cox. 1957) A major shortcoming of this trial is that it attempted to contrast a number of different intervention strategies within the already small intervention cohort. The results therefore cannot really be seen as having any great generalisable significance. It may provide useful information, but as being suitable for inclusion in a firm evidence base, it could be considered sadly lacking. If we contrast this with the paper by Soomro, (Soomro GM 2004) which considers the efficacy of various aspects of cognitive behaviour therapy in the self harm group we can see that the latter’s entry cohort of nearly 500 has a much greater statistical significance and therefore a much greater relevance. Methodological issues in nursing research, Nurses attitudes towards clients who self-harm, McAllister A, Creedy D, Moyle W, Farrugia C, Journal of advanced nursing Volume 40, Issue 5, Page 578, December 2002. In many respects, this paper is a combination of many of the elements that we have discussed in the preceding three papers. It is designed to explore the attitude that receiving nurses have in the AE dept, when they deal with patients who have self harmed. Paper 1 (Weber M 2002) made the unsupported statement that nurses are less than empathetic when dealing with the self harm patient. This paper presents the evidence base behind this assumption. There is a section which reviews previous work in the area and comments on the rather counter intuitive fact that mental health professionals (who might be expected to me more empathetic and understanding) tend to be less tolerant and supportive as they typically see this type of patient as being primarily manipulative. (Anderson M 1997) The professed aim of this study was to allow the development of a suitable tool in the form of a questionnaire. It was structured with three distinct elements. Firstly was the literature review (which we have already alluded to). Secondly they canvassed the opinions of a group of 10 post graduate nurses to set the baseline of nursing attitudes. This was used as the basis for the third element which was the construction and evaluation of a questionnaire. This was drafted in the form of the ADSHQ questionnaire. We should note that only 35% of the questionnaires were returned which is a major source of bias, since one might assume that the few respondents were those that felt strongly enough to respond and therefore their views, by definition, may not be typical. A strong point in this survey’s favour was the fact that those who did respond had an average of 17 years of nursing experience. The results of the paper were rather disappointing with no significant correlation being found between attitudes and the many variables investigated. The only statistically significant finding was that staff in larger units tended to be less empathetic than those in smaller ones. It should be noted that a negative finding, although superficially disappointing, can be just as significant as a positive one as the implication here is that there was no discernible predictive factor in a nurses’ attitude towards self harming patients. This paper can be contrasted with findings in similar studies House A (et al. 2000) supports the findings of negative attitudes of staff but is more of a discussion document than a study of enquiry. Wilhelm K et al 2000) is primarily a paper which explores the efficacy of the interventions for self harming patients but makes considerable academic comment on the relevance of the nurses’ attitude to the efficacy of the treatment. We should also note that, like the original paper, it also originates from Australia. Mckinlay A (et al 2001) takes the issue and looks deeper into the reasoning and rationale behind the negative attitude and makes a number of positive suggestions relating to the mechanisms of corrective action to remedy the situation. References Anderson M 1997,  Nurses’ attitudes to suicidal behaviour,  Journal of advanced Nursing 25, 1283-1291 Cochran and Cox. 1957,  Experimental designs. New York: Wiley, 1957. Grimes DA, Schulz KF.2002,  Cohort studies: marching towards outcomes. Lancet 2002;359: 341-5 Healy D 2002,  SSRIs and deliberate self-harm,  The British Journal of Psychiatry (2002) 180: 547-548 Henriksen and Kaplan 2003 Hindsight bias, outcome knowledge and adaptive learning Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 46 50. House A, Owens D, Patchett L,  Deliberate Self harm,  Qual. Health care 2000. 8: 137-143 Isacsson G, Rich CL 2001,  Management of patients who deliberately harm themselves,  BMJ. 2001 January 27; 322(7280): 213–215. Mohammed, D Braunholtz, and T P Hofer 2003 The measurement of active errors: methodological issues Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 8 12. Mckinlay A Coulston M, Cowan S 2001,  Nurses behavioural intentions towards self-poisoning patients: a theory of reasoned action, comparison of attitudes and subjective norms as predictive variables,  Journal of Advanced Nursing Volume 34 Page 107 April 2001 Parker and Lawton 2003 Psychological contribution to the understanding of adverse events in health care Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 453 457. Soomro GM 2004,  Deliberate self harm (and attempted suicide): Manual assisted cognitive behavioural therapy,  Psychol Med 2004;33:969–976. Veitch RM 2002,  Cross-cultural perspectives in medical ethics,  Jones Bartlett 2002 ISBN: 0763713325 Wilhelm K, Schneiden V, Kotze B 2000,  Selecting your options: A pilot study of short interventions with patients who deliberately self harm, Australasian Psychiatry. Volume 8 Page 349 December 2000 ############################################################# 13.2.06 PDG Word count 1,989

Philosophy of Education Essay example -- Philosophy of Teaching Statem

Philosophy As Abigail Adams once said, â€Å"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attained to with diligence.† Just as students learn with ardor and diligence, teaching is also a profession learned with ardor and diligence to achieve excellence as a teacher in today’s classroom. As I have grown up in a family thriving with teachers, I have seen both lessons taught and lessons learned. Children can offer a unique reward; to see a child learn is an accomplishing and satisfying feeling. To teach is to be an intellectualist, dramatist, psychologist, and many other titles. Only teaching offers this wide range of possibilities—and what exciting possibilities these are! Teaching styles differ among educators, and it should be the goal of aspiring teachers to analyze themselves to become the best teachers as possible. Imagine a patchwork quilt full of variation in size, color, texture, and detail in every different piece. This picture is what surfaces in my mind when I think of the nature of students in today’s world. If the quilt represents a classroom, each piece represents a student with different inter-weavings, but similar ties among themselves. My job, as teacher, is to recognize each piece just as unique and contributing as the one beside it. We must remember that each child is shaped differently, both internally and externally, and affected by circumstances that not all may experience. Their nature should be inquisitive and attentive; however, these qualities are not always the case in students today. It is the teacher’s duty to mold his or her students to be better and reach higher in school. It is the teacher’s duty to understand that each child has a different nature and... ...s public education system requires leaders to take children into the new millennium. This new time period will hold many challenges for our children, and the instruction they will require must be from charismatic and caring teachers. Each philosophy molds the way that teachers feel about teaching and teachers, in turn, must mold their students carefully to face many different challenges. Although I believe in the basic attitude of an essentialist, I also believe that teachers must inspire and arouse curiosity in their students. As Anatole France best describes it, â€Å"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.† I hope to be that type of teacher who awakens my students to new ideas and remains in their minds as a great inspirer for not only school, but for life as well.

Unilever & Procter and Gamble

Unilever [pic] The company was formed by a merger of Dutch Margarine Union and British soap-makers Lever Brothers in 1929. Unilever was one of the world’s first genuine multinationals with operating companies in more than 40 countries. The company produces and distributes a vast number of well known brands in the areas of nutrition, hygiene and personal care that are used by consumers all over the world. The history of Unilever dates back to 1885, William Lever established a soap manufacturing company in the UK with his brothers and named the company Lever Brothers in 1885.William Hesketh Lever was born at Bolton; Lancashire in 1852 was the son of grocer. Together with James Lever, William Lever opened soap factory at Warrington, England, in 1885. Their products, Sunlight, the world’s first packaged soap, were very successful. The soup they made in ready moulded tablet. Previously laundry soap was marketed in bars and grocers cut off pieces and sold them by weight. Unti l 1919 Lever was wholly own a controlled by the founder. By 1919, as a result of ingle minded expansionist, commercial policies, his firm accounted for 60 percent of soap production in Britain.Two butter makers, Jurgen and Van den Berghs formed Margarine Union in 1927. The Dutch Margarine Union merged with Lever Brothers of United Kingdom in 1929 to form Unilever. During the 1930s, the structure and management do Unilever has been describe as a professional largely non-family managed hierarchy. Unilever has been present in the North Africa and Middle East region since 1933. For tax, purpose, two separate entities were established, one in London and another in Rotterdam. Historically, Unilever has grown to be a very multilocal company. However, while the company used to work with regional supply chains on regional brands.Unilever started to globalize their brands in the early and mid 1990s. Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestments of Unilever ? With effect from 1 January 2008, Unilever entered into an expanded international partnership with PepsiCo for the marketing and distribution of ready-to-drink tea products under the Lipton brand. ? 2nd April 2008, acquisition of Inmarko, the leading Russian ice cream company. ? 4 December 2008, a 50:50 joint venture between two Singapore-based companies, Wilmar International Limited and Olam International Limited for sale of our edible oil business. 24 February 2009, Unilever agreed to acquire the iconic Romanian ice cream brand Napoca, as part of our expansion into the country’s ice cream market. ? 4 April 2009, acquisition of the global TIGI professional hair product business and its Advanced Education Academies. ? 3 July 2009, acquisition of the sauces business of Baltimor Holding ZAO, the leading ketchup business in Russia. ? 18 January 2010, Unilever signed a definitive agreement to sell their Shedd’s Country Crock-branded chilled side-dish business in the US to Hormel Foods Corporation. 19 August 2010,à ‚  Unilever signed an asset purchase agreement with Norwegian dairy group TINE, to acquire the activities of Diplom-Is ice cream operations in Denmark. ? 24 September 2010, Unilever announced an agreement to sell Unilever’s consumer tomato products business in Brazil to foods company Cargill for approximately â‚ ¬260 million. ? 28 September 2010, Unilever and EVGA announced that they would acquire EVGA’s ice cream brands and distribution network, enriching their ice cream portfolio in Greece. 6 December 2010, Unilever completed the acquisition of the Sara Lee Personal Care and European Laundry business for â‚ ¬1. 2 billion. ? 10/05/2011, Unilever acquired the Alberto Culver Company. Proctor & Gamble [pic] Since 1837, P&G has built a rich heritage of touching consumers’ lives with brands that make life a little better every day. In 1887, P&G institutes a pioneering profit-sharing program that gives employees an ownership stake in the Company. This significa nt innovation helps employees connect their vital roles with the Company’s success.In 1924, P&G becomes the first company to conduct deliberate, data-based market research with consumers. This forward-thinking approach enables them to improve consumer understanding, anticipate consumer needs and respond with products that improve their everyday life. In 1941, P&G becomes one of the first companies to formally respond to consumer correspondence by establishing the Consumer Relations department. The addition of toll-free phone numbers in 1973 and e-mail in the 1980s further enhance consumers’ ability to contact and keep the consumer at the heart of all they do.In 1955, Crest is co-developed with Indiana University. This collaboration delivers a product that is a breakthrough in the use of fluoride to protect against tooth decay, the second-most prevalent disease at the time. In 2002, P&G develops Naturella feminine pads specifically to meet the needs of low-income women in Latin America. Based on deep consumer understanding, Naturella responds to consumers’ desire for freshness with chamomile, a unique ingredient never before used in feminine care products. In 2005, High Frequency Stores common in developing markets emerge as their largest customer channel.Consisting of nearly 20 million stores across the world, HFS represents a particular opportunity in fast-growing, low-income markets. Through HFS, we connect to consumers with affordable products and packaging specially designed for their needs. Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestments of P&G ? Procter & Gamble (P&G) agreed to sell â€Å"iconic snack brand† Pringles to Diamond Foods in a deal worth $2. 3bn (? 1. 4bn). Pringles, the world's largest potato crisp brand, will triple Diamond's existing snack business. ? Divested its Western European tissue/towel business to SCA, a global consumer goods and paper company.The deal involves the sale of manufacturing assets, P&G's Tempo brand in Europe and Hong Kong, and the licensing of Charmin & Bounty trademarks in Europe. ? Divested its slow-growing Folgers coffee business as a sacrifice to its long-term growth goals. ? In 2005, P acquired the largest acquisition in its history by purchasing Gillete brand for $57 billion. This deal not only included Gillete razors but also Duracell batteries and Braun and Oral-B brand dental products. This deal gave P even more control over  shelf-space in retailers all over the world. Current Global PositionLet us see where the two companies stand in the World’s Most Admired Companies from the data collected by Fortune: | | | | | | | | | Strategic Problems today & Recommendations

The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro

The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro Alice Munro (b. 1931) is a Canadian writer who focuses almost exclusively on short stories. She has received numerous literary awards, including the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 2009 Man Booker Prize. Munros stories, nearly all of which are set in small-town Canada, feature everyday people navigating ordinary life. But the stories themselves are anything but ordinary. Munros precise, unflinching observations unmask her characters in a way that is simultaneously uncomfortable and reassuring- uncomfortable because Munros x-ray vision feels as if it could easily unmask the reader as well as the characters, but reassuring because Munro’s writing passes so little judgment. It is hard to come away from these stories of ordinary lives without feeling as if youve learned something about your own. The Bear Came Over the Mountain  was originally published in the December 27, 1999, edition of The New Yorker. The magazine has made the complete story available for free online.  In 2006, the story was adapted into a film titled, directed by Sarah Polley.   Plot Grant and Fiona have been married for forty-five years. When Fiona shows signs of deteriorating memory, they realize  she needs to live in a nursing home. During her first 30 days there- during which Grant is not permitted to visit- Fiona seems to forget her marriage to Grant and develops a strong attachment to a resident named Aubrey. Aubrey is only in residence temporarily, while his wife takes a much-needed holiday. When the wife returns and Aubrey leaves the nursing home, Fiona is devastated. The nurses tell Grant that she will probably forget Aubrey soon, but she continues to grieve and waste away. Grant tracks down Aubreys wife, Marian, and tries to convince her to move Aubrey permanently to the facility. She cannot afford to do so without selling her house, which she initially refuses to do. By the end of the story, presumably through a romantic connection, he makes with Marian, Grant is able to bring Aubrey back to Fiona. But by this point, Fiona seems not to remember Aubrey but rather to have renewed affection for Grant. What Bear? What Mountain? You are probably familiar with some version of the folk/childrens song The Bear Came Over the Mountain.  There are variations of the specific lyrics, but the gist of the song is always the same: the bear goes over the mountain, and what he sees when he gets there is the other side of the mountain. So what does this have to do with Munros story? One thing to consider is the irony created by using a light-hearted childrens song as the title for a story about aging. Its a nonsense song, innocent and amusing. Its funny because, of course, the bear saw the other side of the mountain. What else would he see? The jokes on the bear, not on the singer of the song. The bears the one who did all that work, perhaps hoping for a more exciting and less predictable reward than the one he inevitably got. But when you juxtapose this childhood song with a story about aging, the inevitability seems less humorous and more oppressive. There is nothing to be seen except on the other side of the mountain. Its all downhill from here, not so much in the sense of being easy as in the sense of deterioration, and theres nothing innocent or amusing about it. In this reading, it doesnt really matter who the bear is. Sooner or later, the bear is all of us. But perhaps youre the kind of reader who needs the bear to represent a specific character in the story. If so, I think the best case can be made for Grant. It is clear that Grant has been repeatedly unfaithful to Fiona throughout their marriage, though he has never considered leaving her. Ironically, his effort to save her by bringing Aubrey back and putting an end to her grieving is accomplished through yet another infidelity, this time with Marian. In this sense, the other side of the mountain looks a lot like the first side. Came  or Went  Over the Mountain? When the story opens, Fiona and Grant are young university students who have agreed to get married, but the decision almost seems to be on a whim. He thought maybe she was joking when she proposed to him,  Munro writes. And indeed, Fionas proposal does sound only half-serious. Shouting over the waves at the beach, she asks Grant, Do you think it would be fun if we got married? A new section begins with the fourth paragraph, and the wind-blown, wave-crashing, youthful exuberance of the opening section has been replaced by a calmer sense of ordinary concerns (Fiona is trying to wipe away a smudge on the kitchen floor). Its clear that some time has passed between the first and second sections, but the first time I read this story and learned that Fiona was already seventy years old, I still felt a jolt of surprise.  It seemed that her youth- and their entire marriage- had been dispensed with too unceremoniously. Then I assumed that the sections would alternate. Wed read about the carefree younger lives, then the older lives, then back again, and it would all be sweet and balanced and wonderful. Except that isnt what happens. What happens is that the rest of the story focuses on the nursing home, with occasional flashbacks to Grants infidelities or to Fionas earliest signs of memory loss. The bulk of the story, then, takes place on the figurative other side of the mountain. And this is the critical difference between came  and went  in the title of the song. Though I believe went  is a more common version of the song, Munro chose came.  Went  implies that the bear is going away from us, which leaves us, as readers, safe on the side of youth. But came  is the opposite. Came  suggests that were already on the other side; in fact, Munro has made sure of it. All that we can see- all that Munro will allow us to see- is the other side of the mountain.

A History of Synthetic Grass

A History of Synthetic Grass AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf or synthetic grass. James Faria and Robert Wright of Monsanto Industries co-invented Astroturf. A patent for astroturf was filed for on December 25, 1965, and issued by the USPTO on July 25, 1967. The Evolution of Astroturf During the 50s and 60s, the Ford Foundation was studying ways to improve the physical fitness of young people. At the same time, the Chemstrand Company, a subsidiary of Monsanto Industries, were developing new synthetic fibers for use as tough carpeting. Chemstrand was encouraged to try to make the perfect urban sports surface for schools by the Ford Foundation. From 1962 to 1966, Chemstrand worked on creating new sports surfaces. The surfaces were tested for foot traction and cushioning, weather drainage, flammability and wear resistance. Chemgrass In 1964, the Creative Products Group installed a synthetic turf called Chemgrass at the Moses Brown School in Providence Rhode Island. This was the first large-scale installation of synthetic turf. In 1965, Judge Roy Hofheinz built the AstroDome in Houston, Texas. Hofheinz consulted with Monsanto about replacing the natural grass with a new synthetic playing surface. The First Astroturf In 1966, the Houston Astros baseball season begins on a Chemgrass surface now renamed Astroturf at the AstroDome. Supposedly it was renamed AstroTurf by one John A. Wortmann. The same year, the Houston Oilers AFL football season began on more than 125,000 square feet of removable Astroturf at the AstroDome. The next year, Indiana State University Stadium, in Terre Haute, Indiana became the first outdoor stadium installed with Astroturf. Astroturf Patented In 1967, Astroturf was patented (U.S. patent #3332828 see photos right). The patent for a monofilament ribbon file product was issued to inventors Wright and Faria, of Monsanto Industries. In 1986, Astroturf Industries, Inc. was formed and sold in 1994 to Southwest Recreational Industries. Former Astroturf Competitors All are no longer available. The name astroturf is a registered trademark, however, it is sometimes used incorrectly as a generic description for all artificial turf. Below are the names of a few astroturf competitors, all are no longer in business. Tartan Turf, PolyTurf, SuperTurf, WycoTurf, DurraTurf, Gras, Lectron, PoliGras, All-Pro, Cam Turf, Instant Turf, Stadia Tur, Omniturf, Toray, Unitika, Kureha, KonyGreen, Grass Sport, ClubTurf, Desso, MasterTurf, DLW

Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, death to life Essay

Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, death to life - Essay Example There are some people who live in eternal darkness and die in it. And there are some more privileged ones (by nature, or by some unknown destiny) who live in spaces and times brightly lit with noble emotions and lovely acts. But the greatest of all are those who overcome the darkness in their lives through self-realization and the will to act accordingly, because only they are capable of choosing their destiny. This is why this essay envisages to illustrate and prove that every human being, however immersed in darkness he/she is, has the potential to traverse the difficult path from darkness to light. Mathew has been my school mate and friend for two years but then suddenly he stopped coming to the school. When I tried to contact him, I felt he did not like that. I felt being looked upon by him as a nuisance whenever I went to meet him in his village town. Gradually, I gave up and went my way. He never returned to the school and then I heard that he was spending his nights away in ga mbling casinos in the nearby town with his step father, who had picked up a passion for this game and turned lucky. I also heard news that they were winning big money in the game. It was after three years that I saw him again. He had put on some weight. This time he was happy to see me and we spent an evening reminiscing our school days. I reminded him what a good athlete he was but he shrugged and said he did not regret leaving the studies and the school. It was visible that he had earned a lot of money. He was wearing a very expensive suit and fitting accessories including a Rolex watch and a Mont Blanc pen. But I pressed him to tell me whether he was continuing with his other two passions, painting and mountaineering. He told me he was not getting enough time for that. He told me also that every year he was earning more than the double of the previous year's income. On further talks, he revealed that his father had left his mother who disapproved of their gambling and that his gi rlfriend also left him as well. I asked him why he was chasing money as if there is nothing else in the world. He said, you people think that money is evil. But in this world, money can buy you anything. At that moment, I had to tell him that he was living in a world of illusion but he said it was my illusion (Plato, 1987, p.177). Though we had a nice evening that day, I felt he was moving towards the darker areas of human existence. And I could realize that he was already looking down on me as an unlucky guy who had yet to struggle his way up the ladder through the boring text books, projects and so on. Four years after that meeting, once again destiny brought us face to face with each other. I chanced upon him on a commuter train where I found him sitting engrossed in a book. I felt curious. After we exchanged greetings he suddenly became silent. Then he asked me, â€Å"Do you remember telling me that I was living in a world of illusion?† I nodded. He suddenly held my hands and said, â€Å"I have woke up from that world of illusion.† And he told me his story from where we left it four years back. On an evening that he realized his new girl friend was cheating on him in the game, he aimlessly strolled down the street. The girl had been collaborating with another man to help him win the game as she had developed an intimate relationship with that man without the knowledge of my friend. He was slightly depressed. The ugly face of truth that he had no real friends at all, was annoying him a little. Of late, he was loosing money in the game and those whom he thought as close to him were showing him a cold face. â€Å"How blind I have been to trust them,†

Truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Truth - Essay Example One might wonder what the truth was for Alexander the great when he set out to conquer the world For Socrates when he allowed himself to be taken For Galileo when he faced persecution at the hands of the Church For the Allied Forces during World War 2 For the Nazis at Nuremberg and for the terrorists who flew their planes into the twin towers If there existed no variation in the meaning and perception of truth, the world today would have been a different place-maybe for the better. The idea of truth therefore remains a moot point, for socialists and monarchs for lord and serf and for warrior and philosopher. The pragmatic would dismiss any poetic values attached to or stemming from the idea of truth; they would kill in an instant the spirit of freedom that truth may reverberate and would push away hope with the mere utterance of their dismal but intelligent sounding ideas. Alas, the supercilious don't pause to read the emotions attached to what may be described as truth or the struggle for it. Such a definition of truth seems to have been advanced by Michel Foucault in his essay2, where he most aptly describes a recipe that may be used to concoct truth; a connection is exposed here between truth and power deeming truth to be an earthly entity with nothing more than a dramatized and accepted creation.