Frostbite Chapter 9

Nine I DIDN'T SEE DIMITRI FOR a while after that. He'd sent a message later that day saying that he thought we should cancel our next two sessions because of the rapidly approaching plans to leave campus. Classes were about to end anyway, he said; taking a break from practice seemed like the reasonable thing. It was a lame excuse, and I knew that wasn't the reason he was canceling. If he wanted to avoid me, I would have preferred he made up something about how he and the other guardians had to up Moroi security or practice top-secret ninja moves. Regardless of his story, I knew he was avoiding me because of the kiss. That damned kiss. I didn't regret it, not exactly. God only knew how much I'd been wanting to kiss him. But I'd done it for the wrong reasons. I'd done it because I was upset and frustrated and had simply wanted to prove that I could. I was so tired of doing the right thing, the smart thing. I was trying to be more in control lately, but I seemed to be slipping. I hadn't forgotten the warning that he'd once given me- that us being together wasn't just about age. It would interfere with our jobs. Pushing him into the kiss†¦well, I'd fanned the flames of a problem that could eventually hurt Lissa. I shouldn't have done it. Yesterday, I'd been unable to stop myself. Today I could see more clearly and couldn't believe what I'd done. Mason met me on Christmas morning, and we went to go hang out with the others. It provided a good opportunity to push Dimitri out of my head. I liked Mason- a lot. And it wasn't like I had to run off and marry him. Like Lissa had said, it would be healthy for me to just date someone again. Tasha was hosting our Christmas brunch in an elegant parlor in the Academy's guest quarters. Lots of group activities and parties were occurring throughout the school, but I'd quickly noticed that Tasha's presence always created a disturbance. People either secretly stared or went out of their way to avoid her. Sometimes she would challenge them. Sometimes she would just lie low. Today, she'd chosen to stay out of the other royals' way and simply enjoy this small, private party of those who didn't shun her. Dimitri had been invited to the gathering, and a bit of my resolve faltered when I saw him. He'd actually dressed up for the occasion. Okay, â€Å"dressed up† might have been an exaggeration, but it was the closest I'd ever seen him come to that. Usually he just looked a little rough†¦like he could spring into battle at any given moment. Today, his dark hair was tied at the back of his neck, as though he'd actually tried to make it neat. He wore his usual jeans and leather boots, but instead of a T-shirt or thermal shirt, he had on a finely knit black sweater. It was just an ordinary sweater, nothing designer or expensive, but it added a touch of polish I didn't usually see, and good God, did it fit him well. Dimitri wasn't mean to me or anything, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to make conversation with me. He did talk to Tasha, however, and I watched with fascination as they conversed in that easy way of theirs. I'd since learned that a good friend of his was a distant cousin of Tasha's family; that was how the two of them knew each other. â€Å"Five?† asked Dimitri in surprise. They were discussing the friend's children. â€Å"I hadn't heard that.† Tasha nodded. â€Å"It's insane. I swear, I don't think his wife's had more than six months off between kids. She's short, too- so she just gets wider and wider.† â€Å"When I first met him, he swore he didn't even want kids.† Her eyes widened excitedly. â€Å"I know! I can't believe it. You should see him now. He just melts around them. I can't even understand him half the time. I swear, he speaks more baby talk than English.† Dimitri smiled his rare smile. â€Å"Well†¦children do that to people.† â€Å"I can't imagine it happening to you,† she laughed. â€Å"You're always so stoic. Of course †¦ I suppose you'd be doing baby talk in Russian, so no one would ever know.† They both laughed at that, and I turned away, grateful Mason was there to talk to. He was a good distraction from everything, because in addition to Dimitri ignoring me, Lissa and Christian were chatting on in their own little world too. Sex appeared to have made them that much more in love, and I wondered if I'd get to spend any time with her at all on the ski trip. She did eventually break away from him to give me my Christmas present. I opened the box and stared inside. I saw a string of maroon-colored beads, and the scent of roses floated out. â€Å"What the †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I lifted the beads out, and a heavy gold crucifix swung from the end of them. She'd given me a chotki. It was similar to a rosary, only smaller. Bracelet-size. â€Å"Are you trying to convert me?† I asked wryly. Lissa wasn't a religious nut or anything, but she believed in God and attended church regularly. Like many Moroi families who'd come from Russia and Eastern Europe, she was an Orthodox Christian. Me? I was pretty much an Orthodox Agnostic. I figured God probably existed, but I didn't have the time or energy to investigate. Lissa respected that and never tried to push her faith on me, which made the gift that much weirder. â€Å"Flip it over,† she said, clearly amused at my shock. I did. On the back of the cross, a dragon wreathed in flowers had been carved into the gold. The Dragomir crest. I looked up at her, puzzled. â€Å"It's a family heirloom,† she said. â€Å"One of my dad's good friends has been saving boxes of his stuff. This was in it. It belonged to my great-grandmother's guardian.† â€Å"Liss †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. The chotki took on a whole new meaning. â€Å"I can't†¦ you can't give me something like this.† â€Å"Well, I certainly can't keep it. It's meant for a guardian. My guardian.† I wound the beads around one wrist. The cross felt cool against my skin. â€Å"You know,† I teased, â€Å"there's a good possibility I'll get kicked out of school before I can become your guardian.† She grinned. â€Å"Well, then you can give it back.† Everyone laughed. Tasha started to say something, then stopped when she looked up at the door. â€Å"Janine!† My mother stood there, looking as stiff and impassive as ever. â€Å"Sorry I'm late,† she said. â€Å"I had business to take care of.† Business. As always. Even on Christmas. I felt my stomach turn and heat rise to my cheeks as the details of our fight came rushing back to my mind. She'd never sent one word of communication since it had happened two days ago, not even when I was in the infirmary. No apologies. Nothing. I gritted my teeth. She sat down with us and soon joined in the conversation. I'd long since discovered she could really only talk about one subject: guardian business. I wondered if she had any hobbies. The Badica attack was on everyone's mind, and this drove her into a conversation about some similar fight she'd been in. To my horror, Mason was riveted by her every word. â€Å"Well, decapitations aren't as easy as they seem,† she said in her matter-of-fact way. I'd never thought they were easy at all, but her tone suggested that she believed everyone thought they were cake. â€Å"You've got to get through the spinal cord and tendons.† Through the bond, I felt Lissa grow queasy. She wasn't one for gruesome talk. Mason's eyes lit up. â€Å"What's the best weapon to do it with?† My mother considered. â€Å"An axe. You can get more weight behind it.† She made a swinging motion by way of illustration. â€Å"Cool,† he said. â€Å"Man, I hope they let me carry an axe.† It was a comical and ludicrous idea, since axes were hardly convenient weapons to carry around. For half a second, the thought of Mason walking down the street with an axe over his shoulder lightened my mood a little. The moment quickly passed. I honestly couldn't believe we were having this conversation on Christmas. Her presence had soured everything. Fortunately, the gathering eventually dispersed. Christian and Lissa went off to do their own thing, and Dimitri and Tasha apparently had more catching up to do. Mason and I were well on our way to the dhampir dorm when my mother joined us. None of us said anything. Stars cluttered the black sky, sharp and bright, their glitter matched in the ice and snow around us. I wore my ivory parka with fake fur trimming. It did a good job keeping my body warm, even though it did nothing against the chilly gusts that seared my face. The whole time we walked, I kept expecting my mother to turn off toward the other guardian areas, but she came right inside the dorm with us. â€Å"I've been wanting to talk to you,† she finally said. My alarms clicked on. What had I done now? That was all she said, but Mason picked up on the hint immediately. He was neither stupid nor oblivious to social cues, though at that moment, I kind of wished he was. I also found it ironic that he wanted to fight every Strigoi in the world but was afraid of my mother. He glanced at me apologetically, shrugged, and said, â€Å"Hey, I've got to get, um, somewhere. I'll see you later.† I watched with regret as he left, wishing I could run after him. Probably my mom would only tackle me and punch my other eye if I tried to escape. Better to do things her way and get this over with. Shifting uncomfortably, I looked everywhere but at her and waited for her to speak. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few people glancing over at us. Recalling how everyone in the world seemed to know about her giving me the black eye, I suddenly decided I didn't want witnesses around for whatever lecture she was about to unleash on me. â€Å"You want to, um, go to my room?† I asked. She looked surprised, almost uncertain. â€Å"Sure.† I led her upstairs, keeping a safe distance away as we walked. Awkward tension built between us. She didn't say anything when we reached my room, but I saw her examine every detail carefully, as though a Strigoi might be lurking in there. I sat on the bed and waited while she paced, unsure what I should do. She ran her fingers over a stack of books on animal behavior and evolution. â€Å"Are these for a report?† she asked. â€Å"No. I'm just interested in it, that's all.† Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't known that. But how would she? She didn't know anything about me. She continued her appraisal, stopping to study little things that apparently surprised her about me. A picture of Lissa and me dressed up like fairies for Halloween. A bag of SweeTarts. It was as though my mother were meeting me for the first time. Abruptly, she turned and extended her hand toward me. â€Å"Here.† Startled, I leaned forward and held my palm out underneath hers. Something small and cool dropped into my hand. It was a round pendant, a small one- not much bigger than a dime in diameter. A base of silver held a flat disc of colored glass circles. Frowning, I ran my thumb over its surface. It was strange, but the circles almost made it look like an eye. The inner one was small, just like a pupil. It was so dark blue that it looked black. Surrounding it was a larger circle of pale blue, which was in turn surrounded by a circle of white. A very, very thin ring of that dark blue color circled the outside. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I hadn't expected anything from her. The gift was weird- why the hell would she give me an eye?- but it was a gift. â€Å"I†¦ I didn't get you anything.† My mom nodded, face blank and unconcerned once more. â€Å"It's fine. I don't need anything.† She turned away again and started walking around the room. She didn't have a lot of space to do it, but her shorter height gave her a smaller stride. Each time she passed in front of the window over my bed, the light would catch her auburn hair and light it up. I watched her curiously and realized she was as nervous as me. She halted in her pacing and glanced back toward me. â€Å"How's your eye?† â€Å"Getting better.† â€Å"Good.† She opened her mouth, and I had a feeling she was on the verge of apologizing. But she didn't. When she started pacing again, I decided I couldn't stand the inactivity. I began putting my presents away. I'd gotten a pretty nice haul of stuff this morning. One of them was a silk dress from Tasha, red and embroidered with flowers. My mother watched me hang it in the room's tiny closet. â€Å"That was very nice of Tasha.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"I didn't know she was going to get me anything. I really like her.† â€Å"Me too.† I turned from the closet in surprise and stared at my mom. Her astonishment mirrored mine. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have said we'd just agreed on something. Maybe Christmas miracles did happen. â€Å"Guardian Belikov will be a good match for her.† â€Å"I- † I blinked, not entirely sure what she was talking about. â€Å"Dimitri?† â€Å"Guardian Belikov,† she corrected sternly, still not approving of my casual way of addressing him. â€Å"What†¦ what kind of match?† I asked. She raised an eyebrow. â€Å"You haven't heard? She's asked him to be her guardian- since she doesn't have one.† I felt like I'd been punched again. â€Å"But he's†¦assigned here. And to Lissa.† â€Å"Arrangements can be made. And regardless of the Ozera reputation†¦she's still royal. If she pushes, she can get her way.† I stared bleakly into space. â€Å"Well, I guess they are friends and everything.† â€Å"More than that- or possibly could be.† Bam! Punched again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Hmm? Oh. She's†¦interested in him.† By my mother's tone, it was clear that romantic matters actually held no interest for her. â€Å"She's willing to have dhampir children, so it's possible they might eventually make an, um, arrangement if he were her guardian.† Oh. My. God. Time froze. My heart stopped beating. I realized my mother was waiting for a response. She was leaning against my desk, watching me. She might be able to hunt down Strigoi, but she was oblivious to my feelings. â€Å"Is †¦ is he going to do it? Be her guardian?† I asked weakly. My mom shrugged. â€Å"I don't think he's agreed to it yet, but of course he will. It's a great opportunity.† â€Å"Of course,† I echoed. Why would Dimitri turn down the chance to be a guardian to a friend of his and to have a baby? I think my mom said something else after that, but I didn't hear it. I didn't hear anything. I kept thinking about Dimitri leaving the Academy, leaving me. I thought about the way he and Tasha had gotten along with each other so well. And then, after those recollections, my imagination started improvising future scenarios. Tasha and Dimitri together. Touching. Kissing. Naked. Other things †¦ I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. â€Å"I'm really tired.† My mom stopped mid-sentence. I had no idea what she'd been saying before I interrupted her. â€Å"I'm really tired,† I repeated. I could hear the hollowness in my own voice. Empty. No emotion. â€Å"Thanks for the eye†¦um, thing, but if you don't mind †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My mother stared at me in surprise, her features open and confused. Then, just like that, her usual wall of cool professionalism slammed back into place. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how much she'd let it up. But she had. For just a brief time, she'd made herself vulnerable with me. That vulnerability was now gone. â€Å"Of course,† she said stiffly. â€Å"I don't want to bother you.† I wanted to tell her it wasn't that. I wanted to tell her I wasn't kicking her out for any personal reason. And I wanted to tell her that I wished she were the kind of loving, understanding mother you always hear about, one I could confide in. Maybe even a mother I could discuss my troubled love life with. God. I wished I could tell anyone about that, actually. Especially right now. But I was too caught up in my own personal drama to say a word. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and tossed it across the other side of the room. There was a burning, agonizing pain in my chest, and I had no idea how it could ever be filled. It was one thing to accept that I couldn't have Dimitri. It was something entirely different to realize someone else could. I didn't say anything else to her because my speech capabilities no longer existed. Fury glinted in her eyes, and her lips flattened out into that tight expression of displeasure she so often wore. Without another word, she turned around and left, slamming the door behind her. That door slam was something I would have done too, actually. I guess we really did share some genes. But I forgot about her almost immediately. I just kept sitting there and thinking. Thinking and imagining. I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. But mostly, I just sat on my bed thinking and growing more and more depressed. I also discovered that the only thing worse than imagining Dimitri and Tasha together was remembering when he and I had been together. He would never touch me again like that, never kiss me again†¦ This was the worst Christmas ever.

Nature of Reality Essay

Reality is what you want it to be. Reality is a term that is used loosely, but comes in many different variations. There has never been or never will be one way to interpret reality, as it is built up of beliefs and values which vary from person to person. The true nature of reality is merely an illusion; it is the universe which exists in the mind. George Orwell develops this idea in the novel 1984 as he suggests that the true nature of reality is not defined by its validity but an outcome of society’s influences, and the boundaries of reality are constructed by the boundaries of imagination. Reality for a group or individual is not built up of truths; rather it is built up of what is believed to be true or factual. The citizens of Oceania lacked basic human rights. They worked long hours, no sense of privacy, and clearly deprived of any happiness. It would be logical to assume that this form of government is cruel and rebellion would spread like wild fire, but the citizens o f Oceania firmly believe that Big Brother is taking care of them. The reason they believe this is because they have no way to access any other source of information so they are left to accept what is told by the party. This one hundred percent belief that they are being taken care of clearly defines the reality of the citizens of Oceania, but has no validity to it. Winston starts realizing this when he reads a children’s book and says â€Å"In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make the claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of the experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy.† This is the point where he starts realizing that the reality in which the party instills in the citizens of Oceania clearly is not based on logic (2+2=5) but is still enthusiastically accepted by the people. Humans are social creatures, we learn socially and through second hand knowledge passed down from society. So it makes sense to believe that the building blocks of reality, the beliefs and values which make it whole, are hugely influenced by the beliefs and values that society allows to be instilled. The Nazi rule of Germany during WWII will always be remembered as one of the darkest periods in human history. Many of the values that Hitler instilled and forced upon the citizens of Germany share the same concept in which Big Brother spread their values of hate and control, making them perfect  examples of each other. For both Nazi Germany and Oceania its citizens accepted the reality which practiced hate and scapegoat toward the enemy, ideas that would seem crazy in modern society and which would never be tolerated. So in Nazi Germany, why were these ideas so widely accepted? The citizens of Germany were surrounded by propaganda, the society in which they lived made it acceptable to act like that and enforced it, making the people believe that it’s the right way to think and believe, thus creating their reality. This is exactly the same way in which the party gained such control over the human mind, surrounding the people with propaganda hate, and nothing else, brainwashing the people to believe that it is the values reflected by the party is the most acceptable, and only way to act. When it comes down to it, the true boundaries of reality are defined by what is comprehensible by the human mind, also known as the imagination. The extent of the imagination stretches out as far as what has been seen or felt. It is impossible to know exactly what it would feel like to be on Pluto. Why? This is because nobody has ever had the experience of living on Pluto. The citizens of Oceania are completely oblivious of the outside world. The only knowledge they have is that which the party as allowed them to know. This is why in the middle of hate week, when Oceania switches allies the people blamed Emmanuel Goldstein for all of the negative propaganda about Eurasia. This is clearly another lie which the party fabricates to suck the citizens of Oceania into the negativity of their reality. This is not questioned though because the only experience the people have in terms of what they have seen or felt has been controlled by the party, so whatever the beliefs values or decisions the party reflects, no matter how ridiculous, will be enthusiastically accepted by the people. When Winston goes on about his love affair with Julia, he makes love to her and his mind opens up to the true pleasures of life. The party publicizes the idea that sex is a completely pleasure less act and should only occur with intent for reproduction. When Winston makes love to her it opens his mind up to what is possible beyond what the party is telling them. So why did this happen? Winston went through an experience which was out of the ordinary, which opened up his imagination and logically magnified his rebellion against the party because he came to the realization that there is more to life than what the party is allowing them to know. These limits of reality are defined  by how far the imagination can really stretch. George Orwell does a fantastic job exemplifying the true meaning of reality. The idea that reality is merely an outcome of experience and knowledge and nothing else is exaggerated by the totalitarian rule of Big Brother and the complete control of Oceania citizens. The belief that present reality is completely valid does make it reality, even if it is not completely factual. This was shown by the residents of Oceania as it was obvious they were being fed lies but accepted with no question. Everything that is inside your reality has been influenced by society, whether it is known or not, it is impossible to control, but what really restricts reality is imagination. If the citizens of Oceania were exposed to anything other than the beliefs and values of the party, there is no way that they would act and respond to it the same way as their reality would open up to new possibilities. Considering all of this, there is no way to know what is really true and whether what we believe and value is right or wrong. We may be living in a reality in which many possibilities of life are hidden, just in the way that freedom was hidden from Oceania.

Andhra Pradesh Health and Social Care

Andhra Pradesh Health and Social Care Introduction: The health and social care arena is facing some of the biggest challenges for decades. Demographically this is because more people are falling prey to changing environment, deprived economy, social factors, increased population, life style changes, early mortality etc. The research has provided many benefits in discovery of new treatments and technologies used in health care. It can improve the health outcome to individuals which in turn reduces the burden on the health care. In 1953 Andhra Pradesh was first formed on a linguistic basis by carving it out from Madras area. In 1956 later it was merged with telugu speaking area of Hyderabad state to form a Andhra Pradesh State. In order to keep alive the interest of the Telegu people, Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu kept pressure on the Madras Presidency government to give a ear to public demand for the separate Telugu speaking state (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) to form a new Andhra state. With unbreakable determination he went on a fast, and only stopped when prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised to form new Andhra State. On the midnight of 15 December (i.e. Early 16 December 1952), Potti Sriramulu died and sacrificed his life trying to achieve the state. In the history of this telugu state on the 18 th Feb 2014 Lok Shabha of India approving the formation of Telangana with ten districts. In India, Andhra Pradesh is one of the populated state because of its growth and its geologically near the sea coast. In India, Andhra Pradesh is one of the populated state because of its growth and its geologically near the sea coast. The Census over the year has seen the state grow steadily in the terms of population. It is located in the southern region of the country, the state shares its boundaries with Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The capital of the state is the vibrant city of Hyderabad that has seen the rule of Nizams for a long time. Andhra Pradesh has been one of the oldest states in the country a nd finds its place in many ancient works of Literature. According to 2011 census, the population of Andhra Pradesh is 84 million. The growth rate of the population is about 11% which is below the national average. The state has seen the faster growth in the terms of Technological infrastructure, civil works and also developed in sectors like IT and Telecom. The state has tiled over an area of 275000 sq km and has many places of strategic and cultural evidence. It has contributed to have the important place for Worship such as World famous deity, Tirupati balaji. Andhra Pradesh has a population density of 308 which is below the national average. In 2011, the literacy rate is 67% while compared to national average of about 74% and a cause of interest is given. Andhra Pradesh have the best ports in the country with regards to Trade.     Ã‚   Population in Andhra Pradesh in 2011 According to Andhra Pradesh Census in 2011 the population has increased to 0.84(8.46 & 7.62 crore) when c ompared to census in 2001. The total population is 84,580,777 of which male and female were 42,442,146 and 42,138,631 respectively.

Nueva Yol Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nueva Yol - Movie Review Example A Dominican widower who visits the New York City in order to have a taste of a ‘paradise’ as most people had put it. However, when in New York, the so called paradise was not to be. The movie also points out a man, Balbuena who mortgages his house in order to get a visa, is ignored and also exploited. He cannot get any type of a job because of discrimination and exploitations from the natives. 2. At the cemetery, Balbuena meets with someone (Fellito) who turns to be a friend to him. Fellito was close to the kid and was someone like a guardian to him. Fellito had, therefore, attended the burial at the cemetery too. 3. Balbuena, in the struggle to search for a job, finally sets foot at consul’s house. However, the reception and how he treated was not all that good. Being mistaken by the drug dealers due to her everyday appearance at the same place was a big blow to him since he was mistaken for the wrong person. Balbuena could not find a job in New York City. The fact that he did not had a green card and the inability to speak English made it worse and added the burden of looking for a job (Stephen 96). His cousin was not of any help to him. People of the Dominican Republic were discriminated by the natives. Having met people of the same origin or people with the same problems, Balbuena and the rest decided to form a circle of all the friends. This comprised of the people with Dominican Republic citizen. 4. At the airport, Felli meets with Pedro and turns out to be another friend just like Balbuena. However, Balbuena was a special and important person to be with. His character and style of doing things made him is a person who could be trusted as a good friend. 5. Through the network of friends formed, Balbuena meets with Pedro, who was a bit stable in his life. Pedro is able to see how Balbuena suffered a lot in the hands of his cousin who instead of

POETIC FORMS AND GENRES Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

POETIC FORMS AND GENRES - Assignment Example nd for some historians and literature critics it has also a very strong negative connotation related to the period immediately after the World War I and the disappointment in the moral and ideological values that have been the basis of the Victorian Age during the rule of Queen Victoria. Historical events during the Victorian Age such as the adoption of the Reform Bill (1832), Chartism (1836-1848) and many others speak for the period itself and we should not waste time on history anyway. Literature in this period is the object of our interest. Needless to say, literature has been strongly influenced by all of those events and the bourgeois lifestyle and society in general. Among all literature genres poetry has been regarded the highest if we are to judge according to the respect it has enjoyed. Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) is considered â€Å"national treasure† for the British. His best works include â€Å"Poems by Two Brothers† (1827), â€Å"Poems Chiefly Lyrical† (1830), â€Å"Poems† (1832), â€Å"Poems† (1842), â€Å"In Memoriam† (1850), â€Å"Maud† (1855), â€Å"Idylls of the King† (1859), â€Å"Enoch Arden, and Other Poems† (1864), â€Å"Works† (so-called ‘Imperial Edition’ 1872), several plays (â€Å"Queen Mary†, â€Å"Harold† â€Å"The Falcon† and others), etc. â€Å"Ulysses† (1842) is one of his best poems. It is a pure monologue in blank verse, more compact in its composition than the rest of his poems, using strong, core and â€Å"sober† language, whose richness is beyond any critic. To clarify the meaning of monologue as a poetic form we have to give its definition and say that it is a speech in verse or prose uttered by one speaker as a part of a larger work or as an independent work in itself, and blank verse means unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter often used in long poems and dramatic verse, with a very flexible form and well adaptable to monologues like â€Å"Ulysses† (Myers, Jack, & Simms, Michael, â€Å"The Longman Dictionary of Poetic Terms†, 1989, p.33).

Monopolies and Oligopolies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monopolies and Oligopolies - Essay Example However, this competitor does not fit the definition of close substitute and has difficulty entering the market. Apple has recently introduced the Windows Operating System on its machines and has reinforced Windows as a monopoly. Consumers are tied to Windows for practical reasons as well as the piece of mind that familiarity brings and they can find no close substitute. When consumers can find no close substitute and are locked into a data processing system, it allows Microsoft to charge whatever the market will bear. In the Microsoft model, they have priced their software at the level that will produce the greatest returns without effecting demand. This has allowed them to optimize their pricing based not on demand, but as price setters. This is another indication that they are a monopoly. People will no sooner switch from Windows than they would buy a rhinestone engagement ring as a substitute for a DeBeers diamond, no matter what the cost. The fact that they have a barrier to entry, can set the price on their own terms, and have a consumer base that will not accept a substitute makes Microsoft one of the largest monopolies in the history of the world Similar

Compare and contrast acute and chronic leukemia, in the answer, Essay

Compare and contrast acute and chronic leukemia, in the answer, discuss the differences between them in symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis - Essay Example Acute leukemia typically affects children (Coleman and Tsongalis 2006). Acute leukemia occurs for a short period of time in terms of days and weeks. On the other hand, chronic leukemia is not as common as acute leukemia in children. It mostly affects adults. It takes a bit longer to generate, and affects more mature cells. Chronic leukemia may develop over a long duration, which can be in terms of months or even years (Dugdale 2012). In acute leukemia, symptoms are quick to manifest while in chronic leukemia it may take more time to manifest these symptoms. However, symptoms of both types of leukemia remain the same. Patients of both types experience breeding or bruising, abdominal pains, difficulty in breathing, and recurring infections (Skeel and Khleif 2011). Nevertheless, due to its gradual onset of symptoms, therapy for chronic leukemia is characteristically less aggressive that that of acute leukemia. On diagnosis, acute leukemia is diagnosed by blood tests. Usually, the acute leukaemia cell can be spotted or seen circulating in the blood. A bone marrow test is also carried out to diagnose the type of cells involved (Skeel and Khleif 2011). This helps doctors make decision on the best choice of treatment to go for. On the side of chronic leukemia, the initial assessment involves an analysis of the bone marrow and peripheral blood, or both (Moreau 2008). Treatment of patients with acute leukemia is usually with chemotherapy, which is normally given through veins (Swearingen 2008). Chemotherapy is used to kill fast dividing cells. In some cases, a bone marrow transplant can also be recommended by physicians. Just like acute leukemia, chronic leukemia patients may be subjected chemotherapy in order to reduce the number of lymphocytes. Commonly used drugs include alkylators (Faguet 2004). They are taken for cycles lasting ten days for several weeks depending on the results anticipated. However, total disease reduction is not the aim; instead, the

Pure Competition & Monopolistic Competition Research Paper

Pure Competition & Monopolistic Competition - Research Paper Example A firm in a perfect competition shows complete elasticity to price fluctuations. Also, marginal revenues are equals to average revenues and market demands. It is the demand which causes shifts in average and marginal revenues in the short-run. Changes in market demand and supply lead to price fluctuations (Reynolds). 2.3Profit Maximization in the Short-Run For a firm in a pure competition, the difference between total costs and total revenues represent profits. For a firm to earn maximum profits, ability to control and react to marginal costs and revenue functions is important. If a firm can identify the level where marginal costs (MC) can be equals to marginal revenues (MR), profit can be maximized by increasing the output and number of units sold. It is important to note that in a short-run, Average revenue (AR) is equals to marginal revenue (MR) which also represents market price. Furthermore, the firm is intended to increase profits and not revenues. Therefore, a firm is required to produce and sell additional goods in order to reduce marginal costs (MC). The lower marginal cost would lead to lower average costs and the difference between average costs and revenues would indicate final profits of the firm. In short, if marginal costs (MC) are equals to marginal revenues, the firm is earning maximum profits. In a scenario where these two variables are equal or MR is higher than MC, the firm should produce more and vice versa (see Fig 1). In a short-run, the maximum loss that a firm can bear is its fixed cost.

Business Synoptic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Business Synoptic - Essay Example Strategic Posture of Nestle at Corporate Level 13 6.0. Efficacy of Nestle’s Strategic Posture 13 7.0. Alignment of Nestle’s Strategic Posture with its Management Structure and Philosophy 15 References 17 Bibliography 20 21 1.0. Linkage between Strategic Management Accounting and the Realistic Practices of Nestle According to the definition of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA), it efficiently links with the business strategy of a firm and helps to maintain and/or increase its competitiveness. Few basic attributes of the SMA process, relates with the collection of competitors’ information regarding price, products, market share and others; identifying opportunities in global market and recognising the efficacy of company’s strategic position with providing emphasis on the accounting aspects (Collier & Agyei-Ampomah, 2006). With a thorough analysis of Nestle’s case study, it can be stated that the company has achieved a sustainable and at the same time quite impressive growth with a long-term benefit to the company. Two most significant causes to stimulate growth of the company can be identified as strategic management approach and managerial accounting behaviour of the company to take a certain decision. These two theories can be evidently linked with the company’s adopted strategies, with reference to case study and fundamentals of the theory SMA. Nestle’s strategic decisions over the years have been focussed on its expansion in the global platform covering almost every economic market of the world. Thus, one of the company’s most significant strategic decisions can be identified as its aggressive expansion strategies. For instance, the company started expanding its operations worldwide since 1868 and by late 1990s, the company had already acquired the markets of 76 countries and 193 nations to manufacture and market its products respectively. Another strategic decision taken by the company was to diver sify its product lining from simple infant formulas to condensed milk, chocolates, coffee drink, soups and mineral water as well. With this strategic alliance the company was able to achieve a huge amount of profit in western economies, especially in European and the US markets. However, to imply these strategies in an effective and efficient manner the company focussed on few other factors, such as market competency, internal and external environment and others. In this regards, the company can be observed to apply a few analytical measures. For instance, as mentioned in case study, the company observed that markets of Europe and North America were particularly growing rapidly in terms of competition along with stagnant population growth. This in turn acted as a barrier to Nestle’s growth. To be specific, as the population growth was stagnant and number of market players was also increasing rapidly, there was a little scope for Nestle’s growth in the economies. Moreov er, the trends of markets were becoming much favourable for local firms manufacturing the products similar to that of Nestle’s. Realising these facts, the company initiated to expand its market in emerging markets where the population is at rise, demand for branded food items are also increasing and local competitors are also minimum. Hence, the company instigated its operations in eastern emerging countries such as China, India and others. Accordingly, the company also narrowed its market focus to basic food

Why Students Should Work Essay Example for Free

Why Students Should Work Essay I disagree that high school students should be limited in the amount of hours they work because students will be making less money. So they won’t be able to save enough money for college. Also students will learn about responsibility and will learn on how to manage their money,write checks, and use their credit card. I think that high school students should work as many hours as they want in conclusion they would be making more money to support themselves and their families. Also, because they get to experience what working is like so they could get ready for their career. Having a job has many benefits. One of these benefits is obvious, earning an income. With an income comes responsibility. When a student becomes an adult, he or she has to learn to depend on their own income, and there is nothing they can do to prepare themselves for that except to begin to get a feel for the responsibilities earning an income brings. Also, I think that students who work, it gives the student experience on what their working on so that they get good at it. I think that students who work more get more money so that they could buy a car and not be tired from school and work. Also, I think that this is an opportunity to learn how to manage their money and how to use it wisely. Students can gain experience by working through high school. This brings the opportunity to learn how to budget money, which is a vital part of being independent. Budgeting takes a lot of self-discipline and trial and error, but is possible to learn. It is also important for students to start making purchases that result in monthly payments, such as cell phone or car payments. Not only does this give students the ability to establish credit, but also a feel for what having bills is like. These are things that all students need to gain exposure to and begin become experienced with. It would be much more difficult to learn these things when one is dependent on themselves. It raises the risk of struggles with money. I think that students who work more could also maintain good grades and do homework because they only have to work after school. So they could do homework after work and still good to school with enough energy to last the  whole day.

Demonstrating Omniscience Omnipotence And The Omnipresence Of God Religion Essay

Demonstrating Omniscience Omnipotence And The Omnipresence Of God Religion Essay The objective of this research paper is to demonstrate the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of God and how these relate to the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation does mention on the Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omniscience of God. This paper will walk us through first from the OT, NT and then the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In the beginning of creation in Gen 1:1-3, when He created the world, it shows God is Omnipotence, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. It shows. He is the all-powerful Lord who has created all things and sustains them by the Word of His power. The Bible reveals that God is all powerful and in the final sense is the ruler of history and nature. Omnipotent in the Old Testament and New Testament Omnipotence refers to Gods unlimited power. In the Old Testament, El Shaddai is translated Almighty God (Gen 17:1; Job 5:17). God is descried as performing natural wonders (Gen 1:1-3; Isa 44:24; Heb 1:3) and spiritual wonders (2 Cor 4:6; Eph 1:9; 3:20). In Gen 18:14, God is able to create new thing and nothing is impossible to Him. Then in Ps 115:3, He does whatever pleases him. And in Ezek 36:26, He is able to create a new heart. God manifestation acts include creation, nature, history, providence, and redemption. Thus in Daniel 4:35; Amos 9:2, 3 show that nothing evades Gods omnipotence. It is also demonstrated by the work of the Holy Spirit, in Scripture compared to wind, water, and fire: The ordinary manifestations of these elements afford no criterion of the effect they are able to produce. Wind Pentecost was the analogue of the wind Spirit, who bore everything before Him on the first day of creation (Gen 1:2; Eze 37:10; John 3:8; Acts 2:2). The power of resurrection John 11:25; Rom 1:4; Eph 1:19-20. God cannot do that which is self-contradictory or contradictory to His own nature, because His omnipotence is of His own essence, and He is all-Being out which all existence must arise. Gods omnipotence is also revealed in Philippians 1:21 because we read that He is able to subdue all things. We see Paul rejoicing in Romans 8:32-39 because, if God is for us, then who can be against us? God is not limited in what He can do and nothing can overpower God. Furthermore, there is nothing that God cannot overpower. Hence it is written in Colossians 2:9-10, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Omnipotent in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ In the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, He demonstrates that he had all authority of heaven and earth Matt 28:18, Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And in Mark 2:5, 7, 10 states that Jesus had the power to forgive sins, something only God can do. In the New Testament the great embodiment of this redemptive omnipotence is the resurrection of believers (Matt 22:29; Mk. 12:24) and specifically the resurrection of Christ (Rom 4:17, 21, 24; Eph 1:19ff). Gods power is evidenced in the whole process of redemption (Mat 19:26; Mk 10:27; Rom 8:31; Eph 3:7, 20; 1 Pet 1:5; Rev 11:17). Further in Matt 3:9, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Again, He has the power to create new things. Omniscience in OT (Look up in dictionary) Omniscience refers to Gods superior knowledge and wisdom, His power to know all things. God is the Lord who knows our thoughts from afar. He is acquainted with all our ways, knowing our words even before they are on our tongues (Ps 139:1-6, 13-16). He needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding (Is 40:13-14). He is the all-knowing Lord who prophesies the events of the future, including the death and resurrection of His Son (Isa 53) and return of Christ at the end of this age when death will be finally overcome (Rom 8:18-39; 1 Cor 15:51-57). Only the all knowing and all powerful God can guarantee real freedom from sin, decay, and death. He can begin a process of change in believers during the present age; where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17). Nelsons New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, General Editor. Ronald F. Youngblood. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986. Scripture declares that Gods eyes run everywhere, in orther words God watches and knows everything (Job 24:23; Psalms 33:13-15; 139:13-16; Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 16:17; Daniel 2:22; and Ezekiel 11:5). He searches all hearts and observes everyones ways (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalms 139:1-6, 23; Jeremiah 17:10; Luke 16:15; Romans 8:27; Revelations 2:23) in other words, he knows everything and everybody all the time. Also, he knows the future no less than the past and the present, and possible events that ever happen no less than actual events that do ( 1 Samuel 23:9-13; 2 Kings 13:19; Psalm 81:14-15; Isaiah 48:18). (God understand all things. His understanding is limitless. It cannot measure). All His knowledge is always immediately and directly before his mind (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:9-10; Psalms 139:1-6; Isaiah 40:13-14; 28: cf. Romans 11:33-36 look through). In Job 23:10, and Psalm 103:14 talk about God knowing our needs. In Gen 16:13, God is referred to as the God who sees. Prov 15:3 teaches: The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Similarly, Ps 34:15 affirms, The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry. Job realized: Gods eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place no deep shadow where evildoers can hide. (34:22-23). God is described in Zech3:9 as having 7 eyes to illustrate his omniscience, and the prophet Ezekiel depicted God as having eyes all around him (Ez 1:18). And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus affirmed, Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten (12:6). Gods omniscience is seen in Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira. When Ananias brings the gift, God had seen right through his pretense. No one would know, they thought. And in Hebrew 4:13; teaches that nothing is hidden from God. All we do and think is uncovered, and displayed before God to whom we must give account. http//Churchlayman.wordpress.com Acts 15:18; Rev 2:23, Psalms 33:13, Jeremiah 38:17-20, Romans 4:17, Job 34:22-23; Ps 139; Omniscience in the life and Ministry of Jesus The omniscient God sent an angel to the mother of our Lord to reveal a specific program. Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High. The Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end (Luke 1:30-33). The bible declares that Jesus was indeed omniscient. Jesus demonstrated it in the NT is the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6 Jesus was talking about the lilies of the field and warned his disciples not to worry because He knows that we need them and He will take care of them. He knew specific details about a womans life whom He had never met (John 4:16-19). He also had all knowledge about Nathaniel in John 1:47-49. In Matthew 17:27 about Jesus knowing of a certain coin in a fishs mouth before the fish is caught! Jesus Christ had knowledge of specific details about His own death. Then in Matthew 16:21, Jesus said that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the scribes and the elders, be killed, and then be resurrected the third day. He repeats this prophecy in Matthew 20:19. In John 13:1; Matthew 12:26, and Mark 8:17 proofs that Jesus knowledge in these instances is that of his human intellect. We will be able to realize that Jesus is indeed omniscient. In Matthew 17:27, Jesus knew that the first fish that Peter will catch will have a piece of money in its mouth that they could use to pay the temple tax. In John 2:25 goes so far as to assert the omniscience of Jesus, he did not need mans testimony, for he knew what was in a man. Then in John 1:47, Jesus knew Nathanael is a man in whom there is no guile! Jesus also knew that the Samaritan woman whom he met at the well in S amaria has no husband (John 4:17-18). Jesus also knew that it will be Judas Iscariot who is going to betray him and that he also knew Peter will deny him thrice (Mark 14:3). John 16:30, His disciples recognized His omniscience. Matthew 16:21; 17:22; 20:18-19; 26:1-2, His prediction of His death demonstrate His omniscience Matthew 24:36 says But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven but my father only. This verse has been a century of debate among leaders of religious groups and has raised controversy as to the Omniscience of Jesus. Even theologians have diverse stands on this issue. It is therefore important to look back at the nature two natures of Jesus: his human and divine nature. With this, we can say that if Jesus does not know the time of his return, it does not mean that it contradicts his omniscience, which is attributed to his divine nature. Matthew 11:21-23 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Jesus knew what Tyre and Sidon would have done had the gospel been preached to them. OMNIPRESENCE IN OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT http://allanturner.com/omni.html Allan Turner Omnipresence a theological term that refers to the unlimited nature of God or His ability to be everywhere at all times. God is not like the manufactured idols of ancient cultures that were limited to one altar or temple area. God reveals Himself in the Bible as the Lord who is everywhere. God was present as Lord in all creation (Ps 139:7-12) and there is no escaping Him. He is present in our innermost thoughts. Even as we are formed in the womb, He knows all the days of our future. God sees in secret and rewards in secret, as Jesus taught His disciples; He looks not only on outward actions, but especially on the inner attitudes of a persons heart (Matt 6:1-18). Because God is the Creator and Sustainer of time and space, He is everywhere. Being everywhere, He is our great Comforter, Friend and Redeemer. Nelsons New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, General Editor. Ronald F. Youngblood. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986. Omnipresence means God is everywhere present. Omnipresence may be defined as God, in the totality of his essence, without diffusion or expansion, multiplication or division, penetrates and fills the universe in all its parts. Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology. Page 194. In Ps 139:7-16; Prov 15:3; Jere 23:23, 24; Amos 9:2; Dt 4:39; 10:14 explains the omnipresence of God. Although sometimes Omnipresence emphasizes His immanence, it frequently contents itself with affirming the universal extent of Gods power and knowledge. Page 596 Bromiley. The God who is eternal, and therefore not limited by time, is omnipresent, and not limited by space (Psalm 139:7-16; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:23, 24). This means that the unlimited God in His whole being is present at every point of our space. Perhaps a better way to express Gods omnipresence is to say that all space is immediately present before Him. Gods omnipresence does not prevent Him from manifesting Himself in a localized place. In fact, although His self-existent, eternal, and infinite Being is present to all of space equally, He has, on occasion, entered space at specific points and become present in it for a specific purpose. These theophanies, as they are called, most often involved redemption. For example, the pillar of cloud bearing the glory of God that appeared before the Israelites (Exodus 33:9; 40:34; I Kings 8:10ff) is but one example of such a case. Page 596 Bromiley. Gods presence is not confined to a certain sanctuary; it follows that He can be simultaneously in heaven and on earth. Page 596. Of course, the most dramatic incident of God entering time and space was the incarnation itself (John 1:14; I Timothy 3:16). Consequently, Jesus was called Immanuel, or God with us (Matthew 1:23). But, in entering time and space, God, in His self-existent, eternal, and infinite Being, did not cease to be omnipresent. He was, in fact, still present to every point of space, holding everything together by the word of His power (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Acts 17:24-28). Another example of God interjecting Himself into time and space would be the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), as well as His indwelling of the body of every Christian (I Corinthians 6:19). In Ps 139:7-10, David exclaims that He cannot flee from the presence of the Holy Spirit; if he ascends to heaven, He is there; if he descends into the depths of the earth, the Spirit is there also. Even if he could fly away swiftly, he could not escape the presence of the Spirit. Omnipresence in the life and Ministry of Jesus The Omnipresence of Jesus demonstrates the Omnipresence of God. Bromiley says that Gods omnipresence is closely related to His omnipotence and omniscience: that He is everywhere enables Him to act everywhere and to know all things, and conversely, through omnipotent action and omniscience knowledge. page 595. As stated in Matt 28:19-20, In giving the great Commission, Jesus commanded his disciples to go as witnesses everywhere, even to the end of the earth, and he would be with them to the end of the age. Indicate that he is not limited either by space or by time. Only God has the ability to be everywhere at once, yet Jesus Christ claims this ability. . Then in Matthew 18:20, He says, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Further in John 14:17, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. Christs indwelling of every believer demands that He is omnipresent. The omnipresence of the Spirit is also taught in John 14:17 where Christ taught the disciples that the spirit would dwell them all, an affirmation of the Spirits omnipresence. In fact, it is evidently the omnipresence of God with us that is the subject of John 3:13, which says, No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of God who is in heaven. Remember, these words were being spoken by Jesus Himself while manifested here on this earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Recognizing that Jesus has a human nature as well as a divine nature, it should be stated that in His Humanity He is localized in heaven, but in His deity He is omnipresent. The doctrine of omnipresence is a comfort to the believer who recognizes that no calamity can befall him that God is not present with Him and assures the believer that God is at hand to save in every place where there is any form of danger. It is also a warning to the disobedient person that he cannot escape the presence of God. How Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence relate to: Relate to Acts 2: 1-4, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Base on the above scripture, we can see the Omnipotence and Omnipresence of the Spirit of God manifested on the day of Pentecost. As the Breath or wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God. The coming of the Spirit and fire symbolize the divine presence of God. When they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began speaking in other tongues. It symbolize Gods unlimited power enables them to speak in several languages. Then in John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins. Thus from the above scripture Jesus Knew (Omniscience) what will happen to those who do not believe in Him and that they would die in their sins. Philippians 2 Imitating Christs Humility CONCLUSION BIOLOGRAPHY Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989. A.H, Strong Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. Thomas C. Oden. Systemic Theology. Volume One: The Living God. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Gen. Editor. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Volumes Three: K-P. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Merrill C. Tenny. Gen Editor. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Volume Four: M-P. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology.

Theme Essay Young Goodman Brown :: Free Essay Writer

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Young Goodman Brown†, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, delves into the classic battle between good and evil; taking the protagonist, Goodman Brown, on a journey to test the resolve of his faith. Goodman ventures out on his expedition deep into the sinister forest, in order to repudiate the attempt of the devil to sway him from Christianity; a test he believes his devout faith is prepared to confront. Goodman Brown is forever altered in ways unforeseeable by taking a stroll with the ultimate antagonist, the devil himself. The prevailing theme in this literary work, which is common in Hawthorne’s gothic writing, is the realization that evil can infect people who seem perfectly respectable. Throughout the course of his journey, Goodman Brown discovers that even highly reputable people of Salem are vulnerable to the forces of darkness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodman Brown embarks on his journey into the forest with the fervent belief that his potent dedication is indomitably ironclad, and thus will be able to overcome even the most tempting persuasions of the devil. As Goodman and the devil continue sauntering along the serpentine path, they encounter Goodman’s old catechism teacher, Goody Cloyse, and it is eventually revealed that she is heading to the satanic occult meeting at the core of the forest. Goodman is absolutely confounded at the sight of her, as he had always considered Cloyse as a moral and spiritual guide in his life. Goody Cloyse’s appearance is the first moment where Goodman begins to question his faith. Brown's illusions about the purity of his society are finally obliterated when he discovers that many of his fellow townspeople, including religious leaders and his wife (aptly named Faith), are attending a Black Mass or â€Å"witch-meeting†. At the end of the story, it is not cle ar whether Brown's experience was a nightmare or biting reality, but the results are nonetheless the same. Brown is unable to forgive the possibility of evil in his loved ones, and as a result spends the rest of his life in desperate loneliness and gloom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of his journey, Goodman Brown’s will and pride were both embedded in the belief that he was a pious man. Goodman’s pride in piety evidently fails him, as he discovers that his faith was based on the principles of individuals who had sworn allegiance to the devil. This deplorable truth destroyed his conviction, and in this sense the devil prevailed against Goodman Brown. Theme Essay Young Goodman Brown :: Free Essay Writer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Young Goodman Brown†, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, delves into the classic battle between good and evil; taking the protagonist, Goodman Brown, on a journey to test the resolve of his faith. Goodman ventures out on his expedition deep into the sinister forest, in order to repudiate the attempt of the devil to sway him from Christianity; a test he believes his devout faith is prepared to confront. Goodman Brown is forever altered in ways unforeseeable by taking a stroll with the ultimate antagonist, the devil himself. The prevailing theme in this literary work, which is common in Hawthorne’s gothic writing, is the realization that evil can infect people who seem perfectly respectable. Throughout the course of his journey, Goodman Brown discovers that even highly reputable people of Salem are vulnerable to the forces of darkness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodman Brown embarks on his journey into the forest with the fervent belief that his potent dedication is indomitably ironclad, and thus will be able to overcome even the most tempting persuasions of the devil. As Goodman and the devil continue sauntering along the serpentine path, they encounter Goodman’s old catechism teacher, Goody Cloyse, and it is eventually revealed that she is heading to the satanic occult meeting at the core of the forest. Goodman is absolutely confounded at the sight of her, as he had always considered Cloyse as a moral and spiritual guide in his life. Goody Cloyse’s appearance is the first moment where Goodman begins to question his faith. Brown's illusions about the purity of his society are finally obliterated when he discovers that many of his fellow townspeople, including religious leaders and his wife (aptly named Faith), are attending a Black Mass or â€Å"witch-meeting†. At the end of the story, it is not cle ar whether Brown's experience was a nightmare or biting reality, but the results are nonetheless the same. Brown is unable to forgive the possibility of evil in his loved ones, and as a result spends the rest of his life in desperate loneliness and gloom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of his journey, Goodman Brown’s will and pride were both embedded in the belief that he was a pious man. Goodman’s pride in piety evidently fails him, as he discovers that his faith was based on the principles of individuals who had sworn allegiance to the devil. This deplorable truth destroyed his conviction, and in this sense the devil prevailed against Goodman Brown.

Whats Love Got To Do With It; Everything! :: essays research papers

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love An excerpt from Readers Digest August, 1997, submitted to Laughter, the Best Medicine, by Adam Christing. A lot of people wonder how you know if you really in love, says comedian Ronnie Shakes. Just ask yourself one question: Would I mind being financially ruined by this person? If you really look at this statement, it is invariably the truth. When it comes to love, money makes no matter, be it past, present or future. Love is love, and nothing can stand in its way. In the following pages I will be discussing Raymond Carvers short story, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. It is a story that explores all types of love, jealous, brutal, physical and spiritual. Written in 1981, it is very contemporary in its style and its meaning can be applied easily to everyday life. Only love that is true in your heart is love, the rest are other emotions sublimated into love. With this in mind, we should look at people around us, people who are in love. Ask to yourself, Why are they in love?   Then, ask yourself, How are they in love? It may be surprising, but the answers to these questions can be surpassingly different. Only when they are the same will the love be true. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, is set in a house somewhere in Albuquerque NM, some time in the afternoon or early evening, and going into night. As previously stated, the story was written in 1981, and it appears to set in the same time. Two couples are sitting around the kitchen table, drinking gin, and talking, talking about love and the many forms it takes. Teresa (Terri) gives a detailed description of a brutal love she had with her ex-boyfriend, and how he beat her. Mel, Terris husband, gives us his feeling for his ex-wife, and how he loves his kids, that she has custody of. Jealousy, is the love he has for her, she has his children, and he wishes her dead, so he could have custody. Finally, the love they all agree as the universally truest love, the spiritual love, is shown by an elderly couple involved in a bad accident. Both of them refuse to die, until they can be assured the other will be all right. In the very beginning of the story, the two couples are sitting around drinking and talking. As their conversation goes on it develops into one of love. This passage marks the first of several types of love, and gives us an intuitive

Graduation Speech: Use Your Strengths to Help Others :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Wow! 12 years of hard work, 12 years of perseverance, 12 years of dedication! A great king once said, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel." We each have mentors in our life who give us this counsel. What we choose to do with it determines if we are considered foolish or wise. Naturally, we tend to think we are always right, and even on the occasions when we are right, there is always something to learn from a second opinion. Take just a second to think back over the last 18 years of your life. Think of all the second opinions you've received. These opinions and the people who shared them go you to this point. While you may think you got here through your own doing, think a little harder and consider those days when all you wanted to do was climb trees, play with Barbie dolls or watch "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" all day long. What changed that? Was there one day when, suddenly, in your most mature five-year-old voice you said, "Mom, Dad, I've made a decision. I want to start saving for college. Could you please put my allowance in a bank account for me?" Personally, I can say that I did not have one of those days. As diligent as you may think I am to my studies, I can say for certain that I would have loved to just play outside all day and stay up late watching movies. However, as much fun as I would have had, I would not have gotten very far. Thankfully, I had numerous people in my life who showed me, at just the right times, how to grow. Think of your teachers, preschool through high school, who cared enough each day to come to school to a class of at least 30 kids who each had their own agenda and were able to make each child's agenda important. Think of your friends, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents and others who have showed you how to be a good friend and how to grow in relationships, simply by being there. Think of coaches and instructors you've had who pushed you to do things you didn't want to do so that you would achieve the things you wanted to achieve.

Symbolism in the Catcher in the Rye

Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger obtain numerous symbols that persist in the book. The symbols I have chosen display Holden Caufield’s emotions, actions, and way of life. There are three symbols unparticular that are used most regularly in the novel. I’ve selected Holden’s red hunting hat, the Museum of Natural History, and the Ducks in Central Park Lagoon. All three of these symbols have great significance in this book.In the novel Holden says â€Å"I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my god dam voice, â€Å"Sleep tight, ya morons! † I'll bet I woke up every bastard on the whole floor. Then I got the hell out. Some stupid guy had thrown peanut shells all over the stairs, and I damn near broke my crazy neck. † (Chapter 7, pg. 52) The red hunting hat is inseparable from the image of Holden Caufield, with good reason.It’s a symbol o f uniqueness and individuality as well. Holden also says in Chapter 16 â€Å"I took my old hunting hat out of my pocket while I walked, and put it on. I knew I wouldn’t meet anyone that knew me, and it was pretty damp out. † The hat is eccentric and displays Holden’s desires to be diverse from everyone else around him, yet at the same time Holden is very self-conscious about the red hunting hat. He always mentions when he’s wearing it and he often doesn’t wear it if he is going to be around people he associates with.Therefore, the point that the author is trying to make is that the presence of the hat, mirrors the major conflict of the book which is Holden’s need for isolation versus his need for companionship. Another detail is that the hat’s color, red is the same color as Allie’s and Phoebe’s hair. Perhaps Holden interacts with it with the innocence and the purity he believes with these characters represents and wears it as a way to connect to them. Holden never comments on the hat’s significance other than to mention its unusual appearance.In the book, Holden explains the symbol meaning of the museum’s displays. One detail he says is â€Å"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. † (Chapter 16, page 121) Holden also mentions that he is troubled by the fact that he has changed every time he returns to them. The museum represents the world Holden wishes he could live in, a world where everything is simple, understandable, and indefinite.I think the point the author is trying to make is that Holden is terrified about the unpredictable challenges of the world. He’s trying to get across that Holden hates conflict, he’s confused by Allie’s senseless death, and he fears interaction with other people. Holden’s curiosity about where the ducks go during winter shows a more genuine and youthful side to his character. I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. â€Å"I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go?I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away. † (Chapter 12, pg. 81) The Ducks in the pond are symbolic in many ways, they prove that some vanishings are only temporary. Holden, traumatized and aware of the fragility of the life by his brother Allie’s death, Holden is terrified by the idea of change and disappearances. The Ducks vanish every winter, but they return every spring.The point the authors trying to make is the pond itself becomes a minor metaphor for the world as Holden sees it, because it is â€Å"partly frozen† and â€Å"partly not frozen†. The pond is in transition between two states, just as Holden is in transition between childhood and adulthood. In conclusion, there are countless symbols in The Catcher in the Rye. I personally thought the red hunting hat, The Museum of Natural History, and The Ducks in the Central Park Lagoon were the most significant and came up regularly in the novel. Each symbol has a different effect on Holden Caufield’s Life, emotions, and actions.

Food Inc Essay

The movie makes some really good points. The best point is that subsidized corn artificially lowers the cost of animal feed and high-fructose corn syrup. This creates a tax-subsidized economic incentive for people to choose fast food over nutritious options. Scrapping farm subsidies including corn would be a great idea (that the movie doesn’t propose). It has a good segment about how Monsanto is using intellectual property law to unfairly create a US soybean monopoly, suing farmers who never bought Monsanto seed and forcing them to capitulate because of the sheer weight of legal bills. But the movie descends into sensationalism. For example, it takes a sad case of a kid named Kevin who died of E Coli poisoning after eating a hamburger. It traces the industry’s response — which is to use ammonia to make sure that almost no E Coli survives — and criticizes its solution while playing ominous music in the background along with unanswered cries of anguish from Kevin’s mother. It fails to mention that (1) all E Coli dies when meat is cooked properly (2) using ammonia to kill E Coli is an ingenious idea that’s very effective (3) the food with the greatest risk of E Coli poisoning is organic spinach. It doesn’t mention how the fast food industry eliminated the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil, almost completely eliminating trans fat from fast food. It has a scene comparing the resources used by a free range cow farmer who has about 20 cows versus an industrial slaughterhouse that processes thousands — failing to mention that if the free range farmer produced cows on the same scale he would use 4x to 10x the resources for the same output. The movie takes an ill-advised stance against genetically modified food (google Norman Borlaugh). It makes several self-defeating arguments (like arguing that our industrially-produced food is infected and resource-intensive and that we should pay more to eat organic — which is actually much more resource intensive and more likely to be contaminated by bacteria because of the use of poop as fertilizer instead of nitrates). The movie makes some interesting points. But the whole â€Å"big business bad† thing is a completely useless attitude that is a constant source of irritation to me personally. People and businesses have, do, will, and should act in their own best interests. The question is which policies should be created to incentivize wise outcomes? Regarding Monsanto, the problem isn’t evil big business, it’s that the US should reform its legal system to act like the UK’s where if you sue someone and lose then you have to pay their legal fees. That would prevent Monsanto’s abuses of IP law (and would accomplish tort reform in medical malpractice).

Business Intelligence in a Corporate Environment Essay

The purpose of this literature review is to provide an overall perspective to the workings of business intelligence in a corporate environment. With the onset of massive technological gains in the past decade the implementation of business intelligence has grown accordingly. In the workplace the demand for business process improvement, responsive reporting, cutting edge forecasting, and internal business customer relations has triggered a need for a unit that understands the business needs as well as the impact on company technology. This review will focus on the various areas that business intelligence impacts in the workplace. There will also be an emphasis on understanding the longevity of these types of units. With these units in the workplace questions concerning departmental automation goals and the impact on the maturity stages that are involved with the creation of business intelligence units. Finally, with the growth of data collection and ease of use, the security and manag ement of company information is intertwined with the operation of business intelligence. The Age of Information The Role of Shifting Technology Throughout history technology has influenced the very fabric of business operations. The role of business intelligence in this shift is the implementation and continuous improvement of that technology. This role is ever changing because technology continues to improve. While to some the role of business intelligence seems new and upcoming the usage and practice goes back to the earliest days of industry. An example of this history would be in the automation industry. In years past large amounts of labor was done by hand. The role of the business analyst would be to collect and analyze the entire business process from start to finish. Once this was done the analyst would narrow their focus to the individual in an attempt to provide management with data to increase speed and efficiency. That role is now used  to analyze the systems and machines that are responsible for making the products. While the example above is simple the connection between the shift in technology and the role of business intelligence is clear. With any business the desire for information is strong. To be competitive a company needs to be aware of the business environment in which they operate. Business intelligence serves to meet the information and improvement goals that drive the company to greater success. For this literature review there is an article written by Elliot King that exemplifies the shift of technology and the role of business intelligence on it. King focuses on the large amount of company resources that are spent on the implementation, development, and management of business intelligence technology in the workplace. This attention has been driven by the increasing demand for such software products and personnel to manage them. Understanding this current shift King focuses on the role business intelligence has and will continue to have on the business that use data en mass. The article provides a brief look at the history of data storage and misconceptions about employee interest in accessing the data. This interest has largely been pushed down due to the complex nature of interacting with the information present within the data warehouse. With the explosion of the internet and user assimilation to it these technical barriers are slowing beginning to fall (King, 1998). With the ease of use and understanding increasing employees are beginning to grasp the value of data. This is where the role of business intelligence has thrived. Business intelligence has been implemented to bridge the gap between the employee and the business data stored in the warehouse. This is done through a variety methods that have made data more and more useful to the companies that have and utilize their data. King summarizes his article with the theory that as the internet was opened  far and wide to all this should concept should be applied to the data warehousing. While King understands that the two pieces of technology are different he affirms that they are similar enough in nature that the same approach can be applied. Overall, the article provide a good look at how the shift of technology in business can affect the demand for systems and the personnel that maintain and operate them (King, 1998). The impact of Business growth With the growth of business the world has begun to shrink. No longer are companies that employ a hundred or even a thousand considered to be impressive. In 2014 Bank of America was reported to have employed two hundred and eighty four thousand people to run its operations around the globe (â€Å"Bank of America,† 2014). The implications of companies of this size are astounding and have significantly impacted the demand for business intelligence. To truly understand why a company would spend millions of dollars on business intelligence operations a simple example can be provided. For Bank of America each employee is assigned a unique number or code that distinguishes him or her from the rest of the employees within the organization. On the other side of the table each customer that has interacted with the bank is also assigned a unique identifier. If these are added together the quantity of unique entities starts to become astounding. The example above shows why a business like Bank of America would be heavily interested in utilizing business intelligence assets to manage the data associated with its business units. While the example provided only touches on areas concerning employees and customers the amount of data associated with those people can be mind boggling. For employees this data could be anything from human resource forms to vacation day requests. For customers the data could be products purchased, recorded marketing calls, website interaction as well as a host of other areas. In 2000 Deborah Rowe an article that centered on business trends pushing database management systems to greater growth. Rowe focuses on the data  warehousing concept that has proved to meet a large majority of business needs in terms of information management. The focus of the article is to explain how progress is pushing for better and better systems for managing data. The article talks about how increasing competition has created a lean environment for data management. Companies that are complacent with their data are either failing or catching on to the need for better interaction and usage of their data. Rowe delves into the process of choosing these systems from a corporate perspective. The challenges presented by this type of implementation are rather glaring. These challenges include upfront cost, long term cost, and mismanagement of data. If a company chooses to implement a product that its employees don’t understand correctly the effects can be devastating on the business. Hiring knowledgeable employees to manage and implement the product is essential to long term success. With all of these hurdles of implementing a DBMS system the task can be daunting. Rowe discusses how the task of purchasing and implanting a DBMS needs to be done with great caution and a clear focus. If a business isn’t able to look further down the road and consider how the DBMS can be used in the future it will fail completely. Having a perspective that encompasses as much of the companies goals and visions is critical. This is why companies are constantly looking for individuals that are able to focus on a detailed system but be able to at the same time look at the broader scope of the company’s needs (Rowe , 2000). In summation the article leaves the reader with an interesting perspective on the increasing demand for these systems. Rowe concludes that the ERP industry will grow and tremendous pace in the future. With that growth the need for knowledgeable employees that understand the systems use and can translate the data to affect business needs will continuing to increase. The increasing corporate demand. At its very core business is driven by two simple concepts. These are the laws of revenue and expenses. In business these two laws drive companies on a daily basis. Popular opinion about these  concepts can sometimes sway in either direction. Proponents may put all of their support into revenue generation while others will focus on creating the perfect lean business model. Whatever the theory or opinion is the law of revenues and expenses will remain the same. As discussed in this review the expenses of implementing DBMS systems and employing highly skilled individuals can be massive. To a company that purely focuses on the expense side of the equation these systems may seem like a waste of precious assets. To others who understand the future and current impact of these systems the decision to utilize them is an easy one. Like the concepts of revenues and expenses the goals of a company can dictate the perspective of business intelligence units. The reason demand has begun to steadily increase over the past decade is the potential to affect both the expense and revenue side of the business structure. Business intelligence units are designed to support departments in ways that can amplify their current revenue production and decrease their expense habits. An article written by Ken Rudin explains how corporate demand for business intelligence in their companies is steadily increasing. Rudin talks about how business intelligence has become a very high priority for business executives who understand the values they can derive from business improvement. This demand has grown to the point where corporate leaders are focusing on moving past the traditional business intelligence processes (Rudin , 2007) . Rudin explains the implications of this progressive thought process by paralleling the impact of software applications that software products have had on industry to business intelligence services. The discussion is focused on how executives are looking into custom company specific solution provided on an instant. This type business process software is highly intuitive and seeks to provide all of the necessary tools needed to make an informed business decision. Examples of these on-demand solutions are software’s likes SQL Server Reporting Services by Microsoft. This software allows for not only the display of information but the real time interaction with the data that the web services are pulling their content from. Rudin discusses how these types of solutions are not only catching fire they are exploding all over the business world. This explosion of demand is driven by the complexity of the data being pulled as well as the cost associated with the data being collected and stored. This cost and complexity equation is what Rudin believes is the key piece to business intelligence demand. Like the example of revenues and expenses the idea surrounding on-demand solutions is the same. The question asked is, â€Å"What can these solutions do that allow a normal employee to do their job at a higher level which in turns into a higher rate of return for their employer?† Concluding Rudin’s article he discusses that a key factor associated with on demand business intelligence solutions is the usability of the product. Having solutions created that users do not understand or lose trust in can be a major drain on process improvement. Rudin emphasizes that the development of these processes needs to be done in such a way that they take into account the users that are interacting with them. This is essential to developing a trust relationship between the users and the product (Rudin , 2007). Business Intelligence Tools The Role of Reporting Reporting is one the most essential pieces of and type of business process. If a company sells laundry detergent it needs to know how much product it has, how much product it has sold, and how much it should produce. These three simple questions speak to the ramifications of good reporting data within a business. There is so much information that is gathered by companies with the singular intent of providing reports for business decisions. This gathering is done in a way that the information collected in stored in some type of server  which houses a virtual warehouse. Like a physical warehouse it is critical to understand how and where something is stored so that it can be retrieved for future use. When it comes to reporting the challenge presented to businesses is the quantity and placement of their data. If a business is unable to utilize their data efficiently they are sacrificing business opportunities every second the data is left idle. This quandary has been analyzed and the solution has been to purchase and employee people and products to provide this data in a useful format for business use. In a business intelligence unit a data analyst will focus on first understanding the overall goal of a report request. This is important because the impact of creating something purely based on the request can lead to disastrous results. These can range from customers not understanding the terminology used within the reporting system to not grasping the capability or usage of the system being used to provide the report. To make sure these requests are understand correctly a business intelligence unit is commonly found implemented within a specific area of the business. This cultivates a cross knowledge between the highly technical nature of the reporting systems to the broad scope goals of a particular business department. This type of side by side interaction can be a major benefit to not only getting more precise and accurate reporting it also serves as educating tool to the department through exposure. An article written in 2005 by Harry Debes explains this process in detail. The author of the article begins the discussion by emphasizing the importance of timely and accurate data. These two pieces are the bread and butter of business intelligence. The reason for this is that both factors are highly dependent on each other. Debes explains this concept by focusing on the energy market and the application of business reports in this area of industry. He shows that there various daily functions that are conducted that are in need of  constant monitoring to allow for efficient operation. Some of the examples include repair requests, credit collections, meter usage, demand fluctuations, and most important customers (Debes , 2005). All of the examples cited by Debes are common sense in nature but they require an entire business process to effectively report on. Using the example of meter usage by having daily reports energy companies can identify issues based on real time data and not be forced to swallow a catastrophe because of something as simple as mechanical fault. The problem could easily be identified by a simple reporting tool that was programmed to expect a specific range of usage. If the range was violated the system would send an alert with a level of priority based on the disparity of the ranges. The article written by Debes is a good example of how business intelligence reporting can be implemented in ways that benefit the company at levels of the corporate ladder. From interactive financial data and forecasting to specific customer energy consumption and history reliable and accurate reporting in the energy industry is a very powerful tool that has been used and is being continuously improved upon for future endeavors (Debes , 2005). Impact of data driven Forecasting Forecasting is an important an element of any business. At its most basic level it is simply looking to the future and making guesses to a specific result based on past and present data. This is where the role of business intelligence arrives. Data analysts like their namesake are paid to look at data and decipher how that data works and relates to the business. Once a data analyst is able to firmly grasp company data they can provide constructive advice based on the knowledge of that data. In addition to providing advice the data analyst can create reports that take past data and make estimations programmatically based on definable trends. These reports can be provided through an assortment of software’s and displayed in formats that best fit the target audience. Having a system in place that looks to past data and provides useful  forecasts can not only give a company an idea of where they are going they can also give an idea where their competition is going as well. This ability to compare company performance to the market and project where the company is headed is critical. With timely and reliable forecasting a company can discern opportunities and threats within the marketplace before they even occur. With market competition becoming more and more intense the role of forecasting has been prioritized highly by most companies that operate on a large scale. This is clearly supported by an article written by Susana Schwartz about the greater need for more robust forecasting technologies. The concept of the article focuses on the next level of forecasting that business intelligence units are seeking to achieve. The author talks about how the next set of tools utilized by business intelligence units will be integrated into the business processes that have already been laid down. The key factors that are emphasized are the broad categories that these tools can influence. Examples of these are products such as SSRS by Microsoft, ARGOS by Ellucian, and APEX by Oracle. Each of these tools provide granular interaction with business process data while still being able to be applied to other categories. These tools are used to be the developing platforms that take the business process driven data and formulates it into reportable information used for forecasting. In the article these are the types of tools that Schwartz describes when talking about integrated and real time driven tools (Schwartz, 2007). Concluding the article by Schwartz she emphasizes the value of report generation. She talks about how even if the emphasis might be redundant the need to focus on this factor is critical to accurate forecasting. This is because all of the past data collected is contained within the reports. Schwartz’s realizes that for business units to understand any of the forecast data they need to be familiar with the data that has been collected and displayed within the provided reports (Schwartz , 2007). Data analysis and Improvement The core of what business intelligence does is data analysis and improvement. Both of these factors contribute to each other in a never ending spiral of push and pull. When data is analyzed it is used to improve a process which in turn is analyzed. With this concept firmly in place understanding the role of business intelligence becomes clearer. As the facilitator of analysis and improvement business intelligence units are responsible for the flow between the two actions. When a department senses a need for analysis or improvement the business intelligence unit is used to facilitate that action. This responsibility to facilitate these actions is what drives the demand by corporate leadership. As expressed earlier in this review having units that are constantly looking at moving the expense line down and the revenue line up is very beneficial a corporate entity. An article that was created in response to a seminar on business data analysis describes how this process is essential to the strategy development and future readiness of company’s based on data analysis. The article provide insight into a couple areas within the sphere of data analysis. One of these is building the foundations and structure of the culture within the company to respect the data and make decisions off of it (Computer software .., 2012). This whole concept of creating a decision based culture is driven by the need for action in the market. If a company fails to take action on its corporate strategy it will fall behind its competition fairly quickly. The article discusses how through data analysis an attitude of decision making individuals can be created to promote action. The key of this data driven culture is the analysis that goes into making the data credible. Without credible data the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively is crippled. If employees can’t trust the data they are working with they will begin to question the entire infrastructure based on a single data set. In addition to data analysis the article talks about  improving recruitment through data analysis tools. Being able to create a clear picture of who a person is before the expense of bringing them in for an interview can be a great time and money saver. This is done through internal and external data analysis (Computer software .., 2012) . Once research is done on an individual the business intelligence units can categorize potential recruits and provide reports based on recruiters specifications. If an office manager needs someone with three years of experience and a knowledge of a specific software system a tool can be created to provide that data in real time to the inquiring party. When it comes to data analysis and improvement making sure that they are used in conjunction is essential for seamless implementation and continued success. An example of poor usage is providing a complicated and detailed report within a system that can’t handle the data correctly. Even though the data itself is good the system used for improvement is poor. This can create animosity towards certain products and mistrust in data (Computer software .., 2012). Data management The term data management is something that has been thrown around industry the past few years. When this happens the real meaning of the terminology begins to take on a life of its own based on the perception of those trying to comprehend its true meaning. A clear way to explain what the definition of data management is to show the similarities between an industries accepted practice. Like employee management data management requires a certain style to correctly guide the direction of the data. In a department setting a manager may spend time developing a plan that their employees will play specific roles in. The same is true with data management. Depending on the setting and usage data is set aside in specific formats to meet highly granular needs. A good example is list of information that is associated with a company’s employees. The data will stay the same but it requires a level of management to break into specific formats to meet different needs. The human recourse depar tment might need the list as a reference sheet to pull information about quickly and efficiently. That same information could also be used by the employee development department to conduct surveys and  gauge employee satisfaction. These examples are very simply but they do provide a good idea of how managing data in a succinct and efficient way can broaden its usage and usability immensely. There is an article written in the Journal of Digital Asset Management that describes the role of business intelligence on data management. This article provide a brief look into how the emergence of big data has pushed an emphasis on utilizing business intelligence units to provide levels of data management. The article talks about how business intelligence is beginning to play critical role in the storage, maintenance, and usability of the data. These three factors are critical in guaranteeing the reliability of information collected and scrubbed for company use. The first of these factors briefly mentioned is the storage factor. Arguably the most important of the three storage is the bucket where all unstructured and structured data is stored (Jordan & Ellen , 2009) . Within the context of the article the authors describ e how storage is the first step that business intelligence units have to consider when managing data. The tasks associated with this piece range from creating feeds to port information from various databases to creating tables and views within specific schemas. Within these tasks the question that is constantly asked is the question of available space. This question permeates each of the three factors but is most prevalent at the initial of data management. The second piece is the maintenance portion. This factor is most prevalent once data has been stored and refined into a usable manner. The article shows how this responsibility is what keeps business intelligence units in a critical role to companies data management needs. The tasks that occur with data maintenance can range from eliminating old data, archiving, inputting new systems, and creating methods to encourage more efficient data retrieval and reporting. The final factor addressed in the article is the factor of usability. This concept is what non-IT personnel will focus most of their attention on when looking at data resources. Business intelligence plays critical role in getting the data into an understandable and usable format at the customer level. This is the defining piece of business intelligence focus. Employers look specifically for individuals who are able to translate the technical data from a database perspective and be able to make that information as clear as possible for non-information technology users (Jordan & Ellen , 2009). Internal communications When considering things that business intelligence employees should do well is internal communications. In many companies business intelligence units will be the ambassador between the data and the customer. These individuals are responsible for understating the customers’ needs from an IT perspective. Once the needs have been determined the customer needs to be made aware of how close or far away from their original needs are to the ones seen by the business intelligence personnel. Being able to discern what a customer needs is extremely important. The emphasis placed on cultivating effective communications between all parties is absolutely critical to getting the information needed to create or improve business processes. There are so many adverse situations that occur within corporate setting that could have been avoided by simply establishing channels of communications with involved parties. A good way to do this is to provide updates on the progress of the project. This c an done by collaboration software, email, phone calls, and face to face interaction. By establishing a working and efficient internal communication structure customers are more at ease with the progress and process being developed. This is essentially a status gauge that shows that all parties are involved and have a say in what is happening. An article released by press wire gives a good example of how companies are understanding the importance of internal communications and the role of business intelligence in it. Based on the trends within industry the article shows how the shift of technology has affected the way internal communications are done between IT and the various corporate departments. What has occurred in recent years is the need for new strategy development with business intelligence as key factors in these strategies (Business intelligence..,2001). From a corporate standpoint these new strategies have ushered in a different perspective of IT individuals in the workplace. No longer are individuals that work with databases left out of conference calls a nd meetings that determine company direction. The article clearly explains that the need for individuals with technical and corporate goal understanding need to have an opinion in new processes and strategies. These individuals are becoming more and more important because of their perspective on how technology is being used in the marketplace. The final portion of the article by press wire addresses an important decision the  transitioning companies have to make. The authors emphasize that decisions makers need to reshape their perspective of units like business intelligence and truly value the opinions that are being shared. If this perception of the average IT worker from the 1970’s continues to permeate a company’s upper level management the likelihood of less opportunities and more threats to occur is much more likely than competitors who are understand the shift (Business intelligence..,2001). Business Intelligence Outlook From a sustainable field outlook the question has been raised is whether business intelligence as a field is here to stay. In any profession this question has been and will be asked as the world changes. No profession is one hundred percent guaranteed that the field will continue to be useful to the society in which operates. This simple truth puts into perspective the fragility of any profession. In regards to business intelligence determining whether the field is going to progress for years to come is difficult. Currently, the demand for business intelligence employees and or software is currently high. With many top competitors in various industries searching for ways to cut cost and improve efficiency the current market outlook is good. On the flip side of this equation the risk for business intelligence to improve itself out of a job is a definite possibility. With new software’s being created the technical barrier created by big data is beginning to slowly fall. The threat to the field is that companies will purchase a customer based software that provides cookie cutter reports that can be used by non-IT users to make business decisions. An article by the journal of Journal of International Technology and Information Management touches on this topic and describes how measuring the effectiveness of business intelligence on a company can determine its future market outlook. The authors take a detailed look at how in some situations a business intelligence department has been effective for some companies while for others the effectiveness has been limited (Vinekar,Teng, & Chennamaneni , 2009). The important factors that the authors cite for effectiveness center on corporate understanding of the role of business intelligence, implementation, defined goals, and perceived value opinion. Each of these factors are cited because of they are all touched at the inception of the business intelligence unit within the company. Without these factors being addressed correctly the ability for a business intelligence unit to operate effectively is severely hampered. The first of these factor is the identity of the department. Just like meeting a person for the first time the impression created on the meeting is what defines the perception of the relationship. The article talks about how it is the responsibility of those implementing the unit to clearly lay out the benefit that the department will bring to the company as a whole. These individuals include directors and manager. This push stage is the first step in gauging whether business intelligence will be effective within a company. If corporate leaders understand the benefit of the unit and put their support behind it the initial reaction is more likely to be positive than negative. The caution that is applied to this phase is that if there isn’t top down approval the unit will not succeed. The authors strongly emphasize the need for an executive push at the inception of the business intelligence unit (Vinekar,Teng, & Chennamaneni , 2009). The second factor discussed by the authors is the implementation phase of a business intelligence unit. This is the first step to making a concerted effort for a business intelligence impact on a company. The authors talk about how this phase needs to be handled in a way that allows for immediate impact. The rational for this approach is that if the business intelligence unit can prove its value at inception the perceived value of the unit will be cemented in its early success. With this approach the authors also caution at the risks involved. If the unit is not prepared the likelihood of error is high. Just like the  perceived value of the unit based on a positive rollout the same can occur for a negative one. The authors are adamant in their idea that to make a good impact the unit needs to be prepared and aware of the tentative situation in which the unit is placed on the onset. The third factor is defined goals. The unit needs be able to clearly express their goals for improving the company’s internal and external business processes. The article describes how the focus of the department needs to be grounded in the goals and direction set at the onset. This allows for an immediate understanding of what the unit hopes to achieve. The authors caution that without clear goals for the department the unit will not be able to work succinctly. The final and most important factor discussed in the article is the perceived value opinion of the business intelligence unit from the rest of the company. This perceived value is critical for unit to be able to provide opinions and trusted data. The reason cited by the authors why this value opinion is most important is because the opinion can be had by every employee within the company. The simple truth is that with more eyes watching the unit there is a higher level of critique applied to the actions done by the business intelligence unit (Vinekar,Teng, & Chennamaneni , 2009). Departmental Goal Impact In most businesses the unit structure is broken out into various departments that meet company specific needs. Examples of these include accounting, budgeting, marketing, human resources, R&D, and many more. These departments all do things that are subject specific but require a certain level of overlap with the rest of the company. For example the budgeting and accounting departments are joined at various stages of the financials that the company uses. Having an understanding of these departments is very important from the perspective of the business intelligence unit. The reason business intelligence units need to grasp the subject impact as well as overall impact of departments is because the processes built usually touch more than one specific department. What this means is that a data analyst needs to be able to determine what is best for not just one department but for all parties involved. With a macro perspective of the company the business intelligence units are able to impact broad groupings of departments. This in itself is a big benefit to the company as a whole. The reason for this is because the improved processes help promote better interaction between departments. This is like connecting various standalone silos to each other with an agreed on process. An article that addresses this departmental impact comes straight from the Business Intelligence Journal. The whole premise of the article is the authors argue that by assimilating business intelligence units into departments these units can change the departments core business practices. This can be done by embedding individuals from the business intelligence department into other departments through the company (Elbashir & Williams , 2007). The authors lay out a plan for making sure the company gets the best benefit when the embed business intelligence personnel in a different department. The authors talk about how it is important to make sure an understanding of the units function is clearly laid down before the unit is implemented. The importance of this is that the departments understand the business intelligence units are not directly under the units they are embedded in. The article makes it clear that to make the relationship work between the BI unit and the department the BI unit cannot be under the department they are servicing. The rational for this is that if the BI unit is under their own department they will be less inclined to favor a department when building a business process for multiple departments. This is important because it allows the business intelligence employees to say no to things that might be requested out of ignorance or selfishness. The second step for success when embedding a BI unit is to establish the  relationship. The authors describe how important it is to set up the way communication is supposed to occur. In most situations it is important to have the directors of the department as the individuals responsible for setting up the proper channels. The benefit of this is that it forces employees to acknowledge the support of the department’s directors. This means the BI unit will be able to get the information they need from department employees to formulate effective business process improvements (Elbashir & Williams , 2007). The final piece that the article discusses is how much leeway the BI unit has to make departmental decisions. In some cases the BI unit make most improvement decisions based on technology understanding and departmental trust. In others the unit has little leeway and requires approvals from the department to enact improvements. Whichever way the process is set up it is important to have that clearly explained and understood by all parties involved to avoid confusion (Elbashir & Williams , 2007). Tiers of maturity. In the business intelligence community there are various levels of maturity associated based on the length of time the unit has been in service to the company. Each of these levels are determined based on the progress the unit has made. These level begin at inception and end at forecasting. It is important to recognize these levels to determine the progress the department is making in the company that it is being utilized in. These levels are broken out into three specific categories. These are the inception phase, the break even stage, and the forecasting stage. Each of these stages is unique and presents its own set of challenges to the business intelligence unit. The most critical phase is the inception phase. Since this phase is what spawns the impact that the BI unit makes it is critical that it goes well. During the inception phase of the unit the challenges presented center on assimilation to the company. The unit must be able to find their place within the work environment if they are going to effective in the company. By analyzing company needs prior to actually meeting and planning with departments the unit can have a head start on how to make an immediate  impact on their departmental customers. The second tier is thoroughly described in an article by a group of authors writing for Information Technology and Management. This group of authors describes how the second phase of maturity is centered on getting to a point of break even. This term refers to the business intelligence unit being able to complete/automate enough critical tasks that they are able to look begin forecasting (Zeng & Duan, 2012). During this second phase the authors stress the importance of consistency and performance. These two ideas are what the authors believe drive the unit towards a proactive mindset and away from a reactive mindset. This transition of thought processes is what make this phase important. Once a unit can break though to a state of mind that is forward looking they can begin to develop ideas that will prevent problems before they happen and predict future opportunities before they occur (Zeng & Duan, 2012). The final phase is briefly addressed in the article and deals with the forecasting and future opportunities phase. This is tier of maturity that each business intelligence unit strives to get to at some point in its existence. With this phase the unit is able to think more creatively and follow leads and trails into data that could provide beneficial to the company (Zeng & Duan, 2012). The conclusion makes a final point in regards to the level of maturity. The point made is that these levels once attained are not concrete. With the ever changing needs of the company as well as the creation of new technologies the department can easily waver between different tiers. The authors suggest that having a proactive approach is the best way to stay at the highest level of maturity for the longest periods of time (Zeng & Duan, 2012). Marketplace perspective The final point of this literature review centers on the industries perception of business intelligence as a whole. This perception is what drives the demand for business intelligence within the workforce. If  industry believe the benefit of a business intelligence department is greater than the cost then demand for these units will be high. If the value garnered is perceived as minimal then the field will falter. The real question that the marketplace has been asking falls on longevity. There has been speculation the technology will eventually push this field out into the cold. This would be done by platforms that mimic the various functions and responsibilities that are currently being held by business intelligence employees. If this happens the need for large quantities of analysts would no longer be needed. An article written by Chen talks about the perspective of business intelligence by outside entities. He looks at how a business intelligence unit can provide a competitive a dvantage to a company based on the agility it affords. He argues that by having units that can provide data quickly the competitive advantage created is enough to sway popular opinion into the positive (Chen, 2012). Chen talks about the need for business intelligence units and his belief that the agility of these units will continue to drive demand. His entire argument is based on the unit’s ability to adapt to new technology and processes quickly enough to afford decision makers consistent windows of opportunity. Chen’s belief is that no matter how advanced technology gets the need for individuals to understand and communicate it to decision makers will always be needed. Chen concludes by describing how business intelligence units need to maintain a high level of flexibility. He addresses the issue of complacency and warns that if laziness creeps into the department then shifting technology will engulf the department. The real value is the ability to quickly analyze and develop a well thought out process that improves the current one using the existing resources at their disposal (Chen, 2012). Conclusion Business intelligence at its very core is business process improvement. This can be done through many different ways but the concept never changes. An individual working in a business intelligence department always ask the question, â€Å"How can I make this process better?† This simple phrase is the core of what business intelligence is and what it will always be. There are many companies that understand the importance of business intelligence. These companies have realized how important it is to strive for a lean work  environment. This is achieved by isolating areas of work that can be automated or improved through the efforts of business intelligence units. The impact that can be made by tasking a unit to think through a process from every perspective and redesign it to meet current needs can be a massive benefit. In conclusion, there are many areas in which business intelligence can be utilized to benefit a company. From data management to data security business intelligence departments are meeting the needs of companies as today’s technology moves faster and faster into the future. It remains to be seen whether these units will become a staple of the workplace but their current impact has been instrumental to the information technology industry as a whole. Reference Bank of america company statistics. (2014, March 3). Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/bank-of-america-company-statistics/ BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE: Internal communication excellence is critical to business success. (2001, Jun 29). M2 PresswireRetrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/444695082?accountid=12085 Chen, X. (2012). 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