Saturday, July 18, 2020

Diabetes Clinic

Diabetes Clinic Diabetes Clinic Home›Marketing Posts›Diabetes Clinic Marketing PostsThis article is a report that provides market data analysis on the diabetes clinic on a given market. The report shows volume in units, value in USD million and average price in USD data for every segment and sub-segment for the two market categories; that is glucose monitoring and insulin delivery (Spitzer, 2011). The report also entails shares for each of the mentioned market categories and the global corporate level profiles of the market participants with information on company financials and pipeline product.Source of informationInformation required for the delivery of this report was obtained from data obtained from 2002 to 2009 with a projection of 7 years up to the year 2016 (Haugen, 2008). Other sources of information included annualized market revenues in USD million, volume in units and average price in $ data for every segment and sub-segments for two market categories.The other source of information was the Company Shares in 2009 for each of the two market categories. The last source of data was Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Argentina diabetes care devices market (Spitzer, 2011). These includes: F.Hoffman-la Roche ltd, life scan, Inc, Bayer HealthCare AG, Abbtt laboratories, and Becton.AnalysisThe report focuses on Argentina diabetes care devices market outlook to 2016. The major areas covered include:ProductThe company deals in medical equipment for monitoring glucose and insulin delivery. These equipments are very essential in monitoring the level of glucose and insulin thus trying to reduce the level of insulin among the people all over the world. With the increased population and many cases of diabetes, the products have ready market for their use (Haugen, 2008). The product can be said to be relevant for marketing because there will be many people suffering from diabetes who need to be operated and treated. This has lead to the succ ess of the organization.PriceThe report provides the value in USD million on average price data for each segment and sub-segment within two market categories; that is glucose monitoring and insulin delivery. The increase in sales indicated by the report shows that there is ready market for the product within and outside Argentina.  The manufactures are only required to monitor the demand and usefulness of the device so that they benefit from the sale of the product as well as the final users. The suggested retail price should not be too high to make the product affordable as well as too low to make the manufacturers incur losses.PlaceThe location also contributes a lot for the success of the company. The company is situated in a region that has ready market for its product thus contributing to its success (Koharick, 2009). Apart from its location, the company carries out a market research for its products all over the world thus increasing sales. The company has also effective distr ibution channels that allow easy delivery of the product to customers.PromotionThe advertisement and the education that is carried on a particular good or service, would determine the kind of market that a given service would require. This suffice well when, proper marketing is done that meets the customer’s requirements. The community members would be attracted to a place where they have been informed and understand their consequences.Relationship with its partnersThe company has good partner relationship management program. This is because focus of marketing is people. By concentrating your efforts on products or profit only, you are likely to miss the mark. This program helps the company to improve sales and gain faster lead. This has offered more efficient collaboration with the partners. It has also helped in business strategy that improves communications between corporations and their partners. This effective partner relationship management has enabled the company to have a control access to their daily life.Market targetThis is the breaking of the market into segments and then focusing your marketing efforts on a few segments. The more information you have about a target market, the more accurately you can develop your strategy. By knowing about market segmentation, you can work-out a well crafted marketing strategy in the world of today which offers a great competition in business markets.Market segmentation is carried out in the following ways:  Geographic segmentationThis is based on location such as homes addresses. The company always targets its customers based on their geographical location so that to make more sales. This will always lead to the success of the company.Psychographic segmentationThis is based on lifestyle preferences such as being urban dwellers. The company always tries to make the products suit their preferences so that to increase sales.  For instance, the Argentine diabetes care device manufactures may target medical practiti oners who have interest in doing surgery as well as other operations. By targeting these people, he is assured of making sales to those consumers.Demographic segmentationThis is based on measurable statistics such as age, income and occupation. By targeting people who are able and willing to buy the products or services, there is a high likelihood of making sales of the products (Haugen, 2008). Also by targeting medical practioners who work in health facilities near places where diabetes is high among the population, the sale of the products is likely to be high. The company always targets customers based on their age or income status in a way that will make the products more appealing to them.Target marketing and its significance in marketing planTarget marketing is a concept in marketing that helps marketers to divide the market into small units comprising of people with similar interests. These units’ helps marketers come up with design strategies and procedures to promote its product in particular segments. A target market is a group of people who are inclined towards the same products and can be influenced to buy the products using similar strategies. Targeting a specific market, results into the improvement of sales of any product or services. It involves simply what the name illustrates, looking for places where the product or service is required. By bringing the product or service that a customer want within their access, there is a guarantee of sales. It is like feeding a hungry dog or a cat: they will consume any food given to them as long as they are hungry. This can be achieved by looking for the market of the consumer wanting to make the purchase. This is mainly possible in internet marketing.This is facilitated by programs that allow tracking of internet inquiries and searches of internet users (Haugen, 2008). This makes easy access to consumers wanting certain types of items easy. Secondly, there are certain goods and services which are only n eeded by certain age group. For instance, The Argentine diabetes care device would be suitable to be used by older people who are likely to suffer from diabetes due to lack of exercise. By targeting places where the high number of people are older, the sale of the product is likely to go up.Target marketing can be achieved by using banners for advertising and websites. Once you have information about a customer, you can communicate with them by use of emails, creating blogs to increase interests and creating an email brochure for the products and services you have that they are likely to buy (Koharik, 2009). You can also send newspapers on monthly basis to them to update them on the products and services you are offering. The major importance of target marketing is that similar strategies can be used to promote products and services within a target market. It also allows adoption of a more focused approach during target marketing. By target marketing, customers are known well and th us can reach out target audience in a more effective manner.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Gilgamesh The King Of Uruk - 984 Words

Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk, he is also 2/3 god and 1/3 human making him a demi god. Gilgamesh has an absurd amount of power over regular humans, and so he abuses this power, making his people very unhappy with his way of ruling. The people of his kingdom get fed up and pray to the gods that they might make a man who could be Gilgamesh’s equal. The gods then create Enkidu a wild man who lives in the forest with all the beasts. Enkidu is a savage when he was first created thus giving the trappers in that area major problems. Gilgamesh decides to send a prostitute with a trapper to go tame Enkidu. After being tamed and hearing about Gilgamesh and his wedding day customs, Enkidu decides to go confront him. Once there he stopped Gilgamesh from proceeding with his regular activities. Gilgamesh was enraged by this and a clash erupted between the two. Even though he had good intentions Enkidu lost, but admired Gilgamesh’s power and strength, and so the two of them became bes t friends. Gilgamesh wants to steal power from the gods and so he plans to go to the cedar forest to kill Humbaba, and take power from the tree. Through out the course of the fight Humbaba tries to convince Enkidu and Gilgamesh to not kill him†¦to no avail. Gilgamesh kills him, and decapitates him. Both the hero’s return to Uruk to celebrate. Ishtar makes advances on Gilgamesh to make her his wife, but he refuses. When he does refuse she brings down the bull of heaven, but with Enkidu’s help he slays the bull.Show MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh, By King Of Uruk1813 Words   |  8 Pagesthe epic of Gilgamesh is one of them. This epic is one of the oldest epic ever written in the world. This epic was written on eleven different clay tablets. It used to be told only orally many years before it was written down. So many versions and languages of this epic has been disseminated, but the English version of this epic was sensational when released. The Epic of Gilgames h offers the story and adventure of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, who was two-thirds god and one-third man. Uruk was in MesopotamianRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : King Of Uruk1332 Words   |  6 PagesIn the verse narrative The Epic of Gilgamesh the principal character Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, is described as an entity that is two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh is a hero/protagonist who exhibits many more human features than divine features. This makes him a flawed hero because all humans are flawed. He is even described in human terms. â€Å"A perfect physical specimen, gifted athlete and sex machine† [Davis p.154]. His primary flaws are pride and arrogance with his pursuit for immortalityRead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk2127 Words   |  8 Pages In The Epic of Gilgamesh, women step out of their gender-specific roles where they are not only portrayed as the maternal figure but also the transmitter of civilization, the agent of knowledge and the intercessor. At the same time, they are depicted as the agent of destruction too. As such, although the females get a smaller portion of the narrative as compared to the men, they are indeed significant as they through their roles, they are able to guide and help the male figures in their heroic questRead MoreGilgameshs True Identity Essay1145 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity Gilgamesh, who was made perfect physically, with all of the wisdom and secrets of the gods, shows he is not perfectly made on the inside as he struggles to find his true purpose and identity in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He, who proves good at heart in the conclusion of the epic, does not know why he was created and is frustrated at his mortal third in his early life. Made to bring strength and prosperity to the mortals of Uruk as an honorable king, Gilgamesh must firstRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 932 Words   |  4 Pagesepic together using the city of Uruk and, most importantly, the rampart that encircles the city. Repetition also gives subtle hints of shifting perspectives. At the beginning of the epic the reader is invited to marvel at the city of Uruk from the height of the wall. The walls of the city act as a framing device, enclosing various aspects of civilization: social, politics and religion. In Tablet IV the repetitive format of the stanzas and the presence of the city of Uruk helps convey the emotional stateRead MoreLeadership And The Tao Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh1665 Words   |  7 Pagesflourish. When the leader has poor leader, the people will suffer. Úta-napà ­shti is the greatest example of Leadership and the Tao in the Epic of Gilgà ¡mesh. This essay will demonstrate what good leadership is versus bad. This essay will compare the leadership styl es of Úta-napà ­shti who saved humanity from the great flood, Gilgà ¡mesh, king of the city of Úruk. This essay will also define leadership, the way of the Tao. Lastly this Essay will show how Úta-napà ­shti s leadership compared to other leadersRead MoreGilgamesh The Epic Of Gilgamesh877 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Epic of Gilgamesh the lines that are repeated at the beginning and end of the epic show that only immortality a human can gain lies in creating things that last beyond a person’s lifetime. While at the beginning of the epic Gilgamesh is seeking eternal life, when he concludes his journey he realizes that he has created an enduring legend through the foundation of his city, Uruk. Through this legend, Gilgamesh can live on in the memory of his people, long after he has passed away. The epicRead MoreThe Hero s Journey From The Epic Of Gilgamesh942 Words   |  4 Pages Gilgamesh was a powerful king of Uruk an ancient city in Sumer now known as Iraq. Created by the gods, Gilgamesh was 2/3 god and 1/3 man he thought of himself as undefeatable, and carried himself immorally, taking advantage of his people. Being tired of this the people of Uruk began sobbing, and the goddess Aruru heard their cries and created Gilgamesh s equal Enkidu. Together they would go on to venture into battles, one of which leads to the death of Enkidu that brings Gilgamesh to his veryRead MoreGilgamesh, The Epic Of Gilgamesh1559 Words   |  7 PagesEpic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh has to go through a series of hardship to obtain immortality. Gilgamesh’s determination to find immortality is impacted by the death of his best companion, Enkidu. At the end of Gilgamesh’s quest, he learns the destined fate of mortals (which is...?). Gilgamesh’s character development is shown throughout the story; he changes from an invincible, fearless king to a king who has accept his mortality and sees his own limitations. Although the quest of Gilgamesh s eems toRead MoreThe Journey Of Gilgamesh And Enkidu904 Words   |  4 PagesGilgamesh had a journey that he had begun with Enkidu which they had to travel to Cedar Forest to defeat Humbaba. When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh had to deal with his own journey that’s when everything begins for him. He learned immortality from which he got from Utnapishtim. His journey ended when he had return to Uruk. The second part of his journey was for wisdom. When Gilgamesh had to find Utnapishtim, he believes that it was for immortality. But it was impossible. It was not possible.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Evaluation Of A Project Management Audit Essay - 950 Words

What should be done to ensure appropriate closure of this project and why? There will be several areas of â€Å"clean-up† to address before announcing the project success and closure. First, before the closure of the project, it is better conduct an interim project audit to analysis the result. A project management audit is an examination designed to determine the true status of work performed on a project and its conformance with the project statement of work, including schedule and budget constraints. It is an independent, structured assessment of the state of affairs conducted by a competent examiner. It provides insight into the work needed to meet project objectives and the adequacy of the schedule and budget to do so. In addition, it can illuminate mistakes that can cause project failure and thus can trigger timely corrective action. Secondly, the project team to create outstanding list from the project, such as what can be done to ease the worries from small business near the old bridge. The project team also needs to work with finance and legal teams to ensure that all project-related contract commitments are finalized and closed and should complete a final accounting of the project budget. The project lasts for three years and many different parties have been involved in this project and it has been funded by local, federal and the two states. Therefore, a final project cost analysis report should be done and agreed by project sponsors. The project manager shouldShow MoreRelatedThe Function and Purpose of Audits and Evaluation Programs796 Words   |  3 Pagesand purpose of audits and evaluation programs are to ensure that periodic, formal review occurs such that program implementation and budget can be informed. The audit and evaluation process serves to provide information to the teams responsible for execution of those programs regarding their results and work quality. It is essential that the audit and evaluation program procedures result in new information and do not duplicate previous efforts. Essentially, the audit and evaluation programs shouldRead MoreProject Auditing is Evaluating the Stages During the Life Cycle of a Project936 Words   |  4 PagesProject auditing is designed to conduct an evaluation at a number of stages during the life cycle of the project. Even though a project will be evaluated at the end as part of the post control, an audit will help identify if the processes are being followed a nd are the resources and revenue being utilized throughout the project. A project audit can be a formal or less than formal investigation in any area of the project. Purposes are generated for an evaluation and there is an extent on how theyRead MoreWorld Com Case Essay1081 Words   |  5 PagesWorldCom: internal audit lessons to be learnt On June 9 2003, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York issued a report on the WorldCom accounting fraud that expands on the courts earlier findings of mismanagement, lack of corporate governance, and concern regarding the integrity of the companys accounting and financial reporting functions. Supervised by former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, the study was commissioned by the court to investigate allegations including fraud, mismanagementRead MoreThe Gap Analysis Of Hypertensive Heart Disease1271 Words   |  6 Pagesexceeded the average health expenditure of $805 per hypertensive person. Two recent peer review audits of twenty charts at the Southmore Medical Clinic revealed a 45% compliance rate with the Joint National Committee (JNC) 8 guideline recommendations for HTN parameters and management. Therefore, a gap analysis (See Appendix A) was conducted in this clinic. The gap analysis revealed that in this clinic HTN management protocol was based on JNC 6 guidelines, and HTN parameters were more relaxed. It also disclosedRead MoreChief Audit Executive ( Cae )1528 Words   |  7 PagesDirector, Chief Audit Executive (CAE) Commands the Unit/Section; receives instructions in established policy and procedural matters, but the details of proper application are left to personal discretion. The work is subject to inspection, review, and appraisal by higher officers (senior management). Position is responsible for the performance of the full range of supervisory activities including: application of discipline, processing and resolution of grievances, evaluation of performance and approvalRead MorePost completion audit1476 Words   |  6 PagesPost completion audit aims to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the capital budgeting decision that the management has implemented. It compares between the planned and the actual outcome, costs and the use of resources, results and benefits. It contains all assumptions that were made during the decision-making period. It is one of the ongoing continuous processes through which the organisation learns and improves. Recent research suggests that capital budgeting involves far more thanRead MoreRoles of Audit Committee801 Words   |  4 PagesRoles of audit committee An Audit Committee does not focus solely on internal audit activities or on financial issues. Recent trends are for it to take on broader roles and responsibilities. The establishment of an Audit Committee affords the opportunity to set aside time to focus on governance, risk and control issues. The key responsibilities of an Audit Committee include: ï€  overseeing the risk management framework and processes; ï€  reviewing compliance related matters and internal controls;Read MoreProject Management Life Cycle1720 Words   |  7 PagesProject Management Life Cycle The Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) addresses the project management needs for all systems development projects. It is applicable to new system development projects and to maintenance projects for existing systems. What is a Project Management Life Cycle? A system development project is a set of activities that starts and ends at identifiable points in time and that produces quantifiable and qualifiable deliverables. Projects are staffed by people using processesRead MoreServe As The Contracting Officer s Representative915 Words   |  4 Pagesleading Technical Evaluation Teams (TET) and writing final TET reports, writing Best Value award documentation, creating Technical Evaluation Factors, developing Quality Assurance Plans, working with Subject Matter Experts to document contract deliverables, and developing Performance measures. Responsible for administering contracts and monitoring contractor performance to ensure that services performed by the contractor are in accordance with the contract. This includes reviewing project plans, acceptingRead MoreRecommendation Brief802 Words   |  4 Pagescontrol management can hire an internal accountant to conduct internal audits. An internal audit is a process that offers a systematic approach to evaluate and improve a company’s risk management, controls, and processes. â€Å"The services provided by internal auditors include (1) financial audits of financial reports and accounting control systems, (2) compliance audits that ensure conformity with company polices, plans, and procedures and with laws and regulations, (3) operational audits that evaluate

Bag Lady Free Essays

â€Å"Bag Lady’ Life’s ups and downs come to all walks of life. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Baggage in life comes in all forms. We will write a custom essay sample on Bag Lady or any similar topic only for you Order Now Time heals all things, but people have to let go of the baggage in their lives that keeps them from moving on. They hold the keys to the doors in their lives and no one can turn the key but them. In the song â€Å"Bag Lady’, Eureka Baud gives a wake up call for women to know what bags to hold on to, what bags to let go of, and what bag has the ticket for the bus that will move them on to bigger and better things In life. Eureka Baud said â€Å"bag lady, you goon hurt your back,’ dragging all them bags Like hat. ‘ I guess nobody ever told you/ all you must hold on to is you, is you, is you. † This verse says to let go of all the disappointment people find in their lives and put them- selves first and make it all about them. The second verse says â€Å"One day all them bags goon get in your way/ one day all them bags goon get in your way†¦ So pack light. † The second verse Is emphasizing the fact that women must learn how to let go of the excess baggage that pulls them down in order to survive. The third verse in â€Å"Bag Lady† says â€Å"Bag lady you goon’ miss your bus/ you can’t hurry up coos you’ve got too much stuff. This excerpt from the song tells women that by holding on to all the negative disappointment in their lives, they will end up missing out on opportunities to Improve themselves, that will move them on to bigger and better things in life. In â€Å"Bag Lady. † Eureka Baud mentions different types of women with different types of baggage that they hold on to that keeps them down. Baud is saying that bag ladies come from all walks of life. They are or have been at one point in time been the woman in the mirror and they have the power to change who they are or who they have become. The empowering keywords in† Bag Lady† are â€Å"Bet way love could make it better. † All Eureka Is saying Is to know your self-worth, and open the door to self-esteem; without It you have no chance at love, peace, Joy, power, and a sound mind. Accord ring to Leo Bogie, of Hawaii. Dude â€Å"Without self-worth, doubts and fears about our very existence will persist until they invalidate our dreams and vision, and undermine our greatest accomplishments†. Monica Poole English 102 Mr.. Green Bag Lady By Englishmen â€Å"Bag Lady† on to bigger and better things in life. Eureka Baud said â€Å"bag lady, you goon hurt your back/ dragging all them bags like hem bags goon get in your way†¦ So pack light. The second verse is emphasizing the The third verse in â€Å"Bag Lady’ says â€Å"Bag lady you goon’ miss your bus/ you can’t missing out on opportunities to improve themselves, that will move them on to bigger In â€Å"Bag Lady,† Eureka Baud mentions different types of women with different types have become. The empowering key words in† Bag Lady’ are â€Å"Bet way love could make it All Eureka is saying is to know your self-worth, and open the door to self-esteem; wit hout it you have no chance at love, peace, Joy, power, and a sound mind. How to cite Bag Lady, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Representations in The Avengers free essay sample

In The Avengers, many different groups are represented that we should take into consideration: male/female, black/white, able-bodied/handicapped, Americans/†foreigners†. However, what I’ve discovered as I’ve been analysing The Avengers is that many of these groups are not shown stereotypically and this is what I am going to discuss and explore throughout this essay. To begin, we should start with the most basic, opposite representation shown in The Avengers – male/female. Although it’s very easy for most of us to easily dismiss The Avengers as sexist, due to its lack of females besides Black Widow within The Avengers themselves, and due to her tight-fitting attire, if we take a closer look at the way various females are represented, we discover almost the opposite. Black Widow does, admittedly, wear a leather catsuit – often linked to connotations of promiscuity and sexuality – however, the catsuit is actually much more realistic compared to Hawkeye’s own attire. We will write a custom essay sample on Representations in The Avengers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Despite both agents working for S.H.I.E.L.D, Hawkeye’s arms are exposed due to the way his uniform is tailored, and he actually shows more skin than Black Widow, leaving not only more prone to attack, but more prone to attracting the wide eyed women who enjoy Jeremy Renner. Although this is a small detail, this could be a hint at the costume department trying to sexualize the males as well as the females (as I said, Black Widow is still admittedly wearing a catsuit). The male/female binary opposite is also demonstrated in the very few scenes, or perhaps even scene, where Tony Stark and Pepper Potts are together. Although Pepper is dressed in shorts and a loose shirt, she is very much relaxing, and this would be typical wear, with Tony being dressed to the same level of casual. Camera angles are also not used to make Pepper appear shorter than Tony, which would in turn connote she was less dominant. Camera angles actually work in Black Widow’s favour earlier on in the film, when she is being interrogated a low angle is used, to show that in fact she has the dominance in this situation. The Avengers is not afraid to embrace the idea of strong, powerful females in a movie full of macho supermen, and try their best to keep women on par, despite the h igh levels of testosterone. Although there is not many points to be made about the representations of the black/white binary opposite, the few that are there are important to point out; the most important possibly being that Nick Fury in the comics is, in fact, white. It would not have been difficult  to find an actor with Samuel Jackson’s ability at acting â€Å"badass† that was white, but the fact the casting team chose Samuel Jackson to portray Nick Fury proves they do not believe the skin colour of a character should define them. I believe this is an important point to make, as to show how this film – and the franchise generally – does not define their characters, and allows the audience to broaden their mental horizons with different casting options. Nick Fury is also the only man who seems to be able to control all of the Avengers, and is known as a man of high rank and power. Even without the use of both of his eyes, he is still shown as a man to be feared and a natural born leader – he is, in fact, shown without weakness – unlike the characters played by white actors such as Robert Downey Jr and Tom Hiddleston, whose characters both have weaknesses (Tony’s â€Å"heart†, and Loki’s arrogance). This leads straight onto the representations of the able-bodied/handicapped. While I myself would consider both Nick Fury and Tony Stark to be handicapped, many of The Avengers fans no longer see Fury’s impaired vision and Stark’s man-made heart to be handicaps, as the way they have been represented. Not only does Tony Stark use his handicap in battle, he is often portrayed as the hero, with low camera angles, bright lighting and the team depending on him. Nick Fury, as mentioned above, is shown valiantly at the leader of a group of incredibly over-powered people, and yet he still manages to keep a hold over them. In fact, it seems the able-bodied here are shown as the less ‘useful’ group, as Tony demonstrates multiple times how he (using his suit, powered by his heart) can do things the others would not be able to. He is shown to have the power of a Norse god, Thor, which somewhat demeans the latter. A final two representations to look at are the ones of the Americans, and anyone who isn’t American. Of course, Captain America (Steve Rogers) is the obvious first choice to look at. Hailed as being the ‘good’ member of The Avengers who often does no wrong, it’s clear that he is walking propaganda, his costume also closely resembling the American flag not only by colour, but by the star also. The Norse gods, Thor and Loki, are both shown to do bad within the first hour of the film. Loki is, of cours e, the main villain, and Thor attempts to kill – or at least incapacitate – Iron Man and Captain America, the ‘heroes’ of the story. However it should be noted that the colour of Thor’s attire does also closely match the colours of the American flag, which lead me to believe  they did that almost to show he was to become a ‘good guy’, unlike Loki, who mainly wears green – a connotation of envy. Envy for The Avengers, or envy for America? I have a feeling I know which it really is. In conclusion, although The Avengers enjoys challenging most of the social norms throughout this film by depicting Black Widow as the agent she should be and by letting Nick Fury proudly reign over his superhero squad, it – like many other Hollywood blockbusters – has fallen prey to the train of American propaganda, portraying the group of jolly Americans as winners, and the Nordic god and his army as losers. Representations in The Avengers free essay sample In The Avengers, many different groups are represented that we should take into consideration: male/female, black/white, able-bodied/handicapped, Americans/†foreigners†. However, what I’ve discovered as I’ve been analysing The Avengers is that many of these groups are not shown stereotypically and this is what I am going to discuss and explore throughout this essay. To begin, we should start with the most basic, opposite representation shown in The Avengers – male/female. Although it’s very easy for most of us to easily dismiss The Avengers as sexist, due to its lack of females besides Black Widow within The Avengers themselves, and due to her tight-fitting attire, if we take a closer look at the way various females are represented, we discover almost the opposite. Black Widow does, admittedly, wear a leather catsuit – often linked to connotations of promiscuity and sexuality – however, the catsuit is actually much more realistic compared to Hawkeye’s own attire. We will write a custom essay sample on Representations in The Avengers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Despite both agents working for S.H.I.E.L.D, Hawkeye’s arms are exposed due to the way his uniform is tailored, and he actually shows more skin than Black Widow, leaving not only more prone to attack, but more prone to attracting the wide eyed women who enjoy Jeremy Renner. Although this is a small detail, this could be a hint at the costume department trying to sexualize the males as well as the females (as I said, Black Widow is still admittedly wearing a catsuit). The male/female binary opposite is also demonstrated in the very few scenes, or perhaps even scene, where Tony Stark and Pepper Potts are together. Although Pepper is dressed in shorts and a loose shirt, she is very much relaxing, and this would be typical wear, with Tony being dressed to the same level of casual. Camera angles are also not used to make Pepper appear shorter than Tony, which would in turn connote she was less dominant. Camera angles actually work in Black Widow’s favour earlier on in the film, when she is being interrogated a low angle is used, to show that in fact she has the dominance in this situation. The Avengers is not afraid to embrace the idea of strong, powerful females in a movie full of macho supermen, and try their best to keep women on par, despite the high levels of testosterone. Although there is not many points to be made about the representations of the black/white binary opposite, the few that are there are important to point out; the most important possibly being that Nick Fury in the comics is, in fact, white. It would not have been difficult  to find an actor with Samuel Jackson’s ability at acting â€Å"badass† that was white, but the fact the casting team chose Samuel Jackson to portray Nick Fury proves they do not believe the skin colour of a character should define them. I believe this is an important point to make, as to show how this film – and the franchise generally – does not define their characters, and allows the audience to broaden their mental horizons with different casting options. Nick Fury is also the only man who seems to be able to control all of the Avengers, and is known as a man of high rank and power. Even without the use of both of his eyes, he is still shown as a man to be feared and a natural born leader – he is, in fact, shown without weakness – unlike the characters played by white actors such as Robert Downey Jr and Tom Hiddleston, whose characters both have weaknesses (Tony’s â€Å"heart†, and Loki’s arrogance). This leads straight onto the representations of the able-bodied/handicapped. While I myself would consider both Nick Fury and Tony Stark to be handicapped, many of The Avengers fans no longer see Fury’s impaired vision and Stark’s man-made heart to be handicaps, as the way they have been represented. Not only does Tony Stark use his handicap in battle, he is often portrayed as the hero, with low camera angles, bright lighting and the team depending on him. Nick Fury, as mentioned above, is shown valiantly at the leader of a group of incredibly over-powered people, and yet he still manages to keep a hold over them. In fact, it seems the able-bodied here are shown as the less ‘useful’ group, as Tony demonstrates multiple times how he (using his suit, powered by his heart) can do things the others would not be able to. He is shown to have the power of a Norse god, Thor, which somewhat demeans the latter. A final two representations to look at are the ones of the Americans, and anyone who isn’t American. Of course, Captain America (Steve Rogers) is the obvious first choice to look at. Hailed as being the ‘good’ member of The Avengers who often does no wrong, it’s clear that he is walking propaganda, his costume also closely resembling the American flag not only by colour, but by the star also. The Norse gods, Thor and Loki, are both shown to do bad within the first hour of the film. Loki is, of course, the main villain, and Thor attempts to kill – or at least incapacitate – Iron Man and Captain America, the ‘heroes’ of the story. However it should be noted that the colour of Thor’s attire does also closely match the colours of the American flag, which lead me to believe  they did that almost to show he was to become a ‘good guy’, unlike Loki, who mainly wears green – a connotation of envy. Envy for The Avengers, or envy for America? I have a feeling I know which it really is. In conclusion, although The Avengers enjoys challenging most of the social norms throughout this film by depicting Black Widow as the agent she should be and by letting Nick Fury proudly reign over his superhero squad, it – like many other Hollywood blockbusters – has fallen prey to the train of American propaganda, portraying the group of jolly Americans as winners, and the Nordic god and his army as losers.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Anne Sexton Essays - Witches, British Poetry, Free Essays

Anne Sexton Essays - Witches, British Poetry, Free Essays Anne Sexton ANNE SEXTON Her Kind This is a poem that is filled with imagery that the author uses to identify the reader with what I feel were personal stresses in her own life. In class we talked about Anne as an emotionally challenged women who couldnt cope with every day life. The Title of the poem suggests by saying Her that she is talking about someone else that she could relate to. However I think that instead she might have been talking about her self. Through out the poem she shows the Worlds view of the witch and then gives her own feelings on the subject such as I have been her kind and A woman like that is not a woman at all. All the stanzas have seven lines and all have the same last line. It seems that the stanzas slowly lead up to some kind of explanation to the way women are treated. Through out the poem the tone is a dreary one. We are taken through the story relating to the witch and agreeing with the fact that these obscene gestures by the witch, waving my nude arms at villages going by are some how warranted. It is obvious that that the symbolism and metaphor shows us a witch and I think also these metaphors relate to the author and how she feels she is labeled. In the first stanza we get a picture of classical views of what a witch symbolizes, and this then tells me how Anne must feel. She says braver at night/ over the plain houses light by light. I think this is saying that she is more comfortable at night, maybe in seclusion, and looks down on the average normal home light by light and sees that as been the norm and want nothing to do with it. I think she feels different than the rest and the fact that she uses dark and light might even say she might even feel evil. She even states she is out of mind which is what I think shes saying to show she is different and she feels that is how she is looked at and sarcastically says that she cant be the ideal woman. The second stanza seems different to me. It seems to be more symbolic of her own life. I see a witch, maybe herself obsess with the arranging of her so-called cave. I think this is symbolic of her home life and shows everyones image of an ugly witch in a cave doing ugly witch things. I think this is how she felt about the average housewife in that she says, A woman like that is misunderstood. I think she meant that the average housewife is fooling herself. Its like she took a pause right in the middle of the poem to let the reader know whom she was talking about. She was letting everybody know she couldnt stand the fact that she had to make a happy home just to get right with society. The third stanza I feel shows the anger she felt towards society. She defies her driver as if to through it in his face that she is a witch by throwing her naked arms. She relates her torment to a like medieval time when witches were burned at the stake and beaten just for who they were, and my ribs crack were your wheels wind. I think here she has made it through the torture and the ride home hurts do to her injuries. But never the less she made it and is not ashamed. I think she laughs at the women who deny their own impulses and feels that is what is truly ugly.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Owl Facts

Owl Facts Hailed for their supposed wisdom  and their appetite for pesky rodents  but derided as pests and subjects  of superstition, owls (families Tytonidae and Strigidae) have had a love/hate relationship with humans since the beginning of recorded history. There are over 200 species of owls, and they might date back to the days of dinosaurs. Fast Facts: Owls Scientific Name: Tytonidae, StrigidaeCommon Names: Barn and bay owls, true owlsBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: Wingspans from 13–52 inchesWeight: 1.4 ounces to 4 poundsLifespan: 1–30 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Every continent except Antarctica, most environmentsConservation Status: Most owls are listed as Least Concerned, but a few are Endangered or Critically Endangered. Description There are about 216 species of owls divided into two families: Barn and Bay owls (Tytonidae) and the Strigidae (true owls). Most owls belong to the group of so-called true owls, with large heads and round faces, short tails, and muted feathers with mottled patterns. The remaining dozen-plus species are barn owls, which have heart-shaped faces, long legs with powerful talons, and moderate size. Except for the common barn owl, which is found worldwide, the most familiar owls in North America and Eurasia are the true owls. More than half of the owls in the world live in the neotropics and sub-Saharan Africa, and only 19 species reside in the United States and Canada. One of the most remarkable things about owls is that they move their entire heads when looking at something rather than moving their eyes, like most other vertebrates. Owls need large, forward-facing eyes to gather scarce light during their nocturnal hunts, and evolution couldnt spare the musculature to allow these eyes to rotate. Some owls have astonishingly flexible necks that let them turn their heads three-quarters of a circle, or 270 degrees, compared to 90 degrees for the average human being. The tawny owl is just one of the more than 225 owl species in the world. Nick Jewell/Flickr/CC by 2.0 Habitat and Distribution Owls are found on every continent except Antarctica, and they also inhabit many remote island groups including the Hawaiian islands. Their preferred habitats vary from species to species but include everything from arctic tundra to marshlands, deciduous and conifer forests, deserts and agricultural fields, and beaches. Diet and Behavior Owls swallow their prey- insects, small mammals and reptiles, and other birds- whole without biting or chewing. Most of the unfortunate animal is digested, but the parts that cant be broken down- such as bones, fur, and feathers- are regurgitated as a hard lump, called a pellet, a few hours after the owls meal. By examining these pellets, researchers can identify what a given owl has been eating and when. (Baby owls dont produce pellets since their parents feed  them soft,  regurgitated food in the nest.) Although other carnivorous birds, such as hawks and eagles, hunt during the day, most owls hunt at night. Their dark colors make them nearly invisible to their prey and their wings beat almost silently. These adaptations, combined with their enormous eyes, put owls among the most efficient night hunters on the planet. As befitting birds that hunt and kill small prey, owls have some of the strongest talons in the avian kingdom, capable of seizing and grasping squirrels, rabbits, and other squirmy mammals. One of the largest owl species, the five-pound great horned owl,  can curl its talons with a force of 300 pounds per square inch, roughly comparable to the strongest human bite. Some unusually large owls have talons comparable in size to those of much bigger eagles, which may explain  why even desperately hungry eagles usually wont attack their smaller cousins. In popular culture,  owls are invariably depicted as extremely intelligent, but its virtually impossible to train an owl, while parrots, hawks, ​and pigeons can be taught to retrieve objects and memorize simple tasks.  People think owls are smart for the same reason they think kids who wear glasses are smart: Bigger-than-usual eyes convey the impression of high intelligence. This doesnt mean owls are especially dumb, either; they need lots  of brain power to hunt at night. Reproduction and Offspring Owl mating rituals involve dual hooting, and once paired, a single male and female will remain together through the breeding season. Some species stay together for an entire year; others remain paired for life. They dont typically build their own nests, instead, they take over nests abandoned by other creatures. Owls can be aggressively territorial, especially during the breeding season. Mother owls lay between one and 11 eggs over a few days period, with an average of five or six. Once laid, she does not leave the nest until the eggs hatch, some 24–32 days later, and, although the male feeds her, she does tend to lose weight over that period. The chicks hack themselves out of the egg with an egg-tooth and leave the nest (fledge) after 3–4 weeks. No one is sure why, on average, female owls are slightly larger than males. One theory is that smaller males are more agile and therefore more suited to catching prey,​ while females brood young. Another is that because  females dont like to leave their eggs, they need a larger body mass to sustain them for long periods without eating. A third theory is less likely but more amusing: Since female owls often attack and drive off unsuitable males during mating season, the smaller size and greater agility of males prevent  them from getting hurt.   CGander Photography/Getty Images Evolutionary History Its difficult to trace the evolutionary origins of owls, much less their apparent kinship with contemporary  nightjars, falcons, and eagles. Owl-like birds  such as Berruornis and Ogygoptynx lived 60 million years ago during the Paleocene epoch, which means it is possible that the ancestors of owls coexisted with dinosaurs toward the end of the Cretaceous period. The strigid family of owls broke off from tyronids and first appeared in the Miocene epoch (23–5 million years ago). Owls are one of the most ancient terrestrial birds, rivaled only by the game birds (e.g., chickens, turkeys, and pheasants) of the order Galliformes. Conservation Status Most of the species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as Least Concern, but a few are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, such as the Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti) in India; the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) in North America, Asia, and Europe; and the Siau Scops-Owl (Otus siaoensis), on a single island in Indonesia. Ongoing threats to owls are hunters, climate change and habitat loss. Owls and Humans It  isnt a good idea to keep owls as pets, and not just because thats illegal in the U.S. and most other countries. Owls eat only fresh food, requiring a constant supply of mice, gerbils, rabbits, and other small mammals. Also, their beaks and talons are very sharp, so youd also need a stock of bandages. If that werent enough, an owl can live for more than 30 years, so youd be donning your industrial-strength gloves and flinging gerbils into its cage for many years. Ancient civilizations had widely divergent opinions about owls. The Greeks chose  owls to represent Athena, the goddess of wisdom, but Romans were terrified of them, considering them bearers of ill omens. The Aztecs and  Mayans hated and feared owls as symbols of death and destruction, while many Native American tribes scared their children with stories of owls waiting in the dark to carry them away. The ancient Egyptians had a kinder view of owls, believing that they protected the spirits of the dead as they traveled to the underworld. Sources Askew, Nick. List of Owl Species. BirdLife International, June 24, 2009.BirdLife International. Micrathene The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689325A93226849, 2016.  whitneyi.BirdLife International. Bubo . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689055A127837214, 2017.scandiacus (errata version published in 2018)BirdLife International. Heteroglaux . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689335A132251554, 2018.blewittiBirdLife International. Aegolius . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689362A93228127, 2016.  funereusBirdLife International. Otus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22728599A134199532, 2018.siaoensisLynch, Wayne. Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.