Me Up at Does free essay sample

The Alternate Perspective E. E. Cummings invites readers to â€Å"put yourself in someone else’s shoes† in his 1963 poem, Me up at does. We will write a custom essay sample on Me Up at Does or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Though short and, when evaluated according to traditional English sentence structure, â€Å"grammatically incorrect,† the poem exhibits the same basic elements found within any other form of poetry. Included in these elements is a speaker who narrates the poetry to the audience; the author’s unique selection of words, otherwise known as diction; an original use of syntax; the inclusion of various forms of figurative language; the incorporation symbols and allegorical elements into the poem; the use of symbolism requiring an imagination of each individual reader; and, of course, an underlying theme, which this author leaves to our own interpretation. This seemingly-simple poem actually provides a variety of themes for exploration in seeking to determine the author’s overall meaning behind the composition of E. E. Cummings’s Me up at does. Me up at does introduces us to a 3rd person (limited) speaker, by which the audience is able to view the situation from the eyes of the narrator; but this knowledge of the ongoing situation is limited only to the information provided by the speaker themselves. We are then briefly introduced to the two major characters (and only characters, for that matter) in the poem— the narrator and the mouse. We can extrapolate many details of the situational structure presented in the poem- the narrator had set a â€Å"mouse trap† (likely within his own home) to poison and kill the mice living amongst him; the mouse, innocent and helpless, has recently consumed some the poison; as the mouse’s life is coming to a rapid end, it is able to send an unspoken message while staring up at the narrator; the message tells the speaker of his proclaimed innocence and struggle to understand what he did differently than anyone else (especially the narrator) to deserve such a punishment, especially such a punishment as harsh as death. The primary and most obvious conflict presented in Me up at does is that of the character struggle between the poem’s narrator and the poisoned, quickly-ailing mouse. In this particular poetic conflict, we can draw the conclusion that the mouse’s character takes on that of the protagonist— the mouse is identified as the â€Å"good guy† in this poem because he is presented as the innocent victim who has been unrightfully discriminated against without reason. The mouse could also be considered the static character in this poem because his character does not really change from beginning to end; he is more of a role-player used to provide a means for delivering the author’s message. Therefore, the antagonist (who is held accountable for the bringing about of conflict) can be identified to the character of the poem’s speaker, who is accountable for initially setting up the mouse trap and is ultimately responsible for putting a harsh and undeserved end to the life of the mouse. The narrator is also likely considered to be the more dynamic character of the two; this is because he or she is the one who shows the most notable demonstration of change by or within a character in the poem. While the mouse does not have much time or ability to change his poetic character before dying, the narrator has the ability to consider and dwell upon the attention that the mouse brought to his wrongdoings; not only during the time period presented within the poem, but also during the remainder of his or her [ongoing] life afterward. However, the struggle between the protagonist and antagonist analyzed above is not the only conflict developed amongst the characters within Me up at does. E. E. Cummings leaves open the potential to evaluate another struggle developed; this alternative poetic conflict is that by which the narrator faces an internal struggle with his own actions, and the possible feeling of regret and realization of wrongdoing that simply came too late. This allows the narrator to learn a lesson and thus gives the poem a â€Å"point† or lesson. In doing so, it not only allows the narrator to reflect on his or her own actions, but also for the reader to open their own mind to the possibility of a similar situation within their own life. This inclusion of the reader to the poem provides a base for interest of the audience, allowing readers to relate the lessons explored through the poetry and make these lessons applicable within their surroundings. It is important not to underestimate the struggles noted within a poem; as such, we must note that an inner struggle of both the narrator and the mouse is definitely possible. The inner struggle within the narrator has already been explained. The mouse, on the other hand, may be suffering an inner struggle dealing with self-esteem issues. Not only is the mouse confused as to what it has done so wrong that the narrator himself would not do, but the mouse could also be beginning a pattern of blaming this on himself and developing self-esteem issues that have been building up as a result of continued prejudice against the â€Å"mouse,† or whoever this mouse may be representing (but this is a matter of talked about in the themes of the poem, which will be discussed later). Perhaps the most notable detail of Me up at does is brought out in the syntax of the poem. The arrangement of words within the poetry seem to be strategically fixed; they seem to somewhat â€Å"mock† the setting and situation of the poem. For instance, the first half of the poem is very difficult to read. The last half, on the other hand, seems to flow as smoothly as any other poem. ‘Why is this? ’ a reader may wonder. One possibility of this arrangement is that E. E. Cummings intended for both the halves of Me up at does to be facing the center; that is, the first half of the poem can be read much more clearly when the poem is read from the center up to the top backwards. Then, the second half can be read straightforward from the center down. As mentioned before, this balance was likely used to â€Å"mock† the situation taking place during this poem- the narrator is intended to represent the first half of the poem, and the mouse is supposed to represent the second half; and the two are supposed to be facing each other. This creates a feeling amongst the poem’s words of representation of the poem’s current setting and perhaps makes the poem feel more alive or recent, and makes the reader feel more engaged in the poem- more like a participant than a bystander of the situation at hand. The possible symbols used within Me up at does are those of the mouse standing for one who has been discriminated against at any point in history, and the narrator may stand for one who experiences an epiphany or realization of guilt for the wrongdoing brought about by this discrimination exhibited. For instance, a possible example that may be suitable are Hitler standing for the narrator and his realization of wrongdoing; and the mouse representing the Jews during the Holocaust wondering what they had done that Hitler or any of the other Nazi would not have done. Or, the narrator could stand for a slaveholder during the time of segregation and the mouse may be a representation of an African American, also wondering what he had done so wrong- was the unfair treatment based solely upon his skin? Symbols such as these, and other similar relations, may be drawn from the poem with a sufficient amount of evidence to support an argument for distinct symbolism demonstrated within the poem. E. E. Cummings allows his readers to draw a variety of possible themes from his poem. Me up at does simply does not provide a message direct enough for all readers to draw the same conclusion about the author’s message. For instance, an animal rights activist may view this poem as a means to bring attention to the innocence of all animals, large and small. However, as open for interpretation the poem may be, performing a little background research on the author’s message lends somewhat of a bias toward one potential theme over another. Other readers of this poem have a more concrete interpretation of E. E. Cummings’s underlying meaning; one that includes a focus on those looked down upon by others who consider themselves to be of a higher ranking status. This interpretation common views the mouse’s death as a symbol of the product of undeserved prejudice, and the narrator’s nonverbal communication with the mouse as his or her first realization of this unwarranted discrimination. Upon reflection of Me up at does, one reader writes, â€Å"The poisoned mouse is a representation of a person, race, or someone from the lower status of society who is ostracized and experiencing diminution†¦ The mouse, I would say, is one who experiences exploitation and dehumanization by people and the social order under which he exists† (Alforte). The reader also addresses a view of symbolism, much like my own personal interpretation, used within this poem, â€Å"Why the mouse is poisoned is a symbolism of the many social insights and norms in his society, which the personal himself is a victim by believing and following them. ‘What have I done that you wouldn’t have? ’ is a query asked to those who regard themselves as normal and usual individuals under a normal society that punishes the non-normal and the usual, and treats them like a mouse— to be poisoned and eliminated, not to allow them to achieve equality with the rest of the members of the society† (Alforte). The essential theme of this poem, though still open for individual interpretation, seems to be about the human life experience and the opportunity to live that we have each been given; but with this opportunity comes hardships and it should be expected that, at some point or another, each of us will feel subjected and be treated unfairly by others.

Out of Pocket and Singing in Tune

Out of Pocket and Singing in Tune Out of Pocket and Singing in Tune Out of Pocket and Singing in Tune By Maeve Maddox When I heard someone on NPR say that someone â€Å"couldn’t hold a tune,† in the sense of â€Å"couldn’t carry a tune,† I assumed it was an isolated misuse of the more common expression. Then I did a Google search for â€Å"hold a tune† and got more than half a million hits. Here are a few: Oh, my God, can she really be so oblivious to the fact that she cannot hold a tune? –Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Even if your child cannot hold a tune, the fact that he loves to sing and is showing an interest in music is wonderful! –LeapFrog advertising site (California company) But thats terrifying me. I cant hold a tune to save my life. God knows how Im going to do that. –Tom Hardy (London-born actor) If I could hold a tune, I’d probably sing to her. –lyrics, Fly Union (American hip hop group from Ohio) I scurried to the Ngram viewer and discovered that â€Å"hold a tune† has been making inroads since the 1960s, although it is still way below the more common expression, â€Å"to carry a tune.† Its use is more noticeable in British English than in American. For those unfamiliar with either idiom, the meaning is â€Å"to sing on key† or â€Å"to sing in tune.† Time will tell if the altered expression has staying power. â€Å"Hold† doesn’t work as well with the colorfully embroidered version that adds â€Å"in a bucket.† For example, â€Å"Florence Foster Jenkins couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.† out of pocket The first time I heard the expression â€Å"out of pocket† was when I lived in England. I’d bought something to use with my English class and the headmistress reimbursed me because she didn’t want me to be â€Å"out of pocket.† In this context, an â€Å"out-of-pocket† expense is something one pays for personally. For example, one might have an expense account that covered food purchases, but wine would be an â€Å"out-of-pocket† expense. When I returned to the United States, I was bewildered one day when the woman I was working for stopped at my desk to say that she’d be â€Å"out of pocket for about two hours† and walked out the door. As the expression was one she was fond of using, I soon figured out that by â€Å"out of pocket† she meant â€Å"unavailable, out of reach.† In browsing for â€Å"out-of-pocket† examples, I found that, although the â€Å"unavailable† meaning is of U.S. origin and may be found in some newspapers, the financial sense dominates with American speakers, especially on the topic of health care: After I pay $14,523, I’ll incur charges up to an out-of-pocket maximum of $12,700 for a total of $22,700. I wouldnt pay out of pocket for a test my doctor doesnt think I need. We paid out of pocket for a private nurse coordinator service in New Jersey. I rear-ended someone–Should I pay it out of pocket or let them report it to insurance? I went out of pocket for this treat. A Forbes commentator on annoying business jargon notes disapprovingly, â€Å"Many auto-reply e-mails now carry the phrase: Im out of pocket until next week.† The money-related â€Å"out of pocket† dates from 1679. The earliest documentation of the â€Å"unavailable† use is in an O Henry story: Just now she is out of pocket. And I shall find her as soon as I can. –â€Å"Buried Treasure,† 1908. Now that I have these two uses clear, I’ve come across an example that has me bewildered all over again: Youre talkin out of pocket when you told me that Ive changed –Mac Lethal Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†Work of Art TitlesEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Lehman Brother Collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Lehman Brother Collapse - Essay Example The news of its bankruptcy sent shock waves not only to the U.S. economy but also to the entire world. It faced around $600 billions of debt from mortgage back securities which caused a significant decline in its stock price. It is considered to be the most formidable case of bankruptcy in the corporate world. Before its bankruptcy, it was a profitable company. According to its 2006 annual Report, the asset under management had jumped to $225 million from the previous year’s $175 million. There were nearly 25936 employees working under the company. It shares were listed in New York stock Exchange and it was traded around $70 during that period. The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers can be attributed to the unfavourable market situation and also to its own policies. According to Luigi Zingale, the three main factors that were instrumental in bringing such depression in the market are market complacency, lack of transparency and bad regulations. Apart from these three market conditions, the financial policy adopted by Lehman was also responsible for its bankruptcy (Zingale. 2008). Delinquency rates dropped during the real estate boom and the banks started providing new innovative mortgage options which led to the decline in lending standards. Bad regulations of money market and The Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 accelerated the process. There was a lack of sufficient transparency in major markets. The market for credit default swaps (CDS) became unregulated and lost sufficient transparency. Lehman financial policy was not favourable for that period. Its asset to equity ratio (leverage) was abnormally high and it mostly relied on short term debt financing. However, the company tried to maintain its ratio before the crisis but it was too late to save the company from going bankrupt. The financial turmoil that originated towards the middle of 2007 has

School Finance Lawsuit on Track to Trial Date Essay

School Finance Lawsuit on Track to Trial Date - Essay Example This publication is about the Fort Bend ISD representing 84 school districts that are suing the state and also seeking massive education reforms.From the publication, we learn that fort bend ISD is representing a group of 84 other schools in suing the state and seeking massive education reforms.They argue that the state is not giving the schools adequate resources to meet the rising standards of education. Fort Bend ISD attorney describes the situation as being given a mission and not being given the tools to accomplish this mission.This publication points out that the mission set by the state for schools to meet cannot be accomplished if adequate tools to accomplish this mission are not provided by the state. It is, therefore, suggested that for 70 percent of pupils to meet the standards substantial additional funding per kid should be implemented. School superintendents suggest at least a couple of thousands of bucks per kid. This is according to fort bend ISD attorney David Thomps on.Thompson is taking four depositions a day from superintendents and experts for a week before the trial date. His firm is coordinating with lawyers representing the other petitioners to resolve who will take the lead on professionals, who will bear witness to the crisis they see with school financing. This means that the state should put more resources at the disposal of schools for them to meet the objectives and missions that they demand from schools.The reader should implement this experience in real life situations. Once the reader sets a mission there should be adequate resources to enable the achievement of this mission. For better education to be achieved in public schools, additional funding is essential to achieve this.

Impact of Movies on Society

Impact of Movies on Society This essay gives a brief history of how movies were developed in the first place. This not only gives a bit of experience of how the movies were developed, but also the purpose of making the movie itself. Many people begin to argue that movies are positive or negative to the society for various reasons. Nowadays, there are more amounts of people who go against movies, as they mostly fear of common problems, such as children having a chance of attempting to make risky actions from what they have watched from action and adventure kind of movies. The problem about their judgement of the influence of movies to the society is that some of them do not think about the genres, as this gives a large difference in the influence to the persons reaction. For example, another kind of genre would be documentary. As they give knowledge about the nature and reality, it is considered to be helpful and if better, change their personalities and their point of view. So that means other genres like action and adventure movies are not considered to be helpful and are none other than scenes filled with violence which may offend the audience, isnt it? Even if the specific genre is not a type for educational purpose, it doesnt necessarily mean that they are useless or violent to children. As generally everyone knows: all movies have a storyline, no matter what way it is, just like a book. And because of that, most of the storyline leaves a message for the audience. But is that it? Other than United States, there are others that are trying to make movies about their own cultures. Chinese movies are one of the most well-known for martial arts and their histories. There are also directors who sometimes want to make movies from true situations that they have experienced, so that audience who watches them will be able to learn from these situations. Since the topic itself is broad, Ill be concentrating on my own personal country, Korea. Not just that I could be able to share the history and acknowledge the advantages that people gain benefit from them, but also learn the Korean history and acknowledge them for myself. 1. Introduction What is a movie? To be alive is being moved. To be dead is being still. We say The Sea is alive particularly because of the waves. There are fish around in the sea. When we look at babies, they normally react to something or somebody moving. Man is an animal of curiosity. We all get interested in something new and/or alive. Movies can show us a new world which we can imagine. My study on movies starts here. A movie, also called a film or motion picture is a kind of living/ multi-complex art, which most of people like. A movie is a story that is communicated with animating images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects. The process of filmmaking has developed into an art form and industry. People in the United States call it movie, while in Europe they call it film. There are other terms that others call it, including the big screen, the silver screen, the cinema and the movies. The history of movies comes with the historical development of the medium. The history of movies spans over a hundred years, from the late 19th century to the present day. Movies were developed so well it evolved from creative innovation to one of the most important tools of communication and entertainment, mass media in the 20th century to 21st century. Movies became highly compatible with arts, technology, and politics. Human being is an animal of communication. We talk, we see, we hear, we smell and we touch/ feel the others. Also we are a creature who can enjoy entertainment. Movie is one of the most powerful communication tools we have ever developed so far. Movie has started as a moving picture. And now it is not just an entertainment, but it is a centre of culture. Movies influence us on every lifestyle. We see other languages, lifestyles, clothes, instruments, houses, roads, buildings and landscapes, we hear other songs and sounds, we learn other thoughts and philosophies, and we feel other emotions on the movie than what we used to. Movies can offer a lot of different and diverse experiences to people something good and bad. 2. History of movies If we go through the history of movies, we will realise that movie itself is a history. The skills, stories and contents have been developed / changed in accordance with our history. Political, economic, social and ideological situation influence the movies and in return the movies influence our daily lives. 2.1. Birth of the Movie The French Lumià ¨re brothers, Louis and Auguste gave their first show of projected motion pictures to an audience on December 28, 1895. Their first public screening of films at which admission was charged was held at Salon Indien du Grand Cafà © in Paris. This history-making presentation featured ten short films, including their first film, Sortie des Usines Lumià ¨re à   Lyon (Workers Leaving the Lumià ¨re Factory). Each film is 17 meters long, which, when hand cranked through a projector, runs approximately 50 seconds. It was the well-known first movies which means that film changed from a simple innovator to a commercial product. The moving images had an immediate and significant influence on popular culture with LArrivà ©e dun Train en Gare de la Ciotat (Arrival of a Train at a Station) and Carmaux, dà ©fournage du coke (Drawing out the coke). It is said that the spectators who had looked on at Arrival of a Train at a Station ran away as they had felt the train came across them. 2.2. The silent era (1895 1925) Combining the image with synchronous sound was not possible for inventors and producers, since no such practical method was devised until 1923. For the first thirty years, they were silent, except accompanied by live musicians with possible sound effects. Even commentaries were spoken by the showman or projectionist. 2.3. The sound era (The era of talking pictures, or talkies 1926 ) Warner Bros. Hollywood studio introduced a new system called Vitaphone in 1926. It produces short films of live entertainment acts and public figures. Recorded sound effects and orchestral scores were able to be added to some of its major features. During late 1927, Warners released The Jazz Singer. It was mostly silent but contained what is generally known for the first synchronized dialogue (and singing) in a feature film. 2.3.1. Industrial impact of sound During the late 1929, Hollywood was filled with competition, including sound systems. Nevertheless, total changeover in the world overall, was slightly slower, mainly for economic reasons. This situation was known as or called The Golden Age of Hollywood, which roughly refers to 1926, when sound was introduced until the late 1940s. During that time, the American cinema successfully manufactured glamour and global appeal. The top actors of the era were thought of as the classic movie stars. Some of them were Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Greta Garbo, and Shirley Temple, the greatest box office draw of the child performer in 1930s. Sound films developed and benefited more variety of genres than silent films. One of them was the musical film. The first classic-style Hollywood musical was The Broadway Melody (1929). The first major creator in choreographer and director was Busby Berkeley (42nd Street, 1933, Dames, 1934). In France, Renà © Clair the avant-garde director made various uses of songs and dances especially in comedies. Some of them were Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) and Le Million (1931). Universal Pictures began releasing horror films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein (both 1931). In 1933, RKO released Merian C. Coopers well-known giant monster film King Kong. Other popular films were American gangster films like Little Caesar and Wellmans The Public Enemy (both 1931). Dialogue took precedence over slapstick in Hollywood comedies: The Front Page (1931) or It Happened One Night (1934), the sexual double entrendres of Mae West (She Done Him Wrong, 1933) or the rebellious chaotic nonsense of the Marx Brothers (Duck Soup, 1933). Walt Disney, who was previously in the short cartoon business, triggered the first English-speaking animations. One of them was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, released by RKO Pictures in 1937. In 1939, American cinema brought popular films, like The Wizard of Oz and Gone with The Wind. 2.3.2. War and post-war: patriotism and propaganda (1940s) The desire for wartime propaganda created a renaissance in the film industry in Britain, with realistic war dramas like 49th Parallel (1941), Went the Day Well? (1942), The Way Ahead (1944) and Noel Coward and David Leans celebrated naval film In Which We Serve in 1942, which won a special Academy Award. The onset of US involvement in World War II also brought a proliferation of movies as both patriotism and propaganda. American propaganda movies included Desperate Journey, Mrs Miniver, Forever and a Day and Objective Burma. Notable American films from the war years include the anti-Nazi Watch on the Rhine (1943), scripted by Dashiell Hammett; Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Hitchcocks direction of a script by Thornton Wilder; the George M. Cohan biopic, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), starring James Cagney, and the immensely popular Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart. 2.3.3. Era of cold war and introduction of television (1950s) The Cold War era zeitgeist translated into a type of near-paranoia manifested in themes such as invading armies of evil aliens, (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The War of the Worlds); and communist fifth columnists, (The Manchurian Candidate). During the immediate post-war years the cinematic industry was also threatened by television, and the increasing popularity of the medium meant that some movie theatres would bankrupt and close. Some of the most successful examples of the spectaculars include The Ten Commandments (1956), The Vikings (1958), Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960) and El Cid (1961). Also during this period a number of other significant films were produced in Todd-AO, developed by Mike Todd shortly before his death, including Oklahoma! (1955), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), South Pacific (1958) and Cleopatra (1963) plus many more. 2.3.4. 1960s During the 1960s the studio system in Hollywood declined, because many films were now being made on location in other countries, or using studio facilities abroad, such as Pinewood in the UK and Cinecittà   in Rome. Hollywood movies were still largely aimed at family audiences, and it was often the more old-fashioned films that produced the studios biggest successes. Productions like Mary Poppins (1964), My Fair Lady (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965) were among the biggest money-makers of the decade. Further, the nuclear paranoia of the age, and the threat of an apocalyptic nuclear exchange (like the 1962 close-call with the USSR during the Cuban missile crisis) prompted a reaction within the film community as well. Films like Stanley Kubricks Dr Strangelove and Fail Safe with Henry Fonda were produced in a Hollywood that was once known for its overt patriotism and wartime propaganda. In documentary film the sixties saw the blossoming of Direct Cinema, an observational style of film making as well as the advent of more overtly partisan films like In the Year of the Pig about the Vietnam War by Emile de Antonio. 2.3.5. The New Hollywood Post-classical cinema (1970s) The New Hollywood and post-classical cinema are terms used to describe the period following the decline of the studio system during the 1950s and 1960s and the end of the production code. During the 1970s, filmmakers increasingly depicted explicit sexual content and showed gunfight and battle scenes that included graphic images of bloody deaths. During the 1970s, a new group of American filmmakers emerged, such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Brian De Palma. The development of the auteur style of filmmaking helped to give these directors far greater control over their projects than would have been possible in earlier eras. This led to some great critical and commercial successes, like Scorseses Taxi Driver, Coppolas The Godfather films, Polanskis Chinatown, Spielbergs Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and George Lucass Star Wars. The phenomenal success in the 1970s of Jaws and Star Wars in particular, led to the rise of the modern blockbuster. Hollywood studios increasingly focused on producing a smaller number of very large budget films with massive marketing and promotional campaigns. 2.3.6. Sequels, blockbusters and videotape (1980s) During the 1980s, audiences began increasingly watching movies on their home VCRs. In the early part of that decade, the movie studios tried legal action to ban home ownership of VCRs as a violation of copyright, which proved unsuccessful. Eventually, the sale and rental of movies on home video became a significant second venue for exhibition of films, and an additional source of revenue for the movie companies. The Lucas-Spielberg combine would dominate Hollywood cinema for much of the 1980s, and lead to much imitation. Two follow-ups to Star Wars, three to Jaws, and three Indiana Jones films helped to make sequels of successful films more of an expectation than ever before. Lucas also launched THX Ltd, a division of Lucasfilm in 1982, while Spielberg enjoyed one of the decades greatest successes in E.T. the same year. 1982 also saw the release of Disneys Tron. This was one of the first films from a major studio to use computer graphics extensively. 2.3.7. 1990s The early 1990s saw the development of a commercially successful independent cinema in the United States. Although cinema was increasingly dominated by special-effects films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Jurassic Park (1993) and Titanic (1997), independent films like Steven Soderberghs sex, lies, and videotape (1989) and Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs (1992) had significant commercial success both at the cinema and on home video. Animated films aimed at family audiences also regained their popularity, with Disneys Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994). During 1995 the first feature length computer-animated feature, Toy Story, was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Disney. After the success of Toy Story, computer animation would grow to become the dominant technique for feature length animation, which would allow competing film companies such as Dreamworks Animation and 20th Century Fox to effectively compete with Disney with successful films of their own. During the late 1990s, another cinematic transition began, from physical film stock to digital cinema technology. Meanwhile DVDs became the new standard for consumer video, replacing VHS tapes. 2.3.8. 21st Century globalization and 3D movies There has been an increasing globalization of cinema during this decade, with foreign-language films gaining popularity in English-speaking markets. Examples of such films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Mandarin), Amelie (French), Lagaan (Hindi), Spirited Away (Japanese), City of God (Portuguese), The Passion of the Christ (Aramaic), Apocalypto (Mayan), Slumdog Millionaire (a third in Hindi), and Inglorious Basterds (multiple languages). There has been a revival in 3D film popularity the first being James Camerons Ghosts of the Abyss which was released as the first full-length 3-D IMAX feature filmed with the Reality Camera System. As of 2010, 3D movies are gaining increasing popularity. After James Camerons 3D movie Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time, many other movies have followed suit and been released in 3D, with the best critical and financial successes being in the field of feature film animation such as DreamWorks Animations How To Train Your Dragon and Walt Disney Pictures/Pixars Toy Story 3. 3. The Korean movies Recently the Korean government office placed an order to the dept. of culture that Movie industry is mainly controlled by a few big capitals. Therefore we need to control those capitals to support making more movies that are ideologically more right-hand side. This is an example to show us that how movies can influence on people and how some governments want to take use of movies for their political purposes. In 2011 Director Hwang Dong-Hyeok made a movie, The Crucible (Korean name: Dogani) which is based on the novel of the same name by Gong Ji-young, starring Gong Yoo and Jung Yoo-mi. It is based on true events which took place at GwangjuInhwa School for the hearing-impaired, where young deaf students were the victims of repeated sexual assaults by faculty members over a period of five years in the early 2000s. as it was ridiculous that both crimes and the court proceedings let the teachers off with a mere minimal punishment, the film made an intense noticeable release in September 2011, which caused to reopen the investigations of these incidents. Over 4 million people in Korea watched this film, allowing the demand for legislative reform to reach all the way to the National Assembly, where a revised bill, dubbed the Dogani Bill, was passed in late October 2011 to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled. As we have gone through the world movie history, the movies are a product of history and they are so influential to the people. It is not only an entertainment, but also a strong mass-communication tool and become a centre of culture. 3.1. Development of Movies in Korea Koreas modern history has been very tough. Chosun dynasty (the last Korean emperor) was conquered by Japan in 1910 and since then Korea was under Japanese colony until 1945. After independence, there was a civil war from 1950 to 1953 for three years and divided into two countries North and South. During the cold war after the WW2 in the world, Korea was in the most serious and severe situation. It was a tragedy as the governments always take use of this political and ideological situation for their governance. All the democratic freedom of speech, thought and writhing have been thoroughly restricted under the name of ideology. Nevertheless, Korean people have been expanding their freedom with their dynamic characters and this is the same in movies. 3.1.1. Origin of movies (- 1926) According to the October 19, 1897 issue of The Times, Motion pictures have finally been introduced into Chosun, a country located in the Far East. At the beginning of October 1897 motion pictures were screened for the public in Jingogae, Bukchon, in a shabby barrack that was borrowed from its Chinese owner for three days. The works screened included short films and actuality films produced by Frances Pathe Pictures. Koreas first movie theatre, Dongdaemun Motion Picture Studio, was opened in 1903.The Dansung-sa Theatre opened in Seoul in November 1907.Not merely a theatre-operator, as the first film producer in Korea, Dansung-sas owner, Pak Sung-pil, took an active part in supporting early Korean cinema. He financed the first Korean domestic film, Loyal Revenge (Korean: Uirijeok Guto), as well as the first Korean documentary film, Scenes of Kyongsong City and showed both at his theatre on October 27, 1919. Uirijeok Guto was used as a Kino drama, a live theatrical production against the backdrop of film projected on stage. Some name a filming of Chunhyang-Jeon in 1921 (released in 1922) as the first Korean feature film. The traditional story, Chunhyang, was to become Koreas most-filmed story later. It was possibly the first Korean feature film, and was certainly the first Korean sound film, colour film and widescreen film. Im Kwon-taeks 2000 Pansori version of Chunhyang brought the number of films based on Chunyang. 3.1.2. The silent era (1926 1935) Korean film studios at this time were Japanese-operated. A hat-merchant known as Yodo Orajo established a film company called Choson Kinema Productions. After appearing in the Choson Kinemas 1926 production Nongjungjo, the young actor Na Woon-gyu got the chance to write, direct and star in his own film. The release of Nas film, Arirang (1926) is generally considered the start of the era of silent film in Korea and this has shown the power of movie as it influenced the depressed Korean people to recognize their nationality. Another important director of this period, Shim Hun, directed only one film, Mondongi Tultte (At Daybreak). Though the reviews for this film were as strong as those for Arirang, Shim died at the age of 35 while directing his second film, based on his own novel, Sangroksu (The Evergreens). The novel was later filmed by director Shin Sang-ok in 1961 and by Im Kwon-taek in 1978. The first half of the 1930s saw a decline in the domestic film industry in Korea. Due largely to censorship and oppression from the occupying authorities, the number of films produced at this time dropped down to only two or three per year, and some filmmakers fled Korea for the more robust film industry in Shanghai at this time. Perhaps the most important film of this era is Imjaeobtneun naleutbae (Ferryboat with no Ferryman) (1932), directed by Lee Gyu-hwan (1904-1981), and starring Na Woon-gyu. Because of increasing governmental censorship, this has been called the last pre-liberation film to present a significant nationalistic message. 3.1.3. Early sound era (1935 1945) Koreas first sound film was Lee Myeong-woos 1935 Chunhyang-jeon. The sound technique was reportedly poor, but Korean audiences appreciated hearing their own language in the cinema. The number of films produced increased during the latter part of the decade. Na Woon-gyu began making a larger number of films again with significant works like Kanggeonneo maeul (1935), and Oh Mong-nyeo (1937), before his premature death in 1937. Sound films in Korea faced much harsher censorship from the Japanese government-General than did the silent films before them. Also, the loss of the byeonsa (narrators) with the coming of sound film meant that anti-authority messages could no longer be sneaked around the censors in this way. The showings of American and European films decreased, and were replaced by Japanese films. Korean-made films became a propaganda tool for the government of the Japanese occupation. Starting in 1938, all film-making in Korea was done by the Japanese, and by 1942 the use of Korean language in film was banned. 3.1.4. Divided Korea South Korea 3.1.4.1. 1945 (independence) 1955 With the surrender of Japan in 1945, Korean cinema enjoyed a burst of liberty-and liberty itself, understandably, became the major theme of films at this time. Choi In-gyus Viva Freedom! (Korean: Jayu manse!), about Korean freedom-fighters during the waning days of the colonial period, is considered the major film of this era. During the Korean War, film production slowed; only five or six films were produced each year from 1950 to 1953. 3.1.4.2. Golden era of Korean movies (1955 1972) The quality and quantity of Korean movies had increased dramatically this period. 15 films in 1955, 30 in 1956, 37 in 1957, 74 in 1958 and became 111 films in 1959. The most famous movies were Chunhyang-Jeon (Lee Gyu-hwan 1955) and Free madam (Han Hyung-mo 1959). Chunhyang-Jeon is based on Korean classic story, while Free madam is totally shocking against the Korean traditional way of thinking. Director Lee Kyu-hwan successfully remade Chunhyang-jeon in 1955. Within two months 10% of Seouls population-over 200,000 people had seen the movie, giving the re-establishment of the film industry further impetus. The movie viewers became more than 170,000,000 people per year in 1960s. There were many different genres as well Young love movies, Comedy movies and Action thriller movies. 3.1.4.3. Dark era of Korean movies (1973 1979) This time period can also be called as the winter of the sixty years in Korean film. This was due to the fact that South Korean had a very authoritarian political system that was led by Park Chung-hee. His program of Yusin Restoration (Revitalizing Reforms) caused Korea Cinema to come into a depression period with oppression through censorship. Because the government feared that cinema would disrupt the good taste or customs, harm the pride and dignity of South Korea, praise or support North Korea and Communism, or criticize the political and government politics, filmmakers were wary of this censorship and they were not allowed to produce films that they wanted. Writing in 1981, the International Film Guide said of South Korean cinema, No country has a stricter code of film censorship than South Korea with the possible exception of the North Koreans and some other Communist bloc countries. The number of films in 1970 was 230 and it dropped to 96 only in 1979. The number of movie view ers was 170,000,000 in 1969 and it dropped to 64,000,000 in 1977. 3.1.4.4. The second dark era (1980 1996) After the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979, Korea still has to wait more time to come spring time in Korean movies. In 1988, President Roh Tae-woo began the gradual elimination of the government censorship of political expression in films. Directors were quick to begin re-exploring social and political themes in their films. During this period, producer Lee Tae-won made domestic films just to get an import quote. This import quota system controlled the films and restricted the directors to produce films that would supplement the government. Because the import quota system was controlled by the MPPC (Motion Picture Promotion Corporation, created in 1973) and because the government mainly controlled the MPPC, the government basically had all the control to display whichever film they want and cut out all the films that would go against their views. The audience for domestic films reached a low point, due partly to the opening of the market to films from overseas, especially the United States and Hong Kong. By 1993, only 16% of the films seen by South Korean audiences were made domestically. The local film industry persevered through this lean period. 3.1.4.5. 1997 Present From the late 1990s, South Korean cinema managed to attain domestic box office success exceeding that of Hollywood blockbuster movies. From 1997 to present is considered golden age for Korean films, and now Korea is being considered an Asian film powerhouse, producing movies from various genres, not just for Korean market but also widely for the rest of the Asia. The 1999 film Shiri about a North Korean spy preparing a coup in Seoul was the first in Korean history to sell more than 2 million tickets in Seoul alone. The movies popularity, coupled with the screen quota, helped Shiri to surpass Hollywood box office hits such as Titanic, The Matrix and Star Wars in South Korean theatres. This movies success motivated other Korean films with large budgets for Korean circumstances. In 2000 the film JSA (Joint Security Area) successfully surpassed the benchmark set by Shiri. A year later, the film Friend managed as well. The romantic comedy My Sassy Girl outsold The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, which ran at the same time in South Korea. As of 2004, new films continue to outperform older releases. In South Korea some Korean productions are more popular than Hollywood films. Films such as Shilmido and Taegukgi were watched by over 10 million people per film, which is a quarter of the South Korean population. Shilmido is a film based on a true story about a secret task force in 1970s. The other blockbuster movie, Taegukgi, was described about two brothers in the Korean War. Films such as Shiri have been distributed in the USA. In 2001, Miramax bought the rights to a remake of one of the successful Korean action comedy movie, My Wife is a Gangster. Recently, popular Korean movies such as Il Mare (remade as The Lake House), Old Boy, My Sassy Girl, and Joint Security Area have also been bought by Hollywood firms for remake as well. The 2003 psychological horror A Tale of Two Sisters was successful as well, leading Dreamworks to pay $2 million (US) for the rights to a remake, topping the $1 million (US) paid for the Japanese movie The Ring. 3.1.4.6. Festival success In 2002, Korean film first acquired serious international recognition at the Venice Film Festival, where the film of Oasis won the second prize award. Its about an isolated young woman with cerebral palsy who falls in love with a simple minded man who has recently completed a term in prison for hitting and running an accident that killed her father. Old Boy came in second place in the Cannes Film Festival, second to Fahrenheit 9/11, and hence known for another Korean film to achieve international recognition. It is about the life of a man who is put into solitary confinement by someone he doesnt know. He had to live there for 15 years before he is released and given 5 days to discover the reason for his cruel entrapment. Dark and gloomy, Old Boy experiments with several psychological madness and sexual distortions. In February 2004, Kim Ki Duk won the award for best director at the 54th annual Berlin Film Festival, for a film about a teenage prostitute, Samaritan Girl. In addition, he won the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for his 2004 movie, 3-Iron. In 2010, Poetry won the Best Screenplay Award and was selected for the main competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. In November 2011, the leading actress, Jeong-hee Yoon won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her performance. 3.2. Korean-Wave Korean movies together with Korean dramas and Korean songs are making a new wave in Asian countries as well as the rest of the world nowadays. There are three important dates of new Korean-wave movies: 1992, Marriage Story was financed by Samsung, marking the first non-government funded film. 1999, Shiri was released and led to Korean films taking over 50% of the local market. Ultimately, My Sassy Girl became the most popular and exportable Korean film in history. 4. Movies, as a major part of culture industry Every day we meet movies on TVs as well as at theatres. Most of the people from the young to elderly enjoy movies. There are so many genres action, science fiction, adventure, comedy, crime, epic/myth, fantasy, horror, love/romantic), social drama, thriller, and so on. A movie is not just a mere entertainment, but a part of our lives. We have unlimited imagination and access to high technology. Movies dont stick to walls any more. It walks in and out of our mind. They become part of our experiences we may never be able to see from overseas. 5. Conclusion Because movies are strongly influential to the people, there are negative effects. They may be good and enjoyable movies. They can, however, be violent or sexual. They could particularly give a bad impact on youngsters. Few cases have been found in the USA. One of them was about a young student who shot several people dead. He admitted that he imitated a violent scene he has watched. The politicians take advantage of movies for their political purposes. Hitler used movies for his Nazi system. The movie Triumph of the Will is an example. During the Cold War era, there were a lot of movies related to the Cold War. One of them was one of the 007 series. Horse opera movies were made for the White to justify their conquering of the continent and pushing away the Indi

The Artwork

The artwork I chose for my paper comes from an artist by the name of Angel Rodriguez-Diaz. The title of the artwork is Circulos de Confusion meaning Circles of Confusion, and was painted in 1993. It is 31 7/8 inches high and 84 inches wide. This particular piece of art is painted, oil on paper on linen. Angel Rodriguez-Diaz is an American contemporary artist born in 1955, who lives in the San Antonio area. In Circulos de Confusion, there is a detailed painting of a shirtless man, 30’s-40’s in age, wrinkles in the face, surrounded by a multitude of different colored circles.The man has his hands resting on his face. His index and middle fingers on each hand above his eyes, his ring fingers touching across the bridge of his nose and his pinkies resting above his lips just under his nose. He has a watch on his left wrist. His eyes have a blank, captivating stare. The circles in the painting range in color from bright yellows and oranges to deep blues and subtle greens. The eyes of the man give meaning to the title of the artwork.Without his facial expression I would just assume this painting would be titled ‘circles – man with a headache’. His eyes having a blank stare show his confusion without words. The way his hands rest on his face show where the focus should be in the painting. The watch in the painting shows the element of time but because you cannot see the time on the watch it leaves you with the impression that maybe time is still. The circles in the painting provide for thought that the man’s mind is cluttered with thoughts as is the paper cluttered with circles.The brighter yellows and oranges are more centralized in the painting, whereas the darker greens and blues are more around the edges. The circles surround the man in the middle, except for on his chest and arms where the circles are not as close together but are still present. The way this painting was conducted only provides me with one meaning, although to a better trained eye there may be more. The man in the center of this painting is confused.His eyes give that iconic meaning to the expression of confusion. There is no clear indication as to what he is confused about. With his appearance being shirtless, I would say it is either early in the morning or late in the evening and he may be staring into a mirror or reflective surface. It is possible he has a difficult decision to make or is not sure why a certain set of events occurred. The lack of background provides me with the notion that he is alone and isolated from the world in his thoughts.

Tanglewood Stores and Staffing Strategy

TANGLEWOOD STORES AND STAFFING STRATEGY Tanglewood has a unique culture that emphasizes â€Å"straight talk,† employee participation, and teamwork which helps to differentiate it from most of its major competitors. Following the recent period of rapid expansion and acquisition, the company must consolidate its human resources strategy to ensure that this culture is not lost. Recommendations to achieve this goal are as follows. STAFFING RECOMMENDATIONS Acquire or Develop TalentNow that Tanglewood is slowing their acquisition of new stores, it’s recommended that they develop existing talent for management positions working hard to instill the company’s unique values into recently acquired employees. Tanglewood is known for their employee input and contributions. Developing from within will increase productivity of the workforce; when employees believe that there are opportunities for advancement they are usually more motivated to achieve the organizational goals. F or non-managerial positions, it will be necessary to acquire talent from outside the company.In order to support the mission statement, the company should acquire employees who are able to provide a high level of customer service and who are knowledgeable about the products and services that they are selling. Hire Yourself or Outsource Tanglewood requires employees to have a comprehensive understanding of products as well as local knowledge. Given the company’s emphasis on exceptional customer service and the need to firmly establish the Tanglewood culture during this time of transition, it’s recommended that the hiring process remain in-house.Internal staff who can effectively evangelize company culture should be responsible for screening candidates. I External or Internal Hiring It’s recommended that management level staff be hired internally in order to facilitate the dissemination of Tanglewood’s culture. Hiring from within can instill a sense of belo nging and encourages employees to understand how their best interests align with those of the company. Providing room for advancement can serve as motivation and encourage long-term thinking. This mode of thinking is beneficial to the company and helps it to maintain the family-oriented environment.However, given the recent rapid growth, internal human resources may not be able to keep up with staffing demand. When necessary, external hiring should be leveraged to support rapid growth, increase diversity, and bring in new perspectives. Core or Flexible Workforce Given Tanglewood’s â€Å"team† philosophy, a core workforce composed of both full and part-time employees is recommended. A core workforce is also most appropriate given the company’s niche market with a unique company culture which differentiates it from competitors.While the potential cost savings of a flexible workforce may be attractive, this advantage is outweighed by the cost of additional training and reduced employee investment in the success of the company. Tanglewood’s knowledgeable workforce is a source of competitive advantage which would be lost with a flexible, less committed workforce. Hire or Retain Because of Tanglewood’s emphasizes on employee suggestions and contributions, the company should continue retain employees in order to preserve the company’s unique culture and values over time.Although occasionally hiring outside the company is inevitable, it’s recommended that Tanglewood develop a retention plan in order to reduce employee turnover and associated costs incuding hiring and training expenses, productivity loss, lost customers, diminished business, and damaged morale among remaining members of the workforce. National or Global Currently, Tanglewood’s 12 divisions are national with operations centered on the west coast. For the short-term, the company should continue to peruse a national staffing strategy for these stores .Although there is cost savings potential in globally outsourcing customer service, technical support, database administration and other tasks, doing so may hurt quality and ultimately run counter to Tanglewood’s core values. Attract or Relocate Tanglewood should focus on attracting employees that fit its niche market. Employees may better serve customers by having local knowledge such as the best hiking routes, bike trails, camp sites; etc. Generally, the retail industry doesn’t require a highly specialized or task-specific workforce and so the company should be able to attract the talent it needs locally.Overstaff or Understaff Tanglewood should continue to overstaff. There is currently an abundance of department managers and assistant mangers that may at times border on surplus. However, Tanglewood can benefit by having a stockpile of talent by ensuring smooth succession in case of turnover, retirement or promotion. Overstaffing also ensures that trained staff is av ailable during peak seasonal periods to ensure quality and the superior customer experience that consistent with the company’s values.Short- or Long-Term Focus Tanglewood has emphasized employee participation and teams since its inception and one of the most important cultural elements of the organization is the commitment to straight talk in all areas of business. Because the corporate staffing function has not been strong, in the short-term, Tanglewood should seek is to implement new policies and procedures that will centralize the human resources staffing strategy and create staffing operations efficiencies.Once urgent-short term goals are met, the company’s ongoing focus should be long-term in order to allow the company to invest in its employees and help them to live up to the Tanglewood standard. Time spent on training and interviews can be costly if Tanglewood adopted a short-term approach. Though turnover is still a reality, being overstaffed will address immed iate turnover issues. STAFFING QUALITY Person/ Job or Person/ Organization Match It’s recommended that Tanglewood adopt a Person/Organization Match approach to the hiring process.It’s important that the company choose individuals who understand the core values and philosophy of the company; meaning choosing individuals who meet the needs of the organization. Retail job skills can be taught but strong values, teamwork, and a passion for customer service are more difficult to teach. Focusing on organization rather than job fit will also support the company’s Develop, Internal, and Retention strategies. Specific or General KSAOs Tanglewood should lean towards general KSAOs because it requires a focus on â€Å"flexibility and adaptability, ability to learn, written and oral communication skills, and algebra/statistics. General KSAOs competencies such as communication skills, the ability to learn, and the ability to adapt quickly are important characteristics for a potential employee to work well within the organization and be successful in whatever role they play within the company. Exceptional or Acceptable Workforce Quality The company is advised to pursue an exceptional workforce quality in order to best meet the needs of its customers and further the strategy differentiation.Having exceptional workforce quality means hiring associates that will be passionate about Tanglewood and providing excellent customer service. This strong customer service focus will encourage repeat visits to the store and allow the company to stand out among the competition by being a customer favorite. An exceptional workforce is required to achieve the mission statement and â€Å"be the best department store for customers seeking quality, durability, and value for all aspects of their active lives. † Active or Passive Diversity Tanglewood should actively strive for a diverse environment.The company should work hard to build a workforce that reflects the co mmunities in which the stores are located by working with organizations throughout the community to hire a diverse workforce that is fair to gender, race, and age. Organizations employing a diverse workforce can supply a greater variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands.CONCLUSION Tanglewood’s future success depends on many factors. During this period of consolidation, staffing strategy is especially critical. By setting challenging goals and crushing them, the company can establish a motivated, passionate workforce that embodies Tanglewood’s core values and propagates its unique culture. By following the recommendations above, Tanglewood can position itself as providing an exceptional environment for both employees and customers.