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

Liberty - Essay Example Other academicians have related life to existence in state of nature under a social contract. Liberty is connoted into two major different kinds. Classical liberalists and individualists have conceptualized liberty as consisting of individual freedom outside coercision and compulsion, this is the kind of liberty known as Negative liberty.Whereas, social liberalists conceptualize liberty with emphasis to the social structure and agency, this is the second kind of liberty known as Positive liberty .In summary we basically have two kinds of liberty which are: positive liberty and negative liberty. Positive liberty explains that a person can find freedom in his ability to exercise agency, by having adequate power and resources to enable him to do his will without being misled by societal views such as sexism, structuralism and racism. Thomas Hobbes explains that``a free man is he that†¦.is not hindered to do what he hath the will to do `` Hobbes (235).John Stuart Mill was the first to recognize that there is a difference between liberty as a freedom of action or to act and liberty as an absence of coercion. According to Berlin (221), the difference between the two perspectives as opposite concepts of liberty; positive liberty and negative liberty where the latter manifested a negative condition of individual protection from tyranny as well as arbitrary exercise to authority. Whereas the former meant the ability to have means or opportunity other than to lack restraint of doing things or acting. The term negative liberty has different noteworthy aspects.Firstly; it defines zones or realms of freedom in the aspect of science (science of law) Hobbes (197).The distinguishing idea between the two kinds of liberty is traced back to Kant who examined it in the year 1940s; he explained that the two kinds of liberty are not merely different but rivals. Positive liberty requires not

Soft System Methodology

Soft System Methodology Andrzej Werner   Soft System Methodology can be described as a 7-step process aimed to help provide a solution to real life problematic situation caused by two different perceptions by implementing defensible and sensible models for comparison with the situation in real life in order to assist in making decisions or recommendations as to the solution or response for the problem. Those models are referred to as Conceptual models, those models logically represent what steps needs to be undertaken, in order to achieve desired effect stated in root definitions which are created based on the roles, norms and values taken from the identified problem. In another words conceptual models are models that show what a good standard looks like as to compare it with the real life situation to see what needs to be done to achieve that good quality standard. (Burge 1-14) A Law firm by the name of Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a professional law company with 15 years of experience; their reputation is well known as one of the law firms with unbeatable and compassionate lawyers.   In order to keep on top of the competitors, the companys IT department requires upgrading their infrastructure to be more efficient and reliable for research and documents to be exchanged. However the company is limited in the amount of money they can spend on the upgrade and cloud computing alternatives are not cheap. In order to develop accurate conceptual models for comparison of different possible solutions to the situation, first the problem has to be identified by recognizing the roles, norms and values for the people involved within the problem. In case of Crane, Poole and Schmidt the IT department wants to upgrade their infrastructure in order to benefit from the could-computing increasing the company efficiency, productivity and income. As Crane, Poole and Schmidt would be the first company to adopt could-computing technologies, that would give them a significant advantage and more modern approach over competitor companies. The first step is to identify the roles; those roles are social positions being involved within the problem. Those roles are categorized by expected norms or behaviors in it, which is judged by the local values or standards that the person within the position of the role needs to achieve and accomplish. (Checkland 13-328) Role Board of directors   CEO The role of the Board of directors CEO is to manage the firm as well as conclude board meetings in case of larger scale decisions such as upgrade of the IT infrastructure within the Company. They are also responsible for any major contractors and partner companies, as well as conducting and applying new strategies to be ahead of the competitors in their profession. This board is also responsible for granting permissions to any larger scale projects within the company, as well as allowing the required/allocated budget and resources. Norms The standard norms that Board of directors with the CEO should perform include: To carefully analyze the need for a change or the upgrade or the company Monitor financial aspects and act accordingly to the companys best interest Make informed decisions within the best interest of the company Values The values which the role should perform are for the greater good of company so the Board of directors with the CEO will be judged based on the local standards or values: Allocate appropriate budget for the projects Make correct decisions for approval and disapproval, when it comes to projects within the company, strategies used to stay on top of the competitors and/or choice of partners with the firm Role System Analyst The system analyst is responsible for analyzing the current system and its implications, and what could be done to improve it. System analyst will analyze the current system, then design and implement new IT infrastructure. This role is very vital for the upgrade of the IT infrastructure because system analyst will design and implement upgraded IT infrastructure, including both software and hardware requirements. Norms A system analyst has certain norms that his role requires to perform, these norms include: Study the current infrastructure to identify its strong and weak points Design a new infrastructure with necessary hardware and software requirements Implement and test new infrastructure and report back to the IT Department Administrator Values As for the values which the role is expected to achieve, are as follows: Managing the upgrade within the deadline Managing the upgrade within a given budget Reviewing the progress of the implementation Determine possible options for the upgrade, including hardware and software requirements. Communication with the IT department and third-party online cloud based solutions. Role IT Department Administrator The administrator of the IT department (henceforth admin) is a crucial role to a company; because the administration department is responsible for smooth flow of information between different departments within the company. The role of administrator of any department comes with specific responsibilities which need to be fulfilled. In this case: managing the IT department, any projects that incorporate the IT department, manage the performance of department and its impact on the company, as well as managing the approved budget for the department and IT infrastructure of the company. (Mishra) Norms With the role of an admin of a department there are specific norms that the role should exhibit, these involve: To be able to improve employees capability to manage and organize the workplace in professional and effective manner Advance a suitable assets management approach Advance a suitable workplace management approach Capable of creating administrative procedures Capable of planning and controlling given budget for the department Values A role of administrator also requires specific values to be achieved by occupant of that role. As for the occupant of the role these values are what the occupant is judged on. The occupant needs to be able to manage and plan budget well for the department Admin also is required to manage the department to ensure professional and efficient working standard Admin is also required to ensure the IT infrastructure of the firm is working without any complications Role Financial Manager The role of a financial manager is to be responsible for financial condition of the company; their job involves data analysis and advising senior managers on different strategies for maximizing the company profit. The financial manager will be responsible for calculating the budget for the upgrade of the IT infrastructure; they will calculate costs for upgrade of the infrastructure but also the estimated savings achieved by this upgrade. (Derweesh, Schnitzer and Stettin) Norms The standards that the financial manager must achieve in his performance are as follows: Organize business motion reports and financial statements Ensure legal requirements are achieved by observing over the financial details Assist the management in financial judgments Analyze company financial records and position and seek a new strategies for cost reduction Perform analysis of the market to spot potential possibilities for increase of the company and obtaining new companies Values A role of financial manager is not easy and often requires working in-collaboration with executives group, CEOs and administrative boards. This role is assessed by certain values which include: Financial condition of the firm Net income of the company Costs and Cost reduction strategies Making sure that all of the legal requirements are met for any transaction performed by the company. Role End-user The end-user group is a role in which the employees of the firm, is a role that is important where each employee is doing their designated tasks in order to improve the growth, efficiency and functionality of the firm. Those employees are using the companys IT infrastructure on daily basis changing it will also have a specific impact on those end-users. Norms Norms that belong to end-user role are: Performing their part in the company and professionally and efficiently deal with the tasks assigned Be responsible for customer data safety and integrity Use the company IT services for work on daily basis Values The values which this role should exhibit are: Perform the job/task professionally, ethically, lawfully and efficiently Work with customers and their data Always represent company in a good name Do not use companys IT services for reasons not associated with work Role Third-Party Companies Another role involved with this upgrade is third-party cloud companies,   which will be used in the upgrade of the infrastructure. Those companies occupy a role where they are responsible for providing cloud-based service to the company and all of its employees, as well as ensuring the safety of the firm and customer data. Norms The norms that this role should exhibit are as follows: 99.9% uptime of the servers and the service Good data security Good customer support Variable price range and different package options Good back-up and disaster recovery planning Values This role also has its values which need to be achieved in order to be recognized as a professional company and service in the industry. Those values are what the companies providing the service are judged on, these include: Uptime of the servers providing the service Amount of security breaches the company has had Techniques for security of the data Price being comparable to the competitors Quality of the customer support Quality of the service Rich Picture The root definitions are used to logically figure out what steps the company will need to undertake, to achieve the desired outcome of the definition. The root definition comes from CATWOE analysis which consists of six stages, including; client, actors, transformation, world view, owner and environment. (Simonsen 1-18), (Williams 1-20) C Client As the receiving party, client in this scenario are the end-users of the system (employees using the current IT infrastructure), the main issue that the client has is that they are comfortable with the current IT infrastructure and they do not want any changes, additionally the end-users are not happy that they have to go through additional training to get used to new system while dealing with the customers. Even though the clients like the idea of a cloud based infrastructure, they are afraid about their ability to perform their tasks on a new system, thinking that the company will increase its profits while the employees will have to work with new and unfamiliar infrastructure. A Actors The actors are the roles which will perform the Transformation (T), people involved in the upgrade of the IT infrastructure are the board of directors and CEOs, IT department admin, financial manager and system analyst. The impact which they will experience is additional work for most of the sides, as well as additional costs to higher system analyst and the budget for the upgrade. The final decision is going to be made by the board of directors and CEOs whether the upgrade is possible/ required or neither. The actors which work in the company may not be happy about additional costs and work, however they know the reason for this upgrade is to constantly stand out above the competitors, at the same time they see benefits for the work flow within the company. T- Transformation The process of transformation in this case is the process of taking inputs which are the opinions of the employees as to see what they think about the cloud based infrastructure and transforming that into the system requirements for the end-users. As well as taking current IT system hardware and software resources and transforming them into an extra budget for the upgrade, what resources are needed and which can be sold that decision will be made by the IT department administrator. The overall budget will be allocated by the board of directors and CEOs influenced by the opinion from the financial manager. In order for the transformation to be successful certain steps need to be undertaken. First step would be for the CEOs to decide whether the upgrade is required or not, after which they would consult with the financial manager which could calculate estimated budget available for the upgrade. The approval for the upgrade along with the budget would be given to the admin of the IT department which then will be required to employ system analyst who will handle the upgrade within the estimated budget, and they will be responsible for finding system requirements by obtaining opinion from the end-users. System analyst will also be required to deal with 3rd party cloud service providers. (Simonsen 1-18) The output from this transformation will be increased working efficiency as the end-users will be able to perform some of the tasks in the comfort of their own home; additionally the reduction in hardware will increase company income as well as reduction in the personnel due to surplus to requirements will increase the company savings. The admin of the IT department will then develop a training program for the end-users. W World View The upgrade of the IT infrastructure is necessary for the company to stand out above the competitor in the industry, overall increasing the company productivity and profits. In a greater scheme of things, law firms are very strict about their working ethics and are not keen for any big changes as this could have an impact not only on the working efficiency of the employees but also on the customers which put trust into the company. As technology progresses increasing the benefits for many businesses, law firms also need to adapt to stay within the market and be viable to the target audience. In the bigger picture companies with a fast and reliable IT system can process and handle more customers at once increasing the profit, however as law firms are recognized as very respectful companies any mistakes made can have a dramatic impact on the customer basis and their trust. The wider impact of the solution is to not only increase company profit by upgrading to cloud but also to reduce hardware resources in effect becoming more eco-friendly, allowing the employees to work from home by connecting to cloud services as a result increasing the area of work to work with more customers, aside from cost and staff reduction the company will be noticeable as more modern with the same professional and ethical approach which will increase its popularity with the industry. O Owner The owner which is responsible for the upgrade and the IT system is the admin of the IT department, however the main owner are the CEOs of the firm, ultimately every bigger decision goes through them and they decide what to do as they give out the permission for the process and the budget. The owner is limited in the amount of assistance they can provide due to dealing with other projects, contracts and competitors, they can provide the permission for the upgrade and the budget but the rest of decision making and responsibility lies with the admin of the IT department. If the main owner would be constantly changing their mind on the allocated budget or the admin of the IT department would not be able to implement and manage the new system that could get in the way. However with a good level of communication with the CEOs is kept and all the benefits along with the design of the new system would be presented to them, that could potentially lead the owner to help out even more by for example making the budget more flexible. E Environment When it comes to changes within the system and how to company operates there are environmental constraints that need to be fellfield, these can range from simple in company rules/ guidelines to legislations and regulations necessary for the company lawful functionality. There are current laws and regulations which the company has to follow such as Data Protection Act 1998, Legal Services Act 2007, the Health and Safety Act 1974 and Companies Act 2006. All of those regulations and legislations are in place as the firm is responsible for protecting and promoting the public interest. Aside from the laws and regulations already in place, in order to perform transformation processes there are environmental aspects to take into consideration when picking partners which will provide the service. As the law firms deals with not only the company data but also customer data, when performing the upgrade the service provides should ensure the full Safe Harbour agreement if any or all information would be stored outside the EEA. The service provider also should ensure that the communication between the employees that are working on the move is secured, as well as the provider should ensure 24h access to the service. Additionally the service should have compliance with ISO 20071 and must include requirements of the SRA Code of Conduct. Root definition One A system administered by the admin of the IT department owned by CEOs Crane, Poole and Schmidt, requires upgrade due to the system being slow and not secure. Upgrading to cloud based alternatives would sort out the matter of security as well as storage. By upgrading to cloud computing as a result there will be a reduction of human resources in the office allowing the end-users to travel to client locations increasing in company productivity, reputation and services. Because of the transformation certain new legislations and policy comes into place, not only keeping the use of service for professional and ethical reasons, ensuring data integrity by following Data Protection Act 1998 and ensure that no end-user will breach regulations such as Computer Misuse Act 1990. By moving into the cloud computing some new challenges could be created where some of the customer basis could have a doubt about their private data being stored somewhere in an unknown location. Using the service providers that are based only within the EEA is a must as it ensures data protection laws additionally the service provider should ideally also follow SRA Code of Conduct. However another way to ease those in doubt would be to implement a hybrid system where some of the data is stored locally and some of the data is stored on secure servers in the cloud. Also the use of encryption software to automatically encrypt company documents and customer data would put additional level of security in place. (Burge 1-14) C Client As a client in this case customers are the main recipients of the benefit from the upgrade of the infrastructure as they will be able appointments done not only in the office but also over the internet and in the comfort of their own home. The employees will be able to carry their data and files with them to the customer location and present all the information there by accessing the company data, stored on a secure server in the cloud. A Actors As for the people performing the transformation, actors include the main directors and CEOs which will be able to approve and provide the budget for the upgrade, financial manager will assist CEOs in budget allocation and admin of the IT department with budget management. The admin will be responsible for management of the upgrade and training for the end-users, he will also employ a system analyst for advice and guidance during the upgrade. T Transformation Transformation is focused on reduction of the redundant resources and implementing a cloud-based infrastructure which will be used by end-users to do the honors for the customers, increasing the employee productivity, company income and customer satisfaction. The entities responsible for the upgrade are the admin of the IT department with the assistance of system analyst and financial manager. Another important factor of the transformation is the review of the performance and income to be able to take improvement action to constantly improve. W World View A good and well respected company in the industry always has to take into consideration their impact and opinion on society, target audience, customers and other parties. Cloud computing is a new technology that grows rapidly, enabling companies to be more flexible in their line of work and benefiting customers by delivering the service to them, additionally reduction in hardware resources will also make the company more eco-friendly. O Owner The real owner of this project is the board of directors CEOs as they make the main and final decisions for the well health being of the company, they are also the entity that has the complete control over the budget designated for the upgrade. By providing sufficient budget and approval for the upgrade the owner assists the actors and improves company reputation, income and efficiency. E Environment As for the environment variable which affect the impacts the upgrade and the company are law legislations, guidelines and regulations which the company has to ensure in order to develop and maintain professional trust with the customers and partners. These legislations would include Data Protection Act 1998, Health and Safety Act 1974 and Legal Services Act 2007. Additionally the company should ensure that the service providers will follow appropriate laws and regulations, such as SRA Code of Conduct (Solicitors Regulation Authority) and ISO 2007/1 guidelines. Root definition Two A system owned by the law firm Crane, Poole and Schmidt, which is under the supervision of the administrator of the IT department serves the end-users which deal with customers on daily basis increasing the company reputation and income. The upgrade of the system is necessary to increase the company productivity and efficiency, by expanding to cloud computing the firm and its employees can work from anywhere at any given time increases the customer base and enhancing the companys productivity and efficiency. As dealing with customer data is crucial for the company functionality, data integrity has to be kept and all of the legislations and regulations to do with the business and customer relations and data have to be followed. (Williams 1-20), (Burge 1-14) (Williams 1-20), (Checkland 13-328) Burge, Stuart. An Overview Of The Soft Systems Methodology. 1st ed. Burge Hughes Walsh, 2015. Web. 3 Mar. 2017. Checkland, Peter. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. 1st ed. Chichester: Wiley, 2002. Print. Derweesh, Zayd, Tom Schnitzer, and Jessie Stettin. The Role Of Financial Managers. Boundless. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. Mishra, Pankaj. Effective Role Of Administration In An Organization. linkedin.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 Mar. 2017. Simonsen, Jesper. Soft Systems Methodology. 1st ed. semanticscholar, 1994. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. Williams, Bob. Rich Pictures And CATWOE: Simple Yet Powerful Scope-Modelling Techniques. 1st ed. bobwilliams, 2005. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

The Role of the Nativity in Magi and Carol of the Brown King :: Magi Carol Brown King Essays

The Role of the Nativity in "Magi" and "Carol of the Brown King"  Ã‚  Ã‚   What were the Three Wise Men searching for when they followed the North Star? They were obviously seeking the Christ child, but they were also searching for the truth and righteousness that he represents. Sylvia Plath in her poem "Magi" and Langston Hughes in his poem "Carol of the Brown King" discuss the merit of their respective minority groups through allusions to the nativity. Plath uses the journey to discuss both the ignorance of philosophers' quest for the "truth" and its neglect of females, and Hughes uses the righteousness of the nativity to emphasize the importance of blacks.    Plath's poem "Magi" ridicules the intellectual's theory-based search for truth: "They mistake their star, these papery godfolk" (15). Instead of searching for the meaning to life through living, they seek it in inanimate books. Plath says of the abstracts, "They're the real thing, all right: the Good, the True," however, her other references to them are contradictory, indicating that this is mockery (6). When she remarks that they "hover like dull angels," she explains that they are not spoiled with anything "so vulgar as a nose or an eye," and yet, what is a face without features (1-2)? These abstracts are "pure as boiled water, loveless as the multiplication table," but how could something so lifeless describe life (8)? By describing the dullness of the abstracts, Plath indicates their unsuitability to guide the search for truth. While the abstracts lead the "papery godfolk" to the "crib of some lamp-headed Plato," Plath leads her readers to the crib of a baby girl (16). While the abstracts are "pure as boiled water" the infant is also pure: "the heavy notion of Evil attending her cot is less than a belly ache" (7,13). However, although the theory-filled abstracts are "loveless as the multiplication table," the child is nourished by "Love the mother of milk, no theory" (8,14). The abstracts' truth is founded in theory; the baby's truth is founded in love. Plath is content that the "papery godfolk" do not seek the crib of her baby girl. "What girl ever flourished in such company?" (18). This question attacks the male-dominated hierarchy in which no women of her time prospered. The main message of Plath's poem is that we learn truth in the school of life, but why did she use a baby girl instead of a boy?

A Game of Thrones Chapter Eight

Bran The hunt left at dawn. The king wanted wild boar at the feast tonight. Prince Joffrey rode with his father, so Robb had been allowed to join the hunters as well. Uncle Benjen, Jory, Theon Greyjoy, Ser Rodrik, and even the queen's funny little brother had all ridden out with them. It was the last hunt, after all. On the morrow they left for the south. Bran had been left behind with Jon and the girls and Rickon. But Rickon was only a baby and the girls were only girls and Jon and his wolf were nowhere to be found. Bran did not look for him very hard. He thought Jon was angry at him. Jon seemed to be angry at everyone these days. Bran did not know why. He was going with Uncle Ben to the Wall, to join the Night's Watch. That was almost as good as going south with the king. Robb was the one they were leaving behind, not Jon. For days, Bran could scarcely wait to be off. He was going to ride the kingsroad on a horse of his own, not a pony but a real horse. His father would be the Hand of the King, and they were going to live in the red castle at King's Landing, the castle the Dragonlords had built. Old Nan said there were ghosts there, and dungeons where terrible things had been done, and dragon heads on the walls. It gave Bran a shiver just to think of it, but he was not afraid. How could he be afraid? His father would be with him, and the king with all his knights and sworn swords. Bran was going to be a knight himself someday, one of the Kingsguard. Old Nan said they were the finest swords in all the realm. There were only seven of them, and they wore white armor and had no wives or children, but lived only to serve the king. Bran knew all the stories. Their names were like music to him. Serwyn of the Mirror Shield. Ser Ryam Redwyne. Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. The twins Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, who had died on one another's swords hundreds of years ago, when brother fought sister in the war the singers called the Dance of the Dragons. The White Bull, Gerold Hightower. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. Barristan the Bold. Two of the Kingsguard had come north with King Robert. Bran had watched them with fascination, never quite daring to speak to them. Ser Boros was a bald man with a jowly face, and Ser Meryn had droopy eyes and a beard the color of rust. Ser Jaime Lannister looked more like the knights in the stories, and he was of the Kingsguard too, but Robb said he had killed the old mad king and shouldn't count anymore. The greatest living knight was Ser Barristan Selmy, Barristan the Bold, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Father had promised that they would meet Ser Barristan when they reached King's Landing, and Bran had been marking the days on his wall, eager to depart, to see a world he had only dreamed of and begin a life he could scarcely imagine. Yet now that the last day was at hand, suddenly Bran felt lost. Winterfell had been the only home he had ever known. His father had told him that he ought to say his farewells today, and he had tried. After the hunt had ridden out, he wandered through the castle with his wolf at his side, intending to visit the ones who would be left behind, Old Nan and Gage the cook, Mikken in his smithy, Hodor the stableboy who smiled so much and took care of his pony and never said anything but â€Å"Hodor,† the man in the glass gardens who gave him a blackberry when he came to visit . . . But it was no good. He had gone to the stable first, and seen his pony there in its stall, except it wasn't his pony anymore, he was getting a real horse and leaving the pony behind, and all of a sudden Bran just wanted to sit down and cry. He turned and ran off before Hodor and the other stableboys could see the tears in his eyes. That was the end of his farewells. Instead Bran spent the morning alone in the godswood, trying to teach his wolf to fetch a stick, and failing. The wolfling was smarter than any of the hounds in his father's kennel and Bran would have sworn he understood every word that was said to him, but he showed very little interest in chasing sticks. He was still trying to decide on a name. Robb was calling his Grey Wind, because he ran so fast. Sansa had named hers Lady, and Arya named hers after some old witch queen in the songs, and little Rickon called his Shaggydog, which Bran thought was a pretty stupid name for a direwolf. Jon's wolf, the white one, was Ghost. Bran wished he had thought of that first, even though his wolf wasn't white. He had tried a hundred names in the last fortnight, but none of them sounded right. Finally he got tired of the stick game and decided to go climbing. He hadn't been up to the broken tower for weeks with everything that had happened, and this might be his last chance. He raced across the godswood, taking the long way around to avoid the pool where the heart tree grew. The heart tree had always frightened him; trees ought not have eyes, Bran thought, or leaves that looked like hands. His wolf came sprinting at his heels. â€Å"You stay here,† he told him at the base of the sentinel tree near the armory wall. â€Å"Lie down. That's right. Now stay—† The wolf did as he was told. Bran scratched him behind the ears, then turned away, jumped, grabbed a low branch, and pulled himself up. He was halfway up the tree, moving easily from limb to limb, when the wolf got to his feet and began to howl. Bran looked back down. His wolf fell silent, staring up at him through slitted yellow eyes. A strange chill went through him. He began to climb again. Once more the wolf howled. â€Å"Quiet,† he yelled. â€Å"Sit down. Stay. You're worse than Mother.† The howling chased him all the way up the tree, until finally he jumped off onto the armory roof and out of sight. The rooftops of Winterfell were Bran's second home. His mother often said that Bran could climb before he could walk. Bran could not remember when he first learned to walk, but he could not remember when he started to climb either, so he supposed it must be true. To a boy, Winterfell was a grey stone labyrinth of walls and towers and courtyards and tunnels spreading out in all directions. In the older parts of the castle, the halls slanted up and down so that you couldn't even be sure what floor you were on. The place had grown over the centuries like some monstrous stone tree, Maester Luwin told him once, and its branches were gnarled and thick and twisted, its roots sunk deep into the earth. When he got out from under it and scrambled up near the sky, Bran could see all of Winterfell in a glance. He liked the way it looked, spread out beneath him, only birds wheeling over his head while all the life of the castle went on below. Bran could perch for hours among the shapeless, rain-worn gargoyles that brooded over the First Keep, watching it all: the men drilling with wood and steel in the yard, the cooks tending their vegetables in the glass garden, restless dogs running back and forth in the kennels, the silence of the godswood, the girls gossiping beside the washing well. It made him feel like he was lord of the castle, in a way even Robb would never know. It taught him Winterfell's secrets too. The builders had not even leveled the earth; there were hills and valleys behind the walls of Winterfell. There was a covered bridge that went from the fourth floor of the bell tower across to the second floor of the rookery. Bran knew about that. And he knew you could get inside the inner wall by the south gate, climb three floors and run all the way around Winterfell through a narrow tunnel in the stone, and then come out on ground level at the north gate, with a hundred feet of wall looming over you. Even Maester Luwin didn't know that, Bran was convinced. His mother was terrified that one day Bran would slip off a wall and kill himself. He told her that he wouldn't, but she never believed him. Once she made him promise that he would stay on the ground. He had managed to keep that promise for almost a fortnight, miserable every day, until one night he had gone out the window of his bedroom when his brothers were fast asleep. He confessed his crime the next day in a fit of guilt. Lord Eddard ordered him to the godswood to cleanse himself. Guards were posted to see that Bran remained there alone all night to reflect on his disobedience. The next morning Bran was nowhere to be seen. They finally found him fast asleep in the upper branches of the tallest sentinel in the grove. As angry as he was, his father could not help but laugh. â€Å"You're not my son,† he told Bran when they fetched him down, â€Å"you're a squirrel. So be it. If you must climb, then climb, but try not to let your mother see you.† Bran did his best, although he did not think he ever really fooled her. Since his father would not forbid it, she turned to others. Old Nan told him a story about a bad little boy who climbed too high and was struck down by lightning, and how afterward the crows came to peck out his eyes. Bran was not impressed. There were crows' nests atop the broken tower, where no one ever went but him, and sometimes he filled his pockets with corn before he climbed up there and the crows ate it right out of his hand. None of them had ever shown the slightest bit of interest in pecking out his eyes. Later, Maester Luwin built a little pottery boy and dressed him in Bran's clothes and flung him off the wall into the yard below, to demonstrate what would happen to Bran if he fell. That had been fun, but afterward Bran just looked at the maester and said, â€Å"I'm not made of clay. And anyhow, I never fall.† Then for a while the guards would chase him whenever they saw him on the roofs, and try to haul him down. That was the best time of all. It was like playing a game with his brothers, except that Bran always won. None of the guards could climb half so well as Bran, not even Jory. Most of the time they never saw him anyway. People never looked up. That was another thing he liked about climbing; it was almost like being invisible. He liked how it felt too, pulling himself up a wall stone by stone, fingers and toes digging hard into the small crevices between. He always took off his boots and went barefoot when he climbed; it made him feel as if he had four hands instead of two. He liked the deep, sweet ache it left in the muscles afterward. He liked the way the air tasted way up high, sweet and cold as a winter peach. He liked the birds: the crows in the broken tower, the tiny little sparrows that nested in cracks between the stones, the ancient owl that slept in the dusty loft above the old armory. Bran knew them all. Most of all, he liked going places that no one else could go, and seeing the grey sprawl of Winterfell in a way that no one else ever saw it. It made the whole castle Bran's secret place. His favorite haunt was the broken tower. Once it had been a watchtower, the tallest in Winterfell. A long time ago, a hundred years before even his father had been born, a lightning strike had set it afire. The top third of the structure had collapsed inward, and the tower had never been rebuilt. Sometimes his father sent ratters into the base of the tower, to clean out the nests they always found among the jumble of fallen stones and charred and rotten beams. But no one ever got up to the jagged top of the structure now except for Bran and the crows. He knew two ways to get there. You could climb straight up the side of the tower itself, but the stones were loose, the mortar that held them together long gone to ash, and Bran never liked to put his full weight on them. The best way was to start from the godswood, shinny up the tall sentinel, and cross over the armory and the guards hall, leaping roof to roof, barefoot so the guards wouldn't hear you overhead. That brought you up to the blind side of the First Keep, the oldest part of the castle, a squat round fortress that was taller than it looked. Only rats and spiders lived there now but the old stones still made for good climbing. You could go straight up to where the gargoyles leaned out blindly over empty space, and swing from gargoyle to gargoyle, hand over hand, around to the north side. From there, if you really stretched, you could reach out and pull yourself over to the broken tower where it leaned close. The last part was the scramble up the blackened stones to the eyrie, no more than ten feet, and then the crows would come round to see if you'd brought any corn. Bran was moving from gargoyle to gargoyle with the ease of long practice when he heard the voices. He was so startled he almost lost his grip. The First Keep had been empty all his life. â€Å"I do not like it,† a woman was saying. There was a row of windows beneath him, and the voice was drifting out of the last window on this side. â€Å"You should be the Hand.† â€Å"Gods forbid,† a man's voice replied lazily. â€Å"It's not an honor I'd want. There's far too much work involved.† Bran hung, listening, suddenly afraid to go on. They might glimpse his feet if he tried to swing by. â€Å"Don't you see the danger this puts us in?† the woman said. â€Å"Robert loves the man like a brother.† â€Å"Robert can barely stomach his brothers. Not that I blame him. Stannis would be enough to give anyone indigestion.† â€Å"Don't play the fool. Stannis and Renly are one thing, and Eddard Stark is quite another. Robert will listen to Stark. Damn them both. I should have insisted that he name you, but I was certain Stark would refuse him.† â€Å"We ought to count ourselves fortunate,† the man said. â€Å"The king might as easily have named one of his brothers, or even Littlefinger, gods help us. Give me honorable enemies rather than ambitious ones, and I'll sleep more easily by night.† They were talking about Father, Bran realized. He wanted to hear more. A few more feet . . . but they would see him if he swung out in front of the window. â€Å"We will have to watch him carefully,† the woman said. â€Å"I would sooner watch you,† the man said. He sounded bored. â€Å"Come back here.† â€Å"Lord Eddard has never taken any interest in anything that happened south of the Neck,† the woman said. â€Å"Never. I tell you, he means to move against us. Why else would he leave the seat of his power?† â€Å"A hundred reasons. Duty. Honor. He yearns to write his name large across the book of history, to get away from his wife, or both. Perhaps he just wants to be warm for once in his life.† â€Å"His wife is Lady Arryn's sister. It's a wonder Lysa was not here to greet us with her accusations.† Bran looked down. There was a narrow ledge beneath the window, only a few inches wide. He tried to lower himself toward it. Too far. He would never reach. â€Å"You fret too much. Lysa Arryn is a frightened cow.† â€Å"That frightened cow shared Jon Arryn's bed.† â€Å"If she knew anything, she would have gone to Robert before she fled King's Landing.† â€Å"When he had already agreed to foster that weakling son of hers at Casterly Rock? I think not. She knew the boy's life would be hostage to her silence. She may grow bolder now that he's safe atop the Eyrie.† â€Å"Mothers.† The man made the word sound like a curse. â€Å"I think birthing does something to your minds. You are all mad.† He laughed. It was a bitter sound. â€Å"Let Lady Arryn grow as bold as she likes. Whatever she knows, whatever she thinks she knows, she has no proof.† He paused a moment. â€Å"Or does she?† â€Å"Do you think the king will require proof?† the woman said. â€Å"I tell you, he loves me not.† â€Å"And whose fault is that, sweet sister?† Bran studied the ledge. He could drop down. It was too narrow to land on, but if he could catch hold as he fell past, pull himself up . . . except that might make a noise, draw them to the window. He was not sure what he was hearing, but he knew it was not meant for his ears. â€Å"You are as blind as Robert,† the woman was saying. â€Å"If you mean I see the same thing, yes,† the man said. â€Å"I see a man who would sooner die than betray his king.† â€Å"He betrayed one already, or have you forgotten?† the woman said. â€Å"Oh, I don't deny he's loyal to Robert, that's obvious. What happens when Robert dies and Joff takes the throne? And the sooner that comes to pass, the safer we'll all be. My husband grows more restless every day. Having Stark beside him will only make him worse. He's still in love with the sister, the insipid little dead sixteen-year-old. How long till he decides to put me aside for some new Lyanna?† Bran was suddenly very frightened. He wanted nothing so much as to go back the way he had come, to find his brothers. Only what would he tell them? He had to get closer, Bran realized. He had to see who was talking. The man sighed. â€Å"You should think less about the future and more about the pleasures at hand.† â€Å"Stop that!† the woman said. Bran heard the sudden slap of flesh on flesh, then the man's laughter. Bran pulled himself up, climbed over the gargoyle, crawled out onto the roof. This was the easy way. He moved across the roof to the next gargoyle, right above the window of the room where they were talking. â€Å"All this talk is getting very tiresome, sister,† the man said. â€Å"Come here and be quiet.† Bran sat astride the gargoyle, tightened his legs around it, and swung himself around, upside down. He hung by his legs and slowly stretched his head down toward the window. The world looked strange upside down. A courtyard swam dizzily below him, its stones still wet with melted snow. Bran looked in the window. Inside the room, a man and a woman were wrestling. They were both naked. Bran could not tell who they were. The man's back was to him, and his body screened the woman from view as he pushed her up against a wall. There were soft, wet sounds. Bran realized they were kissing. He watched, wide-eyed and frightened, his breath tight in his throat. The man had a hand down between her legs, and he must have been hurting her there, because the woman started to moan, low in her throat. â€Å"Stop it,† she said, â€Å"stop it, stop it. Oh, please . . . † But her voice was low and weak, and she did not push him away. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, his tangled golden hair, and pulled his face down to her breast. Bran saw her face. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, moaning. Her golden hair swung from side to side as her head moved back and forth, but still he recognized the queen. He must have made a noise. Suddenly her eyes opened, and she was staring right at him. She screamed. Everything happened at once then. ‘ The woman pushed the man away wildly, shouting and pointing. Bran tried to pull himself up, bending double as he reached for the gargoyle. He was in too much of a hurry. His hand scraped uselessly across smooth stone, and in his panic his legs slipped, and suddenly he was failing. There was an instant of vertigo, a sickening lurch as the window flashed past. He shot out a hand, grabbed for the ledge, lost it, caught it again with his other hand. He swung against the building, hard. The impact took the breath out of him. Bran dangled, one-handed, panting. Faces appeared in the window above him. The queen. And now Bran recognized the man beside her. They looked as much alike as reflections in a mirror. â€Å"He saw us,† the woman said shrilly. â€Å"So he did,† the man said. Bran's fingers started to slip. He grabbed the ledge with his other hand. Fingernails dug into unyielding stone. The man reached down. â€Å"Take my hand,† he said. â€Å"Before you fall.† Bran seized his arm and held on tight with all his strength. The man yanked him up to the ledge. â€Å"What are you doing?† the woman demanded. The man ignored her. He was very strong. He stood Bran up on the sill. â€Å"How old are you, boy?† â€Å"Seven,† Bran said, shaking with relief. His fingers had dug deep gouges in the man's forearm. He let go sheepishly. The man looked over at the woman. â€Å"The things I do for love,† he said with loathing. He gave Bran a shove. Screaming, Bran went backward out the window into empty air. There was nothing to grab on to. The courtyard rushed up to meet him. Somewhere off in the distance, a wolf was howling. Crows circled the broken tower, waiting for corn.

Madoff Case

20102004 Thi Ngoc Thuy Do 1. What are the ethical issues involved in the Madoff case? Bernard Madoff was accused of fraud and creation of a Ponzi scheme which lead to a $65 billion investment loss for hundreds of investors in over the world. Bernard Madoff started a legal business by buying and selling over the counter stocks that were not listed on NYSE. He deceived many people into thinking his operation as legitimate, and completely abused his respectable name and position of power for his own personal advances.He lied to his friends and clients from the beginning and as later documented in his allocution, he never invested any of the money he got. He became a thief. Madoff started a Ponzi scheme on levels never seen before. Madoff stole from friends, family and investors. Madoff did not invest the money as he promised; he simply used it to pay off the first set of investors at very high return rates (10-12%), so he could attract more money. There were also jobs given to family me mbers who could have helped the scheme. Madoff’s daughter was also married to a former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney.His company’s financial reports were never made public during the time of the scheme. I wonder how his company passed the tax audition imposed question on the SEC internal system. There is a big question for US government system. 2. Do you believe that Bernard Madoff worked alone, or do you think he had help in creating and sustaining his Ponzi scheme? Would this represent a conflict of interest? â€Å"Speaking as a Jew on Christmas, I would be less shocked if Santa Claus showed up to my house than if Bernie Madoff pulled off this fraud alone,† says Ron Geffner, a partner at law firm.So,I definitely believe Bernard Madoff did not work alone, he had help in creating and sustaining his Poniz scheme for 30 years. Without his accountants, family members, and other employees covering up his tracks, he wouldn't have gotten away with mislea ding so many officials who certified his operation as legitimate. Since these people were satisfied with the constant returns. They all shared in an expensive living condition, nobody questioned was made. Without these people, Madoff wouldn't have held up his operation for so long. Why internal accounting and auditing make no sense or Madoffs action. How Madoff elude investigation of SEC by transfer between his account and his familys account, those questions show that   Bernard Madoff need others help, he could not do these alone. The motivation of Madoff to set  Ponze scheme is very pure which only for money. The conflict of interest exists, the conflict  is between personal interest and public interest, Madoff and his family enjoys their luxury life style by cheating, public interest gets hurt. 3. What should be done to help ensure that Ponzi schemes like Madoff's do not happen in the future?In order to prevent Ponzi schemes from recurring, internal controls and compliance standards that detect misconduct must be implemented. Awareness on these types of crimes needs to be raised as well. Investors should pay closer attention and realize that just because someone may seem to have a perfect resume, doesn't mean they're completely well fit and will act ethically. The market is unpredictable, so no one can ensure 100% for your interest in future. Furthermore, Government should run SEC effectively, so people can trust them before incident occur.

How does Shakespeare Create Comedy in A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example

How does Shakespeare Create Comedy in A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example How does Shakespeare Create Comedy in A Midsummer Nights Dream Paper How does Shakespeare Create Comedy in A Midsummer Nights Dream Paper Essay Topic: Literature I am writing an essay based on the several ways Shakespeare creates comedy in A Midsummer Nights Dream. I will start by explaining the visual humour first, followed by the aural humour and ending with my conclusion that gives an overall evaluation of Shakespeares presentation of humour in this play. Doing this I will hope to find out how a contemporary audience still finds the play humorous just as an Elizabethan audience did four hundred years ago. Plays are meant to be performed and therefore the visual aspect of them is very important when examining an aspect of the play. They are not like books where the reader must imagine the pictures in his/her head. Some plays can be performed over the radio but they rely completely on aural skills to be appreciated. A Midsummer Nights Dream would lose much of its humour were the audience only able to listen to it. There is a lot of visual humour to be appreciated within this play. An example of this is when the lovers chase each other through the woods. Both men, Lysander and Demetrius, are in love with only one woman, Hermia. Helena just follows Demetrius like a lost puppy, obsessively declaring her love for him. Demetrius: Ill run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, and leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Helena: The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will. The story shall be changed. No matter how repulsed Demetrius seems, Helena will not take no for an answer and maintains stalking him throughout the woods. After Lysander falls in blind love with Helena, she becomes suspicious and confused making it impossible for the audience not to laugh when Hermia and Helena provide one of the most comical scenes of the play, the catfight. Together they scream amusing accusations to each other as then men start to fight. Hermia: O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom, you thief of love. What, have you come by night and stolen my loves heart from him? Helena: Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, no touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear impatient answers from my gentle tongue? Fie, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you! An Elizabethan audience as well as a contemporary audience would have found this hilarious, considering how this it is such a weak argument. Shakespeare also shows a great deal of hilarity when all of the Elizabethan workmen take a shot at acting. Bottom recommends a prologue, to show he is in reality Bottom and the lion was in fact snug the joiner so that the ladies would not become frightened and hysterical. He suggested they also cut out all the fighting. This would make the play look very funny considering the play was essentially based on fighting. To top off the whole performance, the men play the rolls of the ladies, and attempt high-pitched voices just to feel the part. Bottom, in my opinion, is the funniest character in the whole. For instance, they are all in the forest and are each given part to play. Bottom is given the part of Pyramus, the manly man that would be perfect for him. is given the part of Thisby, but Bottom jumps at the chance and pleads to get this part and virtually every other part Quince assigns. Its funny the way he over-performs each part to be in the spotlight. Whilst A Midsummer Nights Dream is visually comic, a lot would be lost were there no sound to go with it. The play is rich in Shakespeares language as a tool for creating comedy. I am now going to explore the various ways that the language is used to this effect. A lot of enjoyable malapropism is in this play. Bottom displays this plenty of times when rehearsing and performing the play. Annoying Quince, he tends to say ninny quite a lot of times instead of Ninus, ninny meaning stupid or foolish. Quince also makes the same mistake when Bottoms head is turned into an ass head. Quince confuses his words and tells him thou art translated when really he intended to say transformed. Bottom says, What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own do you? This is ironic, bearing in mind only the audience can see that he himself has the head of an ass and he just happens to come out with this. His voice as a donkey is very funny and husky in comparison to Titanias gentle voice, and when she speaks to him as though is any ordinary person, it will leave the audience in hysterics. The four lovers bring aural comedy into the play with their content of language. Just the manner of the words Demetrius uses is enough to make anyone laugh when he says; I would rather feed his (Lysanders) carcass to my hounds. Shakespeare has took a pleasant man and fed him funny language used in context in this way. Hermia gets labelled a lot of things, and all because of her size. One of the things Lysander identifies her with, is a bead. But he does not stop there, and continues to compare her with an acorn of all things. I believe the whole play relies on every form of comedy. It would not have the same hysteria if it had only the aural comedy and equally the other way round with Visual humour. I dont feel that the play would have had as much of a humorous affect if it had a miserable ending. The audience would see the unhappy ending and have that fixed in their head blocking out the funny side of the play. Shakespeares made this play comical by using witty humour, offending characters in an amusing way and even providing visual hilarious scenes that not only an Elizabethan audience would find funny but a contemporary audience would, just as much. But saying that, there were a lot of scenes where it just wouldnt be funny to a contemporary audience because the humour has matured a lot more than it wouldve been in the sixteenth century. For example, all the men who played the womens parts, this would be extremely amusing for a sixteenth century audience because in those days things were different and it was uncommon. An audience today would have seen this so many times in reality that the funny side of it would have just worn off. I personally only found slight parts of the book funny and the video moderately funny. Whether Id find the film funny or not I think relies totally on the director and whether he feels the comedy he adds in is appropriate or pointless. Hes the only one who can decide the comedy involved in the play and just hope the audience enjoy it.

Compare Contrst Greek And Roman Women Essays - Ancient Rome

Compare Contrst Greek And Roman Women Essays - Ancient Rome Compare Contrst Greek And Roman Women 21 September 2000 A Comparison Between Greek and Roman Families Through research I have concluded that there are differences and similarities in Greek and Roman families. I hope to prove this fact in the following essay. The Greek family was mostly a nuclear family. It usually consisted of a husband, wife, and their children. The family was considered part of an economic unit. Their primary function in life was to make new citizens. The male of the household was the only person to take part in a social life. Most males thought they owned the polis, the town they lived. They controlled the government and everyone in it. Women were permitted to go to festivals or join religious cults, but they werent permitted to join in political events or be outside the household without an escort. There were exceptions to this if the family was too poor to have slaves to do the shopping. Women were allowed to own small personal items, but not Harper 2 property. Womens main purpose was to keep up the household and to have children. Women received no formal education but they may have a tutor when they were young. They were taught how to do the work expected of them when they were young. Women were also permitted to attend festivals of some kind or a funeral. They were also expected to make all the clothes, blankets and other cloth items. Women were usually married between the ages of 14 and 15. Womens lives were greatly eased if the family had slaves. Then the womens main duties were to watch the slaves to make sure they did the housework. The slaves jobs would include making clothes, farming, shopping and any other task that was needed that day. In Greek life there was a strong presentence of homosexuality. This relationship was usually between a young male and an older man. The older male supposedly taught the younger male about the Greek way of life. It is suggested that a common man did not practice in homosexuality. (Spielvogel, Jackson. 1999 pp.63-64) The Roman families had some similarities and some differences from the Greeks. The dominant male of the family was the paterfamilias he headed the Roman family and kept legal control of his wife and daughter. Unlike the Greeks this household included the paterfamilias, his wife, his sons, his sons wifes, and their children and slaves. The paterfamilias made sure that the religious ceremonies were followed correctly Harper 3 and he ruled over the family. If the paterfamilias died then the oldest male of the family took over. Then he was the legal guardian of the females. As in the Greek world men thought women were weak and should stay in the household, although some women were starting to become successful poets and artists. All fathers arranged their daughters weddings. When married a womens legal control went from her father to her husband. Women had to have legal control by a male until the first century. Then they were married with their fathers legal control. When most women were married the fathers were dead so the women obtained her personal legal control. They could decide what to do and they may own property to make this possible. This allowed for divorces to take place, but they werent introduced until the third century. Women were legally allowed to be married at age 12, but doctors documented that they advised against this act. Just like the Greek world most women were married between the ages of 14 and 15. Most upper class families provided formal education for their daughters rather than as seen in the Greek life. Some of the upper class families bought tutors for their daughters. Women in upper class families had much more freedom and control than others. They were usually not allowed to enter a post school career. (Spielvogel. Jackson 1999 pp. 96-98) Harper 4 In review, there are a few similarities between the Greek and Roman culture some are obvious and some deserve closer examination. 21 September 2000 A Comparison Between Greek and Roman Families Through research I have concluded that there are differences and similarities in Greek and Roman families. I hope to prove this fact

Biography of Actress Marilyn Monroe

Biography of Actress Marilyn Monroe Known for:  celebrity and actress, sex symbol, blonde bombshell Dates:  June 1, 1926 -  August 5, 1962Occupation:  movie actressAlso known as:  Norma Jeane Baker, Norma Jean Baker, Norma Jean Mortenson, Norma Jean MortensenReligion:  Convert to Judaism Early Life Marilyn Monroe, whose name was Norma Jean Baker in childhood, was born to Gladys Mortenson, a film technician, whose husband, Edward Mortenson, deserted the family. Norma Jeans natural father may have actually been another studio employee, C. Stanley Gifford. Gladys mental illness surfaced shortly after her daughters birth, and she was institutionalized much of Norma Jeans growing years. Norma Jean was placed in a series of twelve foster homes, and once in an orphanage. She attended Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles, California. At sixteen, Norma Jean escaped the foster system by marrying 20-year-old James Dougherty. A year later, in 1943, he joined the U.S. Merchant Marine. Norma Jean took a job in an airline plant, part of the World War II factory effort, and worked first as a parachute inspector, then as a paint sprayer. When the government came through to take promotional photographs of the women working in the plant, the brunette Norma Jean learned that she photographed well, took a modeling course, and began working part-time as a photographers model. Success as a photographers model led her to her dream of becoming an actress. In 1946, she divorced Dougherty and bleached her hair to become a blond. She signed a one-year, $125/month contract with Twentieth Century-Fox on August 26, 1946. Ben Lyon, casting director, suggested that she take the name Marilyn, and she added her grandmothers last name, Monroe. Marilyn Monroe as an Actress Marilyn Monroe played one bit part that year, all of which ended up on the cutting room floor. The next year, she signed another one-year contract, this time with Columbia. The results werent any better. In 1950, Marilyn Monroe posed for full-length nude shots, which the photographer Tom Kelley sold for a calendar. That same year, she appeared in a bit part in The Asphalt Jungle, and though her name wasnt even mentioned in the credits, her appearance generated a huge amount of fan mail. Her reputation as a blond bombshell had begun to be established. So Twentieth Century-Fox signed Marilyn Monroe to a new contract - this time, for seven years. She appeared in All About Eve. In 1953, she had her first starring role, in Niagara. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes she sang and, for the first time, she had her own dressing room. In January 1954, Marilyn Monroe married the famous baseball player, Joe DiMaggio. The marriage was short-lived; they divorced in October. Seven Year Itch For the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe appeared in the famous photographic stunt, in a white halter dress, with her skirt blown up by a draft from a sidewalk grate, leaning down to catch her dress so that her cleavage showed. The photograph was used to advertise the film and has become one of the iconic images of Marilyn Monroe. After filming The Seven Year Itch, in which she plays a prototypical dumb blond, Marilyn Monroe decided to work more seriously on her acting skills, to the skepticism of many critics. She broke her movie contract and moved to New York to study at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg for a year. Success ... and Problems In 1955, she founded her own company with Milton Greene, Marilyn Monroe Productions, and signed a new contract with Twentieth Century-Fox. She made the 1956 movie Bus Stop, which wowed the critics, but shed begun to lose herself to self-doubt, depression, drugs, and alcohol. Marilyn Monroe, whose mother and maternal grandparents had all struggled with mental illness and institutionalization, began taking sleeping pills for her insomnia. She regularly consulted psychiatrists. She drank heavily, and began a habit of arriving late to work, and sometimes not being able to work at all. Marriage to Arthur Miller She married Arthur Miller, the playwright, shortly after Bus Stop was released, and for the marriage converted to Judaism. She lived quietly for two years with her new husband. During that time, Miller was fighting his conviction for contempt-of-Congress for refusing to answer two questions before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The marriage, and several miscarriages added to her self-doubt and depression, and to her use of drugs and alcohol. Marilyn Monroes next movie, The Prince and the Showgirl, brought mixed reviews. That was followed by Lets Make Love and an unhappy romantic liaison with co-star Yves Montand. The Misfits was written for Marilyn Monroe by her husband, Arthur Miller. She performed well in the final product, though, during its filming, she was often under the influence of alcohol and pills, and she was notoriously late to the set. Marilyn was affected by the death, two months after the film was completed, of her co-star, Clark Gable. In early 1961, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller divorced. During this period, she was also bothered by many rumors of affairs, including with the President, John F. Kennedy, and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy. Last Months Filming her next project, ironically titled Somethings Got to Give, Marilyns lateness and addictions led to her dismissal after a month. She was briefly committed to a mental hospital. She was approved to return to the film, but never resumed filming. Two months later, in her home in Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe was found by her housekeeper, dead, with an empty bottle of sleeping pills next to her body. The coroner found the death was caused by an overdose of barbiturates and pronounced it a possible suicide. No evidence of foul play was presented to the coroner. Marilyn Monroes funeral was planned by Joe DiMaggio; Lee Strasberg delivered the eulogy. Marilyn Monroes Parents Mother: Gladys Monroe Baker (also called Gladys Pearl Baker or Gladys Monroe Mortenson)Father: Edward Mortenson or C. Stanley Gifford Marilyn Monroes  Husbands James Dougherty (married June 19, 1942; divorced September 13, 1946)Joe DiMaggio (married January 14, 1954; divorced October 27, 1954)Arthur Miller (married June 29, 1956; divorced January 24, 1961) Education Van Nuys High School3-month modeling coursedramatic coach, Natasha LylessActors Lab, Los AngelesActors Studio, New York

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Corporate finance - Essay Example The company’s dividends have also increased over the past year and this shows a level of improvement and bettered operations. The calculation of the CAPM highlights that Super Cheap Auto pays out a higher level of return than the market while the minimum return expected by the shareholders is 9.30%. Also based on the calculation of the WACC, it has been noted that the company requires a minimum return of almost 10.50% from all new projects and this is the rate to be utilised for the investment appraisals in the future. Super Cheap Auto deals with retailing of cars in Australia and New Zealand. This paper aims at analysing the company and discussing the financial aspects of the company. The paper will begin with an overview of the company followed by the current activities of the company. The paper will also discuss the company’s capital structure and aspects of debt and equity that the company operates with. Calculation of the capital asset pricing model and the weighted average cost of capital of the company will also be discussed. Super Cheap Auto Group Limited is a retailer of car products. The company caters to the markets of Australia and New Zealand and provides the country with excellent brands of vehicles as well as automotive parts. The company falls under the NAICS codes of 441310 – which deals with the Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores. Also the SIC Codes that the company operates under are: 5013 – Motor Vehicles Supplies and New Parts Industry Report, 5531 – Auto and Home Supply Stores Industry Report and 5731 - Radio, Television, and Consumer Electronics Stores industry report (High Beam Business, 2010). The company was started as an automotive parts and accessories retailer in Queensland in 1974. Over the years the company has seen immense growth and now operates in over 212 outlets and the in almost every state

Segmentation targeting positioning (stp) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Segmentation targeting positioning (stp) - Essay Example If we talk about positioning, it is the marketing concept, which is related to the creation of product image in target market segments. â€Å"Positioning is what the customer believes about your products value, features, and benefits† (Jackson, 2007). John Williams, who is the author of this article, focuses on the ideas of marketing segmentation along with the concepts of targeting and positioning. He believes that market segmentation means to recognize the diversity of a market and a company can get success in the market if it becomes successful in satisfying the customers by recognizing the needs and demands of each of the target markets. â€Å"The correct way is to segment the market on the basis of the differing desires† (Williams, 2006). He believes segmentation to be the key towards success of the marketing strategy. About targeting, the author believes that it is the process of targeting those market subdivisions where the demand of any specific product or service is high. The author’s stance regarding positioning is that it is the difference between a company’s product and the ongoing competition in the minds of the consumers. The article is a well-written document, which highlights different issues related to market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Williams, J. (2006). Marketing GNOME Part Two: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. Retrieved October 09, 2011 from

Executive Summary- Annual Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Executive Summary- Annual Marketing Plan - Essay Example To address these, a brief background on Sears Holding Corporation would be introduced prior to expounding on the executive summary, as required. The history of Sears Holding Corporation is traced in 1886 when its incorporator, Robert Sears, started selling watches for the purpose of augmenting his source of income as a station agent (Sears: Chronology, 2010, par. 1). With hard work, perseverance and innovative marketing approach, the legendary growth and ability to meet challenges in its business environment led to its continued successful existence after more than a century of serving the customers’ needs. Today, with its merger with Kmart Holdings Corporation in 2005, it is considered the â€Å"fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger (Stores.org, 2006). With the combined efforts of Kmart and Sears, the organization’s executive summary of the marketing plan for the year appears below: Sears Holding Corporation (SHC) has attained a successful profitability performance boasting of â€Å"$1.8 billion of Adjusted EBITDA, an improvement of more than $200 million over 2008† (Sears Holding Corp.: Chairman’s Letter, 2010, par. 1). With the financial success despite the global financial crisis, SHC’s five pillars of marketing strategy assisted in directing all efforts towards growth and improvement, to wit: â€Å"(1) Creating lasting relationships with customers by empowering them to manage their lives; (2) Attaining best in class productivity and efficiency; (3) Building our brands; (4) Reinventing the company continuously through technology and innovation; and (5) Reinforcing â€Å"The SHC Way† by living our values every day† (Sears Holding Corp.: Chairman’s Letter, 2010, pars. 7 – 11). For the coming year, the objectives of the company are summarized herewith: â€Å"(1) focus on new and innovative products for the Kenmore laundry business; (2) enforce leadership through heavy marketing efforts and

Dance movement therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dance movement therapy - Research Paper Example By waiting or first asking the client to attempt an explanation of the content and meaning of the movement statement the therapist can help a further exploration and understanding through a shared dialogue and then possible interpretation by the therapist. Theoretical Orientations The field of dance/movement therapy is based on the belief that healthy functioning depends on the integration of the mind, the body, and the spirit. When there is a lack of such integration, an individual, group, or family may suffer from a variety of psychophysical disorders. Dance/ movement therapy is a form of psychotherapy that utilizes movement as the medium of interaction and intervention promoting change. The following section summarizes the major theoretical orientations within the field of dance/movement therapy. Chace Approach A basic tool for establishing nonverbal relationships used by dance/movement therapists is called mirroring, or attunement. Marian Chace, a major pioneer in the field refle cted, through her own muscular activity, the body movement of her patients. She was able to meet her patients where they were emotionally on a nonverbal, movement level of communication. Marian Chace’s core concepts of working in groups, utilizing rhythmic body action, and communicating through dance and movement are considered fundamental. She states: Dance therapy is the specific use of rhythmic bodily action employed as a tool in the rehabilitation of patients. . . . The dance therapist combines verbal and non-verbal communication to enable a patient to express feeling, to participate in human relationships, to increase personal self-esteem, to develop a more realistic concept of his body image, and through all these to achieve some feeling of relaxation and enjoyment. (Chace, p. 247) Judith Kestenberg calls movement empathy attunement, observing that it involves harmony between movers. Regarding â€Å"complete attunement† (p144) in the mother–infant interact ion, Kestenberg (1999) notes that complete attunement consists of mutual empathy and that â€Å"there is not only a sameness of needs and responses, but also synchronization in rhythms† (p. 161). The experience of attunement requires a process of kinesthetic identification. Muscular tensions felt in one person are also felt in the other. It is not necessary to duplicate the shape of the movement. Visual or touch attunement with a child or adult who is upset can lead to soothing. The degree of tension exhibited by the child or adult can be initially matched and then developed into less intense, more soothing patterns (Loman, 114). An integrated developmental approach draws from psychodynamic, ego psychological, Jungian, and relational models. The approach encompasses a solid movement and body-level understanding of the individual, interpersonal relationships, groups, and family systems throughout the life cycle. The framework for understanding human development, based primaril y on Erik Erikson, Anna Freud, Judith Kestenberg, Jean Baker Miller and colleagues, Margaret Mahler, and Donald Winnicott, fosters awareness of the significant life challenges encountered at each stage of the life cycle. Each stage can be approached from a body–mind–spirit perspective. Object relations theories with their body-movement foundations; provide an understanding of the phases of separation/individuation and the nature of interpersonal rel

Wireless Technologies Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wireless Technologies Proposal - Assignment Example As far as Wi-Fi is concerned, its standards have been established by the IEEE 802.11 (Dubendorf, 2003). This technology has gained much popularity so much so that others such as Bluetooth, IrDA and HomeRF have been deemed obsolete in most cases (Davis, 2004). Wi-Fi offers coverage of up to 50 meters and offers a speed of 7Mbps which is nearly 10 times that of Bluetooth (Dubendorf, 2003). In your company the presence of Wi-Fi would mean that there is no need to purchase equipment for connection of access points, thus saving capital costs. It has been proven that Wi-Fi offers businesses the advantages of enhanced efficiency due to speedier transfer of information between stakeholders, enhanced coverage due to on-the-move connectivity, flexibility in terms of working from home due to wireless links with the business’s database, as well as new product opportunities due to ‘hot spot’ networking (Davis, 2004). However, as is the case with most technologies, Wi-Fi is als o accompanied by its drawbacks. For instance, it is highly susceptible to security attacks by unauthorized users. There may also be issues with installation such as the interference caused by other users of radio signals within the same facility (Firestone, 2008). There may also be certain areas called ‘black spots’ where Wi-Fi offers no connectivity, hence, it is difficult to have consistent signals (Davis, 2004). Finally, your company may also have to bear in mind that Wi-Fi offers a speed lower than that of networks that are wired; hence, the ‘main’ system ought to be wired rather than wireless (Davis, 2004). As far as Bluetooth is concerned, it can be used by Party Plates to allow seamless connection of Bluetooth enabled devices including printers, scanners, cell phones, headsets, computers and keyboards within a range of 10 meters (Dubendorf, 2003). The most obvious advantage of this would be the freeing up of floor space as cables will be eliminated.

Williams Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Williams Syndrome - Essay Example Williams Syndrome A Michael Williams can't go out the door without getting lost, yet can play almost anything. The brains of people with Williams syndrome are on average 15 percent smaller than normal. This size reduction almost comes from underdeveloped dorsal regions (Grice, Spratling, Karmiloff-Smith, Halit, Csibra, de Haan & Johnson, 2001). Because of the missing genes, a Williams person is liable to weakness in some functions regarding space and other abstractions. Fortunately, he is also endowed with some abilities like in processing emotion, sound and language wherein he may excel (Dobbs 2007, Bellugi, et al. 2000). As early as at birth, the Williams child comes faced with visible challenges (Science Daily, 2006). A Williams person, therefore, should not be looked upon as necessarily weird or hopeless. In music, for example, he may be able to excel if given the right preparation (williams-syndrome.org, 2008). Williams syndrome is the deletion of one of the two #7 chromosomes and is missing the gene that makes the protein elastin, a protein which provides strength and elasticity to vessel walls. Named after cardiologist Dr. J.C.P. Williams of New Zealand, and recognized in 1961, it is a rare congenital disorder characterized by physical and development problems. WS persons usually exhibit "elfin-like" facial features, heart and blood vessel problems, irritability during infancy, dental and kidney abnormalities, hyperacusis or sensitive hearing, and musculoskeletal problems (Levitin, Menon, Schmitt, Eliez, White, Glover, Kadis, Korenberg, Bellugi & Reiss, 2003). Williams syndrome is estimated to occur in 1/7,500 births which causes medical and developmental problems (williams-syndrome.org). It is present at birth, and affects males and females equally. It can occur in all ethnic groups and has been identified in countries throughout the world (williams-syndrome.org). Just like autism, this syndrome is a developmental disorder commonly described as having difficulties in integrating perceptual features, i.e. binding spatially separate elements into a whole. (Grice, et al. 2001). Common features of WS There are common features of Williams syndrome and three are most notable: characteristic facial appearance, overly friendly or excessively social personality and developmental delay, learning disabilities and attention deficit (williams-syndrome.org). Characteristic facial appearance. Most young children with Williams syndrome are described as having similar facial features. These features which tend to be recognized by only a trained geneticist or birth defects specialist, include a small upturned nose, long philtrum (upper lip length), wide mouth, full lips, small chin, and puffiness around the eyes. Blue and green-eyed children with Williams syndrome can have a prominent "starburst" or white lacy pattern on their iris. Overly friendly or excessively social personality. Individuals with Williams syndrome have a very endearing personality. They have a unique strength in their expressive language skills, and are extremely polite. They are typically unafraid of strangers and show a greater interest in contact with adults than with their peers. This behavior is opposite to that seen in autism (Bellugi, et al. 1999). This is the same observation noted in

Wireless Technologies Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wireless Technologies Proposal - Assignment Example As far as Wi-Fi is concerned, its standards have been established by the IEEE 802.11 (Dubendorf, 2003). This technology has gained much popularity so much so that others such as Bluetooth, IrDA and HomeRF have been deemed obsolete in most cases (Davis, 2004). Wi-Fi offers coverage of up to 50 meters and offers a speed of 7Mbps which is nearly 10 times that of Bluetooth (Dubendorf, 2003). In your company the presence of Wi-Fi would mean that there is no need to purchase equipment for connection of access points, thus saving capital costs. It has been proven that Wi-Fi offers businesses the advantages of enhanced efficiency due to speedier transfer of information between stakeholders, enhanced coverage due to on-the-move connectivity, flexibility in terms of working from home due to wireless links with the business’s database, as well as new product opportunities due to ‘hot spot’ networking (Davis, 2004). However, as is the case with most technologies, Wi-Fi is als o accompanied by its drawbacks. For instance, it is highly susceptible to security attacks by unauthorized users. There may also be issues with installation such as the interference caused by other users of radio signals within the same facility (Firestone, 2008). There may also be certain areas called ‘black spots’ where Wi-Fi offers no connectivity, hence, it is difficult to have consistent signals (Davis, 2004). Finally, your company may also have to bear in mind that Wi-Fi offers a speed lower than that of networks that are wired; hence, the ‘main’ system ought to be wired rather than wireless (Davis, 2004). As far as Bluetooth is concerned, it can be used by Party Plates to allow seamless connection of Bluetooth enabled devices including printers, scanners, cell phones, headsets, computers and keyboards within a range of 10 meters (Dubendorf, 2003). The most obvious advantage of this would be the freeing up of floor space as cables will be eliminated.

Critical analysis of affected of economic crisis on the luxury brand market Essay Example for Free

Critical analysis of affected of economic crisis on the luxury brand market Essay I- Introduction Luxury Market has been important parts of the global retail market as well an important part of the global economy. Bain Company (2011) estimate the value of traditional luxury market including fashion, jewellery and Dinnerware line represents approximately â‚ ¬ 150 billion to â‚ ¬ 200 billion in 2010 which is an dramatic increase from estimate that the global luxury market was worth about $ 86 billion in 1990 (McKinsey Co, 1990). Since the 1980s, the luxury market has been growing at ten per cent per year. The growth rate of luxury is much higher than the growth rate of the global economy, which makes the luxury industry, relevant and important economic factor in the economy McKinsey (2011). Larousse (2005 p. 762) states: â€Å"Sophistication, which makes the splendour and comfort in the ways to live† The consummation of luxury by customers is due to the motivation to buy specific brands with quality products. The use of its products and consumer motivation are the result of consumption (Ahuvia Wong, 1998). See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay Uncertainties are present in the current economic climate but Bain Company (2011) estimates that the luxury market is going to grow in the coming years at about five to six per cent per year around the world and in Asia with more than a ten percent growth rate. As mass market manufacturing increases, companies want to increase the quality of their luxury products in order to retain their customers (Heine, 2011). A better understanding of the effect of the economic crisis on the luxury fashion brands will be identified and understood for the purposes of understanding the effect of the economic crisis on the luxury product industry. Kapferer, (2009) argues that without clear-cut specification of luxury it is impossible to distinguish the luxury consumer or luxury brand, from others who are not. In this thesis the author will start by explaining the aims and how the author intends to achieve his aims. Then a literature review will be undertaken to try and determine and define what luxury is and define various factors, which make a product luxury. The author will also try and generate a better understanding of why are luxury products important and the different target markets who they is important for. The author will discuss the methods used to complete the study. The Author will then present various factors, which affect the Luxury fashion brands in the economic downturn. Finally the author will provide his findings and conclude discussing the effects of the economic downturn on the luxury fashion market 1. 1 Rational The author has chosen to approach and better understand the world of luxury because of a personal interest at an academic level. In addition, the author being a student of luxury for more than 5 years want to deeper understand how big luxury brand adapted to the economic crisis. 1. 2 Aims Objectives The objective of this thesis is to study and analyse the luxury market and the threats that surround it. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent the economic crisis affects the luxury market. The objective is to understand the concepts implemented by the luxury market during this period of financial crisis. This thesis will be useful for understanding and analysing the luxury market and understand the various tools marketing used. 1. 3 Research question -Understand the luxury market and its operation. -Understanding the economic crisis on the financial market of luxury and magnitude. -Assess the extent to which marketing tools are used during the economic crisis. -Include the importance of consumer and luxury image in marketing. -Evaluate the various threats of the luxury market. 1. 4 Theoretical framework II- Methodology The methodology chapter will allow the researcher to understand and describe the different methods that can be used to successfully complete the objectives of this research project and move towards the aim of the research. Gillham (2000) explained that some methods are more appropriate depending on the subject and objectives. It is necessary to adapt the methodology on the project. Gillham (2000) also argues that research is about creating new knowledge, in a multitude of disciplines such as medicine, history or social works, by using evidence in the form of quantitative and qualitative data. The definition of methodology, according to Hart (2007, p. 28) is: â€Å"A system of methods and rules to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. It provides the starting point of choosing an approach made up of theories, ideas, concepts and definitions of the topic; therefore the basics of a critical activity consisting of making choices about the nature and characters of the social world (assumptions). This should not be confused with techniques of research, the application of methodology. † In this section the researcher highlights, discusses and assesses the methods used for the collection and evaluation of data. The researcher will focus on secondary research for the purpose of this research; the methodology will include the reasoning and justification for the choice of research design, construction method and also the sample of literature to be used to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the aims and objectives of the research. 2. 1 Choice of the research design Research is defined by Saunders et al. (2003, p. 488) as the systematic collection and interpretation of information with a clear purpose. The goal is to collect and analyse information to get a clear and established goal. The most appropriate method for this study is secondary research. It was selected by the author with the aim of examining the luxury market and the various threats that surround it as the crisis. The goal is to achieve a critical analysis of the current market situation for luxury brands. In addition Cottrell (2005) argues that many reliable sources are now available online. Secondary research via the Internet can provide data of better quality than the result of primary research. In performing secondary research, the author has made a very wide collection of information from the literature. Reading books, newspapers and articles online, acquired a clear and comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Considered safe by Saunders et al. (2003, p. 52) and it is recommended that. They are evaluated by peers before publication to assess their quality and convenience. To ensure that the collection of information, theory and models necessary and relevant; the author also conducted secondary research in the sources of the luxury market. The press releases and video from website such as Vogue, Fashion TV, Word of Fashion has allowed to deepen the knowledge. Stewart and Kami (1993) explain that the use of secondary data sources is an advantage. In addition, the authors point out that it allows the researcher to make a comparative analysis between the new collected data and previous data. 2. 2 Construction of design You need to maintain a critical perspective, the evaluation of the study on its own merits and in comparison with other studies on the same or similar problem. According to Saunders and al. (2003 p. 483) Saunders et al. (2003 p. 488) explains also the research: The systematic collection and interpretation of information with a clear purpose The objective of the systematic collection and interpretation of information is to analyse and criticize the effects of economic crisis on the market of luxury brands. The research plan established for this research project is the collection of qualitative information in a secondary search. During the construction and implementation of secondary research, it did not just say to read the previous literature, as explained Rudestam and Newtown (2001, p. 60) Critical evaluation is an integral party of process research and allows the completion of the secondary research. According to Cottrell (2005) Critical thinking is a complex function of deliberation that provides the skills and attitudes. Human nature is not the same for everyone. Some people are suspicious and the other is in trust. But in critical thinking that is different. This is not a character trait but a system of methodology used to analyse. According to Stewart (1993) and Saunders (2003) that secondary research is better suited for this research. In this thesis, the researcher collected data only secondary, secondary research allows access to reliable information and theories that are related to branding. Stewart and Karmins (1993, p. 3) argues that secondary research differs from primary research so that secondary research is based on reliable as primary research based on the analysis of the author information. The data required for completion of the aim and objectives is readily available from various secondary research resources. Primary research could have helped to provide the researcher with a first hand insight into the industry but the lack of accessibility to the key stakeholders and also time constraints to the research made primary research not feasible. 2. 3 Scope of research The luxury market is a vast market. It includes many products such as clothing, jewellery and cars; And also many services such as travel and hotels. As the luxury market is the researcher will focus on a particular sector of the luxury product industry for the purposes of a targeted and viable research. This will help the researcher to look at factors affecting the specific area of luxury in detail. As BainCo (2010) suggest Fashion is now the luxury sector expanding. The current craze for the fashion industry propels the luxury clothing first. The researcher is studying the field of luxury clothing. For the purposes of this research brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior and Chanel will be quoted at example to understand the current luxury market status. III- Literature Review A review of the literature is very important for any research and is an essential part of it (Webster and Watson, 2002). With the support of a literature review, the knowledge that is already prevalent on the topic in question may be determined (Hart, 1999). An incomplete comprehension the current literature might lead to misunderstandings on the subject. Hart (1999) defines a literature review that the widespread use of literature to support an approach to a topic the establishment of a methodology which can be used and the importance of new functionality that could potentially be supported by further research. It is also said to quality means the width and the appropriate depth, rigor and consistency, clarity and conciseness, analysis and efficient synthesis (Hart, 1999, p. 1). Webster and Watson (2002) define an effective review of the literature to be based on in-depth knowledge, and give us an understanding of where more research is needed. Cottrell (2005, p. 127) explains that when looking for evidence to support an argument that has been spoken on the subject in the literature should be considered, where relevant information can be found and understanding of the leading authorities on the subject. From the definitions, it is clear that it can be derived from a review of the literature effective (Levy and Ellis, 2006) 3. 1 What is luxury? 3. 1. 1 Definition Luxury brands looking to be desired and known by all, but consumed only by the happy few to keep their prestige explains Kapeferer (2002) This summarizes the overall strategy of luxury brands, however, some inconsistencies persist in the clear explanation of the definition of luxury. Gutzats (1996) expresses luxury with exhaustive definition Luxury two levels of representation. The first level is important. It includes product and brand (its history, its unique expertise and talent) second level is psychological, it is performance that our social environment and our brands influence us. Luxury is a product with multiple objective characteristics that make it unique and rare, but also subjective characteristics with experience because of the importance that has consumers during the purchase process. The rarity factor of a product is essential to the concept of luxury. Explained by Dubois (2001), the prestige of a luxury brand can lose value if too many people own it. The distribution of a luxury product is very important; it must be selective to maintain the scarcity of the product. However, according to Kapferer (2002), the luxury market is in perpetual change. Several factors explain why the brand luxuries change their relationship with the principle of scarcity and become more accessible to a wider audience. Diversification of luxury brands with the creation of range of accessories and cosmetic product for the consumer access to the general public. Partnerships with general public brands, the Masstige contraction of Mass and prestige, or prestige for the masses. Is concept allows enlargement of the luxury market. (Kapferer, 2009) 3. 1. 2 Relativity The vision of what is necessary and desirable is relative. It depends on the perspective and perception of the consumer. Depending on the consumer perception of luxury is not universal. Buttner and al (2006) argues that relativity of luxury is divided into several categories. The economic relativity, cultural, regional, temporal and situational. 1. 3. 1. 2. 1 Economic relativity Kisabaka (2001) suggests economic relativity is expressed by the difference in perception of luxury depending on the economic situation of the consumer. For example, a pair of jeans ? 70 will be considered by a category of consumer as usual while for another it could be a luxury item. From a perspective of another consumer group a pair of jeans worth ? 2000 might not be considered a luxury product. The perception of price and its relativity to luxury can be argued to be relative to the consumer. 2. 3. 1. 2. 2 Cultural relativity Kemp (1998) suggests cultural relativity can be expressed as a function of the consumer culture. Whatever the consumer culture, luxury is a product, which is not trivial and necessary in everyday life. Kemp (1998) But cultural relativity has no reference to the availability of the product but the product vision based on the culture. A product can be considered luxury or not, based on the culture. Kisabaka, (2001) argues in some cultures a product can be ordinary and undesirable while for another it will be indispensable to belong to the culture of his country. For example, alcohol can be seen as a luxury product in European countries, while in Islamic countries there will be a product that very few people consume. (Berthon and al. , 2009) However, Mortelmans (2005, p. 497) argues: Every social group can be said to have its own luxury Reith Meyer (2003) suggests every culture has its symbols and social distinctions. The consumer of the same culture can be part of different socio-professional category. For example, the hip-hop culture embraces gold teeth and considers it a luxury while it might not be desirable for a different cultural group. Kemp (1998) also argues cultural values express different preferences of luxury; they differ depending on age, sex, and education. It is important to differentiate the perception of luxury based on knowledge of the symbols of luxury. But also different perceptions in different cultural groups. 3. 3. 1. 2. 3 Regional relativity Reith Meyer (2003) express regional relativity in terms of availability of the product. A product mass distribution in a country will not have the luxury status. However, a product, which is rare in a country, takes of value because of its rarity and exclusive distribution. For example, a sunny day at the beach can be considered as a luxury for the countries of Europe. But in the Caribbean this represents the daily weather. 4. 3. 1. 2. 4 The Temporal relativity. Matsuyama (2002) defines temporal relativity by changes in perceptions of luxury over the years. The reasons for these changes in perceptions are societal trends and the development of technology. (Schiereck Koenigs, 2006) Technological advances for consumer products can change their perspective of luxury For example, Reith Meyer (2003) the television was created in the 1930s when it was considered a luxury, since the progression of technology televisions are present widely in his homes which has led to a change in the perception of luxury. This product has become common in homes is no longer a luxury product. However Koschel (2005) argues that the process can be expressed in the opposite direction. Natural resources such as clean air, water became scarce in some countries. Kapferer (2008) suggests temporal relativity is a specific factor of luxury because it is not stable and steady and could change readily. (Jackel Kochhan, 2000) Luxury is not universal and adapts as a function of some factor. It is important for companies to understand these factors and adapt ait’s marketing to influence different groups to sell its products. 3. 2 Luxury customer Gilles Lipovetsky (2009), philosopher suggests: Do not have faith in a future that is mechanically better and fairer, there are still people in the hope of a better life, the feast of the senses, the beauty to expect that we leave the monotony of everyday life. Luxury is no longer the accursed share, but dreams, excellence and superlative, this human need. It can be inferred from the above statement that luxury for a consumer is an achievement of itself. A luxury consumer wants to show his wealth and property, luxury goods are a reflection of the wealth. The motivation of pleasure today became the first luxury purchase motivation to its traditional buyers. (Gilles Lipovetsky, 2009) According to Okonkwo (2007) a purchaser of luxury products cannot be considered as a mere client of luxury, but as an individual part of a network of the brand. It is by sharing with him the ritual and the traditions of the bard, which they have purchased, by teaching the consumer these details about the brand itself the sense of community and attachment towards a brand is built. It can be inferred that unlike mass-market brands, the luxury brand should tell a story and to give the customer want to be a part. Gilles Lipovetsky (2009) explains luxury Consumption Consuming is both a product, a legend / myth, tradition, knowledge and ritual use. 3. 2. 1 Customer behaviour Kapferer (2004) suggests that there are several categorize consumers of luxury brands into different groups. Lombard (1989) argues that customers can be differentiated on the basis of their purchasing power. A customer with the financial resources has the capacity to buy products from all the different categories of luxury products (see section 3. 4. 3). These elite customers not only form the key user base of the product but also are a great advertisement for the luxury status of the product. Customers of the elite are the generators of the turnover of luxury brands. They are loyal and hold the financial resources to consume luxury goods when it desires. This type of customer only buys clothes from luxury brands. Occasional customers have the financial resources necessary to consume luxury products but are not addicted. They consume luxury when the mood or the occasion arises. They are not faithful because they can change the luxury brand in the trend. (Bainco, 2008) The low-income customers who consume when their financial situation allows them. This type of customer consumes the occasional high-priced products for exceptional period (Christmas, birthday). However this type of client is the target of entry-level luxury products. Low-income customers consume perfumes and cosmetics in large quantities. This allows them to detain a part of the brand without spending an extravagant amount. According to Berry (1994), three levels of luxury can be presented: the unattainable luxury reserved for extremely rich people, luxury means restricted to middle class high and affordable luxury reserved for the middle class. Each level corresponds to a totally different type of marketing because the target is not the same, the brand must adapt depending on the area they choose. Consumer’s behaviour while buying luxury products can be affected by three different effects. (Leibenstein, 1950) 5. 3. 2. 1. 1 The Veblen Effect One can distinguish consumption to be under the Veblen effect, conspicuous consumption. Leibenstein, (1950) suggests the consumer buys the luxury product due to its high price. The work of Bourne (1957) explains the influence of peer groups on consumers in their purchases of luxury goods. Vigneron and Johnson (1999) also argue that a positive relationship is observed between conspicuous consumption and peer groups. In addition, Bearden and Etzel (1982) also explain that to buy the product in public is a sign of Veblen because the customer wants to be seen buying a valuable product. The consumer wants to show their wealth, status and power (Veblen, 1899). The price of the products is considered important in the minds of consumers, it represents the quality. (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999) Erickson and Johansson (1995) conducted a study showing that the price can judge the quality of a luxury item. It is also agued the customer who consumes with effect Veblen is attentive to the quality of the product. 6. 3. 2. 1. 2 The effect of Snob According to Leibenstein (1950), the effect of snob is a complex concept. A consumer with the snob effect takes into account the emotional and personal desires which Influences the behaviour of others is also a factor that pushes the purchase of products of luxury brands. For example, the launch of a new product, create exclusivity, snob effect causes the immediate purchase. Few clients have this product at the launch, the customer will feel different and above other consumer, it is preferred. A luxury item in limited sale has a great value while a readily available product will be less demand and will not have a high value; unusual item brings respect and prestige. (Solomon, 1994) However, after some time, the general public and the mass consumers consume the product, the snob consumers reject the product. The unique product, popular and expensive does not stay long. Demand is growing rapidly and the product loses value. (Verhallen and Robben, 1994) 7. 3. 2. 1. 3 The Bandwagon Effect Bandwagon effect is a different concept of the two previous. In this effect, the product is consumed by the mass market, its demand in the market is important. Consumers are buying this type of product in order to have a luxury product and belong to a group. The luxury product is the similarity between the members of the group. (Leibenstein, 1950) For example, a consumer group buying the same mass-produced luxury feel they belong to the same social class. The product is generally in the current trend and at affordable price. Berry (1994) argues Bandwagon consumers buy the product to look like other consumer and access a different social class a different group. 3. 2. 2 Price McKinsey (1990) suggests that the price is the first characteristic, withheld to qualify luxury goods. It is evaluated as the criterion most objectives and most quantifiable to measure the quality of luxury. . Dubois and Duquesne (1993) also suggest that luxury product must be at a high price to be credible; it is an essential criterion for the qualification of the same as a luxury. Kapferer (2001) argues although the price is a very important criterion for the luxury product it is not the whole product. It can be found on the market for very expensive products that are not necessarily luxury items due to lack of quality and luxury marketing. The brand positioning reflects its class. In addition, Kapferer and Bastien (2009) also argue that the consumer looking for a luxury product is ready to pay the price but he also wants. Indeed, the consumer wants to own an expensive product because it provides the purchaser with recognition, which is valuable. The researched can infer that price is price is an important guideline of a luxury product. In addition, Danielle ALLERES (1997) states: The fair price for a luxury product based on a perfect correlation between the level in the world of luxury, rarity and its brand reputation. According to Julian Levy and Jacques Lendrevie (2009) a policy of skimming or price skimming is a pricing policy, which consists of a high price (often partially disconnected from the cost) that customers can choose, the price can directly target customers. It also maintains the image of luxury brand and reputation. (Julian Levy and Jacques Lendrevie, 2009) also argue that luxury product cannot be sold at a discount price. It may lose its value and caused the damage to the brand. 3. 2. 3 Exclusivity Kisabaka (2001) suggests scarcity of a product is also an important part of making it luxury. A luxury consumer wants exclusivity and differentiation. For example, a customer who purchases a product from a luxury brand would expect it to be exclusive and would not like it for it to be a mass-market product. (Catry, 2003) also points out luxury brand must ensure the rarity of its products by limiting the production and individualization of products. 3. 4 Luxury brand A brand can be expressed as the identity of the company and the consumers it targets. The brand must represent a clear image in the minds of target consumers. (Esch, 2011) The luxury brand is associated with its flagship products and basic products on the basis of which consumers assimilate the product image. (Kapferer, 2008) For example, the little black jacket from Chanel is the flagship product for years and is constantly equated with the image of Chanel. (http://thelittleblackjacket. chanel. com) Meffert and Lasslop (2003) suggest that different definitions of luxury represent the association of product characteristics and brand. A luxury brand is associated with an image that is ubiquitous in the consumers mind, which is itself associated with a luxury product: high price, perfect quality esthetical, the scarcity of the product and the product exceptional characters. 3. 4. 1 Relationship Product/Brand A luxury brand must not only offer luxury products but also offer ranges of products more accessible products to maintain the brand status. The goal would be to reach a wider target customer. (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009) For example, luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior, offer ranges available such as key rings or jewellery phone products. This allows consumers to enter and feel to be a part of brand, with an affordable price. In addition, brands offer masstiges products; this concept is the combination of a luxury brand with a current and accessible brand to the public. For example, H M has many partnerships with luxury brands and top designer. (Kapferer, 2008) Collections are distributed in H M stores at affordable prices to the general public. This marketing tactic provides high visibility for luxury brands to the mass market. In contrast, non-luxury brands try to portray themselves to be offering a range of products, which include a touch of luxury for another customer segment. For example, as Lufthansa airlines offer flights with luxury service at an additional cost such as offering extra-large seats, bigger entertainment systems and meals cooked to order. This demonstrates the relationship between a product and brand is important. It can also be inferred that a luxury brands have to offer luxury products to maintain its brand image. Furthermore the quality and status of a product will only remain one that of a luxurious item if the brand is rated as a luxury brand. 3. 4. 2 Type of luxury brand Luxury brands can be categorised using various different factors, which affect a brand. 8. 3. 4. 2. 1 Luxury brand level Esteve and Hieu-Dess (2005) argues level of brand can be differentiated on the basis of the levels of luxuries performed. It is therefore important to distinguish luxury brands based on a category. The entry-level: products of entry-level correspond to the product seen above in relation brand / product. Its products are part of the range luxury brand but with affordable prices. In its entry-level, there are the masstiges and the products of luxury brands at affordable prices. Example: Hugo Boss Fragrance Luxury product middle level: These products are part of the luxury range, but they are not maximum level. Its products are accessible while maintaining their entities luxury. Example: Marc Jacobs, Moschino. Luxury goods of high level: These products represented luxury in pure state. These ranges of products are of high quality and high price. Example: Hermes Produces luxury level of the elite: This product is the top of the ladder. This segment is the most luxury products. Its quality and marketing must be irreproachable, they represent the brand. To reference the type of product is Chanel, Dior. According to the relativity of luxury explained above, the established classification can be modified over time. A brand can go from middle level to level for elite customer. It may be noted its changes based on trends, seasons and different cultures. (Phan and al. ,2011) Conversely, certain brand may lose their luxury positioning if it does not fit depending on relativity. For example, Christian Lacroix, who lost his rank High Fashion due to improper adaptation of its marketing and its collections. (Bainco, 2009) 9. 3. 4. 2. 2 Luxury brand awareness The leading products and notorieties are very important in the management of the brand and in its differentiation. A luxury brand should differentiate itself from others with its marketing strategy and advertising. The knowledgeable consumer expects certain notoriety, it must be found in the marketing strategy. The luxury brand needs to focus its marketing and marketing in a niche. If a brand decides to sell luggage, clothing, jewellery and does not fit its marketing it will no longer be identified as specialize and thus not as a luxury brand. (Meffert and Lasslop 2003) Awareness of the brand in the minds of the public is essential. The flagship products create the brand awareness; even if its products are for purchase only certain category of customer it represents the brand. Previously the author explained the importance of quality and marketing for the range of customer connoisseur but this process is also important for the client who never will buy the product. Its customers will be interested in the brand and will position as a luxury brand (Kapferer, 2009) The primary objective of the luxury brand is to become known around the world to demonstrate its performance and quality. (Phan and al, 2011) In addition, for a customer of the elite luxury product group buys a flagship product is a sign of wealth, it is important that the product meets this demand (Kapferer Bastien, 2009). 3. 4. 3 Marketing technique If the marketing of mass consumption appeared after World War II during the post-war boom, the first luxury marketing techniques already existed in the seventeenth century. Berry (1994) The companies in the luxury sector can manage the time by recalling the history of their homes through codes. For example, Chanel, two legendary fragrance: N  ° 5 first perfume by Gabrielle Chanel launched in 1921 and still one of the best global industry sales is the lucky number of Coco, and No. 19 is reference to the date of birth of the Creator August 19, 1883, this history is an important part of the marketing strategy of the companies these days as they entice buyers by presenting a history and tradition of the product. Each of the luxury goods is modernized, redesigned while respecting the history of the house, called in luxury marketing an incremental leap technique. (Kapferer 2009) Thus, the customer discovers and buys without hesitation a new version of a mythical product that meets the codes of the house, allowing sales to continue to grow. The success of these products is only possible through the transfer of know-how of artisans and small hands working in the workshops. Embroiderers, milliners, dressmakers, all these businesses demonstrate a thorough knowledge and quality that are transmitted in time while upgrading. This concept allows the luxury home to restart their old products maintaining the brand image. A new advertising campaign is designed and the product is restarted. During a period of crisis, this concept is used by numerous brands. (Meffert Lasslop 2003) Luxury brands must carefully control its distribution channels. (Esch 2011) the industry knows how to stage each of its products in places specific distribution channels for each target group. Thus, it is imposs.