Fifth Business †Proof Mary Dempster Is a Saint for: Congregation for Causes of Saints Essay

In today’s world, a saint is a very difficult thing to come across; however I believe to have found the perfect candidate for canonization. Her name is Mary Dempster. I believe that the miracles of this woman are real, and not just coincidental, due to her unstable state of mind. Mary was married to a Baptist Parson, named Amasa Dempster in a little village called Deptford. While Mary was carrying her unborn son in her womb, she was hit in the back of the head with a snowball concealing a fairly large rock. The impact of the hit had caused her to go to into labor. Both her and her premature son had fought for their lives. The result of the stress that was put on her, and the immense head trauma caused by the snowball, the poor woman had gone simple. The simplicity of this woman is why I believe why these miracles are real, and are not fabricated or coincidental. Mary’s first miracle was the conversion of the tramp named Joel Surgeoner. Before having met Mary, the man had constantly wandered, committed crimes, and constantly caused trouble. After his interaction with Mary, he said that the way she had given herself to him had inspired him. It had changed him completely. I have met this man, and have seen the charity that he had started, Lifeline Mission. Their goal is to help the needy. He said that the charity was inspired by his generous encounter with Mary Dempster that had turned him to a life of good. The second miracle that Mary performed was raising my twelve year old brother, Willie from the dead. Willie had been sick for quite some time, and it was my turn to watch and take care of him. When I went to go check on him, he was nonresponsive, had no detectable pulse, and when I held a mirror to his nose, the mirror did not fog with breath. Willie was dead. To this day, I still don’t know why my first impulse was to find Mary, but I did. I ran to her, and then with her across the entire village, and when we came back to the room, she simply said his name, stirred him a little, and he had awoken. Mary Dempster had awoken Willie from the dead. The final miracle performed by Mary Dempster is when she appeared to me in Passchendale during the time of the war. I was trapped behind enemy lines, and I was injured and could no longer move. There was a fireball coming at me, and I was sure that I was going to die. Before I became unconscious, the last thing that I saw was the face of Mary Dempster on the Madonna figure. Months later, I awoke in a care facility, and I was alive. I truly believe that it was mary Dempster who had saved me. At the end of this brief, I have included a picture of Willie during the war, as a soldier, proof he had not died at the age of 12. I have included a statement of the recollection of events of that night from Joel Sturgeoner, as well as the picture of the Madonna statue in Passchendale. It is my sincerest hope that you would consider Mary Dempster of Deptford to be a candidate for canonization. My sincerest thanks, Dunstan Ramsay Testimony of Joel Surgeoner: â€Å"The night we last met, I was crazy. I’d tumbled off the freight in the jungle by Deptford and found a fire and seven fellows around it, and they had stew – somebody’d got a rabbit and it was in a pail over the fire with some carrots. Ever eat that? It’s awful, but I wanted some, and after a lot of nastiness they said I could have some after they’d had what they wanted of me. My manhood just couldn’t stand it, and I left them. They laughed at me and said I’d be back when I got good and hungry. Then I met this woman, wandering by herself. I knew she was a town woman. Women tramps are very rare; too much sense, I guess. She was clean and looked like an angel to me, but I threatened her and asked her for money. She hadn’t any; then I grabbed her. She wasn’t much afraid and asked what I wanted. I told her in tramp’s language, and I could see she didn’t understand, but when I started o push her down and grab at her clothes she said, ‘Why are you so rough? ’ and then I started to cry. She held my head to her breast and talked nicely to me, and I cried worse, but the strange thing is I still wanted her. As if only that would put me right, you see? That’s what I said to her. And do you know what she said? She said ‘You may if you promise not to be rough. ’ So I did, and that was when you p eople came hunting her. When I look back now, it’s a wonder that it wasn’t all over with me that moment. But it wasn’t. No, it was glory come into my life. It was as if I had gone right into Hell and through the worst of the fire, and come on a clear, pure pool where I could wash and be clean. I was locked in by my deafness, so I didn’t know much of what was said, but I could see it was a terrible situation for her, and there was nothing I could do. They turned me loose the next morning, and I ran out of that town laughing and shouting like the man who was delivered from devils by Our Lord. As I had been, you see. He worked through that woman, and she is a blessed saint, for what she did for me – I mean it as to say it was a miracle. †

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) remains a pivotal figure in American culture nearly thirty-five years after his death.   In his twenties and thirties, he was one of jazz’s foremost innovators, elevating the instrumental solo to a new and important role and helping invent the jazz style of singing.   Later in life, he became a widely popular entertainer rather than an innovator, a sort of â€Å"living legend† who preserved the music of yesteryear and projected a friendly, comical, widely imitated persona by which he is still remembered. Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans on 4 August 1901 but was unaware of his actual birthdate throughout his life.   He always claimed to be born on 4 July 1900, and this was accepted as fact until researchers found a birth certificate long after Armstrong’s death (Wikipedia). Fatherless and virtually motherless (his mother was a part-time prostitute who left him in his older sister’s care), he received little schooling and worked a series of menial jobs from an early age, including delivering coal and working for a family of Jewish junk merchants.   Despite a harsh, impoverished childhood in one of New Orleans’ most crime-ridden neighborhoods, he developed the optimistic personality that many Americans recognize. His musical training began at New Orleans’ Colored Waifs Home, where Armstrong was sent in early 1913 for firing a pistol in the air during a New Year’s Eve celebration.   During his 17 months at the home, he received instruction on the cornet and later recalled, â€Å"The place was more like a health center or a boarding school than a boys’ jail,† though the home was known for its harsh, militaristic discipline (Bergreen 73). After his release, he joined the city’s fertile musical community by performing in local jazz bands under Fate Marable (who taught him his strong professional ethic) and Kid Ory, as well as on riverboats. After meeting Joseph â€Å"King† Oliver and joining his pioneering jazz band, Armstrong became an exceptionally skilled instrumentalist and traveled to Chicago with Oliver, where he began recording in 1922 and went on his own within a few years. After leaving King Oliver’s band, Armstrong’s career flourished.   Biographer Laurence Bergreen writes, †It was as though Louis had taken [jazz] out of its infancy and given it a powerful breath of new life and independence† (Bergreen 200).   He formed a series of bands, most notably the Hot Five, with whom he had numerous hits (the first being â€Å"Muskrat Ramble† in 1926) and displayed his improvisational and interpretive skills.   Though he began as a trumpeter, he began singing as well during this period, using his unconventional, gravelly voice to develop scat singing, which other jazz artists adopted. He attained especially high standing among other jazz musicians for his virtuosity and ability to translate jazz (formerly the music of New Orleans’ street parades and dives) to records.   Bergreen notes that Armstrong â€Å"was the first important jazz musician to anticipate that his legacy would be actual recordings, not half-forgotten memories† (Bergreen 219), showing a shrewd side of his personality because early jazz artists (like its supposed creator, Buddy Bolden) were never able to reach a wider audience simply through live performance. After World War II, Armstrong was no longer a cutting-edge innovator, since jazz had by now evolved away from its New Orleans roots and transformed into swing and bebop.   However, says Bergreen, Armstrong â€Å"carved himself a unique niche in the music world . . . as a newly minted traditionalist† (Bergreen 433).   He began performing not only the New Orleans â€Å"hot† jazz he helped create but also pop, blues, Tin Pan Alley, and show tunes, winning him great popularity with the public but critical scorn. According to music critic Gary Giddins, â€Å"he was excoriated for playing pop tunes, fronting a swing band, appearing with media starts, sticking to a standardized repertory, engaging in vaudeville routines . . . mugging, entertaining† (Giddins 4).   However, this second phase of his career is as important as the first, since he never lost stature among his peers, produced some vital work (especially his collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald), and won an even wider following late in life. Armstrong was largely apolitical but strongly supported the civil rights movement, having experienced the effects of segregation his entire life.   He harshly criticized Dwight Eisenhower’s perceived inaction during the 1957 Little Rock school integration crisis, called Arkansas’ segregationist governor Orval Faubus â€Å"ignorant,† and snubbed the federal government by refusing to participate in a government-sponsored tour of the Soviet Union in 1958 (Wikipedia).   His warm, effusive, laid-back personality and friendliness toward people regardless of race led some to incorrectly dub him an â€Å"Uncle Tom,† though he generally refused to make race a personal issue. Armstrong essentially left two legacies – as innovator and entertainer.   Before reaching middle age, Armstrong’s accomplishments included his helping define jazz in its earliest years, as well as making the solo an important element of modern music.   In addition, he helped define jazz vocals and popularize scat singing, long a key element of jazz. After age forty, his second legacy was his familiarity to the American public and abroad, and he cared little about how some critics dismissed him for joining the cultural mainstream.   According to Giddins, Armstrong played almost any kind of material because he knew â€Å"that no song could diminish him and that he could lift most songs beyond their earthy calling† (Giddins 4).   According to Bergreen, â€Å"He was not just America’s greatest musical performer, he was also a character of epic proportions† (Bergreen 1).   More than thirty years after his death, Louis Armstrong remains one of the most recognizable Americans, hailed as both a creator and performer more than thirty years after his death. REFERENCES Anonymous.   †Louis Armstrong.†Ã‚   Wikipedia.   4 November 2005.   . Bergreen, Laurence.   Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life.   New York: Broadway Books, 1997. Giddins, Gary.   Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong.   New York: Da Capo Press, 1988.      

Life in the Student Lounge

The student lounge is a place which is characterized by a wide range of activities. There are students who come to the lounge to have discussions on coursework.There are students who come to the lounge just to have a good time. There are also students who come to the lounge to sleep. The lounge has all the modern facilities. It has internet connectivity, refrigerators, microwave ovens and a television set and it is air conditioned. It has very comfortable furniture consisting of red sofas and wooden tables that are always shining as if they were coated on with new paint every day. The floor has lush carpets.Just outside the lounge is a food and drinks vending machine. On the same floor as the lounge is the student canteen within a short walk from the lounge. In fact if you stand at the door of the lounge, you can see the student canteen. So it is possible for students to spend days in the lounge without having to go home.Typical happenings at the loungeThe lounge serves both curricul ar and extra-curricular activities. There are students who have lunch there. They go out to the canteen, get their lunch and bring it over to the lounge. There are students who bring their girlfriends over to have a talk.And if a group of students is contemplating throwing a party, then the first place they think of is the student lounge. When there is a break between semesters, the lounge is deserted.As the new semester starts, more and more students start to trickle in and the lounge begins to get crowded until near the end of the semester the lounge starts to become very noisy as a great number of students hold group discussions on coursework nearing the submission date. As mentioned before, the entrance to the door requires the ID card for verification.Sometimes there are students who forget to bring their ID cards. So they reach the lounge entrance, fish in their wallets for the ID card, make the terrible discovery that it is not there and are condemned to knocking on the glass of the door until some kind-hearted soul inside gets up and opens the door from inside.This is not possible however if you are one of the first in the morning to turn up at the lounge. I happened to forget to bring along my ID card one time and it was very early in the morning and there was no one in the large room that the main entrance opened into. Luckily for me there was one student that I could see through the glass in the second entrance opening into the small room on the extreme left. She got up and opened the door for me.It was lucky for me because if she had happened to sit in the room on the extreme right which did not have an entrance, I would be condemned to standing outside possibly for the rest of the day because it was the spring break.

Electronic monitoring is interesting technology but has no real value Research Paper

Electronic monitoring is interesting technology but has no real value in community corrections - Research Paper Example Crowe, Sydney, Bancroft, and Lawrence (2002) identify that electronic monitoring and the systems designed to support this surveillance effort do not provide the necessary community corrections due to media representation of these systems to the general public. The authors offer an interesting case study of electronic monitoring in the Northeast U.S. in which the ratio of re-arrest for criminal activities was significantly lower for monitored offenders than those who were not monitored electronically. However, media involvement became a community-wide and organization-wide problem when one participant in the electronic monitoring program committed manslaughter during the period when they were being supervised. Media influence seemed to make the community lose faith in electronic monitoring and even served to scrap a successful electronic monitoring program in the process. This particular case study and acknowledgement of media influence causing problems with these systems tends to show that media involvement can make these programs unsuccessful even if they are providing superior statistical results related to re-arrest. Because media is a large part of the American culture, influencing everything from fashion to politics, how the community reacts to different media portrayal of corrections programs such as electronic monitoring will greatly impact their success. This represents that electronic monitoring may have unintended social forces, such as media and community expectations, which can greatly contribute to failure. Since in the case study negative media ended the program, then many communities may find that their own correction system is at risk in the event that offenders conduct further criminal behavior while on the monitoring system and social outcry is created that is spread by global media. There is also evidence that some

Great Communicators in History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Great Communicators in History - Essay Example He served eight years in Illinois legislature and also served as a captain in the Black Hawk War. Lincoln began his political career at the age of 23 as a member of Whig Party but his beginning campaign for the Illinois General Assembly was unsuccessful and he left politics for the time being. He resumed his political career after the passage of the Kansas – Nebraska Act in 1854 which repealed the limit on slavery and recognized the right of people to decide whether to allow slavery in their area or not. From his stand strongly opposite slavery he rejoined politics but his first bid for US senate was unsuccessful. He received some support for the Republican vice-presidential nomination in 1856 and started his move against slavery as public speaker and prominent debater. The nation began to listen to his views from famous speeches like Lost Speech, House Divided Speech, etc. one after another. He received national recognition as a public speaker with his successful speech in th e Cooper Institute, New York in 1860 (â€Å"An overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , n.d.). He won the Presidential election in 1860 to become the 16th President of the nation. As the President he faced immense crisis in saving the union from falling apart. He decision continued Civil Wars for four years and Emancipation Proclamation was declared in 1863 declaring the freedom of the slaves. His famous Gettysburg Speech is still remembered as his gratitude to the dead soldiers in the War and as his effort to inspire the nation to follow the path of anti-slavery and unity, the cause for which the soldiers sacrificed their lives. He was re-elected as President in 1864 and initiated the peace activities. He took a more flexible and generous approach to ensure the unity of the nation and encourage the rebels of the south to join the peace mission. He clearly communicated this approach of him in his second inaugural speech. But somehow he was misunderstood as a supporter

Critical analysis Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical analysis Journal opinion article - Essay Example The economies will be fully employed, allowing them to attain their potential in offering jobs and raise the income of their inhabitants. These will play a key role in helping generate high growth levels in cities, contributing to overall advancement of the entire economy (Sparshott). The latest outlooks evident in the case of American cities are optimistic, although some urban areas as well as their suburbs have populations representing about 86 percent of the regions’ population, while 88 percent are employed in nonfarm sectors. Even though more than half of the cities have attained record levels of employment, about one-third are anticipated to fail reaching this level when 2016 ends. Moreover, approximately 130 metropolitan areas are anticipated to penetrate the market in 2017, although they will be supporting few jobs unlike the case of the past decades. The areas that are recovering at the slowest rates are the older Midwestern regions, which were negatively influenced when the region lost a large number of jobs offered by the manufacturing sector. The deteriorating infrastructure and aging population will also play a role in preventing these areas from recovering, making them rank behind the top-advancing cities in the U.S. (Sparshott). In a different perspective, the boom witnessed in the oil sector, which played a key role in allowing certain cities in the U.S. boost their performance, is currently reversing progress. For instance, Midland, Texas portrayed fastest growth in 2014, but this is not the case presently. However, in 2015, the employment and economy of the metropolitan are anticipated to slow down and contract at the start of 2016. Overall, however, the cities in the U.S. are playing a key role in driving the growth of the economy, thus paving the way towards the recovery process. Moreover, even though some

What was the contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft to understanding the Essay

What was the contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft to understanding the social and political situation of women - Essay Example As in India, the dowry, although legally banned, still persists. Indian feminists â€Å"decry the dowry, an outlawed but entrenched tradition that can trigger murder. Some greedy grooms kill their mates to marry again- and gain another dowry† ( Hodgson 1985, p. 531). In China, some women are not yet free to choose their mates and in most Muslim countries, women are still subjected to the use of veil or chador, which signifies their role as subordinates. The veil is a form of â€Å"sex-segregation that has always been related to such matters as power, domination and exclusion. It has restricted women’s mobility† ( Paidar 1995, p.3). Women’s continuing hold to power and dominance should be deemed as one of the most stirring phenomenon because since time immemorial, women had always occupied the backseat and once were even treated as nothing but a rung higher than dogs in the echelon of society. In biblical times, women were treated as mere possessions: fathers owned them, sold them into bondage and even sacrificed them (Genesis 24:42; 29: 16-28). During the age of royalty, they were treated as slaves or sex objects to be thrown by the king to his harem if he so desires. Up to the time of the 19th century, women were denied the access to education and to political rights such as the right to suffrage, economic independence, employment to any position carrying power and property and other legal rights. Things could have gotten worse had not some gritty, independent, crusading women beat all the odds by going against the status quo and faced ridicule, humiliation, and ostracism by stemming the tide of women’s subjugation, repression and oppression. To protest women’s abject destiny, Emily Davison in 1913 â€Å"threw herself under the king’s horse at the Epson Derby and died in the process â€Å" (Taylor 2001, p.23). Emmeline Pankhurst braved arrest and detention in 1914 when â€Å"she

Health traditions model by Leininge, Rachel Spector Research Paper

Health traditions model by Leininge, Rachel Spector - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Health Traditional Model (HTM) came to the existence in 1994 when health tradition immigrants were flooding Ellis Island. This model talks about the transcultural concept that takes place in nursing care and it is applicable to all the programs in nursing education that are licensed by nursing programs. Health tradition model incorporates a theory by Ester and Zitzow on how individual’s way of life reflects the traditional culture that he/she comes from. In this model, heritage consistency refers to the level in which one’s lifestyle reflects the tribal culture that he/she comes from. The model focuses on different traditional cultures for different ethnic sets, for example, the Africans, Europeans, and Hispanics. In the model, Spector uses a holistic health concept to discover methods that people apply for them to restore and care for their health. The model gives a relationship between physical, spiritual and mental hea lth with caring and restoring health. This model states that for one to be able to retain physical health, he/she is supposed to use the traditional clothing and food that the culture recommends. In order to safeguard mental health of an individual, one needs to get emotional and communal care from the community at large and family members. In health tradition model, Spector provides a tool to assess heritage for one to know the level that people stand by their traditions and the way they observe their cultures.... In order to safeguard mental health of an individual, one needs to get emotional and communal care from the community at large and family members (Sagar, 2011) In health tradition model, Spector provides a tool to assess heritage for one to know the level that people stand by their traditions and the way they observe their cultures. She concludes that, traditional people are more close to their traditional cultures compared to acculturated people who distance their traditional practices. Spector argues cultural competence by emphasizing its relationship with culture together with poverty, demographics and immigration. She insists that for one to be a qualified culture care, he/she should acquire attitude and skills for excellent deliverance of the services (Sagar, 2011) In the model, Spector arranges cultural diversity involved in health together with illness in four portions. These portions comprise cultural competency establishment; health, sickness and culture; beliefs that a give n community practices and issues affecting their health; and applying cultural knowledge in general health care. Spector compares tradition to a burden that everyone carries throughout her/his whole life and hands it over to the following generation. Every burden has beliefs, which are tangible or not, together with differing values depending on the background of his/her beliefs. According to this model, culture shows various things that a given group of people shares. For example, it may show that they share geographic origin, religious conviction, dialectal, race and food of preference (Sagar, 2011). Why I choose Health traditional model I choose the health traditional Model because as a nursing student, I think the model will

Computer Module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Module - Essay Example The question being asked is what constitutes the defining paradigms of quality in the phase of conflicting perceptions in the IT industry. It is against this background that the central focus of this paper is tailored towards highlighting the most classical principles that are in tune with best practices in the industry. For obvious reasons, it spares the paper the drudgery of professing speculative theories. The conventional structure of software language has always being targeted at making available a system of unambiguous programming pattern based on logical processes that are explicit in their usage.1 In a related study, Jagdish et la (2002) allude to the fact that the continuous dependence on computer software for the execution of virtually all industrial, commercial and social activities makes it imperative for the question of quality to be ranked very highly in the process of developing software-a fact that has gained unanimous support from all concerned stakeholders. Notwithstanding the consensus held about the latter, the point of division however, lies in the inability to establish a similar consensus in establishing a standardized definition of what the term "quality" really means when it comes to software technology. Its definition is always crafted to suit a specific purpose, in other words, depending on what the software in question will be used for, then an appropriation o f quality is assigned to it (Boehm 1978, Vincent et la 1998, Sefikla et la 1998). To ease this complication, Jagdish et la (2002) recommends the usage of the object-oriented paradigm to replace the conventional systems of conducting any meaningful software quality assessment (also see Li & Henry 1993). Object-oriented metrics approach is a representation of an entirely innovative system of that is able to handle a comparatively larger aggregate array of tasks than was hitherto possible. Notwithstanding, it is woefully saddled in a limitation of the magnitude and scope of the tasks it can be used to assess. Primarily, the obvious reasons are that all that is known about it and application is still in its infancy. For instance, it is known to lack the capacity to fully integrate a small quantity of discrete data, which may be terribly below the high expectations placed on quality assessment in a large scale context (Schmidt et la 2000, Brian et la 1996, Sefikla et la 1996). In another interesting study, Schmidt (2000) is not particularly enthused about the fact that prior to the implementation of the object-oriented metrics, there is no mechanism that enables any credible quality assessment check to be conducted on it during the development process. Essentially, any quality alterations that the software might stand in need of, would certainly have to be deferred until such a time that user feedback is generated. A significant amount of effort is required to get the object-oriented metrics running effectively during the early stages of the development process. Granted all the working dynamics are systemically synchronized then, much of the testing process will ensure a smooth performance of the software. Quality Appraisal In view of the limitations inherently

Assig (see instructions) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assig (see instructions) - Essay Example I would say that these capabilities are dependent upon breadth and depth of life experiences and how frequently a person uses his oral language ability in expressing his ideas, insights, needs, and feelings. As there is an inter-linkage between oral language acquisition and reading ability, it would hence be easier for a learner to learn reading and appreciate it. The appreciation would come with the cultural aspect of reading. This being said, the development of reading ability must hence be coupled with oral language usage in order to speedy the progress of reading. The reading to learn/for pleasure stage is a stage where the learner has already established the fundamental stages and basis of reading such as vocabulary, grammar, sentence construction, and the like. The teacher will hence have no difficulty enabling the learner read. The level of reading at this stage is no longer for comprehension, familiarization of words, sounds, or vocabulary, but is rather one that stimulates the learner’s interest to learn more things through reading and appreciate a reading material such as a novel, a short story, a poem, etc. In this stage, the learner tends to be independent of the teacher/mentor when he/she is reading, can be very absorbed to the material, and may ask a few questions he/she does not understand or may consult the dictionary/thesaurus for new words. The learner doe not need pictures in the text to describe certain concepts depicted in the material. Instead, they can already picture in their mind what is being talked about. In this stage, the learner appreciates learning about a certain place, event, situation, or idea, which can trigger their imagination. An activity that can be used to help a struggling reader develop oral fluency is through discussion questions participated in by a group of learners and the teacher. The teacher asks a question to the group, which the participants answer. The participants themselves

Case 13-4 and 13-5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case 13-4 and 13-5 - Essay Example One such criterion is â€Å"the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term† with the phrase â€Å"lease term† defined by paragraph 5(f) of SFAS No. 13 as a â€Å"fixed noncancelable term of the lease†. Since the lease is not cancelable and will transfer ownership of the machine after the lease term to Lani, this lease qualifies as a capital lease. For capital leases, Lani, who is the lessee, is required to book both an asset and a liability in her books. According to Paragraph 10 of SFAS No. 13, the amount recorded should be the higher of the fair value of the leased property and the â€Å"present value at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the year†. The minimum lease payments (and therefore the present value) should exclude the costs to execute the lease contract. The expenses that Lani may incur during the first year of the lease are the â€Å"executory costs† that Lani may reimburse to her lessor. These costs may include insurance costs, maintenance costs and transfer taxes that will be initially paid by the lessors but will later be reimbursed by the lessee. Such costs are clearly laid down in the lease contract and should be properly excluded from the minimum lease payments used to calculate the present value. According to Paragraph 13 of SFAS No. 13, the capitalized asset should not be offset against the liability recognized for the capital lease. The asset capitalized should be shown separately in the balance sheet of the lessee or in the notes to financial statements, net of the related accumulated amortization. Likewise, the related liability should also be shown separately in the liability section of the balance sheet or in the notes to financial statements. From the point of view of Doherty Company, which is the lessee in this case, the criterion or criteria that should be met prior to classifying the lease as a capital lease may be

The three poems Essay Example for Free

The three poems Essay The manipulation of dialogue within a text can impact greatly on the audiences’ perception of character and situation. The module ‘Experience through language’ has revealed the way in which dialogue can be used to portray characters and situations in a variety of contexts. The three poems ‘Enter without so much as knocking’, ‘Weapons training’ and ‘Big Jim’ by Brice Daw support the idea in which dialogue can be used to show values and beliefs. One additional text that further exemplifies dialogue is a short story, ‘The test’ by Angelica Gibbs. Dialogue is conversation between people in which language is used to show the interaction of characters in a social context. Sometimes language can involve a dramatic monologue in which one person may represent their inner most feelings and desires. A composer can use dialogue to highlight feelings and emotions in a more dramatic way than simply describing them. Bruce Dawe is a social satirist who deals with conte mporary problems. He brings his poems to life by giving them a realistic vernacular voice that allows him to highlight peoples’ attitudes in certain situations. ‘Enter without so much as knocking’ is a sarcastic look at the negative features of modern life, particularly materialism. Dawe explores such themes as dehumanisation and social conformity and uses a range of language and structural techniques to help support these themes. Daw makes use of techniques such as exaggeration, sarcasm and caricature to ridicule the materialism that infects modern society; â€Å"NO BREATHING EXCEPT BY ORDER†, this deliberate exaggeration and the use of capitol letters convey the congestion and stress that is present in our society. Dawe also uses an irregular structure to emphasise the chaotic environment, which is present day society. The use of dialogue helps set the scene of this situation. Materialism is expressed through a ceaseless literary of advertising slogans, rules, instructions and cliches. Advertising jargon, for example, â€Å"one economy sized mum† and, â€Å"Anthony Squires coolstream summerweight dad† is deliberately used to characterise the people as having no individuality or identity. Figurative language such as similes, â€Å"like kids at the circus† and alliteration, â€Å"faces snarled screamed† is manipulated so that the responders get a vivid picture of what is being described, which impacts strongly on the audience’s perception of character and situation. ‘Weapons Training’ is a poem written in the form of an address being given to a group of raw recruits by an experienced, roughly spoken, gruff mannered sergeant. His manner is intimidating and derogatory and his authoritative tone emphasises his control over them. Control, debasement and danger are all themes that are present in this poem. Daw uses stereotypes to help depict the image of a ranting army sergeant. The emotive language creates techniques of fear, anger and frustration and personalised attacks such as â€Å"are you queer? † increases the sense of menace and vulgarity. These techniques are effective in characterising the sergeant and making the audience feel uneasy. Word choice is a particularly valuable technique in this poem. The terminology while simple is packed with double meaning that helps develop a pervading negative atmosphere. Monosyllabic words such as â€Å"click†, â€Å"queer† and â€Å"tit† give the poem a blunt and direct feel while polysyllabic words including â€Å"bloody† add layers of meaning.

Leadership Is A Relationship Education Essay

Leadership Is A Relationship Education Essay When it comes to this sentence: Leadership is a Relationship, we feel a bit puzzled. At first glance, such a topic sounds like a joke. Traditionally, the definition of leadership  is described as the process of  social influence  in ¼Ã…’which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. But here, we must emphasize the relationship between leadership and relationship. Some people hold the opinion that leaders, like husbands or wives, occupy roles only as long as they are alive. (Is Leadership a Relationship? by Mitch McCrimmon, Ph.D., 2010) Leaders and leadership is a topic being discussed for a long time. The desire to call leadership a relationship is well intentioned. Generally speaking, leadership is a relationship because one cannot lead without followers. The very meaning of leadership, to some extent, is a relationship and the interaction between leaders and followers. Leadership is an ongoing relationship between the leader and superiors, leaders and colleagues, leaders and consumers, and especially between leaders and followers. (Leadership is the Relationship by Kenneth Rice, 2006) Now the concept of leadership is no longer conventional type, it isnt limited to fixed roles and whats more, group boundaries are breaking down. In my point of view, leadership cannot take effect alone. To put it another way, leadership needs the aid of relationship. Because the personal relationship defines the existing quality of interpersonal interaction between the leader and would-be followers, followers will not join the leader without the requisite relationship. Leadership is the relationship.(The 9 Natural Laws of Leadership P.12- by Blank, Warren, 1995) Without good relationship in a team, a leader, if not supported by his team members, he cant accomplish the task successfully. It is just like a war. Even the bravest General cannot win the battle by his own, because he is just a drop in the sea. Only when he commands and cooperates with his soldiers will it be possible to win. In fact, leading is more than a relational concept. It is a relational term, and it does not imply a personal relationship between people. Instead, it means that leadership is a relationship is based on confusion or a failure to understand how relational concepts work. There are too many outstanding leaders in the history around the world; I am just a small role. Leadership is an art. We can see the common points shining on those famous leaders: The speeches of Sir Winston Churchill showed his constancy of purpose; in 1863, General Pickett earned the trust of the soldiers he sent up the hill, though everyone knew they would die; Mohandas Gandhi was a pioneer of Nonviolent Protest, his views were the most enlightened of all the political men in 20th century; The influence from Martin Luther Kings I have a dream, witnessed great changes of the whole USAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It is well recognized that a qualified leader needs the skills as follows: Good Communication Skills; Good Motivation Skills; Adaptability; Know Your People; Work Delegation; Decision Making; Passion. I remember my first time to be a leader. I would like to exemplify the notion above by my own experience. It was an unforgettable summer. I joined a youth camp in a remote village as a volunteer teacher. There were tens of youngsters of my same age, and what we were going to do is teach the students in the school some basic knowledge of preventing AIDS. I was seldom a leader and I didnt have much experience and talent of being a leader before. I used to think that leader must be those who have strong power of public appeal and are bold and resolute in action. To my surprise, I was chosen to be a leader on the first day I arrived. At that moment, I was both excited and timid: I was afraid that I couldnt be a good leader, but it was really an opportunity for me to have a try. At first, I was too anxious to speak in front of the crowd. When I stood on the stage and said Hello to those kids, I shivered and couldnt utter more words. Students were aged around 10 years old, and they were curious as well as surprised. They couldnt imagine such a coward would be there leader, but of course, they couldnt imagine what this leader would bring to them in the following two weeks. Adaptability is the key to succeeding in our ever changing environment. I adapted to this new environment soon and I thought I could adapt to any unpredictable situation that may arise, too. There are two kinds of leaders; those who want to be liked and those who want to be respected.   If you are respected but not liked, your leadership might be wanted, but it will probably be short lived.   It is possible to be both respected and liked and we should strive for both. Building relationships is one of the most important things we do in life on a personal and professional level. (Leadership Through Relationships by Richard. R. Ramos, 2009) I knew that to get in touch with the students mush first become their friends. I was a leader, but I was like a friend more. I played with them, talked with them, shared jokes and funny experiences with them. We soon knew each other well. Though I was the teacher, I gave each of them equal opportunity to express what they thought. I encouraged them to air their own opinion. As a result, I also earned their respect and credibility. Trust is built on honesty and integrity. (The Essence of Leadership by Stever Robbins, 2003) To build trust, involvement and communication is the key contributor. I always believe in that What you say and what you do must match up. There are five trust techniques: Share thoughts, feeling and rationales; Make commitments you can make; Admit mistakes; Request and accept feedback; Test assumptions. I know that to respect and maintain self-esteem of my students sincerely is vitally important in the process of getting their trust. Every time when they got some accomplishments or made some contributions, I would recognize what they have done and praise them. Otherwise, I listened and responded to them with empathy to show my understanding of their feeling with attention, so they were all willing to talk to me and express their ideas. For some relatively inactive children, I asked them for their help and encouraged them to involve. I valued their opinions and ideas, I was willing to share credit for achievements, and I valued their personal performance more than the results. They soon became optimistic and positive, and are more willing to join us in various activities. A good communication skill is necessary for a leader to listen to the opinions of others, and quickly convey their thoughts. We became close friends, and this is a progress beyond leadership. If we say leadership is the matter of relationship, we can also say that relationship is the source of influence, which is the foundation of leadership. To put it another way, leadership can be defined in one word: Influence. Effective leadership needs influence, and in order to get influence, a strong relationship is needed. We cant deny that the essence of leadership is the art of influencing people. Relationship is the key mechanism for bringing out the best in people from the ordinary, both as individuals and teams. Also, this is the core purpose of leadership can only be achieved through strong relationships. (The Leadership Relationship: Building High-Impact Relationships by Corporate Master, A Division of Integral Master Center) Things went on smoothly. We not only taught children knowledge of AIDS but afterward sang songs and shared our outlook for the future. When the children were asked what are you going to do when you grow up, they have various answers. I remembered some girls said they wanted to be designers because they liked beautiful clothes; some boys who have special interest in architecture hoped to be engineers; some of them dreamt of being professors; but what impressed me most is a boy who desired to be a leader. Gradually, I had more topics with those children and I got their trust. At that time, I felt that perhaps being a leader is better than what I had perceived before. A leader is supposed to have a passion to perform. Being passionate about my work would empower me to find almost impossible solutions be it invention, discovery, or innovation. Also, to me and to my students, passion was one of the sources of our joy and fun. In our class and in our life, passion made us happy and optimistic. For me, as a so-called leader and a voluntary teacher, in addition to my colleagues, my students were also my workmates because I need their aid and cooperation in my job. My colleagues helped me with my lectures and students performance would give me more confidence. I devoted myself into being a leader and I tried my best to be a better leader. After a few days of getting together, those students trusted me and relied on me. Once I was able to give your personal touch to them, I found amazing benefits from these efforts. Their personal lives had a great impact on the each of them. We talked about interesting news, anecdotes and stories together. I was attached to my colleagues and my students. Trust was really the best thing which could give me a warm feeling as the sunshine in winter. We were just like a big family. I had never felt that kind sense of success as well as commitment. Relationship behavior is the extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communication. It includes listening, encouraging, facilitating, providing clarification, and giving socio-emotional support. (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series by Bolman and Deal, 1997) I reminded myself that I was a leader every moment. I must set a good example in front of them so I behaved like a leader and played am exemplary role in my class. In the conversations with the children, I came to know their characteristics and their hobbies. They were really cute, frank, and innocent. Just as technical research and development is essential for continued excellence and a competitive edge, so mush coaching and development become the leaders focal point for leveraging the organizations human capital. Coaching is the process of equipping people with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they need to develop themselves and become more effective. Coaching conversations involve finding out peoples vision or destination, where they are starting from, and the direction they need to move in order to get there. ( Coach and Develop People by Gebelein, S.H., Stevens, L.A., Skube, C.J., Lee, D. G., Davis, B.L., Hellervik, L.W. Successful Managers Handbook. 6th ed. Minnesota: Personnel Decisions International Corporation. 2000.369-396) Development is vitally important in acquiring the skills and learning the knowledge needed to achieve the goals. I know that the role of a leader is also to be a coach. In order to equip them with more knowledge they couldnt learn from the textbook, I brought then to the park, to the field, and went picnic in the open air. I told them how to observe an insect or a butterfly; I taught them how to draw an oil painting; we played basketball together and competed with each otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Coaching forged our partnership, which was another example proving that Leadership is relationship, and in other words, this was one of the sources our trust came; coaching inspired commitment of me and the students; coaching grew my managing skill and their learning skills, too; coaching promoted persistence of each one and finally shaped the environment we enjoyed this harmonious environment very much. Whats more, coaching is a continuous process rather than an occasional conversation, so we kept practicing during my stay with them. But things have gone wrong sometimes. In the last few days before the youth camp came to the end, we had prepared for a welfare party. I arranged a chorus for the students and rehearsed for them time by time, day by day. For these kids, rehearsal was the most boring thing in the world and they got tired soon. They rejected and tried to give up, which disappointed me very much. I was so desperate because I felt that the time and toil I paid was futile and would never reward. I tried hard to persuade and comfort them. However, nothing had a turn for the better; instead, they were more impatient and even shouted to me. I was helpless and sad. I recalled every picture that left impression in my brain but it didnt work at all. I was totally disappointed: They were my dearest but they even didnt respect me. I doubted my ability of management as a leader: I didnt succeed in managing a group of children well, let alone other adults. I tried hard to keep myself calm but things went worse. Tho se kids seemed pay no attention to me and made me more distressed. Consequently, I got angry and raged. I had never been so furious that I pounded the table angrily with a great thump. At this moment, those clamorous kids were shocked and astonished and kept silent immediately. There was not a bit voice. The whole classroom seemed isolated and time seemed to have ceased. I didnt know what they were thinking and I was not sure if they were scared of me or repented of what they had done. It was the worst memory in the process of being a volunteer teacher, but when I reflect it now, I came to realize that it was this bad experience that made me grow more mature. It was clear that I needed to implement the essential ingredients of effective persuasion: I knew and concerned their perspectives; I considered my position from every angle; I listened to them actively and patiently; I shared solution with them and tried to make it better; and what more, I insisted that communication do make changes. So I still believed that a leader should not give up first. I am a leader. I told myself at the bottom of my heart. After about one minute, I asked them, Is there anyone want to quit? Nobody answered. If anyone wants to quit now, you can stand out and tell me. Still nobody answered. I continued, Yes, the rehearsal, it is indeed a piece of tiring work. But if you insist staying in our group, please do your best or you will let us down, let yourself down. Those children were upset. One of them asked me in a low voice, It is so boring. We dont want to play it. Maybe it was the rehearsal that deprived them of their leisure. I stopped for a moment, anxiously thinking of this problem. No one knows how hard I struggled in my mind. I pondered for a while, and explained slowly to them, Only when we spare no effort and try our best will the rehearsal be successful. Only when we encounter difficulty and sweats will the result be satisfying. I hoped that every one of you will perform the best in the welfare party. But at present, there is still much to be improved. And I continued, Listen, my dearest kids, now we must believe that we are the strongest and we can be the best! I have full confidence on all of you! Some of them nodded their heads. A leader is the one not only commands and leads toward the victory but the one who comforts and encourages team mates when the morale of the troops is sinking low. Most of them stood and listened with their heads low, but their eyes were filled with a desire to success. One girl approved me, Yes, you are right. I think I didnt sing well enough. I will definitely work harder. Do you believe in yourselves? I asked them, and embraced them. Yesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Though their voice was low, I could still hear their courage and persistence. How about having fun when we finished the performance in welfare party? Then I will cook you delicious food to celebrate! I added. They seemed much satisfied. Her words were like ripples and most children expressed their agreement. They promised that they would exert themselves and never be on strike again. Some of them even proposed to play an important role in the chorus. I gave them a big smile and so did they. The crisis had gone and our trust came back again. Have a good rest, guys! This is the end of todays rehearsal, but tomorrow we must train harder. I reminded them. I rewarded each one of them an ice cream and of course, they were pleased and contented. Leaders require many skills in managing relationships, such as communication, interaction, crisis management, etc. The purpose of the relationship is not only to manage team mates in a good order but also to give each person the opportunity to grow and to contribute to his or her fullest potential and whats more, to build strengths in the midst of differences. According to my students strength and characteristics, I divided them into three groups in the chorus so that each one of them can achieve their best. Every time they rehearsed, I accompanied them, recorded and played to attain improvement. I couldnt do everything on my own. This was our combined effort. I also needed to give personal responsibility of the work to my students individually, and then keep track of their progress regularly. I found this process interesting and rewarding: They were like young trees and I was just the gardener. I saw them sprout, grow and bloom. After many days of cultivation, the day of farewell party would be the day these young trees fruit. Frankly speaking, it is of the utmost importance for me to motivate them to accomplish objectives. A real leader utilizes the most efficient approach for doing this leading by setting an excellent example. Behind the scene, my students seemed anxious. In fact, I was the most anxious one. I concealed my emotion of anxiety. They constantly asked me, Is my clothes tidy? or Am I look good? I gave each of them smile and some encouraging words. You look superb! Come on, your performance is fantastic! Gradually, these words had positive effect on me, too. I was encouraged by my words: I should be sure that they would be the most confident and competent team! Before the performance, I gave each one of them a hug. The whole class embraced together and made a nice wish. Then they step on the stage confidently. They were so calm and devoted in the spot lights. The melody impressed every audience and finally the whole auditorium was filled with applause. They had made it! That was the most wonderful performance they ever had! They were so excited and they ran toward me and hug me tightly. Leadership is a relationship and an act of influence as well as an impact. Albert Einstein once said, We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve. I used to presume that leadership is just for people at the top but I realized I was wrong.  In fact, every one of us can learn to lead by discovering the potential that lies within ourselves, in order to make a difference of our life. After two weeks, I had to go back to my city and continued my life and study. Those kids were all reluctant to see me leave. They held me tightly, and some of them even cried. Some students called me even Professor to express their affection and thanks for me. I got many presents made by their own: paper flowers, pictures, chocolates, candies, and cards. Though cheap, they were exquisite and meaningful. At that moment, every scene and every moment we spent together was shown in my head again and again. I recalled everything from the first day I came to the last day I left. I didnt quite understand if this was power of leadership at that time, but there must have been something changed. When I reflected this experience after learning this course, I gradually realized it was myself who has changed. I changed from a student without any experience of being a leader to a real leader! Leadership is like wine, only when time passes will it be the finest and the best. Being a leader is absol utely a difficult thing; it is never a piece of cake. However, the feeling of being a leader is extraordinary and terrific, though sometimes it was great pain and stress. I felt that the new me is more courageous and confident; maybe it is because this volunteer experience has taught me a lesson and refined my soul. If we say Leadership is relationship, I am sure that my leadership experience has won me not only relationship but also friendship, which has more profound meaning than only relationship. The students became my friends. They gave me beautiful memory. To me, leadership is applicable to all facets of my own life and they are all beneficial: With the development of my self- awareness and confidence, I can gradually expand our perspective with a competency; I focus more on a goal and set the context of it; I understand the dynamics of human behaviors; I take the initiative to be the real me. Generally, leadership development is not an event.  Rather, it is a constant process. On one hand, leadership excellence is one of the most critical challenges facing not only organizations but small groups or individual nowadays. Leadership is not an easy job, so does to be a great leader. It requires commitment, talent, effort, guidance, and a most difficult thing charisma. There is no doubt that leaders will face a great deal of pressure, which can be quantified. Nevertheless, after accomplishing a great mission or task together with those followers, a sense of achievement and fulfillment is more important than the actual rewards. On the other hand, when we say leadership is relationship, that means relationship has profound influence in todays society, too. I emphasize that the relationship here has nothing to do with bribery and corruption. I truly with that the competition is equal enough. We can safely draw a conclusion that nowadays, especially in a competitive society, no one can battle alone. A wise leader with a strong organization as his or her supporters is more prone to succeed. Only if everyone in the team or organization is supposed to exert his or her utmost effort will it be possible that they have a happy end. In all, to be a volunteer teacher in the village left me a valuable fortune. This was my precious experience that worth remembering all my life. I tasted the sweetness and the bitterness in the short two weeks. Though there were difficulties and crisis in this process, I won the respect and built firm relationship with my students. Leadership is relationship, it is true. I did what a leader was supposed to do, and I had no regret at all. Those students have been my greatest friends because they also taught me a valuable lesson. This was my first time to be a leader, but I have learnt a lot from this experience. What I should do is keep self-improving and never give up. I am still on my way to learning to be a good leader. On this way, there are still a lot of obstacles and much to learn. References: Leadership is the Relationship by Kenneth Rice (2006) Is Leadership a Relationship? by Mitch McCrimmon, Ph.D. (May 2010) The 9 Natural Laws of Leadership P.12- by Blank, Warren (1995) Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series by Bolman and Deal, (1997) Coach and Develop People by Gebelein, S.H., Stevens, L.A., Skube, C.J., Lee, D. G., Davis, B.L., Hellervik, L.W. Successful Managers Handbook. 6th ed. Minnesota: Personnel Decisions International Corporation. 2000.369-396) The Essence of Leadership by Stever Robbins (2003) The Leadership Relationship: Building High-Impact Relationships by Corporate Master, A Division of Integral Master Center Leadership Through Relationships by Richard. R. Ramos, 2009

Analysis Starbucks Operational Financial Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing Essay

Analysis Starbucks Operational Financial Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing Essay The organisation chosen for the task is Starbucks Corp. and the report would compare it with two similar companies, one being Costa Coffee and the other being Caffà © Nero. The report would highlight the frameworks underpinning the competitive position of Starbucks and also would identify and asses the economic and the competitive position of the firm. A financial model using appropriate ratio analysis would also be presented in a spreadsheet format identifying the industry trends and their impact on the performance of Starbucks vis-à  -vis Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero. Both quantitative and qualitative data would be made available so as to provide an insight into Starbucks sustainable performance and prospects. Analysis of Starbucks operational, financial, organisational and marketing capabilities would be made available through application of PESTEL analysis and Porters 5 forces model. The report would also discuss the issues, the problems, the opportunities and the options available to Starbucks for future business growth, followed by conclusions to draw together all the variables identified. Recommendations would be provided for the company highlighting the direction it needs to take to ensure business profitability with comments on the suitability, acceptability and the feasibility of the options made available. INTRODUCTION The Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate American consumers about the fine coffee drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took over the Starbucks Group, he wanted to create the Italian espresso bar experience in the States by creating a personal relationship between the customers and their coffee. In 1995, the company really took off with the opening of its 676th store, and the expansion strategy to Hawaii, Singapore and Japan being very successful. By 2000, 3,300 stores were already in operation and Starbucks had ventured into markets ranging from England to Australia. As standing, Starbucks is number one in the industry, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries. Just within a couple of years they grew from a small coffee business house to a multi-million dollar player in the speciality coffee industry by buying only the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience. The Starbucks mission statement is To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. Freshly brewed coffee is the main product offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a many varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour. INDUSTRY TRENDS AND MARKET ANALYSIS The market right now for gourmet coffee business is hot. All the multi-national fast food chains and street-corner shops want in on the boom. Many big companies are focusing on the supply of specialty branded coffees and the scenario is heating up. Specialty coffee is one of the fastest growing food services markets globally. Growth in the coffee industry is continuously peaking, with many new overseas companies entering the market using policies like special discounts and perks despite the questionable quality of the coffee being used to increase the market share. A notable trend seen is that often a significant increase in sales occurs every time a cafà © starts to use branded consumables. The consensus is that these coffee drinks would be a long-term trend, with focus on elevating the customers taste for a product that they are already familiar with and then leading them to coffee houses to get it. Many companies are also tinkering with expanding the food menus as well including an in-store display of fresh baked goods, sandwiches and various confectionary items. The newest trend is the drive-thru coffee stores. Starbucks has many such stores, all of which are seeing continual growth and long lines. Another trend includes customer requests for organic coffees, which has encouraged retailers to move towards the beans growing environment. The array of products offered has never been as wide, as retailers are adding more flavours to whole beans and creating variations to the basics of espresso and steamed milk. The clever retailers have added iced tea concoctions and coffee shakes to their menus to outdo competitors. Most specialty retailers now also retail whole beans and many such stores have added coffee grinders, espresso machines and other brewing supplies for add on sales. STARBUCKS ANALYSIS This part of the report would analyse the working of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces and the BCG Matrix. PESTEL Analysis POLITICAL Taxation policy High taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to purchase the end item at a higher price. International trade regulations and tariffs Trade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading country imposes a tariff it would not only result in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but such large income transfers can also become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers. Government stability A change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be approached with great caution when considering new ventures. Employment law A reduction in licensing and permit costs in the bean producing countries would lower production costs for farmers. This saving would in turn be passed on to Starbucks when purchasing beans and finally to the consumers. ECONOMIC Interest rates High interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. Economic Growth Consumer incomes would fall in periods of negative growth leaving less disposable income impacting the sales for Starbucks. Inflation rates Business costs will rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer. Competitors pricing Competitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share. Exchange rates If the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the same price, when importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. SOCIAL Population demographics Identification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The marketing campaign undertaken would focus accordingly. Coffee is more of a luxury product, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted. Working Population A large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can cash this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet and eat, boosting the sales. Location A good location which is easily accessible is vital to ensure that the customers visit the shop. TECHNOLOGICAL IT development Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. New materials and processes Developments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently. This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day.. Rate of technological change The pace at which technology is advancing is astounding. Starbucks would need to invest heavily just to stand still in the ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollution problems Starbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully considered to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Planning permissions Planning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected. Work disposal There are strict laws in most countries pertaining to waste disposal and non-adherence to these could lead to Starbucks being sanctioned, which would affects them financially and also tarnish the reputation of the brand name. Environmental pressure groups Starbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups. LEGAL Trade and product restrictions Starbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the countries where they have established businesses. They need to ensure they are not in violation of any such laws. Certain countries impose a tariff that has to be paid when goods are imported/exported so this must be taken into account as well. Employment laws Each country has different employment laws, like a limit on the number of hours an employee can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion. Health and Safety regulations By not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores. Land use Starbucks have to abide by the laws of the building authorities when constructing shops or altering purchased sites and if found in violation of land rules, it can be panalised by the local authorities. PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS 1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caffà © Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales. Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the differentiation between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment. 2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS Starbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have exhibited this control over distribution channels by setting guidelines for their suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants. However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where capital is not a problem could be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going threats of new entrants include fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future. 3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS A big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caffà © Nero for a cup of coffee. Another threat to Starbucks is that their customers have the ability to brew their own coffee. Starbucks has tried to counter this threat by offering Preferred Office Coffee Providers as well as directions on how to make the perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, called the Four Fundamentals of Coffee. The perfect cup of Starbucks Coffee includes, of course, Starbucks ingredients! Also with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, it is clear that Starbucks customers have some bargaining power in the industry. 4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Coffee is the worlds second largest traded commodity. South and Central America produce the majority of coffee traded in the world. Starbucks depends upon both outside brokers and direct contact with exporters for the supply of premium coffee beans. The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers who can meet Starbucks coffee standards will be able to supply the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers. However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus reducing the bargaining power of suppliers. THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION Substitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, substitute products can be soft drinks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks. Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items. The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat. STARBUCKS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS This part of the report would highlight the financial position of Starbucks using the annual reports and comprehensive ratio analysis for the financial years 2008, 2009 and 2010 which are enclosed in the appendix. 2008 In fiscal 2008, Starbucks experienced declining store sales in its stores, primarily due to lower customer traffic. The weaker traffic was caused due to number of on-going factors in the global economy such as the higher costs of gas and food, rising levels of unemployment and personal debt along with reduced access to consumer credit. In fiscal year 2008, store sales declined a margin of 8%. Consolidated operating income was $503.9 million in fiscal 2008, and operating margin for the year was 4.9% compared with 11.2% in the prior year. Approximately 260 basis points of the decrease in operating margin was a result of restructuring charges, primarily related to the significant US store closures. EPS for fiscal 2008 was $0.43, compared to EPS of $0.87 per share earned in the prior year. Restructuring charges and costs associated with the execution of the transformation agenda impacted EPS by approximately $0.28 per share in fiscal 2008. 2009 Fiscal 2009 was a challenging year for Starbucks. The difficult economic environment had strained consumer discretionary spending in the US and internationally, which negatively impacted company revenues, store sales, operating income and operating margins. Starbucks responded by creating a business model that was less reliant on high revenue growth to drive profitability. The primary initiatives of the strategy included rationalizing the global company operated store portfolio and reducing the cost structure, while renewing the focus on service excellence. Starbucks closed down approximately 1000 stores. Initiatives targeting reductions in the cost structure in fiscal 2009 proceeded as planned, with full year costs of $580 million removed from the cost structure. The company maintained a solid financial foundation, with no short term debt outstanding at the end of fiscal 2009 and with cash and liquid investments totalling more than $650 million. The solid financial position and continued strong cash flow generation provided Starbucks with the financial flexibility to implement its restructuring efforts. 2010 In fiscal 2010, revenues increased to a record $10.7 billion. Operating income increased by $857 million from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009 to $1.4 billion. The full-year operating margin of 13.3 % represented the highest full-year consolidated operating margin in Starbucks history. Fiscal 2010 ended with the highest full-year comparable store sales growth that Starbucks have seen in the recent past, while the earnings per share also grew more than double from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009. BENCHMARKING WITH COSTA COFFEE AND CAFFÉ NERO Starbucks is a US chain whereas both Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero were established in the UK. Costa Coffee was setup in London in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa and acquired by Whitbread PLC in 1995. Caffà © Nero was established by Gerry Ford in 1997 in the UK. The comparison would be carried out using the financial information of the three firms which is available in the appendix. The comparison would majorly be based on the UK market. There are 1,175 Costa Coffee shops in Britain as compared to 731 of Starbucks and 440 of Caffà © Nero. A comprehensive business analysis of Starbucks has already been supplied in the above report; this part would focus on the business analysis of Caffà © Nero and Costa Coffee individually followed by a coherent conclusion of the findings. Costa Coffee According to the financial data available operating profit grew by 59.5% to  £36.2  million; 312 net new stores were acquired or opened and like for like sales increased by 5.5. Costa operates in 25 countries and is now the number two international coffee shop operator with 1,600 stores: 1,069in the UK; and 531 overseas. Sales performance improved strongly across the year, confirming the brands resilience, even in a recessionary environment. Caffà © Nero The groups 60% equity is held by the Ford family, the rest 30% by a private equity firm Paladin and 10% with the management. Caffà ¨ Nero has recently completed a successful  £140m refinancing in a bid to fund the businesss future growth ambitions. The business, which has 500 outlets in the UK and internationally and has registered 54 consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like growth, is forecast to generate  £31m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 12 months to May 2011. Revenue for the same period is forecast to reach  £171m, an increase of 11% on the previous year. The new financial structure would provide the Group with a financial platform to support its growth ambitions and expansion plans both in the UK and internationally. Nero has a lot of ups including strong brand positioning, intensive marketing campaigns and a clear differentiation point. However, there are some weaknesses, one of them being lack of experience in going international, thus some problems could arise while penetrating foreign markets. Though both the companies Costa and Nero are well established in the UK market, Starbucks is the industry leader in the world and is a major competition to them in the UK. Financial turnover of the Starbucks Group is so massive that it provides them with all the capital requirements to innovate and differentiate their product from the 2 competitors; it already has established a sizeable market share in the UK, but still needs to take over Costa Coffee which it should be able to do in the near future, looking at the financial figures provided and the international global strategy adopted by the group which seems very promising. ISSUES FACING STARBUCKS The major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crisis in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world. Another challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is competitors. There are numerous coffee shops all over the world and being able to stand out to generate customers is important. Their main competitors are Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caffà ¨ Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is important that for Starbucks to know their competitors and what they are currently doing. Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competitors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink. As Starbucks have many competitors, this can be a potential advantage to for such competitors. Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers. Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee; if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags. Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As corporations grow there can be a tendency to focus too heavily on increasing output and locations, and less focus on quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful. Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Advantages of Starbucks franchising would be to open hundreds of new stores with less risk to the company, and make profits in doing so. In addition Starbucks would have less research and development costs because the franchisee would have greater knowledge of the local market in terms of demographics, psychographics, geographic, and local/state/country regulations. RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION Starbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to specialize in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength. Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves. Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access unexplored distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores. Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. It is important to understand this in the product development phase as they would need to focus solely on making their existing products better. The company can demonstrate product and market diversification through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation has proven an excellent defence against threats such as bargaining power of buyers. Developing new products will offset such potential risks. A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into agreements, long-term contracts, with the food service companies that they are competing against. This way their coffee would be sold at these outlets and they would gain access to new markets and increase sales while decreasing competition. Starbucks should continue to be a first mover into markets with new products and ideas. Being a first mover of new products into new international markets will be an excellent way for Starbucks to build customer loyalty and uphold its image as an innovative company. Starbucks should continue to locate their operations in high traffic areas, high visibility areas. The company should continue to take excellent care in picking locations. It is extremely important that Starbucks international stores reflect uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of locations will ensure large market exposure.

General Will Essay -- Philosophy, Rousseau

â€Å"The problem is to find a norm of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.† Rousseau (1762)a, ll. 5–7b Thus Jean-Jacques Rousseau sets out his aim, and quite a formidable aim it is. He hopes to establish an appropriate â€Å"norm of association† (i.e. relationship between individual and state) in which all individuals and their possessions are protected, to the greatest extent possible, by the state (or body politic); each individual gives himself wholly to the general cause of the state; and all individuals act freely and of their own volition. It should be noted here that the state, in Rousseau's picture of things, is constituted wholly and exclusively of the individuals subject to these criteria. There is no separate institutional government whose members have a materially different relationship to the whole, and so the people are simultaneously the holders of power and the legal subjects in the body politic. In the former capacity they are referred to by Rousseau as citizens, and the active group made up by them is called the sovereign, a â€Å"public person, [formed] by the union of all other persons† (l. 41). Rousseau sums up the terms of his solution succinctly thus: â€Å"the total alienation of each associate, together with all his rights, to the whole community† (ll. 17–18). This is not intended to be as unilateral as it may sound. The key concept that brings together Rousseau's social contract theory is the bifurcation of each state member's resolve into the general will and the individual will; the distinction being most importantly that the g... ...es with Rousseauist hallmarks have historically existed does not swing the debate, since these societies generally confirm rather than alleviate my doubts. Those groups that existed before Rousseau's time were invariably small to very small, this being the only environment in which I find his propositions at all practicable. In those larger scale political systems influenced by Rousseau, such as Marxist communismf and the totalitarianism of Adolf Hitler's Nazi partyg, there is evidence of some of the flaws mentioned above coming to the fore — the propagandist Nuremberg Rallies, for example, could be seen as broad manipulation of the general will — and little vindication of the claim that each member of such societies â€Å"[obeys] himself alone, and [remains] as free as before.† At least, not free in the way that we would understand the term in the twentyfirst century.

The Madina Collection of Islamic Art at the LACMA Essay example -- ess

The Madina Collection of Islamic Art at the LACMA Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced recently that it had acquired â€Å"the remarkable Madina Collection of Islamic art. The collection contains works of various media dating from the late 7th through 19th centuries from the vast areas that comprise the Islamic world, from Southern Spain to Central Asia† (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). While the museum already had quite an extensive collection of Islamic art, this particular exhibit truly adds the collections as a whole. The Madina Collection of Islamic Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first item to be examined is a bowl from the 14th century, from either Egypt or Syria (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). It is ceramic, fritware and is underglazed-painted (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). It is 10 and  ¾ inches in diameter. The design is very symmetrical and incredibly colorful in its green and cream along with black lines. Without knowing what the design symbolizes one could imagine that it is very much an Islamic design, and appears to be religious or spiritual in content. There is a Mandela presence to the design, with very strong lines and striking elements. http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record&key=8533   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next piece to be examined is cup from the 13th century, from Greater Iran. This cup is â€Å"Silver, gilded, chased and punched† and measures â€Å"3 7/8 x 4 5/8 in. (9.84 x 11.75 c...

Compare Barak Obama’s and Martin Luther King’s persuasive speeches

Barak Obama and Martin Luther King are two very important historical people that helped America return to it ideals. Obama is the first black president of the United States, elected in 2008. King was the moral leader of the civil rights movements; he was fighting for legal equality for black people. King was addressing the 1963 March on Washington to the black and white supporters in favour of civil rights. His profession as a pastor and his pacifist beliefs influenced his speech; also he was a preacher and strongly believed in non violence. The result of his speech and the movement he led was a direct turning point and change of law, which soon lead to the end of segregation. Later on, indirectly it led to the election of the first black president. Barak Obama was addressing his supporters after the election in 2008, when he made his speech. A few things influenced Obama’s speech, including his election as the first black president and his need to unite all parties. Also, this was the time of the credit crunch and many people were losing their jobs, this was a big influence. In Martin Luther King’s speech he uses a range of persuasive techniques to engage his audience. For example, he uses similes and metaphors to illustrate points he talks about that are more difficult to understand, so his audience always recognizes what he is trying to get across. For instance, King quotes â€Å"we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.† This makes King’s point very clear about how he wants justice to flow as if it were normal and with discretion. He also uses references to the declaration of independence and emphasises the idea of equality. King quotes â€Å"this note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.† This is showing that equality is not just an opinion, but a right that everyone has and it should be accepted and pursued because it is a state of law. King has used emotive language also to capture the audience’s attention. He quotes â€Å"we are free at last†; he repeats this line many times because it really impacts on how you look at segregation, as if it’s slavery or punishment. King really absorbs his audience into what he’s saying by using emotive language because it connects with them and controls their emotions. There is much more persuasive language and rhetoric manipulated in King’s speech but another of the main features is the sound patterns he uses, for example, onomatopoeia and alliteration. He quotes â€Å"by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.† The ‘c’s alliterate here, and ‘c’ is a percussive consonant that really impacts the message, the ‘b’s also have this affect. He uses this because it gives the speech a rhythm and makes it more interesting to listen to. In President Barak Obama’s speech he also uses a range of persuasive techniques to engage his audience. Like King, he uses many similes and metaphors to help describe or make a point, also to encourage the audience to draw a link between two obviously unrelated things, and find similarities between them. Obama quotes ‘Every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms’ meaning, â€Å"Every so often the oath is taken amidst a political situation as brutal as a gathering storm† or â€Å"Every so often the oath is taken when the money has run out.† Obama uses a clear, powerful metaphor that allows the audience to completely realize that â€Å"gathering clouds and raging storms† refers to the current US recession. Obama also used references to the declaration of independence like King did but in a slightly different way. He quotes ‘America has carried on†¦ because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.’ He refers back to this to remind and mainly thank his audience for remaining loyal and essentially following the ways of the declaration of independence and Martin Luther King. Something that both Obama and King too both used a great deal was the rule of three. This is when the speaker narrows a subject down to three major points which all link. Obama quotes ‘Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.’ He uses these three because they are very strong and important. Using this rule makes a powerful impression to the audience on the topic, showing that it is a key issue. Repetition and imperative commands are core techniques used in all great speeches, it really highlights what, in this case, Obama and also King are trying to convey. In Obama’s speech, he repeats the words ‘Yes We Can’ quite a few times after talking about change or progress. This shows that he trying to imply that anything is achievable if you have the determination and strength to carry on and accomplish what you set out for. He uses this as a sort of catch phrase for the speech as a whole, as the main focus. The two speeches I have discussed are very much linked, with Martin Luther King being a direct impact on the banning of segregation and Barack Obama being the first black president they and their speeches relate. There are many similarities between the two, such as they both refer back to the declaration of independence and both use most of the same persuasive language and rhetoric in their speeches. The difference is that they aren’t exactly giving their speech on the same precise topic. The purpose of Martin Luther King’s speech was to explain to why black people should have rights along with white people, in which he called racial equality and end to discrimination. Whereas Barack Obama’s speech’s focused on the subjects of racial tensions, white privilege, and race and inequality in the United States, discussing black â€Å"anger,† white â€Å"resentment,† and other issues, his speech closed with a request to move beyond America's â€Å"racial stalemate† and concentrate on shared social problems. Both these speeches are very powerful, influential and convincing, they really explain their points well and make the audience aware of the problem or situation, they have a very persuasive tone, as a speech should have.

The Wound Dresser – John Adams

The second piece I reviewed was entitled The Wound Dresser. This is a composition for chamber orchestra and baritone singer. John Adams based this piece off of The Wound Dresser, a poem by Walt Whitman. The poem was written in in 1865 and was based on Whitman’s experiences working as a nurse in the American Civil War. John Adam’s is most often recognized as a minimalist, and well known for his pieces Doctor Atomic, and Short Ride in a Fast Car. You can hear examples of minimalism all throughout the piece.What I found interesting was that when Adams was working on this piece, his father was dying of Alzheimer’s disease. This gave Adams the ability to connect with Whitman’s poem on a much deeper level. Not just by having an awareness of dying, but by caring for people who are dying. Lyrically, this piece start out with a man reminiscing of caring for wounded soldiers in the hospital. It was his job do change the dressings on the wounded soldiers. What I noti ced most was how Adams reflected the mood and tone of the lyrics by using odd combinations of instruments, and unusual harmonic combinations.The bugle style trumpet, with a synthesizer, and some extreme ranges on the first violin produce a sense of misery or weakness that couples with the baritone’s lyrics perfectly. The first violin’s solo was beautiful but yet projected a somehow painful, sorrowful feel. When the strings all began to play, it was slow The piece starts out with just violins, and the first violin playing a solo in an usually high register. The double basses begin playing legato and slowly fading in and out. If pain and sorrow could be written through music, then John Adams did it in this piece.I heard them eventually playing pizzicato, with strings still sweeping in and out. That moment was beautiful. There was a trumpet solo, which somehow sounded distant. Upon reflection I realized that it had the same effect that Adams used in his piece Distant Trum pet written in 1986. The lyrics were shockingly disturbing. Not something that I was expecting to hear. They were many points in the baritone’s melody that it sounded atonal. It was dark, and miserable from every end. Lyrics like â€Å"come, sweet death† implying that death would be complete joy for him.I couldn’t quite pick a structure out of the piece, but at the end, I heard a returning theme in the first violin. All in all, this piece was beautifully miserable. Like always, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the CPO. I heard the Chorus for the first time, I also heard a synthesizer be used for the first time. I hope to hear different versions of Ave Maria and Ode Joy as well. This experience was impacting and inspiring. It made me desire to strive to a new level in my musicianship that I have never been to before.