Ruth Chris Case Study free essay sample

Dan Hannah, Vice President for Business Development at Ruth’s Chris, uniquely American and successful Steakhouse restaurant was responsible for the development of new business strategy focused on continued growth and company operated restaurants. Even though current restaurants were seeing consistent incremental growth, new restaurants were critical. Hannah knew that the international opportunities offered a tremendous upside. There are currently 10 successful locations internationally. These locations include Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Based on the fact that these international locations were doing well and seem to be the path to increased revenue, Hannah decided that he would adhere to the ‘market development’ model. Hannah proceeded to look at market criterias, competition and the meat/beef consumption rate per region/country throughout the world in order find the best suitable locations to grow Ruth’s Chris chain of restaurants internationally. ISSUE IDENTIFICATION Ruths Chris senior team to locate new international markets to increase stores whether owned or franchised, in order to increase revenue. We will write a custom essay sample on Ruth Chris Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The criterias that have eliminated some of the potential prospects include: Liquid net worth of at least $1US million Verifiable experience within the hospitality industry Ability to desire and develop multiple locations Cost of Franchise $100,000US A 5% gross sales royalty fee 2% of gross sales fee as a contribution to the national advertising campaign For Market Selection Criteria, some concerns were: Looking for market that includes beef eaters – people who enjoy eating beef Markets where it is legal to import beef from US Population – high urbanization rates High disposable income Locations where people do go out to eat Locate markets that werent anti – US as Ruths Chris is uniquely American. ALTERNATIVES AND OPTONS: (1) Amend/Extend contracts with international Franchisees to offer: †¢Extension of franchisee territories to allow larger geographical growth within that country †¢extend length of contract in order to give more time to expand within larger territories Pros: (i)These franchisees are already in the international countries and have a better suitable eye for opportunities. Allowing a larger territory, extended time and opportunity for these international franchisee to successfully grow, will be beneficial for Ruths Chris growth internationally. (ii) May increase business partnership with other business owners and potentially replace restaurant competition Cons: (i)These international franchisees may make a bad decision to grow where there is not enough revenue, and could potentially create a bad reputation for Ruths Chris. (ii)This may take time away from current store and level of service may decrease. (iii) This doesn’t expand outside of current international countries To implement an incentive program among current international franchisees. Measurables to be: †¢company owned incentive after X amount of years, driving X amount of sales †¢Number of restaurant expansion within geographical reach, within that country or within a neighboring country †¢Consistency with service and food quality with every restaurant †¢Build future business partnership across that country Pros: (i)Motivation to international franchisees to grow (ii)Increased revenue (iii)Similar cultures of pairing up current franchisees with neighboring countries Cons: (i) Cost associated with incentive Source an equivalent grade of meat to USDA meat locally at potential international markets Pros: (i)Save costs with importing of beef Cons: (i)Time to source quality of meat (ii)Consistency of quality of meat – may not be the same quality every time (iii) Selecting the right market i. e if grade of meat is available, doesn’t mean the market is attractive i. e is it high urbanization? , do people eat out?.. etc. (4) Advertise and publicize the quality of meats/food within international markets that shows a high meat consumption rate such as Central America/Caribbean, Asia and all developing countries. Some advertising techniques may include: †¢Taste sampling at local/public events and shows †¢TV advertising †¢Partner with wineries, beer companies etc to introduce quality of meats †¢Caribbean resorts restaurants Pros: (i)Introduce the quality of food to international markets. (ii)Build relations with potential franchisees in these countries Cons: (i)Very costly – includes a dedicated Ruths Chris team, Travel, Operating costs (ii)Time – need dedicated time for presentation (5) Locate where the top fine dining steak houses are in the world. Already identified are some top steak houses Mortons, Flemmings, Palm, Capital Grill. Identify where these are in the US and/or the world. These restaurants will already be in locations that include beef eaters, high urbanization, people who go out, and people with high disposable incomes. Pros: (i)Less time to survey where the best location is (ii)Good method to identify target areas internationally Cons: (i)Revenue may not be as high as these competitions may already have established most if not all of the customers in that area. RECOMMENDATION Tool: To implement an Incentive program among current international franchisees – Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mexico to reach to nearby countries to expand locations internationally Definition: A program that allows current international franchisees to be rewarded by taking the ownership to expand, challenges themselves, grow, improve service, be consistent with food quality and increase revenue outside of their known territories i. e other potential international markets. This incentive program may include: †¢Start up funds to obtain real estate for new location †¢Reduced advertising agency fees †¢Public Recognition which will only enhance current stores revenue †¢Internal employee/franchisee recognition – wall plaque †¢Discounts for Franchisee family travel once a year to other locations †¢Potential for other business partners e. g. Beverage industries worldwide *this comes with public recognition It is essential to identify where in the world are the potential Ruths Chris stores will be located. Based on the meat consumption rate sheet in Exhibit 3, its already been identified that the top 5 markets are Central America, Caribbean, Asia, Developing countries and middle income countries. Increase territories for the current 10 international Franchisees. Allow for these franchisees to expand to neighboring countries. For example, Central America shows the meat consumption growth rate to be 13. 5%, hence allowing current Franchisee in Mexico to reach across to Central America and Caribbean. At the same time, current Franchisee Hong Kong and Taiwan can be of reach to Asia and other developing countries as their meat consumption rate is between 8. 65% to 9. 45%. These current franchisee may choose to expand or own Ruths Chris in these new international markets. With proof that when Ruths Chris current international franchisee reaches out to these markets, the incentive program will motivate them to keep expanding and looking for ideas, locations and partners to improve revenue. Communication is key to all Franchisees. This will allow transparency to how all international franchisee are performing in building new markets. Monthly or quarterly reports from Franchisee required to show that processes are being adhered to in order to mitigate any potential risks to the name – Ruths Chris and to any confidential recipes that go along with the name. All government documentation required to ensure all steps are legal. Customer survey feedback needs to be obtained to show that the new locations are aligned with Ruths Chris current level of food quality and service consistency. IMPLEMENTATION (a) Ruths Chriss senior management team will source, support, develop, communicate and deliver this Incentive Program. (b) The Incentive program will motivate current international franchisees to expand, grow in other international markets, thus increasing revenue and bringing exposure of service level and food quality to these markets. This Incentive program will be developed and communicated in one month. Rewards of this program can be awarded as early as the next 3 months. (d)This Incentive program is supported by Ruths Chris on a worldwide network MONITOR AND CONTROL (a) Number of international locations (b) Total revenue of each new location (c) Level of market captured by new locations (d) Customer service survey results (e) Time it took to expand to new market

John F. Kennedy Essays (654 words) - City-states, De-Stalinization

John F. Kennedy Essays (654 words) - City-states, De-Stalinization John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was president of the United States of America from 1961 to 1963. Once he was elected Khrushchev (the Russian leader who was a Communist) tried to test the young president and see how far he could push the new American president. While in office Kennedy faced many obstacles that he had to overcome. Quite a few of them were against the Russians who were communists. After the second World War , Germany was split up into two new nations. One which was being controlled by the Russians ,that was called East Germany. In East Germany there was a communist government. The other nation was being controlled by England , France , and the US ,that was called West Germany. In West Germany there was a democratic government. The capitol of ?Old Germany? was the city of Berlin. Berlin was now located in East Germany. Berlin was split up into two different cities they were East and West Berlin. East Berlin was controlled by the communists. West Berlin was controlled by the democrats. On August 12, 1961 the Communists closed off the line between East and West Berlin and didn?t even let the commuters who worked in West Berlin but lived in East Berlin go to work. The trains and railroads were also cut off. Nobody knew how long this would be going on for. A reporter tried to cross the border of East Berlin and a guard said to him ?You are not allowed to go through we received instructions to this effect about an hour and age.? In 1961 people all over the US were debating if the US should go to war with the Russians and in August 1961 the pentagon ordered reservists to active service. Around 76,500 men most of them who were fathers and were in either World War Two or in the Korean War were being called to go back by the president. But after weeks of uncertainty and hopes and opinions that the whole crisis will ?somehow blow over? the reality of the crisis in Berlin struck America. A lot of times the crisis almost resulted in a war. One example is that two East German tankers squirted water from a powerful hose onto two young American GI?s. The GI?s were taught not to fire unless fired upon. So they reached for their grenades and were about to throw it when the tankers stopped spraying them. Events like this were not very rare. The troops on both sides were not easily provoked. The leaders on each side would try to do everything in their power to avoid a war. After a while there were rumors that Khrushchev wanted to have ?peace talks? if he really meant it the US was ready to go ahead with ?peace talks? only if the ?peace talks? would guarantee the freedom of the people in West Berlin. Most people believed that Khrushchev did not realize that by threatening Kennedy he would get the US to leave West Berlin. But a couple of people thought that Khrushchev had recognized he had not done anything by threatening Kennedy and they thought that the Russian communists really wanted to have ?peace talks? these people said that ?He now accepts that it is impossible to force the Democrats out of West Berlin by threats and that he will take care that his East German satellites don?t drive the Soviet Union into war.? {Newsweek - Berlin - p 17 } For war there are two key factors they are ?timing? and ?nerve?. ?In a free society President Kennedy was under far stronger public pressure than Khrushchev to pull back from the brink of war.? { Newsweek - Berlin - p 17 } BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Hafner, Katie The House At The Bridge New York : Scribner 1995 2 ?Berlin? Newsweek 13 - 17 (September 4, 1961) 3 ?Warsaw Pact States Says Allies? Routes Remain Open? New York Times (August 13, 1961)

Case Study on a Day Care Essay Example for Free

Case Study on a Day Care Essay When couples are engaging in family planning, there are several things that they have to take into consideration. One such thing is the care of the child or children when it is time for them to return to work. A common option over the years has been that of the day care or child care center. Parents today are realizing the importance of daycare centers in their children’s development. They are looking for daycare centers that not only will take care of their child while they are away but also will provide quality, real-life learning opportunities and experiences. These learning opportunities will ensure that children are prepared not only for their academic life in school but also for real life situations outside the daycare center and their own homes. There are five basic categories of day cares: Child care centers, educational day care, family day care, non-profit day care and subsidized day care. A child care center is a large day-care provider and is often franchised under a brand name. They often have extensive facilities, including swimming pools and large playgrounds. They also provide day care for multiple ages divided into smaller groups by age. Educational day cares are intended to provide children with pre-school learning and skills to prepare her for kindergarten or elementary school. They strive to provide children with rounded spiritual, physical, mental and emotional support to prepare them for life’s challenges. A family day care is provided in the care-giver’s home, usually with the provider’s children present. They provide a familiar and comfortable setting for your child. A family day care often is smaller than other types of day care. Non-profit day cares are run by non-profit organizations, such as churches or synagogues. They sometimes include religious schooling and are often more affordable than other types of day care because of their non-profit status. Subsidized day care programs are those that provide financial assistance either through the federal or state government or an employer. The day care visited by group five, was an educational daycare. The daycare caters to children between three (3) months and three (3) years old. At the beginning of September, there were a total of forty (40) children. Currently, there are twenty-six (26) children there. Space and Equipment The day care is clean and sanitary. There is no garbage lying around, floors are clean as they are constantly mopped when messes are made. The kitchen is large enough to facilitate the free movement when 2-3 persons are in there making food preparations. It is also away from the areas where diapers are changed and away from the bathroom. It is clear that great consideration was taken in regards to inclement weather, as the space in the day care is large enough to separate sleeping children from playing children and those who are learning. The area is large enough for everyone to play when they are unable to go outside even though the tables where they have their meals are there. There are five smoke detectors throughout the building, a fire aid kit and a fire extinguisher that are strategically places. Standard childproofing techniques are utilized, (covered outlets, safety gates, door latches). The center is secure, having a buzzer that is working and therefore, strangers are not able to just walk in from the streets. The building is properly lit and ventilated and doors are placed strategically as well to facilitate emergency exit if necessary. There is short term parking space at the front for parents and guardians who come to drop off and pick up their children. Caregivers’ Credentials/Qualifications Because the caregivers are expected to create a safe and stimulating environment for the children to develop in, it is important that the staff get formal training that will equip them with the tools necessary to do so. All the members of staff are qualified. The qualifications held are varied. There are members of staff who have Level 1 and 2 Certificates in Early Childhood Care and Development from HEART Trust NTA. Other qualification held by staff is a Certificate in Practical Nursing and Heart care and a Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education. Programme Activities At this stage of the child’s development, it is important to have activities that engage the children’s minds and develop skills that will be needed in further learning. At the day care, there is a structured schedule that includes plenty of time for physical activity, quiet time (including daily reading sessions for groups and individuals), group activities, individual activities, meals, snacks, and free time. The activities cover the duration of time that the children are at the day care from the moment of arrival to the time of departure. The physical activities come in varied forms including music movement (dance) and play time- outdoor play and free play. Free play is for the children to do whatever they feel like doing, whether it is engaging in imaginative play with their little friends or by themselves, playing with toys, or looking through their picture books. Outdoors, there is a slide, a swing, a monkey bar and some tires for the children to crawl through. Group activities include some aspects of the physical activities and story time, as well as their varied creative, manipulative activities. Such creative/manipulative activities include finger painting, drawing, and making things out of clay dough. This is done with the assistance of the staff. A lot of the stories are made up based on a series of pictures that are taped to the walls of the daycare. Caregivers also engage the children in picture games. The children form a ring and are shown pictures that they are to identify. Those who correctly identify the pictures get an extra treat at meal time. They are also taught nursery rhymes such as â€Å"hey diddle diddle†, and â€Å"itsy bitsy spider† and the alphabet song. There are designated times for snacks, and other meals. They do not allow the children to eat right throughout the day but encourage the habit of eating at intervals. There is also designated naptime and quiet time for the children. The activities are very appropriate as they are in keeping with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. In the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development, which is the first stage, Piaget stresses the importance of discovery through a child’s active interaction with the environment. Between birth and age two (2), children discover the world using their senses and motor activity because they are limited by their inability to use language or symbols at this stage. Therefore, the hands on activities that they are engaged in, helps to enhance cognitive development at this stage. Teacher-child Relationships According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development, trust is identified as the first major developmental task of early childhood, and is established in children’s first relationship with their caregivers, parents and teachers. Trust is the first pre-requisite for effective learning. It encourages a sense of well-being and emotional security in young children, creating a solid foundation for future learning from the dynamic experiences of childhood. Without the support of early trust relationships with caring adults, children are ill-equipped to take the kinds of risk essential to the learning process. Trust develops when children come to anticipate positive experiences in the child care settings. If trust is to develop, children need sensitive and perceptive caregivers that understand children’s needs and consistently offer tender, responsive care. Having received formal training for the purpose of taking care of the children, they have an understanding of the importance of their interactions with the children and therefore treat the children accordingly. It is evident that the children trust their caregivers as they affectionately refer to them as â€Å"Auntie† and warm smile light up their tiny faces whenever they see the members of staff walk through the door. The staff plays with the children during their playtime. There is prompt responsiveness to the cries or outbursts of the children and reassurance is given when the infant is crying, except in cases when the child is throwing a tantrum. In such instances, the infant is spoken to firmly but gently. The ratio of teacher to child is 1: 6. However, the caretakers try to share their attentions evenly among the children. They tend to group the children together when they are interacting with them so that none is left out. There were demonstrations of positive reinforcement from the caregivers. When a child did not like what was prepared for them to eat, he or she was coaxed into eating by the use of various methods, one of which was to pretend that the spoonful of food was an airplane loaded with niceties. The child was praised when he or she would chew the food and swallow it. The caregiver would also reward the child with the option of having their juice before the water if the food was eaten. A sense of autonomy is identified as the second major developmental task of early childhood and is developed when a child is allowed to practice newly acquired physical skills. At the daycare, the children are encouraged to do things for themselves. There are toddlers who prefer to feed themselves, even though they make a bit of a mess when they do. Nonetheless, they are allowed to do so. They are encouraged to pick up after themselves and therefore run around picking up toys when they are done playing. During outdoor play, the older and stronger children are allowed to climb the monkey bars by themselves with the ‘Auntie’ hovering close by to give assistance if it is needed. Recommendations A good day care is one that has a good reputation. No one will want to send their child/children to a daycare that has a bad track record. Established ground rules and policies are important and this is something a good day care has. These rules and policies should include what to do when a child gets sick, or has an accident while at the daycare, schedule pick up times (even though there should be some amount of flexibility with this), safety policies, etcetera. A good day care has a stimulating curriculum that is age appropriate. As these are the formative of a child’s life, activities should be geared at setting a foundation of later learning. The day care should have a license that is current. This is an indication that the day care is in legal operation. Qualified staff is also important. Parents want to know that when they drop their children off at the day care, they are in good hands. The facilities should be clean and safe as well. The day care of study can be considered to be a good one. However, there are a few things that could be done to improve the facility. The acquisition of more qualified staff is something that should be looked into. Even though the caregivers try to pay attention to all the children in their care, it can be taxing for one staff member to have to oversee six children at once, especially during play time. There is a need for more toys for the children, especially building blocks. There is presently a toy drive going on to help with the endeavor of procuring more toys. In doing so, they can look into getting another slide as the tiny one that is there cannot suffice for all the children that want to use it during outdoor play. They need to also look into getting straps or bars put on the swing as there are children who have a habit of getting in and out of the swing while it is in flight. This can be very harmful to them. The monkey bar is also a cause of concern as it is very dangerous, especially for the smaller children. The spaces between each bar are too wide and therefore adjustments may have to be made by putting plastic or wooden bars in between each space to reduce the width that the children will have to climb on. There is a gate at the end of one of the driveways that is too far from the ground and so the ball continues to go under the gate when the children play in the driveway. They need to lower the gate or put something to block the opening so that the ball does not run onto the road. Closing Remarks Members of group five (5) can conclude that the visit to the day care was a productive one. The time spent with the children was thoroughly enjoyed as there was more than mere observation. The day care is a great one and should become better if the things in the afore mentioned recommendations are taken into consideration. Group five would recommend this day care to parents and guardians seeking one as they take into consideration the holistic development of the children. Case Study on a Day Care. (2016, Dec 21).

Importance of nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Importance of nursing - Essay Example This time should also be time that you are certain that there will be no interruptions, enabling you to focus and concentrate on the material. The use of a calendar can help you record all important due dates at a glance without consulting your class material; using a calendar such as one on your cell phone can remind you at any time of deadlines when you get off schedule as many do with life’s uncontrollable circumstance’s that come up. My area of weakness is the effective use of technology, though I am able to navigate easily it would be beneficial to me to learn more of the capabilities of programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other tools which are required in many classes. The use of online tutorials is a great way to become more adept at using these programs to improve the quality of my work. AACN essentials include the ability to translate knowledge and theory into practice with accuracy, efficiency and quickly (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006). Leadership and organizational skills as well as the ability to communicate effectively with patients while caring for patients using evidence-based practice are necessary; evidenced based practice requires an understanding of scholarship and research. Graduates must use information systems and technology within the healthcare setting and remain up to date on the latest clinical guidelines and standards of practice. Graduates should also be advocates for patient rights, while promoting health through risk reduction. Personal academic goals include obtaining specialty focused competencies and advocating for changes in health care policy. To reach these goals I must be knowledgeable on current research studies and current health care policy. This will enable me to apply my knowledge in areas where there is a lack of qualified evidenced based care and to advocate for

Concert Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concert Reports - Essay Example After the piece was over, soloist violin artists took to the stage to give Tang a chance to prepare for the second piece. The stretching of the strings put a soft tune to calm the audience after a blast performance. After 30 seconds Tang performed Ballade No.4 by Fredrich Chopin. It is important to note that Tang has toured many countries globally and has won numerous awards for her prowess in music. The second piece started smoothly and the tune soon picked up to an impetuous rhythm so amazing that I had lost taste for the first performance. It was so incredible how she performed it. Following the intermission was Slavonic Dances for piano by Antonin Dvorak. Deborah the guest performer for the night showcased her talent with the piano. She portrayed her breathtaking virtuosity as her fingers ran up and down in a scale to demonstrate her very impressive dexterity. Her hands ran across the piano keyboard harmoniously producing notes that overwhelmed the audience with her delicate notes that were so breathtaking. At the end of the song, she produced powerful notes that left some audience mouth wide agape. The concluding performance was Trio in E-flat Major, Op.40 by Johannes Brahms and performed by Corbin Wagner, Horn and Hai Xin Wu. The pair made a lasting impression not only on me, but also on the entire audience because of how the notes from the piano rhymed with the violin and how the combined note was produced thunder infused with life. The piece was so illuminating that it started with the blasts of the trumpets as if it was a military parade but the echoes of the piano and the violin in background made the audience to jump up and down from one sit to another. The pair showed their command over the brass instruments such that the audience applause was their plea for more which was the case. Attending the concert is the best thing that happened to me. The performers showed their technical skills and

Summary of David Suzuki’s “Food Connections” Essay Example for Free

Summary of David Suzuki’s â€Å"Food Connections† Essay In his essay â€Å"Food Connections,† David Suzuki states that food is not just something we eat, but something that connects us to our earth and different places all around it. Fruits and vegetables come into our earth, straight from the soil, already fresh and healthy and we poison it with pesticides, antibiotics, etc. The way we live now, how we eat and treat our earth is unnatural. Our markets which are now turned into large supermarkets, not only carry fresh food but almost anything else you could possibly think of. From clothing to office supplies to electronics, you name it. Our food markets have officially turned into ‘everything markets’. Feeling connected to our earth is what makes living important. There are so many people, places and things that this beautiful world has to offer and so many times we turn that offer down. Suzuki states that especially in richer countries, such as America and Canada, we seem to forget where most of our food comes from. People dont have to go pick their fruits and vegetables from the dirt weekly. They can just go to the local supermarket and buy them already packaged and ready to go. In third world countries, going to the market to get some daily fresh foods is not the only reason people go there. They go there to socialize with their friends, listen to people play their music, see artists paint and watch little children run around. It sounds like such a fun and lively place to be, but people in richer countries would never know that, they do not have those activities at supermarkets. When Suzuki writes, â€Å"Food grown naturally without chemicals is marked â€Å"organic,† while food that has been treated with pesticides requires no special label† (8), shows us that the way we look at our foods, is a little different than how people do in other parts of the world (mostly third world countries). We now have a special name for completely regular and  normal growing foods and the foods that we pour tons of chemicals onto, are considered to be normal at our local supermarkets. Our society cares so much about what our foods look like when we are purchasing them, we are always trying to pick out the fruits that are the cleanest or with the least amount of blemishes on them. We do not stop and think to ourselves where they came from or that they were laying in a bunch of dirt and who knows, even animal waste possibly. We are willing to infect our water, air and soil just so that we can have cleaner foods without marks or little insect bites on them. Humans have disconnected themselves from nature. Society is always looking for an easier and faster way to do things and get things done. Maybe going to the local supermarket is more time efficient but small markets have character and meaning, its not just about the food.

Depression Essay -- essays research papers

Depression Consider this: Elizabeth Wurtzel has struggled with depression throughout her life. She has a history of suicide attempts, self-mutilations, and serious mood swings. She took numerous antidepressants and medications in an attempt to regulate her irregular behavior. She quit using the medications due to the multiple side effects the drugs had on her. The result was chaos; after Elizabeth quit taking her medication her body experienced episodes of withdrawal. Despite her continued attempts to combat her illness, she experienced nervous breakdowns and alienation from her friends and family. Elizabeth Wurtzel reluctantly went back to taking medication despite the potentially serious side effects of taking so many drugs (Kim 46). â€Å" In the news, on the streets, and in neighborhoods, individuals are confronted with a variety of social problems†(Kim 7). A person may watch a loved one battle cancer, suspect a friend of having bulimia, or he/she may struggle daily with depression (Kim 7). The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as 17 million Americans each year suffer from depression. About one in twenty-five of these sufferers is under the age of 18, and one in seven women will experience depression in her lifetime. The illness strikes regardless of age, gender, class, culture, or ethnic background (Kim 9). The occurrence and distribution of depression in a population may be related to a variety of factors. Such factors include a wide range of possibilities such as sex, age, living in the town, living in the country, nutrition, marital status, socioeconomic background, and genetic factors (Winokur 18). â€Å"Many people who are depressed do not seek treatment either because the y are unaware that their condition can be helped or because they are all too aware of the stigma and shame associated with depression†(Kim 9). Discovering and analyzing the complexities of issues that are associated with depression is a necessity in the goal of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of depression and of those who suffer from the disease (Kim 13). In order to completely understand the illness of depression, people should understand what the disease is, what factors cause the disease, and the how disease is treated. â€Å"Feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or discouragement occasionally tug at us all† (Kim 13), but those feelings eventually fade away. Th... ... therapists a depression patient decides to see, the first step in getting help â€Å" is to find a suitable therapist to guide the patient through the process† (Kim 87) of recovery. In conclusion, depression is a psychological â€Å"condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal† (Webster 311). Depression affects people both mentally and physically (Kim 14). In order for a person to enter the realm of depression different biological, psychological, and sociological risk factors must exist (Kim 89). The severity of the depression experienced by a person is predispositioned by the severity of the risk factors experienced by that person. Even the most severe cases of depression can be treated with the help of professionals. Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs and biological means of treatment (Kim 90); psychologists offer psychotherapy as a means of help (Kim 90). â€Å"It is (also) important to look at what is happening in life from a perspective that does not turn everyday problems into overwhelming ones.........Remember that everyone has bad days. The trick is to take them in stride. Research tells us that people who don’t catastrophize are less likely to become depressed† (Robbins 180).

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet Essay

Known as a minimalist and experimental composer, Richard Gavin Bryars unleashed an emotionally intimate constructed piece out from a lone old vagrant singing, Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, this one thing I know, for he loves me so†¦ Originally recorded from footage of a documentary by his friend Alan Power in 1971 (Grimshaw), this aged voice served as the focal point and backdrop for Bryars’ poignant yet challenging work unfolding and reiterating itself over the course of 74 minutes in length. Whereas music that falls under Minimalist movement, sometimes associated the emotional neutralization of repeated materials, Bryars’ has the reverse effect in which rather than numbing the listener’s sensibilities, he heightens them and instead of imposing postmodern indifference toward the subject matter, it forces confrontation with it (Grimshaw). The entire lengthy music might deflate the interest of its listeners as the lines simply repeated over the recording, but Bryars managed to extract the spirit of the tramp’s captive song as he slowly introduced an accompaniment. The first part was merely the sole voice of the old man then eventually enhanced by string quartet, followed by plucked bass and guitar. Moreover, as the instruments subsequently fade out, the tramp’s song continues and eventually underscored by a much richer sounding ensemble of low strings, then woodwinds, brass, and delicate percussion and finally full orchestra and choir (Grimshaw). The soul of the music originated from the compassionate nature of the old vagrant who sang the religious tune during the recording of Power’s documentary that was about the life of street-people around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo in London. Bryars’ recounted; while they are filming the documentary, some people broke into drunken ballad or opera songs, but there was a particular homeless old man sang â€Å"Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet†. When he played it at home, he noticed the exact tune of the singing to his piano, and, he discerned that the first section of the song that is 13 bars in length formed an effective loop that repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. Therefore, he took the tape to Leicester and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape having the idea of adding orchestrated accompaniment to it. During the act of copying, he left the door that lead to the large painting studios, and when he came back, he found people weeping and silently listening over the old man’s singing, at that point, he realized a great emotional influence from the noble faith and tranquil music (Howse), a merely accidental root behind this epic. This particular Bryars’ piece was a breakthrough as there were other versions made during the latter years. Tom Waits singing along with it in 1990 and Jars of Clay released their own version on their album Who We Are Instead in 2003, aside from the fact that it was also used for several theatrical presentations. Covering credits for its very straightforward message to the people, the unyielding constancy of the lyrics—repeated over 150 times—essentially keeps the music from achieving greater feats. It is said that no matter how many times you paint a house, it remains to be the same house. Still, that verse holds together the entirety of the minimalist piece, a factor that you cannot simply neglect. Focusing on keeping his music very simple yet haunting, this composer and double bassist is a native from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and born on January 16, 1943. His first musical reputation was as a jazz bassist working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley. He abandoned improvisation in 1966 and worked for a time in the United States with John Cage, until he collaborated closely with composers such as Cornelius Cardew and John White. He taught in the department if Fine Art in Portsmouth, Leicester from 1969 to 1978, and there he founded the legendary Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who â€Å"embrace the full range of musical competence† — and who played or just attempted to play popular classical works. He also founded the Music Department at Leicester Polytechnic (later De Montfort University) and served as professor in Music from 1986 to 1994. Meanwhile, his first major work as a composer owe much to the so-called New York School of John Cage—with whom he briefly studied, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and minimalism. His earliest piece was The Sinking of Titanic (1969) and was originally released under Brian Eno’s Obscure Label in 1975 and the Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971) both famously released in new versions in the 1990s on Point Music Label, selling over a quarter of a million copies. The original 1970s recordings have been re-released on CD by Virgin Records. A major turning point in his development was his first written opera Medea, premiered at the Opera de Lyon and Opera de Paris in 1984. He has written another two operas, both with libretti by his long time collaborator Blake Morrison: Doctor Ox’s Experiment, and G, commissioned by the Staatstheater Mainz for the Gutenberg 600th Anniversary. Aside from that, Bryars has also produced a large body of chamber music including three string quartets and a saxophone quartet both for his own ensemble and for other performers. He has also written extensively for strings as well as producing concertos for violin, viola, cello, double bass, saxophone and bass oboe. He has also written choral music, chiefly for the Latvian Radio Choir, with whom he has recently recorded a second CD, and for the Estonian Male Choir. From being a jazz bassist, composer, professor and opera writer, he also made a name as he collaborated with visual artists, worked with choreographers who have used his pieces, and written numerous Laude for the soprano Ana Maria Friman, to name a few. And to date, he recently completed a theatre piece, To Define Happiness, with Peeter Jalakas for Von Krahl theatre in Tallinn, and a project around Shakespeare’s sonnets, Nothing Like the Sun, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North. Gavin Bryars is an Associate Research Fellow at Dartington College of Arts and Regent of the College de ‘Pataphysique. And married to Russian-born film director Anna Tchernakova with three daughters and a son. He is currently living in England and British Columbia, Canada. WORKS CITED Howse, Christopher. â€Å"The Assurance of Hope†. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. xix. ISBN 0-8264-8271-6 Mckeating, Scott. http://www. stylusmagazine. com/articles/seconds/gavin-bryars-jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet. htm Grimshaw, Jeremy. â€Å"All Music Guide†. http://www. answers. com/topic/jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet-orchestral-classical-work http://www. gavinbryars. com/ http://www. myspace. com/gavinbryarsmusic http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jesus%27_Blood_Never_Failed_Me_Yet

The structure of the Magazine: Magazine Designing

First I had to do some research which mostly I done by looking at magazines such as ‘HELLO’ ‘OK’ ‘TOP GEAR’ as I was looking through the magazines I was comparing the layouts of the magazines. I also did some internet research looking at what type of articles which would go in a magazine and also what type of font is used in a magazine. My magazine will be aimed at both genders of any age. At first I had chosen to do my magazine on the world’s fastest cars, which was all about cars, and also inform you on drivers from the formula one.After a while I got bored of the Idea of cars. This is because I saw that other people in my class, where coming up with better ideas. So this is when I decided to change my magazine completely and do it on music because I thought this way my magazine could compete with other magazines, because I had added more colour and really stood out among others. Also I made sure that if I wanted it to really stand out; I decided to put popular artists on my front cover, to make sure that it really caught the target audience’s eye.I used the computer to produce my magazine, this is because I thought using the computer would be the best method do design and create magazine because, it has software’s which allow you to insert text and pictures on the same page. Also using the computer allows you to access the internet, where you can do some research and find pictures to use in your magazine. Also the computer has many more option that allows you to play around with things ike your title and improve on it. For my font I decided to use different fonts, because I thought it would be a good Idea to vary the fonts and sizes, to make it stand out more from other magazines.For the colours on my front cover I decided to use, three, a basic dark colour for my background which was grey, then I used blue, lime green, and pink on the grey to make these colours stand out. There a lots of websites w hich I used for my images such as: Google images †¢ Picsearch †¢ Urban ink My marketing will begin in shops and in between music charts breaks, and TV programs such as 106 & Park, as my target audience will have a greater chance of coming across it. The reason for using TV shows such as 106 & Park is because, In my magazine there will be a chance to win a tickets to be able to go on the show. My magazine would be one of the magazines which people will buy. It attracts young people who love music.It will be successful because, it will be featuring different music artists every week and will let you know about your music idols. For example this week it will be featuring Drizzy Drake, Nicki Minaj. I think the most attractive thin about my magazine is that it gives you the chance to win tickets to shows such as 106 & Park, where you will be able to meet these artists which you will be reading about weekly. I personally I would buy this magazine, because I love music and one of my favourite hobbies is to listen to music in my free time.This magazine would benefit being on the shelves one because it’s a music magazine and it’s rare to see music magazines being sold in shops. Secondly it’s because it gives me the chance to meet these artists which I will be reading about. The look of the magazine would definitely attract customers to buy it, the front of the page would attract readers because, I’ve used colours which stand out, and also on the front it has 2 of the most famous artists in the music industry on the front page. By having these artists, this will attract customers more.

A Loyalist And His Life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

A Loyalist And His Life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers A Loyalist And His Life The called me M.J., that stood for Michael Jones. It was the early part of April in 1760 when I departed an English port and headed across the waters for the North American colonies where I planned to settle, start a family, and begin what I hoped to be a very prosperous life. It was the summer if 1760 when I planted my feet and my heart in Boston along with several black slaves that I purchased when I arrived here. I brought a hefty 10,000 British pounds in my purse, which was my entire life savings. I was twenty-two years old, turning twenty-three in the fall. I had heard so many wonderful things about this place and I could not wait to get here. When I first arrived here, because of my better fortune it was very easy for me to become a landowner and the owner of a small but successful farm. I purchased a decent size piece of land and began to build a constructive family and life. It was not long before things began to take a turn for the worse. Parliament began to throw tedious Acts and Policies at the American colonies. For example, the Tea Act which placed taxes on all British tea and the Stamp Act which placed taxes on all legal documents such as marriage licenses, wills, and even letter. The Sugar Act placed taxes in all sugar, wine, linen, and silk. It was beginning to be ridiculous. It was then that a continuous patter began. Act...Protest...Repeal...Peace. Everyone seemed to be putting up with that but with each strike by Parliament the other people in the colonies became more and more angry and liked the idea of gaining independence form Great Britain very much. In my opinion the idea of independence was not necessarily a bad one but I felt that it was necessary to remain loyal to the British crown. I personally chose to adhere to the British cause during the revolution. Those of us who remained loyal to England wore the title of Loyalists and those w ho chose to turn their backs were referred to as Rebels or Patriots. The patriots referred to us loyalists as Tories, which was a derogatory nickname that they liked to use. Although loyalists were found in all classes and occupations, from all different walks of life the majority of us were farmers like artisans, shopkeepers, and myself. Most wealthy shopkeepers also chose to remain loyal to England as did Anglican ministers, especially in Puritan New England (Ward 264). Some of us were even black, these were slaves who the British promised freedom but never kept their promise. Some were Indians, some indentured servants, and some loyalists were German immigrants but only because George III was of German origin (VanDoren 119). The number of loyalists in each colony varied. John Adams estimated that one third of the colonials were loyalists. Us Loyalists were strongest in the far southern colonies like Georgia and Virginia, in the middle Atlantic colonies, and especially in New York and Pennsylvania. We constituted the majority in some colonies but a very large minority in all the colonies as a whole. It was not long before a very Thomas Paines Common Sense pamphlet hit the colonies like lightning. When his words and thoughts were distributed about the colonies all hell broke loose. His work was quite simple but just he instigation the colonists needed to stand up to the British crown. He told everyone exactly how he felt about the situation of the colonists. He believe that England had no right to govern the American colonies, for England was but a fraction of the size of America, and not everyone who has settled here has and England decent. Therefore, why should everyone here remain loyal to one such country as England? He truly believed that America would be better of without the whole monarchy system. I remember the very day when one of his pamphlets made its way to my front door. It was windy out side and when I reached to take it from the nail on which it was hanging it blew through the yard and I had

Comparing The Bible & Milton's Paradise Lost Essay

Comparing The Bible & Milton's Paradise Lost - Essay Example This inclination to religious themes was manifested in his works prior to Paradise Lost. Some of these works are On the Morning of Christs Nativity, The Passion, and Upon the Circumcision (Luxon). This religious disposition displayed in his works continued after Paradise Lost was published; two examples of his works are Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes (Luxon). But among his literary works with religious themes, the best one would be his epic masterpiece, Paradise Lost. However, it would be objectionable to call Milton’s Paradise Lost to be the greatest literary work or the greatest epic of all time. For one, Paradise Lost may be in some way, a copy of the accounts of Moses about man’s first offense against God. The plot from the Bible was adapted in poetry form but Milton intricately laced the story with descriptive details that even include dialogues between Satan and the other rebel angels; narrations about the origin of the world by an angel named Raphael; and conversations between Adam and Eve. Another reason would be its similarities with the early epics Aeneid by Virgil and Iliad by Homer. Paradise Lost is analogous to Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s Iliad mainly because of their similarities in their source of inspiration. Other noticeable similarities would be on the plot, the characters involved and the relationships of the characters to each other in the three epics. Before giving further details about Paradise Lost’s similarities with the other two epics, it would be best to know beforehand Milton’s literary basis in writing Paradise Lost and that would be the Bible. The fall of man as accounted in Paradise Lost has some similarities and differences from the Biblical account of the entry of sin in earth. Being based on the Bible, the similarities are very obvious, but the differences require to be discussed. In the

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 39

Art - Essay Example Lithographic images, unlike etching processes, may utilize stone plates in addition to those made of metal as long as the surface is initially smooth. These characteristics are due to the process adding to the base material, rather than removing it as occurs in etchings. Lithographic presses work by evenly pressing ink against a roughened base surface on which an image has been crafted using polymers. The desire to unite these tools has fueled research in a range of fields, including physics (Adalsteinsson & Sethian, 1997). Monotyping and monoprinting are very similar processes, as both are defined by the creation of a sole image source that can only be used to print a limited number of unique images. The main difference between the techniques is that monoprints can be reused, while images on monotyping source materials are impermanent and deteriorate after a couple of uses at most. Monoprinting can be used to produce many images, but the guide is altered with every pressing, guaranteeing the inability to massively duplicate an identical image from a single monoprint plate. The concepts of scale and proportion are easily confused because they both relate to size (Mag Uidher, 2012), but the differences are clear enough to warrant more attention than they have typically been afforded. Scale describes the size of an object as it compares to a separate item of reference. The human body is a common frame of reference for size, but the possibilities for comparison are virtually endless. In contrast, proportion is the relative size of the parts of an image as they compare to the whole. For example, the size of an eye can appear different based on the size of the entire face. This form of referencing is different than scale judgements because it does not depend on the use of an independent image. In visual art, representation refers to the role of direct symbolic