Similarities Between Freedom Writers And Freedom Writers

The film Crips and Bloods has similar parallels to the film Freedom Writers. Specifically, Freedom Writers explains the dynamics of gang rivalry and how that rivalry, together with racial tensions, transformed a once top -performing high school to one of the most under -performing high schools in the country. Most notable is Erin Gruwell, a newly hired teacher, and her willingness to teach and educate a class that has been labeled as delinquent and not worth wasting resources on. It is important to note that the majority of Ms. Gruwell’s students were either a member of gang themselves, or participated in some form of gang warfare. Many of the kids from the film stressed the importance of â€Å"protecting their own† which meant that they had to†¦show more content†¦Ms. Gruwell certainly faces many obstacles and challenges in securing the resources and materials necessary to teach her class. In fact, Ms. Gruell even resorts to taking on two additional jobs to pr ovide the necessary materials for kids. Freedom Writers does an excellent job of highlighting some of the larger structural issues that exacerbate gang violence and racial tensions. For instance, in a one scene, an honors teacher criticizes Ms. Gruwell’s efforts in buying brand new books for the kids, saying that the kids will not appreciate the books, and are incapable of reading at such a high reading level. However, this exact rhetoric that undermines and denigrates these supposed â€Å"delinquent† kids is precisely the problem -instead of supporting students, faculty and school administrators fail to provide students with the encouragement and resources necessary to succeed. More broadly, this points to the victimization of kids, as the gang members in Crips and Bloods mention. As we have discussed in class, more money is allocated for increased law enforcement, further criminalizing kids, particularly youth of color, than in investing in after school programs for them. Thus, the constant surveilling and policing of kids in theirShow MoreRelatedThe Deconstruction Of The Yellow Wallpaper Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pages Additionally, from a deconstructive point of view, there is a central binary of constraint and freedom. The examples from the text show both evidence of constraints within the story as well as freedom. Thus, proving this to be the central binary of this piece of literature. Finally, these two aspects can be used to show the similarities between this text and the short story How to Become a Writer by Lorie Moore. First of all the genre of this story is irony. According to Frye s theory ofRead MoreFrederick Douglass Vs. Harriet Jacobs987 Words   |  4 Pageshistory of the United States was the practice of slavery. Two of the most famous slave narrative writers during the last three decades of legal slavery were Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs. Douglass was an American abolitionist, author and orator. He was born into slavery for roughly 20 years until he gained the courage to escape to the north and gain freedom (History.com Staff). Upon gaining his freedom, he created a friendship with an abolitionist known as William Lloyd Garrison. After gettingRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Mudies Peom My Father Began as a God and the Movie Freedom Writers984 Words   |  4 PagesAgain, for the final change of perspective, the composer writes â€Å"strangest of all†. The underlying meaning of this phrase is that he never expected to see any similarities between him and his father. ‘My Father Began as a God’ shares a few things in common with ‘Freedom Writers’, a movie directed by Richard LaGravenese. 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Both authors tackle a similar theme and portray their love for theirRead More The Differences a nd Similarities Between Caged Bird and Still I Rise1343 Words   |  6 PagesThe Differences and Similarities Between Caged Bird and Still I Rise ‘Caged Bird’ and ‘Still I Rise’ are in their own ways similar, because they are both noticeably about the coloured race and the entrapment of that race and their bid for freedom. But both poems also display many differences, like the use of metaphors and ways of expressing their determination and the segregation of their race. Their titles almost sound like opposites with a capture of something and a rise above somethingRead MoreResponse to Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Readings1204 Words   |  5 Pagesare very notable and important too; not only for honor but also important to American literature. They both lived during the period of the Antebellum (1820 - 1865) when the abolition of slave trade was a big issue in the country. At this time, most writers were writing on the subject of slavery. The works of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave respectively, were narratives of their lives givingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Slave Cry By Richard Lagravenese Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesconnections can I make between the racism in this text and in my other texts? and Which characters and/or events in this text show the theme of racism?. I decided to use the following texts because I believe they all have a significant connection to my investigation. My first text is The Help, which is a film directed by Tate Taylor. This demonstrates the idea of how in society back then racism was a big part and how their lives were very different to now. My second text Freedom Writers, is a film directedRead More The Struggle for Freedom in Yellow Wallpaper and Story of an Hour1106 Words   |  5 PagesStruggle for Freedom in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour    The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour are two very similar stories. Both deal with middle-aged women who long to attain their freedom. They share the same theme, but convey the message differently in terms of style and quality. The two stories are about women who are fighting for freedom, happiness, and the ability to be truly expressive in any way possible. The greatest similarity is between the female protagonistsRead MoreResponse to Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Readings1192 Words   |  5 Pagesare very notable and important too; not only for honor but also important to American literature. They both lived during the period of the Antebellum (1820 - 1865) when the abolition of slave trade was a big issue in the country. At this time, most writers were writing on the subject of slavery. The works of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave respectively, were narratives of their lives givingRead MoreFree Will Or Fate?1098 Words   |  5 Pagesfree will, but the two hold more similarities than you may realize. Homer, the writer of The Odyssey, focuses mainly on the god’s influence of Odysseus’s travels home. Miguel De Cervantes, writer of Don Quixote, uses Quixote’s imagination and decisions to motivate t ravel. Although they bear some minor similarities, the differences between The Odyssey and Don Quixote are pronounced. Before discussing the similarities I would like to go over the differences between the two. In the Odyssey, the gods

Death Of The Ancient World - 2949 Words

Death. Something that no one wants to think about much less encounter. Yet we all must come face to face with death in some way or another. The whole process of losing a loved one and taking care of the remains made me wonder why we honor the dead the way we do. Why do we bury them or burn them? What dictates that religion, environment, culture? What is the point of doing anything at all for the dead? To honor their memory or ease the pain for those left behind? Death in the ancient world held a deeper meaning than it does today, in the ancient world they look out for your soul and the journey it is about to embark upon. Our traditions today are merely warped versions from these ancient traditions. As I examined some of the ancient texts from different cultures, I found something very surprising, even across different cultures the dead were tended the same way. You would never notice these similarities, because the rites and meanings are so different, leading me to the conclusion it wasn’t all culture. Environment plays a small role but it was insignificant, in comparison to religion. Religion or the lack thereof was what made these death rites so different and distinctive. Religion affects the practices and different rituals surrounding how the dead are laid to rest in the ancient world as we see in Beowulf, the Iliad, and the Bhagavad-Gita. If I say Viking, immediately the image of a blonde haired pillager comes to mind, and if I say Viking funeral, you think of a shipShow MoreRelatedEssay about Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece903 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece† According to history there existed two of many important ancient civilizations that left a significant mark in the history of human development that even today leaves modern society in awe of its greatness. 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The albatross had flown to the side of the Mariner’sRead MoreThe Superstitious And Mythical Figure Of The Vampire988 Words   |  4 Pagesresurrects from the dead and lives of the living, by draining humans of their blood, until a it is impaled by a wooden stick or burned. In ancient history we see the myth of the vampire appearing in burial traditions, showing vast similarities to the modern day definition of the vampire. We see this appear in various cultures and regions like the Tibetans, ancient Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome (Wotherspoon, 6-8). In The Tibetan Book of the Dead, it is explained by Lama Kazi Dawa that, they believeRead MoreAncient Egypt : Religion And Religion1374 Words   |  6 Pagesdo in mythology. Ancient Egypt had an organized system with beliefs about the supernatural, belief was an polytheistic one, and part of the culture and lives of people. All these features and roles are all part of the religions, animistic religions. The people of Egypt at the time were part of a civilization that had two kingdoms that eventually became one. World being flat was the belief at the time and thus the Nile River is seen as the main source of life. The people of ancient Egypt all had jobsRead MoreThe Themes Of Death And Death1282 Words   |  6 PagesCambridge Hinds Big Question Paper The Meaning of Death The themes of life and death are used frequently throughout many ancient and modern stories, and specifically, thoughts on death and what it means differ from author to author, time period to time period, and circumstance to circumstance. Many works of ancient literature address the meaning of death directly; examples include the drama Medea by ancient Greek playwright Euripides in 431 BCE, and the Decameron by Italian Giovanni BoccaccioRead MoreDeath Of Latin American Culture1542 Words   |  7 PagesDeath in Latin American Culture Death is part of life in every part of the world, and every culture handles it differently. 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Chevrolet Europe Free Essays

Che General Motor Corporate Chevrolet Europe marketing plan 1. Company Description General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 204,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. We will write a custom essay sample on Chevrolet Europe or any similar topic only for you Order Now GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. 2. CASE SITUATION AND GOALS This section covers two aspects of corporate strategy that influence the marketing plan: the company’s mission, and the company’s goals. Mission:As General Motors’ corporate strategy to market GM Daewoo vehicles under the Chevrolet brand in Asia (except South Korea), South American, and North American in 2003, the Project Midas team was assigned responsibility for marketing the brand conversion from GM Daewoo to Chevrolet in the European passenger car market. Patricia Messar, the director for brand and marketing at Chevrolet Europe, assembled the Project Midas group and first take respond to the Chevrolet brand positioning. Goals: * Nonfinancial goalsTo launch Chevrolet brand in Europe, we have to be accomplished with the existing GM Daewoo policy and capital, which include the production line, carry-over names for individual product models, and the same dealers and operating policies and practices. In this Chevrolet positioning, firs t we need to resonate with European car buyers. Secord, as corporate global marketing strategy, we need to complement General Motors’ multi-brand portfolio in Europe and third, we need to be consistent with the global perception of the Chevrolet brand. * Financial goalsThe financial goals are simple for Chevrolet. First, we need to achieve 1% for the Chevrolet brand in the European market in 2005. Second, we have a 75 million euro media budget. 3. Marketing Analysis and Situation A. The size, scope and share of the market Europe is the largest passenger car producer in the world Main market: Total new passenger car registrations in Europe in 2003 were 4. 4% lower than 2000. The 2003 the total European passenger car market size was 15,520,755 units. Industry analysts in Europe were forecasting a 1-2% annual increase in new car registrations for 2004 and 2005.So we can assume the market size will at least increase to 15,675,962. 55 units. Fig 1. 1 Manufacturers and Brand Market Shares in Europe: 1999-2003 2001 and 2002, in these two years, because of the economic situation, automobile industry facing a very strong impact and keep declining. However, in chart 1. 1, we can see that two kinds of car manufacturing company have a distinctly increase market share in 2001 and 2002. These two kinds of car companies are French-based company- Peugeot Group and Renault, and Japanese Manufacturers.In the long run, the European passenger car buyers believe that French-based company’s brands stand for innovation and comfort. While their competition of Japanese’s brands of automobiles stand for cost-effectiveness, and dependability. So we can get a hint that consumer tend to purchase a car with more innovations, comfort and cost-effectiveness. Competitor: Our exit-target customer group for Daewoo brand is the traditional blue collar segment includes skilled blue-collar workers who are flexible in their brand selection and willing to spend money on cars. In this area, our ain competitors are Ford, Fiat, Peugeot, Renault, and Volkswagen’s Skoda. Fig: Brand market share (%) Ford: Ford’s market share keeps dropping from 8. 9-8. 6%. According to European car buyer perceptions of cars, American cars are too big, huge, large shape, less appealing design, and big engines have less attraction in the European market. Peugeot, Renault, Volkswagen: Through many years operating in Europe, these three manufacturers have a very good reputation and loyalty from consumer groups. The middle class group market is highly competitive and has very little price range.Potential market analysis: According to market statistical data of General Motor Europe Market share by country and Brand 2001-2003, we have two main conclusions: A. Our best areas of sales are from less economically developed countries. The top five countries in sales of our brand Daewoo are Southeast Europe2. 77%, Greece 2. 4%, Netherlands 1. 76%, Spain 1. 63, Italy 1. 5%, and Czech/Slovak Rep 1. 41%. From this data, we can find that the countries with the best sales of Daewoo’s brand are less economically developed in Europe.The GM Daewoo brand unit sales increased to 132,200 units in 2003, which were the most sales in southeastern European countries. This also indicates that most of the Daewoo brand customers belong to lower middle class. B. Highly developed and strong brand dependency areas. In 2003, according to Daewoo brand market share data, Daewoo brand has the lowest market share in these five countries: France 0. 22%, Norway 0. 33%, Sweden 0. 35%, Germany 0. 39%, and Austria 0. 4%. * Daewoo is not suit for a high quality of life area for like France, Norway, and Sweden. Germany consumers have a strong brand dependency. 4. Consumer behavior analysis: A. Who is our consumer for the Daewoo brand? The consumer for our Daewoo brand is the lower middle class. Those customers have an acceptable income, and also spend money on cars. The core customers of GM Daewoo were loyal to the brand, and tended to be traditional in their value orientation. B. What is the image of GM Daewoo in our customer’s mind? Since the launch of the Daewoo Matiz in 1998, most of our customers think Daewoo is reliable, a very good value for what you spend, and most of all beautiful. But Daewoo was also a symbol of cheap imported products. C. What kind of cars are our customers are expecting? GM Daewoo customers wanted a cost-effective, but expressive means of transportation. As such they wanted something practical, but distinctive from a car. A car is not a status for them. 5. Media advertising analysis: The most heavily advertised consumer products in Europe are passenger car. One of the reasons why the Peugeot group is able to keep increasing their market share in the previous two years is their large advertising budget.In 2002, Peugeot spend 859 million dollars in advertising and gained 15. 45% share of voice (not sure what you mean). In 2003, Peugeot spend 791 million dollars in advertising and gained a 14. 11% share of voice. With these large advertising expenditures, Peugeot market share increased 3% in the past four years. Share of voice represents the media spending of a particular brand or company when compared to others in a product category or industry. The percent of share of voice is directly related to the advertising expenditure. See Fig 1. 3 Fig 1. 3 (money in millions, US dollar)Through this chart, we can distinctly find a linear relation. The media budget for Midas project group is 75 million euro ($84. 75 million). We can optimistically expect a 1. 52% share of voice in 2005 6. SWOT analysis Internal factor: GM Chevrolet Strengths: * Good design/distinctive. * Great value for the money/Good equipment at a low price * Various product ranges. * Offer diesel-powered engine models in each car segment. * Improve workmanship(compare to Daewoo) * Comfortable design style GM Chevrolet weakness: * Hard to repair * Poor dealership European passenger car buyer perceptions of American cars * Relatively poor workmanship (Daewoo’s product line)* No diesel engines(Daewoo’s product line) * The lack of any significant marketing or product development initiatives. * Lack of brand advertising * Low product awareness GM Chevrolet opportunities: * Japanese brands trading up-leaving room on the lower price end of the market * The GM umbrella * Market share available in lower middle class level * A clean slate upon which to position the Chevrolet brand * Loyal Daewoo customer resource GM Chevrolet threats: Erosion of value for the mone y * Transition from Daewoo to Chevrolet creating confusion and poor satisfaction among current customer base Positioning analysis: GM has three different brands of cars in the European passage car market. Those brands cover different levels of income, classes, and combine a strongly competitive strength 1) Saab was positioned as a brand that offers modern independent-minded customers an alternative premium embodied in cars that are progressive, sporty, and surprisingly practical. 2)Opel/ Vauxhall focus on the middle class with a traditional value orientation )Daewoo, which we are going to replace, is targeting the lower middle class. To avoid conflict with the other two GM brands. We need to enhance our market position in the lower middle class and use the new brand awareness advantage to develop a new customer group. Targeting customer level: Chevrolet’s brand targets different customers and should be different with Saab and Opel/ Vauxhall. The brand should also pay close attention to those areas open to foreign brands. Moreover, based on the lower middle customer need, develop different styles for different customer value chains. ) Lower middle class (Daewoo customer) In this level, we have a certain number of customers from Daewoo and we keep a certain market share. If we use an appropriate adverting strategy, we can keep those customer resources and develop our potential customer. 2) Lower middle class tend to post materialism Younger or middle-age people who are educated have a lower income or live with their family. They do not have too much money that they can spend on car, but they tend to purchase a car which is practical and also can present individual character. 3) Middle class tend to post materialismIn this level, conventional modern mainstream is targeting potential customer groups. This segment consists of younger, middle class car owners who are mostly well educated with above-average incomes, and bridges the modern and postmodern value orientation. They tend to spend more money on cars and are open to considering new or â€Å"other brands†. Other brands, which include American brands such as Chevrolet, have an opportunity in this level. We can also use our advantage in price to gradually enter this level. * Uniform car preferences across national boundaries:Action plan: Chevrolet replaces Daewoo in Europe market Advantage: * A clean brand image to create * Do not have the brand image of bankruptcy. * Not related with all Korean brands depreciation * Valuable customer information and channel which gain from Daewoo * Join the GM Europe brand strategy Disadvantage: * Transition to GM creating confusion and poor satisfaction record among current customer base * Risk of losing core customers * Lack of brand awareness 1) Interior factors to improve: Based on exiting Daewoo product line, improve workmanship, product line.Enhance car reliable. Style design more focus on European buyer’s need. E. g. reduce fuel consumption, and small or compact car style. Develop and perfect dealership, establish a health distribution channel. Retraining dealer staff, enhance service and introduce the different between Daewoo and Chevrolet. 2) Develop different style car for our target customer : One very important weakness of Daewoo is limited product range. Based on the Daewoo exiting model, improve style, design, and develop more style to meet our potential customers’ needs. For tradition lower middle class: ( Daewoo customer group) First, design a car similar to the most popular Daewoo Martiz style.This allows the Daewoo core customers to realize that the new Chevrolet brand is still keeping the smart, beautiful style that was seen in the Daewoo Martiz. Make little different and add some innovation. Second, the lower middle class style of this car should focus more on cost-effectiveness, comfort, and offer diesel-power and gasoline-power. Third, advertising strategy should focus on our improved workmanship, and that we are still a GM corporate product. For lower and middle class tend to post materialism: In this level requirement, we offer two different sized car styles: This level requirement of car first is comfort and has enough interior space for family. Second, the outlook of the car should enhance the personal character which is post materialism, offer diesel-power as well as gasoline-power, and also offer a small compact version as well. This would allow for two different sizes of cars for different ages of consumers- younger and middle-age * For middle class tend to post materialismThis is a very important potential market customer group. Conventional modern mainstream customer, they are younger, middle middle customer, and variable brand selection include American brand. We can focus on the style need of this level of customers. A challenger style which is breaking through is possible for post material value orientation, but has a cost-effectiveness, and decent quality design. Advertising strategy: 1) For Daewoo customer: Focus advertising areas: less economically developed countries.Customer trait: blue-collar worker, lower middle class, lower income, brand loyalty. Advertising ways: For those lower income or blue-collar workers, we can put our advertising on those normal TV show, beside that, we have a advantage of customer information which from Daewoo. So, we can directly send a try-driving invitation which can let they feel the different and better quality compare to Daewoo. Television, try-driving invitation directly mail, broadcast, national try-driving action in local dealer store. Advertising title: â€Å"time to upgrade! †, â€Å"you try, you know difference! †. Notices to Daewoo customer group that Daewoo now upgrade to Chevrolet. Focus on telling customer that the essential Daewoo parts still remain and we upgrade its quality. This is the car which is more practical and cost-effective. 2) For new marketing customer: Focus advertising areas: Europe but focus on middle economically developed countries. Customer trait: middle class, middle income, post materialism, younger, personal expression. Advertising ways:Because our targeting customers are tend to different with tradition middle class. They are younger, and sensitive to fashion. Television, internal web advertising, professional magazines and papers, and national try-driving action in local dealer store. Advertising title: â€Å"express yourself! †, â€Å"individual desire †, â€Å"change! †. How to cite Chevrolet Europe, Papers

The blackout moment free essay sample

I was standing on the stage speaking, in front of the microphone and the audience, and suddenly my mind Just went blank. Not knowing what to say next and too frightened to run off the stage, I tried to think really hard to recall the next line of my speech, and I failed. 5 seconds, 10 seconds. .. Still nothing came to my mind. The pause was so noticeable that everyone must now know that I have forgotten the script of my speech. Feeling my feet sinking Into the ground, I took a deep breath to stay calm, kept myself from trembling, and coughed softly to break this killing silence In the room.But when hearing my voice getting shaky, I only swallowed hard to make It much worse. There was a nagging voice kept echoing In my head, saying, Its all your fault, you did it to yourself and now you deserve It. We will write a custom essay sample on The blackout moment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And this drew me back to the day before yesterday, when I sat In front of my laptop, Just started rushing to finish the speech on the assigned topic when the deadline was approaching. The topic for the speech contest was Mahatma Is my top concern. And as a victim of procrastination, though I got It 2 weeks before the final round, I didnt started working n it until the last day before the deadline.After 3 hours of exploration of the topic, having come up with loads of concerns that I was not even in the least bit concerned about. I had no clue as to which topic to pick. The good news is that I finally made it for the deadline. While the bad news is that I just got so little time to go through the script. The audiences big applause drew me back to the scene. Anyway, I was supposed to put on end to this endless pause. So I jumped to the ending part and went off the stage.This could-have-been-avoided blackout moment really embarrassed me, and it also taught me a lot about life. In movies, the director can always say cut and re-shoot the scene, but our life is actually in a live theatre where I cant cut whenever I want. Even if I mess up too badly, the play would not lust stop and the curtain go down temporarily to cover up my mistakes. Of course, there is no perfect live performance. But at least we can always make sure that we did do our best. Get fully prepared for our life, and do not let the blackout moment fail us again.

20 Expository Essay Topics on Addictive Foods

20 Expository Essay Topics on Addictive Foods When writing an expository essay on a complicated topic one often feels paralyzed: not a single thought comes to mind and you can almost feel how deadline creeps closer while you cannot even think about any particular topic to write about. You, however, don’t have to suffer this way if you have a list of topics to choose from. So, if you have to write about addictive foods, feel free to use these: What Makes Junk Food Addictive The Most Addictive Foods in Existence How Sugar Causes Addiction Similarities between Processed Foods and Habit-Forming Drugs How Processed Foods Are Engineered to Cause Addiction Salt, Sugar and Fat: the Unholy Trinity of Food Industry What Makes Us Crave Salt? Cheetos and Vanishing Caloric Density Why Is Snack Food So Addictive? Scientific Reasons Behind the Addictiveness of Salty-Sweet Foods Hyperpalatable Foods: What Are They? Children-Oriented Marketing of Junk Food Which Foods Are Making Us Fat and Why Are We Eating Them High Fructose Corn Syrup as the Main Culprit of Obesity Epidemic Long Hang-Time Flavor as a Factor in Addictiveness of Doritos Mechanism Behind Bacon’s Appeal Why Oreos Were Proven to Be More Addictive than Cocaine Why French Fries Cause Problems with Portion Control Can Food Be as Addictive as Drugs? Which Foods Are Most Likely to Cause Addiction Despite covering different areas, all these topics have one thing in common: they are interesting, they deal with important issues of modern world and subjects that have more than just academic appeal. Dont miss the chance to benefit from the facts on addictive foods and writing guidelines on expository papers. Below you will find a sample essay that shows how they can be handled in practice. What Makes Junk Food Addictive We all know that so-called junk food is detrimental to our health, especially when consumed in inordinate amounts. They don’t pose significant health risks when occasionally introduced into an otherwise healthy diet; but the problem with them is exactly this – it is extremely hard not to eat them in inordinate amounts once you’ve started. For some reason, even if one feels guilty afterwards, all too often one just cannot stop eating – so much so that many consider junk food to be addictive in a manner of narcotic drugs. So what makes things like Twinkies, Oreos, Lays, Coke and their brethren so alluring? As it turns out, there is nothing random about this fact. Although it is hard to say whether the term ‘addiction’ is correct technically, there is no doubt that junk foods don’t just happen to be tasty and attractive – they are carefully and painstakingly engineered to be this way. Although the idea of scientists in lab coats running experiments and food companies spending millions to try and determine the optimal level of crunchiness for potato chips sounds preposterous, it is exactly what they are doing (the chips experiment, for example, was run by Frito-Lay). Taste, aftertaste, texture, contents, everything is carefully designed to make us love the product, eat more in one sitting and get back for extra. The methods for these are varied, but generally they are based on one simple principle which lies in history of our species. Throughout evolution, human beings were mainly concerned with finding enough food to survive. Substances like sugar and fat were extremely valuable for survival because they contain high amount of calories and provide a great deal of energy. Our ancestors had to work and often fight hard to obtain them, and they were never available in high amounts. In other words, our brains are hard-wired by millions of years of evolution to crave sugar and fat because for a very long time they were valuable sources of energy beneficial to our survival. Today, however, we can get as much of them as we want, as they are easily and cheaply obtainable in any grocery store without any physical effort. The same goes for salt. Despite not providing any calories, sodium is extremely important for various processes in our personal biochemistry – and in order to make sure we eat enough of it, our brains are designed to make us like its taste. However, in ancient times it was even harder to come by than sugar – and today it is contained in virtually all processed foods in amounts that far exceed our natural requirements. Thus, food companies can ensure we eat more of their produce simply by giving us what the reptilian part of our brain says we need. There are other, more sophisticated approaches, serving as an icing on the cake. For example, ‘vanishing caloric density’, a feature that is specifically characteristic of Cheetos – when you eat them, they tend to melt in your mouth, and you are subconsciously inclined to believe that something that behaves this way doesn’t contain any calories and you can go on eating it forever. Or ‘long hang-time flavor’ – meaning that flavor remains in your mouth for a long time, reminding you of the taste and nudging you to eat more. But when all is said and done, junk foods simply play on subconscious cravings of our brains which were formed millions of years ago in living conditions that had nothing to do with how human beings live today. References: Boseley, Sarah. â€Å"Eating, not Sugar, Is Addictive.† The Guardian Sep. 9 2014 Fleming, Amy. â€Å"Food Addiction: Does It Really Exist?† The Guardian Aug. 20 2013 Gearhardt, Ashley N., Carlos M. Grilo, Ralph J. DiLeone, Kelly D. Brownell and Marc N. Potenza. â€Å"Can Food Be Addictive? Public Health and Policy Implications.† Addiction Jul. 2011: 1208-1212. Print Moss, Michael. â€Å"The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food.† The New York Times Magazine Feb. 20 2013 Nolan, Rachel. â€Å"Behind the Cover Story: Michael Moss on Addictive Foods and What He Eats for Breakfast.† The New York Times Feb. 25 2013 Peretti, Jacques. â€Å"Why Our Food Is Making Us Fat.† The Guardian Jun. 11 2012 Sullum, Jacob. â€Å"Research Shows Cocaine and Heroin Are Less Addictive Than Oreos.† Forbes Oct. 16 2013

How Dragonflies Males Find and Mate with Females

How Dragonflies Males Find and Mate with Females Dragonfly sex is a rough-and-tumble affair. If youve ever seen a pair of mating dragonflies in the act, you know that their sexual coupling requires the flexibility and acrobatic skill of a Cirque de Soleil performer. Females get bitten, males get scratched, and sperm winds up everywhere. These strange mating habits have survived millions of years of evolution, so the dragonflies must know what theyre doing, right? Lets take a closer look at how dragonflies mate. How Dragonfly Males Find Receptive  Females Dragonflies dont engage in elaborate courtship rituals. In a few dragonfly families, the male might display his colors or fly over his territory to show a potential mate what a good oviposition site hes chosen for their offspring, but thats about it. Since dragonflies have extraordinarily good vision, the males rely mostly on their eyesight to find appropriate female partners. A typical pond or lake habitat will support many species of dragonflies and damselflies. To succeed in passing on his DNA, a male dragonfly must be able to distinguish females of his own species from all the other Odonates flying around. He can recognize a conspecific female by observing her flight style, her colors and patterns, and her size. How Dragonflies Mate (and the Wheel Formation) As with many insects, male dragonflies make the first move to initiate sex. When a male spots a female of his own species, he must first subdue her. Hell approach her from behind, usually while they are both in flight, and hold onto her thorax with his legs. He might bite her, too. If he hopes to mate successfully, he must get a firm  grip on her quickly. He pulls his abdomen forward and uses his anal appendages, a pair of cerci, to clasp her by the neck (her prothorax). After he has her tightly by the neck, he extends his body and continues to fly with her, in tandem. This position is known as tandem linkage. Now that hes got a hold of a mate, the male dragonfly prepares for sex. Dragonflies have secondary sex organs, meaning they dont store sperm near the copulatory organ. He must transfer some sperm from a gonopore, on his ninth abdominal segment, to his penis, which is located under his second abdominal segment. After hes charged his seminal vesicle with sperm, hes ready to go. Now for the acrobatics. Somewhat inconveniently, the females genital opening is near her thorax, while the males penis is closer to the tip of his abdominal segments (on the underside of his second segment). She has to bend her abdomen forward, sometimes with coaxing from the male, to bring her genitalia into contact with his penis. This position during copulation is known as a wheel formation because the couple forms a closed circle with their joined bodies; it is unique to the order Odonata. In dragonflies, the sex organs lock together briefly (not so for damselflies). Some dragonflies will mate in flight, while others will retire to a nearby perch to consummate their relationship. Competition Among Male Dragonflies If given the opportunity, a female dragonfly might mate with multiple partners, but the sperm from her final sexual partner will fertilize her eggs, in most cases. Male dragonflies, therefore, have an incentive to make sure their sperm is the last to be deposited in her. A male dragonfly can increase his chances of fatherhood by destroying the sperm of his competitors, and hes well equipped to do so when he mates. Some dragonflies have backward-facing hooks or barbs on their penises, which they can use to scoop out any sperm they find inside their partner before depositing their own. Other dragonflies use their penises to tamp down or move the offending sperm, pushing it aside before he places his own in the ideal location for fertilization. Still, other dragonfly males will dilute any existing sperm they find. In all cases, his goal is to ensure that his sperm supersedes that of any prior partners she has had. Just to provide an added measure of security for his sperm, the male dragonfly will often guard the female until she oviposits her eggs. He tries to prevent her from mating with any other males, so his sperm is assured the last in position that will make him a father. Male damselflies will often continue to grasp their partners with their cerci, refusing to let go until she oviposits. Hell even endure a dunking in the pond if she submerges to place her eggs. Many dragonflies prefer to guard their partners by simply chasing off any approaching males, even engaging in wing-to-wing combat if necessary. Sources Paulson, Dennis. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press, 2009.Resh, Vincent H., and Ring T. Carde, eds. Encyclopedia of Insects, 2nd ed., Academic Press, 2009.

Human Resource Management Information Information Systems Personal Statement

Human Resource Management Information Information Systems - Personal Statement Example During the dark days, any available job posting could be filled be anyone, this was due to the fact that; no special skills were required because technology had not advanced at that time. The main implication that various HR department have been going through includes, trying to keep up with the changing demand of labour skill that is changing at a high rate. Also, many companies have not included human resources as part of their strategies; rather they have incorporated technology in their strategies. HRIS, standards for human resources information system, this is a system where employee, statistics are kept in a data base. The information that is captured by HRIS includes; grade, history salary and education information. HRIS, Is basically a system where data and information of the employees in a company is captured and kept in a controlled manner This is software developed for the purpose of hr day to day running of the department. HR software have helped in streaming operations, improvement of relation in various department and finally removing barriers both vertically and horizontal in any organization set up. Hr software coordinates all the activities with accuracy and error