Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment Two - Essay Example This according to simple microeconomics indicates that the people have more purchasing or bargaining power as compared to the producer, in this case, Wal-Mart, or the purchasing power is very high for the people. Two: The suppliers of Wal-Mart are very diverse and belong not only to different cultural backgrounds but also to different sections of society. They have even started a supplier diversity program since 1994 where suppliers in the form of women as well as minority groups are encouraged to produce and sell products to them and earn in the process. It also has formed a coalition with a number of large firms around the world like Oklahoma food suppliers as well as suppliers in China. In this way, suppliers have a great amount of power as the company is very approachable and literally invites suppliers to join it and be a part of it. They are made to go through training programs and made fit and ready for the job. In this manner, a lot is done to ensure their welfare and maintai n a high level of product quality at the same time. Three: The main competitors for Wal-Mart are Target Corp and Costco. As per the valuation, shares as well as total revenue earned by the company, these two companies have currently come closest to measuring against Wal-Mart as the main competitors in the global market. However, the degree of rivalry continues to be medium and does not really pose a threat to Wal-Mart as such because of its soaring high figures. Four: Wal-Mart is following the cost leadership / broad target strategy in its working. This may be justified because according to Porter, broad target or cost leadership comes in when any firm is trying to win the market share by bringing about cost effectiveness in the produce and supply of its products. This is done in order to appeal the most to the consumers and form a part of their investments. Having the lowest range of prices of the products and services makes a firm reachable and accessible to a vaster consumer mark et and the firm can then hope to take a sort of lead or advantage in the economies of scale. In this kind of a situation, a firm mostly takes to producing standardized products which are easily available at a mass scale or rate of production and Wal-Mart has been following this. Five: In the value chain model, there are some very important processes in the case of Wal-Mart. They are: 1. Inbound and Outbound Logistics – this is because Wal-Mart’s main job is to receive and store products and inventory, control it as well as have transport facilities. Outbound would include warehousing, packaging and basically making the products available to the consumers easily. 2. Operations – this is the stage of value creation or of converting the inventory to finished products for the purpose of sale to the consumers. 3. Marketing and Sales – this is very important for Wal-Mart because its main job is to try and attract the consumers through the processes of marketing and sales. This is done with the help of promotions, advertising, retail managements and pricing. It basically forms a part of the entire marketing mix that is crucial for the existence of this company. 4. Service – this helps to enhance the product’s value and creates a link between the product and the consumers with respect to the company and thus is very importan

Great Train Robbery Essay Example for Free

Great Train Robbery Essay Henry Hill, the character of Martin Scorsese’s film Goodfellas (1990), used to say: â€Å"As far back as I can remember, Ive always wanted to be a gangster† . The reason of the crime films and gagnster icons being of success with a public partly lies in this sublimated desire of an ordinary man to be as powerful, energetic, and famous as the criminals commemorated in mass-media. Rafter (2000, p. 3) explained the popularity of the genre by its fictional possibilities: [†¦] crime films offer us contradictory sorts of satisfaction: the reality of what we fear to be true and the fantasy of overcoming that reality; the pleasure of entering the realm of the forbidden and illicit and the security of rejecting or escaping that realm in the end. The crime film is traditionally associated with the American tradition of the early twentieth century, when romantic tales about heroes conquering promising spaces of the New World prairies were superseded by the not a less romantic sagas about daring individuals conquering updated urban localities. Shadoian (2003, p. 3) referred to the crime film as a prominent context for â€Å"both forming and reflecting the American imagination†. Audience has been enjoying crime movies since 1903, when Edwin S. Porter shot his Great Train Robbery. More than a hundred years of our experience with the crime film taught the public, critics, directors and producers many lessons. Shadoian (2003, p. 3) identified three reasons for the genre’s longevity: (1) â€Å"the issues it addresses have always been central to the American experience†; (2) â€Å"its formal properties have given them a clarity of outline and lucidity of exposition†; and (3) â€Å"it has been infinitely flexible in adapting itself to shifting social and cultural conditions†. But hardly is it absolutely right to emphasise the importance of the crime film for the American culture exclusively. The present dissertation analyses thirteen films made within the ‘crime movie’ context. Only six of them were produced by the USA-born directors: (1) William A. Wellman (1896 [Brookline, Massachusetts, USA] – 1975 [Los Angeles, California, USA]) – The Public Enemy (1931); (2) Raoul Walsh (1887 [New York, New York, USA] – 1980 [Simi Valley, California, USA]) – The Roaring Twenties (1939); White Heat (1949); (3) Martin Scorsese (b. 1942 [Queens, New York, USA]) – Goodfellas (1990); Gangs of New York (2002); (4) Quentin Tarantino (b. 1963 [Knoxville, Tennessee, USA]) – Pulp Fiction (1994). Though the film Brother (2000) is partially made in the United States settings, its creator is a famous Japanese director Takeshi Kitano (b. 1947 [Tokyo, Japan]). He is also responsible for another example of the crime movie, Hana-bi (aka Fireworks 1997). The other five films under analysis belong to the British directors: (1) John Boulting (1913 [Bray, Berkshire, England, UK] – 1985 [Sunningdale, Berkshire, England, UK]) – Brighton Rock (1947); (2) Mike Hodges (b. 1932 [Bristol, England, UK]) – Get Carter (1971); (3) John Mackenzie (b. 1932 [UK]) – The Long Good Friday (1980); (4) Jonathan Glazer (b. 1965 [London, England, UK]) – Sexy Beast (2000); (5) Paul McGuigan (b. 1963 [Bellshill, Scotland, UK]) – Gangster No. 1 (2000). It would be more correct to identify the reasons for the crime film being a success outside the boundaries of national mentalities. Leitch (2002) based his definition of the crime film within the conceptual context of culture rather than the national background. He (Leitch 2002, p. 14) argued that, [†¦] a crime culture [ ] depends on normalizing the unspeakable, a place where crime is both shockingly disruptive and completely normal. Crime may have different metaphorical valences in different criminal subgenres – it can demonstrate the fragility of the social contract in thrillers about innocent men on the run, attack the economic principles of the establishment in gangster films, express philosophical despair in films noirs, test masculine professionalism in private-eye films – but it is always metaphorical. Every crime in every crime film represents a larger critique of the social or institutional order – either the films critique or some characters. Finally, crime films dramatize not only the distinctive roles of criminal, victim, and avenger but also their interdependence and their interpenetration. Evidently, critics and spectators are lured to the genre by its flexibility and visualization of the concepts otherwise unseen or too repulsive to deal with in ordinary life. It is hypothesised that national mentalities affect the themes of crime movies but generic methods of the crime film depend rather on directors’ individual backgraounds rather than on their nationality.

Differentiate Between Operation System And Application Software Computer Science Essay

Differentiate Between Operation System And Application Software Computer Science Essay The most important program that is run on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. The implementation of the operating system recognizes input from the keyboard, such as the basic task of sending the output to the screen display, recorded in the files and directories on the disk track, and control such as disk drives and printer peripherals. Network operating system abbreviated as NOS, operating system, including connecting to a local area network equipment, computers and special features. Some operating system, such as UNIX and the Mac operating system, has been networking the term network operating system-inch built-in feature, however, is generally reserved for software, network capabilities by adding the basic operating system. Novells Netware, Artisofts LANtastic, Microsoft windows Server and Windows NT is an example of an network operating system. The program or programs designed for end-users group. Software can be divided into two categories: system software and application software. From low-level system software programs, interact with the computer a very basic level. This includes the operating system, compiler, used to manage computer resources and utilities. Computer system refers to the computer and its devices. Equipment such as speakers, printers, keyboards, scanners and other peripheral devices are called, sometimes referred to as peripherals. Central processing unit (CPU) is considered to be computer. If no external device input and output of the computer (home computer) (such as monitors, printers, speakers, etc.) will not be able to do anything you feel useful.Read phonetically Define Question 1 Operating system is a software program and computer interface as user behaviour. This is a software package that allows the computer is functions. Operating system also the most important programs into the computer. Basic operating system running on the computer and allows other programs to run well. Operating system to complete all need to do a computer, such as recognized from the mouse or keyboard input, the basic things. It retains all of the documents which track on the computer. Allocation of resources to running, it can prevent unauthorized access to computer programs. A network operating system (NOS) is a computer operating systems main purpose is to support workstations, personal computers, and in some cases, the old pier is a local area network (LAN) connection. In addition, some multi-purpose operating system such as Windows NT and Digitals OpenVMS, and out of capacity, so that they can describe as a network operating system. Network operating system provides printer sharing, common file system and database sharing, application sharing, and to manage the network name of the directory, security and other internal networks. An application software are designed to perform specific functions, directly to the user or in some cases, another application, any plans. Application uses the computers operating system and other services supporting the project. Services and with the programmers writing application is called application program interface (API) to use other means of communication formal request procedure. Answer Question 1 Operating System Operating system to create a link between users and applications forms the core of the computer system. It is not in favor of the programs and hardware to simplify resource management. Let us look at different types of operating systems. Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems When a program is allowed to run once, the system is divided into single-task operating system, and the operating system allows the case to perform multiple tasks at the same time, it is listed as a multitasking operating system. Multi-task can be divided into two categories, namely pre-emptive or cooperation. In the pre-emptive multitasking operating system and CPU time slice of a slot dedicated to each project. Class Unix operating systems such as Solaris and Linux support for pre-emptive multitasking. Cooperative multitasking is relying on each process, to allow time to define the way in the other processes. Prior to Microsoft Windows to Windows95 to support the cooperative multitasking. Window 7 As the Windows operating system, it will be the next version of Windows Vistas successor, the work of the name. Windows 7 is expected to be released in 2010. Windows 7 is expected to use less power more effective, not as a resource pig because more than Vista, and includes better synchronization with mobile devices and PC integration elements. Windows 7 is expected to include 32-bit and 64-bit versions and server versions, Windows Server 7. Mac OS X Mac OS X pronounced Oh Apple ES of ten, was in the Apple Macintosh computer using the current version of the operating system. If you happen to be pronounced Mac OS X, computer fans, and dedicated to Mac users will quickly correct you. Although the name may be a bit confusing, Mac OS X is an advanced, user-friendly operating system. Application Software Applications the ability to use the computer directly to the specific task. Application software can handle text, numbers and graphics. It can be in a certain software, such as word processing, spreadsheets, or playback of audio and video files form the focus of a single task. Database Software Database is a collection of data structure. Rely on computer databases to organize data, allowing users of the database, database software, database operations to achieve. Database software allows users to store and retrieve data in the database. Spreadsheet Software In Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple figures are some examples of spreadsheet software. Spreadsheet software allows users to perform calculations. They simulate a display, so that more cells grid paper form. Multimedia Software They allow users to create and play audio and video media. They are able to play the media files. Audio converter, player, burner, video encoder and decoder is a form of multimedia software. Examples of this type of software, including Real Player and Media Player. Simulation Software Simulation software is the best example of the scientific simulation and flight simulators. The plan is mainly used for research and entertainment. Simulation is to create a human, vehicle and traffic accident environment, the computer model to calculate the forces in the discrete time interval for each agent process. By Newtonian physics, the vehicle position and velocity updates, and human and display graphics. Computer animation software can plug the vehicle location, based on user input the coordinates and speed. The animation provides a similar event is a simulated graphical representation of a visual description, it is not an analytical tool. Computer simulation is a complex event, because the analysis of human and vehicle movement in the simulation is a physical programmable valuable tool. Driver behaviour, vehicle characteristics, and road conditions, the parameters can be easily assessed. Define Question 2 The computer is one of mankinds most brilliant invention. Computer technology, we can achieve efficient storage and data processing. We can employ other information storage capacity of computer memory of our brain. Because the computer, we have the ability to work up to the daily rate for important transactions, to achieve precision and accuracy of the output. On the computer a few years ago is a large room size, and must consume large amounts of electricity. However, as technology advances, computers have shrunk to the size of a small watch. Depending on the size of the processing power and computer, they have different types of classification. Let us look at the computer category. Answer Question 2 Supercomputers Highly computationally intensive tasks can be carried out effectively by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular theory is the best studied by means of supercomputers. Their well-designed parallel processing and the ability of the memory hierarchy to give the super computer, large-scale transaction processing capabilities. Minicomputers In size and processing capability, the minicomputer is between mainframe and PC. Minicomputer, also known as mid-range system or workstation. The term began to be generally 60 years in the 20th century to refer to the third generation of relatively small computers. They picked up it would be a refrigerator or two core technologies used in transistors and memory space required. 12-bit Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-8 minicomputer was the first successful minicomputer. Laptops Similar operations, desktop computers, notebook computers and mobile use small design. Running on a single laptop battery or external adapter, charges the computer battery. They enabled with a built-in keyboard, touchpad as a mouse and LCD display. Its portability and ability to use the battery as a power advantage for mobile users. Desktops The desktop to a single location. Parts of a desktop computer is easy to provide a relatively low cost. Power not as the key to the laptop. Desktop machine is widely used in the workplace and the family welcome for daily use. Microcomputers It with a microprocessor and a computer central processing unit is called micro-computer. They do not occupy the space up to the mainframe. When using the keyboard and mouse, giving the micro-computer can be called personal computers. Monitor, keyboard and other similar input and output devices, in the form of computer memory and memory to power supplies packaged in a miniature computer. These computers can be installed in the desk or table, and as a single user tasks the best choice. Analogy Computers These are almost extinct today. These figures are from a different computer because the computer can run multiple analog mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses math continuous variables, and using mechanical or electrical energy. Wearable Computers A record in the computer evolution step is to create wearable computers. These computers can be worn on the body and often in the behavioral modeling and human health research to use. Military and health professionals in their daily wearable computers, as part of such a study. When the users hand, the activities of the other senses, wearable computers is very helpful to track peoples actions. Wearable computers in operation because they never been opened and closed, and continue to interact with the user. Conclusion Recommendation In 2011 years, we can see the world have many place and build also using computer. Computer gives us a lot convenience, it can get us searching any for internet (e.g. movie, music, New, literature and knowledge) and the reason for sub-types of the computer because they want to meet the market demands. Computer system are many types of computer, outsides the computer have hardware and insides the computer have software. And the software have type of operation System, application Software and other. But the software installer want to step by step, because you dont following the step well be broke the computer. So I think the computer is very interesting. Appendix

The Red Room by H.G. Wells Essay -- Red Room Wells Essays

The Red Room by H.G. Wells The title 'The Red Room' immediately attracts the reader's attention; it is symbolic but leaves unanswered questions. ?What is the red room Is this room dangerous? Overall the title raises so much curiosity wanting us to read on and find answers to our questions. Red is a very strong colour and is generally associated with blood, danger, warning, hell, and above all, fear, the title also shows the setting of the story. It makes you wonder why the room is called the red room and if it is actually red. The Red Room contains all the elements of a ghost story; the story is written to illustrate the nature of fear and is an insight into how it affects the human mind. This story contains all the features of a 19th century novel; it is set in an old derelict house, it involves moving through dark passages, and it involves a ghost/haunted room. It also contains all the features of a good short story. It has an effective opening, a realistic setting, a limited number of believable characters and has a plot with a clear conflict, a plot that builds suspense, excitement, and the plot has a twist at the end. The story is structured to create and sustain suspense, from the very beginning right through to the climax of the story where the man is overcome by total darkness. The Red Room is based upon the myths concerning a haunted room within an old derelict castle. The story is told in first person, which makes it very personal and allows the reader to feel as if he/she were there. It is about a young man who volunteers to go and stay overnight in the ?Red Room?. The room is known to be haunted and there are many myths and legends about death that are brought up during the story.... ... when his fear has taken his sense of reasoning and he tries to leave the room and accidently knocks him out. When he finally wakes up the next morning he realises that there was nothing supernatural about the room but only peoples fear of the unknown. The story keeps the reader guessing right up to the end of the story. The answer is not particularly clear and does not provide the reader with a final, conclusive answer. This keeps the reader wondering about the story after he/she has read it. The story reveals that there is no ghost in the room, just one man?s battle with fear: ?There is no ghost at all; but worse, far worse?Fear!? This makes you question whether he would have injured himself if he had not been told about the ghost story at all by the old people. This still gives a sense of mystery about the room after the answer has been given.

On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense

1. IntroductionIn the following I will consider Nietzsche’s essay ‘On truth and Lies in a nonmoral sense’.   First I will look at a small section of this to work out his views on language, then I will examine the whole of the essay in order to consider his use of metaphor, metonymy and anthropomorphisms in detail. This examination will lead, by way of a consideration of the ways in which he uses metaphor and other devices, into a consideration of his arguments regarding the nature of language. I will put forward the view that his interpretation of the nature of language undermines itself as it seeks to put itself forward as a truth while denying that truth exists as such.2. Truth and LanguageFirst, I consider the passage which starts â€Å"What then is truth†.   In this passage, Nietzsche wants to convey the flexible and changing quality of language.   The statements which we take as truth, straightforward and easy to understand, were in fact original ly more akin to poetry in their relationship with how things really are. Language which was originally used in a metaphoric, metonymic or anthropomorphic way has lost the vital force of the original statements, the original power of the symbolic use of language has become lost and only a shell remains.Over time the non-literal original sense has become literal so we take the words as a straightforwardly true or false statement.  Ã‚   In the original use of language, people could understand that the terms were not meant literally but a rich and evocative picture of how things are. This richness has become lost and we are left only with the empty structural force of the language, which we interpret as simple truth.This is my overall understanding of this paragraph. However it is difficult to paraphrase accurately, due to the richness of the language Nietzsche uses. We could in fact say that his contention that â€Å"truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusions† is couched in terms which are in themselves heavily metaphorical, rather than the propositions which would be easy to paraphrase.Truth, in the paragraph in question, is ‘a movable host’, an ‘illusion’, something which is ‘drained of sensuous force’ and a ‘coin’.   The associations of these are rich, but not necessarily reconcilable. A coin, for instance, is not an illusion as it is an everyday part of economic exchange.   Therefore, the most important facet of Nietzsche’s argument would seem to be that it is not a conventional argument; rather he uses poetry and metaphor to demonstrate the nature or language, rather than explain it in a step by step way.I now turn to the larger essay of which this quotation is a part.   There are a host of metaphors, metonymies and anthropomorphisms in it[1], and as pointed out in the question it is easy to overlook these.  Ã‚   I will pick out a few of these to discuss why it is eas y to overlook them.   Part of the reason would seem to be that the text is simply so dense with them. In some sentences,   several of these devices being crammed into it. Take, for example, the first few sentences (1).   â€Å"World history† is described as â€Å"arrogant and mendacious†; an anthropomorphic device ascribing human characteristics to an abstract notion.Nature, likewise, is said to â€Å"draw a few breaths† which combines anthropomorphism with the metaphor of taking a while to pause.   Later in the same paragraph, nature is said to â€Å"swell up like a balloon† which again combines metaphor and anthropomorphism.   As well as the denseness with which these devices are packed, it is also the case that a more obvious device masks one in the same sentence which is less flamboyant.   For example, in the sentence quoted immediately above, nature is also described as â€Å"reprehensibleâ€Å": a quality which properly speaking should really be ascribed to humans only. This less noticeable anthropomorphism somehow comes across as a literal statement. I suspect this is part of Nietzsche’s intention, as it shows the way in which language can slip from being thoroughly poetic to less obviously so.The structure of his essay works to underline this. Passages of a less metaphorical or metonymic nature occur in between passages where the use of these devices, together with anthropomorphism, is dense.  Ã‚   For example, Nietzsche discusses (4) how metaphor is involved in every step of verbalization and conceptualization from sense perception to abstract terms. This discussion is couched in reasonably straightforward language without obvious use of metaphor and the like.Passages such as these are, however, set against ones in which the language is dense with poetic devices, where, as Nietzsche says there is â€Å"a moveable host of metaphors, metonymies, and anthropomorphisms† (5).  Ã‚   Such poetic pas sages require a different type of reading, one in which we are forced to recognize language as the dense and image-packed structure Nietzsche would have us believe it is in its entirety. In other words, I would contend that the mixing of metaphorical passages with more ’straightforward’ ones is a device intended to remind us of the inherently metaphorical nature of all words.Another way in which Nietzsche uses the devices reinforces the above. The metaphorical, metonymical and anthropomorphic passages provide a vivid and strong illustration of his points in the more straightforward sections. For example, he talks about man’s need for deception (2) â€Å"a continuous fluttering around the solitary flame of vanity†. The visual image thus constructed powerfully reiterates the later points he makes about the nature of truth and the value it plays for mankind.  Ã‚   He appeals, as it were, to both our intellect and our senses.Section two of the essay is rich    in unusual use of metaphor and other devices.   Perhaps the most dense passage occurs at the end, where Nietzsche talks about intuitive (as opposed to rational) man.   He piles device upon device to reiterate the way he portays intuitive man. He is said to â€Å"reap† â€Å"a harvest† from his intuition, but Nietzsche takes the unusual step of elaborating this metaphor in another direction, for what man reaps is â€Å"continually inflowing illumination†, a metaphor one would associate with a river, not a harvest.I believe Nietzsche compounds metaphors in this way in order to demonstrate that the sense of what he is saying is not straightforward but has depths and resonates in different directions. It is also unusual that these two metaphors hide another, at the beginning of the sentence, where man is said to be â€Å"standing in the midst of a culture†.   Here one could almost overlook the metaphoric nature of the expression, as it is close to a common-sense expression. I’d suggest that here Nietzsche is using the more unusual figures of speech as a way of alerting   us to the metaphorical nature of all expression, including cases like this where the metaphor has almost passed into ordinary use.Another remarkable passage starts section two. Here the scientist is described as building his â€Å"hut†, which is equated with his understanding of the world. The imagery here is particularly rich and evocative, drawing up a visual image of a towering structure.   It would seem that Nietzsche uses such particularly visual imagery to introduce his discussion of dreams, for the words evoke images akin to dreaming consciousness.A final point I would make about the use of metaphorical devices centers on his use of different metaphors (in this case with an animal theme) to reinforce his points.   For example, when talking about the development of conceptualization, he compares it to both building upon a spider†™s web and to a bee’s building with wax (7).   Earlier in the same passage he talks of this conceptualization in the context of the Roman gods.  Ã‚   Because he repeats metaphors taken from levels ‘above’ and ‘below’ that of man, it is as if he is creating an over-metaphor which draws attention to man’s nature and its distinctness from the animal kingdom and that of the gods, which in turn serves to reinforce his notion of the subjectivity of language and perception.I now turn to the general points made about language in the essay as a whole. Firstly, I will give an overview of the essay itself before turning to a critique of Nietzsche’s points.   The essay divides into two parts, and the tone of each is slightly different. The first contains more argument of a philosophical nature, although in the context of rhetorical passages, whereas the second is more lyrical in tone throughout.   In part one, Nietzche discusses manâ€⠄¢s intellect. We think we are the centre of the universe, and that our knowledge is a special thing, but so do the most lowly members of the animal kingdom.Our nature is inherantly deceptive, not aimed towards truth, however due to social constraints we feel it necessary to embrace truth in order to become part of a social world.   He then turns to the nature of truth, which for Neitzsche is inherantly illusionary and based on metaphor. Looking at the way in which we come to understand the world, this is based not on an actual coherence to things in themselves but an illusion,   even at the most basic perceptual stage.   Likewise concepts and abstractions have no inherant connection to the ‘real’ state of the world.The moral impulse towards truth is nothing more than a Darwinian survival of the fittest.   Man cannot escape the trap of his inherantly metaphorical viewpoint, which is also specific to the human species alone. However, to give ourselves a sense of security, we have to forget the metaphorical nature of understanding and take our experience as an experience of how things really are. Nietzsche concludes part one with a summary of the subjectivity of man’s experience.Part two has a different tone, being more poetical overall.   He starts by dismissing the claims of science to impart general truths which hold for all time. He reiterates that the drive to metaphor is the most important. Dreams are a way in which we can begin to understand the richness of the creative and metaphorical drive for what it is, a drive which is distinct from the scientific, rational one. In this section, Nietzsche seems to be hinting, against the first section, that through dreams and art man can perhaps come to an understanding of the role metaphor plays in language and truth.Nietzsche makes several general assertions about the nature of language in his essay. His foremost point is that language is inherently metaphorical.   As pointed out, h e reiterates this by use of the type of device he believes is a model of language.  Ã‚   This, I think, is the central theme of his essay, and one which, by his use of language, he puts across most subtlety.   However, there seems to be a problem with his view point.   He seems to be taking the viewpoint of someone who can say what is true and what is not.He wants to say that truth as we perceive it is an illusion, but does not explain why we should believe his illusion rather than any other.   He does not merely want to suggest by poetic devices that truth is an illusion, but to argue that this is the case.  Ã‚   He wants to do philosophy, not poetry, and philosophy is concerned with using rational argument to put forward ones own case, and dismiss opposing views.   The problem is that any argument he uses to support his own view also works against this view.I believe Nietzsche’s other points are flawed also.   Man’s nature, he contends, is to deceive hi mself, and this, he postulates, is for a Darwinian end, the survival of the individual (2).  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first instinct of the individual is self-preservation, and hence to deceive. However, social forces come into play; if man wants to exist happily with others he cannot be seen to tell lies, that is, to disagree with the herd.   Therefore the desire for truth comes into play.Truth is useful to society. Man does not desire truth for his own sake, as the philosophers say, rather he â€Å"desires the pleasant, life-preserving consequences of truth† (3).  Ã‚   Nietzsche thus postulates a socially driven theory of truth, where the quest for knowledge is an illusion, and social reality the only reality.   My argument with this would be it fails to explain cases where individuals act in a way which they know will make their position in their social group uncomfortable and unpleasant, and do so because they want to find the truth.Nietzsche talks about the way in which huma ns develop language to argue that metaphor is always present from original sense perceptions (3-4).   He says â€Å"a nerve stimulus is transferred into an image: first metaphorâ€Å" (4).   After this, he says, each subsequent stage is also built upon metaphor. However, I would argue that in order to distinguish a metaphor as such, we need to have a concept of how things really are, in order that we can know when descriptions are metaphorical (that is, not literal).   If, as Nietzsche argues, metaphor exists from the very first act of perception, then how can we make sense of a distinction between metaphor and non-metaphor?There is also, I believe, a confusion in the essay about the status of what Nietzsche proposes. He suggests that man had to erase the understanding of the metaphorical nature of language from his consciousness in order to live with any sense of security, and also that if man could escape from the confines of this prison-like viewpoint, â€Å"his â€Å"s elf-consciousness† would be immediately destroyed† (8).   This suggests that man is permanently trapped in the view of language as a truth bearing vehicle, unable to see things as they really are.This is problematic in two ways. First, that Nietzsche obviously thinks he can stand outside this language trap in order to explain how others are bound by it. Secondly, he seems to suggest at the same time that man can come to the realization that the nature of language and indeed life is other than he believes it to be, which assumes that the prison of language is one that can, and should be overcome.   This confusion seems at least partly to derive from the two sections of the essay, which are different in tone. In the second section he seems to be saying that art is one way in which man can free himself from the confines of language and â€Å"confuse the conceptual categories and cells by bringing forward new transferences, metaphors, and metonymies† (10).3. Concl usionIn the above, I have attempted a brief analysis of Nietzsche’s essay. I have attempted to bring out his central point, that language is essentially metaphorical, and also to look his other discussions of the nature language and truth plays for man.   I have looked at the ways in which he uses metaphor, metonymy and anthropomorphism in different ways, each of which underline his central ideas about language.   I have tried to show that, for me, his arguments although subtle and dense are ultimately not coherent, as he tries to step outside the framework of metaphor to explain how things ‘really are’.I also suggest that although Nietzsche is attempting philosophy, to convince the reader that he has a valid thesis and to present the argument for this, it is difficult to answer his case fully as he uses the resources of a poet as well as a philosopher.   It is not within the brief to use poetry and metaphor to answer Nietzsche, so there’s a sense in which I am unable to answer him on his own terms.[1]   briefly, a metaphor is when one thing is compared to another by saying â€Å"a is b† or similar, for example â€Å"my heart is a fountain†, where b is something which a is not normally literally said to be.   Metonymy is where a feature of something is used as a shorthand for the thing itself. For example, a school child might refer to a particular teacher as ’big nose’.   Finally anthropomorphism is when human characteristics are ascribed to animals: Nietzsche’s use seems also to include the ascription of specifically human traits to an impersonal non-human world.

L200 Essay †Crucible Experience Essay

The purpose of this essay is to identify, describe, and justify a crucible experience from my life; discuss how that experience influenced my personal leadership style, beliefs, philosophy, or behaviors; and explain how it will influence me as an organizational leader. To lay the ground work to do this, I believe it is important to first define what a crucible experience actually is. According to Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas, in their article titled C rucibles of Leaders hip, a crucible is defined as: â€Å"A transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity.† 1 Based on this very broad definition, I discovered that it was difficult to identify just one particular experience that had a profound impact on my sense of identity. Over the course of my forty four years on this earth, half of that serving our great Nation, I have experienced many opportunities to grow as a person and as a leader. For this paper, I chose to use an experience from when I was a newly promoted Corporal and Infantry Mortar squad leader in the Salute Guns Platoon of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, â€Å"The Old Guard†, back in 1990. During a a standard monthly counseling session with my immediate supervisor, a Staff Sergeant that will remain nameless in the event my essay is ever published, I received some advice that had such a profound impact on me that I decided to leave the Active Duty Army at the end of my first term of service, join the National Guard, and attend college. He counseled me that if I wanted to be a strong leader in the Army, I must always put the Army first. The mission must always come before my family, even if it meant I would lose them. His advice challenged my paradigm of: God, family, country. This caused me to take a deep look at what kind of man I wanted to be remembered as at the end of my life. Would an Army career bring me fulfillment? If I stayed in the Army, and listened to his advice, would my family still be there at the end of an Army career? Was this Staff Sergeant the type of leader I wanted to emulate? Did I really need to sacrifice my family to serve my country? Was his advice sound? I identify these questions as the recognizable beginning to my lifelong journey to become an effective leader, not just in the Military; but also as a father, a husband, a son, and as a man in general. I say this because I believe that an effective leader at work must also be an effective leader at home in order to lead by example in all areas of life. In the process of refining and answering those questions, I discovered what I believe are the basic tenants of an over-all effective leader in life; at the individual level, as well as the organizational level. To answer the first question; yes, an Army career is my chosen profession, and it has continuously brought me a sense of accomplishment and purpose. I discovered while I was a member of the Kansas Army National Guard and working for Xerox Business Services as my full-time employment, that there was a big difference between being a manager in the corporate world and being a leader in the Military. Army leaders are taught to lead by example, to lead from the front, and to care for the Soldiers under their command as if they were their own family. That mindset is very different from corporate leadership. Business managers and supervisors in the civilian work place only care that their employees show up on-time and do their work, what they do off the clock is of no concern. Army leaders must know every possible detail about their Soldier’s lives. A Soldier’s family is as important as the Soldier him / herself and Army leaders must be much more empathetic to the whole situation a Soldier is facing than the civilian supervisor is of an employee. So, part of what that Staff Sergeant was trying to say is true. In the Army it is mission first and Soldiers always, but an effective leader must find a balance between serving as a leader in the Army and serving as a leader of his own family. Yes, sometimes the mission requires my full attention and my family must wait. That is why it is important to be an effective leader at home when I am there. Just as it is my duty to mentor and grow young leaders in the Army to carry on the mission in my absence, I must also mentor my family to carry on when the Army requires me to be absent from home. I see leadership as fulfilling God’s will for my life, and that is all encompassing in every aspect of life. Just as a father must teach his children to become leaders so they can become successful in their lives, a leader in the Army must teach his subordinates, as well as his peers and supervisors how to be effective leaders. I feel that is the true purpose of leadership; to grow and develop more leaders. After nearly a decade in the civilian work force, I applied to return to the Army because I missed the Army way of life. I was disappointed in uncaring management I had experienced in the civilian work force and missed the true leadership I had experienced in the Army. The only caveat was that I had to ensure I maintained balance between my spiritual, personal, and professional life. To answer the next question; it depends, whether my family would still be there at the end of a successful Army career was really not completely within my power to control. As it turned out, I lost my family anyway. I discovered the hard reality that if a Soldier’s family does not share the same commitment to serving our great country, they probably do not share a common bond in other areas of life either. I have been able to counsel many of my Soldiers, and even some peers to carefully consider things before they throw away their career because they are afraid their spouse will leave them if they stay in the Army. Almost every time I have seen a Soldier get out of the Army to save their marriage, the marriage ends anyway. I am not sure this experience is universal, but I see serving in the Military as a family affair, that is why it is imperative that Army leaders engage on a more personal level than civilian supervisors do. Military family members must be willing to sacrifice just as much as their Soldiers do. A few years ago, I learned from a fellow Old Guard member that the Staff Sergeant that advised me that I must put the Army before my family also lost his family to divorce a few months after I ETSed. Apparently, his commitment level was higher than his spouse’s. I have learned the importance of achieving balance at work and home, and the importance of mentoring my Soldiers to do the same. In the Army, there is not a clear cut delineation between a Soldier’s personal life and professional service. Learning how to find a balance in my own life has given me the empathy to understand why it is important to help fellow Soldiers to find that same balance. I now understand that all leaders must remain cognizant of the importance of maintaining balance in life when leading Soldiers from the one-on-one level all the way up to the largest of organizational levels. In answering the third question, I discovered the real crucible of my leadership experience. I have met all kinds of leaders during my life; some are worthy of emulation, some only serve as an example of what not to do. The lesson I learned from that Staff Sergeant was to have patience and be more tolerant of those hard charging leaders who are so narrowly focused on the mission at hand, they overlook the big picture. The Army is not just about accomplishing the mission, we have a responsibility to also ensure the well-being of our Soldiers and their families under our care at the same time. In the Army; it is not mission or family, it is mission and family. This delicate balancing act of accomplishing the mission while taking care of Soldiers is what sets Army leaders apart from civilian supervisors. I firmly believe that if the Army were to be defined as a business, with an end product, the final product would be: leadership. Everything the Army does is tied together and driven by leadership. A truly effective leader mentors new leadership to work themselves out of a job so they can move on to positions of greater responsibility. This is totally different from civilian management positions where people are afraid to teach someone else how to do their job because they could possibly lose their job when it is discovered that someone else can do it just as well. Leaders who forget to account for Soldier’s families because they are overwhelmed with the responsibilities of the mission, may be looked upon as toxic leaders and bring the morale of the entire unit to its knees. In garrison, I have learned the importance of including family social events and Soldier family time into the unit training calendar to ensure those events do not get counted as white space and postponed when a last minute training idea comes up. Even at the highest organizational level of the Army, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the importance of taking care of Army families is at the top of the priority list. In conclusion, this essay has covered at least three leadership topics, concepts, or issues that we have discussed during our leadership lessons this year. According to the L101 lesson on developing organizations and leaders, paragraph 11-3 of Field Manual 6-22 states that: â€Å"Successful organizational leadership tends to build on direct leader experiences. The modern organizational level leader must carefully extend his influence beyond the traditional chain of command by balancing his role of warrior with that of a diplomat in uniform.† 2 Balancing mission and family can seem like a diplomatic task much of the time. In lesson L109 we learned that: â€Å"The Army is people; its readiness to fight depends upon the readiness of its people (Soldiers and their families), individually and as units. We improve our readiness and foster a ready state of mind by training, motivating and supporting our people, and by giving them a sense of participation in the Army’s important endeavors.† 3 This statement was made by former Army Chief of Staff Creighton Abrams, which goes to show that no matter how high up the chain we go, taking care of Soldiers and their families is always important. The key take away I learned from lesson L112, Organizational Leadership Philosophy, was: â€Å"Competent and confident leaders seek input and improvements over the entire span of their careers.† 4 Becoming a leader in life is an ongoing process, no matter how big the organizational responsibility.