...“Elephant” is a short story written by the Canadian poet Polly Clark. The story characterizes the daily life of a man named William. It contains plenty of relevant themes, themes of relevance to the modern society. Themes like relations, fame, the everyday life and dreams. The narrator is a third-person limited narrator. The story is told from the perspective of the main character William. It gives us a glimpse of his home life, his feelings, impressions and thoughts. The main character William is a writer. He writes biographies, the life stories of famous pop stars. He assumes that all these pop stars are identical. ”The slim volumes reflected the slim lives of his subjects, and his slim interest in them. Apart from the pattern of their rise and decline the girls seemed to him exactly the same” , he assumes, that the subject of his biographies is deadly monotonous. He has a tedious work, writing about the same subject day in and day out. William has his own method of working. He believes that notes and facts form a valuable story. William has also his own adage, “..Writing was 99 percent about commitment not inspiration had not helped him shift a single page in all that time”. He assumes, that writ-ing is not about inspiration and encouragement. He believes, that qualities like dedication, loyalty, adherence, are more important to contain. William is dealing with a big complication during his writing. He can’t focus, so he isolates himself from the outside world, he can’t...
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...Name Professor Title Date Paparazzi and Privacy Creeping cautiously through the tall grass in the jungle, she breathes with anxiety and apprehension. With this size and repute, she could stay full for a very long time; the family included. As she waits for the prey to show up its head, she steadies her head up ready for the big catch. A catch, perhaps worth a fortune, at least it will sustain her for some time. Seconds later, it becomes a perfect catch. The paparazzo has got what he wanted, that image, a photo worth thousands of dollars, or even more. Menacingly rude and pushy, these photojournalists earn their living through stealing images of celebrities. They hound and stalk a celebrity for the main purpose of taking their pictures and selling them to the mainstream media for a hefty sum. Just like the lioness hunts, so does the paparazzi. They behave in a similar way in all aspects: from identification of the target, up to the end of the game (death of the prey or photo of the celebrity). In short, they make their living by aggressively pursuing a celebrity for the aim of obtaining candid photographs for sale. The paparazzi are a jigger in the toe. Paparazzi do not care what the celebrities do when taking their photos, in fact, they rejoice when they get a photograph of celebrity in an anomalous circumstance. They plant spies in every joint in cities so that they can get information on their whereabouts.In most cases, waiters and security...
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...Before reading- The Power of Half by Father-daughter duo Kevin and Hannah Salwen seems to be a heartfelt, feel good kind of story. The cover is engaging and tastefully done while the title brings up interest due to its vagueness. Born in 1959, Kevin Salwen grew up in Brooklyn, New York with a Jewish background. After high school he attended Northwestern University in Chicago, and then went on pursue a career at The Wall Street Journal. He used his years of journalism experience to document a monumental journey that his family took on the right path. Although I've yet to read the book, I presume that his story will both be personal and informative all while trying to get a greater message across to the readers. During reading one third-...
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...diagnosed with a specific type of depression called bipolar II disorder (“Demi Lovato Recalls…”). Demi Lovato’s story of depression and very successful recovery has brought a voice to many teenagers across the world suffering with similar issues. Demi’s story lets them know that they are not alone and getting help is okay. Demetria Devonne “Demi” Lovato was born on August 20, 1992 in Dallas, Texas to parents Patrick and Dianna (DeLaGarza) Lovato (“Biography”). When Demi was 4, her parents divorced and her father is not a really part of her life anymore. Demi participated in beauty pageants, and for the talent portion, she would sing. She began to take singing lessons. To pay for the lessons, Demi began acting at a very young age. Her first role was at the age of six as Angela in “Barney & Friends” (“Biography”). She was still enrolled in public school, but when she was 11 and 12, she was bullied very severely. Students once signed a petition saying, “We hate Demi Lovato,” along with being called fat (“Demi Lovato: Stay…”). It got so bad that she had to drop out of school to be homeschooled by her parents. At age 11, Demi first recalled cutting herself, and at age 12 was when she had begun to purge and eventually developed bulimia (Russo). She kept these issues to herself because she felt shameful that she was suffering with them. She would often eat dinner with her family, then excuse herself to go to the bathroom, only to purge what she had just eaten (Russo). Demi guest...
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...Josh can remember growing as a child; his dad was only in his life for a short time. He had his own problems to deal with. My mother’s name is Pamela. She has no education. All she did was to keep a roof over our head and food in our bellies. Josh remembers at one point in time she had three jobs to support us. At the time, Josh had no understanding of what it took to raise four kids without having support from their father. Josh has two brothers and one sister. His sister’s name is Ebony. Then there’s Joe the oldest boy and Jason is the youngest. Josh was in the middle. We would move at least once a year until finally we moved out of the hood. Josh never had any white friend until he moved to area that had more white then black. These weren’t your blue or white collar kind fork but more of the hillbilly type. His mom’s main goal was to get her and her kids out of the hood, and she did. Josh attended Hyde Park Elementary school. My previous school had been mainly black kids; however, this school had mainly white kids. In elementary school I was completely lost in must subjects, but Josh seemed to do well in math. The school was in walking distance. The first time Josh failed was in the second grade. After he failed, some genius, maybe my teacher, decided to put him in Exceptional Student Education Classes (ESE). Although it is mostly recognized in relation to students with disabilities (physical, mental, emotional, etc.,), it is truly meant for all students outside...
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...Conflict, Power, and Influence in Interpersonal Communication Team B; Eartha, Daniel, and Britney COM/320 April 2, 2014 Diarese George Conflict, Power, and Influence in Interpersonal Communication Security in the workplace is crucial and also the employer's top priority due to the recent attacks America has undergone. Almost now in every workplace visitors are required to check in and out, even in schools. The main idea is people need to follow procedures when it comes to security protocols no matter whom they may know to cover everyone’s own piece of mind. All it takes is one minor infraction this may spark a chain reaction that may affect everyone. Conflict in security comes from people thinking it is okay to bend rules because they may know a person or are afraid to take a stand and confront someone. What most do not realize is that the rules are there to protect everyone and that it needs everyone to work together to be more efficient. People believe that rules do not apply to everyone all the time that the status of which they have earned gives them the right to skip past certain obligations. The company that Brittney is employed by has gone a step further, we have been provided with badges to get into the main door once we are in there is a receptionist desk. The receptionist is very familiar with the employees and she never hesitates to ask someone to sign in and show proper id. Everything is under video surveillance even the parking lots. In our parking lots...
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...as theoretical background for analyzing micro level processes. What is the importance of Communication Skills in a relationship and how does communication weigh in relationship management? Partners must establish good communication skills in order to maintain a successful relationship. However, when a couple is very successful and in the “limelight” so to speak, the pressure is undoubtedly more. Shen, S. (2010, July 29). The most successful busines power couples. Huff Post Business, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/the-most-successful-busin_n_649622.html. Media plays an even greater risk for these relationships to fail. Media can play mind tricks and play with emotions through falsifying or even extending on a story that may or may not have any truth to the matter. It’s almost as if media’s intention is to exploit and destroy individuals. Kim kardashian files for divorce from kris humphries after just 72 days of marriage. (2012, March 16th). Associated Newspapers Ltd,. So, how do couples combat this demon that comes with the price of being in the “limelight”? Sometimes media...
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...Encyclopedia Britannica for more on the tale's publication history). As a side note – Jackson based "The Lottery" on her life in North Bennington, Vermont (source). Some of us here at Shmoop happen to be from that fine state, and we'd like to assure all potential tourists that despite what you may read in "The Lottery," you don't have to worry about sudden stoning in the Green Mountain State. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. The anonymous, generic village in which "The Lottery" is set, in addition to the vicious twist the story gives to a common American ritual, enhance the contemporary reader's uneasy sense that the group violence in the story could be taking place anywhere and everywhere, right now. Jackson's skillful warping of a popular pastime has become an American classic, establishing her position as one of the great American horror writers. Why Should I Care? So, if you've ever been hanging out with a group of friends and done something truly stupid, you may have heard the refrain, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump, too?" Your answer is probably "no," but Shirley Jackson disagrees. She thinks you – and anyone and everyone – would race off that bridge if your community decided it was necessary. According to her, while individuals may be great, a group of people is another animal. An animal that eats its own. "The Lottery" is a story of a small town basically devouring a member of its own community. It's one of the most horrifying texts you'll encounter...
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...The Power of the Cultural Globalization: Taiwanese Pop Music in China In recent years, much of the most popular music and artists in China and throughout the Chinese-speaking world (Singapore, Hong Kong, overseas Chinese, and, to a certain extent, Malaysia) have come from Taiwan. Even in non-Chinese-speaking countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region (such as Japan, Korea, and Indonesia), Taiwanese pop culture is becoming increasingly trendy and fashionable. This has happened despite significant challenges that Taiwan faces due to its unique political situation and is a testament that the pillar of cultural globalization has to the power to transcend national boundaries. In fact, Taiwan’s success in media and entertainment is bringing Taiwan and China far closer together than political and economic means have over the past six decades. Since China began opening up to the world in the 1980s, mainland Chinese have been more receptive to music from other parts of the Chinese-speaking world, in spite of cultural and political differences. Nowhere is this more obvious than the vociferous consumption of Taiwanese pop culture, particularly its music. According to Baidu, China’s top search engine, 12 of the Top 25 singles in China in December 2007 were from Taiwan, including seven songs in the Top 10. Another seven were by artists from Hong Kong and Singapore. Only eight songs on the list were from mainland artists. One potential reason for this success is Taiwan’s relative...
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...How to Promote an E-commerce Website by Melissa King, Demand Media http://smallbusiness.chron.com/promote-ecommerce-website-43557.html Nowadays, advertising in product and service is Internet access and a website. An e-commerce website makes it easy for customers around the world to shop at the virtual store. If you don't promote your e-commerce website, though, customers won't be able to find it. There are many ways to get people to visit online shop; Traditional Methods Adding website address to all written materials (business cards, letterhead, brochures, literature, publications, products, etc.) and always put website address in any media advertisements such as Magazines, Newspapers, TV and Radio. Also, word of mouth from friends and existing customers is very powerful. Online Methods Applying Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to your e-commerce website. This technique makes it easier for search engines, such as Google and Bing, to find your website. Sprinkle relevant keywords throughout your website to attract search engines. For example, if you sell second-hand clothing, use keywords and phrases like "online thrift store" and "buy used clothes." Don't overuse Flash or Javascript. Search engines have difficulty "seeing" this type of content. Start and maintain a blog that relates to your e-commerce website. For instance, if you sell DVDs on your website, write articles about new movie releases on your blog. Link the blog and the e-commerce website together. If a reader...
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...Literacy Test Student survival guide Reading Comprehension and Multiple Choice Questions Reading Comprehension Strategies On the Literacy Test, there are several short reading passages. You will have to read the passages and answer multiple choice and short answer questions based on what you have read. Strategies to help understand a text: Read and re-read: Go through the text slowly and re-read difficult sections. Do not spend too much time on re-reading, but make sure you have read the whole section thoroughly. Highlighting: As you read, use a highlighter or pen to mark key points of information. As you read, ask yourself what the main ideas are and highlight them. Making connections: As you read, connect what you are reading to what you already know or what you have experienced that relates to the text. Contextual clues: Use the ideas around a word (context) to figure out what a unknown word could mean. Multiple Choice Strategies On the Literacy Test, you will have to answer multiple choice questions for reading comprehension and for grammar. Strategies to determine the best answer: Read question carefully and think of the answer before looking at the choices. Look for the key words in the question. Process of elimination - you should be able to narrow it down to two choices. Scanning and re-reading text: Scan (look over) the text for key words from the question and re-read the section that the question is referring to. Scan...
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...With total revenue and comp sales down again in the first quarter of 2010, Borders Group's two top executives discussed way to improve the chain's profitability (loss in the quarter was reduced to .1 million, from .0 million) and its digital strategy, in a conference call last Thursday. CFO Mark Bierley said Borders will look to maximize the profitability of its stores by "aggressively" pursuing lease buyouts of underperforming outlets; it had 680 stores at the end of the first quarter. Borders will also implement new measures to cut shrinkage and explore ways to increase the efficiency of its supply chain, including shipping more product directly to stores. [Show less] You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in your Electronic Products License Agreement...
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...1.0 Introduction Music is something that has been around for decades, and it has been a part of human life-style, where we are surrounded with media which consist of not only entertainment but as well as a medium of transporting information. While learning what is ethical and what is not ethically accepted, not only socially but it should also covers religiously, where Islam with no doubt comprises daily life. For this semester covering UNGS 2050, ‘Ethics & Fiqh for Everyday Life’, we would like to take this precious opportunity in researching more in depth the significance of music in Islamic perspective in the view of various scholars. As taken from one of the compiled fatwas responded by the fatwa issued by Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi, in respect in tackling the word “haram” used by various scholars as to be more vigilant in their writings and fatwas that they should observe that Allah is watching over them in all that they say or do. They should also know that this word “haram” is very dangerous. It means that Allah’s Punishment is due on a certain act or saying, and should not be based upon guessing, whims, weak Hadiths, not even through an old book. It has to be supported by a clear, well-established text or valid consensus. If these last two are not found, then we revert the given act or saying to the original rule: "permissibility governing things". We do have a good example to follow from one of our earlier pious scholars. Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)...
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...Avoid News Towards a Healthy News Diet By Rolf Dobelli Prologue This article is the antidote to news. It is long, and you probably won’t be able to skim it. Thanks to heavy news consumption, many people have lost the reading habit and struggle to absorb more than four pages straight. This article will show you how to get out of this trap – if you are not already too deeply in it. of what we are designed to handle. This leads to great risk and to inappropriate, outright dangerous behavior. In the past few decades, the fortunate among us have recognized the hazards of living with an overabundance of food (obesity, diabetes) and have started to shift our diets. But most of us do not yet understand that news is to the mind what sugar is to the body. News is easy to digest. The media feeds us small bites of trivial matter, tidbits that don’t really concern our lives and don’t require thinking. That’s why we experience almost no saturation. Unlike reading books and long, deep magazine articles (which requires thinking), we can swallow limitless quantities of news flashes, like bright-colored candies for the mind. Today, we have reached the same point in relation to information overload that we faced 20 years ago in regard to food intake. We are beginning to recognize how toxic news can be and we are learning to take the first steps toward an information diet. This is my attempt to clarify the toxic dangers of news – and to recommend some ways to deal with it. I have now gone without...
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...ANALYSIS OF BUDDHISM’S APPEAL TO THE WEST INTRODUCTION “When you come back as a whale, you’ll be bloody glad you put Greenpeace in your will.” — Greenpeace advertisement on billboard in Taylor Square, Sidney, Australia As the above quotation from the advertisement indicates, there is no question that Buddhism has a certain appeal to the West. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. author of Prisoners of Shangri-la: Tibetan Buddhism and The West provides a cultural history of the “strange encounter” between Buddhism (especially Tibetan Buddhism) and Western countries, most notably Britain, Australia and the United States. It is no longer questionable that Buddhism, and again, especially the Tibetan stream, has permeated popular culture: since China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet in 1950, which will be discussed further, but most significantly since the 1990s. This is most likely accredited to the Dalai Lama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, which brought him and Buddhism much exposure. In fact, every stream of Buddhism announces growing public acceptance in the West since the Dalai Lama first visited two decades ago. The Complete Guide to Buddhist America, written in 1998 for which the Dalai Lama wrote the preface, reports that the number of worship centers in the United States more than doubled from 1987 to 1997 to over one thousand. Several examples illustrate the recent exposure of Buddhism in Western popular and political culture. Firstly, one of the most popular films...
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