Joint Family and Kinship in India

INTRODUCTIONIndia offers astounding variety in virtually every aspect of social life. Diversities of ethnic, linguistic, regional, economic, religious, class, and caste groups crosscut Indian society, which is also permeated with immense urban-rural differences and gender distinctions. Differences between north India and south India are particularly significant, especially in systems of kinship and marriage. Indian society is multifaceted to an extent perhaps unknown in any other of the world’s great civilizations—it is more like an area as varied as Europe than any other single nation-state.Adding further variety to contemporary Indian culture are rapidly occurring changes affecting various regions and socioeconomic groups in disparate ways. Yet, amid the complexities of Indian life, widely accepted cultural themes enhance social harmony and order.Many Indian societies were organized around principles of kinship. Kinship ties based on bloodlines or marriage formed the basis of the political, economic, and religious system. Succession to political office and religious positions, ownership and inheritance of property, and even whom one could or could not marry were determined on the basis of membership in a kin group. Social bonds with relatives must be reinforced at family events or at rites crucial to the religious community.Indian SocietyHierarchyIndia is a hierarchical society. Whether in north India or south India, Hindu or Muslim, urban or village, virtually all things, people, and social groups are ranked according to various essential qualities. Although India is a political democracy, notions of complete equality are seldom evident in daily life.Societal hierarchy is evident in caste groups, amongst individuals, and in family and kinship groups. Castes are primarily associated with Hinduism, but caste-like groups also exist among Muslims, Indian, Christians, and other religious communities. Within most villages or towns, everyone knows the relative rankings of each locally represented caste, and behavior is constantly shaped by this knowledge.Individuals are also ranked according to their wealth and power. For example, some powerful people, or â€Å"big men,† sit confidently on chairs, while â€Å"little men† come before them to make requests, either standing or squatting not presuming to sit beside a man of high status as an equal.Hierarchy plays an important role within families and kinship groupings also, where men outrank women of similar age, and senior relatives outrank junior relatives. Formal respect is accorded family members—for example, in northern India, a daughter-in-law shows deference to her husband, to all senior in-laws, and to all daughters of the household. Siblings, too, recognize age differences, with younger siblings addressing older siblings by respectful terms rather than by name.Social InterdependenceOne of the great themes pervading Indian life is social interdependence. People are born into groups–families, clans, sub castes, castes, and religious communities–and live with a constant sense of being part of and inseparable from these groups. A corollary is the notion that everything a person does properly involves interaction with other people. A person's greatest dread, perhaps, is the possibility of being left alone, without social support, to face the necessary challenges of life.This sense of interdependence is extended into the theological realm: the very shape of a person's life is seen as being greatly influenced by divine beings with whom an ongoing relationship must be maintained. Psychologically, family members typically experience intense emotional interdependence. Economic activities, too, are deeply imbedded in a social nexus. Through a multitude of kinship ties, each person is linked with kin in villages and towns near and far. Almost everywhere a person goes; he can find a relative from whom he can expect moral and prac tical support.In every activity, social ties can help a person and the absence of them can bring failure. Seldom do people carry out even the simplest tasks on their own. When a small child eats, his mother puts the food into his mouth with her own hand. When a girl brings water home from the well in pots on her head, someone helps her unload the pots. A student hopes that an influential relative or friend can facilitate his college admission. A young person anticipates that parents will arrange his or her marriage. Finally, a person facing death expects that relatives will conduct the proper funeral rites ensuring his own smooth passage to the next stage of existence and reaffirming social ties among mourners.This sense of interdependence extends into the theological realm. From birth onward, a child learns that his â€Å"fate† has been â€Å"written† by divine forces and that his life is shaped by powerful deities with whom an ongoing relationship must be maintained. Social interaction is regarded as being of the highest priority, and social bonds are expected to be long lasting. Even economic activities that might in Western culture involve impersonal interactions are in India deeply imbedded in a social nexus. All social interaction involves constant attention to hierarchy, respect, honor, the feelings of others, rights and obligations, hospitality, and gifts of food, clothing, and other desirable items. Finely tuned rules of etiquette help facilitate each individual's many social relationships. .Indian Family structureIndian family structure is believed to be the unit that teaches the values and worth of an honest living that have been carried down across generations. Since the puranic ages, Indian family structure was that of a joint family indicating every person of the same clan living together. However, this idea of elaborate living had been disintintegrated in smaller family units. The essential themes of Indian cultural life are learned within the bosom of a family.The joint family is highly valued, ideally  consisting of several generations residing, working, eating, and worshiping together. Such families include men related through the male line, along with their wives, children, and unmarried daughters. A wife usually lives with her husband’s relatives, although she retains important bonds with her natal family. Even in rapidly modernizing India, the traditional joint household remains for most Indians the primary social force, in both ideal and practice.Large families tend to be flexible and well suited to modern Indian life, especially for the more than two-thirds of Indians who are involved in agriculture. As in most primarily agricultural societies, cooperating kin help provide mutual economic security. The joint family is also common in cities, where kinship ties are often crucial to obtaining employment or financial assistance. Many prominent families, such as theTatas, Birlas, and Sarabhais, ret ain joint family arrangements as they cooperate in controlling major financial empires The ancient ideal of the joint family retains its power, but today actual living arrangements vary widely. Many Indians live in nuclear families—-a couple with their unmarried children—-but belong to strong networks of beneficial kinship ties. Often, clusters of relatives live as neighbors, responding readily to their kinship obligations.As they expand, joint families typically divide into smaller units, which gradually grow into new joint families, continuing a perpetual cycle. Today, some family members may move about to take advantage of job opportunities, typically sending money home to the larger family.FAMILY TRANSFORMATIONAn Analytical look on various studies: by different sociologist point of viewsThe Study of family in India centers on the debate of joint family versus nuclear family. The first authentic study on family comes from the writings of Sir Henry Maine, who was law adviser to the colonial government of India.He developed intellectual interest in family studies. He indicated that joint family is characterized by:Common property holding.Absolute authority of ‘Karta’.He considered that joint family is corporate unit where people make contribution differently but share rewards on the basis of their needs. He said that joint family sustains in India because it is considered as moral institution with the members are obliged to perform rituals for common dead ancestorsGS Ghurye considered that ‘joint family is a product of Indian culture that glorified classical values. There is universal presence of joint family cutting across caste, religion which promoted unity among people in Indian society.PN Prabhu in his analysis of family and kinship in India considers that individual association with joint family is driven by moralist, therefore when morals is replaced by individualism (when tradition is replaced by modernity) then joint family is transformed into nuclear family.Irawati Karve offered an exhaustive definition of joint family. She writes that joint family refers to a social group where people belonging to 3 – 4 generations organically related to each other, hold property in common, share common residence, eat food prepared in common kitchen, participate in common rituals and ceremonies and they have, obligations towards the head of the family known as ‘Karta’. She considers that joint family is a product of culture and therefore despite economic transformation joint family system persists in India. It sustains itself as it is driven by cultural ideology rather than driven by economic interest.During 1960s two group of sociologist took considerable interest in the field of family study. One group conforming to modern theory looked into complete integration of joint family system whereas the other group went for empirical studies to examine regional variations in family transformatio n under the various process of modernity. These two theories cannot be  considered as qualitatively different because there position stand vary only on the question of the degree of changes in family.MN Srinivas, SC Dubay find out that there is a strong linkage between caste and joint family. Empirical study indicates that higher castes go for joint family system and lower castes go for nuclear family. Therefore joint family is driven by economic logic rather than cultural moralist. It is also noticed that joint family is not breaking down completely under the influence of urban living.Alan Rose in a study of Bangalore finds out that around 70% of families manifest either structural joint ness of functional joint ness or a mixture of both. MS Gore in his study of Agarwals of Delhi finds out that how mother – son relationship precedes over husband – wife relationship and family operates as a strong support base to its members in matters related to selection of occupat ion, financial assistance and selection of mates. TN Madan indicates how residential separation has not given way to break down of joint family. In his theory of â€Å"money order economy† he indicates that family joint ness has always been enduring in case of India.Thus these scholars concluded by saying that family transformation in India is not a replica of family transformation in the West. Therefore social change in India is Indian in character and so Western theories and models cannot explain family transformation in Indian societyHousehold dimensions of the FamilyFamily transformation in India has puts a fundamental question that, whether in India joint household is disintegrating or joint family is disintegrating. He finds out that proportion of joint household is more today in comparison to past. He points out the reasons for the same i.e. due to rising population; construction of house has become costly, migration in search of employment etc. Bigger joint households are now splitting into smaller households.People living in different households have strong emotional ties therefore joint household is disintegrating but not joint family and so family should be studied from household perspective and  changes in household and family patterns must be investigated to examine actual nature of family transformation in India.Classical sociologists were greatly committed to family study either by considering family as cornerstone of human society or by looking into changing nature of society. With the advent of modernity it was perceived that household is a residential space but family is a social institution. However, with the rise of feminism both as an ideology and as social movement, women's approach towards marriage has gone through a series of transformation. AM Shah in his book â€Å"household dimension of the family in India† indicate that even in traditional context, household and family do not mean similar things.Citing the case of In dia he considers that family and household were absolutely different but family studies in India immensely focused attention on the transformation of joint family into nuclear family. Household refers to residential space where people living together may or may not constitute family. Looking at household pattern one could effectively study nature and form of transformation taking place in Indian society. In recent analysis of global migration and family pattern, it has been found out that in countries like Philippines and India a large chunk of women in search of employment go out to advanced countries of the world. Though most of them are married they don't stay with their family. As a result they constitute independent household.These households may constitute many friends living together or a person living with working partner to whom he/she is not married or a person living all alone. It is generally perceived in case of India that household is less durable an alternative to fam ily system, which gives more importance to friendship than kinship. Household offer immense individual liberty, sexual freedom, limited or no liability towards the other members of the household. Thus it can be concluded that household is evolving into a replacement for family in many developing countries including India. Therefore sociology of kinship is shifting its focus from the study of marriage and family to the study of friendship and household.Sexual Division of LabourFeminist sociologists are of the opinion that whether it’s joint family or nuclear family, in no way family transformation is affecting to the status of women in India. Therefore reproduction, sexuality, division of labour are all determined by the values of patriarchy than by principles of equality. Talcott Parson indicates that industrialisation, urbanization, migration have contributed for occupational mobility, empowerment of women and gender gap within and outside family has sufficiently been reduce d.The modernist theory also indicates that in case of India relationship between husband and wife is now proceeding over parent-child relationship. Conjugal relationship is considered as more important than obligation towards kinship. Irrespective of gender every child inherits the property from parents, selection of mates is no longer family’s responsibility and childbirth is greatly a matter of economics and mutual agreement between spouse. Therefore modernity has broken down traditional form of marriage, hierarchical form of relationship.Traditionally, males have controlled key family resources, such as land or businesses, especially in high-status groups. Following traditional Hindu law, women did not inherit real estate and were thus beholden to their male kin who controlled land and buildings. Under Muslim customary law, women can—and do—inherit real estate, but their shares have typically been smaller than those of males. Modern legislation allows all Ind ian women to inherit real estate.Traditionally, for those families who could afford it, women have controlled some wealth in the form of precious jewelry. In the Indian household, lines of hierarchy and authority are clearly drawn, and ideals of conduct help maintain family harmony. [i] All family members are socialized to accept the authority of those above them in the hierarchy. The eldest male acts as family head, and his wife supervises her daughters-in-law, among whom the youngest has the least authority. Reciprocally, those in authority accept responsibility for meeting the needs of other family members.Systems of Kinship in IndiaKinship is considered as the heart and soul of Indian social life. Despite India's exposure to technological and industrial modernity, descent plays a significant role in the life of people. GS Ghurye writes in detail about various descent groups living together in different regions of the country carrying different names and identities. These differe nt lineage groups bringing together a multi-civilization thereby making India a land of pluralism. However, all these descent groups imbibe common rules of marriage, common food behavior, common cultural, religious ideology radiating from Hinduism and that made Indian society a land of diversity.Indologists look into the role of descent in defining marriage, family and kinship in India. The people belonging to similar descent group are located in a given region where they worship to their common ancestors, follow common way of life and when the size of descent group expands, they migrate to different areas but still carry their identity. Therefore caste is nothing but an expanded descent system that maintains its boundary, distinguishing itself from the other caste.Andre Beteille indicates association of man and kinship is so strong in India that voting behavior is driven by kinship rather than on the basis of merit. In all the political parties of India kinship is the primary sourc e of political recruitment. Thus democratic polity in India is engaged in social and cultural reproduction.In case of India family/kinship offers ideological, economic, infrastructural support to individual to determine the nature of occupation. In conclusion it can be said that the role of descent and kinship not only determines the private sphere of an individual’s life like marriage, family, household, gender role, rituals but also has great influence over his public life like occupational selection, political participation and identity formation. Therefore the role of descent and kinship has changed very little under the influence of modernity in India and so while studying social transformation one cannot afford to ignore the same.Lineage system can be divided into two parts in India i.e.Unilineal systems: a system of determining descent groups in which one belongs to one's father's or mother's lineage. Both patrilineality and matrilineality are types of unilineal descen t.Non-Unilineal systems: a system where there exists multiple forms of relationship.Classical anthropologists divide descent groups into two fundamental types such as:Patrilineal : inheriting or determining descent through the male line.Matrilineal : inheriting or determining descent through the female line.Types of kinship systemsKinship is a relationship between any entity that share a genealogical origin (related to family, lineage, history), through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. The first sociologist to study kinship systems in India is Irawati Karve, she divided India into four different kinship zones such as:North Indian kinship systems.South Indian kinship systems.Central Indian kinship systems.Eastern Indian kinship systems.North Indian kinship systemsThis kinship system is present in Hindi speaking belt and also in areas where Aryan culture influence is substantive. It includes West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. In North India kinship systems, the rules of marriage is highly exhaustive because a large body of people are excluded from alliance relationship. One cannot receive women from his mother’s group or mother's mother group, father’s mother group and from within his own village. Hence exogamy is quite exhaustive and marriage involves not intra-family ties but inter-village ties. Residential system is very Virilocal (bride lives with husband's father’s group) type . In North Indian kinship father – son relationship precedes over husband – wife relationship.South Indian kinship systemsThis type of relationship system is largely present in all southern states and some of its influence is also largely noticed in pockets of Maharashtra and Orissa. In southern India kinship systems, no distinction is made between patrilineal or matrilineal. In case of South India cross cousins marriage take place and so exogamy is not exhaustive like in North India. The relationship between husband and wife is not su bdued to father – son relationship as in case of North India. Hostility of relationship between the in laws driven by suspicion is also weak in South India.Central Indian kinship systemsThis system is practised in case of Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP which is a mixture of elements of North and South India. In case of Rajputs marriage is greatly determined on the basis of family status of girl. Rajputs are permitted to marry any girl on the basis of their choice rather than simply follow the rules of caste. Marathas are divided into 32 clans which are put into primary, secondary and tertiary divisions and so the rules of marriage are determined accordingly between various divisions. In case of â€Å"Kumbi† of Gujarat one is not supposed to marry women belonging to first-generation from father's side and three generations from mother's side. In case of Rajasthan on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiyamassive marriages take place involving people belonging to different age g roups and their rules of marriage is sufficiently relaxed.Eastern India kinship systemsIt largely includes kinship patterns followed by different tribal groups like Munda of Orissa, Manipuri of Manipur, Nagas, Kukis and Khasi. These kinship systems don't follow specific patterns .A daughter carries the name of patrilineal grandmother and son carries the name of patrilineal grandfather, divorce is common among them In conclusion these regional variations in kinship largely speaks about differential residential patterns, entitlement on the basis of gender, social status of men, women and children bringing the point back home that Indian culture is largely pluralistic in character.Therefore unity in India should not be seen as destruction of the process of diversity but rather it should respect the process of diversity.CONCLUSIONGradual changes have been ushered in by religious, social, and cultural reforms. Industrialization, urbanization, and technological advances have been instrume ntal in changing family structures, values, and lifestyles. Ganeswar Misra (1995) emphasized that middle- and upper-class families in urban areas were undergoing a dramatic transformation because the younger generation is questioning power issues, traditional roles, hierarchical relationships, obligations, loyalty, and deference for kinsmen and elderly.With changing times, Indian family structure, functions, traditional division of labor, and authority patterns have altered, favoring more egalitarian relations between the husband and the wife and also a move toward more shared decision-making patterns between parents and children. Despite these changes, the fact remains that most individuals continue to value and give top priority to the family, and families continue to maintain strong kinship bonds and ties.

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland ! Stephen Grover Cleveland was born on March 18, 1837, in Caldwell, New Jersey. Cleveland's father was a minister, originally from Connecticut, and his mother was from Baltimore. He was the ? fth of nine children, named Stephen Grover, but he did not use the name â€Å"Stephen† in his adult life. ! In 1841, his family moved to Fayetteville, New York where he spent most of his childhood. In 1850 Cleveland's father took a pastorate in Clinton, New York , and the family had to move to accommodate for his job. They moved once more in 1853 to Holland Patent, New York. Soon after the move Cleveland? s father past away. After the death of his father Cleveland dropped out of school to help support his family. A elder in his church offered to pay his college tuition if he promised to be a minister like his father, Cleveland declined, and instead decided to move West.On his way West, Cleveland stopped by his uncles house in Buffalo, New York. While there he was given a clerical job at his uncles law ? rm. Cleveland uncle was an important person in New York, and he would introduce him to a lot of in? uential men there. Cleveland later took a clerkship with the ? rm, and then became a certi? ed lawyer. Leaving his uncle? s ? rm in 1962 to start his own ? m. He built a reputation for himself as being committed and dedication to hard work. ! Cleveland stayed out of politics until 1970, where he ran for sheriff of Erie County, which he won. After his two year term as sheriff he returned to the ? eld of law, opening law ? rm with his two friends. There he found himself at the top of Buffalo's legal community. !In 1881 the democratic party leaders approached Cleveland and asked him if he would like to run for Mayor of Buffalo, he took of? ce January 2, 1882. His term as mayor gave him the reputation of being an honest politician, the reputation soon spread beyond Erie County. As Cleveland? s reputation grew, the democratic party began to consider him a p ossible nominee for governor. When the democratic convention could not decide between their two leading candidates Rosewell P. Flower, and Henry W. Slocum, Cleveland emerged as the compromise choice, and on January 1st 1883, he took of? ce winning the election by a landslide. Cleveland's blunt, honest ways as governor won him popular acclaim. ! In 1884 Cleveland was seen as a leading contender for the presidential nomination. And due to failing health of other contenders he was nominated to be the democratic nominee for the 1884 election.While the popular vote was close, with Cleveland winning by just one-quarter of a percent, the electoral votes gave Cleveland a majority of 219–182. And is sworn in as president of the United States on March 4th, 1885. ! Cleveland's ? rst term was uneventful, but was marked by ? rmness on his part to the principles which he deemed productive to the nation. He made large use of the veto power upon bills passed by Congress. On June 2, 1886, Cle veland married Frances Folsom, in the Blue Room of the white house. He was the second president to be married in the White House. After his ? st term was up the democratic party renominated Cleveland, but he lost the election, receiving 168 electoral votes, to Benjamin Harrison? s 233 votes. Even though Cleveland had lost the electoral votes, he had won the popular vote by more then 100,000 votes. Cleveland retired to private life and resumed the practice of the law in New York. ! In 1892 Cleveland was nominated for president a third time in succession. He won receiving 277 electoral votes to Harrison? s 145 (22 were cast for James B. Weaver of Iowa, the candidate of the â€Å"People's† party). Cleveland's second term included some important events.The most important was the repeal of the silver legislation, which had been a growing menace for ? fteen years. ! Cleveland's second term expired on the 4th of March 1897, and he then retired into private life. He was well respecte d, and constantly consulted on his knowledge. He was a trustee of Princeton University and Stafford Little lecturer on public affairs. And lived in New Jersey, until his death on the 24th of June 1908. Major Event During Administration ! Grover Cleveland? s ? rst term (1885-1889) was uneventful.Cleveland used his veto power sparingly. Vetoing 413 bills in his ? st term, more than two-thirds of which were private pension bills. Cleveland reduced taxation upon American citizens, due to the growing surplus of money in the United States Treasury. Cleveland was also a advocate of the tariff reform. He believed that the tariff should be reduced, this con? ict was never resolved in Cleveland? s 1885-1889 term, and would remain a problem for the upcoming elections. During his ? rst term, Cleveland appointed two justices to the supreme court. The ? rst, Lucius Q. C. Lamar in 1887, and the second Melville Fuller a few months later. ! Grover Cleveland? s second term (1893-1897) contained some notable events.The most important was the repeal of the silver legislation, this had been creeping up for the past 15 years. People would turn their coin notes in for gold, instead of silver, causing a depletion of the United States gold reserve. Cleveland repealed the act to prevent the depletion of the country's gold reserves. The problems for Cleveland didn? t stop there though. A strike began against the Pullman Company (manufacture of railroad cars) against low wages and long work hours, and by June 1894, 125,000 railroad workers were on strike, paralyzing the nations trade. Cleveland felt that a federal solution was needed.So he sent federal troops to the rail centers to insure the commerce of the united states continued. ! Having reversed the silver legislation, Cleveland? s next goal was to reverse the effects of the McKinley tariff. The Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act was ? nally passed in 1894 after many reforms by the house, this slightly reduced the United States tariff rates, and imposed a 2% income tax. Cleveland was outraged with the ? nal bill and criticized it as disgraceful product of the control of the Senate. Still he believed it was an improvement over the McKinley tariff and allowed it to become a law without his signature.Goals and Initiatives Election of 1884 ! Cleveland? s campaign for his 1884 election was focused mainly on the corruption in politics. His reputation as an opponent of corruption proved to be one of the Democrats strongest asset for the 1884 election. His opponent James G. Blaine was known to be a corrupt politician, he would corruptly in? uenced legislation in favor of the success of companies , later pro? ting on the sale of bonds he owned in them. This level of corruption made some people crowd over to Cleveland? s side, because they were more concerned with morality than with party. ! Cleveland preached honesty and ef? iency in government. Even when Cleveland was charged with fathering an illegitimate child, he immediately admitted the possibility of himself being the babies father.Election of 1888 ! Cleveland? s renomination in 1888, against Republican nominee, Benjamin Harrison, was focused mainly on the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act. The republicans aggressively defended protective tariffs, where as Cleveland felt the tariff cost? s should be reduced. ! Cleveland was certain that he would be able to pull another victory in this election, and even though he had won the popular vote 48. 6 percent to Harrison? s 47. percent he lost the electoral vote due to slightly losing in the major game changing states. ! Election of 1892 ! The election of 1892 was a rematch of the year before, with the democrats nominating Grover Cleveland, and the republicans nominating Benjamin Harrison.Additionally, a third party had emerged on the scene: the People's Party, they had given their nomination to James B. Weaver of Iowa. ! This election was according to Cleveland biographer Allan Nevins, â€Å"the cleanest, qu ietest, and most creditable in the memory of the post-war generation† this was mostly due to the fact that Harrison? wife was dying of tuberculosis. Harrison did not personally campaign, and Cleveland followed suit out of sympathy to his political rival as not to use Mrs. Harrison's illness to his advantage. ! The issue on tariffs had worked to the republicans advantage the election before, but over the past four years the price of imported good had gotten higher and higher. So many voters who sided with Harrison the year before had turned their views to either Cleveland or Weaver of the People? s Party. In the end Cleveland won by wide margins in both the popular and electoral votes, and was elected the 24th president of the United States.Achievements ! Grover Cleveland had many achievements during his presidential career. He stopped the abandonment of the gold standard, saved land from Hawaii and to this day is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. Cleveland had earned the trust of the people due to his struggles to remove corruption from the political system. He is also one of the eight presidents of the United States to be printed on a bill (Paper Currency, $1,000 Bill) Evaluation ! Grover Cleveland seem? s to be the perfect politician. He was honest, fair, and experienced. I am not the only one who thought so as well.In the three times Cleveland had run for president, he had won the popular vote every time. The choices he made seemed to be very smart and evoked little hostile actions from the people of the United States.Bibliography â€Å"American President  Reference Resource: Campaigns and Elections. † Millercenter. org. The Miller Center, n. d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"American President. † Millercenter. org. The Miller Center, n. d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Grover Cleveland. † Www. nndb. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Presidents On All US Dollar Bills, Presidents On Money. † Www. marshu. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. .

MBA Interactive Project Essay

Introduction Continuing the work and analysis begun in the first three SLPs, we again project ourselves back in time to the year 2012. I am in responsible for decisions on product development and pricing for the next four years for our line of tablets. I will show the score, financials and market data at the end of the four year period from my previous time discussions. Finally we can make a detailed discussion and analysis of the data using CVP analysis, and will explain why I recommend specific pricing and research and development (R&D) costs for the next four year period. Discussion The Clipboard Tablet Company is currently making three different tablet models; the X5, X6 and X7. The X5 has been on the market for three years already and market research has determined that consumers are not very worried about performance for this older tablet. The middle tablet, the X6, has been on the market for two years and market research shows consumers are concerned about performance but not necessarily price. The final tablet, the X7, is the newest and has only been on the market for one year, and market research shows the consumer is interested in both performance and price. With this in mind, we can analyze how the products evolved when Mr. Shmoe was in charge. The following table depicts the price and R&D percentage for each tablet over the preceding four years (since the last run) and whether or not the particular tablet production was discontinued or not. The graphs also depict the revenue generated and profit from the different tablets over the time period I was in charge of making the decisions instead of Mr. Shmoe. Review Overall the results of the third run of the tablet simulation had an end result which was approximately $142 million greater than the previous run, which was accomplished using CVP analysis. This change was due to two reasons. The first was the increased sales and revenue generated by the X6 tablet, ultimately reaching market saturation. The second reason was due to the dramatically increased sales of the X7. As the graphs display, the X6 accelerated greatly in terms of revenue and profit through 2013 and then began a steady and definite decline once reaching market saturation. Revenue and profit for the X7 were drastically different as compared to previous simulations, beginning to increase in 2014 and 2015,and setting the stage for sustained revenue and profits in the future time period. The X5 was relatively unchanged from previous simulations since I left the pricing alone due to the tablet having been on the market for several years already. Data Discussion It will also help to discuss in more detail what happened in the third simulation under my supervision while using the CVP model. For the X5, initial R&D allocation of the $24 million available was only 5%, or $1.2 million, plus the $75 million in other fixed costs gave a total fixed cost of $76.2 million. The variable cost per unit for the X5 amounts to $150, and using a price of $300 per tablet, the breakeven point for the X5 is 508,000 units sold. A price of $300 per tablet yielded a profit of $119 million. Fixed costs for the X5 are extremely high and with the age of the X,5 little R&D dollars were allocated in order to keep the total fixed costs down. Next up, the X6’s fixed costs were $48.3 million including the R&D costs, while the variable cost of the X6 came out to $275 per tablet. The breakeven volume for the X6 priced at $375 per tablet comes out to 375,000 tablets. The idea here was to achieve market saturation as quickly as possible and reap the associated profit. Based on the life cycle of the X6, the price was increased by only five dollars per year and associated R&D expenses were reduced only 5% in the latter years. Finally, the X7 has the exact same fixed cost as the X6 with the only difference being the dollars allocated for the R&D, which for the second run of the simulation was $49.5 million. However, the variable costs for the X7 are extremely low at only $55 per tablet. The breakeven volume for the X7 at $120 per tablet comes out to just under 577,000 tablets. The strategy here was to have a much lower initial price in an attempt to capture market share and volume upfront which would ultimately reap large profits after the breakeven point. Formulating a revised strategy Considering all of this information, the revised strategy will be somewhat similar from the previous one in regards to the overall conceptual plan. My previous strategy focused on CVP analysis, while the newer revised strategy for the tablet simulation will attempt to tweak and optimize this strategy further. Due to the lower breakeven prices of each of the tablets, volume for each one can be increased immediately by a reduction in price. Therefore we will attempt this for the X6 and X7 tablets. CVP does not account for product lifecycle, however, which is why my strategy is to more or less leave the pricing the same for the X5 as the previous run. R&D for the X5 will never increase above 1% since the consumers don’t care for this feature, while R&D will be the highest for the X7, which is marketed as the primary benefit of this higher-performance tablet. Prices for the X6 and X7 will increase by $10/year while maintaining roughly a 40-60 R&D split respectively, with the beginning price of the X7 starting $10 lower. This strategy should show higher profits after four years by keeping prices closer to their breakeven CVP pricing and varying slightly the R&D costs based on changing market saturation. To sum up the strategy, it is to more or less leave the X5 and X6 fairly constant from my previous simulation but attempt to increase overall sales in the X7 market, thus creating more revenue and profit. The following table depicts the results of the updated strategy for the next four years. As you can see we left the initial pricing for the X6 the same, starting out with a price of $375. Conclusion In conclusion, we generated a revised strategy for the Clipboard Tablet Company based on a revised and optimized CVP analysis. By adjusting the pricing for the X7 slightly downward in order to increase sales and revenue/profit, we maximize the outcome. The goal is to continue reap the profits out of the X5, get maximum revenue off of the X6 by achieving market saturation and to dramatically increase sales of the X7 which is the future for our company. I look forward to putting this into practice. References Forio.com, 2012. â€Å"Introduction.† PDA Simulator. Retrieved 09 Jan 2013 from: http://forio.com/simulate/jelson/tablet-development-sim-1/simulation/#p=page1 Manoski, Paula, 2002. â€Å"The R&D strategy/strategic process Part 1: a road map to R&D effectiveness.† Allbusiness.com, Retrieved 09 Jan 2013from: http://www.allbusiness.com/sales/customer-service-product-knowledge/122484-1.html QuickMBA.com, 2010. â€Å"Product Lifecycle.† Retrieved 13Jan 2013 from: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle

MGT499 Mod 1 Case - Harley Davidson Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MGT499 Mod 1 Case - Harley Davidson - Coursework Example I believe to a very large degree that indeed the company Harley Davidson is currently proceeding towards its Mission, Vision and values. Given the threats the company has managed to survive quite a number of cares and threats that have come along its way over the years, I believe that the contemporary days are no different. The company has managed to trend over numerous threats over the years in the motorcycling industry. One of the hugest threats was posed by the introduction of the assembling mode of production by Henry Ford in the US. This produced at a very first and effective rate that Harley Davidson found very hard to cope with. It however braced itself and rose to the occasion. At the end of the day, the firm managed to pull through the ordeal. Harley Davidson is currently venturing very strongly in internet marketing. It has put a lot of effort and dedication towards meeting clients on the internet and making big its sells through the exploitation of internet options. This i s squarely in line with the well laid out missions, visions and values that it steadfastly holds. By increasing its market share through the internet, the firm is poised to make it big in the industry. It shall with no doubt manage to survive all the imminent threats that are posed on it. It shall also manage to survive much longer in the market without faltering or succumbing to pressure through achieving its visions, missions and values. One of the major missions of the company Harley Davidson is cost reductions. The company strives towards obtaining the most economical modes of production which demand less investment to be able to pull through. This shall go a long way in ensuring that the company is able to beat its competition effectively in the market and shall also see to it that it survives in the market for much longer. Another mission of the company is to provide sustainable and reliable motorbikes to the world. It has managed to stretch its throngs though out the expanse of the US and it aim at making it throughout the globe. The vision of the firm is to be a hub of innovation. It envisions itself innovating new technologies that can conquer the market. This is geared towards saving the world from motorbike accidents and increasing cruising powers, speeds and efficiency of the motorbikes. This shall be essential in eliminating any detriments and keeping the prospects of the company alive for much longer. The company also envisions itself producing at much faster speeds than the current rate of production. There comes some times when there is limited supply in the market and the production speed shall come in handy. The missions, visions and values of Harley Davidson ogre well with the stakeholders of the firm. The reduction in the costs of production means that the consumers shall be able to have their beloved products delivered at a very limited price. Another advantage to the stakeholders is the fact that by increased rates of production, the comp any shall be able to meet the required supply and hence shall not lose the any clients to the competition in the market. Through this, the firm shall be sustained for long. This shall offer security to the employees as well as to the shareholders right onto the firm. Through innovation, the firm shall not only be able to beat the competition in the market, it shall also be able to provide sustainable motorcycling products to the consumers. It shall live much longer in the market and be fruitful to both the employees and the shareholders.

To what extent does the internal environment of E.ON enable it to Essay

To what extent does the internal environment of E.ON enable it to survive and prosper in a global knowledge economy - Essay Example The aspect of knowledge economy would also include the extent to which E-on has used innovations as a part of its strategic framework towards attaining excellence in the global knowledge economy. The report also contains an analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats using the SWOT analysis. Furthermore the external environment has also been analysed by using the PESTEL framework. Competitive framework is another significant area which demands considerable attention hence an analysis of the Porter’s five forces model applicable to E-on has also been discussed in the study. This has been followed by the analysis of the external environment with regards to the opportunities of the market and finally the level of synchronisation or harmony of the organization with regards to its changes in the business environment have been analysed so as to formulate effective strategies for the future in an attempt to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 5 Background to the organization 6 Internal Analysis 7 Congruence with the External Environment 7 Organizational Structure 8 Leadership 10 Politics 11 Human Resource Management 11 Corporate Culture 11 Innovations 12 Customers 14 Stakeholders 15 External Analysis 15 PEST analysis 15 Porter’s Five Force 17 Summary of the Internal and External Analysis (S-W-O-T) 18 Internal Strengths and Weaknesses 19 Strengths 19 Weakness 20 External Opportunities and Threat 20 Opportunities 20 Threats 21 Conclusion 21 References 22 Bibliography 25 Annexure 26 Introduction Globalization has changed the business dynamics and the environment in which organizations operate in the markets. Business organizations are now looking beyond national and geographical frontiers to enter into new territories. This has significantly increased the rate of completion among the market players. The change in business dynamics of the external environment has forced organizations t o adhere with the global knowledge economy by bringing about innovations in their business processes. Innovations not only help in generating organizational excellence but also help to formulate measures that seek to counter the competition in the markets. Knowledge is perhaps the area which can be used as a tool to gain leverage of the prevailing knowledge based economy. According to Corey & Wilson knowledge economy is defined as â€Å"an economy that increasingly relies on technology and knowledge factors of production and wealth creation, in addition to labour and capital† (Corey & Wilson, 2006, p.206). Operating in a knowledge economy also involves making full use and proper application of the benefits of the knowledge economy in every business process of the organization. The evolution and use of ICT in business organization largely follows from the implementation of the elements of knowledge economy in the business organizations (Brinkley, 2006, p.4). The emergence and evolution of knowledge economies can be traced to the beginning of the industrial revolution. Since then it has been a continuous story of technological evolution with the present age of internet and highly advanced technologies which are increasingly used by business organizations to gain competitive advantage. Another interesting aspect is that technological innovation has not only inculcated among the developed nations but also among the developing nations which has

Education by Postcode Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Education by Postcode - Essay Example (58) Hence as a result, the modern society's realization of the fact that education is indeed a vital part of human development, it could not be denied that experts on the matter never stop finding better ways to assist human individuals [both young and old] to realize their capabilities and the opportunities available for them to learn more and be able to have better use of their time as well as to have better future ahead of them. It could be noted education then is drawn even closer to the learners so as to assure that the said individuals would not loose their interest in the matter simply because of the not being able to handle the matter considerably for certain reasons. (Vandergrift, 1992, 58, 59) In some faraway places, say for example distant areas that are found around the suburbs, universities and other he facilities for learning are at times absent in the area. Hence, as a result, only a few among those living in such areas are able to get access to the most effective educati on that they deserve. To be able to cater to these students, the experts found better systems of learning that would be most effective for the learning of the said individuals. ... Most of these educational forms take place through the Internet. Botelho (2004) describes the matter as a process that involves high tech gadgets as means of connection between instructors and students which include a hooked up video conferencing may best be used in this course of learning thus virtually connecting the learner to the instructor's care. (Internet) It is undeniable that through the said process, students are given the chance to learn normally even though they are not physically present in class. (EET, 2007, Internet) The said process is still classified as part of the postcode system of education because the process still involves snail-mailing the results of exams, provision of some school materials (such as books and other materials of the same kind) that the students may need for learning. Through this, the student would have soothing tangible out of the system that he or she chooses to learn from. Vandergrift (1992) further adds that education, as known is very much significant for the human society as this is viewed and considered as the most efficient and effective means for personal and social development among human individuals. (58) The concept of education entitles an individual, if properly trained and utilized the essential ability to progress for personal sustenance and economic survival. This is considered as one of the most important realm in one's life that must be achieved by each and everyone in the society. In addition, education can be used by the society as a whole to developed productive and capable citizens for fueling the progress of the humanity. Thus, education indeed is important. In the present

Fiat Business Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fiat Business Case - Essay Example Additionally, it was also felt that the company was very late in addressing the quality issues related to its products. This delay in improving the quality of its products dissuaded customers from buying Fiat’s cars. This was also a major reason because of which Fiat was not able succeed in the American car market despite its affordability and this also lead the company to withdraw itself from the American car market. Towards the end of 1990s, the company also experienced a financial crunch due to its diversification measures. The acquisitions made by Fiat Auto during the period contributed to its problem since the performance of some of the acquired businesses was rather disappointing and additionally they also resulted in added costs for the company. Another factor responsible for this situation of the company was that the company bought a few firms when it was at the top of its business cycles and consequently had to shell out a lot of money to acquire them. The debts of Fiat were largely the result of such acquisitions made by the Italian automobile giant. Factors that are related to planning and control play a vital role in the decline of the Italian automotive giant. The role played by the R&D department is to be seriously taken into account while discussing about the crisis or performance decline of Fiat. The reason behind this can be described as the â€Å"supremacy† of the Engineers at the R&D wing. The most serious problem recognized is the â€Å"supremacy† of Engineering over customers’ needs. The requests of Marketing are often rejected because considered as wrong from an engineering perspective. This is an issue of huge concern because Marketing is the one that gives information about customers’ needs, expectations, and market trends. Whenever a company’s value chain is observed, equal

Case study analysis for The Garden of Freshness (from logistics point

Analysis for The Garden of Freshness (from logistics point of view) - Case Study Example However, recent instances of customers complaining of stock-outs of specific fruits and vegetables and lack of fresh products have caught the attention of management and the owners of this family business. Garden of Freshness was established as a fruits, grocery, deli and bakery company with special attention on quality and availability of fresh products every time. Very soon the company opened up two more stores with 120 employees currently working for it. While the supplies department is looked after by Marc Pineault, the administration is in the hands of his brother- Sylvain Pineault. There are managers for each store who directly report to the supervisor and every store has two kinds of employees- production employees for logistics functions of loading and unloading the trucks and frontline employees to assist and advice the customers. Currently, Marc Pineault is facing serious nightmares on the issue of shortage of perishable products every afternoon and also the quality proposition which is their unique selling proposition. Most of the vegetables and other products do not remain fresh after the second partial delivery is made to the stores, thereby leaving the customers dissatisfied. Going through the facts of the case reveal the following issues and challenges: Superficially, the issues faced by Marc Pineault seem of operational level but an in-depth analysis of the entire scenario reveals some major strategic loopholes. Shortcomings in the strategic and operational planning of Garden of Freshness are: Strategically, the business has expanded but arrangements to sustain the growth have not been accounted for. The selection of suppliers is the biggest loophole which is damaging the logistics of the business. Every evening the purchasers visit the Central market and every single supplier to assess the price and quality. This is in fact very time consuming and

New trends in advertising Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New trends in advertising - Research Paper Example The company’s efforts in rebranding the pizza and advertising are currently paying off ( Mendelson, 2010). In addition, in September, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new revamped logo that would accompany the new version of the company’s music downloading services. This change took the market by surprise with customers responding positively, increasing the company’s sale for the month (Mendelson, 2010). Generally, companies and individuals in general have taken an initiative to change the perception of customers in the market, either due to negative image created in the market, or to increase sales by revamping a new spirit in the company’s product. As Mendelson (2010) argues, some companies have undertaken to change everything from the products, the names to the packaging in a complete new image of the company. Such was the case with Campbell’s Soup after a dip in U.S soup sales. However, according to Michelson, consumers have not responded positively to these changes and are still lukewarm to the company’s products. Therefore, according to these examples companies have adopted the view that customers are more susceptible to the company’s image through the product, and breathing a new life in these products would increase sales for the companies. The above view has been taken by many multinational leading companies, which have undertaken to formulate products and advertising campaigns according to the market in question. The difference in perception in markets and the need to increase sales in these markets led Coca cola company to give freedom to its local subsidiaries to develop advertising campaigns for local customers and make brands that would respond in particular market (Muhlbacher, Leihs & Dahringer 344).This is because millions of customers worldwide do not consume products by companies, but consume brands. This means that the images that are created in the minds of

A Review of Pete Zimmer Quartet Prime of Life CD Release Essay

A Review of Pete Zimmer Quartet Prime of Life CD Release - Essay Example The instruments especially the saxophone could be heard clearly all through mainly emphasized the melody. The guitar clearly brought out the rhythm of the musical. The melody, harmony, and rhythm combined to bring a soothing and exiting feeling. The performance was one of the preeminent jazz performances I have attended. This paper focuses on the different aspects incorporated in the performance to bring harmony, mellow and maintain the right rhythm. The stage was gorgeous since it was dimly lit using candles mainly placed at the back at the background were burgundy curtains that gave the stage an amorous feel. However, the stage looked quite small and the band members were positioned close together, which limited their movements. At the back was the band member playing the drum while the rest of the band took positions to form what looked like a rectangular. Two of the band members remained standing while the rest remained seated. Just like most jazz musicals, the music was harmonio usly spacious with a similar chord structure played repeatedly. At the start, the saxophonist played the rhythms to outline the formation of the song (Riggs, 2008). At the far back was Zimmer playing the drum while the rest of the band took positions to form what looked like a rectangular alignment. ... All through the performance, Zimmer played the drum with swings using sticks and brushes, which propelled the rest or the band forward. Bernstein moved from side to side as he plucked the guitar to keep the rhythm of the musical. The music was delicate and swinging with a graceful rhythmic undertow such that though the music lasted long the energy is desirable all through. The song played included â€Å"Carefree,† â€Å"Getting Dizzy,† â€Å"Search,† and Jeremy Pelt.† The â€Å"Prime of Life† was one of the songs played and the title of the CD that Pete Zimmer Quartet was launching. All the songs had an either fast or moderately fast tempo. The song of the day â€Å"The Prime of Life† was played in each of the three sessions. The rhythm or the music had a moderately fast and bouncy tempo with the drumming swinging from elusive to strident style. The rhythm could generally be described as syncopated and quite complex. Just like most jazz musica ls, the rhythm was swingy and irregular. The swings sounded exaggerated creating a forward momentum emphasized by the drum. However, towards the end, the jazz musical was slightly slow and relaxed. The different instruments could be heard playing the same melody but at different rhythms. I can only describe the overall rhythm as somehow tensed with some sense of looseness. The harmony of the jazz musical played could be described as quite racing with short off beats at the end of all phrases. The beats were quite emphasized all through with off beat’s being stronger. The harmony was in one way or another unpredictable, which is a common feature in most jazz music. The sound of the bass helped maintain the harmony. The jazz musical was similar to most jazz performances in aspects pertaining to the rhythm, tempo, as

Forest Essay Example for Free

Forest Essay 1. The role of working memory in top-down perceptual processing is that the working memory is responsible for reasoning and decision making. It holds a set of temporary memory stores that actively manipulate and rehearse information. Therefore working memorys role in top-down perceptual processing Is that the perception of higher-level knowledge provided for top-down processing Is knowledge from the working memory. The knowledge needed for top-down perceptual processing to happen is generated from the working memory thus making working memory play a big role in top-down perceptual processing. 2. If I was developing a public health campaign to warn people about the dangers of overeating and obesity, I would put more emphasis on healthy foods rather than a healthy body size. Society values a slim body type and gives people the notion that obesity is very unattractive, and because of this message people often start dieting and go overboard with It. They become lost In a world of their own and think that they can never be too skinny, not realizing themselves how sickly thin they have become. Also some psychologists believe that eating disorders can be brought about by overly demanding parents or other family Issues. Focusing on a healthy diet rather than a healthy body size would help balance the need to prevent obesity with the need to avoid increasing the risk of eating disorders. 3. After watching the movie Forest Gump and observing the main character Forest, he illustrates a lot of different aspects of intelligence. I think that Forest shows his understanding about the world, he can think rationally and he always uses resources effectively when faced with challenges in his life, therefore demonstrating his intelligence. Forest demonstrates his use of intelligence throughout the movie in any different ways. One major challenge Forest is faced with in his childhood years is the leg braces he needs because of his crooked spine. Many of the young children he goes to school with look at him as being different and make fun of him because of his leg braces. In the beginning of the movie, Forest gets on the bus for school and the kids on the bus tell him all the seats are taken as he walks down the aisle. One little girl tells Forest that he can sit beside her, and from this point on their friendship blooms; Jenny and Forest become best friends. Although Forest many be little slow, he shows his intelligence in many ways. In the beginning of the movie he is there for Jenny, he understands that her dad doesn t treat her right and is very concerned about her. When she doesn t get on the bus for school one morning, Forest goes to find her; he understands and is able to think rationally in this situation. When Forests mother passes away after a battle with cancer, he understands that everyone lives then has to die at some point. Forest also shows practical Intelligence In this movie in many ways. Practical Intelligence Is the most seful measurement of Intelligence according to Stenberg; It Is Intelligence related to overall successes In llvlng. A tnougn Forest races cnallenges, ne Is still aDle to De very successful in many ways shown in this movie. Forest is successful in college although he thinks it is confusing at times. He gets to be on the school football team which he excels in because he can run fast. Forest graduates from college and is able to Join the army and does very well, he saves the lives of injured men in the war they fight. Forest is extremely good at ping pong and gets to be on the all American eam, he buys a fishing boat and becomes a successful shrimp fisherman with Lieutenant Dan, and Lieutenant Dan invests in shares in Apple and donates money to the church. Eventually, Forest and Jenny get married, Jenny dies and Forest looks after his son. All these are examples of practical intelligence showing how successful Forest Gump is throughout his life even though he mentally compromised. Aspects of Gardners forms of intelligence that Forest displays are bodily kinesthetic skills; Forest is able to perform skills using his whole body such as dancing, being on the ollege football team, excelling at ping pong and long distance running. Forest learned better by performing activities using his body rather than reading information about how to do things because he had a higher form of bodily kinesthetic skills. Forest also demonstrates interpersonal intelligence as he is able to interact with others easily throughout the movie. A good example of Forest Gumps interpersonal intelligence would be at the end of the movie when he gets Jennys house torn down because of the emotions she associates with the house where she as abused at a young age by her father. He also demonstrated aspects of intrapersonal intelligence by believing in himself and expressing his emotions and love for Jenny and his son. He was also extremely aware of his body and mind allowing him to become a successful athlete in the movie with football, running, and ping pong. Forest showed naturalist intelligence by his awareness of nature and his environment. An example of this is when he explained to Jenny about Vietnam and how beautiful it was. He was able to explain things to Jenny by using his vivid memory about the nature around him.

Anime Is Not a Cartoon Essay Example for Free

Anime Is Not a Cartoon Essay The anime is traditionally hand drawn, but now it has become commonplace in computer animation and are televised. In nowadays it becomes popular around the world. And many people are adopting the customs events and traditions like Japanese otaku parties,. Also there is a problem with the time of dubbing and the reproduction of the series, as well as some similarities and differences between the comic and anime. Manga is the word that Japanese from nowadays call comics or cartoon. In the eighteenth century drawings designated Japanese painter Hokusai, mixing images and text, then continued to use this word to other works, more or less fulfilling this requirement. However, the real start of the Manga as it is known today, came in 1947 with Osamu Tezuka, a broken doctor that copied the Disney style, creating a history of robots that became famous quickly, and in less than five years, and had created more than five new series, including the most famous and is known Tatsuwan Atom (Astro Boy), his most famous creation. However for the Japanese â€Å"Animeâ€Å"cartoon it refers to any animation, in the West this word is to refer to the cartoon that originated in Japan. The TV Anime, born in 1962, with the series Manga Calendar, which aired on June 25, 1962, and continuing until July 4, 1964. But the real beginning of the anime, this again by Osamu Tezuka, the animated version of Tetsuwan Atom, which was seen in Japanese homes since 1 January 1963 and ended on December 31, 1966. Tesuka also was Taitei Jungle (Kimba the White Lion), the first color anime. But, event when Anime is like a copy from the Disney`s style, there are some different characteristics between cartoons and Anime. The word anime is understood that this targeted to Japanese cartoons, but not all Japanese cartoons meet the requirements and characteristics of Anime. The first lies in that Anime being Japanese. Second, the Anime must have some ingredients that are action, love, suspense and / or adventure. Third, it must consist of highly innovative designs, qualities and features never before seen. And as a final point space or temporal location of the series should be given in Japanese territory or consider a series relationship between the country and Japan. The above features are highlighted by custom, this saw along most series. The main features of the anime, in ancient times are obviously the same as the Manga, but being cartoons, now includes new features: the action scenes are generally static and show different angles of the same situation, and generally keeping the same background, and try to as much as possible to save animations that its means that there are scenes that are repeated from earlier chapters, etc. But how can we differentiate these characteristics in the Anime? Well, the anime is classified by some of its characteristics. We can classify the Anime in the following basic categories: Kodomo, that is is more for young children. Shojo, that it main actress or actresses are girls or are focusing for girls. Shonen, in which the main actor or actors are guys or are focusing for boys. Seinen and Josei that are focusing for Adults. There are a more specific classify as: Magical Girl, Girls with powers. Mecha, Giant Robot. Mecha ai, romance between robots. Shonen ai, romance between men. Shojo ai, romance between women. Hentai, meaning â€Å"pervert†, sexual content. Soft Hentai, as the word says softer sex. Futanari, hermaphrodites. Loli kon, anime that are girls. Shota Kon, children. Yaoi, Gay men. Yuri, Lesbian women. Ecchi, sexual situations led to a comical way also tells Ero. Gore, Lots of blood and violence. Harem, Beautiful women are after the same man. Chibi, in Japanese means small, this anime stands out in less than 8 years old. People who watch Anime and have an extensive knowledge of this are called Otakus, one of the adopted terms of Japanese culture. The word Otaku is the term used by the Japanese to refer to any kind of hobby of collecting something, but this term has been a feature of Manga fans and anime, for Westerners, with the brief distinction of thought, what Otaku in Japan is an insecure, a refugee in the lonely world, where society is very separate from them, and only understand those who collect the same. In Nicaragua for the Expo Anime events (Meetings in Managua) we can meet a lot of Otakus wearing as their favorite Anime characters, sharing Anime shows, playing video games about Anime and singing the Anime sound tracks. The Anime is made originally in Japanese language and generally anime has a long delay time for coming to America, at least in regard to Latin America. The downside is translation. Usually there is a big difference between the year when the series was first in Japan and the year it was first shown in America is given between 3 or 4 years apart. Translation is delayed, increasingly more and more appear and this series makes the series (translated orally) will take longer, hence the different channels opted anime because some successful series translate into written form (is faster but not as exciting as if it were spoken). For dubbing, dubbing studios and those responding to the dubbing is the most important part of any anime that will be present in any country. In conclusion, the anime and Manga can be considered as an art, which rises to highest level spirit, feelings and thoughts of those who create this art, whose purpose is to entertain all the viewers or those who see the images captured on paper. And though the anime is almost a copy of the Disney style, there ragos that make a wide difference between them. It also has a more specific classifying them to North American cartoons. nd the popularity of anime around the world led to the incorporation of the fans in Japanese culture, although the difficulties in orginal language translation to delay the presentation of our anime in America is a problem, the networks have found a solution subtitling of the popular series. But remember, any Anime is Japanese, But no all Japanese cartoons are Anime.

The Effectiveness Of Community Policing

The Effectiveness Of Community Policing After careful analysis of several gathered qualitative studies and views from police officers, politicians, and designated community members, all of which are fluent with the method of community policing, one should conclude that not only the community understands what community policing is, but the community also understands how and why it was implemented, and how it can be measured by its effectiveness to show a continuing pattern; it is a program and method that will continue to change and evolve with newer adaptations and strategies in the future. With the implementation of community policing in Canada, the community has undertaken a general insight of what it is and how it works, however the apparent identity of this new endeavor is misinterpreted and has caused confusion amongst community members as to how it is a visible and usable aspect to the typical policing style in Canada and the United States. There has also been debates regarding the actual implementation of this polic ing method throughout the various communities who have adopted this method; some of the more common concerns are based on measured effectiveness and appropriate use can the police actually use this model effectively? The intelligent answer to this question would not be to look at statistics and studies, but to look at the effective ways this policing technique has been acknowledged by the community; furthermore, understanding what the main goal and definition that community policing carries with its title and reputation, will help further the knowledge and understanding of how it is to be measured and documented in a formal study. The underlining statement is that community policing must not be looked at as a statistic or applicable data entry, but an object that helps the community and policing services provided across the nation to adapt to the ever-changing community needs and demands of todays society. An approach on how to define community policing, so that everyone may understand and benefit from the method, has been defined as, depending on community involvement, community policing is the best way to engage a community and invites its members to participate in law enforcement. (U.S Department of Justice, 2002) The idea behind this concept of community policing is mainly to have the community involved actively with the police, to strive towards a main goal of prevention. The perception of this policing style or method would be commonly seen as confusing, or an undermined effort to help the community (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009); these 3 different categories split the confusion of community policing up into: Team Policing, where an emphasized pattern of round-the-clock policing in a specific geographic location takes effect (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009); Police-Community relation, this is generally geared towards having the community place their input on where the deviant places are an d where a program such as CPTED'(Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) would be most effective to preventing crime (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009); the final cause of confusion lies within crime prevention itself; crime prevention is the general meaning of crime being prevented in high-risk geographical situations (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). Public perception was arguably one of the most important factors in establishing a strong definition of what community policing was going to do for the community itself; with the ever-growing ethnic diversity throughout the Western World (North America), there is a need to view the police positively (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). With attitudes in mind, one should realize the utmost importance of how diverse the populous is and its ever-changing subgroup of people, and focusing on why they have conflicting perceptions of the police and the new styles of policing, such as community policing, In dealing with community problems (Benedict, 2000). O vertime the community would both agree and disagree with this particular method involving community policing however, this would be explored and explained through the actual implementation of community policing; the grasp of what the definition of community policing is slowly getting stronger over time with the inclusion of more and more evidence and community participation; ultimately leading a path towards total community participation in crime prevention. Community policing as a whole has had its ups and downs throughout the beginning stages of its implementation, this period of certainty and effectiveness continues today with several studies and debates. Before examining the actual effectiveness of community policing, one ought to review the several dynamic and static ways that community policing strategies and programs were implemented throughout modern societies. In the start of the new style of policing (community policing) there was much hesitance to implement such a venture simply because of the feelings from officers and the hierarchical centralized bureaucracies that are often resistant to change (Chappell, 2009) in policing styles. Allison T. Chappell argues that in order for community policing to be implemented and carried out effectively the officers who use it, must overcome any centralized opinions or views that were taught to them originally (2009). The general idea behind community policing is to step away from the norm al style or traditional style of policing, and move to decentralizing the more common theme of policing styles. Generic studies have tried repeatedly to relate effectiveness with implementation of community policing; the simple fact is that community policing has many faces to its identity and cannot always be identified as an immediate community policing method. Common perspectives and points of view from officers who use the community policing style vary from culture, race, gender and education level, but mainly follow the same systematic approach with the way their specific community is constantly changing from day to day. (Vivian B. Lord, 2008) Research has shown that women and people of a more ethnic background are more tuned into using the community style policing (Vivian B. Lord, 2008); people with higher levels of education are also more likely to resort to using community policing methods due to their nature with higher education and further knowledge on subjects such as so cial interaction (Vivian B. Lord, 2008). A step taken by police forces prior to the implementation of community policing, was analyzing their officers attitudes and thoughts on how an everyday or typical task should be carried out; this ultimately leads to discovering how that particular police department should implement community policing, and furthering the study to the officer, on which type of community policing style would be best fit. (Vivian B. Lord, 2008) Simple steps for implementing policing styles such as community policing, average 8 steps from start to finish: the first step comes from the performance gap identifying such issues as why homicides occur are examples of just attacking the problem, police departments and services need to realize this method and overcome it with details as to where this department is, and how its community policing program should look like (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). The following step includes the police services and community recognizing a need for change having police officers and community members realize that implementing a community style policing is a new aspect and needs time to overtake the traditional style of policing; this causes the confusion between whether or not community policing is effective. The realization that community policing is now the new style is the second step to making sure community policing is effective (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). Step three involves creating a proper climate for change the steps involved in making sure this main step is followed through is applying a selling point or a prize-like offering for the new method and what it has to bring; this way officers and police services will be more likely to conform and accept the change in policing style (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). The fourth step involves bring in what step 2 had; diagnosing the problem this step itself is to bring the community and police together to evaluate what needs to be done in order to achieve its success in crime prevention (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009) The fifth and sixth step both coincide with each other in the ways of identifying alternative strategies and selecting the proper strategy the first part of these steps is reviewing the current strategy of policing, and then looking towards other alternatives to what can be changed; the second aspect of these steps is selecting the more appropriate strategy that can be used to influence a positive reaction of impleme nting community policing (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). Step seven uses community policing and the objectives of community policing by decentralizing the formal structure of policing and using more common terms such as thinking outside the box and being creative with ideas, when preparing for the implementation of this policing method (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009). The final step in the implementation of community policing is mainly based around evaluating the program and understanding how it works, how it has worked, and how it will work. Understanding these concepts will help produce an accurate way to measure the effectiveness and will also give an understanding as to what should be done to the current style of community policing in regards to changing and shaping it to what the community actually requires/needs to focus on. (Victor E. Kappeler, 2009) The question of whether or not community policing works and can it be measured is constantly being asked by communities, politicians, and even police services who employ or use the community policing method. The simple breakdown of this question leads to the answer that community policing does work and in ways the community has to realize before jumping to a conclusion that it is strictly data that provides concrete evidence. The more common way to reveal how community policing works is to ask and review the answers that a community member would reveal about the topic; examples of this are seen throughout Canada where community policing is a prioritized goal of that particular region or department. In Edmonton, the Edmonton Police Service offers, an exclusive opportunity for individuals with professional or personal interest in community policing to acquire knowledge on police issues, practices and operations in the City of Edmonton. (Edmonton Police Service, 2010) The community prog ram offers several different training requirements to be an active member of a unit involved with community policing, which in the police service located in Edmonton, works on a daily basis and is ever changing. Another city in Canada, Cornwall, Ontario, has had a history of effectiveness with community policing, nearly 2 decades of community oriented policing strategies, in which community involvement has been a key factor in the constant reduction in crime since 1992 (Cornwall Community Police Service, 2010). Measuring effectiveness of community policing extends well past the statistical attributes, and can go as far as the types of programs that have been successful from the beginning and those particular programs that continue to evolve; examples of programs that are community policing oriented and that have spawned from this method, are programs such as CPTED and Drive Wise. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is the single most successful and most recognizabl e form of community policing in todays community. This program itself not only takes in the fundamental basics and requirements for what particular communities need, but the communities that have issues, this program takes in the input and uses that input to change and shape the environment that in the end will help reduce if not eliminate crime in certain areas (Crowe, 2010). In Port Stanley, Ontario, they use community policing methods as the primary tool in their policing and community policing activities; these methods have proved time and time again that community styled and based policing is an effective method of preventing crimes. Port Stanleys community has taken a pro-active approach on crime prevention, and using one of their more notable accomplishments, Port Stanley can show the real effectiveness of community policing: Helped shut down a local drug labà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the local Community Policing officer to the scene, resulting in charges laid against two people. (Magin nis, 2009) Further statistics that show a significant reduction in crime come from this township again; Port Stanley, back in 1993 had roughly 407 reported crimes in that year (Maginnis, 2009). Looking further through the statistics posted, one should conclude that community policing does take time. Port Stanleys community policing efforts took a 5 year period to reduce crime by nearly 27%, and then continuing to adapt different styles of community policing and eventually leading to an outstanding 66% crime reduction rate over 15years and counting (Maginnis, 2009). This is just a small example of how community policing, given time, can evolve and grow into a great and effective way of policing and crime prevention, given the tools, knowledge, and participation in all. Throughout the analysis of how community policing has been defined, implemented, while facing attitudes from officers, communities and politicians alike, community policing has had long lasting effect, pending the several different aspects of acceptance, implementation, and measured effectiveness. The overall effectiveness is still a young and vulnerable statistic that can be shaped to favor either argument on does it work, however, granting community policing a large enough time span within a decade and with resources to help fund both the police services and communities working together with this method, will eventually lead to a statistical representation and data that is able to accurately show the documented success of community policing and its several programs. Further education amongst the community and police services that do acquire and employ this modern style of policing, is most definitely required to ensure the continuation of how to adapt to the ever-changing community , especially to communities with a diverse cultural background. In the United States, a congressional district representative, Alan Mollohan, mentions that community policing has influenced a significant crime rate drop since 1993 to 2002, this was solely due to the efforts of such programs such as COPS.(Mollohan, 2003) Final reviews on the effectiveness and whether or not the community understands what community policing is, depends on how the policing style was delivered, assessed, and administered; after all, community policing is only possible when the community is a part of the solution.

Price of Glory :: essays papers

Price of Glory A new movie called "The Price of Glory" is opening Friday, March 31,2000 all over. However, this movie will only be out for two weeks, if the community does not support it. This a movie about a Latino boxing family and it is refreshing to see a movie about a Latino family where the roles are actually played by Latino actors. The movie stars Jimmy Smitts, Jon Seda, and Paul Rodriguez in a role you wouldn't expect. We got the chance to preview the movie last night and it is a great movie with a lot of comedy and still very heart-warming. An actor from American Me was there promoting the movie and he said that the African-American community has organized a group called the Weekend group and every time a new movie comes out starring an African-American actor or director over 2 million people go to the opening day and support the movie.They are trying to get a similar group started in the Latino community. Actor or director over 2 million people go to the opening day and support the movie.They are trying to get a similar group started in the Latino community. If you are tired of seeing us in roles of gang-bangers, gardeners, housemaids, here's a chance to do something about it and enjoy an excellent movie. The movie will not be getting a lot of publicity at all so spread the word, and if you see it and like it, go see it again! If it makes a difference, OZOMATLI is on the soundtrack!: Pass the word. The movie stars Jimmy Smits (formerly of N.Y.P.D. Blue): "...The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber or Commerce was responsible for bringing the premier of "The Price of Glory" to Sacramento. It is an excellent movie. You really have to go see it. At the premier they announced that the movie will begin showing on March 31st. They told us *how important it is to go see a movie the first two weekends that it is out.

Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

By comparing and contrasting the characters of Jack and Ralph it allows the reader to fully understand their characters and how each develops throughout the novel. Once this has been achieved the reason the rivalry occurs becomes evident and the novel’s most important qualities and themes emerge from these two characters. It is then that we are able to see why Ralph and Jack’s friendship can never develop into anything but rivalry. Throughout the novel we see that Ralph and Jack share similar qualities, but there is a great difference in the way they use these attributes to benefit both themselves and others. Ralph uses his power to create a democracy, where each person has the right to voice their opinions and ideas. â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking...and he won’t be interrupted.† The conch becomes a symbol of the right of a speaker to a fair hearing. While Jack uses his authority to produce a fascist, hostile environment where he controls the doings of his tribe. â€Å"Tomorrow we shall hunt† and â€Å"He said we weren’t to let you in.† Whilst both characters have the chance to exercise their power, both do so in a disparate way, with Ralph aiming to benefit the group as a whole, and Jack himself profiting from his actions. Ralph and Jack begin the novel with similar beliefs, both wanting to implement rules. â€Å"I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them.† Ralph concentrates on being rescued and Jack goes along with this taking on the responsibility that he and his choir will mind the fire. â€Å"We’ll be responsible for keeping the fire going-†, but while Ralph remains focused on being rescued, Jack’s newfound interest in hunting leads him to forget about rescue. â€Å"Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was. ‘Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first-.† As the story evolves, so to do Ralph and Jack’s different opinions. The pressure on Ralph and Jack’s different ideas peak when Jack forgets about his responsibilities in order to hunt. When Ralph tells Jack a ship had passed, and Jack had let the fire go out, because he had been hunting, all Jack can say is â€Å"You should have seen the blood!† Now Jack is faced with two choices. â€Å"There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense.

Comparing Barry Lopezs A Presentation of Whales and Scott Russell Sand

Comparing Barry Lopez's A Presentation of Whales and Scott Russell Sander's Buckeye Was it just a coincidence that I had my first—televised—encounter with sperm whales only a day after I read Barry Lopez’s essay, â€Å"A Presentation of Whales†? Was my strong spiritual response to Scott Russell Sander’s â€Å"Buckeye† a sign that I, too, will feel the ghostly presences of my beloved kindred when they leave this world? No way! I am not a mystic. I am not supernaturally connected to sperm whales or spirits, but I will admit that I entertained self-important thoughts while reading both essays. Not only did I stare at the professional headshots of the writers before I read their essays; I adored them and empathized with their visions. Perhaps nature writers are advantaged: they can be scientific and not be perceived as being such by non-scientific readers. After all, the word ‘nature’ generates images of the earth and all of its sensory treasures, whereas ‘science’ generates images of laboratory coats, long calculations, laborious extractions, and obscure words like genome, polypeptide and spermatozoa. Nature writers are free to incorporate various genres in their writing, which interests a broad population of readers. Readers are attracted to writing styles that reinforce their subjective perceptions of themselves and the world. A readers’ opinion does not necessarily indicate the success or failure of a writer, but rather the state of mind of the reader when she approaches the piece. This is also how we approach people and events in our lives. We are animals, and therefore we must engage with nature. While Barry Lopez and Scott Russell Sanders have a keen sense of t he innate connection between animals and landscapes, ... ...aren’t scientific or historical, they are still objects in his immediate landscape. Alone, they are solitary objects, but together they create a story of human life. Curiosity and neediness attract humans to philosophy, in a similar way that they attract humans to religious dogma, cults and magic. Fortunately, nature narratives draw on human interests in various disciplines without simultaneously wreaking havoc on society. Writing helps us create and understand ideas. Personal values and scientific information are often used interchangeably by Barry Lopez and Scott Russell Sanders. Unless the reader is indifferent, both writers prove they are capable of illustrating essential elements of the human experience in both public and private moments. As readers, we are bonded to Lopez and Sanders because of our role in the innate chaos of human interaction.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 2

He Does Not Preach Pessimism My workout is interrupted midday, when Mom descends the basement stairs and says I have an appointment with Dr. Patel. I ask if I can go later that night, after I have completed my daily weights routine, but Mom says I'll have to go back to the bad place in Baltimore if I do not keep my appointments with Dr. Patel, and she even references the court ruling, telling me I can read the paperwork if I don't believe her. So I shower, and then Mom drives me to Dr. Patel's office, which is the first floor of a big house in Voorhees, just off Haddonfield – Berlin Road. When we arrive, I take a seat in the waiting room as Mom fills out some more paperwork. By now, ten trees must have been cut down just to document my mental health, which Nikki will hate hearing, as she is an avid environmentalist who gave me at least one tree in the rain forest every Christmas – which was really only a piece of paper stating I owned the tree – and I do feel bad now for making fun of those gifts and won't ever poke fun at the diminishing rain forest in the future when Nikki comes back. As I sit there flipping through a Sports Illustrated, listening to the easy-listening station Dr. Patel pumps into his waiting room, suddenly I'm hearing sexy synthesizer chords, faint highhat taps, the kick drum thumping out an erotic heartbeat, the twinkling of fairy dust, and then the evil bright soprano saxophone. You know the title: â€Å"Songbird.† And I'm out of my seat, screaming, kicking chairs, flipping the coffee table, picking up piles of magazines and throwing them against the wall, yelling, â€Å"It's not fair! I won't tolerate any tricks! I'm not an emotional lab rat!† And then a small Indian man – maybe only five feet tall, wearing a cable-knit sweater in August, suit pants, and shiny white tennis shoes – is calmly asking me what's wrong. â€Å"Turn off that music!† I yell. â€Å"Shut it off! Right now!† The tiny man is Dr. Patel, I realize, because he tells his secretary to turn off the music, and when she obeys, Kenny G is out of my head and I stop yelling. I cover my face with my hands so no one will see me crying, and after a minute or so, my mother begins rubbing my back. So much silence – and then Dr. Patel asks me into his office. I follow him reluctantly as Mom helps the secretary clean up the mess I made. His office is pleasantly strange. Two leather recliners face each other, and spider-looking plants – long vines full of white-and-green leaves – hang down from the ceiling to frame the bay window that overlooks a stone birdbath and a garden of colorful flowers. But there is absolutely nothing else in the room except a box of tissues on the short length of floor between the recliners. The floor is a shiny yellow hardwood, and the ceiling and walls are painted to look like the sky – real-looking clouds float all around the office, which I take as a good omen, since I love clouds. A single light occupies the center of the ceiling, like a glowing upside-down vanilla-icing cake, but the ceiling around the light is painted to look like the sun. Friendly rays shoot out from the center. I have to admit I feel calm as soon as I enter Dr. Patel's office and do not really mind anymore that I heard the Kenny G song. Dr. Patel asks me which recliner I want to relax in. I pick the black over the brown and immediately regret my decision, thinking that choosing black makes me seem more depressed than if I had chosen brown, and really, I'm not depressed at all. When Dr. Patel sits down, he pulls the lever on the side of his chair, which makes the footrest rise. He leans back and laces his fingers behind his tiny head, as if he were about to watch a ball game. â€Å"Relax,† he says. â€Å"And no Dr. Patel. Call me Cliff. I like to keep sessions informal. Friendly, right?† He seems nice enough, so I pull my lever, lean back, and try to relax. â€Å"So,† he says. â€Å"The Kenny G song really got to you. I can't say I'm a fan either, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I close my eyes, hum a single note, and silently count to ten, blanking my mind. When I open my eyes, he says, â€Å"You want to talk about Kenny G?† I close my eyes, hum a single note, and silently count to ten, blanking my mind. â€Å"Okay. Want to tell me about Nikki?† â€Å"Why do you want to know about Nikki?† I say, too defensively, I admit. â€Å"If I am going to help you, Pat, I need to know you, right? Your mother tells me you wish to be reunited with Nikki, that this is your biggest life goal – so I figure we best start there.† I begin to feel better because he does not say a reunion is out of the question, which seems to imply that Dr. Patel feels as though reconciling with my wife is still possible. â€Å"Nikki? She's great,† I say, and then smile, feeling the warmth that fills my chest whenever I say her name, whenever I see her face in my mind. â€Å"She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I love her more than life itself. And I just can't wait until apart time is over.† â€Å"Apart time?† â€Å"Yeah. Apart time.† â€Å"What is apart time?† â€Å"A few months ago I agreed to give Nikki some space, and she agreed to come back to me when she felt like she had worked out her own issues enough so we could be together again. So we are sort of separated, but only temporarily.† â€Å"Why did you separate?† â€Å"Mostly because I didn't appreciate her and was a workaholic – chairing the Jefferson High School History Department and coaching three sports. I was never home, and she got lonely. Also I sort of let my appearance go, to the point where I was maybe ten to seventy pounds overweight, but I'm working on all that and am now more than willing to go into couples counseling like she wanted me to, because I'm a changed man.† â€Å"Did you set a date?† â€Å"A date?† â€Å"For the end of apart time.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"So apart time is something that will go on indefinitely?† â€Å"Theoretically, I guess – yes. Especially since I'm not allowed to contact Nikki or her family.† â€Å"Why's that?† â€Å"Umm †¦ I don't know, really. I mean – I love my in-laws as much as I love Nikki. But it doesn't matter, because I'm thinking that Nikki will be back sooner than later, and then she'll straighten everything out with her parents.† â€Å"On what do you base your thinking?† he asks, but nicely, with a friendly smile on his face. â€Å"I believe in happy endings,† I tell him. â€Å"And it feels like this movie has gone on for the right amount of time.† â€Å"Movie?† Dr. Patel says, and I think he would look exactly like Gandhi if he had those wire-rim glasses and a shaved head, which is weird, especially since we are in leather recliners in such a bright, happy room and well, Gandhi is dead, right? â€Å"Yeah,† I say. â€Å"Haven't you ever noticed that life is like a series of movies?† â€Å"No. Tell me.† â€Å"Well, you have adventures. All start out with troubles, but then you admit your problems and become a better person by working really hard, which is what fertilizes the happy ending and allows it to bloom – just like the end of all the Rocky films, Rudy, The Karate Kid, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, and The Goonies, which are my favorite films, even though I have sworn off movies until Nikki returns, because now my own life is the movie I will watch, and well, it's always on. Plus I know it's almost time for the happy ending, when Nikki will come back, because I have improved myself so very much through physical fitness and medication and therapy.† â€Å"Oh, I see.† Dr. Patel smiles. â€Å"I like happy endings too, Pat.† â€Å"So you agree with me. You think my wife will come back soon?† â€Å"Time will tell,† Dr. Patel says, and I know right then that Cliff and I are going to get along, because he does not preach pessimism like Dr. Timbers and the staff at the bad place; Cliff doesn't say I need to face what he thinks is my reality. â€Å"It's funny, because all the other therapists I've seen said that Nikki wouldn't be back. Even after I told them about the life improvements I have been making, how I am bettering myself, they still were always ‘hating on me,' which is an expression I learned from my black friend Danny.† â€Å"People can be cruel,† he says with a sympathetic look that makes me trust him even more. And right then I realize that he is not writing down all my words in a file, which I really appreciate, let me tell you. I tell him I like the room, and we talk about my love of clouds and how most people lose the ability to see silver linings even though they are always there above us almost every day. I ask him questions about his family, just to be nice, and it turns out he has a daughter whose high school field hockey team is ranked second in South Jersey. Also he has a son in elementary school who wants to be a ventriloquist and even practices nightly with a wooden dummy named Grover Cleveland, who, incidentally, was also the only U.S. president to serve two terms that were not back-to-back. I don't really get why Cliff's son named his wooden dummy after our twenty-second and twenty-fourth president, although I do not say so. Next, Cliff says he has a wife named Sonja, who painted the room so beautifully, which leads to our discussion about how great women are and how it's important to treasure your woman while you have her because if you don't, you can lose her pretty quickly – as God really wants us to appreciate our women. I tell Cliff I hope he never has to experience apart time, and he says he hopes my apart time will end soon, which is a pretty nice thing to say. Before I leave, Cliff says he will be changing my medication, which could lead to some unwanted side effects, and that I have to report any discomfort or sleeplessness or anxiety or anything else to my mother immediately – because it might take some time for him to find the right combination of drugs – and I promise him I will. On the drive home I tell my mother I really like Dr. Cliff Patel and am feeling much more hopeful about my therapy. I thank her for getting me out of the bad place, saying Nikki is far more likely to come to Collingswood than to a mental institution, and when I say this, Mom starts to cry, which is so strange. She even pulls off the road, rests her head against the steering wheel, and with the engine running, she cries for a long time – sniffling and trembling and making crying noises. So I rub her back, like she did for me in Dr. Patel's office when that certain song came on, and after ten minutes or so, she simply stops crying and drives me home. To make up for the hour I spent sitting around with Cliff, I work out until late in the evening, and when I go to bed, my father is still in his office with the door shut, so another day passes without my talking to Dad. I think it's strange to live in a house with someone you cannot talk to – especially when that someone is your father – and the thought makes me a little sad. Since Mom has not been to the library yet, I have nothing to read. So I close my eyes and think about Nikki until she comes to be with me in my dreams – like always.