Rise of Fascism in Italy and G essays

Rise of Fascism in Italy and G essays The seizure of power in Germany and Italy by fascist movements in the 1920s and 1930s was based on a weak and inexperienced government and the humiliation of both countries by the winning powers (United States, France, and Great Britain) after the Great War. These totalitarian right wing movements focused on nationalism to regain international power. Both leaders, Mussolini and Adolf Hitler knew how to reach the population and convince them of the importance of national collectivism. The roots of fascism in Italy were based on the Italian kingdom, which saw itself as a great power; but it was just a junior partner in the eyes of Western Europe. After the Italian failure to claim colonial territory in Africa and major problems internally (economic difference between North and the South), Italians slowly realized that their government just played politics. When the Great War broke out the Italians were first allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Secret negotiations with the Triple Entente based on territorial promises let the Italians switch sides. Fighting and winning the war on the side of the Allies, Italy did not receive what was promised. This was the time for Mussolini and his oratorical skills to seize power and to insist on the inefficiency of Italian politics. After the end of the Great War, Mussolini published super national right wing articles, pointing out that only in Italian unity was strength. Thereby he created the term Fascism and wins control of the Italian nation and became its leader by 1922. The fascist movement rose after the armistice and the creation of a provisional government (Weimar Republic), which was challenged by the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles. It had to create a constitution for the German nation, without having any experience. Challenged by the DKP (Deutsche Kommunistische Partei) the new republic had to withstand communist movements. Additionally, Germans and the economy itself had t...

Best Writing Apps and Tools of 2018 - Freewrite Store

Best Writing Apps and Tools of 2018 - Freewrite Store Writing Software that Will Blow Your Mind Today’s guest post is by  Matt Grant.  Matt is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor.  His  work has appeared in  Literary Hub,  Book Riot,  HuffPost, and  BookBrowse.  Find Matt  online, or follow him on  Twitter  and  Facebook. Writing Software that Will Blow Your Mind As writers, we know that our craft takes time and energy. The last thing we need is to get bogged down in the process itself. Beyond the basic story, we’re often also struggling to keep track of character details, side plots, and random flashes of inspiration for parts of the story we’re not even working on yet. We need a solid place to keep all of this information in one, easily accessible place. Thankfully, gone are the days where you sat down at a typewriter and wrote everything in one long document. Yet one of the most frustrating things in our technological age is to be plugging away on a work in progress, only to get sidelined by bad or sluggish software. Below is a list of some of the best planning, writing and editing software available today with amazing features you didn’t know you needed. And the best part is, many of them are free. Planning: Scapple Scapple, by the folks at Literature and Latte, is a basic mind-mapping tool. It’s super simple and easy to use. All you do is make notes and connect them to one another by dragging and dropping them onto one another. Notes can be customized by color and size, although these options are limited. This can actually be a good thing, though, since you can’t waste too much time worrying about making your map look pretty. Scapple makes brainstorming not only easy, but fun. It’s like having an endless amount of paper at your disposal. Running out of room? No problem, you can easily zoom out of your working area and start a new map or connection in another area. yWriter – FREE! (Windows Only) yWriter is a free word processor for Windows PCs. Built by a writer for writers, the program breaks up your novel into scenes or chapters, making it easier for you to keep track of what goes where. You can create character cards and tags, and add a lot of helpful customizable notes to your scenes, such as the time of day it takes place and how long the scene is supposed to last. Due to its simplicity, I wouldn’t recommend yWriter for writing a full novel, although it has been done. There are much more advanced programs for that. yWriter is better for planning out your story scene by scene. But if you’re on a budget, yWriter will get the job done! Writing: Scrivener I’ve been using Scrivener for several years now, and it’s hands-down the best thing that could have happened to my writing. Scrivener is one of most popular writing tools available today. It’s so much more than just a word processor – it’s a novel-generating machine. Similar to yWriter, Scrivener allows you to break up your project into different parts, but it’s not just confined to chapters or scenes. You can have a flashback, a brief exchange between characters, or an entire short story in one document. These can be edited separately, allowing you to focus on just one small part of your work, or in â€Å"Scrivenings Mode,† which links together a series of scenes, like a whole first act. There are tons of easy-to-use, customizable features like split-screen, a digital note card outliner, a binder, and my personal favorite, compose mode.    If it all seems overwhelming, you don’t have to use all of the features. With Scrivener, you can find what works for you. It’s also cheap – at less than $50, Scrivener is an absolute steal. Sprinter – FREE! If you like â€Å"word sprints† – quick, 15-minute bursts of writing – consider giving Sprinter a try. Sprinter is an uncomplicated, distraction-free web-based writing program with a timer. You simply start writing, and the timer on the right side of the page begins its countdown. Need more than 15 minutes? No problem, set the timer for as long as you wish. You can also make a word count goal. Sprinter is great for brainstorming, flash fiction, writing prompts, and more. If you need to save your work for later, create a Postbox account and sync to Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote. Ulysses (Mac only) Similar to Scrivener, Ulysses is a customizable writing tool with lots of great features. You can organize your writing by project or subject, attach files, set writing goals, and add links and images to your text with ease. Ulysses utilizes a clear, clean, and beautiful interface. The editor allows you to choose your own colors, outlines, and more.  Ã‚   One of the greatest benefits of Ulysses is its synchronization capabilities. The program syncs seamlessly with iCloud and works on iOS as well, so you can write anywhere you are, on any device. It also integrates with Dropbox, making it easy to collaborate with others. iaWriter (Mac and Android only – FREE on Android!) iaWriter earns its place on this list because it’s a clear and clean plain-text editor with some of the most important features of the others, but at a much lower price. iaWriter might not be as versatile as Ulysses and Scrivener, but it works on the same principles. One of the coolest features that set iaWriter apart is Focus Mode, which dims everything except the current sentence you’re working on. You’re sure to have better and stronger sentences after using it. Syntax Control makes Focus Mode even better by highlighting your sentence’s grammatical structure. With the latest version of iaWriter, you can even add pictures and tables to content blocks, in case you’re working on something other than a straightforward novel. Editing: Hemingway Editor – FREE! If you haven’t been using this free online editing software that highlights your sentence structure and syntax, you’ve been missing out. Simply copy and paste your text into the Hemingway Editor’s interface, and it will show you what needs to be fixed. Things like overly complex structures, use of passive voice, and readability all become instantly highlighted and color-coded, allowing you to see all problems at a glance. You can even format your text into headings, subheadings, and add quotes and links. There’s a paid desktop version that works offline as well. Grammarly – FREE! Grammarly is a neat little browser extension that does essentially the same thing the Hemingway Editor does, but in real time. It will highlight spelling and grammar errors and suggest fixes. Grammarly also sends weekly emails summarizing your editing stats. You can opt out of if this feature if you wish. The greatest thing about this free plugin is that it works on most websites and text boxes, including Gmail and social media sites. Use it, and you’ll never accidentally send an unedited tweet again! When it comes to your writing projects, don’t settle for just a straightforward word processor anymore. With so much technology at your fingertips, there are thousands of writing tools and apps available that can make your writing time more productive and enjoyable than ever. Yet each program is as unique and different as every writer. Remember that not every program is going to fit your particular needs and style. If you’re spending money, take time to choose a program that will work for you. Most of these programs offer trial versions, so spend time learning them and working out their features before you pay. Just don’t take too long – your work in progress still needs your attention as well! What writing software do you swear by? Do you have any programs that you love and would recommend to others? Let us know in the comments!    Matt Grant  loves to write about writing, business, and all forms of popular  culture – books, film, and television. Matt started writing DVD reviews for  Pop Matters  in 2012, and in 2016, he followed through on a life-long dream by launching a part-time writing business at  www.mattgrantwriter.com. Since then, Matt’s work has appeared in  Literary Hub,  Book Riot,  HuffPost, and  BookBrowse,  and he has several ongoing clients.  His first personal essay,  Swimming Lessons,  is being published in LongReads at the end of August. Matt is also currently hard at work on his first novel, a comedic take on fantasy tropes for young adults. When not writing or reading, Matt works in youth development as an after-school program director  for one of the largest middle schools in Manhattan. Matt lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Katelyn. You can find him online at  www.mattgrantwriter.com, on  Twitter  @mattgrantwriter, and on Facebook  @mattgra ntwriter. Best Writing Apps and Tools of 2018 - Freewrite Store Writing Software that Will Blow Your Mind Today’s guest post is by  Matt Grant.  Matt is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor.  His  work has appeared in  Literary Hub,  Book Riot,  HuffPost, and  BookBrowse.  Find Matt  online, or follow him on  Twitter  and  Facebook. Writing Software that Will Blow Your Mind As writers, we know that our craft takes time and energy. The last thing we need is to get bogged down in the process itself. Beyond the basic story, we’re often also struggling to keep track of character details, side plots, and random flashes of inspiration for parts of the story we’re not even working on yet. We need a solid place to keep all of this information in one, easily accessible place. Thankfully, gone are the days where you sat down at a typewriter and wrote everything in one long document. Yet one of the most frustrating things in our technological age is to be plugging away on a work in progress, only to get sidelined by bad or sluggish software. Below is a list of some of the best planning, writing and editing software available today with amazing features you didn’t know you needed. And the best part is, many of them are free. Planning: Scapple Scapple, by the folks at Literature and Latte, is a basic mind-mapping tool. It’s super simple and easy to use. All you do is make notes and connect them to one another by dragging and dropping them onto one another. Notes can be customized by color and size, although these options are limited. This can actually be a good thing, though, since you can’t waste too much time worrying about making your map look pretty. Scapple makes brainstorming not only easy, but fun. It’s like having an endless amount of paper at your disposal. Running out of room? No problem, you can easily zoom out of your working area and start a new map or connection in another area. yWriter – FREE! (Windows Only) yWriter is a free word processor for Windows PCs. Built by a writer for writers, the program breaks up your novel into scenes or chapters, making it easier for you to keep track of what goes where. You can create character cards and tags, and add a lot of helpful customizable notes to your scenes, such as the time of day it takes place and how long the scene is supposed to last. Due to its simplicity, I wouldn’t recommend yWriter for writing a full novel, although it has been done. There are much more advanced programs for that. yWriter is better for planning out your story scene by scene. But if you’re on a budget, yWriter will get the job done! Writing: Scrivener I’ve been using Scrivener for several years now, and it’s hands-down the best thing that could have happened to my writing. Scrivener is one of most popular writing tools available today. It’s so much more than just a word processor – it’s a novel-generating machine. Similar to yWriter, Scrivener allows you to break up your project into different parts, but it’s not just confined to chapters or scenes. You can have a flashback, a brief exchange between characters, or an entire short story in one document. These can be edited separately, allowing you to focus on just one small part of your work, or in â€Å"Scrivenings Mode,† which links together a series of scenes, like a whole first act. There are tons of easy-to-use, customizable features like split-screen, a digital note card outliner, a binder, and my personal favorite, compose mode.    If it all seems overwhelming, you don’t have to use all of the features. With Scrivener, you can find what works for you. It’s also cheap – at less than $50, Scrivener is an absolute steal. Sprinter – FREE! If you like â€Å"word sprints† – quick, 15-minute bursts of writing – consider giving Sprinter a try. Sprinter is an uncomplicated, distraction-free web-based writing program with a timer. You simply start writing, and the timer on the right side of the page begins its countdown. Need more than 15 minutes? No problem, set the timer for as long as you wish. You can also make a word count goal. Sprinter is great for brainstorming, flash fiction, writing prompts, and more. If you need to save your work for later, create a Postbox account and sync to Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote. Ulysses (Mac only) Similar to Scrivener, Ulysses is a customizable writing tool with lots of great features. You can organize your writing by project or subject, attach files, set writing goals, and add links and images to your text with ease. Ulysses utilizes a clear, clean, and beautiful interface. The editor allows you to choose your own colors, outlines, and more.  Ã‚   One of the greatest benefits of Ulysses is its synchronization capabilities. The program syncs seamlessly with iCloud and works on iOS as well, so you can write anywhere you are, on any device. It also integrates with Dropbox, making it easy to collaborate with others. iaWriter (Mac and Android only – FREE on Android!) iaWriter earns its place on this list because it’s a clear and clean plain-text editor with some of the most important features of the others, but at a much lower price. iaWriter might not be as versatile as Ulysses and Scrivener, but it works on the same principles. One of the coolest features that set iaWriter apart is Focus Mode, which dims everything except the current sentence you’re working on. You’re sure to have better and stronger sentences after using it. Syntax Control makes Focus Mode even better by highlighting your sentence’s grammatical structure. With the latest version of iaWriter, you can even add pictures and tables to content blocks, in case you’re working on something other than a straightforward novel. Editing: Hemingway Editor – FREE! If you haven’t been using this free online editing software that highlights your sentence structure and syntax, you’ve been missing out. Simply copy and paste your text into the Hemingway Editor’s interface, and it will show you what needs to be fixed. Things like overly complex structures, use of passive voice, and readability all become instantly highlighted and color-coded, allowing you to see all problems at a glance. You can even format your text into headings, subheadings, and add quotes and links. There’s a paid desktop version that works offline as well. Grammarly – FREE! Grammarly is a neat little browser extension that does essentially the same thing the Hemingway Editor does, but in real time. It will highlight spelling and grammar errors and suggest fixes. Grammarly also sends weekly emails summarizing your editing stats. You can opt out of if this feature if you wish. The greatest thing about this free plugin is that it works on most websites and text boxes, including Gmail and social media sites. Use it, and you’ll never accidentally send an unedited tweet again! When it comes to your writing projects, don’t settle for just a straightforward word processor anymore. With so much technology at your fingertips, there are thousands of writing tools and apps available that can make your writing time more productive and enjoyable than ever. Yet each program is as unique and different as every writer. Remember that not every program is going to fit your particular needs and style. If you’re spending money, take time to choose a program that will work for you. Most of these programs offer trial versions, so spend time learning them and working out their features before you pay. Just don’t take too long – your work in progress still needs your attention as well! What writing software do you swear by? Do you have any programs that you love and would recommend to others? Let us know in the comments!    Matt Grant  loves to write about writing, business, and all forms of popular  culture – books, film, and television. Matt started writing DVD reviews for  Pop Matters  in 2012, and in 2016, he followed through on a life-long dream by launching a part-time writing business at  www.mattgrantwriter.com. Since then, Matt’s work has appeared in  Literary Hub,  Book Riot,  HuffPost, and  BookBrowse,  and he has several ongoing clients.  His first personal essay,  Swimming Lessons,  is being published in LongReads at the end of August. Matt is also currently hard at work on his first novel, a comedic take on fantasy tropes for young adults. When not writing or reading, Matt works in youth development as an after-school program director  for one of the largest middle schools in Manhattan. Matt lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Katelyn. You can find him online at  www.mattgrantwriter.com, on  Twitter  @mattgrantwriter, and on Facebook  @mattgra ntwriter.

Assignment #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Miracles by David Hume - Essay Example Hence Hume dismisses outright any kind of revelatory recounting of miracles. Take say, the example of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death. Though it is an important miracle in Christian theology, it fails the rigorous standards of empiricism that Hume mandates. We only have references to the event in the scriptures, the writing of which happened much later than the event – sometimes centuries later. On top of this, those who witnessed Christ’s resurrection were invariably the faithful, who wished that it were so. A major thrust of Hume’s thesis is that the burden of proof lies heavily upon those claiming miracles. Hume defines a miracle as that event which has defined laws of nature. As a consequence witnesses of miracles are required to bring high credibility to their evidence. But this is easier said than done, as there are inherent mitigating factors. Firstly, since an overwhelming majority of people are religiously inclined and have accepted miracles as acts of God, their psyche would lack the requisite skepticism and objectivity in evaluating a claimed miracle. Individuals do not merely perceive events through their senses but through the lens of their cognitive faculties. Our cognitive faculties are trained and cultivated through our education and exposure to various life experiences. Since there is a great deal of variability among humans in this regard, no two individuals would perceive an event in the same way. Hume also articulates the ‘argument from miracles’.

Art Parthenon and the Ara Pacis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Parthenon and the Ara Pacis - Essay Example To Greeks, Parthenon symbolized the ideal of perfection, which each person anticipated achieving in life contrary to the other people. This is because they deemed other people did not have any ideals or values, which they lived by or guided them to be different from the mere humanity. It also depicted their way of life, which entailed attention to fine details in all the tasks they undertook, hence differentiated them from other uncouth populace. Additionally, Parthenon expressed the Greeks’ aspects of harmony, balance and organization or order evidently in its mode of design. The most pronounced ideal conveyed by Ara Pacis was the power, which emanated from the ascendance of empire’s generals. This was after the return of King Augustus where his allies assumed diverse positions in his authority . Besides, there was emergence of foreign children (evident in Fig. 3) into the Roman, which implied that the state was the center of attraction and comfort. Hence, the entire w orld can come and inhabit in Rome due to the peace maintained by King Augustus’ authority. The depiction of Greeks’ perfection and fine to details is apparent in the Parthenon’s design. This is via from the way the Parthenon’s builders carefully utilized geometry to come up with well-scaled features, which are proportional. Hence, setting all the Athenians apart from other global people where according to them (Athenians) during then referred other people as barbarians. The Parthenon’s site and painting emphasized the aspect of harmony.... Besides, there was emergence of foreign children (evident in Fig. 3) into the Roman, which implied that the state was the center of attraction and comfort (Buxton & Kleiner 57). Hence, the entire world can come and inhabit in Rome due to the peace maintained by King Augustus’ authority. c) The Parthenon The depiction of Greeks’ perfection and fine to details is apparent in the Parthenon’s design (Lstiburek 85). This is via from the way the Parthenon’s builders carefully utilized geometry to come up with well-scaled features, which are proportional. Hence, setting all the Athenians apart from other global people where according to them (Athenians) during then referred other people as barbarians (Lstiburek 80). The Parthenon’s site and painting emphasized the aspect of harmony where its color does not contrast with its environment. The shape of the entire building coupled with its interior design depicts the aspects of order and symmetrical balance, w hich is evident from the bird’s view (in Fig. 2). Fig. 2 depicts the outline and scale utilized in laying diverse structures that comprised the temple, for instance, pillars. Figure 1: The Parthenon. Accessed on 23rd October 2012 from Figure 2: Parthenon Bird's view plan showing the aspects of balance, order and fine to details. This is evident from the scale used, which enabled well placement of the peripheral pillars from each side. Accessed on 23rd October 2012 from The Ara Pacis Contrary to the Parthenon’s site, Ara Pacis’ location was inside a building though both the structures

Operation & Logistics Management Essay Example for Free

Operation Logistics Management Essay In modern world, the management of operations and logistics can represent the know-what, the know-how, and know-why of a company’s overall picture as well as its functional areas. Knowledge of the management is acquired by managers and employees, including analysts, by examining and investigating operations under study. This differs from the acquisition of specialized knowledge that is learned by performance over time. Usually, the management of operations and logistics is conducted by company personnel who possess a high level of skills in their field of work, for example, strategic planning, marketing, manufacturing, accounting and finance, and human resources. Besides, there are other company occupations that include some type of management work, directly or indirectly. The management of operations and logistics can therefore be defined as ‘‘the acquisition, creation, packaging, or application of knowledge’’ (Lesser 90). KANGPUT Technology Development Company has been increasingly, and heavily, influenced by economic theories of the firm; notably, developing management systems, selecting appropriate software that may be placed under the umbrella term of the â€Å"knowledge-based view of the firm†. KANGPUT Technology Development Company is based on customer satisfaction. This essay is based on KANGPUT Technology Development Company in China. This paper will consider how to use, maintain and control the knowledge effectively so the current management of operations and logistics of the organisation could be improved and have a better future overall. This work also covers the possible need for the director of KANGPUT Technology Development Company to accommodate changing knowledge work processes. An important part of developing operations and logistics management systems is selecting appropriate software, and therefore software selection is also discussed in the paper. Operations form the base of both multinational and small company, whether in manufacturing, service or non-profit organisations. Operations Management Logistics is a field that involves several subject disciplines such as product development, quality management, logistics, information systems and human resources management. Operations comprise beginning from the performance management of a group of design engineers to the exact forecast of production and delivery performance. People are the source of the ideas and actions that grow organizations. Yet the role of people and human capital has been changing in a fundamental way over the last several decades. Until recently, institutions have been the dominant part of the equation. As long as human inputs into wealth were seen as commodities, then people were interchangeable, one for another. Their contributions were marginal to the profits and practices of the company. As much as leadership proclaimed, â€Å"Our people are our most important resource,† very few organizations actually mobilized their people (Thierauf 32). A major challenge for the organisation is to engage and cultivate its networks of human capital (Bassett 35). In this era, the human capital that supports the company is only partially a group of direct employees. In fact, as time goes on, many organizations will operate with a core group of strategic leadership. The era where benign bureaucracies hired people to have jobs for life has come to an end. Instead, people will work in a number of organizations during their working lives and may have multiple engagements with a number of companies at the same time. People will increasingly begin to see themselves as companies of one, where they are responsible for their learning, their personal growth strategies, the quality of their relationships, and their work environment. As a result, a growing proportion of the people working with enterprises will be independent contractors, outsourced from other organizations, members of organizations with whom the enterprise has alliances. KANGPUT Technology Development Company raises these critical questions and lay the groundwork for establishing the kinds of frameworks, practices, and relationships that are necessary for any company to successfully navigate operations management logistics. KANGPUT Technology Development Company must to make organization that is nothing more than an extension of human thought and action, which makes human capital the only active capital. Financial and physical resources are important, but they cannot be transformed without the lever of human capital. The input of human capital grows in value and is becoming the differentiator for the company. Therefore, KANGPUT Technology Development Company must recalibrate to see how that input operates and bring it into balance with all of the other elements, including long-term knowledge management strategy. There should be a power shift. As people will begin to be better able to autonomously gather information, achieve mobility, and initiate connectivity, they will redefine the role and value of their human capital. As a result, they will make new demands on management for more satisfying kinds of tools and techniques for the management of operations. Operations management has to, in a sense, catch up with its workforce and respond with increasing flexibility to obtain the kinds of capabilities and commitments it needs to succeed (Lowson 120). This is a major reversal for operation management, which is used to being able to dictate the terms of employment. Regardless, it is a necessity. Company leadership must come to know better what human capital it needs, not just for today, but also for tomorrow and the day after. It must understand how to rapidly acquire, compensate, grow, and retain it so that it can positively affect its business performance and operating objectives. The result is that it must change its orientation and its basic systems to be at the lead of the knowledge-based enterprise reality. Managing the knowledge and human capital for continuous learning, sharing, and connecting as human beings needs to be part of the daily practice of everyone, from leadership to the frontline of the company (Thierauf 67-78). In the beginning, it should be said that there is no single hardware or software product or combination of the two that can give a comprehensive approach to operations management. If a comprehensive operations management system environment is the ultimate purpose, hardware and software products cannot be utilized alone. Creating a company-wide knowledge management infrastructure needs the integration of many different technologies. For KANGPUT Technology Development Company to open successfully its collective knowledge for companywide use, it is essential not only to develop and use integrated hardware and software technology but also to use the development company’s employees and their related business processes with this knowledge management technology. If KANGPUT Technology Development Company employees are not working in a collaborative environment or if no procedures are in place to share the knowledge, no amount of operations management system technology can change that. For operations management system environment to work well, it must be viewed by company employees at all levels as a strategic means for KANGPUT Technology Development Company to become more competitive and ensure success in the long run. To better comprehend what needs to be done to develop operations management systems effectively, it is best to begin with past and current approaches to the management of operations. This can be done in the form of expert systems and then go on to various levels of operational knowledge acquisition and use—beginning from tactical knowledge to strategic knowledge (Leonard-Barton 156). To acquire and spread narrow- to wide-based operational knowledge for KANGPUT Technology Development Company’s employees, the present knowledge work processes may have to be innovated. This may include reengineering in which knowledge work processes have to be revamped so that knowledge flows freely to every functional unit and subpart that needs it. In order to achieve this ambitious knowledge work redesign, several approaches can be undertaken by operational knowledge management system developers. First, KANGPUT Technology Development Company can change the content of knowledge by expanding what it encompasses in order to better meet desired goals. Second, the company can reorder the composition of work so that company employees may change the concentration of their jobs from information to knowledge. This change may demand the use of more teams of employees in order to share knowledge learned from previous projects, job assignments, and the like. From another side, the change can concentrate on the employment of new networking technology that lends itself to groupware. Using this technology allows employees to have individual knowledge bases and global knowledge bases so that to improve the effectiveness of their operations. Overall, the described changes are quite consistent with reengineering approaches to work and also bolster the efforts of employees using knowledge to make their jobs more effectively. For the purpose to decide which approach to use for reengineering work processes, it is essential for the operations system developers to define which knowledge orientation is required by the company and its employees. Additionally, there are other factors that can influence which direction to choose. These involve the competitive environment, corporate culture, company strategies, problem-finding approach, and the information technology infrastructure. By creating an effective relationship among knowledge work processes, company employees, and the items set forth above, operations system developers can sort out the important factors and set forth ones that are useful in the final design. Operations management systems represent a new business intelligence technology that is useful. Business intelligence technology has become popular because it gives decision makers the opportunity to access and analyze large quantities of information. This information can be used to distil knowledge concerning current and future patterns and trends. Besides, operations management systems are attractive because they give decision makers faster access to desired knowledge which can be presented in new ways that do not require extensive custom programming. In the future of the company they will assist decision makers in making better informed decisions. The point is that decision makers have a wide base of resources at their command to use on problems facing them. Since no one software product can serve the full range of user knowledge needs, there are a host of products available today. Good operations management systems require the cooperation of the vendors, the computer department, and the company’s decision makers and their employees. Most outside vendor products have limitations that will be reached the first time a user says, ‘‘I need †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. What the person then finds is that the package has provided what is thought to be needed. The vendor can do little to adapt it. So instead of simply acquiring this package, it is necessary to look for one or more software packages that provide capabilities for adapting it to the needs of company decision makers. This naturally leads to the next team that must be created, the computer department. Cooperating with the computer department rather than treating it as an outsider will result in a operations management system much better used to the users’ needs. These computer employees, after all, have been providing much of the information that managers and their employees use. Therefore, they know what some of the decision makers’ needs are already. They will also be the people who will create and implement the system and adapt it to decision makers’ needs.

Eating Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

The first thing to keep in mind is that as an "outsider" (not suffering from an Eating Disorder yourself) there are many things you cannot do to help a family member or friend to get better. You cannot force an Anorexic to eat, keep a bulimic from purging, or make a Compulsive Overeater stop overeating. The first thing to realize once you have come to the awareness that your loved-one suffers from an Eating Disorder, is that you must not concentrate immediately on the food. All forms of Eating Disorders are emotionally based and the behaviors are only a symptom to emotional and stress related problems. As said many times on this site, disordered eating is an attempt to control, hide, stuff, avoid and forget emotional pain, stress and/or self-hate. If you are the parent of a child under 18 you will have difficult decisions to make regarding their care. Regardless of pleas to "not make me," and promises that the behavior will stop, you will have to stay very attuned to what is happening with your child and may have to force them to go to doctors and/or the hospital. Keep in mind how serious Eating Disorders are and that they can kill. If your relationship with someone suffering from Anorexia, Bulimia or Compulsive Overeating is anything other than their parent, or if your child is over the age of 18 then you cannot force them to seek help. You can support and encourage your loved one, and gently express concern, and the best thing you can do is to learn to attentively listen. In most cases it will be important for each sufferer to find a mode of recovery that will work for them. One-on-one therapy, support groups, clinics, in-patient or out-patient, art therapy, church groups, a combination of any, or none of the above but something completely different ... there are many options out there. Share this website, help your friend or family member to gather information if they are open to your help. Be encouraging -- there can be a lot of road blocks in searching for Eating Disorder recovery so be reassuring that recovery is possible! Be there to listen and communicate. Some options for local treatment are here ... and a listing a national organizations is here. Most of the national organizations can refer you to local chapters, support groups and therapy in your area. For the Anorexic or Bulimic who exhibits any of the following sig... ...derstanding individual. Those suffering with an Eating Disorders are not DOING anything to you, but are struggling tremendously themselves, inside. You need to keep this in mind when posing questions that are selfishly motivated or hurtful (even if unintentionally). "Why are you doing this to yourself?" "Your have good things in your life, what's the problem?" Those with an Eating Disorder do not choose to do this to themselves. There is no conscious choice (in most cases) where a person suffering from an Eating Disorder would prefer that lifestyle as opposed to one filled with self-love and happiness. This is a coping mechanism, a means for dealing with depression, stress and self-hate that has been built up over many years. It is a reflection of how the person suffering feels about themselves inside. Wonderful husbands, kids, supportive friends have little influence (other than sometimes temporarily) in creating the true self-esteem required for permanent recovery, to cope with life positively, and to learn to believe that we deserve good things in life and happiness. These disorders are about the person suffering and how they feel about themselves.

Ruby Moon

When reading the play â€Å"Ruby Moon† it is easy to pick up on the personal and social tensions between characters. The descriptive nature of the stage directions and the very act of reading as opposed to just seeing on stage, being able to take time to look over each line, means that a reader can see which scenes accentuate the tension between both Ray and Sylvie or the characters they have created. Stage directions in the play plainly describe when a pause on stage is to be tense, or what the vibe is supposed to feel like during a particular scene.Bringing these tensions onto stage, however, is a more difficult task. An audience in a theatre cannot simply read that a silence is supposed to be tense; it is up to the actors and their use of the stage, as well as the lighting, set and audio. When considering how to highlight the personal and social tensions in Ruby Moon, we must consider what particular tensions play an important role and which characters the tensions are betw een. It may be that a character’s interactions with their surroundings are tense or that their relationships with other characters are very tense.To bring them to the stage these social and personal tensions must be identified. Cameron’s â€Å"Ruby Moon† explores the tenuous and often shallow relationships of suburbia. In writing â€Å"Ruby Moon†, although it is in essence a surreal play, Cameron attempted to draw attention to very real issues, including the nature of suburbia, and how when it comes down to it it’s difficult to know who to trust. Bad things can happen to anyone, and not everyone is as normal as they appear.Not only this, but underneath the eeriness of this play lies a very real, deeply tragic story of two parents who have lost their child and gone mad to cope with the grief of never knowing what happened to her. So much so that the reject every opportunity to find out for fear of it being bad news, in favour of keeping up the game they play with each other. The tension between them is evident when reading the play- it is clear in the stage directions when moments between them are tense. Audio effects would be highly effective in bringing these themes to life on stage.As many groups in class presentations demonstrated, Ruby Moon is a play in which the use of audio effects such as voiceovers, music, and sound effects (i. e. rain, wind, barking dogs) is a part of the stage directions, and is utilised and essential to many key moments in the play. Sound effects that play key roles in the audience’s understanding of the play include Ruby’s voice and piano refrain at the beginning, the various occasions on which the phone rings, the sound of voicemail messages being left, and Ruby’s voice throughout.This almost constant use of sound effects throughout the play gives the director a simple way of drawing attention to dramatic tension, acting as a kind of soundtrack, with, for example, the sound o f a phone ringing, accentuating the silence between Ray and Sylvie by suddenly breaking it. Space can be used in a particular way to accentuate tension between characters. In class presentations, many groups expressed that they felt the set should be small and intimate. This means that actors will always be in close proximity with each other.Characters being in close proximity can accentuate many kinds of tension, for example the scene early on in the play featuring Ray and Dulcie Doily might see Ray standing on one side of the stage trying not to get too close but being physically unable to get further away and being forced into close proximity, creating tension in the sense that he does not want to be in close quarters with a woman he finds extremely unpleasant. The scene featuring Sid and Sylvie may feature Sid alternating between invading Sylvie’s personal space and shying away-Putting Sylvie on edge as it is in close proximity to her.During the scene featuring Ray and Ve ronica, a stage where the characters were in close proximity to each other would help create sexual tension. In terms of bringing the social tensions evident in the play onto stage, many groups in the in-class presentations of directorial visions seemed to express that a key theme in Ruby Moon was the relationships between residents of Australian suburbs. It’s a well recognised suburban stereotype- Neighbours are polite and civil towards each other however build silent judgments, while having dark secrets of their own. Costuming could play a vital role in making these social tensions apparent on stage.As Ray and Sylvie dress up, it was decided by many groups that they should don just a few key costume pieces that they feel sum up their character. Exaggerated, almost (e. g. When Sylvie dresses up as Dulcie Doily she dons a grey wig and an apron- Typical elderly woman garb- a shallow understanding of their neighbours and in fact, other people. ) The various tensions, issues and emotions being presented in Ruby Moon, both of a personal and social nature make it successful as a play because they are real things that real people have to face and that put many people on edge.Aside from the use of audio, costuming and staging to get these tensions across, it is largely up to actors to make sure the audience can pick up on the vibes of the play, leading up to moments in such a way that the audience can feel tension in the air. When staged in the right way, Ruby Moon is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and tense. There is never a calm moment throughout. There are various techniques that directors can employ to make this so and ensure the success of portraying tensions, both personal and social, on stage in a performance of Ruby Moon. Ruby Moon When reading the play â€Å"Ruby Moon† it is easy to pick up on the personal and social tensions between characters. The descriptive nature of the stage directions and the very act of reading as opposed to just seeing on stage, being able to take time to look over each line, means that a reader can see which scenes accentuate the tension between both Ray and Sylvie or the characters they have created. Stage directions in the play plainly describe when a pause on stage is to be tense, or what the vibe is supposed to feel like during a particular scene.Bringing these tensions onto stage, however, is a more difficult task. An audience in a theatre cannot simply read that a silence is supposed to be tense; it is up to the actors and their use of the stage, as well as the lighting, set and audio. When considering how to highlight the personal and social tensions in Ruby Moon, we must consider what particular tensions play an important role and which characters the tensions are betw een. It may be that a character’s interactions with their surroundings are tense or that their relationships with other characters are very tense.To bring them to the stage these social and personal tensions must be identified. Cameron’s â€Å"Ruby Moon† explores the tenuous and often shallow relationships of suburbia. In writing â€Å"Ruby Moon†, although it is in essence a surreal play, Cameron attempted to draw attention to very real issues, including the nature of suburbia, and how when it comes down to it it’s difficult to know who to trust. Bad things can happen to anyone, and not everyone is as normal as they appear.Not only this, but underneath the eeriness of this play lies a very real, deeply tragic story of two parents who have lost their child and gone mad to cope with the grief of never knowing what happened to her. So much so that the reject every opportunity to find out for fear of it being bad news, in favour of keeping up the game they play with each other. The tension between them is evident when reading the play- it is clear in the stage directions when moments between them are tense. Audio effects would be highly effective in bringing these themes to life on stage.As many groups in class presentations demonstrated, Ruby Moon is a play in which the use of audio effects such as voiceovers, music, and sound effects (i. e. rain, wind, barking dogs) is a part of the stage directions, and is utilised and essential to many key moments in the play. Sound effects that play key roles in the audience’s understanding of the play include Ruby’s voice and piano refrain at the beginning, the various occasions on which the phone rings, the sound of voicemail messages being left, and Ruby’s voice throughout.This almost constant use of sound effects throughout the play gives the director a simple way of drawing attention to dramatic tension, acting as a kind of soundtrack, with, for example, the sound o f a phone ringing, accentuating the silence between Ray and Sylvie by suddenly breaking it. Space can be used in a particular way to accentuate tension between characters. In class presentations, many groups expressed that they felt the set should be small and intimate. This means that actors will always be in close proximity with each other.Characters being in close proximity can accentuate many kinds of tension, for example the scene early on in the play featuring Ray and Dulcie Doily might see Ray standing on one side of the stage trying not to get too close but being physically unable to get further away and being forced into close proximity, creating tension in the sense that he does not want to be in close quarters with a woman he finds extremely unpleasant. The scene featuring Sid and Sylvie may feature Sid alternating between invading Sylvie’s personal space and shying away-Putting Sylvie on edge as it is in close proximity to her.During the scene featuring Ray and Ve ronica, a stage where the characters were in close proximity to each other would help create sexual tension. In terms of bringing the social tensions evident in the play onto stage, many groups in the in-class presentations of directorial visions seemed to express that a key theme in Ruby Moon was the relationships between residents of Australian suburbs. It’s a well recognised suburban stereotype- Neighbours are polite and civil towards each other however build silent judgments, while having dark secrets of their own. Costuming could play a vital role in making these social tensions apparent on stage.As Ray and Sylvie dress up, it was decided by many groups that they should don just a few key costume pieces that they feel sum up their character. Exaggerated, almost (e. g. When Sylvie dresses up as Dulcie Doily she dons a grey wig and an apron- Typical elderly woman garb- a shallow understanding of their neighbours and in fact, other people. ) The various tensions, issues and emotions being presented in Ruby Moon, both of a personal and social nature make it successful as a play because they are real things that real people have to face and that put many people on edge.Aside from the use of audio, costuming and staging to get these tensions across, it is largely up to actors to make sure the audience can pick up on the vibes of the play, leading up to moments in such a way that the audience can feel tension in the air. When staged in the right way, Ruby Moon is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and tense. There is never a calm moment throughout. There are various techniques that directors can employ to make this so and ensure the success of portraying tensions, both personal and social, on stage in a performance of Ruby Moon.

African American President Essay

Between the two articles; â€Å"Hell Yeah, There’s Still Slam-Banging Black Music† by Greg Tate and â€Å"Starting Now, There Is No Such Thing as Black Music† by Cord Jefferson, they are basically discussing the beginning times of when Black Music came about and how it became labeled Black Music. Also how there should be no such thing as Black Music due to certain circumstance. Going back to when Black Music first became labeled Black Music and thinking about all the important Black leader who stood up for their rights and some who accomplished successful things that were once thought could only be accomplished by the Whites, I believe Black Music being labeled Black Music should stay the same. I also think whether to be considered Black Music or not, it will always be up to ones decision on what they consider the type of music they listen to no matter what anyone else says. What is labeled Black Music today I think has very significant and important meaning to the African American culture because just like the article â€Å"Hell Yeah, There’s Still Slam-banging Black Music,† African Americans don’t even have a country to call their own. I think having something simply as a type of music the Black’s created to call their own I don’t think should be a big deal at all and should not be changed. The article also mentioned that everything Black’s did back then became a beauty, especially their music which I think would be easy for anyone to see just knowing the history of African Americans and what they had to do just to be where they are today, slave and discrimination free. There is also plenty of successful African Americans we know about living today and from back then that went through a lot just have some recognition for the African American culture. Some of these successful African Americans not only include Musicians, but also actress and or performers, novel writers, business owners, and today a African American President. I do believe there is a such thing as Black Music simply because the music portrayed as Black Music is still continued today as well as when it first started. In the article by Cord Jefferson, he’s trying to compare basketball to the matter calling it a White’s sport because it first being played by White males, but it wouldn’t make sense being called a White’s sports today when today it’s played by many different races other than White males. Not saying that there aren’t non-Black people recording what we as Americans consider Black Music, but the larger majority of artist recording what’s labeled as Black Music today are African Americans. That’s basically how it’s been since the beginning start of Black Music and that’s how I believe it will stay.

What Led to the Renaissance Essays

What Led to the Renaissance Essays What Led to the Renaissance Paper What Led to the Renaissance Paper The Renaissance is the coined term for a period of rebirth that spread throughout Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries (Brotton, 28). All forms of knowledge, art, and expression manifested into new directions and aspirations. It was a major building block in the advancement of human thought. The Renaissance focused on learning through natural sciences and newfound knowledge rather than accepting older teachings (Brotton, 39). It fostered curiosity and innovation in many industries and aspects of life. In a sense, it was a new chapter or book in our human history index. The Renaissance also paved the way for the Protest Reformation to eventually occur (Brotton, 101). There are many factors that led the Renaissance to occur. It was a combination of the Crusades and the Mongols expansion that began under Genghis Khan that led to the fruition of the Renaissance. The Crusades brought the two worlds of Islam and Christianity in a manner like never before. The death toll of the Crusades varies among academia between one and five million people (Madden, 172). Besides all the bloodshed, the Crusades allowed Europeans to rediscover new forms of art, expressions, and ways of life. Europe became too involved in their feudal and monarchy type systems. They had forgotten the importance of the arts and sciences and were more focused on building fortunes and spreading salvation. Europeans, by way of the Crusades, were astonished at the advancements of the Muslim world and sought to learn and capitalize from it (Madden, 156). The Abassid Empire, the Muslim empire, stored the knowledge of past civilizations and continued to utilize them (Madden, 158). Greek and Roman teachings on mathematics, anatomy, medicine, biology, physics, and more were protected by the Abassid Empire (Madden, 159). These ancient Greek and Roman teachings that disappeared during the Middle Ages were brought back to Europe and inspired a new wave of thought (Weatherford, 116). This newly acquired lost knowledge set up the foundation for the creation and advancement of scientific knowledge, exploration tools, mathematical findings, and so much more. The first mechanical clock, the pendulum, eye glasses, the printing press, flushing toilets, the microscope, the compass, the telescope, lateen sails and even submarines are all inventions of the Renaissance age (Brotton, 120-144). However if it were not for the conquests and expansion of the Mongol empire that began under Genghis Khan, the Renaissance would likely not have manifested as it did (Brotton, 84). It would have likely taken much longer and who knows how different the outcome could have been. At its peak, the Mongol empire controlled most of Russia, China, landlocked Asia, Mesopotamia, and Eastern Europe (Brotton, 39). The trade routes established by the Mongols were unprecedented and vital to the lifeline and future of new developments by our world (Brotton, 55). In short, it picked up where the Crusades left off and brought these ideas and items into motion. Major cities like Baghdad, Hangzhou, and Istanbul, were pillars of advancement and cultural strength. These cities and many more were conquered by the Mongols (Brotton, 39). With their empire eventually extending to as far as Venice, all types of intercultural communication and trade occurred (Brotton, 41). This mixing of cultures led to newfound ideas in many facets of life. All this setting the stage for the Renaissance. The Crusades, the Mongol’s empire and trade routes, and the Renaissance, were a natural progression of events that each led to major societal changes. It’s most appropriate to credit the Crusades for inspiring the initial interests and desires that sparked the Renaissance. However, it was the Mongols that brought the Renaissance to actuality by connecting countries and cultures through conquests like never before. It’s difficult to say which is more responsible, one is ideologically responsible and another is infra-structurally responsible. Both played vital, but different, roles that set the stage for what eventually became the Renaissance. WORKS CITED Brotton, Jerry. The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. 160 Madden, Thomas. The Crusades: The Essential Readings. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell, 2002. Print. 288 Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Crown Publishers, 2004. Print. 317

Cervantes Quotes in Spanish With Translations

Cervantes Quotes in Spanish With Translations Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) is by far the most famous Spanish author, and his international influence on literature rivals that of his British contemporary, William Shakespeare. Here are some of the most well-known sayings and quotes that are attributed to him; note that not all translations are word for word: Cervantes Quotes About Love and Friendship Amor y deseo son dos cosas diferentes; que no todo lo que se ama se desea, ni todo lo que se desea se ama. (Love and desire are two different things; not everything that is loved is desired, and not everything that is desired is loved.) Amistades que son ciertas nadie las puede turbar. (Nobody can disrupt true friendship.) Puede haber amor sin celos, pero no sin temores. (There can be love without jealousy, but not without fear.) Cervantes Quotes About Gratitude La ingratitud es la hija de la soberbia. (Ingratitude is the daughter of pride.) Entre los pecados mayores que los hombres cometen, aunque algunos dicen que es la soberbia, yo digo que es el desagradecimiento, atenià ©ndome a lo que suele decirse: que de los desagradecidos est lleno el infierno. (Of the worst sins that people commit, although some says its pride, I say it is ingratitude. As the saying goes, hell is filled with the ungrateful.) Cervantes Quotes About Living Wisely Una onza de buena fama vale ms que una libra de perlas. (An ounce of good reputation is worth more than a pound of pearls.) El ver mucho y el leer mucho avivan los ingenios de los hombres. (Seeing much and reading much sharpens ones ingenuity.) Lo que poco cuesta aà ºn se estima menos. (What costs little is valued even less.) El hacer bien a villanos es echar agua en la mar. (Doing good for low-lifes is throwing water in the sea.) No hay ningà ºn viaje malo, excepto el que conduce a la horca. (There is no bad trip except for the one that goes to the gallows.) No puede haber gracia donde no hay discrecià ³n. (There cannot be grace where there is no discretion.) La pluma es la lengua de la mente. (The pen is the tongue of the mind.) Quien no madruga con el sol no disfruta de la jornada. (Whoever doesnt rise with the sun wont enjoy the day.) Mientras se gana algo no se pierde nada. (As long as something is earned nothing is lost.) El que no sabe gozar de la ventura cuando le viene, no debe quejarse si se pasa. (He who doesnt know how to enjoy good fortune when it comes to him shouldnt complain when it passes him by.) Cervantes Quotes About Beauty Hay dos maneras de hermosura: una del alma y otra del cuerpo; la del alma campea y se muestra en el entendimiento, en la honestidad, en el buen proceder, en la liberalidad y en la buena crianza, y todas estas partes caben y pueden estar en un hombre feo; y cuando se pone la mira en esta hermosura, y no en la del cuerpo, suele nacer el amor con à ­mpetu y con ventajas. (There are two kinds of beauty: one of the soul and the other of the body; that of the soul shows and demonstrates itself in understanding, in honesty, in good behavior, in generosity and in good breeding, and all these things can find room and exist in an ugly man; and when one looks at this type of beauty, and not bodily beauty, love is inclined to spring up forcefully and overpoweringly.) Bien veo que no soy hermoso, pero tambià ©n conozco que no soy disforme. (I see that Im not handsome, but I also know that Im not hideous.) Cervantes Quotes About Memory  ¡Oh, memoria, enemiga mortal de mi descanso! (Oh, memory, deadly enemy of my rest!) No hay recuerdo que el tiempo no borre ni pena que la muerte no acabe. (There is no memory that time doesnt erase nor any sorrow that death doesnt extinguish.) Cervantes Quotes About Foolishness Ms vale una palabra a tiempo que cien a destiempo. (One word at the right time is more valuable that 100 words at the wrong time.) El ms tonto sabe ms en su casa que el sabio en la ajena. (The most foolish person knows more in his home than the wise person knows in someone elses.) Cervantes Quotes Everyone Has Heard Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre. (When one door is closed, another is opened.) Dijo la sartà ©n a la caldera, quà ­tate all ojinegra. (The frying pan said to the cauldron, Get out of here, black-eyed one. This is believed to be the source of the phrase the pot calling the kettle black.)

Philip Kotler's experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Philip Kotler's experience - Essay Example Depending on the market and product characteristics, the competition takes place at one of the product levels. Six levels of product hierarchy with relation to certain other products are described and few possible classifications of the products listed. A notion of product mix, or assortment, is introduced and defined as a combination of all the products offered by a particular market player to its customers. It is characterized by the width, length, and consistency. Product line decisions are important for the product strategy and should be based on product-line and market analysis, considering optimal product-line length and issues of modernization, featuring and pruning. The second part of the chapter is devoted to the brand and brand decisions. Brand is a complex symbol; it identifies certain products and distinguishes them from the competition in the mind of the customer and in the marketplace. Building brand identity is extremely important as it allows the company to increase the differentiation of its products and receive price premiums. Building brand identity requires decisions on the brand's name, logo, colors, tagline, and symbol. Brand strategy decision includes choice between functional, image and experiential brand, and brand development and repositioning. Packaging and labeling are also important parts of the overall product strategy. This chapter is devoted to the marketing and management of services. ... Services can be classified as equipment-based or people-based; requiring client's presence or not; targeting personal or business need; based on the type of the service provider. Four main characteristics of the services are intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability. They influence significantly the development and implementation of the marketing strategies for the service firms and pose certain challenges. Marketing strategy elements for the services, besides traditional four Ps, include also people, physical evidence and process. Three main tasks the marketing of services should fulfill are differentiation of the offer from the competition, effective management of the service quality, and improving the employees' productivity. For goods-producing companies marketing of services is important while they sell not only the physical products but the product support services as well. The company should manage its product's life-cycle cost, and meet or exceed the customers' expectations. The offered services may be of several types: facilitating services (e.g. installation, financing, training), value-augmenting services (e.g. product warranties, trade-in allowances), postsale services (maintenance, repair etc.). The recent trends in the product support service include "service unbundling", accumulation of the maintenance services and outsourcing them to the third parties, increasing role of call centers and customer service representatives, and extended warranties. Chapter 16: Developing price strategies and programs This chapter looks in deep into price element of the marketing mix. It is of high importance

Swans Reflecting Elephants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Swans Reflecting Elephants - Essay Example Swans Reflecting Elephants is similar to a brain teaser, or an optical illusion, which is what Dali was aiming at when he painted this piece. At first glance, the painting seems to consist of three swans sitting on a lake. They are surrounded by leafless trees, suggesting that the painting takes place in autumn, and some cliffs, and a few stray clouds drift across the sky. Despite the washed-out appearance of the colors, it is a very serene image. However, the closer that one looks at the painting, the more of the subject matter that they can make out. While the image is clearly that of swans sitting on a lake, a second, more closer examination of the piece reveals that the swans and the trees behind them reflect elephants on the lake. The bare trees become the legs of the elephants and the swans become their trunks and bodies. The perfect placement of the trees and swans allow for this double image, essentially offering two paintings, or two stories, in one. In his Swans Reflecting Elephants, Salvador Dali wanted to show that life is not always what it seems at first glance. His use of the double image, with the swans fading so seamlessly into elephants, reveals that our perception can pick up on aspects or features of life that are not immediately recognizable. This is similar to finding constellations among a smattering of stars, or picking out images or designs in the stucco of walls. Our eyes are capable of finding more than just the original image. Furthermore, Dali gives evidence.