Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance Essay

Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance - Essay Example OCB incorporates behaviours, like volunteering to help each others at the workplace, speaking in the most favourable manner of one’s business organisation and also to the supervisor. These aspects are effective in terms of making different useful suggestions for initiating improvements at the workplace, by voluntarily putting in additional hours to meet up tight deadlines as well as sacrificing self-interests for the betterment of the entire group or the organisation. In overall terms, OCB improves the economic, social as well as psychological setting in the place of work in a way where it supports different task expertise and also can increase the group presentation (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.539). Job satisfaction and employee performance: Creation of significant level of job satisfaction and the corresponding effects on the performance of the employees of business organisations across the globe are regarded as one of the most important concepts in modern times (Williams and Anderson, 1991, p.601). There are significant amounts of research which have shown that there is a close association between the employee performance and creation of greater level of job satisfaction at the workplace (Narang and Dwivedi, 2010, p.1). The meta-analysis based on these researches has revealed the fact that there are close association between the dispositional, attitudinal and relational aspects which are again correlated with the notion of OCB. These relations are known as trait conscientiousness (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.540).... This notion is also known as the leader-member-exchange and by the job satisfaction as well. The meta-analytic research has identified the fact that job satisfaction is regarded as among the most important and the strongest correlates in respect to greater level of performance presented by the employees. In this context, the notion of trait conscientiousness is regarded as the second most important and strongest correlate of greatest level of job satisfaction. These greatest levels of job satisfaction are considered most important among â€Å"the big five personality traits, second only to neuroticism† (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.540). Empirical studies: A meta-analysis in respect to close association between creation of greater level of job satisfaction and employee performance has been conducted by Michelle T Iaffaldano, Paul M Muchinsky (1985). This research has shown that out of 74 empirical studies regarding job satisfaction and effective job performance, it has been f ound that the greater the job satisfaction among the employees, the larger will be the level of performance by the employees in any organisation (Iaffaldano and Muchinsky, 1985, p.251). Aggregated studies had been comprised of a size of the sample as 12,192 and 217 satisfaction performances have been found to be correlated. Findings of this research have also shown that, the most efficient predictor of the (measured) true population parameter, the correlation between the degree of job satisfaction and the degree of employee performance has been relatively low (0.17) (Iaffaldano and Muchinsky, 1985, p.251). This research has shown that much of this variability in the result has been obtained in the previous research conducted by the same researchers. This has been due to fact

Contemporary Design trend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contemporary Design trend - Essay Example This building is part of a 2km development initiative of the Dubai central business district (Galindo, 23). It is always referred to as the Downtown Dubai, and it is found along the Sheikh Zayed Road. The architectural drawings and designs of this building were performed by Adrian Smith, as the lead architect, Bill Baker as the lead structural engineer, Skidmore, and Owings and Merrill. The main contractor of this building was Samsung Company, through its department of construction and technology. Samsung is a South Korean company that has interests in the construction and the electronics industry. The design of Burj Khalifa was meant to be a centerpiece for a variety of uses, which includes residential homes, offices, hospitals, shopping malls. Its design was able to carter for an approximate number of 30,000 homes, and nine international hotel chains. This building has an approximate number of 7.4 acres of parkland lands, and 19 residential towers. It has a very big mall that carte r for the shopping needs of its residents, and 30 acres of manmade lake. This lake is referred to as the Burji Khalifa Lake. Courtesy of this building, it is possible to denote that the honor of having the tallest structure in the globe has returned to the Middle East. ... This in turn will promote tourism and thus the development of the Dubai economy. Currently, the building stands at around 823 meters. However, this is not the original height as per according to the initial designs and architectural drawings. The building was to stand at about 560 meters. However, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill re-designed the building in 2006, at placed it at a height of around 808 meters. Smith, who was the design architect, felt that this height made it impossible for the upper most section of the Burj Khalifa building to elegantly culminate with the rest of the structure. On this basis, he sought permission to increase the structure of this building to 823 meters. However, it is important to denote that these changes in height did not encompass a change in the addition of the buildings floors. On this basis, the intention of Smith was to make the building a little bit slender and thin. It is also important to denote that this building experienced a lot of challenge s, and one of the challenges were delays in its construction and development. For example in 2008, the contractors of this building denoted that its construction was delayed because of the upgraded finishes. On this basis, the building will be completed in the periods of September 2009. According to Emaar properties, part of the owners of the building denoted that the original plan was to install luxurious finishes within the building. This was contained in the 2004 architectural design and drawings of the building. However, in 2008, the designers of the building decided to upgrade these finishes, and that was the reasons for the delay in completion of the project.

IS spring Essay Example for Free

IS spring Essay Economy should serve the individuals by maximizing its wealth and power C. economy should serve the Rich by maximizing its wealth and power D. None of the above 3. Which one of the following was promoted under mercantilism? A. A nation should build strong army and conquer other nations. B. Grant legal monopolies to businesses that produce goods for export C. Establish colonies for raw D. All of the above 4. Which school of thought promoted freedom of press, rule of law, and a free market? A. Marxism B. Classical Mercantilism C. Classical Liberalism 5. Which one of the following theorists was against any protections for landlords and aid, Landlords gain is industrialists loss? A. Adam Smith B. David Ricardo C. Karl Marx D. Herbert Spencer 6. Which system tends to believe in trickle down economy? A. Socialism B. Communism C. Capitalism 7. What was David Ricardos point of view on foreign trade? A. Foreign trade is not good for economy B. Foreign trade is not good for economy, therefore government should ban it C. Foreign trade is good for economy because it lowers the wages of local labor leading to more profit for the industrialists D. Balance between imports and exports is good for economy 8. In our discussion on Marxism, we presented a number of evolutionary stages of society. Which stage was pointed out in our lectures as Natural Socialism? A. Hunting and gathering societies B. Agrarian societies C. Ancient societies Feudal societies D. Who was the rural Proletariat during Feudalism? 9. A. Factory worker B. Feudal lord C. Farmer 10. In old days, shoemakers used to make shoes using simple tools. They sold it and made some profit for themselves. What type of capitalism was it? Cooperative capitalism A. Manufacturing capitalism B. Modern capitalism None of the above In a socialist society, who owns the means of production? 1. A. State B. Individuals C. Communities D. Bourgeoisie 12. Karl Marx lists a number of things under forces of production. Which one of the following is one of them? A. Labor C. Money, machines, and infrastructure 13. The story It was Grandfathers Birthday was used in our class to illustrate? A. Poverty B. Inequality C. Class conflict D. Alienation 14. According to Karl Marx, what is a class conflict? A. Conflict between two countries B. Conflict between two religious groups C. Conflict between Bourgeoisies and Proletariats 15. According to Marxists, which one of the following nations has a real socialism? A. China B. cuba C. North Korea 16. According to Karl Marx, what is the main reason of growth in Capital in a Capitalist society? A. Modern technology B. Optimum use of workers C. Exploitation of workers Modernization Theory 17. Which one of the following societies is relatively an undifferentiated society? A. France B. Chad C. Germany D. Norway Modernization theorys point of view on why Somalia is poor? A. Poverty of Somalia is a product of internal factors B. Poverty of Somalia is a product of external factors C. Poverty of nations is a product of both internal and external factors D. All of the Native Indians lived in a traditional society. According to Lews Model of 19. Modernization, which one of the following would be one of the characteristics of this society? A. Fewer specializations B. Universalism C. High use of money and market D. Complex bureaucracy 20. Social scientists have criticized modernization theory for a number of reasons. Why did they believe that Modernization theory is based on ethnocentrism? A. Western European definition of development was used for modernization B. Christian definition of development was used for modernization C. It completely ignored the role of colonialism in the development of Europe D. None of the above 21. Amish live very traditional life in the USA. You have been asked by the US government to prepare a plan to modernize them. Which one of the following should be the main focus of your plan? A. Make laws to force Amish to change B. Make laws to force Amish children to go to public schools C. Try to change the values, traditions, and culture of Amish D. All of the above 22. According to Modernization Generally speaking, how does it influence migration? A. Industrialization leads to a decline in migration B. Industrialization leads to an increase in migration C. Industrialization does not have any impact on migration D. It varies from country to country 23. Japan, USA, Norway, South Korea, and Netherlands went through the same process of industrialization, urbanization, and modernization. Why are these countries so different from one another? Because of cultural differences Because of religious differences Because of environmental differences All of the above World Systems Perspective 24. Which one of the following theorists said that foundations of dependency were laid down during 19th century Europe? A. Karl Marx B. A. G. Frank C. Adam Smith D. Moore 25. Which one of the following nations is Capital intensive? B. China C. India D. Bangladesh 26. Rwanda is a poor nation. Which one of the following reasons of under- development of Rwanda refers to Chase-Dunn? A. Colonialism B. Wars imposed by core nations C. Local environmental and social reason 27. According to Robert Cox, global financial organizations give out loans to poor countries. What is the real goal of these financial policies? B. Help the elites of those countries C. Help their own nations 28. Which one of the following characteristics refers to periphery nations? A. Urban B. Politically powerful C. Poor economy D. Stable governments 29. You watched a video on Wallenstein. What did he say about the future of Capitalism? A. Greed to accumulate wealth will help Capitalism to survive B. Capitalism will collapse as it is C. Capitalism will be replaced by religious fundamentalism 30. Which one of the following statements on Global economic and political interdependence refers to Chase Dunn? A. It helps poor nations through diffusion of technology B. It helps rich nations because they are able to sell their technologies to poor nations C. It helps both rich and poor countries Assignment 1 Generally speaking, in which continent life expectancy tends to be very high? 31. Africa Europe Latin America D. Asia 32. Which nations tend to have very high infant mortality rates?

The Validity of Cognitive Dissonance Theory Essay examples -- communic

Description of Theory The term dissonance refers to when one cognitive element is inconsistent with another cognitive element according to the lecture notes of Professor Soreno. Cognitive elements can be categorized in four groups called beliefs, attitudes, values, and perceptions of behavior. Beliefs can be defined as a perception that something exists or not. This perception can range from a central or peripheral type of belief. The more central a belief is, the harder it is to change that belief. An attitude describes the positive or negative feelings we have toward people, things, or ideas. Values are beliefs that are so important to a person, that they practically guide a person’s life. There are two types of values, instrumental and terminal. Perceptions of behavior simply refer to the interpretation of actions by another. For example, when someone waves at a person, in America, it is often perceived as a friendly gesture. When two of these cognitive elements are incongruent, it leads to diss onance, which can very in intensity. People often experience dissonance on a daily basis, but because it is so minute, it is not bothersome. The Cognitive Dissonance theory deals with these small occurrences, but for the sake of understanding, extreme examples help to explain the theory in better detail. According to Festinger, all of the cognitive elements held the same value in producing cognitive dissonance, but some scholars have challenged his theory. In the book, The Handbook of Motivation Science, the authors claim that attitude cognitive element holds a heavier value over the other elements by saying it can change the behavior of a person. They quote, â€Å"In experimental tests of the theory, knowledge about recent behavior is usua... ...s communication studies continue, there will be more tests and conclusions on the Cognitive Dissonance theory that will reveal more about human communication. After all, learning how we communicate with each other is how we are able to grow as a society. References Harmon-Jones, E. (2008). Cognitive Dissonance Theory. In J. Shah, W. Gardener, & V. Gardener, Handbook of Motivational Science (pp. 71-83). New York City: The Guilford Press. Helwig-Larson, M., & Collins, B. (1997, April 1). A Social Psychological Perspective on the Role of Knowledge about AIDS in AIDS Prevention. Current Directions in Psychological Science , Vol. 6 (No. 2). Lepper, M. R., & Greene, D. (1975). Turning Play into Work: Effects of Adult Surveillance and Extrinsic Rewards on Children's Intrinsic Motivation. Journal ol Personality and Social Psychology , Vol. 31, 479-486.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 13

He doesn't understand,† Poppy said softly as Jamesunlocked the door to his apartment. â€Å"He just hasn'tgrasped that you're risking your life, too.† The apartment was very bare and utilitarian. Highceilings and spacious rooms announced that it wasexpensive, but there wasn't much furniture. In theliving room there was a low, square couch, a desk with a computer, and a couple of Oriental-lookingpictures on the wall. And books. Cardboard boxes of books stacked in the corners. Poppy turned to face James directly. â€Å"Jamie †¦ Iunderstand.† James smiled at her. He was sweaty and dirty andtired-looking. But his expression said Poppy made it all worthwhile. â€Å"Don't blamePhil,†he said, with a gesture of dismissal. â€Å"He's actually handling things pretty well. I've never broken cover to a human before, but I think most of them would run screaming and never come back. He's trying to cope, at least.† Poppy nodded and dropped the subject. James wastired, which meant they should go to sleep. Shepicked up the duffel bag that Phil had packed withher clothes and headed for the bathroom. She didn't change right away, though. She was toofascinated by her own reflection in the mirror. So this was what a vampire Poppy looked like. She was prettier, she noted with absent satisfaction. The four freckles on her nose were gone. Herskin was creamy-pale, like an advertisement for facecream. Her eyes were green as jewels. Her hair was wind-blown into riotous curls, metallic-copper. I don'tlooklike something that sits on a buttercupanymore, she thought. I look wild and dangerous andexotic. Like a model. Like a rock star. Like James. She leaned forward to examine her teeth, pokingat the canines to make them grow. Then she jerkedback, gasping. Her eyes. She hadn't realized. Oh, God, no wonderPhil had been scared. When she did that, when herteeth extended, her eyes went silvery-green, uncanny. Like the eyes of a hunting cat. All at once she was overcome by terror. She hadto cling to the sink to stay on her feet. I don't want it, I don't wantit†¦. Oh,dealwith it, girl. Stop whining. So what did you expect to look like, Shirley Temple? You're a hunter now. And your eyes go silver and blood tastes like cherry preserves. And that's all there is to it, andthe other choice was resting in peace. Sodeal. Gradually her breathing slowed. In the next few minutes something happened inside her;shediddeal.She found †¦ acceptance. It felt like something giving way in her throat and her stomach. She wasn'tweird and dreamy now, as she'd been when she hadfirst awakened in the cemetery; she could thinkdearly about her situation. And she could accept it. And I did it without running to James, she thought suddenly, startled. I don't need him to comfort meor tell me it's okay. I canmake it okay, myself. Maybe that was what happened when you faced the very worst thing in the world. She'd lost herfamily and her old life and maybe even her childhood, but she'd found herself. And that would have to do. She pulled the white dress over her head andchanged into a T-shirt and sweatpants. Then shewalked out to James, head high. He was in the bedroom, lying on a full-sized bedmade up with light brown sheets. He was still wearing his dirty clothes, and he had one arm crooked over his eyes. When Poppy came in, he stirred. â€Å"I'll go sleep on the couch,† he said. â€Å"No, you won't,† Poppy said firmly. She flopped on the bed beside him. â€Å"You're dead tired. And Iknow I'm safe with you.† James grinned without moving his arm. â€Å"Because I'm dead tired?† â€Å"Because I've always been safe with you.† Sheknew that. Even when she'd been a human and herblood must have tempted him, she'd been safe. She looked at him as he lay there, brown hair ruffled, body lax, Adidas unlaced and caked with soil.She found his elbows endearing. â€Å"Iforgot to mention something before,† she said.†I onlyrealizedI forgot when I was . . .going tosleep. I forgot to mention that I love you.† James sat up. â€Å"You only forgot to say it withwords.† Poppy felt a smile tugging at her lips. That was theamazing thing, the only purely good thing about what had happened to her. She and James had cometogether. Their relationship had changed-but it still had everything she'd valued in their old relationship.The understanding, the camaraderie. Now on top ofthat was the new excitement of discovering each other as more than best friends. And she'd found the part of him that she hadnever been able to reach before. She knew his secrets, knew him inside out. Humans could never know each other that way. They could never really get into another person's head. All the talking in theworld couldn't even prove that you and the otherperson both saw the same color red. And if she and James never merged like two dropsof water again, she would always be able to touchhis mind. A little shy, she leaned against him, resting on hisshoulder. In all the times they'd been dose, they'dnever kissed or been romantic. For now, just sitting here like this was enough, just feeling James breathe and hearing his heart and absorbing his warmth. Andhis arm around her shoulders was almosttoo much, almost too intense to bear, but at the same time it was safe and peaceful. It was like a song, one of those sweet, wrenchingsongs that makes the hair on your arms stand up.That makes you want to throw yourself on the floorand just bawl. Or fall backward and surrender to the music utterly. One ofthosesongs. James cupped her hand, brought it to his lips, andkissed the palm. I told you. You don't love somebody because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them becausethey sing a song that nobody but you can understand. Poppy's heart swelled until it hurt. Aloud she said, â€Å"We always understood the samesong, even when we were little.† â€Å"In the Night World there's this idea called thesoulmate principle. It says that every person has onesoulmate out there, just one. And that person is perfect for you and is your destiny. The problem beingthat almost nobody everfindstheir soulmate, just because of, distance. So most people go through theirwhole lives feeling not complete.† â€Å"I think it's the truth. Ialwaysknew you wereperfect for me.† â€Å"Not always.† â€Å"Oh, yes. Since I was five. I knew.† â€Å"I'd have known you were perfect for me-exceptthat everything I'd been taught said it was hopeless.† He cleared his throat and added, â€Å"That iswhy I wentout With Michaela and those other girls, you know.I didn't care about them. I could get dose to themwithout breaking the law.† â€Å"I know,† Poppy said. â€Å"I mean-I think I alwaysknew it was something like that, underneath.† Sheadded, â€Å"James? What am I now?† Some things shecould tell instinctively; she could feel them in herblood. But she wanted to know more, and she knewJames understood why. This was her life now. She had to learn the rules. â€Å"Well.† He settled against the headboard, head tilted back as she rested under his chin. â€Å"You're pretty much like me. Except for not being able to ageor havefamilies,made vampires are basically like thelamia.†He shifted. â€Å"Let's see. You already knowabout being able to see and hear better than humans.And you're a whiz at reading minds.† â€Å"Not everybody's mind.† â€Å"No vampire can read everybody's mind. Lots oftimes all I get is a sort of general feeling for whatpeople arethinking.The only certain way to make aconnection is to-† James opened his mouth andclicked his teeth. Poppy giggled as the sound traveled through her skull. â€Å"And how often do I haveto-?† She clicked herown teeth. â€Å"Feed.† She felt James getting serious. â€Å"Aboutonce a day on average. Otherwise you'll go into thebloodlust. You can eat human food if you want, but there's no nutrition in it. Blood is everything for us.† â€Å"And the more blood, the more power.† â€Å"Basically, yes.† â€Å"Tell me about power. Can we-well, what canwe do?† â€Å"We have more control over our bodies than humans. We can heal from almost any kind of injuryexcept from wood. Wood can hurt us, even kill us.† He snorted. â€Å"So there's one thing the movies haveright-a wooden stake through the heart will, in fact, kill a vampire. So will burning.† â€Å"Can we change into animals?† â€Å"I've never met any vampire that powerful. Buttheoretically it's possible for us, and shapeshifters andwerewolves do it all the time.† â€Å"Change into mist?† â€Å"I've never even met a shapeshifter who coulddo that.† Poppy thumped the bed with her heel. â€Å"And obviously we don't have to sleep in coffins.† â€Å"No, and we don't need native earth, either. Myself, I prefer a Sealy Posturepedic, but if you'd likesome dirt †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poppy elbowed him. â€Å"Urn, can we cross runningwater?† â€Å"Sure. And we can walk into people's homes with out being invited, and roll in garlic if we don't mindlosing friends. Anything else?† â€Å"Yes. Tell me about the Night World.† It was herhome now. â€Å"Did I tell you about the dubs? We have clubs inevery big city. In a lot of small ones, too.†Ã¢â‚¬ What kind of dubs?† â€Å"Well, some are just dives, and some are like cafes,and some are like nightclubs, and some are likelodges-those are mostly for adults. I know one for kids that's just a big old warehouse with skate rampsbuilt in. You can hang out and skateboard. And there are poetry slams every week at the Black Iris.† Blackiris,Poppy thought. That reminded her of something. Something unpleasant †¦ What she said was, â€Å"That's a funny name.† â€Å"All the dubs are named for flowers. Black flowersare the symbols of the Night People.† He rotated hiswrist to show her his watch. An analog watch, witha black iris in the center of the face. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Yeah. You know, I noticed that black thing, but Inever really looked at it before. I think I assumed itwas Mickey Mouse.† He rapped her lightly on the nose in reproof. â€Å"Thisis serious business, kid. One of these will identify youto other Night People-even if they're as stupid as a werewolf.'I :You don't like werewolves?† â€Å"They're great if you like double-digit IQs.† â€Å"But you let them in the dubs.† â€Å"Some dubs. Night People may not marry out oftheir own kind, but they all mix:lamia,made vam pires, werewolves, both kinds of witches †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Poppy, who had been playing at intertwining theirfingers in different ways, shifted curiously. â€Å"What'sboth kinds of witches?† â€Å"Oh. . .there's the kind that know about theirheritage and have been trained, and the kind that don't. That second kind are what humans call psychics. Sometimes they just have latent powers, andsome of them aren't even psychic enough to findtheNight World, so they don't get in.† Poppy nodded. â€Å"Okay. Got it. But what if a human walks into one of those dubs?† â€Å"Nobody would let them. The dubs aren't whatyou'dcallconspicuous, and they're always guarded.† â€Å"But if they did†¦Ã¢â‚¬  James shrugged. His voice was suddenly bleak. â€Å"They'd be killed. Unless somebody wanted to pickthem up as a toy or pawn. That means a humanwho's basically brainwashed-who lives with vampires but doesn't know it because of the mind control.Sort of like a sleepwalker. I had a nanny once†¦Ã¢â‚¬ His voice trailed off, and Poppy could feel his distress. â€Å"You can tell me about it later.† She didn't wanthim ever to be hurt again. â€Å"M'm.†He sounded sleepy. Poppy settled herselfmore comfortably against him. It was amazing, considering her last experiencegoing to sleep, that she could even shut her eyes. But she could. She was with her soulmate, so whatcould go wrong? Nothing could hurt her here. Phil was having trouble shutting his eyes. Every time he did, he saw Poppy. Poppy asleep inthe casket, Poppy watching him with a hungry cat'sgaze. Poppy lifting her head from that guy's throat toshow a mouth stained as if she'd been eating berries. She wasn't human anymore. And just because he'd known all along that shewouldn't be didn't make it any easier to accept. He couldn't-he couldn't–condonejumping on people and tearing up their throats for dinner. Andhe wasn't sure that it was any better to charm people and bite them and then hypnotize them to forget it. The whole system was scary on some deeplevel. Maybe James had been righthumans justcouldn't deal with the idea that there was somebodyhigher on the food chain. They'd lost touch with their caveman ancestors, who knew what it was liketo be hunted. They thought all that primal stuff wasbehind them. Could Phillip tell them a thing or two. The bottom line was that he couldn't accept, andPoppy couldn't change. And the only thing that madeit bearable was that somehow he loved her anyway. Poppy woke in thedim, curtained bedroom the next day to find the other half of the bed empty. Shewasn't alarmed, though. Instinctively she reached out with her mind, and . . . there. James was in the kitchenette. She felt†¦ energetic. Like a puppy straining to belet loose in a field. But as soon as she walked intotheliving room, she felt that her powers were weaker. And her eyes hurt. She squinted toward the painful brightness of a window. â€Å"It's the sun,† James said. â€Å"Inhibits all vampirepowers, remember?† He went over to the windowand dosed the curtains-they were the blackout type, like the ones in the bedroom. The midafternoon sunshine was cut off. â€Å"That should help a little-butyou'd better stay inside today until it gets dark. Newvampires are more sensitive.† Poppy caught something behind his words. â€Å"You'regoing out?† â€Å"I have to.† He grimaced. â€Å"There's something I forgot my cousin Ash is supposed to show up thisweek. I've got to get my parents to head him off.† â€Å"I didn't know you had a cousin.† He winced again. â€Å"I've got lots, actually. They'reback East in a safe town-a whole town that's controlled by the Night World. Most of them are okay, but not Ash.† â€Å"What's wrong with him?† â€Å"He's crazy. Also cold-blooded, ruthless-â€Å" â€Å"You sound like Phil describing you.† â€Å"No, Ash is the real thing. The ultimate vampire.He doesn't care about anybody but himself, and heloves to make trouble.† Poppy was prepared to love all James's cousins forhis sake, but shad to agree that Ash soundeddangerous. â€Å"I wouldn't trust anyone to know about you justnow,† James said, â€Å"and Ash is out of the question. I'm going to tell my parents he can't come here,that's all.† And then what do we do? Poppy thought. She couldn't stay hidden forever. She belonged to theNight World-but the Night World wouldn't accepther. There had to be some solution-and she could onlyhope that she and James would find it. â€Å"Don't be gone too long,† she said, and he kissedher on the forehead, which was nice. As if it wasgetting to be a habit. When he was gone, she took a shower and puton dean clothes. Good old Phil-he'd slipped in herfavorite jeans. Then she made herself putter aroundthe apartment, because she didn't want to sit and think.Nobody should have to think on the day after their own funeral. The phone sat beside the square couch and mockedher. She found herself resisting the impulse to pickit up so often that her arm ached. But who could she call? Nobody. Not even Phil,because what if somebody overheard him? What ifher mother answered? No, no, don't think about Mom, you idiot. But it was too late. She was overwhelmed suddenly, by a desperate need to hear her mother's voice.Just to hear a â€Å"hello.† She knew she couldn't sayanything herself. She just needed to establish that her mom still existed. She punched the phone number in without givingherself time to think. She counted rings. One, two,three †¦ â€Å"Hello?† It was her mother's voice. And it was already over,and it wasn't enough. Poppy sat trying to breathe, with tears running down her face. She hung there,wringing the phone cord, listening to the faint buzz on the other end. Like a prisoner in court waiting to hear her sentence. â€Å"Hello? Hello.† Her mother's voice was flat andtired. Not acerbic. Prank phone calls were no big dealwhen you'd just lost your daughter. Then a click signaled disconnection. Poppy clutched the earpiece to her chest and cried, rocking slightly. At last she put it back on the cradle. Well, she wouldn't do that again. It was worse thannot being able to hear her mother at all. And it didn't help her with reality, either. It gave her a dizzy Twilight Zone feeling to think that her mom was athome, and everybody was at home, and Poppy wasn't there.Life was going on in that house, but she wasn'tpart of it anymore. She couldn't just walk in, any more than she could walk into some strange family's house. You're really a glutton for punishment, aren't you? Why don't you stop thinking about this and dosomething distracting? She was snooping through James's file cabinetwhen the apartment door opened. Because she heard the metallic jingle of a key, sheassumed it was James. But then, even before sheturned, she knew it wasn't James. It wasn't James's mind. She turned and saw a boy with ash blond hair. He was very good looking, built about like James,but a little taller, and maybe a year older. His hairwas longish. His face had a nice shape, clean-cut fea tures, and wicked slightly tilted eyes. But that wasn't why she was staring at him. He gave her a flashing smile. â€Å"I'm Ash,† he said.†Hi.† Poppy was still staring. â€Å"You were in my dream,† she said.. â€Å"You said, ‘Bad magic happens.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"So you're a psychic?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Your dreams come true?† â€Å"Not usually.† Poppy suddenly got hold of herself.†Listen, um, I don't know how you got in-â€Å" He jingled a key ring at her. â€Å"Aunt Maddy gaveme these. James told you to keep me out, I bet.† Poppy decided that the best defense was a goodoffense. â€Å"Now, why would he tell me that?† she said,and folded her arms over her chest. He gave her a wicked, laughing glance. His eyeslooked hazel inthislight, almost golden. â€Å"I'm bad,†he said simply. Poppy tried to plaster a look of righteous disapproval-like Phil's-on her face. It didn't work verywell. â€Å"Does James know you're here? Where is he?† â€Å"I have no idea. Aunt Maddy gave me the keysat lunch, and then she went out on some interiordecorating job. What did you dream about?† poppy just shook her head. She was trying tothink.presumably, James was wandering around in search ofhis mother right now. Once he found her he'd findout that Ash was over here, and then he'd come backfast.Which meant †¦well,Poppy supposed it meantshe should keep Ash occupied until James arrived. But how? She'd never really practiced being winsome and adorable with guys. And she was worriedabout talking too much. She might give herself awayas a new vampire. Oh, well. When in doubt, shut your eyes and jump right in. â€Å"Know any good werewolf jokes?† she said. He laughed. He had a nice laugh, and his eyes weren't hazel after all. They were gray, like James's. â€Å"You haven't told me your name yet, little dreamer,† he said. â€Å"Poppy,† Poppy said and immediately wished shehadn't. What if Mrs. Rasmussen had mentioned thatone of James's little friends called Poppy had justdied? To conceal her nervousness, she got up to dose the door. â€Å"Good lamianame,† he said. â€Å"I don't like thisyuppy thing of taking on human names, do you? I've got three sisters, and they all have regular oldfashioned names. Rowan, Kestrel, Jade. My dad would burst a blood vessel if one of them suddenlywanted to call herself ‘Susan.' â€Å" â€Å"Or ‘Maddy?' â€Å"Poppy asked, intrigued despiteherself. â€Å"Huh? It's short for Madder.† Poppy wasn't sure what madder was. A plant,she thought. â€Å"Of course I'm not saying anything against James,†Ash said, and it was perfectly dear from his voicethat he wassaying something against James. â€Å"Things are different for you guys in California. You have to mix more with humans; you have to be more careful.So ifnamingyourself after vermin makes it easier †¦ â€Å"He shrugged. â€Å"Oh, yeah, they're vermin all right,† Poppy said atrandom. She was thinking, he's playing with me. Isn't he playing with me? She had the sinking feeling that he knew everything. Agitation made her need to move. She headedfor James's stereo center. â€Å"So you like any vermin music?† she said.†Techno? Acid jazz? Trip-hop? Jungle?† She waveda vinyl record at him. â€Å"This is some serious jump-up jungle.† He blinked. â€Å"Oh, and this is great industrialnoise. And this is a real good acid house stomperwith a sort of madcore edge to it†¦.† She had him on the defensive now. Nobody couldstop Poppy when she got going like this. She widenedher eyes at him and blathered on, looking as fey asshe knew how. â€Å"And I say freestyle's coming back.Completely underground, so far, but on the rise.Now, Euro-dance,on the other hand †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ash was sitting on the square couch, long legsstretched out in front of him. His eyes were deepblue and slightly glazed. â€Å"Sweetheart,† he said finally, â€Å"I hate to interrupt.But you and I need to talk.† Poppy was too clever to ask him what about.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦these sort of eternal void keys and troll groaningsounds that make you want to ask, ‘Is anybody outthere?' â€Å"shefinishedand then she had to breathe.Ash jumped in. â€Å"We reallyhave to talk,† he said. â€Å"Before Jamesgets back.† There was no way to evade him now. Poppy'smouth was dry. He leaned forward, his eyes a dear blue-green like tropical waters. And, yes, they really dochange color, Poppy thought. â€Å"It's not your fault,† he said. â€Å"What?† It's not yourfault. That you can't shield your mind. You'll learn how to do it, he said, andPoppy only realized halfway through that he wasn't saying it out loud. Oh. . . spit. She should have thought of that.Should have been concentrating on veiling her thoughts.She tried to do it now. â€Å"Listen, don't bother. I know that you're notlamia. You're made, and you're illegal. James hasbeen a bad boy.† Since there was no point in denying it, Poppy liftedher chin and narrowed her eyes at him. â€Å"So youknow. So what are you going to do about it?† â€Å"That depends.† â€Å"On what?† He smiled. â€Å"On you.†

Jazz Singer Movie - The First Talkie

When The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson,  was released as a feature-length movie on October 6, 1927, it was the first movie that included dialogue and music on the filmstrip itself. Adding Sounds to Film Before The Jazz Singer, there were silent films. Despite their name, these films were not silent for they were accompanied by music. Often, these films were accompanied by a live orchestra in the theater and from as early as 1900, films were often synchronized with musical scores that were played on amplified record players. The technology advanced in the 1920s when Bell Laboratories developed a way to allow an audio track to be placed on the film itself. This technology, called Vitaphone, was first used as a musical track in a film titled Don Juan in 1926. Although Don Juan had music and sound effects, there were no spoken words in the film. Actors Talking on Film When Sam Warner of the Warner Brothers planned The Jazz Singer, he anticipated that the film would use silent periods to tell the story and the Vitaphone technology would be used for the singing of music, just as the new technology had been used in Don Juan. However, during the filming of The Jazz Singer, superstar of the time Al Jolson ad-libbed dialogue in two different scenes and Warner liked the end result. Thus, when The Jazz Singer was released on October 6, 1927,  it became the first feature-length film (89 minutes long) to include dialogue on the filmstrip itself. The Jazz Singer made way for the future of talkies, which is what movies with audio soundtracks were called. So What Did Al Jolson Actually Say? The first words Jolson recites are: â€Å"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!† Jolson spoke 60 words in one scene and 294 words in another The rest of the film is silent, with words written on black, title cards just like in silent movies. The only sound (besides the few words by Jolson) are the songs. The Storyline of the Jazz Singer The Jazz Singer is a movie about Jakie Rabinowitz, the son of a Jewish cantor who wants to be a jazz singer but is pressured by his father to use his God-given voice to sing as a cantor. With five generations of Rabinowitz men as cantors, Jakies father (played by Warner Oland) is adamant that Jakie has no choice in the matter. Jakie, however, has other plans. After being caught singing raggy time songs at a beer garden, Cantor Rabinowitz gives Jakie a belt whipping. Thats the last straw for Jakie; he runs away from home. After setting off on his own, adult Jakie (played by Al Jolson) works hard to become a success in the field of jazz. He meets a girl, Mary Dale (played by May McAvoy), and she helps him improve his act. As Jakie, now known as Jack Robin, becomes increasingly successful, he continues to crave the support and love of his family. His mother (played by Eugenie Besserer) supports him, but his father is disgusted that his son wants to be a jazz singer. The climax of the movie revolves around a dilemma. Jakie must choose between starring in a Broadway show or returning to his deathly ill father and singing Kol Nidre at the synagogue. Both occur on the very same night. As Jakie says in the film (on a title card), Its a choice between giving up the biggest chance of my life -- and breaking my mothers heart. This dilemma resonated with audiences for the 1920s were full of such decisions. With the older generation holding tight to tradition, the newer generation was rebelling, becoming flappers, listening to jazz, and dancing the Charleston. Ultimately, Jakie couldnt break his mothers heart and so he sang Kol Nidre that night. The Broadway show was canceled. There is a happy ending though -- we see Jakie starring in his own show just a few months later. Al Jolsons Blackface   In the first of two scenes where Jakie is struggling with his choice, we see Al Jolson applying black makeup all over his face (except for near his lips) and then covering his hair with a wig. Although unacceptable today, the concept of blackface was popular at the time. The movie ends with Jolson again in blackface, singing My Mammy.

Golf Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 344 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/09/19 Category Sports Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Tags: Adidas Essay Nike Essay Did you like this example? 1. The defining characteristics of the golf equipment industry are innovative technology and name brand recognition, and product performance. Golf companies essentially sell the same products, so they must differentiate their products through technological advances. Fortunately for golf companies, the sport attracts mainly upper-class individuals so the companies can focus on quality with the assurance of high-end sales. This industry is very competitive due to the regulations placed upon it and the diminishing growth in the number of players in the recent years. The technology and research that these companies have done is so advanced that the USGA feels the need to place regulations upon the professional players to that the game is fair all around. The industry can be separated into two parts; golf, things such as green fees and memberships, and sporting goods, things such as clubs, balls, bags, shoes and gloves. Golf companies usually gain brand recognition by hiring pr ofessional golfers to promote their products because this can be one of the most effective forms of advertising for a company. Companies are also focusing on creating new products for recreational players. 2. Competition is fierce in the golf industry, especially since growth is slowing. Major players in the industry include strictly golf-focused companies such as Callaway and TaylorMade, and Titleist. Companies such as Nike and Addidas also hold a large market share of the golf industry. Golf club manufactures rely heavily on endorsements from touring professionals, and competition to sign these big name players is also fierce. Companies now also have to compete against counterfeit good that are sold in countries around the world. Counterfeit clubs are considered a threat to the industry since good counterfeits are nearly exact copies of legitimate products that are sold at much lower prices. 3. The golf equipment industry has been changing drastically in the past decade due to new technological advances and regulations put in place by the USGA. The industry also has to keep up with market conditions and must face the fact that not as many people are golfing as much as they used to. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Golf Industry" essay for you Create order