Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 9

Part II Change Jesus was a good guy, he didn't need this shit. JOHN PRINE Chapter 9 I should have had a plan before I tried to escape from the hotel room, I see that now. At the time, dashing out the door and into the arms of sweet freedom seemed like plan enough. I got as far as the lobby. It is a fine lobby, as grand as any palace, but in the way of freedom, I need more. I noticed before Raziel dragged me back into the elevator, nearly dislocating my shoulder in the process, that there were an inordinate number of old people in the lobby. In fact, compared to my time, there are inordinate numbers of old people everywhere – well, not on TV, but everywhere else. Have you people forgotten how to die? Or have you used up all of the young people on television so there's nothing left but gray hair and wrinkled flesh? In my time, if you had seen forty summers it was time to start thinking about moving on, making room for the youngsters. If you lasted to fifty the mourners would give you dirty looks when they passed, as if you were purposely trying to put them out of business. The Torah says that Moses lived to be 120 years old. I'm guessing that the children of Israel were following him just to see when he would drop. There was probably betting. If I do manage to escape the angel, I'm not going to be able to make my living as a professional mourner, not if you people don't have the courtesy to die. Just as well, I suppose, I'd have to learn all new dirges. I've tried to get the angel to watch MTV so I can learn the vocabulary of your music, but even with the gift of tongues, I'm having trouble learning to speak hip-hop. Why is it that one can busta rhyme or busta move anywhere but you must busta cap in someone's ass? Is â€Å"ho† always feminine, and â€Å"muthafucka† always masculine, while â€Å"bitch† can be either? How many peeps in a posse, how much booty before baby got back, do you have to be all that to get all up in that, and do I need to be dope and phat to be da bomb or can I just be â€Å"stupid†? I'll not be singing over any dead mothers until I understand. The journey. The quest. The search for the Magi. We traveled first to the coast. Neither Joshua nor I had ever seen the sea before, so as we topped a hill near the city of Ptolomais, and the endless aquamarine of the Mediterranean stretched before us, Joshua fell to his knees and gave thanks to his father. â€Å"You can almost see the edge of the world,† Joshua said. I squinted into the dazzling sun, really looking for the edge of the world. â€Å"It looks sort of curved,† I said. â€Å"What?† Joshua scanned the horizon, but evidently he didn't see the curve. â€Å"The edge of the world looks curved. I think it's round.† â€Å"What's round?† â€Å"The world. I think it's round.† â€Å"Of course it's round, like a plate. If you go to the edge you fall off. Every sailor knows that,† Joshua said with great authority. â€Å"Not round like a plate, round like a ball.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† Joshua said. â€Å"If the world was round like a ball then we would slide off of it.† â€Å"Not if it's sticky,† I said. Joshua lifted his foot and looked at the bottom of his sandal, then at me, then at the ground. â€Å"Sticky?† I looked at the bottom of my own shoe, hoping to perhaps see strands of stickiness there, like melted cheese tethering me to the ground. When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument. â€Å"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean the world is not sticky.† Joshua rolled his eyes. â€Å"Let's go swimming.† He took off down the hill. â€Å"What about the God?† I asked. â€Å"You can't see him.† Joshua stopped halfway down the hill and held his arms out to the shining, aquamarine sea. â€Å"You can't?† â€Å"That's a crappy argument, Josh.† I followed him down the hill, shouting as I went. â€Å"If you're not going to try, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. So, what if stickiness is like God? You know, how He abandons our people and leads them into slavery whenever we stop believing in Him. Stickiness could be like that. You could float off into the sky any time now because you don't believe in stickiness.† â€Å"It's good that you have something to believe in, Biff. I'm going in the water.† He ran down the beach, shedding his clothes as he went, then dove into the surf, naked. Later, after we'd both swallowed enough salt water to make us sick, we headed up the coast to the city of Ptolemais. â€Å"I didn't think it would be so salty,† Joshua said. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"you'd never know it by looking at it.† â€Å"Are you still angry about your round-earth-stickiness theory?† â€Å"I don't expect you to understand,† I said, sounding very mature, I thought. â€Å"You being a virgin and all.† Joshua stopped and grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to wheel around and face him. â€Å"The night you spent with Maggie I spent praying to my father to take away the thoughts of you two. He didn't answer me. It was like trying to sleep on a bed of thorns. Since we left I was beginning to forget, or at least leave it behind, but you keep throwing it in my face.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I forgot how sensitive you virgins can be.† Then, once again, and not for the last time, the Prince of Peace coldcocked me. A bony, stonecutter's fist just over my right eye. He hit harder than I remembered. I remember white seabirds in the sky above me, and just a wisp of clouds across the sky. I remember the frothy surf sloshing over my face, leaving sand in my ears. I remember thinking that I should get up and smite Josh upside the head. I remember thinking then that if I got up, Josh might hit me again, so I lay there for a moment, just thinking. â€Å"So, what do you want?† I said, finally, from my wet and sandy supinity. He stood over me with his fists balled. â€Å"If you're going to keep bringing it up, you have to tell me the details.† â€Å"I can do that.† â€Å"And don't leave anything out.† â€Å"Nothing?† â€Å"I've got to know if I'm going to understand sin.† â€Å"Okay, can I get up? My ears are filling with sand.† He helped me to my feet and as we entered the seaside city of Ptolomais, I taught Josh about sex. Down narrow stone streets between high stone walls. â€Å"Well, most of what we learned from the rabbis was not exactly accurate.† Past men sitting outside their houses, mending their nets. Children selling cups of pomegranate juice, women hanging strings of fish from window to window to dry. â€Å"For instance, you know that part right after Lot's wife gets turned to stone and then his daughters get drunk and fornicate with him?† â€Å"Right, after Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.† â€Å"Well, that's not as bad as it sounds,† I said. We passed Phoenician women who sang as they pounded dried fish into meal. We passed evaporation pools where children scraped the encrusted salt from the rocks and put it into bags. â€Å"But fornication is a sin, and fornication with your daughters, well, that's a, I don't know, that's a double-dog sin.† â€Å"Yeah, but if you put that aside for a second, and you just focus on the two young girls aspect of it, it's not nearly as bad as it sounds initially.† â€Å"Oh.† We passed merchants selling fruit and bread and oil, spices and incense, calling out claims of quality and magic in their wares. There was a lot of magic for sale in those days. â€Å"And the Song of Solomon, that's a lot closer, and you can sort of understand Solomon having a thousand wives. In fact, with you being the Son of God and all, I don't think you'd have any problem getting that many girls. I mean, after you figure out what you're doing.† â€Å"And a lot of girls is a good thing?† â€Å"You're a ninny, aren't you?† â€Å"I thought you'd be more specific. What does Maggie have to do with Lot and Solomon?† â€Å"I can't tell you about me and Maggie, Josh. I just can't.† We were passing a lick of prostitutes gathered outside the door of an inn. Their faces were painted, their skirts slit up the side to show their legs glistening with oil, and they called to us in foreign languages and made tiny dances with their hands as we passed. â€Å"What the hell are they saying?† I asked Joshua. He was better with languages. I think they were speaking Greek. â€Å"They said something about how they like Hebrew boys because we can feel a woman's tongue better without our foreskins.† He looked at me as if I might confirm or deny this. â€Å"How much money do we have?† I asked. The inn rented rooms, stalls, and space under the eave to sleep. We rented two adjacent stalls, which was a bit of a luxury for us, but an important one for Joshua's education. After all, weren't we on this journey so he could learn to take his rightful place as the Messiah? â€Å"I'm not sure if I should watch,† Joshua said. â€Å"Remember David was running over the roofs and happened onto Bathsheba in her bath. That set a whole chain of sin in motion.† â€Å"But listening won't be a problem.† â€Å"I don't think it's the same thing.† â€Å"Are you sure that you don't want to try this yourself, Josh? I mean, the angel was never clear about your being with a woman.† To be honest, I was a little frightened myself. My experience with Maggie hardly qualified me to be with a harlot. â€Å"No, you go ahead. Just describe what's happening and what you're feeling. I have to understand sin.† â€Å"Okay, if you insist.† â€Å"Thank you for doing this for me, Biff.† â€Å"Not just for you, Josh, for our people.† So that's how we ended up with the two stalls. Josh would be in one while I, along with the harlot of my choice, instructed him from the other in the fine art of fornication. Back out at the front of the inn I shopped for my teaching assistant. It was an eight-harlot inn, if that's how you measure an inn. (I understand that now they measure inns in stars. We are in a four-star inn right now. I don't know what the conversion from harlots to stars is.) Anyway, there were eight harlots outside the inn that day. They ranged in age from only a few years older than us to older than our mothers. And they ran the gamut of shapes and sizes, having in common only that they were all highly painted and well oiled. â€Å"They're all so†¦so nasty-looking.† â€Å"They're harlots, Biff. They're supposed to be nasty-looking. Pick one.† â€Å"Let's go look at some different harlots.† We had been standing a few doors down from the harlots, but they knew we were watching. I walked over and stopped close to a particularly tall harlot and said, â€Å"Excuse me, do you know where we might find a different selection of harlots? No offense, it's just that my friend and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And she pulled open her blouse, exposing full breasts that were glistening with oil and flecks of mica, and she threw her skirt aside and stepped up so a long leg slid behind me and I could feel the rough hair between her legs grinding against my hip and her rouged nipples brushed my cheek and in that instant profound wood did from my person protrude. â€Å"This one will be fine, Josh.† The other harlots let loose with an exaltation of ululation as we led my harlot away. (You know ululation as the sound an ambulance makes. That I get an erection every time one passes the hotel would seem morbid if you didn't know this story of how Biff Hires a Harlot.) The harlot's name was Set. She was a head and a half taller than me, with skin the color of a ripe date, wide brown eyes flecked with gold, and hair so black that it reflected blue in the dim light of the stable. She was the perfect harlot design, wide where a harlot should be wide, narrow where a harlot should be narrow, delicate of ankle and neck, sturdy of conscience, intrepid and single-minded of goal once she was paid. She was an Egyptian, but she had learned Greek and a little Latin to help lubricate the discourse of her trade. Our situation required more creativity than she seemed accustomed to, but after a heavy sigh she mumbled something about â€Å"if you fuck a Hebrew, make room in the bed for his guilt,â €  then pulled me into my stall and closed the gate. (Yes, the stalls were used for animals. There was a donkey in the stall opposite Josh's.) â€Å"So what's she doing?† Josh asked. â€Å"She's taking off my clothes.† â€Å"What now.† â€Å"She's taking off her clothes. Oh jeez. Ouch.† â€Å"What? Are you fornicating?† â€Å"No. She's rubbing her whole body over mine, sort of lightly. When I try to move she smacks me in the face.† â€Å"How does it feel?† â€Å"How do you think? It feels like someone smacking you, you twit.† â€Å"I mean how does her body feel? Do you feel sinful? Is it like Satan rubbing against you? Does it burn like fire?† â€Å"Yeah, you got it. That pretty much has it.† â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"Oh wow.† Then Josh said something in Greek that I didn't catch all of and the harlot answered, sort of. â€Å"What did she say?† Josh asked. â€Å"I don't know, you know my Greek is bad.† â€Å"Mine isn't, I couldn't understand what she said.† â€Å"Her mouth is full.† Set raised up. â€Å"Not full,† she said in Greek. â€Å"Hey, I understood that!† â€Å"She has you in her mouth?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"That's heinous.† â€Å"It doesn't feel heinous.† â€Å"It doesn't?† â€Å"No, Josh, I gotta tell you, this really is – oh my God!† â€Å"What? What's happening?† â€Å"She's getting dressed.† â€Å"Are you done sinning? That's it?† The harlot said something in Greek that I didn't understand. â€Å"What did she say?† I asked. â€Å"She said that for the amount of money we gave her, you're finished.† â€Å"Do you think you understand fornication now?† â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"Well then, give her some more money, Joshua. We're going to stay here until you learn what you need to know.† â€Å"You're a good friend to suffer this for me.† â€Å"Don't mention it.† â€Å"No, really,† Joshua said. â€Å"Greater love hath no man, than he lay down for his friend.† â€Å"That's a good one, Josh. You should remember that one for later.† The harlot then spoke at length. â€Å"You want to know what this is like for me, kid? This is like a job. Which means that if you want it done, you need to pay for it. That's what it's like.† (Joshua would translate for me later.) â€Å"What'd she say?† I asked. â€Å"She wants the wages of sin.† â€Å"Which are?† â€Å"In this case, three shekels.† â€Å"That's a bargain. Pay her.† Much as I tried – and I did try – I didn't seem able to convey to Joshua what it was he wanted to know. I went through a half-dozen more harlots and a large portion of our traveling money over the next week, but he still didn't understand. I suggested that perhaps this was one of the things that the magician Balthasar was supposed to teach Joshua. Truth be told, I'd developed a burning sensation when I peed and I was ready for a break from tutoring my friend in the fine art of sinning. It's a week or less by sea if we go to Selucia, then it's less than a day's walk inland to Antioch,† Joshua said, after he had been talking to some sailors who were drinking at the inn. â€Å"Overland it's two to three weeks.† â€Å"By sea, then,† I said. Pretty brave, I thought, considering I'd never set foot in a boat in my life. We found a wide-beamed, raised-stern Roman cargo ship bound for Tarsus that would stop at all the ports along the way, including Selucia. The ship's master was a wiry, hatchet-faced Phoenician named Titus Inventius, who claimed to have gone to sea when he was four and sailed to the edge of the world twice before his balls dropped, although what one had to do with the other I never figured out. â€Å"What can you do? What's your trade?† Titus asked, from under a great straw hat he wore while watching the slaves load jars of wine and oil onto the ship. His eyes were black beads set back in caves of wrinkles formed by a lifetime of squinting into the sun. â€Å"Well, I'm a stonemason and he's the Son of God.† I grinned. I thought that would give us more diversity than just saying we were two stonemasons. Titus pushed the straw hat back on his head and looked Joshua up and down. â€Å"Son of God, huh? How's that pay?† Joshua scowled at me. â€Å"I know stone work and carpentry, and we both have strong backs.† â€Å"There's not a lot of call for stone work aboard a ship. Have you been to sea before?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"No,† Joshua said. â€Å"He was sick that day,† I said. â€Å"I've been to sea.† Titus laughed. â€Å"Fine, you go help get those jars on board. I'm taking a load of pigs as far as Sidon, you two keep them calm and keep them alive in the heat and by that time maybe you'll be something of use to me. But it costs you as well.† â€Å"How much?† Joshua asked. â€Å"How much do you have?† â€Å"Five shekels,† I said. â€Å"Twenty shekels,† Joshua said. I elbowed the Messiah in the ribs hard enough to bend him over. â€Å"Ten shekels,† I said. â€Å"Five each, I meant before when I said five.† I felt as if I was negotiating with myself, and not doing that well. â€Å"Then ten shekels plus any work I can find for you. But if you puke on my ship, you're over the side, you hear me? Ten shekels or not.† â€Å"Absolutely,† I said, pulling Joshua down the dock to where the slaves were loading jars. When we were out of earshot of Captain Titus, Joshua said, â€Å"You have to tell him that we're Jews, we can't tend pigs.† I grabbed one of the huge wine jars by the ears and started to drag it toward the ship. â€Å"It's okay, they're Roman pigs. They don't care.† â€Å"Oh, all right,† Joshua said, latching onto a jar of his own and hoisting it onto his back. Then it hit him and he set the jar down again. â€Å"Hey, wait, that's not right.† The next morning we sailed with the tide. Joshua, me, a crew of thirty, Titus, and fifty allegedly Roman pigs. Until we cast off from the dock – Josh and I manning one of the long oars – and we were well out of the harbor; until we had shipped the oars and the great square sail was ballooned over the deck like the belly of a gluttonous genie; until Joshua and I climbed to the rear of the ship where Titus stood on the raised deck manning one of the two long steering oars and I looked back toward land, and could see not a city but a speck on the horizon; until then, I had no idea that I had a deep-seated fear of sailing. â€Å"We are way too far away from land,† I said. â€Å"Way too far. You really need to steer closer to the land, Titus.† I pointed to land, in case Titus was unsure as to which way he should go. It makes sense, don't you think? I mean, I grew up in an arid country, inland, where even the rivers are little more than damp ditches. My people come from the desert. The one time we actually had to cross a sea, we walked. Sailing seemed, well, unnatural. â€Å"If the Lord had meant us to sail we would have been born with, uh, masts,† I said. â€Å"That's the dumbest thing you've ever said,† said Joshua. â€Å"Can you swim?† asked Titus. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Yes he can,† Joshua said. Titus grabbed me by the back of the neck and threw me over the stern of the ship.

Finance Test Bank

Chapter 9 Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. _e___1. Schalheim Sisters Inc. has always paid out all of its earnings as dividends; hence, the firm has no retained earnings. This same situation is expected to persist in the future. The company uses the CAPM to calculate its cost of equity, and its target capital structure consists of common stock, preferred stock, and debt. Which of the following events would REDUCE its WACC? a. The market risk premium declines. b. The flotation costs associated with issuing new common stock increase. . The company's beta increases. d. Expected inflation increases. e. The flotation costs associated with issuing preferred stock increase. __c__2. Duval Inc. uses only equity capital, and it has two equally-sized divisions. Division A's cost of capital is 10. 0%, Division B's cost is 14. 0%, and the corporate (composite) WACC is 12. 0%. All of Division A's projects are equally risky, as are all of Division B's projects. However, the projects of Division A are less risky than those of Division B. Which of the following projects should the firm accept? a. A Division B project with a 13% return. . A Division B project with a 12% return. c. A Division A project with an 11% return. d. A Division A project with a 9% return. e. A Division B project with an 11% return. 2010 Fall Chapter 10 ___b_3. You are considering two mutually exclusive, equally risky, projects. Both have IRRs that exceed the WACC. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the projects have normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows. a. If the two projects' NPV profiles do not cross, then there will be a sharp conflict as to which one should be selected. . If the cost of capital is greater than the crossover rate, then the IRR and the NPV criteria will not result in a conflict between the projects. The same project will rank higher by both criteria. c. If the cost of capit al is less than the crossover rate, then the IRR and the NPV criteria will not result in a conflict between the projects. The same project will rank higher by both criteria. d. For a conflict to exist between NPV and IRR, the initial investment cost of one project must exceed the cost of the other. e.For a conflict to exist between NPV and IRR, one project must have an increasing stream of cash flows over time while the other has a decreasing stream. If both sets of cash flows are increasing or decreasing, then it would be impossible for a conflict to exist, even if one project is larger than the other. 2010 Fall, FIN 6100, Chapter 11, iClicker Questions __e__1. Which of the following is NOT a relevant cash flow and thus should not be reflected in the analysis of a capital budgeting project? a. Changes in net working capital. b. Shipping and installation costs. c. Cannibalization effects. . Opportunity costs. e. Sunk costs that have been expensed for tax purposes. __a__3. Which of t he following should be considered when a company estimates the cash flows used to analyze a proposed project? a. The new project is expected to reduce sales of one of the company's existing products by 5%. b. Since the firm's director of capital budgeting spent some of her time last year to evaluate the new project, a portion of her salary for that year should be charged to the project's initial cost. c. The company has spent and expensed $1 million on R associated with the new project. d.The company spent and expensed $10 million on a marketing study before its current analysis regarding whether to accept or reject the project. e. The firm would borrow all the money used to finance the new project, and the interest on this debt would be $1. 5 million per year. __c__4. Dalrymple Inc. is considering production of a new product. In evaluating whether to go ahead with the project, which of the following items should NOT be explicitly considered when cash flows are estimated? a. The com pany will produce the new product in a vacant building that was used to produce another product until last year.The building could be sold, leased to another company, or used in the future to produce another of the firm's products. b. The project will utilize some equipment the company currently owns but is not now using. A used equipment dealer has offered to buy the equipment. c. The company has spent and expensed for tax purposes $3 million on research related to the new detergent. These funds cannot be recovered, but the research may benefit other projects that might be proposed in the future. d. The new product will cut into sales of some of the firm's other products. . If the project is accepted, the company must invest $2 million in working capital. However, all of these funds will be recovered at the end of the project's life. __e__7. A firm is considering a new project whose risk is greater than the risk of the firm's average project, based on all methods for assessing risk . In evaluating this project, it would be reasonable for management to do which of the following? a. Increase the estimated IRR of the project to reflect its greater risk. b. Increase the estimated NPV of the project to reflect its greater risk. c.Reject the project, since its acceptance would increase the firm's risk. d. Ignore the risk differential if the project would amount to only a small fraction of the firm's total assets. e. Increase the cost of capital used to evaluate the project to reflect its higher-than-average risk. Chapter 12 iClicker Questions __b__1. Which of the following assumptions is embodied in the AFN equation? a. None of the firm's ratios will change. b. Accounts payable and accruals are tied directly to sales. c. Common stock and long-term debt are tied directly to sales. d. Fixed assets, but not urrent assets, are tied directly to sales. e. Last year's total assets were not optimal for last year's sales. __b__2. The term â€Å"additional funds needed (AFN) † is generally defined as follows: a. Funds that are obtained automatically from routine business transactions. b. Funds that a firm must raise externally from non-spontaneous sources, i. e. , by borrowing or by selling new stock to support operations. c. The amount of assets required per dollar of sales. d. The amount of internally generated cash in a given year minus the amount of cash needed to acquire the new assets needed to support growth. . A forecasting approach in which the forecasted percentage of sales for each balance sheet account is held constant. _b___4. A company expects sales to increase during the coming year, and it is using the AFN equation to forecast the additional capital that it must raise. Which of the following conditions would cause the AFN to increase? a. The company previously thought its fixed assets were being operated at full capacity, but now it learns that it actually has excess capacity. b. The company increases its dividend payout ratio. c. The company begins to pay employees monthly rather than weekly. . The company's profit margin increases. e. The company decides to stop taking discounts on purchased materials. Chapter 13 iClicker Questions Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. __b__1. Which of the following statements is NOT CORRECT? a. The corporate valuation model can be used both for companies that pay dividends and those that do not pay dividends. b. The corporate valuation model discounts free cash flows by the required return on equity. c. The corporate valuation model can be used to find the value of a division. . An important step in applying the corporate valuation model is forecasting the firm's pro forma financial statements. e. Free cash flows are assumed to grow at a constant rate beyond a specified date in order to find the horizon, or terminal, value. __a__2. Which of the following does NOT always increase a company's market value? a. Increasin g the expected growth rate of sales. b. Increasing the expected operating profitability (NOPAT/Sales). c. Decreasing the capital requirements (Capital/Sales). d. Decreasing the weighted average cost of capital. e.Increasing the expected rate of return on invested capital. _a___3. Which of the following is NOT normally regarded as being a barrier to hostile takeovers? a. Abnormally high executive compensation. b. Targeted share repurchases. c. Shareholder rights provisions. d. Restricted voting rights. e. Poison pills. Chapter 14 iClicker Questions Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. __d__1. Which of the following should not influence a firm's dividend policy decision? a. The firm's ability to accelerate or delay investment projects. . A strong preference by most shareholders for current cash income versus capital gains. c. Constraints imposed by the firm's bond indenture. d. The fact that much of the firm's equipment has bee n leased rather than bought and owned. e. The fact that Congress is considering changes in the tax law regarding the taxation of dividends versus capital gains. __a__2. Trenton Publishing follows a strict residual dividend policy. All else equal, which of the following factors would be most likely to lead to an increase in the firm's dividend per share? a. The firm's net income increases. b.The company increases the percentage of equity in its target capital structure. c. The number of profitable potential projects increases. d. Congress lowers the tax rate on capital gains. The remainder of the tax code is not changed. e. Earnings are unchanged, but the firm issues new shares of common stock. Chapter 15 iClicker Questions Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. _b___1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. A firm's business risk is determined solely by the financial characteristics of its industry. b.The factors that affect a firm's business risk are affected by industry characteristics and economic conditions. Unfortunately, these factors are generally beyond the control of the firm's management. c. One of the benefits to a firm of being at or near its target capital structure is that this eliminates any risk of bankruptcy. d. A firm's financial risk can be minimized by diversification. e. The amount of debt in its capital structure can under no circumstances affect a company's business risk. __c__2. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. Increasing financial leverage is one way to increase a firm's basic earning power (BEP). . If a firm lowered its fixed costs while increasing its variable costs, holding total costs at the present level of sales constant, this would decrease its operating leverage. c. The debt ratio that maximizes EPS generally exceeds the debt ratio that maximizes share price. d. If a company were to issue debt and use the money to repurchase common stock, this act ion would have no impact on its basic earning power ratio. (Assume that the repurchase has no impact on the company's operating income. ) e. If changes in the bankruptcy code made bankruptcy less costly to orporations, this would likely reduce the average corporation's debt ratio. Chapter 23 Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. __e__1. Which of the following are NOT ways risk management can be used to increase the value of a firm? a. Risk management can increase debt capacity. b. Risk management can help a firm maintain its optimal capital budget. c. Risk management can reduce the expected costs of financial distress. d. Risk management can help firms minimize taxes. e. Risk management can allow managers to defer receipt of their bonuses and thus postpone tax payments.

Dracula: Barrier of Sanity vs. Insanity Essay

The setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in the late nineteenth-century London, where the flourishing of technology is replacing people’s belief of the old superstitious ways. The characters in this novel experience contacts with the supernatural beings that is unable to be proven even by the most advanced technology at the time, which leads them to doubt their own sanity. However, the progression of the novel proves that peace is restored into the characters’ lives after their doubts and confusions about what is reality and who is really mad. Ultimately, the categorization of the sane against the mad is unnecessary since the distinguishing factors shown in the novel are ambiguous. Subsequently, no characters can truly be justified with being labelled as one type over the other. While certain characters in the novel, most notably Renfield, are placed in mental asylums for displaying mad or unstable behaviours, it does not qualify them to be categorized as mad sinc e the non-institutionalized characters undergoes irregular and unstable behaviours as well. These characters must go through their own forms of insanity to access the entirety of the truth that Dracula brings upon them, and thus they behave in ways similar to what is considered to be insane. The alternative reality Dracula brings into the logical and civilized London society can only be accessed by the characters through their own forms of insanity. Insanity is a psychological state of the mind being deranged and arousing irregular thoughts or actions (Barber 505). Sleepwalking is a form of psychological disorder resulting from troubled thoughts (Anitei). It is also thought to be a method of interacting with spirits from other realms (Anitei). During Lucy’s sleepwalking experiences, â€Å"her intention†¦disappears†¦for as soon as her will [thwarts] in any physical way† (Stoker 93). This shows that she only expresses her intention of meeting Dracula through an unnatural method. Similarly, when Jonathan â€Å"has had some fearful shock†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Stoker 108) from his experience in the castle with Dracula, he can only speak about it through nonsensical and insane ways to the sisters that took him in because not all of reality can be understood with logic and reasoning. Even Mina, whom â€Å"the good God fashioned† (Stoker 253) himself, still only connects with Dracula through abnormal behaviours shown by the quote: â€Å"She [has] risen, as if impulsively†¦and [raises] both hands, palms upwards, as if lifting a weight† (Stoker 374). All these characters acknowledge the existence to vampirism and Dracula’s powers through irregular behaviours, which shows that it is within human nature to use insanity as a form of psychological relief from the difficult reality. Asides from accepting the threats that Dracula presents, the characters continue to behave in characteristic commonly deemed as insane such as being emotionally unstable, and odd. Quincy Morris, who is known for his logical leadership skills, for he â€Å"has always been the one to arrange the plan of action† (Stoker 331), expresses passionate outbreaks when his mind is unable to tolerate the displeasing reality. He loses self-control and cries to his companions that â€Å"[He] shall not wait for any opportunity. When [he] see that box [of dirt he] shall destroy the monster, though†¦[he] is to be wiped out for the next moment (Stoker 356). Jonathan shows similar behaviour when he pities himself for living such an unfortunate fate of having a wife that is contaminated with â€Å"the vampire’s baptism of blood† (Stoker 350). He loses his pride in front of his friends and â€Å"[flings] himself on his knees beside her†¦and [hides] his face in the folds of her dress† (Stoker 355). He even openly admits that â€Å"[his] emotion [is] too great for even the relief of tears† (Stoker 355). Being unable to contain emotion is equivalent to admitting defeat to manhood and dignity, which men place at high values at the time. The fact alone that Jonathan freely gives up on these qualities by exposing his emotionally unstable behaviour irregular, so being irregular as well as unstable shows that he can be qualified for being insane. Lastly, the character Van Helsing, who is the wisest among the pack of friends, also â€Å"[gives] away to a regular fit of hysterics† (Stoker 186) when staying calm and logical is not satisfying enough to express his current situation. If even the wisest man can act unstable, then it shows that the average, sane, citizens habiting in Britain can also lose self-control, and act insane at times. At the same time, the less mentally stable characters are able to demonstrate philosophical thoughts and reasoning, very similar to the other educated and non-institutionalized characters. This is most notable for the character Renfield, who is a patient at the mental asylum operated by Jack Seward. Renfield is able to speak with proper reasoning when he chooses to, and descriptio ns regarding Renfield often results in the use of paradox or other forms of contrast. When Renfield feels there is the need, he will engage in proper conversations regarding theories and historical allusions. During the time that he is persuading his doctor, Seward, to release him from the asylum because he feels that he is a endangering them, he uses proper persuasive strategy to express his goal. He first recognizes that his target audience is not Seward alone, since his friends Morris, Lord Godalming, and Van Helsing are also present. He immediate decides to appeal to his audiences’ pathos by praising their honour and background. He alludes to the Declaration of Independence and the Monroe Doctrine of the United States when he compliments to Morris that â€Å"the power of the Treaty may yet prove a vast engine of enlargement, when the Monroe doctrine takes its true place as a political fable† (Stoker 263). Being the madman that he is labelled as, he proves to have a vast amount of knowledge by referring to information from outside of his home country. Following the statement, seeing that it is not enough to win over his audience, Renfield attempts to appeal to their logos by expressing a philosophical statement that â€Å"when an individual has revolutionised therapeutically†¦conventional forms are unfitting, since they would seem to limit him to one of a class† (Stoker 263). This type of behaviour with strategic and logical response is certainly uncommon for individuals deemed as insane, so it ironically questions the sanity of the people who brought him to the asylum in the first place. In addition, when describing the character Renfield, Stoker often uses contrasting devices to heighten the true quality of this character. After Renfield’s attempt to persuade them, Morris comments with the use of paradox that â€Å"[Renfield] is about the sanest lunatic [he] ever [sees]† (Stoker 267). Also, even Seward is astonished by Renfield’s impressive behaviour that â€Å"[he] at once [makes] the introduction† (Stoker 262) for Renfield and his friends, addressing Renfield as â€Å"Mr. Renfield† (Stoker 262). This can be contrasted to an earlier diary entry made by Seward when he refers to Renfield as â€Å"R.M. Renfield, aetat 59† (Stoker 65), showing that Renfield is nothing other than a subject of study to the doctor. This shows that Renfield is capable of both expressing himself freely as well as with proper manner, and that he changes between the two at will to fit the situations he occurs in. This puts the appropriateness his treatment in question, since his behaviour contradicts the way he is expected to behave. Overall, Renfield’s behaviour can be concluded with Seward’s alliterative paradox that â€Å"there is a method in his madness† (Stoker 74). With this in mind, the parallel between the sane and insane characters can be seen through the similarities between Renfield and Seward. Seward is known for his unique diary keeping style of recording his oral recounts of daily events on a phonograph. He does so because â€Å"to write with a pen is irksome to [him]† (Stoker 365), since he likes to make sure every detail is being recorded without the troubles of having muscles cramps. It is Seward himself that recognizes this similarity between his patient Renfield and himself: â€Å"He [closes] [his] daily account most accurately† (Stoker 76). Also, both of these characters display strong faith towards people they trust despite external influences. Renfield shows strong devotion and loyalty towards Dracula because of his belief that Dracula is able to fulfill his desire of consuming lives. He recognizes that Dracula is harmful in nature, but still remains loyal to him. At the same time, Dr. Seward keeps a blind faith towards his old friend Van Helsing purely because he trusts the professor’s wisdom from his experiences. At times, Van Helsing’s conclusions are too abstract for Seward to comprehend, but he never fails to obey and aid him to the best of his abilities. The nature of these two characters’ relationship intently sets them to have contrasting sanity levels, however the similarities between their habits and attitudes contradicts this, which shows that the state of sanity cannot be accurately placed upon an individual even despite their occupation. Through the supernatural experiences through course of the novel, Seward comes to the conclusion that: â€Å"[he] sometimes think [they] must be all mad and that [they] shall wake to sanity in strait waistcoats† (Stoker 295). Being the scientist that Seward is, the most significant character change he undergoes is that he opens up his mind and learns to accept new things. The significance of his conclusion is that the sanity of people is not always what others think it should be. He does not deny the possibility that he can, in fact, be mad, just as how Renfield is able to calmly declare his perfect sanity: â€Å"I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul† (Stoker 266). The confusion of how Seward is the psychologist and how Renfield is his patient is again aroused, which shows that these characters does not fit the one state of sanity labelled on them. All the characters are able to demonstrate traits of being mentally unstable as well as being reasonable and logical. The barrier between sanity and madness is then blurred as the sane and mad behave in very similar ways and shows that same attitude towards their interests. Since â€Å"all men are mad in some way or other† (Stoker 128), it becomes unreasonable and unnecessary to strictly place an individual under either one of these categories. Note to self: http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Causes-of-Sleepwalking-85332.shtml

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Reigh by Elizabeth I Essay By 1571, Elizabeth I had solved most of her internal and external problems that she had faced at the beginning of her reign? Assess the validity of this view In 1558 Elizabeth inherited a throne encumbered with various internal and external problems, due to the actions in previous reigns of the ‘little Tudors’. Internal problems referred to predicaments occurring in England and personal issues with the monarch, e.g. the religious settlement of Catholicism in Mary Tudors reign and rebellions posed a significant problem of domestic policy at the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign. External problems refereed to dilemmas occurring outside of England, e.g. Mary’s loss of Calais in 1558 produced the external possibility of French invasion during Elizabeth’s reign. Along with debasement of the coinage and inflationary pressures, it is evident that Elizabeth was presented with formidable problems at the beginning of her reign. The first major internal problem faced by Elizabeth at the start of her reign was her gender. The idea of a female monarch met hostility in Tudor England and Elizabeth was faced with criticism by the Protestant preacher John Knox who wrote ‘to promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire above any realm, nation or city is repugnant by nature and a insult to God.’ However Elizabeth overcame the issue of her gender in her appointment of administrators and management of political matters. Immediately after coming to the throne, Elizabeth successfully established her royal and political authority by appointing William Cecil as her principle secretary, a successful partnership in government which lasted 40 years. Elizabeth then appointed Thomas Parry as controller of the household and Robert Dudley as Master of the Horse. The appointment of her friends and supporters highlight that Elizabeth overcame her internal problem of her gender as Elizabeth had successfully established her authority, despite being a female queen she was supported by influentia l male figures, thus advocating to Tudor England that the her reign will not suffer from political instability as Edward VI and Mary I reigns did. Elizabeth was intelligent in not making any further appointments as it made political sense to keep speculation alive of Mary’s councillors being reappointed, a political motive that worked for Elizabeth as 9 of Mary councillors assured Elizabeth of their loyalty. Elizabeth then went on to reduce the number of privy councillors from 39 to 19, 10 of who had served Mary, and Elizabeth kept nobles such as the Earl of Winchester  who had long political experience and had shown his excellence as an exchequer. Reducing the number of privy councillors allowed policy making to be more efficient and created a form of collective responsibility and corporate decision making within the council, thus Elizabeth had solved the internal problem of her gender as her changes to the privy council also meant that no individual could exert huge amounts of influence over her and the fixed membership assured Elizabeth of the councillors loyalty, a issue which caused the downfall of Somerset in Edw ard VI’s reign. 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At her coronation on the 15TH January Elizabeth was welcomed as Deborah ‘the judge and restorer of Israel’. To be likened to an influential female is evidence that Elizabeth overcame the issue of her gender at the beginning of her reign, as it highlights the public’s acceptance of her as Queen. However it is debated by a minority of revisionists that Elizabeth did not solve the internal problem of her gender at the beginning of her reign. This is due to the fact that during Elizabeth’s 45 year reign, Parliament only met for a total of 3 years, and 11 out of 13 parliamentary sessions were to ask for revenue. Thus this enforces the view that Elizabeth was unable to work with parliament, supported by the excessive use of royal prerogative over issues Elizabeth did not wish to discuss. It is further argued that Elizabeth did not solve the issue of her gender as she was over ruled by Cecil on many occasions, for example Cecil threatened to resign in 1560 if Engl and did not support him in Scottish policy. The issue of Bishop  Oglethorpe not elevating the host during Elizabeth’s coronation mass is further indication of the unsolved problems which were existent at the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign. However I believe that Elizabeth did overcome the issue of her gender, as unlike previous monarchs, Elizabeth was never threatened to be overpowered by one of her administrators, and according to her tutor Roger Ascham ‘her mind had no womanly weakness, her perseverance is equal to that of a man’, thus this interpretation supports the fact that Elizabeth overcame the issue of her gender due to her abilities of choosing first rate advisors and having the remarkable gift of winning the devotion of the public. A further internal problem faced by Elizabeth at the start of her reign was the religious settlement after 1558. The legal status of the church had not been altered with the death of Queen Mary thus meaning that the English church remained in communion with th e Church of Rome, however Elizabeth was protestant. Thus Elizabeth solved the internal problem of religion through the introduction of the 1559 religious settlement. The act embraced two sets of parliament, the Act of Supremacy 1559 and the Act of Uniformity 1559. The Act of Supremacy restored the royal supremacy of the church which had been removed under Mary, the act replied heresy laws which had been revived under Mary and re-established communion in both kinds. The act further defined Elizabeth to be ‘Supreme Governor’ and not Supreme Head of the church, reflecting the assumption that only God could be head of the church. The act of Uniformity specified the use of a single Book of Common Prayer, specified that ‘ornaments of the church and of the ministers thereof’ should be those that were there I the second year of the reign of Edward VI and the act further laid down a punishment of a shilling for not attending church. The 1559 religious settlement also enforced the 1559 injunctions, which were a set of rules about the conduct of church services and the government of the church issued in the Queens name as the Supreme Governor. The first injunction stressed the ‘suppression of superstition’ (catholic practises such as candles). Thus the 1559 religious settlement highlight how Elizabeth overcame the issue of religion as there was a now uniformed principles of church services. Elizabeth overcame the issue of many bishops resigning due to not being able to take the Oath of Supremacy by appointing 27 new bishops, many of whom had opposed Mary’s religious policies and would support Elizabeth in the House of Lords.  The appointment of Matthew Parker as archbishop of Canterbury was a conscious strategy to reshape the hierarchy of England and further evidence that Elizabeth overcame the religious issue left by Mary. Elizabeth’s dislike of clerical marriage and prevention of musical culture in cathedrals and catholic colleges highlights the extent to which Elizabeth created a erastian nature of the church. Although it is argued that Elizabeth did not successfully resolve the internal issue of religion as according to historians such as Peter Lake the religious settlement had a two speed view, Elizabeth’s view that the settlement was final and complete and then the view of bishops that the settlement was simply a interim arrangement and full scale reform needed to be implemented. The religious settlement was not seen final by many historians as Neale argues that the Queen was conscious of the dangerous political situation with France, and therefore used the 1559 religious settlement to gain parliamentary confirmation of royal supremacy and delay any other significant changes in her reign. The puritan challenges to the settlement are further evidence of the religious settlement not being successful. The vestments controversy occurred due to failure of the convocation of Canterbury 1563 to secure reform, thus many bishops decided they did not wish to follow the rules of clerical dr ess outlined in the Act of Uniformity as they believed the albs and copes to be ‘popish’ and ‘superstitious’. Thus the Queen summoned Parker to enforce the rules, thus Parker threatened to remove preaching licences of anyone that did not obey and in 1566 issued the ‘Advertisements’. However 37 clergymen refused to sign and were deprived of their posts, this conflict expresses that Elizabeth did not solve the issue of religion as it highlighted that the Queen could not enforce her will in all respects and highlighted fundamental issues in the relationship of the Crown and the Church. However Elizabeth succeeded in her religious settlement and overcame her internal problem, she wished not to make ‘windows into men’s souls’ and thus allowed the survival of Catholics. An external problem faced by Elizabeth at the start of her reign was the issue of her marriage and succession. When Elizabeth inherited the throne in 1558, it was assumed that she would marry a prince and continue the Tudor line, as failure to marry would bring around a troubled succession. There were a number of suitors for Elizabeth, arguably her favourite being Robert Dudley of whom she arguably had a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœemotional dependency’ on, however the suspicious death of his wife Amy led to the marriage never occurring, which pleased Cecil who was horrified at the prospect of his own power and influence being eroded. Thus Elizabeth chose not to marry and not to choose a successor, however she overcame the internal problem of this. By remaining unmarried, her authority remained undiminished and Elizabeth maximized the diplomatic advantages from the prolonged marriage negotiations. She used marriage talks as a form of foreign policy, e.g. marriage talks with the Habsburgs minimised the possible Catholic backlash to her Religious Settlement, and she gained financial benefits from Eric of Sweden. Not naming a successor also had benefits for Elizabeth, as it avoided any factions arising in the privy council and any unnecessary competitions for influence and power, as Elizabeth once commented ‘if my successor were known to the world, I would never esteem my state to be safe†. Although it can be argued that as Elizabeth died the virgin queen, she did not solve the issue of her marriage and succession due to never being married. As Elizabeth did not produce her own natural protestant heir, Elizabeth faced real threats from Mary Queen of Scots. Many English Catholics supported Mary’s claim to the throne and when Mary arrived in England there were several plots to dethrone or assassinate Elizabeth including the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots. Although after Elizabeth’s death, James Stewart inherited the throne in a unchallenged succession, thus Elizabeth had solved the problem. The issue of foreign policy was Elizabeth’s biggest external problem during her reign. Elizabeth had inherited the throne at a time where finances were weak, with Sir John Mason declaring ‘our state can no longer bear these wars’. Thus Elizabeth wanted to secure Calais and conclude peace with the Scottish Queen as Elizabeth commented that â €˜the greatest burden of these wars resteth uponth Scotland’. Thus Elizabeth resolved issues of foreign policy in her reign by the signing of the Chaetae Cambersis in 1559 which brought peace along England, Scotland, France and Spain, France would retain Calais for eight years and then would be returned to England providing England had kept peace. However external problems of foreign policy occurred again after the death of Henry II who was succeeded by his son Francis who was married to Mary Queen of Scots. This led to a strong guise faction in France who sought to make Scotland an instrument of French policy making.. Thus England was  faced with the threat of invasion from Scotland and France. However Elizabeth resolved this issue by sending the Navy to the firth of forth to block French reinforcements from landing and sending an army to Leith where the bulk of the French force were situated. Elizabeth’s intervention meant the siege failed, and in 1560 the Treaty of Edinburgh was signed which forced Mary Queen of Scots to recognise E lizabeth as Queen and effectively weakened the Franco-Scottish alliance. Elizabeth had also succeeded in foreign policy with Spain as she avoided having a civil war with Spain, the policy of harassment by taking money from Spanish ships in Cornwell and Devon strengthened England’s finances. However it can be argued that Elizabeth did not solve the issue of foreign policy, Anglo Spanish and Anglo Dutch relations came to a halt after the Spanish harassments meaning that loyalty with Phillip had disintegrated thus Phillip began to support plots against Elizabeth such as the Ridolfi plot and the 1569 Northern Rebellion. Although I believe Elizabeth did solve her external problem to a small extent, as relations were improved but would still be another 14 years until Elizabeth could feel secure from threats to English stability. Thus at the end of her 45 year long reign, it is concrete to state that Elizabeth did successfully conquer most of her external and internal problems she faced at the beginning of her reign. Known as the ‘Golden Age’ by many historians Elizabeth was able to establish a secure Church of England and her reign also saw significant expansion overseas. Great explorers were encouraged such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Sir John Hawkins. She achieved an excellent reputation as a good and wise ruler, who was truly loved by her people she was highly accomplished in the art of rhetoric and Public Relations Queen Elizabeth I surrounded herself with highly intelligent and loyal advisors such as Sir William Cecil, Sir Francis Walsingham and Sir Robert Cecil who gave her sound political advice and unlike the reigns of Edward and Mary, Elizabeth was able to expand overseas. Thus the internal and external problems at the beginning of reign soon became insignificant hurdles for the great queen, whose monarch is still described by historians today to be the greatest monarch in England.

The Charismatic Leadership Style Essay Example for Free

The Charismatic Leadership Style Essay The Charismatic Leadership Style I have chosen to write my journal article on a leadership style known as a Ccharismatic Leader. Its difficult to identify the characteristics that make a leader charismatic, but they certainly include the ability to communicate on a very powerful emotional level, and probably include some personality traits. I do not believe that charismatic leadership is essential to be an effective leader but it can enhance the leadership journey. The Charismatic Leader gathers followers through based upon their personality and charm, rather than any form of external power or authority. Possessing these characteristics can be an extremely powerful way to gain and lead others. They can also make their followers (ordinary people) do some pretty extraordinary things. Charismatic leaders have the ability to sense the gap that exists between what an organization and culture of people and empower them to come together as one. By bridging this gap the leader can create a vision of a future state that everyone believes will be better than the current one. The charismatic leader often communicates their vision using metaphors and stories in ways that everyone can understand the vision. Their followers see the leader as one that possesses the ability to visualize the future with clarity. Their followers are also able to see how they fit into this future state and believe it will be better than today. Charismatic leaders do these things constantly in large and small ways. Charismatic Leaders are visionaries. They focus on transforming situations, not just maintaining. They will show great confidence in their followers. They are very persuasive and make very effective use of body language as well as verbal language. Many politicians use a charismatic style, as they need to gather a large number of followers. The person who I think is a great charismatic leader is Barack Obama. I have listened to a lot of his speeches and he has the power to motivate and empower people with his words, his testimony and his story of overcoming many trials and obstacles. Barack Obama is often compared to John F. Kennedy, who is arguably the most charismatic President of the United States. â€Å"Todays environment emphasizes organizational learning and follower empowerment conditions that promote mutual respect and dialogue. However, even in this environment leaders can, sometimes unwittingly, enact subtle abuses. Generally included in the typical definition of power are the notions of dependency and control: a leaders ability to determine followers behavior stems at least in part from the followers dependency on the leader. This, in turn, is based on leaders control over the various aspects of organizational life affecting followers or perceived as needed by followers, such as material resources and organizational advancement.

Movie Review Of Punch Drunk Love Film Studies Essay

Movie Review Of Punch Drunk Love Film Studies Essay Punch-Drunk Love is a very interesting American comedy directed by Paul Thomas Anderson with Sandler as the protagonist of this film. The detailed description and depiction of the main characters and the keep-changing and aesthetic setting of the story leave me a very deep impression after watching the film. After watching this film, Punch-Drunk Love looks like a sorbet of very strange color and flavor, its sweetness shot through with startling, unexpected taste. The whole story is very humorous, but one can also feel it is always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Just like Jon Brions schizoid musical scorein the film, which is liltingly romantic one moment and abrasively percussive the next, Punch-Drunk Love is determined to throw you off balance. Sandlers performance keeps you guessing when, where and whether the protagonist, this self-hating, painfully self-conscious man might explode. There is danger lurking under his bland exterior, visible to everyone but Lena, who sees only what? This is the mystery in the whole story, and the key of the problem, at the heart of the movie. You must take Lenas love for Barry on faith, for her character is seriously underwritten. What does she see in the guy? Why would she commit herself to him, rather than have him committed? The bravura filmmaking (theres not a dull shot in the whole movie) dazzles you from start to finish, but the movie is an emotional jigsaw puzzle thats missing a couple of crucial pieces. Anderson has willed Punch-Drunk Love to be a romantic comedy; its powerful undercurrents, however, keep tugging it in other, darker directions, resulting in a movie more amazing than satisfying. In this paper, I am going to review Punch-Drunk Love from these three perspectives by analyzing the characteristics of the protagonists and the scene of the film, aiming to find out the humor and the aesthetic value of this film. At last, since love is the theme of this movie, and the constant theme in most of the American movies, I will try to dig out the romance between Barry and Lena in this film. To some extent, we can say, there are basically three dimensions in this film, that is, humor, aesthetics, and romance. In the next part, I will analyze the three dimensions respectively in detail. First of all, the arrangement and description of the characters in this film completely exhibit the features of a comedy. This is a new Adam Sandler on view in Punch-Drunk Loveangry, sad, and desperate. In voice and mannerisms he is the same childlike, love-starved, and sometimes even a little stupid Adam Sandler weve seen from a series of dim comedies he has acted, but this film, by seeing him in a new light, encourages us to look again at those films. Given a director and a screenplay that sees through the Sandler persona, that understands it as the disguise of a suffering outsider, Sandler reveals depths and tones we may have suspected but couldnt bring into focus. However, from the perspective of the style of the film, this is a comedy, so the performance by Sandler is still very humorous. In this movie, Sandler plays Barry Egan, a fearful, volatile, socially maladroit salesman of novelty plumbing items in the west of America. (His dice-and-money toilet plunger sells big in Vegas ). In this story, Barry always dressed in a formal bright blue suit and wore a tie in the working place. By contrasting with other workers who wore dirty and random clothes corresponding to their work and identity together with him, formal Barry looked very funny. So from the appearance, we can see he is very different from others and there must be some interesting stories will happen to him. And under such a strange looking, what a mental state will be there? What caused his specialty from other fellow workers? Then we get to know that this has something to do with his family circumstances. He had seven sisters, who cared much about him and inferred most of his personal and non-personal things. As a result, he was not spiritually free, for his thoughts and performance were all restrained by his sisters. Let us think about the gender and number proportion, one boy to seven girls! Barry must be very depressed in the process of growing up, and he must feel very lonely. So in this film , we can find out he got a borderline agoraphobe because of the restriction of his seven sisters. Besides the appearance, Barry also had other strange and funny behaviors. Barry lives alone in a sterile Valley apartment, and he is prone to sudden violent outbursts of rage. For instance, he broke the washing room of the restaurant when having meal with Lena and he would not admit that he did that. I believe most of the spectacles will feel amazed when seeing he did that. That is for sure he was ill, since what he did is beyond the imagination of an ordinary person. What is more ridiculous is that Barry obsessed with his scheme to acquire 1.5 million frequent-flier miles by buying a lot of Healthy Choice pudding. All the puddings made everyone surrounding him out for gold. As a result, everybody misunderstood him and laughed at him in his working place. As a matter of fact, he had never been on an airplane and of course he had no intention to travel to other places. So even if he real ly liked Lena, he didnt go to Hawaii with her. The stupid and inconceivable behaviors of the character bring a lot of humor. There is also an interesting plot in this movie, which is also a sparkle in the whole story. About 15 minutes after the movie began, Barry made a phone call the sex hot line, aiming at finding a girl to talk to him and reduce the feeling of loneliness. As the price of this call, he told all his private number to the switchboard operator, including his phone number, credit card number, and his address and so on. But actually, he didnt want to do anything with the girl. No matter how the girl Georgia seduced him with obscenity words, he reacted indifferently and even stupidly. The great contrast of performance between these two persons is quite funny and ridiculous. Whats more unbelievable is Barry was stayed on by the kidnappers hired by the sex phone. That is, until he meets his sisters adorable friend Lena (a luminous Emily Watson), who inspires the love-stru ck Barry to follow her on a business trip to Honolulu. He will also make it to Utah to confront the extortionist (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has sent four menacing Mormon brothers to threaten his life, all because, one lonely night, he called a sex-phone service and foolishly gave them his credit-card number. All in all, the character acted by Sandler seems very stupid and simple-minded and also a little goosy. All these characteristics increase the index of humor of the whole movie. Another eye-catching point in Punch-Drunk Love is the choice of the scenes. The wise choosing of the scene in the film can add the aesthetic value of the story and the picturesque beauty can make the audience have a better understanding and feeling of the story. Although Punch-Drunk Love is a comedy with humor at the main tone of the whole film, the scenes are also romantic and beautiful in the story. And the transform of the scene quite adapts to the plot and the characters. At the beginning, the scene is in a void and sunny outside place where Barry met his future lover Lena. The sky is very blue and open; the sunshine is very bright; the land is yellow; the car is white; Barry wearing bright blue suit and Lena in red dress met with each other and had an interesting short talk. In such a scene, no body will not imagine a romantic plot even if the hero of the story seems stupid and simple-minded and answered questions with the single sentence I dont know. So this scene of contrastiv e bright colors indicates the future development of the characters. Also there is another clue of the story is the organ. When the protagonists met with each other, there was a organ in the middle of the street. Then Barry took it into his working place. Since then, he would play it from time to time. The coincidence is that the heroin Lena is a woman organist. The appearance of this organ added much romantic flavor to the love story between the hero and heroin. And besides the beauty of picture, there seem some musical signals as well in the story. The other eye-catching setting in this movie is the beach of Honolulu. Although Barry is very afraid of taking the airplane, he flew to Honolulu for his lover Lena. After he arrived there, he called Lena by the public telephone on the street when there was grand gala parade. Barry bared his heart to Lena and asked many private questions on when the grand parade was going on. It was very noisy and we hardly heard clearly what he said. Thi s is where is funny. The big public parade contrast with the private love expression. I thing only Anderson can think of such a contrastive and dramatic plot and scene. Next comes the romantic beach dinner. At dusk, Barry and Lena dated at the beach and had very romantic dinner. The sun had set just now and there was still some rest light of the glorious sun. The ocean was dark blue and very quiet. The local artist played the guitar and sang a beautiful song with Hawaii flavor. The whole atmosphere is so quiet and comfortable. Our protagonists were having the same quiet date in the dark light of a small and weak table lamp. No words is needed at that moment but enjoyed the silence and the beauty of the dusk and the music. But still we know everything without words. Thats why we say the choice of the scenes in this film is a bright spot. And this is also the attractive glamour of the big screen film. At last, I want to say something about the development romantic relationship between the hero and the heroin. I think for most of the audience, they dont know what will be going on next from the very beginning of the film. However, this is also an important factor in the film about love, for the unexpected plot will be more impressive than those old stories. If I am a girl in this film, I would not love Barry, maybe because of all the misunderstandings. He is such a strange man: calling sex girls and arising troubles, buying lots of pudding for free airplane tickets even if he didnt want to have a trip by plane, breaking the washing room of the restaurant without sensation, not knowing how to express love to the girl he loves, etc. yes, that is Barry. But since this is a story in the film, Lena loved him although he was such unbearable. I dont know why and you dont know why, but that is the fact in the film. Maybe this is so-called romance. As a feedback, Barry finally woke from his psychological problem and closed self-world and tried to express love to Lena and adapted to this objective world. Thats why he overcame the fear in his heart and went to Honolulu for Lena by airplane. I think this part may let many girls moved and touched. The ending of this film is also very touching and perfect. Barry and Lena played the organ together in his working place. The scene and the organ both echoed the beginning of their love story. In a word, Punch-Drunk Love is comedy which is humorous, romantic and picturesque. It deserves our review and also other thoughts about humanity and love.

Schindlers List Essay -- essays research papers

PLOT SUMMARY  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie â€Å"Schindler’s list† is a compelling, real-life depiction of the events that occurred during the 1940’s. It illustrates the persecution and horrific killings of the Jewish people. It also exemplifies the hope and will of the Jewish people, which undoubtedly is a factor in the survival of their race. The most important factor however is because of the willingness of one man, Oskar Schindler, to stand out and make a difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie starts out in a Jewish home, where a Jewish family is celebrating the Sabbath. Candles are lit while songs are sung, and when the Jews leave the house, the candles slowly burn out. The German forces have just defeated the Polish, and now the Jews are being forced out of their homes. They are reporting to the train station where they register their names, and then are shipped off to Krakow. In Krakow the Jews are gathered together in the ghetto where they are forced to live in overcrowded conditions. The Judenrat, a Jewish council, organizes the Jews into working groups according to their abilities. Oskar Schindler, a German business man, visits the ghetto to talk to Itzhak Stern, a Jew who owns a pot-making factory. Oskar and Itzhak make a deal in which Schindler will take over the factory but Stern will be the plant manager. The Jews are once again sorted according to their education and working ability, those who cannot work are sent to extermination c amps while some of those who are able to, reported to Schindler’s factory. The Nazi’s decide that all of the Jews should be confined in forced labor camps. Schindler, who is now starting to feel some empathy and responsibility towards his workers, volunteers to confine his workers in his factory. In the next part of the film, thousands of Jews are shipped off to concentration camps. Their luggage is stolen and sorted through for valuables. Stern is mistakenly put on one of those trains, but Schindler quickly comes to his rescue. Amon Goeth is now in charge of the new labor camp in Plaszow. The Jews not only build the camp, but Goeth’s immense house as well. In the second half of the film, it is now March 13th, 1943, and the liquidation of the ghetto is taking place. Many Jews are unjustly killed as they are pulled from their houses or did not co-operate. Those who tried to hide are found and kill... ...l of the Nazi Party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denial is another theme in this film which helped to save the Jewish race. Even as they are forced into the ghetto and later into labor camps they are in denial of their real situation. When they are in the ghetto they are optimistic and believe that the bad times will pass, and even when killing surrounds them they won’t let themselves believe the worst.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are certain groups of people that cause these events to happen. Because of them there are people living in denial and people that are being ostracized every day. They do this because they are afraid that if they do not go along with what the majority does their will be reprisal. Everyone wants to believe that people are basically good in nature. But with the events that occurred in the film it is easy to see that people are easily influenced and would rather go along with the group then stand out and make a difference. Most people think that one person cannot make a difference. If more people would have taken a stand, then quite possibly more Jewish people would have been saved. One person does make a difference, Oskar Schindler proved that.

Bless Me, Ultima Essay -- essays research papers

The loss of innocence in life is an inevitable process. Losing one’s innocence comes merely by growing up. The philosophy of the loss of one’s innocence is a definite theme in the book Bless Me, Ultima. This theme is displayed throughout the entire story and plot of the novel. There is loss of innocence all around the main character, Tony, with his brothers and the people he meets. Tony also loses a great deal of his own innocence to the harsh realities of the world which marks his transition from a boy to a man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of the loss of innocence covers the entire essence of the book. There are many cases in the story where people had lost their innocence of life and it was lost to them forever. Tony’s brothers are of such a case. They had gone to war to fight for their country and explore the world. But as they yearned and sought the outside and how it was, they lost their innocence in the process. Being in war they saw death and destruction which soiled their once virgin eyes. Although they gained knowledge and experience they were becoming no longer young and gay, but were becoming mature and knowledgeable. Growing at such a fast pace was a regretful process, that even Andrew advised Tony to not grow too fast but that would not happen as we know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example of loss of innocence in the book would be Tony’s friends. The gang seems to be fairly innocent enough but they ...

The Great Gatsby : The American Dream Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perception and reality do not always align. Is true love really true love, or is it a farce, a self-created mythical re-interpretation of the thing we hold so dear? In The Great Gatsby, is Gatsby really in love with Daisy, or his vision of her? Does she feel the same way for him, or does she truly love him? And what does the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock mean to Gatsby?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, Nick is slightly intrigued by this almost improbable match. How can a determined, wealthy man fall in love with a woman so shallow that she wishes her daughter to â€Å"be a fool †¦ a beautiful little fool.† (p. 17)? To everyone else, it’s obvious that Daisy is extremely shallow, but to Gatsby, she’s the most beautiful woman with the perfect personality: the American Dream, so to speak. So what is he in love with? The Dream, or ‘the Daisy?’ The Dream, of course. The ‘Daisy’ he sees is a complete figment of his imagination, a part of his own personal American Dream, one that he’s striving to have a little piece of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of chapter one, we are shown a Gatsby in the middle of one of his weakest moments, when his guard is completely let down and his game face is off. He is looking out across the sea, and had â€Å"stretched his arms toward the †¦ water †¦ I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light †¦ far away †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 21) Obviously, the green light is Dai... The Great Gatsby : The American Dream Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perception and reality do not always align. Is true love really true love, or is it a farce, a self-created mythical re-interpretation of the thing we hold so dear? In The Great Gatsby, is Gatsby really in love with Daisy, or his vision of her? Does she feel the same way for him, or does she truly love him? And what does the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock mean to Gatsby?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, Nick is slightly intrigued by this almost improbable match. How can a determined, wealthy man fall in love with a woman so shallow that she wishes her daughter to â€Å"be a fool †¦ a beautiful little fool.† (p. 17)? To everyone else, it’s obvious that Daisy is extremely shallow, but to Gatsby, she’s the most beautiful woman with the perfect personality: the American Dream, so to speak. So what is he in love with? The Dream, or ‘the Daisy?’ The Dream, of course. The ‘Daisy’ he sees is a complete figment of his imagination, a part of his own personal American Dream, one that he’s striving to have a little piece of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of chapter one, we are shown a Gatsby in the middle of one of his weakest moments, when his guard is completely let down and his game face is off. He is looking out across the sea, and had â€Å"stretched his arms toward the †¦ water †¦ I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light †¦ far away †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 21) Obviously, the green light is Dai...

Essay Writing for Ipad and Computer Contrast

The rivalry between Ipad and PC users is well-documented and increasingly complicated. Each time a new gadget enters the marketplace, consumers have more decisions to make about how they want to check email, watch movies, download music, and surf the web. But outside the typical debate, what should an end user consider when deciding between an iPad and a laptop PC? At one time, the laptop was the height of portability, offering a slim, lightweight device that could be slipped into a bag or carrying case. The iPad, however, is only a little more than one and a half pounds, and is easily transported regardless of what you decide to carry it in.Furthermore, the iPad is easier to operate in awkward positions, such as on the subway or in the car. The downside is the smaller screen size, which might be an issue when editing photos or playing games. It is important to realize that the iPad and the laptop PC were designed for separate functions. While some of the applications overlap, this i s usually the deciding point for consumers. If you are interested primarily in social media, ebooks, and other content consumption, an iPad is more than adequate. However, those who spend a lot of time typing or designing might prefer a laptop PC.The applications available for the laptop are far more comprehensive. You can buy a mouse and keyboard for use with the iPad, but that costs extra money and reduces the portability benefit. One of the biggest benefits of the iPad is the intuitive, user-friendly. The screen has more pixels and is generally more beautiful to look at than any of the laptop PCs on the market. This can be a huge benefit for consumers and professionals who want to enjoy working on their chosen device. Laptop PCs are notorious for battery life, requiring a charge every three to four hours.An iPad 3, on the other hand, can last up to 10 hours on a charge, which means you won't have to go looking for an outlet as quickly when you're on the go. Most serious gamers st ick with a desktop computer for graphics-intensive games. Lighter fare will operate on a laptop PC, which might be a selling point. Of course, there are thousands of games applications made specifically for the iPad, so it depends on your preferences. Check out the games that most interest you to determine how you might be able to play them on each device.

Reflective Practice Essay

Professional development I feel is beneficial for both tutor and student. The process of reflecting on your own practices and having the discipline to be constructive about the actions you take to evaluate your own performance will determine the impact it has in the classroom and the teaching and learning experience. Overall this process has encouraged me to reflect on most of my practices which has helped me to understand my role as a teacher. This development has systematically reinforced the actual reason of why we as teachers perform the way we do. This has given me a boost in confidence because I now have a reason behind meaning. I use my own judgment to determine how well a particular teaching experience had benefitted my learners and whether things went good or bad. From this basic analysis I can adapt and enhance particular parts of a session to create and aim for a better learning experience. This gives me areas to focus on to help develop my skills as a teacher. I have previously focussed on inclusion and worked to move the whole class collectively by supporting them throughout their programme of learning. It is important to have the correct resources and utilise a range of techniques as this is vital in creating an interesting and challenging lesson for the individual. The Knowledge I have gained through developing different areas is becoming very useful and beneficial to my teaching. The increased presence of IT in modern day culture has encouraged the education system to use and follow the trend and integrate more user friendly IT systems into its institutions as well as increase the use of IT in the classroom. I have attended IT training sessions involving VLE’s, Quizdom, SMART board, online portfolios and other online resources. I have learnt to integrate some of this into the classroom. Efficient use of these resources enhances the learning experience instead of overwhelming it. I found most of my learners often prefer traditional teaching techniques as they benefit more from my personal experiences and knowledge which can often prove difficult to convey through the means of IT. I try to reflect on almost every aspect of my teaching and have often evaluated lessons that have been observed. This was a theory session on the topic of Health and Safety in the workplace  mainly focussing on Personal Protective Equipment. This was with a group of fairly young students so I thought I should make the lesson as exciting as possible. I used a range of resources, mainly different types of PPE which I used to demonstrate how to wear and use correctly in order for each item to be effective. I used the different students to demonstrate various items of PPE which made the lesson fun. The students responded very well and were very keen to have a go at trying things on. I used a power-point presentation to cater for the visual learners. I used some graphic images of various accidents in the workplace for the affective domain. I had to ensure that no one would feel uncomfortable with the pictures they were only used as a shock tactic to make the younger students realise that Health and Safety is very important in today’s industry. We had discussed the nature of the accidents and the students became very relaxed and willing to discuss their personal experiences and admitted to entering onto an empty building site to ‘muck about’ this made me re-evaluate the dangers that they were susceptible to whilst ‘mucking about’ on the building site, even though the objective of the pictures was to grab the students attention. In conclusion I was initially shocked to find how open the students were but pleased to know that indirectly I had educated them of the potential dangers of entering onto a building site. The topic of this session was trussed rafter roofs. I thought this subject could easily be put into context and the students would find it very interesting because they could relate to it. We went from simple to complex for example we looked at the reasons why we have roofs to finding out how to make a roof component and then actually put it into practice. I thought this lesson went really well I had put a lot of effort and time into the preparation of the resources I used a range of resources to cater for all the learning styles I used DVD video, white board, A3 paper with drawing boards, and a miniature model of two different types of roofs. All these resources were extremely useful for me as a teaching aid and for the students as a learning aid. It helped to form closure for the students we discussed aspects of roofs then I was able to use the models as demonstrations. The timing of the lesson was fairly accurate and I kept each topic and activity in small sizeable chunks to make the lesson more exciting  for the students. If I was to do the same lesson again I would improve the method of implementing groups and the way I controlled the activities. I received good feedback from the observer and I was graded with a 1 which I was very pleased with This was another theory lesson where I used a variety of learning aids to enhance the learning experience this included a variety of species of wood and also a microscope with a small selection of wood cell samples. All these resources worked very well and the students could relate to the textbook side easier than if without them. The most effective resource was the microscope the students almost seemed excited to discover what was through the lens. Most of the time the student were in groups working on tasks then group discussions throughout. I also used a power-point presentation to reinforce the learning. I received some very good feedback which included strengths and weaknesses I think it is very important to enable to work and improve on my teaching skills. If I were to do the same lesson again I would carefully select individual learners for each group because there was a few dominant learners which meant some of the quieter students didn’t get the most out of the session because louder more confident students tended to answer more questions which suited the quieter ones, on reflection I should have asked more direct questions as opposed to open questions. I think reflective practice is very important because learning gained from one experience can be used and adapted to fit another.