The Mountaintop by Katori Hall

The Mountaintop by Katori Hall Great theater can emerge from a simple yet evocative question: What if? Katori Hall, winner of the Blackburn Prize for outstanding women playwrights, asks the question: What did Martin Luther King Jr. do the night before he died? Who did he talk to? What did he say? Her play attempts to answer these questions, albeit in an imaginative rather than realistic way. The Mountaintop took home Englands Olivier Award for best play. In fall 2011, the plays poignant message resonated on Broadway, starring featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. About the Playwright Born in 1981, Katori Hall is a young, vibrant new voice in modern theater. Much of her work derives from her experiences in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. According to her official website, her major works include: Hoodoo Love (Cherry Lane Theatre)Remembrance (Womens Project)Saturday Night/Sunday MorningWHADDABLOODCLOT!!!The Hope WellOur Lady of KibehoPussy Valley Her most recent work (as of 2012) is Hurt Village; set in a housing project in Memphis it depicts a returning Iraq veterans struggle to find a position in his disintegrating community, along with a place in his daughters wounded heart. (The Signature Theatre). However, Halls most renowned work to date is the historical/spiritual drama, The Mountaintop. The Plot The Mountaintop is a two-person drama about the last day of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The entire play is set in the Lorraine hotel room, the evening before his assassination. King is alone, trying to create yet another powerful speech. When he orders a cup of coffee from room service, a mysterious woman arrives, bringing much more than a late-night beverage. What follows is a reflective, often funny, often touching conversation in which Dr. King examines his achievements, his failures, and his unfinished dreams. Other Plays About Martin Luther King, Jr This is not the first time that a speculative drama has explored Dr. Kings amazing legacy. The Meeting, by Jeff Stetson, explores the contrasting methods and the common dreams of two dignified civil rights leaders (Malcolm X and Dr. King) who sacrificed their lives fighting for justice. Theme Analysis of The Mountaintop: SPOILER ALERT: Its not easy to analyze the messages of this play without revealing surprise elements of The Mountaintop. So, reader beware, I am about to ruin the big surprise in the play. The mysterious woman who seems to be a hotel maid is named Camae (short for Carrie May which might be code for carry me). At first, she seems to be a perfectly normal (beautiful, outspoken) maid, who is in favor of social change, but not necessarily in favor of all of Dr. Kings methods. As a storytelling device, Camae allows the audience to witness a more personal and irreverent side of Dr. King, one that the cameras and public appearances rarely captured. Camae is also willing to debate with the reverend on social matters, strongly and eloquently expressing her own views on racism, poverty, and the slowly progressing civil rights movement. It soon becomes clear, however, that Camae is not what she appears. She is not a maid. She is an angel, a recently created angel, in fact. Her first assignment is to inform Martin Luther King, Jr. that he is going to die very soon. Here the play shifts its focus. What begins as a behind-the-scenes look at one of Americas greatest leaders (in all his frustration and frailty), ultimately becomes a struggle to accept ones mortality and prepare for a journey into what Hamlet calls the undiscovered country. As one might expect, King isnt happy to find out that he is going to die. In some ways, his dialogue is reminiscent to Everyman, the morality play from 15th century Europe. The key difference, however, is that Everyman represents an average person who has failed to live a saintly life. Dr. King doesnt profess to be a saint (in fact, both the angel and King mention his extra-marital affairs), but he does rightly argue that he has been fighting a just cause and that he is the best person to continue the struggle for equality. During the last half of the play, King experiences the different stages of coping with death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Arguably the best part of these stages is the bargaining portion when Dr. King actually gets to talk to God over the telephone. If The Mountaintop sounds morbid, theres actually a lot of humor and whimsy throughout this play. Camae is a feisty and foul-mouthed angel, and she is proud to announce that her wings are her breasts and that God is a woman. The play concludes with not only acceptance but joy and celebration for what has been accomplished, as well as a firm reminder of the dreams that have yet to come to fruition.

Miracle Worker essays

Miracle Worker essays The purpose of my essay is to persuade the reader that your goal can be accomplished when you work hard to try to achieve it. In life people work hard to try to accomplish something they cant do and want to be able to do. There are few people in our world that are blind and deaf. It takes them a long time to accept their disability and the method of learning. In the play, The Miracle Worker by William Gibson, Annie teaches Helen a way of hearing and seeing in a way she understood. Helen couldnt see or hear and Annie taught Helen everyday until one day Helen just understood what an object was and the name it had. It took practice but Annie reached her goal, which was to help Helen understand life. In the play Annie says Helen, the chick has to come out of its shell sometime, you come out too. (p. ) Annie is telling Helen its hard to accept but you will eventually understand and learn to accept it. Being blind and deaf if like being in a different world, two of your most important senses are absent in your life. You have to learn your own way to understand. Annie taught Helen in a way that Helen could understand and remember. Helen started to learn when she started to realize smells and feeling go with a word. Annie also tells Helen Theres only one way out, for you, and its language. (p. ) Helen is telling Annie the only way she will be able to hear and see is by learning a language, understanding and knowing what something is with a name and picture. Helen started to understand words when she put the word water with the feeling of water. Babies learn how to talk when they hear the word repeatedly and start to understand words go with a picture. Helen, at the end, finally understood what a language was and how she can learn around her disability. It took her awhile to learn, but Annie kept working until she finally under...

W 6 Marketing A&S answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W 6 Marketing A&S answers - Essay Example ent can be made for the use of advertisement, particularly billboard advertisement as forms of promotion rather than communication as the most effective way to approach advertisement in the healthcare sector. This stand is taken with the position that Berkowitz (2010) takes on the public perception and expectation from advertisement. In their opinion, the growing concern of the public on quality and cost as the two most critical variables for consideration when deciding on health service gives service providers a major responsibility to ensuring that they are able to meet the consumer at the point of this perception. Meanwhile, using advertisement for the form of communication only emphasizes on issues of advocacy without giving prior concern to competitive arguments such as differences in quality and cost. Based on this reasoning, it would generally be accepted that the best way to portray healthcare advertisement is to use it as a form of promotion where the advertiser persuades the recipient on key aspects of quality and cost that the company in charge has to offer. In a related study by Sprigings and Allen (2012), it was confirmed that affordability and quality are the most important factors the customers look out for in advertisement. In billboard advertisement also, there is often not sufficient space to say more. The space that is secured would therefore be best used to promote than communicate as communicating advertisements require more space and messages (Berkowitz,

Critical Thinking Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Thinking Issue - Essay Example Include any counterconsiderations and state whether any premises on the same level are linked or convergent. Supporters of the Atkins diet argue that following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet such as the Atkins diet is the best way to lose weight, since on that diet you cut out carbohydrates and it is carbohydrates that are responsible for weight gain. Further evidence they give that the Atkins diet is the way to go is the large number of celebrities who follow it. Target Argument standardization: cc High protein diet adds to weight gain in the absence of workout routine. 1. Large number of celebrities follows Atkins diet. 2.1 Carbohydrates are responsible for weight gain [Xcc] 2. You cut out carbohydrates. C Following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet such as the Atkins diet is the best way to lose weight. Premises are convergent. But nutritionists argue that although the Atkins diet may show immediate results, it is not the best way to lose weight. It is not safe, since eating a lot of protein-rich foods can increase the risk of heart disease, and cutting out carbohydrates increases the risk of some forms of cancer. Also, people who lose weight gradually on more conventional weight-loss plans are more likely to keep the weight off in the long term. Counterargument standardization: 1. Gradual weight loss has long term positive effects. 2.1 High protein food increases risk of heart disease. 2.2 Cutting out carbohydrates increases the risk of some forms of cancer 2 It is not safe C Following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet such as the Atkins diet is not the best way to lose weight. Premises are convergent. QUESTION 4 [3 marks] Give THREE examples of conditional statements to which someone who is wearing shoes but no socks... (ii) If you don't have your mobile phone, then you won't be able to call home unless you can find a pay phone. And you won't be able to find a payphone, because there aren't any around here anymore. So you won't be able to call home, because you don't have your mobile phone, since you left it at work. Supporters of the Atkins diet argue that following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet such as the Atkins diet is the best way to lose weight, since on that diet you cut out carbohydrates and it is carbohydrates that are responsible for weight gain. Further evidence they give that the Atkins diet is the way to go is the large number of celebrities who follow it. But nutritionists argue that although the Atkins diet may show immediate results, it is not the best way to lose weight. It is not safe, since eating a lot of protein-rich foods can increase the risk of heart disease, and cutting out carbohydrates increases the risk of some forms of cancer. Also, people who lose weight gradually on more conventional weight-loss plans are more likely to keep the weight off in the long term. In (a), the premise which shows the technicality of musicians contains the word "almost". The inclusion of this word has caused "probability" in the argument to be more deciding in terms of feasibility of conclusion. In (b), the usual conditional argumentative form is applied to prove the conclusion true if the pr

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Essay Example for Free

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Essay Naturalism is commonly understood as an extension or intensification of realism. The intensification involves the introduction of characters of a kind (Baym, 1999) A perfect example of Naturalist work is Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Ethan, one of the main characters in the book, is a old, deformed man who is in love with his wifes cousin. Zeena is Ethans wife who occasionally has psychological illnesses. Mattie is Zeenas cousin and is in love with Ethan. There are many examples of naturalism in Ethan Frome: the characters, their deformities, and their lowly place in society, their bad luck, and distasteful environment they lived in. Ethan Frome, a significant character in the book, is very troubled. Life hasnt been pleasant for Ethan. Through his life experiences, Naturalism has been portrayed. At the beginning of the story, the reader, from the following quote, finds out that Ethan is crippled from a smash-up:The smash-up it was—I gathered from the same informant—which, besides drawing the red gash across Ethans Fromes forehead, had so shortened and warped his right side that it cost him a visible effort to take the few steps from his buggy to the post-office window. (Wharton 4)This is a characteristic of Naturalism because the smash-up was caused by Ethans emotions. If Ethan did not have any feelings for Mattie, the smash-up would have never taken place and Ethan and Mattie would not be injured and forced to spend the rest of their lives being taken care of by Zeena. Then, the novel goes into a flashback and the whole story of Ethan Frome is told to the reader. The reader then finds out that Zeena, Ethans wife, is actually his cousin who came to Starkfield to take care of Ethans mother, and she never left after his mother passed away. Ethan and Zeena get married and they have a loveless marriage that took place because of loneliness. In the novel, it says that the marriage might not have taken place if it had not been wintertime. This is also another example of Naturalism because it was decision that was controlled by their instincts that if they did not get married, then they would have a lonely winter. Zeena becomes sick, and her cousin Mattie has to come to Starkfield and take care of the house. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, but is not able to express his feelings at first because of Zeena. Later on in the story, Ethan and Mattie discover that they love each other and that they cannot be together so they decided to commit suicide. Unfortunately, the suicide attempt was futile and Mattie and Ethan both survive. In this part of the story, Ethan and Mattie are acting on their emotions because they know that they cannot runaway together, and they also know that if they commit suicide they will never have to be apart together. Ethan and Mattie would have run away together if not for their economic conditions. Because the farm was so poor, Zeena wouldnt have sold the farm for very much and she would have to suffer if Ethan and Mattie had runaway together. Although, Ethan Frome plays a very big role in this novel, Zeena also portrays examples of naturalism. Zeenas character was portrayed to the reader as being selfish and needy. Because Zeena was not required to take care of anyone, she began to show the symptoms of sickness that Ethans mother was described to have had. And within a year of their marriage she developed the sickliness which had since made her notable even in a community rich I pathological instances. When she came to take care of his mother she had seemed to Ethan like the very genius of health, but he soon saw that he skill as a nurse had been acquired by the absorbed observation of her own symptoms.(Wharton 53)This is an example of Naturalism because Zeenas need to be required by others led her to become psychologically sick and this affected her marriage with Ethan. In the middle of the novel, Ethan and Mattie walk home together after the dance and Zeena hasnt put out the key. To the reader, this seems like it was Zeenas instinct to not put out a key because she was suspicious of the relationship between Mattie and Ethan. Soon after, Zeena goes to see a new doctor in town because of her sickness. This event gives the impression that Zeena is sick only because she wants to be recognized in society, and being sick is allowing her to be noticed by others. At the very end of the novel, Zeena recognizes that Mattie and Ethan have feelings for each other, and tries to split them apart by hiring another girl to take care of the house. However, the smash-up allowed Zeena to be needed by the handicapped Mattie and Ethan, and Zeena instant got better. These are examples of naturalism, because Zeena is acting on her instincts that that Ethan and Mattie are having an affair, and the outcome is that they try to commit suicide and fail and have to live the rest of their lives together with Zeena almost in  poverty. The decisions that the characters in Ethan Frome impact the rest of their lives. These decisions are all examples of Naturalism. Ethan decisions are based on his instinct and also his emotions of love for Mattie, and his emotion of loathe for Zeena. Zeenas, on the other hand, are based on by her instinct that Ethan and Mattie are in love with each other, her lowly status in society, and also their meager economic conditions. This book shows the reader that life should not always be controlled by instinct and emotion, but rather that it should be controlled by thoughts and adapting to the environment around you. Wharton, Edith. Simon Schuster, 2004.

Teen Curfew Essays -- Social Issues, Gang Violence

The intention teenagers are given a curfew of a certain time limit in different states is to limit gang violence and use curfew as a key tool to do so. (Wagner, Matt 2). Curfew is a way to control the teens that have diminutive self control along with little or no parental control. (Hall, Maggie 2). Various amounts of teenagers cannot be confidential to act with such autonomy and accountability. (Love, Dennis 2). Having a curfew indicates who the teenager is and what they do. (Love, Dennis 2). To give other teenagers a sense of where they live or reside and to show how much character they have, teens stay out longer and later to give other teens that sense of doing what they desire. (Love, Dennis 2). Admitting that their parents have jurisdiction over their curfew is not a first response for many teens. (Love, Dennis 2). If the parents have a curfew for their child or children to show that coming in on time is important it can show their teenagers what responsibility can do. Most parents did not care about their curfew when they were young, so teens that are more freedom-minded, independent-minded, hormonal, irascible and rebellious contemplate that parents should understand. (Love, Dennis 2). Whether parents take empowerment that curfew restrictions provide is in doubt. (Love, Dennis 3). The parents with children that do not care about where their child is or what they are doing can display how parent competency can be asserted. To a parent a teenager is still a child and it is hard for the teenager to understand how they are looked downed upon. (Love, Dennis 2). Having a curfew in towns and cities can give parents an opportunity to connect and collaborate with their children. The time spent bonding with their children allows ... ... these laws and people to enforce them there will always be corruption. (Stutson, Tamika 1). Keeping our criminal justice system to stay proactive is critically important. (Stutson, Tamika 1). Ultimately, the implementation of the teenager’s curfews must come from the home. (Megan 1). It is easy for children that are underage to get fake IDs, to drink and go to bars and clubs, and furthermore to beat council enforced curfews. (Megan 1). The children that stay in and do not break the rules are the least of parents worries, the children that are harsh and irrational are the ones to worry about. The wild teenagers are the children that did not have parental guidance. (Megan 1). Out of control teenagers set their own rules and curfew times. (Megan 1). By parents setting rules and controlling their child they rules will rarely be broken by that child again. (Megan 1).

System Description Case Study

The beginning step in studying a productive system is to develop a description of the system. Once the system is described, we can better determine why the system works well or poorly and recommend production-related improvements. Since we are all familiar with fast-food restaurants, try your hand at describing the production system employed at, say, a McDonald's. In doing so, answer the following questions:a. What are the important aspects of the service package?The key aspects of the service package are: waiting time, quality food, delivery time, billing time, courtesy of the service personnelb. Which skills and attitudes are needed by the service personnel?The service personnel should have the following skills and attitudes: empathy with the customer (understand customer’s preferences), proactively approaching customers and greeting them, expertise with all the menu items (contents of each item), relationship building capability with customers etc.c. How can customer demand be altered?The customer demand may be altered through use of special pricing and promotional schemes. For example; a new meal comprising (burger, French fries, cold drinks, dessert etc) can be offered at a discount during launch phase so that customers can try it out. Also, customers ordering items worth more than $40 (or any other amount) might be offered a free meal (take home).d. Describe the process flow of the production/delivery system.The process flow of the production/delivery system would be as follows:Customer enters the McDonald Outlet -> Occupies the seat after waiting -> Orders the items from the menu to the Front staff -> Front Staff passes on the orders to the kitchen staff -> Orders is prepared by the kitchen staff -> Food item delivered to the customer -> Customer takes the food -> Customer asks for check -> Front staff gets the check -> Customer makes the payment -> Customer leaves the outlete. Can the customer/provider interface be changed to include more Technol ogy? More self-serve?Yes, the customer/provider interface can be changed to include more technology. For example: customer can enter into McDonald and order their food through a kiosk and pay the amount through a credit card on the kiosk itself. The ordered items are automatically passed on to the back staff for delivery within a stipulated time frame. The customer takes the food and leave the outlet without any interface with the front or back staff.f. Which measures are being used to evaluate and measure the service? Which could be used?Measures that are being used to evaluate the service are: speed of delivery, quality of food, efficiency of the back-staff, etc. are used to evaluate and measure the service. Some other measures that could be used are: waiting time (before ordering, for food and for the check) would be critical for evaluating the service.How does it measure up on the seven characteristics of a well-designed service?The seven characteristics of the service design ar e:CharacteristicMatch with current evaluation measures for McDonald case Operating FocusFocuses on speed of deliveryUser friendlyFocuses on courtesy, relationship management of staff RobustNot considered as staff is directly interfacing with the customer. However, if we assume kiosk based ordering and payment; then back up of staff should be there for any unforeseen problem in kioskConsistentPerformanceAll the staff are trained on different processes so the services are replicated Effective links between back office and front officeLinkage between front staff (taking orders) and back staff (preparing food) is establishedEvidence of serviceFeedback about the changes in the outlet and any other product changes need to be highlighted to the customer through Point of Display Cost-effectiveMore than being cost effective it should provide value to the customer. The quality of food (+speed of delivery, ambience etc) against the amount paid measures the value to the client

We grieve that the innocent have suffered but we are satisfied that evil has been defeated

In the play ‘Othello' by William Shakespeare it could be said that in the end, despite the killing of Desdemona, Othello and Emilia that, â€Å"we grieve that the innocent have suffered but we are satisfied that evil has been defeated†, but to what extent is this actually true? There is no doubt that ‘Othello' is full of the suffering of innocence. None more so than the suffering of Desdemona who can be described in no other way than pure and virtuous. At no point in the play can it be said that she shows anything other than these qualities and there really can be no justification for the fate that befalls her. ‘She is indeed perfection', which is stated by Cassio, is the perfect description of this woman and yet she arguably suffers most within the text. Not only is her integrity questioned, the man she loves and has given her soul to, denounces her as a ‘whore' and a ‘strumpet' and in the end murders her. There is no doubt either that Othello suffers within the play. He is driven to kill Desdemona, the woman he loves, due to the notion that she has lied, cheated and is ultimately a lustful adulteress. His innocence however, could be questioned. The only proof that Desdemona has done the things she had been accused of is that which is in Othellos imagination. He never really has any real proof, just suggestions. It is in fact his jealousy and imagination that makes him believe that Desdemona is an adulteress. Without his jealous tendencies, the seed of suspicion could never have been planted. As well as the circumstances it is a personal failing within Othello himself that leads to the murder of his wife and so therefore he is not completely innocent in his suffering, or that of Desdemona. Despite Othellos already jealous personality playing an important role in the events, it cannot be denied that Iago is the character who initiates, and through exploiting Othellos jealous nature and the naivety of Desdemona, brings about the suffering of all. The blame, to a great extent, lies with Iago. His character is nasty, crude and disrespectful. This is shown in the scene where he encourages Roderigo to inform Brabantio (Desdemonas father) of her where abouts. He says, ‘an old black ram, is tupping your white ewe', which is an altogether crude and animalistic way to describe the act of love making between two people who are clearly in love. He again uses a vulgar description of the pair when he says, ‘your daughter covered with a Barbary horse'. Despite talking about Othello in this derogatory way he pretends to be his friend throughout the play. He clearly states that ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him' and ‘I must show out a flag and sign of love, which is indeed but a sign', which shows his vindictive and scheming nature. Although he pretends to be a friend to Othello, he is actually only doing it in order to let him suggest that his wife isn't the women he thought she was. With this in mind, the most truthful words that Iago says are, ‘I am not what I am'. Iago never actually does anything, he doesn't kill or hurt anyone physically and yet he undoubtedly lies behind the suffering within the play. This makes what he's doing all the more sinister. His evil nature is unquestionable and so when he is found out at the end of the play it could be said that evil has been defeated. However, Iagos true colours being shown and him being punished hasn't stopped him doing what he set out to. He has after all still made Othello suffer significantly and in turn got his revenge. In conclusion I feel that although it is true that innocence has suffered a great deal throughout the play, the fact that Othello played a role in his own suffering cannot be over looked. Nor can the question of to what extent he really was innocent in the whole scenario. In addition to this there is the question of, has evil (Iago) really been defeated? I don't believe that it has, as in my opinion, evil has done what it set out to do and has in fact won.

Banking Industry Structure essay

Banking Industry Structure essay Banking Industry Structure essay Banking Industry Structure essayTwo regulations that had a particularly strong impact on the banking industry in the United States were the Glass-Steagall Act (GSA) passed in 1933 that prohibited banking organizations to get involved into both investment banking and commercial banking industry, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) passed in 1999 that repealed the prohibition of GSA to combine investment and commercial banking. The critics of the GLBA state that it was the cause of the banking industry crisis and financial recession in 2007-2009, and that repealing the GSA was a mistake. However, analysis shows that the key factors that caused the crisis were unaffected by the GLBA and that the passage of the GLBA in fact reduced the impact of crisis on the banking industry due to greater diversification of banking services and portfolios. So, repealing the Glass-Steagall act was not a mistake, but rather a correct and timely measure that made the banking industry more competitive an d helped alleviate the impact of the crisis to a small extent.In order to evaluate the consequences of repealing the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, it is necessary to consider the prerequisites of this legislation and the economic context that led to the creation of this Act. The considered time period is between 1927 and 1933 (Heakall, 2003). Initially, the Glass-Steagall Act was created to prevent banks from committing fraud and misusing public trust. The major events that shaped the economic context for the GSA were the economic boom in the 1920s followed by the Great Depression that started in 1929 (Heakall, 2003). One of key causes of the Great Depression was commercial speculation performed by banks – banks took huge risks to get rewards and used shady schemes to encourage their clients to invest into risky assets (Cftech.com, 1998).In 1933, commercial speculation was considered the major cause of the crisis. However, in several decades economists came to the conclusion th at the key factor of the recession was economic depression itself, while security speculation was only a minor catalyst of the financial decline (Cftech.com, 1998). Another supposed key cause of the Great Depression was the lack of nationwide banking system – banking operations in the 1920s were performed by unit banks within states (Cftech.com, 1998). Moreover, Senator Glass who was the main ideologist of the GSA 2 years later came to the conclusion that the GSA was an overregulation and attempted to have it repealed (Cftech.com, 1998). So, GSA regulations were excess and too strict from the very beginning. However, in 1956 Congress extended the GSA and created one more barrier between insurance and banking (Heakall, 2003). So, the banking industry was strongly regulated until 1999.It is also important to analyze the economic context in 1999 when the GLBA was enacted and the barriers created by the GSA were repealed. First of all, banking segment became more globalized as w ell as investment capital, so the barriers between national and foreign investments were blurred (Tatom, 2011). Furthermore, banking institutions used many ways of diversifying its trading portfolios outside the GSA regulations – for example, investment banks were allowed to trade and hold such risky assets as derivatives, debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities, etc. (Calabria, 2009).Large banking organizations emerged and gained power despite the presence of GSA regulations because of consolidation and integration processes going in the banking industry (Wallace, 2014). Therefore, the context in which the banking industry operated changed, and the GSA provisions made American banking system less diversified and less flexible compared to international players. Furthermore, the GLBA repealed only one section of the GSA – the prohibition to combine investment and commercial banking, so its impact on the whole development of the banking industry was not so â€Å"de regulatory† as the supporters of Occupy Wall Street movement claimed (Tatom, 2011).Finally, it is necessary to consider key causes of the financial recession that took place in 2007-2009 and the interrelationship of the GLBA with these factors. According to Brook Watkins (2012), the institutions that resorted to risky borrowing and investment practices were Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG and Merrill Lynch; however, none of these organizations was influenced by the GSA repeal. Furthermore, those commercial banks the activities of which were expanded by the GLBA went into trouble due to investing into mortgage-backed securities and residential mortgages (Wallace, 2014). However, the GSA did not prohibit commercial banks to use the above-mentioned securities, so the repeal of the GSA did not contribute to the failure of commercial banking either. In addition, the number of financing holding companies that actually used the GLBA benefits and combine d commercial and investment banking was quite low in the pre-crisis years (Calabria, 2009).The research conducted by Collins, Kwag and Yildirim (2003) shows that the actual impact of the GSA repeal on the banking industry was the following. Banking organizations received more opportunities to diversify their portfolios, which allowed them to shift and diversify risks (Collins, Kwag Yildirim, 2003). As a result, banking industry became less risky both for stockhodlers and for regulators (Collins, Kwag Yildirim, 2003). At the same time, no significant wealth redistribution was noted, which means that the attractiveness of the considered financial sector did not increase compared to other sectors of financial industry. Collins, Kwag and Yildirim (2003) suggest that this fact can be explained by the long-term evolution of competition in the financial industry. In other words, the GLBA did not lead to excess wealth creation or commercial speculation, but instead it allowed to reduce sy stemic risks and therefore benefit both the customers and the organizations in the banking sphere.These conclusions are in line with the findings of Calabria (2009) who states that few financial holding organizations took advantage of the GLBA and combined investment and commercial banking. According to Calabria (2009), the repeal of the GSA might even have mitigated the consequences of the crisis for the banking system. In any case, repealing the GSA division between commercial and investment banking in 1999 was a timely and appropriate measure that corresponded to the demands of the economic environment.Despite the fact that there are numerous advantages of GLBA, it is important to note that there still might emerge conflicts of interest in banking involving commercial and investment banking, and it might be necessary to have proper regulation in place in order to identify such cases and to prevent speculation and fraud. However, the need for regulating potential conflicts of inte rest does not mean that banks should be prohibited to engage in commercial and investment banking as it was in the GSA times. Rather, it is necessary to pass more specified and more flexible regulations that would target conflicts of interest without affecting the ability of the banking sector to diversify portfolios.

Create a Magic Genie in a Bottle Effect

Create a Magic Genie in a Bottle Effect Drop a chemical into a flask to produce a cloud of water vapor and oxygen, resembling a magic genie emerging from its bottle. This chemistry demonstration can be used to introduce the concepts of decomposition reactions, exothermic reactions, and catalysts. Magic Genie Safety Wear rubber gloves and safety goggles. The 30% hydrogen peroxide used in this demonstration is a strong oxidizing agent which should be handled with care. It is extremely corrosive and reactive. Sodium iodide should not be ingested. The chemical reaction evolves heat so it is important to use borosilicate glass and to take care that the mouth of the flask is directed away from people. Magic Genie Demonstration Materials 50 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)4 g of sodium iodide, NaI [may substitute manganese(IV) oxide]1-liter borosilicate (Pyrex or Kimax) volumetric flaskFilter paper or tissue paper The peroxide solution is considerably more concentrated than ordinary household peroxide (3%), so youll either need to obtain it from a beauty supply store, chemical supply ​store or online. Sodium iodide or manganese oxide are best obtained from chemical suppliers. Magic Genie Procedure Wrap the sodium iodide or manganese oxide in a piece of filter paper or tissue paper. Staple the paper so none of the solid can spill out.Carefully pour 50 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide solution into the volumetric flask.Set the flask a counter and cover it with a towel to protect your hands from the heat of the reaction. When you are ready, drop the packet of solid reactant into the flask. Be sure the flask is pointed away from yourself and students. The magic water vapor genie will appear!After the demonstration is complete, the liquid may be washed down the drain with excess water. Rinse the flask and dilute any spills with water before cleanup. Magic Genie Reaction Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water vapor and oxygen gas. The sodium iodide or manganese oxide catalyzes the exothermic reaction. The reaction is: 2H2O2 (aq) → 2H2O (g) O2 (g) heat Helpful Tips for the Magic Genie Experiment Use of Pyrex, Kimax, or another type of borosilicate glass minimizes the risk of breakage.Rather than dropping the packet of sodium iodide or manganese oxide, you can hang it inside the flask by a string taped to the outside of the flask or secured (loosely) with a stopper. Do not tightly seal the flask! A stopper with a hole or two is safest.  Use a large volume flask, even though youre only using a small volume of liquid. This is because brown liquid can splash up near the conclusion of the reaction. This liquid is free iodine released from the oxidizing effect of the strong peroxide solution.Make sure you dont seal or tightly stopper the flask, as pressure buildup from a premature reaction can shatter the flask violently.Excess sodium iodide may be thrown away in the trash receptacle.Are you artistic? You can wrap the flask in foil to make it look like a magic genie bottle or lamp. While you have the 30% peroxide out, why not try the elephant toothpaste demonstration? Another interesting demonstration to try involves making violet smoke. Reference: Stone, Charles, H. J. Chem. Ed., 1944, 21, 300.

Creative Thinking Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creative Thinking Profile - Assignment Example Whiles, I desire for there to be solutions to the problem, I always try to avoid rushing out on problems to come out with half-baked solutions. For this reason, I always put together alternative solutions and adequately weigh the viability of each of these solutions. There are also weaknesses with my creative thinking profile as a developer because the quest to come out with viable alternatives has been associated with possible instances of getting stuck with perfect solutions (Puccio, Mance and Murdock, 2011). Because of the weaknesses, I have always embarked on the constant training of my competences to ensure that I am not disadvantaged with decision-making processes. This way, I am always assured and guaranteed of effectiveness with practising my personal creative thinking profile. It can be said that my current professional role which entails that I work as a project team leader and project manager relate perfectly to my personal creative thinking style as a developer. This is because as a team leader, I work with people who are assigned different roles and tasks that are aimed at achieving specific goals for the organization. After the ideas have been put together by those members who are ideators and clarifiers, I come in as a developer to put the various ideas together and construct alternative solutions out of the ideas. After this is successfully done, I go back to my team to take part in a brainstorming process that is used to select the best solution out of available alternatives and options. In effect, there is sufficient evidence that my personal creative thinking profile is very much suitable for my role in the workplace. As Digman (1990) notes, developers work best when given sufficient independence to operate within a workspace. As a team leader in stead of a member, I am able to get this benefit to the fullest. Within the organizational setup, working with people with similar creative thinking styles as we have is as important as working with those with different creative thinking styles. For those with the same creative thinking styles, we are able  to coordinate well with them to ensure that much is achieved through shared practice within a very short time frame.

Why is the trafficking of naive lymphocytes important Outline the Essay

Why is the trafficking of naive lymphocytes important Outline the stages in the development of the specific immune respons - Essay Example Our bodies are both fragile and resilient at the same time; being so soft and easily broken, yet keeping us alive even during the worst of conditions, always adapting and always surviving. One of the important factors that keep us alive is our immune system and its ability to adapt to the environment and the pathogens it contains. According to Gene Mayer, PhD, there are two ways wherein the body can protect itself from infection: Innate or nonspecific immune system, and Adaptive or specific immune system. ‘The innate immune system is the first line of defense’ which provides immediate, but nonspecific responses to infection (e.g. skin, mucus, tears, sneezing, etc.). The adaptive immune system is slower and responds only to specific antigens with cells called lymphocytes. Once the adaptive immune system responds to a specific antigen, the body will remember it and will produce antibodies to combat the antigen more effectively every time it comes back.1 There are two main types of lymphocytes involved in adaptive immunity--B lymphocytes (B cells) and T lymphocytes (T cells). These cells are produced in the bone marrow. One of the differences between the two is that the T cells have to migrate to the thymus gland to mature. Stein and Nombela-Arrieta (2005, pp.1-12) state that these lymphocytes that have just matured and have yet to encounter an antigen, are called naive lymphocytes. From the bone marrow and the thymus, the lymphocytes are then trafficked through the bloodstream to the secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), which are the peripheral and mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and gut-associated lymphoid tissues called the Peyer's patches. In the SLO, once the naive cells encounter antigens and become activated, they will undergo changes and will eventually leave to combat the infection.2 Kuby wrote that when a pathogen enters the body, it enters the bloodstream and is transported to the lymph nodes and lymphatic organs where antigen presenting cells ( APCs) break it down into antigen compounds to be bound to Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. The naive helper T cells become activated once they encounter the antigen bound to the MHC molecules. It then becomes an effector cell (Th) that produces cytokines which activate B cells, T cells, macrophages and other cells included in the specific immune response. Once the Th cells are released into the bloodstream, when they find the antigen, they secrete their cytokines. T cytotoxic cells (Tc) become another effector cell called the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL). This kind of effector cell does not produce cytokines but is designed to destroy infected cells. Once the B cells encounter the antigen, they proliferate and differentiate into antibody-secreting plasma cells whose antibodies attach to the antigen, effectively neutralizing it. Other B cells turn into memory B cells that allow for a faster response to illness once the same pathogen enters the body again.3 Mayer and Nyland (2010) pointed out that ‘since there are relatively few T or B lymphocytes with a receptor for any particular antigen (1/10,000 – 1/100,000), the chances for a successful encounter between an antigen and the appropriate lymphocyte are slim.’4 The chances of encountering the right antigen with the right antibody are maximized with recirculation to the SLOs. The lymphocytes constantly circulate from the lymph organs to the blood via lymphatics if there is no antigen present. ‘It is estimated that 1-2% of lymphocytes recirculate every hour’ (Mayer & Nyland, 2010).5 If it does encounter an antigen, the cells differentiate into the effector cells (B, Th, or Tc) to combat the infection. After the infection, it can go back to the blood stream