The Plane – Creative Writing

Four pm Spanish time and we were in the Reus airport waiting to go home. We had really enjoyed ourselves in the sun, compared to wet and dreary Northern Ireland but we were really looking forward to getting home and seeing our family again. We had only been there about an hour when we were asked to go to the departure lounge. I thought this was great. We would be in the air promptly and I would see my friends before nightfall. We where flying with Monarch Airlines and we could see the plane over the horizon. As it was landing all that was in my mind were thoughts of home. The people were getting off the plane and they were rushing for the baggage reclaim. We could see our luggage being transported onto the plane and watched as it was being refuelled. As I took a look around I could see there were no engineers examining the plane. As we settled into our seats the Captain of the plane announced that we would be taking off within the next ten minutes. I was seated at the window, my sister next to me, my mum on the aisle and my dad in the next row. As the plane was powering up I became very nervous. The engines roared and it shot like a bullet along the runway and into the air. I looked out the window and watched. The airport became just a speck in the distance and I knew we were finally heading home. The cabin crew came along selling headphones for the televisions and I bought a pair and waited to see what was coming on. The TV sets came down but to my surprise they went back up, All the sets were doing this, up then down again and again. The cabin lights flickered and a cold mist came out of the ceiling, I thought this was very strange. We all knew by now something wasn't right. Then the Captain's speakers came on and he said in a frightful manner â€Å"could the cabin crew come to the cockpit for a briefing† I knew this was not normal. The speakers came on once more the captain saying, â€Å"I am sorry but we will have to return to Reus airport†. My heart started to pump faster. As he said that, the plane went over to the side. I looked out of the window and the ocean was like a magnet pulling the plane down. The Captain pulled back up again and the plane was going the opposite direction. I could see the airport that was just a spec and now was a safe-haven. The plane started its descent to the airport. As I peered out of the window the runway was getting closer. Then the right engine failed. I thought this was all right because we were almost on the ground. As I turned my head further round the window I saw fire engines and ambulances rushing down beside the plane. My hands gripped onto the arm of the chair like a vice on a piece of hard metal There were children crying but I couldn't, all I could do was watch the sky. The back wheels of the plane touched down and I held my breath for the final wheel touching the ground. As it did it was like Velcro sticking to the runway. The wheels screeched on the ground and the plane went off to the right and we came to an abrupt halt. Everyone on the plane was silent and all that could be heard were sirens. One man on the plane started demanding his baggage. Then the Captain announced that we had to go to the departure lounge. Anybody that was a smoker had started smoking on the plane. As we waited in the departure lounge all we were given was a free sandwich and a free drink. We were in the airport for two hours when a thunderstorm occurred. All I could think of was â€Å"it could only happen to me†. Then around an hour later the Captain came into the airport and announced that when we took off we had sprayed half our fuel supply over the runway. It was due to a burst fuel pipe and that was why we had such a bad landing. We were in the airport for a total of seven hours when we could hear a faint sound in the air. All the people came to the windows and looked out. In the distance we could see our new plane coming towards the airport through thunder and lightning. It looked like a superhero coming to our rescue as everybody cheered. As we got on the plane everyone was nervous. We went down the runway and into the air again. As this was happening you could almost hear everyone's heart beating. As we touched down in Belfast International Airport everyone cheered once more and the pilots wished us all a safe and happy onward journey.

Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid

Greece and Turkey -By 1946, Greece and Czechoslovakia were the only countries in Eastern Europe that weren’t Communist. -Even in Greece, the government, which was being supported by British soldiers, was having to fight a civil war against the Communists. In February 1947, the British told Truman they could no longer afford to keep their soldiers in Greece. President Truman stepped in. The USA paid for the British soldiers in Greece. Truman noted that Turkey too was in danger from Soviet aggression, so Congress voted to give aid to Turkey as well. -Part of the money was given in economic and humanitarian aid, but most was spent on military supplies and weapons. Truman Doctrine In the 1930s, America had kept out of Europe’s business. Now, on 12 March 1947, Truman told Americans that it was America’s DUTY to interfere. His policy towards the Soviet Union was one of ‘containment’ – he did not try to destroy the USSR, but he wanted to stop it grow ing any more. This was called the ‘Truman Doctrine’. Greece -After WWI Greece appeared to be ‘under threat' from Communism. -Britain was unable to support Greece (as it had done in the past). -In 1947 Greece was under attack from Communist rebels and asked the USA for help. Communism -Truman was concerned about the spread of Communism and was determined to take action. -He offered arms, supplies and money to Greece. -Communism in Greece was defeated by 1949 following a civil war. Doctrine Truman was determined that the USA would not live in isolation. -The Truman Doctrine aimed to contain Communism, but not push it back – known as Containment. -Offered assistance to â€Å"all free peoples† resisting â€Å"attempted subjugation†. Marshall Aid -Truman saw war ravaged Europe as a â€Å"breeding ground† for Communism. -He felt it was vital to encourage countries to become prosperous again – to recover from the war. -US Secretary of State, George Ma rshall, propsed Marshall Aid (also know as the Marshall Plan) Just being helpful? -Helping European countries to recover also meant creating a market for US exports. -Also (although not publicly admitted) it was a clear aim to prevent the spread of Communism. -Stalin saw this as America trying to buy support. Tension -Between 1947-51 12 billion dollars was given in aid! -Vital help for recovery. -However, Stalin refused Marshall Aid and banned Eastern European countries under the USSR's control from accepting it. -This created tension on both sides.

Ad Evaluation

The focal point of this paper is to write a 3 page essay evaluating one commercial advertisement from a popular magazine and analyze it with an evaluation of its effectiveness in light of its purpose, paying particular attention to how well its various components work together to persuade. Jean Kilbourne makes an excellent point in her portrayal of advertisement and its appearance of violence and sexually predatory nature. Blatantly sexist, implied violence and the essence of fear or dominance would be inherent in advertisement of all descriptions from lingerie, to jeans all the way to peanut butter. Jean Kilbourne’s essay shows us how much we ignore in the world of advertisement, which simply exemplifies that which we ignore in life as a whole. Her portrayal of the difference between perceptions of men and women in the various ads, including such concepts as intimacy, violence and innocence would be such as to either cause alarm or to cause us to seriously examine the route advertisement is taking in the role of human behaviors. Human behavior is altered by stimuli outside the mind, but absorbed by that same mind. It is this absorption that must be considered when understanding the human psyche. Sexual advertisement has a tendency to increase violence done by men continuously exposed to the ads and the industry continues to use these sexual images for attention magnets. The biggest problem with this now would be the fact that now teenagers and children have become a target audience, resulting in addiction toward images and brands. Jean Kilbourne’s essay is quite an informative piece. It proves that what we see and what we get are obviously gender separate, and also can be either intimidating, or thought provoking dependent upon that gender. Most, if not all, advertisement can be considered mildly offensive, no matter the implied innocence. For example, Calvin Klein’s underwear ads spark outrage to this day and yet, regardless that they are only there for a few moments or weeks even, it is enough for people to go out and buy his underwear line. This, without realizing our own actions, simply feeds the desire to continue the outrageous behaviors displayed within the advertisements. A second example, both on the feminine and masculine side of intimidation, Diet Coke advertisements of Cindy Crawford in a very short skirt drinking a Diet Coke and being ogled by men and boys of all ages and on the other side of the coin, the sweat-coated construction worker ogled by the women in their office building as he drinks the soft drink. In Jean Kilbourne’s essay she states that â€Å"First, the industry spreads the sexual images using the media regardless of appropriate types of media. She cites Paris Hilton as prime example just in the year 2005. There are no doubts that Jean Kilbourne’s criticism of our efforts to put a halt to violence and even the innuendo of violence in both feminist movements and equality based ones, would in fact be direct and to the point in her understanding of what is acceptable, and what should hardly be. The affect of these ads on the younger minds alters the landscape in such a way that we would see it in the actions of younger and younger children. For instance, the rape of a six year old girl by an eight year old on the same bus while on their way home from school as she was held down by four other boys. There are many images that continue to testify to the belief that violence against women is acceptable, that sex, in the case of the woman, cannot be proven as rape because she is a woman. There is an advertisement, in the March 9, 2006 Rolling Stone magazine on pages five and six of a man pulling a woman’s jeans off on a beach. A blatant testament of dominant sexuality, and then add to that the advertisement on page nine of four pairs of women’s legs, showing off the shoes, or showing off the smooth legs? This is no doubt a blatant approach toward masculine attention. Rolling Stone is a very obvious method of exploitation, both masculine and feminine. An advertisement further in this issue proves that with a woman whose clothing shows the curvature of her bust quite blatantly and then a large white feather pointing directly toward the cleavage. She stands there with her lashes lowered and a bottle of Skyy Vodka with a glass in her hands. Fashion and the industry that supports it would be a blatant exposition utilizing many sexual images with both teenagers and adults, usually exposing too much of the torso in their advertisement, their shows and so forth. This would constitute a blatant reinforcement of the vulnerability of women, and now, even more so, of children. Jean Kilbourne has a very good point in her critical assessment of the world of advertising and its affect on both the masculine and feminine gender. Her critical assessment should be considered a wake up call for all in that we ignore the warning signs and exploit the danger in place of fighting against it. Thus, in her essay, she proved her theory quite sufficiently in that the industry would continually uses sexual images specifically to capture the attention of people, and now, teenagers and children have become the target audience thus becoming addicted to both the images and the brand. If we do not fight as equals, then feminism has no true hold on culture in any way. This, in actuality, is of a far greater impact on the lives of men and women, as well as boys and girls. The fact that these ads continue would tell us that feminism is losing its hold on the minds of many. Ads have a tendency to mold a generation, and the portrayal of men and women in suggestive or violent poses manages a platform for strong debate. References: Kilbourne, Jean; Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence; Rereading America Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing 5th Edition; St. Martin’s Press 2001 Jan S. Wenner Editor and Publisher; Rolling Stone Magazine: 1290 Avenue of the Americas; New York, NY 10104-0298 USA

Was the foreign policy of the Bush administration driven by fears of Essay

Was the foreign policy of the Bush administration driven by fears of global terrorism - Essay Example However, many people believe that most of the changes made in the foreign policies by President Bush were motivated by imperialism rather than patriotism or fears of global terrorism. Two of the major components of Bush’s foreign policies were the doctrine: preemptive strikes against potential enemies and promoting democratic regime change. In other words, Bush declared that America has the right to attack any other nation which promotes terrorism. Moreover, he also declared that it is the duty of the Americans to promote democracy in the world. The current war on terror conducting by America in Iraq and Afghanistan were the result of the foreign policy changes made by President Bush. Most of the Americans are against war on terror since they believe that these wars are destroying not only the economy of the country but also life of American soldiers. 9/11 was of course an unexpected and shocking incident for the Americans; however, majority of the Americans think that terrori sm cannot be tackled with the help of war alone. Science and technology advances more and more and the terrorists finding new ways to attack their targets. Removing terrorisms from the grass root level is definitely the right option for the safety of the public, but it is not easy because of the widespread network of terrorists. President Bush was definitely aware of the fact that the terrorist network cannot be destroyed completely with the help of war on terror alone. Moreover, the immediate reason cited for Iraq war was the theory of weapons of mass destruction. However, even after the execution of the Saddam, no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons seized from Iraqi soil. Many people believe that the declared reason for Iraq war was not the actual reason for attacking Iraq. Some people argue that Bush Sr. was humiliated by Saddam earlier and Bush Jr. was taking revenge for that. Some others believe that Bush had sight on the immense fresh water and oil resources in Iraq which was the major reasons for attacking Iraq. America is currently suffering from huge energy crisis and shortage of drinking water resources. In any case, it is already proved that the declared reasons for the Iraq war were not justified. The case of Afghan war is also not an exception. Under such circumstances, it is logic al to think that President Bush had other intentions rather than the declared ones. Actually President Bush was trying to spread imperialism and he made use of the 9/11 incident to spread American imperialism. While declaring war on terror, President Bush kept meaningful silence on issues like; How a country can attack another country without convincing reasons? How the idealism of spreading democracy with the help of war can be justified? Is it necessary for America to take more pragmatic approach in fighting against terrorism?. Since Bush failed to answer these questions, it is logical to believe that Bush was motivated by imperialism rather than the fear of glob al terrorism. This paper argues that the real intentions of America’s foreign policy changes during the Bush regime was not for destroying terrorists, but for spreading American imperialism. Imperialism, global terrorism and Bush’s foreign policies ‘Imperialism’ can be defined as the attempt to dominate over other states with the

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 21

Marketing - Essay Example In choosing a car, various decisions have been made as the customer progresses from one phase to the next. In pre-purchase for example, after the consumer has recognized a need in the form of a problem or an opportunity, the choice of where to look for information as regards the available alternatives to address the problem or opportunity is one of the decisions to be made. The choice of how much time and effort, i.e. her level of involvement in the decision, is also one of the decisions that she would make. She may look for information in the Internet, or she may decide to visit a car dealer to inquire about the product. After the consumer gathers enough information as regards her choices for the car models, the consumer will have to decide on what attributes she gives much emphasis, which will eventually constitute her criteria for the purchase decision. After she has determined her choice of brand,.she has to deal with smaller decisions such as the model of the car she would get, and the specifications. Sometimes, the choice of financing is part of the decision process, and could influence the purchase of one brand over the other. After she has made her choice based on her set of criteria, the next decision she has to make is how to place her order, i.e. the distribution channel. She can either choose to go to a nearby dealer, or place her order in the Internet if her chosen brands website has such an option available. The consumers last decision as regards the buying process would be an action that is prompted by her evaluation of the product. Her last decision will depend on the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction concerning her purchase, i.e. advocacy, positive feedback, no action, positive feedback, or lawsuit for extreme cases. C. What kinds of benefits marketing managers get from the study of consumer behavior? In other words, identify any kinds of managerial implications which will be helpful for designing marketing strategies or

HOMEWORK 6 Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HOMEWORK 6 - Personal Statement Example It can hence be noted that a variance may hence be considered as unfavorable or on the contrary be favorable. Viewing a prepared income statement budget report, one visualizes how the variance does affect the overall net income of that company. Hence one can hence make deductions on whether they are favorable or unfavorable. This occurs when actual net overall income is less than the expected then the variance would be considered to be unfavorable. Hence, higher revenues can cause a favorable variance. Nonetheless, extreme higher costs and expenses do result in causing an unfavorable form of variance in a company (Richards, 1995). Sales variances can be considered to be favorable when the real sales can be seen as greater than the expected or what would be termed as the targeted sales. They can be unfavorable when the expected sales are lower than the targeted sales. Cost variances are favorable when real costs happen to be lower than the targeted costs. In many a times at the production level, sales of a company may be affected. Lower control in the quality of the production process may result to sub-standard quality of the goods. This ultimately would translate to poor sales for the company hence making lower levels of expected income. Things involving delays in the production process could also affect the products being readily available in the market and hence deter volume of sales. Failures which happen to arise in the production department subjected in satisfying specifications of customers also inhibit sales. Hence, it can be observed that considerate investigation and thorough research on the importance of these sales volume variances can translate to identifying those responsible for the overall dismal sales performance for the company (Richards, 1995). Furthermore, the company has to use such vital information so as to manage the various anticipated costs to be incurred. For instance, to determine volume variances, one needs to compare a static

Preschool Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Preschool Observation - Essay Example Since, this is the age when the kids are away from the parents probably for the first time especially from their mothers, it required more attention of the teacher than any other class. The interest of the kids also varies some may like a particular activity while the others do not, it becomes imperative to identify the interests of the kids of this level by the teacher. The teacher was intended to create trust in the children so that they confide on her and feel free to grasp from her teaching. The teacher was friendlier and involved herself with the kids to perform activities and at the same time she was explaining these activities with the help of stories and rhymes. Some of the kids could follow the teachers' instructions while others were not able to understand anything and were crying all the time asking for the mother. The teacher was forced to take more care of such kids and helped them with chocolates or any toys of their interest. Some kids felt hungry and they asked for fo od and teacher had to open their lunch boxes for them to provide them their favorite stuff to eat while others were not intending to eat. This was creating a bit of chaos in the classroom and was becoming difficult for the teacher to manage out well with the kids of this age group. The teacher was intentional to keep the children engaged but was not able to differentiate the instructions and therefore could not keep the children engaged as otherwise she could have with a planned work. Teaching/Instructional Process A proper planning is vital to teach and handle these young budding minds. It is the formative years of their lives and therefore it is imperative to make them learn under discipline. The prime responsibility of the teacher is to create interest and also at the same time understand the psychology of the child, his/her likings and disliking and also the interest of each and every child. If this is done then half of the job is done for the teacher. In order to minimize the chaos there has to be a proper training to differentiate between eating and playing/ activities timings. When the child is not taking much interest the teacher should have involved the child making him/her sit near her and do the work or if the child needs help the teacher should provide help to the child in making the blocks arranging the pictures in a particular order and solving the puzzles and the teacher should be a constant source of encouragement to the child if he/she does even the minor things, this was lacking in the class and therefore there was so much chaos and the teacher was not able to handle them well. Kids need to eat and drink water quite often so after the accomplishment of a particular task they should be appreciated and when all have finished their task then they should be allowed to eat. This practice will make them be disciplined and will eat only at the time of eating rather than creating the chaos as some are eating while others are not. This will help the teacher also to manage the kids well and also to keep the kids engaged in one particular directed activity. When the teacher was playing with the kids, e.g. moving in a circle then at that time the teacher was saying "round and round kids" rather she could have taught them rhyme "ring-a-ring roses.." this rhyme is enjoyed by the kids and will help them learning during fun. The teacher was simply telling story to the kids rather she could

How are social relations expressed in consumption practices Use Essay

How are social relations expressed in consumption practices Use detailed ethnographic examples in your answer - Essay Example They get socially attached to other people by doing these activities. The understanding level of relation between consumption practices and social relationship is complex because it has become a very common part in the society. People do not bother to remember the experiences that are gained through real life activities. Acknowledgement is a powerful mode of communication and it creates positive relationship among human beings in society. Many anthropologists have observed the change in human nature from the past era to recent contemporary era. They share knowledge to the society regarding socio-culture, archaeology and biological anthropology based on the relevant observations. In the modern world, consumers not only make decisions based on service or product attributes but also based on several emotional elements, such as joy, anxiety, fear and feelings. This essay explains how social relations are expressed in consumption practices with the help of case-studies and ethnographic ex amples. In the modern world, it is believed that betterment of a society or country is directly proportional to the enhancement of consumption process. Though it might seem that it is only based on economic perspective but there are scenarios, where it has been observed that consumption processes have integrated the social relationship within human society. Human experiences are valuable and exchange of knowledge is possible only by communication processes. People communicate with each other in general contexts and it helps them to enhance their own knowledge and skills. For an example, according to Kabyle of Algeria in the ‘Outline of a Theory of Practice’ there is an important significance that provides the understanding of a social anthropological study. According to the study, social influence is imposed on an individual through education and socialization and is expressed through cultural practices, such as consumption (Barnard, 2001, p.570). Knowledge about anything is

Parents should not allow electronic devices in their children's Essay

Parents should not allow electronic devices in their children's bedrooms - Essay Example Facer et al. (2003) argue that with children spending an average of seven hours per day on different forms of electronic entertainment media, there is need to control their media diet. Limiting the access to such electronic devices at home is a perfect starting point for any parent who intends on reducing their children’s dependence on these forms of entertainment media. According to Facer et al. (2003), creating ‘screen-free’ zones within the home, especially the children’s rooms, is one of the ways parents can minimize the time their children spend on electronic devices. Parents should not allow children to have electronic devices in their bedrooms. This is because the children who have electronic devices in their bedrooms are at a higher risk of suffering the negative impacts of these gadgets due to long exposure hours. The problems that are associated with excessive use of electronic media include eating and sleep disorders, obesity, and difficulties in school because of attention problems. These are problems that most parents would like to protect their children from hence the need to reduce the hours the children are exposed to electronic devices. Sleep deprivation is the other negative effect of electronic devices that affects children. For instance, Boston College survey stated that 75% of children who were allowed to use electronic devices in their bedrooms and a similar proportion aged 9-10 were sleep deprived and had their grades negatively affected (Facer et al., 2003). Of these children, 1 in every 11 is addicted to technology and media. With the children staying late to watch content that promote, among other things, physical and sexual violence, child aggression is likely to increase. Facer et al. (2003) argue that the brains of infants grow between the ages of 0 and 2 years thus providing the appropriate environmental stimulus that is free from electronic devices improves development. Children