MARY FLANNERY OCONNOR :: essays research papers

MARY FLANNERY O'CONNOR Flannery O'Connor was a Southern writer especially noted for 32 incisive short stories before a tragic death at the age of 39. Mary Flannery O'Connor was born March 25, 1925 in Savannah, Georgia, the only child of Francis and Regina O'Connor. The family lived on Lafayette Square at 207 East Charlton Street in Savannah, adjacent to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where Mary Flannery was baptized into the Catholic faith on April 12, 1925. She attended school at St. Vincent's grammar school, taught by the Sisters of Mercy from Ireland. She received national media attention at the age of five when she trained a chicken to walk backwards. The summers were often spent visiting her mother's family, the Clines, in Milledgeville, Georgia. Because of financial difficulties with his real estate business, her father, who had developed health problems as well, took a federal job in Atlanta in 1938, when Mary Flannery was 13. However, settling in Atlanta proved difficult for the family, and Mary Flannery and her mother Regina Cline O'Connor moved to the mother's family home in Milledgeville in fall of the same year. Her father's health continued to decline, and it was not until shortly before his death on February 1, 1941 that he was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosis, the same disease that would claim Flannery. Following graduation from Peabody High School and the Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, she began attending the State University of Iowa, where she began her writing career and introduced herself as Flannery. While in Iowa City, she attended Mass daily at St. Mary's Church; throughout her life, she remained true to her Catholic faith. During graduate school, her short story The Geranium was accepted for publication by Accent in 1946. She submitted her thesis in 1947, entitled The Geranium: a Collection of [Six] Short Stories, and received her Masters of Fine Arts degree on June 1, 1947. Flannery O'Connor's writings offer deep insight on the fallen nature of mankind through original sin, but redemption through the grace of Jesus Christ. Flannery O'Connor's first novel, Wise Blood, published in 1952, achieved only a modest reception. However, she received critical acclaim and popular success with the 1955 publication of A Good Man is Hard to Find, a collection of 10 short stories, the first story bearing the same name. A second novel, The Violent Bear it Away, was published in 1960.

Hidalgo Resturant, Inc: Succeeding As An Entrepreneur Essay

I. VISION A. Vision Statement â€Å"For everyone who works with us to discover in themselves their talent and their potential and to build relationship with each other† B. Comments Vision statements should answer the question â€Å"What do we want to become.† But Hidalgo’s vision statement does not answer that question. It doesn’t even mention what kind of business they are into. C. Proposed Vision Statement To be the preferred restaurant of Filipinos and expatriates, providing total customer satisfaction through quality, service, cleanliness, and value. II. MISSION A. Mission Statement Hidalgo Restaurant, Inc. doesn’t have specific mission statement B. Comments A Mission Statement reflects the company’s core purpose, identity, values and principle business aims. A Mission is defined as ‘Purpose, reason for being’. Defined simply â€Å"Who we are and what we do.† Mission statements should possess nine (9) components which are (1) customers, (2) products or services (3) markets, (4) technology, (5) Concern for survival, growth, and profitability, (6) philosophy, (7) self – concept, (8) concern for public image, and (9) concern for employees. C. Proposed Mission Statement We are committed to provide total customer satisfaction and exceed customer’s expectations through setting the trend in raising the bar, to be the change agents contributing directly to the country’s development, creating standards of excellence which every Filipino may aspire, to be in the business of building relationships and partnerships, among which one partner is the customer, in order to maximize earnings that will benefit our supplier, employees, and investors. III. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS The restaurant sub-sector includes places that serve food and drinks, be it self-service or full-service. This covers a range of services including fine dining specialty restaurants, fast food outlets, canteens, and food courts. In terms of its contribution to the national economy, the hotel and restaurant industry accounted for 1.35% of Philippines’ 1998 gross domestic product (PHP12 billion in GVA compared to the Philippine’s PHP889 billion GDP during the period) and 1.28% of its national product (PHP12 billion in GVA compared to the PHP931 billion GNP). Moreover, the hotel and restaurant industry employed about 1% (282,142) of the country’s 31,278,000 labor force during the same period. Meanwhile, the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 1994, classified 46,930 firms as belonging to the hotel and restaurant industry, employing a total of 221,954 people. At the time, each peso investment in labor contributed PHP4.40 to the industry’s total output while ea ch peso investment yielded a PHP1.27 contribution to the same. A. Economic Forces Restaurant patrons cross all economic groups. Fast foods and food courts cater to all income classes. Specialty fine dining restaurants, generally target the A, B, and C crowd. The proliferation of one-stop shopping malls that offer various recreational facilities and amenities is also an important growth factor. The heavy pedestrian traffic that the malls attract means big business for the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food sub-sector. Moreover, these malls spare the restaurant industry from spending extensive business development studies for their outlets; mall magnates Henry Sy and John Gokongwei Jr. have established formidable track records in building malls. Finally, Filipino communities abroad are strong basis for the export of local restaurants and fast food technology. The presence of Goldilocks, Jollibee, Max, Red Ribbon, and Barrio Fiesta, among others, in the US, for example, is a result of demand from Filipino migrants longing for a taste for home. B. Social, Cultural, and Demographic Forces The urban population to which restaurants cater is largely made up of young people who have higher disposable incomes and who are more likely to experiment with different cuisine. Brand loyalty is particularly strong in the fast food sub-sector of the restaurant industry. Jollibee patrons, for example, generally stay loyal to the franchise regardless of price increases. Demand for dining out is associated with both the ever-expanding options available, and also with the number one reason most consumers use restaurants: they provide a convenient, reasonably priced experience that offers better flavors and taste sensations than consumers can get at home. This has become particularly critical at a time when more and more women are entering the workforce and consequently have less time to prepare meals at home. Moreover, the Philippine population is youth-oriented. Almost half of the estimated 75 million Filipinos are below 18. And since a large proportion of fast food consumers is betwe en the ages of 16-24, the annual 2.3% population growth rate guarantees market growth for the sub-sector. C. Political, Legal, and Governmental Forces Strong support of industry associations and trade unions (i.e., Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines and the NWHUAI) enable the hotel industry, among other things, to undertake programs and projects that upgrade and professionalize the sector and to influence government regulatory policies/laws/rules affecting the industry. D. Technological Forces International food chains and franchises facilitate transfer of technology in the local restaurant sub-sector. They provide training of potential employees and employ strict quality control systems. In terms of availability of technology, the Philippine market is highly competitive with numerous products and brands offered at reasonable prices, and, therefore, allowing restaurant owners the luxury of choosing the type of technology that best suit their operations. Equipment purchasing decisions depend on the type of end-user. For instance, local single-unit restaurants need inexpensive equipment, so price is the main guiding factor. On the other hand, fine dining restaurants are willing to pay a premium for high quality, durability, after-sales service, cost effectiveness, reputable supplier and fast delivery. Restaurant owners regularly participate in local and international equipment trade fairs, allowing them access to the latest hotel equipment technology. E. Competitive Forces There are about 45,220 restaurant establishments in the domestic economy and about 80% of them belong to the fast food sub-sector. Food franchising is extremely popular. There are 1,057 franchised quick serve restaurants, 14 casual dining and theme restaurants, and 507 coffee shops, bakeries, and confectioneries. The industry in which the restaurant and fast food firms operate has increasing consumer demand for every improving product. The growth is proven by the rapid expansion of food outlets in key areas in Metro Manila and the provinces. The popularity of fast food establishments came in the 1980’s, and over the last years, the industry has consistently posted double-digit growth rates. Competition is fierce in the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food sub-sector. The market is large but consumers are price conscious and exhibit brand loyalty. With a wide range of restaurants and fast food establishments to choose from, pricing schemes and marketing strategies determine market shares. Market strategies of industry players, therefore, aim to achieve two primary objectives: 1) hammer in â€Å"value-for-money† concepts; and 2) create brand consciousness and loyalty. Market shares in the restaurants are won or lost in pricing. Industry players regularly offer price cuts and discounts to lure in new customers. Moreover, major players invest heavily in advertising to create brand consciousness and loyalty. Marketing strategies include raffle draws, free gift items and specially prized meal combinations, discounted toys and school items for every certain minimum food purchase. Celebrity endorsements are used in the hopes that the market will identify with the endorser. Likewise, intense competition urges players to come up with new products to capture bigger market shares. Restauranteurs have to be keen at finding the latest food and wine concoctions here and abroad and adapting them to local taste. Targeting the Filipino’s tastebuds, several fastfood chains that usually serve only western food have introduced items that appeal to the local market’s palate. Raising quality standards and improving service have also been focal points of competition, particularly in the fast food sub-sector. Players give incentives and compensations to motivate employees to be efficient on their jobs and thus help maintain the fast food outlet’s high standards of quality service and cleanliness. Also, a major importance in a fast food and restaurant is courteous and friendly personnel. Not surprisingly, speedy service is among the more salient attributes people would highly expect from a fast food restaurant.

The Jolly Roger essays

The Jolly Roger essays The name of the pirate flag, the Jolly Roger, might have been named after the devil- Old Roger, but it is more probable it comes from the French name Jolie Rouge which means lovely or pretty red. It was a blood-red flag flown by pirates who intended to kill everyone on board a ship they were about to attack. There were many different Jolly Roger flags. Pirates had their own versions of the Jolly Roger but all of them were guaranteed to strike terror into sailors hearts. Pirates probably borrowed the symbols they used on Jolly Rogers from gravestones. Usually a skull and crossbones, which was the most common on a Jolly Roger, represented death. Sometimes pirates had hourglasses with or without wings to show time was running out for the ship they were going to attack. The first Jolly Roger appeared around 1700 when the pirate Emmanuel Wynne hoisted one in the Caribbean. The flag quickly caught on and other pirates designed their own versions. When pirates neared a target, sometimes they raised a friendly flag and then at the last minute, they would raise a Jolly Roger to frighten their enemy into surrendering. When pirates were giving chase, they hoisted a white flag, and if the ship refused to slow down then the pirates usually raised a red flag which symbolized blood. It also meant that once the pirates boarded the ship, no lives would be spared. Pirates often stole flags from captured ships to add to their collection of false flags. ...

Guide to the Upper Paleolithic

Guide to the Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic (ca 40,000-10,000 years BP) was a period of great transition in the world. The Neanderthals in Europe became edged out and disappeared by 33,000 years ago, and modern humans began to have the world to themselves. While the notion of a creative explosion has given way to a recognition of a long history of the development of human behaviors long before we humans left Africa, there is no doubt that things really got cooking during the UP. Timeline of the Upper Paleolithic In Europe, it is traditional to split the Upper Paleolithic into five overlapping and somewhat regional variants, based on differences between stone and bone tool assemblages. Chatelperronian (~40,000-34,000 BP) Aurignacian (~45,000-29,000 BP) Gravettian/Upper Perigordian (29,000-22,000)Solutrean (22,000-18,000 BP)Magdalenian (17,000-11,000 BP) Azilian/Federmesser (13,000-11,000 BP) Tools of the Upper Paleolithic Stone tools of the Upper Paleolithic were primarily blade-based technology. Blades are stone pieces that are twice as long as they are wide  and, generally, have parallel sides. They were used to create an astonishing range of formal tools, tools created to specific, wide-spread patterns with specific purposes. In addition, bone, antler, shell and wood were used to a great degree for both artistic and working tool types, including the first eyed needles presumably for making clothing about 21,000 years ago. The UP is perhaps best known for the cave art, wall paintings and engravings of animals and abstractions at caves such as Altamira, Lascaux, and Coa. Another development during the UP is mobiliary art (basically, mobiliary art is that which can be carried), including the famous Venus figurines and sculpted batons of antler and bone carved with representations of animals. Upper Paleolithic Lifestyles People living during the Upper Paleolithic lived in houses, some built of mammoth bone, but most huts with semi-subterranean (dugout) floors, hearths, and windbreaks. Hunting became specialized, and sophisticated planning is shown by the culling of animals, selective choices by season, and selective butchery: the first hunter-gatherer economy. Occasional mass animal killings suggest that in some places and at some times, food storage was practiced. Some evidence (different site types and the so-called schlep effect) suggest that small groups of people went on hunting trips and returned with meat to the base camps. The first domesticated animal appears during the Upper Paleolithic: the dog, companion to us humans for over 15,000 years. Colonization during the UP Humans colonized Australia and the Americas by the end of the Upper Paleolithic  and moved into hitherto unexploited regions such as deserts and tundras. The End of the Upper Paleolithic The end of the UP came about because of climate change: global warming, which affected humanitys ability to fend for itself. Archaeologists have called that period of adjustment the Azilian. Upper Paleolithic Sites See Upper Paleolithic Sites in Europe Israel: Qafzeh Cave, Ohalo II Egypt: Nazlet Khater Morocco: Grotte des Pigeons Australia: Lake Mungo, Devils Lair, Willandra Lakes Japan: Sunagawa Georgia: Dzudzuana Cave China: Yuchanyan Cave Americas Daisy Cave, Monte Verde Sources See specific sites and issues for additional references. Cunliffe, Barry. 1998. Prehistoric Europe: An Illustrated History. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Fagan, Brian (editor). 1996 The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, Brian Fagan. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning to Circulate to all employees Essay

Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning to Circulate to all employees - Essay Example Jane Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories, Inc may segment the market based on: income, age gender, occupation and marital status (Lamb, Charles, Joseph and Carl D, pp 403). Whereby, the market may be segmented on the bases of income, for example; low income earners and higher income earners may be served under different markets segments (Strydom, pp 161-164). Additionally, Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories, may segment their market based on marital status whereby, the company may offer products and services for married and unmarried customer (Pride, William and Ferell, pp159-162). Connectively, the company may segment the market and products based on the age. Whereby, young and elderly people may be served under different market segments (Pride, William and Ferell, pp159-162). In above connection, Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories may segment the market based on gender for instance they may offer products for Male and female under different market segments (Pride, William and Ferell, pp159-162).Below is a figure showing strategies that Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories, Inc may utilize to segment their market; Additionally, Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories, Inc may consider the various types of segmentation that may suit their needs. The basic types of market segmentation include; geographical segmentation where the market is divided into states, counties, towns, provinces to name just but a few (Lamb, Charles, Joseph and Carl D, pp124-126). The diagram below indicates how Jane Thomas’s Wyoming Analytical Laboratories, Inc may apportion the market using geographical segmentation. Source: Authour In above connection, the company may apply behavioral segmentation whereby, customers with similar behavior may be served within the same market, for instance loyal customers may be served together (Lamb, Charles, Joseph and Carl D, pp124-126). The company may utilize psycho graphical type segmentation whereby; the market may be apportioned based on customers taste, attitude, values and their interest as shown in the diagram below (Strydom, PP 160-163). Source : . Targeting ap pertains a marketing concept utilized by marketers in identify a group of customers who have the same interest in order to serve them adequately (Pride, William and Ferrell, pp, 158-159).

Marketing - Explain and Evaluate Porter's 'five forces' model Essay

Marketing - Explain and Evaluate Porter's 'five forces' model - Essay Example This model has become widely known, discussed and applied to various markets or industries. Porter’s Five Forces Model attempts to explain the forces which operate in the market with a potential to reduce the profitability of a firm as a result of the interests of various actors which are a part of the market, or who interact with the industry. Although consideration of Porter’s Five Forces model is essential for any analysis related to an industry or a market, the model also presents some limitations when it is used for the analysis of dynamic, global markets in which fast innovation, technology change and a rapid change of players has come to be accepted. This essay presents an explanation of Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model and examines some of the model’s limitations. Existing industries and those players who are about to enter a market, as well as the investors who want to make an investment in an industry need to understand the competitor dynamics associated with the industry or market. Such an understanding is necessary for the assessment of the potential investment opportunities associated with a venture so as to provide a better assessment of the returns which can be expected, sound business or strategic planning and how the products or services which are being offered by an industry player may be differentiated or enhanced from what is being offered by the competitors. Various models have been offered to assist with such an analysis including the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats or SWOT model, Igor Ansoff’s Gap Analysis model, the resource based model and Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model (Porter, 1998) and (Quick MBA, 2005). Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model is one of the most popular and respected model which attempts to provide a greater understanding of the business environment of the industry and its relative attractiveness. The

Law and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law and ethics - Essay Example There are instances when the paramedics are faced with extreme pressure, especially when there are patients who refuse to be treated and withhold their consent. This is the exact situation in the case at bar, where the patient Jack refuses any medical treatment and does not want to be taken to the hospital. Hence, the paramedic attending to Jack should be able to practice the â€Å"doctrine of necessity†. â€Å"The Medical Treatment Act of 1988 provides a provision for the competent adult to refuse medical treatment even if the refusal may place their life at risk† (Steer, 2007). In the case of Malette V. Shulman, [1991] 2 Med LR 162, Donnelly J., pointed out that â€Å"the right to refuse treatment was an inherent  component of the supremacy of the patient's right over his own body not  premised on the risks of refusal. He further where a competent adult rejects and medical treatment, â€Å"the courts cannot be dictated by its view of what would be in the best  interests of the patient, but must look to the validity of the refusal in  terms of the capacity of the patient to give such refusal and to determine whether it  must be respected†.