The African Religion Vodu and Catholicism Essay examples -- voodoo, bla

The terms voodoo, hoodoo, black magic and conjure arouse different ideas and interpretations such as fear, fascination, or repugnance. For some, the image of voodoo dolls, which are used to bring pain to the one’s enemy are associated with these words. Others might consider curses and spells used for evil intentions to be at the heart of voodoo. A more innocent notion of voodoo encompasses the idea that it is to be used for the communal good. All of these ideas came together and merged with Christian and Catholic beliefs after Africans were transported to the Americas and subjected to unimaginable horrors as slaves. Many historians define voodoo as â€Å"a syncretism between the African religion Vodu and Catholicism.† Voodoo is an entirely new creation, which was born as the African slaves were confronted with New World religions. These new ideas were â€Å"camouflaged as European saints, the Orisha divinities continued to be invoked, fed, and celebrated by thei r transplanted New World devotees, who in turn expected protection and assistance from their ancient spiritual guardian.† In some cases, slaves used the culturally accepted Catholic saints as a cover for their ancestral beliefs which were often seen as foolish and heretical by their masters. This new belief system â€Å"met new world needs that the settled and passive African modes could not match.† Voodoo held an important part in many slaves’ lives as remnants of their African beliefs evolved into a meaningful and powerful force. Voodoo was an essential element of survival for many slaves because it helped them cope psychologically with the physical torment they endured, it gave them a sense of power in impossibly difficult situations, and it served as a unifying force. Vo... ...e and was treated as an evil force which needed to be shunned by all. The views of voodoo within the outside community continued to transform into something that was more entertaining than menacing. Eventually the practices spread beyond slave communities and continued after slavery was abolished, leaving behind a legacy that looked almost nothing like the original African predecessor. Works Cited Wilkie 141. Fandrich 776. Suttles 98. Chireau 17. Long 92. Chireau, 16. Chireau, 15. Chireau, 16. book Wilkie, 142. Pinn 44. Anderson, 22. Chireau 24. Touchstone 374. Tallant 10. book Chireau 18. Chireau 18. Suttles 98. Suttles 99. Suttles 99. Suttles 100. Simson 223. Postma 56. Slave revolts Suttles 98. Postma 56. Fandrich 780. Fandrich 780. Fandrich 780. Anderson 141.

Starbucks’ Mission: Aligned with Its Strategies

Is Starbucks' Mission (vision, goals, objectives) aligned with its strategies? Analyze Starbucks based on the strategic process outline and write a five page paper answering the preceding question. As I drove to work this morning, I decided to make a slight detour from my normal route to get a cup of morning goodness in the form of fresh coffee. I could have stopped off at the corner convenience store, smelt gasoline being pumped and the ring-a-ding-ding of the slot machines that frequent just about every Las Vegas establishment, but I was looking for a little more something. I decided to drive an extra 30 seconds out of my way to go to an establishment that I knew would provide outstanding quality coffee, serve it with a smile, and provide an environment that was classy and warm. I decided to go to Starbucks. As I walked in, I smelt the fresh coffee grounds and heard a catchy song on the stereo. When the gal behind the counter greeted me with a big smile and asked, â€Å"What can I get started for you? † I knew I had made the right decision. The Starbucks corporation has done an outstanding job since 1970 with the execution of it's strategicprocess resulting in it currently owning 40% of the specialty coffee market and boosting annual sales exceeding $7 billion according to an article published by Burt Helm. Figure 1. Strategic Management Tasks According to the courseware there are five steps to be accomplished in the Strategic Management Process. See Figure 1 above. The one essential area that this graph excludes however is analysis. I will include this step in the following discussion. Mission Statement From the Starbucks website we find that the Starbucks' mission statement is, â€Å"Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow†. The website goes on to say â€Å"the mission is more than words on a piece of paper but rather a philosophy that guides how we do business every day. † While the later half appears to be fluff and corporate jargon, it is actually relevant in the way the Starbucks conducts business daily. With this mission statement they have determined who they are and what they intend to do. Breaking it down further we find that the key market is the coffee market, the contribution is to be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee, and that the distinction is doing all of this while maintaining their uncompromising principles. I will state the uncompromising principles as part of the objective area to follow. Analysis Starbucks knows that it is not in this market alone. In fact in some areas of the world it is already slightly behind. According to caterersearch. com, â€Å"in the UK Starbucks has been usurped by Costa Coffee as the UK's largest coffee shop operator, with 24. % (540 stores) compared to 24. 7% (555) for the Whitbread-owned chain†. The article went on to say that the market continues to have huge growth, exceeding 15% per year. The courseware introduced one method of analyzing the market known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). It was interesting to find the following chart, Figure 2, located in the Datamonitor Starbucks Co rporation Company Profile. Figure 2. Starbucks SWOT Analysis This SWOT analysis invariably helped Starbucks with the next phase of the strategy process, that of objective setting. Setting Objectives As mentioned earlier, Starbucks mission statement eludes to uncompromising principles. According to the Starbucks. com, these principles include: 1. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. 2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. 3. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. 4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. 5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment. 6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. While the Corporation calls these principles, and they are principles indeed, they also use these principles as a set of objectives from which they conduct their daily operations. A final objective that has recently come about from the Corporate Chairman Howard Schultz, is to ensure that the company does not forget its roots as it attempts to continue to grow. Schultz is aggressive. According to a Business Week article by Burt Helm, he would like to triple annual sales up to $23 billion by the year 2012, and almost quadruple the number ofStarbucks stores globally. This is smart. He sees the strengths and opportunities of the SWOT analysis above and wants to expound on his global presence and take advantage of the continual 14-15% annual growth of the market. Schultz also knows that there are slowing US retail sales however. To counteract this he intends to preserve the old world feel of a coffee bistro. In order to keep up with the demand, Starbucks has had to modernize some of its procedures. Helm states that the company has had to sacrifice some of the old world feel and incorporate the use of automatic espresso machines, vacuum sealed bags of coffee, CDs, and so on. Schultz wants to minimize the watering down of what he calls â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. This is difficult in today's society in which most businesses attempt to get consumers in and out as quickly as possible and customers expect and demand the same, a phenomena known as â€Å"The McDonaldization of Society†. Implementation and Execution of the Strategy Starbucks has implemented the principles and goals into daily operations. Looking through page after page of the Starbucks website, it is evident that the corporation has internalized these principles and uses them as guidelines. Providing a great work environment hashappened in a number of ways. Starbucks provides employees with training and education. One program listed on the Starbucks website is called, â€Å"Learning to Lead†. In this program employees learn effective management practices. Another employee programis â€Å"Business and Communication† in which workers are offered a variety of classes to aid in their management skills. These programs allow for advancement and a sense of accomplishment by employees. They added together with company benefits are attempts by Starbucks to foster a friendly work environment. Diversity is accomplished through the hiring process. Starbucks knows that it is important that every voice is heard, and in which employees strive to learn about one another. In doing this, the company ensures that no group of potential customers are alienated. Starbucks applies the highest standards in freshly delivered coffee in a couple of ways. According to the company home page, Starbucks works with suppliers and farmers daily in an attempt to sustain high quality coffee production. In addition to this, a program known as â€Å"Coffee Education† was put into effect in which employees learn the finer nuances of coffee, from aroma to taste, and as a result are better able to speak to customers about the gourmet products. The intent of this according to Helm, is to share Starbucks' passion for coffee and to make the coffee industry more like the wine industry. If Starbucks is able to make its customers connoisseurs of coffee, it can then stock and sellhigh end coffee for up to $28 per pound. Starbucks knows that competitors such as McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, or even the corner convenience store can't compete in this niche of the market. Starbucks has had success with ensuring that coffee drinking is an experience. According to Jeneanne Rae, â€Å"80% of Starbucks' revenues come from customers who visit their stores an average of 18 times a month†. This statistic alone tells us that the company is keeping its customers happy. The nice lighting, the plush furniture, the smooth music all aid in this endeavor. Rae goes on to say, â€Å"people will gladly pay more for an experience that is not only functional but also emotionally rewarding†. Simply put, I could go to the corner store and get a cup of coffee for $. 5 and get my caffeine shot for the day. In this process however I may feel like I'm missing out on the finer things in life, â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. As a result, I will go out of my way, pay $2 for a cup of coffee, and feel more satisfied. Starbucks also strives to contribute positively to its communities and surrounding environments. It strives to be a friendly gathering place for locals. According to its website, Starbucks supports local organizations with cash and contributions as well as promotes art, culture, education, and environmental awareness. The final goal of Starbucks is to be profitable and promote future success. It does this through taking care of its stakeholders. The Starbucks Code of Ethics for CEO and Finance Leaders states, â€Å"I am charged with ensuring that stake holders interests are appropriately balanced, protected and preserved†. All corporate decisions are made with the preceding oath in mind. Starbucks will continue to have success in the coffee market due to its strongstrategy. From vision statement, through SWOT, to implementation, and finally the execution of daily operations, it has been a synergistic effort. This process has culminated in what has been coined, â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. Customers will take a five minute detour, just as I did this morning, to be greeted with a warm smile, receive a piping hot cup of java, all in a clean quant old world feel environment. Howard Schultz and his crew are well on their way to achieving their goals of 40,000 stores and $23. 2 billion in sales by the year 2012. REFERENCES Datamonitor Starbucks Corporations Company Profile, 25 Jan 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from, http://www. investor. reuters. om/data/files/Company%20Profile%20Sample%20for%20Reuters. pdf Helm, Burt. 9 Apr 2007. SAVING STARBUCKS' SOUL; Chairman Howard Schultz is on a mission to take his company back to its roots. Oh, yeah-he also wants to triple sales in five years. Business Week. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=44=1252343951=3=1=3=PROD=PQD=309=PQD=1184944744=29440=1 Keel, Robert. 10 July 2007. The McDonaldization of Society. Ret rieved on 20 July 2007 from, http://www. umsl. du/~keelr/010/mcdonsoc. html McDonald's to open coffee chain in Japan, 12 July 2007. Retrieved on 20 July 2007 from, http://www. topix. com/drink/2007/07/mcdonalds-to-open-coffee-chain-in-japan Rae, Jeneanne. 27 Nov 2006. The Importance Of Great Customer Experiences? Business Week. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=60&did=1166573331&SrchMode=3&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1184944933&clientId=29440&aid=1 UK coffee market set to double over the next 10 years, 23 May 2007, Retrieved on 20 July 07 from,

Stinky Pinky Definition and Examples

Stinky Pinky Definition and Examples A rhyming epithet, such as glad dad for a happy father, or wild child for an uncontrollable youngster, is called a stinky pinky. Made up of an adjective and a rhyming noun, a stinky pinky is a type of rhyming compound that functions as a playful definition. As a word game, stinky pinky goes by various names, including hink pink, hank pank, wordy gurdy, and brain train. Examples and Observations 50 Stinky Pinkies an artificial body of water fake lakea bashful insect shy flya bed on fire hot cota better cafe finer dinera better knife nicer slicera boxer who has lost weight lighter fightera cautious bird wary canarycerebral overwork brain strainthe chief of police top copa chubby kitty fat catcolored lemonade pink drinka dark-colored sled dog dusky huskya deceased Marxist dead reddehydrated soup chowder powdera dismal chorus dire choira ditch in Paris French trencha fast elevator swift liftthe funniest joke best jestan explosion in a hen house gizzard blizzarda fanatical slave zealot helota fat fish - stout trouta fuzzy fruit - hairy berrya greased hen slick chicka group yell team screama grumpy mountaintop cynical pinnaclea happier small dog merrier terriera holiday in Panama isthmus Christmasthe home of a small rodent mouse housean impolite man rude dudean inactive flower lazy daisyan ink-stained little finger inky pinkya large toupee big wigpermission to take so mething away removal approvala rabbit that makes you laugh funny bunnya sensible pupil prudent studenta skinny little horse bony ponya smarter author brighter writera smelly finger stinky pinkya smiling father happy pappya Snickers bar dropped on the beach sandy candya strange looking goatee weird bearda superior pullover better sweatera supervisor in a bad mood cross bossa suspicious looking clergyman sinister ministera tardy spouse late matea temperate youngster mild childa tiny insect wee beea useful rule effective directivea wet puppy soggy doggya young cat in love smitten kitten Shawn Colvin on the Stinky-Pinky Game To play Stinky Pinky, you thought of an adjective and a noun that rhymed, hence the name Stinky Pinky, and described the thing without rhyming in order to challenge the other players to guess your Stinky Pinky. You started out simply; a farm animals sea vessel would naturally be a goat boat, and so forth, although single-syllable answers were called Stink-Pinks, two-syllables Stinky Pinkys, and of course three-syllable rhymes were Stinkity-Pinkitys. One of my fathers favorite words to rhyme was gherkin, as in pickle. Dad thought of a loitering picklea lurkin gherkina saucy picklea smirkin gherkina busy picklea workin gherkin.(Shawn Colvin, Diamond in the Rough: A Memoir. William Morrow, 2012) How to Play Stinky Pinky This game has acquired more elegant names since I first played it as a child, but this is the name I knew . . .. The game requires two or more players. One player thinks up a rhyming pair of words and provides a verbal cluea non-rhyming definition. The other player(s) must discover the rhyming word pair. The example that comes immediately to mind from my childhood games is this one: Player A: obese feline animalPlayer B: fat cat I actually remember, at the age of seven or eight, learning the meaning of the words obese and feline in this context.The game encourages careful listening to the clue and narrowing down the possibilities for an answer, constrained by the syntax of the clue and the need to find rhyming words.(Margie Golick, Playing With Words. Pembroke, 1987) Stinky Pinkies in the 1940s Atlanta subdebs [teenage girls] have a little patois somewhat like old Pig Latin which they call Stinky Pinky. It contains words like Super-Snooper (a G-man), Flyer-Higher (an aviator), Snooty-Beauty (a debutante), Hen-Pen (a girls school), Jug-Mug (a man in jail), and Silly Filly (a young girl). (Subdebs. Life magazine, January 27, 1941) A Double Stinky Pinky A stinky pinky is a rhyming pair of words; one gives a paraphrase and the challenge is to recover the stinky pinky. I believe Paul [Halmos] is responsible for the following excellent double stinky pinky. Give a stinky pinky for an inebriated scoundrel. Answers: a drunk skunk or a plastered bastard. (Irving Kaplansky, Reminiscences. Paul Halmos: Celebrating 50 Years of Mathematics, ed. by John H. Ewing and F.W. Gehring. Springer-Verlag, 1991)

Popular Music Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s, Free Essays

Popular Music Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s, Free Essays Popular Music Popular music is: "music that is enjoyed by the largest possible audience." It includes country music, folk music, rhythm and blues ( R musical comedy, jazz, marches, rock n' roll, and ragtime. Popular music is primarily listened to by young people. In his book, Sound Effects, Simon Frith said that popular music has been about growing up, and that it has been like this since the beginning of the century.1 However, the popular music industry is based largely on the sale of records. However, popular music can also do many great things for society. Harry Belafonte once said "A funny thing happened to the world in 1985, it cared."2 In the 1980's, many benefit concerts such as Live Aid and USA for Africa were held to raise money for people who were in need of help. Other benefits such as Hands Across America and Farm Aid showed that the listeners could get involved too. Popular music reflects the outlook of the listeners of that time period. The death of friends and family members during the first world war hardened people very much and this was reflected in the lifestyle of the twenties. There was much women's suffrage during this time. People began to smoke and drink more often, and generally became more irresponsible. Jazz had much musical freedom. It represented the way many people were feeling. Not everyone was smoking and drinking too much though. Many people still continued to lead highly respectable lives. For these people were the conventional songs. The big stage musical of 1921 was 'Blossom Time' which hit song was called 'Song Of Love.' This kind of song made people happy, something that was much needed in this post- war time.3 The teenagers of the twenties, on the other hand, were said to be carefree. 'Ain't We Got Fun?' by Dick Whitings was said to be a perfect theme song for that generation.4 The young people of that time were not experiencing the same kind of grief as the slightly older people. Many things happened in the 1920's. First of all, radio was beginning to gain much power. Many things were happening in baseball. And fun- loving Ouija boards were becoming very popular. Most of the songs of the 1920's were considered proper, however there was protest over the song "If I Met The Guy Who Made This Country Dry," by Jerome- Harry ven Tilzer. There were also the conventional songs with ballads and old-fashioned waltzes. Overall, the 1920's had good songs and lyrics in popular music with much emphasis on the musical stage.6 The great depression started in the 1930's. Because of this not many people could afford to buy records. But something new emerged out of the darkness. It was the radio. People could listen all they wanted, for free. People began to stop listening to the records and depended on their trusty radio. And not only could they tune into their favorite songs, but also hear the news and other forms of entertainment. During the 1920's, at least 40 million records were sold each year. During the early 30's, about one fourth of that amount had been sold. During this time big groups of jazz musicians started to play together. It was during the swing era and was known as the Big Band era. The songs were very optimistic and could bring up the mood of the listeners, who, at this time were very depressed.7 Swing music had a very loose feeling sound. It became more popular with the popularity of the radio. Duke Ellington once said in a song "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got swing." The soloists in Duke Ellington's band were said to be "Very individualistic, playing clarinet cries, saxophone moans, and trumpet grows to his hundreds of compositions."8 One of the leaders of swing was Fletcher Henderson who organized a successful "big commercial" band. In his bands were both white and black musicians. This took away many racial tensions many people were having, by making everyone equal.9 During the thirties many people immigrated to the United States. With them they brought the music from their country. This had great influence on American music. Some immigrant composers taught music or performed in

Ice Hockey- The North American vs. The European Style of Play Essay

Ice Hockey- The North American vs. The European Style of Play - Essay Example Ice hockey is generally played indoors on rinks, which are usually 200 feet wide and 85 feet wide in North America while outside the country, the rinks are 200.13 feet long and 98.5 feet wide. These are always surrounded by fences called boards with shatterproof glass affixed on top, in order to ensure that the puck stays within the limits of the rink and does not find its way outside, where it may be harmful for the spectators. However the size of the rink does not depend upon the age of the players (like in junior and adult soccer) or on the skill involved. These rinks are partitioned into two exact halves by a red line, while blue lines are drawn at a distance of 60 feet from each goal and demarcate the end zones. The area that lies in between the blue lines is referred to as the neutral zone. At the very center of the field is a blue spot which signals the spot where the play begins when the game starts for the first time, however at a distance of about 24 feet from the boards th ere are red spots located which signal the spots from which the play re-starts after interruptions (Loftus, 2005). The rink is curved at its outer ends and a another red line appears at the point where they begin to curve and the goal is situated at the middle of this goal line. The goal itself is an iron frame that is 4 feet high and 6 feet wide and has curved bars extending down to the surface of the ice. Stretched across these bars are mesh nets and the goals are held in place by dint of short pegs that are firmly embedded in the ice. In front of the net is the crease which is a painted half circle. Within the limits of this crease, players attacking from the opponent team are not permitted to make contact with the goalie, since this would constitute a foul. In order to reduce the likelihood of injury from collision with the net, the pegs and goal posts separate, and play must be stopped mandatorily whenever a net is

Inflations in UK PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Inflations in UK - PowerPoint Presentation Example (Davies, 2012). The Inflation is stated as a percentage. For example if the CPI is 2%, it means that we now have to spend 2% more on the same goods and services than we were doing earlier. Consider the price of a Cinema Ticket. Suppose it was  £10 last year and the CPI is 2%, this means we will now have to expend  £10.2 for the tickets this year. (2% increase in price) (Davies, 2012) CPI measures the changes in prices for Consumer goods and services only, whereas RPI includes mortgage costs taxes and interest payments. CPI accounts for consumer choice as well. It formulates that with a change in price, a consumer shall move to a cheaper alternative or go for a substitute product. For example, if the price of Tea increases too much for the liking of a consumer, he may opt to consume Coffee if it is available within his price range. The Government and Bank of England use CPI and RPI to fix interest rates, if inflation is expected to rise beyond a certain level, the Government may increase interest rates in order to curb inflation. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) collects several prices of goods and services. It weighs how much we spend on the relative products every month and then these prices are combined to produce a composite index which is the Rate of Inflation. The Inflation in UK in January 2014 was recorded at 1.9%, with the average Inflation between 1989 till January 2014 being 2.8%. It recorded a High of 8.5% in April 1991 and a low of 0.5% in May 2000. (Taborda, 2104) The following table represents the history of Inflation in UK over the past decade. As we can see from this table, the highest Rate of Inflation was recorded in Sept. 2011 and Sept. 2008 at 5.2%, and the lowest at 1.1% in Oct. 2009 and March April Oct. of 2004. As we can see from the 2 graphs, controlled inflation is good for the economy. The BOE has set the benchmark for controlled inflation at 2%. At

A Man Called Horse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Man Called Horse - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in the movie, â€Å"A Man Called Horse,† produced in 1970, there is a direct correlation between living the American lifestyle and living with the Native Americans.   The ideology is one which creates divisions and contrasts that are a part of the movie and which develop a different understanding of what it means to belong to an outside culture. The concepts of â€Å"A Man Called Horse†is set in the Wild West when America was only beginning to develop and explore the territories that were a part of the country. The movie begins with a man, John Morgan, who is going to discover the land and which is interested in developing his own area of land in the West. However, on his journeys, he is captured by the Sioux and begins to be treated as one who is trapped in the culture. The transformation which John begins to go through after this comes from watching the culture and how each of the people lives and survive on the land. This is followed by his eventual integration into the culture through gaining warrior status by killing warriors of another tribe, marrying one of the women on the land and going through initiation rights to be a part of the tribe, in which he gains the name ‘horse.’ The depictions of both cultures are then shown through the overall concept while building a sense of value that is a part of the story. The concept which is used in â€Å"A Man Called Horse† begins with the ideology of showing the white man and the ways that were known in the Wild West and depicted by the main character, John. This is shown first through showing the character fishing by the water and performing the expected routines that are a part of the concepts used for settlement. This is followed by the viewpoint which is taken after John is captured. The film shows the Native Americans surrounding John and looking foreign and like outsiders. The perspective and the way in which it is seen through John’s eye s create a sense of threat and the belief that John may die.