Zen Mind Beginner free essay sample

Zen Mind, Beginner # 8217 ; s Mind Essay, Research Paper Doctrine Critical Book Review: Zen Mind, Beginner s Mind For my critical book reappraisal I chose to read, Zen Mind, Beginner s Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. Suzuki was a direct religious descendent of the great thirteenth-century Zen maestro Dogen. Suzuki was already a profoundly respected Zen maestro in Japan when he came to America in 1958 meaning on a short visit. He was really impressed by the earnestness he found among Americans interested in Zen that he became a lasting occupant in San Francisco. His following became so big that it expanded into three major locations including, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen preparation centre outside of Asia. He died at the Zen Center in December 1971 ; a twelvemonth after this book was published. I chose this book because Zen speculation is something that has interested me for a few old ages after larning briefly about it in high school. We will write a custom essay sample on Zen Mind Beginner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Zen is something that I hope to seek in the close hereafter, perchance after I visit a Zen Center when I m in California this summer. However, after reading this book I have learned that Zen is non truly something which you are supposed to seek at, you re merely supposed to make it and non believe about it. Zen Mind, is composed of three major subdivisions with many sub-categories in each subdivision to explicate the subject. Separate 1 is entitled Right Practice. In this subdivision zazen is explained to the reader. Zazen is the name for seated speculation. Separate 1 was my favourite subdivision. There are many interesting thoughts and accounts found here. In this subdivision Suzuki explains Right Practice through negotiations on position, take a breathing, control, head moving ridges, head weeds, the marrow of zen, no dualism, obeisance, and nil particular. Correct position is explained depicting full Nelumbo nucifera place. Full Nelumbo nucifera place is when your left pes is on your right thigh, and your right pes is on your left thigh. He explains that when you cross your legs in this manner even though you have a right leg and a left leg, they have become one. The place expresses the unity of dichotomy. Lotus place is complete when you have your custodies cupped resting on your l ap. It is of import that when you sit in the Nelumbo nucifera place that you maintain your back to the full straight. Suzuki says, You should non be tilted sideways, backwards, or forwards. You should be sitting directly up as if you were back uping the sky with your caput. If you slump, you will lose yourself. ( pg.26 ) Breathing is the 2nd thought touched upon by Suzuki in this subdivision. He talks about how of import it is to let your head to follow your external respiration. As you regulate your external respiration and relax, your head is easy able to unclutter of all thought and your pattern will be pure. The absence of idea is the pure facet of zazen. To make nil but exist and have a clear head is what is desired in zazen. The subdivision on bowing smitten me as really interesting. It is symbolic of the subject of unimportance seen throughout Buddhism. Suzuki provinces, Sometimes a adult male bows to a adult female ; sometimes a adult female bows to a adult male. Sometimes t he adherent bows to the maestro ; sometimes the maestro bows to the adherent. A maestro who can non bow to his adherent can non bow to Buddha. ( pg.43 ) In many faiths there is normally a supreme being, something which is worshipped and that you humble yourself towards. I have a regard for Buddhism because of its equality it preaches. Turning up as a Catholic I was ever taught to humble myself before priests ; it wasn t frequently when they would make likewise for me. It seems that there is much less of a hierarchy in Buddhism than in other faiths, which is something that entreaties to me. The last subject in this subdivision is entitled nil particular. This subdivision talks about the simpleness in which you should near zazen. Zen pattern is the direct look of our true human nature. Beneath our complicated outsides we are really simple animals. Zazen allows us to set everything around us out of our head and loosen up into a brooding province. Suzuki explains that practising zazen s hould be nil particular. It is natural and can be done as modus operandi like traveling to bed each twenty-four hours. Right Attitude is the name of the 2nd portion in, Zen Mind, Beginner s Mind. Within this portion the subdivisions are entitled, resolved manner, repeat, Zen and exhilaration, right attempt, no hint, God giving, errors in pattern, restricting your activity, survey yourself, to smooth a tile, stability, communicating, negative and positive, nirvana, the waterfall. In this portion Suzuki explains the type of attitude you should hold when practising zazen. The subdivision on right attempt negotiations about the type of attempt you should set when practising zazen. Suzuki says, seek non to see something in peculiar ; seek non to accomplish anything particular. You already have everything in your ain pure quality. ( pg.59 ) Suzuki explains that to pattern omega azen you shouldn t attempt to concentrate on anything in peculiar, instead, seek non to concentrate on anything at all. To hold right attempt is to non set attempt into practising ; merely making is the end here. The subdivision after right attempt is entitled no hint. It is a good compliment to compensate attempt because it displays the subject of dichotomy that is ever re-emerging throughout Buddhism. No hint explains how to pattern zazen. In right attempt, Suzuki said non to seek anything when practising zazen, but here he says, When you pattern zazen you should make it with your whole organic structure and head, you should be concentrated on what you do. Make it wholly, like a good balefire burns its firewood. ( pg.62 ) The thought in this subdivision is to go forth no hint of yourself in any other activity than what you are making ( zazen ) . Suzuki explains that when we do something our head is cluttered with other things and our focal point is non complete. There are hints of others things on our head. The following subdivision on restricting your activity was besides really good. This subdivision spoke on how zazen is for everyone. It s non reserved for Buddhists entirely. Suzuki says, our pattern is for everyone, it has nil to make with some peculiar spiritual belief. ( pg.75 ) The cosmopolitan nature of zazen is explained in this portion and why everyone can pattern zazen. One last subdivision that I found interesting in this portion was the subdivision on stability. Constancy reminds us to, cultivate our ain liquors, ( pg.83 ) everything we need is within us. Suzuki speaks a spot on the importance of the sutras. The sutras he explains are simply a usher, something that points you in the right way. It s up to you to happen what you want in them. A instructor can merely learn so much to a pupil, the pupil has to come to his or her ain decisions on what they feel. Part 3 is called Right Understanding. It includes subdivisions on traditional Zen spirit, transience, the quality of being, naturalness, emptiness, preparedness, heedfulness, believing in nil, attachment/non-attachment, composure, experience/not doctrine, original Buddhism, beyond consciousness, and Buddha s enlightenment. Transience was the first subdivision in this portion that I truly enjoyed. This subdivision echoed the thought of impermanency that we ve learned this semester. The self-nature of all being is nil but alteration itself. ( pg.102 ) Suzuki explains transience as the basic instruction of Buddhism, alteration. The instructions of Zen aren t concrete and stiff, they are meant for you to happen your ain way. Suzuki besides did a chapter on the ever-important subject of emptiness. Suzuki provinces, If you want to understand Buddhism it is necessary to understand the thought of emptiness. ( pg.110 ) The Buddhist apprehension of life includes being and non-existence. We hav e learned these thoughts in our category this semester, nevertheless, the accounts in this book by Suzuki are hard to understand in some parts. The thought of being is surely a hard one to explicate, non to take away from what he wrote. I found this book as a whole really interesting. There were some subjects that we haven Ts discussed in category that were in this book which gave me a better apprehension of subjects we have discussed. For illustration, Transiency helped me understand emptiness better. The manner that Suzuki went through Zen Mind and zazen consistently helped me understand these hard constructs. Suzuki goes through each specific facet and gives metaphors and anecdotes to explicate these better. This technique was really effectual. The subdivision entitled survey yourself I found to be really good written and interesting. Suzuki says here, To hold some deep feeling about Buddhism is non the point ; we merely do what we should make, like eating supper and traveling to bed. This is Buddhism. ( pg.76 ) Most faiths call for you to make certain things and live a certain manner ( Ten Commandments ) . Buddhism wants you to analyze yourself and turn as an person. The thing that entreaties to me here is that other faiths seem to desire you to be portion of a corporate whole and wear t push for the individualism that Buddhism does. As a college pupil I found that I could associate to some of the things that Shunryu Suzuki spoke on in this book. Geting through college is non an easy undertaking. The focal point that is built-in in many of the Zen accomplishments I feel I apply to my ain life at times when I m analyzing for multiple trials and run intoing hard deadlines. In college there are many enticements to follow what is traveling on around you ; there are ever people that are traveling to seek to convey you down. Sing the world of things and maintaining a strong head merely as Zen Teachs are tools that I apply to my ain life as a pupil. I found many of the instructions in this book new and interesting. I didn t find anything that I could state I didn Ts like, It s all new to me and I m merely get downing to larn it, at this clip I can t be so judgmental.

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma When it comes to biographies of famous people, there is hardly a single detail of a celebrity’s that goes unnoticed by the crowd, yet there is an obvious and nonetheless strange gap of knowledge concerning the rest of the family members or the celebrity’s closest relatives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is as if all famous people were manufactured right before they gained world recognition and had no relative attached. The same can be said about Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, known as Woody Guthrie, an American folk singer-songwriter. However, despite his family was not as famous as him, Charles and Nora Guthrie deserve just as much respect. One of the most fascinating things about Woody Guthrie’s family was that each of its members had a very unique personality and the features of character, which, quite honestly, would, probably, be completely incompatible in any other person. As the existing records say, Woody’s father, who was known among the neighbors and his fellow citizens as a politician, taught his son the charm and secrets of the Indian and Scottish music. Other sources, however, point at other influences that Charles Guthrie had on his son, some of them leaving much to be desired. For example, it is a notorious fact that Charles Guthrie was a racist and that his son supported his political viewpoint (Kinchen). However, there are other peculiar facts that even this sad bit of information out. For instance, the notorious fire, which gave Charles Guthrie severe burns, left a truly shocking impression on his son; as Woody Guthrie would say later on, this event would make him appreciate more not only the people whom he was close to, but also what these people shared with them. Thus, Woody’s fascination with music began owing not as much to his father’s stories, as t o the chain of events that led woody to appreciating these stories.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the obvious strong influence of Charles Guthrie, Woody’s mother, Nora also changed her son’s life considerably with her passion for art and the willingness to share this passion with him. Unfortunately, Woody found out very soon – in fact, too soon, for a young child, – that his mother was suffering from a terminal disease, known as Huntington’s syndrome. Allowing Woody to understand how fleeting the moments of sharing love with his parents are, the boy’s first acquaintance with the fact of inevitable death, which sooner or later attacks anyone, including his closest relatives, his relationship with his mother can also be considered as an important factor in defining Woody’s further life and the ideas that he would commu nicate through his songs. These relationships between Woody and his mother, however, turned even complicated as the boy realized that the disease, which his mother was suffering from, affected their relationships greatly, seeing how it changed his mother irreversibly. Though it was not proven completely, it was believed that the fire mentioned above was set by Woody’s mother during one of her fits (Reineke 7). The impressions that shaped Woody Guthrie’s vision and talent of a musician were not restricted to the influence of his parents, though. Apart from his loving, though definitely not quite happy, parents, Woody also built very close relationships with his uncle, which would later on be reprinted not only in his songs, but also the way in which the musician would write his songs. Jeff Guthrie not only taught young Woody how to play the guitar, but also supported him in his darkles days, helping him get over the tragic death of his parents and the fact that his fami ly was literally falling apart. As for Jeff being the influence for Woody as a future musician, it will be reasonable to admit that at this point, the future folk star needed not spiritual guidance in his search for the music that he wanted to play – it was pretty much clear by then that Woody was into folk – but learning how to play the instrument. This was when Jeff’s old guitar came in handy; thrown aside when Jeff no longer had time for getting in contact with his artistic side, it was finally put to practice. Guthrie started learning to play the instrument and started performing, slowly starting to understand that his hobby was more than a fad.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When watching Woody cross the threshold of his house, Jeff could hardly think of who his nephew was going to become pretty soon, as w ell as what part he would play in this transformation (Sanders). The parents of a musician who made folk and country music a complete craze in the USA, Charles and Nora Guthrie might not have been as well-known as their son, but they surely led very decent and nonetheless interesting lives. In addition, it is obvious that Woody’s siblings have also contributed to his vision and shaping of his personality, which would later on be reflected in his songs. Inspired by his outstanding, though inordinately modest, family, Woody had all rights to be proud of not only the long way that he went through, but also of the people who helped him to start his journey. Kinchen, David M. Book Review: â€Å"Woody Guthrie, American Radical† Explores Transformation of Legendary Oklahoma-Born Singer Famous for â€Å"This Land Is Your Land.† n. d. Web. Reineke, Hank. Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. 2012. Print. Sanders, Craig. Ten Facts: Woody Gu thrie’s Childhood. 9 Apr. 2009. Web.

Violence Against Women And Girls Research Paper

Violence Against Women And Girls - Research Paper Example Modern societies are still learning to know how to treat the modern sophisticated woman who is financially independent and also academically competitive. Even though these women are financially and economically as well as intellectually competitive at the same level with men, they still face a lot of issues which limit how much they can achieve in their societies. One of the most obvious results of women sexualization issues and how it is related to gender violence is the way in which women are treated in most Islamic societies. In Saudi Arabia, women are prohibited by law from participating in such activities which are only thought to be meant for men, such as driving an automobile. This is an issue which has led to a lot of controversy in the world. In the year 2013, women in Saudi Arabia demonstrated against a law passed prohibiting them from driving. In Indonesia, women demonstrated in the streets while wearing short skirts in the demonstration of the increasing rape cases in Ind onesia. In the east, women are forced to wear very heavily so that they hide her femininity while in the west social pressures may force a woman to wear revealing clothes because they are judged by how they look. Gender violence has remained to be a major challenge of the 21st century, mainly because it is supported by many traditions and attitudes in many societies. To be able to deal with this gender violence, it will be necessary to overcome these barriers and make sure that women are viewed in a different way.

U07d2 Reimbursement Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U07d2 Reimbursement Reform - Essay Example The National Quality Forum is a nonprofit organization that brings to sight the measurement issues from the health care spectrum (Mattie, 2008). The Centre for Medicaid and Medicare arrived a conclusion that there would not be any reimbursements for the events and this led to a number of debates in the industry. The main intension of this decision was to help improve the safety of the patients and also to improve the overall quality of the healthcare systems. The intension was that if no reimbursements were to be provided to the hospitals for these errors then there would be more care and attention that is given and thereby better practices in the healthcare. The hospitals were getting paid excessively and the doctors were been seen to become more and more irresponsible and careless. Take for instance, if the doctors made an error and the patient required to go through another treatment for the rectification of the error, the doctor would be paid for both. In order to meet up to the current events in the health care and to ensure that doctors were accountable for their actions, the CMS brought in the initiative and the pay would not be given to the doctors in case of errors (DerGurahian, 2010). The initiative was followed by the insurers as well and newer and more versions were developed to ensure that the ‘never events’ were not paid for. This initiative has led the hospitals and the health care organizations to work harder to ensure bettered and more responsible behavior from the doctors and all people within the hospitals. There have been several insurers which have also agreed to withhold the payments even if a single error was to be conducted during the procedures. The basic reason why this initiative was taken is one which is very helpful, as if any error or event was to happen and was not supposed to happen, and then it was incorrect for the healthcare to

A Case Study On Aspergers Syndrome Education Essay

A Case Study On Aspergers Syndrome Education Essay The Aspergers Syndrome is a mild form of autism which is seen in children of school bearing age. Yet since it is a mild form of the neurobiological disorder, some children who are suffering from Aspergers Syndrome are enrolled in mainstream classroom in order to interact with other children without the disability. This research will disclose how a child who is suffering from Aspergers Syndrome might react into the learning development when they are exposed with other students. Over the years it has been noticed that it is not always in the best interests of children with Aspergers Syndrome, a mild form of autism to be working in groups in a mainstream classroom for their social development. Yet recent studies show that incorporating Aspergers children in mainstream schools might be able to help the childs social development. Those children whose needs are not at the severe end of the spectrum disorder were successfully included in mainstream schools and were able to cope accordingly. There will be a need for flexibility and recognition that the child may need some approaches different to those used for other learners. These techniques and practices will be disclosed in the latter parts of the paper. Currently the writer is working with a child who was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Though the child displays a mild form of autism, the child was enrolled in a mainstream school. Due to this, the researcher would want to determine how a mainstream classroom would be able to support this child. According to Downshen (2010), there are few facilities which specialises in providing the special needs of children diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Some of the children with this disorder were placed in mainstream schools, and their development would depend greatly upon the support and encouragement they can receive from parents, teachers, caregivers, and peers. For those other families, they prefer to place their children in a specialised institution for those with learning disabilities or autism. Many people with Aspergers Syndrome can function accordingly in most aspects, so the condition does not limit a childs development and success in academic and social standing. They will still be able to cope and learn as well as their peers in the classroom (ibid). Accordingly, in a study conducted by Epp (2008), she has indicated that kids with Aspergers Syndrome can still excel in mainstream classrooms and be enrolled in public schools. Since some schools do not accept children who have violent and screening behaviors, there is an instrument being used by schools to determine the verbal and cognitive skills of children. This tool will be discussed in detail in the latter parts of the study. Aspergers Syndrome is named after Hans Asperger, a paediatrician who first described the behaviour patterns which defines the illness. In 1940s, most of Aspergers patients who were suffering from the condition were males. Though they had normal language development and intelligence, the boys were impaired in their social skills, and have poor motor skills and coordination, as well as inefficient when communicating with other peers (Downshen, 2010). The illness was then diagnosed as a mild form of autism by the Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States. Most patients who suffer from the illness are children in the ages of 3 to 9 (Ibid). It is characterized by displaying poor social interactions, odd speech patterns, obsessive behaviours, and other unusual mannerisms in the age group of the child. Medical practitioners and educational staff were able to determine who among the children displays Aspergers Syndrome since sufferers have limited facial expressions and some were known to be obsessive in their routines. A small change in routine might set a tantrum, wherein the child would have unusual sensitivity to given sensory stimuli, such as sensing a bright light which the other kids are not able to see, and hearing a high-pitched sound which was unheard by other children. According to Downshen (2010), most children with Aspergers Syndrome were able to function and cope normally in daily activities. Aside from some odd behaviors and being socially immature, there are few other indicators that a child might be suffering from the illness. A child with Aspergers Syndrome might have motor delays, limited interests which would depend on routines, clumsiness, and unusual preoccupations. They tend to be aloof from other children with no social understanding of their actions. When they enter adulthood, they would have difficulty in demonstrating empathy for their peers, as well as be socially unable to relate to their peers. Some say that the disease lasts a lifetime with no immediate cures, yet the symptoms could wane over time, and early detection of the disease could help the child development in the areas wherein they need support (ibid). Similarly, Aspergers Syndrome is a part of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders are a wide-range of developmental disabilities which includes but are is not limited to autism and other neurobiological disorders with similar characteristics and symptoms (ibid).The term spectrum disorders is made in such a way that symptoms are similar with each other, and though there different combinations of such symptoms, the degree of the illnesses severity could be on completely opposing sides. For example, two children might be diagnosed with the same neurobiological disorder, yet they might display different coping mechanisms and speeches. One might be extremely intelligent in academic works, but lacking in coordination skills in sports, whilst the other might be extremely gifted in physical activities, yet have a hard time coping with academic reports. There is a wide range of skills and abilities which could affect a child who is suffering from spectrum disorders (ibid). The study will only focus on the autism behaviour of Aspergers Syndrome, which is a mild form of autism. The researcher will not include studies and references for other forms of behaviours, and is limited on the study for AS only. The researcher does not wish to find a cure for the disorder, but aims to determine how to help children with AS be able to cope properly in mainstream classrooms without compromising their ability to learn. The research will focus on one case study of a boy with AS whom the researcher is currently working with. This boy is enrolled in a mainstream school and a mainstream classroom, both of which information will not be disclosed for the sake of keeping the boys personality and the schools name anonymous. The researcher does not wish to make the boy and the school as inanimate objects of the study, but would rather use them as a means of gathering information for the general welfare of children with AS. Lastly, the research will not include other documented cases of AS aside from the case study, except for references sake for the literature review. The educational instructors and practitioners in the said school will be interviewed for their opinions about the behaviour of the boy, and how he is able to cope in the mainstream school with his peers of the same age. The final format of this paper will contain six chapters. The first chapter is for the introduction, wherein the basics of the research would be disclosed. The Introduction would also contain the research questions and objectives. This would be followed by the second chapter which is the literature review which will inform the readers of what are articulately known today about the topic. All literatures which will be reviewed will be followed by the researchers narratives, explanations and opinions about them about the information they contain. There would be a confidentiality agreement between the participants of the case study, interviews, and other participants in the study. Before the start of the case study, the researcher will ask for the permission of parents and caregivers of the peers and classmates of the boy with AS. These caregivers and parents might have qualms about involving their children in such a study, but there could also be those who would willingly give their children the chance to be involved in such a complex study which could help children with AS in the future. After gaining the permission of the caregivers of children, the researcher will then set up the period of case study for the child with AS, and his educational providers and instructors. The researcher would establish the environment and basics of the case study, and will prepare all the needed materials to create a holistic environment. Finally, the researcher would give all educational instructors and participants their own forms for confidentiality agreement. They would be assured that their personal information will not be disclosed to any third party, and all results of the study would be purely academic. 3.8 Data Collection Methods Both primary and secondary data methodologies would be utilized in this research. The following would be the sources of data and information: 3.8.1 Primary Data All the primary data would be gathered from the primary sources of information of the researcher. These methodologies would be comprised of the case study, observation, and interviews with concerned individuals such as primary caregivers, parents, peers, and teachers of the child. They will be asked and gauged according to their proximity with the topic, as well as their experiences in coordinating with the child with AS. The primary data will also be taken from the researchers observation of the participants. These observations would be able to say a lot about the details of the research such as the credibility of their narratives and experiences. They will be asked about their experiences, and the researcher would be able to see how accurate their responses are based on their facial expressions and reasoning. 3.8.2 Secondary Data The secondary data would be derived from the contextual analysis to be done by the researcher. The researcher would perform a thorough and diverse investigation of the topic about recently published materials and articles for the line of research. The author would also indicate which among the materials are the most relevant to the study. 3.9 Conclusion The researcher would be an explanatory research with the interpretative approach which would be used to explain how the boy is coping up in a mainstream situation, as well as accurately interpret the situations and consequences of what the case study. After thoroughly explaining the researchs methodologies, the researcher have clarified the following: Case study the case study would be used in order to observe the child from his natural environment and how he is coping in a mainstream classroom for normal children. By having the case study, the researcher would be able to actively comprehend how practitioners could provide the child with adequate care for his situation. Observation the researcher would use the power of observation, such as observation sheets and narratives which would be compiled and scrutinized upon completion of the materials and data. Interviews people with close ties to the child would be interviewed for their intervention and advices about the topic, as well as how the child copes in an everyday setting. Contextual analysis by using this research method, the researcher would be able to understand how other experienced individuals have dealt with the research topic. These methods would help the research determine how working in a mainstream classroom will support a child with Aspergers Syndrome. He will also be gauged based on his ability to cope with other children who do not have neurobehavioral disorder, and how his learning in the classroom impacts the learning of other people. The researchs aims would be closely tied with the research methodologies. The data would be analyzed in a timely and accurate manner. The researcher would only focus on one child with Aspergers Syndrome, and focus on how he is coping and what are his needs in a mainstream environment. Doing such will keep the research accurate and valid. The narratives of other involved people would be judged according to their reactions and based on the observation, which would be based on how they react and answer questions. With the researcher asking in such close proximity, there would be little room for untruthful narratives.

Pretty Little Liars Book Review

ENG2D1-03 22 April 2013 Pretty Little Liars The book I have chosen to do a review on will be on the New York Times best-seller novel written by Sara Shepard Pretty Little Liars. Pretty Little Liars is a drama/mystery book that was released in 2006 and has since then had rave reviews and been produced into a television series that is ongoing. The theme of the book is all about your secrets and how they can come back to haunt you and how they play an important role in your life.I choose to do this book because after watching the spin-off into a television series I was intrigued and curious on how it would differ from the television show. My first impression was â€Å"Wow! This is way better than the TV show† because of the little details added and the mesmerizing words I was baffled and fascinated on how the book would end. In the book Pretty Little Liars there are four main protagonists which are Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields, and Spencer Hastings and an antagonist â€Å"A†. This book all revolves around their struggles, love life, and primarily the secrets they have.To begin, I will talk about Aria Montgomery a bohemian hipster that likes vintage clothing and has an artsy personality. Montgomery is a resilient teenage girl because she has gone through the affair of her father and her family issues at home. The author states, â€Å"Before he could answer, Aria shot out of the car, blood rushing in her eyes. How was she supposed to be Icelandic Aria, who left the past behind, if one of her worst memories of Rosewood kept bubbling to the surface. † (Shepard, 100) Indeed, this quote reflects Aria’s hardship but also fitting in did not come easy for her.For example, Aria was constantly looked at as an unordinary person for her pink highlights and stuffed pig named Pigtunia when she was on adolescent. The author states, â€Å"Not only was she talking to a cute, smart guy about Europe but, this might be the only guy in Rosewoo d who didn’t know her as Aria – the weird friend of the pretty girl who vanished. † (Shepard, 39) Obviously, this quote reflects Aria’s life before she went to Finland and how she’s been forgotten. The second protagonist I will be talking about is Hanna Marin a confident girl that trives to be popular and never go back to how she used to be. Hannah is very insecure about her appearance and struggles with both bulimia and anorexia. For instance, whenever Hanna eats out of impulse she soon regrets it and makes herself feel as if she’s going to morph into her seventh-grade overweight self again. The author states, â€Å"Hanna was amazed how, even though it had been years since she’d done this, everything felt the exact same. Her stomach ached, her pants felt tight, and all she wanted was to be rid of what was inside her. (Shepard, 122) This quote proves Hanna’s struggle with her appearance is real but it did not come from herself it came from Alison’s constant teasing and always wanting to make her proud. For example, Hanna often wishes Alison could have seen how popular and how she’s transformed to today just for self-satisfaction. The author proclaims, â€Å"But the biggest thing Ali missed? Hanna’s makeover, of course – and it was such a bummer she had. † (Shepard, 46) This evidently confirms Hanna’s ambition to make Alison proud as she tries to appear how Alison used to look like.The next protagonist I will be talking about is Spencer Hastings the ambitious, extremely intelligent girl that has a rivalry with her perfect older sister. Spencer is an extremely competitive girl that is willing to do whatever it takes to win. For example, sometimes she will flirt with her sister’s boyfriend and even kiss them just to get back at her sister. The author states, â€Å"She’d merely wanted to flirt – Ian was wasting all his hotness on her plain vanill a, goody-two-shoes sister-so she gave Ian a peck goodbye on the cheek.But when he pressed her up against his passenger door, she didn’t try to run away. † (Shepard, 57) Another thing is Spencer is often quick to jump to conclusion For example, when Andrew Campbell asked her about how she’s doing since Melissa’s home she automatically thought he was the person who wrote her the email â€Å"A†. The author proclaims, â€Å"What if†¦ what if Andrew was the one skulking around spying on her? What if Andrew wrote the creepy â€Å"covet† email? Andrew was so competitive it seemed possible. † (Shepard, 144) Thus proving Spencer usually assumes something without looking at the big picture.The last protagonist is Emily Fields a dedicated swimmer that has a kind personality. The author states, â€Å"She was nearly a straight-A, four-time state champion butterflyer and a hyper-obedient daughter. † (Shepard, 100) Emily also tends to wan t things she cannot have (i. e. Maya) her being bisexual was forbidden so they kept quiet and did not say anything. The disappearance and later announced death of Alison impacted her greatly as she found it hard to love again and share her feelings this is Emily’s character.The antagonist of the novel is â€Å"A† an unknown identity that knows all the girls secrets and manipulates them to do whatever they want. With â€Å"A† not only does this person know secrets about the past that only Alison knew but also the present as well. I believe â€Å"A† is very smart because they never leave a trace or clue behind making them very sneaky. For example, when Hanna had got arrested for stealing and also the time she crashed Sean’s car the only person else who knew and was with her was Mona so how did â€Å"A† get a hold of the information.The author states, â€Å"She checked the note’s address again, but it was just a mess of letters and numb ers. † (Shepard, 96) This proves that â€Å"A† is highly intelligent because she makes sure when sending the ‘liars’ a text her name/addressed cannot be traced. These are the characters in the novel Pretty Little Liars. This book takes place in numerous settings in Rosewood Pennsylvania. There is Maya’s former Alison DiLaurentis’ house, the Kahn’s annual party and the AP English class that they are all in. With Alison’s old house Emily reminisces a lot and feels her presence in a way.The author states, â€Å"The first thing she saw when she pulled up to Alison’s old Victorian Home at the top of the leafy street was a huge pile of trash on the curb and a big sign marked, FREE! † This gives us an understanding on how Alison’s old home looked like. *** The main setting is AP English class with Mr. Fitz (Ezra). In here we get a sense of forbidden love between the both of them. For example, even though they cannot be together Aria still tries. The author states, â€Å"But this isn’t meant to be, you know? ‘Cause, well, you’re my student. I could get in a lot of trouble.You don’t want me to get in trouble, do you? † (Shepard, 103) I think it was an excellent and professional way of Ezra showing Aria they cannot be together. Although there is tender awkwardness in the atmosphere between her and the class because of â€Å"the fly† incident I think the student –teacher barrier should not go any further. These are the settings in the book and how they affect the characters. Pretty Little Liars is a book that talks about forbidden love but primarily secrecy. It seems like everyone in Rosewood is in love with someone they cannot have. There is Aria and her English teacher Mr.Fitz, Spencer and her sister’s boyfriend Wren, Emily and her bisexual friend Maya, and lastly Hanna and the guy of her dreams Sean who always rejects her. In the beginning of the book it starts off with Alison’s disappearance during a sleepover the summer before eighth grade and jumps three years later to a time where the girls have grown apart and live their separate lives. Alison was friends with the exclusive group of girls she was vindictive, manipulative and what you would call the â€Å"queen-bee† of the pack. Before the disappearance, of their beloved friend the ‘liars’ lives were oh so different.Aria was known as the â€Å"odd-ball† of Rosewood, Emily was still a passionate swimmer but had at the time secret feelings for Alison, Hanna was an overweight nerd that strived to be like Alison, and Spencer was still the over-achieve but was the only brave enough to stand up to Alison. The ‘liars’ are a junior in high school now and the disappearance of their old friend has been forgotten about. Suddenly all of the ‘liars’ begin receiving text messages from â€Å"A† an anonymous perso n that knows all of their secrets and stuff from the past.

Yonanas Competitive Trends

Competitive Trends Each of these companies share a common target market with Yonana’s. This target market is a middle-aged adult who is trying to eat healthy, exercise more, and live an easier more efficient life. Product Competitors: Blendtec Blendtec is a company out of Orem, Utah that specializes in blending. They strive to achieve new and better ways of building machines that improve the quality of life as well as set new standards1. They started a YouTube channel called Will It Blend, which features their blenders blending up items such as IPhones, IPads, marbles, and even fun items such as a vuvuzela.Their blenders are extremely expensive, but are claimed to be the best blenders in the world. They range from 384. 95 all the way up to a hefty 1034. 95. You can find these blenders in-stores at Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Their online retailers include blendtec. com, amazon. com, QVC. com, and everythingkitchens. com. The parent company of Blen dtec is K-Tec who is a private company and does not release financial information. Magic BulletThe magic bullet is brought to you by Homeland Houseware, which specializes in creating household appliances that make life easier2. Homeland Houseware is a division of Alchemy Worldwide, which is a private company and does not release financial information4. The magic bullet is used a handheld product chopper, whether you’re chopping onions for dinner, or fruit for an in-between meal snack. The price range on magic bullets vary from 49. 99 to 65. 99 depending on where you are shopping.The stores that the magic bullet can be found in are Macy’s, Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Online retailers include buythebullet. com, amazon. com, buy. com, and QVC. com. Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Makers Cuisinart is a company based out of Stamford, Connecticut. They were founded in 1971 and are owned by Conair6. They claim that innovative culinary tools are their signature 3. They hold many prestigious design awards for many different types of items. They carry 4 different models of their frozen yogurt and ice cream makers.The prices range from 59. 95 to 299. 00 depending on which model is chosen. Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Makers can be found in stores at Kohl’s, Lowe’s, and Target. Their online retailers include Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Bloomingdales, Cooking. com, JCP, Sears, Macy’s, HSN, and many more. Zoku Zoku is a private group of individuals who like to design things that again, make life easier. Their competitive advantage is that they have intelligent designing and engineering. Their patented Quick Pop Maker freezes different flavors of juice into a Popsicle.They have 10 different product categories, which include the Quick Pop Maker, Duo Pop maker, Zoku tools, Zoku storage, recipe books, sets of Zoku sticks, and a few others. Their online retailers include Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, Newegg, and Wa lmart. The prices of their Quick Pop Maker range from 24. 95 to 49. 95 depending on where you shop. JJ Snack Foods JJ Snack Foods is a public manufacturing company out of Pennsauken, New Jersey. They are sold in snack bars and food stands in chain and department stores, as well as convenience and discount stores.The products they sell are Pretzels, ICEE frozen treats, churros, funnel cakes, cookies, Italian ice, and frozen juice bars made from real fruit. JJ Snack Foods is a competitor because they take sales away from Healthy Foods with the sale of their frozen juice bars. They were founded in 1971. This company posts quarterly annual reports on their website and grossed a quarterly amount of 23,326. 00 from April 2012-June 20128. They also post annual reports, in which states that total sales for 2011 were 744,071. 009.