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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Finance and Accounting Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Accounting Problem - Essay Example Bank interest is deducted at source at the rate of 20%. Therefore, they cannot be included as taxable income. Depreciation reflects how fixed assets of business reduce in value through wear and tear. However, depreciation is just an accounting concept with nothing to do with taxation. Depreciation can be manipulated and taxmen do not recognize it as an allowable tax. Instead, annual capital allowance is computed. Vehicle of businesses have a standard rate of 25% on a reducing balance. In April 2008, Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) of ?50,000 per annum was introduced. This allowed business entities to spend ?50,000 annually and claim the full cost against tax. For Sam’s case, the tax written down value for the car in 2012 is ?6,750. According to the tax law in the UK the capital allowance on the car is the lower of 25% of the written down value of the car or ?3000 each year. ... 234.00 Add Car Tax (178 g/km) ? 210.00 Less those form charity ? 100.00    ? 31,542.08 Notes PAYE tax and NIC thresholds are ?7,475 and ?7,225 per year respectively. Table 3- Computation of PAYE Income   Rate   Amount Amount ?7,475.00 ?35,000.00 20% ?27,525.00 ? 5,505.00 ?35,001.00 ?80,771.25 40% ?45,770.25 ? 18,308.10   Total ?23,813.10 Table 4- Computation National Insurance Contribution (Sam is categorized as in class 4) Income   Rate   Amount Amount ?7,225.00 ?42,475.00 9% ?35,250.00 ? 3,172.50 ?42,476.00 ?80,771.25 11% ?38,295.25 ?4,212.48 Total ?7,384.98 The dividends paid as tax was 32.5% of ?720=?234 Car tax for a car producing 178 g/km CO2 is ? 210.00. Contribution to charity is computed taking into consideration that Sam declared that he is UK’s tax payer. Therefore, Sam has to be refunded some money, which is computed as follows. The amount to be refunded = ?400? ((40-20) ?80) = ?100 Question 3 Table 5- Sam’s Income Tax and National Insurance Comp utation for 2011/12 if he is classified as an employee of West London Ltd. Add PAYE ?22,303.12 Add NIC class 1D ? 11174.06 Add taxable dividends ?234.00 Add Car Tax (178 g/km) ?210.00 Income tax ? 3,477.18 Notes Table 6- Taxable income Item Amount Basic Salary ? 76,996.31 Benefits 0   Taxable income ? 76,996.31 Table 7- PAYE computation Income Amount Used Rate Amount ?7475.00 ?35000.00 ?27525.00 20% ?5505.00 ?35001.00 ?76996.31 ?41995.31 40% ?16798.12 Total PAYE    ?22303.12 Sam earns higher income and will be paid ?90,000 annually inclusive of National Insurance Contributions. No reimbursement for any travelling or accommodation when away from home on branch visits and no refund for trade subscription and reference materials. Mileage payments for business travel. The mileage expenses are qualifying amounts

Monday, October 28, 2019

Hewlett-Packard Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hewlett-Packard Swot Analysis Essay Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational hardware and software corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. (from Wikipedia) And HP product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, printers and imaging products. At the same time, HP markets products to household, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. HP’s mission statement is that to provide product, services and solution of highest quality and deliver more value to our customers that earn their respect and loyalty. We can see that HP really concern about consumers’ satisfactions from their mission. On Fortune 500, HP ranks 10 in 2012 and ranked 11 in 2011. SWOT analysis tool provides a structure for analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses of an organization, any external opportunities and threats it faces. Band name can be a strength for HP which will make people think good quality. Also , HP provides wide range of innovative products which attract many people to use their products. And HP don’t use other companies’ technologies, they develop their own hardware and software. It can benefit HP because HP will be not limited by other companies. At the same time, HP’s sales are very high. They use different kinds of ways to promote products, like web technology, advertisement and so on. In financial part, HP has robust financials which contains low debt. In addition, HP also has weaknesses. The first one is that no aggressive investment in research and development. No innovative technology and products will be developed. As a hardware and software corporation, HP must increase the investment in RD to keep pace with the development of technology. No good people retention policies and weak controls are taken by HP. Only with good managers, technicists and workers can a company succeed. The external environment consists of opportunities and threats. Firstly, we discuss the opportunities. With the development of the economy, HP has expended their retailed stores for customer convenience. Customers have easier access to the HP product. Also, the software and hardware of computer and cell phone are very popular and are developed quickly. The threats are very huge because many competitors are appearing, such as Dell, Lenovo and Acer. The competitor’s technology and pricing force HP to innovate their technologies and to take many measures to low price. HP also has less coverage than competitor and low compatibility with non-HP product..

Saturday, October 26, 2019

fidel castro :: essays research papers

Fidel Castro was born near Mayari Cuba in 1926. In 1950, he graduated from the University of Havana with a law degree and opened a law office with two partners. Two years later he ran for election to the Cuban House of Representatives. The elections were never carried out because then dictator Fulgencio Batista halted them and ended democracy in Cuba. This was perhaps, the defining moment in Castro's life. As a result of Batista's action, Castro assembled a small force and attacked the Moncada Army Barracks in Santiago de Cuba on July 26. Castro was captured and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. In 1955, however, Batista released him. Castro immediately went into exile in Mexico where he began to train a group of revolutionaries called the 26th of July Movement. In December 1956, Castro's forces invaded Cuba. The rebels suffered losses, but many were able to escape to the Sierra Maestra, a mountain range in southeast Cuba. From there, Castro was able to direct his revolution. Over the next two years, he gained increasing support from the Cuban people and on January 1, 1959, Batista fled the country. Shortly after Castro took control of the government, relations with the United States declined. In 1960, he took over U.S. oil refineries in Cuba. The United States then stopped buying Cuban sugar and Castro responded by taking over all U.S. businesses in Cuba. Angered by Castro's actions, President Kennedy, authorized an attempt to overthrow the Cuban dictator in 1961, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. The invasion failed but made Castro wary of another U.S. attempt. Consequently, when Khrushchev offered to place nuclear missiles in Cuba, he agreed. Castro's role in the crisis differs greatly from the other two leaders. Once he decided to accept the missiles, he lost control over their fate. Castro was merely a pawn in the international chess match and Cuba was merely a playing field. Neither Castro nor Cuba were of great international importance. The missile confrontation could have taken place anywhere in the world, unfortunately for the Cuban people, it occurred on their island.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

PLC

The main stages of the product life yes are: Start Up – introductory phase of a lunch of a product Growth -? new entrance are attracted into the market Turbulence – where increasing product capacity result in overcapacity, and then turmoil in the market resulting in shakeout Maturity -where demand and supply in balance Decline – where the market is saturation and therefore replacement or new product development is required. Start up When proton first launched their product in the market there's lots of uncertainty from consumer during that time. Since it's new, there's no guarantee of the success of the brand.Start-up phase is where allocation of trust needs to be in consumers mind because Proton was facing great competition with famous, successful car brand out there. Competing with these is not easy. Since proton already know about the market environment and their competitors Proton was smart, to segment their Proton brand to economy or affordable car market. S ales of proton during this phase was low due failure to meet demand in the market. Growth The successful launch and introduction of the Xerox, the first truly Malaysian MAP in 2009, helped to improve the total production volume from 157,643 nits to 173,057 units.Although it is new, the Xerox alone has contributed to 20% of the total volume in its first year of production, a testament of its high demand. In July 2010, the new Xerox Special edition was launched and continued to capture the MAP segment with its enhanced styling and product specification. The Saga will also be upgraded by having a two phase facilitate, the first facilitate targeted in November 201 0 with minor appearance modification and a second involving an engine upgrade in 201 1. This facilitate is planned despite its continuing streak of high bookings.In fact in the last financial year, the Saga was a best seller several times for the Malaysian automobile market; due to its impressive selling points of consistent q uality, value for money and reliability. The launch of the Persona ‘Elegance' in March 2010 is another example of PROTON's commitment to continuously improve its products. The Elegance is equipped with better specifications including a bit ACE which means increased functionality, better engine performance and increased diagnostic capabilities.These combined with an enhanced stylish body kit, alloy rims and interior trim leather makes the Elegance a much sought after car in its class. We expect the Elegance to continue its reign as one of the top revenue generating models in our stable. Efforts to improve productivity and quality remain a core focus within the Manufacturing Division. Quality levels improved in 2009, and with the increase in production volume, we are also taking steps to raise our productivity index. In term of market shares, the company's market share later grew to 65% in 1987.Proton maintained a majority market share in the following years, which peaked in 199 3 at 74% with over 94, 100 units sold. Turbulence The financial year 2009/2010 has been a challenging yet exciting year for proton. They started cautiously in the wake of the drastic market slowdown due to the 2008 global economic crisis. This had severely affected the automotive industry domestically and globally. Market analysts had originally forecasted an 1 1% decline in total industry volume growth in 2009 as compared to 2008 due to the effect of the economic downturn.And Automobile sales in Malaysia plunged from 404,000 units in 1 997 to 163,851 in 1 998 due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Proton's revenue and profits ere severely affected, but a majority market share was still maintained into the early 20005. Maturity New sales and product distributions Effectively, PROTON gained an additional 2% market share, increasing to 28% from 26% in the previous year. This marked improvement of 13% increase in overall performance was primarily driven by the popularity of four core models namely the Saga, Persona, Xerox and Austria Neo.These made up 94% of the total registration. The Saga continued to be the lead model amongst the top four PROTON models and had managed to become the best-selling model in Malaysia for 3 institutive months from January 2010 to March 2010. With better systems and improved processes in place, the overall monthly average of unregistered stock against registered ratio remained healthy at below 1 month, resulting in better cash flow. Decline The mid-asses witnessed a decline in Proton's revenues and sales. In 2006, Proton's market share was 32%, down from 40% in 2005.Proton lost its majority domestic market share for the first time in 20 years to Periods, the second Malaysian automobile manufacturer. Factors which contributed to the fall of Proton included the revision of the National Automotive Policy (NAP), Proton's newer indigenously designed models (I. E. The Proton Wag, Gene-2 and Saws) which were poorly designed and manufacture d compared to the former Mediumistic-based Protons and stronger competitors, specifically Periods with their best-selling Mimi which launched in 2005.Both Proton's total sales volume and market share failed to recover to its pre-2002 figures and Periods remained the domestic market leader from 2006 onwards. Business Risk Factors Corporate and Operational Risks Corporate risks are primarily risks caused by external events that have potential impact on the strategic decision or activities of the Group. The Board is responsible in ensuring that the corporate risks of the Group are identified proactively. This was performed via product development, quality improvement and process improvement programs.Operational risk is defined as the risk of loss resulting from inadequacy or failure of internal processes, people and system. As the Group progresses towards operational excellence, the Group faces a multitude risks relating to financial risks, vendor capacity and capability in achieving b usiness objectives. Appropriate measures were undertaken to ensure that controls are in place to avoid any sorption Of operations. Export Market Risks Proton conducts its businesses across regions.This exposed the Group to risks such as changes in market regulation, infringement of Intellectual Property Rights (PR) and stiff market competition which may impact the Group's ultimate objectives. As the Group's future lies in expanding into the export markets, it is imperative that efforts are taken to ensure that a risk faced by the organization is effectively managed. Various risk assessments were performed in the year in review specifically for our operations in China, Middle East and Sean.Updates on mitigation plan were reported to the GRAM and BRIM respectively on a quarterly basis. Business Environment Risk Business environment risk is inherent in all businesses. The strengthening global call for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is now widely acknowledged in both developed an d developing nations and is a catalyst for the â€Å"Green Vehicle† concept to be promoted. In view of this challenge, the Group has deliberated the challenges and opportunities in the green technology and ways to catapult this idea into a feasible end state.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

My Ambition Essay

Living in the modern world, a person really needs to know what he wants to do. In order to lead a meaningful and colorful life, everyone needs an ambition. If one does not have an ambition, he will be like a ship sailing on the wide sea blindly. That is why I have made up my mind to become a reporter since my childhood. When I was a little girl, I often daydreamed. If I were a reporter, everything would be great. I could get the latest information and report the news to the world on TV. When I walked on the street, people would recognize me and probably would shout â€Å" OH, my godï ¼  That’s she-the perfect reporterï ¼ Ã¢â‚¬  Then I would feel proud of myself. In my childhood, I often stood in front of the mirror and encouraged myself, â€Å" Hiï ¼  Girl, you have a perfect face, graceful manners and active personality. You will be good at your job. You will become a reporter, an outstanding reporterï ¼ Ã¢â‚¬  As time goes by, I never change my mind. I still have a strong desire to be a reporter. I deeply understand to be a reporter is not as easy as I thought. Being an excellent reporter requires many abilities, especially English ability. Therefore, in order to made my ambition come true. I have made some plan for it. From now on, I should make best use of my time to study anything about a reporter needs. I’ll pay much attention to the things around me and keep a keen thinking. Besides, I’ll learn the techniques of famous reporters on TV. In short, being a reporter is my greatest dream, my ambition, I’ll train myself to make it come true. With my efforts, I really hope I’ll become an outstanding reporter some day.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Getting Caught Smoking

Getting Caught Smoking Free Online Research Papers All throughout my life, I’ve heard a saying that experience is the best teacher, and in my case this proved to be true so many times. I can say that no matter the outcome of the situation, each time I was taught a lesson about something, I got the point clearly. I was always one that learned best when I was taught through experience, and on one summer afternoon my mother taught me a lesson that will never forget. I was twelve years old, and I can remember this day like it was yesterday. It was a typical Michigan summer day. School was out, and there were children running up and down Kalamazoo Street playing football, double dutch, and many other childhood games. Often times in the summer, all of the boys would spend the night over my house since I had three brothers and no sisters. We woke up that morning, and everybody went towards their normal routines. My oldest and youngest brothers were sitting in front of the television set in our bedroom watching cartoons. My mother had just finished cooking breakfast for us and was walking through the house watering her plants. My closest cousin, best friend, younger brother, and I were all bored. As we sat at the kitchen table thinking of all of the different things we could do, someone noticed that my mother had left her cigarettes on the kitchen table sitting right next to the butter dish. I played as if it was no big deal, and we continued to plan our day. My three partners in crime decided to go to my best friends house to play video games. I stayed behind, assured them that I would join them later, the whole time I was eye balling the cigarettes. As soon as they had walked out of the door, I seized the opportunity to take two of my mother’s cigarettes. I looked around to see where she was and saw her in the front room talking to her plants and picking the dead leaves from them, and I knew she would be busy in there for a while. I slowly eased the two cigarettes out of the pack, and crept towards the stove and lit the first one without her even noticing. Once I had the cigarette lit, I eased out of the back door, and went and chilled in the back yard with the four dogs we had at the time. As I sat in the backyard smoking the cigarette and talking to the dogs, I never imagined I would get caught. My dogs jumped around and played as far as their chain would take them, and I watched them and talked to them as I got comfortable blowing out the rings of smoke. In the middle of the second cigarette I heard the back door open, and before I could blow out the smoke, and put the cigarette out, there was my mom standing eight in front of me. I tried to hurry up and blow the smoke out of my mouth and stomp on the cigarette, but I was caught re handed. She just looked at me and shook her head. She told me to go in the house, and I just knew I was in trouble. I went in the house as she was feeding the dogs, and I was so scared that I locked my self in the bathroom. I could hear my mom return, and I instantly started sweating. As I looked at the blue walls in the small bathroom, I got dizzy, so dizzy I thought I was going to pass out. I noticed that she wasn’t scream ing or anything. I sat in there a few more minutes listening, and when I heard the t.v. turn to the soap operas, I just knew I was home free. As soon as I opened the bathroom door she called my name. My heart was beating a million miles a minute as I walked in the t.v. room to see what my punishment would be. As calm as I had ever seen her she told me to sit down. In my head I was thinking, â€Å"O lord please help me get out of this†. She didn’t say another word she just passed me her fresh pack of cigarettes and told me to go and light one. I did as I was told, and then tried to hand her the cigarette back. She wouldn’t take it. She didn’t even look in my direction as she told me to smoke it. I thought she had lost her mind, but I did what I was told. As soon as I put the cigarette out I began to get comfortable thinking she was okay with me smoking, and then she handed me two more, and made me do the same thing with those two that I had did w ith the first one. Halfway through the third one, I began to get dizzy again, and my throat and chest burned so bad. Before I knew it the room was spinning, the t.v. was too loud and I couldn’t handle it anymore. I ran in the bathroom and threw up everything that I had eaten that day. I felt sicker than I ever had before this day. My mother let me throw up and gave me enough time to get myself together before she demanded that I come back to the t.v. room, she handed me another lit cigarette and said, â€Å"here smoke this, you want to smoke, here it is, smoke it†. I was still nauseous from the first three cigarettes, and I begged her not to make me smoke another one. She looked at me and put the cigarette out. My mom looked me dead in the eyes and promised me that what I just experienced was nothing, and she assured me that it would get much worse of she ever caught me smoking another cigarette again. I was relieved at first, but I was sick for the rest of th e day. I never touched another cigarette after that until I was about 22 years old. Research Papers on Getting Caught SmokingUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey GameEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoWhere Wild and West MeetThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings

Monday, October 21, 2019

Conversation Using Reported Speech Lesson Plans

Conversation Using Reported Speech Lesson Plans Reported speech is also known as indirect speech and is commonly used in spoken conversations to report what others have said. A keen grasp of correct tense usage, as well as the ability to correctly shift pronouns and time expressions, is essential when using  reported speech. The use of reported speech is especially important at higher English levels. Students  are fine-tuning their communication skills to include expressing the ideas of others, as well as their own opinions. Students usually need to focus not only on the grammar involved but also on production skills. Reported speech includes some rather tricky transformations that need to be practiced repeatedly before students feel comfortable using reported speech in everyday conversations. Finally, make sure to point out that reported speech is generally used with the verbs say and tell in the past.   Hell help him with the homework. - She told me he would help me with my homework.   However, if the reporting verb is conjugated in the present tense, no reported speech changes are necessary. Im going to Seattle next week. - Peter says hes going to Seattle next week.   Lesson Outline Aim: Developing reported speech grammar and productions skills Activity: Introduction and written reporting activity, followed by spoken practice in the form of a questionnaire Level: Upper-intermediate Outline: Introduce/review reported speech by making simple statements and asking students to report what you have said. Make sure to emphasize reporting in the past (i.e., the teacher said, NOT the teacher says)Provide review sheet of principle reported speech transitions (included in lesson printout pages)Have students get into pairs and convert the reported speech paragraph into the direct speech form.Correct worksheet as a class.Ask students to divide up into new pairs and ask each other questions from the questionnaire. Remind them to take notes on what their partners say.Have students divide into new pairs and ask them to report what they have learned about the other students to their new partner (i.e., John said he had lived in Breubach for two years).Follow-up with class conversation focusing on problematic tense transformations. Reported Speech Study the following chart carefully. Notice how reported speech is one step back into the past from direct speech. Tense Quote Reported Speech present simple I play tennis on Fridays. He said he played tennis on Fridays. present continuous Theyre watching TV. She said they were watching TV. present perfect Shes lived in Portland for ten years. He told me she had lived in Portland for ten years. present perfect continuous Ive been working for two hours. He told me he had been working for two hours. past simple I visited my parents in New York. She told me she had visited her parents in New York. past continuous They were preparing dinner at 8 oclock. He told me they had been preparing dinner at 8 oclock. past perfect I had finished in time. He told me he had finished in time. past perfect continuous She had been waiting for two hours. She said she had been waiting for two hours. future with will Ill see them tomorrow. He said he would see them the next day. future with going to Were going to fly to Chicago. He told me they were going to fly to Chicago. Reported Speech Reference Time Expression Changes Time expressions such as at the moment are also changed when using reported speech. Here are some of the most common changes: at the moment / right now / now -  at that moment / at that time Were watching TV right now. - She told me they were watching TV at that time. yesterday - the previous day / the day before I bought some groceries yesterday. - He told me he had bought some groceries the previous day. tomorrow - the following day / the next day Shell be at the party tomorrow. - She told me she would be at the party the next day. Exercise 1: Put the following paragraph in the reported speech into the  conversational form using direct speech  (quotes). Peter introduced me to Jack who said he was pleased to meet me. I replied that it was my pleasure  and that I hoped Jack was enjoying his stay in Seattle. He said he thought Seattle was a beautiful city, but that it rained too much. He said that he had been staying at the Bayview Hotel for three weeks and that it hadnt stopped raining since he had arrived. Of course, he said, this wouldnt have surprised him if it hadnt been July! Peter replied that he should have brought warmer clothes. He then continued by saying that he was going to fly to Hawaii the following week, and he that he couldnt wait to enjoy some sunny weather. Both Jack and I commented that Peter was a lucky person indeed. Exercise 2: Ask your partner the following questions making sure to take good notes. After you have finished the questions, find a new partner and report what you have learned about your first partner using reported speech. What is your favorite sport and how long have you been playing/doing it?What are your plans for your next vacation?How long have you known your best friend? Can you give me a description of him/her?What kind of music do you like? Have you always listened to that kind of music?What did you use to do when you were younger that you dont do anymore?Do you have any predictions about the future?Can you tell me what you do on a typical Saturday afternoon?What were you doing yesterday at this time?Which two promises will you make concerning learning English?

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Barbara Walters Honors 100 Women of the Century

Barbara Walters Honors 100 Women of the Century On Friday, April 30, 1999, ABC presented a Barbara Walters special honoring 100 Women of the Century.  Part of a trend of many other top 100 of the century or even top 100 of the millennium lists, the special was organized around the list of 100 women found in the book of the same title by Walters, published by  Ladies Home Journal, though the special didnt stick strictly to that list. The book was rich in photographs. Walters, a prominent journalist and herself a breaker of glass ceilings as a woman in that field, was famous for her specials on various topics, often interviews with celebrities.  This special highlighted those women she thought made an impact on the century. Entertainers were prominent in the special. But many women who contributed to this century in other ways were also featured.  Ã‚   Walters asked the key question: Who in the world is Alice Paul, and why should I care? Using Alice Paul to stand in for all women who contributed to history, Walters stressed the importance of getting acquainted with these women. All of them. Who did Jane Fonda say popped into her mind as the most influential woman of the century? Coco Chanel! Fonda explains: And heres why: She freed us from the corset. Some of the women featured in the book included infamous women like Madame Mao (Jiang Qing) who oversaw Chinas bloody Cultural Revolution, and Leni Riefenstahl, known as Hitlers moviemaker. Through talking about these women, Walters and her guests manage to cover the first and second waves of feminism, women who were activists for womens rights and other causes, women in film and television, women in fashion and fashions effect on womens lives and health, women singers, and more. Here is a list of women who appear or are named in the special.  I include the long list as a reminder of the many women whove had an impact on our world, in many different fields: Actresses, comediennes, and singers included: Janis Joplin, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Katharine Hepburn, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Madonna, Bette Midler, Rosie ODonnell, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel, Jessye Norman, Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, Celine Dion, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Marian Anderson, Greta Garbo, Lauren Bacall ... Included also were artists Georgia OKeeffe and Frida Kahlo, photographers Margaret Bourke-White and Dorothea Lange, dancers Martha Graham and Isadora Duncan, poet Maya Angelou, and writer Ann Landers. Sports figures included  Babe Didrickson, Gertrude Ederle, Sonja Henie, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Wilma Rudolph, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Nadia Comenici. Aviator Amelia Earhart and astronaut Lt. Eileen Collins were listed, as was scientist Marie Curie,  fashion designer Coco Chanel,  executive Katharine Graham, and the created figure of Rosie the Riveter. Women known for their activism or political involvements also appear.  These included  Gloria Steinem, editor of Ms. Magazine, Rosa Parks, Margaret Sanger, Jane Addams, Ann Richards, Alice Paul, Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan, Carrie Chapman Catt,  Rachel Carson, Betty Friedan, Phyllis Schlafly, Marian Wright Edelman, Anita Hill (the transcript calls her Anita Thomas at one point!), Mother Teresa, Margaret Mead, Madeleine Albright. First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Betty Ford, and Hillary Rodham Clinton  were highlighted, along with Princess Diana and  Hjeads of state Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, and Margaret Thatcher. And, though she professes embarrassment to be included: Barbara Walters  herself. Has the world changed with the impact of these women? Yes. Does it need to change more? Gloria Steinem says, in the special: But the problem is that when I go around and speak on campuses, I still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get young men standing up and saying, How can I combine career and family? Added: Jane Fonda Though Jane Fonda is not a major theme in the book or special, a long-term after-effect of the special is the email chain which has evolved over the years,  accusing Jane Fonda of betraying American POWs in Vietnam.  The emails continue to be circulated, often demanding that the 1999 Barbara Walters book or special be stopped.  Some of them have mentioned this review and its author as a supposed co-writer of Walters book.  (This author was not involved in the book, just this review.) In about 2009, the emails evolved to allege that President Barack Obama was a co-writer of the book. Information on the Book 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century by Kevin Markey, Ladies Home Journal Books, Lorraine Glennon, Myrna Blyth (Introduction), Barbara Walters. Featured in the April 1999 Barbara Walters special, this book is heavy on the entertainers but is itself an entertaining look at the women of the century.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Construction Industry Research Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Construction Industry Research - Article Example sought to debates theories infrequently presented by industry supporters about competition being either inapplicable or destructive in the construction industry (OECD Competition Committee, 2010). I agree with the author that construction is a pivotal industry in OECD markets since it develops and sustains the structures and substructures that nearly all other industries require. As a result, I was not surprised if found out at either of their theories about the irrelevance of competition in the construction industry were convincing to the author. A report-like approach by the other leads the OECD Competition Committee to discover the absence of discerning characteristics of the construction industry that lower the advantages that competition introduces to consumer welfare. However, I think the preliminary challenge that the committee should have tackled was focusing on teaching and training innovation as a holistic solution for improving competition in the construction sector. For instance, the article points out that China is aware of the importance of this solution to their cartel challenge in its construction sector. I also think that the articles should have ended with r ecommendations for the listed countries for dealing with the cartel challenges in their respective construction industries on top of the government’s

Video team paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Video team paper - Essay Example Questions on who was to be responsible for certain things arose due to need of clarity and commitment (Singh 23). Norming During this stage, members worked cohesively, with active acknowledgement of each other. The interpersonal relationships grew positively with members solving team issues together. Each member asked questions on the tasks, while at the same time, preconceived notions about each other changed due to the facts that were presented. Members shared information with each other freely and tasks concerning the race were explored without any individualism (Singh 24). Perfoming The team managed to evolve itself towards the fourth stage. Members were able to work independently while at the same time, they were able to work as a unit. Production was at the peak with individual tasks being handled effectively. Interdependence in terms of personal relations was observed. Group identity was complete, the morale and loyalty was high and also intense. Problems were solved due to th e high productivity rate (Singh 24). Adjourning During this stage, the tasks were concluded with task termination and the end of relationships. During this time, members recognized each other’s participation and achievement towards the success of the task (Singh 24). Big Five Personality traits Members of the team were observed to show their big five personality traits. Some members who were very curious, creative and ready to embrace new ideas showed Openness. Some members were aware of their feelings and their beliefs were unconventional. Team members who were organized punctual, achievement oriented and systematic showed conscientiousness. These team members were always dependable as they showed a distinct preference when it came to planning ahead of their schedule. A member who was talkative, outgoing, and social showed extraversion. The member showed constantly positive emotions full of energy and vigor. Agreeableness was quite common with some team members who were very tolerant, sensitive, trusting and warm. These members wanted to get along with others and they showed high levels of friendliness, and compromises for the team. Neuroticism was clear with a member who showed anxious and irritability and moody behaviors (Singh 37). Conclusion Working as a team was quite enjoyable and eye opening. There are several lessons that were gained from the experience. Unity was key to the success of the team. When members of the team agreed on an issue without any problem, the task ahead was successful however, whenever there were conflicts, a lot of time was wasted and this led to little achievement. Through teamwork, it was possible to learn more about others. Tolerance was a great lesson, which was achieved from this exercise. Team members had different personalities and each one had to tolerate other members to make sure that the tasks were a success. Members who were a nuisance had to be asked to cooperate to realize the task ahead. Challenges due to le adership and task allocation were common. Some members felt that the tasks that they were given were too much or too little. However, appointing one person as a leader helped to create authority over issues. Due to time factor, the team leader consulted with members to avoid any conflicts before allocation of tasks. Members were also asked to be open and frank when it came to deciding

Friday, October 18, 2019

Antimicrobial Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Antimicrobial Resistance - Essay Example In doing so the microbes develop primary resistant to the drugs. Another cause for resistance is when the health care providers use excessive antibiotics and antimalarials that in the long run lead to drug resistance (WHO, 20ll) . The patients on the other hand have contributed to drug resistance because of failure to complete prescribed doses. Some get better and through away the drugs before they are healed. They also engage in self medication by buy drugs that are not meant to treat a certain diseases in so doing they increase drug resistance (Stephen S. Morse, 1995). The inndustries increase drug resistance through the manufacture of substandard drugs that have low potency and therefore do not cure diseases. Some industries also import counterfeit drugs that are of very low quality, while some manufacture drugs with wrong ingredients and all these result in drug resistance. To help prevent antimicrobial resistance health care providers should educate the health workers so as to curb inappropriate prescribing. Secondly, they should also train drug dispensers to require prescriptions and make refferals when necessary (Richard Smith, 2001). Third they can also improve the communication between the patients and the doctor so as to improve adherence to prescribed drugs. Lastly they can institute disease control practises such as use of mosquito nets, hand washing to reduce pathogen transmissions (CDC, 2000). CDC. (2000, January). A public health action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance. Retrieved Septemeber 22, 2011, from Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/actionplan/aractionplan.pdf Richard Smith, J. C. (2001, September). Interventions against antimicrobial resistance. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from Global Forum for Health Research: http://www.who.int/drugresistance/interventions_against_antimicrobial_resistance.pdf Stephen S. Morse, P. (1995, March).

Marketing Planning and Strategy (The buying process)1 Assignment

Marketing Planning and Strategy (The buying process)1 - Assignment Example d to be more efficient and transparent if portrayed in the best stages possible, since it reaches every person with an interest in the commodity through a series of websites. Critically, the following research shall evaluate the buying process of an eBook from the Kindle Store, an online computer application in order to have an advantage in the selling process. Buyers in the contemporary society are likely to seek different solutions including the purchase of books through the online media. Since the business world is expanding, and a very demanding environment is being created for a more improved mechanism of controlling stocks, movement of sales, purchases, and coordination of the petty transactions, businesses have opted for online marketing (Davis, 2011). The Kindle Store management should be strategic to ensure that buyers perceive the presented eBooks as the most appropriate products to solve their problems. The practice is common in online retail stores where the technological need is for the entity to be efficient and effective in terms of performance. Critically, the online Kindle model of selling should clearly indicate the need that can only be met by facilitation of Kindle computer applications in order to create attractiveness and influence decision-making by consumers to the product (Zoltners et al. 2004). The online customers need a lot of information about the Kindle products, in order to make decisions in buying the available eBooks. The process entails the evaluation of the positive advantages of the eBook products, which will enable the customer to decide on whether to buy the products or not to buy while still comparing the eBooks to the available alternatives. However, when a marketer is using a online marketing strategy to enhance the buying process, he should disclose all the information pertaining the effects of using computerized approaches as a way of ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accuracy (Sabri, Gupta, & Beitler, 2007).

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Political science - Essay Example The first approach to public policy process is the focus on real social powers and institutions. This entails the social institutions within a country that are important in the formulation of public policies within a country. These institutions play important roles in public policy advocacy, promotion of citizen participation and providing the oversight role in public policy formulation (Danziger, 2013). The second approach to public policy process is the approach by formal elected leaders who form the primary axis of representation. This involves the congressional representatives who formulate public policies in the congress. Legislative bodies are effective and successful when they focus on public policies for instance those that align the goals of the community with those of the local government structures. They represent the objectives, goals and needs of the community. The third approach entails the consideration of the dynamics of different groups of pressure popularly understood as interest groups. Interest groups utilize the litigation that can achieve public policy objectives. The influence of the interest groups is a key aspect of decision-making process in public policy process (Danziger, 2013). The fourth is the historical social conditions and trends of political needs. In public policy formulation processes, these conditions and needs are considered to ensure that the public policies that are formed represent the needs of the current population but also reflect the historical social conditions in a country. The fifth and last approach is the external and internal political and economic conditions that are considered social domestic factors in the sense that they are of interest to the public within a country. These issues are therefore considered in public policy formation process because they directly

Personal Development Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Development Portfolio - Essay Example Under the broad topic of organizational change, a presentation was assigned to each group. The presentation discussed the issues of internal and external changes and their influence on organizational change. Our group firstly distributed the work among them and started at an early phase in order to ensure work quality (Anglia Ruskin University, 2013). The major task during the entire preparation of presentation was a collection of the appropriate literature review. In general, the presentation was based on a collection of past evidence in numerous industries, which resulted in organizational change. The first analysis was made on the packaging industry across South East Asia. The market of an aluminum can is extremely competitive and hence, firms operating in this industry, such as Westcan Aluminium, have to keep their prices low as the threat is from both branded and unbranded local firms (Ridgman, 1996). During initial stages of the literature review process, various difficulties arise. A major difficulty was in term of sourcing statistical data for the required industries. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is a small fragment of the packaging industry. Consequently, it was difficult to find appropriate information on its usage, share among different firms as well as a total number of unidentified or local companies selling the material (Cameron and Mitchell, 1993). The next problem occurred in terms of group management. I realized that some of the team members were less participative compared to others. As such, issues and conflicts began to arise between group members. However, I was able to clear the misunderstandings by assigning each member with the particular task with a fixed deadline. As I took on the most difficult task, I was applauded and immediately positioned as the leader of the group. The next issue that occurred was that of assigning parts during the presentation speec h. Conflicts of interest occurred as two or more members wanted to present on similar topics (Ghaye, 2000).

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Political science - Essay Example The first approach to public policy process is the focus on real social powers and institutions. This entails the social institutions within a country that are important in the formulation of public policies within a country. These institutions play important roles in public policy advocacy, promotion of citizen participation and providing the oversight role in public policy formulation (Danziger, 2013). The second approach to public policy process is the approach by formal elected leaders who form the primary axis of representation. This involves the congressional representatives who formulate public policies in the congress. Legislative bodies are effective and successful when they focus on public policies for instance those that align the goals of the community with those of the local government structures. They represent the objectives, goals and needs of the community. The third approach entails the consideration of the dynamics of different groups of pressure popularly understood as interest groups. Interest groups utilize the litigation that can achieve public policy objectives. The influence of the interest groups is a key aspect of decision-making process in public policy process (Danziger, 2013). The fourth is the historical social conditions and trends of political needs. In public policy formulation processes, these conditions and needs are considered to ensure that the public policies that are formed represent the needs of the current population but also reflect the historical social conditions in a country. The fifth and last approach is the external and internal political and economic conditions that are considered social domestic factors in the sense that they are of interest to the public within a country. These issues are therefore considered in public policy formation process because they directly

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Planning For Clarity (Language Learning) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning For Clarity (Language Learning) - Essay Example The second step has the students interacting with each other while the tutor monitors this session like a referee. The first step when the tutor engages in teaching and interacting the students find an opportunity to loosen their guards from inhibitive apprehensions and become responsive. This is the time when the tutor holds the fort teaching and instructing, questioning and gingerly allowing students to respond to queries. The tutor/students interactions may begin with the tutor allowing students 10% of the time to answer questions. The tutor may then increase the number of questions and gradually extend the question/answers hour to 90%, transferring the session to the second step when the students begin interacting with each other using study material and discussions. It is crucially important to organize the interaction sessions with content rich and well designed study material so that the students get exposure to language learning resources. These study material must be condensed and balanced so that the contents appear neither inadequate nor cluttered. The class must be divided into 3 or 4 groups to allow for group discussions and preparation before the final competition. (Judy Haynes) The SIOP strategy invokes use of first language in the learning process of the second language. This bilingual approach puts the students at ease as they are materially prepared to grasp the second language more easily being acquainted with the lesson contents having understood them from their presentation in their own language. Since the study material are also biliteral, that is, scripted in the first and second languages, all the students have to do is grasp the text and grammar of the second language. The process of application is a workshop involving reading, writing, listening and speaking. The study material must adequately cover all of these. The tutor must allow time for students to learn on trial and error rote. The exercise must allow ample time for students to stir their mental aptitudes with language learning. (Bilingual/ESL Education Program, p7) Conclusion The SIOP strategy makes learning simple and user-friendly. Being connected to the mother tongue, its approach is that of a friendly neighbor. The tutor must adorn the role of the friendly neighbor. It goes without saying that the tutor must be thoroughly conversant with the first and second languages. The students' success totally depends on the tutor's approach with the curriculum and study material providing the vital links in the process. One learns the first language in an informal atmosphere of abandon and care. The process is much the same for the second language. Sources: Bilingual/ESL Education Program, Instructional Model, 15 November, 2005, Updated September 2007, Brownsville Independent School District, Texas, http://www.bisd.us/Bilingual_Education/INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL UPDATED SEPT 2007.pdf Judy Haynes, SIOP: Making Content Comprehensible for ELLs, everythingELS.net,

Monday, October 14, 2019

Literary Log Essay Example for Free

Literary Log Essay â€Å"I see their dark forms, their beards move in the wind. I know nothing of them except that they are prisoners; and that is exactly what troubles me. Their life is obscure and guiltless;if I could know more of them, what their names are, how they live, what they are waiting for, what their burdens are, then my emotion would have an object and might become sympathy. But as it is I perceive behind them only the suffering of the creature, the awful melancholy of life and the pitilessness of men† (193). Enemies. When you think about it your â€Å"enemies† are kind of like you, they might like different things, but they have the same intentions as you do. So why do you not like them? This is what Remarque shows in this quote. He shows that the Russians and the French are really similar, they didn’t want to be out in the front killing people they want to go home, but a single word suddenly makes them an enemy. Remarque talks about how he wants to get to know the Russians, it shows that the soldiers want to know these people. However, since they have been told that the Russians are enemies they are not allowed to. Remarque uses imagery to make the audience feel the emotions running through the soldiers as they try to understand that the Russians are really similar to them. What Remarque is trying to get at through this quote is the fact that â€Å"enemies† are really similar to you and they have the same intentions that you have although it may not seem that way. As it is shown, War makes â€Å"enemies† out of people who are quite similar. The soldiers realize that the Russians are like them, as both of them want to go home and survive, along with the fact that they don’t want to kill the other soldiers. Remarque also shows that war creates a chasm between the soldiers and the non-soldiers because the people who make the order to kill a group of people, are not the ones who are doing the fighting, they are the government. The government does not realize that these people have the same intentions as they do along with not knowing that the â€Å"enemies† are similar, they believe that they are demons and completely different form them.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

What Factors Effect Student Cinema Attendance Media Essay

What Factors Effect Student Cinema Attendance Media Essay The main objective of this research is to determine factors that affect UEL students cinema-going behaviour. This report consist two main parts, Research Methodology and Finding and Analysis. At the end, a conclusion will be drawn out based on finding. 1.0 Literature Review Cinema-going refer to an action taken by individual to visit cinema for a movie screening, as those who visit cinema are called cinema-goers (Lipponen et al, 2003). Many researches have been done by researchers on cinema going behaviour in some country such as Australia (Henderson, 2007), Finland, Estonia, and Portugal (Lipponen et al, 2003). These studies focus on characteristics of cinema-goers that are similar between two or more different place. In order to determine what factors that affect cinema going behaviours, several areas of consumer behaviour have put into consideration. Knowledge Consumers knowledge refers to the amount of information that store within the memory of consumer on that particular product or services (Blackwell et al, 2001). What UEL students knew about that movie will affect their cinema-going behaviour. For examples, who is starring that movie? Who is the director? When the movie will be screen on local cinema? Attitudes Basically attitudes refer to what consumer prefer or like to consume. Cinema-goers usually go cinema watch movie is because of their favourite type movie screening. If that particular movie is dislike by him/her, most likely he/she wont go cinema. Perception Sometimes what consumer thought about that particular goods or services might affect their purchasing decision. Example action movies might suit to boys because of fighting scene but not suit for girl as they think that fighting is not good. 2.0 Methodology Research methods that going to apply is sampling method consist of survey throughout UEL students who study in International Business and Marketing course. Comparison between local and foreign students applied as different in background, education level, cinema censorship and perception toward a particular movie. Non-probability sampling applied where questionnaires were distributed based on their knowledge and personality. There are several limitations and advantages (Singleton et al, 1993) by using non-probability sampling. Limitations of non-probability sampling are unable to prevent bias of investigator on selection of participants and unable to predict the sampling error or sample precision. Advantages are less expensive and easy to collect with high respond rate. Primary data Questionnaire consist of 90 sets were distributed among UEL students and 80 sets responded. The questionnaire consists of 3 sections with total of 18 where most are close-ended questions (referring to Appendix 1). Total Responded Rate = 80 / 90 * 100% = 88.89% Besides that, focus group and personal interview have been used to collect primary data. This method apply is because focus group provide more information compare to observation (Morgan, 1997). Besides that, result can be obtained in fast and easy way. Yet some may not be able to join in the focus group due to distance and not easy to locate the right person (Morgan, 1997). Detailed explanation on these two methods stated on Appendix 2. Personally interview was carried out in order to obtain more accurate data beside questionnaire and focus group. Two respondents with different background and knowledge level were selected as they able to provide different answers which are not generalise. Yet limitation of personal interview is bias may occurred when selecting respondents and that respondents may not have the time for interview. 3.0 Finding and Analysis Based on Table 1, questionnaire respondents of 80 divided into two groups, 46 local students and 34 foreign students. All those respondents are UEL students. Question 2: What day in a week you likely will visit to cinema? Based on the finding from questionnaire, Saturday ranked as the first choose of day to go cinema for a movie with a total of 43 (27.56%), both local and foreign, students. While Wednesday ranked as second choice of UEL students with 37 (23.72%) students. Friday and Sunday follow after second ranking. Values of percentage refer to Table 2.1. From the overall finding, we conclude that local and foreign students prefer to watch movie on weekends. Result from focus group has found similarity to questionnaire where majority of member prefer to watch movie on Saturday and Wednesday. One of them stated that Wednesday they able to purchase the ticket using student price. The others stated Saturday is more suitable as their boyfriend/girlfriend/classmates doesnt have any class where they usually unable to meet during weekdays. Yet from personal interview, local respondent choose weekdays as weekends price for ticket is much expensive. Foreign respondent stated that weekends will not suitable as too crowded. Question 3: What types of movie genre you prefer to watch at cinema? Through questionnaire, both local and foreign students prefer to watch action movies in cinema with a total of 54 (20.69%) respondents. While comedy (46 respondents, 17.62%) and romance (30 respondents, 11.49%) following the back. Dance/musical movies found as the lowest pick (20 respondents, 7.66%) and hence being ranked as likely unwelcome movies among local and foreign students. Values of percentage can be found in Table 3.1. Focus group show same result where majority of them are like to watch action movie. Reasons are have different kind of feeling, more excited, sound system made it more real, love to watch martial arts and so on. One of them stated that romance movies are suitable to watch together with their spouse. None of them prefer to watch dance/musical movies at cinema. Personal interview indicated that action movies are their first choice if they wish go cinema. One of respondents says that dance/musical movies are not worth to watch at cinema. Hence conclusion is movie genre can affect UEL student cinema-going behaviour where the movie must in the preference of them. Question 4: What language of movie that you preferred to watch? Based on the result of questionnaire, both local and foreign students prefer to watch English language movies (68 respondents, 57.63%). Chinese language movies are the second higher (38 respondents, 32.2%). Certain respondents have chosen other languages such as Japanese, Korean, and Hindu. From focus group, all respondents choose English language movies. Reasons are they want to improve/strengthen their language in English, much better compare with other types, learn the way they speak and etc. Result from personal interview also supporting finding in questionnaire as they found that their spoken language in English is bad and want to improve by learning how they speak. Local respondent stated that English movies are much more excited that other language movie. Question 5: Usually you go to cinema with whom? From questionnaires result, we found that majority of local and foreign UEL students go cinema with their friends (75 respondents, 64.66%). Spouse (22 respondents, 18.97%) and family (13 respondents, 11.21%) following after friends. This situation occurred as majority of respondents prefer to watch action movies and their girlfriend unwilling to follow them. Focus groups respondents also providing similar answer as questionnaire where they feel that a group of friends go for movie watching is part of their entertainment, fulfil their social needs as illustrated in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (refer to Appendix 3). Result from personal interview show different respond. Local respondent spend much of the time watch movies with his girlfriend while foreign respondent prefer to watch movies with friends as his spouse didnt follow him come here to study. Question 8: Based on your last cinema going experience, please the following statement. (1 Very Poor, 2 Poor, 3 Fair, 4 Good, 5 Very Good) Respondents in questionnaire choose that environment on previous visiting to cinema are good. Majority of local and foreign students (46 respondents which is the highest among three factors, 57.5%) are satisfied with the environment such as seats, screening, sound system and others. This shows that students satisfaction on cinemas environment can be important factor in affecting cinema-going behaviour. At the same time, focus group provide more reasons to support result in questionnaire as all respondents are satisfied with overall environment during last visit to cinema. One of the respondents stated that every single cinema company is competing with each other by providing better environment and services especially Golden Screen Cinema (GSC). The others say they will visit the same cinema again in the future because that particular cinema can satisfied them. Respondents in personal interview stated that environment play less role when determine cinema-going where location is the most important. Even the closer cinema to his house didnt provide good environment, he will insist to go there. Question 9: How do you become aware of the new movies screening in the local cinema? Through questionnaire, we can see that majority of local and foreign UEL students become aware of new movies and obtain their information through newspaper and friends recommendations (both with the same respondents rate of 49, 24.87%). Besides that, online website (36 respondents, 18.27%) is another place where they can get new movies information from. Focus groups respondents also stated that they usually obtain information from their friends or through newspaper. Seldom watch movie trailer before going to cinema and watch that particular movie. Online website usually used for e-reservation purpose only. Personal interview also found that local and foreign UEL students also obtain their information by friends recommendation and newspaper. Respondents stated that movies that rated best or good by friends should be fine with them. Therefore they will go cinema and watch that movies. We able to conclude that friends influence can affect their cinema-going behaviour. Question 10: Please indicate what reasons that discourage you from going cinema. Result from questionnaire show that location (53 respondents, 42.06%) is the main factor that affects their cinema-going behaviour, both local and foreign students. Ticket price ranked as second factor with 28 respondents and 22.22% while public transportation (21 respondents, 16.67%) follows at the back. Those respondents choose others provide reason such as environment and availability of new movies in that cinema. In contrast focus group provides different answer from questionnaire where majority of respondents stated that location is not their concern. They stated that environment is their main concern of going cinema even that cinema located far from their living place. Minority say that public transportation must available as they dont have own transportation. But personal interview show that location is their main concern as they need to travel with their own transport. Sometime traffic is too crowded until they feel tired if that cinema located far from their house. Environment will fall under consideration when going cinema. Question 12: Does the availability of movie viewing alternative such as DVD/VCD/Online streaming discourage you from going cinema? Based on questionnaire result, we may conclude that majority of the respondents will not be discouraged to go cinema even there is availability of movie viewing alternative. The result accumulated with 43 respondents or 53.75% of total respondents. Focus group show supportive result where all respondents choose that movie viewing alternative will not be the factor from discouraging them from going cinema. Respondents say that watching movie at cinema will have different feeling from watching VCD/DVD at home. Besides that environment in cinema can allow couple to strengthen their relation according to respondent. Moreover personal interview show the similar result as questionnaire and focus group. Both local and foreign students will not bought VCD/DVD/Online streaming as they want to be the first person to watch the movie in cinema. Besides that, if the movie is good then they can recommend to their friends. 4.0 Conclusion When preparing the report, comparison is made between local students and foreign students. Through the research, we can conclude that both local and foreign UEL students prefer to watch movies with their friends. Besides that, majority of them go to cinema based on their satisfaction on several areas such as environment, sound system, screen and etc. Yet local students obtain their information for that particular movie through their friends recommendation while foreign students prefer to get information through newspaper. However, this research topic required a deeper analysis to a wider range of factors and keeps up to date where human behaviour will change from time-to-time. (2,057 words) 5.0 Appendixes Survey form sample (Appendix 1) University of East London Stamford College Petaling Jaya Lot 7A, Jalan 223, Seksyen 14, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel: (+603) 79563188 Website: www.stamford.edu.my Dear Sir/Madam, A research has been conducted in order to determine what factors that affect UEL students cinema-going behaviour. Therefore survey form was distributed among UEL students. Information will be used for education and research purpose only. All information disclosed in this survey form will not be distributed or re-used by third party. Please kindly answer ALL questions listed in the survey form. Thank you. Section A: Demographic (Please read the question carefully and place à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ on those answer that most appropriate) Gender: Male Female Age: Below 20 21 23 24 26 27 29 Above 30 Nationality: Malaysian China Indonesian Others: _______________ Race: Malay Chinese Indian Others: _______________ Marital status: Single Married Divorced Highest education level: Primary school Secondary school A Level College University *UEL ID: ____________________ (Year ___ Semester ___) * Field indicated to fill in for future data keeping. Section B: How often do you visit cinema? Everyday 3 4 times per week Once a month Once per week Never visit (Go to Section C) What day in a week you likely will visit to cinema? Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday What types of genre you prefer to watch at cinema? (Continued Pg 3) Animation 3D Horror Romance Action Comedy Sci-Fi Dance/Musical What language of movie that you preferred to watch? English Chinese Tamil Others: ______________ Do you prefer to watch movie similar to drama? (eg, High School Musical1, 2 and 3) Yes No Usually you go to cinema with whom? (Can choose more than one answer) Family Friends Spouse Alone How much are you prepared to spend to purchase a cinema ticket? RM 5 RM 10 RM 11 RM 16 RM 17 RM 22 Above RM 22 Based on your last cinema going experience, please rate every statements stated below: Lighting Lighting(1 Very poor, 2 Poor, 3 Fair, 4 Good, 5 Very good) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚  1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Clear screen Clear screen à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚  1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Air condition Air condition à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚  1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Seats setting Seats setting à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚  1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sound system Sound system à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚  1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ How do you become aware of the new movies screening in the local cinema? (Continue Section C) Magazines Friends recommendation Online website Newspaper Cinema centre Broadcasting Section C: Please indicate what reasons that discourage you from going cinema (Can choose more than one answer). Price Cinema location Public transportation Promotion Other (Please specify: _________________________________________________) Please rank the following cinema companies from most popular to not popular based on your opinions. (1 Most popular, 2 Popular, 3 Fair, 4 Less popular, 5 Not popular) GSC TGV Cathay Cineplex MBO Lotus Five Star Does the availability of movie viewing alternative such as DVD/VCD/Online streaming discourage you from going cinema? Yes No Thank you for helping in this survey. Appendix 2 Focus Group Discussion This group consists of seven members, both local and foreign UEL students. Their personal information was not collected as each person prefer to remain anonymous in this research. Below is the result from the discussion: Usually you prefer to watch movies on which day? Why? Wednesday. Promotion. Student price. Not so crowded as weekends. Friday. No class on Friday for most of the students. Can spend more time with girlfriend/boyfriend. Saturday. Weekends price cheaper than weekdays. Usually not class for their spouse. What movies genre that you always watch at cinema? Action movies Romance movies (usually with spouse) 3D movies yet due to newly introduce therefore seldom watch by students. Horror movies What type of movies language that you prefer to watch at cinema? Why? English. Strengthen their language. Improve their speaking skill. More better if compare with other language Adopt the correct way to speak English. Forced by lecturer to watch English movies. Usually you go to cinema with whom? Why? Friends. Part of their life. To entertain friends because they ask for a movie. Can share opinions after watching movies. Spouse. Being forced. Improve relationship. Do you satisfied with last experience to cinema in term of seat, sound system, and screen? Will you go to that particular cinema again? Satisfied with those three factors. Yes because GSC provide the best environment to their customers. Satisfied. Now every cinema companies are competing in term of environment in order to booths up their sales. Willing to visit that cinema again. How do you become aware of new movies screening in cinema? Newspaper. Online website (usually for reserve purpose) Friends recommendation Does public transportation affect your cinema-going behaviour? No. Usually have own transportation. Major concern when dont have own transportation. Does location will affect your cinema-going behaviour? Yes. Sometime that cinema is located far away from their house. Stuck in traffic jam will feel exhausted and eliminate the mood to watch movie. Usually price will discourage you from going cinema? No. As long the price is within reasonable price range. No. To enjoy different feeling. Yes. Not affordable to purchase expensive ticket. Does alternative of movie viewing such as DVD or online streaming will discourage you from going cinema? No. That kind of feeling which obtained through watching at cinema is different from watching movie at home. No. Able to have more private space with spouse. Personal Interview Respondents personal information: L: Local student (1116421) F: Foreign student (1116608) Date: 12 April 2010 Duration: 45 minutes Can you tell me in which day of a week that you always go watch movies? L: I always watch movies on weekends especially on Saturday because I able to save cost compare to weekdays. F: Prefer to watch on weekdays oh because I can use my student card to get student price on Wednesday. Then what movies genre that you always watch at cinema? L: Action movies will be my first choose because the way they fight make me feel excited. F: Action movies. I dont like to watch dance/musical movies because is very boring and not attractive to me. What language movies that you always watch at cinema? L: English movies. More excited and adventure compare to other type of language. F: English movies because I am weak in speaking English when communicating with friends or lecturer. So I want to learn how to speak English. You usually go to cinema with whom? L: Friends. To entertain them. But majority of the time will go on date with girlfriend as normal day is study day and unable to spend more time with her. F: Friends. No choice because my boyfriend is not with me at Malaysia. Do environment factors affect your cinema going behaviour? Factors such as seat, sound system and screen. L: Of course not. Fuel price becoming more expensive than before so nearest cinema will be my choice. F: No. As long that I able to be with my friends, other factors will not be my concern. How you get your information about new movies at cinema? L: Through my friends and sometime from newspaper. F: Friends recommendation and newspaper. Usually online website was used to book ticket only. Does distance from your house to cinema is another factor discouraging you from going cinema? L: Yes. More nearest to my house, more likely I will choose that cinema. F: Yes. Sometime when the traffic is crowded then I might late for that movie. Then how about public transportation? L: No. Usually I will drive my car. F: No. My friends will come and fetch me. Will you pay high price for a movie? L: Depend on what movie. If that movie is my favourite then I wont mind spending high price but must be reasonable. F: Usually wont because I have limited budget to spend on every week. Will you buy DVD or go online to watch movie instead of going cinema? L: No. That kind of excitement cannot found if watch at home. (Some reasons have been removed due to personal reason) F: No. As long I can be with my friend, I can go watch movie even I watch that movie for more than two times. Appendix 3 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, introduced by Abraham Maslow, a famous psychologist, divine into five areas: Physiological Needs, Security Needs, Social Needs, Esteem Needs, Self-actualisation needs. In Social Needs stage, human want to have a sense of belonging, being love or loving. Involved in relationship such as friendship, romance, families can help human being to fulfil their needs for companionship and acceptance (Maslow, 1970).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Relationship Between Moby Dick and Ahabs Wife :: Moby Dick Essays

Examining the Relationship Between Literary Works: Moby Dick and Ahab's Wife Literature changes. One story creates a niche for another story to come into existence, or be written. What is a literary niche and how exactly does an evolutionary text fill it? Who gets to decide? This question is easiest to answer by first establishing what a text cannot do: it does not fill in all the missing gaps. Moby Dick created a niche for another book to come into being: Ahab's Wife. In examining the relationship between the two books, one might say that Ahab's Wife functions in filling in all the missing pieces that Moby Dick left. For example, take the opening lines of the two books: In Moby Dick, "Call me Ishmael." (18) In Ahab's Wife, "Ahab was neither my first husband, nor my last." (1) The first sets up a premise; the second could be seen as offering, in response, another story to pick up where the other leaves off. However, upon closer analysis it becomes clear that trying to fill in all the places where Moby Dick leaves off would be impossible; such a feat could not be imagined in one text. This is because Moby Dick opens up so many niches to be filled, not only responses to its specific text or story such as Ahab's Wife but also places in the succession of literary tradition. For example, it was evolutionary in assigning heroic qualities to characters traditionally seen as renegades. The picture becomes clearer if one regards Moby Dick not as the premise but coming from an evolutionary line itself, responding to the treatment of characters in texts such as the Bible and Shakespearean plays. When one thinks of how Ahab's Wife works in relation to this line, it is difficult to say whether it actually is an evolutionary text. It does not seem to evolve from Moby Dick at all; it is simply the same story. The reader may not realize this until near the very end of the book, when Una addresses Ishmael: Do you mind we write the same book? (663) To come to any conclusions about what kinds of niches a text might fill it helps to look at other lines through which texts have evolved. John Gardner, a modern academic novelist, wrote a book, Grendel, which complicates the monstrous villain from Beowulf. In discussing evolutionary literature, Beowulf is interesting because it is the first known recorded work in English.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Renaissance Architecture

Renaissance Architecture Between 1400 and 1600 AD classical ideas of an † age of awakening† took place in Italy and northern Europe. This period was called † The Renaissance† which means †born anew† in French. Renaissance architecture was inspired by the architecture of classic/ancient Greece and Rome. Before Gothic architecture was very asymmetrical and complex. The renaissance architecture was highly symmetrical and very proportioned.Features Of Renaissance Buildings: †¢symmetrical arrangement of windows and doors †¢use of classical columns and pilasters †¢ triangular pediments †¢square lintel †¢arches †¢domes †¢niches with sculptures Great Renaissance Architects †¢Giacomo da Vignola †¢Andrea Palladio †¢Fillipo Brunelleschi †¢Michelangelo Buonarroti Examples Of Renaissance Buildings The San Gio Rigo Maggiore in Venice is an example for an renaissance building. †¢the Redentore in Venice t he basilica in Vicenza †¢the rotunda near Vicenza †¢the Louvre in Paris The Phases Of Renaissance For more than five centuries, artists in northern Italy were exploring new Ideas during the beginning of the early 1500s, Italy saw an explosion of talent and innovation. This period is called †The High Renaissance† during the next century renaissance ideas spread through northern Europe, slowly replacing the former Gothic approaches to art and architecture.During the 1600s renaissance ideas developed into heavily ornamented baroque style. Even after the renaissance period ended architects were inspired by renaissance ideas. In the 1700s and early 1800s, fashionable architects designed stately neo classical buildings. A century later, American architects like Richard Morris hunt designed grand renaissance revival style homes that resembled villas and palaces from renaissance Italy. Benny Opoku-Arthur Langston Beckford-Uibel

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Emergence of Economic, Social and Political Ideas Essay

Introduction The new ideas that shaped our modern world are the influence of democracy, republicanism, nationalism and liberalism. Democracy is a form of gaovernment in which the citizen elects a representative to create laws on their behalf. Republicanism is a form of government in which the head of the state is the citizen of that nation rather than a monarch. A monarch is someone like a king, queen or an emperor. Nationalism is the belief that people of a similar race, culture or ideas ought to belong to the same nation state and liberalism was a movement aimed at protecting and improving the rights of individuals. Age of Revolution American Revolution The American Revolution was a political upheaval, 1765–1783, as the Thirteen American Colonies broke from the British Empire and formed an independent nation, the United States of America. Starting in 1765 the Americans rejected the authority of Parliament to tax them without elected representation. In 1774 the Patriots suppressed the Loy alists and expelled all royal officials. Each colony now had a new government that took control. The British responded by sending combat troops to re-establish royal control. Through the Second Continental Congress, the Patriots fought the British in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. In early 1778, after an invading army from Canada was captured by the Americans, the French entered the war as allies of the United States. The naval and military power of the two sides was about equal, and France had allies in the Netherlands and Spain, while Britain had no major allies in this large-scale war. The war turned to the South, where the British captured an American army at South Carolina, but failed to enlist enough volunteers from Loyalist civilian to take effective control. A combined American–French force captured a second British army at Yorktown in 1781, effectively ending the war in the United States. A peace treaty in 1783 confirmed the new nations complete separation from the British Empire. The United States took possession of nearly all the territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, with the British retaining control of Canada and Spain taking Florida. The American Revolution was the result of a series of social, political, and intellectual transformations in American society, government and ways of thinking and gained independence. French Revolution The French revolution was from 1780 to 1799. It brought an end to the medieval feudal system of land ownership ain France and eventually Europe but not everyone agreed with this. After the execution of King Louis XVI in 1793, opponents sought to crush it with the help of foreign armies (period known as Reign Of Terror). In the autumn of 1793, Robespierre and the Jacobins focused on addressing economic and political threats within France. What began as a proactive approach to reclaiming the nation quickly turned bloody as the government instituted its infamous campaign against internal opposition known as the Reign of Terror. Beginning in September, Robespierre, under the auspices of the Committee of Public Safety, began pointing an accusing finger at anyone whose beliefs seemed to be counterrevolutionary—citizens who had committed no crime but merely had social or political agendas that varied too much from Robespierre’s. The committee targeted even those who shared many Jacobin views but were perceived as just slightly too radical or conservative. During the nine-month period that followed, anywhere from 15,000 to 50,000 French citizens were beheaded at the guillotine. Even long-time associates of Robespierre such as Georges Danton, who had helped orchestrate the Jacobin rise to power, fell victim to the paranoia. When Danton wavered in his conviction, questioned Robespierre’s increasingly rash actions, and tried to arrange a truce between France and the warring countries, he himself lost his life to the guillotine, in April 1794. ] In conclusion, the outcome of the French revolution is that they overthrew the aristocracy of the day and took control, swept away the French monarchy and nobility, the French Revolution may have been bloody and violent, but in the end it changed the economic, political, and social structure of France forever, Probably the best reforms to come out of the Revolution were the reforms that would be the cornerstone of a legal and administrative system that still endures. There is only one negative outcome I can think of, is that King Louis XVI died, if he hadn’t died then they wouldn’t have attacked France and none would have shed a blood. The Eureka Rebellion The Eureka rebellion in the year 1854 was a historically amazing organised rebellion of gold miners of Victoria, Australia. The battle of the Eureka  Rebellion was fought between miners and the colonial forces of Australia. This event happened because of an act of disobedient in the Ballarat region, during the Victorian gold rush with miners against carrying a miner’s licence due to high fees. The licence fee became the main point of a much larger protest against the lack of democratic rights, and without the right to vote, miners had no say in the governments decisions. The only way their views were known was to either not carry them or even publically burn them and as this gets the Polices attention, they built stockades to protect themselves from the Police. The outcome of the Eureka Rebellion was that they came to symbolize the fight of the ordinary people for justice and basic rights. Female Suffrage The suffragettes argued that women should be able to vote and stand for election because the wishes of women should be reflected in parliament. They argued that a government ‘by the people’ should include government by women, because laws affect women as much as they do men. Vida Goldstein was born in Portland, Victoria. She believed that men and women should have equal rights. She worked for the right of women to vote, called ‘suffrage’, and her parents encouraged her to be strong and free. In 1903 Goldstein was the first woman in the British Empire to try to become a member of a national parliament. She stood for election to the Australian Commonwealth Parliament but did not win. She did not give up but worked towards women’s suffrage in Victorian state elections. Women in Victoria got the vote in 1908. During the First World War, Goldstein formed a group of people who worked for peace. A special tree was planted in the grounds of the Victorian Parl iament to honour her achievements and an electorate (voting area) in Melbourne is named after her. Australian Egalitarianism Egalitarianism basically means a fair go for all. Fairness and equality, mateship and brotherhood are words I would use to describe egalitarianism. Everyone helping everyone through tough and thin, bushfires, droughts and floods, they would all need to co-operate and help each other to survive. However egalitarianism hasn’t applied to everyone in Australia. Within the framework of Australia’s laws, all Australians have the right to express their culture and beliefs and to participate freely in Australia’s national  life. At the same time, everyone is expected to uphold the principles and shared values that support Australia’s way of life. These include: †¢respect for equal worth, dignity and freedom of the individual †¢freedom of speech and association †¢freedom of religion and a secular government †¢support for parliamentary democracy and the rule of law †¢equality under the law †¢equality of men and women and opportunity †¢peacefulness †¢a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces tolerance, and compassion for those in need. Australia also holds firmly to the belief that no one should be disadvantaged on the basis of their country of birth, cultural heritage, language, gender or religious belief. So Is Australia an egalitarian society? Australia is a relatively new country, with federation occurring little over a century ago. However, it has progressed steadily and today we are considered a wealthy, internationally competitive democracy. To many outsiders, Australia looks like heaven, a perfect paradise in which to live. Beautiful beaches, unique animals, a laidback lifestyle and a democratic system of government all add to this image of Australia being the perfect place to live. It has become the way of Australians to promote the image of equality in our country. However, Australia has had a very racist past, with policies such as the White Australia policy and the many discriminatory acts of injustice placed against the native Aboriginals. An egalitarian society is one that looks after the poor, treating them with dignity, and taking appropriate measures to ensure the welfare of all its citizens regardless of age, gender or race. An egalitarian society should not condone any form of discrimination, and should attempt to provide equal opportunity for everyone. Since 1901, Australia has come a long way in fighting inequality. Women now have equal rights to men; the White Australia policy and the Assimilation policy were abolished; life has improved for Aboriginals as their rights are now being acknowledged; average life expectancy has increased; and the government does a good job ensuring that  all Australian citizens benefit from the nation’s prosperity. However, there is an ongoing debate as to whether Australia is starting to neglect the important issue of equality in society. In 2003, it was found that the top 10% of Australian households had a higher income than the bottom 50% of households combined. While one may argue that Australia has become wealthier than ever, statistics read that there are more homeless and disadvantaged people than there were 25 years ago. I believe that Australia has improved in becoming a more equal and fair society but it seems that these days were lacking something, like there is a big gap in between the poor and the rich, like no matter how much they work the poor will stay a poor, and the rich get richer as time goes by.

Water shortage may be next cause of world war

While much attention and debate have been correctly focused on the impending planet-wide oil shortage, a far greater calamity awaits us as the reality of the looming global water crisis becomes more apparent. It is not unreasonable to wonder whether the next world war will be fought over oil or water.No resource on Earth is more precious than water. While ongoing events draw our attention to oil, we ignore what will become the most serious resource issue in this century – the international water shortage. The reports that nearly a third of the world’s population lacks clean water for personal daily use and estimates that by 2025 that number will grow to half of the world’s population. A number of world leaders have even suggested that the next world war could be sparked by water disputes.In places as different as the American west, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and China the problem of diminishing water supplies is becoming steadily more serious and more dang erous. The World Bank has reported that as many as 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten their economies as well as their citizens’ health, while 40 percent of the world’s population have no access to clean water and sanitation.In addition, more than a dozen nations receive most of their water from rivers that cross borders of neighbouring countries viewed as hostile. As readily as people and countries ï ¬ ght over control of oil, one can only imagine what it will be like when our precious life source of water is no longer available in sufficient quantities.According to Frank Rijsberman, the director of the International Water Management Institute, â€Å"Globally, water usage has increased six times in the past 100 years and will double again by 2050, driven mainly by irrigation and demands of agriculture.†The consequences of this increase in demand will be widespread scarcity and rapidly increasing water prices. As described in a report issued l ast August by WWF, the global conservation organization, rather than being simply a problem effecting poor and undeveloped countries, the â€Å"combination of climate change and drought and loss of wetlands that store water, along with poorly thought out water infrastructure and resources management, is making this (water) crisis truly global.†In the Middle East, Israelis and Palestinians are ï ¬ ghting over shrinking water resources. In China & India more than 400 of 600 towns & nearby cities are suffering water shortages and in Peru, as around the world, mountain glaciers are in retreat, taking with them vast stores of water that grow crops, generate electricity and sustain communities.â€Å"The situation will only be exacerbated as climate change is predicted to bring lower rainfall, increased evaporation and changed patterns of snow melting.†So what is to be done about this imminent case of water insecurity? The most important ï ¬ rst step is to develop a bette r method of agricultural irrigation. Presently 70 percent of all water use is agricultural, with 60 percent of that water being wasted, primarily through seepage and evaporation. Other strategies to address this growing global water problem include: water conservation, more desalination plants, slowing population growth, reducing pollution, and simply better managing the supply and demand of our most precious resource.Ultimately, there will be no remedy for this seemingly intractable problem unless and until truly sustainable practices of water conservation are undertaken at the personal, national and global level. If we fail to do this, and don’t learn to conserve and cooperate, the war(s) for control of the oil in the Middle East will appear mere picnics by comparison.And in addition to the already existing â€Å"No Blood for Oil† protest signs, our  newest antiwar protesters will be carrying signs saying, â€Å"No War for Water.†

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Chapter 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Chapter 7 - Essay Example Team work emphasis Ordinarily, the claim of hatred of people in different functions by Richard Palemo of Xerox is true and binding. The variation in attitude of hatred could be as a result of many reasons. The members do not show respect with one another. When an organization lacks respect among the employees there would be hatred and no unity will be in the organization. The problem of superiority complex and lack of appreciation in the organization has also been the source of hatred. Most of the employees cannot stand to work in the place where there is no appreciation and promotion. Hatred towards the senior develops when the demand for the workers are not met. In addition lack of common purpose could also be a source of hatred. To solve these problems in the departments, I will institute a proper mechanism that will make the employees to have same vision and purpose.Ordinarily, same purpose will promote collaboration and this reduces hatred. There is also need for motivation and appreciation among the employees. Hatred will reduce when employees are promoted or given incentives when they perform. Above all, there is also the need for proper communication among the

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Course Project 5 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course Project 5 - Case Study Example Today’s turbulent economic conditions make it hard make structured decisions and long term planning; information is the most required asset for organizations who want to be able to respond instantaneously to changing factors and micro-blogging websites like twitter are quickly becoming the fastest sources of news there are- providing instant and relevant updates. Answer 2. Twitter is a global platform which is accessed by people all over the world. It is a free and very popular social media site and can be invaluable for global organizations who want to communicate on a frequent basis and in a personal way with their employees. With the ‘tweets’, the organization can share news and any relevant information; if the employees are subscribed to the channel, they will receive those tweets on their homepage without any need for a formal communication process. With things like retweeting and replying back, the employees living in any geographical location can directly talk to administration and because of the transparency of the platform can even receive comments or initiate a discussion with other employees. The connectivity provided lets employees talk about operations and strategies in an informal way. The use of humor which is rampant on Twitter changes the tone of the conversation, giving everyone the same amount of conversational authority and may help overcome barriers of cultural differences as you just have 140 characters to make your point. This leads to a more collaborative environment and better idea generation, effecting the overall operations. Answer 3. The instant connectivity allowed by twitter can be utilized by Project Managers very effectively to keep in touch with their employees. A dedicated project twitter profile can be updated with news, important information or used to communicate with employees on an instantaneous basis. It can also prove to be a good forum to share about any setbacks or milestones

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Japanese literiture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japanese literiture - Essay Example Death and decay or perishability is a theme that has been extensively dealt with in Western as well as Japanese literature. However in Western Literature the concept of death is always related to an ending and has negative connotations. Moreover the Western world is always desiring for permanence rather than accepting and letting nature work on its principles as it is also apparent from the example Keene quotes, â€Å"in west permanence rather than perishability has been desired and this has led men to build monuments of deathless marble the realization that even such monuments crumble is a proof of inexorability of the ravages of time† (18). While on the other hand for Japanese death or decay does not connote negativity or an end in fact they perceive it as a beginning of something new. Moreover unlike the west who craves permanence they accept this bitter reality of human existence. In Japanese literature this principle of perishability is also perceived as the â€Å"Tyrann y of time† (Varley, 47) because Japanese realize that time always takes its toll and it is a natural mechanism according to which everything meets its end or deteriorates eventually with time. Although it is a major theme that is incorporated in many Japanese literary pieces yet this concept is also practically utilized and applied in their culture and life style. The practical implication of this phenomenon in Japanese culture is evident from the example stated in the text, â€Å"Few things for common use are made in Japan with the view of durability. The straw sandals worn out and replaced at each stage of the journey; the robe consisting of a few simple widths loosely stitched together for wearing and unstitched again for washing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (18). This principle of perishability of Japanese aesthetics helps an observer to find beauty even in ugliness or deformity. As it is also mentioned by Keene, â€Å"†¦flaws are sometimes as attractive as intrinsic beauty† (19). This further reiterates another reality of human existence i.e. it is impossible to attain perfection. Although this cliche is accepted by the Japanese the western world prefers to ignore it or they are unable to comprehend this simple yet complex reality of life. Unlike the western world that condemns impermanence and despises the role of fate in human life Japanese admire this unpredictability because they interpret it as an adventure and they consider it as a break through from the monotony and dullness. The extensive plantation of cherry blossoms in Japan instead of any other plants and trees also support this concept because Japanese prefer novelty in life. Rather than opting for plants that bloom round the year or have longer period of blooming they like the three days glory of the cherry blossoms and such an approach towards life develops a feeling of contentment in them. Such a simplistic approach towards life helps them in enjoying and relishing life moment by moment rather than wasting it like the western world in the marathon or quest for attaining more and desiring for the unattainable. Another interesting fact that Keene explores is that although the Japanese are competing and attaining success in the technological and nuclear age of the twenty first century yet their success in the modern world has not corrupted them and hence they still retain their connection with their