Thursday, October 31, 2019

Islam in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Islam in India - Essay Example The essay "Islam in India" talks about the Islamic religion that was started in India long before the death of Muhammad the Prophet. History shows that the Turkish people, including Muhammad Bakhtiyar, were the first conquerors that came over to Bengal and took over the Hindu kingdom.History tells about another invasion said to have started as early as 712. The invaders were led by the leader Muhammad Bin Qasim, who fought and won the war on Sikh land. This occurred a short while after the start of the Islamic religion in other parts of Arabic land. The religion was spread by the Arabs as they moved and fought kingdoms that tried to resist them, including Iran, Afghanistan, and India. The author shows that Arabs came to the land of India through the northwest region, which happened after talks with Buddhist leaders who wanted to help to fight Buddhist non-believers. This was an opportunity for the Islamic religion to enter and take over Buddhism kingdoms. Mohammed Qasim, who was aske d for help to fight Buddhism non-believers fought and won the war of Rewar in the year 712. The rule of Mohammed Qasim was followed by Turkish rule led by Mahmud Ghazni in the ninth century after the death of Mohammed Qasim. Mahmud Ghazni’s reason for invading India was to spread Islamic religion and the richness of Indian temples. Ghazni fought non-Muslim religions and destroying their temples. For example, Thorpe et al shows that Mahmud with his soldiers destroyed Hindu temples in the year 1026.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Construction Law resit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction Law resit - Essay Example The doctrine of the responsibility to care develops significantly in the case of Donoghue vs. Stevenson (Card, Murdoch & Murdoch, 2011 p. 12) The duty of care arises precisely when an individual or a group of people carries out an activity that may cause any reasonable harm to the other party. The harm from such activity may be physical, economic or mental injuries. The activities such as driving and dispensing of the medications that lead to substantial harm can be subjected to the duty of care as provided for in the Common Law (Anson, Beatson, Burrows, & Cartwright, 2010, p. 219). The legal obligation of care is the first element of negligence. The element describes the relationship between the claimant and the defendant. The defendant in all circumstances must take critical care to prevent any possible injury or harm to the plaintiff. The duty of care is established in two significant cases. These include where the defendant and the plaintiff are operating within a relationship in which the duty of care was precedent set. In the second instance, in case the relationship is outside the provisions, the duty of care is achieved through given principles developed by the law in the case. There are three chief principles delineated in the Caparo s. Dickman that precisely specify a clear tripartite test for the duty of care. The test entails three governing question that facilitate discerning of the legality of the claim by the plaintiff to the duty of care. First, the principles confirm whether the harm was reasonably foreseeable. The second principle evaluates whether there was any degree of closeness between the claimant and the concerned defendant. The third principle questions any fair play in the implantation of the duty of care and whether there is any precluding policy of the public concern (Anson et al 2010 p. 224) According to the principles, guiding

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Importance Of Accurate Financial Statements

The Importance Of Accurate Financial Statements The role of financial accounting is not to show the value of a company, but rather it provides enough information for others outside the company to determine the value of the company for themselves. Financial Statements according to Oxford Online Dictionary are annual statements summarizing a companys activity over the last year. They consist of    the profit and loss account, balance sheet,    statement of total recognized gains and losses    and, if required, the cash flow statement    together with supporting notes.    Proper financial statements are crucial for a companys success. Bad financial management can quickly lead to a companys downfall. Income statements, also known as PLs or profit and losses are a basic account of the companys profits, expenses and sales. These reports will give insight into the finances of a company in the immediate and distant future.    Balance sheets are the assets, liabilities and the equity of a company. This sheet is simply the statement of a companys financial position. The balance sheet does not apply to the future only to the present point in time. Retained earnings statements are forms that show the balance of initial earnings, any changes that took place and the resulting balance of that.    Lastly, when discussing financial statements comes the cash flow statement. This is basically a statement that contains information about a companys cash flow for the short term. This statement will break down all investing, financial and operations activity.    Companys use all of these statements to determine current financial profitability and potential future growth. Without accurate financial statements, and owners and managers ability to correctly understand them, any company is fated to failure. A company could track previous growth and then make an estimate on possible future growth of the company.    Liabilities are any debts, claims, obligations or potential losses a company may have. An example of a liability is an account payable. Accounts payable is simply money that a company owes but has yet to pay. This could be tracked to help reduce future expenses that have ended up costing more than they should have. Businesses have two primary objectives: to remain solvent and to earn a profit.    A companys solvency is the ability of the business to pay its bills and service its debt. The better their solvency, the better they are financially. This is different from a company being profitable.    There are four financial reports that show business owners their profitability: the Balance Sheet, the Income Statement, the Statement of Owners Equity, and the Statement of Cash Flows.    These reports are also the financial product of an accountants analysis of the transactions of the business. A lot of effort goes into preparing these financial statements.    The Balance Sheet shows a particular point in time.    It highlights what resources are owned by a business and what it owes to other parties.    It also shows how much has been invested in the business and what the sources of that investment were.    The balance sheet is often referred to as the snap shot of the business, or a picture of the financial position at that specific point.    In contrast, the Income Statement, also known as the profit and loss statement, provides a perspective on a longer time period. If the balance sheet is a snap shot, think of an income statement like a photo album of the business activities. That photo album is like a story of what financial transactions took place in a particular time frame, and what the overall results of the transactions actually were. The Statement of Cash Flows explains the change in the companys cash during the time interval indicated in the heading of the statement. It is meant to help managers and investors understand the relationship of net income to change in cash balances.(Holmgren, Sundem, Elliott, Philbrick, 2006, pg.185) This report is split into three sections: Operating activities, which explains how a companys cash has changed due to operations; investing activities, refers to amounts spent or received in transactions involving long-term assets; and financing activity, which shows such things as cash received from long term debt, or most commonly through the issuance of stock. All of this reporting shows company information.    It explains where a companys money came from, where it is now, and where it is going, but the root of it all begins with bookkeeping. Basic bookkeeping monitors what the companys check book looks like and what their reoccurring expenses are like payroll, rent, along with any other operating expenses. Every business needs some sort of process to track their expenses and their income without any analysis of their in-and-out flows.    This is where the accountants come in the picture. They evaluate and analyze the information making sense out of the numbers to explain the bigger picture.    For any of the above reports to be useful to an owner or investor, they need to be understandable, timely, relevant and free from bias.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The doom of apple :: essays research papers

The Ethics of War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unrestricted submarine warfare is often considered a shady practice in a time of war. Unrestricted submarine warfare is when one country sets up an area that is declared a war-zone, any ships that enter this zone, military or civilian, will be fired upon without warning. Is this right? In my essay, I will weigh the pros and cons of this tactic used by the German’s in WWI.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The practice of unrestricted warfare cost the lives of many innocent people. No warning is given so there is no chance to surrender or abandon ship! And foremost, unrestricted submarine warfare violates the so-called rules of war. In the case of the Lucitania, it was believed to be carrying supplies (this was true) and the ship could have later become a threat to Germany if converted into a war or transport ship. But, at the time, the ship or its 2000 passengers were not a threat to U-20, yet the Lucitiana was sunk without warning and with massive losses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unrestricted submarine warfare is a very shady, but effective tactic, nonetheless. When implemented, little to no supplies reach your enemies, this gives a tactical strangle hold on a war. Why is no warring given on civilian ships? To a U-boat stealth and surprise are its only defenses. Once a U-boat reveals itself, it is open to ramming and attack thus endangering the crew. In most cases, keeping your troops safe comes above keeping the enemies safe. Why would someone need to attack a civilian ship anyway? Because they may be carrying supplies. To say unrestricted submarine warfare violates the â€Å"rules† of war then why is the opposition violating the â€Å"rules† by putting troops and supplies on a civilian ship making it a target of submarines? Using the lives of innocent people as a shield to protect supplies is just as bad as firing on an unarmed ship without warning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is unrestricted submarine warfare right? In my opinion a submarine must give civilian ships a chance to abandon ship. A submarine does not need to expose itself to send a warning, send a radio ultimatum, and then a warning shot. How much of a treat could a passenger ship pose anyway?

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Segmentation of Budweiser

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of Study The use, acceptance, adoption and application of internet technology to businesses to boast their performances are not something new. Saffu et al. , (2008), states that there has been a significant increase in the use and application of e-commerce in businesses in the past decade. E-commerce has benefits such as reduction in costs, increased business opportunities, reduced lead time and providing more personalized service to the customers (Turban et al. , 2008).Internet banking or e-banking is one of the many tools of e-commerce adopted by the banking industry. Tools of information technology such as internet banking have significantly improved the quality of services offered by the banking industry and/or financial institutions (Dawes and Rowley, 1998). Currently, there are thousands and thousands of e-banking web sites all over the world. Botswana is a developing country, located in the southern part of Africa. She has a population o f just about 2 million.Being a developing country, internet technology has not been quite a thing for the citizens. Majority of people who get to use the internet are those in tertiary schools, work places and government departments, since they can get to use internet there. â€Å"In October 30th 2008, Botswana completed the multi-million pula Trans-Kalahari fibre-optic project, covering approximately 2000 kilometres. The project is expected to act as a catalyst to the growing ICT industry in the country. †Ã‚  (Botswana Guardian. 2008) This study focused on the information technology (IT) adoption in a developing country; Botswana, where internet technology let alone internet banking is still at its infancy stage, but could offer potential benefits and usefulness to the entire population and to the banking industry in the not so distant future. â€Å"The Botswana government together with that of Namibia recently contributed US$37. 5 million each to secure the West African Ca ble System (WACS) landing point.The 14 000 kilometre cable will bring direct and fast connectivity between Namibia, Botswana, West Africa, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world with a design capacity of 5. 12 terabit. These developments are expected to mark the beginning of cheaper bandwidth in the country. Both countries, Namibia and Botswana are at the dawn of an infrastructure revolution on the ICT landscape where broadband communication services will be further enhanced to benefit businesses, ndustry, internet community, academia and the entire population. † (Telecom Namibia, 16 February 2011) For the business industries in Botswana to stay competitive, they would have to implement e-commerce to enable them to be more competitive and efficient. This without any doubt includes the banking industry, which by no means have to implement and manage effectively the Internet banking services. The importance of e-commerce in Botswana is very critical since Botswana is a lan dlocked country and has no access to sea ports. The Botswana government is looking at making the country the communication harbour in the region. Under the government of Botswana’s plans, developing e-business is a critical step and a vital pillar of the economy. † (Botswana Guardian. , 2011). Given the importance of e-business and of Internet banking, it should be the key strategy of the banking industry in Botswana, just like in other developed and developing countries.Although the Botswana government is willing to spend money to invest on internet technology, thus improving e-commerce infrastructure, the ultimate success of Internet banking is still depending on consumers’ perceptions and whether they are willing to use internet banking. Therefore, users and/or customers ought to be willing to use, adopt and accept the technology. 1. 2 Problem Statement â€Å"Internet usage in Botswana remains very low as a result of the high cost to access it, the high cost of computer hardware and generally low levels of Internet awareness.Botswana remains on the wrong side of the digital divide with little access to development and innovation. The Internet banking service is a new technology in Botswana which means it needs a lot of efforts and sources to be adopted by both banks and customers. † (Chippa Legodimo. , 2007). Although previous studies into internet banking adoption show that Internet banking has been implemented completely in many developed countries such as the United States of America and Europe (Pakkarainen et al. 2004) and thus showing more on the factors affecting Internet banking adoption and/or acceptance on innovation adoption in the context of such developed countries (Daniel, 1999; Mols, 2000), there is a growing trend in the adoption of Internet banking by the banking industry in the developing countries too (Gurau. , 2002). It should be noted, that even though Botswana is one of the developing countries; her economy is not growing at the same rate as those of other developing countries. This could be mainly due to her geographical location.Therefore; e-commerce infrastructure is still less developed, thus the adoption of Internet banking is still at its infancy stage when compared to other developing nations. Given that in several countries, studies have been carried out measuring the factors affecting adoption of Internet business; and since there has never been any research or study on the factors affecting the decision to adopt Internet banking in Botswana, this study tried to study and measure such factors. 1. 3 Research ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to comprehend the consumers’ perception towards the adoption of internet banking in Botswana and to identify the factors affecting the decisions to adopt internet banking. The objectives of this research are as follows: 1. To identify the key factors affecting the decision to adopt Internet banking system in Botswana. 2 . To examine whether socioeconomic influences the decision to adopt Internet banking in Botswana. 3. To identify the most significant factor that affect the decision to adopt Internet banking in Botswana. 1. 4 Definition of TermsInternet Banking (Internet banking): Computerized service that allows a bank’s customers to get Internet with the bank via internet or telephone lines to view the status of their account(s) and transaction history. It usually also allows them to transfer funds, pay bills, request check books and so on (Business dictionary. , 2011) Internet: Global network of networks using universal standards to connect millions of different networks (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010). Information Technology (IT): The hardware and software technologies a firm needs to achieve its business objectives (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. 2010). Information System Literacy: Broad-based understanding of information systems that includes behavioral knowledge abou t organizations and individuals using information systems as well as technical knowledge about computers (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010). Adoption: The ability to accept and be willing to use. Privacy: The claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference from other individuals, organizations or the state (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010).Computer Literacy: Knowledge about information technology, focusing on understanding of how computer-based technologies work (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010). Security: Policies, procedures and technical measures used to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, theft or physical damage to information system (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010). Risk Assessment: Determining the potential frequency of the occurrence of a problem and a potential damage if the problem were to occur. Used to determine cost/benefits of a control (Kenneth C Laudon and Jane P Laudon. , 2010). 1. 5 Scop e of StudyThis study focused on internet banking adoption in a developing country, Botswana; where internet banking is still emerging and seems promising. The study was carried out on individuals comprising of Botswana population, mainly in the two cities; Gaborone and Francistown and the two major towns Jwaneng and Lobatse. The study looked at factors affecting the decision to adopt internet banking services, particularly in Botswana. Some of the developing countries like Malaysia (Suganthi and Suganthi. , 2001) and Turkey (Polatoghu and Ekin. , 2001) have successful implemented and adopted internet banking services.Adoption and implementation of internet banking is on the rising trend among the developing countries (Gurau. , 200). Likewise, Botswana as a developing country ought to implement and adopt internet banking services, therefore, this study looked at factors affecting the decision to adopt internet banking in Botswana. 1. 6 Significance of Study Banks: Comprehending the b ehaviour and perceptions of the customers is of great concern and importance to the survival of Banks (Devlin, Worthington, and Gerrard. , 2007). The banks and/or financial institutions will use this study to improve their service quality.The study will facilitate useful feedback that will be used for the improvement of the services and facilities rendered by both banks and other financial institutions in Botswana. Internet usage is at its infancy stage in Botswana and this study will permit the banks to position themselves and acquire the necessary knowledge on how to sell the service more to their customers. Understanding the customer’s perception regarding a product and/or service, put the banks at an advantage, thus allowing them to formulate strategy and customize their services to the needs of their customers. Customers/users:Customers/users ought to know and/or be aware of the cons and pros of using this facility. Therefore, the knowledge on the factors affecting the c ustomers’ decision to adopt and use internet banking is a vital asset to all customers and potential customers as they will be in a position to make informed decisions. This study would enable customers to evaluate if they really need this service or not. Research: Since there is no study in previous researches on this topic in Botswana in particular, future and current researchers would be in a position to use it as a point of reference and/or to improve it.It will also encourage other researchers to consider researching more on the adoption and use of internet banking in Botswana. It will serve as a starting point for them. 1. 7 Organization of Study Chapter 1: introduction This chapter inductions the subtopics such as background of study, research objectives, definition of terms, scope of study, significance of study and organization of study; to make the comprehension of the whole study visible and/or viable thus making it easier to comprehend the whole study.It is more o f a gate way into the whole study as it gives a brief but detail description and/or summary of the whole study. Chapter 2: literature review Based on the previous studies, this chapter discusses and explains internet banking in details and factors affecting the decision to adopt internet banking in Botswana. It clearly depicts the definitions of dependent variable, independent variables and moderating variables. References from the previous studies are used to enhance comprehension and to see how independent variables influence dependent variable, if ever they do.Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter depicts the whole arrangement of the study. In includes such subtopics as, research framework, hypothesis development, data collection method, questionnaire design, data analysis techniques and summary. Such subtopics are discussed in detail. It is in this chapter that all factors affecting the decision to adopt internet banking in Botswana (independent variables) and moderating variables are discussed and sampled. Hypothesis statements are presented and data collection methods are well explained here.Questionnaire is designed based on the independent variables and moderating variables to measure or see if there is any relationship and/or association between them and the dependent variable. Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings This chapter involves the incorporation of the interpretation of the collected data from respondents via quantitative method. The determination of the acceptance or rejection of the stated hypotheses statements was also tested. Software called SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) otherwise also known as Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) was used in the research to measure the results.This chapter mainly focuses on analysis the data collected, modelling, graphing and tabling it and presenting it. It is in this chapter, where the acceptance and/or rejection of hypothesis testing statements were scrutinized. Chapter 5: Conclusion an d Recommendations This chapter explains the outcomes of the testing of the hypotheses determined in chapter 4. The acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis is discussed as well. Additionally the concluded results of hypothesis testing from this study are compared with findings from previous researches. Limitations of this study were also discussed.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Comparative Commentary on Global Warming Essay

â€Å"Taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions† (â€Å"Text A†), an international newspaper advertisement from Exxon Mobil and â€Å"An Agenda for Climate Action† (Text B†), a speech by Eileen Claussen, the President of Pew Center on Global Climate Change were both written in 2006 with the focus on global warming. The author in both commentaries strives to bring out the message that as human beings, we must take action to stop the worsening of climate change. Text A is a published article by a company that emphasizes that everyone in the world should be able to take part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and that illustrates the range of actions, in particular technological advances the company has taken to address the problem. As for Text B, it is a speech delivered to university students that identifies the ultimate cause of the problems of climatic change the world is facing now. Even though the message of the two texts is the same, the way th ey convey it differs, in terms of the structure and content, language usage, purpose, and narrative perspective. The structure and content of the two texts are very similar even though there are some obvious differences. First, the introduction of the two texts is very similar in terms of the message their text strives to bring out. Text A starts with â€Å"We’d like to use this space to share our thoughts on actions to address the risk of climate change† while Text B is slightly different as it opens with a courteous introduction first but what follows is this, â€Å"I am here today to talk about what climate change solutions might entail†. This clearly shows that even though the two introductions i.e. the words used and the focus area are not the exact same, but without doubts, they are intended for the same purpose, to persuade people to take action. As for the sentencing and paragraph style, both are written in small paragraphs with long sentences, each having a specific point to make. In Text A, the 4th paragraph is about the need to develop new approaches that are suitable for consumers and to improve the present economic situation and current living standard. The 7th paragraph is about the company improving energy efficiency and having reduced a lot of emission. In Text B, the 3rd paragraph states the major cause for climate change, which is environmentally unfriendly actions done by humans. In the 5th paragraph, it talks about how the rate of mountain glaciers melting is increasing rapidly. These examples show that each paragraph from the two texts has a specific point to make and is clearly structured. Differences can also be found due to the different nature of the texts, Text A being an international newspaper advertisement that promotes their company, Exxon Mobil while Text B is a speech by Eileen Clausen in the Yale University with the aim to raise awareness of global warming to ring the bell that everyone must come together and take a â€Å"comprehensive approach†. First, they use different ways to inform their audiences.†¯ Text A is presented with descriptions and actual statistics of the actions the company have been taking so as to promote their company while Text B is a speech that strives to deliver the message to the audience that climate change is a serious problem, so uses more examples and easy-to-understand facts and information such as how the natural phenomenon that are occurring now is just â€Å"the tip of an iceberg†. Second, the way they start differ. For instance, Text B starts with a sentence in the very beginning that Text A does not, which is â€Å"Thank you very much. †¯It is grate to be here at Yale University†. This is because Text B is a speech so it must show some kind of gratitude for being able to give out a speech. In contrary, Text A is only an advertisement, which does not need to show gratitude that way, however, it has more to do with tone. The tone of†¯Text A is very formal and serious but not demanding because they are trying to promote their company. Although the tone in Text B has a certain level of seriousness, it is more towards the friendly-conversation kind of feeling. It is presented like how close the audience and Eileen Clausen are, this is so that the audience would be more interested and take account of the global issues more. The data of the two texts are not the same. Text A talks about solutions to reduce green house gas emissions, â€Å"Working with vehicle manufacturers and engine makers on programmers that could improve fuel economy by as much as 30% while significantly reducing emissions† and â€Å"improving energy efficiency at our facilities Steps taken since 1999 resulted in CO2 emissions saving of 11 million tones in 2005†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In Text B†, it talks about the risks that human activities have brought upon climate change. For instance,† what they showed is that the second largest land-based ice sheet in the world is losing ice twice as fast† and â€Å"we know that hurricanes are becoming more intense, not just in the Atlantic which gave us Katrina and Rita†¦Ã¢â‚¬ The information used in each of the texts to convey its message is different. Since Text A is an advertisement for its own company, it would be very uncommon for it not to pressure its audience into buying its products. Exxon Mobile does this by firing all the actions it has taken to tackle the problem of climatic change, creating the impression that using or buying their products is one of the ways to save the planet. However, since Text B is only a speech with no special interest, it only needs to address the seriousness of the situation without pressuring the audience that â€Å"these, if I may say this, are just the tip of the melting iceberg†, implying that what was said is not all that there is to it, there are many more risks out there. With and without the pressure, it shows how different the texts are and their impacts on the audience. As between the two texts, one focuses on solutions while another one on risks. Text A focuses on the solutions the company has come up with while Text B talks about the risks caused by human activities. In addition to that, Text A focuses on economics solutions while Text B focuses on geographic problems. For instance, in â€Å"Text A†, phrases such as â€Å"allow continued economic growth and improvements in living standard. Technological advances will be critical†highlight the economic aspects and developing technology to improve living stand requires money, so it is indirectly asking its customers to use or buy the company’s products. In Text B, the risks talked about are all related to the changes geographically not economic risks, such as â€Å"loss of mountain glaciers†, â€Å"but in all oceans where hurricanes occur† and â€Å"One study found that 130 species-both plants and animals- have responded to earlier spring warming over the last 30 years.† In addition to that, Text A focuses on achievements while Text B on problem.†¯ In Text A, the sentence, â€Å"working with vehicle manufacturers and engine makers on programmes that could improve fuel economy by as much as 30% while significantly reducing emissions† shows an achievement because by working with other manufacturers and company, Exxon Mobile would be able to benefit the fuel economy as well as reduce emissions. In Text B, the sentence,† we also know that we are experiencing a worldwide loss of mountain glaciers, a trend that is accelerating. By mid-century, most mountain glaciers may be gone,† reveals a problem. Hence, the focus of each Text is different although they bring out the same message. Although both texts talks about reducing emissions, Text A, â€Å"Our scientists and engineers are working to reduce emissions today and in Text B, â€Å"We need to move from an economy based on burning of fossil fuels to one based on energy efficiency.† Text A is more prone to the side of benefiting their consumers â€Å" and Text B is prone to talk about the cause of global warming â€Å"The impacts of climate change across the globe are occurring in patters that can only explained by human activities and not by natural variations in regional climate.† The ultimate message that the two texts have differs, Text A if to promote their company and to persuade customers to do something therefore buy their product. Text B is to persuade people that we must take action to prevent the worsening of climatic change. This is shown by the conclusions which it also includes the use of technical words, even though both texts use 1st person as narrative perspective to express their information, at first in Text A, the use of â€Å"we† was to represent the whole Exxon Mobil â€Å"We’d like to use this space to share our thoughts on actions† but it changed to a â€Å"we†, which meant the society and themselves â€Å"We all have a role to play.† Initially, in Text A, the use of â€Å"I† was to represent the speaker, the president of Pew Center on Global Climate Change â€Å"I am here today to talk about what climate change solutions might entail† but it literally changed to â€Å"We†, again it includes everyone â€Å"We need to act now to cone up with ways to limit emissions growth without.† The switch of the technical words emphasizes the message that wants to be sent across so they make everyone as a whole, make them think they are involved and would have consideration on whether to act or not. The people targeted by each commentary are different. For Text A, since it is a published advertisement of a company, a profit-making company, to be specific, the targeted audience undeniably would be its customers (the public) in the sense that buying their products would amount to saving the planet. In contrast, â€Å"Text B† has a narrower focus on university students â€Å"It is great to be here at Yale University†, people of high intellect and education, so explanation is not needed, therefore the message are more straightforwardly expressed. However, on a more in-depth analysis of the content of their commentary as discussed above, it may be that Text B is able to reach a wider audience than Text A. The reason is that the language used in Text B is easier to understand, contains more common, day-to-day language, for example â€Å"The earth is warming; the impacts-once only predictions- are now upon us and are likely to worsen,† whereas almost half of the Text A in fact involves technical language, for example â€Å"Exxon Mobil is the lead sponsor and study areas include solar, hydrogen, biofuels and advanced transportation,† which can be thought to be targeting at people such as professors, university students, climate change ambassadors, engineers, surveyors, etc. In conclusion, Text A and Text B have many similarities and differences between the content and language usage, for example the ultimate message, talking about risks or solutions, geographical problems or economy problems, technical language and tone etc. There are also many other differences and similarities that haven’t been mentioned such as the Text A inform in present continuous, Text B is repetitive and does not patronize, scope (broad or limited, modern or historical) etc. Lastly, the two texts clearly convey the same theme through the description of solutions and risks, to take action for climate change.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Faire les quatre cents coups - French Expression

Faire les quatre cents coups - French Expression Expression: Faire les quatre cents coups Pronunciation: [fehr lay kat(reu) sa(n) coo] Meaning: to raise hell, live a wild life, sow ones wild oats Literal translation: to do the four hundred tricks Register: normal Notes Many expressions cant be translated literally between French and English, but the French expression faire les quatre cents coups is one that makes virtually no sense at all- you cant even guess as to what it means figuratively. It may be partly the definite article les (the) that makes it so difficult, as if there are 400 specific tricks that one must do in order to claim that youve lived a truly wild life. Also, the word coup has numerous meanings- in faire les quatre cents coups, its in the sense of un mauvais coup i.e. a dirty or mean trick. Unfortunately, the title of the Franà §ois Truffauts film Les Quatre Cents Coups was poorly translated as The 400 Blows in English. 400 Tricks would have been a little better, but the best translation would have probably been something more figuratively comparable like Raising Hell or The Wild One. Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul ne va pas luniversità ©; il fait toujours les quatre cents coups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul isnt going to college; hes still sowing his wild oats.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Masters Thesis

Masters Thesis Before writing a thesis/dissertation you will have to trash over a great number of materials for your research. You should start your work with a thinking stage during which you take your time to debate different ideas for your future research project in your mind. Educational institutions throughout the world are generally using words ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ interchangeably. However, an educational tradition in some countries has firmly fixed the use of these terms. For instance, colleges and universities within the US use the term ‘thesis’ to denote a final project done at bachelor’s and/or master’s level, while the term ‘dissertation’ is used to signify a Ph.D.  level research project. Master’s Thesis: General Tips Writing a master’s thesis and its subsequent defense at viva voce is a mandatory requirement for obtaining master’s degree at the majority of degree awarding institutions. By completing your master’s thesis you are required to gain mastery in the chosen subfield and demonstrate your knowledge and competence in it. Working on a project of such scale is by no means an easy task. Many researchers agree that writing a masters’ thesis is more difficult than PhD because a student attempts to become an expert in a field which she or he hasn’t dealt with previously. They argue that work on a PhD is normally done by a researcher who already possesses expert-level knowledge in the field, is aware of the most recent research and is actively involved in the research process within this field. The main purpose of PhD-level writing is making a unique contribution to the existing body of knowledge. Master’s thesis doesn’t demand unique research; howe ver, its successful completion will require its author to demonstrate mastery within a given topic.   While working on a thesis one will need to cover a considerable number of resources (books, journals, periodicals, sites, databases etc), analyze them carefully, pick out the ones that are most relevant to the topic, and write, write, write. A WINNING THESIS PAPER Writing a master’s thesis might seem a daunting task because of the scale of work and the amount of research that has to be done. When you take another look at it and try to break the writing process into smaller assignments, it won’t appear intimidating anymore. To better organize the process and facilitate a  better understanding of the goals and tasks of master thesis writing, let’s take a closer look at the steps one has to take while working on the project. Masters Thesis: Selecting a Topic Selecting a topic for your master’s thesis lays the foundation of the entire project. The choice of the topic for their masters’ theses is generally left to students. As a result, topic selection becomes the first challenge in the course of writing. It is always a difficult task to achieve because students are new to the topic, have little knowledge on the subject and can easily make a mistake. Choosing a topic that is too general, for example, is one of the common mistakes. Another pitfall is selecting a topic that has not yet been researched. Despite all these academic traps, the general recommendation remains invariable: students need to choose topics they feel most interested in. As it has been previously said, writing a master’s thesis is a lengthy and a difficult process, and only your interest in the topic, as well as your academic curiosity and enthusiasm, will give you the energy to complete the project. Masters Thesis: Finding an Advisor Once the topic is chosen and before the actual writing, students are required to find a research advisor who would direct the writing process and work together with the student to strengthen the paper. Many institutions require their students to draft a plan of their thesis with a brief explanation of the issues that will be researched, abstract, bibliography and outline. Research advisors for master’s level these are usually PhD holders in their respective fields and they know immediately whether the topic is too broad or too narrow and will be able to break down the entire project into smaller bits. You will be required to see your advisor three-four times during the time you work on the paper. This is generally to discuss the thesis topic and then to review your first, second and third draft. Depending on the institution, the topic for your thesis may be approved by either your advisor personally or by the board of advisors. In case the topic gets approved by your advisor only, this is an easier case. Simply work on the topic together with him/her, and once it has been approved, proceed to research. If, however, you master’s thesis needs to be reviewed by the advisory board, you will be required to come up with a research proposal – a short extract of your future thesis. It will contain most of the sections of your actual thesis, and will briefly explain the editorial team what you are going to do your research. Once you submit the research proposal and it gets approved, you are free to proceed with further research. If the research proposal is found to be irrelevant or inadequate, the student will be required to start over: pick a new topic and come up with a new research proposal. This is normally a rare case because research advisors immediately spot topi cs that will not pass. Working on a Master’s Thesis: Structure Masters’ theses vary in structure depending on the field of study: a thesis in Arts, Economics, and Mathematics will be different. However, generally world institutions require the thesis to take five chapters. The first chapter is the thesis introduction, where the research topic and methodology are explained; the second chapter is a  review of the  literature, containing the  analysis of the literature on a given problem. The third chapter is the methodology section of the master’s thesis, explaining the methods utilized, data collected and approaches used. The ‘findings’ section is another major part of the paper presenting the reader with the results of the research. The fifth chapter of the master’s thesis should interpret the search findings and discuss them within the framework of the lit review. The final section of the paper is the conclusion, summing up the research and stating whether results have proven the hypothesis. Thesis Examination Many institutions require candidates to go through the so-called ‘thesis defense’, where students are required to present results of their research to an examining committee, consisting of senior scholars who are experts in the field. This examination, often called â€Å"viva voce† is generally done after the thesis has been completed, but before it gets submitted to the university. The committee reviews it and then makes a decision if the thesis is written at a decent academic quality level. There are four possible ‘verdicts’ a committee can come to:   Accepted without any corrections. This is rarely the case, as most theses will need a revision or a minor tuning;   Must be revised. In this case, the thesis is found to contain grammar and spelling errors that require correction. Most theses fall into this category;   Extensive revision needed. The thesis contains a series of other mistakes, including issues with methodology, literature, and some theoretical concepts;   Unacceptable. This is rarely the case in practice because academic advisors spot theses of unacceptable quality and failing a thesis at a viva voce will put his/her reputation at risk. Generally, writing a master’s thesis is a lengthy and a complicated process that requires patience, persistence, and practice. Should you need professional assistance with writing your master’s thesis, is a writing company that is your perfect choice. All our writers have at least one master’s thesis they have written and defended for getting their own degree; and at least 4-5 more that were completed for our customers. Some of them specialize in thesis writing and take only masters’ theses. THESIS STATEMENT Whenever you are using the help of our writers, you are receiving support from world class professionals, capable of crafting an effective master’s thesis to match your needs. We can be of assistance if you have completed the thesis yourself and need a major revision, proofreading service or a rewrite. It is always good for a thesis to be read by someone else, not just the author. In any case, we have the expertise required to ace your masters’ thesis. Please visit our order page or contact our support team for additional information. is the service you can trust!

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Black Heart Essay Research Paper A Small

Black Heart Essay, Research Paper A Small Price to Pay In the fresh Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the mariner Marlow tells a large prevarication to Kurtz? s Intended. To Marlow? [ there ] is a contamination of decease, a spirit of mortality in lies # 8211 ; which is precisely what I hate and detest in the universe # 8211 ; what I want to bury? . He hates and detests those who lie but lowers himself to making it himself at the terminal of the novel. There are many grounds why he does this. Unlike the lies the Manager and the Brickmaker might state to foster their ain selfish dockets, Marlow? s one prevarication serves to protect Kurtz and his Intended every bit good as to forestall the jungle? s darkness and immorality from perplexing the state of affairs one last clip. Marlow prevarications because he knows that the truth would do more hurting and complication than it is deserving. He is ready to set this experience behind him and to travel on with his life and he makes it easier for himself and the Intended by stating a prevarication. At the terminal of the Heart of Darkness, Marlow betrays his ethical motives by stating a immense prevarication to Kurtz? s Intended in order to protect the Intended from the painful truth, to forestall the darkness of the jungle from holding a drawn-out consequence, and to go on his ain trueness to Kurtz and protect Kurtz? s repute that Marlow feels responsible to upkeep. The first ground that Marlow lies is to protect the Intended? s vision of Kurtz. She insists that she knew him the best and that Kurtz needed her. The Intended provinces, ? I # 8211 ; I entirely know how to mourn for him as he deserves? . She besides tells that she? believed in him more that any one on Earth # 8211 ; more than his ain female parent, more than # 8211 ; himself. He needed me! Me? ! Obviously Kurtz was really of import to her. She mourns for over a twelvemonth and still holds him as an graven image. To her Kurtz was a great adult male who? drew work forces towards him by what was best in them. . . . It is the gift of the great? . She neer learns about the savageness to which Kurtz had resorted in the isolation and darkness of the jungle. Marlow is non about to destroy the Intended? s image of Kurtz. When she asks what his concluding words were, Marlow responds by stating Kurtz spoke her name. If Marlow tells her the truth it would hold been much harder for the Intend ed to take emotionally. Alternatively, Marlow allows her to maintain her belief of what she thought Kurtz was. Marlow lies to the Intended to protect her from the wicked truth she may non be able to manage. He grounds, ? Hadn? T he said he wanted merely justness? But I couldn? T. I could non state her. It would hold been to dark # 8211 ; excessively dark wholly? . By non cognizing the barbarian Kurtz became, she may be able to travel on and complete her bereavement. Marlow besides lies to set the darkness of the experience behind himself. He no longer wants it to impact him. One of the grounds that Marlow goes to see the Intended in the first topographic point is to eventually derive a sense of closing from the experience. He had a demand to? give that [ memory ] up, excessively, to the yesteryear, in a manner # 8211 ; to give up personally all that remained of him with me to that limbo which is the last word of our common destiny? . Mar low garbages to allow the darkness and the immorality of the jungle maintain a drawn-out clasp over his life. If he would hold told the truth to the Intended it would hold caused farther complications. He would hold had to see the consequence the truth had on Kurtz? s intended and this may hold affected Kurtz emotionally. He has merely recovered from resentment associated with this experience. Possibly the turbulence of memories and feelings that would happen if he told the Intended the existent truth, would do him to one time once more dip into resentment. In order to forestall these complications from happening, he tells a small prevarication and this efficaciously stops the complications from taking topographic point. Finally, the primary ground Marlow lies because of his responsibility to Kurtz. By going his caretaker during his last yearss, Marlow develops a sense of duty when it comes to Kurtz. He promises to upkeep the great and human-centered repute that Kurtz has in Europe and allows no foreigners to recognize what the existent Kurtz had become. When covering with the Intended, Marlow avoids lying when he confirms to her that he died how he lived. He uses the Intended? s ignorance to short-circuit the truth because she has a positive position of Kurtz? s life. Marlow knows the existent truth but there is no demand to rectify the Intended. However, he is forced to lie when he slips up and tells the Intended that? I heard his very last words? . Marlow lies to protect Kurtz. If he would hold told the Intended that Kurtz? s last were? The horror, the horror? , this would be a breach of the duty that Marlow has to Kurtz. He would instead go against his ain ethical motives that tarnish Kurtz? s re pute. Marlow was carry throughing his duty to Kurtz that was induced by the immense trueness he developed to him during his expedition. A prevarication was a little monetary value to pay in order to protect Kurtz? s great yet false character. Even though Marlow despises prevarication, he feels that stating a little prevarication is better than leting the complications and realisations that the truth would convey. He maintains a stable state of affairs in respects to the emotional province of the Intended and protects Kurtz. Marlow helps himself by finishing the last undertaking he must carry through out of responsibility to Kurtz and eventually will be able to set the full experience behind himself. In order to carry through these positive results, he must state a prevarication in order to avoid the worst results. Marlow himself states, ? It seemed to me that the house would fall in before I could get away, that the celestial spheres would fall upon my caput. But nil happened. The celestial spheres do non fall for such a trifle. Would they hold fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justness which was due? ? Marlow sees that through an undistinguished prevarication he keeps the worst from happening. Due to this, t he state of affairs remains stable and many people can eventually set this experience behind themselves and travel on. Marlow lies to protect the Intended, to forestall the darkness of the jungle from holding a drawn-out clasp, and eventually to protect Kurtz? s repute from the humiliation that would be caused by the exposure of the truth.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Two Recent Merger and Acquisition Cases Research Paper

Two Recent Merger and Acquisition Cases - Research Paper Example Verizon shareholders were the winners in the deal in that the new wireless unit was expected to have an annual income of 21.8 billion as operations income, a major boost to Verizon wireless coffers. The implication would be that Verizon wireless would have huge capital for investment in its wireless network infrastructure to take over competition wars to new levels. The deal was particularly of much importance to Vodafone shareholders as the company was not in a position to control operations and dividends in the U.S market. As such, the deal liberated Vodafone to focus more on reinventing and improving its operations in the European market where they have total control of their operations. Concentrating on the European market would improve the value of the company to its shareholders. In other words, the company made efforts to concentrate in smaller market segment hence improved performance and obtaining a competitive edge. The move to sell Vodafone U.S to Verizon was a response to the dwindling fortunes in the European market, which was badly affected by the debt crises. As such the buyout would leave Vodafone in improved financial status for boosting its network in the European market, which would be a win to Vodafone shareholders after several years of misfortune. The lucrativeness of the deal was evident by the fact that Verizon had agreed to sell its 23% stake in Vodafone Italy back to Vodafone at a cost of $3.5 billion. The amount is a fraction of what Verizon churned out for Vodafone US. On the other hand, the deal was a major boost to Verizon shares in the market. Verizon was expecting at least 10% gain per share since the buyout, a major surprise in the U.S communication market. However, the deal was not without a cost to Verizon. The company faced a major downgrade risk from S & P due to its high debt, with its credit rating being downgraded by one level and risking sinking deeper towards

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track Essay

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track - Essay Example The essay "The Masterpiece in Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track" discusses the Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track â€Å"Fight the Power†, one of the greatest musical works in history. The track features a hard, intense sound – one that is clearly different from the other hip-hop songs produced earlier. Produced in June 1989 as a single, at the request of Spike Lee, the track was to be used as the theme song to the movie ‘Do The Right Thing’. The movie focused on the racial tension that was then being experienced in Brooklyn, New York and in the rest of the United States of America. Contrary to what the title of the song literally suggests, â€Å"Fight the Power† was not about fighting the authorities that reigned at the time but rather it had all to do with fighting the abuse of powers by them. The abuse of power by white authorities led to oppression and violation of human rights. This song came at a very significant point in the history of the black people in America. Because after the Civil War of the 1960s that were believed to have ended racism, the song revealed the situation on the ground. It was believed that racism did not exist in the 1980s - a notion that is very far from the truth as racism had only taken another form. During the 80s, racism hurt mor e because most of the black people knew their rights and still experienced its harsh effects. According to the song, being black made one an enemy of the public. If a crime was committed in the U.S. during the 80s, the first suspects were the African Americans. Accusations against people were simply based on their race. The blacks were effectively considered to be guilty until proven innocent in spite of the fact that the law stated that one is innocent until proven guilty. The song urged people to talk against racism and make use of their right to freedom of speech (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song noted that it was time to do the right thing; talk against all forms of racism. The right to freedom of speech for the black community had long been a foreign concept. The song urged the blacks to fight for their constitutional right to be respected unto death. The lyrics of the song state that â€Å"Our freedom of speech is freedom or death† (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song also vie wed everybody as equal regardless of race, age and neighbourhood. The song â€Å"Fight the Power† addresses the issue of Blacks’ history. For a long time, it had been assumed in the U.S. that Blacks did not have a history, this in spite of the fact that they had been in existence for a long time. The heroes that were being recognized in one way or another and their pictures featuring on the stamps are the very ones that the Blacks could not relate with. In the song, one example of such heroes is Elvis who was considered to be the king of rock and roll (Lyrics

Europe in the Early Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Europe in the Early Middle Ages - Essay Example It was very awful that during this period, a mysterious disease attacked many individuals killing around 20 million2. This disease spread very fast since it was transmittable from one individual to the other and hence was very difficult to prevent it from spreading. After the fall of the Roman empire, the Catholic Church united people and with time, Charlemagne’ empire became the Holy Romans’ Empire. Additionally, during this period, the Islamic religion became very great and powerful since the death of their prophet, Muhammad. There were also many books and articles written on Islamic Religion. Consequently, it became almost three times larger than before. Additionally, there were also mass crusades by the Christians, whose main intentions were to expel and fight the Muslims3. However, they did not succeed in the end. In the beginning of this period, Feudalism scholars governed Europe. The peasants performed most of the work and were promised protection by this system4. They also experienced a hard time since they could not leave without permission without approval by the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer questions - Essay Example The documentary includes various personal stories of individuals who have tried to fight the status quo in a bid to transform the health sector (Susan and Mathew, 2012). Question One: Importance of Preventive Medicine in Family Care Preventive medicine is at the core of the documentary. One of the objectives of the documentary is to encourage prevention rather than curing diseases. The current healthcare system is focused on treating diseases rather than on finding preventive solutions. This has resulted in Americans spending a lot on healthcare yet the condition seems to be worsening in recent years. The documentary reveals that the healthcare costs in America are rapidly increasing ad could reach an annual figure of about 4.2 trillions, which is about 20% of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in ten years’ time (Susan and Mathew, 2012). The film further reveals that the nation spends up to the tune of 300 billion dollars on pharmaceutical drugs and about 75% o f the total healthcare costs are spent on preventable diseases (Susan and Mathew, 2012). These preventable diseases can also be attributed to the rising cases of disability among Americans. The greatest importance of preventive medicine in family care according to the documentary would be a reduction in healthcare costs (Susan and Mathew, 2012). Americans would have to spend less on treatment and their lifestyles would be improved a great deal. The country will be able to save a lot of money to invest in other sectors of the economy. This will also promote healthy living among people hence avoiding preventable diseases. Question Two: Main Issues the Film Raises with Current Healthcare System The documentary brings many of the problems affecting healthcare sector to the forefront. It raises issues affecting service providers in all sectors including primary care and family care among others. The documentary describes the current healthcare sector as broken in the sense that it is pro fit driven as opposed to patient driven, and focused on quick fixes rather than promoting prevention (Susan and Mathew, 2012). The current healthcare system is portrayed as being hugely extravagant with many unnecessary expenses going in to health problems that can be prevented. The film also states that the current health system has failed to realize any tangible results since the health issues have persistently been affecting Americans with more people being disabled and more other suffering from weight problems due to preventable causes. Question Three: Ways in Which an Existing Practice May Undermine Patient Outcomes Patient outcomes may be undermined in many ways in the current health system. Most of the service providers are profit centered as opposed to being patient centered. They would rather offer patients short-term solutions so that the patients spend more on treatment at the service provider’s benefit. Question Four: New Approaches for Improving Patient Outcomes The documentary puts forward two main approaches that can effectively reform the entire health system and improve patient outcomes. These are putting more focus on high-touch and preventative strategies. An approach relying more on high touch will ensure a lot of attention is given to the patient and the service they receive through a more face to face approach that ensures there is an understanding between the patients

East Coast Insurance Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

East Coast Insurance Company - Case Study Example As per the facts presented by the case, the company is facing increased workload of healthcare claims with a dearth of adept and skilled talent. The external environment also does not present opportunity to recruit a professional workforce that could handle the mammoth task. No doubt, the Strategic Planning Committee has come up with a host of solutions that diffuse through financial, human resources, environmental and even competitive domains of the organization. An important and worth discussing factor in the present case is the involvement of a government agency, which can be an appropriate thriving ground for the development of the fungus of ‘non-ethical behavior’. Looking a bit closer to the facets of the presented case, it is pretty much obvious that the major issue of the company is its increased workload due to the shortage of talented employees. As such, it is a people problem and not a place problem primarily. Even though the office space is not satisfactory, yet competent workforce in place can solve much of the problems of the company. The major operations of the company are to process the claims, where the expertise of people is required and not magnanimity of the building. Keeping this in mind, the prime focus of the management should be to increase the skill level of its employees. Relocating to a new building or to a suburb facility is not the solution as it will only give rise to the greater financial burden. If the company relocates, the employees will have to adjust themselves to a new environment, which will further degrade the quality and the speed of work, which is already under investigation. Similarly, investment in new premises will cut short the chances of the company to look for educated and competent employees or to provide for the training of existing ones.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

INDIVIDUAL INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEW & PAPER Assignment

INDIVIDUAL INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEW & PAPER - Assignment Example It lies within the latitudes 24 and 37 degree north and longitude 62 and 75 degree east. The country consists of five provinces - Baluchistan, Punjab, Sind, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa and Gilgit/Baltistan - and its capital is named Islamabad. Pakistan has one of the richest and most diverse cultures in the world. It is because this land had seen a number of invaders in the past including Whites, Persians, Turks and Mongols who had spread their own culture across this land. For this very reason we get to see diversity in culture throughout Pakistan with different ethnic groups having their own preferences when it comes to food, dressing, lifestyle etc. Increased globalization has brought further diversity to the country with Western culture increasingly being adopted by the people (â€Å"Pakistan Culture†, 2009). Ali himself comes from a Westernized background with many of his friends educated abroad, who love hanging out at international food chains and who openly drink. This defies my research since I found that alcohol was banned in Pakistan. But then there are so many things that are banned in the US too but still people do them. Religion shapes many of the Pakistan’s customs. ... Employment forms in Pakistan range from menial labor to jobs at multinational companies. The minimum wage per month of a Pakistani is Rs.10,000 (USD 100) and that is why many families live below the poverty line. Entrepreneurship has seen a rise in recent times and many people have switched to self created jobs. Induction of multinationals have brought good fortune to locals and created highly paid jobs. But people like Ali have moved out of the country for better job opportunities and better lifestyles. Since Pakistan is a developing country, the road network is not that of an international standard and is absent in much part of the country. Public transportation through buses is the most common means of traveling, with the slightly stable families using motor bikes and the ones economically sound use petrol and gas driven cars. Pakistan also has a sound air that connects cities and countries. Though a railway network is also present, the experience is not worth trying, says Ali. In frastructure within Pakistan varies from city to city. From mud houses to high rises, one can find it all. The metropolitan city homes a number of high rises and is a safe abode for businesses and other activities. Recently a sky-scraper by the name of Centaurus and designed by a British architectural company was officially inaugurated in the capital city. These developments hold a brighter future for the country’s growth and economy. Pakistan is one of the two countries of the world, made on religious lines of Islam and that is what is practiced by the majority of citizens. Almost 98% of Pakistanis are Muslim while the remaining 2% are either Hindu, Christians or other minority groups. My research led me to believe that Pakistanis were taken by religion in every aspects of life but

East Coast Insurance Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

East Coast Insurance Company - Case Study Example As per the facts presented by the case, the company is facing increased workload of healthcare claims with a dearth of adept and skilled talent. The external environment also does not present opportunity to recruit a professional workforce that could handle the mammoth task. No doubt, the Strategic Planning Committee has come up with a host of solutions that diffuse through financial, human resources, environmental and even competitive domains of the organization. An important and worth discussing factor in the present case is the involvement of a government agency, which can be an appropriate thriving ground for the development of the fungus of ‘non-ethical behavior’. Looking a bit closer to the facets of the presented case, it is pretty much obvious that the major issue of the company is its increased workload due to the shortage of talented employees. As such, it is a people problem and not a place problem primarily. Even though the office space is not satisfactory, yet competent workforce in place can solve much of the problems of the company. The major operations of the company are to process the claims, where the expertise of people is required and not magnanimity of the building. Keeping this in mind, the prime focus of the management should be to increase the skill level of its employees. Relocating to a new building or to a suburb facility is not the solution as it will only give rise to the greater financial burden. If the company relocates, the employees will have to adjust themselves to a new environment, which will further degrade the quality and the speed of work, which is already under investigation. Similarly, investment in new premises will cut short the chances of the company to look for educated and competent employees or to provide for the training of existing ones.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Societal Impacts on Natural Disasters Essay Example for Free

Societal Impacts on Natural Disasters Essay Natural disasters are a devastating, but undeniably inevitable part of life and society. Because of this fact, many of us tend to believe that they happen as an act of nature, purely out of the human control. We need to start realizing that this is far from the truth and it this attitude that is stopping us from learning from our mistakes. The contemporary world inaccurately labels various disasters as ‘natural’ when in fact, when looked at more closely; there is an enormous correlation between ‘nature’ and ‘society’. There are many flaws in the human preparation for natural disasters that have equated in death and injury where it could have been minimized. Although the occurrence of a disaster can happen at any time, it is vital that we start recognizing that there is much that we can do reduce the effects that they have on us as well as taking ownership to the fact that there have been many changes that we have made to the environment in the past and present to aggravate ‘natural’ disasters and allow them to impact on us with much more severity then they would of otherwise. A natural disaster can be defined as a phenomenon that results in material and/or environmental loss where the affected community would not be able to restore themselves without external support (The Australian Government Department of Transport and Regional Services, 2002). The 2011 TÃ… hoku earthquake and tsunami that affected Japan and the Indian Ocean earthquake affecting Southern Asia are both primary examples of natural disasters. Although these two events were completely unrelated to each-other, the economic and environmental impact that they had on their effected regions were very much similar. These included widespread death and injuries, building and infrastructure losses, major economic downfall and socio-economic loss. The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck the coast of Japan at 14:46 local time on 11th of March, 2011. It was a magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale (Shibahara, 2011), making it one of the most powerful earthquakes the world has ever seen. It lasted a total of 8 minutes and the violent earthquake later triggered a tsunami, which travelled up to 10 kilometres inland into the Sendai area (Norio, 2011). The short-term effects of the earthquake and tsunami included: death and injuries, destruction of property and  infrastructure including roads and all forms of transport systems, financial and economic downfall due to rebuilding, clean-up projects, and the falling of stocks. The event occurred where the pacific plates dip underneath the plate beneath northern Honshu. This is known as convergent boundaries; where one tectonic plate moves under the other, sinking into the Earth’s mantle as the plates meet. Where more traditional earthquakes are caused by friction of two plates moving in opposite directions, in this instant The Pacific Plate moved underneath Honshu’s plate, releasing large amounts of energy (N.A, 2005). The break caused the sea floor to rise by several metres. This underwater megathrust earthquake is the most rare and destructive type, hence producing the massive Richter scale reading. The tsunami that followed the earthquake was triggered by the destructive waves up of to 77 feet and engulfed the coast of Japan minutes after the quake. Some of the more powerful waves travelled up to 6 miles inland, causing damage that almost match that of the earthquake, even though limited to the coastal region. In addition to these events, the disasters also caused major disruption to the nearby nuclear power plants that put Japan in a the midst of a humanitarian crisis unseen in the history of modern Japan (Duan, 2012). Japan often experience’s natural disasters due to their geological placement and hence have developed earthquake and disaster procedures that are one of the most advanced in the world (Sheth Sanyai Jaiswai Gandhi, 2008). However, the series of disasters were simply too high in magnitude for Japan to be prepared for. The earthquake was above what they had predicted and the tsunami had not been factored in. Despite the unprecedented scale of the earthquake alone, many buildings infrastructures remained standing, proving Japan’s construction law’s, resilience and earthquake technology. This shows that if the earthquake was the only disaster that Japan had to deal with, they would have been able to cope with it far more successfully and the tsunami was the reason for the country’s failure (Zare Afrouz, 2012). They were left in a situation where they were facing several difficulties: The application of a response, the management of a large number of residents  that had been displaced by the disaster, and lack of experience in the management of medical resources for displaced populations. In addition to this, the people of Tohoku were only notified of the event one minute before the occurrance, leaving residents in a state of shock and unpreparedness (Norio, 2011). However, despite the devastating elements that the Japanese people were exposed to, they still managed to remain somewhat calm and dealt with the situation at hand with discipline. The public had confidence in officials that were part of relief teams and lined up in a civilized manner for food and drink, as opposed to demonstrating chaotic behavior, which would be very common in similar situations, especially in rural or developing countries. This would be a prime example of successfully educating the public on crisis behavior, especially in regions that are prone to disaster. The 2004 Tsunami, or otherwise known as the 2004 Indiana Ocean tsunami and earthquake is considered as the 6th deadliest earthquake/tsunami and the 2nd most destructive earthquake in the world (Wang Liu, 2008). During the quakes strongest point, it lasted a total of 8-10 minutes and caused a lasting rise in the global sea level of 0.1mm. Its destructive power also resulted in the inactive volcano situated in Indonesia to become active once again. The disaster affected a total of 15 countries, including: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Malaysia, South Africa, Madagascar and Kenya; with Indonesia suffering the most damage. The disaster measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, the same reading as the Tohoku event, this reading was measured in Sumatra, Indonesia and buildings were shaking in Bangkok as well as Singapore which were both more than 600 miles away. Similar to the Tokohu earthquake, the cause of the Indiana Ocean earthquake/ tsunami was also due to the sliding of tectonic plates, in this case the India plate underneath the Burma plate. Even though the process has been on-going for many years, it was the 26th of December 2004 when the process resulted in a rupture more then 1000 kilometers long and shifting the ground above the rupture by approximately 10 meters horizontally and a number of meters vertically. This event caused the entire planet to shake and witness  the largest magnitude earthquake in 40 years. Primary effects of the tsunami include major loss of life: 227000 people confirmed dead and 1.8 million people missing. More than 80000 houses were damaged or had been destroyed as well as overall severe damage to all infrastructure, roads, bridges and all utilities Secondary effects included the spread of disease due to contaminated water and the tropical climate (Wang Liu,2008). Another was major economic downfall due to the loss of coastal fishing industries as well as loss of tourism opportunity due to damage to areas such as Thailand. Emotional and psychological effects on those affected was also a significant factor, as well as the huge number of orphans that were left due to surviving the incident and their parents not being so lucky. The affected countries were entirely unprepared for the disaster (Athukorala, 2012). However, The Pacific Tsunami Monitoring Centre (PTMC) in Honolulu, Hawaii sent a message stating there was a possibility of a tsunami affecting countries in the Indian Ocean 65 minutes prior to the event. Unfortunately, this message was not passed onto the countries in the affected region, as the PTMC officials did not have required contacts in their address book. Furthermore, are a very rare incidence in the Indian Ocean and historically tsunami-related calamities had been of minor importance compared to other natural disasters (Abbott, 2011, Ch. 3; Albala-Bertrand 1993, Ch. 2, From Athukorala, 2012 ). It was also reported that â€Å" in many coastal towns and tourists resorts in Sri Lanka, Aceh, India and Thailand, many people watched the prior receding of the coastline with curiosity or took the opportunity to collect stranded fish and thus easily succumbed to the waves (Athukorala, 2012). † There is now research that shows a close correlation between the magnitude of the damage caused by the tsunami and the regions unpreparedness and lack of coastal resource management. Evidence shows that the shocking death toll could have been significantly bought down if the region had had more effective natural defenses such as coral forests and mangrove swamps, all of which had been destroyed for urban construction such as ocean facing hotels  and villas. By doing so, involved parties have not only broken coastal conservation legislation, but now live with the most serious consequence, loss of life. There is evidence that the amount of human lives lost was partly a result of modern progress, ruthless destruction of natural defenses such as coral forests and mangrove swamps, and building oceanfront hotels and villas in violation of coastal conservation legislation. For instance, in the areas surrounding Aceh, where the coastal ecosystem remained in good condition the tsunami’s effects were far less severe. Also, the island of Simeuleu in Indonesia experienced a relatively death toll, partially due to the healthy condition of the surrounding mangrove forests. Furthermore, in Sri Lanka the damage was much more brutal as there had been violation of regulation prohibiting mining coral reefs and damaging coastal mangrove forests, which act as a shield against the destruction of the sea (Athukorala, 2012). Both these events should act as a alarm for leaders all over the world, to revise their methods and procedure for disaster detection and response procedures. It could be an alarm for us to be more thorough and cautious about the earthquake hazard as the prepared and industrialized Japan with the most modernized technology confronted many extensive troubles, which were out of their predictions. We need to analyse the two events and see the connection between ‘nature’ and ‘society’ and understand that the two are interlinked. Although the occurrence of a natural disaster is out of our control, we are able to make a difference in the brutality of its effects by the choices we make to our surrounding environment, as proven by the regions that were fortunate to shield themselves from the wrath of the tsunami with their mangrove swamps and natural defense systems. Although the economic state of any region is a important factor in a range of decisions, officials need to also consider the environment as a major factor in their decision making when it comes to urban development; as without it, we have nothing.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Comparison of Traditional and Activity-Based Costing Systems

Comparison of Traditional and Activity-Based Costing Systems   Introduction: It is paramount for all types of firms to invest into a costing system. Cost management enables a firm for continued progression to enable its budget to be more vigorous and ultimately more cost effective. This essay aims to outline the framework for the main two costing systems that determine the costs and predict the activities that are consuming the most resources. To retrieve these cost values, a firm can use one of the traditional cost allocation method or the activity-based costing method. Whilst scrutinising each methods opportunities and challenges, its benefits and drawbacks will also be analysed. Traditional Cost Allocation (opportunities and benefits): The traditional cost allocation method has been described as the absorption of production overheads (excluding selling and administration overheads) into product costs for stock valuation (Letza and Gadd, 1994). The premise of this costing method is to calculate the indirect costs of a manufacturing business, with the notion of assisting managers make decisions beneficial for the organisation in terms of both costing and profitability. This is rendered by using only one overhead rate. Commonly, the machine hours or labour costs as these are directly relevant to the units produced, which can be shown by the following equation (Atrill and McLaney, 2015): As there is only one overhead rate, there is an arbitrary allocation of excess costs to its total volume base. The CIMA Technical Services (2001) mentions the traditional costing system relies upon three stages to formulate its costs: 1. Accruing of all the costs within a department 2. Designate the indirect costs to the departments that are functional, from the total costs 3. The indirect costs calculated should then be applied to products and services. These 3 stages allow for the costing system to align itself and be in accordance within the guidelines of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) (Johnson, 2014). Moreover, for firms that produce only 1 product, this system allows for a quick and smooth implementation process. This is because the total volume allocation base will only cover the volume for the sole product in the firms entire production line (Hansen Mowen, 2006). Flaws of Traditional Cost Allocation inception of ABC: Over time the use of this traditional costing system has had its limitations and drawbacks. Whilst being in accordance with the guidelines of the GAAP, the traditional system for costing omits the costs created by customers. To use the results of costing in external financial reports, it excludes selling and administration overheads. The use of only one overhead rate eliminates many other potential costs associated within a firms entire production line, which can lead to unembellished imprecisions. (Atrill and McLaney, 2015) In the past, the traditional approach in determining product costs has worked reasonably well. Overhead rates were typically of a much lower value for each direct labour than the rate paid to direct workers as wages or salaries. However, it is now becoming increasingly common for overhead rates to be between 5-10 times the hourly rate of pay due to the increased significance of overheads (Horngren et al, 1999). Even an insignificant change in the amount of direct labour worked on a job could massively affect the total cost deduced due to direct labour hours on the overhead cost loading. Moreover, overheads are still typically charged on a direct labour hour basis; overheads may not be closely related to direct labour however. (Atrill and McLaney, 2015) Principles like these in the traditional system reduces the accuracy of the model, questioning the legitimacy of this costing approach. As a result, what arose was the opportunity for an alternative technique to overcome these flaws. This led to the inception of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) Activity Based Costing: The inception of an alternative costing system had been brought about in the early 1980s by Robert Kaplan the first advocator of Activity-Based Costing. It was his aim to use more cost drivers to reduce the inaccuracies and inadequacies of traditional costing systems (Singer Donoso, 2008). Activity-based costing is an accounting practice by which costs are allocated on the basis of a firms activities. The implementation of this costing system is explicated by a chronological, 5 stage template process, which Figure 1 shows. The major amendments made to the traditional costing system are the multiple cost drivers and overhead rates that are identified. Identifying cost drivers holds as the imperative component towards a successful ABC system, for a more accurate and wholly reflective costs within a firm. The cause and effect relationship with activity costs acts as a basis for attaching these costs to a product or service (Atrill and McLaney, 2015). Created to forecast future costing, forward planning places managers in a more prominent position to assess the likely effect of new products and processes on activities and costs, leading to wider opportunities for firm managers (Horngren et al, 1999). Activity-Based Costing Opportunities and Benefits Activity-based costing offers a wide plethora of diverging opportunities. Significantly, the system has been taken on and been made more relevant to service industries. In the absence of a direct material element, a service businesss total costs are more likely to be predominantly composed of overheads. A survey conducted investigating 176 UK businesses (from varying industries) with annual sales revenue greater than  £50 million found overheads represent 51% of total cost for service providers. This is in stark contrast to 25% for manufacturers. These statistics certainly point towards the fact that ABC is an appealing proposition to adopt for firms that sell services rather than products (Atrill and McLaney, 2015). ABC can be used as a powerful tool for continuous rethinking and dramatic costing improvement in not only the services and products, but also market strategies and processes (Jinga et al, 2010). When Chrysler was placed in a period of financial turbulence, it exalted its costing system to ABC in 1991 in attempts to catch up to its formidable competitors, Toyota and Ford Motor Company. Previously, the true costs of Chrysler were made to be 30 times larger than what had been calculated (Meador, n.d.). Post-ABC (after short-term struggle through inevitable transitional difficulty) Chrysler recovered to a competitive standpoint; the automotive firm claimed they have saved hundreds of millions of dollars to date. (The Economist, n.d.) Similarly, the previously publicly-owned Royal Mail endorsed the ABC system to discover the cost of making postal deliveries, they identified 340 separate activities and subsequent cost drivers (Atrill and McLaney, 2015). The implementation of ABC can present a strenuous challenge, but with astute and correct execution, a firm can reap fruitful benefits. Within 5 years of implementation of ABC, Dutch firm Wavin made this system part of its day-to-day management culture, playing a significant role in their management excellence programme. Wavin introduced ABC by linking it to a practical business application profitability management which considered an ideal pilot area for learning about ABC, as well as establishing a deeper understanding for the relationship between product and customer profitability (Horngren et al, 1999). However, by treating ABC as a short-term concept, Wavin ran into trouble. By operating on a day-to-day management culture, they concluded every effort should be made to calculate ABC for all products. The caveat was that their real emphasis should be placed in ensuring the decision-making processes would lead to the accuracy of ABC attributed to both customers and products. Consequently, with its products Wavin used a two-phased approach whereby customers were classified into separate cost drivers. This approach generated an overall cost/customer matrix which was utilised as a foundation for its managerial decisions, representing the most significant part of the companys business (Horngren et al, 1999). Wavins implementation of ABC showed the relative unease for a firm to change its costing system, whereby the system has had many critics on its complex nature. Criticisms/Shortcomings of ABC: In spite of its main objective being to add accuracy and precision into costing schemes, from its inception ABC contained flaws. Analysing multiple overheads to identify cost drivers is time-consuming and costly. The cost of setting up the ABC system, as well as costs of running and updating it, must be incurred. The more overheads and cost drivers that are identified, the greater potential is associated with higher maintenance costs (Horngren et al, 1999). Should the firms operations be more complex and involve many activities and cost drivers, the longer the time spent to maintain this scheme. Thus, higher expenses should be paid towards its maintenance.The implementation of this costing system also presents challenges. Managers need to be taught and prepared to facilitate these new schemes, which comes with external and additional training. Once more, the complexity of mastering the scheme can be taxing in terms of time consumption. Many firms have found it problematic to implemen t ABC to existing, traditional costing systems, where it is argued that it is more manageable for start-up firms to commence with ABC (Horngren et al, 1999). Furthermore, each firm looking to take on this scheme must have all its business components broken down into its discrete components to identify all potential cost drivers. Perfecting the art of this scheme requires prolonged training, which again is an expensive measure (The Economist, n.d.). Comparing TCA to ABC: Traditional cost allocation has been around since the 1870s, where its use as a system has been going for many more decades than its alternative ABC: its inception was in the early 1980s (Ben-Arieh Qian, 2003). Interestingly a study claims that ABC is an additional costing system, not an alternative. When comparing different firms financial situations, it is highly likely that these firms do not have the exact same costing system. Some firms may use a traditional system with only one activity and cost driver associated to it, whilst others using ABC will have multiple activities and cost drivers: adding onto what the traditional system has (Narong, 2009). ABC includes labour or product parts that can be identified whereas the traditional method arbitrarily accumulates salaries, expenses, and depreciations. (Blocher, 2006) For estimating costs, ABC is a more precise system as it nurtures managers in becoming more knowledgeable of the indirect resources which identifies and removes cost drivers that are of no marginal value. It also gives managers an insight into existing parameters that have generated demands. (Jones Dugdale, 2002) The traditional approach sees its overheads as rendering a service to cost units, the cost of which must be changed to those units. ABC on the other hand views overheads as being caused by activities, like operating a store to house the cost units. Since it is the cost units that cause these activities, it is thus the cost units that must be charged with the costs that they cause. A reason for the inception of ABC is within the way overheads are organised. The traditional approach has the overheads apportioned to product cost centres, whereas ABC has its overheads analysed into cost pools, with one cost pool for each cost-driving activity. (Atrill and McLaney, 2015) The intention of ABC was neither to measure short-term variable costs nor provide a day-to-day guidance on process quality. With its forward planning nature, using ABC to predict short-run costs overlooks the fact that costs are the results of spending decisions (Horngren et al, 1999). To its disadvantage, the traditional system, on the other hand, does not present non-financial information concerning the Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs), perhaps displaying a slight negligence (Hilton, 2006). Conclusions: Whilst in theory there are two major approaches to choose from for a firm to undertake its costing decisions, there is no politically correct or preferred choice. Each costing system presents altering opportunities and challenges, where a firm ultimately has to choose dependent upon factors such as the firms industry. There has not been a major swell of manufacturing firms converting to implement ABC. Costing systems in the manufacturing sector are far more complexed, needing to convert materials into work in progress, than finished goods. However, large-scale manufacturing firms such as Siemens, Philips, Volvo and Ericsson made the brave decision in the 1990s to implement ABC. (Horngren et al, 1999) Yet 2 of these firms in Siemens and Philips have in todays climate have lost a significant market share to they once had; whether this is attributed to ABC is another question. It is important to note that the intended objectives of an ABC system at the time of implementation are likely to differ from its resulting consequences. The methodology behind ABC sets a company in a superior platform in terms of precision and accuracy, allowing managers to make more informed and knowledgeable for a firms long-term future. References Atrill, P. and McLaney, E. 2015. Accounting and finance for non-specialists. 1st ed. Harlow [etc.]: Pearson Education, pp.282-306. Ben-Arieh, D. and Qian, L., 2003. Activity-based cost management for design and development stage, International Journal of Production Economics, 83,169-183 CIMA Technical Services. 2001. Activity-based management an overview. [pdf]. CIMA Technical Briefing. Available from: www.cimaglobal.com/technicalreports [Accessed 23 March 2017] Hansen, D. and Mowen, M. 2006. Cost management: accounting and control. Mason, OH: London: Thomson/South-Western. Hilton, R.W. 2006. Cost Management: Strategies for Business Decisions, 3rd Ed. McGraw Hill, New York Jinga, G., Dumitru, M., Dumitrana, M. and Vulpoi, M. 2010. Accounting systems for cost management used in the Romanian economic entities, Accounting and Management Information Systems, 9(2), pp.242-267. Johnson, R., 2014. Traditional Costing Vs. Activity-Based Costing | Chron.com. Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/traditional-costing-vs-activitybased-costing-33724.html [Accessed March 24, 2017]. Jones, T. C. and D. Dugdale. 2002. The ABC bandwagon and the juggernaut of modernity. Accounting, Organizations and Society 27(1-2): 121-163. Letza, S. and Gadd, K. 1994. Should Activityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  based Costing be Considered as the Costing Method of Choice for Total Quality Organizations?. The TQM Magazine, 6(5), pp.57-63. Martin, J. (n.d.). ABC vs TOC. [online] Maaw.info. Available at: http://maaw.info/ArticleSummaries/ArtSumHolmen95.htm [Accessed 28 March 2017]. Meador, D. (n.d.). ABC: Initiating Large-Scale Change at Chrysler The Systems Thinker. [online] The Systems Thinker. Available at: https://thesystemsthinker.com/abc-initiating-large-scale-change-at-chrysler/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2017]. Narong, D.K. 2009, Activity-Based Costing and Management Solutions to Traditional Shortcomings of Cost Accounting, Cost Engineering, 51, 8, pp. 11-22, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, [Accessed 26 March 2017] Singer, M. and Donoso, P. 2008. Empirical validation of an activity-based optimization system, International Journal of Production Economics, 113, pp.335-345 The Economist. N.d. Activity-based costing. [online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/13933812 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. ABC WordPress. (n.d.). Activity-Based Costing (ABC). [online] Available at: https://allearth.wordpress.com/education/cost/abc/ [Accessed 30 Mar. 2017].

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Mythology: Dionysus And Semele :: essays research papers

Mythology: Dionysus And Semele   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Semele was the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, king and queen of Thebes, and the mother of Dionysus, god of wine. Zeus fell madly in love with her and made an oath to do anything that she asked. Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus,realized Zeus was in love with Semele and tricked Semele into asking Zeus to let her see him in his majesty. Bound by an oath, Zeus appeared before the unfortunate woman in all his divine glory. (Morford-Lenardon 187) As she looked at him, she was consumed by the lightening bolts and light that radiated from him. Zeus was able to rescue her unborn child, Dionysus, and hid him in his side until it was ready to be born.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hermes carried Dionysus to be cared for by the nymphs of Nysa-the loveliest of earth's valleys.(Hamilton 65) When Dionysus had grown up, he wandered to many far and strange places. Everywhere he went he taught men the culture of the vine and mysteries of his worship and everywhere he had been, he was accepted as a god.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dionysus went to Thebes to establish his worship, since that was his mother's city. He was accompanied by the Maenads. Pentheus, the King of Thebes, was not happy with the behavior of this group of strangers. He ordered his soldiers to imprison the visitors, but he had no idea that Dionysus was a new god.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The soldiers tried to imprison the maidens but said that the doors unbarred themselves. Pentheus was furious. He ordered his soldiers to imprison Dionysus but the prison could not hold him. Dionysis tried to show that the wonders of this new worship of a new and great god was divine but when Pentheus only heaped insults and threats upon him, Dionysus left him to his doom.(Hamilton 71)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Pentheus went to pursue the maidens that had escaped his prison, many Theban women joined him, and that is when Dionysis made them mad and they thought Pentheus was a wild beast and tore him apart.That is when Pentheus realized that he had fought with a god and must now pay with his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some time during his wanderings, Dionysus came upon the princess of Crete, Ariadne, when she was utterly desolate, having been abandoned on the shore of the island of Naxos by the Athenian prince, Theseus, whose life she had saved. (Hamilton 67) Dionysus rescued her and later fell in love with her. When she died, Dionysus took her crown and put it among the stars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His mother, Semele, whom he had never seen, was not forgotten.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Differences between Hypertext and the Printed Page :: Art Painting Language Essays

The Differences between Hypertext and the Printed Page Two painters, alone in the night, fervently work on their objets d’art. One, concerned with borders and lines, and the obviousness of it all, creates on her canvas a network of lines, circles, and primary colors. The other, thinking more about the medium (or rather the way she can master the colors and images), whimsically lets her hands wander on the surface, combining hues and smudging shapes. As the sun peaks its head over the hillside, each artist will have created her own oeuvre. Networks of lines and shapes, blurred lines and indistinguishable endings, like the paintings, hypertext has achieved that same structure. The goal of hypertext, it would seem, is to create works of increasing abstraction so that the way in which we relate to a written work gradually moves away from its informational content to the object, in and of itself. The transition is, by far, not an easy one. The academy is fraught with controversy over the obscurity of the hypertext medium. Lando w, in his section of Hyper/Text/Theory entitled â€Å"What’s a Critic to Do?,† attempts to reconcile the differences between hypertext and the printed page—differences that are as blatant, yet as subtle, as those between an abstract painting and an impressionist painting. The blurred edges of hypertext are represented by the concept of seemingly indistinguishable authorship. The author function becomes less significant as hypertext modes of textuality allow for a cacophony of voices to be included in each work. In contrast to the read-only versions of hypertext (those which cannot be annotated or amended), networked textuality allows for greater flexibility. The particular importance of networked textuality—that is, textuality written, stored, and read on a computer network—appears when technology transforms readers into reader-authors or â€Å"wreaders,† because any contribution, any change in the web created by one reader, quickly becomes available to other readers. This ability to write within a particular web in turn transforms comments from private notes, such as one takes in margins of ones’ own copy of a text, into public statements than, especially within educational settings, have powerfully democratizing effects (Landow 14). Hypertextual liberation comes from the shift from an expressive author who bears his or her soul in writing, to a community of voices who individually shape the text.