Monday, September 30, 2019

Catherine Newman’s story, “I Do Not.: Why I Won’t Marry” Essay

Catherine Newman wrote an essay, I Do. Not.:Why I won’t marry, and the essay is about her explanation why she does not want to married with Michael, her eleven years partner and the father of their son. I personally do not understand with her mind. First, she said that marriage is like a trafficking. Why she said that statement? Maybe she thinks that giving a dowry to the woman family is like buying their daughter? Come on Catherine there are no parents in this world who want to sell their daughter. Second, why she has a boyfriend if she does not want to married with him? This is what make me confused, she has a boyfriend but she doesn’t want to married, so what is the point of having boyfriend if she could not married with him? Moreover, she has a son with Michael. In my religion when you have a child before you are married, it is a sin. I think she is not ready to have a new role, wife. When she is married, she will get a new role as a wife but she is still not ready to get that role so she decided not to marry Michael. Why she is not ready? Besides, she has a son and she got a role as a mother. As we know, to be a mother is harder than to be a wife. In my opinion, Catherine does not want to married because she is having negative mind about marriage.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

An analysis of the influence of technology on contemporary interior architecture Essay

The analysis of the articles is based on the influence of technology on interior architecture education and of employer’s expectations in the interior design industry. This also addresses the issues faced by interior designers in today’s world and how technology is hindering/fostering their creativity. Talking about the article on â€Å"Technology Changing the Face of the Modern Fit out†, it addresses a strong point of how the interior design industry was never considered as a crucial part of the industry and was dealt with a stereotype attitude that interior designers dealt only with the part of â€Å"decorating† the space until technology gained importance. Technology has now given a 180-degree turn to the industry because of which the industry has finally started gaining the deserved recognition. The underlying point in the article â€Å" is technology hindering or fostering the creativity in interior design†, although is on similar lines like the above mentioned article about the positive aspects of technology, it also talks about the pitfall side of technology on the industry. Their argument is supported with an example cited of a professor from a state university of how although he accepts that the technology has given the students, the most innovative platform to communicate their design ideas, somewhere down the lane, the students who are the prospective interior designers are lacking the basic creative skills and hand drafting techniques. â€Å"Interior Designers’ Perceptions of the Influence †¨of Technology on Workplace Performance† article gives us a different perspective of the influence of technology and how it caters to the interior designers. The statement is supported by examples cited by employees from the industry who have been interviewed of how 2D and 3D software have enabled the designers to get their work done in reduced time in comparison to how it was in the past. It also talks about what the expectations of the employers from new hires are , 2 which includes being efficient in 2D and 3D software which will enable them to be proficient in expressing their design ideas. The other side of the coin is that it is hindering the employers in certain ways. This point is well supported by examples they cite of how in case if the computer crashes the students are unable to come up with a hand made drawing ready for a meeting. The over dependence on the computer has led to this state where the new graduates are finding it tough to inculcate sketching and hand drafting although their competent computer skills enable them to complete a design project in no time. The articles that we have looked at firmly state that the influence of technology has its pros and cons. The use of technology has catered to designers in various ways in terms of the time factor, design output etc. But the basic thing we have to understand is every opportunity has both sides. So technology is definitely fostering the designers but having said that it is better that we don’t become over dependent on it that it hinders our creative and innovative skills of designing. 3 Works Cited (Melinda Lyon 2009) (Moore 2011) (TAUTE 2005) Melinda Lyon, Shiretta Ownbey, Mihyun Kang. International Journal of Instructional Technology and distance learning. January 2009. http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_09/article07.htm (accessed August 2013). Moore, Tim. Design Build Source. October 05, 2011. http://designbuildsource.com.au/technology- ­Ã¢â‚¬ changing- ­Ã¢â‚¬ modern- ­Ã¢â‚¬ fitout (accessed August 28, 2013). TAUTE, MICHELLE. IIDA. 2005. http://www.iida.org/content.cfm/compass- ­Ã¢â‚¬ vs- ­Ã¢â‚¬  computer (accessed August 28, 2013).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

GDP †A Gross Deception

Capitalism concentrates on production of wealth more than distribution of wealth to satisfy the needs, which is secondary in their view. Therefore, the capitalist economic system has one aim, which is to increase the country's wealth as a whole, and it works to arrive at the highest possible level of production. It considers that the achievement of the highest possible level of welfare for the members of society will come as a result of increasing the national income by raising the level of production in the country, and in enabling individuals to be able to take the wealth, by being left free to work in producing and possessing it. So for capitalists the economy does not exist to satisfy the needs of every individual, rather it is focused on satisfying the needs of the wider community by raising the level of production and increasing the national income of the country. It believes that through the availability of the national income, the distribution of income among the members of society occurs, by means of freedom of possession and freedom of work. So it is left to the individuals to obtain what they can of the wealth, everyone according to what he has of its productive factors, whether all the individuals or only some individuals are satisfied. This is the so called â€Å"trickle-down effect†, a now-discredited theory of distribution which holds that the concentration of wealth in a few hands benefits the poor as the wealth necessarily â€Å"trickles down† to them, mainly through employment and as a result of investments made by the wealthy. In most cases, this policy failed, as the benefits were pocketed by a few. GNP is used widely by the capitalist nations as a measure of total production of all goods and services produced in a nation (usually annually) and central to a government’s national income accounts. GNP was introduced during World War II as a measure of wartime production capacity, since then the Gross National Product (since changed to Gross Domestic Product – GDP) has become a nation's foremost indicator of economic progress. Yet the GDP was never intended for this role. It is merely a gross tally of products and services bought and sold. However it is now widely used by policy makers, economists, international agencies and the media as the primary scorecard of a nation's economic health and well- being. Yet in this role it has many serious flaws. 1. The GDP ignores everything that happens outside the realm of monetized exchange, regardless of its importance to well-being and the society. Hence values (humanitarian, ethical, spiritual) other than material values go entirely ignored. 2. The GDP records every monetary transaction as positive, so the costs of social decay and natural disasters are tallied as an economic advance. For example the terrible effects of crime are recorded positively as adding billions of dollars to the GDP due to the need for locks and other security measures, increased police protection, property damage, and medical costs. Hurricane Andrew was a disaster for Southern Florida USA, but the GDP recorded it as a boon to the economy of well over $15 billion. 3. GDP ignores the drawbacks of living on foreign assets. Where governments have increased their spending by borrowing from abroad, this raises the GDP temporarily, but the need to repay this debt becomes a growing burden on the national economy. This downside of borrowing from abroad is not reflected in the GDP. 4. The GNP was turned into the GDP – a change that was deceptive and exploited by the Capitalist nations. Under the old measure, the Gross National Product, the earnings of a capitalist multinational firm were attributed to the country where the firm was owned and where the profits would eventually return. Under the Gross Domestic Product, however, the profits are attributed to the country where the factory is located, even though the profits won't stay there. This accounting shift has deceptively turned many struggling nations into statistical boomtowns. Statistics which are used in aiding the push for globalisation and free trade. Conveniently, it hides a basic fact: that the western Capitalist nations are walking off with the resources of poorer nations and calling it a gain for the poor. 5. Above all GDP ignores the distribution of income. In effect the GDP hides the fact that a rising tide does not lift all boats. From 1973 to 1993 in the USA, while GDP rose by over 50 percent, wages suffered a decline of almost 14 percent. Meanwhile, during the 1980s alone, the top 5 percent of households increased their real income by almost 20 percent. Yet the GDP presents this enormous gain at the top as a bounty to all. Furthermore the average number of poor people averaged more than 30 million people over the last 40 years in the US, with an average of 15% of the population being poor. In the meantime, the gross national product continued to increase drastically, over the same period. The GDP grew from $400 billions to $10 trillions from 1959 to 2000. This very large increase in the national product did not contribute to the resolution of poverty. More than 30 million people continue to be poor. Hence Capitalism superbly increases the production of products and services, and hence wealth. However this completely fails to resolve the poverty of the individuals. The number of poor people continues to grow. In reality therefore GDP as a measure of a nation’s economic well being is really a deception. It begins to explain why people feel increasingly gloomy despite official claims of economic progress and growth. In Islam, the economic problem is focused on distributing the means of satisfaction for individuals i. e. the distribution of the funds and benefits to the members of the nation or people, not on the needs which the nation or the people require without having any regard to every individual within the nation. In other words, the problem is the poverty which occurs to the individual not the poverty which occurs to the nation. The concern of the Islamic economic system is focused predominantly on satisfying the basic needs of every individual, not the study of producing economic commodity. Islam makes the subject of study, the basic human needs of man, as a human being, and the study of distributing the wealth to the members of society to guarantee the satisfaction of all their basic needs. Unlike capitalism it is aware that the treatment of the poverty of a country, through raising the level of production, does not solve the problem of poverty for individuals. Rather, Islam advocates the treatment of the poverty problems of all the individuals, and the distribution of the wealth of the country among them by addressing their basic needs first, thus motivating all the people of the country to work in increasing the national income.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations Essay

Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations - Essay Example urban, sub-urban, rural area. Most of the non-profit organizations are small in size. For-profit organizations are basically profit motivated. They do not depend on funds or donations but depend on other sources like loans, debentures, ventured capital and leasing among others. The accumulated profit is divided among the stockholders themselves rather than investing it in the company. Both the organizations have their own mottos and goals. The paper intends to discuss the financial management in the non-profit organizations. Also, the study aims to compare the management of finance in non-profit organization with that of for-profit organizations. The different head under which the classifications are made include sources of funds, use of debts, performance evaluation, and utilization of funds and governance mechanism. This investigation also comprise of a dedicated concluding section along with certain recommendations. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 4 Introduction 4 Comparison and Contrast of the Application of Financial Management Techniques in Nonprofit and For-Profit Organizations 5 Sources of Funds 5 Performance Evaluation for Non-Profit Organizations and Profit Organizations 7 Use of Debts 8 Governance Mechanism In Non- Profit Organizations 9 Utilization of Profit Earned 10 Conclusion 12 Recommendations 13 References 15 Introduction Financial management primarily refers to proper planning or management of activities of an organization for its smooth operation. In other words, the economic management of an organization to achieve the desired objectives is termed as financial management. Essentially, it is the technique of proper utilization of resources so as to achieve the preferred targets. Financial management includes the financial evaluation, financial planning and financial control. Financial planning entails future planning that assists in identification and management of risks and threats. It is generally the judgment of the performances of t he organization (Economy Watch, 2010). Non-profit organizations are those that utilize the raised funds to achieve the organizational goals rather than distributing or sharing among themselves. The objective of non-profit organizations is to achieve the set goals rather than achieving profit. Non-profit organizations generally ignore profit distribution. Non-profit organizations are also referred as the voluntary organizations as they provide primarily charitable services towards their stakeholders. However, for-profit organizations significantly vary from non-profit organizations. For-profit organizations, as the name signify, primarily desires to earn profit. The decision totally depends on the management if they want to retain the total profit with them or would like to spend sum on the operations of the organization. Generation of profit is the basic motto of for–profit organizations. There are basically four categories of the enterprises, i.e., sole proprietorship, partn ership, joint venture and company that come under for-profit organizations (Porter & Norton, 2010). Comparison and Contrast of the Application of Financial Management Techniques in Nonprofit and For-Profit Organizations Financial planning consists of proper strategizing in relation to financial aspects and its implementation. Financial planning of an organization depends on its objectives. The objectives of both non-profit and for-profit

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Philosopy- Death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosopy- Death penalty - Essay Example Igor Primoratz, in Justifying Legal Punishment and Ernest Van den Haag, in On Deterrence and the Death Penalty agree with abolitionists in part. Both admit that flaws in the system exist but submit that these issues could be diminished or eliminated. Each author presents compelling philosophical reasoning for continuing the death penalty. Of course, justifying a wrong does not make it right. The pursuit of justice is universally perceived a moral endeavor therefore, according to Primoratz, punishment must be considered moral as well. His theory of morally condoned retribution, the retributive theory, draws credibility by using a quote from the Bible which encourages use of the death penalty. (Primoratz, 1989). There are many quotes from the Bible that seemingly condone retribution for murder, the often quoted ‘an eye for an eye’ for example. Those that subscribe to retribution as justification for the death penalty often invoke this particular Bible reference. Aggression must be met with aggressive punishment. Interestingly, those that use the quote from the Old Testament to justify the use of the death penalty as a moral punishment either overlooked or ignored the passage in the New Testament where Jesus rebuffs this statement explicitly then reminds his followers to instead to ‘turn the other cheek.’ Keeping the debate in the arena of the religious who validate their own bias by pulling from the Bible, the term retribution is a simile for revenge. Those that oppose capital punishment believe that every life should be valued and that imprisoning a person for life without the possibility for parole is adequate punishment. Opponents also think that revenge is wrong and ultimately more destructive to the value system and very fabric of society than is the crime itself. In addition, opponents feel that outlawing the death

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Philosophy - Essay Example This might not be unconnected to the fact that he feels that what poets and other members of the arts community produce are rather too powerful to go uncensored. He insists that art is never original; it is always a copy of the copy (Pearson 414). As a result of his belief that art is powerful enough to stir anyone emotionally and otherwise, he advocated for measures to be put in place to check its effects, the negative ones for the most part. Worse still, the poet like every other person in the art, is capable of creating copy – that appear at times to be more original than that the original – that cannot be found in the ordinary world. Speaking well about Homer; it's a divine power that moves you, as a "Magnetic" stone moves iron rings. (That's what Euripides called it; most people call it "Heraclian.") This stone not only pulls those rings, if they're iron, it also puts power in those rings-so that there's sometimes a very long chain of iron pieces and rings hanging from one another. And the power in all of them depends on this stone. In the same way, the Muse makes some people inspired by herself, and then through those who are inspired a chain of other enthusiasts is derived. You know, none of the epic poets, if they're good, are masters of their subject; they are inspired, possessed, and that is how they utter all those beautiful poems. (Leitch et al 41) During the period when Plato wrote, it was not unusual for philosophers to think that poets got their inspiration from sources other than them. Many often attributed it to a divine source. More so, whenever poets and writers generally are asked how they achieved their feats, they at time do not know how they were able to pull it through without the aid of a force outside them. Although Plato did not seem to be so much agree with notion of divine inspiration, he may not be categorically said to have opposed this position. Kennedy (1989 p. 108) states: The poet has a skill all his own: not und erstanding, but capturing the appearance, the look and feel of human life. But just as an image is, or rather should be (in Plato's view), for the sake of its original, the art of image-making is destined to be the helpmate of the art that seeks truth. Poetry cannot, so to speak, be trusted on its own, but as the ward of a philosophic guardian can put its talent to good use According to Plato, the words of poets inspire because the poets has the capacity, not to only draw on images that have their originality in the world of forms, but to also create theirs. In creating theirs, it is either they clarify have people ought to know or they further becloud what people already know. Chiefly because the inspiration for the works of poets is quite unconventional, they have so much power on their readers that the readers are at times moved to do things they would not normally do. For example, one reads â€Å"Wasteland† by T.S. Eliot (Kermode 34), one would not only be engulfed in wha t he talks about, one may also want to bring some of what he talks about to fruition in reality. The kind of knowledge possessed by poets is such that could pose a lot of threat to the entire community. It has to be categorically stated that poets have the knowledge that cannot be sourced from the present world. This is another reason readers are often engrossed in what they have written in spite of the belief held by that poets are imitators of imitations. Poetry, unlike

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Resolving Organizational Conflicts in Communication and Team Work Essay

Resolving Organizational Conflicts in Communication and Team Work - Essay Example This report constitutes the process and resolution of consultancy for an organization enmeshed in issues in communication, teamwork, and achievement of organizational goals. Within the organization brew conflicts of interests that spew forth outcomes that drag the organization back instead of taking strides forward as a team. Such conflicts may be constraining factors in the smooth transition in the expansion of the organization. This implies that greater workload and responsibilities are expected. With an objective disposition, the consultant interviewed some members of the senior management team who expressed their concerns for the organization. Armed with this initial information, the consultant dug deeper by studying the issues and researching on possible interventions to resolve them. This paper will provide a background of the organization, the presenting problems, elaboration, and explanation of the concepts from a review of the literature and the resulting recommendations for intervention and conclusion. Adino Drug Detox Trust is a drug rehabilitation center that welcomes drug users who want to turn their lives around from being enslaved from drugs to being drug-free. The rehabilitation clinic helps them in their recovery and reintegration to society. The organization has enjoyed an untarnished national and international reputation for the past 30 years. It is registered as both a nursing home as well as a charity. It provides round-the-clock medical and social care.... He may stay in the clinic for a maximum of 3 weeks of detoxification prior to going through the second phase of detoxification. Within a year, he cannot be readmitted, as he is expected to remain drug free for a long time after his detoxification and when released from the clinic, that is his own responsibility. Besides, there are other clients who need the services of the clinic. The personnel involved in Aldino is composed of teams. The Operational Teams are comprised of the Nursing team, the Social Care Team and the Auxillary support team. The Senior Management Team (SMT) is comprised of the CEO, an Operations Director, Financial Director and an HR director. The SMT holds monthly board meetings. They are answerable to a board of trustees who meet quarterly. Referral Problem Meeting with the chairman of the board, the consultant inquired about the presenting problem of the organisation. The chairman expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the way the management could not agree o n so many things. He observed that there was constant squabbling and disagreements and too much interpersonal friction especially between the CEO and the financial director. The senior management team was always divided and the members manifested more individualistic career ambition than collective goal-setting for the organisation. The chairman noted that there was not enough corporate collegial cooperation. Such issues in communication and teamwork has resulted in low morale for the organisation. With the impending move to expand from a 15 bed unit to a 21 bed unit, and ready to accept additional clients in two month’s time, it is expected that the increased work load may present more challenges to the organisation in terms of workload and decision-making. The board of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Measurement and Instrumentation LVDT sheet Lab Report

Measurement and Instrumentation LVDT sheet - Lab Report Example The device consists of a primary winding (P) and two secondary windings named S1 and S2. Both of them are wound on one cylindrical former, side by side, and they have equal number of turns. Their arrangement is such that they maintain symmetry with either side of the primary winding (P). A movable soft iron core is placed parallel to the axis of the cylindrical former. An arm is connected to the other end of the soft iron core and it moves according to the displacement produced. The LVDT is also used as a secondary transducer in various measurement systems. A primary transducer is used to convert the measurand into a displacement (Scholey et al.,1995). The LVDT is then used to measure that displacement. Examples are: The graph above shows the plot between the resulting voltage or voltage difference and displacement. The graph clearly shows that a linear function is obtained between the output voltage and core movement from the null position within a limited range of 4 millimeter. The results showed that there is linear relationship between displacement and voltage and this relationship continues till the maximum displacement of 40 mm, after that output voltage was decreased drastically towards negative side. The results revealed that there is very strong repeatability in LVTD as show in fig. (2). There is almost no difference in output voltage when the experiment was replicated second time. These results are supported by the findings of other researchers who reported the similar results. (Tariq et al., 2002 ; Wu et al., 2008 and Drumea et al., 2006). It is evident from the data that the instrument has high sensitivity, resolution and repeatability. Maintains a linear relationship between the voltage difference output and displacement from each position of the core for a displacement of up to 40 millimeter. Scholey, G. K., Frost, J. D., Lo Presti, D. C. F., & Jamiolkowski, M. (1995). A review of instrumentation

Monday, September 23, 2019

Developing Competence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developing Competence - Essay Example The work under the review is about the correlation between people's competence and governmental efforts in education of the population. The topicality of the paper is explained by the fact that development of the employee competence is one of the most crucial steps which organizations take in order to safeguard their long term future. The work proves that governments play a very critical role in the development of the competency level of the members of the society. It describes how the UK government has taken some steps in the past directed at bridging the gap between the skill levels, however, these steps received mixed success. The government contribution in imparting the necessary trainings through a solid education system is very critical to not only meet the skill shortages, but also increase the general skill level of the employees besides offering the youth a chance to adapt to the new skills and technologies to better place themselves in the future careers. Various schemes ar e explored in this report besides looking into the initiatives taken by the Government and the private sector employers to bring in the culture of training and development within the UK society. Over the period of time, the UK government has taken some serious actions with not the best results. Unfortunately, the author comes to the conclusion that the schemes initiated by the UK government were not that much effective in their approach to bring in more training, though they developed which is targeted in nature and were well focused on the employees and organisational needs.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ellen and Edward represent Essay Example for Free

Ellen and Edward represent Essay Ellen and Edward represent the dynamic challenge of working with two people who enter therapy together, but present different levels of clinical symptomatology. In this case, Ellen appears to be experiencing the most difficulty functioning in her life. She reports a lack of energy, persistent sadness, and even occasional suicidal ideation. These problems are not new for Ellen as she has likely suffered from clinical depression for several years. Her termination of individual therapy may have triggered or intensified her recent increase in symptoms. Ellen’s diagnosis is Major Depressive Disorder. Her severity ranges from moderate to severe. At this time, Edward does not meet criteria for any Axis I disorders, but further information would be necessary to understand his personality and other areas of functioning more thoroughly. Neither member of this partnership meets criteria for an Axis II diagnosis. There are no medical conditions reported and therefore, no Axis III diagnosis. Axis IV psychosocial problems for Ellen include her previous abuse. As a couple, psychosocial difficulties include communication problems and marital discord. Ellen’s GAF is estimated to be 35 while Edward is functioning more effectively at a GAF of 65. The couple’s level of functioning is more reflective of Ellen’s more severe difficulties (Weeks Hof, 1995). They are failing to communicate, meet basic needs of the household, and sustain meaningful aspects of the relationships. Because Ellen has experienced a mood disturbance for longer than the duration of her marriage, it is possible that even her mate selection of Edward was related to her diagnosis (Weeks Hof, 1995). For this reason, Ellen’s individual diagnosis should be seen in the context of the relationship for the purposes of couple’s therapy. It is an integral part of their relationship and cannot be extracted if the couple wishes to fortify their relationship through marital counseling. Ellen would still be encouraged to seek her own individual therapy and consultation with a psychiatrist to address the severity of her depression. Ellen’s diagnosis was reached through the decision-tree method presented in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This method is a thorough way to match the presenting symptoms to the most appropriate clinical diagnosis. In this case, Ellen’s experience of a mood disorder was clear early in the initial session. The details she described about her past provided enough clinical information to eliminate bipolar disorders and more mild forms of depression. Major depressive disorder encompasses the duration and severity (i. e. occasional suicidal ideation) of her condition. The single criticism of the decision-tree method may be its tendency to over-diagnose. While this client clearly met criteria, there are very few paths out of the decision-tree should a client present mild symptoms that do not yet merit a full diagnosis. There are many different medication options that may supplement Ellen’s participation in psychotherapy. Lexapro and Zoloft, members of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, may be useful. If Ellen does not respond to these drugs or is at-risk for their adverse side-effects, Wellbutrin is another option. This drug has a complete different action mechanism than the others in the SSRI class. Ellen’s response and compliance with any antidepressant medication should be monitored closely. Her history of abruptly terminating treatment could indicate a potential to also stop taking her medication without warning. Many antidepressants need to be tapered off in gradually decreasing dosages. Abruptly ceasing treatment can cause dangerous side effects. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM IV- TR. (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: Author. Weeks, G. R. Hof, L. (1995) Integrative Solutions: Treating common problems in couples therapy. New York: Psychology Press.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Bajaj Two Wheeler Marketing Analysis

Bajaj Two Wheeler Marketing Analysis Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) was recognized in 1945, firstly launching scooters and three wheelers a centre in the Indian market. In 1991 its properties of the Indian government rule on foreign imports, BALs marketing object the development of the Indian two wheeler business from scooters to 2 stroke and 4 stroke bikes with a robust stress on BAL while studying its strategies. Along with the analysis found that BAL moving into developing markets in instruction to increase sales and found a global footmark. According to market report also comprises SWOT study of BAL which will help it to express an actual marketing policy for the next five years. In adding to SWOT analysis, Bajaj auto limited latest model Pulsar DTS-i 220cc,150 cc ,180cc 135 cc and Discover DTS-i 135 cc 100cc increased growth suddenly. Its product quality (maintenance, mileage service) better than any another Hero Honda, TVS motor product. At present time ,Bajaj very good position in two wheeler industry because Its ch anges model half yearly, yearly. Its also increase market share. Bajaj discover 100 makes new record -over 10 lakh bike sold in just 15 months. In 2010, Bajaj auto limited launch latest Bajaj Discover 150cc, pulsar 135cc, 220cc model changes in two wheeler market. All the brand comparable with other two wheeler company that its all brand were gave better average with new technic cheaper price. Table of Contents COMPANY HISTORY: Inspiring Confidence, the tagline, has constructed up confidence, complete pleasure engineering, not only to national customers but also internationally. Recognized just eight periods back in 1926 thru Jamnalal Bajaj, the company has been conferred with Indias major exporter of two-wheeler three-wheeler. In 2004-05, produce sales 196,710 units, a great 26 per cent jump over the previous year In 2004-05, Bajaj Auto Ltd. sales have increased about 21 per cent which at most Rs 65.4 billion. Its record in the history of the company. The gross working profit positions at Rs. 9.3 billion, over a record. The profits after tax of the BAL are close to Rs. 7.7 billion, and the pre-tax return on working capital is at an inspiring 80 per cent. The company strength is product excellence, brilliance in engineering and design, and its aptitude to pleasure the customers. In November 2004, the Pulsar introduced is continually controlling the best segment of the motorcycle market, helping to maintain the market advantage. Discover DTS-i, one more successful bike on Indian roads, is in the value segment of the motorcycle market. It joins a high degree of power with petroleum competence of a 100cc motorcycle. The market turns on high economies of device and on high economies of choice. The requirement for technical expertise is high. Owning a strong supply network is important and is very costly. All these brand the fence high enough to be a warning for new candidates OBJECTIVE: Bajaj Limited is to deliver the market requirements of transportation by providing two- wheeler. BAL has been manufacturing the list products to supply to the changing market requirements. Founded on the customer feedback, improvements are being made continuously in the current products. Its wants to be a good market growth in Indian two wheeler Industry. LITERATURE REVIEW: Marketing is the management process that identifies, anticipates satisfies customer requirements profitably. (The Chartered Institute of Marketing) Marketing is a social managerial process by which individual groups obtain what they want and need through creating ,offering and exchanging products of value with others, (kotler, 1991) The marketing mix helps you define the marketing elements for successfully positioning your market offer. One of the best known models is the Four Ps, which helps you define your marketing options in terms of product, place, price and promotion. Use the model when you are planning a new venture, or evaluating an existing offer, to optimize the impact with your target market. MARKETING MIX 4PS MODEL PROMOTION ADVERTISING Earlier tagline Defiantly Male but now its using tagline Distinctly Ahead. It inspires confidence and sends message of Free Biking. Its association with stunt mania (MTV) helps at targeting youth. Hero Honda is worlds no 1 two wheeler sales company. Advertising by Sorav Ganguly Hirtik Roshan. Hero Honda annual STAR SCREEN AWARDS etc. TVS Apache selected Bike of the Year in 2006. Company give a free gifts like electric item, offer price on Diwali, New year any other occasion. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths: Highly knowledgeable management Competences of product design development Widespread RD focus Wide spread distribution network High performance products across all classes High export to national sales ratio Great financial support network Great economics of scope scale Weaknesses: Hasnt employed the extra cash for  long Still has no recognized brand to match hero Hondas splendor in customer segment Not a global player in malice of enormous capacity Not a internationally familiar brand (unlike the JV partner Kawasaki ) Threats: The struggles catches-up new  innovation in no time Threat inexpensive of important motorcycle from china Margins getting embraced from both the directions (price as well as cost) Tata Ace is a thoughtful struggle for the three- wheeler cargo segment Pulsar 135 cc will good competitor to Hero Honda other bike. Opportunities: Dual growth in two -wheeler market Unused market above 180cc in motorcycle More adulthood and movements towards higher-end motorcycles The increasing gearless trendy scooter and scootte market Increasing world demand for entry-level motorcycle particularly in emerging markets. BAL is devoted to discouragement of pollution, continual development of environment presentation and obedience with all environmental rule and regulations. They always trust in as long as the customer value for money and save a special eye upon excellence, security, productivity, cost and distribution. THE INVEITABLE CHANGE: Bajaj on interior analysis found that it required The practical knowledge to deliver modest goods. The design knowledge. And the instant incapability to support the attack of competitors. Bajaj to expression for an global partner who could transport in technology and also proposal some basic stages to be factory-made and promoted in India. In Japan, Kawasaki is a world-renowned producer of high presentation bikes. In 1990, Bajaj arrived into a planned tie-up with Kawasaki to improve its product line and gen up-gradation to support long-term plans. This helped the purpose of satisfying the market rivalry for a whereas. From 1996 to 2000, Bajaj capitalized extremely in infrastructure though concurrently developing product design and innovation competences, which is the prime reason behind the lively Bajaj of 21st century. After 2001, Bajaj introduced a swing of products right from entry-level motorbike to the best segment right and since then its wet success all the technique for Bajaj. Previous sector, Bajaj had inspiring performance increasing at a rate of 20%+ when the main producer produced at just 6%. This stands a testament to the numerous significant strategic choices over the previous period. MARKET SEGMENTATION: BRAND POSITION: Bajaj Auto is a top company of Bajaj group. Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) is presently Indias second largest worlds fourth largest two-wheeler and three wheeler producer. The vital ability of Bajaj Auto Ltd is its technology and invention. Both DTS-i (Digital Twin Spark Ignition) and DTS-Fi (Digital Twin Spark Fuel Ignition) are technological advances by Bajaj. BAL is also a innovator in product innovation having accessible technologies such as Exhaust TEC (Exhaust Torque Expansion Chamber), LED tail lamps, LCD Display, SNS, Spare parts (Rear disc brakes, tube less tyres), Black colour system etc. Similarly, the company also learnt that deviation was another important part of its focus on specialism, with the Discover obviously located for the customer section and the Pulsar as the sporty option. The features, so, had to be high-class for each product in terms of looks and trip while protection profitability. Since Bajaj Autos point of view, the customer and sporty parts are the backbone of Indias motorbike market. And even while it has bikes to proposal from the KTM and Kawasaki firm, these largely continue in the place category as off-road and on-road players understanding into incomplete numbers. MARKETING STRETEGIES: The focus of BAL rotten twilight has been on as long as the best models at modest values .Most of the Bajaj models come loaded with the modern landscapes within the price group suitable by the market. BAL has been the innovator in widening competition into as long as newest features in the price section by informing the low price bikes. The latest features like twin spark, disk-brakes, anti-skid DTS-I technology and dual suspension, etc. who increase great growth in two wheeler industry. BAL accepted different promotion policies for different models, few of them are deliberated by table: Strategies Model Engine Technology Market Kawasaki 4s champion 100cc Bajaj first bike launched that time Hero Honda is a great market leader In fuel efficient bike Yamaha is performance bike Boxer 100cc AT/CT/AR three models come in market with good technology. Target rural population price delicate client. Boxer marketed as a worth for money bike a great mileage. It was in straight struggle to Hero Honda Dawn and Suzuki MX100. Pulsar new150cc, 180cc,135 cc 220cc, 200cc, DTS-I (digital twin spark ignition), DTS-Fi, Exhaus TEC (Exhaust Torque Expansion Chamber), Self-start Pulsar was launched in direct competition to the Hero Hondas CBZ model in 150 cc plus segment. all model was a great success and has already crossed 1 million marks in sales. Pulsar bike achieve very good market growth day by day Platina 100cc, 125cc DTS-i. Self-start Bajaj Platina is a leader in mileage appearances in the 100 cc class The Platina 125cc bike has a well-ordered expression along with a great rev-up and acceleration. IMPLEMENTATION: Although the avalanche of motorcycles offered Indian customers a wide variety of models to select from, it also resulted in increased weight on the companies to essence on cost-cuts, technology improvements and up-gradations and fashioning. Their margins came under weight as marketing costs intensified. The companies were compulsory to decrease prices and proposal reductions to live the competition. Moreover, analysts were cynical about the segments ability to uphold the development rate in the years to come. One of the main expectations original the motorbikes rush was that if the market was significantly large and was growing at a constant step, there was room for a profitable being for all products. In 2001, there were over 30 motorbike products in the market. Though, with the top five brands accounting for more than 60% of the market, only 40% of the market was accessible for all other new products put together. In spite of the launch of more vehicles, the endurance forecasts of many of the individual brands were believed to be slightly unwelcoming. Further, the development in the motorbike segment was dependant on on-going positive market situations. Analysts requested that to withstand this growth rate, the section would have to totally cannibalize the market for scooters and a significant part of the market for scooters and mopeds. As the fast increasing scooters segment, with high demand from female clienteles, followed by the temperately growing moped segment and the rearrangement in the scooter section thru major national and foreign companies supporting their attendance, it was unlikely that the whole growth in the two-wheeler subdivision would be due to motorbikes. Forecasters also observed that as the two-wheeler manufacturing had grown gradually for eight years, periods in the product life series would apply to the ground rather, rather than future and the weakening stage would usually come sometime. There was little difference between the products being launched separately from designing as most companies had presented their four-stroke vehicles. The Indian companies would succeed in producing the kind of volumes wanted to endure in the modest motorbike market, remainders to be understood. RECOMMENDATION: Focus on High Margin Products: About 50% of the two-wheeler customers buy high class products (products of executive and best segment motorcycles). Limits on these products are higher. BAL should accept a thoughtful strategy of concentrating on executive and best section motorbikes and three-wheelers, and is plummeting its essential on lower-end of motorbikes and scooters section. High margin products-Pulsar, Discover and Avenger. Low margin products Platina, Scooters and Mopeds. Bajaj cumulative competition in the economy section and limited scope from cost saving events, it is believed this strategy of concentrating on higher margin products would allow the company in retentive its operating margins. CONCIUSION: It has been more than 50 years currently that bikes have been ruling the Indian automobile segment. In 1955, the Indian government wanted durable and dependable motorbikes for its Military and forces to patrol the rough border thoroughfares. The first lot of 350cc Bullet the wonderful motorbike in India of all times, from the Royal Enfield Company of UK were conventional and collected at Chennai. The latest model launched new Pulsar 220cc, 135cc Discover 135cc, 100cc also increase better value in two wheeler markets. Its effect on Bajaj auto business. Rahul Bajaj chairman of Bajaj two wheeler. They change many models that increase company growth. Company CEO S. Sridhar change Forman, mechanical, technical staff product quality to improve bike brand. Since then, bikes in India have been prosperous as a two wheelers segment, and Indian bikes ahead on popularity all crossways the world.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Atom And Qi :: essays research papers

Atom & Qi The atom is the smallest portion of a substance that is not perceivable by human senses. The notion of atoms was conceived by ancient Greeks and was developed over thousands of years of scientific inquiry. The concept of qi as the most basic substance of which the world (everything) is comprised, was understood by the ancient Chinese. Both  ¡Ã‚ ¥atom ¡Ã‚ ¦ and  ¡Ã‚ ¥qi ¡Ã‚ ¦ are believed to exist by human beings and both are considered to be unseen objects (until we could see atoms recently). However, they lead to different interpretations of natural phenomena: the concept of the atom was developed in relation to  ¡Ã‚ ¥materiality ¡Ã‚ ¦, whereas qi is relavant to  ¡Ã‚ ¥spirituality ¡Ã‚ ¦. The historical progression towards a belief in atoms promoted the deduction of atoms throughout centuries. Nowadays, the atom is universally believed by people to exist as the result of scientific evidence. In contrast,  ¡Ã‚ ¥qi ¡Ã‚ ¦ is not believed to be a scientific phenomena and is considered a religious or superstitious belief. As a result, in order to demonstrate the existence of  ¡Ã‚ ¥qi ¡Ã‚ ¦ and make it conceivable by modern physicists, the use of the scientific method becomes the qi researchers ¡Ã‚ ¦ best tool. In addition, while qi and the atom were both conceived by ancient philosophers, the notion of the atom was better developed by scientists than the idea of qi. Therefore, by looking back at the historical progression towards a belief in atoms and the deduction of their structure, we know how scientists built up the atomic theory. Consequently, the concept of historical progression will help us understand why the notion of qi is hard to define by physicists, and how it could be developed into a scientific theory. HISTORICAL PROGRESSION TOWARDS A BELIEF IN ATOMS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of the atom originated in Greek philosophy around six hundred B.C. with the question:  ¡Ã‚ §What is the world made of ? ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Sachs, 9). Thales first suggested that  ¡Ã‚ §water [is] the basic building block of the world ¡Ã‚ ¨, and air, sand, and stone could be different forms of one fundamental substance (web page). Yet, Anoimenes believed  ¡Ã‚ §mist or air was the cornerstone of matter ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Clagett, 49). These ancient thinkers made simple and direct assertions about matter. Later, the idea of the atom was conceived and developed by Leucippus and Democritus in the fifth century B.C. and concluded that there must be  ¡Ã‚ §parts which are partless ¡Ã‚ ¨ such as sand, stone, water, or even a  ¡Ã‚ ¥void ¡Ã‚ ¦ which have the continuous and coherent appearance of a pure object though are not  ¡Ã‚ ¥true ¡Ã‚ ¦ structures (Young, 18).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Djuna Barnes: A Forgotten Ferocity of the 1920s Essay example -- puzzl

Djuna Barnes was an outspoken and fiercely witty modernist writer of the 1920’s. She was known for her somewhat puzzling writing, her bravery when it came to her own journalism, and her everyday intense persona. She is a figure that, one would think, would have never been forgotten, yet with time, and somewhat by her own doing, she has faded into the background of the 1920’s writers. So much so that, â€Å"Barnes once described herself as 'the most famous unknown writer', and this was an astute remark.† (Loncraine.) Barnes was born in 1892, in New York state to her mother and her eccentric Father (who was rather fond of polyamory). She lived in a home with her Grandmother, Father, Mother, her Father’s Mistress, and her brothers and sisters. She and her sibling were never formally schooled, but instead taught by their Grandmother, whose description in Rebecca Loncraine’s article, lends an understanding to Djuna’s unique personality, The Barnes children were all educated at home, largely by their grandmother, Zadel Barnes, who was a suffragist, journalist and spirit medium. Barnes's childhood was not happy, and it haunted her writing. (Loncraine) After the separation of her parents, in 1912, she with her Mother and brothers, moved to New York City. She studied at the Pratt Institute of art, until financial troubles forced her to look for work to support her family and her grandmother’s failing health. She is said to have walked into the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and announced, â€Å"I can draw and write, and you’d be a fool not to hire me,† a bold statement that landed her a job in journalism, where her career as a soon to be modernist would begin to flourish. Just as her statement that landed her the job was bold, so was her approach to writ... ...er writer in Paris in the 1920s. For Joyce presented Miss Barnes in 1923 with the original manuscript of Ulysses containing all of it’s annotations. Works Cited: Loncraine, Rebecca. "Djuna Barnes: an unknown modernist: Rebecca Loncraine introduces Djuna Barnes, one of America's least known and most intriguing Modernist writers." The English Review 15.3 (2005): 34+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. Field, Andrew, and Andrew Field. Djuna, the Formidable Miss Barnes. Austin: University of Texas, 1985. Print. Bombaci, Nancy. "â€Å"Well Of Course, I Used To Be Absolutely Gorgeous Dear†: The Female Interviewer As Subject/Object In Djuna Barnes's Journalism." Criticism 44.2 (2002): 161-185. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 7 Apr. 2014. Barnes, Djuna. The Book of Repulsive Women: 8 Rhythms and 5 Drawings. Los Angeles, CA: Sun & Moon, 1994. Print.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essay -- Christmas Car

Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens The novel, ‘A Christmas Carol’, is more than just a mere story instead it tries to expose the negative side of Victorian society and the reason behind this horror, the greed of the wealthy, through the development of the character Scrooge. All this while attempting to prompt readers with Scrooge’s similar wealth to make a change. As mentioned earlier, the development of Scrooge’s character is vital to this and I will explain how his character develops as the story proceeds and how it is used to accomplish the aim as mentioned above. In the first stave, Dickens tries to point out that Scrooge is a character that society considers negative. In the introduction, Dickens points out Scrooge’s wealth to immediately aim any point about society not only to average people but in particular to people of Scrooge’s similar wealth, he does this by describing Scrooge as ‘an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral’, this not only proves Scrooge’s wealth but also that Scrooge is a cold character, the first hint of the truly negative character of Scrooge to be revealed later in this stave, since he has the heart to do business on the day of the funeral of his long time business partner. What makes this worse is that Marley was Scrooge’s equal in terms of character as far as the story goes since Dickens chose to describe what Scrooge meant to Marley as ‘his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole friend and his sole mourner’, therefore since Scrooge showed little sympathy in the death of ‘his equal’ it gives the readers a sense of cannibalism since Scrooge is practically turning his back on Marley in his death. Even in the introduction, Dickens ... ...as changed as Scrooge is not usually earnest at all. Not only which, Scrooge seems to be a lot happier after this change as proven by the quote â€Å"Oh, glorious.† This is Scrooge describing the environment, in his description he describes it positively showing a sign that he is happier. This is important as it is a signal to readers in Scrooge’s financial situation that they will be happier after the change. My conclusion is that Scrooge’s character is used by Dickens to represent an exgaratted stereotypical version of the Victorian wealthy businessman who is greedy. The story is not only an attempt by Dickens to tell these businessmen what they are missing out on by being greedy(as proven by Scrooge’s happiness after the change) but also meant to expose the unfairness in Society where the rich who can do the most to improve lives do not even try to do so.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 20

Elena had seldom felt such relief as she did when she heard Damon's knock at Dr. Meggar's door. â€Å"What happened at the Meeting Place?† she asked. â€Å"I never made it there.† Damon explained about the ambush, while the others covertly studied Sage with varying degrees of approval, gratitude, or sheer lust. Elena realized that she'd had too much Black Magic when she felt ready to pass out at several points – although she was sure that the wine had helped Damon to survive a mob attack which might otherwise have killed him. They, in turn, explained Lady Ulma's story as briefly as possible. The woman was looking white and shaken by the end. â€Å"I do hope,† she said timidly to Damon, â€Å"that when you inherit Old Drohzne's property† – she paused to swallow – â€Å"that you'll decide to keep me. I know the slaves you brought with you are beautiful and young†¦but I can make myself very useful as a needlewoman and such. It's just my back that's lost its strength, not my mind†¦.† Damon was perfectly still for a moment. Then he walked over to Elena, who happened to be closest to him. He reached up, unclasped the last loop of rope that had been trailing from Elena's wrist, and threw it hard across the room. It whipped and wiggled like a snake. â€Å"Anyone else wearing one can do the same thing, as far as I'm concerned,† he said. â€Å"Except the throwing,† Meredith said quickly, seeing the doctor's eyebrow clashing as he looked at the many breakable glass beakers stacked along the walls. But she and Bonnie lost no time in losing any final vestige of rope that was still trailing. â€Å"I'm afraid mine are†¦permanent,† Lady Ulma said, pulling the fabric away from her wrists to expose the welded-on iron bracelets. She looked ashamed at being unable to obey her new master's first command. â€Å"Do you mind a moment of cold? I have enough Power to freeze them so they'll shatter,† Damon said. There was a soft sound from Lady Ulma. Elena thought she had never heard such desperation in any one human noise. â€Å"I could stand in snow to my neck for a year to get these awful things off,† the Lady said. Damon put his hands on either side of one bracelet and Elena could feel the rush of Power that emanated from him. There was a sharp cracking sound. Damon moved his hands and came up with two separate pieces of metal. Then he did it again, on the other side. The look in Lady Ulma's eyes made Elena feel more humble than proud. She had saved one woman from terrible degradation. But how many more remained? She would never know, or be able to save them all if she found out. Not with her Power in the state it was now. â€Å"I think Lady Ulma really ought to get some rest,† Bonnie said, rubbing her own forehead under tumbled strawberry curls. â€Å"And Elena, too. You should have seen how many stitches her leg took, Damon. But what do we do, go look for a hotel?† â€Å"Use my house,† said Dr. Meggar, one eyebrow up and one down. Obviously, he had become enmeshed in this story, swept along by its sheer power and beauty – and brutality. â€Å"All I ask is that you don't destroy anything, and that if you see a frog, don't kiss it, and don't kill it. There are plenty of blankets and chairs and couches.† He wouldn't take a single link from the heavy gold chain Damon had brought to use as income in exchange. â€Å"I†¦by rights I should help you all get ready for bed,† Lady Ulma murmured faintly to Meredith. â€Å"You're the worst hurt of all; you should get the best bed,† Meredith replied tranquilly. â€Å"And we will help you get into it.† â€Å"The most comfortable bed†¦that would be in my daughter's old room.† Dr. Meggar fumbled with a ring of keys. â€Å"She married a porter – how I hated to see her go. And this young lady, Miss Elena, can have the old bridal chamber.† For an instant Elena's heart was torn by conflicting emotions. She was afraid – yes, she was very sure it was fear she felt – that Damon might sweep her up in his arms and make for the bridal suite with her. And on the other hand†¦ Just then Lakshmi looked up at her uncertainly. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† she asked. â€Å"Do you have anywhere to go?† Elena asked in turn. â€Å"The street, I guess. I usually sleep in a barrel.† â€Å"Stay here. Come with me; a bridal bed sounds big enough for two people. You're one of us, now.† The look Lakshmi gave her was one of sheer thunderstruck gratitude. Not at being given a place to stay, Elena understood. For the statement, â€Å"You're one of us, now.† Elena could feel that Lakshmi had never been â€Å"one of† any group before. Things were quiet until almost â€Å"dawn† the next â€Å"day,† as the city's inhabitants called it, although the light hadn't varied all night. This time a different sort of crowd had gathered outside the doctor's complex. It was mostly made up of elderly men wearing threadbare but clean robes – but there were a few old women, too. They were led by a silver-haired man who had a strange air of dignity. Damon, with Sage as backup, went outside the doctor's complex and spoke to them. Elena was dressed but still upstairs in the quiet bridal suite. Dear Diary, Oh, God, I need help! Oh, Stefan – I need you. I need you to forgive me. I need you to keep me sane. Too much time around Damon and I'm completely emotional, ready to kill him or to†¦or to – I don't know. I don't know!!! We're like flint and tinder together – God! We're like gasoline and a flamethrower! Please hear me and help me and save me†¦from myself. Every time he even says my name†¦ â€Å"Elena.† The voice behind Elena made her jump. She slammed the diary shut and turned around. â€Å"Yes, Damon?† â€Å"How are you feeling?† â€Å"Oh, great. Fine. Even my leg is b – I mean, I'm fine all over. How are you feeling?† â€Å"I'm†¦well enough,† he said, and he smiled – and it was a real smile, not a snarl twisted into something else at the last second, or an attempt to manipulate. It was just a smile, if a rather worried and sad one. Elena somehow didn't notice the sadness until she remembered it later. She simply suddenly felt that she weighed nothing; that if she lost grip on herself she could be miles high before anyone could stop her – miles away, maybe even as far as this insane place's moons. She managed a shaky smile of her own at him. â€Å"That's good.† â€Å"I came to talk to you,† he said, â€Å"but†¦first – â€Å" In another moment, somehow, Elena was in his arms. â€Å"Damon – we can't keep on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to pull away gently. â€Å"We really can't keep doing this, you know.† But Damon didn't let go of her. There was something in the way he held her that half terrified her, and half made her want to cry with joy. She forced back the tears. â€Å"It's all right,† Damon said softly. â€Å"Go ahead and cry. We've got a situation on our hands.† Something in his voice frightened Elena. Not in the half-joyful way she'd been fearful a minute ago, but entirely frightened. It's because he's afraid, she thought suddenly in wonderment. She had seen Damon angry, wistful, cold, mocking, seductive – even subdued, ashamed – but she had never seen him afraid of anything. She could hardly get her mind around the concept. Damon†¦frightened†¦for her. â€Å"It's because of what I did yesterday, isn't it?† she asked. â€Å"Are they going to kill me?† She was surprised at how calmly she said it. She felt nothing except a vague distress and the desire to make Damon not afraid anymore. â€Å"No!† He held her at arm's length, staring. â€Å"At least not without killing me and Sage – and all the people in this house, too, if I know them.† He stopped, seeming out of breath – which was impossible, Elena reminded herself. He's playing for time, she thought. â€Å"But that's what they want to do,† she said. She didn't know why she was so certain. Maybe she was picking up something telepathically. â€Å"They have†¦made threats,† Damon said slowly. â€Å"It's not the case of Old Drohzne really; I guess there are murders around here all the time and winner takes all. But apparently overnight word of what you did has been spreading. Slaves in nearby estates are refusing to obey their masters. This entire quarter of the slums is in turmoil – and they're afraid of what will happen if other sectors hear about it. Something has to be done as soon as possible or the whole Dark Dimension may just explode like a bomb.† Even as Damon spoke, Elena could hear the echoes of what he'd been told by the assembly who had come to Dr. Meggar's door. They had been afraid, too. Maybe this could be the start of something important, Elena thought, her mind soaring away from her own small problems. Even death wouldn't be too high a price to pay to free these wretched people from their demonic masters. â€Å"But that's not what will happen!† Damon said, and Elena realized that she must be projecting her thoughts. There was genuine anguish in Damon's voice. â€Å"If we had planned things, if there were leaders who could stay here and oversee a revolution – if we could even find leaders strong enough to do it – then there might be a chance. Instead, all the slaves are being punished, everywhere that the word has spread. They're being tortured and killed on mere suspicion of sympathy with you. Their masters are making examples all over the city. And it's only going to get worse.† Elena's heart, which had been soaring on a dream of actually making a difference, came crashing down to the ground and she stared, horrified, into Damon's black eyes. â€Å"But we've got to stop that. Even if I have to die – â€Å" Damon pulled her back in close to him. â€Å"You – and Bonnie and Meredith.† His voice sounded hoarse. â€Å"Plenty of people saw the three of you together. Plenty of people now see all three of you as the troublemakers.† Elena's heart went cold. Maybe the worst thing was that she could see from a slave economy's point of view that if one incident of such insolence went unpunished and word of it spread†¦the tale would grow in the telling†¦. â€Å"We became famous overnight. We'll be legends tomorrow,† she murmured, watching, in her mind, a domino toppling into another which hit another until a long string had fallen down spelling the word â€Å"Heroine.† But she didn't want to be a heroine. She had just come here to get Stefan back. And while she could have faced giving her life to stop slaves from being tortured and killed, she would herself kill anyone who tried to lay a hand on Bonnie or Meredith. â€Å"They feel the same way,† Damon said. â€Å"They heard what the congregation had to say.† He held her arms hard as if trying to brace her. â€Å"A young girl named Helena was beaten and hung this morning because she had a similar name to yours. She was fifteen.† Elena's legs gave out, as so often they had done in Damon's arms†¦but never for this reason. He went with her. This was a conversation you had sitting on bare floorboards. â€Å"It wasn't your fault, Elena! You are what you are! People love you for what you are!† Elena's pulse was hammering frantically. It was all so bad†¦but she had made it worse. By not thinking. By imagining that her life was the only one at stake. By acting before evaluating the consequences. But in the same situation she would do it again. Or†¦with shame, she thought, I would do something like it. If I knew that I would put everyone I loved in danger I would have begged Damon to bargain with that slave-owner worm. Buy her for some outrageous price†¦if we had the money. If he would have listened†¦If another stroke of the whip hadn't killed Lady Ulma†¦ Suddenly her brain went hard and cold. That is the past. This is the present. Deal with it. â€Å"What can we do?† She tried to pull free and shake Damon; she was that frantic. â€Å"There must be something we can do now! They can't kill Bonnie and Meredith – and Stefan will die if we don't find him!† Damon just held her more tightly. He was keeping his mind shielded from hers, Elena realized. This could either be good or bad. It might be that there was a solution he was reluctant to put to her. Or it could mean that the death of all three of the â€Å"rebel slaves† was the only thing the city leaders would accept. â€Å"Damon.† He was holding her much too tightly to get free, so Elena couldn't look him in the face. But she could visualize it, and she could also try to address him squarely, mind to mind. Damon, if there's anything – even any way we can save Bonnie and Meredith – you have to tell me. You have to. I order you to! Neither of them were in a mood to find that amusing or even to notice the â€Å"slave† giving orders to the â€Å"master.† But at last Elena heard Damon's telepathic voice. They say that if I take you back to Young Drohzne now and you apologize, that you can be let off with just six strokes of this. From somewhere Damon produced a pliant cane made of some pale wood. Ash, probably, Elena thought, surprised at how calm she was. It's the one substance equally effective on everyone: even on vampires – even on Old Ones, which they undoubtedly have around here. But it has to be in public so that they can get the rumors started the other way. They think then that the turmoil will stop, if you – the one who started the disobedience – will admit your slave status. Damon's thoughts were heavy, and so was Elena's heart. How many of her principles would she be betraying if she did this? How many slaves would she be condemning to lives of servitude? Suddenly Damon's mental voice was angry. We didn't come here to reform the Dark Dimension, he reminded her, in tones that made Elena wince away. Damon shook her slightly. We came to get Stefan, remember? Needless to say, we'll never have a chance to do that if we try to play Spartacus. If we start a war that we know we can't win. Even the Guardians can't win it. A light went on in Elena's mind. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"Why didn't I think of it before?† â€Å"Think of what before?† Damon said desperately. â€Å"We don't fight the war – now. I haven't even mastered my basic Powers, much less my Wings Powers. And this way they won't even wonder about them.† â€Å"Elena?† â€Å"We come back,† Elena explained to him excitedly. â€Å"When I can control all my Powers. And we bring allies with us – strong allies we'll find in the human world. It may take years and years but someday we come back and finish what we started.† Damon was staring at her as if she'd gone mad, but that didn't matter. Elena could feel Power coursing through her. This was one promise, she thought, that she would keep if it killed her. Damon swallowed. â€Å"Can we talk about – about the present now?† he asked. It was as if he had hit a bull's-eye. The present. Now. â€Å"Yes. Yes, of course.† Elena looked at the ash cane contemptuously. â€Å"Of course, I'll do it, Damon. I don't want anyone else hurt because of me before I'm ready to fight. Dr. Meggar is a good healer. If they allow me to come back to him.† â€Å"I honestly don't know,† Damon said, holding her gaze. â€Å"But I do know one thing. You won't feel a single blow, I promise you that,† he said quickly and earnestly, his dark eyes very big. â€Å"I'll take care of that; it'll all be channeled away. And you won't even see a trace of a mark by morning. But,† he finished much more slowly, â€Å"you'll have to kneel to apologize to me, your owner, and to that filthy, scrofulous, abominable old – † Damon's imprecations carried him away for a moment so that he lapsed into Italian. â€Å"To who?† â€Å"To the leader of the slums, and possibly to Old Drohzne's brother, Young Drohzne, as well.† â€Å"Okay. Tell them I'll apologize to as many Drohznes as they want. Tell them quick, in case we lose our chance.† Elena could see the look he gave her, but her mind was turned inward. Would she let Meredith or Bonnie do this? No. Would she allow it to happen to Caroline if by any means she could stop it? Again, no. No, no, no. Elena's feelings about brutality toward girls and women had always been exceedingly strong. Her feelings about the worldwide second-class citizenship of females had become remarkably clear since her return from the afterlife. If she had been returned to the world for any purpose, she had decided, helping to free girls and women from the slavery that many of them could not even see, was part of it. But this wasn't just about a vicious slaveholder and faceless oppressed women and men. It was about Lady Ulma, and keeping her and her baby safe†¦and it was about Stefan. If she gave in, she would be just an impudent slave who caused a small ruckus in the road, but was firmly put back into her place by authorities. Otherwise, if their party was scrutinized†¦if someone realized that they were here to release Stefan†¦if Elena was the one who caused the order to come: â€Å"Move him into stricter security – get rid of that silly kitsune-key thing†¦.† Her mind was ablaze with images of ways that Stefan could be punished, could be taken away, could be lost if this incident in the slums took on undue proportions. No. She would not abandon Stefan now to fight a war that could not be won. But she wouldn't forget, either. I'll come back for all of you, she promised. And then the story will have a different ending. She realized that Damon still hadn't left. He was watching her with eyes as keen as a falcon's. â€Å"They sent me to bring you,† he said quietly. â€Å"They never thought of a no for an answer.† Elena could briefly feel the fierce rage of his fury at them and she took his hand and squeezed it. â€Å"I'm coming back with you in the future, for the slaves,† he said. â€Å"You know that, don't you?† â€Å"Of course,† said Elena, and her quick kiss became a longer kiss. She hadn't really absorbed what Damon had said about channeling away the pain. She felt she was due just one kiss for what she was about to endure, and then Damon stroked her hair and time meant nothing until Meredith knocked at the door. The bloody-red dawn had taken on a bizarre, almost dreamlike quality by the time Elena was led to an open-air structure where the slumlords in charge of this area were seated on piles of once fine, now threadbare cushions. They were passing back and forth bottles and jeweled leather flasks filled with Black Magic, the only wine vampires could really enjoy, smoking hookahs and occasionally spitting into the darker shadows. This was regardless of the huge audience of street people dizzily attracted by word of a beautiful young human's public punishment. Elena had been rehearsed in her lines. She was marched, gagged, hands manacled, before the hawking and spitting authorities. Young Drohzne was sitting in somewhat uncomfortable glory on a golden couch, and Damon was standing between him and the authorities, looking tense. Elena had never been so tempted to improvise a part since her junior play, when she had thrown a flowerpot at Petruchio and brought down the house in the last scene of The Taming of the Shrew. But this was deadly serious business. Stefan's freedom, Bonnie's and Meredith's lives might depend upon it. Elena moved her tongue around inside her mouth, which was bone dry. And, oddly, she found Damon's eyes, the man with the stick, uplifting her. He seemed to be telling her courage and indifference without using telepathy at all. Elena wondered if he himself had ever been in a similar situation. She was kicked by one of her escorts and remembered where she was. She'd been loaned an â€Å"appropriate† costume from the discarded wardrobe of Dr. Meggar's married daughter. It was pearl-colored indoors, which meant it was mauve in the everlasting crimson sunlight. Most important, worn without its silken undershirt, its back plunged to below Elena's waistline, leaving Elena's own back completely bare. Now, in accordance with custom, she knelt in front of the elders, and bowed until her forehead rested on an ornate and very dirty carpet at the feet of the elders, but several steps lower. One of them spat on her. There was excited, appreciative chattering, and ribaldry, and thrown missiles, mostly in the form of garbage. Fruit was too precious here to think of wasting. Dried excrement, however, was not, and Elena found the first tears coming to her eyes as she realized what she was being pelted with. Courage and indifference, she told herself, not even daring to sneak a look up at Damon. Presently, when the crowd was felt to have had its due playtime, one of the hookah-smoking civic elders stood up. He read words Elena couldn't understand from a creased scroll. It seemed to go on forever. Elena, on her knees, with her forehead against the dusty carpet, felt as if she were smothering. At last the scroll was put away and Young Drohzne leaped up and described in a high, almost hysterical voice, and flamboyant language, the story of a slave who attacked her own master (Damon, Elena noted mentally) to tear herself free of his supervision, and then attacked the head of his family (Old Drohzne, Elena thought) and his poor means of living, his cart, and his hopeless, impudent, slothful slave, and how all this had resulted in the death of his brother. To Elena's ears, at first, he seemed to be blaming Lady Ulma for the entire incident because she had fallen under her load. â€Å"You all know the kind of slave I mean – she wouldn't bother to wave away a fly walking across her eye,† he shrieked, appealing to the crowd, which responded with fresh insults and a renewed pelting upon Elena, since Lady Ulma wasn't there to punish. At last, Young Drohzne finished recounting how this bold-faced hussy (Elena) who, wearing trousers like a man, had caught up his brother's own ne'er-do-well slave (Ulma) and had carried away this valuable property bodily away (all by myself? Elena wondered ironically) and had taken her to the home of a highly suspicious healer (Dr. Meggar), who now refused to give her, the original slave, back. â€Å"I knew when I heard this that I would never see my brother or his slave again,† he cried, in the shrieking wail that he had somehow been able to maintain throughout the entire narrative. â€Å"If the slave was so lazy, you should have been glad,† a joker in the crowd called out. â€Å"Nevertheless,† said a very fat man whose voice reminded Elena irresistibly of Alfred Hitchcock's: the lugubrious delivery and the same pauses before important words, which served to make the mood more grim and entire business even more serious than anyone had heretofore thought. This was a man with power, Elena realized. The ribaldry, the pelting, even the hawking and spitting had fallen silent. The large man was undoubtedly the local equivalent of a â€Å"godfather† to these painfully poor residents of the slums. His word would be that which determined Elena's fate. â€Å"And since then,† he was saying slowly, crunching with every few words some irregularly shaped, golden-colored sweetmeat from a bowl reserved for himself, â€Å"the young vampire Damien has made reparation – and most generously, too – for all the property damage.† Here there was a long pause as he stared at Young Drohzne. â€Å"Therefore, his slave, Aliana, who started all this mischief will not be seized and put up for public auction, but will make her humble obeisance and surrender, here, and of her own will, receive the punishment she knows is her due.† Elena found herself dazed. She didn't know whether it was from all the smoke that had floated down to her level before curling away, but the words â€Å"put up for public auction† had sent a shock through her that almost led her to black out. She had had no idea that that could happen – and the pictures it brought to mind were extremely unpleasant. She also noticed her new alias, and Damon's. It was actually quite fortunate, she thought since it would be nice if Shinichi and Misao never heard about this little adventure. â€Å"Bring the slave to us,† the fat man concluded, and sat back down on a great pile of cushions. Elena was lifted off her feet and roughly marched upward until she could see the man's gilded sandals, and remarkably clean feet, as she kept her eyes down in the manner of an obedient slave. â€Å"Have you heard these proceedings?† The Godfather-type was still munching on his delicacies and a waft of breeze brought a heavenly smell to Elena's nose, and suddenly all the saliva she could ask for flooded to her dry lips. â€Å"Yes, sir,† she said, not knowing what title to give him. â€Å"You address me as Your Excellence. And do you have anything to add in your defense?† the man asked, to Elena's astonishment. Her automatic response of: â€Å"Why ask me, since it's all been fixed up beforehand?† was stilled on her lips. This man was somehow – more – than any of the others she had met in the Dark Dimension – in fact, in her entire life. He listened to people. He would listen to me if I told him all about Stefan, Elena thought suddenly. But then, she thought, regaining her normal level-headedness, what could he do about it? Nothing, unless he could do some good and turn a profit out of it – or gain some power, or take down an enemy. Still, he might make for an ally when she returned to level this place and freed the slaves. â€Å"No, Your Excellence. Nothing to add,† she said. â€Å"And you are willing to prostrate yourself and beg my forgiveness and that of Master Drohzne?† This was Elena's first scripted line. â€Å"Yes,† she said, and she managed to get through her prefabricated apology clearly and with just the hint of a gulp at the end. Up close she could see flecks of gold on the large man's face, in his lap, in his beard. â€Å"Very well. A penalty of ten ash rod strokes is laid upon this slave as an example to other mischief-makers. The punishment will be delivered by my nephew Clewd.†

Monday, September 16, 2019

Psychoanalysis, Popular Culture and Media Essay

Psychoanalysis is the science of the unconscious functions of the mind and personality. The theories originate from Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. He discovered these as a treatment for health problems and also as a way to understanding more about your mind. In this essay I am going to discuss how these theories discovered many years ago have contributed to popular culture and media. Sigmund Freud divided the soul into the conscious and the unconscious. The conscious is the part of which we are mentally aware and in contrast the unconscious is where all are restrained wishes are stored. Freud stated that: â€Å"Each individual who makes a fresh entry into human society repeats this sacrifice of instinctual satisfaction for the benefit of the whole community†(Storey 2001:91). He also added: â€Å"Society believes that no greater threat to its civilization could arise than if the sexual instincts were to be liberated and returned to their original aims†(Storey 2001:91). What Freud is saying here is that we are born imperfect with many instinctual drives. From social to sexual drives, basically anything that are ID desires. He believes that these instinctual desires, especially sexual have to be restrained in the unconscious as they would have a detrimental act on society if they were to be followed through and would cause us to act in inappropriate manner to the views of our cultural society. This is where psychoanalysis demonstrates to us how it contributes to media and popular culture. It does this by teaching us certain ways to behave in order to fit in. There are right and wrong ways and psychoanalysis gives us an explanation to how our soul teaches us the appropriate mannerisms. Freud continued on with his discoveries and further divided the psyche into the ego, the ID and the superego. The ID is something we are born with and is totally unconscious. It is driven by the pleasure principle which means that it wants instant satisfaction for all its desires. Freud described the ID as the: â€Å"dark, inaccessible part of our personality†(Storey 2001:92) It is impossible to change our ID and are instinctual desires. The ego is the reality part of personality. It tries to satisfy the ID and its desires after weighing up the pros and cons and waiting until an appropriate time to do so. It develops as in becomes more in touch with culture, furthermore creating the superego. The superego is where we adopt qualities from people who have learnt how to cope in society, mainly are parents and other important figures in our lives at the time. By learning from other people and from what we hear and see on television etc we determine a sense of right and wrong. As a result, our superego helps to restrain the unacceptable urges of the ID, and tries to make the ego act in an appropriate manner that society expects and requires. Furthermore this psychoanalysis theory and breakdown of the psyche demonstrates to us how culture and media play a fundamental role on how we act in society. Its like a big circle, we learn how to act from elders and society and then people learn from us and so on. John Storey describes the superego as â€Å"the voice of culture† as it is what we learn from and Freud says that â€Å"our nature is governed by culture†(Storey 2001:92). He believes that human nature is in fact something that is not natural and controlled by the ever changing culture and media at that particular time. In my opinion, the ego of a person depends on the era they live, who they are surrounded by, the media and many other social and cultural factors. We learn from our contact with society and culture and that includes who we are with or what we here on TV, or see in the newspapers. Whether it be intentional or not, we consume all of that information and that forms are opinions on what is right and wrong etc and makes us who we are. We are in fact controlled by culture and what is going on around us, as this is the make up of our personality and determines the way we act in society. Furthermore, the superego keeps everything in balance. Without it we would be driven by our pleasure principle (ID) and not know how to express are opinions correctly or behave, essentially causing havoc. This results in their being a constant, ongoing conflict between the pleasure and reality principle. In conclusion, Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan have been greatly influential when it comes to culture and media. In my opinion the theory of psychoanalysis can be seen in everyday life when it comes to watching films etc as everything can be interpreted and has an effect on us. It had a large impact on how sound work in early childhood development and also in cinema. Psychoanalysis can be used to interpret different meanings, and what you get from it can vary from observer to observer. The cinema is full of hidden meanings and tempting us with desires. Slavoj Zizek states that: â€Å"The cinema doesn’t give you what you desire, it tells you how to desire† (Zizek:2007). When we are watching a film our instinctual drives are not fulfilled but it tells us how we should desire, and can be seen as a form of release. Many would argue that not every human desire has to be taught such as sleeping or drinking but many would argue they are not desires just basic needs. For an actual fact the desire is in the quantity of how much we want. The media affects are desires greatly by large and effective ad campaigns. Take for example McDonalds, the ad campaigns, the way they make the food look and its popularity entices us to desire it. If there wasn’t thousands of them an it wasn’t that popular I doubt we would desire it as much, however, it’s a big part of our fast-food culture. Psychoanalysis is very effective and demonstrates to us how our psyche works.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Two Species of Elephants

In the present day there exists two species of elephants. These two species have many relatives that have come before them and died out. Several of these species are Paleomastodon, Deinotherlum, Gompotherium, Prlmelephas which Is a direct ancestor to the modern day elephant, Stegadon, American mastodon, and wooly mammoth. All of these species are considered Proboscidea which are mammals that have trunks â€Å"proboscidea encompasses the trunked mammals† (J.D. Illiger). Within the probosciedea family there consists the elpephantidea, which elephants would be considered. There are many dfferent types of elephants due to where the species was located and the types of plants in which they ate. The earliest common ancestor of all elephants was the Paleomastodon which originated in Africa about 36-35 million years ago. It was a small mammal that had a trunk and it evolved into the many different species of elephant.One of the first species that adapted from the Paleomastadon was the Delnothenum which lived In Africa and had tusks that pointed downward which helped it scarpe of bark from a tree. It also had a small brain which scientist believe Is responsible for Its extinction ue to lack of intelligence compared to other species. Gomphotherium is another species ot elephant that lived in the Americas, Europe, Delgrosso 2 and Asla and originated about 13 million years ago. It lived in swampy lake areas and marshes.This species had long tusks and a short trunked which was adapted to help It dig through mud to find aquatic vegetation. Stegadon which was the largest of all the species of elephants grew to its size to due to abundance of food that it would find in the parts of asia in which it lived. Most of them died out hundreds of housands of years ago except for a subspecies that lives in Indonesia on an Island of flores. This subspecies was smaller than the other species since it was secluded on an island and did not have access to as much food.The American Ma stadon was found in the Americas and was a fur covered species of elephant, to help protect it from the colder climates, that was hunted Into extinction by humans about 10,000 years ago. Primeelephas is a direct genus to the modern day elephant and originated in Africa about 23 million years ago. It evolved Into three new species the Wooly mammoth, African elephant, and Asian elephant. The wooly mammoth lived in most places In the northern hemisphere and was covered In a coat of fur due to the cold climates in which it lived.It lived through the last ice age and died out at the end of it due to hunting and the quick climate change. The two living species of elephant left are the African elephant or loxodante and the Asian elephant or elephas. These two species are very similar except that the Asian elephant has an arched back while the t Of2 KS OT tne ATrlcan elephant. Delgrosso 3 ATrlcan elepnants DacK Is relatlvely stralg an tne longer tus All species of animals must adapt to surv ive. It is through these adaptations that ifferent species arise.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Song of Bernadette

The Song of Bernadette Franz Werfel’s, The Song of Bernadette tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous. The movie Was directed by the American screenwriter, George Seaton and released in 1943, only two years after the book was published. In 1943, The Song of Bernadette was awarded four Ocsars for: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Best Cinematography, and Best Music. I believe that George Seaton’s goal for the film was not only to give the novel visual content, but to also spread the word of Saint Bernadette, Lourdes, and to give his opinion on atheism.At the beginning of the film, Seaton quotes, â€Å"For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible. † I believe this quote plays a big role in The Song of Bernadette, being that most of the people that do not believe that Bernadette sees the Virgin Mary portray atheist and atheism. The Song of Berna dette was filmed in black and white. The shadowing in the movie was very good. It helped you visualize the film better and adds detail to the movie being that it is in black and white.The lighting also helps portray that the woman Bernadette sees is, in fact, something extraordinary. Whenever she appears in the film, she is always bright. I think the actors that played in The Song of Bernadette played their rolls very well. Jennifer Jones was a great in the film as the main character, Bernadette. Gladys Cooper did an amazing job as Sister Marie. Charles Bickford also did a great job for the part of Father Peyramale. Like I said, everyone did a great job, but those three character just stand out for me. In The Song of Bernadette, there are many of God moments, particularly being that the film is religious.I believe one of the first God moments is when Bernadette sees the lady for the first time. After she sees her, Bernadette just walks right through the river that was freezing cold just moments ago. Another God moment is when Father Peyramale tells Bernadette to ask the lady to make the roses bloom early. When she does, she is asked to wash from the water by the lady, but not from the river. Bernadette decides to go in the cave and dig in the from the ground and begins washing(dirtying) her face with dirt from the hole she had dug up.Nothing happens to the roses after that moment, so some people lose believe in Bernadette and leave but Water begins flowing from the hole she dug and when drank or bathed in the water it preformed miracles. The last God moment is when Sister Marie Therese Vauzous calls out Bernadette for not suffering, and that God should have chosen her because she has suffered. Little did she know Bernadette was indeed suffering from Tuberculosis of the bone, which causes intense pain, and had never complained about it.At the end of the movie conversion and change is made by Prosecutor Vital Dutour when we find out he has cancer to the throat. Dutour goes to the well and asks Bernadette to pray for him, when throughout the whole movie he does not believe Bernadette and even portrays the atheism in movie. In the movie there are many of crosses that are religious symbols. I believe that the church appeared to be well. The characters that exemplifies Christ are Bernadette, the sisters, the Priests, and the Virgin Mary. I do not believe that religion was misused at all in The Song of Bernadette.I did enjoy the film. I can honestly say, I’m not that in to religious films, but I really did like this one. Something about it kept my attention, and in my case it is pretty hard for me to keep interest in movies because I’m not a big fan of watching movies, but The Song of Bernadette definitely kept me interested throughout the whole movie. I think that The Song of Bernadette can relate to anyone that has ever doubted something or not believed something. I would most certainly watch this again if it would ever come on television and I happen to be watching.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Making of the Modern Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Making of the Modern Middle East - Essay Example However, they were disillusioned by the increased insecurity and instability of these states (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Irag) as Irag revolted against British. The states became disillusioned as Great Powers reneged on the earlier promises of creating independent states. â€Å"The political units created after WWI by imperial powers were not territories that were necessarily used to be governed as a single units (Walker, 2003; Kelidar 1993).† The treaty divided the Middle East into two; British and French mandated territories. There was no independence for the created states and had to be ruled by French and British while they had to start from scratch. Their own people and rulers rejected the states that had no structured political bases despite being portioned into political units. Discontents escalated leading to increased instability and insecurity within these States that saw Irag revolution against the British. The created states face difficulty in to design a framework that can amicably solve domestic political wrangles (Kelidar, 1993, p.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

National bank regulation of commercial bank Term Paper

National bank regulation of commercial bank - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, every banking institution come under the regulatory fold either under a state government of federal body. The regulations are enforced in many respects and cover many aspects. The Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve, the Fed, can be called as banker's bank and a regulator of majority of commercial banks and financial institutions and also country's money manager. The Federal Reserve is the United States central bank. This is the biggest regulatory body of the nation. All national and commercial banks take cue from the Fed in their day to day activities. The Fed's mandates aims at promoting sustainable growth, stability of prices, high levels of employment, and maintain the purchasing power of the dollar keeping moderate long-term interest rates. In the U.S, the term ‘National bank’ has a clear definition: those who come under the purview of the National Bank Act. They are supervised by the Office of Comptroller of the currency (OCC), under US Treasury Depar tment. Banks forms under this act are required to follow the designation â€Å"National Association† or in short â€Å"N.A.† in their title so as to indicate their affiliation with the governing body. Many banks however are regulated by the state governments under respective state laws. Deposits of National and State banks are insured by the FDIC, known as Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. It should be noted that banking regulations in US are not governed by a single body unlike UK or Japan. The U.S banking sector works under the highly-regulated environments in the world. Some of them can be listed as anti-money laundering, anti-usury lending, fraud prevention, promotion of lending to lower-income population, disclosures and many more. It will be worthwhile to have a look at some of the regulations that are in force to regulate the various aspects of national or commercial banks. Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-terrorism Certain acts are promulgated to control mon ey laundering activities which are stated as per the following. (Regulations) The Bank Secrecy Act This act has been formulated keeping in mind money laundering aspects where in all national or commercial establishments are required to assist government agencies. Banks under this act keep necessary records that are necessary to detect the suspicious activities of the transactions exceeding $10,000 on aggregate daily basis. (Regulations) USA Patriot Act This act necessitates banks to place limits on new accounts until the identity of account holder is verified. (Regulations) Deposit Account Insurance Regulation It was Glass–Steagall Act who paved the way for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for insuring deposits at commercial banks. In 1933, U.S was the first country to implement insurance for deposit holders to protect the depositors from bankruptcy of the banks. (Regulations) Regulation D or Withdrawal Limits Federal Reserve has put a limit on number of withdrawa ls and transfers from any saving or money market account. This regulation is applicable to all U.S banking institutions who offer such accounts. The limit is placed at six for all outgoing transactions through any method. Lending Regulations Regulation Z or the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) of 1968 is meant for consumer credits that informs the standard interest rate

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The Case Against Helping the Poor Research Paper

The Case Against Helping the Poor - Research Paper Example Others claim that developing nations like those in Africa have serious problems with democracy, and should not be supported, but those who support foreign aid say that supporting these countries provides many benefits to the whole world. Ultimately, Hardin’s view of Earth as a lifeboat is as unrealistic as the view of Spaceship Earth he dislikes. Since assisting developing countries now will lead to their being able to support the rest of the planet later, there is a greater benefit to supporting foreign aid than trying to destroy it. According to Darren Weeks and others, one of the most damaging forms of foreign aid is the globalization of America’s economy as seen in free trade agreements which cost America jobs. Weeks claims that this kind of agreement has been directly responsible for leading America into the recession, and that export agreements that benefit â€Å"impoverished Central American countries† where people can’t buy things can not possibly be â€Å"in the best interest of American citizens and workers† (Weeks). In fact, Weeks makes an impassioned argument that this kind of trade agreement is ruining the country entirely, and that it will soon result in â€Å"unemployment in America, the loss of our jobs, the shrinking of the American way of life, the eradication of our freedom to travel, the elimination of the middle class† (Weeks). According to this view, foreign aid is not limited to just donations and charity, but to trade agreements which benefit poorer count ries at the expense of richer ones. These trade agreements, according to this argument, are dangerous to prosperous countries because they destroy the jobs of those countries’ citizens. However, not everybody agrees that trade agreements with poorer countries are really this bad for domestic job figures. William Overholt, for instance, argues that the