Monday, September 30, 2019

Discrete math

Propositions The fundamental objects we work with In arithmetic are numbers. In a similar way, the fundamental objects In logic are propositions. Definition: A proposition Is a statement that is either true or false. Whichever of these (true or false) is the case is called the truth value of the proposition. Here are some examples of English sentences that are propositions: ‘Canberra is the capital of Australia. ‘ ‘There are 8 days in a week. ‘ ‘Isaac Newton was born In 1642. ‘ ‘5 Is greater than 7. Every even number greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers. ‘ The following sentences are not propositions: Where are you going? ‘Come here. ‘ ‘This sentence Is false. ‘ Explanation The first sentence is a question and the second is a command, so clearly neither is a proposition and the third sentence is rather more subtle. The study of the structure of compound propositions is made easier by th e use of symbols for atomic propositions and connectives.We will use lower-case letters such as p, q and r to denote atomic propositions. There are five connectives that we will use in our work: they are listed in Table, together with their symbols. The If then and if and only if connectors will be our next topic on Monday. Express the following propositions in symbolic form, and Identify the principal connective: (a) Either Karen Is studying computing and Mini Is not studying mathematics, or Mini Is studying mathematics. ) It Is not the case that If It Is sunny then I will carry an umbrella. (c) The program will terminate if and only if the input is not numeric or the escape key is pressed.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Qatar’s Banking System

1. 0 Subject Area Strategic Management 2. 0 Project Proposal The paper will be an investigation of the major challenges that face Qatar’s banking sector. These problems will be analyzed and their possible solutions identified using strategic management theoretical framework. 3. 1 Background of Qatar’s Banking Sector Qatar’s banking sector has had great growth compared to that or the general Middle East region. Its stability guarded it form the global financial crisis that recently occurred. This is because of the close financial tiers that Qatar has with the Gulf region.However, the aftershocks of this phenomenon affected it to some extent (Kamrava, 2009, p. 411). Generally, Qatar’s banking sector was the most impressive Gulf Cooperation Council markets since the last quarter of the year 2008. Issues of declining customer confidence, liquidity and a coerced reluctance to lend have been the major challenges facing this sector (Qatar Development Bank, 2008, p. 12). Lending restrictions by the Qatar Central Bank, such as a loan-to-deposit ratio of 90 percent, contributes to deepening of these challenges.Islamic banking has been continuing to grow in this region in expense of the conventional banks which now view sharia-compliance as vital move to maintain their profitability. The government and Qatar Investment Authority have been trying to mitigate these problems to improve the overall performance (Qatar National Bank, 2009, p. 67). 3. 2 Aims of the study To identify and analyze the major challenges facing the banking sector of Qatar To determine the possible solutions to this problems using strategic management 3. Motivation for this subject area choice This topic is important for my future career prospects since I intend to invest in Qatar emerging market. I highly believe that the Qatar’s economy has unexploited potential in its banking sector. If exploited, this sector is capable of sending positive external benefits to the general economy increasing the viability of my investment prospects, due to financial availability amongst other efficiencies. 4. 0 Research Question 5. 3 What are the major challenges facing the banking sector of Qatar? . 4 Are these problems from within Qatar’s economy or from the regional / global economy? 5. 5 What are the possible solutions to this problems using strategic management? 5. 6 What are the impacts of solutions proposed to Qatar’s economy at large? 5. 0 Title Addressing challenges facing the banking sector in Qatar through strategic management 6. 0 Methodology The methodology employed for this paper will be both empirical and analytical in nature. In the analytical part, existing literature will be thoroughly scrutinized.After this, a comprehensive list of challenges of Qatar’s banking sector and their possible solutions will be compiled. The empirical part will involve collection of statistical data relating to the banking sector. This informat ion will then be analyzed by use of various statistical techniques. Type of data employed will include literature from other scholars, official statistics, industrial data and company data. This will be gathered from credible sources including libraries, databases, official guides, publications, and companies’ annual reports. . 0 Data collection methods They will include compilation of statistics, desk research, interviews, survey questionnaires and literature case studies. Secondary data will be highly employed since it is easily available and more detailed. Reference Kamrava, M. (2009), â€Å"Royal Factionalism and Political Liberalization in Qatar†, The Middle East Journal, Vol. 63, No. 3 pp. 401-420, Print. Qatar Development Bank, (2008), Annual Report, Print. Qatar National Bank, (2009, May), Qatar Economic Review, Print.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Just in Time Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Just in Time Systems - Essay Example According to the study conducted Just in time (JIT) is a production mechanism that businesses employ with the intention of returning the investments of a business by reducing the inventory that is related to the carrying costs of a business. It mostly relies on signals that are placed in the different systems of processes and they have to tell the system on what next step to undertake. The intention of JIT is to focus on improvement of manufacturing organization so as to stabilize on the investment. Forecast driven systems have a variety of models which require the user to choose from hence placing a problem on the user. As compared to JIT, the forecast driven systems are time consuming in the aspect of developing and also maintaining the programs that are to be used in operating the different models. JIT offers a quick notice on the stock depletion in an investment as compared to the forecast driven systems which have to evaluate the results of various tests that are run in order to confidently give the results. According to JIT systems, emphasis is on the fact that inventory is a waste and there is therefore need to expose hidden costs so as to effectively manage the inventory and this becomes a challenge for most organizations to adopt. This as opposed to the forecast driven systems is only done by one parameter whereas in forecast driven system, several iterations have to be run. It is here that the inventory is viewed as one that incurs costs instead of storing value. The way of working that is adopted by JIT is one that encourages the businesses to eliminate the inventory from their businesses. Pros of JIT and Lean Manufacturing Systems Employees who have multiple skills can be used by the business more effectively. This is attributed to the fact that the organization is able to move workers to where they are needed easily. They should be trained to work in different parts of the business. This helps to manage time effectively as the company is able to r educe the inventory for the changeover time. The tool used in time management is known as single minute exchange of dies (SMED) (Womack et al, 2003). Effective time management will allow for an easy flow of goods from the warehouse to different consumers. A delay in the inventories is reduced and this simplifies the flow of the inventory hence a flexible management of duties. This leaves a smaller chance for the breaking of the inventory as it expires with time. Another advantage is that work is scheduled with reference to the demand for the goods by the consumers. If a product is not on demand at a given time by the consumers, then the business can easily reduce on the production rates. Money is therefore saved together with the resources and workers may not have to be paid for overtime. This helps the organization to emphasize on the supplier relationships since a company that lacks an inventory may not experience a supply system problem which is likely to create a shortage (Womac k et al, 2003). Creation of shortages makes the supplier relationships to be vital for a business as the suppliers will be able to come in at regular levels throughout the production day. This is attributed to the fact that production relates to the demand and this helps minimize the storage space needed for the products. Cons of the JIT and Lean Manufacturing Systems JIT usually leaves the suppliers and the consumers to the supply shocks and exposes them to huge changes in supply and demand. The removal of the inventory would show a business where the production flow had been interrupted and exposure of the barriers would force the organization to remove them. This would force any business that was in partnership with the organization to improve its own quality hence resulting to a holdup downstream. The businesses would be forced to employ the production leveling technique in order to work out on the variations and this became a challenge for the consumers especially those

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises Literature review - 1

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises - Literature review Example Therefore, BRIC is expected to bring forth changes in the list of the greatest world economies in the near future. On the other hand, BRIC economies are not similar, though they are in the investment classification, whereby others having political and economic alliances, which are from the groups. Nevertheless, among these countries, China has made significant achievement, thereby making them eliminate the need for alliances. BRIC has made a significant effort in conversion of the growing economic influence into a political power, through summits comprising of analysts (The State University of New York, 2011, 1). In this case, the analyst work together in the BRIC countries in order to establish a future economic partnersip in these countries, whereby China will dominate in manufactured goods, provision of services is dominated by India while the field of material supply is dominated by Russia and Brazil (EconomyWatch, 2010, 1). Globalisation has been attributed to the acceleration of international economic integration, which has been unexpected in numerous ways. However, there are expectations that this might contribute to the vulnerability of workers in BRIC economies. There are resenting developments in the world concerning the increased importance of emerging economies, for instance, China has become a large exporter, whereby it has raised its reputation in international production networks entailing off shore business. Therefore, globalisation has enabled these countries to work together in order to counter well-established interests and organizational structures. The relationship between America and Europe has been substantial in facilitating the developments between the BRIC countries. Globalization in BRIC countries that are attributed to integration with the inputs, finished goods and services, which are underscored by increased business transactions in the world trade. In fact, the ratio of trade-to –trade GDP and the shares of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The realities and fictions of Saving Private Ryan Essay

The realities and fictions of Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example The first thirty minutes of the movie depicted the carnage that happened on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. There was a real Omaha Beach were American troops made their landing and beachhead. The Higgins boat which transported the troops and landed them on the beaches were accurate. The carnage depicted used the perspective of the infantryman on the beach, which tried to approximate the brutality of the landings. Although many died on the beaches and the landing areas were pre-sighted by the Germans with their guns and artillery, it was not the real battle but merely a depiction of what happened. The character of Lt. Colonel Anderson, Commanding Officer, 2nd Ranger Battalion, who gave Capt. Miller his order to find Ryan, is fictitious. Miller himself was fictitious and there was no such officer commanding Company C of the 2nd Rangers. However, the actions which Miller performed on Omaha Beach were also documented as having been done by real-life American officers who breached the German defenses. In the same context that Anderson and Miller were fictitious characters, so to were the rest of the squad which included Sergeant Horvath, Corporal Upham, and Privates Caparzo, Mellish, Reiben, Jackson, Wade and Upham. In fact, James Ryan, Private, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Divisi

Business and cultural differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business and cultural differences - Essay Example But this expansion also needs to recognize the culture of the people. The way the people dress, different ways for analyzing problems and how they interact are very important to understand in order to find the communication gap between the nations. Without proper communication several problems may arise due to difference in the cultural practices. In this study we will find the differences between the cultural backgrounds of UK and that of the acquisition company at China. Several issues which could arise within the organization due to cross cultural activities have been discussed in this study in order to successfully deal with any potential issues (Burton, 2009, p.8). 2 Cultural differences between United Kingdom and China The culture of the nation is often defined from the collective programming of the different minded people. The cultural differences are basically formed from four dimensions of the culture of a nation. These are basically power distance, individualism, masculinit y and uncertainty avoidance. Based on these factors the culture of the nation varies to a great extent from country to country. 2.1 Power Distance Index The power distance index is the indicative of the distance between the top management and the subordinates. In high power distance culture they have inequality of power and wealth in the society. This is not forced on the population but comes from the cultural heritage of the country. China has a highly power distance culture which is ranked 80 compared to the world average of 55, while in UK it’s around 30. Therefore in China the people maintain a great distance in different levels of the organization which sometimes leads to an unfriendly workspace with professional relation being the priority in business. Every employee is not free to express their feelings and they are not allowed to take any business decision. The top management are only responsible to take critical decisions in the business. In UK business strategy, the supervisors are well mixed with the subordinates thus creating a very friendly and healthy workspace since the power is well distributed and dew to very small distance between the levels everyone is invited to share their own thoughts on the business plans. The business plans are taken after discussion with all the levels of the organization. Every individual are encouraged to share their ideas and before taking final decision by top management the suggestions from subordinates are kept in mind. 2.2 Individualism Individualism is working with single responsibility and without interacting with peers in the organization. On the other hand collectivism is working in groups and taking decision collectively without questioning loyalty. Individualist business organisation has very little ties between individual employees. Due to the ancient cultural heritage of China the family or relation are between peoples in the society are very strong and the people are very loyal towards each other . Collectivism is the practice in China society who have a close and committed members in the group be it a family or a business. Everyone takes

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Discuss the role of nature, its character and its significance in the Essay - 1

Discuss the role of nature, its character and its significance in the fellowship of the ring. from the book lord of the rings - Essay Example Nature has its own characterization that features a unique duality: one, ideal and benign; and, aggressively cruel in the other. The reader first learns about nature during Bilbo’s birthday celebration when village talk drifts towards the Old Forest, a â€Å"dark bad place† and unfit to be lived in. As the story unfolded later on, this side to nature would be reinforced by how Mirkwood and Fangorn were described. When Merry and Pippin, for instance, find themselves deep in the Fangorn Forest, their impression demonstrates the perceived hostility of the place. At one point, Pippin quips, â€Å"It is all very dim, and stuffy, in here† later on commenting about the â€Å"weeping, trailing, beards and whiskers of lichen,† underscoring the â€Å"frightfully tree-ish† environs wherein no animals or hobbits could endure. In the Fellowship of the Ring, the bad nature has been sufficiently covered. Gimli, at some point in the quest remarks about the reputation of Caradhras as a cruel mountain and that, true to the stories, it has, indeed, attempted to impede their quest as well. Then there is, of course, Old Man Willow who lulls the Hobbits to sleep and traps Merry and Pippin inside. Without the intervention of Tom Bombadill, they would have been eaten and crushed. Tom admonished the miscreant tree, saying â€Å"you should not be waking. Eat earth! Dig deep! Drink water! Go to sleep!† According to Treebeard, later on in the story in his conversation with his Hobbit friends, some trees â€Å"have bad hearts† as well and so when people are not friendly towards them, they become aggressive in response. The other character of nature is demonstrated in the way the author paints an ecological utopia such as that of the Shire. It is inhabited by peaceful creatures who loathe machines and are content with tilling the earth. This characterization is a potent demonstration of how nature at its best is supposed to be, untouched by man’s greed and abuse. Take for instance

Monday, September 23, 2019

An eater's manifesto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An eater's manifesto - Essay Example We don’t realize that in the sizzle of our steaks there is the suffering of animals, the mining of our topsoil, the slashing of our forests, the harming of our economy, and the eroding of our health. We don’t hear in the sizzle the cry of the hungry millions who might otherwise be fed. We don’t see the toxic poisons accumulating in the food chains, poisoning our children and our earth for generations to come. But once we become aware of the impact of our food choices, we can never really forget (Robbins, 57). There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to making our food choices. One of the biggest nutritional problems plaguing America today is the issue of obesity. One of the factors is a high intake of food that is high in saturated fat. Our bodies can make all the saturated fat we need, so we don't need to eat any of it. That's why saturated fat can be in the bad category—because we don't need to eat any of it, and it has undesirable effects in cardiovascular disease. In the United States and other developed countries, saturated fats come mainly from meat, seafood, poultry with skin, and whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream). A few plant foods are also high in saturated fats, including coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats boost total cholesterol by elevating harmful Low Density Lipoprotein. Like all dietary fat, saturated fat also raises the protective High Density Lipoprotein. Unsaturated fat is much preferable since it lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good. When picking what to eat, take into consideration the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat you are putting into your body. Another thing to consider may be, for meat eaters, where the meat is coming from. There is the issue of the morality of eating meat. Animals have rights, and no matter how humanely an animal is treated in the process, raising it and killing it for food remains morally wrong. There is yet the issue of animal cruelty. More than 16 billion are killed for food every year in the US alone. They are neglected, mutilated, genetically manipulated, put on drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling, transported through all weather extremes, and killed in gruesome and violent ways. Even so called â€Å"free-range† animals are often mutilated without the benefits of painkillers; kept in filthy, disease-ridden sheds; forced to endure long trips to the animal slaughterhouse without food or water; and killed in the same way as animals from factory farms. It’s important to know whether the meat you are eating is from a reliable source. In addition to this, the world’s meat addiction is poisoning and depleting our drinking water, arable land, and clean air. More than half of the water used in the U.S. goes to animal agriculture, and since farmed animals produce 130 times more excrement that humans do, the runoff from their waste greatly pollutes our waterways. Not only does raising animals for food gobble up precious resources and produce tons of waste, it also steals food from hungry people. Raising animals for food is extremely inefficient.   For every pound of food that they eat, only a fraction of the calories are returned in the form of edible flesh. The problem comes in when people stop caring about all these issues and just eat for the sake of pleasing themselves. While eating one day, I found myself wondering about the people who had grown the vegetables on my plate. What were their lives like?

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Impact of Oil Discovery on State-building in Saudi Arabia Essay

Impact of Oil Discovery on State-building in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Unlike other countries that have a diversified economy, Saudi Arabia depends on oil revenue to build its economy. However, oil prices have become very volatile with prices surging up and down, an aspect that affects the consistency of the country’s economy. The reason is that the country depends heavily on the global oil market which is faced by very high risks and uncertainties in order to make its future plans regarding the progress of the economy. With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from the liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information and integration of economies across the world, it has become very hard for a single country to make its single decisions without considering the effects of the global market. However, unlike other countries which have a diverse source of revenues, Saudi Arabia has stuck with oil in order to spearhead growth and development of the economy. Therefore, since the financial crisis which had a major impact on the spend ing of many countries, the Saudi economy has been greatly affected. This aspect has stalled very many projects which could have stabilized the economy. The oil discovery has enabled the country to establish various structures that make it possible for the country to achieve economic growth. Research indicates that the Saudi government has been critical in investing in the education sector. The country has improved the infrastructures in this sector. It has equipped its research centers especially the departments that deal with oil production.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Benefits of a C Corporation Essay Example for Free

Benefits of a C Corporation Essay Firstly, a C Corporation can be defined as a legal unit of business that has its own separate identity from its owners or the persons that form it. To use the general legal term, it is a â€Å"body corporate†, a â€Å"legal entity†, which simply means a corporation can be treated just like an individual in law, it can sue and can be sued. This singular characteristic does not only make it quite unique but also gives it an edge over other business entities such as sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability Company to mention but few. However, the two major types of corporation, which are the C Corporation and S Corporation. The C Corporation has quite numerous benefits; the most technical of these is its ability to guard its owners’ personal assets from judgment against the business. Owners can also split profit and loss with the business for a lower overall tax rate. Yet another benefit is that it has no limits in number of shareholders and owner. Again, Owners do not need to be U. S. citizens or residents; both foreign and local are equally allowed to share in its ownership. A C corporation also has the flexibility of being owned by yet another business entity, rather than an individual or several individuals. Finally, the C Corporation has a package of much greater tax advantages over any other business entity, for it was primarily designated for tax purposes, while the â€Å"S† corporation passes it tax to the shareholders, the C Corporation on the other hand acts as it own tax entity. Reference Bakan J. , 2004, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. USA

Friday, September 20, 2019

Flag State Jurisdiction On The High Seas International Law Essay

Flag State Jurisdiction On The High Seas International Law Essay This essay will focus on the internationally recognized right of hot pursuit and the rights and duties that lay upon the coastal states pursuing ships (pursuing aircrafts will not be included here). Since article 23 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas (1958) has been revised into article 111 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the following text will therefore mainly refer to the latter convention. It is important to notice that both conventions reflect international customary law in this area. This gives the conditions that are set up in the conventions a wider significance, since not only the states that have adopted the conventions are bound by the right of hot pursuit stated there. The focus will be on the following questions: What is the nature of hot pursuit and what are the international legal conditions that have to be fulfilled in order to exercise it? What is the objective of the right of hot pursuit? To answer the latter question, the focal point will be on what function the hot pursuit actually fill since it at first sight could be seen as a way for the coastal state to extend their sovereignty and jurisdiction to include foreign ships on the high seas, something that in general is supposed to be reserved to the flag state. Hot pursuit is not the only exception to the flag state principle. As will be seen below, piracy, slave trade, unauthorized broadcasting and major pollution incidents are other examples of exceptions to the flag state principle, but, given the limited scope of this essay, there would not be much said about each exception if all of them were included in this essay. 1.2. Purpose and disposition The purpose of this essay is to clarify the international recognized conditions for a state to exercise the relatively extensive right of hot pursuit and to critically examine the objectives of this right. Since this is a rather far-reaching right, being a derogation from the general rule prohibiting any interference by a state with non-national ships on the high seas, it is important to examine the original objectives behind hot pursuit and what function it actually fills. Since this is a rather far-reaching right that is limiting the jurisdiction of the flag state on the high seas (and in a way therefore also affect the freedom of the high seas), The essay will have the following disposition: First, the freedom of the high seas will be described in short together with the principle of flag state jurisdiction (section 2), to give a sufficient background to the reader. Thereafter, the circumstances which serve as prerequisites for the exercise of hot pursuit will be examined. 2. Jurisdiction on the high seas 2.1. The freedom of the high seas an overview Ever since the eighteenth century the high seas  [1]  have been open to all states, with no state able to claim sovereignty over any part of it. This concept, called the freedom of the high seas, was developed as opposed to the closed seas-principle which was claimed by Portugal and Spain in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, leading to a division of the seas of the world between the two powers in 1506.  [2]  However, the high seas are nowadays subject to res communis and the general rule is that states cannot in principle control the activities and the whereabouts of other states on the high seas.  [3]  The freedom of the high seas has been traditionally established in customary international law but the first draft of codification was formulated in the Resolution on the Laws of Maritime Jurisdiction by the International Law Association in 1926, which declared that no state may claim any right of sovereignty over any portion of the high seas or place any obstacle to the free and full use of the high seas  [4]  . The principle of the freedom of the high seas was eventually also declared in the Geneva Convention on the High Seas (1958) as well as in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the first hereinafter referred to as GCHS and the latter as UNCLOS). These conventions clarified international customary law and made it easier to comprehend. Some articles in the conventions will be brought into light in the text below in order to give a clear and fuller view of the subjects presented. Some of the key-principles regarding the high seas are stated in article 2 GCHS and article 87 and 89 UNCLOS, which affirm that the high seas are open to all states and that no state may validly purport to subject any part of them to its sovereignty. Furthermore, article 87 UNCLOS states that the freedom of the high seas includes inter alia the freedoms of navigation, overflight, laying of submarine cables or pipelines, the construction of artificial islands and other installations permitted under international law, fishing and scientific research. However, these freedoms are to be exercised with due regard for the interests of other states and for the rights under the convention with respect to activities in the area (meaning the International Seabed Area  [5]  ). Worth noting is also that the high seas are reserved for peaceful purposes (article 88, UNCLOS). 2.2. Flag state jurisdiction Thus, the high seas have relatively far-reaching freedoms for all states, but there must however be some kind of maintenance of order and jurisdiction so that these freedoms do not get violated and used in a wrongful way by any state and so that wrongful acts on the high seas do not go unpunished. The main rule is that the state which has granted to a ship the right to sail under its flag (the flag state) has the exclusive right to exercise legislative and enforcement jurisdiction over its ships on the high seas.  [6]  It is accordingly the flag state that enforces the rules and regulations of its own municipal law as well as international law.  [7]   The general principle that the flag state alone may exercise jurisdictional rights over its ships was elaborated in the Lotus-case (1927) where the Permanent Court of International Justice held that vessels on the high seas are subject to no authority except that of the state whose flag they fly  [8]  .  [9]  The flag state-principle is nowadays also stipulated in article 92 UNCLOS (and article 6 GCHS), where it is stated that ships must sail under the flag of one state only and that they will, as a general rule, be subject to that states exclusive jurisdiction on the high seas. Each state sets up its conditions for the grant of its nationality to ships, for registration of ships and for the right to fly its flag. This was declared by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the M/V Saiga (No.2) case, where one concluded that the determination of the criteria and procedures for granting and withdrawing nationality to ships are parts of the flag states exclusive ju risdiction.  [10]   The nationality of the ship depends accordingly upon the flag the ship flies, but there must be a genuine link between the state and the ship.  [11]  The requirement of a genuine link was intended to counter the use of flags of convenience (often operated by states such as Liberia and Panama) where states grant their nationality to ships looking for favorable taxation and work- and social agreements.  [12]  However, if a ship sails under the flags of more than one state according to convenience, the ship does not have any nationality in a juridical point of view and may therefore be boarded and seized on the high seas by any state. This is to be compared with ships that do have a flag, which (as a general rule) only can be boarded and seized by its own flag state on the high seas.  [13]   Worth mentioning is that there are also some duties and responsibilities attached to the flag state jurisdiction, such as the obligation to legislate to make it an offence to break or injure submarine cables and pipelines under the high seas. Furthermore, the flag state also has to provide for compensation in case such an offence occurs and to adopt and enforce legislation dealing with assistance to ships in distress in compliance with international duties regarding safety at sea.  [14]   When it comes to warships and ships owned or operated by a state where they are used only on governmental non-commercial service, the exclusivity of the flag state-principle is applicable without exception. As can be read in articles 95 and 96, UNCLOS, those ships have complete immunity from the jurisdiction of other states than its flag state.  [15]  Though, the principle of flag state jurisdiction on the high seas is not absolute. It is subject to some exceptions in which third states may share enforcement or legislative jurisdiction (or both) together with the flag state. In the following, the focus will be on the exception of hot pursuit, but some other exceptions worth mentioning are: piracy, unauthorized broadcasting, slave trade, drug trafficking and major pollution incidents.  [16]  The right of hot pursuit is however different from the other exceptions to the flag state principle, since the right of hot pursuit derives from jurisdiction under the territorial (+ EEZ a nd continental shelf?) principle whereas enforcement related to slave trade and piracy (for example) derives from jurisdiction based on the universality principle.  [17]   3. Hot pursuit an exception to flag state jurisdiction 3.1. Historical background and objective When a foreign ship has infringed the rules of a costal state, the right of hot pursuit makes it possible for the state to pursue and seize the ship outside its territorial sea in order to ensure that the ship does not escape punishment by fleeing to the high seas. This principle limits the freedom of the high seas and represents an exception to the exclusive jurisdiction of the flag state on the high seas, since it makes it possible for the coastal state to follow and seize a ship registered in another flag state and in this way extend its jurisdiction onto the high seas.  [18]   The right of hot pursuit is an act of necessity which is institutionalized and restricted by state practice. It emerged in its present form in Anglo-American practice in the first half of the nineteenth century.  [19]  In England there was an old rule of fresh pursuit where the role of the pursuer was played by a mere individual, unlike todays hot pursuit where the pursuer must be played by a person in his official capacity or by a member of a certain authority (see below).  [20]  The principle has now been recognized in international customary law for a long time. The Im alone-case, 1935, can lead as an example, where it was stated that warships or military aircrafts of a state are allowed to engage in hot pursuit if a foreign ship has violated that states laws within its internal waters or territorial sea and to make an arrest on the high seas.  [21]  The Hague Codification of 1930 served as an evidence of general recognition of the right of hot pursuit by states when i t provided the basis for the draft article adopted by the International Law Commission which later on became article 23 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas of 1958.  [22]   The objective of the right of hot pursuit is to make it possible for states that are exposed to delicts made by non-national ships to bring the escaping offenders before its jurisdiction. In this way the high seas may not provide a safe haven for ships having committed a delict within a states maritime jurisdictional zones. Hot pursuit could be seen as contrary to the exclusive principle of flag state jurisdiction on the high seas, but seen in the light of the high seas, it is not reckless to conclude that the right of hot pursuit is in accord with the objective of order on the high seas.  [23]  Moreover, the right of hot pursuit has a preventive function derived from the psychological effect of the increased disciplinary rights that the violated coastal state is entitled to. The psychological effect is not to be underestimated since it could prevent wrongdoers to undertake illegal activity, knowing that they may be pursued, arrested and punished by the authorities of the state w hose laws have been violated.  [24]   Pursuit onto the high seas does not offend the territorial sovereignty of any state and it involves no intrusion into foreign territory since there is no sovereign to the high seas, except the state of the flag. To let the flag state principle stand in the way for effective administration of justice when a ship has committed a delict in another states juridical maritime zones has been seen as disproportionate, hence hot pursuit has become an international right for coastal states, regardless of the flag of the ship. Furthermore, the right of hot pursuit is a right of necessity since the coastal state would not be able to enforce its laws and regulations against fleeing ships without being able to pursue them.  [25]   3.2. Legal status As mentioned above (section 2.1.), the right of hot pursuit was codified and recognized by states in the Hague Codification in 1930, which led to the development of article 23 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas (1958). The provisions on hot pursuit in article 23 GCHS was thereafter essentially reproduced in article 111 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), comprising the new developments in the international law of the sea, such as the generated rights followed by the establishment of the new jurisdictional zones of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone.  [26]  Since article 111 UNCLOS is a renewed definition of the right of hot pursuit, it is the definition stated in UNCLOS that is the most updated and will be in focus below. Article 111 UNCLOS has the title Right of hot pursuit and contains eight paragraphs, in comparison to article 23 GCHS which only has seven paragraphs. (See the appendix for the full and exact wording of article 111 UNCLOS). Article 111 declares the coastal states right to engage in hot pursuit and lays down a number of cumulative conditions under which this right may be exercised. These conditions have been set up in order to avoid abuse and incorrect exercise of hot pursuit by the coastal states, such as situations where the wrong ship is pursued by accident. The specific conditions are also of great importance when it comes to upholding the freedom of navigation on the high seas and to ensure that the coastal state have enough evidentiary material to support a hot pursuit before exercising it.  [27]   4. International conditions and the nature of hot pursuit 4.1. General conditions (ta bort?) The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has emphasized that the conditions laid down in article 111 UNCLOS are cumulative, which means that each one of them has to be fulfilled in order for the hot pursuit to be lawful.  [28]  The basis for the exercise of hot pursuit is specified in paragraph 1 of article 111 UNCLOS which notes that such pursuit may be undertaken when the authorities of the coastal state have good reason to believe that the foreign ship has violated its laws and regulations. The violation must be made within one of the costal states maritime zones, such as its internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone or its continental shelf. Furthermore, the laws and regulations that were violated must have been enacted in accordance with international law.  [29]  Thus, article 111 UNCLOS makes it possible to pursue a foreign ship onto the high seas, but with respect of international law and the principle of state sovereignty, the pursuit must cease as soon as the ship enters the territorial sea of its own flag state or any other state. Otherwise, the pursuit would end up in a violation of another states sovereignty.  [30]   4.2. Involved vessels As can be seen in article 111 (5) UNCLOS, the coastal state may only exercise hot pursuit through the use of certain ships and aircraft having a connection to the governmental authority of the state. Warships and military aircrafts, together with other specially authorized government ships or aircrafts which are clearly marked and identifiable as such, are the only vessels that are required to exercise the pursuit.  [31]  This limitation to vessels vested with governmental authority ensures that the pursuing state cannot avoid its state responsibility for actions made by its pursuing ships acting on behalf of the coastal state. It is not the specific authority to pursue that is of importance; it is rather the general authority of applying laws and to take necessary measures in this regard. This guarantees the responsibility of a state for the actions made by its ships operating under the government. A states official connection to military aircrafts or warships needs not to be ma nifested since this connection is self-evident, thus, other pursuing vessels need to be specifically authorized by the state to exercise these measures.  [32]   Commercial ships in government service as well as private ships are subject to the jurisdiction of the coastal state and can be pursued if there is good reason to believe that a violation of the laws have been made. However, it is not in accordance with international law to exercise hot pursuit against other states warships. These, together with other non-commercial ships operating under a foreign government, are generally immune from the jurisdiction of any state other than the flag state. Although these ships are excepted from a coastal states right of hot pursuit, this does obviously not mean that they do not have to follow the laws and regulations of the coastal state. The only immunity warships enjoy is the immunity from enforcement jurisdiction of the coastal state, so the flag state might have to answer for the violation made by one of its governmental ships. Furthermore, the coastal state may pursue and arrest warships and non-commercial ships in foreign government service in self-defense.  [33]   4.3. Offences The right of hot pursuit arises whenever the offending ship has violated a law which has been validly enacted for the purpose of the zone where the offence has occurred  [34]  . In order to be entitled to hot pursuit, the coastal state has to have good reason to believe that the foreign ship has made such an offence, or as it is stated in article 111 (1) UNCLOS: violated the laws and regulations of that State  [35]  . The article states no predefined offences, so what kind of offences does this actually refer to? There is in fact no limit of how severe the delict must be in order to entitle the state to hot pursuit. The coastal state is entitled to undertake hot pursuit as soon as any local law or regulation has been violated, no matter how trivial. The wording in article 111 UNCLOS allows hot pursuit whenever a law has been violated, no matter what the character of the offence is.  [36]  There has been a view that the right of hot pursuit should arise only in respect of certain kinds of offences which could be considered as quasi-international offences (such as security offences), but the predominant view at the time of the Geneva Conference was that there should be no catalogue restricting the right of hot pursuit to offences of a certain character.  [37]   The seriousness of the offence should however be taken into account by the coastal state before starting a pursuit, so that the freedom of navigation is not hindered for minor offences.  [38]  This would otherwise result in a disproportionate exercise of power.  [39]  Furthermore, international comity and goodwill can be seen as important reasons why a coastal state should not exercise in response to trivial offences. Naturally, this principle of comity does not legally bind the coastal state to behave in a certain way, since it is not a principle under international law. In general, states are however anxious to submit to this principle of comity, since it is in their own best interest to show respect to other sovereign states. A state that does not act hospitably to other states and pursues their ships without good reason may be subject to the same abuse when its own merchant fleet navigates in other states territorial seas. Except taking comity into account, states decisio n to exercise hot pursuit is also based on the practical reality that states are not likely to find minor offenders worth the trouble of pursuit. Besides, ships guilty of trivial offences are unlikely to risk the dangers of flight in the hope of avoiding arrest for a minor delicts. Although such flight could indicate that the ship has been engaged in a delict that is much less trivial than the coastal state first suspected.  [40]   The nature of the offence entitling the state of hot pursuit is related to the competence to enact laws for the different maritime zones. In the territorial sea this competence is unlimited (except for the right of innocent passage), but regarding the contiguous zone or other zones of extraterritorial jurisdiction, the states competence to make acts offences is restricted since these are zones of limited jurisdiction. The right of hot pursuit arises when an offence has been made within one of these zones, but it is provided that the offence is made against laws which international law allows to be enacted for the purposes of that zone.  [41]   Article 111 (1) UNCLOS sets up the condition that a state must have good reason to believe that a ship has violated the states laws and regulations. This good reason standard prevents states from pursuing a foreign ship solely based on the suggestion that an offence has been made by it. However, this condition does not require that the coastal state has actual knowledge of an offence. The proper interpretation of this good reason condition lies somewhere between suspicion and actual knowledge of an offence. In regard to this, the mere flight of a vessel could be sufficient to justify hot pursuit, since it could give the state a suspicion that the ship is trying to flee from the consequences of an offence made by it. Even though the state originally lacked good reason to believe that the ship had made an offence, this suspicious behavior could be enough to live up to the good reason standard.  [42]   Offences that are not attributed to the foreign vessel itself do not lay ground for hot pursuit, for example when an offence is committed by a passenger. The coastal states jurisdiction is towards the ship only, the passengers and crew remain under the jurisdiction of the flag state as long as their actions are not attributable to the ship itself. Robert C. Reuland states that the delict must have been committed under the color of the ships authority  [43]  in order to give rise to hot pursuit. Finally, when it comes to offences, one can conclude that there are two main conditions that have to be fulfilled in order to give right to hot pursuit: first, the state must have good reason to believe that an offence has been committed and second, the offence must be attributable to the ship itself.  [44]   4.4. Commencement and cessation Article 111 (1) UNCLOS states from which maritime zones a state may commence hot pursuit under international law; namely when the foreign ship (or one of its boats) is within the pursuing states internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea or contiguous zone.  [45]  It is only when the offence is committed within one of these zones that the coastal state may undertake hot pursuit. However, in comparison to article 23 GCHS, article 111 (2) UNCLOS is more extensive and stipulates that the right applies mutatis mutandis to violations of legislation applicable to the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf (including safety zones around continental shelf installations).  [46]  The right to begin hot pursuit while the foreign ship is within the contiguous zone is limited to the enforcement of certain rights, that is to say if there has been a violation of the rights for the protection of which the zone was established.  [47]  Robert C. Reuland mentions that a lthough a states legislative jurisdiction within the contiguous zone may not be limited to the four purposes set out in both sea conventions, such laws should nevertheless be limited to the protection of the states territory and territorial sea. It follows that hot pursuit may not be commenced from the contiguous zone for violations of laws that do not reasonably comport with the littoral states legislative competence with respect to this zone.  [48]  . Whether pursuit may start while the ship is in the continental shelf or in the exclusive economic zone is more directly an aspect of the question whether the violation was made against legislation relation to these zones, than in the case of the contiguous zone. The offence is more directly related to the regime of the zone.  [49]  The state may enact laws consistent with the sovereign rights in these zones, for example relating to protection of fisheries etc in the case of the exclusive economic zone. Similarly, the violatio n of any law enacted by the coastal state that is consistent with the states sovereign rights over the continental shelf may give rise to the right of hot pursuit.  [50]   The right of hot pursuit ceases as soon as the pursued ship enters the territorial waters of its own or a third state.  [51]  To continue therein would result in a violation of that states sovereignty and that is accordingly offending international law.  [52]  This general rule may however be put aside where hot pursuit in another states territorial sea is permitted by treaty.  [53]  It is important to mention that the general rule of cessation at the territorial sea of another state does not apply to other maritime zones beyond the territorial sea, so the pursuing state may actually pursue the foreign ship into the exclusive economic zone or even the contiguous zone of another state. Such zones are to be considered as high seas when it comes to hot purs

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Jane Eyre :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jane Eyre is about a young orphan being raised by Mrs. Reed, her cruel aunt. One day as punishment for fighting with her bullying cousin John, Jane’s aunt locked her in the room in which her Uncle Reed had died. While there Jane scares herself into believing that she sees her uncles ghost, screams and faints. When She wakes, She finds herself in the care of the apothecary Mr. Lloyd. He suggested to Mrs. Reed that Jane be sent away to school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The school’s headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst was a cruel, hypocritical man. He would preach of poverty to his students but steal from the schools funds to support a lavish lifestyle for his own family. A massive typhus epidemic sweeps Lowood, and many, including Jane’s friend Helen died of consumption. The epidemic also results in the departure of Mr. Brocklehurst by attracting attention to the dangerous conditions at Lowood. Jane the stays on at the school for many more years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She accepts a governess position at a manor called Thornfield, where she is to teaches a little French girl named Adà ¨le. Jane’s employer at Thornfield is Rochester, with whom Jane starts finding herself secretly falling secretly in love with. She saves Rochester from a fire one night, which he claims was started by a drunken servant , but seeing as how the servant continues to work at Thornfield, Jane doesn’t believe that she’s been told the whole story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rochester proposes to Jane, who accepts almost disbelievingly. The wedding day arrives, and as Jane and Mr. Rochester prepare to exchange their vows, the voice of Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has a wife. Mason introduces himself as the brother of that wife—a woman named Bertha. Rochester does not deny Mason’s claims, but he explains that Bertha has gone mad. He takes the wedding party back to Thornfield, where they witness the insane Bertha scurrying around on all fours and growling like an animal. Rochester keeps Bertha hidden on the third story of Thornfield and pays Grace Poole to keep his wife under control. Bertha was the real cause of the mysterious fire earlier in the story. Knowing that it is impossible for her to be with Rochester, Jane leaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Penniless and hungry, Jane is forced to sleep outdoors and beg for food. Finally, three siblings who live in a manor alternatively called Marsh End and Moor House take her in.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Wonderment and Awe: the Way of the Kami Essay -- Movies Film Films Ess

Wonderment and Awe: the Way of the Kami When watching the fantastic anime (animation) of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, it soon becomes apparent that he has infused his richly detailed worlds with an animistic world-view that references ancient Japanese beliefs, practices and myths. His films describe an intriguing mixture of earthy spirituality particularly drawn from the Shinto tradition. Shinto is less a religion than a way of life – a pantheistic and animistic faith that believes that every object possesses a spirit, and encourages nature worship, folk beliefs, ancient deities and rituals. It has no dogma or moral doctrine, except for four general tenets: worshipping and honouring the kami; love of nature; tradition and the family; and cleanliness (Picken 1994:9-10). For the scope of this article, I will be looking at how respect for the kami and nature inform two of Miyazaki’s films Princess Mononoke (Mononokehime 1997) and Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi 2001). The key to Miyazaki’s work lies in his knack of transformation and transfusion. He transforms and reinvigorates the tenets of Shinto and also elements of Japanese myth such as dragons and gods. His films do not rework specific stories – rather he creates a hybrid Japanese ‘modern myth’ that is accessible (in different ways) to post-industrialised audiences all over the world. Film critics have praised his films: many appearing to share the sentiments of American film writer Chris Lanier that ‘ultimately, when the movie is over, one doesn’t chiefly savour its sequences or incidents, or even the audacity of its imagination. One rather savours the world-view that seeps through it, which is an eminently kind one’ (2002). I would suggest that Miyaza... ...s spiritual roots. Tokyo: Kodansha International. Picken, S. (1994) Essentials of Shinto: An analytical guide to principal teachings. Connecticut & London: Greenwood Press. Saitani, R. (1995) ‘I Understand Nausicaa a Bit More Than I Did a Little While Ago: Long interview with Hayao Miyazaki’ in Comic Box special memorial issue: The Finale of Nausicaa. January. Website accessed 15 May 2003: www.comicbox.co.jp/e-nau/e-nau.html Mes, T. (2002) ‘Hayao Miyazaki Interview’on Midnight Eye. 1 July. Website accessed 15 May 2003: www.midnighteye.com/interviews/hayao_miyazaki.shtml van Bremen, J. (1995) ‘Introduction: The myth of the secularization of industrialized societies’ in Ceremony and Ritual in Japan: Religion in an Industrialized Society. London: Routledge. Weber, M. (1965) The Sociology of Religion translated by E. Fischoff. London: Methuen & Co. Wonderment and Awe: the Way of the Kami Essay -- Movies Film Films Ess Wonderment and Awe: the Way of the Kami When watching the fantastic anime (animation) of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, it soon becomes apparent that he has infused his richly detailed worlds with an animistic world-view that references ancient Japanese beliefs, practices and myths. His films describe an intriguing mixture of earthy spirituality particularly drawn from the Shinto tradition. Shinto is less a religion than a way of life – a pantheistic and animistic faith that believes that every object possesses a spirit, and encourages nature worship, folk beliefs, ancient deities and rituals. It has no dogma or moral doctrine, except for four general tenets: worshipping and honouring the kami; love of nature; tradition and the family; and cleanliness (Picken 1994:9-10). For the scope of this article, I will be looking at how respect for the kami and nature inform two of Miyazaki’s films Princess Mononoke (Mononokehime 1997) and Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi 2001). The key to Miyazaki’s work lies in his knack of transformation and transfusion. He transforms and reinvigorates the tenets of Shinto and also elements of Japanese myth such as dragons and gods. His films do not rework specific stories – rather he creates a hybrid Japanese ‘modern myth’ that is accessible (in different ways) to post-industrialised audiences all over the world. Film critics have praised his films: many appearing to share the sentiments of American film writer Chris Lanier that ‘ultimately, when the movie is over, one doesn’t chiefly savour its sequences or incidents, or even the audacity of its imagination. One rather savours the world-view that seeps through it, which is an eminently kind one’ (2002). I would suggest that Miyaza... ...s spiritual roots. Tokyo: Kodansha International. Picken, S. (1994) Essentials of Shinto: An analytical guide to principal teachings. Connecticut & London: Greenwood Press. Saitani, R. (1995) ‘I Understand Nausicaa a Bit More Than I Did a Little While Ago: Long interview with Hayao Miyazaki’ in Comic Box special memorial issue: The Finale of Nausicaa. January. Website accessed 15 May 2003: www.comicbox.co.jp/e-nau/e-nau.html Mes, T. (2002) ‘Hayao Miyazaki Interview’on Midnight Eye. 1 July. Website accessed 15 May 2003: www.midnighteye.com/interviews/hayao_miyazaki.shtml van Bremen, J. (1995) ‘Introduction: The myth of the secularization of industrialized societies’ in Ceremony and Ritual in Japan: Religion in an Industrialized Society. London: Routledge. Weber, M. (1965) The Sociology of Religion translated by E. Fischoff. London: Methuen & Co.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Characterization In A Classic Novel Essay -- essays research papers

Characterization in a Classic Novel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and his quest to create life from death. Frankenstein’s experiment goes dreadfully wrong and he is forced to flee from the monster he created. Throughout this novel, Frankenstein is characterized by his extreme intelligence, skepticism and withdrawn behavior, and remorse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of this novel, it is clearly stated that Victor has a love for knowledge. â€Å"It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupies me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, that physical secrets of the world,† (37). Victor is educated but self-taught in his favorite subjects. He begins reading books dealing only with science and describes himself as, â€Å"always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature,† (39). When Victor is old enough, he attends college in Ingolstadt. At Ingolstadt, Victor becomes interested in chemistry and the human body. Frankenstein decides to create a human being in hopes that he will be able to restore life to the dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is apparent that Victor dislikes groups of people. During his childhood, he has one friend who remains close to him throughout his life. Instead of talking to his friend or family when...

Sunshine and Shadow

New York: Sunshine and Shadow The â€Å"Sunshine and Shadow† section of the New York Documentary series by Ric Burns was certainly named for a purpose. Right at the start of the documentary section, it is made clear why the contrasting themes of sunshine and shadow are appropriate for New York in 1865. In the â€Å"Gilded Age† of America, there were two components of life in New York City. There was the image that was made visible to the general public and outsiders, which was the extreme wealth and expansion going on in the city at the time.This portion of the city is representative of the â€Å"sunshine†, symbolizing success, visibility, and fortune. Secondly, there was the latter part of life in New York City, the seemingly masked and forgotten aspect of New York City at the time, which was the poverty. This era in New York City marked a grossly contrasting socioeconomic age, with those living far beyond their needs, and the vast amount of poor living far belo w the poverty line. The rich businessmen in the city reaped millions from corruption, expansion, and laundering money, while the poor struggled to survive in packed tenements with large families.The poor worked constantly and brutally hard in low-paying factories, only to barely keep up with rent and food for their families. Corrupt businessmen such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and William Tweed illegally procured millions, redefining wealth, as the other half of New York City lived in disease and despair. There were mansions being built on 5th street, while several blocks away the other half of the New York City population struggled. Finally, in 1896, Jacob Riise published â€Å"How the Other Half Lives†, exposing the hidden aspects of life for the poor and sick in New York City.The publication contained real photos, taken of the tenements, bars, and homeless in the poor sections of New York. It brought to attention the unacceptability of the difference in lives of those in the à ¢â‚¬Å"sunshine† and those in the â€Å"shade†. The content in this documentary was represented extremely well, and it certainly displayed the feelings and happenings of New York City in 1865. The film did a good job of starting off explaining the contrast in wealth in the city during the time period, explaining the massive expansion and development of infrastructure that was occurring in the city at the time.It then moved on to the true happenings of the city at the time, which was the appalling poverty that plagued roughly half the city. The film was set up for a certain shock value, and it certainly demonstrated to the viewer the severity of the situation in the city. The documentary then went into further detail, thoroughly explaining the causes of the difference in wealth in the city. It did a very good job detailing the major events that explained the incredible wealth in the city at the time, such as the corruption and expansion.The documentary explained how place s such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park became stages for outsiders to see the scale on which wealth differed in the city. I believe that the best part of the documentary was the portion explaining and going into depth about the tenements and poverty in some parts of the city. It showed images that helped viewers translate the situation that they’re being told about into real images and events. I believe that Ric Burns did a great job representing the Gilded Age of New York City, and the â€Å"Sunshine and Shade† aspect of it.My reaction to the events of the time period consists of anger and disappointment. I believe that America was supposed to stand for equal opportunity and a chance to succeed, but for immigrants new to the city, this was a falsity. Without pre-existing connections and job offers, the new world of New York City was nearly impossible for an immigrant to thrive in. As a result of the disproportion of wealth in the city, immigrants were simply t hrown into a growing pile of poverty.At the time period, the city needed presidential and governmental guidance and discipline, something that was clearly lacking. Thanks to overwhelming corruption and greed, the other half of the city was forgotten about and misused. The greed in the city at the time led to money being spent on the wrong things, leaving half of the population grossly uncared for. I certainly can say that I would not have wanted to live in this time period in New York City, despite it being the mecca of the United States at the time, and the center of expansion and growth.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Succubus Shadows Chapter 17

My initial time with the Oneroi had been a mix of true and false dreams. As time went on – and I really had no way of saying how much of it did go on – the majority of them seemed to be true ones. They were either visitations of awful memories or more glimpses into my current life, meant to demoralize me and make me homesick. I was still torn apart, still feeling more animal than human or succubus or†¦whatever. Yet, the fleeting pieces of rationality within me wondered at the sudden lack of handcrafted visions. One might argue the Oneroi were being lazy. They were just giving me recycled material, and whenever I did see my friends in the world, I got the impression that it was less a dream and more like the Oneroi flipping me onto a TV channel to make sure I stayed distracted and gave them something to feed off of. It almost felt like they were trying to keep me busy because†¦well, they were busy. But why? What had happened? What had Dante been about to tell Roman and the others? Was it enough to make the Oneroi pull some of their attention from me? Or were these simply more mind games meant to leave me in turmoil? I kept hoping I'd see a follow-up to what had happened with Dante, but the Oneroi had other parts of the life I'd left behind to show me. Or, well, parts I hadn't left behind. Simone was still impersonating me, and the Oneroi wanted me to know. Adding insult to injury, she was helping Maddie and Seth with the wedding. The three of them were out cake shopping, and honestly, I was almost more surprised to find Seth there than I was Simone in her disguise. He'd pretty much kept away from the wedding planning as much as possible, using the pretense that he was no good at decisions and was happy to let Maddie run things the way she wanted. I didn't doubt the first part of what he said but wondered about the second. In my heart of hearts, the one that believed he was still in love with me, I secretly hoped he was passing it to Maddie just because he was indifferent to it all. I wanted to believe that he really didn't care about the planning because he didn't care about the wedding. It was clear, however, that I cared. Or rather – Simone cared. Considering my reluctance at dress shopping, you would have thought Maddie might notice the sudden increase in zeal. Nope. Maddie was too caught up in her own bubble of happiness and welcomed â€Å"my† assistance. So, the three of them set off on a cake adventure, visiting all the bakeries Maddie had compiled and ranked on a list pulled from hours of Internet research. â€Å"You want it creamy,† said Simone, licking icing off her fingers at a bakery in Belltown. Actually, it was more like sucking. â€Å"This is a little too sugary.† The threesome sat at a table where they had been provided with a plate of samples. â€Å"That's the point,† said Maddie. She was eating a bite-size piece of chocolate cake in a much less pornographic way. â€Å"Mega sugar rush.† â€Å"Yeah, but if you get too much sugar, it just tastes grainy. You want it to slide right over your lips.† She turned to Seth. â€Å"Don't you think so?† Seth had taken a bite out of a piece of marble cake. â€Å"It is kind of grainy.† Simone gave him a knowing smile, one that seemed to say, See? I know you better than anyone else in the world. Seth held her eyes for a moment, but his expression was unreadable. He turned toward Maddie. â€Å"But we can do whatever you want.† â€Å"No, no,† she said, not sounding too disappointed. â€Å"This is for both of us. I want it to be something you like too.† Seth gave her a mischievous smile. â€Å"Does it matter? It all gets shoved in the face anyway.† Maddie's eyes went wide. â€Å"No, it doesn't! Don't even think about doing that.† â€Å"Guess you won't know until the time comes, huh?† His smile had grown. Seeing him play with her made me (figuratively) squirm, but I took comfort in seeing a flash of annoyance in Simone's eyes. Maddie was succeeding where Simone couldn't. That was how it should be†¦or was it? Maddie's unwitting triumph over Simone meant she had†¦well, triumphed over me. Or had she? Simone looked like me but wasn't truly me. Damn. This was all so confusing. â€Å"Seth wouldn't do that,† said Simone, resting her hand on his shoulder in what was supposed to be a friendly way. Maddie couldn't see it from her vantage, but Simone's fingers lightly brushed the back of his neck. â€Å"Not if he wants a good honeymoon.† She spoke lightly, but there was a sly undertone there. Having her sex life brought up in public made Maddie blush. Seth had shifted uncomfortably, but the reason was unclear. Simone's fingers? The mention of sex? Maybe both. Simone removed her hand, seeming innocent to all the world, except Seth and me. Maddie seemed eager to change the subject from the romantic goings-on of a honeymoon. â€Å"I think you should at least pick the cake flavor,† she said. â€Å"I'm choosing so much else.† â€Å"I don't know,† said Seth. He still seemed uncomfortable. â€Å"I don't care if you do it.† â€Å"Yeah, but she wants you to,† said Simone. â€Å"Come on, make one firm decision here. You can't go wrong. Maddie'll eat anything you pick.† Loaded statement. Neither Seth nor Maddie acted as though they read anything into it, but I had a feeling Simone had intended it as a reference to Maddie's very buxom figure. â€Å"Exactly,† said Maddie. â€Å"What's your favorite flavor?† â€Å"I bet I can guess,† said Simone. â€Å"Chocolate.† â€Å"Strawberry,† said Maddie. Losers. It was vanilla. â€Å"Vanilla,† said Seth. Maddie groaned. â€Å"Naturally. Well, there's one decision made.† She rose from the table. â€Å"Let's try a few other places and get the rest of this taken care of. Not much left after this.† They reached the door, and Maddie stopped to glance at Simone. â€Å"Oh, hey. Will you do me a favor? Will you take Seth tux shopping?† â€Å"What?† asked Seth. No neutral face now. He was shocked. Maddie grinned. â€Å"If you don't have a keeper, you'll show up at the church in a Billy Idol T-shirt. And it's bad luck if I go with you.† â€Å"I thought that was just for the bride,† said Seth. â€Å"I want to be surprised,† Maddie countered. â€Å"Of course I'll go,† said Simone, putting her arm around Seth again in that â€Å"friendly† way. Maddie beamed, and the bakery faded away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦transforming into Erik's store. Erik sat at a small table with Jerome and Roman, and – so help me – they were drinking tea. Even Jerome. Roman was visible, which made me think Jerome must have decided they no longer needed to fear the eyes of higher powers who might wonder why my â€Å"human† roommate kept tagging along with Seattle's archdemon. Erik was tapping his tea cup thoughtfully. â€Å"If your theory is right, it would explain a lot.† These words were directed at Roman. â€Å"The dream quality of the visions. Mr. Jerome's complete inability to find her.† Jerome's slightly arched eyebrow was the only indication of his displeasure over the word â€Å"inability.† Erik continued, eyes on his cup as he pondered it all. â€Å"And you're right†¦of all the creatures you suggested, Oneroi or Morphean demons make the most sense.† Oh! I thought in triumph to the Oneroi. How do you like that, bitches? My friends are on to you. No response came. No dissolving of the dream, as I would have expected. â€Å"But why her?† asked Roman irritably. I had a feeling he'd taken credit for the dream idea, shielding Dante from Jerome's wrath. â€Å"Why a succubus? Don't they only care about human dreams?† â€Å"They're tied to Nyx,† pointed out Erik. Oh, yes. My friends were smart. Smarter than Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys put together. Maybe even Matlock too. â€Å"The ‘why' is irrelevant,† said Jerome, speaking at last. â€Å"Whether it's Oneroi or Morpheans is also irrelevant. If something's taken her to the world of dreams, she's completely inaccessible.† Roman frowned. â€Å"Why? Can't you just go in there and pull her out now that you know?† Jerome gave his son a smile that almost, almost seemed genuinely amused. â€Å"You're half-human, and it shows. Greater immortals can't go there. We don't dream. Only humans do. The way is barred to us.† â€Å"Because you have no hopes or imaginings of what might be,† said Erik. His manner and tone clearly indicated he believed such a thing to be a failing for angels and demons. â€Å"You need a soul to dream.† â€Å"Well, if I'm half-human, then I'll go there,† said Roman obstinately, cutting off any retort Jerome might have given. â€Å"I dream. So I can enter, right? And I can take on whatever's there.† There was so much determination in his voice that I half believed he could take on an army of Oneroi right now. â€Å"You have no idea what you're talking about,† said Jerome. â€Å"Clearly. Do you have any idea what the dream world is like?† â€Å"Do you?† asked Roman dryly. â€Å"I thought you couldn't go there.† â€Å"Dreams are what fuel human existence. Dreams of power, love, revenge, redemption†¦the dreams of mankind are vast, uncountable. Humans dream both waking and asleep. Those hopes and fears are what put them at risk – they gamble their lives and souls on dreams. You go into the world of dreams, and it's like stepping into a blizzard. Every snowflake is some human imagining flitting by so quickly, you can't even see it. All you see is a blur, a tangle of longings and chaos. If Georgina is there, she is one of those snowflakes. You would never find her soul.† Heavy silence fell. Finally, Roman said, â€Å"That was like poetry, Dad.† â€Å"But he's correct,† Erik told Roman. More silence. Roman glanced between the two of them incredulously. â€Å"So that's it? It's hopeless? You're giving up without even trying to find her?† â€Å"Trying is hopeless,† said Jerome. Demons might not dream the way humans did, but I suspected even he could picture what his superiors would do when they found out he'd lost a succubus. â€Å"Human magic could access the world of dreams, but it'd do no good.† He glanced at Erik, who nodded. â€Å"Someone lost among all that couldn't be called back. Not even the strongest ritual could do it. Her soul would never hear anything we could muster.† Roman's face was a mixture of emotions. Anger. Disbelief. And†¦resignation. That didn't surprise me. Jerome's face did, however. He had stiffened at Erik's words, a spark of insight flashing in those cold, dark eyes. â€Å"But you could do the ritual, correct?† he asked Erik. â€Å"You're human. You're strong enough to open the way.† Erik eyed him warily. â€Å"Yes†¦but by your own admission, it would achieve nothing. The connection you had to her was theoretically strong enough to possibly summon her back, but you can't enter. All we'd have is a useless doorway.† Jerome stood up abruptly. He glanced at Roman. â€Å"Find your own way home.† The demon vanished with a showy poof of smoke. And I vanished back into the Oneroi's prison. They stood there in the dark, glowing from what they'd taken from me. In dreams, though I suffered, I never felt the horrific effects they caused until I returned from them. That was when the agony, energy loss, and confusion hit me. Yet, this time, I wasn't completely lost to despair. â€Å"You were wrong,† I said. I tried to put some smugness in my voice, but it came out hoarse from my exhaustion. Good God. I was so, so tired. I guess dreaming didn't necessarily mean sleeping. â€Å"My friends have figured it out. They know where I am.† As always, One and Two were nearly impossible to read. â€Å"What makes you think that was a true dream?† Excellent question. â€Å"Gut instinct,† I said. â€Å"You believe you can trust it?† asked One. â€Å"After all this time? After so many dreams? How can you tell what's real and unreal?† I couldn't. I knew when the memories were true – for now – but the â€Å"real world† scenes were harder. Maybe it wasn't my gut so much as my blind optimism that believed what I'd just seen was real. Two guessed my thoughts. â€Å"You hope. And we've fed that hope, making you think you have a chance. So you will wait. And wait. And wait.† â€Å"It was real,† I said firmly, as though that would make it so. â€Å"Even if it was,† said One, â€Å"it meant nothing. You saw for yourself. There is no way to bring you back.† â€Å"Maybe that was the lie,† I said. â€Å"Maybe the rest was true. You mixed it. They figured out where I was, but you didn't show me the part where they learned how to rescue me. They're going to do that ritual.† â€Å"They will fail. Nothing can pull your soul from here.† â€Å"You're wrong.† I didn't even really know what I was saying. My essence felt like it was tearing apart, and really, the only thing I knew to do was to keep contradicting them. â€Å"And you are naive. You always have been. Lesser immortals carry that weakness over from their human days, and you're one of the worst. Our mother nearly used your weakness to free herself from the angels. Now it will be your downfall.† â€Å"What do you mean Nyx almost used it?† The Oneroi exchanged glances – very, very pleased ones. â€Å"Your dream. Your fantasy,† explained Two. â€Å"The one she promised to show you if you freed her. You wanted so badly to believe it was possible, that you nearly gave in.† For a moment, I didn't see them or that perpetual blackness. I was in a dream of my own creation, not theirs. The dream Nyx had sent to me over and over had been one of my future, with a home and a child – and a man. A man I loved whose identity remained a mystery. Nyx had never shown me the ending. Never shown me the man in the dream. â€Å"You are so full of shit,† I said. â€Å"You claim Nyx shows the truth – the future. But how could that vision have been true if I'm also supposed to be locked here for all eternity? They can't both be true.† â€Å"The future is always changing,† said One. â€Å"That was true when she showed it to you. Your path shifted.† â€Å"Oh, come on! What's the point of having a vision of the future if it can change at any moment? That's not a truth or a lie. That's a guess. And I never believed her anyway. What she showed me was impossible – even if I wasn't here with you two assholes.† â€Å"You will never know if it was,† said Two. Then, he reconsidered. â€Å"Actually it was possible, but you will live with the knowledge that it's a future that's been taken from you.† â€Å"You can't take what I never had,† I growled. â€Å"Succubi can't have children. I could never have that kind of life.† What I didn't add was that one startling thing had come from the dream. In it, I'd had two cats. At the time, I'd only had one – Aubrey. Not long after, I'd found Godiva, who was the other cat in the dream. Coincidence? Or had I truly been on the path to that future, only to have it ripped from me now? As always, the Oneroi could see into my heart and knew what I was thinking. â€Å"Do you want to see?† asked One. â€Å"See what?† â€Å"The man,† said Two. â€Å"The man in the dream.†

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The success of A Tale of Two Cities

The art of historical fiction requires from its creator the scrupulosity of selection. This relates to the selection of theme, characters and their roles, pace of narration and time sequence supported by the language embodied into certain literary devices to make a story unique and popular through centuries. This requirement is perfectly achieved by Charles Dickens in his novel A Tale of Two Cities.The success of A Tale of Two Cities can be attributed to Dickens's artful setting of a touching human story against the background of the world-shaking events of the French Revolution, and to the themes related with these events. Among these themes, one of the most important is the theme of sacrifice, as the way to self-fulfillment.An accompanying are the themes of retribution and human loyalty – kind and sympathetic in the case of the Manettes, father and daughter, and Miss Pross; appalling though understandable in the case of Madame Defarge, who can never forget what the Evrà ©mo ndes did to her family. Another theme is the resemblances and parallels Dickens wants us to see between London and Paris. The two cities represent opposed mindsets that are personified by contrasting female characters.Dickens refers first to the London carts and coaches, in which â€Å"pale travellers set out continually on a violent passage into the other world† from the criminal court and prison of Old Bailey (Dickens, ii 2). Later, before he depicts the mob in Paris, he gives us a London crowd, which â€Å"in those times stopped at nothing, and was a monster much dreade† (Dickens, ii 14).Dickens’s most memorable characters tend to be the eccentrics, the droll fellows. In A Tale of Two Cities there are few of these: Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher are the two most notable. As a contrast to them there is the pushing Stryver; he is not really entertaining.The rest of Dickens’s characters do not hold much of the reader's interest. Thus, Sydney Carton, Charle s Darnay, Lucie Manette, the good Doctor Manette, and Jarvis Lorry all seem relatively normal people, who in other circumstances would not be very interesting.The same might even be true of the Defarges, husband and wife. Had they not had a revolution to fight, their lives might have been routine, and not worth investigating. But in this novel, the driving force is an impersonal one. Its impact on character is felt most strongly when we consider the two principal antagonists: Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge.Sydney Carton is a case of a spoiled man who has somehow lost his nerve and his self-respect and bitterly knows it. He gets the chance to do a noble thing and, in doing it, redeems his wasted life. But, had there been no such opportunity, we must suspect that he would have gone on in his downward track, drinking more and enjoying it less, and at some point being cast off by the now affluent Stryver – the man who has used him to his own great benefit – when he needs him no longer.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Effects of Media Stereotyping

Over the years, racial stereotypes have always played a big role in our society. Till today, everyone attaches racial stereotypes and injustice thoughts towards a person without knowing or saying a word to the person. Signs of race and ethnicity are everywhere in our media culture and people are judged based on inaccurate information given by the media such as television, cartoons, dramas, movies and even comic books. These stereotypes will influence the younger generations, create tension between groups and affect people in many ways.The way that television portrays different races can be very subtle like main character status, level of interaction between races, activity levels, and social status (Maher, 2008). The characters demonstrated in certain television programs are formed by what the writers believe and they take the basic features of a character and expand it thinking the viewers will enjoy it, leading to racial and ethnic stereotypes by using ‘misinformation’ through movies, shows and news reports. Egyptians in this case are being portrayed as uneducated, unethical, raise desert animals, terrorists and uncivilized.These false information is what the media uses as techniques to portray Egyptians as humans of the underworld and Egypt as a deserted country. Egyptians have been stereotyped as desert residents for many years even though Egypt has been advanced now as a country. They have been looked at as uneducated but fact is there is an American University built in Cairo where many Egyptians have gotten their Bachelors, Masters and PhD’s from, but however the media still influence the public to view the Egyptians as desert people.In the movie â€Å"The Mummy† which was shot at Egypt, individual Egyptians are filthy, greedy, slimey pigs. The Egyptian masses are mindless, murderous zombies who chant the name Imhotep. This has affected Egyptians as well as other stereotyped ethnic groups everywhere. The threat does not only aff ect the life of the adults but the children as well. In a research done by the University of California about the consequences of racial stereotypes on children, it was said that it has a direct effect on the academic performance of the stereotyped children.One of the sayings in this research is: â€Å"African American and Latino children who are aware of broadly held stereotypes about academic ability perform more poorly on a cognitive task when that task is described as a measure of ability that when the same task is described as a problem-solving task. † (Carol Hyman 2003). This applies to all race and ethnic groups everywhere in our world Racial and ethnic stereotype in media not only in fluencies the adults but is also adapted and carried over with the children who are the youth of tomorrow and we wouldn’t want this stereotype to continue on in the years to come.It is easy to give out information with no factual back up, but the public preference is what can eithe r stop media propaganda from affecting the public opinion or simply fuel such dangerous aspect of the media, stereotypes. Hyman, Carol (2003). â€Å"Awareness of racial stereotypes happens at an early age, has consequences†, UC Berkeley News. Online at:  , consulted on May 2003.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Strategic Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management and Leadership - Essay Example The major businesses of this conglomerate include electronics, entertainment, electronic games and most recently financial services. This paper will focus on analysis of the major factors that have propelled the company to such growth in an industry which requires one to be very innovative in order to remain relevant as the risk of being outshined is ever increasing. The paper will also seek to analyse the strategies that could be utilised in order to ensure that the company remains competitive. Success Measures The success of the Sony Corporation can be measured in terms of the growth that it has realised over the years. At the onset of its inception, there was a view of Japanese companies as simply businesses skilled at copying the technology used in the West rather than making products of their own (Beomish, 1999). The business shunned the existing Japanese business networks. As a startup company, the Corporation did not have a big market share as compared to other business that w as in the entertainment industry at the time. The Corporation at its beginning had minimal capital and was at the same time limited in its ideas. Sony has in the last year of operation realised profits of about 6.5 trillion Yens. According to Gunther (2001), this is a far cry from the time it was beginning when it barely had enough capital to finance its operations. The market share of the Corporation has also grown from the simple voltmeters that were produced during its inception in a whole range of products that include entertainment gadgets, mobile phones and even financial services. The Corporation has a wealth of resources that it can use to finance all its business ventures. The corporation has around 55 plants used for manufacturing its good and these are spread all over the world. On top of these the Corporation has 12 other manufacturing plants that are based in its home country of Japan. These physical resources that are the disposal of the Corporation are able to give it a competitive advantage which it can use as strength. On top of the physical resources the Sony also enjoys a wealth of technological resources which gives the opportunity to leverage on these as it competes in the technology industry where innovation are made on a daily basis. The technology can also be utilised well to enable the company to produce high quality products that fetch good prices in the market hence increasing the revenues for the corporation. According to Gunther (2001), the corporation also enjoys what can be termed as â€Å"reputational resources.† This comes in the form of a good name resulting from the numerous awards that it has fetched over the years as the best consumer-electronics company. Reasons for success Exploitation of Opportunities The success of the Sony Corporation is attributable to various factors. First the Corporation has proved over the years that it is able to identify opportunities and seize them (Beomish, 1999). For example during its inception, when the founders came across a tape recorder they got interested and went ahead to buy the patent and this formed the basis for their product that were later produced in the same line. The managers also have ventured in different areas since they were able to identify business opportunities, a factor that has really enhanced the growth of the company over the years. This has propelled the Corporation to be a market leader in its own right and also to enjoy the opportunity to

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Colourimetric Assay for Paracetamol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Colourimetric Assay for Paracetamol - Essay Example ble results. The chief advantage of colourimetric methods is that they provide a simple means for determining minute quantities of substances. The upper limit of colorimetric methods is in general the determination of constituents which are present in quantities of less than 1 or 2 per cent (J. W. Robinson). The principle behind any colourimetric technique for paracetamol analysis is that paracetamol undergoes oxidation-reduction reaction with an aqueous solution of iron(III) ion. In the reaction, iron(III) ions are being reduced to iron(II) ions. The iron(II) ions produced in the redox reaction is reacted with potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) solution forming prussian blue which is an intense blue colored complex. The concentration of the paracetamol in a given solution may be determined by measuring the color intensity of the Prussian blue solution. ... Upon measurement of the intensity in terms of absorbance, Beer’s law is used to calculate the concentration of the paracetamol in micrograms per milliliter. To permit selection of the most advantageous technique, effects of variables such as temperature, heating time, acidity and reagent concentration have been evaluated. Another simple, accurate and fast method of determination of paracetamol is based on the measurement of the intensity of the yellow color that will develop when the sample containing paracetamol is reacted with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in 2 molar solution of hydrochloric acid after heating (Usifoh, et. al.). This yellow color is usually absorbed in the visible region where the wavelength is 450 nm. It is normally stable for several hours and its intensity is directly proportional to the concentration of the drug, that is, Beer’s law is obeyed. This colorimetric technique is mainly used for analysis where the paracetamol is contained in a particular raw material or in pharmaceutical dosage forms such as tablets and syrups. Finally, a fast, automated colorimetric method for the determination of samples containing paracetamol is the latter’s reaction with acidic hypochlorite followed by coupling with alkaline phenol which produces a blue indophenol dye, which is measured colourimetrically (J.W. Murfin). This method is generally used for tablets containing paracetamol and a granule formation containing paracetamol. MATERIALS AND METHOD A stock solution of paracetamol has been prepared for analysis. The stock solution is prepared by dissolving appropriate amount of 0.0023 mol/L paracetamol solution in 10 mL of NaCl solution and made

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Violent Video Games and Increase of Aggressiveness Research Proposal

Violent Video Games and Increase of Aggressiveness - Research Proposal Example These games are violent in nature, some with parental warnings regarding violence, blood, and gore. Examples of such video games include titles like Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, and Sega's Primal Rage. All of these games intertwine a character-driven storyline with adventures and quests, including personal combat which requires the player to fight with and kill, various adversaries in an extremely violent way. While earlier versions of such games, such as Quake or Doom, were more plot-driven and less gratuitously violent, many of the more recent industry offerings (known as "first-person shooter" games) have escalated the combat element in favor of increasingly difficult opponents, more sophisticated weaponry, and an unhealthy focus on domination. As Bok points out, "players are rewarded for slashing, gouging, or shooting their opponents...[and are able] to see with the eyes of the killer holding the gun." (1999, p. 37) In fact, other researchers have determined that in the most p opular games, harming other characters is the primary activity and that killing occurs at a high rate. (Cicchirillo and Chory-Assad, 2005, p. 436).

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Gender and Work - Masculine or Feminine Work Essay

Gender and Work - Masculine or Feminine Work - Essay Example Any activity which led to the seeking of subsistence means was covered in the heading of â€Å"work† while all other activities of â€Å"reproduction† and assuring the sustenance of life cycle (nursing) were reduced to â€Å"limitation†. Unfortunately, the later was what women were supposed to do by default and therefore men took the charge of the more proactive role of sustenance of family like tracking and killing animals for food. This natural evolution of role created â€Å"myths of work† for men and women. The simple myth which evolved was that what men do is â€Å"work† while what women does back at home does not fall in the definitions of work or we can say that the distinction was laid down as masculine or feminine work. With the advancement on the course of history the women’s influence in different fields has changed and now women are also out in search of sustenance means for their family, thus blurring the primitive masculine and feminine myth of work. However, the age-old psyche was not that easy to overcome as the women came in the field with the â€Å"the same old myth† attached to her. Resultantly, either woman was given â€Å"inferior jobs† presupposing that the jobs pertaining to men could not be done by them befittingly. Although, the increase of women’s role in the domain of men â€Å"work† and success in that continued the attack on the masculine and feminine myth of work but initiated another dimension in it. More work, with an assumption that women are not able to go through such rigours of intensive work, entered the scene. This ability to work for long hours was equated with success and a general perception was created among people that working long hours is important for career advancement.  This development made both men and women so involved in their jobs and working places that they grade their workplace as â€Å"a place for (their) soul to recreate itself, a place for self-improvement, and a place for spiritual training . . . [the worker] looks for the reason of his being or identity in hard work’ (Schwenkter, 1995).  

Monday, September 9, 2019

Progress Statement and Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Progress Statement and Development Plan - Essay Example Misunderstandings occurred occasionally due to communication breakdown and conflicts arose between team mates when there were different thoughts and ideas. I attempt to develop my communication skills and work in a multicultural group by slowing down my speaking speed and pronounce the words correctly in order to convey my ideas and messages clearly. I also try to improve my vocabularies by extensive reading. Besides that, I would like to make effort in developing my interpersonal skills by practising patience and high tolerance rather than being aggressive when facing conflicts. Two-way communications, mutual understanding and positive feedbacks are important in resolving conflicts and disputes (Agar, 1994). Thus, I have learnt to be a good listener and be open to constructive feedbacks and comments. This is especially important if I am to work in a diversity workplace in the future. Time management is another challenge which I have encountered. I faced obstacles in balancing my in- class time, time spent on assignments, study and entertainment. Time management skill is important in overcoming the problem such as careful planning of work, tight monitoring of progress and revision of plan when necessary (Smith, 1994). It would be useful to set a personal goal and develop a flexible schedule to assist me in prioritising my activities. I plan my day ahead and maintain a list of activities which must be done daily at the same allowing room of flexibility for unexpected incidents. It enables me to recognize tasks which are urgent and in need of special focus and attention followed by the important ones. In this case, I would be able to meet deadlines such as assignments deadline without any last minute rush. This skill would definitely assist me in future career success as the optimum use of time would lead to increase work efficiency and productivity. On the other hand, it ensures that I am not overloaded with work contributing to less stress and pressures. Additio nally, numerical skill is another area which is in need of improvement as it is critical for my accounting module. Numerical skills involve the ability to recognise and utilize numerical data and reflect on a person’s general intelligence and ability to rapidly perceives, processes and calculates numbers (Psychometric Success, 2011). Employers often recognise the importance of numerical skills in work practise and incorporate it as one of the selection criteria in the recruitment process. This is evidenced by the compulsory completion of numerical ability test by candidates during a job interview. The level of tests would however depend on the relevance of skill to the job (Royal Holloway University of London, 2011). As practise make perfect, I am commit to perform mathematical exercise on a weekly basis and apply it on a daily basis to resolve practical calculations. Moreover, I attempt the numerical skills test available online to assess my skills and continuously monitor m y progress. This would not only assist in my current academic success but also increase my employability. Besides that, I would require to enhance my presentation skills as it is useful in every aspect of work and life. Effective presentation and public speaking skills are essential in my university as it is part of the assessment requirements. From a business perspective, it is insufficient to only display capability in work but also be able to be presentable and talk and write well in order to be