Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Stock Market Development in Qatar Economy Essay
Stock Market Development in Qatar Economy - Essay Example It is believed that inflation bears a positive influence on common stocks. This is so because the shareholders tend to earn more money for their goods and services when they sell them during the time when there is a high inflation rate in the market. This gives a positive relationship between an inflation and the stock market prices. When one, therefore, tries to assess the impact of inflation on the stock prices performance, there is a positive relationship which is achieved between the two. Economists measure economic growth in through the use of an increase in the size of the economy of a nation. Gross Domestic Product is a widely used measure of an economic output. The term is normally used to refer to the total value found from the final goods and services that are produced within a countryââ¬â¢s borders within a given year. When measuring GDP, normally the ownership of a particular goods and services are not normally considered. The measure, however, considers the only the f inal goods and services that consumed by the final user but not those goods and services that were used as inputs in the production of other goods and services. Researchers have found out that there lies some relationship between the stock prices and the future growth of the real GDP. Two explanations exist to prove this fact, and the first explanation is the one that states that there are changes in information that might occur in the future about the RGGDP, and such changes in information can change todayââ¬â¢s prices in the stock market.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Effect of Public Squares on Social Interaction
Effect of Public Squares on Social Interaction SOCIAL COHESION AND THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC SQUARE IN CONTRAST TO THE THIRD PLACE Social cohesion is a term used insocial policy, sociology and political science to describe the levels of social inclusion, integration, interaction and participation within a society, particularly in the context ofcultural diversity. It is associated the structural functionalism and political conservatism of the built environment, hence is directly affected by the process of Urban Design (). The concept of Urban Design as a construct of the 20th Century is ambiguous in its definition (Carmona, 2003, p. 3). It suggests addressing (for the better) the characteristics of a city, by proposing revised plans through a process of pattern making, sketching and planning. (Carmona, 2003, p. 3) However, the city in its own right is a complex organ which functions on multiple levels; economic, socio-cultural, political and environmental. The city as an organ is in a constant state of reaction, either to stimulus from within or external to its geopolitical confines (Lynch, 1990). Stated plainly, in order that a city performs successfully, it is necessary that it maintains or strives towards a state of dynamic equilibrium by simultaneously maintaining economic relevance to its wider context, and addressing the socio-economic needs of its citizens(). Consequently by understanding the city (its elements) as containers for human activities, it may be observed that the notion of urban design today has evolved from the initial creation of building masses and the consequent articulation of public space (Carmona, 2003, p. 3). It is now to a greater extent concerned with the creation of a physical and socio-cultural public realm which is primarily enjoyed by its users, but also creates a greater sense of social cohesion, necessary for good community living (Carmona, 2003). Hence it follows that if the primary aim for urban design today is making places for people (Project for Public Spaces, 2009), we should examine critically the performances of different forms of public place in terms of encouraging social interaction and thus social cohesion. First the public square, a familiar concept to the average man (French, 1978). Expressions of civic pride, public squares are generally typified by its accessibility, often dominated by a landmark or civic building (French, 1978). Their resulting high level of legibility increases the user base from local members of the community to include the wider public (Whyte, 1980).Thus creating a highly vibrant space conducive to social interaction (Whyte, 1980). By contrast, less familiar with the average man is the concept of third place (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 15). Oldenburg observed that multitudes shuttle back and forth from the womb to the rat race in a constricted pattern of daily life that easily generates the desire to get away from it all (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 9). It is this place of escape that he defines as the third place, while the first (womb) is the home and the second (rat race) is the workplace (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 9). This third place arises from the human need for a routine recreation space, which serves as an intermediary between the activities of living and working.() Although generally an interaction space for members of a local community, it exists in a variety of forms ranging from the more easily identifiable cafes, pubs, libraries; to the not so obvious independent traders such as barbershops and cybercafà ©s (Oldenburg, 1999). Injecting such program within the urban fabric facilitates the notion of socio-cultural belo nging (Jacobs, 1993). It serves as neutral ground for the emergence of conversation across demographic profiles, and thereby the birth of friendships based on the common ground of community (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 169). This essay discusses in greater detail the characteristics of both the public square and the third place. It highlights the distinctions in the levels of social interaction that each of these spaces encourage. To illustrate these points this essay uses Hackney Central, London as a case study. City lights and gleaming windows Built in to fantastic shapes Overlook sounds of Vietnam Viaducts and artist landscapes Historic clues, canals and terraces Hint of workers struggle to survive Melting now into sound and colour, Sense the Caribbean come alive. Saturday debates in Kurdish cafes And shoppers choosing Turkish life. Mix with the sounds of synagogue To tell the stories of culture and belief. What we see is what we choose Inner soul or shabby shell outside. Downtrodden, dirty dereliction or a lifetime learning in a 15 minute ride. Gill Carter The east end is a much loved and much fabled part of London and Hackney at the heart of it. Hackney Central its administrative headquarters today possesses a culturally diverse demographic, with 65% of its population constituted of minority ethnic groups (Hackney Council, 2009). As home to the iconic theatre The Hackney Empire and birthplace to thespian and musical greats such as Harold Pinter and Leona Lewis, Hackney is witnessing a significant influx of creative industries, as part of a spill-over from trendy neighbours Shoreditch and Hoxton (Sergius, 2009). The spotlight again is turning towards Hackney as it is located on the principal axis for development culminating at the 2012 Olympic site in Stratford (Hackney Council, 2009). Despite its rich cultural heritage and promising future prospects, Hackney is still very much plagued by a reputation as being a deprived and unsafe neighbourhood, with a propensity to breed crime (Wikipedia, 2010). With these two conflicting views in mind, I visited Hackney for the first time. The Squares two primary elements are gardens symmetrically laid out on either side of the central walkway on the east-west axis which continues on to the Town Hall entrance. The main-stream of visitors to the Square access it via this central walkway. The gardens are almost completely enclosed by a wall measuring approximately half a metre in height. Although it is unknown whether this was the initial design intention for the wall, its height is conducive for sitting and is often used accordingly by visitors to the Square in the absence of any alternative seating. Undoubtedly, this results from the human inclination to seek comfort, the accommodation of which should be a priority in the design of a successful square (Project for Public Spaces, 2009). Yet it may be observed that the use of the garden walls to satisfy this basic human inclination actually negatively impacts the social dynamics of the space. In his studies of human interaction in plazas Whyte (Whyte, 1980, p. 227)observed that people exhibit a tendency to self congest, being attracted to spaces that are significantly occupied by other people. This behaviour is socially motivated and logically has the potential to facilitate social interaction in public spaces. However, although visitors do self congest generally within the Hackney Town Hall Square, the aforementioned lack of specifically allocated seating areas causes them to do so haphazardly, clustering together and sitting in groups of acquaintances (Whyte, 1980, p. 227). This actually discourages social interaction between strangers, fragmenting the visiting population (Whyte, 1980, p. 227). Furthermore, the majority of seated visitors tend to sit either side of the mainstream of pedestrian flow, the central walkway (Whyte, 1980, p. 228). However, despite this prevalent self congestion, the walkways significant width does not facilitate communication between users seated on opposing garden walls. Instead this layout encourages people-watching, as seated users watch passers-by along Mare Street and along the central walkway Arguably the Square also attempts to encourage ground floor activity by housing mass-appealing attractions and facilities as the Library Cafe and Hackney Empire bar (Project for Public Spaces, 2009). However the positive effects of these venues are negated by the introduction of side streets Wilton Way and Reading Lane between the Square and both Hackney Empire and Library respectively. These two boundaries are connected by a service road in front of the Town Hall. This U-shaped enclosure discourages pedestrian movement as there is no clear indication as to whether pedestrian or motorist has right of way. This adversely affects the ambience of the Square by reducing the pedestrian footfall. Consequently, as the inclination of the individual to self congest prevails, pedestrians are attracted toward the dynamic buzz of Mare Street, and proceed to converse in the mainstream of its pedestrian flow (Whyte, 1980, p. 227). Thus the Square underperforms as a vehicle for social interaction a nd indeed performs less effectively than Mare Street. The limitations that the layout of the Square places upon the scope of the social interactions within itself are apparent in the limited variety of visitors that the Square attracts (Whyte, 1980, p. 226). IMG_1886.JPG The Squares clear site lines and is easy access (as previously explained)are intended to broaden its portfolio of visitors from members of the local community to the wider public who may not be as knowledgeable of their local environs. Whyte (Whyte, 1980, p. 226) deduced from his observations that public square users usually have a short commute distance, usually from nearby places of work or are visitors to attractions on the square. Although it was not possible to verify the work place of all Town Square users, I did identify an influx of construction workers on a break from nearby works taking place on Morning Lane. I also observed that the majority of the users were visitors to the main attractions on the Square the Hackney Library and the Hackney Empire. Undeniably the location of a bay of bus stops along Mare Street east of the Square attributes to its function as an orientation space. Hence we see that the Square mainly attracts users that are more likely to be non-residents of the area. Whether day tourists, theatre clientele or workers that may not necessarily be very familiar with the area, non-local users of the Square are more inclined to keep their social interaction within the confines of their group (Whyte, 1980, p. 227). Social interactions within the Square can therefore serve to largely exclude the local community and hence the Town Hall Square is limited in promoting social cohesion (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 14). It would indeed take a very vibrant Square to facilitate the rare occurrence of conversation between strangers (Whyte, 1980, p. 228), and this is clearly not the case with the Town hall Square. Owing to shortcomings in its layout, and lack of adequate sitting areas, the pedestrian footfall does not achieve its potential capacity. Arguably, The Town Hall Square therefore serves more efficiently as a lobby for visitors to Hackney Central. Its functio n to the visitor is adaptable certainly. It can serve as an orientation space from which the rest of Mare Street may be articulated, as a resting place for visitors to nearby attractions or indeed a meeting place for friends before an evening outing (Whyte, 1980). However, what it fails to do is encourage interaction between the local community and tourists (Oldenburg, 1999, pp. 10-11). The Square in announcing all that Hackney Central holds dear neglects its greatest asset its people. The people of Hackney Central are unique to their London context in that they exist as a close-knit community. This is no doubt as a result of the proliferation of the third place in the local neighbourhood (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 162). Greasy Spoon Cafes, barbershops and pubs make up the fabric of Hackney Central. These independent traders line the main routes through the district; Graham Road, Amherst Road, Morning Lane with their greatest concentration on Narrow Lane. Walking up Narrow Lane the bustling street showcased wares and cuisine from all over the world converging in a unique communal existence in Hackney Central. I began to understand with greater clarity the nature of the neighbourhood that poet Gill Carter described when she spoke of ; debates in Kurdish cafestelling stories of culture and belief.'(Op Cit) It is in these spaces described by Carter that the people of Hackney Central seek respite from the monotony of daily work and home life (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 163). There is a fundamental need for people to enjoy the company of neighbours on neutral ground, however neutral ground outside the cash nexus is preferred (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 13).Thus, the emergence of St John Churchyard Gardens as the primary third place in Hackney Central. The St. John Churchyard Gardens is a large expanse of urban green that runs parallel to Narrow Lane. A park green of such significant size usually has a high propensity to develop in to an urban vacuum, as it requires a lot of activity in order for it to remain convivial (Jacobs, 1993). However, despite this disadvantage the Park works quite effectively as a public space. The park has a homely quality to it that does not exclude any particular member of the community.() Its weathered grave stones and worn flagstones give it a lived-in feel, hence it is perceived as a more informal public space an extension of the local users homes. These are all qualities highlighted by Oldenburg in his argument for the third place (Oldenburg, 1999, pp. 163-169) Again in line with observations by Jane Jacobs in her studies of American neighbourhoods, the parks rim is articulated with a zone of dense mixed use program varying from residential to retail, which encourages a significant pedestrian footfall (Jacobs, 1993). It may also be observed that the park as a whole, although of considerable size, is in essence a collective of several green spaces, each with its own focal point. CHURCH.jpg his.jpgFirst is the garden in the forecourt of the St Johns Church, which is a lobby space for the Church with clearly designated seating areas. Second is the Walled Garden, this enclosed space provides an intimate and safe area for young families to use the designated playground. Third is the central park green, where the routes converge (Jacobs, 1993, p. 136). Finally, fourth is what I refer to as the Historical green, so called because it serves as the foreground to historical landmarks St Augustines tower, the old town hall and the preachers corner. This subdivision of the park in to four smaller gardens reduces the perceived circumference of enclosure. This promotes self congestion as, users of the park can asses their level of comfort based on the congestion level of the garden that they are in at any one particular time. his.jpgAnother advantage posed by creating varied functions for the different gardens, is that the user base is varied. A heterogeneous user base helps to keep the park active at different times throughout the day (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). This user base is thereby structured into subcategories of users who share common ground (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 164). For instance a high proportion of the walled gardens users tend to be young mothers with their children using the play ground areas. Their children serve as icebreakers as the mothers sit in the allocated adult supervision area and share anecdotes on childcare and childs play. Never delving too deep in to their private lives, these friendships amongst the parents are groomed until the children are mature enough to conduct their own excursions to the park (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 166). Similarly the elderly and indigent folk congregate in the historical green, waiting to hear the assertions of whoever decides to lead the sermon on preachers corner, hoping of course to offer their own pearls of wisdom (Jacobs, 1993). The possibility of encountering a familiar friendly face, for a helping of entertaining conversation, transporting you if only momentarily from the mundanity of daily living, according to Oldenburg is one of the greatest allures of the third place (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). Indeed users are more inclined to use the park as they are assured that it will be accessible at any hour during the day and the specific subcategory of user has an idea of when to catch a particular crowd at the park (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). Whether young mothers, street preachers, early morning joggers or even the lunch breakers, each category of user has a specific pattern of time and location (Oldenburg, 1999). The charm of the St Johns Garden as third place is in no way exclusive to the local user, it also appeals to the day tourist (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). Its unassuming appearance inspires the reminiscent, instilling a confidence created by the feeling of having visited a place a number of times, but in reality no times at all. ()Its well lived-in look, clear paths and colourful characters awaken the inner explorer in a bid to discover the true nature of Hackney Central (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 168). Even the regulars submit themselves to be explored (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). In fact it was while visiting the historical green on my photographic excursion of the district that I would garner firsthand this most bizarre of experiences. I was trying to set up the perfect angle for a shot of the St Augustines tower, when a gentlemans voice from behind me suggested that I move back and angle my camera closer to the ground, in order to capture the grandeur of the tower. As is customary British politesse, I smiled sweetly said nothing in response and instead turned back to my assignment, whilst seemingly taking on board some of his suggestions. He clarified that he was a cinematographer, although his appearance would infer otherwise. He then elaborated on a plethora of other principles that I should take in to account such as the rule of thirds. This tutorial would slowly melt in to a brief summation on what had brought our paths to cross. I spoke briefly of my university assignment and career aspirations. He recounted stories from his past, and what he had hoped then for his future, all the time using Hackney Central as the backdrop to his tales. à Now I must clarify that this would not be the first time I have ever had a polite conversation, what was unique to this encounter was the manner in which this gentleman approached me. He was warm and welcoming, to what he had obviously assumed as his territory (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). He moved towards me, and by reducing the radius of personal space he required more than just a smile, his intentions were to engage me in a conversation (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 167). Having lived in central London for a number of years, I had become accustomed to averting eye contact and maintaining a guarded silence even in the most uncompromising confines of the tube during rush hour. Yet I would encounter this bizarre urban behaviour repeatedly throughout my tour of the third place. Evidently, the St Johns Gardens as a third place serves as a vehicle of social cohesion as it is inclusive of visitors from all backgrounds, encouraging social participation on a plateau of social equality (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 169). Its location opposite to the train station, parallel to commercial Narrow Lane and residential areas ensures that it is easily accessible to both locals and tourists thus creating potential for encounters between the two groups (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 166). The absence of commercial function and its unpretentious physical structure, ensures that people of modest means feel comfortable to use the space (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 168). This further widens the scope of its user base to include the indigent a significant proportion of the districts population (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 168). To the tourist the park reveals the true nature of Hackney Central, showing its historical heritage, its cultural and socio-economic diversity and moral views all in a days visit. Admittedly, as with most third places, (depending on the sensibility of the tourist) St Johns gardens aesthetic quality and its eclectic selection of regulars may prove daunting (Oldenburg, 1999, p. 168). They would rather a public space void of character that showcases all the exploits of a consumer society (Whyte, 1980)(. The elegant architecture of the Hackney library and recognisable global franchises such as Subway, situated around the Town Hall Square cater to such needs. Conversely, this constricts the user base to exclude to a large extent the average resident of the district. Thus, I refer to my initial question, if the priority of urban design is making places for people, should we not be encouraging effective social interaction in order to establish social cohesion and par venture should the promotion of third place not be our goal? However a district operates similar manner to a city, hence is governed by similar rules. Consequently (as earlier stated) the district needs to maintain economic relevance to its wider context, whilst addressing the socio-economic needs of its inhabitants. Hence, I conclude. It would seem that there is argument for the role of both the third place and the public square in facilitating social cohesion. The third place acts directly as the vehicle for social cohesion by keeping the community together and preserving its identity. Conversely, the public square acts indirectly by catering for the tourist, thereby maintaining the districts economic relevance to its wider context. In so doing, it makes it economically viable for a community such as in Hackney Central to even exist. CITED WORKS Carmona, H. O. (2003). Public place Urban Spaces Dimesnsions in Urban Design. Oxford: Architectural Press. French, J. S. (1978). Urban Space- A brief History of the City Square. Iowa: Kendell Hurt Publishing Square. Hackney Council. (2009, December 22). Retrieved December 22, 2009, from Hackney Council Website: www.hackney.gov.uk Jacobs, J. (1993). The Death and Life of American Cities. New York: Random House. Lynch. (1990). City Sense and City Design. Massachussets: MIT Press. Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place. New York: Manlowe and Company. Project for Public Spaces. (2009). Ten Principles for creating successful Squares. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from www.pps.org: http://www.pps.org/squares/info/squares_articles/squares_principles Sergius. (2009). Areas of London Hackney. Retrieved December 24, 2009, from Areas of London: http://www.areasoflondon.com/ Whyte, W. (1980). The Life of Plazas. In W. William, The Social Logic of Small Urban Spaces (pp. 227-229). Washington DC: Conservation Foundation. Wikipedia, C. (2010, January 2). London Borough of Hackney. Retrieved January 4, 2010, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=London_Borough_of_Hackneyoldid=335464346 BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Carmona et al Public Places Urban Spaces Jane Jacobs The Economy of Cities Jane Jacobs The death and life of American Cities Ray Oldenburg The Great Good Old Place Tridib Banerjee Beyond the Neighbourhood Unit Lynch et al City Sense and city design William Whyte The Social Logic of Small Places Jere Stuart French Urban Space: A brief history of the City Space Adisa et al Hackney my Hackney: An Anthology of Poems and Photographs Lil Smith The Good Old Bad Days PUBLICATIONS Tridib Banerjee Urban Experience and the development of city image: A Study in Environmental Perception and Learning Hackney Council Local Development Framework: Draft Interim Hackney Central Area Action Plan Phase 1 Masterplan WEBSITES http://www.areasoflondon.com/hackney.html http://www.stjohnathackney.org.uk/ http://www.hackney.gov.uk/
Friday, October 25, 2019
SING SING SING Essay -- Essays Papers
SING SING SING I used to always go over to my grandparentââ¬â¢s house and watch my grandfather go crazy over this ââ¬Å"Jazzâ⬠music. He explained to me that it wasnââ¬â¢t Jazz unless it swung like the greats. I listened to a song ââ¬Å"Sing Sing Singâ⬠the other day from one of my Jazz collections that my grandpa gave to me and realized that their was so much energy and pizzazz in this music. He explained to me that it was all put together by a guy named Benny, and I understood why. Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David in 1909, one of twelve children, grew up in a Chicago ghetto with his family, who fled Russian anti-Semitism. Encouraged by his father, an immigrant tailor, to learn a musical instrument, Goodman took up the clarinet at a young age. From the start, he displayed an exceptional talent. Before he was in his teens, he had begun performing in public. He received his first true clarinet and musical training from a local synagogue, then continued practice through Hull House, a social-service agency for the under privileged children of the Chicago. The most important of his teachers, at the school, was Franz Schoeppe, a classical instructor from the Chicago Musical College who ignored jazz and stressed in his students the discipline and respect for classical music. After his father died, fourteen-year-old Benny helped support his family by playing at a Chicago neighborhood dance hall and working locally for two years. In 1925, Gil Rodin, who was then with the band led by Ben Pollack, heard him. Goodman was hired by Pollack, then working in California, and the following year made a triumphal return to Chicago as featured soloist with the band. Goodman remained with Pollack until 1929, when he became a much in-demand session musician in New York. When the band was between jobs, Goodman jammed with members of the Austin High Gang who introduced him to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the Dixieland clarinet style of Leon Rappolo. After his 17th birthday Benny made his first recording with Pollack's band with the tune, "He's the Last Word." Benny also played in the bands of leaders such as Red Nichols (from 1929 to 1931), Isham Jones, and Ted Lewis. During the early 30s Goodman played in bands led by Red Nichols, Ted Lewis, Sam Lanin and others. In 1934, Goodman led a dance band that performed regularly on the national radio show "Let'... ...ible, but included among others, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Georgie Auld, Ziggy Ellman, Charlie Christian, Red Norvo, Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, George Wettling, Pee Wee Irwin, Miff Mole, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, and Cootie Williams. "The Benny Goodman Story," a film made in 1955, depicted Benny Goodman's life, and Benny recorded the sound track for it. In the 1950s to the 1970s he made several overseas trips and played at selected engagements with a small band. One such trip was to Russia in 1962. In January 1978 he returned to Carnegie Hall to do a Concert. The tickets all sold out the first day. His last studio recordings were made in January 1986. References Collier, J. Benny Goodman and the Swing Era. New York: West Publishing Company, 1989 Connor, R. and Hicks, W. B. G. on the Record: A Bio-Discography of Benny Goodman. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1969 Dance, S. The World of Swing. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. Klauber, B. The World of Gene Krupa. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1991. Schuller, G. The Swing Era. New York: McGraw Hill, 1989. Stewart, R. Jazz Masters of the '30s. New York: W.W. Norton, 1972.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Frankenstein Research Paper
Anastasia Shevchenko Professor Patricia Barker English 1302 15 November 2013 Frankenstein In Marry Shelleys Frankenstein, Victor and the monster share similar nature. Throughout the story, Victor Frankenstein and his creation share hatred towards one another. The two characters have the same objective that they are trying to achieve. They each not only value their learning through reading, but appreciate the natural world to help them cope, and have a craving for revenge when they feel it is necessary. While reading the story, the reader can see similarities betweenFrankenstein and the monster's eagerness for knowledge, gratefulness for nature, and devotion for revenge. As a young boy Frankenstein enjoyed learning new things. Victor's determined character was what begins his disintegration. In Victor's younger days, he enjoyed reading the books of Cornelius Agrippa. After reading these books, Victor had a different view of the world. Victor's parents thought that he should attend the University of Ingolstadt to expand his cultural knowledge, although Victor at the time was attending the schools of Geneva. When I had attained the age of seventeen, my arents resolved that I should become a student at the University of Ingolstadt. I had hitherto attended the schools of Geneva; but my father thought it necessary, for the completion of my education, that I should be made acquainted with other customs than those of my native country' (Shelley 25). This inspired the young Victor to attend the University of Ingolstadt to study science. ââ¬Å"His mother's death causes him to delay his departure by many months, but once at the university, Victor spends two years studying chemistry under the direction of M. Waldman and M. Krempeâ⬠(Guyer).In addition, the monster himself enjoyed to learn new things. From the very first day of being created, the monster had a desire to understand the way the world worked. Just as Victor had once done, the monster came upon three book s. The Sorrows of Werter, a volume of Plutarch's Lives, and Paradise Lost were the three books that helped the monster open up his mind to the knowledge that these books had to offer him. ââ¬Å"l learned from Werter's imaginations despondency and gloom: but Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflections, to admire and love the heroes of past agesâ⬠¦But Paradise Lost excited ifferent and far deeper emotionsâ⬠(89-90). These books shaped how the monster viewed the world around him. The monster did not only learn through reading but from the cottagers as well. ââ¬Å"It impressed me deeply. I learned, from the views of social life which it developed, to admire their virtues, and to deprecate the vices of mankindâ⬠(88). Victor and his creation both had the passion for learning; this is what would eventually lead to their destruction. Similar to Victor, the monster appreciated nature.They both enjoyed the views of nature; it had the effect to be able to calm them down in the awful situations. After he murder ot Victor's son, William, Victor still tound peacetulness upon looking at the mountains. ââ¬Å"Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness? â⬠(55). ââ¬Å"The callââ¬âa version of the lyric gesture of addressing the earth with the assumption that it can respondââ¬â establishes a relation of nativity and origination: Victor is the mountains' as they are his.He identifies the calm landscape as a response, but an enigmatic response that he is unable to interpretâ⬠(Guyer). Also, after gazing out the window for hours Victor ââ¬Å"felt the silence, although I was hardly conscious of its extreme profundity' (120). ââ¬Å"The sublime mountainscape gives Victor a feeling of potential freedom and of mastery; however, in order to live t hat freedom he will have to free himself from the dead who haunt him, a freedom that may be possible only in death. Victor calls upon the dead and presents them with an alternativeââ¬âgive me happiness or deathâ⬠(Guyer).Victor's creation always lived alone, and in that state of loneliness he found comfort in the natural environment he resided in. Soon after the creature was created he had a ifficult time remembering the original era of his being. All of a sudden ââ¬Å"a strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt, at the same timeâ⬠¦ â⬠(70). At first, the monster was surprised when spring came and he saw nature begin to bloom. His senses heightened and became revived. ââ¬Å"It surprised me, that what before was desert and gloomy should now bloom with the most beautiful flowers and verdure.My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight, and a thousand sights of beauty' (80). Victor and the creature shar ed a love for nature and the way it could soothe them. While loneliness filled their hearts and souls, Victor and the monster both turned to nature for refuge. As the reader gets deeper in to the story, one begins to notice that both Victor and his creation were filled with a voracious reprisal. After the monster found victor in his room he was filled with anger miou have destroyed the work which you began; what is it that you intend? â⬠(120).In addition, the monster asked ââ¬Å"endured incalculable fatigue, and cold, and hunger; do you dare destroy my hopes? â⬠(120). Subsequent to the monster braking in to Victor's room and escaping in his own boat, Victor was filled with rage. The night passed away, and the sun rose from the ocean; my feelings became calmer, if it may be called calmness, when the violence of rage sinks into the depths of despairâ⬠(121). One main event that started the quench for the undying hatred and sorrow was the death of Victor's son, Willia m. The monster decided to give the humans one last chance.When he stumbled upon a child, ââ¬Å"suddenly, as I gazed on him, an idea seized me, that this little creature was unprejudiced, and had lived too short of a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity' (100). Soon after his encounter with the child, the monster realized that the young boy was Just like veryone else he has met. ââ¬Å"Hideous monster! Let me go; my papa is a Syndic-he is M. Frankenstein-he would punish you. You dare not keep meâ⬠(100). The creature also learned that the child he gave one last chance to was the son of Victor Frankenstein. ââ¬Å"Frankenstein! ou belong then to my enemy-to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victimâ⬠(100). Soon after the creature strangled the child, he saw something on his chest, it was a picture of a beautiful woman ââ¬Å"For a few moments I gazed with delight on her dark eyes, fringed by deep lashes, and her lovely lips; but pres ently my rage returned:â⬠(100). This is when the monsters downfall began. ââ¬Å"It is thus that, too often in society, those who are best qualified to be its benefactors and its ornaments, are branded by some accident with scorn, and changed, by neglect and solitude of heart, into a scourge and a curseâ⬠(Shelley).The creation wanted revenge on Victor because he felt neglected and abandoned. ââ¬Å"Frankenstein's moral failure is his heedless pursuit to know all that he might about life without taking any responsibility for his acts. His ââ¬Å"sinâ⬠is not solely in creating the monster, but in abandoning him to orphanhood at his birthâ⬠(Griffith). As a result, the ctions of the two characters in the course of the novel become very apparent to the reader that both Victor and his creation live for revenge.After reading the literature the reader can effortlessly identify the similar characteristics between Victor Frankenstein and his creation. They both had the desire to expand their knowledge and learn new things. Each one of them read different books that changed the way they viewed the world. They were each mesmerized by the world's natural beauty and what it could bring them. Victor and his creation both turned to nature that helped them during the most gloomy time. Even though they were able to see the beauty in the world, each one of them had a dark side.Victor abandoned his creation right after he was created. The monster himself later killed a lot of people do to neglect. They both sought revenge. Victor wanted to kill the monster for destroying his family, the monster after being neglected by his creator and all the people he had met, decided he wasn't going to give the human raise another chance after being rejected by the little boy who he thought was unprejudiced. With as many differences that Victor and the monster have, knowledge, nature, and revenge will always be common factors that they hare.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Google Globalization Essay
Globalization has completely altered the way in which the world operates. The barriers that once hindered our ability to communicate and interact with people across the world have diminished. Globalization has become ingrained in all fields: business, government, economic, social. Google began in 1996 as a project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Larry and Sergey were both studying at Stanford University California. In their research project they came up with a plan to make a search engine that ranked websites according to the number of other websites that linked to that site (and ultimately came up with the Google we have today). Before Google, search engines had ranked sites simply by the number of times the search term searched for appeared on the webpage, and the duo set out to make a more ââ¬Å"awareâ⬠search engine.â⬠¨ The domain google.com was registered on September 14th 1997 and Google Corporation was formed a year later in September 1998.â⬠¨ Google started selling advertisements with its keyword searches in 2000, and so Google Adwords/Adsense was born. These advertisements used a system based on the pretence that you only paid for your advertising if some clicked on your ad link ââ¬â hence the term Pay Per Click (PPC) was born. The term PageRank was patented in September 2001 ââ¬â this term is actually named after co-founder Larry Page and not, as some think, named because it is the rank of a page (webpage).â⬠¨ Also in 2001 co-founder Larry Page stood down as the CEO of Google and former CEO of Novel. Eric Schmidt. was appointed as the new CEO of Google.â⬠¨ Google moved its offices to its large Google estate (nicknamed GooglePlex) in Mountainview California in 2003, and is still based there today.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The impact of technology on smes profitability Essays
The impact of technology on smes profitability Essays The impact of technology on smes profitability Essay The impact of technology on smes profitability Essay Despite the interest in new firm growth, research has found that a limited understanding of the driving mechanisms behind how and when new firms grow (Davidson 2010; Gilbert 2006 McPherson and Holt, 2007; McKenzie and Wicking, 2010). One potential explanation for this limited understanding Is the unclear relationship of Games growth to other tangential phenomena and performance metrics, such as profitability and survival (Davidson: 2009; Shepherd and Wicking, 2009). These concepts are important for a number of reasons in the context of explaining new firm growth. For instance, exit rates are especially high for Games relative to incumbents, and the risk of exit may promote or hinder new firms from trying to achieve growth. Profitability may provide needed positive cash flow and access to resources to fuel growth, but sizeable profits may only come after growth has been achieved (Davidson et al 2009). Therefore, there appear to be Important relationships concerning both the nature and the timing of growth in relation to profitability and survival that need to be better understood (Coda, 2010). Indeed, these three central concepts (I. E. Roth, profitability, survival) have been highly influential in theories of Games growth, and industry evolution and dynamics but surprisingly little research has specifically addressed these Issues In the same model (Coda, 2010; Davidson et al. , 2009). There are several reasons for this current state of the literature. To begin with, empirical research has to date not been able to adequately mitigate the statistical problems arising from the heterogeneous and dynamic picture of growth (Coda, 2007). Related, a lack of adequate data on new firms has prevented researchers from unearthing the relationship between growth ND other performance outcomes such as survival and profitability (Head and Kerchief; 2009). Hence, there Is an apparent gap between the theoretical concept of growth and the empirical evidence (Mackerel and Would; 2010). We present a theoretical framework based on evolutionary economics to untangle the endogenous and complex relationships among growth, profitability and survival, our evolutionary model builds upon the idea that new firms face uncertainty concerning market acceptance and competitive pressures. Research on the link between (product) innovation and profitability at the firm or establishment level suggests that Innovators are persistently more profitable than non-eliminators (Cellared; 2005). Profitability is complicated by two further issues. First, foreign-owned small and medium enterprises tend to be more productive (and by implication more profitable) than their indigenous counterparts (Griffith; 2004) largely because they are more technologically advanced so, there may be differences between the profitability of indigenous and foreign plants regardless of their product innovation performance. Secondly there Is evidence of a link between foreign ownership and Innovation, with enterprise firms are generally more likely to be innovative than indigenously-owned firms in terms of both products and their adoption of new process technologies (Hewitt-Dunderheads). Based on the background, this study seeks to investigate the impact of technology on GAMES growth and profitability in Managing area. Most of the GAMES (fax, printing, copying, scanning and typing machines and the computers related services businesses) do not adapt to the emerging and changing technology. Are the Games that are using technology more profitable than the Games that are not using technology? Theoretical definition Technology- Technology is typically understood as the body of scientific knowledge seed in the production of goods or services (Hill and Jones, 2007). GAMES- Means a separate and distinct business entity, together with its branches or subsidiaries, if any, including cooperative enterprises, managed by one owner or more predominantly carried on in any sector or sub-sector of the economy. National Small Business Act (No. 102 of 1996) Growth- Refers to a positive change in size, often over a period of time. Growth can occur as a stage of maturation or a process toward fullness or fulfillment (Allison 2005). Profitability- According to Young (2005) reparability is described as the change in net asset on the statement of activities, in other words, it considers whether the organization had an operating surplus, broke even or operated at a loss.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Factors Influencing Organizational Effectiveness
Factors Influencing Organizational Effectiveness Importance of Vision, Mission and Values of an Organization It should be noted that long term goals play a crucial role in any organizationââ¬â¢s development plans as compared to short term goals. Consequently, organizations have been known to put in place visions, missions and values to encourage stakeholders focus on a common goal.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Factors Influencing Organizational Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Though visions, missions and values of organizations appear as meaningless statements to some people, they play a very important role in the quest to achieve long term objectives. They provide pillars on which organizations base their day-to-day aims as well as roadmaps on which long term strategies are founded (Hirschey, 2008). By aligning an organizationââ¬â¢s vision, mission and values with the organizationââ¬â¢s long term strategies, employees and other stakehold ers are given a yard stick to measure their activities. Furthermore, it has been noted that an organization whose strategic plans are in harmony with its vision, mission and values is more likely to succeed in the long run. All organizations aspire to be sustainable in the long run. In this regard, positive organizational culture is paramount in achieving these aims. However, organizational culture can only be fostered if proper vision, mission and values are put in place. In addition, company vision, mission and values are used guiding principals in streamlining projects so as to attain desired outcomes. In a nutshell, vision, mission and values give specific aims that a firm seeks to achieve. Techniques of Environmental Analysis Analysis of business environment is very important in determining success of an organization. Organizations use many techniques in analyzing business environment though cross-impact analysis and expert opinion are more effective. Cross-impact analysis allo ws comparison of variables besides forecasting of events (Freeman, 2010). On the same note, cross-impact analysis does not require extensive knowledge in mathematics for one to be able to use the model. As a result, many employees can be able to use it. Similarly, expert opinion technique is highly beneficial since it involves professional advice. Professionals are well experienced in matters relating to their areas of specialization and will, therefore, be in a good position to forecast future events. Though situations change, it has been noted that there is a tendency of circumstances being repeated overtime (Hirschey, 2008). Consequently, people experienced in various areas will be able to tell the expected trend of events. Incidentally, environmental analysis is crucial in ensuring long term sustainability and should therefore be dexterously handled. It is important to note that organizational effectiveness is influenced by both internal and external factors.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Factors Influencing Organizational Effectiveness In order to achieve long term goals of an organization, various factors have to be in play. To begin with, positive organizational culture should be insisted on since it ensures that all stakeholders work towards a common goal. Additionally, all strategies implemented by an organization should be customer focused, because an organization cannot survive without customers (Freeman, 2010). Moreover, reaction to any changes in the market should be swift in order to gain competitive advantage. In Addition, an organization where decision making process is decentralized is likely to perform better, because it is easy to react to abrupt changes in the market. On the contrary, organizations where top management makes all decisions are ineffective since it takes time to implement policies. Similarly, organizations with high ability of adapting to changes in the environment usually have sustainable growth (Freeman, 2010). References Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. Hirschey, M. (2008). Fundamentals of Managerial Economics. Stanford: Cengage Learning.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Converting an Access 2010 Database to SQL Server
Converting an Access 2010 Database to SQL Server In time, most databases grow in size and complexity. Ifà your Access 2010 database is growing too large or unwieldy, you may need to allow more robust multiuser access to the database. Converting your Access database to Microsoft SQL Server database might be the solution you need. Fortunately, Microsoft provides an Upsizing Wizard in Access 2010 that makes it easy to convert your database. This tutorialà walks through the process of converting your database. Its important to note that if youre looking for a SQL Server tool that offers a similar migration path, you need to look at the SQL Server Migration Assistant.à What You Need Microsoft Access 2010Microsoft SQL ServerRelational DatabaseSQL Server administrative accountà with permission to create a database Preparations for Upsizing an Access Database Before you begin the tutorial to convert your database to a SQL Server database, you need to do a few things: Back up the databaseMake sure you have plenty of diskà space on the device that will contain the upsized databaseAssign yourself permissions on the SQL Server databaseAdd a unique indexà to each Access table that doesnt have one before you upsize it Converting an Access 2010 Database to SQL Server Open the database in Microsoft Access.Choose the Database Tools tab in the Ribbon.Click the SQL Server button located in the Move Data section. This opens the Upsizing Wizard.Select whether you want to import the data into an existing database or create a new database for the data. For this tutorial, assume that youre trying to create a new SQL Server database using the data in your Access database. Click Next to continue.Provide the connection information for the SQL Server installation. Youll need to provide the name of the server, credentials for an administrator with permission to create a database and the name of the database you want to connect. Click Next after providing this information.Use the arrow buttons to move the tables you want to transfer to the list labeled Export to SQL Server. Click the Next button to continue.Review the default attributes that will be transferred and make any changes desired. You have the option to preserve settings for table indexes, validation rules, and relationships, among other settings. When done, click the Next button to continue. Decide how you want to handle your Access application. You may choose to create a new Access client/server application that accesses the SQL Server database, modify your existing application to reference the data stored on SQL Server, or copy the data without making any changes to your Access database.Click Finish and wait for the upsizing process to complete. When you are finished, review the upsizing report for important information about the database migration. Tips This tutorial was written for Access 2010 users. The Upsizing Wizard first appeared in Access 97 but the specific process for using it varies in other versions.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
What role did women play in the Solidarity Movement during Communism Research Paper
What role did women play in the Solidarity Movement during Communism in Poland - Research Paper Example The thesis of the research to be undertaken is the assessment of the role that women played in the Solidarity Movement during Communism in Poland, particularly how they helped in abolishing Communism in Poland. The proposed research can prove to be significant to the government in establishing the potential in women as leaders and to artists as it can enable them make proper and informed judgments when depicting womenââ¬â¢s resistance of communism in their works. In addition, it can provide students with useful information on the significance of women in abolishing of communism in Poland while scholars would have established research to further explore or expand upon the dethroning of communism in Poland. In a personal interview on December 22, 2000 by Levy and his co-authors, Biedak asserts that on introduction of the martial law, the military that took over rounded up and arrested most of the Solidarityââ¬â¢s leaders at a time they had come together for a significant meeting. They paid little attention to women in arresting them since their work, as the support staff of the men who signed their names to articles and made the speeches, was largely invisible. Having escaped arrest, seven women two days later undertook the first steps in the lengthy protest march that dethroned communism in Poland in the 1980s. They started Solidarity over as an underground organization and took upon themselves the crucial obligation of preserving its authority and voice thus preventing its vanishing. In their first meeting, while six of them sat down to find the way forward, one of them by the name Ewa Kulik, who Penn personally interviewed, took on the responsibility of contacting and finding any of the elected Solidarity leaders who managed to escape arrest. She found Kulerski first, then Bujak, both of whom had been hiding in homes in Ursus (Penn, 2006). During the time when the male leadership was
Journalism, Mass Media and Communication PowerPoint Presentation
Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - PowerPoint Presentation Example Similarly to how significant reputation is to the royal family, it is a prerequisite for every company to guard their reputation considering that this is an extremely valuable asset to the company. Apparently, on the night of her deadly crash, her chauffeur was drunk, while Princess Diana was not putting on a seat belt; on the other hand, Princess Diana, together with her beau, Dodi Al Fayed, were attempting to escape from paparazzi. It is clear that both Diana and Al Fayed sought fame in a way that none of the royal family members did. Nonetheless, the heyday of Princess Diana as a global star seemed to symbolize Princess Dianaââ¬â¢s superiority compared to the rest of the royal family. Her lack of self control, together with her helplessness in the appearance of her own desires, which signified her humanity (Adrian & Deborah 2002, p.6). The Establishment that wrangled with Princess Diana no longer even rules England and Wales; according to this organization, their expectation wa s Princess Diana to live in a loveless marriage with Prince Charles, while at the same time bearing the humiliation brought about by his unfaithfulness. With his position, Prince Charles was not only known for his infidelity, but als for his lack of morals, something that the royal family attempted to cover up through all means. However, when Princess Diana filed for divorce, all these dirty secrets came to light. This was a problem to the royalists who have a valid reason to be worried; the constitutional problem in prospect that if Prince Charles marries his long time lover Camilla Parker Bowles, this step sets off alarm bells. This is because, the heir to the throne, who is also the Church of England's leader, happens to be a self-confessed adulterer, who is living unmarried together with another man's ex-wife. On the other hand, if the Queen, together with her advisers make an attempt of blocking the marriage, then the House of Windsor is capable of demonstrating how out of step it is regarding the rest of society. Following the death of Princess Diana, their self-control, as well as refusal to portray emotion in public appeared to be less than human, instead of the summit of human behavior. This led to the natives laughing and poking fun, with the tradition of the stiff upper lip appearing to be risible; resulting to the queenââ¬â¢s accent getting mocked all over the country. Certainly, this is just a change of masks; the Prime Minister Tony Blair, emoting concerning the ââ¬Å"Peopleââ¬â¢s Princess,â⬠turned out to be no more sincere compared to the queen feigning that she had not been wounded by the whole thing. However, beneath that change of mask rests the much deeper, as well as quite irreversible, change of the country from Rome to Italy (Adrian & Deborah 2002, p.24). When Prince William decided to marry Kate, the royal family had to accept his decision for fear of a repeat of what transpired between Princess Diana and her husband. Prince ss Diana had to enter into an early marriage with an old man, i.e. Prince Charles, something that later on resulted in enormous problems since she could not tolerate living in a loveless marriage. However, in the case of the Dutch and Dutchess of England, they are both young and they also love each other; therefore, there is a high possibility that
Journalism, Mass Media and Communication PowerPoint Presentation
Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - PowerPoint Presentation Example Similarly to how significant reputation is to the royal family, it is a prerequisite for every company to guard their reputation considering that this is an extremely valuable asset to the company. Apparently, on the night of her deadly crash, her chauffeur was drunk, while Princess Diana was not putting on a seat belt; on the other hand, Princess Diana, together with her beau, Dodi Al Fayed, were attempting to escape from paparazzi. It is clear that both Diana and Al Fayed sought fame in a way that none of the royal family members did. Nonetheless, the heyday of Princess Diana as a global star seemed to symbolize Princess Dianaââ¬â¢s superiority compared to the rest of the royal family. Her lack of self control, together with her helplessness in the appearance of her own desires, which signified her humanity (Adrian & Deborah 2002, p.6). The Establishment that wrangled with Princess Diana no longer even rules England and Wales; according to this organization, their expectation wa s Princess Diana to live in a loveless marriage with Prince Charles, while at the same time bearing the humiliation brought about by his unfaithfulness. With his position, Prince Charles was not only known for his infidelity, but als for his lack of morals, something that the royal family attempted to cover up through all means. However, when Princess Diana filed for divorce, all these dirty secrets came to light. This was a problem to the royalists who have a valid reason to be worried; the constitutional problem in prospect that if Prince Charles marries his long time lover Camilla Parker Bowles, this step sets off alarm bells. This is because, the heir to the throne, who is also the Church of England's leader, happens to be a self-confessed adulterer, who is living unmarried together with another man's ex-wife. On the other hand, if the Queen, together with her advisers make an attempt of blocking the marriage, then the House of Windsor is capable of demonstrating how out of step it is regarding the rest of society. Following the death of Princess Diana, their self-control, as well as refusal to portray emotion in public appeared to be less than human, instead of the summit of human behavior. This led to the natives laughing and poking fun, with the tradition of the stiff upper lip appearing to be risible; resulting to the queenââ¬â¢s accent getting mocked all over the country. Certainly, this is just a change of masks; the Prime Minister Tony Blair, emoting concerning the ââ¬Å"Peopleââ¬â¢s Princess,â⬠turned out to be no more sincere compared to the queen feigning that she had not been wounded by the whole thing. However, beneath that change of mask rests the much deeper, as well as quite irreversible, change of the country from Rome to Italy (Adrian & Deborah 2002, p.24). When Prince William decided to marry Kate, the royal family had to accept his decision for fear of a repeat of what transpired between Princess Diana and her husband. Prince ss Diana had to enter into an early marriage with an old man, i.e. Prince Charles, something that later on resulted in enormous problems since she could not tolerate living in a loveless marriage. However, in the case of the Dutch and Dutchess of England, they are both young and they also love each other; therefore, there is a high possibility that
Friday, October 18, 2019
Fieldler's Contingency Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Fieldler's Contingency Theory - Research Paper Example This scale measures the leadership style of an individual by taking into consideration the opinion of the persons that have been able to work the least well with the subject. The theory might seem a bit odd since one would think that the opinion of the person that you had trouble with would not be such an important factor. The theory can be used to differentiate between relationship motivated styles and task motivated leaders. There are three situational control variables that must be considered. The three situational control variables are leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. The Fieldler contingency theory can be used in the workplace to improve the performance of the workers by using the best leadership style based on the circumstances. Take for example a project manager leading a group of workers. The workers the project manager was given were a group of recently recruited employees. They lack a lot of experience at the work tasks and have little knowledge of the corporate culture of the firm. Based on this scenario it would be more effective for the project manager to use a task orientated leadership style. The project manager should pay close attention to each member of the crew to make sure that the workers understand what is expected of them. The project manager should establish good communications and relations with the workers to build a bond of trust. In the future once I reach a position where I have to exert leadership to manage a group of people I plan on using Fielderââ¬â¢s contingency theory to my advantage. If I was faced with leading a group of workers that had lots of experience, good interpersonal relations among themselves and with the boss, understanding of the culture of the firm and clear knowledge of what is expected of them I would use a relationship-motivated leadership style. A company that has utilized Fielder contingency theory to improve the performance of its workers is Sears Roebuck. Contingency theory has tremendous utility because it can be applied in a wide variety of industries. The theory allows the leader to adapt to the circumstances. The academic community has used Fieldlerââ¬â¢s contingency theory in research studies to test different aspects of leadership. A study performed on 360 senior managers across 20 different British firms concluded that leadership and decision making must be analyzed form a contingency rather than a universalistic perspective (Heller, 1973). Fieldlerââ¬â¢s work has evolved and recently the theory has evolved through the development of cognitive resource theory. The new cognitive approach states that that leader should use directive or nondirective behavior based on situational contingencies such as experience, support of the leader, and stress. For example when leaders have to manage a group of employees working on tight deadlines such as an accounting staff during the closing period the leader should not exert excessive pressure on the sta ff since the worker already realizes the deadlines they have to meet. Being a facilitator during these circumstances is a more effective leadership style. Contingency theories such as Fieldlerââ¬â¢s direct their research towards discovering the variables that make certain leadership characteristics and behaviors effective in specific situations (Gunbayi, 2005). Contingency theory can be very effective in fast adaptive environments such as a casino operation. The casino
Bans on Texting While Driving Dont Work Assignment
Bans on Texting While Driving Dont Work - Assignment Example Since only four states out of the many states that have already imposed texting-while-driving banning laws have been subjected to the survey, the statement that such laws are ineffective is not really conclusive. However, it is not too far-fetched to presume that texting-while-driving banning laws are really hard to implement. The offensive act takes place inside a vehicle in these cases and chances are law enforcement authorities would actually have a difficult time spying who is and who is not using his or her cell phone while driving. Nonetheless, it has been established that texting while driving is a road hazard that can jeopardize the health and safety of people on the road. Thus, despite the difficulty of implementing such a law, the government should continue with zealously enforcing it. At the same time, a more effective and relentless campaign against the dangerous habit must be conducted in all media. AdelaVoice, a venture-funded company located in Massachusetts, is announcing the launching of StartTalking, a software solution that promises to solve the hazard of texting while driving. Once installed on an Android mobile phone, StartTalking can be made useful when a person needs to use his phones but has to keep his hands and eyes on other things ââ¬â like when he or she is driving. StartTalking runs quietly in the background ready to execute the voice commands of the user which can be initiated by uttering certain ââ¬Å"promptsâ⬠like the words ââ¬Ëcomputerââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëoperator.ââ¬â¢
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Roles of the Medieval Queen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2
Roles of the Medieval Queen - Assignment Example Regent Queens participated in the feudal assemblies of the kings together with some of the vassals (Shahar 146). In addition, they also made judgments in their area of governance and discussed both economic and political issues. Various conditions certified a medieval queen role during the period the fall of the Roman Empire end (476 AD) and approximately (1500 AD). The specific conditions included being a kingââ¬â¢s wife, the position of a retired queen and as an heiress with specific birthrights. Additionally, the one would ascend to the position of medieval ruler given the relationship with the king and his advisers. A queen or empress consort was a wife to a reigning emperor or king. A queen consort shared the kingââ¬â¢s social status and rank, which allowed her to exercise feminine powers over servants in the palace. She supervised the servants to ensure that they performed their chores (Shahar 151). The consort queen also had a role in a dowry to the king and, acting as his helpmate. A consort queen would also play a part in the church by raising money to build them. A consort queen also motivated church reforms and gave moral support to people in the kingdom. However, the roles of a queen consort in the kingdom were limited because she did not usually share kingââ¬â¢s full Regent military and political powers (Lecture notes). A Queen Regent was a monarch who ruled a kingdom in her rights. She was not a wife to the king. The Queen Regent acquired and exercised sovereign powers over the Kingdoms she inherited from the previous king (lecture notes). She ordered the military, got into negot iations and partook agreements with other kingdoms as she deemed fit. The Queen also took charge of the throne through primogeniture. As the firstborn daughter without brothers in the royal family, she had rights to inherit the kingdom from her parents. For instance, Queen Melisende born in 1105 acquired the kingdom of Jerusalem from her father, King Baldwin II, during her early 20s.à The queen died in the year 1161 at the age of sixty years after serving on behalf of her father.
Work-based learning (at a Law ftrm) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Work-based learning (at a Law ftrm) - Essay Example Work based learning merits intending candidates to maintain a set of evidence that demonstrates that a professional can meet the standard requirement of learning outcome. They are assisted by seniors who called upon intermittently during the WBL period. Work based learning is categorized as an important phase in the transition of students from educational work as professionals in practical workplaces. It is stated by Fink, et al, (2007) that work based learning trains the students to transit successfully from school to work1. They further elaborate work based as: ââ¬Å"Work-Based Learning is an approach which focuses upon the practical utility of learning and is therefore directly relevant to learners and their work environment. A WBL approach to learning acknowledges that learning can take place in a variety of situations and settings, and is not restricted to that developed through the classroom or lecture theatre.â⬠2 It means that work based learning is a tool that is employ ed for training students to become qualified professionals. They have pre-utilized the skill of working in a professional based environment and are ready to handle different situations in any workplace. Knowledge, work and learning, all come together when a student is allowed to learn through work based learning approach. ... ifferent as compared to working of employees as it is said, ââ¬Å"Work-based learning needs to be distinguished from work place learning, that form of learning that occurs on a day-to-day basis at work as employees acquire new skills to develop new approaches to solving problems. No formal education recognition normally accrues to such learning, whether or not it is organised systematically.â⬠4 Word based learning for students is a sort of education that students obtain while being at work. They gain practical knowledge that they can implement while being in a professional environment after completion of their academic qualifications. Work based learning accommodates the students to understand working procedures while gaining their education. The universities and organizations together have formed learning experiences for students with the support of work based learning as described under: ââ¬Å"Work-based learning is the term being used to describe a class of university progr ammes that bring together universities and work organizations to create new learning opportunities in workplacesâ⬠.5 In my point of view, work based learning is quite crucial in academic life as it facilitates the students to have an idea of the workplace which they wish or are going to work in their future. In addition, working at the workplace is accommodate in facilitating the learners with knowledge as Stephen Billet says, ââ¬Å"as individuals engage in social practices, such as work, they engage in an ongoing process of knowledge construction and refinement.â⬠6 I have been working at Trinity Solicitors LLP since my second year of University. My intention was to have a couple of weeks work experience, after which I was offered to stay longer if I desired to. Of course since then I have been going to
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Roles of the Medieval Queen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2
Roles of the Medieval Queen - Assignment Example Regent Queens participated in the feudal assemblies of the kings together with some of the vassals (Shahar 146). In addition, they also made judgments in their area of governance and discussed both economic and political issues. Various conditions certified a medieval queen role during the period the fall of the Roman Empire end (476 AD) and approximately (1500 AD). The specific conditions included being a kingââ¬â¢s wife, the position of a retired queen and as an heiress with specific birthrights. Additionally, the one would ascend to the position of medieval ruler given the relationship with the king and his advisers. A queen or empress consort was a wife to a reigning emperor or king. A queen consort shared the kingââ¬â¢s social status and rank, which allowed her to exercise feminine powers over servants in the palace. She supervised the servants to ensure that they performed their chores (Shahar 151). The consort queen also had a role in a dowry to the king and, acting as his helpmate. A consort queen would also play a part in the church by raising money to build them. A consort queen also motivated church reforms and gave moral support to people in the kingdom. However, the roles of a queen consort in the kingdom were limited because she did not usually share kingââ¬â¢s full Regent military and political powers (Lecture notes). A Queen Regent was a monarch who ruled a kingdom in her rights. She was not a wife to the king. The Queen Regent acquired and exercised sovereign powers over the Kingdoms she inherited from the previous king (lecture notes). She ordered the military, got into negot iations and partook agreements with other kingdoms as she deemed fit. The Queen also took charge of the throne through primogeniture. As the firstborn daughter without brothers in the royal family, she had rights to inherit the kingdom from her parents. For instance, Queen Melisende born in 1105 acquired the kingdom of Jerusalem from her father, King Baldwin II, during her early 20s.à The queen died in the year 1161 at the age of sixty years after serving on behalf of her father.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Purchase of Alaska Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The Purchase of Alaska - Research Paper Example The sales price was $7.2 million or approximately two cents per acre, a small sum even by 1867 standards. Alaska was the last major land-holdings of any non-American nation in the Western Hemisphere. U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward initiated, promoted and brokered the deal. Opponents in the U.S. referred to the sale as ââ¬ËSewardââ¬â¢s Follyââ¬â¢ unaware of the riches contained in this massive region. Much of the public thought this region to be nothing but a frozen wasteland and a waste of money that could be used to reconstruct the South following the Civil War. Under Russian control, Alaska reflected the pioneer, adventurous spirit commonly characterized and romanticized in stories of the American West. Russian-American, as it was called, attracted explorers, merchants, adventurers, sinners and saints of all descriptions, most of which was attracted to the region by the lucrative fur trade. Few remnants of Russian control exist today outside of the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church which to this day has a strong tradition in Alaskan society (ââ¬Å"Russian Colonizationâ⬠2005). In short, Russia sold Alaska for two reasons, the Russian American Company was no longer profiting in the fur trade as it had for over a century and the region was too far away to be adequately defended. Russia believed that eventually, either the U.S. or Britain would forcedly take its Eastern-most colony with relative ease. Continuing to hold Alaska had become less and less important to the Russians because of other, more pressing, geopolitical and economic concerns and by 1850 interest was all but non-existent. The sea otter fur market was in decline for various reasons therefore decreasing the value to Russian commercial interests and the government was busy acquiring other, more lucrative and useful lands at that time. Britain was a new enemy. It had allied with France and the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War (1853-56) against Russia which lost great amounts of territory in the region north of Turkey. During the war, Britain had also attacked Russia in Eastern Siberia. Though Britain would have been more than interested in purchasing Alaska, the Russians were not going to sell it to an enemy. They reasoned that if the U.S. owned it, this would provide a degree of protection for Russia from Canada, much of it a under the control of Britain at that time. ââ¬Å"Russia determined to seek a friendly Western power as purchaser of the Russian holdings in America; and yet, anxious to create a buffer zone between British North America and Siberiaâ⬠(Rasche). The Hudson Bay Company, of British origin, had made it no secret it desired more access to Alaska so as to harvest its riches. Immediately following the sale of Alaska to the U.S., Britain formerly colonized all of western Canada to the Alaskan border. Russia had sold Alaska just in time. It prevented another certain defeat against Britain resulting in further loss of te rritory and resources. More importantly, the already low level of public confidence in the Russian government following the fresh defeat in the Crimean War would have been further diminished thus enhancing the possibility of rebellion (Tompkins, 1945). Russia had little choice but to sell Alaska to the U.S. The selling price of two cents per acre is ample evidence that the U.S. was well aware of Russiaââ¬â¢s poor negotiating position. The two countries were on friendly terms and shared a common disdain of Britain. Just 50 years earlier, British troops
Monday, October 14, 2019
Ladybird bookÃÂ Essay Example for Free
Ladybird bookà Essay Question: How does the poet use language to communicate her sonââ¬â¢s response to reading and how does she convey her own feelings to you?à Answer:à In the poem, the poet shows us about her little genius son who can do everything except for reading. Throughout the description about her sonââ¬â¢s behavior in reading, she conveys to us her frustrated feelings when her son doesnââ¬â¢t have any interest in reading. Firstly, the contrast in 2 aspects which exist inside her son is clearly shown by the first stanza. In 4 first lines of the first stanza, the poet asserts that her smart son can do many things that many other kids canââ¬â¢t do: ââ¬Å"make sculpturesâ⬠, ââ¬Å"fabulous machinesâ⬠, ââ¬Å"solemn adviceâ⬠â⬠¦ The images of a smart and sensible boy is painted beautifully under poetââ¬â¢s pen; only mother who are supremely proud of her son can makes this masterpiece. Here, the use of exaggeration is used to describe the wonderful abilities of poetââ¬â¢s son, which is a leverage to pull the frustration in poetââ¬â¢s feelings up when she said:â⬠but he is slow to readâ⬠. The word ââ¬Å"butâ⬠suggests the changing in tone of the poem from excitement, pride to disappointment. Although her love spend on him is very immense, the difference between adults and childrenââ¬â¢s thinking prevents her from being optimistic consistently about her son:à When I take him on my kneeà with his Ladybird bookà he gazes into the air,à sighing and shaking his headà like an old manà who knows the mountainsà are impassable.à The poet tries to reach her son but his action makes her down; it is a such a drag on her thinking. Listing three verbs which suggests the negative effect, she conveys to us how languid her son is in reading book. Using the simile, poet portrays image of her son like an old, thoughtful man knowing that the mountains are impassable. Facing with book her son is deactivated. Through the first stanza, motherââ¬â¢s feeling goes down from the top to the bottom of a mountain when she told us about her son. The contrast between what her son can do and reading puts her in tumult.à Secondly, as evidence, the second stanza is an infallible description about her sonââ¬â¢s response to words.à He toys with words,à letting them go coldà as gristly meatà At first, he son has a little try on making words become familiar with what he is fancy in but all he can do bring him to a boring world of words. Normally, people canââ¬â¢t so something that it is not strong enough to attract them and in them same case, her son tries in hopeless; he canââ¬â¢t do reading under his motherââ¬â¢s pressure. One more time, the simile is used. It conveys how hard with the poetââ¬â¢s get close to reading like swallowing a tough, chewy meat. His response to reading is completely like the feelings of bird imprisoned in the cage: vain, empty and tedious. Finally, ââ¬Å"the fish are releasedâ⬠; the son is liberated from reading. His feeling is full of beatitude.à a fish returningà to its element,or a white-eyed colt shyingà from the bit ââ¬â who seesà that if he takes ità in his mouthà heââ¬â¢ll never runà quite free again.à He enjoys his freedom like the fish returns to its element. The poet exhaled using this idiom to describe her anxiety when her son became active again after hardcore reading. Here, the mother (poet) seems to find out the inscrutable behavior of her son that makes him fed up with reading. The image of a young male horse suggests the using of metaphor. The poetââ¬â¢s son is forced to read and the freedom is out like the young male horse when he is bound by the bit ââ¬Å"heââ¬â¢ll never run quite free again.â⬠At this point, the poet emphasizes that her son seem to be regenerated after the reading section, which pull her down when she tries her best to help her son.à The poem is written the heart of a mother who spends all her love to him, tries to help him ceaselessly while her son canââ¬â¢t show his positive behavior to reading. It reflects the a difference between the adult perspective and children point of view.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Children and Culture Essay -- Culture Cultural Racial Essays
Children and Culture As children we are automatically taught to be open-minded. We are taught not to stare at people which teaches us not to be disrespectful to one another. Also we are taught to respect and be kind to everyone regardless. As kids we are still untouched by he worlds ways of thinking and if we unattached our selfââ¬â¢s from someone thatââ¬â¢s of a different race itââ¬â¢s because we can't relate to them and we sill don't know how to handle ourselves in different situations. I believe it's still an unknown fact how some people grow up and become adults who want nothing to do with anyone that isnââ¬â¢t like them. In one of our discussions in my RHT class Kathaleen Mayan wrote about a set of Asian triplets that weren't very out going, and very shy to the other children. She said "kids aren't cruel like they are when theyââ¬â¢re older so none of the kids would make fun of them or make comments or anything like that to them when they tried to say something, they just didn't interact with them very much, because they couldn't communicate very wellâ⬠. When I read this I just started to wonder what it is that makes use become the type of people that go out of their way to make sure other people know they're are different and don't fit in. What part of our growing up do we learn this trait, and is it nurture or nature? I was born in Zerka, a small city in Jordan. My family and I moved to the United States when I was about four years old. After 14 years of living here and regardless on the numbers of trips to the Middle East I consider America to be my home. I love it here and don't see my self ever living anywhere else. I love how there are so many open-minded people and so many different religions and cultures interlocked. Yet reg... ...e about how he wanted to keep America as a English/European country and stick to those languages, I responded to that saying ââ¬Å"just like how he wants to keep his culture and upraising alive, we want the very same thingâ⬠. There is always going to be Thomas Brays that have to be deal with, its just part of growing up in a foreign country. Regardless of the racism, hate, and discrimination, and regardless how much words really do hurt I see my self-lucky to have the chance to be able to write about the way I feel. Not all teenagers around the world have the chance to express their feelings on muliticulturesiam or any other issue, their forced to believe what their parents believe. Whenever I get upset with how closed minded some people are I just remind my self that at lest I the chance to do something about it, and I donââ¬â¢t have to just sit and take it.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Pride in Sophocles Antigone Essays -- Sophocles Antigone
Pride in Sophocles' Antigone Pride is a quality that all people possess in one way or another. Some people take pride in their appearance, worldly possessions, or position in society. The story of Antigone written by Sophocles has two characters who have a tragic flaw of pride. I will show how Creonââ¬â¢s pride of power leads to his destruction, and how Antigoneââ¬â¢s pride makes her an honorable character who should be treated as a hero. Creon is a man who has just become the king of Thebes and has a flaw of having too much pride. He canââ¬â¢t control the power of being over other people and he lets the power go to his head. ââ¬Å" I now possess the throne and all its powers. No, he must be left unburied, his corpse carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for the citizens to behold!â⬠(1272) In getting his new powers Creon decides to make a decree that will not allow the brother of Antigone to be buried, and if someone does bury him then that person will be killed. This goes against the beliefs of most of the people in the town and many feel that it goes against what the gods would see as acceptable. A leader tries to suggest that it could be the work of the gods. ââ¬Å"My king, ever since he began Iââ¬â¢ve been debating in my mind, could this possibly be the work of the gods?â⬠(1274) This again is a reference that the people are disgusted by what Creon has decreed. They feel like it is gross or disgusting to let a persons body have no burial rights and leave the remains to be agains...
Friday, October 11, 2019
Buddhism without Beliefs
It is a well-known fact that Buddhism religion is distinguished from all Asian religions due to its three innovative and original sifts: equal position of women; emergence of Buddhism as social transformation; replacement of monastery and building lay community ââ¬Å"as the principal arena of Buddhist practiceâ⬠. The book ââ¬Å"Buddhism without Beliefsâ⬠by Stephen Batchelor describes the significance of three elements and their application to future development of the world. (Batchelor 1997)It is possible to suggest that the book is an intelligent effort to provide better understanding to the Buddhism religion and to make clear the attribute of ââ¬Å"dharma practiceâ⬠. Apparently, the book contains authorââ¬â¢s personal reflections and suggestions how to apply Buddhism studies to contemporary era o skepticism. It is necessary to outline that the book contains three main parts called ââ¬Å"Groundâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Pathâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Fruitionâ⬠and the last se ction devoted to culture and imagination. The author is rather persuasive, because he uses logical arguments, conclusions, facts and viewpoints to defend his position.Batchelor has managed to affect readers and to make them think about the issue. Therefore the book leads through abundant data presented to persuade readers that Buddhism is worth attention. Therefore, the apparent strength of the book is abundant data and evidence used to support the main idea. (Batchelor 1997) The first part of the book ââ¬Å"Groundâ⬠involves theoretical framework of Buddhism religion and explains its core issues. The author begins with explaining differences between two entities ââ¬â ââ¬Å"dharma practiceâ⬠and ââ¬Å"religious Buddhismâ⬠ââ¬â intertwined into the history of Buddhism theory.According to Batchelor those entities are closely related and thus are inseparable. Furthermore, they have to be preserved for discovering their contemporary significance. The first and the most significant entity for Batchelor is ââ¬Å"dharma practiceâ⬠, because it teaches and trains how to awaken and to feel freedom from ââ¬Å"anguishâ⬠. The second entity ââ¬Å"religious Buddhismâ⬠is a system of belief aims at ensuring social stability as well as providing religious consolation. (p. 16)Nevertheless, the author admits that world view and religious expression has little to do with core Buddhaââ¬â¢s teachings, because they ââ¬Å"pertain solely to the Asian cultural soil within which Buddhism took rootâ⬠. Batchelor agrees that those entities have had significant purpose in ancient time, though they are hardly applicable to contemporary society. The author argues that if the dharma practice offers alternative approach to interpretation of core values and virtues, it has to be deprived of ââ¬Å"its religious apparel and recast in a purely secular modeâ⬠.It would result in agnostic style of dharma practicing. (Batchelor 1997) Moreover, Batchelor believes that dharma practice would aim at social and personal freedom and liberation meaning that people have to escape from ââ¬Å"suffering created by egocentric clingingâ⬠. According to Batchelor the positive moment of Buddhism is that the religion provides answers to great questions concerning place of humans in the ââ¬Å"grand scheme of thingsâ⬠. The author seems to provide agnostic vision of the thinks stating that ââ¬Å"the dharma is not something to believe in but something to doâ⬠.(p. 17) However, Buddha didnââ¬â¢t have answers to metaphysical questions of his day. The only known fact is that Buddha was teaching followers about sufferings and cessation. Thus the author makes a conclusion that Buddhaââ¬â¢s teachings are therapeutic, existential and may be referred to liberating agnosticism. For example, Batchelor makes an attempt to escape from metaphysical questions of his day by arguing that Buddha ââ¬Å"was merely adopting the symbols, m etaphors, and imagery of his worldâ⬠. (p. 17)Nevertheless, Later Batchelor suggests that Buddha ââ¬Å"accepted the ideas of rebirth and kammaâ⬠, though he considers them ââ¬Å"odd that a practice concerned with anguish and the ending of anguish should be obliged to adopt ancient Indian metaphysical theories and thus accept as an article of faith that consciousness cannot be explained in terms of brain functionâ⬠. (p. 37) However, Batchelor seems not to approve Buddhaââ¬â¢s metaphysical theories, although he doesnââ¬â¢t completely reject the idea of reincarnation or rebirth.Instead the author thinks that honest approach has to be taken in understanding life after death, because existing knowledge isnââ¬â¢t enough to state anything. Buddha accepts the ideas of reincarnation and kamms indicating a ââ¬Å"failure to summon forth the courage to risk a non-dogmatic and non-evasive stance on such crucial existential mattersâ⬠. (p. 38) It is apparent that the author tends to use a variety of logical arguments to approve his interpretation of Dhamma. Batchelorââ¬â¢s arguments succeed in gaining cogency due to oversimplification, selective relevant citations and rationalization.For example the author discuses ââ¬Å"four ennobling truthsâ⬠and finds put that these truths arenââ¬â¢t ââ¬Å"propositions to believe [but] challenges to actâ⬠. (p. 7) Nevertheless, such statement is hardly truthful, because the author fails to admit that ââ¬Å"tasks imposed by the truths acquire their meaning from a specific context, namely, the quest for liberation from the vicious round of rebirthsâ⬠. The dichotomy between ââ¬Å"religious Buddhismâ⬠and ââ¬Å"dharma practiceâ⬠is hardly endorsable. The author calls to ââ¬Å"recognize a spectrum of Buddhist practices, ranging from simple devotional and ethical observances to more advanced contemplative and philosophical onesâ⬠.Those observances are involved into faith and understanding, though they disappear when dharma practice is regarded on the basis of different suggestions. The author considers premises underling the traditional Buddhist practice as reincarnation and kamm, though he thinks they are only consolatory elements crept into the religion. (p. 18-19) The second part of the book is titled ââ¬Å"Pathâ⬠and aims at providing relevant sketches to agnostic conceptions based on the dharma practice. Furthermore, author provides clear and lively explanations of the issues displaying his creativity and literary gift.The part is divided into subsections devoted to awareness, overview of emptiness and development of sympathy and compassion. Apparent strength of the part is simple examples introduced in every subsection. Most original examples involve practicing awareness and mindfulness, showing essence of emptiness, challenging the findings and reflecting on common sufferings of friends, enemies and acquaintances. The second part includes also twelve links of dependent origination interpreted rather originally and illustrated by mistaken perception.(Batchelor 1997) Nevertheless, the conception of the path is absent in Batchelorââ¬â¢s interpretation, though it is considered the traditional foundation of Buddhist religion: ââ¬Å"the Going for Refuge to the Three Jewelsâ⬠. The author thinks that mentioning the path doesnââ¬â¢t have any sense in the frame pf agnostic conception, though omission of path seems rather significant. Furthermore, the author doesnââ¬â¢t mention either code of moral rules or the Five Precepts. However, Batchelor slightly talks about ethical framework and proposes integrity.Despite the fact he speaks about impressive insights of integrity, the issues is still questionable as it has neither sufficient basis for ethic nor exact guidelines. (p. 48-50) The third part of the book ââ¬Å"Fruitionâ⬠is an exploration of consequences of dharma practice and explanation why dharma pract ice is called ââ¬Å"passionate agnosticismâ⬠, Batchelor starts with accounting meditative path. The author explains the process of meditation stating that it consists of ââ¬Å"radical, relentless questioning of every aspect of experienceâ⬠.Nevertheless, such beginning makes readers profoundly perplexed, though for author ââ¬Å"this perplexed questioning is the central path itselfâ⬠. (p. 98) It means that the path aims at finding no goals and answers. Such conception of dharma practice seems bizarre and strange. Further, the author returns to meditation stating that its goal to justify belief system and to approve using the raft of the dharma practice. According to author, Buddha stresses the insight meditation, because it is able to lead to thorough knowledge of true nature. Thus Batchelor shows once more ââ¬Å"the bearing of one's starting point on one's destinationâ⬠.It is apparent that the author firstly starts from agnostic concept and then turns to exces sive mystery and doubt. However, Batchelor believes that if a person trust dharma practice, he/she has to follow the right View and consequently to find Right Knowledge and Right Liberation. (p. 108) The last section is devoted to the concepts of culture and imagination. The author deals with correlations between contemporary world and Buddhist teachings and religion. In other words, Batchelor tries to find implications of Buddhism in modern world.The author asserts that throughout the Buddhism history, ââ¬Å"Dhamma has rejuvenated itself by continually altering its forms to respond to changing social and cultural conditionsâ⬠. However, such statement may be considered the act of authorââ¬â¢s imagination, his gift of talented thinker and his creative vision of things. (p. 107) Batchelor has given new and fresh approach to Buddhist teachings. Some critics find Batchelorââ¬â¢s vision of Buddhism too simplistic, though it is difficult to agree with them. Batchelor seems to present his original point of view, his understanding and his perception of Buddhism.He succeeded in making viewers interested exactly by simple explanation of core Buddhist issues. Nevertheless, the author has failed to explain sufficiently the role played by orthodoxy in stimulating dharma practice. What is more important to mention is that Batchelor believes that Buddhism applied to contemporary world may rise the need to create meaning that dharma practice is able to stimulate creativity in followers. According to author, dharma practice is a ââ¬Å"new culture of awakening that addresses the specific anguish of the contemporary worldâ⬠.(p. 109) It is necessary to conclude that Batchelor has created a new vision of Buddhism culture of awakening by stressing the integrity of Buddhist tradition and their responsibility to the present and the future. Despite the critique the book is rally worth reading, because it provides better understanding, advantages and disadvantages of not only of Buddhism religion, but also of agnostic concept. References Batchelor, Stephen. (1997). Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening. New York: Revierhead Books.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
M&Sââ¬â¢s Business and Economic Environment
M&Sââ¬â¢s aims and objectives are to make money for shareholder and to improve their profit margins where and when ever possible. Their approach to reaching the aims and objectives are to design extremely attractive and inactive products for their customers that are of a high quality. As these products are of high of high quality not everyone can afford these products and are targeted at a slightly niche market (upper middle to upper class citizens).M&S also have a commitment called Plan A, in which they are devoted to environmental issues such as refusing to send waste to landfills and using alternatives methods of waste disposable such as recycling within the business where possible and also externally, as well as lowering carbon emissions when possible. These things will help them save money, however the main reasoning for these policies M&S have issued are to increase the their appeal in the eyes of the public, therefore making people think that they are helping the environmen t if they shop with them. Which they are but only to a certain extent.These policies are in force as the government have fiscal and monetary policies that effect all businesses and the way they operate, including M&S. An example of a fiscal policy would be direct taxation, this can come in the form of corporation tax which is currently set at 20%. The level of which corporation tax is set at can effect a business hugely, as if they are set low it means that M&S wonââ¬â¢t have to pay as much interest on their profit and will have more money to re-invest into the business. This could be into for example, hiring more staff as a result of an increase in demand. This means if M&S carried out hiring more staff alongside other businesses throughout the UK as a result of an increase of stimulation in the economy then the unemployment rate would drop.Giving people more disposable income to spend on higher quality goods in such places at M&S, and further stimulating the economy. On the oth er hand if the corporation tax was set at a high level the businesses, including M&S, would have to pay out more of their profits to the government in order for them to keep the economy running. This would then lead to M&S having less money to re-invest. Meaning it will be harder to expand maybe as much as theyââ¬â¢d planned to. However if businesses are paying more in corporation tax then the government will most likely be needing it to stimulate the economy to encourage people to start spending.And will in turn increase the amount of business and sales that M&S will receive. So if the corporation tax is high it will be better for all businesses in the long run. The government also have a capital allowance which means that businesses can buy expensive machinery and are eligible to claim the tax back from those machines. This is so that because the tax on these machines will be at a relatively high price and will encourage businesses to buy them and spend money. This would apply to M&S as they have the self-service machines that customer can scan and bag their own shopping if time is of the essence.The amount of tax on all of the machines that M&S have bought throughout all of their stores will add up to a large sum. So if they can get that money back it means that they will have more money to reinvest back into the business, creating more opportunities to make money and therefore generating more profit in order to meet their never-ending goal which is to make as much money as they can to keep the shareholder happy. This will also heavily apply to cavies, where M&S get all their ready meals from. As they are a factory with countless machines they will be able to get a bursary from the government for the tax which they paid on the machines. This means that they will be able to sell their ready meals for a cheaper price which means M&S will save money (and will be hitting their aims and objectives) alongside with their customers.Then as they are cheaper it wi ll attract more sales resulting in more ready meals bought from cavies giving a win win win situation to cavies and both M&S and their customers. The government also have monetary policies that will affect all businesses, and these include such things as interest rates. This is because the interest rate doesnââ¬â¢t just affect businesses but every citizen of the UK. And this effects businesses in a big way because it has a direct link to how much money people and businesses receive back from the bank in return of banking with them. Currently the interest rate is at an all-time low of 0.5%, and has been stuck at this rate since 2009 because of the recession.The interest rate has been set this low so that it encourages people to take out loans and mortgages, as it means that people wont have to pay as much money back on their loan. This then has a ripple effect and will increase the amount of first time buyers to join the property ladder alongside other buyers that will sell and bu y a more expensive house. This will have a huge affect on the housing industry and therefore also M&S as they have a largeà home wares section that people will purchase new goods from to furnish their new homes with.However, on the other hand a low interest rate is very bad for people who are wanting to save and earn interest on their savings. Because if the interest is at 0.5 and someone has à £10,000 in a savings account which will be no more than 1.2% at best then in a year they would only make à £120 profit. This means that people wonââ¬â¢t have as much disposable income compared to if the interest rate was at its average 5 ââ¬â 6% and people would be saving about five times as much. And if the interest rates are low then large businesses like M&S wonââ¬â¢t invest their money into the banks that are in England, they will put them in offshore accounts in such places like China, which has an interest rate of 6%, or India with a rate of 7.25%.These countries have a hi gh interest rate as they are up and coming countries ((NEDCs, (newly economically developed countries)) and have a high growth rate and show a promising return upon investment. Another monetary policy that would affect businesses would be the amount of capital allowance they allowed each citizen to have. This is currently set at à £10,000, and if you earn under that amount you be taxed so that you can meet the national minimum standard of living. This then links back to more disposable income people have, as the more they have the more they are likely to spend, and the more chance that money will end up in M&S.It could go as far as someone who saved à £200 in taxes and buying a new game console of someone second hand and they could then repay a debt to someone, then they could spend that same à £200 on a weekly shop at M&S. So no matter who saves money for what reason the direction of money is too unpredictable to even guess so saved up money will just as easily end up at M&S as anywhere else.
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