Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Drug Crime Relationship

There is no question that drugs and crime are related, however difficulty stands when trying to establish a causal connection between the two. According to Ronald Akers, ‘compared to the abstaining teenager, the drinking, smoking and drug taking teen is much more likely to be getting into fights, stealing, hurting other people and committing other delinquencies’ (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990).At a surface level, drugs and crime are linked as it is a criminal offence to possess certain substances unlawfully, however when looking deeper, where drugs are said to cause, influence or be associated with offending behaviour the subject becomes quite unclear. Three major models exist that examine the drugs-crime link and will be discussed thoroughly throughout this essay. Firstly is the model that suggests drug use leads to crime and offending behaviour.It offers the explanation that drug-users are enslaved, or behaving in ways which satisfy the craving which very often leads t o participating in criminal behaviour. A second model explains that crime leads to drug use, and the third that drug use and crimes have a common aetiology. Throughout this essay these models will be examined deeply in order to try and best understand the relationship between drug use and offending behaviour. The idea that drug use leads to crime is by far the most believed and most popular idea out of the three.The reasons for this may lie in its heavy belief from the media and the government. It is sometimes represented as a direct causal effect and sometimes as just an association. There does stand much evidence in support of this theory, however no research identifies a direct causal link which will be noted later. One study carried out in this field gave the police power to perform drug tests on detainees in police custody and gave the courts the power to order the drug testing of offenders under the supervision of the probation service.In total they carried out a collective of 1,835 tests and found positive results in 63% of those tested in London, 58% of those tested in Nottingham and 47% of those tested in Strafford and Cannock. For those on probation over half tested positive ( Mallender et al. 2002, citied in Bean 2008). While support stands for this view, variations exist in the way drug use is said to cause crime.Three broad categories exist, firstly the psychopharmacological explanations, secondly the economic explanations and thirdly the drug-lifestyle explanation. Firstly the psychopharmacological explanations consider the effects of the drug chemicals have upon the human organism and what the behavioural outcomes may be. For example, the psychopharmacological model says that drugs cause violence because of their direct effects, as an effect users become impatient, irritable, energetic and irrational often leading to criminal behaviour.Goldstein (1985) believes the psychopharmacological model to be a direct effect model and argues that ‘so me individuals, as a result of short or long term ingestion of specific substances, may become excitable, irrational, and may exhibit violent behaviour’. Brochu (2001) claims that many drugs ‘act on specific areas of the nervous system, including the frontal lobe and the limbic system, where the centres of aggressiveness and impulsiveness are located’ (Bennett and Holloway).While these are considered to be direct and instantaneous effects of drug use, in practice the psychopharmacological effects of drugs on crime are expected to function indirectly. Parker and Auerhahn (1998) stress from their research the overwhelming importance of the context in the relationship between substance use and violent behaviour, and as MacCoun et al (2002) claim ‘it may be that no drug is sufficient to produce aggression in isolation from psychological and situational moderators. ’ (Bennett and Holloway).The second variation on how ‘drugs cause crime’ is th e economic explanation. This is very often referred to as the economic necessity argument which simply says drug users will commit crime for economic benefit in order to fund their drug addiction. Crimes associated with this explanation are most commonly property crime including theft, shoplifting, burglary and fraud; however there are many links with violent crimes. One explanation for this is that habitual drug users face problems raising cash and therefore prefer to perform street robberies. Baumer et al. 1998) argues that this type of robbery draws cash directly and is more easily perpetrated during the hours of darkness when the streets are less crowded. Cash carries the advantage of being easily concealed and does not have to be exchanged at a discount unlike stolen property. (Bennett and Holloway). The third variation is the drug-lifestyle explanation. The theory focuses in particular, on the relationship between drug-using lifestyles and violence. It offers the explanation t hat drug abusers are living within a community which is more likely to be a violent one when compared to a drug free community.The drug using community is one that is notoriously violent, especially when considering punishments for failing to pay debts, territory disputes and selling adulterated drugs. Other ideas focusing on lifestyle but not on violence consider that drug users often do not participate in the legitimate economy and therefore the likelihood of them becoming involved in criminal activity is increased, and also they would be exposed to situations that encourage crime. (Bennett and Holloway).When considering the idea that crime leads to drug use, the research is scarce by comparison. If crime leads to drugs use there will be no reduction in criminality even with the successful treatment of the drugs problem. If crime leads to drug use then treatment should be directed at reducing the criminality, and the drug problem will be correspondingly reduced (Hammersley et al. 1989, cited in Bean p. 39). Researchers are heavily interested in finding what came first; the drug problem or criminality?Early British studies found that about 50% of heroin addicts were antecedently delinquent but, of course, 50% were not (Bean 1971). However, some researchers are sure they know the truth. Korf et al. (1998) belief that there is empirical support for thinking prior criminal involvement increases one’s chance of getting into drugs, claiming ‘many current addicts have set out on a criminal path at an early age and before their first dose of heroin. These pre-drug criminals turn out to be the group most likely to generate their income from property crime. ’ (Bean p. 9) As noted, there doesn’t stand as much research into this field as the previous (drug use leads to crime) however, the theories which do stand can be divided again roughly into the three same categories, psychopharmacological explanations, economic explanations and criminal l ifestyle explanations. Explaining this idea through psychopharmacological means, researches such as Menard et al (2001) claim that criminals use drugs as a form of chemical recreation to celebrate successful crimes, pretty much in the same way people use alcohol to celebrate a special occasion, (Bennett and Holloway, p. 6). In another way according to the psychopharmacological model, people who have planned crime might turn to drugs to enable themselves to carry out the planned actions. It is possible therefore to say that crime causes drug use because without the drug it is possible the crime wouldn’t have occurred. The economic perspective explanation simply says crime causes drug use through crimes resulting in surplus cash which enable the offenders to buy drugs, unds which would not be available were it not for criminal activity (tim newburn). The criminal lifestyle explanations suggest that a criminal lifestyle tends to involve drug use either via sub-cultural values, t hrough available opportunities or as a result of self-medication. Criminal activity in subcultures provides ‘the content, the reference group and the definitions of a situation that are conclusive to the subsequent involvement in drugs’ (White 1990: 223, Bean p. 39).Evidence for this comes from a small number of studies, quoted by White, where she says the individual is placed in an environment which is supportive of drug use, and it is the desire for sub-cultural status rather than a need for a drug which leads to the individual committing crimes. The available opportunities idea goes hand in hand with the situational crime theory, which states the individual makes a rational choice, essentially weighing up the pros and cons of their actions. If the pros outweigh the cons then the person will display offending behaviour.Supporters of situational crime prevention would say that crime leads to drug taking, and therefore by modifying crime hotspots and the environment, an d by dealing with characteristics and location of suitable targets, drug taking can be reduced. The Third, that drug use and crimes have a common aetiology. This theory rejects strongly the simple causal explanation that drugs use leads to crime or the other, crime leads to drug use claiming the relationship to be far more complex than this.Rather, this suggests a common cause between the two, enforcing arguments that there are other factors involved which help explain both forms of behaviour. ‘Such factors may take various forms including aspects of personality or temperament, aspects of a person’s interpersonal social world (family, friends, peers) or some feature of the social environment in which they live’ (Newburn). These common factors can be grouped into three categories – psychological, social and environmental.Psychological factors can be related to a persons genetics or temperament character. Many explanations focus on the role of psychological factors as distal causes, which are those factors operating in the past that predispose people to act in certain ways. The social factors focus on social relationships and the way in which these may have an effect on crime and drug use. Peer pressure is said to be a major sway on a persons behaviour with regard to crime and illicit drug use. As White (1990) concludes in Bennet and Holloway (2005) ‘Peer group nfluences are the best predictors of delinquency and drug use. ’ With regards to the environmental explanation, factors within the environment are said to play a role in the drug-crime link. The social disorganization theory developed by Shaw and Mckay in 1942 was applied to help try and best explain the drug – crime link in 2000 by White and Gorman, who argue that rates of violence and exposure to drugs was greatest in less affluent areas, densly populated areas, racially segregated areas and those that are composed of a transient population.A rather sociolo gical version of the common cause idea is a variation of the sub-cultural theory which sees drug use as a learned behaviour. Behavioural norms are learned from generation to generation and become internalised, which lead individuals within particular families or social groups to behave in the same manner with the same patterns of offending. To conclude, this essay has highlighted much evidence to suggest that drug use leads to crime, and the opposite, that crime leads to drug use.People who try illicit drugs are more likely to display offending behaviour than others; however there is no persuasive research evidence of a causal link between drug use and offending within the majority of drug users. Much of the research provides conflicting explanations of the topic, however there does stand some common ground. There are no inconsistencies in the idea that drug use might sometimes cause crime and crime may sometimes cause drug use.However, as a general rule, research provides evidence sufficient to establish an association as appose to a direct causal link. This essay has also looked at the idea of a common cause or common aetiology between the relationship between drug use and offending behaviour, which is the idea that other factors such as personality, temperament, family or friends influences play a part in an individual’s lifestyle and choices.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Is Playing Computer Games Really That Bad for You Essay

Anyone who has really been into video games has experienced this. Kids and adults alike think about getting home and playing games. They also spend a great deal of time reading gaming magazines, participating in online gaming forums, looking for future game releases, and of course, spending countless hours playing games. When they aren’t doing any of these things, they’re wishing they were. 2. Video Games Can Be Expensive It cost a lot of money to stay current with the latest video games and hardware (console and/or computer). Many gamers spend all of their money on gaming. For example, it’s not uncommon for a gamer to have 50-100 games that cost $40-$50 each. They also often have at least 2 different game consoles and 1 high-end PC. This can easily add up to thousands of dollars a year to maintain a typical gamer’s habits. 3. Video Games Can Hurt Relationships There’s often a direct correlation with the amount of time spent playing video games, and the amount of time spent engaging in a quality relationship. In the most extreme example I could find, there was a couple that was so consumed with playing video games that they ended up neglecting their 3 children — to the point that they were malnourished, naked, and covered in their own feces. Although that’s an extreme case, I still think there’s something to be said about people who spend the majority of their free time playing video games. My guess is that they’re probably not dating or pursuing a meaningful relationship in their free time. Update: A reader brought to my attention an online group dedicated to loved ones who have been affected by their partner’s addiction to World of WarCraft (WoW). Their description includes the following Do you have a loved one that plays World of Warcraft so much that you feel like you are a widow? This group isn’t just for wives, but for anyone, husbands, girl or boyfriends, mothers, fathers, sons or daughters, or anyone that has had a relationship effected by this addictive game. 4. Video Games Can Be Distracting Avid gamers are similar to people who smoke a lot of marijuana — in that they don’t get much done. Reading a good book, taking care of bills, writing an article, inventing something, mowing the lawn, etc†¦ are simply not a priority when it comes to getting to the next level or finishing a game. Many gamers have things they would like to do in life, but they never get around to it, because they spend so much of their time playing games. Then, when they do have time to work on one of their projects, they’re too tired to do it, because they stayed up till 3am playing a game. 5. Video Games Can Rob You Of Real Life Experiences Instead of taking a trip, mountain biking, or hanging out with friends at a cafe, gamer’s spend their time in a virtual reality. Whereas real life experiences bear long lasting friendships and memories, videos games do not. The only pictures that come from video games are screenshots, and the memories that are created from playing those games are ultimately meaningless. Living means interacting, growing, learning, teaching, and loving — none of which can be accomplished in the virtual wasteland of video games. †  The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright  © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Computerized Student Billing System

| HOW TO PAY SCHOOL FEES THROUGH BILLING| 1. 1 . If your sending agency (e. g. Bank of Tokyo, Sumitomo Corporation, GSIS, etc. ) is to be billed through the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS), go to Room 302, Vinzon's Hall : 1. a. Have your Form 5 approved by OSSS. Please check the name of the Scholarship and the privilege (e. g. Tution Only, All School fees) if it is indicated on the form. 2. b. Submit your Form5 to ARS-Billing. If your Scholarship privilege covers all school fees, your Form 5 will be stamped REGISTERED. If you are paying part of the assesed fee (e. g. student fund, fine), follow item 3 below 2. 2 . If your sending agency is to be billed through the OUR 3. a. Submit the certificate of Authority to Bill from your sending agency everytime you enroll 4. b. Submit your Form 5 to ARS-Billing for stamping of REGISTERED 3. 3 . If you are paying part of the assessed fee (e. g. student fund, fine), proceed to the payment area and pay the necessary fees| International Student Billing System The student receivables system brings University charges and credits into one account. The Billing and Receivables Office will compile the latest information from University offices (i. e. Financial Aid, Registrar's and University Housing and Dining) and prepare the monthly billing statement. A finance charge of 1% per month on the unpaid balance from prior month's billing will be assessed. A student with a past due (encumbered) account balance will be denied registration. The University bills by semester, not by academic year. Actively enrolled students will receive their billing statement via STARS. Notification will be sent to the student at their WIU e-mail address when each bill is ready to view on STARS. Students may establish one additional e-mail address to which the notification may also be sent by notifying us at  [email  protected] edu. The e-mail will include the account balance and the due date. Students who need more than one additional billing email can contact the Student Assistance and Parent Service Center. Account detail may be viewed on STARS by selecting B/R Account Detail. Failure to  view a bill will not excuse finance charge assessment or payment of the account. It is the student's responsibility to notify the appropriate office of address or e-mail corrections. Payments Billing System The Billing and Receivables Office compiles the latest information from University offices (i. e. Financial Aid, Registrar’s, and University Housing and Dining) and prepares the monthly billing statement. Billing statements are sent electronically to the student’s wiu. edu e-mail address as well as any parent/guest e-mail on file when the bill is ready to view on STARS. The e-mail will include the account balance and the due date. Payment Due Dates Payment is due on the 28th  of each month. Tuition and fees  for the fall term are billed in August, charges for the spring term are billed in January, and charges for the summer term  are billed in June. Open Payment Policy: Students are responsible for paying their account balances within the semester incurred. These charges, in accordance with Western Illinois University Policy, apply to all students billed through the Billing and Receivables office, and are subject to a finance charge of 1% on the unpaid account balance after the 28th of each month. Failure to view a bill will not excuse finance charge assessment or payment of the account. It is the student’s responsibility to update their STARS account of address or e-mail corrections. A financial hold will be place on any delinquent student account that will prevent registration, release of transcripts, and release of diploma. Payment Methods ACH: Make payments directly from your bank account via  STARS  Payment Online. Automated Payment Plan: An automated payment plan is available to divide your cost of attendance into several monthly payments. Payments are deducted monthly on the 5th of the month from the designated bank account. There is not a finance charge assessed on the contracted amount; however, there is a $2. 00 per month transaction fee to cover processing. Additional charges incurred above the contracted amount will be billed and subject to a 1% finance charge if not paid by the 28th  of each month. A contract must be completed on STARS by a student or individuals with parent and guest access. Any changes to a completed agreement must be done by the student or guest that originated the contract. Only one contract per semester may be completed for each student. By Mail: Mail your payment (personal check, cashiers check or money order) to the Billing and Receivables Office, 1 University Circle, Macomb IL 61455-1390. Include your student ID number on all payments. Credit Card: Credit card payments may only be processed through the Illinois Treasurer's Electronic Payment website,  www. illinoisepay. com  or by calling 1-877-455-3729. They accept MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. There is a convenience fee associated with this service. In Person: Take your payment (cash, personal check, cashiers check or money order) to the University Union Service Center outside of the WIU Bookstore. Return Payments Personal checks and ACH payments that are accepted by any unit of the University and are returned by the student’s bank unpaid are subject to a penalty of $25. 00 per each returned payment. The University suspends the check cashing privilege for a minimum of one full year if an individual has more than two payments returned by the bank for any reason. Sanctions Against Delinquent Accounts * Transcript and Diploma Hold: If an account becomes past due, transcripts of the student’s records will not be released and graduating students who are past due will also have a hold placed upon their diplomas until their account is brought to current status. * Finance Charge Assessment: Delinquent accounts are subject to a monthly 1% finance charge assessment. This amount is calculated as a part of the monthly billing process on any unpaid amount due. Internal Collections: Following the end of each semester, students not registered for the following semester should contact the Billing and Receivables Office to make payment arrangements. If your balance is not paid in full or a payment agreement is not made within 90 days of the end of the semester, a claim will be submitted to the State Comptroller’s Office in accordance with the Illinois Collection Act which authorizes the deduction of the amount you owe WIU from an amount normal ly due to you (i. e. payroll, tax refunds, etc. ). Attorney/Collection Agency Placement: If payment arrangements are not made on a timely basis, the account may be referred to an attorney and/or collection agency. The account may also be reported to TransUnion credit bureau. * Registration: Students will not be allowed to register for the current or future term if they have a past-due balance and may be required to prepay for the upcoming term. A student will remain a prepay student for a minimum period of two years. If you have questions regarding certain items on your bill, please contact the following departments: Finance Charge/Billing Address  | Billing and Receivables| 309. 98. 1831| Financial Aid| Financial Aid Office| 309. 298. 2446| Library Fines| Library| 309. 298. 2705  | Tuition/Fees| Billing  and Receivables  | 309. 298. 1831| Telephone Charges| Telecommunications| 309. 298. 2713| Health Center Charges| Beu Health Center| 309. 298. 1888| Insurance Fee| Student H ealth Insurance  | 309. 298. 1882| Parking Fines| Parking Services| 309. 298. 1921| Housing Charges| UHDS| 309. 298. 2461| Student ID Card Charges| UHDS| 309. 298. 2461| Orientation Fee| Registrar| 309. 298. 1891| Athletic Waivers| Athletics| 309. 298. 1964|

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Professional Learning Communities Focusing On the Contributions of Research Paper

Professional Learning Communities Focusing On the Contributions of Utilizing Social Media Within Learning Commun - Research Paper Example from his students, some suggesting new ideas of improving the lessons including use of power-point presentations, or issuance of course special notes concerning specific areas that they did not learn. The teacher can also take advantage of his or her student’s presence in the social media to create an online blog and a discussion forum. It is from these blogs and discussions that the teacher can acquire knowledge on the various needs of his/her students (Ke and Hoadley, 2009). Planning a lesson by integrating the needs of the students will ensure that students became active participants in the lessons, making it interesting (Eshach, 2007). Through the social, a teacher will be able to interact with the student’s parents, telling them on the progress of their students in relation to their academic capabilities. For example, facebook has a provision in which an individual can make a list of friends whom he or she can constantly interact with. A teacher can make a list of the various parents of his/her students. From this list, he can notify these parents on the progress of their students, and try to get some feedback on how to improve the academic capability of his/her students (J and Hunt, 2006). From these feedbacks, a teacher can have an idea on how to develop the teaching plan that he or she will use while conducting the lesson. Information from parents is crucial because parents know the intellectual and physical capabilities of their children. Basing on this information, a teacher can develop a plan that will factor in the intellectual capability of his/her students (Dunlap and Stephens, 2009). For example, in a classroom setup, there are fast learners and slow learners. Fast learners have the capability of grasping issues in class in a quicker manner, and do... This essay approves that planning a lesson by integrating the needs of the students will ensure that students became active participants in the lessons, making it interesting. Through the social, a teacher will be able to interact with the student’s parents, telling them on the progress of their students in relation to their academic capabilities. The social media is an important tool during this process of planning and preparing of a lesson by the teacher. Social sites such as twitter and facebook enable teachers to interact with their peers. The social media also helps in improving communication between a teacher and a student. This report makes a conclusion that that the social media plays a big role in helping teachers to handle their teaching lessons in a professional and ethical manner. This is because they are able to interact with their peers, acquiring ideas from each other on how to handle their teaching profession. It also encourages collaboration, between the teachers, students and their parents. This is a positive aspect in education because it will most definitely result to an improvement on the academic capabilities of students. This is because the teacher will acquire knowledge on the weaknesses of his or her students, and build upon those weaknesses, to ensure that the child learns, and achieves the outcomes of the lesson/ course under consideration.

Entering UMass College for Bachelor of Health Administration courses Essay

Entering UMass College for Bachelor of Health Administration courses - Essay Example Upon completion of this undergraduate program, I have great passion of continuing to obtain my graduate program. I am really encouraged, motivated and focused because I am convinced that am in the right career path since I have a great passion for this and even have some family history. I have a strong foundation of this field and have had a lot of inspiration from family and friends. I have attended Practical Nursing School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I received training as a Practical Nurse. Further, I have worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for seven years. During this period, I have had the opportunity to serve various people in the community and made an impact in their life. Considering that, I have shown quality service to the community during this period; my goal is to complete my Bachelor program in your institution so that I can be in a position to offer broad and better service to people. This has prepared a foundation for my success in this field. Pursuing Health Administration has been my long-term goal, and I would like to make this dream come true by obtaining a Bachelor of Health Administration from University of Massachusetts. I really appreciate your time and consideration, and look forward for a feedback

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

American Illustrator Gil Elvgren Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Illustrator Gil Elvgren - Coursework Example His career spanning four decades from the 1930s to the 1970s encompassed different types of art work including commercial advertisements for Coca Cola and other products, and creating illustrations for magazines like the Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping. Elvgren as an artist continues to be remembered till today, mostly for his pin-up paintings for calendars commissioned and produced by the promotional firm Brown and Bigelow. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the work of American illustrator Gil Elvgren, particularly with reference to his pinup art. Gil Elvgren’s Distinctive Pinup Art Style â€Å"Although most of Gil Elvgren’s work was created for commercial use, it has been increasingly recognized as fine art by many private collectors, dealers, galleries and museums† (Meisel & Martignette:12). As the most important pinup and glamor artist of the twentieth century, Elvgren’s expertise in portraying the feminine form was extended beyond the calendar pinup industry. He was greatly influenced by the early â€Å"pretty girl† illustrators such as Charles Dana, Gibson, Andrew Loomis, and Howard Chandler Christy. The Brandywine School founded by Howard Pyle also influenced his work. Besides being a successful commercial artist in various fields, Gil Elvgren was also a professional photographer of repute. He had amazing energy and talent, and was considered as a respected and even revered teacher of students, some of whom went on to become famour artists in their own right. Elvgren’s personally rendered instruction and support was responsible to a great extent, for his students’ success (Meisel & Martignette: 13). Although Elvgren was best known for his pinups, his advertising work â€Å"depicted typical Americans, ordinary people doing everyday things† (ElvgrenPinup.com, 2010). Further, the women that the artist painted were not the femme fatale, the female adventuress, or somebody’s mistress. They reflect the girl next door whose feminine charms are innocently revealed in an unexpected instant, in what might be an embarassing situation. The artist’s supporters agree that Gil Elvgren portraying that fleeting moment when a girl is caught off guard is not only unusual, but has a sexy quality about it. Several of his paintings from the 1940s to the 1960s feature a woman doing an ordinary task such as barbecuing, watering the lawn, or shopping, when she is unprepared for a sudden gust of smoke (Fig.1), jet of water from a hose (Fig.2) or other effect which raises her skirt to reveal her stockings and garters. The woman’s expression is one of shock but never horror, with a hint of a smile â€Å"in the O of her perfectly painted lips† (Taormino: 125). Fig.1. Smoke Screen by Gil Elvgren, 1958 (The Pinup Files 1, 2011) Fig.2. A Near Miss by Gil Elvgren, 1960 (The Pinup Files 2, 2011) It is evident that the context for the scene is created by Elvgren as a pretense for the viewer to get a glimpse under the girl’s skirt. It is both voyeuristic and innocent, because it tells the viewer that he just saw something that he was not supposed to. Though occasionally, the artist has uncovered the upper part of the body, there is very little nudity in his paintings which portrayed an old fashioned naughtiness (Taormino: 125). The Contribution of PInups to World War II Wartime imagery was an anomaly, deviating from the usual norms, and more decorous due to military control over the images. Gil

Monday, August 26, 2019

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts Essay - 1

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts - Essay Example In this paper, the proponent provides the necessary recommendations for the government to consider in order continue expand Australia’s leading role in mineral extraction in the world. Keywords: mining, mineral extraction, Australia Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 Industry Gross Value Added 4 The Value of Exports 5 Operating Profit Before Tax 6 Mineral Production 7 Assessment of Mineral Extraction to Australia’s Economy 8 Domestic Issues 8 International Issues 9 Conclusion/Recommendations 10 References 12 Appendices 14 Introduction One cannot deny the fact that Australia is one of the countries with largest mineral extraction industries in the world today. It holds abundant supply of natural resources allowing it to generate a great opportunity to supply the world market as it is capable of providing affordable minerals of its own and efficient than other producers. This places Australia in the point of absolute advantage (Zhang, 2008). Furthermore, this sets Australia in the position to possibly be the unbeatable leading player in the global mineral commodities in the long run. This maximizes its potential to comparative advantage (Mudd, 2010). This information must be specifically appealing to the Australian Government, because in totality this has significant impact on its economic growth and development. Recently, Australia has continuously gained investor confidence because of its competitive business climate as revealed through its surging high foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow which doubles over five years to 2012 (Australian Trade Commission, 2013). This report is presented to the Australian Government which provides the actual assessment of the contribution of mineral extraction activity to Australia’s economy, and consideration of domestic and international issues that need to be addressed in order to maintain and expand Australia’s current position as the leading producer and exporter of minerals such as iron ore, coal and gold. The implications of these issues for Australia’s future are also included. Therefore, the work at hand provides the remarkable economic figures that will present the actual data prior to the analysis and assessment of the contribution of mineral extraction to Australia’s economy. In addition, the prevailing domestic and international issues that at some point may have strong contributions to the actual capacity of Australia to maintain its current position as a leading producer and exporter of minerals will also provide the bases of the actual recommendation for the Australian Government. Industry Gross Value Added Industry gross value added (GVA) is the contribution of an industry to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), the total production of Australia’s Mining Industry as measured by the GVA showed a positive direction from year 1989 until 2010, which was clear ly indicated by increased of 6% between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, a double increase of percentage between 1989-1990 and 2009-2010. As shown in Figure 1 in the Appendices, the graph taken from the site of Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the actual GVA of Australia’s Mining Industry in terms of volume. The information in Figure 1 reveals not just about the volume of production, but the associated positive

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Dinner Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dinner Time - Essay Example Ooh, it was that what felt so soft and tender to the touch, and salty and very mildly sweet to the taste. Mama had made me fish and chips, that had always been my favorite. I poured two large and gorgeous dollops of ketchup into the white marble plate, and helped myself to the fish and chips tray. I made a good pile of fish chops on the side of ketchup, and decorated the sides with yellow French fries. The yellow and golden meal complimented the red and white background. Nothing on Earth could be more appealing to me than what I had right in front of me! I extended my arm to pick the fork that was beside the jug, pushed it into the first chop, and pulled it to my mouth. Next second, I had it between my teeth. My mouth was full of fiber. I squeezed it between my teeth, and felt the juice watering the inside of my mouth. â€Å"Aah!† I screamed. Something just pricked the inside of my left cheek. â€Å"And what’s that?† I heard my mind voice what it felt. The next m oment, it had dissolved. It was a piece of crunch that had softly pricked me in the cheek, though I loved it for it told me, â€Å"The crunch had just been out of the oven†. I had shut my eyes close to imagine the science of flavor.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Communication with people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication with people - Essay Example The third story elaborates a persons perception about themselves while being in a relationship of any sort and holding healthy two-sided communication as an effective key of progress. The person identifies themselves as trustworthy or appearing as such so that the other person is comfortable to open up as well. The fourth story identifies everyone having the best intention but also acknowledging that this might not be the case with some people. If a person is good at his/her intentions, then it does not necessarily mean that others are good with their intentions a well. However, benefit of doubt should be given and one should believe in the goodness of everyone. The fifth story evaluates the person as someone who does not need constant communication to maintain healthy relationships. A constant need to interact digitally is not necessary in every relationship and it is sometimes good to be alone for personal reflective

Friday, August 23, 2019

To what extent did domestic political considerations shape the Johnson Essay

To what extent did domestic political considerations shape the Johnson administrations conduct of the war in Vietnam, 196568 - Essay Example This rapid change of attitudes to the war raises a number of questions. The most important of them is, perhaps, how the USA domestic affairs affected the inclination of the war in Vietnam. Apparently, President's Lyndon Johnson decision to take the United States into a large-scale in Vietnam could not be completely understood without the assessment of domestic political issues and considerations in 1960s. In this project, I will examine all domestic sources of forces as well as forces themselves that shaped to one or either way, Johnson's administration conduct of the Vietnam War. Respectively, I will focus on the 1965-1968 period of the War known as "Escalation and Americanization of Vietnam"4. While analyzing this period of War, I will evaluate the influence of Johnson's administration that determined Presidents' decisions of deployment of combat troops in July 1965, escalation of troops' involvement in 1967, and Johnson's decision to limit the bombing of Vietnam as well as his later decision not to seek reelection. Historically, there are two dominant approaches in analysis of Johnson's administration decision making regarding Vietnam War5. ... Historically, there are two dominant approaches in analysis of Johnson's administration decision making regarding Vietnam War5. One approach emphasizes Johnsons and his administration's irrationality and isolation from critique that consequently resulted in disastrous decisions about Vietnam. This approach describes Johnson as a single-minded "hawk" and extremely ambitious President reluctant to listen to the experts' views6. The second approach implies that Johnson had an access to the full range of information about Vietnam from diverse points of view, particularly from his foreign policy advisers: McGeorge Bundy, Dean Rusk, Walter Rostow and Robert McNamara, as well as from more informal ones78. This view provides a more rational view of Johnson, though makes him a hostage of his informants9. Another question under concern is the extent, to which domestic issues determined Johnson's decisions about Vietnam. In the other words, how domestic economy ("economic crisis" of 1968), growing Congressional opposition, shaping of public opinion and public riots (pacifists' movements), rapid loss of Johnson popularity, etc. determined the way of Vietnam War conduct. As Barrett (1993) believes, this "Vietnam dilemma" has significantly influenced generations of historians and political scientists10. Gulf of Tonkin incident and beginning of Johnson's Vietnam War era Until the August of 2004 Vietnam War was rather a local conflict than an issue, which further preoccupied the minds of average Americans in late 1960s. However, the attacks of Northern Vietnamese on American navies on August 2-4, 1964 prompted the large-scale involvement of American troops in the country. It is still debatable, whether Vietnamese indeed attacked US

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Stranger than fiction Essay Example for Free

Stranger than fiction Essay In the film ‘Stranger than fiction’ by Mark Fortster, the director portrays the issue of time and how it has affected the protagonist who is Harold Crick. Harold Crick is an IRS agent who lives a ‘life of solitude’ and monotony. Harold Crick lives a calculated life timed to perfection by his wrist watch. This lasted for 12 years until one regular Wednesday when he hears the voice of Karen Eiffel narrating his life. The issue of time pays such a vital role in stranger than fiction and is shown right at the start of the film but is most notably noticed when his wrist watch shuts down and leads to his ‘imminent death’. During the opening scene of the film we are introduced to Harold Crick who is described as a man of ‘infinite numbers’ and ‘endless calculations’ but also shows the importance of time. The director uses an extreme wide shot of earth zooming onto Harold’s wrist watch to portray the idea of the issue of time. The opening scene sets the scene throughout the movie. The significance of the extreme wide shot zooming onto Harold’s wrist watch is that it acts as Harold’s companion and is seen as his way to make the most out of his time. This shows how the issue of time is affecting Harold’s life even though he doesn’t know it his mundane lifestyle is only breached when the announces in a 3rd person omniscience view that his ‘seeming innocuous decision would lead to his imminent death’ when he starts to live his life to the fullest before in time he dies. The wrist watch is a very important motif throughout the movie. The wrist watch is given a persona and quote ‘his wristwatch thought it made his neck look fat but said nothing’. The wristwatch could be seen as Harold’s self-conscious but also portrays the issue of time throughout the movie. This is evident from the start of the film that it is important because of the extreme wide shot zooming onto the watch which suggests this. The watch is portrayed as the issue of time for Harold which he has relied on for 12 years but ironically cause his death. Throughout the film the director uses a narrator to portray Harold Crick’s life in a 3rd person omniscience view. This is important because it gives us an understanding of Harold’s life but also helps Harold leave his mundane lifestyle and live his life by playing guitar and dating Ana Pascal. The narrator, Karen Eiffel is known for killing her main characters so the issue of time. Because of this Harold has to try find Karen Eiffel and try to stop her from killing him. This issue of time helps Harold try new stuff and helps him have a better social life by staying with Dave and dating Ana which helps him find a new man hidden inside of him. The narrator sparks a revival in his life which he does not time every second but lives his life. During the movie ‘Stranger than Fiction’ by Mark Forster the use of extreme wide shots, motifs and a narrator helps to portray the idea of the issue of time. At the end of the movie Karen Eiffel says to Professor Jules Hilbert â€Å"A man that knows he is going to die and dies willingly, isn’t that the kind of man you want to live† shows that the issue of time didn’t shape the man, the man shaped the issue of time. The Book Thief During the novel ‘The Book Thief ‘by Markus Zusak, the Author portrays the power of words through a 10 year old girl. This girl is Leisel Meiminger a girl living in Nazi Germany who has a love of words. Leisel saw a lot as a 10 year old. She saw her brother die right I front of her, her mother abandoned her and she fell in love with words and learnt the power of words. That year she also met her foster parents Hans and Rosa Huberman. For Leisel her next 4 years are the most important of her life where she reads 14 books, her family hides a Jew and Molching, Germany gets bombed. Leisel as she gets older use words for good and bad. During her first months on Himmel Street her papa taught her how to read and write. These midnight lessons helped her to understand words. The words that she first fell in love with were the words of the fuhrer. This is shown during Leisel’s dream on the train quote â€Å"She was listening contentedly to the torrent of words that as spilling from his mouth. His sentences glowed in the light†. This dream shows how positively she views the fuhrer and shows how he had miss used words by using propaganda and now Leisel was in favor of Hitler. As Leisel matures she learns how Hitler had misused the power of words and she announces ‘’ I hate Hitler’’ this quote shows how her opinion has changed. During the bombings in 1943 Leisel learns how words can be used to calm others down. Whilst in the bomb shelter she reads her books which consequently calms everyone down which make them forget they are getting bombed. Even though she uses words for good she also uses them for bad. Her mama 2, Rosa Huberman to makes ends meet she does the washing and ironing for the rich people living in Molching. Whilst delivering and picking up washing she falls in love with the mayor’s wife’s library here she reads. This is not a relationship based on speaking it is a relationship based on words. On the day there last washing and ironing client fired them (The mayor) Leisel fires a torrent of words at the mayor’s wife â€Å"It’s about time†¦ that you do your own stinking washing anyway. It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead. He got killed† These words shows that even good people can misuse the power of words. Even though she did use them poorly she helped Ilsa Hermann sort her life out and get over the death of her son. The ideas of the power of words portrayed by Markus Zusak is still important today because they can still hurt people or heal people. Today people use words to gain power over people. Some are for good like the pope or your school principle but some are for bad like Mussolini or Hitler. Words are as powerful now as they were then but people now have more words and more ways of distributing there evil ways with words but in society there are still people like Leisel doing good with words. In the Novel ‘’The Book Thief’’ the author Markus Zusak portrays the idea of the power of words through a 10 year old girl living Nazi Germany named Leisel Meiminger. Leisel learns that words can be used for good and evil. She says â€Å"I have loved words and I have hated them but I hope I have made them right†

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Demetrius Griggs Essay Example for Free

Demetrius Griggs Essay Krak! had many symbols presented throughout the book. The symbol that held the most meaning to me while reading this book is, The Sea. The book starts at sea, with the story ‘Children of the Sea’, and the Sea proves to be very important to the people of Haiti in their struggle to escape a difficult situation. The sea is how the Haitian immigrants will travel in their attempt to escape a corrupted government. The sea becomes life and death, survival. In the story of â€Å"Children of the Sea† the sea holds lots of meaning, and the meaning is very different for each person who is out at sea. For the young man escaping after police raid his radio station, he sees the sea as opportunity. The opportunity to escape a corrupt country and continue his life, but the sea also provides heartache, as this is what separates him from the love of his life. Being at sea also gives the young man hope that one day he can make a better life for himself, as most immigrants flee to America in the hope to live a more promising life. The only way he is able to have some peace with his time at sea, is the notebook he has, where he writes to his love back at home. He tells her of the women on the boat who tell stories and sing, in an attempt to control the seasickness most of them are experiencing. He describes being at sea as lost time, stating in one of his many letters, â€Å"sometimes it feels like we have been at sea longer than the many years that I have been on this earth† (14). He is only aware that a day has passed by the raising and setting of the sun. I have always thought of the sea as something beautiful, mysterious even. The sea to me has always provided me with opportunity, the opportunity to experience something new, to explore. But this does not prove to be the same for the people on the tiny boat who are struggling to stay alive. It never occurred to me that the sea, is not always beautiful to everyone, it holds despair, fear and represents death in some cases. The scared passengers on the boats do not know what will happen until they reach land, nor do they know what will happen once they reach their destination. The fear of, how they will provide for themselves, what will they do for food, where they will live, sets in. I cannot imagine going day by day not knowing what will happen or if I will even survive to see another. I remember being so excited to come to New York for the summer before I would officially start school in the fall. It wasn’t until I was in the airport in New York that I realized I was officially on my own in a brand new city. Not knowing what the next day would hold or what I would get to experience had me a bit nervous. It was a good feeling to know I was getting to live a new life, but the uncertainty of that new life was shell shocking. However, I did have a place to stay, I knew where my food would come from, and I had the means to speak to my family whenever. These are things that I once took for granted. Knowing what was going to happen next. Along with providing opportunity for some of the passengers on the boat, the sea also symbolizes death. The sea holds the bodies of many refugees of Haiti who were not able to survive the difficult conditions of the boat. The young man is a witness of a live birth and death. Celianne is a young pregnant girl on the boat who was raped by the police of Haiti at 15 years old. As it seems she is having the worse time on the boat, not bringing any of her own food, she barely eats. The baby that she gives birth to does not survive. Having to throw her baby overboard was too much for Celianne, as she too follows her baby into the sea. â€Å" There was no question of it. The sea in that spot is like the sharks that live there. It has no mercy† (26). In â€Å"Nineteen Thirty-Seven,† the symbol of water and death is represented again. This time however a river stands in the way of life. The Massacre River is the river that separates Haiti from the Dominican Republic, a place where all Haitians living there were ordered to death. The young girl that writes the boy tells the story of going on a pilgrimage to the Massacre River with her mother and other women. She learns that her life was almost taken there, as her mother was pregnant with her. â€Å"We were saved from the tomb of this river when she was still in my womb† (40) Trying to escape the Dominican Republic to return to Haiti, many women lost there lives in that river to the El Generalissimo’s soldiers. Each year they would visit that River, dressed in white dresses to pay respect to the family members who were killed in that river, and also o remember how lucky they were to make it through the river and back to their terrifying country. The wearing of the white dress when the women would visit the Massacre River, reminds me of my family when we visit my grandfathers at their burial site. We would each wear something in memory of my grandfathers. Whether it is something he gave us, or a hat that we use to wear while watching our favorite basketball team play, we each had our own little tribute to them. The white dresses where their tribute to their lost relativities who did not make it across that river. Danticat did a great job incorporating symbols into these stories. Showing how everyday things we pay no attention too, hold so much more meaning then just what they are meant for. As Americans we see the sea and ocean as beautiful and relaxing, soothing. It is a place for us to escape our lives for a week long vacation, to have fun and forget about what is going on back home. I have never stopped to think that this does not prove to be the same for immigrants. The escape they are seeking is very different then the escape of an American on vacation. To them it is more a matter of life or death.

C-H Bending Vibrations of Benzene Rings

C-H Bending Vibrations of Benzene Rings Vibrational analysis or IR spectrum or Vibrational assignment or Analysis of vibrational spectra: C-H vibrations The C-H stretching vibration present in the hetero aromatic structure lies in the characteristic region 3100-3000cm-1, in which the bands are not affected noticeably by the nature of substituent’s. All the C-H stretching vibrations are weak in intensity. In our case the C-H stretching vibrations were observed at 3083, 3063, 3031 cm-1 in FT-IR spectrum. The calculated wavenumbers at the range 3117–3042 cm-1 (mode no’s: 174–167, 165, 163,162) are assigned to C-H stretching vibrations. All bands have very weak intensities and were obtained in the expected region. As expected, these modes are pure stretching modes as it is evident from TED column in Table 2; they almost contribute around 100%. The C-H bending vibrations of benzene rings for the title compound are observed in the range from 1100 to 1613 cm-1, however some vibrations of the title compound observed at values 1576, 1535, 1375, 1277, 1241, 1182, 1097 cm-1 respectively are mixed with CC and SO stretching vibrations. The C-H in-plane bending frequencies appear in the range 1000–1300 cm-1 and are very useful for characterization purpose Ring vibrations The ring stretching vibrations are very much important in the spectrum of aromatic compounds and are highly distinctive of the aromatic ring itself. However, empirical assignments of vibrational modes for peaks in the fingerprint region are difficult. The C=C stretching vibrations are generally observed at 1400-1600 cm-1 in benzene derivatives which are assigned to ring vibrations. In general, the bands are of variable intensity and observed at 1625–1590, 1590–1575, 1540–1470, 1460–1430 and 1380–1280 cm-1 from the frequency ranges given by Varsanyi for the five bands in the fingerprint region. In the present compound, the C=C stretching vibrations are observed at 1592, 1561 and 1464cm-1 in FTIR spectrum. The calculated theoretical values were 1584, 1576, 1562, 1553, 1552 and 1535 cm-1 by B3LYP/6-311G (d, p) method shows excellent agreement with the experimental values. The C-C stretching vibration is expected at 1450-1250cm-1. The peaks are observed at 1399 and 1375cm-1 in FTIR are assigned to C-C stretching vibrations. The calculated wave numbers at 1375, 1360, 1286, 1277, 1273, 1252, 1182, 1166, 1150 and 1010cm-1 were assigned C-C stretching vibrations by DFT Method. The C-C-C in-plane and out-of-plane bending vibrations are the modes associated with smaller force constants than the stretching ones, and hence assigned to lower frequencies. The in-plane deformation vibration is at higher frequencies than the out-of plane vibrations. Shimanouchi et al. gave the frequency data for these vibrations for different benzene derivatives as a result of normal coordinate analysis. Although some modes are missing in experimental spectrum, however, the calculated CCC in-plane and out-of-plane bending modes are found to be consistent with the recorded spectral values, as seen in Table 2. The mode no’s 40, 44, 45, 51, 60, 61, 64 and 66 were identified as C-C-C-C torsional deformation Ï„(CCCC) modes these are shown in Table 2. Methyl group vibrations The C-H asymmetric stretching vibrations of CH3 groups are expected in the range 2950-3050 cm-1 and the symmetric stretching vibrations in the range 2900-2950 cm-1 [roeges, colthup]. The calculated values of the asymmetric stretching vibrational modes of the methyl group are 3051, 3011, 3009, 2989, 2975, 2961cm-1 using DFT/B3LYP with 6-311g (d, p) basis set and observed at 2998, 2923 cm-1 in FT-IR spectrum, whereas the values of the symmetric stretching vibrational modes are 2937, 2910 and 2864 cm-1 and at 2880 and 2859cm-1 in FTIR spectrum. The symmetrical and asymmetrical bending vibration involves in-phase and out-of-phase bending of the C-H bonds. The asymmetrical deformations are expected in the range 1400-1485cm-1 [roeges]. The bands observed at 1464, 1448 cm-1 in the FT-IR spectrum are assigned as the methyl asymmetrical deformation and the calculated values are at 1448, 1438, 1437, 1431, 1428, 1426, 1423cm-1 by DFT. The methyl symmetric deformations appears with an intensity varying from medium to strong and expected in the range 1380Â ±25cm-1. These bands have been observed at 1399, 1375cm-1 in the FT-IR spectrum and calculated theoretically at 1383, 1361 cm-1. The CH3 rocking generally appears in the regions 1150Â ±30 and 875Â ±45 cm-1, the wave number is coupled to the CC stretching vibrations, which occurs in the neighborhood of 900 cm-1. The rocking modes of the CH3 group are observed at 759cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum and calculated at 1168, 1138, 1129, 1122, 1022, 1087, 969 cm-1 in DFT. The wavenumbers 115, 107,102, 82, 71 and 62 cm-1 of modes 15, 14, 13, 11, 10 and 9 are due to methyl torsion. Methylene Vibrations The stretching vibrations CH2 group is expected in the region 2900-3000 cm-1. The deformation mode of CH2 is expected in regions 1480-1400cm-1(scissoring), 1380-1150cm-1(wagging twisting) and 800-710 cm-1(rocking). In this study, the bands at 2923 and 2859cm-1 has been assigned to CH2 asymmetric and symmetric vibrations in FT-IR spectrum and computed theoretically at 3044, 2945 cm-1 by DFT. The deformation mode of CH2 are assigned at 1431, 1364, 1340, 699 cm-1 theoretically and bands are observed in the FT-IR spectrum at 1448, 1375, 710 cm-1. SO2 vibrations The asymmetric stretching for the SO2, NH2, NO2, CH2 and CH3 etc has magnitude higher than the symmetric stretching.The asymmetric and symmetric stretching modes of SO2 group appear in the region 1360-1310 cm-1 and 1165-1135 cm-1.The stretching vibrations of SO2 for sulfonamide derivatives as reported by Chohan et al. [Z.H. Chohan, M.H. Youssoufi, A. Jarrahpour, and T.B. Hadda, Eur. J. Med. Chem. 45 (2010) 1189–1199] are 1345 and 1110 cm-1 and Hangen et al [A. Hangen, A. Bodoki, L. Opren, G. Alznet, M. Liu-Gonzalez, J. Borras, Polyhedron 29 (2010) 1305–1313] at 1314, 1308, 1274, 1157, 1147, 1133cm-1 respectively. In the present study, the asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibration of SO2 group is observed as very strong peak at 1348cm-1 and 1163 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum and 1260, 1241, 1083 and 1040cm-1 theoretically assigned to SO2 stretching modes. The SO2 scissoring and wagging vibrations occur in the range 570Â ±60cm-1 and 520Â ±40cm-1. The corresponding bands are observed for the title compound at 544cm-1 and 499cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum. Carbonyl ester group vibration The carbonyl compound are added functional group includes the C=O bond, also provide very profound contributions to the spectrum. The C=O stretching vibration exhibits a strong band in the region 1600-1750 cm-1. For the title compound , the stretching vibration of C=O is characterized by very strong peak appearing at 1727 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum and at 1721cm-1 theoretically which shows a perfect agreement with experimental result. Methyl ester has the strong absorption bands about the C–O asymmetric stretching modes at 1315–1195 cm−1 and symmetric stretching modes at 1096–900 cm−1. In present case, the strong peak is observed for C-O-C stretching vibrations at 1257 cm-1 and 961 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum, corresponding to the computed wavenumber 1225cm-1 and 954cm-1, is assigned to the C-O-C stretching vibration. The band at 961 cm−1 in FT-IR spectrum has been assigned to O–CH3 stretching mode. The band at 857(818) cm−1 in FT-IR spectrum is assigned to C–O–C in-plane deformation mode. The band at 784(760) cm−1 in IR spectrum is out-plane deformation mode. The methyl ester has also two characterized vibration modes in 530–340 cm−1 and 390–250 cm−1 region, corresponding to the CO–O rocking and COC deformation. The DFT calculation gives CO-O rocking and COC deformation at 354 and 242 cm-1. C-S, S-N, N-C and ON vibrations C-Cl vibration The C-Cl bonds are formed in benzene ring in place of hydrogen atoms. The stretching vibration is observed in the strong bands at 760-370cm-1. Since, the title compound has two chlorine atoms, the C-Cl stretching vibrations are observed at 757 cm-1,733 cm-1 in FTIR spectrum. The theoretically calculated values by B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) method at 743 cm-1 , 724 cm-1 and 380 cm-1 is assigned to C-Cl Stretching vibrations is coincides very well with the experimental value. Due to longer bond length() of C-Cl reduction in force constant occurs and C-Cl stretching falls in the lower frequency region.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Essay --

Candide is a famous French satire written by French philosopher, Voltaire. In this satire, Voltaire humorously ridicules Leibniz’s belief of optimism, the violence the military employ during war and the hypocrisy of religion. This essay aims to describe some of the techniques that Voltaire uses to satirize Leibniz through the character of Pangloss, the military through the Bulgarian War, and religious figures through the hypocrisy of the Grand Inquisitor and the Friar, showing how the humor is achieved in the description of the characters. One of the ‘important’ figures Voltaire satirizes would be Leibniz and his theory of philosophical optimism. According to Leibniz, we live in â€Å"the best of all possible worlds† and Voltaire ridicules this in his novel by introducing the character of Pangloss who also believed that â€Å"things cannot be otherwise than they are: for all being created for an end, all is necessarily for the best end.† (Chapter 1, p1) Throughout this novel, no matter the misfortunes Pangloss encounters, he would defend optimism by claiming, â€Å"all is for the best† then continue to justify the possible reasons for such an occurrence. One prominent example would be when Pangloss had unfortunately contracted syphilis from Paquetta, yet he reasoned that â€Å"it was a thing unavoidable, a necessary ingredient in the best of worlds; for if Columbus had not caught in an island in America this disease, which contaminates the source of generation, and frequently impedes propagation itself, and is evidently opposed to the great end of nature, we should have had neither chocolate nor cochineal.† (Chapter 4, p8) The foolishness and incessant belief of Pangloss' optimism is thoroughly displayed here as Voltaire uses the technique of irony ... ...ous figures in Candide seem to almost all be corrupted and deceitful with the exception of a few like Jacques, and the characters in Candide seem to be accustomed to such occurrences, displaying little shock at their ‘unholy’ behavior. Such a manner of portraying these characters further enunciates Voltaire’s view on various religious people. In conclusion, through techniques such as irony, exaggeration, parody and understatement, Voltaire effectively satirizes Leibniz, the military and religious figures, mocking Leibniz’s philosophy of optimism, disapproving the brutality of the military and criticizing the hypocrisy of religious figures. Humor was achieved through the irony and exaggeration he cleverly wove into his novel, making it much easier for the readers to swallow despite the novel being highly critical of his modern society, addressing many serious issues.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Management and Leadership Essay -- Manager Business Leading Essays Lea

Management and Leadership Within the organizational structure of most businesses you will likely find management and leadership coexisting. Commonly, the words are often substituted for one another. However, each word has a distinctly different definition. A manager does not necessarily make a good manager. Management is defined as those individuals in an organization that have the authority and the responsibility to manage the organization through the control of production processes and ensuring that they operate efficiently and effectively. Leadership is defined as the skills and ability to set future goals in accordance with the organizational goals and to communicate those goals to other employees in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the benefit of the organization. In this paper, I will differentiate between management and leadership. Any organization needs to be managed, even a one-person company has to be managed. A manager has four key responsibilities: 1) planning, 2) organizing, 3) leading, and 4) controlling. Management can also be defined as the function that determines how the organization?s human, financial, physical, informational, and technical resources are arranged and coordinated to perform tasks towards achievement of strategic goals. Leadership implies that the manager has fundamental knowledge about critical processes. A leader is focused on ensuring the creation of strategies, systems, and methods for achieving excellence and building knowledge and capabilities. Leaders are focused more on creating an enthusiastic work environment for all of a company?s employees. In other words leadership is to help people do a better job through coaching, facilitating, and by creating environments that support the aim of the organization. Leadership is the ability of a manager to train employees, remove institutional roadblocks, and empower employees. (Stern and Kren, 2002). The common thread in differentiating between management and leadership seems to be that management is more involved with monitoring the details of the daily operations and leadership is about invoking the changes necessary to continuously move towards an organization?s vision. I have also found that in all of the success stories read, the common points are that the leaders took a different approach into the... ... successful. I attribute the main reason to the fact that they are in control of the reward along with the recognition. In summary, management is about control through a series of control mechanisms and although leadership is one of the four principles of management, leadership is a combination of personal traits and skills that directly affects the opinions and attitudes of people, leading to changes in behavior. A person can be an effective manager but that does not necessarily make that person an effective leader. Leadership is about insight towards the future and helping individual employees and groups of employees to accept uncertainty, because they have confidence that the leader will provide solutions to any problems that may arise. References Stern, Kenneth and Kren, Lawrence (2004, December 9). Machine design. Know and grow. Retrieved January 17, 2005, from University of Phoenix Online, ProQuest Database Website: http://web22.epnet.com/externalframe. asp?tb=1&_ug=sid+553EA1C5%2D2133%2D4C4D%2D976B%2D01F560CA7714%40sessionmgr4+dbs+aph%2Cf5h%2Cbuh%2Cawh%2Cufh+cp+1+6C31&_us=hs+False+or+Date+ss+SO+sm+KS+sl+%2D1+dstb+KS+ri+KAAACBSC00041487+ED56&_uso=tg%5B0+%2D+db Management and Leadership Essay -- Manager Business Leading Essays Lea Management and Leadership Within the organizational structure of most businesses you will likely find management and leadership coexisting. Commonly, the words are often substituted for one another. However, each word has a distinctly different definition. A manager does not necessarily make a good manager. Management is defined as those individuals in an organization that have the authority and the responsibility to manage the organization through the control of production processes and ensuring that they operate efficiently and effectively. Leadership is defined as the skills and ability to set future goals in accordance with the organizational goals and to communicate those goals to other employees in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the benefit of the organization. In this paper, I will differentiate between management and leadership. Any organization needs to be managed, even a one-person company has to be managed. A manager has four key responsibilities: 1) planning, 2) organizing, 3) leading, and 4) controlling. Management can also be defined as the function that determines how the organization?s human, financial, physical, informational, and technical resources are arranged and coordinated to perform tasks towards achievement of strategic goals. Leadership implies that the manager has fundamental knowledge about critical processes. A leader is focused on ensuring the creation of strategies, systems, and methods for achieving excellence and building knowledge and capabilities. Leaders are focused more on creating an enthusiastic work environment for all of a company?s employees. In other words leadership is to help people do a better job through coaching, facilitating, and by creating environments that support the aim of the organization. Leadership is the ability of a manager to train employees, remove institutional roadblocks, and empower employees. (Stern and Kren, 2002). The common thread in differentiating between management and leadership seems to be that management is more involved with monitoring the details of the daily operations and leadership is about invoking the changes necessary to continuously move towards an organization?s vision. I have also found that in all of the success stories read, the common points are that the leaders took a different approach into the... ... successful. I attribute the main reason to the fact that they are in control of the reward along with the recognition. In summary, management is about control through a series of control mechanisms and although leadership is one of the four principles of management, leadership is a combination of personal traits and skills that directly affects the opinions and attitudes of people, leading to changes in behavior. A person can be an effective manager but that does not necessarily make that person an effective leader. Leadership is about insight towards the future and helping individual employees and groups of employees to accept uncertainty, because they have confidence that the leader will provide solutions to any problems that may arise. References Stern, Kenneth and Kren, Lawrence (2004, December 9). Machine design. Know and grow. Retrieved January 17, 2005, from University of Phoenix Online, ProQuest Database Website: http://web22.epnet.com/externalframe. asp?tb=1&_ug=sid+553EA1C5%2D2133%2D4C4D%2D976B%2D01F560CA7714%40sessionmgr4+dbs+aph%2Cf5h%2Cbuh%2Cawh%2Cufh+cp+1+6C31&_us=hs+False+or+Date+ss+SO+sm+KS+sl+%2D1+dstb+KS+ri+KAAACBSC00041487+ED56&_uso=tg%5B0+%2D+db

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Investment Industry :: essays research papers

The Investment Industry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The investment industry is composed of a wide variety of firms. The main players include independent full line brokerage firms, investment bank subsidiaries of chartered banks, and discount brokers. Independent full line brokerage firms offer a wide range of services, including underwriting, trading of stocks, advice and research. In essence, the full service brokerage subsidiaries of chartered banks offer the same services, however, banks' brokerage firms may have a larger pre-established clientele. Finally, the discount brokers are basic stock brokers that perform trades for clients who do not want investment advice. Usually, this service is targeted toward the sophisticated investor who does his/her own research to incur minimal commission fees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Banks entered the investment industry in 1987, whereby they took over full-service brokerages, introduced mutual funds to the banking industry and became part of discount brokering. From this time on, chartered banks have expanded their dominance in the industry by acquiring key players in the industry or branching off into full brokerage services. For example, the brokerage firms for CIBC, Royal Bank, Toronto Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia and Bank of Montreal are Wood Gundy, RBC Dominion, Evergreen, Scotia McLeod and Nesbitt Burns respectively. In addition, the aforementioned chartered banks have also branched into the discount brokerage sector.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As of December 1994, the Securities Industry as a whole included 158 firms, directly employs over 24,000 people, has operating revenue of $5.1 Billion and operating profit of $1.2 Billion (Appendix A). Within this industry the largest firms ranked by revenue are: RBC Dominion Securities ($1 Billion), Midland Walwyn ($480 million), Burns Fry ($416 million) and Nesbitt Thomson ($335 million) (Appendix B). It is evident that the industry is highly concentrated in a small number of companies. The top 4 leaders in the industry accounted for 44% of revenue, while the top 8 was 51%.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Industry information from 1993 displays further segregation, between retail, institutional and integrated firms. Integrated retail-institutionalized firms (RBC Dominion Securities, Scotia McLeod, Nesbitt Thomson, Wood Gundy) made up 66% of the industry's revenue, while strictly institutional firms (First Marathon Securities, Gordon Capital Corp. and Loewer Ondaatje McCutcheon Ltd.) made up 21% and Retail firms (Green Line Investor Services Inc.), 15% (Appendix C). The following analysis will outline the investment dealer's industry, specifically the life cycle, critical success factor, strengths, weaknesses, target markets and profitability. Life Cycle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The demand for investment financial services is expanding. This becomes evident by examining the average increase in revenue which has occurred over the 1990-1994, 5 year span. This amounts to a 114% increase in revenue, ($2.4 Billion and $5.13 Billion), (Appendix A). An additional indication of growth in the investment industry is the fact that the number of firms in the industry has

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Indian Film Industry Bollywood Essay

The entertainment industry in India has outperformed the economy and is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. However, it registered a moderate growth of over 6 per cent in 200.The industry is expected to grow from Rs. 166 billion (U.S. $ 3.45 billion) to Rs. 419 billion(U.S. $ 8.72 billion) by the year 2007. Film entertainment is the most popular form of entertainment and it is this undiminished passion through the decades that has driven India to become the largest producer of films in the world. Since 1931, when talkies were introduced in the country, the film industry has produced more than 67,000 films in more than 30 different languages and dialects. The film industry recorded a loss of Rs. 3 billion (U.S. $ 62.5 million) in gross revenues of Rs 39 billion (U.S. $ 812.5 million) in 2002. But, it is expected to grow annually by 19 per cent to reach Rs. 93 billion (U.S. $ 1.93 billion) by 2007. The industry produced 1200 films in 2002, and 1,013 films in 2001, up from 855 films in 2000. While Hindi films continued to be the largest segment in 2001 (23 per cent share), south Indian language films (Telegu, Tamil and Malyalam) have seen growth in their shares. India’s movie industry is a great sector for foreign investment by corporatized entertainment companies. Though risks are high on a per-movie basis, the risk spreads out across a number of films. However, the domestic filmmaking industry, despite its profligacy, is yet to acquire the character of professionalism on a large scale. BRIEF HISTORY OF INDIAN MOVIE INDUSTRY When the Lumiere Brothers’ first films were shown at Bombay’s Watson’s Hotel in 1895 or when Dadasaheb Phalke released his epochal feature film Raja Harischandra in 1913, it is unlikely that either the exhibitors or the pioneer film maker realised they were unleashing a mass entertainment medium that would hold millions in sway for the next hundred years; that they were spawning an industry that in years to come would overtake the rest of the  world in film production! For most Indians, cinema is integral to their lives; it is not a distant, two to three hour distraction, but a vicarious lifestyle for them. The large screen provides an alternative, an escape from the realities of day-to-day life. The protagonists are totally identified with, the hero is applauded, the virtuous is worshipped and the villain is condemned. The actors and actresses are household names; there is no escaping their omnipresence, from the Paanwala (betel vendor) to the most revered Indian painter – they are all caught up with the magnetism of screen personalities. A study of the vicissitudes of Indian cinema would throw light on the progress of technology, especially cinematography, and the changing political scene and social mores and attitudes. The silent films launched by Phalke, which had titles in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu, by and large related to myths and legends. The stories were familiar to the audience and required minimum commentary. Historicals also proved very popular; Harsh, Chandragupta, Ashoka and the Mughal and Maratha kings strode the silver screen amidst cardboard pillars and in tinsel costumes. Strangely enough, while in the nineties we are still arguing over whether or not ‘kissing’ should be shown on screen, in the first decade of Indian cinema, with the British paying scant attention to censorship except when the Establishment was attacked in any way; leading heroines of the day kissed their leading men without inhibitions, like Lalita Pawar in Pati Bhakti (1922)! With the advent of Gandhiji came the plea for according a better status to women, the removal of untouchability and a cry for religious harmony. The silent era of Hiralal Sen, Baburao Painter and R. Nataraja Mudaliar came to an end when Adershir M. Irani produced his first talkie, Alam Ara in 1931. If Phalke was the father of Indian cinema, Irani was the father of the talkie. The classic Hollywood musical Singing in the Rain exemplifies the cynicism with which people first regarded the talking movie and this holds good for India too. There were too many gargantuan problems to be tackled; there were no dialogue writers, no lyricists; songs had to be sung during the filming as prerecording facilities were yet unknown. Minimum instruments  were used as the instrumentalists had to be camouflaged behind the singer. A quaint story goes that during the filming of a song the actress was getting agitated as the tabla beat was too fast. Finally the shooting had to be stopped and a hapless tabla player was pulled out of the pool where he had been hidden. â€Å"What can I do,† he cried, â€Å"a fish got into my dhoti (loin cloth)†. But the talking film had come to stay. Considering that even the silent film had a preponderance of songs, the talkie came to be more of a single; the heroes and heroines sang their way through the three-four hour movie. Histrionics and appearances counted less; a singing talent was all that mattered. To this day the Indian film song has a unique thrall. The music director, the song writer and the playback singers have an unparalleled status in India’s cinema. If Bombay was the hub of early cinema the other centres were not far behind; Calcutta and Madras with their own patriarchs were also making path-breaking films. Chandidas a film glorifying the Bhakti movement and castigating casteism, directed by Debaki Bose in 1932 for New Theatres, was lauded for its use of background music and dramatic narrative. K. Subrahmanyam’s Thyaga Bhoomi (1939) and Seva Sadan both advocated women’s rights and self-dependence. Seva Sadan also introduced to the world through the silver screen, the great singer M.S. Subbalakshmi, who came to be immortalised for her role in and as the poet-saint Meera both in Hindi and Tamil. While it is almost impossible to even list all the luminaries of Indian cinema over ten decades, the Wadia Brothers deserve special mention, before going into the different genres. JBH and Homi Wadia were the forerunners of the stunt film – the thirties was a period in Indian cinema when ‘Wadia’ and ‘Nadia’ were synonymous. Australian by birth, Mary Evans came to India with a dance troupe. She was asked to do a number for JBH’s Noor-e-Yman; she changed her name to Nadia. â€Å"Besides being a lucky name, it rhymes with Wadia†, she is reported to have said, and through various circumstances she became stunt actress for the Wadias, earning the sobriquet â€Å"Fearless Nadia†. The Wadias had a fixation for trains and made a number of films titled,  Toofan Mail, Flying Ranee, Punjab Mail and so on. Nadia got so used to sitting on roof top of trains for her stunts that she became reluctant to step off and even demanded her lunch be sent up! The true stunt woman, she grappled with a lion, did the trapeze, carried a calf and a man over running trains – it is unlikely there could ever be another actress like Nadia. She married Homi in 1960, and breathed her last recently. The forties was a tumultuous decade; the first half was ravaged by war and the second saw drastic political changes all over the world. Film-makers delved into contemporary themes. V. Shantaram, the doyen of lyrical films, made Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani – a tribute to Dr. Dwaraknath Kotnis who went out with a medical team to China and died there. Shantaram’s other films were reformist but visually appealing, like, Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Pinjra, Chaani. But there were films where pure artistic merit supersedes social message as in Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje and Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne. South Indian films also gained great footing. AVM and Gemini were two of the most prolific producers turning out social drama in the South Indian languages as well as in Hindi. While the thespian actor Shivaji Ganesan delivered mind boggling soliloquies on screen, many of the politically inclined writers and actors of the south Indian screen began to use the medium for reaching out to people. The DMK stalwarts, Annadurai, Karunanidhi and MG Ramachandran did not even resort to subtlety. â€Å"Naan anaittal adu nadandu vital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  sang MGR, (if I could be the decision maker, the poor of this world will not suffer†¦.†). The very titles of the films were chosen with care; Rickshakaran (Rickshaw Driver), Muttukara Velan (cowherd Velan) and En Kadamai (my duty) to convey his identification with the masses. No wonder he was hailed Makkal Thilagam (gem amongst people). Just how effective was the use of the medium was amply proved with the party coming to power and MGR getting voted Chief Minister of the state. The other star who used the screen image to great advantage was N.T. Rama Rao of Andhra Pradesh. The veritable screen god, NTR played the role so often that he began believing in his divinity. Apparently so did a lot of other people in Andhra, which is why we had a second screen hero from south as Chief Minister. While the south was busy wooing the public for votes, Bombay was either turning out escapist fare, light, happy, musical films with Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, Nargis, Madhubala, Nutan, Geeta Bali, Mala Sinha and others or gave the audience absolute tear jerkers with social melodrama. This was the golden era of music. Shankar- Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Madan Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Salil Chaudhury, Naushad, S.D. Burman – all had their distinctive sway. Each vied with the other to produce some of the most unforgettable melodies India has ever known. This was also the age of innocence; the screen was black and white, the vamp and the heroine did not merge, they had their domains, there were no shades to the hero, a man was all good or rotten to the core. No double entendres were woven into the songs and even the vamp was decently attired on the screen. This was the era of Raj Kapoor, of Shree 420, Awara, Boot Polish, Jagte Raho, Chori Chori and of course his magnum opus Mera Naam Joker – he was still making and acting in enduring films, the tramp who is not able to cope with the pace of the world. He caught up with times and his films changed with Sangam, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Dilip Kumar and Guru Dutt were excellent foils to the chocolate-faced heroes as tragedy kings. So were Meena Kumari and Bina Rai amongst the heroines. But such was their versatility that they could also carry off comedy effectively. Two outstanding Hindi films of the fifties that deserve mention are K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (took 14 years to make and is one of the most lavishly produced historical of Indian cinema) and Mehboob Khan’s Mother India, which is said to have gained the status of Gone With the Wind. In the meantime in Bengal, the man who was to take Indian cinema to the international arena and win accolades from the greatest film- makers, Satyajit Ray, released his first film, Pather Panchali (1955). After his trilogy there was no looking back for him or for cinema from Bengal. Mrinal Sen conveyed his quiet commitment to socialism through films like Calcutta, Oka Orie Katha (Telugu) and Bhuvan Shome. Director Ritwik Ghatak gave us memorable films Meghe Dhaka Tara and Subarnarekha. Although Bengal also came up with films that asked for a willing suspension of disbelief, these were  exceptions rather than the rule as in Bombay films, where the Mukherjis, Sippys, Chopras, Chakraborty and Manmohan Desai produced one bonanza after another for the masses and laughed all the way to their banks. There was no market for serious films, it was felt, and the classics that failed to break even like Guru Dutt’s Kagaz ke Phool and Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker, only strengthened the conviction. The former committed suicide and the latter resorted to the populist fare with Bobby. It was only after the government set up the Film Finance Corporation (FFC, which in 1980 came to be known as NFDC i.e. National Film Development Corporation) that several small but serious film makers got the wherewithal to make films, notable among them being Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani and GV Iyer (with his maiden venture in Sanskrit, Adi Sankaracharya). The Corporation also partnered the making of Attenborough’s Gandhi and financed Satyajit Ray’s Ghare Baire which was to be one of the last films of the master. Like cinema in Bengal, Malayalam cinema too was meaningful but it took a longer time to get noticed. In fact it was Ramu Kariat’s melodious tragedy Chemmeen winning the President’s gold medal in 1965 that drew attention to Malayalam cinema. Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Swayamvaram) and others all gained similar recognition in the years to come. With actor Prem Nazir doing stellar roles in a record breaking 600 films, Malayalam films have come to be characterised by simple narration of powerful stories, authentic locales and low cost production. The Karanth (BV) – Karnad (Girish) combine have produced two milestone Kannada films Vamsa Vriksha and Samskara, both essentially iconoclast in treatment. Though much talked about, the critique of caste brahmins, the theme of both films was later seen to be rather extreme. In this context it is worthwhile to mention two films made in Tamil on the same subject. Vedam Pudithu directed by P. Bharatiraja and Ore Oru Gramathile by K. Jyothi Pandyan. Both carried strong indictments against caste hierarchy and the common man’s struggle to overcome it, but retained a balance – rather unusual for Tamil films. With government funds available for making films, the seventies saw an unhealthy divide between the existing commercial or mainstream cinema and the new parallel cinema or art films. The former was condemned unequivocally by the critics but continued to fill the coffers while the latter got rave reviews, bewildered the masses and created deep dents in government resources. Fortunately this situation did not last long, for soon there came a crop of film makers who realised that meaningful films need not necessarily incur heavy losses. Shyam Benegal, (Ankur, Nishant, Manthan) proved that there was an audience for films without frills but with a strong story and interesting narration. Govind Nihalani, Jabbar Patel, Mahesh Bhatt, K. Balachander, Bharati Raja, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, all fell into this category. Around this time, the singular phenomenon, the angry young man with his dark looks, smouldering eyes and mesmerising voice, Amitabh Bachchan, began to stride the scene like a colossus. He introduced to cinema for the first time as a cult, the negative or the anti-hero. Special screen plays were written for this hero seeking vengeance and taking on single-handed an unsympathetic establishment and inadequate legal system. The eighties saw the advent of women film makers, Vijaya Mehta (Rao Sabeb), Aparna Sen (36, Chowringhee Lane, Paroma), Sai Paranjpye (Chashme Baddoor, Katha, Sparsh), Kalpana Lajmi (Ek Pal and, later the much acclaimed Rudali), Prema Karanth (Phaniamma) and Meera Nair (Salaam Bombay). The most commendable thing about these directors is their individuality. Their films have strong content and are told with passion, (only Sai has tackled light hearted subjects). In the nineties, Indian cinema faces tough competition from television; the cable network gives viewers any number of channels and though the most popular channels continue to be the film-based ones, the cinema halls have taken a beating. Nevertheless, films like Aditya Chopra’s maiden effort, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Suraj Barjatya’s Hum Aapke Hain Kaun have broken all records, because they recall the innocence of the fifties, a novelty in this age of sex and violence. This gives hope. Cinema in India can never cease, it has gone too deep into our psyche. It may undergo several reverses in fortune. With other mediums opening up, there will be a smaller market for films. Living as we are in a global village today, we are becoming a more discerning audience. No longer are we going to lap up every mediocre fare dished out by the moghuls of cinema; only the best will survive. And this is just as well.

Friday, August 16, 2019

How far can Shakespeare’s presentation of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth be seen as typical of their gender? Essay

Shakespeare’s plays were written in a period of time, which we relate to people from by calling them ‘Elizabethans’. However ‘Macbeth’ was written in 1606, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I during the kingship of the newly appointed James VI of Scotland (now James I of England). The play was written with the new king in mind and was based around the chronicles of Scotland. Despite this, Shakespeare still changed details within the chronicles, for instance, Banquo within the real story was actually guilty, but being an ancestor of King James, within the play he made him into an innocent character. Religion although not being mentioned much in ‘Macbeth’, the play still relates to evil and spirits which Lady Macbeth also relates to within the play. During this period of time women would be persecuted for this so in a way she goes against all aspects of the typical women. Within the time it was written James I believed of ‘the divine rights of kings’, this basically states how that of the Gods appoints kings, being in a time of great religion many men would have also thought this. Macbeth however obviously doesn’t as he kills Duncan to become the king. It is debatable how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be seen as typical of their gender as they change so much within the play. During the play they seem to swap roles as one becomes strong the other becomes week. Macbeth is first heard of by ‘the captain’, he reports to Duncan of how he ‘bravely’ rips Macdonwald open from the navel to jaw. However by the end of the play no-one has a good word to say about him, changes like this occur many times within the play as during this period from a ‘hero’ to a ‘butcher’, Macbeths manly hood goes the opposite way from being ‘scared’ to taking everything in his own hands. Lady Macbeth on the other hand seems to go the complete opposite way to Macbeth altogether, she starts the play as a commanding, strong and in charge women whereas by the end of the play she is in so much self guilt that we here that she takes her own life as the her past sins are to much to take. The first major talking point towards the two’s gender issues comes prior to the murder of king Duncan. When Macbeth first thinks about the murder (Act1 Scene3 Lines 134-42) he states how â€Å"whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs† basically meaning he is terrified of what he is thinking of but then says how fantastical it would be. Apart from this thought I don’t believe he has the ‘guts’ to commit the murder and just the thought of killing â€Å"shakes his single state of man† until Lady Macbeth steps in. She takes full control of the situation and at times seems more of the man than Macbeth. Lady Macbeth uses the fact that she sees Macbeth as frail and ‘petty’ and challenges this manhood of his. In an attempt to convince him to kill the King (Act1 Scene 7) she challenges him by calling him a â€Å"coward†.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Sales Management Project Report

We were tasked with interviewing the sales manager of a firm, in order to analyze the working of their sales department. We chose Atlas Honda as our company for this project and secured an interview with their sales manager, and questioned him in detail about the operational procedures of the sales department of Atlas Honda. This report contains his responses that shed light on the workings of Atlas Honda’s sales force, as well as our evaluation of their sales operations.Selected CompanyAtlas Honda is a joint venture between Atlas Group of Pakistan and Honda Motor Company of Japan. We chose Atlas Honda as it is the market leader of motorcycles in Pakistan, and thus conducts hefty sales of motorcycles every month, employing a number of effective sales techniques in order to make new customers and to retain old customers.When asked why he chose to pursue a career in sales, he expressed his gratification in working to achieve a target of sales against his competitors, the incenti ves offered for achieving more than the target, and the freedom and travel opportunities that only a sales job could provide. His philosophy regarding his sales career resides in giving a proper product to the customer for the money spent by him, and to create customer lifetime value and build long-term relationships with customers.InterviewQ1. How do you see the marketplace today-changes and trends? Ans. â€Å"In terms of motorbikes, there has not been much of a change in the market in reference to commuter bikes, hence little changes have been made to the existing CD70 model as it is still used as a simple commuter motorcycle. The CD125 model has received a deluxe edition, giving it a sporty look to appeal to more image conscious segment.The Pridor was introduced as a 100cc sporty bike, targeted at customers who wanted something in between the existing 70cc and 125cc motorcycles. The most significant change in the market has been the developing interest in sports bikes. To meet t his new growing  segment in the market, we have launched the Honda CBR150 and Honda CBR500 sports bikes. Atlas Honda closely observes market changes and trends and adjusts its product line accordingly.†Q2. How do you view the importance of cultural diversity in the marketplace? Ans. â€Å"Here in Pakistan when we talk about cultural diversity, it is not particularly significant in terms of commuter motorcycles, as customers looking for commuting motorcycles generally have the same needs such as low price and economical fuel consumption, making the difference in culture largely irrelevant. However, diversity in culture has led to a new market of customers who want high-performance sports and are willing to pay more, a market that we have tapped with the launch of the CBR150 and CBR500.†Q3. How do you define the role of sales support? How important are ethics? Ans. â€Å"Sales support forms an important part of the sales department here at Atlas Honda. They assist the salespersons by various means, such as market research, lead generation, making travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, sending out sales materials and review and reporting of sales. As for ethics, we have always believed in serving the customer in the best possible way so as to cultivate long-term relationships.†Q4. How do you expect sales force to follow a sales process? Ans. â€Å"The sales process followed consists of an initial contact, an approach where needs of the customer is evaluated, followed by a presentation or proposition, finalizing the sale, and lastly follow up. Salespersons are encouraged to close sales using minimum amount of resources and with minimum sales calls.†Q5. How do you organize the sales force-is it local or centralized? Ans. â€Å"Organization of sales force is localized, that is to say that it is decided upon by the regional sales managers, who assign the number of salespersons to specific areas based in the amount of current and poten tial customers.†Q6. How do you select salespersons when positions become vacant? Ans. â€Å"Our Human Resource department is responsible for hiring of new salespersons. They prepare a list of candidates and determine which candidates are most  suitable for the position through interviews. Salespersons with prior experience are naturally given preference, however we also take fresh graduates, in which case they undergo a short period of training before starting work.† Q7. How do you train new personnel? Train experienced salespersons?Ans. â€Å"Our training here is very strong because Atlas Group believes very strongly in development of human resources. The more effort is put into developing our human resources the more the company will grow. We generally avoid hiring people from the top universities. Instead, we take mediocre students who are willing to learn and work hard. In this company there is much to learn and we provide training for new employees. As for train ing experienced personnel, every year we send our employees to study at IBA and LUMS.Additionally, every year one person is selected to study at Harvard University. So training and development is constantly observed here. Here we have SAP system in our computers and for human resource we have HAY system. So every person is evaluated quarterly and then half yearly and then yearly. Then the company goes over their weaknesses and provides relevant training and coaching to overcome their limitations.†Q8. How do you select and interact with partners? Determine sales force size? Ans. â€Å"We have a system in which we divide Pakistan 7 regions. Every region has a head called Regional Manager. Then above him there is a National Manager. Then there is General Manager Marketing. Then Vice President Marketing. And then there is CEO. Every region has a geographical distribution in which there may be four or five territories according to that area. We make territories under the regions. In every territory under the Regional Managers there is a Head of Sales, a Head of Services and a Head of Parts.† Q9. How do you motivate the sales force? Use monetary and non-monetary incentives?Perceived success of these actions? Ans. â€Å"There is a monthly target which the salesperson has to achieve and upon achieving that target he gets an annual raise. We use a scale to classify how good a salesperson is at closing sales. If he is close to the target that means its fair. If he achieves his targets that means his is good. If he goes 10% above his target that means he is very good. If he goes beyond that then it means that he is outstanding.So basically there are four categories on which a salesperson is evaluated for the raise in his salary; fair, good,  very good, excellent. Additionally, the advantage for salespeople is that after a year or two there are foreign vacations awarded to them. They may win by achieving the most sales. They are sent to places like Europe, Brazil etc. They get extra money for it in addition to the vacation to enjoy and relax.†Q10. How do you reimburse the sales force for expenses?Ans. â€Å"Laws are defined here for the reimbursement of expenses. No one is allowed to interfere whether it may be Vice President or General Manager. The laws defined here are working on two systems. The first is called Management Executive Committee (MEC). Then there is Group Executive Committee (GEC). Only GEC has the right to change laws because only high profile members are allowed in it. So everything is defined.Every person has a grade wise allowance. Kilometers are standardized. Whether a General Manager uses it or may it be an ordinary sales representative. It is already defined that a particular amount per kilometer would be paid when travelled. If he has to stay overnight then there is hotel allowance. If there is no hotel then there is an independent allowance given to that person. So a healthy amount of incentives are gi ven and they are clearly defined and no one can misuse them.†Q11. How do you evaluate the sales force? Frequency and methods? Ans. â€Å"As I have mentioned we have got HAY system in which objectives are defined. They are evaluated on quarterly, half yearly and yearly basis. After three months an analysis is done on the objective to check whether that salesperson is achieving his target or not. We work on a PDCA format which is Plan Do Check Action. We see whether the targets are being achieved or not. If they are, then good.If not, then we examine targets are not being achieved. What were the problems faced and how can we counter them? This is PDCA. Every person’s job is defined. What he has to do, what he doesn’t, and his responsibilities. He knows the result that he has to produce after a year. Hence, salespersons are evaluated on their achievement of target sales.†Q12. How do you play a role in forecasting? What methods are utilized? Ans. â€Å"For fo recasting basically two methods are used. One of them is by using  historical growth data. We take the data of last three years, sum it up and forecast the market growth. Then there are assumptions and usage of alpha. Factors like history, assumption and the economy are always studied closely when forecasting.†Q13. How do you contribute to the firm’s strategies and annual planning? Ans. â€Å"As a sales manager, the forecasts that are generated by my department affect the company’s strategies and operations. For example, new strategies may need to be formulated when attempting to penetrate new markets, or when introducing new products into existing markets. Forecasts of sales also affect the company, for example if forecasts show an increase in sales, then more salespersons may need to be hired.†Q14. How do you utilize CRM and practice relationship marketing? Ans. â€Å"It has been almost 50 years since people are related to this company. By this you ca n imagine the worth of the company. Atlas Honda has worked hard to develop brand loyalty with its customers. We are providing our customers with services throughout Pakistan. There is hardly a single town where you cannot find a Honda service facility. Almost every city has got Honda’s sales dealerships. At this very moment there are 650 dealers across Pakistan. Then we have developed the 5S concept as opposed to the 3S concept.Normally companies provide only 3S that is Sales, Service and Spare parts. But in addition to that we also provide additional Second exchange which means you can trade in your old motorcycle for a new one. Then there is Safety. Then to satisfy the customers we have customer care department. There’s a telephonic department which takes care of the customers. We are going to introduce new CRM software next month. If you buy a motorcycle today all your information will be entered. Previous issues will also be displayed in it. You would be greeted by your name upon calling the department and your picture will also be shown.†Q15. How have you successfully managed portfolio of products? Ans. â€Å"We currently have 7 models in production. Everything is controlled by the General Manager. We have a very big setup. A very vast one. There are many things under the General Manager which are being monitored by different  people. We have a department of product planning. All the pros and cons of all models are discussed there. Then the marketing department is also related to them.They decide the best way to sell the product. There are no bookish systems here in this company as you study in the university. Many of the books and theories that you have studied, you won’t find them here. We have got a very straight system here. There’s only one channel of distribution. The company makes the product and then gives it to the dealer. There is no such thing as sales dealer or this and that dealer. More than 90% of the pla nning done here is successful.†EvaluationQ1. How effective is this sales manager? Ans. He is a very effective sales manager. He has effectively organized the sales force in such a way so that no territory is left out. He is vigilant about providing training to employees so that their skills may be developed and they are able to work to their full potential. He is a good leader and actively motivates his sales force to achieve their targets and instructs his sales force to foster long term relationships with their customers.Q2. Which of his/her activities are reflective of what you learned in class and what activities differ? Ans. He organized his sales force and divided the market into territories in order to use his sales force efficiently. He instructs his sales force to use CRM to better manage and service customers and to retain their information about previous purchases and problems for easy access. He gives great importance to training and developing his salespeople so t hat they may overcome any weaknesses. And he gives great importance to generating customer relationship value rather than just making a one-time sale to a customer.Q3. How do they differ and why do they differ? Ans. There is hardly anything among his activities as sales manager that differs from what we studied in class, as he has organized and developed his sales force very effectively, hardly leaving any room for improvement.