Monday, September 30, 2019

Country Lovers Essay

The farm children play together when they are small; but once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together any more, even in the holidays. Although most of the black children get some sort of schooling, they drop every year farther behind the grades passed by the white children; the childish vocabulary, the child’s exploration of the adventurous possibilities of dam, koppies, mealie lands and veld—there comes a time when the white children have surpassed these with the vocabulary of boarding-school and the possibilities of interschool sports matches and the kind of adventures seen at the cinema. This usefully coincides with the age of twelve or thirteen; so that by the time early adolescence is reached, the black children are making, along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie—little master. The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck did not s eem to realize that Thebedi was now simply one of the crowd of farm children down at the kraal, recognizable in his sisters’ old clothes. The first Christmas holidays after he had gone to boardingschool he brought home for Thebedi a painted box he had made in his wood-work class. He had to give it to her secretly because he had nothing for the other children at the kraal. And she gave him, before he went back to school, a bracelet she had made of thin brass wire and the grey-and-white beans of the castor-oil crop his father cultivated. (When they used to play together, she was the one who had taught Paulus how to make clay oxen for their toy spans.) There was a craze, even in the platteland towns like the one where he was at school, for boys to wear elephant-hair and other bracelets beside their watch-straps; his was admired, friends asked him to get similar ones for them. He said the natives made them on his father’s farm and he would try. When he was fifteen, six feet tall, and tramping round at school dances with the girls from the ‘sister’ school in the same town; when he had learnt how to tease and flirt and fondle quite intimately these girls who were the daughters of prosperous farmers like his father; when he had even met one who, at a wedding he had attended with his parents on a nearby farm, had let him do with her in a locked storeroom what people did when they made love—when he was as far from his childhood as all this, he still brought home from a shop in town a red plastic belt and gilt hoop ear-rings for the black girl, Thebedi. She told her father the missus had given these to her as a reward for some work she had done—it was true she sometimes was called to help out in the farmhouse. She told the girls in the kraal that she had a sweetheart nobody knew about, far away, away on another farm, and they giggled, and teased, and admired her. There was a boy in the kraal called Njabulo who said he wished he could have bought her a belt and ear-rings. When the farmer’s son was home for the holidays she wandered far from the kraal and her companions. He went for walks alone. They had not arranged this; it was an urge each followed independently. He knew it was she, from a long way off. She knew that his dog would not bark at her. Down at the dried-up river-bed where five or six years ago the children had caught a leguaan one great day—a creature that combined ideally the size and ferocious aspect of the crocodile with the n an interview published in Women Writers Talk (1989), edited by Olga Kenyan, Nadine Gordimer had this to say about the political evolution of South Africa: [TJhere are some extraordinary black and white people who are prepared to take a Pascalian wager on the fact that there is a way, that there must be a way. It goes be’ yond polarisation, it cannot happen while the situation is what it is. It can only be after the power structure has changed. But the fact is that if whites want to go on living in South Africa, they have to change. It’s not a matter of just letting blacks in— white life is already dead, over. The big question is, given the kind of conditioning we’ve had for 300 years, is it possible to strike that down and make a common culture with the blacks? Since 1953, when she published her first novel, The Lying Days, Nadine Gordimer has been aligned with the liberal white consciousness of South Africa. She was born in the Transvaal in 1923. Her father was a shopkeeper, her mother a housewife. A childhood illness kept Gordimer out of school until she was 14, by which time she was already an avid reader. By 15 she had published her first short story. It was not until she was somewhat older that she became aware of the South African political situation, and it was not until she was 30 that her first novel was published. Beginning with A World of Strangers (1958), Gordimer’s novels focus directly on the South African racial situation. The most famous of these works include A Guest of Honor (1970), The Conservationist (1974), Burger’s Daughter (1979), July’s People (1981), A Sport of Nature (1987), My Son’s Story (1990), None to Accompany Me (1994), and The House Gun (1998). Gordimer has also published 10 volumes of short stories, as well as several volumes o/non/iction. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991. Asked by Olga Kenyan what it means to be a white South African, Gordimer responded as follows: You have to shout that you support change. In my case that you support a complete revolution, if possible a peaceful one. I use revolution in a broad sense, a complete change of the whole political organisation, from grass roots. It’s not enough for a white to say â€Å"Right, I’ll be prepared to live under black majority rule,† and sit back, waiting for it to come. Yow.also have to work positively, in whatever way you can, as a human being.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Does the World End Here? It’s the People’s Choice Essay

The enormous control that people have on the health of the earth has become a major problem. It is the duty the people of every nation to decide on whether they choose to continue with their ways and watch the world crash before their eyes or to do something to prevent the end from coming. â€Å"Perhaps the World Ends Here†, by Joy Harjo, exemplifies the relationship between her people, the Native Americans, and the earth. Her poem shows how all societies need the â€Å"gifts of earth† (Harjo 548) to survive and yet they have nothing to give back to the earth. Harjo uses a combination of metaphors, allusions, and symbolism to emphasize the fact that people of all ethnicities should realize the impact they are able to have on the earth and how they set the stage for the future generations. Metaphors are repetitively used to allow there to be multiple interpretations regarding how significant ones actions can transform their country. In the words of prolific writer of songs and poetry, Joy Harjo â€Å"the world begins at a kitchen table† (Harjo 548). A kitchen table is usually seen as the center of a household. Then perhaps, Harjo is literally speaking of a kitchen table or the kitchen table may be a representative form of a house, a capitol of a country, or even the heart of a human being. She allows for this wide variety of interpretation due to the fact that if one is willing to change their ways for the better of their country then where they start is their choice. They may start by changing themselves or they may begin by working to change their government. However, if one does not choose to change their ways, Harjo warns â€Å"our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children† (Harjo 548). Our dreams, what people want their life to be like, will be passed to our children because we haven’t awakened them yet. Just as one might need a cup or two of coffee to function for the day, our dreams require us to act as their coffee and take the effort to make them come true. The symbolism in this poem demonstrates how an individual might precede to change the way they choose to live. To initiate this, Harjo states that â€Å"the gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on† (Harjo 548). The gifts of earth represent everything a human being takes from nature and their country in order to survive. They have taken food, cotton, coal, water, and gold from the ground that they live on and humans always will take from nature. Now the question that remains is how nature is supposed to recover and forever provide these things. It is the older generations’, according to Joy Harjo to give the children of their country instructions on what it means to be human (Harjo 548). In other words, the parents and grandparents must teach the future generations to give back to nature, so that it may endlessly sustain them. To rephrase Joy Harjo’s words, a person’s â€Å"table† is a place to protect them from dangers like a house in the rain or an umbrella in the sun (548). Allusions allow the readers to picture events that have already occurred and show examples of why people have a duty to change their ways. â€Å"Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory† (Harjo 548) alludes to the conflicts and peaceful negotiations that have occurred. â€Å"We chase chickens and dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it† (Harjo 548). These statements suggest to the fact that people of one country will fight for their land and homes so that they may raise their children there. All of the effects that people might have on their country, family, and even themselves are exemplified by Joy Harjo’s use of literary terms. Whether it is a singular person, a small group, or an entire country they can affect nature the only difference is the amount of damage they cause. Thus everyone should ask themselves, what type of issues should my family and I be focusing on to change? The apparent problems are global warming, pollution, and war. These directly damage nature, whether they contaminates the air, water, or destroys plants and soil nutrition. Yet another matter that indirectly harms our environment and people do not usually consider are diseases. When an individual becomes ill, the medicine they must take to feel well again is made of herbs and other natural materials. Is there anything an individual can do to change the future, if so then what? There are ways to also help future generations make sure that the world doesn’t end here. The first step is to take action by recycling, donating items others need, riding a bike to work. Even if people are not able do all of these things, even the small actions count. However, if an individual is capable of changing their own lifestyle, then go further. Encourage more to join the cause; make sure the world does not end here. The more that participate to take care of the earth, the better the earth will take care of them. To ensure that the â€Å"gifts of earth† (Harjo 548) will always be available the younger generations must be taught how they can take care of nature but also the extreme importance this task is. Human existence is at the mercy of the wellbeing and development of the earth.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Revolution In Perception English Literature Essay

A Revolution In Perception English Literature Essay Speaking of modernist literatures revolutionary project, Maren Linett correctly states that writers had to break with convention and show how life was experienced rather than as it was conventionally recorded.Such a notion is highly relevant in elucidating how writers such as George Egerton and Katherine Mansfield strove, through their revolutionary use of the short story, to expose the failure of the Victorian novel’s dominant male perspective at accurately rendering the reality and ‘terra incognita’ of mothers and wives.   [ 2 ]   This essay will therefore argue that, in Egerton’s ‘A Cross Line’ (1893) and Mansfield’s ‘Bliss’ (1918), the use of a ground-breaking female perspective allows them to facilitate the reader’s gaining of ‘new eyes’ on the commonplace subject matter of motherhood and matrimony; a purpose that will be shown to be far more concerned with revolutionizing the Victorian percepti on of these roles as idyllic and harmonious destinations for women, than with creating ‘some new particular thing’.   [ 3 ]   The first half of the essay will consider the ‘new eyes’ that Egerton and Mansfield give to motherhood and will demonstrate that each writer revolutionizes the reader’s perception of maternity by exposing what Nicole Fluhr confirms was the inadequacy of inherited nineteenth-century ideologies and symbols, and also by subverting the eugenic perception of motherhood, meaning highly nurturing or affectionate, provided by their Victorian antecedents.   [ 4 ]   Firstly considering ‘A Cross Line’, I will analyse how Egerton achieves her reversal of Victorian beliefs in an innate maternal instinct through a realist aesthetic and focalized narrative which exposes Gypsy’s repugnant reaction to the bucolic image of the chicks, before demonstrating how this revolutionary perception is reinforced in an aposiope tic statement. Secondly, an examination of ‘Bliss’ and Mansfield’s critical use of the symbolic pear tree will demonstrate that this inherited symbol provides an invaluable framework for exposing Bertha’s aesthetic, rather than eugenic, approach to motherhood that is then explicitly reinforced in her interaction with ‘little B’.   [ 5 ]   The second half of the essay will then move to Egerton’s and Mansfield’s depictions of matrimony, and reveal that each writer adapts this subject to their purpose of providing ‘new eyes’ by revolutionizing two components of the Victorian marriage plot: the elision of female sexuality within marriage, and the predominating perceptions of adultery provided by omniscient narrators in sensation novels.   [ 6 ]   In my analysis of ‘A Cross Line’, I shall illustrate that the psychological moment of Gypsy’s Salomà ©ic dream-vision provides an elucidating frame of reference through which to reassess Egerton’s illustration of the marital union from an unexplored and eroticized female perspective. The final examination of ‘Bliss’ will then demonstrate that Mansfield revolutionizes an omniscient narrator’s perception of the subject matter of infidelious marriage by mediating it through Bertha’s female perspective in two of her psychological moments, which expose its stagnant and adulterous reality as a rejection of the Victorian ideology of marriage as a sacred institution.   [ 7 ]   Ultimately, by appropriating commonplace and eternal subject matter, rather than ‘new particular thing[s]’, within the most appropriate form for exploring and revealing the inner lives of women, Egerton and Mansfield refashion their reader’s normative view of motherhood and marriage and succeed, as Jenny McDonnell confirms, in presenting excellent examples of ‘mak[ing] it new’; in accordance w ith Ezra Pound’s summation of the modernist project.   [ 8 ]

Friday, September 27, 2019

Multinational Corporation and State Relations in Emerging Markets Essay

Multinational Corporation and State Relations in Emerging Markets (there are lots of other possible topics) - Essay Example The situations suggest that a possible synergy exists between an MNC and an emerging state. There are strong advantages in multinationals setting up their operations, or at least part of it, in emerging countries, since this may establish a mutually beneficial arrangement. At the beginning, this is usually the case. Time passes, the country’s economy develops and the increasingly affluent population creates higher demand for the firm’s products. With the rising standard of living, the state finds the need to raise legislated wages, which usually works against the interests of the multinational corporation – because after all, MNCs seek to lower their costs. The MNC’s costs rise and their reason for setting up operations in a developing country slowly goes away. Other sources of disagreements emerge, such as the exploitation of natural resources, the repatriation of earnings out of the host economy and to the MNC’s headquarters in the home country, t he regulation of certain policies and processes considered standard by the MNC but unacceptable by the locality, and so forth. There is therefore a difference of roles and interests between the MNC and the host state, which may sometimes lead to conflicting goals; to maintain their working relationship, a balance of these interests must necessarily be achieved for the MNC to continue its productive and marketing activities in the country and for that country’s economy to continue to reap the benefits of the MNC’s presence. This study examines the dynamics and implications of the relationships between MNC and host countries. The purpose is to understand how these relationships are changing over time in response to the increasing globalization, and how problems about them may be addressed and resolved. Multinational corporation defined There is no formal definition of what a multinational corporation essentially is (Ajami, Cool, Goddard & Khambata, 2006, p. 6), and the t erm is often applied to a variety of business entities which have nothing in common except that they have some form of international participation or involvement. Some see multinationals loosely as companies that have parts of their production located in two or three different countries (Hoos, 2000), and some with markets in two or three different countries. Some see the MNC as â€Å"a number of affiliated business establishments† (Logar, 1980, p. 7), while others define it as â€Å"a single organization with a need to coordinate its operations across multiple environments† (Haghirian, 2010, p. 46). The presence of multinationals in a country need not be directly through wholly-owned subsidiaries. MNCs can operate through joint ventures with local firms, or by acquiring controlling interests in businesses already strategically located in a particular country. MNC interests with the least commitment to the country is in the form of exports where the products are shipped to the country in completion of orders from institutional customers, followed by franchises or licenses which the MNC may extend to established firms that would like to operate under the license and with the trade mark of the MNC. In these cases, the multinational corporation could extend their presence in another country without directly investing in it (Johnson & Turner, 2009, p. 247). An example of such MNC operation is seen in the Taiwanese market. Quanta Computers, Inc., a Taiwanese firm, served as contract

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Government, Market Forces and Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Essay

Government, Market Forces and Renewable Energy Systems (RES) - Essay Example To tackle this issue globally there have been recent researches in the line of climate change mitigation, use of renewable resources, and energy economics. Climate mitigation  relates to activities associated with the alleviation of the potentially harmful aftereffects of global warming by â€Å"implementing policies to reduce GHG emissions and enhance sinks† (Verbruggen, A., IPCC Glossary Working Group III, annex I, 818). The UN delineates climate mitigation as a form of â€Å"human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases† (United Nations, Glossary of climate change acronyms, 2011).  Examples for mitigation include using renewable energy resources like wind or solar power, judicious use of fossil fuels in industries or for production of electric power, bettering building  insulation, afforestation  and increasing the number of other sinks that would displace larger amounts of  atmospheric carbon dioxide  from the atmosphe re (ibid). ... However, an April 2011 report shows that the atmospheric volume level of CO2 by itself is 393 ppm, while increasing at an average annual rate of 1-3 ppm (Direct Air Capture of CO2 with Chemicals, 2011, 4). Therefore, to avoid violating the target set at 2  °C target, the levels of CO2 in atmosphere must necessarily be stabilised as soon as possible, though it is unlikely that the set target would be achieved soon (Adam, World will not meet 2oC warming target, climate change experts agree, 2009). However, a majority of the nations consider mitigation strategies for greenhouse gas emissions as expensive, and there is a widespread debate regarding mitigation costs and the nature of costs-distribution of climate change mitigation, amongst the developed, the developing, and the underdeveloped nations. Ensuring climate change and energy supply security are the core concerns for a majority of the world’s policymakers aiming to frame a worldwide energy system that is sustainable in nature. 1 Climate Change To meet the EU target of keeping global temperature rise below 2oC, the volume of atmospheric CO2 equivalents must be kept within volume limits of 445 - 490 ppm, as expressed in the 2007 report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC, 2007). In 2005, greenhouse gas emission concentration had already reached CO2 equivalents of 450 ppm, owing to which IPCC had appraised in the report that greenhouse gas discharge must reach its highest level latest by 2015 (ibid). The report also suggested that greenhouse gas emissions must be decreased by 50–85% by 2050 (relative to the figures recorded in 2000), and the reductions made must be nearer to 85% to avoid

The World Bank of the Unheard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The World Bank of the Unheard - Essay Example Based in Washington D.C., it is comprised of developed and developing countries. All have a say, though an unequal one. Though first created to assist the Western European countries after the World War II, WB has become involved in a wide array of development projects. Despite the criticism and relatively powerless voices of the poor countries, WB will continue to service the poorest of this planet. WB architects envisioned a system that would benefit the poor. John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and others at Bretton Woods in 1944 designed this institution to fully include the Western world into its functioning. They envisioned that the Western countries would be full members and partners in helping the developing countries. WB was not conceived as a development agency (Birdsall 51). However, WB became a global credit club, where developing countries rely on contributions from the wealthy (Birdsall 51). Later, another club for the rich was created: the International Development Association (IDA), where only rich countries can contribute and become members (Birdsall 51). WB was intended for the â€Å"war -ravaged countries of Europe—and the poorer countries of Latin America, and Africa† (Birdsall 51). ... Still, they wanted to avoid a system in which there would be a one-to-one relationship between financial capacity and influence in WB. As a result, the architects introduced basic votes. They were distributed equally to all WB members. Each member has 250 votes irrespective of shares. Additional shares are won through the amount of shares owned in WB (Birdsall 53). Double majority voting is required to get anything changed in the Articles of Agreement (Birdsall 53). The country taking the largest risk, which was the US at the time of the WB inception, was given the right to â€Å"define the key boundaries within which the club would operate† (Birdsall 53). The US also had a duty to ensure all WB members had a say, regardless of their political and economic influence. In the beginning, there were only a few debtors. In the 1947–48 period, WB made loans to only six countries. These were France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Chile, and India (Birdsall 54). Now, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the IDA alone have around 150 countries as their debtors (Birdsall 54). However, WB benefits the rich. WB capital comes from its wealthy contributors. Largest contributors are the U.S. government, and the United States, Japan, and Germany (Birdsall 51). They are also its guarantors. They back all of the borrowing from WB, regardless of the outcome of the loan (Birdsall 51). WB has had a history of very low default rate, implying that with low levels of the deposits, it can â€Å"can borrow outside at good rates and lend at good rates to its less wealthy members† (Birdsall 51). The type of a global credit agency envisioned by its architects never happened. Instead, the developed countries

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Power of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Power of Music - Essay Example We go in for sports with pleasure, in case we listen to the music. Our brain works more perfectly, when listening to the music. There is approved correlation between music and athletic performance for sure. People feel them better in case they listen to the music. It is possible to feel less pain, reduce our stress and change even a human life experience. During surgery music enables patients to feel much better and experience less pain. In our childhood, we see sweet dreams when our mommies sing lullabies to us and in the adult age, we are able to think about our lives and problems when our considerations are surrounded by music. Sometimes, in different periods in our life, we are able to find our personal history in the songs we are listening to. Even if we have a serious conversation we something stop speaking when the beautiful music starts playing in order to enjoy it.As for me, I am learning to play piano from 8 years old. I am fond of music and there is no life without it. All my family members support my efforts and underline that I am an equable person, with a harmonized balance of my spiritual efforts and a power of the mind. I am sure that my mind and body are in harmony and the power of music reduces my pain and stress for sure. I am fond of classical music. Sergei Rachmaninov, a Russian composer, enchants me with his pieces of music. I am sure that when I play the piano keys, I press white keys in order to develop positive emotions and I press black keys in order to fight with negative feelings of my life.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Book review on Olaudah Equiano Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book review on Olaudah Equiano - Research Paper Example One of Equiano’s masters and a captain in a British trade ship, Henry Pascal, changed Equiano’s name to Gustavus Vassa. This is a name he used his entire life, with an exception of the autobiography’s publishing. Equiano Olaudah travelled extensively during his service to Pascal and succeeding masters. For instance, he visited Holland, England, Gibraltar, Scotland, Nova Scotia, Caribbean, Georgia, South Carolina and the Pennsylvania. After his purchase from Pascal by a Quaker merchant, Robert King, Equiano’s life gradually took a turn. He worked as Mr. King’s clerk and also had the opportunity to explore his minor trades, which enabled him to save some money and later buy his freedom in the year 1766. In the subsequent year, Equiano Olaudah settled down in England where he attended school and worked for Dr. Charles Irving, a prominent scientist, as an assistant. In the year 1792, Equiano married a lady known as Susanna Cullen, with whom they had two daughters before his death in 1797. Equiano’s autobiography is rather intriguing owing to its narrative approach. He begins the book by describing the ordinary life he used to live with his family in Africa, prior to his kidnap. He indicates that he was the last son, hence his mother’s favourite child and irrespective of the large size of his family they had a home and sufficient food. Equiano’s greatest worry was his slight failure in warrior classes, a clear sign of the carefree life he had as a typical young African male. At the tender age of eleven, he heard of rumours that malicious people were kidnapping young children and selling them off as slaves. Equiano remembers climbing trees and looking around to see if these people would come to get him or his siblings. As fate would have it, Equiano, his brother and sister were taken away in the dark of night when his parents were not around. This marked the drastic and change in his life, especially after being separated from his brother and sister. The emotional upheaval caused by the situation is described by the author’s own words that â€Å"She was torn from me and immediately carried away, while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I cried and grieved continually, and for several days I did not eat anything but what they forced into my mouth† (54). On reaching a slave market, Equiano got sold and accompanied his new handler to a house where other people spoke his native language, a form of consolation, albeit little given the critical situation. Owing to his dedication to work, Equiano was considered to be the best slave in the house. However, his life changed soon after, when he was loaded into a ship with other slaves with no knowledge of what would happen next. He feigned fainting when being shoved into the ship with the hope of being left behind, to no avail. Equiano had to work as soon as he got into the Virginia bound ship and he remembers how bad the conditions were in the ship, to the extent of most slaves committing suicide by jumping overboard. Equiano spent some little amount of time in a Virginia farm but he was then taken back on the British slave ships and Trade Vessels serving the captains as a trusted slave. It was in the course of sailing, that he was given the name Gustavas Vassa, by Captain Pascal (Equiano 26). When still serving under Captain Pascal, Equiano travelled to many

Monday, September 23, 2019

Western Civilization Movie Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Western Civilization Movie - Term Paper Example Secondly, because of the first issue, there were not many written works in wide circulation and therefore not many people who were fully educated enough to both enjoy reading as a past-time or to serve as scribes to create more manuscripts. Within the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the story opens at a point where Gawain is a young knight in the service of the legendary King Arthur and thus addresses the historical existence of this figure. However, the narrative story is not considered a reliable source of information because there are few existent facts to support it and there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the Gawain author borrowed from older legends, such as the legend of Cuchulain (Brewer, 1992), to create his story. Despite this, the story still has numerous merits that help us understand more about life in medieval times such as the important elements of being a knight and the latent criticism of the male-ordered ‘civility’ represented by King Arthur and his knights as they turned their backs on nature and the natural element in man. At the beginning of the story, Gawain comes to the realization that he is the only knight capable of accepting the challenge of the Green Knight who has come bursting into Arthur’s court issuing a New Year’s Day challenge. This is because he feels he is the least valuable knight in the court and therefore the one most expendable should he fail to win the challenge. â€Å"I am the weakest, the most wanting in wisdom, I know, and my life, if lost, would be least missed, truly† (I.16.354-355). This reveals the context of defining the true knight in which humility is seen to be prized over bravery regardless if it is true. According to Garbis, the concept of the reluctant hero is an important element of the Arthurian tradition. â€Å"Some kind of shock occurs that makes one aware of the self† (Garbis, 2002). However, it often goes unnoticed that the Green Knight is clearly a supernatural figure that

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Short Reflection on the Problem of Evil Essay Example for Free

Short Reflection on the Problem of Evil Essay The question of evil is a common hot button topic among atheists and non-Christians who attempt to disprove Christianity. They argue that an omnipotent and omniscient God cannot exist in a world with so much evil. The argument is used by them to try to prove that Christianity is â€Å"internally self-contradictory and thereby to be rejected.† Many claim that a benevolent and caring God would certainly not create evil or allow it to flourish in the world that He created. So, the problem of evil is how to explain that there can be a perfect, all-powerful, and all-loving God that exists in a world with so much moral and natural evil. First, natural and moral evil need to be distinguished from one another. Natural evil is defined as â€Å"evil which occurs in the process of the functioning of the natural order.† People are not responsible for these happenings; they are simply the victims and no one is to blame. The devastation that resulted from Hurricane Sandy is a perfect example of such evil, along with other problems such as cancer and earthquakes. Moral evil, on the other hand, is defined as â€Å"evil produced by activities of moral agents.† This evil stems from intentional action, such as murder, stealing, and adultery. Natural evil is part of the consequences of moral evil that resulted from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The vast amount of evil that exists in the world is not because God created it, but because man allowed it. Man was not was not created by God with a built in evil nature; he was created with a free will that was exercised to purposefully sin. God gave Adam a choice whether to do right or wrong and he failed. The moment Adam chose to sin in the Garden of Eden the rest of the human race would be born in sin, too. God did not force this choice on Adam but allowed him to have complete free will. God is wholly benevolent and did not create evil; man brought it into the world by his sinful actions. Adam’s wrongdoing also brought condemnation the perfect world God created. Natural evils like illness and natural disasters are a direct result from the moral evil that man commits. Just as this God-given free will brought sin into the world, though, it gives us the chance to show our true love for God. He did not leaves us hopeless and abandoned when sin entered the world; He offers us a way of escape through His son Jesus Christ. There will always be evil in this world until Christ returns in glory one day. The evil that exists, both moral and natural, are not created by God but are a direct result of man abusing his free will and choosing wrongly. Bibliography Gerstner, J. H.. â€Å"Evil.† Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. E. Walter A Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. 384-385. Print.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Enumerating Identical Skyline Prospects

Enumerating Identical Skyline Prospects ABSTRACT We took the problem of enumerating the skyline for uncertain data sets with N elements. We are introducing a method, called skyline, which returns the objects that are not overruled by any other objects in some aspects on a multi-dimensional space. We present probabilistic skyline model where probabilities for uncertain data sets are calculated. If we have ak-dimensional data set, an entityxdominates another entityyif it is better than or equal toyin all aspects and prominent thanyin at least one aspect. We also used k-dominant skyline algorithm in order to retrieve top k-data objects which are dominating the other objects in the skyline. Skyline Queries are also place one of the most prominent role in the skyline computation. While the existing system only focused on dominance tests only, but we need to consider another aspect called Incomparability between Entities, this trait plays major role in enhancing the skyline computation method. In this we will develop a frame work for mul ti criteria decision making system, through this frame work we can analyze Sates involved in enumerating skyline. To inquire incomparability and dominance in between two entities we need to construct tree structured patterns, Z-curves and Z-trees are used in this inquisition. This paper revisits the routine Pivot selection based algorithm in order to optimize the solution space, through this algorithm we can retrieve a minimal data set based on multiple scenarios for a given threshold. CONTENTS TERM PAPER REPORT FORMAT Staple Binding using Transparencies white No. of pages : 35-45 Font: Times new roman Line spacing 1.5† Text size: Chapter name size- 14 small bold Main heading -14 All caps Bold Sub heading- 12 Small bold Text body-12 small alignment: justify margin: Left -1.5† Right-1† Top-1† Bottom-1† table numbering: eg: Table 1.1 table name figure eg: figure 1.1:Description of the figure header : Term Paper name (left) page numbers(right) font size -8 ,italics gray color footer : college name(left) dept name(right) font size -8 ,italics gray color Algorithms or pseudo-code are often presented in papers. Unless your subject matter deals explicitly with a particular language, pseudo-code is advised. Algorithms must be presented is a clear, readable format with lots of comments. If possible, use a typewriter-style font (the â€Å"tt† font in LaTex, for example). Page order: Cover page, Contents, abstract, Type of paper Abstract: Give the overall view of the paper. Three hundred word summary of your paper that appears at the beginning of the paper that includes Scope: That at which one aims which is purposed to be reached or accomplished. Objectives: State main objectives. (What you will investigate? Why?) Describe methods. (What you will do?) Summarize the most important results. (What you will find out?) State major conclusions and significance. (What do the results mean? So what?) Introduction Prerequisites: Describe the Keywords given in the paper. Describe concepts required to comprehend the paper. Some material with diagrams should be enclosed with explanation Literature Survey: Literature survey is the documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and unpublished work from secondary sources data in the area of your paper that describes current research. Give Literature survey on at least 15 references Problem Statement/Description: This section provides specific details about the problem. What is the crux of the research problem? Existing Solution: What are the existing solutions and methodologies available? Detailed explanation should be given with diagrams. What are some alternative approaches to address the research problem? Existing methods, Algorithms and Architectures should be enclosed. Give at least 3 existing solutions. Proposed Approach and Methodology: (with diagrams) Describes the methodology of the solution or the steps to solve the problem. What are the claimed contributions of the paper? How do the authors substantiate their claims? Describe methods, Describe Algorithms, Describe Architectures and Some material with diagrams should be enclosed Conclusions and Future Work Summarize the paper, draw conclusions about the proposed solution, and chart future directions of the research. How can the research results be improved? Can the research results be applied to another context? What are the open problems raised by this work? Describe results of experiments References Budd, T. (1997b), An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming, 2nd edn, Addison-Wesley. Ghezzi, C., Jayazeri, M. Mandrioli, D. (1998), Fundamentals of Software Engineering, 2nd edn,Prentice-Hall. K. Appel and W. Haken. (1976), Every Planar Map is 4-colorable, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc., vol. 82, pp. 711-712 Appendices Enclose your Research Paper

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Elizabeth Inchbald’s A Mogul Tale Essay -- Mughal Tale

Elizabeth Inchbald’s A Mogul Tale The year 1784 found an earnest young female playwright, Elizabeth Inchbald, sitting down to pen what would become her â€Å"first success as a writer† humbly titled A Mogul Tale.1[1]. The story involves what appears to be an outlandish plot, since it is a farce which revolves around a party of London ballooners who accidentally land in the seraglio of a great mogul2[2]. But applied research finds that Mrs. Inchbald had indeed done her homework, for the dynasty of the Mughals (as modernity has changed the spelling) really did exist. In researching the great Mughal Dynasty in India, one finds that Inchbald’s work appears to be less fantastic, and even more plausible as an event that could have, indeed, happened, although the thought that a primitive Eighteenth Century balloon would have probably not been able to fly the distance that Inchbald’s work suggests. The Mughal Dynasty was a line of Muslim emperors who reigned in India from 1526 to 1858.3[3] The line began with Babur as the first great Mughal emperor. He was a descendant of the Turkish conqueror Timur on his father's side and of the Mongol (in Persian, mughal) conqueror Genghis Khan on his mother's side.4[4] Babur came to power with the defeat of Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat.5[5] During his reign as the Mughal, Babur extended his empire to Punjab and Bihar.6[6] Babur served as the Mughal for only four brief years, but he left his imprint on the whole of his empire for years to come. His reign came to an end in 1530 with his death, at which time he was succeeded by his son Humayun. Humayun reigned for only ten years before being defeated by Sher Shah, an Afghan who ruled north India for fifteen years in ... ...Web: (http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/tajmahal/mughal.html) 4[4] Lashkari. 5[5] Deepali, Naren. The Mughal Dynasty [online]. 2003- [cited 18 November 2003]. Available on World Wide Web: (http://www.geocities.com/narenp/history/history/mughal.htm) 6[6] Deepali. 7[7] Lashkari. 8[8] Lashkari. 9[9] Lashkari. 10[10] Deepali. 11[11] Lashkari. 12[12] Deepali. 13[13] Lashkari. 14[14] Lashkari. 15[15] Deepali. 16[16] â€Å"Aurangzeb Alamgir’s Reign.† The Story of Pakistan [online]. 2003- [cited 17 November 2003]. Available on World Wide Web: (http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A019) 17[17] Lashkari. 18[18] Deepali. 19[19] Lashkari. 20[20] Holt, P.M. â€Å"The Mughals.† A Dictionary of Eighteenth Century World History. Black, Jeremy and Roy Porter, eds. 1994. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. 21[21] â€Å"Aurangzeb Alamgir’s Reign.† 22[22] Deepali.

The Holocaust Essay -- essays research papers

The Holocaust Experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world that people lived in during the Holocaust is described by the personal experiences of the oppressed throughout the story Jack and Rochelle, written by Jack and Rochelle Sutin, and the memoir by Alexander Donat titled The Holocaust Kingdom. The horrifying mindset of the oppressors, particularly the Nazi`s, is illustrated in both books. The vicious and relentless emotional, physical, and psychological abuse the Nazi`s targeted at their victims is depicted in detail. The unspeakable cruelty received by the Jews dramatically altered their state of mind and how they lived their lives. The emotions of despair, distress, depression, hopelessness, helplessness felt by the Jews eventually turn to hate, anger, hopefulness, faith, and ultimately revenge against all oppressors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Holocaust was a traumatic and tragic time in history to say the least. Those who were victims of the mistreatment were forced to respond. In Jack and Rochelle, both families were used to some form of oppression. Growing up in Poland, Rochelle and her family were used to feeling hated. Here is an example through dialogue of how some of the Poles felt about the Jews and the Germans: â€Å"Just wait! Hitler is coming and he`ll off the heads of all you Jews.† Rochelle: â€Å"What are you so happy about? The Germans might cut off my head, but your independence will be gone. Poland won`t be Poland anymore!† â€Å"They would tell me that it was worth losing their independence just to get rid of the Jews (page 8, Jack and Rochelle).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack also experienced mistreatment even before the Germans came. In the town of Mir, he attended a grade school where he was singled out by the teachers: â€Å"As for school work, if we failed to complete an assignment or to pass a test, we were singled out for special criticism, well beyond what a Polish student would receive. â€Å"What`s the matter Jew?† the teacher would ask us. â€Å"Can`t keep up? (page 14, Jack and Rochelle).† They knew that they could not stay in Poland: â€Å"†¦there was no freedom, no future for us in Poland (page 16, Jack and Rochelle).† The Jews in Poland knew that they were not welcome. Here is an example of how Jack felt from early childhood growing up in Poland: â€Å"Did I have a sense that Jews were hated in Poland? You didn`t need to have a ... ...l, educated people. Finally, in April of 1945 the camps were liberated. After the liberation of the Jews, many of the Jewish inmates of the camps were too weak to move. Many of the Jews being liberated were so delusional from the continuous negligence, torture, unspeakable acts, mass killings, (basically an unrealistic experience), that they were not aware of what was happening. The Jewish prisoners were not restored to health simply by liberation. More painful than their captivity was the awakening from nightmares. When the prisoners began to improve physically, they were then able to feel and think and realize what had really happened to them. Many of the Jewish survivors described themselves as incapable of living their lives to the fullest. They often caught themselves unable to perform tasks that are considered very basic. Some felt that the war and the imprisonment had such a dramatic affect on their life that they had their spark to life that they once had. The traumatic experience of these camps has deeply scarred many of the unfortunate prisoners during the Holocaust. Let us all pray that a time like the Holocaust never comes about again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Juvenile Boot Camps Do Not Reduce Juvenile Delinquency Essay -- Boot C

Introduction Juvenile delinquency is a relatively new phenomenon. For this reason, society’s reactions and solutions to the problem of delinquency are also modern developments. The United States developed the first youth court in 1899 and is now home to many new and formerly untested methods of juvenile rehabilitation and correction. One of many unique programs within the Juvenile Justice system, boot camps are institutions designed to keep delinquent juveniles out of traditional incarceration facilities and still provide a structured method of punishment and rehabilitation. Boot camps developed in the early 1990s and quickly proliferated throughout the nation. Specifically, they are â€Å"†¦short-term residential programs modeled after military basic training facilities† (Meade & Steiner, 2010). Designed with the goal of reducing recidivism and preventing violent offenses, boot camps target non-violent individuals under the age of 18 and typically exclude already violent of fenders. In theory, boot camps apprehend juveniles while they are committing minor delinquency and prevent more-serious crime by â€Å"giving the juvenile offender a more optimistic, community oriented outlook† (Ravenell, 2002). Fundamentally, boot camps have four central purposes; rehabilitation, punishment, deterrence, and cost control (Muscar, 2008). Boot Camps: Origination and Development While quasi-military correctional facilities are a form of social control that society has used for hundreds of years, modern boot camps have a very brief history. In 1974, the United States enacted the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA hereafter). The act contained four central mandates: First, status offenders, youths who commit offenses that would... ...matic review of the evidence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38, 841-853. Muscar, J. (2008). Advocating the end of juvenile boot camps: Why the military model does not belong in the juvenile justice system. UC Davis Journal of Juvenile Law and Policy, 12(1), 2-50. Ravenell, T. E. (2002). Left, left, left, right left: The search for rights and remedies in juvenile boot camps. The Colombia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 35(4), 347-371. Shoemaker, D. J. (2009). Juvenile delinquency. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Tyler, J., Darville, R., & Stalnaker, K. (2001). Juvenile boot camps: a descriptive analysis of program diversity and effectiveness. The Social Science Journal, 38, 445-460. Wiatrowski, M.D., Griswold, D.B., & Roberts, M.K. (1981). Social control theory and delinquency. American Sociological Review, 46(5), 525-541.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Lord of the Flies †Ralph and Jacks struggle for leadership Essay

At first Ralph was really enthusiastic about being on the island, because there was no adults and it was like the paradise islands he had read about in books. â€Å"Perhaps there aren’t any grown ups anywhere.† Ralph and the other boys were really excited about exploring the island. Ralph also had a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve belief in is father rescuing him because he was in the navy. â€Å"When he gets leave he’ll come and rescue us.† At first Ralph is elected to become leader this gives him responsibility. Then Ralph gives jack the choir to become hunters but then he tries to organise the boys. The fire becomes a disaster because first it goes out then they argue and a huge fire breaks out. â€Å"him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him. Where is he now?† Then the boy with the mulberry birthmark disappears. At the start Ralph and jack form a strong bond as they both struggle for leadership. They both want different things as Ralph wants to make a fire and build a shelter but jack and the others want to hunt and enjoy them self, but also jack becomes more and more obsessed by hunting. Ralph changes and started to get annoyed with jack. â€Å"No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing.† Ralph changes a lot when jack becomes the leader of the savages but Ralph wants them all to be united. At first Ralph doesn’t seem to like piggy, which is why he gives him a nickname he also picks out piggy deficiencies and keeps reminding him of them. â€Å"Piggy! Piggy!† But as we get further into the novel Ralph starts to realise Piggy’s strengths and sees that he is a good and strong friend. Whilst Ralph’s relationship with jack causes him to change so does the disappointment he suffers on the island. As he spends more time on the island he realises that he has become dirty, his hair has grown and he cant do anything about it. â€Å"You’re chief. You tell ’em off.† Also he realises that he has had to work to build the shelters and make a routine he also finds that he has limitations as a leader as the boys on the island start to ignore him and he becomes disillusioned. Ralph’s disappointments slowly progress into life threatening problems in the beast a lot of the littluns believe it is some kind of snake thing but some others think it is the body on top of the mountain. Jack thinks they should hunt it and kill it, but Ralph just wants to leave it alone and hope it doesn’t come down from the mountain Ralph plays the same role in Simon’s death as most of the other boys, but I think both Ralph and piggy were truly sorry for what they had done to Simon. The reason the boys went to castle rock was to try and talk to jack about becoming one group again, but while Ralph was talking to jack Rodger pushed a bolder off of a cliff which knocked piggy into the sea. â€Å"the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.† I think the destruction of the conch was very symbolic as it had always been a sign of togetherness and control amongst the boys but after it was destroyed, the savages’ tribe became the only tribe. The reason the hunt to the death began was because Ralph tried to hide after the rest of the boys had joined the tribe but jack found him and set up a line of savages to find him. Ralph’s view of the island has completely changed from the view of Paradise Island to a hellish island. When the naval officer arrives Ralph remembers the start of the island and declares himself the leader again. The naval officer asks if a war had happened not knowing just how right he was. I have described how Ralph changes through out the novel in step-by-step parts including quotes as further evidence to how Ralph has changed. If you think about what Golding is showing in his novel it is really about how evil lies in the soul of every human being it just takes more to bring it out in some than others.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Why You Think It Is Important to Study Counseling

In our everyday life we hear about these issues all the time. Remaining value-neutral about abortion, suicide, adultery, drug use, domestic violence, and child abuse, will not be very easy because we all have our different opinion on such issues. Some of these issue my friends and I discuss everyday and we give our value opinion on these issues which is a little rough. If I would take my personal value along with my friend’s personal value and bring it into my therapy session, it would become overkill. Whether or not I agree with the issues that I am presented with and may not agree with the values of clients, I must respect the rights of my clients to hold ethical issues. Abortion will be a value clash to a lot of counselor, because of their own personal ethics and value. Abortion is a big issue even with Politics no one has or knows the right thing to say, and if you say something wrong trust me you will be crucified in public or a court room. Personal Values Counselors are aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and avoid imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals. Counselors respect the diversity of clients, trainees, and research participants (A. 4. b)† Remaining value-neutral to suicide will be very hard, especially for me until I evaluate whether a person’s suicide or hastened death is rational. Also, I need to confront my own fear about death and dying. I know one day we all have to go, but it is hard to know someone you love or care about is going to die or is suffering and want to end their lives. I feel if a client comes in for therapy to discuss suicide I would listen and find out if the client decision is a rational suicide. I do not think anyone should suffer before they die, if the client has a terminal illness and she tired of the constant suffering and want to end her life, I would counsel the client and help her with her decision. Counselors have their own personal values about sexual practices, so when a client comes to me as a therapist that is knowingly committed adultery or in domestic violence relationship I become judgmental. I feel I cannot remain value neutral about these issues. Two men in my life committed adultery which I have children with, I cannot forgive them, my home got destroy because of their adultery not only did I suffer but so did my children. I cannot be bias with a client who comes to me with those issues. I would make it clear to the client that it is my problem not theirs when I refer them to someone else. My good friend was in a domestic violence marriage and I watch her suffer. I try to talk with her concerning her health, I told her that man can kill her one day; nothing I could have said could make my friend leave her husband. When she had her daughter, the beaten continue until I threaten to call ACS on her and take her daughter out of that environment, I let her know I am the God mother of her daughter and I will not stand by and watch my God daughter grow up in that environment. This almost took our friendship, what was she thinking? I think this is a good as time as any to refer the client with these issues to someone else because my values and those of the client clash to such extent that I do question my ability to be helpful. â€Å" Yarhouse and VanOrman (1999) assert that value conflicts between clients and therapists are inevitable. The challenge for therapists is to recognize when their values clash with a client’s values to the extent that they are not able to function effectively. I feel these two issues might lead me to consider referring the client to another counselor, and if referring them was not an option I would read my ACA codes and keep referring to my supervisor or peers to help me with the clients Some counselors can remain value-neutral on drug use because most counselors that are drug counselors were once drug abuser themselves. The counselors can empathize with their feelings and the struggle that the clients are going to face, because they have shared experiences and value. I had a lot of friends that turned to drugs, and now they are drug free, working, got housing, and got their children back. There are a lot of options for drug abuser like rehab centers, detoxification clinic, methadone programs, and outpatient clinic. Issues such as child abuse are hard to remain value-neutral especially when you have children of your own. The ethic code will have to be use a lot so you can counsel the client with the same respect you will give anyone else. I would also look into other programs such as parenting, and group meeting so the clients can attend additionally.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets Essay

The Standard This standard distinguishes between provisions and contingent liabilities. A provision is included in the statement of financial position at the best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at the end of the reporting period. A contingent liability is not recognised in the statement of financial position. However, unless the possibility of an outflow of economic resources is remote, a contingent liability is disclosed in the notes. Provisions A provision is a liability of uncertain timing or amount. A liability may be a legal obligation or a constructive obligation. A constructive obligation arises from the entity’s actions, through which it has indicated to others that it will accept certain responsibilities, and as a result has created an expectation that it will discharge those responsibilities. Examples of provisions may include warranty obligations; legal or constructive obligations to clean up contaminated land or restore facilities; and a retailer’s policy to refund customers. A provision is measured at the amount that the entity would rationally pay to settle the obligation at the end of the reporting period or to transfer it to a third party at that time. Risks and uncertainties are taken into account in the measurement of a provision. A provision is discounted to its present value. FRS 37 elaborates on the application of the recognition and measurement requirements for three specific cases: †¢ Future operating losses – A provision cannot be recognised because there is no obligation at the end of the reporting period. †¢ An onerous contract gives rise to a provision. †¢ A provision for restructuring costs is recognised only when the entity has a constructive obligation – the main features of the detailed restructuring plan have been announced to those affected by it. Contingent Liabilities Contingent liabilities are possible obligations whose existence will be confirmed by uncertain future events that are not wholly within the control of the entity. Contingent liabilities also include obligations that are not recognised because their amount cannot be measured reliably or settlement is not probable. An example of a contingent liability is litigation against the entity when the occurrence of any wrongdoing by the entity is uncertain. Contingent Assets Contingent assets are possible assets the existence of which will be confirmed by the occurrence or non-occurrence of uncertain future events that are not wholly within control of the entity. Contingent assets are not recognised in the statement of financial position. Contingent assets are disclosed when it is more likely than not that an inflow of benefits will occur. However, when the inflow of benefits is virtually certain an asset is recognised in the statement of financial position, because that asset is no longer considered to be contingent. Business Implications FRS 37 restricts the circumstances in which a provision can be recognised. It does not allow a provision to be created for the possibility of something occurring in future. There must be a present obligation (a liability) at the end of the reporting period. Although provisions are not recognised for future operating losses, the expectation of future operating losses triggers an impairment test of the operation’s asset. The impairment test may result in the recognition of an impairment loss. Furthermore, the present obligation under an onerous contract is recognised and measured as a provision. The measurement of a provision requires judgment about the amount, timing and risks of the cash flows required to settle the obligation. Caution is needed in making judgment under conditions of uncertainty. However, uncertainty does not justify the creation of excessive provisions.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Five literary elements in Barbara Kimenye’s “The Winner” Essay

Barbara Kimenye’s â€Å"The Winner,† is an excellent example of a short story that does not necessarily use all five of the literary elements to their fullest potential, but still creates a sense of organic unity. In this analysis, the elements are organized in the order of theme, plot, characterization, setting, and then structure. Each element will be described and then â€Å"The Winner† and the events in it will be related to the elements. The purpose of the theme of a story is to provide insight to the reader about the author’s point-of-view on the topic they chose to write about. Theme can be communicated in two ways, both of which Ms. Kimenye utilized. One is to reveal the theme directly through a statement that a character makes, and the other is to allow the reader to interpret the theme based on the actions and reactions of the characters. She relates money and happiness throughout the story to convey her theme. Her use of description through the characters stressed her point very clearly. She used the right symbols, such as people, in the proper way to help the reader understand the purpose and meaning of the symbol. Overall, the way she incorporated the theme into the story could be considered to range from good to excellent. The plot of a story should have an element of suspense and irony in it to make the reader want to continue reading. It should also include at least one major complication, that is, the protagonist or another character is blocked from doing what they want to do. While all of this is going on, the order or events and relationship between events still has to make sense to the reader. There was a great deal of irony presented in the end of the story when Pius ended up changing his opinion of Cousin Sarah and marrying her, which the reader didn’t expect. Barbara Kimenye also kept the events in the story organized by some form and made it very simple for the reader to understand what was going on. While she fulfilled most of the characteristics of a good plot, one seemed to be lacking. There could have been more tension between characters present in the story. Ms. Kimenye made wonderful use of the element characterization. In short stories, not much depth is required as to the character’s personalities. It is only required that any reader be able to connect with one character.  However, in this story, one seemed to know Pius’ personality and by the end, could almost predict what his reactions would be to events. The setting in this story was somewhat described literally, but most good authors try to make a touch on figurative settings also. The setting is the conditions prior to the story, and should be described in clarity and detail. In this selection, one had a general idea of Pius’ surroundings, but no information presented was ever extremely detailed so that the reader could make a distinct picture in their head. Finally, the structure of a short story should always be fictional and written in prose. It should also contain no more than one plot and should be based on the plot rather than the characters. Short stories do not usually use all five literary elements clearly and with a great depth, although they are still present in some form. Ms. Kimenye chose a structure to write in at the beginning of the story and, for the most part, she stuck to all of the guidelines with it, although some things she did in the story may have been pushing it a little bit. In general, Barbara Kimenye used the five elements together in a way that most readers can understand and interpret to mean many things. The story could have been written better, but the author placed the elements together in a way that worked, regardless of whether or not she used them all to their full potential.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Compare the representation of the Victorian woman in The French Essay

Compare the representation of the Victorian woman in The French Lieutenant's Woman and Dracula - Essay Example Social class structures were beginning to break down as common men were able to make fortunes in industry and landowners found it more and more difficult to keep the idyllic life they’d constructed alive. Women, too, were beginning to question their allotted place in society as more and more opportunities opened for them in the urban centers of the country, providing them with a means of supporting themselves and freeing themselves from the yoke of male domination. However, at the same time, these positions were not the equal rights positions of modern times, so it was often difficult to determine whether one wanted to sacrifice freedom for comfort or comfort for freedom. Rarely was it possible to attain both. All of these social and economical concerns can be found in the novels written during this time period. â€Å"The Victorian novel, with its emphasis on the realistic portrayal of social life, represented many Victorian issues in the stories of its characters† (Gre enblatt, 2005). Two of these novels, The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles and Dracula by Bram Stoker, portray similar tales of women, Sarah and Lucy, who deviate from the expected behavior as they compare to Ernestine and Mina, who have upheld the social norms, yet each finds drastically different conclusions partially as a result of the different perspectives offered by the authors, one having lived in the Victorian period itself and the other writing within a historical framework from a more modern world. In both novels, the reader is introduced to a similar figure in Victorian society, that of the unmarried, young, educated yet penniless woman who fits into no specific social class. Sarah Woodruff in The French Lieutenant’s Woman is quickly understood to be an ex-governess who has no independent income and depends upon others for her well-being while Mina Murray in

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Separation of Complex Cations of Chromium(III) by Ion Exchange Essay - 1

Separation of Complex Cations of Chromium(III) by Ion Exchange Chromatography - Essay Example The relative amount of divinyl-benzene affects the physical properties and solubility of the resins. 9. After the solution is drained to the resin level, the column is washed with HCIO4 until the un-reacted [CrCl2 (H2O) 4] has been eluted to approximately 5 cm3 of the intensely colored fraction and the UV visible spectrum measured. Chromium (III) is the simplest ion that chromium forms in solution. Chromium (III) prefers to form octahedral complexes whose color is determined by the ligands attached to the chromium center. It forms different complexes under different conditions. . Regarding the ion exchange process for Chromium (III), the ion exchange resins used is SO3H group. Aqueous solutions of the complexes trans‑[CrCl2(H2O)4] Cl, [CrCl(H2O)5]Cl2 and [Cr(H2O)6]Cl3 will be isolated in a pure state based on their different affinities for a cationic exchange resin. Only a single beam of UV-VIs is used to determine 10 Dq. They have â€Å"the  ligand field  splitting energy† which helps to determine this easily and quickly. This is because there is no d-d electron transition as the d orbitals are completely filled and UV-VIs bands are not observed (Pantsar-Kallio 1997).   As a result, two bands are observed in the region 350 to 750 nm. This band energy is used to identify and characterize complex ions. The peak tells us that how much energy is absorbed at each wavelength of the UV. The longest wavelength band (distance between two adjacent peaks on graph) of the two has energy approximately equal to 10Dq for the complex ion. The relative crystal field strength of H2O is high than Cl because Cl ligand has a weak field ligand and determines a smaller value of 10 Dq while [Cr (H2O) 6]3+ has the highest 10Dq because there is no Cl ligand in it only H2O is present which is a strong field ligand and determines a higher value of 10 Dq. From the above experiment we may conclude that in the ion exchange method of

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The Cider ahouse Rules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cider ahouse Rules - Essay Example The movie contains many poignant and touching moments in it that lend itself for psychological analysis. For example, from a developmental psychology viewpoint, the fact that Homer is returned twice to the orphanage was bound to leave deep scars on the formative psyche of the young boy, who would struggle to form lasting attachments to other humans as a consequence. Also, the manner in which he was treated by these couples was also abusive to a degree. These abusive relationships interrupt Homer Wells’ proper psychological development as is evident from further events in the story. The relationship between Dr. Larch (played by Michael Caine) and young Homer needs to be studied in the afore-mentioned context. Despite getting trained to perform abortions (under the tutelage of Dr. Larch) Homer personally disapproves of the practice. This comes to a dramatic fore when he is faced with a situation in which Erykah (the daughter of Mr. Rose) comes to him for abortion. But considerin g that Erykah was forcefully and incestuously impregnated by her own father, Homer makes an exception to his usual rule and performs the operation. The true character of Homer’s psychological makeup further comes to light when he resorts to kill Mr. Rose in order to prevent Erykah getting raped again.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

International Business Strategy - Essay Example Productivity of the public sector is again less competent compared to that of the private sector (Bhatia and Drew, 2006). Hence, in order to improve service of the public sector, the authorities are now concentrating on a technique called â€Å"lean management† so as to achieve higher efficiency. This practice has been used extensively in the private sector over years and has shown positive results (Dixon, 2012). This technique is nowadays used in a large variety of public services like, income tax processing, health care systems and urban planning systems, to enhance quality of the service. The lean management system is particularly crucial for the public sector because this improves quality of the service as well as reduces cost of providing them (Panneerselvam, 2005). The concept of lean management has been used both in the field of services and manufacturing. The concept was originally derived from Japanese manufacturing plants. The basic concept behind the idea is that if any process in unable to create value in the process of production, then it must be eliminated. The working of lean management is based on four main principles of flow, value, value stream and pull (Feld, 2001). The first one relates to elimination of interruptions from the process of production; the second one relates to price that customers are willing to pay for the products; the third one relates to elimination of the non-value activities; and finally the fourth factor relates to streamlining the products and process, until final consumption is made (Fliedner, 2011). The use of lean production techniques was embraced by the public sector for a number of reasons, namely quality of service, cost and resolving customer issues. Proper implementation of lean management system has the capability of improving the entire operating system by altering

Monday, September 9, 2019

Networking Strategy and professional development Module 1 Questions Essay

Networking Strategy and professional development Module 1 Questions - Essay Example An understanding of the client’s background is essential as it helps the mentor to grow professionally. The other benefit of mentoring in the networking process is that it helps the mentor to gain professional satisfaction through the expertise that he or she shares with the clients (Crawford, 2007). Mentoring can also be regarded as essential as it helps the mentor to add value to his or her career. This is because the mentor gets an opportunity to utilize his or her skills and gain insights from the professional relationships with the mentees. Mentoring in the networking process can also be regarded to be of immense benefits to the mentee. The mentee benefits through gaining expertise from the mentor. Thus, the mentee can sharpen his or her skills. The mentee also gets an opportunity to learn some skills, which may be of immense help in the mentees personal development. In addition, the mentee benefits since he or she gets to know more about the organization, its policies, rules, as well as the culture of the organization (Whittaker & Cartwright, 2000). Networking can be regarded as one of the essential elements when it comes to the building of successful careers. Therefore, any person wishing to succeed in his or her career should consider networking with other professionals in his own field. Networking helps in building successful careers since most jobs may not be advertised. As such, networking is essential as it helps the job seeker to gain awareness and knowledge about a certain job that may be advertised. Networking is also essential in building a successful career as it helps the job seeker to be well prepared for interviews. This is because networking can help job seekers have full knowledge about the requirements of an interview. As a result, they will have an easy time during the interview and they will mostly likely get the job (Dirks, 2009). The most effective networking strategy for job search is becoming members of professional

Comparative Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Comparative Advantage - Essay Example This is probably not true for Japan because agriculture land is not massively available for cultivation in the country. Japan and Unites States have no comparative advantage in mineral fuels, pharmaceuticals, and apparel. Both countries have shortage of mineral fuel reserves and this is why they cannot export or neither fulfills all its energy needs. Pharmaceutical industry of United States is stronger than Japan but neither country has any comparative advantage in these industries. Both the countries have developed enough therefore they have no more labor intensive industry and this is why textile industry is not a comparative advantage for Japan and United States of America. Japan has competitive advantage in automotive industry and this is because of the innovative and technological capital of the country. Japanese automotive companies are famous all over the world for the quality of their product. Automobile industry started to grow in early 20th century in Japan and therefore the foundations of the industry were strong. Today, Japanese industry is ranked third all over the world in the automotive sector (BBC, 2012). United States enjoyed comparative advantage initially but later on lost to Japan, China, and Germany. On the other hand, United States has an extremely developed aerospace industry compared to Japan. The comparative advantage of United States in the aerospace industry is mainly due to large domestic consumer base and highly advanced military sector. This bolstered the aerospace industry of United States and gave the country comparative advantage over other countries. Electronics equipment is an area where Japan is well known all over the world. Again the intellectual and technological infrastructure the country has gives rise to the strength of the country in the sector. Electronics and electrical equipment are built on a large scale in Japan and are exported all over the world. Strong competition within Japan is contributed towards a strong

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Tell me why Hume believes that Thesis (2) is true Essay

Tell me why Hume believes that Thesis (2) is true - Essay Example As we grow, we gain information about the world around us through our senses. These simple impressions of the world cause corresponding simple ideas. A burning feeling in our finger leads to the simple idea of ‘don’t touch that.’ These simple ideas are gathered as we grow. We may understand not to touch that if we don’t want to feel burning in our finger. We may also understand that hot food comes from that place, that that place is called stove and that stove is only burning if the top is red. These several simple ideas combine together to form complex ideas – don’t touch the top of the stove when it’s red because that means it is hot and will burn our finger. This type of sequential connection of impressions is essentially the evidence of memory. A group of memories, each themselves a collection of impressions, can then combine to create impressions of even more complex concepts which may include ideas of family, education or religion among other things. This is possible because these impressions can also be connected in non-sequential forms that comprise imagination. For example, the earlier memory of the burning stove might be translated into a red spiral skirt placed on a dancer as she twirls about a stage in an energetic dance celebrating summer. Imagination is necessary in order to develop these complex thoughts into complete ideologies by which one might live their life. For example, Hume indicates in this argument that God himself is a complex idea formed from simple ideas caused by simple impressions. Although the idea of God was sufficient proof for Descartes, Hume suggests that this idea does not require or prove that God truly exist. Our impressions, whether they are in the form of simple ideas, memories or imagination, become attached to words that we use to help us recall these impressions. However, these thoughts are always qualified with specific

Saturday, September 7, 2019

The role of congress in monitoring events in Iraq Essay Example for Free

The role of congress in monitoring events in Iraq Essay The war against Iraq was perpetrated by the US and the UK with the UN playing passive and reluctant role. The attack has provoked protests all over the globe including in the US and the UK with many groups as well as individual condemning the attack and terming it as unwarranted. Furthermore, the attack was carried out without the approval of the security council. The attack has earned the US more foes than friends especially in the Muslim world. It has also served to fuel animosity against Americas efforts to institute a democratic government in those who view these efforts as interferences in the affairs of the country as a denial of Iraq’s sovereignty . This has led to rebellion against the authorities in Iraq as well as increasing the threat of terrorist attack on America. The Bush presidency and administration seems to believe that the way towards peace is through war and violence especially returning fire with fire. This notion can be at best misguided and at worst catastrophic. It is therefore imperative that the congress recognizes its duty as an organ and act to check any excuses on the part of the government as well as developing solutions that will lead to the reduction of rebellion and consequently the terrorist attacks within Iraq. This section will look at the possible role of congress in ensuring that the tension between Iraq and the US/UK subsides and also allow the US to shed the image of a ‘big bully’ interfering with the affair of a sovereign state. It is worth noting that at this juncture that the congress ahs made some good moves like giving 97 million dollars to support a program pushing for change of regime. This was a step in the right direction, however, this need to be sustained and increased. This organization offers some suggestions for your consideration, ladies and gentlemen. Pursue the Truth. The congress has a responsibility of seeking to reveal the truth so that decisions are based purely on sound intelligence. One of the biggest mistakes that the congress and the media have made was allowing themselves to be fed on misinformation and to act upon that misinformation without making due effort to seek the confirmation of the relevant intelligence agencies. The 2003 invasion on Iraq was based upon unsubstantiated reports that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Other reports allegedly justifying the invasion include Saddam-Osama association and that the war was welcome by the Iraqi citizens. The general feeling is that the congress did not do enough to get to the truth of those reports by the Bush administration . With the benefit of hindsight we know that all these reports were false. The congress has an obligation to launch a full congressional inquiry in order to give the American people the truth because America is founded on truth which we believe will set us free . It follows then that the congress needs to be at the forefront of finding facts before endorsing sensitive decisions regarding the events in post Saddam Iraq. Support the Iraq liberation act- when the bill was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, there were some well intentioned proposals that included developing a program that would support a transition to democracy. Even though Saddam Hussein was to be the removed from power without the use of military force, all is not lost and the congress could pursue some of the proposals like financing activities that promote democracy in Iraq. By now it should be clear that the U. S cannot continue having soldiers in Iraq because it is not sustainable. The congress should support those measures aimed at recalling US soldiers out of Iraq and allowing the transition government to run the affairs of Iraq. Right now that sounds dangerous but in the end it will prove less costly than maintaining US soldiers in Iraq. The congress had earlier passed an act to give 97 million dollars for the purpose of supporting regime change. The Act also suggested that those suffering from Saddam’s regime’s brutalities be assisted. Emphasize on empowering the transition government’s capacity to deal with internal insurgence. This can be done through the training of military personnel as well as giving financial support to this government for reconstruction. This is sustainable because only Iraq will be able to fully end the problems it is facing. Much of the terrorist attacks within Iraq are just an extension of a rebellion against the Bush administration. This suggests that the perpetrators of the internal insurgence are still fighting the US by fighting against the US assisted governments. However the reduction of US occupation will shift the focus somehow. Play a more active role in holding the administration accountable. The congress has in the past been accused of being the puppets of President George Bush. A congressman has been named for his role in spreading hearsay that led to the congress’ endorsement of the invasion on Iraq. However the congress is still strategically placed to provide leadership and help check the excesses of the current administration. There are some obviously bad mistakes that the Bush administration has made in the entire affair. However the voice of the congress has not been heard as it should have in efforts to lead the country in the right direction. Now that Saddam is gone and Iraq more than ever requires level headed support which the US can provide, the congress ought to speak on matters regarding the nature of support and the quantity to be given. All in all the congress should be seen playing a more active role in providing checks and balances to the administration. Last but not least is a collective request for all the members of congress to act in accordance to pure conscience. There have been cases in the past especially before the invasion when the congress has been less than active in fulfilling its constitutional role. Instead of initiating a full congressional inquiry, many of the congressmen decided to shut up and not do anything to hold the administration accountable even when they new all was not well. Decisions regarding Iraq’s progress need to be made by exercising discretion and oversight as well. Holding open discussions is what allows for prudent decisions as well as bringing the truth to the surface. As leaders we have a solemn duty to ensure that all future decisions are never again to be based on false impressions. This organization that should the congress abide by the above suggestions, then it can begin to help shape the outcome of what has been an sensitive but costly issue to the whole of America. Thank you.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay The point being made is that John knows it is his fault and the consequence of it is he wont let go of her because he knows the truth about the arrest. He is reassuring her that nothing is going to happen to her. You will not go! (Act 2 pg 63) Proctor knows that this is all a mistake but knowing it is his. Proctor argues with Mr Cheever that she is innocent and the courts are wrong. Proctor is running out of options he will do anything, even confess about his relationship to get her back. John knows that he is the only one to save his wife and he told her so. For this reason, John is a man of his word. In the previous Act he said I will bring you home (Act 2 pg 63). We have known John to be a man of his word when he says to Abigail that he will cut off his hand and that he will bring Elizabeth back. He stopped what he said before, subsequently he is going to bring Elizabeth back knowing what he said to his wife, he knows Elizabeth has faith in him Oh, John, bring me soon! (Act 2 pg 63). So John has to prove to the judge that his wife is innocent and Abigail accused her just to get John back so Elizabeth cant have him. Previously the audience know that John is a man of his word and proof of this is what he is doing. John is so sure that he is going to persuade Danforth that he doesnt need a lawyer. I am no lawyer (Act 3 pg 74) Johns confidence is leading him to save his wife then again being a man of his word. He has no care, even if he his going to go prison, he has try and save his wife. Options are running out for John. He has told the court about his affair with Abigail and said to Danforth that his wife will never lie. That woman will never lie. (Act 3 pg 74) He completely has faith in his wife, but if his wife will deny of the affair then John will be arrested on charges of contempt of court. Firstly John said that he would go to court, exactly what he said he will do. Proctor said he will admit to adultery saying his wife will never lie; he has absolute faith in her. As a result Elizabeth told her first ever lie because John isnt worth sacrificing. The audience see that Elizabeth does still love him. Also the audience see that John is entirely a man of his word. John is an ordinary man because he has committed sin! His wife is in prison because of him; hence it is his duty to save her. Proctor is neither an ordinary man nor a saint. I cannot mount like a gibbet like a saint (Act 4 pg 113) A saint is someone who is near to pure and has done something very important in order to change the world. He is angry with the court for saying he is evil but knows that they are the evil ones and it doesnt make a difference if he lies. John has done something good but it isnt quite there- spiritually developed. John could confess to be a witch. In addition it does not matter to him because he has done the worst sin there is compared to lying but he has to sign the papers. sign your testimony. (Act 4 pg 113) John does not want to sign the papers because of his name and for his children. John is an ordinary man because he wants his life but knows the cost of what he wants and stops himself because he wants to see his children grow into men. I want to live. (Act 4 pg 110). So basically which man does not want his life? Evidently he is an ordinary man; he does not want to die. The audience know John is an ordinary man but a changing ordinary man. John is churning in the crucible and nearly ready to be purified; John knows saving himself will cost another life, but he can put a full stop to it. John is a good man. John believes if he lives and others die for his life that is wrong. I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it. (Act 4 pg 113). This means that he can talk his own sin but not others or that he will not accuse others for his own life. Proctor thinks not for himself but his children. He needs to give them a good name. I have confessed myself! no good penitence but it be public (Act 4 pg 114) and leave my name! (Act 4 pg 115). Proctor says because his conscience says he doesnt want a bad name for his children. He thinks that having his life means his children will have bad names and others will suffer. Also he doesnt want sign his confession especially for the public. Proctor is a fully spiritually developed man. He has refused to sign the paper, meaning his spoken confession is not counted. This gave him time to think and when conscious, spoke up. What others say and what I sign to is not the same! (Act 4 pg 115). Proctor knew or I shall I say he realised that his written confession would kill more people and only save himself. However if he dies, theres a full stop to all this nonsense. Proctor died to save others. The audience finally see the changed man for what he really is. Miller influences the audience in the way he refuses to sign and knew exactly what the consequence was going to be. John sees the shred of goodness in him, saying that he is white and should be kept away from dogs. The white symbolises the goodness and the dogs are the court. The dogs are the evil people from mythology, if dogs guarding hell and should be away from goodness; white. The decision he made was to stop everything bad and he wont go to hell because of what he has done. It makes John a good man, meaning his spiritual development is complete because he is dead and cant change anymore. John Proctor should have his shred of goodness because he has been churning long enough in the crucible pot. John Proctor is ready and purified and is a good man. He is finally, as I have mentioned, put a full stop to further deaths, being hung for witchcraft. This fact as it was proved in the Milgram experiment- where people would take another persons life without giving a second thought and were told to go even further, until they would die, Proctor was that person and did not listen. Furthermore, John was a final seal and said no more names, deaths or accusations and they were stopped. The government in March 1712 after a solemn meeting declared a democracy in Salem. All were compensated with their land, money and a good name for beloved people who died tragically in the witch trials. The ways the audience see The Crucible, is concerned with spiritual development of John. He is linked to all key events in the play, and still Arthur Miller showed how a man changed and died to save a state, in order to save other people and the good name of Proctor.   1 Umer Hussain Essay- The Crucible. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Current business situation of H and M

Current business situation of H and M Hennes and Maurits was founded in first 1947 by Erling Persson and later acquired Mauritz Widfoss in 1968. It is a Stockholm- based fashion company. After the business success at home, in 1964, Hennes launched its first overseas store in Norway, and 3 years later HM entered the UK market and started her expansion strategies. By the mean time, HM has more than 1600 stores in 32 countries and had become the 3rd largest clothing retailer in the world. Hennes Mauritz (HM), the probably most legendary fashion retailing firm in recent years, has spared out branches all over the world. In Europe, North America, Asia and even Middle East you can find HMs stores. After achieved successful sales goal and fame, HM has entered a very challenging market, Japan, by launching its first shop in Ginza, Tokyo. Although at the beginning HM has seemed to get great response and do a good work, Japan has long been struggled with economic recession and continues sales drop. Could HM keep its unbeatable records in Japan? The followings should analyse and recommend the retail strategies in Japan market HM should take. Fashion and Quality at the best price is the model of hers. HM produces Women, men, youngster and children wear. Besides garments, HM also has its own line in accessories, footwear and cosmetics. The King of Fast Fashion has its own production offices in Asia and Europe in order to keep the price down. Business situation is always critical for a companys success or failure. Both the global situation and Japans market, there are factors that favor or discourage business sales. In the global level, the mode of fashion retailing has been changing in recent years. Firstly, the influences of new brand or store chain are growing in the international market. For examples, store chains like Zara and Gap, they make hugh profits and arouse publicity in international level. They gained reputations and captured high percentage of market shares. Despite the past fashion industry that mostly the high fashion retailers could gain their influences, nowadays chain stores that sell street fashion for middle or lower classes can get their plaes in the fashion market. And it shows different fashion firms can gain market shares and impacts in the fashion industry. Secondly, the changed life style of the customers of the fashion companies also gives opportunities. Nowadays fast fashion is prevailing and people are getting more conscious and paying more attention to fashion. The market for fashion industry is growing. More important is that customers want fashionable items with lower price rather than expensive high couture, as they would like to change their wardrobe less than one month. That is why fast fashion is getting popular. Thirdly, e-market is one of the fields that fashion retailing firms paying affords in. The sale in e-market is growing, as the sales in internet has no geographic boundaries. Also internet is a good media to promote its company and products. On the other hand, business of fashion companies also faces a very serious problem economic tsunami. The economics tsunami affects customers confidence in buying and purchasing. Also customers tend to save rather than spend. The sales volume of many firms dropped significantly within 1 or few months. More than that, the sales volume predicted to drop continuously in next 1 or few years. Facing the economic difficulties and negative information about the markets future, it further discourages the customers buying behavior also the business sales. In Japan, the business situation is beginning described as challenging and advent HM. Japan is a fashion capital in Asia and even the world. People especially youngster group paid much attention in trends and fashion. They tend to spend much on clothing and other relatives item to fashion. Due to the great fashion awareness, fashion firms and chains can get ideal sales in Japan usually. Besides, Japan is the model and trends for the neighboring in countries, for example Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Success in Japan means easier entry into the markets in these Asian markets. Moreover, statistics show that the mens wear market in Japan is great. In the past years, mens wear sales were comparable with womens wear. In 2007, mens wear sales were over the sales of womens wear. It shows that the mens wear market is in great potential for firms to enter and provides great opportunities. Although Japan seems ideal for fashion companies to get in, therere also shortcomings of Japan market. Japan faces economic downturns in recent years. In the past 10 years were the recessions of Japans economy. The sales volumes dropped and market for clothing and footwear declined. In the past 2 years things had been once better, however unfortunately there are global economic tsunami. International predicts that in future years Japans economy will remain in its downturn. Secondly the competition between firms in Japan is ardent. As mentioned above, Japans market is a paradise for old and new fashion brands. It attracts many international brands for examples the high brands like Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Hermes and also bringing like Zara, Gap that operates stores in modes that similar to HM. The competition between brands is keen. Also the local brands in Japan like Uniqlo abstract high market shares. For the entering of new brand, its important that one can stand for the harsh competiti ons. In additions, the aging problem is another concern for the market. As fashion is always viewed as the interest of younger people, the aging problems directly affect the sales of fashion firms. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Company HM Zara Gap Uniqlo Start from Sweden, 1947 Spain, 1975 America,1969 Japan,1984 employees 68,000 150,000 Target market few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles price Low middle low low Growth strategy Fashion and quality at the best price with own design increase the number of stores zero advertisement Increase the number of stores Design a new style every two week A lot of brand inside Low advertisement Fashion and quality at the best price with own design Cooperate with design and other brand Sponsor some ball game team Total stores 1,600 3,100 3,139 800 The number of Japan stores 4 30 130 750 (99in Tokyo) Start in Japan 9.2008 1998 1995 1984 Stores size 1,000 square meters 1,500 square meters 1,000 square meters Figure 1 Refer to Figure 1, analysis is below. As we know, HM is a huge brand in the world. It started at 1947 in Sweden. It has 1,600 stores in 32 countries HMs major competitors are Zara, Uniqlo, and GAP in Japan. They are the entire well-known brand in the world. Although HMs history is longer than them, it not mean HM is much better than them. Zara and Gap have more stores than HM, but their target market is very similar., They also target for a few middlemen, people who can buy in large numbers and having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles, so that HM have a big challenge. Their price range also between middle to low, it can make more people afford it. HMs missing is that fashion and quality at the best price and increase the number of stores. However, Uniqlo also have the same missing, it want to provide a good customer service at the best price and own design. Moreover, Zara can design a new thing every two weeks. It can design 10,000 produce every year, it much fast than HM. Their stores also increase very fast. HM only have 4 shops in japan, but Zara, Gap and Uniqlo have much more stores in japan, especially Uniqlo. Moreover, they have a long history in Japan, but HM just enter Japan market in 2008. It is a big problem for HM, its competitor have more stores and stable customer. ANALYSIS ON HM EXISTING MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE HM has a clear hierarchy structure as shown in Figure 2 The Annual General Meeting (ACG) is the highest decision-making body where shareholders exercise their rights to make decisions for the company. Board of directors manages the company on behalf of the shareholders. The board gives directions and instructions to the managing director. Hence, the managing director performs daily management as directed by the board. Underneath, the executive managing team and country managers are responsible for central functions and sales countries respectively. Figure 2.1 In most cases, large organization generally has a complex structure. Here, HM has a matrix organization which is a mixed form of functional and divisional structure. Typically, matrix organization structure has two axes. On one axis of the matrix is a range of functional groups and on the other are the products or projects with a manager responsible for each. (Boddy, D., p246, 2005) In the case of HM, the project is organized by regions and each region has a number of stores. There is a manager in each country and he/she is responsible for profitability in their country and thereby has an overall responsibility for all the functions within the region. (refer to Figure 2.1) On the other hand, HM also organize and work on their tasks in project and team bases. By using these methods, managements not only organize their work more flexible with lower costs, but also giving out a faster response for their project or task. (Boddy, D., 2005) Here the executive management teams of HM responsible for each function are responsible for the results of work within their function in each country. What is more, specialists from various departments also brought together to form a project team and work on different projects. Figure 2.1 Regarding the matrix structure adopted by HM, some benefits are summarized as follows: simplifying the creation of appropriate routines and control systems, smaller units enable closer supervision, higher flexibility, faster response, enabling comparisons between the different companies within HM. However, this may lead to a significant drawback, which is low uniformity. Since there is high division of departments and regions, it is often hard for the central management to control the management and operation of different units. To enhance uniformity throughout the whole company, management documents like guidelines and manuals are delivered within the company. Moreover, the code of ethics permeated the entire company, describing the way employees should act in relation to the company and the outside world. For store operations, detailed instructions have also been given to store staffs in order to control daily work in the stores. Though guidelines and manuals are written by central departments, in 2006, inventory of the guidelines was carried out within each department so as to check any guidelines should be updated or created. This showed respect towards each units opinions. Evaluation and modification of guidelines and manuals result in better efficiency of work. To further explain HMs management structure, the degree of centralization could be examined. The code of ethics, internal policies, and manuals are created by central management. Important decisions that are strongly related to the companys profits are also made by the top management. Purchasing is centrally organized by the head office in Sweden as well. From the above, we could see high degree of centralization is exercised in HM. Nevertheless, HM has a decentralized system. There are 20 production offices dealing with 800 suppliers, and 20 country offices within 33 sales countries, handling all business affairs for the region it responsible for. Planning and organizing, such as store operation, advertising are carried out by managers. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of HMs decentralized system with centralized management. From the good side, uniformity can be enforced through clear and strict regulations and guidelines. Besides, this enables higher flexibility in tackling small problems in each department and region. On the contrary, higher risk of unsuitable merchandise for the sales countries may be resulted due to centralized buying decision in Sweden. In Japan, consumers are quite different and demanding on quality clothing which usual HM products may not satisfy them enough. To avoid such problems, more intense research and country-oriented approaches are needed. It is suggested that research or buying teams located in the respective sales regions could be set up to perform closer watch on trends and social affairs that could alter sales greatly and too quick before response come from the head office. ANALYSIS ON HM EXISTING RETAIL STRATEGIES HM is a very successful and expansive Swedish fashion group and also a famous company in Japan. HMs retail strategy has been developing in different aspects. The Best Price Strategy HM aims to give the customer unbeatable value by offering fashion and quality at the best price. It has been developing the Best Price Strategy. It maintains the best price by limiting the number of middlemen, buying in large volumes ,relying on our in-depth, extensive expertise within the design, fashion, and textile industries, buying the right merchandise from the right production markets, being cost-conscious at all levels and having efficient distribution systems. In Japan, the product price of HM is lower than others. Most foreign brands come to Japan and charge more than at home. HM is aiming to match global pricing. So now HM is one-half the price of Zara in Japan, thereby making most other Japanese retailers look relatively expensive. If Japanese consumer spending continues to decline, this will play into an even stronger position for HM. Main Collection Sub-Collection The buying function focuses on customers, fashion and composition of the range. HMs clothing collections are created in Sweden by around 100 internal designers, 50 pattern designers and around 100 buyers. It operates with two main collections per year, one in spring and one in autumn. Within each season, however, there are a number of sub-collections so that customers can always find new goods in stores. The aim of the company is to find the optimal time to order each item. Fashion For Everyone HM offers a wide range of fashion using many different concept, from updated classics and basics to clothes that reflect the very latest international trends. In addition, they sell clothes, accessories and cosmetics. The wearing range consists of everyday clothes to partywear. To make things clearer for the customers, it has divided up a range into a number of different concepts for women, men, teenagers and children. The clothes also have a high fashion content within each collection, so that customers can easily combine different garments and find their own personal style. Online Shopping Service HM have three sales channels, stores, the Internet and catalogues. In 1998, HM began its shopping online service which has since been continuously improved. A considerable expansion of mail order and online sales is being prepared to complement the stores in the existing markets. Stores continue, however, to be the main distribution channel. The strategy behind the owning of it is that HM can maintain control of the expansion strategy and of business locations. But Japan does not provide online shopping service, the sales channel is narrow. The Best Location Strategy The Best business location has been a firm principle of HM since 1947 and is less important nowadays. The HM store is now a well-established presence in most prominent shopping streets with considerable customer flows around Europe. In London, for example, they are located on Oxford Street. HM opened the store in Japan in Ginza, Shibuya and Harajuku. Before establishing stores in a new market they conduct a thorough analysis of demographics and purchasing behaviour. They also carry out a local survey of the shopping areas and shopping centres, document their size and where their competitors stores are located. Product Quality Control In order to maintain the fine quality of merchandise, they carry out quality controls. They strive to ensure that garments have been manufactured with the least possible impact on the environment and under satisfactory working conditions. HM is known as the king of fast fashion and spots emerging fashion trends, quickly creates knock-off designs and variation using 100 in-house designers. In Japan, the customers are nit-picking and require an extremely high quality fashion. HM may not satisfy their needs. OVERALL SWOT ANALYSIS OF HM The SWOT analysis is the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a company. A SWOT analysis actually has two parts and both are equally significant. Strengths and weaknesses are the internal analysis; the opportunities and threats focus on the external environment. Internal is regarding the information about companys market segments, their competitors relative weaknesses and strengths as well as the industry as a whole. When conducting an external situational analysis, the business customers, market and competitors are analysed. The overall SWOT analysis included the global situation and Japan environment of HM. Firstly, strengths and weakness of HM is discussed as below. Strengths HM was established in Sweden in 1947; it has a long history and is around 62 years. The past 62 years, HM did a great expansion worldwide. In 2009, there are 1,700 stores spread over 33 different countries and markets, and employ over 73,000 people. HM offer each country exclusive preferences and needs. Also there is exclusive clothing designs for online stores, and this system is provided in some of the European countries, such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Informational website is also one of the strengths of HM, everything about HM shown in the official website. It is convenient for customers to get the newest issues of HM, and also provides useful and updated information to all types of users. HM Magazine provides a good idea of how HM views fashion. It offers readers a mix of fashion, inspiration and the latest lifestyle trends. It is issued four times a year and is aimed equally at customers and staff. Like all HMs communication, the mag azine can be seen as an invitation to HM. It is important for building the brand in the long term and is also available on the HM website. Besides of the exclusive online shopping, HM also collaborated with fashion designers, designer labels, fashion models and celebrities to offer customers the exclusive collection, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor Rolf, Kate Moss and Madonna. On 20 September 2005, HM announced they have dropped Moss for the advertising campaign of their autumn clothing collection, stating that her image was inconsistent with HMs clear dissociation of drugs in light of recent drug allegations. HM did concerned about the society. In November 2008, Comme Des Garà §ons, a significant figure in modern fashion Japanese designer, exclusive collection for HM sold in 200 stores worldwide, including Japan, Hong Kong, US and UK. One of the most significant figures in modern fashion, Kawakubo has created a full mens and womens collection for HM, complete with accessories and a unisex fragrance. HM provides variety in fashion, different kinds of clothing and accessories that could easy for customers to match up with. The stores are refreshed daily with new fashion items. As with HMs clothing heritage, the idea across the Home collection is that consumers mix and match items and add to their existing dà ©cor and colour schemes. The first home collection will be available from February 2009 in the markets: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Cushion cover and bed linen sets are the key pieces. The materials are mostly cottons, linens, viscose-cotton mixes and organic cotton. The long-term investment in organic cotton is continuing at HM, aims to increase the use of organic cotton and the development of new green materials such as recycled cotton, wool and polyester. HM offering garments that are both fashionable and environmentally compatible. HM had a fantastic response to their eco-fashion, which shows that the customers care about both the environment and design. Weaknesses HM business concept is to give the customer unbeatable value by offering fashion and quality at the best price. When comparing with competitors, the garment quality of HM is doesnt at high level. Since all stock is displayed on floor, there is no backup stock for customers. The customer service is relatively low if the customer could not get any help from the salesperson. For the garment production, HM does not own any factories, but instead buys its goods from around 800 independent suppliers, primarily in Asia and Europe. The problem is that HM cannot get tightly controlled to the distribution network to get new product to the stores. The online shopping store is only provides in European countries, such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The online store could not gain worldwide customers attention. In Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria HM offers fashion by Internet and catalogue sales. For the employees, ther e is not a fundamental respect for the individual, which applies to everything from fair pay, reasonable working hours and freedom of association to the opportunity to grow and develop within the company. Opportunities It is the positive towards future expansion of HM and the companys business opportunities. In the past few years HM has been experimenting with new fascias including market company, which it debuted on Londons Regent Street in March 2007. A second company store will open this week in Westfield and the retailer believes there are further opportunities for the offer in the UK. The 14th store in Europe will open next spring in Paris. Since HM has signed a contract for its first store in Japan in end of 2006. The store is opened in 2008 November. It has been HMs dream to open in Japan. says Rolf Eriksen, CEO HM. There will be more stores in Japan in the future. HM has entered into franchise agreement with Match Retail Ltd. for store openings in Israel. The first HM store is planned to open during 2010. HM provides online shopping in a few European countries, but still hasnt announced plans to do so in Asia, North America and Middle East. It is a large market for HM. There is an opportunity to set up online store in those countries. The designer cooperation is the most significant for HM. The crossover series with the famous designer have made a stir in fashion industry. Many designers are willing to cooperate with HM, see it as a stage for showing their new design. It brings the new concept to the HM product and enhances their product competitive. HM crossover with Matthew Williamson do a spring collection for 2009. As the Japanese has a strong interest in fashion and Japan is a big fashion market. Japan fashion market is maturing, with competition between global companies intensifying in the Japanese market and with consumers becoming more and more selective about merchandise that they purchased. There is growing presence of shopping centers and fashion malls in and around cities giving consumers increasing choices of locations for shopping. This is causing change in the structure of the Japanese fashion market as well as consumers buying patterns. Threats There will be a keen competition between the similar style competitors, such as Zara, Gap Inc., and Uniqlo in Japan. And, the changes in consumer behaviors are also the threat of fast fashion. End of fast fashion as shoppers allegedly switches to less throwaway items. Weak holiday sales, economic downpour sales will be conducted in HM stores. There also will be frantic battles over products, the poor quality compete with the luxury goods; fast fashion compete with high fashion. Exchange rate fluctuations are strongly related to the export quantities of firms. Since there are a lot of stores all over the world, the rate changes is a big issue of the company. Internationally, HM has experienced some sales declines in recent months and sales across the business were two per cent down year on year at established stores in September. However, refuses to admit any serious threat to HMs success, stressing again its solid offer. It is not about value, but value for money and HM think they are unique when it comes to combining price, quality and fashion. It is the feedback that HM get from customer and it is their success factor. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS In order to raise the competitiveness of HM in Japanese fashion market, some retail strategies are recommended. We provide some suggestions based on 4Ps. Place For place aspect, it is suggested that HM should offer various distribute channels for increase the sale and enhance its competitiveness. First, providing On-line-shop is a good way to sell HM products. According to Mark Hogan , GM Group vice president said, Japan is the Internet giant of Asia. There are 47.08 million Internet users. 62 percent of them use e-commerce. It can prove that online shopping is a popular shopping method in Japan. Besides, there are no limitations of online shops locations. It means that even there is only 1 HM shop in Tokyo, people who live outside Tokyo can still buy its products though the online shop. Thus, On-line-shop can help HM broaden its demographic market to boosting its sales. Second, providing Automatic Vending Machine (AVM) can help HM to be successful. Japanese demand for automation. According to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association report , there are 5.51 million machines in Japan in 2007, Japanese spend nearly 7 trillion yen (around US$ 58 billion) a year by shopping though AVM. It is a popular buying behavior in Japan. Third, it is suggested that HM should allocate AVM at Railway stations. According to a survey about Japanese Commuting conducted by japan-guide.com , train (JR) is the most commonly used of transportation for commuting in Japan. 53% of students and 48% of company workers indicated to commute to school/work by train or subway. Students and workers is the main target of HM. Thus, the suggestion is a fabulous idea for HM undoubtedly. Product For product aspect, release family-set outfit is a potential product for increase the sales. Most Japanese love wearing family-set outfit. Providing family-set outfit can attract those family targets. Besides, family-set outfit is complementary merchandise product. It means that if parents select and decide to buy an outfit, they should but another one to their child. The sale can increase doubly. Second, HM should improve its quality of products in order to succeed in Japan. The cloth of HM is not top notch quality. Japanese are known notoriously for rejecting products for minute reasons such as poor stitching, loose button, and inferior fabrics and the like. Moreover, manufacturing standards are so uniformly high in Japan that a business modal cannot succeed on design and bargain pricing alone. However, Uniqlo, one of the HM competitors, provide high quality products with a reasonable price. If HM thirst for success in Japan, it is important for it to improve the quality of its products. Promotion For promotion aspect, effective promotion is needed. Promotion can introduce merchandizes to customers and also attract them to come to the shop.There are so many ways to promote the merchandizes. Choosing suitable ways are very important because it affect the effectiveness of the promotion. First, mobile phone is a good media for promotion. Nowadays, nearly everyone have one mobile phone. Through mobile phone, messages can be easily and successfully transfer to many different people. SMS (Short Message Service) is one common method. In Japan, lots of people like to use SMS to communicate with each other, especially for the youngsters. Recently, Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology surveyed over 10 thousand students. In 5 secondary school students, there is one sending at least 50 messages by mobile phone every day. 7% of them even said that they sent about 100 messages every day. This shows that most of the teenagers like using SMS. Therefore, SMS is really a good method to send messages in order to promote products. Another common method for promotion is using matrix code (2D barcode). 2D barcode is a two-dimensional way of representing information. It is similar to a linear (one-dimensional) barcode, but has more data representation capability. 2D barcodes are in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns. QR Code becomes the most popular type of 2D barcodes in Japan recently. The QR is derived from Quick Response. QR Codes are commonly found in the Internet and magazines. Most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera of the mobile phone conveniently. QR Code can encode Japanese Kanji and Kana characters, music, images, URLs, emails. Through this kind of barcode, information can be easily stored and attract people to get it. The QR Code Price Apart From using mobile phone, some programs can be launched in order to promote the merchandizes. Price deal is an example. Price deal is a temporary reduction in the price in a short period of time. It is very effective because low price can attract customer to go into the shop and pay more. Price deal is suitable for short period promotion. Another good example is loyal reward program. Consumers can collect points, miles, or credits for purchases and redeem them for rewards. In order to get the rewards, customers would like to come more frequently and buy more products. This program can last for longer period, usually a month. Launching different kinds of programs can increase sales effectively. Not only promotion, a good pricing is also very important to strengthen HM in Japanese fashion market. Low price should be maintained. HM have already set low price for the goods. Most of the products are affordable. This can attract customers, especially youngsters who cannot afford high price. The products are already at a best price and it is also one of the competitive advantages. Therefore, low price should be maintained. Another suggestion for pricing is that there should be a price cut for the last seasons fashion. Last seasons product have less attractiveness than the new products. In order to sell them more