Monday, September 30, 2019

Anecdotes For Reflection Essay

1. What was the book about and what did you learn from it? This book is about morals based on stories on the holy prophet and the companions of the noble prophet. There are stories about the imams and other prophets too. Most importantly the conclusion of this book is about to guide us to right path. I have learnt three main things about the first one is humiliation if you go to the fifth chapter it then go to Page 52-53 it is a wonder full story about ‘The short and ugly son ‘ I’ll tell you in brief there was a king who had several of kids to which 1 amongst all of them was short and ugly and the others were tall and beautiful the king always looked down at the short and ugly child. But the king never knew how intelligent the short and ugly kid was. To which the ugly boy told his father ‘ He who is taller is not necessary better or superior; a sheep is clean but an elephant like a carcass’ by which the started to laugh at him and humiliating him, so I have learnt never to humiliate anyone to how ever they are. The second thing I have learnt is ‘LIE’ if you lie you will be caught out and your lie won’t stay for a long time. And if you lie then you are compelled to say a lie again till you say the truth. The third I have learnt is ‘ignorance’ if I ignore someone then straight away I have displeased four feelings first one is Bibi Fatima the second one is prophet Muhammad the third one is Allah and the forth one is the person is the one I ignored. And I shall practise this by making notes and try to stick on near my desk so I should remember. 2. Did you like this book give reasons to your answer? I liked the book i have learnt something from each and every section and it has shown me the right path and the right teachings. These stories in the book have made me reflect to what I have done in the past and as the book got more interesting and inshallah I will try rectifying myself from now onwards. and the other I liked in this book is how he author has made sections which was very good and I am hoping to read â€Å"the anecdotes for reflection part three† 3. Which 5 anecdotes did you like the best and why? * The Jews and unlawful food The part I liked is is that when were talking amongst themselves while the noble prophet who 7 years old while the Jews were having food so 1 Jew said to other I Have read in a scripture that a prophet would never go near a unlawful food so they invited the prophet but the noble prophet refused the Jews played this trick on the prophet twice but failed but to which interested was that the holy scripture was right and surprising too. And the other thing I loved was that the prophet was only 7 and he knew what was right and what was wrong. * Bahul the gravedigger There was a person in the time of the noble prophet named mu’adh-ibn-jabaal. Mu’adh-ibn-jabaal told the holy prophet there is a person who wants to see you. When the prophet walked up to the door of the mosque he saw a good looking guy who was crying as if a mother would cry for his son then the prophet inquired why he was crying then the man turned to the prophet and said why should I not cry i have committed a sin which Allah will never forgive. then the prophet asked ‘did you associate anyone else with Allah or did you kill anyone’ the man said so the holy prophet said even if your sins are bigger than a mountain than Allah will forgive them so the man said that my sins are bigger than the mountains so the prophet said are you sins bigger than the seven earths, all the sands, tree, seas, the man said yes so the holy prophet inquired would you please narrate one of your sins to me the man said why not he then said for the past seven years i have been digg ing up people graves and took their shrouds and i sold them. Then the prophet said ‘o’ sinner stay away from me or i fear that i would burn from your fire too. At that moment the man looked down and went towards the mountains and tied himself and wept for forty days and asked Allah to pardon him and then Allah revealed to the prophet that the man is forgiven so the prophet went to the mountains and told him that he was forgiven so the moral is that if you want be forgiven then ask from real heart and inshallah you will be forgiven. * Imam Hasan and the Syrian. I liked this anecdote because the way imam Hasan speaks about the man in this anecdote i have learnt that if your father has an enemy that does not mean that you should be his enemy you shall make good relationships and good bonds with everyone. One day a man sets his eye on the imam then he started cursing him the imam waited patiently till he finished then the imam greeted him and said ‘If you have a desire i shall fulfil it E.T.C’ when the imam finished the man started crying and crying then he said i bear witness that you are the caliph of this world. * The humbleness of Salman Farsi I liked this anecdote because it teaches you how to be humble. If you carry things that you can carry and give someone else to carry it you get a sin and you may end up everyone being against and you might end up by people feet pleading and pleading for forgiveness. Then saying please forgive me as i did not realise who you are.and I have learnt not to give my burden to anyone else. * Isa and the greedy person. I liked this anecdote because it has two points one is lie and the other one is greed there was once a person in the time of Isa and Isa gave money to the man and said go and buy three loaves bread so the man came back with loaves of bread as Isa had engaged himself with prayers for a long time the man quietly consumed a loaf of brad so when Isa had finished his prayer and asked the man where is the other loaf of bread the man said that there were only two loaves of bread than they settled down and started eating when they had finished they went for a walk they saw a deer they sacrificed and started to eat it after they had finished Isa gave that deer back his life the man was shocked so Isa asked again where the third loaf of bread is the man still said there was only two so they went along and they saw three gold bricks Isa took one the man took one then Isa said this is the one who ate the third loaf of bread the man said greedily i ate the third loaf of bread. 4. What didn’t you understand from the book? I never understood that the noble prophet revealed his prophesy till the age of 20 or higher pg 166 it says the group of Jews said to themselves that a prophet would never go near a unlawful food when the prophet was 7 they had invited him to come and eat the unlawful food And the prophet rejected it. 5. What other Islamic books will I read over the next year. I will read the following books over the next year inshallah: 1. WHY I BECAME A SHIA 2. ANECDOTE FOR REFLECTION PART 3 3. A†¦BEAUTIFULL†¦STRING†¦OF†¦INCIDENTS 4. STORIES OF THE PROPHET.

External Factor Are Affecting the Ecosystems Essay

The word ecosystem refers to the combined physical and biological components of an environment; these organisms form complex sets of relationships and function as a unit as they interact with their physical environment. Ecosystems are constantly changing naturally, and they’ve got a specific and stable climax, equilibrium. Living as well as non-living factors may have an impact in an ecosystem such as the impact of humans in ecosystems by hunting, fishing, agriculture etc. r climate change may affect an ecosystem and dare it to adapt to the conditions. Will human’s activity affect the equilibrium of the arctic wolves ecosystem? Equilibrium refers to balance, so†¦ will human’s activities affect the balance of the physical and biological components of the tundra? Human activities, which affect the arctic wolf’s ecosystem, the tundra, are pollution, chemical contamination and overdevelopment. All of them are harmful to the ecosystem. Pollution affects in directly the tundra, habitat of the Arctic wolf. Pollution leads to Global Warming and this affect the global temperature, as a result ice melts and the tundra is affected because its an ecosystem nearly made up on ice, so eventually the ecosystem would be endangered and also the species that are contained in the ecosystem. Lately, thousands of â€Å"green† organizations have been generated to promote the green habits and to try to reduce pollution worldwide, reducing also the vulnerability of the tundra biome. Their projects consist in reducing wastes of any kind of energy source and saving any resource we get. This will involve social aspects also in the way that our society must take part and have an impact into world pollution, which will finally affect the tundra ecosystem; it has lately become popular to be ecofriendly. This ecologic movement has also affected the fashion industry which lately looks for looks with more pure materials, not much synthetic ones, also they’ve preferred clothing with pure cotton, even not only the materials of clothing are involved but the message in the clothing’s have taken a very special impact in the society. Hunting, affects directly and indirectly to the ecosystem of the Arctic wolf, it affects the interaction of living organisms by hunting the animals. The overhunting of species such as the musk ox and caribou in Alaska and North America were even near of extinction. This would create unsustainability on the ecosystem because there would not be equilibrium in the food chain and all the animals that have any relationship with the specie would me affected by don’t having a predator or a prey. Hunting in the tundra has had a very negative effect because important species suck as the musk ox have nearly got to extinction. By 1950, herds in North America were reduced by ninety percent, so this made the American population realize what was really going on in their country. They were loosing biodiversity and so laws were created to protect animals. This had an economic impact, because musk ox’s (prey of the arctic wolf) leather was part of the market so it has also a social impact, not only from for hunters but for the fashion industry which had a relation with musk ox’s fur and leather. Chemical contamination also affects the Arctic Wolf’s ecosystem. Lately, Petroleum and Coal or Natural Gas, Iron, Lead or Zinc mines and mineral exploration and exploitation and extraction are increasing worldwide especially in the Arctic. The development affects the Caribou, which are one of the main species present in the Arctic wolf habitat. Overdevelopment indicates to the building of roads and buildings in the tundra, this lead to more circulation. Fragile tundra areas of plants are taken out for the creation of these roads. Without plants to give nutrients to the soil, earth will stop being rich and will abolish the community of flora in the tundra. After discussing all the direct and indirect human impact in the environment, hunting, chemical contamination and overdevelopment are certainly harmful for the ecosystem. These activities attempt to the balance of the ecosystem by attempting against the living organisms that live in the tundra, ecosystem of the arctic wolf and by attempting against the non-living factors in the ecosystem such as climate. Even tough there are solutions for these activities to reduce or to stop, they are not completely efficient. In my opinion after all my investigation, apart from the pollution affecting indirectly to the tundra, the other activities are not a major concern for the arctic wolf’s ecosystem. As seen, human activities impact in the arctic wolf’s ecosystem is not positive (although they don’t damage much the tundra) toward the ecosystem. My final conclusion will be that external factors are definitely against the equilibrium of the arctic wolf’s ecosystem.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Coffee Shop Essay

I. Introduction The proposed study revolves around the creation of The Coffee House, a proposed small scale business that will be situated in the fast changing environment which is constantly changing due to constructions of buildings and other facilities in the Global City in Taguig City. The study will tackle from the history of the business up to the technical and financial aspects of the study, the said study will also develop the keen observation skills of the students in terms of the marketable value of a specific brand of their liking and will also hone their analysis skills in the business side of the proposed study whether technical or financial. II. Business History The Coffee House is a new small scale business that targets the coffee industry with an expected opening date of July of 2011 in 38th Dr. N. University Parkway, Bonifacio North Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The business is a coffee shop, located near prestigious schools and business districts in the area. The business specializes in coffee, tea, and homemade pastries. There are other shops that only serve coffee in the vicinity, the nearest being over one kilometer away which is stationed at Market Market Mall in the vicinity. The target audience of the business is individuals which are both in the workforce and in the academe, students and professionals alike. Currently, there are no places in the surrounding area that cater to the said target audience. III. Vision and Mission Statement The vision of â€Å"The Coffee House† is to become the leading coffee shop in the area of Bonifacio Global City that is under the governance of Taguig city that also practices the â€Å"green† operation of its store and eventually provides a common area for business meetings, hang-out with friends and even a place for studying while enjoying the products of the business. The mission of â€Å"The Coffee House† is to bring back the appreciation of the masses to the local coffee, to break social norms through the business, to create an environment that can cater to different types of people all in the same time, to contribute to the development of one’s self being, to take part in the solution of environmental problems and to be able to encourage others in doing the same thing and lastly to help deflate the rise of unemployment in the country. Objectives The proposed studies primary goals over the next year are as follows: 1. Secure financing for start-up of at least P1, 380,000 for space and equipment. 2. Renovate our space in Global City. 3. Acquire equipment necessary for business, i. e. coffee pots, cappuccino machines, blenders, etc. 4. Make agreement with coffee distributors, and bakery vendors. 5. Create a cozy, clean environment (i. e. choice of colors, choice of music, decor) 6. Open for another branches and become the foremost coffeehouse in the area. Ownership The Coffee House is a corporation that was formed in the early stages of the study. Each individual are equally involved in the operation and management of the said proposed business. Since the ownership type of the business is a corporation type, in terms of profit, responsibility and liability each individual has equal share, therefore each decision that the business will take before it will be implemented into the business the owners will first assess the proposed implementation before implementing it on a first hand basis and if the decision fails, each one of them will also share the consequences of it. Location and Facilities The Coffee House is located at the 38th Dr. N. University Parkway, Bonifacio North Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The proponents currently own the building that the proposed business will occupy. Thus, expenses for the renovation of the area will be taken from the funds of the business. Since building a business from the ground up, the proponents took a risk in renovating the proposed location to save the business for monthly increase in cost if the business will rent a commercial location. In terms of facilities, the proponents will avail the basic facilities to jump start the business and will acquire more equipment when the business has received its return of investment, which in the estimation of the proponents would be on the succeeding months from its launch date. Products and Services Description of Products and Services The Coffee House will offer high quality coffee our primary product at a very reasonable price. We will also sell homemade cookies, brownies, and doughnuts, also reasonably priced. Key Features of the Products and Services All drinks will be made with filtered water and the highest quality ingredients we can get. Frozen drinks will have caramel or chocolate syrup drizzled in the glass and over the drink. Cappuccino and hot coca will have whipped cream toppings as well as the option for candy sprinkles. Cookies will have the option of a chocolate or caramel dip and sprinkles. We will offer designer flavored cream and five kinds of sweetener, i. e. sugar, honey, Equal, and Sweet-n-Low. Cream and sweetener is at no extra charge. Production of Products and Services We will use only filtered water and will brew our coffee in commercial coffeepots that will be thoroughly cleaned between uses. We will bake cookies, brownies and pizza pandesal in our own on-site oven from proven recipes, daily. Future Products and Services Within the next three to five years we expect to branch out into catering and offer homemade pies, whole or by the slice. Comparative Advantages in Production Our low overhead and cheaper pricing will be the key to our success. Industry Overview Market Research There are other businesses that serve only coffee in the area. Size of the Industry Nationally, the coffee shop industry is quite large, but in Global City, there are only three. The nearest one is in Market Market which is less than one (1) kilometer away. Industry Outlook The coffee business does not show signs of slowing down. With new innovations such as flavorings and additives, it should continue for some time. Marketing Strategy. Target Markets – Our target market is artists and writers who need a nice quite cozy place to think and do their work. Description of Key Competitors Of the three coffee shops in the area, one is a large chain with a very expensive product, one is really a home style restaurant, the last one, and our biggest is a Famous Coffee Shop with an â€Å"Elegant Style Setting†. Analysis of Competitive Position Our pricing strategy, comfortable atmosphere and offering free wifi access will be the key to our success. None of the other shops in the area can offer this. Pricing Strategy The business will offer three sizes of drinks, small, medium and large. Which ranges from 50 pesos to 100 pesos, our cookies and brownies will sell for P50. 00 each/Pizza Pandesal P46 each Promotion Strategy We intend to advertise in the local newspapers and offer a â€Å"frequent drinkers club† discount to our best customers. We will also send out ads via direct mail, which will include cents off coupons. Management and Staffing Organizational Structure – Our organizational structure will be a simple pyramid style with the owners putting in as much work as the employees. Management Team Rachelle Ann Heyres and Marilou Deondo will share management and supervisory responsibilities equally. Rachelle for the morning shift. Marilou for the afternoon shift. Staffing We will hire two busboys, two waitresses, cooks, cashier, janitors, and also security guard these will be recruited from the STI. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Busboys- Security guard- A security guards duty is to perform the duties allotted to him either to secure a place from external infiltration of people or danger that may disrupt the functioning & assets of the organization. His responsibilities include performance of the duty allotted to him, to report to his superiors and be accountable for any lapse of duty. Janitors or cleaners- Labor Market Issues In this area there are College students looking for work, part time or full time, we want to fill that need. Regulatory Issues Global City and the state of Taguig City both have regulations regarding food service establishments. We have already obtained the appropriate business permits. Risks Market Risks – The main risk is monetary. The area may not be ready for a place like ours and we may not do a great business but it can be prevented we will offer( free wi-fi )access to all customers as long as they want as long as they are drinking our coffee. Implementation Plan Implementation Activities and Dates 1. Begin building renovation 7/11 2. Complete renovation 7/5/11 3. Begin preliminary advertising 7/6/11 4. Purchase and setup equipment 7/10/11 5. Open for business 7/15/11 Financial Plan Beginning Balance Sheet – This will be a listing of all of your assets and liabilities, before you open for business. You may want to use a spreadsheet program to make this go easier. Balance Sheet Current Assets: Building P6, 900,000 Computer P69, 000 Sound System P92, 000 Furnishings P200, 000 Equipment P138, 000 Cash Rachelle P230, 000 Marilou P207, 000 Accounts Receivable None Inventory Coffee P46, 000 Tea P23, 000 Other Assets Cups P138, 000 Total Current Assets P8, 043,000 Liabilities: Accounts Payable (monthly) Water P9, 200 Phone P6, 900 Electric P23, 000 Donut Vendor P46, 000 Warehouse Club P46, 000 Coffee Distributor P46, 000 Wages P230, 000 Advertising P46, 000 Taxes Payable Property Taxes P23, 000 Employee Taxes P92, 000 Operating Loans Payable Startup Loan P23, 000 Total Liabilities P545100 ongoing per month Projected Income This will be a listing by month of your projected income. List the projected income each month for each product, this way you can compare actual sales to projected sales at the end of the year to determine what products to concentrate on. (Below is a sample month) July 05 Coffee P276, 000 Tea P92, 000 Cookies P69, 000 Donuts P115, 000 Misc. P184, 000 Total Income for March P736, 000 Total Projected Net Profit (Cost/Benefit) P144, 900 for July This would assume 20 pots of coffee sold a day, plus an assortment of other items. This also assumes the market will not increase or decrease due to weather or economics. This would be an average month. This of course would be adjusted monthly once you start business. Then based on the adjustments and actual sales, you can build a new balance sheet at the beginning of next year. Conclusions After you have created the business plan and examined the cash flow estimation you may find that your net profits are not what you would like them to be. In this case you may have to revise your pricing strategy to fit with your expectations or change your expectations. A coffee shop is not a get rich quick idea; it takes lots of hard work and long hours to realize your dream. But, in the long run, careful planning will make it all worth it. S. W. O. T analysis Strength * The Coffeehouse will offer foods compatible to the coffee that customer’s orders. * The environment of the business is always clean and well ventilated for customers to feel relaxed. * The beverages that the business offers are locally and naturally produced that ensures the quality of the products and lowers additional costs. * Ingredients for other products that will be offered by the business like pastries, salads and the likes is organically produce in the businesses green house. * The business is located near establishments for business, academic, rising condominiums and the occasional joggers of the area. Weakness * Unlike other coffee shops the location of our store is not inside the mall. * Lot of expenses. * Slow regaining for profit. * We need to advertise our coffee shop to the public to be known unlike the others. * Low competitiveness when it comes to name or brand. Opportunities * The coffee that we offer is new to the every individuals so the opportunity in it is that the coffee drinkers may want to try our products to compare it to their usual coffee. * Threats * The other coffee brands is popularly known by every individuals that drinks coffee. *

Friday, September 27, 2019

A comtemporary architectural precedent explaing why your choice Essay

A comtemporary architectural precedent explaing why your choice exhibits exemplary features that would be appropriate in your sustainnable city - Essay Example l and this is because Underhill lies is on a very steep escarpement which is mainly made of Portland sand and below the sand is a thick layer of Kimmeridge Clay whose extension reaches Chesil Beach and also Portland Harbor. The Kimmeridge clay has been the source of devastating calamities due to a series of landslides which has the results of the formation of West Weares and East Weares (Stuart; 96; 2006). The architectural design of the modern cities overlooked the importance of sustaining life and this has led to the ecological and environmental problems that are being experienced in the world today. This can be attributed to the fact that the design of the present cities were focused on the economical aspect and completely ignored the importance of sustenance for the future generation. Most of the industrial cities in the world have been degraded to such extent that the future generations cannot rely on them as their habitat (Kadekodi; 123; 1995). The architectural design of the city should enforce the need for sustainable lifestyle for the present and the future generations. This can be done if the architectural design of Cliff City promotes sustainable lifestyles of the present generation which will result in the sustainable life of the future residents of the city. It is important to note that the present cities did not have a provision for ensuring that life sustenance especially in the present times was catered for. This can be evidenced by the fact that many of the cities in the world have their environment populated from various aspects of the environment. For an urban city to promote sustainable life, it is important to note that the ecological system of the area should be preserved at all cost and this means that the design of the city at the least affects the ecological system of the area. It is in this respect that the design of the city should have in consideration the effect of sustaining the life of the future g eneration (Kadekodi; 123;

Thursday, September 26, 2019

How does the imagination of disaster (Susan Sontag) function in Essay - 1

How does the imagination of disaster (Susan Sontag) function in depictions of urban catastrophe in film I Am Legent' (2007) - Essay Example Susan argues that the film thrives on the sensuous connection with the audience through the arresting images and the immediacy of the experience as observed on the screen. The author traces the main stages of development of the sci-fi film in terms of the emergence of a situation that disturbs harmony, to the stages of disbelief, tragedy, threat, destruction, feelings of vulnerability, and the heroic antics of a lone actor who eventually designs some kind of remedy that prevails against the formidable foe. The main features in Sontag’s analysis are manifest in the post-apocalyptic film I am Legend, which was directed by Francis Lawrence with Will Smith featuring as the military virologist Robert Neville, the main protagonist (Lawrence, 2007). In the film, Neville finds himself facing the odds of a horrific destruction wrought by a scientific experiment gone awry leading to a virulent strain of a virus that has depopulated nearly 95 percent of the world population. Neville has to put aside his own pain of losing his wife and child and struggle to save his own life and the lives of the few surviving humans by developing an antidote that would rescue the infected and the few survivors. The task is daunting and the odds are nearly insurmountable for the lone hero but he has to endeavor to contain the horror. The film represents the good and bad of science in the sense that it captures both its threat to humanity and its near limitless potential to provide solutions to the same thre ats. Sontag argues that scientific films are mainly dominated by the theme of massive destruction (Sontag, 1966). The focus, she argues is the scale of destruction, which is usually captured on an enormous and shocking scale. Destruction is captured in grim details that involve the potency of powerful machinery, a determined destructive force, and great humanitarian suffering. Most of these films anticipate calamities and apocalyptic

Explaining the Magic of Physics in Everyday Life Assignment

Explaining the Magic of Physics in Everyday Life - Assignment Example This is because natural motion seems similar when time is run backwards as the laws of motion are symmetric in relation to reversal of time. In Peter’s case, time was run backwards in the film. The equations required to explain motion under consistent acceleration are similar as those used to explain the motion of an object in a film playing in reverse. The tension on the pants would not be changed at all. Tension is as a result of two forces acting in opposite directions. It is a tensor. It can be assumed that in the Levi Strauss trademark when the two horses are pulling the pants each horse exerts a force of 10,000N, hence, each horse is exerting the same amount of force on the pants which results in a deadlock. If one horse was used to pull the pants while attached to a tree trunk, the tree trunk would also exert an equal amount of force because for every action there is a reaction. Hence, the tension in the pants would not be reduced by one half. For if it was to be reduced by one half, it means the horse would pull away the pants from the log. Air bubbles rise steadily under water. This is because air is less dense than water therefore the force of gravity acting on the bubble will be less causing the air bubble to float. The air bubble will increase its size to the surface of the water since it expands with decreasing pressure. As the volume of the bubbles increases, they will become less dense than water because of the lowered pressure. The iron disk is a metal which is a solid. It is well known that when solids are heated, they expand. Molecules in the iron disk vibrate about their mean position upon heating. As the heating is increased, the vibration of the molecules in the iron disk about their mean position increases. The molecules in the iron disk will move farther from each other as the energy from heating increases. This means that the iron disk shall expand. The diameter of the hole

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The effect of electricity supply on Nigeria economy in Oyo state Dissertation

The effect of electricity supply on Nigeria economy in Oyo state - Dissertation Example This study has been made to find the answer to the following questions: How has monopolization in the power sector by the government affected the availability of electricity in the country? Has liberalization led to greater access to electricity at the commercial levels in the state? The Nigerian economy is a developing economy and a major portion of its gross domestic product is a contribution from the small enterprises operating indigenously. For big commercial purposes as well as for small-scale businesses in the modern day scenario electricity is indispensable. There is a unidirectional relationship between electricity consumption of a country and gross domestic product of that country. Nigeria has been plagued with perennial problems of energy crises for almost two decades now; problems are an erratic supply of electrical power is prominent among them. According to the reports published by the government of Nigeria, only 45 percent of the population in the country can consume el ectricity in their daily needs. Among them, a meager 25 percent are rural dwellers. There are vast potential for development in the country for growth in terms of setting up provisions of electricity. The rural states in the country, such as Oyo are yet to have enough access to electricity. This necessitates a study on electricity supply in the states in Nigeria. This study takes Oyo as a representative of the rural areas in the economy to conduct a research on this statement regarding the level of consumption of electricity by the country’s small businesses.... This study has been made to find answer to the following questions: How has monopolization in the power sector by the government affected availability of electricity in the country? Has liberalization led to greater access to electricity at the commercial levels in the state? Therefore the main research question can be stated as â€Å"How has the supply of electricity in Oyo State in Nigeria affected the small businesses in the state?† The study would be conducted following a guideline of certain specific objectives. These objectives would help the researcher concentrate on the aim of conducting the research thereby helping her to complete the research successfully. The research objectives are as mentioned below: To study the level of electricity supply in the rural areas in Nigeria To understand the extent to which commercial and industrial activities in these areas are dependent on electric power To study how modern policy changes have affected power supply in the rural area s in the country Project approach This section of this project is dedicated to present a summarized project plan. The aim of this project is to study a serious issue that has far reaching effects in the social, political and economic spheres in the country. However, this research work is constrained by several factors, such as time and resources, and therefore devising an appropriate project plan is very much necessary (Blackwell, n.d.). This plan sets the context of the research, the design of research and the methodology to be followed (Bangor University, 2013). The project plan is made taking into consideration the theme of the project and the competence of the researcher who is going to execute the relevant activities that the study would

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Woodrow Wilson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Woodrow Wilson - Essay Example One, I agreed fully with my fellow Congressmen on the need for America to continue practicing its policy of Neutrality and Non-Interference, but it later got clear to me that Germany was continually taking America’s stance as a mark of weakness and an opportunity to disrespect America’s sovereignty. One of the instances in which Germany disregarded the sanctity of America’s territorial sovereignty and thereby changing my stand on America’s position is when Germany used its unauthorized submarines along America’s East coast in 1917. Germany respectively sunk the Lusitania, a British cruise ship that was bound for the United Kingdom, from New York. This incident claimed 1195 lives, 128 of them being Americans. This was part of Germany’s wider effort to use its U-boat ring to starve the Britannia Island by sinking its supply ships. It must be remembered that Germany had done this act of aggression many times, over the years (Foner, 709). Economic interests of the Unite States also underpinned my resolve and my fellow Congressmen’s decision to vote in favor of Wilson’s call to war. The countries that Germany was carrying unrelenting military onslaughts against were chiefly France and Britain, yet these two states harbored key economic interests of the United States. At the time, France and Britain owed America approximately 2 billion US dollars, compared to Germany which owed the US 27 million dollars.

Monday, September 23, 2019

What is a revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is a revolution - Essay Example From whatever direction you approach it, revolution implies a need to consider the historical events before, during, and after a revolution. What were the precipitating factors that brought about the people’s call for change? How did they proceed to bring about the change? Did the change in fact accomplish the goals in the changes it brought about? There are many good examples of revolution to be considered; the French Revolution, the events of which began in 1787, when the call for change rang out among the French; and ended in 1799, with a new Constitution. Another famous revolution is the American Revolution, which lead to America’s independence from England. A revolution, which has not yet been identified as a revolution, and is one that, while it has been extensively discussed by notable authors and journalists such as Bernard Lewis, in his 2005 commentary entitled Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East; is perhaps better known as the War on Terrorism; is the Muslim Islamic revolution that has been ongoing since the time of the Prophet Mohammad (Lewis 1-26). â€Å"†¦Muslims – particularly those in the Middle East – have suffered new experiences that have transformed their vision of themselves and the world and reshaped the language in which they discuss it (1).† The experience of Muslims includes the occupation of Egypt by Napoleon, in 1798 (2). The social norms and French law that Napoleon brought with him and attempted to apply to Egypt’s Muslims, were in stark contrast to the laws of Islam (2). â€Å"The Koran,† Lewis writes, â€Å"for example, makes it clear that there is a duty of obedience: ‘Obey God, obey the Prophet, obey those who hold authority over you (6).’† The Koran also gives instructions concerning under what conditions, in case those conditions are not already made clear by the three previously cited dictates; by saying,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Malaysian Culture Essay Example for Free

The Malaysian Culture Essay Being a Muslim country, Malaysians are generally more conservative. Therefore, it is important that travellers take note of the various factors. (Do note that there are more factors but I felt that the ones below are more applicable to the business context for the Australian members.) 1. Dress appropriately – Ensure that your body is covered especially your chest, arms and legs to avoid unwanted attention and as a form of respect 2. Meeting and greeting – Don’t offer to shake hands unless you know the opposite party is fairly westernized. Even so, let them offer the hand shake first. Never shake hands with a woman unless they offer to do so first. 3. It is not recommended to show public displays of affection as it is considered inappropriate behaviour, especially with someone of the opposite sex. 4. Always use the right hand to pass or accept anything as the left is traditionally â€Å"dirty† because of its washroom connections. 5. As a form of respect, avoid alcohol and pork. Ensure that food items are â€Å"Halal† (meaning permissible for Muslims). It is acceptable to eat with your fingers (right hand only) 6. It is important that you respect your elders. In order to show a sign of respect when passing by an older person, younger people are expected to bow their heads.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

What is the marketing mix

What is the marketing mix What is the Marketing Mix The marketing mix of Product, Price, Promotion, and Place was introduced to marketing education by McCarthy (Yudelson 1999). First formulated as a pedagogical tool, the concept of the 4Ps represents a comprehensive way to describe the main tasks of marketing managers. (Goldsmith 1999). It is utilised to implement corporate planning after having researched and audited the marketing environment, identified and understood the customer, established a strategy and decided which market(s) or market segments to serve, or want to serve (Anonymous 2006). The Marketing Mix has its origins in the 60s: Neil Borden (1964) identified twelve controllable marketing elements that would result to a profitable business operation. Jerome McCarthy (1064) reduced Bordens factors to a simple four-element framework: Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Practitioners and academics embraced the Mix paradigm that soon became the established and essential element of marketing theory and operational marketing management. (Constantinides 2006) The 4Ps were a suitable framework for the 1960s environment which was characterised by profit making consumer manufacturing companies who were concerned with reaching their customers in an age of emerging mass media and national mass markets. (Anonymous 2006) Eventually the 4Ps of the marketing mix became an unquestionable paradigm in academic research, the validity of which was taken for granted. (Grà ¶nroos 1994). There are voices though from academics and researchers which shout that the Marketing Mix in the fo rm of the 4Ps is not able to face the latest marketing challenges. The components of the Mix Product Since its the consumers perception that should be the centre of product policy, the product should not be defined as just the set of its own physical properties. The perceptions are influenced by different parameters, such as any associated services, the image, the brand name, even the social and cultural connections, or the perception of its own differentiation from competition. A product is a mixture of tangible and intangible attributes, including functional, social and psychological utilities or benefits (Anonymous 2006). Price Price is the only revenue generating element of the marketing mix; the other elements consume resources. There are three basic pricing strategies that all organisations can pursue for existing products: pricing above the market (higher than similar competitve products), pricing below the market (lower than competition) and pricing at the market (almost at the price of competition) (Anonymous 2006). Promotion One long-term purpose of promotion is to influence and encourage buyers to accept or adopt goods, services and ideas. Potential buyers go through a psychological or behavioural process before purchasing a product. AIDA, which is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action incorporates psychological processes: attention is a cognitive process, interest and desire are affective processes and action is a manifest behaviour process (Anonymous 2006). Place Place, or distribution strategy concerns the routes by which marketers of products and services can ensure that these reach their intended market. We normally refer to these routes as marketing channels, which include those intermediaries that products and services pass through from the point of production to the point of final use (Anonymous 2006). Criticism TQM and Relationships Management: Adaptation, not Revolution Yudelson (1999) identified six major marketing developments that challenged the 4Ps since the introduction of the Marketing Mix. Focus on the customer via the Marketing Concept (1960s); Broadening of marketing to include not-for-profits, services, causes, and even politics (1970s); Identification of the exchange transaction as the core of marketing (1970s); Introduction of Total Quality Management with its emphasis on customer satisfaction (1980s); Extension from transaction marketing to relationship marketing (1990s); Identification of the firm as a member of a complete value chain (1990s). Since the 80s, the definition of Product as anything offered is challenged due to the new perspective that organisations face: The success depends on the ability to transform satisfaction to delight. Customer satisfaction is identified as the new driving force, and that is one of the foundational ideas of TQM. Place is expanded to include the entire distribution system, which creates time and place utility and may incorporate specific systems such as just-in-time delivery as part of channel management. During the 1990s, another significant shift occurred. The role of relationships in the marketing activities of the organisation replaced the transaction perspective of earlier times. Price is no longer the amount of money paid to acquire a single Product but the lifetime costs associated with the acquisition, use, and ultimately disposal of the benefits attained during a period of time. Place is no longer just the point of exchange since that fails to communicate the interactions that occur as the product changes ownership and utility from conceptualisation to final disposal. Yudelson suggests that after nearly 40 years, the 4Ps need to let go because, as shown, the terminology has not managed to handle the challenges of developments in marketing thought and practice. However, no commonly agreed or satisfactory replacement has appeared and anyone who grew up on the concept of marketing mix (customers, marketing professionals and academics) would face significant dissonance if the key paradigm were dismissed. So, he suggests that the best strategy is Adaptation and not Revolution. His proposed adaptation focuses on the essential aspects of marketing as exchange driven behaviour, maintains the simplicity and familiarity of the 4Ps, recognises the concerns of past critics, and is capable of applying to both single instance transactions and long-term strategic relationships. Product should be redefined as all the benefits (present or anticipated) that the buyer or acquirer obtains from the exchange. It is recommended that Product be renamed as Performance to communicate the sense of benefit to the customer. Price should be redefined as everything that the acquirer gives up to obtain the benefits. It is suggested that we refer to the second P as Penalty to signify those things that the customer would have to give up or seek to minimize while obtaining the benefit or Performance associated with the exchange. Promotion should be redefined to include all of the information that is communicated between the parties to the transaction in keeping with the current thought on Integrated Marketing Communications. The purpose of the communication or information is to influence or encourage each party to enter into the transaction/ relationship. This is accomplished by providing information regarding the costs and benefits of the transaction-or better-the Perception of the Performance and Penalty. Place can be now defined as all that is done and required to facilitate or bring about the exchange and therefore, Yudelson proposes its redefinition as Process. Relationships Marketing A paradigm shift Grà ¶nroos (1994) believes that a paradigm shift is taking place in marketing. One of the main reasons lies beneath the nature of marketing mix. The marketing mix is a list of categories of marketing variables. A list never includes all relevant elements, it does not fit every situation, and it becomes obsolete. Moreover, the 4Ps represent an oversimplification of Bordens original concept, which was a list of 12 elements not intended to be a definition at all. This list would most probably have to be reconsidered in any given situation. Grà ¶nroos believes that McCarthy either misunderstood the meaning of Bordens marketing mix or his followers misunderstood McCarthys intentions. Probably Bordens original idea of a list of a large number of marketing mix ingredients that have to be reconsidered in every given situation was shortened for pedagogical reasons and a more limited number of marketing variables seemed to fit typical situations observed in the late 1950s and in the 1960s. T he 4Ps were never applicable to all markets and to all types of marketing situations. The development of alternative marketing theories (interaction/network approach to industrial marketing and the marketing of services, customer relationship economics) demonstrates that even from a management perspective, the marketing mix and its 4Ps became a problem. Gronroos concludes that in industrial marketing, services marketing, managing distribution channels and even consumer packaged goods marketing itself, a shift is clearly taking place from marketing to anonymous masses of customer to developing and managing relationships with more or less well-known or at least somehow identified customers. Other Reviews and Criticism Constantinides (2006) undertook a literature review on the status of Marketing Mix at the 21st century. He discovered that many researchers express serious doubts as to the role of the Mix as marketing management tool in its original form, proposing alternative approaches: adding new parameters to the original Mix (e.g. 7Ps for services) or replacing it with alternative frameworks altogether. Some of the weaknesses of the 4Ps identified in the study are domain specific: ignoring the human factor, lack of strategic dimensions, offensive posture and lack of interactivity. Two limitations however seem to be common in all reviewed categories: The models internal orientation: The lack of explicit market input in the framework which sources from the fact that the Mix was originally developed as a concept suitable for marketing of consumer products in the mass-oriented US manufacturing sector of the 60s The lack of personalisation: Significant shifts of consumer behaviour such as individualisation, diminishing brand preference, value orientation, increasing sophistication etc. have undermined the effectiveness of the impersonal one-way communication and the mass marketing approaches. Hyman (2004) undertook a similar study on the criticism of the Mix. According to that, some marketers contend that the scope of the 4Ps is insufficient from a pedagogical or applied perspective. To address this limitation, they updated the schema by refining the current Ps, adding new Ps, broadening its perspective, or adapting it to specific industries. Moreover, he summarised previously published criticism of the 4Ps: Inadequate theoretical grounding Not formally integrated into the exchange paradigm Fails three of the five requirements for a sound classification schema Overly focused on consumer goods, yet is production rather than marketing-concept oriented Cannot account for the full range of marketing management activities Ignores strategic marketing Focuses only on the acquisition stage of consumption Contains an increasingly catch-all (i.e. atheoretically focused) promotion category Fails to account for interactions between Ps or boundary-spanning topics Is incompatible with the relationship-marketing paradigm van Waterschoot and Van den Bulte (1992) in their own research identified five key limitations of the 4Ps model: It focuses on what marketers do to customers rather than for them. It is externally directed and ignores the internal market. It says nothing about interactions between the mix variables. It takes a mechanistic view about markets. It assumes a transactional exchange rather than a relationship. The Xbox 360 Marketing Mix The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with Sonys PlayStation 3 and Nintendos Wii as part of the seventh generation of gaming systems (usually called next-gen) (Wikipedia 2007). Product Name and Concept The term 360 represents a circle and is inline with the concept of the product. The customer is placed at The centre of the experience. Its a videogame and an entertainment system that integrates music, picture, games and movies. Everything revolves around the customer.(Porcaro 2005) Classification Xbox 360 belongs to the shopping consumer products category, which includes products purchased after the consumer shops around to find the best deal based on comparisons of price, quality, style, durability and other product attributes that are felt to be important. Although due to shortage at its launch many consumers were making effort to find one and others were forced to buy from eBay at inflated prices, 3 months after the launch the console could be purchased with smaller effort. Therefore, a classification of Speciality is not justified. Product Mix The total set of products a company sells is called its product mix, which consists of its component product lines. The product mix of Microsoft regarding console gaming consists of the following product lines: Xbox 360 consoles, the Xbox Live Services (Marketplace, Video and Arcade), console accessories and Microsoft Games. Xbox 360 Product Line During launch only two configurations were available; the Core and the Premium versions. Over time, the product line length rose to 3, in an Up-Market Stretch move from Microsoft, by introducing a high end version (Elite). Product Positioning Microsoft targets both casual and hard-core gamers. The Core and Arcade versions seem attractive to the former, while Premium and Elite are more appropriate to the latter. Product Levels The five levels of customer value hierarchy are as follows (Kotler and Keller 2006): Core benefit: The benefit that the customer is really buying. The buyer of the Xox 360 is buying video gaming. Basic Product: The Xbox 360 includes a video games console and a controller. Expected product: A set of attributes and conditions the buyers normally expect. Gamers expect from the seventh generation of gaming systems good graphics and sound performance, a wireless controller, digital connection with the HD TV and the amplifier, online gaming with friends through the internet and the ability to listen to music and watch videos. Augmented product: The level in which the product exceeds customer expectations. The Xbox 360 through its Xbox LIVE service lets the customers download purchased or promotional material. This includes game demos, movie and game trailers, Arcade games as well as add-on game content (items, costumes, levels, maps etc). Potential product: All the possible augmentations and transformations the product might undergo in the future. Even before the launch of Xbox 360, Microsoft was researching ways to create a video store accessible through the console, as well as a TV service which would add IPTV functionality. One year after the launch of the console, the Xbox Video Marketplace was introduced in the United States, and the Microsoft TV service under development. Pricing The following table summarises competition pricing during their respective launch. Note that Playstation and Wii launched at November 2006, almost a year later than Xbox. The Xbox 360 was the first next-gen console to enter the market. Generally, if the product is an innovation, then the initial price is usually set quite high (Anonymous 2006), but this is not the policy that Microsoft followed. Microsoft used the strategy of Price penetration, in an effort to take as much market share as possible. In fact, it was reported that Microsoft was losing $126 per unit sold (Joystiq 2005). Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices Division, said that the Xbox 360 business will become profitable in 2008 and that the profit to make is not on the hardware itself, but rather on Live service subscriptions, accessories and games (Gamedaily 2007). In August 2007, Microsoft dropped the prices by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50. In October 2007, they introduced the Arcade version and priced it exactly the same as the Wii, that is At the market. Odd-even pricing assumes product sales benefit from prices such as  £99.99 rather than  £100.00, because customers will think the product is a good deal (Anonymous 2006). As we saw, Microsoft followed this policy, as all next-gen competitors did. Promotion Microsoft utilized the following Marketing Communications Mix for the launch of the console system. Advertising The advertising campaign took place via television, magazines and internet sites. The tag line was Jump In, which was in complete accordance with the name and the concept of the product (the center of the experience). The ads were introducing the idea that its more fun to play when youre part of a community, that games have always been more fun when you play with friends (Porcaro 2005). Sales Promotion The sales promotion took place through online contests and websites. OurColony.net offered challenges to its community, rewarding solutions with cropped pictures of the console and game screenshots. OrigenXbox360.com was offering visitors an opportunity to enter in various contests for a chance to attend promotional pre-launch events. Hex168.com hosted a number of images that appeared to perpetuate obscure conspiracy theories, but sometimes contained oblique references to Xbox 360. The campaign was later revealed to be a U.S. contest that offered participants a chance to win one of three hundred and sixty Xbox 360 console bundles six days before the official launch (Wikipedia 2007). Marketing Public Relations In order to assist the launch and to increase awareness, Microsoft made use of Marketing Public Relations. The official unveiling of the Xbox 360 occurred on May 2005 on MTV in a program called MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed (Wikipedia 2007). Elijah Wood hosted the show which featured a musical performance by the band The Killers. Ten days later the Xbox 360 was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine along with an associated article. Obviously, the viewers of MTV belong to the target market, while the cover of TIME magazine was a huge boost to the hype. Events Microsoft is one of the major exhibitors in the annual E3 Media and Business Summit which is considered as the biggest annual event in the video game industry. The announcements regarding future development are taking place at the Microsoft keynote event, which is highly anticipated by the worldwide video game media and community. Microsoft is also a frequent sponsor to gaming events. In association with adidas and EA Sports, they sponsored the Xbox World Cup, which received a lot of publicity by the gaming community. Gamers who qualified through national preliminary rounds were given an all-expenses paid trip to Berlin to take part in the competition representing their nations in matches that took place in an 8,500 seat stadium. Microsoft managed to identify with the target market as well as increase awareness and express commitment to the community. Place (Distribution) As mentioned earlier, the product suffered from shortages during its launch, due to huge demand and slow production. However, three months later the problems had been bypassed and it is worth noted that in its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year. Microsoft chose to distribute the products through the Producer >> Wholesaler >> Retailer >> Consumer channel. For the countries where Microsoft has physical presence, the Wholesaler intermediary part was played by the regional division. The Xbox 360 is distributed intensively, which means that all available outlets are used for distributing it. Conclusion The marketing mix of Product, Price, Promotion, and Place was introduced to marketing education during the 1960s. Practitioners and academics embraced the paradigm that soon became the established element of marketing theory and operational marketing management. Eventually the 4Ps of the marketing mix became an unquestionable paradigm in academic research, the validity of which was taken for granted. However, many researchers and academics object. Yudelson believes that the Mix requires adaptation to the challenges of the era (TQM and the role of relationships) and proposes redefinition of the components. Grà ¶nroos argues the 4Ps was never intended to become a paradigm and started as a simple list which was an oversimplification of a larger list. He states that the 4Ps were never applicable to all markets and to all types of marketing situations, and that we have started to experience a paradigm shift towards relationships marketing. Other studies also conclude that the marketing m ix of the 4Ps is getting old and cannot address complex environment issues, such as management of personalisation. The application of the marketing mix model to the Xbox 360 gaming console system revealed that model managed to incorporate some of the major marketing planning activities of Microsoft under its 4Ps components. However, Yudelsons model seems to apply better. Xbox 360 is not just about the actual console product, but through its integration with other products and services its about the Performance of the entertainment experience. Its Promotion is inline with the current thought on Integrated Marketing Communications. And finally, its Place (distribution) is more about the Process of distribution, from which Microsoft actually suffered during the launch. Also, the marketing mix model failed to incorporate the personalisation component of the product. That is, through the LIVE services each user is uniquely identified. Microsoft has access to personal information, such as favourite games, music and movies and is able to propose similar content to the customers upon request. Unfortunate ly, the 4Ps did not manage to capture this aspect of Xbox 360 marketing. We conclude that the marketing mix is a tool which has performed well in the past and may still do in many cases. However, the increasingly complex environment demands adaptation and expansion. Personalisation for example is a very important component and should be incorporated under the umbrella of the new XPs, whatever number the academia decides that X should be. References Anonymous (2006). Strategic Marketing Module Book Edition 10, Management Centre, University of Leicester. Borden, N.H. (1964), The concept of the Marketing Mix, Journal of Advertising Research, June, pp 2-7 Constantinides, E. (2006), The Marketing Mix Revisited: Towards the 21st Century Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management 2006, 22, pp 407-438 Gamedaily, http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/bach-xbox-business-profitable-next-year/70371/?biz=1, [15 December 2007] Goldsmith, R. E. (1999), The personalised marketplace: beyond the 4Ps, Marketing Intelligence Planning 17/4, pp 178-185 Grà ¶nroos, C. (1994), From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing, Management Decision, Vol. 32 No. 2, 1994, pp. 4-20 Hyman, M. R. (2004), Revising the structural framework for marketing management, Journal of Business Research 57, pp 923- 932 Joystiq, http://www.joystiq.com/2005/11/23/microsoft-losing-126-on-every-sold-xbox-360/, [15 December 2007] Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006), Marketing Management 12e, Pearson Prentice Hall McCarthy, E.J. (1964), Basic Marketing, a Managerial Approach, Homewood, Ill.: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.. Porcaro, J. (2005), Xbox 360 Marketing, http://www.johnporcaro.com/2006/03/xbox_360_market.html, [15 December 2007] van Waterschoot, W. and den Bulte, C. (1992). The 4P classification of the marketing mix revisited, Journal of Marketing 56 (October), pp 83-93. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360, [15 December 2007] Yudelson, J. (1999), Adapting Mccarthys Four Ps for the Twenty-First Century, Journal of Marketing Education 21, pp 60-67

Friday, September 20, 2019

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels The 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was directed and written by Guy Ritchie who would eventually create the reboot of the solid blockbuster series, Sherlock Holmes. His earlier movie is about four criminal friends who are roped into three dramatic events in their life that are going on at the same time. This film is very unique because of the simultaneous structure of the plot tied together with parallel editing. It has so many things to enjoy about it: the atmospheric East London locations, the lush visuals, and the distinctive camera angles employed by Ritchie. Everything in this film catches the eye. Ritchie’s movie is a thrill to watch because he keeps you constantly on edge. The theme of the film is about karma and the way fate plays its fickle finger on the characters’ lives. If the characters in the film have a certain set of moral standards, then their future fates are left to decide whether or not they live or die. If a person is of an â€Å"honorable† background (at least within the code of thieves) or has moral beliefs in loyalty to his friends, in the end they will triumph over the darker elements of the criminal underworld. As you watch the film, you start to understand that some of the characters in this film aren’t exactly great people but they are decent enough to do the right thing for themselves and for their friends in the end. The film starts off with four close friends: Eddy (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Bacon (Jason Stathom), and Soap (Dexter Fletcher). They are getting 100,000 euro notes so that Eddy can get into one of the many sleazy card games put on by porn mogul Harry â€Å"the Hatchet† Lonsdale (played by P. H. Moriarty.) Harry botches the game so that Eddy losses the 100,000 that he handed them to enter. Now he has to pay an additional amount of 400,000 euros. Harry tells Eddy that he wants the money to be given to him at the end of a full week or else he’ll have to deal with his East End enforcers. This is the inciting action that triggers the entire plot. How are these friends going to raise that huge amount of money? This inspires a great mix of dark comedy and violence for the rest of the film. After several days with no luck acquiring the funds, Eddy comes home and overhears his neighbors, a gang of crooks led by a man named Dog played by Frank Harper. The gang is planning a robbery on some pot growers who may be loaded not only with drugs but the needed money to solve the debt problem. Eddy sends this information to his long-time pals. He is intending for them to rob the shady neighbors as they come back from the theft of the marijuana dealers. The gang of four installs taping equipment to monitor the neighbors. Tom obtains a pair of antique shotguns from a black market dealer, known as Nick the Greek (Steven Marcus) who also strikes a deal with Rory Breaker (Vas Blackwood), a sociopathic gangster, to buy the stolen drugs. Nick had purchased the guns from a pair of foolish small time criminals, Gary and Dean, who in turn had stolen them from a bankrupt British lord as part of a job for Harry â€Å"the Hatchet.† None of the characters realize that, of the entire stolen firearms collection, Harry’s only desire was those two extremely valuable antique shotguns now in the hands of Tom. After learning the guns had been sold, an enraged Barry â€Å"the Baptist,† Harry’s personal bodyguard, threatens the two idiots into getting them back. The plot thickens, pointing towards future mayhem. As a sad trivia aside, the film was dedicated to Lenny McLean who performed Barry â€Å"the Baptist.† Mr. McLean had died of cancer only one month before the film’s premie re. The neighbors robbery gets underway according to schedule. Despite the death of a gang member stupidly by his own gun and a shaky chance encounter with a traffic cop, the job against the pot dealers is a success. Thinking they’re finally safe when the crooks arrive back at their London apartment, that neighbor gang is ambushed by our four friends. They take the neighbor’s looted money and return later that night to stash the goods next door. It is now time for a crazy night of celebratory drinking. Socio Rory discovers that the drugs he was going to buy were actually stolen from him. The marijuana growers were in his employees. Rory interrogates/tortures Nick into telling where the four friends live. Meanwhile, furious about their loss, Dog throws one of his men through the wall of their apartment. They discover the taping equipment on the other side and eventually all the stolen money and drugs. As Dog counts the money, the crooked neighbors prepare an ambush. Meanwhile Gary and Dean, trying to recover the antique shotguns, call on a traumatized Nick, who directs them to the same apartment address. Big Chris, Harrys debt collector, leaves with his son to the same destination as the four friends drive home from their bar crawl. Fate has played all the cards on the fortunes of all the characters. This will be the climax of the plot. Rory and his gang assault the apartment and have a shootout with the neighbors, resulting in the deaths of all but Dog and Winston, Rory’s chemist. Winston makes off with the marijuana. Dog is robbed by Big Chris of the shotguns and money during his escape. Gary and Dean spot Big Chris with the guns and hastily follow him, while the four friends return to find their loot missing. Big Chris gives the guns and cash to Harry, but on his return to the car he finds Dog threatening to kill his son if he doesnt retrieve the money. Desperate to get the guns, Gary and Dean attack Harry and Barry at their office, not knowing what Harry looks like and not noticing Barry until after he retaliates. Within seconds all four men are dead. The four friends are arrested, but confirmed to be innocent after the traffic cop identified Dogs dead gang as the primary suspects. When they retreat back to the bar, they discover Tom is out on a mission to throw the priceless shotguns off a bridge into the River Thames. In looking at a catalog of antiques, the friends learn the guns are worth thousands of dollars. As they try to call, Tom puts the phone in his mouth and the film ends with him trying to throw the shotguns off the bridge that he failed throwing the first time. Now, with the guns are on a ledge and the phone is in Tom’s mouth, the film concludes with Tom not knowing what to do next. The movie fades to black in a hilarious cliffhanger making for a perfect ending The emotional tone of the film is that of fear, remorsefulness, and giddy happiness. Another emotional quality felt is ironic surprise. The irony that the characters have to face in nearly every scene is hilarious. The film has a delightfully quirky dark comedic quality. It always puts these characters that you sometimes feel sorry and sympathize, in uneasy situations that they have to pry their way out some manner. Similar and comparable films that share this unique gallows humor include Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. The structure of the film is fairly straightforward following a chronological development of the plot. There was one scene where Ritchie uses flash-forward in his story telling. The sequence involves a car crash. Then the next scene was about the same car crash only it details how it happened and who it happened too. It is a clever use of time manipulation. The musical soundtrack is mostly previously released music that wasn’t originally orchestrated for the film. The score contains a wide variety of music from rock to reggae with songs including â€Å"The Boss† and â€Å"The Payback† by James Brown, â€Å"Spooky† by Dusty Springfield, â€Å"Liar, Liar† by The Castaways, â€Å"I Wanna Be Your Dog† by The Stooges, and â€Å"Walk This Land (Remix)† by Ez Rollers. The use of these musical hits from the 1960s and 1970s is diverse and brilliant. The cinematography by director of photography, Tim Maurice-Jones, is excellent. The most memorable parts include the POV (point of view) camera sequence on Eddie when he is in disarray having just lost all of the money. When Harry dramatically dies, the production team slows things down. You can see the brutal action unfold while time is now going at a much slower intense pace using Slo Mo, a signature Ritchie technique later used in his successful Sherlock Holmes series. Also there is a sequence where a chunk of one of the robber’s hair is completely blown off. The way Maurice-Jones and Ritchie used smoke and lighting in that â€Å"hair-raising† moment was pretty charming. It was reminiscent of those old slap stick cartoons where something ungodly happens to a character. You think the cartoon character is badly damaged but they just have a slight burn or minor scratch. This film has to be one of the best films I’ve seen recently. It is an exciting take on the crime world and how most criminals get the barrel in the end. The film is stunningly balanced between being humorous and serious at the same time. Its use as a â€Å"hyperlink cinema† piece is one for the books. Ritchie does an excellent job in connecting all the different stories, playing with time, and interweaving surprising plot twists. He makes you feel joy when you like a certain character from a different part of the story. Then you see them interact with a dangerous character, you had no idea would ever see him or her again. He creates a feeling of immense tension. The film is a tightly constructed masterpiece. Ritchie’s movie just does not stop for a second. It is full of refreshingly dark humor and filmed with real style and flair. Like a great book, I didn’t want it to end. That is how much I enjoyed this film. You feel such a connection with the story and with the characters. In the paltry 107 minutes this movie is played, you want to watch these characters lives played out even more. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels has a certain message or moral: to never be too greedy and always try to stick to an ethical path otherwise you might get the heat of life in the end. There are not moral choices being made in this movie. But nevertheless, there are moral people in this story. Even though they do bad things and sometimes pay dearly for it, their hearts are in the right place. Sometimes. Let’s just pray they won’t get into any trouble next time.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Song - What views about women are expressed in this poem? Essay

Song - What views about women are expressed in this poem? John Donne: Song A) What views about women are expressed in this poem? John Donne’s poems all express very different views about women. This poem expresses a very negative view of women, in particular that nowhere ‘lives a woman true, and fair’ – a beautiful, virtuous woman is impossible to find, and even if you did, by the time that Donne had reached her, she would have adulterated two, or maybe three other men. He believes in the certainty of female immoralism ‘yet she / will be / false.’ And the almost random promiscuity too, it will be two, or maybe three men, it’s very casual. He compares women to the sirens of the sea – mermaids, in the way the seduce you, and pull you down to the depths, suffocating you. While they are not an object of sexual desire but deception, because below the waist they have they have a slimy, scaly fishy tale. He may view himself as sort of Odysseus figure, just trying to find his image of his perfect woman on some mythical Ithaca. He continues these themes of deception further in the poem, which I shall explore in the next question B) How do language and verse form contribute to meaning in this poem In the first stanza Donne uses very commanding language, four lines out of nine begin with an imperative, and this shows his commanding, intellectual persona and his attitude towards women. In the first stanza Donne presents us fantastical images of various impossibilities which contribute meaning to his opinion of woman. The first sentence is a command: "Goe and catch a falling star," and an impossible one, for how can one catch a star? The word "falling" suggests a gradual fading away of the virtuosity of... ...tions take.’ One drop in a pond will cause rippling outwards – it continues to grow. He compares the circles to spheres of the heavens, but he says ‘they are all concentrique unto thee.’ This is a great metaphor for defining love, he feels that his lover is the centre on the heavens and outshines everything, the years passing to nothing bar ‘adde to love new heate.’ His love may increase through springtime but never abates through bad times, â€Å"No winter shall abate the springs encrease.’ Donne suggests that it cannot abate, he compares his growing love as too the infiniteness of the sky and the stars, which would have been never anything less than infinite in those times. Here we can see Donne as a simplistic adolescent, when he is in love he can never see it ending, while when he is feeling bad all women are evil and he will never go out with one again.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Tourism in Thailand :: essays research papers

Tourism in Thailand’s National Parks: The Problems it Brings â€Å"Rainforests are currently being destroyed at a rate of over 200,000 square kilometers a year according to the US National Academy of Sciences† (Wheeler). Some of these rainforests are located in Thailand’s national parks. In Thailand, there are 15 national parks set aside for conservation, though only 80% of these parks remain intact today. These Parks represent approximately 13% of Thailand’s land. The purpose of these parks is for the conservation of the forests and wildlife, educational tours and research studies, as well as recreational adventure (Wheeler). In 1961, The Royal Forest Department (RFD) of Thailand passed the National Park Act. This act stated that activities which endanger any resource within the park boundaries are strictly prohibited. These activities include settlement, land ownership, grazing, the manipulation of waterways, geological deterioration, logging, hunting, and colleting of forest products. These provisions obviously do not a pply to park officials who protect and maintain the park for education, technical research, and facilitate recreational activities† (Pipithvanichtham). One of the main reasons for the Thai government’s plan to expand tourism facilities in the national parks is to bring in foreign money into the economy through tourism to these areas. However, there are concerns that the effects of increasing tourism in these areas will lead to mismanagement, corruption, and environmental destruction. Therefore, the Thai government should not be promoting tourism in Thailand’s national parks. The government claims that problems associated with tourism in national parks can be dealt with by careful planning and with the participation of government agencies. For example, the RFD is making an effort to protect the National Parks. The RFD plans to update their existing park laws and regulations to make them more suitable for the modern times. The RFD and the Kasetsart University conducted a training session for all national park chiefs to provide them a chance to learn about park management policies. The RFD hopes to develop some means of cooperation with other countries, particularly in the fields of expertise which it lacks† (Pipithvanichtham). While the RFD has a plan, it will require money to enact it. Currently, there is not enough money to fund this plan coupled with governmental mismanagement. The parks are not funded well enough, which has caused the amount of upkeep in the parks to decrease. The cost of managing Thailand’s national parks is met using the government’s central budget and park entrance fees.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A Scrutiny of the Ethical Dilemmas in ‘A Few Good Men’

A young Navy Lawyer named Lt. Daniel Kaffee is in charge of the cases of two Marines, namely: PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson, who have been court-martialed because of allegedly murdering a fellow marine that goes by the name of PFC William T. Santiago (Reiner et. al., 1992).PFC William T. Santiago criticizes the status of Guantanamo Naval Base Bay in terms of its health condition (Reiner et. al., 1992). The top officials ignore his appeals which led him to finally decide on requesting that he be transferred to another Naval Base (Reiner et. al., 1992). As they continue to pay no attention to his complaints, he threatened that he would expose a case of an â€Å"illegal fence-line shooting† if they would not transfer him to another Naval Base (Reiner et. al., 1992).He then sends a letter to Col. Nathan Jessep, the CO of the Marines at the aforementioned base (Reiner et. al., 1992). Col. Nathan Jessep reads it as a way of informing Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson, who is Col . Nathan Jessep’s executive officer and 1st Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, who is the platoon commander of PFC William T. Santiago (Reiner et. al., 1992).Both Col. Nathan Jessep’s subordinates get mad as they were being notified about it but they disagree with the decision of transferring PFC William T. Santiago to another Naval Base (Reiner et. al., 1992). Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson wants to transfer PFC William T. Santiago, however, Col. Nathan Jessep do not agree with it stating that PFC William T. Santiago will be trained there instead (Reiner et. al., 1992).Lt. Daniel Kaffee establishes that PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson were just carrying out the instructions/orders given by Col. Nathan Jessep, as well as, 1st Lt. Jonathan Kendrick (Reiner et. al., 1992). PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson reiterate that they were given instructions to â€Å"give the victim a Code Red† (Reiner et. al., 1992). A â€Å"Code Red† is a â€Å"colloquial termino logy† that pertains to â€Å"extrajudicial punishment† (Reiner et. al., 1992).When Lt. Daniel Kaffee began to infer that he was only specifically picked to be the lead counsel of PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson, he knew immediately the reasons why (Reiner et. al., 1992). It was because he used to engage himself in â€Å"quickly settling cases by plea bargains† (Reiner et. al., 1992).The ones who picked him had two motives for choosing him: number one is to hamper the case of PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson from being tried and number two is to humiliate the Marine Corps which will eventually tarnish Col. Nathan Jessep’s promotion (Reiner et. al., 1992).Fortunately, as the case progresses, Lt. Daniel Kaffee is more motivated to work on the case (Reiner et. al., 1992). He even learned to cooperate and respect LCDR JoAnn Galloway, his partner in defending the case of PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson (Reiner et. al., 1992).In the end, Lt. Daniel Kaffee is successful in defending the case by providing evidence that indeed Col. Nathan Jessep â€Å"ordered a Code Red† to get back at PFC William T. Santiago who has written a letter with regards to a case of an â€Å"illegal fence-line shooting† (Reiner et. al., 1992).As Col. Nathan Jessep confesses that he ordered so, he was arrested and detained while PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson were not charged by the court as â€Å"guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder† however, was charged for â€Å"conduct unbecoming of a United States Marine† (Reiner et. al., 1992). PFC Louden Downey and LCpl Harold Dawson were â€Å"dishonorably discharged† because of that (Reiner et. al., 1992).   

Monday, September 16, 2019

Engineering Ethics Essay

â€Å"The need for safety is proportional to the danger of having an accident. Nothing is fool-proof, yet we must try to minimize risks. If the public is willing to run or to take such risks, who are engineers to refuse? † In my opinion, the above argument is very valid and it indeed reflects the position of engineering as a process. The reason why I support this argument is because first of all, the advancements the society has been able to make are due to the milestones that have been achieved by engineers. There will always be a demand for innovation so that life may become what the society wants it to be: smooth and efficient (Davis, 1998). To design the systems which are able to bring about these comforts, we as engineers must base our practice on the mathematical and physical principles that have been established through empirical research (Baura, 2006). Any measures to safeguard the safety in the use of systems and devices designed by engineers are constant and depend on certain constants; and these constants are in turn dependent on external factors. When this chain of determinants fails to hold up, then risks will arise. Nevertheless, it is our professional responsibility as engineers to bring innovation to the society. Due to unforeseen circumstances, engineering processes or the products of these processes may malfunction, causing danger to their users or other third parties. But through exhibiting an affinity for these processes and products, the society is virtually signing an agreement to face the associated risks as a matter of choice; and engineers cannot dissuade them (Davis, 1998). However, all engineers have a role of ensuring that the profession is approached with diligence so that the risks emanating from its processes are as low as can be possible (Davis, 1998). This is our obligation to the society, our conscience and our employers and the profession. That is what makes a holistic engineering practice. Relationship between risk and safety To understand the relationship between risk and safety it is important to first understand the meaning and implication of the two terms. Risk in the engineering context can be defined as the probability of an accident arising from an engineering project or a product of an engineering project (Baura, 2006). Safety on its part can be defined as the state of having a defined degree of certainty that adverse effects or accidents will not result from a process or the use of a specific device or system. With the above definitions in mind, it can be concluded that risk and safety are inversely proportional entities. Applied to engineering ethics, their implication is that we as engineers must strive, as a matter of being professionally competent, to minimize risks as much as can be possible so that safety can be increased (Baura, 2006). Risks have many dimensions in that they can occur in any stage of engineering, raging from design, implementation of the design and in the application of the product of the design (Davis, 1998). The same is translated to safety since the two are mutually interdependent, related by the rule of inverse proportionality: the higher the risks associated with a system or a process, the lesser the safety of the people interacting with it. Determining whether an engineer is responsible for an accident Under the unfortunate eventuality that an accident has occurred in an engineering project or in the use of a product or system designed through the engineering process, whether or not an engineer should be held responsible is a matter resolved by examining if he or she stuck by the pre-defined standards of professionalism and ethics (Baura, 2006). This is one of the main concerns of engineering ethics. It is a field in the study and practice of engineering that deals with the setting and unilateral enforcement of the standards that govern the practice of engineering as a profession. According to these standards, an engineer is supposed to exhibit diligence, morality and high levels of engagement to the process (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). When these attributes are not followed to the letter, safety may be compromised. In case an accident happens and the engineer in charge of the event or system that caused the accident is found to have diverged from recommended standards of competence, then he or she should be held responsible for the accident (Baura, 2006). As discussed above, all engineering processes always involve some risks no matter how minimal. An accident may occur not because of negligence on the part of the engineer in charge but because of other factors outside his or her control (Davis, 1998). Determining if an engineer is responsible for an accident therefore is a matter of evaluating the circumstances that led to the accident. If there is sufficient proof of negligence, then the engineer should be blamed; but if all evidence shows that the engineer stuck to the recommended standards of professionalism and ethical responsibility, then he or she should not be blamed (Davis, 1998). It is just part of the risks involved in the job. Standards of due diligence Moral, ethical and professional standards of diligence applying to the practice of engineering are defined for each specific discipline by societies comprised of experienced engineers. These societies define an elaborate set of standards which an engineer needs to be familiar with and show competence in before he or she is licensed to practice. Among these is the National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (AMSE). In different countries, national societies exist which liaise with the international societies for easier implementation of these standards of due diligence (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). Regulating and enforcing Standards Professional engineers who have garnered sufficient experience in the profession have the moral and professional obligation of inducting graduating engineers to the practice. They, in collaboration with engineering societies and educational institutions should ensure that student engineers are taught engineering ethics as part of the regular curriculum. Upon graduating, engineering students should be made to undertake competence courses and examinations so that the required standards of ethical and professional are ingrained into their conscience before they can be licensed to operate as engineers (Davis, 1998). There should be levels so that an engineer graduates from one level to another depending on experience garnered; experience which should be evaluated in terms of his or her level of competence. Practicing licenses should be suspended for engineers who show incompetence in their practice. Competence, Personality and Morality Good (competent) engineers are those who apply the standards of diligence prescribed in the engineering code of ethics. A bad (incompetent) engineer is one who does not value the above standards (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). The are parameters (or standards of due diligence) include being knowledgeable, having the skills or expertise necessary for a given task and having the ethical stand to be able to take responsibility for the process itself incase of any unforeseen eventuality (Baura, 2006). A good engineer wholeheartedly dedicates his service to his clients, employer and to the society. When all or any of these virtues are missing, then we have a bad engineer. No matter how skilled an engineer may be, he or she can be branded incompetent if he does not inject ethics into his or her practice. There is a relationship between being a good engineer and being a good person since all ethics have a common foundation. Morally competent people are more likely to be professionally competent (Baura, 2006). A person of good character in personal life transfers the virtues that define good character into his or her profession. Based on this analogy, good people are likely to make good engineers and vice versa. An individual’s moral competence can be established by evaluating his or her approach to issues requiring decisiveness and strength of character (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). This is when morality and ethics come into play. Morally incompetent people tend to place the end before the means whereas morally competent people exhibit dexterity in balancing between their acts and the likely outcomes, putting into consideration the welfare of other people directly or indirectly affected by the issue at hand. Evaluation of an individual’s morality is extremely hard since morality is essentially an intrinsic characteristic (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). Every human being develops a unique moral outlook based on the environment and the experiences that he or she had while growing up. Since these are unique to each individual, no one has the moral right to impose his or her moral values on another (Baura, 2006). Morality can never be universal, just like knowledge. However, moral evaluations are still very necessary since as human beings and as engineers, we must build a consensus tending to those competencies which can be agreed upon as binding so that we live and practice harmoniously, exhibiting collective social and professional responsibility. References Baura, G. (2006) Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective. Burlington, MA: Academic Press. Davis, M. (1998). Thinking like an Engineer: Studies in the Ethics of a Profession. Oxford: Oxford University Press Rabins, M, Pritchard, M. S. & Harris, C. (2008) Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Belmont: CengageBrain.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Secrets to Raising Smart Kids

The article titled â€Å"The Secrets to Raising Smart Kids†, by Carol S. Dweck has many key concepts and interesting points. Most of the people presume that outstanding and superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. More than three decades of research indicates that exaggeration on talent or intellect, and the idea that such traits are inborn, leaves people susceptible to failure, and uninterested to learn. (Scientific America: Psychology Reader, 2008, pg 69) According to a survey conducted by the author Carl S.  Dweck in the mid-1990s, â€Å"85 percent of parents believed that praising children’s ability or intelligence when they perform well is important for making them feel smart. However, the author’s work shows that praising a child’s intelligence makes a child fragile and defensive. † (Scientific America: Psychology Reader, 2008, pg 72) In a study published in 2007, the author and the two psychologists Lisa Blackwell and Kali H. Trzesniewski monitored 337 students for two years during the transition from junior to senior to determine how their mind- sets might affect their math grades. As what the researchers predicted, â€Å"the students with a growth mind -set felt that learning was a more important goal in school than getting good grades. The students who held a fixed mind -set were concerned about looking smart with little regard for learning. † (Scientific America: Psychology Reader, 2008, pg 72) The author suggests that if we encourage a growth mind-set in our schools and homes, we will give our children the support to succeed in their goals and to become a responsible workers and citizens. Teaching people to have growth mind-set, which encourages a focus n effort rather than on intelligence, produces high achievers in school and in life. Myers Discussion Chapter 10 of the textbook posted some questions about intelligence: Does each of us have an inborn general mental intelligence, and can we quantify this intelligence as a meaningful number? To what extent does it result from heredity rather than environment? According to David Myers, intelligence is a mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. Since the mid-1980’s, some psychologists have sought to extend the definition of intelligence beyond Spearman’s and Thurstone’s academic smarts. â€Å"Howard Garner views intelligence as multiple abilities that come in packages†. (Myers, 2010, pg 407) Robert Sternberg agrees that there is more to success than traditional intelligence, and he agrees with Gardner’s idea of multiple intelligences. â€Å"However, he proposes a triarchic theory of three, not eight. They are analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence†. (Myers, 2010, pg 411) The author David Myers discussed that intelligence test scores maybe misinterpreted as literal measures of a person’s worth and potential. He argued that we must remember the competence that general intelligence tests sample is important, but it only reflects one aspect of personal competence. Our practical and emotional intelligence are important too, as do the other forms of creativity, talent and character. Genetic and environmental influences shaped our intelligence, and thus there are many ways of being successful, our differences are variations of human adaptability. (Myers, 2010, pg 439) Relevance in My Life This article has a great relevance in my life. I took an advance math class last year on site, and I thought I will have a hard time with the subject. However, I realized my mind-set affected my math grade. I belong to a student with a growth mind-set. I believed that learning is more important in school than getting good grades. I was praised by my professor for my effort in asking questions after class, and I did not lose confidence when faced with the harder questions. I was not surprised that I got an A better than my classmates who have fixed mind-set. After all, I believe that I can expand my intellectual skills. According to David Myers, â€Å"challenges are energizing rather than intimidating. They offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined for greater academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts†. I am glad that I took this psychology class because I am learning a lot from this subject. I am planning to transmit a growth mind-set to my four-year old daughter by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. I could also help my child provide explicit instruction regarding the mind as a learning machine. In this way, she will learn that intelligence can cover a wide area of things, and thus it can be earned, just like respect.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Chief Seattle Oration Analysis

Seattle Chiefs Ovation The arrival of the European colonists in New England in the 17th century pushed the Native Americans to the west and eventually sparking their demise. Intensive logging impacted their environment, epidemic diseases from Europe claimed lives of thousands of Native Americans, and the Euro-Americans simply took over regions and the land of the native community. The Native Americans were outraged by their inferiority and on the colonist’s treatment of the environment.The Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration is a speech in response to a proposed treaty in which the Indians were persuaded to give up thousands of acres to the US government for a sum of 150,000 dollars. The Chief Seattle’s Oration is considered to be the most profound environmental statements in history. The Chief Seattle was the leader of the Dkhw’Duw’Absh, and a prominent figure in the Indian-American relationship of the time. At this time, numerous Native American’s were being scattered out of their tribes by the American’s and it was believed that they would be extinct.In the speech, The Chief Seattle attempts to convince the American conquerors that they should treat them fairly despite their inferiority to the American people. Through figurative language and his respect for nature, the Chief appeals to the Governor of their decision to take over Washington making of their time. Prior to the colonisation of North America by the Europeans, the Native Americans lived peacefully and they saw their environmental as communal. Their low-impact technologies saw them live in harmony and respecting the environment.Their religion revolved around the belief that animals, plants, rocks, mountains, rivers, and stars had souls. Upon arrival, the European colonists immediately began take natural resources for European trading and usage. Large forests were cut down for firewood, trading, and agriculture; animals were killed for skin, the girdling of the trees prevented the leaves from growing and eventually killing it. For every person added to the population, one or two hectors of land was cultivated.This trend continued on until the beginning of the 20th century, and to this day, 1/3 of America’s forests have been cut down causing devastating environmental disruptions. The land which was once peaceful and quiet, home to the Native Americans who respected and loved it had changed horribly. Throughout America’s history, the capitalist Americans viewed the natural resources as a possibility for economic growth. The formation of a free market meant that government legislation and fiscal policies were inadequate to prevent environmental demolitions.From the Colonisation up to the 20th century, the United States government failed to apply sustainable growth. This reflects on how our world economy is working. Governments fail to advocate environmental issues in order to boost the economy. The Chief Seattle underlines t he value of the environment. He chief treats nature as a living thing. â€Å"Yonder sky that has wept tears of compassion upon my people for centuries untold, and which to us appears changeless and eternal, may change. Today is fair. Tomorrow it may be overcast with clouds. This use of personification in this line relates to how the rain is coming from the sky, but with the incursion of the Americans, nature’s natural course is twisted, thus a cloud will overcast the compassionate tears of the sky. The Chief is sympathetic towards his people; he states that â€Å"my people are few. They resemble the scattering tress of a storm-swept plain. † The Chief underlines the value of the trees, and whilst most of the mass logging occurred during America’s colonisation, the biodiversity was badly affected during this time period.This relates to how the Native American race is slowly coming to an end and it resembles the logging of the trees cut down by the Americanâ€⠄¢s. Hence, the Chief emphasises that his men are part of nature therefore they are dying with it. Furthermore, the chief argues that the Euro-Americans never appreciated nature. â€Å"Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valley’s, its murmuring rivers, and its magnificent mountains. † The Chief highlights that his race valued nature, and the love of nature goes on after their deaths.The tone of the speech suddenly becomes more aggressive in the 9th paragraph. He argues that â€Å"your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as a friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. † The chief states that there will come a time, when their civilisation will come to an end and God will be unable to help them. This can be related to the damage we are doing now with climate change.Global warming is now considered a threat to our world, with growing average temperatures; the climate is changing and can cause devastating natural disasters. Global Warming has been scientifically proven to be all caused by human’s destroying the world’s biodiversity and harming the earth’s atmosphere. Logging contributes to global warming, by deregulating the oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore at this time, the logging of trees destroyed the biodiversity, and the Chief contended that whilst the Euro-Americans cut down trees, it will backfire on them and destroy their civilisation.In the last paragraph, the Chief quotes that â€Å"these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children’s children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. † The Chief describes that the legacy of his tribe will live on. This describes how the Natives have so much respect for their land, and they will value it forever, and live on with for eternity.Moreover, The Euro-Americans and the Native American had contrasting views on the environments. The Natives had a belief that the environment is sacred and should be preserved, whereas the Euro-Americans preferred to economically benefit from nature. During this era, the industrialisation of America was booming, and the timber industry was at its peak. Nothing was known of the consequences for destroying the environment, however the Native Americans had their tradition to respect the environment and preserve it forever however this belief was uncommon to the European settlers.