Agro-Based Industry

Generally, agro-based industry refers to an industry that adds values to agricultural raw materials through processing in order to produce marketable and usable products that bring forth profits and additional income to the producer. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), development of agro-based industry will be focus on increasing utilization of agricultural produce in the production of high value-added products as well as processing activities.Private sector is encouraged to invest in agro-based processing activities such as agriculture related GLCs, subsidiary companies of the agricultural agencies as well as relevant associations and cooperatives. The efforts also will be enhanced to increase participation of individual farmers and fishermen in agro-based processing activities so that the processing of end-products from agricultural industrial commodities will be increase further.However, many of Malaysian food producers are still small enterprises, thus necessary incentive s and expertise will be provided to encourage the agro-food producers to upgrade the quality of their products through practicing Good Manufacturing Practices (GM), Quality Assurances Programme (QAP), Hazard Critical Control Point (HACCP), ISO and other International Quality Standards. Besides, during the Ninth Malaysia Plan period, agro-based industry will be centered on innovation-based product development.Furniture and furniture components manufacturers will be encouraged to focus on innovative product design and quality as well as expand their product range to include high-end niche products while improving existing activities. Measures will be undertaken to aggressively promote exports of high quality products in compliance with ecolabelling requirements to sustain market share as well as diversify into new markets. Issue Related – Food Crisis The food crisis situation seen in 2007 and 2008 with a sharp increase in asic food prices highlights the extreme vulnerability of the current agricultural and food model. The global food crisis is currently concentrated primarily in urban areas, where people in rural areas also suffering from the food crisis. The sharp price increases are beginning to cause widespread hunger as many families are using as much as 75 percent of their income for food. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the food crisis has left after another 925 million people in hungry.The number of people suffering from malnutrition before the rise in the price of food in 2007 was 850 million, and it become 925 million in the same year which increased by 75 million. In fact, the current food crisis is already affecting directly or indirectly half of the population worldwide more than three billion people. There are several factors which causes the sharp increase in global food prices, such as the increased demand for food generally.While production around the world has been increasing, consumption for food, feedstock, biofuels and other commercial uses has been growing at an even faster rate. Besides, there are many natural disasters globally like floods and droughts. Drought in some major producing areas also contributes to the higher food price. Drought is affecting Australia, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union. Other factors such as mold are affecting grain production in South Asia.On the other hand, the increased demand for animal protein also one of the causes for higher food price. More affluent societies use large amounts of grain for conversion into dairy, eggs and meat. Conversion uses far more grain than if people simply ate the grain themselves. There have been tremendous increases in China and India, but also in other countries where standards of living are rising. Implications of the Global Food Crisis Food security is defined as physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs.The threes aspects of food security includes foo d availability, access and adequacy, where these three basic aspects must be attained for a country in order to achieve national food security. Due to the global food prices continue to rise and thereby ensuring food security is currently one of the greatest challenges facing by the world community. This challenge is most critical in low-income and food-deficit African countries. The reports from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have revealed that 36 countries are in the crisis globally, whereas 20 of these countries are in the Africa.More to the point, food safety and food security are closely linked with each other. When food is in short supply, individuals are mainly concerned with satisfying hunger and are not compelled to consider food safety or even the quality of food. They will consume fewer fruits and vegetables but more fatty foods and staples that are low in energy and nutrients. This imbalanced diet has implications for the prevalence of obes ity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.Besides that, lack of access to food influences food intake will result in impacting the health and nutritional status of households. Among the world’s undernourished children, most of them are come from sub-Saharan Africa. In detail, the food crisis has resulted in about 200 million Africans are hungry and malnourished where 31 million are under the age of five. Malnutrition contributes to poverty because it causes or aggravates illness, lowers cognitive function and thus educational attainment, and reduces productivity.Food access, adequacy and quality are required to ensure that food security ultimately leads to an active healthy life for the individual as food is necessary for growth, resistance to or recovery from disease, and also necessary for physical work. In the long term, this crisis will result in impaired mental development, diminished learning ability, reduced work productivity, and the nu trition-related diseases. Conclusion As a conclusion, there is an immediate need and solutions for food crisis in order to prevent hunger and ensure the populations have access to safe food at the same time.For example, raising the investments in environmentally sustainable agricultural productivity, better risk management tools, less food intensive biofuel technologies, and climate change adaptation measures are all necessary to mitigate the impact of expected food price volatility on the most vulnerable. On the whole, the involvement, cooperation, and collaboration between the health sector and other sectors play the main role to address the challenges associated with food access, adequacy, quality and safety by strengthen the design and implementation of food and nutrition policies.References Driving Agriculture: Making Agro-based A Key Economic Engine. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.asli.com.my/DOCUMENTS/STRATEGIC%20OUTLOOK/Dato%20Baharom%20Jani.pdf Food Crisis – Causes, consequences and alternatives. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1774 Food Price Watch – February 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.worldbank.org/foodcrisis/food_price_watch_report_feb2011.html Ninth Malaysia Plan to Strengthen Agriculture and Agro-based industry. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.mtc.com.my/info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=609: The Causes of the Global Food Crisis. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://crs.org/public-policy/food-crisis-causes.cfm The Global Food Crisis: Implications for the Health of People in the African Region. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.who.int/countries/nga/reports/foodcrisis.pdf

Barilla Spa

Nowadays, manufacturing and services firms face growing challenges to increase profit margins amidst increasingly fiercer competition. Under such circumstances, industry analysts and supply chain experts suggest manufacturers and service providers to promote more effective supply and demand planning, management, and execution as the means to unlocking significant gains in margins. By definition, Search CIO (2007) defines SCM as the management of information, materials, and finances along a chain of process from suppliers to manufacturers and then from manufacturers to customers.The interests in the discussion of supply chain management occur since it relates to costs reduction in all aspects of business process especially regarding the inventory reduction that suggests manufacturer produce goods when needed. The situation highlights that supply chain management will enhance lead time (time-to-market) of particular products, thus enabling all parties within an organization to manage t heir resources more effectively. Concerning the issue, this paper will describe supply chain management issue in Barilla spA, an Italian manufacturer that sells their products to its retailers mainly via third-party distributors.The competition in the market has caused unfavorable situation for Barilla during late 1980s when the company faced unpredictable demands from its distributors. 2. What are the reasons for the increase in variability in Barilla’s supply chain? Barilla maintains separate supply chain because the company has two general products: fresh and dry products, which required special treatment. In this situation, fresh products is mainly purchased from the two central distribution centers (CDCs) by independent agents who further channeled the products into 70 regional warehouses across Italy.Meanwhile, about two third of dry products are sold at supermarkets. Figure 1 explains the supply chain systems for Barilla. Figure 1 Barilla Distribution Systems 3. How ca n Barilla cope with the increase in variability? In order to succeed the distribution system, Barilla is known to practice the replenishment strategy, which describes an agreement between Barilla and their supplier to share the data about frequency and inventory levels to match Barilla demands (About. com, 2008).By delivering the products under the agreement with suppliers, Barilla is able to support their Just in time (JIT) distribution system, which is considered to be the optimum strategy to accomplish the company’s mission of having increased customers satisfaction. 4. What is the impact of transferring demand information across the supply chain? By sharing information between Barilla and their suppliers, there are positive impacts since the combination of JIT and replenishment strategy supports the demand fluctuations, reduced inventory level at warehouse, decreased stock-out levels etc.5. Can the Vendor Managed Inventory strategy solve the operational problems faced by Barilla? In Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) strategy, the suppliers have greater responsibility over the supply since they are required to determine the delivery frequency and inventory levels in order to maintain the agreed stock levels in warehouses. In addition, the practice of this system also helps Barilla to track out-of-stocks and other performance data, previous years’ sales history and trends.Therefore, the practice of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) has solved the operational problems at Barilla. 6. How can the supply chain meet conflicting goals of different partners and facilities? In order to avoid the conflict between different partners and suppliers of Barilla, the company must ensure that the implementation of Just in Time system will help the maintenance of satisfaction in services, inventory levels, and stock-out levels and others in which each supplier has taken part of the system.In addition, Barilla must also ensure that within implementation steps, the use of EDI to deliver the inventory information is the same among suppliers so the reliability can be secured and the compatibility level can be reached. Reference: About. com. (2008). Reduce Inventory with these 3 Supplier Partnership Strategies. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://logistics. about. com/od/inventoryoptimization/a/supplier_partnr. htm Hammond, Janice H. (2008). Barilla SpA (A). Harvard Business School.O’Brien, Kevin and Brian Springman. (2004). Optimizing Supply Chains, Understanding Demands. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://www. crmbuyer. com/story/35892. html Search CIO. (2007). Supply Chain Management. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://searchcio. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci214546,00. html YAO Kao-hua, LIU Chang-chuan. (2006). An Integrated Approach for Measuring Supply Chain Performance. Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing. Vol. 2, No. 10

A Cray SuperComputer Comes to the University of To Essays

A Cray SuperComputer Comes to the University of Toronto By Andrew Reeves-Hall The Cray X-MP/22 manufactured by Cray Research Incorporated (CRI) of Minneapolis, Minnesota was delivered and installed at the U of Toronto this September. The Cray is a well respected computer - mainly for its extremely fast rate of mathematical floating-pointcalculation. As the university states in its July/August computer magazine "ComputerNews", the Cray's "level of performance should enable researchers with large computational requirements at the university of Toronto and other Ontario universities to compete effectively against the best in the world in their respective fields." The Cray X-MP/22 has two Central Processing Units (CPUs) - the first '2' in the '22'. The Cray operates at a clock rate of 105 MHz (the regular, run-of-the-mill IBMPC has a clock rate of 4.77 MHz). By quick calculations, you would be led to believe the Cray is only about 20 times faster that the PC. Obviously, this is not the case. The Cray handles data considerably differently than the PC. The Cray's circuits permit an array of data (known as a 'vector') to be processes as a SINGLE entity. So, where the IBMPC may require several clock cycles to multiply two numbers, the Cray performs everything in one clock cycle. This power is measured in Millions of Floating Point Operations Per Second (MFLOPS) - which is to say the rate at which floating-point operations can be performed. The Cray MFLOPS vary as it does many activities, but a rate of up to 210 MFLOPS (per CPU) can be achieved. The second '2' in the X-MP/22 title refers to the two million 64-bit words (16Mb) of shared central memory. This can be expanded to four million words in the future if the need arises. But it doesn't stop there! The Cray can pipe information back and forth between the CPU memory and the Input/Output Subsystem (IOS). The IOS then takes it upon itself the store the information in any of the four storage devices: i) one of the four 1200 Mb disk drives (at a rate of 5.9Mb every second), ii) one of two standard 200ips 6250bpi tape drives, iii) a Solid State Storage Device (SSD) (which is much like a 128Mb RAM Disk!), or iv) through to a front-end computer (the U of T uses both the IBM4381 and a DEC VAX). These computers would be programmed (usually in FORTRAN) and the information passed onto the Cray. The results would then be transfered back to the front end computers. The 4 year old Cray was bought used from the California NASA research centre where it was used in aerodynamic calculations. This means less cost to buy it and the assurance that it has been 'burned in'. In case you wanted one for yourself, the U of T was able to purchase the Cray for the low-low price of $12 million. Over the next five years, the University predicts the total cost will probably be $25 million when maintenance, staff and other costs are taken into consideration. To help out, the Ontario Government put in $10 million. By doing this, all other Ontario University researchers are assured of access at a reduced cost. By the way, to buy time on the system, it'll cost you $2000 per hour. But Ontario researchers only have to pay 7% of that - $140 per hour. Their first commercial customer is OMNIBUS Graphics of Toronto who plan to use the Cray in the graphic videos. If you saw the movie 'The Last Starfighter', you will have already experienced the graphic capabilites of the Cray (remember the some of the space scenes!). The Cray did all of the calculations required for those scenes and let another graphics computer to do the menial task of drawing the lines and filling with the calculated colour. There is so much to talk about when the word 'Cray' pops to mind! If you are seriously interested in this amazing computer and/or you are interested in purchasing time on the system, please contact the people below: The Centre for Large Scale Computation at the U of T Llyod Parker, Director 978-8255 Facilities Manager Dr. Edmund West 978-4085 Supercomputer User's Group (for University Researchers, etc)

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

History - Essay Example When industrialization came, machines replaced small weavers, farmers left their lands because of obtrusive laws, and many families had to work at factories and had to live in the cities. Life in the cities meant higher living expenses, working longer hours and extremely stretching of expenses. Wife and children had to work for eighteen hours and the only time family came together was to sleep. They had no choice but to live together in one housing unit with other families to save on costs. Thus life of family at the start of industrial revolution was unbearable because working families often lived in slum areas with unsanitary conditions. Children received little education, often sickly, and suffered stunted growth. Mortality rate was great with 50% of children dying before reaching age two. Another significant consequence was inequality in groups because women and children were paid less and were required to work more hours. Factory owners were happy to employ children because they could manipulate children easier than adults, often thru beatings. Children as young as eight years old were sent to textile manufacturing, coals and mines. Workers during this time were locked up in a system where they had no control. B. Discuss the relationship between the Industrial Revolution and the development of capitalism.

The Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake. Discuss Essay

The Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake. Discuss - Essay Example Thus, HRA has altered the style in which the UK courts would approach the domestic legislation. Further, the opponents of the HRA vociferously argue that since the rights violation is already covered under the common law, there is no need to legislate separate law namely HRA. The critics argue that the Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake." This essay will discuss why there is a need to repeal the current form HRA in an analytical way and arrive at a conclusion. Whether the Human Rights Act 1998 was a constitutional mistake? Two main allegations charged against HRA is that it politicises the judiciary and take away the legitimate authority enjoyed by the elected representatives, and it advocates a blame or compensation acculturation whereby society turns to be progressively more contentious5. One of the serious allegations against the Human Rights Act 1998 is that it remains as a hazard to public safety and rights. For instance, immediately after 9/11 attack in USA, the then British Home Secretary made an open warning to the judiciary to cease applying the HRA in ways, which frustrated the UK government plans. The leader of the conservative party is of the opinion that suitable amendments should be made in the HRA to deport those who were encouraging terrorism in UK soil as the HRA was demonstrating to be a barrier to safeguard the lives of UK citizens. Conservative party is of the opinion that HRA has created a culture that has hampered law enforcement machinery and the control of convicted criminal and obstructed the deportation of terrorist suspects. Conservative is also of the opinion that HRA has not succeeded in safeguarding the corrosion of the traditional liberties and may have even offered a facade of respectability. Lord Chancellor during March 2009 viewed his anguish that HRA has been commoditised which was corroborated by those who stressed their privileges in a selfish way without having concerned with the privileges of others. Critic s are of the view that HRA is more concerned with rights thereby totally neglecting responsibilities from UK citizens. Further, there has been ongoing discussion, whether or not the HRA has clouted the exact balance between the courts, Parliament and the executive. Critics have come against the provision in the Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and deportation of terrorists which have placed the safety of the public at peril. Some critics vehemently argue that there should be a referendum, whether to retrench the Human Rights Act 1998 or not. Some critics have argued that there should be a referendum on any scheme to withdraw the HRA or to introduce the Bill of Rights which would basically cement some freedoms of individuals6. HRA will extremely impact statutory interpretation. HRA offers the court with the power and obligation to interpret and apply the law in a style that caters the ECHR obligations. It is alleged that HRA falls short of authorising UK co urts to annul legislation, which is not compatible with the ECHR. Clause 3 demands the UK court

Critically examine the ways in which China is represented in Flowers Essay

Critically examine the ways in which China is represented in Flowers of Shanghai. Your answer must make reference to the ways - Essay Example The director of the movie Hou Hsiao-hsein is an award winning director and one of the leading contributors to the new wave cinema movement in Taiwan. He has been regarded among the best movie directors of 1990s on creating master piece like Flowers of Shanghai. Some movie critics called it an innovative and prettiest movie however, at the same time the movie also invited waves of criticism and it was also expressed by some movie critics that it was a static, dull and boring movie that does not truly deserves to be listed among the top ten best movie of 1990s. Flowers of Shanghai is widely appraised and viewed as finely blended presentation of artistry, beauty, restrain and patience through its major characters. The plot of the story revolves around four prostitutes living in a Shanghai brothel. The movie depicts the power struggle of prostitutes called flower girls, gentlemen callers and the powerful Auntie who run the show for the prostitutes. The flower girls always look for the fa vour from the auntie that she will give them the richest customers and will send more customers to them. Though the movie is filmed in a brothel but there are no sex scenes in the movie. The girls are shown feeding the men and serving them opium and in exchange they were looking for someone to pay their debts and arrange livelihood for them. When the men show their willingness to marry any girl, the auntie plays the role of merchandiser and books them. It is more focused upon the problems and the efforts of the girls to get out of the problem rather depicting the sex scenes. The plot of the movie is set in the time of late nineteenth century where Shanghai was divided in to several foreign concessions and there are several luxurious flower houses created in the British concession that were meant for the make elite of the city. These brothels were not for the common Chinese people but only the elites for whom they were established could visit at these flower houses. These brothels ha ve their own self-contained world and people use their own language. The visitors came here not only for satisfying the sexual desires but also to dine, smoke opium and to relax their mind with different games. The women working at these brothels were given the name of flowers of shanghai and the movie flower of shanghai is mainly based upon the inner lives of these brothels and the flowers of Shanghai working there. The movie uses single stain of music that is repeated over and over. The repetition is an attempt to convey the message that is real life also same incidents occur again and again only the faces of the players are changed but the game remain the same no matter who win and loss. The movie sets the scene of Shanghai, the capital city of China however, it was not filmed in China but it is the proficiency of the director that he selected the set in such a way that the entire film is shot indoor and not even a single shot of sky or outdoor is included in the movie (Reichert, 2003). The director has close connections with China that could be seen in the movie as well. The way he set up the scene of China outside the country shows his strong imaginations and affiliations with the Chinese environment and culture. There are several cinematic techniques used in the movie that add depth and meaningfulness to the story and at the same time it is

Health Care Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Research Paper Example It was in this context that new health care reforms were introduced. These reforms have given America's people, lots of rights and benefits regarding their health options but also have brought in some inconveniences along with that. The need for reforms Ten years back, around 45 million Americans were still outside insurance coverage (Garson). Kronenfeld and Kronenfeld have observed that â€Å"health care reform, or modification of the US health care system so that affordable, high-quality health care services are available to every one, is a public policy issue that has received discussion in the United States off an on since World War II† (1). One major criticism that arose from the period of George Bush’s Presidentship was that, â€Å"once the events of September 11, 2011, and the war with Iraq in 2003 led to a greater focus on international concerns and terrorism, the prominence of health care issues became fairly low† (Kronenfeld and Kronenfeld, 1). It was i n this backdrop that public demand arose for a health care reform. The 'Acts' The health reforms comprise of two bills (The Economist). Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act became was introduced and adopted in March 2010 (Healthcare.gov). The second has been a â€Å"reconciliation† act which was added to the reform package to compensate some of the pitfalls in the initial act (The Economist). This reform has been termed as the â€Å"biggest reform of health care in the country for 40 years† (BBC). This reform has also been hailed as an act to end â€Å"some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry† (Healthcare.gov). The government sponsored web site, Healthcare.gov, has also described this act in terms of its benefits to the citizens in the following words: These reforms will give Americans new rights and benefits, including helping more children get health coverage, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to reco mmended preventive services without cost-sharing. These reforms will apply to all new health plans, and to many existing health plans as they are renewed. Many other new benefits of the law have already taken effect, including rebate checks for seniors in the Medicare donut hole and tax credits for small businesses. Advantages This new law has also extended â€Å"the life of the Medicare Trust fund at least 12 years† thereby benefiting the senior citizens (Healthcare.gov). This is supposed to be brought about by â€Å"reducing waste, fraud and abuse, and slowing cost growth in Medicare† (Healthcare.gov). The expectation is that, â€Å"this will provide [the beneficiaries][†¦] with future cost savings on [†¦] premiums and coinsurance† (Healthcare.gov). One ambitious declaration made by President Barek Obama has been that medicare fraud will be reduced by â€Å"50 percent by 2012† (Healthcare.gov). Another major feature of this act has been that i t, â€Å"starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act offers additional protections for Medicare Advantage Plan members by taking strong steps that limit the amount these plans spend on administrative costs, insurance company profits, and things other than health care†

Use of ijarah sukuk by Islamic banks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Use of ijarah sukuk by Islamic banks - Essay Example The intention of this study is Ijarah Sukuk as a type of sukuk based on leased assets, involves securities of the same value of every issue, and stands for long lasting physical assets. These assets are attached to an ijarah contract that is based on Shari’a. On that note, there are several reasons why Ijarah Sukuk is considered a contentious financial instrument. For example, Ijarah Sukuk permits corporate customers access to other methods of Islamic refinancing. In addition it grants Islamic organizations a way of handling their liquidity. In contrast, lack of global standards on the acceptable commodities facilitates the establishment of an appropriate global interbanking market. Furthermore, there is always the problem of over taxation because Ijarah Sukuk holders possess assets that they fund such as capital gains tax, value added tax and double stamp duty land tax. This affects its growth as the minimum revenue accrued is diminished during over taxation. Similarly, Ijara h sukuk is viewed as a contentious financial instrument because it only offers securitization. Ijarah sukuk and not any other lease bond securitize this means that the revenue produced. There is also the issue of principal-agent challenges. This entails lack of financial capability by Islamic banks to manage its principal-agent challenges. Therefore, this affects long-term funding due to insufficient credit in the market. In this case, a bank may decide to use readily accessible conventional lease bonds because ijarah sukuk is not applicable for long financial projects (Ayub, 2009, p.65). Alternatively, there is the unavailability of ijarah sukuk investments in the market especially to low-earning businesspersons. It is only available to wealthy men hence it widens the space between the rich and poor. On that note, we can say that ijarah sukuk needs organizations with many assets and these assets must not be impeded by other factors. Furthermore, deals involving ijarah sukuk are oft en deficient of legal infrastructure within upcoming markets especially in relation to trusts or property. On the other perspective, less designed variants of sukuk gets disheartened by the economic likeness of ijarah sukuk and fixed-income goods of conventional lease bonds because of the ideologies of profits and loss sharing. There is also the investment law that governs ijarah sukuk whereby limitations of foreign ownership transfer taxes with large ownership may deter the genuine sales of an asset. Another contention with ijarah sukuk is its complex structure when granted in a non-Islamic nation may result to attempts to counter the problem of designing a tax proficient structure that complies with Shari’a (Lewis & Hassan 2007, p.54). Additionally, ijarah sukuk as a financial tool requires care in terms of bank considerations. This is because of the tendency of sukuk transaction to establish a shared interest of beneficial possession for the sukuk proprietor. 2. Difference s and similarities between Ijarah Sukuk and the conventional lease bond There are various similarities and disparity between Ijarah Sukuk and the conventional lease bond. In our case, we will begin with the differences. For instance, the role of sukuk in the Islamic finance perspective is sharing. Therefore, those

Saudi woman's right to drive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Saudi woman's right to drive - Research Paper Example In Saudi Arabia, women are seen as minors, legally. They must seek permission from men on matters concerning education, healthcare, and employment. Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or be seen driving in public. Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (C.E.D.W.A), but still women face discrimination. The government ratified the convention saying that in case of contradiction between the Islamic law and the convention, then the Islamic law would overrule the convention. It is crucial, while addressing these issues to understand the religious and cultural complexities that exist in Saudi Arabia (Abbass, p. 20). In Saudi Arabia, religious and cultural claims function as justifications for the oppression of women. As the Saudi Arabian women went out to protest the oppression, various philosophical theories could be observed; functionalism, conflict and symbolic interaction. In Saudi Arabia, women rights exist under religion and customs. In this region, the separation of women and honor is central to life. All women in Saudi Arabia have male guardians. This country prohibits women driving. Manal al-Sharif started a Women’s Right to Drive movement in 2011. She is a women’s right activist who filmed herself drive and posted the footage on popular media. Because of this, she was detained but later released and rearrested for deviance.

France and its relationship to the United States Research Paper

France and its relationship to the United States - Research Paper Example America was later colonized by the British and after a series of rivalry disputes with the French, Britain and the French army engaged in a war that led to the defeat of the French. The French were pushed away from North America and they retaliated by providing the American’s army with weapons to fight for their independence. The two nations have been involved in close ties ever since. Just like any other international relationship, the relationship between France and the United States has been challenged by tension and suspicion. Historically, the United States was the one at the receiving end of the relationship. The benefits that France brought to the United States were vast in the initial period of the international relations. As time passed, the relationship became symbiotic and it has been this way to date. In this paper, I will focus on the history of France and its relationship to the United States. France relationship to the US Since early in the 16th century, the French businessmen were interested in the United States since it was a viable export region for raw materials and food stuff. French explorers in the western hemisphere of North America provided information on the best settling areas for the French people and they formed a colonial empire in this region. The French settlements in the United States were in Detroit, St. Louis, Biloxi, New Orleans, Green Bay, Baton Rouge and Mobile. During the colonial period, the French’s main rival in the region was the Great Britain. The two colonial powers engaged in a series of wars against each other to secure land. In the 18th Century, after the defeat of France by the Great Britain in North America, France opted to form an alliance with the United States freedom fighters. France provided the US army with heavy ammunition to fight against the British colonial army. This marked the beginning of the common interests between the two nations. Together they managed to push Great Britain out of North America. The French later sold Louisiana to the US and this strengthened the US economy (Davidson, 2003). During the seven years war between Britain and France, the French coveted the fertile Canadian land, which was controlled by the British. In helping the US defeat Britain, France was hoping that Britain would be weakened to leave Canada too. After the US gained independence on 4th July 1776, France continued supporting the new nation to grow into an economic giant in the region. During this time, France had already undergone an industrial revolution and it mentored the US to undergo a revolution in industrializing. The two nations became close business partners with the US exporting most of its raw materials to France in exchange for machinery that was needed for industrialization. The two nations’ relations were strengthened when the French gave their US counterparts with the statue of liberty. It symbolized their friendship an d it gave the French a gate pass to freely migrate to the US. The relationship between the two nations has grown over the years and they have become influential on each other’s economy, politics and culture (Lionel, 2004). In the 20th century, the relationship between the two nations maintained its positive growth. The US helped France to defeat the Nazis who were determined to take over the nation. The two nations were in the pioneering group of nations in many international diplomatic unions like the United Nations, WHO and NATO. As the US gained more power and influence in the world, France began to feel threatened and it formed the European

Death of a Salesman †Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller Essay The original title for Miller’s play was ‘The Inside of His Head’. How does Miller’s use of set, lighting and stage direction help us to understand this idea? Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949. This date is the period after the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression and this is significant, as one of Miller’s aims in writing this play was that it would be a tragedy that American workers could relate to. The central themes and issues in the play are consumerism and exploitation; Miller wanted to write a play that was critical of capitalism and that would expose the falseness of the American Dream. The original title reflects one of the underlying themes in the play – the central character’s struggle to grasp the distinction between illusion and reality and the past and the present; often Willy Loman’s thoughts and views do not comply with those of the majority of the remaining cast. Miller uses symbolism, set, lighting and stage direction to help us to understand what is happening inside Willy’s head. One of the several symbols that give us an insight into Willy’s thoughts is the athletic trophy. It is placed on a shelf in the sitting room where it can be clearly seen; this demonstrates how important it is to the family. This importance then in turn shows that winning and competition are key ideas here and that this part of the American Dream is important to Willy and he prizes the achievements his son made as they show him as being superior to other people, which is what Willy is always striving to achieve, particularly in regards to Charly. In the same scene is the use of the melody of the flute. It reflects Willy’s father’s success as an entrepreneur (making wooden flutes), something Willy is always striving to achieve, and also the strong influence this has on his son. Also, the actual melody that is being played ‘tell(s) of grass and trees and the horizon’, and reminds us of the stark difference between the life Willy lived as a young child (with the father who he idolises) and the position he is in now; in an overcrowded area of New York, working for someone else (i.e., not working on his own terms, like his father) on commission. Another of the important symbols in the play is the lighting at the end of Act One. Just as Willy is talking about how great Biff was when he was younger, on another part of the set Biff walks into a gold pool of light, which is reflecting the praise Willy is giving him, the gold symbolising the initial power and success that he had. Also, just after this the light fades on Willy, representing the fact that his career, his influence on his children and possibly his life are drawing to a close. A further example of Miller’s symbolism in this play and his manipulation of non-naturalistic elements is in Act Two, the restaurant scene, with varied use of both lighting and music. The first of these symbols is the use of the ‘single trumpet note’ used in conjunction with ‘the light of green leaves’. This initiates the start of Willy’s mind thinking back to an event several years ago, the green of the leaves symbolising the time when the house was not surrounded by high rise flats, noise and pollution. Miller also says that the light ‘holds the air of a†¦ dream’, which is insinuating that at this point in time Willy’s dreams for himself and his children had not yet been ruined. This is upheld by the naturalistic state of his living environment. Throughout the scene the light continues to fluctuate and highlight different places and times. Another important part in this restaurant scene I when the music changes dramatically to accompany the presence of The Woman in Willy’s mind. The music is now ‘raw and sensuous’ highlighting one major part of Willy’s life, at this point in time, that does not fit into the same mould as the rest of his life; he is a family man, supportive of his children and striving to achieve new heights for his family, but now he is doing the very opposite of this by cheating on his wife, and so the music does not reflect any of the other, often light and cheerful melodies played on the flute. Up until Biff discovers his father with The Woman, no one else is aware of her part in Willy’s life, so even at this early stage, Willy will have thoughts inside his head which do not relate to those of an of the other central characters.

Several 300 Word Articles English Language Essay

Several 300 Word Articles English Language Essay The earth was corrupt before God and filled with crime. God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all living beings had perverted their ways on the earth. If it were you, how will you paint a picture of The Flood? The famous Bible story has been numerously portrayed as the end of the world or the future of the world. Movies often focus on the repentance aspect, on making you feel guilty and on believing on the hope of life symbolized by Noahs ark. Inspiring as it may seem, it takes away the topic at hand the flood. Lego came up with something no less than extraordinary. In the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis, you will read the part where Adam and Eve realized they were naked and they tried to hide from God. Of course God caught them and banished them from paradise, however, if you try to focus on the prior, where Adam and Eve realized something and they tried to hide it, youll realize now that the action is just human nature. That action has become a human trait that was passed on to one person across history to us. We must understand what Adam and Eve felt then, we wouldnt want to be caught naked by our parents, much worse, naked and making love with someone, do we? Now, if God went away for a business trip and we were left alone, what will we do? Stay home and do nothing? I guess not. And that was how it was like during the time of the flood. Lets say God focused on other matters and when the time came that He went back home to check on His children, what He saw was something too grave that he brought about the flood. The Bible was a little figurative with its description. Lego was literal. Lego captured critical elements that show people doing something against nature. This includes drinking too much, gambling, fighting or killing each other (whatever reason that may be), cutting down trees, whatever was depicted as wrong between couples (girl-boy and boy-boy) and whatever that man is doing with the lego sheep. This is a camera moment you wouldnt want to be part of, even if you are guilty. This is like being part of a you got busted program. And we all know what happened next, the flood came and we are alive. 300 words on http://www.thebricktestament.com/genesis/cain_and_abel/gn04_01a.html Talk about how detailed the creations are and then give a background on who Cain and Abel are. The good thing about the Bible is there is nothing malicious about what was being described. There is just the natural course of events. Adam and Eve was banished from Paradise and had to learn about life the hard way, they must have been really stressed with their situation. It was indeed a blessing, they had each other. Adam and Eve had sex as was depicted by the bricks and eventually, Eve bore a son they named Cain. The bricks captured a very detailed description. It portrayed the closest home possible at that time. It included fire which Adam and Even used to keep them warm and to cook food. It has a pet, a horse and the house seemed to be surrounded by trees and very near running water. If we were to follow the story, the place is conducive to raise a child. Their joy was even greater when they were blessed with another son, whom they named Abel. But the joy was to be cut short. The Brick Testament captured the story of Cain and Abel clearly without amiss. The bricks were arranged delicately showing abundant crops and fruits as well as a flock of sheep with horses, a cow and a goat which shall help one see that Cain became a farmer or tiller of the soil and that Abel became a shepherd. The bricks couldnt portray the fire but the next scene depicted the brothers giving God their offering. Even God was portrayed as a figure in the Brick Testament. He favored Abels offering which caused Cain much distress to the point that he has killed his brother. The Bricks were arranged in a storyboard display. If it can be made into modern animation, it wouldnt be short of scenes. The picture where Cain has killed Abel was very animated. The axe on Cains hand and that expression on his face, with Abel on the floor face down with a little red around him to signify the blood was a perfect rendition of the scene. The angle at which the pictures were taken adds focus to the characters depicted in the story. Genesis Chapter 4 couldnt be more clear and detailed than the way the Brick Testament presented it. 300 words on Lego South Park South Park has fast gained its popularity since it was first aired in the 90s. Its considered cartoons for a mature audience focusing on nasty humor amongst four kids. Opening its upcoming 14th season, its quite fitting to consider, where does Lego come in play? Lego enthusiasts have begun exploring building South Park characters from their bricks. Although Lego hasnt come up of a South Park themed System, Lego enthusiasts are but excited to push the concept and share their talent. Eric Cartman Eric Cartman is considered the antagonist of the series. He seems to be a sociopath behaving as if hes against everything else outside of himself and he Kyle and Kenny (the two other main characters in the series). The article doesnt say who built this Lego art but it seemed to be almost a life-size of Eric Cartman. The pale colors of his hat and shirt was ultimately captured, as well as his pale skin color. His obese body was obvious, as well as his big eyes and half-opened mouth. The Lego piece, however, did not capture the plump cheeks that Eric has. In a way, he looks malnourished but the display is nothing short of wonderful. Kenny McCormick Oh my God, they killed Kenny! You bastards! This is a phrase often associated to Kenny McCormick at the South Park series. He seemed to have a habit of dying in almost all episodes but managing to return alive on the succeeding ones. His deaths are usually gross and each time, Stan or Kyle manages to mention the phrase mentioned already. After his death, rats suddenly appear to eat his corpse. His deaths however, were cut short as another character was given more prime, Butters. The Lego depicting Kenny captures the parka hood he wears as well as his partially covered face. The Lego captured him with an axe piercing his skill and is in the process of dying because the rats are already gnawing his brain and his body. It does look violent but this is exactly Kennys role in South Park, up until the 6th episode at least. Butters Scotch In the South Park series, Butters, generally replaced Kennys character and has often become the subject of Erics exploits. He rarely complains and maintains a mild temperament until he assumes another character later on. The Lego piece captures everything about Butters Scotch, from the hair, eyes, clothes, shoes, even the skin color. It was an amazing Lego piece standing 12 inches tall. It looks even better than the plush toy. Sources: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/5291 http://www.trendhunter.com/photos/47942/1 http://granturismomh.deviantart.com/art/Lego-South-Park-131424068 200 words on http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10022301ricohgxrmodules.asp Serious photographers will be glad to know that Ricoh has announced an addition to its recent GXR Camera System. The GXR Camera System allows a photographer to mix and match camera units (lens, image sensor and image processing engine) and as the new system gains its popularity, Ricoh decides to further enhance and maximize the GXR Camera Systems potential. Camera unit RICOH LENS P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC The unit primarily, offers a wide-angle zoom combined with 120 frame/second high-speed continuous shoot. The addition of the back-illuminated sensor allows shooting from low light to bright light without sacrificing image quality. Tentative release is summer 2010. Camera unit GR LENS A12 28mm F2.5 This camera uses a combination of a specific CMOS sensor and GR ENGINE II image processing producing high definition pictures with smooth tone gradations. It also offers a manual focus ring that is important in specific focus adjustments. Tentative release is Winter 2010. Final Note RICOH LENS P10 29-300 mm F3.5-5.6 is going to be available for display from March 11 to March 14 at Tokyo, Japan. Product names and specifications may change until final product release. Reviews are available contrasting GXR System to that of SLR and DSLR Cameras. The pros and cons are still immature for GXR is still relatively young in the photography scene. The prices are high and may even be outrageous for some but the equipment is nothing short of excellent and only worthy of serious photographers who are not afraid to try something new. Other article source: http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/gxr/features.html 200 words on http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_100_2p8_is_usm_c16/ Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM MACRO Canon developed a Hybrid Image Stabilizer around July of last year and has released during the last quarter of the same year, the first macro telephoto lens that shall help improve shots taken at closer distance or macro-shooting. The Hybrid IS technology optimizes image quality by preventing errors caused by camera shake. Blurred images are thus minimized. Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM MACRO, primarily offers the Hybrid IS technology and from the term itself, a 100mm focal length, ideal for close-up and macro shots. Its other features seem to be geared on helping photographers take shots in a smaller distance, even without the need of a tripod as the new technology should help minimize the errors caused by the camera shakes. Reviews regard the Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM MACRO as an optional investment. While it gives exceptional results for most of the features the lens offer, it does not seem to do justice to the press release about the Hybrid IS Technology. Seemingly a work in progress, we can only expect the best from the succeeding line of products from Canon. Other article source: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0907/09072207canonhybridis.asp 200 words on http://ezinearticles.com/?Cowboy-Fashion-Dosid=208698 (do not mention brand names) If you have watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (or any of those Cowboy films that star Clint Eastwood), Back to the Future Part III or perhaps Shanghai Noon, then you must have an idea how Cowboy attire can be said to be both a classic and at the same time, a fashion trend. Lets take cowboy hats, for example. Straw cowboy hats are most popular for its price, convenience and practicality. Usually, light colored and should be worn on summer or dry seasons, straw cowboy hats allow the person to feel comfortable with such an airy form of cowboy hat. Wool, fur and felt cowboy hats are usually dark colored and are worn on winter or dark seasons. These help protect the person by keeping their heads warm. Cowboy hats, therefore, are seasonal, and in terms of fashion, should be used according to tradition, culture and trend. Some of the most important things about cowboy hats are: Cowboy hats are worn in public places, not at home nor in a church. Cowboy hats are used to show respect to women, officials and even church officials. Do not wear white cowboy hats after Labor day. Do not take or wear your cowboy hat in a dining table. 300 words on How to get rid of eyebags the natural way Ever heard someone tease you for being unable to sleep based on the dark circles on your eyes and you just say, yes? Then, you might be in for a long lecture. A common misconception about eyebags is that it is caused by lack of sleep. Eyebags is a collective word pertaining to anything under the eye: swell-like or puffy area, actual bags, dark circles and even, shadows and they are not entirely caused by lack of sleep. Eye bags are generally caused by age and improper diet and lifestyle. It is theorized that age makes you body weak and this includes the ligaments that hold the little fat under the eye area and as a result, pushes the fat forward causing the bag. Another theory is eating too much salty food which retains water while another is lack of exercise and body rest which makes the body weaker and thus reduced blood circulation. Nasal allergies may also cause under-eye puffiness. Plastic surgery or blepharoplasty is the fastest way to remove eye bags. Botox and face lifts are often considered as part of the procedure. On the other hand, there are other natural ways to get rid of eyebags. (1) Proper Diet, Exercise and Sleep. Any form of ailment is usually a result of abuse on the body. Treating the body will help treat the problem. Avoid salty food, exercise to remove excess salt and fat and give your body enough time to recuperate by sleeping at least 8 hours a day. Drinking plenty of liquids will also help reduce salt and fat in the body. Minimize smoking and alcohol and eat food rich in Vitamin K and Vitamin E. (2) Relax the eye area. Massage the eye area by gently tapping the eye area with your finger tips. This will increase blood circulation and relax your eye muscles a bit. Do at least once a day. You may also apply a cold compress to help minimize the swelling and relax your eye further. Usual cold compress regiments are potato slices, cucumber slices, back of the spoon, tea bags and or flower leaves. Do at least once a day, leaving the cold compress 10-15 minutes with your eyes closed. (3) Apply an eye cream with Vitamin K and Retinol or use under eye treatment available in drugstores. This is not ultimately natural but is based on natural products. You may also extract the liquid from Vitamin E capsules and place them over your eye (eyes closed) to help reduce eye bags. The key to a successful natural treatment is discipline. The natural way is something that is done in a regular basis and is not a one or two-session treatment compared to the surgery option. It does not deliver immediate results but does help a person become healthy in totality, not just for the purposes of removing the eye bags. Sources: http://www.scienceline.org/2008/10/13/ask-peretsman-eye-under-bags/ http://women.webmd.com/features/banish-the-bags-under-your-eyes http://www.trap17.com/index.php/Cheap-Natural-Methods-Rid-Eyebags_t62170.html http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Black-Circles-Under-Your-Eyes http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-bags-under-eyes.htm 200 words on how to get rid of dark circles under the eyes Some people say that the concern over the dark circles under the eyes is purely aesthetic. Some attribute it to the amount of work and stress a person undergoes, while some others simply treat it as a fact of life. The truth is the dark circles under the eyes are irregularities. They are no different from flab or belly pouches, double chins or cellulite on the hips or thighs. In many ways, it maybe purely aesthetic and simply, a means to adapt to the common notion of a beautiful body but in this regard, it will be purely about health. Dark circles under the eyes, theoretically speaking, occur due fat accumulation. As a person ages, the fat is pushed outward, thereby causing shadows or circles under the eye. On the other hand, there are other reasons why this happen or why this worsens over time. This includes allergies, lack of sleep and rest, stress, improper diet and lack of exercise. Some common ways to get rid of dark circles under the eyes are: (1) Balanced diet, regular exercise and enough sleep. (2) Applying eye cream and/or moisturizer. Choose creams that are high in Vitamin K, Vitamin E and/or Retinol. (3) Cucumber slices or Potato slices for 10-15 minutes, in the morning. Rinse off with warm water afterwards. (4) Cold compress and minor massage to improve blood circulation. (5) Proper makeup not a permanent way to get rid of dark circles but may come in handy. Do not use bright or light colored make-up as it makes the dark circles more visible. Use foundation first and if the dark circles do not improve, apply a concealer that is one to two shades darker than your foundation. Peach or salmon-color usually does the trick. Additional Sources: http://women.webmd.com/features/banish-the-bags-under-your-eyes?page=4 http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/dark-circles.htm 200 words on How to Whiten your Skin One classic fairy tale has told us that long black hair and white skin makes the fairest of all women. Its been many years since and many of us still believe in fairy tales and the idea that a fair skin makes a woman beautiful. Some of the common ways to whiten your skin are: (1) Proper diet and vitamins. The skin reflects how healthy a person is. Minimize your salt and sugar intake, drink more water (over soda or carbonated drinks) and eat plenty of fruits. Vitamin D and Vitamin E helps nurture and protect the skin. Get plenty or enough sleep to help the body recuperate. (2) Use available skin care products including whitening lotion, moisturizers and sunscreen lotion. Be reminded that sunscreen lotion helps protect the skin as you use other regimens. Too much sunscreen lotion doesnt help in whitening skin. (3) Some facial wash or soaps have active ingredients that trigger peeling or exfoliation. Some contains Salicylic Acid which is good at bleaching. Be sure to consult your dermatologist as even if these products are properly tested before it reached the market, a persons skin type may not be appropriate to the regimen chosen. (4) Wash your face with a mixture of milk and lemon juice. Milk makes the skin supple and fresh and the little bleach makes the skin fairer while lemon enhances the procedure because of its natural acidity. (5) You may also use papaya juice. Apply it on the skin, let it stay for 10 to 20 minutes and rinse off. (6) Other natural methods may be combined with one and the other to achieve better results. You may use a tomato and lime juice mask, honey or Aloe vera as a moisturizer or Olive oil with granulated sugar for exfoliation. (7) Doctor/dermatologist procedures such as chemical peel or skin bleaching. Bear in mind that beauty must not be misconstrued. Amongst many, being healthy is always better than adapting to the what is believed to be beautiful. Scientifically speaking, whiter skin means lower melanin production and thus, higher risk to skin problems. Moderation is the key. Sources: http://www.howtoall.com/Healthfiles/howtowhitenyourskin.htm http://www.beautytips.ayurvediccure.com/body-basics/skin-whitening.htm http://www.ehow.com/how_4743915_whiten-skin-naturally.html http://www.blurtit.com/q327498.html http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf695424.tip.html 300 words on Lego Cowboys (if you will be talking about pictures of Lego minifigs, please supply me with the URL at the end of your article) Lego has consistently come up with various themes that appeal to the general public both the kids and the kids at heart. Although it is fitting to say that the theme usually rides whatever is common at the time, the Wild West remains wild and alive with the Lego System Cowboys minifligs. Sheriffs Showdown is an adaptation of a criminal chase in the wild west. With just enough pieces to set the imaginary cowboy feel, the bad-ass looking bandit and the clean and awarded cowboy sheriff minifligs completes the set with a very elegant touch of realism. Covered Wagon is a simple system, primarily capturing a transport theme. The Cavalry Lieutenant miniflig completes the set together with the horse lego, wheels and the pieces that shall comprise the wagon. If you want to complete an ideal event, try to combine Sheriffs Showdown with Sheriffs Lock-up. Sheriffs Lock-up creates the jail break set-up as in this system, there are 2 bandits and only 1 soldier which is the sheriff. Another cowboy miniflig is included but that can be treated as a casualty during a jail break. This shall add tons of fun in the Lego Cowboy world. Bandits Secret Hide-Out is all about crime never paying. From the title itself, the hide-out is supposed to keep out everyone else and with the 3 bandits outnumbering the 2 soldiers in minifligs number, this is the bandits turf. No harm can come to them with their guns, canons and tower-like hole. Whats a cowboy theme without the bank robbery? Gold City Junction captures this concept perfectly, situating only 2 soldier minifligs which includes the sheriff and 4 cowboys including the banker and the bandit. Conspiracy is the key. The theme is set in major action with bricks and pieces that connote a shoot-out or perhaps a run too common for the Wild. Fort Legoredo is the ultimate Cowboy themed Lego System. Coming with 10 minifligs and over 500 pieces to set-up a police headquarters, the set encourages many action-packed possibilities. The watch tower at the back and the two towers in front are great look-out standpoint. The spacious headquarters, the prison and the stable inside Fort Legoredo are also good areas of action. Generally, the 4 bandits will not stand a chance over the 6 Cavalry soldiers properly positioned in the system however, with great imagination, that picture can be reversed. The Lego System Cowboys Sets were first released in 1996. It was re-issued recently and is still considered a valuable collection item. Sources: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6712-1 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6716-1 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6755-1 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6761-1 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6765-1 http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6769-1

Cultural Differences and Switching of In-Group Sharing

Cultural Differences and Switching of In-Group Sharing Nuchelle Atkinson, M.A. Research Article Critique Qiu, L., Lin, H., Leung, A. K. (2013). Cultural Differences and Switching of In-Group Sharing  Behavior between an American (Facebook) and a Chinese (Renren)  Social Networking Site. Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(1), 106-121. Emma J. Barnes Abstract Culture is often mirrored by or perceived through shared practices in a community. The different shared practice on users’ national culture represents their host cultures. Facebook is the main social network site (SNS) in Singapore, thus, the partakers was considered bicultural online users, because of the widespread experiences to two culturally different online environments. The authors studied cultural differences and behavioral switching in the context of the fast emerging, naturally occurring online social networking, using both self-report measures and content analyses of online activities on two highly popular platforms; Facebook and Renren (the â€Å"Facebook of China†). Furthermore, the study considered indications of the extent to which characteristics described perceived cultures. These results set the stage for further investigations on flexible switching of actual sharing behaviors. The results also provided the basis that users’ behavioral differenc es in online sharing are due to their culturally shared practice as opposed to differences in technical capabilities. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to achieve two objectives; to seek to identify cross-cultural differences between technologically similar SNS platforms; Facebook and Renren (the â€Å"Facebook of China†). Second, to demonstrate cultural frame switching in online environments. The study also sought to establish that Renren and Facebook are two technically similar platforms in terms of system performance, security, and user-friendliness of in-group sharing functions. This would eliminate the possibility that behavioral differences in the two online communities are attributable to technical differences between the two platforms. Methodology: . The study was conducted using a 5-Point Likert-type scale event on the News Feed page of the participants’ accounts. Participants completed a set of questionnaires on perceived characteristics and various technical capabilities of Facebook and Renren. We created a survey to examine the perceived cultures of Facebook and Renren using characteristics that are related to either a collectivistic or an individualistic orientation in the context of online social networking. We used the scale developed by Tuunainen, Pitkanen,and Hovi (2009) to assess user perception of information security on Facebook and Renren. Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI). WAMMI (www.wammi. com) is a measure widely used in industry for assessing the overall system performance Results: The present article fills this gap by studying the practice of in-group sharing, a highly common online behavior afforded by many SNSs. Our findings demonstrated for the first time that users with extensive experiences with two culturally distinctive SNS communities can flexibility switch their online behaviors to match the shared practice on those SNSs. Conclusions: first, our studies demonstrate that SNSs are interesting cultural environments on their own. our research suggests that SNS users can actively participate in multiple online cultures and acquire multicultural experiences through social interactions in the virtual world. Culture is often mirrored by or perceived through shared practices in a community. The different shared practice on users’ national culture represents their host cultures. Online culture has been considered as a knowledge system formed by constellations of shared practices, expectations, and structures that members choose to follow with the help of networked computer technology (Fuchs, 2008). However, little work has been approached from a cultural psychological perspective; there is a need to examine the emergence of online culture. Studying different online cultures will expand the possibility of cultural psychology by providing new evidence to support existing cultural theories or challenge established ones. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to understand the behavioral ramifications of exposure to multiple online cultures. The problem and statement of importance is clearly stated. The purpose of the study is to achieve two objectives; to seek to identify cross-cultural differences between technologically similar SNS platforms; Facebook and Renren (the â€Å"Facebook of China†) and to demonstrate cultural frame switching in online environments. The study also sought to establish that Renren and Facebook are two technically similar platforms in terms of system performance, security, and user-friendliness of in-group sharing functions. The authors hypothesized that Renren (vs. Facebook) culture is relatively more collectivistic, whereas Facebook (vs. Renren) culture is relatively more individualistic. The second hypothesis is that Renren and Facebook differ in their cultural orientations, with Renren being more collectivistic and Facebook being more individualistic. The authors hypothesize that in-group sharing is a shared practice more prevalent on Renren than on Facebook. All key terms are well d efined. The literature review is very comprehensive in that it covers all of the mechanisms associated with the current study. The authors identify different forms and interpretations of this study. The review concludes with a brief summary of relevant literature and the reasoning for this study. The author intent of the study was explained with words that reflect higher order thinking skills. The participants are mentioned, the setting of the study is explained and words are well chosen; free of jargon and no unnecessary words are used. Thus the purpose was clearly stated. The hypothesis was provided in the literature review and logical. The justification of why the study is important was stated and convincing. It explained the purpose of the study and provided a compelling foundation, enabling the work to be set in the context of both existing evidence and its practical applications. All of the references are pertinent to the problem and help to inform the reader of the study’s purpose. The author used a systematic methodology involving the construction of theory through the analysis of data. The study was conducted using a scale developed by Tuunainen, Pitkanen and Hovi (2009), Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI), and a 5-Point Likert-type scale event. Participants completed a set of questionnaires on perceived characteristics and various technical capabilities of Facebook and Renren. The authors created a survey to examine the perceived cultures of Facebook and Renren using characteristics that are related to either a collectivistic or an individualistic orientation in the context of online social networking. This was an original study as the authors seek to step further in examining if similar cultural switching behavior would occur in natural online environments.Previous research has shown that attributes such as sharing-oriented (Berry et al., 1997; Triandis, 1995), conformity-oriented (Bond Smith, 1996), hierarchical (Triandis, 1995), and supportive (Miller, 1997) pertain to collectivistic cultural characteristics, and attributes such as self-expressive (Kim Sherman, 2007), assertive (Church Lonner, 1998), egalitarian (Triandis, 1995), and competitive (Triandis, 1993) pertain to individualistic cultural characteristics. What are the variables? Participants completed a set of questionnaires’ in Chinese, the participants’ native language. In this study, the authors counterbalanced the order of questionnaires that asked about Facebook and Renren. The present article fills this gap by studying the practice of in-group sharing, a highly common online behavior afforded by many SNSs. The study demonstrated for the first time that users with extensive experiences with two culturally distinctive SNS communities can flexibility switch their online behaviors to match the shared practice on those SNSs. With online social networks becoming a highly viable research tool, the current research offers an example of utilizing online data to study an emerging sociocultural phenomenon. Study 1 confirmed that system performance, security, and the usability of sharing functions are similar across Facebook and Renren, the two SNSs differ in their language medium. Facebook’s user interface is in English, whereas Renren’s is in Chinese (although users can communicate in Chinese on Facebook and English on Renren). From the author’s viewpoint, language is part of the cultural systems on SNSs. Indeed, considerable evidence suggests that language constitutes a part of the larger culture such that the use of Chinese can activate the Chinese cultural system and the use of English can activate the Western cultural system (as sited in Bond, 1983; Trafimow, Silverman, Fan, Law, 1997). Thus, it is reasonable not to consider the effect of language as a rival explanation of the current finding, but to view language as an important element of the online culture in which the users are participating. Another alternative account concerns how different degrees of closeness of friendship on the two SNSs might have affected individuals’ sharing behaviors. Our participants joined the Renren community when they were in China, and later became Facebook users after they arrived in Singapore. One might argue that these friends’ online activities constitute only a small sample of activities that may not accurately represent what other users generally do and therefore the shared practices of the SNS cultures. We contend that, however, it is the practices and activities nominally engaged by their friends that are most likely to reflect the immediate cultural environment in which the participants are actively involved. Conclusions and Implications (2-3 paragraphs)3 points Are the conclusions of the study related to the  original purpose? The present article fills this gap by studying the practice of in-group sharing, a highly common online behavior afforded by many SNSs. The study demonstrated for the first time that users with extensive experiences with two culturally distinctive SNS communities can flexibility switch their online behaviors to match the shared practice on those SNSs. With online social networks becoming a highly viable research tool, the current research offers an example of utilizing online data to study an emerging sociocultural phenomenon. We highly encourage other researchers to capitalize on this valuable resource and study the cultural dynamics of their own interest. The conclusion of the present study is related to the original purpose. The purpose of the study is to achieve two objectives; to seek to identify cross-cultural differences between technologically similar SNS platforms; Facebook and Renren (the â€Å"Facebook of China†). Second, to demonstrate cultural frame switching in online environments. The study also sought to establish that Renren and Facebook are two technically similar platforms in terms of system performance, security, and user-friendliness of in-group sharing functions. Were the implications discussed? The current findings have important implications, both theoretically and methodologically. In  terms of theoretical significance, first, our studies demonstrate that SNSs are interesting cultural environments on their own. Their technological capabilities enable them to afford new norms and practices that are not previously observed offline. For example, instant in-group sharing of information such as videos and pictures can be easily done online but not offline. Nevertheless,  the use of new media may not alter the fundamental essence of a culture—the newly emerged  norms and practices online may evolve from and later reinforce the shared norms and imperatives prevalent in the culture where the online community is hosted. Thus, SNS practices could be important manifestations of cultural products that contribute to a sense of â€Å"cultural consensus† (Lamoreaux Morling, in press). Second, our research suggests that SNS users can actively participate in multiple online cultures and acquire multicultural experiences through social interactions in the virtual world. Whom the results and conclusions will effect? With millions of people engaging in online communities What recommendations were make at the conclusion? SNS communities can flexibility switch their online behaviors to match the shared practice With online social networks becoming a highly viable research tool, the current research offers an example of utilizing online data to study an emerging sociocultural phenomenon. We highly encourage other researchers to capitalize on this valuable resource and studythe cultural dynamics of their own interest.

America in 1934 Essay -- American History

America in 1934 In the Midwest, farmers were losing their land to mortgage foreclosures. American tourist deaths were attributed to a terrorist attack. A president known for his effective use of the media governed the United States. The U.S. cooperated in a change of government in the Philippines. Parents and churches criticized motion pictures for eroding American morals. And Appalachian State, after setting a new enrollment record, received favorable publicity in a national magazine. Sound familiar? Think again; you're 55 years off. The year was 1934 in the U.S.A. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, provided relief funds to just under seventeen million Americans to offset "the hardships and suffering caused by unemployment" in the Great Depression. Leading the state relief parade was North Dakota, 34% of whose population received federal funds. In New York just under two million were on the dole (Lyman 71-72). By manipulating gold and silver prices, President Roosevelt hoped to cut Depression inflation. The Gold Reserve Act established a maximum limit of 60% for the gold value of the U.S. dollar. It allowed the President to set the price of gold at $35 per ounce. The Silver Purchase Act directed the Secretary of the Treasury to buy silver until the metal reached 25% of U.S. money reserves or until its price reached $1.29 per ounce (Leuchtenburg 13). On 9 February President Roosevelt ended all government air mail contracts with airlines and ordered the Army to fly the mails. Roosevelt took this measure to deprive commercial airlines of scandalously high financial arrangements, but his plans failed because of the Army Air Corps' inability to handle the job. After the ... ...t Record at A.S.T.C." Watauga Democrat 4 Oct. 1934: 1. "Normal Child." Time 27 Aug. 1934: 50. "North Carolina Builds Shrine to First Colony." New York Times 1 July 1934: 18. Old Gold. Advertisement. (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 14. "Poor White's Art." Time 10 Sept. 1934: 33. Phillips, Cabell. The New York Times Chronicle of American Life: From the Crash to the Blitz 1929-1939. New York: Mac Millan, 1969. "Receive Honorary Degrees." (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 1. Reichler, Joseph L., ed. The Baseball Encyclopedia. 4th ed. New York: Mac Millan, 1979. Shale, Richard, comp. Academy Awards. New York: Ungar, 1978. "Ruth's Record of 700 Home Runs Likely to Stand for All Time in Major Leagues." New York Times 14 July 1934: 8. "Sophisticates Abroad." Time 16 April 1934: 77. Stern Brothers. Advertisement. New York Times 1 July 1934: 10.

Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Changing Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Changing Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne was forced to wear an "A" on her chest. Hawthorne related the villagers' changing perception of Hester Prynne to the changing symbolism of the scarlet letter from a symbol of shame, ability, to honor. In the beginning of the novel, the "A" symbolized shame and punishment. One villager voiced his opinion on the "A" when he stated, "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead"(p.59). The villagers saw the "A" as public punishment. They saw Hester as lucky because her punishment was not harsh enough. Another villager saw Hester in a new light when she said, "She hath good skill in her needle...but did ever a woman...contrive such a way of showing it!...What is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen meant for punishment?" The "A" made clear what the villager's Puritan principles were and showed the Puritans judicial system in action. When Hester embroidered the "A" beautifully, she mocked their judgment. Thus, the villagers saw Hester has prideful. The "A" also exposed the Puritan's hidden shame. Hester recognized this when Hawthorne said, "She felt an eye- a human eye - upon the ignominious brand, that seemed to give a momentary relief, as if half of her agony were shared."(p.89). A few villagers saw the letter and Hester as a constant reminder of their own sin. Hester was the torturous representation of the lust that they kept hidden inside. The Scarlet letter was seen as a symbol of shame yet caused the villagers to see Hester as fortunate, boastful, and as a symbol of their own faults. Later in the novel, the "A" came to show a woman's ability. The villager's said now, "it meant "Able"; so strong was Hester Prynne with a woman's strength"(p.156). The villagers realized that Hester endured all their stares and tormenting without ever saying or doing anything in return. They were impressed by her ability to be strong and raise a child and help many others at the same time.

A film adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude :: English Literature

A film adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude Intent We have reached an age, where most things are done through TV and cinema. It is unfortunate many people do not read many books anymore. People would rather sit for a few hours in a dark room eating popcorn and watching a screen. In my opinion it is necessary for more books to be adapted in films. Some people might argue whether a great book such as Madame Bovary and The Great Gatsby can shine in the same light with a film adaptation. With the film techniques available and the great talent this is very possible. I am a strong believer that watching an excellent movie on Pride and Prejudice or any other literary masterpiece is equal to reading the book. For this reason I have taken on the responsibility of adapting chapter 1 of One Hundred Years of Solitude. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a novel about a family, the Buendias living in a town called Macondo. The novel is postmodern. There are many instances where time jumps around. Along with the postmodernism feel there is also an element of magical realism. The magical realism is where characters can do things that are not possible in real life. In example of this is Remedios’s ability to fly in the air and go away. The elements of postmodern and magical realism make One Hundred Years of Solitude a difficult novel to adapt. For this particular paper I have chosen to adapt chapter 1. Chapter 1 includes flashbacks, magical realism, and the encounters with the gypsies. I have chosen chapter 1 because it includes the elements the novel is based on. The title of my film on One Hundred Years of Solitude is Opportunity. The main reason I have chosen this title because it is rooted in the last sentence of the novel, â€Å"†¦Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred year of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth (Gabriel Garcia Marquez 448). In this quote, Marquez discusses how civilization with cease to be if there continues to be the solitude that is outlined in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Because the Buendia was the first attempt at a ‘perfect’ world, I have called it Opportunity, since this family was the first opportunity at the ‘utopia’. By adapting chapter 1 of One Hundred Years of Solitude I hope to show that a film can be just as or better than the novel it is based on.

Burqas Should Not Be Banned

Religion and Society Article Assignment. Articles used – 3A and 3B. The Burqa. Sylvie Maclean. A Burqa is an article of clothing that is generally considered as a religious statement. The Burqa consists of full robes and a mesh veil over the eyes. There are other options of robes that can be worn including the Hijab and the Niqab, where the eyes remain uncovered. According to come interpretations of the Islamic sacred text – the Koran (Qur’an) – women must wear a full veil in order to be modest. Many Muslims wear the Burqa because it is symbolises and is a part of their spiritual journey, so they wear it by choice.While others wear the Burqa because they believe they have to, as it is one of the commandments of god to dress modestly. There are many Muslims who choose not to wear the Burqa at all. They may opt for a simple headscarf and normal clothing; they also can wear the Hijab or Niqab. But then again there are many Muslims who choose to dress in norma l clothes, therefore bringing no attention to their religion. Not wearing the headscarf or robes does not make a person any more religious, nor does wearing the Burqa make someone more religious than another Muslim who is not wearing any religious clothing at all.Just through reading articles A and B, we see that there is a lot of controversy involved in this topic, and something I would like to address is how we have the right to tell others how to dress when their clothing choice brings no harm upon us and is a completely individual and personal choice. Image Source: http://www. hopeitw. com/knowledge/abaya-niqab-burqachadordupatta-hijab/#sthash. OXN8dy8O. dpbs Image Source: http://www. hopeitw. com/knowledge/abaya-niqab-burqachadordupatta-hijab/#sthash. OXN8dy8O. dpbs Throughout article A ‘Why I’m proud to wear the Burqa’ we see examples of the controversies over the banning in France.The author – Oumkheyr – is a Muslim woman who wears the full B urqa by choice, and is being strongly threatened by the French Government where a ban of Burqas may soon be implemented. Oumkheyr says â€Å"I really believe that France is scared of Muslims, which is the motivation for this law, but people shouldn't generalize as not all Muslims are the same. Yes, some have done terrible things, but it is done in the name of man, never in the name of God. † But, although in the Koran there are verses that say some hateful things like â€Å"slay them wherever you catch them† (Quran 2:191), these quotes are taken completely out of context.The rest of that particular quote is as follows â€Å"fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter†¦ But if they cease, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful†¦ If they cease, let there b e no hostility except to those who practice oppression† (2:190-193). The Koran gives messages of hope, faith and peace.It’s easy to take something out of context and quote it, but it means that what was originally being said loses all meaning. Linking back to the Burqa ban, maybe the French government would stop being so scared of muslims if someone actually bothered to read the full quote. Oumkheyr makes some very strong points in her article, that everyone should take into consideration when deciding their personal opinion of the Burqa ban proposal. The second article, ‘The Burqa is a war on women’ addresses the reasoning for a ban. The author – Virginia Haussegger – has successfully outlined the views of many non-muslims.Within the first two lines Ms Haussegger has already accused the Burqa of subjectifying women, and stated that the reason for wearing the Burqa is what ‘God Demands’. What the author doesn’t seem to real ise is that for the majority of muslims, wearing the Burqa is a personal choice, and most say they don’t think it is a ‘demand’ as such, but more of a way to become more in touch with god and the rest of their religion. Some Islamic tectsstate that women should dress modestly, but wearing the Burqa is the individuals’ decision, and it reflects on the individuals’ values and beliefs about the word ‘modesty’.This article brings up many points about equality. Saying that while ‘men roam free while women wear a sackcloth that dehumanises them. Although it is true that Muslim men do not walk around shrouded head to toe, this is for a reason that Haussegger seems to have forgotten: women’s bodies are constantly being subjectified and having their bodies sexualized, and men are not. Although this is not necersarily the ‘politically correct’ thing to say, it is the truth, and wearing the Burqa is a way for this to stop .The author does have some very valid points on the subject of actual legitimacy of the commandment about the Burqa, but even if the Koran does not state ‘Women must cover their face and bodies to hide from public view’, the Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab are just clothes. By reading these articles it is clear to see that both authors are fighting for the rights of Muslim women. Although Virginia Haussegger clearly believes that by wearing the Burqa women are being further objectified, both authors agree that what we wear is our choice and no one elses.Muslims live by their holy text and if the individual interprets its commandments to believe that to be a good muslim you must wear the burqa, then that it their choice, and freedom of choice is a human right that we should all have. What Haussegger sadly doesn’t appear to understand is that no matter how a Muslim chooses to dress, their beliefs are the same and they are living by the same god, so banning one article of c lothing cannot change how the individual will behave.My opinion on the Burqa is that although the outfit may be somewhat demeaning, it is a personal choice that I will never fully understand. Now that I have done further research into the topic I understand the choices and decisions that are made when the Burqa is concerned, and I am definitely more open to other people’s opinions. I think it is completely unreasonable for non-muslims to call a ban on the Burqa as it is a human right that we are free to express ourselves however we see fit, and if this is how some Muslims choose to express their religion, then good for them.Form| Title| URL| Date accessed| Article| Should Burqas Be Banned? | http://middleeast. about. com/u/ua/religionsectarianism/burqa-hijab-ban. htm| 14/03/2013| Book| Islam beliefs and teachings| Written by Ghulam Sarwar| 20/03/2013| Article| We too should ban the Burqa| http://www. telegraph. co. uk/comment/columnists/allison-pearson/8449101/We-too-should-b an-the-burka. html| 23/03/2013| Article| Europe must not ban the burka| http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/08/europe-ban-burqa-veil|

Lessons from Rs Mcnamara

Walking Along a Familiar Path In Errol Morris’ documentary Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, we follow the life and times of former United States Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. The insightful piece follows his life from birth during World War I, his success at college, cunning business career at Ford Motor Company, to his involvement in World War II and his controversial political career during the Kennedy and Johnson presidential terms.Morris highlights the documentary around these eleven lessons that McNamara passes through during an interview for the film. In my opinion some of these ‘lessons’ are merely some opinions of McNamara and some seem to be spurred along by Morris, who is asking the questions in the background. I believe it is through some of these lessons that Morris uses McNamara’s success and failures to relate them to current issues such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; and how we seem to be treading do wn a familiar path.LESSON #5: PROPORTIONALITY SHOULD BE A GUIDELINE IN WAR? â€Å"In order to win a war should you kill 100,000 people in one night, by firebombing or any other way . . . Proportionality should be a guideline in war. Killing 50% to 90% of the people of 67 Japanese cities and then bombing them with two nuclear bombs is not proportional, in the minds of some people, to the objectives we were trying to achieve. † Robert McNamara This comment by McNamara resonated through out the film. I knew that there was some bombing in Japan but not to this extent.Morris puts forth one of the most powerful uses of imagery to captivate the audience and bring these death tolls to a whole other level. McNamara resentfully cites a series of Japanese cities that were partially or largely destroyed and matches them to American cities of comparable size, and asks us to imagine those U. S. communities similarly ravaged. It's a strong point, graphically supported by Morris on screen by flashing names and statistics at accelerating speed. â€Å"In that single night, we burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo: men, women, and children. McNamara. Through this outrages example, I believe Morris was alluding to the large deployment of troops launched to fight small forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having twenty-five thousand troops fighting insurgent forces made up of small groups of guerrilla factions can be scene in some eyes as excessive and ill proportioned.LESSON #6: GET THE DATA and LESSON #7: BELIEF AND SEEING ARE BOTH OFTEN WRONG. â€Å"At one point, the commander of the ship said, ‘We're not certain of the attack. At another point they said, ‘Yes, we're absolutely positive. ‘ And then finally late in the day, Admiral Sharp said, ‘Yes, we're certain it happened. ‘ So I reported this to Johnson, and as a result there were bombing attacks on targets in North Vietnam. † McNamara The important fact from McNamara is that the escalation of the Vietnam War started based on a misinformed from a single crew thinking they had been torpedoed. This seemed to be a decent excuse to start bombing runs, mobilize troops and deploy them in to South East Asia.The parallels between these chain of events leading to the Vietnam War and the actions taken by the US government in launching campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq are very similar. While the terrorist attacks on 9/11 were a violent catalyst to the conflict in Afghanistan, it was an isolated attack by a handful of terrorist. The US turned 9/11 into a raid on Afghanistan harboring factions of these terrorists, eventually overturning the government in power. Another similar lesson in which McNamara states we should â€Å"Get the data,† can be strongly related to the US government’s poor excuse to invade Iraq.The speculation that Iraq was in the process of making or in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was largely fabricated o rdeal backed by speculation and no quantifiable evidence. Since 2003, the US has still not found WMDs and have quickly skirted this issue under the rug while they change their war song as an action of freedom against tyrannical Iraqi government. LESSON #8: BE PREPARED TO REEXAMINE YOUR REASONING. ?†Were those who issued the approval to use Agent Orange: criminals? Were they committing a crime against humanity?Let's look at the law. Now what kind of law do we have that says these chemicals are acceptable for use in war and these chemicals are not. We don't have clear definitions of that kind. I never in the world would have authorized an illegal action. I'm not really sure I authorized Agent Orange. I don't remember it but it certainly occurred, the use of it occurred while I was Secretary. † Another one of McNamara’s strong comments that relate to that there is a consequence to every action we take and that we must live with that consequence.His job was tough, and he had to make some critical decisions for the ware fare of millions in which he, â€Å"Never had hindsight in making decisions at the time. † This, I believe, was Morris’ big punch in the mouth to the powers of the George W. Bush administration and their actions surrounding the invasion of Iraq. Now, at the time of release of this documentary the Iraq war was still in the infant stages of development- Morris had no clue how the war would turn out but left us with a strong statement that someone would have to be accountable for starting an unjust war.I was once told in a high school history class that, â€Å"History is written by the victors. † McNamara sums this quote up with a brilliant look back into some of his actions during World War II â€Å"[General Curtis] LeMay said if we had lost the war, we would have been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he's right . . .. What makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win? † Morris alludes through this lesson that someone will have to answer to these actions and wash the blood off their hands. Can we learn from history? Are we fated to repeat the mistakes that we've made in the past, again and again?Or can we learn from history and from the past? These are some serious questions I believe Morris forces us to ask ourselves. I believe that Morris was trying to bring up similarities of the past rather than actually relating the Vietnam War specifically to the Iraqi War, showing us that we are still treading upon our past mistakes. If we don’t learn from history and the events that pass we will be doomed to repeat history, over and over again. â€Å"Don’t make the same mistake twice†¦one mistake can destroy a nation. † Robert Strange McNamara

Like Water for Chocolate: A Summary Essay

Revolutions throughout time have established change of traditions as the normal occurrence throughout our history. Revolutions in households ca also occur when traditions that are contrary to one’s desire interfere with the values of another. In the novel Like Water for Chocolate, a revolution develops between mother and daughter, Mama Elena and Tita. It is the family traditions, Mama Elena’s lack of understanding of Tita and Tita’s will to break free that sparks the revolution between them. Family traditions play an important role in the cause of Tita’s rebellion against her mother. Tradition states that the youngest daughter (in this case Tita) must not marry, but must take care of their mother until she dies. Tita struggles against her mother’s tradition to â€Å"serve† her until the day she dies, without having a life of her own. Tita did as her mother told even when it made her unhappy. Tita felt smothered by her overbearing mother. Se wanted something more out of life then just taking care of her mother, which is whys he was constantly defying family traditions. An example would be when Tita’s sister Rosaura was unable to feed her son Roberto. Tita however was able to feed him despite not being his mother, defying standards being a mother should feed her own son. Tita was constantly trying to be her own person to make something out of herself that had nothing to do with her mother. When Tita left after Roberto’s death, she wanted nothing to do with her mother, but despite her efforts when she found out that her mother had become paralyzed she soon returned home to help her and take care of her. Tita desperately fights for her freedom and love, while Mama Elena stands as a prime opposition that prevents her from living her dream.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is a passenger airline based out of Dallas, Texas that provides air transpiration throughout the United States. Southwest is currently the 6th largest U. S. airline based on revenue. It currently has more than 3,100 flights in 73 cities, making it the largest U. S. carrier passenger airline. They provide good options, such as early check-in, hotel packages, car rental, and free luggage up to two bags, which are one of their techniques to provide bad news to the customers. Summary: Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier in the United States and they get the high satisfaction ratings of the country’s best customer service providers from business week’s ranking. The reason why they can do so is that they contain good policies for the customers. For example, a case in St. Louis, an ice storm had stocked the plane for several hours. The flight attendants and pilots walked through the plane like usual, trying to answer questions that customers had and they provided the information for the passengers about connecting flights. Passengers who were on the flight were surprised by the letter they got after few days. They got a free round-trip flight. Fred Taylor is a senior manager of proactive customer communications who has a daily meeting with his department to talk about the problems that may happen and develop the methods to minimize them. For example, Southwest Airlines use twitter to send the information and official announcements for their customers. If passengers know more about the policies, it helps them a lot. The other part of Fred Taylor’s job is to deliver bad news and responding to customer’s complaint. According to the article (2011), Fred Taylor says that â€Å"it’s not something we had to do. It is something we feel our customers deserve. † He writes about 20,000 apology letters to passengers in a year. The letters have his direct phone number and many of them include a free flight voucher. The motto of Southwest Airlines is â€Å"share the spirit† and they do what they say. Course concepts: Bad News disappoints, Irritates, and sometimes angers the receiver, such messages must be written carefully. The Bad feelings associated with disappointing news can generally be reduced if the receiver: A) Knows the reason for the rejection. B) Feels that the news was delivered sensitively C) Believes that the matter was treated seriously and fairly While many people may claim to prefer directly delivered bad news, the source cannot be said in a particular situation. For example, if those people are directly responsible for the situation resulting in the bad news, they may not be so found of hearing it directly. Or if the bad news is personally serious and damaging, they may prefer a buffer Again this comes to the first phase of the writing process: assessing and analyzing both the situation and audience. Once this is done, it will be clear whether to deliver bad news directly and indirectly. Using the indirect strategy is a smart way to lessen the blame and the importance of negative news. However, there are still possibilities of negative ramifications. If, for example the sender takes too long to finally deliver the main point the recipient can be aggravated. The key to delivering news effectively knows the audience. For example, some people prefer direct communication for the good news and the bad, while others prefer indirect and good communication skills. In dealing with delivering bad news, the 3*3 writing process still maintains its purpose and assistance. In the prewriting phase of the writing process (phase1) the aspects include 3 As: analysis, anticipation, and adaptation. In completing this phase, the writer determines that a negative message must be sent how the news will be received, and how to appropriately draft that message. Third, aspect(Adaptation) that the choice between direct and indirect messages comes to play. Even though it may seem impossible to make the receiver happy when delivering negative news, it is possible to reduce bad feelings and resentment by the use of a buffer, a buffer is a device used to reduce shock or pain. The following are various buffer possibilities A) Start with the part of the message that represents the best news. B) Show that the reader is important and cared. C) Provide objective information that introduces the bad news. The most important aspects of delivering negative messages are explaining the reasons and how to increase the benefits. In developing audience benefits and building goodwill, we should increase new value and better features, make it more efficient or make customers’ lives easier. Southwest got high performance from USA airlines services. When flight was delayed, Southwest Airlines will inform their customer directly by appropriate ways. Moreover, Southwest Airlines will give promo code discount or free one-way tickets when any flight was cancelled. Therefore, customers feel happy and satisfied even when they face the problem because they have another thing to compensate such as give cards, cash back, VIP cards, and so on. Moreover, Southwest Airlines will offer more options that make each customer more convenient. When customers reserve the tickets and then they have a late flight. Southwest Airlines provides the option that customers can fly early if another flight is available. â€Å"Customers will hear an announcement in the gate area and will be able to purchase an available [early] boarding position via credit card from a customer service agent,† Furthermore, this option is useful because Southwest Airlines got positive feedback back from the customers. From my real experience, I am one of the loyal customers who traveled with Southwest Airlines. In addition, this Airlines always has a good deal when I would like to travel somewhere in the United States. So, Southwest Airlines is the best choice for me not only they offered cheap tickets, but also provided free two luggage promotion. The last time I chose Southwest Airlines, my flight was delayed because of bad weather. Unfortunately, I also missed the next flight that I actually had to transfer to. Nevertheless, Southwest Airlines tried to find another flight for me. Furthermore, Southwest Airlines paid me for the hotel, meals, and cash back during I was in New York. According to this experience, I always choose Southwest Airlines no matter how expensive I have to spend. In conclusion, Southwest Airlines knows how to respond and handle unpredictable problems, and inform its customers directly with proper ways. From the above reasons, Southwest Airlines is one of the successful airlines company in the US.