Bangladesh capital market

It has two full-fledged automated stock exchanges namely Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) and an over-the counter exchange operated by SEC. It also consists of a dedicated regulator, the Securltles and Exchange Commission (SEC), since, it implements rules and regulations, monitors their implications to operate and develop the capital market. It consists of Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL), the only Central Depository In Bangladesh that provides facilities for the settlement of transactions of dematerialized securities In CSE and DSE.Dhaka Stock Exchange was set up on 28th April, 1954 that started formal trading on early 1956. Post-independence government did not promote a capital market during the first five years, and it was activated again in 1976 with 9 issues on board. In 1995, a second bourse, the Chittagong Stock Exchange, was set up with sophisticated loglstlc support and modern management. Two stock exchanges exist in Bangladesh Dhaka stock Exchange (DSE) Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) One Investor must know about these markets before he/she goes for an Investment.To make this report more understandable and specific, we will only focus on Dhaka tock market. â€Å"The stock market is an important ingredient of the financial system in Bangladesh. It is an important avenue for channeling funds to investors through mobilizing resources from individuals. In view of the rapidly Increasing role of the stock market, volatility In stock prices can have significant Implications on the performance of the financial sector as well as the entire economy. There exists important link between stock market uncertainty and public confidence in the financial market.The policy makers usually rely on the market estimate of volatility as he barometer of the vulnerablllty of the stock market. Stock return volatility represents the variability of day-to-day stock price changes over a period of time, which is taken as a measure of risk by the relevant agents. High volatility, unaccompanied by any change in the real situation, may lead to a general erosion of Investors' confidence In the market and redirect the flow of capital away from the stock market.Excessive volatility also reduces the usefulness of stock price as a reflector of the real worth of the firm. Volatility, however, is not an evidence of rrational market behavior or inefficient markets. Stock return volatility is usually asymmetric in its response to past negative price shocks compared with the positive shocks, but what factors drive volatlllty over time Is not clear. Moreover, Increase In firm-specific risk appears to adversely affect its stock valuation.This note analyzes 2003-2007 and draws some policy implications. † Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) â€Å"Dhaka Stock Exchange (Generally known as DSE) is the main stock exchange of Bangladesh. It is located in MotiJheel at the heart of the Dhaka city. It was incorporated in 1954. Dhaka stock exc hange is the first stock exchange of the country. As of 9 December 2009, the Dhaka Stock Exchange had 671 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $34. 2 billion. Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) is a public limited company.

How Communication And Culture Are Related Essay

Communication has been one of the most powerful tools that humans species have develop trough thousands of years and that we still have. There are many types of communication like body language, eye contact, sign language, paralanguage, haptic language, and chromic, also media like pictures, graphics, sounds and writing. Culture emerged in the XII and XIX century in Europe. The word culture means cultivation or improvement, how the human species act, thinks and how it interact with the environment, thanks to the communication people have changed their way they act. For this reason is why is important to know how communication and culture are related, and how they are important for each other. Good communication is very important. It can help someone to understand what others are saying. Communication is important and can be positive if is handled well. But at the same time it can be hurtful, depending on how it is done and the words that are used. Communication is where culture was improved, because with communication provide information to a group of people, and that specific group of people will react and determine how they will use the information. Arts, traditions, and rituals are some examples of culture, these types of culture have being used trough thousands of years, they have communicate with gods, civilizations, animals. So in a way communications have being a very important role in the culture, and how it has been develop trough this years. The main reason why humans behave the way they behave is that we have developed communication to the point that we behave more reasonable, we can expose ideas, thoughts, and we can give an opinion for it. We use communicatio n now a days for everything, without it would be very difficult or impossible to live in a society that have express everything we think, and have an opinion of it. In conclusion, thanks to communication, culture within the human behavior, people have developed a rational thinking; this makes a better how people relate with other. Communication has played a very important role in the  culture in human species. Communication have being part of our life and our behavior cense the first humans apparition, we use it all the time to interact with people, and that’s why we, humans behave the way we behave.

Genre Conversation Essay

Although genre is commonly regarded as a tool for conventional assortment, it is necessary to recognize that a genre is not defined by its formal features, but by its situational factors. The contextual identification of a genre is highlighted by Carolyn Miller, who describes genres as the â€Å"typified rhetorical ways of acting in recurring situations† (qtd. in Bawarshi 7). The word â€Å"situation† is crucial in her definition because writing results from situational demands. Such situational nature of writing is emphasized by many scholars including Amy Devitt, Anis Bawarshi, and Stanley Fish. Synthesizing the works of these authors, we can derive that genre unites writing and context. Thus instead of focusing on formal features, a genre should be acknowledged as a publicly established form identified by its contextual features, in which writers and readers are socially connected. Since genre is socially defined, it can only function when there is a rhetorical situation that calls for a response. Returning to Miller’s definition, genres are responses to recurring situations. Because similar situations trigger similar rhetorical responses, these responses develop into a default ways of answering a particular type of situation (Bitzer 13). Nonetheless, not all situations stimulate responses; only situations in which one or more exigences exit trigger production. According to Lloyd Bitzer, an exigence is an â€Å"imperfection marked by urgency† (6). Writers are only motivated to write due to the presence of such imperfection. Since a rhetorical writing is invented to address an exigence, the purpose of such writing is therefore to modify the situation and so to alleviate the presented problem. Such contextual dependency of writing is highlighted when Bawarshi connects writer’s purpose and situation, indicating that writing â€Å"begins and takes place within the social and rhetorical conditions constituted by genres† (11). In other words, genres situate and motivate writers to write for a practical reason. For example, an advertisement article serves to encourage purchasing when a company tries to sell a product, while a science report serves to communicate lab results when researchers wish to publish their findings. In short, genres are responses to situations, thus what classifies a text into a genre is primarily the pragmatic purpose of the text in relation to the given situation. Furthermore, situations does not merely create genres, they also shape genres. Consider the rhetorical situation in which a letter is written: there are some physical distances between the writer and receiver, there is a close relationship between the writer and receiver, there is something the writer wants to communicate†¦Given such situation, there are many constraints that dictate the formal features of writing. These constraints give a genre its formal features. Thus genre simplifies the formal decisions writers need to make by â€Å"organiz[ing] the conditions of production as well as generat[ing] the rhetorical articulation of these conditions† (Bawarshi 9). With genre, writers are provided with writing frameworks that allow them to echo the demands of the given situation. Again, these writing frameworks are â€Å"rhetorical forms† that â€Å"comes to have a power of [their] own† as they are primarily responses to recurring situations (Bitzer 13). This implies that genres are shaped by situational specificity, thus particular social demands give birth to particular genres as different situations emphasize different values. Therefore â€Å"keep[ing] form and generic contexts united† is essential for a genre to work and hence for us to communicate as genres are shaped by contexts (Devitt 200). Although situation suggests appropriate forms to allow effective communication, it is crucial to acknowledge that formal features do not define genres. Formal feature can vary significantly within a genre, and such â€Å"inherent variation within all genres† is â€Å"essential to keeping genres alive and functioning† (Devitt 212). For instance, an advertisement can attract customers with striking pictures, yet it can also sell a product using persuasive statistics. No matter what formal features a text possesses, that text belongs to the advertisement genre as long as it is written to encourage consumption. This example illustrates that although context writing set constraints to promote appropriate formal features, yet the writer’s purpose is what ultimately defines a genre. Apart from contextualizing writing, genre socially connects writers and readers. On the conveying side, writers participate in discourse communities, which are â€Å"social and rhetorical environment[s] within which cognitive habits, goals, assumptions, and values are shared by participants† (Bawarshi 5). Writers in the same discourse community tend to employ same or similar genres. This is because the social contexts they write in, as well as the ideologies they wish to convey, are both shared within the community. Therefore, if a writer chooses to communicate with a genre commonly used by a discourse community, that writer will be identified as a member of community. What is the significance of discussing discourse communities? This answer relates back to the situational nature of writing – the concept of discourse community highlights the social purposes of genre by â€Å"locate[ing] a writer’s motives to act within typified rhetorical and social conditions† (Bawarshi 11). Members of different discourse communities tend to express using different strategies because they write for difference purposes and respond to different situations. Thus â€Å"writers will use different language in different genres† to properly address the presented exigence (Devitt 213). All in all, genre socially connects writers by situating them in discourse communities within which participants are motivated to produce by the same type of situation. Writers are not the only ones involved in the social context of writing, a text is given meaning by its readers as it means whatever the readers interpret it to mean. This suggests that a genre is identified as that genre when the readers perceive so. Fish describes interpretation as â€Å"the art of construction† (361); instead of finding what is in a text, readers create what is in the text through interpretation. These interpretations are shared â€Å"social and cultural patterns of thought† that result from experiences of acting within the social environment (Fish 364). Therefore, genres are â€Å"embedded within their social and cultural ideologies† so that they trigger appropriate interpretations (Devitt 191). Genre’s situational embedment underscores that writing is â€Å"dynamic, changing over time as the assumptions, values, and practices of writers and readers change† (Rounsaville 70) because the â€Å"social and rhetorical conditions are constantly being reproduced and transformed† as writers and readers act within them (Bawarshi 9). In sum, writing changes because context change. Hence, writing is a  social action defined and shaped by the social conditions that guide production and interpretation. Socially shared ideologies give birth to textual conventions, which are â€Å"agreements between writers and readers about how to construct and interpret texts† (Rounsaville 69). Genres associate writers and readers by suggesting textual conventions. Because these conventions are shared agreements between writers and readers, they enable writers to construct writing in a manner that directs readers’ interpretation so the text conveys its intended message. Therefore, successful communication results when writers follow text conventions when inventing and readers use these same conventions when reading. In conclusion, genre is constituted by social conditions in which writers and readers act within. Such situational dependency of writing is reflected in the works of the three authors referenced above. Amy Devitt’s text underscores the importance of understanding genre through its rhetorical purpose instead of through its form. She opposes the use of writing models, arguing that although learning formal features is an easier approach, yet the understanding of how genre actually functions is more practical when writers encounter new situations in specific disciplines. Similarly, Bawarshi relates text and context by defining writing as a social action. He reveals that inventions always depart from preceding productions, hence highlighting the importance of applying previously established forms to answer situational demands. Lastly, Fish’s chapter underlines the necessity of responding to an audience. After all, writing is a form of communication that involves not just the writer but also the reader, therefore writers should always be aware of how their readers might interpret their invention. In sum, the main take away point from these authors’ works is that effective writings are those that echo situational conditions. Works Cited Bawarshi. Anis. Genre and the Invention of the Writer: Reconsidering the Place of Invention in Composition. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2004. Devitt, Amy â€Å"A Proposal for Teaching Genre Awareness and Antecedent Genres. † Writing Genres. Carbondale: Southern Illinoise University Press, 2004. Ede, Lisa. â€Å"Writing for Rhetorical Situations†. Rounsaville, Angela, et al. , eds, Situated Inquiry. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. Fish, Stanley E. â€Å"How to Recognize a Poem When You See One†. Rounsaville, Angela, et al. , eds, Situated Inquiry. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

Subsea construction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Subsea construction - Research Paper Example For instance it is genuinely correct to use the word ‘submarine’ or ‘undersea’ but it is not right to say ‘undermarine’ or ‘subsea’ (Palmer, 2008). The services of Subsea Construction include Offshore Services, Vessels, and Shoreboard Services. In gas fields and deepwater oil all over the world, this subsea construction provides work proposals for laying pipes, and also manifold tiebacks and subsea tree and also various others particularly applications of subsea. Fast speeds of transit and huge range of pipeline capabilities which worked for ten thousand feet is also an advantage of flexible construction of subsea fleet. Many experienced engineers are known with leading technology of the technology are an important part of many world-renowned class projects in the frontiers of deep water. The underwater vessels improve economics, execution, and safety (Palmer, 2008). These capacities include enhanced effective operation of tiny-diameter of pipelines, flexible risers, umbilicals, and flowlines. Furthermore, huge diameter pipes are laid out in the bottom of the sea having a six to thirty inch OD; also a S-laid pipe is installed with a radius of seventy to three hundred radius. Six hundred metric ton equipment is consumed to a depth of ten thousand feet. Also a muti-service with an open deck is bolstered with four thousand metric tons of variable load available and the transit speeds provided are as high as fourteen knots (Robinson, 1996). The offshore wind power is an important constituent of Subsea Construction. The infrastructure of transmission of power makes use of many technologies of subsea construction for the maintenance and installation of transmission cables of submarine power and many other equipments of electrical energy. Also, there are monopole basis of fixed bottoms of wind turbines and fastening the cable structures of these hanging wind turbines as they are examined on a regular basis using diversity of

Diversity in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Furthermore, the analysis will consider the classes that are â€Å"at risk† within society; alongside a discussion of why. Additionally, the paper will analyze typical community perceptions of law enforcement; with a discussion of what classes are most likely to engage law enforcement and why. Lastly, the analysis will reference factors of recidivism, poverty, alienation, and collective efficacy (Yamatani & Spjeldnes, 2011). Through such an analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader can gain a more informed understanding concerning the importance and relevance of considerations of diversity in criminal justice theory and application. Firstly, the concept of an individual being a product of their environment is drawn from the sociological influences that an individual faces within a unique spatial or cultural setting. Within such an understanding, those individuals that are exposed to especially difficult situations, whether this be poverty or high crime rates, will likely gravitate towards these as an understanding of the way in which life is supposed to be defined. By comparison and contrast, an individual that is from a more affluent environment will generally seek to further this experience within their own lives; seeing it as an acceptable status quo; in an almost identical way to the manner through which those that grow up within a poorer or more crime ridden environment will gradually accept this as a reasonable expectation for how life should be defined. Further, an individual that lives within an urban environment is much more likely to be experience extreme levels of poverty. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that almost all forms of government housing have been constructed near the urban centers; as a means of encouraging these individuals to find jobs and better themselves through immediate access to the city’s center;

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The entire process of investigating demand and supply patterns of given product in a given business environment, and establishment of businesses to address the potential and existing demand entails the process of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship refers to the act of collecting and incorporating business ideas aimed at achieving purposeful and unique innovation in the production of a given product or service (Carsrud and Malin 7). Innovation in the context of entrepreneurship may result in various advantages such as introducing new or improved product in the market, new production techniques, and identification of newer markets for a product or service as well as identifying new source of supply of raw materials. It is imperative to understand that entrepreneurship is not only about starting of new business organization, but can also involve ideas to improve the state and performance of an existing organization. Importance of Entrepreneurship to America Entrepreneurship is a powerfu l tool for economic growth in any country. It is because of entrepreneurship and presence of globally acclaimed entrepreneurs that the American nation tops the list of world’s best performing economies. ... Since entrepreneurship involves creation and introduction of new ideas, it has helped the development of research and innovation in the American economy. About two out of three innovations in America are as result of entrepreneurship. These innovations have eased production processes while improving the quality of products, accomplishments that have collectively spurred the growth rate of the American economy (Bordogna 13). Since entrepreneurship entails creation of new opportunities, it has empowered and facilitated the development and growth of national wealth (Miller). Income earned by entrepreneurs and their employees has expanded public expenditure as people purchase raw materials and finished products of entrepreneurship, encouraging national production. Bordogna adds that entrepreneurship has helped in providing self sufficiency to the American populace as people can afford and easily find what they need for their consumption (13). Self –sufficiency in the American econ omy also relates to increased local production of goods and services that ensure cheap and affordable prices for goods and services. Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs are individuals with the brains bearing or capacity to exhibit entrepreneurial skills. Entrepreneurs identify business opportunities, gather and collect ideas that they use to establish businesses or improve state of particular firm. For entrepreneurs to emerge successful in implementing their ideas, they have to exhibit or posses particular characteristics. Unique ambition is one of the defining characteristics required of an entrepreneur. Ambition helps entrepreneurs to face the potential competition in the given industry with aims on achieving the desired goals (Gitman and Carl 14). Entrepreneurs are

Death of a Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death of a Salesman - Essay Example After this paper, we will understand the goal of Miller to depict his charges to the country to be true and blatant. Background Death of a Salesman is a powerful drama that prosecutes the fundamental American values, in relation to the American Dream of material success. It may seem a little tame today due to constant individual self-analysis and critiques but it was relatively radical in its setting. America faced irreconcilable and insightful domestic tensions after the World War II. Although the war had apparently created an extraordinary sense of prosperity and security the American people, they became progressively caught in an apprehensive cold war with the Soviets. The spread of myths about a peaceful, regular and repulsively elated American life was strengthened by America’s relentless anxiety of the concept of Communism. America in general was not able afford social conformity and that the philosophical and cultural custom – booming and Last Name 3 prosperous l iving – championed. A Tragic Hero Major part of the play is told from the viewpoint of Willy, the protagonist in the story. The background of the protagonist life is shown in the analepsis – showing scenes in the present time with some characters on the stage and conversations only Willy knows about. His habit of talking to himself, pretending to have a conversation with his older son, Biff, concerns his younger son, Happy. In the opening of Act I, it is shown that Willy contradicts has a tendency of contradicting himself. He states that his son, Biff, is unsteady and very lazy but afterwards declares that Biff is anything but lazy. In these scenes, it gives the viewers a hint that Willy is his own paradox, which could have been caused by his aspirations in life and to his sons, particularly Biff. He is torn between achieving the American Dream of material success and his love for his sons, which is further explained in the story in the succeeding Acts. In so many ways , Willy has tried with his utmost might to achieve the American Dream. He acquires a home and a range of then-luxurious appliances. He raises his family and sails forth to into the business world with ambitions in exuberance. However, he has failed to achieve the fruits of the American Dream and passes the dream to his sons. Apparently, only Happy is the one fulfilling the so-called â€Å"Dream†. Biff tries so hard to buy the concept his father sells but it seems that he can only try so hard. He hops from one job to another, making him not able to steadily keep a 9-5 job. As a result, he ends up toiling lands and ranches, working with his bare hands to make a living, which for his father, is too far from what he has grasped from America’s sales pitch of the â€Å"American Dream.† In the play, this is beautifully portrayed through its structure – stream of consciousness. Willy Last Name 4 moves from one place to another in his house, with flashbacks of his past, and fantasizes conversations with different characters in the story. If the scene is in the present, the characters enter the room through the door in the left, abiding by the rules of the set. However, when the scene is about Willy’s visit of his past or his dreams, all of these rules don’t exist. Characters pass through the walls, making a dreamy atmosphere on the stage. This shows that the mental state of Willy deteriorates and his past and present moves in parallel to each

Plato Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plato - Assignment Example Plato’s thoughts and theories have been used to teach many subjects, from religion to mathematics. Plato’s dialogues, in which he addressed almost all controversial philosophical topics of his time, have become the bread and butter of modern philosophers. The dialogues contain critical and thought-provoking analyses of intricate subjects, some of which were considered â€Å"untouchable† at the time. However, the application of the dialogues is not restricted to philosophy (Pojman and Vaughn 34). Any normal person can use the thoughts they contain to develop or enhance critical thinking skills and to gain a clear perspective of life. For instance, the Apology, the Symposium, the Cratylus, and the Phaedrus can be used to improve students’ critical thinking capacities and encourage them to consider philosophy as a crucial aspect of life. Plato’s teachings embody the triumphs of the human race in trying to harness the power of the mind (Pojman and Vaughn 26). They also represent the endless possibilities and capacities of human intellect, and encourage us to question and debate everything around

Chose an ecosystem, analyze the impact of human activity on the Essay

Chose an ecosystem, analyze the impact of human activity on the ecosystem, and provides guidelines to help preserve your chosen - Essay Example Saving these rainforest ecosystems and rehabilitating forest lands is critical to ensure clean air and a healthy environment for all. Tropical Rainforest Ecosystems An ecosystem is a community of living organisms, as well as the non living components in their environment, on whom they depend for their needs. Nutrients and energy that are obtained from the environment are used so as to maintain an ecosystem. An ecosystem consists of various species and each of them has a relationship with other species that cohabit the ecosystem. Ecosystems are of various types and are determined by the prevailing climatic conditions which in turn define the vegetation and the variety of life forms found there. Examples of ecosystems are rainforests, grasslands, deserts, and water ecosystems like marine or freshwater ecosystems. Ecosystems can be divided into their biotic or living components like primary producers that are green plants, herbivores, carnivores etc; and the abiotic or non living compon ents like sunlight, temperature, moisture and so on. ... The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia is the largest rainforest in the world. It is sometimes referred to as the lungs of the planet, due to its capacity to recycle large quantities of carbon dioxide into oxygen. Situated in South America, the Amazon rainforest covers more than half of Brazil and is the drainage basin for the Amazon river and its tributaries. Its proximity to the equator ensures plenty of heat and sunlight, which in turn generates rain that provides the moisture. High temperatures, and abundant rainfall throughout the year, results in a climate that is warm and humid. These are ideal conditions for the growth of all types of vegetation including a wide variety of trees, plants shrubs and other vegetation, which attracts innumerable birds, insects and animals. Hence rainforests are rich in their biological diversity and home to myriads of animal, bird and insect species. Biodiversity is important to the environment because it increases productivity in an ecosy stem, where every species, no matter how tiny, contributes to the health and well being of the ecosystem. As Ban Ki Moon (2010) rightly points out â€Å"Biodiversity underpins the functioning of the ecosystems on which we depend for food and fresh water, health and recreation, and protection from natural disasters.† (Ban Ki Moon, 2010) The Amazon rainforest consists of four layers, the emergent layer, the canopy, the shrub layer and the forest floor. The emergent layer consists of the tallest trees, some that are over 50 meters in height. The leaves of these trees are smooth and waxy and taper to what is known as a drip tip to allow water to drip off it to the layer below. The canopy is below the emergent layer and is a sea of leaves. Since the tallest trees and the canopy of

Platos Lysis with Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics Essay

Platos Lysis with Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics - Essay Example Lysis is Plato’s dialogues discussing the nature of friendship whereas Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics also discusses the nature and concept of friendship and its importance in the lives of human beings. Plato and Aristotle are the Greek philosophers that have covered several important subjects in their writings. They contradict as well as support each others’ view point on certain matters however, the conception of friendship is perceived differently by these philosophers and they provide the understanding of the nature of friendship.The Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics has been regarded as Aristotle’s best work on friendship and ethics. It is the most important philosophical work that drew significant impacts upon the European middle age societies because the medieval philosophy was widely based upon the concepts presented in Nicomachean Ethics. The conception of friendship presented by Aristotle basically depicts his thinking about the nature of fri endship and why people need friends in their lives (Crisp, p76). He believes that there is no person that would like to live a friend less life because being a social animal man always like situations and circumstances where he has a friend. Plato Lysis also talks about the importance of friendship but he has not much focused upon the importance and role of friendship in the lives of people from social and emotional perspective (Cooper, p290). The dynamics of friendship are also explored by Plato in one of his most engaging puzzling dialogues Lysis. These dialogues are rich mixtures of stable arguments, theories and literature in which Plato presented his views regarding friendship. Plato discusses the nature of friendship in these dialogues using the main characters of Socrates and two boys and friends Lysis and Menexunun. Another character of the dialogue was Hipplothales who had unrequited love with Lysis. In Lysis, Plato explained the conception of friendship in detail and depth and says that true friendship is based upon four basic conditions. At first, friendship could develop between the people that are similar and good man. Secondly, friendship occurs between dissimilar people. Thirdly, people who are neither good nor bad could also become friend and fourthly the relatives develop gradual friendship with each others because it is in the nature of the human beings to become friend of others (Annas, p532). The Lysis are often being regarded as philosophical failure because several arguments depicted in the dialogues are not convincing and due to these bad dialogues it has been regarded as a philosophical failure. It is found that Lysis fails to provide satisfying answers to certain important questions associated with the nature of the friendship. It is often been argues that Lysis actually didn’t answer the question that what friendship is. It shows dialogues between Socrates, Lysis and menexenus arguing about the friendship where Socrates asked Lysis and Menexunun that when a person loves another who is friend the lover

Studies in English Literature Essay Example for Free

Studies in English Literature Essay Henry V, positioned during the critical move from the Theatre to the Globe, can serve as a case study for this kind of economic close reading. It tells a story of continual repositioning, good and bad decisions, business errors, and the workings of a company that was trying to succeed financially but was far from assured of success. From 1598 through 1599, the Chamberlains Men dealt with a series of difficulties. One of these difficulties was related to politics: the companys choice of Henry V as a topic, assuming that it would be topical and popular, and the subsequent return of the earl of Essex in defeat. But most of the companys problems were internal and economic. [3] The search for a theatrical home took up most of the companys energy, through the Blackfriars financial fiasco, in the bitter battles with Giles Allen over their lease (which resulted in pulling down the Theatre), and through their commissioning of Peter Street to build a new theater in Southwark, the Globe. Another major blow was the departure of William Kempe from the company. Henry V shows the strains of making a series of accommodations to fit financial and internal crises: casting changes, location changes, and changes in topical references. These accommodations can be seen in the prologues, in the accommodations to the casting, in the break from 2 Henry IV, and finally, quite possibly, in the Bad Quarto text of 1600. In 1597, James Burbage died, leaving his sons capital invested in the Blackfriars Theater. He had bought the Blackfriars on 4 February 1595/96. [4] His plans to move the company there had been frustrated by the petition of the inhabitants, including the companys own patron, Lord Hunsdon: [W]hereas one Burbage hath lately bought certaine roomes in the same precinct neere adjoyning unto the dwelling houses of the right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord of Hunsdon, which romes the said Burbage is now altering and meaneth very shortly to convert and turne the same into a comon playhouse, which will grow to be a very great annoyance and trouble [ldots] both by reason of the great resort and gathering togeather of all manner of vagrant and lewde persons that, under cullor of resorting to the playes, will come thither and worke all manner of mischeefe, and allso to the great pestring and filling up of the same precinct, yf it should please God to send any visitation of sicknesse as heretofore hath been [ldots] and besydes, that the same playhouse is so neere the Church that the noyse of the drummes and trumpetts will greatly disturbe and hinder both the ministers and parishioners in tyme of devine service and sermons [ldots] there hath not at any tyme heretofore been used any comon playh ouse within the same precinct, but that now all players being banished [ldots] from playing within the Cittie by reason of the great inconveniences and ill rule that followeth them, they now thincke to plant them selves in liberties. [5] The petitioners object to the increased traffic, the noise, the nature of the audience (vagrant and lewde persons), and to the possibility of the plague. Perhaps most significant is their statement that the players are banished from the city and now thincke to plant them selves in liberties. It has often been assumed that the freedom sought by the playing companies was primarily political and that the companies were marginalized. [6] Steven Rappaport points out, however, that the liberties were economically attractive to those who wished to avoid city regulation in order to make more money. [7] The liberties were, therefore, enterprise zones, and as such were equally attractive to theatrical companies seeking economic freedom. In short, the inhabitants of Blackfriars successfully blocked the move. The Chamberlains Men were losing their lease at the Theatre and had nowhere to go. Adams, John Cranford. The Globe Playhouse: Its Design and Equipment. 2nd ed. New York: Barnes Noble, 1961. The years all other theatres of its type had to be closed down, refurbished, or replaced. And until its accidental destruction in 1613 the Globe was the principal theatre, public or private, in all London, occupied exclusively by the leading theatrical company, during that companys strongest years. In short the Globe witnessed indeed it helped materially to create the golden years of Elizabethan drama. If for no other reasons this study of the Globe would be justified. But its chief object is to prepare the way for a fuller understanding of Shakespeares plays. The stage for which he wrote differed radically from our modern stage, and as a consequence his techniques and conventions were unlike those of Broadway and Hollywood. As Mr. Tyrone Guthrie observed (in The Listener of April 10, 1958): Shakespeare will always have to be butchered so long as his work has to be produced in a sort of theatre for which the plays were not written, to which they are positively ill-adapted; a sort of theatre designed for effects which are irrelevant to Shakespeares purposes, and inimical to the kind of effects he sought. If we are to comprehend his genius as not only the leading dramatist but also the leading theatre craftsman of his age, we must bring more to a study of his plays than the theatrical assumptions and techniques of today. It is important to the study of Shakespeare and his fellow dramatists to understand the design of an Elizabethan public stage and the extent to which that stage was equipped with fixed or alterable scenery, with traps, machines, and properties all helping to enlarge and sustain the scope and force of dramatic illusion. It is essential, for example, to know where the audience was placed in relation to any given unit of the multiple stage, and whether the inner stages (where such scenes as the murder of Desdemona or the blinding of Gloucester took place) were remote and dimly lighted or were in full view and well lighted. It revives some of the excitement Shakespearean.

Democracy in the uk Essay Example for Free

Democracy in the uk Essay I love reading romance tragedy books. Firstly it gives me the opportunity to identify love; how love growths, what specific element bring the personas close and attached emotionally. Furthermore it gives in-depth information about love and the aspects of love, this is interesting because love is part of everyday life and a lot of people can relate to it which makes it relatable. Secondly the readers (I) feels inclusive and as well as learn from it in order to prevent the mistakes made by the characters in  the book, or to Improve relationships which will benefits me and also it makes the story appealing and interesting. Thirdly reading a romance book is a really great to relax and escape from the day-to-day world. In addition, I paint a picture which helps me create an image in my head which almost seem like I am watching a movie this makes the book very intruding and makes me yearn to read more. There are certain types of genres that I don’t enjoy reading such as fantasies this is because it is unrealistic as it a paint an unrealistic imagine  which doesn’t make the book relatable and most often it discouraging as the readers do not feel inclusive. I would certainly prefer it if it was mixed with a different genre for example romance etc†¦ However it may suitable for people who wants to escape from the real world and have an adventurous reading. For instance children. I enjoy writing when I am depressed or confused this is because it gives me the sense of relief as I get to express my feelings, thoughts and  decision this helps me ease stress all the stress as it doesn’t became a barding so by having this relief I tend to a solution any problem I’m going through. Reading helps me to explore different thing so by this I read almost every day for example newspaper on my way to college, I have an hour 15mintes journey. Reading keep me awake and rejuvenated as I get to read about different this that’s going on in the world and celebrate gossips etc†¦ this helps me to be ready and prepared for my lessons as  my brain helps my brain stay active. I am reading novels I stopped during exams session ‘vampire beach’ and the following novel is called ‘ritual and legacy’ I am very intrude to read this book because I enjoyed reading the other novels as it meets to my expectations and the genre of the book is also about romance, supernatural and seduction which makes it very interesting as there’s different stories in the book because of the riveting, variety of themes as the reader don’t get fatigue.

Brief Of Company Of United Parcel Service Commerce Essay

Brief Of Company Of United Parcel Service Commerce Essay United Parcel Service, Inc. also known as UPS is a courier organisation which is the worlds largest package delivery service provider today. It was founded in 1907 by Jim Casey and their headquarters are based in Georgia, United States. The organisations operating activities include logistics, freight forwarding, mail packages and supply chain services. It delivers packages to more than 200 countries and domains worldwide. Reasons for selecting The organisations revenue escalated from US$36.6 billion (2004) to US$51.5 billion (2008). Therefore, they have been scaling a tremendous growth rate for several years. A comprehensive analytical study of UPS operations and its corporate strategic implications would enable me to have a firm grasp of globalisation initiatives. With an applied oriented approach, I would garner a more in-depth perspective of strategic management. Main strategic issues facing the company Regarding the integration of information technology, infrastructure and its package delivery operations. To adopt a holistic perspective in tackling information systems with implications at a National and International level. To leverage on its profit-margins by aggressive pricing to rivals and counter escalating overheads in its infrastructure and operating costs, UPS has had to axe 1800 employees. Companys contribution to the National Economy UPS achieved approximately US$38.63 billion in revenue from the U.S. market share (75%) in 2008. UPS contributed 0.36% to the United States GDP of US$14.2 trillion in 2008. The organisation holds a 61% (US$31.28 billion) market share in the U.S. domestic delivery package service. Companys contribution to the Regional Economy The organisation has achieved an award on environmental excellence for the conservation of energy and dealing with global warming issues emphasising on corporate social responsibilities. The organisation recently invested in its corporate branding by sponsoring the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 to gain a foothold in the Chinese market. Recent strategic dilemma The recent U.S. economic recession has sent fuel prices increasing therefore incurring high operating costs. Recent strategic choice The recent opening of a new air hub in Shanghai that provides the organisation with more value added capacities and greater efficiencies in developing business opportunities. UPS partnership with DHL by consenting to its rival to outsource their businesses to them generating revenue of US$1 billion annually across 10 years. Source of Information on Company http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/UPS http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile http://www.ups.com/content/sg/en/about/index.html (349 words) Executive Summary United Parcel Service, Inc is an American-based organisation that is a freight and logistics provider globally across 200 countries and domains employing approximately 426,000 employees. The courier service industry which deals with parcel deliveries is currently in the mid-maturity stage of the Industry life cycle. Critical success factors such as service reliability, efficiency and technological integration into its massive infrastructure are key aspects for a package company to achieve its successful reputation. A substantial amount of initial capital investment is essential for a courier organisation to operate its activities due to purchases and leasing fees of aircrafts, ships and vehicles. Rivalry among existing firms is high, due to a large number of competitors offering competitive low cost pricing strategies. Stakeholders such as governmental regulations and international legislative authorities in various countries have imposed stringent laws and policies in conducting its operating process and procedures. UPS attributes its success and sustainability in developing a robust technological infrastructure and consistently abiding to corporate social responsibility practices. However, the steep increased in volatile fuel prices and substantial operating costs have led to the organisations recent restructuring. The substantial allocation of the firms resources diverted into the Chinese and Indian market would elevate the brand equity and turnovers of UPS. Therefore, it could geographically expand and further capitalise future growth out of the U.S. market dependency. Although UPS needs to address its short duration challenges by monitoring its cash flow activities, it has not compromised its spending in constructing new hub expansions globally in China, America and England primarily. The firms long term perspective has also focused on rectifying issues such as the improvement of delivery services to leverage on maintaining customer loyalty initiatives. The organizations ROI was 6.04% for 2008 which demonstrates that the firm was efficient in their management effectiveness. (298 words) Industry Life Cycle Courier Service Industry Industry Output Introduction Growth Maturity Decline o Time The courier industry has played a major role to facilitate the evolution of globalisation today. This sector has achieved tremendous growth revenues from the 1960s till 2003, before entering into the early maturity stage of the industry life cycle. The industry is looking at expansion opportunities, for example, setting up of new air hubs in other countries to leverage on its international branding. Some organisations have also gone onto diversification of its resources, for example additional services like warehousing and supply chain management solutions. With the implications of global market uncertainty thats happening throughout the world, it has made an impact on slow sales growths. In addition, escalating fuel prices and high operating costs like leasing fees have resulted on a decline or flat profit margin. Currently, I believe that this industry is at its mid- maturity stage of the life cycle. This industry has also experienced peak sales and their revenue is maintained or goes up slightly yearly. Large players in this industry have experienced low cost per customer due to economies of scale, for e.g. expanding their infrastructure and delivery operations on a wider scale in order to achieve lower costs and increased in output. The courier industry has existed for more than a century ago and there are many competitors in the market but some are recently exiting from this industry. The industry targets the mass market for e.g. household consumers, corporations and government agencies whereby all these segments require package deliveries for industrial growth. Price cuts policies are used to encourage customers to switch brand to cement its consistent revenues. There is low research and development needed because the industry has stabilised and systems and policies are already in place. Moreover, firms may result to cost reductions, e.g. axing of employees to reduce expenditure. Major firms might need to consider dropping a few subsidiaries and harvest the more profitable strategies and resources in order to sustain the business. Key Factors of Success Key Success Factors Weight United Parcel Service FedEx Deutsche Post DHL Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score 1 Corporate Branding 0.02 5.00 0.10 5.00 0.10 4.50 0.09 2 Technological Integration 0.10 5.00 0.50 4.50 0.45 4.50 0.45 3 Location Accessibility 0.14 5.00 0.70 4.50 0.63 4.00 0.56 4 Service Reliability 0.20 4.00 0.80 4.50 0.90 5.00 1.00 5 Low Operating Costs 0.15 4.50 0.68 4.00 0.60 3.50 0.53 6 Skills Expertise 0.17 5.00 0.85 4.50 0.77 4.50 0.77 7 Low Pricing Policies 0.03 4.50 0.14 4.50 0.14 5.00 0.15 8 Speed Efficiency 0.19 4.00 0.76 5.00 0.95 5.00 0.95 Total Scores 1.00 4.53 4.54 4.50 Trust, commitment, speed and efficiency are the most important factors to consider in this industry. Thats because customers using the service must rest assured that their packages arrive to their desired destinations on time and accurately to the appropriate address. Firms must deliver a high level of accountability and responsibility to their customers to uphold its reputation. That is why courier insurance policies offered to customers must be affordable and deliver value to ensure firms offers quality assurances. Pilots, drivers and shipmen have to acquire the appropriate expertise to be relied upon for safe deliveries to avoid damages and losses. Training and development programmes for operating aircrafts and vehicles are essential for smooth transit of packages and to ensure an accident-free dispatch. Hub location must also be conveniently and accessibly situated so that firms can deliver a faster and more responsive delivery at lower transportation time and costs. In this way, firms will achieve just-in-time (JIT) delivery system principle for storage costs to be kept at the lowest possible level. The advancement of information management systems integration leads to efficient operations to transact or track the progress of packages for customers and a more systematic process in handling business activities. Firms must also deliver low cost operations to achieve economies of scale by expansion for e.g. bulk purchases for their raw materials like cart boxes, papers, bubble bags and envelopes to attain a lower overall unit cost reduction. In addition, firms must also strategise affordable pricing policies to entice customers to use their services. Branding and advertising is crucial for a firm to defend its market share as this leads to awareness and quality emphasis for customers to develop brand positioning perceptions of various organisations. UPS has performed well by aggressively advertising its brand for e.g. sponsorship for the recent Beijing Olympics 2008 to leverage its recognition in the flourishing Chinese market. In addition, in terms of net income, UPS is the strongest in its financial stability (US$3 billion in 2008) but has to better its reliability, speed and customer service quality compared to its competitors. Porters Five Forces Potential Entrants High Initial Capital Outlay Loyal Customer Relationships Strong Brand Recognition International Legislations Economies of Scale Other Stakeholders Governmental Intervention Environmental Laws Labour Unions Shareholders Wealth Employee Demands Community Pressure (e.g. Terrorism Threats) Rivalry among Existing Firms Large Number of Competitors Pricing Competition Service Differentiation High Exit Barriers Mergers Acquisitions Substitutes E-mail Fax Services Customer Satisfaction Complex Unreliable Technologies Important Documents Secure Facility Suppliers Aircrafts (e.g. Boeing Airbus) Leasing Contractual Fees Logistic Vehicles Cargo Ships Manufacturers Fuel Prices Increments Airport Authorities Buyers Consumer Preferences Backward Integration (e.g. Vehicles) Service Reliability On-time Deliveries Low Switching Cost Discounts Incentives Rivalry among Existing Firms: (High) Theres a high rivalry among firms to compete in low pricing for players as the industry is very saturated. Firms globally offer similar courier services, but have to innovate and offer differentiation to provide an array of services for variety at low costs. Theres a high fixed costs because firms need to purchase vehicles, aircrafts, ships and infrastructure to facilitate its delivery operations. Therefore, theres high exit barrier as players who enter the business needs to purchase or lease fixed assets and employ workers in order to conduct their activities. Threat of New Entrants: (Low) Theres high barrier on entry to new entrants as competitors are aggressively protected of their market share. Furthermore, besides a high initial investment required, established major players have already developed multiple distribution channels. In addition, customers have already committed to their preferred firms for repetitive services due to branding and reliability. Stringent trade barriers, heightened tariffs and governmental regulations to obtaining courier licensing are difficult. Overcoming these factors takes a long time. Bargaining Power of Buyers: (High) The bargaining power of buyers is high because competitors provide undifferentiated services and large commercial firms may use courier providers to transport a massive volume of deliveries. Customers are spoilt for choices as they could conveniently compare various prices firms offer. Buyers may also choose to practice backward integration, for e.g. producing their own supply chain activities and delivery vehicles. In addition, firms offer discounts for high volume freight forwarding and which focuses on high customer retention. Threat of Substitutes: (Low) It is not possible to find a substitute for freight services to deliver packages as this is the only source. However, in terms of mail deliveries, substitution such as emailing and fax pose a threat as alternatives. While these technologies weaken revenues, they wont overwrite it entirely, as customers prefer manual deliveries for a safer medium. In addition, the complexity and substantial costs for its extensive network communication systems will not be able to replace the human element of guaranteed deliveries. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: (High) The bargaining power of vehicles, ships and aircraft manufacturers is high because courier providers require large fleet of vehicles and periodic maintenance. Manufacturers still has power to exercise their preferred choice of buyers from various industries or decide to raise their fees and prices for vehicles. Furthermore, the supplier for aircrafts affects the operating costs for the companies in terms of fuel consumption. Secondly, supplier dependency on vehicles (e.g. Ford) is vital as the organisation needs an extensive medium for an effective mode of logistics distribution. Relative Power of Other Stakeholders: (High) Environmental laws and regulations are enforced in the U.S. under the environmental protection agency (EPA) act whereby the absolute compliance of legislations regarding air pollution and waste materials must be minimised to protect its green environment. Secondly, employees who join unions add pressure to the industry whereby organisations may be prone to strikes and work stoppages because of a large workforce. In addition, shareholders have added pressure for the company to reduce its operating costs by forcing to lay off employees just to maintain its share prices. Internal Factor Analysis Summary (IFAS) Internal Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Comments Strengths S1 Reputable Branding 0.10 4.80 0.48 Market Dominance S2 Broad Service Variety 0.05 4.50 0.23 Diversified Resources S3 Technology Expertise 0.10 4.70 0.47 E-commerce Competencies S4 Financial Growth 0.15 4.20 0.63 High Profit Margins Success S5 Merger Acquisition 0.08 4.00 0.32 Reduce Competitors Weaknesses W1 Low Employee Output 0.05 3.00 0.15 Low Productivity Revenue Per Employee W2 Domestic Market Dependency 0.12 3.50 0.42 High Reliance on U.S. Market W3 High Operating Costs 0.15 3.20 0.48 Increased in Fuel Prices Labour Costs W4 Poor Delivery Service 0.10 2.00 0.20 Slow Delivery Missing Parcels W5 High Reliance on Information Systems 0.10 2.50 0.25 Massive Database Information Processing Vulnerability Total Scores 1.00 3.63 Strengths: In 2008, the firm was listed in the top prong for the worlds most admired companies by the Reputation Institute. In terms of service variety, the firm offers customised denouements (e.g. UPS CampusShip) to enable employees across other countries to ship documents and parcels from any computer with internet access. UPS was the first company to allow delivery transactions online and provide technological tracking services. In 2008, UPS had an operating and net profit margin of 10.4% and 5.8% respectively, higher than its rivals. Lastly, UPS has made 52 acquisitions to date, and the most recent includes the acquiring of Korea Express (KEC) which accords UPS full authority of its partners operations. Weaknesses: In 2008, UPS revenue per personnel stood approximately at US$120,859.1 which was much lower than its rival FedEx at US$130,872.4. UPS is also highly dependent on the U.S. market for revenue and is susceptible to volatility of the economic and governmental unstable situations domestically. Thirdly, the rapid increase of fuel prices, (average fuel surcharge in 2008 on U.S air deliveries was 25.17% compared to 12.17% in 2007) has increased its operating costs forcing UPS to cut jobs at the same time heightening their packaging rates. UPS also needs to improve on its delivery service as it fairs below average compared to its rivals. In addition, the high reliance on its database information systems processing has made the firm susceptible to data omissions. External Factor Analysis Summary (EFAS) External Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Comments Opportunities O1 Geographical Expansions 0.15 4.20 0.63 Booming Chinese Market O2 Joint Ventures 0.12 4.30 0.52 Oil Gas Market O3 Online Retailing 0.08 4.00 0.32 E-commerce Trends O4 Growth in Globalisation 0.10 4.50 0.45 Import Export Sectors O5 Strategic Alliances 0.12 3.50 0.42 Booming Indian Market Threats T1 Governmental Regulations 0.06 3.90 0.23 Government Intervention T2 Labour Union Pressure 0.05 4.00 0.20 Strikes Work Stoppage T3 Foreign Currency Fluctuations 0.05 3.80 0.19 International Markets T4 Volatile Oil Prices 0.15 2.30 0.35 Increased Transport Cost T5 Terrorism Natural Disasters 0.12 1.90 0.23 Operations are Disrupted Total Scores 1.00 3.54 Opportunities: UPS formed a joint venture in Dubai to tap into growth opportunities in the oil and gas industry. The firm therefore acquired Unsped Paket Servisi San ve Ticaret A.S., in 2009. UPS has also penetrated the Chinese market by opening new air hubs in Shenzhen and Shanghai to focus on the air speed cargo sectors which is expected to grow at an average of 11.2% per year till 2020. UPS has been a main facilitator for online shopping, for e.g. Nike, Amazon.com and E-bay. The emphasis of international trade in todays world economy has impacted UPS to be a leading global courier provider. UPS has also formed strategic alliance with AFL Pte Ltd, India to leverage on the Indian market. Threats: The unions would affect UPS to provide undisrupted service to its customers if the firm does not satisfy demands of their employees. The transportation, aviation, security and environmental authorities have enforced stringent governmental laws and regulations for UPS to comply in the course of their operations to ensure systematic work ethics are practiced. In addition, currency exchange rates which fluctuate seasonally will implicate the organisations revenue. Furthermore, due to the oil embargo in 2008, it has led to the increase for oil prices. Finally, due to terrorism and natural disasters, its daily flight operations would be greatly affected. Strategic Factor Analysis Summary (SFAS) Duration I N T E R M E S D H I L O A O Strategic Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score R T N Comments T E G S1 Reputable Branding 0.12 4.80 0.58 X Market Dominance S4 Financial Growth 0.10 4.20 0.42 X X Escalated Revenues W2 Domestic Market Dependency 0.07 3.50 0.25 X X High Reliance on U.S. Market W3 High Operating Costs 0.10 3.20 0.32 X X High Fuel Prices Labour Costs O1 Geographical Expansions 0.16 4.20 0.67 X X Booming Chinese Market O2 Joint Ventures 0.15 4.30 0.65 X X Oil Gas Market T4 Volatile Oil Prices 0.12 2.30 0.28 X X High Transport Costs T5 Terrorism Natural Disasters 0.18 1.90 0.34 X Operations are Disrupted Total Scores 1.00 3.51 Short Term: UPS has to ensure that they can maintain financial stability and has done this by achieving an increase of 3.6% in revenue for 2008. UPS has to address issues on achieving yearly financial growth because it affects their annual reports and share prices. Secondly, UPS needs to address high oil prices and has cut labour costs by employing more part time contract workers to manage volume capacities on an ad hoc basis. In addition, UPS recently purchased hydraulic hybrid vehicles which emphasises on fuel reduction expenses. They have also discontinued its night sorting operations in Columbia, shutting down smaller facilities and froze management salaries. Intermediate Term: UPS and its union-Independent Pilots Association (IPA) have came up with a mutual agreement on cost reduction measures totaling up to approximately $131 million over the next 3 years. Secondly, UPS was awarded a 3 year partnership contract with the U.S. Postal Service by agreeing to transport mail nationally in U.S. cities. UPS would have to undertake an environmental scanning analysis in order to embark on geographical expansions and joint ventures. Furthermore, UPS needs to address the issue on human resource planning, demand forecasting that are useful in sales planning, production planning, capacity planning, budgeting and analysing various operating plans. Long Term: UPS has to address its branding strategy to build their reputation for public awareness. Therefore, it has done this by changing its 4th logo in 2003 to a more robust and distinctive image. UPS has also been moving out of the U.S. market by geographically expanding in China, India and the Middle East. The recent failed Nigerian terrorism plane attack has led to the U.S. authorities to impose heightened stringent checks and changing security procedures. In addition, the recent Haiti earthquake has led to disruptions in services and operations. UPS needs to address these factors which implicate the financial health of the organisation. TOWS Matrix Internal Factors (IFAS) External Factors (EFAS) WT Strategies Forward integrate a training college in-house Reduce more overnight flight operations across countries Petrol bulk discounts ST Strategies Seismic monitoring efficiencies to track down potential earthquakes Divest from unpredictable fuel market Financial stability and branding to combat rivals Threats (T) T1 Governmental Regulations T2 Labour Union Pressure T3 Foreign Currency Fluctuations T4 Volatile Oil Prices T5 Terrorism and Natural Disasters Opportunities (O) O1 Geographic Expansions O2 Joint Ventures O3 Online Retailing O4 Growth in Globalisation O5 Strategic Alliances SO Strategies Diversify by tie ups with 3M Faber-Castell Telco postal concessions (e.g. Singtel) Strategic alliance with the Chinese market to boost regional branding WO Strategies Geographically expand UPS by focusing on its resources capabilities Leveraging on E-commerce growth Joint venture with Oracle Corporation Weaknesses (W) W1 Low Employee Output W2 Domestic Market Dependency W3 High Operating Costs W4 Poor Delivery Service W5 High Reliance on Information Systems Strengths (S) S1 Reputable Branding S2 Broad Service Variety S3 Technology Expertise S4 Financial Growth S5 Merger Acquisition SO Strategies: UPS could diversify its resources and collaborate with reputable stationary companies like 3M and Faber-Castell to manufacture stationary that would embody the UPS brand. The firm could also move into a joint venture to offer postal concessions to Singtel and attain guaranteed high volume businesses in a long-termed contract. In addition, UPS could penetrate deeper into the Chinese market, by a strategic alliance with Air China Cargo Co., Limited to share valuable resources and boost its regional standing. Finally, they should advertise aggressively by sponsoring more global events to gain a higher level of presence recognition especially from the Asian market. ST Strategies: UPS could work closely with the seismic monitoring governmental department agency (USGS) for vigilant signals and warnings for earthquakes. The firm could also divest more from the fuel segment and use solar energy panels instilled into vehicles during the day to reduce fuel prices. In addition, they could invest extensively in research and development to enhance fuel efficiency alternatives for its current fleet of vehicles. Finally, the firm could utlise its reputable branding to propose to EPA in implementing harsher fines to new competitors that does not comply environmental legislations. WO Strategies: UPS could add more and deeper distribution channels into several regions to cement its efficient operations. It could also utilise its telematics expertise on other countries, to leverage on its core competencies. In addition, collaborate with Amazon.com and E-bay to acquire delivery orders on a long-termed basis. Oracle and UPS could have a joint venture to provide database management systems solutions towards its supple chain management operations. At the same time, UPS could be designated as the sole distributor for Oracles packaging and hardware components delivery interdependently. WT Strategies: UPS could invest by forward integrating a training arm subsidiary to offer aeronautical, logistics, supply chain and automotive courses to groom outstanding performing employees by bonding them and fully sponsoring their educational fees to encourage them to stay in the organisation for a long-termed basis. This would avoid labour issues, improve customer service and reduce hiring costs. UPS could also reduce significantly its overnight flights in different countries to reduce expenditure. Lastly, the firm could source for a wider range of suppliers internationally to achieve greater fuel bulk discounts. Assessment of Performance of Company Efficiency: Chinas export business has commercially grown by 10% in the export business. Shanghais air cargo hub operates at a 24/7 customs inspection capacity to deliver services from China connecting into international markets like U.S. and Europe faster. UPS also collaborated with the Shanghai customs to implement a risk management system to allow lower level of redundant packaging checks and an efficient clearance to recipients. DHL outsourcing would be an advantage for UPS as this move reduces competitors. Furthermore, UPS has an extensive excess flight capacity to accommodate more package volume to achieve a higher capacity utilisation level. Effectiveness: With the growth of e-commerce and export initiatives from the booming Chinese market, UPSs new air hub expansion in Shanghai would facilitate the Yangtze River Delta area international trade revenue driver as it contributes approximately 40% of total countrys business

Charles Mingus Essay -- Biographies Biography Mingus Essays

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus was born on 22 April 1922 in Los Angeles, California. His father joined the army in 1915 after a frustrating career in the post office. His mother died only five months after Mingus was born. The times were hard in Los Angeles, as more and more poor people migrated into the city, and the small suburb of Watts turned into a black ghetto inside of a single decade. But young Mingus was pretty much protected from all the social pressure. His family was basically middle-class. His father has remarried, and Mingus’ step mother had soon taken an active role in his education. Mamie Carson Mingus encouraged her step-children to take an interest in music. This has soon taken shape in the form of violin and piano lessons for Mingus’ older sisters. Apart from the sound of his sisters practicing, the only music allowed in the house was religious music picked up through the radio. But the radio also opened Mingus for African-American music, namely Jazz and Blues. The trips to the local church were also musical as well as spiritual. The yelling and shouting in the church were actually not so different from the sounds of a big band. Mingus had also taken to the piano, just by lifting the lid and trying the keys, and it had become clear to his parents that he had a good ear. At age six Mingus was given a trombone. After a few years of frustrating musical experiences, it was suggested that Mingus pick up the cello. As his interest in Jazz grew, especially after listening to Duke on the radio, he became convinced that the bass was his instrument. Mingus’ first bassist role model was Joe Comfort, who played with Lionel Hampton and Nat King Cole. Comfort lived in the same neighborhood, and was playing gigs with the musicians that Mingus grew up with. However, true inspiration came from meeting Red Callender, who came from the East Coast and played with the likes of Louis Armstrong. 16-year old Mingus became a devout follower and good friend. The sound that would later identify Mingus, full yet sharp, comes from directly from Callender’s influence. Another major influence on all young bassists of that period is the work of Jimmy Blanton with the Duke Ellington orchestra, which had broken new ground in terms of the exposure of the bass as a solo instrument and its unique role in Ellington’s compositions. Arou... ...es Two, with George Adams on tenor and avant-garde pianist Don Pullen. The full power of Mingus’ music with its frequent tempo changes and structural irregularity was finally completely realized. Especially the two center pieces in both albums, Sue’s Changes and Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue, show this clearly. Although the bass part is less pronounced then in earlier years, owing to Mingus deteriorating health, the other players more than make up for this, and render his music in a way which is true to his aesthetics. Mingus died on 5 January 1979 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In the last two years of his life he has lost the ability to play and later the use of his whole body. Mingus last works as a composer are songs he composed for Joni Mitchell by singing into a tape recorder. He was honored by many tributes after his death from his fellow musicians. Of special notice is the Epitaph project, led by Gunther Schuller which, while in my humble opinion is not very successful, tries to recapture the special spirit in Mingus’ music. Today the music of Mingus is still being played by the Mingus Big Band, formed by his widow Sue Graham Mingus.

Heart Of Darkness Response Assignment :: essays research papers

â€Å"They were dying slowly-it was clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confused in the greenish gloom†. (page 14 para. 3, line 1). The quote is coming from Marlow, upon arriving at the outer station, and first witnessing the devastation the Belgians have caused the native peoples. He is speaking about the black men, who have been enslaved, dying all around him. He can see the work they are being made to do, and finds it a great horror, similar, perhaps, to what hell must be like. This quote also shows Marlow’s first recognition to an epiphany, he will later realize, as imperialism. He says clearly, these men can not be viewed as criminals, for the only function they seemed to be carrying out was dying, and die they did, in great numbers, and at the hands of the â€Å"enlightened† Europeans. I believe his conscience was getting the better of him, first seeing the death, disease, starvation, and chaos all around, allusions of a modern day genocide, which righteous people can not stand to watch, but are helpless to do anything about it. Descriptions of Africans dying, or more precisely, being killed, are common stories surrounding imperialism. Heart of Darkness, finely details the worst kind of African imperialism, the Belgian kind. Millions of people, in what today is called the Congo, were forcefully enslaved, and then made to gather ivory tusks, and rubber plants, all the time being treated as animals, for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of the Belgian monarchy. These scenes shock the more caring, and kind hearted reader, in today’s world, and leave questions swirling in the mind about how atrocities, similar to the ones described in Heart of Darkness, could have been carried out, by a supposed more enlightened society. Surprisingly enough, European imperialists do not hold the sole rights to death and destruction. In fact, simply by reading a history book of the last 2000 years, the reader may come to the conclusion that imperialism was a natural part of empire expansion. Just look at the Egyptians , the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Huns, the Moslems, the Christians, and finally the British. What did they all have in common, first they all conquered territory, and usually to do this they needed to kill indigenous people, so that they could use newly conquered land, for their needs.

Identifying and Solving Bulimia Essay -- Health, Eating Disorders

â€Å"In Fiji, before television came about in 1995, the island had no reported cases of eating disorders. Within three years of obtaining American and British television programming, more than two-thirds of the Fijian girls developed eating disorders and three quarters of the girls felt fat† (Hall 1-2). Now, eating disorders are becoming more and more common as the years go by. Bulimia has been around for thirty years and people are still not very familiar with the harm it can do physically and emotionally. Bulimia nervosa can destroy not only a person's life but others around them, and it can be stopped with support and counseling. â€Å"Eating disorders in America are common. One or two out of 100 students will struggle with one† (â€Å"Eating Disorders† 1). A person is affected physically, mentally, and emotionally by bulimia. The signs of bulimia can be mistaken for the signs of other disorders or can be easily dismissed as something minor. Physically, bulimia causes extreme exhaustion and weakness. The person will have frequent sore throats and bloodshot eyes due to their blood vessels popping from the excessive throwing up. They will also vomit blood and experience constipation  regularly. Indigestion and bloating are common occurrences. The bulimic person will have swollen glands in their neck and face. The person will also have clear looking teeth and calluses or scrapes on their knuckles due to their extreme methods of vomiting. In addition to the physical signs a bulimic person has, it may be hard to tell if they are bulimic or not because a bulimic person can be thin, overweight, or at a normal weight. Along with the physical signs are the mental signs. Bulimics are obsessive thinkers about food. They have a pattern of becoming ... ...Health care professionals want everyone to know that it may take time for the Prozac to go into effect. â€Å"To be effective in treating bulimia, Prozac may need six weeks before seeing any improvement† (â€Å"Prozac†¦Ã¢â‚¬  1-2).  Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that needs to be dealt with. It affects not only the bulimic, but their friends and family. There are so many solutions to this problem but they go unnoticed because people chose to ignore bulimia and the seriousness of its effects. We need to spread the word. We need to make people aware of the things they chose to ignore. We need to make these resources more accessible and easy to find. Do not be scared or embarrassed to reach out to a friend or family member. They want to help in any way they can. No one wants to sit back and watch a loved one suffer, especially if there is something they can do about it.

Compare the way a news story is presented in three different newspaper extracts Essay

In this essay I will compare the way a news story is presented in three different newspaper extracts. Extract A is from ‘The Times’ on Tuesday 4th September, extract B is also from ‘The Times’ on Tuesday 4th September extract b is an editorial, extract c is from ‘The Guardian G-2’ on Friday 7th September extract c is a front page graphic. All three extracts cover the event that happened on Monday 3rd September between the Catholics and the Protestants. The incidents occurred when Catholics school children from Holy Cross Primary school began there new school year. The children had to walk in between barriers of armoured police, just to get to school. The incident started when republicans was accused of knocking over two men on ladders who were putting loyalists flags on lampposts out side Holy Cross Primary School before the marching season in June. In all three extracts there is a powerful opening statement to catch the readers attention, extract A uses a pun ‘the young girls of the Holy Cross Primary School in Belfast began their new school year yesterday with a horrifying lesson in sectarian hatred’. This is trying to say that in schools children are learning about hatred instead of being taught other lessons such as getting along with everyone regardless of whether they are Protestant or Catholic. Extract B also uses a powerful opening statement ‘Northern Ireland has yet again shown its Gorgon-face of bigotry. ‘ This states that once again Northern Ireland has shown its monstrous side, whereas extract C states ‘Why it takes the image of a child to wake the world’ this makes the reader to feel sorry for the children and is an rhetorical question. Extract A has a big, bold headline it states ‘Children walk a gauntlet of Belfast hatred’ which makes the reader to want to read on. Extract B states ‘Children in the middle’ this is also trying to get the attention of the reader, whereas extract C doesn’t have a headline because it is a front-page graphic. Extract A uses a certain amount of emotive language to make the audience feel certain emotions. Extract A states ‘screamed at’ not shouted at but screamed at, ‘spat at’ use of abuse on children, ‘sobbing uncontrollably’ this states that the children weren’t crying they were uncontrollably sobbing due to the riots. The emotive language in extract A has a certain effect on the audience, it makes the reader feel sympathetic towards the children. Extract B also uses a certain amount of emotive language using words such as ‘Gorgon-face of bigotry’ and ‘hideous spectacle. ‘ These words are usually associated with beasts, therefore this statement is trying to show that what is happening, should be considered as monstrous and that the victims of this monstrosity are innocent children. Surrounded and overwhelming are adjectives meaning that there is no way out for the victims, showing that the whole situation cannot be resolved. Extract B is an editorial and is the editors point of view not the facts. Extract C doesn’t use a lot of emotive language mainly because it is a front-page graphic from a supplement.

After Life: Christianity and Islam Essay

Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world and they have many points of contact. They inherited from Judaism a belief in one God who created the world and cares about the behavior and beliefs of human beings. The similarities are on Judgment Day is when God will judge all people. Christians/Muslims go to heaven and all others go to hell. During resurrection Christians/Muslims go to heaven to eternal life in heaven and others to hell. Afterlife is often referred to as life after death. In which an essential parts of someone’s identity resides after death. People believe afterlife awaits people when they die. Resurrection concept is found among Sikhs, Wiccans, Hindus and Buddhist. In Recarnation development continues after death as the deceased begins another life in the world. It acquired superior grade of consciousness and altruism by successive reincarnations. In some religions the view is generally held that one goes to hell or heaven or faith dependin g on their faith or deed’s on earth. Heaven is a place of eternal torment for the bid/wicked. Death is a big deal but not much is known about it. The Idea of Afterlife came from the world’s religions. In Egypt they believe the final steps to afterlife were the judgment in the hall of Maat by Horus. It was known as weighing of the heart, the heavy hearts were swallowed by a creature. The good people were lead to Happy Fields where spells and rituals were designed and written in the â€Å"Book of the Dead†. In Ancient Greece the journey required crossing river Styx by being burned with a coin. They offered punishment for the bad and pleasure for the good. A Liberal Christians belief looks upon Hell as a concept, not a place for punishment. The Roman Catholics believe that Hell is where its inmates will be punished any hope of relief for eternity. Jehovah Witnesses believes that Hell doesn’t exist. Mormons believe that three heavens exist, and they believe Hell exists but very people will stay forever. Islam’s believe that on the last day every man will account for what he has done, and his eternal exist will be determined. Judaism is taught that GOD offers even the most evil man an opportunity to repent. For most people they think that the afterlife is nothingness. The idea of becoming nothing is rejected on physical grounds by Buddhist. The quote â€Å"well he is in a better place†, is often stated and that shows that Afterlife is indeed something. Traditional ideas bought up the concept of Heaven and Hell. It seems as in today’s time Heaven or Hell is only used as a frame of reference. We are often questioned â€Å"Do you believe there’s an afterlife† also â€Å"At what point did we earn an afterlife†? Many believe that there is no Afterlife. Humans were fully formed with the right to Afterlife. Only Humans have an afterlife and only some animal’s forms have an afterlife. Even though the bible teaches us to convey nothing like this but many any people believe in a perpetual a condition of spiritual torment. Being someone that believes in Afterlife, I find some views of afterlife disturbing. Without an afterlife life is an existential hell and nothing really matters. In the afterlife you will be judged for your wrong and right doings. True Justice will happen in the afterlife because here on earth you can steal, kill, rape or commit adultery and you won’t be properly judged. Yes there will be conscious. Only afterlife gives hope for justice for wrongs that were committed. Because many believe that there is an afterlife does not mean that it’s an easy pass to heaven. Even though religions invent afterlife it does not give their followers free passes to heaven. Many people are in religions but does that mean that they believe what they are being taught. We believe that death is inevitable; yes death is only the end of this life. I do believe that our lives matter and yes there is an afterlife. I believe that on the last day GOD will sit down and sort thru the good and the bad. The evil will indeed burn in hell, while the righteous will be with their father in heaven. Culture can be considered as a social heritage of man. Religion consists of patterns of belief, values and behavior. Rituals are used to express belief and bring specific ends. Myths are stories told that’s supposed to be the â€Å"scared truth†. Myths are described as the origins of things fire, beliefs cultures and death. There are many types of Religious Systems. Monotheism is one and they believe in one God (Christianity). Another is Polytheism which believes in many Gods. With Pantheism God is present in all things. Animism belief in Spirit beings that animate nature may or may not take human shape. Symbols refer to present or absent, past or future, and experienced or not directly observed. Each culture has its own symbolic system. Christian beliefs about the afterlife vary between denominations and individual Christians. Assembles of God believes the second coming of Christ includes the raptures of the saints. In Christianity Today Magazine the righteous shall enter into possession of eternal bliss. Common beliefs and values reveal that everyone believes that there is a God. Some think that they should worship more than one and some believe that they should worship a figure or something that is considered their God. The way that people worship their God is very different. Some knee before a cross, some knee before an object and others worship God in his temple. There are different religions that worship different Gods and that worship them differently, such as, Catholics, Protestants, Baptists and other Christians. Christians believe that we eventually end up in hell or heaven but others believe differently. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife http://voices.yahoo.com/death-dying-afterlife-has-idea-what-2874279.html?cat=1 http://dying.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=dying&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fww

Muslim Persecution by the Quraish

Muslim Persecution by the Quraish When the Holy Prophet declared Allah's message in public and called upon the people of Makkah to adopt Islam as their religion, he moved into a new stage in Islamic history. Before this, the Holy Prophet's had only been preaching on very minor scales to his close fellows. The declaration of the message changed the picture. It called upon the people of Makkah to accept a total change – to pay homage to Allah instead of their idols and to bring a complete alteration in social, economic, political and commercial conduct.The response of the people of Makkah was aggressive. They felt that unless Islam was not faced with a tough opposition, it would be accepted by a large number of people, especially the poor and the slaved. Among those who took a lead in the opposition were the most influential chiefs of the Quraish, specifically Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, Abu Sufyan, Waleed bin Mughaira and Abta bin Rabi. The poor and the weak converts like Hazrat Bilal were tortured and made to suffer.They would be starved, beaten and exposed to the scorching heat of the desert. Some slaves even died due to the effects of torte. However, none of the slaves or poor renounced their religion. Even rich and respected people like Hazrat Usman, Hazrat Abu Bakr and Abdullah bin Zaid would not be spared. The opposition increased gradually. Rubbish, twigs and thorns would be thrown at the Holy Prophet and abuses would be launched at him. A Quraish once tried to strangle the Holy Prophet with a sheet while he was praying in the Kaabah.Another time, Abu Jahl placed filth on the Holy Prophet's back when he was prostrating during prayers. The Quraish also hurled campaigns against the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was called a madman. Poems were written to ridicule him. When the Holy Prophet's second son died in infancy, Abu Lahab called him ‘abtar' – a man with no male offspring. The Quraish would try to physically harm the Prophet. However, in spite of all these horrible measures, the Holy Prophet continued to preach Islam.When insults and physical harm had no effect on the Holy Prophet, the Quraish tried to bribe the Holy Prophet. They offered him large fortunes, the seat of the king, marriage to the fairest maiden in the land if he gave up preaching Islam. The Holy Prophet refused all such offers. Abu Talib was approached and told to tell his nephew to stop preaching. However, the Holy Prophet pledged to continue preaching Islam until the day he perishes.

Influence of Entertainment Media Paper Essay

After a hard day at work or after accomplishing the tasks of the day, people turn to entertainment media such as a book or magazine, a newspaper, turn on the radio or television, hear music, play video games, or go watch a movie. It is a form of leisure we seek to get ourselves amused (Curtis, 2011). Entertainment media has been widely used every day by children, adults, and elderly people. Many people do not realize the large amount of time spent using entertainment media by using mobile devices (Lule, 2012). How entertainment media shaped American Culture Entertainment media has shaped American culture by influencing the way we think, the way we feel, what to wear, what to listen to, political and religious views and believes. Magazines, newspapers, radio and television provide information on every day topics and news around the world. This is valuable information that helps us become more knowledgeable of the news even though this type of media only informs a certain percentage of the truth (Lule, 2012). It is in our culture to value and determine how factual the information provided and the way this is conveyed to the public. Social Influences of Entertainment Media: Positive or Negative Social influences such as, Facebook and Twitter create a negative form of entertainment media. Mass communication is widely intended to entertain (Curtis, 2011). When people use social networks, there are many commercials that may influence what is the latest fashion trend or what products to purchase. We may not have much opinion of what decision to make because we are constantly influenced by the entertainment media we watch, hear or read. Conclusion Entertainment media is a mere reflection of our behaviors and attitudes. Most  of our opinions are based on what we saw on television or what we heard on the radio or even what a friend posted on Facebook. Our behaviors and attitude are influenced by entertainment media that reflects the way we live our daily lives. References Lule, J. (2012). Flat world knowledge. Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.  © 2011 Dr. Anthony Curtis, Mass Communication Dept., University of North Carolina at Pembroke

All quiet on the western front by Erich Maria Remarque

All quiet on the western front by Erich Maria Remarque Essay In one part of our being, a thousand years. By the animal instinct that is awakened in is we are led and protected. It is not conscious; it is far quicker, much more sure, less fallible, than consciousness. One cannot explain it56. On the battlefield of any war, past or present one would think any soldier had felt that sense of survival at one point or another. This could be named impulse acted on by fear, nervousness, or as the quote defined it, instinct in violence. The very descriptive violence in the book is one of the large clues that tell us Erich Maria Remarque, the author, is telling us some of the events he had to go through when he served in the war. Other wise it would have been another boring war novel of which classes could be spared the time. These points in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, can be greatly explained and identified. When confronted with his survival, this instinct can drive a man to do anything for survival, even turn his senses and behavior into a wilder state of human evolution. One of the strongest themes in the book is that war makes man inhuman when confronted by violence and, or in war. From the authors point of view soldiers were often compared to various non-living objects, that were inhuman. The soldiers are often compared to coins of different provinces that are melted down, and now they bear the same stamp. 236 Remarque thinks that the soldiers mind-state has been changed from when they were school boys, the stamp being the mark of the soldier, changing them forever. Also soldiers are compared with automatons or more commonly referred to as robots. In reminder of all soldiers of either side had to go through and witness without the traumatizing violence and gore one would not have much understood this point. To a country or at least in charge, the soldiers are no more than this: inanimate devices of war or pawns. Remarque uses this analogy to give the impression that the soldiers are enduring the same feeling over and over again, as if they were inhuman. In this classic war story Remarque also describes the soldiers as inhuman wild beasts in addition to the non-living objects. Paul states that when soldiers reach the zone where the front begins they are transformed into instant human animals56 Remarque explains the zone is like a magical line; once crossed the soldiers are not the same persons as they were in a safe distance. Experiencing violence on the front trapped in a crater of a shell, though protected by it, Paul Baumer feels such desperation. My eyes burn with staring into the dark. A star shell goes up;-I duck down again. I wage a wild and senseless fight. I want to get out of the hollow an yet slide back into it again; I say you must, it is your comrades, it is not an idiotic command and again what dies it matter to me, I have only one life to loose. 211 This could mean even then though acting as some beast for survival he too has scrummed to the belief he is just another pawn. As nothing more than wild beasts Remarque states that the German soldiers are only defending what they have, not attempting to take what they dont We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation we feel a mad anger. No longer do we lie helpless, waiting on the scaffold, we can destroy and kill to save ourselves, to save ourselves and to be revenged. 113 This could be explaining that any emotion they are fighting out of at this point is from aggravation and for their own survival, and no other situation other than that of war and violence could bring this about. The sense of fighting for the glory of the FatherLand has long since gone. READ: Anthem For Doomed Youth and The Man I Killed EssayThese points have highlighted when confronted with their survival and the presence of survival even if it means changing his human nature. A second point is they can be as dolls, or coins that bare the same stamp, almost as war currency. Though all in all they were beasts when confronted with violence, or dogs without names, as long as they can survive it all. All that is needed to make such points clear does not have to be a series of explanations, rather simple and to the point imagery.

Literary analysis of Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried- Essay

Literary analysis of Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried- Relationship between Women & Men - Essay Example The reader is introduced to Mary Ann Bell as part of a story told by Rat Kiley. This is warning enough that the story may not be true, but it nevertheless portrays a certain kind of fantasy about women that the soldiers have. She is described in sexist terms as â€Å"This cute blonde†¦she’s got on culottes. White culottes and this sexy pink sweater† (p. 86) The importance of this character at the beginning is that she is sweet and innocent, and her clean pink and white clothes are a sharp contrast to the dirty green uniforms that everyone wears on the battlefield. Her boyfriend Mark Fossie is supposed to have arranged for her to come over to join him, and no doubt this is the dream of every soldier. The whole episode is obviously fantasy and wish fulfilment. The story of Mary Ann Bell’s corruption by the horrors of war is symbolized in her appearance when she is found in the creepy cave. The author stresses that she is the same person that she was before, an d yet something dreadful has happened to her: â€Å"She was barefoot. She wore her pink sweater and a white blouse and a simple cotton skirt.† (p. 105) This cheerleader image is shattered, however with the revelation: â€Å"At the girl’s throat was a necklace of human tongues.† (p. ... The innocent eyes of girls at home are contrasted with the fictitious Mary Anne Bell who did share the boys’s experience: â€Å"She was there. She was up to her eyeballs in it.† (p. 108) The legend of Mary Anne Bell is the legend of the girlfriend who turned into a better soldier than all of the young men and actually enjoyed the terror and the gruesome body parts and awful smells. Mary Anne Bell is both the idealized dream girlfriend, and the terrifying nightmare girlfriend who loses her cuteness and becomes just as depraved and hardened as the men. Neither version is a real person, of course. It seems that the men need these psychological extremes to love and to hate. Mary Anne Bell is a harmless target of their strongest emotions and thinking about her helps them to work through difficult feelings. Some of the male characters pretend that they are great lovers who can attract many women, and this betrays an attitude of seeing women as sex objects. An example of this is the stories that Rat Kiley told about his exploits: â€Å"If Rat told you, for example, that he’d slept with four girls one night, you could figure it was about a girl and a half.† (page 85). All of the women characters in the book are presented through the eyes of the soldiers and they are all to some extent used by the soldiers as objects. This kind of objectification can be insulting to women, but there are many occasions where the reader can see that there is real love going on between the soldiers and their wives and girlfriends. There is obviously a difficulty in doing this because the men are separated from their female friends and relatives, but in this situation small tokens are used instead. These are more than just souvenirs, but they become holders of deep

Post Colonial Lit & A Small Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Post Colonial Lit & A Small Place - Essay Example With no power to launch a counter attack on any fronts, Antiguans just succumbed to the pressure. The natural process of cultural development of Antigua came to a dead halt. The nation lost the equilibrium. The power of colonization is so intense that it has the capacity to totally obliterate any culture that it encounters on the way and it leads to economic, cultural, and social and above all the slavery of the minds of the people. That is true of Antigua. The British had created a rosy picture of standard of life before the combustible younger generation of Antigua. The local populace had been experiencing for hundreds of years the impact of British culture, tradition and power and the process of slow subversion continued. The middle class was attracted by the promises and wealth-generating capability of the capitalist state like Britain. As for morals, the British were no match as compared to the standard of Antiguans. The presence of the British in different segments in the life of Antiguans is being experienced, even when they have left the country for good. Indirect colonization in the segments of culture and economy is going on unabated and unchecked, unfortunately though. Kincaid treats the arrival of the tourist the post-colonial era in Antigua in an interesting and thought-provoking style. She articulates that the tourist does not arrive with an intention to exploit. But he does expect to be treated in a preferential manner. Is it superiority complex? It is so; even though the tourist may not say it openly. He has come to a country to spend his disposable wealth and to enjoy. How do the locals react to the arrival of the tourists in their country? Kincaid explains their attitude with lots of sarcasm: â€Å"An ugly thing, that is what you are when you become a tourist, an ugly empty thing, a stupid thing, a piece of rubbish pausing here and there to gaze at this and taste that, and it will never occur to you that the people who inhabit the place in wh ich you have just paused cannot stand you, that behind their closed doors they laugh at your strangeness.†(17)The host country, lacks in the areas of industrial development and other wealth-generating infrastructure, wants such tourists, as they bring money and employment to the locals. So, the tourism industry does not have a national goal or destination in Antigua. It develops like a service industry to cater to the ethnocentric demands on this country and contributing to the further advancement of cultural colonialism. Colonists are ruling from outside, without the liability of the governance of the territory of Antigua. This is a small but intimidating book, which sets the sociologists, economists and the politicians thinking. She provides the under-represented version of what happened in Antigua, which is also true of most of the colonized countries. She attacks the Europeans viciously for all the evil they heaped upon the people of Antigua, and she has own perspective of judging the past and visualizing the present and the future. She tones town her attack and makes the realistic assessment about the plight of the people of Antigua thus: â€Å"Of course, the whole thing is, once you cease to be a master, once you throw off your master's yoke, you are no longer human rubbish, you are just a human being, and all the things that adds up to. So, too with the