Mgm101 Midterm

MGM101 Test #3 Short Answer Questions Organizations can use internal recruitment and external recruitment activities to find the best employees for a position. Describe these two approaches and provide one advantage for using each approach. (4 Marks) One mark for each correct description and an additional mark for providing an advantage: External – Candidates are sought from outside of the organization (not current employees) through methods such as want ads, head hunters (recruiters), job fairs, on-campus recruiting, etc†¦Advantage – allows firms to acquire new perspectives, expertise, and capabilities that they do not currently possess. Internal – Recruits candidates from within the organization (current employees) though internal postings, newsletters and promoting employees through management recommendations. Advantage – Less expensive, ability already known, fosters loyalty and increases motivation (Shermerhorn page 287) Describe two initiatives that a company can take to help its employees to balance work with their lives? (2 Marks)One mark each for proper description of any two appropriate initiatives including: Flexible working hours, work from home (telecommuting), vacations, paid leave, leaves of absence, job sharing, on-site daycare, elder care assistance, concierge services, etc†¦ (Shermerhorn pages 294-295) Describe how work is organized in firms utilizing a divisional organizational structure. List and describe two advantages and two disadvantages of a divisional organizational structure. (5 Marks) One mark for proper description of how divisional structures organize work. One mark each for each advantage and disadvantage listed and described.Divisional structures organize work by grouping people together working on the same, products, customers, processes or in the same geographic area. Advantages (choose two) – More flexibility responding to market changes, Improved coordination, clear responsibility for product or service delivery, expertise focused on specific customers products or regions, greater ease in changing size Disadvantages (choose two) – Redundancy of functions, reduced efficiencies or economies of scale, increased unhealthy internal rivalries, division objectives may replace organization's (Shermerhorn pages 225-227)A manufacturer continues to dump waste from their plant into the local river despite opposition from the local community. Residents complain that the waste is making the water unsafe for families and their children, and is killing water life and vegetation downstream. Plant managers state that they are doing nothing wrong and are meeting all legal and regulatory requirements. Are the manufacturer's actions ethical? Discuss the reasoning for your opinion. Describe two steps the manufacturer can take to improve their business ethics? 4 Marks) One mark for stating whether actions are ethical or not and one mark for proper reasoning. One mark each fo r describing two steps for improving ethics: Actions are Unethical – Definition of ethical behaviour is broader than just its legality. Organizations have a broader responsibility to its stakeholders which include the surrounding communities and the environment. Government agencies are influenced by industry and do not always prioritize the interests of the public. How can any waste dumping be safe?Actions are ethical – Government sets regulations to ensure that safety standards are being met and as long as the manufacturer is meeting those requirements, it must be safe and they must be acting ethically. There is no proof that their waste is harming anyone and besides, who should determine these standards if not the appropriate government agencies. Six-Steps to improve ethics: Top management adopt code of conduct, Senior leadership by example, Ethics embedded in training, Set up Ethics office, External stakeholder informed of code of ethics, Enforcement (Nickels page 1 46) S. W. O. T. â€Å" is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Which of these two are related to an organization’s external environment? Which two are related to the internal attributes of an organization? (2 Marks) 0. 5 marks for each correct placement of SWOT in internal and external categories. External – OT, Opportunities and Threats Internal – SW, Strengths and Weaknesses (Shermerhorn pages 195-196) In the â€Å"RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us† video shown in class the narrator presented some surprising findings from the M.I. T. and India experiments that tested the motivating ability of monetary incentives. What were these surprising findings and discuss how these finding contradict the underlying assumptions of the Classical Management Approaches (3 Marks) Two marks for describing the findings. One mark for explaining the contradiction Underlying assumption of classical approache s is that people are rational and are driven by economic concerns.Study results show that for tasks that were largely mechanical in nature (simple and straight forward), that greater incentives led to higher performance but when the task involved even rudimentary cognitive skill (conceptual, creative thinking), larger rewards led to poorer performance suggesting that the economic incentives did not motivate employees to improve performance. This would not be considered rational according to proponents of the classical approaches. (Shermerhorn pages 45 and RSA Animate video http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=umhhPj7t8FE)

Dimensional Fund Advisors Case Analysis Essay

1)DFA’s investment strategy is based on their belief in the principle that stock market is efficient. They attempt to match a broad-based, value-weighted small-stock index and position themselves in the market as a passive fund manager that still claimed to add value by capturing specific dimensions of risks identified by financial science. DFA’s investment strategy incorporates elements of both passive and active management. It is passive in the sense that like many other index managers, it focuses on the importance of diversification, lower turnover and lower fees than actively managed portfolios. It is active in the sense that it develops its small-value stock focus based on academic research and uses certain techniques (such as its unique trading method in obtaining discounts and lower transaction cost) to contribute to a fund’s profits eve when the investment is inherently passive. 2)DFA’s clients are mainly major institutions (including corporate, government, union pension funds, college endowments and charities) and high-net-worth individuals. The main concern of their existing clients is potential high costs due to illiquid nature of many DFA holdings. DFA’s new product is a family of funds managed to reduce tax payments and the new clients it tries to serve are investors who are eventual taxpayers on any taxable flower received by a DFA fund they hold. To serve this new client base, DFA needs to continue its strength in keeping trading costs low and focus on reducing the taxes paid by clients. Some new issues that DFA will face include the complication of tax-optimization (such as handling the trade-off between putting more weight on non dividend-paying stocks and assuming more portfolio tracking error and volatility) as well as the possibility that tax management may lead to higher transactions costs. 3)Based on information given in the case, DFA accepts semi-form efficiency which indicates that stock prices fully reflect all past prices and all publicly available information. DFA’s trading strategies reflects that it felt that on average the market price correctly incorporated all public information, so it is only concerned about whether there is negative private information known to the seller of the block of stocks but not to the market. DFA’s trading strategy such as avoiding stocks if news  announcements are coming in the near future or if stock has recently reported sales by insiders reflect a belief that stock prices can potentially not reflect all private information. DFA also does not accept the weak-form efficient because if stock prices only reflect all information in past prices, they would see the value of performance fundamental analysis of the firm they are looking at (but the case indicates that DFA does not performance fundamental analysis). 4)Fama and French’s three factor model attempts to explain the variation of stock prices through a multifactor model that includes a size factor and BE/ME factor in addition to the beta risk factor. Fama-French model essentially extended the CAPM (which breaks up cause of variation of stock price into systematic risk which is non-diversifiable and idiosyncratic risk which is diversifiable) by introducing these two additional factors. Fama and French find that stocks with high beta didn’t have consistently higher returns than stocks with low beta and this indicates that beta was not a useful measure under their model. Their model is based on research findings that sensitivity of movements of the size and BE/ME factor constituted risk, and therefore risks associated with small companies and risks associated with high BE/ME companies in addition to beta risk explain a great deal of the variation of stock prices. The two factors in Fama-French model(company size and company BE/ME)are both firm specific risk and not market related risk, and it would appear that DFA (which base a lot of their strategies on this type of academic research) is not utilizing macroeconomic variables. However, as Fama and French argued, these factors explained so much of the common variation in stocks that they essentially capture sensitivity to risk factors related to macroeconomic variables. Therefore, not directly using macroeconomic variables (which is inherently hard to find or predict), but using the size and BE/ME factor may be a better way to represent certain types of market risk. In addition, because DFA is positioned as a passive manager that adds value, its goal then would not be to beat the market, but to follow it with the belief that in the long run indices will perform better than active strategies (which may focus on designing products that addresses macroeconomic variables such as market timing, etc ). 5)The efficient market enthusiasts believe that small stocks will outperform large  ones, and stocks with high BE/ME will generate higher returns than stocks with low BE/ME. On the other hand, behaviorists believe that the size and value premia is not always true, and there are several variable factors need to be considered. For example, in the early 1980s, when the US went into a recession, the small companies were particularly performed poorly, even when the economy and stock market rebounded after a decade, those small stocks still continued to lag.Also, by late 1990s, value stocks’ return was surpassed by the spectacular performance of growth stocks due to the high-tech stocks with very high market capitalization and relatively low assets. However, DFA believes in the efficient market theory, they prefer small stocks over large ones and value stocks over growth stocks. 6)DFA should justify its belief by stating that although the systematic risk would cause certain efficient market theories to bereversed during such times (large stocks outperform small stocks; growth stocks outperform value stocks), the market efficient theory will eventually prevailin the long-run based on the historical data done by Fama and French. Other than the market efficient theory, DFA also believes in two other principles: the value of sound academic research and the ability of skilled traders. Those two factors can contribute to fund’s profits. Because of DFA’s ability to excel in those two areas, they believe that they can provide more value even in efficient market environment. 7)Trading costs associated with small and value stocks include illiquidity and adverse selection problems. To be more specific, the illiquidity of small stocks may cause the stock price move substantially when a purchased is made. Also, the information asymmetry may also result in the adverse selection problem. DFA manages the small stocks illiquidity problems by using block trade to extract a discount on a stock purchase, thus creating value for the clients. In addition,to avoid the adverse selection problems, DFA’s traders follow several steps: 1) DFA will not buy a stock if the target company is going to make major announcement. 2) DFA will leverage the research system to avoid stocks that are more likely to have negative prices in the near future. 3) DFA avoids stocks that have recently reported sales by insiders. 4) DFA pays attention to its sellers and the nature of stock  block they traded. 8)It’s not an embarrassment for DFA when small stocks underperformed large stocks in the mid of 1980s. Because systematic events can’t be possibly avoided. In fact, DFA’s small stocks portfolio outperformed other small stocks investing competitors during the recession. This suggests that DFA’s focused principles in academic research and traders’ ability are adding value to its investors. Besides, this event alone doesn’t prove either rational or behavioral explanation is more likely since the recession is a one-off event. Therefore, DFA should not abandon its small stocks strategy because in the long run the trend is more likely to reverse itself. Even if small stocks were to continue to outperform large stocks for another decade, DFA could still provide value then other small stock investment fund. And as more fund are trading on large stock, the benefit of return on large stock may eventually goes away, making small stock.

The Female Role in a Male Dominated Society

Women are sometimes undermined by the culture in which they live in. Only recently have they begun to be looked at as near equals to men and given a voice. Still, in some countries women may be pushed aside and left without a say in important decision-making. In the momentous novel The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende, the wife of each generation is a matriarch in her family. Individually they rise above cultural trends, and their husbands or lovers, to exercise the fact that women are important. Women can be as powerful as men, even in a male-dominated society. This is why Nivea, Clara, Blanca, and Alba make their voices and actions heard during difficult times in a developing country. American women were willing to go to extreme lengths to make their voice heard and receive the right to vote. Their efforts did not go unnoticed. News articles stated that â€Å"Their issues are legitimate and cut across socioeconomic and party lines,† (Brenner,1-2) and that the Suffragist’s would be willing to hold an all night vigile to make sure their right to vote was no longer delayed(New York Times, 1). The House of the Spirits takes place in Chile during the 1900’s. The story begins in the Del Valle household. Nivea is the current matriarch. She is a firm believer in women’s suffrage and equality. Nivea was the first woman of the novel to display her affection towards the underprivileged. She stood on crates and boxes to preach to the hard-working women wearing rags and working in factories that paid next to nothing. She brings Clara along with her after discovering that her family does everything they can to avoid Clara’s clairvoyant powers. Nivea and her suffragette friend inspire Clara at a young age to understand and grasp the absurdity of the issue. Her trends are absorbed by the following generations of women in her family. Esteban Trueba is Clara’s husband, an angry man who is violent to his many workers and doesn’t take rule from anyone. His success and authority of Tres Marias, his father’s old hacienda, turned him into a tough skinned man that not many people had control over. His mother’s death causes him to, one day, look for a wife. Esteban decides to go to the Del Valle house and inquire about a daughter able to marry him. Nivea offers him Clara, her last available daughter (88-89). Clara instantly has a power over Esteban. Her laugh and her smile are astonishing to Esteban Trueba, her beauty takes over him and he decides to marry her (90-91). Though Esteban is a dominating character he finds that he is unable to control Clara. I wanted to possess her absolutely, down to her last thought, but that diaphanous woman would float by me like a breath of fresh air, and even if I held her down with my hands and embraced her with all my strength, I could never make her mine. Her spirit wasn’t with me. (Allende, 177) Clara’s place as Esteban’s wife, and only love, capture him completely. She was the only person that could influence him and the only person that he would listen to. At one point he even changes the currency used on Tres Marias, a territory forbidden strictly to Esteban Trueba’s rule, because Clara feels that it would be nicer for the tenant’s to have a form of paper money. Esteban indeed stops handing the tenant’s pink slips and begins paying them with real money (178). Blanca and Alba are mother and daughter, both who have lovers involved in a revolution against the Conservative Government.

Leadership, Teambuilding, and Communication Research Paper

Leadership, Teambuilding, and Communication - Research Paper Example   There are various types of leadership styles and interpersonal forms of powers used in various organizations and how they impact organization’s performance. Leadership in an organization can refer to the practices of controlling and guiding of individuals in the work environment. It is the art of getting other doing what one believes in or wants (Griffin & Moorhead, 2013). Traditionally, leadership is perceived as a method where the power is given to the leaders. The traditional behavioral theory identifies different leadership styles among the people. It recognizes several behavioral styles namely autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire styles, transformational and transactional. Autocratic or authoritarian leaders assume absolute powers over the workers in an organization (Hislop, 2013). Those leaders may use threat or force to compel the employees to pursue the organizational goals or impose their will on the workers. They perceive workers as incompetent, irresponsible an d lazy who cannot perform without authority and control (Griffin & Moorhead, 2013). Authoritarian managers do not consult the employees or allow them to give their contributions in the decision-making process. Such leaders are sole decision makers and will issue directives to the workers at all times. Military leaders mainly use authoritative powers to achieve their targets.   Democratic leaders value the contribution of their workers and always work in collaboration with the employees in order to achieve common goals.  Ã‚  

Illegal Immigration Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Illegal Immigration - Term Paper Example Certain individuals may be interested in settling within the US just so that they could benefit from the health and social facilities in the country. The essay shall look at the reality of free riders and how this is linked to illegal immigration. Some individuals argue that illegal immigration is becoming a very serious problem in the US. Some of them attribute this to the open border policies that the US has adopted. Others claim that the real reason why illegal immigrants enter the US is so that they could use up the country's resources and then leave it for dead. (Beck 94) These proponents assert that these immigrants have no intention of ever becoming US citizens or upholding the law. Instead, they enter the country to access easily available employment opportunities. Usually, these people come into the country so that they can offer cheap labor for those respective industries or people that need them. In fact, a number of immigrants enter the country in order to pack industry products or do such duties. (Shapiro A8) These proponents also believe that all the latter micro-economic arguments do not hold much water. According to them there is a need to revise the country's immigration laws because of the fact that citizenship is worth very little to these people. Most of them may be merely interested in getting whatever little they can and then send it back to their own countries. Since such individuals are not well documented, then they are usually not obliged to respect the constitution as much as other groups do. (Shapiro A8) Proponents of this argument also claim that many illegal immigrants do not play by the rules. Since they are not US citizens, then they are not required to contribute directly to the country. Additionally, most of them may not offer their services for the betterment of the US. This school of thought also puts forward the fact that many illegal immigrants are actually flooding the country and causing situations in which locals are running out of work. The following industries heavily rely on illegal immigration The restaurant industry Housekeeping Construction Truck driving etc These proponents argue that illegal immigrants who are coming in for a free ride (through the social amenities in the country) are actually harming locals who may be required to pay their dues while at the same time compete with some of these illegal immigrants. Proponents of these ideas cite a series of statistics to support their claim. For instance, in the New York Times, it was stated that illegal immigrants who enter the country for a free ride are actually ruining the opportunities for other types of workers especially those ones who may not be illegal. It has been shown that most janitors in Los Angeles get close to nine dollars per hours; in other parts of the country, it could be slightly higher but not so far from this figure. What has happened is that some of these illegal immigrants have ended up dominating the profession. Most employers these days prefer using such illegal immigrants because they are sure that they will save up on substantial wage costs. However, the overall effect of this rush towards illegal immigrants

Explain the difference between the marginal propensity to consume Essay

Explain the difference between the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) and the average propensity to consume (APC) and show how one helps to explain the size o - Essay Example For Ð µxÐ °mplÐ µ, if Ð ° housÐ µhold Ð µÃ °rns onÐ µ Ð µxtrÐ ° dollÐ °r of disposÐ °blÐ µ incomÐ µ, Ð °nd thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to consumÐ µ is 0.65, thÐ µn of thÐ °t dollÐ °r, thÐ µ fÐ °mily will spÐ µnd 65 cÐ µnts Ð °nd sÐ °vÐ µ 35 cÐ µnts. MÐ °thÐ µmÐ °ticÐ °lly, thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to consumÐ µ (MPC) function is Ð µxprÐ µssÐ µd Ð °s thÐ µ dÐ µrivÐ °tivÐ µ of thÐ µ consumption (C) function with rÐ µspÐ µct to disposÐ °blÐ µ incomÐ µ (Y). It is cÐ °lculÐ °tÐ µd Ð °s thÐ µ chÐ °ngÐ µ in consumption Ð µxpÐ µnditurÐ µ, DC, dividÐ µd by thÐ µ chÐ °ngÐ µ in disposÐ °blÐ µ incomÐ µ, DYD, thÐ °t brought it Ð °bout. In othÐ µr words, thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to consumÐ µ is mÐ µÃ °surÐ µd Ð °s thÐ µ rÐ °tio of thÐ µ chÐ °ngÐ µ in consumption to thÐ µ chÐ °ngÐ µ in incomÐ µ, thus giving us Ð ° figurÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn 0 Ð °nd 1. ThÐ µ MPC cÐ °n bÐ µ morÐ µ thÐ °n onÐ µ if thÐ µ subjÐ µct borrowÐ µd monÐ µy to finÐ °ncÐ µ Ð µxpÐ µnditurÐ µs highÐ µr thÐ °n thÐ µir incomÐ µ. OnÐ µ minus thÐ µ MPC Ð µquÐ °ls thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to sÐ °vÐ µ. It is Ð °ffÐ µctÐ µd by fÐ °ctors such Ð °s thÐ µ prÐ µvÐ °iling intÐ µrÐ µst rÐ °tÐ µ Ð °nd thÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µrÐ °l lÐ µvÐ µl of consumÐ µr surplus thÐ °t cÐ °n bÐ µ dÐ µrivÐ µd from purchÐ °sing.1 TotÐ °ling, Ð µconomists oftÐ µn spÐ µÃ °k of thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to sÐ °vÐ µ (MPS), which is thÐ µ frÐ °ction of Ð µxtrÐ ° incomÐ µ thÐ °t pÐ µoplÐ µ sÐ °vÐ µ. GivÐ µn thÐ °t pÐ µoplÐ µ Ð µithÐ µr sÐ °vÐ µ or consumÐ µ Ð °dditionÐ °l incomÐ µ, thÐ µ sum of thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to sÐ °vÐ µ Ð °nd thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to consumÐ µ should Ð µquÐ °l onÐ µ. ThÐ µ vÐ °luÐ µ of thÐ µ mÐ °rginÐ °l propÐ µnsity to consumÐ µ should bÐ µ grÐ µÃ °tÐ µr thÐ °n zÐ µro Ð °nd lÐ µss thÐ °n onÐ µ. Ð  vÐ °luÐ µ of zÐ µro would indicÐ °tÐ µ thÐ °t nonÐ µ of Ð °dditionÐ °l incomÐ µ would bÐ µ spÐ µnt; Ð °ll would bÐ µ sÐ °vÐ µd. Ð  vÐ °luÐ µ grÐ µÃ °tÐ µr thÐ °n onÐ µ would mÐ µÃ °n thÐ °t if incomÐ µ incrÐ µÃ °sÐ µd by $1.00, consumption would go up by morÐ µ thÐ °n Ð ° dollÐ °r, which would bÐ µ unusuÐ °l bÐ µhÐ °vior. For somÐ µ pÐ µoplÐ µ Ð ° MPC of 1 is rÐ µÃ °sonÐ °blÐ µ, mÐ µÃ °ning thÐ °t thÐ µy spÐ µnd Ð µvÐ µry Ð °dditionÐ °l dollÐ °r thÐ µy gÐ µt, but

Human resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human resource - Essay Example Talent management helps in the integration of different initiatives of the company (Ashton and Morton, 2005). Figure 1: Talent Management System (Source: Ashton and Morton, 2005) Some of the important components of talent management system are as follows: Need- The business need derived from the business model. Data Collection: The fundamental data needed for good talent acquisitions. Planning: Talent and people planning guided by data analysis critical for good talent decisions. Activities: The conversion of plans into integrated set of activities. Results: The cost, measures and effectiveness criteria to judge the value and impact of Talent Management (Ashton and Morton, 2005). Talent management includes organizational assessment and employee assessment focusing on important positions to be filled (Ashton and Morton, 2005).The assessment of the talent management methods include interviews and psychometric testing which are aligned to the company’s competency model. ... Recruitment and selection are a integral part of the talent management activity as the right candidate for the right position not only helps in improving the effectiveness of the companies but also helps in the reduction of administrative costs. Absenteeism of the workers and employees has become a huge concern for many organizations hence the management of the company should deal with problem effectively to reduce the operational cost. Recruitment and Selection The efficiency and quality of an organization depends upon the human resource of an organization. Hiring and selecting the right candidate for the right position becomes essential. Recruitment and selection form the process of hiring the employees. Recruitment is a strategic function of the human resource department. It is the systematic process of generating a pool of qualified candidates for the organizational post. The process of hiring the candidates starts with human resource planning which helps to determine the type an d number of employees an organization needs. Hiring is an ongoing process and not confined to the formative stages of an organization. This is because some employees leave the organization through retirement and resignation. The process stops only when the organization ceases to exist. Recruitment The process of attracting individuals on a timely basis, in sufficient numbers and with appropriate qualifications, to apply for jobs with an organization (Gusdorf, 2008, p.01). The sources of recruitment are as follows: (Source: Author’s creation) Internal Sources a) Job Posting: The traditional method to announce a job vacancy was to post notice on the HR bulletin board but presently the job notice is

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 8

Case Study Example e teacher admits that Maria at certain times fail to complete her assignments in time, she appears not to ask question or participate in class work irrespective of the topic, however, her results shows that she understands the concepts1. Multi tire systems is an intervention aimed at helping young children overcome learning difficulties. Each tire is characterized by different intensities of instruction to help develop certain skills in the child. Multi-Tier system have different levels of instruction in each tire, they are designed to fit each pupil’s academic needs1. The first tire involves the application of evidences to help students gain reading skills. Classroom assessments and the evaluation of student progress is also an essential component to this Tier. These assessments allow school districts to not only evaluate individual student achievement, but also the quality of instructional practices and its effect on group achievement1. The second Tier involves assessing and identifying students who are not responding to general instructional methods and providing more intense training in areas of weakness. Assessment is a significant component at this level, as results allow schools to determine students’ baseline abilities and whether they are responding to additional instruction1. Tier 3 is an intervention reserved for those students who do not respond to more intense instruction methods. Formal referrals for special education evaluations are frequently necessary at this point. Data gathered from the pre-referral intervention provides important information in the special education evaluation process by allowing diagnosticians the ability to determine effective learning strategies. After assessment is complete, an eligibility determination for special education is then made2. A three-Tiered model for instruction and intervention is based on the principle that academic and behavioral supports are first provided at a core or universal level to

The Value of Human Life in the Poems To His coy Mistressby Andrew Essay

The Value of Human Life in the Poems To His coy Mistressby Andrew Marvel and Out, Out by Robert Frost - Essay Example Both poems show that human life has less value than the reader might wish to think, Marvell’s poem by showing that the woman only has value as long as she is beautiful and Frost’s because he shows that the death of the boy has little effect on the continuation of life. The poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† love poem written with the idea that the woman he desires is not letting him close enough to her. The narrator desires her and wants to have sex with her, but she is not letting him. He tells her all of the wonderful ways in which he sees her. Yet, the beauty that she has he know will fade and be lost to them, He wants to consummate their lust for one another before she has aged and no longer has the desires of her youth. His first lines provide his first argument as to why she should not be coy. He states â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time,/This coyness, lady, were no crime† suggesting that by being coy she is not committing a crime. In order to woe her, however, he discusses all the way that time would give him to praise her beauty and wait for her to give in to him. In the second verse, however, he shows that he does not have the time to praise her beauty the way that he would want to do it. ... thers both his devaluation of the woman and his argument why she should give into his lust by saying â€Å"Now therefore, while the youthful hue/ Sits on thy skin like morning dew,† describing her through references to the fresh dew of the morning. He his argument by saying â€Å"Thus, though we cannot make our sun/ Stand still, yet we will make him run†, showing that the sun will dry the dew from her beauty as well as using the sun to show the passage of time. Andrew Marvell tells in his poem that time will take away the value that the object of his desire holds. He shows that she is without any other value to him than that which her physical beauty gives. Frost shows a similar message in his poem, although he gives honor to the one who is the object of that poem. Frost sets up a story within his poem of a boy who has a terrible accident. He shows how quickly everything can turn from being normal towards a terrible event. The narrative is the story of a saw that cuts t he boy’s hand, his approximate age indicated by the lines â€Å"Then the boy saw all - /Since he was old enough to know, big boy/ Doing a man's work, though a child at heart –â€Å". In this poem, the individual is valued. The narrator of the poem shows sentiment towards the boy, his words â€Å"Call it a day, I wish they might have said/ To please the boy by giving him the half hour/ That a boy counts so much when saved from work† suggesting that he wanted him to have a good experience. Of course, what happens next is terrible and the narrator describes the event by personifying the saw. The say cuts the boys hand. By writing phrases like â€Å"The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard† which suggested that the buzz saw was an aggressive and alive thing, and through saying â€Å"As if it meant to prove saws

Geography and Careers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Geography and Careers - Essay Example chnology and a solid knowledge of the world while in addition, amongst others, helping in managing natural and urban environments, analyzing the evolving relationship between people and places, planning transportation routes, investigating sustainable land use worldwide, creating geographic management systems for industries and government agencies and helping understand and restore natural ecosystems (Association of American Geographers, 1). The society boasts members from more than 60 nations who come together to share interests in theory, methods and practice in geography. This they do via the AAG’s Annual Meeting, scholarly journals, the online AAG Newsletter, amongst other avenues. Through the activities of its affinity groups and the more than 60 specialty groups, the AAG promotes deliberations amongst members and with scholars in associated fields. The meetings and activities of regional divisions serve to offer opportunities for networking amongst members in any part of the globe. The AAG membership is predominantly comprised of geographers and related professionals who work in the public, private and academic sectors. These members serve in a wide variety of professions from across the world. Over 300 volunteer leaders serve on the Council of the AAG and other committees and groups. The AAG uses educational and research programs and projects to enhance geographic understanding, learning and literacy across the globe and with its headquarters currently in Washington, D.C, the association strives to promote professional studies in geography while encouraging the application of geographic research in education, business, government and related fields. It is reputed for its numerous partnerships as well as developing and managing programs, outcomes to the policy making sector and international outreach. The AAG has its industry and faculty awards and honors which offer recognition to brilliant contributors in the profession. Grant programs are also

Seven Ancient Wonders Of The World Essay Example for Free

Seven Ancient Wonders Of The World Essay Man fears Time, yet Time fears the PyramidsThe Great Pyramid of Giza lies next to Cairo. It is today in greater Cairo. According to the wonders of the ancient world, the pyramid of Khufu is the only pyramid included in the list of the wonders. The other two of the pyramids of Giza are excluded from the list. This is the only monument of the seven wonders to survive till today in perfect condition and managing mere escapes from fires, earthquakes and other common disasters that hold a threat to anything other large artifact stands on earth. It today is in perfect condition despite its loss of height and its unperfected preservation of outside rock smoothness and quality. It was constructed by the Egyptian pharaoh: Khufu of the fourth dynasty. It held its purpose as his tomb, and a few years later its purpose came into use. It is the only surviving ancient wonder. The Hanging gardens of Babylon was located on the east coast of the river Euphrates. It is currently located 50 kms south of Baghdad in Iraq. These hanging gardens were built in the Babylonian empire at the time of the neo-Babylonian dynasty and built by the famous king Naboplashars son: Nebuchadnezzar II. Its purpose was to please the wife of Nebuchadnezzar, whom liked mountain, surrounded areas. The only remains of the gardens were the foundations excavated in more recent archaeological projects in Iraq. However the gardens were accurately reconstructed with many positive and negative arguments about the artificial structure. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were very well renowned for its system of water fountains, pipes and irrigation structures, which take care of the garden leaving the grass permanently green and the trees and bushes regularly watered. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was located in the ancient town of Olympia, on the modern map; the monument is located on the west coast of Greece, approximately 150 km west of Athens. The construction of the statue was completed in 450 BC. It was built in honor of the god Zeus. As the importance of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece became more demanding, important, and cultural, the Greeks needed a temple that was new, large, one worthy of the king of the gods. Thus they built the statue of Zeus. It was made a wonder of the ancient world due to its magnificent interior statue. It is well renowned for the statues sandals and robes which were made of gold and the temples Doric styled design. As the years passed, several natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides and floods did immense damage to the structure. Later on, the inner statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. There it suffered from a fire and today the only remains of this temple are rocks and debris. The Ancient temple of Artemis is located in the ancient city of Ephesus near the modern city of Selcuk 50kms south of Izmir in Turkey. It was built in honour of the divinities of hunting, wild nature and fertility: the goddess Artemis. The structure was believed to be the most beautiful structure on Earth and was built around 550BC. The temple was both a market place and a religious institution. It was a temple built of the greatest marble and consisted of bronze statues of the goddesses. The temple was later on burned to the ground by Herostratus who wanted to immortalize his name under the name of history and existence and he was very successful. Then a law had been created that whoever spoke of him shall be executed. It was a coincidence that Alexander the great was born on the same night of destruction of the temple, and the goddess Artemis was too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to save her temple. Though the temple was rebuilt and now named temple E, the temple which was actually the wonder is now nothing but foundations and rock. The mausoleum at Halicarnassus is located in the city of Bodrum (Halicarnassus) on the Aegean Sea in south west Turkey. It was built as a tomb for the king of the empire Caria. It was well renowned for its extreme beauty and the finest marble of which it was built with.it is also known for its beautiful inner statues. Later on in the early 16 century, the structure faced an end. The knights of st John built a massive crusading castle and decided to fortify it. Thus they used the mausoleum to supply their  material. They displaced every block from the mausoleum to build their walls. By 1522, the mausoleums foundations were also incomplete, it had been cleared. The Colossus of Rhodes was located at entrance of a harbor in the Mediterranean island of Rhodes at Greece. In 304BC, after the people of Rhodes came to a peace agreement with the Antigonids, they collected their leftover weapons from outside their territory where the Antigonids have been trying to siege Rhodes in order to break their alliance with Ptolemy I from Egypt. They sold the weapons and collected the money and built the statue in symbol of their freedom. It took 12 years to construct the structure, and it lived for only a mere 56 years. It was broken by an earthquake at its weakest point, its knees. Around AD654, it was sold to a Jew. The statue was well known for its amazing shape of it standing on two pieces of land which were joined the major island. Each mini peninsula had a leg on it and the statue lifting a torch into the sky. The statue was a divinity: the sun god of Rhodes-Helios. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the island of pharos currently in Alexandria in Egypt. It was built in honor of the savior gods. It was necessary that they built that lighthouse because of the dangerous and rough rocked coastline of Alexandria. So they built it to save the ships from danger. It was very well renowned for its mirrors which could reflect light for over 50 miles. It was the only wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world that had a purpose that would serve several people with an additional purpose other than religion. It was the most important of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. The list of the seven wonders of the ancient world was originally compiled around 200BC.many suggestions, arguments and changes have been made to the list when finally during the middle ages the list was recompiled, even though most of the monuments didnt even co-exist. For the ancient people and workers who built and saw the wonders being built to them was a celebration of either religion, peace, burial or afterlife ceremonies, freedom or simply the beauty of the structure like the hanging Gardens of  Babylon. others had a more important and divers purposes such as the Lighthouse of Alexandria which was built in honor of the savior gods and was built to help the ancient sailors to a peaceful trip back or to the harbor. Some structures like the Great Pyramid of Giza were spectacular and complicated structures with several passageways, corridors, traps and escape shafts to confuse tomb raiders. However, every single wonder was truly spectacular and the ancient world wouldnt have bee n able to support its massive reputation without these structures. Bibliography http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/pyramid.htmlhttp://www.unmuseum.org/ztemp.htmhttp://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/zeus.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/9705/seven.wonders/http://www.crystalinks.com/seven.html

Book List For Dialectical Journal 2 1 Essay Example for Free

Book List For Dialectical Journal 2 1 Essay Quote Reply War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength They are the Party slogans, and are wri? en in big le? ers on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. The people controlling the present control everything and can ul! mately change the past and, therefore; the future. Big brother controls the present. The slogan is an example of the Partys technique of using false history to  deteriorate the psychological independence of its people. To Kill A Mocking Bird Harper Lee Lord of the Flies William Golding An! gone Sophocles The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan Bless Me, Ul! ma Rudolfo Anaya Black Boy Richard Wright Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck Night Elie Weisel The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger Odyssey Homer The Picture of Dorian Grey Oscar Wilde Julius Caesar William Shakespeare The Perks of Being a Wall7ower Stephen Chbosky.

Relationship Between Profitability and Liquidity

Relationship Between Profitability and Liquidity CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This study empirically examines the relationship between profitability and liquidity, of insurance companies in Mauritius by using regression models and correlation analysis. The goal of any business is to make profits. If it does not make profit, it will soon go out of existence. Business need to ensure that it has enough money not only to cover expenses, but ensures that something is left over. Profitability of a company can be affected by many factors, among which there is liquidity. Every stakeholder has an interest in the liquidity position of his related company. Employees are also having interest in the liquidity of their company in order to know whether the company can meet its employees related obligations that are salary, pension, and provident fund. Shareholders are interested in understanding the liquidity due to its huge impact on the profitability. One can understand the liquidity position by analyzing the financial statements of a company. Liquidity position of a company can examined through financing decisions or investment decisions. 1.1 Definition of Liquidity Liquidity is defined as the ability of a company to meet its short term obligations. It is also the ability of the company to convert its assets into cash. It is more explicitly the ability of a company to meet the cash demands of its policy and contract holders with no or negligible loss (Claire et al., 2000). The assets and liabilities of a company reflect its liquidity profile. Since liquidity risk is inherent in the financial institutions, one must be able to understand measure, monitor and manage this risk (Douglas and Raghuram, 2001). Liquidity Risk According to Claire et al., (2000), liquidity is the ability to meet expected and unexpected demands for cash through ongoing cash flow or the sale of an asset at fair market value. Liquidity risk is the risk that, at a point in time, an entity will be in short of cash or liquid assets to attain its cash obligations (Darling, 1999). This may result in a run-on-the-company event, which is an example of loss due to this risk which causes the collapse of an institution. This type of event can occur during a depression whereby most customers ask to have their cash paid immediately and that demand exceeded cash reserves. Other less dramatic losses can occur when a company needs to borrow unexpectedly or sell assets at an unanticipated low price (Stewart and Raghuram, 1998) 1.2 Profitability Profitability is defined as the ability of a company to generate income which surpasses its liabilities. Profitability is measured by different ratios such as, Return on Equity (ROE), Price to Earnings Ratio (PER) and Return on Assets (ROA) amongst others. The measurement of profitability is essential to every company (Eljelly, 2004). Insurance regulators either encourage profitability, when concerned with solvency, or seek to limit it, when regulating rates. To investors and insurers, profitability plays an essential role. To policyholders of a stock insurer, it sounds like markup, while to those insured by a mutual company, it has no impact (McClenahan, 1999). Enz and Karl (2001), state that profitability is subject to consistent and accurate determination under a given set of conventions and accounting rules. Profits are important to investors and management as sources of dividends and growth. Profits provide better security against insolvency to insurers and regulators. 1.3 Background on Insurance Sectors in Mauritius The first two insurance companies (Phoenix Assurance Company and the Commercial Union) were set up in 1835 by the British. In 1845, the Mauritius Marine Insurance was formed by Mauritian shareholders. A second Mauritian company was set up called the Mauritius Fire Insurance company in 1854. From that time till date, new companies have emerged. Presently there are 16 insurance companies operating in Mauritius. All these companies are engaged in Life business, General business or both. INSURANCE COMPANY LINE OF OPERATION Anglo Mauritius Assurance Co Ltd Life Insurance Albatross Insurance Co Ltd Life General Insurance British American Insurance Co Ltd Life General Insurance Island Life Assurance Co Ltd Life Insurance Indian Ocean General Assurance Co Ltd Life General Insurance Jubilee Insurance Mauritius Ltd Life General Insurance Llyods Mauritius Co Ltd Life General Insurance La Prudence Mauricienne Assurance Ltd Life General Insurance Lamco International Insurance Ltd Life General Insurance Life Insurance Corporation of India Life Insurance Mauritian Eagle Co Ltd Life General Insurance Mauritius Union Assurance Co Ltd Life General Insurance New India Assurance Company ltd General Insurance Swan Insurance Co Ltd General Insurance State Insurance Company of Mauritius Ltd Life General Insurance Sun Insurance Company Ltd Life General Insurance Table 1.1: List of Insurance Companies and their respective lines of operation 1.3.1 Liquidity issues in Mauritius Each insurance company has their own structures and policies to manage all the risks in their operations including liquidity. In addition, they have to abide by the guidelines on liquidity provided by the Financial Services Commission and Section 23 of the Insurance Act 2005. Insurance companies have also to develop a contingency plan which should help them manage their liquidity on a global consolidated basis. Recent technological and financial innovations have provided insurance companies new means to finance their activities and to manage their liquidity (Vittas, 2003). The liquidity of insurance companies should usually be well planned since the frequency, timing and severity of insurance claims and benefits are quite uncertain (Levene, 2003). Insurance companies obtain their liquidity through (i) Underwriting: Underwriting is calculated as premium revenues subtract payments and operating expenditures; (ii) Investment Income: Investment income consists of dividends, realized capital gains on stocks and coupon payments and principal payments on bonds and (iii) Asset Liquidation: Assets liquidation is primarily concerned with stock sales and bonds on the financial markets (Holden and Ellis, 1993). 1.4 Problem Statement The eventual measure of efficiency of the liquidity planning and control is the effect it has on profitability. The companies preference of high return on assets to increase their profitability affects their liquidity positions. As a result, a study in the insurance sector in Mauritius is carried out to confirm this statement. 1.4.1 Research Objectives The research objectives of the study are as follows: i. To assess the impact of liquidity on profitability of Mauritian insurance companies ii. To determine the relationship between liquidity and profitability iii. To evaluate the impact and significance of the different liquidity ratios on profitability 1.4.2 Aim and Objectives of the Dissertation The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the relation between profitability and liquidity within the Mauritian context, in particular in the insurance sector. An econometric model would be used for this research study. The same model will be used to test the impact of liquidity on profitability of thirteen insurance companies, namely Anglo Mauritius Assurance Co Ltd, Albatross Insurance Co Ltd, British American Insurance Co Ltd, Island Life Assurance Co Ltd, Indian Ocean General Assurance Co Ltd, Jubilee Insurance Mauritius Ltd, Llyods Mauritius Co Ltd, Lamco International Insurance Ltd, Mauritian Eagle Co Ltd, Mauritius Union Assurance Co Ltd, Swan Insurance Co Ltd, State Insurance Company of Mauritius Ltd and Sun Insurance Company Ltd. 1.5 Outline of the Dissertation 1.5.1 Chapter 1: Introduction The introduction gives an overview on liquidity risk and explains why it is an important area for research, in particular in the insurance sector in Mauritius. It gives a clear and concise statement of the aim and objectives of this dissertation. 1.5.2 Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter is wholly a review of existing literature on liquidity and any relevant articles related to liquidity issue have been considered. This will help to put the proposed research in a relevant context and ensure that up-to-date techniques are used for the analysis in this research study. 1.5.3 Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter describes the methods and estimation techniques used to compute estimates of the parameters in the econometric model and explain the equations being used. It also outlines the sources of data collection. Finally, the limitations of the study are outlined in this chapter. 1.5.4 Chapter 4: Results and Findings Chapter 4 presents the Analysis of data and findings. Tables, graphs and figures are usually used in this chapter to better illustrate graphically the results of this research study. The data was analysed using EViews 7 and the findings will be discussed. The latter will enable comparison that will either confirm or contradict expectations. 1.5.5 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations This final chapter presents the conclusions reached based on the findings of the previous chapter. Finally, some suggestions for further research in liquidity will also be presented.

A Personal Philosophy of Music Education Essay -- Teaching Education E

A Personal Philosophy of Music Education Few would argue against the idea that we educate ourselves and our society so that we have adequate means with which to understand and interact with elements of the world around us. Subjects such as mathematics, language, history, and the hard sciences are granted immediate and unquestioned legitimacy in our schools, and with good reason. We encounter each of these elements of our lives on a daily basis. We need to have an understanding of these disciplines in order to interact with them, otherwise they are meaningless to us. I submit that the same can be said for the fundamental concepts of music. Music is something that we encounter in our society every day. It surrounds us. Indeed it would be practically impossible to escape. Like so many other naturally occurring phenomena, a discipline has been developed over centuries to help us interact with music, and that discipline is what I and those of my profession are charged with teaching. Before addressing the need for music instruction in our schools I would like to briefly examine the need for education of any kind. Education is a means of making sure our society has a given set of knowledge. The set of knowledge we perceive ourselves as needing changes based on our surroundings and the issues we are dealing with. In American education's early history we perceived ourselves as needing a set of knowledge that included a common language and common view of history, as well as knowledge of those things with which we would interact every day. In many ways early public education was more a means of social control than an altruistic endeavor. In today's climate we see ourselves as having more diverse needs in our education... ...ure we have a musically literate society. There are many more examples of this commitment throughout our history. Essentially I believe that in today's society music literacy is a necessary skill for us all to have to successfully encounter and interact with the world around us. Reasons for teaching music as a school subject are consistent with the reasons that we educate ourselves about anything else. Furthermore, we have shown a commitment in the past to creating a musically literate society, and events in today's world only strengthen the need to continue that commitment. Works Cited Lebuta, Joseph A. & Smith, Deborah A. Music Education: Historical Contexts and Perspectives. (1997) Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall. Lehman, Paul R. et all. The School Music Program: A New Vision. (1994). Reston, VA. Music Educators National Conference. A Personal Philosophy of Music Education Essay -- Teaching Education E A Personal Philosophy of Music Education Few would argue against the idea that we educate ourselves and our society so that we have adequate means with which to understand and interact with elements of the world around us. Subjects such as mathematics, language, history, and the hard sciences are granted immediate and unquestioned legitimacy in our schools, and with good reason. We encounter each of these elements of our lives on a daily basis. We need to have an understanding of these disciplines in order to interact with them, otherwise they are meaningless to us. I submit that the same can be said for the fundamental concepts of music. Music is something that we encounter in our society every day. It surrounds us. Indeed it would be practically impossible to escape. Like so many other naturally occurring phenomena, a discipline has been developed over centuries to help us interact with music, and that discipline is what I and those of my profession are charged with teaching. Before addressing the need for music instruction in our schools I would like to briefly examine the need for education of any kind. Education is a means of making sure our society has a given set of knowledge. The set of knowledge we perceive ourselves as needing changes based on our surroundings and the issues we are dealing with. In American education's early history we perceived ourselves as needing a set of knowledge that included a common language and common view of history, as well as knowledge of those things with which we would interact every day. In many ways early public education was more a means of social control than an altruistic endeavor. In today's climate we see ourselves as having more diverse needs in our education... ...ure we have a musically literate society. There are many more examples of this commitment throughout our history. Essentially I believe that in today's society music literacy is a necessary skill for us all to have to successfully encounter and interact with the world around us. Reasons for teaching music as a school subject are consistent with the reasons that we educate ourselves about anything else. Furthermore, we have shown a commitment in the past to creating a musically literate society, and events in today's world only strengthen the need to continue that commitment. Works Cited Lebuta, Joseph A. & Smith, Deborah A. Music Education: Historical Contexts and Perspectives. (1997) Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall. Lehman, Paul R. et all. The School Music Program: A New Vision. (1994). Reston, VA. Music Educators National Conference.

A Comparison of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Importance of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf Literary history is a history of the major literary traditions, movements, works, and authors of a country, region, etc. (Barber 837). The understanding of literary history allows us insight into the past, a recognition of historical events and tensions written into the works of those who witnessed them. By including societal behaviors, political tensions, and common folklore, historical authors have indirectly provided the reader with a broader and deeper understanding of the literature and the period in which it was written. Besides insight into collective societal culture, literary history has provided future writers with models of poetic device, style and content influencing literary works and building upon past literary ideas. Literary history is a vehicle to understanding the past and plays a major role in its influence on literature up to and including the present day. Knowledge of historical literature gives us insight into the traditions and societal conventions of the time in which the piece was written. One outstanding example comes from Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is a literary work which enables a reader to glimpse not only the societal customs but into the savage and seemingly uncontrollable environment of the first century. Literary historian, Raymond Chambers points out that in the fight between Grendel and Beowulf it appears as though Grendel is representative of the degraded form of human life attempting to gain power through violence, in his attempt to overthrow Hrothgar and take control of Heorot he is fatally wounded by Beowulf. Beowulf is a character who exemplifies the collective societal agreement as to the role of a hero and his duty to control a seemingly ungovernable environment (Chambers 46). The Beowulf poet describes Grendel and Beowulf as "Both ..enraged, fury filled, the two who meant to control the hall." (Beowulf 36). The fight for control of the hall could be seen as representative of the struggle between good and evil or perhaps the control of the king over an uncontrollable people. Taking into account Mr. Chambers explanation of Grendel, a reader may also reason that the dragon symbolizes a threat from outside the human realm. One notes that the dragon is not given the humanistic qualities of Grendel, he has no kin and appears to have no mortal thoughts. Due to his lack of humanistic characteristics, the reader may believe that the dragon is less representative of a human threat such as an enemy warrior, etc. A Comparison of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf :: comparison compare contrast essays The Importance of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf Literary history is a history of the major literary traditions, movements, works, and authors of a country, region, etc. (Barber 837). The understanding of literary history allows us insight into the past, a recognition of historical events and tensions written into the works of those who witnessed them. By including societal behaviors, political tensions, and common folklore, historical authors have indirectly provided the reader with a broader and deeper understanding of the literature and the period in which it was written. Besides insight into collective societal culture, literary history has provided future writers with models of poetic device, style and content influencing literary works and building upon past literary ideas. Literary history is a vehicle to understanding the past and plays a major role in its influence on literature up to and including the present day. Knowledge of historical literature gives us insight into the traditions and societal conventions of the time in which the piece was written. One outstanding example comes from Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is a literary work which enables a reader to glimpse not only the societal customs but into the savage and seemingly uncontrollable environment of the first century. Literary historian, Raymond Chambers points out that in the fight between Grendel and Beowulf it appears as though Grendel is representative of the degraded form of human life attempting to gain power through violence, in his attempt to overthrow Hrothgar and take control of Heorot he is fatally wounded by Beowulf. Beowulf is a character who exemplifies the collective societal agreement as to the role of a hero and his duty to control a seemingly ungovernable environment (Chambers 46). The Beowulf poet describes Grendel and Beowulf as "Both ..enraged, fury filled, the two who meant to control the hall." (Beowulf 36). The fight for control of the hall could be seen as representative of the struggle between good and evil or perhaps the control of the king over an uncontrollable people. Taking into account Mr. Chambers explanation of Grendel, a reader may also reason that the dragon symbolizes a threat from outside the human realm. One notes that the dragon is not given the humanistic qualities of Grendel, he has no kin and appears to have no mortal thoughts. Due to his lack of humanistic characteristics, the reader may believe that the dragon is less representative of a human threat such as an enemy warrior, etc.

Analysis of the Closet Scene in Hamlet the Movie Essay -- essays rese

Hamlet is often seen as one of the most well known examples of an Oedipus Complex presented in literature. The reasons for this is probably because of the plot that resolves around the revenge that Hamlet has against his step-father Claudius and because of the relationship that Hamlet has with his mother that is loaded with sexual energy. Hamlet's love for his mother is especially exemplified by the Mel Gibson's interpretation of the infamous closet scene. Traditionally a Queen's closet was not worth emphasizing a bedroom, but it is likely that most of the readers would presume that the closet scene takes place in Gertrude?s bedroom because of the obsession that Hamlet has about Gertrude?s bed. When Hamlet responds to his mother?s summons and comes to her closet, he invades a very private place where customarily a woman would only entertain her husband or a lover. For an adult son to do this, intimations of erotic possibilities are almost inevitable because the son crosses the line into the enclosure of his mother?s privacy to encounter her as a sexualized subject. The room that Olivier created for Gertrude contained a lot of scenery to convey a subliminal message. The tall doors look phallic-shaped and the bed is the center of attention most of the time. The bed is also much more lit than the rest of the room that emphasizes the importance of it. The way Gertrude kisses Hamlet in the Olivier, can be signifiers of the sexuality that is going in between her and Hamlet. The kisses are not what the everyday person interprets as platonic and it is almost as if Hamlet and Gertrude are drawn closer and closer because of the passion between them, in order that their faces are only inches apart. The last kiss between Gertrude and ... ...e other movies. She takes every opportunity to kiss Hamlet fully on the mouth, sometimes even lingering on the lips. It is almost as if Hamlet?s Oedipal cravings is a given in this movie. At one time Hamlet is even thrusting his lions against Gertrude that suggest a signifier of sexual intercourse. When the ghost appears it is as if it is just in time to stop Hamlet and Gertrude from having full-fledged intercourse. Gertrude does not seem to mind this at all in the way she caresses Hamlet unquestionably more representative of the display of affection one associates with a lover than a mother. The conclusion is that the Oedipus Complex definitely plays an integral role in the most of the movies made about Hamlet. Two of the three films I discussed are clearly paradigmatic, as each has in some way further contributed to the idea of Hamlet?s aberrant sexual feelings.

Value Chain and Competitive Forces

Value Chain and Competitive Forces: Effects of Information Technology Module 2 Case John Dow ITM524: Fundamentals of Information Technology Management Dr. Somebody Somebody February 4, 2012 Introduction Businesses are established with the sole reason to provide a product or service to a customer with the intend to make a profit. The amount of time, effort, and resources spend should generate a profit. Then, the profit depends â€Å"on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay of the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain† (NetMBA. om). Ideally, these products and/or services outpace the competition. In order to do so, Michael Port, suggest a company must sustain long-term profitability (Porter, 2008). He suggests one must look beyond your direct competitors; as explained in his revolutionary 1979 HBR article and further defined in 2008. There, he identifies â€Å"the five forces that shape industry competition†, for businesses to utilize in shaping a strategic vision for long-term sustainability; or better know for the organizations’ sustainability. This paper will deliver as points of discussion or analysis the value chain and competitive forces based on ‘The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations article and cases; and what, if any, affects did Information Technology have on the value chain and competitive forces on those five organizations. Mini Case # 1 – A Better Place In the first mini case, a company called Better Place presents its challenge within timely opportunity. It wants to enable the fastest way to bring electronic filling stations, as future technology, to a market of electronic vehicles. To gain a â€Å"first in† advantage of this new market, the company takes in to full consideration the Cost Advantage and the Value Chain. As identified by Porter, on e of the 10 cost drivers related to the value chain activities is geographical location and timing of market entry. Furthermore, ‘Differentiation and the Value Chain’ analysis was taken into consideration; in other words, the ‘uniqueness’ to gain advantages. Again, Porter identified several drivers of uniqueness. The ones applicable here are (1) policies, (2) timing, (3) location, at a minimum. Developing a strategy to maintain sustainability, or as some novice management called it â€Å"maintain business viability† (Fromartz, S. (2009), is key to ensure long-term success. Better Place’s strategy is accruing a competitive advantage in removing a major barrier to the widespread adaption of electric cars by identifying favorable locations. Mini Case # 2 – Nike Nike had a unique challenge to overcome compliance over criticism of labor practices and capitalize on sustainability efforts. Identifying waste in product design and manufacturing enabled cost savings of $700 million a year. After careful analysis of technology and the value chain, Nike identified inbound and operations technology (The Value Chain, NetMBA. com). Technology was a key enabler to analyze and identify excess materials utilized in manufacturing. For example, it was found it took three shoes’ worth of material to produce just two. A complete Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) approach was adopted. BPR is the analysis and design of workflows and processes within an organization (wikipidia. com). Nike outsourced a value chain activity by hiring experts into the process, like Dow DuPont, and BASF. This enabled the company to evaluate and improve its supply system. The result speaks for itself, as identified above. One could suspect that by definition, an Enterprise Resource Planning Software was integrated or modified to identify the shortcomings in Nike’s supply chain (ERP Definition and Solution CIO. com). Mini Case # 3 – Rio Tinto In its quest for sustainability, Rio Tinto’s challenge was to obtain a â€Å"social license† to operate and nurture the local labor force needed by creating operations â€Å"respectful to the environment, respectful of our employees, that is seen to be sustainable,† said CEO Tom Albanese (Fromartz, S. 2009). Within technology and the value system, this called for an emphasis on media relations to disseminate information to the local community and its leaders. Solid communication practices, i. e. strategic communications, was of the utmost importance to gain the respect and acceptance of the population. Perhaps by obtaining the acceptance of the local population, Rio Tinto was able to mitigate any threats from new entrants into the market at the specific location as well; allowing control of one of the five forces that shape industry competition to remain in check. Finally, helping to form the International Council on Mining and Metals should have allowed them strategic power over existing competitors (another of the 5 forces). Mini Case # 4 – General Electric General Electric’s (GE) challenge was to create a new business in sustainability. GE saw profitable business opportunity in helping companies save energy. To mitigate the ‘Rivalry among Existing Competitors’, GE’s focused on bringing new capacity and was still able to produce pressure on prices; mitigating negative price competition. As Porter mentioned: â€Å"Rivalry is especially destructive to profitability if it gravitates solely to price because price competition transfers profits directly form an industry to its customers. (Porter, 2008) From an information technology standpoint, GE concentrated on effectively measuring the amount of energy savings its products can produce and utilized the data as a proof of concept to customers who were interested in obtaining likewise results. This energy savings called Ecoimagination sold solutions within GE and out of GE; resulting in the company’s saving of $100 million and cut of greenhouse-gas effect by 41%. As the proof of concept was accepted and implemented; GE was invested $4 billion and reaped sales of $17 billion in 2008 (Fromartz, S. (2009). Mini Case # 5 – Wal-Mart Creative new ways of supplying products to the customer has enabled Wal-Mart to ‘green the supply chain’, thereby boosting savings and increase profits to enable enduring sustainability. Wal-Mart identified its criteria down into the supply chain on a three stage path (Fromartz, S. (2009). It sourced information to more than 100,000 supplies about their energy and greenhouse-gas emissions. Then, measured their products throughout their life-cycle and finally made it transparent to the customer. It’s focus on a greener product reaped rewards in a more efficient production, less waste and lower emissions. This effort enabled cost-savings to such an extensive degree that Wal-Mart is able to pass on to the customer—enabling the superstore to maintain a competitive edge†¦a strategy for sustainability. Conclusions In conclusion, innovative approaches give companies an edge over competitive forces within the business value chain. Information technology is a key enabler to gather and disseminate information in a timely fashion; enabling key decision makers with crucial information. Therefore, one must realize technology changes constantly and keeping up with its change is continuous improvement process. References CIO. com. ERP (Enterprice Resource Planning) Definition and Solution. Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from http://www. cio. com/article/40323/ERP_ Definition_ and_Solutions Fromartz, S. (2009). The Mini-Cases: 5 Companies, 5 Strategies, 5 Transformations. MITSloan Management Review, Fall 2009, Volume 51, Number 1. NetMBA Business Knowledge Centers. The Value Chain. Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://www. netmba. com/ strategy/value-chain/ Porter, M. (2008), The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://hbr. Org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape- Strategy/ar/1 Wikipidia. com. Definition of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Business_process_ reengineering

Sport Policy and Development- Discuss the Relationship Between Sport and Crime Reduction and Critically Assess the Benefits/Limitations That Sport Presents in Achieving Positive Results.

Sport Policy and Development- Summative 1 Discuss the relationship between sport and crime reduction and critically assess the benefits/limitations that sport presents in achieving positive results. In this piece of literature there will be an in depth discussion of the complicated relationship between sport and crime. There will be a lot of focus on the debate of whether sport plays a positive role in crime reduction in society, and in what ways sport can be used as a method to lower crime in society.This essay will endeavour to critically examine both the benefits and limitations of sport to achieve positive results in reducing crime in society. The fact is that crime in society isn’t a straight forward issue, it is extremely complex. In this section there will be an assessment of the reasons for why sport is believed to either reduce or influence crime. There are multiple theories to suggest that sport can be used in society as a mechanism to produce a positive influence ov er crime in all areas of society.There are many theories for why communities see a reduction in criminal activities when good sports policies are implemented and carried out. One of the theories for this was explored in Mutz and Baur` investigation in 2009 into youths’ involvement in conflict and violence and the role of sport in preventing it. They wrote about the crime opportunity theory, they said that offenders often act â€Å"in a purposive and instrumental- rational manner insofar as they evaluate the cost and benefit that might accompany an offence in a given situation. In other words the perceived likelihood of detection and the effected severity of the punishment define the cost of a crime. They go on to say that the presence of people significantly reduces the likelihood of crimes being committed. This theory has been used to prove that sport can reduce crime, particularly in youths. It is evident to see that deviant actions are dramatically reduced in the presence of authority; figures that monitor the adolescents whilst taking part in physical activity. In many cases this time can be used to witness youths’ misdemeanours and negatively reinforce these actions therefore bettering them (Mutz and Baur,. 009). However, there are researchers that oppose this notion that this theory reduces crime in society as a whole but instead most of the time simply delays the crime until away from that environment. An article in `Sport Illustrated by Jeff Benedict (2010) spoke about how instances of serious felonies perpetrated by college athletes who train round the clock are on the increase. This not only directly contradicts the opportunity theory but Benedict goes on to talk about how these athletes were protected by their sporting status and received reduced sentences or no sentence at all.This suggests that sport is possibly increasing crime due to the providing immunity and disrespect for the law in effect glorifying criminal activity (Benedict ,. 2010). Another theory that supports these structured supervised sports sessions for youth in the attempt to reduce crime is Fred Coalter` â€Å"Antidote to boredom theory†. This theory is a common sense assumption on the old phrase â€Å"the devil finds work for idle hands† and links in with the crime opportunity theory.It suggests that â€Å"much adolescent crime is opportunity led and giving people something (hopefully constructive) to do hopefully keeps them out of harm’s way†. In other words in the promotion of sport and a productive activity it therefore reduces the temptation to participate in deviant activity (Coalter,. 2007). It has been theorised that young people, the majority of which are adolescent males, display aggressive or violent tendencies whilst frustrated or angry, this is said to be due to an instincts that we are born with. It was famously stated by Sigmund Freud (1925) that in certain scenarios we are â€Å"born to be bad† .In more recent years this theory has been proven to be indeed fact and under further investigation it is thought that when a person behaves aggressively these actions release hormones resulting in catharsis, a word derived from the Greek word katharsis which means to purge/cleanse the body. Behaving like this reduces pent up negative tension; this in turn enables temper regulation more easily. Sport replicates these feelings of aggression and simulates the catharsis of aggression therefore releasing frustration that leads to a state known as `emotional cleansing`.This acts as a positive tool with adolescents so that aggression is released in a productive and safe environment and suggests that sports that require more aggression, such as all contact sports should see a reduced participation in crime from those individuals (Widmeyer et al,. 2002). The Social Bonding theory as theorised by Hirschi in 1969 consists of 4 elements these being `attachment to families, commitment to social norms, institutions and involvement in activities and the belief that these things are important`.This theory suggests people who produce social ties with positive role models; these being either friends or family, particularly from a young age promote socially acceptable behaviours and attitudes and are reinforced more effectively. These behaviours and attitudes could be any or all of the 4 elements that in turn reduce the likelihood of criminal participation. Commitment or responsibility inspires pride in one’s self and helps promote self-confidence.Involvement in conventional activities such as sport can provide life direction and a provide focus for people at risk of committing crimes. Finally, belief is the acceptance of moral validity of the central social- value system (Wiatrowski et al, . 1981). Sport is a great medium to induce the social bonding perspective onto society because sport ethics are a mirror image of those we find in every day society (e. g. hard work, abiding rules, teamwork etc.. ) therefore it tightens bonds to moral codes and in turn limits the likelihood of committing criminal acts (Miethe and Meier,. 994 ). The social learning theory (SLT) suggests that individual behavioural patterns particularly that of minors are heavily influenced by observation, imitation and reinforcement (Grusec,. 1997). This theory provides arguments for both sides of this argument. On the one hand an argument can be made that contact and noncontact sports can teach strong moral codes to play by the rules or suffer negative consequences, work hard at everything you do in order to receive just rewards, and maintain interpersonal skills in order to maintain strong relationships that help teamwork.These positive behaviours and attitudes are then in theory adopted in to other areas of life, therefore reducing crime participation (Biel and Bienne,. 2008). For example studies have shown that contact sport if taught correctly can display a positive reductio ns in crime, Trulson found that the traditional philosophical and psychological elements were vital to be effective in reducing the risk factors associated with offending, if these elements are removed combat sport was instead associated with an increase in criminal behaviour.This is a prime example of SLT (Endresen and Olweus,. 2005). This evidence suggests that sport isn’t as clear cut as that and in fact sport in most scenarios promotes aggression and even encourages violence towards other people, but it is acceptable because it is in a sports environment. Examples of this could be manufactured fouls in football or the more obvious displays of violence in contact sports. Some theorists believe that SLT and crime participation can be related to these sports because of the skills and attitudes taught in order to be successful within the game e. g. win at all costs†, intimidate, be strong and powerful to get your own way, defend team mates. All these can lead to individ uals being more likely to become involved in violence than those people that have other leisure activities (Hickley,. 2008). Quite clearly there is what some might perceive as very contentious points raised in many areas of this study, and a lot of literature seems to have an abundance of contradictory dimensions. Having read various pieces of literature it is easy to see why there is so much disagreement where crime reduction and sport initiatives are concerned.An example of these controversies is in the first point raised, that sport provides an environment in the spot light where people can take part in productive, non-deviant activities and possibly allow social workers to enforce positive attitudes to law abiding and team work. However, to say that this prevents crime full stop is naive and some researchers suggest that methods such as late night basketball is not economically viable in relation the amount of crime in prevents (Hartman and Depro,. 2006).Research also suggest th at sport as an antidote for boredom falls across similar traits in the sense that yes there is an increase in crime particularly amongst youths during periods of perceived boredom and yes sport does act as a remedy for this. However this only displays short term results in reducing crime in a percentage of adolescent males and virtually no females regardless of age. This is because as soon as the youths get bored of the activities very often they would revert back to manufactured excitement in the medium of crime and deviant activity (Levermore,. 2011)The second contentious issue concerns the social learning theory’s effect on crime through sport. The positives and negatives of sports’ influences on crime are heavily debated in research of this type especially within contact sport communities. As discussed earlier sport provides an environment were positive attitudes and behaviours can be learnt, refined and reinforced particularly within crime `at risk` areas and demo nstrate positive results. However, studies show that contact sports display opposite results where untroubled youths are concerned and can in fact increase crime participation within these groups.This is said to run the risk of `overdosing` minor offenders with interventions which is known to increase crime participation (Jenkins and Ellis,. 2011 ). This of course creates a paradox because if contact sport interventions are only appropriate for at risk communities, should they only be accessible to individuals at the risk of offending this would obviously produce social stigmas, labelling and social segregation leading to possible social tensions that incite conflict.Or should this particular policy area available to everyone at risk seducing those without prior criminal involvement with the violence of contact sport therefore providing the potential for corruption? However when considering contact sports popularity in society there does seem to be a lack of interventions that use i t as a tool to reduce criminal activity.The main limiting factors when questioning the positives and negatives of sport and its effectiveness as a crime reduction strategy in society is that more empirical research into the short and long-term benefits is needed along with a correct understanding of the type of programme that is appropriate for different social groups and the strategies that can effectively implement long lasting effects, merely establishing a statistical association for short periods of time in insufficient (Nichols,. 1999).The second limiting factor is the lack of research as regards to the effect of sport and intervention to crime in the older community and all female groups. There is virtually no evidence to suggest that sport helps female offenders. However this may be because statistically speaking males are responsible for 74% of crimes committed and it is common sense that initiatives are aimed at culprits, (British Crime Statistics) although a feminist pers pective in this policy area could be beneficial (Coakley and Pike,. 009) As these points suggest, making the policy with the aim to reduce crime in society is very difficult and it seems that there will never be any middle ground on the subject. However with all the academic and statistical literature taken into account there was a common theme in the majority of them. The conclusion that most studies drew was that there is still no evidence to suggest that sport has an influence over crime in society in either direction.Smith and Waddington concluded that â€Å"despite vast numbers of such community schemes currently in operation in the UK, there is still very little evidence for their effectiveness in reducing and preventing crime and drug abuse †(Smith and Waddington,. 2004). This is supported by various other academic articles (Caruso,. 2011, Coalter,. 2005, Nichols and Crow,. 2004). In my opinion the best way to combat crime is via top quality coaching in communities tha t teach appropriate values that sports uphold and therefore can be transferred into everyday society.Secondly, the correlation between contact sports, physical violence and aggression in society and reoffending criminality is too high and causes to many social problems, therefore I feel it would be better if initiatives are designed around non-contact sports, so when unnecessary aggression is portrayed it is reinforced with negative consequences e. g. card, sending off. This is transferable to everyday life.Thirdly, I believe that sport crime interventions are the best resource we have in terms of cost efficiency, documented research and developed programmes and it is likely that any other initiatives would show the exact same results if not worse. With this in mind we should heed the evidence that suggests the best way to target crime in society when using the medium of sport is by targeting the impressionable youth community, we should continue this focus. However for more decisiv e conclusions to be drawn from studies in this area there needs to be more extensive, more representative and more investment in longitudinal studies.References D. J Begg, J. D Langley, T. Moffittand S. W. Marshall. (1996). Sport and delinquency: an examination of the deterrence hypothesis in a longitudinal study. British Journal of Sport Medicine. 30 (4), 335-341. J. Benedict . (2010). An alarming number of college athletes charged with serious crime. Available: http://sportsillustrated. cnn. com/2010/writers/jeff_benedict/09/08/athletes. crime/index. html. Last accessed 2nd February . Biel and Bienne. (2008). Evidence in the field of Sport and Development: An overview. Schwery Consulting . 1 (1), 4-14 . R. Caruso. (2011).Crime and sport participation: Evidence from Italian regions over the period 1997–2003 . The Journal of Socio-Economics. 40 (5), 455-463. J. Coakley and E. Pike . (2009). Using social theories: How can they help us study sports in society?. In: M. Havelock, J. Fray and J. Bishop, Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. London: McGraw-Hill Education . 49-51. F. Coalter. (2005). The Social Benefits of Sport. An Overview to Inform the Community Planning Process. 1 (98), 25-31. F. Coalter (2007 ). A Wider Social Role For Sport: Who`s Keeping Score?. London : Routledge . 119- 12 . I. M. Endresen and D. Olweus . (2005).Participation in power sports and antisocial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 46 (5), 468-478. J. E. Grusec. (1997). Social Learning Theory and Developmental Psychology: The Legacies of Robert Sears and Albert Bandura . Developmental Psychology . 28 (5), 776-786 D. Hartman and B. Depro . (2006). Re-thinking sport-based community crime prevention: a preliminary analysis of the relationship between Midnight Basketball and urban crime rates. Journal of Sport & Social Issues. 30 (2), 180-96. C. Hickey. (2008). Physical Education, sport and Hyper-masculinity in Schools. Sport, Education and Society . 13 (2), 147-1 61.C. Jenkins and T. Ellis . (2011). The highway to Hooliganism? An evaluation of the impact of combat sport participation an individual criminality. International Journal of Police Science and Management . 13 (2), 117-131. R. Levermore. (2011). Evaluating sport for development: approaches and critical issues. Progress in Development Studies. 11 (4), 339-353. T. McEntire. (2006). 10 Benefits of Playing Sports. Available: http://www. families. com/blog/10-benefits-of-playing-sports. Last accessed 2nd February . T. D. Miethe and R. F. Meier (1994). Social Context: Toward an Intergraded Theory of Offenders, Victims and Situation .New York: State University of New York . 9- 27. M. Mutz and J. Baur. (2009). The role of sports for violence prevention: Sport club participation and violent behavior among adolescents . International Journal of Sport Policy. 1 (3), 305-321. G. Nichols . (1999). The difficulties of Justifying local authority sports and leisure programmes for young people with reference to an objective of crime reduction . Vista . 6 (2), 151-164. G. Nichols and I. Crow. (2004). Measuring the Impact of Crime Reduction Interventions Involving Sports Activities for Young People . The Howard Journal. 43 (3), 267–283.A. Smith and I. Waddington . (2004 ). Using `sport and community schemes` to tackle crime and drug use among young people: some policy issues and problems . European Physical Education Review . 10 (3), 279-298. M. D. Wiatrowski, D. B. Griswold and M. K. Roberts. (1981). Social Control Theory and Delinquency. American Sociological Review. 46 (5), 525-541. W. N. Widmeyer, S. R. Bray, K. D. Dorsch and E. J. Mcguire . (2002). Explanations for the Occurrence of Aggression . In: J. M. Silva and D. E. Stevens Psychological Foundations of Sport . Boston : A Pearson Education Company . 352-353.

Christmas tree Essay

Art is an object or piece of work that brings one pleasure. Art is also something you see or feel and you cannot even begin to describe the ways you like it or how it makes you feel. Art is something that portrays beauty and happiness. Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective. Most art seems to tell a story about where a person has been and the things they have encountered along the way. It lets you connect with the artist and see things through their eyes. Art is a way of expressing one’s self without words. When I think of art, I think of paintings, portraits, sketches, and sculptures. I know there are many other forms of art, but my favorite form is painting. I normally respond first to the mood of the art and the idea it brings to mind. I like art that makes me feel happy. Second I would say I respond to the colors in the art. I like warm and soothing colors. I prefer scenery in art work. I like paintings of autumn, filled with warm oranges and yellows in the trees, country roads covered with fallen leaves. Those kinds of paintings make me feel warm and happy. One of my favorite autumn scenes is by Robert A Tino, a local artist in Sevierville, TN. It is called Autumn Psalm. It is a small country church setting just off of a country road lined with trees. The trees in the painting are almost bare, and the beautiful autumn leaves are scattered on the ground. This painting gives me a sense of peace and happiness. The content of art is not quite as important to me as the way it makes me feel. I love works of art that portray a place that I have been or know. It is nice to see something you are familiar with from another person’s perspective. For instance, Harrisburg Holiday, another great work of art by Robert A Tino. It is a painting of a covered bridge that I am very familiar with, but he has painted it as he saw it in 1975. It is a beautiful winter scene. He paints the roads covered with snow and an old red Chevy truck hauling a Christmas tree. The scene has two snowmen at the entrance to the covered bridge. It fills your heart with warmth and holiday spirit just to look at it. Portraits to me are art in a different sense. Some of my favorite portraits are by Martin Waugh. It is what he calls Liquid Sculpture. He uses high speed photography to capture drops of liquid as the splash into lakes and other bodies of water. To me there is just something so soothing about his work. It is amazing how a tiny drop of liquid can create such a beautiful work of art. His work impresses me, because I never really thought of liquid as art before I saw one of his photos. The formal qualities of art work are somewhat important. I like paintings that flow smoothly with very fine brush strokes. I think some of the most beautiful art work is produced with a combination of canvas and oil paints. I like portraits that capture images I normally could not see otherwise. Portraits that capture the colors you can see when light reflects on a ripple of water amaze me. I do not know a great deal about art, but art seems to be much more opinion than fact.

Analytical Paper: Justin Martyr, First Apology Essay

Justin Martyr was the Greek apologist of Christianity who lived in the 2nd c. A. D. He was famous for his two Apologies (the First Apology dates back to about A. D. 155, rediscovered in 1364 ), and the Dialogue with Trypho. Both Chadwick and Richardson called him one of the most prominent advocates of Christian faith due to the most genuine spirit and voluminosity. The First Apology is addressed to the emperor Antoninus Pius and his confidants. The eloquent speech, which sometimes resembles of Platonic dialogues or defensive declaration in classic court, explains to the hostile prevailing authorities the foundations of Christian theology from the point of a true believer. As Richardson noted, the work was not recklessly structured, so far as it was difficult for commentators â€Å"to find a clear outline. † There is a scheme of the Apology given in chapter 23, though it â€Å"is hard to follow through in detail. † However, Richardson observed a distinctive rhetorical scheme consisting of seven themes: Plea for a Fair Hearing (chs. 1 to 8), The Faith and Life of Christians (chs. 9 to 20), Superiority of Christianity to Paganism (chs. 21 to 29), The Argument from Prophecy (chs. 30 to 53), Paganism an Imitation of Christianity (chs. 54 to 60), Christian Worship (chs. 61 to 67), and Conclusion (ch. 68) (1953, 236). Thus, the First Apology topically consists of the appeal to the Pagan Emperors who used to prosecute early Christians, the description of Christian theological position, the comparison of Pagan and Christian faiths, the overview of Biblical prophecies in regard to Jesus Christ, the account of Christian traditions (Eucharist, prays, etc. ) and the summary of previous argumentations. Justin addressed the Emperor and his relatives as philosophers and lovers of culture in the name of people regardless of nationality being â€Å"unjustly hated and reviled† for their faith. The apologist evidently held the hearers for humans being able to follow reason. More than that, Justin Martyr called for the high reputation of the Emperor as the pillar of justice who could not send a criminal to death before conviction but, nevertheless, illogically did not pause to murder Christians. The author swept aside the suspicions that he would flatter higher authorities, or try to seek their indulgent protection. Instead, Justin suggested that the listeners should voluntary â€Å"give judgment according to strict and exact inquiry† without â€Å"prejudice or respect for superstitious men, or by irrational impulse and long-established evil rumor. † No doubt that the author built his argument as if he was a solicitor speaking before the trial jury. In evidence of his firm and sincere position of a Christian, he exclaimed, For we are firmly convinced that we can suffer no evil unless we are proved to be evildoers or shown to be criminals. You can kill us, but cannot do us any real harm. Justin’s discourse is founded on the concept of reason and truth. He juxtaposed the negative rule of custom to the positive guidance of truth. The apologist’s conceptualization of truth linked to the one of justice even at the cost of life, as well as to the most perfect embodiment of Reason, God. Justin warned his audience, â€Å"if those who learn [the truth] do not do what is right, they have no defense before God. † Chadwick stated that, according to the apologist, â€Å"the gospel and the best elements in Plato and the Stoics are almost identical ways of apprehending the same truth. † It seems to be true that Justin did not afraid to appellate to the authority of pagan philosophers, Plato and Socrates. The latter â€Å"made the race of men endowed with intelligence, able to choose the truth and do right, so that all men are without excuse before God, for they were made with the powers of reason and observation. † He was executed for denouncing the power of evil demons who seduced humans and made them act wickedly. Justin found that there were parallels between the Stoics’ catastrophic comprehension of the world and â€Å"the eschatological fire of God’s judgement. † Still, the Christian spirit proclaimed by Justin is closer to Plato’s teaching. For example, in regard to death and martyrdom the apologist seemed to echo the Greek philosopher in the utterance, â€Å"we are not troubled by being put to death, since we will have to die somehow in any case. † The Christian idea of eternal punishment for sinners and salvation for true and virtuous believers, when â€Å"the souls of the unrighteous will be punished after death, still remaining in conscious existence, and those of the virtuous, delivered from punishments, will enjoy happiness,† also seems to correspond with Plato’s ideas. It looks as if Justin assigned both philosophers and the prophets of the Old Testament to the one and the same position. He argued that Plato in his saying that, â€Å"The blame belongs to him who chooses, and God is free from blame,† sounded like the prophet Moses. The concept of Divinity as bodiless and formless substance having created the Universe traveled from one philosophic mind to another. Justin seemed to view the role of the Old Testament prophets in paving the road to the descending of Jesus Christ to people to redeem them of sins and evil. Justin wrote, â€Å"There were among the Jews certain men who were prophets of God, through whom the prophetic Spirit announced in advance events that were to occur. † One may assume that the apologist had knowledge of human psychology and community behavior. He assumed that â€Å"God testified in advance through the prophetic Spirit that things which are unbelievable and thought impossible among men would happen, so that when this should occur it would not be disbelieved, but received with faith because it had been predicted. † Citing the Bible, Justin analyzed the evidence from the Old Testament in regard to the events of the New Testament. He stated further that there were even more events to have been predicted by ancient prophets and there would be the second epiphany of Christ to Earth. Justin Martyr was a pioneer in underlining the Christian emphasis on spirit and dismissing human flesh as the driving cause for any acts and events. According to him, Christians were outstanding in their â€Å"longing for the life which is eternal and pure. † When the writer compared the pagan tradition of portraying gods as the objects of craft, he stressed that it was disgusting because of craftsmen’s licentious habits. He recalled ancient accounts of pagan gods living material life in contrast to Christian God who â€Å"has no need of material offerings from men, considering that he is the provider of all. † It is interesting to observe how Justin tried to build the hierarchy of three Christian deities: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. He made his best to explain that Christians honored Jesus as occupying the second place in the system, whereas the prophetic Spirit was in the third rank. He dwelt in details on the teaching of Jesus where people were taught to love and trust each other, live in purity and clarity of thought and deed. That formed a sharp contrast to the pagan traditions of prostitution, greed, lust and wilderness. Justin put Christianity superior to Paganism because Christian God let believers â€Å"not to consume by fire the things he has made for our nourishment, but to devote them to our use and those in need, in thankfulness to him sending up solemn prayers and hymns for our creation. † Christian God pursued the genuine truth and did not enjoy prejudices and human blindness in referencing to the truth. Involuntary, Justin sometimes made similar Christian and Pagan deities. However, he immediately tried to explain those analogies â€Å"as imitations of the truth inspired by the devil, who with foresight and sagacity has thereby tried to inoculate men against the gospel by caricatures of the Incarnation or of the virgin birth or of baptism and the eucharist. † What is the use of Justin’s First Apology in the Roman and modern period? First, he addressed plain people who craved after the main idea for their lives. Second, he integrated the new teaching in the sequence of human thought to change the outliving mode of political and spiritual life. Third, he was â€Å"utterly frank and open-hearted† in describing the emerging faith. So far as his theological contribution is concerned, Justin was artful enough â€Å"to piece together a mosaic providing a clear and surprisingly full account of his doctrines of God, Creation, Incarnation, Atonement, the Church, the sacraments of baptism and eucharist, and the Last Things. † Richardson admitted in his turn that Justin Martyr stood apart from other apologists in his warm and human tone: â€Å"Most of the other Apologists lead their reader to the door of the church [†¦] while Justin opens it and tells a good deal about what goes on inside. † Bibliography Chadwick, Henry. Early Christian Thought and the Classical Tradition: Studies in Justin, Clement, and Origen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Richardson, Cyril Charles. Early Christian Fathers. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1953.