Friday, December 27, 2019

Mohandas Gandhi and Malcolm X - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 679 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category History Essay Level High school Topics: Malcolm X Essay Did you like this example? Mohandas Gandhi and Malcolm X were both strong activists for social rights. They led in similar yet different fashions. These men both used their beliefs in religion to create change in the world. The well-known Mahatma Gandhi and Malcolm X left behind legacies that still have an impact on the world today. One of the essential factors that impacted these two historical figures was religion. The characteristics of Hinduism surely had an impact on Gandhis peaceful ways that he went about things. The Islamic faith that Malcolm X followed, led him to follow the beliefs of using any means necessary. This was his famous quote. Their spiritual affiliations were not solely identifying elements in their lives. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mohandas Gandhi and Malcolm X" essay for you Create order Gandhis belief in Hinduism and Malcolm Xs Islamic beliefs share some comparable views and multiple vastly diverse ones. Hindus believe in karma and reincarnation until you emerge as perfect.This is why all of Gandhis actions were based off of being pure and doing the right thing. On the other hand, Muslims believe in one life and a remaining day of judgment before their Allah or God. Malcolm shows this belief through his actions of doing everything in his power to get what he wanted done. Hinduism expresses that all religions are real pathways back to the Supreme Creator; Muslims usually have contempt for other faiths and agree with that only these of their faith are allowed into heaven, and solely sure ones whom are chosen by the Allah. The belief in that, all life is sacred and the exercise of peace, or non-injury, is a large section of the faith of Hinduism. Muslims are very opposite with their faith of the jihad. They believe in the reality that they are inclined to damage other s or themselves in order to make it into their heaven. Malcolm demonstrates this belief in saying how it is okay to fight back if it is necessary. Despite their diverse beliefs, each of these religions are two of the three largest followed faiths in the world, which helped each of the figure to speak to large populations and relate to these groups in many ways. Religion performed a massive function in each Malcolm X and Gandhi lives. It influenced their views, ideas, and whole existences. Gandhi believed in the fact that nonviolence was the sole way to reach equality. Even when Gandhi was attacked, he would not react in any violent fashion. This is demonstrated in the film, Ghandi multiple times. One instance was where Gandhi had all of his men protesting working at the mines, when the police force came to attack them and shut everything down, the enormous group of people protesting simply laid down on the ground. The police were charging at them on their horses, which were spooked by the obstacle and had no choice but to turn around. Another example of Gandhis peaceful protest was when he had been burning the immigration cards and being beaten to the ground by British officials. He continued to stand there and burn the cards without fighting back physically or verbally despite the brutal pain he was enduring. These actions speak much lo uder than any words could. On the contrary to what Gandhi does and says, Malcolm X believes that if someone comes towards you using violence, you should react in the same way they treated you. In his autobiography Malcolm X states, Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery (Malcolm). In my personal opinion, I believe that Gandhi was a more prominent leader. I believe this because his ways of changing the world were through peace and morality. The saying fighting fire with fire makes only a bigger fire is relevant in many aspects of life. Gandhis way of fighting for equality was well respected around the world by many races and religions. His goal was for everyone to come together and to create equality for all. He brought many people together to help this cause in an incredibly powerful way.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Importance of the Balcony Scene in Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a heartbreaking play about two lovers who come from rival families. The play is filled with dramatic irony that suggests they are destined for tragedy. Act 2 Scene 2 or ‘The Balcony Scene’ has a larger effect on the rest of the play than all the other scenes I feel. This is because it is concerned with nearly all of the recurring themes during the play. Youth and Age is one theme there is a contrast between these right through the play, Romeo and Juliet are young lovers that are almost starting a revolution actually marrying for love and want to put an end to their family feud, and contrast to that you have Old Capulet and Lady Capulet who are very stubborn and opinionated people who expect everything to be done†¦show more content†¦Juliet could avoid her falling out with her parents and friends. This scene is so famous and memorable due to the fact it is firstly the most significant scene in Romeo and Juliet but also as it Is remembered by everyone as a scene of true romance that lots of people may be able to relate to in their own way, or maybe to people who have not experienced a similar situation but would want to. The Language used in this scene uses a lot of Images and joint poetry between the two of them. In a soliloquy at the beginning Romeo says â€Å"Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon† Romeo describes Juliet as the sun this is probably because the sun is beautiful and so is she, also maybe he is describing her as the sun because she is up on her balcony and he is below on land, but he also mentions the â€Å"envious moon† I think he is describing Rosaline here. He calls her the moon I think because she is good looking but not as good looking as Juliet who is the Sun. He uses the word Envious, we hardly hear of Rosaline during the play but this suggests that she is Jealous of Romeo and Juliet. She would be jealous of the strong love between Romeo and Juliet. I don’t know how she could have found out already but she may have been at the party also. The Poetry used in this scene is joint between Romeo and Juliet; they know what the other person isShow MoreRelatedBaz Luhrmanns Production of Romeo and Juliet1683 Words   |  7 PagesBaz Luhrmanns Production of Romeo and Juliet Romeo seems like a passionate, romantic and excitable young man. He seems to like the idea of being in love, although I would suggest the feelings he has for Juliet begin only as infatuation and grow throughout the balcony scene. In the beginning of the scene Romeo is portrayed as determined, wary and possibly a little frightened as he knocks over furniture and scrambles up the trellis. His eyes are continuously dartingRead MoreRomeo and Juliet - theme love Essay examples743 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The author, William Shakespeare, efficiently employs various events and characters in the play, Romeo and Juliet, to convey that love conquers all. Through manipulation of Act 2, Scene 2, also renowned as the Balcony Scene’, Shakespeare effectively demonstrates how Romeo and Juliet’s love surmounts numerous things, in the play. Additionally, Shakespeare portrays that/how the strength of Romeo’s love for his murdered friend Mercutio, creates a desire for revenge despite potentially receiving deathRead MoreThe Importance of Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet1251 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet This scene is pivotal for the whole play. Everything seems to be progressing in success until the dramatic effectiveness from this scene takes effect. These events lead the lovers to their tragic deaths which is previously mentioned in the prologue. This is the scene where all the problems start to occur and everything starts falling apart. It becomes apparent that it is no ordinary ‘love story’Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1124 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare on Love – A Response to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet Omid Jafari English September 10, 2015 Shakespeare on Love – a Response to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet To assess Baz Luhrmann s use of setting in his film, Romeo + Juliet, we can begin by contrasting the film with the play as it was originally performed in the 16th-century theatre. The key difference between the manner in which the film and the play deal with location is that the film is primarily an image-intensive mediumRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1185 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet catalogs the happenings of two rivalry families and the civil brawls that revolve around their feud. Using a love story as context, Shakespeare is able to portray the consequences of ancient grudge. Through comic books, the underlying story of the two lovers can take the main stage without altering the intended message of the dangers of civil brawls and misunderstood hate. The change in focus is possible while still maintaining merit is due to the editing of originalRead MoreStaging William Shakespeares Act Three Scene Five of Romeo and Juliet1922 Words   |  8 PagesStaging William Shakespeares Act Three Scene Five of Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is about two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The Montagues son, Romeo and the Capulets daughter Juliet fall in love with one another, however their love for one another must be concealed as the families would not approve. The beginning of Act 3 Scene 5 is set on the balcony of Juliets bedroom in the family house situated in Verona, Italy. This version of theRead MoreBaz Luhrmanns Romeo Juliet2299 Words   |  10 PagesHow has Baz Luhrmann made Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo Juliet’ accessible to a modern audience? Baz Luhrmann has made a cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Romeo Juliet† to make the original play easily understandable for modern audiences. He has made it more accessible by incorporating familiar locations and scenes, references to other works, genre’s and styles, marketing it to a teenage audience, the use of clever sound techniques, characterisation, and through the use of clever cameraworkRead MoreThe Tension Between Love and Hate in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare849 Words   |  4 Pagesaudience’s understanding of the universal themes of love, hate, conflict and death. The recurring focus on the tension between love and hate makes us reflect on how these themes govern upon human behavior. In the play Romeo and Juliet, the main characters for which Romeo and Juliet the denial of love and dominance of hate creates extreme loss, in this case, death. In progress, audiences have recognized that the death of two young people i s entirely imprudent, creating a need for acceptance. ShakespeareRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1328 Words   |  6 PagesBritish literature most of the things i am generally interested in reading is Shakespeare plays. Most notably, Romeo and Juliet as being one of my personal favorites.Throughout the entirety reading the play i’ve noticed how much the themes play a role in the effect the characters and their surroundings,resulting in a tragic ending. From some examples, how fate plays into Romeo and Juliet being â€Å"star-cross’d lovers† and, the theme of love playing an extreme role which is pure and beautiful but alsoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1873 Words   |  8 Pageseffectively. Therefore, to perform the balcony scene in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Romeo Juliet† to its fullest effect in a Kabuki style, anyone who is planning on staging it must be aware of the unique stage features required for a kabuki production, specifically the use of a hanamichi. Consequently, the research into the elements of kabuki stage and their effect should be investigated in order to effectively apply them to an adaptation of the balcony scene from â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. A set design involves the scenery

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Cold War Essay free essay sample

The Cold War was led from 1945 to about 1991, it was a war fought between the Communists led by the Soviet Union and the Democratic nations led by the United States. Before the Second World War had begun there were economic, political and social differences between the two ideologies, which were only intensified after the war, as a result of suspicions both sides had. To a certain extent it is clear that the Cold War was a more or less natural development of the Second World War. When the war ended and Democrats and Communists had defeated Fascism, the two ideologies broke down, leading to the Cold War. Conflicts between the USSR and the US firstly arose in 1945 at the Yalta Conference, where the US, the Soviet Union and Great Britain were to discuss their issues. In 1946 the Truman Doctrine supported the tensions that were already there. Greek communists fought the Greek Civil War and America intervened by aiding nations defending themselves against communist forces. We will write a custom essay sample on Cold War Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was of course not liked to be seen by the communist USSR at all. One year later, in 1947, President Truman launched the Marshall Plan, which again went again communism and backed up the Truman Doctrine, which had been developed in the earlier year. The Russians felt that the US was launching an anti-communist campaign against their country and suspicions between the two different ideologies began to rise. Meanwhile the Soviet Union also intervened in the political issues of the eastern European countries. Bulgaria and Romania suffered from the declarance of the People’s Republic and the most extreme example was the overtaking of the Czech government, showing how eager the USSR was to spread communism when they showed desire to kill the Czechs leader for independence. In 1948 Berlin in Germany became the centre of attention in the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was at that time the tangible symbol of the Iron Curtain. The USSR began what is known as the Berlin Blockade and stopped Germany from receiving supplies and support from the USA. By this time the only eastern European country not directly controlled by the Soviet Union was Yugoslavia. When World War 2 ended the countries in Western Europe had become too weak to prevent the spreading of communism and the Soviet Union was seemingly getting stronger. The United States and the USSR seemed to be in need of demonstrating their power during the Cold War and the US took this opportunity to showcase their newest cientific and technological development. The two also competed for superiority in space, constantly trying to be in power. However, the Atomic bomb may also be a reason why the tensions between the two countries relaxed, both countries realized that they were able to destroy each others countries with the use of this weapon and in order to avoid a military clash their relations were bound to improve. It may not be easy to determine whether the United States or the Soviet Union were to blame for the Cold War, however it is clear that through the Second World War the tensions between them increased and therefore naturally led to the Cold War. Cold War Essay free essay sample To what extent was Germany the cause of East/West disagreements between 1943 and 1963? (2000) 5. Analyze the role of Germany in the origin and development of the Cold War. (2002) 6. In what ways, and with what results, was Germany the key focus of the early stages of the Cold War? (2005) 7. Compare and contrast the policies of the USA and the USSR towards Korea between 1945 and 1955. (2004) 8. Also: NATO, Soviet policies, Sovietization of Central and Eastern Europe, COMECON, Stalin, Truman

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Real World Marketing with a Focus on Promotion

Outline Broader issues of the lighthouse identity B2C and B2B marketing communications The customer is the king Real world marketing with a focus on promotion Broader issues of the lighthouse identity Lighthouse identity is recognized as a vital credo in Morgan’s four stages, in the journey of a challenger. There are several broader issues to consider when considering the Lighthouse Identity. A challenger brand is not successful in a mature classification, because it is more trustworthy or convenient.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Real World Marketing with a Focus on Promotion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the contrary, it is successful because it delivers an emotional brand or relationship, to the extent that the Establishment brand never matches. This implies that the consumer’s emotions are realigned. It is imperative that the challenger brand has an emotionally- based and stronger link with the consumer, as opposed to the Brand leader (Duncan Moriarty, 1998: 12). It is worth mentioning that a Lighthouse Identity not only defines the brand, but also the business that the brand belongs to. In mature brands, a brand’s planning role is adding, as well as extracting value. Being a Challenger, success is achieved through having a clear sense of what and who you are as a business/ brand, and why. Consequently, the identity should be projected saliently, consistently, and intensely, just like a lighthouse (Chen Xie, 2008: 486). This is aimed at ensuring that the consumer notices them, although they may not have been looking out for them. Irrespective of the fact that goods have always been considered as a way of communicating, the present brands are more than goods. They are more than a communication form, and are navigation. Brand leaders should treat communication publicity and ideas as assets, which are high- leveraged (Duncan Moriarty, 1998: 9). Moreover, t hey should maintain this notion within the company. Over- commitment means considering barriers and focusing on avoiding them prior to their occurrence. To achieve over- commitment, it is crucial to identify irrefutable causes of failure in core marketing tasks. Consequently, there should be brainstorming on the most effective ways to reverse or neutralize the failures.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More B2C and B2B marketing communications B2B (Business- to- Business) and B2C (Business- to- Consumer) are commercial transaction forms. B2C involves the consumers buying products directly. On the other hand, in B2B, services and products are sold to other businesses. Purchasing Process: in B2B buying, there is an extremely complex purchasing process. This is because business purchasers buy services and products for use within the company (Ray, 1973: 160). On the other hand, consum ers purchase services and products meant for individual use. In B2B, professionals from various departments are involved in decision making. Payment: in B2C, all the customers pay similar prices for products bought. In B2B, prices are different and depend on the customer. Customers who negotiate or place enormous orders are treated differently from other customers. There are also varying payment mechanisms. Transactions: in B2C transactions, customers choose products, which they pay for at the POS (Point of Sale) through various payment mechanisms. B2B transactions need an extremely complicated business system. Consumers use agreed logistic channels to carry out their transactions. Customers get an invoice which is settled within the agreed payment terms, as opposed to the delivery time (Morgan, 2009). B2B is associated with several advantages, especially in the advent of the internet. These advantages include increased awareness of businesses, as well as their services or products. Second, there is better interaction where marketers interact directly with customers through the website or email marketing. Particularly, the internet offers information and awareness, which results to better service. In B2B, there is a benefit of refined messaging, since through the internet, marketers can acquire information about their consumers (Chen Xie, 2008: 486). Marcoms reaps these benefits by using B2B marketing communication. Considering the financial hard times, Morgan’s challenger theory is relevant to the pragmatic and tough B2B world. The Customer is the King All marketers agree that the customer is the king. However, Morgan advises that there is a need to progress to the consequent stage after the business becomes a big fish. This implies that the customer is no longer accorded keen interest. This is a key strategy, as opposed to a mistake (Ray, 1973: 150). It is worth mentioning that brand leaders are not just big, nor do they enjoy proportionately bigger benefits.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Real World Marketing with a Focus on Promotion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consumer awareness: consumers never purchase a brand they are unfamiliar with. The marketer’s assumption is that there is a connection between ‘spontaneous’ and ‘top of mind’ awareness, when there is quasi- exponential relationship. In cases where the brand rings in the mind first (‘top of mind’ awareness), the result is a multiple ‘spontaneous’ rise. There is also the aspect of shopping, loyalty, and purchase. The voice’s share in comparison to the footfall share appears the same to everybody apart from the brand leader, who experiences a much greater footfall. This is even in cases where he is supported by comparatively low voice. Double jeopardy of brands is modelled and observed for more than thirty five years across variou s cultures and markets. In such cases, the brand leader experiences greater penetration together with consumers, who purchase the brand more often. The key impact is profitability; the brand leaders make more profit than anyone else. Real World Marketing with a Focus on Promotion Marcoms drivel can best be prevented through utilising real marketing executives who are practical, solid, and down- to- earth. Moreover, the marketing executives should possess an eye for promotion. It is imperative that promotional messages tell a story, and that the ideas stick in consumers’ minds. There is immense power in promotional advertising. Presently, promotional products are positioned as components of the promotional purchaser’s communication mix, and not as pure products. It is imperative that marketing executives focus on promotion because as a result of the unique nature, these products are used and kept, resulting to voluntary repeated retention, recognition, and exposure of t he advertisers’ message and name. In this regard, marketing executives should target the audience specifically, so as to ensure effective promotional products (Morgan, 2009). Moreover, they should select items keenly to ensure they are appealing to customers, have a positive response, and that waste distribution is eliminated. Exceptional marketing executives possess excellent communication skills. These include excellent oral and written communication skills. Communication is an extremely vital connection between customer service, sales, production, and management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing executives should possess the necessary skills to ensure that they identify their clients’ needs, and meet them in a timely manner (Chen Xie, 2008: 486). Effective promotion and marketing using the promotional and marketing mixes ensures a greater market share for the company, and satisfaction of the client’s needs. The marketing executive should be aggressive enough and engage in marketing plans, market conditions, and assess customer research. They should collaborate with other professionals in determining services and products demand. Marketing executives are principally involved in marketing the company, and they should be exceptionally aggressive. References Chen, Y Xie, J 2008, â€Å"Online consumer review: Word-of-mouth as a new element of marketing communication mix†, Management Science, vol. 54 no. 3, pp. 477-491. Duncan, T Moriarty, S. E 1998, â€Å"A communication-based marketing model for managing relationships†, The Journal of ma rketing, pp. 1-13. Morgan, A 2009, Eating the Big Fish: how challenger brands can compete against brand leaders, New Jersey, Wiley. Ray, M. L 1973, â€Å"Marketing communication and the hierarchy of effects†, New models for communication research, pp. 146-175. This essay on Real World Marketing with a Focus on Promotion was written and submitted by user Emiliano Gould to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Double Click for TListView

Implementing On Item Click / Double Click for TListView Delphis TListView control displays a list of items in columns with column headers and sub-items, or vertically or horizontally, with small or large icons. As do most Delphi controls, the TListView exposes the OnClick and OnDblClick (OnDoubleClick) events. Unfortunately, if you need to know what item was clicked or double clicked you cannot simply handle the OnClick / OnDblClick events to get the clicked item. The OnClick (OnDblClick) event for the TListView is fired whenever the user clicks the control - that is whenever the click occurs somewhere inside the client area of the control. The user can click inside the list view, BUT miss any of the items. Whats more, since list view can change its display depending on the ViewStyle property, the user might have clicked on an item, on an item caption, on an item icon, nowhere, on an item state icon, etc. Note: the ViewStyle property determines how items are displayed in the list view: the items can be displayed as a set of movable icons, or as columns of text. ListView.On Item Click ListView.On Item Double Click To be able to locate the clicked (if there is one) item when the OnClick event for the list view is fired, you need to determine what elements of the list view lie under the point specified by the X and Y parameters - that is the location of the mouse at the moment of click. The TListiews GetHitTestInfoAt function returns information about the specified point in the list view’s client area. To make sure the item was clicked (or double clicked) you need to call the GetHitTestInfoAt and react only if the click event occurred on an actual item. Heres an example implementation of the ListView1s OnDblClick event: //handles ListView1s On Double Click procedure TForm.ListView1DblClick(Sender: TObject) ; var   Ã‚  hts : THitTests;   Ã‚  ht : THitTest;   Ã‚  sht : string;   Ã‚  ListViewCursosPos : TPoint;   Ã‚  selectedItem : TListItem; begin   Ã‚  //position of the mouse cursor related to ListView   Ã‚  ListViewCursosPos : ListView1.ScreenToClient(Mouse.CursorPos) ;   Ã‚  //double click where?   Ã‚  hts : ListView1.GetHitTestInfoAt(ListViewCursosPos.X, ListViewCursosPos.Y) ;   Ã‚  //debug hit test   Ã‚  Caption : ;   Ã‚  for ht in hts do   Ã‚  begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sht : GetEnumName(TypeInfo(THitTest), Integer(ht)) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Format(%s %s | ,[Caption, sht]) ;   Ã‚  end;   Ã‚  //locate the double-clicked item   Ã‚  if hts [htOnIcon, htOnItem, htOnLabel, htOnStateIcon] then   Ã‚  begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  selectedItem : ListView1.Selected;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  //do something with the double clicked item!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Format(DblClcked : %s,[selectedItem.Caption]) ;   Ã‚  end; end; In the OnDblClick (or OnClick) event handler, read the GetHitTestInfoAt function by providing it with the location of the mouse inside the control. To get the location of the mouse related to the list view, the ScreenToClient function is used to convert a point (mouse X and Y) in screen coordinates to local, or client area, coordinates. The GetHitTestInfoAt return a value of THitTests type. The THitTests is a set of THitTest enumerated values. The THitTest enumeration values, with their description, are: htAbove - above the client area.htBelow - below the client area.htNowhere - inside the control, but not on an item.htOnItem - on an item, its text, or its bitmap.htOnButton - on a button.htOnIcon - on an icon.htOnIndent - on the indented area of an item.htOnLabel - on a label.htOnRight - on the right side of an item.htOnStateIcon - on a state icon or bitmap associated with an item.htToLeft - to the left of the client area.htToRight - to the right of the client area. If the result of the call to GetHitTestInfoAt is a subset (Delphi sets!) of [htOnIcon, htOnItem, htOnLabel, htOnStateIcon] you can be sure the user clicked on the item (or on its icon / state icon). Finally, if the above is true, read the Selected property of the list view, it returns the first selected item (if multiple can be selected) in the list view. Do something with the clicked / double clicked / selected item ... Be sure to download the full source code to explore the code and learn by adopting it.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

United Airlines Flight 811 essays

United Airlines Flight 811 essays United Airlines Flight 811: Sudden Explosive Decompression On February 24, 1989, a United Airlines Boeing 747-122 (B-747), departed Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) bound for Sydney, Australia. While on climb-out the aircraft crew and passengers heard a loud explosion, followed almost instantly by a loss of cabin pressurization. A passenger, also a commercially licensed pilot, accounts of the incident by stating that the cabin fogged over for what seemed to be about fifteen seconds.. At that stage all hell was breaking loose. (Rutherford, 2). What this passenger was describing was the aircrafts rapid depressurization process due to the loss of a cargo door in flight. United Airlines Flight 811 included a crew of three, fifteen flight attendants, and three hundred and thirty seven passengers (nine of which lost their lives on this flight). The flight had departed HNL gate ten at 0133 Honolulu Standard Time (HST), three minutes after proposed departure time. The second officer stated that all cabin and cargo door warning lights were out prior to the airplanes departure from the gate. After takeoff, the captain requested a deviation to the left of course for thunderstorm avoidance. He left the fasten seatbelt sign on. While climbing between 22,000 feet and 23,000 feet at 300 knots indicated air speed, the B-747 began to experience an unusual vibration (Rutherford, 2). This vibration was followed by a loud thump, and an explosion. This explosion was due to the forward lower lobe cargo door separating in flight and causing extensive damage to the fuselage and cabin structure adjacent to the door. The crew had donned their oxygen masks and found there was no oxygen available. They believed the passengers masks had deployed automatically. The captain initiated an immediate left 180 degree turn, and descended toward HNL. An emergency was declared with approach control, and 7700 ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Russian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russian History - Essay Example That society is ripe for change-one might say it has suffered enough. Any delay in pursuing Perestroika could lead in the very near future to a deterioration in the situation in Russia." (Gorbachev, in a public address in 1987, as quoted in Hylarides, 2008, p.379) These words of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev underlined the pressing need for reform in the Russia of 1980s. Gorbachev is one of the most influential leaders of Soviet Russia during the Cold War era. Both his personal qualities and political policies endeared him to the Western leadership during the final years of the Cold War. The key operative words during his reformative regime were perestroika, glasnost and demokratizatsiya. Perestroika was intended to bring sweeping changes to the economy, â€Å"including efforts to stamp out corruption at the management level, more stringent labor discipline, a greater role for the market and more consumer goods. The grandiose goal was the doubling of output by the year 2000, with th e emphasis moved from the quantity to the quality and diversity of goods. Humanizing the political system and delivering higher living standards were key objectives.† (Morewood, 1998, p.33) Ideal and noble as these guiding principles were, they also contributed to the weakening of Soviet state fabric and its eventual collapse. The rest of this essay is an elaboration on these vibrant yet controversial reform initiatives and evaluate whether these remedies proved counter-productive and ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. When Gorbachev came to power as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1985, the economy of USSR was dysfunctional and unproductive. So it was expected of the new leader to resurrect the economy by way of meaningful reforms, thereby retaining the Cold War equilibrium. At the time, living standards in Russia was plummeting, war in Afghanistan was draining the country’s resources and his counterpart Ronald Re agan’s posturing was aggressive and hawkish. Reforms were a dire necessity at this stage – a view expressed even by Gorbachev’s predecessor Yuri Andropov. (Hylarides, 2008, p.378) Despite reform initiatives eventually backfiring, the system was badly in need of change, as the economic growth had settled at near-zero, corruption at high-office was rampant, the parallel black economy creating havoc to economic planning and productivity of workers declining sharply. Further, â€Å"the neglected services sector contributed to a shortage of consumer goods and falling living standards, the social infrastructure was decaying and technological backwardness widened the performance gap with the West†. (Morewood, 1998, p.33) Beyond Soviet Russia, the Soviet bloc as a whole suffered from these problems to varying degrees. The reforms were thus designed to overcome or ease some of these obstacles through â€Å"guided political decentralization and openness, with an e xpectation that central political executive policymaking prerogatives would be reinforced.† (Willerton, et.al, 2005, p.219) Perestroika, in particular, was based on four key objectives: â€Å"1. creating a new superpower structure that would stand above the communist party apparatus, 2. establishing order in the country by harnessing the masses and compelling them to cooperate with the leadership, 3. overcoming economic difficulties, and 4. modernizing Soviet industry, especially its military

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Economic Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Article Analysis - Essay Example Banks, chastened by the recent credit disaster due to the subprime mortgage loan debacle, have refused to take more risks by way of lending. Seeing that the stimulus package did not work as expected, both Treasury and the Fed decided to inject funds directly -- from the helicopter, so to speak -- into the economy by buying distressed assets in order to pump more money into the economy to spur growth. This took the form of programs named Term Auction Lending Facility, Term Securities Lending Facility, and Asset Backed Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Lending Facility. This buyback program had recently reached $2.2 trillion from $950 billion last September 2008. Such an approach sought to stave off a "catastrophic downturn" although some observers think that the recession is already running, the worst since the early 1980s. From the economists point of view the attempt of the US government to intervene is based on what has been learned from the Great Depression of the 1930s when the so-called "invisible hand." was found no longer reliable. A British economist, John Maynard Keynes, proposed that the government should take direct action to stimulate the economy, by way of infusing liquidity through direct spending to stimulate consumption and industrial activity. The injection of cash could be made through the banking system, through low interest rates, or through fiscal policy via a budget deficit, or by a combination of both monetary and fiscal policy. First, the Fed offers low discount rate to the banks, and the latter should be able to to lend the money to borrowers at just a slightly higher interest to account for their income derived from the spreads In the present situation, however, the banks are not extending credit. Consequently, the Fed had to take direct action by purchasing distressed assets . When the economy recovers as widely believed it will, starting --

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Problem Solution Paper Essay Example for Free

Problem Solution Paper Essay After assessing my LASSI test scores, I’ve learned that I need some improvement in my study habits. To name a few, some of my strengths are concentration, motivation, and selecting main ideas, however, my weak areas such as information processing, study aids, and time management all were right on target. I’ve always had problems with studying something that I did not understand, therefore it would frustrate me and I would not spend much time on it. I am currently struggling with this problem in my English 111 class because it is hard to process what I am reading in the textbook. In addition to that I am a full time general manager at a restaurant and it is very demanding, working long hours and then trying to come home and study, I am forced to cram my school work in on my off days because I am very tired. I really feel that if I do not come up with better time management skills and stop cramming my work that my short-term problem academically will be that I turn in below average assignments or not even meet deadlines. My long-term problem will be that I fail my class and lose my financial aid, so I will definitely put more effort into a solution. My problem is time-management and the three solutions that I have researched and think would be a good fit for me are 1. Blocks of study times and breaks. [www.studygs.net/timman.htm-time management] The advantage of this solution is that I would have time set aside to study with the option to take a break so I want get to tired. The disadvantage of this is I might take a break and never come back to it because of other distractions such as tv, cellphone, fatigue, etc. Secondly, review planner weekly. [www.studygs.net/timman.htm-time management] I would be able to review planner and know when test and deadlines are do for papers. The disadvantage would be, if I’m not consistent with logging things in the planner I could forget about something. Lastly, the third solution would be to stay healthy, schedule rest.  The advantage of this would be that I would be well rested and rejuvenated to tackle my scheduled task, and disadvantage would be that I get home at 5pm sometimes and if I take a nap I will not be able to recover from that. I feel that the best solution would be to set aside time to study and take breaks if needed and I will use this strategy with my English 111 class.

Friday, November 15, 2019

House On Mango Street Essay example -- essays research papers

Women’s Escape into Misery Women’s need for male support and their husband’s constant degradation of them was a recurring theme in the book House on Mango Street. Many of Esperanza’s stories were about women’s dreams of marrying, the perfect husband and having the perfect family and home. Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva are women who gave me the impression of [damsel’s in distress].CLICHÉ, it’s ok though. It’s relevant They wished for a man to sweep them of their feet and rescue them from their present misery. These characters are inspiring and strong but they are unable to escape the repression of the surrounding environment. *Cisneros presents a rigid world in which they lived in, and left them no other hope but to get married. Esperanza, however, is a very tough girl who knows what she wants. She will keep dreaming and striving until she gets it. She says, "I am too strong for her [Mango Street] to keep me here&qu ot; (110). Esperanza learned from all of these women that she was not going to be tied down. She said, "I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain" (88). **Especially after seeing that Sally was suffering so much. Sally’s father is making her want to leave home by beating her. Sally "said her mother rubs lard on the places were it hurts" (93). There is not enough lard in the world to be able to cure the pain within Sally’s heart. Sally, "met a marshmallow salesman at a school bazaar" (101). Pretty soon " sally got married, she has her house now, her pillowcases and her plates" (101). Her marriage seems to free her from her father, but in reality she has now stepped into a world of misery. This was supposed to help her heal; " she says she is in love, but I think she did it to escape." (101). Unlike the oth er women Sally has no escape, no poetry, not even papaya coconut juice, not to mention, " he does not let her look out the window" (102). That is why "she sits at home because she is afraid to go outside without his permission."(102). Rafaela’s situation also involves imprisonment in her own home. Cisneros introduced us to Rafaela, a young beautiful girl whose expectations from marriage were to obtain a sweet home to live in. Instead... ...p;quot;ferocious roots beneath the ground" (74). Like the trees [???] (I don’t get the reference to the trees) these are, "Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be" (75). These characters are inspiring and strong but they are unable to escape the repression of the surrounding environment. The only tree that was able to escape Mango Street was Esperanza. Her last words demonstrated growth as an independent woman. She concludes "She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free" (110). This was good! There were minor corrections that I corrected, but didn’t make a note of it(like commas). If u have any ?’s call me n let me know! Nataly Buenrostro Writing 1 October 9, 2000 House on Mango Street Critical Analysis Professor Peterson I made many changes to my draft. First of all I made Esperanza a stronger focal point of my paper. I made it clear that she was the strong one in the book. I made the transitions have more of a flow by mentioning more events that involved Esperanza. I tried to make my subjects better known and my thesis clearer by stating more facts. I showed a lot more and told less.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Letter home nurse

My dearest Mother, I am missing you dearly and I hope everything is well. I am getting very home sick, life here is different than over there. I can hear sounds of the battlefield and it's very frightening. We also get very little sleep and It is so cold here. The food is so plain; we rarely eat meat. We eat mostly beans, potatoes and soup. I'm getting so tired of it. Many of the things I see are very disturbing but it feels good to help these men.Some of them have talked to me about their families or what they plan to do after the war. like to hear them being positive. I've started keeping a diary and I've even started writing poems. This helps me take all my emotions out. It feels really good, but you know what doesn't? Feeling to dirty all the time. I feel Ilke I feel this way most of the time. We have to take sponge baths with cold water, which doesnt help at all. Many girls have not been able to handle all of this and have gone home but that ont happen to me.Everything here move s so fast and the men come and go or we have to move and some are left behind. I get very sad when I think about those men and if they had families or not. Maybe that's why some girls are leaving, I don't blame them. I hope to see you and Father and sister soon, I hope this Is all over really soon. I miss you all so much It hurts. I've made some friends but I wish I was at home in my own bed, or having dinner with all of you. Ill be home soon! Love, Leslie

Sunday, November 10, 2019

John Proctor a tragic hero? Essay

A tragic hero is a character whose flaw or mistake ultimately leads to their downfall. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the small town of Salem is immersed in a crisis due to the accusations of witchcraft. One of the accused is John Proctor, a strong and moral farmer. John Proctor meets the definition of a tragic hero because of his fatal flaws, the affair with Abigail and his pride, but redemption at the end of the play saves his morals. S One of John Proctors flaws is his affair with Abigail. The affair with Abigail is his downfall because it provokes the witch trials. Abigail doesn’t want to believe that the affair is over between her and John and tries to kill Elizabeth Proctor by preforming witchcraft with other girls in the town. When Parris discovers them and the town begins to ostracize the girls, they call out the names of others they have supposedly seen with the Devil in order to save their reputations and possibly their lives. Therefore, the affair between John and Abigail is the spark of all the hysteria surrounding the witch trials. The affair also caused Elizabeth Proctor to distrust her husband, John, who for seven months was trying to get into her good graces and is tired of her suspicion. He tells her â€Å"†¦ I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you†¦ I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies†¦ â€Å"(52). This illustrates John’s determination in attempting to redeem himself for his sin. Because John cannot control his desire and resist temptation, his life is being destroyed by the jealousy and need for revenge of Abigail, indicating the beginning of his downfall and road to becoming a tragic hero. W John Proctors major flaw was his pride. John’s honor and good name is what kept him from confessing to adultery, which would have most likely, halted the witch trials. Elizabeth asked him to go into the court and tell them that Abigail is fraud, but he refused. He said, â€Å"I know I cannot keep it. I say I will think on it! â€Å"(51). Nonetheless, when Elizabeth is arrested, John has to choose between his pride and his wife. He tries to fix it by bringing Mary Warren into the court to confess to lies and pretense. This fails when Mary Warren turns on him and he has to admit to being an adulterer, reserving his dignity in order to rescue his wife. Unfortunately, he too is arrested after Elizabeth is questioned about his confession by Danforth. She denies his unfaithfulness in an attempt to protect John’s name, causing his arrest for perjury and witchcraft. This proves that John is trying to do good, yet his misfortunes keep coming, which is another quality that makes John Proctor the tragic hero of the play. T As the play comes to a conclusion, Proctor for a second time has to make a decision concerning his pride. The court gives him with an ultimatum with which he can plead guilty and live or be hanged with the others who didn’t confess. After speaking with Elizabeth, John decides that he wants to live and surrenders to a confession. After he signs the confession, he tears it up after learning that Danforth means to hang his confession on the church doors. As Reverend Parris and Hale are about to object, John pronounces â€Å"†¦ for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor†¦ â€Å"(133), referring to his honesty. He would rather die for the greater good, then ruin his name and the names of the other prisoners. Elizabeth doesn’t try to stop him either knowing that he needed to do this, tearfully saying to Hale â€Å"He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! â€Å"(134). Proctor preserves his pride and dignity, dying as a man with flaws yet a good man, becoming the tragic hero of The Crucible. As the play develops we see that John Proctor is the tragic hero of The Crucible. His flaws destroy him but at the end of the play he preserves his pride and dies a good man. Arthur Miller uses John Proctor to show us how someone can overcome mistakes in life and safeguard ones dignity.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Diversity of Detroit

In the diverse history of Detroit, many things stand out in the development of this great city. The French origin, the American Revolution, the civil rights movements, the riots in the 1960’s. But the most affluent event in Detroit history was the immigration and migration boom and the industrial explosion that followed. The Two groups we will be focusing on today will be the Eastern European Jewish and the African American communities. In an overview of the colossal rush of cultures that bombarded the metro Detroit area in the early 1900’s comparisons are based upon many different aspects of the populations. For instance, the Jewish populations that came to America in the early 1900’s were seen by some as brethren to be welcomed. But others saw them, such as the illustrious Henry ford as a menace society. While they were discriminated against by many on basis of nothing other than bigotry. The social capital they had to offer the majority was more than enough to buy their acceptance. While disapproved of and scoffed at, the skills and goods provided by Jewish Americans was enough to pacify the masses. Quite similar to the welcome that was given to the Jewish communities was the welcome sent to the Southern African American migrants looking for opportunity in the industrial city. The difference between the two is that the African American’s had nothing to offer that was good enough for the grade. African American’s came here with the same ideals goals and values as the Jewish immigrants. The difference was the nature of their trade. Forty years out of slavery, still shy of citizenship, African Americans lacked the trade skills and education that was possessed by other immigrant groups. This difference was the basis of the divide in social and economic expansion of these two groups. Eastern European Jews encountered problems with assimilation and losing their identity while being absorbed into the Ame... Free Essays on Diversity of Detroit Free Essays on Diversity of Detroit In the diverse history of Detroit, many things stand out in the development of this great city. The French origin, the American Revolution, the civil rights movements, the riots in the 1960’s. But the most affluent event in Detroit history was the immigration and migration boom and the industrial explosion that followed. The Two groups we will be focusing on today will be the Eastern European Jewish and the African American communities. In an overview of the colossal rush of cultures that bombarded the metro Detroit area in the early 1900’s comparisons are based upon many different aspects of the populations. For instance, the Jewish populations that came to America in the early 1900’s were seen by some as brethren to be welcomed. But others saw them, such as the illustrious Henry ford as a menace society. While they were discriminated against by many on basis of nothing other than bigotry. The social capital they had to offer the majority was more than enough to buy their acceptance. While disapproved of and scoffed at, the skills and goods provided by Jewish Americans was enough to pacify the masses. Quite similar to the welcome that was given to the Jewish communities was the welcome sent to the Southern African American migrants looking for opportunity in the industrial city. The difference between the two is that the African American’s had nothing to offer that was good enough for the grade. African American’s came here with the same ideals goals and values as the Jewish immigrants. The difference was the nature of their trade. Forty years out of slavery, still shy of citizenship, African Americans lacked the trade skills and education that was possessed by other immigrant groups. This difference was the basis of the divide in social and economic expansion of these two groups. Eastern European Jews encountered problems with assimilation and losing their identity while being absorbed into the Ame...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The US Federal Minimum Wage

The US Federal Minimum Wage What is the current U.S. federal minimum wage? The answer to that question can be trickier than you might think.While the current US federal minimum wage was last set at $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009, your age, type of employment, even where you live can alter the legal minimum hourly wage your employer is required to pay. What is the  Federal Minimum Wage Law? The federal minimum wage is established by and regulated under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (the FLSA). In its final form, the act applied to industries whose combined employment represented only about one-fifth of the US labor force. In these industries, it banned oppressive child labor and set the minimum hourly wage at 25 cents, and the maximum workweek at 44 hours. Who Must Pay the Federal Minimum Wage? Today, the minimum wage law (the FLSA) applies to employees of enterprises that do at least $500,000 in business a year. It also applies to employees of smaller firms if the employees are engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, such as employees who work in transportation or communications or who regularly use the mails or telephones for interstate communications. It also applies to employees of federal, state or local government agencies, hospitals and schools, and it generally applies to domestic workers. Details of the Federal Minimum Wage The following details apply only to the the federal minimum wage, your state may have its own minimum wage rates and laws. In cases where state minimum wage rates differ with the federal rate, the higher minimum wage rate always applies.Current Federal Minimum Wage: $7.25 per hour (as of July 24, 2009) may vary under the following conditions: Younger Workers: If you are under 20 years of age, you may be paid as little as $4.25 per hour during your first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. Students, Apprentices and the Disabled: Certain full-time students, student learners, apprentices, and workers with disabilities may be paid less than the minimum wage under special certificates issued by the US Department of Labor. Workers Who Earn Tips: Employers who allow workers to keep tips must pay a cash minimum wage of at least $2.13 per hour IF they claim a tip credit against their federal minimum wage obligation of $7.25 per hour. In other words, if your tips plus cash wages do not equal at least $7.25 per hour, your employer must make up the difference. Overtime Pay: Federal law requires payment of at least 1-and-1/2 times your regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Child Labor: An employee must be at least 16 years old to work in most non-farm jobs and at least 18 to work in non-farm jobs declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.Persons 14 and 15 years old are allowed to work before or after school in some non-manufacturing, non-mining and non-hazardous jobs IF: They work no more than - 3 hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week; 8 hours on a non-school day or 40 hours in a non-school week. Work may not begin before 7 a.m. or end after 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m. Different rules apply in agricultural employment. Other Special Exemptions: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales employees are exempted from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the FLSA, provided they meet certain tests regarding job duties and responsibilities and are compensated on a salary basis. Minimum Wages in the States By law, states are allowed to establish their own minimum wages and regulations. However, anytime the state minimum wage differs from the federal minimum wage, the higher rate applies. For specifics and updates on the minimum wages and regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, see: Minimum Wage Laws in the States from the U.S. Department of Labor. Enforcement of the Federal Minimum Wage Law The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor administers and enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act and, thus, the minimum wage with respect to private employment, State and local government employment, and Federal employees of the Library of Congress, U.S. Postal Service, Postal Rate Commission, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The FLSA is enforced by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for employees of other Executive Branch agencies, and by the U.S. Congress for covered employees of the Legislative Branch.Special rules apply to state and local government employment involving fire protection and law enforcement activities, volunteer services, and compensatory time off instead of cash overtime pay.For information on enforcement of state minimum wages and other state labor laws, see: State Labor Offices/State Laws, from the US Department of Labor. To Report Suspected Violations Suspected violations are abuses of federal or state minimum wage laws should be reported directly to District Office of the U.S. Wage and Hour Division nearest you. For addresses and phone numbers, see: Wage and Hour Division District Office LocationsFederal law prohibits discriminating against or discharging workers who file a complaint or participate in any proceedings under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Coursework

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is that investors prefer to invest in the most efficient portfolios available - Coursework Example The concept of the efficient portfolio can be well understood after revisiting the preceding portfolio management theories. One such theory is the famous capital assets pricing theory (CAPM). The CAPM is a model that shows the association between the required rate of return and the risk on assets that are held in a portfolio that is well diversified. According to Fama and French (2004), the origin of the capital asset pricing model is the prominent work of William Sharpe (1964) and John Lintner (1965). The CAPM model is very useful in activities such as the determination of the companies’ cost of capital and in assessing portfolio performance. A portfolio is a group of assets (more than one asset) held by an investor (Sharpe 1964). The theory of portfolio attempts to guide investors on how to make the best combination of assets to optimise returns as well as minimise the risk associated with the investments. The commonly used CAPM equation is a follows: ER = Rf + (Rm – Rf)ÃŽ ², where Rf is the risk free rate, ER is the expected return on the portfolio, (usually denoted by the interest rate on treasury bills), Rm is the expected market return for the same period, and ÃŽ ² is the beta, which measures the relationship between the portfolio performance and the market performance. In other words, beta indicates how sensitive the portfolio’s performance is to the variations in the market performance. The above equation shows that a portfolio’s return can be expressed in terms of the risk-free return, the risk premium and the beta. Based on the equation, which is a linear, it is revealed that the portfolio return is directly related to the risk. That is, the higher the portfolio risk, the higher the portfolio’s return. The CAPM theory brings us to another idea of the efficient portfolio. A portfolio can be efficient under

Friday, November 1, 2019

PM 3G should launch this year (internationl businese) Article

PM 3G should launch this year (internationl businese) - Article Example It has not been introduced in some countries because of the initial cost of setup. These 3G machines are very expensive and also, licensing fees for its provision is really high. In Thailand's case, though, licensing wouldn't be as expensive as other countries and Thailand's Prime Minister seems to be concerned about the notion of the existence of 3G technology in Thailand. Furthermore, the world is moving towards technological change and it is no more an environment to sit back and relax. Companies and countries alike have to act and adapt quickly, otherwise they fall behind economically and in other world affairs. In a very short time from now, we would move into the age of 4G or something similar, but more advanced than 3G. 3G has hit the market few years ago and engineers are continuously working to develop more sophisticated and advanced technology. This is the time to make money. These days, product life cycles are very short and based on my knowledge, 3G technology would be replaced soon. Look at the example of the U.S. The U.S. telecommunications' providers have capitalized on the opportunity and offered the 3G mobile broadband at sufficiently high prices to match demand. Now, the demand for 3G mobile broadband has gone down a bit, so the providers are offering good deals and discounts to make use of the few remaining days of the current techno logy.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business finance - The Dividend Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business finance - The Dividend Decision - Essay Example Because, they are the ultimate owners of the company, and have to suffer even if both profits/losses made by the company. The dividend policy, its growth and valuation of shares are closely related with the company’s earning capacity. Dividend Discount Model (DDM) is one of the important tool or technique used to analyze the equity share valuation. So, dividend is an important tool to maximize the growth of cash flows and earning capacity of shareholders. The share capital of Carnock plc. is 1.5 million ordinary shares(i.e.15,00,000shares) with a nominal value of 100p., so the overall equity capital of  £150000000. The ultimate market value of shares is 225p / share, and the Finance Director of the Carnock plc decided to provide yield to the share holders at 12.5%. One of the main objectives of the finance manager is to maximize both the return on ordinary shares and total wealth of the company. Earnings Per Share (EPS) means the earnings made by a company during a particular accounting period on each of its ordinary or equity shares. It is computed by dividing the Net Profit after interest, tax and preference dividend by number of equity shares. Number of Equity shares= Equity Financing/Market price per share. Here, market price per share amounts to 225p/share The concept EPS and theoretical ex right per share is closely related to each other. For this calculation of Right Shares or right issue is also required. â€Å"The dividend valuation model states that the market value of a security is equal to the present value of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Democracy - Essay Essay Example for Free

Democracy Essay Essay Introduction Democracy, it is generally believed, had its roots in Ancient Athens. We know it spread its stems to most of Europe and later to parts of Asia by mid 19th century , mostly in the form of parliamentary democracy. But in the context of this paper,we are not interested in the histrocity of the idea or concept of democracy, but in the idea itself. That is to say we want to analyze the meaning of democracy and its different forms, study its efficiency (so to say), ponder over its limitations and compare it to other forms of government. Whether democracy was conceived of in Athens, Sparta or India is not a topic of interest in this paper (although there may be references to historical events in the evolution of the idea when pertinent). What does democracy mean? Democracy comes from the greek â€Å"rule of the people†. But as I searched for a definition of democracy in the course of research for this paper, a consistent defintion of it seemed to elude me. So we must examine some of these definitions and try to find a core to the idea of democracy, if there exists one. Bunch of different ideas and quotes are out thr on internet put about 4-5 of them here and discuss if them from a current or historical perspective..ive written down one for u: â€Å"The right to dissent without repercussions to ones personal well-being is the core value of Democracyâ€Å" * Nathan Sharansky Discuss quotes such as this to evaluate how these ideas are implemented in practice.. All this should take up about 500 words..  The only core value seems to be people get to elect their governement..how much of the peoples rights are respected after that greatly varies.. Forms of democracy Representative..constitutes parliamentary and liberal(most democracies are  these) Constitutional Direct Socialist Totalitarian ..discuss all thseabout 300 words.. A critique of democacy An illusion There was no stone-pelting, nothing.There was no curfew They fired indiscriminately. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kashmir-burns-again-as-india-responds-to-dissent-with-violence-2045905.html). The above was said by Abdul Rashid, a Kashmiri youth whose friend was gunned down by Indian army officials for holding a peaceful, nonviolent, anti-government rally in the summer of 2010. But this was not an anomoly in the process of democracy in India. Kashmir still remains the most militarized zone in the world with about a half a million troops on active duty (for the sake of comparison, the United States had about 165,000 troops in Iraq at its peak)(i read these figures on cia.gov..i dont remember the exact link ). How is that a government for the people is killing its own citizens for holding a nonviolent demonstration? How is such a huge militarization of a province in a democracy justified? Even a basic understanding of the ideas of freedom and liberty that democracy ent ails shows how abhorrent these actions are. But these things happen, not just in India, but in other developed counties like the United States (Japanese americans in 1942), where the rights of their citizens are violated just when they would want to exercise them. So one must ask, are democracies really for the people? A study of history of goverment brutality in countries like India and the United States seem to suggest otherwise. The almost forceful takeaway of land by the Indian goverment in eastern India from farmers (actions which directly led to the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, something the current prime minister of India called the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country.( http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/ACRText/ACR-IndiaAP.html)), seem to suggest otherwise. The locking up of Japanese Americans in internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt and the Unites States government seem to suggest otherwise. The indiscriminate shooting of  unarmed, nonviolent Kashmiri youths (some as young as 9 years old)shouting â€Å"azadi!azadi!†(â€Å"freedom!freedom!†) by Indian security officials seem to suggest otherwise. One gets the idea. So maybe people like Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca are correct after all. The masses are always characterized by apathy and division, the powers to be by drive and unity (Femia, Joseph V. Against the Masses, Oxford 2001). Maybe all democracy does is shift the power scale, from domination by a despotic leader to manipulation by a democratic government. Maybe the people don’t really have much of a say after all. Maybe it’s just an illusion. Majority rule Majority always gets its way..discuss gay rights..civil rights in us..womens rights historically..religious parties like shiv sena in Mumbai..rising intolerance of secularism in india..majority rule can get tyrannical and the minority issues ignored when people get to decide resolutions to minority issues. The irrational voter â€Å"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.† – Winston Churchill Talk about how the common man is largely ignorant about serious issues and hence can vote against his/her interests..u can greatly discuss the recent midterms in us to make this pointbasically ur sayin if we must solve economic issues we talk to economist..if we must solve environmental issues we talk to climate scientists..if we are talking abt what to teach in science class we take the consensus of scientist not what the common people of the state think (talk abt teaching creationism in schools..a lot of states in us have majority of it people wanting creationism be taught as science even though almost no scientist believe it to be science)not everything should be up for a vote.. Economically Ur a better person to write abt this Idealistic Show how its hard to apply democratic principles in practicecorrupt officials..apathetic citizens..uprisings etc.. Instable Frequent elections make the government instableshitload of examples on the internet abt this.. Best we have? â€Å"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.†- Winston Churchill Compare democracy to other forms of governments like dictatorships, communist states, anarchist, socialist,etc..define and discuss each with respect to western liberal democracy..ive done some of it for anarchist Anarchist Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that common sense would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behaviour. (from wikipedia). One such current society is Somalia, and it would not be hyperbole to suggest they are not doing very well. The lack of a state and police have led to nationwide lawlessness, violence and spiralled the country into utter chaos. I think Somalia really characterizes the severe consequences of not having a state and is not a direction one would want their country to go in. Giving people all the power has resulted in the most powerful and the most brutal of them to take power and the rest of people losing all freedom(ironically).

Saturday, October 26, 2019

A Comparison of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin

The Value of a Dream in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun      Ã‚   How does one value a dream? This question arises while reading both Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.   Although the two novels are very different, the stories and characters share many likenesses.   Death of a Salesman concerns a family’s difficulty in dealing with unrealized dreams.   A Raisin in the Sun focuses on a family's struggle to agree on a common dream.   In each of these stories, there are conflicts between the dreams that each character is struggling to attain.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Death of a Salesman, Happy and Biff are uncertain of where they are in life, and only reach out for the simple, already-tangible things at hand. Biff: "I don't know- what I'm supposed to want", and Happy:   "I don't know what the hell I'm working for", means that they bothh feel they havn't progressed.   All they want to do is work with their hands, with their shirts off and their backs to the sun.   Neither Biff nor Happy have struggled to get to where they feel secure, otherwise they would not be admitting such things.   And both have also dismissed the truth; Biff saying "Never mind. Just don't llay it all to me" and Happy saying, "Just don't lay it all at me feet."   Happy also wants to believe that everything is alright; Happy is fine, so long as he can make himself believe that everyone around him is fine.   Towards the end of the story, when Biff accuses everyone of lying, Happy exclaims, "We always told the truth!" b ut in the beginning, he admitted to Biff, "See, Biff, everybody around me is so false that I'm constantly lowering my ideals."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy Loman wants his dreams so badly that, in his ... ...o survive.   The Youngers never left the house; the house was the only place of action.   It was the pillar, even though it wasn't a great one.   They made it the pillar by their pride and faith.   Willy Loman died with somewhat of a sense of honor and dignity.   He knew he would make his family finally and truly proud, and, most importantly, he knew that Biff loved him, and he always had.   There is no such thing as a wasted life, so long as there are dreams to cloud up reality and, possibly, make them possible.      Works Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Twientieth-Century American Literature. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Draper, James P. Black Literature Criticisms. Detroit: Gale Research Incorporated, 1992. Hansberry, Lorraine.   A Raisin in the Sun.   New York:   Signet, 1988. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1995.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Managing Change in Complex Environment Essay

History and Background Introduction The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government organization that generates income through mail services. It is currently the second largest civilian employer in the United States. Its primary task is to deliver mail around the country, at a standard price, regardless of geographic location. Over the last two centuries, the USPS has evolved into an efficient organization that financially sustains itself through its delivery operations. With a monopoly on the delivery of non-urgent mail, the USPS provides delivery service of about 40 percent of the world’s mail, or approximately 200 billion pieces of mail annually. Starting in the 1990s, the USPS faced increased competition from rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the Internet. Presently the USPS is facing a financial collapse. The USPS needs to undergo an essential and systematic change in order to maintain its significance in the 21st century. History/Background On July 26, 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed a Postmaster General giving birth to the Postal Department of the United States. The mission of the U.S. Postal Department was much the same as today, process and deliver first class and non-urgent mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. Congress passed various laws that grant the post office a â€Å"statutory monopoly† on non-urgent First Class Mail and the exclusive right to put mail in private mailboxes. Although these laws grant the USPS a market advantaged they also restrict its ability to compete with rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the technological innovations. How it got started The Post Office Department has origins in America dating back to the 17th century, when there was a need for mail between colonial settlements and intercontinental exchange of information with England. In 1775, the Continental Congress named Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general and chairman of a committee empowered to make recommendations for the establishment of a postal service. On September 22, 1789 the post office became a new government branch of the United States. At this time there were 75 post offices and approximately 2,000 miles of post roads. The USPS was critical to national welfare and pivotal in facilitating communications for military, congressional representation and newspapers. From the very beginning, the USPS financed operations from revenue it earned and Congress gave it a monopoly to be the only courier service to deliver mail. Key points in evolution The main focus and the efforts of postal officials from the foundation of the Post Office to the present day have been finding the best methods of transporting information and directing mail. For example, in 1791 George Washington stated that that the importance of the postal routes had increased because the country wanted to distribute knowledge of governmental laws. Also, between 1791 and 1861, the U.S increased from 3.9 million to 31.4 million square miles and postal roads grew from 1,875 to 240,595 miles. The Board of Governors of the USPS sets policy, procedure, and postal rates for services rendered. Of the eleven members of the Board, nine are appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate. The nine appointed members then select the Postmaster General, who serves as the board’s tenth member, and who oversees the day to day activities of the service as Chief Executive Officer. The ten-member board then nominates a Deputy Postmaster General, who acts as Chief Operating Officer, to the eleventh and last remaining open seat. The USPS is often mistaken as a government organization but it is legally defined as an â€Å"independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States.† Environmental context The external environment elements that significantly influence the USPS are the United States political system, workforce unions, changing technology and market forces. United States Political System In 1970 the U.S. Postal Department evolved into the USPS through the implementation of the Postal Reorganization act. This act required the USPS to be a â€Å"self-sufficient organization within the U.S. Government†. It also added an additional regulatory body into its chain of command, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), but did not make any modification to the Postal Department’s Board of Directors or regulatory congressional statutes. The USPS Board of directors is charged with directing the USPS through the control of expenditures, reviewing practices, long term planning and setting policies and service standards. The PRC has 5 commissioners, appointed through the executive branch and confirmed by the Senate, who have the authority to reject, modify and approve any USPS initiated congressional recommendations. Since congress alone retains the authority to change USPS’ rates, service frequency and employee benefits, any market related changes from the Board of directors is routed through the PRC and congress for consideration. Pressure from Unions There are 4 unions representing around 90% of the USPS workforce: National Association of Letter Carriers, American Postal Workers, National Rural Letters Carriers Association and National Postal Mail Handlers Union. These organizations have successfully contracted collective bargaining agreements for its members for compensation and benefits that have come to exceed the USPS’ ability to maintain with its current revenues. These labor unions are very influential in weighing in on most of the decisions that affect the well-being of the USPS labor force. Presently USPS employees enjoy 79% coverage of their health care costs; the most of any federal agency. Strategic challenge Over the years the USPS has transformed its operating model and is now set up and mandated to operate like a business entity generating its revenue through the sale of postal products and services. The largest issue with the current business model of the postal service is its lack of flexibility essential for a business in a dynamic market. Specifically the USPS has not been able to organizationally adjust to a large decrease in the demand for first class mail service has resulted in decreasing net revenue in recent years. Congressional Influence The USPS congressional charter came with both benefits and operating constraints. Among the constraints the USPS is obligated to provide a uniform price for its services regardless of the geographic location and dispersion of its customer base. The USPS is obligated to deliver six days a week to every mailing address regardless of its mail volume. Additionally the USPS is required to provide free mailing service to the blind and facilitate voting for overseas military personnel. A significant amount of the USPS’ operating costs comes from its requirement to pre-fund retiree health benefits (RHB) for future retirees. Key Issues The USPS is suffering from the combined effects of declining mail volume from new technology and increasing labor costs resulting in a loss of net revenue. These declines are projected to extend into the future. The addition of a significant number of new addresses in the United States each year increases the USPS’ operating costs although volume is decreasing. Business Model – While the USPS has enjoyed the benefits of the monopoly on first class letter mail services that congress has bestowed, it has a stagnant business model that prevents the USPS from being able to adapt in the face of technological innovation and other market forces that affect its bottom line annually. The major source of revenue for the post office is the postage it charges for first class and non-standard mail. The advance of modern information systems such as email, smartphones, online banking, and other digital communications decreased the demand for traditional mail services. Compounding this issue is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. New technologies offer cheaper substitutes for the services that the post office provides. Stakeholders Postal Workers – The USPS employs more than 500,000 employees making it second only to Wal-Mart as the nation’s largest civilian employer. While every employee is represented by a labor union, employees are legally restricted from striking. Labor Unions – The USPS unions are old, influential and politically connected. Collectively, these unions continually fight for increased employee pay, living allowances and health care benefits. Postal Regulation Commission (PRC) – The PRC serves as the middleman between the USPS board of governors and congress. The PRC can reject or modify requests before they reach congress for final approval. Congress – Members of Congress exercise control over many aspects of the USPS operations including approving the markets for which it competes as well as representing the interests of its constituents whenever the USPS requests changes to its business model. Public Consumer – One of the mandates of the post office is to provide mail service of all addresses. The number of addresses has increased by nearly 18 million nationwide in the past decade and continues to climb as the country recovers from the past recession. A vast majority of the consumers are congressional constituents to whom member of congress are responsible. Competitors The USPS monopolizes, via congressional mandates, the delivery of first class mail, non-urgent mail and small packages. As such it faces very little direct competition from other businesses. However, the USPS has seen significant decreases in its mail volume over the years. The decreased volume of mail is directly related to the global acceptance of technology and use of digital communications which displaced traditional USPS services. Market Forces The USPS full time workers cost the USPS 80% of its revenue. Although they still enjoy a monopoly on first class mail, they are in direct competition with smaller, more efficient, companies who deliver large packages and urgent letters. Strategies Used What it Does Now – The USPS has improved its efficiency and effectiveness through both technology and reorganization. The USPS made significant investments in the late 1990’s in fuel efficient vehicles and new facilities as well as a $15 million advertising campaign to improve its image as a progressive and modern organization. A decade ago it took 70 employees one hour to sort 35,000 letters. Today in an hour, only two employees process an identical volume of mail. Though the number of addresses in the nation has increased by nearly 18 million in the past decade, the number of employees who handle the increased delivery load has decreased by more than 200,000 (Potter 2010a). It launched delivery confirmation service and priority mail in order to compete with competitors. The USPS now operates more than 31,000 post offices and the largest vehicle fleet in the world, with an estimated 218,684 vehicles. What They Want to Do – Concerned with increasing costs and decreasing revenues, the USPS petitioned for the following changes: * Stop Retiree Health Benefits prefunding – in 2011 the prefunding amount exceeded net operating losses. * Retirement System Overpayment – In 2010 Government Accountability Office disputed overpayment freezing approximately $6.9 billion. * Delivery Frequency – Shifting from six to five days weekly delivery would save approximately $3 billion annually. This measure is supported by 75% of USPS consumer base. * Change prices – Mandates currently cap the USPS ability to adjust to market conditions dynamically. * Restructure labor costs – Current collective bargaining decision do not consider the USPS financial health yet mandate compensation and benefits to be paid at levels comparable with private sector organizations with the burden falling on the taxpayers. * Consolidate infrastructure – A proposal in 2009 to close 3,000 postal outlets to reduce excess capacity yielded only a closure of 157 following consumer complaints and congressional intervention. Part II Diagnosis Lewis (2011) states that the USPS’ problems are a result of a restrictive business model and its inflexibility to operate in a dynamic market place. As stated earlier, the USPS response to this problem is a direct plan to cut expenses and increase revenues to overcome their mounting deficit. Although this plan does address the USPS’ immediate insolvency concerns, it fails to address their underlying issues. Through the use of Senge’s system approach and the McCaskey’s Organizational Design model, this paper will expose USPS’ root problems. Strategic Issues/Strategies/Goals-Objectives The USPS’ strategic issues are a loss of revenue due to declining mail volume, extensive costs due to a bloated and expensive unionized-workforce and the use of an outdated-legislatively constrained business plan. Their proposed strategy to mitigate these issues centers on cutting their expenses, consolidating infrastructure, renegotiating labor cost/employee benefits and increasing rates. In addition, the USPS intends to evolve their business plan to incorporate technological innovations. This strategy aligns with their long term goal of providing a â€Å"trustworthy, dependable, reliable and secure means to communicate on a national level† (Lewis, 2011), by implementing a long term sustainable business model that promotes flexibility and economic growth in a dynamic market. Environment In FY11 the USPS’ total revenues were $65 Billion dollars while their total expenses were $75 Billion dollars. Under congressional law the USPS is required to be a â€Å"self-sufficient government agency†. Under this direction the USPS is obligated to cover its costs without government assistance. The USPS does this by generating revenues from a monopoly market while operating more like a private business then a government agency. Its government backed monopoly advantage comes with extensive congressional restrictions on rates, delivery procedures and labor benefits. The USPS’ monopoly restricts the direct competition in the delivery of first class mail, use of specific delivery routes and personal mailboxes. It does not protect the delivery of urgent mail and large packages. FedEx and UPS are direct competitors in this market and have a competitive advantage due to their efficiencies, technological innovations and ability adapt to market needs. Key Success Factors The USPS’ key to success is their ability to meet their customer’s needs, generate enough revenue to cover their costs , maintain the flexibility to adjust in a dynamic market and optimize a scalable infrastructure that facilitates the efficient and economic delivery of their services. Task Requirements There are multiple ways that mail is accepted into the delivery process. For the purpose of observing the USPS organizational structure, the simple method of customers placing the mail in their residential, or post office, curbside mailbox will be examined. In either case this process begins and ends with the customer sending or receiving mail at a mailbox. The mail item is received by the postal carrier, and then consolidated at the local post office, where it is inspected manually or automatically checked for correct postage. It is then routed to a hub for delivery to a particular region in the country. The mail is then sent to a final processing plant where it is sorted for the specific route for delivery. Finally the mail is sent to the distant end post office for delivery to the end customer. The mail is moved in a linear manner between each node in the process chain. Along the interdependency continuum of the USPS’ functional units we observed a sequential relationship. Throughout the process each entity produces an output that is a necessary input for the next link in the chain. The USPS’ key to success in this linear process is the secure delivery of mail for a nominal fee. For their part, the workers must be honest and ensure mail is properly safeguarded as it makes its way through each step in the chain. The workers only have to be ‘good enough’ for their specific task in the process. This means that there is very little incentive for them to innovate or make improvements to the process from within. Any efficiencies gained, in any one link in the process, are not readily propagated throughout because of the sequential nature of the process. Because of the nature of change within the organization, and the employee compensation structure, their only incentive is to maintain the status quo. This analysis is represented in the interdependency/coordination mechanism model below. The analysis shows a misalignment between the levels of interdependence between the functional units and the coordination mechanism used. The USPS coordinates through rules and regulations. Using the systems approach of focusing on successes rather than the failures of the organization, we compared the USPS current coordination level to its closest successful competitor, FEDEX. As depicted FEDEX has a coordination level that aligns with it level of interdependency. The preferred and optimal approach is to align the organization’s level of interdependency horizontally with the coordination mechanism. The USPS needs a higher coordination mechanism to match the current level of interdependence in order to facilitate efficiencies in the system. Process/ Systems Snowfall and showers may not be able to stop postal carriers from their appointed delivery routes, but their financial problems may halt at least 50% of all postal offices. The U.S. Postal Service, weakened by a public turning to digital communications, is down 22 percent in volume from just five years ago, a decline which is expected to continue, driven in part by rigid competition from carriers such as FedEx and UPS. The Postmaster General has responded with a list of cost-cutting proposals, such as eliminating Saturday delivery and closing up to 3,700 local post offices which would be replaced with automated centers operating out of local businesses. The Postmaster General has also proposed laying off as many as 120,000 workers, and pulling workers out of more costly federal pension plans. Pre-funding retiree benefits has cost the Postal Service $21 billion in the last three years. The underlying issue is that all those moves cannot be made without congressional approval. In order to make these immediate and dramatic changes, the Postal Service would require access to its own funds as well as the authority to act as its own corporation. The transition from a government ran entity to a privatized organization requires Congress to give the USPS flexibility to take action and make changes without all the bureaucracy. The below modified Senge Model (Limit to Growth) demonstrates how the USPS is constrained from making changes. In short, the USPS is limited by congress to making quick and reactive changes that focus on the problem rather than the underlying issue. Creating change and making it work are all resisted by a condition called the â€Å"Status Quo† and the USPS is no exception. USPS employees feel protected under the current unionized culture. They feel threatened by the prospect of losing benefits and are unwilling to pay the high personal price necessary for change. We have demonstrated that this change is necessary for the long term health of the organization. The real question is, â€Å"does the current status quo fit the new change requirements?† An organization in dire need to make radical adjustments to become current cannot be fixed with antiquated congressional imposed constraints. PART III Change Management Plan The USPS acknowledges its need to cut costs and increase revenue. It believes this will fix the problems. USPS starts to address this by taking reactionary measures, but fails to take the necessary steps to address the root issue. We argue that there is a more fundamental problem within the USPS organization which requires a systems approach to identify and solve. Senge says â€Å"it is impossible to change the system from inside the system.† By â€Å"complicating up† the USPS management structure we identify the core problem and faults in its system. Due to the short time needed to enact this change we propose a top down approach that pushes change while mitigating assumed employee resistance such an approach will generate. Our plan uses the Lewin and Kotter models to shape the USPS organizational transition. Through the Lewin model we identify a three phase approach to address changes that simultaneously focuses on employee and organizational issues. Throughout each p hase an information plan is propagated to employees to facilitate transition to the next phase. Conclusion The bottom line is that the USPS current costs of doing business outweigh its current methods of productivity. Without changing the strategic management model, the USPS will continue to lose revenue and be unable to react effectively to market demands. Its proposed cost cutting solutions only scratches the surface of the underlying problem of restrictions on organizational management and coordination. Our uses validated organizational change models. We justify our plan which uses the Lewin model and shows a close association to Kotter’s organizational change model. Our plan leads the USPS to long term success, maintains its relevance in today’s market and allows it to make appropriate changes through periodic reevaluations. References Lewis, T., Montgomery C., Shuler, J. , (2011), The US Postal Service , Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Senge, P., (1990), The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday Publishing, New York 15May 2012: http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_124.htm> 15 May 2012: http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj31n1/cj31n1-9.pdf 19 May 2012: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Transportation-Communications-Utilities/United-States-Postal-Service.html

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

En Route Essay

D. C Scott’s poem, En Route describes the moment of stillness a train passenger observes as his train is unexpected halted on a train journey. This essay analyses the poem, exploring details of how the journey the passenger intended to take is interrupted, offering him an altogether unexpected journey, one which affords him an opportunity to see his surroundings in a new light. Within this essay I will explore the meaning of the title â€Å"en route† and consider the various meanings that can be attributed to this title as a result of the track followed by the passenger within the poem. The poem starts with an attention grabbing line, â€Å"The train has stopped for no apparent reason in the wilds†. The image presented is that of isolation, a passenger stuck in the middle of nowhere, with a sense of solitude and forbiddance. All around the now still train is further stillness. Winter has frozen the landscape in the same way in which the train has been stopped, â€Å"A frozen lake is level and fretted over†, â€Å"all so still†. The reader is provided with an image of stillness and serenity, the purpose of the train journey, its origin and its destination all become irrelevant and the reader instead becomes heavily involved in the here and now and what is happening in the landscape outside in which the train now sits is so still. The stoppage of the train allows the passenger to look beyond his immediate surroundings within the train to what is actually happening outside his carriage. The delicate and detailed language employed within the poem describes the world outside, â€Å"it seems a tiny landscape in the moonlight†. The landscape that, moments ago would have been a blurred image as the train rushed through, becomes a fascinating scene with multiple levels of life, detail and delicacy. Descriptive lines such as â€Å"wisps of shadows from the naked birches† and â€Å"one almost hears it twinkle as it thaws† provide the reader with a vivid sense of how the passenger is able to scrutinize every minute part of the landscape which surrounds him. These are all things that people generally do not have the time or opportunity to observe as they journey on route from one place to another. Whilst these images are perhaps real and part of nature and life, the passenger seems to perceive them as transitory, â€Å"they’re going fast where all impressions go†. He is preoccupied with his journey, a journey that he values in contrast to the scene he can see. The train represents real direction to him, a solid steel structure which is without emotion and sensuality is, ironically, of more meaning to him that these delicate images. The purity and honesty of the nature that he is afforded the opportunity to view in great detail is something that he sorrowfully perceives as meaningless, â€Å"On a frail substance- images like these, vagaries the unconscious mind receives†. The passenger is unable to change. He intends to carry on with the journey he started and, sadly, dismisses the intimate relationship between himself and the environment in which he lives. The title of the poem En Route has numerous meanings within this poem. The train is clearly en route from one place to another when it is stopped. The stoppage itself is ironic as the train is no longer â€Å"en route†; it is going nowhere at all. However, through the stoppage the passenger is transported from one place to another almost instantaneously. Whereas previously he would have been concerned with the immediate surroundings of his carriage, with the landscape perhaps whirling by quickly outside his window, he is now offered an opportunity to look beyond this, to real life outside his window. These views offer him another route, a possibility to acquaint himself with the real meaning of life. Although he momentarily observes this and appears to emphasize with it in some way, he eventually rejects it as being something that isn’t of real meaning. He instead chooses to continue on his intended route, leaving the reader with the sense that he is on the wrong tracks, failing to be fully appreciative of the images he can see.