Euthanasi Is Euthanasia Moral - 1889 Words

Allison Siegel Biomedical Ethics, PHIL 3180 Essay #1: Is Euthanasia Moral â€Å"Is Euthanasia Moral?† Healthcare is a huge issue in today’s society. Doctors and nurses throughout the world discuss different topics to try to find cures and support many health issues that people have to face. One such issue, that gives rise to much controversy, is that of euthanasia. This is the act of killing or permitting the death, in a painless manner. Euthanasia is very case-to-case, but no matter the situation, it should never be forced upon anyone. The very first time I recall learning about euthanasia was when some of my childhood pets fell ill. At ten years of age, my beloved maine-coon, Pooh Bear, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. My parents discussed treatment, but tried explaining to my ten year old self that the intense radiation would have only prolonged her already miserable state, and it was too costly of a bill to simply put off an inevitable death. They told me she had to be â€Å"put to sleep.† This was â€Å"putting her out of her misery.† As an animal lover and an attached, emotional child, I cried for days on end and argued that we didn’t know how she felt. This is unfair to her. One would never make such a decision for another human being. Right? My dad, being in law enforcement for twenty-something years, told me that there are such situations in the world similar to this, involving people, and I would learn this as I got older. I never realized how true this was, as

Indus Valley Civilization. Free Essays

Indus Valley Civilization. The earliest traces of civilization in the Indian subcontinent are to be found in places along, or close, to the Indus river. Excavations first conducted in 1921-22, in the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, both now in Pakistan, pointed to a highly complex civilization that first developed some 4,500-5,000 years ago, and subsequent archaeological and historical research has now furnished us with a more detailed picture of the Indus Valley Civilization and its inhabitants. We will write a custom essay sample on Indus Valley Civilization. or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Indus Valley people were most likely Dravidians, who may have been pushed down into south India when the Aryans, with their more advanced military technology, commenced their migrations to India around 2,000 BCE. Though the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered down to the present day, the numerous seals discovered during the excavations, as well as statuary and pottery, not to mention the ruins of numerous Indus Valley cities, have enabled scholars to construct a reasonably plausible account of the Indus Valley Civilization. Some kind of centralized state, and certainly fairly extensive town planning, is suggested by the layout of the great cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The same kind of burnt brick appears to have been used in the construction of buildings in cities that were as much as several hundred miles apart. The weights and measures show a very considerable regularity. The Indus Valley people domesticated animals, and harvested various crops, such as cotton, sesame, peas, barley, and cotton. They may also have been a sea-faring people, and it is rather interesting that Indus Valley seals have been dug up in such places as Sumer. In most respects, the Indus Valley Civilization appears to have been urban, defying both the predominant idea of India as an eternally and essentially agricultural civilization, as well as the notion that the change from ‘rural’ to ‘urban’ represents something of a logical progression. The Indus Valley people had a merchant class that, evidence suggests, engaged in extensive trading. Neither Harappa nor Mohenjodaro show any evidence of fire altars, and consequently one can reasonably conjecture that the various rituals around the fire which are so critical in Hinduism were introduced later by the Aryans. The Indus Valley people do not appear to have been in possession of the horse: there is no osteological evidence of horse remains in the Indian sub-continent before 2,000 BCE, when the Aryans first came to India, and on Harappan seals and terracotta figures, horses do not appear. Other than the archaeological ruins of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, these seals provide the most detailed clues about the character of the Indus Valley people. Bulls and elephants do appear on these seals, but the horned bull, most scholars are agreed, should not be taken to be congruent with Nandi, or Shiva’s bull. The horned bull appears in numerous Central Asian figures as well; it is also important to note that Shiva is not one of the gods invoked in the Rig Veda. The revered cow of the Hindus also does not appear on the seals. The women portrayed on the seals are shown with elaborate coiffures, sporting heavy jewelry, suggesting that the Indus Valley people were an urbane people with cultivated tastes and a refined aesthetic sensibility. A few thousand seals have been discovered in Indus Valley cities, showing some 400 pictographs: too few in number for the language to have been ideographic, and too many for the language to have been phonetic. The Indus Valley civilization raises a great many, largely unresolved, questions. Why did this civilization, considering its sophistication, not spread beyond the Indus Valley? In general, the area where the Indus valley cities developed is arid, and one can surmise that urban development took place along a river that flew through a virtual desert. The Indus Valley people did not develop agriculture on any large scale, and consequently did not have to clear away a heavy growth of forest. Nor did they have the technology for that, since they were confined to using bronze or stone implements. They did not practice canal irrigation and did not have the heavy plough. Most significantly, under what circumstances did the Indus Valley cities undergo a decline? The first attacks on outlying villages by Aryans appear to have taken place around 2,000 BCE near Baluchistan, and of the major cities, at least Harappa was quite likely over-run by the Aryans. In the Rig Veda there is mention of a Vedic war god, Indra, destroying some forts and citadels, which could have included Harappa and some other Indus Valley cities. The conventional historical narrative speaks of a cataclysmic blow that struck the Indus Valley Civilization around 1,600 BCE, but that would not explain why settlements at a distance of several hundred miles from each other were all eradicated. The most compelling historical narrative still suggests that the demise and eventual disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization, which owed something to internal decline, nonetheless was facilitated by the arrival in India of the Aryans. How to cite Indus Valley Civilization., Essay examples

A Textual Analysis Essay Example For Students

A Textual Analysis Essay of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica: An Open Mind and True Heart Metallica plays heavy metal music. This is a common stereotype of the band. Their songs consist of nothing but meaningless screaming, while banging their guitars as loud as possible. Hordes of incomprehensible fans jump around in circles flailing their arms in the air screaming the so-called lyrics to their songs. It is not music. Numerous people believe this in all sincerity. The song Nothing Else Matters, by no means falls under the heavy metal category. It is the type of song that would be played for a slow dance. Through the use of ethos and pathos, the author, James Hetfield, connects with his audience in ways to convince them that life is important and being true to yourself will help you survive. In 1992, Bob Rock came to Metallica and convinced them they had yet to produce an album they were capable of. He motivated and pushed Hetfield to write a song far different from any previous hits. After over a year of production and recording, their acclaimed Black album sold millions. Among the large list of award-winning songs was Nothing Else Matters. It caught the music industry off guard. The songs mellow mood caught the eye of more than just their die-hard fans. Hetfield wanted to show how his open mind had affected his life. A decade of heavy metal rock had won over many fans. Hetfield had captured the attention of the distraught teens of the times. He had earned the respect of the pot-heads and stoners. His audience consisted of mainly kids and young adults struggling to make it through life. Trying to find out who they are, they looked to Metallicas music. The message presented in this song was a strong one. It proved to these fans that despite lifes struggles and all the trials that are thrown your way, nothing matters aside from having a true heart and an open mind. Hetfield does a good job of appealing to ethos. He had already established himself as a musician and won over many fans. They became loyal to Metallicas music, and were willing to listen to any type of song, whether it was slow, fast, emotional or heavy. One specific verse in the song Hetfield explains his sincerity. He says, No matter how far, couldnt be much more from the heart. This is something very dear to Hetfield. He is attempting to show his fans how much he cares about life. Hetfield likes inspire his fans to think about their lives. He challenges his listeners to look inside themselves. He gets right down into the pathos, and shows his fans how to find things out for themselves. His attempt to convey the importance of being true to yourself is very effective. Many of his struggling fans want to find themselves. They want to know who they are and what they are going to become. He does a great job of helping these teens with their struggles. You can tell that Hetfield cares about himself, and it seems he watches out for his fans. It almost seems that he is talking to his fans on a personal level. His life is fun-filled and exciting, and he tries to show his fans how he got there. The songs title Nothing Else Matters expresses how highly Hetfield regards his message. If nothing else really matters, then what does matter must be extremely important. There are a lot of things in life that people see as important. Family, friends, and career all affect our lives. So what is it that is so important that Nothing Else Matters? Hetfield is saying that an open mind will always be a strong influence in your life. With such a strong title, the fans are forced to think about the song. If the title was, Theres not a Whole Lot That Matters More, it would not catch someones attention. .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .postImageUrl , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:hover , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:visited , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:active { border:0!important; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:active , .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ueb1736d084a5cbaf3a6aa1a582bfcf6a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapp Essay What is it, that is so captivating and so important in his life, that nothing else matters? This does a great job of grabbing the attention of his listeners. Again, Hetfield uses ethos to captivate his audience. The individuals seeking for direction and success in their life, .

THE ELEMENT OF SATIRE WITH RESPECT TO CHAUCERS Essay Example For Students

THE ELEMENT OF SATIRE WITH RESPECT TO CHAUCERS Essay CANTERBURY TALESTHESIS:THE ELEMENT OF SATIRE WITH RESPECT TO CHAUCERS CANTERBURY TALESIt is human nature to laugh when an event goes wrong or to make a mockery of an all too serious person. But what if authors had the power to use this instinct within humans to drive a point across? In fact they do and they call this literary toolsatire. Many authors have used this tool as a backbone in their writings; others have only managed to throw in elements of satire here and there. However, there was one author who had mastered this literary tool, and who could use it to the extremes. He had the ability to use it as playfully and lightheartedly as if to just tease. But, in an instant, he could use it to denigrate a person and ruin all that was left of their self-dignity. His name was Geoffrey Chaucer and his weapon of choice, satire. We will write a custom essay on THE ELEMENT OF SATIRE WITH RESPECT TO CHAUCERS specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Satire is one of the most effective ways of writing. It allows the writer to use his imagination to the fullest and be as malicious as he deems necessary, yet not cause the reader to leave in disgust (Highet 242). Satire is a form of literature that readers expect to find some form of profound ideas. However, with satire comes a variation of the truth. While satire is grounded in truth, it is a tainted form. Distorted by the writer as a way of expressing an idea (Highet 234). It is not quite certain where the origins of satire started, but most believe that it was the Romans to first coin the term satire (Highet 24). Satura, meaning dish of mixed ingredients (HTTP://WWW.GALENET.COM/SERVLET/DC). Two men that could be credited with the title of The Grandfathers of Satire are the Roman poets Horace and Lucilius who wrote volumes of poetry, which included their own views on world politics, social fads, and the characters of their friends (Highet 24). Now, one must ask oneself why would an author choose to write in satire? Possibly it was personal grudges (Highet 238). Or another reason may be to state an ideal. In this case, the satire is not just to belittle a particular idea, but also to send a warning as an example (Highet 243). Other reasons for a satirist include, their personal feeling of inferiority or the desire to better society (Highet 240-241). Chaucer was as straightforward as a man can get (Wagenknecht 72). He saw the world as a down to earth fellow who was regarded as sweet (Wagenknecht 141). Being the son of a vintner (victuallers were the peace party), he did not approve of war except that with a religious cause (Wagenknecht 56).It is said that Chaucer would naturally take and present the most unfavorable view of the clerical body, and a correspondingly favorable one of the military (Wagenknecht 56). This is why he is so critical of the Pardoner and Summoner who represent the church. This also explains why he holds the Knight with such high regard. Even though Chaucer wrote with much vulgarity towards the church it is important to note that Chaucer was indeed religious and a Christian at that (Wagenknecht 130). This becomes more evident when looking at how he satirizes the Wife of Bath in the following lines:From the Wife of Baths general prologueIn the whole parish there was not a womanWho dared precede her at the almsgiving,And if there did, so furious was she,That she was put out of all charity. (Wright 27)These lines illustrate how the Wife of Bath seems to be the first at the altar, and if she is not she becomes jealous of the other women. The Wife of Bath tends to represent herself as a woman who uses sex as a means of taking in husbands then holding them for their money, land, or even titles (Wagenknecht 99). Chaucer sees these faults clearly, and his saturations become a criticism, which hold that of Christian morals and principles (Wagenknecht 99). .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .postImageUrl , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:hover , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:visited , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:active { border:0!important; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:active , .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3 .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u77494f281ab65947bf1ae9eef59e93e3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Causes Of The Great Depression EssayThough Chaucer was a man of religious standards he is also a man of tolerance (Wagenknecht 61). He knew all too well that he was, in fact, not perfect. And when he chooses to satirize the Monk he holds this into account. It then becomes clear how Chaucer was a person who saw the faults of people, but was able to look past it if the intent of the character was good:From the Monks general prologueI noticed that his sleeves were edged and trimmedWith squirrel fur, the finest in the land. For fastening his hood beneath his chin,He wore an elaborate golden pin. (Wright 13)These lines describe how the Monk was dressed which was very much out of the normal attire assigned to monks at that time. The Monk is a man who does what he wants with no regard for the church in which hes pledged his soul. Chaucer satirizes the Monk rather lightly compared to other criticisms. And what it amounts to would be a slap on the wrist, this is because Chaucer realizes the Monk has done wrong, but he is not hurting anyone. The Pardoners and the Summoners descriptions are more serious. This is due to the fact that Pardoner and the Summoner are more opportunistic than any other pilgrims. The Friar fits in with them but he is also not nearly as bad. Chaucers satire becomes more insulting and less joking when he writes about the Pardoner and the Summoner. This is to show his extreme disgust for the two. From the Pardoners general prologueThis pardon-sellers hair was yellow as wax,And sleekly hanging, like a hank of flax. In meagre clusters hung what hair he had;Over his shoulders, a few strands were spread,But they lay thin, in rats tails, one by one. As for a hood, for comfort he wore none. (Wright 39)From the Summoners general prologueWhose face was fire-red, like the cherubim;All covered with carbuncles; his eyes narrow (Wright 37). In both descriptions, Chaucer paints a picture of these men who are less than men, as disgusting as he can conceive. He loathes the two because they work and travel together. The Summoner produces false summons, while the Pardoner sells forged pardons. Chaucer makes them the epitome of all that is evil. His description of the Pardoner and his hair allows the reader to make the connection between him and that of a rat, an animal often associated with being very devious. Chaucer has endless amounts of satire usage in his works. As if spades up a card players sleeve, Chaucer can play his card at anytime. He truly uses all his imagination developing the characters and their approach to life. It becomes more apparent than not how Chaucers principles and standards affect his writing. Satire is not the greatest form of literature but one of the most energetic and memorable forms (Highet contents: ix). This becomes ever so clear in Chaucers writings. For he has the ability to make the reader laugh and cause him to think at the same time. He did not care for the reviews of others, he wrote on his own time.He was confident with himself in every aspect (Wagenknecht 72). Chaucer was a jolly old man who loved to make people laugh. BIBLIOGRAPHYHIGHET, GILBERT. THE ANATOMY OF SATIRE. PRINCETON: PRINCETON UP, 1962. WAGENKNECHT, EDWARD. THE PERSONALITY OF CHAUCER. NORMAN: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS, 1968. WRIGHT, DAVID, ED. THE CANTERBURY TALES. GREAT BRITAIN: OXFORD UP, 1985. SATIRE. GALE GROUP. DEC. 2000. MERRIAM-WEBSTERS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LITERATURE 1995. NOV. 27 2001.

morals of gm foods essays

morals of gm foods essays In this essay I intend to explore the ethical implications of developing genetically modified plants and analyse if the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages. However before I start to discuss the ethical implications of this type of work it is first necessary to clarify exactly what is meant by ethics and genetically modified foods. Ethics are, The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; or the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics. (dictionary.com). In simple terms ethics are the moral code by which we live our lives. They tell us what is right and what is wrong and form our moral conscience. Genetically modified foods are foods where, Desirable genes can be transferred from an organism to a crop plant. (Inge, Rowland and Baker, 2000). This can lead to plants being resistant to viruses and in the case of the corn plant, making it resistant to drought. These are the evident advantages of genetically modified plants but there are disadvantages such as plants being modified so that they become resistant to herbicides and pesticides. If these plants cross-pollinate with other plants then this resistance could spread making plants resistant to all kinds of pathogens. So what are the implications of genetically modified plants? The main concern of many people is the safety of genetically modified plants. This concern arises from the implantation of animals genes into plants and from possible allergic reactions caused by implanting, for example, the genes from a Brazil nut into another product. This did actually happen with the development of a soybean which included a Brazil nut protein however the research was immediately stopped when an allergen problem was detected and the plant was never grown outside of a greenhouse. (Marchant ...

Home Alone Quotes

Home Alone Quotes In the 1990 movie Home Alone, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind (via a series of unlikely events) while the rest of his family is on vacation in Europe for the Christmas holidays. Kevin believes the situation is due to his wish that his family would disappear, so (for some reason) does not seem alarmed, and doesnt contact the authorities. Unfortunately for Kevin, two bumbling robbers (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are casing the neighborhood looking for homes whose occupants are away on vacation. They settle on Kevins house, but he prepares a series of booby traps to keep them from entering. Eventually, Kevins family returns and the bad guys get caught. The movie was a huge box-office success  and launched the acting career of child star Macauley Culkin, who played Kevin. It spawned four sequels, each increasingly more far-fetched (this family cant possibly abandon their child so frequently, after all).   Quotes From Home Alone Kevin: When I grow up and get married Im living alone! Did you hear me? Im living alone! Im living alone! Im living alone! Kevin: I made my family disappear. I made my family disappear! Kevin: Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen. Kevin: This is my house, I have to defend it. Kevin: Hey, Im not afraid anymore! I said Im not afraid anymore! Do you hear me? Im not afraid anymore! Kevin: You guys give up yet? Or are you thirsty for more? Kevin: Down here, you idiots! Come and get me before I call the police! Kevin: Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. Harry (first burglar): Merry Christmas, little fella! We know that youre in there and that youre all alone. Harry: You bomb me with one more can, kid, and Ill snap off your cajones and boil them in motor oil! Harry: Its too late for you, kid; were already in the house. Were gonna get ya! Marv (second burglar): Yeah, come on, kid, open up. Its Santa Claus... and his elf! Marv: Hes a kid. Kids are stupid. I know I was. Marley (Kevins elderly neighbor): You live down the street from me, right? You know anytime you see me you can always say hello, you dont have to be afraid. A lot of stuff has been said about me... none of its true. Kevin: No offense, arent you too old to be afraid?Marley: You can be too old for a lot of things, but youre never too old to be afraid. Kate McCallister (Kevins mother): This is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope. And I dont care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son. Kate McCallister: How could we do this? We forgot him.Peter McCallister (Kevins father): We didnt forget him, we just miscounted.Kate: What kind of a mother am I?Frank: If it makes you feel any better, I forgot my reading glasses.

Analysis of Clinton article America's Pacific Century Essay

Analysis of Clinton article America's Pacific Century - Essay Example All in all, whether the US will be at the center of the action is very much dependent on strategy. The basic assumption when it comes to national perspectives is that each and every state will have its interests that are to be pursued. Colonel Arthur Lykke proposes a three element approach when formulating a strategy (Bartholomees 3). This can be summarized as the end, ways and means approach. Strategy serves to control its surrounding instead of reacting to it. It enables the use of power in either a persuasive or coercive manner to achieve set goals. Based on the USAWC Strategy Formulation Framework, Clinton seems to be on the right track. The ideas articulated in the article are in line with the core national interests of the nation (Bartholomees 399) namely; security, stability, promotion of values and economic wellness. Clinton recognizes the need to invest the US resources wisely over the next ten years as this will have a great bearing the future of the nation as a world power (Clinton 1). She clearly states the strategic vision of the Obama administration as being guided by three principles. These are; maintaining political consensus, quickly adapting into the newly formed alliances and guaranteeing defense for new allies. The importance of the region is greatly emphasized. Clinton first points out that the US needs to reposition and not withdraw from the region as is proposed by some in the political scene. She highlights the market potential in Asia for American businesses as one of the key reasons to reposition. She also reiterates that the key to stability and security at home is the stability of areas abroad. The open markets in Asia are seen as an opportunity to invest, conduct trade and access latest technologies. These markets are also portrayed as being important to recovery of the US economy. Given the economic crisis that the nation went through a while back, it would be unwise not to seize the available opportunity for a speedy recovery. Cli nton advocates for a symbiotic relationship between Asia and the US. This proposal underlies the idea that both the US and Asia-Pacific need each other in order to progress well to the future. The article also distinctively identifies the national interests of the country. The most important is the issue of security. Several ways have been proposed on how to implement the strategy. Clinton first calls for application of a forward deployed diplomacy. In this case diplomatic assets are used to achieve partnership. Six key aspects have been forwarded as the basis for this approach. They are; the strengthening of security alliances; intensifying the work relationships with the emerging powers, this includes China; interacting with multilateral organizations in the region; expansion of investment and trading activities; establishing military presence; and championing for democracy and application of human rights in partner countries. There are several alliance treaties that exist with Co untries such as Japan, Australia, Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines. The countries have been identified as a fulcrum to the strategies that the US plans to apply in the Asia-Pacific region. Though the treaties have proven to be beneficial to the US, Clinton calls for the update of the treaties to make them more relevant to the current times. The alliance with Japan is

Blended Learning Implementation in Universities Essay

Blended Learning Implementation in Universities - Essay Example Unfortunately, not all universities have a clear view on how blended learning can be implemented. The goal of this paper is to highlight the most important points and offer a strategic framework for the development and implementation of blended learning strategies in higher education. The paper includes the definition and discussion of blended learning, the main criteria of effectiveness in blended learning environments, possible ways to implement blended learning in the classroom, and a common framework for higher education institutions seeking to implement the blended learning approach. Blended learning: models and implementation Regardless of the goals and objectives of blended learning in universities, the process of implementing blended learning models in higher education mandates the development of strong and complex program implementation frameworks. The overall process of developing and implementing blended learning programs includes the following elements: institutional, ped agogical, technological, design, evaluation and management, support and ethics (Singh 2003). This is actually a unique and extremely useful implementation framework that was proposed by Singh (2003). ... ecide whether it possesses technical and personnel capabilities required, to guarantee that all learners have equal access to blended learning instruments. At this stage of implementation, universities need to perform a detailed needs analysis, to understand what learners need and how blended learning can satisfy their needs. This is the planning stage of the implementation process in blended learning, which must include both strategic and operational aspects (Garrison & Kanuka 2004). In strategic terms, universities must necessarily evaluate the needs, objectives and goals of blended learning, its potential benefits, costs and the availability of resources (Garrison & Kanuka 2004). Operational planning has to be considered, in order to operationalize the goals and objective of blended learning and turn them into an action plan (Garrison & Kanuka 2004). For example, universities may develop advertising strategies to engage learners in blended contexts or attend to the needs of managi ng technologies effectively. Then follow the pedagogical and technological considerations. Universities that seek to implement blended learning approaches must decide upon the content to be included in the blend, the learning objectives to be met, and the learner needs (Singh 2003). In other words, here education professionals link the needs of learners to the learning objectives and the instruments to be used, to help learners meet these learning objectives. For example, if learners are expected to develop a new product or marketing model, then product simulation can become an essential component of the blend (Singh 2003). Once these delivery methods are identified, universities can proceed to decide upon the types of technologies to be used in blended learning. Here, technical

The development of Beatrice and Benedicks relationship Essay Example for Free

The development of Beatrice and Benedicks relationship Essay Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship is very lively throughout the play. At the beginning of the play they mock each other constantly in a jokey banterous fashion. Both of them are very independent and don’t believe in love. Their friends trick them into falling in love with each other and succeed, so that by the end of the play Beatrice and Benedick have a strong relationship and marry. At the beginning of the play (1, 1) Beatrice and Benedick constantly mock each other trying to outwit each other with quite sharp comments. For example Benedick says â€Å"well, you are a rare parrot teacher† to annoy Beatrice he says this in a jibing way to provoke her saying that she is too chatty and talks too much. Beatrice responds by saying â€Å"a bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours†. By this she means she’d rather be a parrot that speaks too much than a beast that can’t speak well. She says this as a comeback. Beatrice insults Benedick by saying he’s untrue to his friends and a backstabber. â€Å"Who is his companion now he hath every month a new sworn brother† when Beatrice uses the words â€Å"a new sworn brother† she’s saying that he swears his trust to a new man every month. The use of the word ‘brother’ implies that they become really close before he turns on them. Beatrice says to Benedick’s face that he is â€Å"dull fool† and pretends that she doesn’t know that he is behind the mask at the masked ball. â€Å"Why he is the princes’ jester, a very dull fool†. When Beatrice is speaking to Benedick behind the mask, she carries on mocking him, the use of the word ‘dull’ shows that she thinks of him as boring, dull and not funny. (2, 1) When Benedick is tricked into loving Beatrice, he declares his love for her. He says â€Å"I will be horribly in love with her†. The use of the word horribly suggests that he is going to be madly in love with her. The audience can feel his strong emotions with the use of these words. (2,3) In the middle if the play, When Beatrice is tricked into loving Benedick she immediately declares her love back to him. â€Å"taming my wild heart to thy loving hand†. When Beatrice says this she is devoting her love to Benedick even though this was all just a big deception to get them to love each other. The use of the phrase ‘taming my wild heart’ suggests that she has finally found love and has been tamed like an animal. The audience get the feeling that both Beatrice and Benedick are quite desperate for love, even though they don’t show it, because as soon as the opportunity for love comes in they both take the chance despite the fact that they used to  mock each other and things Benedick said that implies that he has no intent of marriage â€Å"Shall I never see a bachelor of three againâ⠂¬  (3,1) Benedick says that although he cannot rhyme and write poems he is an amazing lover better than everyone in the world. â€Å"Although Leander and Troilus have a reputation of being amazing lovers they are not as in love as I am† Benedick is saying that the best lovers Leander and Troilus is not as good as loving as him because the best thing he’s got is how much he loves Beatrice.

MARKETING DEPARTMENT :: Business and Management Studies

MARKETING DEPARTMENT The aim of this department is to make sure that the business produces goods that consumers would want to buy and sell. Activities of marketing and sales department at Sainsbury's: Market Research: this type of research is a research that Sainsbury's would like to find if a product or a service is suitable for the consumers. This is because they can find out what kind of products or services the consumer's wants. Sainsbury's would also like to find out about if the product exists, if so, how would they manage to improve it. There are two types of research Sainsbury's could use 1) field research and 2) desk research. Promotion: this is to tell the customers that the products or services that is available by advertising will encourage the customers to buy the products or services by offering promotions. Sales: this provides that the goods and services are suitable to customers that they need or want. This area of department involves making sales. This function helps Sainsbury's to achieve the objectives. The way they manage to do this is by increase their sales so that it increases its market share or market segment. The market research is carried out to identify the customer needs. Sainsbury's also would like to increase their image name. This is because Sainsbury's would like to provide the customers with good products so that they can fulfil the customer needs and increase the sales within the promotion offers e.g. get one and get the second one free. Promotion is an important marketing function for Sainsbury's. This is because Sainsbury's would like to increase the awareness, attract new customers, and increase sales and profits. The marketing function for Sainsbury's takes into account the four marketing mix e.g. product, price, place and promotion. How the marketing department helps Sainsbury’s meet objectives. Market research. When an organisation is in a market it is good that your can look at other activity in the market. Sainsbury’s is in the market of an oligopoly and few big firms run this kind of market. One of the objectives of Sainsbury’s is to gain market share. Sainsbury’s will be looking to beat competitors. To beat competitors Sainsbury’s will need to research and see what business activity they do compare to Sainsbury’s. If they research they can think of way to beat competitors in the market. Promotion. Promotion of products and Sainsburys plc is vital to them. Sainsbury’s will want everyone to know who they are and what products they sell. For Saisnbury’s to advertise products they do it through the marketing department. The marketing department will be expected to promote the products they sell to the correct audience.

Eth prescribed notes

Everyone has it Everyone has some talent that Is stronger than someone else Talent does not equal Intelligence/ knowledge/ skills/ specific ablest Talent starts with genetic Inheritance unique patterns of personality/ temperament/ behavioral traits play a big role In who we are/ become Always work on your students' strengths not their weaknesses. MYTH 1 :III learn in the same way Each personal learning / thinking / working style Is a style conducive to the person, & however comfortable they are doing the task.Each has a different way of taking In Info, storing, processing, retrieving & converting It Into knowledge Einstein said, imagination is more important than knowledge, he came up with his relativity theory by imagining a ride on a moonbeam. MYTH 2 :luminescent is fixed at birth & accurately determined by standard IQ tests Skills measured IQ are not all the skills a person possesses which constitute intelligence Only 20% of Intelligence Is analytical, constitute all other intelli gences. All people have individual strengths. Goals strengthen strengths & correct weaknesses. Excellence must be broadly defined.There are many forms of intelligence / traits/ talents that a person possesses Howard Gardener mentions 8 types An educator should help learners choose a field of study that matches learner's talent. MYTH 4 : Intelligence Is Inherited Need : Nature (inheritance) + Nurture(development through environment, experience, & culture) = to gain intelligence Born with traits & propensities for learning & specific talents Home, schooling, living environment is vital to develop those talents you were born with, & to build new sets of skills & abilities.

Juicy Red Tomato Company Essay

Point of View In Juicy Red Tomato Company case analysis, we will take the company owner’s point of view. Observation Juicy Red Tomato Company (JRT), a tomato grower operating in Florida is paying attention in determining (1) the effectiveness and competence of its organizational structure, and (2) the selection and prolongation of managerial personnel stay in the company. Internal expenditures are getting higher. Also, key workforces are leaving. Lastly, the company is thinking if they are going to spread out its operations. Preliminary Data Gathering (Interview, Literature Survey) Accomplished introductory interviews within the organization and investigated of the produce industry, and company circumstances with related challenges. For 15 years, the business has been operational. During those years, it has full-fledged at a scale of about 5% per year. For its first 10 years of the company’s subsistence, expenses have remained stable. But over the preceding 3 years, costs have increased by 2.5% to 4%. Grounds mentioned by Juicy Red Tomato Company include unanticipated temperature falling off, pests, and augmented labor expenses. Management has had a tendency to come from inside the organization, as long-standing employees â€Å"rise through the ranks†. Over the previous year, many long-term, key personnel have left because they think they have â€Å"no future† waiting for them with JRT. On the other hand, Juicy Red Tomato Company is on the brink for an improved rate of growth. It is by means of potential spreading out of the business. Problem Definition (Research problem demarcated) It seems that there has been a lack of communication between manufacture and operations. Therefore, it can be concluded that at Juicy Red Tomato Company, the organizational structure needs to be more participatory and adaptable. Furthermore, there is a high need for maintenance across all levels of employees, managerial personnel, as well as frontline workers. Theoretical Framework (Variable clearly identified and categorized) In the world of innovation and alteration we are living today, one of the most important supervision challenges is fabricating more flexible organizational structures. According to Participatory Management, Teamwork, and Leadership by Jaime Herrera S., an expert in human-resource development and organizational development, the participatory model of management must be established on ideology and values. It has to go along together with a statement of purpose and can materialize the foundation of a mission statement. An organization calls for an extensive, shared mental picture of the future, a distinctiveness, a standpoint with relation to its goals and how they can be achieved. It also needs a management that knows how to make everyone head to same direction and a leadership that is a propelling strength for change and which derives its power from a philosophy of absolute trust and dedication. Nowadays, organizations are switching their old vertical hierarchical formation with new horizontal or structures that are matrix based. It is connecting traditional utilities through inter functional teams, and establishing tactical agreement with suppliers, consumers and even competitors. In fact, the future company has an organizational structure that is possible to reconfigure so that it can achieve the finest use of teams that are flexible and whose personality varies over time. It is in coordination with an outcome of the satisfaction of market and consumers’ necessities and expectations. Also, it has to consider the performance of competitors and other market aspects. The acquirement of indispensable competencies and the formation of consortiums to make access available to potentials and resources for those who do not possess them are factors that must not be disregarded. The style of management must transform from one that is of control to one that is of training and supervision. The organization should move to the perception of an organization that is without boundaries. The structure of an organization without boundaries is based on a paradigm that lay emphasis on the free movement of individuals, information, ideas, procedures, responsibilities and resources of every type. (S., 2001) Furthermore, there are two classifications of organizational structures that are widely used today: the mechanistic structure and the organic structure. These are developed by Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker who conducted their study of electronics firms in the U.K. in the case of JRT, the most appropriate organizational structure is the organic structure. It is more flexible and more adjustable to a participative type of administration. Also, it is not as much concerned with a clearly classified structure. An organic structure is receptive to the environment so that it can venture on new opportunities. Organic organizations are also called flat organizations. These organizations have decentralized tactic to management. It encourages high employee participation in making decisions. Its chief purpose is to form small enterprises that are independent and can respond easily and immediately to the needs of the customers or to the changes in the business atmosphere. JRT can also apply boundaryless organizations. Like flat organizations, it put highlight on teams. Horizontal hindrances are dispersed by cross-functional teams. It also enables the company to have immediate response to changes in environment. In additional, it allows the organization to lead innovation. Boundaryless organizations are able to form relationships with customers, dealers, and even with its competitors. These relationships can be regarding shared ventures, intellectual assets, monetary resources, or allocation channels. Tactical associations, customer-organization connections and telecommuting can dissolve external boundaries. Production activities are being modernized and become more efficient. In smoothing the progress of interactions with their customers and suppliers, Jack Welch first applied this un-structure. Welch is the former CEO of General Electric. (Supervision, 1998) A boundaryless organization is also a learning organization. This is for the reason that learning organizations necessitates boundaryless surroundings to assist sharing of information and collaboration of teams. When all members play a functional role in identifying issues that are work-related and able to resolve them, the organization is able to cultivate unremitting capacity to adjust and endure in a gradually more competitive environment. Eventually, it will acquire learning culture. A learning organization is able to fit and respond to alterations. It authorizes employees because they gain and share learning and use it in making decisions. To enhance performance, they bring together cooperative intelligence and accelerate creative thought. They are partaking and aligning the company’s visualization of the future. They also nourish the meaning of community and glaring culture. (Supervision, 1998) On the retention issue of the employees, L. John Mason gives some tips in making your employees stay in the company. He got these advices from top executives and Human Resource managers that are very successful. Employers should be given proper care and concern. First thing to keep in mind is to treat them like your valued customers. Hiring and preparing new ones is more expensive than keeping your old workers. Secondly, tell them in a convincing way that they have a major role in the company’s vision. Also, the employee should know his/her workers and their strengths. The employee can put them in the right jobs and positions in the organization. They should still have fun while working. In the case of JRT, the management can come up with a committee of employees that will help utilize retention strategies. This is effective because employees know the need of their co-workers. In additional, the employee should give his/her best to compromise with the employees regarding their needs. Lastly, recognize their efforts. Make employees feel they are appreciated. (Mason, 2005) To make these things possible, appropriate training, improvement, and education should be given to the employees at the right time. Through this, the employer can make them more productive, increase their knowledge, and gain more loyalty. (S., 2001) Creating Of Hypothesis Juicy Red Tomato Company needs to pay much attention in retention of its managerial personnel and also of frontier manufacture employees. Moreover, JRT has to make some development in communication between production and processes. (â€Å"Philosophy Decision Analysis Homework Help†, 2004-2005) Improvement in organizational structures can also make a big difference in the company’s present scenario. Mason, L. J. (2005). Top 10 Retention Strategies: Save Money on Personnel Turnover [Electronic Version]. EzineArticle. Retrieved September 10, 2006 from http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Retention-Strategies:-Save-Money-on-Personnel-Turnover&id=94632. Philosophy Decision Analysis Homework Help. (2004-2005). Retrieved September 10, 2006, from http://www.brainmass.com/homeworkhelp/philosophy/decisionanalysis/47971/ S., J. H. (2001). PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT, TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP: Key requirements for the success of organizations in the twenty-first century. Retrieved September 10, 2006, from http://www.itu.int/itudoc/itu-d/hrdqpub/hrdq/hrdq86/part_ww7.doc Supervision. (1998). Organizing Process Retrieved September 10, 2006, from http://telecollege.dcccd.edu/mgmt1374/book_contents/3organizing/org_process/org_process.htm

A Brief History of Chinese Opera

A Brief History of Chinese Opera Since the time of the Tang Dynastys Emperor Xuanzong from 712 to 755- who created the first national opera troupe called the Pear Garden- Chinese opera has been one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the country, but it actually started nearly a millennium before in the Yellow River Valley during the Qin Dynasty.   Now, more than a millennium after Xuanzongs death, it is enjoyed by political leaders and commoners alike in many fascinating and innovative ways, and Chinese opera performers are still referred to as Disciples of the Pear Garden, continuing to perform an astonishing 368 different forms of Chinese opera. Early Development Many of the features that characterize modern Chinese opera developed in northern China, particularly in the Shanxi and Gansu Provinces, including the use of certain set characters like Sheng (the man), Dan (the woman), Hua (the painted face) and Chou (the clown). In Yuan Dynasty times- from 1279 to 1368- opera performers began to use the vernacular language of the common people rather than Classical Chinese. During the Ming Dynasty- from 1368 to 1644- and the Qing Dynasty- from 1644 to 1911- the northern traditional singing and drama style from Shanxi was combined with melodies from a southern form of Chinese opera called Kunqu. This form was created in the Wu region, along the Yangtze River. Kunqu Opera revolves around the Kunshan melody, created in the coastal city of Kunshan. Many of the most famous operas that are still performed today are from the Kunqu repertoire, including The Peony Pavilion, The Peach Blossom Fan, and adaptations of the older Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West. However, the stories have been rendered into various local dialects, including Mandarin for audiences in Beijing and other northern cities. The acting and singing techniques, as well as costumes and makeup conventions, also owe much to the northern Qinqiang or Shanxi tradition. Hundred Flowers Campaign This rich operatic heritage was almost lost during Chinas dark days in the mid-twentieth century. The Communist regime of the Peoples Republic of China- from 1949 to present- initially encouraged the production and performance of operas old and new. During the Hundred Flowers Campaign in 1956 and 57- in which the authorities under Mao encouraged intellectualism, the arts and even criticism of the government- Chinese opera blossomed anew. However, the Hundred Flowers Campaign may have been a trap. Beginning in July of 1957, the intellectuals and artists who had put themselves forward during Hundred Flowers period were purged. By December of that same year, a stunning 300,000 people had been  labeled  rightists and were subjected to punishments from informal criticism to internment in labor camps or even execution. This was a preview of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution of 1966 through 1976, which would imperil the very existence of Chinese opera and other traditional arts. Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution was the regimes attempt to destroy old ways of thinking by outlawing such traditions as fortune telling, paper-making, traditional Chinese dress and the study of classic literature and arts. An attack on one Beijing opera piece and its composer signaled the start of the Cultural Revolution. In 1960, Maos government had commissioned Professor Wu Han to write an opera about Hai Rui, a minister of the Ming Dynasty who was fired for criticizing the Emperor to his face. Audiences saw the play as a critique of the Emperor- and thus Mao- rather than of Hai Rui representing disgraced Minister of Defense Peng Dehuai. In reaction, Mao performed an about-face in 1965, publishing harsh criticism of the opera and of composer Wu Han, who was eventually fired. This was the opening salvo of the Cultural Revolution. For the next decade, opera troupes were disbanded, other composers and scriptwriters were purged and performances were banned. Until the fall of the Gang of Four in 1976, only eight model operas were allowed. These model operas were personally vetted by Madame Jiang Qing and were entirely politically innocuous. In essence, Chinese opera was dead. Modern Chinese Opera After 1976, Beijing opera and the other forms were revived, and once more placed within the national repertoire. Older performers who had survived the purges were allowed to pass on their knowledge to new students again. Traditional operas have been freely performed since 1976, though some newer works have been censored and new composers criticized as the political winds have shifted over the intervening decades. Chinese opera makeup is particularly fascinating and rich in meaning. A character with mostly red makeup or a red mask is brave and loyal. Black symbolizes boldness and impartiality. Yellow denotes ambition, while pink stands for sophistication and cool-headedness. Characters with primarily blue faces are fierce and far-seeing, while green faces show wild and impulsive behaviors. Those with white faces are treacherous and cunning- the villains of the show. Finally, an actor with only a small section of makeup in the center of the face, connecting the eyes and nose, is a clown. This is called xiaohualian, or the little  painted  face. Today, more than thirty forms of Chinese opera continue to be performed regularly throughout the country. Some of the most prominent of which are the Peking opera of Beijing, Huju opera of Shanghai, the Qinqiang of Shanxi, and Cantonese opera.   Beijing (Peking) Opera The dramatic art form known as Beijing opera- or Peking opera- has been a staple of Chinese entertainment for more than two centuries. It was founded in  1790 when the Four Great Anhui Troupes went to Beijing to perform for the Imperial Court. Some 40 years later, well-known opera troupes from Hubei joined the Anhui performers, melding their regional styles. Both the Hubei and Anhui opera troupes used two primary melodies adapted from the Shanxi musical tradition: Xipi and Erhuang. From this amalgam of local styles, the new Peking or Beijing opera developed. Today, Beijing Opera is considered  Chinas  national art form. Beijing Opera is famous for convoluted plots, vivid makeup, beautiful costumes and sets and the unique vocal style used by performers. Many of the 1,000 plots- perhaps not surprisingly- revolve around political and military strife, rather than romance. The basic stories are often hundreds or even thousands of years old involving historic and even supernatural beings.   Many fans of Beijing Opera are worried about the fate of this art form. The traditional plays make reference to many facts of pre-Cultural Revolution  life and history that are unfamiliar to young people. Furthermore, many of the stylized movements have particular meanings that can be lost on uninitiated audiences. Most troubling of all, operas must now compete with films, TV shows, computer games, and the internet for attention. The Chinese government is using grants and contests to encourage young artists to participate in Beijing Opera. Shanghai (Huju) Opera Shanghai opera (Huju) originated at about the same time as Beijing opera, around 200 years ago. However, the Shanghai version of opera is based on local folk-songs of the Huangpu River region rather than deriving from Anhui and Shanxi.  Huju  is performed in the Shanghainese dialect of Wu Chinese, which is not mutually intelligible with  Mandarin. In other words, a person from Beijing would not understand the lyrics of a  Huju  piece. Due to the relatively recent nature of the stories and songs that make up  Huju, the costumes and makeup are comparatively simple and modern. Shanghai opera performers wear costumes that resemble the street clothing of ordinary people from the pre-communist era. Their makeup is not much more elaborate than that worn by western stage actors, in stark contrast to the heavy and significant grease-paint used in the other Chinese Opera forms. Huju  had its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the stories and songs of the Shanghai region show a definite western influence. This is not surprising, given that the major European powers maintained trading concessions and consular offices in the thriving port city, prior to World War II. Like many of the other regional opera styles,  Huju  is in danger of disappearing forever. Few young actors take up the art form since there is much greater fame and fortune to be had in movies, TV, or even Beijing Opera. Unlike Beijing Opera, which is now considered a national art form, Shanghai Opera is performed in a local dialect and thus does not translate well to other provinces. Nevertheless, the city of Shanghai has millions of residents, with tens of millions more in the near vicinity. If a concerted effort is made to introduce younger audiences to this interesting art form,  Huju  may survive to delight theater-goers for centuries to come. Shanxi Opera (Qinqiang) Most forms of Chinese opera owe their singing and acting styles, some of their melodies, and their plot-lines to the musically fertile Shanxi province, with its thousand-year-old Qinqiang  or  Luantan  folk melodies. This ancient form of art first appeared in the  Yellow River  Valley during the  Qin Dynasty  from B.C. 221 to 206 and was popularized at the Imperial Court at modern-day  Xian during the  Tang Era, which spanned from 618 to 907 A.D. The repertoire and symbolic movements continued to develop in Shanxi Province throughout the  Yuan Era  (1271-1368) and the Ming Era (1368-1644). During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Shanxi Opera was introduced to the court at Beijing. The Imperial audiences so enjoyed Shanxi singing that the form was incorporated into Beijing Opera, which is now a national artistic style. At one time, the repertoire of Qinqiang included over 10,000 operas; today, only about 4,700 of them are remembered. The  arias  in Qinqiang Opera are divided into two types:  huan  yin, or joyous tune, and  ku  yin, or sorrowful tune. Plots in Shanxi Opera often deal with fighting oppression, wars against the northern barbarians, and issues of loyalty. Some Shanxi Opera productions include special effects such as fire-breathing or acrobatic twirling, in addition to the standard operatic acting and singing. Cantonese Opera Cantonese Opera, based in southern China and overseas ethnic Chinese communities, is a very formalized operatic form that emphasizes gymnastic and martial arts skills. This form of Chinese Opera predominates in Guangdong,  Hong Kong, Macau,  Singapore,  Malaysia, and in Chinese-influenced areas in western countries. Cantonese Opera was first performed during the reign of the Ming Dynasty Jiajing Emperor from 152 to 1567. Originally based on the older forms of Chinese Opera, Cantonese Opera began to add local folk melodies, Cantonese instrumentation, and eventually even Western popular tunes. In addition to traditional Chinese instruments such as the  pipa,  erhu, and percussion, modern Cantonese Opera productions may include such Western instruments as the violin, cello, or even saxophone. Two different types of plays make up the Cantonese Opera repertoire- Mo, meaning martial arts, and  Mun, or intellectual- wherein the melodies are entirely secondary to the lyrics.  Mo performances are fast-paced, involving stories of warfare,  bravery  and betrayal. The actors often carry weapons as props, and the elaborate costumes may be as heavy as actual armor. Mun, on the other hand, tends to be a slower, more polite art form. The actors use their vocal tones, facial expressions, and long flowing water sleeves to express complex emotions. Most of the Mun stories are romances, morality tales, ghost stories, or famous Chinese classic tales or myths. One notable feature of Cantonese Opera is the makeup. It is among the most elaborate makeup systems in all of Chinese Opera, with different shades of color and shapes, particularly on the forehead, indicating the mental state, trustworthiness, and physical health of the characters. For example, sickly characters have a thin red line drawn between the eyebrows, while comic or clownish characters have a large white spot  on  the bridge of the nose. Some Cantonese Operas also involve actors in open face makeup, which is so intricate and complicated that it resembles a painted mask more than a living face. Today, Hong Kong is at the center of efforts to keep Cantonese Opera alive and thriving. The Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts offers two-year degrees in Cantonese Opera performance, and the Arts Development Council sponsors opera classes for the citys children. Through such concerted effort, this unique and intricate form of Chinese Opera may continue to find an audience for decades to come.

Boys vs Girls

Guys vs. Girls Vive always been the kind of person who has more guy friends than girl friends. Girls tend to cause unnecessary drama, pick people apart and run their mouths. In truth, guys make better friends because they are lenient, arent as Judgmental and know how to be straightforward. Its always enjoyable spending time with people who are laid-back and relaxed. When hanging out with guys its about having a good time no matter how you look or what youre doing. Girls on the other hand are always checking to see if they look Kay and try to attract the most attention. Secondly, when it comes to disagreements guys argue and move on whereas girls hold grudges for months. More specifically, girls overbalance everything and get offended very easily. For this reason, it is preferable to have guy friends because guys dont take anything to heart. When theres a difference of opinions guys state their point of view and let it go whereas girls will bicker to tears and start unnecessary drama. Lastly, girls beat around the bush and sugarcoat the truth. When wanting an onset opinion guys arent afraid to say it like it is and tell you what they truly think. Girls tell you what you want to hear to attempt at saving your feelings even if it meaner telling a white lie. As a result guys make better companions because they dont avoid the truth and make situations easier to work out and communicate. Ultimately, when looking for a loyal, fun and honest friend choosing a guy over a girl is a better choice because you can be yourself, confide in them and have a drama-free friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Human Resource exam questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resource exam questions - Coursework Example This eliminates conflict of interests, through hindering individuals from undertaking some tasks, exert authority or interfere with certain duties outside the confines of their jobs (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Job analysis creates order, discipline and responsibility, by defining the duties and responsibilities of each worker (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Additionally, Job analysis helps in preparing job description and job specifications necessary for hiring the right individuals for a job (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Observation and interview methods of collecting job analysis information are recommended. This because, through observation, the investigator has an opportunity to get first hand information, since he/she can observe the tasks as they are being undertaken. This improves the validity of the information obtained (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Interview method allows an opportunity for employees to give their suggestions on top of the already existing tasks. This im proves the nature of the information collected (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Job description refers to a factual statement of the duties and responsibilities that are involved in a certain job task (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). ... Under this approach, an organization looks at its labor audit data, where it observes patterns such as the hiring, retirement, turnover and productivity (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). The approach is applied based on an assumption that the trend will remain stable. Therefore, an organization plans to increase or decrease their labor force, depending on the past trends, which are used to predict the future patterns (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Depending on the predicted future situation, an organization can hire, reduce or maintain its work force. This approach is advantageous in that, it helps the organization predict its future demand and supply needs, based on the real data and experience that the organization has had in the past (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). However, the limitation is that the future needs may vary with the past and the current patterns, making an organization experience either a shortage or a surplus of human resources in the future (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 201 0). Replacement chart This approach entails focusing on the available positions within an organization, and planning on how such positions will be taken up by internal employees, when their occupants exits the organization (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). This approach is futuristic, aiming at ensuring that all the key positions of the organization has potential replacement, while also planning for the occupation of other positions that might arise out of the expansion of the organization. This approach is beneficial since it ensures that the operations of an organization are not disrupted due to exits from the organization. The limitation for this approach is that the potential candidates

Alberto J. Moras Memorandum Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Alberto J. Moras Memorandum - Term Paper Example As for himself, he obtained a measure of insight into detainee treatment and interrogation practices commensurate with the scope and degree of involvement by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for his functions did not end with providing legal counsel but he was also charged with the general oversight responsibility for the NCIS’s operations.   In December 2002 Mora received a report of detainee abuse at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba. Despite the notation that the Navy or Marine Corps and OGC attorneys were not involved, he still went to investigate. Mora admits that this chronological narrative of the significant events pertaining to detainee interrogation, in which he and the OGC participated or had knowledge of, is sadly lacking since he was unable to identify and name all those who participated. Suffice it to say that in other aspects his efforts yielded a lot of good. He was able to uncover an action memo, dated Dec.2, authorizing entitled â€Å"Counter-Resistance Techniques† authorized by Secretary Rumsfield and rumored to be partly authorized at a â€Å"high level† in Washington permitted the use of certain interrogation techniques. Mora understood the necessity of obtaining information to prevent another 9/11 but to condone such practices to him will cause harm to the national legal, political, milit ary and diplomatic interests. He met with the necessary people to get his message across. By January 17, 2003, Secretary Rumsfield suspended the techniques and established a working group to develop recommendations on detainee interrogations by the 29th of January. Mora supported this move and provided counsel.   

Now is the time to make real the promisses of democracy Essay

Now is the time to make real the promisses of democracy - Essay Example Martin Luther King, who initiated the civil rights movement to gain the equality promised under the Constitution for black Americans. This essay will examine the need to make these promises of democracy real and tangible for American citizens. From the perspective of the founding fathers of the Constitution of the United States, pure democracy was the objective to be attained, through equality and freedom for all its citizens. During the early stages of the Civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King clearly stated: â€Å"We are here because of our love for democracy, because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest, form of government on earth† (www.blackvoices.com). In this, Dr. King was clearly articulating the need for the principles and values of democracy to not merely remain inscribed on paper, but to also be actually evidenced in practice. He was articulating the realities of the day, when despite the promsies of equality enshrined in the Constitution, black Americans were not treated equally with the whites and discrimination and repression was exercised against them. In the same speech, Dr. King also went on to say that Ameircan democracy also allows individuals the right to protest in order to secure their rights. In order to make the promises of democracy real, it was necessary to ensure that they were reflected in the lives of the people. The existence of inequality and injustice therefore contradicts the principles of democracy and suggests that its promises are not being adhered to. Thomas Jefferson himself was convinced that blacks could never be integrated into mainstream American society because of â€Å"deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites; ten thousand recollections, by the blacks, of the injuries they have sustained; new provocations; the real distinction which nature had made; and many other circumstance, will divide us into parties,

American Television In The 1950s And 1960s

American Television In The 1950s And 1960s The televisual representation of black people had been a highly contested phenomenon since the television broadcast of Amos n Andy in June 1951. It is believed that Amos n Andy defined for the first time the side that television was to take in the postwar to represent Black people in America. In Amos n Andy, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll created and fixed an image of blackness, black people believed, which made racist Americans fight against them more and more. The program lasted just two years and was cancelled in the midst of growing protest by the black community in 1953. Because The Jeffersons not only was the first TV programs which featured African-Americans in leading roles since the cancellation of the infamous Amos n Andy show in 1953, but also the first television program to feature black couples. Because it was the first time television showed a rich, successful African American family, many people believed that the appearance of The Jeffersons was the first positive image of a new role model of Black African American families on television. However, John D.H.  [1]  pointed out that this television show may have been just a typical of American television fare because media image of American of African descent have ranged from the blatantly to the latently racist. Father knows best was, the first white family television sitcom and popular around 1950s-1960s. Therefore, I would like to use both The Jefferson and father knows best as examples to examine how race was constructed by American televisual representation. Just a few years after the Second World War, how to attain and live the American dream became one of the most prominent themes of the 1950s .Therefore, for helping Americans rebuild their dream, television program in 1950s was made as a creation of American dream rather than a reflection of society.  [2]  The television producers believed when people conformed to the ideal of beneficial families bring those family audiences stand up to the same level and made people more enjoy the sitcom and their life.  [3]  According to Census, in 1950, families with both the head and his wife present, were apparently the norm, accounting for 87.1%. A non-couple household was counted for 3.6%. The figure of independent female household just was 9.3%. it mean, during that period, most Americans demanded to see a family television shows which defined a household in patriarchal and nuclear terms, with the centre assumed to be a male breadwinner heading a household of his dependent wife and chi ldren. Therefore by adopting that idea, in Father knows bests world Andersons family has an upper-class, white-collar fathers, a stay-at-home wives, and two or three children whom lived in suburban. The television show offered viewers a comforting unified vision of the American family. In most episodes of Father knows best the stories were all about how the father helped the family find out one or two beneficial social formations from their everyday life. Moreover, by showing a special episode the importance of a strong American democracy in school, churched, civic organization , United State Treasury Department promoted U.S. Saving Bones. Given the sitcom show title father who knows best, the television producers hoped that the way of lived in father who knows best would made the majority of Americans understood what real meaning of beneficial family was. Some contemporary historians argued, although the show suggested that the white-middle upper class nuclear family may be the most naturally beneficial for all,  [4]  many women in particular still experienced the detrimental aspects of and expressed a high level of frustration with this isolated, suburban nuclear unit.  [5]  Moreover, some other historians and sociologists made commented on how unfulfilling suburban life could be and how impossible its contradictory, gendered demands could seem. Early social scientist, Franklin Frazier  [6]  , unwittingly used the idea of beneficial family to argue a social perspective of Black families on legacy of slavery and he believed slavery culture had left many Black families weak and female-dominated. Later, his ideas had been highly developing by Senator Moynihan at the height of the civil rights movement, which became the most politically-charged Black family issue of the century. By the end of the 1960s some revisionist scholars  [7]  challenged the point of view from early social scientist on African American families. The revisionist believed this perspective was narrow and they reclaimed the cultural heritage of African Americans, and rejected that notion that viable families had to conform to the male/breadwinner-female/homemaker structure. They described the adaptive nature and functionality of Black families  [8]  and documented their strengths and survival strategies  [9]  . At the same time, revisionist historians analyzed archival data from large plantations and argued that enslaved Black families often enjoyed relatively vibrant and stable family lives, that men participated in and contributed to those families, and that Black people embraced the two-parent, patriarchal family ideal as much as they could  [10]  . People could found some reflections of revisionist scholars opinions in The Jeffersons . Because the show was the first television program which feature black couples and created by independent producers, Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin during the 1970s to early 1980s, it may helped people understand the real culture of African Americans. The Jeffersons did superficially seem very different from Father knows best in many ways. Meanwhile both Father knows best and The Jeffersons adapted the same idea of nuclear family and both set the story in upper-middle class families. Neither family was wealthy; neither family was threatened by poverty or the continuing financial problem. The two programs seemed to go beyond male solidarity to centrality and superiority. This could be seen in their titles, the title father knows best speaks for Paternity. The Jeffersons did not make the statement very clearly through the title, but giving the family name of the breadwinner. Different from Father knows best, the story lines of the Jeffersons more focused on the lives of George and his wife Louise Jefferson rather than their children. In The Jeffersons , George was a successful businessman, millionaire; however his wife -Louise just was a former maid who was attempting to adjust her life from poor to rich. When they moved to a ritzy penthouse apartment on Manhattans fashionable and moneyed East Side with their son, Lionel, they try to fill their house with expensive furnishings. For quickly adapt the rich life, they even hired their own black housekeeper, a wise-cracking maid named Florence. Compared to Jim Andersons kindness and politeness, George Jefferson was rude and selfish. He frequently called white people as honkies. and attempt to rebel against the rich upper-middle class which he was in. An article in Ebony magazine in 1979 referred to him as bombastic, frenetic, boastful, ill-mannered, prejudiced, and scheming. Even his wife, Louise, saw George as Wheezy and spent most of her time apologizing for him. Moreover, the funniest moments came with the repartee between George and his maid Florence. She always called him Shorty and humiliated George but did not miss a chance to put him in his place. This attitude was very hard to see in Father knows best. I may argue that this could be seen as fragment of idea of the patriarchal family in African American culture, because women still in dominate position in family as old time. From the title, people should see George not only was a millionaire businessman- breadwinner of the family, but also the centre attention of the family. However in the show he often positioned himself as the buffoon of everyones joke. No one, not even his maid took his words seriously. As the Ebony article described,  [11]  He was often the victim of his own acts: a put-down that backfires, a contrivance that goes astray, an ego-filled balloon suddenly deflated. Patricia Mellencamp  [12]  believed that the ideal of beneficial families in tradition sitcoms portrayed the comic containment of women in traditional domestic roles-the angel in the house. Margaret Anderson in Father knows best was in such role; she was always on duty, preparing meals, cleaning the house, attending to the childrens need. However, someday, the angel in the house in Father knows best could rebel against her role and take a day off. But the situation of The Jeffersons was different; Louise Jefferson was a housewife with maid. Although she did not need to do any housework, she demands to work as slavery. When I first time watched The Jeffersons, I was not sure why Georges behaviour in such rude manner and why Louise demand work as slavery. But the second time, I had a different opinion that this may be the slavery culture of African American. Morgan  [13]  argued that in order to understand such African American culture, one must procure more than a superficial understanding of American enslavement of Africans, as slavery was the birthplace of African American culture. Conrad  [14]  made the argument in The Invention of the Negro; he believed that in many respects, White Americans created what became known as African American culture. Researchers insist that those interested in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by African American communities today. It must investigate the origin of those African American communities. This investigation would necessarily begin in the era of American institutional slavery. Ogbu  [15]  made the argument more Profound. She suggests that African American culture is similar to that of other American minority subcultures; Jones  [16]  argued every subculture was different. African American culture was not similar to any other American subcultures. Jones emphasized that African American culture was the only minority culture in the United States that was founded and created in slavery. Sue  [17]  insisted that, Slavery was one of the most important factors that shaped the social, psychological, economic, educational, and political development of Black people. Van Deburg  [18]  maintained that the root cause of the present sociocultural differences in American society. However I believed the Slavery culture could be change by education. In later black family sitcom cowboy show, it was very hard to find any phenomenon of Slavery culture. The CBS took a conservative view in the black civil right movement to represent the black in 1970. As watching Amos n Andy twenty years ago, Americas black community remained divided in their assessment of this television program-even It brought a slight change in society . Many critics complain that The Jeffersons was too idealized and too exaggerated and failed to fully represent African American life. The television programs slightly changed the view of African American over the decades, but the way shot and fix images of African Americans had not progressed very far at all. Nevertheless the show was highly popular both in Black America audiences and white America audiences. It could be seem as not only the CBS want to representation of African Americans in general white American way; but also black community appeal to adapt the traditional white families value and crossed lines of class and gender. Word account: 1900

Why The Ideas Of Karl Marx Were So Radical To Society :: History Politics Political

Why The Ideas Of Karl Marx Were So Radical To Society The Communist Manifesto, written in 1848, provided the views of Karl Marx on humans and nature. For the time in which the document was written, the ideas of Marx were very radical to society. The ongoing struggle between the Proletarians( the working class) and the Bourgeois( the owners) prompted Marx to develop a solution to this social problem. His solution to this historical problem was to create a capitalist nation, which in the end would result in a Communist nation. He wanted to help the social status of the working class, because he felt that they were being taken advantage of by the owners. The document also discusses the role of humans and their interaction with nature. Marx believed that society was beginning to break away from nature as a source of economical support. In the past, humans had relied heavily on agriculture to support themselves but with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, new technology began to replace old farming techniques and created new factory jobs in cities. Marx had rather extreme views on the extent to which nature in his time had become humanized as a result of human labor.[1] He commented that, â€Å" Even the objects of the simplest â€Å" sensuous certainty† are only given him through social development, industry and commercial intercourse.†[2] "Throughout their labor, humans shape their own material environment, thereby transforming the very nature of human existence in the process.†[3] One had always seemed to know their role in society. It was Marx who believed that this was true due to a capitalistic economy. One’s wants and needs were different from society to society. For instance, a person with a higher social status would not have the same needs as a peasant living on a farm would. Marx felt that human nature could not be changed in contrast to what many economists believed. In a capitalistic economy, men were the ones who received the wages while women earned little to nothing. To put an end to the ongoing struggle between social classes, Marx believed that a new form of government would have to be established, this he called Socialism. 4 He wanted to see the working class join together to fight the owners, for in order for a society to grow, people would need to begin working together. Marx recognized the struggles of the classes, especially those of the middle class.

Exclusion Clauses Essay

Over the past few decades, with the development of contract law, more and more people has paid attention to the exclusion clauses contained in a document which is signed by the parties. Many contracting parties use this technique to avoid liability for breach of contract. In this essay, exclusion clauses can be defined as a clause included in a contract to either limit or exclude liability of a party in breach of the agreement. (also termed exemption clauses or exemption clauses. ) Consequently, it is argued that whether the party will be bound by the exemption clause which is signed by the parties or not. Therefore, this essay will analyze the exemption clause with signature based on several court cases and illustrate the effect of an unsigned exemption clause by using a short hypothetical scenario and a court case. Signed Exclusion clauses As a general rule, a person who signs a document which contains contractual terms is bound by the clause of the document. To be specific, if a party signs a contractual document incorporating an exemption clause, it will automatically form part of the contract. Therefore, Signature can ordinarily bind a person to the terms even if he has not read or understood the terms set out in the document. What has come to be known as the principle in L’Estrange v Graucob was expressed by Scrutton LJ as follows: ‘When a document containing contractual terms is signed, then, in the absence of fraud, or, I will add, misrepresentation, the party signing it is bound, and it is wholly immaterial whether he has read the document or not. ‘ According to the case of L’Estrange v Graucob [1934] 2 KB 394, the plaintiff bought an automatic cigarette machine from the defendants. She signed a contract called sales agreement which include several clauses, but did not read. When she discovered the machine was defective, she tried to sue Graucob for breach of contract, but the defendant was able to rely on the exclusion clause incorporated into the written contract. From this case, it can be seen that since the plaintiff has signed the sales agreement, the contract and the exclusion clauses has taken effect. In addition, the contents of the document were represented correctly and no fraud on the part of the defendants. Therefore, L’ Estrange is bound by the exclusion clauses. However, the rule in L’ Estrange v Graucob will not apply under some circumstances. Firstly, if the signed document could not reasonably be regarded in the circumstances as likely to contain contractual terms, the party will not be bound by the signature. In the case Le Mans Grand Prix Circuits Pty Ltd v Iliadis, the plaintiff was injured while driving a go-cart at the defendant’s racing track. P was invited there as a guest to help the promotion of D’s go-kart track and did not pay for the attendance at the track. The defendant wanted to avoid liability by relying on an agreement, signed by the plaintiff which includes an exclusion clause. The count made a decision that the defendant was unable to rely on the exclusion clause so as to avoid liability. Because the plaintiff attended defendant’s track was not in pursuance of a commercial dealing of relationship with the defendant. Thereby, the entry form was just a driver registration form, not a contract. In other word, the document which the plaintiff had signed was not contractual, although the agreement contained plaintiff’s signature, he was not bound it because the signed document could not reasonably be regarded in the circumstances as likely to contain contractual terms. Secondly, a person who misrepresents the clause and its effect is not allowed to rely on the exemption clause to escape liability. The case of Curtis v Chemical Cleaning and Dyeing Co clearly illustrate the legal position. In this case, Curtis took a wedding dress to the defendant’s shop to have it dry cleaned. The shop assistant asked her to sign a ‘receipt’, and the plaintiff was told by the shop assistant that the document was to exempt defendants from liability for damage to the beads and the sequins. The plaintiff signed the document, which in fact included a clause that the company is not liable for any damage howsoever arising. The dress was stained by the defendant who later tried to rely on the exclusion clause. The Court judged that the clause is not effective and the defendant cannot rely on it. Because in this case, the exclusion clause had been misrepresented as only beads and sequins would be affected. and the plaintiff thought she was only running the risk of damage to the sequins and the beads on the dress. Unsigned exclusion clauses In our daily life, the exemption clause also contained in some unsigned document, such as tickets, invoices, receipts, vouchers and so on. Upon most situations, these unsigned documents may not be binding in contract unless they are properly included into the contract. Although, Signature is the most common way to confirm the effectiveness of a contract, that no means if you don’t sign the form you could not be bound by it, in some particular cases it is. Firstly, a hypothetical scenario will be made to illustrate the effect of exclusion clause in an unsigned document. Alex had toothache seriously, he went to a pharmacy and bought a box of Panadol. Before he took the tablets he saw the introduction and even the container has written on that ‘must follow the doctor’s advice, if you don’t follow the advice, there is not liable for any harm of your body’ but he didn’t care about the warning and take three tablets. On the following day, Alex felt dizzy and nausea. After the diagnosis from doctor, it can be considered that these symptom due to the effect of medicine. Then, Alex sued the medicine company. Under this situation, the defendant can avoid liability by exemption clause even though Alex did not sign the document. As the common law said that exclusion clauses contained in unsigned documents are not valid unless a reasonable person would expect the document to contain contractual document and a reasonable notice is given. In this case, contractual terms can be expected to find from the introduction and container of the medicine. In addition, company also takes reasonable steps to bring these clauses to Alex’s notice. Thus, the plaintiff was already bound by the exemption clauses. Another court case for the unsigned exclusion clause is the case of Parker v South Eastern Railway Co, plaintiff left his bag at cloakroom in a railway station and he got a ticket. On the front of the ticket said ‘See back’, the other side include an exclusion clause which shows that company will only be responsible for the value of package within 10 pounds. When the bag could not be found, Parker sued the company for 2410 pounds. However the court judged that the plaintiff was bound by the exclusion clause on the ticket even though he did not sign it. Because the company has already gave the plaintiff sufficient notice of the existence of the clause and a reasonable person would expect to find these terms. According to the basic principle in contract law which said that the unsigned exemption clause will be bound if reasonable notice has been given. Conclusion To sum up, exclusion clause can be classified as signed document and unsigned document in this essay. When considerate the effectiveness of a clause, every aspects should be analyzed. Although the signature is an important factor to prove if the clause is valid, it does not mean that all the exclusion clauses included in a signed document can be bound with a signer. To the contrary, the exemption clause in an unsigned document can also be valid in some situation. Therefore, any party who wish rely on the exemption clause to avoid liability should incorporate the clause into a contract with sufficient notice and make sure the behaviors of the party is reasonable.

IT Strategy and Network Design Proposal Essay

The GFK School of Motoring was established in 1960. Since then, the school has grown steadily and now has a several offices in the London area. However, the Organization is expanding and a new branch is to be built that will link with the existing network and also utilise the latest technologies such as simulators, the internet and the World Wide Web. Furthermore, improvement is needed in the communications and sharing of information between offices spread around the London. The Director wants to take advantage of the Internet to change the way the company operates. The new branch will allow prospective clients to browse the website and make an initial registration. Interview and the checking of documents can then be arranged on-line. Once a client has been registered any payments due can also be made on-line via any of the various credit and debit cards. Flexibility in the provision of services to clients also requires that once registered, a client can take a driving lesson at any of the centres. Hence an integrated and up-to-date database system is to be implemented. The Director of the organization feels that too many mistakes are being made with the current system and that the success of the organization will be short-lived if he does not do something to overcome the situation. He knows that a good IT strategy and network design could help in part to solve the problem and has approached our team to help create a new branch and implement an efficient and reliable information system to support the running of the organization as a whole. 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF GFK OPERATIONS. Each office has a manager (who tends to be a senior instructor), Several senior instructors, instructors and administrate staffs. The staff hierarchy is as follows: – Manager – Senior instructors – Instructors – Office personnel. The manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the office. Clients must first register on-line or at an office and this requires that they complete an application form, which records their personal details. Before the first lesson, a client is requested to attend an interview with an instructor to assess the needs of the client and to ensure that the client holds a valid provisional driving license. A client is free to ask for a particular instructor or to request that an instructor be changed at any stage throughout the process of learning to drive. After a successful interview, the first lesson is booked. A client may request individual lessons or book a block of lessons for reduced fee. An individual lesson is for one or two hours which begins and ends either at the client’s home or at the office. A lesson is with a particular instructor in a particular car at a given time. Lessons can start as early as 6a.m. and as late as 8p.m. After each lesson, the instructor records the progress made by the client and notes the mileage used during the lesson. The Organization has a pool of cars, which are adopted for the purpose of teaching. Each instructor is allocated to a particular car. As well as teaching, the instructors are free to use the cars for personal  use. The cars are inspected at regular intervals for faults. Once ready, a client will be given a test date by the instructor. It is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the client is best prepared for all parts of the test. The instructor is not the responsible for testing the client and is not in the car during the test but should be available to drop off and pick up the client before and after the test at the testing centre. If a client fails to pass, the instructor must record the reasons for the failure. 1.4. AIMS OF THE PROJECT. 1. To design and implement a network solution for the new Barking branch . 2. To redesign or upgrade the company’s existing network system. 3. To connect GFK to the Internet and provide full internet service. 4. To design a desktop and its delivery to all GFK’s client computers. 5. To address security and back-up issues. 6. To design a network monitoring policy to maintain and/or improve performance in the future. This particular aspect of the group work is investigated in detail by Student number: 0212251 in Part B. 1.5 BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROPOSED NETWORK SYSTEM. The design of the Local Area Network for the new branch and its communication  with the rest of the GFK network will be approached in view of satisfying two fundamental business functions: – Information sharing: refers to having users access the same data files, exchange information via email, or use the internet. – Resource sharing: refers to one computer sharing a hardware device (e.g., printer) or software package with other computers on the network to save costs. The main benefit of information sharing is improved decision making, which is one of the goals of the GFK School of Motoring. Any application, e.g. a web browser, on the GFK LAN will have the following functions: 1. data storage 2. data access logic 3. application or business logic 4. presentation logic Based on these functions we will be implementing client/server network architecture at the new branch. We will be using 3-tier client/server architecture to spread the load between the clients (microcomputers) and the servers (more powerful microcomputers). This is illustrated in the diagram below: (FitzGerald & Dennis, page 46, top). In this case, the software on the client computer is responsible for presentation logic, an application server is responsible for the application  logic and a separate database server is responsible for the data access logic and data storage [1, page 45]. Since the main advantage of a client/server architecture is also its weak point i.e. enabling software and hardware from different vendors to be used together, we will recommend a middleware software such as CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). It will perform two vital functions: 1. It enables a standard way of communication by translating between software from different vendors 2. It manages the message transfer from clients to servers (and vice versa) so that clients need not know the specific server that contains the application’s data. The application software on the client sends all messages to the middleware, which forwards them to the correct server. The application software on the client is therefore protected from any changes in the physical network. If the network layout changes (e.g., a new server is added), only the middleware must be updated [1, page 44]. By choosing this architecture for the new branch, we have achieved two things: 1. Better load balancing between the servers on the network 2. Scalability. In the future, if due to business demands the system needs to be extended, this can be easily done by adding one or more servers. 1.6 REQUIREMENTS ACQUISITION. In order to obtain valuable information about the GFK School of Motoring, the group decided to send out questionnaires to members of the organization who uses the old system regularly and have a good knowledge of it. We decided on questionnaires because we believe that the users, being under no pressure as they answer questions about the existing system, will provide a reliable feedback. 1.6.1 QUESTIONNAIRE 1. User: Mr A. Patel. Position: Instructor. Time at Company: 3 years. Branch: Stratford Branch. 1. Question: How often do you use the system? Answer: Daily. As many as 20 times a day, when at work. 2. Question: Are you comfortable using the company network? Answer: Sort of. 3. Question: What do you normally use the system for? Answer: Browsing the internet, enquiring about client information, entering client details, sending and receiving emails etc. 4. Question: Which of these tasks do you found most daunting and why? Answer: No doubt, it is obtaining information about clients. The process is very slow and frustrating especially during peak hours. For some reasons the system is sluggish and it slows down the business. 5. Question: From question 4, do you sometimes have to abort the task? Answer: No, because a client details got to be entered. It’s frustrating, but you wait until it’s done before moving on. As a result we tend to record client details at the whenever the system tend to be responsive. This might be a couple of days later. 6. Question: Which of these tasks do you find easiest to do and why? Answer: No doubt, surfing the internet, sending emails, registering clients on-line. 7. Question: Have you had experiences of viruses causing disruption on the system and how? Answer: Certainly on many occasions. I can remember on one occasion a few of my clients and me couldn’t use our computers because it was totally corrupted and my section had to be closed down while the techie people sorted it out. We lost most of the files on our computers. 8. Question: From question 7, on how many occasions did this happen? Answer: I’ve experienced it about 6 or 7 times. 9. Question: What advice were you given about using the systems in terms of avoiding virus infection? Answer: The normal stuff. Don’t open email you don’t the source, log-off the system before you close for the day, etc. But despite taking these measures, we still have the problem. 10. Question: Do you normally back-up your files yourself and how often? Answer: Yeah, files are supposed to be backed up on cd-roms at the end of every working day but not everybody does it. 11. Question: Do you case of lost customer files and how often? Answer: Yeah, we do. I know a few of my mate who do. We just try to re-acquire it from the customer without the knowledge of management. Someone has been reprimanded for it in the past. Sometimes, it’s the fault of the  system. As I said earlier, it can be frustratingly slow. 12. Question: If you can change the system, what will you change and why? Answer: Definitely, it will be the enquiry procedure. Anything that makes the process faster will do.