Monday, September 30, 2019

Background The 1930’s In The USA Essay

In the 1920’s/1930’s a lot of Americans got the idea that investing in shares was a safe way of making money, but many didn’t know the risks that could occur when buying shares, and on the 4 October 1929 America suffered from the ‘Wall Street Crash.’ This meant that billions of dollars were lost due to the stock markets crashing and the prices of shares dramatically falling, the ‘Wall Street Crash’ left countless numbers of American citizens with no life savings and on the edge of bankruptcy. It also caused many companies and businesses to go bust or close down, and consequently left many workers unemployed and broke. This mass of unemployment resulted in many people moving from the big cities out to the countryside to find work on farms as itinerant workers. These itinerant workers were most often men who were sacked due to the Wall Street crash, and a lot of the time found themselves alone and lonely. Itinerant workers had to keep moving from farm to farm and therefore could never make any long time friends, many had no home to go back to or even any family to contact. The farms conditions were very poor and there was a big health and safety risk due to the large and dangerous machinery used daily by the workers, the average number of deaths on farms in America per year was around 25,000. But this high number of deaths didn’t stop the Itinerant workers from working, as they had no other way of getting money and had no other choice. The itinerant workers were made to live in poor condition bunkhouses with a group of other workers, the workers had their food prepared by a cook that the boss would hire, but of course this was not free and came out of their already small wages. The workers were made to work during the day but also found themselves with spare time where they would play games or go into town. During this time in the1930’s when money was short for everyone, farmers found themselves in the position where either they could save money and cut back on something or simply go bust. So a lot of the farmers left their soil without any fertilizer, but continued to grow crops on the fields, this destroyed and dried out the soil leaving it near worthless to them. The farmers also cut down field barriers so bigger more efficient machinery could be used, but this also helped to destroy and dry out the top part of the soil and also left it vulnerable to strong winds. These farming techniques particularly effected the south-west of the USA as they had seasonal bad weather which usually posed a problem but what they didn’t know was there was going to be exception bad weather. And due to the weather and poor farming methods, the fast and strong winds which the bad weather brought were able to race across fields upon fields and whip up the dry top soil creating big clouds of ‘dust’. This ecological disaster was named the ‘Dustbowl’ and it whipped up dust that landed in other states to where it originated from, and left farms and homes under dust which left many people no choice than to just pack up anything they could and leave. A lot of these itinerant workers migrated to California which is known as ‘the golden state’ where dreams come true and is also the home of Hollywood ‘the dream factory’ but mainly because it was away from the dust bowl and the because the farms in California were known for having rich fertile land. This fertile land and unharmed farms, not only created a big attraction for people looking for work, but also created an attraction to farmers wanting to start again and own a farm. Although the itinerant workers moved out to California due to the large amount of farms there, many still had no job and the workers still found themselves moving from one farm to another as the bosses only employed most workers for short periods. The Author John Steinbeck, was born in Salina’s, California, and is one of the USA’s greatest writers, he is known for writing the book ‘Of Mice And Men’ which we are studying, and has also written books such as ‘The Pearl’ and ‘Cannery Row’. We have found that a lot of the ideas in the story ‘Of Mice And Men’ are from events which were past experiences in his own life. We know this as John Steinbeck has worked on farms himself as an itinerant worker and therefore has an idea of the loneliness and the continuous search for friendship and somewhere to settle down that all itinerant workers had. This dream that all itinerant worker had of settling down is shown in the book by all the worker but especially George and Lennie for they have a dream of owning a place of their own. John Steinbeck also got ideas for the book from past events such as when he saw a large man kill a pet rabbit and when he saw one of his bosses killed by a disturbed man. He writes about the migrants to California and how the itinerant workers are needy and desperate and will work for a small wage. In a way the characters of George and Lennie are microcosms of what was happening to the USA in the 1930’s, as they suffered from the ‘Wall street crash’ and are itinerant work that have migrated to California. John Steinbecks title ‘Of mice And Men’ is taken from a poem written by an 18th century Scottish poet, and the novel was first published in 1936 and followed shortly after by the stage play.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Carol Ann Duffy’s anthology Mean Time Essay

Carol Ann Duffy’s anthology Mean Time is littered with references to the past. With the title Mean Time in its self referring to time in an ambiguous ways, like Greenwhich mean time, or time associated with angry emotions. The most common interpretation being that the characters represented in many of Mean Times poems as in between two states, past and present. The characters are trapped, escaping, or reminiscing about past times retrospectively from a present time. Much of there past is what is now influencing there present situation or state of mind and Duffy accentuates this factor by being explicit and drawing attention to language that would draw a conclusion to that notion. The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team is a 1960s quiz show between competing teams of school children who, representing their school and in school uniform, would answer general knowledge questions in front of an audience of school children. The individually competitive suggestion of the name of the show individual competition was emphasized in the education system of the 50s and 60s (it would not be unusual for a class to be sat in their rank order according to the last set of exams) and it precedes the change to a comprehensive system. This competitive tone, the sense of a hierarchy, is an important element in the poem. This poem questions the romantic view of the past forming a persona to there present as he characterises his children as his â€Å"thick kids† and his wife as â€Å"stale†. He ambiguously illustrates his past in that he want â€Å"it back, The Captain†. The captain is a symbol of his youth and past in that he wants it back but it’s so isolated and remote that he can’t obtain it and only exists as memories in his mind. The comparison between the first six stanzas’s representing the past and the last stanza representing the present exhibits a barrier between the two. The constant music references mentioned within the poem to past artists and songs reflects the rich memories that are illustrated to the reader, by appealing to more senses, the eyes and hears. Duffy’s purpose for inclusion of these songs is not only that they are connected to the time period and create a richer spectacle but they clearly reveal the more desired time period of the character, showing him to feel nostalgia. We see the nostalgia form as he describes his family and current situation in the last stanza previously discussed. Carol Ann Duffy’s dramatic monologue The Suicide provides an intriguing insight into the forces of the past having an effect on a situation in the present. This poem establishes how the past and present are interconnectivly dependant on each other. This is explained as, without a past of experience and events that shape u as a person there can be no present effects. This notion is also reversed in that without a present the past would never be expressed fully either emotionally or physically with no results or effects seen from past causes. The poem title explicitly provides the reader with exactly what the context of the poem is. The reasons for this is possibly to engage the reader into how is Duffy going to describe the feelings of suicide appealing to our macabre sides of personality. It is commonly thought that language fails to describe many feelings especially that of suicide. The poem analyses the nature of suicidal impulse, by letting a would-be suicide talk to us in the moments before her death. It compares with The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team (The captain), as it is also a dramatic monologue but fails in comparison similarities to that poem. It does refer to the past like The Captain does, however not as explicitly. In The Suicide the reference to the past is, â€Å"Kisses on a collar. Lies. Blood. † The above is a strong reference to a past event of what implicitly seems to be infidelity by the partner. This is followed by short sharp sentences of â€Å"Lies† and â€Å"Blood†. These single emphasised words almost tell a complete story; the history of a relationship, written in lies. Lies that lead to blood (perhaps the blood of the suicide). There is a sense that the whole story is told in these few words. But this whole event can not be ignoring the fact that it was all triggered by a past event that is now influencing if not directly causing the present situation of suicide. The Good Teachers is one of Duffy’s explicit references to the past but written in present tense which instantly makes the reader form the opinion of reminiscence and living in the past letting past events form the future. We believe to be a male because of the hints to passion for female teachers, as he reveals that â€Å"you love Miss Pirie†. It describes his memories of his life in school as a child but most significantly how he retrospectively looks back and regrets the tom foolery that took place then and how he wasted his time in school. This forms similar themes to â€Å"End of innocence† about regret of the past and wants to escape it. The short sentences in the last stanza can be symbolic of time and how it speedily passed by to leave him where he is now which we never quite find out. Again a barrier is formed between the past and the present by the line â€Å"But there’s the wall you climb†. The wall denoting the barrier between past and present and shows how the two are separate. The context before the â€Å"wall† line is about the past, the context of the poem after the â€Å"wall† line is about the present. This structure reinforces the separation of the past and present. Also this show how the past forms a barrier that forms the future and weather or not you accomplish successfully by getting over or around the barrier will have an impact on your life to come. The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team, The Suicide and The Good Teachers all portray the past, but in separate ways. In The Captain†¦ the past is seen as a rich rejoicing memory, with dignity and pride at the forefront of it where the past was contrasted to the future to reinforce how commendable the past was. The nostalgia was accentuated by the language and references to his current situation of him having a â€Å"stale† wife and â€Å"thick kids†. The suicide depicts the past consuming the character and a direct cause for her present situation. The language illustrates a dyer situation and forms the opinion that â€Å"suicide is not chosen, it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain†. It fails to by the inadequacy of language and context fully describe the emotion and direct feeling of suicide caused from the past events. It only refers to four words to describe the past, â€Å"kisses on a collar†. This is a classic example of the notion that the past is represented as irretrievable and irreplaceable. Also that not being able to alter the mistakes made in life will undoubtedly form the situation of present and which is suicide in this case but also that those events will characterise you for the future. The Good Teachers forms a view of the past being one of regret and wanting to escape from it. This also, like The Captain†¦ and The Suicide, forms a barrier separating the past and present by language and contrasting stanzas.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The “Boundaryless” Career

The â€Å"Boundaryless† career serves as the status quo for 21st century career literature. (Dany,Francoise 2011) Based on the development of information and technology, researchers see the requirement to develop a more useful employment model for the â€Å"new organization era†.Contrasting with the previous career concept, now workers are more independent and more responsible for their own future. Although the definitions of the â€Å"Boundaryless† concept seek to explain modern career concepts, some researchers do criticize the theory as being difficult to operationalize (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) due to its ambiguity, and multiple definitions. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)In this paper I will critically analyze the theory of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and some of its criticisms, and at the same time attempt to cross reference the essay along with my own career development plans. Today labor market changed greatly and careers are becoming more complex and uncertai n. (Walton, P.304)The strengthening economics, forces organization to become more flexible with employment policy while the definition of career slowly changes to a lifelong learning process (Arnold, John1997), and the concept of the traditional job or job security are becoming obsolete. (Arthur&Rosseau,1994 Sommerland,Julie2007) Career can be understood differently by people from different back ground, culture or country.For those differences, still most individuals share a similar drive for a career. At any point in life we associate with career, example my education aim to master in business management studies is part my career. For an established definition, career is a sequence of work experiences over time-unfold (Arthur, Rousseau P.3).The notion of career offers a vantage point from which to understand the evolution of relationship between organization structure and strategy, as well as the relationship between individual and his/her behavior. (Inkson,Kerr 2012) Career can al so be described in two different ways.The subjective career or the psychological dimension and the objective career or also can be understand as the physical dimension of career. (Arthur,MB 2005) Since I started my career my focus is to work in an environment that I am comfortable to learn and continually seeking for new challenges.In the 21st century â€Å"new career† theory, these two aspects act as an important factor for worker’s decision about their own career. (Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) Most my transition between companies I made  were made to get closer to my career objective and in the same time being able keep my life style as much as possible, which really help me to balance out my physical and psychological demand for my career path.The â€Å"new career† literature has become a hot topic for researchers, and two concepts particularly grab the attention. The two modern career concepts are â€Å"Boundaryless† career and â€Å"Protean† career. Protean theory focus on achieving subjective success through self-directed vocational behavior while â€Å"Boundaryless† focuses on crossing both objective and subjective dimension of career at multiple levels of analysis including organizational position, mobility, flexibility, the work environment. (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006, Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) As the present backdrop, â€Å"Boundaryless† career became an uncontroversial description of the way things are. (Arnold,John 2011)In 2011, â€Å"Boundaryless† career is one of the leading â€Å"new career† theories, in terms of published scholarly articles. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) Although, according to some recent research and criticism, scholars emphasized physical mobility across organizational boundaries at the cost of neglecting psychological mobility and its relationship to physical relationship. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) That is simply because Physical mobility is easier to measure than psychologic al mobility.However, despite the assumption of increasing mobility across organizations boundaries have rarely been analyzed in the career literature (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010). Contrary to much of the rhetoric mobility between employers has not been increasing during the 1990s and 2000s. (Arnold,John 2011)Evidence from several countries suggests that most people still have long term employment setting and significant increase in mobility across organization boundaries (Inkson,2012) also in patterns of career mobility in the U.S.A and that key workers can still count on organizations for their career (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010)The evidence also suggest that the type of career mobility commonly associated with â€Å"Boundaryless† has been present in the U.S.A and other countries in period considered to be dominated by hierarchical careers with organization. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) From evidences and my own experience, I am certain that modern day worker still do seek for a secure job and a traditional like culture for the future.Other criticisms found on Arthur and Rousseau’s â€Å"Boundaryless†Ã‚  career as being problematic (Arnold,John 2011, Rodrigues 2010) as well as inaccurate labeling, loose definition, over emphasis on personal agency, normalization of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and poor empirical support for the claim dominance of â€Å"Boundarlyless† career. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)My experience during the economic recession, many people including myself needed to be mobile and act for own interest to get the best opportunity out in the competitive market. Then again in normal economic situation it seems to underestimates the degree of stability and the desire for stability in industry and employment.In conclusion as the new social contract between employers and employees seems to be propelled by the globalization process and by rapidly improving information technology (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006). Research and theory on â€Å"Boundaryless† career has been responsive to changes in the economic and organizational context of the past 25 years (Inkson,Kerr 2012)The author argues for the need for a new career concept to grab the suitable policies for the modern workers who are changing in technologies and security disorder caused by the dynamic change. (Arthur&Rousseau P.4) Criticism suggest that the â€Å"Boundaryless† career offers confusion and ambiguity regarding whether the concepts provide description of how career are these days, especially concerning which particular boundaries are crossed.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Using cellphones while driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using cellphones while driving - Essay Example One of the main disadvantages is that they create a great risk of motor vehicle collision. This happens in that the driver losses concentration on the road and focuses attention on listening to the phone call. Vehicle accidents cause minor, serious, crippling, and even fatal accidents. They result in property damage, which are expensive to repair. Moreover, health care costs after the accidents can be a huge expense to the victim (McHale 17-24). In addition, people who drive while using cell phones drive erratically. This puts other people’s lives at a great risk. It happens in that the driver may fail, at the required time, to use proper signals, miss road signs, change lanes abruptly and they usually respond slowly to hazards. The pattern from such erratic drivers can be dangerous to road users. It includes other drivers, pedestrians and other equipment on the roadside (Trapp 14-22). Furthermore, motorist involved in a stressful or emotional cell phone conversation may mostly show aggressive behavior as they drive. An example is road rage. Moreover, drivers who chat on cell phones are slow to brake, and took longer to increase the pace after they braked. In addition, they do not keep their mind focused on road signs such as billboards, or pedestrians (Guffey & Loewy 7-11). The use of cellular phones while driving may include a different variety of maneuvers. This involves reaching for a phone to initiate or receive a call, holding a phone, dialing or even sending text messages (Karen et al 3-7). The use of hands free phones consumes mental energy while driving. The numerous chores that follow with using a cellular phone necessitate dissimilar quantity of time, harmonization, and mental energy that leads to hypothetically different problems of driving task and results to collusions (Trapp 25). However, there are few advantages of using cell phones while driving. It is argued that use of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Not sure yet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Not sure yet - Essay Example rg) who are believers of the Marxist ideology, thus the maoist are practitioners of dialectic materialism; a theory which abhors capitalism and condemns private ownership of businesses (Marxist Internet Archive). The situation in Nyland is a power tussle between the existing democratic government and the moist who are gradually gaining power. Domestic terrorism is widely prevalent in Nyland and this is a serious threat to GEIL’s business interest in the region. The forthcoming elections in Nyland will be a deciding factor for determination of GEIL’s continued existence in Nyland. In event of success of maoist party in the forthcoming elections; the likely hood of development of an unfavorable business environment seems highly predictable. The threats to GEIL’s business interest in Nyland have already become evident due to some recent events. There have been reported cases of staff members being intimidated by political activists which has caused wide spread fear among staff members resulting in decreased productivity and rise in attrition rate. The local management at Nyland has reported receiving request from local goons for donations in exchange of protection; this has further accentuated the situation creating a feeling of insecurity throughout the organization. There have also been reports of militants infiltrating the unions; this news is particularly distressing as it may lead to worsening of the business environment which may result in a situation where management may cease to have any form of control over workers and staff members. In view of the situation it seems highly feasible that top management of GEIL seriously consider the future of its enterprise in Nyland. Under prevailing circumstances the need for the CEO to visit Nyland is justifiable since important decisions have to be made regarding the future of GEIL in Nyland. The company will have to make key strategies with regards to its investments in Nyland with due consideration of the

HR Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Field - Research Paper Example According to the essay in recent years, this field has attained significant importance throughout the world, as the human resourcing jobs are detrimental in performance evaluation of any organization. Human resourcing as the name suggests, adds a human or people approach to the ways the organizations develop and function in daily life. This profession has gone through substantial changes in recent years and now holds the credit for being one of the best career choices in terms of career growth and progression, salary and benefits, and career outlook. The types of job include both the internal and external to the organization job, as well as the specialist and the generalist human resource practitioners.  This paper outlines that  many organizations enjoy human resource services by the external service providers or the outsourced human resource professionals whereas; other organizations prefer the internal human resource department to carry out the HR jobs and tasks. Generalists u sually have knowledge and expertise on every aspect and perspective of business however, the specialists professional have advanced expertise and greater knowledge on a few aspects of the HR environment. The HR professionals usually hold degree or certification in Human Resource Management however; degrees in related fields of study are beneficial and productive in this regard as well.  The HR field offers steady jobs throughout the career ladder of a human resource professional and bears substantial fruit in every phase or point in one's career.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

BHE 415 - Community and Domestic Violence (Module 4-SLP) Essay

BHE 415 - Community and Domestic Violence (Module 4-SLP) - Essay Example The rate of physical violence towards the elderly people is more than the street violence and the studies have shown that elderly people are more likely to be harmed by family members than the strangers (Quinn & Tomita 1997 p33). The fact that most of the abuse is caused at the hands of children, spouse or close relatives make it shameful for the elders being abused to report it to the authorities. There are different reasons for not reporting the abuse and most of them are based on the fear of being exposed in the society. Some of the reasons that lead to not exposing the torture and the abuse are protection of the family privacy, embarrassment in front of people, humiliation, fear that they will be tortured more if the abuse is reported, a belief that they deserve the abuse and the fear that if the abuse is reported then they will be sent to the care center and hence lose the privacy of life (Elder Abuse Awareness n.d.). However, there are other reasons like elderly people being incapable of understanding that they are being abused. Elderly people suffering from mental problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s are not in position to understand that they are being abused(Quinn & Tomita 1997 p53). In the book, ‘Mental abuse and neglect’, a case of a elderly woman who was 78-year old and was a widow, is described. In this case, the elderly woman confused her son to be her husband and was being sexually exploited by her son. So even the physical and mental incapability of reporting the abuse is a cause of the abuse not getting reported. The short term consequences are mostly physical in nature like bruises over the body, scratches, scars

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Liujiaxia Hydro Power Plant Disturbs Kanbula National Forest Term Paper - 1

Liujiaxia Hydro Power Plant Disturbs Kanbula National Forest - Term Paper Example The development of the town has caused intrusion by humans into the habitat of wildlife which has further damaged the natural life of the forest. Kanbula Forest is located in Northwest of Jianca County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous States in Qinghai Province. It has a total area of 15054.4 hectares and altitudes of 2100 to 4000 meters above sea level. Because of its location at high altitude, Kanbula Forest falls in the category of subalpine forest. The forest is also located in the transition zone from Loess Plateau to Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Thus, it is the warmest region in Qinghai Province. It borders on the Yellow River in the North and shares a boundary with the famous Liajiaxia Hydroelectric Power Station. Huge mountains extend from the forest with trees covered resembling a sea of forest. There are deflated hills around the Kanbula Forest that are formed due to erosion from wind and sand. These hills are known as red cloud landforms. Situated in the middle of the mountains, the weather of the forest changes frequently. Instead of experiencing all four seasons, the forest only goes through hot and cold seasons in a year. In the warmer weather, warm and humid air blows, whereas the colder season experiences a cold and windy weather. The forest’s tough topographical features form a role of microclimate. According to meteorological data records, the average temperature of the forest is 1 to 2.9 Â °C with the warmest weather experienced in the month of July.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification - Essay Example The paper discusses the need for diversification strategies of the companies that adopt means and methods to excel in their respective industry and reap untapped profits from the market. Specifically speaking about the diversification strategies of Amazon and Campbell Soup Company, the discussion assesses the company overview and performance along with the outcomes of their implied diversification strategies. Discussion The diversification strategy is that the company adds new products and simultaneously existing markets. This access to new activities, either by internal or external growth the company does operate in competitive environments, new result is a set of physical and organizational changes affecting the structure of the company and represents a clear break with its past history Kenny, G., (2009). 1. A combination vertical merger implies that control various stages of production the same product. 2. A horizontal combination is one formed by companies in an industry that dev elop same products. Part 2 & 3 To address these two parts of the assignment we are taking example of Amazon and are going to describe its diversification strategy for entering in the foreign market Overview It was Jeffrey Bezos after leaving his job as a programmer on Wall Street, has set the objective to build the best online store in the world (not the first, the best) with an obsessive idea: given to the buyer as the best trading experience. And he founded in 1994 with based in a garage in Seattle - USA, the company Amazon as the first virtual library on the Web. Today is an online retailer of books, music and more, offering services that traditional retailers cannot offer low prices, selections and large well-documented information about the products. According to Bezos, the future of the electronic sale is in the identification of supply, for example, the buyer is setting out the products that best fit your tastes based on their previous purchases .Their policies are strategic expansion and diversification, since Amazon does not want its brand associated with a product category, but is associated with the idea that works for customers. Assessing the Success Amazon successfully adopts the strategy of vertical diversification and effectively collaborates with the suppliers, customers and all other stake holders who are related with the company. Indeed, Amazon was the first to explicitly numbered line every step of the process and accompanies their clients to visit them. Amazon created the Amazon's Publisher's Advantage with other publishers. Amazon has managed to revolutionize the market, thanks to a surprising relationship management with the customer and the supplier (Doebeli, M., 2011). Amazon follows the principles of convenience and peace of mind by ensuring customers the security of purchases. It was the first site to accept online credit card (explaining in detail its operation) and for customers who are still wary, offers e-mail or fax as an alterna tive method to provide the information in your credit card. Amazon has done an excellent job in recruiting and satisfaction of stakeholders: publishers, distributors and other online retailers. Since all find it easy to operate with Amazon, the overall customer experience improves substantially. The secret lies in attracting Amazon customer information to learn more and grow faster. For the first time since its creation, Amazon.com

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Essay The existence of God is viewed in two debatable perspectives – either the Divine Almighty exists or He does not. It is almost impossible to dwell on revealing the right answer to resolve this matter as one is dealing with an abstract matter that goes beyond reason and the physical or concrete aspect of life and the universe. The first argument questions the existence of God because there is no tangible sign in reality that reveals that He does exist. The opposite argument argues that God exists because of the impossibility of the presence of a Divine Being despite his non-existence in physical terms. This is supported by the virtue of faith and the belief that a greater power must be responsible for the existence of man and life. Perhaps asking about the existence of God is one of the most glorified questions that have not been answered since the beginning of time. This may not only be because of the fact that he does not encompass a physical entity, but also because God as an entity is beyond reason that people cannot even start to define who or what He is, what He is capable of doing, and such. In order to present an argument regarding this matter, it is important to discuss points which will prove or rather rationalize God’s existence. God exists, but He will only dynamically exist if one believes in His true existence. Rationalizing the existence of God is similar to proving the existence of love. Love is an abstract feeling or emotion, like God Himself is a nonrepresentational entity which does not exist in physical terms. Love is the same. It is an abstract feeling or emotion which cannot be represented in tangible terms, however, people know what it is, if not believe in it. Love exists because people believe in it. Love is felt and expressed, defining its meaning and significance, and framing it as a valid term or feeling because people can feel it allowing them to know it does exist. On the other hand, people who do not believe in love do not also believe it exists. I think this argument goes the same with the inquiry of the existence of God. God is a term or a word which represents a Divine Entity, while love is also a term or a word which represents an abstract feeling or emotion. However, their existence in reality is only confined in terms or words not unless people would believe they do exist and act upon their existence. Therefore, God does not exist for people who do not have faith in His existence, who do not give meaning to who He is as the creator of man and the universe. Think about love and why people believe it exists. This is because people choose to believe in what they feel, although unexplainable and intangible. Love is expressed in so many ways, from touching, caring, helping, doing good and kind acts, etc. Since love is expressed, then it is felt consequentially; and since it is felt, then people believe it does exist. In terms of the existence of God, people can justify His existence then by acting on their faith. This means worshipping him, praying to him, spreading His word, practicing or applying His commandments, and living in His righteousness. God becomes present in an individual’s life if he chooses to abide by Him and believe in what He has to offer for mankind. This means that although God exists by definition, He will continually exist in reality – that is in the lives of man and in everything they do – if people believe that He plays an important role in their lives and that He commands or directs man into living in the kind of life that He wants for His people. The existence of God then is justified by faith. Moreover, God exists within the things that represent who He is as a Diety – and that is in goodness, in love, in hope, respect, trust, and graciousness. God’s existence perhaps is the most difficult matter to argue given the diverse answers of people to this inquiry. However, one possible rationalization is faith in Him and all the things that people experience that is representative of God. That is man’s faith in God brings Him beyond the term or word labeled to Him, and that the faith of man leads Him to act on it by doing things to acknowledge His existence.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Nigerian Financial System Overview

Nigerian Financial System Overview The Nigerian financial system is made up of two sub sectors; the formal and the informal sub sectors. The formal sub sector comprises of the regulatory bodies, money market, capital market, foreign exchange markets, insurance companies, brokerage firms, deposit money banks (DMBs), development finance and other financial institutions. As at the end of March 2010, there were 24 deposit money banks(DMBs), 5discount houses(DHs), 941 microfinance banks(MFBs), 107 finance companies(FCs), 101 primary mortgage institutions(PMIs), 13 pension fund administrators(PFAs), 5 pension fund custodians(PFCs), 1 stock exchange, 1 commodity exchange, 1621 bureau-de-change operators(BDCs), 690 securities brokerage firms, 5 development finance institutions(DFIs) and 73 insurance companies. The informal sub sector includes self-help groups, financial cooperatives and credit associations. It is imperative to know that there is a weak relationship between the informal sub sector and the formal sub sector (financial stability report, 2010) Discount House Sub Sector Overview: Discount Houses in Nigeria were first established in 1993. They were licensed to commence operations with just three discount houses as players. Their number later increased to five and their foundation can be linked to Great Britain, which is generally regarded as the origin of discount houses. These institutions evolved to provide a link between the banks and the Bank of England by serving as a channel for the interchange of banks funds as well as providing access to the Bank of England as a lender of last resort (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, ) and in like manner discount houses in Nigeria are to act as intermediaries between the Central Bank of Nigeria and other licensed banks in Nigeria in Open Market Operations transactions (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). There are five discount houses in Nigeria wholly owned by consortiums of banks and other financial institutions as allowed in the Discount House guidelines 2004 by the Central Bank of Nigeria. However the maximum permissible equity holding for any single investor in a discount house is 40% (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004).These Discount Houses are named as follows: Associated Discount House Limited (ADHL), Consolidated Discount Limited (CDL), Express Discount House Limited (EDL), First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) and Kakawa Discount House Limited (KDHL).They fall under a common umbrella referred to as Nigerian Discount Market Association. They are presently not listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Discount House sub sector is highly regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria requiring of them their daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports showing the state of their affairs. Their daily operational activities include the injection and the withdrawal of funds by the Central bank of Nigeria from the money market through them (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010) of which they must invest 60% of their deposit liabilities in government securities at any point in time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). By this a balance is maintained in the economy thereby guarding liquidity. Apart from this function, the discount houses also facilitate the issuance and sale of short term Government securities, provide discount/re-discount facilities for treasury bills, government securities and other eligible financial instruments, accept short-term investments on an intermediary basis from banks and wholesale investors and lastly provide short term financial accommodation to banks (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). Services and Financing of the Discount Houses Discount Houses offer a wide range of financial products to Banks, Non-Bank Financial Institutions and the general public. The main services include: (a) Securities trading which includes buying and selling of: Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, Government Bonds, and Commercial Bills; (b) Accepting short-term investments from banks and providing short-term accommodation to banks; (c) Short-term financial intermediation through the acceptance of funds and simultaneous investment of the funds in: Commercial Papers, Bankers Acceptances, Government Securities; (d) Providing personalized wealth management to high net-worth individuals through a network of investment managers, financial consultants and other specialists; (e) Effective portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary basis through the provision of medium to long term investment management services to: Pension funds, Private clients, Employee Schemes, Trustees of family settlements and charities; and (f) Providi ng Business Solutions in: Financial Arrangement and Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Privatization, Business Assessment, Business Structuring, and Data Resource and Management (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004) The Sources of funds for discount houses in Nigeria include: (a) Equity Paid- up Capital and Reserves. (b) Call money and short-term borrowings of not more than three years maturity. (C) Call money placed by banks with discount houses shall form part of the specified liquid assets of the respective banks for the purpose of the liquidity ratio requirement. A discount house that is short of funds may: (i) obtain from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) an overnight advance against acceptable collateral. However such an advance shall not exceed 20 percent of the total assets of the discount house and shall not in any event be granted if the discount house has exceeded the borrowing limit as prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); (ii) sell short-term bills and/or other securities to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shall provide rediscounting facilities for treasury and other eligible securities; and (iii) enter into Repurchase transactions with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) using eligible securities(Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008) The Discount House Sub-Sector Environment: The discount house sector is greatly influenced and controlled by environmental forces; global and domestic. The global economic environment shows that the global economic crisis appeared to have eased off in the latter part of 2009 but general optimism is being replaced with pessimism of a double dip recession, as fears grow that governments and policy makers around the world might be forced (due to pressure or mistakes) to remove monetary and fiscal props, too soon. So even though developed economies are gradually beginning to come out of the general recession, the situation is still delicate (First Securities Discount House, 2009). In emerging market economies, growth has been robust but inflationary pressures are strong and on the rise. The negative impact of the political crises in the oil-producing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on oil prices and the disruptions and destructions associated with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have added to uncertainty about the sustainability of global economic recovery and growth%( Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). This has great implications on the discount houses with Nigeria being a developing and emerging economy and the effect of the global crises is strongly felt with a probability of increases in the international interest rate. The domestic economic environment is being characterised by a fluctuating inflation rate which has significant impact on interest and lending rates. It has been a herculean task trying to bring down the inflation rate to a single digit as proposed and rather the rate rose from 11.1% as at March, 2011 to 12.8% in April, 2011(Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2011). This inflationary rise still has a tendency to heighten further as a result of the general increase in global and food prices. The operating economic environment is full of challenges as there are array of issues. In March 2011, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank increased MPR from 6.5% to 7.5% maintaining interest rate corridor of +/-2% around the MPR. By this, the Standing Lending Facility Rate (rate at which CBN lends to Banks and Discount Houses as bank of last resort) became 9.5% and has remained so. On the other hand, the Standing Deposit Rate (rate at which Banks and Discount Houses place excess funds with the Central Bank of Nigeria) remained at 4 %. Also the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was projected to grow by 7.43 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 making the outlook for 2011 to be generally good, given the expected improvement in the oil economy and the growing emphasis on the development of non-oil sector and key infrastructure (Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). Finally on the political scene, the year 2011 being an election year for Nigeria, there are a lot uncertainties associated with the electoral process and the election results and this could affect the discount house sub sector and the Nigerian economy as a whole and it is projected that the effect of these uncertainties will result in higher exchange rate risks with lower reserves and high spending-currency devaluation possible and that Inflation will remain over 10% with implications for demand, input costs and projects(Resource and Trust Company Limited, 2011). Competitiveness In The Discount House Sub- Sector The discount house sub sector is just a small sector in a large financial sector with just a few players who are almost of equal standing; hence, there is strong competition among the services providers which have led to innovation, efficiency and the upgrade of competitive advantage by the players. The provision of specialised personalised services allowable within the scope of the discount house guidelines. Example is the personal pension plan developed by Consolidated Discount Limited which was created as a way of preparing clients to be less vulnerable to loss of earning capacity after retirement (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). Also Associated Discount House Limited in conjunction with the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria organized an awareness seminar on 12 February, 2009 to enkindle the interest of retail investors both local, international and in the diasporas in Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009). Opportunities In The Discount House Sub- Sector Without gainsaying, there are opportunities in Discount Houses businesses (if not many) which gives them an edge over banks and other specialised banks. As earlier inferred, discount houses are allowed to offer certain unique financial services which puts them almost in the same stand as banks and even much more but they cannot be referred to as banks and one of the reasons is because there is minimum paid up capital imposed on the regular banks which amounts to N25,000,000,000.00(Twenty five billion naira) only at any point in time. For the discount houses sub sector, the minimum paid up capital shall be N1,000,000,000.00(One billion naira) only or as may be prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria from time to time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008). There is a revised Guideline for year 2008 which also relaxes the ownership of Discount Houses to now include non-financial institutions and individuals. This revision provides the opportunity for Discount Houses to grow their capital base to enable them to explore new areas of business and boost their profitability (Kakawa Discount House, 2009). Discount Houses have sizable support from the Central Bank of Nigeria being the lender of last resort facility. Discount Houses are able to offer highly attractive pricing on Treasury Bills and other risk-free government debt instruments because of the significant concessions available to them from the Central Bank of Nigeria Discount Houses are tightly regulated therefore danger signals (if any) are easily detectable. Being specialist institutions, Discount Houses are proactive in managing money market trends to the advantage of their clients. Unlike other deposit taking institutions, the financial assets acquired by Discount Houses are of the finest quality with little or no credit risk (Express Discount House Limited). Threats To The Discount House Sub- Sector Naturally the discount house sub sector is faced with its own threats and challenges as from inception, discount houses operated in an environment that could termed as unusual or abnormal. There was a distress situation in the banking sector which was at its peak and most banks patronized discount houses in order to ensure the safety of their funds, but with the return of orderliness and calm, discount houses patronage by banks reduced. Rather, the interbank and foreign exchange markets seem to have provided more attractive trading options for the banks, to the detriment of the discount houses. Licensing of additional discount houses to make the total number of discount houses 5 proved to be a challenge as it had an adverse effect on the total turnover of the discount house sub sector, following the initial boom from the year of operations of 1993 where total asset stood at N9,600,000,000.00(Nine billion, six hundred million naira) only which dropped significantly to N3,400,000,000.00(Three billion, four hundred million naira) only in 1995 following the entrance of a new entrant into the market. With these happenings, licensing of new discount houses might still impact on the sub-sector further negatively. Their narrow scope of operations has also proven to be a major challenge for the Discount House sub sector being a specialised bank is inhibiting a lot of opportunities for expansion (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, 2010). Finally, from the inception, discount houses had the exclusive right to conduct Open Market Operations transactions (OMO). Open Market Operations (OMO) is an indirect monetary policy technique that is used to control the level of money supply. It involves the sale/purchases of money market instruments in the open market; these instruments being Nigerian treasury bills (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010). With the Central Bank of Nigeria opening up the window to banks as well, the discount house sub sector lost the sole right of Open market Operations. Conclusion In spite of all the challenges and threats faced by the Discount House sub sector, the Discount Houses are still are very vital part of Nigeria as an emerging economy and just the existing players in the market are not enough to keep a balanced financial sector and the economy as a whole. In the light of the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria as the major regulator keeps on revisiting and revising the guidelines of the Discount House sub sector, there is hope yet still for growth, expansion, innovation and maximum output which should encourage new players to participate. Part 2 Strategy Overview Strategy is a plan or blueprint of what an organisation intends to achieve and how to go about it. Artto, Kujala, Dietrich and Martinsuo (2008) define strategy as a firms goal to attain a desired position in its competitive external environment. This is in line with Kenneth Andrew (1987) school of thought that views strategy from the corporate angle where he views corporate strategy as the nature of decisions a company takes which reveals its short and long term goals, how it plans to go about achieving these goals and how its outcome will affect all stakeholders and community at large. There is a popular belief that an organization that fails to plan or strategise, plans to fail and Goold (1996) goes on further to share his own view when he says that matured businesses can easily become staid and resistant to change. Usually this behaviour leads them to a decline and the only way it can regain its position is through strategy or change in strategy. This resolve usually involve the p ursuit, accomplishment, and maintenance of competitive advantage in its industry (Varadarajan and Clark cited in Morgana and Strong, 2003). Whittington (2001:10) summarises it all when he says strategy is all about thinking better and thinking differently and claims that a good strategy means doing something different from every other person. But there are pitfalls to strategy as Mintzberg (1994) puts forward the question; is a climate conducive to strategic planning necessarily one conducive to effective strategic thinking and acting? He claims that there are underlying issues which affects the ability of plans to make head way and emphasizes that these issues are neither technical nor analytical but rather human (Abel and Hammond cited in Mintzberg, 1994). But Smith and Reese (1999) argue that as long as there is a fit or alignment between operational elements and business then there should be no pitfalls where he defines fit as the degree to which operational elements match the business strategy. Alternative Approaches to Strategy: Similarities and Differences There are various approaches to strategy but Whittington (2000) classifies strategy into four approaches: the Classical, Evolutionary, Processualist and Systemic. He further analyses each approach as follows: The classical approach sees strategy as a process of rational deliberation, calculation and analysis, intended to achieve long-term benefit and that good planning is what it takes to master internal and external environments. The Evolutionary approach analyses strategy from the point of view that rational long term planning is often irrelevant and that successful strategies only emerge as the process of natural selection. The Processualist approach sees long term planning as basically pointless, but they are not overly pessimistic about the fate of businesses that do not somehow optimize environmental opportunities as they see inability or failure to think up and carry out the perfect strategic plan is hardly going to deliver any serious competitive disadvantage. Finally the Systemic approach to strategy proposes that the objectives and practices of strategy depend on the particular social system in which strategy- making takes place in other words organizations strategic planning is basically influenced and controlled by the social system in which it operates. Meaning the demographic setting of the organizations environment needs to be taken into consideration when strategizing. In analyzing the similarities and differences of these approaches, their style or processes and their end result is paramount. In comparing the classical and evolutionary approaches to strategy, Whittington (2001:2) posits profit maximization as the natural outcome of strategy-making. This he made in reference from the point of view of their end result which is profit or return on capital. These approaches associate profitability with strategy and believe the higher the level of strategy employed, the higher and better the profit generated. This view is shared by (Friedman and Baumol cited in Vining and Meredith, 2000) where they argue that the only appropriate goal or strategy in any organisation is to maximize profit and that any other goal is considered inappropriate. As much the classical and evolutionary approaches are similar in terms of profit maximization being their goal; they differ in style and processes. The classical approach adopts a style of rational planning (Whittington, 2000:11) whereas the evolutionary approach lacks confidence in rational planning where they argue that no matter the level or intensity of strategy, the outcome is usually driven by market dictates and how well a manager is able to perform and that investing in long term strategies can be counter productive (Whittington, 2000: 19). In this instance, the evolutionary approach can be compared with the Processualist approach to strategy in that they also do not believe in rational planning. This view is shared by Peppard 1995, who argues that in a claim to gaining competitive advantage, management develop strategies with seemingly superiority above others which is just a way of them being seen to be doing something and not necessarily hope to achieve anything by their strategies. By this claim, peppard tries to show that rational planning is just an act which is not necessarily relevant to the overall performance of the organisation but it is something that is done for the corporate image. His view is supported by Cyert and March ( cited in Whittington 2000:22) who argue that firms can plan in such a way that major strategy sessions could be cut off and yet still deliver just enough to keep everyone satisfied. Although the processualist approach is similar to the evolutionary approach in terms of processes and style, that where all their similarity ends because in terms of outcome. The Processualist approach can be compared with the systemic approach of strategy whose school of thought sees not only profit maximization but other outcomes as a an end result of strategy (Whittington 2000: 21 27). Werther Jr and Chandler (2005) argue that firms are continuously appraised in terms of both the financial and social benefits that result from their corporate actions or strategies. The systemic approach proposes that firms differ according to the social and economic systems in which they are embedded (Whittington, 2000:27) thereby viewing strategy as being guided and controlled by the environmental forces in which they operate. In the same spirit, the processualist advice against striving after unattainable ideal of rational fluid action, but to accept and work with the world as it is (Whittington, 2000:21). Finally, the systemic approach can be compared with the classical approach in that they both believe in rational planning and do retain faith in the capacity of organizations to plan forward and to act effectively within their environment'(Whittington 2000:26). This view is shared by Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, (2010) when they opined that strategy is a high-order choice that has profound implications on competitive outcomesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. and strategy should contain provisions against a range of environmental contingencies, whether they take place or not and Stallwood (1996) maintains that strategy is necessary but insists that whatever strategy is used must be appropriate and simple enough for it to become adopted by an organization without necessarily having to change after its initial usage. Conclusion Strategy can be seen as a means of avoiding [perhaps] costly and damaging warfare (University of Leicester, 2009:90) and it is quite clear that all the approaches of strategy have their own benefits even though they are similar and also dissimilar in their own unique ways. Therefore which ever method adopted should be seen to add to an organizations performance and must be duly analysed and deliberated on ensuring it is in alignment with the organizations goals and objectives before adoption.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Siege of the Iranian Embassy Essay -- Papers

The Siege of the Iranian Embassy On April 30th 1980 a six man Iraqi terrorist group burst into the Iranian embassy. The embassy in Princes Gate, London, contained 20 people, which included a police constable. The terrorist wanted the release of 91 political prisoners from jail in Iran and a plane for them to escape. If their demands were not met they would execute all the hostages and blow up the Embassy. The Metropolitan Police invited B Squadron, 22 SAS onto the scene. Within hours of the siege starting they had set up observation posts and where monitoring the terrorists. Major Jeremy Phipps who had been in the SAS for 15 years, and had fought in Borneo and Oman now commanded B squadron. He started developing plans to break into the embassy and free the hostages. A high-ranking group of government ministers and officials decided that it would be best to negotiate. For five days the SAS practiced their plans for the siege as the negotiations dragged on. On May 5th the terrorists' patience cracked and they shot dead a hostage, Abbas Lavasani. Listening devices inserted by the SAS picked up the terrorist plans, which included killing more hostages. The time for talk was over. The order to attack came from the top, the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 'The Iron Lady'. The police handed responsibility for the operation to the SAS at 19:07. Fourteen minutes later the assault began, operation 'Nimrod' was now underway. Four SAS men broke into the front of the Embassy after jumping over an adjoining balcony. They blew out the armoured windows with a 'frame charge' (A long strip of C4 explosives). An eight-strong rear team abseile... ...re hostages might have died. The demands could have been met but this would leave the door open for further terrorist demands. The SAS had to protect the innocent and they did it. Even though some of the terrorists could have been arrested there was no practical way of doing this without them still being a risk to the hostages and SAS members. 39 bullets is a lot to kill one man, but if fired from more than one soldier in the heat of battle 39 isn't that many. Terrorists are dangerous; they have a single aim and their target has to be met without regard to life or property. Terrorists lose their right to a fair trial when they use innocent people in an attempt to get their demands meet. I believe the actions of the SAS and the fact that they are still active and operational allows people like us to sleep soundly.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Desired Hope Essay -- Literary Analysis, Walt Whitman

The American dream is a dream that everyone hopes to one day achieve. It is what keeps the country going and develops hard workers of many. Langston Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† and Walt Whitman’s â€Å"I Hear America Singing† is the epitome of that dream, the poems both demonstrate a certain air of aspiration for the future of America and both of the speakers want change for the better. The poem’s speakers are both men and are of the working class. Even though their jobs may not be desirable and in Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† the speaker may be working against his will, he is still working and they are both adhering with them for that feeling of hope. After all, the working class strata are the people with the strongest appetite for that dream because the reason they are working is to eventually fulfill that American dream. In Walt Whitman’s â€Å"I Hear America Singing† the speaker is the more content of the two poems. His tone does not sound sad nor like he is not pleased with what he encounters. Even if he doesn’t like what his life consists of, Whitman writes, â€Å"The day what belongs to the day––at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,† (Kennedy 1096). At the end of the day whether he had a good or bad day he gets to let loose with the other hard-working men and all his hard work ultimately paid off because of this time he gets to enjoy to himself. So rather than dreading his life he is fine with what he has to do for work and looks forward to what is yet to come. This might be that this man is satisfied with his life because he really is not being held against his will to work. He has the choice to do what he wants. When one is held against his or her will it usually strips away someone of any sureness. In Langston Hughes’s â€Å"I, Too† the spe... ...es, But I laugh† (Kennedy 976). The two poems are very ambitious. They both have a sense of if they are working hard, then one day all this hard work will pay off. Although their jobs may seem similar one, being Walt Whitman’s speaker has it easier, than Langston Hughes’s speaker; because this speaker is a slave. Although Whitman’s speaker has it easier to possibly obtain that dream, he has hope, but sounds far less confident in what the future can bring him. Their lives seem as if there is nothing to do, but work, and have hope for the future. Their hope is primarily surrounded because their lives do not consist of much because they are of the working class. When one is a part of the working class there is not much financial freedom to fulfill desired experiences. It displays the impression of the harder a person has it in life the more hope that person has.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Superconductivity Essay -- essays research papers

Superconductivity INTRODUCTION We've all heard about superconductivity. But, do we all know what it is? How it works and what are its uses? To start talking about superconductivity, we must try to understand the how "normal" conductivity works. This will make it much easier to understand how the "super" part functions. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how superconductivity works, some of the current problems and some examples of its uses. CONDUCTIVITY Conductivity is the ability of a substance to carry electricity. Some substances like copper, aluminium, silver and gold do it very well. They are called conductors. Others conduct electricity partially and they are called semi-conductors. The concept of electric transmission is very simple to understand. The wire that conducts the electric current is made of atoms which have equal numbers of protons and electrons making the atoms electrically neutral. If this balance is disturbed by gain or loss of electrons, the atoms will become electrically charged and are called ions. Electrons occupy energy states. Each level requires a certain amount of energy. For an electron to move to a higher level, it will require the right amount of energy. Electrons can move between different levels and between different materials but to do that, they require the right amount of energy and an "empty" slot in the band they enter. The metallic conductors have a lot of these slots and this is where the free electrons will head when voltage (energy) is applied. A simpler way to look at this is to think of atoms aligned in a straight line (wire). if we add an electron to the first atom of the line, that atom would have an excess of electrons so it releases an other electron which will go to the second atom and the process repeats again and again until an electron pops out from the end of the wire. We can then say that conduction of an electrical current is simply electrons moving from one empty slot to another in the atoms' outer shells. The problem with these conductors is the fact that they do not let all the current get through. Whenever an electric current flows, it encounters some resistance, which changes the electrical energy into heat. This is what causes the wires to heat. The conductors become themselves like a resistance but an unwanted one. This explains why only 95% of the power... ...vious afterwards. It's as if the train was "surfing" on waves of voltage. THE MAGSHIP Another interesting application is what is referred to as the magship. This ship has no engine, no propellers and no rudder. It has a unique power source which is electromagnetism. The generator on the boat creates a current which travels from one electrode to another which go underwater on each side of the ship. This makes the water electrically charged. This only works in salt water because pure water would not conduct the current. The magnets which are located on the bottom of the ship would produce a magnetic field which will push the water away making the ship move forward. There are a lot of problems related with that. The magnetic field could attract metallic objects and even other ships causing many accidents. CONCLUSION As time goes by, transition temperature, critical field (maximum magnetic field intensity that a superconductor can support before failing), current capacity and all other problems are improving slowly. But, at least they show that we are moving in the right direction. A lot of people are getting interested in that field since it promises a lot for the future.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Project Management Plan for Restaurant Essay

A factor analytic approach revealed that there were different consumer segments based on identified attitudes in the hospitality industry, developing their hospitality selection on different attributes of hospitality services. This requires specific marketing segment and management strategies. A repeated measure some six years later demonstrated the robustness of the identified consumer attitudes. The impact of the attitudes on consumer behaviour is demonstrated and areas of research are identified in which this hospitality monitor may better inform theory development and best practice. Keywords: Consumer behavior, Marketing, Attribute-value theory, Service quality ** Vera Toepoel is an assistant professor at Leisure Studies, Tilburg University, Netherlands. E-mail : V. Toepoel@uvt. nl 76 Vera Toepoel Introduction Consumer trends come and go, affecting the extent to which individuals appreciate certain aspects of hospitality services, and over time this can have significant implications for businesses in the hospitality industry. It is important for the sector to understand what the current trends in consumer behavior are, which consumer segments exist, and how consumer ehavior will develop in the future. Verma, Plaschka, and Louvriere (2002) argue that it is imperative that businesses take into account consumer preferences when making decisions regarding product and service attributes. Understanding consumer choices is the key to successful management of hospitality services. According to attribute-value theory (Mowen and Minor, 1998), consumers base their choice o n different attributes. Consumers may be attracted by price, by quality, by location etc. Consumers weigh up the overall value in terms of the presence and weight of each attribute. A favorable overall attitude is expected to result in repeat business. Over the last decades, several studies on market segmentation in the hospitality sector have demonstrated that consumers’ requirements of hospitality services differ between market segments. Market segmentation divides a market into distinct groups of buyers who might require different products or services. Understanding what various segments require and developing focused management strategies to fulfill these specific requirements are crucial to penetrating new markets and maintaining repeat business (Yuksel and Yuksel, 2002). The benefits of monitoring consumer attitudes seem evident. Incorporation of these attitudes into market segmentation and management is limited, however. In addition, although many segmentation studies have been performed in the hospitality sector (see John and Pine, 2002), research on stability over time is scarce. This study investigates which consumer segments exist in the hospitality sector in the Netherlands. A segmentation analysis based on consumer attitudes in the hospitality industry is used. This study demonstrates differences in personal characteristics and behavior of the identified consumer segments. The measure is repeated to demonstrate the robustness of results. In addition, the repetition of the measure demonstrates how segmentation studies can serve to monitor consumer trends over time. This research can be used to map consumer attitudes and assist hospitality organizations in designing effective market strategies to attract, satisfy, and retain consumers. Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 77 Literature Reviews Since the 1970s a coherent theoretical structure has emerged to underpin consumer research. One of the main theories on consumer behavior believes that consumers base their choices on different attributes. These experiences may best be described by multi-attribute models (Mowen and Minor, 1998). These models identify how consumers combine their beliefs about product attributes to form attitudes. Consumers are considered to assess hotels, restaurants, cafes etc. through sets of attributes (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). Multiattribute models assume that consumers are using the standard hierarchy-ofeffects approach in which beliefs lead to attitude formation, which, in turn, leads to actual behavior. One of the most frequently used multi-attribute models is the attitude-towards-the-object model. Mowen and Minor (1998) describe this model in detail. It identifies three major factors that predict attitudes; the saliency of an attribute, the strength of the belief that a product or service has the attribute in question, and the evaluation of each of the salient attributes. Consumers weigh up the overall value in terms of the degree to which each attribute and its relevant weight is present (attribute-value theory). A favorable overall attitude is expected to result in repeat business. For a review of papers which have analyzed the attributes that are valued in the hospitality industry, see Johns and Pine (2002). The importance of the different attributes may differ per market segment. For example, one market segment may be attracted by a restaurant’s low price, another by its food quality, another by its location, and so on. Consumers assess certain attributes of the products, but the key factor is that this assessment is conditioned by the segment to which they belong. Consumers do not value attributes in the same way but in general terms. If they belong to the same segment they usually have similar attribute weighting coefficients. Hence there is a need to properly identify segments, so that managers can identify which attributes of specific services are valued by consumers in each segment. For this reason it is interesting to connect these attributes with the valuation of the different segments. The Dutch Research Institute for Recreation and Tourism (NRIT) claims in their report on trends in tourism, recreation, and leisure (2009) that due to the focus on the economic crisis focused marketing segmentation is an absolute must. Most studies on market segmentation focus on a three-step process of segmentation (who will come), targeting (what do they want), and positioning 78 Vera Toepoel (what can we offer). There are many studies dealing with consumer segmentation in the hospitality industry. For an exhaustive overview of different segmentation approaches and their pros and cons, see e. g. Bowen (1998) and Johns and Pine (2002). Traditionally, segmentation was based on demographic characteristics, later on other variables were used, e. g. geographic, psychographic, and behavioristic variables (Bowen, 1998). For example, Legoherel (1998) focuses on expenditure-levels in terms of consumers’ estimation of travel expenditures; Grazin and Olsen (1997) identify groups depending on their frequency of use with regard to fast food restaurants; Nayga and Capps (1994) relate demand for different types of restaurants to different socio-economic segments; and Binckley (1998) shows that population density has a powerful effect on demand. Victorino, Karniouchina, and Verma (2009) use segmentation based on consumers’ comfort with technology to tailor communication service to guests’ computing and connectivity needs. Oh and Jeong (1996) base their segmentation on characteristics of the organization: product, service, amenity, appearance, and convenience. Lewis (1981) finds that segments in restaurants differ in their opinions about the importance of several service attributes, while Bahn and Granzin (1985) find that nutritional concerns affected restaurant selection. As hospitality organizations provide a number of services, it seems appropriate to consider the benefits in terms of the attributes of the total service product provided (Bahn and Granzin, 1985). Much hospitality research reflects the broad theoretical structure of attribute-value theory. Thus a number of authors have studied hospitality attributes, but the authors disagree about the relative importance of the attributes (Johns and Pine, 2002). Clark and Wood (1996) attribute the differences in importance of attributes to different styles of hospitality services, e. g. types of restaurants. Differences could also come from different trends or cultures and even different types of survey questions, however. It is difficult to develop standardized questions to measure generalized attributes that are considered relevant to all hospitality services. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) made a major contribution to the service industry by developing the SERVQUAL instrument. They demonstrated that service quality depends on five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The applicability of SERVQUAL in the hospitality industry is demonstrated by several studies (e. g. Bojanic and Rosen, 1994; Lee and Hing, 1995; Stevens, Knutson, and Patton, 1995). Although SERVQUAL summarizes service attributes in a theoretically satisfying way, it takes little account of differences in consumer’s wishes regarding service quality over time. In Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 79 addition, each study on market segmentation in the hospitality industry reveals distinct consumer groups, but it is often unknown, however, whether the segmentation holds over time or in different settings. Research on stability in market segments over time is scarce (Dolnicar, 2006). Stability is essential as every segmentation solution is different. Only if a segmentation solution can repeatedly be found, does it give a secure basis to postulate existence of segments. In her study on market-segmentation in tourism over the recent decades, including papers in academic journals from 1981 until 2005, Dolnicar reports less than 14% of all studies reporting on any form of stability in market segmentation. Stability over time is claimed to be one of the most important potential developments in hospitality segmentation. The hospitality sector is always moving and all kinds of trends and developments influence the sector locally, nationally, and internationally. Therefore, it is important to monitor what hospitality consumers want. The Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre, the Dutch umbrella organization for the hospitality sector, acknowledges in its report on consumer behavior (2000) that consumers found that hospitality businesses did not know what their consumers wanted. In 2002, the Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre adapted the SERVQUAL instrument of Parasuraman et al. (1988) to five consumer attitudes in the hospitality sector , in order to better keep up with consumers’ wishes. The Moment Consumer (SERVQUAL: tangibles) chooses what is convenient at a certain place and time. Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance are found to be important attributes of hospitality services. This consumer is unpredictable and consumer loyalty is low. This consumer feels more and more the need for efficiency. Price is not an object of concern. Moment Consumers are sensitive for trends and tire of concepts relatively quickly. The Conscious Consumer (SERVQUAL: reliability) appreciates the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. The Conscious Consumer emphasizes nutrition, origins of products and security. Conscious consumers are concerned about the negative consequences of their behavior for the environment and their health. For the Assured Consumer (SERVQUAL: assurance), health and a good and safe environment are important. Under the influence of food scandals the emphasis is on natural and biological products. Consumers are driven to find alternatives if there are indications of potential risks. Information on the whereabouts of a product, the methods used for preparation, and â€Å"pure† products, are important attributes for this consumer. Violence and aggression have to be tackled by the hospitality business openly. The Healthy Consumer (SERVQUAL: responsiveness) values 80 Vera Toepoel â€Å"healthy† food. Colour, taste, form, structure, odor, and appearance are important attributes for a healthy lifestyle. The origins printed on products are also criteria for purchase. The Healthy Consumer buys at responsive businesses. The Experience Consumer (SERVQUAL: empathy) wants more than food or accommodation. Eating, drinking, and sleeping have to be experiences, where the consumer is able to participate in the business process and above all is surprised by the experience. The Experience Consumer wants individual attention and empathy from hospitality businesses. All of the identified groups value different attributes in the hospitality sector. Attitudes towards different attributes are found be related to demographics. Lea and Worsley (2005) find a significant effect of sex on hospitality beliefs. Bittencourt, Teratanavat, and Chern (2007) discuss household income, family size and composition, residential location, and age as important influencing factors on food and hospitality consumption. For example, age effects are associated with changes in nutritional requirements, tastes, and preferences due to aging and life cycle (Mori et al. , 2000). Cook (1994) discusses that spending on dairy products generally decreases with age, while spending on vegetables and fruits are higher in older age groups. Nayga and Capps (1993) give an overview of studies on food away from home and the socio-demographic factors considered. They find gender, urbanization, household composition, age, education, and income as most important factors influencing consumer behavior. Demographic factors can be used to predict differences in attitudes because the structure of demographic characteristics follows a specific pattern (Bittencourt et al. , 2007). It is important to take into account demographic characteristics to see how they influence consumers’ attitudes towards certain attributes. National policies can also influence consumer behavior and attitudes. At the time of this research, smoking policies were a hot topic in the hospitality sector. Although many businesses feared for their turnovers and some faced major losses due to the introduction of a smoking ban (Frumkin, 2004), other businesses did not notice any differences in consumer behavior before and after the introduction of the prohibition (Kramer, 1995), or even saw a business opportunity in it (Pratten, 2003). It is interesting to see how policy measures such as a smoking ban can have different effects on consumer segments. When hospitality businesses monitor which consumer segments they attract, it becomes more feasible to understand and react to national policies. In the remainder of this paper the five consumer attitudes are presented in a research instrument based on consumer segmentation, the Hospitality Monitor, together Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 81 ith information attesting the reliability and validity of the scale and evidence that the construct is meaningful in analyzing consumer behavior. Methodology Design and implementation A research instrument was developed to distinguish different consumer segments in the hospitality industry based on the five consumer attitudes identified by the Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre (2002). Since the boundaries between different attitudes are often blurred, the consumer attitudes were classified i nto the five main consumer service attributes of the SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al. 1988). These attitudes are clear and can be manipulated. The attitudes are useful for all sectors in the hospitality industry, from drinking, eating, to accommodation. About ten items per attitude were constructed to differentiate between attitudes. The research instrument consisted of 50 items measured on a five-point Likert scale. Items are presented in Appendix A. The score on each attitude indicates the respondent’s attitude towards the topic. Questions on gender, urbanization, household composition, age, education, income, and the smoking ban were also taken into account. Longitudinal measurements reveal the augmentation or weakening of certain attitudes. To demonstrate, the exact same measure was repeated some six years later. The questionnaires were fielded in the CentERpanel, an online household panel consisting of more than 2,000 households administered by CentERdata. The panel aims to be representative of the Dutch-speaking population in the Netherlands, including those without Internet access. The CentERpanel is based on a household probability sample selected by Statistics Netherlands, the national statistical agency. Households with no Internet access when recruited were provided with a so-called Net. Box, enabling a connection via a telephone line and a television set. If the household did not have a television, CentERdata provided that, too (see Appendix B for details about the panel). Data collection for Wave 1 took place in August 2003; 1644 panel members were selected and 1410 responded (response percentage 85. 7%). Data collection for Wave 2 took place in March 2009; 2446 panel members were selected and 1677 responded (response percentage 68. 6%). The demographics in both samples are roughly the same, as can be seen in Appendix C. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. 82

Monday, September 16, 2019

Stylistic Analysis of the Poem “Meeting at Night”

The Love Song of Hair Dyal Rudyard Kipling Alone upon the housetops to the North I turn and watch the lightnings in the sky– The glamour of thy footsteps in the North. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die. Below my feet the still bazar is laid– Far, far below the weary camels lie– The camels and the captives of thy raid. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die! My father's wife is old and harsh with years, And drudge of all my father's house am I– My bread is sorrow and my drink is tears. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die!Stylistic Analysis of the Poem â€Å"Meeting at night† â€Å"Meeting at Night† Robert Browning The gray sea and the long black land; And the yellow half-moon large and row; And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed I’ the slushy sand. Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach; Three fields to cross till a farm appears; A tap at the pane , the quick sharp scratch And blue spurt of a lighted match, And a voice less loud, thro’ its joys and fears,Than the two hearts beating each to each! ]  Ã‚  The Theme of the Poem This poem written by Robert Browning is a poem of love that describes clearly the man’s sailing on the sea to the bay on the beautiful night to go to the girl she loves and meets her at night. In here, it is said that the readers can feel the excitement and happiness of the couples on their meeting at night. It is very clear at the end of the poem that the woman is somehow nervous and afraid while waiting for the man she loves.But, upon hearing the man’s tap on the window pane, she is very happy and relieved to see him, which only shows how deep their love and missing is. ]  Ã‚  Linguistic Analysis of the Poem by  Liu Yueqin Liu Yueqin has presented five linguistic presentation of the poem. Here is the following linguistic analysis he had in this poem of Robert Browning: a. Phono logical features 1. End rhyme The rhyme scheme is, in the first stanza – abccba, in the second -dedded. There are five end rhymes as follow: a. [  ? nd]  land, sand; b. [? ]row, prow; c. [I:p]leap, sleep; d, [I:t ]beach, scratch, match, each; e, [i? s]appears, fears 2. Alliteration long-land in line 1;the-that in line 3; fiery- from in line 4; pushing-prow in line 5; speed-slushy-sand in line 6; sea-scented in line 7; to-till and field-farm in line8; less-loud in line 11; than-the and two-to in line 12. 3. Repetition And the  repeats 3 times in the poem, and there are totally 8  and  in the poem. The repetition shows that the man is making long-time effort step by step to meet the woman, his lover.However, the effort is worthy since the man loves the woman and expects fiercely to see her, no matter it’s at night or at day. The refrain occurs at the close of a stanza, where it helps to establish meter, influence the mood of love, and add emphasis. With the usa ge of end rhyme, alliteration and repetition, the poem creates aesthetic pleasure and shows the feeling of the couple. b. Graphical features The description of the scene on the sea and on the bay and about the meeting is vivid, elaborate and attracting.Through the different angles of vision (the gray sea,  the long black land, the yellow half-moon, etc. ), auditognosis (two hearts beating, etc), olfaction (scented), the readers can just feel like being in the situation, and appreciating the charming of meeting at night. c. Lexical features The poem is relatively brief; consist of simple specific concrete words, mainly adjectives and nouns, just like casual and gentle narration between lovers or dramatic monologue.There are 4 adjective words about color; they are  gray, black, yellow and blue, to make the scene at night vivid to the readers. The readers can clearly know that the meeting is at night. The beautiful scene symbolizes the wonderful mood of the couple. In line 6, words of  speed, slushy, sand  have alliteration [s] for imitate the sound of the prow decreasing its speed and gently scrapping in the bay. d. Syntactic features All the sentences in the poem are statement just like dramatic monologue, what the author is very famous with.Many short sentences are linked into long sentences with devices of coordination with the usage of  and. There are totally 5 lines beginning with  and. Coordination gives clauses equal syntactic status, and establish peaceful mood. It seems that the man has met the woman at night many times, and gets very familiar with the process. e. Semantic features In first stanza, the author uses  startled  and  fiery  instead of  surprising  and  hot. The personification gives human form or feelings to the waves and ringlets, inanimate objects to show that the man’s feeling is startled and fiery.In second stanza,  tap, scratch  and  spurt  are gentler, lovelier, and shorter in time thanknock, s crape, and spring. These words can vividly to describe the feeling of the couple. The man arrives at just outside of the house, and taps the glass with the love in his heart. When he is waiting for the appearance of the woman, he is very nervous and upset. The woman is also nervous and upset. After hearing the tap, she lights a match to lights the place and feels happy and fears to meet her lover.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Algeria and Libya

The entire world is aware of the fact that Italy, France, England, and many others of European and Western origins were settlers in various places around the world, and these people established colonies in these nations, thereby influencing and impacting the nations’ people greatly. Take Italy, for example. This was a country that was among the last in Europe to start imperial expansion, probably because of the fact that the city-states were not united until the second half of the nineteenth century.Libya was one of the last few African territories that escaped colonization until the end of the nineteenth century, but its very proximity to Italy made sure that Libya was influenced in three major areas, like state formation, the modes of popular resistance, and the types of regimes that emerged after independence. (Bruce St John, Ronald (2004) Algeria was one of the countries that was subjected to heavy colonial influence. Areas like education, business, and so on were controll ed by the French for almost a hundred years, and the impact is felt in the country even today, in certain aspects of life in Algeria.(Algeria, Arabization 1993) It is important to remember that in Algeria and in Libya, colonial policies were shaped by the specific politics and economics prevalent in each European colonial state at the time, like for example in Italy, the colonial policy was a liberal one, recognizing local states of resistance. This factor enabled Libya to follow different modes of resistance. As far as Algeria was concerned, the French colonial policies were different, and in essence, it can safely be said that French colonization managed to destroy the pre-colonial state of Algeria (Ahmida, Abdullathif Ali 1994)Now, one can examine the state formation of Libya and Algeria, so that one can understand better how Italy and France influenced these two states in this aspect. State formation in these states is an issue of national consciousness. France encouraged Europe an colonization in Algeria from 1834 onwards, and Muslim lands were confiscated and in their place, a flourishing colony was created, completely separate from the Muslim majority. Muslims of the state emulated the popular form of resistance to European influence by proclaiming a war of independence, launching terrorist attacks against the French in the process.It was in 1962 that Charles de Gaulle was able to successfully proclaim independence for Algeria, and the Islamic Salvation Front enjoyed great popularity at the time because of its populist appeal. Violence, however, continues in Algeria to this day, and the majority of perpetrators are Muslim extremists. There is no peace in Algeria, and many experts feel that the European colonization, the subsequent fight for independence, the formation of the state, and eventually the regimes that emerged after independence may have influenced the state in an adverse manner. (Naylor C Phillip 2001)Most Libyans today would remember the fie rce fight for independence from colonization and escape from the all pervasive Italian influence. In 1970, Colonel Qaddafi managed to expel more than twenty thousand Italians who were living in Libya at the time, but today, Italy is one of Libya’s largest partners in trade. In 1988, Libya was implicated in an air crash in Lockerbie, Scotland, and subsequently, the UN has imposed sanctions on the country. When Qaddafi refused to comply with the sanctions, Libya became politically and economically isolated during the 1990’s.Illegal migration continues to this day, and recently, Italy had to pass an order to curb the phenomenon, but apparently, Libya has done nothing to implement it. Saif al-Islam, the son of Qaddafi, announced that he would sign a deal to compensate Libyans for thirty two years of Italian colonization. (Undoing the Damage 2008) In 2003, Libya showed its willingness to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction, and also of its missile program ‘Missi le Technology Control regime.’ (Background note, Libya 2007) Today, it can be said that although Libya and Algeria revolted against colonization, they did learn a few lessons from the Europeans, and their influence has lasted to this day. The countries maintain amicable relations with each other to this day, although rivalry and opposition does exist at all levels. European influence at several different levels and in different aspects of life cannot be denied, however, and perhaps this is the reason why leaders in Algeria and Libya tend to try their best even today to deny any allegiance to the people who were once the leaders of their countries.References Ahmida, Abdullathif Ali (1994) The Making of Modern Libya, State Formation, Colonization Google Book Search Retrieved August 20, 2008 from http://books. google. co. in/books? id=eUM2phcxIFIC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=settler+colonial+policies+of+Italy+and+France&source=web&ots=yVOfYhDdLT&sig=SMwjAMfMXLNufvTXCUK9BZ_RHQU&hl=en&s a=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result Algeria, Arabization (1993) Country Data. com Retrieved August 20, 2008 from http://www. country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-365. html Background note, Libya (2007) Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Retrieved on August 20, 2008 from http://africanhistory. about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite. htm? zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=africanhistory&cdn=education&tm=120&gps=322_421_796_420&f=10&tt=14&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5425. htm Naylor C Phillip (2001) History Algeria Part 3 Retrieved August 20, 2008 from http://www. discoverfrance. net/Colonies/Algeria3. shtml Undoing the Damage (2008) The Economist July 31 retrieved on August 20, 2008 from http://www. annoticoreport. com/2008/08/italy-and-libya-continue-reconciliation. html Bruce St John, Ronald (2004) Libya’s Former Colonial Master The Globalist Retrieved August 20, 2008 from http://www. theglobalist. com/DBWeb/StoryId. aspx? StoryId=3813

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Analysis of Madame Bovary

The story begins with Charles, a young boy who is scorned by his peers in school. He lived a life of mediocrity and dullness even as he grew older, failing his first medical exam and ends up being a second rate doctor. His mother finds him a would-be rich wife, who dies leaving him less money than he expected. Soon afterwards, he meets and falls in love with Emma, the daughter of one of his patients and marries her. However, Emma grows disappointed as her new life of marriage failed to meet her cravings in life. She also felt the same even when she gave birth to Berthe, the Bovarys’ first child. Soon, she starts a romantic affair with Leon, whom the couple met earlier, but felt guilty after finding out that he loved her. Leon, convinced that Emma would never love him back, goes to Paris to study law, leaving the latter miserable. Emma then meets Rodolphe, a wealthy neighbor, and begins a passionate affair with him and even borrows money from a merchant, Lheureux, to buy him gifts. Charles on the other hand, is in trouble for following the medical procedure suggested by Homais, a bourgeois who talks about things he doesn’t know anything about. The medical procedure leads to the amputation of a patient’s leg due to gangrene. After some time, Rodolphe grew bored of her and ends the relationship, leaving Emma very ill. After her recovery, they watch an opera in the nearby city of Rouen and again meet Leon. Emma and Leon rekindle their love affair. This time, however, Emma and Leon grew tired of each other and decide to part ways. Meanwhile, Emma is unable to pay her debts even after pleading for help from both Rodolphe and Leon, forcing Lheureux to seize her properties. This causes Emma extreme sorrow and misery, which ultimately results in her committing suicide by swallowing arsenic. Charles, for a short while, preserves the memory of his wife, but soon discovers the love letters from her past affairs. He dies alone in his garden, struck with pain and agony, leaving their daughter Berthe to work in a cotton mill as an orphan. Analysis Basically, there are many scenes in the story that could one way or another portray realism but possibly the best example is Emma’s affairs with Rodolphe and Leon. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, an act of adultery, which is common among families in the real world and committed by both the husband and the wife. In the story, the example used was the wife’s boredom and frustrations with her husband, who is unable to satisfy all aspects of her needs. Charles’ laziness, mediocrity, and incompetence disappointed Emma as she yearned to live a life of higher status, something that he failed to give her thereby causing the latter to commit adulterous acts. The supposed union of Emma and Charles dissolved during their deaths leaving their only child, Berthe, a poor and helpless orphan. The dysfunctional family of three characters portrays a common scenario in the world and also conveys the message that ultimately, it is the children who suffer most. One other theme the story depicts is the â€Å"showpiece of French realism.† The story took place in the 19th century France, a period where bourgeois or French people belonging to the middle class thrived. Emma was basically a bourgeois but was clearly dissatisfied with her status as she constantly wanted more. She clearly didn’t like this group of people and wanted to escape her apparent â€Å"prison† of being in the middle class. Her hatred for her class also possibly echoes the sentiments of the novel’s author, Gustave Flaubert. This was further emphasized with the depiction of Homais as a pharmacist of the bourgeois class who spoke a lot about things he actually didn’t know of. Charles and Homais’ incompetence fuels Emma’s hatred for the bourgeois even more. Historically, these feelings toward the bourgeois became a growing trend among people in France during the 19th century so in a sense it depicted what the conditions of the people were and how they felt during that period. Works Cited Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. USA: Penguin Classics, 2002.