Strategic Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Financial Management - Essay Example Hence, finance can be interpreted as lifeblood of business (Emmanuel, 2010, p.32). Finance also helps the management in the process of controlling, planning, decision making, evaluation and performance appraisal etc. Therefore, management must control and plan its financial activities to develop a growth oriented organisational (Collier, 2003, p.42). In order to execute operational activities, companies needs to investment for various purposes like capital investments and operational investments, and in this process it is very necessary to evaluate performance of investments. There are some financial techniques which are very helpful in evaluating the performance of investments like capital budgeting and ratio analysis (Williamson, Cooke and Jenkins, 2003, p123). This paper will attempt to present various techniques of capital investments and project appraisal for a business organisation. At first, importance and understanding of capital appraisal techniques will be explained. The ne xt section will present brief descriptions of various project and capital investment techniques. Finally, the conclusion will sum up the entire discussion and analysis. Capital investment and Project Appraisal Since last two decades, there have been significant changes in the field of finance and its various techniques. The modern organisations are using multiple financial theories, models, and tools for enhancing the financial activities. The main reason behind this development is the increasing academic concern. Constant innovation in financial management techniques has facilitated the financial related activities. Besides, managers have to take decisions for allocation of resources in capital investments (Chadwick, 1993, p.143). Hence, the quantitative performance appraisal techniques have also been modified and these techniques have become more accurate and efficient to measure the effectiveness of capital investments. Management or the decision makers have to understand the imp ortant of decision theories to realize the necessity of decision making theories. According to Rapoport (1989), â€Å"decision theory deals with situations in which one or more actors must make choices among given alternatives† (Serfas, 2010, p.16). Before explaining various techniques for capital investment appraisal, it is very necessary to understand the importance of capital investment appraisal for a business organisation. The decision making process for investment is very necessary as it help management to determine the future profitability of any project or capital investments. Michael Pogue defined investment decision as â€Å"involving the company making cash outlay with the aim of receiving future cash inflows† (Pogue, 2010, p.10). Therefore, the process of investment decision making should go through a proper stages for enhancing its effectiveness. The Institute of Charted Accountants has defined four vital stages in this process. These are â€Å"originatio n of proposals†, â€Å"project screening†, â€Å"and analysis and acceptance† and â€Å"monitoring and review" (Institute of Charted Accountants, 2008, p.278). While making an investment decision of project appraisal, it is necessary to consider various aspects of finance to generate relevant and accurate decisions. There are certain macro and micro economic factors that must be considered in

An Unfortunate Influence and Its Tragic Outcome Essay Example for Free

An Unfortunate Influence and Its Tragic Outcome Essay In every person’s life there are many factors that occur throughout, both negative and positive influences that alter the path one chooses. In the world renowned play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the tragic outcome is brought about by the lovers’ trusted friend, Friar Lawrence. To begin with, Friar Lawrence is to blame for setting the events into motion by marrying Romeo and Juliet. Then, Friar Lawrence is responsible for Juliet receiving the potion that causes everyone to believe that she is truly dead. Finally, Friar Lawrence could have prevented the two deaths by simply making sure that Romeo gets the message as he assured Juliet he would. So ultimately, Friar Lawrence is responsible for the star crossed lovers’ demise, because they wrongly trust the Friar and his influence causes Romeo and Juliet to make all the wrong decisions thus bringing about their downfall. Before any tragic incidents actually occur in the play, Friar Lawrence sets the entire series of unfortunate events into motion by secretly marrying Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo first arrives at the Friar’s cell to declare the love he now feels for Juliet, Friar Lawrence immediately notes how foolish Romeo is being, for just the day before he had been so in love with Rosaline and devastated that she did not return that love. Friar Lawrence says, â€Å"Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, / So soon forsaken? And art thou chang’d? Pronounce this sentence then: / Women may fall, when there’s no strength in men† (2.3.66-80). Friar Lawrence right away states that it is ridiculous that Rosaline, with whom Romeo was borderline obsessed, has already been replaced with a girl in a matter of days. However, Friar Lawrence then blatantly turns around and contradicts what he says about Romeo behaving foolishly, by agreeing to marry Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawren ce agrees saying, â€Å"In one respect I’ll thy assistant be. / For this alliance may so happy prove, / To turn your households’ rancour to pure love† (2.3.90-92). Friar Lawrence agrees to secretly wed Romeo and Juliet despite what he says earlier about the proposal. Friar Lawrence could have easily prevented the tragedy if he had just gone with his first instincts. However, he sees the opportunity to stop the feuding between the Capulets and Montagues and jumps at it to become the big hero, therefore making him selfish and irresponsible as well as a bad influence. Friar Lawrence sets Romeo and Juliet’s deaths into motion the second he agrees to Romeo’s plan, and in doing so Friar Lawrence is to blame for the untimely deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Not only does Friar Lawrence trigger Romeo and Juliet’s demise, he also continues the chain of tragic decisions by giving Juliet the sleeping potion that leads Romeo to kill himself. When Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence’s cell in utter desperation, he should have taken the time to advise her against such drastic measures and help her make the responsible choice where Romeo is concerned. Instead, Friar Lawrence hands her a sleeping potion that will create the illusion of death for the drinker: Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilling liquor drink thou off, Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead (4.1.93-108). Friar Lawrence assures Juliet that everything will be okay and the potion will work in tricking her parents and Paris into believing she is truly dead. He places the vial in her hand and does not do anything to prevent Juliet from making this fatal decision. Friar Lawrence just continues to reassure Juliet by saying, â€Å"And hither shall he come, and he and I /Will watch thy waking, and that very night / Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua† (4.1.115-117). Friar Lawrence promises Juliet that word of their plans will reach Romeo and when she wakes from her sleep-like trance, Romeo will be there to run away with her to Mantua. Friar Lawrence just keeps on telling Juliet that it will all work out fine, without pausing to think about all the possible dangers and side effects that may come from drinking the vial. Again, Friar Lawrence is being irresponsible and rash, holding two teen’s lives in his hands. Friar Lawrence gets carried away and swept up in Romeo and Julietâ €™s twisted fantasy and helps Juliet make a foolish decision that helps bring about the lover’s demise. Therefore, Friar Lawrence is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Even after all the irresponsible choices Friar Lawrence makes throughout the play, he still could prevent the tragic outcome by simply making sure that Romeo receives news of the Friar’s and Juliet’s plan. But alas, Friar Lawrence does not follow through and assure that the messenger arrives soundly in Mantua. One of the main reasons Juliet is able to take the potion without many concerns or worries is because she thinks that when she wakes in the monument, Romeo will be there to whisk her away with him. When Juliet is confused and in a highly vulnerable state, Friar Lawrence hands her the vial saying, â€Å"In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, / Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift† (4.1.113-114). Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that while they wait for her to awake, Romeo will receive a letter informing him of their plans. However, the messenger Friar Lawrence sends, Friar John, never makes it to Romeo and by the time Friar Lawrence actually finds out, h e knows that a great mistake has taken place and danger is going to ensue: Unhappy fortune! By my brotherhood, The letter was not nice but full of charge, Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger (5.3.17-20). Friar Lawrence finally realizes the danger that Romeo and Juliet face. He understands that something terrible may happen because the information never reaches Romeo. However, it is too late by the time he arrives at the monument and Romeo, who received false information from Balthasar, is already lying dead beside his stirring wife. When Juliet does officially wake, she is devastated to see her loving Romeo dead, and desperate to be with him again. Instead of calming Juliet down and bringing her to safety, Friar Lawrence selfishly runs away when he hears the Watch coming. He leaves a desperate teenage girl there to stab herself and be with her Romeo for eternity. The incident with the letter leads Romeo to commit suicide and subsequently have Juliet kill herself to be with Romeo. The Friar does not make sure that the letter reaches Romeo and two premature deaths occur instead, conclusively leaving Friar Lawrence to blame. Friar Lawrence is a trusted friend and confident of Romeo and Juliet, yet he negatively influences the two lovers and guides them down a wrong path ending with a double suicide. Friar Lawrence triggers the start of the downfall by irrationally agreeing to wed Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence then gives Juliet bad counsel and advises her to make a catastrophic decision the second he places the vial of sleeping potion into her palm. Friar Lawrence still could evade the entire tragedy, but inadvertently breaks his promise to Juliet and never assures that the letter makes it to Romeo in Mantua. The star crossed lovers’ downfall is caused by the irresponsible and selfish Friar Lawrence because if Romeo and Juliet had not gone to Friar Lawrence for counsel and advice, they would not have been encouraged to follow through with their foolish fantasy and lived. The love between Romeo and Juliet was genuine, and the pain they felt when they heard of the other’s death was real. Kn owing that one person, especially someone as close to them as Friar Lawrence, is to blame for the tragic ending is horrible and tragic in itself, because if Friar Lawrence had just thought through his actions Romeo and Juliet might have lived a long and happy life together.

Goodman Brown’s Loss of Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote Young Goodman Brown based on morals and what Easterly in "Lachrymal Imagery in Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown' " calls "spiritual maturity" (Easterly 339). In the short story, Goodman Brown, a young Puritan leaves his wife of three months to watch a witch ceremony in the forest. During this point in time, Puritans based their lives on teachings of religion and morality; therefore, witch-meetings were surely immoral, and they betrayed the commitment of God. Dwelling in the forest throughout the night, Goodman Brown experiences an event that changes his entire perspective of life. In one night, the event destroys "his relationship with his wife Faith, isolates him from his neighbors, and destroys his ability to worship God"(Easterly 339). Eventually, Goodman Brown dies without his faith, and "they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom"(Easterly 339). Â   Before Brown leaves the house, Faith begs him to stay saying, "...put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night" (Hawthorne 298), but of course, Brown ignores her plea and continues his journey anyhow. In the forest, he meets a man with a staff "which bore the likeness of a great black snake" (Hawthorne 299), an ultimate representation of evil. Surely, Goodman Brown knows that the witch meeting appears to be his destination. Walking through the forest, he pays close attention to every tree and every rock. As he proceeds his journey, Brown sights Faith and his moral and spiritual adviser, along with Deacon Gookin and the minister. He then notices Goody Cloyse, an old "Christian woman" (Hawthorne 300), rushing through the woods. Surely Brown's suspicion begins to take over, now curious about... ... and spiritual maturity because he could not handle the fact that others worshiped the devil (those he certainly did not expect). In this, Hawthorne tells us that the man who sheds no tears lives the rest of his life a sad man, whose "dying hour was gloom" (Easterly 339). Â   Works Cited Easterly, Joan Elizabeth. "Lachrymal Imagery in Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown.' " Studies in Short Fiction. 28 (1991): 339 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1997. 298-308. Â  Mikosh, Bert A. "The Allegorical Goodman Brown." An American Literature Survey Site. September 1996. Â  Segura, Giberto. "The View of 'Young Goodman Brown.' " An American Literature Survey Site. September 1996. (31 March 1999)

Initial response to Malcolm X and Black Rage Essay

In the essay, Cornel West tries to explain how Malcolm X’s â€Å"Black Rage† articulation wasn’t directed at white americans only, but also to black americans who view their lives and minds through what West describes as â€Å"White lenses†. West also claims that Malcolm X’s idea of â€Å"psychic conversation† would promote blacks to turn that rage to love and appreciation of their own culture and self worth. Another claim West mentions is that the idea of psychic conversation struck fear into black professionals, due to their constant surrounding of white social circles, but at the same time understand the idea precisely for the exact same reason. West compares these kind of individuals to Du Bois’s idea of â€Å"double consciousness†. Blacks living between their own live and whites, never settle in either, yet crave acceptance mainly from whites. ! West also believed that Malcolm X viewed black equality as a farfetched possibility due to the majority of white racists, and black victims of democracy. What interests me the most is that Malcolm X feared cultural hybridity even though he, himself, comes from a hybrid culture. But eventually Malcolm X began to slowly remove that fear after looking into the acceptance of humanity regardless of race, class, or gender in the Islamic regimes of Muslims in the Middle East. In the end of the essay, West thinks that future generations should take Malcolm X’s â€Å"black rage† and â€Å"psychic conversation† as an example of rejection to any sorts of inequality. I strongly agree with West’s idea to follow such examples in order to achieve change in human equality and acceptance.

BAA’s Communication Breakdown

The biggest challenge facing the British Airports Authority, or BAA, is allowing itself to move forward without sacrifice. Group leaders want to expand their authority while being a good community neighbor. Problems exist considering that the organization proposed to enlarge Heathrow Airport. BAA officials knew they could not start those improvements until area residents complied with their requests. (Olivant, 2000) Most companies put in this situation would follow their agendas because they (a) had their shareholders’ position in mind (b) their own interest in mind or (c) they could.(Olivant, 2000) What BAA executives did instead was speak with affected groups to determine what could be done to please everyone. The solution was a â€Å"Contract with the Community† that openly addressed public concerns ranging from air pollution to runway expansion. The results were increased community support and the backing to continue serving its customers. (Olivant, 2000) This move became telling, as the BAA switched leaders in March 2008 to streamline best practices and to bolster travel in and out of Heathrow Airport.(Pagano, 2008) The hiring of Colin Matthews as the CEO was instituted to get those changes and attitudes about the airport done. Getting security in line with modern technology and addressing the expansion issues in making the airport more suitable for travel. (Pagano, 2008) Whether this move pans out for the BAA remains to be seen. It was perceived that should the move to change the CEO at the BAA be unsuccessful, then it would make for a real communications problem because the BAA Chairman Sir Nigel Rudd would also resign. BAA 2 List of ReferencesOlivant, S. (200). â€Å"A business case for corporate citizenship. † Best Practices: Best Enterprises for Sustainable Travel. New York: The Conference Group. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from: http://www. sustainabletravel. org/docs/pdf_BAA. pdf Pagano, M. (2008). â€Å"Bloodletting at BAA: the new regime that must take on a jumbo sized challenge. † The Independent. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from: http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/bloodletting-at-baa-the-new-regime-that-must-take-on-a-jumbosized-challenge-790176. html

5 Ways Students Can Use Thanksgiving Vacation to Start a Job Search

5 Ways Students Can Use Thanksgiving Vacation to Start a Job Search So you need to start looking for a job post-graduation, and it’s Thanksgiving break. Feeling overwhelmed? Family stressing you out with questions? Here are 5 ways you can get yourself going over your Thanksgiving vacation even while you’re dealing with extended family badgering and in a food coma. 1. Don’t hide from questions.Instead of hiding from the â€Å"So what do you want to do after you graduate?† questions, seek them out. Your family and friends know your interests and strengths best. They also might have leads you wouldn’t have access to otherwise and be more than willing to help!Figure out a way to initiate the question if no one’s asking. Ask relatives about their careers and what they did when they graduated. Ask for ideas for figuring out how to turn your favorite class or major into a job idea.2. Pad your winter break.We know you usually spend winter break catching up on sleep. But you’ll want to use your last one while y ou have it. Use this November break to set up interviews, internships, job shadows, and informal coffee chats with potential mentors or contacts. See if you can meet with a local alum to pick their brain. And start working on your applications!3. Learn something new.Your GPA isn’t the only thing you need to work on. Skills and experience are invaluable in proving yourself marketable to future employers. Take advantage of your extra free time (while you have it) to learn a new skill or pad your resume.Try coding, Adobe product tutorials, photography, Excel skills, or just take an online class in something you are interested in and that might turn out to be valuable to your career. Never stop learning and you’ll go far.4. Polish your profiles.When you get to the application stage, you’ll need to have your LinkedIn- and all other social media- profiles at peak force. Spend some hours putting together your summary, your job history, details of any study abroad, etc. Make sure to emphasize any passions or skills or strengths that won’t quite fit in your resume. This is your chance to shine.5. Have fun.Remember, you’re going to want to be you here. Your best self, sure. But your authentic self. Remember to stay true to what you like and want most out of a job. And remember to have fun.

a world out of time essays

a world out of time essays A vermin is a terrible thing to think of yourself. A bug is a slimy, stinky, and disgusting creature that eeks its way through life. In the novel, the Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor finds himself changed into a vermin one ungrateful morning. I find this irrational occurrence hard to believe. Gregor never changed into a bug physically but mentally is another story. Lets say that a person was to wake up one morning changed into a bug. Would that make any sense in our society? The logical way to look at it is to say he was changed mentally into a bug. For example, Gregor states in the book, Dont stay in bed being useless and I hope I dont miss the train to work. Would a human being transformed into a bug be worried about his job? Boil it down to the facts, and you can logically see that Gregor couldnt have changed into a bug, but he most certainly could have felt like a bug. The author of the book, Franz Kafka, had his share of problems with his father; the issues seem to match identically with Gregors problems in the Metamorphosis. It is an odd coincidence that drills the question; does the author project himself through the book? The answer to that question is yes. Once again, look at this issue logically; it would make perfectly good sense to write out your problems in a story to tell the world without really saying so. Why didnt Kafka just flat out say it was himself who was insane and suffering from a deep-seated destructive urge against the mother image (pg.157 of Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis as Death and Resurrection Fantasy by Peter Dow Webster)? All the problems he was feeling brought such insecurity that Gregor transformed into a bug; a mask that he wears in order to cover the true meaning. To understand the whole cover-up with the bug is to have common sense. Logic is what all human being have with...

How to Make Glowing Jell-O

How to Make Glowing Jell-O Its incredibly easy to make Jell-Oâ„ ¢ or other gelatin glow under a black light. Heres how to make it happen: Glowing Jell-O Materials package of Jell-O or other gelatintonic waterblack light Make the Jell-O Follow the directions on the package, except use tonic water instead of water.For a small package, the usual directions would be to heat 1 cup of tonic water to boiling.Mix the boiling tonic water and Jell-O until the powder is completely dissolved.Stir in another cup of tonic water.Pour the liquid into a pan or bowl.Refrigerate the Jell-O until is has set.You can use cookie cutters to make shapes out of the gelatin if desired.Shine a black light on the Jell-O to make it glow. No matter what flavor/color of Jell-O you use, it will glow bright blue under the black light. This is the fluorescence of the quinine in the tonic water. Quinine also gives tonic water a distinctive bitter flavor which you will also taste in the gelatin. If you dont like the taste, you can lessen it by using half tonic water and half tap water in the recipe. Either sugar-free or regular tonic water works fine for this recipe. Some recipes call for using a low percentage of tonic water (5-10%). The glow from this gelatin will be extremely faint, especially if the dessert is colored. You need a decent amount of quinine to get a bright glow.

Science and the Epidemiology of AIDS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Science and the Epidemiology of AIDS - Essay Example To date low income nations are using the effects of the disease as strategies for intervention from industrialized nations and access to funds from donor agencies working hard to try and save millions of lives, leaving the questions open, "how far should aid go Is it true that donor agencies are using the situation for control of nations by manipulating the flow of aid" In 1983, prompted by the number of Africans living in Europe with clinical cases of AIDS, investigations began in Africa to determine the extent of the clinical problem of AIDS and transmission patterns in the region. What was of note to researchers was the nearly equal ratio of male to female cases of the disease with 90% having no high risk factors (Quinn 1986). In contrast, the industrial world exhibited higher cases in homosexual males and injection drug users. Over the proceeding two years, results from a studies done by Van der Perre P et , Vandepitte J et al and Serwadda D et al in Zaire (as cited in Quinn 2001), showed the presence of Aids in several urban areas in equatorial Africa. "Slim disease" was often the documented outward sign of the disease mainly prevalent in sex workers and their clients. This raised several discussions on the mode of transmission of the disease. It was not until the introduction of the test for HIV-1 was there greater understanding leading to be tter epidemiological study of the modes of transmission of the disease. The disease, considered endemic then, reached epidemic proportions in the 1970's and '80's with statistics for the year 1986 almost trebling the figures predicted by early researchers. Quinn's retrospective report (2001) shows just how far and fast the disease had ravaged the continent. Today one has only to get on the internet, watch the news or read a local paper to get a glimpse of the effects of the disease in Africa. It was evident as early as the 1980's that unless drastic measures were taken; Africa was losing her most productive age group to the effects of the aids epidemic. By 1987 statics listed by Sabatier in the article on Aids in the Developing World showed the highest number of new cases of HIV and AIDs were from central and eastern Africa with most of the cases being young sexually active adults both male and female in the age groups of between 15 and 40 years (1987 p 99 -103). In the same year the World Health Organization Aids Surveillance Report (as cited in Sabatier 1987) had statistics for over 40 countries, 36 reporting to WHO. It is difficult to get accurate statistics, as some countries are wary of the industrialized world especially after reports of scientific findings linking the origins of the disease to Africa. Over and above this, poor health delivery systems as well as lack of accurate demographic figures make it impossible to get accurate statistics. The modes of transmission are well documented and known to all, for Africa and the earliest recorded document being that of Quinn T.C, Mann J.M, Curran J.W and Piot P (1986). The main modes of transmission in African countries are mainly by heterosexual, blood transfusions as well as mother-to-child transmissions at birth or through wrong breast feeding practices (Sabatier 1987). This however does not discount the presence of gay communities on the continent. Gender, sexuality age and socioeconomic status play an important role in structuring vulnerability of a person to HIV infection. Ruganga A.O and Aggletoon P

Eron Brougton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Eron Brougton - Essay Example Judge Black ruled against the plaintiff, sustaining that the defendants had no duty of care in that particular case as the plaintiff was on private property, whose owner or representative (in this case the security guard) was entitled to order him to leave. Then the plaintiff proceeded in filing an appeal in the first instance with the New South Wales Court of Appeal, which was also unsuccessful. Honourable Justices Brownie, Hodgson, and Handley unanimously decided in favour of the respondents, sustaining the reasons behind Judge Black's judgment and also making the distinction between "duty of care" and "Good Samaritan" cases. Duty of care entails "one person [having] the care of another, such as husbands and wives, parents and persons in loco parentus who have the care and custody of infant children, hospitals and patients, prison authorities and prisoners and so on" (Broughton v Competitive Foods Australia Pty Ltd & Ors2). ... from being considered a neighbour, was deemed to be a potential trespasser, and the security guard's duty of care was owed to his employer and the customers inside the premises he was hired to guard. Points in Favour of the Respondents in Case of a Second-Instance Appeal to the HCA Should Mr. Broughton be given leave to file a second appeal, this time to the High Court of Australia, he would very likely lose again. The High Court would rule in favour of the respondents and dismiss the appeal due to the following legal principles and reasons: 1) Australia's common law does not generally allow superior courts to act without regard to binding precedent, with the exception of the High Court of Australia. Even so, in the HCA the trend has also historically been to consider ratio decidendi based on the principle of stare decisis, despite the fact that it is not necessarily bound by its previous decisions. Therefore, it follows that the High Court of Australia would be likely to rule on Mr. Broughton's appeal based on careful consideration of what has motivated its decisions in the past on similar cases. Granted, there are few similar cases within the realm of the High Court, or even within Australia itself, but one that could be considered comparable is the strange case of Dianne Maree Hackshaw v. George Shaw4. It, too, involves the matter of injuries and of trespassing, albeit in a more outright manner. Shaw was working on a farm that had a gasoline dispenser on the property. He started to notice that the levels of gasoline were dropping and suspected that someone was stealing it. He took several precautions to keep it from getting stolen again, but nothing worked. After calling the police on several occasions and finally being told that he needed to provide

Business Proposal for implementing MIS in the Company Assignment - 1

Business Proposal for implementing MIS in the Company - Assignment Example Management information systems entail the use of computer software, hardware, and processes that facilitate the storage and management of information in an organization. Information management systems facilitate efficiency in the business by enhancing business processes and procedures. In addition, they enable the business to provide efficient customer service, which is necessary for a competitive market. The organization is able to keep track of transactions and employees’ performance through effective management information systems. Moreover, information management systems enable the management to make multiple decisions regarding business operations effectively. Information management systems generally facilitate the creation, acquisition, and storage of information in the organization (Shajahan and Priyadharshini, 2004). Public relations companies enhance organizations’ public relations by providing the media with appropriate and promotional information regarding th eir clients. The adoption of efficient management information systems in various departments of a public relations agency facilitates the efficient and effective acquisition and management of information. In addition, the systems enhance sufficient and reliable research on the position of media regarding a client. Information systems provide the company with an overview of various public relations procedures required by a particular business. It also enables the organization to acquire information regarding the level of their clients’ public relations. The implementation of effective management information systems in the organization promotes efficiency and accuracy with respect to research and the dissemination of information. The business proposal aims at providing concrete information regarding the benefits of adopting an effective information management system in the company’s research and communication department (Shajahan and Priyadharshini, 2004).

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Globalization - Essay Example In the recent past, globalization has been given impetus by a number of forces such as the rapid changes in communications (â€Å"Globalization†); the birth of new and sophisticated means of communication such as the telephone, and computer technology such as the internet and email has speeded up the process of globalization. With these new and efficient ways of communication, information, ideas and knowledge can be transmitted everywhere within seconds and this has led to increased connectivity and interdependence, thus globalization. Increased communication at international level has resulted to cross-cultural interactions between people and societies in general; it is now possible to transact business across the globe thus giving rise to what is now referred to as a global economy. The rapid changes in transportation have also been another factor that has led to increased globalization in the modern times (Pettinger); new and efficient means of transportation such as the airplanes, steamer ships, and electric trains among others have increased global connection and interrelatedness. It is now easier for people, goods, and ideas to move across national borders than it was before due to the increased ease in global transportation; in this regard, the whole world has been reduced into a global village due to the interconnectivity. Because of the increased ease of transportation, multinational corporations can now manufacture their goods and products in other countries and sell them across national borders. The increased connectivity and interrelatedness of global economies due to globalization has resulted to a number of effects, both positive and negative; for instance, multinational interactions have led to increased business opportunities and a global common market that is self-sustaining (â€Å"Effects of Globalization†). Multinational corporations can transact businesses

Food truck- Entrepreneur Interview and Reflection report Essay

Food truck- Entrepreneur Interview and Reflection report - Essay Example The entire process of learning involved with this module has made me to discover the possibility of effectuation as a suitable tool for advancing on entrepreneurial career, as well as providing important suggestions on how to come up with entrepreneurial skills (Price Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, 2000). To start with, we are going to have an over view of Tullee’s restaurant which is a Caribbean restaurant located in the northern side of London. It was started in 2008 by Glen Watson who would like to expand the business so as to earn more income. Some of the segmented customers who buy from the restaurant include the local people most of them being working class. Other customers included those who came regularly came for lunch. After careful analysis we realized that most of the restaurant restaurants do not sell Caribbean food and this made us to start serving this food. In order to be competitive, our main focus was on the quality and the prices of food. The business intends to use social media as a way of connecting with the customers. Online orders will also be used where customers can make online orders through their mobile phones. Since the original owner of the restaurant used to have only one supplier, we intend to have several of them so has to increase the supplies. In order to attract new customers, we will provide best offers like price reduction and after sales service to win customer loyalty. For the case of customers who have been loyal, we will use them as referrals who will recommend us to other customers. We will also profile our cost structure appropriately so as to reduce costs as much as possible so as to maximize profits. Most of our valued resources will include: suppliers, employees and customers. According to Baron (2012), learning and reflection is a very important process in life. It

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Globalization - Essay Example In the recent past, globalization has been given impetus by a number of forces such as the rapid changes in communications (â€Å"Globalization†); the birth of new and sophisticated means of communication such as the telephone, and computer technology such as the internet and email has speeded up the process of globalization. With these new and efficient ways of communication, information, ideas and knowledge can be transmitted everywhere within seconds and this has led to increased connectivity and interdependence, thus globalization. Increased communication at international level has resulted to cross-cultural interactions between people and societies in general; it is now possible to transact business across the globe thus giving rise to what is now referred to as a global economy. The rapid changes in transportation have also been another factor that has led to increased globalization in the modern times (Pettinger); new and efficient means of transportation such as the airplanes, steamer ships, and electric trains among others have increased global connection and interrelatedness. It is now easier for people, goods, and ideas to move across national borders than it was before due to the increased ease in global transportation; in this regard, the whole world has been reduced into a global village due to the interconnectivity. Because of the increased ease of transportation, multinational corporations can now manufacture their goods and products in other countries and sell them across national borders. The increased connectivity and interrelatedness of global economies due to globalization has resulted to a number of effects, both positive and negative; for instance, multinational interactions have led to increased business opportunities and a global common market that is self-sustaining (â€Å"Effects of Globalization†). Multinational corporations can transact businesses

Originality about art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Originality about art - Essay Example nalyzed in terms of their inspirations, styles, and techniques that they have applied to their works; works of which have contributed to the development of Contemporary art and establish the originality with their respective techniques. The list of contemporary artists includes Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning and Andy Warhol. Lastly, this paper will use Jason Gaiger’s book, Frameworks for Modern Art (Art of the Twentieth Century) as its primary basis. Supplementary sources for this paper will be cited accordingly. Upon the onset of the Modern Period, Jackson Pollock is one of those who had staged a significant feat in art development. Pollock, considered as one of the greatest contemporary painters in American art history, was part of a period where the Modernist Movement of 1920 was slowly transformed into the Post-Modernist Movement of Contemporary art history. In the New World, Pollock was known as an important member of a group of artists called the New York School. The New York School, more of a unified and collective artistic idea rather than a concrete institution, was popularly known as the Abstract Expressionists (Getlein 497). It was in this influence that Pollock acquired his unique style unto his works. His art established a new kind of visual that many had not seen before. In line with the Abstract Expressionists, the artist derived a direct influence from Surrealism. His technique showcased automatism and focused on the aesthetic powers of the unconscious. Being a painter of the mentioned genre, Pollock always exhibited large scale works in the literal sense. He used huge canvass sizes – this was to take his audience into the very essence of his paintings. The emphasis on huge painting canvasses is an essential part for Abstract Expressionists in order to highlight the effect of the entire piece (Getlein 497). The bizarre characteristics of the artist’s works bring out the very sense of post-modernism in his style. The perfection of his

Competitive Strategies Essay Example for Free

Competitive Strategies Essay The U.S. offers a free market where businesses are able to have free enterprise to open and operate an ideal to provide a product or service to the public. There are many businesses that offer similar products and create competition. Consumers are able to have the options in the marketplace. Energizer and Duracell are two companies that offer similar products to consumers. Energizer has been around since 1986 and has grown into a mutli- billion dollar company within the last decade. Duracell first got started in the 1920’s from two scientists, and finally become a brand in 1964. This paper will discuss the two companies’ background, the competition between the two, and how they will thrive to compete in the market place in future. Corporate cultures have both gross and subtle manifestations that provide clues to the underlying norms and beliefs. Paying attention to the work practices, environment, communication paths, and even the level of humor in a company, will give one a hint of the dominant organizational culture. Identification and understanding the culture is necessary to affect any minute or large scale changes in response to market imperatives. If one does not have a clear picture of the culture one cannot effectively modify it. Mowat, J (2002, September 3) Energizer ​Energizer is formerly known as Eveready Battery Company and changes its name in the late 1980’s. By the 1990, Energizer has established their brand and had over 30 percent of the domestic market. They were trailing Duracell by 10 percent, who at that time had 40 percent of the domestic market. Energizer is the manufacturer of dry cell batteries and flashlights, with a full line production of in three major categories: alkaline, carbon zinc, miniature and rechargeable batteries. They produce more than six billion battery cells annually and has became a global leader in dynamic business of producing portable power in more than 160 countries. They may not have been around as long as Duracell, but has established the brand well in the marketplace. Dewhirst, T, Davis, B (2005, January 01). Duracell ​Duracell started with a partnership with inventor, Samuel Ruben and businessman, Phillip Mallory in the late 1920’s. Their invention was used in World War II to help assist soldiers in battle. By 1964, Duracell branded their product and introduce a product line of hearing aid batteries, flashlights, vehicle jump starters, and even the batteries for the Iphone. Duracell was brought out by Gillette Company by the late 90’s. They still produce top notch products for consumers to choose from. ​Energizer has done a good job in branding their product and being recognized by consumers everywhere. They are taking their company to another level by making other products like sunscreen and household products. They are using technology to help the company advance in new markets. â€Å"Innovation is the cornerstone of the Energizer brand and at this years Outdoor Retailer show the company will reveal the latest innovations in advanced power and lighting solutions.† Business Wire (2012) Energizer is also developing USB port chargers, sleek car chargers, and flameless lanterns. They are using technology to provide better and brighter lighting for consumers. Duracell has improved their battery brand by introducing reachable batteries with a more long lasting effect. They already have loyal consumers who purchase their brand and focus on improving the brands they already have through innovation. ​Energizer and Duracell use the same adorable bunny as their mascot to associate their brands to consumers. The question is, who used the bunny first? Having a mascot to help with brand association can help increase sales and promotions of a product. Consumers can recognize and remember to product by having the image of a mascot in their mind. There is no exact record of who had the bunny first, but packaging can be found from Duracell that has the bunny before Energizer. Either way, the pink bunnies are different in design. Energizer bunny wears sunglasses and looks cooler that may attract a younger market. Duracell bunny is happy and easy displayed on all of their products. Energizer catchy phrase has attracted consumers from all over with â€Å"It keeps going† as Duracell can only been seen with having a bunny on its packaging. It is clear who took over the mascot and was able to have their brand associated better. (2011, February 18) ​It is clear innovation and technology that will help grow both brands and improve their brand positioning. Today, Energizer has focused on other products outside of batteries and flashlights. By making items like sunscreen and lotions that has allowed them to enter into new markets to advertise too. Duracell has been around longer and have a strong history behind their brand. The company’s history has helped them in landing collaborations with the Iphone and Gillette. The differences between the two companies are Duracell brand has been long lasting but has merged and been brought out by other companies that are bigger. As far as Energize, they are involved into new markets with better products. They will have a more variety of brands and have a better brand association than Duracell in the next five years. Dewhirst, T., Davis, B. (2005, January 01). Managements always promise discipline; not all stick to the plan. The reason I suspect Energizer will stay on course is that its already performing nicely as a strong No. 2 in batteries. Energizer batteries enjoyed at least as good display as Duracell’s, while commanding prices that were equivalent or higher. Business week (2003, March 16) ​Batteries will still be popular and will be used in consumer’s everyday life. Technology has change the way we use batteries and these two companies has done a great job of establishing their brand. Innovation will take both brands far and the competition will still exist. It will be interesting to see who can become global leaders and have better products in the next five years. References Mowat, J (2002, September 3) How can one identify the corporate culture The Herridge Group Dewhirst, T., Davis, B. (2005, January 01). Brand Strategy and integrated marketing Business Wire (2012, July 30) â€Å"Energizer Transform outdoor Lighting and portable power with new Technologies and materials Designed for the Modern Outdoor Enthusiast Travel trade Gazette, U.K. and Ireland. (2011, February 18). Mascot Promotions: It pays to get into character. TTG Bloomberg Business week Magazine (2003, March 16) Will Energizer Give Schick a New Edge

Fair Value Practice: Suitability in Accounting

Fair Value Practice: Suitability in Accounting Introduction The issue of the use of fair value as a model for financial standards and reporting has been subjected to significant debate and argument since the IASB[1] Framework was first introduced in 1989. As can be seen from a number of accounting industry responses, such as that of Peter Willams (2005), the use of fair value is becoming increasing contentious and could pose difficulties for the ISAB. Some fear that if this issue is not addressed to the satisfaction of all parties, it could affect the power and influence of the ISAB. The intention within this paper is to discuss the theoretical concept of â€Å"fair value† and to assess its suitability of use for accounting reporting purposes. The paper will also look at the practical application of the â€Å"fair value† measurement as determined by the IASB within their current international reporting and accounting standards. The Concept of Fair Value The concept of â€Å"fair value† is to enable recognition of the reliable economic future value of certain assets and expenses, the latter of which is intended to ensure the correct level of increase or decrease of balance sheet assets or liabilities. The result of this method is to create a defined link between income and expense to reflect the movement in the value of assets and liabilities. For those who promote the concept of fair value, or what is sometimes known as fair â€Å"market† value, it is the sale price achieved for an asset offered on the market at the time of the statement, based upon the reasonable opinion of a professional evaluator (A.M. King 2006, 45). Fair value at present has no specific and identifiable measurement definition within current international accounting standards. It is currently determined through an amalgamation of a number of different and diverse accounting measurements used by corporations in accounting and financial reporting, although these models all have their disadvantages. For example, in the case of the historical cost measurement basis, fair value is deemed to be at the measured at the date of purchase, as this reflects market value at that time. Although this model is seen as one of the least volatile methods of value measurements, it is perceived to have shortcomings. The main issues are that cost dates are earlier than sale date leading to a potential for profit overstatement, and that it is not the ideal model on which to based future business decisions. In fact some commentators see that the current moves on fair value, although they may signify a move away from the less volatile performance of the previously used historical cost method, produce a measurement that is more in line with the real volatility of life and business activity generally (Mary Barth 2006, p.324). An alternative measurement, which uses a price index system such as the RPI[2], and is still based on transactions, is current purchasing power. The fair value determination here is set to reflect the capital of the business in relation to the general price trends. The difficulty with this model is that it assumes all prices move in line with the index, which is clearly not the case and thus can create an artificial monetary unit. The replacement cost and net realisable value model (NBV) use a fair value system based upon market entry and exit costs respectively. The former has the advantage of being able to calculate current values on a realistic basis, and can therefore identify gains in operating and other business areas, thus preserving the capability of the business. However, its subjectivity is aggravated by the speed of technological development and the fact that this leads to the possibility of no similar asset being available to compare values. The NBV model is clearer as it is based upon the probable selling price of the asset. It also does away with the estimation of depreciation as that selling price already reflects this. However, NBV does not take into account that the majority of assets are not disposed of, but utilised within the business. The problem with this calculation of fair value can threaten the concept of the business being a going concern. The ISAB intend to move towards a definitive fair value model, which supporters see as a positive action, the cost of which will not â€Å"be significantly higher than the cost of trying to implement the mixed measurement system† (Langendijk et.al. 2003, p.292). Mary Barth (2006), a member of the IASB, agrees with this statement, adding that a more definitive â€Å"fair value† model will assist in the elimination of some of the perceived volatility presently in existence. However, the opponents are equally vocal in their objections. A.M. King (2006, p.45) poses the question whether â€Å"all assets on a balance sheet [should] be shown at Fair Value?,† continuing to comment that the ability to achieve a particular model does not necessarily mean that it should be implemented. De Vries (quoted in Langendijk et.al. 2003, p.174) also questions whether it is a move in the right direction for financial reporting, and others fear that it will lead to less, rather than more reliance upon financial statements by investors and other stakeholders (Peter Williams, 2005). In the author’s opinion it appears that, whilst professional preparers of financial statements understand the concept of the â€Å"fair value† model being sought, those who utilize the statements as a basis for making investment and other business decisions, including stakeholders of all sizes, find difficulty equating the results with other factual information. In addition, the term fair value will only be valid at the date of preparation of the statement and, as a result, itself becomes historic from that moment. Thus, there is an argument for maintaining its use with the commonly used historical cost model. Use of Fair Value in accounting and reporting standards The term â€Å"fair value† is liberally spread throughout the international accounting and reporting standards. It is referred to in four of the IFRS[3]’s and at least fourteen of the international accounting standards, as shown in the summaries of the IAS (2006). The context of fair value within IFRS relates to treatment of the initial adoption of the standards, business combinations, insurance contracts and non-current assets and discontinued operations. In terms of the initial adoption, IFRS grants exemption of some non-current assets from the fair value model. The intention of the inclusion of fair value here is to ensure that the movement in the market value of an asset or liability, in other words the increase or decrease in value, is reflected within the financial statements at the prevailing date of those statements, identifying if this is different from actual cost. With the movements being recognised within the profit and loss, the anticipated result is to enable, a more accurate reflection of the capital (or share) value of the business at the given date (Antill and Kenneth 2005). In addition, IFRS demand that these fair value measurements be performed at each subsequent financial and accounting statement date, thus endeavouring to provide for the organisation’s Balance Sheet to reflect the impact of market conditions at all times. The inclusion of fair value within the international accounting standards is concentrated mainly within the areas of assets and liabilities, and in relation to specific business sectors, such as banks and similar financial organisations (IAS 30), Investment property (IAS 40) and agriculture (IAS 41). Two of the IAS’s do relate specifically to non balance sheet items. IAS 18 deals with fair value within the context of revenue. In this respect, it deals refers to the treatment of deferred income, where the fair value is achieved by the discounting of future receipts. The intention here is to take into account the change in revenue value by deferring the time of receipt, for example, how a rise in RPI[4] might influence the income in real terms. In IAS 21, which deals with foreign exchange transactions, the presenter of the financial statement is required to determine a fair value in the foreign currency in question before converting at the exchange rate applicable at the determination date. When dealing with the treatment of assets, impairment of assets and liabilities, as in IAS 16, 17 and 19, the fair value model intends the financial statements to include a valuation that accurately reflects the realisable worth in the marketplace of that asset or liability at the date of the valuation, notwithstanding whether the intention is to retain or dispose of that asset. In this respect fair value differs from historical cost accounting, which records the value of such items as at the date of purchase and, in many cases applies a depreciation content to the items, irrespective of their worth to a prospective purchaser. The historical cost result is twofold. Firstly, the financial statement recognition of any gain or loss against the real market value of an item may be delayed by several years and secondly, the statements will therefore not portray an accurate and fair view of the real value of the business at the date of the statements. The fair value model aim is to accurately align the varying fortunes of the business and its capital worth with the market forces of the date, allocating gains and losses within the period of time that they actually occur, rather than, as is the case with the historical cost model, creating an unrealistic movement in value within the space of one accounting period. A simple example of this in action is where, in the historical system, depreciation is attached to an asset at a predetermined annual rate, annually reducing the asset value. In reality, the sale of that asset would often achieve greater value than the statements showed, leading to a sudden annual increase in profits and growth in capital. Fair value proponents’ state that, by reassessing the market value on an annual basis, the real annual growth achieved by a business entity is more accurately defined, and that this provides investors with statements from which they can make more realistic judgments and use of as comparisons against other organisations, which is of benefit in their investment decision making process. Conclusion The core intention in the adoption of a fair value model as the most appropriate method of measurement for financial and accounting statement is to create a balance sheet and capital value of an organisation that accurately reflects the real market position of that organisation at the date of the statement. One difficulty and concern with this is the inherent problem in the evaluation and establishment of the fair value in respect of all of the items included within the statements. Langendijk et. al. 2003, p.52). At the time of this paper, the IASB has entered into further discussions with the various parties involved with, and affected by the fair value model. This is an attempt to arrive at a clearer definition of the model itself, and to seek a position on fair value, which is more acceptable for the future. References Antill, Nick and Lee, Kenneth (2005). Company Valuation Under IFRS: Interpreting and Forecasting Accounts Using International Financial Reporting Standards. Harriman House Publishing. UK Barth, Mary (2006). Fair Values and Financial Statement Volatility. International Accounting Standards Board, UK. ISAB Framework (2001). Framework for the preparation and presentation of Financial Statements. International King, A.M (2006). Fair Value for Financial Reporting: Meeting the New FASB Requirements. John Wiley Sons Inc., New Jersey, US. Langendijk, Henk., Swagerman, Dirk and Verhoog, Willem (eds) (2003). Is Fair Value Fair?: Financial Reporting from an International Perspective. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. UK Staff Team (2004). Fair Value Accounting and Financial Stability. European Central Bank. Occasional Paper Series, No. 13, April 2004. Retrieved 19 January 2007 from http://www.ecb.int/pub/pdf/scpops/ecbocp13.pdf Summary of International Accounting Standards (2006). International Accounting Standard Boards. Retrieved 20 January 2007 from http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm Williams, Peter (2005). Accounting – The next wave of convergence. Financial Director, 1 Feb 2005. 1 Footnotes [1] International Accounting Standards Board [2] Retail Price Index [3] International Financial Reporting Standards [4] Retail Price Index

The First Punic War (264-241 BCE) :: essays research papers

The First Punic War (264-241 BCE) Since the beginning of time, man has waged war on his neighbors, his friends and his enemies. In many cases these wars were caused by power-hungry nations that were in the process of expanding their empire and ended up stepping on the toes of another superpower or ally of a superpower. In the case of the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Carthage was extending its empire and they stepped on Rome’s toes. During the course of this war the winner was unclear but at times victory seemed eminent for both sides until Rome finally won. The Romans had control in the first part of the war but this would not last. After the Romans first win they decided that they needed a victory over the city of Carthage but this would turn the tides in favor of the Carthaginians. For some 15 years after this defeat of Rome the tides went back and forth between the two but would eventually lead to the Romans victory. After the victory, Rome made some very harsh demands and Carthage filled thos e demands even though some of them were very extreme. The first Punic War started with a request by the locals in Messana for the Romans to aid them in defeating the Carthaginians. Messana was at the southern tip of Italy and would be a great asset to the already superior naval fleet of Carthage. Rome saw this to be a good opportunity to halt the expansion of the Carthaginian Empire and to stop the possible attack on Italy (which was controlled by Rome). Despite this fact the Roman council debated on whether to attack on these premises or not, but eventually it was decided that they would wage war on the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were then told that they must halt their invasion or war would be waged. They did not stop and Rome declared war. The first battle was fought entirely in Sicily, in 263BCE, and since the Romans were the superior fighters they took the ground battle and continued to prevail until 256BCE. After the victory over Carthage, the Romans began besieging Greek cities that allied with the Carthaginians. The Romans sacked these cities, which caused them to harden their resistance. Rome realized that to beat the Carthaginians they needed to build a fleet and in 261BCE they began building. To counter the Romans inexperience at sea they used a device called a corvus (a large gangplank with a spike on the underside).

Why Do We Cry When Watching a Film

This is the feature from BBClearningenglish. com for more information and _____ the view go to the BBCworldservice. com ____ post card. R: hello, I'm Rob and welcome to 6 minute english. With me today in studio is Ms. Feifei. Hello there. F: Hi Rob. R:In today's programme we are discussing films make us cry and why we actually enjoy watching something that makes us burst into tears or another words to cry out loud. We are also looking at the language associated with crying. So crying out loud surely this is something that you have done, Feifei? F: I'm afraid yes so I have done that.R: Is there a particular film is made you cry? F: I think you have to see the film Turner and Hooch. And how about you Rob? R:Well, being a man obviously I will never cry well almost. There is an old children's film called The Railway children. At the end, when the children's father returns from exile, his daughter runs out the station platform shouting: My daddy my daddy. That makes me misty-eyed. F: You ‘re big softy. R: I suppose I'm. Now Feifei, before we discuss this subject further, here's your question for today: Which film has won the most ever Oscars awards? Is this.. . Ben Hur b. Slumdog Millionaire or c. Gone with the wind F: I think I'm going to go for answer b. Slumdog millionaire. R: ok. Let's find out if you are right at the end of programme. Of course, the 85th academy awards better known as the Oscars were held recently and there was one major weepy that won several awards. F: a weepy? you mean a film that makes us cry. R: Yes and that film was Lei Miserables. I have seen it really is a tearjerker. It literally causes tears to roll down our checks. So why do we chose to see the film or movie that makes us get so emotional ?F: I suppose it ‘s the mark of a good film if it causes us to reveal our emotions. A really sad story if it's well acted and directed, can really make us blub (another word for crying). And a sob srory one where the character tries to g et our sympathy for him or her can have the same effect. But what is it about a film that can makes us cry when we can't cry in real life? R:Well, according to psychologist Dr Everon Lemon, we allow our emotions to be imfluenced when we watch a film. What word does she use to mean † influenced†? Dr.Everon Lemon: People want to have their emotions manipulated, because then they are allowed to have them. We spend so much of our life being told you shouldn't feel like that, you don't feel like that when in fact we do you like that. And both the visual and the auditory allows us to know what emotion we are meant to feel. F: So Dr Everon Lemon says we like to have our emotions manipulated, influenced by a film. In real life we told how we should feel. R: But when watching a film, at the cinema for example, we can let our emotions loose.But there is something else in a film that effects our emotions and gives us goose bumps or a feeling that makes our hair stand on end and we get little bumps on our skin. F: Yes, Dr Lemon says there are visual and auditory clues that provokes our feelings so that is the style of the pictures and the music or sound effects that are used. R:( music) Like the music in the Jaw movie although that's not really a tearjerker. F: oh Come on, Rob. I bet you cried at the scary bits. R: I told you men don't cry.Although there is one film that has had grown men crying their hearts out which means they have been crying uncontrollably. That is the film Toy Story 3. F: Really R:Yes, I don't think it's because the film is sad but because watching it makes men nostalgic about their young and perhap they can see their kids reflected in the story too. F: Well I bet these men were crying alone. They wouldn't want to be seen crying in public. R: Well not according to Phillip Sheppard who composes or writes film music. He thinks letting our feelings out, he calls it by catharsis is better in a group. Mr.Phillip Sheppard: All of us sort of nee d to find a catharsis, especially within a group to have this sort of place to have an emotional response. It ends up being something when you need to have that kind of release. As British people we are terribly bad at it I think. But when people find an outlet for it such as a film, especially when they are in a crowd, people's emotional responses are much more instantaneously responsive. R: So he says we all need to find a catharsis. Being in a group is a good place for letting your emotions out. When you watch a film with others you react to other people's emotional reponses.F: So if one person cries then other people will start to cry too. Unless you are British of course. R: That is what Phillip Sheppard thinks and we could say: It's a crying shame, meaning it's regrettable or it's an unfortunate situation. F: Ok, Rob well let's not cry over spilt milk. R: Huh F: Let's not get upset over something quite small. Can I Just have the answer to today's question, please? R: Yes, of c ourse. Earlier I asked you which film has won the most ever Oscars? F: And I said Slumdog Millionaire. R: And you were wrong. The answer is actually Ben Hur.The 1959 Film has won 11 awards the same number has also been won by Titanic and The Lord of the rings, The return of the King. Well Feifei before we go, please could you remind us of some of the cryng-related words and phrases that we have heard today. F: Sure. We heard: burst into tears misty eyed a weepy tearjerker blub a sob story goose bumps crying their hearts out it's a crying shame cry over spilt milk R: Thanks Feifei. Well it's a crying shame but we are out of time. Please join us again soon for 6 minute english from bbclearningenglish. Both: bye R: that's whole 6 minute english from bbclearningenglish. com.

Origins of the Modern world

Robert B. Marks', The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative is a useful tool for exploring the new concepts in the History of the World and make the scholars visualize the global world from the new perspective.   Mark gives an amiable account of the Industrial revolution and its direct effects on the trade networks and International trade between 1400 to 1850, along with that he connects each element between nations involved in world trade. Marks end his history book with the events of 2001.From the beginning only Marks makes the readers understand the elements of a non-Eurocentric study and â€Å"polycentric† world –view on the major trends in the world trade. Robert B. Marks who was popular as an environmental historian of China, enlightens the historians and students of history on the development that took place between 1400 and 1900 in the modern world's and about the important traits.   In 1400, the world especially the most advanced so cieties across the Eurasian continent was predominated by two basic economic structures: the one is the â€Å"biological old regime,† i.e. the agriculture was dependent on the organic sources of energy with the sun's yearly supply, and other are the trading networks.The most advanced societies of the Eurasian continent including China and England were running their economy on the similar ecological constraints of the biological old regime.   He said that,   â€Å"During those 1100 years [650 – 1750], the Indian Ocean was arguably the single most important crossroads of trade and generator of merchant wealth in the world†. 1     In the period of just 200 years where on one hand Asians dominate the trade regime, and now these are the Western countries and Japan who are leaders in the game of economics.FOOTNOTES1.     Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   pp. 49  Ã‚  When The Europe introduced t he Armed Trade, it had incredible impact on the Asian traders also   who endeavored to purchase their own cannons and guns. In fact Acheh built his own navy to block the Portuguese trade and capture their ships and arms. In 1500, Acheh imported several large and well-made guns from Ottomon Empire, not only to defend themselves from the Portuguese but also to post threaten Malacca. â€Å" Portuguese armed trading may have altered much in the Indian Ocean, but dar-al-Islam continued to limit what Europeans could and could not do in the world.†It was in 1500 that the first time concept of Globalization became materialized when,   â€Å"Two new links drew the entire globe into a single world for the first time.† Then by 1700, England had a government that, in the words of one British historian, ‘was prepared to subordinate all foreign policy to economic ends.†3.In the year 1775, Asia was the maximum producer of goods in the world, â€Å"Asia produced about 80% of everything in the world, probably an increase from 1500. In other words, though Asians constituted two-thirds of the world’s population yet they produced four-fifths of the world’s goods and Europeans, constituted one-fifth of the world’s population, produced   one-fifth of the world’s goods and too share with Africans and Americans.   Asia thus had the most productive economies, which lasted three centuries after 1500.China, India, and other eastern areas had developed large empires at the center of the world, and along with the new economic system, competition and constant warfare had led to the establishment of several small European nation-states.FOOT NOTES1 Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   PP. 632. Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative, pp. 67.3. Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological N arrative,   pp. 88.4. Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   pp. 81The discovery of Silver helped Hapsburg to consolidate their empire in 1500 and to initiate the trade of the Europe with China. Between the years 1500 to 1800, around three-quarters of the silver from the New World wound up in China, which was known as â€Å"the  Ã‚   engine of the world's economy†.Industrial development because of the conjunction of European nations with development, mercantilist policies, and coal were responsible for the building of empires around 1800.   India around 1700 boasted of being the largest exporter of cotton textiles in the world.   It supplied textiles not only to England but also all over the world. Moreover the Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, the Middle East, and Europe too were the major export markets. â€Å"No wonder that the demand for Indian cotton in the eighteenth century was ‘greater than all the weavers in the country can manufacture’ and that India accounted for fully one quarter of the world manufacturing output in 1750,† 1 but the steam powered gun boats, guns and other weapons and production of cotton with the machines overpowered the economy of India and China and turned India into an importer of cotton goods.   â€Å"By 1900, India accounts for barely 2% of world manufacturing output, China about 7%, while Europe alone claims 60% and the United States 20%.† 2 and â€Å"It was as if the British had subjugated the Indian peninsula simply in order to use its resources against China.† 3     .The rapid Industrialization saw the diminishing use of the renewable (solar) sources of energy towards the mass reproduction of raw materials, which were solely dependent on the non- renewable sources of energy. The prior role that the economies played in the trades also radically lead to destruction and change in the environments. Robert B. Marks describes the world as the Industrially developed,  FOOTNOTES1 Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   pp. 96-972 Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   pp. 1233 Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative,   pp. 117the nation states, characterized by interstate warfare, regional disparities relating to their economic position and the world which has escaped from the biological old regime.†He explained these changes taking into consideration the discovery of the New World and the comparability of the most advanced regions of China, India, and Europe. He also explained the reasons behind England’s success in able to escape from common ecological constraints facing these regions in century; and he cited the main reason behind the change in the today’s world due to the conjuncture of human and natural force s which became a most contributing factor in filling the gap between the industrialized and non-industrialized parts of the world.Though the book has established link between ancient world and us fruitfully but book did not focus on the roles played by African and American peoples in creating the modern world. It also did not present any information about the changes of intercontinental and international trade among African nations during this entire period. It is also not appropriately true that the people of the Americas before the Columbia engaged in very little manufacturing or international trade. Marks emphasized that the Americas after European conquest were the important raw material suppliers to the Asian and European manufacturing growth nations while engaging the biological ancient regime, but they lacked much evidential proof.  According to Mark this modern world emerges from the tension that was created between two forces, which came into being after 1400. These two f orces were the nation states and global capitalism.Marks also depend on three concepts to present history. First is contingency, shaped by contingent factors like discovery of America by Columbus's, which lead to the large quantity of silver available to Europe. Secondly, his dynamic narrative like the examples of climate and the location of certain grades of coal and thirdly is the conjuncture and with the continuous flow of historical process, creating situations that favor one outcome over another, he makes his position persuasive.WORKS CITED1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marks B. Robert (2002) The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecological Narrative Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ringrose David (December 2004) Book Review Journal of World History Vol. 15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No. 4 Retrieved May 18, 2007 from W.W.W:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jwh/15.4/br_1.html3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schleisgner-Watrous Mary (2004) Book Review: The Origins of the Modern  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World: A Global and Ecological Narrative, World History Connected Retrieved  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   May 18, 2007 from W.W.W:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://worldhistoryconnected.press.uiuc.edu/2.1/br_schlesinger.html4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Todd N. Edmund (2004) Book Review: The Origins of the Modern World: A  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global and Ecological Narrative, History Cooperative Vol. 9 No. 3 Retrieved May  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   18, 2007 from W.W.W: http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/eh/9.3/br_1.html

Scholarly vs Popular Writing

Scholarly versus popular writing among accounting articles through various different resources. Researching the popular Wikipedia. com, an internet website and the Walden library to do a comparison of articles for credibility. Wikipedia. com is not a scholarly resource, on the basis that â€Å"Scholarly writing is usually confined to journals or textbooks, which are more difficult to find in the market place and are usually read by academics. † In an article by ProQuest (2001): â€Å"a publication is considered scholarly if it is authored by academics for a target audience that is mainly academic†, which would then seem to exclude Wikipedia.com from being a scholarly resource. In conclusion, I think it is safe to conclude that with the above mentioned points Wikipedia. com is not a scholarly resource. Wikipedis. com is also not a credible resource for the following reasons. One being that the site can be changed by anyone and that persons credentials can be unknown, irr elevant or nonexistent. The sources or references listed for which the information is based on can be invalid, lack relevance or reliability. A second reason would be what was written may not necessarily had been for academic or professional audiences.Because it is unclear how many other theories were exhausted from consideration, and ideas expressed could be based entirely on biased or opinion. Lastly I would say uncertainty of the accuracy of information provided. In example, dates can be out dated, erroneous, or not based on the facts. All the before mentioned are contributing factors to why I believe Wikipedia. com is not a credible resource. It is permissible to use a non-scholarly resources depending on the quality of the resource used and topic you’re researching.Should I ever be presented with the inability to find a peer reviewed article, I would retreat to the next best thing a highly respected trade publication. Like if I was writing about insurance I would use and accepted trade publication in the insurance industry. Although it might not be scholarly, or as quality as a scholarly article may be, they can sometimes be credible. A credible resource through the internet for the use in the field of management: http://mdpi. com/journal/jrfm. On this site you will find this journal on risk and financial management, which are both under the general umbrella of management.The site not only includes varying topics in management with peer reviewed articles based on in depth research but it also is based on theoretical concepts for academics with practical applications in mind. When determining if the resource I am using biased in its information or viewpoints I would have to ask the following questions. Can the writer benefit from expressing a particular viewpoint? Can the writer benefit by suppressing specific information? Is the information supported by other credible resources? Does the resource support a prejudice or a particular stereo type? Any of these could suggest a resource is biased.

Nursing care study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Nursing care study - Essay Example A description of the condition and symptoms that brought Mrs Davies to the surgical ward from Mrs Davies own perspective will be provided. This information was obtained by asking Mrs Davies and her family relevant questions.The main body of the care study will discuss the nursing assessment and holistic care of Mrs Davies. Although Mrs Davies was continually assessed throughout her stay on the ward, two main problems associated with abdominoplasty will be concentrated upon from the initial assessment, they are mobility and pain and will discussed throughout with reference to appropriate literature and evidence. A conclusion will be drawn with regards to the information discussed in the body of the essay. This will be to provide an overview of the evidence based practice employed in the nursing care of the patient. Prior to beginning this care study verbal consent was obtained from the patient and family, and objectives to doing the study were explained to them. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, â€Å"The code of professional conduct† (NMC, 2008) patient confidentiality will be maintained throughout and a pseudonym will be use protect the patients identity therefore throughout this study the patient will be known as Mrs Davies. A 45 year old lady Mrs. Davies is happily married to Mr Davies they have been married for 25 years. They and have 3 daughters; the oldest one is married and lives in London with her family while the other two live with her. She works as a cook supervisor in a secondary school while her husband is a carpenter and has his own business and works from home. However, Mrs Davies mentioned that she did enjoy swimming and walking 2-3 times a week. Over the last 10 years, she has gained a tremendous amount of weight. She gained 15 kilograms of weight in that time which now puts her in to the obese category this is evident from the fact that her current

Effects of flicker on reading comfort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Effects of flicker on reading comfort - Essay Example Meares in 1980 and subsequently Irlen in 1983 described same set of symptoms induced by reading as visual perceptual disorder known as Meares-Irlen syndrome (MIS) or scotopic sensitivity syndrome (SSS)2,3. Jeanes et al4 reported that this syndrome can be found in 12 percent of general population and 65 percent of dyslexics. Furthermore, Wilkins5 identified these symptoms as ‘visual stress’ and categorised them into somatic such as tired eyes and visuo-perceptual like color, motion or shape illusions. Another name of this group of symptoms is ‘pattern glare’ that was used by Wilkins and Nimmo-Smith6 because they induced in normal people, who do not have photosensitive epilepsy, when they observed patterns of strips. There are number of parameters to characterise pattern of strips such as the total size, spatial frequency, duty cycle and contrast7. Wilkins et al8 found that the frequency of pattern glare depends on the characteristics of patterns. Similarly, reading text can induce same effects of discomfort because straight lines of text form a pattern of strips5. The same characteristics of pattern of strips can also determine the effects induced from text. The size of the page contains text excluding the margins corresponds to the size of pattern, the interline spacing represents the spatial frequency, the middle body of written letters excluding ascenders and descenders corresponds to duty cycle, and the contrast of the ink used on the paper besides the thickness and spacing of the words strokes determines the grating contrast7. Thus, text can induce the incidence of pattern glare, which depends on text characteristics. The book â€Å"Visual stress†, by Wilkins5 has a whole chapter to discuss photosensitive epilepsy and the visual stimulation of seizures. Wilkins states that visual stimulation may trigger seizures in 4 percent of patient with epilepsy. In addition, visual stimulation is the only factor to provoke seizures in many

Business Ethics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Ethics - Term Paper Example 1.c Oligopoly In an oligopoly market, the number of firms or sellers is few, and the entry of the other party is restricted, though more than one seller is allowed to enter in oligopoly market (Velasquez, G.M., â€Å"Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases†: 167). 1.d Monopolistic Competition In a monopolistic competition, the number of buyers is many and the entry of the sellers is free like perfect competition (Velasquez, G.M., â€Å"Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases†: 167). Type of Market Factors Monopoly Oligopoly Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition Number of sellers One seller Few seller Large number of sellers Several/ many Entry to the market Restricted/ completely blocked Restricted Unrestricted/free Unrestricted/free Nature of product Unique Differentiated /undifferentiated Homogeneous Differentiated Demand curve Downward sloping, more inelastic Downward sloping, relatively inelastic Horizontal Downward sloping, relatively elastic Examples Local water su pply Cars, electronics, Cement Carrots, Cabbage, Potato Restaurants, Builders Source: (Velasquez, G.M., â€Å"Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases†: 167). Question 2 2. ... He also added that the personal right to liberty or property is valid but the right to a pollution free society and living is more important than the property right. Every individual has their own property and liberty to use that property according to their wish but they should keep in mind that the nature is interconnected, once an individual pollute their property the others’ property also gets affected. When a person poisons his or her land or well, the other lands and wells also get poisoned, which harms the ecology and the environment. Every other person is responsible towards the environment and its good health. There are many Anti Pollution Acts to save the environment and the people of the society should abide by those laws to enjoy as well as to give others a standard living. Though the view point of Blackstone does not solve the issue permanently, still there are few questions on the pollution and its acts such as, how much pollution to control, how much property rig hts to be limited for the environment and its health. In relation to the above discussion, it can be acknowledged that both the rights are important for the society, without the right to property and liberty the society would have huge problems regarding the ownership of the property and the day-to-day activities. The farmers and fishermen are dependent on the environment, land and water. Without the right to property and right to liberty they would have real problem, but at the same time they are responsible to pollute the society as less as they can, which would maintain a balance between the people and the nature (Velasquez, M. G., â€Å"Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases†). Question 3 Firm’s

Woodrow Wilson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodrow Wilson - Essay Example From the economic perspective, Woodrow Wilson established several successful policy reforms. In 1913, as a part of economic reforms, Underwood tariff has been lowered from 40% to 25% (Clements, 1992). Wilson provided compensation for this decrease in the form of federal income tax, supported with the Sixteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. In addition, Wilson initiated complex reforms supporting farming business in the United States, including programs of educational support and initiatives providing farmers with low-cost long-term mortgages (Clements, 1992). Woodrow Wilson also became famous for his support for small and medium business and enactment of antitrust policies. Recent scholarship has emphasized the importance of ideology in understanding Woodrow Wilson's politics. While Wilson scholars have examined his idealism, few have traces ideological and religious roots of principles that formed his mindset. Practically, during the period of American neutrality from 1914 to 1917, he made numerous public speeches that afford insight into his religious beliefs, their relationship to his understanding of presidential leadership, good government, and especially foreign policy (Knock, 1992). Wilson believed that good leaders used oratory to inform people of important issues and guide them to support the best practices. As the importance of the issue or policy at stake rose, so did the importance of speaking on it. Wilson's speeches reflect what he thought the public need to know to approve his plans and undertakings, and the concepts he used to gain that approval. Wilson continuously stressed his impartiality in the exercise of his duties. As chief executive, he claimed to express the opinion of American citizens, rather than his own. He clarified that he did not confuse the opinion of newspapers editorials and the popular view. "With all due respect to editors of great newspapers, I have to say to them that I never take my opinions of the American people of their editorials" (Link, 32:29). Being president denied him expression of his opinion, as his job required he focus exclusively on the country's interests and not his own. Wilson's stress on national opinion reflected his need to interact with the people beyond the confines of Washington, D.C. As he stated during a Flag Day celebration: "I felt caught up and buoyed along by the great stream of human purpose which seemed to flow in front of me by the stand at the White House, and I shall go away from this meeting, as I came away from that parade, with all the deepest purposes of my heart re newed" (Link, 37:224). Wilson's expressions of his desire for contact with non-politicians and government functionaries reinforced the image he cultivated of a common man elected to serve the people. He regularly described himself as an average man, despite Ph.D., a brief period as a lawyer, and years spent as a college professor and president (Clements, 1992). As a common man, Wilson operated as an associate, servant or helper. He explained the function of both Congress and the President as servants of the people. By arguing that public officials needed to confer with their people

U.S. and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U.S. and Terrorism - Essay Example A balance exists between the actions of the police and the needed approaches to ensure the Americans safety against terror and the liberties of the citizens. Patriotic act is one of the examples. In patriotic act, the content was designed in such a way that the country and the citizens are protected from any recurrence of the terror act like what happened on September 9th. The patriotic act seems dangerous to the liberties of the citizens when put in practice. This seems like an attack to the premises that founded the country. The act of cybercrime and terrorism has also risen to be a major concern in the country and the law enforcement agencies. This plot was to be used to bring down the government, and it prompted the establishment of the new act. As the government steps up its operation against terrorism, the enemy is taking advantage of our weakness. The enemy is aggressively taking advantage of the information that we post in our open sources and use it against our forces. Sensitive information is being post in the blogs and internet. Such operations security leakage places the lives of the American citizens at risk and degrades the effectiveness of the governments operation to fight against

Postmodern Frame Essay - Text in Art Essay Example for Free

Postmodern Frame Essay Text in Art Essay The use of text within to the visual arts can be traced back as far as the inscribed carvings found on cave walls created by the Indigenous population of Australia approximately 46000 years ago. However, over the past few years, the use of text in art, also known as the art of typography, has become a frequent means of communication for artists in the creation of their works. Text within art can be projected, scrawled, painted, computerised and carved to the point that a work may be created of nothing but language. The art of typography is the technique of arranging type in such a way that makes language visible. It treats fonts as individual entities to be enjoyed by the audience. Some artists deal with language as a character on its own as opposed to a surface to draw upon. These artists place texts in ways that are intended to stimulate the way an audience perceives a work, to evoke emotion or to create a statement. However, others, particularly graphic designers, tend to focus on the decorative powers of text. Regardless of the artist’s intentions, the appearance of text within art can shift our appreciation of their sound and meaning. Artists that explore text in art include: Barbara Kruger, Yukinori Yanagi, Katarzyna Kozyra, Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu, Shirin Neshat, Miriam Stannage, Colin McCahon and Jenny Watson. Artists such as Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu and Shirin Neshat explore the cultural implications of language in art and the importance of language to identity through the inclusion of text that reflect a postmodern concern with the way we receive information in our contemporary society. Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist who belongs to the feminist branch of artists that emerged during the 1980’s. Originally an abstract painter and printmaker, Holzer became heavily interested in conceptual art and began creating works using text. The introduction of text within Holzer’s work occurred gradually however, over time, they have entirely replaced images. These works are usually displayed in widely viewed, public areas. Holzer’s works typically deal with the idea of communication. She is highly aware of the power of words and the power of the media and therefore has a focus on the ability of language to distort or manipulate truths. â€Å"I was drawn to writing because it was possible to be very explicit about things. If you have crucial issues, burning issues, it’s good to say exactly what’s right and wrong about them, and then perhaps to show a way that things could be helped. So, it seemed to make sense to write because then you could just say it†¦ no painting seemed perfect. In particular, I didn’t want to be a narrative painter, which maybe would have been one solution for someone wanting to be explicit.† – Jenny Holzer. Through the use of text in art, Holzer is able to transmit powerful environmental, social and political messages that reveal beliefs and myths and show biases and inconsistencies that highlight her social and personal concerns of today’s contemporary society. Holzer’s works are confronting and provocative and inspire us to make changes. They make us remember that language is not always a factual statement; it can be true or false depending on the context. Holzer forces us to analyse our own behaviour and consider how we have been influenced and manipulated. Her works are designed to make us stop and think about how we are maturing socially. Holzer’s truisms â€Å"MONEY CREATES TASTE – 1982† and â€Å"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT 1985† are part of her 1983-85 series – â€Å"Survival†. These are LED installation pieces consisting of large scale text that were projected onto a billboard in Times Square, New York. The inscriptions were bright, clear and menacing and connected themselves to the everyday glow of the city. The phrases were flicked over the busy intersection for two to three seconds creating an element of surprise and capturing the audience’s attention. The main focus of these works was to make a profound statement about the world of advertising and consumer society today. Holzer’s aim was to persuade the audience to pause and reflect on their lives. Her work emphasises the notion that within our society, we are driven by the world of media, thereby producing a mass materialistic, consumerist culture. â€Å"MONEY CREATES TASTE† is almost a plea from Holzer to stand back and assess our needs as a culture rather than what we are fed to believe we want by the media. The use of this concise statement â€Å"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT† has shown us that we are in the process of losing our identity and sense of culture and can be manipulated by the underlying motives of the media. Shirin Neshat is an Iranian born artist who, upon turning seventeen, moved to California to study art. In 1990 when Neshat flew back to Iran to visit her family, she was confronted by the changes in culture and the narrow restraints of everyday life in the Islamic Republic. She was faced by a very strict, pure form of Islam introduced by the Iranian government in order to erase Persian history. Since having lived in the two cultural contexts of Iraq and the USA, Neshat is able to examine the cultural concerns of individual beings in a metaphorical and poetic way. She attempts to address problems of identity, race and gender in a shocking manner and intends to undermine social stereotypes and assumptions. Her works explore the differences between Islam and the West, males and females, limitations in life and freedom, old and new and the public and the private domains. Neshat aimed to provoke questions amongst her audience as she explored Islam through her art making and comments on issues related to feminism and multiculturalism. However, her works were not only confrontational and symbolic; Neshat also paid particular attention to aesthetics. In her 1994 print and ink, â€Å"Rebellious Silence†, Neshat depicts an Islamic, Muslim woman, covered in a veil holding a gun. Her calm face is divided by the starkness of the cold, steel weapon and is laced with Islamic calligraphy symbolic of the Niqab, a more extreme veil that an Islamic woman must wear as it signifies her obedience to the male supremacy in Islamic culture. Her clothing and weapon make us question whether this woman has rejected her submissive female role to embrace violence. She is looking directly at the camera and looks determined to fight. Questions of motives arise amongst the audience. Neshat’s 1996 work â€Å"Speechless† is a black and white photograph in which Neshat has chosen to make herself the subject. This image is a close up of Neshat’s face. She looks determined and powerful however, like her creation â€Å"Rebellious Silence† – her face is covered with an overlay of Islamic text. The Arabic inscriptions that create the veil act as a barrier. It symbolises the support of the Islamic revolution. The visual struggle between Neshat and the veil is representational of the fight for freedom and the support of religion. By putting the text on her face, the body part where people can identify emotions the most, it serves as a reminder of the power that religion has over women and the oppression it has towards free expression. The gun in the picture is another juxtaposition. The woman seems to be embracing the gun as a part of her, giving off a threatening feeling, but at the same time, it does not feel dangerous because of her conflicted emotions: freedom versus oppression. The inscriptions tell of a man who died in the Iran/Iraq conflict of the 1980’s. This is also insulting to the women who also experienced this conflict. Her art does not disapprove nor approve of Islam, but instead encourages the audience to reflect upon their own ideas, assumptions and expectations. He works carry both personal and emotional connotations. Wenda Gu was born in China and studied traditional, classical landscape painting. He was employed to teach ink painting and although he no longer practices in China, text remains central to his work. This initial technical training has provided the incentive for his most confronting pieces in which the powerful use of language challenges social and political traditions. â€Å"These are questioning and symbolic works that violate the orthodox doctrine of artistic value. They represent a direct threat to authority.† Michael Sullivan. Gu ambitiously attempts to address, in artic terms, the issue of globalism that dominates discussions of contemporary economics, society and culture. He aims to appeal not only to the present population, but also to future generations in his quest to extend the boundaries of human perception, feeling and thought and express humanity’s deepest wishes and powerful dreams. Gu strives to unify mankind and create a utopian feel within his works. Gu worked to simplify the Chinese language and to encourage people to embrace new attitudes towards their old language. He combines a long standing fascination with classical Chinese calligraphy with a contemporary take on universal concerns that cross cultural and ethnic boundaries. Gu’s work today focusses extensively on ideas of culture and his identity and has developed an interest in bodily materials and understanding humanity across ethnic and national boundaries. Gu’s 1994-96 work â€Å"Pseudo Characters Contemplation of the world† is a series of ink paintings in which he uses traditional calligraphic styles and techniques but subverts them with reversed, upside down or incorrect letters. The pseudo character series consists of three ink on paper scrolls in which he has combined calligraphy and landscape, disrupting the conventions of both, powerfully distorting artistic tradition of China. Gu has attacked the written word by glorifying the spirit of the absurd. Gu’s most significant artworks have been a series entitled â€Å"United Nations Project†. This is a series of 15 works that were conceptually planned to relate to the locations social, political, historical and cultural situation. This series confronts two taboos. That of language and the human body. The main material for these installations are human hair collected from hairdressers from all over the world and the hair itself serves as a connection to all people. They typically consisted of screens tied together with twine, forming a canopy of internationally collected hair that was fashioned into nonsensical scripts combining the Chinese alphabet and others. His works are distinguished by the two themes which intersect. The first relates to language and the way in which cultural conventions are signified ad the second, is the use of human hair which is a symbol for significant human endeavours. The human hair is a blueprint containing DNA information, which is common to all humans yet seen fundamentally as individual. Jenny Holzer, Shirin Neshat and Wenda Gu all explore the cultural implications of language within art. They share a prime focus on the links between culture and identity. They have used language and text to convey their powerful messages and have drawn upon their own personal experiences. Concerned with the human condition, both they and their artworks have had a significant impact on society and the way in which we interpret information. Madison ******** Year 12 Visual Arts Art History and Art Criticism. Essay on Text The inclusion of text in artworks reflects a post-modern concern with the way we receive information in our contemporary society and the importance of language to identity. Explore the cultural implications of language in the work of Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu and one other contemporary artist. Analyse specific artworks to support your argument.