The Libation Bearers and Hamlet - 1308 Words

The Libation Bearers and Hamlet Many of Shakespeare’s plays draw from classical Greek themes, plot and metaphors. The tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Homer have themes like royal murders, assassinations by near relatives, the supernatural, ghostly visits, and vengeful spirits of the dead- themes which reappear in Shakespeare’s tragedies with a difference. Shakespeare’s tragic hero Hamlet and Aeschylus’s Orestes have a great deal in common. Both the plays are set in a time when the society is going through transition. In Orestia gods are changing. Furies turn into Eumenides or the Pacified Ones. Social and political norms are changing. The old laws of revenge and retribution have to be re-established. Similarly Hamlet’s†¦show more content†¦He decides to kill Claudius immediately after the play he directs to affirm his suspicions. He would have done so had he not found Claudius knelt before the cross. He cares for the soul and cannot send his father’s murderer to heaven by killing him while he is praying to Christ. He gives vent to his mournful passions by shunning his responsibility. He grieves, mourns and rages every time he lets his step father go and invents long philosophical, religious and ethical reasons why it was not the right time to kill him. That’s why as the sense of duty towards his dead father grows, fed partly by his father’s ghost, partly by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he becomes abnormally fierce and frustrated. However he is not delaying Claudius’s murder because of the madness which is fake as Eliot calls it a simple ruse, and to the end, we may assume, understood as a ruse to the audience. He defers the action because of too much idealization, pondering and lack of planning till most of his friends are dead. Whereas Orestes’ delay is not because of any emotional instability or late planning. Right in the beginning, on his father’s tomb, with his sister Electra, he vows vengeance. He kills Aegisthius and is deferred for a time from killing Clytemnestra due to failure of plan. None of the women in Shakespeare’s Hamlet are comparable with women in Aeschylus’s The Libation Bearers. Ophelia is no accomplice or support toShow MoreRelatedThe Libation Bearers and Hamlet1302 Words   |  6 PagesThe Libation Bearers and Hamlet Many of Shakespeare’s plays draw from classical Greek themes, plot and metaphors. The tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Homer have themes like royal murders, assassinations by near relatives, the supernatural, ghostly visits, and vengeful spirits of the dead- themes which reappear in Shakespeare’s tragedies with a difference. Shakespeare’s tragic hero Hamlet and Aeschylus’s Orestes have a great deal in common. Both the plays are set in a time whenRead MoreAristotle s The Tragic Hero1561 Words   |  7 Pagesdetestable murderer that he must kill in order to avenge his father’s death. While confronting his mother, Orestes says â€Å"I want to butcher you†¦ Die! – go down with him forever! You love this man, the man you should have loved you hated.† (The Libation Bearers, 891-894) Clytaemnestra murders Agamemnon believing that her action is justified and good. Orestes sees his mother’s action as evil, and murders Clytaemnestra believing that his action is justified and good. Indeed, these conflicting views are

A Brief Note On Film And Global Politics - 2330 Words

Andrea LoPiccolo Film and Global Politics Due: April 29, 2015 Final Paper Income Inequality in Latin America: Cause and Effect When a young Che Guevara embarked on his motorcycle trip across Latin America, he meant to discover himself and explore the world. Instead, he discovered much more than he ever expected to and it completely changed his views on the economic and social status of Latin America. He discovered the truth of working conditions, the poverty in certain areas and the effect that it has, and he was inspired by the camaraderie amongst the indigenous people. He came face to face with hunger, disease, and much more that the poorest people of Latin America have had to face. In a quest for change, it brought these issues to†¦show more content†¦With inequality like this, it is apparent that there needs to be significant economic change in the area. Inequality had been present in Latin America for a long time. But, it is hard to do something about without first knowing and understanding the causes. Obviously, this is a complex situation that cannot be boiled down to one root cause, but it is important to highlight a few things that perpetuate, strengthen, and may have started income inequality. One of the biggest causes is inflation, which is something that affects every economy in the world, just not always to this extent. Inflation is a direct effect of Latin America’s governmental policies, which have proved to increase the money supply in circulation, thus devaluing the local currency while prices continue to rise. During this, salaries often do not get raised at the same rate to accommodate, and poverty progresses. What’s more, as inflation continues, the value of people’s savings also dwindles, as that amount stays the same while the currency value drops rapidly. Retired citizens are then left to suffe r as the savings they survive on change into virtually nothing. Those who are already wealthy, however, can avoid this effect on their wealth by saving their money in foreign currencies abroad. Because of this, they often see their wealth continue to grow, while the poor with only access to their local currency get

Business Strategies of Sephora at Different-Different Levels

Question: Describe and discuss the major management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling in Sephora organisations? Answer: Overview of the company The company was founded in the year 1970 in France. The company has more than 100 brands in the company with 1800 stores spread over 30 countries. The company has a customer base of over 6 million and has 27000 employees working in the various branches spread across the world (Wearesephora.com, 2015). The innovation objectives The competition and demand and markets- the company by offering large number modern brands and also excellent customer services so that the company can attract a wide young customer base. The sales associates of the company mainly focus on the color, skin care and fragrances of the products. They often try to cross sell the products (prezi.com, 2015). Production along with delivery- the company changed the sales policy so as to attract many customers. The company also took the initiative to reduce the cost of operation and also the cost of labour. The company tries to employ a more number of managers who are brand centric and their stores are based in the centre of the big cities. The company has an organizational structure which is traditional in nature. The exception is that two of the marketing SVPs reports to the CEO directly. Organization workplace- the company tries to connect the various business activities among the network partners for sharing of the knowledge. The company believes that one company does not need to follow the herd if it is under the umbrella of a big brand (Schweiger, 2008). The company becomes stronger if it adopts the culture of the place in which the company is operating. It gives the company individuality and thinking in a fresh way and also to generate unexpected ideas. Marketing strategy of the company Sephora is one of the widely recognized cosmetic retailers in the world. Recently it has integrated a digital marketing scheme in their overall marketing strategy. The company has a single executive who looks after the both the marketing and digital sectors. It was one of the first companies in the world to sell prestigious cosmetics. The company allowed the customers to touch and use the product in the same location (beauty, 2014). In the year 2007 the company opened its website making the company an early entrant in the e-commerce market. The company continuously tries to make commitment to the customers and educates the clients. The company took the digital far beyond the product specifications and shopping carts; but they also built a system which could give the customers a better access to the image of the products, more information and clarity (Mullins and Walker, 2013). The website also gives an opportunity to the customers to communicate with the company and also with each ot her. The company plans to introduce new products every month in the first year of its operation. Financial strategy of the company The growth strategy of the company is that it plans to capture the 10% of the Australian cosmetics market which is $4 billion industry. The company plans to do that by offering lower prices and new brands as well as the self service to attract the younger generation in their stores. The sale if their product is expected to reach from $225 million to $250 million and the market share of the products will reach double digits in the next four- five years. The store Is planning to open 20 new stand alone stores in the country (Loeb, 2013). The industry environment of the company The industry environment of the company can be discussed with the help of the Porters Five Forces Framework. The threat of entry- the threat of new entrants in the market of cosmetics is low since the entry requires a huge investment in capital, inventory as well as an efficient distribution channel. It also requires good relationships with a large number of brands. Thus the threat of new entry in the market for the company is low (Harvard Business Review, 2014). The threat from suppliers- the supplies of the company has low bargaining powers as the company features products from a large number of brands and the company also has its own private label. Moreover the suppliers have to comply with the suppliers code of conduct in order to carry out the supply. This is done so as the supply chain of the company is transparent (The Business of Fashion, 2013). Threats from the buyers- the customers buy beauty products from three different types of shops they are department stores, retail stores like Sephora and drug stores. Since the switching over cost is low in the beauty industry, the customers do not stick to the same store. They go to places which offer lower cost products rather than the higher cost that are offered in Sephora. Threats from the substitutes- there are no close substitutes of Sephora as the customers will not be able to make a wide range of products in their home and the sources are limited. Competitive rivalry- the competition of the beauty products is huge in the market. Some of the competitors of Sephora are Societe De Distribution Aeroportuaire, MH Muller Handels etc in France. These are certain country specific competitors and the company operates globally. Business Level Strategy of the company The current business level strategy of the company is based on the differentiation. This strategy provides the customers convenience and also pressure free shopping (Harvard Business Review, 2014). The company allows the customers to walk through the store and choose the products they want, rather than the traditional system where the customers had to interact with the salesperson. Since the company endorses a wide range of products, the customers will be able to find whatever they need. The company has different structures which are functionally different and meets the specification of each of the countries (Fortenberry, 2013). Price discrimination in different markets The most obvious price differences are in the companys own brand, Sephora Natural Volume Mascara, the price of which inUSis $US12.84 or $US12 which includes an average sales tax of 7%, when this price was changed into Australian dollars it was $15.66. The same product was selling in its Sydneyflagship store at $25 including GST, making it a massive 60% more expensive than theUS (Dixon, 1960). Another example is the Formula X Nails, a brand owned by Sephora, which was selling in theUSfor $US11.24 including tax, which was $13.70 Australian dollars. But the product was selling in Sydneyat $20, which made the product more expensive in theUS by 46% Conclusion and Recommendations It can be said that the innovative process takes time to become successful. Moreover it also takes money and resources, innovative ideas. The company needs to establish new ideas and see whether the ideas are feasible. The ideas must be implemented in a test run so that the people can experience them and give their expert opinions and then only the ideas are to be put in the market. The old concept of the sales representatives is gone and the concept of beauty advisors has emerged in the market who offers ideas and advices. It is a place where the personal beauty can be accessed (Furrer, 2011). References beauty, S. (2014).Sephora's big plans to bring Australian blokes to beauty. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/sephoras-big-plans-to-bring-australian-blokes-to-beauty-20140609-39srv.html [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Dixon, B. (1960).Price discrimination and marketing management. Ann Arbor [Mich.]: Bureau of Business Research, School of Business Administration, the University of Michigan. Fortenberry, J. (2013).Nonprofit marketing. Burlington, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning. Furrer, O. (2011).Corporate level strategy. London: Routledge. Harvard Business Review, (2014).How Sephora Reorganized to Become a More Digital Brand. [online] Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/06/how-sephora-reorganized-to-become-a-more-digital-brand/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Lipczynski, J. and Wilson, J. (2004).The economics of business strategy. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Loeb, W. (2013).Sephora: Department Stores Cannot Stop Its Global Growth. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2013/04/18/sephora-department-stores-cannot-stop-its-global-growth/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Mullins, J. and Walker, O. (2013).Marketing management. New York: McGraw-Hill. prezi.com, (2015).SEPHORA STRATEGY. [online] Available at: https://prezi.com/sqynjmk01ahv/sephora-strategy/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Schweiger, M. (2008).Sephora, the beauty authority. New York: Collins. The Business of Fashion, (2013).Inside Sephoras Branded Beauty Strategy - The Business of Fashion. [online] Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/2013/09/marc-jacobs-sephora-lvmh-branded-beauty-strategy.html [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Wearesephora.com, (2015).The Sephora Saga | We Are Sephora. [online] Available at: https://www.wearesephora.com/Home/Page/Id/2-the-sephora-saga.sls [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015]. Yin, E., Duan, L. and Fong, N. (2010).SEPHORA. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.sfu.ca/~sheppard/478/syn/1147/Group_C.pdf [Accessed 28 Feb. 2015].

Subordinate Groups free essay sample

The name Africans gave to the trip across the Atlantic Ocean to New World enslavement. I was taken from my homeland against my will. I belonged to the tribe of Your which made up about 24% of the slave population here in America. Enslaved Africans represented many different peoples, each with distinct cultures, religions, and languages. Most originated from the coast or the interior of West Africa, between present-day Senegal and Angola.Other enslaved peoples originally came from Madagascar and Tanzania in East Africa. (Nile of the New World)On the ship ride over we were loaded in the lower part of the ship chained to one another. There were so many Of us packed in one area that there was hardly any room to spare like animals. When it was time to eat we were fed as though we were dogs they threw the food down to us and the strongest were the only one who ate. We will write a custom essay sample on Subordinate Groups or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I remember the horrible odor that came from those who had defecated on the long trip over. Many on the trip became ill and some even died because of disease but it didnt matter, they ere just unshackled and thrown overboard. The day the long trip was finally over I can remember we were removed from the ship and looked over meticulously from head to toe as though we were some animal being checked for any type defect to be later taken to the auction block to be sold to the highest bidder. I can remember wondering where am I and what is this strange language hear? not realizing that I would one day be beaten for using my native tongue.To meet the growing demands of sugar and cotton, slaveholders developed an active domestic slave trade to move surplus workers to the Deep South. New Orleans, Louisiana, became the largest slave mart, followed by Richmond, Virginia; Natchez, Mississippi; and Charleston, South Carolina. Between 1 820 and 1860 more than 60 percent of the Upper Souths enslaved population was sold south. They fastened the men first with chains around their necks a nd then handcuffed them in pairs then they bound the women together with rope. We covered 25 to 30 miles a day on foot, men, women, and children marching south in large group called coffees only to be sold after this long voyage. The traders removed the restraints when the coffee neared he market. (Nile of the New World) The day that Master Smith bought me is a day that will never forget, The day of our arrival Master Smith took one of us and beat him within an inch of his life to let us know that if we didnt obey him we would endure the same fate.I saw so many in those days being stripped from their families and sold to other plantation owners. I was considered one of the lucky ones with the patenting of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 it made it possible for us workers to gin-?separate the seeds from the fiber-?some 600 to 700 pounds daily, or ten times more tone than permitted by hand. The Industrial Revolution, centered in Great Britain, quadrupled the demand for cotton, which soon became Americas leading export.Planters acute need for more cotton wor kers helped expand southern slavery. By the Civil War the South exported more than a million tons of cotton annually to textile manufacturers in Great Britain and the North. Short-staple, or upland cotton, dominated the market. An area still called the Black Belt, which stretched across Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, grew some 80 percent of the nations crop. Simultaneously tone expanded into the new states of Arkansas and Texas.In parts of the Black Belt enslaved African Americans made up more than three-fourths of the total population. (Nile of the New World) We worked form sun up till sun down to meet the grueling demands for cotton in those days Oh how I miss my home land and what it was to be free all know now is bondage. I sit in my slave quarters sometimes and just cry trying to find the answer to the nagging question that has tormented me since they brought us here what is my name? Struggle at times to remember my name who am l?

Costco case Analysis Essay Essay Example

Costco case Analysis Essay Paper 1. What is Costco’s concern theoretical account? Is the company’s concern theoretical account appealing? Why or why non? Costco’s concern theoretical account is focused on bring forthing high gross revenues volumes and rapid stock list turnover by offering members low monetary values on a limited choice of national name trade names and choice private-label merchandises in a broad scope assortment. Costco is focused in low-priced scheme is concentrated on a narrow bargain section and out viing challengers by holding lower costs. hence being able serve a niche consumers at a lower monetary value. ( Gamble. John and Thompson. Arthur ( 2009 ) . Costco’s concern theoretical account is appealing because they are able to continually sell to a niche market. This niche market has one-year income which ranges from $ 75. 000 to $ 100. 000 or more a twelvemonth. By offering the best merchandises possible at lower monetary value. they are able to hold these members return. Soon there are 47. 679. 000 card holders which include Executive members. Business member. Primary cardholders and Add-on cardhold ers. Whereas Costco has offered the most popular merchandises in order to hold a rapid turn-over. Costco has proven that there concern scheme has worked by continually bring forthing higher net sale. We will write a custom essay sample on Costco case Analysis Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Costco case Analysis Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Costco case Analysis Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 2. What are the main elements of Costco’s scheme? How good is the scheme? Scheme is the organization’s pre selected that means to accomplish its ends or aims. while maintaining in position current and future external conditions. Costco’s strategy’s elements are low monetary values. limited merchandise lines and choice and hoarded wealth Hunt shopping environment. Costco’s is following cost leading scheme which is good because on this base they can vie with their rivals. By limited merchandise lines and limited choice they are offering limited 4000 points which are less as compared to its rivals. Costco’s is adopted market development scheme by capturing new markets for bing merchandises. Besides it provides such merchandise at low monetary values to its members which they believe will non be available in following visit. This works as an inducement and members try to take maximal advantage and hence Costco’s gross revenues volume additions. At Costco’s warehouse merchandises are non offered in every size. Th e scheme they followed is that by offering every size their efficiency will diminish therefore it is said intelligent loss of gross revenues. 3. Make you believe Jim Sinegal has been an effectual Chief executive officer? What grades would you give him in taking the procedure of crafting and put to deathing Costco’s scheme? What support can you offer for these classs? Refer to calculate 2. 1 in Chapter in developing your replies. Jim Sinegal is an effectual Chief executive officer after gone through the instance survey. There are assorted grounds which show that Mr. Jim Sinegal was responsible to take the way of scheme efficaciously. First. Jim Sinegal had made a transparent and good defined planned way for the Costco to follow. He was the lone individual in the company for the readying of concern theoretical account and appreciated over the growing of the scheme of the company. He had cognize how accomplishments and created an environment to offer hoarded wealth Hunt in the shops and maintain low monetary values and helps in advancing big volume of shop traffic that helped in edifice speedy turnover of stock list. He was responsible for driving the ability of the company to accomplish annual gross revenues about to $ 130 million per shop. Harmonizing to the instance survey Sinegal had performed first-class occupation in the executing of the scheme procedure at Costco. He performed three maps in the company as manufacturer. knowing critic and manager. He went to shops for probe for look intoing out the public presentation of shop directors and asked assorted inquiries from them. about the public presentation of shops and told them to make more work on their weak countries. In this instance. when Sinegal found replies to his inquiries less than expected than he told shop directors to make more research and come back with sufficient information. 4. What nucleus values or concern rule has Jim Sinegal stressed at Costco? The chief concern rule activity of Costco is to supply high value to users by offering planetary and local ticket merchandises at low monetary values. besides it integrates its employees in a really nicely manner. Jim Sinegal wanted to state that these two principal activities reflected in working environment of Costco which makes them profitable throughout the universe as compared to other conventional jobbers and merchants. 5. ( in the event you have covered Chapter 3 ) What is competition like in the North America sweeping nine industry? Which of the five competitory forces is strongest and why? Use the information in Figures 3. 4. 3. 5. 3. 6. 3. 7. and 3. 8 ( and the related treatments in Chapter 3 ) to make a complete five-forces analysis of competition in the North American wholesale nine industry. The sweeping nine industry has evolved into a common oligopoly merely as other major industries have. The â€Å"big three† of this industry are Costco. Sam’s Club. and BJ’s. A five forces analysis will be examined in respects to the sweeping nine industry. Force one. barriers to entry ; the three companies are at an advantage because of the trouble of new houses come ining the industry. They accomplish economic systems of graduated table and range due to the size and volume of their gross revenues by purchasing and selling more goods on a larger graduated table with lower costs. It would take a considerable sum of clip for a new entrant to accomplish the benefits of economic systems of graduated table. The capital demands are big due to the building of edif ices and acquisition of land and licences. Merely companies with an established distribution web would hold a just opportunity of come ining the industry. Force two. the menace of replacements. is non a factor because the service they offer is non offered by other outside rivals. Force three. the dickering power of purchasers. is the strongest force working in the favour of the industry. This is so because purchasers can non negociate the monetary value. The chief ground clients come to sweeping nines is they are attracted by the already low monetary values and value of purchasing in majority. Force four. the dickering power of providers could come into drama if a more favourable chance nowadayss itself in the general retail industry. Sweeping nine offer merely a per centum of the merchandises that a general retail merchant does. A cardinal scheme of Costco is aimed forthrightly at selling high-grade ware at monetary values systematically below what other jobbers or retail merchants charge. Force fifth. competition among bing participants. is non a major factor. Costco. the runaway leader soon. offers the â€Å"treasure hunt† trades where extreme deals are offered for short. unheralded periods of clip. This creates bombilation amongst clients by luring them to return on a consistent footing to research what â€Å"treasures† are available. BJ’s sets itself apart by being the lone nine among the three to accept manufacturer’s vouchers. They besides are the lone nine to accept all four major recognition cards. MasterCard. Visa. Discover. and American Express. at all locations. They besides offer a broader mixture of points as compared to Sam’s and Costco. 6. Base on the information in instance Exhibits 1 and 4. is Costco’s fiscal public presentation higher-up to that at Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale? 7. Does the information in instance Exhibit Exhibit 2 indicate that Costco’s enlargement outside the U. S. is financially successful? Why or why non? 8. How good is Costco executing from a strategic position? Does Costco bask a competitory advantage over Sam’s Club? Over BJ’S Whole sale? If so. what is the nature of its competitory advantage? Does Costco hold a winning scheme? Why or why non? Costco has been playing really successful in the wholesaling industry as it can be seen from its concern schemes. First of all. for the intent of back uping the Costco’s concern theoretical account of bring forthing high gross revenues volumes and rapid stock list turnover. Costco members are given a limited choice of nationally branded and choice private label merchandises in a broad scope of ware classs. Then Costco unite its rapid stock list turnover with the operating efficiencies to run the concern productively at important lower gross borders than traditional wholesales. mass merchants. supermarkets and supercenters. As a consequence. Costco takes advantages of its high gross revenues volume and rapid stock list turnover to obtain the benefits of early payment price reductions from ware sellers due to the high gross revenues volume and rapid stock list turnover allow Costco to bring forth adequate hard currency in history. Second. the pricing scheme of Costco is cardinal factors to back up the low monetary value concern scheme which is to crest the borders on branded name ware at 14 per centum so that its members can purchase with low monetary value. Third. Costco focal point to offer limited choice that is about 4000 points with fast merchandising theoretical accounts. sizes and colourss. and aim the little concerns for its commercial and professional theoretical accounts selling. Furthermore. advertisement and gross revenues runs are non being used often by Costco for the selling scheme and the company merely launches runs for new warehouse gaps. In add-on. Costco besides use direct mail to prospective new members on occasion and direct mail plans advancing selected ware to members on a regular basis. Opening more new warehouses. constructing an of all time larger and ferociously loyal rank base and using good executed trading techniques to promote members to shopping more often with large trip are the chief cardinal growing scheme of Costco. Furthermore. online shopping is another option that Costco offered to members so as to do their shopping more convenient instead than exchange to rivals. In add-on. Majority of ware is owned by Costco. and the company besides builds direct purchasing relationships with many manufacturers of national trade name name ware and makers and this consequence in the available of flexible options of providers for Costco in anytime to hold sufficient of stocked ware. Besides. Costco’s rank base and member demographics contains powerful purchasing ability as it chiefly aim the single clients with minimal income of $ 75000 and 30 per centum of the targeted clients earn more than $ 100000 yearly. For the intent of put to deathing Costco’s scheme successfully. the company offer semiannual fillips and full spectrum of benefits for its employees. More of import. the advancing chances will see the insiders foremost based on the company policy. Other factors that determine the success of Costco besides include the concern doctrine. values and codification of moralss such as obey the jurisprudence and governmental ordinances. take of members. take of employees. regard providers and concern spouses. and honor the stockholders. Costco is crushing both Sam’s Club and BJ’s sweeping in net gross revenues and market portion. However. Sam’s Club has launched an aggressive run to increase its market portion. 9. Are Costco’s monetary values excessively low? Why or why non? Yes. because the gross net income border falls into the normal scope for this industry. However. it should be swerving upward and as you can see it is really diminishing somewhat. If this tendency continues. stairss will necessitate to be taken to rectify the job. Another chance index. return on shareholder equity indicates that the company has a job. Average returns are about 12 % . which Costco was approaching in 2004 and 2005. In2006. the company experienced a crisp diminution which is doing for concern. Investigate this diminution. It could be due to low net incomes after revenue enhancements. If the pricing is excessively low. this can go on. Currently. Sinegal. true. attempts to sell merchandises at the lowest monetary value possible for length of service. However. if the investors in the house are non doing appropriate returns for the hazard. they will put elsewhere. The current ratio figure is in the mean scope but on the diminution. The debt to equity shows a strong balance sheet and low degrees of debt. It is swerving downward. The stock list turnover rate is somewhat higher than norm. bespeaking that Costco is surpassing rivals in traveling merchandise. Besides cause for concern is the fact that the on the job capital is shriveling. This might bespeak the inability to spread out without a loan. 10. What do you believe of Costco’s compensation patterns? Does it surprise you that Costco employees seemingly are instead well-compensated? Costco’s compensation and benefits are higher than those at walmart. Salaried employees in Costco warehouses could gain anyplace from $ 30000 to $ 125000 anually. Costco employees enjoyed a benefit bundle that included the undermentioned points. Health and dental attention programs. A dependent attention reimbursement program.Confidential professional guidance services.Company paid long term disablement coverage equal to 60 % . of gaining for workers that were out for more than 180 yearss on a non-worker’s compensationleave of absence. Generous life insurance and inadvertent decease and taking apart coverage. An employee stock purchase program. 11. What recommendations would you do to Costco top direction sing how best to prolong the company’s growing and better its fiscal public presentation? Costco is a company that have some unfavorable judgment. such as people has to wait for a long clip to pay their merchandises. However costco Department of Energy non hold large jobs that urgently need to be fixed. So it should stand in the same class utilizing the present scheme. I think Costco has the capacity to go on puting in new shops and turn gross revenues. It can besides spread out gross revenues by presenting new merchandises line. like furniture. The company has the fiscal resources to maintain turning its concern and open more warehouse locations

Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great

Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great Under Emperor Valentinian I (r. 364-375), army officer Flavius Theodosius was stripped of command and exiled to Cauca, Spain, where he had been born in about 346. Despite such inauspicious beginnings, Theodosius, with his 8-year-old son installed  in name  as ruler of the Western Empire, became the last emperor to rule the  entire Roman Empire  in fact. Probably two to three years after Valentinian exiled Theodosius (and executed his father), Rome needed Theodosius again. The empire was a formidable power at this time. Thus it was against all odds that on August 9, 378 the Visigoths trounced the  Eastern Empire  and killed its emperor (Valens [r. A.D. 364-378]) at the momentous  Battle of Adrianople. Although it took a while for the after-effects to play out, this defeat is a major event to look at when tracing the  fall of the Roman Empire. With the eastern emperor dead, his nephew, the western Emperor Gratian, needed to reclaim command of  Constantinople  and the rest of the eastern part of the empire. To do so he sent in his best general- the formerly-exiled Flavius Theodosius. Dates: A.D. c. 346-395; (r. A.D. 379-395)Place of Birth: Cauca, in Hispania [see sec. Bd on Map]Parents: Theodosius the Elder and Thermantia Wives: Aelia Flavia Flaccilla;Galla Children: Arcadius (made Augustus on 19 January 383), Honorius (made Augustus on 23 January 393), and Pulcheria;Gratian and Galla Placidia(by adoption) Serena, his niece Claim to Fame: The last ruler of the entire Roman Empire; effectively put an end to pagan practices. Theodosius Hazardous Rise to Power Theodosius own father had been a senior military officer in the Western Empire. Emperor Valentinian had honored him by appointing him magister equitum praesentalis Master of the Horse in the Presence of the Emperor (Ammianus Marcellinus 28.3.9) in 368 and then executed him in early 375 for unclear reasons. Perhaps Theodosius father was executed for trying to intercede on behalf of his son. At about the time Emperor Valentinian executed his father, Theodosius went into retirement in Spain. It was only after Valentinians death (November 17, 375) that Theodosius regained his commission. Theodosius obtained the rank of the magister militum per Illyricum Master of the Soldiers for the Prefecture of Illyricum in 376, which he kept until January 379 when Emperor Gratian appointed him co-Augustus to replace Emperor Valens. Gratian may have been coerced into making the appointment. Barbarian Recruits The Goths and their allies were ravaging not only Thrace but also Macedonia and Dacia. It was the eastern emperor, Theodosius job to suppress them while the western emperor, Gratian attended to matters in Gaul. Although Emperor Gratian provided the Eastern Empire with some troops, Emperor Theodosius needed more because of the devastation that had been caused by the Battle at Adrianople. So he recruited troops from among the barbarians. In an only partially successful attempt to stave off barbarian defection, Emperor Theodosius made a trade: he sent some of his new, questionable recruits to Egypt to be exchanged for presumed-loyal Roman soldiers. In 382 Emperor Theodosius and the Goths reached an agreement: Emperor Theodosius permitted the Visigoths to retain some autonomy while living in Thrace, and many of the Goths enlisted in the imperial army, and especially the cavalry, which had proved to be one of the Roman weaknesses at Adrianople. The Emperors Their Domains From Julian to Theodosius Sons. (Simplified) NB: Valeo is the Latin verb to be strong. It was a popular base for mens names in the Roman Empire. Valentinian was the name of 2 Roman emperors during the lifetime of Theodosius, and Valens was that of a third. Julian Jovian (West) (East) Valentinian I / Gratian Valens Gratian / Valentinian II Theodosius Honorius Theodosius / Arcadius Maximus Emperor In January of 383, Emperor Theodosius named his young son Arcadius successor. Maximus, a general who had served with Theodosius father and may have been a blood relative, may have hoped to be named, instead. That year Maximus soldiers proclaimed him emperor. With these approving troops, Maximus entered Gaul to face Emperor Gratian. The latter was betrayed by his own troops and killed in Lyons by Maximus Gothic magister equitum. Maximus was preparing to advance on Rome when Emperor Gratians brother, Valentinian II, sent a force to meet him. Maximus agreed to accept Valentinian II as ruler of part of the Western Empire, in 384, but in 387 he advanced against him. This time Valentinian II fled to the East, to Emperor Theodosius. Theodosius took Valentinian II into protection. Then he led his army to fight against Maximus in Illyricum, at Emona, Siscia, and Poetovio [see map]. Despite many Gothic troops defecting to Maximus side, Maximus was captured and executed at Aquileia on August 28 , 388. (Valentinian II, Theodosius brother-in-law through his second marriage, was killed or committed suicide in May of 392.) One of the defecting Gothic leaders was Alaric, who fought for Emperor Theodosius in 394 against Eugenius, another pretender to the throne which he lost in the civil war battle on the river Frigidus in September and then against Emperor Theodosius son, but is best known for sacking Rome. Stilicho From the time of Emperor Jovian (377), there had been a Roman treaty with the Persians, but there were skirmishes along the borders. In 387, Emperor Theodosius magister peditum praesentalis, Richomer, put an end to these. Conflict over Armenia picked up again, until another of Emperor Theodosius officials, his magister militum per Orientem, Stilicho, arranged a settlement. Stilicho was to become a major figure in Roman history of the period. In an effort to tie Stilicho to his family and presumably strengthen the claim of Emperor Theodosius son Arcadius, Emperor Theodosius married his niece and adoptive daughter to Stilicho. Emperor Theodosius appointed Stilicho regent over his younger son Honorius and possibly (as Stilicho claimed), over Arcadius, as well. Theodosius on Religion Emperor Theodosius had been tolerant of most pagan practices, but then in 391 he sanctioned the destruction of the Serapeum at Alexandria, enacted laws against pagan practices, and put an end to the Olympic games.  He is also credited with putting an end to the power of the Arian and Manichean heresies in Constantinople while establishing Catholicism as the state religion. Sources DIR - TheodosiusNotitia DignitatumMagnus Maximus (383-388 A.D.) Theodosius(www.suc.org/exhibitions/byz_coins/present/Theodosius_I.html 06/26/01) Theodosius IAmmianus, Theodosius and Sallusts JugurthaThe Roman Magistri in the Civil and Military Service of the Empire, by A. E. R. Boak.  Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Vol. 26, (1915), pp. 73-164.

Conducting an Environmental Analysis Assignment

Conducting an Environmental Analysis - Assignment Example g all the time, it becomes increasingly difficult for the administrator to understand them and work to ensure that they do not affect the competitiveness of the organization. Moreover, Healey and Marchese (2012) note that it is unrealistic to expect hospital administrators to be aware of all these changes, specifically those changes that impact on the environment of the hospital. Therefore, as administrators continue to manage internal factors that influence their hospital facilities, Ginter et al (2013) ask whether it is realistic for the same administrators to be cognizant of their external environment at the same time. The answer to this is that hospital administration requires not only the management its internal confines, but also anticipation and management of factors and trends on the outside that impact the hospital’s operations and competitiveness. Changes in the political and economic environment, which are external to the hospital, need to be evaluated by the administrator for them to understand how they will impact the strategy and competitiveness of the hospital. The political environment is dynamic and constantly changing. For example, every hospital administrator is aware that the briefs received from state agencies, along with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare result in substantial requirements for paperwork that must be understood, assessed, addressed, and implemented (Noh et al, 2011). However, there are also other political forces that are not directly linked to the healthcare sector that could portend formidable impact on the hospital’s environment. Elected officials and special interest groups may not view the issue at hand, such as obesity, from the same perspective, normally espousing competing and diverse interests. Moreover, the partisan agenda of the Republican and Democratic Party also have to be f actored into the assessment of the hospital’s environment, particularly because the party that holds a majority has the political

Economic Analysis for the Motion Picture Industry Term Paper

Economic Analysis for the Motion Picture Industry - Term Paper Example Thus, content is still king and that which appeals to the audience will earn more in an economy with higher levels of affluence and more leisure time. Fixed costs for a movie production house accrue from a need to maintain staff, equipment and stage as well as props in readiness for the shooting and production of a movie. A single movie cannot sustain a production house forever and this means that a successful movie production house is constantly investigating movie concepts, financing, shooting, editing and making deals for marketing and distribution. Variable costs accrue when the shooting of a new movie commences, requiring new stars, talent, equipment or on location shooting. However, after establishing a motion picture production house, the total cost curve and the marginal cost curve for motion picture production will present an L-shaped curve because acquisition of most of the equipment for making movies and stage as well as props etc. is complete at the time of production of the first movie. Products presented by the motion picture industry represent high levels of artistic innovation that revolve around the product rather than the firm that produces the movie (Vogel, 2007, Pp. 65 – 66). However, although many people think that making movies is fun and highly lucrative, nothing could be further from the truth. Product and demand uncertainty are a part of the movie making business and on the average, out of every ten movies produced, six or seven present unprofitable returns. Thus, making movies remains a truly entrepreneurial endeavour and only those motion pictures that can compete effectively for the attention of the audiences in relation to others present great returns (De Vany, 1999, Pp. 1 – 5). De Vany (1999, Pp. 1 – 5) goes further to suggests that a Levy stable process that is asymptotically Pareto-distributed with infinite variance depicts box – office revenue dynamics for motion pictures, with rare blockbuster movies dominating the me an in the far left end as depicted in the figure below (Sinha, 2005, Slide 10). Figure 1: Income Distribution Snapshot for 100 – 150 Movies showing in Theatres across the USA, from (Sinha, 2005, Slide 10) The film industry presents a myriad of interesting problems that lend themselves to economic analysis (McKenzie, 2009, Pp. 1 – 3). Deciding about a strategy for transforming the initial concept into reality followed by production, distribution and finally exhibition all present economic puzzles that are worthy of investigation. However, with global annual spending on movies by the consumers exceeding one trillion dollars, it is worth aspects related to the economic analysis of the motion picture industry (Vogel, 2007, Pp. xix – xx). This very brief report presents a discussion about aspects of economic analysis for the motion picture industry, including aspects of industry demand and cost structure for the motion picture industry. Industry Demand When thinking about demand for a motion

Technology development and the problems Research Paper

Technology development and the problems - Research Paper Example However, people have become more disconnected from reality, and interpersonal relations have deteriorated. The computer has made the social lives of human beings worse by creating a society where human dignity has not been preserved like in the past. The computer, which uses the computer software to operate, has had detrimental effects on the lives of human beings. Face-to- face communication enhances socialization, closes kinship ties and cultivates friendship thus mutual co-existence. Face to face mode of communication is also very reliable as one is able to seek clarification and further elaboration. The computer has eroded humanism with individuals becoming cold hearted and mean towards fellow human beings as they become more and more accustomed to the computer rather than fellow human beings. Face-to-face mode of communication is more reliable than the computers. In the past, before computers became the chief forms of communication, societies used to rely on credible verified sources like authorities. These authorities or institutions were widely acclaimed and had to be rigorously trained and verified, undertaking several tests. However, the computer has changed everything. Online materials are known to be posted by whoever has the capacity to do so. It is thus very difficult to ascertain or verify the credibility of the information. Some of the materials are written by anonymous writers and thus hard to contact the source for any clarification. Other works have been written by people who are geographically far away, yet their works are available almost allover the world, these authors or writes are nowhere to be seen or found, to explain their ideas. People in the past used to question the face-to-face form of communication as they viewed the source as mortal like themselves thus capable of making mistakes. This enabled works of individuals to be revised by several other people

New Generation of a Mobile Primary Frequency Standard

New Generation of a Mobile Primary Frequency Standard New generation of a mobile primary frequency standard based on cold atoms S T Mà ¼ller 1, J de Martin Jà ºnior 1, R D Pechoneri 1, P Santa Catharina1, V S Bagnato2 and D V Magalhà £es1 Abstract. We have constructed a mobile primary frequency standard using intra-cavity cold cesium atoms and the first results shown the advantages of using this kind of system compared to cesium beam standards. Based on an expanding cloud of atoms, it has no stringent size limitations and one can imagine the possibility of a clock even more compact. In order to assemble a new system even smaller, we are developing a system containing lasers, microwave source and cavity in a single box. The mobile atomic standard based on cold atoms is an important contribution to a primary standard of high relevance, and a possible strategic product with a broad range of applications. Introduction With exceptional accuracy, atomic clocks have applications in several fields of modern fundamental physics [1]. They allow not only to investigate the macroscopic scales theories like relativity or gravitation, but also to know better the microscopic world, in atomic scale, thanks to quantum mechanics. Two of the main applications are navigation and telecommunication systems, and atomic references are the heart of the most advanced navigation system, satellite constellations positioning like GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou [2]. Most of the high performance time standards require an extremely complex construction and operation, but the size of these systems makes them incompatible with some applications, which require a compromise between size and performance. These include space and industrial applications, such as telecommunication lines, mobile telephone networks or internet, calibration of instruments, dissemination of local time references with good quality, etc. The Atomic Time and frequency Standard Program under development at USP Sà £o Carlos [3] has two main atomic frequency standards being developed, an atomic fountain [4] and a system based in a cold atomic cloud in free expansion [5]. Besides those experimental standards, our facility has commercial atomic clocks and a hydrogen maser. The theoretical and experimental knowledge acquired with these standards are now employed in the development of a mobile atomic frequency standard, which should maintain the same level of stability and accuracy of the experimental setups. To ensure the mobility of the system, new diode laser sources, microwave synthesizer, vacuum and control systems are being redesigned. Experimental setup and temporal sequence The aim of this project is the construction of a cold atoms compact frequency standard that works in an innovative way, since the steps of the sequence occur in the same place, within a microwave cavity. For the physical package we use a cylindrical cavity, sculpted in a stainless steel vacuum chamber and resonant in 9.2 GHz. This operation mode allows us to design a much more compact system than a conventional cold atoms clock, where the various interactions are in different parts of the instrument. Therefore, the compactness of the clock is achieved through a sequence purely temporal. The most relevant steps can be seen in Figure 1. The temporal sequence of the compact frequency standard can be divided in four well defined steps (see figure 1), as follows: (Step 1)Trapping atoms in a magneto optical trap (MOT) In this stage is possible to capture 108 atoms using magnetic field and three counter-propagating pairs of laser beams (MOT) [6]. This is important to catch up the atoms together in the same spatial region, forming a cold cloud, and to remove a huge portion of the cloud’s kinetic energy. In this step the atomic cloud attains very low temperatures and becomes more stable. The cycling transition is used, and repumping is done using the transition. (Step 2)Sub-Doppler Cooling and the Preparation After the first reduction of the kinetic energy, the system passes from MOT configuration to optical molasses by switching off the current supply of the magnetic field. Simultaneously, the atomic cloud is cooled even more, changing the intensity and detuning of the laser beams with acousto-optical modulators, reaching levels below 10 ÃŽ ¼K. In order to prepare the atoms in their ground electronic state , the repumping light is switched off 5 ms before shutting off the cooling light. During this interval, optical pumping efficiently transfers the atoms to the required ground state. (Step 3) The clock transition interrogation Now, the cold atoms are in a single initial state and after the total shutdown of the lasers beams, the cloud starts a free expansion. During the expansion the atoms are interrogated in a Ramsey sequence [7], consisting of two coherent microwave pulses with 1ms of duration and separated by 8ms. These pulses excite the clock transition between the two hyperfine levels . (Step 4) The Detection To detect the atoms that have transitioned to the level after the two microwave pulses, the light beams originally used as a cooling laser are turned back on for 40 ms, and the fluorescence signal is collected. Once the resonance is observed, it can be used as a frequency discriminator. The transition probability difference of two successive measurement acts as an error signal used to control the local oscillator frequency. Results Figure 2 presents a typical scan of the microwave frequency across the clock resonance in our device [5]. Using the Ramsey fringe of Figure 2, we can scan around the central fringe to determine the linewidth with a theoretical fitting (Figure 3), obtaining a value of 47 Hz. The contrast is better than 80% (where the contrast is defined as a difference between resonance amplitude and background). To measure the frequency stability of the system is necessary to lock the central resonance observed on figure 3 to the microwave chain (macroscopic oscillator). The microwave chain on the other hand is phase locked to the 5 MHz output of the Hydrogen Maser. The modulation of the frequency is controlled by a computer, which also register the introduced correction to keep the interrogation signal at its maximum. The stability observed is , as presented in Figure 4, demonstrating that this compact cold atom frequency standard can reach performances better than commercial beam clocks, which typically have short time stabilities on the range of 10-11 10-12. The advantage of cold atoms in such compact system can be easily observed if compared with commercial thermal Cs beam clocks. The long term stability already surpasses the currently used commercial standards and the clock transition linewidth is on the order of 50 Hz for our system, meanwhile the same resolution can be achieved only with a thermal system that has some meters in the interrogation region (26 Hz for a 4 m long interrogation region [8]). [GMD1] Reducing the system volume We actually envisage a more compact system, mounting the apparatus in a single block. This should be done keeping all the necessary processes to produce a frequency standard signal. 4.1. The macroscopic oscillator A fundamental piece of the atomic standard, it corresponds to the signal that generates the time reference. The feedback from the atoms interrogated with its signal closes the loop for the atomic frequency reference. It should be as small as possible, but still taking into account some parameters as temperature deviations [9, 10]. To achieve reliable performance, we will use PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control and peltier elements as actuators. 4.2. Lasers Diode The use of laser diodes is fundamental in the system. They should keep a very low effective linewidth, in order to not degrade the SNR of the clock transition. In the limit of high resolution spectroscopy, the laser noise can add a significant parcel to the overall budget of noise contributions. 4.3. General Control of the System Careful control of all the steps of the clockwork (trap, sub-doppler cooling, interrogation and detection) is mandatory. In each cycle the microwave source is corrected, and the steps consist of well synchronized events, such as laser light frequency shifts, pulsing of the microwave signal, triggered signal detection and processing of the atomic fluorescence [11]. Conclusions We have developed a compact system to be used as a mobile reference for frequency signals. We managed to cool 108 atoms at 10 ÃŽ ¼K in a microwave cavity and after the Ramsey interrogation the detection by fluorescence is applied. The core idea is the use of cold atoms as a high performance and reliable clock source. We have been working in the reduction of volume to make an embeddable prototype, in order to maintain the high quality characteristics necessary for the operation of such device. References Jespersen J and Fitz-Randolph J 1999 From sundials to atomic clocks (Mineola: Dover Publications) Ramsey N F 2002 Application of atomic clocks in: Laser physics at the limits, ed Figger H. et al (Berlin: Springer) p 3 Ahmed M, Magalhà £es D V, Bebeachibuli A, Mà ¼ller S T, Alves R F, Ortega T A, Weiner J and Bagnato V S 2008 The brazilian time and frequency atomic standards program An Acad Bras Cienc 80, 2 Magalhà £es D V 2004 Construà §Ãƒ £o de uma fountain atà ´mica para utilizaà §Ãƒ £o como padrà £o primà ¡rio de tempo Doctorade thesis Mà ¼ller S T, Magalhà £es D V, Alves R F and Bagnato V S 2011 Compact Frequency Standard based on an Intracavity Sample of Cold Cesium AtomsJ. Opt. Soc. Am. B 28 11 p 2592 Metcalf H and Van Der Straten P 2003 Laser cooling and trapping of atoms J.Opt. Soc. Am. B 20 p 887 Vanier J, Audoin C 1989 The quantum physics of atomic frequency standards v2 (Adam Hilger) Glaze D J, Hellwig H, Allan D W and S. Jarvis 1977 NBS-4 and NBS-6: The NBS primary frequency standards Metrologia 13 p 17-28 L. E. Schnurr 1967 The transient thermal characteristics of quartz resonators and their relation to temperature-frequency curve distortion 21st Annual Symposium on Frequency Control (1967) Ji Wang, Yook-Kong Yong and Tsutomu Imai 1998 High-order plate theory based finite element analysis of the frequency-temperature relations of quartz crystal oscillators Frequency Control Symposium Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International (1998) J. Levine 1999 Introduction to time and frequency metrology Review of scientific instruments 70, 6 [GMD1]

Locating Macbeth at the Thresholds of Time, Space and Spiritualism Ess

In the preface to Folie et dà ©raison, Michel Foucault unmistakably locates madness at the limen of cultural identity: European man, since the beginning of the Middle Ages has had a relation to something he calls, indiscriminately, Madness, Dementia, Insanity. †¦ [It is] a realm, no doubt, where what is in question is the limits rather than the identity of a culture. (Foucault xi) By describing madness in this way, he demonstrates his understanding of madness as a cultural phenomenon, defined not by the analysis of a subject’s symptoms, but rather the shared assumption that a subject is not ‘right’, does not conform to the prevailing ideological norm. Written in the late twentieth century, his work is a treatise about the wider cultural effects produced by a policy of confinement of the social outsider. Three centuries earlier, William Shakespeare completed and staged what are now considered the greatest and most evil of all his tragedies, the tragedy of Macbeth. Themes of witchcraft, infanticide, suicide and death pervade the fabric of the play, which possibly contributes to the theatrical superstition that surrounds its production to this day. Nevertheless, it seems curious to me the play is seldom discussed as one that focuses on madness, when it deals with two of the most insane and depraved characters in all of Shakespeare. 1 It seems curious to me that Shakespeare’s tragedies so often revolve around common themes of â€Å"Madness, Dementia, Insanity,† and there is much scholarship as to how this discourse of madness should be interpreted1, but less with particular reference to Macbeth. Curiouser still is that Shakespeare’s Renaissance understanding of madness, as demonstrated in his portrayal of this madness is... ...ephen, et al. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print. Somerville, Henry. Madness in Shakespearian tragedy. London: The Richards Press Ltd., 1929. Print. Styan, J. L. "The Drama: Reason in Madness." Theatre Journal 32 3 (1980): 371-85. Print. ---. Perspectives on Shakespeare in performance. Studies in Shakespeare vol. 11. New York: P. Lang, 1999. Print. Weimann, Robert. Shakespeare and the popular tradition in the theater :studies in the social dimension of dramatic form and function. Ed. Schwartz, Robert. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978. Print. ii Wheelwright, Philip. "Philosophy of the Threshold." The Sewanee Review 61 1 (1953): 56-75. Print. Wilson Knight, G. The wheel of fire : interpretations of Shakespearian tragedy, with three new essays. University paperbacks, U. P. 12. [4th rev. and enl. ed. London: Methuen, 1965. Print. iii

Estimating Informal settlers in the Philippines Essay

In the Housing Backlog Study commissioned by the HUDCC, the Consultants prepared the estimates of Informal Settlers in the Philippines. According to the Spatial Statistics of Informal Settlers in the Philippines component of the Study, informal settler families reached an estimated 550,771 households as of August 1, 2007. This is based on the extrapolation made using the 2000 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) and the 2007 Census of Population. The study showed that the highest concentration of informal settlers was in Quezon City, having more than 90 thousand households. Far second are Rizal in Calabarzon and Davao City in the Davao Region, both with more than 20 thousand households in the informal settler sector. Table 1. Results of the Mapping of Informal Settlers in the Philippines It should be noted that for this specific study, Informal Settlers are defined as those households1 whose tenure status is â€Å"rent-free without consent of owner†. The 2000 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) data provides statistics on households with tenure of lot, â€Å"rent-free without consent of owner† which were then classified as informal settlers. However, the 2007 Census of Population did not include the â€Å"housing aspect†, hence the study used the characteristic observed in CPH 2000 to project the numbers for 2007. The HUDCC then compared the result of the Study with the Survey on Informal Settlers in Metro Manila conducted by the NHA in 2007. In Table 2, the NHA identified 544,609 informal settler families in Metro Manila, while the NS0-CPH figures account for only 199,398 informal settler families. 1 Household- a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food. Page 1 of 6 Table 2. Comparison of Estimated Number of Informal Settlers in Metro Manila, 2007 The discrepancy between the Census-derived figures and the data from NHA can be explained by the different definitions and methodologies adopted by the NSO and the NHA. DEFINING AND IDENTIFYING INFORMAL SETTLERS The National Census Office has defined Informal Settlers as â€Å"households occupying a lot rent-free without the consent of the owner†. In Census questionnaires on Tenure Status of the Lot, the respondent is asked, â€Å"Do you own or amortize this lot occupied by your household, do you rent it, or do you occupy it rent-free with consent of owner or rent-free without consent of the owner?† Moreover, the Census questionnaires also generate data on type of building or house, construction materials of the roof, construction materials of the outer walls, state of repair of building/house, year building/house was built, floor area of the housing unit, tenure status of the lot . During Census of Population and Housing held every ten years, additional questions are asked from a 20 percent sample on the following: fuel for lighting, fuel for cooking, source of water supply for drinking and/or cooking, source of water for laundry and/or bathing, tenure status of the housing unit, acquisition of the housing unit, source of financing, monthly rental of the housing unit, usual manner of garbage disposal, kind of toilet/facility, land ownership. Page 2 of 6 The National Housing Authority and Local Government Units, on the other hand, must follow the multi-faceted approach provided in RA 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 or UDHA in identifying â€Å"homeless and underprivileged citizens† or more broadly, informal settlers. UDHA does not use the term â€Å"informal settlers† nor â€Å"squatters† but adopts the term â€Å"homeless and underprivileged citizens †2 . At the same time, the law mandates LGUs to undertake a Registration3 of Socialized Housing Beneficiaries, subject to eligibility criteria4. Special considerations are also provided for persons and entities who may be subject to eviction and demolition5 particularly those occupying danger areas and other public places, or areas affected by government infrastructure projects, and in lands when there is a court order for eviction and demolition. Moreover, UDHA also distinguishes potential housing beneficiaries from professional squatters and squatting syndicates (Section 27) and new squatters (Section 44) who occupy the area after March 31, 1992. The identification of homeless and underprivileged/socialized housing beneficiary or more broadly â€Å"informal settlers† in UDHA must take the following into consideration several aspects: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ location in urban and urbanizable areas family income non-ownership of housing facilities elsewhere in the Philippines occupancy in makeshift dwelling units security of tenure location of dwelling (danger areas, public spaces, government infrastructure projects, private land) not a member of a squatting syndicate not a professional squatter the business of squatter housing for profit or gain occupancy of the land before March 31, 1992 To this end, the LGUs and the NHA conduct â€Å"censuses† on specific areas that involve physical survey of the area, tagging of every structure, mapping and household listing, ownership of structure, tenure arrangements (rental, sharing arrangements, absentee holdings), as well family composition, source of income, education. â€Å"Censuses† of informal settlers identify all households and even families, as well as structure owners, tenants, sharers, and other occupants, especially if the area will be cleared of structures for infrastructure development; for safety considerations in danger areas, or due to court orders. However, only a handful of LGUs conduct regular â€Å"censuses† of informal settlers and report their findings to HUDCC. 2 Section 3. t.â€Å"Underprivileged and homeless citizens† refers to the beneficiaries of this Act and to individuals or families residing in urban and urbanizable areas whose income or combined household income falls within the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority and who do not own housing facilities. This shall include those who live in makeshift dwelling units and do not enjoy security of tenure 3 Section 17 Registration of Socialized Housing Beneficiaries – The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, in coordination with the local government units, shall design a system for the registration of qualified Program beneficiaries in accordance with the Framework. The local government units, within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, shall identify and register all beneficiaries their respective localities. 4 Sec. 16. Eligibility Criteria for Socialized Housing Program Beneficiaries – To qualify for the socialized housing program, a beneficiary: a. Must be a Filipino; b. Must be an underprivileged and homeless citizen, as defined in Section 3 of this Act; c. Must not own any real property whether in the urban or rural areas; and d.Must not be a professional squatter or a member of squatting syndicate 5 Section 28. Eviction and Demolition Eviction or demolition as a practice shall be discouraged. Eviction or demolition, however, may be allowed under the following situations: a. When persons or entities occupy danger areas such as esteros, railroad tracks, garbage dumps, riverbanks, shorelines, waterways, and other public places such as sidewalks, roads, parks, and playgrounds; b. When government infrastructure projects with available funding are about to be implemented; or c. When there is a court order for eviction and demolition. Page 3 of 6 It is in this regard that there is a need to improve the data collection techniques for informal settlers in the Philippines. IMPROVING DATA COLLECTION FOR INFORMAL SETTLERS Faced with the challenges of coming up with realistic and systematic information of informal settlers, the HUDCC has taken the lead in several initiatives: Defining â€Å"informal settlers† and designing data collection schemes The HUDCC proposed defining the term â€Å"informal settlers† as those households living in i) lot without consent of the property owner; ii) danger areas; iii) areas for government infrastructure projects; iv) protected/forest areas (except for indigenous people); v) Areas for Priority Development (APDs), if applicable; and vi) other government/public lands or facilities not intended for habitation. The definition is based on the UDHA provision of households that will be affected by eviction and demolition namely those in danger areas such as river/waterways, railroad tracks, dumpsites; those in government lands, and those in private lands. The definition thus focuses on the spatial nature of population distribution of informal settlers. This definition also reflects the operational requirements for clearing of danger areas and those areas affected by government projects which targets all households, regardless of income or even tenure status. In this regard, mapping of such sites to guide the NSO will be crucial. Operationally the HUDCC has made arrangements with the National Statistics Office and the National Statistical Coordination Board through the Technical Committee on Population and Housing Statistics (TCPHS) that this definition be adopted during the 2010 Census of Population. The HUDCC moved for the inclusion of the following question to be answered by the enumerator through observation: Encircle the actual or the nearest physical location of the housing unit of the respondent: 1 Residential area 2 Along river/creek/canal/estero/waterways 3 Along the railroad 4 Easements of road and/or highway and/or under the bridge 5 Inside cemetery 6 Areas for government infrastructure projects 7 Within dumpsites 8 Within protected areas and forest lands Page 4 of 6 9 Within compound of government hospital, school, military camps or other public institution and facilities 10 Within private lands 11 Others, specify______________________ The NSO, through Administrator Ericta considered the request of HUDCC as a post census activity. The HUDCC was also required to come up with maps delineating barangays boundaries, limits of danger areas, and even extent of right-of-way to guide the post-census validation. The HUDCC offered to concentrate first on Metro Manila informal settlers in coordination with Metro Manila Development Authority. To this end the HUDCC coordinated with the Metro Manila Development Authority which committed to generate maps from its member-LGUs. It should be noted that the MMDA was also engaged in its own update of the Informal Settler Families in Metro Manila and welcomed the opportunity to bridge the inconsistency between the generated ISF data of HUDCC with their own database. In this regard the HUDCC facilitated a workshop between NSO and MMDA to harmonize the data gathering system of the two agencies. The National Statistical Coordination Board, through the TCHPS took cognizance of the strong demand for population data for danger areas/zones and recommended that the â€Å"HUDCC first provide an operational definition of these areas and then identify and prepare a listing of these areas by barangays. With the operational definition and listing of danger areas/zones, the HUDCC may coordinate with NSO for the generation of the population data for these areas as part of the post census activities.† The Department of National Defense also supported the concern for more population data on those in danger areas/ zone, with its comments made during the Referendum among the NSCB Board Members (November 11, 2009) when it stated: 2. On Population count for danger areas/zone It may be appropriate to link this up with the work of the Interagency Committee on Security Sector Statistics (IACSSS). The IASCSSS may identify conflict-affected areas and study the correlation, if any, between census-generated data on population and housing with other demographic data, as inputs to policy and strategy formulation. This may be done as an after-census activity. Moreover, there is an ongoing effort to develop the â€Å"hazard map† of the Philippines, showing the vulnerabilities of various regions/provinces in terms of disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and others. Data on population and housing will be very critical in the formulation of policies and disaster management plans. Page 5 of 6 DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER-AIDED SYSTEM OF SOCIALIZED HOUSING BENEFICIARY REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR LGUs Section 17 of RA 7279, Registration of Socialized Housing Beneficiaries, directs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, in coordination with the local government units, to design a system for the registration of qualified Program beneficiaries. The local government units, within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, shall identify and register all beneficiaries their respective localities.. To this end a simple form indicating family composition, and tenure status was designed to be filled up by the potential beneficiaries during the Registration date designated by the LGU. More than a decade later, the Housing Backlog Study was able to generate a computer program that will assist the LGUs administer the registration. The computer program will facilitate encoding, and even gather biometric data (photos, etc.) and ease reporting requirements. The Computer-based data entry system on beneficiary listing in the CD which was tested in Taguig and Muntinlupa , in which both LGUs expressed their appreciation for the program. NEXT STEPS  The HUDCC continues to coordinate with the MMDA and the NSO with regard to the processing of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing. To date, the MMDA has been able to consolidate the reports of informal settlers in Metro Manila from 15 out of the is 17 component LGUs . Maps have been prepared in  several municipalities. Under the new administration of Vice President Jejomar Binay, the HUDCC has refocused its housing thrusts to building new homes for the poor in partnership with NGOs like the Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity, and to empower LGUs to assume a bigger role in providing housing for their constituents. In this regard, the Computer-aided system developed by the SRTC could be easily mobilized. The HUDCC will also work with the NSCB and the Interagency Committee on Security Sector Statistics (IACSSS) as suggested by the DND in order to design a better data collection system. To this end, the HUDCC envisions that future population data will also have a spatial component, with mapping incorporated in the data-gathering and reporting – using a GIS approach to identifying potential housing beneficiaries in the near future. CONCLUSION The quest to improve the database on informal settlers was the result of open dialogues and the support of the NSO, the MMDA and the NSCB. The dialogues were able to generate a definition of â€Å"informal settlers† that is based on location and is complementary to the needs of agencies that will address the needs of these households. As the Philippines and the rest of the world grow more urban in nature with the attendant challenges of urban blight, overcrowding, poor quality of life , better data gather methods and baseline data will be crucial in identifying areas and sector that will need interventions. The latest computer programs should be used as tools to And we hope when the next Census of Population and Housing comes around in nine years, we are better equipped so that we can cover the whole Philippines . Page 6 of 6

The Goodness of God Essays

The Goodness of God Essays The Goodness of God Essay The Goodness of God Essay The Bible shows the goodness of God in different ways, throughout the Old and the New Testament. God was said to have had a moral character, requiring his creation to behave in certain ways and establishing standards of goodness. This may account for the fact that many Old Testament stories seem immoral eg, Abrahams attempted murder of his son, Isaac, and from this, the idea of goodness has evolved. So as the bible shows, God provided the ethics for mankind during this time, (ethnical monotheism). Biblical writers use two Hebrew words to try to describe the goodness which God shows to mankind. Hesed meaning loving kindness and merciful compassion is used 26 times alone in Psalm 136 and rahamum meaning pity and tenderness, Psalm 8: 14. God is portrayed as an omnipotent (all powerful) figure who can react to people and care about they way they behave. God in the Bible is shown as more than just an idea, he exists personally, he is anthropomorphically portrayed. One of the most moving passages in the Old Testament describing Gods love for his creation, is when he is compared with a father teaching a child to walk, the affection is wonderfully described. Hoesea 11: 3-4. God can intervene in his world and always has the ultimate plan. Unlike the unmoved mover, the Biblical God can be a personal and supportive presence in the life on an individual, as show in Psalm 23. Gods goodness in the Bible is the benchmark for his people to aim for. He gives the Jews some guidelines such as the Decalogue Exodus 20, when he enters into a covenant relationship (an agreement) with them. Certain individuals are praised for their obedience such as Abraham and Jobe. The concept also includes the idea of righteous anger, anger that has a reason behind, based on a rule. This anger is shown in Jeremiah 15:6. God is displeased when he sees injustice, such as the poor being exploited, and many prophets, such as Amos, bring this to light. Gods goodness is described as perfect, Duet 32: 4-5 and philosophers generally find this a hard idea to accept. They argue that perfect by its very nature is always the same, unchanging, this was indeed Platos view of perfection and if the Bible suggested that God can interact, he must therefore, be capable of change. Philosophers like Plato ask whether God can suffer or be affected in any way or whether he remains impassible- cannot suffer nor be affected. Jesus in the New Testament embodies goodness, God became man in person of Jesus to demonstrate his love for humanity, John 3:16. The word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory. John 14. This raises many questions as to how God could have been in human form if he is a spiritual being and if God was n heaven at the same time he lived on earth in the person of Jesus. Jesus was seen as goodness personified so that humans could relate to and understand God. Gods love for humanity is so strong he would die for mankind and this is shown when he gave them his only son. The Bible portrays God as such an omnipotent figure that people still have faith in his goodness and follow his rules, the ten commandments, and ethics of how one should morally behave in Christianity today.

Free Essays on Iphigenia

Iphigenia was the eldest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. When in Aulis, Agememnon killed a stag in a grove sacred to Artemis. Angered, Artemis stopped the winds so that the Greek fleet could not sail to Troy. The only way the Greek fleet would sail was if Iphigenia was sacrificed. Agamemnon at first adamantly refused, but, under pressure, Agamemnon slowly gave in and he agreed to the sacrifice. Agamemnon told Clytemnestra and Iphigenia that the great Achilles wished to marry Iphigenia. Upon hearing this news, Clytemnestra immediately brought Iphigenia to Aulis where she was to be wed. Little did they know, Agamemnon was lying to them about the wedding and the true reason he brought her to Aulis was to sacrifice her for what he had done. Soon after her death, the Greeks set of to Troy to fight the Trojans. She was the first person to have her life flipped upside down because of the Trojan War and it was her death which allowed the Greek fleet to set sail for Troy. When Agamemn on returned from the war, Clytemnestra killed him for lying and tricking her and Iphigenia.... Free Essays on Iphigenia Free Essays on Iphigenia Iphigenia was the eldest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. When in Aulis, Agememnon killed a stag in a grove sacred to Artemis. Angered, Artemis stopped the winds so that the Greek fleet could not sail to Troy. The only way the Greek fleet would sail was if Iphigenia was sacrificed. Agamemnon at first adamantly refused, but, under pressure, Agamemnon slowly gave in and he agreed to the sacrifice. Agamemnon told Clytemnestra and Iphigenia that the great Achilles wished to marry Iphigenia. Upon hearing this news, Clytemnestra immediately brought Iphigenia to Aulis where she was to be wed. Little did they know, Agamemnon was lying to them about the wedding and the true reason he brought her to Aulis was to sacrifice her for what he had done. Soon after her death, the Greeks set of to Troy to fight the Trojans. She was the first person to have her life flipped upside down because of the Trojan War and it was her death which allowed the Greek fleet to set sail for Troy. When Agamemn on returned from the war, Clytemnestra killed him for lying and tricking her and Iphigenia....

Rich media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rich media - Essay Example Upon acknowledging all forms, it conducts a rational appraisal of both good and bad aspects of the presentation. Shir (2005) agree that aspectual analysis suggest mechanisms through which users can avoid experience with negative aspects while reaping optimal benefits from good characteristics in acknowledging facts about cigarettes. Evaluation employed original responses elicited from the experience of target individuals. These individuals serves as the most appropriate population for ensuring both verbal and non-verbal responses from the use of flash presentation in learning positive and negative effects of cigarette consumption in the society. Sampled individuals who participated in the aspectual analysis were all my friends listed below. i. Ahmed. ii. Alex. iii. Nick. Spatial aspect With respect to spatial aspect, evaluation takes into consideration elements of volume and mass space taken by the entire application. This cigarette application takes approximately 10MB on a computer hard disk memory or internet storage space. According to Sammons (2012), the application requires small to medium display screens to enhance its graphics and interactions. Alex was concerned with the memory size because he could not use a medium flash disk to transfer the application from one computer to another. On the other hand, Ahmed appreciated the fact that wider screens enhanced graphical clarity. He preferred to use a 30 inch flat screen TV to access the application. Nick acknowledges the fact that he could store the medium-sized application in his Gmail account and access it from any place with internet access. Kinematic Aspects Users of this application will be able to navigate through different parts in an easy and convenient manner. The main page contains animated options meant to facilitate interaction between the application and the user. Sammons (2012) assert that interactive animations allow users to move from one scene to another without starting over again. Alex sa ys that the animation saves time by allowing him to move directly to preferred scenes. Ahmed had a negative experience in the aspect of kinematics. The loading page allowed the next page to come up without any effect required. This lack of control in scene movement does not give Ahmed enough time to experience the loading page. On the other hand, Nick appreciates that shortcuts allows easier movement from one scene to another; hence allowing for customized manipulation of the application. Quantitative aspect The quantitative aspect of information contained in the application remains as the main challenge in accessing all materials. As acknowledged earlier, the system uses contents of different forms. According to Joao and Gomes (2010), factual information is presented in text form. On the other hand, visual effects employ the use of animations like the foot stepping on a packet of cigarette. Cumulatively, all scenes take substantial time to experience. Alex says that entire coverage could take an entire afternoon. This means a significant amount of time is spent on the application. According to Ahmed, the small quantity of text, animation and audio content of each scene facilitates convenience with respect to time. Nick had a negative experience on quantity because he could not complete the entire application without going for breaks. Physical aspect Granitzer (2011) say that visual and audio effects on the application elicit physical effects on users. In the loading

Corporate Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate Computing - Essay Example The process may take ages to unfold, but the technological advancement is already taking place. Virtualization, Web services and grid computing are three advances 'which are of considerable significance', though their importance has frequently been hidden by the arcane terms used to explain them.Virtualization erases the variations involving proprietary computing platforms, hence enabling applications intended to run on one working scheme to be deployed in a different place. Web services regulate the interfaces connecting applications, whirling them into modules that can be assembled and disassembled simply.  Ã‚  Grid computing enables large information of hardware mechanism such as disk drivers or servers to successfully act as a sole device, pooling their capability and allocating it mechanically to diverse jobs. In diverse ways, the three technologies play a function parallel to that of the untimely recent converters. They make possible a vast, compactly incorporated system to b e constructed out of assorted and formerly irreconcilable components. Independently, the three technologies are remarkable; however, collective they become innovative.The need for utility services has forced some companies to connect their old hardware and software into traditional data centers. Certainly, firms frequently forgo if not striking utility services or run into difficulties with outsourcing planning since the necessary incorporation with their bequest systems is so complicated.

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

How to buy a car - Essay Example Estimate a figure for yourself, with a range of the lowest and highest amount you, are prepared to pay for the car. Under no conditions should you go out of this range as it will ensure you do not spend more than you can afford. The next step in purchasing a car is to research online for car dealers near your locality that sell the type of car you want. Searching for dealers near you is advisable as it eases the purchasing process at a later time. Once you have identified dealers near you that have the car that you need, contact them through the internet or by phone and request for full details about the car including the quotation. Thoroughly go through the car details to ensure it has all the features you want. The fourth step entails doing further research on the price and characteristics of the car. You can go to the manufacture’s website to determine if the dealers are authorized dealers. Authorized dealers tend to give better discounts and also give promotional products as compared to dealers who might be brokers. You must carry out further research on the prices of the car type that you want and compare its features with that of other manufacturers to determine it is of the right worth. At this stage, you must have a range for the actual car price. Once you have determined the lowest price that you can get for the car, bargain with the dealers to ensure that you get a good price. You must not fear to bargain. You can go up to the level of pitting two dealers together by sending them low quotations from other dealers. At this stage eliminate some dealers who are rather uncooperative or have high price quotations, and single out at most three dealers who you will bargain  with later. Once you get the best prices from the dealers move to the next step The sixth step is where you bargain for tradeoffs and financing with the dealers. Ask for best prices for your trade and do some online research to determine

Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Example for Free

Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Religion takes on many different forms and there are several definitions in as many languages used to describe the practices. For the purposes of this paper, the following basic definition will be used. Religion is the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. Also, a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship (Company, 2000). This paper will examine three major religions of today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An attempt will be made to identify the top two current issues each religion faces as well as look at two sacred traditions and study the significance and major characteristics of each. Judaism Judaism is monotheistic in nature and has been described as a religion, a race, a culture, and a nation. All of these descriptions have some validity to them but Judaism is best described by some as an extended family (Rich, 2006). This extended family consists of four movements Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. All of which, still find themselves victims of discrimination known as anti-Semitism which is based on stereotypes and myths and often invokes the belief that Jews have extraordinary influence with which they conspire to harm or control society. For those Jews living in the Middle East there is also the very real danger and threats from a powerful country possibly in possession of nuclear weapons. The president of Iran threatened them publicly with annihilation. Discrimination and threats of violence Jews are a very real part of Jewish life but there are just as many positive popular time honored traditions that exists still today. One of which is the wedding tradition. The tradition begins with the husband signing a Ketabuh, the groom’s marital contractual obligation to the bride. The groom is then led to the Chuppah, a tarp this symbolizes their future home together. The bride is led in with singing and dances and then she circles the groom seven and comes to stand to the right of him. After several additional steps the marriage is blessed and ends in a wedding feast. Another Jewish tradition performed prior to Yom Kippur is called the ceremony of kapparot. The practice was first discussed at the beginning of the ninth century. It was believed that the sins of an individual could be transferred to a fowl, a rooster for men and a hen for women. The fowl was to be held over the head and swung in a circle three times while the following was spoken: This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace. (Schwartz, 2009) The fowl was then donated to the poor and hoped to take on any misfortune that might have occurred to the one who took part in the ritual. The primary sacred text used by the Jews is the Torah. Christianity is currently noted to be the largest religion in the world today, with around two billion followers. Christian beliefs center on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Jesus’ teachings focused on the kingdom of God, love of God, and love of one another. Today there are many different views his teachings and the meaning of some forms of love. One of the most controversial topics in the faith today is that of practicing homosexuality. The Christian bible stems from the Jewish sacred text which banned homosexuality of any kind. The bible even talks of God destroying two cities over homosexual behavior (Clark, 2009). Today many leaders condone the behavior and some are even practicing it themselves. While homosexuality may serve as a religious divider here in the U. S. , persecution is served cold as a divisionary disabling tactic abroad. It is the number one issue facing many Christians today, outright discrimination as in the case with Jews as mentioned earlier. In countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and others Christians are being martyred because of their refusal to denounce Christianity. Everyday there are approximately 465 people killed because they will not give up their faith in Jesus (Dearmore, 2009). Most Christians in the U. S. attend a church service of some kind one to three times a week. This is a time honored tradition, just as the wedding tradition is in Judaism. The reason behind this is to participate in a time of fellowship with one another. Normally, the tradition includes worship service, private and corporate prayer, the study and reading of scriptures, and collection of tithes and offerings. There is also the coming together for celebration of special holidays. The most important Christian holiday is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and Christmas the celebration of his birth. Christian practices differ by denomination. Easter is a central theme for most if not all denominations. The origin of the word â€Å"Easter† is not certain but it was probably derived from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring (Dreamweaver, 2009). It is a celebration of the central event of the Christian faith, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day following his death and burial. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. There is evidence that the resurrection used to be celebrated every Sunday until some point in the first two centuries when it was agreed to move it to once a year. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Islam The Islamic religion is monotheistic in nature; they follow one God named Allah. The primary meaning of Islam is peace and the prime message is the Unity of God. Islam identifies Jesus and John the Baptist as prophets. They also believe that there will be no other prophet after the prophet Muhammad. One of the primary concerns facing the Muslim community still today is retribution after the terrorists’ attacks of 11 Sept 2001. Many Islamic followers faced discrimination on all fronts because of the fear of their culture and religious stereotyping (Clark, 2009). The attacks on American soil left a scary imprint of terror in the minds and hearts of many. The media portrayal added fuel to the fire and did nothing to ease the tensions caused by the scary pictures of death left behind. Unfortunately, there is also the fight with fundamentalist ideology and division among their own religious sects. Some groups are teaching others to hate Jews, Christians, and Americans as well as others. In the midst of this hate is a tradition of peace and goodwill towards others. One of the most important traditions is the observance of the Five Pillars of Islam. This involves witnessing to the fact that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. The second pillar is Salat, facing toward Mecca, the Holy Land of Muhammad, five times a day and kneeling in prayer. The third pillar is Alms giving, which encompasses giving charitably to other Muslims. The fourth is the performance of a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Last is to observe fasting during Ramadan. Muslims normally worship in Mosque; they kneel prostrate on small prayer rugs. The rugs may look to be small oriental carpets. Muslims kneel as a sign of humility before God. There is only one requirement that the place of prayer be clean. The rug is approximately one meter in length just long enough for an adult to fit on comfortably. When prayer time comes the rug is placed on the ground with the top pointed in the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After prayer the rug is immediately folded and put away until next time. The Arabic word for a prayer rug is sajada, which comes from the same root word (SJD) as masjed (mosque) and sujud (prostration) (Huda, What are prayer rugs, and how are they used by Muslims? ). This paper discussed three major religions of today and two current issues that they face. It also examined the characteristics of some of their valued traditions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have one central theme in common besides the discrimination they all endure; they are all monotheistic in nature. They all believe in their own sacred text, their own version of truth. References http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/f/prayer_rugs.htm http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kapparot.html

Horse Dealer Daughter mythology :: essays research papers fc

Cosmological Life Cycles In â€Å"The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cosmological myths serve the purpose of explaining existence, particularly to less scientifically advanced cultures. These myths, or stories, were created as a way of dealing with the questions regarding the universe which could not be answered concretely. Cosmic myths include creation myths, flood myths, apocalyptic myths, and afterlife myths. Examples of all of these aspects of the cosmological life cycle are present in D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creation myths, cosmogonies, explain the beginnings of the universe. The book of Genesis, the Hebrew story of creation, tells of a supreme being who brings light unto the darkness, moves the waters from the land, and gives life (Leeming, 24-25). Mabel, the main character in â€Å"The Odor of Chrysanthemums†, finally begins to live her own life after being rescued from dark, murky water by a man who can give her everything she needs (Lawrence, 9-10).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flood myths help to explain events which cannot be controlled, such as natural disasters. The Hebrew flood myth tells of a man named Noah, who is selected, along with his family, to survive an epic flood. The flood must occur to cleanse the world of its impurities (Leeming, 47-53). The â€Å"flood† in Mabel’s own life involves the many things she loses: her mother, her family’s money, her idea of the future. However, these losses allow her to become a stronger person, to move away from merely being a daughter or a sister and become Mabel (Lawrence, 1-15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apocalyptic myths tell of the end of the world. The Norse myth â€Å"Ragnarok† ends with the Gods dying, and new gods stepping in to take their places (85-88). In â€Å"The Horse-Trader’s Daughter†, Mabel loses her mother, her creator. The doctor who saves her from drowning then takes on the important role of having given her renewed life, filling that void for Mabel (Lawrence, 1-15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afterlife myths explain what becomes of the soul after the body dies, as humans have a problem accepting the possibility that the soul becomes nothing.