How the Internet Has Changed Social Activities and Created New Cultural Norms

The Internet Shay Billings American History 1/4/2011 ROBIN THOMAS The Internet In the 1990’s the internet has change society by reshaping it to a modern society. The internet has changed social activities and created new cultural norms. The internet brought new ways to contact people from all around the world and to bring news and information in one location. It also provided online banking, online shopping, and many more great things that provide by the internet. This also made it easier for hospitals to obtain you medical history in case of an emergency. The Internet’s impact on the political process and information transparency Previously the only way politicians could reach the public was using the media or meeting people on the street. But now the internet lets the average citizen view each politician beliefs, life style and the changes they are trying to make. It also allows the political staff to communicate faster and helps their campaign. It also cuts down on cost on use less media such a televisions, radio, or newspapers and magazines. The military has many uses for the internet such I was able to contact my husband while he was overseas and it kept us strong. The internet is good for military families because the availability to keep in contact with loved ones. In others ways it’s good for military for the GPS system for direction locations and it is easier to order supplies when needed. But the internet isn’t all good it makes it easier for children to get a hold of porn or sex offenders to get a hold of children or rape of women. There have been case of deaths , rapes and child porn because of the use of the internet. Such as the craigslist killers find people to come out be false stories and killed them. Not saying it’s the internet’s fault but it makes easier to for people to do harm to others. There is also cyber bullying that many teens are affected by today. Cyber bullying is when people use the internet, cell phones or other devices to post text or images that are intended to hurt or degrade another person. Sites like Face book, MySpace, and many others allows peoples peers to say anything, about anyone. Many believe that they are doing no harm by doing this but it has cased suicides in many young teens because of depression. Even though these site where not attended for this it still causes harm. There are site blockers to help protect the children on the internet. That can help stop for children getting into harm. There was also the Dot-com boom and bust this was caused by everything producing to mush too fast. Companies that couldn’t decide on their corporate creed were given millions of dollars and told to grow to Microsoft size by tomorrow. The internet was supposed to help the economy which in some ways it did, but in others it did not. The internet closed down many companies and family business such as video stores, news papers, and some magazine companies. As many more have gotten in debt because it easier to get a hold of a credit card or to get loans online. The internet also makes it easier for identify theft and stolen credit cards and account information. This cause more debt for our society and its really helping are economy. In conclusion the internet has pros and cons people had taken something good and found away to corrupt it. It makes it easier for people’s life today but in ways it also destroys many lives as well. There internet has also brought development of new technology such as better computers, cell phones and many more yet to come. But much of the elderly today don’t want to learn or can’t learn how to us the new technologies. But many jobs today you have to use these new technologies which lead elderly limited on what they can do. So you have to see if the pros outweigh the cons. Also what if we lose these technologies we become so dependable upon? resources Internet, impact on politics. (2008). In William A. Darity, Jr. (Ed. ), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (pp. 107-109). Read more: http://www. investopedia. com/features/crashes/crashes8. asp#ixzz1iVLlwNL1 http://abcnews. go. com/US/ohio-craigslist-killings-mother-teen-son-innocent/story? id=15038334

A Rationale for teaching the Foundation Subjects within Early Years and Primary Education

The underlying basis for the inclusion of foundation subjects within early years and primary education might not be immediately apparent, particularly for first year students studying towards qualified teacher status. This essay will, therefore, unfold the reasons for this inclusion whilst including specific reference to the enclosure of history teaching.The National Curriculum (NC), introduced in 1988 and currently undergoing revision, consists of the core subjects: English, mathematics and science; compulsory at all key stages, and the foundation subjects: art, design technology (DT), geography, history, information and communication technology (ICT), modern foreign languages (MFL), music, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and physical education (PE); most of which are compulsory at one or more of the key stages (DfE, 2013).It is also important to remember that Religious Education is included within the basic curriculum and is legally bound to be taught, however children can forego the subject at their parents request. Since 2008 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has become integrated within all childcare providers, except mother and toddler groups, nannies and short-term crà ¨ches, and covers the welfare and development of children (BBC). This essay will not only demonstrate a rationale for the inclusion of foundation subjects in both the EYFS and NC, but also examine how history is developed into children’s learning through both stages.Boys and Spink (2008) believe the foundation subjects and RE ‘have the potential to be the most powerful, most meaningful and most relevant areas of learning for all learners’ (p. xii). Hoodless (2008) develops this further with history, stating â€Å"the most significant reason for teaching history in primary schools is that it motivates children and captures their imaginations† (p. 2). Both statements reflect on the importance of teaching history and other foundation subjects, ye t focuses on extra-curricular benefits.History can lead to many cross-curricular links and it has been suggested by Davies and Redmond (1998) that teaching history in isolation ‘would be a horrible waste of universal discipline’ (p. 39). Looking at time-lines in history can help to develop mathematical skills, whereas art can be pulled in by the associations with drawing or painting ancient artefacts. Fines (2013) also believes in the importance of history due to its cross-curricular abilities, he says â€Å"history can contribute to learning across the whole spectrum of the curriculum and does so effectively† (p.6).As a core subject, mathematics is something that, when applicable, should always be integrated into a child’s learning. However, as a foundation subject itself, art is a skill which helps to develop children’s creativity and imagination, thus making art a valuable attribute that should be included when possible. Furthermore, childrenâ₠¬â„¢s art work is often used as displays within schools; this way of celebrating work is a great way of boasting children’s confidence as well as giving them a sense of reward.This is vital for motivation, enthusiasm and inspiration which will encourage children to get involved in further learning and therefore learn more effectively (NASP, 2003). The NC is currently undergoing revision, due for implementation into schools in September 2014. Government says the review comes from the need to catch up with the world’s best education systems. Prime Minister, David Cameron says this â€Å"revolution in education† is vital for the country's economic affluence and that it should be written by experts and not restricted to ministers' â€Å"personal prejudices† (BBC, 2013).According to The Guardian (2013) changes will be welcome across the Key Stages (KS). However, it claims that for KS1, history will not differ too much from the previous NC and that ‘the m ore noticeable changes are in KS2’. Both Key Stages will see a new stress in the importance of chronological understanding. This is a result of the 2011 Ofsted report in which it states â€Å"although pupils in primary schools generally had good knowledge†¦their chronological understanding and their ability to make links across the knowledge they had gained were weaker† (p. 5).Ofsted (2011) claimed that this was due to ‘many primary teachers not having adequate subject knowledge’ (p. 4). This developed the need for the curriculum to ensure that pupils study an overview as well as in-depth topics. The old curriculum (2000) states that pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through: a local history study; three British history studies; a European history study; a world history study (p. 106). Whereas the Programmes of Study for the revised curriculum (2013) shifts towards how history fits together and how events from one time pe riod can affect another, maintaining that  teaching should combine overview with in-depth studies to aid pupils understanding on chronology (p. 3).In Ofsted-registered settings, children from birth to 5 years old work towards the EYFS as opposed to the NC. With regards to history, much of what this age range will learn comes from the ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’ aspect of the Early Learning Goals. It is expected that by the end of the foundation stage, children will ‘talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members’ (DfE, 2012, p.9) The EYFS understands that it would be unrealistic for such young children to fully comprehend the defined body of factual information that is history, however a development of finding out about changes and passage of time is not (O’Hara and O’Hara, 2001, p. 18). There are many story books that can reveal to young children a language that identifies a concept o f ‘long ago’. Stories such as ‘When Grandma Was Young’ (Humphrey, 2000), ‘Elmer and Grandpa Eldo’ (Mckee, 2001) and ‘My Granny is a Pirate’ (Mcdermid and Robins, 2012) can invoke interest with early years children and inspire them to become inquisitive about the past.It has been suggested that time means nothing to young children. However learning to ask and answer questions through story reading will enhance their concept history. Therefore continuing to do so through the Early Learning Goals will prepare children, entering at primary level, to appreciate the importance of history (Lunn and Bishop, 2004). It is important to remember to children do not stop learning history when they finish their time at primary school. Maintained secondary schools follow the NC which maintains that all children will continue to learn history by means of the KS3 History Programmes of Study (2013).Therefore it is important to prepare children for mo re challenging and precise history learning. New topics shall be introduced so it is important children have the skills to ‘identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends’ (p. 72). It is, furthermore, defined that pupils will ‘pursue historically valid enquiries including some they have framed themselves’ (p. 72). This indicates towards children becoming independent critical thinkers, a valuable quality to have in adult life, this alone is a fundamental reason for the inclusion of history in the NC (DfE, 2013).Hoodless (2008) believes that history offers a range opportunities to overcome barriers in learning, with specific reference to gender, class and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She believes that there are many ways to teach history to make it inclusive to everyone and says that â€Å"inclusive practise involves treating each individual with respect, included them equally in whatever is taking place and responding appropriately to their different needs† (p. 140). She argues that history education can reach individuals in different ways because of the many approaches and strategies used to teach it.For example, a child who struggles to read can be given visual sources to aid their learning rather than long pieces of text, thus benefitting the child more (p. 135). Another underlying reason for teaching history is because of the opportunities it can give to children from minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Although sensitivity must be empathised, using cases of past civilisations to stimulate an identification of how prejudgments, such as racism, sexism or any other type of discrimination, arose can then contribute to eliminating them (p.139).Boys and Spink (2008) expands on this by proposing that the history curriculum should be ‘culturally relevant to all pupils’ (p. 71). The United Kingdom has become a diverse multicultural society over the years. Consequently, Boys a nd Spink (2008) suggest that the NC study unit ‘Britain since 1948’ provides an opportunity to explore the Commonwealth immigration (p. 71). Exploring such a topic will provide children with an understanding of different culture’s arrivals into the United Kingdom which they might otherwise not ever be educated on.As part of the Professional Standards for qualified teacher status (QTS), teachers are expected to demonstrate that they are able to plan opportunities for children to learn in out-of-school environments (DfE, 2013, p. 8). Such settings as, museums, theatres, school visits, fieldwork and employment-based locations can all be used as a means for enriching children’s learning. From birth children are trying to make sense of their multi-sensory environment, making them active learners. To limit children’s learning to the classroom would be a shameful waste of the valuable resources that are on offer to enhance their education.Out-of-school lea rning helps to develop skills including decision-making, group work and critical thinking, all of which are key attributes to have. Hoodless et al. (2003) takes this further by saying that ‘the sensory experiences help all kinds of learner to remember and learn from the locality and its inhabitants’ (p. 136). Outside learning can be restricted to the school’s boundaries or the close localities and still offer the same benefits. The school itself can be studied for design elements that can be analysed to identify the age of the building.Taking a short walk out the school grounds can provide a wealth of people, building and landscapes that children can learn from. It is important to remember, however, the risk assessments that need to be carried out in order for these events to take place. In many cases consent from the parent will need to be given in order to take children out of school. It is also essential to prepare clearly structured learning objectives in ord er to achieve greatly from out-of-school learning and make the most of the time dedicated to such pedagogy (Hoodless, 2003, p.137-140).Furthermore, with the threatened return of rickets in children recently, giving them more chances to study outside could prevent this. The Telegraph (2013) reported that the increase has come from children spending ‘too much time indoors on computers and gaming consoles’ which is why incorporating outdoor study into children’s learning will benefit them entirely. Finally, multiple reviews of the foundation subjects within the curriculum only reflect on the commitment for enriching children’s learning that government have (Boys and Spink, 2008, p.xii). Foundation subjects influence cross-curricular and out-of-school learning, making them more appealing and beneficial for children. Additionally, Johnston (2002) talks of how young children [in the EYFS] develop knowledge of how the world works by exploring the world around the m. She says â€Å"the wider their informal experiences, the broader and deeper will be their understandings† (p. 24). This suggests that the integration of foundation learning within the EYFS is the source of children’s initial understanding of the world they live in.The need to develop a sense of history learning in the EYFS has been addressed by looking at the importance of invoking interest about the past. Furthermore, Ofsted (2011) found that history was a ‘popular and successful subject, which many pupils enjoyed’ (p. 5). This statement alone could be the rationale for teaching history in primary schools. A subject that can captivate students and encourage them to learn more is an underlying reason for that subject to be taught. A Rationale for teaching the Foundation Subjects within Early Years and Primary Education The underlying basis for the inclusion of foundation subjects within early years and primary education might not be immediately apparent, particularly for first year students studying towards qualified teacher status. This essay will, therefore, unfold the reasons for this inclusion whilst including specific reference to the enclosure of history teaching.The National Curriculum (NC), introduced in 1988 and currently undergoing revision, consists of the core subjects: English, mathematics and science; compulsory at all key stages, and the foundation subjects: art, design technology (DT), geography, history, information and communication technology (ICT), modern foreign languages (MFL), music, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and physical education (PE); most of which are compulsory at one or more of the key stages (DfE, 2013).It is also important to remember that Religious Education is included within the basic curriculum and is legally bound to be taught, however children can forego the subject at their parents request. Since 2008 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has become integrated within all childcare providers, except mother and toddler groups, nannies and short-term creches, and covers the welfare and development of children (BBC). This essay will not only demonstrate a rationale for the inclusion of foundation subjects in both the EYFS and NC, but also examine how history is developed into children’s learning through both stages.Boys and Spink (2008) believe the foundation subjects and RE ‘have the potential to be the most powerful, most meaningful and most relevant areas of learning for all learners’ (p. xii). Hoodless (2008) develops this further with history, stating â€Å"the most significant reason for teaching history in primary schools is that it motivates children and captures their imaginations† (p. 2). Both statements reflect on the importance of teaching history and other foundation subjects, yet f ocuses on extra-curricular benefits.History can lead to many cross-curricular links and it has been suggested by Davies and Redmond (1998) that teaching history in isolation ‘would be a horrible waste of universal discipline’ (p. 39). Looking at time-lines in history can help to develop mathematical skills, whereas art can be pulled in by the associations with drawing or painting ancient artefacts. Fines (2013) also believes in the importance of history due to its cross-curricular abilities, he says â€Å"history can contribute to learning across the whole spectrum of the curriculum and does so effectively† (p.6).As a core subject, mathematics is something that, when applicable, should always be integrated into a child’s learning. However, as a foundation subject itself, art is a skill which helps to develop children’s creativity and imagination, thus making art a valuable attribute that should be included when possible. Furthermore, childrenâ€℠¢s art work is often used as displays within schools; this way of celebrating work is a great way of boasting children’s confidence as well as giving them a sense of reward.This is vital for motivation, enthusiasm and inspiration which will encourage children to get involved in further learning and therefore learn more effectively (NASP, 2003). The NC is currently undergoing revision, due for implementation into schools in September 2014. Government says the review comes from the need to catch up with the world’s best education systems. Prime Minister, David Cameron says this â€Å"revolution in education† is vital for the country's economic affluence and that it should be written by experts and not restricted to ministers' â€Å"personal prejudices† (BBC, 2013).According to The Guardian (2013) changes will be welcome across the Key Stages (KS). However, it claims that for KS1, history will not differ too much from the previous NC and that ‘the more noticeable changes are in KS2’. Both Key Stages will see a new stress in the importance of chronological understanding. This is a result of the 2011 Ofsted report in which it states â€Å"although pupils in primary schools generally had good knowledge†¦their chronological understanding and their ability to make links across the knowledge they had gained were weaker† (p. 5).Ofsted (2011) claimed that this was due to ‘many primary teachers not having adequate subject knowledge’ (p. 4). This developed the need for the curriculum to ensure that pupils study an overview as well as in-depth topics. The old curriculum (2000) states that pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through: a local history study; three British history studies; a European history study; a world history study (p. 106).Whereas the Programmes of Study for the revised curriculum (2013) shifts towards how history fits together and how events from one time period can affect another, maintaining that  teaching should combine overview with in-depth studies to aid pupils understanding on chronology (p. 3). In Ofsted-registered settings, children from birth to 5 years old work towards the EYFS as opposed to the NC. With regards to history, much of what this age range will learn comes from the ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’ aspect of the Early Learning Goals. It is expected that by the end of the foundation stage, children will ‘talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members’ (DfE, 2012, p.  9)The EYFS understands that it would be unrealistic for such young children to fully comprehend the defined body of factual information that is history, however a development of finding out about changes and passage of time is not (O’Hara and O’Hara, 2001, p. 18). There are many story books that can reveal to young children a language that identifies a concept o f ‘long ago’. Stories such as ‘When Grandma Was Young’ (Humphrey, 2000), ‘Elmer and Grandpa Eldo’ (Mckee, 2001) and ‘My Granny is a Pirate’ (Mcdermid and Robins, 2012) can invoke interest with early years children and inspire them to become inquisitive about the past.It has been suggested that time means nothing to young children. However learning to ask and answer questions through story reading will enhance their concept history. Therefore continuing to do so through the Early Learning Goals will prepare children, entering at primary level, to appreciate the importance of history (Lunn and Bishop, 2004). It is important to remember to children do not stop learning history when they finish their time at primary school. Maintained secondary schools follow the NC which maintains that all children will continue to learn history by means of the KS3 History Programmes of Study (2013).Therefore it is important to prepare children for mo re challenging and precise history learning. New topics shall be introduced so it is important children have the skills to ‘identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends’ (p. 72). It is, furthermore, defined that pupils will ‘pursue historically valid enquiries including some they have framed themselves’ (p. 72). This indicates towards children becoming independent critical thinkers, a valuable quality to have in adult life, this alone is a fundamental reason for the inclusion of history in the NC (DfE, 2013).Hoodless (2008) believes that history offers a range opportunities to overcome barriers in learning, with specific reference to gender, class and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She believes that there are many ways to teach history to make it inclusive to everyone and says that â€Å"inclusive practise involves treating each individual with respect, included them equally in whatever is taking place and responding appropriately to their different needs† (p. 140). She argues that history education can reach individuals in different ways because of the many approaches and strategies used to teach it.For example, a child who struggles to read can be given visual sources to aid their learning rather than long pieces of text, thus benefitting the child more (p. 135). Another underlying reason for teaching history is because of the opportunities it can give to children from minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Although sensitivity must be empathised, using cases of past civilisations to stimulate an identification of how prejudgments, such as racism, sexism or any other type of discrimination, arose can then contribute to eliminating them (p.  139).Boys and Spink (2008) expands on this by proposing that the history curriculum should be ‘culturally relevant to all pupils’ (p. 71). The United Kingdom has become a diverse multicultural society over the years. Consequently, Bo ys and Spink (2008) suggest that the NC study unit ‘Britain since 1948’ provides an opportunity to explore the Commonwealth immigration (p. 71). Exploring such a topic will provide children with an understanding of different culture’s arrivals into the United Kingdom which they might otherwise not ever be educated on.As part of the Professional Standards for qualified teacher status (QTS), teachers are expected to demonstrate that they are able to plan opportunities for children to learn in out-of-school environments (DfE, 2013, p. 8). Such settings as, museums, theatres, school visits, fieldwork and employment-based locations can all be used as a means for enriching children’s learning. From birth children are trying to make sense of their multi-sensory environment, making them active learners. To limit children’s learning to the classroom would be a shameful waste of the valuable resources that are on offer to enhance their education.Out-of-school learning helps to develop skills including decision-making, group work and critical thinking, all of which are key attributes to have. Hoodless et al. (2003) takes this further by saying that ‘the sensory experiences help all kinds of learner to remember and learn from the locality and its inhabitants’ (p. 136). Outside learning can be restricted to the school’s boundaries or the close localities and still offer the same benefits. The school itself can be studied for design elements that can be analysed to identify the age of the building.Taking a short walk out the school grounds can provide a wealth of people, building and landscapes that children can learn from. It is important to remember, however, the risk assessments that need to be carried out in order for these events to take place. In many cases consent from the parent will need to be given in order to take children out of school. It is also essential to prepare clearly structured learning objectives in order to achieve greatly from out-of-school learning and make the most of the time dedicated to such pedagogy (Hoodless, 2003, p.  137-140).Furthermore, with the threatened return of rickets in children recently, giving them more chances to study outside could prevent this. The Telegraph (2013) reported that the increase has come from children spending ‘too much time indoors on computers and gaming consoles’ which is why incorporating outdoor study into children’s learning will benefit them entirely. Finally, multiple reviews of the foundation subjects within the curriculum only reflect on the commitment for enriching children’s learning that government have (Boys and Spink, 2008, p.  xii).Foundation subjects influence cross-curricular and out-of-school learning, making them more appealing and beneficial for children. Additionally, Johnston (2002) talks of how young children [in the EYFS] develop knowledge of how the world works by exploring the world around them. She says â€Å"the wider their informal experiences, the broader and deeper will be their understandings† (p. 24). This suggests that the integration of foundation learning within the EYFS is the source of children’s initial understanding of the world they live in.The need to develop a sense of history learning in the EYFS has been addressed by looking at the importance of invoking interest about the past. Furthermore, Ofsted (2011) found that history was a ‘popular and successful subject, which many pupils enjoyed’ (p. 5). This statement alone could be the rationale for teaching history in primary schools. A subject that can captivate students and encourage them to learn more is an underlying reason for that subject to be taught.

Application for Admission to a Nursing Course

Right from a very young age I had always been interested in alleviating the pain and suffering of those around me. Irrespective of the fact as to whether the person suffering physically was a member of my family, a neighbor or a classmate, I would rush to offer my help and commiserations. My penchant for helping the sick and suffering even extended to animals and birds. There was a price to be paid for all this and it was the obtention of average grades. I graduated from high school in Washington and my grade point average was 2.90. Afterwards, I obtained a grade point average of 3.00 in the Camden County Community College. I had made some improvement in the community college. In addition to helping the injured and the sick, I allocated some time to running a performance car shop business.After some years of this activity, I realized that this was not my calling. My true calling was the nursing profession and after a great deal of careful analysis and planning I decided to make a mea ningful and legitimate foray into nursing.To this end, I decided to obtain a degree in nursing from the Saint Xavier University. I had realized to my great chagrin that in the absence of proper qualification, it would not be possible to realize my ambition of becoming an effective nurse.The Saint Xavier University or the SXU was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in the year 1846. This university has a reputation for the catholicity of its approach towards individuals hailing from different, ethnic, religious and national backgrounds.The fact that this university is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy is clearly evident, because the nursing course at this university combines a greater amount of sympathy and empathy in contrast to similar courses offered by other universities.After all compassion has always been the hallmark of the Sisters of Mercy (About SXU, 2007). Thus, my ambition to help the sick and injured will be realized if I get admitted to the nursing program at the SXU.Referen cesAbout SXU. (2007). Retrieved October 7, 2007, from Sanit Xavier University: http://www.sxu.edu/about/

Manage Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Manage Finance - Essay Example Woolworths has been one of the important consistent and successful retailer in Australia with the adoption of various strategies like the ‘fresh food people’ and the ‘everyday low prices.’ Net operating cash flows show an increasing trend and also the firm has been paying higher interim dividends to its shareholders each year. The firm has witnessed a 10.1% increase in net profits after tax and an 8.8% increase in earnings per share according to its financial reports. There has been an efficient management of balance sheet and profit and loss statements and approximately $8.2 billion has been paid to shareholders. Wesfarmers: Wesfarmers is one of the largest retailers and listed firm in Australia and has retail operations in supermarkets, general merchandise, fuel and liquor operations etc. Wesfarmers has reported an increase of 15.8% earnings growth in 2010, as compared to 2009, with Cole’s supermarket alone delivering a 21% growth. a) Budgetary processes that exist in two of the Australian Public Companies: Budgetary process is used for formulating budgets by referring to certain principles, procedures and practices. This process should involve people at different levels in the preparation of a budget. It requires careful planning and appropriate fixation of authority and responsibility. The budget targets should be realistic, and a good accounting system should be incorporated within the organization. An efficient reporting system should be incorporated so that performance appraisal can be undertaken. Budgeting process should be established in all segments of business, therefore, there arises a need for the active participation of all employees. The budgets should be flexible because there should always be room for each employee of the firm to participate. The budgetary process involves the set up of an organization for budgetary committee, a budget officer, a budget centre and a budget manual. The budget officer presides on the budget committee. The budget committee can be further div ided into various segments which consist of production manager, sales manager, finance manager, accounts manager, personnel manager and research and development manager. The production manager prepares the production and plant utilization budget. The sales manager prepares the sales and advertisement cost budget. The finance manager prepares the receipts and payments budget. The accounts manager prepares the cost budget while the personnel manager prepares the labor budget. The research and development manager prepares a research budget. A budget manual is a document in which the responsibility of several executives should be documented and the budgetary control systems are clearly defined. On the basis of time, budgets can be classified as long, short or current budgets. On the basis of functions, budget can be classified as operating, financial and master budgets. Similarly, budgets can also be classified as fixed or flexible. Both these firms follow an appropriate operating budge t and there is a very important role of the CEO as well as the top financial management. b) Who is responsible to prepare the budget? Budget is thought to be one of the most powerful financial tools used by the companies. Budget is the plan or proposal, which determines the activities of an organization. As mentioned earlier, budget may be long term and short term budget, where short term budgets cover a period of one year whereas long term plans cover a period of

Selling drugs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selling drugs - Assignment Example Comprehending the best managerial practices to use in handling the challenge of drug selling in the workplace adeptly prepares me for the challenging managerial environment as well as imparts on me the ethical practices in the workplace. The Controlled Substances Act specifies that it is illegal for any person to distribute or be in possession of substances listed under the Act, including drugs. Through questionnaire and literature review, it is uncovered that many employees sell or use drug in the workplace. Since the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) prohibits an employer from discriminating against employees, industrial front-line supervisors should not discriminate any employee on the fact that they sell or use drugs in the workplace. They should: The paper wraps up by reiterating the importance of supervisors using nest practices in handling drug selling in the workplace. It emphasizes the importance of effective communication, and positive supervisor-employees, and supervisor-management relationships in curbing drug selling in the

Discussion Board 10 - ECO2013 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 10 - ECO2013 - Essay Example According to a report published by Prezi, a loaf of bread in the 1950s costs around 12 to 14 cents while in 2012, it costs around $2 to $4 per loaf (Mooney). That’s about a 200 to 350% increase in price from 1950 to 2012! Meanwhile, the US Department of Labor shows that the price of bread has decreased from $2 to $4 to $1.411 in January 2013, but this figure is still more expensive than the 1950 prices. One may be shocked at the increase in the price of bread if one looks at actual prices of the commodity. But what few people realize is that 2013 prices of commodities cannot be compared directly to prices in the 1950s because of the differences in the economic conditions in these two time periods. For one, gross domestic income is different; country population sharing the gross domestic income is also different. Hence, in order to determine whether prices of commodities have actually increased (hence leading to lesser capability to purchase the same bundle of goods previously purchased), there is a need to look at the overall state of the economy. This is best explained by Michael Sivy in his article for Time Magazine. Sivy says, â€Å"Price hikes for a particular item here or there don’t qualify as inflation. If one thing gets more expensive but something else gets cheaper, that’s what economists call a relative price change†. Such condition does not signal th at it has become more difficult for citizens to purchase items they need. Meanwhile, Sivy says that inflation is an increase in prices across the board which can impact consumers as well as businesses. With high inflation, businesses find it more expensive to produce the same amount of goods it used to produce. If a business were to survive, it can choose either to cut down its production, or to increase its costs of production. In both situations, it could affect the overall economy as it translates to over all

Discussion Week 5 New Product Development and The Product Life Cycle Assignment

Discussion Week 5 New Product Development and The Product Life Cycle - Assignment Example that would initially enhance product awareness and sustain efforts for product recall; and (2) maintaining an effective competitive pricing strategy that would affirm the product’s core competencies and advantage over its competitors through time. An effective and well sustained advertising and promotional campaigns would ensure that the target market would be aptly aware, persuaded to purchase, and affirm loyalty to the product. Likewise, through these efforts, loyal customers would also invite others to purchase the product. On the other hand, maintaining a competitive pricing strategy would assist in confirming that customers would prefer purchasing their product due to other features, in conjunction with their competitive prices, as compared to those charged by competitors. As such, by not pricing the product way above competition or way below, customers would acknowledge preference to their product over their product life cycle. 2. From the e-Activity (Video) located at bottom, imagine you are on the marketing team for the Smart Car Company, which is looking to expand its current automobile offerings. First, propose one (1) possible new product or extension that your team could offer to either Smart Car Company’s existing target or a new target market. Next, formulate one (1) strategy for marketing your product to your selected market. Justify your response by comparing your strategy to the current Smart Car market and the challenges it is strategically facing. A possible new product extension that could be offered to a new target market for the Smart Car Company (Chapter 8: New Products, n.d.) is focusing on offering this to young professionals who are just beginning to exhibit professional growth. Due to the extremely good price which is considerably low, young professionals could be targeted as potential new clients who could easily afford to buy this. After defining this new target market, the strategy to market this product would be designed as

Business plan for entertainment seminar Research Proposal

Business plan for entertainment seminar - Research Proposal Example The company plans to repay the complete start-up debt by the end of the second quarter of the fourth year. Belter-Chan Entertainment, LLC; has been founded by the endowed and talented duo Betty Chan, who will act as the CEO; and Aaron Belter, the designated COO. Betty Chan holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Management from the University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business, served as a Systems Operator for the US Navy, held a high security clearance while employed with the Governor of California Arnold Scwarzenegger, the US Department of State and the US Department of Labor and has prior production accounting experience with Paramount Pictures, the major motion picture studio located in Hollywood. Aaron Belter was a former Talent Agent with the largest talent agency in the world, the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills before becoming a Film Producer for his now dissolved motion picture production company Niboucha-Belter Films which was once located at Universal Pictures. After dissolving his motion picture production company, Mr. Belter re-entere d talent representation with Michael Ovitz's Artists Management Group in Beverly Hills as a Talent Manager and after this company closed in 2001, Mr. Belter formed Belter Management where he continued as a Talent Manager and Consulted for motion picture directors and producers in areas production finance and distribution. The new alliance of Belter-Chan will engage in Motion Picture Consulting, Development and Producer Training. Our primarily target audiences interested in advanced Motion Picture Producing Seminar Training Programs will be offered to students and professionals alike and shall include an in depth look to the art and science of producing motion pictures; complete from Acquisition, Development,

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategy - Essay Example For example, a study of "sport consumers" requires response that explains reasons that influence their behavior, and how to get better their behavioral propensity to remain loyal consumers. on the contrary, research on "sport customers" demands results of how to build upon their product knowledge, formulate or change their predilections for a product, and as a result determines how to make the sport product fits their predictable value, personality, and life style. Not all firms in an industry have the same critical success factors in a specific industry.A firm's existing position in the industry where it is next of kin to other competitors in the industry and also the market leader its strategy, its resources and capabilities For example, in 2005 Caterpillar determined a new strategy to aggressively grow revenues over the continuing. As part of that new strategy, Caterpillar described several critical success factors specific to the firm which are the following: Other firms in Caterpillar's industry may or may not have the same factors, and are not likely to have the same complete situation that is why strategies are different practicing in different industries. The strategy of any industry is made by the higher officials of the industry. The reason behind this that why the strategy of the different industries are different Is that all the above mentioned factors are the responsible for it. By difference among these factors, strategies became changed. EXAMPLE OF SAUDI TELECOM Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is the largest service bringer operating both mobile and fixed line businesses in

Understanding Microeconomics Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Microeconomics Issues - Essay Example The essay "Understanding Microeconomics Issues" talks about the important role of microeconomics in the understanding of the relationship between the consumer, the producer and the trend in the market. There are important issues that must be understood in microeconomics and they include supply and demand, utility, and market failure and competition. All these issues are important to the understanding of the relationship between the consumer, the producer and the trend in the market. Their relationship provides the key to the understanding of economics. As goods and services are produced for sale, there are a number of factors that play a role in determining the prices at which the products will be sold. The backbone of any market economy and the most significant concept in economics is the supply and demand. Demand can be described as the quantity of a product or the services that are desired by the consumers. The amount of product that the people are willing to buy at a given price is the quantity demanded and its relationship with the price is referred to as demand relationship. Supply is described as the quantity of product and services that the market can offer. The amount of product that the producers are willing to supply at a certain price is the quantity supplied and its relationship with the price is referred to as supply relationship. An increase in the price of a commodity is accompanied by an inverse relationship in the quantity demanded, if all the other factors are held constant.

Discuss the causes and consequences of infertility for individuals, Essay

Discuss the causes and consequences of infertility for individuals, families and wider society - Essay Example In addition, infertility can also entail the inability to carry a pregnancy to full term leading to miscarriages (Perkins & Jackie, 2011, p.1). Infertility does not only affect the couple trying to have children but it also impacts greatly on their families and the wider society, especially in the contemporary western culture (Peters, Jackson & Rudge, 2011, p.130). Nevertheless, this topic remains a taboo issue that people do not want to talk about yet it interferes with the most fundamental human activity of building a family. Infertility is a very serious reproductive health problem that may result from a number of preventable and non-preventable conditions related to both males and females and it may have far-reaching consequences on the individuals trying to conceive, their families and the wider society. Infertility has numerous causes. Initially, people thought that only women were infertile but the truth is males-factor conditions are responsible for half of all the couples who are infertile. The non-preventable conditions that may cause infertility include various genetic, immunological, hormonal and anatomical problems that are responsible for preventing successful pregnancies (Solinger, 2013, p.100). The prevalence of non-preventable conditions is the same within and across populations and is responsible for causing infertility in five percent of all infertile couples. Most of the times infertility is due to preventable conditions and this is the reason why the variations in infertility rates are significant in any given population due to the preventable conditions being more or less prevalent in a given population. The preventable infertility causes are due to occupational or environmental factors and various infections (Kirch, 2009, p.782). There are some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) related to infertility such as gonorrhea (Fauser & Devroey, 2011). Since these symptoms

Hybrid Cultures Essay Example for Free

Hybrid Cultures Essay The ease of travel and almost universal access to the information superhighway facilitates the massive cultural exchange that goes on in the world today. In 2005, Kwai-Cheung Lo had written extensively on the exportation of Hong Kong popular culture and its strange relationship to China. Hong Kong could be considered one of the best modern examples of a hybrid culture. Settled by the British for 150 years before its transfer back to China in 1997, Hong Kong bears much similarity to the West in terms of economic development and commerce. Its culture, however, is quite different from the mainland and reconciling the two by expanding the definition of what it means to be Chinese is necessary as HK becomes less an independent entity and more of a Chinese protectorate. Today, the vast storehouse of popular culture proves that the sharp lines between different nations are thinning with martial arts films, anime, and panda bears occupy the same space as Western action movies, McDonalds, and pop music. Massive immigration from third world countries to the West, coupled with Western business people consulting with Asian companies contributes to the growing cultural exchange. The Disney phenomenon is a good example of this. Starting as a small theme park in Anaheim, CA, the company had developed parks in Florida, Paris, and Japan. Yet, the Japanese are determined to retain elements of their native culture even as they embrace an American business concept. When sociologists compared the American Disneyland with the Japanese version, they found many similarities and differences. For example, â€Å"Jungle Cruise is arguably the most American. It is a traditional Disney ride that has changed little over the years. TDL (Tokyo Disneyland) has kept the design and narrative of Jungle Cruise while modifying its spiel. Cinderella’s Castle Mystery Tour in contrast is unique to TDL. It is a story of Disney heroes and villains written for and told by the Japanese†(p. 32). References Luo, K. C. (2005). Chinese Face/Off: The Transnational Popular Culture of Hong Kong. University of Illinois Press Raz, A. E. (1999). Riding the Black Ship: Japan and Tokyo Disneyland. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center

Oedipus the King | Imagery and sybolism

Oedipus the King | Imagery and sybolism Sophocles use of light and darkness in Oedipus the King acts as an aid in the character development. The associated imagery and symbolism in the play manifests Sophocles ideas to the reader which gets them involved in reading and understanding the play. Throughout time, the presence of light in any situation has always been construed as the presence of knowledge, good spirits, parity holiness. For darkness the converse is true. Not only is it representative of holiness, but also, the presence of light shows that we should be able to see far, similar to how much we know of something. After all, it is hard to fathom a human who can see in the dark. In Oedipus Rex, sight and blindness are also used as allusions to light and darkness, albeit not with exactly the same meanings. A blind person is in the dark about what is going on around him, with no knowledge about his setting, and is handicapped while making choices. A sighted person is well aware of his setting, and should be able to make decisions while being able to see the repercussions. It is also hard to draw a line to where the different interpretations stop. It can be used in the same work to show any of the different meanings interchangeably. This makes it such a useful tool for an author to draw attention to specific character traits and development, without becoming overly technical in writing. By combining all of these ideas, playwright is able to portray a deeper meaning than could possibly be explicitly written. Also, the author is able to express a complex idea with a single word; ie light representing knowledge and truth. Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, who was a celebrated ancient Greek poet. The play is together with Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus part of what is called the Theban plays, all set in Thebes and concerned with the town of Thebes before, during and after Oedipus reign as Theban king (Sophocles Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). A tragic hero must fulfill four criteria; nobility, harmatia (i.e a flaw), peripetia (i.e. reversal of fortune) and anagnorisis (i.e. discovery that peripetia was caused by the heros own actions). (What is a Tragic Hero? Yahoo! Answers, 2013) The basic plot of a tragedy is the rise of a character to become a leader of men, the fall of the character due to a character flaw and the realisation of the character flaw that destroys him. In Oedipus the King, the priest describes Thebes as the City of Light. Thebes normally is supposed to be a prosperous town; all that it touches is supposed to turn to gold. There is joy and happiness around every corner. In such conditions, Oedipus could waltz in and no one would bat an eyelid. However, the same priest describes how the plague has taken over the city by saying; And deadly pestilence, that fiery god, swoops down to blast the city, emptying the House of Cadmus, filling it with blackness like Hades  [1]  . This indicates a total contrast to how its supposed to be. The once prosperous city is now under the curse of the sphinx. With the darkness comes disease, uncertainty and emptiness and with it the need for a hero. The stage is now set for Oedipus entry. A need has been created for a leader of men. The use of the imagery of darkness has paved the way for Oedipus to rise above all other men. Another example of successful character development using light/darkness imagery is when Oedipus promises to Creon, the messenger, that I will shed light on this darkness  [2]  . Creon had just told Oedipus that the curse on their land would be lifted when Lauis killer is banished or killed.  [3]   Oedipus implies that he would investigate Lauis murder and ensure that justice is served. The magnitude of this quote is in its development of the tragic hero that is Oedipus. He is just trying to avenge his predecessors death but is inadvertently plotting his own downfall. This is part of the flaw in Oedipus character. Oedipus flaw is that cannot see what is beneath the surface. The fact that he wants to clear up the mess and lift the curse is commendable, but in doing so, Oedipus will implicate himself and begin the reversal of fortune. Throughout the play, a recurring theme is the blindness of some and full sight of others, yet it is those who are allegedly blind who are enlightened. Take Tereisias for example, who was the blind prophet of Thebes. Only he is able to put two and two together and see the bigger picture. Tereisias acts as the antagonist in the play, providing a balanced counter view in the drama, giving Oedipus a chance to realise his flaws. For example, a reader of Oedipus cannot miss the irony in a blind man telling a sighted one that he is committing a grave crime by sleeping with his legitimate wife and that he would one day also be blind and need a guide to move along just like him  [4]  . Tereisias also assures Oedipus that he cannot tell who hes sharing a household with.  [5]  Oedipus cannot fathom how this could possibly happen, and resorts to calling Tereisias a traitor and stupid. Tereisias replies to Oedipus, also in an outburst of anger, that Those clear-seeing eyes will be blinded. Oedipus was unable to see that he would have to gouge his own eyes because it was he who had brought the curse onto the land. The net effect is that now we have a protagonist who is also arrogant, overly proud, and unable to perceive the path fate is leading him along. Oedipus character is now that of a tragic hero in waiting, and it is just a matter of time before he discovers his ancestry, and with it the terrible sins he has committed. Oedipus comes to the realisation that he is the cursed polluter of the land, husband of his mother and father of his brothers

Cost of College Controversy Essay -- higher Education, college

One of the major pieces to becoming a successful business man/woman is receiving a college education. A college degree is viewed as a necessity and is slowly becoming an unreachable goal for some people. Most believe that the cost of college has been rising and continues to rise, and that the rate of increase is outpacing that of other costs (NAICU). As the cost of college rises, families have to change their way of life to be fortunate enough to send their children to college. Along with changing how families’ live, many other problems are produced in various ways. The cost of college should be lowered because it imposes a burden on parents and their children, causes some students to alter their choice of which college to attend, and prevents some students from even going to college. When the time comes to talk about college, a large number of questions arise. Although many come forward, the first question is if college is even affordable. The main problem families’ face is the difficulty to pay for college, especially with the current economy’s condition. Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, states â€Å"Given the financial hardship of the country, it’s simply astonishing that colleges and universities would have this kind of increases† (Lewin). What if a young adult has a dream to attend a certain university in a different state? Residency regulations cause the cost of out-of-state schools to raise tuition to almost three times the cost of in-state; however, this alters many students’ decisions on where to attend college. While personally experiencing this problem, I was forced to go to an in-state school instead of following my dream and attending Auburn University. ... ... will benefit everyone by providing more opportunities for everyone to learn as much as possible, and in the end, improving our country. Works Cited "College Costs - Average College Tuition Cost." College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool. The College Board. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. Lewin, Tamar. "College Costs Keep Rising." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. Losco, Joseph, and Brian L. Fife. Higher Education in Transition. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 2000. 51. Print. Middaugh, Michael F. Analyzing Costs in Higher Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 10. Print. "NAICU - Demystifying College Costs: What Consumers Want to Know." Demystifying College Costs What Consumers Want to Know. NAICU - National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Aug. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

William Shakespeares Othello as a Victim Essay -- Papers William Shak

William Shakespeare's Othello as a Victim Not All Works Cited Included In "Othello" Shakespeare shows that Othello is victimised in many ways, for instance; his race, his culture, his social position and naÃÆ'Â ¯ve. Othello's victimisation could also show Shakespeare's meaning of the term "tragedy". In other Shakespearean tragedies the lead character is shown as cunning, ruthless and manipulative, more similar to Iago than Othello. This could represent a change in Shakespeare's opinion of a true Shakespearean tragedy. The main cause of Othello's victimisation is his race. Unlike the other characters in "Othello" he is a Moor, a natural figure of hatred and disgust. In the play he is very rarely referred to as "Othello", but more often as; "moor" or "negro", Desdemona even refers to Othello as "my noble moor" not Othello. The event where Othello is victimised due to his race are vast, for example at the start of the play when Iago is talking to Roderigo, Othello's race is a major issue, "To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor-". Here evidence of racism is shown. There is also a case that this shows the imperial and colonial nature of Venice in the Sixteenth century. "Othello" can be seen to show the stereotypical contemporary Elizabethan belief of blackness and the barbarous nature of the "black" man as evil and devilish. Othello's race also helps to highlight his jealousy and gullibility, due to his race Othello is always subconscious of his weaknesses, his "tragic flaw". This may be a reason for why he befriends Iago, who would act as his link to the "white" world, informing Othello of the opinions white society. Othello... ...d social figures. In conclusion I feel that Othello is more "sinned against than sinning". This is not to say that he is a innocent, it most be remembered that he killed Desdemona, not Iago and that no matter how big a part Iago has it is still Othello's fault. But, Othello is victimised, he is portrayed as an "other", "if this be known to you, and your allowance". He is also presented as a savage, barbarian and a inferior, a parasite, living of the healthy Venetian state. But, this is all due to the fact that he is different, it has been noted that if you are different you will never be equal, "if you are different you will always be different" (Marx - CM 1848) and Othello's difference is no fault of his own. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Alfred Harbab. Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1970.

Majoring in Music :: Education Musical Singing School Essays Papers

Majoring in Music Music has always been an important part of my life. Upon entering the fifth grade, my parents bought me a flute, at my insistence. After moderate success playing the flute, I saw greener grass on the other side of the musical fence. Singing just had to be easier than making music with a long metal pipe. My perception and reality did not exactly match. Singing has its own subtleties and complexities which are not readily apparent to the casual observer. Abandoning the flute for singing, I began taking voice lessons in the tenth grade. My voice teacher was very experienced and encouraged me to pursue my interest in music beyond high school. After much deliberation, I decided to major in voice during college. This path would be fraught with unforeseen difficulties and exciting challenges. After announcing my decision to a number of friends and acquaintances, I began to encounter not a few misconceptions about the study of music. Many people readily expressed their uninformed opinion that music (particularly vocal performance) was an easy college major for anyone with a modicum of talent: â€Å"Just open your mouth and let the music pour out.† Some showed their ignorance by commenting that music majors had both light and easy course loads. There are even some people who refuse to acknowledge that music is a serious academic discipline. They believe music is a refuge for slackers who do not want to tackle the really difficult courses. Others have insinuated that music majors choose a career in music by default (i.e., because they could not think of anything better to study). Of course, none of these perceptions are true. Two short months studying music on the college level has exploded these misconceptions. The study of music is a rigorous academic discipline which only gets more difficult as one progresses further into the curriculum. While our professors are understanding and helpful, we certainly are not coddled. Music majors quickly learn that hard work and long hours is the price of success in the world of music. The subject matter demands dedication and discipline. Music majors do have some respite from the demands of our discipline. For voice majors, there is choir. Choir provides an opportunity to learn in a more passive manner. The choir director leads the members of the choir toward the desired goal – the mastery of the piece of music to be performed. While choir members must be attentive and receptive, the burden is primarily carried by the director.

Transit of venus

The play Transit of Venus was authored by Maureen Hunter. The storyline was based on the life of an 18th century French astronomer named Guillaume le Gentil de la Galaisià ¨re. As an astronomer Le Gentil attempted to chart the crossing of the planet Venus across the sun and the Earth, hence the title, Transit of Venus.Le Gentil was obsessed in charting the transit of Venus across the sun to the point that he neglected his fiancà ©e, Celeste. His obsession took him away from home for long periods of time. On one of his absences, Celeste thought that he died on his journey and thus, turned her love to Le Gentil’s assistant, Demarais.Upon Le Gentil’s return, after his unsuccessful journey, he tried to win back Celeste but failed. Thus, the play showed Le Gentil’s unsuccessful attempt in love – his love for his occupation as well as his love for his fiancà ©e.We could see signs of symbolisms used throughout the play. For instance, the opening of the play wa s accompanied by a storm which reflects the character’s obsession and incessant desire which is very much evident all throughout the play.While we know that the main character of the story, Le Gentil needs love, he was not able to know just how much he needs it until it was too late as he was blinded by the frenzy of mapping Venus’ journey across the sun, an obsession quite common among astronomers during the 18th century.It is also evident that Celeste desires Le Gentil and was even willing to wait for him for long periods of time. In the end, Celeste learned to let go of her feelings for Le Gentil as she found the love which she seeks on Le Gentil’s assistant, Demarais.While the transit of Venus is often associated with science, the play itself focused more on how Venus was used to symbolize love. The use of the planet Venus to symbolize love is not surprising as Venus is also the Roman counterpart of the Greek’s goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. T hroughout the play, we could see how love (Venus) made its way (transit) across the characters of the story.The opera also showed us different faces of love. For instance, while we know that Le Gentil’s love for his fiancà ©e is real we could also see that it was outweighed by his devotion to serve God.The story revealed that Le Gentil’s obsession was driven by his need to serve God. It was not uncommon during Le Gentil’s time for scientists to correlate science with religion and there are many people who believed that by mapping the transit of Venus across the sun they would be able to prove that science could coexist with religion.Le Gentil was greatly driven by the need to map the transit of Venus to the point that he was not able to see what is really important, his love for his fiancà ©e, Celeste.As I have already mentioned earlier, Le Gentil failed to map the transit of Venus and at the same time he also failed to pursue his love for Celeste. We could se e that this was symbolized by the fact that his attempt to map the transit of Venus failed as clouds blurred his vision and disabled him from witnessing Venus’ transit.The opera also made use of expressionism. Expressionism gives emphasis on the characters’ divine awakening, pain, and suffering. In watching the play, the audience would be drawn to the sufferings of the characters.Expressionism is evident on Le Gentil’s desire to fulfill his spiritual hunger which he believed could only be done by serving God. His journey to serve God, to unite science with religion, led him to a path filled with pain and suffering as he did not succeed in his journey and at the same time lost the love of his fiancà ©e.Expressionism is also present on Le Gentil’s relationship with Celeste in that at first, Celeste was willing to sacrifice for Le Gentil. For love, Celeste was willing to wait until Le Gentil was done with his journey. While it pained her that Le Gentil†™s work is more important than her, she endured the pain and silently waited for her fiancà ©e’s return.Women, during Celeste’s time, were not exactly on the same footing with men. This is evident on how Celeste’s character showed how she allowed her fiancà ©e to subjugate her own desire. However, at the end of the play we saw how their positions were reversed as Celeste rejected Le Gentil’s love.

Slip or Trip Essay

On August 13, 2013, at approximately 1:37 A. M. , Sparks police department received a call that an accidental death has occurred. Queenie Volupides, the wife of the deceased Arthur Volupides, claims that her husband slipped and fell on the stairs while he was coming down to the kitchen for another alcoholic beverage. She says that she wasn’t home when the incident occurred. She states that she was at a country club that was hosting a party and that when she arrived home (at approx 1:15 A. M. ) she found him lying on the stairs dead.However, the crime scene shows many inconsistencies within Queenie’s Story. Deputy Blank arrived on the scene at around 2:15 A. M, responding to Volupides 911 call. After viewing he crime scene, Deputy Blank noticed that in Arthur’s left hand there was an unbroken glass (presumably what he was drinking alcohol in). This raises many suspicions. If Arthur had tripped and fell down the stairs, then the glass shouldn’t be in his han d unbroken but instead somewhere in the vicinity of his body shattered.This is because, usually, when somebody is falling down the stairs they will drop whatever is in their hands to try to grab a rail or really anything to try to regain balance. Also, the glass was found in his left hand and when somebody is intoxicated, they can barley stand let alone attempt to hold a glass in their non-dominant hand. Also, Deputy Blank noticed that Queenie had been cooking something when officers arrived. While she was expecting guests, the body of Arthur was just feet away from the stove. Most people would have noticed the dead body and called the police right away.Responding officers have theorized that the pan she was cooking in is the murder weapon. Upon further inspection, Blank also realized that Arthur was still in his formal suit when he was killed. When Questioning Queenie about this she says that he was supposed to go to the party with her but before she left they had gotten into a fig ht. That explains why he had gotten into his suit but yet still doesn’t explain why he had stayed in his suit. If Arthur had been home for more than ten minutes, then he probably would have taken off at least his shoes, robe, and tie.Suspicious where near confirmed when Arthur’s autopsy came back. It did confirm that Arthur had had a high blood alcohol level. It also concluded that he had died from a wound on his head. If Arthur had really fallen down that flight of stairs then there would have been more injuries than that of the wound on this head. Maybe if he had a broken bone or was bruised then Queenie’sâ€Å" falling down the stairs† story might have been believable. Our recommendation is that Queenie Volupides is charged with Arthur Volupides Homicide.

Dubai: Globalization on Steroids Essay

Promotions for Dubai on CNN, BBC World, and other satellite channels show a shimmering skyline of glass and steel office towers with their graceful curves and aquiline shapes, suggesting a distant galaxy where all the unpleasantness of urban life has been airbrushed away. But advertising almost always offers more promise than reality, whether the product is potato chips or a city or a country. Seen through the lens of the everyday, nothing in this city is so clear. It’s hard to come to terms with Dubai, be ­cause there is confusion even in the way it is described by the media. It is often referred to as a Persian Gulf country (which it definitely isn’t), or a city-state (wrong again), or a Gulf emirate (also not accurate, because Dubai, the city, is only part of Dubai, the emirate, which is an integral part of the United Arab Emirates). But one thing is clear: during the three years I’ve lived here, it has undergone the kind of transformation that a city might experience once in a lifetime. Each time I leave my apartment block, I drive past shells of unfinished buildings with piles of sand and rubble spilling onto the sidewalks, and I’m struck by another irony of Dubai— that the more the city aspires to be the premier megalopolis of the 21st century, the more it resembles 1945 Dresden. The pace of growth has left many residents wondering what the hurry is. Yet everyone seems to be in a rush. On Sheikh Zayed Road, the 12 lanes linking Dubai with Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital 100 miles to the south, drivers barrel down the fast lanes at 90 miles an hour. Late on a Friday night, drivers weave in and out of the speeding traffic, which results in an appalling accident rate that leaves crushed fenders and tangles of gnarled metal piled along the roadsides. Has any place on earth grown as quickly or been transformed so completely? Aerial photos from the early 1960s show a dusty, ramshackle trading post tucked be-tween the Persian Gulf and the Creek, Dubai’s inland waterway and outlet to the sea. Ten years later it was beginning to take on the look of a prosperous city; a decade after that it had changed so much as to be almost unrecognizable. The one-runway airstrip had been replaced by an international airport, a forest of office towers had grown up along the Creek, and residential tracts had spread across barren expanses of desert that stretched to the horizon. Dubai today is often described as a Wild West town, and the widespread economic opportunism lends some truth to the description. Driving the expansion is neither natural resources nor old-world industrialization but rather the gears of a 21st-century economy—banking, technology, trade and tourism, real estate, and media outlets. The tycoons cutting business deals in hotel restaurants and on beach-club patios are representatives of this new global economy—Taiwanese bankers and Lebanese import/exporters, Russian oligarchs and Iranian property investors. But even Dubai is not immune from the vicissitudes of global economics—the September worldwide financial crisis drained almost $6 billion from its financial markets. In spite of its rapid growth and the influence of globalization on Dubai, a bit of the old city can still be found. Walk through the covered market on the Deira side of the Creek, past spice vendors displaying their wares in 100-pound sacks; then go up winding, narrow lanes past the gold, silver, and textile dealers from Pakistan and Iran and the Indian merchants who speak fluent Arabic, their roots in Dubai reaching back generations. From there it is only a short walk up to the Al-Hamadiya School, now a museum, the first place to offer formal education in Dubai. Exhaust-spewing water taxis still shuttle commuters across the Creek between the twisting streets of Deira and the traditional Bastakia quarter, home to the pre-oil ruler’s palace, a covered market, and the site of a former fort. On the Deira side, ships unload pallets of cargo, just as they have ever since Dubai served as a convenient transit point for much of the trade that passed between India and Africa and the rest of the Arabian peninsula. In the neighbourhoods of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, quiet side streets lined with white houses topped with red tile roofs glisten in the afternoon sun, suggesting the placid tranquillity of southern California when southern California was tranquil and placid. Early in the morning, Indonesian housemaids sweep driveways with dried palm branches, and South Asian labourers still use these primitive implements to clear the paths in the local parks. It is hard to reconcile such images with those more popularly associated with Dubai. There is the Royal Mirage Hotel, whose silent, soaring hallways and courtyards have been designed in palatial Arabian splendour. Not far away is the Madinat Jumeirah, another hotel complex and an adjoining shopping arcade, where the tinkling music of the oud is pumped into the elevators and down the narrow, serpentine corridors in an effort to re-create the sensual mysticism of the Arabian covered market. But here, too, like almost everywhere in Dubai, the traditional clashes with the modern, and the uneasy blend is meant to serve consumerism: at the Madinat Jumeirah, res-taurants and cafà ©s surround artificial lakes, gift boutiques cater to upscale travellers, and live music echoes from the JamBase, one of Dubai’s hot spots. All of the glitz has made Dubai trendy among the globetrotting business set and holidaymakers interested in a taste of the Middle East—as long as it is tempered with a hefty dose of Club Med— but the changing character of the city is not e ndorsed by everyone. Among so-called locals, or Emirati nationals, there is increasing fear that their culture will eventually succumb to Westernization and foreign influence. Such apprehension is justified, for the demographics are not on their side. Emiratis now account for only 20 percent of the population (an official estimate, probably inflated); within 20 years, as more foreigners pour in from South Asia, the Far East, Russia, and Africa, the percentage is likely to fall to the sin-gle digits. But it is hard for locals to grumble too loudly when they have also been seduced by the global consumer ethos. After midday pray-ers on a blazing Friday afternoon, they head for the blissfully cool shopping malls, as do Indian and Filipino families and British expatriates, to scoop up the latest in mobile phones and other electronic gadgets. Women display designer handbags over their flowing black abayas but wear blue jeans under them, and many young men complement their crinkly clean kandouras with a baseball cap instead of the traditional white headdress. Out in the parking lot, families cram the backs of their Range Rovers and Ford Explorers with plastic shopping bags and a month’s groceries. The good life has created a sedentary life, and with it a sharp rise in obesity and diabetes. As though suddenly seeing the need to change direction, Dubai has begun making desperate attempts to preserve its past. In April 2007 the Dubai Municipality issued a ruling ordering the preservation of more than 2,000 buildings it considered â€Å"having historical significance in the United Arab Emirates.† But the breakneck development all over the city makes this a fool’s errand. Glossy advertisements for unbuilt real estate tracts cover the arrivals hall at the airport, fill billboards beside the highway entrance ramps, and push the news off the front pages of the local news-papers. The inside pages promise more: one full-page ad shows a Venetian gondolier, against a backdrop of faux Mediterranean chic, paddling along an artificial canal, past cafà © tables with Western and Asian patrons relaxing beneath palm trees. The most widely advertised development is now the Lagoons, a name that, like the Greens, Springs, Lakes, and Meadows, belies the arid land it occupies. Indeed, image more than oil (little of which ever existed in Dubai anyway) is now the city’s most valuable export. But what reality might that image exploit? The city was never one of the great centres of Islamic learning or Arab culture, like Cairo or Damascus. It has always been a centre for trade, a way station for commerce. Even today it boasts no impressive mosques; shopping malls are the grandest edifices, and the best-known universities are imported satellite campuses from the United States, England, and Australia. So with no great cultural legacy to celebrate, Dubai has embraced the culture of celebrity. Last February, Tiger Woods was once again victorious in the Dubai Desert Classic, and Roger Federer tried (unsuccessfully) to defend his title in the Dubai Tennis Championships. A year ago George Clooney promoted his movie Michael Clayton at the Dubai International Film Festival, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been spotted frolicking with their children on the b each of the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel that is the city’s current signature landmark. Dubai is often described as an Arabian Disneyland, and the characterization is not wide of the mark. Tourists, residents, and celebrities (including Michael Jackson and Rafael Nadal) have slid down the foaming cascades at the Wild Wadi water park. Across Sheikh Zayed Road, the enclosure for the indoor ski slope at the Mall of the Emirates angles into the sky like a giant airplane hangar tipped on end, glowing with a streak of lurid colour at nightfall. To accommodate the 15 million tourists a year that the city is planning to host by 2010, another resort complex of 30 hotels and 100 cinemas was sketched out on the city planner’s boards, but as a sign that even Dubai’s aspirations have been tempered, the project has been put on hold. Not, however, the Mall of Arabia, which promises to surpass the West Edmonton Mall as the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex. The most impressive feature of Dubai isn’t the George Jetson architecture, or even the Burj Dubai, destined to be the tallest building in the world when completed, but the fact that people who would normally be at each other’s throats in their home countries—Indians and Pakistanis, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Serbs and Bosnians, Ethiopians and Eritreans—manage to live and work together in remarkable harmony. This is also part of the legacy of Dubai, that for generations it has served as a crossroads of cultures and a transit point for people as well as goods, and so it evolved into a tolerant neutral space where the petty feuds of other parts of the world have no place. The downside of this polyglot society is a paucity of the shared concerns that can form a social consciousness and hold a society together. â€Å"I don’t want Hezbollah running my country,† the Lebanese receptionist at a medical clinic says when I ask her thoughts on the fallout of the Israel-Lebanon war. That issue is a nonstarter for the Asian staff who share her office. â€Å"She was a beautiful, beautiful woman!† the Pakistani security guard outside my apartment building croons, two days after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who spent part of her political exile in Dubai. Being so far from the cafà © tables of Lahore or Karachi, it is probably the first chance he’s had to pour out praise for the populist leader. Dubai is just a short airplane hop from the crises in Sudan, Iraq, and Palestine, but in an odd irony, this global city remains blissfully alienated from the pressing global issues that surround it. Car bombings in Baghdad and street battles in Gaza seem to exist in some parallel universe far from Dubai’s beach clubs and poolside barbecues. If talk radio is a barometer of popular sentiment, Dubai lacks social angst, or even concern about the world’s troubles. On Property Week, callers swap tips on the latest real estate investments. On another show, listeners offer advice on ways to kill time in traffic and compare the brunch buffets and weekend getaway packages offered by five-star hotel chains. One program is devoted to nuanced analysis of rugby, soccer, and cricket matches for United Kingdom and subcontinent expatriates. When the local English daily celebrated its 35th anniversary, readers praised the paper for its coverage of business, sports, and entertainment, but there was no han-k-ering for more articles on inter-national current events, some fright-ening-ly close to home. Life in Dubai is not all whimsical indulgence, however, for vice has arrived as an inseparable part of the global village. Dubai’s crime rate, still modest by Western standards, has risen to a level that would have been unknown a generation ago. Street crimes are still rare but drug seizures are not, and black markets in consumer goods have sprung up. (In a caper that Butch Cassidy would have envied, a gang of thieves drove two stolen cars through an entrance of the upscale Wafi City Mall, smashed a jewellery store display window, and made off with the goods.) Where economic adventurism thrives, so does the world’s oldest profession. Prostitutes from China, the Philippines, Russia, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet republics hover near hotel entrances, hoping to snag returning guests. To its credit, Dubai can be called a true microcosm, but it’s hard to believe that a coherent society can be composed of guest workers who have migrated solely for lucrative jobs and have no longterm stake in the city’s future. Beneath the veneer of harmony is the disturbing sense that everyone knows his or her place. Class asserts itself in an unsavoury caste system where national and ethnic identity determines whether one is offered employment or a lease for an apartment. The city’s reputation as a haven of safety and security in a troublesome part of the world is upheld by affirming an â€Å"old world order† left by the colonial power Dubai would like to believe it has moved beyond. Social equality is a noble ideal promoted by the government but flouted in practice, proving once again that the democratic society is still a modern notion, at war with the more widespread tendency of human beings to create a hierarchy. A landlord may refuse to rent apartments to â€Å"bachelors,† the code word for men from the Asian subcontinent working in Dubai who may be supporting wives and children back home. The term would never apply to an unmarried German electrical engineer or a Canadian English teacher. â€Å"Eight years,† a taxi driver replies when I ask how long he has been plying the roads of Dubai, and I know this means 12 hours a day, six days a week. On Friday afternoons he probably goes to the closest Western Union office, like hundreds of others, to wire money back to his family in Mumbai or Peshawar. Class asserts itself also in the division between servers and the served. I still feel a little awkward when supermarket clerks address me formally and the deliveryman from Pizza Hut (â€Å"Ahmad,† according to his name tag) is overly grateful for a modest tip. But I remind myself that since Dubai is not a democracy and few of its residents come from democratic countries, there is no way its society could resemble one. If someone had to pinpoint one spot on earth that epitomizes the most unsavoury aspects of globalization, Dubai could be Exhibit A. It is a place where the whims of a consumerist society overwhelm a simple native Bedouin culture, the predilections of the affluent obliterate local climate and ecology, and the divide between rich and poor is unapologetically laid bare. Discussion points Read the above account of Dubai and discuss the following questions in groups: 1. To what extent can the Dubai story be regarded as the epitome of Globalisation? Explain your answer. 2. In what ways can Dubai be regarded as vulnerable? 3. What negative aspects of the Dubai story can you identify? 4. How might these negative aspects be mitigated?

Absurdity of a “Sivilized” Society-an Analysis of Huckleberry Finn

An Analysis of Huckleberry Finn: The Absurdity of a â€Å"Sivilized† Society Authors often express their views on any given subject through their works, and Mark Twain is no exception. One may read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and believe it is simply a novel about a young boys childhood; however, a deeper analysis of the text reveals many of Mark Twain’s expressions about important moral and social issues. Perhaps one of the most prominent being the frailty of human justice and the hypocrisy we as a people foster in our societies.Throughout the novel, Huck meets people who appear to be good, civilized people, but always end up having a hypocritical fault about them. Though not every instance is a grave matter, Twain’s writing shows that societies in Huck’s world are based upon corrupted laws and principles that defy basic logic. Twain’s writing leaves the reader with an understanding that cowardice, illogical choices, and selfish as well as h ypocritical people mark these societies. Twain begins weaving hypocrisies and cants early into the story; one of the most appalling being the issue of Huck’s custody.This flawed system of thought is first shown when the new judge in St. Petersburg rules that Pap has rightful custody of Huck. Although this would be bad for Huck if his father became his legal guardian, the judge asserts Pap’s rights to Huck as his biological son, despite the fact that this is placing Huck’s welfare below the so-called rights of his father. Ironically, this system would put Huck under his dad’s custody, leaving him worse off, whereas Jim is separated from his family despite being a far better father and person.However, the welfare of the individual isn’t highly valued in society, and thus they are placed in uncomfortable, often dangerous situations. The judge tries to put Huck back in contact with his horrid father and therefore abuse, but Jim, a loving parent, never receives help to be with his children and help rescue them from slavery and separation. This decision defies all logic one would find in a normal society, and yet this kind of thinking was commonplace.The values and welfare of a black person were nowhere near as important as those of a white man, and even though Jim is a grown man with the most in tune moral compass of any character in the book, Huck still has power over him simply because he is white. By comparing the situation of Pap and Huck with slaves and their masters, Twain hints that it is impossible for a society to be civilized so long as it practices slavery. Though not quite as harmful, another example of a hypocritical character can be found in the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson.In an attempt to â€Å"sivilize† Huckleberry, Miss Watson reprimands him for smoking a cigarette and yet she snuffs tobacco. â€Å"Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. She said it was a me an practice and wasn’t clean, and I must try to not do it any more†¦ And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself† (Twain 2). She prevents Huck from doing what she believes is uncivilized and detrimental to his health, yet doesn’t think twice about proceeding to do something very similar simply because she herself enjoys it.This example of hypocrisy is not particularly malicious, but yet another example of how all the characters Huck is involved with has some form of a hypocritical flaw. Furthermore, Miss Watson is quite religious and, in efforts to teach Huck, tells him that all he must do is pray for something and he will have it. However, when Huck needs fishhooks and asks her to help pray for them, she calls him a fool. â€Å"Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it.But it warn't so. I tried it. Once I got a fish- line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn't make it make it work. By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. † (Twain 8). Miss Watson tells Huck that if he does something, he can expect a certain result but when things don’t work, he asks for her help and she chides him for it! The widow Douglas and Miss Watson are religious, educated, and yet, they are slave owners.They educate Huck, and teach him religion but find it perfectly acceptable to do things contrary to their teachings, such as snuff and practice slavery. The latter, being a more insidious humbug of St. Petersburg, is shown over and over again throughout Huck’s journey. As Huck begins to stray from his backwards, insincere town, he reaches different places with different people, all different in their own way and yet, very similar to those in St. Petersburg. The Duke and Dauphi n are two despicable con men who join Huck and Jim as they continue to drift on the river.The Duke and Dauphin cause trouble for Huck and Jim, as well as the towns they visit. The fault here is that, the Duke and Dauphin are able to scam entire communities by lying, pretending to be someone they’re not, and cheating their guests. Though they spend most of the novel doing awful things or planning awful things, they both are hardly punished. After the first showing of The Royal Nonesuch, the first group of attendees realizes they have been cheated. However, instead of chastising the Duke and Dauphin, the audience that night chooses to lie about the performance in order to cheat a second group of attendees. Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen. † They stopped to listen. â€Å"We are sold—mighty badly sold. But we don’t want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. NO. What we want is to go ou t of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the REST of the town! Then we’ll all be in the same boat. Ain’t that sensible? † (â€Å"You bet it is! —the jedge is right! † everybody sings out. ) â€Å"All right, then—not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy. † (Twain 114).Most hypocritical, however, is the fact that the Judge of the town conceived this plan. He who stands as a pillar of justice and truth in the town decides to cheat the others in order to save face. By the third night, everyone in town has seen the play and the Duke and Dauphin make a large profit from their misconduct. Immoral acts committed by the Duke and Dauphin never yielded punishments, but brazen, drunk insults led to execution. Boggs, described as the â€Å"most easy going old fool in Arkansas†, began shouting insults and anathemas at Sherburn, the man who had cheated him. He [Sherburn] was standing pe rfectly still in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right hand—not aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky†¦ Boggs throws up both of his hands and says, â€Å"O Lord, don’t shoot! † Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the air—bang! goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. † (Twain 108). The Duke and Dauphin cheat entire communities and remain unpunished by their terrible acts; however, peccadilloes like shouting drunken insults result in execution.Twain’s writing exposes the issue of faulty justice and duplicitous nature of men. Furthermore, Sherburn’s speech to the angry mob around his house in relation to a lack of logic and cowardice capitulates Twain’s societal views. Twain’s use of hypocrisy helps express his views on societal issues. Though not every instance is harmful, such as Miss Watson’s snuff usage, other notable examples such as the execution of Boggs and the custody of Huck highlight his belief that cowardice, lack of logic, and selfishness are at the core of society, not the communal welfare that it should be.The repeated instances of insecure, logic defying justice are the root of the problem, as thoughtless crimes are punished severely whereas serious crimes go scot-free. Throughout the novel, Huck meets characters that appear good, yet Twain makes a conscious effort to prove they are prejudiced slave owners. The illogical choices and hypocritical people presented throughout the novel show the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the â€Å"sivilized† society.

Lord of The Rings/Kite Runner Compare and Contrast Essay Essay

What objects do you associate innocence with? Marriage, virginity, a childhood toy? When we think of dominance we think of war; we think of negativity. When the phrase ‘parental influence’ comes to mind, we go to our mothers tucking us into bed and watching the game with our fathers—at least that is what us lucky ones think of. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that innocence stored forever, violent free lives, and a mother and father by our side. The Kite Runner and Lord of the Flies have many similarities, particularly when comparing themes such as loss of innocence, power and dominance, and paternal influences and the ways in which they are depicted through symbolism and irony. From the beginning of The Kite Runner Hoseinni showed innocence through Amir’s passion and longing for kites, but not any kite; Amir longed for the winning kite in the annual kite flying tournament. Kites were constantly present during Amir’s childhood. They were his goodness and his purity; the goodness and purity of Afghanistan at that time. Amir’s innocence was stolen by him when he was twelve-years-old by the neighborhood bully, Assef. Amir longed for the winning kite, but at the expense of his friend, Hassan: â€Å"But there were two things amid the garbage that I couldn’t stop looking at: One was the blue kite resting against the wall,† (75). Amir witnessed the rape of Hassan, and after he took his trophy kite home and hung it up on the wall it mocked him, reminding him of his cowardice, and the purity and the innocence that were taken from him. When Amir returned to Kabul as an adult there were no kites. Afghanistan had been run over by the Taliban and everything had been destroyed, just like the innocence that was taken by Amir and the goodness and that was stolen from him. In The Kite Runner, Amir wanted the winning kite. After witnessing the rape of Hassan—witnessing his beloved friend sacrifice himself for the first place kite and seeing Kabul in ruin with the kites gone and the tournaments ended, he craves the innocence and goodness of his past. In Lord of the Flies, Golding used symbols very similarly to Hoseinni’s use of the kite as a symbol of innocence. Instead of an object or toy, Golding used Simon to show purity. Simon, the quiet and kind hearted boy, was murdered savagely by his peers. Simon had been the good and the innocent on the island; unlike the other boys he knew that the evil was inside of the others, though he himself had been too good for the evil. Simon was taken away from the boys but not by outsiders, like the Taliban; the boys themselves took Simon away, unlike The Kite Runner where Assef and the Taliban took the innocence away from Amir. â€Å"There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws† (153). The boys turned into savages and took Simon away from themselves. Unlike The Kite Runner, Simon and innocence were not wanted and were easily thrown away. As goodness was being murdered, the boys turned into monsters. Not once did they think of what was being depleted. Another theme shared by the two novels is the idea of power and dominance. In The Kite Runner, Hoseinni showed this through the bully Assef, who later became a Taliban official. Not only did Hoseinni use Assef and the Taliban as symbols of power, but he enforced them through irony. One example of dramatic irony in The Kite Runner took place when Baba was talking to Amir as a child. Baba said to him, â€Å"’God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands! ’† (17). Baba was referring to the Taliban and how he hoped they would never come into power, though consequently, the Taliban later dominate Afghanistan. Baba pleads to God for help if the Taliban run over, he pleads to a God that he doesn’t necessarily believe in, and ironically, the Taliban justify all of their actions with the word of God. Likewise, Golding used Jack and his hunters to illustrate power and dominance in Lord of the Flies. In order to assert their dominance Jack and his hunters murdered the pig in an ostentatious manner thinking that being flashy and strong will bring respect. Not only did Jack allege his power through conspicuous hunting acts, but he also imposed power with his violent mannerisms towards Ralph, Piggy, and the others. Jack is not the only power figure in this story. In turn, the British official that appeared to rescue the boys has a stature of power along with the British army. Golding expressed his love of irony with the British soldier on the island as well. The boys had been creating their own war on the island, and they were, in a way, mimicking the war that had been happening on a world-wide scale. Golding did not stop here, as the British soldier then observed the boys savagery, he reprimanded them for not being more proper and British. â€Å"’I should have thought that a pack of British boys—you’re all British, aren’t you? —would have been able to put up a better show than that—‘† (202). How ironic, that despite the soldier’s talk of being proper and â€Å"English,† he too was being a savage. He too, was in the middle of a war. Not only do The Kite Runner and Lord of the Flies share themes of innocence and power, but they both partake in the lack of positive parental influence. In The Kite Runner, Amir envied the father-son relationship that Hassan and his believed-to-be-father, Ali, shared. Like his stolen innocence, Amir yearned for his father’s approval, for these were the things he could not have. â€Å"He’d close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown-ups’ time with him† (5). Here, Hoseinni clearly illustrates that as growing up, and even as an adult, Amir never received the love and the affection that he so craved from his father. At every turn he would find a closed door; Baba would see Amir as a calamity. The one person who gave Amir positive parental influence was his father’s friend and business partner, Rahim Kahn. Amir did not take this influence to heart; his longing for approval from Baba and a mother he did not have created a hole that Rahim Kahn could not fill. With a deceased mother and apathetic father, Amir had a deep hunger for a father figure to such a degree that the lack of a parental influence caused self destruction and mental instability. In contrast to The Kite Runner, the boys in Lord of the Flies did not care for paternal influences as Amir did. In fact, they rejoiced because there were no adults on the island to keep them in check; â€Å"’Aren’t there any grownups at all? ’ ‘I don’t think so. ’ The fair boy said this solemnly; but then delight of a realized ambition overcame him’† (8). From the start, Amir wanted the parental influences that he grew up without; the boys on the island were more than happy to be rid of them. The consequences of the lack of parental influence did not make an appearance right away, but contrary to what the boys believed, not having a parental figure did have its repercussions. One can take Roger, in consideration. At first he could not bring himself to throw stones at the smaller, younger boys. The memories of civilization and punishments still had their hold on him, but as the story progresses, Roger finds himself becoming less and less humane; much like Assef, in The Kite Runner, who as a child, subconsciously knew he could be punished for his bullying, but as he grew older and as the influence of his parents lessened, he was able to use his wrath however he pleased. The lack of parental influence in Lord of the Flies through the immature, adolescent behavior of the boys and lack of adults residing on the island leads to destruction and chaos, similar in ways to that of Amir’s, but far more externally dramatic. Indeed, Golding and Hoseinni share many tastes when it comes to writing, and that becomes quite apparent when one looks at the themes of the two novels. Through the loss of innocence, power and dominance, and the lack of those positive parental influences Golding and Hoseinni manage to paint the picture of a life different than the life of the average American youth. Amir kept his innocence in a kite. In his homeland. The boys on the island never knew that their innocence lay within one small boy. They didn’t have a father to look up to, a mother to run to, and neither did Amir. Now, innocence is mocked. Parental figures are pushed away, but most don’t know what it is like to lose that innocence. To not have a mother or father there in times of need. Where is your innocence stored? Where do you find the comfort and protection that are craved through a mother’s love and a father’s adoring pride?