The Illiad and Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Illiad and Gilgamesh - Essay Example The prime example is Achilles, the greatest hero of The Iliad, was the son of Thetis, a sea-goddess known for her far-reaching cosmic powers. The prestige accorded by ancient Greek civilization to the figure of Achilles, and the strong emotional attachment that goes with it, is worthy of readers attention especially because they find relatively unresponsive to this sullen and darkly brooding hero: "Rage - Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses hurling down to the House of Death (Book I). Hector represents a hero who acts in social interests more than in his own, while Achilles takes into account his own interests and neglects social responsibility. In contrast, Achilles is an ideal warrior, who is a little bit "crazy" when follows his own codex of norms. Hector is philosopher who does not subdued to common norms, and this very feature helps him to keep away from ignorance and complacency existing in the world He is a man of nerve who is able to survive and protect others in any difficult Hector can be called an ideal moral "hero" in contrast to Achilles who is driven by his own success only. In contrast to these heroes, the role of Agamemnon is to protect his land and people. His position as a king affects his decisions and actions during battles.

Detroit Museum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Detroit Museum - Research Paper Example The longest day to visit the Museum is Friday when it remains open to visitors for full twelve hrs starting from 10am. I too visited it on Friday. DIA’s collection is among the largest art collections. The collection of DIA contains more than 60000 artworks from all over the world. The collection includes all sorts of works including cutting edge and classic work which enrich the perceptions of the visitors. In order to provide the visitors with an opportunity to spend quite some time in the DIA and gain a lot from the museum, DIA has built partnership with many hotels in the locality. The Museum Shop at DIA is full of wonderful accessories and gadgets. This is a place where visitors can find some of the extremely unique and fabulous accessories that are hard to find elsewhere. One of my most favorite pots that I purchased for $50 from the DIA Museum Shop is the Celadon Daisy Ginger Jar shown below: Celadon Daisy Ginger Jar at DIA Museum Shop (â€Å"Detroit Institute of Artsà ¢â‚¬ ). One of the popular exhibitions of the Detroit Museum is the zoo in which prints of animals are displayed which commenced on 23rd March this year. In the DIA collection, there are above 150 prints in total which comprise prints of peacocks, dolphins, and lizards.

Themes of Madness in Hamlet

Themes of Madness in Hamlet To be or not to be begins one of the most famous soliloquies of all time by an author that has stood the test of time, William Shakespeare in his play, Hamlet. There are several different themes that are relayed within Hamlets story. These themes include death, obsession, and betrayal, all of which contribute in some manner to encourage Hamlets madness. In every theme, the audience can relate on a universal level both back in the day and in contemporary times as death, obsession and betrayal are common entities, well known today and will continue to be known and understood until the end of time. There are many overlapping themes that all relate back to Hamlets madness, specifically including death, obsession, and betrayal. Nature of Hamlet The underlying theme of madness is represented quite often in the play. In the play, Hamlet exhibits a puzzling nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughout out the play. He endorses both of the virtues of acting a role and being true to ones self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does behave madly, only to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his fathers death, vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. In the first act Hamlet appears to be very straightforward in his actions and inner state. When questioned by Gertrude about his melancholy appearance Hamlet says, Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not seems (1.2.76). This is to say I am what I appear to be. Later he makes a clear statement about his state when he commits himself to revenge. In this statement the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of Hamlet giving up the role of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says,Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain (1.5.99à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ103) Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nothing else but the revenge of his fathers death. Conviction When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the act walking around, reading, talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would be presently working on his vengeance. So instead of playing the part of vengeful son, or dropping the issue entirely, he hangs out in the middle, pretending to be mad. This is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern I know notà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœlost all my mirth, foregone all custom of exercise (2.2.298à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ299). Later he tells them that he is just feigning madness when he says, I am but mad northà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœnorthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœwest, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw (2.2.380à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only feigning madness would imply that he is comfortable with it. He also seems to be generally comfortable with acting. This is evidenced when he says, there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so (2.2.251à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ252). Hamlet is saying that behavior shapes reality. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by one of the players. About this speech he says, Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive and cue for passion, That I have? (2.2.561à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ564) In this praise of this players ability to act, Hamlet is saying that if he were such an actor he would have killed Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting that is present here is what Hamlet struggles with until very near the end. When Hamlet is advising the player on how his lines should be read he says, Suit the action to the word, the word to the action (3.2.17à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ18). If Hamlet would follow his own advice he would not have a conflict. This shows that he is not consistent within himself. Hamlet is saying one should not distinguish between word and actions, but he does maintain this separation. Yet when Hamlet speaks with Horatio he praises him for being objective, levelheaded, and for having a consistent character. He is praising Horatio for being true to himself, not being an actor. Hamlet says,Give me that man, That is not passions slave, and I will wear him, In my hearts core, ay, in my heart of heart, As I do thee. (3.2.69à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ72) Hamlet is saying this because he wants Horatio to watch the King at the play. He is unsure of his uncles guilt, and he wants proof. He wants it from someone who he thinks is honest throughout. It comes back to acting and vengeance or in this case he has failed in his vengeance and needs Horatio to agree with him. Hamlet says to Horatio, Observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt, Do not itself unkernnel in one speech, It is a dammed ghost we have seen, (3.2.77à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ80) Proof, however, does not have any thing to do with the role Hamlet is supposed to play, but there is more to it than that. The interesting thing is that his uncle will be judged by how he acts during the play. If the King is a good actor, and does not show his guilt, he will most likely not be killed. However, the King is not a good actor and when he rises Hamlet responds with, What, frighten with false fire? (3.2.254). Its as if Hamlet is saying its only a play, its not real. He does say something to this e ffect a few lines before. Your majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not (3.2.229à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ230). This new proof drives Hamlet to use more words. He is again to talk of killing, and he says, Now I could drink hot blood (3.2.379). He again associates this with a role, that of Nero. The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom (3.2.383). Later Hamlet again talks himself out of character and does not kill the King. He puts it off until later and says, When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, At gaming, swearing, or about some act, That has no relish of salvation in it, Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may be dammed and black (3.3.89à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ94) Death Hamlet frequently thinks about suicide throughout the course of the play. Hamlets perspective on his life can be seen in his To be or not to be speech. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep- No more, and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks is only the beginning of his verse (3.1.59-64). By mentioning the thoughts of suffering the slings and arrows that are naturally lifes tribulations, followed by the consideration of facing a sea of troubles by living, it is apparent that he desires to experience death. Hamlet hopes to avoid and not to be subjected to inevitable heartache that is simply part of life, and by wishing to not have to tolerate pain, exhibits his wish to die. At the end, Hamlet has apparently made the decision that he would rather die, but if, and only if he were not afraid of what would come after death . In a manner of speaking, this also reflected Hamlets depression in that he would constantly think about death. He was melancholy to say the least. The question remains as to whether or not this is madness. In truth, it is possible that because he contemplates suicide in a very real way, it could possibly be thought of as madness as it is not a thought that any normal person would ever have. Instead, a normal individual may see issues in life that need to be dealt with instead of run away from which may have been what Hamlet was doing. Madness surrounds this possibility of death because most individuals will never truly contemplate taking their own life in any normal circumstances. In any event, Hamlets uncertainty is also what drives Hamlets obsessions, which revolve around the betrayal leading to the death of his father. Obsession and Betrayal Hamlets obsession revolves around the betrayal his family has faced at the hands of his uncle. Despite the fact that Hamlet appears to have been given evidence that his uncle did, as a matter of fact, murder his father, it seems as though this so-called evidence is simply not enough for Hamlet to be absolutely certain. Where wilt though lead me? Speak; Ill go no further Hamlet begins in Scene V (Shakespeare) Although this statement may be perceived as Hamlet attempting to stand his ground in search for answers as to what is happening, the other side of this could also be that he is somewhat afraid of the specter that is standing in front of him. During Shakespeares time period, fear of ghosts was not unusual because it was believed that ghosts did indeed exist as a way of explaining sometimes what seemed to be supernatural things. The ghost of Shakespeares Hamlet first appears in Act I and reveals truths to Hamlet, one of which is admitting that he is Hamlets murdered father. A conve rsation takes place between Hamlet and the ghost of his dead father where the ghost openly accuses Claudius, Hamlets uncle, of having been the murderer by stating that The serpent that did sting thy fathers life Now wears his crown (1.5.39-40). If the ghost is indeed Hamlets father and is to be believed, theoretically, the ghosts accusation should be all of the proof that Hamlet needs, yet he continually searches for proof, all the while replacing normal joys with his obsession to know the absolute truth behind the betrayal the resulted in the death of his beloved father. Eventually, his obsession with his fathers death gets reinforced by an increase in separation from his family as well as his loved ones. Simply seeing a ghost raises questions of madness because reality says that there are no such things as ghosts, but yet, people still claim to see ghosts. In this particular case, it can be thought that Hamlet descended into madness even further as he attempted to come to terms with several factors that surrounded this particular event in the play. The first factor that really stands out is the fact that Hamlet sees a ghost period. Not too many people will see such things unless they are perhaps clinically and mentally disturbed. That is the first implication that signals Hamlets madness. It continues even as others see what Hamlet sees. Even Hamlets friends, Horatio and Marcellus, see him after Hamlet has seen his fathers ghost. Hamlet truly wants closure for the loss of his father and as such, urgently wants assurances as to what has been witnessed from his friends perspectives. While his friends fear the ghost, Hamlet feels as though he must go in order for the ghost to talk to hi m. Is it madness that drives him to go forth and attempt to communicate with the ghost? Honestly, it can be looked at from either perspective. Simply believing that an individual can even talk to a ghost is somewhat disturbing. There would have to be some sort of mental illness or blockage there to believe that he truly was talking to his fathers ghost. At the same time, maybe it was not madness as it could have been because there are many different ways that an individual learns to cope with what they are dealing with. In this case, Hamlet must learn to deal with the loss of his father and perhaps seeing something like a specter is in fact his coping mechanism. That cannot possibly be healthy, but for lack of better explanation, at least it is a way to cope. On the other hand, it can even be questioned as to whether or not he may instead be experiencing a true mental illness like schizophrenia. The only reason that can be tossed out the window as an option is because his friends al so see the ghost even if they are unaware as to who or what it is supposed to stand for. Also considering the fact that the only person that the ghost talks to is Hamlet, it would seem that perhaps this was also because Hamlet was the only one willing to see and talk to the ghost. Perhaps that is also a sign of madness as he allowed himself to communicate with someone that really should not exist in any real scientific manner. Since Hamlet seemed to be far past the idea true sanity, it would further seem that his talking to a ghost would simply add to the madness that is Hamlet. As the play progresses, Hamlet has become separate emotionally from his family and the woman he once proclaimed to love, Ophelia. He would rather push Ophelia away and encourage her to go to a nunnery because of the way he has come to view women in general. He goes on to tell her that he loved her once, only to say that Ophelia should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not (3.1.119-121). How hurtful that was to the fair Ophelia and did nothing but make her wish for the Hamlet she once knew. Clinical depression exhibits withdrawal from loved ones, as Hamlet has done here with Ophelia. Hamlet even finds it necessary to be vulgar towards Ophelia as it would have been impossible for him to continue to love her while simultaneously attempting to avenge Hamlet pulled away from the woman he had once proclaimed to love and still continued to contemplate his fathers death as well as his own. The death of Hamlets father is also reflective of the types of plays that were written of the time which were morality plays. The play contains many elements that are reminiscent of the Dark Ages such as the idea of the nation being diseased like a physical being which reminds the audience of the plague that had run rampant during medieval times. It is interesting that the health of the country and the well-being of the family are so closely related in such a manner that the country actually reflects the family. This brings forth the dark ages to the audience because the people held the royal family largely responsible for the plague and felt as though the royal family could have done more for the people as opposed to simply getting away. Denmark is constantly described as a physical person that has been made ill by the moral corruption within the family. In writing Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote what was common for that time which was a morality play. Clearly, morality played a significa nt part in the entire piece as Hamlet struggled with the idea of death. After the kings death, Hamlet is obsessed with death and looks at death from several different points of view. Then again, death was a common component of life during the dark ages what with the plague having run its course through Europe. With all of the surrounding destruction, contemplating death was normal, but for Hamlet, it took a slightly different twist. Real Madness or Not? Some might argue that Hamlets madness was real or not, but in truth, it was a truly disastrous time in Hamlets life. His father had passed away and his uncle had just married his widowed mother. This was then followed by the appearance of the ghost of his dead father with instructions for revenge, and then as if that were not enough, Ophelias father had made it impossible for Hamlet to see her. It is no wonder that Hamlet had episodes of madness throughout the play and appeared to lose touch with reality a number of times. In all reality, Hamlet never fully lost touch with reality and as such did eventually stop exhibiting his insanity after his argument with Laertes in the graveyard. Even in considering the revenge that was plotted against Claudius required some sort of reality hold in order to plan something effectively for it to really work. Once Hamlet saw his ghost of a father, his sole purpose in life was to uncover the truth about the matter and avenge his father should it be deemed necessary. From that perspective, madness seemed to be the perfect vessel to manipulate the way that the people worked around him. In fact, madness allowed him to confuse Polonius into believing that Ophelia was the root of his madness so much in fact that Polonius went to the king and queen who also seem inclined to believe that Ophelia could in fact be the cause of Hamlets madness. For Hamlet to carry this on effectively, he would have had to retain some sort of connection to reality in order to manipulate those that would otherwise doubt whether or not he actually knew what he was talking about. Hamlet was a brilliant man indeed! Final Thoughts It would seem that being a good actor is paramount to survival in this play. Polonius could not stick to the role of adviser and was trying to convince the King that Hamlet was in love with his daughter. This leads him to spy on Hamlet, and because he could not do that right either, is killed. Ophelia could not handle the role of mourning for her father, goes mad and dies as a result. The King could not cover up his guilt, so Hamlet has the proof he needs to spur him on. Overall, Hamlet, who if he would have acted as the ghost instructed him to in the first place, instead of flip flopping around, would have killed Claudius outright. Had Hamlet been truly comfortable with acting, Claudius would have been the only causality. Depending on how Hamlet is examined, it would appear that there are both real and not quite so real bouts of madness. Given the time in his life, it would be more likely that Hamlet would in fact be a victim of madness while still retaining some of his ability to keep in touch with reality to some extent. This attachment is what kept Hamlet from going entirely over the edge, but ultimately, his madness is what caused the story to take the path that it did because his madness led to his obsession which bled over into several different other themes within the play.

Internet Security :: essays research papers

Internet Security What will US politics and the economy be like as we progress through the twenty-first century? There is no single vision, but many people perceive a type of digital democracy. The use of information via Internet or World Wide Web will dramatically change politics and the way government takes place. For example, a digital democracy can inform people about political candidates and issues. Volunteers also use email and web sites to encourage people to go to the polls and vote for their candidate. (1) This really boosts voting and political participation but the problem of security and privacy comes along with this â€Å"digital democracy†. Security would seem easy with today’s technology but how do you secure something that is changing faster than you can find a solution?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet has had security problems since its earliest days as a pure research project. Even today, after several years and orders of magnitude of growth, it still has security problems. It is being used for a purpose for which it was never intended: commerce. (2) It is somewhat ironic that the early Internet was design as a prototype for a command and control network that could resist outages resulting from enemy actions, but it cannot resist college undergraduates. (2) The problem is that the attackers are on, and make up a part of, the network they are attacking. Designing a system that is capable of resisting attack from within, while still growing and evolving at a breakneck pace, is probably impossible. (1) Deep infrastructure changes are needed, and once you have achieved a certain amount of size, the sheer inertia of the installed base may make it impossible to apply repairs. (1) As general-purpose scripts were introduced on both the client and the serv er’s sides, the dangers of accidental and malicious abuse grew. It did not take long for the Web the move form the scientific community to the commercial world. At this point, the security threats became much more serious. The incentive for malicious attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in the underlying technologies is at an all-time high.(1) When business and profit are at stake, we cannot assume anything less than the most dedicated and resourceful attackers typing their utmost to steal, cheat, and perform malice against users of the Web. (2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the web being the single, largest source of information in the world, people are capable of obtaining stock quotes, tax information from the International Revenue Service, conduct election polls, register for a conference and the list goes on.

Bhagavad Gita on Krishnas Teachings

5. Bhagavad Gita The story in the Bhagavad Gita with Arjuna and Krishna has many teachings of Krishna about renunciation, selfless services, and meditation. It’s also important why Arjuna doesn’t want to wage war. There are many things that Krishna tells Arjuna. All of this will be brought up throughout the essay. In the story Arjuna does not want to wage war. His sudden reaction is reasoned by his internal feelings for this war. Arjuna doesn’t understand why he should have his family risk their lives in the war. Arjuna also does not agree with this war because he really does not like the kingdom that rules him anyways.Arjuna does not want to renounce his worldly possessions for peace in the action. At this point in time Arjuna doesn’t understand the selfless service in this action of war. Krishna appears in a bright light to Arjuna when Arjuna asked to see him. Krishna came to Arjuna to help him understand why he was being asked to wage war for the kingdo m. Krishna tells Arjuna many things when they are together discussing the war. Krishna begins by telling Arjuna about the life and death cycle of a Hindus. The life and death cycle in Hinduism is based on the persons Karma.Their Karma is what decides the reincarnation process and/or being of their next body. In Hinduism the reason of the life and death cycle is to work on their Karma. Krishna then explains that truly divine humans find peace in serving the gods. Therefore, Arjuna needs to be at peace with what Krishna and the other gods are asking of him in this war. This was to explain to Arjuna that he needs to find peace in his actions but not to renounce his worldly possessions for it. Arjuna again is struggling with allowing his family fight in this war where they could lose their lives.Krishna then wants Arjuna to do this selfless service for him. Selfless service is a way of serving the gods and a good practice of Karma. Meditation is a way of arriving at selflessness. Medita tion helps break the rebirth and death cycle, because meditation is used to focus on achieving the divine. Krishna was able to convince Arjuna that this war was a good thing. Arjuna, after spending the time with Krishna, felt reassured that his worries were for no reason and this action would help in eternity. Krishna explains his reasoning to Arjuna.Arjuna than understood his task and the teachings of Krishna. Renunciation to find peace in the action of war was one teaching of Krishna. Committing this selfless service for the gods was good for Arjuna’s karma was the second lesson that was taught during their meeting. The last teaching of Krishna to Arjuna was about the importance of meditation. All of Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna revolved around creating a better Karma and therefore, ending the rebirth, life, and death cycle. Ending that cycle is over all goal of the Hindus religion.

Michael Graves Essay

Art Appreciation Michael Graves Michael Graves is a post-modern architect born in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 9th 1934. He graduated from Broad Ripple High School; he then attended and got his bachelor degree at the University of Cincinnati. After getting his bachelors, he went to Harvard where he got his masters in Interior design. After college he started career as an architect, it was in 1968 when he designed and built the Hanselmann House in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He built houses for about 10 years until he started building all kinds of buildings. He built anything from the Dolphin Resort at Disney world from the Denver Public Library. Graves has been designing buildings of all types since 1968 very rapidly, some years designing four or more buildings a year. One of Graves’s most famous buildings is the Portland building in Oregon. This building was made in 1980 and is unique because of how he surprised everyone with the exterior design. He used a pair of classical columns that have no structural function. He made these columns stand out by setting them in a reflecting pool. The Portland public says the building is both formal and playful, governor Ivancie says that most big city building were beginning to be built to simple with Just glass outsides. He says the Portland building doesn’t lack design features like other big city buildings. Some did criticize the design but most were thrilled by the uniqueness of the new building. People say there is type of humor to his designs and buildings. â€Å"Graves has become an opponent of modern works who uses humor as an integral part of his architecture† (1). Graves uses designs from the past and puts his own twist on them. â€Å"Graves re-interpreted the rational style that had been introduced by Le Corbusier in the 1920s into a neoclassical style† (1). Michael Graves has many building that are very famous, but his design on the Humana Building in Louisville, Kentucky is maybe his best design he’s had. His design on this building got him in the time magazine. â€Å"TIME Magazine listed it as one of the 10 best buildings of the decade† (2). The building looks different from every side. Many say it is one of the most unique and distinctive skyscrapers in America. Critics say it is a textbook example of Postmodernism. Grave’s Humana building is said to have its fair share of flaws but the brilliant design more than counteracts the flaws. â€Å"While the building has undeniable flaws, they are easily outweighed by its attributes, hich have only grown stronger with time†(3). http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/house/ http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/ https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=JwhZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=http://featuresblogs.+chicagotribune.+com/t&source=bl&ots=CwG3pAKd5l&sig=5KrPfyo2wN90yu3ZXrsblMPOpew&hl=uk&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjy0NvQhoPUAhVKD5oKHUzSCe8Q6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=http%3A%2F%2Ffeaturesblogs.%20chicagotribune.%20com%2Ft&f=false https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humana_Building Humana Humana - Michael Graves Architecture & Design window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/www.michaelgraves.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=4.9.8"}}; !function(a,b,c){function d(a,b){var c=String.fromCharCode;l.clearRect(0,0,k.width,k.height),l.fillText(c.apply(this,a),0,0);var d=k.toDataURL();l.clearRect(0,0,k.width,k.height),l.fillText(c.apply(this,b),0,0);var e=k.toDataURL();return d===e}function e(a){var b;if(!l||!l.fillText)return!1;switch(l.textBaseline="top",l.font="600 32px Arial",a){case"flag":return!(b=d([55356,56826,55356,56819],[55356,56826,8203,55356,56819]))&&(b=d([55356,57332,56128,56423,56128,56418,56128,56421,56128,56430,56128,56423,56128,56447],[55356,57332,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56418,8203,56128,56421,8203,56128,56430,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56447]),!b);case"emoji":return b=d([55358,56760,9792,65039],[55358,56760,8203,9792,65039]),!b}return!1}function f(a){var c=b.createElement("script");c.src=a,c.defer=c.type="text/javascript",b.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(c)}var g,h,i,j,k=b.createElement("canvas"),l=k.getContext&&k.getContext("2d");for(j=Array("flag","emoji"),c.supports={everything: !0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},i=0;i

Pericles Analysis Paper

Pericles Analysis Paper Pericles: Analysis Paper Analysis Paper: Pericles Analysis Paper: Pericles Throughout the last few weeks, we have talked about many different events and how they influenced ancient Greece. War, conquest, philosophy, democracy, and literature are some of the few aspects of Greek culture that we have discussed; Pericles played a big role as an Athenian general during what is now called the â€Å"Golden Age† of Greece. Pericles, defined as â€Å"surrounded by glory† (Mark, 2009), was born in 495 B.C. to a very powerful and wealthy family. His father, Xanthippus, was a famous Athenian commander of the Persian War. His mother, Agariste, was from the very politically powerful Alcmaeonid family. It is easy to see that Pericles was naturally born as a future leader. What is now known of Pericles comes from information told by ancient historians Thucydides. As the author of History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides used eyewitness statements as well as his own personal experiences to explain many events that took place during this time. There is speculation, however, regarding Thucydides’ statements about Pericles’ early life; as he was much younger and obviously not present during the experiences. In 472 B.C., Pericles funded the play â€Å"The Persians† by Aeschylus; which was early view of his large wealth as well as his taste for art and politics. In 463 B.C., Pericles essentially banished a leading general, Cimon, by prosecuting him for neglecting a chance to conquer Macedonia. This was a major victory for Pericles, as it showed his continued interest in the success and expansion of the Athenian Empire. He was eventually chosen by the people as strategos, or leading general, of Athens where he continued to hold the position for almost 30 years. The Delian League, which was formed during the Persian War, consisted of many Greek city-states and was originally formed to protect against Achaemenian Persia. After the defeat of the super-power that was Persia, the city-states united with pride and the Delian League grew even stronger with donations of wealth, ships, and troops. (Britannica, 2015). Pericles saw this as an opportunity, and decided to use funding from the Delian League to repair buildings and temples that were destroyed during the war. He also used funds to expand his naval fleet, which opened more opportunities for trading and conquering. Democracy originated from the Greek words demos – the people and kratos – power. This is why, even today, it’s considered a government â€Å"by the people, for the people†. Pericles continued to strengthen Athenian government by introducing a direct democracy - where citizens made the decisions by which they lived. This allowed them to control nearly all parts of the political process. (Cartwright, 2014) This new way of government not only helped shape Athens, but also influenced government in western civilization for years to come. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens was becoming very wealthy and powerful. The city-state of

The Best Sources to Upgrade Your Research

The Best Sources to Upgrade Your Research Wikipedia is a good source for information. It is a good source, that is, if you just want some general information that random people have contributed on a topic. Wikipedia is not a resource for academic research works. In fact, no encyclopedia should be used when students conduct serious research. The question then becomes, can a student find scholarly websites for serious research? The answer to that question is yes, provided students have the ability to find them. In order to make your journey through the web in search of research websites a bit easier, we have compiled a list of the most reputable places with a brief description. iSeek This is sort of the scholars rendition of Ask.com. Students can pose a question based upon the topic they have chosen for an essay or paper, the search engine will spit out resources from government, reputable and established non-commercial sites, and from universities. This is one of the most highly respected scholarly search engines on the web. In fact, teachers and professors use it for their own research. Google Scholar Among academic search engines, this one is pretty cool. It focuses on the type of scholarly literature that grad students need for their research. Just enter some keywords or phrases, and Google will churn out papers, books, dissertation abstracts, theses, current research articles from scholarly journals, and more. These are primary source materials. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) This library is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education and currently holds more than 1.3 million resource materials dissertations, technical reports, policy papers, research syntheses, targeted scholarly journals and articles. Students can search in virtually any content field and find hundreds or resources. If is one of the most commonly used research websites for students who are beginning their theses or dissertations all primary source material. Intute Intute is not a library of itself. Rather, it is unique among academic search engines, based in the UK that will point students to appropriate websites for their research. Students can enter their specific topics and receive the names and URLs of scholarly websites for their research. This site is particularly cool because it also has free tutorials produced by professors and librarians related to web-based research. Scirus Here is a science students dream among all other research sites. It houses over 350 million pages of articles, journal publications, and major research works from respected higher education institutions everywhere. Virtual Learning Resources Center If you want to find any scholarly website related to any academic discipline, you will want to use this research website. It is actually an index and houses the names of scholarly websites that are recommended by professors, high school and university librarians. The student can plug in his/her topic area and immediately get a list of reputable websites that house scholarly publications in that academic field. Noodle Tools This is one of the best educational search engines for high school students, although undergrad students find it really helpful as well. It provides both primary and secondary resources for any topic. The neat additional feature is that is has a citation generator tool for APA, MLA and Chicago format style. WorldCat The perfecct site if you are looking for a specific book. Type in the book title and this great site will searh through libraries looking for it. Ultimately, it will tell you where you can find that book in a libarary geograpically close to your location. It will do the same for video and CDs. Students can search for other digital sources like audiobooks and other rare text that is not available publicly. American Memory Undergrad and grad history students will never need to look for another source. This is the door to the Library of Congresss nine million-plus digital documents all primary sources - including books, articles, sound recordings, maps, etc.

A Study Of Russias Political Ideologies And Vladimir Putins Administration

A Study Of Russia's Political Ideologies And Vladimir Putin's Administration The symbiotic relationship between politics and the economy benefits society as a whole, and this carefully constructed, mutually beneficial connection can easily turn sour should one side negatively impact the other. To further expand upon this claim, it is hardly a revolutionary idea to say that economic theories have changed depending on who has political control, and individual politicians can usurp power depending on the state of the economy. A further fragmented political state evolves when regional government carries most of a national economic burden. This give and take association is exemplified in Russia following Putin’s return to power combined with the Russian financial collapse during the latter portion of 2014. The political ideologies of Russia under Putin aggravated pre-existing financial instabilities within regional economies, and the sharp decline of the price of oil as well as international economic sanctions imposed on Russia that led to the collapse of t he Russian ruble. As the name Vladimir Putin echoes in every corner of the world, the leader of the world’s largest nation is known for being quite a controversial figure. Putin maintains a pseudo democracy that could be labeled as potentially more dangerous than the pure autocracy Russians suffered for decades. Even for centuries, Russia has experienced a tumultuous political climate; specifically, â€Å"Nearly two decades after the fall of communism, Russia is not a democracy. But neither is it an absolute autocracy in the mold of, say, Cuba or North Korea. That is to say, Russia pretends to be democratic† (Shevtsova). Pretending to be democratic, however, comes from years of chaos and uncertainty. With help from Western governments, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, Russia underwent the largest and fastest privatization in history in order to establish a fully nationalized Soviet economy. But, seven years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia suffered the 1998 financial crisis, and at the time, it’s regional governments shouldered most of Russia’s economic burden. During the course of those seven years, Russia entered a deep depression, thus the 1998 financial crisis worsened an already dire situation. Boris Yeltsin weathered Russia through their economic troubles to the best of his ability, and the economy only really recovered once demand for oil rose. However, hours before the first day of the year 2000, Yeltsin announced his resignation, leaving the government in the hands of Vladimir Putin, a former KGB official and the head of the FSB. Putin’s action during both his previous and current terms in office reflect the scarily obvious link between the political climate within a country and its economic state. For Putin in his first term, he rebuilt an impoverished Russia with the help of the Russian oligarchs, or the wealthy businessmen who were former Soviet Union officials. Putin’s association with former So viet Union officials came with little to no surprise for anyone when he described the collapse of the Soviet Union as, â€Å" the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the Twentieth Century,† (BBC). His hopeful Soviet Union ideals continue to drive Russia into a divided political state, and further antagonizes existing economic troubles. Given its vast size, Russia reaps an abundant amount of natural resources, which they use for economic purposes. Similar to the 1998 financial crisis, the root of the 2014 economic struggles revolve around oil prices, the principal resource of their economy. Or in other words, â€Å"Russia gets around half of its budget revenue from taxes on oil and natural gas, and as long as the price of oil is plummeting, its economy is likely to continue sinking.† (McLaughlin). The collapse of the ruble in 2014 was not directly linked to just oil though. Russia’s economy was also deeply affected by an unbalanced pension system, inflation, and severe US and European sanctions. Other than oil, the most noteworthy cause for this period of economic instability would be the international sanctions made against Russia during the Ukrainian crisis. Addressing the Crimean crisis and the shortly followed annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, several governments and international org anizations, led by the United States and European Union, imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and businesses. On October 3, 2014, Joe Biden even commented, â€Å"We don’t want Russia to collapse. We want Russia to succeed. But Putin has to make a choice. These asymmetrical advances on another country cannot be tolerated. The international system will collapse if they are.† (Biden). Russia continues to push the boundaries of the political spectrum, despite already suffering from issues such as inflation. Inflation has a direct connection to issues such as unemployment, which in turn affects political policies. Russia’s annual inflation for 2014 was 11.4%, the highest level of inflation since 2008, and combining that very high percentage with the falling ruble, consumer prices, especially food, began to skyrocket. The various factors causing economic instabilities beginning in 2014, which can still be seen today, have had definite political effects. In 2012, Putin reclaimed presidential power, but the international community called into question the logistics of his election. Specifically, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observed blatant fraud, â€Å"including the brazen stuffing of ballot boxes.† (Schwirtz). The legality of this election spurred protests throughout the streets of Russia with people asking for Russia without Putin, but Putin quickly squashed any opposition against him through means of violence, intimidation, and coercion. His reassertion into power laid a shaky political foundation that was aggravated by the collapse of the Russian ruble in 2014. For Russia, their primary political concern in 2014 occurred when Russia seized Crimea, exponentially affecting tensions between the East and the West, and in the latter portion of 2014, the ruble began to devalue. In 2015, Russia launches military support for their ally President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and â€Å"oil and gas accounted for 43 percent of the government’s revenue. The World Bank predicted the poverty [in Russia] rate will reach 14.2 percent in 2016,† (Lee). Now, currently in 2017, the United States has launched an investigation into Russia’s role with the Trump administration. The correlation between the economic state of Russia and political climate within this vast state is that both sides need each other to be successful. However, a declining economic state led to a more tense political atmosphere, because the ruble was suffering due to rising U.S. interest rates as well as economic sanctions. But, the ruble drastically dropped because of a series of controversial political decisions by the Putin and other Russian leaders. Since the national government is slowly unraveling, the regional governments throughout Russia are capitalizing on their lack of assertiveness. With its immense size, the regions of Russia vastly differ. For most people, they do not see that: â€Å"the difference across Russian regions, although they may not be enormous by EU standards, are nonetheless striking: from highly urbanized to predominantly agrarian, from Mediterranean climatic conditions to extremely cold, from rich to natural resources to poor in natural resources, from gateway or commercial hub regions to regions facing high transport costs,† (Dimitros). Under the Russian constitution, the regional and local government received numerous powers such as imposing regional taxes, and they fully exercised their enumerated powers to alleviate their economic burdens. Russia currently has nine established districts which include Central, Far East, Northwest, Siberia, Southern, Urals, Volga, and Northern Caucasus. The ninth district was established in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. In comparison to the federal government, these nine districts lack adequate tax revenue to pay their teachers, police officers, or other public officials, and they are overburdened by pensions. Although these regions face similar economic burdens: â€Å"The resource-rich areas, the financial capitals and the maritime regions would benefit from the liberalization of the economy and from free trade. These regions, relying on the export of mineral resources, on geographic location, or on financial capital, are more inclined to back the more liberal foreign trade oriented policy,† (Dimitros). As the resource-rich regions of Russia lean towards more liberal policies, the traditional industrial areas suffer from an inability to make structural adjustments. Whereas, the less industrialized regions are more likely to endorse domestic trade rather than international. The simple difference of regional economies can not be emphasized enough in Russia, because it exposes fragmented political ideologies. During their long term structural economic decline, Moscow has slowly started to crumble and in turn Putin is losing control of his country. In other words, the domestic problems that the Kremlin is facing threatens the centralized authority that Putin has worked so hard to build. Last year, â€Å"even the Russian Ministry of Economic Development admitted that [acceptable] living standards are unlikely until 2035,† (Jarmas). Thus given that the overall conditions of Russia’s federal government are declining rapidly, many regional governments are trying to maintain their minimal portions of the federal budget. The regional economies within Russia are preemptively preparing to ford their people through yet another tragic financial collapse, although they thought they would receive assistance from Putin. In 2012, for this third term Putin ran on the platform that he would increase wages in the public sector, but now in 2017, Putin is yet to make good on his promises. The f ederal budget has provided little funding for regional governments, who ultimately would be responsible for the higher wages. Putin has entrapped regional governments within a vicious cycle, where they are mandated to provide costly welfare programs by the central government which provides little to none federal funding. However, the Kremlin requires that regional governments carry most of their economic burden so they can focus on larger political conflicts. The relationship between politics and the economy highlights the effect of political ideologies on both regional and national economies. Political ideologies can alter depending on the economic state of a country, and that economic state can be drastically affected by a country’s political regime. The ramifications of Russia’s financial collapse that began in 2014 are seen today, and protest over unpaid wages continue to rise across Russia. With the 2018 World Cup around the corner for Russia, protesters have begun to link Kremlin’s megaprojects, such as a new soccer stadium, to worsening economic conditions in various regions throughout Russia. Russia has also been in numerous headlines, for their ties to the Trump administration, and their continual involvement in American politics mounts growing international concerns. Russia’s eagerness to venture into foreign affairs reflects a nation desperate for a new form of economic stability, a concept that may elude them for years to come and will continue to do so until many of the nation’s systemic issues are resolved.

Deductive arguments, and nondeductive arguments and deductive argument Essay

Deductive arguments, and nondeductive arguments and deductive argument persuading us to a conclusion, and a theory explaining wh - Essay Example Both males and females have been steeped in new consumer standards, shifted via cradle to grave marketing, and they have the propensity for commodifying themselves and other to a greater degree than preceding generations. Consumer standards such as the American obsession with celebrity beauty translate into acceptable objectification for both women and men. Arguably, this new American consumer culture has cultivated an astonishing trend that is motivating this movement of established objectification. Harris’ misguided supposition that reproducing beauty children gives them an advantage in society is plain objectification of beauty. In the American culture, women are progressively depicted as pure objects and the indirect issue, the patron, is characteristically male. And objectification of beauty in the American popular culture has become a part of everyday lingo (Berger 34). Harris’ projection that reproducing beautiful children will give them an advantage in the socie t

The Role of Business in the Economy Dissertation

The Role of Business in the Economy - Dissertation Example of Owners Type of Liability Advantages Disadvantages 1. Sole Proprietorship One Unlimited in the form of personal liability in relation to business debt 1. Total profit generated is retained by the owner 2. Formation and dissolution are easy tasks 3. Owners are characterized by having flexibilities 1. The financial liability is unlimited in nature 2. Limited opportunity of financing 3. Deficiencies in management 4. Lacks continuity 2. Partnership More than one The business creditors are a threat to the personal assets held by any of the partners 1. Formation is easy 2. Can be benefited from partners having management skills which are complementary in nature 3. Financial capacity is expanded 1. Financial liability is unlimited in nature 2. Interpersonal conflicts between partners 3. Lacks continuity 4. Difficulty in dissolution 3. Corporation The no. of shareholders is unlimited. For the S Corporations it can have a maximum of 75 shareholders Limited 1. Financial liability is limited in nature 2. Management having specialized skills 3. Financial capacity is expanded 4. Large scale economic operations 1. Formation and dissolution are costly and difficult in nature. 2. Disadvantages because of taxation 3. Legal restrictions Question 2 Define the entrepreneurship and the nature and importance in the economy of small business Entrepreneurship can be defined as the ability to develop and create something new. Entrepreneurship has been defined by different authors in various ways. For example, according to A. H. Cole, entrepreneurship is defined as an activity which is done purposefully by any individual to initiate or generate profit through the manufacture and distribution of services and goods having economic value. Similarly, it is defined by Peter Drucker as a practice and not a kind of art or science. It is actually a base of knowledge, and entrepreneurship is not only a means of earning money but also a medium of creativity, imagination, flexibility, ability to undertake risks, and the ability to utilize change as a means of new opportunity (Mohanty, 2005, p.10-11). Entrepreneurship can be very advantageous for the economy of small businesses. Most of the small businesses in an economy are initiated through the efforts of a single person, who is known as the entrepreneur. They are successful in setting up the business successfully through the effective utilization of business opportunities in the market. The entrepreneurs are characterized by having the ability to take considerable amount of risks and are self motivated (NCSEE, n.d.). The small businesses set up by the entrepreneurs help to boost the economic growth and also serve for the purpose of meeting the various needs of the people locally. Question 3 Describe the basic accountability process and financial statements used in business Accounting can be defined as the process of recording and reporting of financial transactions after proper analysis of the collected information about the business transactions. These financial transactions are required to be recorded and represented in an orderly manner so as to facilitate useful information required for the decision making process of its users. The proper interpretation of information represented in the financial statements also forms a part of the basic accounting process of any business entity. The information about the financial transac

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The experience of inactive nurses returned to nursing after completing a refresher course by Hammer and Craig - Essay Example The focus of the study was to highlight the experiences of nurses In Midwestern University who were returning to active service after completing independent refresher courses between the years 2000 and 2005 (Hammer and Craig, 2008). Generally, the primary purpose of the phenomenological research was to identify some of the experiences usually encountered by previously inactive nurses taking refresher courses before returning to active nursing practice. Refresher courses is one of the evidenced best practice practices that are increasingly being used in the health care system to improve the performance of professionals particularly after being inactive in the service. The researchers have effectively employed the use of a systematic inquiry and well structured methods to address some of their research questions. This is particularly important because use of evidence based practice in nursing is widely based on the previous researches. This paper critically analyzes the appropriateness of the qualitative research design used as well as the feasibility and effectiveness of the research article. Feasibility and significance of the study With regard to the feasibility and effectiveness of the research, a number of previous publications have revealed a growing shortage of nurses in our health in various healthcare institutions. ... after undergoing refresher courses is significantly important because it will provide more insight into some of the ways of mitigating the current shortage of nurses. For instance the described experiences of inactive nurses who are returning to practice can effectively be used in evidence based practice to help in the improve patient care in healthcare institutions. Appropriateness of the study design The research methodology used by the researchers has met most of the conditions necessary for research methodology congruence. For example some of the criteria adopted during the conduct of the research study included selecting participants who have successfully completed refresher courses and had been employed in active nursing for 6 month after completing the course, had time to participate in face to face interviews and were living round the research centers. In this regard, the criterion used in selecting the potential respondents not only ensured the effectiveness of the research but it also ensured that the researchers the prospective participants were best placed to effectively provide answers to some of the research questions. On the other hand, the use of face to face interviews provided the researchers with an opportunity to clarify any doubt to the participants and adapt the questions such as by rephrasing or repeating some questions. This is particularly necessary because it enables the researchers to ensure that the interview questions are well understood thereby improving the reliability of the responses. Additionally the use of face –to-face interviews also allowed the researchers to pick up nonverbal clues that may be unconsciously exhibited by the respondents. It is however worth noting that despite the effectiveness of this research method, face

Judicial Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Judicial Review - Essay Example Kovac’s tea with sleeping pills’. The drug alleged to have spiked into the teacher’s hot beverage was diphendyramine citrate. The head teacher, in reaching his decision, relied on statements recorded by Ms. P, the claimant’s fellow student and Mrs. Kovac, the alleged victim. 3. According to the complainant’s main witness, one Ms. P who recordeda statementstating that during the morning break, she had been curious of what the claimant was up to and had followed her to classwhere the claimant was alone and seen â€Å"Veronica (the claimant herein)openherbag,takeoutasmallpacketofwhatlookedlike medicine(Icouldn’tseeexactlywhatitwasasitwas smallandIwastoofar away).Shethen wentovertoMrs.Kovac’s desk.IcouldclearlyseethemugMrs.Kovacusesonherdesk.Itisverylargeandhasâ€Å"world’sbestteacher†written on it.Veronica thendroppedsomething intothemug.Sheput thepacketbackin herbagandturnedtowardsthedoorIranawayimmediatelyasIdidn’twant her toknowthat I’dseen her. Idon’t think she saw me.†Witness P further records that while in her French class there ensured some commotion in the hallway outside when Mrs. Kovac had passed out and an ambulance had to be called. However, she does not state the exact time when sh e had attended the said French class. Neither Mr. Carey nor Mrs. Kovaccorroborates Witness P’s allegations. 4. The claimant states that the Head teacher, Board and Panel erred by not taking notice of the fact that Witness P, whom the claimant believed to be Ms. Pauline and the claimant herein were not in good terms. The claimant further states that Pauline and the claimant have had disagreements after the claimant started dating Paulina’s former boyfriend, Steven. The claimant’s mother aptly puts it: â€Å"Pauline was devastated when he (Steven) dumped her and got together with my daughter. She has hated Veronica ever since. I know that they havehadverbalfightsinclass,sotheteachers

Themes of tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Themes of tradition - Essay Example As a result of these factors, there has been significant changes in the size, height, shape and design; both internal and external, of buildings. These changes have led to many architectural debates. Some architects argue that modern architectural designs are inspired by the traditional themes while others argue that today’s designs are original and are a result of improved technology and skills and knowledge taught in the schools today. Others argue that modern architecture is a combination of both traditional architectural and modern architectural themes. The progress of today’s architectural industry has become a debate to many and there is therefore the need to analyze how both the traditional and modern themes influence the buildings we see today. Traditional themes as depicted in architectural projects Traditional themes in architecture are based on three design values; traditional based design value, design value of restoration and preservation and the vernacular design value. Under the design value of restoration and preservation, architects believe that there is need to preserve the best of their structures and products for upcoming generations. They therefore work towards ensuring that even when a building is being redesigned; it is restored to its original design. Such architects hold on to three perspectives. The first one is the archeological perspective which holds that it is important to preserve buildings and products as part of our history. The artistic perspective holds on to the need to reserve something that is reckoned as beautiful and a masterpiece. The social perspective on the other hand is built on the need to hold on to familiarity and reassurance. The traditional based design value is based on the belief that traditional designs depict something good and functional. This value is based on three strategies; the first one is the revivalist strategy where an architect sticks to traditional forms of design. The contextualist strategy is where historical forms of design are used when the surroundings demand for such. The critical traditional strategy is based on the interpretation of traditional designs and applying them in modern architecture. Lastly, the vernacular design value is based on the belief that a simple and traditional design is more superior to the modern designs. This operates under four key concepts. The reinvigorating concept is calls for the use of traditional designs and themes in modern times whereas the reinventing concept is where architects go out in search of new archetypes. The extending concept implies the use of traditional designs in a more modern manner while the reinterpreting concept involves the use of modern and recent expressions of architecture. With these design aspects in mind, let us take a look at some of architectural projects that have traditional insights in them. Our study case shall be in Japan since it is one of the countries with a rich, traditional out view of architecture and it still builds on these views up to date. The first project is the Gender Equality Center (GEC). Fumihiko Maki, the architect behind this project, believes that an architect has to rely on his innate aesthetic preferences, ethical and traditional principles as he designs his buildings. In the designing of the center, Maki observed his traditional design values since the building reflects Japanese concepts of architecture. He

INFLATION TARGETING AS A STRATEGY FOR THE CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY Research Paper

INFLATION TARGETING AS A STRATEGY FOR THE CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY (IN CANADA) - Research Paper Example Monetary policy is one of public intervention measure around at influencing the level and pattern of economic activity so as to achieve certain desired goals. The task of keeping the rate of inflation low is given to authority bodies such as the central bank. Monetary policy covers all the action of the bank of Canada and the government which influence the quantity, the cost and availability of money credit in the economy through open market operations and setting of banking reserve requirements. 2. DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO CONDUCT MONETARY POLICY I. Attainment of full employment Full employment simply refers to involuntary unemployment. Monetary policy can raise the level of employment by encouraging credit availability to labor intensive section like rural agriculture and other small scale factories. Policies that lower the interest rates constitute expansionary monetary and is likely to lead to an increase in investment hence more employment opportunities. II. Price stability Econo mics sometime suffer from inflation and deflation; both have their effects either positively or negatively. Monetary policy helps in controlling inflation pressure. Price stability can be maintained by regulating money through tools of credit control like discount rate and minimum reserve requirement ratio. It helps in maintaining equilibrium in income and wealth inequalities. III. Economic growth expansion Money policies are put in place to ensure that more money is injected in circulation to finance developments of projects, which may in turn cause a price increase. Monetary also controls real interest rates and its effect are clearly reflected in investment. If the central government goes for an affordable and available credit policy by cutting down on the interest rates, the investment level of the economy is encouraged (Ben and Woodford 94). Increase in investment simply means higher economic developments. IV. Balance of payments equilibrium The balance of payments has two aspe cts, that of surplus and that of deficit. The latter reflects stringency of money and the former an excess of money. If the monetary policy succeeds in maintaining monetary equilibrium than the balance of payments, equilibrium can be achieved. V. Exchange rate stability This refers to the value of home currency expressed in terms of any foreign currency. If the exchange rate is volatile, causing rapid changes frequently, the international society might lose confidence in the economy. The monetary policy hopes to achieve and maintain relative stability in the exchange rate. The central bank tries to influence the demand for foreign exchange and also maintaining its stability. VI. Equal income distribution Fiscal policy was s used to maintain economic equality according to some economist. In recent years, it is believed that the monetary policy can also play a role in attaining that equality. It can make unique provisions for the neglect availability like small scale factories, agricu lture and many more by providing for them cheaper credits for longer terms, thus assisting in reducing economic inequalities. Inflation is the increase in general level of prices of commodities in an economy over time. When prices rise, a buyer of goods and services is forced to pay more money for lesser goods and services. This simply means that inflation erodes the purchasing power of money. Inflation rates are used to measure the price of inflation. Economists argue that inflation is generally caused by a growth of the money

Themes of tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Themes of tradition - Essay Example As a result of these factors, there has been significant changes in the size, height, shape and design; both internal and external, of buildings. These changes have led to many architectural debates. Some architects argue that modern architectural designs are inspired by the traditional themes while others argue that today’s designs are original and are a result of improved technology and skills and knowledge taught in the schools today. Others argue that modern architecture is a combination of both traditional architectural and modern architectural themes. The progress of today’s architectural industry has become a debate to many and there is therefore the need to analyze how both the traditional and modern themes influence the buildings we see today. Traditional themes as depicted in architectural projects Traditional themes in architecture are based on three design values; traditional based design value, design value of restoration and preservation and the vernacular design value. Under the design value of restoration and preservation, architects believe that there is need to preserve the best of their structures and products for upcoming generations. They therefore work towards ensuring that even when a building is being redesigned; it is restored to its original design. Such architects hold on to three perspectives. The first one is the archeological perspective which holds that it is important to preserve buildings and products as part of our history. The artistic perspective holds on to the need to reserve something that is reckoned as beautiful and a masterpiece. The social perspective on the other hand is built on the need to hold on to familiarity and reassurance. The traditional based design value is based on the belief that traditional designs depict something good and functional. This value is based on three strategies; the first one is the revivalist strategy where an architect sticks to traditional forms of design. The contextualist strategy is where historical forms of design are used when the surroundings demand for such. The critical traditional strategy is based on the interpretation of traditional designs and applying them in modern architecture. Lastly, the vernacular design value is based on the belief that a simple and traditional design is more superior to the modern designs. This operates under four key concepts. The reinvigorating concept is calls for the use of traditional designs and themes in modern times whereas the reinventing concept is where architects go out in search of new archetypes. The extending concept implies the use of traditional designs in a more modern manner while the reinterpreting concept involves the use of modern and recent expressions of architecture. With these design aspects in mind, let us take a look at some of architectural projects that have traditional insights in them. Our study case shall be in Japan since it is one of the countries with a rich, traditional out view of architecture and it still builds on these views up to date. The first project is the Gender Equality Center (GEC). Fumihiko Maki, the architect behind this project, believes that an architect has to rely on his innate aesthetic preferences, ethical and traditional principles as he designs his buildings. In the designing of the center, Maki observed his traditional design values since the building reflects Japanese concepts of architecture. He

The U.S. Navy Role in World War II Essay Example for Free

The U.S. Navy Role in World War II Essay Abstract World War II was the mightiest struggle humankind has ever seen. It killed more people, cost more money, damaged more property, affected more people, and caused more far-reaching changes in nearly every country than any other war in history. The number of people killed, wounded, or missing between September 1939 and September 1945 can never be calculated, but it is estimated that more than 55 million people perished. More than 50 countries took part in the war, and the whole world felt its effects. Men fought in almost every part of the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Chief battlegrounds included Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. The United States hoped to stay out. Drawing on its experience from World War I, Congress passed a series of neutral acts between 1935 and 1939, which were intended to prevent Americans becoming entangled with belligerents While America was wallowing in neutrality and isolationism, events were occurring in Europe and Asia that were causing increasing tension across the regions. Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japan’s increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market; to this end, Japan had declared war on China in 1937(Tsukiyama, 2006) . American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more determined to  stand their ground. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington DC, neither side would budge. It seemed that war was inevitable. No one believed that the Japanese would start that war with an attack on American territory. For one thing, it would be terribly inconvenient for the Japanese. Hawaii and Japan were about 4,000 miles apart. For another, American intelligence officials were confident that any Japanese attack would take place in one of the relatively nearby European colonies in the South Pacific: the Dutch East Indies, for instance, or Singapore or Indochina(Tsukiyama, 2006) . Because American military leaders were not expecting an attack so close to home, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields. To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistible target. The Japanese plan was simple, Destroy the Pacific Fleet. That way, the Americans would not be able to fight back as Japan’s armed forces spread across the South Pacific. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack. At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma(Tsukiyama, 2006) . With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. By the time the attack was over, every battleship in Pearl Harbor–USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Penn sylvania, USS Tennessee and USS Nevada had sustained significant damage. In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed 18 American ships and nearly 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were wounded(Tsukiyama, 2006) . The Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet. By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet’s carriers were away from the base on December 7. Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base’s most vital onshore facilities–oil storage depots, repair  shops, shipyards and submarine docks–intact. As a result, the U.S. Navy was able to rebound relatively quickly from the attack. The following day president Roosevelt addressed the nation stating â€Å"Yesterday the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. No matter now long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.† On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy declared war against the United States. For the second time, Congress reciprocated. More than two years after the start of the conflict, the United States had entered World War II. Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. This fleet engagement between U.S. and Japanese navies in the north-central Pacific Ocean resulted from Japans desire to sink the American aircraft carriers that had escaped destruction at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, Japanese fleet commander, chose to invade a target relatively close to Pearl Harbor to draw out the American fleet, calculating that when the United States began its counterattack, the Japanese would be prepared to crush them. Instead, an American intelligence breakthroughthe solving of the Japanese fleet codesenabled Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to understand the exact Japanese plans. Nimitz placed available U.S. carriers in position to surprise the Japanese moving up for their preparatory air strikes on Midway Island itself. The intelligence interplay would be critical to the outcome of the battle and began many weeks before the clash of arms. American radio nets in the Pacific picked up various orders Yamamoto had dispatched to prepare his forces for the operation. As early as May 2, messages that were intercepted began to indicate some forthcoming operation, and a key fact, the planned day-of-battle position of the Japanese carriers, would be divulged in a notice sent on May 16. By the time Nimitz had to make final decisions, the Japanese plans and order of battle had been reconstructed in considerable detail. American combat forces took over where intelligence efforts left off. Scouts found the Japanese early in  the morning of June 4. Although initial strikes by Midway-based planes were not successful, American carrier-based planes turned the tide. Torpedo bombers became separated from the American dive-bombers and were slaughtered 36 of 42 shot down, but they diverted Japanese defenses just in time for the dive-bombers to arrive; some of them had become lost, and now by luck they found the Japanese. The Japanese carriers were caught while refueling and rearming their planes, making them especially vulnerable. The Americans sank four fleet carriers the entire strength of the task force Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu, with 322 aircraft and over five thousand sailors. The Japanese also lost the heavy cruiser Mikuma. American losses included 147 aircraft and more than three hundred seamen. The last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II, what the battle of Okinawa the campaign involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. At stake were air bases vital to the projected invasion of Japan. Japanese forces changed their typical tactics of resisting at the waters edge to a defense in depth, designed to gain time. In conjunction with this, the Japanese navy and army mounted mass air attacks by planes on one-way suicide missions. The Japanese also sent their last big battleship, the Yamato, on a similar mission with a few escorts(Lacey, 2003) . The kamikaze tactics the Japanese used on these missions, although not especially sophisticated, but their determination made it especially difficult for the Allies. The net result made Okinawa a mass bloodletting both on land and at sea, and among both the islands civilian population and the military. A series of defense lines across the island, both north and south of the American landing beaches, enabled the Japanese to conduct a fierce defense of Okinawa over many weeks. Using pillboxes and strong points, caves, and even some ancient castles, the Japanese defense positions supported one another and often resisted even the most determined artillery fire or air strikes. Mounting few attacks themselves, the Japanese conserved their strength for this defense(Lacey, 2003) . Caves or pillboxes often had to be destroyed individually with dynamite charges. This battle took place in an environment much more heavily populated than most Pacific islands, with civilian casualties of almost 100,000 and equally heavy losses for the Japanese army. It was a scene straight out of hell. There is no other way to describe it, recalls Higa  Tomiko, then a seven-year-old girl, who survived the battle. The commanding generals on both sides died in the course of this battle. American general Simon B. Buckner by artillery fire, Japanese general Ushijima Mitsuru by suicide. Other U.S. losses in ground combat included 7,374 killed, 31,807 wounded, and 239 missing in action(Lacey, 2003) . The navy suffered 4,907 killed or missing aboard 34 ships sunk and 368 damaged; 763 aircraft were lost. At sea and in the air, the Japanese expended roughly 2,800 aircraft, plus a battleship, a light cruiser, and four destroyers, with losses that can be estimated at upwards of 10,000. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with spearheading the construction of the vast facilities necessary for the top-secret program, codenamed The Manhattan Project. Hiroshima, a manufacturing center of some 350,000 people located about 500 miles from Tokyo, was selected as the first target. After arriving at the U.S. base on the Pacific island of Tinian, the more than 9,000-pound uranium-235 bomb was loaded aboard a modified B-29 bomber christened Enola Gay. The plane dropped the bombknown as Little Boyby parachute at 8:15 in the morning, and it exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equal to 12 to15,000 tons of TNT, destroying five square miles of the city. Hiroshimas devastation failed to elicit immediate Japanese surrender, however, and on August 9 Major Charles Sweeney flew another B-29 bomber, Bockscar, from Tinian. Thick clouds over the primary target, the city of Kokura, drove Sweeney to a secondary target, Nagasaki, where the plutonium bomb Fat Man was dropped at 11:02 that morning. More powerful than the one used at Hiroshima, the bomb weighed nearly 10,000 pounds and was built to produce a 22-kiloton blast. The topography of Nagasaki, which was nestled in narrow valleys between mountains, reduced the bombs effect, limiting the destruction to 2.6 square miles. Japans Emperor Hirohito announced his countrys unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address on August 15, citing the devastating power of a new and most cruel bomb. References 1. Naval History and Heritage Command. (2012, May 14). Battle of midway, 4-7 june 1942. Retrieved from http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/midway/midway.htm 2. Lacey, L. (2003, April 13). Battle of okinawa. Retrieved from http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx 3. Tsukiyama, T. (2006). http://nisei.hawaii.edu. Retrieved from http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149316185200.html 4. World war 2 history. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.WorldWar2History.info/Midway/ 5. Ohio state university. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ehistory.osu.edu/wwii/USNCV.cfm 6.Goldfield, D (2010). The american journey: , volume 2 . (6th ed., Vol. 2). Prentice Hall 7. national achivements. (1998, 08). Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/ww2/army-casualties/

Business Essays Corporate Governance

Business Essays Corporate Governance Corporate Governance Executive Summary The main goal of the report is to evaluate the current corporate governance of a certain organization. In this report, the company that has given emphasis is a food retailing company which operates in UK. This company has been able to have effective corporate governance. However, there are still issues that should be given attention in order to ensure that the company is implementing effective corporate governance. The report includes the analysis of the corporate governance structure of the company as well as the issues concerning the board of the organisation. Furthermore, this report also analyses the positive and the negative aspects of the corporate governance implemented in the organisation.All in all it can be concluded that the company has been able to have as strong and systematic corporate governance to ensure quality output. Late in the 1980s, it became apparent that a fundamental shift in the power relationship between a firm’s shareholders and its professional managers was taking place. Shareholders increased their control over the firm’s professional managers, demanding that managers respond more quickly to poor financial performance and to changes in the competitive environment. Stockholders were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with management’s slowness and the ineffectiveness of their actions in trying to adapt to new environmental conditions. Many stockholders became convinced that management did not keep the shareholders’ interests in mind while developing and implementing new strategies. Numerous stories have appeared in the business press chronicling the efforts of shareholders to exert control over corporate management. Fortune magazine’s January 11, 1993, issue featured a cover story by T. Stewart titled â€Å"The King Is Dead,† proclaiming the death of the imperial corporate presidency (Chaganti Sherman, 1998). An increasing number of chief executive officers have been forced to relinquish control of their organizations to others who will more quickly implement massive corporate change. According to Stapledon (1996), corporate governance can be defined as a system that is used in order to direct and control companies. As a matter of fact, this idea applies to all business sectors all throughout the world such as the banking institutions, financial corporations and other types of businesses such as the retailing industry. In particular, corporate governance refers to the examination of the control of a company as utilized by its directors. In accordance to theory, the directors of public companies are held responsible for their action by their shareholders (Davies, 1999). On the other hand, the authority of the shareholders to influence the behavior of the company directors is limited in practice and is rarely exercised. This then provides directors of considerable power to take action as they see fit. However, this is not always the case as it appears to be relatively different form that of the government in which the action of the officials is slightly restrained b y certain actions of the people it governs. Corporate governance, as a term, has come to imply good, in the non-moral as well as the moral sense. Its non-moral applications include efficient decision making, appropriate resource allocation, strategic planning, and so on (Monks Minow, 2001). Nonetheless, in its moral sense good corporate governance has come to be seen as promoting an ethical climate that is both morally appropriate in itself, and consequentially appropriate in that ethical behavior in business is reflected in desirable commercial outcomes (Francis, 2000). Thus, the links here are with due diligence, directors duties, and the general tightening of corporate responsibility. Corporate governance should set a proper example of good intent, and provide for those lower in corporate hierarchies the clear message that it is â€Å"do as I do† as well as â€Å"do as I say† (Francis, 2000). Middle and lower management find it hard to be ethical when it seems that the top of the corporate hierarchy have no commitment. The message of sincerity will always filter down, and no amount of deception will foster the view that a board is ethical when it plainly is not. Additionally, the commitment to ethical corporate governance by a board will enhance the prospects of an ethical infrastructure within the organization. That ethical infrastructure is a manifestation of the commitment, a means of preventing and resolving ethical problems, and an impressive demonstration of sincerity. Primarily, the objective of this paper is to analyse the corporate governance implemented in the company. Herein, the company that will be given emphasis is a food retailing company. Overview of the Company Kay (1995) stated that food retailing in Britain is dominated by six chains and that the oldest and largest is the company that will be analysed in this report. The founder started the company by establishing its first grocery store in south London over a century ago, and the family tradition and the philosophy of good quality products at competitive prices have remained central to the firm ever since. Conservatively managed, the company came to the stock market only in 1973 and since then has expanded steadily from its loyal, and mostly southern, customer base. Founded in the year 1869 in London, John and his wife established their first shop, a dairy business in an area called Drury Lane. Because of the fact that Drury Lane was considered as one of the underdeveloped areas in the city back then, the shop managed to gain recognition in the area as it had products that were inexpensive despite the fact that they were of high-quality. Due to the business’ resounding success, two more shops later on opened at other streets. In the year 1882, the firm already had four shops that were in operation. But this didn’t stop the owner from further expanding his business. Hence, he unveiled his plans to have a storehouse in a town in northwest London in order to accommodate his growing number of supplies. At the same time, it was in this place that the first brand product of the company, namely bacon kilns, was made. Consequently, it was in the same year that the company opened its first branch in a town called Croydon. Unlike the other towns, Croydon was prosperous. And so, the shop here sold superior quality products. Not to mention, it looked much better than the previous shops that had opened. From here on, Sainsbury would continue to grow. At present, this food retailing has been able to hold on to the lead in the market. As a matter of fact, the company is pretty much advanced in many aspects, especially with regards to technology and of course, its fresh products. The company was the first to be able to use scanning and computerized stock control technology. In addition, it had implemented certain techniques such as sales-based ordering. All-in-all, these factors contributed greatly to the company’s competitive advantage that it is currently enjoying. Not to mention, its computerized energy management has helped bring down the consumption of energy. Moving on, the firm has a wide range of products. In fact, during the year 1994, its number of products multiplied more than twice its original number. And as of the moment, the business continues to pride itself with its specialty in fresh foods such as fruits, breads and low-fat milks. Even up to now, their customers continue to demand for even better products which the company efficiently responds to. The corporation is now mainly concentrated on their business in the UK (United Kingdom). This includes the supermarkets, the bank and its recently acquired stores which sells bells. Moreover, the company now has other products which are not food-associated such as home equipment, beauty products, clothing apparel and other general merchandise. As of March 2004, figures indicate that the firm is operating at least 583 supermarkets and it also has 50 banking centers which are housed in the stores themselves and as a result, the workforce has ballooned to about 153,000 people. Nature and Style of Governance It can be said that the company has a very good framework that has been established in order to deal with different corporate matters. In fact, there is usually a properly structured program that is further reinforced by company policies and other procedures for the proper guidance of the directors in their daily duties. Consequently, the company has a clear reference guide to its business operations and corporate governance. The Board of Directors which oversee the businesses and the decision-making routines as well as the financial aspect of things, keeps watch. In addition, this includes the maintenance of the standards with regards to corporate governance in the corporation’s different sectors. The Board is made up of ten directors; two are executive while six are non-executive. Because of this, there is a fair division of responsibilities and other tasks among them. And while the non-executive directors are independent from the others, they are still able to contribute their experience and knowledge during Board discussions. Without a doubt, The Board is in-charge of caring for the company’s operations, assets, and its shareholders. All-in-all, the board aims to work with these factors in the hopes of maximizing performance. Because of this, it is The Board that is responsible for the finalization of budgets and strategic plans. And in order to ensure the firm’s competent operations, The Board conducts a monthly review of the company’s businesses in relation to its financial movements. Furthermore, there is a company law that obliges The Board of Directors to carefully prepare each year, a financial report that would have to be accurate and reliable reflecting the true state of the company. All things considered, The Board of Directors is the one that is responsible for the proper safekeeping of accounting statements and to ensure that these records are precise and truthful. In addition, the board is in-charge of guarding the company’s other assets as well as making the necessary steps in order to prevent complications such as fraud and other types of risks. Aside from the board of directors, the company also has other committees as part of their corporate governance. Just like the board, other committees have a well-established reference guide which also discusses their duties and their scope of authority within the corporation.Composed typically of independent directors who are non-executive, the remuneration committee handles the outline for the company’s remuneration policy which would eventually be reviewed by the board. Moreover, this group is also responsible for the various remuneration packages that are given to executive directors. On the other hand, there is also a nomination committee which is also made up of mostly non-executive directors. The responsibility of this group is to recommend to The Board on which people should be appointed as directors. Finally, there is also a group known as the audit committee. Compared to the other two, the members of this committee is purely composed of non-executive directors. This group’s duty is to make proper recommendations with regards to the company’s accounting policies as well as overseeing financial control within the corporation (Sternberg, 1998) . For this reason, the committee usually receives and reviews financial reports and other statements delivered to them. Then, they make a comprehensive report before they submit it to The Board. Of course, there is also the group’s evaluation of the risks involved which has always been done to assist with the company’s next business move, and have further control of the corporation’s different operations. Issues Concerning the Board The board of directors is responsible for ensuring that the organization always has the best business performance and corporate governance. However, there are several issues that concern the board. One of which is in terms of the level of skill and care expected of the directors, specifically the non-executive directors. All non-executives should take note of the following comments in the Report, which could well foreshadow the approach of a court: â€Å"It must be recognised that non-executive directors may bring different skills to a board, some quite specialised, and that such persons may have limited accounting experience. However, accounting is not so complicated that such directors should be excused responsibility for the accounts. Accounting issues can be clearly explained so as to be understood by sensible laymen. If accounts are gone through carefully, explaining significant items in them, laymen should be able to ask pertinent questions and make informed judgments thereon. If, after all this, the layman cannot understand the companys accounts, then he ought not to be a director of that company. Often it is the director with little accounting experience whose common sense may lead him to question what those with accountancy experience may let pass. The accountings issues in respect of which some make criticisms were nearly all ones which involved no accounting complexity and what was acceptable and what was not should have been obvious to any reasonable director possessed of the facts who sensibly applied his mind to the issue. In most instances, those directors who decided to adopt the accounting were in a better position than the auditors to determine whether the treatment applied was acceptable or not. Those directors were thus not entitled to suspend their own independent judgment and rely upon the fact that the auditors failed to prevent them from adopting an unacceptable course. Another issue that concerns the Board is in terms of inadequate financial information. There are time that some of the members of the board, never prepared or presented to the Board any consolidated budgets or managements accounts which brought together the budgets and results of all the divisions in the Group. The absence of consolidated management accounts facilitated the practice of unacceptable year end adjustments being made by the accountant directors, unbeknown to most of the other directors, to create extra reported profits. In the last few years, the first the board as a whole knew of the results to be published was when the preliminary or interim announcement was circulated for information at the close of the board meeting that invariably occurred the day prior to announcement. In effect, the board as a whole never discussed the details of the results or what lay behind them. The main boards lack of understanding of the composition of the reported results was an extraordinary state of affairs which no director should ever have tolerated. Positive Aspects of Governance The Board has been able to attain complete control of all matters regarding the company. Their self-perseverance and obligation to their duties and finally, their obedience to the company laws all contribute to the development of the corporation. As such, The Board constantly believes that all the data pertaining to financial information and other facts regarding to their operations that are currently being used is reliable. The Board’s authority is clearly recognized within the company. And because of this, it is able to have a solid grip on the corporation’s actual operations, stakeholders and its financial concerns. Needless to say, because of the corporation’s proper structure and its commitment to the stakeholders and to the community as well, the board of directors has proven that it can efficiently handle both its ethical and legal responsibilities. Furthermore, the company is currently maintaining good relations and open communications with its investors. As a matter of fact, shareholders are regularly invited by the corporation whenever there are gatherings to discuss trade updates. Moreover, whenever there is an annual general meeting, investors get the chance to meet The Board members themselves. And of course, for private investors, they can also access the company’s website for various shareholder services. Undoubtedly, the company has good consideration for all of its stakeholders; past, present and future. There definitely seems to be a very well planned framework in the firm’s corporate division. It has good policies and procedures with regards to financial matters and operational concerns. Its procedure of assessing the different kinds of situations that come up is certainly a good move on their part. Not to mention, they have maintained good relations with their stakeholders. And finally, The Boardâ€⠄¢s authority is unsurpassed. Clearly, these facts prove the strength of the company’s corporate governance structure. Negative Aspects The weakness on this case however, is the fact that it cannot always be assured that there are no losses or other errors which may result from mistakes and inconsistencies by one of the committees or employees involved. In addition, having diverse populations, there can be a possibility of having internal problems between members who have different culture and beliefs. In addition, some problems occur in terms of giving value to the companies’ shareholders. There are times that the shareholder is not given the enough information about the status of the company, specifically that shareholder which have a small part in the business. This happens when the board of directors does not give value to their shareholders. Other negative aspects include the imperfection of financial reporting procedures which may definitely result in ineffective corporate governance. Recommendation Corporate governance is said to be one of the most important aspects to be considered in an industry. Hence, it is recommended that the company should be able to determine the most appropriate and effective corporate governance structure and approach so as to ensure that the business will adhere to all social responsibilities, legal and ethical aspects. In addition it is also recommended that this food retailing industry should give value not only to its customers and employees but most especially to the shareholders who have trusted the company and its capabilities. The company must be able to align carefully their corporate governance approach with its organizational objectives. Conclusion Corporate governance is a process which is concerned about how corporations are managed, how managers are governed, what questions face by boards of directors and the accountability a corporation has to shareholders. In this case, it can be seen that the food retailing industry has been able to implement effective corporate governance which guides the organization to become more competitive in the marketplace. Accordingly the issues concerning the board include the level of skill and care expected of the directors and inadequate financial information. In order for the organization to address the issue, the members of the board are trying to create a resolution for these issues. In terms of positive aspects, the members of the company have been able to contribute well in ensuring competitive performance of the company. The board of directors of this organization ensures that all their actions are legal and adheres to business ethics. In addition, they also ensure that their social responsibility is also incorporated with their accountabilities. Although the company has positive aspects, it also has its negative aspects. One of which adheres to the notion that, because of the mistakes and inconsistencies of the individual involved, it cannot always be assured that there will be no losses or errors that will occur. In ability to handle diversities and differences is also a negative aspect that can be attached with the company’s corporate governance practice. Lastly, inability to ensure shareholder value is another negative aspect of the company. It is said that the shareholder is regarded as the central stakeholder of each industry. It can be concluded that in order for the company to have a competitive business performance, the company must start from within, from its corporate governance. Reference Chaganti, R., Sherman, H. (1998). Corporate Governance and the Timeliness of Change: Reorientation in 100 American Firms. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Davies, A. (1999). A strategic approach to corporate governance. London: Gower Publishing Limited. Francis, R. (2000). Ethics and Corporate Governance: An Australian Handbook. Sydney, N.S.W.: University of New South Wales Press. Kay, J. (1995). Foundations of Corporate Success: How Business Strategies Add Value. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Monks, R.A.G. and Minow, N. (2001). Corporate governance. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishes Ltd. Stapledon, G. (1996). Institutional Shareholders and Corporate Governance. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Sternberg, E. (1998). Corporate governance: accountability in the marketplace. London: The Institute of Economic Affairs.