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Understanding Enterprise Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Question: Examine about the Understanding Enterprise for Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Answer: Presentation: Present day ...

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Chase’s Strategy for Syndicating the Hong Kong Dis

FINA 3088 Case Study 1 ---- Chase’s Strategy for Syndicating the Hong Kong Disneyland Loan (A)(B) Bid Strategy of the First Round The first round bid was to show its commitment and price, while detailed proposal would be submitted after being shortlisted. Thus, Chase had mainly three kinds of concern at that stage: risk, profit and reputation. Reputation From Exhibit 6, there is no doubt that Chase was the top bank in syndicated finance in the US and over the world. However, it recorded limited performance in Asian market though Chase had put numerous resources into its global group. At the same time, Chase was among Disney’s top relationship banks and Disney as well as its project in Hong Kong had a noticeable market signal.†¦show more content†¦Although Chase argued that this term is rarely invoked and in Asia they have never invoked it, Disney was paying for a fully underwritten deal expressly to avoid syndication risk, especially the amount of the loan. If the syndication amount suddenly changes in the economy crises, it may bring serious trouble to the Disney’s operation and financial stability. At the same time, if the price were to increase dramatically, it would be a high burden for Disney to pay the interest. Since Disney is one of the large clients, Chase may have to do some amendments to smooth the negotiation process. As chase, to remove or alter the rights to change the amount of the syndication may be acceptable as most of the loan have been assigned to other banks. However, some flexibility in terms of the pricing must be guaranteed to ensure the profitability of Chase in some certain economy downturn. Syndication Strategy for the loan We now discuss the syndication strategy in terms of the following components: Number of Tiers ---- fewer tiers It can be argued that more tiers can increase the number of banks to involve, thus

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

My Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay - 959 Words

My Teaching Philosophy Statement There are many teachers, with many different teaching styles. There are teachers who are strict and do not allow for any disruptions in the classroom. Then we have teachers who do not even really care what is going on in the classroom. The way that these teachers, and so many more, teach is a result of their personal philosophies on education. Before you can decide how you want to run your classroom, you need to remember that not all students learn in the same way. Some learn by doing things on their own, while others learn better in groups. Some students learn with rote memorization and others learn from doing. Every classroom has students of every kind. So, when you are thinking about†¦show more content†¦I also feel that the teacher should be there to encourage the students to think for themselves, let the student find the answers to their own questions sometimes. The teacher should guide them in the right direction but they should not always take them straight to the answer. The classroom that I teach will be run in a democratic fashion. When we are at a place in our lessons where we can have choices, we will vote. This way everyone will have a chance to do something that they enjoy. This way they will not just be another student in the class but they will actually be part of the class. I hope to be a classroom where it will be possible for the students to sit in small groups of three or four, with the groups spaced out around the room. On the bulletin boards, I would have materials that were funny and motivational at the same time. Interspersed with those materials, I would have materials that deal with course content. I would also like to have class projects throughout the year that will correlate with the content that we are covering at that time. These projects would serve as hands on experiences for the students. I hope that I am a combination of authoritarian and non-authoritarian. I want my students to know what I expect and to respect that. Likewise, I do not want to constantly be yelling and punishing students. I want the students to come in and be ready to do their work for theShow MoreRelatedMy Original Teaching Philosophy Statement946 Words   |  4 PagesI honestly would not make any changes to my original teaching philosophy statement because I believe that after reading through the entire phycology book, the things I read only supported the things I stated in my philosophy statement. When writing my philosophy statement I had not taken any previous education classes to aid my original teaching philosophy but I have been working with kids my entire life and so I have seen first hand what things work with children and what does not. This does notRead More My Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pages My Teaching Philosophy Statement Education is defined as the lifelong process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values through either formal means, such as schooling, or informal means, such as firsthand experiences or vicarious experiences gained through reading books or discussions. Every person that is or wants to be a teacher has his or her own educational philosophy. We all have our own views, methods, and curriculum that we were taught when growing up. A lot of people mayRead MoreMy Personal Statement On Teaching Philosophy881 Words   |  4 PagesTeaching Philosophy Why I Am Here†¦ I am here to help my students become their best self. I am here to help my students in their education and to help them become better people and citizens. As a teacher, my goal is to help my students succeed in any way I can. I became a teacher because teaching gives me a chance to help kids grow and develop a love for learning, instead of a loathing for school. I want to be a teacher because I want to make a difference. I will make a positive impact on my student’sRead MoreMy Philosophy Statement For Teaching Young Minds Essay784 Words   |  4 PagesMy Philosophy Statement: I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a safe, creative, organized, fun and caring atmosphere. The purpose of this type of environment is to help my students grow emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Teaching young minds is a job that can’t be taken slightly. I am aware that teaching young minds will require long hours of planning and a lot of patience but I also know that those same children will bring a lot of joy into my life and in my eyes andRead MoreStatement of Teaching Philosophy, and My Experience Teaching Chemistry in India1063 Words   |  5 PagesStatement of Teaching Philosophy â€Å"A teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame. The teacher who has come to the end of his subject, who has no living traffic with his knowledge but merely repeats his lesson to his students, can only load their minds, he cannot quicken them.† †¦ Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel prize in literature in 1913) This is my favorite quotation because it express what, I thinkRead MoreEssay about My Teaching Philosophy Statement908 Words   |  4 PagesMy Teaching Philosophy Teaching is a very honorable profession which reflects the positive characteristics of those who educate. It is a difficult job that requires knowledge, dedication, integrity and patience. I want to become a teacher (particularly elementary school) because I want to make a difference in society and I love to work with children. I believe that by using things such as atmosphere and innovative teaching methods, an instructor can be informative and still have fun.Read MoreStatement Of Teaching Philosophy : My Lifelong Passion For Maths Essay1384 Words   |  6 PagesStatement of Teaching Philosophy My lifelong passion for Maths and my desire to share it with others have enhanced my admiration of the subject and reinforced my aspiration to become a teacher. During my 12 years of teaching experience, I was trying to best exemplify the three important points: (i) love of teaching, (ii) love of mathematics, and (iii) concern for the student. Overall, I am committed to an applied/interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and teaching mathematics, and I try to structureRead MoreHigher Education Faculty Teaching Philosophy845 Words   |  4 PagesHigher Education Faculty Teaching Philosophy Introduction Many higher institutions have a statement of philosophies of their own derived from their pioneer or parent institutions or organizations (Higgins Leonora, 2009). The Catholic University of America School of Nursing has its pioneer group that is the Catholic Church. Therefore, every value, virtue, norm, composition and beliefs are all originated from the Catholic Church and are thus modified to fit its environmentRead MoreEssay about Personal Educational Philosophy1069 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract This paper is my personal educational philosophy statement. It represents my ideas and values about teaching and learning; it reveals my personal teaching beliefs and their relation to the five major established educational philosophies; it shows my role and responsibilities in educational process. I place great significance on personal style of instruction and its influence on curriculum implementation. The paper also highlights my career aspiration and orientation. Read MoreMy Personal Philosophy Of Education1476 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Philosophy of Education Submitted by: Wessam Elamawy . Personal Philosophy of Education Introduction: From the very beginning of my life I recognized the importance of higher education. I am 34 years old. I am Egyptian. I was born in a highly educated family . My father earned a Ph.D. in chemistry. My uncle earned a Ph.D. in Engineering . My aunt is a doctor. My grandparents were highly educated and they were great leaders in the educational field. This shaped my personality

Monday, December 9, 2019

An Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 free essay sample

The Hearth and the Salamander 1 . What is the significance of Montag seeing his reflection in Clarisses eyes? A. it Dignifies Montag as he remembers the time when electricity had gone out and his mom had lit a candle that in a sense brought them together and made each other feel safe by one another. When he looks in Clarisses eyes, he feels safe and comfortable being with her with no worries whatsoever. 2. Clarisse causes Montag to recall a childhood memory in which a wish was embedded. What was the significance of the memory and the wish? A. 3. What two observations does Clarisse make about Montags conversational mannerisms? A. For some reason Montag decides to laugh at her making her say that it is strange that he is laughing when she has not been trying to be funny and he always answers without thinking about the question that he has been asked. We will write a custom essay sample on An Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 4. What things do the McClellans do which cause them to be classified as peculiar? 5. What final question does Clarisse ask Montag on the night of their first encounter? Why is the question important to the plot? 6. When Montag enters home, he stares at the blank wall, but in memory sees Clarisse. What extended simile describes how he sees her? What is significant about the comparison? 7. Find two further similes Montag uses to describe Clarisse. Do the similes have any other purpose other than characterize Clarisse? 8. Describe the bedroom which Montag enters. Whom does the setting characterize? 9. At this point of realization, what happens to the smile on Montags face, and what is his answer to Clarisses question? 10. What event occurs that night which provides Montag with an impression of the state of society? What is that impression? 1 1 . In contrast, what does Montag next hear and long for? 12. What test of love does Clarisse give Montag, and how does he respond to it? 13. Describe Clarisses personality. 14. What observations does Clarisse make about how Montag differs from other fireman? 15. Describe the mechanical hound. 16. What does Ann-social mean? What does it mean in the society of Fahrenheit 451? To whom does this apply to? 17. What does Clarisse say people tall about? Find some examples of representative conversations throughout the book. 18. During the car game at the fire station, what question does Montag ask? What 19. What is the significance of the refrain repeated by the woman whose house was burned? What did it mean? What is its effect on Montag? 20. What does Montag think his feelings were to be if his wife died? 21 . What are Montags comments about the people in the walls? 22. What does Montag think about the old woman and all the books he has destroyed? 23. Summarize Beattys explanation of how the need for fireman arose. Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand 24. What is the meaning of the title of part 2? 25. What is the importance of the Dentifrice commercial? 26. Why does Montag go to see Faber?

Monday, December 2, 2019

Performance Appraisal and Starbucks free essay sample

I am going to discuss what kind of performance appraisal strategies Starbucks uses, and if they seem to be effective or ineffective, and why. Then I will discuss what other performance appraisal methods are being used by Starbucks today and if they are effective. Finally I will tell you what kind of advice I would offer to Starbucks. First I will discuss what kind of performance appraisals Starbucks uses and if there effective. Starbucks Appraisals: Starbucks starts off their employees with training. A process for identifying, evaluating and developing the job performance of staff so that organizational goals and objectives are more effectively achieved while simultaneously benefiting staff through recognition, the giving of feedback and catering for work and career needs (2). This is very effective because the employees know exactly what is expected of them form the very beginning. However, Starbucks must be sensitive to the performance appraisal, and compensation techniques that best fit the country in which they are operating. We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Appraisal and Starbucks or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Supervisors and employees fear the performance appraisal because even a good rating can come across as mediocre to employees, especially with terms like meets expectations, satisfactory performance or average (1). At YMCA the leaders increased the coaching their managers on performance reviews and on how to give consistent feedback throughout the year (1). No matter what your job is consistent feedback will let employees know how they are performing and let them know the areas they need to improve in. Now I will discuss what other performance appraisal methods are being used by Starbucks today and if they are effective. Starbucks Other Performance Appraisals: Starbuck also uses their Mission Statement as a form of Performance Appraisal Overall, the aim of becoming a worldwide global brand. ‘’To inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, or and one neighborhood at a time (2). † Starbuck also uses Key Results Are (KRA) to guide their employees. All partners at Starbucks are given the performance standards, code of conduct, ethic standards, key result area, laws, rules and regulations (2). This process is communicated and a copy is given at the introduction of the employment and updated through partners meetings or memos. Partners are also encouraged to check notice boards and Starbucks website for any information they want. Every partner employed at Starbucks including the board of directors live under same code and contains the specific corporate policies adopted by? the board of directors that relate to the legal and ethical standards of contact of directors, partners and franchises of the company (2). The code can be changed in order to help the partners who out depend on the country they are employed in and what the countries laws, roles, culture backgrounds and current states of the country (2). This KRA, code of conduct, and performance appraisals are vital in ensuring Starbucks employees stay on track and focused on the Mission Statement. Now, that I have discussed what other methods are being used by Starbucks today, I will discuss what advice I would give them. Advice: The advice I would give Starbuck is keep on doing what you are doing. Stay focused on your customer and employees. Starbucks has an excellent HRM policy in place and they have the one of the lowest turn over rates among other stores. Conclusion: I discussed what kind of performance appraisal strategies Starbucks uses, and told you they seem to be effective.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen R Covey’s book â€Å"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ®, which remains an international bestseller, has been in bookshelves for well over 15 years now and its relevance and practicability in today’s society cannot be watered down by the element of time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reading through the book, the reader is swept in different emotions upon the realization of the myriad of truths contained therein. Stephen reaches out to the reader by drawing comparisons between his view of life and real-life situations. Indeed, the book is embedded by various anecdotes that drive the point home while grasping the reader’s attention. The book begins with a brief preface by the author on the dynamics of character ethics over personality ethics. According to him, the personality ethic has been too over emphasized and attempts to offer what he terms as â€Å"Aspirin-like† solutions, or quick fix solutions (Covey 8). He draws parallels with the principle that for one to harvest then he must so and consequently, effectiveness and success in life can only be inculcated into an individual through the steady development of a strong character ethic (Covey 10). The tone in the book is positive while cautious that being positive is not enough for one to achieve effectiveness. He thus calls for a paradigm shift (Adapted from Thomas Kuhn’s book) from focus on a circle of concern to a circle of influence. Covey as cited in (Covey 21) defines a circle of influence as a positive view of the world that has developed from a good character ethic that involves an individual looking for solutions from within and taking responsibility rather than apportioning blame to factors which one cannot change (circle of concern). He calls this the inside-out approach. One is indeed drawn into Cov ey’s description of an effective life through development of good habits brought by leading a goal oriented and disciplined life. He states the production (P) and productive capability (PC) theory where he suggests that for success to be achieved, we should focus on production and not the production capability (Covey 26). The book is a must read for all for its lessons are truly informative and life-changing.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview The book has four parts; the Preface, Private Victory, Public Victory and Renewal. The preface introduces Covey’s focus on character ethics Vis a Vis personality ethics. He explains the demerits of the latter while praising the former as good grounds for the development of a successful of effective life. He reiterates the importance of maturity, hard work and discipline as the key points towards a strong c haracter ethic. The Preface also highlights the various situations that people find themselves in and prescribes the book as a good foundation towards their solution. According to Covey, private victories refer to a situation where the individual has discovered himself/ herself and recognizes their independent will and power to change their lives. He calls upon individuals to be proactive and be resourceful while learning how to take initiative over their lives. Covey then draws a parallel between persons who focus on the negative side of life and terms then as reactionaries with persons who instead focus on issues within their control and attempt to make something out of them (Covey 34). Public victories have much to do with others. Covey cited in (Covey 95) calls for interdependence, communication and understanding among people so as to create synergistic gains in their lives. He advocates for listening, empathy and patience in one’s dealings with others and suggests that i ndividuals should only focus on a win-win situation where all parties mutually benefit. In Part 4 of the book, Covey states that the individual needs to nourish himself in a holistic manner; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This he suggests enables the individual to realize synergy both intrinsic and extrinsic. What the book promises According to Covey cited in (Covey 30), the book will enable an individual have a deep knowledge of themselves. It then will create a desire for change in the individual to focus more on a value-based and goal oriented life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It would instil in an individual a sense of identity, direction integrity and control over their lives thus making them successful and effective people. Finally, the book promises to heal and rebuild broken relationships by offering time-tes ted solutions to conflict. Private Victory As stated earlier, private victories refer to success or effectiveness at an individual level and focuses on what an individual can do to improve effectiveness. Be Proactive Covey begins this part by stating that self awareness is a quality that enables an individual to evaluate their actions and learn whether he/she is going in the right direction (Covey 32). He states that certain deterministic factors exist that affect our self esteem such as genetic, psychological and environmental factors which much have to do on the impact family and friends have on an individual’s self esteem. Being proactive means that an individual takes initiative and admits that they bear responsibility over their own lives independent of the so-called deterministic factors. He differentiates between being proactive and being reactive. He states that an individual can rise above stimulus and response unlike in animals thus preventing the person from having his/her life being determined by other people’s actions (Covey 32). Covey cited in (Covey 36) states that individuals should be resourceful and always ensure that they are in active control of their lives. He states that for one to be effective, one has to subordinate feelings for value which means that emotions should be suppressed to prevent the individual from going of their course. He also states that one should focus more on the circle of influence rather than that of concern while at the same time expanding the former through establishing the root causes of conflict and problems and solving them (Covey 39). Habit 1 is a good guide for individuals in daily life and its value cannot be supplanted. The need for people to take initiative in their own lives is intrinsic to problem solving and development of working relationships. However, Covey oversimplifies the issue of love by stating it as a â€Å"verb† and not an emotion thus asking for people to suppress  "love† emotions (Covey 38).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Studies on the issue of love and even logic itself teach that the issue of love is much more complex and not a mere â€Å"verb†. Also, Covey does not show us how being proactive is a character ethic and not a personality issue. Nevertheless, habit 1 is practical and definitely a catalyst for effectiveness. Begin with the end in mind Covey cited in (Covey 46) starts this section by asking the reader to consider their death and draw from it, the legacy they would want to leave behind and begin to practice it in their daily lives. He states that the power of individuals to imagine can be a powerful tool for effectiveness where the person creates first in his mind then applies the creative imagination into real life. He states that mental creativity is superior to physical since a physical creation without a mental picture would be unsuccessful. Leadership is described here as directing efforts in the right place and is differentiated from management which is doing things in the right manner. Covey calls upon people to harness leadership by establishing where the effort is needed and to proceed to apply it. In business he likens leadership to acts like monitoring environmental change and customer buying habits and to ensure focus on them (Covey 48). He advises the reader to draft a personal mission statement from where he/she can refer to as a guide whenever a question of principle arises. He further states that the principles stated therein should be at the centre of the individual’s circle of influence which enables him/her to prioritize on those matters that are of real importance. He refers to them as matters in the second quadrant and are mainly issues based on value that act as a guide, security and power to the individual (Covey 60). Covey cited in (Covey 65) introduces the ‘brain-dominance’ theory where he states that we should strive to use the right side of the brain which is the perceptive and intuitive part more often. He sta tes that a balanced use of the whole brain gives rise to an effective individual. Roles and goals are then to be considered as part of the focus on the end result. The application suggestions stated under this habit are very helpful as they direct the individual to adopt concise goals and to remain focused in their endeavour to be successful or effective. However, the use of the brain-dominance test is more of personality than character and therefore Covey tends to stray from the initial topic which is to emphasize a strong character ethic. Put first things first Under this habit, Covey cited in (Covey 75) discusses certain aspects of goal setting and the sustenance of a good character ethic. He advises that the individual should practice self management, discipline, time management and goal setting. He states that time management need not be time based but results based since the former tends to bring in an element of routine and eliminates spontaneity which is a crucial part of li fe. According to Covey (Covey 77) the reader should endeavour to be oriented towards creating opportunities rather than being problem minded. He states that the focus on problems derails an individual’s effectiveness and prevents him from meeting set goals. The ability to say ‘no’ is also stated as a necessary part in the prioritizing of an individual’s needs (Covey 78). He adds that scheduling, day planning and delegation where possible all enable an individual to move from problem solving to opportunity utilization (Covey 82). Covey calls for steward delegation where the individual to whom the work is delegated is left to his own means to produce a result rather than gofer delegation where instructions are issued (Covey 86). He states that this is applicable to both the family and organizational setting. The habit attempts to bring focus into an individual’s discipline in meeting set goals and targets. Though it is more oriented towards organizati onal behaviour it can in some sense apply to relationships among family and friends. However, Covey does not suggest anything newer than the already available information on goal setting and priorities. Nevertheless, this does not signify that the need to put first things first is not important for effectiveness. Public Victory Think win-win Covey as cited in (Covey 93) begins this part by putting across an excellent theory of an emotional bank account. This account just like a bank account, involves deposits where an individual does good and positive acts towards others that enable him/her win their trust. Likewise, withdrawals are made from every demand or negative thing an individual does against the same people. He thus calls upon character that creates more deposits than withdrawals by suggesting that individuals understand others, pay attention even to little things, clarify other people’s expectations of them, show personal integrity and apologize when in the wrong. Fr om the above, Covey states that in any dealing, an individual should strive to produce a win-win situation which is palatable to both parties (Covey 103). Win-win situations differ from win-lose situations where competition produces a single winner while the others lose, lose-win situations (Covey 104) where one concedes defeat in order to achieve popularity or any other ulterior motive, lose-lose situations (Covey 105) where individuals prefer that no-one wins and win (Covey 106) situations where an individual doesn’t care about others’ predicaments. Covey cited in (Covey 109) states that to achieve a win-win situation, one should have integrity, maturity and an abundance mentality (where one believes that everyone can benefit). He advises that where a win-win situation is not applicable, it is better to have no deal (Covey 114). This habit is a good idea but its practicability is somewhat questionable. A win-win or no-deal situation is not always likely to produce po sitive results especially where one rejects a good deal because it is not win-win. Its application may be construed in a business sense as naive and may place the organization in a precarious situation. Seek first to understand then to be understood Empathetic communication is emphasized where one places himself in the situation of another so as to understand their point of view (Covey 121). It is differentiated from sympathy which usually does not yield understanding (Covey 122). Covey cited in (Covey 129) emphasizes that individuals develop good communication skills that involve listening, perception and consideration. He introduces the Greek method of ethos, pathos and logos where one establishes trust, empathizes then introduces logic as a means of negotiation and persuasion (Covey 130). This habit is also crucial to effectiveness and Covey hits the nail on the head on its importance and practicability. Communication is also vital not only in organizations but also in personal r elationships and good communication is nourishment for one’s relationships. However, Covey adapts the same overly positive thinking tone he rejects in the preface of the book. Positive thought does not always lead to positive reactions and Covey fails to capture situations where people prefer straightforwardness without involvement of emotion especially in business. Synergize Covey cited in (Covey 134) emphasizes on the importance of individuals working as one to produce positive results. Synergistic gains arise from creative cooperation and respectful communication. He states that though a conflict may arise where there are only two possible results, a third alternative exists and if followed through would generate synergy (Covey 139). Covey calls for the valuing of individual differences as a strength (Covey 142). The force field analysis refers to a situation of balance where an individual is held back by negative forces (Covey 143). Synergy from cooperation helps to break these forces. However good synergy may be effective, Covey again chooses to be overly positive and does not appreciate situations where no synergy can be created e.g. where one party is already biased or is malicious. Synergy would require both parties to be positive minded and while one can be, the other might not be and this is outside one’s circle of influence. Renewal Sharpen the saw To achieve effectiveness, the author suggests that we have to sharpen the saw which involves keeping ourselves in the right state of health and mind for us to meet the set goals and values in our mission statements (Covey 147). Covey states that the individual needs to maintain good spiritual, physical, mental and social/emotional balance. Such balance can be achieved through activities such as healthy eating, exercise, meditation, good music, reading, writing and ‘scripting’ others (Covey 148-155). The author also advocates for learning and committing oneself to positive activi ties while facilitating a paradigm shift or transition in their lives (Covey 162). This is all good for one to remain focussed and to be highly effective. However, the emphasis on the spiritual part and God may leave out people with different views on religion. Conclusion This book attempts to give the reader a good foothold in all areas of life. It is a holistic book and clearly Stephen Covey did set a high standard for other writers to follow in terms of universal appeal and simplistic truths. It is a good guide book and as the author himself suggests, should be read occasionally with the application parts being put into good use. The book may contain some inherent weaknesses as stipulated in my analysis; they are wide apart and mildly insignificant to the overall effect or message of the book. I would recommend the book as a must read for any individual who feels that they need direction and focus in life. Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful les sons in Personal Change. Franklin Covey Co, 1989. Print

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2011

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2011 In December 2010 I posted the Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010 and got a record number of hits on my blog and â€Å"likes† on facebook. In the past year as The Essay Expert, I’ve collected a new batch of errors.   I did repeat a couple of things from 2010 that were so persistent I just had to repeat myself! I write these lists in the hope that people will implement what they learn and produce better essays, better resumes, and overall better written materials.   Improved writing gets results when it comes to obtaining jobs, getting into school, landing new clients and keeping the customers youve got.   So read up! 10.   Advice vs. Advise Here’s a note from one of my loyal readers, Christine, who requested that I mention this common mix-up: â€Å"Advice is a noun. An example would be: ‘Brenda provided very useful advice regarding spelling errors.’ Advise is a verb. An example would be: ‘Brenda can you please advise your readers about similarly misused words?’† Thank you Christine for your contribution to my yearly list! 9.   Your vs. You’re You’re is a contraction for â€Å"you are.†Ã‚   If you’re using the word to mean â€Å"you are† (2 words), write it as a contraction.   E.g., Do you know that you’re about to miss the 5:00 train? Your is a possessive pronoun.   E.g., Your train is leaving in 2 minutes. 8.   Tenet vs. Tenant Even our president messed this one up.   A tenet is a belief or ideal of faith.   Tenants rent from landlords.   See The President Makes Grammatical Errors Too. 7.   Sign up vs. sign-up I see this one on the web all the time and it drives me a bit batty.   Sign up is a verb.   Sign-up is an adjective that modifies a noun like form or sheet.   Correct:   â€Å"Sign up here for news and updates† or Go to our sign-up page to register.   Incorrect: â€Å"Sign-up here for news and updates† or Go to our sign up page to register.   For similar examples of proper (and improper) use of phrasal verbs, read my article, Check out this Phrasal Verb Breakdown. 6.   Everyday vs. Every day I wrote a whole article about this one too: Common Grammatical Errors:   Everyday vs. Every Day.   Everyday is an adjective meaning â€Å"common† or â€Å"day-to-day.†   As I’m sure you know, people make everyday grammatical errors every day. 5. â€Å"This† without a referent Make sure that if you use the word This to start a sentence, you help your reader understand what you’re referring to!   The best practice is to use a referent after the word This.   Incorrect:   This will ensure your sentences are understood.   Correct:   This practice will ensure your sentences are understood. 4.   Verbage Verbage does NOT mean â€Å"words†!   Although the OED does have an entry for â€Å"verbage† as a â€Å"rare alternate spelling of verbiage,† Merriam-Webster does not even acknowledge the existence of the word. Verbiage, often misused as well, means excess language. The jury is out as to whether the phrase â€Å"excess verbiage† is redundant- but I’m sticking to it. 3.   Apostrophes (that’s not apostrophe’s!) to make plural nouns With some exceptions which I won’t go into here, plural nouns are formed by adding an s or es to the singular form of the noun–NOT by adding an apostrophe!   The plural of parent is parents; the plural of computer is computers; and the plural of Wednesday is Wednesdays.   No apostrophe needed!   Conversely, possessives ARE formed by adding an apostrophe s.   To speak about an author’s intent, for instance, use the apostrophe s. 2.   Myself Think for a few seconds before you use the word myself in place of me at the end of a sentence.   A sentence like â€Å"George was speaking to my friend Lucy and myself† is grammatically incorrect.   Replacing me with myself has become common, perhaps as an attempt to avoid using the word me.   Think about it.   You would say â€Å"George was speaking to me† so just say â€Å"George was speaking to my friend Lucy and me† NOT   George was speaking to my friend Lucy and myself.   The parts of speech don’t change just because another person was added to the sentence! 1. Comma splice I can’t tell you how often my clients string two full, complete sentences together with a comma.   This error is called a comma splice.   (See Writing Tips:   How to Use Commas and Semicolons Part 2.)   Here’s an example:   â€Å"Simply observing my surroundings was not enough for me, I needed to know how things worked and why they worked in that specific way.† The correct way to punctuate this sentence is â€Å"Simply observing my surroundings was not enough for me; I needed to know how things worked and why they worked in that specific way.† Two full sentences should most often get separated by a period or a semicolon; do NOT use a comma! I look forward to your comments and â€Å"likes.† Best wishes for a grammatically correct 2012!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brenda Category:UncategorizedBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 26, 2011 7 Comments Kimberly says: December 27, 2011 at 8:25 am Thank you so much for this article. Writing (and speaking) correctly is so important. Question: Verbiage: The verbiage of the document was very clear. Thank you for your expertise. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 10:33 am Thank you for your question Kimberly. In your sentence, I would say The meaning of the document was very clear, or The document was very clearly written, or The language in the document was very clear, or The author used very clear language in the document. Im sure there are many other choices as well! Log in to Reply Ann says: December 27, 2011 at 11:13 am You have helped me so much this year. You have cleared up many of the mistakes that I had made for years. Thank you for this and all your other posts. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 11:19 am Youre welcome Ann! Glad to be making a contribution! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 6:05 pm Thanks for the comment Joan. To me, George was speaking to my friend Lucy and me sounds nicely informal, as well as grammatically correct! Log in to Reply Penelope J. says: December 27, 2011 at 8:34 pm How about misuse of the word I as in George was speaking to my friend Lucy and I? More and more often, I seem to be hearing the pronoun I used in place of me. On occasion, even I get confused as to what is now considered correct grammar. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 8:52 pm Thanks Penelope. I covered that one in last years list so let it be this year 🙂 Log in to Reply

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example ufacturing businesses and other productive industries in turn offer fringe benefits to their employees to boost their confidence, morale, dedication and commitment (‘affective and normative’) (Aldag and Reschke, 1997). As a result, workers are keen to work better for their employers to ensure accomplishment of goals and targets. (Daft, 2009) and (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2007) The Industry that has been chosen by the researcher for this analysis is US Airline Industry. Indeed, US airline travel industry is one of the largest industries (comprising low cost barriers, regional, national and international airlines) within United States that has been offering its services daily to millions of travellers, visitors, students, business personnel and government officials. This industry provides direct and indirect employment to millions of personnel thereby contributing in USA’s economic well-being, growth and sustainability. US Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest and other airlines are among the major players. Foreign airlines also offer their travel services in USA. (ZACKS Report, 2010) The benefits offered by employers are divided into two main types namely Monetary Payments (in exchange for services offered) and Discretionary Benefits (they are optional or not mandatory for the producer) to their employees. This paper will throw light over the discretionary or optional benefits offered to workers in the manufacturing industry. There are three major types of discretionary benefits namely Workers’ â€Å"Protection Programs, Paid time-offs, Accommodation and Employee Skills development programs† (Martocchio). This paper will discuss in detail each of the above mentioned benefits to employees, will demonstrate any factors that may influence these benefits within the chosen manufacturing industry and will end up on recommendations that could be used to improve current practices and benefits. (Daft, 2009) The very first discretionary

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Haven't decided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Haven't decided - Essay Example "normal", non-linguistically trained persons think of translation as a text which is some sort of "reproduction" of a text originally produced in another language, with the "reproduction" being of comparable value. Over and above its role as a concept constitutive of translation, "equivalence" is also a fundamental notion for translation criticism. Translations must be conceived as texts, which are doubly bound: on the one hand to its source text and on the other hand to the (potential) recipient's communicative conditions. This double linkage nature is the basis of the so-called "equivalence relation". One of the aims of a theory of translation quality assessment is then to specify and operationalize the equivalence relation by differentiating between a numbers of frameworks of equivalence. For example, extra-linguistic circumstances, connotative and aesthetic values, audience design and last but not least textual and language norms of usage that have emerged from empirical investig ations of parallel texts, contrastive rhetoric and contrastive pragmatic and discourse analyses. The notion of equivalence is the conceptual basis of translation and, to quote Catford, "the central problem of translation-practice is that of finding TL (Target Language) equivalents. A central task of translation theory is therefore that of defining the nature and conditions of translation equivalence" (1965:21). However, the concept of equivalence is also the basis of translation criticism, it is the fundamental criterion of translation quality. Equivalence is a relative concept, and has nothing to do with identity. "Absolute equivalence" would be a contradictio in adiecto. Equivalence is a relative concept in several aspects. It is determined by the socio-historical conditions in which the translation act is embedded, and by the range of often-irreconcilable linguistic and contextual factors, among them at least the following; Source and target languages with their specific structural constraints, the extra-linguistic world, and the way it is "cut up" by the two languages resulting in different representation of reality, the original reflecting particular linguistic and stylistic source language and culture; structural features of the original; target language receptor's expectation norms; the translator's comprehension and interpretation of the original and his "creativity"; the translator's explicit and/or implicit theory of translation; translation traditions in the target culture; interpretation of the original by its a uthor. Given these different types of equivalence in translation, it is clear that - true to the nature of translation as a decision process (Levy 1967) - it is necessary for the translator to make choices, i.e., the translator must set up a hierarchy of demands on equivalence which he wants to follow. It is also clear that the many recent polemical attacks against using the concept of "equivalence" in translation theory, because of its imputed vicinity imputed vicinity to "identity" and formal linguistic equivalence, are quite unfounded. Views of equivalence as simply based on formal, syntactic, and lexical similarities alone have been criticized for a long time- not at least because it has long been recognized that any two linguistic items in two different languages are multiply ambiguous. Further, purely formal definitions of equivalence have long been revealed as

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Compass Records Essay Example for Free

Compass Records Essay Backgrounds Alison Brown and her husband Gary West, who were both musicians, founded compass Records in 1995. Compass Records is a small independent recording company that centered on folk and roots music. Compass Records occupies only a tiny part of the 32-billion dollar music recording industry, competing with some multi-national corporations dominating 86% of the business, such as Sony/BMG, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI. However, the industry has witnessed a stagnant growth since 1995, with a decline on annual sales at a compound annual growth rate of 5%. By 2005, Compass Records had grown to include nearly 50 artists under contract and were averaging around 20 releases a year. With 40% of its albums selling over 5,000 units, Compass Records turned a profit on 80% of its titles in 2005. Brown and West also acquired a $100,000 recording studio in May 2004 in order to give the label and its artists more flexibility in the creative process and save $500 a day on studio rental. Problems * (General) Licensing vs. Producing and Own   * Compass Records has to decide between licensing the finished recordings, which is less risky and less expensive with a finite life to the future cash flows associated with the recordings, and producing and owning a master copy, which will be more risky and more expensive with an infinite life to the future cash flows associated with the recordings. * (Specific) How to maximize firm value through the Roscommon decision * Whether to license Adair Roscommon’s music or own the master recording outright.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

We Must Raise the Minimum Wage Essay -- Increase Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay their employees. There is a Federal minimum wage and in some cases a State Minimum wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. An employee who makes $7.25 an hour and works 40 hours a week, will earn about $14,000 per year. The Federal government deemed that the poverty line is anyone who makes less than $17,000 a year (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). Therefore anyone that makes minimum wage lives below the poverty line. As president Obama said in his state of address, "In the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty† (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). This essay will examine the problem of low minimum wage and explore ways to resolve this issue. There are two types of minimum wage in the United States. The first type of minimum wage is a Federal minimum wage. Federal minimum wage is established by the Federal government and is the lowest set amount of money an employer can pay its employee (â€Å"Federal minimum†). On the other hand, an individual State may set its own minimum wage. The States under the Tenth Amendment have the right to accept the federal minimum wage, or states may set their own minimum wage. Roughly 20 or more states have set their own Minimum wage laws. Some states set their own minimum wage because some states have higher cost of living. An example of cost of living is the price of gasoline. Gasoline in the state of Hawaii cost just about four dollars per gallon, where as the state of Oklahoma cost roughly three dollars a gallon ("Update: Minimum Wage"). Economists point to inflation as the main cause for low minimum wage. Inflation is described as â€Å"a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of mone... ...e Minimum Wage Is Stuck at $7.25; It Should Be $21.16 — or Higher." Inequality.org. Inequality, Facts On File 24 July 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. Berfield, Susan. "Fast-Food Wages Come With a $7 Billion Side of Public Assistance." BloombergBusiness. N.p., 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. "Federal Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 13 May 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2013 Henderson, David R. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Negative Effects of the Minimum Wage." National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis. Vol. 550. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. "Update: Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Gift of Life

The Gift of Life by Deborah Greenspan One of the greatest miracles of modern medicine is the ability to successfully transplant human organs, such as kidneys, corneas and hearts, into human beings who would die otherwise. At this very moment, 48,000 people are waiting hopefully for organ transplants (Tenery 20). Seven of these unfortunates will die each day because there are no organs to be had (Hans 84). For them the wait is over. Today, I'm going to tell you why you should become an organ donor and perhaps save the life of one or more of these people. People whose organs don't function properly live half lives hat affect not just themselves but everyone they love as well– their children, their spouses, their mothers, fathers, family and friends. An individual whose kidneys don't function can't develop and cultivate a career. A child whose heart is weak can't get out and run with her friends. A man with a bad liver may not be able to keep his job. Thus candidates for organ do nation feel guilty. They become invalids, unable to spend quality time with those they love, and fearful of the burden they are placing on their families. Let me make this real for you. Her name was Claire. She was the mother of two small children.When her kidneys stopped functioning, she felt that her life was over. Three times a week she spent half a day in dialysis and the rest of the day recovering from the procedure. She never had any energy and was always exhausted. Her illness added 20 years to her appearance and the constant battle with the side effects of the drugs took its toll. When she became a candidate for a kidney, she was happier than she'd ever been in her life. Unfortunately, she died before an organ became available. It's too late to save Claire, or to repair her children's lives, but there is something each of us an do to help others like her. We can carry a donor card. A donor card can be carried around in your wallet. It tells doctors that if you die your organ s can be used to benefit those like Claire who need them. According to Shanteau and Harris, editors of Organ Donation and Transplantation, one donor can provide more than 12 different organs and tissues, yet other studies have found that while most people have a positive attitude toward organ donation, few actually carry donor cards. For instance, a study by the Transportation Council of Southern California found that 77 % of the respondents had a ositive attitude toward organ donation, but 1% of those same people carried donor cards. According to Mary Ellen Anton, R. N. , â€Å"Misinformation, or the lack of information, can be one of the greatest barriers to organ donation. † A common myth regarding organ donation is that organs will be taken before death has occurred. People also fear excessive costs to their families, and some also believe their religion does not support organ donation. These myths actually have little substance. Death in the form of an absence of brain a ctivity has to be established before organs are taken. There s no cost to the family of the donor, and most religions do support organ donation. It's easy enough to check with your minister, priest, or rabbi. Organ donation is an incredible gift. It can save the life of the one who receives it, but strangely, it also helps the family of the one who died. According to Ellen Heck, director of transplant services at the University of Texas, â€Å"Families have told us that donation was the one thing that helped them through the loss. † Think about this carefully. It could be your child or your best friend who needs a kidney. If more people carried donor ards Claire might be alive today, and her daughter, who is only four, might be sitting on her lap right now laughing. In closing let me recap what I've told you. People whose organs don't function properly–and they could be anyone–need you to be an organ donor. Imagine a child opens her eyes and witnesses a brillian t sunrise for the first time. Her organ donor made that possible. By donating your organs you will give the gift of life and make your own death a meaningful one. Take the literature, read it, sign it, and carry a donor card. It's the right thing to do. Thank you.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

CIPD Foundation CERTIFICATE in human resource Essay

The Human Resource Professional Map (HPRM) Activity 01 Introduction: The Human Resource Map (HRPM) was developed by the CIPD it was created by generalists and specialists within the CIPD/HR environments to explain how HR add value to any organisation within the UK and around the world. The (HRMP) is a guideline/benchmarked on line tool which can help individuals and organisations identify immediate and future development needs. The purpose of this (HRPM) is to capture the key skills required for the successful and effective Human Resource Function. The HRPM gives direction and shows what needs to be done, what the individual needs to know and do to go forward in the development of a professional/personal career adventure. The (HRPM) has 3 main areas which have been summarised in table 01 with a brief overview 10 Professional areas – includes the 2 core Professional areas (listed in brief overview 1,2) Insights strategy, and solutions Leading and managing. The remaining eight Organisational design, resource and talent planning, Performance and reward, Employee relations, Organisational development, learning and talent development, employee engagement, Service delivery and information. 1. Insight strategy and solutions- This is the heart of the (HRPM) Deep understanding/support of the business/industry is required. Ability to provide good solutions/insights/plans of action, aligning business and HR strategy. 2. Leading and Managing the (HR) Function. Here active leadership is key. Great emphasis on people, culture and change. Providing active insight led leadership owning, shaping and driving themselves and others. Managing budgets/finance/design and development. Resource/talent planning The above two core areas apply to all practitioners no matter where they are placed on the 4 bands. The above two core areas extend across the eight other areas. 8 Behaviours Curious, Decisive thinker, Skilled influencer, Personally credible, Collaborative, Driven to deliver, Courage to challenge, Role model Shows how work activities should be carried out. 8 specific behaviours that HR professionals need to develop. These are the relevant/necessary skills required throughout every stage of the HR career path. Linked to the 4 bands and each transition stage. 4 bands and Transitions Band 01- Support admin/process, is customer orientated. Band 02- Advise/manage HR issues. Band 03- lead/consult, address HR/organisational change. Band 04 – Lead and manage professional areas of the business. Area of competence defines what Practitioners need to do to progress through the bands. Band one for people at the start of the career scale and moves up to band four for a more senior Practitioner band level. Conclusion The HRPM is a valuable tool to identify immediate and future development needs. It is relevant and applicable to HR practitioners operating anywhere in the world in all sectors/organisations of any shape or size. It sets the highest standards of professional competence for all organisations. Activity: 1.1 Identify a Professional Area from either Band 01 or 02 HR Administrator Role Introduction: This activity will examine and discuss what an HR Administrator does. It will explain that there is no set rule as to what behaviours to use with any one particular role. It really does depend on many process variables within the organisations for example the size of the organisation, the culture, management style, the responsibilities of the role; this can be different in public/private sector organisations. In some small companies there may not be an HR organisation; and the responsibility of HR matters will be captured by line managers and business owners. HR covers a large variety of roles and activities; the 2 core areas insight strategy and solutions and leading and managing apply to all HR professionals no matter where they are placed within the four bands. These two core areas will always extend across the eight other areas. The range and scope of HR activities is very vast and can show an enormous range and variation across the business units, organisation, industries and societies. This is why you will need a wide range of skills for most HR professional roles. A broad sense of business knowledge, each role has its own special requirement beyond the general skill set. Someone taking on an entry level job in HR may not be expected to have all the specific knowledge, but must be ready to learn it quickly or be in targeted training courses. We will now look at the most essential activities, skills and knowledge required to work in band 02 within in the role of HR Administrator: Job Descriptions: For every staff position within an organisation there must be a corresponding job description/job specification and person specification. In this instance we will be looking at the job description only for the HR administration role. This document provides an understanding of the position and accurately and fully describes the role. The job description will identify the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to perform the (HR Administration role) at band level 02. We know from looking at the above HRPM map summary that the skills for the HR administrator role that we are using for this activity comes under band 02 at this level staff will advise or manage HR related issues. Also again depending on which role is being carried out within the HR area for example the behaviours deemed essential for an HR administrator at band level 02 Talent and development would be: 1. Drive to deliver 2. Personally credible 3. Curious HR Administrator will work to ensure values, behaviours, expectations flow through the organisations procedures, process and intranet and other systems of communication. Activity: 1.1 HR Administrator will work to ensure values, behaviours, expectations flow through the organisations procedures, process and intranet and other systems of communication.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Facts and History of Kuwait

Facts and History of Kuwait Kuwaits government is a constitutional monarchy headed by the hereditary leader, the emir.  The Kuwaiti emir is a member of the Al Sabah family, which has ruled the country since 1938; the current monarch is Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City, with a population 151,000 and with a metro area population of 2.38 million.   Population According to the US Central Intelligence Agency, the total population of Kuwait is about 2.695 million, which includes 1.3 million non-nationals.  Kuwaits government, however, maintains that there are 3.9 million people in Kuwait, of whom 1.2 million are Kuwaiti.   Among the actual Kuwaiti citizens, approximately 90% are Arabs and 8% are of Persian (Iranian) descent.  There are also a small number of Kuwaiti citizens whose ancestors came from India. Within the guest worker and expatriate communities, Indians make up the largest group at nearly 600,000.  There are an estimated 260,000 workers from Egypt, and 250,000 from Pakistan.  Other foreign nationals in Kuwait include Syrians, Iranians, Palestinians, Turks, and smaller numbers of Americans and Europeans. Languages Kuwaits official language is Arabic.  Many Kuwaitis speak the local dialect of Arabic, which is an amalgam of Mesopotamian Arabic of the southern Euphrates branch, and Peninsular Arabic, which is the variant most common on the Arabian Peninsula.  Kuwaiti Arabic also includes many loan words from Indian languages and from English.  English is the most commonly used foreign language for business and commerce. Religion Islam is the official religion of Kuwait.  Approximately 85% of Kuwaitis are Muslim; of that number, 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia, mostly of the Twelver school.  Kuwait has tiny minorities of other religions among its citizens, as well.  There are about 400 Christian Kuwaitis, and about 20 Kuwaiti Bahais.   Among the guest workers and ex-pats, approximately 600,000 are Hindu, 450,000 are Christian, 100,000 are Buddhist, and about 10,000 are Sikhs.  The remainder are Muslim.  Because they are People of the Book, Christians in Kuwait are allowed to build churches and keep a certain number of clergy, but proselytizing is forbidden.  Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are not allowed to build temples or gurdwaras. Geography Kuwait is a small country, with an area of 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq miles); in comparative terms, it is slightly smaller than the island nation of Fiji.  Kuwait has about 500 kilometers (310 miles) of coastline along the Persian Gulf.  It borders on Iraq to the north and west, and Saudi Arabia to the south. The Kuwaiti landscape is a flat desert plain.  Only 0.28% of the land is planted in permanent crops, in this case, date palms.  The country has a total of 86 square miles of irrigated cropland. Kuwaits highest point doesnt have any particular name, but it stands 306 meters (1,004 feet) above sea level.   Climate Kuwaits climate is a desert one, characterized by hot summer temperatures, a short, cool winter, and minimal rainfall.  Annual rainfall averages between 75 and 150 mm (2.95 to 5.9 inches).  Average high temperatures in the summer are a toasty 42 to 48 °C (107.6 to 118.4 °F).  The all-time high, recorded on July 31, 2012, was 53.8 °C (128.8 °F), measured at Sulaibya.  This is also the record high for the entire Middle East. March and April often witness large dust storms, which sweep in on the northwesterly winds from Iraq.  Thunderstorms also accompany the winter rains in November and December. Economy Kuwait is the fifth richest country on Earth, with a GDP of $165.8 billion US, or $42,100 US per capita.  Its economy is based primarily on petroleum exports, with the major recipients being Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, and China.  Kuwait also produces fertilizers and other petrochemicals, engages in financial services, and maintains an ancient tradition of pearl diving in the Persian Gulf.  Kuwait imports almost all of its food, as well as most products from clothing to machinery.   Kuwaits economy is quite free, compared with its Middle Eastern neighbors.  The government is hoping to encourage the tourism and regional trade sectors to reduce the countrys dependence on oil exports for income.  Kuwait has known oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels. The unemployment rate is 3.4% (2011 estimate).  The government does not release figures for percent of the population living in poverty. The countrys currency is the Kuwaiti dinar.  As of March 2014, 1 Kuwaiti dinar $3.55 US. History During ancient history, the area that is now Kuwait was often a hinterland of more powerful neighboring areas.  It was linked with Mesopotamia as early as the Ubaid era, beginning roughly 6,500 BCE, and with Sumer around 2,000 BCE.   In the interim, between about 4,000 and 2,000 BCE, a local empire called the Dilmun Civilization controlled the bay of Kuwait, from which it directed trade between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization in what is now Pakistan.  After Dilmun collapsed, Kuwait became part of the Babylonian Empire around 600 BCE.  Four hundred years later, the Greeks under Alexander the Great colonized the area. The Sassanid Empire of Persia conquered Kuwait in 224 CE.  In 636 CE, the Sassanids fought and lost the Battle of Chains in Kuwait, against the armies of a new faith that had arisen on the Arabian Peninsula.  It was the first move in Islams rapid expansion in Asia.  Under the caliphs rule, Kuwait once again became a major trading port connected to the Indian Ocean trade routes. When the Portuguese muscled their way into the Indian Ocean in the fifteenth century, they seized a number of trading ports including the bay of Kuwait.  Meanwhile, the Bani Khalid clan founded what is now Kuwait City in 1613, as a series of small fishing villages.  Soon Kuwait was not only a major trade hub but also a legendary fishing and pearl diving site.  It traded with various parts of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century and became a shipbuilding center. In 1775, the Zand Dynasty of Persia laid siege to Basra (in coastal southern Iraq) and occupied the city.  This lasted until 1779 and greatly benefited Kuwait, as all of Basras trade got diverted to Kuwait instead.  Once the Persians withdrew, the Ottomans appointed a governor for Basra, who also administered Kuwait.  In 1896, tensions between Basra and Kuwait reached a peak, when the sheik of Kuwait accused his brother, the emir of Iraq, of seeking to annex Kuwait. In January 1899, the Kuwaiti sheik, Mubarak the Great, made an agreement with the British under which Kuwait became an informal British protectorate, with Britain controlling its foreign policy.  In exchange, Britain held off both the Ottomans and the Germans from interfering in Kuwait.  However, in 1913, Britain signed the Anglo-Ottoman Convention just before the outbreak of World War I, which defined Kuwait as an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, and the Kuwaiti sheiks as Ottoman sub-governors.   Kuwaits economy went into a tailspin in the 1920s and 1930s.  However, oil was discovered in 1938, with its promise of future petrol-riches.  First, however, Britain took direct control of Kuwait and Iraq on June 22, 1941, as World War II erupted in its full fury.  Kuwait would not gain full independence from the British until June 19, 1961. During the Iran/Iraq War of 1980-88, Kuwait supplied Iraq with massive amounts of aid, fearful of Irans influence after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.  In retaliation, Iran attacked Kuwaiti oil tankers, until the US Navy intervened.  Despite this earlier support for Iraq, on August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and annexation of Kuwait.  Iraq claimed that Kuwait was actually a rogue Iraqi province; in response, a US-led coalition launched the First Gulf War and ousted Iraq.   Retreating Iraqi troops took revenge by setting fire to Kuwaits oil wells, creating enormous environmental problems.  The emir and the Kuwaiti government returned to Kuwait City in March of 1991 and instituted unprecedented political reforms, including parliamentary elections in 1992.  Kuwait also served as the launchpad for the US-led invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, at the start of the Second Gulf War.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Kernel Sentence Definition and Examples

Kernel Sentence Definition and Examples In transformational grammar, a kernel sentence is a  simple declarative construction with only one verb. A kernel sentence is always active and affirmative. Also known as a basic sentence or a kernel. The concept of the kernel sentence was introduced in 1957 by linguist Z.S. Harris and featured in the early work of linguist Noam Chomsky. Examples and Observations According to writer Shefali Moitra, A kernel sentence does not contain any optional expression and is simple in the sense that it is unmarked in mood, therefore, it is indicative. It is also unmarked in voice, therefore, it is active rather than passive. And, finally, it is unmarked in polarity, therefore, it is a positive rather than a negative sentence. An example of a kernel sentence is The man opened the door, and an example of a non-kernel sentence is The man did not open the door.M.P. Sinha, PhD, scholar and writer, offers more examples: Even a sentence with an adjective, gerund, or infinitive is not a kernel sentence.(i) This is a black cow is made of two kernel sentences.This is a cow and The cow is black.(ii) I saw them crossing the river is made of I saw them and They were crossing the river.(iii) I want to go is made of I want and I go. Chomsky on Kernel Sentences According to American linguist, Noam Chomsky, [E]very sentence of the language will either belong to the kernel or will be derived from the strings underlying one or more kernel sentences by a sequence of one or more transformations. . . . [I]n order to understand a sentence it is necessary to know the kernel sentences from which it originates (more precisely, the terminal strings underlying these kernel sentences) and the phrase structure of each of these elementary components, as well as the transformational history of development of the given sentence from those kernel sentences. The general problem of analyzing the process understanding is thus reduced, in a sense, to the problem of explaining how kernel sentences are understood, these being considered the basic content elements from which the usual, more complex sentences of real life are formed by transformational development. Transformations British linguist P. H. Matthews says, A kernel clause which is both a sentence and a simple sentence, like His engine has stopped or The police have impounded his car, is a kernel sentence. Within this model, the construction of any other sentence, or any other sentence that consists of clauses, will be reduced to that of kernel sentences wherever possible. Thus the following: The police have impounded the car which he left outside the stadium. is a kernel clause, with transforms Have the police impounded the car which he left outside the stadium? and so on. It is not a kernel sentence, as it is not simple. But the relative clause, which he left outside the stadium, is a transform of the kernel sentences He left a car outside the stadium, He left the car outside the stadium, He left a bicycle outside the stadium, and so on. When this modifying clause is set aside, the remainder of the main clause, The police have impounded the car, is itself a kernel sentence. Sources Chomsky, Noam. Syntactic Structures, 1957; rev. ed, Walter de Gruyter, 2002. Matthews, P. H. Syntax. Cambridge University Press, 1981. Moitra, Shefali. Generative Grammar and Logical Form. Logic Identity and Consistency, edited by Pranab Kumar Sen. Allied Publishers, 1998. Sinha, M.P., PhD, Modern Linguistics. Atlantic Publishers, 2005.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

International Finance and Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Finance and Banking - Essay Example In 1965 the Northern Rock Building Society was formed as a consequence of union between the two North East building societies. The bank was nationalized in 2008. Concise summary of the facts of the case In the year 2007, the country of United Kingdom experienced the bank run for the first time in over 140 years. At that time the bank under consideration was not significantly large as it was ranked 7th taking the total assets in consideration. But the bank played a significant role in retail banking business. The bank also had its mark as a mortgage lender. About a decade ago, the bank transformed itself from a mutual building society to retail deposits as well as mortgages. The depositors queued outside the bank to withdraw the deposits. It was feared that it could shed its impact on the deposits of the bank. After repeated attempted failures to secure a purchaser operating in the private sector, the government took the initiative to nationalize the bank. The bank now operates as a b ank that is fully owned by the state. Since then, the government has acquired substantial stakes of equity in other banks of Britain as a part of the general program of re-capitalization (Llewellyn, n.d. p. 1). After the Bank of England made an announcement on liquidity support on an emergency basis for the bank, the depositors started to queue up outside the branches with the objective to withdraw the deposits they made in the bank. The television news channels broadcasted the news that the bank has sought for the support of bank of England on the previous evening. However the damage was complete well before the run made by the current account holders. A sign of subprime crisis could be felt from the month of July in the markets for short term funds. The crisis began to apply stresses on the balance sheet as well as the off balance sheet items sponsored by the bank. The bank depended heavily on non retail funding. The retail deposits constituted only 23 percent of the liabilities t ill the summer months of the year 2007. The short term borrowing constituted the rest of the funding. (Shin, 2008, p. 3). The above figure shows the beginning of the situation of crisis. The ABCP or Asset backed commercial paper was regarded as the favoured way for the vehicles of off balance sheet to fund the holdings of mortgage that are related to assets. But the real question which came up in that situation was not directed to find the reason behind the running of the retail depositors. Decision makers were more concerned on sudden drying up of the short term deposits which the bank enjoyed before the month of August, 2007. More emphasis was given on to find the reason on why the lenders operating in the market for capital suddenly decided to deny lending to other banks. (Shin, 2008, p. 10). The above figure shows the comparison of liabilities of the bank both before and after the run. The bar on the left hand side shows the main components of the liabilities of the bank at the end of the month of June, 2007 (Rafferty, 2008, p. 4). The bar at the right hand side shows the liabilities after the run and support in terms of liquidity by the Bank of England. The most glaring picture which comes out from the figure is the difference of the liability to the Bank of England at the end of the year 2007. Response of the financial markets A problem for all banks during the middle of the year, 2007 was the turbulence in the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Current Threats to Maritime Activity Research Paper

Current Threats to Maritime Activity - Research Paper Example However, a huge threat is also imposed by poor relationships among countries since it hinders the deterrence and capture of terrorist elements. This paper found that increased international cooperation is essential to minimizing threats to maritime activities. Maritime activities are essential to trade and socioeconomic development. It is on the sea that many countries rely on the production and transportation of goods. However, countries and private industries face a worsening threat in maritime activities because of the growing and re-emerging threats at sea. These threats include terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, oil smuggling, and transportation of criminal elements and materials (Gilbride & Nash, 2004). As Gilbride and Nash note, â€Å"oceans are the largest ungoverned space on the planet,† which makes the sea a greater security challenge for the global community. In 2004, then President George W. Bush emphasized that the American government is intent on disrupting every enemy threats (as cited in â€Å"National Strategy,† 2005), including those at sea. The first step towards a safer maritime environment is the identification of threats posed by criminal entities. Most of these are related either directly or indirectly to terrorism and pose serious economic threats to every nation around the world. Deng (1997) enumerates five types of activities that fall under maritime activities: â€Å"(1) state politics, including military operations, expansion, administration, diplomacy, exile, rebellions, and popular movements against the state; (2) cultural exchange; (3) expeditions; (4) immigration; and (5) trade.† Although the five activities Deng enumerated above are all essential to national development and security, the first and the last ones create the greatest impact for any country. Hence, this paper will focus on

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Charlotte's Webb marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charlotte's Webb marijuana - Essay Example Their argument is based from scientific study that has proven that there are chemicals in marijuana that are active called cannabinoids. This controversy is kind of a fact because cannabinoids which are a big family of chemicals related to delta-9-tetrahydrocannanibal (THC) which is marijuana’s major psychoactive ingredient. Apart from THC the marijuana plant contains more than one hundred cannabinoids. Scientists and makers of drugs have also synthesized many cannabinoids in the testing ground .this however is used to treat pain and nausea at some countries Charlotte’s web is a name that originated from a child known as charlotte Figs who was the first to attempt the strain around two years ago. This child suffered about 60 seizures for a period of 24 hours. Her parents confidently say that the child has no strain anymore.Cannabidiol is conceived to hinder or act as a barrier on parts of the brain that lead to epileptic seizures and as excitants in other parts that decrease them. Says Igor Grant, he is a director of the university of California’s center for medicinal cannabis Research though this remains unproven (Myma, 2001). When a an epilepsy patient and his doctor agrees that they will use marijuana to treat epilepsy.it follows that they should consider legal matters and safe access to medical marijuana and they should take it before they act or decide to use it.This bases are derived from Charlotte Fig, who came up with this issuewho suffer from DraveSyndrome, it is known to be a genetic disorder that causes more severe epilepsy. It was noted that there has been instant decrease in Figs seizures and removal of her need for seizures drugs that has been caused by high number of CBD and low THC that is found in medical marijuana (Mitch, 2002). Pros and cons in my opinion are full support to patients and families

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Dystopia In Film | Metropolis Vs Utopian Art Deco

Dystopia In Film | Metropolis Vs Utopian Art Deco The 1920s in Germany were a transition time, World War I had recently ended, and it was precisely the war that showed the destructive potential of modern technology. Invented and first used by the Germans in 1915, machine guns and poison gas showed the deep split between technology and humanity, it was the first modern war in which machines decided the outcome. In this time in history, it was the embracement of technology in other parts of the world, the Art Deco movement was the Utopian new way of living. After the war in Germany, American modernity became a powerful agent in the economic and cultural modernisation. America represented the New World, since Germany had a lack of national identity, the idea that mass culture might be a secret American weapon, one that would enslave the world by distracting it made sense according to Isenberg (2009, p.182-183). Combining these two facts, the German loss of dignity during the first World War, and modernity rising, it created a certain c omfort for the German culture to accept the modern movement, since it represented the ideal of living in the present which made it easier to forget about the harsh past. At first America was seen as a good idea, but by the mid-1920s Germany faced a stability in politics and economy, which questioned American way of living, its technological progress began to be seen as inhuman. Germany was beginning to feel threatened by America, with its focus on materialism and mechanisation of life, seeing it as a way to kill the human side of humankind. In 1927, the German film director Fritz Lang, created a movie analysing just that, our future with machines and its possible outcome. It was a film created to show the comfort Germany first took in accepting modernity but in a way where humanity would lose it all to it. The Art Deco movement at the time, stood for the modern world and the evolution of people through the new inventions of machines. Metropolis, still believed in this Utopian life but created its own, showing how human and machines can work as long as one important factor is not forgotten, which the modern world seemed to have already done. In comparison to the Art Deco modern views, Metropolis created its own view, which can be seen as its own naà ¯ve Utopian world, but also showed the Dystopia that could occur from this fast modern movement. In order to see how the two go hand in hand, one must look at important elements which happened at this time, the introduction of new technologies which affected almost all the aspects of life. From architecture to fashion, people and their ways were changing, since freedom was now praised upon, everything that used to be taboo or conservative was now in the open. Taking into consideration that the major elements, which make up Art Deco, are present in the film; this is to show how they were used to portray the negative side of this modern vision. We all believe in a Utopian way of life, in perfection, but the consequences are most of the time overlooked, and the film Metropolis was that vision, showing the effects of the new technologies people were praising and how it would forever change people, life and the world. Without further ado, lets see how the film has proven itself to be a masterpiece but most importantly how a purely imaginative vision may have foretold our future, from began as a Utopian idea to what may have changed the fundamentals of humankind. The late teens and early twenties in Germany was a time of rampant inflation, decadence, personal liberty, violence and insecurity. It was followed by the unfortunate rise of the Nazis during the late twenties and early thirties, which saw a severe clampdown on freedom of expression is all walks of life, especially the arts and politics according to Organ (2009). The central theme of Metropolis is that of a separation between working class and higher-ups and the need for a mutual understanding of each is presented both abstractly and directly through the image rather than the word. This theme of workers revolting against domination by exploitative management, their soulless machines, and new technologies, also struck a chord with reviewers and the general public, though many critics in America and Britain objected strongly to this anti-Fordism / anti production-line tale. As such, Metropolis, with its many themes and sub-texts, including the almost obligatory boy meets girl, boy loos es girl, boy finds girl was a controversial film from day one It garnered both positive and negative comment wherever it was shown, and generated much critical discussion in the press upon release according to Organ (2009). In order to understand the importance of the visual work accomplished in the film, on must look at different scenes from the movie where this is proven, such as the opening shot of line upon line, file upon file, of workers marching down the hallway towards the elevator that takes them down into the depths of the citys machines and inner workings. Each worker wears the same uniform, shuffles their feet in the same manner as if they were a military unit, and each slouch and hold their heads down in unison according to Simon M (2010). Such images as workers being fed to a giant monster, masses upon masses of slave labor building the biblical Tower of Babel, and Death itself swinging its scythe indicate the possible fall of this turbulent society in a stark and shocking way not possible through ordinary images or even the written word. They give this story something of a mythic and fantastic property, portraying its message through symbolism rather than realism, exaggeration rather than realism according to Simon M (2010). The pleasure garden in which Freder (the main character) indulges in the most hedonistic of pleasures, providing a stark contrast with the metallic, grimy world of the workers. This fluid and happy-go-lucky world is immediately interrupted by the entrance of Maria and the worker children. Here is the direct conflict and contrast between workers and elites, high and low, heaven and hell. Later on in the film Freder witnesses one of these machines at work, each worker mechanically pushing buttons and pulling levers in uniform, fixed motions. It is as if these workers are themselves machines, as Lang uses the image of uniform, unnatural motion to represent a lack of humanity, hopefully inspiring repulsion in the audience according to Simon M (2010). Such exaggeration is arguably necessary in the case of a silent film in order to make up for the lack of proper dialogue, but it also may add to the raw symbolism of it all, going to every last length t o show the divide between worker and elite. This exaggeration practically defines Metropolis in many instances. Along with the aforementioned portrayals of Freder and Maria, there is the near-comically evil Rotwang, who inspired just about every mad scientist portrayed in popular culture since then according to Simon M (2010). Another important factor is the characteristics of the appearance and behaviour of Rotwang which does not fit the stereotype of a modern scientist, and there are indications that he may be in league with the devil. The personality of the scientist Rotwang belongs to one of the most interesting antagonists of the screen. The possibility of an ambivalent interpretation of his character, he is a scientist, but also something of a sorcerer allied with satanic forces, which gives him greater complexity according to Urgosà ­kovà ¡ (2009). In 1924, Fritz Lang visited New York City, where the big-city architecture struck him, and the luminous cityscape influenced the visual design and electrifying energy for the film. Originally an architect, Lang was a man of unusually sensitive visual perceptions. His films of those years show an expressionistic sense for the plastic and the lighting, which emphasized architectonic lines and conveyed a sense of geometric construction that not only extends to the sets and the depicted milieu but even influenced the positioning of the actors in individual shots. In keeping with the conventions of expressionism, the inhabitants of the subterranean city have no individuality, and the crowd represents a compact mass from which personality projects only as a stark exception and only in a definite rhythm according to Urgosà ­kovà ¡ (2009). The introductory sequences present this social organization in a very attractive light. In a magnificent, gigantic city with gleaming skyscrapers, suspension bridges, and bustling street, people live in comfort and plenty, with every possibility for intellectual and physical development. However, Metropolis is not a city of freedom and equality. Below ground, working for the chosen elite, are masses of nameless workers who have no more value within the social order than a cog in a machine or a tool or production. It is for this reason that the workers revolt and almost destroy the city; only then is there a reconciliation and an equalization of rights for the two strata, the elite and the workers. Lang honestly believed in this idea of reconciliation, and his attitude to a certain extent reflected the German reality, in which there were growing indications of stabilization and attempts to resolve social problems. The uneven lines, contrasts of light and dark, half-shadows and silhoue ttes, which serve to suggest mysterious and menacing actions, events, and emotions. Lang applied these techniques effectively and successfully to one of the varieties of the fantasy genre, what he created to be utopian work, or in modern words influenced the genre of Science Fiction according to Urgosà ­kovà ¡ (2009). What can also be factored is the importance of architecture in the Art Deco movement, where the advanced of technology was introduced, which made the construction of skyscrapers possible. This new way of building up rather than out, gave the illusion that we could reach the sky, giving a high expectation for our future. In the film Metropolis, the main building is the Babel tower, where the legend is told that it was made to reach the stars and on the top it would be written Great is the world and its Creator! And great is Man! but in the sequence of the film where this is explained, it shows how in order for a building or any structure to be built, one must first think of the idea, which is not always possible. Once the idea is put on paper or into small scale, it needs labour to be produced and this is when the hands come in, and it is shown that in order for the Babel tower to be built, it would take a lot of man power and therefore some blood would have to be shed in order for th e man who had thought of this building, could see it built. This is Metropoliss view on the built of skyscrapers, since they were using new techniques, which were not already perfected, and what it would take to build such things, the cost of human lives? That it is great for such ideas to ever be thought up, but is it necessary? At the time yes, since it showed the greatness of man and what he could achieve. When a director creates a film, its main purpose it to communicate a message through visuals and dialogue, which can be expressed in different ways, such as speech, facial expressions and written words. Its main focus is to make the audience feel exactly what the director has in mind, therefore when Fritz Lang created this film, these elements could not be forgotten or not be taken seriously, or else the film would have not gotten so much attention or gained so much success. In a way if unprofessional work had been done, we would not even talk about this movie today, but the push for a different genre in film and the motivation to build a realistic set and using the right lighting, made this film not only a work or art but a movie that will continue to affect people in generations to come. Interiors How does one judge anothers financial status? by the furniture and interior of their home, it is not always true, but when exposed to someone elses lifestyle and home, one can easily put a social status on the other. In Metropolis, the interiors of both the upper and lower worlds are very distinct. The upper shows a high usage of Art Deco elements and the lower is very cold and style-less. The Art Deco elements showed the high class, therefore representing the people who could afford such extravaganzas. The Utopian concept is very much present, from using such interiors, which were very popular with the American style of the time, showing how the exploiters can manage to hide the bad and only show the good, or in other words the output. As seen in the office of Joh Fredersen and in Freders bedroom, all the highest technology was available for their usage. From the bed shape to the lamps, as well as the desk, all the geometric elements can be seen. This was done to show how the upper class were able to live, compared to the lower class, which lived under ground, with not much to rely too, since their living space was limited to brick walls and constant work, were the luxurious Art Deco furniture would serve no purpose to them, since they did not have the time to appreciate it. All these elements were to show, the Utopian life lived by the people who ran the city, compared to the Dystopia it created by asking such a request from other human beings, it analyses the two points of society and how people live. Based on the concept of capitalism and materialism, where it can only be reached by the officers and not the workers, which tends to be a common theme in any point in history. The main point of using such distinct style or interiors and exteriors, was to show the freedom and lack of appreciation from the upper class, since they had everything, they forgot to think about what it took to give them this luxury. It is an important factor in the film, since the whole point is to show, how and why workers would revolt against their superiors, and making such a big contrast between the quality of life between the two made the impact of the workers revolt more powerful, since it showed what they were deprived from and how it affected them. Running a city and taki ng all the profits can only generate unfairness, therefore creating a created desire of unneeded things to people who do not pocess them. If the interior design had not been considered for this movie the different views of both classes would have not been so powerful, and taking into consideration that the film depended a lot on visual and not words, such things needed to be accentuated to create its full point, to be clear to the viewer, what people were being targeted and illustrated. For her all 7 deadly sins Many biblical references can be seen in this film, one of the most important element in Metropolis is the robot version of Maria, which carries on her all 7 deadly sins. This image of the woman can be interpreted on many levels, one can be to show how women were acting in the 1920s since it was a time where more open behaviours were accepted, their dresses got shorter, they started to smoke and drink in public and freely exposed their sexuality, a way for them to celebrate the modern woman. The emergence of emancipated and sexually liberated women, as well as organised feminist activities in the mid-1920s. The robot Maria, stylised as the New Woman, rips the social fabric asunder, inciting the workers to rebel and seducing them into self-destructive acts. Her punishment, once she is uncovered as an agent provocateur, is to be burned at the stake according to Isenberg (2009, p.181). The most important scene is when the robotic doppelgà ¤nger of Maria , with her twitchy eye, sexually dances in front of the upper class men, this behaviour was meant to distract and manipulate them, done in an exaggerated way, when all the mens eyes are seen, their mouths are open, they become more violent to the point where they all run to the podium on which she dances, she tricks them to be a temptress who is out to deceive those who fall for the illusion of a replica. This nexus of technology, visual pleasure, and fantasy also lay at the core of modern American mass culture, which, according to some cultural critics, had seduced Germany into renouncing its classical canon of high culture according to Isenberg (2009, p.181). This robotic Maria was meant as metaphors, one being the threat the modern woman would have on men and community with her new sexual manipulating techniques, second she represents America and how it first seduced Germany into mass culture, through the same kind of pleasurable ways. The artistic beauty which Lang made the robot, with its glittering female bod y, stylised breasts and inhuman mask instead of a face perfectly represents this theory, it was made on purpose to be sexual, since it needed to represent the power of womans new sexual behaviour and how it could impact communities. She is treated as being a witch when she is discovered to be an imposter, which again shows how this new act is unnatural and dangerous to the evolution of people and if practiced a woman is as good as dead and should be burned alive for her sins of manipulation. The beauty of woman was openly recognised, therefore women seemed to take advantage of this new attention they were getting and getting away with it, showing how soon women could have the same rights as men, since they could manipulate them, showing an unbalance to how people use to live and statuses between men and women were already established. Visual Communication Typography and movie poster Art Deco typefaces are composed of geometric forms, an influence from the geometrical formal language of the Constructivists, but the love for elegance at the time gave it a decorative touch. With this new style of type design, readability sometimes wasnt too clear, since the letters seemed flat and ornamental, where they received additional spacial and graphic embellishments. One characteristic change was type going from narrow to wide, sometimes the lower cases were completely ignored to embrace the thin, long stroked capital letters, but antique and fractured scripts remain the standard despite the eras prevailing tastes. At times they were the mouthpiece of twenties modernism, with its technology, communication, transportation and its dynamism; at other times, of mundane elegance and luxury transposed into a fantastical world of unadulterated glamour that takes precedence over typography according to Stawinski (2009, p.131). This became a graphic language of exotic cultures, whic h embodied themes of modern technology and ways of life. One distinct font of the Art Deco movement, is Broadway; designed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1925: (show type) Comparing it to the font used for the Metropolis title, one can see where the Art Deco elements of type are visible but how they have been altered to create the feel for the movie. This obvious alteration, created a sort of horror feel, but how? The descenders of the M, T, R, P and S have elongated, the bowls of the O have been evenly distributed, the I, L and E have been distorted, an also distorted dot has been added to the I, but all the most important factor is that each letter finishes with a point as can be seen in all the descenders and the arm of the T. These strong angles, visible in all the letters, even on the O since it not perfectly round but mostly choppy lines formed into a circle, have given this title its unique character, where it is only composed of angles, no smooth lines are present, respecting the geometric language of the time but going against elegance. Taking into consideration that Fritz Langs 1927 film Metropolis is a silent film, the written word used in intertitles played a large role in story comprehension. Intertitles are important in silent films, since they need to give the audience information through text, which should be both appealing and readable, to clearly express to the audience what is being visually shown. Metropolis would be particularly hard to understand without the on-screen narration, since the actors faces and movements can express only so much. The font chosen for the Metropolis intertitles is very artistically stylized, which goes against the futuristic city storyline, where a more straight-lined font may have been more appropriate. Even though Metropolis inspired the Science Fiction film style, it was not meant to be one, but rather an art film, therefore it makes sense to use artistic intertitles, as a way to make the movie balanced in the style it was creating. Throughout the films city the same stylise d font it used as well as numbers, which indicate the style used throughout Metropolis, which shows that typography played a big part in the films mood, is was careful placed and used to make sure all the information needed was clear and stylised accordingly. All these traits put together have created an abstract version of typical Art Deco font, but on purpose, in order to catch someones attention, one must stimulate that sense, the way to promote the art form of film was through making a poster for it, what better way to give it an identity and a feel. When a poster is designed, it is composed of information for its viewer, which is also targeted, to inform them of what is happening, this information is read through the usage of words, which is where typography comes in. This powerful tool of type design, is the cherry on top of a poster design, since it is also composed if imagery to trigger another kind of feel, but type when used correctly can automatically create the ambience to describe the art form as a whole. In the case of Metropolis, this alteration of type was used just for that purpose, to trigger the imagination of its viewer, to show something different then the typical Art Deco posters created at the time of its production . Since the films theme was also an alteration of the life views of the time, if a typical Art Deco font had been used, it would have not shown the effect the film as a whole was trying to reach. So going back to 1927, as someone is walking in the streets and sees the Metropolis poster advertising the film on a wall, one can imagine the attention it must have gotten, since everything else around was produced to support positivity and evolution, here comes something scary and negative, therefore triggering the curiosity of people to see why it was so different. In order for a poster or any other sort of advertising elements to be successful, they need to properly represent what it is symbolising, which the one of a kind font used for the title of Metropolis did, it was the introduction to the movie before someone went to the theatre to see. Going to the next visual element, posters are a very powerful advertising tool, since they can be placed literally anywhere, therefore making them reachable to any eyes and to any audience. Typography as said before is one of the most important elements of a poster, since it makes the audience aware of what the poster is about, since it will surely cary a title. The other element is imagery, which is usually the background, and is used to go along with the title, to create a unified theme and helps the viewer reach a conclusion of their own to what the poster may mean. Posters are an art, since they need to work in a way where they need to be noticed at first glance, and briefly inform the viewer with all the important information in a couple of minutes. For such a film as Metropolis, which is in fact a two hour viewing of moving images, the poster had to illustrate all of that into one image, basically giving away the whole movie in a single view. Typical Art Deco posters were colourful, vibrant, energetic, showed a lot of movement, basically they illustrated and embraced the new technologies being introduced. They were drawn and printing with the latest techniques invented, showing people living in this new modernity, such as travel, fashion, drinking and smoking. What used to be taboo, was now in the open and people were showing off this new lifestyle full of luxury and advancement, which had never been seen before. This perfect lifestyle, mostly only affordable by the higher class, was praised upon, everyone had to be part of this new movement, exposing their inner desires, or letting all hell break lose. This new freedom of expression, and new possibilities had to be reflected, mostly through abstract views, such as people were usually drawn through geometric forms, almost not real, like this movement was too good to be true, in a way it showed the fear of people, since it used fantasy images to show what was really going on, things were moving too fast and the population did not really have time to digest all of this, therefore showing people though geometric elements, was a easier way to accept it. The imagery of the Metropolis poster distributed at the time, was duotone, illustrating only buildings in the background and the robot in the foreground, the title of the film at the top and all the information at the bottom. The duotone, was against all the colourful posters at the time, since the movie was showing the dark side of the Utopian philosophy of Art Deco, the robot in the middle represented the most important part of the film, but also to show people how they would evolve, but the answer to how lied in watching the movie. The information at the bottom, gave the regular film info; who directed it, the main actors, music composer, production house and writer. The drawing of the robot used a lot of curved lines, and showed an emotionless face, making it obvious that humans were being interpreted as robots. Conclusion Lets start with the quote The mediator between head and hands must be the heart taken from the film Metropolis, from this analysis it can be said that Art Deco is the head and the hands and Metropolis is the heart. The Utopian idea of Art Deco was a way to celebrate the new world and its technologies whereas Metropolis was the Dystopian view hidden behind this philosophy. It can be seen through all the elements stated, as a warning or a reality to what the world may evolve to be, that without the heart a life cannot function, but without the head and the hands a world cannot evolve. Therefore they both go hand in hand, but never one without the other, that humans may never forget their real values. This is the message that the film portrayed, that there is beauty in evolving, but we must never forget who we really are and our true powers, that if we rely too much on machines (technology) then what is left of us? Art Deco, was a time when everything was changing, the excitement of a n ew life, the embracing of a freedom given to people by machines doing jobs for them. These two art forms, have proven themselves through history and have shaped the world we now live in, but without art, how could anyone in the future know how a community evolved or lived, this is why it is important to analyse all the details of one element and how it fits into the time period it was produced, to better understand its message and value. The naà ¯ve way people were living during the 1920s, was in a way beautiful and pure, they had no worries except live and explore their new identities, Metropolis showed the difference between the high class or in other words the heads versus the lower class, the hands, and how they would live in two different worlds, one above and one below. This shows, that once an idea is conceived, the inventor takes all the credit, whereas the hands who built it, are never recognised for the hard work and risks it took to construct it. People in the higher class would be the only one to appreciate the hands work, since they would be the only ones would could afford it, they would be the only ones who could have the luxury to live in such buildings reaching the stars and afford such extravaganzas in their homes. But where did the workers fit in, in all of this? This is what Metropolis, was showing, that for such a Utopia to exist fairness should be placed between the heads who conceive ideas and the hands who built them, and yes in order to do that, the only power is our hearts. When speaking about art, the philosophy behind it must always be talked about, since it explains why it was created and what it was meant to represent, without one, you cant have the other, which is also another strong point about the quote, since people tend to concentrate on the most important facts but forgetting how it became important. Metropolis also created its own Utopia, where as long as the heart is present and the human side in humankind is never lost, we can live in an harmonious world. The hand shake in the end, also could represent the labour giving in again to capital. Metropolis inaugurated a series of utopias on film that attempted to resolve the difficulties of the contemporary state of society by projecting them into a story with a futuristic setting according to Urgosà ­kovà ¡ (2009).