Basic Principles of Tort Supported by Case Law.

Introduction This essay is an attempt to advise Changwa on the area of law under which he can bring an action in view of the facts given in the question. The essay will also attempt to advise Changwa with respect to the person against whom such action can be brought. In order to achieve this end, the essay will pay particular attention to the salient elements he has to establish in the area of law identified, if at all he is to succed in his claim. The essay will conclude by looking at the likely difficulties Changwa may encounter in succeeding in his claim in the event that he was to bring an action. The advice will be with the aid of decided cases where necessary. Area of Law and the Potential Defendant. In view of the facts given in this case, the name of the area of law under which Changwa can bring an action is in the tort of negligence. Accordingly, he must bring this action firstly against the pub manager for the cockroach found in the food. Secondly, the action must be brought against the manufacturers of the red wine. This is so because the pub manager is merely the retailer with no opportunity to temper with the contents of the red wine. The law of negligence dates back as far as 1856 when Lord Baron Alderson in Blyth v Birmingham Water Works Company gave a simple and precise definition of what constitutes negligence in the following terms; Negligence is the omission to do something which a reasonable man guided upon those considerations which ordinarily regulate the conduct of human affairs would do, or doing something which a prudent and reasonable man would not do. It follows therefore that negligence consists of either an act or omission on the part of the defendant. It is trite law that the tort of negligence has three essential elements, which any claimant must prove in order to succeed in his action against the defendant. These three elements are existence of duty of care owed to the claimant, breach of such duty of care by the defendant and lastly the resulting damage to the claimant arising from the breach of the duty of care . Each of the above elements of the tort of negligence will now be discussed in turn. Existence of duty of care It is now settled law that there exists no all embracing duty owed to the whole world in all circumstances. However, the determining issue is whether a duty of care existed and whether it was owed to the particular plaintiff. The basis of the law of negligence is that the defendant owes the plaintiff a duty of care. It must be mentioned that the duty owed to a claimant is not imposed by contract but is one imposed by the law. The modern law as regards this aspect of the law of negligence was extensively canvassed in the celebrated case of Donoghue v Stevenson where the House of Lords were confronted with the general question of whether a manufacturer owed a duty of care to the ultimate consumer of his products and they proceeded to hold that he did. In that case, the plaintiff became ill after drinking ginger beer from a bottle which contained a decomposing snail in it. She had not bought the daring herself, so she was unable to rely on a breach of contract. In this regard, she sued the manufacturers of the beer under the tort of negligence, claiming that they owed her a duty of care. The House of Lord decided the case in the plaintiff’s favour and the case is an authority because of the rule of law laid down by Lord Atkin when he stated thus; The rule that you are to love your neighbour becomes in law, you must not injure your neighbour; and the lawyer's question, who is my neighbour? receives a restricted reply. You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who, then, in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called in question This test has been criticised as being too wide but it made it easier for lawyers to argue that there should be liability for negligently causing harm in new situations. Similarly, in Anns v Merton , the court had the following to say concerning the duty of care; In order to establish that a duty of care arises in a particular situation, it is not necessary to bring the facts of that situation within those of previous situations in which a duty of care has been held to exist. Rather the question has to be approached in two stages. First one has to ask whether, as between the alleged wrongdoer and the person who has suffered damage there is a sufficient relationship of proximity or neighbourhood such that, in the reasonable contemplation of the former, carelessness on his part may be likely to cause damage to the latter – in which case a prima facie duty of care arises. Secondly, if the first question is answered affirmatively, it is necessary to consider whether there are any considerations which ought to negative, or to reduce or limit the scope of the duty or the class of person to whom it is owed or the damages to which a breach of it may give rise In view of the above exposition of the law, it is clear that firstly, the pub manager owes a duty of care to Changwa to ensure that he is not harmed by the food prepared therein. Secondly, the manufacturer of the red wine ought to have the consumer in contemplation as a person who would likely be affected by the actions of the manufacturer. The above cases show that the manufacturer and not the retailer, owes a duty of care to the consumer in instances where the retailer has no power whatsoever as to the contents or quality of a product. In view of this duty, a manufacturer in the position of the manufacturer of the red wine must take reasonable steps to ensure that the drinks they produce do not contain any impurities which would be harmful to the consumer. Breach of Duty of Care A potential defendant will be negligent by falling below the standards of the ordinary reasonable person in his situation, that is, by doing something which the reasonable man would not do or failing to do something which the reasonable man would do. According to the learned authors of English Law , if a duty of care is established as a matter of law, whether or not the defendant was in breach of that duty is a matter of fact. Even if the plaintiff succeeds in showing that the defendant owes a duty of care, it is not sufficient for purposes of negligence unless a breach of that duty is shown . In deciding whether a defendant has acted negligently, the decision is based on an objective test of what a reasonable man would do. The court will decide if the defendant fell below the standard of the reasonable man. The standard of care expected from this hypothetical character is objective; not taking into account the characteristics or weaknesses of the defendant, as was aptly stated by the court in Nettleship v Weston . However, it must be mentioned that the courts expect people to take only reasonable precautions in guarding against harm to others, and this position of the law was affirmed in Latimer v AEC Ltd . In assessing what is reasonable under the circumstances, the court will consider the likelihood of harm occurring. The greater the risk of harm, the greater the precautions that will need to be taken, as was held in Miller v Jackson In the instant case, the test would be whether a reasonable person in the position of both the pub manager and the manufacturer of red wine would have neglected to carry out an inspection of their products in order to ensure that the consumer will not be harmed by the contents thereof. The obvious answer to the above question is not in the affirmative but in the negative. In this regard, Changwa would successfully establish the second element of the tort of negligence against firstly the pub manager and secondly the wine manufacturer, although this in itself is by no means conclusive that the defendants are liable to the plaintiff. At this point, in order to succeed in the tort of negligence, he will then need to establish the third element of the tort of negligence, namely that he suffered damage as a result of the breach of the duty of care by the defendant. Damage The learned authors of Clerk and Lindsell on Tort assert that it is important for the plaintiff in an action for negligence to prove the resulting damage to him from the breach of the duty of care. This is essentially premised o the fact that negligence is not actionable per se. It is necessary therefore for Changwa in this case, to show that he has suffered some harm, either physical injury, economic harm or psychological harm. This part of the elements of the law of negligence constitutes one of the difficulties that Changwa is likely to encounter in succeeding with the claim. In Donoghue v Stevenson , the House of Lords found in favour of the plaintiff because she was able to show that she had suffered a mental or nervous shock after drinking the Ginger Beer in which a decomposed snail was found. It is now categorically clear that breach of duty of care is necessary but in itself and by itself not conclusive that the plaintiff will be entitled to damages. To this effect, resulting damage is essential in this regard. This qualifies the earlier point that negligence is not actionable per se but damage must be proved if a claimant is to succeed. The Zambian courts have had several instances where they have pronounced themselves on this third aspect or element of the law of negligence. In Zambia Breweries Plc v Reuben Mwanza The respondent, Reuben Mwanza bought a bottle of a castle lager beer at a bottle store and this bottle was opened in his presence. He drunk half of the contents and he then felt as if he was choking and on examination of the bottle he found that it contained a dead lizard. The learned trial judge found as a fact that the appellants were negligent in the manufacture of the castle beer with a dead lizard in it and awarded the respondent K50, 000,000 as damages. The appellant then appealed against the excessive award of damages. The Supreme Court had the following to say in relation to the issue of damages; We have considered the submissions on this head and we agree that the K50, 000,000 awarded in this area is excessive. In doing so we take into account the conduct of the respondent after discovering a lizard in his beer. Although the respondent stated that he was shocked with the discovery of the lizard, it is shocking to us that when he was offered another beer, he quickly took it and consumed. There was no revolting reaction. Further, when he went to the Chilenje clinic he never revealed what has caused his â€Å"illness† so that proper diagnosis could be given. The reasoning of the court from the above sentiments is to the effect that there was no evidence to show that the claimant had suffered any harm, whether mental or physical thus the award was reduced. The court further stated thus; â€Å"the plaintiff has, therefore, a duty to bring credible evidence of illness. The award in this instant case comes to us with a sense of shock as being wrong in principle and on the higher side. We want to take advantage of this case to point out that in future nothing will be awarded if no proper evidence of a medical nature is conducted. † Similarly, in Continental Restaurant & Casino LTD. v. Arida Mercy Chulu , the court had the following to say as regards the need to prove actual damage in an action for negligence; The important point to stress, however, is that in cases of this nature, the basis of awarding damages is to vindicate the injury suffered by the plaintiff. The money was to be awarded in the instant case not because there was a cockroach in the soup, but on account of the harm or injury done to the health, mental or physical, of the plaintiff. Thus in the Donoghue case the plaintiff was hospitalised. Mild condition is generally not enough a basis for awarding damages. The plaintiff has, therefore, a duty to bring credible evidence of illness. The award in this instant case comes to us with a sense of shock as being wrong in principle and on the higher side. We want to take advantage of this case to point out that in future nothing will be warded if no proper evidence of a medical nature is conducted. Furthermore, in the case of Michael Chilufya Sata v Zambia Bottlers Limited , claimant found a cockroach in the drink but had not yet taken the drink when the cockroach was discovered. In a claim by the claimant, the Supreme Court of Zambia held to the effect that there was no injury or damage caused to the appellant by the adulterated drin k as he did not consume it. Furthermore, the court noted correctly that negligence alone does not give a cause of action; damage alone does not give a cause of action; the two must co-exist. It therefore follows, that for Changwa to successfully claim damages, he must prove the actual harm suffered with respect to both the food and the red wine. CONCLUSION AND ADVICE In view of the explanation of the law that has bee done above, Changwa will now be advised as follows; †¢In view of the facts given in the question, he would bring an action in the tort of negligence. †¢The person that Changwa should sue is the owner of the restaurant for the fly found in the food. This is so irrespective of the fact that changwa is not the one who bought the food because the duty of care is not contractual but is imposed by the law. In this vain, the pub owes a duty of care to Changwa. Secondly, Changwa can also bring an action for negligence against Manufacturer of the red wine for the cockroach found in the wine. This is because in cases such as these ones where the retailer has no control on the contents of the wine, recourse is had to the manufacturer, who is under a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that the drink does not cause harm to the consumers who must be in the reasonable contemplation of the manufacturer. The tort of negligence comprises of three essential ingredients, namely; duty of care, breach of duty of care and the resultant damage, which elements have been discussed in sufficient detail above. In order to succeed in the tort of negligence, the claimant must establish all the three elements. †¢Changwa will easily prove the first two elements of negligence. However, he may encounter problems with the third element in view of the fact that it has not been shown from the question whet her he suffered any harm after taking the food which had a fly. The law on negligence demands that the claimant must substantiate the harm caused by the defendant’s breach of duty. This will be problematic for Changwa in view of the fact that he did not suffer any damage. Secondly, it will be difficult if not impossible for Changwa to substantiate his claim with respect to the red wine because he did not take the wine, thus clearly no harm was suffered by himself. In view of the collated explanations given in this essay, Changwa is advised accordingly. Bibliography Clerk and Lindsell. 2003. Law of Tort, 16th ed Cooke, J. 2003. Law of Tort, 6th ed. Liverpool: Moores University. Rogers, W. 1994. Winfield and Jolowicz on Tort, 13th ed. London: Sweet and Maxwell. Smith and Keenan. 1966. English Law, 2nd ed. London: Pitman and Sons Cases referred to Anns v Merton [1977] 2 All ER 492 Blyth v Birmingham Water Works Company [1856] 11 Exch 781 Continental Restaurant & Casino Ltd. v. Arida Mercy Chulu S. C. Z. No. 28 of 2000 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Latimer v AEC Ltd [1952] 1 All ER 1302 Michael Chilufya Sata v Zambia Bottlers Limited SCZ No. 1 OF 2003 Miller v Jackson [1977] 3 All ER 338 Nettleship v Weston [1971] 3 All ER 581 Zambia Breweries Plc v Reuben Mwanza S. C. Z. NO. 39 OF 2000

Disintermediation and Reintermediation of the Travel Agents Essay

1. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the travel distribution channel is very complex and characterized by the presence of many different kind of intermediaries which operate in a very competitive market. Since the beginning of the travel industry, intermediaries have always played an important role for the development of tourism products and services. Indeed, intermediaries have the ability to organize and aggregate a large amount of data into one price. Moreover, they have a fundamental role for counseling and delivering a personalized service according to the specific need of customers (Kracht and Wang, 2009). Before the advent and further development of communication technology, the market was dominated by the large suppliers such as airlines, hotel chains and resorts. Travel agents were the conventional intermediaries which were independent from each other and represented a portion of the dominant players in a non-competitive market (Gharavi and Sor, 2005). Later on, with the high spread of ICT and the need of cutting costs the position of the travel agents has been threatened. New kind of middlemen emerged adding additional layers of intermediation, disintermediating certain players by bypassing the traditional intermediaries (Buhalis and Law, 2008). Technology has also allowed suppliers to directly communicate with consumers who have seen their choices enormously increased. This has increased the competition and the complexity of the market and has raised an important issue for the presence in the market of traditional travel agents. The aim of this paper is to investigate how disintermediation and re-intermediation have affected the way travel agents operate and whether there is still a place and a prospective of growth for travel agents in the market. 2. DISINTERMEDIATION AND RE-INTERMEDIATION OF THE TRAVEL AGENTS In the last twenty years several changes occurred in the tourism distributional channel. Every component of the chain value has been affected and particularly travel agents. Traditional travel agencies are being threatened not only by integrated tour operators, which control their own distribution channels, but also by the expansion of alternative distribution channels such as the Internet, Teletext, call centers, and even travel TV channels. This process is called disintermediation (Kracht and Wang, 2009). According to Bennett and Buhalis (2003) disintermediation is the process of eliminating intermediaries within the distribution channel driven by electronic means that enable consumers to access and transact directly with suppliers and destinations†. Before 1993, the traditional tourism system consisted of consumers, traditional retail travel agents, corporate travel agents, tour operators, GDS’s and suppliers. The 1993 was the year of the first commercial usage of int ernet. After that year many changes occurred and many more players enter into the market thanks to the reduction of barrier entry costs. However, the starting point of disintermediation was in the 1960s, when the American airline lunch the first GDS allowing consumers to buy tickets directly from the airline company (Kracht and Wang, 2009). Travel agents’ main source of revenue at the time was commissions paid to them by the airlines on tickets sold by them on the airlines’ behalf. Pressures to reduce costs in an increasingly competitive industry caused airline companies to look for ways to reduce their payments to travel agents. Initially, airline companies progressively reduced the amount of commission paid to travel agents while, at the same time, they opened up new channels and expanded existing channels to reach travelers directly. Airline companies encouraged travelers to book direct channel by various means with a very successful results. For instance, easyJet, a successful British low-cost carrier, in 2002 was already selling 90% of its seats through its own site (The Economist, 2002). After the public debut of the web, suppliers began establishing web sites to connect directly with customers, thereby beginning the disintermediation of traditional retail travel agents(McCubbrey, 1999; cited by Krac ht and Wang, 2009). For example, Hotels  also created their own websites to reach their customer. Establishing a direct relationship with clients allows suppliers to put in place various price polices and loyalty schemes. Suppliers believe they no longer need an intermediary to sell their products. They discover the internet to be a powerful and cheap distribution channel, and not just an online brochure (The Economist, 2002). Indeed, using information technology to develop supply chain relationships can reduce costs and bring higher quality of travel products into the market. Internet, perhaps, has been the most powerful means of disintermediation and it has radically changed the travel industry, adding more layers of intermediation and more players (Kracht, 2009) The travel industry, in fact, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting sector in terms of the possibilities offered by the internet. Internet travel reservations have increased dramatically in the last years with more and more users confi dent with the technology, and it represents the fastest growing segment of electronic commerce (Bernstein and Awe,1999; cited by Anckar, 2003). The success of internet in this respect, is perhaps due to the nature of the tourism product, which is a little more than an information product, easy to convey through the web (UNCTAD, 2000; cited by Anckar, 2003). However, as stated by Palmer and McCole (1999; cited by Bennett and Lai, 2005) â€Å"the internet does not change the principal role of intermediaries who exist to simplify buyers’ choice processes†. Indeed, even though internet allowed suppliers and consumers to communicate directly bypassing the travel agents, there were some important issues related to the internet. According to Bloch et al. (1996, cited by Wynne 2000), when potential tourists try to book directly with suppliers on the internet, they face a wide range of problems. For example, they require to know in which website to look. It takes at lot of time considering different options and prices. Often, it is not possible to book online. Thereby, the necessity of one stop-shopping, aggregation of information and comparison of price led to the formation of new e-mediaries or cybermediaries. Disintermediation indeed, push back to re-intermediation with new players coming into the markets and existing ones which re-intermediate themselves by reinventing their business. Re-intermediation has been defined by Bennet and Buhahs (2003) as â€Å"the utilization of ICT and internet tools for the development of either new intermediaries or new methods for existing intermediaries that  enable them to re-engineer the tourism distribution channel†. Re-intermediation is evident through the development of new electronic intermediaries such as Expedia, Yahoo Travel, lastminute.com and Travelocity which are based only online. Based on the premise that intermediaries exist because they provide value added services, these e-mediaries have the potential to pass economies of scale directly to the consumer, offering reduced fares as well as the convenience of making reservations 24/7 (Lai, 2005). As a result of both disintermediation and re-intermediation travel agents have been reduced in numbers and have to face a very competitive market. In fact, from one side they are threaten by the disintermediation put in place by the suppliers, and from one other by online reservation and therefore, by the e-mediaries or cybermediaries. The latter, in particular, with no established high-street presence, threaten established retailers by changing the distribution channel for consumer products. Reservations made online are probably the most important danger that traditional intermediaries like travel agents have to face. Figures show an increase of online bookings over the years both in Europe and United States but also in other markets (http://www.emarketer.com). According to Cheung and Lam (2009), to secure their position in the marketplace, and avoid disintermediation, travel agents must be able to acquire the new technology and be able to compete into the new channels as electronic -able intermediaries, without losing their advantage in the conventional market. To minimize the risk of disintermediation, travel agents need to reduce their dependence into simple transaction and increase revenues by focusing on more complex activities, like counseling and personalization of the service. 3. TRAVEL AGENCIES RESPONSES TO A CHALLENGING MARKET Despite the severe competition, and the possibility for booking online, many customers still prefer to purchase from travel agents. TTI chairman, Tony Allen stated that there would always be people who â€Å"didn’t trust the internet† and wanted face-to-face advice (Taylor, The Guardian, 2003). Indeed, travel agents have still many cards to play and can benefit from several advantages in the marketplace: * They are situated wherecustomers come, in shopping centers and in high streets; * Aggregation of the offer from various suppliers into one package; * They can offer a personalized service; * Human relationship; * Travel agents can offer an advisory service, and assist the customers in making a decision before processing with transactions; * Less time spent by the customers to buy a travel product. It can also be argued, that not all the effects of the disintermediation and re-intermediation have had a negative effect on travel agents. Gharavi and Sor (2005) have suggested, in fact, that because of internet and other forms of disintermediation, the bonds between the small travel agents and the dominant large suppliers like the airline companies, hotel chains and resorts owners, was finally broken. As a result of that, many independent travel agents, which continue to based their business on conventional methods such as commissions from suppliers, were pushed out of the market. However, many others entrepreneurs were stimulated to reinvent their business. Travel agents were allowed to deal with a variety of suppliers and organize into cooperative. Moreover, others entrepreneurs developed fran chises or merged, in order to have more bargaining power against competitors. Therefore they fight back the disintermediation and re-intermediate themselves. Organizing into franchising or into other forms of collaboration has allow several advantages to travel agents. First of all, it leads to gain more bargaining power which make more convenient for travel agents to dealing with suppliers. Second of all, it helps travel agents to focus only on the front office activities, while the centre office is in charge of the administrative procedures and of the marketing activities, such as brand building and advertising. Another reason, why this kind of collaborations are successful is that they can allow a better training of human resources and lead to better prospects for income. A great example of travel agency organized into franchising is definitely Harvey World Travel with over 170 stores in Australia and more than 70 in the UK which offer to its branches a very sophisticate software to create a very personalized package for customers (Harris and Duckworth, 2005). In order to fight disintermediation many travel agents differentiate themsel ves and/or focus on niche markets. They try to offer something different that clients could not find online. EuroTravel is a great and successful example of how a small independent travel agent can compete in the market. This company was able to leverage technology effectively in order to specialize and fight back against disintermediation. It specializes in sales to only the European destination, but has used the internet as its primary communication channel in order to acquire customers from a broader geographic area. This strategy seems to have paid off. In fact, in 2004, sales were  £ 6.5 m and in 2008 they reached more the  £8.5 m (Haris and Duckworth, 2005). Similarly, Thomas Cook is another successful experience. By being the first travel agent in the UK, Thomas Cook can count on a very long history and tradition. Over the years it has experienced many changes in order to adapt to a competitive market. In 2007, it merged with the competitor MyTravel, and nowadays Thomas Cook is the UK’s largest retai l travel network. It aims to dominate both, conventional and innovative channel (Williamson A., 2001). Thomas Cook has indeed, a very strong position online and continues to open new branches every year. Therefore, Thomas Cook demonstrates not only how a travel agent can fight disintermediation, but also how to grow and prosper in the marketplace. CONCLUSION Upon the introduction of Internet technology, travel industry has been strongly affected by electronic commerce that contributed the most to the disintermediation of the channel. This is true in particular for travel agents. It is clear that disintermediation and re-intermediation exist in the travel sector. In the intermediate phase, traditional travel agencies dominate the market. However, as new EC-only travel agencies emerge in the market and build up their competitive abilities, traditional travel agencies lost over 50% market shares (Cheung and Lam, 2009). As a result of that many travel agencies merged or organized themselves into some form of collaboration such as franchising. In order to survive in this competitive travel market, agents need to reposition themselves as travel consultants, but also must be more technologically oriented. They must focus on consulting and niche markets. As suggested by the Economist (2002), travel  agents future will be based on helping custo mers to buy what they want, rather than selling what is left unsold by suppliers. They now must look out for consumers’ best interest by using IT resources to help them find the best product. Indeed, it is necessary an integration of conventional business with the new opportunities offered by the web, in order to add value for the client. That is probably one of the most difficult challenge that travel agents have to face. ICT must seen as an opportunity more than as a threat which allows travel agent to reach more customers, get more information and therefore, adding more value for the latter. The ability to use new technology will also make possible for travel agents to compete with the e-mediaries. Porter (1999, cited by Anckar, 2003) claimed that the internet is going to be the death of a lot of intermediaries. However, if this prevision may be true for certain intermediaries, at the moment and perhaps in the long run, it appears not to be valid for travel agents. REFERENCES Anckar, B. (2003) â€Å"Consumer Intentions in Terms of Electronic Travel Distribution†. E-service Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 68-86 Anckar, B. (2006) Reassessment of the Efficacy of Self-booking in Travel. 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Available at: http://www.virtual-community.org/images/e/ef/250760132b.pdf Bennet, M. and Kevin Lai C. W. (2005) The impact of the internet on travel agencies in Taiwan. Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2005, pp. 8-23. Bennett, M. and Buhalis, D. 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Global Reservation System used as a single point of access for reserving airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations (www.businessdictionary.com) [ 2 ]. Travel Technology initiative: www.tti.org

A Memorable Christmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Memorable Christmas - Essay Example Few people had high expectations for the day as most suspected it would be the usual routine of Christian rituals and some little partying to last until slightly beyond sunset. The previous Christmas and many other preceding ones had little merry to remember. Like it happens for many people, Christmas rituals seem to engage the interest of children more than the adults do. On this occasion though, word had gone round that a famed guest would deliver a special package for the adults. Other rumors doing the rounds suggested that the package had been delivered already although nobody knew the nature of the contents. Guests began filing in shortly after ten in the morning. One would not actually refer to them as guests given the fact that most of them had always been in constant touch due to the simple reason that they shared a literature course in the same university. It was a close-knit group that enjoyed mutual interests and shared many idiosyncratic habits just like any lovers of lit erature do. Choosing to meet over Christmas was rather unusual for literature comrades. The host’s silverware in varying shapes and sizes was on full display. It would take only a little while before the guests got the opportunity to savor the dietary delights of the occasion. Food came in varieties of Indian, Chinese, and Malaysian cuisine, which made a real spectacle that Jeremy fondly referred to as Christmas made in Asia. It all appeared like grafting the sum of Asian culinary traditions over a uniquely Christian ritual. Of course, nobody would expect Helen, our host and one of the most controversial students in our class to follow conventions in anything. Nearly all of us had the inaugural experience with a range of Chinese foods including sour pork, sweet pork, Peking duck, ma po tofu, spring rolls, wontons, chow mein, gong bao chicken, and dumplings. At first, most of the guests had considered the culinary set-up rather outlandish but with time, all got accustomed to t he taste and had their fill from the buffet. What confounded us was the manner in which Helen managed to flawlessly come up with the meals without expert assistance. Helen had never shown enthusiasm in matters of the kitchen, and on this occasion, she would not yield to any question on the mystery. Apart from the Chinese professor in the neighborhood, we did not know of any other Chinese friend with who she had some acquaintance. It would not be long before our concerns were addressed. The Chinese professor in full chef’s attire with a range of other culinary delights that got all of us utterly confused. It would never occur to any of us that the man we have never seen in any different place other than the literature class could roll himself into something very different. As Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie would say, we had bought into a single story about the professor (Adichie). We could never imagine him as anything other than a professor. None of the guests except Hele n had ever bothered to probe into the professor’s life beyond the classroom. It turned out that he was the surprise guest we had been waiting for and that it was he who prepared all the meals we had eaten. When the surprise wore off and after we were done with the meals, we had the opportunity of getting up, close and personal with the professor regarding the Chinese perspectives on Christmas. It all seemed like a cultural exchange program and a revelation into Chinese

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Essay Example By taking her away from things that are important to her, such as her ability to read and write, John causes the narrator to become insane. Although The Yellow Wallpaper has all the elements of a fictional short story such as plot, setting, characters and a common point of view, the story gives us an insight into the author’s world and time, especially the subjugated role of woman in the 19th century. Gilman’s short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† begins when the main character, an unnamed woman, her husband, their newborn baby and her sister-in-law go to a rented summer house. The house, especially the room the narrator stays in, is the setting of the story. The story takes place at about the time it was written, the late 19th century. At the beginning of the story, the narrator is suffering from postpartum depression, and the summer house will function as a place for her to recuperate. The narrator feels uneasy in the rented mansion and wishes to spend her ti me writing and socializing. She is of the opinion that activity and interesting work will help her condition. However, the narrator’s physician husband, John, forbids her from engaging in any type of physical activity and does not even allow her to see her baby. This causes the narrator to feel lonely and bored. The conflict results in the narrator’s repression. She begins her secret journal, Sebastian 2 writing about her thoughts. As the narrator is forced to lie in bed all day and rest, she becomes entranced by the yellow wallpaper in her room and tries to decode its design. First, the narrator sees the wallpaper as ugly. Next, she sees patterns and shapes in it and finally, she sees a woman trapped behind it and trying desperately to get out from it. The climax of the story is when the narrator who has gone completely crazy, tears off the wallpaper so that she can never be put back into her prison. When John comes home, he finds the door to his bedroom locked. Later , John sees his wife creeping on the floor and faints. At the conclusion of the story, the narrator continues to strip off the wallpaper, convinced that she has found freedom at last. The narrator who is unnamed in the story is the protagonist. She is a new mother and the wife of a doctor. When she suffers from nervous depression, she and her husband rent a country house so that she can rest and recover. She is confined to a room that used to be a nursery. Despite her love for writing, her husband, John, does not allow her to read, write or engage in any mental activity. â€Å"He hates me to write a word†, she says. The narrator, however, has a different opinion: â€Å"Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?† (Gilman). The narrator is feeling trapped in a marriage that does not allow her freedom to express herself. Thus, she begins to write a secret journal and becomes obsessed with the yellow wall paper. First, she sees the soiled, ripped and an unclean yellow wallpaper. Then, she notes, â€Å"But there is something else about the paper – the smell! †¦The only thing I can think of that it is like, is the color of the paper! A yellow smell† (Gilman). The smell shows the progression towards insanity. She is first bothered by the sight of the pattern and now the smell. Her mind has completely overpowered her senses, making her believe these things. Eventually, she associates herself with the woman who appears to be behind bars or in a Sebastian 3 cage. Her final act of

External Auditors and Fraud Examiners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

External Auditors and Fraud Examiners - Essay Example This paper illustrates that an external auditor is so called as to distinguish him from an internal auditor who is an in-house professional. While the internal auditor is a paid employee of the entity, the external auditor is an independent professional engaged by the entity for a fee and as required by Companies Act.   To be more specific, an external auditor gives his opinion as to whether financial statements are materially correct. He is deemed independent as he has no special relationship and pecuniary interest in the client that might possibly encourage him to ignore adverse facts and evidence of the client the auditor evaluates. Thus, to be independent, the auditor cannot both work under the client as well as act as the client’s external auditor. The external auditor also carries out compliance, operational and forensic audits. Forensic auditing is a special purpose audit to unearth financial frauds and other crimes. Forensic as its meaning (i.e. of the law) suggests, forensic auditors, detect information for being used as litigation support. If the forensic auditor is a CA or CPA, his evidence at trial would lend more credibility although it is not mandatory for a forensic auditor to have a CPA license in the U.S. The external auditor in the process of his auditing activity concludes whether the assertions made in the financial statements are true and fair. The assertions are in the nature of how the business is conducted that is how its business generates income and spends it, how it manages its inventory, how it records information about its property, plant, equipment, its long-term liabilities, equity, cash, and investments. Although forensic auditing and fraud examining are interchangeably used, both are different disciplines. While forensic accounting involves the application of professional accounting skills in a civil or criminal litigation. Thus, most of the fraud examinations are part of forensic accounting, but every forensic accostin g is a fraud examination. For example, an expert may be said to be engaged in forensic accounting while the furnishing value of a property to the court which need not involve any fraud unlike in the case of fraud examination.

Comparing Karl Marxes view on capitalisum to Michael Moores view in Essay

Comparing Karl Marxes view on capitalisum to Michael Moores view in his movie Roger and Me - Essay Example The GM has played a major role to the people living in the area and surrounding economically, spiritually and even culturally. Due to this influence when the board of directors decides to close its factories in Flint people are left in despair. The company’s closure translates to a total of 30,000 losses of jobs. The workers are left frustrated especially because the company doesn’t close due to financial difficulties but rather because of a bigger deal in Mexico. GM decides to close shop in the USA and open in Mexico because it will cut on labor costs which are reasonably cheap. The board is not hesitant in their decision considering the many workers who will lose their jobs in the process; this brings out imperialism of the highest order in our society today. In a society which is highly capitalized the board of GM is only concerned with making more profits without considering the plight of its employees who in one way or another have contributed to the success of the company for a long time. The sad contrast is while the CEO of GM made $2million in this new deal 30,000 employees are left jobless and their lives destroyed by a company whose interest is greed. The union of the employees doesn’t help either because it has a common interest with the management of GM. The closure of the factories in Flint leads to an up rise in many negative processes: a lot of people leave town in search of new jobs, the living conditions of the people worsen due to lack of employment, spread of illness due to high poverty levels in the town. In the film people are evicted because they cannot be able to pay their rents anymore. The crime rate also goes up because everybody is fighting for the available constrained basic needs like clothing and food. In his film Moore remarks that the number of prisoners goes up than the prison cell. The economy of Flint hits its down low and it’s declared as the capital of unemployment, the media observes that it†™s the worst place anyone can live in the United States. Companies like GM should look at the effects of their actions in favor of capitalism. Growth is a definite goal for any company in the world today but that should be in line with economic growth of all aspects because no company operates in a vacuum there are factors to be considered like the employees. Capitalism can be defined as a system which is prone to crisis. It’s influenced by factors which make it unstable and destructive. Today’s society is depicted by unstable stock markets, rampant layoff and unemployment, scandals in companies and power failures. For instance US are faced with the highest job loss in history. All this recessions and unstable markets are caused by capitalism. According to Marx and Engels in the communist manifesto, historically class was a struggle, â€Å"a fight that each time ended, either in revolutionary reconstitution of society at large or in the common ruin of the contending classes† (Marx and Engel). This led to poverty and inequality. This raises a need for socialism which could not only end inequality and poverty but also reduce economic and social problems associated with a system which is capitalistic. In Marx’s view capitalism is an act of corporations taking a surplus labor from its workers. In the communist manifesto he observes that the bourgeoisie who were capitalists exploited the proletariat

Microbial Fuel Cells (Design Study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Microbial Fuel Cells (Design Study) - Essay Example We are, today, faced with an extraordinary situation in which the world population has reached a stage where the conventional sources of energy like fossil fuels have been depleted so much that there is little hope for the coming generations to be able to harness any of it. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover sustainable sources of energy that will not only help in reducing the carbon footprint but can also be replicated in the developing nations. A literature review on such alternative sources of energy revealed that microbial fuel cells, which employ microorganisms to biodegrade pollutants from the environment to generate electricity, are a novel method of reclaiming natural resources along with providing a new means of generating energy. This design study will be an effort towards determining the cost-efficiency of traditional MFCs versus a simple, single chambered MFC comprising of cheaper components. The purpose of the experiment will be to popularize the inexpensive MFCs and show if scaled up, they can present a low-price energy source, which will at the same time be used for bioremediation of water resources polluted by effluents. Microbial fuel cells work on the principle that some microorganisms called electricigens produce electricity while metabolizing wastewater for their sustenance. The MFC consists of a semi-permeable membrane or cation exchange membrane that allows ions to pass through them but not the microbes; two electrodes, usually the cathode is made up of platinum and the anode is carbon graphite or carbon cloth. It is fitted by a wire to complete the external circuit (Microbal Fuel Cell, 2008). Wastewater is made to flow through the anaerobic compartment and the bacterial metabolic action on the wastewater allows electrons to become free and the cell starts conducting electricity. To compare the electricity outputs

Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Employee relations - Essay Example In order to evaluate the procedures an organization should adopt for the purpose of dealing such organizational conflict, it is important to identify the reasons behind it. Organizational conflict is a critical phenomenon in the study of organizational behaviour and hence it is essential for every management to recognize the root cause behind conflicts among employees or between employer and employees and apply appropriate strategies in order to minimize the occurrences and effect of such conflict For the purpose of understanding the source of such organizational conflict the management must identify the key attributes of employee relation which will help them to mitigate the effect of conflict and ensure organizational effectiveness by establishing a healthy relationship among employer and employees (Armstrong, 2011). Collective bargaining is a major source of organizational conflict and negotiation strategies have the power to accelerate or decelerate the business operations of an organization. The incidents of industrial democracy in United Kingdom has marked development in employer employee relationship and the management initiative of employee participation in decision making has successfully accelerated the scope for organizational development (Pattanayak, 2014). The paper will concentrate on the employee relations, the cause and effect of conflict as well as the role of negotiation in collective bargaining in order to evaluate the relevant strategies of human resource management and organizational behaviour and how the application of these strategies can help to establish stability in an organizational framework. Organizational structure as well as culture is the most significant source of conflicts. For instance, an organization using matrix structure obligates the employees for dual reporting that leads to create ambiguity regarding their routine responsibilities. Global companies that integrate geographically dispersed provinces across

DynCorp International Human Resource Concepts and Methods Research Paper

DynCorp International Human Resource Concepts and Methods - Research Paper Example The company applies a number of HR management principles assisting in managing its workforce. It also has unique methods of attraction, selection, training, and rewarding its employees. These processes are carried out to ensure that the leadership and culture are maintained as well as making certain that employment and labor laws are compiled in the management of the employees. Introduction DynCorp International is a private military contractor based in the United States, which originally started as an aviation company. Over the years, the company has diversified to the provision of air operation support, intelligence training, and support, international development, security and maintenance of vehicles (Kinsey, 2006). The company’s largest earnings come from the United States Federal Government and are mostly involved in providing various services to the US military HR planning and alignment DynCorp International has it objectives clearly stated. The company has various depar tments that have various objectives. For instance, the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team provides education and resource to the Iraqi Police Force. The departments align its strategies and programs to the company’s needs and objectives (Jorgensen, 2008). ... However, the HR department considers a number of issues while planning and aligning its strategies and activities. Firstly, it is crucial to determine the type of new skills and experiences that will be needed for any job assignment (Kinsey, 2006). This also necessitates changing procedures relating to the services offered by the company. The planning process by the company also considers the performances required in any type of job. Various jobs require different approaches. Training of security forces in the war-torn countries, such as Iraq, requires plans that consider the high level of threat in that country. The company also engages in the provision of air support operations that require another level of perfo rmance. The various requirements in the performances of different jobs are determined and plans are made on how to achieve them. This includes identifying the type of skills needed and the specific people that will carry out the tasks (Kinsey, 2006). Key Strategic Considerations of Organization Strategy DynCorp Corporation is largely involved in security missions. The company has always been contracted by the US government to offer its services in different areas of the country and outside country assignment as well. All this entails changing the environment of operations which necessitates careful planning to cope with the changes. For an effective offering of the services, the HR department identifies the changes (if any) required in the company’s culture to enable the employees to meet the new requirements (Purpura, 2010). Without proper planning and alignment of these plans to company’s activities, there would be confusion in the performance of the job.

Postmodern Social Theory Essay Example for Free

Postmodern Social Theory Essay Postmodern social theory is a field which is both difficult to define and rejects being defined. Postmodern theory is largely concerned with the ways our perceptions and reality are constructed. Postmodern social theory is a field of diverse and at times contradictory ideas that try to describe the relations of characters to society of the infrastructures and information age. Social reality is distinct from objective reality and individual subjective reality because it refers to the socially constructed nature of most of our shared institutions, beliefs and values. Social reality can be thought of as the sum of the social constructs in a society, or as the result of the social interactions between individuals within a society. Various authors have pursued to overcome this difficulty by trusting on common characteristics of various postmodern theories; also others have defined the field by those who work in it. Many have evaded any attempts to define it at all. Nevertheless of which of these methods one takes, however, there is no denying that postmodern social theory was at one time a booming presence in sociology. Despite this â€Å"death† of postmodern theory, however, its short life has had profound effects on the way social theorists do theory, and I think that it will, in no doubt, continue to have such an effect for a long time to come. There is also no denying that that time has passed and that now postmodern social theory is little more than a memory of a past era in social thought. Conclusion Postmodern social theory discards the desires and skills of modern social theory, moving away from grand descriptions, rational theorizing and towards a deconstruction of general truths, a decentering that is attuned to difference and locality.

Four Main Religions In Sri Lanka

Four Main Religions In Sri Lanka There is four main religions in Sri Lanka; Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. The maps on the right hand side show where, and percent proportion of each religion in Sri Lanka. Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism is the majority religion in Sri Lanka, with about 70% of the countrys population as followers. Around 200 BC, Buddhism became the official religion of Sri Lanka. However, later on, Hindu and European colonial influences contributed to the decline of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. By the mid 19th century, a Buddhist monk started a revival movement in Sri Lanka. This movement eventually helped to return Buddhist dominance in Sri Lanka. Buddhism is a religion based on the teaching by Siddharta Gautama (Buddha). There are three different schools in Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. In Sri Lanka they practise Theravada. Theravada means the Teaching of the Elders or the Ancient Teaching, and is the oldest of the schools. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism. In Theravada Buddhism Buddha is above all an enlightened teacher which can show you the path to Nirvana. The monks have a high status, and are the only ones who can accomplish full enlightening. The religious ideal is Arhat, which is someone who has gained full enlightening and can thereby reach Nirvana. Nirvana is the contradictory of affliction. The word means to die out and that hatred, desire and ignorance takes an end. Nirvana denotes the condition that takes place when all karma is exhausted. First and foremost, the Theravada philosophy is a continuous analytical process of life, not only a set of ethics and ritual s. The ultimate theory of Theravada uses the Four Noble Truths; these can be described as the problem, the cause, the solution and the pathway to solution. The Noble Eightfold Path, the fourth of the Buddhas Noble Truths, is the way to the cessation of suffering. 1. Viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be. 2. Intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness. 3. Speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way. 4. Acting in a non-harmful way. 5. A non-harmful livelihood. 6. Making an effort to improve. 7. Awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness; being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion. 8. Correct meditation or concentration. Buddha lived a life filled with love, compassion and charity. He formed five maxims to guide the people: 1.) I shall not kill any living being. 2.) I shall not steel. 3.) I shall not abuse sexually (only one partner). 4.) I shall not speak untrue. 5.) I shall not use drugs. Hinduism: Hindus make up 16% of Sri Lankas population. As Buddhism, it experienced some decline during the European colonization. In modern times the religion is still dominant in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The most important Hindu religious figure in Sri Lankan modern history is, Satguru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna. One of the greatest and most profound mystics of the twentieth century, Yogaswami was the official satguru and counseling sage of Sri Lankas several million Tamil Hindu population. Satguru is a true guru, a master. Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God. At home, Hindus often create a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen form of God. Temples are usually dedicated to a primary deity along with associated subordinate deities. Visiting temples is not obligatory, and many visit temples only during religious festivals. Today three Gods are widely seen as all powerful: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is regarded as the ultimate source of crea tion; Shiva also has a creative role alongside his function as destroyer. Vishnu is seen as the preserver or protector of the universe. Out of these three, Vishnu and Shiva are far more widely represented and have come to be seen as the most powerful and important in the belief of Sri Lankan followers. Islam: Today, about 8% of Sri Lankans handset to Islam. By the 15th century, Arab traders had controlled much of the trade on the Indian Ocean, including that of Sri Lankas. Many of these traders settled down in Sri Lanka, encouraging the spread of Islam. However, when the Portuguese arrived at Sri Lanka during the 16th century, many of their Muslim descendants were persecuted, thus forcing them to migrate to the Central Highlands and to the east coast. In modern times, Muslims in Sri Lanka are handled by the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department, which was established in the 1980s to prevent the continual isolation of the Muslim community from the rest of Sri Lanka. There are two major denominations of Islam, the Sunni and Shia. The schism developed in the late 7th century following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15 percent are Shia. Muslims believe that God revealed the Quran to Muhammad, Gods final prophet, and regard the Quran and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These five practices are essential to Muslims: 1. Shahadah (profession of faith) 2. Salat (prayers) 3. Zakat (giving of alms/charity) 4. Sawm (fasting, specifically during Ramadan) 5. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) Christianity: Christianity make up 8% of Sri Lankas population, most are Catholics. Christianity first came to Sri Lanka upon the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. Under their rule, Roman Catholicism was spread out on the Island with many Roman Catholic schools for the Sinhalese and the Tamils. When the Dutch took control of Sri Lanka, they encouraged their own missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church. Under their patronage, 21 percent of the population in the low country was officially Christian by 1722. The relative number of Christians in Sri Lanka has declined steadily since the end of colonial rule. The Catholic Church holds that there is one eternal God, who exists as a mutual indwelling of three persons: God the Father; God the Son; and the Holy Spirit. There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church that the Catholics go after: Baptism: is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which a person is admitted to membership of the Christian Church, Confirmation: is one of the seven sacraments through which Catholics pass in the process of their religious upbringing. According to Catholic doctrine, in this sacrament they receive the Holy Spirit. Eucharist: refers to both the celebration of the Mass, that is, the Eucharistic liturgy, and the consecrated bread and wine which according to the faith become the body and blood of Christ. Penance (confession): is the method given by Christ to the Church by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving Baptism. Anointing of the Sick: is the ritual anointing of a sick person. Holy Orders: include s three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. Matrimony: catholic marriage.

The Fictional Character Cleopatra Essays -- Cleopatra Shakespeare Play

The Fictional Character Cleopatra The fictional character of Cleopatra has captured the imaginations of people the world over. Helen of Troy was said to have had ‘the face that launched a thousand ships.’ Cleopatra was not simply a beautiful and passive face, but indeed commanded navies as well as the heart of the powerful Mark Antony. Looking at these two facts from the play one may see the political brilliance in her affections, but also the dichotomy. Which one of her loves is true, and which is of an illusory nature? There is a constant battle between her passion towards the mighty Roman and her yearning for sovereignty and the glory of Egypt on her own terms. This question certainly embroils the mind of Mark Antony, at least. All of this however, only adds to her enigmatic depth of character and mystique. Cleopatra, despite being cunning and even manipulative can be defined as one of literature’s great lovers. She was a lover of men and a lover of her country. A figure more driven in these categories would be hard to find. Yet parallels can be drawn with Queen Elizabeth I of England. Both were ardent, patriotic leaders descended from powerful rulers (in the case of Elizabeth, Henry VIII, and in Cleopatra’s instance the Ptolemeic dynasty). Wielding great authority themselves, Cleopatra also used her charms as a courtesan to bend the wills of her political peers. Elizabeth used her unmarried status to manage numerous suitors to her political advantage. Their intelligence is another common trait. â€Å"Elizabeth’s linguistic ability is well attested, not only by her tutor Ascham, but by visitors to the English court who speak of precisely this facility in replying to ambassadors either i... ...e. This simple carpenter preached transcendence and many believe he save the world by the surrender of his life. Cleopatra found release through surrendering as well. She broke the conflicting chains of passion, governance, and the other illusions of reality by surrendering her life. Bibliography Boyce, Charles. Shakespeare A to Z. Roundtable Press: New York, 1990 Chauveau, Michel. Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra. Cornell University Press: Ithaca and London, 1997 Falconer, Colin. When We Were Gods. Crown Publishers: New York, 2000 Greenblatt, Steven. ‘Antony and Cleopatra’. The Norton Shakespeare Tragedies. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, London, 1997 Neely, Carol Thomas. Broken Nuptials in Shakepeare’s Plays. University of Illinois Press: Urbana and Chicago, 1993 Smith, Marion Bodwell. Dualities in Shakespeare. University of Toronto Press, 1966

The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Othello, a William Shakespeare classic, sees the attempted ruination of the general’s right-hand man on more than one occasion by the insidious and jealous ancient. Let’s achieve a better understanding of the lieutenant’s case in this paper.    Cassio’s biggest fall is with the Iago-schemed incident of inebriation. In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the total meaning of the loss which Cassio’s drunkenness cost him:    Cassio, cashiered, thinks he has lost what Othello is soon really to lose, his reputation: â€Å"I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial† (II.iii.263-64). (We must think of â€Å"reputation† as meaning not merely the good word of others, but that self-respect which is indispensable to social beings, and without which they cannot function well in private or public life. Without it, a man is no more than a beast.) (1200)    Cassio is a blend of good and bad elements, a potpourri of positive and negative features. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains the ins and outs of Cassio’s personality:    Cassio is defined partly by the exigencies of the plot, which require him to have a poor head for drinking and to have a mistress; but his chivalric worship of Desdemona, his affectionate admiration for Othello, which enable him even at the end to call him ‘Dear General† and to speak of his greatness in heart, and his professional reputation, which only Iago impugns, build up a complex portrait of an attractive, if flawed, character. In spite of his weaknesses, we can understand why Iago should be envious of the ‘daily beauty in his life’ and why Desdemona should speak so warmly ... ...d, a little later, in his sincere regret about the loss of his reputation after he has partaken of the wine which Iago has forced upon him. (85-86)    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Kermode, Frank. â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice.† The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello Essay -- Othello essays The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Othello, a William Shakespeare classic, sees the attempted ruination of the general’s right-hand man on more than one occasion by the insidious and jealous ancient. Let’s achieve a better understanding of the lieutenant’s case in this paper.    Cassio’s biggest fall is with the Iago-schemed incident of inebriation. In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the total meaning of the loss which Cassio’s drunkenness cost him:    Cassio, cashiered, thinks he has lost what Othello is soon really to lose, his reputation: â€Å"I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial† (II.iii.263-64). (We must think of â€Å"reputation† as meaning not merely the good word of others, but that self-respect which is indispensable to social beings, and without which they cannot function well in private or public life. Without it, a man is no more than a beast.) (1200)    Cassio is a blend of good and bad elements, a potpourri of positive and negative features. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains the ins and outs of Cassio’s personality:    Cassio is defined partly by the exigencies of the plot, which require him to have a poor head for drinking and to have a mistress; but his chivalric worship of Desdemona, his affectionate admiration for Othello, which enable him even at the end to call him ‘Dear General† and to speak of his greatness in heart, and his professional reputation, which only Iago impugns, build up a complex portrait of an attractive, if flawed, character. In spite of his weaknesses, we can understand why Iago should be envious of the ‘daily beauty in his life’ and why Desdemona should speak so warmly ... ...d, a little later, in his sincere regret about the loss of his reputation after he has partaken of the wine which Iago has forced upon him. (85-86)    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Kermode, Frank. â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice.† The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

A Separate Peace :: essays papers

A Separate Peace A Separate Peace is a coming of age novel in which Gene, the main character, revisits his high school and his traumatic teen years. When Gene was a teen-ager his best friend and roommate Phineas (Finny) was the star athlete of the school. Gene was only a mediocre athlete and is always jealous of Finny. They form a Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session which includes jumping from a tree into a river as its initiation. Eventually, Finny falls from the tree fracturing his leg. This leads to Finny’s death and Gene struggle to find himself. The relationship between these two boys proves my thesis statement; a friend and an enemy can be one in the same. The characters of Gene and Finny are as opposite as apples and oranges. Finny is a free spirit and Gene enjoys structure. The main problem though, is that Finny has â€Å"some kind of hold†(9) over Gene. The fact that Gene lets Finny talk him into things troubles Gene. Therefore, when they form the Suicide Society and jump out of the tree it becomes destructive for Gene because he is cutting himself off from the structure that normally runs his life. With all the time commitments to Finny and the society Gene’s grades plummet. He forms the idea that, â€Å"Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies.†(45). Since academics are so important to Gene he begins to resent Finny and he feels that he has to get revenge. This anger leads to Gene jouncing Finny out of the tree. The tone of this story changes frequently. Its changes are bases mostly on Genes feelings toward Finny. Gene often has feeling of resentment and uncertainty about their friendship; this creates a negative tone. Finny on the other hand seems to make the mood somewhat whimsical. For example he beets the school swimming record without ever practicing. He also sneaks away to swim and sleep by the ocean. The tone in this novel is important to the theme because Gene longs to have that same whimsical way that Finny has. However, Gene can never accomplish this and he becomes very cynical at times. Symbolism is also very important to this novel. An example of this is the war; it symbolizes several different things. Finny explains to the head master that â€Å"We’re all getting ready for the war†(15)when asked why he was late for dinner.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Computers Essay

Computers are a mainstay in most homes, allowing individuals and families to access the Internet from home and complete a myriad of other tasks through the use of computer software. There are advantages and disadvantages to using home computers depending on how you use them. As computer hardware becomes faster, easier and more cost effective to develop, home computers also become more affordable for consumers. It is constantly becoming easier to put computers in the average American home, since both desktop and laptop computers come in such a wide range of price points. One of the greatest advantages of home computers is that they are affordable by the average family. A great advantages of home computers is that they allow individuals and families to achieve a variety of tasks at home. Families can use word processing programs for homework, spreadsheets to manage bills, and the Internet for social networking and entertainment. While students can use computers at home, and adults at work, the convenience of being able use a computer at home is a great advantage in itself. Many businesses also allow their employees to work from home via computer, thus saving travel expenses to and from the office, as well as saving company resources. Disadvantages With use of the Internet for online shopping and Internet banking, home computers offer the potential for identity theft. If you share your information online, such as your name, address, phone number or banking information, then there always is a chance that your information is at risk. This is an important consideration to make if you plan on using your home computer to access the Internet. The technology industry is constantly changing and evolving, and technology can become outdated quickly. If you are only looking for a system that will get you online and let you do basic tasks, then this is not as much of a concern. If you are looking for a comprehensive gaming system or one that can handle a variety of tasks at once, then it can become expensive to keep up with the latest hardware advances, making some computer systems a money drain.

Evaluate Postmodernist Explanations of the Role and Functions of Religion in Contemporary Society Essay

Evaluate postmodernist explanations of the role and functions of religion in contemporary society. Postmodernist religion can be defined as any type of religion that is influenced, interpreted or shaped by postmodernism and postmodern philosophies. Postmodern religion is not an attempt to banish religion from society; rather, it is a philosophical approach to religion that considers orthodox assumptions that may reflect power differences in society rather than universal truths. A postmodern interpretation of religion emphasises the key point that religious truth is highly individualistic, subjective and resides within the individual. Science technology and efficiency would overcome many social problems. The collapse of the ‘grand-narrative’ is part of post-modernism as it is a belief system that claims universal authority, religion; science and philosophies are examples of these. They have a superior status over other belief systems and also claimed they could explain the causes of society’s problems and could therefore provide solutions. According to Jean-Francois Lyotard, the grand-narratives powerful attraction has been lost during the 20th century. So, science hasn’t delivered solutions, wars have devastated nations, and the world is still full of evils that the grand-narratives can’t explain or resolve. Examples of this are world wars; nuclear warfare; AIDS and global poverty. The common perspective of post-modernist religion is ‘there is a god who can’t do anything, there is a god who won’t do anything, or there isn’t a god. ’ Zygmunt Bauman said post-modernity is the irretrievable loss of trust in the project of modernity and its ability to manage, enhance and fulfil human potential. Symbols, signs and meanings are also another theory to post-modernism. Mass media like television and the internet have exposed us all to different cultures and ideas from across the globe, also known as globalisation. The ‘meanings’ of things have now become more individualised, we consume the products, symbols and signs of a globalised economy, but we provide our own meanings to these. Jean Baudrillard said â€Å"we are what we consume†¦ and our identities are formed and changed through acts of consumption. † Signs and symbols have become detached from their original meanings; original purposes and meanings have become lost. Religious signs and symbols are losing their meaning, these signs and symbols have been adopted by mass consumer culture, usually used for decorative and playful purposes such as jewellery. Joseph Natoli said â€Å"post-modernity has questioned the authority and legitimizing of both faith and reason, opting for the view that both offer stories of reality†¦ both do so on the shifting sands of a post-modernist outlook. † Signs and symbols have become insecure from the things they were linked to originally. Individuals no longer identify with a single religion and so they blend different beliefs with practices to create an identity for themselves. This can be known as being utilitarian, so there is no substance to our identity and actions, we are no longer just shaped by the moulding force of socialisation. Zygmunt Bauman said the consumption of goods and services becomes more important in our lives as a way of constructing and changing identity. This consumption is addictive and advertising drags us in. â€Å"I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore, and I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore, and when do you think it will all become clear? † from ‘The Fear’ by Lily Allen (2009). Many different religions now exist and people tend to mix the styles and genres with one another. Baudrillard said it is hard to find guidance in our lives as sources of authority and moral leadership are often undermined, they seem almost irrelevant. In the past we believed anything that religious leaders told us, simply because they were a religious leader, but this is no longer the case as we are now sceptical. We live in a world of images, and so it is hard to distinguish between image and reality as we live in a world where media simulations are more ‘real’ than the reality that we live in. Anthony Giddens said we live in a new form of modernity where we have lost faith in the ‘project of modernity’. We are now able to try out many different cultures in a globalised world. Life is now more uncertain than before. So to sum up, we live in a society characterised the coexistence of many different subgroups and cultures; the erosion of traditional social classes; the growth of movements such as environmentalism, feminism and ethnic politics; the absence of agreed standards for evaluating what is true/false and right/wrong; the blurring of what is real and not; and experimentation with self-identity. Stewart Clegg said that organisations are different in the post-modern age. For example, in the modern age there is rigid authoritarian control; mass consumption; it is dominated by technology and is demarcated and deskilled. Whereas, in the post-modern age there is flexible and democratic control; niche markets; it is enabled by technology and is undemarcated and multi-skilled jobs. Postmodernists believe that the advent of postmodernity has led to significant changes in religion. In particular, they see it as leading to the decline of traditional church-based religions in which believers follow rules laid down by their religion, and the growth of new age beliefs where people can pick and choose their own belief systems. Marxist religion is all about the ruling class owning the means of production, and through wealth they derive power which allows control over the superstructure of society. Ruling class ideology of religion keeps the ruling class in power by discouraging the working classes from realising they are being exploited and in turn trying to rebel against the ruling class power. Karl Marx famously described religion as the ‘opium of the masses’, by this he meant that religion was seen as being like a drug that helps people deal with pain, much like ‘opium’. Religion promises eternal life in heaven for people who accept religion. As the biblical quote says ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye if a needle, than for s rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’. It offers hope of supernatural intervention to end suffering, for example, Jehovah’s witnesses believe that judgement day will arrive and those who are not religious will be judged and punished. Marx saw religion as a mechanism of social control. It creates false class consciousness, mistaken beliefs about the true nature of social life, which justify the position of the ruling class. This prevents the working class developing class consciousness, in which they become aware that they are exploited, and unite to overthrow the capitalist system that exploits them. Marx believed the only escape of this exploitation was communism, this way religion would no longer be necessary. Without social classes there would be no need for religion as its sole purpose was to legitimate ruling class power. Religion would therefore disappear. For example, in the Soviet Union under communist leadership from 1917 to 1990 the state consistently opposed the existence of religious beliefs and destroyed many Russian orthodox churches, as well as mosques and synagogues. The Marxist view of religion has been proven in many societies across the world; some examples of these are the Hindu caste system and evangelical Christianity in Latin America. In the Hindu caste system in India, people were divided into 5 castes based upon their supposed degree of religious purity. The Brahmins (priests) were at the top and the untouchables (unskilled labourers) at the bottom. This supports the Marxist view since no movement was permitted between castes, this system ensured the ruling class maintained their power and control and justified the lowly position of those at the bottom in terms of their religious impurity. The new Christian right have encouraged the spread of protestant religious beliefs in predominantly catholic Latin America countries particularly amongst the poor in shantytowns. This supports the Marxist view of religion as protestant religious beliefs provide religious discipline and hope of salvation in afterlife to some of the poorest in Latin American societies, discouraging them from supporting radical catholic liberation theology and encouraging support for US-style capitalist values. However Marxist view can also be criticised, just a few criticisms would be that Marxist only focus on one possible role of religion in society and it ignores the much broader range of effects religion might have. Another criticism would be that attempts to destroy religion in communist countries were not successful. Religion survived in the USSR and Catholicism thrived in communist Poland. Much like Marxists, feminists believe that religion does not serve the interests of society as a whole, and only serves the interests of a particular social group. They see religion as being patriarchal, male-dominated, and serving the interests of men. Karen Armstrong argued that religion has not always been patriarchal and that in early history women were considered central to spirituality and archaeologists have found numerous symbols of the great mother goddess, in comparison there were few portrayals of male gods. With the advent of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, monotheistic religions largely replaced polytheistic religions. In all these cases god was portrayed as a male. Jean Holm argues that in the public sphere of religion when important positions are held, men almost always dominate. However, in the private sphere, women are dominant and do most of the religious work. Holm has identified inequality between men and women in all major world religion. Some examples of these inequalities are shown in Christianity/roman Catholicism; Islam; Hinduism; Chinese folk religions; Orthodox Judaism and Sikhism.

Differentiating Between Market Structures

Public goods are goods from which the whole community can take benefit without the need of purchasing them. Private goods on contrast are ones from which the public can only take benefit by purchasing them. And it holds no external benefit for others. Public goods are more to do with government actions, while markets can efficiently allocate private goods. Ten loaves of bread can be divided in many ways but others cannot take benefit of the loaf I eat. I pay for it and thus only I can benefit from it as it’s a private good.On the other hand national defense once provided, affects everyone equally. Nothing would change the amount of national security being provided. It’s the same for all (Blurt it, 2009). Common resources are goods that are rival but not excludable. This means that the fishes in the ocean for example are rivalries because when a person catches the fish, there are fewer fish for the next person to catch whereas they aren’t excludable because it is difficult to stop people from fishing. Public goods and common resources are both available to all.Natural monopoly exists as a result of high fixed costs operating in an industry. It’s a situation where for technical reasons there cannot be more than one provider of a good. Public utilities are usually considered to be natural monopolies. Basically, private goods are those that are excludable and rival both. Public goods are which are neither excludable nor rival. Common resources are rival but not excludable and lastly the natural monopolies consist of goods that are excludable but not rival.The demand and supply of labor are determined in labor market. The participants in the labor market are workers. Workers supply labor to firm in exchange for wages. Firms demand labor from workers in exchange for wages. The labor demand is the amount of labor a firm is willing to employ at a given point in time. This type of demand may not necessarily be in long-run equilibrium and is d etermined by the real wage, this labor is paid willingly by the firms and the amount of labor the workers are willing to supply at that wage.The labor supply in a market is the number of workforce available or the human resources in a particular labor market. The supply of labor is the number of hours the workers work at a given real wage rate. An increased wage rate increases the number of income earned and increase the opportunity costs (Cliff Notes, n. d. ). Supply and demand curves shift and intersect. Where they meet is current labor equilibrium. The labor equilibrium is where the demand for labor and the supply of labor are equal. Labor demand curve shifts with changes in booms, recessions, and productivity etc.Supply curve shifts with things such as increase in working population, decrease in non-work benefit etc. An increase in labor demand results in an increase in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. A reduction in it results in a decrease in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. An increase in labor supply whereas results in a lower equilibrium wage, but an increased equilibrium level of employment. Conversely, a reduction in labor supply results in a higher equilibrium wage but a lower equilibrium level of employment. Differentiating Between Market Structures Kudler Fine Foods is an organization that offers gourmet foods and wines to the San Diego Metropolitan area. The organization currently has three locations (La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas). Kudler Fine Foods stocks its fresh bakery, fresh produce, fresh meats and seafood, condiments and packaged foods, and cheeses and specialty dairy departments with local and imported goods. Kudler Fine Foods’ motto is Shopping the World for the Finest Foods and its mission statement is Kudler Fine Foods is committed to providing our customers with the finest selection of the very best foods and wines so that your culinary visions can come true.Both Kudler’s motto and mission statement speak to the organizations passion of wanting to provide only the very best to their customers. In reviewing Kudler Fine Foods’ information, the organization appears to be competing quite well in the marketplace. The financials portion of Kudler’s strategic plan show the organization stay ing on the positive side of the profit margin despite only four months out of the year of above average sales. Also noted in the strategic plan are every store that in some way are similar to Kudler Fine Foods. These stores are more focused on supplying their customers with one or two services.Because Kudler Fine Foods carries a larger variety of items, these stores only pose a small threat, if any, to Kudler Fine Foods. Kudler Fine Foods does plan to close one of their current locations and open a store in another location but this is not because of competition, rather a smaller customer base. Kudler Fine Foods’ marketing overview shows an aggressive plan on how the organization will change certain aspects in different areas of the company. There is plan for a new frequent shopper program, which is nontraditional in a sense and will give customers rewards instead of discounted prices.Ideas on how to expand the organizations services to for its customers increase revenue as w ell as how to increase efficiency and cut costs for the company are also mentioned. The expansion of services will include offering parties in the store to teach the consumer on how to prepare properly gourmet dishes using items sold at the store locations. These sessions will be conducted be celebrity chef, food experts, and others. Merchandise selection and pricing is also addressed in the marketing overview.Providing total customer satisfaction by way of constantly introducing new food items is the focus on how to accomplish this task. The marketing surveys for Kudler Fine Foods shows an average of about 71% of customers shopping at the Kudler Fine Foods to be satisfied all around. However, the customer satisfaction rate did drop by 1. 02% from 2011 to 2012. Although a one percent drop in customer satisfaction is not largely significant, if the issues in which the drop is associated with are not addressed, Kudler Fine Foods can expect a bigger drop every year as customer find new er stores to shop at.Looking more closely at the surveys, they focused on the stores hours, atmosphere and decor, selection of products, whether the merchandise was a good value for the money, attractiveness on how the merchandise is displayed, satisfaction with the purchased merchandise, if the customer service representatives were courteous and knowledgeable, and the customers over-all satisfaction with the store. Although most of the areas the surveys touched on showed a customer satisfaction rate of 70% or more, there were a few areas that were at a satisfaction rate in the 60% range.However, the survey results do show one area in which the customers were more dissatisfied than satisfied in both 2011 and 2012. This area was whether the merchandise sold was a good value for the money. In 2011, 58. 22% of customers were dissatisfied in this area. That number went up to 58. 83% in 2012. Although not a large increase in percentage, this still does reflect the dissatisfaction rate in this area is climbing every year. Kudler Fine Foods organization appears to fall under the monopolistic competition market structure.First, in the strategic plan it states â€Å"Kathy Kudler is the vision behind the organization. She intends to grow and expand the business for 10 – 15 years, at which time she will reach retirement age. Her intent is to sell the entire organization at that time and no longer be involved in the operation†. This signifies that there is an easy entry and exit in this type of market, which is a feature of a monopolistic competition market structure. Second, in the Competitive Analysis section of the strategic plan it lists multiple stores in the same area as the Kudler Fine Foods location are and sell similar products.However, since the products being sold at these other stores are not exactly equal in brand and quality as what Kudler Fine Foods offers, this also points to the organization as being a monopolistic competition market structu re. Although Kudler Fine Foods is defined as a monopolistic competition type market structure, it does not fully fall under the same set of rules that a full monopoly type organization has. For instance, Kudler Fine Foods can set prices for the products it sells because its competition only offers similar products rather than exact product.However, if Kudler Fine Foods sets its prices too high, its customers have the option to shop for similar products elsewhere where the price is more to their liking. Kudler Fine Foods must find the precise price where it can maximize profits but not run their supply to low where the run the risk of not being able to meet the customers’ demands. Once Kudler Fine Foods finds the correct equilibrium price, it can expect to see long-term profits. Some recommendations of competitive strategies for Kudler Fine Foods would be to continue to offer new products to their customers on a regular basis.Offering new products that competitors do not offer will ensure that Kudler Fine Foods controls that portion of the market. Another recommendation for Kudler Fine Foods would be to investigate and determine why eight months out of the year their profits are lower than the other four months. After concluding why this is, Kudler Fine Foods should proceed with a more aggressive ad campaign, initiate special product pricing, and any other strategies to increase their profits in these low performing months.A company comparable to Kudler Fine Foods would be Williams-Sonoma. With 252 locations that span 45 states, four provinces, and two countries, the Williams-Sonoma organization is enormously larger than Kudler Fine Foods, but offers the same type of products. These products range from organic and gourmet foods and wines and high quality and high priced utensils, cookware, bakeware, and many other items needed to produce a gourmet meal.

Neck Rings and Lotus Feet

Bodily mutilation to achieve the goal of ultimate beauty for women resides within every culture in the world. An average American way of bodily mutilation to gain beauty is through plastic surgery. As for Africa, women believe having a long neck symbolizes their beauty and status within their village. In some parts of China, the women believe the smaller your feet are the more desirable you become. Within the Mae Hong Son area of northwest Thailand, the women of the tribes are more commonly known as the, â€Å"Long-Necks. The women in these areas are known for adorning brass rings around their necks, The rings on the neck reach from the clavicle up to beneath the chin, and these rings are held very tightly by the bone structure from clavicle to chin. This neck ring adornment is started when the girls are five or six years old and the neck grows longer as additional rings are added with each passing year. It is from this practice that this tribe has gained the name of â€Å"Long-Nec ks†. Some women wear thirty-seven brass rings around the neck and this is considered ideal.Not only do they wear the rings around their necks they will wear them around the arms and the legs, and for this tribe the rings are the most prominent sign of female beauty and status. â€Å"Lotus Feet† is an ancient Chinese bodily mutilation of binding the feet to make the size much smaller. to the restructure the feet by the breaking of the arch and four smaller toes on each foot. After the initial binding procedure, usually around the age of seven, the feet would remain tightly bound with long cloth strips until the feet were no longer growing.The ideal foot consisted of three features, which was the length of three inches, a cleft between the heel and the sole, which was wanted to be around two to three inched deep, and that the feet appeared to be an extension of the leg, instead of platforms for the legs. Binding of the feet symbolized a lily or lotus flower because of the similarities in looks, if the woman’s feet were bound, they would be comparable to the grace and delicateness of the flower.If a woman had a natural size foot similar to a mans, it meant she was the opposite of grace and beauty such as a man would be characterized. Neck rings and feet binding pose serious negative effects to a human body. Neck rings caused a woman who adorned them to never be able to look up or down. The mobility of the neck was restricted where they wouldn’t even be able to drink from a cup without using a straw. Stretching of the neck pulled the muscles rendering them useless, to the point were if they were removed, the woman would not be able to hold her own head up.Feet binding can cause the woman to be nearly crippled, they have trouble getting out of chairs, doing activties on their feet, and have hip and spinal injuries throughout life. Although Neck-rings and Lotus feet are very different practices of bodily mutilation, they create the same de sired effect. These practices are to convey a womans beauty through a painful act, creating a falsified version of what society believed to be beautiful. Every culture shares this common theme throughout history, although it may be painful and odd, it continues on through our culture today.