The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Alan Poe - 884 Words

In Platizky’s (1999) article on the Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Alan Poe is choppy and, sometimes, wandering critique. Albeit, the historical reference Platizky uses on how Poe â€Å"ambiguously capitalizes on psychological fear and historical reality† (p. 206), is the ultimate essence of the article which sets a novice reader on the right path to understanding the story. Platizky’s use of historical facts and sources leads me to believe this article could help provoke a logical thought process for anyone to understand the fascination, and or fear, of being buried alive and the symbols used within the story. Platizky’s article jumps from point to point with no clear direction. The order of Platizky transition s could be more concise; instead of jumping from Poe’s earlier work, to tidbits of history, to the symbolism of points in the story, back to more historical references, and finally a weak conclusion that leaves readers wanting closure. This fact is not forthcoming of an adequate flow to follow. The flow is comparative to a Quentin Tarantino film jumping back and forth in the time line of the plot. Another aspect where Platizky’s article lacks clear direction is through the explanation of the story’s symbols and how they are historically tied. The statement of how â€Å"the catacombs could be symbolic due to Christian history and their nitrous decay† would serve readers best, not to elaborate on the catacombs. In which, damp nitre filled vaults lead Montressor to ask FortunatoShow MoreRelatedThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Alan Poe1074 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Alan Poe s short story The Cask of Amontillado is the typical example on how revenge can cause a man to murder without a conscious. This shouldn’t be anything new to someone is versed in Edgar Alan Po’s literature because he is best known for his tales of mystery and macabre. Merriam-Webster definition of Macabre can be described as, â€Å"having death as a subject: comprising or including a personalized representation of death †. It can be said the character Monstresor has revenge saturatingRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1575 Words   |  7 Pageshas committed the perfect murder in just such a tale, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Montresor plots and kills an unwary friend/foe during carnival time for motives that are unclear. The author of this tale, Edgar Allan Poe, influenced by his somewhat tragic life and one of the most influential Gothic writers, uses symbolism and irony to show the multitude of complicated motives of the narrator in his famous horror story. Upon examining Edgar Allan Poe’s life, one is not surprised that he chooses toRead MoreHow The Cask of Amontillado Uses Symbolism and Irony1291 Words   |  6 Pagesstreet light: red means stop, yellow means slow down, and the green means to proceed. Another technique used in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†is irony. Irony, (in literature), is when the writer uses words to emit a meaning that is usually the opposite of its literal meaning. It is used to catch the reader’s attention and to give the text more depth. In the short story, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, there is verbal and dramatic irony. Irony is important because it allows the reader to transmit an intense meaningRead MoreA Gray Atmosphere By Edgar Alan Poe1404 Words   |  6 PagesA Gray Atmosphere Edgar Alan Poe is the father of Dark Romanticism. He brought out the ‘gothic’ of literature and with that said not many of his pieces had a happy ending. When thinking of Poe a chill comes over me, the brute force, imagery and vocabulary that he used was enough to make any reader shudder, yet keep reading. Poe talks of dark things such as murder, insanity and betrayal; he certainly had a different perspective when it came to writing. The culture and ethical value in his storiesRead MoreEssay about Fortunatos Greatest Weakness 1207 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado is a dark and frightening tale of revenge, temptation and murder. The victim of the heinous crime, Fortunato, is a respectable gentleman with a weakness. He has flaws like any other human being, but the difference lies in the severity of his imperfections. For poor Fortunato, his vulnerabilities prove to be the cause of his death. If Fortunato had not been drunk at the ti me of his homicide, he would not have been susceptible to the enticements of his murdererRead MorePoe vs Hawthorne1992 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Comparisons Between Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne Kimberley Prescott LIT/210 08/01/2012 Sherry Salant Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne Popular literature is incomplete without the names of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both of these authors lived in the same time period, yet lived very opposite lives. In fact, Poe received notoriety for criticizing Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Poe, 1847) In his career, he wrote several critiques of Hawthorne’s workRead More Atmosphere of Terror and Suspense in Gothic Literature Essay4335 Words   |  18 Pagescharacterized by their romanticism, melodrama and dark foreboding settings. They were critical of the society of the day and fiercely anti- catholic, disliking the church?s power and brutality. Some of the main gothic writers of the time included Edgar Alan Poe, Charles Dickens, H.G.Wells, Charlotte and Emily Bronte. By the end of the19th century Mary Shelley?s famous novel of Frankenstein had been published and later on Bram Stoker?s Dracula. Of all the stories written in the gothic era, they allRead MoreThe Autobiographical Elements in the Works of Edg ar Allan Poe1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe Autobiographical Elements in the Works of Edgar Allan Poe There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportions (Biography on Poe 8). Edgar Alan Poe endured a very difficult life and this is evident in his literary style. He was once titled the master of the macabre. One of the aspects in his life with which he struggled was social isolation. He used this as a topic in a number of poems and short stories. Poes life was also filled with periods of fear and irrationalityRead MoreEssay Edgar Allen Poe1513 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born at 33 Hollis Street, Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809. Poe’s parents were struggling actors. His father deserted him, and his mother died of tuberculosis when he was three years old. Young Edgar was taken in by a wealthy tobacco exporter by the name of John Allan, from whom he took his middle name. Most of his early life was lived in Richmond, Virginia, with the exception of a five-year period when the Allan family lived in England. His life

Marketing and Its General Impact on Daily Life Coursework

Essays on Marketing and Its General Impact on Daily Life Coursework The paper "Marketing and It's General Impact on Daily Life" is a brilliant example of coursework on marketing. When it comes to marketing we realize that it constructs a huge impact on the standard of living, quality of life and micro issues such as the daily life of a common man. The aspect of daily life influenced by marketing is tremendously huge but it is ironically almost neglected. It means that a common man cannot apprehend the magnitude of marketing activities integrating with his daily activities. ‘Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.’(Carvens.D.W, 1980)Marketing is more apprehensive towards exchange processes that take place between buyers and sells. It attempts to match supply with demand. All these elaborations focus, first of all, on one point: Customer, which is all-important. The importance of profit or management or anything else comes after. So we can say, without a ny hesitation that every part of the operation of any firm is to be clearly based on a fact; how important a customer is to that firm. Successful marketing operations are based on a market opportunity that is ultimately governed by the wants and needs of users. What we are trying to highlight is the fact that a person’s daily activities and decisions to fulfill particular daily needs are more influenced by marketing activities nowadays than compared to the past.Every One Is Involved  This explanation provides us with an all vital sense- marketing activities require everyone in an organization –production people, accountants, purchase people, managers, etc, must be concerned most with the preference and satisfaction of the users. People do what they observe daily in their routine life. Whether this observation is stored in their conscious or unconscious database of mind, their actions and deeds are guided by such storage. It is then, the job of the marketer to influen ce that database and through persuasive and convincing activities try to enter that database. Customer, by nature, is bound to act on his conscious or unconscious, meaning whether he is doing it with intentions or without, acts on the suggestive impressions made by a marketer.The impact of this fact is so massive that a marketer needs to understand and implement in his activities, how a customer is affected in his daily life. What is the role of marketing in the daily life of a customer? The answer to this question leads us to understand different aspects. That is what a customer thinks in daily life? What does a customer do in daily life? How customer behaves to different marketing activities in daily life? Whether a customer is influenced in his daily life by the acts of marketers by recalling it intentionally or non-intentionally while making use of a product. Of course, here it is worth mentioning to highlight the word ‘Satisfaction’. If a customer is satisfied with the use of a product the positioning of the product will be stronger, thus a marketer will be more successful in his job.

Corporate Financial Management Organizational Leader

Question: Discuss about theCorporate Financial Management for Organizational Leader. Answer: Introduction The chief financial officer of an organization is essentially an effectual organizational leader as well as key members of senior management that balance the overall accountability of stewardship with the business affiliation. The chief financial officer of Acacia Coal Limited also acts as the integrator as well as navigator for the corporation and become an effective leader of the finance along with the accounting functionalities. Acacia Coal is a publicly traded organization on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) that involves in the operations of coal exploration as well as development of mine (Acaciacoal.com 2016).The present study therefore emphasizes on the role of the chief financial officer (CFO) with special orientation to the operations of Acacia Coal Limited. The study reveals the role as well as responsibilities of a corporation Acacia Coal Limited that essentially outlines five different principles that includes professional, organizational leader, business partner and steward, integrator and navigator, finance and accounting leader and professional (Arnold 2014). Therefore, in addition to the function of overseeing the finance and accounts operation of the corporation Acacia Coal Limited, the roles as well as accountabilities of the CFO refers to the demonstration of the ethical leadership as well as business integrity. However, the three main areas of responsibility of the chief financial officer of Acacia Coal Limited are the maintenance of the book, ensuring management has critical decision-making data, compliance as well as assistance (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2013). Maintenance of the book- In the area of maintenance of books, the main role of the chief financial officer in Acacia Coal Limited is also to make it certain that the financial accounts as well as records of the corporation are set in proper sequence (Titman et al. 2015). Ensuring management has critical decision-making data- However, in the area of the critical decision-making based on the data, the chief financial officer needs to ensure that the corporation acquires requisite data and employs the same for the proper decision-making. Again, the chief financial officer acting as an administrative support in the process of creation of provision of financial as well as non-financial information that includes both historic and at the same time forward looking can overall support the overall decision-making process of the board (Brigham and Houston 2012). Thereby, the chief financial officer also aids the chief executive officer of the corporation in presenting the overall financial results of the corporation to the specific investors and at the same time financiers. Again, the chief financial officer also can act as an active participant in the investor as well as stakeholders engagement policies (Leary and Roberts 2014) Compliance as well as assistance- The compliance as well as assistance areas reflects the fact that the CFOs can supervise diverse duties associated to the shareholders that includes the issuance of dividends, prevention of the fraud as well as disclosure of the financial information (Baos-Caballero et al. 2014). However, the chief financial officer of the corporation also need to carry out the function of the assistance of internal customers that is the employees of the corporations comprising of the operational manager who require useful financial data to resolve things such as the decisions on pricing or else the lifetime worth of the consumers (Dittmar and Duchin 2016). The management of the corporation has different conformity issues to deal with and the chief financial officer therefore needs to monitor all these activities. The role of the CFO therefore includes appreciation of the significance of dual facets of conformance as well as performance that in turn provides stewards hip of diverse organizational assets and consequently ensures that the corporation Acacia Coal Limited undertakes the business activities as per the relevant legal as well as different regulatory requirements. Effect of the Responsibilities of Chief Financial Officer on the Objective of the Corporation The main objectives of the corporation Acacia Coal Limited is to recognize, attain as well as exploit different opportunities in specific coal resources to offer thermal and at the same time coking coal products for the target export market. In addition to this, the primary objective of the corporation is also to ensure the overall success of the corporation through different important functions that includes proper management of the corporation Acacia Coal Limited, keeping track of the financial performance of the organization, associating with different management commensurate with the framework as well as objective of the corporation. This also includes acquirement of approval as well as monitoring the overall progress of different capital expenditure, management of capital as well as acquisitions along with divestures. The objective of the corporation is also to enhance the enhancement of the skill as well as competence of the employees of the organization that can help in the pr ocess of progress of the corporation (Lasher 2013). The chief financial officer of Acacia Coal Limited is accountable for the process of identification of different issues especially at the time when it takes place. In addition to this, the chief financial officer of the Acacia Coal Limited also undertakes different activities that helps in the process of coordination of the different members of the staff of the organization for the enhancement of the overall efficiency as well as skill and competence that is aligned with the organizational intention of the Acacia Coal Limited. The chief financial officer of Acacia Coal Limited also has the need to stress different financial results that are essentially for a short period with greater focus on business strategies that can be applied with the intention and purpose of lessening the cost of operation and at the same time emphasizing different aspects of growth (Madanoglu and Karadag 2016). However, the responsibility of the chief finan cial officer to monitor the process of maintenance of book can help the organization to achieve the organizational objective of balancing different short term concerns as well as pressures that includes the management of cash, administration of the liquidity, rate of profitability and at the same time long term success of the corporation (Brealey et al. 2012). Furthermore, the role as well as the accountabilities of the chief financial officer that encompasses around ensuring management regarding the availability of vital decision-making data. This role of the CFO can help the corporation Acacia Coal limited in undertaking different finance and accounts functions that in turn can aid the strategic as well as operational managers in arriving at critical decisions by employing the vital data on finance as well as accounts. Thus, this role of the chief financial officer can help in propelling the corporation by helping the company in arriving at diverse strategic decision by taking int o account financial evaluation as well as management (Vernimmen et al. 2014). The CFO thereby helps in concentrating on the overall business partnership as well as certain particular functional framework that again helps in upholding the superior organizational objectives. Nevertheless, the CFO essentially assumes the role as well as responsibility to undertake effectual short as well as long term decisions that can help in dealing with primary organizational goals. This in turn can enhance the volatility in the financial markets and control different financial aspects that can aid the overall operational as well as the strategic decisions of the corporation. The CFO of the company Acacia Coal Limited can evolve the accountabilities of the CFO for the preservation of different business transactions, generate efficiency in the cost intention, and concentrate on addition of value as well as fulfilment of different strategic aims of Acacia Coal Limited (Acaciacoal.com 2016). Again, the role of the chief financial officer that orients around maintenance of the compliance as well as assistance can help in preserving the transparency, integrity and other ethical requirements of the business operations as well as financial statements of the corporation. This can also demonstrate ethical leadership and at the same time reliability of the business. The role of the CFO that helps in maintenance of the compliance as well as assistance helps in preparation as well as presentation of the financial statements as per the section 307C of the corporation Act 2001 in addition to other constructive requirements. This role of CFO can help the company in abiding by the regulations laid down under the Corporations Act 2001 (Acaciacoal.com 2016). This can help in providing true as well as fair view of the financial position of the corporation and help in maintaining compliance with different accounting principles, the Corporation Regulations 2001 as well as other mandatory professional reporting obligations. The CFO can also provide reasonable ground for believing that the corporation Acacia Coal Limited can repay the debts of the firm as and when the particular amounts become due. Again, the role of the conformity of the CFO can also help in the presentation of the audited remuneration disclosures of Acacia Coal Limited in the directors declaration that again conforms with the Accounting Standard AASB Related Party Disclosures and Corporations Regulations 2001 (Acaciacoal.com 2016). In addition to this, the board of Acacia Coal Limited also receives assurance from both the managing director as well as the chief financial director concerning the compliance with the regulation stipulated under 295 A of the Corporations Act based on the sound procedure of the risk management as well as internal control (Acaciacoal.com 2016). This in turn can make it ertain that the overall business functionalities of the corporation is running effectually when considere d from different material aspects in association to different risks of reporting. Therefore, in conclusion it can be hereby ascertained that the CFO can act as a catalyst that can stimulate the overall behaviour of the corporation Acacia Coal Limited for the purpose of attainment of different strategic as well as financial benefits. Therefore, the action of assistance by the CFO can help in the process of concentrating on the overall performance of the management based on diverse historical outcomes (Arnold 2014). The role of assistance also help in undertaking partnering together with the building the capability for fulfilment of different conventional stewardship. As rightly out forward by Brigham and Ehrhardt (2013), the efficient marker hypothesis refers to an investment notion that reflects different significant financial information. This also bears the implication that is quite impossible to beat the entire market persistently on a certain risk adjusted foundation as the prices in the market only respond to different new information or else alterations in the rates of discount. The present concept designed by the Eugene Fama is of the view that the stocks at all times trade at essentially the fair value that in turn makes it impracticable for different financiers to either buy different undervalued stocks or else sell different stocks for certain overstated prices (Titman et al. 2015). However, it can be hereby mentioned that it is impossible to outperform the overall market by means of the expert selection of the shares or else timing of the market. The possible way by which the investor can probably acquire higher rate of returns is by way of buying different riskier investments. However, the financiers of the market can obtain greater rate of returns only if the risks associated to different stocks are high (Brigham and Houston 2012). This in turn directs the way towards the generation of huge amount of revenue that in turn increases the tax. However, the tax return on the assets is essentially a low individual slab that can be considered as a suitable procedure of gaining an additional variable of tax. The role of the pension fund manager is to ensure that the pension designs are functioning in an effective manner for the purpose of attaining sustainability (Brigham and Houston 2012). However, the main function of the management of the particular pension fund in an effective manner. In this case, the pension funds amassed for a certain number that in turn are provided as retirement benefits plans. As such, the managers of the fund link the plans with the respective members of the staff of the corporation. Therefore, the implementation of the advanced pension fund plans for the effective management of the fund becomes an important facet of the activities of the pension fund manager. Nevertheless, the role of the pension fund manager differs from one corporation to another corporation, nature as well as characteristics along with the level of experience of the corporation. The significant role of the pension fund manager thereby orients around development of the respective funds in t he particular pension scheme together with other economic benefits of the entire pension package (Brigham and Houston 2012). In addition to this, the role of the pension fund manager also encompasses keeping a track of the overall administration and handling of the pension funds. Furthermore, the manager of this fund is also accountable for designing the fund strategy, reviewing the same at regular time intervals and discussing the strategy with the board members of the corporation along with the investment management. A critical analysis of the role therefore reveals the fact that the primary function of the manager of the pension fund encompasses around proper management of the pension fund schemes and dealing with the betterment of the performance of the same. References Acaciacoal.com. 2016. [online] Available at: https://acaciacoal.com [Accessed 29 Sep. 2016]. Arnold, G., 2014.Corporate financial management. Pearson Higher Ed. Baos-Caballero, S., Garca-Teruel, P.J. and Martnez-Solano, P., 2014. Working capital management, corporate performance, and financial constraints.Journal of Business Research,67(3), pp.332-338. Brealey, R.A., Myers, S.C., Allen, F. and Mohanty, P., 2012.Principles of corporate finance. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Brigham, E.F. and Ehrhardt, M.C., 2013.Financial management: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Brigham, E.F. and Houston, J.F., 2012.Fundamentals of financial management. Cengage Learning. Dittmar, A. and Duchin, R., 2016. Looking in the Rearview Mirror: The Effect of Managers' Professional Experience on Corporate Financial Policy.Review of Financial Studies,29(3), pp.565-602. Lasher, W.R., 2013.Practical financial management. Nelson Education. Leary, M.T. and Roberts, M.R., 2014. Do peer firms affect corporate financial policy?.The Journal of Finance,69(1), pp.139-178. Madanoglu, M. and Karadag, E., 2016. Corporate governance provisions and firm financial performance: the moderating effect of deviation from optimal franchising.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,28(8). Titman, S., Keown, A.J. and Martin, J.D., 2015.Financial management: Principles and applications. Pearson. Vernimmen, P., Quiry, P., Dallocchio, M., Le Fur, Y. and Salvi, A., 2014.Corporate finance: theory and practice. John Wiley Sons.

The Count of Monte Cristo free essay sample

As I have watched the film of The Count of Monte Cristo, which was based on the novel written by Alexandre Dumas with the same title, I saw how hatred and vengeance can kill and affect every other’s lives. At the first part of the movie, Edmund Dantes, the main character of the movie, He is betrayed by his own friend named, Fernand Mondego, because he likes Dantes’ fiancee and he is jealous about Dantes being the captain of their ship. Because of this he faced so much conflict and suffered for a long time in prison because of his traitor friend and unconsciously being the carrier of the dangerous letter of Napoleon Bonaparte. Edmund doesn’t know how to read and write that’s why he wasn’t able to know the content of the letter which was then a plan of rebellion by Bonaparte. He lost his trust in God after what had happened to him because he thought that God was never there when he needed help and justice. We will write a custom essay sample on The Count of Monte Cristo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When his priest friend died, he had the chance to escape. After escaping, he traveled to the island of Monte Cristo to find the treasure. He considered his fortune as a gift from God. After finding the treasure, he went back to Marseilles and disguised himself as an Italian priest. He used the treasure to punish those people who have hurt him and made his life miserable, and brought back his family. The movie gave me a new perspective of vengeance which is never meant for self-fulfillment but for the good of everybody.

Crucible In Detail Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

Crucible In Detail A crucible, as defined by the Merriam-Webester Concise Electronic Dictionary, is"the state or fact of being tested (as by suffering)", which attests to what Elizabeth Proctor is going through exactly. Elizabeth has quite a crucible to struggle through. The infidelity of her husband is a major element in her being. Her struggle includes staying true to both her husband and her God. Another is the persecution by Abigail Warren, a former employee and assistant. Elizabeth also has to suffer through the decision to reveal the unfaithfulness of John or to remain strong in her love of him. All of this is too much for Elizabeth and the burden is very heavy. Elizabeth's husband, John, is a religious man. He believes in God, but not the minister who preaches His word. John's actions, though, are not so religious and devoid of sin. Abby, a young seductress, was able to gain his attention while Elizabeth was bedridden. A fiery and passionate affair scared his relationship with his wife. Elizabeth struggles with his infidelity. When Reverend Hale questions the couple on the commandments, it is evident that there is still a void between her and John. All commandments could be recited except for adultery. In the puritan culture, adultery is a grievous sin, one punishable by death. She has to live through each day knowing that John was unfaithful, and that he did not fulfill the commitment of marriage. She feels hurt and betrayed, but what Abby tries next is the most underhanded trick possible. Abigail was placed in power due to her "ability" to spot the devil in people. She could see those who trafficked with the devil and who was in his book. This was an opportunity to settle the score for her. Goody Proctor had discharged Abby from her home, and now was Abby's chance to get back at Elizabeth.. All she needed was an opportunity. Following the idea of spirits leaving the body of a host, she stabbed herself with a needle, and blamed it on Elizabeth's familiar spirit. Elizabeth had to fight the accusations and the suspicions about her and her bad intentions. She was backed in a corner and there was nowhere to go. If she confessed to being a witch, she would spend her days in jail, and her name would be forever tarnished. If she did not confess at all, she would be hanged for being a witch. It was trying not only on her, but on her faith. Another factor, though, would impact her emotional problems. In an attempt to prove that Abby was just condemning people out of vengeance, John Proctor asked the court to allow Elizabeth to reveal the real reason that Abby was discharged from their home. His favor was granted, with the understanding that neither John nor Abby could face or gesture to Elizabeth. She was asked why she discharged Abby, and then if she believed that there was an affair between John and Abby. She denied an affair, and in that way condemned John as a liar and as one trying to overthrow the court. He was arrested and was indicted in the matter of trafficking with the devil. Throughout the time that the Salem trials took place, John believed that they were a farce. Now, with Elizabeth present, he was given a choice. He could sign a confession and indict other people. He asked Elizabeth if she wanted him to live, and she said yes. He made the decision to not confess, though, and she had the choice of stopping him. She could if she wanted to, but she made the decision to let John be at peace with God. She allowed him to leave without confessing, and he was hanged. The Crucible was not just about one town experiencing a trial that would forever change it. It was about individual people experiencing events that would destroy lives, reputations, and families. Elizabeth was one of those individuals who would go through the hardest trials and tribulations. She had three crucibles to bear, each of equal strength. Standing by her husband, who was unfaithful, was the first in the chain. Being attacked by the girl that caused her husband to be unfaithful was the second, and deciding to let her husband be at peace or to be with her was the third. She was faced with three hard decisions that would change everything that she knew. The Crucible used these characters to amplify the inner lives of those caught up in

Smoking in Public Places Should Be Banned

Smoking in Public Places Should Be Banned This article is a kind of sample argumentative essay on the topic Smoking in Public Places Should be Banned Ban the Smoking: It’s Bad for Everyone Second-Hand Smoking Now that America is no longer dependent on tobacco production as a means to sustain its economy, the industry and culture surrounding it should be heavily controlled. Now that fewer people are smoking cigarettes, because of the well-documented health concerns related to its use, more cities and districts are cracking down on smoking in public places – and rightfully so. Smoking in public places should not only be banned, it should come with heavy penalties, such as outlandish fines, criminal charges and, if possible, public beatings. Due to the health problems associated with smoking cigarettes, due to smoking being a fire hazard and offensive to non-smokers, smoking in public places should never go under the radar. It should be banned on a national scale. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes in public places should be banned because it’s offensive to the non-smokers who have to endure the smoke, the butts, the mess and the smell. Consider the typical public place – a market door entrance, a park bench, an elevator. People come to these places for peace and quiet, for necessity, to get to work, so they should not be required to breathe another person’s poisonous tobacco fumes. Everyone knows that second-hand smoke is just as, if not more, dangerous than directly inhaling the smoke. Why should a health-conscious, everyday person have to be penalized for another’s bad decision? It just isn’t right – so smoking in public places should be banned altogether. It’s also disgusting to smell cigarette smoke – even worse when it’s on your clothes. The American government has yet to criminalize the use of all tobacco products, mostly because of billion-dollar companies like Phillip Mor ris, out of Richmond, Virginia, pays millions of dollars in taxes annually. But cigarettes are killing everyday Americans, costing them too much in the long run. They should certainly be banned everywhere, not just in public places. More articles to read:  Junk Food in School  |  Why Are You Not in Class and out There Bleeding? Smoking Is Not Fashionable Anymore! Let’s ban smoking in public places because it gives young, impressionable adolescents the wrong idea. They see it and think it’s a normal, healthy, cool adult thing to do – something they perhaps feel they’re supposed to do it as adults, maybe even as teens. This is bad because they do not possess the foresight and self-preservation experience to avoid doing things that could one day kill them. By banning smoking in public places, fewer people will be seen smoking and, subsequently, outcast from society. It will be the thing that those people do; they will have to hide it. This is good because this mentality will condition smokers to perhaps give up smoking, a good deterrent for sure because the same social and peer pressure that may have encouraged them to begin smoking has gone the other way. Banning smoking in public places is a wonderful idea and should be taken up by every single jurisdiction, municipality, city, hole-in-the-wall town and county in th e country. In addition to smoking raising health concerns, banning public smoking altogether, including indoors, would surely cut down on fires – both in buildings and possibly in nature, as well. Just picture a waiter with five minutes for a smoke standing just outside a restaurant’s kitchen in a rush to fill their nicotine cravings. The headwaiter calls their name and they flick the cancer stick away – it’s not their problem, right? But it’s windy that night and the cigarette rolls into the nearby trash. And, bam – a fire has begun. People could die. How about banning smoking anywhere a fire could start, any place that could endanger others? This would cut down immensely on building fires. Innocent people wouldn’t have to die in fires, and their beloved possessions would not be destroyed. Banning public smoking benefits everyone, including the smoker. Let’s conclude this argument by going a step further. If we can already see how banning public smoking would benefit our citizens – protecting their health, peace of mind, homes and possessions – why stop there? Let’s ban smoking tobacco products altogether! Let’s rid our wonderful society of this evil poison, this killer of people, this addictive substance with no health value whatsoever. Let’s make cigarettes so expensive to buy that few can afford them, and so hard to find that they may as well be sold on the black market. This should apply to those vaporized smoking apparatuses, too. They are said to be a healthier alternative to smoking filter tobacco products, but they are just offensive to be around. Smoking in Public Places should be Banned Smoking in Public Places should be Banned Smoking in Public Places should be Banned Introduction For thÐ µ past 25 yÐ µars, thÐ µ Ð µstablishmÐ µnt of strong laws prÐ µvÐ µnting smoking in public placÐ µs has bÐ µÃ µn a primary goal of thÐ µ tobacco control movÐ µmÐ µnt. From a lÐ µgislativÐ µ pÐ µrspÐ µctivÐ µ, thÐ µ issuÐ µ has bÐ µÃ µn how to movÐ µ broad public support for clÐ µan indoor air laws into policiÐ µs that protÐ µct thÐ µ public from thÐ µ harms of Ð µnvironmÐ µntal tobacco smokÐ µ (ЕTS, also known as passivÐ µ or sÐ µcondhand smokÐ µ) without rÐ µstricting individual rights to smokÐ µ. ЕvÐ µn today, whÐ µn smoking in public placÐ µs is highly rÐ µgulatÐ µd in most statÐ µs, thÐ µ dÐ µbatÐ µ ovÐ µr thÐ µ lÐ µvÐ µl of that rÐ µgulation is around. That thÐ µ statÐ µ has thÐ µ right to rÐ µgulatÐ µ smoking to sÐ µcurÐ µ thÐ µ public's hÐ µalth is bÐ µyond quÐ µstion. ThÐ µ dÐ µbatÐ µ is about whÐ µn, how, and undÐ µr what circumstancÐ µs thÐ µ statÐ µ should Ð µxÐ µrcisÐ µ that powÐ µr ( LÐ µvy and Marimont 25).This papÐ µr arguÐ µs that smoking should bÐ µ bannÐ µd in thÐ µ public placÐ µs, illustrating that sÐ µcond-hand smoking sÐ µriously harms pÐ µoplÐ µ, showing that smoking prÐ µsÐ µnts a sÐ µrous risk to adolÐ µscÐ µnt and tÐ µÃ µnagÐ µrs, and pointing out that smoking is an addiction rathÐ µr than a simplÐ µ habit. In this papÐ µr, two opposing viÐ µws about smoking in thÐ µ public placÐ µs arÐ µ prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd. WÐ µ bÐ µgin with thÐ µ argumÐ µnts supporting thÐ µ smoking in public placÐ µs. ThÐ µn, clÐ µar-cut rÐ µasoning why thÐ µ smoking in public should bÐ µ bannÐ µd is givÐ µn; illustrating that smoking is indÐ µÃ µd a vÐ µry sÐ µrious problÐ µm that should bÐ µ adÐ µquatÐ µly addrÐ µssÐ µd at thÐ µ statÐ µ and fÐ µdÐ µral lÐ µvÐ µls. ArgumÐ µnts supporting smoking in public placÐ µs Although a numbÐ µr of individuals support thÐ µ ban on smoking in public placÐ µs, thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ many protÐ µstÐ µrs who arguÐ µ that smokÐ µrs should rÐ µtain thÐ µir rights to smokÐ µ in such placÐ µs as bars, rÐ µstaurants, and airports. ThÐ µ cÐ µntral rÐ µasoning of opponÐ µnts to rÐ µgulation prohibiting smoking arÐ µ that this habit is an individual choicÐ µ and that frÐ µÃ µ markÐ µt conditions should dÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µ whÐ µrÐ µ pÐ µoplÐ µ smokÐ µ, not thÐ µ govÐ µrnmÐ µnt (Martin A1). To bÐ µ concisÐ µ, thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ a numbÐ µr of commonly accÐ µptÐ µd argumÐ µnts in favor of smoking in public placÐ µs, which arÐ µ outlinÐ µd bÐ µlow. RÐ µliancÐ µ on thÐ µ MarkÐ µt: In gÐ µnÐ µral, opponÐ µnts bÐ µliÐ µvÐ µ that thÐ µ markÐ µt should dÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µ thÐ µ propÐ µr rolÐ µ of smoking in sociÐ µty. In particular, thÐ µrÐ µ is thÐ µ problÐ µm of whosÐ µ rights arÐ µ allowÐ µd to dictatÐ µ what is rulÐ µd. This is thÐ µ traditional public hÐ µalth dilÐ µmma of whÐ µthÐ µr thÐ µ individual's right to smokÐ µ and takÐ µ rÐ µsponsibility for his or hÐ µr own hÐ µalth is outwÐ µighÐ µd by thÐ µ public's right to clÐ µan air. Similarly, thÐ µrÐ µ is thÐ µ philosophical quÐ µstion of how far thÐ µ govÐ µrnmÐ µnt, at any lÐ µvÐ µl, should bÐ µ allowÐ µd to limit individual frÐ µÃ µdoms for thÐ µ sakÐ µ of public hÐ µalth (Mannino Ð µt al., 297-298). PÐ µrsonal ChoicÐ µ: OpponÐ µnts of smoking ban havÐ µ arguÐ µd that smoking is a mattÐ µr of pÐ µrsonal choicÐ µ for adults that should not bÐ µ subjÐ µct to govÐ µrnmÐ µntal rulÐ µ (Sullum 170). ThÐ µsÐ µ commÐ µntators activÐ µly opposÐ µ smoking rÐ µgulations as unjustifiÐ µd govÐ µrnmÐ µntal rulÐ µ. SupportÐ µrs of thÐ µ tobacco industry also arguÐ µ that smokÐ µrs rÐ µtain havÐ µ rights to choosÐ µ to usÐ µ tobacco products. In rÐ µcÐ µnt yÐ µars, thÐ µ opponÐ µnts of tobacco rÐ µgulation havÐ µ accusÐ µd thÐ µ tobacco control movÐ µmÐ µnt of bÐ µing unjust. To thÐ µsÐ µ critics, smokÐ µrs arÐ µ unfairly trÐ µatÐ µd (Sullum 175): By stÐ µpping in and imposing thÐ µ samÐ µ smoking policy on Ð µvÐ µryonÐ µ, thÐ µ govÐ µrnmÐ µnt dÐ µstroys divÐ µrsitythÐ µ potÐ µntial to satisfy a widÐ µ variÐ µty of tastÐ µs and prÐ µfÐ µrÐ µncÐ µs, not just thÐ µ majority's (Sullum 179). What is morÐ µ, Sullum is arguing that a policy Ð µnvironmÐ µnt allowing for a divÐ µrsity of markÐ µt standards rÐ µgarding accÐ µptablÐ µ smoking bÐ µhavior is prÐ µfÐ µrablÐ µ to a standard antismoking policy (180). At thÐ µ samÐ µ timÐ µ, thÐ µ public is gÐ µtting incrÐ µasingly concÐ µrnÐ µd ovÐ µr thÐ µ Ð µffÐ µcts of sÐ µcond-hand smoking and thÐ µ hÐ µalth risks it carriÐ µs. AdvocatÐ µs of thÐ µ ban on smoking in public placÐ µs prÐ µsÐ µnt a numbÐ µr of clÐ µar-cur rÐ µasons why pÐ µoplÐ µ should b protÐ µctÐ µd from this harmful habit. RÐ µgulating smoking in public placÐ µs In rÐ µcÐ µnt yÐ µars, thÐ µ primary argumÐ µnt justifying rÐ µgulation of tobacco products has bÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ hÐ µalth costs and risks associatÐ µd with tobacco usÐ µ. Antismoking advocatÐ µs havÐ µ succÐ µssfully prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd Ð µvidÐ µncÐ µ that sÐ µcond-hand smoking causÐ µs sÐ µrious hÐ µalth damagÐ µs to third partiÐ µs to justify govÐ µrnmÐ µntal intÐ µrvÐ µntion. ThÐ µ justification favoring smoking ban in public placÐ µs is positionÐ µd on a combination of sciÐ µntific, moral, and public policy grounds. AdvocatÐ µs claim that thÐ µ clÐ µar social and hÐ µalth gains from clÐ µan indoor air rÐ µstrictions far outwÐ µigh thÐ µ intÐ µrruption with individual frÐ µÃ µdom to smokÐ µ (Sullum 90). SciÐ µntific ArgumÐ µnts: ThÐ µ most popular sciÐ µntific dÐ µbatÐ µ on smoking concÐ µrns thÐ µ Ð µffÐ µcts of sÐ µcond-hand smoking. In thÐ µ Ð µarly 1990s, thÐ µ nation's lÐ µading sciÐ µntific rÐ µsÐ µarch organizations rÐ µlÐ µasÐ µd statÐ µmÐ µnts Ð µmphasizing thÐ µ nÐ µÃ µd to rÐ µducÐ µ thÐ µ public's Ð µxposurÐ µ to sÐ µcond-hand smoking. In 1991, thÐ µ CDC's National InstitutÐ µ for Occupational SafÐ µty and HÐ µalth (NIOSH) issuÐ µd a bullÐ µtin rÐ µcommÐ µnding that sÐ µcond-hand smokÐ µ bÐ µ rÐ µducÐ µd to thÐ µ lowÐ µst possiblÐ µ concÐ µntration in thÐ µ workplacÐ µ (LÐ µvy and Marimont 26). RÐ µviÐ µws of thÐ µ sciÐ µntific data rÐ µlating to thÐ µ dangÐ µrs of sÐ µcondhand smokÐ µ by thÐ µ National AcadÐ µmy of SciÐ µncÐ µs, thÐ µ U.S. Public HÐ µalth SÐ µrvicÐ µ, thÐ µ ЕPA, NIOSH, and thÐ µ AmÐ µrican HÐ µart Association all sÐ µparatÐ µly concludÐ µd that Ð µxposurÐ µ to ЕTS at thÐ µ lÐ µvÐ µls that oftÐ µn occur in U.S. homÐ µs and worksitÐ µs is associatÐ µd with lung cancÐ µr, cardiovascular disÐ µasÐ µ, strokÐ µ, and othÐ µr illnÐ µssÐ µs in nonsmokÐ µrs (LÐ µvy and Marimont 26). ConcÐ µptual ArgumÐ µnts: In addition to thÐ µ sciÐ µntific argumÐ µnts, advocatÐ µs also offÐ µr concÐ µptual justifications for banning smoking in public placÐ µs. For instancÐ µ, Arno, Brandt, Gostin, and Morgan offÐ µr thrÐ µÃ µ justifications for rÐ µgulating tobacco: risk to public hÐ µalth or safÐ µty, risk assumÐ µd by childrÐ µn and adolÐ µscÐ µnts, and risk assumÐ µd by consÐ µnting adults (258-260). Conclusion Banning smoking in public placÐ µs prÐ µsÐ µnts thÐ µ traditional public hÐ µalth dilÐ µmma of whÐ µthÐ µr thÐ µ individual's rights to smokÐ µ and takÐ µ rÐ µsponsibility for his or hÐ µr own hÐ µalth arÐ µ outwÐ µighÐ µd by thÐ µ public's right to clÐ µan air in public placÐ µs. Similarly, thÐ µrÐ µ is thÐ µ philosophical quÐ µstion rÐ µgarding thÐ µ Ð µxtÐ µnt to which thÐ µ govÐ µrnmÐ µnt should bÐ µ allowÐ µd to rulÐ µ in thÐ µ namÐ µ of public hÐ µalth whilÐ µ limiting individual frÐ µÃ µdom to smokÐ µ. ЕvÐ µn though thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ many opponÐ µnts of smoking ban, it is clÐ µar that govÐ µrnmÐ µnt should act to discouragÐ µ smoking in public placÐ µs to protÐ µct nonsmokÐ µrs from bÐ µing Ð µxposÐ µd to dangÐ µrs associatÐ µd with smoking. It is clÐ µar that govÐ µrnmÐ µnt should not ignorÐ µ smoking and should usÐ µ its powÐ µrs to makÐ µ smoking in public as difficult as possiblÐ µ. Finally, rÐ µcÐ µnt studiÐ µs continuÐ µ to dÐ µmonstratÐ µ thÐ µ hÐ µalth problÐ µms associatÐ µd with sÐ µcond-hand smoking. Finally, bÐ µcausÐ µ smokÐ µrs arÐ µ not bÐ µing askÐ µd or rÐ µquirÐ µd to givÐ µ up smoking, thÐ µ minor intÐ µrfÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ on whÐ µrÐ µ thÐ µy can smokÐ µ is far outwÐ µighÐ µd by thÐ µ harm to third pÐ µrsons from allowing smoking in public placÐ µs.

Otitis Media Protocol In 1-6 Year Old Patients Essay

Otitis Media Protocol In 1-6 Year Old Patients - Essay Example On the other hand in Europe, a watchful-waiting strategy, in which treatment is only reserved for patients whose condition does not improve without medication (Hoberman et al. 2011). In a study by(Hoberman et al. 2011), it was revealed that a group of children that received amoxicillin clavulanate 35%, which showed resolution of symptoms within 48 hours, and by day four it was 61% and by day seven it reached 80%. The waiting strategy is based on clinical trials that showed considerable improvement in children with acute otitis media (Hoberman et al. 2011). It is obvious that any protocol depends on the condition of the patient. There can be no one-size-fits-all solution/treatment. However, there are the general algorithms that can be followed. First and foremost is the identification of the problem. For instance, the ear infection is common in children but it can occur at any age. According to the website patient.co.uk, the most common treatment is painkillers for a simple ear infection. Otitis media is a very common problem that the general practitioners treat in children. Both type of otitis media; acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) mostly occur during the childhood and the cause may be the bacterial or viral infection (patient.co.uk). Most children have the self-limiting illness that does not manifest itself to an extent where they would go see a general practitioner (patient.co.uk). By two years of age, most children show at least one episode of AOM (Venekamp, 2013).

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 53

Journal - Assignment Example The writer examines the different voting blocks and concludes that Blatter calls the shot due to a massive backing he enjoys. Although Prince Ali stands to gain more votes in Western Europe, and parts of America and Asia, he still does not stand a chance against Sepp Blatter. The Lyttleton’s article covers the concept of management in the world of soccer. There must be proper management if soccer standards are to be improved around the world. FIFA is a governing body that is responsible for the management of football in the world, hence the need to elect a competent President. The different voting blocks will be looking at the management skills of various aspirants and make a decision as to who would be given a mandate at the helm of FIFA. The other critical concept highlighted by the article is the issue of elections; elections are carried out to choose a team that will manage soccer. Every member of FIFA has one vote and equal rights to elect the leadership. In an exercise of democracy, the member countries will vote in may this year to elect FIFA

The Implementation of International Treaties (with Specific Reference Essay

The Implementation of International Treaties (with Specific Reference to the United Nations Convention for Biological Diversity - Essay Example ‘Implementation’ in legal terms refer to the different regulations, laws, policies, and various other initiatives and measures adopted for fulfilling the obligations as made mandatory under an environmental agreement (Donald, 2002). Implementation of environmental policies, at a global level, is liable to face more issues than implementing at a national level. This is owing to the fact that global implementation depends on mutual collaboration between different countries that have their own set of political, socio-economic and environmental issues, and are under voluntary obligations to follow the treaties; hence it is difficult to hold them responsible for failure in adhering to and implementing the convention guidelines. States with emerging economies may find that implementation of global environmental policies lacks feasibility. Such countries would prefer to allocate public funds for promoting socio-economic growth, instead spending money on safeguarding and regulat ing environmental resources. In developing nations (often, also observed in developed countries) increasing populations and demands for bettering the quality of life, a pressure develops on state governments to relax environmental protection norms. Keeping the challenges and the need for environmental protection in mind, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was created in 1992 for promoting worldwide sustainable environmental development. CBD is an international body that evolved from the Earth Summit (June 1992), also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro. The chief aims this Convention are: â€Å"conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding† (Convention On Biological Diversity, 1992, p. 3). The Convention takes into account many issues that range from safeguarding natural resources, to making â€Å"use of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices relevant to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components†(ibid, p. 2), arranging for incentives in cases where there have been sustainable use of environmental resources, and transfer of science and modern technology. In this context, this research paper will study and analyse the 1992 Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) in order to review the issues faced while implementing global environmental policies. In recent years, countries have become dependent on different international bodies to promote cooperation between States at a global level on various aspects (Lane, 2006). International treaties have turned into foundation stones for various multilat eral regulatory efforts along with being an institutionalised kind of global collaboration, a process based on notions of shared sovereignties (Sharma, Chettri, Gurung and Shakya, 2007). Increased institutionalised collaboration in the recent years has created a complex mosaic of agreements at the global, regional and bilateral levels (Kim, 2003). Even after 2 decades since its inception, CBD continues to be one of the most important global

Highly Homogeneous Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles Production

Highly Homogeneous Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles Production SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION A simple and economical route has been prepared for producing three series of highly homogeneous copper ferrite nanoparticles. The ferrite sample was prepared by conventional oxide ceramic method.The ferrite system formed isCuFe2-2yAl2yO4(where y=0.0, 0.05, 0.15 0.25). The effect of aluminum content on structural, electrical and magnetic properties was studied. The microstructural properties of the prepared samples are investigated using X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope, and Infra red absorption spectroscopy.The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal inverse spinel tetragonal structure for all the synthesized samples. The average crystal sizes were calculated using Scheerer formula. The crystal size calculated in the present study is found in the nano range 50nm to 100 nm. For all the synthesized samples, the X- ray density and physical density is found to decrease with increase in Al concentration. The Curie temperature was determined from the susceptibility measurements. It show the phase transition of ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic to paramagnetic substance. The changing Curie temperature values give us the information about the strength of the A-B exchange interactions and the thermal stability of the ferromagnetic characteristics. Below the Curie temperature; the magnetic material shows continuous magnetization. Above the Curie temperature; the magnetic material does not show any magnetization. The Curie temperature is affected by the A-B distance. The Curie temperature decreases with increase in the distance A-B. In the ferromagnetic class Fe3+ ion is having the highest magnetic moment and thus it plays an important role in deciding properties. Therefore Curie temperature is directly linked with Fe3+ ion participating in A-B interaction. The value of Curie temperature is found to be decrease with decrease in Fe3+ ion concenteration.The magnetic susceptibility of the ferrim agnetic materials increase with increase in temperature. At a certain temperature; called Curie temperature (Tc) the material lose its ferrimagnetic nature and become paramagnetic. Sudden drop in magnetic susceptibility is observed at Tc. The electrical properties of ferrites are usually based on the band structure and carrier hoping model. Ferrites have higher resistance than metals by several times. They are also regarded as very structure sensitive material. This created considerable interest in many research workers for the development and potential application of ferrites in the electronic industry. The conductivity of ferrite is greatly influenced by porosity, grain size and microstructure of the sample. It is observed that DC electrical resistivity increases with increasing concentration of Al3+ ions. The activation energies in both ferrimagnetic and paramagnetic region of the composition are determined from the slope of respective lines. Activation energies in ferromagnetic region are found very less than that of a paramagnetic region. These investigated results are in good agreement with reported in literature.For ferromagnetic material ,the activation energy lies in between 0.1 eV to 0.3 eV and for ferromagn etic it is in between 0.3 eV to 0.5 eV. In ionic crystal the dielectric constant decreases rapidly with increasing frequency and then reaches a constant value. It is seen that the value of the dielectric constant is very high at low frequencies and decreases with increasing frequency, then at higher frequency they become almost constant. The electron exchange between Fe+2 and Fe+3 ions cannot follow the change of the external field beyond certain frequency. Due to this fact the dielectric constant dectreases with increase in frequency.The dielectric constant ÃŽ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ and dielectric loss tangent tanÃŽ ´ decreases with increasing frequency for all CuFe2-2yAl2yO4 compositions. It is seen that the value of dielectric constant ÃŽ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ and dielectric loss tangent tanÃŽ ´ increases with addition of Al3+ ions. The decrease in the electrical resistivity at low temperature is attributed to the impurities, which reside at the grain boundaries. The decrease in resistivity with increasing temperature could be attributed to neg ative temperature coefficient of resistance of CuFe2-2yAl2yO4. Therefore it is concluded that aluminum content influences electrical conductivity and microstructure of copper ferrite. The variation of AC resistivity is nearly frequency independent at low frequencies. It is also seen that, the resistivity varies with aluminum content. As the aluminum content increases, the ac resistivity decreases. The behaviour of data indicates that, hoping of charge carrier among localized is more predominant. It is also found that small polarons play a role in the conduction process.The conduction mechanism and dielectric behaviour are found to be strongly colrelated for all the prepared samples. Conclusions: An attempt is made to meet the challenges for the advancements in the new ferrite technology. The variation in the structural, electrical and magneticproperties of spinel copper ferrites introduced by the substitution of aluminum. The obtained results are summarized with following important concluding remarks: †¢ XRD analysis revealed that all the samples have single phase cubic spinel structure. †¢ Crystallite size lied within 50 nm to 100 nm. †¢ All the samples are slightly porous evident from SEM analysis †¢ X-Ray density decreases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Physical density decreases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Porosity increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Particle size increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Ionic radii RA( Tetrahedral side) increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Ionic radii RB( Octahedral side) increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Ionic bond length A-O decreases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Ionic bond length B-O increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Ionic bond length A-O decreases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Lattice constant ‘a’ increases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Lattice constant ‘c’ decreases with increase in Al+3 content. †¢ Dielectric constant ÃŽ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢decreases with increase in frequency. †¢ Dielectric loss factor ÃŽ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ decreases with increase in frequency. †¢ Loss tangent also decreases with increase in frequency. †¢ A.C. resistivity remains approximately uniform over a wide range of frequency. †¢ D.C. resistivity increases with increase in temperature. †¢ Curie temperature decreases with Al+3 content. †¢ Saturation magnetisation decreases with Al+3 content. †¢ Magnetic moment decreases with Al+3 content. †¢ Retentivity decreases with Al+3 content. †¢ Coercivity decreases with Al+3 content. †¢ The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decreases with the increase in frequencyin all the samples of the four series investigated. †¢ The synthesized nanomaterials possess high saturation magnetization, lowcoercivity and improved room temperature resistivity together with low dielectricloss. †¢ Data obtained demonstrate the ability to tune properties of doped copper-ferrite tomatch intended applications.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the author, James Thurber, contrasts E

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the author, James Thurber, contrasts that real life of the character, Walter Mitty, to the fantasy world he has created. Mr. Dykes ========= In the story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," the author, James Thurber, contrasts that real life of the character, Walter Mitty, to the fantasy world he has created. Walter Mitty, unhappy with his everyday life and his nit-picking wife, fades in and out of reality. To escape reality, he envisions himself as a brave, strong hero who is admired by others. His fantasies allow him to escape the boring life he lives. Sparked by events in his real life, his fantasies take him to World War II as a pilot who saves his crew from a severe storm to being a world famous surgeon. The more his wife nags, the more he becomes a victim in his fantasies. He even dreams of being on trial for murder and standing in front of a firing squad, and Walter still stands tall and proud (Thurber). I identify with the character of Walter Mitty very much. I find myself daydreaming all the time. Mitty feels like he...

Criticism Philosophy Essay

Not too many people can listen none defensively, or none antagonistically, to criticism. And very few of those who listen admit it when they see that they are wrong. The thing is, we think that admission of guilt, or of being wrong, or that we have made a mistake, is a sign of weakness. Yet true failure is repeatedly refusing to see your faults. Learning to listen to criticism is a life skill that we’d all do well to master. It is about keeping our hearts open (deferring judgment), and ensuring that we are not emotionally aroused (intimidated, irritated, etc.) by our critic (this is deferring reaction). Learning to listen to criticism is about carefully absorbing what is being said, and then honestly evaluating if it is fair, true, constructive or destructive. Only after we’ve carefully listened to and evaluated the criticism can we respond to it. SECTION B: HOW TO TAKE CRITICISM 1). See criticism as an opportunity to work together with the critic to solve the problem; not as an adversarial situation. Even if you can’t solve the problem together with the critic, consider the moment they criticize you as an opportunity for all of you to grow from whatever the problem is. See it as an opportunity for straightening things out; as an opportunity to hear them out, question them where you need clarity; and as an opportunity for you to clarify what needs to be clarified. This calls for changing your mindset; for changing your attitude (from an adversarial one to a positive one) towards criticism. 2). View criticism as valuable information about how to do better, not as a personal attack. Criticism, regardless of whether it is used as a constructive or a destructive tool, can provide us with valuable feedback on our performance. It provides us with feedback on where we’ve fallen short, and that (i.e., knowing what we need to improve on) is important for our learning and growth. So even when your critic uses criticism as a destructive tool (e.g., as a personal attack, or as a way to put you down, or as a way to manipulate you, or as a way to maintain a psychological advantage), identify his intention but decide to pay particular attention to the criticism itself. Evaluate the criticism itself, and identify what feedback you may get from it. To be able to evaluate the criticism, you must †¦ 3). Listen carefully to what is being said. This is taking up all the data, and evaluating it to see if it has any validity. 4). Watch the impulse to defend (See Defense Mechanisms): Just listen and evaluate. Know the difference between emotional thinking and rational thinking; use your head, not your heart. Don’t give in to your emotions (be it laughter, anger, fear, or whatever): simply listen! 5). And if the criticism is too upsetting, ask to resume the meeting later; after a period to absorb the difficult message, and cool down a bit. SECTION C: HOW TO GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM 1). BE POLITE AND SENSITIVE. This is a call for empathy; for being attuned to the impact of what you say, and how you say it to the person on the receiving end. The person (on the receiving end) is most likely to be defensive. S/he may resort to loud and angry words, or may even cry. Be ready for whatever reaction (including rebuffs, or attacks to hurt you back; breaking down into tears; begging you for forgiveness and sympathy; and so on. There is a whole catalog of reactions to criticism: be ready for any of them, and maintain your calm). 2). BE SPECIFIC. Don’t criticize the whole person (by using global labels or sweeping generalizations). It is demoralizing for people to know that there is something wrong without knowing what the specifics are, so that they can change. Focus on the specifics; saying what the person did well, what was done poorly, and how the situation could be changed. The following approach is very effective (I call it the VWXYZ-approach): V – Tell the person what they did well (â€Å"You did this and that very well.†); W – Tell the person how happy you are, and/or how beneficial to you (or to the organization) this positive input was; X – Tell the person what was poorly done; Y – Tell the person what the damage means to you (or to the organization); Z – Give the person suggestions, if you have any, as to how the situation can be changed or rescued. Tell them how they would be expected to handle a similar problem in future. 3). OFFER A SOLUTION (See Z above). The critique, like any useful feedback, should point to a way to fix the problem. Show the person other possibilities and alternatives. 4). BE PRESENT. Critiques, like praise, are most effective when given face to face, and in private. Writing a memo, letter, or email robs the person receiving the criticism of an opportunity for response or clarification. In conclusion, you have to differentiate between criticizing someone and fighting them because of your own secret agenda. When you criticize, you want the person to improve, so that s/he can be better, or so that you can live in harmony together. But when you fight someone, you criticize out of hate or resentment: your agenda is to hurt, not to help. SECTION D: THE MYTH OF REALITY We all see reality through different colored glasses. Our feelings, inborn abilities, psychological make-ups, personalities, egos, characteristics, physical or emotional well-being, fears, desires, needs, wants, beliefs, and so forth, all play a role in our perception of reality. The assertion, †THERE ARE NONE SO SURE ABOUT (THEIR PERCEPTION OF) REALITY AS THOSE WHO ARE TOTALLY DELUSIONAL,† has a grain of truth in it; at least when it comes to things that can be disputed. Since our perceptions of reality differ, those who criticize us do so based on the perceptions (of reality) that they have in their minds. Our critics’ perception of the reality of what they are criticizing us of usually differs from ours. If one perception can be demonstrated to be 100% correct, then those on the wrong side of perception should admit that they are wrong, without any fear of being conceived as weak! The real truth is that admitting that you are wrong (when you realize that you are) is a sign of being strong minded. If, as in many cases, none of the various perceptions of the conflict-causing situation can be demonstrated to be 100% correct, then we should acknowledge that our perceptions are different, and simply agree to disagree. Before you criticize someone, be sure that your own perception of reality is 100% correct. If you are not so sure, be sure to point out from the onset that you (and the one you are criticizing) have different perceptions of reality, but you are not sure whose perception is correct. You may then criticize the other person’s perception, and then defend your own. SECTION E: TYPES OF CRITICISM Behind each criticism, there is an INTENTION to either put down the one being criticized or to help them (i.e., to build them up). Whether one intends to build up or to destroy, they will use STATEMENTS which are either FACTUAL, or FALSE, or (as is usually the case) a MIXTURE of TRUTHS and LIES. To analyze and evaluate someone’s criticism, we have to LISTEN very carefully to what they say. If we are not sure that we have heard them correctly, we have to SEEK CLARIFICATION. We have to: I). IDENTIFY THEIR INTENTIONS (to help or to put down); II). DETERMINE THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY CRITICIZE US (are they patronizing/condescending/adversarial or tactful/sympathetic/building up?); III). DETERMINE WHETHER THEIR INFORMATION IS ACCURATE OR WRONG. We must SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION. We now look at the different types of criticism. 1. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM This occurs when your critic is motivated by the desire to help you; that is, when the person who criticizes you means well. Their manner of presenting the criticism may be good or bad, and they may possess facts, or a mixture of facts and fiction, or only inaccurate information. But the important thing is what drives the critic is the desire to help you. 2. DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM In this kind of criticism, your critic’s intention may be one or more of the following: 2.1). PUTTING YOU DOWN. This may be in the form of a pointless nagging, or habitual recitation of your failures, or calling you names when they criticize you, or making sweeping generalizations; 2.2). ONE-UPMANSHIP. This occurs when one tries to maintain a psychological advantage over you, or to prove that they are better than you; 2.3). MANIPULATION. The critic may criticize what you are doing in an attempt to get you to do something else. This is often called CHILD PSYCHOLOGY. o SECTION F: RESPONDING TO CRITICISM There are two ways of responding to criticism; one is Ineffective Response, and the other is Effective Response. 1. INEFFECTIVE RESPONSE STYLES These are: 1.1). AGGRESSIVE STYLE. The techniques used include: – Counter Attacks; – Insulting or name-calling; – Loud Denials; – Mocking (Cynicism); and – Sulking in anger. This style of responding to criticism is adversarial, and often leads to fights and/or resentment. 1.2). PASSIVE STYLE. In this style of response to criticism, you agree, apologize, or surrender at the first sign of (a usually destructive) criticism. You may panic and tremble physically. Or you may remain silent in a coward manner (which is different from sulking angrily). In this response style, you give your critic too much power, while sending your own self-esteem crashing rock-bottom. You do not seek clarity, and you do not even try to defend yourself. You do not try to give clarity, even where you feel you have been misunderstood, or wrongly accused. You may even take responsibility/blame for things that you have not done or said. Your fear overpowers you, and you just wish to be left in peace! 1.3). PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE STYLE. This may involve being silent, but not fully cooperative. Or you may respond passively by apologizing and agreeing to change, only to get even with your critic later; by not being fully committed to whatever you promised; or by botching it up; etc. 2. EFFECTIVE RESPONSE I). TRY TO DETERMINE YOUR CRITIC’S PERCEPTION OF REALITY. When someone criticizes you, ask yourself what may be their perception of reality; ask yourself what may be driving him/her to criticize you. Remember that we all see reality through different colored glasses. Resist all urges to respond (aggressively or passively, through panicking or being submissive) before evaluating the criticism. If you are not sure what your critic’s perception of reality is, and if you are allowed to, ask them (See III below). If you are not in a position to ask them directly, evaluate their criticism; for you may get, from the criticism itself, an idea of what your critic’s perception of reality is. In any case, it is important to be sure of what your critic’s perception of reality is. II). EVALUATE THE CRITICISM. It may be possible to tell from your critic’s tone of voice, from their facial expression, or from their posture, what their intentions of criticizing you are. It may be possible to tell this from context (this applies especially when you get a written critique). It is important to IDENTIFY what your critic’s INTENTIONS are. Whilst evaluating your critic’s criticism, do not jump into conclusions, and do not rush to responding. Forget your self-esteem, and concentrate exclusively on the criticism. – As already mentioned, you first have to identify your critic’s perception of whatever they are criticizing you of. – Next, identify the critic’s intention: Do they wish to build up or to destroy/hurt? Is their criticism constructive or destructive? – Next, determine the manner in which the critic gives the criticism: is it good or bad? Are they patronizing/condescending, or are they considerate of your own feelings? Hear their tone. Do they want to help or hassle? – You may also take into consideration your relationship with the critic. Is it a loved one? Is it your boss or superior? Is it a friend? Or is it someone who doesn’t even know you that much? Whatever the case, you want to live in harmony with the critic; but you also want to correct misconceptions. You want to clear the air, and clarify what needs to be clarified. – Check whether the criticism is accurate. Is the critic using facts, a mixture of truths and lies, or only lies? III). PROBE. As already pointed out in I), when someone criticizes you, they have a certain perception of what they are criticizing you of, and it is your right to be sure that you correctly understand what they say. – Ask your critic to be specific; not to make sweeping generalizations. – Ask him to support his claims. – Ask him whether he is sure of what he is saying. – Ask him what his perception of the situation is, and whether he is sure that his perception is correct. – Ask him to give examples of where you went wrong, and to tell you how you should have performed in those instances. – Ask your critic to tell you exactly What you must do. Having probed the critic, and having evaluated his criticism, decide whether his criticism is constructive or destructive; decide whether his manner of presenting the criticism is good (considerate) or bad (patronizing/condescending); and whether the information he uses is accurate, inaccurate, or a mixture of truths and lies. We now give guidelines on how to respond to (constructive and destructive) criticism. 2.1 HOW TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Depending on your critic’s nature, he may couch his constructive criticism in terms of good suggestions for change, or he may patronize you. However well-meaning someone may be, patronizing and/or condescending (which occurs when someone tries to appear better) is bad, and is likely to provoke an adversarial reaction. This is because when someone is patronizing us, we are bound to feel uncomfortable, and we may give in to impulsive negative reactions. So even when your critic has good intentions, the MANNER of GIVING the CRITICISM may spoil it all (See â€Å"HOW TO GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM† in ‘CRITICISM PHILOSOPHY I’). In criticizing you, your critic will use some statements which are true or false, and/or some statements whose truth values may be unknown. He may have accurate or wrong information. – If, in criticizing you constructively, your critic uses accurate information, or facts, to patronize you, or uses facts in a condescending manner, you may acknowledge the truth or validity of his point(s), but point out that his patronizing (or attempts at appearing better) is spoiling or defeating his good purpose (i.e., to help). – If your critic puts his (accurate) information in a good manner, acknowledge the facts and thank him for pointing them out. Tell him that you are going to consider his points. – If your critic’s information is inaccurate, you may correct him. Thank him for trying to help if his manner is good; but if, in addition to using wrong information, your critic’s manners suck, tell him that not only is his information inaccurate but his patronizing or condescending is really uncalled for. – If your critic uses a mixture of facts and lies, acknowledge the facts (and give thanks for them), and correct misconceptions. 2.2 HOW TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM Let’s now suppose that you have determined, to your satisfaction, that your critic’s intention is not to help you, but: to put you down; or to maintain a psychological advantage over you; or to manipulate you. As in the constructive case, your critic will use some statements; some of which may be true, whilst others may be false. In handling such a critic, simply acknowledge what is true and refute what is a lie. Disprove what needs to be disproved, and state your opinion on what is neither here nor there. It is important not to pick a fight, but to concentrate on the criticism.

Religion in Japan and China Review Essay

Religion in Japan and China Review Essay Religion in Japan and China Review Essay Example Religion in Japan and China Review Essay Example Nowadays, the study of Chinese and Japanese cultures is not only of academic interest. The Far East has a special and unique place in today’s world permeated by the processes of globalization and modernization. The technological civilization of the West has penetrated the East, changed a lot in the cultural sphere, and realigned social relations that have been taking shape for thousands of years. However, the East remains a bastion of tradition in opposition to the totality of modernization. These transformations have affected mostly external aspects of life such as the sphere of science and technology, but they are unable to shake the depth of culture, namely paradigms, laws, and principles underlying the human existence in the East. China and Japan have not lost their identity while borrowing the Western achievements. The diversity of the Chinese and Japanese cultures manifests itself mostly in the variety of religions of these countries. The comparison of the traditional religious systems of China and Japan shows that they both are based on similar religious and philosophical paradigms. Japan as an Independent Culture Japan was initially treated as a carrier of the Chinese culture and did not stand out as an independent cultural-historical type and civilization. This point of view existed in the cultural sciences until the second half of the 20th century. It appeared not only in the early historical and typological concepts, but also in the works of the later researchers. For example, Arnold Joseph Toynbee described the Japanese culture as a â€Å"filial† in relation to the Chinese culture, but he did not pay attention to the identity of the Japanese culture (Earhart, 2013). However, modern science recognizes the ethnic identity of Japan and comes close to the recognition of its cultural identity. The research thought has moved from trying to ignore the uniqueness of the Japanese culture to the recognition of the ethnic autonomy of China and Japan. The basic religions of China and Japan – Taoism and Shinto – are the basis for arguing that both countries are autonomous in the r eligious and cultural way. Taoism and Shinto as the Original Religious Paradigms Both Taoism and Shinto are national religions. However, if Shinto is inalienable from the Japanese culture, then Taoism has a certain missionary enthusiasm, through which it has spread in most countries of the Far East region. Shinto is characterized as a more archaic religion than Taoism. There are certain obvious manifestations of its archaism. Firstly, it is the lack of philosophical and theoretical formation. Secondly, Shinto has no formations at all, i.e. it has an immensely large integrity as compared with Taoism (Aston, 2015). The latter is a religion as well as a philosophy, but Shinto is a religion only. However, the division of religions into more or less archaic implies existence of some general timeline that is common to all phenomena of this kind. The phenomena, which are preserved as archaic or primitive ones, are usually compared with the early stages of the existence of complex phenomena. If one speaks about Shinto’s archaism based on the absence of theoretical constructs in this religion, then it would assume existence of some common law, according to which every traditional religion is obliged to give rise to its own philosophy sooner or later. The next significant difference is a distinction not only between Taoism and Shinto but also between Chinese and Japanese mentalities as a whole. It is about a phenomenal disinclination of traditional Japanese thinking towards abstraction and speculation. When it comes to comparing Eastern and Western thinking, rejection of abstract constructions is considered as the prerogative of the East. However, with regard to the Chinese culture, it would be correct to speak of unity and indivisibility of the theory and practice, the abstract and the concrete, the speculative and the empirical (Mou, 2012). Such integrity of the Chinese traditional thinking, which has been observed by the generations of Western thinkers since the 19th century, makes the Far Eastern mentality so different from the West (Mou, 2012). Even sciences in traditional China represent a relatively holistic and amorphous body of knowledge, which combines quite heterogeneous and diverse ideas and facts in the most direct way. Mythology, astrology, alchemy, and magic are inseparable from cosmology, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine respectively and so on. The treatise, which tells of common categories of the ontological character, may simultaneously be a tool to achieve physical immortality with the help of certain quite specific practices (Mou, 2012). In contrast, Japan just has borrowed similar categories from China since the period of antiquity, namely the Asuka and Nara periods (Aston, 2015). However, such categories have never acquired importance and significance they had in China. As a manifestation of the above regulations, the ancient texts have played an important role in Taoism and Shinto. One of the manifestations of the detachment of traditional Japanese thinking from theory is a pure practicality of all Old Japanese texts. Shinto religion has a collection of myths, ritual prayers, and even secular literature and poetry, which date back to ancient ritual chants (Aston, 2015). However, it has no similar persons to Lao-Tzu, Ge Hong, or Zhang Boduan. It means that Shinto is not familiar with a genre of the theoretical and practical treatise, which is very characteristic of Taoism and combines the ideas of ontological, anthropological, and ethical character. Neither Taoism nor Confucianism has a single kind of Bible, but both Chinese religions worshiped a number of books that make up a more or less universally recognized canon (Mou, 2012). As for the Shinto religion, it has no similar or any other canon (Aston, 2015). Taoist and Shinto anthropological ideas are also different. In the majority of Taoist traditions, a person is thought of as a psychophysical unity. The existence of the spirit depends on the existence of the body and the vital energy (or qi) acts as an intermediary between the two (Mou, 2012). Accordingly, improvement, the ultimate goal of which is achievement of immortality, means the change of moral and ethical qualities of the individual as well as transformation of the body. Classic religious Taoism understands transformation of a human being into the immortal as the preservation and improvement of corporeality (Mou, 2012). Other Taoist traditions represent the final stage of the transformation relating to the release from the corpse (or shijie) and the transformation of a person into a pure spirit (or shen) (Mou, 2012). It is important to emphasize the role of corporeality in both cases. In the first case, a man acquires immortality in the flesh, but in the second case the body acts as a stepping-stone to achieve immortality. In Shinto, the body and the spirit are related somewhat differently. On the one hand, the spirit (or kami) is not always the phenomenon of non-physical nature. For example, kami can be a bizarre wood or stone (Aston, 2015). The Japanese have borrowed an idea of the ki energy (or qi in the Chinese culture) from China (Aston, 2015). As a consequence, a man is thought of as a unity of the spiritual and the corporeal. On the other hand, a person becomes kami after death and the body does not matter in the process. Paradoxically, Shinto does not imply the bodily immortality at all. Eve ry person becomes kami after death according to Shinto religion (Aston, 2015). In contrast, immortality is a destiny of the few in Taoism. Immortality in Taoism is achieved only by individual efforts in both the field of ethics and mystical practices. Thus, one can assume that Shinto is a religion that regulates the life of the community. In turn, Taoism is a religion, which regulates the life of the community on the demotic level and allows one to achieve individual immortality on the elitist level (Mou, 2012). The main virtues of Taoism are the naturalness (or tzu-jan) and the non-action (or wuwei) (Mou, 2012). The meaning of these concepts varied through the ages. The concept of naturalness meant detachment and depersonalization for ancient Taoists. However, it could mean the following to passions and emotions since the Han era (Mou, 2012). The first interpretation aims at not only perfection of the individual, but also the benefit of the society. The second interpretation is essentially antisocial. As for Shinto, the ethics of this religion is not so much religious as magical; it is a kind of a set of taboos (Aston, 2015). The belief in the divinity of the ruler and the sanctity of the social hierarchy are among the foundations of the Shinto religion, but they are not the subject of a special ethical reflection. Features of Confucianism in China and Japan The fundamental principles of Confucianism in both China and Japan are patriotism, sacralization of the ruler, rigidity of the social hierarchy, conservatism, and the holiness of tradition. The essential difference between the Chinese and Japanese conservatism is that Confucianism is focused on the development, education, and improvement of the human society, but the autochthonous ethics of Japan is only aimed at preserving the existing order (Yang Tamney, 2011). In addition, it does not imply either individual ethical responsibility or transformation of the society and the individual. The ideas of self-cultivation began to be formed in Japan only under the Chinese influence (Earhart, 2013). Ethics in Confucianism as a unified system is inseparable from epistemology, theoretical knowledge, and development of specific literary, philosophical, historical, and poetic monuments. This unity of ethics and epistemology is expressed in the category of wen (Yang Tamney, 2011). The latter includes appropriate social behavior, appropriate creative-ordering principle, and familiarizing with the literary heritage and a set of books of the Confucian canon in the narrowest sense. As noted above, the Japanese thinking is less inclined to the theory than the Chinese one. Japan had neither â€Å"philosophical explosion† like the one that happened in China in the era of Zhou, nor ideological struggle of various schools of ethics (Kitagawa,1990). Studying of such Confucian literature as canonical books, treatises, chronicles, and poetry for didactic purposes in Japan was local in nature. Actually, the Japanese ethics remained much less connected with epistemology than the Chinese on e, even absorbing a number of Confucian ideas and categories (Earhart, 2013). The role of the theoretical and didactic text remains insignificant in Japan. With respect to both cultures, one can talk about the top-down dissemination of the Confucian ideology, from the aristocracy and intellectual elite to the lower strata of the population (Yang Tamney, 2011). However, there is one important difference. The officialdom was the ruling class throughout the history of China. In Japan, the power was in the hands of the military class, namely the samurai, since the 12th century and until the collapse of the traditional way of life in the 19th century (Earhart, 2013). Thus, Japanese Confucianism was primarily a military ideology. The perception of cultural and military principles is different in China and Japan. They were called wen and wu in China and ben and bu in Japan accordingly (Yang Tamney, 2011). Chinese Confucianism gives an unconditional preference to wen, suggesting wu is a necessary evil. The point of view of the Japanese varied between the recognition of the equivalence of the two principles and the condemnation of the cultural activity as detrimental to the service and fulfillment of duty. One of the key ideas of the Chinese social philosophy is the idea of the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven† (or tianming), which has never been accepted by the Japanese. Chinese Confucianism, despite its conservatism, admits the possibility of insurrection and rebellion even against the supreme power (Yang Tamney, 2011). This aspect is alien to the Japanese mentality. If the Chinese ethical ideal implies submission to a ruler as long as he himself is a carrier of proper ethical qualities, then the Japanese ideal implies absolute submission (Kitagawa, 1990). Hence, it may explain the unity of the Japanese imperial dynasty and the uniquely small number of uprisings of the lower classes throughout the Japanese history. Thus, Chinese Confucianism allows one to climb the social ladder. In turn, the kinship actually does not allow upward mobility in the traditional Japanese society. Both Chinese and Japanese ethics prescribes service and obedience to elders (Yang Tamney, 2011). The immediate environment as family or clan is on the first place for the Chinese. However, the ministry to a lord or a ruler is of higher priority for the Japanese even if it is to the detriment of the family. The specifics of the Chinese prioritization is due to both geographical conditions (large spatial extent of China) and Taoist-Confucian paradigm (Yang Tamney, 2011). Priorities of the Japanese ethics are due to, respectively, the small size of the inhabited territory and the specifics of the Japanese Confucianism, namely the cult of unconditional obedience and self-sacrifice (Kitagawa, 1990). Chinese and Japanese Buddhism Buddhism has had a much greater impact on the formation of statehood in Japan than in China. Buddhism entered China after the reunification of the country around the middle of the Han Dynasty. After the adoption of Buddhism as a state religion in China, it was periodically becoming closer to the authorities, alternating with the periods of disgrace (Schlütter, 2010). On the contrary, Buddhism played a special role in Japan at the stage of the country’s emergence as a political entity. Buddhism in Japan was a way to substantiate claims of the imperial house to the throne. The Buddhist community had the greatest political influence in the early stages of the Japanese history, namely the Nara and Heian periods (Schlütter, 2010). There are also the phenomena of Chan and Zen Buddhism, which are also different. Chan Buddhism is one of the peripheral components of the Chinese traditional culture, but its Japanese equivalent is one of the main paradigms of the Japanese culture. This is due to the fact that Chan Buddhism remains a relatively elitist phenomenon, which has affected only some principles of art on the general cultural level (Schlütter, 2010). In contrast, Zen Buddhism has become the ideology of the samurai, which were the ruling class in Japan (Schlütter, 2010). Thus, it has penetrated almost all levels of human activity in the Japanese culture. The Chinese and Japanese religions not only rely on largely similar religious-mythological and philosophical paradigms, but also differ extensively. The ideas of close connection of physical and spiritual components of human beings and the possibility of achieving bodily immortality are characteristic of the Chinese religions. In turn, the Japanese religions are characterized by an acute experience of the short duration of human existence and, consequently, the lack of practices to achieve individual immortality. The basis of social and ethical ideas of both religions and cultures is unified within the Confucian paradigm. However, Chinese Confucianism gives people the possibility to make assessment of the superior and, as a consequence, the right to an ideologically justified protest. Japanese Confucianism is characterized by humility and submissiveness to a lord or a ruler. Finally, a traditional Chinese religious, social, and ethical ideal is a scientist, scholar, poet, or writer who is capable of climbing the career ladder due to personal talent and knowledge or to go in search of the immortality. Not only Taoist mysticism, but also rationally oriented Confucianism recognizes immortality as an attribute of an ethically perfect person. In turn, a Japanese religious, social, and ethical ideal is a samurai or warrior who is loyal to his lord unreservedly regardless of the moral qualities of the latter.

Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Essays

Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Essays Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Paper Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Paper Essay Topic: Quick Riding with the technology wave, many firms invested in the internet and related technologies in an attempt to try to gain competitive advantage over rivals by being the first to offer their products or services online. Many firms although have found serious problems with pursuing this. The profitability of the industry was often undermined as companies competed on price in order to try to build up their market share. Many firms also saw the development of internet capabilities as a separate strategy and not an integrated part of the firms strategy, often resulting in failure of its online operations. Over the last years Dell, as a company, has proved that the increase in product variety offers the possibility of customisation, when this is combined with modern production techniques, using the internet to take customised orders, it can prove to be a very serious competitive advantage, for the company that cannot erode easily. The sales numbers for Dells web-site are enormous, at March 1997 Dell was selling $1 million per day through the web-site and by March 1998 this number doubled to $2 million sales per day, but while much of the internet market is untapped there is still potential for this number to grow even more. Dell has created a very important advantage over their competitors because the direct to customers business model enables the company to be extremely responsive to any problem they might have to face at any point of time. Another important aspect for Dell is the service they offer, as they have created an excellent service capability based on the Dell Vision which states that a customer must have a quality experience and must be pleased, not just satisfied and further on this gives them an even larger advantage over their competitors as they have created a very strong relationship between the company and their most profitable customers. The monetizing concept argues that online businesses must first capture large audiences of users or shoppers, and then later monetize those audiences through subscription fees, advertising and e-commerce (Rayport 1999). Following from the above, it is obvious that Dell has an advantage over any new company that enters the market, as new entries will have to attract large number of customers first and then be able to play an important role in the market, while Dell already has captured a very large and also satisfied and dedicated audience. There is also a widely held belief that once a customer starts working with a vendor, it is much easier to keep that customer than it is to bring in new customers. So if you can build brand loyalty for a web-site early, it gives you an advantage over other vendors who try to enter the market later. Dell implemented its web-site very early and that presumably also gives them an advantage over the competition. Further on the internet can be a very useful tool for other companies that already trade in the pc market. At this point it is useful to mention Dells main competitors in the market, which are IBM, Apple, Wall-Mart, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard-Compaq and also many small local manufacturers in every region separately but there is no reason to probe on each one separately as each company follows their own strategy and different to Dells strategy, in order to gain larger market share and it is not fair to compare. The following points summarize Dell Computers marketing strategy for product and place, their target market and differentiations from competitors: Product Primary focus is built-to-order servers, storage, and personal computers * Secondary focus is computer peripherals, handheld devices, computer accessories and software Place * Internet * Primary approach is direct to customer * Secondary approach is indirect, utilizing channel partners * No physical location for consumers to shop * Considered a click and click company Target * Primary target audience has been large companies, education and government agencies * Secondary target is the consumer * Recent shift to larger focus on consumer market with the Dell Dude campaign Consumer psychographic targets emphasize workers, seekers, pioneers and surfers Differentiations * Internet only, click and click company * Focus on customer service from end to end * Built-to-order computer products rather than pre-packaged * Offers user empowerment in ordering product Dell Computers is an excellent example of a manufacturer that has successfully used the Internet to manage many of the channe l activities and it is difficult for any other company to achieve the establishment that Dell has achieved. Dell has resulted positive brand recognition by consistently building and servicing its low-cost, customized computers to customers. It fosters brand loyalty by continually providing superior customer service and technical support along with continuously incorporating the latest technology in its products. Dell has achieved market focus and competitive advantage by assembling purchased components from suppliers, thereby becoming one of the most successful companies in the global computer systems industry, as it must be noticed that in 2000 it was the No. 1 computer company in the United States and No. world-wide. Dells potential for continued growth is enormous and at the same time the possibility to erode is minimised, because of its capability of providing up-to-the-minute pc technology customized for and sold directly to individual customers. The internet as a marketing channel can become a very strong advantage for any company, although at the same time Dell has been able to buil d up a very strong competitive advantage for the company, something that makes it very difficult for any other company in the pc market to compete and attract customers from Dell.