Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Essay

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Culture and People They Encountered with the Aztec - Essay Example The modern appreciation of historical facts gave birth to a thorough analysis of the events of the past and what the Western historians were at times unable to point out or those that were dismissed. Essentially, there were things that must be taken into consideration. â€Å"The conquistadors caught a fleeting glance of a civilization with a theology and symbolism as complex as contemporary Catholicism† (Fagan, p.343). The full understanding of any story must involve weighing in all possible accounts of what took place. It cannot be limited to an assertion inferred as fundamental facts. The same goes for a deeper understanding of the Conquistadors arrival and their colonization of the Aztecs. Limiting to the Spaniards’ accounts and personal inclinations gives rise to bias so that revisiting the available accounts of the natives must be integrated. This illuminates any historical reading to have an impartial assessment to reconcile facts from fiction. What Bernal Diaz pr ovided in â€Å"The True History of the Conquest of New Spain† was a personal account of the battle with the Aztecs. It was a vivid narration that aims to disclose the true occurrences of the battle to provide for a more genuine description to put to rest all other claims proliferated by others. It contained detailed descriptions of the practices of the actual encounter. The most graphic were the practices of the natives on their captives, â€Å"with stone knives they sawed open their chests and drew out their palpitating hearts and offered them to the idols that were there, and they kicked the bodies down the steps, and Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off the arms and feet and flayed (the skin off) the faces† (Diaz, n.p.). The autobiographical account described the cannibalistic practices of the natives. The cries of the people on the destruction of their city, though veiled through the words of Diaz, seem to be valid reason for their anger. The people soug ht for the reconstruction of what they have lost. Diaz, as Wyman noted in her introduction came from a more deprived background wherein his venture into foreign land was for personal gain. The mind of a soldier and his hardships primarily regulate his point of view. The brotherhood among soldiers and their sufferings would be most palpable to him. This is apparent in the account as a strict narrative of a battle. This particular endeavour was the principal reason for his ascent into the social strata which maintains his courageous stance amidst the difficulties. Inadvertently, Diaz divulged Aztec practices such as how women helped the men by making their crude weapons including the preparation of the stones for their slings and in the sounding of the devices. In contrast to the narrative of Diaz, Hernan Cortes presents to the monarchy a descriptive account of the city of Temixtitlan under Moctezuma. He illustrates a place filled with life and vitality. It is one where there are soci al centers filled with economic growth. The market is filled with products and various trades. There are also specialized shops such as apothecaries and an indication of medicinal application including the sale of much sought after herbs and spices. â€Å"This Province is in the form of a circle, surrounded on all sides by lofty and

Monday, October 28, 2019

Thimerosal Paper Essay Example for Free

Thimerosal Paper Essay Thimerosal in vaccines may contribute to Autism Spectrum Disorders in children with underlying medical conditions. Since 1999 there has been a controversy about whether thimerosal –containing vaccines contribute to the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used to manufacture multidose vaccines as it helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi and so can protect the immunized from infections at the site of the immunization. One of the reasons for the concern was that thimerosal contains ethylmercury and not methylmercury. But since there were no guidelines for the safe amount of ethylmercury in the human body, the guidelines for methylmercury were used on the false assumption that the body handles them both in the same way. In trying to settle the controversy two main issues were brought up. One is the connection between the chemistry of thimerosal and a direct link with autism and the other is the removal of thimerosal from vaccines and the effect on the level of incidences of autism. The Public Health Agency of Canada does not believe that thimerosal causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. In the paper, Thimerosal –updated statement   ( Law and Primeau , 2007) the authors reported two reviews of the evidence by the Immunization Safety Review Committee of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2001 and 2004 . In 2001 they concluded that the evidence is inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship between thimerosal exposures from childhood vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders. They also believed that â€Å"the hypothesis that thimerosal exposure through the recommended childhood immunization schedule [in the US] has caused neurodevelopmental disorders is not supported by clinical or experimental evidence. The subsequent review in 2004, which included studies from Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden and the US concluded that the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal containing vaccines and autism. The paper also reported Canadian data from a study in Quebec of 188 children to support the lack of association between thimerosal exposure and pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Despite the belief that thimerosal exposure has not been scientifically proven to be linked to autism, the Public Health Agency states that in large concentrations over extended periods of exposure, mercury can cause damage to brain and kidney. In a critical review of the published data Parker et al (2008) analyzed twelve published studies from Denmark, Sweden, UK and US. In an attempt to address the debate that continued about the possible link between thimerosal and autism. The authors first state that in 2001 thimerosal in quantities sufficient to act as a preservative was removed form all vaccines in the childhood immunization schedule in the US except in some influenza vaccines. They state that although trace amounts are present in some vaccines, â€Å"the amounts are so small that exposure is inconsequential†. The Immunization Safety Review Committee of the Institute of Medicine concluded in 2001 that â€Å"the evidence is insufficient to accept or reject a causal relationship between exposure to thimerosal and NDDs†. In order to examine this claim more fully the authors analyzed the twelve studies. They concluded that â€Å"the four studies supporting an association between thimerosal exposure and NDDs including autism were by the same authors and used overlapping data sets and contained critical methodological flaws that render the data and their interpretation non contributory†. On the other hand they found that the studies that did not report an association were well designed and appropriately analyzed. They also make the point that data from Denmark and Sweden where exposure to thimerosal in vaccines was eliminated in 1992 showed that rates of autism continued to increase. Thus questioning thimerosal as a possible contributing cause to autism. Nelson and Bauman (2003) examined the claim that there is a link between thimerosal and autism from three different angles. They first compared clinical manifestations of autism and mercury toxicity. They found no commonality in motor manifestations. Other signs such as hypertension, skin eruptions evident in mercury toxicity were not present in autism. They concluded that the â€Å"typical clinical signs of mecurism are not similar to the typical clinical signs of autism†. The second angle was to look at the onset of autism after immunizations. According to them the onset is very difficult to establish and so they cannot prove or disprove a role of the vaccines. Thirdly they questioned the existence of mercury levels in autistic children. They found no evidence to show significant amounts of mercury in the hair, urine, or blood of autistic children. They also point out that no evidence has been provided to show that chelation therapy led to the improvement in children with autism. Another point raised by these authors is the question of whether reducing levels of mercury can affect the levels of incidence of autism. They referred to a study done in Japan during and after a toxic outbreak in the 1950s and the 1960s. The results showed on the contrary, higher rates of autism in children born between 1966 and 1974 than in the periods just after the outbreaks. Though the controversy may not be over, and some will still not feel safe enough to vaccinate their children, the research has not been able to establish a reliable link between thimerosal in vaccines and the occurrence of autism. References Law, B., Primeau, M. (2007). Thimerosal:updated statement. Canada Communicable Disease Report. Vol.33. Retrieved August 25, 2008. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/07vol33/acs-06/index_e.html Nelson, K.B., Bauman, M.L. (2003). Thimerosal and autism. Pediatrics Vol. 111, Iss.3, pp.674-679. Parker, S., Schwartz, B., Todd, J., Pickering, L. (2004). Thimerosal-containing vaccines and autistic spectrum disorder: a critical review of the published original data. Pediatrics. Vol.114, Iss.3, pp.793-804

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Soil Spatial Variability of Fluoride as Affected by Land Uses Essay

Abstract— Fluoride (F) is an essential element for life. At low concentrations, it is generally believed that fluoride deficiencies can arise, but at high fluoride concentrations other deleterious effects can certainly transpire. This study was conducted to evaluate F content and its spatial variability in Isfahan province. This area covers different land uses including agricultural, industrial, urban and uncultivated lands. Two hundred and fifty five topsoil samples (0- 20 cm) in a study area of 6800 km ² were collected. Total fluoride and water soluble fluoride were measured. The results of this research showed that two forms of soil F were controlled by intrinsic factors such as parent material and extrinsic factors such as fertilization. The total fluoride concentration in 96% of the data was less than the globule suggested average (200 mg kg†¾Ã‚ ¹) and water soluble fluoride concentration in 72 % of the samples exceeded the suggested averaged(0.5 mg kg†¾Ã‚ ¹). Key words- water soluble fluoride; total fluoride; kriging; spatial distribution I. INTRODUCTION Fluorine is one of the essential micronutrient for both human and animals. It is present in soils, rocks, water and the biological chains of animal and plant lives [13]. The F concentrations vary in relation to many factors such as geogenic and anthropogenic processes. A large number of industries emit F in atmosphere, including brick and tile manufactures, steel and aluminum manufacture and the production of phosphoric acid, super phosphate fertilizer and elementary phosphorus [9]. Application of phosphate fertilizers, sewage sludges and some pesticides also bring F to soil [6] but the majority of any added F becomes fixed by one or more of soil components [11] and F may... ...ater soluble fluoride in the soils were 100.7 and 0.9 mg kg†¾Ã‚ ¹, respectively. Also, the results of this study show that the urban and agricultural activities have significantly increase the concentration of F in surface soils of the study region. The application of phosphate fertilizers and sewage sludge and some pesticides in our study agricultural land bring fluoride to the soil. On the other hands, in urban and industrial regions, fluoride is brought to the soil surface by fall out of particulate fluorides and through absorption of fluorides in rain and snow. But the soils in central Iran are alkaline and calcareous. So, most of the added fluorides to the soil is either effectively fixed by the soil component such as clay, Ca and P. Anthropogenic activities were an important factor controlling the spatial distribution of soil F concentration.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Morning Assembly

Government of Bihar Science & Technology Department Technology Bhawan, Bailey Road, Patna Adv. No. – ST-01/2012 Dated – 26. 05. 2012 NOTICE FOR CONTRACT APPOINTEMENT OF TEACHING CADRE POSTS IN ENGINEERING COLLEGES & GOVT. POLYTECHNICS IN THE STATE OF BIHAR Online applications are invited for contract appointments on vacant posts of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors in Engineering Colleges and on vacant posts of Lecturers & H. O. D. in Govt.Polytechnics of the State of Bihar in different faculties of Engineering, Non-Engineering and Humanities streams under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of Bihar. 2. 2. 1 2. 1. 1 Edicational Qualification and Eligibility : Minimum Educational Eligibility for Contract Appointment in teaching cadre for Polytechnic Institutions: For Lecturer / Workshop Superintendent in Engineering and Technology: (a) The candidate is required to have passed the appropriate Graduation Level Engineering / Technology C ourse with Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Technology in the relevant branch with First Class or Equivalent.If the candidate has a Master's degree in Engineering / Technology, first class or equivalent is required at Bachelor's or Master's level. For Lecturer in Sciences and Humanities: The candidate must obtain First Class Master's degree in appropriate subject with first class or equivalent at bachelor's or Master's level.For Head of the Department (HOD) in Engineering / Technology : The candidate must have obtained Bachelor's and Master's degree of appropriate branch in Engineering / Technology with First Class or equivalent either at Bachelor's or Master's level with minimum of 10 years relevant experience in teaching / research / industry OR Bachelor's degree and Master's degree of appropriate branch in Engineering / Technology with First Class or equivalent either at Bachelor's or Master's level and Ph. D. r equivalent, in appropriate discipline in Engineering / Technology with minimum of 5 years relevant experience in teaching / research / industry. Minimum Educational Eligibility for Contract Appointment in teaching cadre of Engineering College: For Assistant Professor in Engineering / Technology: The Candidate should be B. E. / B. Tech and M. E. / M. Tech in relevant branch with First Class or equivalent either in B. E. / B. Tech or M. E. / M. Tech. For Assistant Professor in Pharmacy : The Candidate should be Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Pharmacy with First Class or equivalent either in Bachelor's or Master's Degree.For Assistant Professor in Sciences : The Candidate should have Good academic record with at least 55% marks or, an equivalent CGPA at the Master's Degree level in the relevant subject from an Indian University or an equivalent degree from a Foreign University. Besides fulfilling the above qualifications, candidates should have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) for Lecturers conducted by the UGC, CSIR or similar test acc redited by the UGC. For Associate Professor in Engineering / Technology : The Candidate should have B. E. B. Tech and M. E. / M. Tech in relevant branch with First Class or equivalent either in B. E. / B. Tech or M. E. / M. Tech and Ph. D. or equivalent in appropriate discipline with Minimum of 5 years experience in teaching / research / industry of which 2 years post Ph. D. experience is desirable. Post Ph. D. publications and guiding Ph. D. student is highly desirable. For Associate Professor in Sciences : The Candidate should have Good academic record with at least 55% marks or, an equivalent CGPA at the Master's level and Ph. D. egree in the relevant subject. 5 years experience in Teaching and / or Research excluding the period spent for obtaining the degrees and has made some mark in the areas of Scholarship as evidenced by quality of publications, contribution to educational innovation, design of new courses and curricula. 2. 2. 6 For Professor in Engineering / Technology : Ed ucational : (a) (b) The eligibility as mentioned for Associate Professor. Post Ph. D. publications and Guiding Ph. D. student is highly desirable. 2. 1. 2 2. 1. 3 2. 2 2. 2. 1 2. 2. 2 2. 2. 3 . 2. 4 2. 2. 5 Experience : Minimum of 10 years teaching / research / industrial experience of which at least 5 years should be at the level of Associate Professor OR Minimum of 13 years experience in teaching and / or Research and / or Industry. 3. Other Eligibility Criteria: (a) Nationality : (b) (c) 4. Age : Medical fitness : The Candidate should be a citizen of India. Minimum 18 years and maximum 64 years on 01. 01. 2012. Good mortal & Physical health, so as to fit to discharge official duty. Reservation : The reservation rule of the Govt. f Bihar will be applicable. 5. 6. Final Merit List : Final merit-list will be determined on the basis of total marks obtained in written Aptitude Test plus total marks determined on the basis of academic qualification & relevant experience. Brochure / Pro spectus : For details regarding provisions, eligibility, written aptitude test, consideration of Academic qualifications, procedure of selections etc. Please download the brochure from the website: www. bceceboard. com or www. bcecebonline. com and carefully go through it.Application Fee & Mode of submitting Application Form : (i) (ii) Application Fee for Gen, BC & EBC Categories Rs. 1000/- (Rs. One thousand only) Application Fee for SC & ST Categories Rs. 500/- (Rs. Five hundred only) The candidates are required to submit ‘ONLINE' Application Form as per the instructions given hereunder during the period from 02. 06. 2012 to 17. 06. 2012. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Visit website : www. bceceboard. com or www. bcecebonline. com Click on â€Å"Online Application for Contract Appointment of Teaching Cadre Posts†.Download the â€Å"Brochure† for details. Click on â€Å"Online Registration†. Online Application Form to be submitted in two parts i. e. ==; ==; # # (II) Part-1 Part-2 Includes personal details, contact details, academic details & work experience. Has four sections – Fee payment, Uploading of Photograph, Uploading of Signatures in English & Hindi. 2 7. 8. Submission of Online Application Form : (I) For filling up the above said both parts of the Application Form, follow the instruction as crop-up in computer.Your online Application Form will not be registered unless you upload your photograph, signature and Bank Draft no. & Date with issuing branch of the Bank. Take a print-out of the completed Application Form, attach Bank Draft for Fee and other required self attested certificates / documents and send it through Speed Post/ Registered Post only so as to reach latest by 27. 06. 2012 at the following address: â€Å"The Nodal Officer, Department of Science & Technology (Govt. of Bihar), C/o I. A. S. Bhawan, Near Patna Airport, Patna-800014† (III) 9.For Application Fee the required Bank Draft must be Payable at Patna and issued from any of the nationalised Bank in favour of Controller of Examination, B. C. E. C. E. Board. The last date for submission of Online Application Form is 17. 06. 2012 till 5. 00 PM. The last date for submission of print out of the Application Form alongwith Bank Draft and other documents through Registered Post / Speed Post is 27. 06. 2012 (5. 00 PM). For any delay in Postal transit, the authority will not undertake any responsibility what-so-ever. Nodal Officer Deptt. of Sc. & Technology (Govt. of Bihar)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Globalization and Technology Negotiation Strategy Article Analysis Essay

Globalization and Technology Negotiation Strategy Article Analysis Negotiation strategy and planning are important in understanding how a negotiator should engage the issue. According to Lewicki, Saunders, and Barry (2006), negotiators can achieve their goal easily by using an effective plan and acquiring a solid strategy in the negotiating room. In this paper, negotiation strategy will be discussed on how the United States is trying to resist globalization and technology from foreign countries in the global market. The following key elements will be discussed: (1) description of globalization policies, and (2) negotiation strategies with China. Description of Globalization Policies According to an article from uschamber.com (2011), businesses have become very high-tech and companies are concerned with global regulatory issues. The United States has joined international policy to help resist foreign globalization into the country. An example of negotiation policies is the use of Internet privacy, free trade agreements, and standards in the telecommunication market. The United States is using strong negotiation tactics to help persuade China and other countries to conform to globalization standards. Negotiation Strategies with China The negotiation strategy in dealing with China is through intimidation of military China has used a policy of secrecy in negotiation and has used their economic power to negotiate global agreements. Even though United States is a dominate military power, the negotiation strategy consists of a distributive bargaining style concerning the dealing of global economics with China. China’s ultimate goal of globalization throughout the Southeast Asia is under a strict negotiation strategy of conflict management between the United States and China. The distributive bargaining style has been used  by the United States when dealing with China’s dominate role in economics. The United States has had to use accommodative negotiation strategy to help negotiate treaties with countries helping keep China in check from dominating globally. Example is how Taiwan has been threaten globally by China but the Unites States uses accommodations with other countries to help gain up on China. Summary and Conclusion In this paper, negotiation strategy was discussed on how the United States is trying to resist globalization and technology from foreign countries in the global market. The following key elements will be discussed: (1) description of globalization policies, and (2) negotiation strategies with China. In conclusion, distributive bargaining and accommodative negotiation strategies were discussed on how China global expansion has been kept at rest. China is a dominate economic power but China’s expansion into global dominance is a rest throughout the world. Distributive bargaining has been used by China to take a hold on dominating the economic regulations put on other countries. China does not receive the same sanctions other countries may receive from political outcry. The United States is in losing situation when trying to negotiate economic sanctions on China but does have the power to stop China from globalization. Military power is used to help control conflict and only time will tell if China continues to back down in the global environment. References Globalization and technology. (2011). U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.uschamber.com/issues/technology/globalization-and-technology Lewicki, R. J., Saunders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2005). Negotiation (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT/445 – Organizational Negotiations: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Britney Spears essays

Britney Spears essays Britneys Image Change and Its Effect on Her Carrier. Unless youve been stuck in a cave for the past 5 years you probably know who Britney Spears is. Throughout the years that she has been in the spotlight she has gradually changed her image from a sweet southern girl into an erotic pop queen. Some people love the change others despise it, but most everyone has a valid reason for either loving or hating the change. This is not a paper dedicated to bashing Britney Spears for looking sensual. I am simply going to explain the benefits that came from her image change and the negative effects that extracted from the change. Turning from sweet to sexy was probably a smart business move for Britney to make because her musical abilities are far from outstanding. I have watched her concerts many times on television and she sounds un-tuned on the songs that she actually sings. Most of her dance songs sound very good live, but that is only due to the fact that her voice is pre-recorded. I know this because there is no way that anyone could sing so perfect and also do all those crazy dance moves she does at the same time. Now that she is so sexy, people watch her concerts just to get a view of what she is wearing, or rather what she isnt wearing. She also doesnt write her own songs, which is a sure sign that someone doesnt really have enough musical talent. I saw her Diary show on MTV and it showed how she worked in the studio. I expected to see her and the producer exchanging ideas and thinking about the musical arrangements on the album. Instead it looked as if she was a puppet in the studio. The producer was telling her how to sing on a song that somebody else wrote and she just stood in the recording booth agreeing with everything he said. Once again this musical flaw is greatly overlooked due to her overtly sexual image and I can honestly say that I dont mind it. Imagine how horrible...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Expository Essay on How Music Affects Your Life

Expository Essay on How Music Affects Your Life A good point from which to begin writing your expository essay on how music affects your life is to understand the meaning of an expository essay. This type of essay requires that you explain the essay topic in a straightforward and logical manner, while presenting your essay ideas in a balanced way. Additionally, you should ensure that each argument is made based on facts. If you want to know if the essay paper you have been asked to write is an expository paper, then you must examine the instructions. This is because the instructions of an expository paper usually contain words that explain or even define an issue that is included in the topic of the essay paper. Even though the instructions of an expository paper may deceive one into believing that writing this paper is a simple affair, it is not always easy to write this type of essay paper. However, by following certain writing tips, the whole writing process can be easier. The ability to write expository papers is a skill that many people acquire with their day-to-day life activities to be successful in certain careers. One must master writing excellent expository essays. Writing an expository essay is not just about the content but also entails how the content is presented in the essay paper. The correct structure must be followed when this type of essay paper is being composed. For instance, it is standard for this paper, and many other types of essays, to begin with an introductory paragraph that contains a thesis or main idea. This should be followed by the body paragraphs that will explore the main ideas of the essay, before ending with a conclusion paragraph. Note that if you want to have an easy time writing this type of paper, then you cannot just begin writing the paper before passing through the prewriting stage. It is in the prewriting session that one brainstorms about the main idea and topic of the essay paper and carries out research while taking notes on important findings. The next step is developing an outline that will demonstrate where each point one wants to include in the essay paper is positioned. Additionally drafting the expository paper can then begin with writing the introduction paragraph, followed by the ideas written in the outline. In some cases, one may find it necessary to change the arrangement of the ideas, as indicated in the outline, should one come across exiting new ideas to include in the essay paper. Enjoy high-quality custom essay writing service provided by professional writing company CustomWritings.com.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Definition and Examples of the Habitual Past in Grammar

Definition and Examples of the Habitual Past in Grammar Definition In English grammar, the habitual past is a verb aspect that is used to refer to repeated events in the past. Also called past-habitual aspect or past-repetitive aspect. The habitual past is indicated most frequently by the semi-auxiliary verb used to, the auxiliary would, or the simple past tense of a verb. Examples and Observations She would practice every day until she could hit that mark running, turning, jumping, sideways, or in any form she chose.(Linda Wallace Edwards, The Legend of White Sky. Tate Publishing, 2011)And when most everyone was fast asleep, hed practice every single exercise hed seen demonstrated earlier in the courtyard, feverishly absorbed in the perfection of his art.(Robert Joseph Banfelder, No Stranger Than I. Hudson View Press, 1990)I practiced every day, and if I couldnt find a buddy to play with Id throw the ball against the barn wall and catch it.(Devon Mihesuah, The Lightning Shrikes. Lyons Press, 2004)When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesnt work that way, so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.(American comedian Emo Philips)i usta wonder who id be when I was a little girl in Indianapolissitting on doctors porches with post-dawn pre-debs(wondering would my aunt drag me to church Sunday) . . . (Nikki Giovanni, Adulthood. The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni. William Morrow, 1996) Using Used To (Usta) and Would in the Habitual Past The auxiliary used tocolloquially contracted to ustais employed to signal the past-habitual or past-repetitive aspect, as in: (32a) She used to talk more often​ (32b) He used to visit regularly Unlike progressive aspectual auxiliaries, used to cannot be preceded by other auxiliaries or followed by an -ing marked main verb. Thus compare: (33a) She may keep go ing on and on. (33b) *She may use(d) to go on and on. (33c) *She used (to) going on and on. (33d) She has kept working. (33e) *She has use(d) to work. . . . [M]any of the progressive aspectuals can also code a habitual sense. Thus, when in the past tense, they also code the habitual past. The modal auxiliary would can also be used to render the habitual past. This usage is probably more colloquial: (34a) One would come in and look around and . . . (34b) She would eat two loaves a day . . . (34c) Theyd work real hard for an hour, then quit and . . . There is a subtle semantic difference between used to and would, in that the former implies termination of the past habit, while the latter does not. (Talmy Givà ³n, English Grammar: A Function-Based Introduction. John Benjamins, 1993) Factors Influencing the Choice of Habitual-Past Forms The three main forms used to express habitual past situations in Englishused to, would and the simple pastare often, but not always, interchangeable. Various factors affecting the choice of form have been suggested in the literature, but few empirical investigations have been devoted to all three forms. One exception is a recent study by [Sali] Tagliamonte and [Helen] Lawrence [I Used to Dance . . . in Journal of English Linguistics 28: 324-353] (2000) who examined various factors influencing the choice of habitual form in a corpus of recorded British English conversations. Starting from the observation that the choice of expression is mainly determined by the interaction of two factors, the aktionsart of the verb (stative vs. dynamic) and some contextual indication of time (frequency or past time), they distinguish four basic habitual situations in which one, two, or all three variants seem to be permitted. . . . Using Comries definition to identify habitual situations in their corpus, Tagliamonte and Lawrence found that 70% of the situations were realised by the simple past, 19% by used to, 6% by would and the remaining 5% by various other constructions, such as the progressive form and combinations with verbs like tend to, keep (on), etc. . . . [I]n the situations examined, used to tended to be favored with 1st person subjects, when it occurred initially in a sequence of habitual events in discourse and when it did not occur in a sequence, but was disfavoured in negative clauses, with stative verbs, and with inanimate subjects. Would tended to be favored with 3rd person subjects, in situations of short duration, non-initially in sequences and (weakly) in negative clauses. The simple past tended to be favored in negative clauses, with stative verbs and inanimate subjects, sequence-internally, and (weakly) in situations of short duration and with frequency adverbials. (Bengt Altenberg, Expressing Past Habit in English and Swedish: A Corpus-Based Contrastive Study. Functional Perspectives on Grammar and Discourse: In Honour of Angela Downing, ed. by Christopher S. Butler, Raquel Hidalgo Downing, and Julia Lavid. John Benjamins, 2007)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Personal Growth Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Growth Response Paper - Essay Example In lieu of these situations they motivate and develop strategic responses. While being effective leaders the CEOs must actively engage themselves in the realization of action-oriented plans. This meant that leaders are vision oriented whereas the manager is objective oriented. He further emphasized that a leader works under unstructured environment and the manager is facilitated by a semi-structured environment under well-defined policies and guidelines. This lead to an important decision in my life which was a choice between a leader and manager and I came to realize that why should one settle for a manager whose goal is, basically, to maintain the status quo Thus I came to recognize that the true task of a leader is to reinvent strategies so that the organization and every person who works with him continuously become better. A leader should be flexible enough to be associated with the change in structure. To further explain this I would like to quote the example of Z.A. Bhutto explaining that Bhutto's downfall had come as a result of his inability to adapt to the changing political situation in the country. While the military and the U.S. backed out in supporting him, he persisted with his old policy eventually he failed. Therefore a leader needs to change oneself according to the environment and the structure. Sincerity: A leader has to be sincere to all stakeholders on all fronts ranging from

Conscious (Mindful) Communication Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conscious (Mindful) Communication Day - Essay Example At times when I hang out with my friends, we find ourselves talking politics in our country. Definitely not all of my friends hold similar political ideologies as mine. So, we tend to differ in most cases and end up in unending argument, sometimes resulting even to insults. This happened one day when we were walking to the movie show. It later came to my conscience that I was doing the wrong thing; I changed the topic and ensured that I and my friends maintained the friendship. It felt good achieving my goal of maintaining unity though my friends never realized the reason behind the topic change. Some situations seem challenging and tricky to face especially when truth is unveiled. During my last holiday, I attended a wedding ceremony in which my uncle was the bridegroom. I had been advised by mom never to leave my younger sister Laura alone as mom too had to attend the occasion (Shafir, 2003). I became disobedient and left the 2 year old kid in our house. On coming back, I found almost all valuables were missing including mom’s laptop, television set and other households. I knew I would face the worst moment in my life. I had an idea to lie about gunpoint robbery of the house but conscience kept refraining me from telling lies. I told my mom what actually happened. Laura was well, she warned me never to disobey her to that extent. She felt disappointed, and praised my innocence in telling the truth. Another aspect of mindful communication derived from this context is never to speak with an aim of pleasing other people but say what you feel is truth and just, what you feel you can say

Friday, October 18, 2019

Art in south afric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art in south afric - Essay Example The information acquired through this research will be shared with the black community in the South African ghettos for the purpose of reminding them of their fight for freedom and peace. It will be shared through community projects that will aim at fostering peaceful relations among the black communities living in Soweto and other ghettos in the country. The information will be vital in promoting their peaceful coexistence and their eventual prosperity. The aspects of the topic that will be interesting for the research are resistant literature, the period’s poems, and dances performed by the Zulu and the Nguni communities. This will be carried out in an effort to determine their influence in the fight for freedom and equality among the different races in the country (Harlow 98). The literature, poems, and dances were previously written and performed in the native languages though this changed in the early twentieth century when some of them were translated into English. Their translations led to the exile of many writers and performers in the country who had been accused by the white’s regime of influencing the black communities into war. During the Mfecane period, many tribes and the Nguni among them were pushed from the country by the Zulu who had become increasingly aggressive. These events are expounded on well by their literature, poems, and their dances which have been documented for future generations (Singh 228). Researching these three issues will help in providing insight into how their literature has affected the current literature and how it helped them in their struggle for liberty. The poems provided by poets like Miriam Tlali and Mothobi Mutloatse who were from the two tribes greatly helped in influencing events like the 1960 Sharpeville which raised the awareness of black suffering (Chandler 47). Their works

The Transfer of Japanese-Style Management to American Subsidiaries Research Paper

The Transfer of Japanese-Style Management to American Subsidiaries - Research Paper Example Firstly, the organization should desist from over-depending on personal relationships. Within Japanese sales situations, personal relations with customers are the single most crucial aspect of sales. This is hardly ever the case in the US. Although personal relations are essential in the US, they are not as vital as in Japan (Beechler and Yang 482). Americans are more independent than the Japanese and do not conform to a culturally established need to seek out personal relationships. Often, Americans find it vital to deter the appearance of favoritism opting to conduct business strictly on an emotionally distant basis. It is, therefore, critical that the Japanese realize that they should conduct business primarily on the basis of price, product fit or quality regardless of personal relationships. A notable benefit to the Japanese company is that, as a consequence of the natural interpersonal distance in the US business relations; the conventional Japanese requirement of sending expen sive seasonal gifts to potential, current, and past customers is not necessary. In truth, many Americans consider Japanese gift-giving practices as expensive, excessive and reason for ethical concern. In addition, the Japanese company will also need to change its culture of disparaging the company. In order to show humility and proper hierarchical status, Japanese businesspeople often criticize, disparage and demean themselves, their own products and company. Although this form of outward humility is a norm in Japan, it can result in diminished sales in the US. A Japanese customer automatically understands that a Japanese businessperson demeaning his company or product does so out of cultural behavior even in the event that the product is the best in the industry (Beechler and Yang 486). This is not so in the US, hence in order to attain success in the US production industry, Digital Frontier should express confidence by touting the strength of its  products and services.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Implementing Electronic Health Record innovations for Pressure Ulcer Essay

Implementing Electronic Health Record innovations for Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management - Essay Example Regardless of the size of the project, the proper integration of a skilled workforce, proven strategies and technology at MICU, would see the successful implementation of the program in various units for easy use by clinicians. If properly utilized, EHR can be the silver bullet to the problem of inconsistencies that are the order of the day in documenting pressure ulcer management processes through paper-work. Prevention of Pressure Ulcer According to Hagens and Krose (2009), to maximize the benefits the EHR for Pressure Ulcer prevention and management, it would be vital to keep problem lists, medical prescription lists and sensitivity lists in all units handling the patients s(National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2007). In the MICU case, medical assistants or skin care specialists should enter medications and sensitivities from the paper work, and physicians would enter the problem lists. It would be appropriate to enter data shortly before an appointment is due, and take the cha rt to scanning. In doing so, the pressure ulcer management units will have an entirely electronic chart ready for patient handling when the patient arrives at the units (Kerr, 2009). Alternatively, it would be appropriate to enlist registered nurses for the task of problem list entry before the program is ready for use by various clinicians. Assessment for Pressure Ulcer For acute care, the first assessment should be carried out on admission and after every 1-2 days or whenever the condition of the patient changes (Clarke, Bradley, Whytock, Handfield, Van der Wal, & Gundry, 2005). At MICU, the system would be programmed to notify the health care providers to do assessments every 24 hours. For home health, the first assessment would be carried out on admission, and re-examination done as soon as the patient resumes care, during recertification, refer or release, or whenever the patient’s health condition changes (Adler, 2010). At MICU, it would be appropriate to reassess the p atient’s condition at each nursing visit. And for long-term care in MICU, the initial screening for patients would be appropriately done on admission and every week during subsequent missions. Determining Risk Levels Several electronic tools for risk assessment are accessible to assist in predicting the level of risk of the disease (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2007). They include machines with values that when summed up together, can enable the health care providers to determine the risk score in totality. The Braden and Norton Scales are proven tools that can be used to provide an electronic data for predicting the risk of pressure ulcer risk in MICU. According to Ayello, Capitulo, Fife, Fowler, Krasner, Mulder, Sibbald, and Yankowsky (2009), these tools help clinicians to determine the risk values, which eventually can lead to the formulation of the most appropriate and opportune medical interventions. Norton Scale The Norton Scale comprises five groups: physica l and mental conditions; mobility, activity, and incontinence. These factors are valued from 1– 4 (Tavenner, & Sebelius, 2012). The total values usually range from 5 to 20. An entry of the following data to the EHR system can help clinicians to cope with the condition in a more effective and faster way: Mild Risk values at 14: Moderate Risk at 13: and High Risk at 12. The scale should be credible and kept in such condition to avoid errors in the final readings of data (Liang, 2007). Any alterations can change or render it an

Health problem of chicano Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health problem of chicano - Research Paper Example If those barriers that hinder people from accessing proper medical care are not eliminated, it can have numerous negative impacts on the community. It will lead to costly hospitalizations as well as more severe health issues. The future’s health care system will be faced with much larger numbers of Hispanic patients who are suffering from chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes and from the consequences of these conditions as well (Josà © & Rubà ©n, 1). Chicano’s Health Problem is an issue that needs to matter to all citizens of the United States. Increase in health problems in the United States will lead to a decrease in the countrys ability to maintain as well as stimulate economic growth. This is due to the fact that the country will need to spend more of its finances in treating the sick people. There will also be a decline in the number of people who are able to work. The citizens of the United States should really care about this issue because if they don’t pay attention to it the problem will just keep increasing and so will the negative effects on the society. The Affordable Care Act has offered numerous health benefits to Chicano community. First, there is affordability because of expanded Medicaid coverage. According to Instituto Familiar De La Raza (2), because of the Care Act it is projected that over five million Latinos will be able to access health insurance. Given that the Chicanos encounter among the highest health discrepancy all over the country, the eradication of pre-existing conditions tackles a enormous barrier to access to healthcare. In the Affordable Care Act, there is also the extension of benefits for youngsters to stay under the coverage of their parents. For a community that puts a great importance on family unit, this benefit is very significant. It becomes even more important provided that unemployment levels continue to be high and youngsters encounter difficulties

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Implementing Electronic Health Record innovations for Pressure Ulcer Essay

Implementing Electronic Health Record innovations for Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management - Essay Example Regardless of the size of the project, the proper integration of a skilled workforce, proven strategies and technology at MICU, would see the successful implementation of the program in various units for easy use by clinicians. If properly utilized, EHR can be the silver bullet to the problem of inconsistencies that are the order of the day in documenting pressure ulcer management processes through paper-work. Prevention of Pressure Ulcer According to Hagens and Krose (2009), to maximize the benefits the EHR for Pressure Ulcer prevention and management, it would be vital to keep problem lists, medical prescription lists and sensitivity lists in all units handling the patients s(National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2007). In the MICU case, medical assistants or skin care specialists should enter medications and sensitivities from the paper work, and physicians would enter the problem lists. It would be appropriate to enter data shortly before an appointment is due, and take the cha rt to scanning. In doing so, the pressure ulcer management units will have an entirely electronic chart ready for patient handling when the patient arrives at the units (Kerr, 2009). Alternatively, it would be appropriate to enlist registered nurses for the task of problem list entry before the program is ready for use by various clinicians. Assessment for Pressure Ulcer For acute care, the first assessment should be carried out on admission and after every 1-2 days or whenever the condition of the patient changes (Clarke, Bradley, Whytock, Handfield, Van der Wal, & Gundry, 2005). At MICU, the system would be programmed to notify the health care providers to do assessments every 24 hours. For home health, the first assessment would be carried out on admission, and re-examination done as soon as the patient resumes care, during recertification, refer or release, or whenever the patient’s health condition changes (Adler, 2010). At MICU, it would be appropriate to reassess the p atient’s condition at each nursing visit. And for long-term care in MICU, the initial screening for patients would be appropriately done on admission and every week during subsequent missions. Determining Risk Levels Several electronic tools for risk assessment are accessible to assist in predicting the level of risk of the disease (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2007). They include machines with values that when summed up together, can enable the health care providers to determine the risk score in totality. The Braden and Norton Scales are proven tools that can be used to provide an electronic data for predicting the risk of pressure ulcer risk in MICU. According to Ayello, Capitulo, Fife, Fowler, Krasner, Mulder, Sibbald, and Yankowsky (2009), these tools help clinicians to determine the risk values, which eventually can lead to the formulation of the most appropriate and opportune medical interventions. Norton Scale The Norton Scale comprises five groups: physica l and mental conditions; mobility, activity, and incontinence. These factors are valued from 1– 4 (Tavenner, & Sebelius, 2012). The total values usually range from 5 to 20. An entry of the following data to the EHR system can help clinicians to cope with the condition in a more effective and faster way: Mild Risk values at 14: Moderate Risk at 13: and High Risk at 12. The scale should be credible and kept in such condition to avoid errors in the final readings of data (Liang, 2007). Any alterations can change or render it an

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

(Marketing Report)write a marketing report in the role of the Essay

(Marketing Report)write a marketing report in the role of the consultant to the Board of The Birmingham Library - Essay Example It is a 360 degree approach in marketing which enables the marketer raise brand awareness and subsequently brand experience though various touch points. However, electronic marketing can only be successful if it is accompanies with strategies influencing the customer perception from different touch points also, such as print media, advertising, television, outdoor media, etc. In the present report, a situational analysis has been done. E- Marketing has been taken as a strategy for branding and promotions of the newly established library in Birmingham. The target customers fall in the age group of 18-25 years. Since this generation is mostly customer savvy and addicted to internet and other social media activities, using electronic marketing to target these customers will be of sustainable advantage. SOSTAC format have been applied for the development of situation, objectives and strategies. From the specified strategies, tactics, applications and action plans have been recommended. A proper control analysis has been done to identify the future issues and recommended future strategies to control them. Introduction The Library of Birmingham is the new library that has recently completed its construction. Upon completion, this will replace the Birmingham Central Library, based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Library of Birmingham is the new extension of the Central Library having modern technology and state of art infrastructure. The new library is a 188 million pounds project. The central library was completed in the year 1983 and was opened for public in the year 1984. Central library is considered as one of the most popular and visited libraries of the country. With the opening of the new library, many new services will be launched. Since it is completely new establishment, most of the products and features of the library will be ungraded and advanced. E-Marketing A description of electronic marketing will be use for digital technologies and electronic devic es in order to sell and promote products and services. According to authors like Xing et al (2004) and McQuitty and Peterrson (2000), the percentage of people accessing the internet and involving in online data gathering about products and services has grown over the years. Business has grown all over the world with the advent of electronic marketing (Joines, Scherer and Scheufele, 2003) and it will create huge marketing opportunity for the organisations (Pollack, 1999; Hoffman, 2000). Electronic marketing can also be defined as an online channel through with customers and marketers enter into a transaction phase for sale and purchase, which benefits both parties. According to Meuter et al, (2000) internet marketing can be explained as a virtual platform where services and products existing as digital information can be exchanged with the help of channels which are informative. In this type of media, people and groups create, share and exchange ideas and information through online c ommunities and networks (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). Electronic media is different from traditional media in many ways such as reach, quality, frequency,

Monday, October 14, 2019

Bdo Benchmarking Assignment Essay Example for Free

Bdo Benchmarking Assignment Essay When considered in general terms Turnbull described it as: â€Å"All influences affecting the institution processes, including those for appointing the controllers and/or regulators involved in organising the production and sale of good and services†¦.. it includes all types of firms whether or not they are incorporated under civil law. † (Turnbull, 2002:181) Factoring in all other definitions, in its simplest terms it can be defined as the â€Å"exercise of power over corporate entities† (Clarke, 2004). It is not the same as the management and the running of the company, it is concerned with how the Board of Directors, who are the governing body of a company, supervise management, because it is they who are responsible for holding the management of a company accountable and ensuring the company is being ran in a way which is favourable towards the shareholders and other stakeholders. It is the Directors’ responsibility to develop strategy and policies for the ompany and to determine the direction the management should take the business in and the Directors have overall responsibility for the performance of the company (Tricker, 2012). While the phrase ‘corporate governance’ wasn’t coined until the 1960’s and not commonly used until the 1980’s, it has really been in a gradual process of evolution since the 16th century and joint venture trading. One of the major developments in world economies which brought the need for corporate governance to the fore was the introduction of limited liability companies in the 19th century. What this meant was when companies were incorporated they became a separate legal entity, separate from their shareholders and with similar legal rights to buy, sell and transfer shares and assets, to employ people and to sue and be sued in the name of the company. This meant the liability for any company debts lay with the shareholders and not the management or the company. Add to this the fact that because of the introduction of the stock market, shares could be easily bought and sold, meaning the shareholders could be vast in numbers and have a large geographical spread. Due to the fact that all corporate entitites need to governed, the implications of this were that the management (executive control) and the shareholders (owners) were often separated (Tricker, 2012). Situations such as these, are where corporate governance is deemed to be most necessary because there is a root assumption, that members of management who do not own the company are likely to be more reckless with someone else’s money, i. e. the company’s, than they would be with their own money (Having Their Cake, 2013). This is known as the agency dilemma, which will be expanded upon later. Electing a Board of Directors who have the interest of the shareholders at the forefront of their mind, allows members to indirectly oversee the actions undertaken by the management, in order to ensure that as agents of the shareholders, the management is performing in line with the best interests of the corporation (Lashgari, 2004). 1. 2. Selection of a Case Company However, as Turnbull pointed out in ‘Corporate Governance: Its scope, concerns and theories’ (2002), having a restriction of only publicly traded corporations in studies of corporate governance, limits the validity of any onclusions drawn about the most efficient arrangements for corporate institutions with regards to good governance practices and the effect they have on a company’s performance. As Jensen said in 1993: â€Å"Privately held entities could provide the most form of enterprise. † (Jensen, 1993, cited in Turnbull, 2002). It was with this in mind that I chose BDO LLP UK (BDO), which is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners. It is a company which offers financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). . 3. About the UK Financial Accounting and Audit Sector With the ever increasing focus on corporate governance for companies across the World, not just in the UK, audit firms such as BDO, KPMG and Deloitte are becoming more important because it is there job to ensure that companies are adhering to regulations laid out in the UK Corporate Governance Code (2010, revised in 2012). It should naturally follow that audit companies will have extremely good corporate governance practices put in place, however, this is not necessarily the case. Since 2000 there have been a number of high profile scandals within the International Corporate Financial Accounting industry, for example, Enron were found to be inflating revenues and hiding debts and there was also the Bernard Madoff â€Å"Ponzi Scheme†, where the real scandal was that the robbing of millions of pounds worth of people’s money, escaped the attention of auditors and regulators. ). Due to such scandals, many national regulators implemented new corporate governance requirements to improve standards (Mitchell Van der Zahn, 2009). In the UK new regulations with regards specifically to audit companies were also introduced, targeted directly at a certain group of companies. As of January 2010, 95% of the auditing work in the UK was being carried out by 8 firms, BDO being one of them. It was deemed that such companies had built upon their reputation to gain dominance in the UK market and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) felt it was in the Public’s interest for these companies to be transparent and in order to maintain public trust be exemplars of best corporate governance practice. This led to the introduction of the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which drew from aspects of the 2010 UK Code and established principles such as the appointment of independent non-executives within the governance structure of their company. While such rules did not apply outside of the targeted companies, it was the hope of the ICAEW that it would provide a benchmark of good governance for other companies to follow (ICAEW website, 2013). With such a bold statement being made about the importance of corporate governance in this field of work, it seemed to me to be an obvious choice to choose one of the 8 companies on the ICAEW’s list for my case-study. 1. 4. About BDO LLP UK As detailed earlier BDO LLP UK is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners and it provides financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services. It is the 6th largest accountancy firm in the UK and is a member of the BDO International Network, which itself is the 5th largest accounting organisation in the World. In an attempt to break into the top 4 big firms in the UK, BDO LLP UK completed a merger with PKF, a rival firm, in April 2013 (Keynote, 2013). After researching BDO LLP UK, it became very clear that corporate governance was of the upmost importance to the company. Not only did it have specific areas on its website dedicated to corporate governance and corporate social responsibility but it also had a number of relevant publications regarding corporate governance. One article for example, ‘Making Internal Audit Relevant’, discussed the high quality of corporate governance in the UK found by studies carried out by the FRC, it went on to say that this was underpinned by the UK Corporate Governance Code and that it was vital in maintaining the attractiveness of the UK market, to encourage new investment (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). My research also found that BDO had carried out a joint study with the Quoted Companies Alliance, which considered the introduction of a mandatory corporate governance code for small and mid-capital audit companies in the UK. Just as a point of fact, this was a proposition that 92% of such companies agreed with. One of the major indications that BDO think corporate governance is vital to the success of a company is that they produce an annual transparency report, which has an appendix of a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010). They have also went to great lengths to create a summary report in 2012 for businesses which they audit, detailing any changes to corporate governance regulations and focusing on leadership and effectiveness, reporting, risk, audit, remuneration and investor relations (Corporate Governance for TMT Businesses, 2012). It seems to be an interesting idea to look at a company who places so much emphasis on good corporate governance, not only for itself but also the companies it works for, to see if they do comply completely with the codes and if they are in fact â€Å"exemplars† of good practice. . Theories of Corporate Governance There are various theories and philosophies with regards to corporate governance, all of which, as a collective, have laid a foundation for the development of different corporate governance systems around the world (Lashgari, 2004). This paper will look at a number of these theories and how they relate to BDO, in order to gain a better understanding of th e governance standards at BDO. 2. 1. Agency Theory In the 1930’s, Berle and Means published ‘The Modern Corporation and Private Property’, it provided the first debate about the agency dilemma and set a basis for agency theory. They suggested that where ownership is separated from management or is widely dispersed, it becomes difficult for owners to have an effective check on the autonomy of corporate managers. The agency dilemma was further refined in the 1970’s, when theories were brought to the fore suggesting agents (managers) are likely to be self-interested and will serve their own interest before those of the principle (owners). Such theories also suggested that in order to counter this problem companies have to incur agency costs, for example, to create incentives to align the interest of the agent with the company and the cost of monitoring the conduct of agents. Many other theorists have a problem with agency theory because it does not even attempt to explore the possibility managers are not self-interested and opportunistic. However, they cannot deny that it has een very influential in developing market-based governance mechanisms and board-based governance mechanisms. Due to BDO being an incorporated partnership and their shares not being publicly traded, we will only look at the board-based mechanisms (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has caused internal reform of boards, there has been an increase in executive share options schemes, meaning that managers are being offered equity in the company they will manage, in order to â€Å"align their interest† (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has also led to the introduction of independent non-executive directors onto Boards of Directors, in order to ensure the actions of the management are being sufficiently monitored by the board themselves and role of boards have been greatly elaborated, they are becoming more involved with the setting of objectives of companies and monitoring of any actions taken by management and stricter provisions have been put in place to ensure the separation of the roles of chairmen and chief executive (Cadbury Committee, 1999). When applying agency theory to BDO, it is easy to see that there is a situation of agency and principle, with the fact that there are 193 partners in the firm and only 5 partners who are part of the Leadership Team (LT- management) which is responsible for the overall management of the company and is chaired by the Managing Partner. It is also noticeable from their 2012 ‘Transparency Report’ that all members of the LT have been partners in the company for a number of years, with currently the shortest term being 12 years. This could be considered good governance by BDO because in an effort to avoid the agency dilemma, they ensure their management team is made up of partners, whose interest is already aligned with the interests of the business. The transparency report also states that BDO have a Partner Council (equivalent to a Board of Directors) which is independent from the LT and responsible for the overall governance, in particular the oversight and accountability of the LT. They are also responsible for choosing members of the LT and for electing independent non-executive directors, for which there are 2 at BDO. These independent non-executive directors sit on the LT and report to the partner council of any issues of compliance with governance, policies and procedures, for which they are responsible for providing information on to the LT. The Partner Council is chaired by the Senior Partner who performs a client facing role and is responsible for managing all decisions. He also attends LT meetings in a non-executive capacity to facilitate his oversight role of the governance of the company (Transparency Report, 2012). As we can see the management team is subject to a lot of oversight and monitoring by the Partner Council and the roles of the Senior Partner and Managing Partner are completely separate, this is all a way of ensuring the company has a high standard of governance and to also ensure the management is acting in the best interest of the all the owners. BDO goes to a big effort in organising their governance structure in order to avoid the problems arising from the agency dilemma. 2. 2. Resource Dependence Theory This theory originated from studies performed by Pfeffer and Salancik (1978), they suggest that board members and non-executive directors can provide a firm with a vital set of resources. Non-executive directors are appointed with the expectation that they will support the organisation with its problems and to be a source of expertise which executives can draw upon for skills and advice and they can also be a source of contacts and information which they have gained through their past experience (Having Their Cake, 2013). At different stages in the life-cycle of companies, they have very different needs from their non-executive directors. To young entrepreneurial companies, non-executive directors can be a cheap source of legal, financial or operation management skills, while publicly listed companies are in need of network connections such directors can provide, for example, sources of finance. They can also provide the benefit of attaching a good reputation to their company. Mature businesses, with which we are most concerned because BDO falls into that category, can use non-executive directors for their relevant market or managerial experience and from the consumer confidence which can be gained from that person’s good reputation being affiliated to their company (Having Their Cake, 2013). Applying this theory to the independent non-executive directors of BDO, we can clearly see from the Transparency Report (2012) that both have experience of past non-executive director roles and both bring their own experience in a relevant field, Lesley MacDonagh with a high level of experience of law and business management which she gained from being a Managing Partner at Law firm Lovells and Lord David Currie having experience of business management from eing a Dean of Cass Business School and a past Chairman of OFCOM and he also has sound knowledge of the legal system from being a member of the House of Lords. This places them perfectly for their positions of overseeing the governance of and business management of BDO. 2. 3. Stewardship Theory This theory, which originated from the works of Donaldson (1990), suggests that directors can have motives which are ‘pro-organizational’ and counters the assumption by agency theorists that management aims are based in self-in terest and are not aligned with those of the shareholders. Donaldson even goes as far as to suggest that negative investor assumptions of the management will have the opposite effect to what was intended and can actually weaken the leadership of a company by weakening the management’s authority when splitting the decision making power between the board and the management. Donaldson also put forward the theory that inside managers and directors have possibly spent their lives working for the company they govern and because of this not only have a strong understanding of how the company is ran, therefore are able to make superior decisions, but also they will have naturally built a strong affiliation and personal investment in the success of the company. He also points out that decisions made by a board of outsiders could be of a lower quality because they would not be in a position to fully understand the company because they would not have access to the same informal knowledge sources and would lack any information which could inform them of the contextual nature of any business situations. All this in turn could lead to low firm performance (Nicholson and Kiel, 2007). As was stated earlier, BDO has a LT which is made up of partners who have been working for the company in a particular field and have been a partner for a number of years. The field they are responsible for as part of the LT is relevant to the field they have been previously working in, for example the Head of Audit and Tax, Paul Eagland has been a Tax Partner for 17 years. This ensures that any decisions that are being made are informed with the necessary knowledge to make the correct decision for the company. Also, as has been stated previously working for the company has long has built a strong affiliation to the company and its success. With regards to the non-executive director element of the board, it is made up of both independent members who come from outside the company (such as mentioned previously) and Directors such as the Senior Partner who has been with the company for a number of years, this allows for any gaps in the knowledge of the directors to be covered because there is an overlap between the meetings of the LT and the Partner Council when the Senior Partner sits in on LT meetings as an affiliated non-executive director. This ensures that the company is practicing good governance and that the board cannot be misled by the management as to how the company is being ran and if the interests of the other Partners are being looked after (Transparency Report, 2012). 2. 4. Stakeholder Theory Freeman (1980’s) put forward a whole new idea in terms of corporate governance theories, he argued that it should not simply be just the shareholders’ or partners’ interests which should be considered when making business decisions, he suggested that companies should be ran with the interests of all stakeholders in mind. Other stakeholders include employees, who have invested their time and skills in the company and have an invested interest in the company’s success, in order for them to ensure job security. This, Freeman classes as a direct interest in the success of the company, other direct stakeholders include customers and suppliers. What Freeman classed as having an indirect interest in the performance of the company includes the community as a whole and the environment (Having Their Cake, 2013). There is a major problem with this theory, which is that it is hard to operationalize because it is difficult to decide the weight that should be given to different stakeholders but accepting this difficulty, some theorists have suggested that while ultimately they are accountable to the shareholders, they must take into account the interests of other stakeholders when making decisions. This demand for ‘stakeholder value’ is legitimised through a number of examples, take globalisation; the spread of business and corporations across the world has led to environmental damage, an increase in corporate corruption and excessive executive pay has been, for example with RBS, to come hand-in-hand with company downsizing which has a direct impact on employees. In the name of good corporate governance, the increase in the value of stakeholder interests has led to an increase in business ethic codes and heightened corporate practice visibility and corporate reports of social responsibility and environmental matters (Having Their Cake, 2013). According to BDO’s website and their Transparency Report (2012), the company takes the interests of various stakeholders into account when making decisions about how the business is run, in a number of different ways, through policies and procedures: * Ethical Requirements The company has a Professional Services Manual and an Audit Manual, which contain rules relating to ethical conduct of employees, management and Partners. It is easily accessible on the company intranet and is supplemented with training and is designed to comply with International and UK Ethics Standards. The Partners and staff sign annual declarations as to their compliance to the code and the company has an Ethics Partner who is tasked with providing guidance as to correct ethics and also with maintaining compliance. * Client Relationships BDO has 5 core values which all partners and staff are committed to, they are; honesty and integrity, taking personal responsibility, mutual support and strong and personal client relationships. To aid in these values and to help deliver a quality service to clients, the company has robust client and engagement procedures. They carry out risk assessments on every potential client, before signing a contract and this helps to ensure that not only is the company secure but also that they provide the client with the sufficient standard and amount of staff they are in need of. The HR department also has clear policies and procedures when it comes to recruitment in training, to ensure the company has a sufficient number of staff who are competent and meet the required ethical standards, all in the name of providing a quality service to clients. * Employee Relationships BDO have an inclusive culture when it comes to recruitment and training and development, it provides every staff member with the same opportunities to progress regardless of differences. They have strong policies and procedures regarding regular reviews, which are performed bi-annually. They also seek to adopt the most relevant recruitment selection tools, in order to ensure the fit and quality of those joining the company. They also provide employees with ‘learning maps’ and ‘career and performance wheels’, which helps with career development and ensures promotions only occur when the staff member is ready. This all aids in the success of the company. * Corporate Social Responsibility BDO actively support and develop the local community, they have an established network of over 20 champions in the UK, tasked with â€Å"stimulating local ideas and initiatives† to help developing the community. They have a Community Volunteering Policy, allowing employees to take 6 days a year to volunteer, and they are not restricted to volunteer at certain organisations. It can be whatever is important to them. BDO ensure the negative impact their business has on the environment is minimised and have an Environmental Policy which can be accessed at the follow address: http://www. bdo. uk. com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/environment. Considering this, it could be said that with regards to ‘stakeholder value’ BDO practices good corporate governance. . BDO Governance in Practice 3. 1. Transparency Report Due to the EU’s 8th Directive on transparency reporting being adopted, in April 2008 the Professional Oversight Board published the Statutory Auditors (Transparency) Instrument (2008), requiring auditors of companies with a public interest to publish annual transparency reports. It also detailed requirements that such reports must meet, including systems of q uality control, independence practices and procedures and information about the company, i. e. he structure and the management. The BDO Transparency Report (2012) is available at: http://static. bdo. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/09/Transparency_Report_for_the_52_weeks_ended_29_June_2012. pdf . Transparency reports are used to demonstrate the quality of audit processes and practices of a company and are also used to encourage a high level of confidence and trust from stakeholders and the business community. BDO also provided a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010), which can be seen in Appendix A. The transparency includes details of the Governance Structure of the UK Firm, including the management and implementation of independent non-executive directors, the values of the company, the Internal Quality Control System, the Risk Management Control System and details the policies and procedures regarding independence, whistleblowing, professional development and partner remuneration. 3. 2. Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code One of the most important aspects of the Transparency Report is the Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code. Some of the key aspects of which include compliance with: * the owner accountability principle- the Partnership Council reviews decisions made by the Leadership Team, the management * the management principle- strategic and operational leadership is provided by the LT * the professionalism principle- the whole firm is committed to quality work and professional judgement and values. The firm’s management and the Head of Risk and Quality reinforce the appropriate ‘tone at the top’, instilling professional and ethical values in the firm. BDO employees are expected to comply with an internal code of conduct * the Involvement of independent non-executives principle- BDO appointed Independent Non-Executives in July 2008, comply with the same independence requirements as our partners and employees and they have sufficient experience and expertise to command the respect of the partners * the Compliance Principle- BDO have policies and procedures to ensure they comply with professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements * the whistleblowing policy- all actions arising out of incidents of whistleblowing, are reported to the Head of Risk and Quality who will make an annual report the Internal Reporting Principle- LT, Partnership Council, Audit Committee and Risk Committee are supplied with information in a timely manner and in a form and of a quality which enables them to discharge their duties * the Financial Statements Principle- BDO publish annual audited financial statements in accordance with UK GAAP While BDO provide a very clear statement about how compliant they are with regards to the Audit Firm Governance Code, we must look at the FRC’s ‘BDO LLP- Audit Quality Inspection, 2013’ which considered the corporate governance compliance of BDO in order to get a true understanding of their standard of corporate governance compliance. 3. 3. FRC Annual Review of BDO The FRC found that in most areas there were appropriate policies and procedures in place for its size and client base and they found that all the statements that were made in the Transparency Report were consistent with their understanding of BDO’s policies and procedures of the firm. However, when the FRC reviewed the audits BDO carried out themselves on other companies, they found that a number of governance codes were not being adhered to: * Firstly, they were not always providing a high standard of quality auditing, failing to challenge explanations and inputs from managers, they did not always report the disclosure deficiencies which were identified to the Audit Committee and there was a lack of adequate communication with the Audit Committee with regards to inaccurate information, which led to safeguards that had been put in place not being properly assessed. Secondly, the FRC found that the audits were not always being reviewed thoroughly enough and audit quality issues and omissions in reports were not being identified. * Thirdly, BDO were found to not have complied fully with ethical standards in a number of different ways; * The business plan inferred that fees should be set lower if non-audit fees are likely to be earned, this goes against their own required ethical standards and their own * Performance evaluation criteria including the cross-selling of non-audit services * The list of entities which partners held shares and could generate a conflict of interests was not up to date. A more robust set of procedures was suggested to ensure that this list was kept up to date in future Lastly, the Internal Quality Review was not of a high enough standard, it did not provide a sufficient level of detail and clarity of explanations of significant findings. 4. Conclusion We can see that BDO go to great lengths to try and ensure that they are fully compliant with corporate governance codes and regulations, not only with their policies and procedures a nd the way the company is managed but also with governance structure of the company and the values and focus of the aims and objectives of the company. They also have a strong focus on transparency and ethics within in their business and this is linked to their value of providing great customer client relationships with professionalism, honesty and integrity. They also go to great lengths to aid the companies with which they work, in complying with corporate governance codes, again this is all in the name of developing excellent quality and trustworthy client relationships, in order to maintain and improve the success of their business. However, as we can see from the FRC review, there are gaps in their governance compliance, in particular with internal reporting and ethical standards, but it will have to be seen in the coming years of reviews if the increase in transparency and an even greater focus on corporate governance will lead to BDO closing such gaps. 5. Bibliography * BDO LLP UK, ‘Transparency Report’, 2012, Available Online at: http://static. do. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/09/Transparency_Report_for_the_52_weeks_ended_29_June_2012. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * BDO LLP UK Website, 2013, ‘About Us’, Available Online at: http://www. bdo. uk. com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/environment [Acc essed 02 May 2013]. * BDO LLP UK, 2012, ‘Corporate Governance for TMT Businesses’, Available Online at: http://static. bdo. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/03/Corporate_Governance_for_TMT_Businesses. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Crump, R. , May 2012, ‘Mid-cap market calls for mandatory governance code’, Financial Director Website, Available Online at: http://www. financialdirector. co. k/financial-director/news/2180374/mid-cap-market-calls-mandatory-governance-code [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Financial Reporting Council, 2013, ‘BDO LLP: Audit Quality Inspection’, FRC Website, Available Online at: http://www. frc. org. uk/Our-Work/Publications/Audit-Quality-Review/Public-Report-BDO-LLP. aspx [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * ICAEW, 2013, ‘The Audit Firm Governance Code’, ICAEW Website, Available Online at: http://www. icaew. com/en/technical/corporate-governance/audit-firm-governance-code [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Keynote, 2013, ‘Account ancy Marketing Report’, Available Online at: https://www. keynote. co. uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10674/accountancy? edium=download [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Dr Lashgari, M. , 2004, ‘Corporate Governance: Theory and Practice’, The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, Available Online at: http://tharcisio. com. br/arquivos/textos/13200724. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Mitchell Van der Zahn, J-L. W. , 2008, ‘Special Issue on: Financial Reporting, Transparency and Corporate Governance: Issues in Volatile International Markets’, International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Vol. 7, Nos 1/2, pp: 61-93, Available Online at: http://www. inderscience. com/info/ingeneral/cfp. php? id=962 [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Roberts, J. ‘The Theories behind Corporate Governance’, Having Their Cake website, Available Online at: http://www. havingtheircake. com/content/1_Ideas%20that%20shape%20the%20world/fa ct%20and%20opinion/The%20theories%20behind%20corporate%20governance. lnk [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Turnbull, S. , 2002, ‘Corporate Governance: Its scope, concerns and theories’, Corporate Governance: An International Review, Volume 5, Issue 4, Available Online at: http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/1467-8683. 00061/pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Tricker, R. I. , 2012, ‘Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices’, Oxford University Press: London, (2012). *

Sunday, October 13, 2019

European union came into existence

European union came into existence European Union European Union came into existence with an endeavor to stop the war between the bordering countries and to maintain the peace and harmony throughout the Europe. European Union is constructed on the principles of stability and to promote the prosperity among European nations with presence of security. Recent recession has affected each and every part of the world, though it has a differential effect on each country. Some country has been most affected by it on the other hand some countries are least affected. Europe has been badly affected by the recession this has induced European union to draw a recovery strategy for the next ten years to see a prosperous and a competitive Europe in terms of knowledge and market growth. Effect of financial crisis on European nation Unemployment: financial crisis has lead to an increase in the unemployment and still number of jobs are been laid off from different sectors irrespective of the output, just to minimize and to compensate the previous losses (Andrew Watt, 2009). A report by the European Union tells that in Europe around twenty three million people are unemployed (European Union, 2010). The countries which are most severely affected by the recession and which led to unemployment are Latvia where unemployment rate arose linearly from 11% to 28.2% and the country which was least affected by the recession was Poland, its unemployment rate just arose marginally from 17.8% to 18.2% and its GDP remain constant in comparison to the eastern Europe and a central Europe (European union, 2009). From the unemployment point of view, it is been seen that the financial sector is most affected as compare to the other sectors throughout the Europe. In a report by â€Å"International Labour Organization† the bank s in Ireland are shedding maximum number of jobs. Similarly Dexia bank which is a joint venture between France and Belgium is also shedding large number of jobs. In the UK condition is worse as banks like Barclays and HSBC are laying off thousands of its employs (International Labour Organization, 2009). Export and import weaken: the recession also affected the export and import business of the EU27. The export business which contributes a lot to the economy faced a sharp decline and it could not help in balancing or reversing the effect of recession. It was recorded that during the period of 2008-2009 at the peak of recession, the export business of the United Kingdom fell to 6.9% which is the sharpest decline and which is never recorded in the UK history of export business and its import fell by 1.6% (Kathryn Hopkins, 2010). In euro zone there are countries like Germany, Netherlands and Sweden whose economies to a larger extent are reliant on the export business and at the time of recession they contributed very less to the GDP. They were only able to contribute half of the original contribution to its GDP and a country like France was able to contribute just  ¼ to the GDP. This affected the economy of the European nations badly, though not taking full advantage of the weaken eur o for doing the export business. All together EU27 GDP was reported to be -4% (Media Eghbal, 2009). Mergers and acquisitions: recession has not been beneficial in terms of mergers and acquisitions to Europe. Recession made MA at its lowest from the previous years but still there were some MA taking place within Europe, for example Lactalis a France based company buyed Ladorma a Romania based company and Rochea a Switzerland based company bought its share from Genentech Ltd (Claudiu Vranceanu, 2008). But it has been beneficial to developing countries like India and China, as number of mergers and acquisitions were taking place by them in Europe in 2008-2009. It was noticed that British company jaguar and land rover were acquired by the Indian automaker Tata, to make the British company free from the problem of cash flow (BBC, 2008). Similarly acquisition of Schoeweiss of Germany by the Indian auto maker Mahindra and Mahindra (Nimish Sharma, 2010). Decline in the Inflation rate with a threat of deflation: recession had a positive impact on a euro zone in a way that the inflation which was increasing from day to day basis prior recession, started to decline. In Europe it was recorded that the inflation reduced from 4% in the beginning of 2008 to 2.1% at the end of the year (Media Eghbal, 2009), as there was a shortage of cash flow in the market. In addition to this price of oil were also low, which resulted in the lower inflation rate throughout the Euro zone (Adrian Nash, 2008). It was predicted by the researchers that the consumers will be waiting for the cheaper commodity which will make them defer there purchase for the moment and that would affect the producers and the investors. This would deepen the nature of recession. Decline in the industrial production and reduction in revenue: it was experience for the first time that the Europe27 had a negative industrial growth, country like Germany known for its technicality and capability faced a technical recession for the first time in history, with a negative growth. Same was a fate of all European countries; they also faced a negative growth for example France with -.5%, Italy with -.7% and Spain with -.6% (Euro monitor, 2009). Weak currency and decline in interest rate in Europe: in the recession it was recorded that the euro was as its lowest as compared to the US dollar and UK pound and it was still not taking the advantage of doing the international business in terms of export. To minimize the effect of recession and to bring in the stability the Europe central bank steadily started to cut down its interest rate throughout Europe to promote the investors to take risk and bring in some cash flow in market. Effect on the tourism industry: the European tourism industry was severely affected by the financial crisis. By a report from the commission of European tourism, which states that the Europe experienced a sharpest decline in comparison to other part of the world in terms of the tourism revenue. Similarly a report from the World Tourism Organization also confirmed that the Europe tasted a negative growth of -1.1% in the international tourism in the year 2008 and 2009 (Ivan Camilleri, 2010). Evaluating the strategy for recovery proposed by president Jose Manuel Barrosso The new strategy has been proposed, which is named as â€Å"Europe 2020† has been brought into the act as the Lisbon treaty which was been implemented from the past one decade has come to meet its deadline on 2010. The new strategy for 2020 Europe in some ways is similar to the Lisbon Treaty. As in both the treaties issues of growth and competition with the major countries were discussed. Similarly both the treaties formed the new policy structure and the guidelines for the implementation. But the new strategy for Europe 2020 has introduced some new initiatives, which in the past treaties have been introduced but never have been implemented. The Europe 2020 strategy focuses more on the global warning and on the techniques, which need to be researched and developed for the better future. References Andrew Watt. (2009). ‘The economic crisis in Europe. Available: http://www.europeanforumcyprus.eu/Source/sem4/prs_AndrewWatt.pdf. Last accessed 2 April 2010. Kathryn Hopkins. (2010). ‘January trade deficit widens as exports fall. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/09/january-trade-deficit-widens. Last accessed 1April 2010. Media Eghbal. (2009). ‘The global financial crisis: recession bites into Western Europe. Available: http://www.euromonitor.com/The_global_financial_crisis_recession_bites_into_Western_Europe. Last accessed 1 April 2010. Claudiu Vranceanu. (2008). ‘Biggest mergers and acquisitions in 2008. Available: http://www.wall-street.ro/articol/English-Version/56433/Biggest-mergers-and-acquisitions-in-2008.html. Last accessed 4 April 2010. BBC. (2008). ‘Tata buys Jaguar. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7313380.stm. Last accessed 1 April 2010. Nimish Sharma. (2010). ‘Mergers and acquisitions in times of financial crisis. Available: http://www.dare.co.in/strategy/business-essentials/mergers-and-acquisitions-in-times-of-financial-crisis.htm. Last accessed 28 March 2010. Adrian Ash. (2008). ‘inflation during recession. Available: http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/inflation-during-recession/. Last accessed 5 April 2010. International Labour Organization. (2009). ‘Impact of financial crisis on financial sector. Available: 12. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/dgreports/dcomm/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_103263.pdf. Last accessed 7 April 2010. European Union. (2009). ‘Unemployment in Europe. Available: 14. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/09/109. Last accessed 1 April 2010. Ivan Camilleri. (2010). ‘European tourism worst hit by recession. Available: http://www.tourismandaviation.com/news-475European_tourism_worst_hit_by_recession. Last accessed 7 April 2010. European Union. (2010). Europe 2020. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/news/statements/pdf/20102010_2_en.pdf. Last accessed 2 April 2010.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Mark Twain not Racist the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin :: essays research papers

There is many racial elements in, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story that has caused much controversy over the years. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was published two decades after the civil war was over, yet it is set in a time period before the civil war began so there is many examples of racism and slavery. Mark Twain believed that slavery, and owning slaves was acceptable, but he was not a racist. Mark Twain was for slavery because he grew up in a time period where it was okay to have slaves and it even boosted your social status, to own slaves. â€Å"He cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n. It don’t seem natural...†(155). Mark Twain thought that black people were on a lower level of social status than white people, and that they did not care for their families as much as white people did. â€Å"And then think of me! It would get all around that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom, and if I was ever to seen anybody from that town again I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame†(212). In the 1860's it was considered immoral and a sin to help a slave into freedom. Mark Twain’s character, Huckleberry Finn, is ashamed that he helped the slave Jim to escape, yet he is good to Jim, so there is a bit of conflicting interests in Huck’s and Jim’s relationship. Mark Twain was not a racist because he did not portray Huckleberry Finn as one in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. â€Å"People would call me a low-down abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum, but that don’t make no difference†(43). Huck new it was wrong to help Jim escape, but that was his friend and he did not care was the other people thought. â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to hell†(214). Huck decides that he doesn’t want to give up Jim’s locations so he decides to rip up the letter that he was going to send to Jim’s owner Miss Watson, even if it meant that he would go to hell for committing what he believed was a sin. â€Å"I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s got now†(214).

Friday, October 11, 2019

“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning Essay

The speaker is notably a snobbish, childish, and indifferent Duke. He does not seem to have any remorse for his murder of his â€Å"Duchess† and remains arrogantly steadfast to his justification that his murder was for the cause of her (the Duchess’s) â€Å"too soon made glad† by other men, and her smiles to everyone who passed. He describes her as if she was just another distant thing in the past, and disregards the painting of her as just another piece of artwork. The poem begins with the Duke of Ferrara introducing the painting to an audience (probably another duke). He begins with how the painting was made, and then moves on to how her â€Å"heart [was] too easily impressed†. As the poem develops, the Duke becomes more and more spiteful about his â€Å"last Duchess† and feels that she regarded his gifts as â€Å"anybody’s gift†. He resents her smiles to him because she smiles to all who passed, and resolved to give commands to stop all the smiles together. Finally, he moves on to show his other artworks in his collection, referring to his Neptune taming a sea-horse sculpture. The poem has rhyming lines, but the rhyme is usually in the middle of an idea or sentence, giving the poem a thrusting movement forward. The mainly iambic pentameter unifies the poem, with occasional trochaic, dactylic, and anapestic words to offset certain ideas, such as â€Å"countenance†, â€Å"busily†, â€Å"easily†, â€Å"broke in†, and â€Å"all smiles†. Certain denotative words such as â€Å"countenance† and â€Å"earnest† also offset certain ideas, as well as give subliminal messages revealing the Duke’s murderous intents. #2The Duke of Ferrara craves attention, and would kill those who do not pay special attention to him. The poem starting in the middle of some Duke’s guide through his art collection, with no reference to things directly before or after, other than a few allusions to the past, leaves the reader slightly bewildered, and forces the reader to thread together the ideas into a complete, comprehensive picture. The reader must pay close attention in order to understand the meaning of the poem; similarly, the Duke of Ferrara wants people to pay dedicated attention to him to understand his character. From the beginning of the poem, it is obvious that the Duke regards his â€Å"last Duchess† as merely a â€Å"wonder†, a replaceable piece of artwork, with her memory just another thing of the past. He recalls the painter of his Duchess’s portrait, Fra Pandolf, and his ability to capture the depth and passion of the Duchess’s â€Å"countenance† in an â€Å"earnest glance†. He boasts of the glance as â€Å"her husband’s presence only†, but from there he remembers the way in which his Duchess blushed at the painter’s flattering remarks. From there, the Duke digresses and lapses into arrogant and childish jealousy. â€Å"She had a heart †¦ how shall I say? †¦ too soon made glad† was his initial criticism. As the poem develops, the Duke becomes increasingly critical of his Duchess’s â€Å"smiles† and attention to everyone, with no singular attention to him. He transgresses from his reminiscing by concluding that he â€Å"gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.† The Duke then moves on to other artworks such as his â€Å"Neptune [†¦] taming a sea-horse† and comments that it is a â€Å"rarity†, further demeaning the importance of his â€Å"last duchess†. The poem has rhyming lines, but the rhyme is usually in the middle of an idea or sentence, giving the poem a thrusting movement forward while maintaining certain continuity for the reader. The reader must pay close attention to not skimming the poem because of the thrusts at the end of lines, again reinforcing the theme of attention-craving. The mainly iambic pentameter unifies the poem, with occasional trochaic, dactylic, and anapestic words to offset certain ideas, such as â€Å"countenance† (for diction), â€Å"busily† (emphasize jealousy), â€Å"easily† (emphasize Duchess’s â€Å"too easily impressed†), and â€Å"all smiles† (emphasizing again the â€Å"too soon made glad†). Certain denotative words such as â€Å"countenance† (appearance or a look of encouragement) and â€Å"earnest† (meaning either sincere or grave/serious) also offset certain ideas, as well as give subliminal messages revealing the Duke’s mur derous intents.