Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) Essay

Sophocles tells perhaps the most tragic of all tales pertaining to great families in Greece. The play is divided into three parts, namely: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colossus, and Antigone. The plays focus on how one family experiences seemingly endless, tragic circumstances leading them to despair and anguish. There are a handful of strong characters that seem to have the courage to face these unfortunate events; however, there are also several characters that seem weak and easy prey for the tragedy. Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) The story revolves around Oedipus. Oedipus travels from Corinth to escape from a prophecy. He meets a group of men who fights him; he defeats and kills all of the men, except for one. A sphinx is positioned right outside the gates of Thebes. Before anybody can enter the city, the sphinx asks him to answer its riddle. The sphinx eats the men who are not able to solve its riddle. Soon, men stop attempting to come near the gates of Thebes, and its inhabitants start to face famine. (Sophocles 1) When Oedipus faces the sphinx, he solves the riddle. The sphinx kills itself and Oedipus is able to enter Thebes. He is hailed as a hero and he marries the widowed queen, Jocasta. Oedipus and Jocasta live in prosperity and have four children who grow up to be honored by the men and women of Thebes. Once their children grow of age, a revelation comes in the form of a Delphic Oracle. He tells the royal family that Oedipus is the child of Jocasta and her murdered King Laius. Jocasta kills herself after realizing the horror of what happened, and Oedipus, upon seeing the death of his wife and mother, blinds himself. Oedipus at Colonus The story begins after Oedipus has blinded himself to prevent himself from seeing the horror in his life. Thebes banishes Oedipus and he wanders with one of his daughters, Antigone. They settle in Colonus near the city of Athens and are left in peace. There are very little developments in this story as opposed to the plots of Oedipus the King and Antigone. Oedipus accepts his fate and realizes what has become of the royal family. He grows old but regains respect as a man outside of Thebes. Both Antigone and Oedipus lead a quiet life. He passes away quietly and Antigone goes back to Thebes. Antigone Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, returns to Thebes to find his brothers fighting for the throne. Both of her brothers, Polynieces and Eteocles, are killed in their battle against each other. Eteocles is given a hero’s burial since he fights for Thebes. King Creon, the king of Thebes, orders that Polynieces should not be buried because he has defied Thebes and has fought against it. Antigone pities her brother and decides to bury him despite the pleas of her sister, Ismene. Antigone argues that she cannot possibly let Polynieces’ remains to be exposed and dishonored. She proceeds to make a burial for her brother despite the King’s orders. King Creon finds out about Antigone’s treachery and orders that she be punished – that she be put to death. The Thebans and Ismene try to convince King Creon to reconsider his punishment. He retracts his edict, but they find it futile since Antigone has already taken her own life. The Political Purpose Sophocles’ trilogy shows the dynamics of the relationships within a royal family during ancient Greece. There are a lot of responsibilities bestowed upon the members of the family that there are times during which their own happiness is taken away: they are called to choose their duty above their own lives. Antigone’s strength of character is a most admirable trait a royal has shown – she gave up her life and liberty to do the right thing. The Evolution of Prophetic Literature Sophocles shows the promise of a riveting plot and how it can be made by using prophesies as a major element in the story. He illustrates the importance of believing and following the oracles’ counsel. (Segal 129) Oracles plays very significant parts in Sophocles’ plays. There are several more works which take after the formula of this play. The Oedipus trilogy is marked as one of the stronger foundations in Prophetic Literature. Works Cited Segal, Charles. Sophocles’ tragic world: divinity, nature, society. Harvard University Press, 1998. Sophocles. The Oedipus Trilogy. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

‘Journal on Gryphon” by Charles Baxter Essay

The short story Gryphon by Charles Baxter has an unusual character, a new substitute teacher at the rural community of Five Oaks in Michigan. The students meet with the strange lady who brings them strange yet fascinating lectures. Miss Ferenczi could be an exceptional teacher in a suitable environment, with her willingness to break the boundary in teaching method, her lectures on new materials never presented in textbooks, and her influence to help the students explore new things. I wonder if there would be any teacher daring enough to tell the class â€Å"six times eleven could be sixty eight.† Miss Ferenczi accepts the normal mathematical answer, but she also provides a different view and solution to the math problem, because â€Å"it’s more interesting that way.† When the narrator boy could not spell â€Å"balcony† she whispered to him; that the word is ugly and if he does not like a word, he does not have to use it. The students who have the wrong answer and the wrong spelling would always remember the right answers that way; moreover they do not feel ashamed of their wrong reply. They feel better when they are accepted and gently guided toward the right knowledge. Miss Ferenczi hates the way teachers are supposed to follow the rules, timeline, and the material presented readily in textbooks. When she told the children to open the book she herself â€Å"was staring at some object just outside the window.† She refuses to have lunch with other teachers since she wants to stay close with her students. Miss Ferenczi feels comfortable only when she can teach in her own way, not to be directed by any rules or any inflexible method or limit, which makes the students less distracted at the same boring way they have always been taught. The new substitute teacher appeared in the class surprising the students as much as her strange stories. The kids have never heard of the Antipode stone that would blind people, the Hope diamond, or the plant that can eat meat. The things they get to learn in textbooks are boring numbers and parched tiresome text. Miss Ferenczi knows the kids will love her stories, as she exposes them to amazing facts. Whether true, mythic or untrue, the information she provides is wide outside the schoolbook. They are the historical, cultural, social, and scientific lessons of the world that her students have never been told. The knowledge she gives the members of the  class is not only taken from what the school requires, but everything worthwhile to inform them about the universe. Her outstanding, broad collection of matters in different fields reveals a brand new world to the students. Children at fourth grade normally would blow their nose into notebook paper when there is nobody around, sit in class just to watch the teacher’s actions, and go home to play. It is amazing how Miss Ferenczi captures the kids’ interest, make them focus to a point that â€Å"no one even went to the bathroom.† With their old teacher Mr. Hibler, the students would chatter and whisper during the lecture, but with Miss Ferenczi they sit still and are fascinated with her lecturing. They are astounded at a plant that can kill animals, they are eager to discuss whether a half bird and half lion monster is real. They go home excitedly and dig up the dictionary to find out and feel â€Å"fabulous† to discover a new myth. She creates an â€Å"information hunger† in the children to explore, to discover new things that most teachers can hardly ever do. Since Miss Ferenczi’s appearance, the students have changed their view. She brings a fresh perspective of life, a strange way to present her lecture, and makes the students eager to go to class. It is because of her that after she got fired, during the lecture, the students pay close attention to the insects unlike they had ever done before. Miss Ferenczi accomplishes what all teachers are supposed to achieve, she is the most wonderful teacher every kid dreams to have. Works Cited Baxter, Charles. Gryphon.1985. Rpt. in Compact Literature ReadingReacting Writing. By Kirszner and Mandell. 6th ed. 2007. â€Å"Gryphon: Often Asked Questions.† Rev. of Gryphon, by Charles Baxter. CharlesBaxter. 3 June 2009 .

American Civilization before 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Civilization before 1877 - Essay Example He was so proper that a commentator even kidded that â€Å"Washington was born with his clothes on and his hair powdered, and made a stately bow on his first appearance in the world†. He is always dignified and looked like a leader. Socially he also like to dance and ride horses which fits in the character of a gentleman of his time. He was not without criticism though. He was criticized as being unintellectual. Adams even mocked him that he was too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station and reputation is equally past dispute. Thomas Jefferson Jefferson qualified and fitted of being a gentleman because he embodied America’s democratic ideals and democratic hopes. Lincold even said of Jefferson that â€Å"the principles of are the definitions and axioms of free society†. He was criticized by Leonard Levy though in his work Lincoln are the definitions and axioms of free society†. According to him, Jefferson was inconsistent and hypocrite. He ripped off Jefferson’s mantle of libertarianism to expose his darker sige: his passion for partisan persecution, his lack of concern for basic civil liberties, and his self-righteousness that became at times out- and- out ruthlessness. Far from being the skeptical enlightened intellectual, allowing all ideas their free play, Jefferson was portrayed by Levy and other historians as something of an ideologue, a doctrinaire thinker eager to fill the young with his political orthodoxy while censoring all those books he did not like. He did not have an open or a questioning mind after all. Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton was the great American capitalist. He singlehandedly created modern American capitalism. He is the founder big state fnancial capitalism. In the 1890 he was He was called a â€Å"sound thinker, the constructive statesman†who sponsored a â€Å"vigourous, positive, constructive national policy... that implied a faith in the powers of an efficient government to ad vance natioanl interest.† Robert Warslow described him in 1931 that for a man, he was not noble, as a politician, hewas not an eminent success; as a statesman, apart from financial measures, he was not superior. But as businessman, not in all this period was any man to match him. And this characteristic fitted Hamilton as one of finest gentleman of his time as he embodied the American ideals of capitalism that made it an economic superpower that it is now. 2. a In Revolutionary Characters, Gordon Wood explains "what made the founders different." How do the public lives and attitudes of two of the men he discusses prove his point? Base your answer on the Introduction, the Epilogue, and at least two other chapter America unlike its counterparts in Europe and elsewhere in the world, was created by a sense of belief and not by common ethnicity. It also prides being a gentleman not by birth but by merit. Being a gentleman however connotes different meaning with the forefathers of A merica. America’s founding fathers were different because for them being a gentleman assumed a moral meaning that was more important than its social significance. Unlike their counterpart in Europe where pure monarchists still define gentility exclusively by the pride of their families, the size of their estates, the

Ethics and Employees Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethics and Employees - Research Proposal Example There is also the general awareness that corporations have to look after all stakeholders that eventually curbs unethical practices. It has been concluded that leaders have a major role to play in creating conditions where the employees are not coerced into unethical practices that are in any case not acceptable by either the law or the society at large. The Objective of Business is to earn profits for its owners, the shareholders. But does it mean an open license for managers to serve their employers without regards to those who help them to achieve the profit motive they work for? Do ends justify means? Are there not other stakeholders; suppliers, employees, consumers and indeed the society which offers them the opportunity to work for profit? With ever present conflicts the managers need to perform a balancing act to satisfy all stakeholders. However the role of the employees is crucial in performance of their obligations, hence a special relationship is required to be developed. Without the trust of the employees and their involvement the business objectives cannot be achieved. Leaders at all level have to be conscious of the fact that they have to set examples of behaviour that will be emulated by their sub-ordinates. These actions have to in consonance with the company’s objective and at the same time have to be balanced right. This balancing is based on principles or ethics. It is becoming evident to business in America that ethical values need to be upheld and become institutionalized (Sims 1991) as this is the desired status by society in general. However the dilemma is squarely faced by the individual manager. He perceives his primary role to be looking after shareholder value (Vogel 1991) in preference to other stakeholders. Therefore they justify the moral result or implication of their unethical behaviour and

Article of Jennifer A Colemans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Article of Jennifer A Colemans - Essay Example I can vouch for the validity of this argument since most females I come into contact with are always complaining about how ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ they look. This sort of thinking can be potentially damaging to the human psyche. In the concluding paragraph, Coleman states how discrimination on grounds of religion, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation are not tolerated with severe consequences for, for example, employers treating their employees this way. She laments that discrimination due to weight is not only tolerated, fat people are taught to accept it as their due, the whole thing being reinforced by the attitudes of people in our daily lives. I can relate to this sort of singling out and do agree that such ‘offenders’ are allowed to go unpunished. A joke about fat or over-weight people is as disturbing and as wrong as a racial comment. I also agree with Coleman when she says that such behavior should not be tolerated, though I must admit I am n ot overly fussed when such remarks are directed towards me. Finally, I want to state that a person’s body type or their weight is not an indicator of their personality. People should eat healthily and stay fit for their own sake and not because they want to please others. The main difference between Coleman’s approach and mine, when it comes to this issue, is that I do not take the opinion of others so personally, nor do I think it is my duty to conform according to what society tells me. If one is comfortable in their own self, there is no way society can make one feel bad.

Preventing the spread of clostridium difficilel (C.diff) through Dissertation

Preventing the spread of clostridium difficilel (C.diff) through Systems Change - Dissertation Example difficile infection, as the individual with Clostridium infection liberates enormous spores in the hospital environment, which persist in the dormant stage till they procure another individual. It is evident that standard disinfectants are not sufficient to combat infectious agents, thereby enhancing the diffusion of Cl. difficile. It is therefore essential to isolate the patient and perform necessary actions to prevent further spread to other individuals present in the hospital. It is essential to adopt the antibiotic for treatment to prevent CDAD (Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea). The present article highlights the proof-based directives to minimize the spread of Cl. difficile, encompassing well-timed diagnosis or CDAD, close watch of cases with CDAD, education to the staff, hygiene, clothes, highly effective sterilization process for medical equipments, cleaning the environment, efficient antibiotic stewardship. Background Numerous guidelines have been made available to minimize the risk of such infections. It is observed that control measures play an imperative role in controlling nosocomial infections. ... may persevere in the environment for months to years and display enormous resistance for various disinfectants (Barbut, 1993; Johnson, 1990; Teare, 1998). Clinical Presentation & Diagnosis Chief virulence factors encompass Enterotoxin A and Cytotoxin B of Clostridium difficile (Kuijper, 2006). Most of the strains of Cl. difficile generate these toxins, causing diarrhoea or pseudo-membranous colitis or may result in toxic megacolon and bowel perforation in some patients (Miller, 2002). The mortality rate is 25-30% (Pepin, 2005). Clostridium difficile toxins are assessed with the help of cytotoxicity assay or by ELISA, or culture technique under anaerobic conditions or PCR based assays through stool examination (Van Den Berg, 2007). Materials and Methods Data was procured from PubMed with the search terms as: 'difficile', 'nosocomial', 'outbreak', 'transmission', 'control', 'environment' and 'prevention'. Data was then evaluated to formulate the guidelines for the prevention of Clostri dium difficile. Findings In majority of the cases it is observed that spread of spores and hence the pathogen occurs by means of "contact" as the staff serves as a carrier of spores and hence the spores travel from patient-to-patient along with the staff, or they infect individuals through the contaminated environment (Vonberg, 2008). Discussion Restricted use of antibiotics particularly cephalosporin, group of antibiotics and appropriate formulation of methodologies to avert medical device-related contamination or any kind of cross-infection paves the way for the prevention of nosocomial spread of resistant species of microorganisms especially Clostridium difficile. It is essential to isolate the patient with infection from resistant microorganisms. Preemptive segregation of all cases

Accounting Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Accounting - Coursework Example However, since it is condemned by the law, any of these administrators who have been proven guilty has had to face the full wrath of the law (Konyama, 2013). In 2013, Mr. Trevor Courtney, the principal of Mascenic High School was charged for misappropriating the federal grant which had been allocated to his school during the 2012/13 calendar year. Although the money was meant to cater for the predetermined foundational and categorical programs, the principal decided to redirect the funds to other uses. By doing this, he was contravening the laws which require that such grants should not be used for any other project rather than the specified ones. Despite his vast wealth of experience in the teaching profession, Mr. Trevor decided to use this money for providing incentives and rewards to the school employees and students. In other words, a total of $3,800 was used to purchase Neuxus 7 tablets, iPods, iPads, visa and prepaid cards for the employees. Besides, he used a lot of money to acquire various school equipments such as flat TV screen, refrigerator, drier, Viking stove top and washer. Moreover, he extravagantly allocated huge sums of money for staff development tours which were organized in different parts of the country. By acting in such a manner, Mr. Trevor was violating the rules governing the use of federal grants in schools. As an administrator, he failed to acknowledge that the law is quite categorical on the way such grants should be spent. In fact, he should have known that it is against the federal spending policies to use school grants to buy incentives and rewards for the school employees. At the same time, he was very wrong for channeling these funds to the purchasing of school facilities and taking teachers to expensive motivational tours. This was a clear sign of the misappropriation of federal grants which had been allocated to his school to help in supporting the smooth flow of education. Therefore,

Applied research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Applied research methods - Essay Example The academic sources to be used for the business research process shall come from secondary sources of information such as scholarly articles and peer-reviewed journals. In order to understand the tools and techniques used by managers of successful organizations to keep their employees motivated to perform at the highest levels. Through these sources, we can obtain information on factors such as the importance of a leader’s perception in the mid of the employee, the role played by an organization’s culture and how it affects performance and the importance of having a vision that is clearly defined and well-understood by the leader himself so as to be able to communicate it to the employees and generate maximum commitment out of them. Secondary sources of information will therefore be very important to us for this research as it shall be the guiding light on which all our research methodology is based on will be the basis of developing the survey tools and criteria. Whilst using secondary sources of information might prove useful, we do realize it might present us with some challenges and affect the credibility of our report if proper care is not taken while researching. The information provided prove to be biased and might have been controlled to some extent by the marketer of the research. There is also the possibility that the information available through these sources might not fully adhere to our needs or might be incomplete. Our aim shall be to minimize the biases that may occur due to these problems and we aim to use a number of different articles and publications in order to verify the integrity of the information available and make this research as consistent as possible. We have also chosen to go with secondary academic sources because these sources tend to be very comprehensive in nature and will provide us with all the information we need to fulfill the objectives of the research. Secondly, the sources also happen to be peer reviewe d and evaluated, have been written by academics and certified by the best institutions, which is what adds to their credibility and ensures that the integrity of our own research will not be affected if our work includes such sources. Review of academic sources Leadership and Motivation and having these qualities in one’

Discussion topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Discussion topic - Assignment Example There are experiments that require low alpha levels like in cases that may lead to death, maim or serious defects occurring. In such experiments, the researcher wants to avoid a situation whereby the null hypothesis is true and rejected. Therefore, if 0.05 chance of being wrong cannot be tolerated then a much lower level of significance like 0.001 can be used. For example performing a clinical study of a new drug on people, it will mean that a researcher does not want to take chances if adverse drug reactions are noted on an individual. A Higher level of alpha like 0.10 is rare in practice because it increases the chance of making type I error. Higher levels may be used when doing an experiment the researcher is at ease of accepting the null hypothesis (Shi, Levinson, & Whittemore, 2008). For example, when a researcher insists that there is no significant difference between intelligence among male and female nursing student in a nursing

John Donne Essay Example for Free

John Donne Essay A text is essentially a product of its context, as its prevailing values are inherently derived by the author from society. However, the emergence of post-modern theories allows for audience interpretation, thus it must be recognised that meaning in texts can be shaped and reshaped. Significantly, this may occur as connections between texts are explored. These notions are reflected in the compostion of Edson’s W;t and Donne’s poetry as their relationship is established through intertextual references, corresponding values and ideas and the use of language features. Edson particularly portrays key values surrounding the notions of the importance of loved based relationships, and death and resurrection: central themes of Donne’s Holy Sonnets and Divine Poems. The purpose of these authors distinctly correlate as each has attempted to provide fresh insight into the human condition by challenging prevalent ideals. Thus, Edson incorporates Donne’s work to illuminate both explicit and implicit themes, creating an undeniable condition. Prior to John Donnes Judeo Christian conversion he believed that life was only fulfilling if shared with another individual. He conveyed in his pre-conversion poems and stressed the power and importance of love to a persons well being and existence. Donne contrives the idea that love must not be a Dull Sublunary lovers love, rather a relationship where two souls are one, a love, he explores his conceit, so strong it can stretch like gold to aery thinness. His geometrical conceit explains that relationships Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is, these walls, thy sphere. During the 17th century everything revolved around the sun, saying that lovers went against it was seen as going against the, thus showing how vital relationships are to human existence. The medium of a play allows us to a different view on how important love is one lifes, and what is to be lost with its absence Donnes values according to lifes meaning and relationships are reworked by Margaret Edson within W;t. Vivian Bearing is constructed to reflect the secular view point, preferring research to humanity, the motif Edson creates in Bearing as she misses the point Donne makes about relationships, seeking instead to be making a significant contribution to knowledge. Bearing does not mind the lack of relationship she has, correcting Susie she has none, to be precise, distinctively juxtaposing Donnes views on relationships and their importance. Bearing reflect the individualism of the estern culture when she is distinguishing the [herself] in illness facing the world alone. However Bearing reflects how after many years with being uncomfortable with kindness she wishes her doctor would take more interest in personal contact. The implicit connections Edison portrays between an orange two stick Popsicle shared between Bearing and Susie, and Donnes twin compass displays Bearings recognition of the importance relationships should play in life. Edison challenges secular humanists through her textual construction of dialogue and motifs to question the importance relationships play in order for a meaningful life to be attained. The existential question of what lies after death is one that writes have pondered for years. Donne explicitly demonstrates his battle with this concept and his beliefs about theology, death and afterlife after he is converted to his Judeo Christian faith. Death was not easy to ignore in the 17th century as executions and daily mortuary carts attributed to the fear and awareness of death. His compliant tone throughout his poetry clearly indicates that he feels that he feels some degree of confidence that God will accept his soul into heaven, evident when he apostrophises death to be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, that death should not be feared as it is a rest and sleep till the forgiven wake eternally. A possible passage through the American continent to the indies was earnestly being explored just as the poets body was probably being probed and prodded to seek enlightenment or a successful path. This analogy is made clear by the clever extended pun on straits as both a trade route and a personal dilemma. They are itemised so that the link is not missed for the Western Sea, to which all the straits led, also represents death and entry into the next life: So death doth touch the Resurrection Likewise to John Donne, Edison engages with the concept of death and what, if anything comes after it. While Bearing does not openly ponder what comes after death in the play, she is tangibly struggling with the fear of death. Her own feelings are mirrored by Donnes If poisnous minerals is shown through her analysis. In her analysis she says, Donne finds Gods forgiveness hard to believe, so he crawls under a rock to hide. Rather than trust Gods mercy I want to hide. I just want to curl up into a little ball. Donnes poem If Poisonous Minerals has a direction relationship to the The Runaway Bunny read by Bearing in her childhood. It provides for her an allegory for Gods mercy allowing her to find solace, No matter where it hides, God will find it. Where Donne presents this same allegory in a complex manner, the book is simple. Bearing is redeemed and able to die peacefully with this understanding of compassion. It is in the final scene that Edson reshapes Donnes ideas on eternity and resurrection of the play with bearings humanistic post-modern sight. Donne, in his Judeo Christian context, prepares himself for God to take his soul into heaven, whereas the humanistic post-modern understanding of the resurre ction that Bearing obtains brings an end to her suffering an pain when the lights out.

Exercise Through Dance

Exercise Through Dance Dance is another form of exercising which require you to use most of your body muscle. Dancing has come around for along time. Dancing is a part of ancient ritual and is pair with music. People dancing with music, without music dancing is not complete. In Egypt, dancing before god is a vital elements in the temple ritual. Beside for ritual, dance is another form of entertainments for this people even in other countries. Dancing is a type of exercise and therefore dancing has huge benefits to the person who practice it regularly. Certain people think that exercise look boring, but not dancing. Because dancing is play with music, therefore people who dancing will having fun and at the same time can perform an exercise. When we perform dance, we doest not require any equipments as there is no suitable exercise machine for dancing. All you need is music to play along. With dancing, you can perfume it anywhere you want especially at home. By dance, you can stretch your body part and with dance, you can get the body shape that you always wanted and dancing also can reduce stress. With dancing, you can built up you stamina and also endurance, because dancing consists of many style of movements that for sure will build up your stamina. Dancing require balance, by dancing you can gain a better balance. Dancing is about having fun and at the same time staying active. By practicing dancing, you can look younger then your age by slowing down the aging process. It a fact that by practicing dance, the muscle exertion and breathing rates in just one dance is similar to those who practice cycling, swimming and Olympic 800 meter runner. People who practice dancing seldom having problems with joints and bones because dancing helps strengthen bones and dance also helps in treatments of osteoporosis, which is a major concern for female. Arthritis can be preventing by dancing, by make the joints lubricated. People who having problems with their weight can practice dancing as dancing can burn more calories and increase the circulation of blood. Dancing can burn 5 to 10 calories per minutes as estimated. Ballroom, Latin, Mambo and Salsa dancer can burn 264 calories per hour base on 100 lb. Fast, Ballet, and Twist dancer could burn 288 calories per hour base on 100 lb. Slow, Waltz, Foxtrot dancer could burn up to 144 calories per hour base on 100 lb. people wi th diabetics can lower the sugar lever by practicing dance and dance is also good for lipid control which raises the HDL (good cholesterol) and lower the LDL (bad cholesterol). Dancing can help improve memory by memories each and every steps that has in each dances. People that practice dance will feel happy and less stress. Dancing can enhance heart and lungs condition, increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness. People with weigh problem will see the different in their weight after awhile of practicing dancing, agility and flexibility will be increased. By dance, a person can improve their social skills by dance in a group of people with different ages, genders and status. Dancing for female can increase her muscle tone and coordination and ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s perfect for toning without building up muscle tone. Beside benefits the body, dancing also built up the person confidence and the self-esteem and by dancing, the person could boost up their confidences. Dancing also improve a person mood by produce more endorphins or also known as feel good chemicals. Dancing has many types and style, dancing is different in style for different culture, society and music. Some of the famous dance is Hip Hop, Belly dance, Salsa dance, Ballroom dance, Tap dance, Bhangra dance, Break dance, Line dance, Jazz dance, Ballet dance, Modern dance, Swing dance, Contra dance, Country and Western Dance. Bhangra dance originate from India. This Bhangra dance is actually a euphoric harvest dance from Punjab. Bhangra dance will be practice with energetic singing and drum beating. Stomping feet, shoulder-shrugging, hand-clapping, swinging arms are the traditional Bhangra dance that now has been modernized. The modern Bhangra dance has been included with aerobic moves, hip hop and salsa. Bhangra aerobic dance is another form of exercise that can help in maintaining our body. Bhangra dance involve continuous and rhythmic body movements that can raise the heart rate and also strengthen the lungs. Major muscle in the body will be work out when perform Bhangra dance. Bhangra dance is good in circulating blood full of oxygen to other part of the body and remove carbon dioxide, as well as other wastes. When perform Bhangra dance, the person will be dancing with the music and the person require more oxygen in the body, this is where the heart rate increase to keep up with the tempo. When done B hangra dance regularly, the heart will grow stronger and can keep up with muscles demand with only a little effort. Diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and heart disease can be avoided, plus Bhangra dance can lower the blood pressure and helps maintain weights by burn 500 calories in 45 minutes. Hip hop dance is one of the modern dance that can express the dancer creativeness; people who perform Hip hop will build self impressions. Hip hop music will be play to match with the body movements of the dancer. Hip hop consist of breaking, popping, and also rotations in the movements which is combined into one unique, creative dance style. Hip hop dance improve the person flexibility, develop body balance and also to coordinate the muscles to improve their style and maintain their body shape. Hip hop is different with Jazz, Ballet, or any other traditional dance which is technical and has a term for each movement. Hip hop has more freedom in dancing. Dance aerobic is an exercise that combines the elegant dance movements with aerobic rhythmic steps. Dance aerobic can be divided into four types which are high-impact exercises, low-impact exercises, step aerobic and lastly are water aerobics. High impact exercises involve powerful jumping actions that are matched with the rhythmic beats of the music being played. Low impact exercise involves more footwork and less jumping action. Step aerobic is perform in a raised platform and water aerobic is done in waist-deep water. Dance aerobic help in weight managements as well as builds your body, and help in cardiovascular muscle. Dance aerobic is a good medicine for depression, anxiety and also tension, while reducing the stress. Dance aerobics is a good exercise to boost up your immune system. Salsa dance can burn more calories per hour than riding a bike or swimming. Salsa dance is a very unique form of exercise. Salsa dance give a healthy heart by relieves stress, remove toxins via sweating and can lower the blood pressure and improve cholesterol level. Belly dancing, also known as Raks Sharki or Middle Eastern dance. The attractive hip drops, rolls, and pivots of Belly dance make use of muscle group in the abdomen, pelvis, trunk, spine, and also neck to operate with the body instead of against it. When a Belly dancer perform the dance, she will use her quadriceps, hamstrings and also glute just to hold her steady while she perform hip movements. The impact on her knees and ankles are at a minimal even when she gets a lower-body workout because the impact is on how much stress is placed on our joint and not how hard the feet strike the ground. Torso will be use more often in Belly dance compare toward Ballet, Modern, or Tap dance. This movement working together with shoulder movement will exercise the back muscle evenly. A strong back muscles can prevents back injuries and also promote good posture. Belly dance can ease the stress to the back; neutralize almost constant compression of the disks that occurs from sitting and an inacti ve lifestyle. Belly dance is an excellent prenatal exercise that strengthens the muscles used during childbirth process. Ballroom dance improve cardiovascular system, increase in muscle tone. Ballroom dance also increases flexibility, strength, and balance. Ballroom dance also make the dancer more self-confidence and can express them self in dancing. Ballet dance is one of the hardest dance and wonderful form of art. Ballet involve a lot of various stretching and with regular stretching, the neck, back, arms, and legs will be very flexible and you can do things you never know you can do. Ballet also strengthens up your muscle. Ballet teaches the dancer how to balance him or herself. Ballet dance can restore the balance and body awareness that lost due to stress by doing lifting, twirling, leaping, and spinning style. Ballet dance also release endorphins into the brain and this is the time where dancer empty their mind and just relax and enjoy the music and movements. When you learn Ballet dance, he or her confidence level will increase by learn and master various Ballet dance moves. Ballet dance also improve memory by remembering each and every steps in Ballet dance. Dancing can burn calories but how much it burns depend on what kind of dance. Base on 150 pound person per hour calories burn: Swing dance burn 235 calories per hour, Ballroom dance burn 265 per hour, Square dance burn 280 calories per hour, Ballet dance burn 300 calories per hour, Belly dance burn 380 calories per hour, Salsa dance burn 420+ calories per hour, Aerobic dance burn 540+ calories per hour. Dance is a unique way of exercise because it provides the heart- healthy benefits of an exercise while engage in a social activity. A 21-year study published in New England Journal of Medicine even found that by dance, the risk of getting Alzheimerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s disease and other forms of disease. Dancing was the only physical activity that was associated with lower risk of dementia. Dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain, not only dancing increase the flow of the blood to the brain but also social aspect that leads to less stress, depression and loneliness . In additional, dancing required memorizing steps and working with a partner, in a way that both provide mental challenges that are crucial to the brain health. References Sarah Snyder. (Jan 25, 2010). The Health Benefits of Ballet Dancing. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/21821.aspx The Health Benefits of Ballet. (n.d). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.freearticles.com/article/The-Health-Benefits-Of-Ballet/4150 Barbara Craddock. (2006, Dec 04). Benefits of Dancing Quick Tips for Staying Healthy. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.dancescape.org/ezine/articles/8/1/Benefits-of-DancingQuick-Tips-for-Staying-Healthy/Page1.html Hanu Nirukurti. (n.d). Bhangra Fitness: The Workout That Jives. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.articlegarden.com/Article/Bhangra-FitnessThe-Workout-That-Jives/10208 Caitlin Bronza. (2006, Nov 14). The Physical and Social Benefits of Belly Dancing. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/83611/the_skinny_on_real_health_benefits.html?cat=5 Health benefits of Belly Dance. (n.d). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.worldbellydance.com/benefits.html The Amazing Benefits of Salsa Dancing. (2008). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-amazing-benefits-of-salsa-dancing-421617.html Sheri Waldrop. (n.d). The Health Benefits of Belly Dancing. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.atlantabellydance.com/ProspectiveStudents/ClassHealth.html Angelique. (n.d). The Health of belly Dancing. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.atlantabellydance.com/ProspectiveStudents/ClassHealth.html Dance Aerobics. (n.d). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://www.iloveindia.com/fitness/aerobics/dance-aerobics.html Benefits of Ballroom Dancing. (July 2007). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://fred-astaire.blogspot.com/2007/07/benefits-of-ballroom-dancing.html Benefits of Dance. (n.d). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-dance/

Around The World In Eighty Day :: essays research papers

â€Å"Around the World in Eighty Days† By: Jules Verne Adventure Novel Theme:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The themes of this novel are calmness and persistence. These two themes are exemplified by one character, Mr. Fogg. Mr. Fogg is always calm in the novel not once in this novel does he show any anxiety or nervousness. Mr. Fogg, under a prolific amount pressure of losing a wager of twenty thousand pounds, remained very tranquil never once to lose his state of mind. The second theme of this story is persistence, shown by Mr. Fogg. Mr. Fogg never gives up on wager of a prolific amount of money, precisely twenty thousand pounds. As the odds turn against him he remains on his path and does not give up. His persistence in the end pays off and Mr. Fogg wins his wager, on who The Reform Club will pay. But did he really achieve a goal by making this unbelievable trip around the world in an astonishing eighty days. Setting:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This novel takes place in the late 1800’s, approximately 1872. Mr. Phileas Fogg lived at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens. As the story progresses on and one tiny wager is made, a trip around the world changes the setting of this novel many a times. Some of these settings are London, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, and New York. Clearly though one the most important settings was in the Indian forests, which were passed through, in order to pursue to Kandallah. The Carnatic and the Mongolia were also key settings to the novel. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 19th century, a man by the name of Phileas Fogg, made a wager that he would be able to travel the world in approximately eighty days. At the time of his wager he was looking for a servant. He found a servant by the name of Jean Passepartout. These two came to the understanding that Fogg was the master and Passepartout was just a man. His master told Passepartout that they were leaving immediately to travel around the world and told him to pack a carpetbag. Then new means of funds were given by The Daily Telegraph, who decided that the trip had a shot. Then a detective by the name of Fix sent a telegram to the commissioner saying that he found the robber and needed a warrant immediately, if not sooner. As Fix boarded the Mongolia, Passepartout approached him.

Sleep, What Is It? Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you lay down to bed at night, close your eyes, and loose conciseness, you fall asleep. Sleep is an everyday event, every human, every animal does it on a routine basis. There are many questions concerning sleep. This paper will try to answer three of them. Why do we sleep, at what routine do we sleep, and what happens to us when we sleep. There are several theories as to why we sleep. Some believe it’s a â€Å"time out† to recuperate, remove wastes from muscles, repair cells or recover abilities lost during the day. However wastes are removed without sleep with just a couple of minutes of rest. People who don’t sleep for 48 hours don’t need 16 hours to â€Å"catch up† all they need is one good nights sleep. Some believe sleep conserves energy, once it provided safety from predators in a secluded space. However we lose consciousness which would make us vulnerable to attacks from predators. Or maybe it serves the brain because only organisms with integrated bundles of central nervous tissue sleep. There are many theories as to why we sleep but no one really seems to know. People can go several days without sleep and still perform normally. However any longer can cause irritability, hallucinations, or delusions. In animals sleep depravation leads to death, it may also hold true for people as well. In one case a man at age 52 started losing sleep. He fell deeper and deeper into an exhausted stumper or lethargic state, always feeling tired but unable to sleep. He eventually developed a lung infection and died. An autopsy showed he had lost almost all of the large neurons in two areas of the thalamus. This suggests that sleep is caused and controlled by the thalamus. Most people sleep at night, so does this mean that our sleep cycle is dependent on night and day? It doesn’t seem so. There are people who sleep during the day and studies have shown that people run on their own sleep cycles. Volunteers put in isolation(they didn’t know what time it was) went to sleep on the average 49 minutes later every cycle. So in about 11 or 12 days one would go to sleep in the morning. Whenever we change our clocks(daylight savings time) our bodies eventually readjust to the time rather than how light or dark it is outside. People who live in the extreme north or south have darkness for six month at a... ...aks. It   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  will take a shaking motion to wake you and you   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  wont be happy about it. Sleep walkers and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  talkers walk and talk at this point. This process takes about 90 minutes then reverses(1-2-3-4-3-2-1). After you come back to one, instead of waking you go into REM(Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and this is were most dreaming occurs. The amount of time in REM sleep is usually random, but after REM sleep you start the process over again. Hopefully some questions about sleep you had before reading this paper are now answered. There still remains many questions about sleep. Since sleep is so connected with the mind, which is the biggest mystery in the universe humans know of sleep is difficult to understand. So it will be a long time before our questions will be answered. Bibliography Wade and Travis, Carole and Carol, Psychology, New York City, Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 1990 http://www.shuteye.com

Essay --

Service delivery is one of the most challenging tasks that face many organizations today. This is even worse in cases where factors such modality of fulfillment of a given service, challenges inherent in it and productivity measurements are not properly understood. My company deals with a complaint resolution service. This is a service product that is delivered directly to clients who depend on it for the purpose of redress concerning misunderstanding or disagreements as far as the company’s products are concerned. Customer dissatisfaction is highly dangerous for the existence and prosperity of any given business as it may make the business to collapse so easily. It is upon this concept that the company operates with a view to ensuring that all customer related misunderstandings are dealt with swiftly and compassionately so that clients do not feel neglected or misunderstood. Complaint resolution, as hard as it is, is a very delicate interaction between the client and the company agents. This means that it should be handled carefully by taking into account the key requirements that it deserves. The requirements for complaint resolution are many and generic. They include patient and credence, feedback and time, customer inclusion and respect, record and documentation among others. First, and most obviously, patient of the highest level is needed. This is recommended in the cases where an agent is involved in a complicated case that may need more time to handle in one hand, and urgency on the other. In addition, any company agent is required to be patient with controversial clients who may not give room for explanations as to what could be the remedy of a given misunderstanding. Patient is also recommended as the best way of... ...ining and continual financial support. Even though it is difficult to measure the productivity of this service product, customer complaint resolution, parameters like increase and decline in customer-related claims is a perfect gauge of its performance. Concisely, it is suffice to say that customer complaint resolution is highly necessary for any business. This is because any customer dissatisfaction may of consequences to the survival and prosperity of the company. As a result, all customer-related complaints should be dealt with swiftly and compassionately by taking into account all the key requirements that underpin the exercise lest any deviation cost the company dearly. On the same note, this service should be carried procedurally by taking into account all the recommended steps involved in order to ensure quality customer service delivery in the company.

Value Chain of Tesco

â€Å"To further the analysis of competitive advantage, Michael Porter introduced the value chain as a tool to examine the activities of a business. † As seen in figure 2, â€Å"Porter distinguished a firm’s support activities from its operational or primary activities. †(Book) [pic][pic] Support Activities Firm Infrastructure Human Resource Management Peta Hay, Director of the Tesco Academy, commented: â€Å"We believe it is more important than ever to invest in our people as Tesco continues to expand both geographically and into new business sectors.Tesco has a proven track record of both nurturing internal talent and successfully attracting external senior executives†. (7) Technology Development Procurement Primary Activities Inbound Logistics The overall cost leadership strategic management of Tesco is exhibited in its lean and agile inbound logistics function. Drawing upon Abeysinghe (2010), the company uses its leading market position and economies o f scope as key bargaining powers to achieve low costs from its suppliers.The analysts have also highlighted the constant upgrading of their ordering system, approved vendor lists, and in-store processes to induce effectiveness and efficiency into the company’s inbound logistics operations. Operations Management Tesco has been praised by a number of supply chain management critics for its effective use of IT systems that facilitate the company’s low cost leadership strategy. According to Tesco (2010), the company has invested over ? 76 million in streamlining its operations through their Tesco Digital program, which is a third generation ERP solution for the company. The company has achieved ? 50 million in increased profitability during 2009 alone due to the introduction of this system. This company -wide ERP system has also facilitated the minimisation of stock holdings within the company. Outbound Logistics Tesco holds leadership position in online and offline food r etail segments, which is due to its efficient and effective outbound logistics. Drawing upon Mintel (2010), the company has developed a range of store formats and types, which are strategically placed to achieve maximum customer exposure. These formats include Express, Metro, Superstores, Extra and Homeplus, which are segmented according to the target population.Marketing and Sales Loyalty programs like Tesco Clubcard are being introduced through information technology advances which dissuade the customers from switching over to their competitors. Tesco has introduced its Greener Living Scheme to give consumers advice on environmental issues, including how to reduce food waste and their carbon footprint when preparing meals . Services Tesco has been pursuing a dual strategy of cost leadership and differentiation, which has led to an increased importance placed on customer service.Drawing upon Keynote (2010), this dual strategy is exhibited through the development of self-service kio sks, financial services, focused direct marketing and promotions. In order to put Tesco’s value chain analysis into perspective, it should be noted that despite cost leadership strategy the company has been able to create a high degree of value in comparison with its key competitors. The relative analysis of the value created by the big four supermarket chains, i. e. , Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons has been provided as follows:

John Locke Government Essay

Without a civil society, all rules of order begin to break down. At this point, there really is no society present. Rather, there is anarchy and an anarchistic society is not one where the populace can be reasonably cared for and protected. John Locke puts forth many assessments in this regard. However, Locke also understands that the current state of society will often play a role in terms of how we react to it. In Richard II, we have a monarchy of a society that fails to be civil in a number of ways. Because of this, action is taken by certain members of the populace. This does raise questions regarding whether or not the actions of these characters in the play support or undermine the theories of John Locke as they relate to the civil society. A closer examination of the play will reveal answers in this regard. In the play, we see certain callous and decidedly not well thought out actions on the part of Richard II. In the early stages of the play, the king interferes in a dual between Bolingbroke and Mowbray. The former is banished for 6 years as a result of his actions with the latter is banished forever. This creates great animosity among Mowbray and his followers while also setting the stage for the creation of a serious enemy. Such actions are further compounded when Richard appropriates all the land of John of Gaunt for himself when the character passes away. Are such actions those of a ruler that professes to oversee a civil society? A great many arguments can be made that such actions are hardly noble in their intent and action. At the core of Locke’s writing is that there really is no such thing as a divinity among the kings that rule a particular land. In other words, kings are not divine beings that can impose their will on the populace in any way they see fit. There are various John Locke, Government, and RICHARD II – Page 2 reasons why Locke promotes such a notion. Firstly, he recognizes that kings are human beings and, hence, fallible as all humans are. This can lead to kings being self-serving as opposed to serving their subjects and the rule of law. When both of these components are ignored, the civil society breaks down. Also, it becomes impossible for proper governance to exist unless deep and serious thought is put forth towards the nature and role of ruling. So, when a king puts forth the attitude that all things are good because of his divine will, society runs the risk of collapsing. Why is this so? Mainly, it is because no logic is being employed by the ruler. Rather, the king believes all things decreed correct because the king is infallible. This does little more than set the stage for the collapse of the king’s rule as well as the collapse of the civil society. We can see this in RICHARD II in several ways. Richard slowly seems to lose his grip on proper rule and becomes a self-serving entity. During the events of the play, we learn that Richard’s kingdom is involved in a long, bitter, and protracted war with Ireland. As such, the need for making proper and accurate decisions is a must. Poor decisions can undermine the effectiveness of the war effort which, in turn, can lead to a collapse of the kingdom. Early in the play, Richard is accused of not properly managing the war effort as evidenced by his personal appropriations of Gaunt’s wealth among other improprieties. This sets in motion the idea that he must be disposed as the ruler of the kingdom. John Locke, Government, and RICHARD II – Pg 3 While all rulers will be criticized at some point, the most stinging criticism would be that the leader does not hold the fabric of society together. Rather, he contributes to the collapse of society. An argument of these sorts can be made towards the rule of Richard II. Of great concern to Locke is the notion that the population has a right to private property and that any government or ruler that infringes on private property is little more than a tyranny. In the context of RICHARD II, there is a ruler that has no respect for private property as evidenced by his unlawful seizing of land and wealth. This poses the question when a king acts lawless, is there any law to the land? Locke also was an avowed believer in the notion that government must represent the will of the people. Those governments that do not provide for the populace in such a way will run the risk of being legitimately overthrown by the motivated members of the populace. We see such events played out in RICAHRD II in many different ways. Ultimately, all the actions of King Richard promote the notion that he does not serve his subject. Rather, he serves his own personal goals with little regard for the life and property of those he is entrusted to care for. One could say that RICHARD II truly does provide a clear interpretation of the problems with government detailed in John Locke’s SECOND TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT. As such, it would be safe to infer that Locke would hardly approve of the way Richard II rules. Considering the downfall of the king in the play, Richard II would have been better served had be been guided by Locke’s philosophical approach to government.

Main functions of GO4IT Sports Essay

* The company has a warehouse which supplies goods to shops as well as to sports teams by mail order * The company sells a wide range of sports goods in it shops this includes clothing, footwear and equipment for sports. * The shops also sell exercise equipment; however these large items are not kept in stock but are ordered from the supplier as required. * The company supplies match strips, to order, in team colours for different sports * The company supplies other team merchandise with team logo; these are supplied through a mail order service. * Sell sports trophies which can be engraved if required. * The company also supplies sports clothing in bulk to schools Different types of customers for GO4IT Sports The company’s customers include: * Schools * Sports teams for all sports such as football, rugby, tennis, athletics and golf * General customers * The shops which are supplied by the company’s warehouse Describe the functions of each section within the shops and Head Office, paying particular attention to Administration in shops and Human Resources in Head Office Functions of each section within the shops Administration * Each shop has a Branch Manager who has overall responsibility for the running of the shop. * The assistant manager and head of administration section report directly the branch manager. * The staff keeps account of the money taken through the EPOS terminals by comparing money received with EPOS records. * The administration staff produce and send correspondence from the shop as well as receiving correspondence. * Organise for a trophy to be engraved by contacting the local engraver. * Emailing weekly orders for goods to the warehouse * Producing confirmation purchase orders for goods and services * Checking invoices against goods received and work done and passing these to Head Office for payment Clothing sales * The clothing sales section has a clothing sales manager who the clothing sales staff and footwear sales staff report to. * Clothing Sales staff assist customers in choosing appropriate clothing and provide advice for those who wish to purchase clothing * The footwear sales staffs assist customers and provide advice for those who wish to purchase footwear. Equipment sales * The Equipment sales section has an Equipment sales manager. The general sales staff and specialist sales staff report to the Equipment sales manager. * The General sales staff operate the EPOS terminals, they scan the barcodes of every items during purchase and handing of receipts. * The Specialist sales staffs provide assistance and specialist advice and information for customers purchasing more advanced equipment. Functions within the Head Office * The Managing Director of GO4IT sports is responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of the business. The two directors which are: sales marketing director and the finance and administration director report to the managing director Sales and Marketing * The sales and marketing director is responsible for the mail order operation as well as advertising and promoting the business * A buying manager is responsible for locating the goods to be sold and negotiating contracts for their supply. * The buying manager ensures the right volume and type of goods are supplied at the right time to maximise profit. Finance and Administration * The Finance and Administration director is responsible for all other functions within the Head Office. This includes administration, Human Resources(HR) and finance * The Administration assistant, HR executive, chief accountant and ICT support executive report to the Finance and Administration director Finance * Keep records of all financial transactions on the head office server, including the income from sales for each shop and mail order, payments for goods purchased, payments for engraving contractors and staff wages. * Records are used to produce monthly and annual accounts for shareholders and Inland Revenue. * Generate VAT (value added tax) returns once a quarter for customs and excise. * Arrange for the amount due to be paid. Human Resource (HR) The functions of the HR Department are; * Staff recruitment and training * Place advertisements for staff * Send out and receive application forms * Organise interviews and provide contracts for successful applicants * Keeping standard personnel records on a database along with records of training courses attended by members of staff and any qualifications they obtain. * Determine what further training each staff member requires and how best to provide it * Book the member of staff on an external training course/ if many members require training organise for a trainer to deliver the course ‘in house’. Task1 Identify different types of supplier to the shops and warehouse and describe relationships between these suppliers and the departments/individuals within the company Warehouse Supplier What is supplied Who orders it How and when it is ordered Wholesaler Clothing and footwear Warehouse manager Order is made by fax once a month but can place special order by telephone if stocks of a particular item falls faster then expected Specialist manufacturers Sports equipment Buying Manager The buying manager negotiates contracts at the beginning of each season either by telephone or visit, for the supply of a certain quantity. Shops Supplier What is supplied Who orders it How and when it is ordered Local Engraver (external Contractor) Engraved Trophy Administration Assistant Administration Assistant telephones local engraver. The engraver collects the trophy from the shop with a confirmation purchase order detailing work the required. Warehouse Clothing and footwear Administration staff Branch manager hands an annotated stock list to Administration staff who e-mails warehouse Task 2 An analysis of the processes for recording sales in a shop and for mail order sales in Head Office. Shop Information Required * Product bar code or numerical code if bar code unreadable * Quantity bought * If sale is to be paid by credit card * If paying by cash the Amount to be tendered From where this is obtained and how it is captured * product code by barcode scanner * numerical code keyed in using a keypad * quantity keyed in by till operator * credit card yes/no keyed in The processing and calculations required * look up item in computer * display item name and price on screen * multiply price by quantity * if on sale, reduce total price by 50% * display total on screen * if credit card = yes, generate credit card receipt for signature The form and content of any output * on-screen / display message * paper till receipt * paper credit card receipt * Contains prices. items, sales items highlighted with words â€Å"ON SALE†, store address, time of sale, till operator name Mail Order in Head Office Information Required * Team details e.g. team name, name and address of contact person, the sport, the colour(s) and design of shirt/vest, position of logo e.g. VTL(vest top left), picture of team logo and team number * Product colour * Product quantity required * Product code * Colour code/ X is entered If a non standard colour * Size and number of colours in logo * Amount of deposit paid From where this is obtained and how it is captured * Team details from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Product colour from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Product quantity required from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Product code from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Colour code/ X is entered If a non standard colour from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Size and number of colours in logo from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Amount of deposit paid from completed order form from a mail order brochure entered onto data screen on computer using input devices such as keyboard and mouse * Team logo captured using a scanner and stand alone computer The processing and calculations required * look up item in computer * display item name and price on screen * Calculate price of embroidery by multiplying number of logos by price * multiply price by quantity * Calculate sub total if less than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 is added for postage and packaging * Calculate and add VAT to give total price The form and content of any output * on-screen / display message * Invoice * Contains prices. items, store address, store phone and fax number, date of sale, invoice number, team contact person details, sub total, VAT, total, Less deposit, total due. Task 3 Outlining the current ICT systems used by GO4IT Sports, in particular, Finance within Head Office and Administration within a Shop Administration within a shop * Each shop has a number of Electronic Point of Sales (EPOS) terminals with barcode readers and card readers. * Telephone connection to banking system * Small Local Area Network (LAN) of three computers * Laser Printer * Branch managers computer acts as a server * Dial up modem Software used includes * Word processing * Spreadsheet applications Finance within Head Office * Number of workstations * Local are network (LAN) * Single Server * Fast laser printer * Slower laser printer * Bar code reader * ISND line Software used includes * Word processing * Spreadsheet applications * Database management software * Stock control software Task 3 Analysing the purpose and operation of the main ICT systems used for sales in each shop and the ICT systems using within the warehouse Shops * Each shop has an EPOS terminal with barcode readers and card readers. Stock data is held on dedicated server connected to the EPOS terminals. * There is also a telephone connection to the banking system for authorisation of the card payments. * The barcode reader is used to scan the barcode of each item and the product code it contains is used to look the product description and price from stock database * When items are scanned total price is calculated. This includes the VAT, the system calculates the net value of the items, and all of this is printed on the receipt. * If customer pays by cash, member of staff enters the amount tendered; the EPOS terminal calculates the change due. This is printed on receipt and given to customer * If customer wishes to pay by credit or debit card the member of staff swipes the card through the card reader. The card details are checked by the banking system and if the transaction is approved an authorisation code is transmitted to the EPOS terminal. * The authorisation Code and card details and amount debited are printed on receipt which is handed to customer to sign with card and items purchased. Warehouse * Stand alone computer * Scanner * Computer controlled embroidery machine * Workstation * Laser printer * Stock control software has separate screens for incoming and outgoing goods. * All goods have a product code which is contained in a barcode. When goods arrive in the warehouse the barcode of each product is read and the quantity entered via the keyboard. * This data is used to update stock database. * For every order picked up the staff use the barcode reader to input the product code and the keyboard to enter the quantity removed from stock. These items are deducted from stock database. Task 3 Recommending and explaining improvements/ extensions to shop systems Methods for improving stock control and the re-ordering of stock, as well as integration of systems within GO4IT sports. * A dedicated server could be used instead of the branch manager’s computer acting as a server, if the branch manager’s computer crashes then that would leave the other computers stranded without a printer and no access to the internet. * ISDN connection would improve communication giving workers a faster connection to send e-mails internally. Dial up connections are not as reliable and are slower so information being sent will be limited due to connection speed of dial up. * There should be a centralised database put into place. This is where all the company’s data is held in one place and the computers in the company are networked. This central database can be used by anyone within the company provided they have been given access through a password. This will be a very resourceful way of storing company data, as it will prevent the problem of data duplication. * Sales based ordering where automatic re-ordering takes place of goods from the warehouse using the sales information from the checkouts. * To increase the efficiency of communication between the supplier and GO4IT sports I would recommend the introduction of EDI (electronic data interchange); the system is similar to email and allows users to exchange invoices, delivery notes, orders and receipts over the telephone network. Security * Log in pages requiring a specific unique user name requiring a private password to track who logs on and off to restrict users Possible problems for suggested improvements * One of the problems that may arise is the finance to cover the costs for the installation of the systems in place. * Also addition of new feature will mean that staff are not familiar with it and training for staff will be required. Benefits of using new technology EDI Advantages * It is much faster, as work does not have to be printed, it is on the screen * The EDI system is easy to use and work can be sent off very easily * Information can be sent to other companies, in less then a few minutes instead of days. * The company can be linked up with their bank, suppliers and customers. * Will minimize the amount of paperwork and business can be transacted much faster and more efficiently then is possible through the normal post. Disadvantages * For EDI, computers are relied on, therefore if the systems go down; it will have a huge of affect on the company. * It is very costly for the installation of EDI * The organization has to research into which system would be best for the company Ecommerce Advantages * Majority of the work of GO4IT sports can be done just through the internet, making it much easier. * This would means a lot less people will have to be employed this will result in huge savings for the company as most transaction will be electronic. * Currently GO4IT sports uses a lot of time to get into contact with suppliers by using the telephone, which can be tedious due to the telephone being engaged; by using e-commerce orders could be automatically electronically sent straight to the suppliers. * Team contacts currently have to post the payment to the company, which is very time consuming and not very secure and with using ecommerce an electronic funds transfer could be made. * Promotion of the company can be improved as it is all online presentation of online advertising can be enhanced. * This will also enable the company to advertise their products online and also allow customers to purchase the products directly from the site using their debit/credit card. They can place the desired items in the virtual shopping trolley. The company can be fully based on the internet, making it easier for the company and also for customers. Disadvantages * A close relationship between the retailer and supplier is required in order for the system to work * Returning products online will prove to be difficult. The customer may be put off when these areas are taken into account. As the customer will question how to send the goods back to their source? Who pays for the return postage? Will the refund be paid? Will I be left with nothing? How long will it take? Compared to offline experience of returning goods to a shop and it is frustrating for the customer. * Privacy, security, payment, identity, contract. Many issues arise – privacy of information, security of that information and payment details, whether or not payment details (eg credit card details) will be misused, identity theft, contract, and, whether we have one or not, what laws and legal jurisdiction apply. MIS(management information systems) For the Buying Manager I would recommend the following improvements: * MIS could produce an analysis of patterns of sales in the company * MIS would be able to identify peak production needs * What if type questions could be applied to different patterns of sales The features of the MIS system that could be used by the branch manager are: * Production costs can be based on raw material costs * MIS could be used to carry out analysis automatically * Results could be displayed in graphs which are easy to understand * Monthly graphs could be produced of price comparison with competitor’s goods or services resulting from regular market research. * Planning, directing, controlling and forecasting decisions. Both managers would benefit from the following points of the MIS system: * Warnings could be set if production costs exceed budget. * Warnings could be set if stocks fall below fixed level.

The day I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles

When I decided to go to the United States, my friends were really envious of me. They called the United States ‘Dream Land’, and so did I. Yes, I came here to make my dreams come true. I was so excited. When I boarded the airplane, my heart was beating faster and faster. And when I got off in the San Francisco International Airport, everything looked different from my country. Everything was beautiful. I admired the buildings, the people, I even thought that the sky here was so beautiful that home could not compare. Back home I hated it when it rains but here I thought of rainy days as romantic. The wind here was as cool as strawberry ice cream. I just loved everything in this ‘Dream Land’.   This was paradise to me, where I thought everyone is an angel. Little did I know that this illusion would soon be over, and this is the story of how my ‘Dream Land’ crumbled before my very eyes. Everything started when I decided I needed a car. Back home, I never felt the inconvenience of not having a car. I could go almost everywhere by foot and if I had to go somewhere far the bus can be relied on. However, ‘Dream land’ is huge; I could not go to market without a car. Everything was far from my place and the buses never came on time, so I spend hours on the road to get to where I need to go. That’s why I decided to buy a car. My parents however did not understand my situation. My father thought I envied friends who have cars, but eventually he agreed and said that if I can get a license he will buy me a car. My teacher gave me driver’s hand book to study and wrote a letter for the DMV to explain that I am an international student and that I needed assistance to get my driver’s license. During that time I was as student in the English as a Second Language center at Sac State. My English was not good. I had difficulty expressing myself in English. I could understand what they are saying but I could not give a reply since it was so hard for me to say what I am thinking. That’s why my teacher wanted the DMV officer to read her letter. When I went to DMV, I had to wait an hour and half until my number was called even if I had a reservation. An hour and a half was really a long time to wait, but that was still okay with me. My frustration started right after that. I went to the window which has my number on the screen. There was old white lady. She looked very blunt and never smiled. I said, â€Å"Hi, um,, I   want to take a test for the driver’s license.† But, she did not understand what I said. She repeatedly said â€Å"Excuse me, what? What?† I was losing my confidence. Americans would never understand, how scary it is for a foreigner when they say ‘What?’ in a condescending if not antagonizing way. Any way, when she finally understood me, I showed her my documents, including my   passport, I-20 and the letter that my teacher wrote. The blunt old white lady said to me. ‘No, you can not take a test because you do not have social security number.’ I politely explained to her that I could not understand because international students can not get social security number, and some of my friends took test just a day before, but she said ‘why are you talking about your friends? I do not care about them. The problem is that you do not have social security number.’ I felt that she was annoyed and did not want to listen to my poor English. So, finally I asked her to read the letter. However, she did not read it and said ‘Sac State is not my government.’ I was speechless with amazement, and I could not accept what she said. When I tried to say something, she said ‘why are you still here? If you can not follow American law, go back to your country.’ She was really rude. And the experience was   so frustrating for me. That was the day I realized that this place is not the ‘Dream Land’ I thought it to be. The angel has turned into a scary antagonizing monster, whom I hate. As I walked to the bus stop I could not stop my tears from falling and soon I was crying so hard. It was a very painful experience for me. I was so humiliated by the way the rude white lady who does not know what is legal. I hated her. I hated myself for not being able to express my thoughts in English. And I hated this ‘Dream land’ where they do not give social security number to international students, and want to us pay ten times expensive tuition fee than that paid by their citizens. That was the day I understood what racism means. I am an Asian who could not speak English well, so the white lady did not listen to me. I thought to myself, this not ‘Dream land’ after all, the old lady at the DMV made me realize just that and she did it in a really painful manner. I went to the mall to meet my friend and tell this story because if I did not tell this story that day, I think I would have died.   We sat at the food court, and spoke in Korean. I felt so relieved that I could speak in my mother tongue and be understood by my friend. Suddenly, an old white man came to us. He asked us, ‘What language are you guys talking with?’ We said, ‘Korean’. We thought he was interested in listening to another language. However, it was another illusion. He explained that we have to speak only in English in the ‘Dream land.’ We were so offended by what he said but what offended us more and made us very angry were his last words to us. He said ‘Go to the restroom and wash your mouths.’ I could not believe he was insulting us because we did not speak in English. From that day, ‘Dream land’ is not dream land to me any more. And I realize how wrong I was to think that this is ‘Dream Land†. There is no dream land and no angels. It was really a sad experience for me to be treated unfairly because of my race and poor English. From then on, I studied English very hard until I could speak very well. Nowadays, when I see people who can not speak English well at the mall or on the road, I try my best to help them and I am always careful not to say anything that would ruin their confidence because I do not want to break their dreams like the old white lady did to me. If they still think this is ‘Dream Land’ I do not want to ruin it for them.      

Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Music - Research Paper Example In particular, the paper explores sweet home Alabama (SHA) that was produced with strong massage to ensure eradication of racism and slavery in various states. It recognized the imperativeness of building coherent societies, which embraces quality values in life. Similarly, lynard skynard provides sufficient information towards drug abuse eradication, which threatened to paralyze economic performance and social cohesion in various states including southern states. Various individuals who assert its relevance in building vibrant societies with superior ethical values have accepted its noble ideals. Consequently, the paper also gives an analysis of southern man Alabama song, which similarly communicated appropriate massage on racism with an aim of ensuring its eradication. Comparative and contrasting elements of the songs have also been discussed together with the songs significance to southerners. Introduction Music is a critical element in human life, which provides educative, entert ainment and social messages. Critically, it has played a crucial role in developing human behaviors in various facets of life towards building sustainable and cohesive societies. There are various categories and types of music, which are produced to convey definite and intended information to various individuals. Ideally, there is gospel music, love music that conveys love massages, hip-hop music and pop culture music which relays deep-rooted information towards shaping up cultural practices among societies. Most leaders and scholars affirm that music especially pop culture music has facilitated drastic transformation in human behavior. They assert that such informative songs have the capacity to transform ancient cultural practices and beliefs to conform to modern life practices. Variably, music provides basic ways of nurturing noble human character through systematic communication of information. Various songs take diverse dimensions and themes, which is majorly determined by defi nite information to be communicated. Songwriters and producers consider moral influences of their songs towards transformation of individual’s lifestyle which vital towards modernity. This paper explores musical pieces sang and produced by various pop artists and how they have influenced various individuals lifestyle in the southern state. Song analysis This section provides detailed analysis of three pop culture songs which includes sweet home Alabama (SHA), Lynard skynard and southern man" and "alabama which were profoundly sung by various artists with acute determination to instill admirable human practices for effective cohesion. It also highlights the songs comparativeness and basic elements applied in their production1. The songs have widely been accepted by various individuals due to their educative and entertaining nature, which is critical towards ensuring achievement of their purposes2. Critically, the songs adopted various themes with sweet home Alabama adopting un iversal theme that sought to eradicate racism and slavery in various societies including southern states. Lynard skynard adopted drug liberation, which is asocial theme with a strong focus to fight drug addiction, which has become a prevalent aspect influencing performance in various societies. Its mission has been received well with most individuals embracing its drug free concept as a pillar that ensures mutual coexistence and performance in various areas, in humanity3. Consequently, southern man" and "alabama song also adopted social and economic theme, which relays sufficient information with requisite capacity to advance social and economic settings in humanity. The songs out rightly provides quality information based on life ideals and attitude

Irish Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Irish Civil War - Essay Example These divisions become the cause to the complexity which arose in the Irish civil war. Religious divisions often were more intense then the political ones and political divisions appeared to change every month depending on recent objectives (Neeson 1990). A detailed understanding of the causes which led to Irish civil war requires an analysis of the people and events before war started as well as the vents that took place throughout the war. Like many protestant groups Sinn Fein made a military wing, and by 1914 civil war seemed unavoidable. The occurrence of the First World War nevertheless a lot of important events, like the British Parliament suspension a bill permitting free Irish home rule. The home rule bill's suspension was opposed by three small nationalist groups, these were the Citizen Army, this was an illegal group of citizens of Dublin, the Irish volunteers, which was a national body of defence, and the Sinn Fein, all got together by their military wings and made arrangements for the Easter Uprising, this was one of the most prominent events which led to the civil war. At noon on the 24th of April in 1916 (Younger 1986), approximately two thousand Irish nationalists took over the Dublin Post Office as well as other points in the city which could help them in their mission. The rebellion's leaders announced the Irish independence; they were in control of Dublin city by 25th April1. A counter offensive was launched by the British on the 26th of April, and martial law was implemented throughout Ireland2. This led to violent street fighting in the city, but the British forces were stronger as they were better armed they thus they were successful in slowly removing the Irish nationalists from the places which they had taken over. On the 29th of April the post office building which was the rebel headquarters, was attacked by the heavily armed British army, eventually the rebels had to surrender. Approximately four hundred and forty troops of the British army died in the small battle at the post office, and almost an equal of number Irishmen lost their lives. 15 rebels were put to death. Sinn Fein's leader Eamon de Valera was also was also given the death sentence. His sentence was changed to life imprisonment, the next he was given. Amnesty (Liam 2006). Even though the rebellion was not successful it had the support of a lot of Irish people, and the public extremely opposed the death sentence of fifteen rebels, this further strengthened Sinn Fein's electoral support. In the election 's of 1918, the candidates of Sinn Fein candidates won seventy three out of hundred and six seats which were allotted to Ireland for the British Parliament3. Due to such great support, in January of 1919 the members of Parliament which belonged to the Sinn Fein held a meeting in Dublin and announced independence of Ireland, for their objective they made Eamon de Valera their president. Sinn Fein 's armed wing, which was known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after the meeting began a violent guerrilla war in opposition to the British troops who were

Ostemyelitis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ostemyelitis - Research Paper Example entist defined this disease as â€Å"corruption of the bones†, in 1830 Gross used the term â€Å"necrosis†, Paster called this disease â€Å"carbuncle† in 1860 as he thought that the infectious agent of ordinary abscesses and bone infection was the same. In 1931 Nowicki called it â€Å"osteitis†as he was sure that this disease infect mainly the bone tissue and bone marrow involve only in suppuration. Finally Lannelongue firstly used the term ostemyelitis in 1879 as he thought that an infection starts primary from the bone marrow. The causation of osteomyeltitis remained unclear until Pasteur proved the existence of microorganisms in 1860 and showed that they can provoke this disease. The nature of the osteomyelitis was more deeply described using X-rays by Roentgen in 1896. Later on modern imaging procedures such as ultrasonography, isotope bone scan, MRI and computed tomography helped to fully understand the pathology and diagnosis of different stages of osteomyelitis. Also some predisposed factors were discovered such as malnutrition, debilitating diseases, immunological and genetic factors. Therefore, through a long historical period scientist describe pathology, diagnosis, treatment of the osteomyelitis. (Abulfotooh M. Eid,2003) Osteomyelitis usually caused by bacteria, but may be provoked by fungi or other germs. Different bacteria can cause osteomyelitis depends on age of the patients. Newborns at age of under 4 months are infected by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter and group A and B Streptococcus species. Children at age 4 months -4 years can be infected by Haemophilus influenza, S. aureus, Enterobacter and group A Streptococcus strains. Osteomyelitis in adolescents and adults in 80% of cases caused by S. aureus. Osteomyelitis in children usually affects the long bones of the upper and lower extremities while adults have likelihood for development of the infection in the bones that forms the spine called vertebrates. In patients with sickle cell anemia the

Literacy Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literacy Narrative - Essay Example This made me have a hard time to establish relationships with my colleagues especially because my parents pushed me hard to maintain good grades while I struggle to resist the diversions like my love for soccer. Because of this, I had to balance my time for academics and at the same time extracurricular activities and make sure not one of which would pull one down. Sooner, I realized that the free society of America was to my advantage because it had given me the freedom that I did not enjoy at home. Whenever I am in school or with friends, I am truly me. However, the price to pay for that freedom would be the fact that I had to be more responsible for my own actions and the consequences of which. During my whole experience, one of the most useful lessons I learned would be learning how other foreign students survive and at the same time enjoy themselves in this situation. This really made my life a lot easier as I would not have to go through the rocky roads instead, walk in the paved ones already. Another would be knowing that practice makes perfect. Thus, to do so, during the weekly get togethers in the Global Heritage Hall of the campus, I threw myself in every conversation I can have with friends that spoke English because I know it would strengthen my language grasp and command over spoken and written English. Aside from that, I even made more friends, two of whom were Americans who had come from Texas. It was the time when I found out that surviving language barrier was not an impossible dream at all. My journey did not stop with just learning new English words and putting it all together to make a sensible statement. One of the important factors in learning a new language would be humor. I consider it as a vital factor that connected people of different walks in life and race not only through words but at the same time through memorable dialogue and helped us to overcome the awkwardness of the language wall. I

The Function of Ethics and Financial Services Essay

The Function of Ethics and Financial Services - Essay Example The company was involved in a fraud scheme whereby Gottlieb and Drabinsky received $7, 000, 000 directly or through the company owned by Gottlieb. $ 4, 000, 000 of the total amount was capitalized as the pre-production costs. Gottlieb and Drabinsky operated a kickback scheme with Livent vendors and took the mentioned amount from the company and took into their own pocket. To fully convince the company of the transaction, Gottlieb instructed the two vendors to present an invoice that could not expose their deal. Gottlieb and Drabinsky received the payment for bogus services. In the mid-1990s, it became difficult for the company to attain its financial goals. Gottlieb and Drabinsky enjoyed their financial gain, and in turn, the company had to bear the loss. It became difficult for the company to raise additional capital to sustain its operation. Gottlieb and Drabinsky manipulated the company by directing Livent’s accounting staff to obscure the company’s financial crisis. Some of the manipulations included erasing the accounting records that recorded the liabilities and expenses of the company at the end of each year. The Livent’s accounting staff engaged into an accounting scam of transferring the preproduction costs of existing show to shows that were in production. This transfer manipulated the company to comprehend the cost of the major items used in production. To reduce the costs of preproduction, Livent’s accounting team transferred the costs to fixed asset accounts.... The Livent’s accounting staff engaged into an accounting scam of transferring the preproduction costs of existing show to shows that was in production. This transfer manipulated the company to comprehend the cost of the major items used in production. To reduce the costs of preproduction, Livent’s accounting team transferred the costs to fixed asset accounts. Eventually, the company started debiting salary expenses and operating expenses to long-term fixed assets accounts. Livent transferred the cost of the shows that were currently running to shows that never existed (Knapp & Knapp n.d, p10). In 1996, Gottlieb and Drabinsky conducted a scheme referred as the fraudulent revenue-generating. This fraud involved various multimillion-dollar transactions organized by Gottlieb and Drabinsky. Most transactions involved the rights to produce Show and Ragtime Boat in different U.S. theatres to Texas companies. The contract or agreement of this transaction obligated the need to h ave a non refundable fee. Specifically, the $11.2 million fee paid by the Texas company to Livent was non refundable. However, the Livent’s executives arranged a secret side agreement that guaranteed Texas Company a reasonable rate of return on every large investment they made. Despite the actual growth and earnings that the company achieved, the accounting staff benefited more while the company deteriorated at a high rate. The final Livent Fraud occurred in the late 1997, when Livent opened Ragtime in the Los Angeles Theatre. The company got into an agreement with the theatre of closing the show if the weekly sales fell less than $500, 000. During that period, Livent entered into various transactions purporting to present

Gender and Sex roles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender and Sex roles - Essay Example Eunuchs have had a hugely varied life with some of them being constrained to lead a life of hugely ridiculed servants while some others having the good luck of rising to the pinnacle of society in the form of military generals and highly respected court eunuchs. The book by Kathryn Ringrose presents an in-depth study of eunuchs as they were perceived in Byzantine culture that held sway for nearly a thousand years ‘†¦the founding of Constantinople in 324 to its capture by the Turks in 1453’ (p. 3). Most refreshingly, the author has not followed the standard historical procedure of adopting a chronological approach. Rather she has traced the condition of eunuchs through the entire period with special reference to all those that could achieve social status and glory. Another interesting feature of this book is that the author also clearly describes how the medical definitions and legal perspectives about eunuchs kept varying from one century to the other during the ent ire period of Byzantine civilization. The theoretical issues on gender construction in Byzantine Empire through the entire one thousand years have been discussed in great detail. These issues and discussions found their way into medical treatises, ecclesiastical tomes and hagiographies penned during that period. While clarifying that castration was never removal of penis but surgical removal of testicles, the author concludes that castration never robbed a man of his outward symbol of masculinity but prevented a man from procreation. Hence, the term eunuch often referred to a man who has never procreated (p. 14f). The church, therefore, often referred to a celibate monk as a eunuch, one who has not undergone surgical castration but spiritual castration in the sense that he has become devoid of any desire to procreate as his entire attention has been focused on Jesus Christ and God. In a sense such an explanation or understanding of the term eunuch possibly clarified to many the real meaning of what Jesus had hinted at when he said that some people convert themselves into eunuchs for greater glory of the kingdom of Heaven. However, there was a strict separation between those who could not procreate as they were biologically incapable to do so and those that opted not to procreate as a matter of choice. However, around eighth century, eunuchs began to be more readily accepted in higher echelons of society and this spilled over into religious domain too when churches began to allow eunuchs to occupy ‘†¦prominent religious positions’ (p. 118) with Germanos being one of the most famous eunuchs that went on to occupy very high position in the theological hierarchy. While the first part of the book deals with theoretical and conceptual issues of gender construction in Byzantine society the second deals with historical details of eunuchs who rose to occupy prominent social positions either as ministers or military generals. Ringrose has been very cle ar on two points: first is eunuchs within Byzantine kingdom formed a distinct ‘†¦third gender’ (p. 4), and, second is there is an inherent difficulty in accurately describing the lives of eunuchs as most of these accounts have been written by eunuchs themselves. 2. Sturges, Robert S. 2000. Chaucer's Pardoner and Gender Theory: Bodies of Discourse. NewYork: St. Martin's. $45.00 hc.