War And Society Essays - Culture, Structure, Cultural Studies

War And Society Keeleys is attempting to prove that primitive warfare throughout history has been effective and occasionally more successful than civilized methods. Throughout Chapter five of War Before Civilization, evidence is displayed showing the different success rates of primitive warfare compared to its civilized counterpart. Two examples that offer proof to Keeleys theory are: 1. Julius Caesars Roman legion was incapable of conquering England, which was defended by the undisciplined, barbarian hosts of Celts and Germans. Raids and ambush tactics demonstrated by the barbarians deferred a Roman triumph for a century. (A.D.9.) (Pg.72) 2. During the Battle of Little Big Horn, two hundred U.S. soldiers led by Colonel Custer were ambushed and defeated by one thousand and eight hundred Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. (1866) (Pg.73) Certainly, aspects of primitive warfare have had high success rates throughout war and history, yet the majority of Keelys examples are only of individual battles. The majority of Primitive societies lack the required population, food, and artillery to win the war. Attempting to differentiate the success rate of primitive and civilized warfare is an unattainable task. While particular historical battles have proved the effectiveness of uncivilized warfare, economic and social resources should be considered in every individual case. Keelys illustrations and examples of past war patterns disprove the myth that primitive societies will always be defeated by civilized armies in time of war. Proving primitive effectiveness is clearly Keelys aspiration in Chapter Five. (Pg.71) Keelys various examples from different centuries demonstrate that primitive warfare has occasionally been victorious in opposition to civilized societies. History Essays

Shapes and Texture Essay Example

Shapes and Texture Essay Example Shapes and Texture Essay Shapes and Texture Essay Roman copy after an original Greek fresco of c. 300 b. c. Mosaic, 106. ? 201. in. (271 ? 512 cm). Also known as the â€Å"Alexander Mosaic†. In 2D, actual textures are found in collages which may glue on a surface real objects such as newspaper clippings, tickets, cloth, coins as elements of the composition. Girl with a Mandolin Pablo PicassoTexture from the artist’s handling of paint and brush Impressionist and Expressionist paintings possess an immediate physical presence that invites TOUCH. Alfred Sisley, Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne Vincent Van Gogh, The Red Vineyard TEXTURE IN 3D Actual texture can be found in the natural quality of the medium. The sculptor may also choose to enhance or to modify the original qualities of the material. Praxiteles enhanced the marble medium which he polished to a high sheen, giving the marble a sensuous glow to simulate the texture of the skin. Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus French sculptor Auguste Rodin turned away fro m the classical â€Å"finish† and cultivated a rough and lively surface to the effect the interplay of light on the sculptural form. He often leaves a part of the work unfinished for the viewer to complete in his or her imagination. The Walking Man T’ang potters (618906) usually leave the lower section of their jars unglazed to bring out the contrast between the glazed area and the even neutral biscuit of the body. Two traditions can be distinguished in the study of textures in art. – Ideal of the finished surface.Long dominant tradition of placing value on smooth, lustrous textures that are associated with costly materials accessible to the elite, such as different kinds of marble, gold, precious silks. – Zen aesthetics of Asian art. The zen concept of sabi (the values of rustic unpretentiousness of archaic imperfection, apparent simplicity of effortlessness in execution) The ideal of the â€Å"finished† surface The European beaux arts academi es strengthened the old tradition by formulating a hierarchy of materials in art. Marble was the most favored material in sculpture. Oil on canvas for painting. Donatello, â€Å"David† Only works in these media could be considered for salon competitions, and those in other materials were not deemed to merit serious consideration. Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin The ideal of imperfection Sabi literally means â€Å"loneliness† or â€Å"solitude† In Zen aesthetics, irregularities of form, imperfections of glaze, slight damages and scars, and a certain air of incompleteness show that â€Å"beauty is not captive to perfection† CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO TEXTURE Modernist artists (Impressionists, Cubists and Futurists) reacted to the structures of the academy. They released art from the obligatory conventions of medium and opened endless artistic possibilities in terms of new materials and textures, as well as techniques producing textures. Fuma ge in which the paper is darkened or smoked with soot from a flame. Wolfgang Paalen’s fumage One can create art from all kinds of materials and textures, that the artist does well to respect and appreciate the natural beauty of materials derived from the living environment. It is best to work with locally available materials to convey the character of the natural and social setting.SHAPES Shapes are twodimensional or threedimensional. Two-dimensional shapes exist as planes having length and width. Three-dimensional shapes possess length, width, and volume. Classification of Shapes Geometric (rectilinear or curvilinear) Biomorphic Free inventions – As signifiers, their meanings are often derived from cultural codes and symbolic systems. GEOMETRIC SHAPES Rectilinear Angular geometric shapes Made up of straight lines and angles Generally hard, firm and more cerebral, unemotional, impersonal than curvilinear shapes. Definite, measurable, predictable, masculine in character. Basis of stability of the universe. In symbolism, the cube stands for the earth or the material world of the four elements. It also symbolizes unyielding structures, whether reason or law. The broader its base the more stable. Small base = sense of precariousness and danger, since it becomes mentally associated with sharp points, spikes and slivers of glass. Signifies stability when it rests on its base with the apex pointed upwards. Symbolizes fire and the aspiration of all things toward a higher unity.Curvilinear Circle as a selfcontained form without angles or corners signifies perfection, eternity, a closed universe or the state of oneness. No beginning nor end Represents circular movement. Other curvilinear shape are oval, cylinder and cone. GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN DIFFERENT CULTURES Mandala – geometric shape used as an aid to mental concentration and meditation. Three basic principles: – Center – Symmetry – Cardinal points The c ircle or disc as emblem of the sun, the primal source of light and energy. Yin-Yang signifies the interactive dualism or dialectics.Idea of opposites. Islamic Art Molded tile panel, 13th–14th century lkhanid period; Iran, Nishapur Ceramic with turquoise and cobalt glaze A perfect expression of radiation from a central point, the star is the most popular design element in Islamic art. The six-pointed stars in this pattern are molded with a lotus design from China, an important influence on Islamic art. GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN CONTEMPORARY ART Paul Cezanne advanced the theory that the entire universe can be reduced to three shapes: – sphere, cone, cylinder Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1904-6, Oil on CanvasBridget Riley, â€Å"Pause† 1964 Victor Vasarely, â€Å"Gestalt 4† 1970 BIOMORPHIC SHAPES Biomorphic shapes are derived from living organisms. Some are microscopic and unicellular – amoeba Egg, internal organs, are also biomorphic shapes Leaves, flowers, and fruits are biomorphic shapes of an infinite variety. Shape implies a defining outline, â€Å"form† implies structure as well. Nature in Art Rococo decorative design characterized by floral and plant motifs forming garlands and wreaths. Egyptian column with papyrus leaves for motif.FREE SHAPES Found in painting and sculpture or the visual arts in general as inventions of the artist. They are neither geometric following mathematical definition nor biomorphic following patterns of organic growth and the shapes of living things. Often found in abstract art where they may suggest fantasy and whim. Also related to doodling and automatic writing of Surrealist art which draws images from subconscious level of mind. Joan Miro, â€Å"The Garden† Wassily Kandinsky, â€Å"Composition no. 7† Alexander Calder Cow, 1926 Elephant, 1928

Boiled Frog Phenomenon in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boiled Frog Phenomenon in Business - Essay Example The veracity of this phenomenon is however, a suspect. Scripture (1897) informs that " a live frog can actually be boiled without a movement if the water is heated slowly enough; in one experiment the temperature was raised at a rate of 0.002C. per second, and the frog was found dead at the end of 2 hours without having moved." Many other scientists though debunk this concept (Gibbons, 2002). The "Boiled Frog" syndrome is often used in business, politics, environment, and other day-to-day activities. In strategic management, this refers to the inability of the companies to detect slow and gradual changes, which could be detrimental to its businesses. While most companies are adept at identifying sudden changes, gradual changes are difficult to detect. Polynice (2009) infers that "the frog metaphor for organizations is that we as a whole should try and identify the threats of our survival at an early stage when we still have time to plan rather than react to that particular threat; which will be too late. Furthermore, we must also learn how to reduce our threshold of change in order to be able to identify smaller changes that are occurring in our environment." This phenomenon can occur in all fields of business, viz., operations, external environment, business acquisition, logistics, etc.. InInstances analogous to "Boiled Frog" often occur in the business environment. In fact, the term was first used by Roger Ford (2002), columnist for Modern Railways magazine while describing privatization of British Rail. A business example of such a situation is the British Railways after privatization. The company Railtrack plc (Railtrack, 2009) took over the railway infrastructure from the government after privatization in April 1994. This new company owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and almost all the stations of in UK. It is believed that the company abused its near monopolistic position, and did not commit itself to necessary improvements in infrastructure and safety. Regulators were appointed, but Railtrack resisted regulatory pressures to improve its performance. The performance of the company deteriorated gradually, but there was no recognition of it within the company. Finally, a few crashes, particularly the Hatfield (Hatfield rail crash, 200 9) crash on October 17, 2000 exposed the deep-seated safety and maintenance problems of Railtrack. Though only four fatalities occurred in the crash, it exposed the lack of proper management practices and set into motion a chain of events, which finally led to the sell-off of Railtrack to government owned Network Rail in October 2002. While the root-cause-analysis revealed the root cause of the Hatfield accident to be "Rolling Contact Fatigue", there were several other contributory factors. This included divesting of much of the engineering knowledge of erstwhile British Rail into maintenance contractors. The record keeping of Railtrack was also not adequate. On investigation, several similar potential track problems were discovered. At the

Reasons for the Nazca Lines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reasons for the Nazca Lines - Essay Example According to them one of the reason for Nazca lines is that they want to point the place where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set. However upon further analysis on the hypothesis, archeoastronomist Gerald Hawkins and Anthony Aveni conclude that there was insufficient evidence to support an astronomical explanation. In 1985 archeologist Johan Reinhard states that the Nazca people believed that mountain gods protected humans and controlled the weather. These gods also affected water sources and land fertility since they are associated with lakes, rivers and the sea. He presented the theory that the lines and figures can be explained as part of religious practices involving the worship of deities associated with the availability of water and thus the fertility of crops. The lines were interpreted as being primarily used as sacred paths leading to places where these deities could be worshiped and the figures as symbolically representing animals and objects meant to invoke their aid. However, the precise meanings of many of the individual geoglyphs remain unsolved. Another study and the possible reason for the Nazca lines, is that it serve as a landmark for possible source of underground waterways. These lines according to David Johnson shows that the highly geoglyphs part are the part wherein water is abundant. Based on his study the Nazca lines shows where the path of the water goes. By creating a giant, full-scale map they would know exactly where to find their water no matter what area of the desert they were in. The geoglyphs would then be religious figures for the gods or names given for each water source. Eclipsologist Robin Edgar has theorized that the Nazca Lines, particularly the biomorph geoglyphs that depict animals, human figures, birds and "flowers" are almost certainly an ancient response to the so-called "Eye of God" that is manifested in the sky during a total solar eclipse. According to Robin it is the response of the Nazca Indian to God during the total solar eclipse. An unusual series of total solar eclipses over southern Peru coincided with the time period during which the Nazca Lines and geoglyphs were created. The totally eclipsed sun distinctly resembles the pupil and iris of a gigantic eye looking down from the sky thus providing an explanation as to why the Nazca Indians created gigantic geoglyph artworks that are best viewed by an "Eye in the Sky". Another theory that maybe the reason for the creation of the Nazca lines is that a large number of worshipers walked along a preset pattern dedicated to particular holy entity. Based on researches residents of local villages say the Indians conducted rituals on these giant drawings to thank the gods and to ensure that water would continue to flow from the Andes. According to Michael Vaillant, conductors under the form of very slim gold or copper leafs would have been stretched on the ground. These conductors would have been used as antennas to collect the very low frequencies magnetotelluric waves produced in certain seismographic areas, and that occurred a few hours (or days) before the seisms. This hypothesis relies on a controversial theory named as "SES" (Seismic Electric Signals). The Nazca lines would be the traces of the place where these conductors would have been set down, but also of the numerous tests that would have been done and to find "suitable positions" to collect EM field and

Comparing Marcuse, Freire and Gramsci Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparing Marcuse, Freire and Gramsci - Essay Example According to his theory of politics, the downfall of the emancipator politics is caused by little understanding of the basis of power of the institution. The lack of adequate knowledge is majorly brought about by the relationship that existed between politics and the popular culture. According to the theory, the political education of a marginalized area determines the occurrence of changes in the political and social life of the region. In order to eliminate the domination relations, a new culture has to be created. The masses should also be transformed into being conscious of the political on-goings in the state. According to Gramsci’s theory of politics, in the modern state, the relations of domination are maintained and protected by the coercion and force (Borg, Buttigieg & Mayo 27). The relations are also maintained through the practices of consent and persuasion.

Innovation in E-commerce: Operation and Logistics

Innovation in E-commerce: Operation and Logistics Innovation in E-commerce with New Trial Service Rohit Meena Introduction An e-commerce is the facility or service, which provide customers the service to buy products online on the Internet. Today In India and other countries e-commerce is being used for getting products online easier and faster. In the 21th century e-commerce comes with the new revolutionary concept-people can get their products online from many brands. Purchasing and selling of products has become very easier due to e-commerce. Communication from one seller to other seller provides different product and varieties in the market. One of the biggest challenges faced by the e-commerce industry is that most of the people are often unsure of their sizes and how their online purchase clothes will fit in real life. I’m trying to solve this problem by providing actual physical trial service for people trying to buy apparel online. This service helps customers to make purchasing decisions. Many people can get confused about their sizes or color choice and they prefer to buy products in the store. Trial Concept is a strategy of marketing which increases consumer satisfaction for online shopping. When consumer orders their product from the online site and gets size problem or other product visualization problem, this type of problem decreases the online sales because people do not want to buy again those stuff which comes with size problems. Trial Concept will make high demand in the market because it comes with the market demand calculation according to the trial demand. Basically, it will also help to consumer for getting their product to be available in the store. High demand of products in the market creates unavailability of products. Product quality and sizing problems will be solved by the trial option. In the future this feature will increase retail sales. The trial system will encourage people who have never shopped online before to try out online shopping by removing the restriction of size and fit confusion. Secondary Literature In the 21th Century People more and more are shopping online. Studies have shown that e-commerce sales grew 15 percent in 2012, which is several times more than average retail industrys spending growth. 80 percent of the sales in this industry are still taking place within the four walls. Even though a majority of apparel shoppers visit the retailers website, research the product online, or read reviews before making purchase, only a few actually buy the product online. Most people who do buy clothes online are likely to buy an item only after they have already tried it on in a store or seen someone else wear it before. This is especially true among women. Not knowing the quality of the product and having to wait for the product to arrive may affect the shoppers decision to buy clothes online, but the biggest problem I see preventing a shopper from buying clothes online is not being able to visualize how the product will look on her/him body. If the retailers can address this issue, the concerns like the quality of the product and the shipping time can easily be fixed. I agree that people want to feel, see, and try the product before they buy; and e-commerce sites can not provide that real experience of touching the product, but with improved technology and larger, better quality pictures, shoppers can get a pretty good idea of the quality. Plus the free shipping and free returns already being offered by many e-commerce retailers will give shoppers the option to experience the products without leaving their house. Retailers could not be able to solve fit issues on the Internet. Fit issues are the main reasons of customers that create d o not feel excited about buying clothes online. E-commerce retailers can attract people if they can address their practical issues that are keeping many probable customers from shopping for clothes. Advanced digital technologies like the virtual fitting room software that provide the shopper better fit experience than the two dimensional pictures. But not every retailer can afford those expensive technology and not every shopper is willing to spend the time it takes for them to upload the picture (or whatever else is required to let the software know their bodys dimensions or size) and drag/select each product they want to try on and wait for the results. It is easier and time saving for the shopper to just clicks the size she/he wants to see on picture and get done. It may not give her/him the enhanced experience of three-dimensional virtual fitting, but it will give her/him a pretty good idea of how she/he can expect to look on those products. But a virtual fitting room is the lack of uniformity in apparel sizing. It is the biggest problem of the apparel industry right now. Each manufacturer has its own sizing standard. And, within each manufacturer, there are size variation d epending on the fabric, style, and so many other factors. It is simply impossible for those software to accommodate all manufacturers sizing standards, which means majority of new and smaller brands can not be represented. To conclude, with help of general sizing guides posted by the retailers on their e-commerce site, the shopper may know what size of any particular item she/he should buy; but she/he can not visualize the product on her/him body if the model is not representative of her/him size. Fabrics behave differently depending on how they are woven, knitted, treated and finished. That means the products stretch ability; molding and yielding property varies depending on many factors. The same shirt can look totally different on women or men of different sizes. Women or men want to see if the product is going to fir or not. Therefore, many people prefer to try the item on their body before they buy it. Working of the concept The process of trial service includes all shops of specific brand. This trial feature distributes the goods from one place to other place according to the consumer demand or request when a consumer browses his/her product online. It will work faster compare to taking trial or finding shops of product. Trial service modifies the design of transportation for better service. When consumer rejects their product on the store, the retailer will sell the product; but in many situations consumers demand are different so trial service has to connect with all stores or warehouses. Cost factor for the transfer of goods matter a lot for the product cost. I am not sure that this idea will be accepted by every industry because many times it will not be possible to deliver every goods on the location, but my concept connects store to store. If consumer bought some product and he won’t be able to get this product within the deliver time, my service will deliver goods to the nearest the store. Consumers time will be saved by this feature: the consumer will get his/her product from the nearest store. Explanation of the concept Trial Concept clears many issues for the online shopping. Some times retailers complain that customers come in their shop for only trying clothes and retailers cannot charge for trying clothes in their shops so the idea of trial shopping solved the retailer’s problem. My concept for the online shopping related to customer satisfaction secures more online shopping. This idea will work with the official site of brands and chains. Users can easily go online and shop for items. If people want to see or check that product will fit or not, trial option works as a feature. This option takes four sizes and color of the product or consumer can order multiple choices at the one time but the multiple choice products will be limited. A consumer will be able to give five products for the trial at the one time. Some time retailers may not have stock all collection in the store so consumer faces problem for their choice product so the trial option will only provide the product available in t he store. If consumer wants that product to get home delivered because at the trial time consumer wasn’t able to purchase that product, he can do so. Consumer will get only one-day time period for the trial and trial-purchase. Trial date and time will be sent by the customer care department to customers cell or email. Basically this idea gives opportunity to customer if he/she is not getting product on store in some areas. Communication of the one store to other store from the storage warehouse makes transfer of goods easier but the trial facility create some changes in the transfer of goods because suppose in one area there are two-three shops which do not have stock of high demand goods. Trial system will calculate the product demand from the consumers according to the same product’s trial demand. So the trial system will help to the company for the area’s product demand. Example: in Lucknow, winter season is going on so people definitely buy cold clothes in t he winter weather. If there are five shops of Tommy Hilfiger in the city and they have limited stock of sweaters. But the city people demand of Tommy products is high so the trial system will calculate the demand and provide stocks to these city shops. Trial system maintains the transportation cost because every week stores get their products from the warehouse anyway, so the trial will send by the warehouse. Conclusion E-commerce platform has increased every year with new techniques of customer service. It’s necessary to catch consumer attraction for online shopping. In this competitive market every company should provide the latest techniques for high sales growth. The supply chain system should cover high demand or supply facility in minimum time. Customer survey for e-commerce can show that how online shopping can recover the unsatisfied customer with the newer services. Online issues related to payment, product specification, unavailability of the product, etc. create many unsatisfied customers. Trial service will be able to get more satisfaction and give advantage to online shoppers with regard to ordering high price products with the secure belief.

Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

The epic poem, Beowulf, depicts the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, was an outstanding warrior with all the extraordinary values required by a hero. He was able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encountered terrifying monsters and the most ferocious of beasts, but he never feared the threat of death. His leadership skills were excellent and he was able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf was the ultimate epic hero who risked his life countless times for immortal glory and for the good of others. Common traits of an Anglo-Saxon warrior were physical strength, leadership skills and heroic stoicism, which Beowulf demonstrated throughout this poem. Beowulf was a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious from all but his last. One of those victorious battles, was the battle against Grendel, in which Beowulf fought against a monster that had killed many men. â€Å"He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke† (31.389). Beowulf showed his great strength by ripping Grendel’s arm with his bare hands, which would be impossible for a regular human to do. When Beowulf fought Grendel's mother, who sought revenge for her son's death, he was able to defeat her as well. â€Å"From its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, and then savage, now, angry and desperate, lifted it high over his head and struck with all the strength he had left" (38.535). He was able to slay Grendel’s mother by slashing the monster's neck with a giant's sword that could only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. After defeating Grendel’s mother, Beowulf decided to finish off Grendel by slashing the monster's neck with the giant sword. â€Å"Then struck off his head with a single swift blow. The body jerked for the last time, then lay still† (38.560). After Beowulf chopped off his head, he carried it from the ocean to Herot mead-hall with ease. The head was so enormously heavy that it would take four men to lift and carry it. Another trait of Beowulf was his ability to put his people’s welfare before his own. â€Å"Heard how Grendel filled night with horror and quickly commanded a boat fitted out, proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when he was needed† (23.

Internal Control Essay

1. Inform the president of any new internal control requirements if the company decides to go public Each of the five components of an internal control system is important. Let us focus on the control activities. These activities are the backbone of the company’s efforts to address the risks it faces, such as fraud. The specific control activities used by a company will vary depending on management’s assessments of the risks faced. The six principles of control activities are as follows: a. Establishment of responsibility b. Segregation of duties c. Documentation procedures d. Physical controls e. Independent internal verification f. Human resource controls All these apply to most companies and are relevant to both manual and computerized accounting systems. Establishment of responsibility: An essential principle of internal control is to assign responsibility to specific employees. Control is most effective when only one person is responsible for given task. Establishing responsibility often requires limiting access only to authorized personnel and then identifying those personal. Segregation of duties: Segregation of duties is indispensable in an internal control system. There are two common applications of this principle: a. Different individuals should be responsible for related activities. b. The responsibility for record-keeping for an asset should be separate from the physical custody of that asset. The rationale for segregation of duties is, the work of one employee should, without a duplication of effort, provide a reliable basis for evaluating the work of another employee. Segregation of related activities – Making one individual responsible for related activities increases the potential for errors and irregularities. Segregation of record-keeping from physical custody – The custodian of the asset is not likely to convert the asset to personal use when one employee maintains the record of the asset, and a different employee has physical custody of the asset. Documentation procedures: Documents provide evidence that transactions and events have occurred. By requiring signatures on the documents, the company can identify the individual responsible for the transaction or event. Companies should document transactions when the transaction occurs. Companies should establish procedures for documents. First, whenever possible, companies should use pre numbered documents, and all documents should be accounted for. Pre numbering helps to prevent a transaction from being recorded more than once or conversely from not being recorded at all. Second, the control system should require that employees promptly forward source documents for accounting entries to the accounting department. This control measure helps to ensure timely recording of the transaction and contributes directly to the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. Physical controls: Use of physical controls is essential. Physical controls relate to the safeguarding of assets and enhance the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. Independent internal verification: Most internal control systems provide for independent internal verification. This principle involves the review of data prepared by employees. To obtain maximum benefit from independent internal verification: a. Companies should verify records periodically or on a surprise basis b. An employee who is independent of the personnel responsible for the information should make the verification c. Discrepancies and exceptions should be reported to a management level that can take appropriate corrective action. Independent internal verification is especially useful in comparing recorded transactions with existing assets. Large companies often assign independent internal verification to internal auditors. Internal auditors are company employees who continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s internal control systems. They review the activities of departments and individuals to determine whether prescribed internal controls are being followed. They also recommend improvements when needed. Human resource controls: Human resource control activities include the following: a. Bond employees who handle cash – Bonding involves obtaining insurance protection against theft by employees. It contributes to the safeguarding of cash in two ways: First, the insurance company carefully screens all individuals before adding them to the policy and may reject risky applicants. Second, bonded employees know that the insurance company will vigorously prosecute all offenders. b. Rotate employees’ duties and require employees to take vacations – these measures deter employees from attempting thefts since they will not be able to permanently conceal their improper actions. c. Conduct through background checks – Many believe that the most important and inexpensive measure any business can take to reduce employee theft and fraud is for the human resources department to conduct through background checks. 2. Advice the president of what the company is doing right (they are doing some things well) and also recommends to the President whether or not they should buy the indelible ink machine. When you advise the President, please be sure to reference the applicable internal control principle that applies. Some of the things that the company is doing right are: a. Documentation procedures – The organization uses pre numbered invoices. Documents provide evidence that transactions and events have occurred. This internal control activity says that whenever possible the companies should use pre numbered documents and all documents should be accounted for. Pre numbering helps to prevent a transaction from being recorded more than once or conversely from not being recorded at all. This control measure helps to ensure timely recording of the transaction and contributes directly to the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. b. Establishment of responsibility – The organization uses petty cash. Employees are asked to place a note if they use any of the cash. This is according to the internal control activity ‘Establishment of responsibility’. This is an essential principle of internal control is to assign responsibility to specific employees. Control is most effective when only one person is responsible for a given task. This limits access only to authorized personnel. c. While interviewing, the president and the accountant do it together. It is good to have more than one people in an interview. d. The fact that he realizes the issues of any problems The president should not buy the indelible ink machine, because anyone in the company will have the access to print. The president has to voluntaries himself and decides about the indelible ink machine. He need not wait for authorization from anybody on installing this indelible ink machine. 3. Advice the president of what the company is doing wrong (they are definitely doing some things poorly). Please be sure to include the internal control principle that is being violated along with a recommendation for improvement. Some of the things that the company is doing wrong are: a. Meeting in a public place to discuss. This should happen in a private room. b. Physical control – The Company does not follow the physical control activity. The company does not have individual passwords to restrict access. The use of physical controls is essential. Physical controls relate to the safeguarding of assets and enhance the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. The organization should have individual passwords for all employees. c. Establishment of responsibility – The Company does not follow the internal control activity of establishing responsibility. The indelible ink machine is a wrong option because anyone can use the machine to print. An essential principle of internal control is to assign responsibility to specific employees. Control is most effective when only one person is responsible for a given task. d. Human resource controls – The organization does not follow the human resource controls internal activity. Among the human resource controls internal activity, they do not follow the conduct thorough background checks. The company did not do background check. The employee did pornography and was a convicted felon who served time for molesting children. Conducting thorough background checks is the most important and inexpensive measure any business can take to reduce employee theft and fraud for the human resources department. The two tips are: 1. Check to see whether job applicants actually graduated from the schools they list. 2. Never use the telephone numbers for previous employees given on the reference sheet; always look them up yourself. The company must conduct background checks when recruiting. e. They have faith in their long term employees. The long term employees know well about the organization f. Establishment of responsibility – The organization does not have a responsible person for issuing the pay checks. This is an essential principle of internal control to assign responsibility to specific employees. Control is most effective when only one person is responsible for a given task. The company leaves the payday checks in the office for pick up. The paychecks should be mailed separately or it should be deposited directly into the employees’ account. Else one person should have the responsibility to handle the paycheck on pay day. g. Segregation of duties – It is an indispensable internal control system that the organization is not following. The two common applications of this principle are: Different individuals should be responsible for related activities and the responsibility for record keeping for an asset should be separate from the physical custody of that asset. Making one individual responsible for related activities increases the potential for errors and irregularities. The custodian of the asset is not likely to convert the asset to personal use when one employee maintains the record of the asset and a different employee has physical custody of the asset. In a company, same person cannot be both the treasurer and controller. The duties of the employees must be segregated clearly. h. Physical control – Use of physical controls is essential. Physical controls relate to the safeguarding of assets and enhance the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. There is no internet sec urity in the company. They should have proper internet security.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Review

'Mrs. Dalloway' by Virginia Woolf Review Mrs. Dalloway is a complex and compelling modernist novel by  Virginia Woolf. It is a wonderful study of its principal characters. The novel enters into the consciousness of the people it takes as it subjects, creating a powerful, psychologically authentic effect. Although quite rightly numbered amongst the most famed modernist writers - such as Proust,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Joyce, and  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Lawrence - Woolf is often considered to be a much gentler artist, lacking the darkness of the male contingent of the movement. With Mrs. Dalloway, though, Woolf created a visceral and unyielding vision of madness and a haunting descent into its depths. Overview Mrs. Dalloway follows a set of characters as they go about their lives on a normal day. The eponymous character, Clarissa Dalloway, does simple things: she buys some flowers, walks in a park, is visited by an old friend and throws a party. She speaks to a man who was once in love with her, and who still believes that she settled by marrying her politician husband. She talks to a female friend with whom she was once in love. Then, in the final pages of the book, she hears about a poor lost soul who threw himself from a doctors window onto a line of railings. Septimus This man is the second character central in Mrs. Dalloway. His name is Septimus Smith. Shell-shocked after his experiences in  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹World War I, he is a so-called madman who hears voices. He was once in love with a fellow soldier named Evansa ghost who haunts him throughout the novel. His infirmity is rooted in his fear and his repression of this forbidden love. Finally, tired of a world that he believes is false and unreal, he commits suicide. The two characters whose experiences form the core of the novel - Clarissa and Septimus - share a number of similarities. In fact, Woolf saw Clarissa and Septimus as more like two different aspects of the same person, and the linkage between the two is emphasized by a series of stylistic repetitions and mirrorings. Unbeknownst to Clarissa and Septimus, their paths cross a number of times throughout the day - just as some of the situations in their lives followed similar paths.Clarissa and Septimus were in love with a person of their own sex, and both repressed their loves because of their social situations. Even as their lives mirror, parallel, and cross - Clarissa and Septimus take different paths in the final moments of the novel. Both are existentially insecure in the worlds they inhabit - one chooses life, while the other commits suicide. A Note on Style of Mrs. Dalloway Woolfs style - she is one of the most foremost proponents of what has become known as stream of consciousness - allows readers into the minds and hearts of her characters. She also incorporates a level of psychological realism that Victorian novels were never able to achieve. The every day is seen in a new light: internal processes are opened up in her prose, memories compete for attention, thoughts arise unprompted, and the deeply significant and the utterly trivial are treated with equal importance. Woolfs prose is also enormously poetic. She has a very special ability to make the ordinary ebb and flow of the mind sing.Mrs. Dalloway is linguistically inventive, but the novel also has an enormous amount to say about its characters. Woolf handles their situations with dignity and respect. As she studies Septimus and his deterioration into madness, we see a portrait that draws considerably from Woolfs own experiences. Woolfs stream of consciousness-style leads us to experience the m adness. We hear the competing voices of sanity and insanity. Woolfs vision of madness does not dismiss Septimus as a person with a biological defect. She treats the consciousness of the madman as something apart, valuable in itself, and something from which the wonderful tapestry of her novel could be woven.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,  by L. Frank Baum, is a book that has transcended its time and place.  More than a century after its publication, it remains a seminal piece of popular culture (helped, of course, by the iconic 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland). Much of the novel’s continued  popularity and presence can be attributed the stunning imagination that Baum brought to the work. Equally important, however, is the fact that the story lends itself to multiple interpretations. New generations continue to reinterpret the tale, despite Baums own insistence in the original introduction that the story â€Å"was written solely to please children of today.† Fast Facts: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Author: L. Frank BaumPublisher:  George M. Hill CompanyYear Published:  1900Genre:  Childrens novel  Original language: English  Themes:  Childhood innocence, inner strength, friendship  Characters:  Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch of the NorthNotable adaptations:  The Wizard of Oz  (1939, dir. Victor Fleming)   Plot Dorothy is a young girl living in Kansas with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. A cyclone hits; terrified, Dorothy’s dog Toto hides under the bed. Dorothy goes to fetch him as her aunt and uncle hide in the cellar. The Cyclone carries the whole house- with Dorothy and Toto in it- away. When they land, Dorothy discovers that she has arrived in Munchkinland, part of the Land of Oz. The house has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives. She gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch’s silver slippers and tells her that to get home she will have to travel down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to ask for help from the Wizard. As Dorothy and Toto travel, they meet three companions: A Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion. Each lack something- the Scarecrow needs a brain, the Tin Woodman needs a heart, and the Lion needs courage- so Dorothy suggests they all travel to the Emerald City together to ask the Wizard for help. At the Emerald City, the Wizard agrees to give them each what they seek if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. In Winkie Land, the Wicked Witch sees them coming, and attacks them several times on the way. Finally the Witch uses a magical Golden Cap to summon flying monkeys, who tear the stuffing out of the Scarecrow, dent the Woodman badly, and capture Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion. The Wicked Witch makes Dorothy her slave and tricks her out of one of her silver shoes. This annoys Dorothy and in a fit of anger she throws water on the Witch, and is astonished to see her melt away. The Winkies are delighted and ask the Tin Woodman to become their king, which he agrees to do once Dorothy is home. Dorothy uses the Golden Cap to have the Flying Monkeys carry them back to the Emerald City. There, Toto accidentally reveals the truth: The Wizard is just an ordinary man who traveled from Omaha via hot air balloon many years before. He gives the Scarecrow new stuffing in his head for brains, the Woodman a stuffed silk heart, and the Lion a potion for courage. The Wizard agrees to take Dorothy home with him in his balloon, appointing the Scarecrow ruler in his absence, but once again Toto runs off and as Dorothy gives chase the Wizard accidentally cuts his lines and floats away. Dorothy asks the Flying Monkeys to carry her home, but they cannot cross the desert that bounds Oz on all sides. She and her friends set off to Quadling Country to seek the help of Glinda. Along the way the Lion is asked to become king of the animals in a forest and agrees to do so once Dorothy is home. The Flying Monkeys are summoned for a third and final time to fly them the rest of the way to Glinda. Glinda tells Dorothy that her silver shoes will take her anywhere she wishes to go, and then uses the Golden Cap to ask the Flying Monkeys to take her friends to their respective new kingdoms, and then sets the Monkeys free. Dorothy returns joyously to Kansas with Toto, ecstatic to be home. Major Characters Dorothy:  The  protagonist of the story. She is a young girl from Kansas who lives  with her aunt and uncle on their farm. She maintains a cheerful and childlike happiness in the face of adversity, and demonstrates bravery in frightening moments. She has little patience for deception or indecisiveness. The Scarecrow:  A scarecrow whose greatest  wish is to have the intelligence he believes he lacks. He joins Dorothys journey to the Wizard in order to request a brain.  Ã‚   The Tin Woodman: A former woodchopper who was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the East. Her spell  caused an enchanted axe to chop off each of his limbs.  The Tin Woodman slowly replaced every part of his body with tin, but he did not replace his heart. He wants to ask the Wizard for a heart. The Cowardly Lion:  A lion who  believes himself to be a coward.   The Wicked Witch of the West:  The sister  of The Wicked Witch of the East (who was killed accidentally by Dorothy). She is very powerful and very angry at all times, and is greedy for more power. The Wizard. An ordinary human who, like Dorothy, traveled  into Oz by accident. Taken to be a powerful wizard by the inhabitants of Oz, he goes along with the ruse and builds up an illusion of immense power, though he means no harm. Glinda the Good Witch of the North. A good witch, Glinda is kind and merciful, but her influence diminishes away from her home in the North. She attempts to safeguard and guide Dorothy throughout her adventures. Themes Many of the themes of the book can be seen as simple lessons Baum wished to convey to his young readers. Childhood Innocence:  The story celebrates a conception of childhood that combines duty, virtue, and good behavior with an unfettered imagination. Baum paints Dorothy as thoroughly enjoying her voyage through the magical world of Oz while never flagging in her determination to return home. Inner Strength:  Through the story many of the characters start off believing themselves to be lacking in some fundamental way- the brains, courage, and heart Dorothy’s companions wish for, and Dorothy herself seeks a way to get home- that they turn out to have always possessed. Friendship: The power of helping others and caring for them triumphs over the greed and anger of the Wicked Witch. None of the characters would have found what they wanted without the help of the others. Literary Style and Devices Straightforward Text:  Inspired by classic fairy tales, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is written in a straightforward, plain way that is easy for children to read and understand. Bright Colors: Baum uses a lot of description, emphasizing bright colors and exuberant descriptions in order to generate mental images. Repetition: Baum uses repetition powerfully. Goals, important details, and other aspects of the story are repeated, as are plot points- there are several smaller quests nested inside the main one of Dorothy getting home, for example. Compartmentalized Chapters:  Baum makes  it easy to keep things straight by focusing each chapter on a single main event, with a clear end-point when the chapter finishes. This style makes it easier to easy to read the story in several sittings, as a parent might to a children. Interpretations of The Wizard of Oz The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is frequently interpreted as more than just a children’s story.  Complex political, social, and historical theories have been credited to it. Populism. One of the most famous theories involves the populist movement that collapsed in the late 19th century, linked to the debate over monetary policy. According to this theory, Dorothy represents the American people as innocent and easily fooled, while other characters represent aspects of society or politicians of the time. Economic forces and theories are represented by The Yellow Brick Road (the gold standard) and the Emerald City (paper money), and the Wizard is the deceptive politicians manipulating the public. There’s more to the theory, but the more you dig into it the less sense it tends to make. Religion.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  is frequently identified as a coded allegory by both Christians and atheists, usually using the same symbols in different ways. For religious readers, the story can be seen as a tale of resisting temptations and battling evil through faith. For atheists, the Wizard is a deity who is ultimately revealed to be a sham. Feminism.  There is evidence of a  feminist subtext in The Wizard of Oz. The male characters are all lacking- they are fakes, cowards, and frozen, or part of otherwise oppressed or passive  groups. The women- Dorothy and Glinda most notably- are the true powers in Oz. Legacy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to be read by children and adults around the world. It has been adapted many times for stage and screen and continues to influence both children’s literature and adult fiction. The storys  imagery and symbolism- the Yellow Brick Road, the silver shoes (turned into Ruby Slippers for the classic film), the green-skinned witch, the fanciful companions- are regularly used in new works as both callbacks and reinterpretation. The book is often described as the first American fairy tale, and is indeed one of the first children’s stories to specifically refer to American locations and culture. Key Quotes â€Å"There is no place like home.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh no, my dear; Im really a very good man; but Im a very bad Wizard, I must admit.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How can you talk if you haven’t got a brain? I don’t know†¦ But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking†¦ don’t they?†

Theme of Death across Dr Faustus, Paradise Lost, Shakespeares Sonnets Essay - 1

Theme of Death across Dr Faustus, Paradise Lost, Shakespeares Sonnets and The Pardoners Tale - Essay Example Death is that relentless time passing, causing everything to decay. It is the transience of things, of all that is mortal and born in time. Time devours everything (Shakespeare). Death is also a sad force that cannot be stopped, not by anything on earth (Shakespeare (b)): Since neither brass nor stone nor earth nor the limitless ocean is strong enough to resist the sad force of mortality, how can beauty possibly resist death’s rage when beauty is no stronger than a flower? How could your beauty, which is as fragile as the sweet breath of summer, hold out against the destructive assaults of time when neither invulnerable rocks nor gates of steel are strong enough to resist its decaying power? (Shakespeare (b)) Yet, in the midst of this grave and gloomy image of death as the incessant work of time, there is also an aspect of death that transcends the destruction, and that is the beauty of the beloved as immortalized in the poetry, according to Shakespeare (Shakespeare (c)): Despite death and ignorant enmity, you shall continue on. All those generations to come, down to the weary end of time, will devote space to praising you. So until Judgment Day, when you are raised up, you will live in this poetry, and in the eyes of lovers who read this. (Shakespeare (c)) In Christopher Marlowe’s ‘The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus’ again we see the same themes about death being, in essence, something that is of man’s making, through the decisions that he makes to either go with the good in him, or in the case of Dr. Faustus, to sign away his soul to the devil in exchange for his worldly ambitions and desires. Where in Milton the cause of the death in metaphorical terms was the disobedience by Adam and Eve of the express command of God, in Dr. Faustus by Marlowe there is the sense of the key protagonist willing to risk all, even his soul, for the sake of a worldly career and knowledge of a dubious magic that would not save him in the end. Knowledge

Maria Full of Grace Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maria Full of Grace - Movie Review Example In the scene when Maria is traveling to Bogota, the movie captures infrastructure development in the countryside as average. The road on which Maria is traveling on a motorbike is depicted as having only two lanes. The roads are narrow at various points where sharp turns occur along the overlooking valleys. There are a number of ramps along the road at such turns, though the rest of the road sections have no ramps on the side that face the valley. When they reach Bogota, the road network improves to three lanes. There are elements of improvement of infrastructure unlike in many developing countries. There is a flyover, which may be seen to easy traffic along the roads. The buildings on the right also seem modern, though they appear to be based on the 1960s engineering technology that was not so much advanced. The streets of Bogota seem to have been maintained close to the level of other developed countries. There is a zebra crossing and the houses in Bogota central business district are quite properly planned. They are neatly arranged in a line. There is also evidence of streetlights. However, there is evidence of informal settlement and structures within Bogota. There is a poorly constructed structure by the roadside, probably an eatery. The environment around the eatery is untidy. One can see papers lying all over the place in the grass. Some people have parked their cars by the roadside, an indication that probably there are no official parking lots. In one street, vendors have occupied part of the road with their carts, which they sell their grocery. Inside buildings, there is an evidence of poor planning in lighting. The corridor and the rooms, through which Maria walks are dark, almost like dungeons. Life in Bogota is generally lively. There is a little bit of pomp. People seem to mix freely. Much of the countryside in Colombia is quite impoverished, so is part of the urban dwellers. Survival mechanisms in urban areas include taking odd jobs such